June 4

JOHN 15

¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another. ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.  – John 15:12-21

JOHN 15 SACRIFICIAL LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

To love someone truly is to lay down your life for that person

Jesus died for us all so that we can be free from our sin nature

When God chose you as his own, you can now bear fruits of love

You are now capable of giving that same love he gave you

Christ sampled for us the greatest love of all when he died for us

Giving up your life for someone is the true sign that you love God

When you love someone, you are willing to do what benefits him

You don’t prioritize yourself but serving that friend is your priority.

John explains what it truly means to love in this account. It seems impossible to love others as God has loved us, doesn’t it? But in verse 12, we are commanded to do so. Because God made us all in his image, we have that potential innate in us to give that same love that he gave us. In fact, many of us think of love as a transactional thing (that’s because Satan has twisted the meaning of true love). Because of sin, we think that we only give love to those who can give it back to us. When God created us, he wasn’t expecting us to love him back for his own sake. He was commanding it from us so that we can follow the law of love and be able to fulfill the purpose of our lives: to love and be loved.

What does it mean to lay down one’s life for a friend in verse 13? It is not literally to die for someone but it is defining the sacrificial aspect of loving someone. By sacrificial, it means that your priority has shifted from making yourself first to making that other person first. Imagine, if we all practice sacrificial love. How wonderful the world would be if each person thinks less of himself and thinks of his friends’ welfare first! There will be less narcissists in this world, won’t it?

REFLECTION

·       Share some ways sacrificial love manifests in relationships.

June 3

1 JOHN 4

¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. – 1 John 4:13-21

1 JOHN 4 THE SOURCE OF LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God is love and only he gives it

The world’s love is not like his

We can only love because He first loved us

His love is unconditional, pure and selfless

Love is manifested through his only Begotten Son

Love others so you can show that you truly love God.

It is interesting how many people think that they can fabricate love. Those who don’t know God have no idea that God is the only source of love. They don’t know that God created us all in his image. Since God is love himself, we are all made for love. Our purpose is for love. We ought to give love and receive it too. When we were born, our parents ought to love and care for us so that we can grow up as loving people. There are so many people who were not loved by unloving parents who did not know God. How else do you think these loved-deprived children would grow up? In psychology, these individuals grow up with attachment disorders. These are mental illnesses that resulted from trauma, neglect, abuse and being unloved as young children. What psychology does not explain is that the human being is made for love as God created us all for, and when it doesn’t get it, it creates all kinds of mental health issues. According to the National Institute of Health between 52-54% of surveyed juvenile delinquents and young offenders meet the criteria for attachment disorder or borderline attachment disorder.

John explains in this account that God is the only source of love and we need to give him credit for it. This is the reason why we are able to love outside of ourselves. Without God loving us first, we are not capable of loving anyone else besides ourselves. When we believe in God, we recognize that we can only know true love because he loved us first. It is a gift and we cannot boast about it. We need to give it to others as he gave his love to us through his Son Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

·       Why do so many people think that they can give love away without receiving God’s love first?

June 2

1 PETER 4

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. ³ For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. ⁴ With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; ⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.⁷ The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: ¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen – 1 Peter 4:1-11

1 PETER 4 KEEP LOVING EARNESTLY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A lover of God is also a lover of other people

We no longer prioritize the self but others

We now live for pleasing the Lord our God

So, let’s love earnestly so we can fulfill our make

When we show love, we cover a multitude of sins

We radiate God’s character and glorify Christ

Let us pass on the gift of love that we have received

Let us show hospitality and compassion eagerly.

In this account, Peter encourages the believers to preach the gospel by earnestly loving one another. Now that God has adopted us as his own, we ought to love one another as he loves us. Peter suggests that we suffer in our flesh because it will make us stop sinning. Because of our sinful nature, we love to please ourselves and cater to pleasurable things. When Christ sacrificed his life for us, we were given a model of starving the flesh so we can please God.

Peter instructs us to be earnest in loving one another. It is the gift that we receive when Christ saved us from our sinful nature. Jesus was a perfect example of sacrificial love. Now that we belong to him, we are to live for him and not for our selfish inclinations. By pursuing to love others as we love ourselves, we are edifying our Lord and giving all the glory to our Maker. The only way we can fight the devil’s tactics is by walking in love and refraining from walking in our flesh. Let us then pursue hospitality and compassion towards one another in order that we will fulfill the perfect law of liberty.

REFLECTION

• Why must Christians be earnest and intentional in loving one another?

June 1

1 CORINTHIANS 16

¹⁰ When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. ¹¹ So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.¹² Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.¹³ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love.¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— ¹⁶ be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. ¹⁷ I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, ¹⁸ for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. – 1 Corinthians 16:10-18

1 CORINTHIANS 16 LET ALL THAT YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you live in this corrupt world, don’t conform with its ways

Instead, let all that you do for others be done out of love

By doing so, you won’t be misled to do what is wrong

Stand firm, be courageous; watch out and be strong

Take care of one another and be of service to them

Serve them as you would serve your Lord Jesus Christ

Do this so you will reap a harvest of the Spirit’s fruit

You will manifest the same love God has given you.

Can you imagine what this world would look like if everyone did things out of selfless love? There will probably be no conflicts, no whining or no clamoring, no greed or envy. It is the solution for everything. When we do things out of love, we become less selfish. No wonder God’s commands are based on this perfect law of love. James calls it the perfect law of liberty in James 1:25. He tells us that we should not just be hearers of the word but doers of it. When we follow that law of liberty, we become free from the shackles of sin because we are constantly following the perfect standard of love. In 1 John 4:16, we know that God is love and in 1 John 4: 8, we know that those who do not know God, do not have the capacity to love. God’s love isn’t the same as how the world conceives love. The world’s concept of love is transactional. Love according to the world is based on what the self can benefit by giving it to someone, which is very different from selfless love. Selfish love is from the world system, while selfless love is from God’s kingdom.

Paul reminds the church in Corinth to guard themselves from the selfish love that is our human nature. Instead, he instructs the church to acknowledge those who serve God’s kingdom selflessly and be of service to one another. This he says is the work of the Lord:  that we do everything out of love. It is the selfless love that Christ gave to us when he selflessly died and gave up his life for us that we ought to give one another.

REFLECTION

·       How can doing everything out of love be the solution to all suffering and pain in this world?

May 30

JAMES 1

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

                                                                                        – James 1:19-27

JAMES 1 QUICK TO HEAR & SLOW TO SPEAK

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As servants of Christ Jesus, we are called to exercise self-control

We must follow the laws of God so we’ll be unstained from the world

Quick to hear and slow to speak are manifestations of God’s work

We can’t do what’s right on our own and tend to do what’s wrong

As we walk in God’s Spirit, we’ll be quick to hear and slow to speak

We will begin to examine our hearts and hone where we are weak

Let us be doers of the word of God and not just hearers

For if we only hear without doing, we are called deceivers.

The book of James is one of my favorite books in the bible. He is very straightforward in his teaching and admonitions to the church. He is a no-nonsense man. He directly gets to the point of the matter. In this account, we clearly hear his teaching on self-control. He mentions that man’s anger doesn’t produce God’s righteousness. Why does he say this? Man’s nature is to cater to the “self.” When we make the “self” our priority, we will never do anything to please God. Because of man’s sinful nature, it is almost always that he makes himself first rather than God.

James gives us an antidote to anger and dysregulation by putting away all our wicked tendencies and instead, receiving the word of God which he says can save our souls. It is sad to know that not all professing Christians take this very seriously. CBN.com website says that “Around 3 in 5 American who attend services at least once a month (61%), only 31% read daily and 30% who do so a few times a week.14% engage once a week, 11% a few times a month, 5% read Scripture once a month while 9% do rarely or never.” No wonder, many Christians are out-of-control and quick to speak and slow to listen. They are spiritually malnourished because they haven’t fed on the word of God. The bible says that we ought to eat the word so we can grow our faith and not be stunted and stay baby Christians forever.

REFLECTION

• How often do you read and study God’s word? What has feeding on the word done for you?

May 29

2 TIMOTHY 2

¹⁴ Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶ But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene.

²² So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servantmust not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.  – 2 Timothy 2:14-17,22-26

2 TIMOTHY 2 AVOID IRREVERENT BABBLE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a believer, you are to be prudent in many ways

Present yourself as a worker approved by God

Flee from all your passions that corrupt your whole being

Avoid irreverent babble for this talk spreads like gangrene

Handle God’s word reverently and rightly so you’ll stay pure

Do not listen to lies and Satan’s accusations, but cling to the truth

Do not give in to foolish controversies for it breeds divisions

Patiently bear and correct each other gently and with compassion.

This letter of Paul to his spiritual son Timothy is full of wisdom as to how to live an authentic Christian life. He addresses some issues among the believers who got themselves into fights and quarrelsome behaviors. To avoid these kinds of ungodly acts, he tackles the antidote so such temptations to engage in sinful conflicts with the following instructions:

• Do not quarrel about words since it doesn’t do any good to the hearers
• Present yourself as a good worker for Christ by handling truth rightly and with reverence
• Avoid irreverent babbles for it will lead others to more ungodliness
• Flee from youthful passions that leads to unrighteous, dark and uncontrolled desires
• Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies that breeds more divisions
• Teach and correct each other gently and patiently
• Don’t be quarrelsome, instead be considerate and kind to one another.

It is not hard for us to just say what’s in our minds, but it takes a leaning on the Spirit of the Lord to rend our mouths and lips. So, if we only think of what is true, beautiful, honorable, pure, lovely and of good report, our mouths will also speak such wonderful and honorable words and not irreverent babbles.

REFLECTION

• Share some examples of irreverent babbles that do not edify anyone or glorify God.

May 26

1 TIMOTHY 4

⁶ If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸ for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

                                                                                        – 1 Timothy 4:6-16

1 TIMOTHY 4 TRAIN FOR GODLINESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A servant of Christ Jesus has to train for godliness

Without such training, he won’t overcome his flesh

Devote yourself to study and public reading of God’s word

Build up the body of Christ so you’ll overcome this world

Guard yourself and watch that you persist on doing what’s right

Wear God’s armor, pray at all times and always walk in the light

Practice putting on your new creation in Christ and don’t fall back

Press on to the progress you’ve already made and continue to grow.

Biblehub.com states that “Godliness, in the biblical context, refers to a life that is devoted to the reverence and worship of God, characterized by a pious and devout lifestyle. The term is derived from the Greek word “eusebeia,” which signifies piety, reverence, and a God-centered life. It encompasses both an inward devotion and an outward expression of that devotion through righteous living.

In this letter of Paul to Timothy, he instructs Timothy to train in godliness. He emphasized that while bodily training is important, the training for godliness is much more superior. Paul wanted Timothy to set the example of someone trained in this spiritual discipline. He specified the importance of the congregation to do the public reading of Scripture, exhort one another and teach and devote themselves to godliness and following the laws of the Lord. To train in godliness means that everything the Christian does would be a reflection of the image of God, nothing goes against how he made us to be.This means that a Christian can no longer continue with his sinful tendencies and his old life. He is now living for the Lord, so he cannot continue with the sinful nature that is so automatic in every human being.

REFLECTION

• Share as to what training you’ve been led by the Spirit so you can stay godly.