Wednesday September 8, 2021

Wednesday – September 8th – 1 Timothy 3: 8-13     -----    

3:8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 
10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 
11 Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 
12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 
13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
 
 The Daily Walk Bible inspirational thought for Wednesday:
      THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LITTLE SIN BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUCH PERSON AS A LITTLE GOD TO SIN AGAINST.*

     Good Wednesday to you! What a great day to celebration our blessings and to reflect on what we have experienced as a follower of Jesus this week. Back on Monday, at my morning men’s group meeting, we brought up the subject of where we have experienced the Holy Spirit in our life. I was reminded of the last question asked in our weekly band meeting – “Where is the Holy Spirit at work in your life this week”. This question does two things for me. First, it requires me to constantly be looking for the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life. Second, it reminds me that the Holy Spirit is a constant companion and not just a one-time event in my life. As SunRise begins gathering in small groups this week to pray and seek an “Awakening” of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can be assured the Holy Spirit is already working ahead of us – we just need to open our eyes to see how that happens today.

     In our pick verses today from 1 Timothy, Paul moves from those he calls “bishops” to those who identify as “deacons”. Depending on your history of faith traditions these terms can have different meanings today, than when Paul was writing to a first-century church on the western edge of Turkey. For Paul similar qualifications for leadership roles also apply to “deacons”, who were in Paul’s day were considered local church ministers. They had special responsibility for visiting the sick and ministering to those in need. The seven men chosen in Acts 8:3-6 to relieve the twelve apostles of the task of distributing food to the poor may have received the first role of deacons in the new church. What I read into these verses is that any follower of Jesus is to ascribe to the highest standards of moral and ethical lives. Our every word, action, or even social media post speaks directly to the standards we use as a witness to others about our relationship with Jesus. What does your life say about your witness for Jesus?

Blessings
  Pastor Jim
Thursday – September 9th – 1 Timothy 3:14-16

*Tyndale. The Daily Walk Bible NLT (Daily Walk: Full Size) (Kindle Locations 48561-48562). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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