NT: “But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.” (‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:13-17‬ ‭CSB)

After addressing the untruths that were being spread about the second coming of the Lord, Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers that the reason they were chosen in Christ, saved and sanctified was because they believed the truth. So Paul encouraged them to believe the truth, stand firm in guarding the truth, and practice the truth in work and word. The full gospel that Paul brought them was the truth – all of it, including the sure hope of a certain future in Christ.

God led Paul to bring the truth of the Gospel to Macedonia – and God chose the Thessalonian believers for salvation and sanctification when they believed and responded to the truth of the gospel… all that the believers in Thessalonica would be able to obtain the glory of Christ. Therefore, it was pertinent that the Thessalonian church stand firm and hold on to the traditions they were taught. We can sometime view the word ‘tradition’ in a negative light. We may view traditions as old and stale things that are from the past that are no longer relevant to today. Here, the word tradition merely means something that was transmitted from one person to another by word of mouth or writing. Paul wanted them to stand firm (persevere in) and hold (powerfully possess and not let go of) the truths that he passed on to them verbally while he was there, and through his letters while he was away. Part of standing firm and holding the truth is actually practicing the truth. Faith become alive when we actually act on what we believe. Paul said that as the believers practiced the truth in word and deed, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would grace them, encourage them, and strengthen them in their faithfulness to believe, guard and practice the truth. The gospel is full of powerful, salvational and transformational truth – but the truth only has power when we believe it… and to continue believing it, we must stand firm in it, hold on to it and practice it.

Psalms: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord of Armies. I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Even a sparrow finds a home, and a swallow, a nest for herself where she places her young — near your altars, Lord of Armies, my King and my God. How happy are those who reside in your house, who praise you continually. Selah” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were a sect of Levites descended from Korah, who was a cousin of Moses that rebelled against his position of authority (Numbers 16). The role of the Korahites was to serve in the temple. Apparently, the Korahite that wrote this psalm was prevented, for some reason or another, from being able to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem and serve in the temple. From the time of Moses until the resurrection of Christ, Jews had to go to a place to worship God… either to the tabernacle or the temple. The tabernacle, and then later the temple, was the place where the Name of God abided – and that was the only place where true worship could occur. So, for this son of Korah, being kept from the temple was being kept from enjoying the presence of God and worshipping Him.

Thankfully for us on this side of the cross, one of the truths of the gospel is that true worship is no longer about a place. It is about a person. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well in Sicar that the time was coming when it didn’t matter where worship occurred – what mattered was that the worship was done in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24). In Christ, we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit – and if we believe the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, rivers of living water will never cease to bubble up from within us and flow out to a dry and thirsty world. In Christ, we never have to go through a season of being withheld from the presence of God, for in Christ, the presence of God is in us and with us always. As we stand firm, hold to and practice that truth, Christ Himself will be with us – even to the end of the age.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the surety that comes from knowing that You are truth and that everything that comes from You is truth. I can prevent myself from becoming confused or led astray by believing You, standing firm in You, holding on to You and walking in all that You call me to do. Be ever with me as I remain in You by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “I did not send out these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. If they had really stood in my council, they would have enabled my people to hear my words and would have turned them from their evil ways and their evil deeds… I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream! ’ How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship… Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord? ’ you will respond to them, ‘What is the burden? I will throw you away! This is the Lord’s declaration.’” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23:21-22, 25-27, 33‬ ‭CSB)

In Jeremiah’s day, “prophetic words” from God were a dime a dozen. If you wanted a confirming word from the Lord that you were going to be OK, you could find a “prophet” that would give it to you. It probably wasn’t too dissimilar from the flurry of competing “prophetic words” that we have experienced – especially in the United States – over the past few years. Judah had been invaded by Babylon and Jerusalem was under siege. The people wanted to be assured that everything was going to work out… that Babylon would be defeated, Jerusalem would not be taken captive, and life could continue on without any disruptions to their pursuit of pleasure. Not wanting to run away from an opportunity to promote their “ministry,” the self-proclaimed prophets of the day were happy to give the people the words they wanted to hear. The only problem was, that was not what the Lord was saying to His people. He was saying quite the opposite.

Jeremiah was the lone voice actually bringing the message of the Lord to the people – and it wasn’t a message that he wanted to deliver. It was a message that he grew weary of delivering – and even tried to stop delivering – but it burned inside him to the point that he couldn’t hold it back any longer. The true word from God was a burden to carry and a burden to deliver, and it was not well received – especially with all the other “prophets” saying the exact opposite. It got to the point where the false prophets and priests actually began to belittle Jeremiah and make fun of the “burden” he was carrying. The prophets, priests and people would facetiously ask Jeremiah, “What is the burden of the Lord today?” That callous and disrespectful attitude toward the word of the Lord actually angered God. So God told Jeremiah, “When they ask you what the burden of the Lord is, you tell them ‘You are the burden of the Lord – and the Lord will deal with you as such.’”

As believers in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to make sure that we aren’t just saying the things that people want to hear… that we aren’t avoiding the hard and corrective words for fear of offending people and having our ministries cancelled. We also need to make sure that we aren’t joining in with the chorus of popular opinion and disrespecting what God is truly saying. God loves His creation, and He loves His people – and many times, He will speak a corrective word to draw people back to Himself and away from the things that lead to death. His corrective words may not be easy to say or easy to hear, but they are always loving. Looking back through history, we honor Jeremiah for his faithfulness to deliver the true word of God. Those other prophets are now nameless examples of what not to do. What kind of voice will we be?

NT: “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him: We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God… The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie, and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.” (‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:1-4, 9-10‬ ‭CSB)

Based on what Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians, one of the subjects that he taught the believers, the short time he was in Thessalonica, was about the return of the Lord and the signs leading up to His return. That was a subject that Jesus taught on as well (Matthew 24-25). Apparently, as the persecution in Thessalonica increased, some in the church had a “prophetic word” that the day of the Lord had come. And that “prophetic word” was apparently followed up with a letter, claiming to be from Paul, that said the same thing. This caused the Thessalonian church to be troubled and confused. That is one of the main reasons Paul wrote this letter: to clear up the confusion. When people attempt to lay current events on top of Biblical prophecy to try and create a calendar of events, people get upset, troubled and confused. One commentator put it this way: “The purpose of Bible prophecy is not for us to make a calendar, but to build character.”

To address the false prophecy and clear up any confusion, Paul explained that there are events and spiritual changes that must occur before the Lord returns, and those events had not happened yet. In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he explained that when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise and those who are alive in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air. That had not happened yet. Also, before Christ returns, the “man of lawlessness,” the “man doomed to destruction” will be fully revealed. John refers to this person in the book of Revelation as the Antichrist. Whether the Antichrist is a literal person or not, I don’t know – but I do know that it is a spirit. Anti means against – but it also means instead of. The Antichrist spirit seeks to oppose Christ and it seeks to set itself up in place of Christ – to move Christ completely out of the picture and make itself the subject of everyone’s worship. The Antichrist spirit has been working since Satan rebelled against God and was cast from heaven to earth… but there has always been someone holding the Antichrist spirit at bay. There will come a time when the cup of the world’s iniquity is filled up and the Antichrist spirit is no longer held in check. When that happens, those who have not accepted the love and truth of the gospel unto salvation will be overcome by the full display of the Antichrist and will be drug into deep wickedness and deception. Those things must happen before the coming of the day of the Lord.

Instead of trying to predict when the end times will come, we should instead allow the Biblical prophecies of the end times to help build our spiritual character… to help prepare us for what is ahead, so that we will be among the ones who through all the tribulation, will be found faithful and not given over to the Antichrist spirit.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You desire to speak to me – and when You speak to me, You speak in ways that I can understand. I thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit within me that enables me to hear Your voice and speak out words of prophecy to build up, stir up and comfort others. Help me to always be true to Your words and not be influenced by the spirit of the day. Help me also to know Your voice and not be led astray by false voices that are not from You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: ““Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts” — this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous. I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them. They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Look, the days are coming”  — this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

The authority that God gives to leaders is a great responsibility, especially among the people of God, for the leaders of the people have been delegated authority from God to care for the people and lead them in the ways of life and abundance. Where God is the Great Shepherd, delegated leaders are under-shepherds under His supreme authority and leadership. Therefore, those in leadership are held to a higher standard of accountability and are also corrected more strictly when they stray from God’s ways. King Josiah was the last good and righteous king of Judah. He had a zeal for the word, will and ways of the Lord and endeavored to lead the people of Israel away from the idolatrous ways of his fathers and back to the abundance and blessing that is found in God. After Josiah’s death, his sons forsook Josiah’s way of righteousness, became entangled in the corrupt political maneuverings of the day, and led the people back into faithlessness. This angered God greatly – for His delegated representatives were not representing Him at all, and were instead forsaking the good of the people for their own benefit and political standing.

As the leaders of Judah had forsaken Him, God would forsake the leaders of Judah – and would raise up a new generation of shepherds who would tend His sheep. Not only that, but a day was coming when God would also raise up a new and Righteous King… the promised Messiah from the lineage of David… a King named the Lord Our Righteousness, who would bring true salvation and security to the people of God. That King is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Isn’t it interesting that before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told Simon Peter so feed His lambs and shepherd His sheep (John 21:15-17). The leaders of God’s church in Christ are called pastors (shepherds). They are under-shepherds to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Their role is to care for the sheep and lead them in the word, will and ways of the Lord – that they may find green pastures and still waters as they follow Christ. Woe to the shepherds who instead of leading the sheep to Christ, lead them astray for their own selfish benefit and political standing.

NT: “This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:7b-12‬ ‭CSB)

When Jesus stood in the Galilean synagogue and read from Isaiah 61, He said God had sent Him to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor… and then purposely left out the part about proclaiming the day of God’s vengeance. God’s vengeance would indeed come, but Christ’s first coming was all about setting people free from sin. When Christ comes again – that will be the day of God’s vengeance. Though the Thessalonian believers were suffering persecution now – there would come a day when all of their persecution would be repaid to them in glory, and all the unrepentant persecutors would experience God’s just and righteous wrath. The believers faith in the midst of persecution was glorifying to the name of the Lord… and one day, the Lord would glorify them for eternity. Therefore, Paul prayed for them, that God would make them worthy of His calling and powerfully fulfill their every desire to do good by faith – so that on that great day of the Lord, they would receive their reward.

Proverbs: “A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion; anyone who provokes him endangers himself.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:2‬ ‭CSB)

This reminds me of a quite from C.S. Lewis’ book,”The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” When Susan found out that Aslan was a lion, she asked the beavers if he was safe. “‘Safe?’ said Mr Beaver… ‘Who said anything about safe? Of Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’” God is not safe, and anyone who provokes Him endangers himself. But thankfully, for our sakes, He is good and merciful – and He has extended forgiveness, mercy and grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ… but God’s longsuffering and patience does not last forever. There will come a time, when all who have not taken His offer of forgiveness and mercy, will experience His terrible roar.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for Your amazing grace, for your unending love and Your mercy that is new every morning. I thank You that through repentance from sin and faith in You, I am forgiven from all my sin and have been rescued from the wrath of God. Help me to live worthy of the calling You have given me, and lead as many people as possible to experience the life and forgiveness that is found in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, since your faith is flourishing and the love each one of you has for one another is increasing. Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches — about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring. It is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us.” (‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:3-7a‬ ‭CSB)

It is believed that this second letter to the Thessalonians was written within a few weeks of Paul’s first letter. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul addressed the confusion and concerns that some had regarding the return of the Lord. They were confused about the afterlife and were concerned that their friends who had died in the faith would not get to experience the Lord’s return. After Paul’s first letter, he became aware that there was an erroneous teaching amongst the Thessalonian believers that the Day of the Lord has come. That teaching prompted some in the church to completely stop working and just wait for the Lord to call them up to meet Him in the clouds. This second letter was written to address the errant teaching and to explain how we are to conduct ourselves until the Lord does come again.

The Thessalonians were under a lot of persecution for their faith in Christ – so much so, Paul and his team were forced to flee from Thessalonica under the cover of night. After Paul left, the persecution did not subside. If anything, it intensified. This increased persecution may have even contributed to the Thessalonians buying into the false teaching that the Day of the Lord had come. That is understandable, even in our day, as many thought the Day of the Lord was soon approaching when 2020 began to unravel in weather disasters, a global pandemic, economic collapse, and societal upheaval. As Paul began his second letter to the Thessalonian church, he commended them for their faith and encouraged them in their afflictions.

Despite all the persecution they experienced, the fledgling believers in Thessalonica had persevered in their faith as they endured all kinds of affliction. Not only did they persevere – they flourished as their love for God and their love in Christ for one another kept growing. For that, Paul was extremely thankful – and even boasted about them to other communities of believers. Paul reminded them that their faithful endurance was not all for naught. Firstly, their steadfast faith in the Lord that manifested in increasing love was a sign and wonder for the world of God’s faithfulness to them. The fact that they were flourishing in the midst of adversity and affliction was evidence for God’s unwavering righteousness. Secondly, Paul wanted them to know that the more they endured persecution for the sake of the kingdom… the more they remained steadfastly faithful to the Lord as everything around them tried to push them out of faith, the more they were counted worthy of all the blessings of the kingdom of God. The more they endured, the more they had to look forward to when the Day of the Lord did finally come. As they remained faithful to God, God would be faithful and just on their behalf.

It is human nature to run away from persecution and affliction. Persecution doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes persecution looks like people calling you narrow-minded and hateful for remaining steadfastly faithful to God’s definition of righteousness and sin. Running away from persecution weakens the church and reduces your faith. Persevering through persecution by faith as you trust God with His righteous judgement and justice ends up growing the church, strengthening your faith and bringing glory to God. As the days grow darker, will we be counted worthy of the kingdom?

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are always faithful to Your word. I never have to wonder of you are going to be faithful to me. Because You are always faithful, I can be faithful. As the world continues to grow more and more dark… as the devil continues to drag people into deception… as people all around me forsake righteousness for the desires of the flesh, help me by Your grace to remain faithful and endure through whatever affliction may come my way. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you, brothers and sisters: warn those who are idle, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:12-24‬ ‭CSB)

At the close of his letter, Paul gave instruction and encouragement in what is required to live in and maintain a healthy family of faith. Paul saw the community of believers in Thessalonica as a family – which is why he referred to the believers as brothers and sisters. Healthy and functional family is a key component to life in Christ. Children need healthy families to survive the hardships of life and grow into mature adults. Without healthy and functional family, children will either not survive, or will grow into incomplete adults suffering from various levels of dysfunction. The same is true of believers in Christ: we need to belong to and participate in healthy and functional families of faith, otherwise we may become casualties of the world, the flesh and the devil, or we will “grow” into immature believers that do not have a fully functioning faith.

A family is like a body. For a body to function properly, it needs a head to provide leadership and direction to all parts of the body. The same is true of biological families and spiritual church families. If we ignore, disrespect or even despise the leaders of our families, chaos and anarchy will ensue, and the family will be completely dysfunctional. That is why Paul encouraged the spiritual family in Thessalonica to give recognition to (pay attention to, cherish, have regard for) those who have been given the responsibility of leadership. Every part of a body has a role to play. The head is just as much a part of the body as the appendix or the knee. Leaders in a family of faith are not and should not be separated from the rest of the family – they labor among the other family members in their role of leadership. For the family to function in health and be full of life, the leadership needs to be recognized and not resented.

Sometimes, certain parts of a body may struggle in their ability to carry out their function. When that happens, the entire body experiences the effect. The same is true of families. Not every family member is completely mature, fully healthy, and able to fulfill their role. In any family, there will be people who act up and become unruly. That is what the word ‘idle’ in this passage means. When that happens, they need to be warned, corrected and exhorted. There will be people who become discouraged and faint-hearted… not sure if they can do what they have been called to do and in danger of giving up. Those people need to be encouraged and comforted. There will be people who are weak, either in faith, strength or ability and are unable to carry their load. Those people need to be held on to and helped. In whatever failure or inability we may find in our family, we need to (as a family) persevere in patience – enduring the troubles, and bearing with and forgiving the offenses. A well-functioning body does not turn on it’s members. All of the members work together to function in health, and if one member is weak, the rest of the body compensates unto healing and wholeness. That is how our spiritual family should be – not turning on one another when there are disagreements, but always seeking the good for everyone and the good of the family as a whole.

How do we do that? Paul gave a list of practical things to do to remain healthy and fully functioning within the family of faith: Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything, don’t stifle the Spirit, don’t despise prophecies, test all things, hold on to what is good, and stay away from every kind of evil. If we are faithful in these things, the God of peace, who can bring peace and sustain peace in our families, will sanctify us (individually and corporately) into completeness and maturity.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You have placed me in family – both a biological family and a spiritual family. I need family in order to remain healthy and fully functioning. The global pandemic has made that truth evermore evident. There are no perfect families, but I can be perfectly fit into family and contribute to its health and strength by remaining in You and walking in the fullness of Your Spirit. Grace me to live and function in the family You have given me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a helmet of the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:4-11‬ ‭CSB)

In 1978, Keith Green released a song entitled “Asleep in the Light.” In the song, Keith Green lamented the casual and apathetic attitude many believers had toward obeying the great commission. In the song, he sang, “The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight, ‘cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so dead when you’ve been so well fed? Jesus rose from the grave, and you – you can’t even get out of bed.”

Paul wanted to make sure that the readers of this letter to the Thessalonians did not allow themselves to go to sleep in the light. Instead, Paul wanted them to be awake, alert and expectant – ready to meet the Lord our Master whenever He returned. No one knows when the Lord will return, but that doesn’t mean that we have to be caught by surprise. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable of ten bridesmaids. The bridesmaids were charged with meeting the groom when he came for his bride – but the groom was delayed. Five of the bridesmaids were alert and prepared, while five took a very casual attitude about the arrival of the groom and were not prepared. Late at night, when the groom finally appeared, the prepared bridesmaids were able to meet the groom and go with him into the wedding banquet. The lazy and unprepared bridesmaids missed their opportunity and were locked out of the wedding… because they did not know the day or the hour.

When we get up in the morning, we get dressed and prepare ourselves for all that the day will bring. Paul wrote that as children of the light and children of the day, we need to wake up and get dressed. The clothes that we put on are faith, love and hope. Faith in Christ… faith in God’s word, will and ways… faith in Christ’s instructions becomes alive and active in our lives as we obey all that Christ has called us to do. The love that we have for God… the love that we have for Christ… the love of God that is released in us by grace motivates us to obey all that Christ has called us to do. The sure hope of our salvation… the sure hope of our great inheritance in Christ… the sure hope of our eternal future with Christ protects us from fear and discouragement as we set out to obey all that Christ has called us to do.

Staying awake in the light is all about not being lazy and careless with what Christ has done or us and called us to do. It is all about stewarding what Christ has done for us and obeying what He has called us to do. We have been saved from darkness and the evils from the world, so we need to press on in faith as we continue being conformed into the holiness of Christ and not get entangled again in sin. We have been given a great command and a great commission: Love God, love others, preach and demonstrate the gospel, and make disciples. Daytime is the time for doing work, and there is work to be done by grace through faith. If we stay awake in the light of day, then whenever Christ returns (whether we are still alive or have passed on) we will be ready to meet Him and join Him at the wedding banquet of the Lamb.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for all that You have done for me, and for the great riches and blessing that I have in You. You have paid it all, so all to You I owe. I have been bought with a price, and my life is now Yours. You have adopted me into Your family and have given me a position in the family business. Help me to steward all that You have given me and lovingly obey all that You have called me to do. I choose to stay awake in the light. Help me to do that by grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:13-5:3‬ ‭CSB)

During the first century, pagans did not have a consistent belief of an afterlife, if they believed in an afterlife at all. To some extent, life after death brings a certain level of responsibility into this current life, so belief in and afterlife is something many seek to avoid. For many pagan Greeks, there was nothing after death, so the belief was enjoy life and pleasure the flesh as much as possible now, for when you die, it all ends. Many of the believers in Thessalonica came from a pagan Greek background and were confused by the afterlife. They believed that in Christ, they were given eternal life… and they knew that Christ was coming back to claim His bride – but they were confused and a little concerned about what happened when someone died before Christ returned. Some believers had died, Christ had not yet returned, and they were concerned that their departed friends had missed their forever-after with the Lord.

Because of their confusion and concern, Paul (through a word of wisdom that he had received from the Lord) gave an almost play-by-play account of what will happen when Christ returns. He wanted to make sure that they understood that those who died in Christ did not miss their opportunity. When the last trumpet sounds and Christ returns for His bride, the dead in Christ will be raised to life, just as Christ was raised to life… and they will be joined with Christ in the heavenlies. Then, those who are still alive in Christ will be caught up (raptured) together to meet the Lord in the clouds.

The most important thing that Paul wanted to get across to the Thessalonian believers (and to all who read this letter) is that as long as we remain in Christ, death and the Day of the Lord should not be a scary or confusing thing. If we die in Christ, we will see the Lord. If we live in Christ, we will see the Lord. However long Christ delays His coming, and however many people die in faith before He returns is of no matter of concern, for we will all spend eternity with Him. The most important thing is that we remain in Christ while we live, doing the things He left for us to do, so that when He does return, we will be ready and not taken by surprise.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that in You I have a sure hope and a definite future. As I remain in You, physical death is not an end, but merely the beginning of eternity with You. Help me to not grow anxious about the future, but to place all my days in Your hands, and to live everyday in faith, lovingly obeying all that You have called me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind. He makes human flesh his strength, and his heart turns from the Lord. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve… Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:5-10, 14‬ ‭CSB)

God’s will and desire is not to curse, but to bless. Blessing comes though being connected to the Creator and Source of all life. We become connected and remain connected through faith. We become cursed when we remove faith from our Creator and Sustainer and place our faith in someone or something else. Trying to receive life and blessing from a created thing is as futile as trying to get blood from a turnip. In the Garden of Eden, mankind fell into sin when, through the devil’s accusations and deceptions, Adam removed his faith and trust in God and placed his faith and trust on himself. Through that shift in faith, Adam severed his relationship with God and lost access to the tree of life. Through his own actions, he removed himself from the blessing of God and became accursed.

God’s message, through Jeremiah, to the people of Judah was that the reason they were experiencing physical drought and famine was because they had subjected themselves to spiritual drought and famine by trusting in themselves and other nations rather than God. If they wanted to see life return to the land, they needed to return to the Lord their God by placing their faith and trust in Him. Instead of “following their heart” they needed to follow God, His word, His will and His ways. Unfortunately, because of the sinful state of mankind, our hearts are incurably deceitful, selfish and hardened against God. We will always be drawn away from God and toward sinful attitudes and behaviors by our impure heart. Our only hope is for God to heal our hearts and save us from sin and ourselves. And because that is God’s will, He did just that through His Son Jesus Christ.

NT: “Additionally then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God — as you are doing  — do this even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God… For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:1-5, 7-8‬ ‭CSB)

In saving us from sin through faith in Christ and healing our incurably deceitful and hardened hearts, it is not God’s will that we strive and struggle to live up to His impossible standards. It is God’s will that we are sanctified more and more into the image of Christ that we may live in holiness and not according to the desires and bents of our impure flesh. When we first come to faith in Christ, God declares us righteous and sanctifies (sets us apart as holy) from sin. Once we have been sanctified by faith, we enter a process of sanctification as we continually walk in obedience by grace through faith. How does that work? We place our faith in God’s word, will and ways. Our faith is expressed through obedience to God’s word, will and ways. As we begin to obey in faith, God gives us grace to obey through the Holy Spirit. That is called walking in the Spirit. The more we walk in the Spirit, the more our impure desires and bents are “put to death” and we become progressively sanctified into the holy likeness of Christ. That is God’s will, and it is possible through faith in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that it is Your will for me to be blessed and not cursed. I thank You that it is Your will for me to be made holy instead of striving to become holy. I know through Your word, that if I repent from my sinful ways and place my faith fully on You, You will save me, heal my hardened heart, make me ever more holy, and bless me. Therefore, I choose to place my faith on You and walk in faith by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Woe is me, my mother, that you gave birth to me, a man who incites dispute and conflict in all the land. I did not lend or borrow, yet everyone curses me… You know, Lord; remember me and take note of me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In your patience, don’t take me away. Know that I suffer disgrace for your honor… Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me — water that is not reliable. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: If you return, I will take you back; you will stand in my presence. And if you speak noble words, rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. It is they who must return to you; you must not return to them. Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you and rescue you. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will rescue you from the power of evil people and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15:10, 15, 18-21‬ ‭CSB)

Faithfully following the Lord and remaining steadfastly obedient to His word is difficult – especially if you are attempting to do that in your own strength and resolve. Constantly battling the current of popular opinion and confronting the false prophets of his day had made Jeremiah weary and discouraged. So much so, that he even lamented the day of his birth… feeling that it would have been better if he had never been born. Jeremiah was having a “George Bailey moment” where he even began doubting the existence and faithfulness of God in his life. Jeremiah was very candid with God and did not pretend to be something that he was not. In Jeremiah’s extremely transparent honesty, God didn’t condemn him, but honored his honesty with a forthright response.

God told Jeremiah to repent. Repent from what, you might ask. God wasn’t clear, but apparently Jeremiah knew. Perhaps it was from doing things in his own strength and sense of self-righteousness instead of by the grace of God. Perhaps it was from allowing his feelings to get in the way of his faith. Perhaps it was from comparing himself to the affliction that he faced instead of comparing his afflictions to the all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient God. Perhaps Jeremiah was attempting to compromise his message to meet the people where they were instead of standing firm in the call of God for the people to return to Him. For whatever the reason that had caused Jeremiah to become derailed, God said, “If you repent, I will accept you back into my presence and you will experience my grace again.” By repenting from his error and returning to faith in God, God would make Jeremiah a fortified wall, and no matter how hard the affliction became, Jeremiah would not be overcome.

NT: “In fact, when we were with you, we told you in advance that we were going to experience affliction, and as you know, it happened. For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing. But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love. He reported that you always have good memories of us and that you long to see us, as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction, we were encouraged about you through your faith. For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:4-8‬ ‭CSB)

The Geek word that Paul used that was translated here as ‘affliction,’ literally means hard pressing – like pressing grapes to squeeze out all the juice. There is a saying that I hear from time to time: “It’s when you squeeze a tube of toothpaste, that you really find out what is inside… and once it comes out, you can’t get it back in.” When Paul was in Thessalonica, he warned the new converts that pressing and squeezing would inevitably come because of their new-found faith in Christ. Sure enough, the affliction did come, as Paul was forced out of Thessalonica and the weeks-old believers were left to face the pressures against them on their own. Was Paul able to build a strong enough foundation in the faith able to withstand the pressing? Would the believers stand strong or would the fold under the immense pressure. What would come out of them when squeezed? Those were all things that were on Paul’s mind as he entered Athens. When Paul could no longer stand not knowing how the Thessalonians were faring, he sent Timothy to find out about their faith. When Timothy returned, Paul was encouraged to the core to find out that when the Thessalonians were squeezed, the glory of God came out. They had not collapsed under the pressure, but were standing firm in the Lord by grace through faith.

When we encounter affliction… when we are pressed and squeezed by the world, the flesh and the devil… when we constantly fight the currents that try to force us into conformity as we push forward in Christ – what comes out of us? If we, like Jeremiah of old, ooze out negativity, frustration, resignation and doubt – we just need to be honest about it, repent from it, turn back to faith in Christ, and experience His grace that will fortify us, encourage us and overcome us with peace.

Prayer: Lord, You said that in this world, I will have trouble… I will experience affliction – but then You encouraged me by saying, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.” My desire is to be like the believers in Thessalonica – that after immense pressure from the world, the flesh, and the devil, they came out standing. If You overcame, then as I remain in You, then I can overcome. Help me, as I keep my faith rooted in You, to do all to stand and remain standing by Your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of these people. If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.” And I replied, “Oh no, Lord God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you lasting peace in this place.’” But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds. “Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will never be sword or famine in this land.’ By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭14:11-15‬ ‭CSB)

Because of Judah’s repeated rejection of God’s word, will and ways, God had allowed His discipline to come through drought and famine that overcome the land – just as He had promised in His word (Leviticus 26:18-20). Because of the overwhelming and disastrous impact of the drought, the people of Judah cried out to the Lord for help, but their prayers were insincere and lacking in repentance. It even pained Jeremiah and brought him to tears to see his people suffer for their iniquities – but the time for discipline had come. Through God’s word and repeated warnings from the true prophetic voices in the land, God had warned His people of the consequences of their actions – but they repeatedly ignored His word and warnings. Therefore God told Jeremiah not to pray for their well-being… His mind was settled… His people needed to be disciplined. Even if they fasted and offered burnt offerings, He would not hear nor accept them – for God does not desire fasting and offerings, He desires broken and contrite hearts. As a last-ditch effort to defend the people, Jeremiah tried to place some blame on the false prophets of the land that were saying the drought would subside and prosperity would return to the land. God’s response was that the false prophets would get what was coming to them, but the people were responsible for their own disobedience – so His discipline would remain.

Pointed and convicting words are hard to receive – but if they are the truth, we need to receive them and respond appropriately to them – for our own good. A parent who truly loves their child will bring correction and discipline when it is needed. Oftentimes, that correction and discipline comes as a word of rebuke and warning. If the child receives the word and responds to it, then the correction ends there. If the child ignores the words, eventually more painful circumstances must come to teach the lesson. God does the same with His children – but unfortunately, there are other voices (the world, the flesh, the devil, and even other Christians) that will oppose the word of the Lord with a message that you want to hear… a message that might be more easy to receive, but not full of truth. We need to learn to discern the voice of our Father that lines up with and confirms His written word, and reject the words that oppose Him – otherwise we risk being opposed by God.

NT: “As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also works effectively in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone, by keeping us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are constantly filling up their sins to the limit, and wrath has overtaken them at last.” (‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:11-16‬ ‭CSB)

The gospel of Jesus Christ, though it is true and full of truth, is hard to receive – for it runs contrary to the wisdom of the world and the desires of our flesh. In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul said that the message of the gospel was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. However, when the believers in Thessalonica heard the gospel, the recognized that it was not merely a human message, but a message from God Himself. They received it fully, responded to it faithfully, and reaped its effective work in their lives. There were many who opposed the word of the gospel, and thus opposed the believers in Thessalonica, but the believers remained faithful to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The faithful believers will receive their due reward, and those who continue to oppose the word and work of God, will eventually reach the limit of God’s longsuffering and experience His wrath. As faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to always be receptive to His word, whether it is a word of promise, a word of encouragement, or a word of warning… and we need to submit all opposing words to the authority of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You love me enough to tell me the things that I need to hear and correct me when I am in the wrong. My desire is to be receptive to Your word and fully receive what You have to say, no matter how challenging that may be to my flesh. Help me to grow to know Your voice and be able to discern Your words from the opposing words of the world, the flesh and the devil. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.