"We 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." (1 Thessalonians 1:3, NIV)
"....your work produced by faith." This is not just "church work." This is life work. It is impossible to live life in Jesus Christ without believing and obeying Jesus Christ, which is the definition of, "faith." Every day you and I are bombarded by, "principalities and powers," by the, "spiritual forces of wickedness," whose sole purpose is to, "deny the faith," which is another way to say, "I give up." Fight on, my dear Family Member.
"....your labor prompted by love...." This is the call of life in Jesus Christ. All thoughts, all words, all, "labor," whether Church, "missions," work place, family relationships, are commanded by our Lord Jesus to just, "as I have loved you." Life must be, "prompted by agape," or all is empty humanism.
"your endurance." The Word, "endurance," is most often translated, "perseverance." The dictionary defines, "perseverance," as "doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." What an example of much of life. Remember when you "got saved?" Most thought that the "change" people talked about would occur, if not right away, at least by next week. Yes, some experienced a flood of "answered prayers," admiration of some, etc.
Then one day we "woke up." We looked around and noticed that there was much of life which still needed, "....produced by faith,..prompted by love,...endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I repent of those seasons in which I despised the "time-process" in life. Amen.
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Sarah is having some tests on January 24. Please pray for all results to be negative.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
