All posts by AttilaDimedici

October 16, 2013 Bible Study — Teach Me Your Ways, O Lord

October 15, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Jeremiah 28-29:32

Another prophet contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecies. Jeremiah responded by saying that he hoped the prophet was correct, but the prophets who had preceded the two of them had consistently prophesied war and disaster. As a result, a prophet who prophesied peace can only be accepted as a prophet of the Lord when his prophecies come true. Jeremiah then prophesied that the other prophet would die within the year and the prophet died in the seventh month of that same year (the other prophet had contradicted Jeremiah in the fifth month).
Jeremiah then wrote a letter to those who had been taken into exile in Babylon. He tells them to accept their lives in exile, to plant gardens, to marry and have children, and to find spouses for their children. They are to pray for the prosperity of the land in which they find themselves because its prosperity would be their prosperity. Further Jeremiah told them not to believe those who claimed to be prophets who said that they would return to Judah soon.

…
Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon has bearing on us today. The recipients of Jeremiah’s letter were not citizens of the land in which they lived. They were citizens of Judah, from which they were exiled. In much the same way, Christians today are citizens of a land far from where they live, we are citizens of heaven. But just as Jeremiah told the exiles in Babylon that they should pray for the land in which they found themselves we are to pray for the land in which we find ourselves. This is not our home, but the prosperity of our neighbors is our prosperity. God wishes for us to seek the well-being of those among whom we find ourselves. Let us seek their well-being and petition God to meet their needs and soothe their hurts.

1 Timothy 1:1-20

Once more Paul talks about the law and not getting caught up in parsing every jot and tittle of the law. As I was reading it I realized he was making a point that I have known, but never thought of in this context. Paul tells us that the law was not intended for the righteous, rather it was meant for those who will not follow it. This applies not just to our Christian faith, but to all of life. Those who are truly striving to please God do not need the law, or rules, to tell them how to behave. They are seeking to act in the best interests of those around them. Laws and rules are written for those who are trying to find loopholes through which they can advance their own desires at the expense of others. Their standard fallback when confronted over their wrongdoing is, “Well, the rules/law doesn’t say I can’t do that.” Here, and elsewhere, Paul points out that the shortcoming of following the law is that those who want to do wrong will always find a loophole that allows them to behave in a wicked manner. And those who wish to serve God do not need rules to do the right thing.

…
I take part in a competitive activity that has some rules and every few years they add new ones. However, for the most part the activity is governed by people who are designated by the governing body to interpret the rules. One gets to the point of being considered someone who can take that role by demonstrating that they understand the most basic rule of the organization, “Is that behavior safe?” There is very little need to make drastic changes to the rules because everyone understands that it is about what is safe. There are very few things which the rules explicitly forbid, for the most part the rules list things that might appear dangerous, but which have been determined to be safe. This all works because those involved understand this is not about what can I get away with. Rather it is about having fun without anyone getting hurt.

Psalm 86:1-17

This psalm fits right into the thread of what I have been experiencing for the last little while. I need to pray more. Here the psalmist sets the stage by entering the right state of mind:

Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.

I need to approach God with humility. I come to Him in prayer because I need His help. I am unable to face life without Him. But there is more to my prayers than requesting God’s aid. I come to God in prayer to hear what He has to say to me.

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 and give glory to His name for as long as He makes me able. God has rescued me from great tragedy.

Proverbs 25:17

Do not over indulge in the hospitality of others. Carefully pay attention to when you may be overstaying your welcome.

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October 15, 2013 Bible Study — Pray For Us

October 14, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 26-27:22

In today’s passage, God did not send Jeremiah to the secular leaders, or to the general populace. He sent him to the religious leaders and those who viewed themselves as righteous. The message which God gave these people who considered themselves righteous was that if they did not listen to God and obey the word which He had given them, they would be destroyed.

…
There is still time. If those who claim to be servants of God turn from their evil ways and listen to what God is calling us to, He will change His mind about the disaster He is about to pour out upon the world. We have forgotten what we have been called to do and have gotten involved in trying to rule our fellow man. Let us pray for the Spirit to come down upon the people of this land and change their hearts. Let us pray that the Spirit come down upon us and change our hearts. It is up to me to be faithful. I am not called to make others be faithful. I can only call on them to change insomuch as I am willing to do so as well.
Oh Lord, rain down your Spirit upon me and show me Your will. Take control of my life and use me to bring honor to Your name!

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Over the last few weeks, I have been convicted to work on improving my prayer life by Paul’s comments to different audiences that he was praying for them continually. Today, I received that conviction from Paul’s request that the believers of Thessalonica pray for him. He asked them to pray that God’s word would spread rapidly and be honored. He asked that he, and others preaching the Gospel, be delivered from wicked and evil people. These are things which I am called to pray for. I will continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance in being more faithful in my prayer life.
Paul gives an important command at this point,

Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.

He instructs us that we should avoid being idle. We should strive to follow his example and work to provide for our needs. In addition, we should work so that we have more than enough to meet our needs so that we can provide assistance to those who are unable to meet their needs. However, none of us should be idle, relying on others to provide our needs. Such idleness leads people to meddle in other people’s affairs and become busybodies. Rather than do meddle in other people’s affairs we should work continually at doing good.
Paul concludes his letter with a prayer that is also a promise. He prays that God give us His peace at all times and in every situation. If we are willing to accept it from God, He will give us that peace.

Psalm 85:1-13

This is a wonderful psalm which reminded me of a great hymn, the final verse of which goes:

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

I will make this psalm my prayer for today. I will ask God to restore the people of this, and every, nation to Him once more, to revive faith in Him, so that people can rejoice in Him. I am under no illusions that the majority of the people of the U.S. were ever Christians, but at one time, the Christians were salt in this country, influencing it in a godly direction. Today, the salt has lost its flavor and I pray that God will restore us so that we can once more have a positive influence on those around us.

Proverbs 25:16

This proverb warns that too much of a good thing is bad. There is nothing wrong with doing things which bring pleasure, such as eating honey, but too much will cause problems.

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October 14, 2013 Bible Study — Who Is the Man of Lawlessness?

October 13, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 23:21-25:38

Jeremiah continues his condemnation of false prophets. Jeremiah tells us how we can be true prophets of God and how we can recognize true from false prophets. If we want to be true prophets of God, we must stand before God and listen to what He has to say. We do not become prophets of God by stealing messages from others, even if we believe that they were speaking God’s word. This does not mean that we cannot repeat what we believe are messages from God that we have heard others say. However, if we do so, we must make sure to acknowledge where we heard it and not take claim that it is a message which God revealed directly to us.
This brings us to recognizing those who have a true message from God. Does the message turn people from their evil ways and deeds? Prophecies from God lead people away from sin and burn our consciences like fire for our sinful behavior. False prophecies encourage people in their sin and lead them away from God, soothing their consciences of their bad behavior. We should seek the Lord’s answer for our questions, but we should avoid claiming divine inspiration for our own ideas.

…

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Paul tells us not to be alarmed by those who claim that the day of Christ’s return has already come. We need to remember that the day of the Lord will not come until after the “man of lawlessness” is fully revealed. This man will oppose everything that is called God and that is worshiped. He will proclaim himself to be God. When he appears on the scene he will use displays of power in signs and wonder that will serve the lie he is telling. Those who refuse to love and accept the truth will be fooled and led to destruction. People refuse to accept the truth because they take pleasure in being wicked.

…
As I read this I wondered if the “man of lawlessness” which Paul is speaking of is a single individual or if perhaps the “man of lawlessness” represents a mindset of many people. The most obvious reading of this passage is that the “man of lawlessness” is a leader similar to Hitler, or Stalin, or some of the other evil leaders of the past (and future). I would say that as Christians we need to be aware of the rise of such evil leaders and not allow them to lead us away from God’s truth. However, there is also a more subtle strain of evil and lawlessness which permeates our society. It is one where each individual is encouraged to think that he is god and not answerable to anyone. My belief is that the latter represents what Paul is talking about when he says that the secret power of lawlessness is already at work and that at some point a leader will arise who will make all of the evil leaders of the past look like pikers.

Psalm 84:1-12

The psalmist expresses his desire to live in the presence of God. There is great joy for those whose strength comes from God. There is a verse that sums up this psalm and my thoughts:

A single day in your courts
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

If I remember this and keep it in the forefront of my thoughts, it will help me to live my life according to God’s plan for me. It helps that my greatest happiness occurs when I live according to this as well.

Proverbs 25:15

Patience and soft speech can be more powerful than they seem. I need to remember that as a Christian I am called to approach things with gentle persistence.

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October 13, 2013 Bible Study — We Constantly Pray For You

October 12, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 22-23:20

     There are four elements to today’s passage. First, Jeremiah tells the king of Judah that if he does what is right and obeys God, he will rule long and well and his descendants will sit on the throne. If those who run a nation judge righteously and defend the weak and the poor, the nation will be blessed and strong. On the other hand, if those who rule do not heed such warnings, their “thrones” will be torn down and destroyed.
     In the second element, Jeremiah condemns each of the three successors to Josiah for their failure to be righteous as Josiah was. He condemns them for their greed, selfishness, and injustice. He tells them each in turn the fate that awaits them because of their sinfulness.
     In the third section, Jeremiah wrote that God has promised that He will raise up one who will provide a wise and just king for His people. He will appoint wise and responsible shepherds for His flock, shepherds who will bring His people back from the destruction and scattering these unjust leaders have lead them into. This passage is one that gives me hope when I see our leaders leading us towards what appears to be disaster. I have confidence that God will send leaders to shepherd us to safety, if we are willing to follow them.
     The final piece of today’s passage is Jeremiah’s condemnation of false prophets, those who speak lies in the name of righteousness and justice. There are too many people who put on a front of righteousness as a cover for their own evil behavior. They proclaim that all will be well, when disaster is barreling down upon us. They make such proclamations so that they can take advantage of people and satisfy their own evil desires. Let us not fall into the trap of listening to those who claim to speak for God, but only tell us what we want to hear. We will face hard times, but if we listen to God, He will show us the way.

…

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

When we face persecution, hardships, and trials we need to follow the example of the Thessalonians. Paul wrote that in the face of such things they grew in their faith and in their love for one another. Paul reminded them, and us, that God will pay back with trouble those who trouble us because of our faith in Him. When Jesus returns God will provide rest for those who have faithfully served Him. On the other hand, those who have persecuted God’s people and refused to listen to God’s word will be excluded from God’s presence.
Once more Paul wrote about praying constantly for his fellow believers (in this case the believers in Thessalonica). I am being challenged by this every day to increase the time I spend in prayer. And what does Paul pray for them? He prays that God will give them the strength to accomplish the good things which their faith prompts them to do. He assures them that these things they are prompted to do are possible and that Jesus will be honored by their attempts, even when things do not turn out as we planned. If we rely on the Holy Spirit in our attempts to do good things, God’s will will be accomplished and we will be honored along with Christ by our actions.

Psalm 83:1-18

The psalmist calls on God to take action against those who have conspired against His people, those who serve Him. God has done so in the past and will do so again in the future. Those who conspire against God’s people will find their plans come to naught.

Proverbs 25:11-14

The NIV translation of today’s proverbs give a completely different take on them from the NLT. In the NIV the first two are about the importance of judges and rulers making right decisions and giving wise advice (and of listening when such decisions are made and advice is given). The unspoken corollary to these is the danger and destructiveness of bad rulings and advice (and failing to heed wise advice).
The final one is also very different in the NIV. The NLT is a condemnation of promising a gift and then failing to follow through. The NIV is more a condemnation of bragging about giving a gift that was never given. The former is bad, but people understand that sometimes circumstances change beyond your control and something you intended to do becomes impossible. However, there is no excuse for claiming to have done something which one has never done.

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October 12, 2013 Bible Study — Be Thankful In All Circumstances

October 11, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 19-21:14

     Jeremiah tells the leaders of Jerusalem that they have sinned so much that the time of God’s judgment is at hand. God is going to smash Jerusalem such that no human agency will be able to restore it. When he finishes that prophecy Jeremiah expresses the desire that he be able to keep his mouth shut. However, he writes that he has no choice, the Spirit of God overwhelms him and he has no choice but speak the words which God gives him.
     After Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, the authorities had him whipped and imprisoned. Yet when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah they came to Jeremiah and asked him to beg God to save them as He had done in the past when the Assyrians attacked. Jeremiah replied to them that God would not defend them, that instead God would act to strengthen their enemies. Jeremiah tells them that they have a choice, surrender to the Babylonians and live, or stay in the city, fight the Babylonians, and die.
     Yet even at this point, Jeremiah appears to say that God offers the rulers of Jerusalem a chance to regain His favor. Jeremiah tells them that unless they give justice each morning, help those who have been robbed, and rescue the oppressed, God’s anger will burn against them. This suggests that if they were to do those things, God would have mercy on them and save them from their troubles. As bad as things are, if only the people will turn to God, He will forgive them and bring them under His wings.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-28

While Christ’s return will come unexpectedly, if we are living in the light we will not be surprised by it. Let us be clear headed and on guard. Christ died for us so that we can live with Him forever. This provides us with the basis to encourage and build up our fellow believers. Paul then gives a list of things we should do, both to encourage and build up others and for our own well-being:

Honor our leaders
Warn those who are laxy
Encourage the timid
Take care of the weak
Be patient with everyone
Do not pay back evil for evil
Always try to do good to all people
Always be joyful
Pray continually (there’s that stuff about prayer before, I was wondering if I was going to get another reminder today)
Be thankful in all circumstances (not just the good times, but all the time)

Then Paul gets to a few things that I think all fit together in a way.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit
Do not scoff at prophecies
But test everything that is said (so, we should not scoff at those who think they have been given a prophecy, but we should examine what they say with care)
Hold on to what is good
Stay away from(reject) what is evil

These last two are not limited to how we deal with prophecies, but I think Paul was giving those instructions as to how we are to deal with prophecies.

***
I am going to give an example here from my personal life. A fellow believer approached me the other day and told me that God had given him a word for me. I encouraged him to tell me what he felt God had told him for me. When he was finished telling me what he felt he was to tell me, I had no idea how it applied to my life. What he said contained some good advice, however I was not experiencing the type of situation which that advice would apply to. When he was finished speaking, I thanked him sincerely. I never mentioned that I did not see how what he said applied to me. I made a mental note of what he said, in case it represented something that had yet to happen. I did not, and will not, reject it because there was no evil in it. I have made a mental note of what he said, so that if it proves to be related to something that has not yet happened I can ask him further.
Based on what others have said and my interactions with him, I believe that the Spirit does at times talk through this man. In this case I do not know if in his eagerness to hear what the Spirit had to say he heard his own thoughts as those of the Spirit, or if, just as likely, he misinterpreted what the Spirit was telling him in light of his previous experiences (that misinterpretation could be a product of not knowing me well). If the latter, in time, the Spirit will make His meaning clear. If the former, I will encourage him to continue coming to me because he is sincere and perhaps the Spirit will help me aid him in coming to a clearer understanding of how to know when the Spirit is speaking to him (and the next time it may be a message from the Spirit. If, indeed, this was not a message from the Spirit, something I am not yet ready to say).

Psalm 82:1-8

The psalmist tells us that God calls upon those who govern to stop handing down unjust decisions which favor the wicked. God instructs them to recognize their mortality, even though they are sons of the Most High, and give justice to the weak and fatherless. If they want God’s favor they must rescue the poor and helpless from the power of the wicked. God will pass judgment on all those who rule nations for their failure to be just judges.

Proverbs 25:9-10

The proverb writer warns against using secrets learned in confidence to win an argument. You may still lose the argument and your reputation along with it.

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October 11, 2013 Bible Study — Like a Tree Planted By the Water

October 10, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

I cam across a website today as I worked on this devotional that touched me. While I think they could have made the video even better, it is a powerful video which captures, at least in part, the Christian message. I like the way they sum up who they are and what they are about: “It really is as simple as it appears. We are a small group of people humbled by the love of Jesus. We are not a church. We are not selling anything. We encourage you to tell as many people as possible. That’s it.” I, too, have been humbled by the love of Jesus.
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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

This passage contains both a continuation of Jeremiah’s prophecy of doom and a prophecy of hope. The passage goes back and forth between the two. First God says through Jeremiah that the people of Judah cannot hope to hide from Him, He is sending judgment against them and it will find them. Then Jeremiah says that God is his refuge in a day of trouble. He then returns to talking about the coming doom. It is inscribed with an iron chisel. God’s anger burns like a fire that will burn forever.
Jeremiah tells us that those who put their trust in humans are cursed. They are like shrubs in a salty desert. But blessed are those who put their trust in God. They are like a tree planted by the water. They will not fear when drought comes because their water supply is assured. In the middle of this passage is this phrase:

O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;
if you save me, I will be truly saved.
My praises are for you alone!

Yes, that is my saying for today. Heal me Lord because then I will be truly healed.
The prophet calls on the people of Jerusalem to keep the Sabbath. I do not know exactly what to make of this passage, but I am convicted by it. I chose last year when I read this passage to strive to make Sunday a day that I dedicate to God. I have striven, with mixed success, to avoid doing business on Sundays. As I read this passage today, I feel called to step it up another step. I feel called to dedicate one day a week, Sunday, to worship and fellowship with God.
There is an analogy in this passage that sums up the dichotomy between doom and hope in Jeremiah’s prophecy. Jeremiah compares us to clay being formed by a potter. If the jar a potter is making does not come out as he intended, he will crush the clay and start over. In the same way, if God intended us for greatness and we refuse His commands, He will send us to destruction. But on the other hand, if God intended to send us to destruction and we turn to Him and honor His commands, He will send us to greatness. If we renounce our evil ways, God will bless us and rescue us from destruction.

***

Another shot as the leaves begin to change

1 Thessalonians 4-5:3

Paul wrote that we are to live lives pleasing to God. This means staying away from sexual sins. By staying away from sexual sin, we will learn to control our own bodies, which will allow us to live with holiness and honor. Holiness and honor are in opposition to the lustful passion which our society says is the human condition. Our society does not recognize how our lustful passions cause us to take advantage of one another in order to please ourselves at others expense. Paul instructs us to avoid doing this. Despite what our society proclaims, any time we indulge our sexual appetites outside of marriage (and perhaps sometimes even within marriage) we are treating those we are involved with as objects rather than as children of God.
A second point which Paul touches on is how we face death. We do not need to grieve when our fellow believers die, because we have God’s promise that they will be raised again when Jesus returns. The day of Christ’s return will begin with a commanding shout. At that moment those who have died in Christ will rise to meet Him. Then those who remain alive will be caught up with them to meet Christ in the air. What a glorious day that will be. We do not know when it will happen. It will come about suddenly when no one is expecting it, so we should always be prepared for that day. There are two important points here. The first is that we need to consider every action as if we will need to make an accounting before God of that act before we have completed it. The second, and just as important, is that death is not something to be feared. Death is the end of our trials and tribulations on this earth and the beginning of our time spending every moment in the presence of God.

Psalm 81:1-16

Sing praises to God, loudly so that everyone knows what you believe. In return for this God says that He will bear our burdens. If we turn to God, do as He asks, and praise His name He will provide for all of our needs. There is joy in praising God and recognizing before the world the things which He has done for me.

Proverbs 25:6-8

The proverb warns against claiming honors for oneself. Honors which are given to one by others are more valuable than honors taken for oneself and having an honor which one took for oneself given to another is humiliating. In addition it tells us not to be in a rush to gain attention by telling our stories, it is better to wait for others to ask for what we know about something.

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October 10 2013 Bible Study — Night And Day We Pray

October 9, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 14:11-16:15

God tells Jeremiah that he is no longer to pray for the people, that God will no longer listen to prayers for mercy on them. Jeremiah replies that their leaders and prophets are telling them that all is well, that they will have peace. God tells him that the prophets are liars, death and destruction are just around the corner. When I read this I am reminded of the political leaders today who say that all is well, there will be peace, the economy is recovering. And when I read this passage it frightens me. However, despite the doom and gloom of this passage there exists some hope within it. Further along in the passage God tells Jeremiah that if he returns to Him, if he repents, God will restore him and save him from the hands of the wicked.
God’s judgment is coming upon those who refuse to listen to God’s commands. The inevitable results of evil are about to descend upon the people. But God is still faithful to those who are faithful to Him. Destruction and trouble is coming for those who have chosen to abandon God’s desires, but God will protect those who have remained faithful.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

     As I read this passage today I feel convicted by what Paul says in two ways. First, he speaks of working night and day so as to have the resources to meet his own needs and not be a burden on anyone as he preached the Gospel. In addition to working to maintain his needs, Paul strove to be devout, honest, and faultless in his actions toward those who listened to his words. This first part sums up how we should strive to be among those we are striving to reach for the Gospel.
     The second way in which I am convicted by today’s passage is how I view the Gospel message. The Gospel message is the word of God. It is a philosophy of life given by the Creator of the universe. It is not a mere invention of human thought. It is not beneficial to argue it out on the same level as human philosophies. There will be elements of the Gospel that are beyond the ability of our finite minds to reconcile. I will stand firm in the Lord and work at living a life of faith and love.
     Once more Paul writes about prayer. “Night and day we pray earnestly for you,…” I am striving to make prayer a more integral part of my life. Paul prayed that God would bring him to them soon. He also prayed that God would cause their love for one another and for everyone grow and overflow. There is a connection between our love for others and our dedication to praying for and about them.

Psalm 80:1-19

It is only when God sends his Spirit upon us that we will turn to Him. It is only when we turn to Him that we can and will be saved. Oh Lord God, send your Spirit upon us and turn us back to you! Change our hearts so that we desire to do Your will!

Proverbs 25:1-5

Just as the impurities must be removed from silver before a silversmith can use it to make something, so must wicked people be removed from government offices before the government can govern legitimately.

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October 9, 2013 Bible Study — Live So That Others Will Imitate Christ

October 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 12-14:10

God promised Jeremiah that any people who learned to swear by His name will become the people of God. However, He also promised that any people who refused to obey Him will be uprooted and destroyed. We have been made to cling to God and serve Him. If we do this we will be cared for and treasured by Him. If on the other hand we refuse to listen to God and follow our own desires, we will become like a rotting loincloth, good for nothing and of no value to anyone.
It is time to listen and pay attention. We must not let our arrogance blind us to God’s call nor make us deaf to His commands. It is not too late. Let us listen to God’s call and speak out to our neighbors. We are called to a dual ministry. The first part is to act according to God’s will. The second part is to tell our neighbors and fellow countrymen that God’s judgment is nigh. Now is the time to answer God’s call. Time is running short, but it has not yet run out.

***

Another shot of the visitor to the garden

1 Thessalonians 1-2:8

Once more one of Paul’s letters starts off with a reminder of the central place prayer played in Paul’s ministry. And once more I am challenged to strengthen my prayer life. Since Paul found time to pray for the various believers in these various cities, what is my excuse? I do not have one and I come before God and ask Him to send His Spirit upon me and give me a heart for prayer.
This passage shows us the importance of living according to the Spirit and living out the Gospel in our lives. First, the believers in Thessalonica saw Paul living out the Gospel message he was preaching. In response to his teaching and the way he lived among them, they chose to imitate his life and that of Christ. They did this in such a way that others imitated them, initially in the local region, but over time throughout the entire Roman Empire. People were impressed with how they turned away from heathen practices to enthusiastically follow God. All of this resulted from Paul coming among them and showing them what it truly means to be a Christian. This is a challenge to me. Do I live my life so that others want to be like me? Do others witness my life and strive to follow Jesus so that they can be like me? That is my goal, to live my life so that others will want to know the Gospel to be like me. I wish to live my life so that it brings glory to Christ, so that others see how I act and want to know how they can be like that. Not because I want them to hold me up as some great person, but because I want them to seek the Lord.

A third shot of the visitor to the garden

Psalm 79:1-13

Today this psalm as a whole did not speak to me. However, there is a section in the middle that did.

Let your compassion quickly meet our needs,
for we are on the brink of despair.

Help us, O God of our salvation!
Help us for the glory of your name.
Save us and forgive our sins
for the honor of your name.
Why should pagan nations be allowed to scoff,
asking, “Where is their God?”

I will call out to God for His compassion because I am in desperate need of His care. I have made mistakes and sinned against God, I ask for His forgiveness so that His name may be honored. I ask that God show Himself to those around me who doubt that He is real, that He silence those who say to me, “Where is your God?” I do not ask this for my own glory, but for His.

Proverbs 24:30-34

It is so easy to fall into bad habits which lead to poverty. One must dedicate oneself to the tasks that need to be done, when they need to be done.

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October 8, 2013 Bible Study — Let Your Conversation Be Full of Grace

October 7, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 10-11:23

Jeremiah wrote that God said that we should not be like other nations and peoples who try to read their future in the stars and through portents. Rather let us trust in the God who is like no other, who created the universe. All too often we wish to be like everyone else, but God did not create us to be like everyone else.
In the middle of today’s passage, Jeremiah wrote a prayer that strikes me:

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.
We are not able to plan our own course.
So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle.
Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

My life is not my own and my course is not mine to plan. My life belongs to God to dispose of as He sees fit. I pray for Him to direct me on His paths. I ask for His correction when I do not do His will, but I know that I am unable to stand before His anger so I plead for Him to be gentle. The wondrous thing is that I know that He will answer this prayer and show me the glories of following His will.

***

Colossians 3:18-4:18

     Paul begins today’s passage with a shorter version of what he wrote in Ephesians 5-6. Wives should submit to their husbands, husbands should love their wives, children are to obey their parents, and fathers are to avoid aggravating their children. In the Ephesians passage he sums this up with “submit to one another.” Just as in his letter to the Ephesians Paul tells slaves to work for their earthly master as if they were working for the Lord rather than for people. Masters are instructed to be just and fair to their slaves.
     What Paul wrote next fits into something that has been convicting me lately. He tells them to devote themselves to prayer. I have been feeling called to devote more of my time and thought to prayer. Connected to his instruction on prayer Paul tells us to live wisely among non-believers, so that we can make the most of every opportunity. In order to accomplish this, our conversation is to always be full of grace. If we are always careful about what we say, and how we say it, we will know how to answer everyone who asks about our faith. I know that if we are spending as much time in prayer as we ought, the Spirit will answer through us when non-believers ask us questions about what we believe and our faith. I will strive to be in prayer more and more.
     There may be such a thing as praying enough, but I know that there is no such thing as praying too much.

Psalm 78:56-72

The psalmist tells us that despite the fact that the people of Israel repeatedly rebelled against Him, God raised up David to be their leader and shepherd them with careful hands. David did not come from any of the obvious groups, but rather was chosen by God. We can pray that God raises such a leader again today.

Proverbs 24:28-29

Today’s proverb warns against lying about our neighbors in court or to government officials in order to gain revenge for perceived wrongs they have done to us. We should remember that they are our neighbors, who we are to love as we love ourselves.

Daily Bible Study

October 7, 2013 Bible Study — Let the Peace of Christ Rule In Your Hearts

October 6, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jeremiah 8:8-9:26

Jeremiah speaks of religious leaders and teachers who have rejected the word of God and teach their own thoughts in the place of God’s word. They offer superficial treatments for mortal wounds. This sounds like all too many of those who claim to be religious leaders today. This whole passage reminds me of our day. A little further in Jeremiah refers to people who refuse to stand up for the truth and how every day things go from bad to worse. He warns not to trust your neighbor or even your relatives because everyone is trying to take advantage of everyone else. Again this reminds me of so much of our society today, where all too many are only concerned with gaining an advantage for themselves, not what is best for everyone. People tell lie after lie and refuse to acknowledge God. The prophet tells us the end result of this, the land will become such that no one will dare travel through it. Something we are already seeing in certain places. Time is running out for people to turn to the Lord and be saved.

***

Colossians 3:1-17

We are to put to death the things of our sinful nature. Paul lists them out some of them here: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. I find it interesting that people have a tendency to not see how these are all connected. Sometimes people focus on how wrong sexual sins are, but dismiss greed. Other times, people focus on how wrong greed is, but dismiss sexual sins. What people forget is that all of these sins involve treating others as objects to satisfy our own desires. They are all a form of idolatry where we make ourselves the center of the universe. Paul goes on to list other ways in which we attempt to make ourselves the center of the universe. He tells us to give up anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. These are also ways in which we attempt to make ourselves the center of the universe. They are ways in which we attempt to usurp God’s place.
If we place God in His rightful place we will act in the way which Paul instructs. When we recognize that others are as important as ourselves, and make God the center of our universe. we will behave with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility, and patience. We will not operate in a world of Us and Them. Our world will be a world where everyone is loved by God, and therefore we are obliged to love them all as well. All of this will flow naturally if we allow the peace of Christ to take over in our hearts. I will strive to remember that everything I say and do is done in the name of Jesus. Others will interpret my actions and judge Christ by how I act. If I act poorly, it reflects not just on myself, but on Christ as well.

Psalm 78:32-55

The psalmist recounts how time and again people turned away from God to their own sinful desires. When they began to suffer the consequences of their sins, they turned once more to God and He forgave them. Unfortunately, all too often when people turn to God, they merely offer lip service and do not actually change how they act. Am I willing to fully surrender myself to God and rely solely on Him?

Proverbs 24:27

This proverb tells us that we need to first arrange our affairs to supply ourselves with food and clothing. Only after we have done that does it make sense to arrange where we are going to live and shelter on a permanent basis.

Fact and Fantasy

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