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Category: Epistles – Is his letter to our church?

Epistles ἐπιστολή or Letters

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians 

FEATURED SERIES

JUNE 2024 – 2025 —

1 CORINTHIANS 

First letter after ACTS of the Apostles:

Epistle of Paul to the Romans Church

Letters – Is he writing to me?
The short answer: YES.

In their epistles or 1st century church letters the Apostles and other men sent out by Jesus build up the saints [small – ‘s’] or members of local first century churches.

A Disciple or other witness of JESUS would write it. Messengers then delivered these church letters to many isolated worshipers.

Followers of Jesus Christ receive these letters as a major encouragement to their personal faith. Then leaders read them to worshipers of their church.

Although the Epistles 0r Letters to the Church were originally written to churches of the first century,

Romans through Jude will seem like letters to your 21st century church.

  • What do Peter, Paul, John and others tell us we must do?
  • Is he talking about an issue in your 21st c. church as well?
  • How does the writer’s advice, warning, or encouragement to the 1st c. believers apply to you as well
  • Is the writer of this letter talking about something you need to address in your 21st century ‘christian’ life?

Contemporary Application of the Letters (Epistles)

Most New Testament writers take on specific issues confronting faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These same issues continue to confront believers until the Lord’s coming again in these last days.

Certainly Christ our Lord will come again to those God has chosen for eternal life.

Believers currently suffer more than most of you who know Christ in your local church can imagine.

In other lands Christians continue to suffer by the hand of the ungodly.
Go into all the world

A 21st century Common Era church can see and hear nearly any atrocity of man or artificial imagination of sinful man’s mind, yet ‘christians‘ dare not speak of any absolute truth of the Lord God or talk of JESUS CHRIST.

Will YOU comment on Scripture and share the Gospel?

I invite you to read the inspired word of Scripture written in these LETTTERS TO THE CHURCH.

YES, He IS writing to YOU.

Beloved brother or sister in Christ Jesus,

Will you read this ‘CHURCH LETTER’ and talk of JSUS through your comment, sharing and email to me about this ‘Letter to you?”

Roger@talkofJesus.com

  • Put Your Armor On

    Put Your Armor On

    15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear… [more from 1 Peter]

    Are you ready for Christ Jesus?

    O church, arise and put your armor on.

    What is your Christian Social Witness?

    DO YOU TALK OF JESUS ONLINE?

    Most Christians who spend any time online (facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and other Social networking sites) RARELY mention Jesus.

    Oh sure, some of us pin a poster with a nice verse.  (Maybe a “Friend” might just happen to see it an get converted.) Do you really think this qualifies as talk of Jesus?

    Jesus IS and will return on the clouds… perhaps any day now.

    Certainly in terms of 2000 years since our Lord’s promise to return AFTER the Gospel is spread throughout the world, this 21st century must qualify as last days.

    “Is there any oil in your lamp of social witness?

    Put our your armor, church, my dear brothers & sisters in our Lord.

    When everyone in our ‘SOCIAL’ networks is talking about every thing else, WHY are Christians so unwilling to talk of Jesus?

    While we spend hour after hour in our ‘SOCIAL’ circles with hardly a mention of Jesus Christ, the Ephesians 6 armor of Christians has become rusty as Dorothy’s Tin Man. (Link provided, in case you forgot where you left your armor.)

    Jesus is NOT going to take up everyone when He returns.  Don’t you want your Christian Social Witness to help SAVE your ‘FRIENDS from hell?’

    A definition may help 21st c. Christians get our ideas of armor out of the middle ages.

    any tool or implement for preparing a thing
    arms used in warfare, weapons

    Another reference to this armor (from the same Greek word) provides additional encouragement for our witness.

    – 2 Corinthians 6:  We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:

    “In an acceptable time I have heard you,
    And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

    Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

    But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God… By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left…

    Please SHARE your talk of Jesus with all of us and with your friends.  ADD a Comment.

    Our Christian Social Witness matters; but above all… before the battle…

    O church, arise and put your armor on. *

    * “O Church, Arise”
    Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
    Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

  • Stand Firm

    “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

    1 Corinthians 15:58

    OH, I AM SO READY TO WORSHIP THE LORD WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST IN THE MORNING, UNLESS HE RETURNS BEFORE THEN. Either way, we are so blessed!

    Shared by Pam Fairchild Taylor

    Were you blessed?  Please share your Bible verses and comment on our posts.  Thank you my dear sister in the Lord. – Roger

  • Perseverance – Share your Christian social witness for Jesus Christ

    Perseverance – Share your Christian social witness for Jesus Christ

    Galatians 5:7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?

    Philippians 2:16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

    Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

    1 Corinthians 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

    Philippians 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

     2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

    PERSEVERANCE! Endurance… in fact, the list is so long I will share the powerful synonyms:

    backbone*, constancy, continuance, cool, dedication, determination, doggedness, drive, endurance, grit, guts*, immovability, indefatigability, moxie*, persistence, pertinacity, pluck, prolonging, purposefulness, pursuance, resolution, sedulity, spunk, stamina, steadfastness, stick-to-itiveness, tenacity

    AND the antonyms, likely to convict me and you for our sometime LACK of will to spend time in the BIBLE & lack of PERSEVERANCE for our Lord Jesus Christ, who endured the Cross for us:

    apathy, idleness, indolence, laziness, lethargy

    A single picture of one racing to the finish line… or a single example of the faith of an Apostle like Paul… or a singular person of perseverance like Job will invigorate our race to the finish-line of our faith to meet the Author of our salvation.

    Kent Hughes, in his book 10 Disciplines of a Godly Man, points to Hebrews 12 as a guide for our perseverance.  “Divest, Run, Focus, & Consider,” is his advice for us.  When I think of any of the examples of our faith, I’m ready to get back in the race and run to the finish.

    Perseverance in prayer, Bible study, thankfulness, ministering to the needs of others, regular worship and willingness to talk of Jesus to anyone — just a part of this race in which our Lord has enrolled us.

    Won’t you SHARE your Social Witness for Jesus Christ?

    Add a thoughtful comment about your own race and encourage another today?

    Thanks. May our Lord bless you today to finish the race. – Roger – http://talkofJesus.com — Better than a sports drink for the race of Eternal Life