Daily Digest

6 Brothers and sisters, here is a command we give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep away from every believer who doesn’t want to work. Keep away from anyone who doesn’t live up to the teaching you received from us. 7 You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you. 8 We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn’t cause any expense to any of you. 9 We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow. 10 Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, “Anyone who will not work will not eat.” 11 We hear that some people among you don’t want to work. They aren’t really busy. Instead, they are bothering others. 12 We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat. 13 Brothers and sisters, don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing.

The last verse in this passage really stood out to me – “…never tire in doing what is good”.

There are many reasons why we might be tempted to tire and give up on doing what is good. Sometimes we may wonder what the point is when we don’t seem to see any results. Or we may be tempted to give up because we don’t seem to get the recognition from people that we feel we deserve.

It’s good to remember that we offer our service to God for His glory and not for earthly rewards or praise from man.  We are part of God’s eternal plans and purposes. If we are being obedient to what we believe He has called us to do, then we are laying up eternal treasures that cannot be seen or measured with the human eye.

God help me to keep an eternal perspective when I am tempted to give up on doing what is good. Help me to seek obedience to Your word rather than the praise of man. Thank you for the privilege of partnering with You and serving You with my life.

Written by Shelley Witt

13 Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. The Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning. He wanted you to be saved. Salvation comes through the Holy Spirit’s work. He makes people holy. It also comes through believing the truth. 14 He chose you to be saved by accepting the good news that we preach. And you will share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Brothers and sisters, stand firm. Hold on to what we taught you. We passed our teachings on to you by what we preached and wrote. 16 Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loved us. By his grace God gave us comfort that will last forever. The hope he gave us is good. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father 17 comfort your hearts. May they make you strong in every good thing you do and say.

Paul encourages the Thessalonians to “stand firm and hold on” v 15.  There has been confusion in the church about the second coming of Jesus and the ‘lawless one’ … seems nothing has changed in 2,000 years! … there are still any number of ideas and interpretations about all of that … but Paul’s advise is just as relevant for me/us as it was for them.

I’m to stand firm and hold fast to my salvation, keep my eyes on Jesus and know His word.  It really is that simple.

Thank you Father that the gospel is so simple, you love me, saved me by your grace and have given me eternal comfort and hope.

Written by Suzie Hodgson

5 All of this proves that when God judges, he is fair. So you will be considered worthy to enter God’s kingdom. You are suffering for his kingdom. 6 God is fair. He will pay back trouble to those who give you trouble. 7 He will help you who are troubled. And he will also help us. All of those things will happen when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come in blazing fire. He will come with the angels who are given the power to do what God wants. 8 He will punish those who don’t know God. He will punish those who don’t obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be destroyed forever. They will be shut out of heaven. They will never see the glory of the Lord’s power. 10 All of those things will happen when he comes. On that day his glory will be seen in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. That includes you, because you believed the witness we gave you. 11 Keeping this in mind, we never stop praying for you. Our God has chosen you. We pray that he will consider you worthy of his choice. We pray that by his power he will make every good thing you have planned come true. We pray that he will make perfect all that you have done by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory through what you have done. We also pray that you will receive glory through what he has done. We pray all these things in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Thessalonian church was young, and maturing, and also under attack, infiltrated by false teachers. There are three main themes:

1) God is just.

2) Jesus is coming back to administer God’s justice.

3) We are praying for you.

In the face of persecution we need to be reminded that God is just. Persecution is evidence that we will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom. Rather than growing bitter when persecuted, the Thessalonians were growing in faith, in their love for one another, and in their ability to endure.

One day God will balance the books.

Open your eyes of faith to see beyond the limits of this life to the day when justice will be rendered. Where God’s people being oppressed, imprisoned and tortured, the truth is that God is just, and that God is not idle even when I don’t see Him intervening.

Why pray? Because God uses our prayers, and prayer changes us. God works in and through our hearts and minds, prompting us through the working of his Spirit.

Our prayers are an encouragement to those who are going through trials. We can be a blessing by praying for others. Remind them that God is just and that Jesus is coming back to make things right. If we do these things, we will have one of the most important ministries we can ever have: the ministry of encouragement.

Thank you Lord that even though I was once your enemy, I received Your forgiveness. When I feel upset by evil around me, I pray that You would intervene, give relief to the persecuted, and change the hearts of the persecutors.

Written by Cathy Croft

23 God is the God who gives peace. May he make you holy through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept free from blame. May you be without blame from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 24 The One who has chosen you is faithful. He will do all these things. 25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the believers with a holy kiss. 27 While the Lord is watching, here is what I command you. Have this letter read to all the believers. 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul wraps up his letter to the church with expectation!  Expectation that they will continue growing in holiness and expectation that Jesus with return (soon).  And underpinning it all is God’s faithfulness and action in both of these.

How wonderful to know that it is God’s action in me to make me more like Jesus (holy) as my walk with Him goes on and in the whole of me, spirit, soul and body – not just one part.  I’m so glad that I’m not left to my own devises for this to happen it’s His faithfulness to me that it is happening.  Because I can actually see this for myself – I know that Jesus will return – it’s not a maybe but certainty – 2 certain things, God’s action in me and Jesus’s return – they go hand in hand. Wow, what complete peace that brings, no wonder Paul begins this with the “God of peace”.

Thank you Father for your unending faithfulness to us – to me.  Thank you that you’re so continually working in me, even without me realising it that all striving can just melt away to peace … and because of this evidence, I know Jesus will return.

Written by Suzie Hodgson

5 Brothers and sisters, we don’t have to write to you about times and dates. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 People will be saying that everything is peaceful and safe. Then suddenly they will be destroyed. It will happen like birth pains coming on a pregnant woman. None of the people will escape. 4 Brothers and sisters, you are not in darkness. So that day should not surprise you as a thief would. 5 All of you are children of the light. You are children of the day. We don’t belong to the night. We don’t belong to the darkness. 6 So let us not be like the others. They are asleep. Instead, let us be wide awake and in full control of ourselves. 7 Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But we belong to the day. So let us control ourselves. Let us put the armor of faith and love on our chest. Let us put on the hope of salvation like a helmet. 9 God didn’t choose us to receive his anger. He chose us to receive salvation because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. 10 Jesus died for us. Some will be alive when he comes. Others will be dead. Either way, we will live together with him. 11 So cheer each other up with the hope you have. Build each other up. In fact, that’s what you are doing.

Nobody likes the thought of a thief in the night. Although we don’t really expect it to happen to us, we consider that it could happen one day. So, we check that doors are locked before we go to sleep to protect ourselves and loved ones.

Jesus’ return will be like that. Unexpected. And threatening for some.

Like labour pains, Jesus’ return does not have an appointment set on our calendars, but his return is certain to happen.

For us, brothers and sisters, his return might come as a surprise, but we need not fear, as God has promised us eternal life with him. It is and was His intent to protect us from destruction. A life in light should give us a different perspective on Jesus return. Yet, there is tension between hope for ourselves and concern for people we love who don’t know the same hope. We can’t personally protect them, but we do know who can. It’s interesting that the promise of living together with Him is available for everyone, “whether awake or asleep” (v10). How do we live and awaken people to saving hope and faith?

This passage encourages and inspires us to live awake and alert. We should be marked by our encouragement and building up of each other. The way we live should demonstrate 3 key things – faith, love and hope:
faith and love worn right across our chests for all to see.
Hope, hope of salvation, on our head, and prominent in our thinking.

Written by Lyndall Gourlay

9 We don’t need to write to you about love among believers. God himself has taught you to love each other. 10 In fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters all around Macedonia. But we are asking you to love each other more and more. 11 Do everything you can to live a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands, just as we told you to. 12 Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won’t have to depend on anyone.

I was challenged by Paul’s message. Do I do my best to “love each other as Jesus loved me”? Can I do more and more? Each year, after the dumpling- fundraising has finished, I am tired and exhausted. Sometimes, I ask myself “whether we should do it again next year?”

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John15:12).

“Love each other” is not an idea or knowledge or request, but the command of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Paul is not tried of reminding the Thessalonian church to love each other but to challenge/urge them to do so more and more.

Paul also asked the church people to lead a quiet life, to mind their own business and to work with their hands. As young Christians growing spiritually, living life in this way earns the respect of non Christians and would make the sharing of their faith in Jesus with others more effective.

Thank you Jesus, your word/love always inspires me: “Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees”, because “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Amen

Written by Allen Leu

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus open up a way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love grow. May it be like a rising flood. May your love for one another increase. May it also increase for everyone else. May it be just like our love for you. 13 May the Lord give you strength in your hearts. Then you will be holy and without blame in the sight of our God and Father. May that be true when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Paul is thrilled that this group of believers has continued on in the Christian faith.  He is very encouraged by this fact and wants to be with them.  The Thessalonians were inspiring!

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians is that they continue to grow in love for one another and for those around them.  Basically Paul wants love to spill out into everything they do.  If they can continue in faith and love they will be in the position the Lord wants when Jesus returns again.  ie strong and blameless before Christ.

­It’s a reminder to me of the importance of love in all we do.  Here were a group of believers who, for the most part, were getting the Christian life right and Paul encourages them to love all and sundry.  Loving those around us isn’t always easy and at times seems beyond us, none the less that’s what Paul was teaching the Thessalonians.  We too, are called to love in this same way.  Sure gives us something to aim for!

Dear God, please fill me with your love so that I can love those around me like Jesus did.  Please help me to forgive when I need to and give me the strength to keep on loving even when I’m not loved or even liked return.  Amen

Written by Ainslie Woods

3 We couldn’t wait any longer. So we thought it was best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent our brother Timothy to give you strength and hope in your faith. He works together with God in spreading the good news about Christ. 3 We sent him so that no one would be upset by times of testing. You know very well that we have to go through them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that our enemies would make us suffer. As you know very well, it has turned out that way. 5 That’s the reason I sent someone to find out about your faith. I couldn’t wait any longer. I was afraid that Satan might have tempted you in some way. Then our efforts would have been useless.

The Thessalonians are not to be disheartened by the trials or persecutions that are being faced by Paul and his companions. Paul knew they were coming and he had warned the church in Thessalonica in advance. Paul knew that just as his master Jesus had been persecuted so all his friends and followers will be persecuted. Ultimately Paul knows that persecution will not last forever.

Persecution and trials are not a sign for me to get discouraged. They are yet another way I am connected to my saviour Jesus. They can be an affirmation to me that by the grace of God, Jesus is living on the inside of me. Darkness is reacting against the light in me.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5 

Lord Jesus, I want to be identified with you in every way, even if it means persecution and rejection by some. I know there will come a time when your light will vanquish all darkness. Thank you for making me a child of the light.

Written by Andrew Mellor

13 We never stop thanking God for the way you received his word. You heard it from us. But you didn’t accept it as a human word. You accepted it for what it really is. It is God’s word. It is at work in you who believe. 14 Brothers and sisters, you became like the members of God’s churches in Judea. They are believers in Christ Jesus, just as you are. People in your own country made you suffer. You went through the same things the church members in Judea suffered from the Jews. 15 The Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets also forced us to leave. They do not please God. They are enemies of everyone. 16 They try to keep us from speaking to those who aren’t Jews. The Jews don’t want them to be saved. In that way, the Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God’s anger has come on them at last.

This passage reminds us of the suffering and persecution that the early believers had to face as followers of Christ. Like Paul, we too can thank God that these believers persevered and formed the church which we now benefit from. What a difference their lives made for the future of the world through the establishment of the church.

We may never know the difference that our lives will make to those who come after us. As we follow God’s word we are paving the way for future generations of believers!

It’s good to step back from day to day life and take a look at the big picture of God’s plan and how we all play a part of it. It helps us not to lose heart and give up. We are part of something great that God is doing through His church!

Thank you, God for the many believers who have gone before us – some paying the ultimate cost with their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Thanks that we have the privilege of partnering with You to bring Your word to the whole world.

Written by Shelley Witt

2 Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know what happened earlier in the city of Philippi. We suffered, and people treated us badly there. But God gave us the boldness to tell you his good news. We preached to you even though people opposed us strongly. 3 The appeal we make is based on truth. It comes from a pure heart. We are not trying to trick you. 4 In fact, it is just the opposite. God has accepted us to preach. He has trusted us with the good news. We aren’t trying to please people. We want to please God. He puts our hearts to the test. 5 As you know, we never praised you if we didn’t mean it. We didn’t put on a mask to cover up any sinful longing. God is our witness that this is true. 6 We were not expecting people to praise us. We were not looking for praise from you or anyone else. As Christ’s apostles, we could have caused you some expense. 7 But we were gentle among you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were happy to share with you God’s good news. We were also happy to share our lives with you. You had become very special to us.

Paul appeals to the Thessalonians making plain that the manner of his appeal and preaching is not manipulative nor from a motive other than true love for them and for God.

Sometimes we baulk, sometimes we duck, sometimes we weave yet we should without fear tell the Gospel and from a clear motive and pure heart!

Pleasing people is one of the biggest traps we can get ourselves into.  Time and again I have fallen into this trap – its mouth is wide and it seems almost bottomless!!

Paul makes plain we need to avoid this trap of the enemy.

Are you falling into the trap of people pleasing?  Or are you truly loving people?  You’ll know by whether you are free to tell the truth to them or not.

Father help us to keep our motives pure!

Written by Ps. Richard Botta

11 Look at the big letters I’m using as I write to you with my own hand! 12 Some people want others to think well of them. They are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do it for only one reason. They don’t want to suffer by being connected with the cross of Christ. 13 Even those who are circumcised don’t obey the law. But they want you to be circumcised. Then they can brag about what has been done to your body. 14 I never want to brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through that cross the ways of the world have been crucified as far as I am concerned. And I have been crucified as far as the ways of the world are concerned. 15 Circumcision and uncircumcision don’t mean anything. What really counts is the creation of a new nature. 16 May peace and mercy be given to all who follow this rule. May peace and mercy be given to the Israel that belongs to God. 17 Finally, let no one cause trouble for me. My body has marks that show I belong to Jesus. 18 Brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

It seems that one reason the Judaisers were compelling the Galatians to be circumcised was to impress others, so that they (the Judaisers) wouldn’t be persecuted. In Australia today we rarely suffer physical persecution. Yet we are persecuted emotionally by being laughed at or criticised for similar petty reasons.

Just as the Galatians were admonished by Paul to not give in to circumcision, we should not give in to following the world just to avoid persecution. For example, giving into peer pressure and allowing our kids to watch the MA rated movie when they’re only 12, or downloading a movie, speeding or avoiding tax to stop others ridiculing us. This is avoiding standing up for what we believe in order to avoid persecution.

The other reason the Galatians were being compelled was so that the Judaisers could boast that they had made these men comply with the law. Paul points out that we should only boast in Christ – in what he has done, not what we have done.

What counts is not what others think of us. What counts is that we are a new creation. Let us stand tall in this fact and be righteous and honour God and be prepared to suffer if that is the result.

Written by Megan Cornell

6 Brothers and sisters, what if someone is caught in a sin? Then you who are guided by the Spirit should correct that person. Do it in a gentle way. But be careful. You could be tempted too. 2 Carry each other’s heavy loads. If you do, you will give the law of Christ its full meaning. 3 If you think you are somebody when you are nobody, you are fooling yourselves. 4 Each of you should put your own actions to the test. Then you can take pride in yourself. You won’t be comparing yourself to somebody else. 5 Each of you should carry your own load.

At the end of chapter 5 Paul has just described in detail the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. At the beginning of chapter 6 Paul reminds me that I am to look at myself to see if that fruit indeed exists in my own life. Like a chemist, I am to study the material carefully to assess its composition. Although it is easier for me to compare myself to others I must look for the fruit described in chapter 5 – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Seeing these fruit in my life allows my heart to be confident that I indeed belong to Jesus.

My God, if I see fruit missing and sin in their place, restore me gently. May my family in Christ direct me again in the way of truth and show me your boundless grace. Your grace is the Rock on which I find refuge from the raging waters of sin. Your Grace is the platform from which I am restored. God allow me to restore others with that same grace and love. Amen

Written by Andrew Mellor

16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do. 17 The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That’s what makes you do what you don’t want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law. 19 What the sinful nature does is clear. It enjoys sexual sins, impure acts and wild living. 20 It worships statues of gods. It also worships evil powers. It is full of hatred and fighting. It is full of jealousy and fits of anger. It is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups. 21 It wants what others have. It gets drunk and takes part in wild parties. It does many things of that kind. I warn you now as I did before. People who live like that will not receive God’s kingdom.

v17  “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

Tension – I live in the tension between my former sinful nature and my new spirit-directed nature. My old sinful nature is the opposite of my new spirit-led nature. My sinful nature seems to be my default nature – the easy option – the one that looks after me first. But the tension builds when I am directed by the Holy Spirit to live out of my new Spirit-led nature.

I am NOT trapped – I have a choice. While there is clearly tension between my old nature and my new nature – I am free to be led by you – Holy Spirit. Your grace – Your enabling power – works with me when I choose to follow your directions. When I sense the tension in me – I need to stop and listen. You will direct me to live free from my sinful nature.

Forgive me for the multitude of times that I don’t stop and listen. You are so patient in your guidance, ever ready to lead me. Thank you. Help me be more sensitive today to what you are saying to me and ready to obey you.

Written by Ps. Linda Quinn

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 The One who chooses you does not keep you from obeying the truth. 9 You should know that “just a little yeast works its way through the whole batch of dough.” 10 The Lord makes me certain that you will not think in any other way. The one who has gotten you all mixed up will pay the price. It doesn’t matter who that may be. 11 Brothers and sisters, I am not still preaching that people must be circumcised. If I were, why am I still being opposed? If that were what I preach, then the cross wouldn’t upset anyone. 12 So then, what about troublemakers who try to get others to be circumcised? I wish they would go the whole way! I wish they would cut off everything that marks them as men!

Paul doesn’t know who it is that has come into the church and is teaching circumcision + Jesus but he knows that their teaching is effecting the whole church, “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough” .. Paul uses a perfect word picture that all in the Galatian church will understand – as every home would make bread every day.

Paul is annoyed with the Galatian Christians because they are listening and acting on the false teaching but being annoyed doesn’t even begin to describe what Paul thought these ‘circumcisers’ needed to do with their knives!! But he is also confident that the Galatians will come to their senses and realise that circumcision is a thing of the past.

I know that I don’t observe any of the OT Law, but is there anything that I do that I add to the death of Jesus on the cross, so that I feel ‘right’ or accepted or clean or … whatever … before God??  Have I ever listened to teaching that says that I have to do or be a certain way to be a ‘real’ Christian?  Observing one little thing means that Jesus is not enough.

Father, please help me to recognise if I ever add anything, other than my faith in Jesus, for my salvation and forgiveness to be acceptable before you. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson