Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Summary: Paul points us to the idea that Jesus needed faith, too.
In addition to God’s grace, or perhaps part of it, is the “faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:14b – A Gem Called Jesus”
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly …
Summary: Grace is an interesting word. It can mean everything or nothing, depending on how we look at it.
Paul’s letters to Timothy are different than his other letters. He writes to Titus in a similar way, but the personal references do not seem as personal as they are with Timothy. He writes to the churches about the same topics, but his letter to Timothy seems to assume a deeper shared understanding of the Gospel.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:14a – Liquid Grace”
… peace …
Summary: Peace is something everyone seems to want, but very few people have. God’s peace is something everyone can have if only we will accept it.
The third gift from God that Paul offers in his salutation to Timothy is peace. Like the other two gifts, the peace that Paul is talking about is from God.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:2d – The Daily Gift”
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary: Paul is only on verse two, and already he is using words that we need to think about before we move on.
As mentioned earlier,* it is always helpful to define terms, especially when we are discussing something important like legal matters or things such as our relationship with the Creator of All Things.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:2b – The Itch”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Summary: Paul continues to lay challenges before us, even in the last line of his letter.
Paul closes out his letter to the Philippians with these beautiful words:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
Continue reading “Philippians 4:23a – Spiritual Sight”
… stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
Summary: As we consider the rest of this passage, we rediscover the wisdom Paul shared in Chapter 3.
In the first part of our meditation on this passage, we looked at the phrase, “in the Lord.” In this meditation, let’s look at the phrase, “in this way.”
What does Paul mean?
Continue reading “Philippians 4:1b – In the Lord (Part 2)”
Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!
Summary: Rejoicing in the Lord sounds rather simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, even when we put our faith in Jesus, we are still able to take pride in ourselves.
Do Christians still know how to “rejoice in the Lord?” Sometimes I wonder if rejoicing has become a lost art.
Continue reading “Philippians 3:1a – A Lost Art”
… and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ.
Summary: Epaphroditus was someone who was deeply committed to the Lord’s work. His commitment to the Lord led him to serve Paul in his time of need, and that service put his life in danger.
Sacrifice demands honor.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)
Continue reading “Philippians 2:29b-30a – A Living Conundrum”
Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
Summary: This passage provides another insight into Epaphroditus’s adventure and Paul’s feelings for his brother in Christ.
By now, it feels like we know Epaphroditus personally. He comes from Philippi, and he is devoted to the Lord. Because of his love for the Lord, he has given himself to serve both the church at Philippi and Paul.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:27 – Paul’s Sorrow”
… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage challenge our concept of faith and what it means.
This passage is one of the most significant and possibly most ignored in the entire Bible.
Why is it significant?
It is important because it deals with the core of Christian living.
Continue reading “Philippians 2:12b – Faith and Action”