October 18, 2012 Bible Study

October 17, 2012 AttilaDimedici

I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44

The Lord told Jeremiah that He was going to make a new covenant with the people. He will write His commands on their hearts. Indeed He has now done so. God then instructs Jeremiah to buy land from his cousin, despite the fact that God had been telling Jeremiah to predict the destruction of Jerusalem. This was God confirming His promises that He would bring the people of Judah back to Jerusalem after a time in exile. By buying the property, Jeremiah demonstrated his belief in the prophecies he was preaching. This gives a measure to hold those who claim to be delivering prophecies from God about the future. Do they take actions that are consistent with what they claim is coming? An example from the recent past. When Harold Camping most recently predicted the date of Jesus’ return, he did not sell his possessions (which he claimed he would shortly have no more use for) and use the money to alleviate the suffering of the impoverished. There are other prophets whose actions are inconsistent with their prophecies, look at most of those declaring that man-caused global warming will bring about a tragedy in the near future. How many of them reduce the amount of CO2 that they are responsible for to the bare minimum? Or closer to home, do we ourselves live our lives according to what we claim to believe? If we say that we believe that God calls us to care for the poor, what are we doing about it?

More from God's Paint-By-Number Collection — More from God’s Paint-By-Number Collection

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Paul here lays out the requirements for an elder in the Church. First an elder must be a man who lives a life that is above reproach. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and be able to teach. He must not be violent or a heavy drinker. He must be gentle and not quarrelsome.. He must not have a love of money. He is to be the husband of one wife whose children respect and obey him. He must not be a new believer and people outside of the Church must speak well of him. Unfortunately, because of the controversy about what it means that Paul says that an elder must be the husband of one wife, we spend not nearly enough time looking at the other qualifications. I have rarely seen any time spent considering whether a potential elder is hospitable. I am not sure I have even seen enough emphasis on the ability to teach. Paul then goes on to lay out the requirements for someone to be appointed as a deacon. They are similar to those of elder, except that they do not include a requirement that they be able to teach and includes what appears to be set of requirements regarding women as deacons (although it could be a reference to deacon’s wives, but my interpretation is supported by other New Testament writings–including some by Paul–which refer to women deacons).

Psalm 88:1-18

Do we continue to cry out to the Lord, even when it seems like He does not answer? Do we call out to the Lord for His help every day? Do we wait for the traps to close around us before we cry to the Lord for help? There is nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord for help when our troubles have overwhelmed us. As a matter of fact we should certainly do so. However, we should not wait until we are the end of our strength to call upon God for help. We should call on Him for His help, even when things seem to be going well with us.

Proverbs 25:20-22

Being cheerful and bubbly to someone who is experiencing sorrow is like pouring vinegar in an open wound. We should do good to those who have done evil to us, that will cause them more discomfort than what they have done to us. But that should not be our goal, our goal in doing good for others is to serve the Lord and receive a reward from Him.

Daily Bible Study

October 17, 2012 Bible Study

October 16, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 30-31:26

Through Jeremiah God promises to restore the people of Israel after they have been thoroughly punished for their sins. He tells them that He will pass judgement against those that have mistreated them. God will turn their mourning into joy. All of this is true and applies to the people of Israel, but there is also a message here for those who love the Lord who are not biological descendants of Abraham. When we sin God will discipline us so that we will turn back to Him and to righteous deeds. When we turn back to Him, He will comfort us and turn our mourning into joy. God will give rest to the weary if they will only lay their burdens on Him rather than insisting on carrying them themselves.

1 Timothy 2:1-15

We are instructed to pray for all people. We should ask God to intercede on their behalf and we should thank God for them. I think that might be a challenge for us sometimes. There are people that we have trouble thanking God for. People that we would rather ask God to remove from our lives. But we are called to thank God even for those people we would rather not have to deal with. We need to remember that those people we find troublesome have been brought into our lives by God for a reason. In particular, we should pray for those in authority and give thanks for them. That can certainly be a trial for many of us. Can we be thankful for those in authority? Even when we think what they are doing is wrong? Nevertheless, we are called to do so. Further we are called to live quiet and peaceful lives, even when those in authority seem to be doing things that are contrary to the will of God. We are to do this because it pleases God.
Paul tells us to pray in our places of worship with hands lifted up. But more importantly, he tells us to pray free from anger or controversy. There is something to the idea of praying with our hands lifted up. I learned sometime back that it is possible to alter how I feel in a particular situation by changing my body language. If I sit with my arms crossed while someone talks to me, not only do I give them the impression that I am unreceptive to what they are saying. I have discovered that I am less receptive to what they are saying. I have also found that when I am feeling down and depressed, if I make the effort to smile, some of that depression will lift. If I smile, I am more likely to feel happy. So, when we lift our hands when we pray, we are more open to God’s Spirit being poured out upon us than when we bow our heads and clasp our hands as if we are expecting to be justifiably reprimanded (although there is a time and place for that posture in prayer as well).

Another Selection from God's Paint-By-Number Collection — Another Selection from God’s Paint-By-Number Collection

Psalm 87:1-7

All of those who choose to follow Christ have become citizens of the City of God, no matter where on earth they live. No longer are we to be citizens of the U.S. or citizens of India or Canada. Hong Kong, or Poland. We are to be citizens of the Kingdom of God. The source of our life springs from the City of God.

Proverbs 25:18-19

Telling lies about others can do as much harm to them as physically attacking them. This harm can come not just from derogatory lies, but also from lies that claim positive attributes for the person that they do not possess. We are also told that relying on an untrustworthy person in times of trouble is like having a bad tooth or a lame foot. I pray that I am never that bad tooth or lame foot for someone.

Daily Bible Study

October 16, 2012 Bible Study

October 15, 2012 AttilaDimedici 3 Comments

Jeremiah 28-29:32

Jeremiah got into confrontations with several self-appointed prophets who claimed that his prophecies of war, disaster and disease were wrong. They proclaimed that instead God was going to break the power of Babylon within a short time and return the Judean exiles to Jerusalem. Jeremiah responded to those prophets by predicting their imminent deaths and revealing their hidden sins. Jeremiah prophesied that rather than prepare for a quick return the exiles should settle in and build a life for themselves and their children. Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would extend for 70 years. As I read this passage I think of our current situation. There are those who predict good things for the future of this country, but unless the hearts of the people change I foresee nothing but war and disaster. We as Christians must call on people to be transformed. The problems that face this nation are not political problems. They are spiritual problems.

Yet another of God's Paint-by-Number works — Yet another of God’s Paint-by-Number works

1 Timothy 1:1-20

Paul tells Timothy that he left him in Ephesus so that Timothy could stop those whose teachings were contrary to the truth. Reading this passage it is hard at first to see what type of teachings he is condemning, but as I read closer I realized that Paul phrased it that way because he wanted to give us a guideline to recognize any future false teaching as well. How can we recognize false teaching and meaningless speculation? Teaching that is from God helps people to live a life of faith in God. It builds up the love in believers’ hearts and leaves them with a clear conscience. It leads them away from sexual and other sins that treat other people as objects. We are all at root sinners and must recognize that our only salvation is through the action of God.

Psalm 86:1-17

Let me join with the psalmist in praying to God. If we give ourselves to God, He will give us happiness. If we call on the Lord in our times of trouble, He will answer us. He alone is God. Let my prayer always be:

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
I will praise God for as long as He gives me breath and when I enter into His presence I will praise Him some more. God is merciful and compassionate. I desire that He gives me the strength to serve Him in all of my life.

Proverbs 25:17

Today’s proverb tells us not to visit our neighbors too often or we will wear out our welcome. This is not a problem for most of us today, since most of us rarely visit our neighbors at all. Nevertheless it is a good point to keep in mind relative to those we do spend time with (although if you are my neighbor, you are welcome to stop by.)

Daily Bible Study

October 15, 2012 Bible Study

October 15, 2012 AttilaDimedici

A Selection from God's Paint By Numbers Set — A Selection from God’s Paint By Numbers Set

Jeremiah 26-27:22

     Early in King Jehoiakim’s reign God sent Jeremiah to preach in front of the Temple. Jeremiah told the people of Judah that if they did not listen to God’s message and turn from their sins, God would destroy the Temple just as He had destroyed Shiloh. When Jeremiah gave this message, a mob that included the priests gathered around him and demanded to know by what right he prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed. Government officials heard the disturbance and rushed over and set up court in the Temple gate. The priests and the official prophets demanded that Jeremiah be put to death as a traitor for making such a prophecy. Jeremiah replied to the charges by saying that he was giving them the message that God had sent him with, but if they would turn from their sins and obey God, God would turn aside His wrath and not destroy Jerusalem. Jeremiah further told them that they could do as they wished to him, but if they killed him they would be killing an innocent man. In this case, some older, wiser men stood up and told the crowd that they should not kill Jeremiah. Instead they should follow the example of the people of King Hezekiah’s reign who listened to a similar prophet and turned from their sins. At around the same time, another prophet had prophesied similarly and King Jehoiakim had had him killed, but on this occasion Jeremiah was spared.
     Later, during the reign of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah prophesied that King Zedekiah and the people of Judah should submit to the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar. He told them that if they continued in their rebellion against King Nebuchadnezzar, King Nebuchadnezzar would come and take them and the remaining treasures in Jerusalem back to Babylon. Those prophets who were telling them that they could stand up against King Nebuchadnezzar were liars who were not speaking the words of God.
     Through all of this I see a message for us today. If we do not turn back to God and pray for the transformation of our hearts and minds into what He wants us to be, God will bring judgement against us today. We, as the Church today, must focus our efforts on spreading God’s Word to those around us, praying that the Spirit will transform their hearts. We should not be concerned with the government, but instead with the hearts of the people.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

We should pray for those who are facing persecution. We should pray both that they be rescued from the hands of wicked and evil people and that the Gospel message be spread rapidly. We should stay away from those believers who do not work as hard as they are able to support themselves. Those unwilling to work will not eat. We should strive to do good and not be a burden on anyone. We should not lead idle lives, meddling in the lives of others. In addition, we should avoid those who lead such lives so that they become ashamed and change their ways and so that we are not tempted to imitate them. We should not see them as enemies, but as family members who need to be warned against bad habits.

Another of God's paint by number selections — Another of God’s paint-by-number selections

Psalm 85:1-13

Let us listen carefully to what God says to us and not return again to our foolish ways. Then He will revive us again and our land will be filled with His glory. If we seek after God’s righteousness and avoid wallowing in our sinful desires, God will pour out His unfailing love upon us with many blessings.

Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.

Proverbs 25:16

When you come upon good things in your life, do not take them in excess or they will cause you harm.

Daily Bible Study

October 14, 2012 Bible Study

October 13, 2012 AttilaDimedici

God's paint by numbers — God’s paint by numbers

Jeremiah 23:21-25:38

Jeremiah continues his condemnation of false prophets who claim to speak in the name of the Lord in order to lead people into sin. He tells us that rather than listening to God, they steal messages from each other. They use false messages and false dreams to get people to forget God. This reminds me of today, many people try to use the name of God to promote their own agenda rather than God’s agenda. We must listen carefully and ask, “What is the Lord’s answer?” We have a reference to judge all such messages against. We must use it.
Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that he has been calling them to turn from their evil and back to serving God for twenty-three years, but they have not listened. Now God is going to bring Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the land and destroy it. The people will be taken into exile for 70 years. After that He will bring judgement on Babylon and return His people to Jerusalem. Then Jeremiah concludes today’s passage by prophesying that God is going to make all of the nations of the earth drink from the cup of His anger. He is going to punish all of them for their sins with war and destruction. While Jeremiah was speaking of a time in his near future, I wonder of this prophecy might not also apply to the world today. It certainly looks like God is about to pour out war upon the earth again in our near future because so few still acknowledge Him. Few of the rulers of nations today even bother to pay lip service to justice and righteousness and for the most part the people like it that way. We need to pray and fast that God’s Spirit will move in the hearts of the people and bring a revival throughout the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Today’s passage begins by telling us not to be easily alarmed by those who claim that the Day of Jesus’ Return has already happened. Paul tells us that that Day will not occur until the “man of lawlessness” has been revealed. That will be a time of great rebellion against God. The man of lawlessness will exalt himself and defy everything that anyone calls holy. He will set himself up as God. He will perform signs and wonders and many will be fooled, but only those who refuse to accept the truth of God’s word. People will be fooled because they want to be fooled. If you look around, you see this all of the time. Someone comes along and claims to have the answer to our problems. They offer a shortcut to solving life’s problems that does not involve doing what is right and working hard. People don’t look closely at what the solution being offered looks like because they want the easy way out. There is only one easy way out of our troubles, that is to trust God and strive to live righteously. We cannot continue to wallow in our sins and work our way out of our troubles.

Psalm 84:1-12

O Lord, let me wish for the same things that the psalmist does in this psalm. Let us desire with our entire being to be servants in God’s house, knowing that such a role is more fulfilling and a source of greater happiness than being master in the house of the wicked. A day before God is better than a thousand anywhere else. Let us sing for praise because we have the honor of serving the Lord.

Proverbs 25:15

Patience and soft speech are often seen as the province of the weak. But this proverb tells us that there is more power in them than we realize. I have seen this. Those who are not easily convinced by urgency and strong words often respond to those who are patient and speak softly.

Daily Bible Study

October 13, 2012 Bible Study

October 12, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 22-23:20

Jeremiah gives a message from God to Judah’s kings. He tells them to stop their evil deeds, to stop murdering the innocent and mistreating foreigners, orphans and widows. Instead they should be fair-minded and just, helping those who have been robbed. God warns them that if they do not do this, He will turn Jerusalem into a ruin. Jeremiah then has a prophecy for each of the kings who succeeded to the throne in a short time before Nebuchadnezzar finally led all of the people into exile. He talks of their greed and mistreatment of the people. He contrasts them with Josiah who preceded them and was a wise and just king. Jeremiah tells them that God will bring judgement on them because they divided and destroyed those they were supposed to unite and protect. But Jeremiah prophecies that God will raise up a descendant of David who will rule with justice and righteousness and will gather His people together and unite them.
Jeremiah then speaks of the false prophets who tell the people what they want to hear, rather than the word of God. Not only do they promise them that they will have peace and prosperity when God is bringing judgement and destruction, but they encourage the people to sin and even join them in their sins. Overall this passage reminds me of the U.S. today. Our political leaders seek after their own power and well-being at the expense of the common man. They divide the people against one another in order to gather and hold power, rather than unite the people to accomplish good in the world. In addition, many prominent religious leaders promote sinful lifestyles and proclaim them to be righteous. They tell the people that God loves them and not to worry about following His commands. I fear for this people and this land if those of us who are Christians do not stand up and declare what God is demanding of those who wish to follow Him. If we are not willing to look like fools to those who choose to ignore righteousness. We need to fast and pray and ask God to send His Spirit onto our friends and neighbors. I need to fast and pray.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Paul praises the Thessalonians because their faith is flourishing and their love for one another is growing. I believe that these things are linked. Our faith will only flourish if our love for one another grows and our love for one another will grow as our faith flourishes. Paul also praises them for their faithfulness and endurance in the face of persecution and hardship. God will provide rest for those of us who are being persecuted when Jesus returns, if not before. Those who refuse to accept the gospel will be punished by eternal separation from God. This is what Hell is. It is eternal separation from God. All of the other torments that are ascribed to Hell grow out of this separation. While Hell is indeed a punishment, what other recourse does God have for those who desire to avoid Him and separate themselves from Him?
In addition Paul prays that God will enable the Thessalonians to live a life worthy of God’s call and that He will give them the power to accomplish the good things that their faith prompts them to do. These are prayers that we should pray for ourselves and for those around us. They are prayers that we can be sure will be granted. Let us not hold back from doing the good things that our faith prompts because we fear that we lack the ability to accomplish them. God will grant us what we need to accomplish that which He calls us to do.

Psalm 83:1-18

Those who plot against the people of God will be brought to ruin. God will bring judgement on those who refuse to live justly and persecute those who follow His commands. In doing so He will bring honor to His name.

Proverbs 25:11-14

Saying the right thing at the right time is of immense value to both the speaker and the listener. Those who listen find wise constructive criticism valuable beyond measure. A messenger who can be relied upon to deliver messages accurately and completely is a great relief to those who send them.

Daily Bible Study

October 12, 2012 Bible Study

October 11, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 19-21:14

Jeremiah prophesied against Jerusalem and Judah saying that God was going to bring judgement on them because they sacrificed innocent children to the idols they worshiped. Jeremiah told them that, as a result of their sins, God was going to smash them like a clay jar. I pray that He does not bring a similar judgement against America for a similar sin. Here in America, people sacrifice innocent children on the altars of the gods they worship: convenience, wealth, security, lust.
The priest Pashhur had Jeremiah arrested, put in stocks and whipped for what he was prophesying. When Jeremiah was released, he immediately prophesied against Pashhur and told him that he would suffer torment and captivity. Shortly after that, King Zedekiah sent Pashhur and another priest to Jeremiah to beg him to ask God to intervene and turn aside Nebuchadnezzar’s armies. Jeremiah told them that not only would God not turn aside Nebuchadnezzar, He would fight on his behalf.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-28

Jesus return is going to come like a thief in the night, with no warning. So, we ought to remain alert and prepared for that day. We should not be like those around us who live in the dark of night. Night is when people sleep and get drunk. We should live as people in the light of the day, awake and aware. We should encourage each other and build each other up.
We should honor our spiritual leaders. We should warn the lazy, encourage the timid, take care of the weak, and above all be patient with everyone. We should not do wrong to those who have done wrong to us. Instead, we should always strive to do what is good for others. We should take joy in everything. We should pray continuously. We should give thanks to God in good times and bad. We should not suppress the impulses of the Holy Spirit. We should not reject the idea of prophecy. Instead we should listen to claims of prophecy and test them against both the Word of God and what is going on around us.

Psalm 82:1-8

This is the standard by which God judges governments. Governments should defend the weak and the fatherless. They should uphold the rights of the poor and oppressed. Governments should rescue the weak and the needy from the hands of the wicked. God will pass judgement on those with government power who fail to maintain these standards. Those who not only fail to keep these standards, but instead support the wicked will be subject to God’s wrath.

Proverbs 25:9-10

Do not betray other’s secrets in order to win an argument. The loss you suffer from betraying that trust will be greater than anything you gain from doing so.

Daily Bible Study

October 11, 2012 Bible Study

October 10, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

Lord, You are my strength, my refuge in times of trouble. Those who trust in You will be like a tree planted by the river. They will bear Your fruit for the whole world to be nourished. Lord, You search our hearts and know our motives.
Jeremiah condemned the people of Jerusalem for doing business on the Sabbath as if it was just another day. They could not dedicate even one day a week to God. Look around us in our society, we do the same. I am as guilty of it as the next person. I need to learn to dedicate one day a week to God. It does not need to be Sunday, but it needs to be an entire day. Guide me and direct me Lord in the paths to that goal. We are jars of clay being shaped by the Potter, if we do not take the shape which He desires, we will be smashed and formed over. Dear Lord, bring Your Spirit upon me so that I allow you to shape me on the potter’s wheel of life.

1 Thessalonians 4-5:3

We are to live in a way that pleases God. This means staying away from sexual sins. We must not allow society around us to catch us up in lustful passions that lead to sexual sins. If we truly love those around us, we will not use them to satisfy our lusts for sexually immoral behavior. There is a place for sexual activity and it is within the bonds of marriage, between two people who have committed to caring and meeting each other’s needs. We should live a quiet life, supporting ourselves through our productive work. This will lead those who are not Christian to respect the way we live.
Paul reminds us yet again that when Jesus returns, those Christians who have died will be resurrected to join Him. Then those of us who remain alive will be caught up to join Him with them. The time of His return will come unexpectedly. We should remain alert so that His return does not catch us unprepared.

Psalm 81:1-16

Let us sing praises to God and keep His decrees. If we keep God’s decrees, He will lift the heavy burdens from our shoulders and provide us with all of our needs. If we ignore His commands and follow our own wishes and wisdom, we will struggle as we worship false gods that cannot help us.

Proverbs 25:6-8

Do not campaign for honors for yourself. Instead wait for others to see your good works and praise you for them. Do not do good works for the honors that others might bestow on you, but for the sake of serving the Lord.

Daily Bible Study

October 10, 2012 Bible Study

October 9, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Hickory Run State Park Path — Hickory Run State Park path

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15

Jeremiah is instructed not to pray for the people of Judah any more. The prophets who are prophesying that they will have peace and prosperity are lying. God did not send them. God will punish those prophets for lying in His name. Further God tells Jeremiah that he will not listen to any intercessor for the people, not even Moses or Samuel. The people have sinned against God and He will not turn aside His wrath. However, God tells Jeremiah that He will protect Him. If we turn to God, He will guard us even in times of trouble. We are to influence the society in which we live, but not be influenced by it. That is certainly easier said than done. God tells Jeremiah that he is not to mourn with the people, because God is bringing a time when there will be such disaster that no one will offer another comfort. He also tells Jeremiah not to take part in their celebrations and parties because the time is soon coming when no one will be celebrating anything nor gathering for a party of any sort. When the people ask why such terrible things are in store for them, Jeremiah is to answer that it is because of the sins of their ancestors who abandoned God and worshiped other gods. But not only that, the current generation was guilty of being even worse. They pursued their own evil desires and refused to listen to the words of God. This is a warning to us today. Are we telling those around us the words that God has for them? Are we calling them to follow God? Or are we preaching false prophecies of peace and prosperity when judgement is coming?
Despite all of these prophecies that Jeremiah had of the coming judgement for the sins of the people of Judah, he also had a prophecy of hope. Jeremiah prophesied that after scattering the people to lands they have never heard of, God will gather them together again. Jeremiah told the people of Judah that their descendants would turn once more to God and God would redeem them.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

We should plead with, encourage and urge our brothers and sisters in the Lord to live their lives in a way that God would consider worthy. The message we have received of the gospel is not mere human ideas. It is the very words of God. If we stand firm in this we will suffer persecution from our own countrymen as they try to keep us from preaching the gospel. We have been warned that troubles will come both to ourselves and to others who preach the gospel. Let us stand firm in our faith and not let temptation separate us from God. Let us pray night and day for our fellow believers and for the salvation of those we meet. May the Lord make our love for each other and for all people grow to the point where it overflows on all around us. Let us keep the faith that Jesus will return.

Psalm 80:1-19

When we face trouble let us turn to God for protection. More than that, let us pray to God that He will turn our souls away from evil and back to Him. May He revive us and strengthen us in His service.

Proverbs 25:1-5

If those who govern wish to be secure, they should get rid of all those who influence them towards evil or injustice. No one can fully comprehend this universe, either to the mighty distance of the stars nor to the miniscule level of atoms.

Daily Bible Study

October 9, 2012 Bible Study

October 8, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Jeremiah 12-14:10

The Lord tells Jeremiah that the wicked appear to be prospering because the people have turned against Him. The apparent prosperity of the wicked is only a temporary thing while the Lord brings His full judgement to bear. The Lord is bringing His judgement against the people of Judah and against all of the wicked nations of the earth. But the time is coming when He will restore the people of Judah to His favor. When that happens(and with the death and resurrection of Christ, it has happened), He will give a place among them to the people of every nation who call upon Him. Jeremiah uses a rotting loincloth to illustrate the relationship between the people of Judah and God. Just as a loincloth is designed to cling to our bodies and be a source of pride (it is well made and decorated), so the people of Judah were designed to cling to God and be a source of pride to Him. Instead they sinned and sought after other gods, as a result they became useless like a rotting loincloth. The same is true of us today. We are to cling to God and allow Him to embroider us to be a source of His pride, but if we turn from Him and wallow in sin, we will be as a rotting loincloth.
We must put aside our pride and seek after the Lord before He punishes us for our sins. We must humble ourselves before Him and call on His Spirit to live within us because we are unable, by our own power, to stop sinning and do good.

1 Thessalonians 1-2:8

Once again, Paul opens a letter by telling the recipients that he prays for them constantly. Could we do the same? Do we pray for our fellow believers regularly? Do we pray often enough that we could use the word “constantly” about anything we pray for? Paul praises the Thessalonians by telling them that wherever he goes, there are people telling him about the faith of the Thessalonians. Once again we need to ask ourselves, do people say the same sort of thing about the congregation we worship with? Do we serve the living and true God with such fervor that people distant from us have heard of it? Are we making it clear to those we meet that we are looking forward to Christ’s return?
We should declare the gospel boldly, even in the face of opposition. We should do so without deceit or trickery. We should seek to please God, not our fellow man.

Psalm 79:1-13

God pours out His anger on His people when they turn from Him. But when they turn back to Him, He will restore them to Himself. When that day comes, He will pour out an even larger dose of His anger on those nations and people who looked at their suffering and used it as an excuse to deny God’s very existence. Let us praise God for the wonders He has performed.

Proverbs 24:30-34

It is easy to think that taking a little more time for myself can do no harm, but such is not always the case. It is all too easy to allow laziness to overcome our better sense and lead us into poverty. I know those who are workaholics, to whom this proverb would never apply, but I am not one of them. This proverb directly addresses my weaknesses. I must strive to always work hard because I, all too easily, can slip into laziness.

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