Daily Reading February 14 2010 from 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 NIV

Day 35

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 NIV
1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.8 The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia–your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead–Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Imitators of Christ!
Today we begin the letter to the church at Thessalonica. You will notice this letter is addressed from not only Paul but Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Obviously all three are familiar and have participated in the ministry to this church. Paul uses three statements to describe the Thessalonians a faith that was productive, a labor of love, and their endurance inspired by the hope of Christ. Faith, hope, and love appear to be present with these believers. Paul also mentions that God emphasized the gospel he preached to these people with power, the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. Paul says that they are obviously chosen because of the way that God proved the Word they preached. In verse 6 the Apostle says that these believers have proven themselves faithful to God even in their severe suffering, they received the message of hope with joy. What a compliment these believers are given "your faith in God has become known everywhere", this was a church that was making a difference in their world. It wasn't necessary for Paul to brag about these people and their faithfulness nor was it necessary for them to brag about themselves their actions spoke clearly about their love for Christ. Paul said they had become imitators of the Lord. Have you become an imitator of Christ? Do your model your Christianity after others you know or have you taken time to get to know the God of the Word and to imitate Jesus and the way He lived when He came as a man? These believers had imitated Paul and in so doing they had become imitators of Christ. Paul had resigned himself to doing nothing that didn't reflect Christ and therefore he had become a minister that only brought God glory and honor. What an epitaph! These are the words we should long to have written about us that when others imitate us they are also imitating Christ because we have become invisible, we have died to self and now only live to reflect and glorify God. Does your life reflect and glorify God? These are the kinds of questions we should be asking ourselves. Have you decreased so that Christ increases in you?

Blessings,

Pastor Larry