Good day church family and friends,

It is my prayer that we will continue to build our own salvation through regular meetings with our friend Jesus Christ. May your own time with Jesus through prayer and devotional reading / Bible study only bring you closer to Christ each time and may the Holy Spirit lead you in His paths of life:

1 Thess 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Commentary: When someone urges someone, that means that certain things need to be done. So, this is for those who are in the church family because Paul addresses them as brothers and sisters.

Warn those who are idle and disruptive. To me that means that we are taking some actions pertaining to those who are idle and disruptive. Then we need to be patient to see the improvements, and if needed, warn them again.

Paul as well is calling us to encourage the disheartened and to help those who are weak.

Prayer: O Lord, would you point me to those who are weak this week so that I can share Christ Jesus with them in a relevant way. Maybe just being there to hear them and to see how we can move forward with You dear Lord Jesus. Amen

Commentary: It would be good to see what other cross-reference texts have to say regarding our verse 14 above:

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. / Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Commentary: “If someone is caught in a trespass” could be someone who has slipped and confessed that he/she has fallen. It could be someone that has trespassed and one of the parties or both have confessed that such has happened or that someone has witnessed a trespass. We are called to restore such person with a spirit of gentleness.

Why?

Because all of us have a bend towards sin, and when we fall, we would like that others are gentle to us so we can be restored to some kind of a normal state of brotherhood and sisterhood.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

Commentary: So many of us need reminders and instruction from time to time so we can live encouraging lives.

Romans 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Hebrews 12:12-13 Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees. / Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Reflection: We have responsibilities towards our own hands and what they do and don’t do. We need to be encouraged so that we can face the issues of living courageously.

Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Reflection: O how much more we can grow in humility, gentleness, and patience.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

James 5:19-20 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, / consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Reflection: As the Holy Spirit leads us, and we are involved in helping someone restore their relationship with Christ, not only are we helping them, but we are being saved from boredom which often causes us to sin.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. / Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. ...

Commentary: Love rejoices in truth. Truth makes us filled with joy in our hearts. A life based on truth is an amazing thing. It provides us with a clear life meaning and peace because we find our purpose for God creating us.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. / Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

2 Thessalonians 3:15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Matthew 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

1 Corinthians 8:9-12 Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. / For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? / So, this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. ...

Reflection: These days so many people claim to have some kind of knowledge and even insight into some secret stuff. As we read the text above, we find that knowledge can destroy a person. We definitely know the consequence of the knowledge that Eve and Adam obtained; it harmed them and the whole human race. Hence, there is a knowledge around us that should not be part of our lives at all.

Romans 14:1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions.

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Reflection: Humility is good for our own saving walk with Christ because it help us receive grace that we as sinners so often need.

Proverbs 27:5-6 Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed. / The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Prayer: Gracious Father, I do give You praise today for You are good and gentle towards my family and me and You offer us grace anytime we approach you with humility and repentant hearts. May others experience that as well in their lives. Amen

Peter Caran

Pastor of Cobourg and Harmony Churches