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Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted Isa 53:4 |
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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. Thursday, July 10, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:The Faithfulness of the Church BibleVerse:1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 "We always remember you in our prayers, giving thanks to God for every one of you, and especially recalling the steadfastness of your hope in Jesus Christ and the many good works that have flowed out of your faith and love. We think of you as our brothers and sisters, called by God to a Gospel not made of words alone, but a Gospel that came to you by the power and certainty of the Holy Spirit. " Message:
What a wonderful way to start a letter! We can see, right off the bat, why Paul was so successful at bringing people to Christ. The opening verses of 1 Thess. are positive and powerful. Paul’s assurance that he and the other named authors remember the Thessalonians in their prayers is not polite jargon. It is a realistic and meaningful portrayal of how both the Pauline group and the Thessalonians entered the presence of God every day, concerned with each others’ welfare, trusting that He would hear their words, and filled with certainty and hope that, if it were His will, He would respond to them.
In the words “called by God,” we immediately run up against an unavoidable issue in Paul, that of predestination. There is a lot of support for the doctrine in Paul’s epistles and it will come up repeatedly, for he frequently describes church members as “chosen” or “selected.” It is a topic that demands study, so we will reserve it for the future. For now, let us just hold the thought that we don't have to be Calvinist or “Reformed” to be Biblical Christians.
The doctrine of “predestination” holds that only people whom God has already chosen (“elected”) can find salvation in Christ. At its purest, it denies any freedom of human will in choosing to believe in Christ. It is primarily associated with the great reformer John Calvin and the term “reformed” is often used to describe churches that adopt some degree of Calvinist doctrine. You would need a massive book to describe all the variations and issues in reformed theology! We will keep things as simple as possible; however, it is impossible to read Paul without at least some discussion of free will and predestination.
The good works and steadfastness of the Thessalonians are tied to the manner in which they received the Gospel. The fact that the Holy Spirit came to dwell in them, the power of the Spirit, and their ability to endure hardships are all tied together. Receiving Christ is a transformative experience, where the reborn Christian loves Christ with his full heart; they have not simply altered their behavior after coming to believe in a religion, but rather, they have been entirely changed.
As Paul will write in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Meditation : “They that anger you, control you. Give no one that type of power over you, but be controlled instead by Him who loves you.” Prayer : May it please you, my good Lord, that there may come a day when I can repay a little of my great debt to you. O Jesus, strengthen my soul, you who are good above all good; and since you have inclined my soul in this way, show me how I may act for you, whatever it may cost, O Lord. Here is my life, my honor and my will; I have given them all to you and they are yours: use me to do whatever you want. Amen. |
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