Here are the guides for study of the Scriptures for May 17. Peachier Ray wants to remind you, these are not intended to just be a read through, but a study with the Bible texts before you and the notes to assist you.
Psalm 66:8-20
The opening of this psalm is a voice of praise to God because (vs.9) he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. VSS 10-12 raise an interesting question: God tests, God refines and God brings people to prison, God allows men to ride over them. How do you understand the role of God in times of hardship? Many have questioned me in this coronavirus pandemic about the role of God. How do you understand God’s role? For the Psalmist there does not seem to be a question about whether God has played a part in the challenging times, but the question is how does the Psalmist respond to God’s action. His response is to bring offerings, fulfill his vows. He then seizes the opportunity to become a witness to others about God’s rescue and blessings. His affirmation is that God has not rejected his prayers or withheld God’s love. How does that Psalmist’s response or outlook compare either with your own in this or other times of hardship or what you hear others saying either in these days or in the past?
John 14:15-21
Remembering that the 14th chapter of John is Jesus’s words of encouragement and instruction to the disciples as he anticipates going away from them, listen to what Jesus says. Vs 15 is the predicate for everything that follows: If you love me, you will obey what I command. Vs. 16 is the promise of asking God to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus affirms that not everyone can receive the Holy Spirit, for they must have a relationship with God – to be in God and Christ. In other places of scripture, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is always at work in our lives drawing us to Christ. That is different from having the Holy Spirit in us. John Wesley talked about prevenient grace where the Holy Spirit is drawing us to Christ and molding and shaping us so that we are willing to accept the word of God and the gift of salvation. Then the Holy Spirit comes into us so that we start living, thinking and making decisions with the mind of Christ. In VS 8 Philip had asked Jesus to show them the Father. In Vs. 20 Jesus says that we will realize that the Father and the Son are in each other and that they are in the believer as well. VS 21 reaffirms that love of Christ leads to obedience to Christ which leads to blessings from God. What a gift!
Acts 17:22-31
In this section we find Paul, following his conversion in Athens giving a testimony about Christ. Paul is using his Roman citizenship as a connection to his audience. Otherwise, he would not be allowed to speak in this forum. Rome was a true democracy where each citizen got to voice their opinion. Paul has looked at the altars to the Roman gods and notes that he even found one TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. That gives Paul his launching point. Vss 24-28 are Paul’s affirmations of who God is. What do you note there? His final word in vs. 28 connects with Roman poets who have claimed that we are the offspring of God. Paul is concurring with that not because of the Roman god connection, but because of the creative and redeeming God that he has described.
In vss. 29-31 Paul rebukes the Roman notion that we as humans are divine, but that we are blessed by a divine God, who will judge us for our actions, but redeem us because of Christ’s action.
I PETER 3:13-22
Peter writes a letter to the Church cautioning them about the way the witness. He cautions them not to be afraid to witness for Christ, but cautions them to be gentle and show respect to others giving close regard for the integrity of your witness. If so doing, you will not give people a reason to reject your witness and not hear your words. Often when I have had conversations with people about witnessing, I have tried to point to I Peter 3:15. This would be my outline: Let Christ be the primary focus. It’s not about you, it’s about Christ. 2. What reason do you have hope in Jesus Christ? Vs. 18 helps with the second point. Christ died for sins, once for all so that we might be brought to Christ. He was put to death, but made alive by the Spirit. When we become Christians, we put to death our old life based on the world as our authority and we are made alive by the Spirit so that Christ is now our authority in submission to Christ.
Prayer: Lord Christ, we want that assurance and wisdom to know that we are in you and the Father by the work of the Holy Spirit. When that assurance and wisdom are made clear to us, we want to courage to share that with others. Will you help us with those things? If so, we will be faithful to you. Amen.