Written By
jeff lucas MAR/APR 2012
y a D y Ever
Turning the tables Copyright Š CWR 2011 Published 2011 by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK Tel: 01252 784700 Email: mail@cwr.org.uk Registered Charity No. 294387 Registered Limited Company No. 1990308 Front cover image: Getty Images/Stone/Max Oppenheim Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR. Printed in England by Linney Print. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright Š 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by the International Bible Society.
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how to get the best out of life every day
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of
It’s a habit that I’m desperately trying to change: I don’t like to bother with reading instructions. And so I arrive home with some brand-new computer gizmo, tear it from its wrapping and, impatient to see it working, rush to switch it on before reading the little manual that might just prevent me from blowing it up. I think it’s a genetic issue. My mother is the same. She didn’t bother to read the small print on the package of concentrated washing machine powder. She ended up elbow-deep in suds. Six months after receiving Paul’s first letter, the church in Thessalonica were in need of further instructions from their founding apostle. Some were still confused about the second coming, and others were struggling with trusting Christ in the midst of ongoing suffering. And so Paul writes once again to encourage them to hang in there. Two thousand years later, the second coming still creates speculation and confusion, and when Christians suffer bad ideas and half truths circulate. As a pastor, I often wince when I hear what Christians tell each other when life gets tough. It’s vital that we get this right. We certainly cannot have a mature theology of the supernatural if we don’t have a mature theology of suffering. Otherwise we will constantly be disappointed. Perhaps you’re bewildered by unresolved pain that nags away in your life. Please know that people of faith have always found trial not only tough to endure, but difficult to understand. Yet, as Revelation promises, everything will change, because Christ will come again. Prayer: When pain threatens to eclipse my view of You, help me to stand firm, faithful God. I will trust in You, coming Christ. Amen.
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THURS 01 MAR
Read the instructions
BIG PICTURE
2 Thessalonians 1:1–12 Revelation 21:1–5 Focus:
‘Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.’ (2 Thess. 1:4)
... everything will change ...
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FRI 02 MAR
Stabilised by the love of God BIG PICTURE
2 Thessalonians 2:1–17 Psalm 136:1–26 Focus:
‘May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage ... and strengthen you.’ (2 Thess. 2:16–17)
I was sharing a cup of coffee with a friend who is also a pastor. He ended our time by saying, ‘Thanks Jeff, I’ll stay in ministry now for at least another day.’ I smiled at his comment, and then pondered it. We had talked widely about a range of issues – writing, preaching, church, leadership – but much of our conversation was focused on letting people know about the surprising love of God for them. The tragic truth is that so many Christians, supposedly recipients and carriers of the good news, live feeling permanently bad, serving a God who, at least in their minds, can never be pleased. As Paul writes to the Thessalonians, still under threat from persecution and unsettling false teaching, he reminds them of God’s overflowing love for them and desire to encourage them in the midst of their battle. John Stott in his book, The Message of Thessalonians, makes the powerful point that the key component to Christian stability is the love of God. Three times Paul celebrates the love of God in his letter. Apparently, he feels his friends need that reminder. Isn’t it true that the first thing we tend to forget is that God loves us? We can remember to be faithful, we recall the command to holiness, but somehow it slips our minds that the reason for living the way we do is that God has loved us, does love us, and always will – for ever. Perhaps you need a reminder too: God loves you. Or, as one preacher eloquently put it, ‘If God had a refrigerator, your photo would be on it.’ Prayer: May I keep this truth before me, especially when life suggests otherwise: You love me, loving Father. Amen.
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03/04 MAR 2 Thessalonians 3:1–18 // Ephesians 4:17–32
Don’t be idle It’s an old saying: ‘The devil makes work for idle hands.’ But it’s a biblical truth. Some in the Thessalonian congregation refused to work, filling their lazy days with divisive talk and spreading false teaching. When bored people have nothing better to do, they tend to do their worst. Paul’s words make for a pithy translation into English: ‘They are not busy; they are busybodies.’ And surely the opposite is true. I’ve been around Christians who are pouring out their lives in the service of the kingdom of God. As well as working hard to support themselves and their families, which is the context of Paul’s comments here, their homes are open places of hospitality. They are the first to volunteer time and money to a new project. Quite literally, they don’t have time to brood over offences or turn minor issues into major conflicts. Perhaps you’re stirred up about something in your church and crusading to prove you are right. Before you go any further, ask this question: does this really matter? Am I fighting because I’m bored? Do I need to stop spectating and start participating?
Am I fighting because I’m bored?
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To ponder: Why do idleness and divisiveness seem to go together?
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