SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/18/2014 9:24 AM
My Worship Time Focus: More from 1 Thess. 2:14b
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1 Thess.
2:14b
Message of the
verses: “for you also endured the
same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the
Jews.”
I want to look at a bit of history as to why Paul wrote
that the Thessalonicans were suffering the same kind of persecution that the
church in Judea was undergoing. I have
mentioned that I believe part of the reason that persecution came upon the
church in Judea, mostly in Jerusalem was because they failed to fulfill the
great commission that Jesus gave them which is seen in the last chapter of
Matthew. The first wave of persecution
came from Saul of Tarsus who as we know later became the great Apostle
Paul. After the Lord Jesus spoke to him
on the road to Damascus the persecution slowed down for a while, but then Herod
had James killed, this James was one of the Apostles who was one of our Lord’s
disciples. Herod wanted to kill Peter
too, but the Lord had promised the way that Peter would die, and that was by
crucifixion and not by the sword. Peter
was let out of prison by an angel and left Jerusalem. The persecution continued in the church at
Judea and it was done by both the Jews and some Gentiles, for Herod was a
Gentile.
As this time I want to give some quotes from Warren
Wiersbe that will help us understand more about anti-Semitism. We know that God
had called the nation of Israel to be a blessing to the whole world as seen in
Genesis 12:1-3 and that the Word of God was given to the nation of Israel along
with the Living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said that salvation is of the Jews in
John 4:22, so we know that salvation comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. As we
celebrate “Good Friday” today we remember how it was that God provided
salvation for all those who would accept the payment that our Lord made for us
on the cross as He suffered and died and was made sin in order to pay the penalty
for sin and thus save those who believe in Him.
We will see later on in 1 Thessalonians chapter two that
Paul accused the Jews of killing the Lord Jesus. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Was Paul giving evidence
of ‘religious bigotry’ when he accused the Jews of killing Jesus Christ and
persecuting the Christians? No, he was
simply stating a fact of history.
Nowhere does the Bible accuse all Jews of what a few Jews did in
Jerusalem and Judea when Christ was crucified and the church founded. The Romans also participated in the trial and
death of Christ, and, for that matter, it was our sins that sent Him to the
cross (Isa. 53:6). There is no place in
the Christian faith for anti-Semitism.
Paul himself loved his fellow Jews and sought to help them (Acts 24:17;
Romans 8:1-5).”
In conclusion let us look at Acts 17:5-8 to see what Dr.
Luke wrote about how persecution began in Thessalonica: “5 But the Jews,
becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed
a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they
were seeking to bring them out to the people.
6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some
brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here
also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the
decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." 8 They
stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: As I think about
today being Good Friday I can also relate to what I highlighted in verse six
above. The reason that I can relate
these two together is because that is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did
when He died on the cross to pay for the sins of those who would accept His
forgiveness, He upset the world as this man said in verse six. Jesus divided those who believe in Him with
those who do not believe in Him as John the Baptist said in John 3:36. As we look at the world around us I can’t help
but think that we are getting closer to the return of our Lord to snatch His
bride out of the world. The world is
getting smaller all of the time through the technology that man is achieving
and it looks more and more like a one world government is very close to
becoming a reality as the prophets have prophesized. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit of God will begin a great revival
before the Lord comes to take those of us who have believed in Him home to be
with Him where we will be with Him forever serving Him forever.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for
it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
Memory verse for the week:
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with
Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Jesus” (Luke 22:61).
Today’s Bible
question: “Where was Jesus
crucified?” (I did not plan to have this
question asked on Good Friday, it is just how it worked out on the cards that I
am using.)
Answer in our next SD.
4/18/2014 10:25 AM
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