Daily Treasure

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16).

To end this week’s study, let’s read from William Barclay.  “….if a Christian has to suffer for the cause of Christ, he must do so in a way that his suffering brings glory to God and to the name he bears.  His life and conduct must be the best argument that he does not deserve the suffering which has come upon him and his attitude to it must commend the name he bears.”
If our study stopped at this point, we might feel helpless and hopeless. Thankfully, next week’s study deals with growing in “the hope of His coming.”  Don’t give up. Hope is not gone. We have “too much to gain to lose.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for interest in new WAC groups, and for renewed interest in groups that have met with decline over the past few years.

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2: 21).

The NIV Study Bible states: The patient endurance of injustice is part of God’s plan for the Christian.  Christ is the supreme example of suffering evil for doing good. His experience as the suffering Servant-Saviour transforms the sufferings of  his followers from misery into privilege.”
Our growth will never be hindered if we “follow his steps.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Faith Comes by Hearing ministries of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who produce Bible sticks (MP3 players loaded with the entire New Testament) for military personnel. Prayerfully consider supplying a stick for a soldier (cost is $25).

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Whether you are facing persecution or any other test of your faith, William Barclay states three reasons Peter gave that would help people endure any fiery trial. I won’t go into elaborate detail, but rather just hit the highlights.  First, “they can stand anything that comes because of what they are able to look forward to.  Second, they can stand anything that comes if they remember that every trial is, in fact, a test. Third, they can stand anything because at the end of it, when Jesus Christ appears, they will receive from him, praise and glory and honour.”
Our study writer notes,  “First Peter 1:7 speaks of this refining process.  Like gold purified through fire, the genuineness of Christianity shines through trials.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for persecuted believers in the nations of Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, who continue to be “tried by fire.”

“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
The apostles were bold in their witness after the Day of Pentecost.  For that reason, they faced opposition and persecution. In spite of this, they rejoiced that God thought them worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ.  To set the stage for our verse, we need to read previous verses about the apostles being arrested and appearing before the Sanhedrin council. They were charged with preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ, which offended some members of the council.  A respected Pharisee named Gamaliel made a speech that actually prevented the apostles from being killed. However, it didn’t keep them from being beaten severely. They were afterward released and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. So what did the apostles do?  They “ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42b).

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for the Donnie and Susan Burke family and ministry partners Mark and Danielle McCraney as they endeavor to plant a church in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Those who have been growing in knowledge and truth know we are living in the last days. So far we have not had to face persecution as those in some foreign lands. That is not to say, we will never face it.  Is our faith strong enough to be able to endure suffering for the cause of Christ?
We must continue to draw close to God. One day we may have to apply what we know and not be ashamed to let it show.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).
The week’s introduction includes these words: “Suffering is neither desirable or easy.  Yet, 1 Peter 1:19-20 says, ‘This is grace.’  Twice in this passage we find  charis (the Greek word for grace) used in reference to suffering. The truest test and display of grace comes as we suffer in doing good  for the cause of Christ.”  As unpleasant as it can be, suffering can work in our favor.
As I share commentary from Albert Barnes about today’s verse, may we view suffering from a different perspective.
“But the God of all grace—The God who imparts all needful grace. It was proper in their anticipated trials to direct them to God, and to breathe forth in their behalf an earnest and affectionate prayer that they might be supported. A prayer of this kind by an apostle would also be to them a sort of pledge or assurance that the needed grace would be granted them. 
Who hath called us unto his eternal glory—And who means, therefore, that we shall be saved. As he has called us to his glory, we need not apprehend that he will leave or forsake us.
After that ye have suffered a while—After you have suffered as long as he shall appoint.  The Greek is “having suffered a little,:and may refer either to time or degree.  In both respects the declaration concerning afflictions is true.  They are short, compared with eternity; they are light, compared with the exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Make you perfect—By means of your trials. The tendency of affliction is to make us perfect.
Stablish—The Greek word means “to set fast; to fix firmly; to render immovable.”
Strengthen—Give you strength to bear all this. 
Settle you– Literally, found you, or establish you on a firm foundation.  The allusion is to a house which is so firmly fixed on a foundation that it will not be moved by winds or floods.”

Sue Winchester
Missouri

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Faye Hanna (SCWAC), mother of Kristi Johnson, missionary to Spain as she recovers from a kidney transplant. Praise God that the Johnsons were in the states, visiting with family, when the donor match call came, enabling them to there at the time of the surgery.

“Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.  He tried to keep it secret that he was there, but he couldn’t…”  (Mark 7:24 NLT).

I’ll try to put this as gently as I can:  If Christ were present in your church service today, would He be noticed?

Would He fit into the crowd—or stick out like a sore thumb?

Would He be welcomed and be shown to a great seat—or be left to fend for himself, and only by the grace of God not choose Sister So-and-So’s pew?

Would He be acknowledged—or ignored?

Would He be invited back—or leave unnoticed?

You see, it’s not a given that God visits every service and every church every Sunday…but when He is there, it shouldn’t be anything that’s kept under wraps.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for Uttam Barman, a young Free Will Baptist preacher in India just diagnosed with stage IV cancer in his gall bladder, liver, bones, and more. Given only two to six months to live, he will leave behind a wife, teenage daughter, and 12-year-old son. Ask God to use this sad, painful time to bring glory and honor to Himself and spread the gospel. Pray Pastor Uttam and his wife will know strength, peace, joy, and comfort as they look to the Father. (courtesy of FWBIM)

“…We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ”  (1 Corinthians 9:12 NLT).

Gulp.

I don’t know about you, but the word anything conjurs up a whole heap of a lot of things I might have to put up with as I strive to spread God’s love to the world in which I live.

Things that might make me uncomfortable.

Things that might make me look less than stellar.

Things that might get my hands dirty.

Things that are completely out of the norm for me.

Things that might cause my Christian brothers and sisters to look down their noses at me.

Things that are outside tradition.

Things that are God-inspired and not planned in my head.

Does my statement of faith involve Paul’s challenge?  Am I willing to tolerate, put up with, push aside my discomfort?  Does getting the Gospel to the unknowing stir my soul enough to do what ever it takes–and put up with anything in order to do it?

That’s a lot to swallow this morning.

Malinda Edgell
Illinois

PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for children in your community who are unchurched. Now is a great time to invite them to come, since they are getting back into the routine of school.