Acts 17:1-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” ⁴ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. ⁵ But the Jews^[a] were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,⁷ and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. ⁹ And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

¹⁰ The brothers^[b] immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

This church got off to a rocky start. It started with severe persecution and an entire city disrupted. God promises that his message will offend the world and here is a prime example of just that. I am impressed about how there was mixed group that came to be part of the church. As far as I can tell this is also the first time that women are mentioned as being a part of the early church besides individual women. Paul still preaches first to the Jews and second to the Gentiles. 

My church is starting a church plant. One of the things that the pastor of the new church encouraged people seeking to help is to realize that a new church does not equal another chance to create a "christian utopia." The church is still made of sinners and must interact with a fallen world. Church can be a place of healing; however, that healing comes from the Savior God of that community, not from the community itself. 

I am reading 1 Thessalonians and I am encouraged by the book. Paul has been encouraged by the fact that the church has kept their faith even after so short a time preaching to them and an abrupt cutoff from the church. He does answer a few theological questions they have and encourages them to not be idle, but to work hard for the Lord. 

Holy Father, I feel as if I am rocky start after rocky start. May lean of Christ to fix me and be my comfort. May Christ be the glory in my life. Father, bless this church plant. May you protect it's people and strengthen them for the battle ahead. May we stand fast in persecution and hold to You as our head. Amen.

Fasting

“Yet even now,”declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning (Joel 2:12, English Standard Version).”  The concept of fasting is a foreign one in our food, sex, and materialistic obsessed society, yet in Joel the Lord seems to be instructing his people to fast.  Is this an important part of spirituality and connection with God that we miss out on?

Who in the bible fasted?  Ezra fasted with the people of Israel to pray for a safe journey. Nehemiah fasted in response to hearing of Jerusalem being defeated in battle and to bring back the people’s hearts to God.  David fasted while petitioning God to save his son who was sick.  Esther asked all the Jews to fast with her for three days before she went to the king to save her people.  The nation of Israel had several times a year they would honor God by fasting.  Darius and Daniel prayed earnestly while fasting.  Jesus fasted for forty days and nights before beginning his ministry.  He also taught on fasting in three of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Paul and Disciples would appoint leaders and send out missionaries with prayer and fasting. Today many Christians, especially the Catholic Church, celebrate Lent as a way to prepare their hearts for celebrating Easter by having a special time of fasting. 

Today during lent people will often give up a part of their lives that is important to them. Some will give up chocolate or sweets, watching television, eating meat, or a social media such as Facebook.  It this true fasting?  It might be in a way.  In 1 Corinthians 7:5 Paul talks about a husband and wife abstaining from sex for a time for prayer. “5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (ESV).”  Sex seems to be one of the biggest pleasures that people might deprive themselves. Sex and food are under the most basic of needs according to Maslow’shierarchy of needs.  Fasting of any kind in the Bible seems to be taking away one or more of life basic needs.  Whether food, sex, or sleep all of these are taken away to bring the fasters attention back to God.  

Why should we deprive ourselves from our most basic needs? Does this not seem to go againstnature’s natural way?  Biblical fasting seems to fall into a few categories according to Wayne Grudem, “in times of intensive intercession, repentance, worship, and seeking of guidance (1994).”  Grudem goes on to give several benefits that Christians receive from fasting: relying on the Lord, coming to God with proper humility, self-discipline, “heightens the focus and mental alertness”, helps the faster express “earnestness and urgency” in prayer.   Even though fasting is depriving the body of basic needs, it does so to aid in the way and attitude that is brought to God. Christians rarely, if ever, fully grasp their need for God and the relationship with Him. Fasting shows the sincerity of a person’s prayer as well as give the prayer the focus and attention it deserves.  Scot McKnight states in his book Fasting, “fastingis the natural inevitable response of a person to a grievous sacred moment in life.” 

McKnight is also careful to point out that we are not trading physical comfort for something we want. God will not always give what is asked for in prayer accompanied by fasting.  Fasting to get what we want or to appear holy is the wrong motivation.  In Isaiah 58 God admonishes Israel for not observing a holy fast day with the right motivation.  In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus teaches on fasting.  Jesus had just taught on how to pray and given the Lords prayer, as prayer should be a part of fasting this correlation is important. He now says: 

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Fasting is part of being holy and set apart for God.  It should not be a work done to impress other men or a way to oppress others.  

To sum up the points explored in this paper, I would say my research has brought a couple of ideas on fasting. Fasting should be to supplement prayer. It should always be hand in hand with prayer.  Fasting should be of a significant and basic necessity.  What is given up shows the level of sincerity that the prayer towards the prayer.  Jesus, when he preached on fasting in the New Testament, seemed to assume that Christians would fast and the Old Testament commanded people to fast.  Lastly fast in a way that is humbly before God and not a spiritual show before people.  "Ultimately we fast simply because we want God more than we want anything this world has to offer us (J. Piper, 1997).”

Colossians: Christ Our Motivation

Colossians 1:21-23

English Standard Version (ESV)

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless andabove reproach before him, ²³ if 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.

This I believe this to the thesis statement for the book of Colossians. Paul is writing to a people he does not seem to be familiar with, yet he knows that man who brought the gospel to these people. Paul is in prison at this time so he does not have an opportunity to evaluate this church for himself, yet he is encouraged by hearing about their faith. If I had to walk blindly into a church and impart one piece of advice, what would I say? Paul choose to say this: This is who Christ is, what he has done for us, and how fully he has saved us giving us the forgiveness of sins. In light of this, don't try to take away or add to his salvation. Don't shift from "the hope of the gospel." Then live your lives with constant rememberence of God's gift of the cross and Jesus who died for you.  

I recently had an experience that helped me appreciate how awesome the gift that Christ gives me. He is our advocate and paraclete before the Father. He choose me, even though I sin greatly against him, to love me and give me his perfect record of perfection. This is the awesome power and love that Christ has for us. I sinned against my previous boyfriend and his family. As soon as my sin was made known to me, I repented and I thought that would be the end of it; however, the sin lead my boyfriend to break off the relationship because his family did not approve of me. My old beau was not willing to advocate for me to his family. While this was/is painful, this has given me an acute understanding of what Christ does before the Father for Church. 

Ephesians 5:25-33

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

This is the kind of love that Christ gives me. This is the kind of love my heart longs for. Paul encourages the Colossians and me to live my life with this kind of love in mind. This command to husbands does not stand alone. It comes with a command to wives. 

Ephesians 5:22-24

English Standard Version (ESV)

Wives and Husbands

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Father, I ask that I would submit to you as my head. May I live my life with the constant reminder of how fully and faithfully Christ advocates for me.  Help me understand the love and gifts you have given me. Help me to love you in return and submit to your perfect will. May I not shift from my hope in the gospel and my hope in you. Amen. 

Colossians: Christ Our Motivation

Colossians 4

English Standard Version (ESV)

4 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions

² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³ At 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— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

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

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant^[a] in the Lord.⁸ I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,⁹ and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. ¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, alwaysstruggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may standmature and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers^[b] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. ¹⁶ And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And say toArchippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remembermy chains. Grace be with you.

The monks that added in the numbers for chapters and verses might have slipped with their numbers, yet the concept bears looking at closely. Treat others kindly. Paul then gives a few parting words. Please pray for me in this way... He wants to show the world Christ. Often today we want to show the world spirituality or religion or our church. These are not bad things in of themselves; however, Paul has been talking this entire time how Christ is our savior, our advocate before the Father, he motivates what we do so be careful to not look for salvation in other areas of life, and Christ should be what we want to share, get excited to share, to others. Paul didn't want the Colossians putting their  hope in other things beside Christ.

Colossians 1:21-23

English Standard Version (ESV)

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³ if 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^[a] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Many of Paul's churches did these very things. It is my sin nature to do the very same. I need to be careful to make Christ my motivation. 

Father, I thank you for how you have sanctified me. I thank you for the little wisdom that you have given me to understand your word. Help me to not get distracted with spirituality or religious behaviors. Don't let me be tempted with worldly pleasures or distractions. Give me grace to see clearly the work and mind of your Son. 

Colossians 3:Christ Our Motivation

Colossians 3

English Standard Version (ESV)

Put On the New Self

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

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

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing 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.¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let 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. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

¹⁸ Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, anddo not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.²² Bondservants,^[f] obey in everything those who are your earthly masters,^[g] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Chapter 1 talked about how Christ saves us. Chapter 2 discussed how to avoid adding our own salvation to Christ's great work. Chapter 3 about what we should rid ourselves of and how we should behave when motivated by Christ. Our sin nature draws us to save ourselves, yet does not ask us to cast off the sins that weigh us down. How strange we are to forget about what causes our need for salvation. I can think of sins just from yesterday that I felt bad about for only just a moment. I need to repent of all the sins that Paul lists: "sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry...anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."   I need to honestly confess my sin to God. I am a new creation in Christ and I am not tied down by my earthly perceptions. Before God it does not matter what family I come from, who loves and values me here, if I am beautiful or ugly, smart or educated. What matters to God is that I am motivated by love Him. Then will come peace. Then will comes a love and sweetness towards others, myself, and towards God himself. Paul then breaks away and gives specific messages to different people within the church. I need to remind myself, though, that just before this he had been talking about how human judgment was of little concern; however, our different roles in life have different ways that love of Christ is shown. If you are a wife, you need to be motivated by Christ's love to submit to your husband just as you submit to God's rules. We are first serving Christ, but that does not let us off the hook from loving and serving others. 
Jesus, I thank you for advocating for me before the Father. I thank you for helping me be worthy of love despite my sin. Help me to cast of the sins that separate me from You and the Father. Please keep guard over my tongue, my mind, and my actions so that I don't sin against you and others. Father, keep your works for me ever at the forefront of my mind. Amen. 

Colossians: Christ Our Motivation

Colossians 2

English Standard Version (ESV)

2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵ For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ

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

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to theelemental spirits^[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ andyou have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having 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. ¹³ And 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, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.^[c]

Let No One Disqualify You

¹⁶ Therefore 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. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,^[d] puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹ and 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.

²⁰ If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ²¹ “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²² (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Paul is giving the Colossians a warning here. I cannot tell if it is because he has seen the same problem in other churches or if he has been told that their church is currently struggling with this issue; however, I believe this is a message ever Christian needs to hear.  Having been brought up within the church, I know sin is bad and I need to repent from it. I also need to repent of my good works... I try to save myself without even realizing it half the time. It is not natural for me to rely on the work of Jesus Christ to save me, yet in the previous chapter Paul laid out how Jesus completely, fully saved us. I still find myself unintentionally believing," If I give this up, God will bless me in this way. If I live like this, He has to treat me like this..." That is not relying on the gift of the cross.  It is a, as Paul puts it, "self-made religion." It is my good works in exchange for God blessing. What wrenches my heart if Paul says,"they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." Why do I put myself through all these hoops and spiritual gymnastics if they will not save me or get me any blessing from the Father? I am trying to be God and failing miserably. 

Holy Father, thank you for the gift of Your son. Thank you for such a full salvation. Help me to see the areas of my life that I attempt my own salvation. I ask that You would step in and wipe clean those areas of my life. Fill my life with Your glory and take mine away. Amen.