Author: Stephanie Wolfe

As I write this post, I am sitting in my room alone and enjoying the peace and quiet. Many of you have traveled and spent time with family over the Thanksgiving holiday. I find I look forward to the day of cooking and seeing family and friends, and then I truly enjoy being home and alone for a bit. Many of us had the task of cooking a recipe or two, while others mayhave had the task of making the entire thanksgiving meal. To pull off preparing the entire meal and then hosting  the meal takes enormous effort and timing. In fact, I saw a person on Instagram had made an entire binder full of every step leading up to the feast. The binder included meals, ingredients needed, table set up, order of food to be laid out, and even a diagram of the grocery store and where the food was located. It was obviously very detailed. Having all the instructions in one place and detailed surely helped the person enjoy the day a bit more as everything had a plan.

This is exactly what we see in the book of 1 Timothy, Paul’s letter to his son in faith, Timothy. Timothy was a young pastor who had been a help to Paul in his work. Paul was more than just a mentor and leader to Timothy, he was like a father to him, and Timothy was like a son to Paul. Throughout this book, Paul encourages Timothy to stand firm, to persevere, and to remain true to his calling. He gives instructions for order and structure in the church.

Our reading for today is 1 Timothy 4,5 &6.

Chapter 4 of 1 Timothy is a warning to observe the times.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.
1 Timothy 4:1

Paul reminds Timothy that everything is created by God and should be received with thanksgiving. He then encourages Timothy to train to be godly, to devote himself to reading the scripture and preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5 gives instructions about how to honor and care for widows and their needs. Paul also gives instructions about elders, and then finishes with practical advice for Timothy.

Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.
1 Timothy 5:3

1 Timothy 6 is a reminder to be content and to pursue godliness. He instructs Timothy to flee from the desire to acquire wealth and pursue righeousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Paul, reminds him to guard carefully what has been entrusted to him.

Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.
1 Timothy 6:20

Just as the lady preparing for a Thanksgiving feast benefitted from having a binder of instructions, how much more can we benefit from having instructions from Paul for how to live. When we follow the instructions, life tends to go much smoother and we face fewer consequences.

God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness.
2 Timothy 3:16

Following instructions can simplify tasks, increase effectiveness, eliminate confusion, and save time. When instructions are properly followed, things work well and people work well together. These chapters in 1 Timothy are full of practical instructions for us. When we follow them we will se the effectiveness in our lives.

But, most of all, when we follow God’s instructions, we will be led in the right direction and into a deeper relationship with Christ.

I remember back, nearly 15 years when my children were in elementary school. They loved to pick on each other and annoy in any way possible. We spent many hours in the car to and from activities and I distinctly remember my son imitating every movement and sound my daughter made. It went on forever. Even though my daughter protested and kept telling him to stop and asking me to make him stop, he continued to repeat every word she said! He did a really good job at imitating everything that his sister did.

Although my daughter hated this little game my son frequently played, we see today that Paul calls us to be imitators! Not imitators of each other, or anyone we may aspire to be, but to be imitators of God.

Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters.
Ephesians 5:1

To imitate God is to show grace and mercy. God has shown grace and mercy to us through His son Jesus. Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life as a sacrifice for us even though we did not deserve it. He loved us so much we wouldn’t have to remain in sin but so that we could be forgiven of our sins. We then could be adopted as children into the family of God.

In the verses preceding Ephesians 5:1, Pauls calls on us to be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving of each other.

Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? The graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.
Ephesians 4:31-32

This week let us walk in love. Let us be imitators of God. Let us show grace and mercy to others. Let our words be spoken with truth in love. And let us share the good news of Christ to a world that needs to hear this good news.

Let us be filled with His Word and imitate Him!

Are you a rule follower? Do you go with the flow simply because it is what you are supposed to do or do you stand your ground and stand out because you want to make a point? Rules are good in certain situations. Rules may protect you or keep situations organized and free of chaos. It is good to have rules to mold our lives and create boundaries. But, can rules end up ruling our lives?

In Galations chapters 4 and 5 we see Paul speaking to the people about obeying all of the rules. The people were struggling with the way things used to be and following the Old Testament Law. The peoples old way of thinking is that they could earn their way into a relationship with God by obeying the Old Testament Law. In these two chapters, Paul talks about how this is a form of slavery (following the rules) and he begs them to accept the freedom of salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us are! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.
Galations 5:1

In the second half of Galations 5, Paul addresses the contrast between a life lived through the flesh and a life lived through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul continues to teach of the freedom that is now available in Christ rather than the old way of following the rules.

Paul goes on to highlight the role of the Holy Spirit available to all who believe. When we surrender to the Holy Spirit we naturally produce the fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.
Galations 5:22-23

The nine fruits of the Spirit are imparted to believers. These fruits are the obvious evidence that a person has the Spirit of God living inside and ruling over them. The fruit of the Spirit are different than the gifts of the Spirit. With the fruit, we are given all nine fruits, not just select fruits. Paul describes the different characteristics of grace that the Spirit is working on in all that believe.

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Virtue (Goodness)
Gentleness
Faithfulness
Self-Control

Fruit does not appear all at once. Fruit must grow and mature. We have an apple tree in our front yard. Last summer, (our first summer living here) the tree did not produce any fruit. We thought the tree was a crab apple tree and would just produce little tiny apples. Low and behold, this summer we saw the little apples form and they just continued to grow and grow. Eventually, some of the branches got so full and heavy they eventually broke off and hung down.  I was able to gather many apples to make different apple recipies, but there were buckets and buckets of apples that ended up in the compost bin.

All summer long I saw the apples grow and multiply. This is what it is like for those of us who have the Holy Spirit living in us. None of us display all 9 fruits perfectly at all times, but when we are daily growing in our walk with Christ than each of these characteristics are growing within us and can be seen by others.

The fruit of the Spirit are not rules or requirements. They are a gift that we get to receive with grace and gratitude. They are not something we have to check off our list as something to complete and make sure we have everyday. Each gift is an attribute of God who simply wants us to trust Him to work in our lives. It’s not about following rules, but about our heart and seeking Jesus.

 

If you pick up your Bible right now and read 1 Corinthians 14 you will see that Paul spends a lot of time talking about the gifts of the spirit, primarily speaking in tongues and prophecy. I could spend these next paragraphs explaining (as best I could) what the gift of tongues or the gift of prophesy mean. But, over the years, I have learned how “controversial” these two gifts can be. Instead, of trying to convince you of what to believe, I challenge you to spend some time reading and delving into scripture to find what God is speaking to you about the gift of tongues or prophecy in your own life.

Because, even though these gifts are the main topics of our reading today, they are not the point of this chapter. The main point of 1 Corinthians 14 is that when it comes to corporate worship (a Church Service) Paul places the good of the congregation as a whole over the needs of the individual. Paul wants to insure that our worship servics create an environment where God can move and everyone can be blessed and built up. Some people like to use this chapter and these verses to create such confusion and perplexity that people pull away from God. But we read in this chapter that God is NOT a God of confusion.

For God is the God of harmony, not confusion, as is the pattern in all the churches of God’s holy Believers.
I Corinthians 14:33

The church services in Corinth were confused, chaotic, and hard to understand. There were no limits on who said what or when. Paul says that confusion is not in line with the character of God. God’s character is not confused, chaotic, or disorderly. Confusion and chaos do not express who He is and is not characteristic of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s final instruction in this chapter is his plea for balance.

So, beloved friends, with all this in mind, be passionate to prophesy and don’t forbid anyone from speaking in tongues, doing all things in a beautiful and orderly way.
I Corinthians 14:39-40

When the people of the Church come together, it is is a wonderful thing. It strengthens and encourages believers in their faith. The purpose of the Church is to unite us as believers, not to cause confusion and destruction.

Here are the top 5 Instagram Influencers in 2021:

1.  Chritiano Ronaldo (247 million)
2. Ariana Grande (211 million)
3. Dwayne Johnson (204 million)
4. Selena Gomez (198 million)
5. Kim Kardashian (195 million)

According to my Google search, an ifluencer is someone who has:

*the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.

*a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages.  The size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of niche.

The above top influencers on Instagram make regular posts and generate a large following of enthusastic and engaged people.

So, the question is…are YOU an influencer?  Maybe you do not have a following on social media like the above.  Or, maybe you don’t even have social media.  But, we are all influencing those around us.  Today in our reading of 1 Corinthians 9 and 10, Paul tells us how we are to Influence Others for Christ.

Within these two chapters, Paul lists many things that we, as Christians, should or should not do to be a good influence to others. It is easy for us to get caught up in the “rules” and all the rights and wrongs. But the true meaning and implication of what Paul is saying is, be a good influence to bring others to Christ. Paul reminds us in these two chapters that as believers we represent God by using our influence to bring others to Him.

How do we influence others in our daily lives?
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 tells us that we can influence others by
“Walking In Their Shoes”. We need to take the time to get to know people in their environment and in their lives. We will not win others to faith by joining in their sinful behaviors, but we can establish friendships through appropriate common interests that give us the opportunity to share the gospel. It is good to remember that it will be only by our transformed lives and true testimony that point others to the only One who can save them.

I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessing.
I Corinthians 9:23

In the next three verses, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul continues to emphasize doing what is required to faithfully fulfill his gospel calling. He illustrates his point with the analogy of athletes and running the race. There are many comparisons of the Christian life to running. Corinth was a city hosting the Isthmian Games (similar to the Olympics in Greece). Paul’s reference to runners in a stadium would have been easily understood by the Corinthians.

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
I Corinthians 9:25

Paul was not implying that Christians are in competition with one another for salvation, or that only one believer would win a prize. His point was that believers must strive with all our strength for God’s will in our lives, just as athletes strive for their prize.

1 Corinthians 10 closes with the theme of “Following Our Leader”

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
I Corinthians 10:31-33

What Paul is emphasizing here is that we always need to be thinking about the needs and situations of others. Why? Because that’s what Jesus did. That is what brings glory to God.

The ultimate question we can ask ourselves is, Will my action bring glory to God? Paul makes it clear in these two chapters that God cares about everyone. We have one “race” in life as a Christian, and that is to influence as many people toward Jesus as possible.

It is truly hard to comprehend what freedom means. According to Merriam-Webster, freedom means the liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another, the quality or state of being exempt or released.

Today, in Romans 8 we see exactly this. If you are a child of God, meaning that you understand that Christ died on the cross for you and you have accepted that in your heart, then,there is no condemnation from God in your life. Nothing you have ever done can’t be forgiven and forgotten by Jesus Christ.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

Every single negative thought you have had about yourself because you have messed up is taken away and forgiven by God. We have gained our freedom from condemnation through Christ’s sacrifice. He put himself on the cross because He loves us and wants to take the weight of our sin away. That weight is eternal suffering and separation from God.

When we repent of our sins, He promises to forget them. It is as if the sin never occurred. God knows we are human. He knows we are going to mess up. Yet He loves and forgives us anyway.

It is hard to believe that when we are feeling like we have failed or let others down, that God does not condemn us. When we are unable to forgive ourself for something we have done, God does not condemn us. He convicts our hearts when we sin, but He offers love and forgiveness. We only need to ask Him for it.

Any lasting guilt and shame that we feel comes from Satan. Satan is the accuser, the enemy of our soul who seeks to destroy us with false accusations. He wants us to continue to feel shame and guilt. But, we get to fight back with the truth that we find in Romans 8.

We have freedom in Christ. We are no longer bound by sin and guilt. We are loved, chosen and forgiven through Jesus Christ. We are exempt and released from our sin when we give it to Jesus.

What kind of people affect you? Mean, angry, agitated, critical, happy, funny, pleasant, sincere, or kind? When you order a coffee from your favorite coffee shop, what type of barista affects your experience?

My last visit to get a coffee supplied me with an overwhelming feeling of gratefulness. Not only was my barista pleasant and encouraging, but she also informed me that the previous patron had paid for my coffee. This was all undeserving on my account. I didn’t deserve any of this kindness after the morning I had had. I yelled at my husband, screamed at my dog, sent an angry text and was not a joy to be around. This experience getting coffee changed my whole attitude and turned my day around. The kindness I received turned my attitude from sour to joyful, and I did nothing to deserve it.

This is a very simplified scenario to describe how Jesus can use kindness to lead us to repentance. The barista lead me to joy. But Jesus does so much more for us!

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2:4

This verse in Romans 2 focuses on three attributes of God.

The first attribute is God’s kindness. God is kind or good. It is the nature of God to be good. He is a good God to all who love Him. By nature, He is a good God.

The second attribute is God’s tolerance. The word tolerance means “a temporary truce.” It is not a sudden stopping of grievances. It is a momentary reprieve. God is just. He still must punish sin. He is holy and sin cannot go unpunished.

The third attribute is God’s patience. He is not in a hurry. Our lives are short, but God has a long term perspective.  He waits for us to choose to approach Him.

The kindness of God should lead us to repentance (or turning from our sin). When we consider God’s goodness, tolerance, and patience it should cause us to stop and think.

God’s ultimate act of goodness was sending His Son to die for our sins. The only way to be right with God is through the death of His Son Jesus. Jesus took our sin and experienced the punishment so that we might live eternally.

God loves us so much, He is kind enough.  He is tolerant enough. And, He is patient enough to wait for us to come to Him. We all have the choice.

 

One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a supernatural vision and said, “Don’t ever be afraid. Speak the words that I give you and don’t be intimidated, because I am with you. No one will be able to hurt you, for there are many in this city whom I call my own.”
Acts 18:9-10

Acts 18 reminds us that Paul is a real person.  It is easy to read stories about him and put him on a pedestal. But, today’s reading reminds us that he is probably more like you and me than we think.

Paul was now in Corinth, one of Greece’s largest and most prosperous cities. He first took his message to the Jews in the synagogue, but they rejected his preaching and abused him. Paul responded by shaking his cloak out at them. He then took his message to the Gentiles. He has faced much opposition to this point.

We do not read any details as to what Paul may be feeling, but when the Lord speaks to him in verses 8 and 9, we get insight into what he might be experiencing. It says in the verse above that Paul experienced a vision. This must mean that Paul was not sleeping, but probably up during the night agonizing over the repeated frustrations he continued to experience as he preached the gospel. Paul hears God tell him four things:

1) “Do not be afraid,”
2) “Speak, and do not keep silent,”
3) “I am with you,”
4) “No one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

After receiving this vision from God, Paul stayed another 18 months in Corinth. We can take refuge in the realization that God reminded Paul that He was with him even in his turmoil.

God knows where we are and what we are facing. He even knows the future problems that we will face, but He asks us to persevere and encourages us just as he did with Paul.

When you face opposition what do you do? I’ll be honest, my first response is to give up!

Today’s reading in Acts 14, encourages us to continue to Go and do what God has called us to do.  Even when it gets harder than we could have imagined!

During this first missionary trip, Paul and Barnabas went to the town of Lystra. Here, they healed a man who had not ever been able to walk. The crowd who witnessed this miracle thought Paul and Barnabas were gods in human form. They brought bulls and wreaths to offer sacrifices to them. Paul and Barnabas attempted to redirect their praise to God, but the crowd did not relent.

The crowd got so riled up that they began to stone Paul. Believing he was dead, they dragged him outside the city. When the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and went back inside the city.
I am pretty sure that I might have walked in the other direction, not back into the scene of angry people. After he went back into the city, the next day they left for Derbe.

After preaching the wonderful news of the gospel there and winning a large number of followers to Jesus, they retraced their steps and revisited Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. At each place they went, they strengthened the lives of believers and encouraged them to go deeper in their faith.
Acts 14:21-22

Once again, after the stoning, Paul continues on his journey and encourages the people to remain true to the faith. Paul doesn’t get mad at God, he continues serving Christ. He does not even complain. He just keeps on doing what God has called him to do – preach the Gospel.

The Gospel message has not changed, and the numbers of people who need to hear the Gospel are still beyond our ability to reach. We have a responsibility to continue the message just as Paul and Barnabas had. We also can expect rejection. But, it is the message of the Gospel that is rejected, not us. May we be as bold and brave as Paul, to continue to get up and spread the message of Jesus to others, no matter the consequences. We are to be the salt and light to the world.

Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

How fitting the reading for today is to my current situation!

3 weeks ago I had an accident, I misjudged some stairs and crumbled to the ground. Thankfully I was able to hobble to the phone and call my Mom for help. I prayed that I only had sprained my ankle and began the R.I.C.E method. 48 hours later my husband encouraged me to go get an X-ray. The Dr was amazed that I had been able to get around for two days as he saw 2 cracks in my fibula right above my ankle. I had to swallow my pride as I left the office in a full cast and crutches with instructions to not put any weight on that leg for 2 full weeks.

I took walking for granted! Scooting around with the help of a scooter and scooting up the stairs for the past 2+ weeks has opened my eyes to a whole new world. It is hard. It is hard to rely on others and ask for help. Thankfully, I have had ample help. I am now am in a walking boot and becoming more independent every day.

In Acts 3, Peter and John met a man in Jerusalem who had been crippled from birth. This man was destitute and relegated to begging on the streets for money, food, and help.

Peter and John were able to offer him something that he needed more than anything. Something more than the need to walk, which as I have recently experienced is a very necessary part of life. They did not offer him money, food or provision. They offered him Jesus! And, graciously, by God’s mercy and power, the man was given salvation and the ability to walk.

This is such a good reminder! We might have piles of problems we want God to fix. I sure want God to heal my broken leg right this moment! We might have money troubles, marriage troubles, sickness, or grievances with others. Yet, the most important thing that we need is not a quick fix from God. The most important thing we need is our Savior Jesus Christ.

Today in our reading of Acts 3 we see power from Jesus to heal. He can help us with our everyday problems, but more than that we see the power that Jesus has to SAVE. He can and has forgiven all our sins!

The man ran and jumped and praised God! Sure he was happy and relieved that he could walk, but he was now going to Heaven!!

Faith in Jesus’ name has healed this man standing before you. It is the faith that comes through believing in Jesus’ name that has made the crippled man walk right in front of your eyes!
Acts 3:16