SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/21/2014 8:59 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
The Jews Hindrance of the Saints
Bible Reading & Meditation
Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:15b-16a
Message of the
verses: Just a reminder before we
look at these verses and that is what John MacArthur wrote at the end of his
introductory commentary on this section:
“Knowing that the Jews hateful attitude had not changed but rather had
intensified since their original hostility in the early days at Thessalonica,
Paul made a strong statement about their spiritual condition. His statement consists of three reasons they
are a people to be sad for: they
rejected God’s Word, they hindered the saints, and they faced punishment in
suffering. These three are in direct
contrast to the reasons Paul was joyful over the Thessalonicans.” We want to look at the second reason to be
sad for the Jews in this Spiritual Diary.
“They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16
hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved;” (1
Thessalonians 2:15b-16a).
According to the grammar in this section we can learn
that this attitude that the Jews had was habitual, and not just a onetime
thing. When we look back to the Apostle
Paul before he was saved and was known by Saul of Tarsus he had this same
attitude that the Jews no had, and just as His attitude was wrong in thinking
that he was doing a service to God in persecuting the believers, so the Jews
who were hindering the spread of the Gospel thought that they too were doing a
service to the Lord.
The statement “hostel to all men,” tell us that because
the Jews hated the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they thought it was satanic and
that Jesus was a counterfeit Messiah, therefore they did not want others to
hear about Him. Again they were wrong in
their thinking and in their actions in not permitting the Gospel to be preached
to the Thessalonians. An example of what
the Jews were doing in Thessalonica was also done in Jerusalem when we read
about the Sanhedrin attempting to stop the Apostles preaching the Gospel. (Acts 5:25-33 and then compare Acts 4:1-22;
5:17-18, 40-41)
We will look at Acts 5:25-33: “25 But someone came and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching
the people!" 26 Then the captain
went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence
(for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). 27 When they
had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest
questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue
teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the
apostles answered, "We must obey
God rather than men. 30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had
put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior,
to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are
witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to
those who obey Him." 33 But when they heard this, they were cut to the
quick and intended to kill them.”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly affects people in
different ways as Jesus said it would: “33
“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is
in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not
come to bring peace, but a sword. 35
"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST
HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S
ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 “He who loves father or mother
more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me
is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me
is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has
lost his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me,
and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me (Matthew 10:33-40).”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I think back to
when our country began and there was true freedom of religion, but now the
tides are changing as we see our country begin to neglect the people of Israel,
and we see that the Gospel cannot be spoken of in schools and that instead of
believing that God created the heaves and the earth in six twenty-four days we
believe that creation of the earth was on big accident. Yes the times are changing and there is
coming a day when all believes must take a stand for the Gospel as the Apostles
did in the section of Acts we mentioned.
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.”
Memory verse for
today: Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified
with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
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 our last Bible
question: “Esau and Jacob” (Genesis
25:20-26).
Today’s Bible
question: “Name the shortest book in the
Old Testament.”
Answer in our next SD.
4/21/2014 9:45 AM
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