BibleStudyWithJairus

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 4 Leviticus 4 mentions different sacrifices that were used in several different situations. When the priest and the whole congregation sinned, they were to offer a bull, put its blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and sprinkle the blood seven times on the veil of the Holy of Holies. But when a leader sinned, he was to offer a male goat. And when a common person sinned, he was commanded to offer a female goat or a female lamb. In this case, the blood would be sprinkled on the brazen altar in the outer courtyard, not on the veil of the Holy of Holies. Why do these differences exist? The differences in the sizes of the sacrifices and the location where the blood was sprinkled represented different degrees of redemption that were needed for different degrees of sins. This picture also reminds us that when we remove the hindrance of sin from our lives, our fellowship with the Lord will be more intimate. As God cleanses us from sin and helps us through our struggles, he reveals a way to deepen our fellowship with Him.

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 18 Babylon the Great Revelation 18 talks about Babylon the Great, an evil system established by various evil spirits and sinners under the hands of Satan, the beast, and the false prophets. What is the fall of Babylon the Great? Over the ages, this question has led to many arguments and much confusion. I believe that Babylon the Great is a system jointly established by the evil spirits and sinful people under the influence of Satan, beasts, and false prophets. Why did I say so? I believe that when reading the book of Revelation, we should read the ending before the beginning. Revelation 21-22 mentions the New Jerusalem (new heaven and earth). In Revelation 20, Satan was finally cast into the lake of fire (20:10), after he incited Gog and Magog to rebel (20:8). Satan was locked in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, unable to escape (20:2-7). Before the end of Revelation 19, the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire (19:20), along with the kings and armies who they deceived into waging war at Armageddon (19:11-18).

The Faith of the Midwives The book of Exodus contains many powerful examples of faith. The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt demonstrates God’s power and Moses’ faith. Hebrews 11 says that Moses lived by faith throughout his life. He refused to obey the king's edict and was willing to suffer affliction with his people. Moses left the royal family because he glimpsed the glory of Christ and was willing to suffer for the glory to come. God counted his obedience as his faith. In the same chapter, we see that Moses' parents also demonstrated faith. They hid Moses for three months, valuing his life above their own safety and well-being. Their action was motivated by trust in God. Although they were not listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, the midwives who saved the Hebrew babies are examples of faith. In Exodus 1, these midwives paved the way for Moses' appearance and his faith. Their faith provided a powerful example for Moses’ parents, and then Moses, to follow. In the same way, we need to have faith in God. In today’s article, we will learn who these midwives were and how their faith paved the way for the salvation of all of Israel. We will also learn how to apply these lessons of faith and courage to the political challenges faced by today’s Chinese Christians.

Spiritual Gifts: the loving gift of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Spiritual gifts express the unified, loving work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 12 is the only chapter in the Bible that gives this many details about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul's mention of the gift supports and expounds on the theme of 1 Corinthians: love and unity. In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul has been addressing many reasons for division, dealing with each of these problems one by one. Paul wants to address the lack of unity and bring love and oneness back to the church. Neither factions, differences in belief, or differences in gifts should keep believers from unity and love. Paul tries to make it clear that love and unity are the only solutions to strife. As he does so, Paul demonstrates that spiritual gifts are the joint work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity works together in love and unity, setting an example for the believers. We should balance our pursuit of gifts with our desire for unity.

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 32 Faith and obedience to God are the best ways to receive His blessings. In Numbers 32, the people of Gad and the people of Reuben were told to enter the Promised Land with the rest of the Israelites so they could inherit their choice of land on the east side of the Jordan River. If they refused to do this, they would inherit land in the land of Canaan like everyone else (Numbers 32:29-30). They had to trust God’s words and show it through their obedience. Let’s look at the following verses: Numbers 32:29-30 “And Moses said to them, “If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the Lord, will pass with you over the Jordan and the Land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 10- Moses’ Extended Family, God’s Presence in Battle, and Preparing for War Numbers 10 covers many topics: how to blow the trumpets (vs. 1-10); how to set out (vs. 11-13); marching order as they set out (vs 14-28); Moses pleading with Hobab (vs. 29-32); and the leading of the ark (vs. 33-36). What is the relationship of these to each other? I believe that the pieces are closely linked. The theme of this connection is the relationship between God's presence and doing battle for God. Let’s look at some of the background before connecting all the pieces.

Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 19 Acts 19 begins with a story about how Paul supplied the needs of Apollos' ministry. Those who were ministered to by Apollos only knew John's baptism and weren't aware of the Holy Spirit. Is there a deeper spiritual meaning here? If so, what spiritual insight can we glean for our walk with the Lord? The spiritual insight is that John's ministry introduces Jesus Christ, and Jesus' ministry baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. In other words, John introduced Christ, and Christ introduced the Holy Spirit. This is the full gospel. If we only talk about one aspect and not the other, it will cause Christians to have a one-sided understanding of the truth, leading to division in the church. Why did Apollos only know John’s baptism? Acts 18:24 mentions that Apollos was a native of Alexandria. Alexandria is a port city located on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt. If Apollos lived in Alexandria, then it would be very interesting. Imagine how influential John's ministry was in Israel. Many Jews had repented and been baptized. Even the unbelieving Pharisees came to join in the fun, and John criticized them, telling them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance (NIV, Matthew 3:8). Even Apollos, who was in Alexandria, Egypt, was influenced by John's ministry, so it is evident that John's ministry had significant influence.

Bible Study with Jairus -1 Corinthians 10 In 1 Corinthians 10, we read a beautiful description of Jesus’ presence with the Israelites in the wilderness. The verse says that the Israelites “all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4, ESV) This verse is beautiful, but it puzzles me. Why couldn’t the Israelites sense the presence of Christ, their spiritual Rock? Even now, looking back on the wilderness wandering accounts, we as believers don’t recognize the presence of Jesus with the Israelites. How could Paul be so confident that He was really with them? Perhaps the Israelites were unable to see Jesus walking with them, just like the disciples did not recognize the resurrected Christ the first time they saw him. Whether walking to Emmaus or fishing on the seashore, the disciples had a hard time recognizing the resurrected Christ. Perhaps in the same ways, the Israelites were unable to recognize Christ, the spiritual Rock who accompanied them.

Understanding the Repetition in Numbers Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 29 Significance in Repetition A woman in our Bible study had a question in regards to why there are so many repetitions, especially with the number of calves, rams, as well as the number of matching grain offerings and other sacrifices. Seeing as the Bible is very concise, such repetition must have spiritual significance. I believe that these repetitions have deeper significance. The repetition of these sacrifices in chapters 28 and 29 illustrates a progressive change, which is a process from quantitative change to qualitative change. When we continue to add up the number of sacrifices (which indicates our spiritual practice and dedication), it will eventually bring about a qualitative change and thus bring about the completion of God's will. In the spiritual sense, the different arrangements of these festivals and sacrifices are the timelines set by God for the body of Christ to continue to mature. Jewish festivals are the prophetic foreshadowing of God's will and time for the body of Christ to reach maturity. In order for us to have a better understanding of the repetitive and cumbersome numbers in chapter 29, we must pay attention to a spiritual principle, which is to distinguish between what changes and what is constant. The Bible has a spiritual principle that what remains unchanged is God's nature, and what changes is God's leading. When we read the Bible, it helps to receive insight from gifted teachers of the Word to better understand God's character. We also need to seek the help of the Holy Spirit and the prophets in order to discover the living guidance of God. JBWM.ORG

Drawing Near to God Bible Study with Jairus- Numbers 18 Numbers 18:1-5 “So the Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. “ Responsibilities of Leadership Aaron and his sons were given the job of carrying the iniquity of the sanctuary and the priesthood. Let’s look more closely at this phrase. What does it mean to bear the sins of the sanctuary and the priesthood? Why should Aaron and his sons and the people of his tribe (the Levites) bear the iniquity of the sanctuary? And why should they also carry the sins of their own priesthood? Ordinary Israelites were not allowed to come near the sanctuary or the Holy Place. Simply approaching these holy places would incur sin and guilt. Ordinary Israelites were allowed to move around in the outer courtyard, but they could not enter the sanctuary. Ordinary Levites, who were not priests, could serve in the sanctuary. For example, the Kohathites could carry the items of the sanctuary; the Gershonites could carry the things in the tabernacle; but neither were allowed to touch the items of the sanctuary. Nor could they serve as priests in the sanctuary (Numbers 4). Aaron, his sons and the Levites needed to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary because they were in charge of ensuring that ordinary Israelites did not touch holy things. JBWM.ORG

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 20 Numbers 20 is the story of how Moses did not follow God's command when asked to strike a rock to produce water. Instead of following God’s exact directions to hit the rock once, Moses struck the rock twice. God still acted mercifully to allow water to flow out for the Israelites. Later, however, God chastised Moses and Aaron for not believing in Him, nor upholding Him as holy in the eyes of the Israelites. Because of this, they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12). A man in our Bible study asked, “How do Moses’ actions show that he did not believe in God?” I replied, “You must use the former Israelite spies as a reference because they were also regarded as unbelieving spies by God.” The spies were regarded by God as having no faith because they exaggerated the height of the Canaanites and underestimated God’s promise. They regarded the enemy as able to triumph over God's promise to lead them into the Promised Land. The spies’ disheartened position in the face of enemy weakened the Israelites’ faith and led them to believe that their inability was greater than God’s promise and God’s power. They trusted more in what their eyes could see than in what the Lord had spoken. Thankfully, the Israelites inability did not overcome God’s ability. Caleb and Joshua are examples of those who believed. Since God had already promised that they would be brought into the Promised Land, they did not waiver in their belief. They put God's promise first. They said, “Let's go up for we will devour them.” Faith is putting God's promise first and not allowing yourself to be frightened by the immediate circumstances. The same principle can be applied to Moses and Aaron. What did Moses regard as larger than God? Moses did not exemplify complete trust in the Lord. Moses was disappointed with the Israelites. His disappointment with the people’s inability surpassed God's promise and hope for them. Thus, he acted in disobedience and God regarded him as unbelieving. Although Moses believed the first time, he did not believe God the second time. Why? His discouragement affected his faith. At the beginning of this chapter, the death of Miriam, Moses’ sister, is recorded. We can assume that Moses loved his sister. Without Moses’ sister, there would be no Moses. When Moses was put into the river as a child, it was Moses' sister who stood by watching him. When Pharaoh's daughter came to bathe, Miriam talked with Pharaoh's daughter and offered to find a Hebrew mother to nurse him. Miriam arranged for her mother to take care of him. In other words, without Miriam, Moses might have died. jbwm.org

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 23 Numbers 23 tells the story of Balak hiring Balaam to curse the Israelites. Although this story may be familiar to Christians, when we were having our Bible study, the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to receive new revelation. We realized that our prayers should be causing us to humble ourselves before God. In other words: we pray to change our mindset and attitude, not to change God's will. God wants to bless us, but a wrong perspective, lies we believe, and strongholds built by the enemy are barriers that prevent us from receiving God's blessings. We must die to our flesh through fasting and prayer so that the enemy cannot continue to control and hinder us through our flesh. Through fasting and prayer, we can also cast out evil spirits, as well as experience and accept God's blessings in Christ. Let’s look at Numbers 23 to understand this better. In Numbers 23:13 (ESV), Balak says, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” A lady asked, “Why did Balak change locations to curse the Israelites?” It appears that sending a curse from Balak’s original location was unsuccessful. Does changing the location make it successful? This is a bit incomprehensible. I replied, “I need to give you an example of fasting and prayer.” I learned a lot about fasting and prayer when I sought healing for my wife’s medical condition and the blessing of one day having a child. One thing fasting is not is a "hunger strike." We should not approach fasting with the mentality that I will fast and argue for something and if God does not grant my request, I will no longer eat. This is not prayer and fasting. This is a hunger strike, a protest. True fasting and prayer is temporarily sacrificing one of man’s biggest physical needs through a time of abstaining, in order that our flesh will be weakened and challenged to submit to our spirit. Eventually, the noise of our flesh will diminish. When our flesh is in this weakened state, our spiritual man can rise from its suppressed place. We can then rely on the strength of our spirit and God’s Spirit within us. This is what the Lord Jesus said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (ESV, 2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul also said that, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (ESV, 2 Corinthians 12:9). JBWM.ORG

The Salvation and Justice of God Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 31 One of the most disturbing stories in the entire Bible is the story of Moses’ extermination of the Midianites. Why did Moses want the Israelites to kill not only the males, but also all the boys and married women? How can we make sense of this tragic slaughter? Although it is difficult to understand this passage, I believe that it points to a consistent pattern in God’s nature. When a nation remains unrepentant, God’s judgment will fall upon that nation. However, he always gives plenty of opportunities for salvation and repentance. Plenty of Time to Repent When God appeared to Abraham in Genesis 15:16, he told Abraham an important message about the Canaanites. God said that before he allowed Abraham’s family to inherit the land of Canaan, the people of Israel would first live in Egypt for 400 years. Why? Because the sins of the Amorites (a group of Canaanites) were not yet complete. In other words, their sins did not yet deserve complete annihilation. Abraham’s descendants would live in Egypt, growing stronger and more numerous. They would eventually be used to destroy the Canaanites. But first, God would give these wicked people four centuries to repent. Let’s look at a practical way that the Canaanites could have repented and entrusted their destiny to God’s plan. In the time of Joseph, there was a severe famine that affected not only all of Egypt, but also all of Canaan. Joseph’s brothers, who still lived in Canaan, went to Egypt to buy food. (See Genesis 41:56, 42:5, 29, 43:1) JBWM.ORG

Dedication to God Bible Study with Jairus - Numbers 30 When we read Numbers 30, a question comes to mind. Why is a passage regarding vows placed right between the instructions concerning sacrifices (Chapters 28 – 29) and the story of the defeat of the Midianites (Chapter 31)? It seems very abrupt and out of place, but the Holy Spirit illuminated our minds to see that these are all interconnected. Numbers 30 leads worshipers into a deeper experience of dedication. After the Israelites learned how to offer cattle and lambs to God (Numbers 28-29), God showed them how to offer themselves to the Lord as sacrifices (Numbers 30). Dedicating ourselves to the Lord will help us to defeat our spiritual enemies, just like the Israelites defeated Midian in Numbers 31. Review of Numbers 22-31 In Numbers 22 – 25, we learn that Balaam tried to curse the Israelites. He instigated the seduction of the Israelites into sin, which led to a plague. After the plague, the Israelites took a census of the new generation (Chapter 26). God’s justice and mercy were further revealed in Chapter 27. Chapters 28 and 29 explain the offerings Israelites should bring to God. These offerings represented communion with God, which brings joy to God and strength to man. In Chapter 30, we learn that the natural outcome of close communion between God and humans is the offering of oneself to God. We not only offer external sacrifices, but we offer ourselves as sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). Self-sacrifice is the highest form of sacrifice. When we present ourselves as offerings to God, God can help us achieve success over our enemies, as shown in Chapter 31. Earlier in Numbers, we see that Balaam was unable to curse the Israelites, but he was able to convince the Midianites to seduce the Israelites to commit promiscuity, leading to God’s anger and the judgment of the plague. Why did his deceptive plan work? Who was to blame? Was it Balaam, the Midianites, the Moabites, or the evil spirits motivating the Midianites? jbwm.org

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 26 Numbers 26 tells the story of the second generation of Israelites being counted. After the counting, God divided the Promised Land by lot. Why had the land already been divided when they hadn’t entered the Promised Land yet? God’s planned time had come and the Israelites had already been wandering in the wilderness for forty years. The first generation of Israelites had already been judged, so the second generation was tired and discouraged. God's grace and mercy were manifested at this time. He led them into the land He had promised. Although they had not yet entered the Promised Land, there is no concept of time to God. Thus, God divided the land by lot before they entered the Promised Land. Also, this time was a great encouragement to their faith, helping them have more faith in fighting against the evil spirits that occupied the Promised Land. Today, we will discuss God's perfect timing and sovereignty in the lives of both generations of Israel and in our own lives today. God’s Promises vs. Our Experiences This chapter starts with the Lord asking Moses to count the people of Israel a second time. The first count was in Numbers 1. At that time, the number of the people of Israel was 603,550. This time, the number of people was 601,730. These were two generations of Israelites. Both generations had a chance to enter the land the Lord promised them. But after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the first generation fell in the wilderness because of unbelief. The second generation also had God’s promise that they would enter the Promised Land. We must look at the problem from the perspective of the second generation. Like the first generation of Israelites, the second generation also experienced all kinds of unbelief, weakness, and failure. They might have thought, “The first generation also had the promise of God, but because of their unbelief, they were not able to enter the Promised Land. We have God's promise, but we also have failures, weaknesses, and unbelief. Will we also be disciplined by God and not be allowed to enter the Promised Land like the first generation?” It’s very normal to have this kind of thinking. For example, after God sent the flood to wipe out all humanity except Noah's family, He made a covenant with Noah with the sign of the rainbow, saying that He would never send a flood again to wipe out the earth. From here we see that God knows that people understood His warning. He made this covenant so that people would not fear His judgment by flood every time it rains. Similarly, the failure of the first generation of Israelites had a negative impact on the hearts of the second generation of Israelites. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Requirements for Prophesying Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 24 The verses that inspired us after reading Numbers 24 were verses 15-16. What particularly caught our attention is the description of the prophet Balaam. We realized the need for the Church and Christians to be people who replicate these verses: "whose eye is opened, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered” (ESV, Numbers 24:15-16). If we become such people, we will also prophesy and help others to hear and see God. We would see Christ in everything and everyone, preach the gospel confidently, and bring people from the kingdom of darkness into God's Kingdom of light. Meant To Be A Blessing Numbers 24 is about the king of Moab, Balak. The king of Moab invited the Gentile prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. After Balaam’s two failed attempts to curse them, he went into the wilderness. There, the Spirit of God came upon him and he blessed the Israelites (Numbers 24:3-9). After this blessing, Balak became angry with Balaam and would not honor (pay) Balaam. Balaam responded by stating that even if Balak were to give him his palace full of silver and gold, he still would only say what the Lord asked him to say. Balak is a Moabite, and Moabites are descendants of Lot. Deuteronomy 2 records that God told Moses not to contend with the Moabites in battle because God gave the land of Ar to Lot’s descendants, and not to the Israelites. We recall from Numbers 23 that God wanted to bless the Moabites. The purpose of God leading the Israelites to pass through Moab and pay for their food and water was so that the Israelites and Moabites could reconcile. God was hoping to use Israel’s passage through their land as an opportunity to bless Moab. Why? Because Abraham’s and Lot’s servants had fought, which led Lot to move to Sodom, and Abraham to go to the Promised Land. Later, God would judge Sodom. Since Sodom did not have 10 righteous people, the city was destroyed. Abraham interceded so that God would save at least Lot. Although Lot was saved, his wife became a pillar of salt because she looked back at Sodom in disobedience to the angels’ command. Afterward, Lot's daughters plotted to have incestuous relations with Lot which resulted in the people groups of the Moabites and Ammonites. People and races who commit incest will inevitably be discriminated against. There must have been a lot of humiliation in the environment where the Moabites grew up. We can even see and feel that this existed when we read about the Moabites in the Book of Ruth. Naomi's husband and sons were even judged and died in Moab. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Settling Legal Matters Between Believers Bible Study With Jairus - 1 Corinthians 6 1 Corinthians 6 contains three distinct paragraphs. The first paragraph is about lawsuits among Christian believers. A man in our Bible study inquired whether Paul’s perspective on lawsuits between believers is still relevant today, especially given the increasing number of lawsuits between believers in the United States. It is, in my opinion, highly controversial. Some people believe that Christians should not sue one another even if they are wronged. Others use Paul’s appeal to Caesar as an example, believing that we can make an appeal to Caesar too or, in other words to go to court. They believe Christians can file an appeal in a court of law to resolve issues of unfair treatment. We always thought about cases of lawsuits between Christians when we read this chapter in the past. Should we sue to protect our benefits, or should we accept being wronged? The inspirations that we will share today while reading this chapter are not from this perspective. It is only when Paul mentions that the lawsuits could involve immoral behavior that the church felt ashamed. And in their case, the law may have been used to wrong others instead of protecting their own lawful rights at the time. This is probably why Paul advised us not to file lawsuits against other believers. On the one hand, it tarnishes the church’s image. On the other hand, believers should not use the law of this world to harm others, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ. Please continue to read my explanation as I share a verse that touched us today. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Understanding God’s Gift of Free Will Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 7 The Process of Spiritual Growth and Maturity Romans 7 is a very relatable chapter for many Christians, especially verse 24 (ESV), where Paul sighed and said, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" This type of expression is familiar to many Christians while they are in the process of pursuing spiritual life. We received new inspiration when we read Romans 7 in our Bible study. The Holy Spirit illuminated the words in Luke 2:34-35, which covered the birth of Jesus and gave us new revelation. Just like a baby in the womb, Jesus will enter our spirit and dwell in our hearts, and we have a choice to make. If we choose Jesus and let Him grow in us, it brings life and peace. But if we choose to live according to the flesh, it leads to death (Romans 8:6). Therefore, every descendant of Adam must make a choice. They can either choose the tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and one will result in life, the other, death. The power we have, especially our free will, is very important. It determines whether we have life or death. Since God has given us free will, our choice is the determining factor. This is why Jesus came to the world as a baby and why the divine life we receive after believing in the Lord can also be likened to a baby. The life of this baby is in us, revealing many of our thoughts and leading us to fall and rise (Luke 2:34). One question we had was why did Jesus come into the world as a baby and not as an adult? Couldn’t God have come into the world as an adult and gone to the cross immediately to accomplish redemption? Of course, He could have. In the same way, at the moment we are born again, why is it that Jesus also comes into our hearts as a baby? Why doesn’t He allow us to go to heaven and become spiritually mature instantly so we could avoid all temptation? Could God do this? He is omnipotent, so if He was willing to do so, He could. However, this is not His will. His will is to give us divine life that starts out small, just like a baby. Jesus Christ first came into the world as a baby. Similarly, the spirit of Jesus Christ that is born again and dwells in our heart (Ephesians 3:17) is also just like a baby. How we treat this baby within us reveals the thoughts of our soul. If we are unwilling to believe that Jesus Christ came to save us and are unwilling to accept Him, we are choosing death, and we will face eternal punishment. If we choose to accept Jesus Christ and be reborn in the Spirit, He will dwell in our hearts. However, how we treat the spiritual baby-like life of Christ within us also determines whether we will be rewarded or disciplined in the future. If we set our mind on the Spirit and on things above (Colossians 3:2), we will have life and peace (Romans 8:6); If we set our mind on the flesh, we receive death. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Bible Study with Jairus – Romans 12- A Discussion of Gifts Our discussion in Romans 12 begins with a focus on verse 3. This verse says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." A man asked me a question about this. He said, “What is the direct relationship between this verse and the previous verses? Why does Paul mention this here? What does it mean to think with ‘sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned’?” We must understand that the background of the book of Romans is the fierce conflict between the Jews and the Gentiles. This conflict caused all the Jews to leave Rome in the time of Claudius (Acts 18:2). At that time Priscilla and Aquila left Rome and traveled to Corinth. Corinth is where they met Paul, the apostle. Since all three of them were tentmakers by trade, Paul remained there and helped to build tents. Perhaps it was prior to the time that Paul was burdened to write the Roman Church. He was also urged to write the book of Romans because he was determined to go to Jerusalem, and he was uncertain if he would leave Jerusalem alive and eventually visit Rome. Racial conflicts in society usually penetrate the church. Therefore, in our study of Romans, we have also mentioned that one of Paul’s burdens was a hope that both the Jewish and Gentile believers of the Roman church could accept each other and live in peace. This may also help us understand Paul’s words in the highlighted text. Paul is admonishing both Jewish and Gentile believers to see each other’s strengths and not to think highly of themselves. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 7 In Acts 7, we find the story of Stephen being stoned to death. As we consider Stephen’s tragic death, we see two types of people: people of faith and people of fear. Stephen, a person of faith, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. The angry crowd, people of fear, could not see the heavens opened. Instead, they covered their ears and stoned Stephen to death. We must ask ourselves: Are we people of faith who can see into the throne room of God, or are we covering our ears and seeing nothing but the material world around us? Are we those who see the heaven opened, or are we persecuting those who see heaven opened? Bill Johnson, an American Charismatic pastor says that each new wave of God’s work in the world is persecuted by people instrumental in bringing about the last wave. This is not limited to persecution between denominations. Even within the Charismatic church, each new movement is persecuted by the previous movement. For example, when the charismatic movement was just emerging, many charismatic denominations were persecuted by their previous evangelic denominations. One of the big charismatic sects, Denomination A, was persecuted by traditional evangelical churches. Neville Johnson, an Australian prophet, says that Denomination A also participated in making up lies about future prophets. Regarding the prophet who has been accused of claiming to be Elijah, Johnson says, "The prophet William M. Branham did not claim to be Elijah and there were tapes to prove that he had said that he was not Elijah. This [accusation] was made up by the people of Denomination A.” If Neville’s statement was correct, then the once-persecuted Denomination A also participated in persecuting others. In addition, the church in Canada that initiated the Toronto Revival was originally a church of the Vineyard Movement. But when the revival began, John Wimber, the leader of the Vineyard Movement, excommunicated the church. This type of persecution has been seen not only in the Charismatic movement, but in many religious groups throughout the history of Christianity. In Acts 7, the persecutors were the Pharisees, scribes, elders and priests. They were the elite of the elite, and they believed they knew all they needed to know about God and the Bible. They believed they had mastered the truth, and that their persecution was an outflow of their dedication to God. Why did Israel’s elite make this mistake? Why were they unable to see heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God? Why did they cover their ears and beat Stephen to death? READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Caring in love and ministering in the Word of God Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 6 Acts 6 is very brief. In the past, my understanding was that these Greek-speaking widows were neglected, and the apostles were too busy to take care of them. The apostles said that the more important thing is to pay attention to the word of God (verse 2). There was no time to deal with these widows, but since they were protesting and making trouble, there was still a need for someone to deal with their need. Finally, Stephen and others were found. These people were not apostles, just ordinary disciples of Jesus who were spiritually mature due to it being the beginning of the apostolic era. Stephen was not only good at cooking, but also full of the Holy Spirit, faith, wisdom and the words of the Lord. Miracles also followed him and the other men who were serving. In short, the apostles did not have time to deal with these matters so they were handed over to others. But when we started talking about this, we found that the Holy Spirit led us to a broader understanding of the situation. I felt that the words and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit were that these complaining widows were not only materially poor, but also lacking the Lord's abundance in the spirit. Therefore, the apostles’ decision was not only to arrange and provide meals for them, but also to allow people like Stephen, who were full of the Holy Spirit and the Word of the Lord, to both serve meals and dispense the Spirit and the Word to these poor people. Poverty limits our imagination I was born in an ordinary family in rural China, the bottom rung of society. The people in our Bible Study also include many Chinese from the same background, so we naturally talk about poverty. Our experience of poverty has not only caused us to be materially poor, but also limited our imagination and made us lack self-confidence in many ways. We talked about the spirit of poverty in modern Chinese society, American society and even among some Christians in the US. The external poverty is not terrible—the most terrifying thing is that poverty limits our imagination. Some of the women in our study said that American social scientists investigated the impact that poverty has on human nerves. This study showed a decline in human learning ability. Therefore, some educators in the United States hope to include children from poor families in special education. read more: jbwm.org

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 5 Acts 5 begins with the story of Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit about the proceeds of the land sale. The Holy Spirit punished them severely for keeping some of the proceeds for themselves, while claiming they had given it all. Ananias and Sapphira’s sin doesn’t seem very serious, so why was the punishment so severe? Many modern-day Christians do not even tithe, let alone give the entire proceeds of a sale or business deal. So why doesn’t the Holy Spirit punish modern-day believers? As we consider this question, let’s put aside the lens of punishment and fear for a moment. This lens can limit our understanding of this issue. Being closer to God is like being closer to the sun First, we can understand this issue using the analogy of “light.” We often hear others say that God judges us not because of the sin and darkness that is in us, but rather for how much we reject the “light.” Before salvation, we lived in darkness and ignorance. The sins we committed before we came to Christ were committed in ignorance. However, after we come to know Jesus, the “light of the world,” it is another matter altogether. God holds us accountable for rejecting the clear presence of the Holy Spirit. In vs. 15, we see that the Holy Spirit was powerfully working all around Ananias and Saphira. Even Peter’s shadow could heal people of their diseases! Despite all this, Ananias and Saphira still sinned blatantly against the Holy Spirit. Hence, it is only natural for them to be punished severely. The closer you are to the sun, the more you are at risk of being burned. In the same way, the closer we are to God’s light and the Holy Spirit’s powerful working, the less our darkness is tolerated. However, if the Holy Spirit is not as active in the world, and an individual is farther away from God, the punishment will not be as harsh. This does not mean that God excuses sin. God hates all sin. However, as we draw closer to God, God’s expectations for our holiness increase. As we serve God, we need to be holy. As mentioned previously in our study of Acts 4, the Holy Spirit was specifically at work during this time, choosing the apostles and working powerfully among the people. Despite this, Ananias deliberately lied to the Holy Spirit. For this reason, he was severely punished. READ MORE: JBWM.ORG

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 4 Acts 4 tells the story of Peter healing a lame man. For 40 years, the man had been begging for food at the temple gates with no hope of healing in sight. However, the lame man's faith and perseverance finally cured him. When Peter met him, he was healed instantly. We can learn an important lesson from the lame man. In the process of seeking God, we should not be disappointed and depressed when healing takes a long time. We should not be deterred by the spirit of religion. Instead, we should be bold enough to pay the price and pursue all the promises of God by faith. Why did it take 40 years for the lame man to receive healing? While reading Acts 4, the Holy Spirit led me to dive deeper into the story of the lame man who was healed by Peter at the Beautiful Gate. Although the healing of the lame man has already been mentioned in Acts 3, this chapter records the impact of this incident. As a result of the healing, the priests, court officials, and Sadducees came to arrest Peter. They interrogated him, asking him by what ability and in whose name he was doing these miracles. Of course Peter told them it was in the name of Jesus that he could perform such miracles. The chief priests would not even believe Jesus while he performed miracles on earth, and they were even less willing to pay attention to rowdy Peter. The chief priests tried to frighten Peter and the other disciples, telling them they were not allowed to preach in the name of Jesus anymore. However, Peter and the others didn’t listen. Acts 4:22 says, “The man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.” A brother in our Bible study wondered if there was any special meaning to the man’s age. This question leads to the theme of our study today. We will look at this story from the perspective of the lame man who was healed. read more: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 1 Different perspectives lead to different understandings A fellow Christian once asked me how believers are able to effectively understand and interpret the teachings and lessons from the book of Acts. He wanted to know how believers from different churches and denominations can come to a similar conclusion as they read the text. My response was that we need to always look at things from a balanced perspective. Though the Bible is a book written in black and white, we cannot only focus on wordings while ignoring personal spiritual experiences and spiritual encounters. We also cannot ignore the importance of understanding the resurrected Jesus. As believers, we must be mindful as we read the Bible, specifically, as we read the book of Acts. Due to the variety of denominations and beliefs, controversial issues such as: how we see God's miracles, the angels, the resurrected Jesus and his manifestation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, how we regard seen and unseen things, and how we balance Bible knowledge and spiritual experience can be very divisive amongst believers. Different perspectives result in different interpretations of the events in the book Acts and will lead readers to have different spiritual experiences. Lack of spiritual understanding of the Word of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit in their works or ministries will cause believers if not careful, to end up just like the Pharisees who follow the law strictly because they have biblical knowledge of the scriptures without experience. Legalism can spiritually weaken the church over time. However, placing too much emphasis on spiritual experiences such as dreams, visions and encounters with angels without a focus on studying the Word, can lead believers to the opposite extreme of superstition. These are some of the dangers that those who seek only spiritual gifts in some Charismatic churches will face. These believers are spiritually immature, often lack a solid foundation in the Word of God and growth in the life of God. They are easily swayed by the wind of doctrines. One's pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus will flourish by having a balance of the above. READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/

Bible Study With Jairus – Acts 2 Acts 2 introduces us to some hotly debated topics: tongues, dreams, visions, and the infilling of the Spirit. Even though these topics are controversial among Christians, most Christians do not deny the historical events in this chapter. What Christians cannot agree upon is whether such experiences still occur today. Let’s dive in and examine some important questions related to the birth of the church in Acts 2. Why is the Holy Spirit like a tongue of fire? When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form as a dove. Should we conclude that the Holy Spirit only takes the shape of a dove, or are there other forms that the Holy Spirit can take? When the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in Acts 2, he came in the form of tongues (Acts 2:1-4). In verse 3, God says that “divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one.” Did the Holy Spirit appear in the form of fire, or of tongues? The Bible clearly states that the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues—tongues that seemed to be made of fire. We all know that Acts Chapter 2 details the infilling of the Holy Spirit, so we can conclude that the tongues were the Holy Spirit or the display of the Holy Spirit. Why the tongue shape? As the book of James mentions, the tongue is very difficult to control. James noted that the tongue is the most troublesome member of our bodies. It can praise God or curse men. Like the small rudder of a ship, the tiny tongue has great power to direct the course of our lives. Like putting a bit into a horse’s mouth to control it, we need to control our tongue (James 3:2-12). READ MORE: https://jbwm.org/