tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66864095730323735352024-02-06T23:18:20.342-05:00The View From My ChairJohn Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.comBlogger2715125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-31576287192904244032020-03-25T10:59:00.001-04:002020-03-25T10:59:40.338-04:00Medic!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love old war movies. I always took some comfort from those battle scenes where someone shouted for a "Medic!" The medic was not engaged in the battle but was the one who would ease the pain, bind the wounds, speak words of comfort and bring a level of experience that assured those he served that he was qualified to help out in a really scary time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We're in a battle now. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, it’s a battle. But, it’s more a battle against fear and anxiety than any virus that may come along. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Social distancing, shelter in place, quarantined, etc.”
Some new phrases and some familiar ones have entered our lexicon and/or taken
on new and sober meanings. It would be easy for many of us to feel overwhelmed,
to feel anxious or even a little helpless. But, if we look around us, there are
good reasons to be hopeful and ways to experience things that can be incredibly encouraging.
For the church, we are presented, every day, with golden opportunities to reflect the gospel to those around us, to be the medics in the middle of the battle. We're qualified to minister comfort, bind up wounds and bring peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How can we do that while being isolated? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First, let's be practical. We should be careful about going out and we should try to avoid close contact with others. There’s nothing to be gained by proving to others how
brave we are, none of us are invulnerable. So, we keep our distance, don’t venture
out unless necessary, yet try to find ways to make others more important than ourselves—even as we keep our distance. This is a challenge for sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">here are people on the front lines of this battle who have an impossible time maintaining distance. They're engaged in a heated exchange with the enemy and are in close quarters combat every day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We can be the medics in the middle of that battle ministering love and hope to the wounded, tired and bleeding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">These warriors</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> have become opportunities to show
thanks and exhibit grace. It’s comforting to know that I can go to the hospital
or doctor’s office and be greeted by folks who will care for me, just as they always
have. First responders continue to respond, despite the risk. Police, firemen, highway
patrol—all remaining vigilant, protecting, helping to hold our community
together. We should be thankful for them and be sure to thank them at every
opportunity. Post your gratefulness on social media. Send a note or a card to
the hospital, sheriff’s office or police station. Put a small thank you in your
mailbox for the postal worker who’s still delivering your mail. Let these
folks know you’re praying for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another less-heralded group is those who are manning the
supermarkets. They’re on duty every day, many of them working long hours in an unceasing
and thankless effort to keep the shelves stocked and answer the same questions countless
times while keeping a smile on their faces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try this the next time you go out, if you choose to go out.
Thank the person behind the counter, the one who greets you, the one stocking
the shelves, roaming the aisles, sweeping the floor. Thank them for simply
being there. Offer to pray for them or let them know you will. Watch what it does
for them. Then see what it does in your heart as you serve them while they’re
serving you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">God has given us these golden opportunities to
be light in the darkness. Let’s live the gospel as we stay home. But, whether we're in our homes or out there, let's grab our bag of medicines and tools and begin being what we're called to be. Let’s fight
despair with hope, grace and the love of Christ. It’s our calling. Those around
us need it and we do as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-7149459339962062902020-03-13T12:50:00.002-04:002020-03-13T12:50:55.672-04:00This Is Our Time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLu_vErHUpRQ4Z0rCnloW5DzTew66HE1lAFNwQFhOLJcORNpm9G77Svfc0w34Y-eI6fW0r73xfpUVOiZz89l_VQOGZ3n-crui16RzfHpKbUTmng5c_zDnBcz2hIHD08P0XWuAuUr5sQo/s1600/This+is+our+time.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLu_vErHUpRQ4Z0rCnloW5DzTew66HE1lAFNwQFhOLJcORNpm9G77Svfc0w34Y-eI6fW0r73xfpUVOiZz89l_VQOGZ3n-crui16RzfHpKbUTmng5c_zDnBcz2hIHD08P0XWuAuUr5sQo/s320/This+is+our+time.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">I stopped at a Dollar General Store, one of
those way out in the middle of nowhere, not in but near a small town in West
Virginia. I had been looking for hand sanitizer and was able to find empty
shelves and signs on some store entrances that said, “We are out of
hand-sanitizer.” I thought, “Why would they need hand sanitizer way out here so
far from crowds and all the hysteria?” As I entered, I asked the clerk if they
had any. She responded, “Yes, we just unpacked two cases,” and followed with, “but
you better hurry.” I scurried over to the aisle only to find two women had beat
me to it, each of them scooping hand sanitizers from the shelf into those hand
baskets they provide. Both baskets were nearly full. Realizing I was on shaky
ground, I meekly asked, “Can I snag a few of those from each of you?” “Not in
your life!” came the indignant reply from one. “No way!” from the other. As I
got in my car, all I could think was, “Treat others as more significant than
yourself” (Php 2:3). If I had been the first one down the aisle, would I have
been able to put my “Love in action” as we’ve been teaching? Or would I allow my
sense of self-preservation to guide me?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">The world seems to have frayed at the ends
over the last week; stock market crashes, travel restrictions, empty shelves,
near-hysteria and paranoia everywhere. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile our
lives really are and how precarious this new world economy can be. Not too long
ago<s>,</s> there would be little concern over a virus in China, but with
international business travel being what it is and leisure activities abounding
on airplanes and cruise ships in the twenty-first century, we find ourselves in
a more vulnerable position to sickness and disease than has ever been
experienced before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">The world is in a panic. There’s good reason
to be concerned. The threat of the Coronavirus is real and needs to be taken
seriously. This is a time for caution and care.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">But, it’s not a time for fear or anxiety, not
for the children of God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">The ESV uses the phrase “fear not”
thirty-three times. This should be the message of the church, “Fear not!” God
remains on the throne. He is sovereign over every virus, every situation, every
country, every city, every town, every home, every individual. The response of
the church should be set apart from that of the world. This is our opportunity
to put God on display, to put our love into action. Perhaps we, like Esther,
have been prepared for a time such as this (Est 4:15). As we boldly decide not
to become victims of fear and paranoia, but to place our trust in God, we can,
even while the world panics around us, experience the peace that goes beyond
understanding (Php 4:6-7) and be ambassadors of the love of Christ (2 Cor 5:20).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">What does that look like? Well, we must be
prudent. The risks </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFjoEZxxLvzxfWxRJh1GTI8Jid5fAA_BF706LIvdug7xEh6gao74rmCbp0puSHpuKbhCzGn-F49UplFC9cjIK42iF1aX-7GoVW1z8Qx3DdBhEjvK2x0cCKlKJgXtIKzCjg_kkiEH2Wt4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFjoEZxxLvzxfWxRJh1GTI8Jid5fAA_BF706LIvdug7xEh6gao74rmCbp0puSHpuKbhCzGn-F49UplFC9cjIK42iF1aX-7GoVW1z8Qx3DdBhEjvK2x0cCKlKJgXtIKzCjg_kkiEH2Wt4/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #cfe2f3;">around us are real and we must take them into account. We
should limit handshakes and hugs when we get together. We don’t sequester
ourselves, but we don’t get reckless about being in public either. So, we
proceed with caution. We wash our hands--frequently! But we do not wash our hands of the world around us.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">But whenever an opportunity to be peacemakers
arises, we should take it. We should be encouragers, not rumor mongers and
agents of bad news and doomsday scenarios. We should be aware of online and
in-person opportunities to assure folks that this too will pass, that God is a
loving God and that His peace is readily available to those who trust in Him.
We should be aware of those around us and use this moment to show our trust in
God by sharing what we have. Instead of hoarding hand sanitizer, food and
household goods, we can minister the gospel by offering them to our neighbors
and friends, by reaching out to the elderly folks down the street to see if
they need anything or if we can be of any service, by praying for others
on the phone and in our emails/posts. In short, whether we are out and
about or staying in our homes, we can get creative about being Christ to those
around us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">This is our time. This is a time for the
church to stand up and show the world what true, godly love looks like. This is
a golden opportunity, a unique moment in history in which we can be messengers
of the gospel in a profound and practical way. Let’s refuse to succumb to the
spirit of self-preservation and isolation that seems to pervade everything and
everyone around us and become an oasis of joy, peace, and compassion. We can do
it. God has prepared us. He has given us this opportunity. Let’s make the most
of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-53915695641617347432019-12-31T09:48:00.001-05:002019-12-31T11:25:57.909-05:00The View from a Pastor's Wife's Chair<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Proverbs 12:15</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the old year draws to a close and a new one waits in the wings, I find myself eager to move into 2020 with the obvious, intentional pun of clearer vision. </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I find that in looking back on my old attitudes and perspectives I am longing for a change, to embrace a sharpened and honed vision for the future. My desire for a less encumbered, more thoughtful and purposeful life includes it being a more grateful one.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the wisest things my husband has ever told me (and he tells me many wise things as my best friend and my most trusted counselor) is that I have to learn not to count my life in losses but in blessings.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I find at the ripe old age of 59 that the ageless enemy of idolatry still lives in me, manifesting itself in shortsighted ingratitude. </span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The lines of my boundary have fallen in pleasant places; surely my inheritance is delightful. Psalm 16:6</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How can a human soul so blessed stay in a place of misguided loyalty? Surely this is what idolatry is - lingering and looking into something, ascribing it the highest value, above all others, above God and His truth?</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My life is sweet - not without its own version of trials and failures, but the hard times have *eventually* led and hopefully will continue to lead me deeper into Christ. </span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life." John 8:12</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year I want to work at setting my sight on how beautiful God is in every situation (meaning in others’ and my own failures too), how faithfully He stays with us in pain and loss (family, business, health), how lovingly He pursues those He is calling and has already called His own...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIgBB7jRPnh0F5i0gUmSKztqPskfRRg6HX7BXPslnrqeT2vPI4Bd1ErVW8GaIkzaISeZGNNGg4Bi9HFEKTyenKcdOKFDZ7NUehbUhSCsKAitvOhjbTtX_vkPN8Gsa72U4kOblz7zsv4wM/s1600/IMG_0046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIgBB7jRPnh0F5i0gUmSKztqPskfRRg6HX7BXPslnrqeT2vPI4Bd1ErVW8GaIkzaISeZGNNGg4Bi9HFEKTyenKcdOKFDZ7NUehbUhSCsKAitvOhjbTtX_vkPN8Gsa72U4kOblz7zsv4wM/s200/IMG_0046.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">how intentionally He saves us and how graciously He is ever refining us, opening our eyes, revealing our imperfections - not to call us solely to an inward estimation of worth or lack thereof, an introspection which often backfires and stalls into self-glorification or self-abasement, </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">but one that leads us ultimately upwards to a holy God who lives in us and made it possible for us to live a Light-filled life. </span><br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ... Ephesians 4:15</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What a high calling of choice we have, to dwell in and on the truth, speaking it in love, to ourselves and others. I/We must be careful though. This is not simply sending happy thoughts to ourselves or others. That would be like throwing an empty styrofoam cup to a person drowning in deep waters.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7yjfMa81leTWjTY5unFta8m8uTO5l_05MSrNV3jGrHgga1Xc09p6aBhWn_bLshfhGxv_Gx5nVSjDZaautkdjn6DPmh5Fr7SVjYCEF8HAVawVHKGszRmDHgRr1iB5fkv5QDHHXilj8kNs/s1600/IMG_0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7yjfMa81leTWjTY5unFta8m8uTO5l_05MSrNV3jGrHgga1Xc09p6aBhWn_bLshfhGxv_Gx5nVSjDZaautkdjn6DPmh5Fr7SVjYCEF8HAVawVHKGszRmDHgRr1iB5fkv5QDHHXilj8kNs/s200/IMG_0812.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It’s more a strategic launching of a life-saving instrument (God's word), targeted to reach the hands and heart of the one in need, being careful not to strike the head with an intentional knock-out.</span><br />
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<b style="color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.</b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Romans 12:2</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcIeNSz4ephTIZzYQHyVzT0NDdFrk6JRXP43U1IC8INzeu3Vh84Z-Pc_o5oUxudWhceqoKFQomnu9aAAG62yT83kM6VUvuSYnV-xv0F1ggcYWeksx7IFAk69EA-smw12fdZw1gtdyUxNa/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcIeNSz4ephTIZzYQHyVzT0NDdFrk6JRXP43U1IC8INzeu3Vh84Z-Pc_o5oUxudWhceqoKFQomnu9aAAG62yT83kM6VUvuSYnV-xv0F1ggcYWeksx7IFAk69EA-smw12fdZw1gtdyUxNa/s200/IMG_0066.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps you’d like to join us (online or in your own devotions) in studying the book of Luke, the Gentile doctor who traveled extensively with the Apostle Paul and wrote out the testimonies of his own acts and the acts of the eyewitnesses’ who lived and walked with Christ? Within these pages you’ll see God’s love IS for everyone, as my dear hubby’s sermon series title proclaims. </span>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:13 </span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whatever our choices for this year, may we and they be informed with God’s word, and may we live graciously with ourselves and each other, overflowing with the gratitude of one who has been lovingly pursued, rescued, and is being slowly but surely shaped and fashioned for life in a kingdom that's not only here and now, but also out of this world. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Happy New Year, dear ones.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">KK </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>Kelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03682042118375176872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-55376298494637138662019-11-13T23:31:00.003-05:002019-11-13T23:31:52.293-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 30, Rev 20-22<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/20/1/s_1187001">Rev 20-22</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/20/1/s_1187001">Rev 20</a>, we
see the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ. The chronology is a
little confusing in these chapters. Suffice it to say that there is a wedding
and there is a reign. At the end of the reign, which lasts a very long time,
perhaps a literal thousand years, perhaps not, there is another battle between
the Lamb and Satan. This battle leads to the final defeat of Satan and judgment
on all who opposed God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A new heaven and earth appear. This is the new
creation. Bear in mind that much of the language used is symbolic and
metaphorical, meant to convey the perfection and holiness of heaven and the
presence of the unbridled glory of God. Many pages have been written trying to
formalize what John describes in these chapters. Most of it is indescribable.
God is not giving John blueprints here. He is revealing His glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once again, God reigns in sovereign authority over all. In
the beginning, man fell and was separated from God. Now man is restored to God.
The journey back to the garden has been completed by the grace of God, and all
things have been made new again. We see a new Jerusalem, this one with no
temple, no sun or moon. It is lit by the glory of God with the Son as the lamp.
It is a safe, pure and holy place, eternally preserved in its holiness (Rev
20:25-27).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The new city is marked by multiples of twelve. It is 12,000
stadia (presumably, squared). The walls are 144 cubits. There are twelve gates built
on twelve foundations, each of the foundations representing one of twelve
Apostles, each gate named after one of the twelve tribes. The foundations are a
clear allusion to the new church which has been built on a “foundation of the
Apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20). The text does not distinguish which of the
twelve Apostles are honored in this fashion. Note that the text does not
limit the number of Apostles to twelve. It only says that the foundations of
the gates numbered twelve and each bore the name of an Apostle. No mention
is made as to who may be included in the twelve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Laboring over that detail can be an intriguing exercise but
would miss the point being made here. Heaven is all about inclusion of all
believers to the glory of God. The Bible, which is rapidly coming to a
conclusion, is the story of God and His plan to reveal His glory in the
redemption of His children. It's not about who's who in heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the designation of the tribes and the Apostles on the
gates in <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/21/1/s_1188001">Rev
21</a> we see a union between the Old Testament and the New. This is
symbolic on several levels. It honors the original, faithful Jews who are now
united with the new church, all of them occupying the new Jerusalem. It
recognizes that they have all been part of God's plan to bring His chosen ones
into His presence. It shows that God has been actively working throughout the
history of the world. The multiple twelves we see in the walls, gates and
dimensions of the city indicate perfection. Trying to determine actual
measurements or literalize any of these details would again miss the point John
is making. He is portraying a city that is intricately perfect in every way,
existing for the glory of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/22/1/s_1189001">Rev 22</a> depicts
the river of life, running through the city. On its banks, we see the tree of
life, hidden since Adam and Eve's ejection from the Garden. The curse has been
reversed, man is restored to an intimate, eternally secured relationship
with God and His blessings are abundant and never-ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John ends his book with the encouragement and assurance
that Jesus will return soon. Meanwhile, we see a reminder that the Bible is the
complete and perfect self-revelation of God and is not to be tampered with,
edited or improved upon. Rev 22:20 makes it clear that the Scriptures are the
words of Christ. It is fitting that the last verse is a testimony to the grace
of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is compelling that the first verse of Genesis tells us,
“In the beginning God…” This occurs at the very first moment of human history.
Thousands of years later, as those who believe in Him take their first steps
into eternity, the Bible ends with “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
Amen.” The first and last words of the Bible are about our holy, sovereign,
omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, loving, triune God. We would do well to
remember that all that lies in between are about Him as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">God is on the throne, Jesus is at His side and He has
brought His children home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-90989114040682753152019-11-13T23:25:00.005-05:002019-11-13T23:25:53.405-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 29, Rev 17-19<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/17/1/s_1184001">Rev 17-19.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</a><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/17/1/s_1184001">Rev 17-18</a> retell
and lament the fall of Babylon as a way of symbolizing what is about to happen.
Babylon is symbolic of the world system, which has been in place since the fall
in the garden. Just as Babylon did at the hand of the Persians, the world
system will come to a violent end when Christ returns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the battle over and the victory won, worship commences
in heaven, as we see in <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/19/1/s_1186001">Rev 19</a> --
intense, loud, joyful, unbridled worship. The Lamb is now on a white horse and
is portrayed as an all-powerful, conquering king. The bride is presented to the
Lamb. She has "made herself ready," but her beauty has been
"granted" to her (Rev 19:8) in the form of righteousness, described
symbolically as “fine linen, bright and pure.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Significantly, the bride is not beautiful in and of herself
but derives her beauty from what has been given her by God. This is a lesson in
how God relates to His children. Any value the children may have comes directly
from their relationship with His only Son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The beast, the false prophet and everyone who followed them
become dinner for the birds. They are utterly defeated (Rev 19:17-21). Of
course, this is not news. It was foretold in Gen 3:15 and has been a consistent
theme throughout the Bible. Satan is subject to God’s authority and used for
His divine purposes. The devil is a created being. God is the sovereign ruler over
all creation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-63386537230817908982019-11-13T23:22:00.002-05:002019-11-13T23:22:27.298-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 28, Rev 13-16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today’s readings are Rev 13-16.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgjgmB8o0T4/WF5QxEetfWI/AAAAAAAATSg/3YytZZEX4mgyAcoqX2MjQE-NXjaDqZ_FgCLcB/s1600/1a.jpg"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/13/1/s_1180001">Rev 13</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> speaks of the era between Christ being seated on the throne
and His return. Satan (the dragon) wages war on the woman (Israel and the
church), during this time. However, the dragon remains subject to the authority
of God in all he does (Rev 13:5-7).</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/14/1/s_1181001"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rev 14</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> is an encouragement to believers, who are blameless, for not
aligning themselves with the beast (Rev 14:5). The faithful ones will be
rewarded when they are taken up into heaven.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/15/1/s_1182001"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rev
15-16</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> describe the seven cups of wrath, which
are like the seven trumpets and the seven seals, but far more severe. While the
trumpets and seals were used by God to call people to repentance, the cups are
the unbridled wrath of God being poured out on those who have rejected Him and
embraced the beast.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">"The mark of the beast" is mentioned
in Rev 16:2. This is another warning that has frequently been misunderstood and
misinterpreted. Whatever physical form this mark may take, it will be
consciously received in commitment and surrender to the beast. Many fear that
using a credit card, a microchip or even things like the Euro can inadvertently
bring eternal damnation upon a believer. This simply isn't true. The mark John
describes is not just a monetary system. It is the willful, conscious rejection
of God while embracing Satan. The mark cannot be inadvertently received. It
comes as a decision to follow Satan.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Read
these chapters carefully. Notice that the events described are not
possibilities nor are they conjecture. They are depicted as having already
occurred. While they remain in the future, the outcome of all this battling and
war in the heavenly realm has a foregone conclusion. God remains in control of
everything throughout. Satan is not God's opposite nor is he God’s equal. He is
a created being functioning under the sovereign authority and power of God and
will be held accountable for every evil deed he does. This is true of the end
times. But, it is true today as well.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-44540661325234486702019-11-13T23:19:00.004-05:002019-11-13T23:19:37.478-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 27, Rev 9-12<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/9/1/s_1176001">Rev 9-12</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/9/1/s_1176001">Rev 9</a>, having
blown the trumpets, the angels are the heralds of the living God, pronouncing
His judgment on the world. Notice that, as the woes are released, they are subject
to God’s authority who limits them as to what they may do. Meanwhile, God’s
children are protected from the trial and suffering the woes bring (Rev 9:4).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first four trumpets affect a part of the world but not
all. Judgment is being poured out. Justice is being served. But, there is still
time for those who remain to repent and be saved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">God is in sovereign control of all that is occurring. He is
orchestrating the events at the end of history with the same precision and
power that He has been exercising throughout the Bible from the beginning of
Genesis (Rev 10:7-11). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We see God’s accuracy and precision in the measurements
prescribed in Rev 11:1-3 which shows us that God is omniscient down to the
slightest detail. His omnipotence is on display in Rev 11:4-14).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/12/1/s_1179001">Rev 12</a>
depicts war in the heavenlies between "the woman" and "the
dragon," both of which are symbolic. The woman is a sign of God's goodness
and sovereign authority and the dragon a symbol of pure evil. The dragon loses
and is ejected from heaven. These signs, whatever earthly counterparts they may
or may not represent, are also representative of all spiritual warfare. The
battle may be fierce but will be dominated and controlled by the power and
presence of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Notice that God preserves and protects His people
throughout (Rev 12:6, 14). Also, notice that the woman's baby, who is Christ,
soundly defeats the dragon once He is seated on the throne. This is a depiction
of Christ's ascension into heaven shortly after the resurrection, where He was
"seated at the right hand of God." (Eph 1:20). This is not to say
that all spiritual battle ceased at that point. But, it certainly guarantees
that the outcome has been predetermined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-55169700684581152812019-11-13T23:03:00.001-05:002019-11-13T23:03:38.070-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 26, Rev 4-8<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/4/1/s_1171001">Rev 4-8</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/4/1/s_1171001">Rev 4</a> sets
the stage for heightened suffering for the church at the hand of the world in
which they exist. These chapters also portray the coming judgment of the Lamb
upon the world and all those who would cause His bride to suffer. God is
sovereign over all that happens and is pictured as seated on His throne,
surrounded by His divine delegation. The book of judgment is opened by Christ,
the only One able to do so, for He is the One who was slain. This is the final
judgment that will fall upon those who reject Him. All heaven rejoices and
worships Him. He judges those who refuse Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather than looking at these events as some future
occurrence, we should see them as the ongoing process of God refining His
church, preparing it for glory. The suffering and persecution have been
happening all along, as has the gradual falling away of some. Yet, God is
gracious and "walks among His lampstands" faithful to prepare them
for this coming battle and the victory He has already guaranteed His children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/5/1/s_1172001">Rev 5</a> depicts
Christ seated at the right hand of God and wielding authority and power. He is
the only worthy one and reads from the scroll before opening each of seven
seals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the seven seals are broken, and the four horsemen are
unleashed, notice that it is Christ who is in charge of all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many interpretations of what the seven seals
represent and who the horsemen are. Looking at the language seems to suggest
the horsemen represent the gamut of human lust gone wild. This runs contrary to
what many of us have learned about these symbols. Carefully considered and
removed from overly-speculative applications, the idea that they are the four
attributes of an unbridled and unholy mankind plays well into the fallen state
of the world and the true nature of human beings apart from Christ. If this is
true, then Christ, when He begins to open the seals, leaves men to their own
devices and the impact it has on the world is disastrous. Once again, this is
one interpretation among many. Take a quick overview and see if it rings true
to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If this is accurate, it lends a new meaning to each of the
horses and their riders. The rider on the white horse represents humankind
setting itself up as a conquering king, taking the place of God, opposing Him,
displaying a lust for conquest and power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rider on the red horse represents men battling against
themselves, fighting each other for control of that power. Civil war breaks out
all over the world as mankind struggles first with God and then with each
other. Peace is taken away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rider on the black horse represents the effects of all
that war, sorrow, grief and mourning. There is also considerable suffering that
follows the wars. Famines and shortages of necessary goods follow, causing more
grief and suffering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rider on the pale (light green) horse represents
disease and death, the aftermath of the famines and shortages. Many die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fifth seal is a plea for justice on behalf of those
martyred for the sake of Christ. They have been the innocent victims of mankind
left to its own self-centered, godless desires. The martyrs cry out and pray.
They must wait for their justice, but it will surely come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The sixth seal is a sign that the end is very near. There
is a shaking of the earth, signs in the heavens and mountains crumbling. This
may be a description of future events, but it is more probably John telling us
the stage has already been set for the final battle. The shaking and the signs
have been with us for quite some time as have wars and their rumors. Perhaps
there will be an escalation of these things just before the battle. Perhaps
not. Either way, John tells us, the church should not despair because we have
the promise of heaven. Those who do not believe only have judgment to look
forward to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/8/1/s_1175001">Rev 8</a> begins
with the seventh seal and silence. There is an indication that this is the mark
of the end of history. Before describing it fully, we hear about the seven
trumpets in the hands of seven angels, perhaps representing the prayers of the
of the martyrs for justice to be served. The first four angels wreak utter
devastation and suffering on those who have rejected the Lamb. This level of
tribulation for those who have rebelled against God is terrifying. It was
foreshadowed by the violent way Joshua took the promised land and is a somber warning
to those who turn their back on the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-30065881827656029012019-11-13T22:56:00.001-05:002019-11-13T22:56:18.413-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 25, Rev 1-3<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/rev/1/1/s_1168001">Rev 1-3</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Revelation brings the narrative arc of the Bible to its
climactic ending. The story began in the Garden with God declaring everything
"good" except for man to be alone. Adam falls into sin, evil enters
into the creation and the storyline of the entire Bible becomes a documentary
of how God will redeem His children through the sacrifice of His only Son, reconciling
them to Himself and restoring everything back to "good."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Revelation can be cryptic and hard to interpret. Perhaps
the best way to read it is to look at the big picture rather than trying to
discern the meaning of all the math, the significance of the symbols and the
determining present-day equivalents of countries, kings and leaders mentioned.
In the end, Revelation tells us God is victorious and His kingdom is
established for all eternity in a new heaven and a new garden (the new earth).
The result is a new creation that exceeds the old one in every way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Revelation was written by John in the later years of the
first century. It is expressly written as the words of Christ to seven
churches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first chapters start out with an affirmation of Christ.
They describe letters written to each of seven churches. It would be a mistake
to think the messages to the churches are unique to those churches and have no
application to us. The seven churches are a diverse lot, representing all
possible flavors of churches that comprise the body of Christ. As such,
they have their parallels in today’s church as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By the near-end of the first century, regardless of seeing
all the miracles and hearing all the phenomenal teaching of Christ and the
apostles, the new church has fallen into some of the same traps into which the
Jews had fallen. A few churches are doing OK, a few more are struggling and a
few more are stumbling. One, Laodicea, seems to have wholly shut Christ out of
their services. The familiar passage about Jesus standing at the door and
knocking (Rev 3:20) is not a gospel invitation as many understand it to be. The
door Jesus is knocking on is not the oft-depicted door of a lost soul’s heart.
It is the door of the church! Jesus is saying, “You’ve left me out of your
services! Is anyone listening? Open the door and bring me back in!” Could there
be a better representation of the state of some churches today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still, the churches, despite their shortcomings are
proclaimed the "lampstands" (Rev 1:12-13) and Christ walks among
them, a sign of the faithfulness of God, even when His church is struggling.
There is a clear warning that suffering is on the way for all the churches, not
due to their failure, but because it is part of His plan for the last days,
which we are in presently and have been since the ascension of Christ (Rev
3:10-13).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite its weaknesses, shortcomings and oppression,
we should see that the church survives to the end. It will not fade away or
die. It is not threatened by outside and ungodly forces that would like to see
it vanish. The culture may ignore it, even attempt to be rid of it. God will
preserve it. We know this is true because it survives until the end-times as we
see in these chapters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-70179928080995203792019-11-13T22:48:00.004-05:002019-11-13T22:48:44.125-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 24, 2 Jhn, 3 Jhn, Jude<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2jo/1/1/s_1165001">2 Jhn, 3 Jhn, Jude</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2jo/1/1/s_1165001">2 Jhn</a> is
yet another warning against false teaching. It seems that most of the errant
teaching the church struggles with, regardless of where it originates,
arises from within the church in some manner. This short note warns against
extending hospitality to those who were spreading false teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There's a lesson buried in here. True, Christian fellowship
will be based on a shared, sound doctrine. The unity of the church is based on
Christ and the accurate and faithful teaching of the word of God. Anyone
extending hospitality to those who oppose that teaching is housing a threat to
that unity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is not to say we should never have unbelievers in our
home. John is saying we should not house and care for false teachers as they
are a danger to the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many godly churches and denominations may not agree on the
non-essentials of the faith. It’s OK. They each have their own distinctives.
These distinguishing markers should never interfere with our unity on the
essentials. So long as we can agree on the foundational essentials of the
faith, there should be a mutual respect, even prayer for each other. Having
differences in non-essential doctrines is not the same as the division
false teaching can generate. The only means of determining the difference
between false teaching and denominational distinctives is to be intimately
familiar with the Scriptures and objective about what are the essential teachings
for salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/3jo/1/1/s_1166001">3 Jhn</a> commends
those who extend hospitality to Christian missionaries and teachers. Taken
together with 2 John, it is clear that, to avoid false teaching and division in
the church, believers should practice love and discernment, encouraging support
of godly teachers and avoiding that of false teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jde/1/1/s_1167001">Jude</a> is
like 2 Peter. It carries the now-familiar warning against false teaching and
false teachers. The biggest threat to the church is the easy slide away from
the gospel call that can come from not knowing the Bible well enough to
identify false teaching. Jude urges us to love the false teachers and try to
reason with them but not to fall victim to their teachings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Notice that the teaching of the apostles has matured.
Whereas the earlier teaching was centered on sorting out doctrinal and
procedural matters, this latter teaching, most of it coming in the second
half of the first century, focuses on walking out the Christian life and
evaluating what teaching to receive or reject. As we move toward the end of the
New Testament, the word of God sets an expectation for the church to
become more discerning, the keep its eyes on Christ and to counter
opposition with a mature understanding of who Christ is accompanied
by a high view of Scripture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In short, Jesus has ascended, the Holy Spirit has been
poured out, the basics have been taught. Now it is time for the church to
become the messenger of truth and exemplar of unity it is designed to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-41815145177224165352019-11-13T22:43:00.002-05:002019-12-18T20:07:54.202-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 23, 1 Jhn 1-5<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1jo/1/1/s_1160001">1 Jhn 1-5</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Written sometime in the late first century, 1 John
addresses--you guessed it--false teaching in the church. His first epistle is
written to the church in Asia Minor (Turkey). John’s theme is made explicitly
clear in 1 Jhn 2:1-7 where he clearly identifies his intended audience as the
church. This is important as some folks like to teach that 1 John is written to
non-believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Significantly, these final epistles of the New Testament
are intended to be a more highly developed teaching than those that came
earlier. As we near the Book of Revelation and the final words of the canon,
all the teaching of Christ and the Apostles comes to bear on the new church,
giving it instructions in how to live the transformed life and portray the
gospel in everything it does. The lessons in these later letters are rich in
practical application and examples of holy living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John presents 3 guidelines for testing the authenticity of
teachers and those who profess to be Christians. (1) Righteousness should be
displayed as correct Christian behavior. (2) Love should be presented as the
proper Christian attitude. (3) A sound doctrinal view of Christ is the correct
teaching of the gospel. These three elements are the evidence of Christ in the
life of a believer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While John encourages righteous and sinless living, he does
not set them up as absolutes. In other words, John is not saying that anyone
who sins is not saved. That would not be consistent with the rest of Scripture.
He does, however, condemn those who willfully and unrepentantly continue to sin
with no regard for the holiness God is perfecting in His children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The message John sends is for us to be suspect of anyone or
any teaching that takes sin casually and encourages less-than-godly behavior.
We are called to live in a manner that puts Christ on display and demonstrates
that His children are set apart for holiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-42753094242432274252019-11-13T22:37:00.005-05:002019-11-13T22:37:35.382-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 22, 2 Pet 1-3<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2pe/1/1/s_1157001">2 Pet 1-3</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2 Peter is to Peter's writings what 2 Timothy is to Paul's
writings. It is the last letter written by Peter knowing his execution is at
hand. Peter's passion for sound teaching is exhibited as is a glance back at
the transfiguration, comparing it to the light of the gospel. Peter now sees
the transfiguration a bit differently. He makes the point that there is a
better understanding of the gospel after the resurrection than there was before
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2pe/1/1/s_1157001">2 Pet 1</a> tells
us the antidote to false teaching (there's that theme again) is to develop
proper Christian values based on a high view of Scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2pe/2/1/s_1158001">2 Pet 2</a>, Peter
questions the moral character of the false teachers infiltrating the church.
They are betrayed by their selfish pride and ambition, calling attention to
themselves and their followers rather than magnifying the name of Christ. This
will become the measure of all false teachers. Who do they point to? Who do
they serve? Is their ministry one of self-promotion or one of service, humility
and a passion for equipping the church to walk in its calling?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2pe/3/1/s_1159001">2 Pet 3</a> affirms
Paul's writings as Scripture and encourages the church to continue to grow in
grace. Using his eyewitness account of the transfiguration, Christ's promised
return and God's sovereign control over all the events of history, Peter
appeals to the church to continue to pursue godly living with the guarantee of
glorification upon His return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peter's last words to us are, "...grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." This is a fitting
sign-off. Peter wants his readers to continue in their reading and study of the
Bible, the only way to grow in the knowledge of the Savior, thus growing in the
expression of His grace as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-43044546739894143402019-11-13T22:33:00.002-05:002019-11-13T22:33:22.689-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 21, 1 Pet 1-5<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1pe/1/1/s_1152001">1 Pet 1-5</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The churches in what is now known as the northern region of
Asia Minor were suffering severe persecution and in a state of confusion. Peter
gives some startling guidance to their predicament; these trials should come as
no surprise.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh42opQAyvNl70Os2X4nWbOzAGyU89oemNbW9TFHwXckuspNPMgiPdjjc_91WOmMMwFGnT9VLeW8W3erPOj0rU_FXYhEH_EdH4R0ilRYc1AD4L4yp2iPKhgZ9ooDJnMCstnH1reYoPyzs/s1600/1+Pet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1045" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh42opQAyvNl70Os2X4nWbOzAGyU89oemNbW9TFHwXckuspNPMgiPdjjc_91WOmMMwFGnT9VLeW8W3erPOj0rU_FXYhEH_EdH4R0ilRYc1AD4L4yp2iPKhgZ9ooDJnMCstnH1reYoPyzs/s640/1+Pet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1pe/1/1/s_1152001" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">1 Pet 1</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> and
1 Pet 2:1-10 exhort the churches to hold fast to the faith and live godly
lives, not worshiping the pagan gods of their towns and cities but remembering
they are called to be holy and wholly devoted to the one true God.
Apparently, it would be easier for some of those folks who are being
persecuted to just adapt their ways to suit the culture. Others seem to be
getting angry at those who are oppressing them. Instead of compromising their
faith or expressing their anger, Peter tells them to seek spiritual growth,
setting aside anger, malice, greed and other fleshly pursuits. They are to
pursue spiritual "milk" (nourishment) through the teaching and study
of the word.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 Pet 2:11-4:11 gives them instructions on how to live in a
secular society as witnesses to the gospel and minimize the unavoidable
persecution that comes with being a Christian. The church should understand
they are aliens and strangers. It should avoid sinful desires, respect and
honor those in authority and recognize that it is God who establishes all
rule and authority and God who will call all into account. If they are slaves,
they are to submit, with all respect, to their masters. If they are masters,
they are to treat their slaves with compassion. Families should function in the
same manner, each submitting to the other and all unto God. Their lives are to
be led quietly, in harmony with others in the church, not trading anger for
anger but anger for a blessing, always prepared to share the gospel. God will
be the final judge of everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Peter wants them to understand that their lives are no
longer centered on their desires and drive toward self-fulfillment but are now
focused on demonstrating the glory and grace of God to a tainted world. The
more they are like the world, the more difficult it will be to show godliness
and holiness. They have been set apart and should live in a manner that
demonstrates it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The remainder of the book deals with living in severe
persecution. Christians should not be surprised by oppression and trials.
Christ told them they would suffer for following Him. Peter encourages them to
be imitators of Christ, rejoicing in Him and feeling blessed to be so closely
associated with Him that people react to them the same way they did Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Followers of Christ should understand that judgment begins,
not with the world but with the church. God will not condemn His church through
this judgment but make it stronger. He will also refine His people through the
oppression the church experiences. The trials of the church, even though they
arise from a fallen and desperately lost world, will cause the church to grow
stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As such, the church must bear the characteristics of a
godly community. Elders are to be treated with honor and respect. The younger
among them should be subject to the older, all of them clothed in humility. God
will soon shed His grace on those who are faithful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The guidance Peter brings is antithetical to the wisdom of
the world. But, it is the wisdom of God, given to the church for them to be
testimonies to His holiness. His church will not be evaluated by how successful
or popular it is but by how it handles trials. With this in mind, hardship
should be seen as an opportunity to put God on display and demonstrate the
unique character of the church as a body set apart from the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-89206655348388593752019-11-13T22:18:00.004-05:002019-11-13T22:18:35.979-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 20, Jas 1-5<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/jas/1/1/s_1147001">Jas 1-5</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">James is, quite possibly, the earliest of the new testament
letters. It was written between 40 and 50 AD by Jesus' brother. Notice the
timing of James and how it fits in with the narrative of Acts. Acts portrays an
infant church struggling to define itself while suffering severe persecution.
James appears with a message that starts out with "Count it all joy,
brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds..." (Jas 1:2).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">James immediately goes on to encourage believers to be doers
of the word and not merely hearers of it (Jas 1:22-23). This is an
encouragement to actively apply the word in our daily lives. It would have
been a guideline for the early church to make their faith more than an esoteric
exercise. Instead, the new believers are admonished to live changed lives
governed by their new hearts and a new passion for godliness. James's
message is as timely today as it was then. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amid encouragements to lead holy lives, as a testimony to
the gospel, James brings one of his most potent lessons. Faith will be
demonstrated by the works we do. This is a perfect complement to Paul's writing
which tells us works without faith are dead. Paul and James work together to
show us that faith and works are inextricably entwined. James makes it clear
that actions are the evidence of our faith, not the cause of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">James's message comes at precisely the time the fledgling
church needs encouragement and direction. It is the first of the
"Epistles," a series of letters, written by the Apostles, giving
detailed instructions on how the church is to be established, structured and
function in a hostile environment while focusing on the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-71563905295099985712019-11-13T22:13:00.000-05:002019-11-13T22:13:06.643-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 19, Heb 7-13<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/7/1/s_1140001">Heb 7-13</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our writer refers all the way back to Melchizedek (Gen
14:18) to describe the nature of the priesthood of Christ. The Scriptures
record no beginning or end of Melchizedek's priesthood. He was a priest of
righteousness and peace in Salem. Salem, which means "peace"
eventually became "Jerusalem." Christ is like Melchizedek in many
ways including the honor due Him merely because of who He is. The writer does
not claim that Melchizedek is equal to Christ. He uses Melchizedek as a
familiar figure to illustrate the truth of who Christ is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Likewise, the former priesthood, established through Aaron,
was an imperfect shadow of the priesthood Christ would bring. The high priest,
as a representative, was able to go into the Holy of Holies only after careful
preparation and even then, infrequently. Christ, as our perfect representative
is perpetually in the presence of God, praying for us and interceding for us as
our advocate. The previous Holy of Holies was a symbol of heaven, where God is
present. The veil at the entrance to the Holy of Holies was a barrier between
heaven and earth, there to protect those outside the sacred chamber from coming
into direct contact with God and dying due to His holy perfection and their
lack of it. Christ, our ultimate High Priest, removes the veil and, by our
union with Him, carries all believers into the presence of God
forever. There is no longer a barrier between heaven and earth!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/8/1/s_1141001">Heb 8-9</a> reveals
that the Old Covenant has been replaced by the New. While the rituals and
sacrifices of the Old Covenant find their fulfillment in Christ, so the
priesthood is completed in Christ and all the ceremonial/ritual rites are no
longer necessary. Christ is the new Priest. His sacrifice is the ultimate
sacrifice, eliminating the need for repeated ritualistic sacrifice which was
only symbolic and ineffective in forgiving sin. The symbolic rituals for
cleansing and atonement are fulfilled in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/9/1/s_1142001">Heb 10</a> spells
much of this out while admonishing believers to develop discipline and stamina
by consciously deciding to follow Jesus and encouraging other believers to do
the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here's a summary of the difference between the Old and New
Covenants as shown in "The Holman Bible Handbook":<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"OLD AND NEW COVENANT Definitionally, a covenant
is an agreement between two parties, whether equals or not, that signified a
relationship whereby the two bound themselves to each other, either
conditionally or unconditionally. Theologically, the term was used to
describe the relationship God initiated by His grace between Himself and
humankind to those who were willing to bind themselves through a personal
commitment of faith. This is reflected in the oft-occurring phrase in the OT “I
will be their God and they shall be my people.” A covenant was made by a
sacrifice. Hence the Hebrew idiom for its establishment was “to cut a covenant”
(Gen 15:7–21). From God’s perspective His covenant is unconditional and
unilateral in establishment, but from humankind’s perspective it is conditional
and two-sided. God commands His people to keep His covenant through obedience
and alternatively judges and blesses them according to their response. The
word covenant in the NT is diatheke, and it functions as the equivalent for the
OT berit. It occurs thirty-three times, nearly half of which are either OT
quotations or references to the OT covenants. But the concept of the “new
covenant” did not originate in the NT, for Jeremiah 31:31–34 speaks of God’s
intention to establish a new covenant. The phrase “new covenant” is found
six times in the NT: 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:8; 9:15;
12:24. The new covenant is the fulfillment of the old in that it is identified
with the death of Jesus and the Christian age. It is superior to the old
covenant according to Hebrews 7:20–22; 8:6 and displaces the old according to
Hebrews 8:13; 10:9. The new covenant was established by the shed blood of
Jesus on the cross. In the Gospel accounts of the last supper, it was Jesus
Himself who related His coming death to the establishment of the new covenant.
He is, by virtue of His death, the Mediator of a new covenant (Heb 9:15;
12:24). The sacrificial offering by Jesus on the cross constituted the
beginning of the new covenant and is complete and unrepeatable. Entrance into
the covenant relationship is by faith in Christ. The Book of Hebrews is
the NT epistle most concerned with the relationship between the old and new
covenants. The writer’s intent was to show both continuity and discontinuity
between the two covenants. Continuity can be seen in that God is the
initiator of both covenants, and both are based on sacrifice. Discontinuity can
be seen in that the new covenant supersedes the old due to the final nature of
the death of Christ. The old covenant was enacted upon inferior promises,
lacked finality, and lacked efficacy in that it provided no power to keep its
conditions. In contrast, the new covenant is unconditional, final, and
spiritually efficacious."</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/11/1/s_1144001"><br />
Heb 11</a> begins with the classic definition of faith being the assurance
(confidence) of things hoped for and conviction of things unseen. Faith is
confidence and conviction, not a blind hope grounded in wishful thinking, but a
complete trust and confidence that God is who He says He is and will do what He
says He will do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The writer goes on to give an impressive array of examples
of what faith looked like before the arrival of Jesus. Each one of the people
listed trusted God completely, obeyed Him to their best ability and had
confidence in His word. They saw only a preliminary glimpse (Heb 11:13) of what
was promised but anticipated a future hope (Heb 11:16). Like us, they will be
perfected by the work of the Son (Heb 2:10, 5:9. 7:28).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">None of these people were thinking, "Someday, I will
be saved by Jesus." They did not have the full revelation of who the
Messiah was and how He would save. There were echoes of it in Scripture, but
God's plan was still in a process known as "progressive revelation."
It was being rolled out bit by bit. Their belief and trust in God to be good
for His promises was counted to them as righteousness This righteousness was
not counted to everyone who was Hebrew. In other words, they were not saved
just because they were born Jewish (Rom 9:6). The ones who are saved are those
who trusted in God. In every way, though being unaware of the details, they
were saved by the sacrifice of the Son which, in effect reached back to cover
them for their trust that God would provide a redeemer. They merely trusted
God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/12/1/s_1145001">Heb 12</a> expounds
on this by making it clear that Jesus is the founder and perfecter of faith for
all people throughout all time (Heb 12:2). Because we as believers have been
given the gift of faith, we are encouraged to endure, as He did, working toward
the reward we are promised. God may chastise us at times, but it as an
expression of His love, meant to produce righteousness in us, drawing us closer
to Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hebrews ends with a practical application of our faith (<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/13/1/s_1146001">Heb 13</a>).
Notice that the writer has established Jesus as the way to salvation, through
faith which comes from Him and the outward evidence of that faith being
expressed in how we live our lives. Our behavior is the outward evidence of our
salvation. </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-67712784928691748772019-11-13T22:03:00.000-05:002019-11-13T22:03:09.075-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 18, Heb 1-6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/1/1/s_1134001">Heb 1-6</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We don't know the author of Hebrews. Speculation runs the
gamut of New Testament authors and even extends to Barnabas or Priscilla. It is
most likely written to a Jewish audience, perhaps living in Rome, sometime
shortly before 70 AD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The theme of the book is the supremacy of Christ in and
above all things, a sobering message to a group of Jews that may well have been
struggling with setting aside some of the ways and traditions of the Old
Covenant and walking in the New Covenant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/1/1/s_1134001">Heb 1-5</a>, we
hear of the superiority of Christ over all the Old Testament prophets, the
angels, Moses, Aaron and Joshua. Given the exceptionally high regard the Jews
had for each, this notion that Christ was above all those spiritual icons was
quite a challenge for a Jewish man or woman. But, the author lays his case out
succinctly, expertly using Old Testament Scripture to support his position.
Christ is supreme above all priests, prophets and kings. This makes Him higher
than all the pillars of the faith revered by the Jews. It also combines those
offices into one, holy deliverer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/heb/5/1/s_1138001">Heb 5-6</a> warns
of the possibility of some of the folks falling away from sound teaching and
the church. Heb 6:1-8 speaks of those who may appear to have been saved, may
even have been blessed by some of the benefits of the church, but were not
truly saved. While 6:1-8 is frequently used to support the claim that one can
lose his salvation, notice that "salvation" doesn't show up in the
passage until Heb 6:9, where the writer contrasts those who are truly saved
with those in the first eight verses who appeared to be saved but fell away bearing
no fruit. Spiritual fruit is always the evidence of salvation. The people
described in Heb 6:1-8 had none.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hebrews bears some warnings for the church to observe. It
should keep its priorities in line, always keeping the emphasis on Christ and
the gospel. There are those in the church that some may assume are saved when
they are not. How can we tell? The church is to look for fruit in the lives of
its members. Are they maturing? Are they seeking holiness? Do they have a
desire to be closer to God? While we are told to be careful to avoid judging
others, we must also be wary of who we follow and what influences we allow to
impact the church. The guidelines in Hebrews are not meant to make the church
exclusionary or self-righteous, but to caution against allowing ungodly people
to assume leadership and control. This who are focused on Christ and His
supremacy in all things understand the calling of the church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-62761731876275208162019-11-13T21:56:00.003-05:002019-11-13T21:56:36.260-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 17, Tit 1-3, Phm<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are T<a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/tit/1/1/s_1130001">it 1-3, Phm</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chronologically, Titus is the second of the three Pastoral
Epistles (letters). It is written to Titus, whom Paul left on Crete to oversee
the growth of the new church on that Island.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">In Tit 1 we see the instructions to appoint elders,
affirming that a plurality of leadership is the preferred structure for
the church. The guidelines for choosing elders are like the ones seen in 1
Timothy. However, Paul further clarifies that the leaders are to be blameless
and their doctrinal beliefs should be biblical (Tit 1:6-9). This is necessary
for them to be able to refute the false teachers that have entered the Cretan
churches and are causing problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul addresses the various groups in the church in Tit 2.
They are to learn how to recognize false teaching by the building up of their
spiritual lives. To accomplish this, Titus is to preach sound doctrine which
will lead to discernment and godly behavior. All of this is undergirded by
God's grace, freely given to them, empowering them to become godly
people. From this, we learn that God has graciously enabled us to embrace
biblical teaching, but our teachers must be carefully vetted and determined to
hold to scriptural teaching. To do that, all believers have to be familiar with
what the Bible says. While we currently live in a culture that sometimes
eschews doctrinal teaching, Paul tells Titus it is foundational to the church.
The church cannot live godly lives without the clear and concise teaching
of the word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What does godly living look like? We hear the answer in Tit
3:1-2, which tells us we should respect and pray for our civil leaders and
those in authority, leading quiet lives that are testimonies to the gospel.
Even if those leaders are ungodly, Paul reminds us that we were once like them.
We are now the beneficiaries of God's grace and mercy. The effective way to put
that on display is to be purveyors of mercy and grace, not sowers of
dissension.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This lesson should permeate all our relationships, not just
those we have with authorities. We should strive to become living, breathing
examples of the gospel and the grace of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/phm/1/1/s_1133001" target="_blank">Philemon</a> is a beautiful statement on slavery
which was commonly practiced at this point in history. The Bible never condones
nor condemns slavery. It does, however, acknowledge that slavery exists in some
cultures. In those cases where slavery is mentioned, the Bible admonishes
slaves to be obedient and respectful while at the same time admonishing masters
to be merciful and compassionate. The point is that even in cultures that
tolerate slavery, the love of God and the compassion of the church should be
expressed for the sake of the gospel. Notice, Paul does not encourage believers
to judge the culture nor to rebel against it. Rather, he wants them to live the
gospel while living in the culture, making examples of themselves within the context
of their society. In Onesimus's case, Paul encourages him to receive
Philemon, a former slave, as a brother and an equal</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-50473090651021092052019-11-13T21:43:00.002-05:002019-11-13T21:43:25.932-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 16, 2 Tim 1-4<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2ti/1/1/s_1126001">2 Tim 1-4</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2 Timothy is Paul's last letter, written very shortly
before he was martyred. Paul knew he would be executed soon. As such, Paul
pours his most vital teaching into what he has to say to Timothy. We would do
well to pay careful attention to those lessons Paul wants to impress on his
younger disciple.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2ti/1/1/s_1126001">2 Tim 1</a>, Paul
mentions his suffering but frames it in light of the power of the gospel with
an encouragement to keep the faith regardless of the circumstances. These are
powerful words coming from a condemned man who had been abandoned by most of
his friends! Rather than bemoaning his fate, Paul always points back to Christ
and the promise of glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 2 Tim 2:1-13, Paul admonishes Timothy not to get caught
up in issues other than the spreading of the gospel. He calls Timothy to
faithful devotion and self-discipline in service to the Lord. In the second
half of the chapter, Paul cautions against false teachers, an issue that comes
up frequently in the New Testament. Paul makes it clear that not everyone
attending church is saved or godly (2 Tim 2:20-22). The danger of false
teachers is not that they come from outside the church but may be lurking
within. One way of telling those who are not truly part of the church is by
examining what they teach and how they live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2ti/3/1/s_1128001">2 Tim 3</a> warns
against ungodly behavior in the last days, even in the church. People will flock
to teaching that "tickles their ears". Scripture is always the
measure of godly people and godly teaching. Paul is careful to point out that
"all Scripture" is authored by God and useful for matters of faith
and life. This can be sobering to those who put more value in books about the
Bible than they do the Bible itself. While books about the Bible can be
helpful, they must be read with the Scriptures in mind, comparing all they say
with the Bible to determine their value just as we would a teacher who claims
to be teaching the Bible. All teaching should be weighed against the full
counsel of Scripture, not only isolated verses or passages taken out of
context. It's easy for false teachers to teach errant truth by focusing on a
narrow list of Scriptures taken out of context and ignoring or discounting the
rest of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul's final words to Timothy are to "preach the
word" whenever he can and wherever he can. Sound doctrine and the teaching
of the Scriptures go hand in hand. Both are vitally important to the health of
the church. This may be Paul's most profound message. Timothy lived in a
culture of great story-tellers and expert orators. It was easy for people to
gravitate toward teachers that told engaging stories or had speaking styles
that gripped an audience without having any eternal value in what they said.
Paul wants to make sure Timothy is always teaching the word of God, not using
it to launch into some other agenda or to elevate himself. Paul's advice to
Timothy rings in our hearts today the same way it did in the hearts of the
Bereans, "Know your Bibles and compare all you hear to all of
Scripture."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-71509624224676459182019-11-13T21:35:00.003-05:002019-11-13T21:35:56.893-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 15, 1 Tim 1-6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/1/1/s_1120001">1 Tim 1-6</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral
Epistles. They were written very near the end of Paul's life as guides to his
young proteges. As such, they are rich in wisdom and experience. These
letters are Paul’s last words telling his successors what is of primary
importance in life and ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1 Timothy, like the other two Pastoral Epistles, deals with
the doctrines of the church and where some are being led astray. It becomes
clear the churches are in far more danger from threats within than from
without. Timothy is in Ephesus, Paul writes from Macedonia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/1/1/s_1120001">1 Tim 1</a> concerns
false teachers, a theme that becomes increasingly emphasized as the new church
grows and spreads. Notice that errant teaching has been a significant
factor in the development of the new church. As the Epistles mature in their
theology and doctrine, so does the nature of error. It becomes
increasingly essential for believers to become familiar with the Scriptures and
those who teach them. The only defense against being led astray is a deep and
abiding knowledge of the whole Bible. All errant and false teaching we see in
the Scriptures arises from an incomplete or casual awareness of what the Bible really
says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/2/1/s_1121001">1 Tim 2</a> describes
the instructions for worship services and provides guidelines for the structure
of the church. The elders are to be men, following the created order. The
elders’ role is to serve and protect the flock, not to lord over them. Controversy
and much pain have occurred from various interpretations of 1 Tim 2:11.
However, this verse is applied must be in harmony with other passages in the
Bible such as when Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos
(Acts 18:26) or when Miriam is named among those who led Israel (Mic 6:4).
Evidently, the issue of women’s roles in the church is not a cut and dried as
some would think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/3/1/s_1122001">1 Tim 3</a> lists
the guidelines for selecting elders and deacons. They are to be examples of
godly living, older men of integrity who have demonstrated a track record of
living in the faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/4/1/s_1123001">1 Tim 4</a> brings
a charge to Timothy to guard the truth and refute the heretics. Paul implores
upon him to do this by preaching and teaching sound doctrine (1 Tim 4:6-7).
This will be a theme that is repeated in the Pastoral Epistles. Timothy,
as a leader in the church, is to be an example of godly living and solid
teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/5/1/s_1124001">1 Tim 5</a> is
a list of various guidelines for the church. It is to take care of widows. The
overseers are to teach and provide guidance and direction to the church. They
are to be honored and respected. Any criticism of leadership should be rejected
unless unequivocally proven to be true. They are to be examined thoroughly
before being installed. Discipline toward them is to be exercised with great
care and caution (1 Tim 5:19-21).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1ti/6/1/s_1125001">1 Tim 6</a> exhorts
Timothy to "fight the good fight." This implies that there will
be a fight! Paul intends to prepare Timothy for the rigors of ministry. The
church will require constant teaching. The world will not always receive the
gospel in a friendly manner. Paul’s life is a testimony to the way the world
rejects the message of the gospel. Timothy should not be surprised or
blindsided by any of this. He is not enrolling in a popularity contest; he is
becoming a messenger for God. Historically, the world has tried to kill God’s
messengers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">1 Timothy is intended
to help clarify and reiterate the theology and structure of the church, both
are necessary if the church is to function as it should. Ephesus was a vast
city filled with temples and a broad variety of philosophies and religions. It
was difficult to get people to understand the message of one true God and
salvation through His only Son. In an environment where people were regaled
with philosophical platitudes, fascinating stories and world-class orators,
doctrine and order were not what many were looking for. Timothy was being given
a tough assignment. Understanding God's design for His church and the message
that Christianity was to carry was vital to the spread of the gospel. Paul's
message is no less critical today.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-18412657655828337062019-11-13T21:21:00.002-05:002019-11-13T21:21:48.051-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 14, 1 Ths 1-5, 2 Ths 1-3<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/1th/1/1/s_1112001">1 Ths 1-5</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Even as </span><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/act/17/1/s_1035001"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Acts 17</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> describes
Paul's peril in Thessalonica and Berea, we see in 1 Ths (50-51 AD) that Paul
leaves a relatively healthy but very young church behind in that city. He
instructs Timothy to teach and lead the group of new believers. Since Paul had
to leave quickly, he provides an enduring foundation in four key areas; godly
living & sanctification (1 Ths 4:1-12), the eternal security of
believers who had died (1 Ths 5:8-11), the sure return of the Lord (1 Ths
4:13-18) and his own ministry as an apostle (1 Ths 2:1-11).</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Notice that Paul’s teaching is
beginning to broaden and deepen, even at this early stage of his ministry, as
the gospel spreads and the church grows throughout the Western world. Each
epistle, if read chronologically, takes his overall teaching deeper into
doctrine, providing a better, richer understanding of salvation, the nature
& character of God and what godly living in an increasingly hostile
world looks like.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">As followers of Christ, we should
do likewise. As we mature in our walk, we should strive for a better
understanding of doctrine and theology, a deeper, more intimate knowledge of
the character and nature of God. Paul sets the template in his writings. Rather
than seeing this pattern as an interesting history of the early church, we
should look at it as a pathway to follow. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2 Ths, written very soon after the first letter is a letter
of encouragement and another warning against false teaching which is already
creeping into the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul has been boasting about their new church and their faithfulness.
But they seem to be struggling with two ongoing problems; they think the Lord
has already returned and some of them don't want to work, they are
"idle" (2 Ths 3:10). His words are stern, but his love for them is
great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both letters to the church at Thessalonica reveal the
danger of straying from the Scriptures and focusing on the wrong things. They
were getting consumed with end-times speculation. Some didn't want to work.
It's entirely possible that those who didn't want to work thought there was no
need to work now that the Lord had returned. As a gentle rebuke and a reminder
of the ongoing work needed to proclaim the gospel, Paul encourages them to
remember how hard he worked when he was among them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The two problems the church in Thessalonica struggled with;
a false idea of the end times and idleness making it hard to effectively
preach the gospel. Paul wants to make sure they understand the reason the
church is there, and they are not distracted from the primary mission of the
church, the gospel. This is wise counsel for the church today. Christ died to
give us new life and proclaim His goods news. It's easy to lose our focus on
that as our primary goal. It happened in Thessalonica. It can happen here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-616574819783189712019-11-13T21:18:00.000-05:002019-11-13T21:18:05.174-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 13, Col 1-4<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/col/1/1/s_1108001">Col 1-4</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul wrote Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon around the
same time, while he was in prison in Rome, around 60-61 AD.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVzCpgfMfUkXQOTUYQDx4MZRaMq05oggGB3TjQdlRXOGjznyyG8up1mdZGq2WT70loHqupoY5s0yK-t8zwSe-rmDl4b09cWBBAYNqBIPuVhvBxeZ6QKEKaliHSjCwhoZptsAeHrmZTlo/s1600/Col+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="489" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVzCpgfMfUkXQOTUYQDx4MZRaMq05oggGB3TjQdlRXOGjznyyG8up1mdZGq2WT70loHqupoY5s0yK-t8zwSe-rmDl4b09cWBBAYNqBIPuVhvBxeZ6QKEKaliHSjCwhoZptsAeHrmZTlo/s640/Col+1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Paul wrote to address errant teaching in Colossae.
While not being clear as to what the false teaching is, the text of the letter
seems to indicate that the centrality of Christ was attacked while an emphasis
was placed on lesser, non-essential issues. Apparently, there was an unbalanced
focus on philosophical traditions, dietary restrictions, an encouragement to
adhere to certain Jewish rites and the worship of angels, all with a lean
toward asceticism. It seems a dangerous mixture of legalism and mysticism had
entered the Colossian church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul's counter to all this is to focus on three things, the
supremacy of Christ in all things, the work of the ministry and the church. He
ends the letter with a series of exhortations and encouragements designed
to remind the church of its original calling and purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Looking at the big picture, it's easy to see that the new
church is trying to incorporate cultural issues and practices into its makeup,
many of them antithetical to the gospel. It's trading its original mission for
one that allows outside influences and unscriptural, mystical practices to
permeate its meetings and teaching. Perhaps this was an effort to appeal to a
broader audience and make itself more attractive to those who need
the hear its message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Regardless of the reasons, Paul wants to nip these things
in the bud before they become a more significant problem. The solution he
offers is universal for the church, "Go back to the basics, read your
Bibles, share the gospel. Be the godly influence on the culture rather than
becoming the influenced in it."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-31412380403091684432019-11-13T20:58:00.002-05:002019-11-13T20:58:50.451-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 12, Php 1-4<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/phl/1/1/s_1104001">Php 1-4</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Philippians was written during Paul's house
arrest in Rome. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9exi1nMww6ntQQ-O19UXWyqZb3I5ho3-rQXGRjZvlyFigiWAgJwJF0OuVN5Hxf1HwgsoOAzGDmn8zPNZnOgxKzCeDznGD0Wek1hlNkSK48GITjVBM-WfnH9aOoOs0kf7DWN-FRewgxo/s1600/Php+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1050" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9exi1nMww6ntQQ-O19UXWyqZb3I5ho3-rQXGRjZvlyFigiWAgJwJF0OuVN5Hxf1HwgsoOAzGDmn8zPNZnOgxKzCeDznGD0Wek1hlNkSK48GITjVBM-WfnH9aOoOs0kf7DWN-FRewgxo/s640/Php+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Philippi was in Macedonia, about 125 miles East of
Thessalonica.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnRbklC3PZGLHwc9NBNh7V069I_id4n8GGoc00r6sf7T9XvHXNV56RIBj5KUe_Jdbvs4tZgIsFfopea1Twdy8X0LjFbWAmD2FVotNlFpGq__s0eLDzLXAthgdQFeAfbHeaaHRCbEj448/s1600/Php+1b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1021" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnRbklC3PZGLHwc9NBNh7V069I_id4n8GGoc00r6sf7T9XvHXNV56RIBj5KUe_Jdbvs4tZgIsFfopea1Twdy8X0LjFbWAmD2FVotNlFpGq__s0eLDzLXAthgdQFeAfbHeaaHRCbEj448/s640/Php+1b.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Strategically located, populated and heavily fortified by
retired and semi-retired Roman soldiers, Philippi was the first city in
Europe where Paul established a church. Paul also spent some time in prison
there. The church at Philippi supported Paul in his journeys and was a source
of constant encouragement to him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul wants to let the Philippians know that he is well and
fine, even though he is imprisoned. The gospel is advancing, though he is
confined (Php 1:12-16). This is, as always, Paul's goal and primary concern,
the spread of the gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He wants to encourage the Philippians to continue growing
in their faith. Even though there is some tension in the congregation (Php
4:2), they seem to be doing well compared to the struggling churches in Galatia
and Corinth. Rather than rest on their success and past achievements, Paul
wants them to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus!" Paul wants to make sure the Philippians do not
get too comfortable in their spiritual maturity and become complacent (Php
3:12-14).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Already there are signs that some over-spiritualizing may
be creeping in. Paul cautions that their growing maturity will not come through
mysticism but through the patient practice of love and service to others and
each other. They are to imitate Christ in all they do. This will reap eternal blessings
and benefits. They can be confident that God will finish what He has started
among them (Php 3:1-11).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are profound lessons for us in Philippians. Spiritual
pride and arrogance are to be avoided. We should never allow ourselves to think
we "have arrived." We should constantly strive to go deeper and gain
a better understanding of the Scriptures while pursuing a deeper relationship
with the Lord. We should be cautious about thinking our maturity gives us
"spiritual superpowers" that others may not have. Humility and
service, not aloofness and false piety, should be the hallmarks of our
spiritual growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An encouragement in Paul's letter is that the church seems
to be getting most of this right. Paul does not necessarily write to chastise
them but to encourage them and caution them along the way. Likewise, there
are things that we, as believers, can be doing well in. Self-examination is an
excellent and productive way to monitor our walk with the Lord. Too much
self-examination or being hesitant to give honor to God for the progress He
makes in our sanctification while we spend too much time and emotional capital
on our faults and stumbles can bog us down and stunt our spiritual growth. God
has granted us the gift of repentance to deal with our occasional failures (Act
5:31; Act 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25). We should use it. There is a delicate balance
between spiritual arrogance and self-condemnation. We should pray that the
Spirit leads us away from both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-83660710383318186552019-11-13T20:13:00.001-05:002019-11-13T20:13:17.822-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 11, Eph 1-6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/eph/1/1/s_1098001">Eph 1-3</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are two primary themes in Paul's letter to the
Ephesians: (1) In Christ all creation is reconciled to Himself and to God. (2)
Christ has united people of all nations into Himself and each other. This is
not to imply that all people in creation are reconciled to God, only those in
Christ. One of the points Paul wants to clarify is that salvation through
Christ and His work on the cross are available to all kinds of people, hence the
“all nations” phrase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ephesians was written around 60 AD and shows that the new
church is beginning to mature in its doctrine and theology but will continue to
struggle with outside influences. Nonetheless, Paul’s teaching is deep and
rich, intended for a congregation that may have its challenges but is growing
spiritually.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ephesus was a vast and incredibly prosperous port city
dominated by temples to a broad variety of gods. The city struggled with
mysticism, magic and the occult. Paul's letter established Christ's supremacy
over all things and God's sovereign authority over not just creation but all
things in this age and the next. Apparently, the church at Ephesus needed to be
reminded of their allegiance to an all-powerful God and their union with Him
and each other through Christ. The draw on them to worship other gods was
formidable. They lived in a culture that minimized the one true God by offering
a multitude of alternatives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Paul starts out by establishing that all blessings come
through Christ through whom we are saved by grace through faith. Our hope is in
Him, and we are helpless without Him. In Him, also, we are united with all
types of people. This is a mystery revealed in Christ; namely, the gospel is
for Jews and Gentiles. This should be a blessing for God’s people in Ephesus
who may feel pulled in a variety of directions and become divided by a culture
that teaches many and diverse spiritual paths. Christ is the only way
toward a relationship with God. He brings not only salvation but unity (Eph
1-3).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ephesus
today. The remains of numerous temples and meetings places are still
evident.<br />
This is Main Street looking down toward the great library</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Paul respects his
readers and expresses his great love for them. He knows the power of peer
pressure. He knows it would be easy for the people of the</span></span><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">church
at Ephesus to compromise their faith to fit in with their neighbors and
friends. So, instead of watering down the gospel and sending them a feel-good
letter, Paul takes them deeper into their faith with a strong doctrinal
emphasis. This is a letter motivated by love, respect and compassion. Paul
doesn’t want to coddle them; he wants to stretch them and to see them
grow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In </span><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/eph/4/1/s_1101001"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eph 4</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, we see that God has given various
spiritual gifts. These gifts are for the edification of the body. But, they’re
also a testimony to its unity. Everyone has, at least, one gift intended to be
used in a corporate setting (the church) for the glory of God and the
advancement of His kingdom. Christians should lead lifestyles that are marked
by edification of each other and holiness. The primary way they express their
unity is by becoming imitators of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/eph/5/1/s_1102001">Eph 5</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> tells us we have new life in His
love and should put the things of our old life behind us. The evidence of our
new lives will show up in how we submit one to another (Eph 5:20). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The marriage
relationship (Eph 5:22-33) is a primary example of what this mutual submission
looks like, it being a model of the relationship Christ has with His church. Marriage
is a gift given by God intended to demonstrate the unity and harmony of the
church. It is tangible evidence that the presence and power of the Holy Spirit
can transform and unite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is
structure in marriage. But it is a structure of equals with each called to
serve the other. The husband is the head. But both husband and wife are to
treat each other as more important than themselves. So, it is with the church.
The church is a witness to the world of the oneness we have in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Eph 6:1-9 we
see the same principles apply to children and parents, slaves and masters. In
other words, these principles for living permeate every area of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eph 6:10-18 is
the familiar "Armor of God" passage. Many people see this as a
passage about spiritual warfare. In truth, the only active part we are
encouraged to play is to "stand firm." The passage is about becoming
more like Christ to more effectively live in and work out the unity mentioned
in the previous chapters. We're told to "put on and keep putting on"
(the verbs imply continuous action) truth, righteousness, peace, faith,
salvation, the word of God and unceasing prayer, all to resist the evil that
would drag us back into our previous lifestyles and ruin our testimonies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ephesians is a
powerful letter encouraging the church to walk in the unity it has in Christ
while emulating Him in all things as a mark of the all-powerful God who sits in
sovereign authority over all creation. Ephesians portrays a maturing church,
well on its way toward being more like Christ, working together for the sake of
the gospel and for the edification and nourishment of its members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-6121234787906638042019-11-13T19:49:00.001-05:002019-11-13T19:49:23.362-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 10, Gal 1-6<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s1600/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PjCFWZE-71W6qfvIR4YBuQ847UCyzRVLBRrIjT7awWll-JNCLhIkPgZHPJtNyxWfXo1CL7rGD0zWlqNjpDriH-7a3BT5brkQs6k-eW_gz87H-hHj8P0ciZfS6d1RDMW-8dzDs3vEUXQ/s320/DAILY+BREAD+2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/1/1/s_1092001" target="_blank">Gal 1-6</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Galatians is the earliest letter we have from Paul. It was
written shortly after the book of James appeared. In <a href="http://theviewfrommychair.blogspot.com/2017/11/canonical-reading-plan-for-nov-18-act.html">Acts
15-16</a>, we saw the onset of doctrinal teaching in the new church. That
teaching arose out of necessity because some were trying to teach a false doctrine
about the need for circumcision. Galatians also addresses false teaching. While
the overall emphasis of Galatians is justification by faith, a radically new
teaching in its day, we see Paul’s wisdom in laying it out concisely as a
rebuttal to the false teaching that was beginning to permeate the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">James, Acts 15-16, Galatians and the fact that they all
appear early in the new church’s formation make it clear that the
church struggled with two unceasing obstacles from its inception --
persecution and errant teaching. Paul makes the point, in his first epistle,
that a focus on the gospel in its purest form is the remedy to the false
teaching.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/1/1/s_1092001">Gal 1</a>, along
with the admonition to hold tight to the gospel as they learned it, Paul
addresses the fact that even firm believers can be led astray and, at times,
lose their focus (Gal 1:11-14).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From the tone of <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/2/1/s_1093001">Gal 2-3</a>, it
seems the false gospel being taught is one of works. This is very similar to
the problem James was addressing, the idea that there was something that a
believer needs to do to achieve true salvation. Paul tells the Galatians that
they are "justified," reconciled to God and declared righteous.
This occurs by faith, not works (Gal 2:16).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul contends that works without faith are dead (Gal 2:16).
They accomplish nothing. James says faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17). At
a casual glance, Paul and James seem to be contradicting each other. But a
closer examination reveals an astounding biblical principle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both are true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our works mean nothing without our faith (Paul). But, if we
have faith, the evidence will show in our works (James). Our faith will
manifest itself in how we interact with the world we live in. Our works become
the tangible testimony of our faith. We shouldn’t have to conjure up good
things to do. They should come flowing from us as the natural outcome of our
transformation from people who were dead into those who are alive in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/4/1/s_1095001">Gal 4</a> reveals
that the false teachers mentioned in the first three chapters have turned the
Galatians against Paul and, more importantly, against his teaching. The church
has returned to the teaching of the world and legalism, embracing teachers who
"make much of them (the Galatians)" so that they might make much
themselves (Gal 4:16). Apparently, this has worked because Paul has been newly
perceived as the enemy for telling them the truth. One of the great lessons in
Galatians is that the church can be seduced by teaching that "tickles the
ears" and is man-focused instead of being centered on Christ and the
gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The primary issue, as we see in Gal 5:1-3, is, once again,
circumcision. The false teachers are teaching the need for circumcision as a
way of satisfying the law. Paul encourages the church to "walk by the
Spirit." Through false teaching, they have been led to "gratify the
desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16)." In other words, the primary focus of the
Galatian church has become getting their desires and needs to be met.
These false teachers have presented a man-focused gospel that says, "There
are things you can do (circumcision and such) to become a good person and get
what you're looking for out of this Christian life! It's all about you and
getting what you want out of your relationship with Christ and the
church."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The result of false teaching is contention with the truth
and tension against the Spirit (Gal 5:17). The Galatians are now bickering over
minor things while the truth is abandoned. Paul wants to expose legalism for
what it is, a man-centered, self-righteous teaching that is divisive. Paul
contrasts these results of a legalistic approach to the Christian walk with how
the Spirit should impact the church in love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (Gal
3:22).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The solution to the problem afflicting the Galatians is to
"bear one another's burdens (Gal 6:2) instead of anyone thinking they are
something when they are not (Gal 6:3). The church is to share the load, not
demand that their burden be carried by someone else (Gal 6:5). This “burden”
Paul speaks of is the legalism the false teachers are trying to impose on
others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul encourages them to "share all good things with
the one who teaches." The implication is "with the one who teaches
the truth." This is followed by a warning that what one sows, one will
reap. If one sows the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.), those
blessings will be reaped. If one sows the works of the flesh (legalism,
self-righteousness, etc.), those trials will be reaped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is an ancient example of how easy it is to come to
church expecting your needs to be met. This can develop into a demand to be
satisfied and served. Paul urges the church to come to serve rather than be
served, to come to carry someone's burden rather than to demand someone carry
yours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The real reason the
Galatian church has slipped back into legalism is that they are looking for a
fast and easy way to satisfy the desires of the flesh. Nothing is quicker or
easier than a list of "how-to" items designed to get what we want.
Some folks have begun teaching the "how-to." The church has embraced
it. The net result? The gospel is lost in meeting the desires of the people in
the pews instead of meeting the need for the lost world to hear the
gospel. </span></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6686409573032373535.post-41049708409655318802019-11-13T19:34:00.001-05:002019-11-13T19:34:43.207-05:00Daily Bread for Dec 9, 2 Cor 10-13<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today’s readings are <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2co/10/1/s_1088001">2 Cor 10-13</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2co/10/1/s_1088001">2 Cor 10</a>,
Paul tells us that the opinions of others are not what should be sought after.
God's affirmation is the most crucial approval we will ever seek and the most
important one. It is, at times, at odds with the approval of men. Therefore,
seeking approval and acceptance of those around us can be dangerous. It is not
always in harmony with God's best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul's sarcastic wit dominates <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2co/11/1/s_1089001">2 Cor 11</a>. A
group of "super-apostles" has been preaching a perversion of the
gospel (2 Cor 11:5). To Paul, they are no apostles at all but false teachers.
They teach a different gospel and are led by a different spirit. They have
accused Paul of being "unskilled at speaking." Paul is anything
but unskilled yet remains humble claiming skillfulness in knowledge instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As Paul continues his diatribe against
false teachers, we see that Paul garners his support from other churches
he has planted (2 Cor 11:8) while he was starting the Corinthian church.
Early in his ministry, Paul supported himself. As the churches he planted began
to grow, he drew his support from them never charging the citizens of the towns
he ventures into but deriving his support from churches he previously planted.
“A workman is worthy of his wages.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul enumerates the sufferings and ordeals he has
endured as a validation of his commitment to the gospel and the church (2 Cor
11:16-33).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/2co/12/1/s_1090001">2 Cor 12</a>, Paul
is surprised by how quickly the Corinthian church has fallen away from true
apostolic teaching. The false teachers have gone so far as to accuse Paul's
tenderness and affection for the church as a sign of weakness. False teaching
frequently disguises itself as strength, But, it is invariably a man-centered
strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul responds by relating a vision he had about ten years
prior. Even at that, Paul mentions that his real strength is not in visions or
signs but in his own weakness which allows the power of Christ to be magnified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The letter ends with a promise to return to Corinth but a
warning that Paul will deal with their sin when he gets there. He encourages
them to examine themselves before his arrival and repent of any sin that is
revealed. It's an excellent example for all of us to follow in preparation for
the Lord's return. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping</div>John Kuvakashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01314234363243443386noreply@blogger.com0