I Thes 5--Christ is coming! Words to Live By

The Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. When they say "peace and safety", they shall not escape.

It is important that we keep watchful! For Jesus could come back at any moment. Am I anticipating that it could happen today? Unfortunately, I find too often that I'm wrapped up in the happenings of today and what's happening tomorrow and never even stop to consider that He could come back today. I wonder how different my life would be if I lived everyday with that kind of anticipation. Lord, help me to remember! Help me to seek to live as if you were coming back today!

Let us (Christians) watch and be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

So what shall we do as we anticipate the Lord's coming? Put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of hope of salvation. My faith is in His righteousness and the propitiation for my sins. My love is for the Lord Jesus and because of my love for Him, I should love others more and more. And my hope is in His promises that if I repent and trust in Him, I will be saved from the wrath of God and made an heir to the Kingdom of God.

Recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you (pastors). Esteem them very highly in love.

I thank God for our pastor! He has the heart of a true shepherd and I praise God for how we are all growing in the Lord! I can't imagine how difficult it is to be a pastor. But I know God's grace is there when you need it and for the calling that He's given.

Be at peace among yourselves:

Oh, how we tend to fuss and argue with one another over trivial things. Lord, help your children to get along. I'm reminded of my own children and how they fuss and argue over little things that they should overlook. I pray for my brothers and sisters at church that we would all be at peace among ourselves. I cherish the unity we share. But I know how wily the devil is. Protect us, dear Lord.

Words to live by:
Warn those who are unruly (Those who are out of line.)
Comfort the fainthearted (Those engulfed in worry/fear)
Uphold the weak
Be patient with all.
Don't render evil for evil to anyone
Always pursue what is good for yourself and for all
Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing (persistent and regularly)
Give thanks in everything
Do not quench the Spirit (sin)
Do not despise prophesies (MacArthur says scripture. But I'm not sure about that.)
Test all things
Hold fast what is good
Abstain from every form of evil.

I think I would do well to memorize this list. If I did all that, I know the Lord would be glorified. And that is my goal.

May God sanctify you completely. He who calls you is faithful and also will do it

Another verse on perseverance of the saints. It is God who sanctifies His elect, and because He is faithful, he will preserve them to the end.

I Thes 2-4--Fruitfulness, Love One Another

I'm combining my notes from I Thes. 2, 3 and 4 into one post.

I Thes. 2/3
Paul talks of how he was separated from the Thessalonians, why he is authentic and his message is authentic. In other words, why they should believe him and his message over others. Paul is encouraged by their faith in spite of his short time with them.

I Thes. 4
Paul encourages the Thessalonians to abound more and more- to be more and more fruitful.

We have a little peach tree that was so fruitful this year. The branches were hanging to the ground with all of the fruit! We gave bushels of peaches away and ate plenty ourselves!! It was a good reminder to me to be fruitful and to continue to be more and more fruitful.

We have another peach tree right next to that one that has fruit that never gets ripe. I hope my life is not that that little tree. Seeming to bear fruit that never gets ripe.

For this is the will of God--that you should abstain from sexual immorality.

God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

Another verse on personal holiness. It saddens me to think of how many people out there think they are Christians and continue to wallow in sin. I pray that will examine themselves in light of the Scriptures to see if they are truly in the way before it is too late.

Love one another--increase more and more.

Loving your brothers and sisters in Christ is evidence of your salvation according to I John. I'm so grateful for the brothers and sisters that He's brought into my life and I pray that I will love them more and more.

I don't have earthly siblings that I'm close to, but I watch my dear children and see the love they have for one another. They don't always agree. And yes there is conflict when fleshly desires prevail, but they do love and learn from one another. I need my Christian brothers and sisters. They help me along this life and point me towards Christ. I hope for them that I do the same.

Aspire to lead a quiet life (don't generate conflict), to mind your own business, to work with your own hands, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing.

I think these verses speak for themselves--being busy in the Lord and not in other people's business. I often think that "ignorance is bliss." And I'm a certified conflict-avoider. Not that that's a good way to handle things either. But I continue to grow in this area. Praise you, Jesus!

The rest of this chapter was about eschatological stuff which I've never really studied much. Although I need to so that I can understand it better.

I Thes 1--Election

I Thessalonians 1

Paul give thanks for the Thessalonians. He mention them in his prayers and remembers their works, labor and patience.

I pray that the fruit of my life will pleasing to the Lord and a blessing to others. And patience would continue to grow. I still have far to go in this area, but I see growth and I am encouraged!

Knowing your election by God
God initiates our election. He is the one who first loves and foreordained. But once was the veil is removed, the choice becomes ours. This is also known unconditional election. My sweetie likes to put it like this. Once God opens our eyes to our true state, then it's like choosing between filet minon and a plate of dung. You can still choose the latter, but why would you?

One Christmas, we did a devotional with the boys that was neat. On Christmas morning, we gave them each a little piece of coal in it. Then we read Psalm 51 where David repents of his sin with Bathsheba. He says, "Against you and you alone have I sinned." As they held the coal, it got all over their hands and everything they touched was dirtied. And that it was our sinful lives are like. But Jesus died to pay the price for our sin if we will repent and trust in Him. And then we put the choice before them in this analogy--Would you rather choose a piece of dirty coal or Christmas morning?

Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
There is a wrath to come! So many teach that God is so loving that He wouldn't send someone to Hell. And many believe they are good enough to get to heaven. Are you sure? Take this test to find out.