Devotional Thoughts 8/27/17

Greetings All,

Just some quick thoughts from my OT/NT Bible Reading this morning.  As always, there is more that could be said, but these are just some thoughts about our ministry that came to mind as I read.

Old Testament – Ps. 86:9-11

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name [God’s promise that ‘all nations’ will worship means his people MUST pursue a truly ‘Global Scope’]
10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God. [God and God alone makes the ‘wondrous deeds’ happen]

11Teach me Your way, O Lord; [The cry is to God to provide the instruction, not a teacher and the expectation is clear that God can and will speak directly in a way that can be understood]
I will walk in Your truth; [Once the teaching has taken place, obedience is the right response]
Unite my heart to fear Your name. [a heart united with God, brings voluntary obedience.  As Jesus said, ‘If you love Me, you will keep My commands’ (Jn. 14:15)]

New Testament – 1 Thess. 1:2-9

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, [The DNA implanted in the emerging church of the Thessalonians was work/labor – not spectators who listen and sit]

4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 

5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit [the demonstrated power of God was part of the process – expected and essential]  and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 

6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, [‘repeat the process’ launches the next generation but the core of what is transferred is ‘be like Jesus’] having received the word in much tribulation [persecution is part of the process] with the joy [but water of persecution did not put out the fire of the Holy Spirit] of the Holy Spirit, 

7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. [the imitators became the imitated / the followers become the leaders / the catalyzed become the catalyst]

8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, [impact spreading to surrounding regions] but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, [impact spreading to far away places = the power of natural networks and the foundation of a ‘viral’ process] so that we have no need to say anything. [the idea of ‘Global Voice’ does intend to say something but really at its core, what God is doing speaks for itself]

9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, [natural networking coming full circle – Paul to the Thessalonians – the Thessalonians to Macedonia, Achaia and beyond – those folks back to Paul]

No Reply Necessary (NRN)

Blessings to All,

Harry