Revelation 3 & 4

Rev-3
John writes to the angel of the church in Sardis,
He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says to them, you can't be half this and half that.  You need to be right with God all the time.  To all that overcome will be in the Book of Life.  Some would say that's kinda hard, but really think about it.  If you aren't willing to go all out for God, why would He go all out for you.

Then John writes to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, letting them know with the Lord anything is possible and the Lord WILL prevail.

John then writes to the angel of the church in Laodicea the last of the seven churches, letting the church know that your faith can't be on one day and off the next.  You have to overcome and stand on your faith.  Put your trust in the Lord all the time.  Not just when it suits you.


Rev-4
After John addressed the seven churches with instruction from the Lord, John was in the spirit and was in heaven.  How awesome that had to be.  Everyone worshiping the Lord and seeing the 24 elders.

Revelation 1 & 2

Let me just start off by saying Revelation is by far my favorite book of the bible. Most people shy away from this book. Did you know this book of the bible is the only one that says whoever reads it will be bleesed. I don't know about you but I need all the blessings that I can get. Jack

Now lets get on with the first two chapters.

Rev-1

On the Lords day, John was in the spirit when he heard someone behind him. It was Jesus. Jesus told John to write on a scroll what he had seen and what will take place later. He told him to send it to the seven churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicca. As I write this a few things make me wonder...why John? Do you think John was afraid? Do you think John was afraid he would somehow fail? I can only imagine how and what John felt with the command Jesus gave him to do while he was on the island of Patmos. The number seven is used more in this book of the bible more than any other. The whole reason for the letters to the churches were to let them know where they stood in the eyes of the Lord.


Rev-2

John starts of by writing a letter to the church in Ephesus
These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. He lets them know that Jesus knows their bad deeds and their good deeds and lets them know what they need to do to please God. It's all about putting God first. Make God your first love or He will come move your lampstand (churches).

To the church in Smyrna
These are the words of Him who is the first and the last, who died and came to life again. He tells them that they will suffer persecution but if they stay faithful they will be given the crown of life. The Lord tells us that we will have troubles but as long as we trust Him and stay faithful we will weather the storm

To the church in Pergamum
These are the words of Him who has the shard double edged sword. He tells them to keep satan away by not being imoral and not dealing with idols. Look what is promised to all that overcomes.
To me, its pretty amazing that when you really think about it, Jesus promises us alot more than He ever ask of us, how awsome is that!

To the church in Thyatira
These are the words of the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. There will many false prophets. So be careful to not be mislead by them.
He knows whats in our hearts and minds. And He will repay each of us according to our deeds. You can't hide anything from God. So the sooner we realize that the better off we will be.

3John & Jude

It really is amazing how up to date the Bible is. The issues that John and Jude confronted are still being confronted today. Those who deny the Lordship of Jesus, who refuse to do what they know is right, who cause dissension and division, and who promote themselves were in the Church then, just as they are now. John opens with a prayer I pray for many:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (vs. 2 NKJV)

 Jude writes a beautiful exhortation that each of us should practice:

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude vs. 20-21 NIV)

As we say goodbye to the epistles and prepare for the richness of the Revelation given to John, let's refresh ourselves with the ending doxology of Jude:

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

1 John 5 & 2 John

John ends his first book with an odd closing: "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." But what are idols but anything that takes our focus off of Jesus? John repeats the same thing over and over- that Jesus is the Son of God and to love God we must accept Jesus as His Son, and love others. Those who believe this message are told that they have overcome the world. This overcoming isn't by political power that lets us tell the world what to do. Rather, this overcoming is one that releases us from what the world does, because ultimately we will be freed from this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven, now. We are in the world, but not of it.
Satan sends those who profess that Jesus is just another wise man. He is fine with us respecting Jesus as long we don't profess him as the Son of God. When we believe in his divine nature, we give up our grip on the things that Satan uses to keep people under his control. With our eyes on Heaven, Satan can't get us to focus on his distractions.
Near the end of 2John, he says it very plainly, "We know that we are children of God, and that the wold world is under the control of the evil one." (vs. 19) Since we are children of God, and not of this world, the evil one has no claim on us. At all.

1 John 3 & 4

There are many who call themselves Christians who live no differently than the world around them. Can they really have had an encounter with Christ, or could it be that the idea of Christianity just sounded like something that they would like to identify with? Can someone come face to face with Jesus and not be forever changed?

All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backward. (1John 3:4-6 MSG)

 We are told over and over that those who are in Christ are children of God. And we are also told over and over that children of God love their neighbors. Loving others isn't what makes us Christian. Loving others is a testimony of Christ being in us.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!(1John 4:11-12 MSG)

1 John 1 & 2

Eyewitnesses are powerful evidence when trying to prove a point. Someone who says that they were at the scene and saw what went on makes a compelling case. John testifies in these 3 books of the things he saw and heard from Jesus. He acknowledges that we are still imperfect people even in Christ:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.(1John 1:8-10)

But even in our imperfection, Jesus is ready to forgive if we will just admit our sins to him.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense —Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1John 2;1-2)

So we are without excuse. If anyone professes to be a Christian but lives in a way that doesn't display love for others is a poser. He is still in darkness. He can't be an eyewitness because if he had seen the love of Jesus, it would have changed him. Be like the old chorus that says,

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full on his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

2 Peter 2 & 3

One day a few years ago I made the 10 mile hike around Lake Hefner on the system of trails that encircles the lake. I made this hike many times as part of my training for a hike I would make that summer. I knew where every porta-potty and water fountain was located along the trail. It was a warmer than normal day in early spring and my water bottle was nearly empty. I made the decision to go ahead and gulp it down because I knew that there was a water fountain about a half mile away where I could refill. As I approached the fountain, I anticipated getting to drink all that I wanted and being able to refill my bottle to take with me on the trail, but I found that the fountain would not function. And it would be several miles before the next fountain. I was disappointed and even thirstier than before.
That is the kind of situation that Peter uses to describe false teachers. They promise refreshment and life but deliver only disappointment and make life more difficult.
These false teachers cause sincere followers to stumble and give a doubting world reasons to scoff. We wonder at times why they are allowed to sow seeds of destruction. But God knows what he is doing. He isn't ignoring what is going on, and he is not giving consent to this kind of activity.  He is coming and He will set everything to right. Peter says that the Lord's patience means salvation. Our responsibility is to seek the truth, and to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peach with him.

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18

1 Peter 5 & 2 Peter 1

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." In a world where power is accumulated so that we can exert control over the activities of others, this statement seems to go against the grain. We are heirs and recipients of the greatest power and authority that exists, but are told to use it to serve those who don't deserve it. This can only come about from God.
As Peter nears the end of his life, and his spiritual authority is at its peak, he speaks more and more like a person who holds to power very lightly and who recognizes that he has this authority only because of the amazing grace of God. Those of us who are in leadership, or who aspire to leadership, would do well to remember Peter's example. Even those who wrote the great prophecies of the Bible didn't write them because of their great knowledge. They wrote them because a great God inspired them to write. We can't brag about anything but what a wonderful God we serve.

1 Peter 3 & 4

As we read through the Bible we see that the recurring instruction to Christians is that our primary responsibility is to represent Jesus well. None of the instructions call for us to be arrogant clods who demand what we think we deserve, or use scripture as a club to beat people over the head. We are told that we are to love others- whether in the home with our family or in the marketplace with our friends, or anywhere with anyone. Our primary responsibility is to be stewards of God's grace. God's grace, which is shown to us so very freely to us, is shown to the world when we live it out and give it freely to people we come in contact with. When tough situations occur because we are Christians, it is time for the love of Jesus to shine. And it shines very brightly when we respond in love to persecution. But when tough situations occur because we have done wrong, God gets no glory. The world forms its opinion of God on how his representatives portray him. How are you representing today?

1 Peter 1 & 2

As we read these two books written by Peter it is striking to see the difference of the "ready, shoot, aim" disciple who walked with Jesus. He was always ready with an opinion or an idea. Some of them were good, and some of them earned him a rebuke. But Peter after the Upper Room experience on the day of Pentecost is nothing like Peter after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. These two books are the words of the man Jesus knew was inside of Peter even when he kept his foot in his mouth most of the time. There is a rich and mature understanding of the believer's relationship with Jesus; both our rights and our responsibilities. No more impulsive, Peter gently but firmly teaches the churches he planted in what is important and eternal.

We can take comfort in Peter's growing maturity and faith. God's grace is in abundance and mistakes we make along the way do not disqualify us from being used by God. The enemy wants us to believe that because we made a bad choice at some stage in our life, the God has disposed of us and there is nothing for us to do. Peter wanted to be a faithful follower. Sometimes he got in his own way. But the Lord looks on the heart. He knows who we are and how we are. And he knows how he will use us if we don't give up. He never gives up on us.

James 4 and 5

These two chapters highlight how much time and energy we spend trying to get stuff and get ahead. We quarrel and fight, covet and even kill.  Even then we don't get what we desire. God wants us to know Him, to be humble and submissive to Him. Then we can pray in the right way, not asking for things with wrong motive but seeking God's will for our lives.

Let's look out for each other, too. Do not slander or judge our neighbor. Don't grumble against each other. Pray for one another, bring back those who have wandered from the truth.  Let's be careful to show love to others at every opportunity. 

James 2 and 3

It's very much a part of our human nature to take one look at a person and start drawing conclusions based on appearance alone. Unfortunately, this affects the way we relate to that individual oftentimes even before we even meet them! We are warned to not discriminate and becomes judges. God loves everyone, even the ones that we would think are unloveable. We are commanded to do likewise. We are also admonished to look after the needs of others, as that is a reflection of our faith.

The tongue again! James gives us such practical teaching on this subject with some great object lessons of ships, fire, horses, etc. Lots of ways to remember the lesson of taming the tongue.

I want the wisdom that comes from heaven. The world is full of wisdom that is earthly and God's blessing is not in it.

James 1

Trials and joy sure don't seem like they belong in the same sentence, do they? But joy is less an emotion and more of an attitude.  I may not be thankful for the trials I'm going through, but I am thankful for the spiritual growth that I am promised if only I will persevere. And, maybe when I'm on the other side of that trial I will have more grace and wisdom to help someone who is going through their own difficulty.

God gave us two ears and one mouth. Think about it. We need to listen more and make sure the words we do speak are pleasing to our Father.

Hebrews 13

I love the imagery in verses 11-14:

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

Under the sacrificial system the blood of the animal was carried into the Most Holy Place and it was poured out as an offering symbolizing the loss of an innocent life to atone for the shortcomings of another. This was unholy man's response to a holy God. The unholy was made to be holy by bringing it into the Holy Place. But when Jesus gave his life for us, he shed his blood in the most unholy place imaginable. The holy was poured out in an unholy place so unholy people could become holy wherever they were. The unholy thief on the cross was made holy in an unholy place because this was Holy God reaching out to unholy man in his unholiness. That is the relationship we have with Jesus today.

Hebrews 11 & 12

Hebrews 11 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. It is called the "Faith Hall of Fame" by many as it begins at creation and recounts many who lived lives of faith in God. Some of the stories eventually had endings that visibly justified their faith, but many ended their lives still holding to faith even though they never saw the answer they awaited. The writer described those as aliens and strangers on earth. These "citizens of Heaven" see earthly situations with an eternal view. When we are tempted to think that God has failed us or lost interest in our situation, we need to read these chapters over and over. Our life is not sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. It is a preparation for our heavenly eternal home. The struggles we endure are for our eternal benefit. For we are receiving an unshakable kingdom and we must always be thankful and reverent to the God who has prepared all of this for us.

Hebrews 9 & 10

Jesus, our High Priest, is also the sacrifice for our sins. We go to him and find forgiveness. The message is clear. "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." But sometimes we, who know the truth, are tempted to live as though the sacrifice wasn't good enough for our situation. The enemy of our soul wants us to doubt God's power, His wisdom, and His love for us.  Yet we are encouraged to stay in fellowship with the other believers, and hold onto our hope, because the One who promised is faithful. Even though you are going through a puzzling period or the answer seems slow in coming, your confidence in Jesus will be rewarded. "But we are n ot of those who shrink back and aare desroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (10:39)

Hebrews 7 & 8

I can't imagine how mind-blowing it had to be for the Jews in the first century. For generations, they had worshiped God in the way handed down to them from Moses. Even though they had many prophecies that served notice of a coming Christ, it was beyond comprehension that he would cause the complete dismantling of everything they knew. The writer of Hebrews defends Jesus by using the scriptures that the Jews were very familiar with and assures them that this new covenant if far superior to what they knew previously. he is our high priest now; the only one we will need. Jesus is the guarantee of this better covenant. And the day will come when it will all be clear and everything will be set to right. Until then we live by the promise of the wonderful covenant of salvation through grace by faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 5 & 6

We can never get to the bottom of our relationship with God. Many choose to stay at the point of salvation, holding that being forgiven is enough for them. However, it is possible for those who never go "deep", to lose the intensity of their relationship and even drift back into their old patterns of living. There are many who are long-time Christians who are not mature Christians.

Christianity is unique in that salvation can be accepted in faith by someone who knows nothing more than the bare message of the Gospel, but the greatest intellectual minds can spend an entire career studying it and never feeling as though they have scratched the surface of what is there. At the core of the investigation we all find the trustworthiness of Jesus, who cannot lie and who becomes the steadfast anchor of our soul.

Hebrews 3 & 4

OK parents, a little test. Which displeases you most? Your child breaking something, or your child breaking something you told him not to touch? Of course it is the disobedience or rebellion that far outweighs a momentary dose of clumsiness. How can disobedience be seen as anything other than a disrespect of your parenthood? It is the same way with God. When we don't obey His commands we are in effect telling him that we don't really think that He knows best. Our unbelief is the great sin. It is the root of all the sinful actions we see. We are exhorted not to harden our hearts like the children of Israel did. Their sin was in not believing that God would complete His promise. As a result, they all died in the desert. These were the same people who saw God deliver them from Egypt and part the Red Sea for them, but hardened their hearts when it came time to conquer a few giants.

God knows the attitudes of our hearts. Don't harden your heart against him. Jesus is our High Priest. Go to him with your struggles. When we are in Jesus, we can approach him boldly and find mercy and grace that will help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 1 & 2

The book of Hebrews elevates Jesus beyond any previous person, angel, tradition or idea.  "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (1:3) When we come to grips with this, we have no excuse to turn him away. "how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" (2:3)

Jesus came and lowered himself so that we could be adopted into his family. His death destroyed the devil, whose chief weapon was death and the fear of death that held us as slaves. Our Savior suffered so that we might live our lives knowing that the price for our sin has been paid by the Son of God. We won't encounter anything in life that He hasn't already dealt with. He is our merciful and faithful high priest. How freeing is that?

Titus 3 & Philemon

Paul believes in keeping the main things the plain things and the plain things the main things. Stay with the grace that brought salvation to us through Jesus Christ and live good lives. He wasn't interested in debating small points of the law because they are a waste of time. Although the training he received earlier in life would have qualified him to be a world class bible debater, he knew that the time spent arguing could not be spent giving the life-giving word of God to a world that needed to hear it.

Philemon is a wonderful picture of truth and grace. The truth was that Onesimus had run away from his obligations. He had to return and make things right. But Paul, even while dealing with the truth aspect of the transaction, was seeking grace in the relationship. Drawing on his relationship with both parties, he acknowledges the importance of truth and encourages the undeserved blessing of grace. It is a great example of our grace relationship to Jesus and our relationships with those who need to find grace from us. Without one party being in a weak position, there is no opportunity for grace. We don't get to see how the story turned out. It is one of those mysteries that will be made clear in Heaven.

Titus 1 & 2

Integrity looks so boring. It never excites and it never stirs up gossip. Many times people mistake integrity for lack of talent or charisma. For a while, a lack of integrity can bring about excitement and momentum, but eventually the momentum comes crashing down under the weight of scandal. Paul is a plodder. He has the same message year after year. He keeps harping on the same subjects- watch your mouth- work diligently- treat others with honor and respect- stay away from those who will lead you astray- brag on God and don't worry about your resume. But over the years, he planted churches, trained leaders, discipled believers, and left a legacy we still learn from today. Maybe dull isn't so bad!
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8

2 Timothy 3 & 4

"having a form of godliness but denying its power." This is a small phrase with huge implications. The form of godliness is a deception that can be very hard to spot and confront. It appears in the nicest people and can go unnoticed for years, but it is revealed in the time of difficulty. The form of godliness shows itself when things go south. Some said that Paul's tribulations were proof of his wrong ideas, but Paul knew that under the harsh glare of persecution the truth of his message would be illuminated most brightly. He went so far as to say, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,". But he was willing to put up with anything because he knew the grace that brought about his salvation and he gladly poured himself out to share that message. Some had failed, and some had bailed. But he knew that he had been faithful to preach the Word and God was responsible for the results. He had much to look forward to as his reward for remaining faithful to his call. Imagine that. Getting a reward for doing something he was grateful for the opportunity to do. Isn't that just like Jesus?

2 Timothy 1 & 2

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us,
if we are faithless, he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

These few verses sum up our relationship with Jesus. If we give up our life, he will give us eternal life. If we will put up with difficulty now, he will make us kings.
If we deny him, he will deny us, but if we mess up he will remain faithful because he cannot go against his nature. That is the most one-sided agreement in the history of the world. He pledges to be perfect in his relationship to us, while asking us only to be willing to serve him.

Verse 15 makes a very reasonable request in light of what Jesus has committed to us. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

When we understand this relationship, differences of preference or interpretation really aren't worth getting into a tizzy over. Stay away from the big stuff and ask for grace to help you overcome the other stuff. Augustine said it very well: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

1 Timothy 5 & 6

The instructions of chapters 5&6 serve as a reminder that being in the body of Christ is not all about getting your needs met, but that there is a tremendous reciprocal relationship among us all. Young are to respect elders. Elders are to be involved and doing what they can. Families are to care for their own, and help should be given to those in need but not to those who won't work. Leaders are worthy of honor because of their great responsibility, so the mantle of leadership should not be bestowed too quickly, lest it go to the leader's head. Respecting leadership isn't something to honor the leader. When we respect leadership, we honor God. But this honor is not blind. We have a responsibility to discern if the leader is teaching correctly or going off on his own hobby horse. See how it all works together? It just makes so much sense. We really are a body; a family with each member doing his part and God getting the glory. Now if we can just do it.

1 Timothy 3 & 4

Those who are in leadership are to be held to a higher standard because of their greater visibility and level of influence. If someone who attends a church behaves in a foolish or ungodly way, it does damage to their own reputation. But if a pastor or leader in the church does wrong, it brings reproach on the entire Body. We should be wise in elevating someone to leadership and then we must be diligent to pray for those who are in leadership. They will ultimately give an account to God for every deed done or decision made in their role as a leader.

These days there are many many voices attempting to pull us in many different directions. Many follow voices which lead them away from the Truth. Paul exhorts us not to be fooled by silly voices that focus on insignificant specifics but fail to acknowledge the broad truth of the gospel. Paul doesn't let Timothy off the hook for being young, but encourages him to "toil and strive" to be grounded in the truth of the gospel. "Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." (2:15-16)

1 Timothy 1 & 2

Oh the love that drew salvation's plan,
Oh the grace that brought it down to man,
Oh the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Paul never forgot how he was caught in the grace chase. He understood that there was no reason for God to do anything but punish him. Instead, verse 14 says "that the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." Even though Paul spoke with great authority and led with great confidence, he considered himself a great sinner who had been rescued by a great Savior.

Naturally, he would "desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling." (2:8) When we are in the embrace of grace, what do we have to quarrel about?

Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me!
There my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary!

2 Thessalonians 2 & 3

Paul is a wonderful leader and spiritual father. He loves them by knowing when to encourage, when to praise, when to instruct and when to discipline. He displays each of them in this letter. A leader is not just a cheerleader or a disciplinarian. A leader can tell what his people need and he makes sure they get it. But Paul realizes that as a good leader, he can ask for help from those he leads, and he asks for their prayer support. What a wonderful relationship they have! When the relationship is one of trust, integrity and respect, both the leader and the led recognize their responsibility to each other.

That kind of relationship is one worth working for.

1 Thes. 5 & 2 Thes. 1

Have you had a time when you or someone else was leaving and as they were getting into the car or leaving to board an airplane you were saying as many things as  possible to them because you knew you wouldn't see them again for a long time? It seems as though this is what Paul does at the end of his first letter. So many things to say. So many encouragements to give. So many instructions to impart. They come rapid fire; one right after another. It doesn't sound like someone barking a bunch of orders to be followed in his absence. It sounds more like a parent saying good by to an adult child who is moving away or headed to boot camp. At the end he sums it up with a powerful blessing. He prays that the grace of Jesus would be with them. The grace of Jesus pretty well covers every issue.

As he opens his second letter, he makes sure that they know that when Christ returns, He will setting things right by punishing the tormentors and giving relief to the tormented. He reminds them that our responsibility is to live Christlike lives. God is the one who makes us worthy of our callings, and His grace is what makes it possible for us to be identified with Jesus. We don't have to defend God. We just have to live as good ambassadors of His kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 3 & 4

We all like to hear good news and Paul is no exception. Timothy brought him a report that the church was missing Paul and doing well in the Lord and Paul was encouraged by it. His blessing to them was sincere and heartfelt. Then Paul exhorted them to live their life consistent with their conversion. We still have control over what we do even with our new nature. It is our act of love and obedience to God to live Godly lives and when we fail to live holy and display love for one another, we are not disrespecting people. We are disrespecting God.

But there is a real upside to Christian living beyond the relationships we have in this life. We know that there is much more to life than just this life and when the believer dies, the fun is just beginning. And some day, Christ will return for his own. When I was a child I dreaded the coming of the Lord because in my juvenile mind I thought that I would miss out on too many things. I understand now what it means in 4:18 when it says to encourage one another with this message. Like the old song says,
What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see.
And I look upon his face,
The one who saved me by his grace.
When he takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land.
What a day, glorious day that will be!

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

1 Thessalonians 1 & 2

When the Gospel is preached, there is a temptation both for the preacher and the hearer. The preacher is tempted to manipulate people through his skill and personality. The listener is tempted to follow particular preachers or styles and base their faith on the presentation more than on the Spirit. The preacher has a dilemma. He must speak boldly and be engaging enough to have listeners without attracting followers for their own reputation. The listener must be willing to place themselves under the discipleship of a minister without becoming a follower of the minister instead of a follower of Christ.

Paul commends the Thessalonians for being truly converted and laboring faithfully in Christ. Paul sees himself as their spiritual father who led them to their Heavenly Father. He worked hard for them, and now they are working hard for Christ.

That is how church is supposed to work.

Colossians 3 & 4

Too many people think that Christianity is a list of things we are not supposed to do. And at first glance, chapter three looks just like such a list. But in reality what Paul is telling us is that we are living far below what is ours when we continue to live the way we did before we received Christ. After all, if there is no behavior change, have we truly been converted? As we sink into our new Christlike nature, some things will change. We don't put off the old behaviors to make ourselves worth of salvation. We put off the old behaviors as a natural response to our salvation. This new nature isn't so we will be able to get along with those already in the faith. It enables us to live a powerful witness to those who are not in the faith.
Col 4:5&6- Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace; seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.