Be Still… – Relevant Reflections to Let God's Word Back Into Your Hands and Heart

1 Thessalonians 2:17-4:12 – Our Pride and Joy

From the sounds of it, Paul is writing this letter to the church in Thessalonica from Athens. It seems he wanted to bring the whole traveling party back to see how they were faring on their faith journey, but Satan always interfered. Satan remains crafty today, and we often think of spiritual warfare, those battles we face when evil tries to manipulate us by keeping us busy and distracted. For Paul, it sounds even more intimidating.

Thankfully, Timothy was able to get back to these believers and put Paul’s mind at ease. Paul thought very highly of these people in Thessalonica and how they had embraced the truth about Jesus. As a ministry leader myself, I can identify with feeling “pride and joy” toward certain groups who’ve stayed faithful and even grown closer to God after I departed. It’s hard to describe how good it feels to open the doors for a spiritual journey to begin and see it swinging open wide. Continue reading “1 Thessalonians 2:17-4:12 – Our Pride and Joy”

1Thessalonians 1:1-2:16 – An Example of Faithfulness

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:16

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians arrived at some point after the visit we read about in Acts 17. Paul does a lot of encouraging and reminiscing as he opens this letter. He wants them to have God’s grace and peace. That’s a beautiful, prayerful blessing to cover his friends there.

While Paul’s words would have brought comfort and encouragement to his initial audience, we can glean reinforcement for our own faith. We can identify with the struggles of the early believers still today. Did a particular verse strike a chord with you and what you are walking through these days? Continue reading “1Thessalonians 1:1-2:16 – An Example of Faithfulness”

Acts 17:16-34 – The Unknown God

Read Acts 17:16-34

Paul shows us how he responded when he was at odds with what he saw around him. When Paul saw all the idols and shrines for gods other than the one true God, he responded. Paul didn’t just sit back and hope everything worked out for the people of Athens. He sought out the people who were talking, the learned ones who were influencing people’s worldview. Yes, it seems there were “influencers” even in those days.

I’m sure Paul took delight in sharing about God to these people who we’re told spent a lot of time talking about spiritual things. Paul didn’t shy away from confrontation when it came to professing the truth and wanted to “reason” and “debate” with these leaders. I’m not sure I’ve ever been that bold. How about you? I think it’s something we should all aspire to as believers. We should want to state our case for being on Team Jesus. Paul spoke out “daily” to any who would listen. Continue reading “Acts 17:16-34 – The Unknown God”

Acts 17:1-15 – Are You Open Minded?

Read Acts 17:1-15

Do you feel a little like you are accompanying Paul on his missionary journey? Does the way Luke writes this account make you feel like you are right there? We also see a little of life in Thessalonica to see what kind of believers there are and what their challenges may be. As you may know, Paul writes two letters to that community of faith as part of our New Testament.

What struck you most about this leg of the men’s journey? Do you want to see a map so that you truly picture the countryside being covered? I like picturing Paul teaching the Bible to folks. Of course, stories about Jesus were not part of the Scriptures Jews were familiar with. In those early days, it was writers like Luke who were also keeping track of Jesus’ life and impact on the world. Our New Testament was living out loud as it was written. Continue reading “Acts 17:1-15 – Are You Open Minded?”

Acts 16:16-40 – God Uses Our Pain

Read Acts 16:16-40

It’s helpful to remember that Philippi was a Roman colony for all that happens to our missionaries in this reading. Did it surprise you that Paul and Silas would have been thrown into prison for preaching the Good News? Roman law would have required that new religions be recognized and approved. The real reason the men were mad at Paul was because of their greed and how Paul’s deliverance had hurt their business. The masters had to think fast, realizing a personal vendetta would not anger the authorities.

The persecution Paul and his companions faced was intense. We shouldn’t rush past what they endured. Spreading the gospel was not always a “walk in the park” for them. Still today, Christians find themselves at odds with non-believers. When I think of what is happening to fellow believers in Nigeria, my heart shatters. Despite all the killing and fears persecution brings, God’s people remain faithful. Have you ever thought about how you would stand up for Jesus if put in a threatening position? Continue reading “Acts 16:16-40 – God Uses Our Pain”

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