Author: Stephanie Wolfe

As I sit here in my chair looking out the window, it is 92 degrees and feels like 105 degrees. Since 8:00 am a moving truck and 3 workers have been loading up my neighbors belongings. They have taken much needed breaks and I see lots of water bottles around, but they are working hard getting everything loaded into that truck. Not once have I witnessed one of them sit down and be lazy in this scorching heat!

In todays reading of 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, Paul winds up his letter with final instructions about working hard and not giving in to idleness.

I can just imagine what would happen across the street if one of the movers sat down and got lazy while the others continued to carry heavy boxes and furniture from the house to the truck! I am pretty sure that a fight might break out or word would definitely get back to the boss about the one being lazy. This lazy worker would disrupt, discourage and could even embitter the whole group of movers. This is what Paul was seeing in Thessolonica. People were becoming idle as they were waiting for the Lord to return. As they were not busy, they became busybodies. They stirred up trouble with their gossipy, busybody behavior. The problem was unsettling the church. These people had so much time on their hands that they were meddling in others’ affairs and causing problems, rather than living quiet lives and providing for their families.

Idleness can be defined as a lack of pursuing spiritual things. Idleness is not just being a couch potato, laying on the sofa. You can be very busy at your daytime job, cleaning around the house, doing outdoor work or even volunteering in your community. But that business is not going to keep fiery darts from the evil one from hitting you, if your mind isn’t on Jesus, it is not being renewed. If you are not pursuing God, you will be pursued and overtaken by the thoughts of this world. This is the sin of idleness – a lack of pursuing god.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 reminds us, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” He is true to His promises. He cannot lie or pull any punches. What He promises, He delivers. God will establish us and guard us from the evil one. God will also “guard” us. He is our defender. He stands guard for us.

When we are not idle and spend time in the Word of God, we put more truth in our souls. The more truth we hide in our hearts, the more stable we become because God is faithful to us. God’s faithfulness toward us inspires trust. Trust in God’s faithfulness gives us stability because we know that He will be true to His Word (Numbers 23:19). We have His support in any situation we face.

While we wait for the Lord’s return, just as they were doing in this passage, we are instructed to live as responsible members of our families, neighborhoods, and communities. We need to strive to represent Jesus well.

Welcome to the Book of Colossians!  Here is a little background as to who wrote this book and why was it written…

Most commentators agree that this book was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Several hundred years before Paul was born, Colossae had been a leading city. But, by the first century a.d. Colossae had become a second-rate market town, and the surrounding towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis had gained power and importance.

The Church of Colassae gained New Testament importance during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus. Epaphras, a distinguished leader and probably the founder of the Colossians church, came to Paul in Rome with good news and bad news about the church. The good news was that the gospel had flourished among the Colossians who were continuing in their faith in Christ and in love for their fellow believers. The bad news was the Colossians were being troubled by a new teaching that was contrary to the gospel which Epaphras had been preaching to them. This young church became the target of heretical attack (heretical = of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards (Merriam-Webster)).

Paul never directly states the heresy that is happening in Colossae, but, according to Bible Study Tools, the heresy was diverse in nature.

There were 6 areas of heresy happening in Colossae:

1. Ceremonialism – strict rules about the kinds of permissible food and drink, religious festivals (2:16-17) and circumcision (2:11;3:11)
2.  Asceticim – “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21;2:23)
3.  Angel Worship (2:18)
4.  Depreciation of Christ. This is implied in Paul’s emphasis on the supremacy of Christ (1:15-20; 2:2-3,9).
5.  Secret knowledge. The Gnostics boasted of this (2:18, 2:2-3)
6.  Reliance on human wisdom and tradition (2:4,8).

Paul’s purpose of this book is to refute the heresies stated above.

Paul refutes this heresy by exalting Christ as:

*the very image of God (1:15),

*the Creator (1:16),

*the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17),

*the head of the church (1:18),

*the first to be resurrected (1:18),

*the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19, 2:9) and

*the reconciler (1:20-22).

These are all proof that Christ is completely adequate. Chapter 2 verse 10 states that we “have been given fullness in christ”.

These verses prove that the Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate. It was inadequate and deceptive philosophy (2:8).

How does the book of Colossians apply to our life? Just like this Church, we are easily misled to depart from our beliefs.   Bottom line – Colossians is all about who we are in Christ! When we find our security and significance in Him we find that He is really all we need. When we know that He is ALL we need, we want others to have what He’s given us – a personal relationship with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our reading today is Galations 5

Christ came to set us free.

Galations 5:1, “So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slaery to the law.”

The people of Paul’s time found it very difficult to differentiate between legalism and living in the freedom of Christ. Paul is trying to get the point across to believers that Christ has set us free for FREEDOM. We now live in freedom. The victory has been bought, we do not need to earn it. This does not mean that life is easy, but that we fight knowing that God has already won.

Man needs to be free from himself and the tyranny of his sinful nature. The legalists thought they had the answer to their problems by following the laws, but Paul has explained that no amount of legislation can change man’s basic sinful nature. It is not following the laws of man, but love on the inside that makes the difference. We need another power within, and that power comes from the Holy Spirit of God. There are at least fourteen references to the Holy Spirit in the book of Galations. When we believe in Christ, the Spirit comes to dwell within us. It is because of the Holy Spirit living in us that we get to enjoy freedom in Christ.

Sometimes, when life gets hard or we face something that we do not want to do, in our house you may hear, “Put on your big girl pants” or “Suck it up buttercup”. These expressions come from within and we try to muster all that it will take to face or do something. But, we forget that we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us.
Galations 5:22-23, But when the Holt Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.”
I find daily that my life does not always have these qualities when I face a difficult circumstance and I think I need to work harder to find more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentelness, and self-control in my life.

But, I forget often that when I became a believer, I received the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), but I am NOT filled with the Spirit at all times (Ephesians 5:18). This means that I need to continually pray, worship, and be in God’s Word to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always in us, but if we choose to push Him to the side in favor of our own nature, we will be filled with our sin and not with the Spirit. God knows we can’t do it alone.

I have no power to produce fruit in my own strength. I might be able to muster up some love, joy, peace and patience for a little while. But, then I get that phone call that might just push me over the edge. If I am not abiding with Jesus throughout the hours of every day, I will act out of my selfishness and not what the Spirit is prodding me to do. When I display the fruits of the Spirit, it draws others to Him who become his followers as well.

May we continue to produce fruit in our lives to Glorify the Father.

According to Wikipedia, a tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs. First used as portable homes by nomadic peoples, tents are now more often used for recreational camping and temporary shelters.

I boldned  the words, temporary shelter, because in our study of 2 Corinthians 5 today, Paul tells us that the body we live in is a temporary shelter.

2 Corinthians 5:1 says,                                                                           “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down- when we die and leave these bodies-we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”

Wow, I long for this day when the temporary tent that I live in is transformed by God.  I have faced medical issues, sickness, tiredness, and daily battles with how I look compared to others and worldly standards.  It is so refreshing to read these words and know that this is temporary. I will never be satisfied with the body I have here on earth.

In verse 2, we read,
“We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.”

Different translations use the word “groan” instead of “long”. Do you ever find yourself groaning? As I get older, I hear certain sounds or groans come from my mouth and usually question where that came from. Groan is a word expressing the emotion of pain. (yes, sometimes I feel pain as I get up when I have sat too long:)  But, Paul is talking about something here beyond the ordinary groaning we do. This is a groaning of wanting to occupy that other body, the eternal body God has prepared for those who walk by faith!

But what does life look like while we are dwelling in these “tents”?? It means hearing, believing and doing as God directs. It means not living according to what you see in the temporary world. We have to make it our priority to please God.

Verse 9 states,
“So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body.”

Here is a poem that pretty much sums up what Paul is saying about living in our tent:

This Old Tent
by Steve Coyle

When I looked upon the days gone past,
I’d thought this tent was built to last.
For I’d stood it on some rocky ground
where stormy winds couldn’t beat it down.
And with my pride and my own hand,
I put my tent on shifting sand
where pegs pulled loose and my tent did shake,
but I was young and I could take
the unstable world that I was in
I’d just up and move again.

So for many years I went this route,
shifting this old tent about.
Till one cold day when my mind grew clear,
this tent had an end and it might draw near.

So with much fear (such a heavy load)
I looked for the One who made this abode.
Yes, the Tentmaker, He’d surely know
where one such rotting tent should go
to have this canvas revitalized,
to have these poles and pegs re‐sized.

I went to Him on bended knees
begging Him, ‘Oh tentmaker please!
Restore this tent I thought would last,
this canvas house that went so fast.’

He looked at me through loving eyes
and merely pointed to the skies.
‘Please don’t grieve over some old tent,
old canvas walls that have been spent.
For this mansion that’s been built by Me
will last you for eternity.’”

Compliments of Joni and Friends PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376 www.joniandfriends.org

Because of Christ we have a Hope! Verses 17-21 assure us that regardless of what you have done you can receive these blessings and have this hope because of who Jesus Christ is, and what He did on the cross for you and me.

Todays reading is from 1 Corinthians 8

Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.   1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NLT)

When I first read this chapter, I got caught up in the question of eating meat that was offered to idols. I thought, “ugh…what does this have to do with me, today, in my life???”  Eating meat is not an issue that I deal with.  The crazy thing is that this chapter is about LOVING GOD and LOVING PEOPLE, not about whether you eat meat or not.

The people in Corinth were caught up with rules and what they should do about eating meat that had been offered to idols. Paul reminds them that it really does not matter, because there is only One God.  But, you need to always think of your brother/sister, is what you are doing affecting them in any way. Is it leading them to God or astray?
In todays culture, it is not often an issue about whether one eats meat or not. Today, we face questions and issues about whether it is ok to have a glass of wine? A beer? A tattoo? A Belly piercing? (yea, we have just had that question in our house) Is it ok to listen to explicit music? Do my kids have too much screen time? Am I too involved in social Media? Where do I stand on LBGTQ issues? We are bombarded by so many issues! Do I offer my knowledge on these issues to others and make a stand on what I think I know to be true…or do I show genuine LOVE? Paul makes it known in this 8th chapter, that we are to show others our love.

I can’t break this down any better than Francis Chan has already done. I have watched this video 3 times now and am so convicted to LOVE people more. We get so caught up in what is going on in our lives, in doing the right things, making the right decisions and hoping we look good to others, that we forget to focus on what God calls us to do…to LOVE people.

If you have time…this video will definitely impact how you face your day today and LOVE OTHERS!

 

Romans 11:33-36

33Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? 35And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? 36For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.

The end of verse 33 pretty much sums up this 11th chapter of Romans for me…”How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!” I have spent countless hours dissecting this chapter and still do not understand all of the information well enough to share in an eloquent way! I have learned much history about Israel, the Jews, and God’s plans. But, I  have So Much More to learn!! This is a chapter I would have skimmed over in the past. But, because I have been assigned this chapter today, I had to really seek what there is for me to take from it and share with you.

Here is my VERY simplified version of what happened here:

God has chosen Israel to be His chosen people. Paul used this chapter of Romans to present proof that God is not through with Israel. The Israelites rejected God and their hearts were hardened. Because they closed the door on the Messiah, the door was opened to us, the Gentiles. There are many theories out there as to how many of the Jews will be “saved” in the end times, and I will leave you to do your studying and come to that conclusion on your own…

BUT here is the crux of this chapter…it does not matter if you are JEW or GENTILE, what background you have, what family you come from, what traditions you hold, what kind of person you are, if you are a rule follower, if you have made the worst decisions ever, if you have made the best decisions always…there is only ONE way to salvation! It is through GRACE alone. It is through A) Accepting that Jesus Christ came to this earth as the Son of God. B) Believing that Jesus Christ went to the cross and died for YOU and for YOUR sins. and C) Confessing His love for you and sacrifices for you to others.

We may boast in Jesus only! He wants a personal relationship with us and that is all that He asks! This chapter is proof that God has a plan and it began back in Genesis! He will not falter from it.

Accept – Believe – Confess

 

We all have a story.

In Acts 26, Paul shares his awesome transformation story. He recounts his life to King Agrippa, Festus, and all who were in earshot.

Here is a small part of my story:

I was blessed to grow up knowing that Jesus lived in my heart. I remember asking Jesus into my heart in first or second grade. I grew up learning Bible stories, going to church, and being involved in Church activities. I was also baptized as an infant. I was a good person and knew that Jesus loved me. This was all good and I was going through life just fine, until my Sophomore year in High School.
Up until this time in my life, our family attended a denominational church in town and we were pretty active. My Dad would drop us all off at the front door on Sunday morning and then go to park the car.
One Sunday morning my Mom made a decision that we would attend a different church. I was very uncomfortable. Being an introvert, I did not like new situations and meeting new people. I was introduced to a girl who took me to Sunday School with her and tried to make me feel at home. I have to say, I did not want to be there and make any new friends. I had a Church and friends already. A few Sundays passed, and my family began to change before my eyes. My Dad, who used to drop us off at the front door of Church and go park the car…(we would later learn that he never went to Church , but would go out to breakfast with a buddy and then come back just as Church ended to pick us up!)…began to search His heart and realize He was missing Jesus in his life. I still recall the Sunday morning sitting on the wooden pew watching my Dad, Mom, and sister go in front of the Church to be baptized. Seriously?!?! I already knew Jesus lived in my heart and I was sprinkle baptized as an infant. I did NOT have to be baptized again! I felt alone sitting there by myself watching my family go forward, but I was not in a place to “follow”. A couple of months later we went as a family to watch my brother get baptized at church camp. I still felt in my mind that I did not need to be baptized.

After a few months at the new church, my whole family, except me, had a new faith and family in Christ. Summer came and my parents made the decision that I would attend the youth group trip to CIY (Christ in Youth) conference. They literally had to put me on the bus the morning of the trip. I am pretty sure I got on the bus in tears and had a horrible rebellious attitude. Little did I know that God would change my heart that week. Throughout the week there were many speakers and times to sit and talk to new friends and leaders about what God wants for us as His children. I remember sitting at a night session listening to a speaker talk about what baptism means. I realized that baptism was the outward proclamation to others and to Christ that He is the center of my life. Rebellion ruled my heart, but Jesus came in to soften it and to help me realize that my ways were not His ways. I decided that night to be baptized and to give up my selfish ways. I remember calling my parents that night and telling them. I know they wish they would have been there, but I also know the joy they felt knowing that I came to this decision on my own.

While I did not have the experience that Paul did when God audibly spoke to Him, (verses 12-15) I knew that God was speaking to my heart. We all have a conversion story. We are called to tell our story. Paul knew that once he became a follower of Jesus, his sole purpose in life was to spread the Good News of Jesus. If we believe in Jesus, Paul’s purpose is our purpose, too. Many times, when we are talking to people who don’t yet know Jesus, we fool ourselves into thinking that we need to focus on what Jesus can do for them, rather than simply sharing what Jesus has already done for us. When it comes to spreading the Good News, we start by sharing our story. I shared the story of how I came to know Christ, but i have Many, Many stories that I can share of how Christ has worked in my life.

Paul stood before King Agrippa, in chains and a prisoner, yet, he was given the opportunity to preach the gospel to the highest in the land. As a prisoner, Paul is able to share his testimony. It would have been so easy for Paul to feel that God could not use him during these years in captivity. He could have felt sorry for himself and questioned God. Yet, God was able to use him in his situation for things far greater than Paul ever would have imagined.

There are many times in my life when I am complaining about my circumstances. In fact, in the past month my family has faced quite a few circumstances that I could have gotten very discouraged about, but instead I tried to look at the circumstances as opportunities to see how God would shine through.

We need to take our eyes off of our circumstances and ask god how He wants to use us through them. We might be surprised at the outcome. Do you think Paul was surprised that he got to share his story with the leaders of his time? He was a man of courage and hope. He shared his story without reservation. We are called to do the same.

Have courage and hope as Paul did and…Share your story with someone today.

 

Does this Easter Sunday give you HOPE?

The Son of God has Risen from the Dead!

What does that actually mean to you?

To me, it means I have HOPE! Life is hard, I can’t imagine getting through some awful and stressful days without knowing that I have the hope of Heaven and an eternity with God in my future! No matter what horrible things we have to go through on this earth…we have but ONE HOPE!

In Acts 12 we read about Peter being imprisoned with no possible way of escaping. Talk about hard! He was chained and surrounded by 4 sets of 4 guards! We don’t read anything about him worrying or complaining about his circumstances. In fact, in verse 6, it says that Peter was actually sleeping! Can you imagine being able to sleep with chains around you, guards standing by, and no chance of freedom?? I have trouble sleeping many nights from troubles much less than what Peter faced. His future did not look promising, but he knew who was in charge of his future and believed it 100%, so he could sleep.

We have that same promise of who holds our future and we are surely reminded of it on this Easter Sunday. Jesus broke the chains of sin when He died on the cross for you and for me! He rose from the grave 3 days later and this is the hope that we have today.

Know that, just like Peter, your chains have been set free by Jesus on the cross. You have the freedom to ask Him into your life, to ask forgiveness of your sins, and He has promised you eternal life with Him.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Who Holds Your Future?

Today we are reading John chapter 20.

Take some time today to read this chapter of Jesus and His resurrection. How special to be reading this chapter and be reminded of what Jesus has done for us just before we Celebrate Easter two weeks from today!

What is your favorite dream gift? If you could have any gift you dreamed of wrapped in a box with the perfect bow on top, what would you dream of? A new car? Jewelry? Myself, at this stage of my life, is a dream vacation on the beach. I would love if someone wrapped up this vacation in a box and gave it to me. But, what if I was given the box, un-tied the bow, lifted the lid, and…the box was empty?? I would feel let down and pretty disappointed.

In Verse 2 we find Mary Magdalene going to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for burial.

John 20:1&2
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

When Mary was going to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body, a couple of days after he had been crucified, she was not happy with what she found. The tomb was empty. Jesus’ body was nowhere to be found and she became very distressed as to where it could have been.
Yet, the empty tomb was the best present she could ever receive. The empty tomb meant that Jesus had risen from the dead and that even death could not overpower the strength of God.
Sometimes we look at our lives and it all feels like empty boxes – disappointment, pain, grief. And yet we worship a God who is stronger than anything we have to go through. When we have faith in God, He can turn the devastation of an empty tomb into the best gift anyone could ever desire.

What are you facing in your life today? The power of Jesus’ resurrection is the power to take your disappointments and devastations and transform them with His resurrection power.

I love how this song speaks to me about the Power of Christ!  Especially the verse that sings about the tomb being empty!

“Then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave he rose again!  And as He stands in Victory, sins curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and He is Mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ.”

 

John chapter 6 is 71 verses filled with many truths that are vital to our daily Christian walk. In this chapter, Jesus miraculously feeds 5000 (possibly up to 20,000, since only the men are counted), He walks on water, and He discusses being the “Bread of Life”.

I would like to focus on verse 15:
“Jesus saw that they were ready to take him by force and make him king, so he went higher into the hills alone.”

After the people had seen Jesus heal the lame man in Chapter 5 and then here in Chapter 6, see Him feed the 5000+ from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, they wanted to follow Him. The people were enamored by the miraculous things they saw Him do. They were amazed because they thought He could be useful to them also. He could heal their diseases, feed them, and provide for what they might need.
Is this what we see Jesus for in our life?
Do we follow Him and pray prayers for what we think we need and what He can provide?
The people were focused on what Jesus could provide, not that He was the creator of these miracles. The people were so impressed with Jesus and what He could do for them that they wanted to make Him King.

With all this excitement and people following Him, Jesus needed some time away from the crowds, so He went up into the mountains alone. He has been separated from His Father whom He longs to fellowship with. Can you imagine being the Son of God, yet physically separated from God, your Father?
I have been separated from my husband for the past two weeks as He is in China on a work trip. I have longed for the sound of His voice and his help and encouragement while he is gone. Jesus must have felt this longing x100 when He went to be alone with God. Sometimes we forget that Jesus suffered weariness just as we do. He was able to slip away from this huge crowd that wanted His miracles and be with His Father.

Do we take the time to escape all the business of our day to spend time with the Father? Do we get alone with Him and thank Him for our blessings and ask Him to direct our paths according to His wisdom? Or, are we like the followers in this passage and follow Him to get what we think we need and want?

Let us Love Jesus for Who He Is…The Christ that came to die on the cross for our sins. He came so that we might have life. All He asks is that we BELIEVE. Verse 29 says, Jesus told them, “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Do we use Him for what He can provide us or do we LOVE Him?