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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, May 31, 2020
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:The Nature of the Holy Spirit Bible Verse:1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And so we thank God every day for you, our brothers and sisters, who not only heard God’s word with your ears, but also took it into your hearts, where it could accomplish its great work. Literal 13 And through this[1] also we give thanks to god unceasingly, that receiving word of message from us of god you accepted not word of men but as it is truly word of god, which also is at work in you the believing." Message:
Although we promised a close study of Paul’s epistles, we don't propose to go through it one verse at a time! The chapters and verses were put into place by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1227 A.D. They are now, figuratively, set in stone, even though they might not reflect the optimal organization of thoughts and themes. Verse 14 begins a significant and controversial section, too long to combine with verse 13; so we must have a brief discussion today.
“Word” has multiples meanings throughout the Bible, and its use constantly shifts among them. Very often it will encompass two thoughts; in fact, always, when we hear “God's word”, we must understand two connected concepts. First, of course, word means word. Paul taught the Thessalonians by speaking to them. Word of God or God's word, in the literal sense, refers to the primary definition of “word”, a unit in a system of sound or writing subject to a set of grammatical and syntactical rules, so that it conveys meaning.
Holy Spirit, dove with flame
But the words of God have, right off the bat, special significance. They not only communicate ideas, but they do so with an authority above that of any other communication. They are inspired (meaning, literally, “breathed out”) by God Himself. Paul spells out this distinction, saying that the Thessalonians accepted that Paul's gospel message were not only Paul's words, but also God's, meriting a different attitude.
Easy enough, at least in principle. Most Christians seem to understand the concept of the inspired Word of God, even if they do not believe in it.
The Gospel of John added an entire dimension, though; for in one sentence (John 1:1), he equated “word” with the Greek philosophical concept of a formative power in the universe — the “logos” — and then states that this Word, this logos, was Christ. In this sense, the Word has nothing to do with writing or speaking. It is a spiritual entity which existed before time and created the universe; and then, it (or He) became incarnate as a man, Jesus, destined to die in atonement for the sins of humanity.
When Paul says that the Thessalonians took the word into their hearts, etc., he thus is saying not only that the Thessalonians heard a communication, and not only that they credited the communication as divine; but also, that a spirit identified with Christ came to dwell within them. Christ literally lives within them, giving them power and knowledge beyond the verbal communication of Paul's preaching. Verse 13 is actually the earliest mention in the Bible of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit being fulfilled in human beings.
Meditation : Prayer : And finally, may the grace of Christ our Savior, and the Father's boundless love, with the Holy Spirit's favor, rest upon me, and all of us, from above. Thus may we abide in union, with each other and the Lord, and possess, in sweet communion, joys which earth cannot afford........Amen |
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