260 Devotional: Nov 21, Philemon

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philemon+1&version=ESV

PHILEMON

Introducing Philemon

The little book of Philemon is the only surviving letter of Paul to an individual friend and convert about a private matter. In it we learn that Onesimus, one of Philemon’s slaves, had stolen from his master and run away to Rome. In that great city he met Paul and became a Christian. Under Roman law, Philemon had the right to brand a returned slave and even kill him.

Paul applies what he wrote in Colossians: “Here there is no Greek or Jew . . . slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col 3:11). Philemon and Onesimus are given the chance to participate in a revolutionary new process for reconciliation.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/philem/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

⁸Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, ⁹yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— ¹⁰I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.¹¹(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) ¹²I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. ¹³I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, ¹⁴but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. ¹⁵For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. ²⁰Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

REFLECTION

Paul asked Philemon to stop seeing Onesimus as a runaway slave, and to begin seeing him as a dear brother. The gospel makes the same request of each of us. We’re to see everyone as individuals of infinite worth and value, for whom Christ died. And we are to see Christians as dear brothers/sisters and to love them as members of our family.
Are there one or more Christians that you have a hard time accepting as brother or sister in Christ? Why is it hard to think of this Christian this way? Is it the background, ethnicity, behavior, cultural or theological difference, or something else? What would need to change in you in order to accept this person as a Christian brother or sister?
Talk to God about your struggle of accepting others. Thank God that He accepts your and sees you and other believers as no less than His very own children. Ask God to help you see others with the same eyes.
As you encounter people this week who are different from you, remind yourself that God sees them with the label “my children” – and that means you

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 25:11-14

¹¹A word fitly spoken
    is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
¹²Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
    is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
    is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
    he refreshes the soul of his masters.
¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain
    is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

260 Devotional: Nov 18, Titus 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus+3&version=ESV

Titus Chapter 3 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹ Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ²to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.³For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.⁸The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. ⁹But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, ¹¹knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

REFLECTION

This letter is full of ethical admonition and moral exhortation. Yet, Paul in closing reminded us again that we do good works not in order to win the favour of God, but because God’s favor has been graciously given to us in Christ. Therefore, we ought to live like it. We are to live disciplined, purified, spiritually committed lives – lives that put faith into practice – not in order to get somewhere with God but rather, because of the mercy of God.
In doing what is good, which are you more motivated by: the call of duty? Fear of judgment? Hope of Christ’s return? Gratitude for what God has done for you? Desire to work for peace in your relationships? Needs of others?
Read vv4-6 again slowly. What do you know about God’s grace? How does this knowledge affect your desire to do good? Tell God about it.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 25:8-10

What your eyes have seen
⁸    do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
    when your neighbor puts you to shame?
⁹Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
    and do not reveal another’s secret,
¹⁰lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
    and your ill repute have no end.

260 Devotional: Nov 17, Titus 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus+2&version=ESV

Titus Chapter 2 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹ But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ²Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.⁶Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.⁷Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹²training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

REFLECTION

Paul exhorts Titus to “speak the things which are proper for sound ” Such things include the proper conduct expected of Christians, both male and female, young and old, and of those who are servants. Even Titus was to present himself as an example for others to follow.
Paul then writes of the grace of God that brings salvation to all men. Grace teaches us about the way we live, for grace teaches us to reject sin and to do good. Jesus Christ redeemed us from sin. But he has a purpose for us beyond that: he wants to purify us, to eliminate the sin, and to create in us a desire for good behavior “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior”.
People often judge the gospel by the way Christians The way we live, the way we work, the way we treat our families and neighbors, all make a difference in how receptive people will be to the message we share. Do you make the gospel look good, or do you give people reasons to complain?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 25:4-7

⁴Take away the dross from the silver,
    and the smith has material for a vessel;
⁵take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.
⁶Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
    or stand in the place of the great,
⁷for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

260 Devotional: Nov 16, Titus 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus+1&version=ESV

TITUS

Introducing Titus

Titus was no stranger to conflict. He was a long-term companion of Paul who was a valuable aid in two of Paul’s greatest crises.

Titus first appears in the New Testament in Galatians 2:1, where Paul says he took Titus along on his trip to Jerusalem with Barnabas. Titus was a Gentile, and the issue at hand was whether Gentiles should have to comply with Jewish ceremonial rites (circumcision, diet restrictions and so on) in order to be full members of the Christian community. With the young Paul at one side and Barnabas at the other, he was essentially “tried” (and acquitted) by the leaders in Jerusalem.

Titus appears again in the middle of Paul’s struggle with the church at Corinth. In that deeply divided church, he represented Paul. He had the unwelcome job of delivering what we call the “severe letter” which Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 and 7:5-13 and then staying there for about a year. Then he delivered the letter we now call 2 Corinthians in which Paul takes on his critics and calls the church to honor an unfulfilled financial pledge.

Titus was in Crete at the time Paul wrote him. Crete was a seaport, a sleazy port of call for cargo ships traversing the Mediterranean. It had been socially backward for 1400 years when the Minoan civilization was destroyed by a devastating earthquake. We do not know exactly when Titus went with Paul to Crete, but one possible scenario places it after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment in Rome.

Paul had preached in Crete and was giving Titus the job of following through with developing a healthy church. This letter was sent while he was in the midst of his task and reviews his assignment. It shows Titus as a forceful personality and skilled administrator. It seems he was made of tougher stuff than Timothy, but his assignments were shorter. By the time Paul had written 2 Timothy, the job in Crete was done, and Titus had been sent on to Dalmatia (part of modern Yugoslavia).

This letter gives us two very valuable things: (1) A showcase of Paul’s strategy for leadership in the midst of chaos—Timothy was given a long-term assignment in an established church; Titus was sent to follow up an evangelistic movement and give the Christian body some coherence; (2) a model of hope in the face of a very messy situation; Paul’s confidence in the power of the gospel shines throughout the letter.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/titus/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, ²in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began ³and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

⁴To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

⁵This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ⁶if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.⁷For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

REFLECTION

One of Titus’ tasks was to strengthen the organization of Crete’s churches. This was done by appointing leadership teams in each congregation according to the qualifications Paul laid out for Titus.
If your church search committee is currently looking for people who meet these qualifications to become elders or deacons, would you be qualified for nomination? Why or why not?
Identify the qualities in vv8-9. Which quality on this list do you most desire to develop in yourself? Where or who can you ask to help you develop them?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 25:1-3

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

²It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
³As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

260 Devotional: Nov 15, 2Timothy 4

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+4&version=ESV

2 Timothy Chapter 4 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

REFLECTION

Paul has known plenty of discouragement, and persecution. But he looked back over his life with a sense of satisfaction without regret or shame. Through it all, Paul kept on serving. He fought a good fight. He ran a good race. He kept the faith. And now he looked forward to his reward.
Paul wants us to know that God has the same reward for each of us. We can also live our life here aware that this earth is temporary, and all its pleasures are passing. We will yearn not for the things of earth, but for Jesus to return. This yearning will keep us, as it kept Paul, faithfully committed to God and whatever ministry God has given us, until we meet Christ in person.
What would it take for you to be at peace with your own death? Do you have a sense of completion?
In what way could you encourage someone in the next generation to continue the work of Jesus Christ?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:30-34

³⁰I passed by the field of a sluggard,
    by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,
³¹and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone wall was broken down.
³²Then I saw and considered it;
    I looked and received instruction.
³³A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
³⁴and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

260 Devotional: Nov 14, 2Timothy 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+3&version=ESV

2 Timothy Chapter 3 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹⁰You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.¹²Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it¹⁵and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

REFLECTION

The Bible is good for us and it gives us doctrine (it tells us a truth that means more than our opinions). The Bible gives us reproof and correction (it tells us when we are wrong in our thinking or conduct). The Bible gives us instruction in righteousness (it tells us how to live rightly before God and men).
Imagine you are living an interactive life with God, all day long you experience God gently showing you truth, exposing your rebellion, correcting your mistakes, and training you to live his way.
Why would this be the best way to live? Are you willing to live like this?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:27-29

²⁷Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field,
and after that build your house.

²⁸Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,
and do not deceive with your lips.
²⁹Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

260 Devotional: Nov 11, 2Timothy 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+2&version=ESV

2 Timothy Chapter 2 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹⁴Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. ¹⁶But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁰Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

²²So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.²⁴And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

REFLECTION

Slowly read these verses (esp. 22-26) and let the message saturate your heart and mind. Imagine Paul is sitting beside you, speaking these words to you directly. How do you feel when you hear them? What part of the passage resonates most with you? Why?
Would the “evil desires of youth” seem a little patronizing? Or you just like to have “foolish and stupid arguments”, or there is still bitterness in you that you get into “quarrels” a lot? Perhaps Christian maturity such as “be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” seems impossible or defeating? Maybe with some people you’ve lost hope that they might “come to their senses”?
Continue to sit in silence and explore what God might want you to do with this instruction. How are you to live it out today? This week? This month?

Proverbs for Today 24:23-26

²³These also are sayings of the wise.

Partiality in judging is not good.
²⁴Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
    will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
²⁵but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
    and a good blessing will come upon them.
²⁶Whoever gives an honest answer
    kisses the lips.

260 Devotional: Nov 10, 2Timothy 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+1&version=ESV

2 TIMOTHY

Introducing 2 Timothy

Second Timothy is Paul’s last letter. He is in prison in Rome again—under Nero. He is an older man and does not expect to get out, but to die in prison (contrast with Phil 1:23-25).

Opposition to Paul both inside and outside the church has intensified. Many former associates have deserted him. His loneliness and desire to see Timothy come through clearly. Further, Nero’s persecution was under way, and many Christians were facing the choice of suffering or leaving the faith. Much of what he built was at risk. When Paul’s personal resources were at their lowest, he faced the greatest test. In this context he reflects on his own life and gives his final counsel.

This letter has fantastic value for us. It gives us insight into facing persecution and supporting others who are persecuted. It also shows both how to give away leadership and how to assume it at the right time. Finally, it provides encouragement to us in facing our own death.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/2tim/

1 Timothy Chapter 6 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹¹But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,¹⁴to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁵which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

REFLECTION

Paul talked about some of the things that can mess up a person’s life in the first part of the chapter (vv3-10). He then told Timothy to run from them and to run toward something else: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (v11). Timothy is told to run hard and fast, holding nothing back, why? To win, of course. And why do we run to win? Because this is a race worth winning, and therefore it should engage the whole of us – body and soul, mind and spirit, all our strength, all our time, all our attention, all our heart.
There is no time for detours of gossip or dead ends of speculation on the course. The race is to the swift, not the slacker, to the one who is running hard and fast for the finish line, not the one who is wandering off course on some fanciful side trip. How well are you running this race?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:17-20

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
¹⁸lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
²⁰for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

260 Devotional: Nov 9, 1Timothy 6

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+6&version=ESV

1 Timothy Chapter 6 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

REFLECTION

Paul talked about some of the things that can mess up a person’s life in the first part of the chapter (vv3-10). He then told Timothy to run from them and to run toward something else: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (v11). Timothy is told to run hard and fast, holding nothing back, why? To win, of course. And why do we run to win? Because this is a race worth winning, and therefore it should engage the whole of us – body and soul, mind and spirit, all our strength, all our time, all our attention, all our heart.
There is no time for detours of gossip or dead ends of speculation on the course. The race is to the swift, not the slacker, to the one who is running hard and fast for the finish line, not the one who is wandering off course on some fanciful side trip. How well are you running this race?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:17-20

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
¹⁸lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
²⁰for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

260 Devotional: Nov 8, 1Timothy 5

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+5&version=ESV

1 Timothy Chapter 5 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹ Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³Honor widows who are truly widows. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.⁵She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, ⁶but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. ⁷Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. ⁸But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, ¹⁰and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

REFLECTION

The church should care for the widows with no family to care for them. Widows have been vulnerable individuals throughout the Scripture and God has always shown special concern for their protection. Timothy was to value and honor these windows. They were to be kept busy and active in the church, and were involved in training the younger women as in Titus 2.
How many widows do you know in your extended family, or among your close friends? How are their needs met? How is your church doing in caring for people in need? What endeavors should you make in this area?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:13-16

¹³My son, eat honey, for it is good,
    and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
¹⁴Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, there will be a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
¹⁶for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

260 Devotional: Nov 7, 1Timothy 4

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+4&version=ESV

1 Timothy Chapter 4 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

⁶If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.⁷Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; ⁸for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ⁹The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. ¹⁰For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

¹¹Command and teach these things. ¹²Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

REFLECTION

Many people go to gym to work out in order to develop themselves physically. Christians are to “work out” to develop spiritually. A weight lifter develops his skill by lifting weights. A Christian develops his ability to live a godly life by making godly choices. To grow spiritually, you need to concentrate on those acts which show your love for God and for others.
On a scale of one to ten – one being spiritual flabbiness and ten being spiritually fit – how would you rate your spiritual fitness? Why? How could you make your life a better example for others “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (v12)?
Write these five words on an index card: speech, conduct, love, faith, purity. Ask God’s help to live out these areas throughout the day.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:10-12

¹⁰If you faint in the day of adversity,
    your strength is small.
¹¹Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man according to his work?

260 Devotional: Nov 4, 1Timothy 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+3&version=ESV

1 Timothy Chapter 3 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, ⁵for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

REFLECTION

In this passage listed the qualifications for elders/pastors who are charged with spiritual oversight of a local congregation. Read this passage a few times slowly and carefully noticing the moral expectations presented in this passage. Let each instruction direct your thoughts to areas in your life that is to be examined by the Holy Spirit. In which areas does your life look different from the model Paul presented? (You don’t need to work through the whole passage.)
Ask God to help you make small changes so that the transformation may begin in you and that you may display qualities of genuine spiritual life.
Pray for the leaders of your church: pastors, ministry committee members, cell leaders, etc. Pray that their lives may continue to be transformed by God.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:5-9

⁵A wise man is full of strength,
    and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
⁶for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
    and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool;
    in the gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸Whoever plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
⁹The devising of folly is sin,
and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

260 Devotional: Nov 3, 1Timothy 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+2&version=ESV

1 Timothy Chapter 2 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ²for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ³This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.

REFLECTION

God “desires all people to be saved” (v4). This is an important verse if you’ve prayed for unsaved loved ones, and been discouraged by their lack of response. We know from Scripture that not everyone will be saved. But we also know that God desires all to come to know Christ. This means that when you pray for any individual’s salvation, you can be confident that what you are praying for is definitely in harmony with God’s wishes and desires.
The most effective evangelism is supported by the evidence of “a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (v2). The most powerful aid to the gospel is not sudden fear created by danger, but a growing hunger for the peace and goodness observed in the lives of ordinary Christian.

Sit quietly before God and wait. If you will, lift up hands and pray earnestly for those people and needs that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 24:1-4

¹Be not envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them,
²for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.

³By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.

260 Devotional: Nov 2, 1Timothy 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+1&version=ESV

1 TIMOTHY

Introducing 1 Timothy

Ephesus, a key seaport for Asia Minor, was a swinging commercial center. Without an army, it maintained its place in the world through deal-making. It was the crowded home of about 350,000 people.

Dominating the economy of Ephesus was the temple of Artemis, “goddess of the Ephesians.” It was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. A huge structure of solid marble, it was the largest temple in the world outside Egypt, and the biggest bank east of Rome! You can read in Acts 19 about the riot Paul’s preaching triggered among the guilds that depended on temple business. Artemis herself was a 37-breasted fertility goddess who stood for bringing prosperity out of constant change.

And change there was.

Various cultures mixed in Ephesus. Its heritage was Greek, but Romans pushed in when it became part of the Empire. A sizeable Jewish community took root, as well as smaller communities of many ethnic groups. Different religions, philosophies and ethics coexisted while everybody sought some piece of the economic action.

Sports were a major entertainment. The Greeks had two gymnasia built for athletic contests, while the Romans built a stadium for gladiator combat. By the mid-second century, the Roman approach of spectacular violence won the day over the Greek ideal of simple competition.

Sex was also big business. Art depicting various sex acts adorned the garden walls of large villas. Bestiality and homosexuality were celebrated. The Romans built baths—a kind of ancient country club where the upper-class members of both sexes went nude. Prostitution, divorce, multiple marriages, abandoned children and neglect of the elderly were common. Religious opinion ranged from advocating deviant sex to shunning sex totally.

A confusing mix of religions existed in the shadow of the dominant Artemis. The large Jewish community coexisted with it. Smaller ethnic groups had their own religions but didn’t seek prominence. The Romans argued the case to rename Artemis as Diana, while thinking Greeks argued over mystical experiences and whether the names of gods were just diverse labels for the “One Prime Mover.”

Although Artemis ruled in the public square, magic influenced the personal lives of most people and invaded all of the formal religions. A striking example is the account in Acts 19:13-17, which involved even the family of the Jewish high priest. In magic, the Ephesian spirit of deal-making was applied to spirituality. Ephesian magic became famous throughout the Roman world.

Paul, for his part, saw Ephesus as a great place to preach the gospel. He began with preaching to his fellow Jews on his second missionary journey. On his third journey, he invested two solid years evangelizing and developing Christian leaders. Christian faith became so popular that the magic trade and temple business fell sharply.

Paul’s farewell message (Acts 20), however, shows that he was bracing for a spiritual counterattack on the Christian community. He predicted even some of his converts would set themselves up as Christian “gurus” and carve out followings around their own blend of Scripture, the gospel and mystical teachings. The issue Paul saw as crucial was spiritual authority: When should we accept spiritual teachings? When should we reject them? How do we know if Christian teachers are trustworthy? This, in fact, was just the situation when Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy.

Paul had turned over the leadership of the church in Ephesus, the most strategic in Asia Minor, to Timothy, a bright, sensitive associate. Timothy was about forty years old at that time, which was considered young for such leadership. False teaching was coming from people within the church. Since some of these were leaders (see Acts 20:20), Paul could not write to the church at Ephesus directly, but instead went through Timothy whom he had confidence in. (Gordon Fee, “Issues in Evangelical Hermeneutics,” Crux 26, no. 4 [December 1990].) Timothy’s mission was to deal with false teaching, and it seems he was a capable teacher.

From references in 1 and 2 Corinthians, Acts, and the letters to Timothy, we know Timothy was a committed, but very human, person with some insecurities. Hebrews 13:23 shows that he spent some time in prison for his faith. We don’t know what finally happened to Timothy, but we do know that John became the leader of the church not too long after these letters were written.

In these letters we can see Paul coaching the younger leader. In the process he raises issues which bear on us all—leaders or not.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/1tim/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹²I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, ¹³though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

¹⁸This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, ¹⁹holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, ²⁰among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

REFLECTION

In this paragraph, Paul presented a “before” and “after” of his own life. Before he met Jesus, he was “a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (v13). After he met Christ and experienced the overflow of his grace, Paul became a different man. Violence is changed into compassion, blasphemy to praise, persecution to brotherly love.
This is what is unique about the truth of the gospel. It isn’t just a collection of true facts, or a compilation of doctrinal data. The truth of the gospel is vital, transforming, and dynamic. It can change your life into more vibrant and more like Jesus.
Close in prayer by putting your own name in place of the general word sinners in verse 15. Then read verses 16-17 as your own prayer of thanks to God.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 23:33-35

³³Your eyes will see strange things,
      and your heart utter perverse things.
³⁴You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
      like one who lies on the top of a mast.
³⁵“They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;
      they beat me, but I did not feel it.
    When shall I awake?
      I must have another drink.”

260 Devotional: Nov 1, 2 Thessalonians 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians+3&version=ESV

2 Thessalonians Chapter 3 (ESV)

Pray for Us

¹Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, ²and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. ³But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.⁴And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. ¹²Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

¹³As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.¹⁴If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

¹⁷I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Meditation

Members of the Thessalonian church were refusing to take responsibility. Some had quit working because they thought Jesus would be back any moment and didn’t see any reason to exert themselves. Others relaxed because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing to share. Regardless of the reason, Paul was abhorred by such laziness, and set the rule “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.
How can our laziness affect the work of Christ?
When is it hard for you to feel motivated to do the work of your church?
Pray that like Paul you will be a good example to others in your attitude toward work.

260 Devotional: Oct 31, 2 Thessalonians 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians+2&version=ESV

2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 (ESV)

The Man of Lawlessness

¹Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,²not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.⁸And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, ¹²in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Stand Firm

¹³But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, ¹⁷comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Meditation

The “man of lawlessness” (v3) pointed clearly to a person commonly referred to as the anti-Christ. He is introduced in Daniel 9:25-27, and Jesus referred to him in Matt 24 and Mark 13. He appeared in Revelation, etc. Here Paul described this anti-Christ as “opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God,proclaiming himself to be God” (v4).
Paul advises us that Satan has yet to attack us with the worst he has, and when he does, it will be a fearful time to be alive. However, Paul also promises that God will always be in control.
The Thessalonian church was facing persecution, false teaching, secularization and various uncertainties. Therefore, Paul wanted the Thessalonian believers to know that accepting Christ and the salvation is only the beginning of one’s spiritual life. He encouraged them to “stand firm” and hold fast to God’s teaching.
What potential threats to the safety of the world do you see right now (for example, attitudes, weapon building, warfare, diseases, crimes, and so on)? What personal fears or concerns do you have about that?
Talk openly with God about any fears or concerns you have regarding the future.

260 Devotional: Oct 28, 2 Thessalonians 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Thessalonians+1&version=ESV

2 THESSALONIANS

Introducing 2 Thessalonians

Second Thessalonians was written a short time after 1 Thessalonians to clear up misconceptions about the Second Coming that the first letter had failed to answer.

Although the letter was written to Gentiles, it assumes some knowledge of the Old Testament. According to Donald Guthrie, this was typical of early Christian teaching (New Testament Introduction, rev. ed. [Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990], p. 596).

Paul most likely wrote the letter from Corinth. In addition to clarifying their understanding about Christ’s return, Paul addressed some ongoing problems in the church in dealing with idleness. This book offered its readers comfort and insight about faith and end times, as well as a call to take responsibility. May it both challenge and encourage you as well.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/2thess/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

³We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.⁴Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

⁵This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— ⁶since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ¹⁰when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.¹¹To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, ¹²so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Meditation

Some people want to think of God as being “nice”. Much too nice to get angry at people, and much too nice to punish sin. The truth is that the idea of “nice” as we understand it is not found in the Bible. This passage talks about Jesus coming in “with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” (vv7-8). And they will “suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord” (v9). The justice of God is displayed in two ways. One is by “repaying” those who do evil (v6). The other is by taking on Himself the punishment due those who do evil. This has already happened on Calvary.
Spend a few moments meditate on the enormity of God’s love in sacrificing Jesus to save you!! Say a word of thanksgiving to God.
Think of the non-believing family members and friends. Think of one or more that you will FAITHFULLY pray for their salvation.

260 Devotional: Oct 27, 1 Thessalonians 5

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+5&version=ESV

1 Thessalonians 5 (ESV)

Final Instructions and Benediction

¹²We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies, ²¹but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

²⁵Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Meditation

Paul wanted the Thessalonians to “live in peace with each other” (v13) that he closed his first letter to them with several instructions on how they can do this.
Among the instructions are: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances” (vv16-18). These three teachings are totally contrary to our human nature. However, as we learn to obey God’s word wholeheartedly, we will develop different perspectives toward people, and things, and we will then discover that to be joyful and thankful isn’t that difficult after all, but rather is the natural outpouring of our hearts.
Follow the discipline of giving thanks in all circumstances by finding as many things in your life as you can to be thankful for.

260 Devotional: Oct 26, 1 Thessalonians 4

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+4&version=ESV

1 Thessalonians 4 (ESV)

A Life Pleasing to God

¹ Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. ²For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, ⁵not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. ⁷For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. ⁸Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, ¹⁰for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, ¹¹and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹²so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Meditation

Paul said that the Thessalonians knew how to live to please and serve God. And he went on to remind them the persons they were to be and the service they were called to render.
Paul specifically mentioned avoiding sexual immorality. But Paul’s broader concern was for controlling all “passion of lust”. A passion for power, for money, for food, for approval and popularity can have just as destructive an impact on holiness as sexual passion.
The call to holiness is a call to sever ties with sin and follow Christ in our daily life. As we go along our journey of following Jesus, we are called to seek after a life of holiness—one that is different than that of the world—and one that we can only live by God’s grace and Spirit at work within us.
Take a moment to consider your surroundings, the competitive workplace, the stressful family life, or busy studies. Pray that the Holy Spirit work within you to teach and guide you and show you specific aspects of your life that you need to seek to live out a life of holiness in all areas of your being.

260 Devotional: Oct 25, 1 Thessalonians 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+3&version=ESV

1 Thessalonians 3 (ESV)

¹ Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, ²and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. ⁴For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.⁵For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

⁶But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— ⁷for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. ⁹For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, ¹²and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Meditation

Paul was forced to leave these very precious people when the rioting began in Thessalonica. Later he sent Timothy to visit them as soon as he could (vv1-5) and was filled with joy when Timothy brought back a good report (vv6-13).
The Thessalonians’ testimony of faith and love comforted and encouraged Paul. Similarly, your testimony can also provide much needed encouragement to fellow believers, your cell leaders, Sunday school teachers, and even pastors. We can also be encouraged by the stories of other members of our community of faith.
Have you had the privilege of hearing the testimony of a fellow believer? Is there anyone at church you’d like to share your experiences or reflections with? Pray that God will use your sharing to encourage that person.
Take time each day this week to reflect and be aware of God’s work in your life and find someone to share how you are experiencing God in your life. Then, bring these stories to your cell group and share with each other there.

260 Devotional: Oct 24, 1 Thessalonians 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+2&version=ESV

1 Thessalonians 2 (ESV)

Paul’s Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. ²But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. ³For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,⁴but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. ⁶Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. ⁷But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

⁹For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. ¹¹For you know how, like a father with his children, ¹²we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Meditation

For Paul, evangelism was always delightful and exciting. Paul’s proclamation of the gospel was not to win the approval of the Thessalonians, but to please God who knows his heart and motivation (v4).
In the brief time Paul was with the Thessalonian Christians, he developed a close relationship with them as he shared the gospel. He spoke of himself “like a nursing mother taking care of her own children”. And “like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you” (v12).
The Lord has entrusted us this good news, what is your attitude towards spreading this good news? When you share the good news, what are you more concerned about: the way that people might respond or what God’s purposes are?
Ask God to give you encouragement to be a gentle and loving evangelist.

260 Devotional: Oct 21, 1 Thessalonians 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians+1&version=ESV

1 THESSALONIANS

Introducing 1 Thessalonians

Conventional wisdom tells us that nothing is certain except death and taxes, but for most of us that is not enough. Wouldn’t you like to be just as sure about where you stand with God? That’s what the Thessalonians were looking for, and Paul’s letters to them can help you find that assurance as well.

In the year A.D. 50, Paul entered Thessalonica while on his second missionary journey. He preached there for three weeks and was able to establish a church. However, a group of jealous Jews interpreted Paul’s message to mean that he was proclaiming another ruler in opposition to the Roman emperor, and he was forced to leave town (Acts 17:1-10).

Because of Paul’s concern for this young church, he sent his coworker, Timothy, to learn how the Thessalonians were doing. Timothy reported that the Christians’ faith remained strong but that they continued to be persecuted by those who had banished Paul. Timothy also brought back questions which Paul had not had time to answer during his short stay.

First Thessalonians was Paul’s first attempt at offering encouragement and answering questions—in fact it was probably the first of Paul’s epistles. It was written from Corinth only a few months after Paul had left Thessalonica.

In 1 Thessalonians Paul offers encouragement in four major areas: (1) How can I be sure that I will be with Jesus after death? (2) How can I be sure that Jesus is coming again? (3) How can I be sure that Jesus hasn’t forgotten me when I am suffering persecution? (4) How can I be sure that my life is pleasing to God?

Through your study of these letters, it is my hope that you will become sure of your faith and of your salvation and that, as a result, you will be able to “encourage each other with these words”(1Th 4:18).

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/1thess/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Greeting

¹Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example

²We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,⁵because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ⁹For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Meditation

For Christians, faith, love and hope are not just abstract ideas. We see in the example of the church of Thessalonica. The Thessalonian Christians were remarkable as a truly committed church. They not only received the gospel – they acted on it! They had faith that produced work, love that prompted labor, and hope that inspired endurance (v3). Their actions became an example and a source of joy for Paul and other churches who heard about what God was doing among the Thessalonians.
A church should be a prominent and unmistakable shining light to the community in which it exists. What is the reputation of your church or cell group throughout the community? How can you help your church or cell group become such a shining light?
How do you live out and act in faith, love and hope as a Christian in your everyday life?

260 Devotional: Oct 20, Colossians 4

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+4&version=ESV

Colossians Chapter 4 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

²Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—⁴that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

⁵Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: In this last chapter, Paul shows that witnessing involves prayer, living and speaking. His closing greetings illustrate many ways Christians help and encourage each other.
Expressing Christ in our lives is vital to an effective witness. But it is not enough. The gospel is a message delivered in words, and authenticated by life. Both word and life must be shared and accompanied by fervent prayers before the Lord.
How well are you in sharing the gospel? Which do you need to improve (in word or life) to become more effective in advancing the gospel?
Use verses 3-4 to pray for yourself, your church leaders and missionaries. Ask God to make you aware of every opportunity to encourage nonbelievers to consider Jesus.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv5-6 only.)

Does your conversation reflect a Christ-like life? How you respond to others can help or hurt your witness. Paul said that our conversation should be “full of grace”. As a family, role-play these situations: your friend at school calls you an unflattering name; your neighbor criticizes your child’s behavior; your co-worker blasts your report. How does a Christian reply?

Proverbs for Today 23:1-4

¹When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what is before you,
²and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite.
³Do not desire his delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.
⁴Do not toil to acquire wealth;
    be discerning enough to desist.

260 Devotional: Oct 19, Colossians 3

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3&version=ESV

Colossians Chapter 3 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹²Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: True spiritual reality is experienced and expressed in rejection of evil and a transformed character. We recognize Christ in the Christian’s life by the love and mutual submission expressed in every relationship.
Read the passage and consider these segments included in the process of putting on the new life.

A new life is possible (vv3-4)
Get rid of the old life (v5)
Put on the new life (v12-14)
Inner thoughts and behavior needed to put on new life (vv15-17)

Which part speaks to you most right now? Why? How does that idea relate to the other parts? How does it relate to love “which binds them all together in perfect harmony”?
Pray to God the part that speaks to you, personalizing it.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv5-10 only.)

Do you enjoy putting on new clothes? Sometimes, they make you feel like a totally new person. Paul talked about putting on a new self in much the same way one would put on new garments. He lists things you must get rid of to have new life in Christ. What are they? Why do you need to get rid of or not take up with these things?

Proverbs for Today 22:26-29

²⁶Be not one of those who give pledges,
    who put up security for debts.
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
    why should your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸Do not move the ancient landmark
    that your fathers have set.
²⁹Do you see a man skillful in his work?
    He will stand before kings;
    he will not stand before obscure men.

260 Devotional: Oct 18, Colossians 2

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+2&version=ESV

Colossians Chapter 2 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

⁶Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.¹³And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

¹⁶Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: Understanding life in Christ, and we won’t be taken in by substitutes for true spirituality.
In v8, Paul criticized the Colossian false teaching that is not based on God’s revelation in Christ but the “misleadingphilosophy and empty deception based on traditions fabricated by mere mortals. These are sourced in the elementary principles originating in this world and not in the Anointed One (so don’t let their talks capture you)”. (The Voice)
In this passage, it was clear that the “elemental spirits of this world” refer to the rituals and rules of the Old Testament (vv16-17). The legalistic false teachers were probably advocating obedience to the Law of Moses for justification and sanctification.
Silently reread verses 9-15, inserting your name every time Paul says you or us. How do these facts affect your view of yourself?
Consider the fact that we are made complete in Christ. Let your prayer and praise to arise out of that fact.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv6-8 only.)

Use the following as a guide for a Pray for Your Children time with the whole family.

Praying for our children and grandchildren:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord . . . Salvation is the greatest gift of God. Thank him for the salvation he has provided for your children. You will spend eternity with them. Let him know your deep gratitude. For children who have not yet trusted in Jesus, ask him to interrupt their lives and help them to see their spiritual helplessness and hopelessness apart from you.

. . . so walk in him, rooted and built up in him. . . Pray that God keeps your children developing as followers of Jesus. Pray that they always follow hard after him. Ask God to keep their lives rooted and established in order to withstand the inevitable challenges.

. . . and established in the faith, just as you were taught. . . Ask God to remind your children of all the things you taught them and are teaching them – the stories from the Bible, Scriptural truths, spiritual lessons, demonstrations of moving forward in trust. Ask God to remind them often of the things he has allowed you and is allowing you to teach them.

. . . abounding in thanksgiving. It’s easy for believers to continually make requests without slowing down to give thanks. Pray that God helps you instill in your children hearts of true gratitude and appreciation. Ask him to help you be an example of a person who overflows with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. . . The information age provides many opportunities for error to be purported as truth. Pray that God will help you build into the hearts and minds of your children a “truth grid” that will not let error enter. Pray for grown children that they will not be deceived. (Adapted from: http://ronmoore.org/praying-for-our-children-and-grandchildren-colossians-26-8/)

Proverbs for Today 22:22-25

²²Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
    or crush the afflicted at the gate,
²³for the Lord will plead their cause
    and rob of life those who rob them.
²⁴Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
    nor go with a wrathful man,
²⁵lest you learn his ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare.

260 Devotional: Oct 17, Colossians 1

Read chapter in full: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1&version=ESV

COLOSSIANS

Introducing Colossians

“More! More!” urged our son John when I laid down the spoon after feeding him.

“Again! Again!” pleaded our daughter Sara as I turned the last page in the book I was reading to her.

Their cries for more pudding or stories are echoed in our culture’s search for more—more power, more money, more knowledge, more gadgets, more furniture, more clothes—more everything!

Books on self-improvement and success flood the market. Gurus gain eager followers by offering enlightenment, power and secret wisdom. Millions read horoscopes every day.

We cry for “more” not only in our society but also in the church. If only we had more wisdom, more maturity, more power, more faith. To fill these needs we attend seminars, go to concerts, hear celebrity speakers and read their latest books.

Colossians was written to Christians with similar longings. They didn’t know who and what they already had. False teachers urged them to add rules, ascetic practices and new philosophies to their Christian faith. Then they would have fullness of life. Paul writes to satisfy their desire for more by showing that they already had fullness in Christ.

Paul never traveled to Colossae, a city in the Lycus River valley about a hundred miles east of Ephesus and twelve miles from Laodicea. But somehow he met Epaphras, the man who had taken the gospel to Colossae, and Philemon, the host for the local house church. While in prison in Rome, Paul learned from Epaphras about the Colossian church and the pressures threatening their peace and stability.

These “faithful brothers” had not turned away from faith in Christ. Paul’s warm, friendly letter affirms their positive qualities and the changes in their lives. But he warns them against being deceived by “fine-sounding arguments” (2:4) or being captured by “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and on the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (2:8).

The temptation to add ascetic practices, regulations or “superior knowledge” threatened their dependence on Christ alone for the fullness of life they wanted. The early Gnostics boasted about a spiritual “fullness” not previously experienced. They promised to complete and perfect the simple and elementary faith introduced by Paul and Epaphras. They emphasized a deeper knowledge of God, reserved for a special few, and an experience of greater power.

Colossians is Paul’s strongest declaration of the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ, his full authority over all powers and the fullness of life he gives. Paul spells out the implications of this fullness of life again and again in the letter.

Like the Colossians, we are bombarded by longings for something more. But Paul thunders in Colossians, You already have fullness in Christ. Enjoy it! “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ” (2:9-10). The purpose of these quiet times is to help you discover the scope, reality and implications of the fullness of life you have in Christ. Paul’s letter to Philemon gives principles for mending broken relationships that apply to us as well.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/coloss/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

²¹And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: Without Christ, Christianity is nothing. Paul offered prayers for the Colossians (vv3-14), and made a profound affirmation of Christ’s supremacy (vv15-23) and his living presence in the believer (vv24-29).
We often hear: “All roads lead to Rome. Everyone is eventually going to the same place. How can Christians say Jesus is the only way to God?”What is your response?
In this passage, Paul adamantly declared Christ’s supremacy over every being and every idea. It is the central truth of Christian faith. Christ is Lord over all creation and is the reconciler between God and his creation. Our lives are built upon it, shaped in every way by it. Through Christ’s reconciliation we may be given back to God holy, blameless, and irreproachable. God is the all-powerful ruler of heaven and earth. God expresses his supreme power in this world in the person of Jesus. God still expresses His supreme power in this world – through us!
Silently reread verses 21-23, inserting your name every time Paul says you. What emotion, phrases, or thoughts come to you? What insight do you have about Jesus Christ, your new life in Him? Talk to God, wait and listen to Him speaking to you.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv15-18 only.)

Paul reminds us that Christ began the work of the church on earth. Today, believers usually carry on that work through a local church organization. How much do you know about your local church? As a family talk to a long-time member of the church who can tell you some of the church history.

Proverbs for Today 22:19-21

¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord,
    I have made them known to you today, even to you.
²⁰Have I not written for you thirty sayings
    of counsel and knowledge,
²¹to make you know what is right and true,
    that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

260 Devotional: Oct 14, Philippians 4

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/philippians/4/cuvs/

Philippians Chapter 4 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹⁰I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

¹⁴Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. ¹⁵And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. ¹⁶Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. ¹⁷Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. ¹⁸I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: Paul exhorted the Philippian Christians (vv1-9), gave a most unusual thank-you note (vv10-20), and added final greetings (vv21-23).
Many people believe they can only be content and happy once they have reached a certain level of economic prosperity. How does their view differ from Paul’s secret of contentment? How is your view compared with Paul’s? How can you become a better giver? Or a better receiver?
Richard Foster defines “simplicity” as “an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle” (Celebration of Discipline). According to Paul, what is the inward reality? How close are you to experiencing this in your life? What can you do to encourage it?
Pray for Christian workers you know, that they would have the emotional and financial support they need.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read v19 only.)

Have you thanked God for his many gifts to you lately? Take time to name the gifts God’s given to your family and each member. Talk about the missionary your family is praying and caring for. Have a discussion about sending them a gift package.

Proverbs for Today 22:17-18

¹⁷Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
and apply your heart to my knowledge,
¹⁸for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.

260 Devotional: Oct 13, Philippians 3

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/philippians/3/cuvs/

Philippians Chapter 3 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

²Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. ⁷But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: Paul had abandoned confidence in his own works (vv1-6) to trust Christ completely (vv7-11). All mature believers will follow Paul’s example and press toward this goal (vv12-17), eagerly awaiting Christ’s return and our transformation (vv18-21).
Paul had credentials: his family heritage, education, and zeal. These would have secured him a prominent place in the society. But Paul’s encounter with Christ radically changed him. When Paul met the risen Christ, his resume did nothing for him. What mattered now was relationship with Christ. Christians learn to recognize and abandon those things that must be counted as losses (possessions, credentials, attitudes, etc.) in light of our encounter with Christ (the gain of our relationship with Christ).
What are the things that you count “gain” but actually are “loss” and may become “weight and sin that clings so closely” (Heb 12:1) for your heaven-bound journey? How can you change your perspective and consider everything as secondary to knowing Jesus as your Lord?
Sing this song meditatively as your prayer of dedication to God – “All I once held dear” by Robin Mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09CzdMszUos

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, you’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read 7-9 only.)

Read today’s passage as well as the lyrics of this song. Discuss what Paul meant by “gain” and “loss”. Learn to sing this song together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09CzdMszUos

Proverbs for Today 22:13-16

¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit;
    he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

260 Devotional: Oct 12, Philippians 2

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/philippians/2/cuvs/

Philippians Chapter 2 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ²complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but inhumility count others more significant than yourselves.⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance: Paul urged the Philippian Christians to imitate Jesus Christ who being equal with God yet whose incarnation and life are the supreme example of humility (vv1-18). He commended two men he was about to send to Philippi (vv19-30).
Here Paul encouraged Christians to look at the attitude of humility Jesus displayed, and adopt it in our relationships with others. Whatever basis we might have for believing we are better than others, all pale to utter insignificance when we see Jesus, willing to abandon His rightful claim of full equality with God, to not only become a human being, but even to die on a cross.
It’s no wonder that Christians have been considered weak, dull, too scrupulous or too cowardly, to make it big in the world. What the world doesn’t understand is that Christians choose humility not out of weakness, but out of strength.
How would things change if you consistently applied v v3-8 in your family? Church? Work? Which do you need to work on now?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read v4-7 only.)

Paul said you should become like Christ and be a servant. He said you should look out for others’ interests. Talk about how one can be a servant and not get hurt in the process. Do you know people whose needs you should respond to? Do you have a new neighbor you should welcome? Decide on someone you could visit and help in some way.

Proverbs for Today 22:9-12

⁹Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
    for he shares his bread with the poor.
¹⁰Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,
    and quarreling and abuse will cease.
¹¹He who loves purity of heart,
    and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.
¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he overthrows the words of the traitor.

260 Devotional: Oct 11, Philippians 1

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/philippians/1/cuvs/

PHILIPPIANS

Introducing Philippians

“Rejoice in the Lord always,” the author of Philippians exhorts us, “I will say it again: Rejoice!” Coming from most people, such words might sound trite and simplistic, but this is the apostle Paul speaking, a man who was not writing from a padded-leather office chair surrounded by books on how to be happy. On the contrary, he was a prisoner awaiting news that could result in his death. It isn’t hard to get behind the words of Philippians and see the tension and uncertainty there. Yet through all this we see the example of a man whose life is filled with joy.

As we study Philippians, we discover Paul’s secret: that a life lived for the glory of God will overflow with joy. What a message for our hurting world!

Philippi was an important city because it straddled the great east-west highway known as the Egnatian Way. The population of this city was cosmopolitan, being made up of Tracians, Greeks, Romans and a few Jews. In the center of the city was a large forum surrounded by temples, a library, fountains, monuments and public baths.

In 42 B.C. Antony and Octavia defeated Brutus and Cassius near Philippi. In honor of his victory, Antony made Philippi a Roman colony. This provided the Philippians with special rights and privileges as Roman citizens, and they responded with a great deal of pride and loyalty. Women enjoyed a high status in Philippi—taking an active part in both public and business life. Because of this, women also had important responsibilities in the Philippian church.

Paul founded this church sometime around the year A.D. 50, during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:12-40). From the letter to the Philippians we learn that this church was taking its share of suffering (1:29), it was in some danger of division (1:27; 2:2; 4:2), it may have been leaning toward a doctrine of perfectionism (3:12-13), and it was threatened by the teaching of Judaizers—a group which insisted that all Christians adhere to Jewish laws and customs. But despite these problems, Paul’s love for this church was obvious. He sincerely rejoiced at the progress they were making.

We know that Paul was writing to the Philippians from prison (1:12-14). Unfortunately, it is not clear which prison he was writing from. If he was writing during his imprisonment in Rome, then the letter can be dated sometime between A.D. 61-63. However, many scholars have pointed out that the conditions which Paul describes seem much harsher than what we know of the Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16, 30-31). It could be that there was an earlier imprisonment not recorded in Acts. A good case has been made for Ephesus. If this is true, Philippians would have been written about A.D. 54.

Paul had several reasons for writing this letter. He wanted to explain why he was sending a man named Epaphroditus back to Philippi. He also wanted to thank the Philippians for the gift of money they had sent and to reassure his friends of his condition. Also, the news Paul had received concerning the Philippians made him long to encourage and advise a church he loved.

I hope that these quiet times will help you learn and apply Paul’s secret to joyful living.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/phil/

Chapter 1 (ESV)

Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

²Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. ⁹And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Reflection

Chapter in a Glance. Paul thanked God and prayed for his partners in the gospel (vv1-11). He assured them that his imprisonment had been a good thing (vv12-26), and encouraged them to stand firm together (vv27-30).
Have any of your good friends ever told you what they appreciate about you? Have you ever listened while others prayed for you? If so, how do you feel when you are assured that others care for you?
As you read the passage, try to imagine yourself sitting with your whole church listening to this letter as if it’s written for your church.What emotion, phrases, or thoughts come to you? Allow God to speak to you about what that word or phrase means and listen to what He has to say.
Take a few minutes to put Paul’s prayer into your own words. Use this to pray for your church and your group.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you.

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv3-4 only.)

Have you ever been in a new town or new school or new situation and felt you had no friends? Possibly at those times, you recognized how friends are a true gift from God. Paul recognized this as he wrote from prison to his friends at Philippi. Have each family member write a letter to a friend, or a greeting card. Tell your friend you thank God each time you remember her or him. End this time by having one parent leading the family in thanking God for each of the friends mentioned.

Proverbs for Today 22:5-8

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
    whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.
⁶Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.
⁷The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and the rod of his fury will fail.