I have entered into unfamiliar territory it seems. I’ve not only stayed in the same church for going on 2 years now, but I’ve consistently gone to church every Sunday, and to other gatherings as well, such as home group, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve services.
I’ve been finding that my relationships with other Christians at this church has been deepening, and I’ve been meditating just now on something that has set me free!
Make it your ambition to have no ambition! 1 Thessalonians 4:10
The context of this paraphrase is brotherly love.
In their book,
“How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth” Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart lend us layman a hand in understanding translations and paraphrases. As they suggest, I read daily in one translation, but study in 2-3 others. Wherever they differ, tells you that the translation from the original language “wasn’t simple”
So, a paraphrase is like listening to an expositional sermon. It’s an inspired message from men and women of God.
Paraphrases help me to understand what is being taught. The whole counsel of God” is always to be remembered though, whether we read translations or paraphrases. That means what we “see” in any one part of the Bible must be supported by the rest of scripture.
God agrees with himself. It’s an error to cherry pick verses, and hang on to an idea that cannot be supported throughout scripture.
More on that <here>
This passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 has been with me my whole life it seems.
It’s like a tool in my tool box that pops into mind when I’m in the middle of a project. There’s a certain kind of comfort in once again reaching for that good ole saw, hammer, level, thickness planer…. and learning one more thing it can do!
A friend of mine reached out to me. And it was a simple thing, a video from his son who is in the mission field. In one sense his decision to send it to me was light hearted, but evolved into he and I being mutually encouraged.
In retrospect we saw that he had been sensitive to the Holy Spirit, in reaching out to me!
The test is simple when we desire to do a thing.
- Galatians 5: deeds of the flesh,
- or
- fruit of the Spirit?
The deeds are obvious, and they are scattered. The fruit is whole, and yet “all these things at once” I’ve been thinking it’s the attributes or character traits of Jesus! Love Joy Peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control…
“Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
God called him to reach out to me, because we were both battling the same doubts about whether we have been enough for our kids!
I was called to encourage him, during our back and forth. And I needed to hear the word that I gave to him! We were mutually encouraged!
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12
About listening
- Hebrews 5:11-14
Choosing between right and wrong is when we are infants in our faith. But we move into our gifts and calling by discerning the less obvious things, we learn to trust his voice in our hearts and to know what it sounds like!
That’s how I met their son! I was new in this church, and felt led to encourage him about his up coming trip to Sierra Leone. And by his testimony he confirmed that God used me to “build him up” the fancy word is “to edify” but it was a risk! I used to argue with God… who am I? Why me?
Dorthy… is an example of this.
It might be considered to be an odd verse to reach for here is,
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
Here’s my brain… Christ Jesus is the husband, his wife is the church ! How wonderful is it to say to one’s wife, can you…
<request>
…and for her to say, “yes!”
Without arguing. Without needing to know why! It reminds me of a couple of scenes from one of my favourite movies:
Hunt for Red October Scene 1
Hunt for Red October Scene 2
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:14
When my wife comes to me with a need, or even a want… I delight in making it happen! How wonderful it is to love without reservation!
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29
and
Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
John 13:7
Running Down Vimy 