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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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| 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. Monday, July 14, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:The Purpose of Christian Unity BibleVerse:1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 "The region is filled with people talking about how you took us in and how you turned away from dead idols to serve a real, living God. And now you await the coming of His Son, whom He raised from dead; for He will come from heavens to deliver you from God’s wrath. " Message:
People are talking about the converts in Thessalonica. These are pagan Greeks: they have not accepted Christ and probably have not even heard the gospel. They have a favorable impression of the church, however, because of its hospitality to Paul, which they have learned about from other pagan Gentiles. They might not know who Jesus is, but they do know that well-behaved people have turned their backs on the myriad idol cults and begun to worship a living God.
Verse 9 does not even concern the gospel, per se, but one of the great lessons of the Old Testament. Remember the wonderful lines from Habakkuk?
What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
Hab. 2:18-20
Russian icon of Martha and Mary
Martha and Mary
One might see the Old Testament as a process which was, in part, designed to teach humanity to worship God. It demonstrated the futility of idolatry. It demonstrated a God who was real, alive, and unique. These rumors circulating among the Greeks constitute an abbreviated version of the Hebrew experience. First, the Gentiles will learn about God; then, they will be ready to learn about Christ.
The idea that good behavior might attract others to Christ is both Biblical and historical, evidenced in practice time and again. We will see it fleshed out more fully in later epistles, but Christ Himself was the original author. In John 17, the “High Priestly Prayer” chapter, He prays:
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one . . . so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21.)
He then repeats it a second time, in vv. 22-25. Why does Jesus say that we (believers) should love one another and live in unity and harmony? So that the world will believe in Him!
As to the practical effect, let’s look at two examples, one ancient and one contemporary. How did Christianity, a forbidden religion followed by a handful of people, become the dominant religion of Western Europe?
In a practical sense, because the Roman persecution of them backfired. The persecuted Christians behaved in such an extraordinary manner, both in their inoffensive lives and in their conduct when executed, that witnesses were astonished. In the words of Prof. Paula Fredriksen, “The martyrs are a heroic minority. They don’t represent a huge popular swelling. We don’t have tens of thousands of people being martyred. What we do have, is tens of thousands of people admiring the few who are martyred.” From Jesus to Christ: The Martyrs.
We are running out of space, so . . . “to be continued.”
Meditation : “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing.” ~ Psalm 33:10 Prayer : Oh God, hold me in the palm of your hand. I pray that you will mold me into what you want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role you have given to me and feel your peace deep in my soul, today and always, Amen. |
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