1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) - “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

“Those who belong to this age are now called psychikoi (NASB, NAB, “the natural man/ woman”) in contrast to those with the Spirit, who are called pneumatikoi.

“The psychikoi are described in three ways, each in terms of their relationships - or lack thereof - to the Spirit.

“First, they do ‘not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God.’ This description stands in conspicuous contrast to the ‘we [who] have received … the Spirit of God’ of v. 12. The verb in this case is the ordinary one for ‘receiving’ or ‘accepting’ another person. The implication is not that psychikos persons are simply incapable of understanding the things of the Spirit, but that, because of their being ‘merely human’ (i.e., without the help of the Spirit), they ‘reject’ the things of the Spirit.

“Second, the reason for this ‘not accepting/rejecting’ is that the things of the Spirit ‘are foolishness to [them].’ Because they have not received the Spirit, in the sense of v. 12, their view of everything is from the bottom up, twisted and distorted.

“Third, again in antithesis to v. 12, the ‘natural man/woman cannot understand’ the very things that the one who has received the Spirit can. Here the emphasis lies on their inability.

“The word ’spiritual’ is now an adverb; but the context makes it clear that Paul intends ‘by means of the Spirit,’ not by some intuitive process. For Paul, ‘to be spiritual’ and ‘to discern spiritually’ simply means to have the Spirit, who so endows and enables” (Gordon Fee, 1 Corinthians, NICNT).

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the people with your eyes - those of us who are loved by you and those who are in need of your love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-JK

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV) - “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.”

“The upshot is a prayer report in which Paul prays in part for the continuation of the very things for which he has just given thanks. Which should surprise us none, since both reports reflect the same basic theological framework - present existence in Christ as both “already” and “not yet.” This is where the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ join: Paul’s prayer for them is that they might live the life of the future in the present, so that they might thereby be blameless at its consummation on the day of Christ. The concern is with present life in Christ; the orientation is toward its consummation - that they live for Christ now, and do so in light of his coming Day” (Gordon Fee, Philippians, NICNT).

Prayer: Maranatha, Jesus!

-JK

Ephesians 4:20-21 (NASB) - “But you did not learn Christ in this way if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus.”

“Paul makes the rather unusual statement that they ‘learned Christ.’ One normally learns a content (e.g., the law, statues, and ordinances, etc.) or a certain pattern of behavior (e.g., to obey God or to do good), but not a person.

“This unique expression most likely heightens the element of personal relationship with Christ that is central to the Christian faith and emphasized in Ephesians. Jesus has risen from the dead and has been exalted to the right hand of the Father. He is the living head of the church.

“Paul expresses a similar idea to ‘learning him’ when he says to the Philippians, ‘I want to know Christ’ (Phil 3:10). The expression should also be understood in light of Col 2:6-7: ‘just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught’ (Clinton Arnold. Ephesians, ZEC).

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you that our salvation brings discipleship, righteousness and holiness.  We are new, in you!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-JK

Romans 7:4-6 (NLT) - “So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

“At issue for us… is Paul’s own view of the conflict between the Spirit and the flesh, between living kata sarka (’according to the flesh’) and kata pneuma (’according to the Spirit’). Every occurrence of these terms in Paul has to do with our present eschatological existence-what it means for believers to live together as a people, defined by the already/not yet fulfillment of God’s promises, in contrast to a former life defined and determined by the world. My point: Nowhere does Paul describe Christian life, life in the Spirit, as one of constant struggle with the flesh. He simply does not speak to that question. His point rather is the sufficiency of the Spirit for God’s new end-time people.

“Basic to Paul’s view is that, as with Torah observance, the time of the flesh is over for followers of Christ. According to Romans 7:4-6, Christ and the Spirit have, with the new covenant, brought an end to the time of the law and the flesh, which belong to our existence before and outside Christ. Continuing to live this way is incompatible with life “according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:5-8). But Paul’s view does not represent triumphalism, as though people who lived by the Spirit were never tempted by the old life in the flesh or that they never succumbed to such. They have, and they do; and there is forgiveness for such, and gracious restoration” (Gordon Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God).

Prayer: Lord, thank you that we live now in the life of the Spirit, by your grace!  Thank you for the victory! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

-JK

Ephesians 4:21b-24 - “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy.”

“So what Paul is urging the young Christians is that they allow this teaching of Jesus to have its full effect in their lives. Now that they are ‘in Christ,’ they have the responsibility, in the power of the Spirit, to take off the old lifestyle, the old way of being human, like someone stripping off a shabby and worn suit of clothing. It may have become comfortable. You may be used to it, and even quite like it. Familiar old clothes are often like that, and brand new ones often feel a bit strange. But if you want to live as a new person in and for the king, the old suit of clothes has to come off, and the new one has to go on.

“The point, then, is not to be deceived by what lust and greed whisper in your ear. It’s the mind and heart that matter. If they learn to recognize the deceitful whisperings, to name them and reject them, the first vital step to the new way of life has been taken. ‘Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.’ (verse 23): that’s the secret. If the heart is right, it’s time to get the mind right. Then you’ll have the energy of will-power to bring the behaviour into line. Off with the old, on with the new!” (NT Wright, Paul for Everyone; note that NLT translation and not the author’s was used for verse 23).

Prayer: Jesus, thank you that through your indwelling Spirit, the old way of life is thrown off and being thrown off!  In your name, Amen.

-JK

“Just as we are called to personal evangelism, so we are called to personal service. Jesus, we are told, both ‘went about …preaching and bringing the Good News,’ and ‘went about doing good’ (Luke 8:1; Acts 10:38). All Christians should follow his example… Both personal evangelism and personal service are expressions of compassion. Both are forms of witness to Jesus Christ. And both should be sensitive responses to human need. The evangelist seeks to discover the principal point of felt-need-for example, a sense of guilt or shame or fear, moral failure, personal loneliness, a lack of self-worth or significance, domestic unhappiness, a hunger for transcendence, lack of education, social repression, or demon activity. Similarly, a person’s social needs may range from the physical (food, clothing, shelter or health care), through the psychological (anxiety, alienation, emotional unbalance) to the economic (poverty, illiteracy, unemployment).” (J. Stott, ed., Lausanne Occasional Paper 21: Evangelism and Social Responsibility, 1982)

Jesus, in his ministry, met people’s felt-needs (healing, feeding, teaching, etc.) but offered so much more by being our Savior and thereby satisfying our ultimate need. In the OT, the Lord presents himself as the Lord who heals, or the Lord who provides, etc. (cf. names of God such as “Jehovah Jireh,” etc.), but we are called to direct people to the One who embodies all those names of God together-Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

To You alone our praise belongs! Christ exalted over all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6V2_EIEuG8

-JP

Deuteronomy 8.1ff  - “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness…For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams… with fountains and springs… a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking…

“But that is the time to be careful!Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God…For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in… and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery…”

“Further, by seeking to serve people, it is possible to move from their ‘felt-needs’ to their deeper need concerning their relationship with God. ‘…[I]f we turn a blind eye to the suffering, the social oppression, the alienation and loneliness of people, let us not be surprised if they turn a deaf ear to our message of eternal salvation.’ We are aware of the danger… of securing converts only because of the physical benefits we offer. But we have to take this risk, so long as we retain our own integrity and serve people out of genuine love and not with an ulterior motive. Then our actions will be ‘not bribes but bridges-bridges of love to the world.’ (J. Stott, ed., Lausanne Occasional Paper 21: Evangelism and Social Responsibility, 1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHCSeSu57eA

-JP

John 6:26ff - “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you…’”

We spend so much energy and resources in trying to better our lives… to feel better, to improve our standard of living, to be more comfortable or successful, etc…  Spend your energy seeking eternal life!

“What had happened to [Augustine] can happen to others because every human heart is the same in this way. ‘I am not alone in this desire [for the blessed state of happiness], nor are there only a few who share it with me: without exception we all long for happiness… All agree that they want to be happy…. They may all search for it in different ways, but all try their hardest to reach the same goal, that is, joy.’ This is a great common ground for doing evangelism in every age. Deeper than all ‘felt needs’ is the real need: God. Not just God experienced without emotional impact, but rather God experienced as ‘holy Delight.’ …’He is happy who possesses God.’ Not because God gives health, wealth, and prosperity, but because God is our soul’s joyful resting place. To make this known and experienced through Jesus Christ is the goal of evangelism and world missions. ” (J. Piper, The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, p. 70)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyxJw71N5Jg

-JP

Luke 7:50 - “Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’”

The notorious sinful woman who wept at Jesus’ feet was probably just looking for acceptance or comforting words. Jesus surprises her, along with the surrounding religious experts, by revealing that her faith has saved her! What kind of faith is this?

When we are filled with God’s love for others, we are naturally concerned with their felt-needs: self (loneliness, anxiety, addiction, etc.), relationships (family, co-workers, social life, etc.), circumstances (work, tragedy, illness, etc.). And for most people, this is the reason they first start seeking God because they are seeking a solution for their felt-needs. But considering people’s ultimate need of salvation in Christ helps to rightly prioritize their felt-needs. As Christians, we must help people to have a “faith that saves” (Luke 7) and not just a “faith to feel better” or “faith for better time management” or “faith for practical help.” Having a faith that saves allows us to “go in peace” no matter what our condition or circumstance. More than a one-time solution to our current problem, Jesus offers to be the Savior who walks with us through all life’s concerns.

We’ll sing Your praise forever! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqnRj1N4blA

-JP

Matthew 9:2 - “Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’”

Upon seeing their faith, presumably for healing, Jesus immediately says, “Your sins are forgiven.” What did Jesus see when it says he “saw their faith”? Do you think this is the response the men expected from Jesus?

“If the exhibition of God’s glory and the deepest joy of human souls are one thing, then evangelism means depicting the beauty of Christ and his saving work with a heartfelt urgency of love that labors to help people find their satisfaction in him. The most important common ground with unbelievers is not culture but creation, not momentary felt-needs but massive real needs. Augustine’s famous prayer is all-important: “You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.” …The gospel is not the good news that God makes much of me; it is ‘the gospel of the glory of Christ.‘ …Our evangelistic task is not to persuade people that the gospel was made for their felt-needs, but that they were made for the soul-satisfying glory of God in the gospel.” (J. Piper, Captive to Glory, p. 10)

When we come to the Lord with our needs, many times we come away with more than we bargained for… and that’s a good thing! Christ is more than a healer, he is Savior and Lord!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrlN8Yjl6PQ

-JP