Weekly Guide：Week 44
November 25, 2018
Forward
We will complete reading the first book of Thessalonians and continue to the second book.
Many have never experienced the transforming power of God’s word and thus doubt the benefits of reading the Bible, feel frustrated and disappointed, deny His power, and turn to other ways and theories. We need to acknowledge that there is a gap between our Christian identity and our conducts and not doubt God’s promise because of the gap. We need to acknowledge that it is a process and struggle. By God’s transforming power, we lean ourselves on Jesus Christ to experience the spiritual growth. A growth that has its ups and downs as the Holy Spirit transforms gradually all who are faithful. We ought to use all kinds of wisdoms to internalize Christ’s way, to teach and admonish through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in our hearts, to acknowledge our own weakness through love of the limbs. Our shortcomings can never overwhelm God’s glory!
May you all be renewed in God’s word every day!
Question
Who is Paul’s hope or joy or crown of happiness?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Paul’s hope, joy, and crown of happiness is the believers when they stand before Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again.
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The reason Paul wanted very much to be with them and sent ahead Timothy was to strengthen and help complete the Thessalonian believers’ faith.
Meditation: My Story
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Walking with God - Paul worried that His suffering would cause the Thessalonian believers to give up their faith. God uses suffering to strengthen the believers’ faith, but it can also be used by Satan as distraction. The suffering Paul remembered the believers. At the same time, the believers’ faith was strengthened to bring comfort to Paul. To face suffering has always been difficult but through Paul’s suffering, we see God blessed, comforted, and strengthened Paul and Thessalonian believers. How does today’s passage help me view the sufferings myself or others are facing?
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Community - God gave us shepherds who look after us. Likewise, there may be others who need our shepherding. How does Paul’s love to the believers remind me to love those around me? How does believers’ response to Paul remind me how I shall respond to my shepherds?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What is a life pleasing to God like?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Paul encouraged the Thessalonian believers to continue to do what they were doing, with faith, love, and hope, to strive and endeavor to do even more.
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Paul with Jesus’ command asked the Thessalonian believers not to live in sin but holy lives.
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Paul encouraged the believers to love each other, to live quietly, and to testify.
Meditation: My Story
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Identity - The Thessalonian believers were quite mature in their lives of faith, love, and hope but Paul encouraged them to do even more. It is never enough practicing life’s integrity as we strive to do more. Think, without reservation, about in what areas have I grown and be grateful for it! At the same time, don’t be complacent in believing I have it all. How shall I continue to do more?
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Integrity - Live a holy life, stay away from sexual immorality. A command from Jesus. Not obeying this command will both pollute our body which is God’s temple and offend others around us. The morality of the time in Roman Empire was corrupted as in today. We face the same challenges and temptations as the Thessalonians faced. Whether married or not, man or woman, what temptations do I face? How do I use my body in the right way by keeping it holy and by respecting it? How do I teach my children to keep their bodies holy and not to follow the world?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What will it be like when Jesus comes again?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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When Jesus comes again, the dead will be brought to life, then with those still living on earth, will be gathered together in the clouds and meet with the Lord in the sky to be with Him forever.
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The day Jesus comes again will be like a robber coming at night, no one knows when.
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Believers shall watch and keep minds awake, take cover with faith, love, and hope, to wait for the Lord’s coming.
Meditation: My Story
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Walking with God - Waiting for the Lord’s coming, we must watch and keep our minds awake, be children of light, take cover in faith, love, and hope, comfort each other, and strengthen each other. This means we shall remind ourselves of this promise when we are weak. This is no rhetoric! Think about my own weaknesses and difficulties I’m facing and ask the Lord to help me realize such hope with my life through the work of the Holy Spirit.
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Identity - We are unlike the world for we know Jesus will come again. Whether dead or still alive, all those who belong to Jesus will leave this world and meet with the Lord to be with Him forever. This is not so distant a promise, it is the reflection of the realization of our identity and value. Let me imagine what it will be like the day the Lord comes again. What comfort and relief form the world’s sufferings and temptations does it bring?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What did Paul tell the Thessalonian believers to have a close relationship with God and with others?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Christians shall respect those God’s servants who work among them.
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Christians are to live in peace with each other, speak to those who do not want to work, comfort those who feel they cannot keep going, and help the weak. Always look for ways to do good to each other and to all people.
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Christians are to follow God’s will, stay connected with the Holy Spirit and the way of the good.
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The God of faith will set the Christians apart for Himself.
Meditation: My Story
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Walking with God - Paul asked the believers to connect with God: be full of joy all the time, never stop praying, give thanks in everything. What does this remind me of in my daily life? How do I give thanks for things I don’t believe are good? What does it mean not to try stopping the work of the Holy Spirit? Are there callings from the Holy Spirit that I excused myself from? What does it mean not to laugh at those who speak for God? What attitude do I hold when listening to sermons?
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Community - Paul encouraged the believers the first thing about the relationship with the limbs is to respect those who works. What are the differences between respect and think much with love? Is there anything I need to change in the way I treat the servants of God? Paul mentioned the second thing being to do good with each other. What does it mean to treat each other by doing good with each other? (Jesus said only God is good, Luke 18)
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What hope does the promise of Lord’s coming brings to those who are suffering?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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The faith stays strong in those who are suffering because God wants them to prove themselves to be worthy in His holy nation.
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God does what is right and will allow trouble to come to those who are making it hard for the sufferers. He will help those who are suffering.
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God will bring His righteous judgement when the Lord comes again.
Meditation: My Story
- Walking with God - God wants the believers to suffer for His holy nation. We might not be facing persecution, but there are other forms of suffering. Can I think of some examples? The promise of the Lord’s coming is not just to let us to be with Him forever, but also brings glory to the faithful and punishments to those who refused Him. From the above question about suffering examples for His holy nation, how does His promise help believers rejoice in hope and endurance?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
Who is the source of the unlawful before the Lord’s coming?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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There will be signs, there will be people turning away from God, and the coming of their leader, the man of sin, before the Lord’s coming. So, do not be troubled or worried when some say the Lord has already come.
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Satan will use this man of sin. He will do strange things and many powerful works that will be false. All who do not believe in the Lord will be guilty when they stand before God.
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When the Lord comes, He brings the end to the man of sin.
Meditation: My Story
- Walking with God - We are in the age of time’s end and there are those who pronounce the Christ is already here. How should we face them according to Paul? The man of sin will come and do strange and powerful things. But nothing can take away the salvation and those who turned away from God would have no excuses because God’s plan will be accomplished. Where have you experienced God’s sovereignty?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Scripture Reading
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
When did the promise of being righteous through faith come about?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ The Galatian believers received their salvation through faith, not law.
+ The promise of being credited righteous by faith was given before the law. We don't receive grace through law.
+ Law is to prepare us, as our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.
+ The spiritual growth of the Galatian church proved that they did so through faith not through law.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - As the Galatian believers, our salvation and our spiritual growth proved that righteousness is gained through faith, not through law. Reflect to the day I became a believer and throughout my life, how God's grace and blessings were given to me through my faith, not my conduct?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
How do we gain freedom through God's promise?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ We became God's children through His promises, not through our works of being slaves of the law.
+ Jesus Christ released us to grant us freedom. If we burden ourselves again by the yoke of slavery of the law, then Jesus' redemption becomes meaningless.
+ In Christ, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, not by bondage of the law.
+ In Christ, we wait eagerly through the Spirit by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - What are the differences of being free children of God and being slaves under the law? Although I have not been through the law as the Israelites, are there other laws burdening me in my life that cause me to forget my status as a child of God and live like a slave?
+ **Walking with God** - A life freed from slavery expresses itself through love. What does a faith like this bring forth in my life? Reflect in my life, when have I seen the outcome of such faith?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
How should we view the freedom God gave us?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ To be devoid of fleshly indulgence, we must follow the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
+ Follow the Spirit to do good to all people, carry each other's burdens, love others, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
+ Boast only in the cross of Christ and become a new creation.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Community** - What is the relationship with others like when one lives by the Spirit? I shall always go back to my relationship with God first to find an answer when I have problems in my relationships.
+ **Integrity** - How do the Spirit and flesh contradict each other? What real life example can I find on myself? What does this passage remind me of if the Spirit and my flesh are battling in me? Of the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, which do I lack? Am I willing to rely on God to bear the fruit in me?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is the spiritual inheritance of a Christian?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ As our inheritance, our election by the riches of His grace in Jesus Christ, redemption by Christ's blood, and adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the proof of our inheritance from God.
+ The inheritance from God allows us to connect with His power. And such is the same power that raised Christ Jesus from death. Only when God enlightens the eyes of my heart I would know truly and rely on His incomparably great power.
+ God blessed us in heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ for us to be holy and blameless so that He would be praised for His glory.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - Pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Do I truly know Him? Do I truly know He gave us the inheritance? Do I truly rely on Him? Even though I claim to know Him but do I often prioritize worldly inheritance over the heavenly one and relying on human power more than His? Let me pray to God to open the eyes of my heart to truly know Him.
+ **Integrity** - The purpose of the blessings we receive from God is not to glorify us but by His calling that we may live out the life of Christ so that His glorious grace may be praised.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is the life of Christ's ambassador?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ By His work on the cross, Jesus Christ unified the Jews and the Gentiles into one to create a new people. This work of Jesus' alone brought the Gentiles who had no part in God into His kingdom to receive His inheritance.
+ By His work on the cross, Jesus destroyed the wall between the Jews and the Gentiles so that we are not defined and separated by our races, accomplishments, or background. Instead, we are unified as one in the Lord.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - Jesus through His works on the cross gave us a new identity: People of God. What do I see as important identities in my daily life, occupation, politics, country, race, heritage, or family? We can only cause isolation if too much emphasis is placed on any of these identities. Only when we place the utmost importance our identity as People of God, we would then be able to connect with God and unite with others through Him.
+ **Community** - Jesus through His works on the cross put to death the hostility between us and God. He brought together the ever-contentious Jews and Gentiles to unite them into one people. What hostility do I have still toward others?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is our responsibility in God's Kingdom?
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ God's calling to Paul was to make the Gentiles disciples and through Jesus Christ made known to him the mystery to unit Jews and Gentiles with God. For this reason, Paul was not afraid of facing life threatening dangers that encouraged the troubled Ephesians believers. Because he knew for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
+ According to God's design, His power is displayed through and in all believers. In one way, it is through the spiritual gifts to each held together by every supporting ligament, at the same time, of the same body, same spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God being the foundation of all disciples' unity.
+ It is The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of unity but it is up to us to make every effort to keep the unity.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Community** - God does not want a growth just for us as individuals but one with Christ being the head, church being the body, and all disciples connect to Christ together growing as one. Am I willing to accept help and assistance from others or just mind my own business? How should I grow with others to understand the vastness and the depth of God's love?
+ **Fidelity** - The gifts God gives to individuals are to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Therefore, we would see ourselves without bias and put ourselves to proper use as God intended only if we view our gifts through the viewpoint of building up Christ's body. How am I seeing my gifts?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
{% include BibleLinks2020.html %}
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
When did the promise of being righteous through faith come about?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ The Galatian believers received their salvation through faith, not law.
+ The promise of being credited righteous by faith was given before the law. We don't receive grace through law.
+ Law is to prepare us, as our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.
+ The spiritual growth of the Galatian church proved that they did so through faith not through law.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - As the Galatian believers, our salvation and our spiritual growth proved that righteousness is gained through faith, not through law. Reflect to the day I became a believer and throughout my life, how God's grace and blessings were given to me through my faith, not my conduct?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
How do we gain freedom through God's promise?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ We became God's children through His promises, not through our works of being slaves of the law.
+ Jesus Christ released us to grant us freedom. If we burden ourselves again by the yoke of slavery of the law, then Jesus' redemption becomes meaningless.
+ In Christ, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, not by bondage of the law.
+ In Christ, we wait eagerly through the Spirit by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - What are the differences of being free children of God and being slaves under the law? Although I have not been through the law as the Israelites, are there other laws burdening me in my life that cause me to forget my status as a child of God and live like a slave?
+ **Walking with God** - A life freed from slavery expresses itself through love. What does a faith like this bring forth in my life? Reflect in my life, when have I seen the outcome of such faith?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
How should we view the freedom God gave us?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ To be devoid of fleshly indulgence, we must follow the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
+ Follow the Spirit to do good to all people, carry each other's burdens, love others, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
+ Boast only in the cross of Christ and become a new creation.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Community** - What is the relationship with others like when one lives by the Spirit? I shall always go back to my relationship with God first to find an answer when I have problems in my relationships.
+ **Integrity** - How do the Spirit and flesh contradict each other? What real life example can I find on myself? What does this passage remind me of if the Spirit and my flesh are battling in me? Of the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, which do I lack? Am I willing to rely on God to bear the fruit in me?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is the spiritual inheritance of a Christian?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ As our inheritance, our election by the riches of His grace in Jesus Christ, redemption by Christ's blood, and adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the proof of our inheritance from God.
+ The inheritance from God allows us to connect with His power. And such is the same power that raised Christ Jesus from death. Only when God enlightens the eyes of my heart I would know truly and rely on His incomparably great power.
+ God blessed us in heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ for us to be holy and blameless so that He would be praised for His glory.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - Pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Do I truly know Him? Do I truly know He gave us the inheritance? Do I truly rely on Him? Even though I claim to know Him but do I often prioritize worldly inheritance over the heavenly one and relying on human power more than His? Let me pray to God to open the eyes of my heart to truly know Him.
+ **Integrity** - The purpose of the blessings we receive from God is not to glorify us but by His calling that we may live out the life of Christ so that His glorious grace may be praised.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is the life of Christ's ambassador?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ By His work on the cross, Jesus Christ unified the Jews and the Gentiles into one to create a new people. This work of Jesus' alone brought the Gentiles who had no part in God into His kingdom to receive His inheritance.
+ By His work on the cross, Jesus destroyed the wall between the Jews and the Gentiles so that we are not defined and separated by our races, accomplishments, or background. Instead, we are unified as one in the Lord.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - Jesus through His works on the cross gave us a new identity: People of God. What do I see as important identities in my daily life, occupation, politics, country, race, heritage, or family? We can only cause isolation if too much emphasis is placed on any of these identities. Only when we place the utmost importance our identity as People of God, we would then be able to connect with God and unite with others through Him.
+ **Community** - Jesus through His works on the cross put to death the hostility between us and God. He brought together the ever-contentious Jews and Gentiles to unite them into one people. What hostility do I have still toward others?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What is our responsibility in God's Kingdom?
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
### Meditation: God's Story
+ God's calling to Paul was to make the Gentiles disciples and through Jesus Christ made known to him the mystery to unit Jews and Gentiles with God. For this reason, Paul was not afraid of facing life threatening dangers that encouraged the troubled Ephesians believers. Because he knew for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
+ According to God's design, His power is displayed through and in all believers. In one way, it is through the spiritual gifts to each held together by every supporting ligament, at the same time, of the same body, same spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God being the foundation of all disciples' unity.
+ It is The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of unity but it is up to us to make every effort to keep the unity.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Community** - God does not want a growth just for us as individuals but one with Christ being the head, church being the body, and all disciples connect to Christ together growing as one. Am I willing to accept help and assistance from others or just mind my own business? How should I grow with others to understand the vastness and the depth of God's love?
+ **Fidelity** - The gifts God gives to individuals are to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Therefore, we would see ourselves without bias and put ourselves to proper use as God intended only if we view our gifts through the viewpoint of building up Christ's body. How am I seeing my gifts?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
{% include BibleLinks2022.html %}
Prayer
Notes and Responses