1 Thessalonians 1:6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

This is the sort of reception every evangelist prays for. We don’t desire suffering or affliction or trouble of any sort for those to whom we minister, but we certainly desire that they receive the Gospel with joy, learning how to live the life of obedient faith both by imitating us and directly from Christ’s example. Of course, for that to happen, we have to be in line with the Holy Spirit ourselves. Every minister of the Gospel should be able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) That was obviously a winning strategy for Paul in Thessalonica. The New Testament is absolutely practical. There are no grand ideas that have no mooring in daily life; rather, everything applies to daily living. The letter of James focuses on that very sharply, because even in the 1^st century there were people who talked a good show but didn’t follow through. We are without question saved by grace through faith, and not by “doing the right things.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) As a matter of fact, I’m preaching on that tomorrow! However, genuine faith will always be evident in how we live. Paul would not have been effective as an evangelist if he hadn’t been willing to suffer for his faith. We are so used to luxury that we tend to draw back even from an inconvenience. That’s no way to be a witness for Christ, who went through incredible suffering in order to purchase our redemption! (Acts 1:8) It is when people see our daily faithfulness that they begin to believe that the message we preach is trustworthy and desirable.

Of course, I’m preaching to myself here. It’s interesting that I feel I’m getting more response these days, since we’ve demonstrated our commitment to the Gospel through 44 years of living in Omura “on our own dime,” with no financial support from outside. God has been very gracious, and all our needs have been met, but that’s not to say it’s been easy. Yesterday I was talking to three men, only one of whom I have known for a while, all well past “retirement age,” and I felt they accepted me remarkably. It felt good! The thing is, I don’t want them just to accept me, I want them to know and accept the Savior I’m here to talk about. I want the kind of reception that Paul got in Thessalonica! I can’t make it happen, but I can be faithful, and trust God to work His salvation by His Holy Spirit.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Help me mirror that indeed, so that those to whom I minister may learn from me and learn from You, to be the children and servants You desire, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!