Weekly Guide：Week 99
December 15, 2019
Foreword
We continue to read the book of First John. Church is a community filled with life to let all who lives in it to receive heeling. The relationship between its member brings out truthful responsibilities toward each other and active renewal of their spiritual life. However, the sin embedded in us often causes us to lose sight of hope. We ought to know that God is greater than anything, by obeying His commands shall bring us the power from Him.
Let us first build our faith on God, not on other believers or spiritual leaders. Second, we shall obey and do what Jesus does; true love comes from testifying for Christ. Lastly, follow the Holy Spirit and not people’s opinions. Let Jesus live in us through the Holy Spirit. Then, we would have the vibrant and faithful life from God even as we live in the disruptive and corrupted world.
My you all be renewed each day in God’s word!
Question
Why if we love one another, God lives in us?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
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This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
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God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
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We love because He first loved us.
Meditation: My Story
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Identity - We are from God and have won over the spirit of the antichrist; for He who lives in us, is much greater than the world. What difficulties am I facing? Let He who lives in me be my only true help and shout out loud through Him the voice of victory!
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Community - Let us love one another, for love comes from God.
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Integrity - Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. How does this verse encourage me and give me hope? We love because He first loved us. Think and experience God’s love. Through God’s love, let me try to love someone whom I don’t love, today.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
How may we win over the world?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
Meditation: My Story
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Identity - It is faith that enables us to win over the world. Do I have the faith to win over the world?
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Identity - Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. Knowing that Jesus Christ has given me eternal life, let me thank Him and praise Him in prayer!
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Fidelity - If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. What can I pray for those who have sinned?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What is the relationship between love and truth?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Love and truth go hand in hand. Love is for the truth.
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To love God is to obey Gods’ commands to love one another.
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To love one another, first walk in the truth. Do not take into your house and welcome those who do not follow the Christ.
Meditation: My Story
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Walking with God - Often time the “love” the world talks about is not God’s love. Because God’s love does not go against His truth. Let me meditate on God’s truth and think about what God’s love is. Do I have experience with any kind of “love” that muddies the truth? This could have happened among the believers. What could have I done to “Speak the truth in love?”
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Community - Jesus commanded us to love one another. This is to love in God’s love, not in human’s love. There is no conflict in true love. The ministers in John’s time were all travelling ministers who stayed in the household of the loving believers and were supplied by them. This kind of hospitality showed others the acknowledgment and acceptance of a particular minister. How may I acknowledge and accept the truth taught by a minister today? John also gave warning not to show hospitality to those who don’t teach in truth. What does that warning remind me of?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What is correct attitude in showing hospitality to our brothers and sisters?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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We as God’s children, must testify about our faithfulness to the truth and how we continue to walk in it.
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We ought to show hospitality to those who went out in the name of God so that we may work together for the truth.
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Do not look up to those who love to be first and not welcome the workers of God with malicious nonsense. Learn to do good in love and truth.
Meditation: My Story
- Fidelity - When we show hospitality to those workers of God who are away from home, we are working together for the truth. John said in the Second John, even just a simple greeting to those spreading malicious nonsense is doing evil with them. Contrast these two, what warning do I see? Whom am I being responsible to by showing hospitality to these workers? What is faithful service?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
Why did John write the Book of Revelation?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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John wrote the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, to make it known and to testify everything he saw.
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John wrote to the seven churches in the province of Asia.
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Jesus is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.
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The Lord says: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
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Among the seven golden lampstands was someone like a son of man.
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He said: “I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
Meditation: My Story
- Identity - God is the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. I as a child of the eternal creator, how may I use properly my time on earth?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Question
What seven churches did John write to?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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The church in Ephesus, you have forsaken the love you had at first.
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The church in Smyran, do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer, I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
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The church in Pergramum, some among you have hold to the teaching of Balaam. Repent therefore!
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The church in Thyatira, you tolerated that woman, who calls herself a prophet, to mislead my servants by her teaching. Hold on to what you have until I come.
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The church in Sardis, remember what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.
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The church in Philadelphia, since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
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The church in Laodicea, you are neither cold nor hot. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich.
Meditation: My Story
- Identity - God says: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” In the Father’s house, we shall not be afraid, because He loves those who repent. What do I need to repent today?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Scripture Reading
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ Do not merely listen to the word. Do what it says and be blessed in what we do.
+ Look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Do not discriminate and judge with evil thoughts. Do not show favoritism or we'd have broken the law "Love your neighbor as yourself."
+ Faith without deed is dead. Faith and deed go together, and faith is made complete with deed. A person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - We are saved by faith, not by our work to achieve God's standard. However, faith must bring about corresponding deeds. What does James remind me of with the message about deeds that come from faith and death of faith without deeds? Combine this with the teaching of not merely listen to the word but to do what it says and be blessed in what we do. What have I learned from this encouragement about faith and deeds in terms of listening to the word and doing what it says?
+ **Identity** - We shall avoid tainting ourselves with the worldly norm of showing favoritism by appearance, discriminate and become judges with evil thoughts. It is not pleasing to God to look up to the rich and powerful. It is also not pleasing to God to place high up the poor and sufferings. What similar worldly norms are found in the environment I grew up with and am living in? How are they affecting me? How does God want me to treat others? How can I remind myself not to be tainted by those worldly norms that displease God?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What are the deeds filled with holiness, wisdom, and faithfulness like?
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ Seek wisdom from heaven and tame our tongues; we shall not curse human beings while praise our God at the same time.
+ Do not let loose our desires, do not be friend with the world; Submit to God and obey Him, wash our hands and purify our hearts, repent and humble before God, go near God, do not judge other.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - A faith without deeds is dead and useless. But what deeds display fully a faith that is alive? On subjects of taming the tongue, seeking the wisdom, attitude toward worldly norms, judging myself and others, what kind of deeds does a lively faith bring out? What is most meaningful to me?
+ **Integrity** - How is the wisdom we ought to seek according to chapter 3 different from the wisdom of the world? No human can tame the tongue, so we need the wisdom from heaven to tame it. How does the wisdom from heaven help us tame our tongues (3:17)? What is the reason for quarrel and fight between people? What are the causes for us to desire what we don't have (4:1-3)? What is the attitude of my prayers?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
What do faithful deeds wait for?
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ The plans of our lives should make God's will top priority.
+ What we seek should be the valuable spiritual crop, not the worldly riches. We shall wait patiently for God's timing, be patient in suffering without swearing.
+ We shall place God in the center of our lives, continue to pray, pray for others, and praise the Lord in all circumstances and in all things.
+ We shall make saving the sinners from death and covering their sins as our motivation for turning them around.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - God is the center of our lives. This is manifested in our pursue of valuables (5:1-12,) in our planning for the future (4:13-17,) in our attitude toward all things we face in daily life (5:13-18,) and in our motivation to preach gospel and truth (5:19-20.) Think about my conducts in these four areas, do they all come out of my faith? How my faith may be displayed in all these things?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
How is the salvation like which is to be revealed to us in the last time?
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ We are elected by the grace of the one true Triune God.
+ This salvation gives us new life and living hope as well as the inheritance in heaven.
+ Through trials, faith may be proven to be genuine that may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
+ This salvation was revealed and pointed to the prophets, through their search with greatest care, and angels as well as those who have preached the gospel to us by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - God in three persons did the wonder. What were their works? What do these works mean to me? God's salvation gives us new life and living hope as well as the inheritance in heaven. What is the new life to me? How am I now different from the old self? Have others observed any difference in me? What is my hope? What is living hope?
+ **Integrity** - There is glorious joy in all kinds of trials. From this and surrounding passages, what is the source of this glorious joy? What is this glorious joy? Have I seen examples of this glorious joy? Have I experienced such glorious joy?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Question
In what aspects of life would the rebirth be displayed?
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ A life reborn in salvation is obedient, holy, and lives in reverent fear.
+ A life reborn in salvation does not rely on perishable things such as silver or gold, but the precious blood of Christ, and has faith and hope in God.
+ A life reborn in salvation loves others deeply from the heart.
+ A life reborn in salvation craves pure spiritual milk to grow up.
+ A life reborn in salvation is like a living stone being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.
+ A life reborn in salvation has a new identity of royal priesthood, of holy nation and of God's special possession with a new mission to declare God's wonderful light.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Walking with God** - With a reborn life, I shall be changed in my desires. What does this passage tell me about the spiritual milk that I shall be craving? Is my craving of this spiritual milk befitting my new identity? What should I be relying on in my reborn life? People often realize what they rely on is not God only when they fall out of their safety net. What do I need to lose to feel danger and hopelessness?
+ **Identity** - How has my identity changed when I was reborn? What do this mean to me: chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, God's special possession? How am I living out this new identity?
+ **Fidelity** - A reborn life has a new mission. How does the mission of declare God's wonderful light relate to my new identity? What attitude and motivation should a royal priest hold when preaching gospel?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
### Forward
Happy New Year!
We continue reading the first and second book of Peter.
The meaning of suffering is fully portrayed in the first book of Peter. In this Christmas season, it brings the thought on how those of us who are suffering may be helped by Jesus' suffering. We persevere and strengthen our hearts to wait for Jesus' coming just like those early believers who suffered persecutions to experience His presence in difficult circumstances. Living without peace is caused by the gap between God's promise and the harsh reality. However, God is capable of closing that gap to display the meaning of His son's birth in the humble manger.
Humbly accept life's hardships, patiently face the suffering, do not give up and be consumed, but by the name of God and His promises, carry on through the turbulence with tenacity. Like precious metals, we are being refined by fire. Like grains in the fields, we await patiently for the spring rain to come. We declare victory by Jesus' love.
May you all be renewed in His word each day!
### Question
What kind of relationship with others can be seen in those who have reborn life?
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### Meditation: God's Story
+ We as foreigners and exiles, shall abstain from sinful desires, live good lives, so others may see our good deeds and glorify God.
+ Submit ourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority, to the emperor or the governors; In reverent fear for God, submit to our masters, whether they are harsh or good and considerate; For the Lord's sake, wives shall submit to husbands, dressed in pure heart and reverent live, if any of their husbands do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.
+ For people of God, husbands shall be considerate living with their wives, and treat them with respect.
### Meditation: My Story
+ **Identity** - We are foreigners and exiles of this world. How is such identity like? What is the focus of my life in this world? Am I seeing this temporary tent as a permanent house?
+ **Integrity** - Abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. What is the meaning that it "wages war against your soul?" Do I have a real-life example? Abstain from sinful desires is done once or is it a continuous process? What is my experience with that?
+ **Integrity** - Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God. Why do the pagans accuse me? What is the purpose of my good deeds?
+ **Integrity** - What is our relationship with our country's authorities and bosses at work? What about relationship with our spouses? Think about my attitude and conduct according to this passage. Ask for the Lord's help to change me to know my identity, so that my attitude and conduct are commensurate to the grace I receive.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
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Prayer
Notes and Responses