Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

Jesus taught his disciples how to commune with God, the Father.  Jesus did not teach prayer as a last resort, after all human efforts failed, He taught prayer as a way to seek God first before doing anything for God.  We must BE with God before we DO what God says.  If we do what we think is needed without consulting God and following is lead, we might be able to do good things for others and that work will make us feel good.  When we miss the point of prayer; We miss the greatness of God! When we attempt to “do good” on our own, we miss the joy of watching God work in and through us in incredible ways that go beyond our human abilities!  We fail to realize what an awesome privilege it is to join HIM in His greater work to bring all people to His saving grace. 

Jesus never prayed, “Father, bless my work.”  Instead, Jesus prayed—

“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.  (Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)

Jesus tenaciously taught all who would believe, listen, and follow to seek God first. Only God is good. Jesus model of prayer to God Almighty provides followers words to begin their relationship with God who loves us dearly.  Jesus begins by honoring God for who He is before asking for God’s Kingdom and His Will to prevail over all the things of this earth.  God’s Kingdom is where believers in Jesus dwell.  It is a place where new hearts are given a fresh start, where minds are transformed to think more like Jesus, which leads to changes in our behaviors.  Kingdom thinking is not like what the world generally thinks.  Kingdom living is opposite of selfish living in a world out to get all we can for ourselves.  God first—always!

In this prayer, Jesus also teaches followers that God is the Source and Sustainer of all we need.  And …we need forgiveness most of all.  God provided us Jesus.  Jesus, the One without sin, nailed all our sins to the cross so that we are able now to come to the throne of God, the Holy One, and be forgiven.  Because we have been forgiven—we must forgive those who sin against us.  This is the complete work of salvation that sets us free!  Knowing that evil is still at work, Jesus teaches us rely on God to rescue us from the evil one who taunts us daily.  “This then is how you should pray…” –Jesus

Paul reminds his beloved friends who he can rely on and trust in the work to “pray for us.”  He concludes his letter to the believers in Jesus who live in Thessalonica not only with this request to pray but with how to pray for those who work hard to spread the message of Jesus’ redemption!  Listen and learn…  

2 Thessalonians 3, The Message

Those Who Are Lazy

^1-3 One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we’ll be rescued from these troublemakers who are trying to do us in. I’m finding that not all “believers” are believers. But the Master never lets us down. He’ll stick by you and protect you from evil.

^4-5 Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you’re doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

^6-9 Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don’t permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn’t be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.

^10-13 Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.

^14-15 If anyone refuses to obey our clear command written in this letter, don’t let him get by with it. Point out such a person and refuse to subsidize his freeloading. Maybe then he’ll think twice. But don’t treat him as an enemy. Sit him down and talk about the problem as someone who cares.

¹⁶ May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!

¹⁷ I, Paul, bid you good-bye in my own handwriting. I do this in all my letters, so examine my signature as proof that the letter is genuine.

¹⁸ The incredible grace of our Master, Jesus Christ, be with all of you!

There is no greater encouragement this side of heaven than to know people who believe in Jesus are holding us up to God in prayer for us!  Are we returning the favor by praying for others in the work to spread the message across the world?

PAUSE TO REFLECT

• How often do we pray for those who deliver messages from God’s Holy Spirit each Sunday—that place where we meet with others to learn to be more like Jesus?
• How often do we pray for those who hold our babies, teach Jesus to our children, and guide our youth in the ways of God, through Jesus as Savior and Lord while we bask in the word of God being laid out before us?
• How often do we pray for those called of God to go to another country to spread the news of Jesus’ salvation to those who have never heard the story? 
• How often do we pray for those who believe but are shunned and even persecuted by their families because of turning to Jesus?

PAUSE TO PRAY WITH PAUL’S HEART USING JESUS’ WORDS

Are we praying like Paul who goal is one thing—Jesus?  To pray like Paul means praying “that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response.”

How long has it been since we prayed to God like that along with this? —

“May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance.”

We have learned how to pray and how to love.  We learn we not each other’s enemies. 

We have learned how to respond.  Seek God first in prayer.  Help each other. Talk to each other from the love of God who resides with us.

“May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!”

Lord, God of All,

May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in all the details of our lives here as it is in heaven.  Forgive us as we forgive others.  Lead us. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

“Keep all arms and legs in the ride at all times.”  We’ve all heard it said many times while getting on a tram, roller coaster, and any ride at the local fair or theme park.  We get in line, wait, and look forward to the exhilaration of the ride to come.  When it is our turn, we get inside, listen to the instructions, and then grip on the handle in front of us and hang on for dear life.  Some rides take our breath away.  Some just send us around in circles.  Some jerk our bodies in ways that confuse us and make us wonder why we got on this ride in the first place.  But very soon, the brief ride is over.  We remember the final instruction was to remain seated until the “vehicle comes to a complete stop”—another rule of the ride.  We trust the ride built by humans and ridden thousands of times by other humans will get us from the beginning to end without harm.  That’s a lot of trust!

Paul gives the church(us) very important instructions for the ride of our lives!  This ride, the span of our lives on earth, is also brief and can be the wildest ride of our lives!  This wild ride of ups and downs can be full of joy in all circumstances or littered with bitterness and sadness.  It depends on who you choose and trust to sit next to you!

“Read carefully,” Paul advises, because the ride could get dicey and confusing if you allow the one who opposes God and wants to be God to ride with you. Whose hand are you gripping until you are safely home?   Who do you trust?

2 Thessalonians 2, The Message

The Anarchist

^1-3 Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don’t go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. Don’t let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master’s arrival has come and gone. Don’t fall for any line like that.

^3-5 Before that day comes, a couple of things have to happen. First, the Apostasy. Second, the debut of the Anarchist, a partner in crime with Satan. He’ll defy and then take over every so-called god or altar. Having cleared away the opposition, he’ll then set himself up in God’s Temple as “God Almighty.” Don’t you remember me going over all this in detail when I was with you? Are your memories that short?

^6-8 You’ll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn’t mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don’t worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there.

^9-12 The Anarchist’s coming is all Satan’s work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they’re so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they’re banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions.

^13-14 Meanwhile, we’ve got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God’s original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.

^15-17 So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn that the Deceiver will show his limited power in ways that will confuse us and make us wonder if really believe who God is and what Jesus, His Son has done for us.  Our trust in God will be put on the line many times throughout the ride of life.  What will our response be? 

Will we fall for the lies and behaviors that oppose God?  Or will we “get a grip” the Hand of Jesus and stand firm with God?

How will we know the difference between Truth and Deception?  Sometimes it is hard at first, so Paul helps us.  He reminds us that the one who sets himself up as God Almighty in God’s temple of His people on earth is the Deceiver whose only goal is to destroy our faith and trust in God.  God is the One and Only God to be worshiped and honored as God—the first “rule of the ride”!  (See Exodus 20 for the complete list)

Ask for God’s Holy Spirit of discernment in decisions; it’s a matter of life or death!  Look for behavioral signs that indicate the true heart of a person.  All the traits of Satan are manifested in the hearts of those against God and will soon be brought to the light of Day from a person who is the god of self—hate, arrogance, pride, envy, self-satisfaction—to name a few.  When we pause to seek Truth throughout the ride; we begin to see life from God’s perspective and view.  Then deception is easier to recognize with behaviors to avoid. 

With God/Jesus/Holy Spirit as our Father, Savior/Lord, and Helper, the ride is much more enjoyable—full of hope and unspeakable joy!

The promise of Jesus, Son of God;

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”—Jesus, John 14:15-21

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”—Jesus, Matthew 28:20

So, “stay in your seats with Jesus until the ride on earth comes to a complete stop!  The ride to eternal life will continue!  Pray without ceasing for wisdom and discernment.

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and preparing my heart daily for the ride of life with you!  You are God and no one else.  I will trust in you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

… You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go
You’ve not already stood

… When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You

(Songwriters: Lauren Daigle / Michael Farren / Paul Marbury; “Trust In You” lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing, Integrity Music)

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Matthew 10:1

Jesus prepared and equipped the Twelve for a specific purpose. This sending out was a “practice run” for all who would be taught and then sent them out into the world in need of help in all kinds of ways.  The greater purpose of this “giving” of Himself to His disciples went beyond the ability to offer temporary relief with physical healing but so that the world may know God who so loved the world He sent His Son to save us from our sins—eternal and forever spiritual healing!  What the disciples did gave God glory as God was glorified in them!  This is the teaching of Jesus!

“These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”  Matthew 10:5-8, NIV

God gives us life in Jesus’ name
he lives in us in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his peace as he told me to.

He said ‘Freely, freely you have received; freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.

(Copyright © 1972 Bud John Songs/ EMI Christian Music Publishing/ Adm. by CopyCare)

Paul was one of those lost sheep of Israel who now is a fully committed servant of Jesus Christ.  Paul, saved by grace, transformed by the Holy Spirit, now preaches Jesus—crucified for our sins and raised to life to give us our hope of eternal life!  Called and equipped by God; Paul is sent in Jesus Name to preach Jesus’ salvation to Gentiles and Jews—everyone in the world whom God loves—with the message of redemption by Jesus. 

Paul, who has freely received Christ now freely gives his life so the rest of the world may know the God who saved him through Jesus, His Son.

2 Thessalonians 1, The Message

^1-2 I, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, greet the church of the Thessalonian Christians in the name of God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you’re to be.

Justice Is on the Way

^3-4 You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks. We’re so proud of you; you’re so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have broadsided you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you.

^5-10 All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You’re suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he’ll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we’ve been waiting for. Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the Message will pay for what they’ve done. Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and his splendid power is their sentence. But on that very same day when he comes, he will be exalted by his followers and celebrated by all who believe—and all because you believed what we told you.

^11-12 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Paul thanks God for those whose faith is so strong and tenacious that others come to know God because of the testimony of their very lives lived for Jesus!

“Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you’re to be.”  God provides where He guides and sends.  We respond with grateful hearts as we freely tell God’s Story of His Glorious Son!

REAL LIFE is all about His Grace!  “Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.”  We don’t deserve to be set free.  We cannot earn this freedom from our sins.  God freely gives us the Way out of our sins.  Jesus is the Way, Truth, that leads to Life eternal!

Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven—all because of His great love for us!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

There was a cost to redeem us.  Jesus paid it in full.

“He said ‘Freely, freely you have received; freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.”

Lord,

Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace.  Thank you for saving us and setting us free from the bondage of our own sins. Thank you for reconciling (reconnecting) us to you in a growing, intimate relationship with you—one that you have always desired with us.  Continue to cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with our daily mercies, and restore the everlasting joy and peace of your salvation at work in us so that we can be all you created us to be as we freely give the message that has so freely been give to us.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine…

(Written by Bart Millard, Sung by Mercy Me)

Paul is not only helping us to imagine when that Day comes, when Jesus returns, but led by God’s Holy Spirit, he teaches us who we are in Jesus with how to prepare for the coming of Christ—who we say we believe!

We are human creatures of order and habit formed by living in this world.  Even as believers, we often think we are in control of everything that surrounds our lives—until we are not and our world is turned upside down in circumstances beyond our control.  Instead of thinking, “What in the world just happened to me” we must turn our hearts to another world waiting to embrace us and teach us another way of thinking.  It is called Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is a different world that can only be entered into by the invitation of the nail-scarred hands and feet of Jesus Christ.  Because of God’s great love, demonstrated through His Son, ALL are invited!  When we accept Jesus and Savior and Redeemer and Remover of our sins; we begin to live a new life of following Jesus as Lord.  In doing so, we enter a new world of thought, words, and actions.  We discover that Kingdom of God thinking is higher than our thinking and love goes deeper than we can imagine.  We soon see that this unlimited depth of love that God has for us begins to spill over into all our relationships.  We love greater with less judgment.  Yes, Kingdom of God ways of thinking and behaving bring out God’s best in us as we look for the best in others! 

As sons of Light and daughters of Day we seek God first as a new habit and revel in His ways as His perfect love is being formed in us, a love that saved us from darkness!  Because of this new love of God, we begin to love others in the same ways He loved us! Imagine it!  Live it! 

God’s Holy Spirit, our extreme Helper, works daily in our surrendered hearts to transform our thinking and behaving with Kingdom of God ways to respond to God and others.  To imagine what it would be like to stand before the Son as sons of Light and daughter of Day, it helps greatly to listen to God’s word and learn how to prepare for the Day Christ returns.  In this preparation, we come alive in Christ!  Bonus!

And He IS coming back…count on it!

1 Thessalonians 5, The Message

^1-3 I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.

^4-8 But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

^9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

The Way He Wants You to Live

^12-13 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

^13-15 Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

^16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

^19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.

^23-24 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

^25-27 Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don’t leave anyone out.

²⁸ The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Paul’s advice and teaching is very practical and clear. This is how to live and respond as sons of Light and daughters of Day;

• Keep eyes open and be smart.  Live as believers in Jesus!  Follow Truth.
• Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. Jesus’ death and resurrection triggered new life—and forever life—for us!  Live it!
• Speak encouraging words that build hope in Jesus!
• Honor leaders called of God with overwhelming love and appreciation.
• Get along with each other—it’s the healthiest way to live!  Here’s how: Encourage the stragglers, reach out to the exhausted, be patient with each other, see a need and do what you can to help, avoid snapping at each other when frustrated.  It makes God smile when His kids get along!
• Look for the best in each other—not the worst.
• “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens.”   

“This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.”

Our prayer, Lord, for all who believe and call on your Name.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen!

Jesus promised.  God said it.  His Holy Spirit prepares us for it.  Jesus IS coming back to take us to the place He has prepared for us—eternity.  In the meantime, we are “God-taught” in our preparation before He comes.  It is up to us to listen, trust, and obey as His Holy Spirit grows and matures His holy character traits in us.  It is God who makes us holy.  It is God who so loved that He sent His Son, Jesus to save us from the sins that makes us unholy.  We cannot do this for ourselves.  Only Jesus removes our sins completely—to be forgotten and no longer held against us!

Where would I go but to the Lord?  This old gospel hymn from my past is playing in the background of my mind to reassure me this morning.  I woke with this song on my mind—even before I read this passage.

Where could I go but to the Lord
Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking the refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Won’t you tell me
Where could I go but to the Lord        

Paul’s first letter to the beloved church in Thessalonica is to remind them to stay firmly planted in the faith driven by God’s love in them.  “God want you to live a pure life.”  Live to please God—even with our bodies.  You can feel the caring compassion for his friends as we read the words.                                                

1 Thessalonians 4, The Message

You’re God-Taught

4 ^1-3 One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.

Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

^4-5 Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.

^6-7 Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, grungy life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

⁸ If you disregard this advice, you’re not offending your neighbors; you’re rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit.

^9-10 Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You’re already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it.

^11-12 Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends.

The Master’s Coming

^13-14 And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.

^15-18 And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We are “God-taught” in all the details of life.  God’s Word is not hard to understand if we are listening with our hearts committed to God.  Love God.  Love each other.  Love as if your lives depended on it.  Today, Paul reminds us again— “Just love one another”!

But are we listening?  Are we trusting?  Are we leaning on the everlasting arms when times get tough?  Do we turn back quickly when we see evil trying to grasp our hearts?  Do we run to those arms that are held wide open when we have strayed?  Do we run home, our real home, where God resides where all is pure and holy?  These are personal questions that determine our spiritual health.  We need daily check ups to remain in tune with our Savior and Lord.

Paul also assures believers that Jesus is indeed coming back—just as Jesus said.  Only God knows when but He is coming back.  Just as the grave could not hold Jesus, the graves that hold believers will not hold them down for much longer.  When God says, it will happen.  This is our blessed assurance. This is our story—this is our song—of Life forever with Him.

Lord,

Thank you for your consistent blessed assurance, your tenacious God-taught lessons for a holy life, and your compassions for us that “fail not”—even when we fail you. Thank you for saving us from our sins and removing them as far as the east is from the west! Thank you for forgetting all sins repented and no longer holding them against us as humans can do.  Where would I go but to you in my life?  You are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen 

In my life of believing, learning, growing, and serving in Jesus Name, God gives me people to help me mature at different stages and phases of my life.  I thank God for those timely, specific people who seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear that helped me.  Like the iconic Mr. Rogers used to say, “Kids, look for the helpers” when troubles come.  That’s what I did most times.  But God knew who I needed even before I knew I would need them to help me through the next challenge, trouble or trail that would test my faith. That’s who God is—the Greatest Helper of all!

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2, ESV

I have also discovered that the people who I respected most for their wisdom, demeanor in troubles, insight in confusion, and understanding for others when broken and perplexed in life where those who had suffered greatly in their own lives in ways no one else knew.  I’m thinking of one of my most revered mentors right now.  I asked him privately one day how he got to be so wise, loving, and understanding. 

My great mentor of faith paused and then slowly related his painful past of being “given away” as a child because his parents could no longer afford feeding he and his brother.  He told of the day he was adopted by a couple; but was separated from his brother for years.  He felt rejected, alone, and unloved—until he met Jesus.  His adoptive parents led him to Jesus.  Later, he would accept God’s call to be a minister of the gospel that saved his life.  After years of being a pastor, he was then led to answering the call to be President of a Seminary that would train people to minister in Jesus Name for His glory.  Wow.  God knows how to pick people whose hearts are fully committed to Him, doesn’t He?  This man was a mentor to many!

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9, NIV

The mentors with the most wisdom and greatest help to others and myself have walked through pain with God helping them and they always give God the glory! Great men and women give credit to their mentors and helpers sent by God to them!  Great mentors truly know how you hurt and can feel your pain because they have previously traveled that road and learned great lessons that made their faith strong and their love consistently growing without conditions—taking on the character of Christ! People who know you are suffering have suffered themselves.

The greatest advice Randy and I received came from his dad when we were going through troubles that seemed unbearable at the time.  “Someday you will be able to help someone else going through the same.”  This quiet mentor of few words foretold our future as believers who would be later called of God to minister to others.

Paul reminds us that troubles and trials while living in this dark, imperfect world are to be expected.  “It’s part of our calling” to help people find Jesus as Savior and follow Him as Lord of their lives.  Our “calling” by God in Jesus Name will be in direct opposition to the enemy who still tries to distract, deceive, and deconstruct our faith with the goal to destroy our soul.  It’s in the job description as believers in Jesus!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus, John 16:33

1 Thessalonians 3, The Message

^1-2 So when we couldn’t stand being separated from you any longer and could find no way to visit you ourselves, we stayed in Athens and sent Timothy to get you up and about, cheering you on so you wouldn’t be discouraged by these hard times. He’s a brother and companion in the faith, God’s man in spreading the Message, preaching Christ.

^3-5 Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You’ve always known that we’re in for this kind of thing. It’s part of our calling. When we were with you, we made it quite clear that there was trouble ahead. And now that it’s happened, you know what it’s like. That’s why I couldn’t quit worrying; I had to know for myself how you were doing in the faith. I didn’t want the Tempter getting to you and tearing down everything we had built up together.

^6-8 But now that Timothy is back, bringing this terrific report on your faith and love, we feel a lot better. It’s especially gratifying to know that you continue to think well of us, and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you! In the middle of our trouble and hard times here, just knowing how you’re doing keeps us going. Knowing that your faith is alive keeps us alive.

^9-10 What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters.

^11-13 May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus’ promise to always be with us stands firm today.  (Matthew 28:20) This war on earth has already been won by Jesus who defeated death and rose again, assuring all believers of eternal life.  (John 3:16)

Paul had mentors and was a mentor to many. Barnabas, named the “Encourager” stood by Paul in his early years of ministry for example and taught Paul how to encourage the church!  Timothy, a young man of strong faith was mentored by Paul who carried out the work when Paul could not.  We need each other.  When God sends people into our lives to love and help us—take notice and thank God for them!  Paul consistently gave thanks for all those God put in his life.

How can we give thanks to God, “what would be adequate,” writes Paul.  I am reminded of a song, (it’s who I am), from my past that comes to mind as I think of how God helps us—even in those times of despair when we feel “so undeserved” of His care.

How can I say thanks
For the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved
Yet You gave to prove Your love for me
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude
All that I am and ever hope to be
I owe it all to Thee

To God be the glory
To God be the glory
To God be the glory
For the things He has done…

(My Tribute, Sung by Andre Crouch and the Disciples)

Paul’s answer to his own question:  “Pray, then do what we can to help others…”  Best advice ever!

Lord,

Until you come again, our prayer this morning is Paul’s prayer for all believers:

May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  Yes!

Both Paul and the believers in Thessalonica were going through troubles that tested their faith. When Paul heard they had remained strong in their faith during the trials, he was exceedingly joyful and encouraged.  The call of God to preach His truth and work hard alongside obvious believers is just easier and more joy producing when the people are obviously as engaged and committed as you are to help others know and follow Jesus!  Obvious believers, who truly believe what God says and follow the leading of His Holy Spirit, are an obvious joy to be around as we share the goodness of God together!

And what is the definition of obvious?  “Easily seen, recognized, or understood; open to view or knowledge; evident: an obvious advantage.”

So, we ask—how obvious is our faith? How obvious is our belief in Jesus to others in this world? Is our belief in Jesus obviously seen, easily recognized, and opening understood?  Do our behaviors show the evidence of our belief and committed faith in Jesus? 

How obvious is our love for Jesus and for others?

1 Thessalonians 2, The Message

^1-2 So, friends, it’s obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time. We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn’t slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God’s Message to you, defiant of the opposition.

No Hidden Agendas

^3-5 God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.

^6-8 Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t standoffish with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.

^9-12 You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn’t have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God’s Message to you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren’t freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.

¹³ And now we look back on all this and thank God, a geyser of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!

^14-16 Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who’ve never heard of our God how to be saved. They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it.

* * *

^17-20 Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn’t been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can’t imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan thwarted us each time. Who do you think we’re going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it’s not you? You’re our pride and joy!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Paul is obvious with the traits and behaviors we are to avoid:

• Never use the Message of Jesus for personal gain.  The Message must be free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas.
• We must never use religious words to butter people up or throw up a smoke screen for the purpose of hiding evil’s obvious grab for attention of self.  We must never take advantage of people seeking help by distracting them from Truth—our authentic Christ!
• We must never be patronizing or condescending.  This is a “get by for the moment” attitude that demonstrates uncaring behaviors which leads to unloving relationships and false hopes.

Instead, Give of your best to the Master and to His created.  Love as if your lives depended on it!

• May we be obvious believers who are obviously in love with Jesus! 
• May we be joy producers in His church! 
• May our joy, produced by Jesus be evident through good times and challenging trials! 
• May we be people who Paul obviously loved to hang around! 
• May we be people whose hearts are fully committed to God—the people God loves to pour blessings over and with whom He delights in being around.  God loves everyone.  God is with us always. 
• So, may our lives bring a smile to God’s face because of the obvious love in our hearts!

“Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth.” –Paul, 1 Corinthians 14:1, MSG 

May our love be evident as obvious believers in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies, and continually restore the joy of your salvation at work within us so that we reflect your glory and Truth to others in this world.  May our lives obviously reflect who we believe!  I love you, Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul.  May this love for you be obvious to others who need you.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“The way we conceive the future sculpts the present, give contour nd tone to nearly every action and thought through the day.  If our sense of future is weak, we live listlessly.  Much emotional and mental illness and most suicides occur among men and women who feel that they ‘have no future.’ 

The Christian faith has always been characterized by a strong and focused sense of future, with belief in the Second Coming of Jesus as the most distinctive detail.  For the day Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers lived in expectancy of his return.  He told them he was coming back. They believed he was coming back. They continue to believe it.  For Christians, it is the most important thing to know and believe about the future.

The practical effect of this belief is to charge each moment of the present with hope.  For if the future is dominated by the coming again of Jesus, there is little room left on the screen for projecting our anxieties and fantasies.  It takes the clutter out of our lives.  We’re far more free to respond spontaneously to the freedom of God.

All the same, the belief can be misconceived so that it results in paralyzing fear for some, shiftless indolence in others.  Paul’s two letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, among much else, correct such debilitating misconceptions, prodding us to continue to live forward in taut and joyful expectancy for what God will do next in Jesus.” –Eugene Peterson, Introduction to Thessalonians, The Message Bible

And the beat goes on—this message given to Paul by His Master, Jesus Christ, continues because The Message cannot be stopped; it only picks up speed!  The Message never stopped and never will be stopped.  God will see to that!  Jesus IS coming back just as He promised.  We don’t know the time or place.  Jesus doesn’t know that, either.  We discover that the more mature we become spiritually by trusting in God; that knowing becomes irrelevant to living a life of Hope with joyful expectancy that He will return to claim His own.  It is more important to be known as His. 

Life is now as well as later for Life eternal begins the moment we accept Jesus as Savior and trust Him as our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 1, The Message

I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God’s amazing grace be with you! God’s robust peace!

Convictions of Steel

^2-5 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.

^5-6 You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.

^7-10 Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message! People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Live as if Jesus were coming today.  Prepare for His return with excitement!

To live Hope is an attitude of joy that relieves our fears and anxieties!  To live for Jesus, with the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance, comfort, and peace; is to live in joyful expectation for the Son of God whom we have believed and know that He is able to do exactly what He says He will and did do—remove all our sins and give us life eternal with Him in glory!

“You ARE the Message!”  Paul affirmed the Thessalonians of their consistent faith—

“People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom.” 

What a reputation to have and to hold in the community! 

BE the Message today!  In Jesus Name…

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, fill us with Your Holy Spirit who lead us and gives the words to be the message of your saving grace.  Refresh our souls with your new mercies for today.  Continually restore us with your expectant joy of your return and the joy and peace of you at work within us until you do come back to claim us and take us home for eternity.  Hope is rising in me even as we talk and commune with each other. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Pray for me and I’ll pray for you
Pray that we will keep the common ground
Won’t you pray for me and I’ll pray for you
And one day love will bring us back around
Again

(Pray For Me, By Michael W Smith)

One of the most touching, heartfelt words of Paul’s letters to his dear friends, the Colossians are at the end of this chapter.  If you look closely, the “open door” prayer from Paul sums up the work as reconcilers guided by God’s Holy Spirit.  It gives us the words to pray for ourselves and for others as we help people find their way to believe in Jesus who reconciles (reconnects) them to God.

PRAY FOR ME

“Pray diligently with eyes wide open in gratitude,” writes Paul to his brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray for me while I sit in this jail cell.  Notice he doesn’t ask that the doors of the jail cell be opened but that God will open the doors of opportunity to tell the story of Jesus, His love, and His redemption provided for all no matter what his circumstances!  Pray that “I’ll be able to make Christ plain”—easy for listeners to understand and believe in Jesus.  Paul asks nothing by prayer to God on his behalf as he prays for them, asking God to bless the ones praying! 

I’M PRAYING FOR YOU

Paul prayers for his friends; “Make the most of every opportunity.” “Be gracious.” “Bring out the best in others” when you speak.  Lift people up, don’t bring them down.  Like a parent who loves their children dearly, Paul encourages them to be kind and gracious when telling the story of our compassionate Savior, Jesus.

What a joy to know people are praying for you as diligently as you are praying for them!  Praying to God for each other is the “common ground” in Christ we all share!  Praying is our communion with God who bends down to listen to every word on our lips.  God not only hears our prayers for others; He delights in seeing our hearts of thanksgiving for the people He has placed in our lives.  God doesn’t miss a trick; He puts people in our lives on purpose for His purpose—that we may encourage each other on the brief journey here on earth.  We need each other.  We need the prayers of each other.  Paul gives us the words to pray as our example.

Colossians 4, The Message

And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don’t forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master—God in heaven.

Pray for Open Doors

^2-4 Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.

^5-6 Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

^7-9 My good friend Tychicus will tell you all about me. He’s a trusted minister and companion in the service of the Master. I’ve sent him to you so that you would know how things are with us, and so he could encourage you in your faith. And I’ve sent Onesimus with him. Onesimus is one of you, and has become such a trusted and dear brother! Together they’ll bring you up-to-date on everything that has been going on here.

^10-11 Aristarchus, who is in jail here with me, sends greetings; also Mark, cousin of Barnabas (you received a letter regarding him; if he shows up, welcome him); and also Jesus, the one they call Justus. These are the only ones left from the old crowd who have stuck with me in working for God’s kingdom. Don’t think they haven’t been a big help!

^12-13 Epaphras, who is one of you, says hello. What a trooper he has been! He’s been tireless in his prayers for you, praying that you’ll stand firm, mature and confident in everything God wants you to do. I’ve watched him closely, and can report on how hard he has worked for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴ Luke, good friend and physician, and Demas both send greetings.

¹⁵ Say hello to our friends in Laodicea; also to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, make sure it gets read also in Laodicea. And get the letter that went to Laodicea and have it read to you.

¹⁷ And, oh, yes, tell Archippus, “Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best.”

¹⁸ I’m signing off in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember to pray for me in this jail. Grace be with you.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

PRAY!  Stay alert and pray for each other to remain firmly committed to Jesus.

Prayer is our greatest weapon seeking God’s unlimited power against our real Enemy of limited power.  The fallen angel, Satan is the one who hates God/Jesus/Holy Spirit.  He is the distractor, deceiver, causing damage to our hearts, minds, and souls.  But he cannot remove God’s love for us. 

The enemy consistently presents thoughts and feelings to us that oppose all who God is to us.  Don’t fall for this evil.  Instead, fall on your knees before God!  Do what the Enemy hates most of all—Believers on their knees in humbled gratefulness to God, crying out to God in Jesus Name.  When we do this act of worship, seeking God first in our lives—the devil wants nothing to do with that! Just as evil tempted Jesus, he and his demons of mass destruction will tempt us. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV

I’m praying for you…

Pray for me…

Pray as I continue to write the story of Jesus, led by His Holy Spirit, to draw others to God’s Daily Manna of nourishment found in His Word!  Pray that what is written helps the broken be healed by God’s in Jesus Name and gives encouragement in ways that bring out God’s best in all who read His Word.

Imagine an army of friends praying for you right now.  Dear friends who are reading this right now—I’m praying for you!  I thank God for you!  I relish your comments that tell me you understand what God is saying and are encouraged!  I pray God rich blessing of wisdom, power, strength and joy that is renewed daily by Him.  I pray that whatever you’re going through right now that you know God is there going through it with you, helping you get to the other side.

Lord,

I thank God for you, for you dear Jesus who was sent to save me and for Your Holy Spirit who helps me to stay on your path of all that is right and good for me. I thank you for picking me back up when I stumble or fall on your narrow path.  Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do in my life.  I pray for open doors to tell your story.  I pray for your wisdom and words with every opportunity is given to speak of you.  I pray your encouragement for all the readers of our Daily Manna that you provide for us each day.  Cleans our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your tender mercies, and restore the joy and peace of you in us and us in you.  We need you every hour of every day—so we pray without ceasing for your help.

In Jesus Name, Amen

My mom was a meticulous dresser.  In today’s sociological terms, you might have called her obsessive.  Her dress had to fit right and feel right.  Her shoes, purse, and other accessories must match the outfit.  As a child, sitting on the bed, I would watch I would watch the process of getting ready for work before going next door to our babysitter with my younger brother. Fixing her thick dark head of hair was a work of getting every unruly hair follicle in place.  Then the final touch was to spray a blinding, chocking, sticky solution over it to hold it in place for the day.  (I can still smell and taste it!)  But as she worked on herself, it was a talk time for us.

I was proud of my Mom.  She was very talented as an executive secretary for an oil firm in downtown Oklahoma City.  She was fast and efficient in all she did.  She became a valuable resource for the company, doing the work of those she worked for in ways that amazed them at times.  I know this because they hired me for a summer break between college classes!  I watched her at work as she answered the calls and helped people find the solutions they needed with apparent ease.  She was learner, picking up all the details quickly, so she could helpful in the workplace

Mom worked among well-dressed executives who had the best clothes money could buy.  Being a working woman of the sixties; mom would never be paid as much as the men, but that didn’t matter to the quality of her work.  Doing her best with what she had and being the best she could be in her work was her consistent goal.  

Mom was a believer.  The real Master of her life and work was Jesus.  The “clothes” she put on the inside was just as important as the clothes she wore on the outside.  The same work ethic was taught and demonstrated in our home and at the church we attended.  I knew that my mom would be the same in any place or circumstance with whoever she related because of what she wore on the inside.  She wore the designer clothes of her Master, clothes that last forever.  I will see her again someday in those glorious clothes Jesus gave her for heaven with Him.  I am grateful for her teaching that was instilled by Jesus to me.  How do I know, Jesus is my Master, too!

Colossians 3, The Message

He Is Your Life

3 ^1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

^3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

^9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

^12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

^15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

* * *

¹⁸ Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master.

¹⁹ Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.

²⁰ Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end.

²¹ Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.

^22-25 Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“If you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.”  Paul’s passion is evident.  Get and Be serious.  Our behaviors must match what we say we believe about Jesus!  As much as mom matched accessories to her dress all the more our behaviors must match what we believe. 

“Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator”  Wear the newest and latest by our Designer who gave us real life!  “…dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

Paul includes a “tagline” to this part of the letter for obvious reasons to me this morning—all this begins at home in our hearts and goes with us in the all the details of our lives!  Husbands, Wives, Children, Employees, Employers, Servants of God—Submit, respect, love generously, understand, support, obey, because “every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—is to be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

“Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ!”

Lord,

Thank you for helping me get “dressed” this morning.  Thank you for demonstrating real love by saving my soul.  Thank you for real life that follows my believing, a life that is eternal and nonrefundable!  Thank you for always being with us to help us stay dressed in your love—the most important garment!

In Jesus Name, Amen