August 30

Happy Friday to you! Has this been a good week for you? I woke up yesterday with full-blown laryngitis due to fall allergies (yes, it’s been a wonderful year for the ragweed crop). I’ve been fighting them for a couple of weeks, but by yesterday, I was just sick, so off to the local doctor. I now have a sack full of meds that will surely will put me back in the saddle if not quickly, in the next couple of days. 


When Paul and Silas left Philipi, they didn’t need nearly so much to get them going again. When they arrived at Thessalonica, Paul immediately found the synagogue, and yes, started sharing the Good News of Jesus. 


“As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭17:2-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

‭‭

Paul stood before a group and boldly proclaimed the truth. How awesome is it that Paul’s words exude confidence, not insecurity? He had just been beaten and thrown in jail and asked to leave town, but after walking about 100 miles, preaching in the towns they passed through, here he stands and boldly preaches the fulfillment of the prophesies. He was able to speak with such authority in large part because Paul knew Jesus intimately. He had also spent time studying God’s word and committing it to memory. So that when he spoke, the fact-checking Jews were not able to find fault in his words. His confidence came from the knowledge of God’s Word he had received through spending time in the Bible.


Sometimes when Jesus changes our hearts, we stop there. But true transformation is a continual process. To grow in our relationship with Him, we not only need to go to church, we must spend time with Him each day, just like any relationship you want to cultivate. Our first and most important step is daily Bible study and praying.


Lord of Heaven, teach us to be your disciples and have a closer relationship with you. Help us to read and pray daily so that we might begin to know your heart. We want to be more like you Lord, so we pray that you would show us your ways and your will for our lives. Help us to understand who we are in you. Thank you for bringing us together and for the encouragement we draw from one another. Right now, we ask for a special touch for our friends and family that are fighting all sorts of disease. Please let them know you are close. We love you Lord. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam


PS. If you’ve not begun a time of daily Bible reading, it’s ok to start slow-that way you can do it. Read the first 9 verses of Acts 17 to follow our story here. You’ll be in the daily scripture-reading saddle in no time. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more