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Daily Bible thoughts 943: Wednesday 12th August 2015: 1 Thessalonians 3: ‘There may be trouble ahead…’

1 Thessalonians 3: ‘There may be trouble ahead…’(click here for todays passage)

Recently, my wife and I spent a restful few days at Idbury in the Cotswolds. One morning, I was looking out of the window, watching the birds playing ‘chase’, and I had a sudden thought that if a budgie were to be released into the wild, these seemingly gentle birds would probably reject and kill it. I believe it is a fact that birds will often turn on other birds of a different plumage.

One preacher said that when a person becomes a Christian they make at least two discoveries. The first one is good; the second not so good. First of all, they find they’ve got a whole lot of new friends, and that’s great. But they also come to realise that they now have a number of new enemies, and that, of course, is less welcome. A new convert asked his pastor, ‘Now that I am a Christian, how much of the world must I give up?’ ‘Don’t worry,’ his minister replied. ‘The world will give you up!’

Paul taught the Thessalonians the inevitability of suffering for Christ in some form (3, 4; John 16:33; 2 Tim.3:12). The spirit that crucified Jesus is still abroad in this world, and it is pervasive, and while we live in the world we can expect trouble. It is extremely important that new Christians should be thoroughly prepared for this in the discipling process, so that no-one is taken by surprise or feels mis-led. There is no ‘easy-believism’ in the New Testament. ‘’We did not want any of you to lose heart at the troubles you were going through, but to realise that we Christians must expect such things.’’ J.B. Phillips (3) Suffering in some way is the common experience of the majority of Christians across the world. Satan, like the savage beast he is, seeks to ‘’devour’’ believers through persecution (1 Peter 5:8, 9).There is the very real danger that some may fall away through fear or discouragement etc. This was Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians, and why he sent Timothy to them (5). He was fearful that they might have been ‘savaged’ in the early stages of their Christian experience. ‘’You will understand that, when the suspense became unbearable I sent someone to find out how your faith was standing the strain, and to make sure that the tempter’s activities had not destroyed our work.’’ J.B. Phillips.

Because it’s ‘a jungle’ out there, it is essential that new believers should have a family around them who will stick close to them. That’s what Paul, Silas and Timothy did with the new Christians in Thessalonica for as long as they could (Chapter 2). But when they could not be there in person, God’s keeping power was nonetheless in evidence. Thank God, we can trust His ‘amazing grace.’

Prayer: Lord, help me to be willing to be hit by any of the ‘missiles’ this fallen world hurls at you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 942: Tuesday 11th August 2015: 1 Thessalonians 3: ‘Love Does.’

 1 Thessalonians 3: ‘Love Does.’(please click here for todays passage)

It is instructive to consider how Paul showed his love and concern for the new Christians in Thessalonica:

  • He sacrificed Timothy to go and see about their welfare (1, 2). He went without his friend’s companionship and assistance so that they could have his help. Paul and Silas and Timothy were a close knit team, and it must have been hard to let Timothy go. (In fact, reading the account in Acts 17, it seems that Paul may have been alone in Athens for a time, in which case the sacrifice was probably even greater.) But ‘love does’! Loving involves giving and putting others first. Real love is Christ-like in its quality and one measure of love is, ‘What am I prepared to give up for the sake of another?’ (By the way, there’s a saying that ‘’Two’s company; three’s a crowd.’’ Many of us will understand, from experience, how this can be so. But the grace of God can overcome all natural obstacles, and these three men were able to work together for the cause of the Kingdom of God.)
  • He used words that conveyed how precious they were to him. He wasn’t afraid to let his feelings show. He told them what they meant to him; how much he wanted to be with them and how he prayed that it might be so. He poured this love into ink and letter format. Who should you drop a line to soon, to thank them, let them you’re thinking about them, and that you’re praying for them etc.? Still today, in this digital age, (and perhaps more so because of it), people love to receive hand-written letters. Many will be kept, and even discovered by family and friends after the recipient has died. Letter-writing can be a wonderful ministry in itself.
  • He spelled out the difficult implications of what it means to be a Christian; he warned them about the uncomfortable ramifications of discipleship, just like Jesus did (3, 4). (We will return to this theme in tomorrow’s notes.) But Paul and his team showed ‘tough love’. ‘’Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You’ve always known that we’re in for this kind of thing. It’s part of our calling. When we were with you, we made it quite clear that there was trouble ahead. And now that it’s happened, you know what it’s like.’’ The Message.
  • He prayed. He prayed for their growth in love and holiness (12, 13). He prayed for the way back to Thessalonica to become unblocked so that he could see them again and serve them again (10, 11). He prayed ‘’earnestly’’…’’Night and day…’’ (Again, we will think a little more about the content of Paul’s prayer in Thursday’s notes.)

Still today Christian leaders can apply these timeless lessons from Paul, Silas and Timothy. We are to both show and tell God’s people how much we love them; serving them, sacrificing for them, praying for them, and being totally honest about all the implications of following Jesus.

‘’In the middle of our trouble and hard times here, just knowing how you’re doing keeps us going. Knowing that your faith is alive keeps us alive.’’

This wonderful intertwining of hearts lies at the very core of pastoral ministry. May it be in evidence in every local church!

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Daily Bible thoughts 941: Monday 10th August 2015: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20: Spiritual conflict.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20: Spiritual conflict.(please click here for todays passage)

I saw a pointed cartoon in a book on evangelism written by Michael Green. It showed a nurse leaving a brand-new baby just outside the door of a maternity unit. The caption read: ‘’You’re on your own now!’’ It made its point very powerfully. New believers need lots of love and care and attention.

These are surprising words. Paul and his friends were like spiritual parents to the new Christians in Thessalonica (1:7, 11). Surely the babes in Christ would feel ‘orphaned’ by the enforced separation (Acts 17:1ff) that came? But one translation of (2:17) says: ‘’when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time…’’ There was such a strong attachment between Paul and these infant believers. He/they felt like orphans. ‘’Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends?’’ The Message. New Christians need to be loved like that.

When you become separated from your young children, even if it is only for a short time, you are desperate to find them; to reconnect. So it was for Paul (17b, 18). But he came up against a problem. There is something of a mystery to the words: ‘’but Satan stopped us.’’ We have to understand this in the context of the Bible story as a whole, which tells us that God is sovereign. He is in supreme control. Nothing can happen without His permission. (Think, for example, of the story of Job: Jb.1:12). Nevertheless, we have a very real enemy who has the power to do things. ‘’I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time.’’ The Message. ‘’…but somehow Satan prevented our coming.’’ J.B. Phillips. Paul was also aware, though, that there is a way to clear spiritual roadblocks, and we will come to this in the next chapter (3:11). It is by prayer. This is how we bulldoze Satan’s barricades out of the way; this is the way to blow them up!

I heard a philosophy professor, Doctor Don Evans, preaching in Southport many years ago. He was an outstanding speaker. In one of his talks he referred to (19, 20). He said, ‘’If you take your children to London, and you stand outside Buckingham Palace, and the Queen comes out on to the balcony, your greatest joy will be that they are seeing Her Majesty; not that you are!’’ It’s a good point and it has stayed with me. But Paul looked forward to the day when he would actually present his ‘children’ to the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Thessalonians would see Jesus, and at the same time they would be Paul’s pride and joy; the fruit of his ministry.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please give us new ‘children’ to care for, and help us to care for the new children you give.

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Daily Bible thoughts 940: Friday 7th August 2015: Jeremiah 12:7-17: Tough love

 Jeremiah 12:7-17: Tough love(please click here for todays passage)

In yesterday’s reading we saw how Jeremiah asked God the age-old question: ‘’Why does the way of the wicked prosper?’’ (1).The answer he received was that things were going to get worse in the short term (5, 6), although long term, as today’s passage shows (15, 16) they would become much better. There was the hope of a more golden future, even for those who attacked and overran and uprooted Judah, because God is good. ‘’…I will relent and take them tenderly to my heart and put them back where they belong, put each of them back in their home country, on their family farms. Then if they will get serious about living my way and pray to me as well as they taught my people to pray to that god Baal, everything will go well for them.’’ The Message. Of course it is true to say that another more terrible possibility was on the horizon if they would not turn to the Lord (17), but that wasn’t what He wanted. His desire was to bless them. He wants to draw to Himself a people from all the nations

But all that was still in the future. Jeremiah was told that the persecution and suffering would become worse for him in the days ahead. There was a lot of heavy rain in the forecast, before the appearance of sunshine.

‘’It was the answer Jeremiah needed. He needed to be braced, not pampered.’’ Hugh Black

‘’The easy life is ultimately the hard life, because the easy life stifles maturity, but the difficult life challenges us to develop our ‘’spiritual muscles’’ and accomplish more for the Lord. Phillips Brooks said the purpose of life is the building of character through truth, and you don’t build character by being a spectator.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (OT), p.1222.

So, Jeremiah was told that there was worse to come. But he was also assured that the wicked in Judah would be punished (7-13). God’s ‘’inheritance’’ (7) included both the land of Israel/Judah and the people themselves (Exodus 19:5, 6; Deut.4:20; 32:9; Ex.15:17; Ps.78:55). As they had forsaken Him, according to the terms of the covenant He would forsake them. His own people were roaring at Him ‘’like a lion’’ (8), so He had come to ‘’hate’’ them. What that means is that He had withdrawn the expression of His love towards them and would now treat them as if He hated them, handing them over to their enemies. While it is true to say that God’s love is unconditional, the enjoyment of His love is conditional. ‘’She’s been, this one I hold dear, like a snarling lion in the jungle, Growling and baring her teeth at me – and I can’t take it anymore.’’ The Message. The people are ‘’like a speckled bird of prey’’ about to be preyed upon (9). The Lord goes on to say that ‘’shepherds’’ (i.e. enemy rulers) will trample His ‘’vineyard’’ (Judah), and turn it into a ‘’desolate wasteland’’ (10). The Babylonians and their allies were going to swarm all over the land (see 2 Kings 24:1, 2) wielding the ‘’sword of the LORD’’ (i.e. His sword of judgment). The land will produce nothing (13) and the farmers will work in vain, bearing the shame of their poor harvest. All this was going to happen because God’s people had broken His covenant (see Lev.26:20, 25, and 33).

God’s Word is true. Do not doubt that it will come to pass. We ignore and reject it at our peril. May these excruciatingly painful lessons from Biblical history not be lost on us.

Prayer: Help me Lord to hold fast to all your Word.

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Daily Bible thoughts 939: Thursday 6th August 2015: Jeremiah 12:1-6: Take it to the Lord in prayer

Jeremiah 12:1-6: Take it to the Lord in prayer (please click here for todays passage)

This is an age old question, often repeated in the Bible (see for example Job 21:4-21; Habakkuk 1:1-4).

If something troubles you, take it to the Lord in prayer. But when He answers it may not always be what you want to hear. When we begin to seriously pray about an issue it frequently seems to get worse before it gets better. In response to his prayer, Jeremiah was specifically told that the situation would deteriorate in the short to mid-term.

‘’Jeremiah knew that God’s justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient because he wanted justice to come quickly. God didn’t give a doctrinal answer, instead he gave a challenge. If Jeremiah couldn’t handle this, how would he handle the injustices ahead? It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. But when we call for justice, we must realise that we ourselves would be in big trouble if God gave each of us what we truly deserve…Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah despite his love and obedience to God. When he called to God for relief, God’s reply in effect was, ‘If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?’ Not all of God’s answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. Any Christian who has experienced war, bereavement, or a serious illness knows this. But we are to be committed to God even when the going gets tough and when his answers to our prayers don’t bring immediate relief.’’ ‘The Life Application Bible’, pp.1304, 1305.

The life of Christian discipleship is not an inoculation against trouble. Anyone who thinks it is will be likely to become seriously disillusioned somewhere along the way. Jeremiah says to us that the more faithful we are the more trouble we will face. But we are never alone; we can always pray.

Just one other thought for today. It is terribly possible for us to become like the people described in (2b; see also Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 3:10; Matthew 15:8, 9; Titus 1:16). True religion is a matter of the heart. Above all else we must guard our hearts for out of them flow all the issues of life.

Prayer: God be in my heart and in my loving.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 938: Wednesday 5th August 2015: Psalm 119:9-16

 Psalm 119:9-16 (please click here for todays passage)

God’s Word is mentioned in almost every verse of this longest psalm, and longest chapter, in the Bible. In the days when it was written, people did not have personal copies of Scripture as we do now, so they memorised it (or parts of it) and passed it on orally. The acrostic structure of this psalm, with each section beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, made for easy memorisation. Here are some thoughts to consider from the psalm’s second stanza:

  • Purity and the Word (9): By the way, this applies to every age group and both sexes. It’s not just for ‘young men’ (see also 11; John 15:3): ‘’the best book, in the best place, for the best reason.’’ C. Morgan. ‘’I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.’’ The Message. Whatever the eleventh verse exactly means, it points to a deep and meaningful relationship with the Scriptures. There is nothing superficial going on here.
  • Prayer and the Word (10): These two belong together. They were ‘made for each other.’ We must talk to the Author about His Book, and allow Him to speak back to us about His Book. We need to ask for help to do what it says. There is something incredibly powerful about turning what you read into prayer.
  • Praise and the Word (12): Approach the Bible with thanks for it, and gratitude that the Author (and His assistance) is available to you.
  • Proclamation and the Word (13):’’I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth’’ The Message. Derek Prince and his wife, Ruth, spoke about the importance of declaring the Bible out loud; saying what it says, and saying what is in keeping with what it says. We need to speak it to ourselves, to others, to the powers of darkness, and before God in prayer.
  • The preciousness of the Word (14): Do you consider your Bible to be your most valuable possession? ‘’I delight far more in what you’re telling me about living than in gathering a pile of riches.’’ The Message.
  • Pondering the Word (15): I believe this links to (11). Meditation is one of the ways we ‘hide’ God’s Word in our hearts and experience its nourishment and power.
  • A promise regarding the Word (16): It is a commitment to ‘’not neglect’’ This is a joyful dedication. Your life will not change by wishing for things to be different, but by definite decisions.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the Bible for the precious jewel it is and to value it above all my earthly possessions.

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Daily Bible thoughts 937: Tuesday 4th August 2015:1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: Backlash!

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: Backlash!(click here for todays passage)

‘’In this world you will have trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world.’’ (John 16:33).

As followers of Jesus we can expect opposition and difficulty. He told us to. As someone said, ‘’Jesus sets you free from your problems so you can have His; and His are a lot worse than yours!’’ Amidst evangelistic success and people responding well to God’s Word, we can anticipate a backlash. The fledgling church at Thessalonica suffered from the beginning (see Acts 17:1-8; 1 Thess.1:6; 2 Thess.1:4). The gentile Christians in that city were persecuted by fellow- Gentiles, just as the Jewish Christians in Judea had been mistreated by their fellow-Jews.

Recently the Liberal Democrats appointed a new leader, Tim Farron, who is a believer in Jesus. I understand that early media interviews with him have homed in on his faith, and have been intent on ridiculing him for it. What is it with people? What are they so afraid of that they have to pour scorn on belief in Christ? In a way, it’s encouraging. There is blessing in persecution (Matthew 5:12). For me, this response underlines the reality of the Christian faith and the truth that there is a devil who hates it and wants to bring it down. Why does the name of Jesus, and belief in Him provoke such a violent reaction? Ask yourself that question.

‘’When you take a stand for Christ you may face opposition, disapproval and ridicule from your neighbours, friends, and even family members.’’ ‘The Life Application Study Bible, p.2162.)

Among the Jewish people there was a history of persecuting faithful preachers of God’s Word, culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 2:23; see also Matthew 5:11, 12; Luke 11:47-51; Acts 13:45, 50; Luke 11:47-51).This was not true of all of them, obviously. There were Jewish Christians. Paul was one of them. But there were those Jews who wanted to prevent the good news about Jesus from going to the Gentiles. However, you may as well attempt to do a ‘King Canute’ and set yourself to hold back the tide. God’s purposes will prevail. The ‘’gates of Hades’’ (Matthew 16:18) will not.

‘’They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it.’’ The Message.

We’ve read the final chapter, and we know how it all turns out. It’s a good ending. We’re on the winning team, even though it doesn’t always feel like it.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that in the end Jesus wins! Thank you for how this news affects us now.

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Daily Bible thoughts 936: Monday 3rd August 2015: 1 Thessalonians 2:13: Good reception.

1 Thessalonians 2:13: Good reception.(please click here for todays passage)

Many of us will have visited places where it was hard to get a good mobile phone signal (or T.V. or radio signal for that matter, or Wi Fi connection.) We experienced poor reception. Jesus, in His parable of the sower (or the grounds) spoke about receptivity – about how we respond to the ‘seed’ of the Word sown into us; how we hear; what our hearts are like. In Thessalonica Paul found good reception. It wasn’t difficult to get a signal!

‘Impression management’ they call it. It’s when you’re trying to project an image of who you are but that isn’t who you are! You are trying to manage what people think about you. As we have seen, there was nothing of this in Paul’s ministry. ‘’When we witness for Christ, our focus should not be on the impressions we make. As true ministers of Christ, we should point to him, not to ourselves.’ ‘The Life Application Study Bible’, p.2161.

The verse opens with an expression of continual thanks, and it reminds us of (1:2). ‘’And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks.’’ The Mesaage. We have no greater joy as leaders than to see people respond well to the Bible (and, above all, to Jesus Himself.) We are gardeners, planting seeds, and we delight to watch our garden grow with beautiful plants. At the heart of any effective ministry there lies the effective broadcasting and reception of God’s truth, Big numbers and building projects may come (or they may not.) They are not the issue. Primarily we are workers with the Word; cultivators of spiritual gardens, watching God give the growth.

Notice three important things:

  • God’s Word must be broadcast: ‘’which you heard from us’’ (see also 1:5, 8);
  • God’s Word must be received: ‘’when you received the word of God…you accepted it…’’;
  • God’s Word is active: ‘’…the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.’’ ( see Hebrews 4:12). Just like the seed is alive and active below the surface of the soil, so it is with God’s Word. The B. Phillips translation says they received it ‘’not as a mere human message, but as it really is, God’s Word, a power in the lives of you who believe.’’ The power is in the Word of God. Preacher, can you believe it? Your ministry, which may seem ordinary and unspectacular in your eyes (and in the opinion of others), is one of immense power. If there isn’t a lot to show for it at the moment, don’t doubt that there is much activity in your ‘garden’. One of these days it will show up. Just be patient. (And don’t miss what is already happening!)

Finally, don’t lose sight of the further New Testament revelation that Jesus Himself is the living ‘Word’ (John 1:1). Ultimately our ministry is all about Him. We want to see people receive Him, and watch Him work to change their lives.

Prayer: Lord, renew our confidence in the power of your Word to change lives and achieve your purposes in the world.

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Daily Bible thoughts 934: Thursday 30th July 2015: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6: Back on the bike!

 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6: Back on the bike!(please click here for todays passage)

In the ‘Sacred Year’, Michael Yankoski writes movingly about the ‘carnival’ of the celebrity Christian circuit, and how it can lead to a disconnect between a life lived on the stage, in the spotlight, and the other existence lived out in private. He gradually became disillusioned with his own involvement in it: ‘’…I couldn’t help but wonder if I was just another pawn in the brightly lit song-and-dance called ‘’American Christianity.’’ Leading a life offstage that didn’t actually warrant what I was saying on stage. Was my life deeply grounded in God…or were the edges of my life cracked and fraying?’’ (p.7).

Paul’s visit to Thessalonica was a success. But this success was not measured in terms of numbers, or a building programme, or in many other ways the Christian ‘carnival’ assesses how well we’re doing. Essentially, this was about character. We will look at a couple of key measurements today, and refer to some more tomorrow:

  • They refused to be intimidated (1, 2). In spite of their injuries, they quickly got back on the bike! Many of us might have asked for some time off to heal and recover, but they just got on with the job. They showed immense courage, but it wasn’t worked up; it was worked in, by God Himself. The story of what happened in Philippi is told in Acts 16: 11-40. Paul and Silas were badly beaten and unjustly imprisoned. There was a lot of mental, emotional and physical pain involved in these incidents. They carried wounds. They were scarred. But they also saw a church planted in and around what they went through. So there was encouragement too. After the events at Philippi they picked themselves up, brushed themselves off and started all over again ‘’with the help of…God’’ (2). The message of Jesus is so hated and so unwanted by so many in our culture (and we are increasingly aware of this) that only with ‘outside help’ will we ‘’dare’’ to carry on. The words ‘’strong opposition’’ are, in the original language, an athletic term meaning ‘’a contest, a struggle’’. We are acutely aware that we are in a war zone. As a book from a few decades ago correctly expressed it, being a Christian is ‘’Risky Living’’. ‘’We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God’s Message to you, defiant of the opposition.’’ The Message.
  • They worked with integrity. Reading between the lines you can see that Pau and his team were being maligned. When mud is thrown some of it inevitably sticks. Even though untrue, some lies can carry weight. On two occasions Paul writes ‘’You know’’ (1, 5). He could appeal to their knowledge of them, and God’s knowledge. He had ‘’a conscience void of offence, toward God, and toward men.’’ (Acts 24:16). Paul and his colleagues did not use their ‘pulpit’ to manipulate people and make a fast buck. They spoke the truth, even though it would not always be popular. Paul, knowing that God sees the inside of the cup and not just the outside, could declare that their motives were pure. They wanted to please God, not people. ‘’Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval – only God approval.’’ The Message. One of the ways Satan tries to destroy the message is by defaming the messengers. Somebody estimated that nine times Paul defends his integrity against lies in this letter. But Paul was not defending himself for the sake of his own reputation; it was so that the cause of the gospel would not suffer.

‘’Paul’s method was as pure as his motive: he presented the Word of God in the power of the Spirit, and trusted God to work.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: The Wiersbe Bible Commentary (NT),p.709

 

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