Month: August 2023

You can access the complete posting for each day by clicking on that day at the end of this posting.

Please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, etc. as a way to introduce them to Stan,  S. Tory Teller, and the conversations about faith, discipleship, and what it means to be a Christian.

Also, don’t forget that S. Tory Teller’s book, the 100-day devotional, Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going, is available from amazon.com, other on-line book sellers, and directly from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com 

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Stan’s main takeaway for each day this past week:

Monday, August 14 (Whose agenda?) — Many of us make a list of things we want to get done each day, but it really should be God’s list. Is it?

Tuesday, August 15 (Don’t be afraid to ask) — When we don’t understand what God is saying or doing, not asking Him about it is not the thing to do!

Wednesday, August 16 (Set apart for what?) — Being “set apart” is another way to describe “sanctification.” We are to be set apart for whatever God has for us. How are we doing with that?

Thursday, August 17 (Returning to give thanks) — When the ten lepers were healed after doing what Jesus said to do, only one bothered to thank Jesus. We would never be like that, would we?

Friday, August 18 (The Holy Spirit is hard to manifest if we don’t know He exists) — When  the apostle Paul was in Ephesus, he discovered that some of the Christians didn’t know about the Holy Spirit. Does that have any application for today?

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Access the complete posting by clicking on the day of the week below:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

“There’s something I’ve been wondering about,” I said to Stan one morning while we were enjoying our breakfast.

“What’s that?” He asked.

“Why it seems that some people who say they are Christians don’t really manifest the fruit of the Spirit.”

“Oh,” Stan replied, “that’s a really big question with lots of moving parts. However, it seems to me, that the answer may be as simple as what was going on with some people in Ephesus.”

“In Ephesus? What was going on in Ephesus that could have any application to Christians today?”

“You might be surprised,” Stan replied with a smile.

Continuing, he added “At one point, the apostle Paul showed up in Ephesus and found some disciples. He asked them a question about the Holy Spirit. Their answer might explain the lack of fruit in some Christians’ lives today.”

“What was Paul’s question?”

“He asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed.”

“What was their answer?”

“They said that they had not received the Holy Spirit, and that they didn’t even know that there is a Holy Spirit.”

“Didn’t even know,” I repeated. “It’s kind of hard to receive something a person doesn’t know exists.”

“You’re right,” Stan replied. “If people don’t know that the Holy Spirit exists, how are they going to receive Him and how are they going to have Him in their lives so His fruit is manifested?”

“You could be right,” I said. “Maybe the answer to my question is as simple as that!”

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Bible verses to consider:

And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found some disciples, and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts of the Apostles 19:1-2.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your gift of life eternally with you through the cross of Christ for all who believe. Thank you, too, for the gift of the Holy Spirit that can be received by all who believe. Thank you for those people who told me the truth of the Holy Spirit’s existence so I could receive Him and have His fruit manifested in and through my life. I confess that too often I don’t manifest His fruit. Please help me with that by not only knowing of His presence in my life, but by living as a disciple who manifests His presence. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him so you can receive the Holy Spirit? If no, why do you want to remain separated from God and not have His Spirit? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, have you received the Holy Spirit so His fruit can be manifested in and through your life? Is that fruit being manifested? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

The story of only one healed leper returning to thank Jesus, while the other nine went on their way, often reflects our lack of thankfulness.

The posting for November 23, 2022 (link below) focused on how important it is for us to return to the source of all for which we have to be thankful.

Let’s take another look at the subject of thankfulness — or lack of thankfulness — and spend some time talking with God in prayer to hear what He has to say about where we are in being thankful and how we express it.

Click here for posting.

“The other day,” Stan commented one morning while we were enjoying breakfast, “I was talking with a neighbor who has recently come to faith.”

“What were you talking about?” I asked.

“How coming to faith is just the beginning,” Stan replied.

“Beginning of what?”

“Everything,” Stan replied with a smile. “It’s the beginning of why we are here. It’s the beginning of working out the salvation that has been worked in by our acceptance of it. It’s also the beginning of sanctification, or of being set apart.”

“Set apart for what?” I asked.

“Set apart for God and for whatever He has for us to be and to do in being a part of what He’s doing for His kingdom.”

“Set apart to be a part,” I commented. “That seems easy enough to remember!”

“Yeah,” Stan replied. “And I need all the help I can get in remembering what God has for me to remember!”

“So,” I said, “if we are to be set apart for God so we can be a part of what He’s doing, what’s that look like?”

“Whatever,”Stan replied. “We are to be a part of whatever God is doing for His kingdom; whatever He has for us to do in helping the lost world come to redemption.”

“Whatever,” I commented. “That, too, seems like it would be easy to remember!

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Bible verses to consider:

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13.

Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word in truth. John 17:17.

And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. John 17:19.

And this is eternal life, the they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. John 17:3.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you. Thank you, too, for the truth that the eternal life you have provided is not just for when my time here is completed, but that it involves knowing you and being a part of your kingdom purposes on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I’m not set apart for your purposes, but I set myself apart for myself. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me to follow every step of your lead in being set apart so I can be a part of whatever you have for me to be and to do. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s provision of life eternally with Him so you can be set apart for whatever He has for you? If no, why do you want to remain separated from Him for all of eternity? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with being set apart so you can be a part of whatever He has for you to be and to do for Him and His kingdom? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

Some of the early disciples didn’t understand Jesus, they didn’t understand what He was saying, and they didn’t understand what He was doing, but they were afraid to ask. We should never be like that with our lack of understanding.

The posting for November 22, 2022 (link below) concerned how God always wants us to come to Him with our lack of understanding so He can show and tell us what He has for us. Let’s take another look at this and spend some time with God in prayer about how He wants to help us know Him.

Click here for posting.

As we finished breakfast, I said to Stan, “What’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”

“I’ve got a few errands to run, some stuff to get, a couple of people to see,” Stan replied, “but mainly I’m going to do what Joshua and Jesus said.”

“Joshua and Jesus?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “As you may remember, Joshua, when he was talking to some people, he told them to choose that day whom they were going to serve. And in Luke’s gospel, Jesus said that those who want to follow Him are to take up what they’re supposed to take up each day.”

“So it’s a daily thing,” I said. “Each day we’re supposed to choose to serve God by taking up what He has for us to take up, is that it?”

“That’s what it looks like to me,” Stan replied. “I try to make that the first thing on the list of things that are to be done each day.”

“So it’s really God’s agenda, not yours, right?”

“I think you got it, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.

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Bible verses to consider:

Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve . . . ; as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you make it clear that I have choices to make in serving you by being a disciple. I confess that too often I choose to serve someone or something other than you. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me to follow every step of your lead in choosing to serve you each day, following however, wherever, and whenever you want, which is moment-by-moment. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you chosen to serve God in the sense that you have accepted His free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him? If no, why do you want to remain separated from Him and all He has for you? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in your daily choices to serve Him and to take up whatever He has for you to take up? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

Stan’s main takeaway for each day this past week.

The full version of each posting can be found at www.waiting4thetrain.com

Note: Please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, etc. as a way to introduce them to Stan,  S. Tory Teller, and the conversations about faith, discipleship, and what it means to be a Christian.

Also, don’t forget that S. Tory Teller’s book, the 100-day devotional, Waiting for the Train — Biblical Food for Growing Before Going, is available from amazon.com, other on-line book sellers, and directly from the publisher at www.s-toryteller.com 

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Monday, August 7 (Jesus said what to seek first; does discipleship come next?) — After seeking and finding Jesus, pursuing discipleship should come next. Is that what we’re doing?

Tuesday, August 8 (Thinking again about the least likely) — It’s common to think of ourselves as unlikely to be used by God for His purposes. Who do you think is behind those thoughts?

Wednesday, August 9 (Sorrow without repentance — contrasting Peter and Judas) — Both Peter and Judas denied or betrayed Jesus, but one repented and one didn’t. Is there a lesson for us?

Thursday, August 10 (Having Him take us by the hand) — When Jesus reaches to take us by the hand, we should be like the boy in Mark’s gospel and take His hand. Do we?

Friday, August 11 (The big “if” of knowing the gift of God) — To the woman at the well Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God.” Everything of importance in our lives depends on knowing the same thing. Do we know the gift of His Son? Do we know all of His gifts? Do we want to know?

“The other day,” Stan commented one morning while we were having breakfast, “I was reading in John’s gospel where Jesus was talking about the ‘Big if’ in my life.”

“The ‘Big if’? What were you reading?”

“It’s in the story of a woman from Samaria who Jesus encountered at Jacob’s well,” Stan replied. “There are a lot of different parts to that story, but this morning I want to focus on a single ‘if’ that Jesus mentioned to her. It was a big one for her, it’s a big one for me, and, it seems to me, it’s a big one for everyone.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“In a single verse,” Stan replied, “Jesus spoke seven words to the woman, seven words that seem to present the truth of everything to do with Him, with God the Father, and with everything to do with our faith.”

“Wow!” I said. “Seven words did all of that? How’s that possible? What seven words?”

“If you knew the gift of God.”

“If you knew the gift of God,” I repeated. “You’re right, that does cover a lot of ground!”

“All the way from the gift of creation,” Stan replied, “to the gift of Jesus to redeem the lost world, to the gift of knowing Jesus and God the Father, to the gift of everything God has given. Everything, but it all depends on the ‘If’.”

“The big ‘if’ of knowing,” I commented. “And I guess that involves a lot of choices that each one of us has to make, choosing to know what God has given, as well as what He continues to give and wants to give.”

“A lot of choices in choosing to know,” Stan replied, “but also a lot of choices for those who do know so they tell those people who don’t know so those people will know!”

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Bible verses to consider:

If you knew the gift of God, . . . . John 4:10.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16.

And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent. John 17:3.

And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts of the Apostles 2:38.

(How are they going to know unless someone tells them? See Romans 10:13-15.)

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your free and gracious gift of Jesus as the way to life eternally with you. Thank you for those people you brought into my life to tell me so I would know of your gifts, not only of Jesus, but of everything you have done and continue to do. I confess that too often I do not tell others of your gifts so they will know. Please forgive that foolishness. Help me to follow every step of your lead in telling everyone of your gifts so they will know and have the opportunity to accept what you have given. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Do you know of God’s gift of eternal salvation in the sense of having accepted it? If you have not accepted His free and gracious gift, is it because you have not heard of it, or is it because you have not accepted it? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with telling others of God’s gifts? If you sense the need for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?

There’s a story in Mark’s gospel about Jesus taking a boy by the hand and lifting him up.

The posting for November 21, 2022 (link below) focused on the lesson for us in having Jesus take us by the hand and lift us up just as He intends. Take some time to focus on this again to see what God has to say so we are lifted up only by Him, not by anything else.

Click here for posting.

“The other day,” Stan commented one morning, “I was thinking about two different people in the Bible and how their response to what they did should have an important impact on me and my faith walk.”

“What two people?” I asked.

“Peter and Judas,” he replied.

“Peter and Judas? What do they have to do with you?”

“It’s how they responded when they realized they had denied or betrayed Jesus.”

“In what way?” 

“As you’ll remember,” Stan replied, “after Judas betrayed Jesus, he was remorseful and ended up killing himself.”

“That’s right,” I said. “What about it?”

“He was sorry for what he did,” Stan replied, “but he carried that sorrow with him to the grave. In contrast to Judas, Peter was also sorry about his denial of Jesus, but he repented.”

“Oh,” I said, “Judas was sorry for what he did, but, unlike Peter, he didn’t repent. But what’s that have to do with you?”

“It’s easy to say that I’m sorry for something,” Stan replied, “but the real proof of why I’m sorry is whether or not I repent and change.”

“Not just say that you’re sorry and continue on with no change,” I said, “but be sorry and let that sorrow lead your repentance. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “My sorrow is supposed to produce a change. If it doesn’t, it’s fair to ask what I’m really sorry about. Am I truly sorry for what I did — or didn’t do — or am I just sorry that I got caught?”

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Bible verses to consider:

And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:75.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and went away and hanged himself. Matthew 27:3-5.

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of eternal repentance so I know I have life eternally with you. Thank you, too, for your provision of confession and repentance so I can turn from my wrongdoing and be who and what you intend while I remain on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I do not repent after I admit my wrongdoing, showing that I am more sorry for having been caught than I am sorry for having offended you and your holiness. Please forgive my lack of repentance. Help me follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, truly repent and change directions to walk with you as you intend. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Think on this: Have you repented in the eternal sense so you know you have life eternally with God? If no, why have you not accepted His free and gracious provision through the cross of Christ? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with repentance while you remain here? Is your admission of wrongdoing (confession) followed by true repentance that results in lasting change? If you sense the need for change with any of this, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?