TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 15:18-25
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit . . .? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. - 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Throughout Africa, a practice known as lobola in the South, mahari in the East, or wine-carrying in the West continues today. This is the practice of paying a bride price. When a man agrees to marry a woman, he pays a price in cattle or crops in exchange for her hand in marriage. In the twenty-first century, this ritual is becoming more controversial. Some believe it is insulting to women, while others consider it an expression of honor and esteem.

Our verse for today reminds us that Christ has paid a bride price for His church. We belong to Him now. As the church, we no longer belong to the world, and our new allegiance has definite implications.

Jesus says, “No servant is greater than his master” (v. 20). With these words, Jesus predicts what kind of treatment the church should expect today. Christ was hated. We shouldn't be surprised when we are hated as well (v. 18). Christ was persecuted. We, too, will suffer for being Christians. Our world prefers rebellion to repentance, so we should expect an irrational and indiscriminate hatred toward those who seek holiness (v. 25).In the United States, our worst persecutions rarely amount to more than being occasionally misunderstood, criticized, patronized, and discriminated against. In other places around the world such as China and Vietnam, Christians face imprisonment, beatings, and even death for calling on the name of Christ.

As the bride of Christ, we do much better to anticipate mistreatment and persecution than to expect tolerance and inclusion. We must remember that we don't belong to the world (v. 19). It's not our “club.” We don't know how to act. In a figurative sense, we look funny, we talk funny, and we act funny. And the world sees it. While the rejection stings sometimes, we can rejoice at what and to whom we now belong: to Jesus Christ and to His church.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When Jesus called His people out of the world, it was an act of consecration. Much like Moses was instructed to purify and consecrate all of the priestly garments and tabernacle furniture for God's use, we are set apart by God through the atonement of Christ Jesus for holy purposes (cf. Ex. 29:29-46; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:20-21). Rejoice that God has loved you enough to consecrate you, and be looking for ways to live out your calling.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Colossians 1:15-20
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. - Ephesians 1:22-23a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Whether caused by severe accidents or illness, damage to various areas of the brain can eliminate different functions of the body. In the case of brain death, which is a total cessation of brain activity, the body is absolutely lifeless. It cannot function without its control center.

Unsurprisingly, then, Scripture gives Christ the title of “Head” of the church, His body. The church can never function apart from Christ. Like the brain is to a physical body, so Christ is to the church. He is responsible to direct its activities and coordinate its movements.

Christ is Head of the church because He deserves to be, as this passage makes clear. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul seeks to undermine a heretical teaching within this particular church (cf. 2:4, . This false teaching described Christ as one of many spiritual beings given by God to bridge the gap between Himself and man. Paul refutes this teaching by exalting Christ. He is not One among many—He is God Himself. As the second Person of the Trinity, He is distinct from but equal to God the Father (v. 15). All the attributes of God are His in fullness (v. 19).

Christ is Creator of the universe (v. 16). Not only did He create the animals, plants, and people of earth, but He also created the angels and heavens themselves. And because of His preeminence as Creator, He has the prerogative of Ruler. He is supreme over everything on earth and everything in heaven (v. 18). He deserves first place, first say, first regard.

Finally, Christ is Head of the church because He is the firstborn from among the dead (v. 18). He has gone before us all. He has experienced all the temptations and sufferings that we ourselves face. Because He has tasted death itself and freed us from its power through His resurrection, He now describes us as His brothers and sisters (cf. Heb. 2:11, 14, 17) and we can be free from the power of death.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We are reminded today that because Christ is Head over the church, He has authority over the church. One characteristic of a church that submits itself to Christ's authority is prayerfulness. Are the leaders of your church committed to prayer before decision-making? Are the people in prayer for the leaders? When conflict arises, is the first step toward resolution a commitment to prayer? Does your church value prayer above programs? Let's stay connected to our Head, seeking His guidance and will through prayer.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 2:18-29
Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. - Revelation 2:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
At half-time, a coach has an important job to do in the locker room. He has to encourage the good play as well as address the mistakes his team has made so far. He needs tips for improvement as well as motivation for his players to stay focused for the rest of the game.

Our passage today sounds like a half-time talk for the church in Thyatira. On the one hand, this church receives praise from the Lord (v. 19). On the other hand, they have some weaknesses in their game, some sin that needs to be addressed.

The church was guilty before God and called to repent (v. 22). The people of Thyatira have tolerated sin in their midst. A woman, compared to Jezebel (cf. 1 Kings 16:31-33), had been allowed to teach false doctrine. Her teaching had produced more sin, rather than greater righteousness (v. 20). What's more, she herself wouldn't repent. Christ had given her more than one occasion to repent, but she refused (v. 21). In His brief address to the church in Thyatira, Jesus reveals the importance of three different aspects that we've discussed for the church. The first is unity. Jesus addresses the church corporately (vv. 19-20). We usually think of our responsibility before God as personal and individual, but here we see a church being called to account. What we do as the body of Christ in our local congregations matters to Christ just as our individual, personal choices matter.

Second, we see Christ's authority over the church at Thyatira. He knows the church (v. 19), He examines the church (v. 23), and He has the authority to cast judgment over what He sees. Christ addresses the sin and forecasts punishment for the sin He sees.

Finally, we see the importance of purity in the church. She belongs to Christ, and anyone who steers her away from obedience to Him is guilty of leading the church into adultery.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Imagine Jesus visiting your church today and addressing your congregation. What commendation could you expect from the Lord? What areas of weakness would He address? Can you support your conclusions about what your church is doing right or wrong through Scripture? As you think through the relevant Scripture, ask God to help you encourage your church for its strengths and to be a part of the solution for weaknesses. Remember that while no church is perfect, we should all be striving for Christlikeness!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 14:1-26
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these. - John 14:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
In her book, L'Abri, Edith Schaeffer describes how her husband, Francis, began to question: “Suppose we had awakened today to find everything concerning the Holy Spirit and prayer removed from the Bible. . . . What difference would it make practically between the way we worked yesterday and the way we would work today, and tomorrow?. . . . Where does the supernatural power of God have a real place?”

Francis Schaeffer was identifying the weakness of the church in his generation and our own. Do we have the faith of which Jesus spoke in today's verse? Do we have vital prayer lives where we expectantly and confidently ask and receive things from God (vv. 13-14)? Do we attempt things with God's help that only He can do? By depending on the work of the Holy Spirit indwelling every believer, we can begin to see Jesus' promises fulfilled (v. 17).

Christ is Head of His body, and the Holy Spirit is its lifeblood. In this passage, two important roles of the Holy Spirit are described. First, He guides the church into truth (v. 17). He doesn't invent new ideas, update old-fashioned principles, or revise history. Instead, He reminds us of everything that Jesus has said to His church (v. 26). This vital ministry protects the church from error. And as He guides the church into a greater understanding of the commands of Jesus, He enables the church to really love Jesus (v. 23).

Second, the Holy Spirit empowers the church. Jesus had confidence in the church because He knew her future. He would leave, and the Holy Spirit would come. Jesus insisted that this truly was best for believers (cf. John 16:7). As their Helper (v. 16, nasb), the Holy Spirit would live in all who believe, not just a select chosen few (v. 17). He would help the church do ministry in the name of Christ (v. 12) and truly fulfill its mandate to be Christ's body in the world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Did you know that it is a command in Scripture to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18)? We the church desperately need the Holy Spirit. He fills us as we regularly confess our sin before God, ask Him to fill us, and walk in the Spirit.

By saturating our minds with Scripture, praying without ceasing, listening to God, and witnessing to others, we can walk in step with the Spirit.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 28:16-20
Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. - John 20:21
TODAY IN THE WORD
Mission: Impossible, a television series that premiered in 1966, began each episode the same way. A secret message was delivered to a team of government spies in the form of a pre-recorded tape. The message gave detailed instructions for the mission, announcing at the end of each recording, “This tape will self-destruct in sixty seconds.” Bam!

Minus the self-destructing tape, in today's reading the church receives instructions and encouragement for its final mission before Jesus' return. The task is challenging—but not impossible. First, all authority belongs to Jesus Christ (v. 18). Nothing can stand in our way of getting the job done. Everything and everyone submits to Christ's authority, even the Devil himself. We can also draw confidence because Jesus promises to be with us forever (v. 20). As we discussed yesterday, this promise is fulfilled because Holy Spirit indwells us as believers.

With this confidence as our foundation, we must make disciples (v. 19). Though other verbs appear in this sentence (go, baptize, teach), the primary action command here is to make disciples. The main goal of the church isn't to help the homeless or to build orphanages or to teach the illiterate, though these things will happen as a result of its mission. Its priority is helping people understand salvation through Christ and obedience to Christ. Making disciples must come first.

Now for the method—Jesus insisted in our verse for today that we are sent just as He was sent. Taking a quick look back at the opening chapter of John, we remember that Jesus was sent by God in the “flesh” and He “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Jesus didn't substitute mass advertising for the Incarnation. He made God the Father known as He walked and talked, as He touched the sick and called the fishermen. He made God real and present and near. And this is the role of the church today in our world, to bring God close, to speak His words and extend His touch where people are hurting and in need.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How is your church impacting your community? Making disciples requires both evangelism and then intentional discipleship. Is your church weaker in one area than another? Are you individually weaker in one area than another? Identify your area of weakness and make goals to see God strengthen that weakness. Also, consider reading The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, a classic book on this assignment that we as the church have to make disciples.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 5:13-16
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. - John 17:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1910, John Wilbur Chapman wrote the hymn, “Our Great Savior,” to describe the many wonderful roles of Christ. “Jesus, what a friend for sinners . . . what a strength in weakness . . . . what a help in sorrow . . . what a guide and keeper . . . Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

“Friend of sinners” was actually an accusation that the Pharisees leveled against Jesus (cf. Matt. 11:19). These religious leaders of Jesus' time criticized Him for the time and attention that He devoted to sinners. The Pharisees believed that this was proof enough that He was not sent from God (cf. Luke 7:39). Yet Jesus was not threatened by this misunderstanding, nor did He worry about alienating His religious critics. He kept loving the unlovely and forgiving sinners. If Jesus reached people outside the temple walls, we as the church must follow His example.

Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount emphasizes this. Take the examples of salt and light given in this passage. Salt and light are only as effective as the extent of their contact. Salt, used as a preservative in biblical times, had to be rubbed into meat to prevent decay. Light depends upon darkness to exercise its function. Likewise, we as spiritual salt and light must come into contact with our morally decaying and dark world. The church is not an isolated ivory tower. Indeed, our function requires a great deal more courage than that.

For all our discomfort in a world where we truly don't belong (see March 11), we cannot hide and we cannot run. Instead, we have to make our presence, the presence of Christ Himself, felt and seen and heard (v. 15). We must be willing to leave the comfort of our familiar circles in order to minister to those who are hurting, lonely, and lost. We do this because we are the body of Christ in the world today. We do this because Christ has commissioned us to this call.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We must pray for potency in our “saltiness” (v. 13). We're not good for much when we're so like the world that we cease to impact the world.

Second, we need to pray for courage in our testimony. Light cannot and should not be hidden. As the illuminated city on the hill, we will need to talk frankly to unbelievers about our conversion to Christ and our firm faith in the truth of the gospel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-12
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. - 1 Corinthians 12:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Writing a mission statement is common business protocol. Companies define their vision so that each employee will know the goals that the company is trying to achieve. The mission is the same for each employee, but the function of each employee differs. Not everyone is a CEO. There must also be mailroom employees, secretaries, salespersons, and mid-level managers!

We've spent our recent discussions defining the purpose of the church. As the body and bride of Christ, we have a unique purpose in this world. We are unified around this common vision. However, we are not uniform in the way that we set about the task at hand.

Today's reading reveals the Corinthians' ignorance concerning spiritual gifts (v. 1). They were operating under a false presumption: that some gifts indicated special favor and importance while others were less valuable (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-30). They misunderstood the necessary diversity of the body of Christ. They confused unity for uniformity. We are unified because of our confession of faith. The church must with one voice declare emphatically, “Jesus is Lord” (v. 3). This declaration of faith and act of submission signals the work of Christ in a believer and in a church (see March 1).

Our faith in one Lord produces not conformity, however, but diversity (vv. 4-6). While working toward the same goal and for the same Lord, believers have different areas of focus, different burdens of compassion, different methods, and different capacities. Comparing one church to another or comparing one believer to another is unfair and inaccurate. The same Holy Spirit can work differently from one life to another, one congregation to another.

Understanding this diversity enables the cooperative spirit necessary in the church today (see March 10). It destroys ego and competition because of its focus on the Holy Spirit who distributes the gifts (v. 11), rather than on the one who uses the gifts. We owe all of our abilities and ideas for ministry to Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God has provided believers with spiritual gifts so that we can serve one another and help meet the needs in the church. Do you know if you are exercising a spiritual gift? Think of a time when you felt the thrill of being used by the Lord in His work. Does this indicate to you an area of giftedness? Think also of the specific personal burdens you carry for your church and for the world. These areas of interests can help guide you to discovering your spiritual gifts.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 12:3-16
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
BagBorroworSteal.com is a new Web site that features trendy handbags for rent. Using the concept of renting the latest blockbuster movie on video, you can now shell out your cash for a designer purse to use and then return. Purse junkies, as they call themselves, love the ability to have the latest, most stylish purse for a fraction of the cost of owning. One does wonder, though, in what condition the purses are returned!

When something belongs to us, we tend to care for it more carefully. That's why the church must gain a sense of belonging to each other so that we can value one another. As members of the body of Christ, we must learn to function as a unit (vv. 4, 5). Just as we care for and appreciate the functions of all the limbs and organs of our body, so we need to appreciate each member of Christ's body.

This first requires humility (v. 16). Humility is the opposite of vain conceit, or thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think (v. 3). In humility, we value other members' contributions to the body. Humility isn't, however, false modesty but rather sober judgment. It's not a judgment rendered by a measure of comparison but by a measure of faith. It's service with confidence but without a need for the spotlight (vv. 7-8). This allows us to attempt great things for God and believe God has great plans for us, but that comes from faith in His power rather than pride in our own abilities. This kind of service enriches the body of Christ.

Our participation in the body also requires sincere love (v. 9). This passage gives some concrete examples for how to show love to the body of Christ. We love by sharing our time and money and resources with others when they need it. We love them by inviting them into our homes (v. 13). We love them by celebrating their successes and grieving their losses (v. 15). We love them by choosing to disregard our privileges and befriending those who are different from us (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In the next month, take time to celebrate the successes of a brother or sister in Christ. Send a note of congratulations for a recent promotion. Praise God in your personal prayer time for the growth they're experiencing spiritually. In addition, mourn with those who mourn. Carry a burden for people by praying for them and with them. You could do important, practical things like make a meal for someone under emotional stress or attend the wake or funeral of a friend's loved one.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 4:4-16
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. - Ephesians 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
The health of our physical body depends on the health of each individual organ and system. Torn ligaments don't kill us, but ask anyone with a torn ACL and they will attest to pain and handicap that requires surgery. Though not as vital as the heart, even a torn ligament requires immediate attention so that the body doesn't suffer permanent damage. The body of Christ mirrors this complexity and interdependence. In the church, every member is important. Not one single member is unnecessary. Each part has a job to do (vv. 12, 16).

That said, certain spiritual gifts are absolutely vital within the church. The local congregation needs those who equip the church (v. 11). To say that these gifts are perhaps more necessary doesn't elevate the pastor or evangelist to a sort of “super-Christian” status before God. It also doesn't mean that they alone do all the work while the congregation sits idly by. On the contrary, their most important function is to train those under their leadership to do “works of service” (v. 12).

The “equipping” gifts are different from other gifts, such as encouragement or intercession, in that they are “truth” gifts. The church cannot stand apart from the foundation of the truth. The church itself is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The Holy Spirit's role is also to guide us into truth (see March 14). For any other gift to operate properly, it must be grounded in truth and equipped by truth. Without truth, the church is vulnerable to its own immaturity and to deception (v. 14).

Timothy, himself a pastor, evangelist, missionary, and teacher, received profound advice from Paul that is much needed for people in those roles today: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved . . . who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you are serving as a pastor or teacher in your church, evaluate the time and intentionality you are giving to your study of the Word.

If you don't have these gifts but appreciate those who exercise them in your church, encourage them by saying so. They need it. And if you're a “supporting ligament” in the body of Christ, recognize and fulfill the work God has for you!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 25:31-46
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself. - Luke 10:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
An unfortunate division occurred in the American church at the turn of the last century. Many denominations, feeling threatened by the theory of evolution, exchanged fidelity to the gospel of Christ for social activism. Feeding the poor seemed less problematic than teaching the Word of God. Many evangelical churches, on the other hand, went to the other extreme, neglecting social issues in their concern for souls.

Today's passage helps us understand why the church cannot abandon care for either souls or bodies. Yes, the church has its commission from Christ to impact this world spiritually by making disciples (see March 15). But this does not preclude the church's much needed influence in meeting everyday physical needs. Our greatest commands, as given by Christ, are to love God and to love our neighbor. Indeed, love for God necessitates love for our neighbor. As people who have received God's mercy, we must now become instruments of that mercy in our world today.

We do so by acts of compassion. In the name of Christ, we serve the most neglected and abused people in our society: the poor, homeless, lonely, destitute, sick, and imprisoned (vv. 35-36). Interestingly enough, in the parable from Matthew 25, the righteous people who were doing these things hardly realized that they were serving God. They seem quite surprised by Jesus' praise (v. 40).

Jesus shattered the divide between spiritual and secular, holy and ordinary. Every act of service could become a fragrant offering of worship. Every act of the Christian disciple becomes spiritual and holy when it is committed to the glory of God. Yesterday we learned that teaching gifts within the church prepare us for works of service, and today's reading gives us a glimpse of the ways that we can serve in the name of Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How might you begin serving the poor and destitute as an expression of your gratitude to Christ for loving and saving you? Compassion International has a wonderful ministry to poor children across the globe. By a monthly contribution to this ministry, you can begin to help feed, clothe, nurse and educate a needy child. Check out their Web site at www.compassion.com for more information. Locally, can you also begin serving at a homeless shelter or contributing to a food pantry?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Peter 4:7-11
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
Stop, drop and roll—it's one of the first tips we learn about fire safety. If our clothes are on fire, the worst thing we can do is run and feed the flames with more oxygen. We've got to smother the flames in order to extinguish the fire.Peter has a safety tip for the church of Jesus Christ. When it seems that God's purposes are going up in flames, when people professing the name of Christ wound and are wounded, we've got to smother the fire of dissension and disappointment with the covering of God's love.

Why does it sometimes feel like the church is failing? Why does the church lead unbelievers to malign Jesus Christ and misunderstand His redemptive purposes? At these times it may be because the church has forgotten how to love.

Sinners we are and sinners we will be until Jesus returns for His church. We are a fallen people. Our offenses, both the ones we commit and the ones we suffer, are real and many. But if we remember and practice the law of love, the injuries from our offenses heal more quickly. Love helps us forgive. Love helps us persevere through conflict. Love believes the best.

Love also keeps us from complaining about one another (v. 9). Loving one another deeply means coming to a place where service doesn't happen because of arm-twisting. When we love deeply, we serve sincerely, without hypocrisy.

Finally, love frees us to exercise our spiritual gifts with humble confidence (v. 10). By recognizing that our gifts can actually administer the grace of God in someone's life, in love we'll be eager to serve and to use our gifts.

If the church remembers to love, God will be glorified. It's for this reason that the church exists. In fact, everything exists, “that in all things, God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever” (v. 11). Plain and simple, the church exists for the glory of God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
For the next ten days, we'll be setting out diagnostic tests to examine the health of our churches. Today's test measures the quality of our love for one another. Proverbs 19:11 amplifies what Peter says about love: “A man's wisdom gives him patience . . . to overlook an offense.” Practice this week overlooking the mistakes, snide comments, and offenses of others. Praise God for every opportunity you have to cover these offenses by not mentioning them or being angered by them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 18:10-35
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32
TODAY IN THE WORD
If you watch almost any talk show or read popular magazines, you'll sometimes hear advice like this for resolving conflict: try once to resolve the misunderstanding, and if you're rebuffed, wait for the apology that you deserve. Don't let people take advantage of you. You shouldn't be too nice or too forgiving. Otherwise, you're giving people license to walk all over you.

Biblical principles differ radically from this advice, and how churches resolve conflict reveals their spiritual health. Will we listen to the voice of the world or the voice of Christ when it comes to the practice of forgiveness?

The Bible says that we must always take the initiative when a relationship is suffering. Like Dr. David Jeremiah has said in his preaching, “When it comes to forgiveness it's always your turn.” We can't wait for an apology. We can't hope that the conflict will resolve itself. If we have been sinned against, we must go to the person who has offended us and “show him his fault” (v. 15). This isn't an adversarial confrontation, because the goal is to win our brother over. We are respectful about the way in which we confront; the confrontation should be private so as to avoid embarrassment, and also specific, so as to be helpful.

Second, if need be, we go multiple times to the person who has offended us. We don't stop when we've tried once and seen no success. We try two more times with witnesses, and even if these steps fail, we still love and pray for our brother or sister (vv. 16-17, cf. Matt. 5:43-48). If Christ cannot let even one sheep stray from the pasture (v. 14), how can we give up easily on those who have hurt us? How can we bear to let the fellowship of the church be fractured by personal conflicts?

Our forgiveness reveals the extent to which we have grasped the significance of God's forgiveness (vv. 32-35). Just as today's key verse reminds us, we must forgive as Christ freely forgave us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you have a broken relationship with a brother or sister in Christ? Do as Christ requires of you. First, go to this person alone in a spirit of love and with the purpose of restoration. If this person refuses to listen, take another believer along with you a second time. If this fails, take yet another brother or sister with you.

Pray fervently for unity and fellowship in Christ to be restored.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:6-15
They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. - 2 Corinthians 8:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Several decades ago, a traveling evangelist had a fundraising technique known as “if you love your momma.” He would begin by asking people to give to support his work if they had been blessed by his preaching. Then he would ask them to give if they wanted the unsaved to be rescued from hell. The level of emotional intensity in the appeal would increase—“if you love your momma!”—as he tried to persuade everyone to give him money.

Paul didn't need to manipulate or beg and plead with the Macedonian churches to contribute to the collection he was taking among the Gentile churches for the church in Jerusalem. They weren't asked to give; they offered (vv. 3-4). The Macedonians were not a wealthy church, but they didn't swear off responsibility for the collection simply because times were hard and money was tight (v. 2). They were eager to give because they counted it a privilege (v. 4). They would have taken offense at Paul had he not given them this opportunity!

In mentioning the eagerness of the Macedonia churches, Paul knows full well that he is spurring the Corinthian churches on by a dose of healthy competition (v. . He wants the Corinthian churches to follow the Macedonians' example. He encourages the other evidences of God's work in the lives of the Corinthian believers, and now he says to excel in the practice of giving.He actually calls this the “grace of giving” (v. 7). Similarly he talks about the “grace” evidenced in the Macedonian church because of their giving (v. 1).

This kind of generosity, just like the love and forgiveness we've mentioned the past two days, is a measure of our health as both individual believers and churches. We measure what we've received from God by the extent to which we return it to others. If we've truly received God's forgiveness, we can't help but forgive. And if we've begun to experience the reality of riches in salvation in Jesus Christ (v. 9), we will gladly use our financial means to help other believers in Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What is your attitude when a worthy ministry or missionary asks for your financial support? Do you decide solely based upon your checkbook ledger? Do you give begrudgingly or generously? Are you at first enthusiastic about the idea but lazy with the follow-through? Imitate the Macedonians' great faithfulness (v. 2). They gave beyond their means and pleaded for the privilege of doing so! Their arms weren't twisted. They weren't driven by guilt but by devotion to Christ (v. 5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. - 1 Thessalonians 1:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Just follow the pattern sounds like easy advice for anyone who wants to sew. It's simple for the seamstress or tailor, maybe, but many amateurs find sewing patterns far from simple. To open the pattern package, unfold the tissue, and then read and make sense of the corresponding instructions is a feat itself! What helps is a good pattern. It offers clear directions, visual aids, and sketches of the final product.

Paul has high praise for the church in Thessalonica. Their example of faith, hope, and love is a pattern for others to follow. As our key verse says, they have become a model for other churches. In fact, in many ways, the Thessalonians exemplify many of the healthy qualities that we have already discussed should be expected of the churches of Jesus Christ.

First, the Thessalonians are a church because of their identity in Jesus Christ (v. 3). Although their work and service are commendable, these don't make them a church. They are a church because they have believed the gospel message (v. 5; see March 2).

This belief, then, is proved genuine by their repentance (v. 9; see March 3). They gave up their former idolatry. When they turned toward Christ for salvation, they turned away from the idols they once worshiped. They didn't add God to a palette of various religious preferences. They accepted Christ as true and rejected idols as false.

Repentance leads to a resemblance to Christ (v. 6; see March 4). They now have different values, choices, and priorities—they want to imitate the Lord and walk in His steps. The Thessalonians are a good pattern for us to follow because they're following the pattern set before them of Christ Himself.

Finally, the Thessalonians embraced their mission from God. Their faith produced service and missionary zeal (v. . They jumped into God's purposes with both feet after their conversion.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sometimes people like the Thessalonians make us envious. We wonder why we're not growing and spiritually maturing as they are. It's challenging to know that the Thessalonians aren't held up as an example because they are in some way extraordinary, “super-spiritual” people. They're just like us—if we are in Christ, being both loved by God and chosen by God (v. 4). We can be these kinds of churches when we surrender ourselves fully to the Lordship of Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
In the presence of God and Christ Jesus . . . I give you this charge: Preach the Word. - 2 Timothy 4:1, 2a
TODAY IN THE WORD
Martin Luther, the great reformer, said, “God's people cannot be without God's Word, nor can God's Word be without a people.” He, like Christians from all centuries, recognized how vital Scripture is to the church of Jesus Christ. Our reading today helps us to see why we the church depend so completely on the Word of God.

One word captures why the church cannot survive without the Bible: “God-breathed” (v. 16). All Scripture originates with God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible isn't a book of human ingenuity. It is a record of divine communication, the thoughts of God communicated by the Spirit of God through human authors. We serve a personal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has always revealed Himself to His people, and He continues to reveal Himself today through His Word. This Word is not a dead historical record but a living Word today (cf. Heb. 4:12).

The church survives by this Word. How can we the church, and especially the leaders of the church, live up to the commands of this passage without the authority of God's Word? We have no basis from which to teach, rebuke, train, correct, or encourage without the authority of the Scriptures (3:16; 4:2).

These tasks would be impossible without God's Word. Without the Bible, any correction or any rebuke could be reduced to mere human opinion and could consequently be rejected or dismissed as just another way of looking at things. There is a qualitative difference between, “My pastor says . . .” and “God says . . .”

The church cannot exist without God's Word. The church is the community of the saved, and how could any of us be saved apart from the Scriptures making us “wise for salvation” (v. 15)? And if the church is a community of mission, how can we be equipped by the instruction and encouragement of God without the Scriptures to make us “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (v. 17)?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When tempted, Jesus reminded Satan that, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Does your church fulfill the command to “Preach the Word”? Events like the ordination of a gay bishop in the Episcopal Church remind us that we are in an era already where “men will not put up with sound doctrine” (v 3). The need now is even greater to be rooted in the truth of God's Word!