OUR DAILY BREAD : BUILDING A BRIDGE

[cimi]

February 17
Tuesday


BUILDING A
BRIDGE

READ:
1 Thessalonians
1:1-10
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Your faith toward God
has gone out, so that
we do not need to
say anything.
__1 Thessalonians 1:8
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James Michener's Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American west. Through the eyes of a French_Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the European-based community of St. Louis. As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds.

Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds__those who do not know Him. Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshipping culture, so Paul said of them, "For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place" (1 Thess. 1:8). The bridge they were building had two components: the "word of the Lord" and the example of their faith. It was clear to everyone that they had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (v.9).

As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Chris. __Bill crowder

`````````````````````Father, help us live in such a way that others``````````````````````
```````````````````will want to know about Your Son,. May we not`````````````````````
`````````````````````merely try to do what's "right" but instead`````````````````````````
```````````````````````live as people forgiven and loved by You.```````````````````````
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Live the gospel, and others will listen.

****************************Today's Bible Reading _ 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10**************************
1 Paul, Silvanus, and
Timothy, to the church of the
Thessalonians in God the
father and the Lord Jesus
Christ:

Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We
give thanks to God always
for you all, manking mention
of you in our prayers,

3 remembering without
ceasing your work of faith,
labor of love, and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
in the sight of our God and
Father, 4 knowing, beloved
brethren, your election by
God. 5 For our gospel did not
come to you in word only,
but also in power, and in
the Holy Spirit and in much
assurance, as you know what
kind of men we were among
you for you sake.

6 And you became followers
of us and of the Lord, having
received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the
Holy Spirit, 7 so that you
became examples to all in
Macedonia and Achaia who
believe. 8 For from you the
word of the Lord has
sounded forth, not only in
Macedonia and Achaia, but
also in every place. Your faith
toward God has gone out, so
that we do not need to say
anything. 9 For they
themselves declare
concerning us what manner
of entry we had to you, and
how you turned to God from
idols to serve the living and
true God. 10 and to wait for
His Son from heaven, whom
He raised from the dead,
even Jesus who delivers us
from the wrath to come.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that the greatest things are faith, hope,
and love (v.13). In today's passage, he commends the people of the
church in Thessalonica for exhibiting these very traits. They work in
faith and labor in love while hoping in Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 1:3).