Listening for God's Voice and Trusting His Promises- 1 Thessalonians 5:19-28

The end is upon us and we're wrapping up with Paul's final words (in this letter, at least) to the people of Thessalonica. Let's look at the place that we left off and see what he says:

" Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

We have touched on this idea in past posts from other studies. But let's look at it again as Paul is offering up this advice again for a reason. Number 1, the people of Thessalonica would have had almost no way of getting this advice from another source. News traveled, but not very quickly. And this one may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Number 2, it's vitally important to the life of a believer. If it weren't, Paul wouldn't have wasted time, ink, and paper saying it. If we are listening, the Holy Spirit is talking to us, guiding us, pointing us in the right direction. Is this an actual audible voice? For most of us, no. Look at verse 20. Paul suggests we "check out everything." How do we do this? There are several steps one should take to check out the direction in which they feel the Holy Spirit is guiding them.

1. Pray- If you feel led in a certain direction, stop and ask for clear guidance before barging forward on it. Ask God to make it abundantly clear to you. The last thing you want to be doing is listening to a feeling (remember, feelings are sometimes used to mislead us) and find out that it wasn't God pointing you in that direction.

2. Read your Bible- What does the Bible have to say on this subject? Are you feeling led to leave your husband and children behind to become a great painter in France? That's not God telling you to do that. I promise. It goes completely against what the Bible has to say about marriage and family. That's Satan using your feelings to lie to you.

Are you feeling led to talk to that woman in the pharmacy who's standing off to the side quietly crying? You don't need to check your Bible for this one, honestly. I can tell you it says to love others and comforting those in need is a great way to show love to others. This is one argument for reading your Bible regularly, not just when you need something. If you are a regular reader of your Bible, then you are allowing God to speak clearly into your life on a regular basis. You'll start to just know what it says.

3. Talk to a Trusted, God-following Friend or Two- Run your thoughts and your leadings past another Jesus follower. See what they think. Are there holes in your plan that they can see that you didn't? Do they have any Biblically-based reservations about it? Ask them to pray with you on it.

If your plan passes all of the tests above, then do as Paul says in verses 21-22. Keep the good. If not, throw it out with the bad. God will show you which it is if you take the time to ask him.

From here, Paul moves into his final words and closing remarks in his letter:

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!" (1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24)

What a great reminder from Paul! If God said it, he'll follow through. He is trustworthy. He has made us, His followers, so many good promises that we can count on. Here are just a few to lift you up:

Joshua 23:14b- "Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!"

Luke 18:27- " He replied, 'What is impossible for people is possible with God.'"

Ezekiel 36:26- " And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart."

Psalm 103:12- "He has removed our sins as far from us

as the east is from the west."

John 16:13- "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future."

Matthew 6:33- "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Philippians 4:19- " And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

James 1:5- "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking."

Proverbs 3:5-6- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take."

Psalm 138:7- "Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand,

and the power of your right hand saves me."

Aren't those some amazing promises from God? I could have listed hundreds more, but in the interest of time and space (and to encourage you to read your Bible yourself), I am going to stop with those. Let's finish up Paul's letter here:

"Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don’t leave anyone out." (1 Thessalonians 5:25-27)

Pray for one another. Paul's words. We should be praying for one another, not just for ourselves. Lift up your friends and family to Jesus. Lift up the mom at school drop-off that you don't know, the check out guy at the grocery store that never says a word to you despite your best efforts, and the dude who is always walking somewhere weighed down with reusable bags on the side of the road. Pray for everyone.

To wrap up this final post on 1 Thessalonians, I want to use Paul's closing words from the letter. Remember to be blessed today and to choose to bless someone else as well.

"The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!" (1 Thessalonians 5:28)

How Can We Practice the Golden Rule? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

"And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!" (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus is really just teaching the kids at church, or if he is talking to me too. I don't know why I still wonder that. I know the answer. Every single lesson is an opportunity for everyone to learn.

I mention the kids at church because this weekend's message was directly related to the verses above. It just took seeing these verses to realize (again) that Jesus was also talking to me on Sunday when he was talking about obeying our leaders.

In verse 12 above, Paul actually says to "honor those leaders." Dictionary.com actually defines honor this way: "to hold in high respect; revere; to show a courteous regard for." And thesaurus.com offered these synonyms for the word: "admire, appreciate, commend, observe, praise, prize, revere, lionize (I like that one though I don't fully know what it means, haha), value."

Being a leader is hard. There have been a handful of times in my life where I have been the leader and it really makes me appreciate all that those in leadership above me do day in and day out. It's not an easy job. It truly is something you do because Jesus is calling you to it. Can you imagine what the world would be like without our leaders? There would be no teachers in school or even principals for that matter. There would be no rules at home for children to obey. No government telling us what we can and cannot do. No president making the tough (often seemingly impossible) choices.

Paul goes on in the verses above to describe the responsibilities of a leader. He says that it is their job to guide and direct us, to show us the right way. So while some people may be reading this thinking, "no government? Sign me up!" It would really be a major problem. We need people to assume the role of "boss" to lead us well. Do all of our leaders do a fantastic job? Maybe not, but that's exactly what makes us all human! No one is perfect at this thing called life.

So instead of picking apart our leaders and saying how we would do it differently, Paul is saying here that we should appreciate them! We should appreciate them so much that we overwhelm them with that love and appreciation. Rather than complaining about those who lead us, why not praise them for the things they are doing well? Rather than pointing out all of their flaws, why not pray for them to follow Jesus and lead us well through Him?

Let's keep reading:

"Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out." (1 Thessalonians 5:13-15)

From here, Paul moves into describing how to get along with those around us. We should be encouraging one another into action, helping those who are too tired to keep going, exercising patience with each and every person we encounter (mental note: that means road rage isn't acceptable then...), and practicing appropriate responses to stressful situations.

And here's the verse that screams to me in this set: "Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out."

Each and every one of us has our own filters through which we run life. We fill in all of the gaps in our knowledge with our own stories in our own heads. And too often those stories paint others in a bad light.

For example, you're at church and the sermon is just finishing up. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a woman stand up and walk out leaving early. She does it every week. In your head, you think she is just being selfish, skipping out early so she doesn't have to wait in traffic or avoiding someone in the congregation because you heard she doesn't get along with the pastor's wife at all. You heard they had a fight. So you keep telling yourself these stories over and over again each week. You're sure that your right about why she is leaving early. And then you hear a prayer request for her. Her only child is in the hospital and isn't doing well. She leaves early because there is a treatment that he receives every Sunday morning at the same time that the service would be ending. You realize that this woman you've been judging for so long has a really good reason to be skipping out of church early.

We do this all the time. Other people are speeding because they think they're more important than me. Suzy didn't talk to me after church today because I obviously offended her when I was just being honest. Dan is late for our meeting because he is terrible at time management and just can't get himself together; he obviously doesn't care about his job at all. My son didn't respond to my questions because he was ignoring me and doesn't value our relationship.

I could go on and on. It's a daily event. I'm challenging us to put an end to it. Let's all stop assuming the worst and filling in the gaps of our knowledge with negative stories. Maybe others are speeding because they are late or they need to get to the hospital. Perhaps Suzy just didn't see you and that's why she didn't say anything to you. I wonder if Dan was late because his wife just had a baby and she really needed his help? Maybe if I'd given my son enough time to consider my questions, he would have answered. Maybe he was trying to come up with the right and honest answer rather than just answering to get the conversation over with.

So what can we do to change this? How can we truly stop the negative dialogue that is constantly in motion in our heads? Paul answers these questions too:

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

We can choose our attitudes and we can pray when our attitudes are doing their best to slip back into the negative nelly area. Choose joy. Over and over. It isn't easy. It is honestly challenging to do and we can't actually do this one all by ourselves. That's why Paul follows it up so closely with "pray all the time." Because when life gets challenging, it's really easy to slip back into anger, impatience, stress, and just plain negative attitudes. When joy isn't easy, that's when we need to lean into Jesus the most.

My father-in-law had a phrase that goes with this. He used to constantly say, "Praise the Lord!" Something good would happen- a new baby was born into the family, a diagnosis was eliminated, a new job was gotten- "Praise the Lord!" But he also said it every time something bad happened. He hit his thumb with a hammer? "Praise the Lord!" They think it might be cancer? "Praise the Lord!" The car broke down again? "Praise the Lord!" And why did he have this attitude? Because he knew these verses! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says it very clearly that we are to "thank God no matter what happens." Good or bad, thank God. Because he will use it for his glory one day.

Let's review the challenges for today with some questions:

1. What's your attitude like on a daily basis? Are you mostly joyful or are you negative?

2. How are you at choosing joy despite your circumstances?

3. Do you think Paul is onto something here, suggesting that we can choose joy despite our circumstances and that praying will help us do just that?

4. Where is one area in your life that you feel like God is urging you to change your attitude?

5. What are some tangible steps you plan to take to make that happen? (Ex: a friend to hold you accountable, journaling, more Bible studies, writing a thankfulness list, etc)

Be blessed today and don't forget to be a blessing to someone else!

Clothed in Faith, Love, and Hope- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

"I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen." (1 Thessalonians 5:1)

Let's think back on what we read on Friday. Paul was talking about what he expects to happen when Jesus returns. He told us that the dead and the living alike will be reunited with Jesus. He told us that meant we should save our tears and be ready for when Jesus comes back. And now he's finishing up these thoughts as we start out chapter five.

"You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—'We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!'—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

I thought it was interesting that Paul compared Jesus returning to a burglar or a "thief in the night" as it says in other translations. When I think of a burglar, I think of a negative or bad person. I think darkness. And Jesus is associated with light, so why did Paul choose this comparison? Off to Google I pranced (it was a proverbial prance because I never moved off my chair). Do you know what I found? Jesus himself used this same description of his return in Matthew 24. Read his words here:

"So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." (Matthew 24:42-44)

Interesting right? Jesus explains the reference himself here. Just like a burglar breaks in when no one is watching at night, so too will Jesus return to the earth when no one is watching. So in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, Paul is reiterating what Jesus has already said while he was here on earth. No one will know when he's coming back. Jesus himself didn't even know the day or the time. He said this:

"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." (Matthew 24:36)

It seems like every year, someone claims that they've figured out the secret to the end of the world. They know the exact date and time that it's happening and we all need to get ready because they are definitely not wrong. Inevitably (obviously since we're reading this, right?), the day and time comes and goes. Nothing remarkable happens. And everyone sees it for what it was. A scam. A lie. A deterrent from the truth. Honestly, if Jesus himself didn't know when he'd be back while he was here, how would we figure it out?

Both Jesus and Paul are saying that we don't have to figure out the exact date and time. We don't need to know. We just need to be ready always. And we shouldn't be afraid for the time to come. Read Paul's thoughts on this:

"But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)

Paul's words are so encouraging and so full of wisdom. He tells us to be ready for Jesus' return by living like children of the Light, not the dark. Light is like a metaphor here for God or Jesus, by the way. He advises us to wear our faith, our love, and our hope of salvation like clothing. Everyone can see your clothes. They aren't hidden. In fact, most people wear their clothes because they want them to be seen. They wear things that make them look better, feel better, or just make them comfortable. That's what our faith, love, and hope should be. They should be part of our every day wardrobe. They should be something that everyone sees the moment we walk in the room. Don't hide them. Make them obvious.

"God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him!" (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

What a great reminder for this beautiful Monday morning! Jesus came to earth as a baby. He lived a blameless life. And he died on the cross. Three days later, he rose again giving all of his people HOPE. Hope that we could and would be reunited with him. He did it all for US. So whether we are already dead (if you're dead right now, I'd love to know how you're reading this) or still walking the earth, when we choose to follow God, we are automatically ALIVE with Him.

One final thought from Paul for today before we are done:

"So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

We live in community. No matter where you are, you are part of at least one community. The majority of us are part of many. For instance, I have a school community, a neighborhood community, a church community, a friend community, and a family community. Everywhere we go, we are part of a community. And we are meant to live this way in order to encourage one another and build one another up. Paul is urging us to utilize our positions within our communities to do exactly that.

Today, as we finish up this post, I pray that we all figure this one out. We learn how to live our lives showing huge amounts of faith, love, and hope wherever we go. I pray that when others see us, they also see Jesus because that is our ultimate goal as we walk around the earth- to be more and more like Jesus. Go and be blessed today; don't forget to also BE a blessing!

Death, Is It the End? 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

A couple of years ago, Shaun and I had a really bad year. We lost our youngest baby followed closely by the sudden and unexpected death of my uncle. On the heels of that, we lost Shaun's grandpa. And then, as if that wasn't enough, we lost Shaun's best friend and father, Bruce. It was a horrific year for us. We lost four amazing people that we cared about deeply. We said goodbye too many times. We struggled through all of it in a fog. It felt like we were thrust into a raging stormy ocean. We were being tossed about and pushed under water. It was so hard to keep our heads above that water and not feel like we were drowning. We couldn't see the edge of the storm. We had no idea when it would end or if it would end. All we knew was the searing pain of loss.

The one and only thing that kept us going through it all was Jesus' promise, repeated here by Paul. I'm going to share it again to really drive it home:

"Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus."

I can't imagine what our lives would be like without the knowledge that we will see all of these people again and that they are in God's care. I can't possibly understand how anyone who doesn't believe these words with their entire being could go on living a good life after all of the loss we experienced four years ago. I know that heaven is for real and that we will be reunited with all of our loved ones one day. I have the promise of the Master to back it up:

" And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us." (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

Paul goes on to explain further:

"The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

We've all lost someone. Many of us have lost a lot more than one someone in our lives. We know that death is part of our lives here on earth because we live in an imperfect, sin-filled place. When God allowed death to enter the world, I don't think it was actually a punishment but a mercy extended to us. Can you imagine living here on earth for all eternity? Struggling through life, through the muck and the mess that we all create? Because I can't. One day we will all die. We will all be mourned.

I'm not going to pretend that I "get" all of this or that it's an easy thing to talk about. I can't even pretend to have a lot to say about it. It's an actual struggle to come up with many words for this post that will do it justice or make any sense at all. I just can't seem to come up with anything else that even closely compares to what Paul has already said on the matter. The words of the Bible really stand on their own in this case.

And I'm not alone in this thinking, I'm sure. I googled various commentaries on these verses. One of the commentaries that I clicked on was a mere three paragraphs. Paul is very black and white here. These verses don't NEED further interpretation.

I'm going to wrap things up here and just pray for us:

Dear Lord, we have all suffered through the loss of a loved one at some point in our lives. Many of us have lost a lot of people that were close to us. Comfort us today, Lord, as we remember them. Help us to remember that we will see our loved ones again. Thank you for the gift of your son and for always being right by our side no matter what. We love you, God. Amen.

Living the Christian Life 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Together we've gone through the first three chapters of 1 Thessalonians, written by Paul. We talked about what the faith of a Thessalonian looks like, about giving your whole heart in all you do, about thinking before speaking, and about Satan's role in our lives. Today, we are going to dive into chapter four where Paul shifts gears to remind the Thessalonians how to live the Christian life well. And while some of it might not totally apply to today's world (we don't have pagan churches on every corner offering prostitution as a great worship option, for example, but we do still have prostitution in our world), we can absolutely benefit from studying it together two thousand years after it was originally written.

His advice can be broken down into five different thoughts, all related to the Christian life. Let's take a look.

1. Stick close to Jesus

"One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2)

Remember that there is a difference between doing everything you do in life because it's a "rule" that you have to follow from the Bible and doing it because you love Jesus. Paul is reminding us here that our motivation in life should not simply be the rule book. Our motivation should come straight from Jesus himself. Develop that amazing relationship with him so that you desire to do good because you love him. It's much easier to choose the right thing when you are bathing in the light of Jesus every day. Darkness cannot exist where light lives. The two don't go together.

2. Save sex for marriage

"God wants you to live a pure life.

Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

This is one of those things that is a reference to life as the Thessalonians knew it. Part of the pagan worship practices included things like participating in sex as an offering and giving parts of yourself (blood, etc) as an offering. I also remember reading that some groups also sacrificed actual living babies. Horrible. Paul wants them to steer clear of this stuff. It's not honoring to God and he isn't pleased by it.

As odd as it sounds, we can still learn something from these verses. Sex outside of marriage is completely commonplace these days. Everyone does it, right? So why not? Except everyone doesn't do it. Satan wants us to believe that so that we participate in it too. And nothing good comes from premarital sex. Women are developing an emotional bond with a man that isn't their spouse yet. They are letting things slide that they wouldn't put up with because of that bond. And when they break up in the future, they are ripped apart. Pieces of each person in that relationship are forever damaged. *

And besides that, premarital sex can never be what married sex is. Married sex is like authentic Mexican tacos made by an actual Mexican woman who learned from her mother growing up. They are amazing. They cannot be compared to any other taco in all the world. They will ruin you for all future tacos that you ever eat because they are that good. Premarital sex is like going to Taco Bell. There is something strange in it that you can't identify. Everyone's been there- Taco Bell isn't loyal to you at all. The shell is stale, the meat is old, and the seasoning is so salty that you can taste nothing else. It's just not good.

3. God cares about all of your worries so hand them over to him and trust him to deal with them all

"Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

If you disregard this advice, you’re not offending your neighbors; you’re rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 4: 6-8)

From here, Paul transitions into the reminder that God gave us these rules for our own good. He has shown us the good life to help us live a great one. And he offered up his Holy Spirit to guide us. Ignoring all the warnings and doing life any way you please is disregarding that gift. By rejecting the advice Paul gave, he is saying that you are also rejecting God.

Additionally, he is reminding us to stop living a life full of worry. God cares about all of it. He's got it. He's taking care of us. Have faith that he will do right by us. Let go of the worry. Leave it at God's feet so that he can take care of it.

4. Love each other

"Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You’re already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Paul says this over and over again throughout the New Testament. God told us about it in the Old Testament. Jesus touched on this and demonstrated it repeatedly throughout the gospels where his life was recorded for us. Love each other. The end. Just love each other. Don't keep track of who did what to whom. Don't hold grudges. Just love each other. Actively and emotionally.

Jesus said that this one was tied for first place as the greatest commandment in Matthew:

"Jesus replied, '"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.'" (Matthew 22:37-40)

If Jesus put that much importance on the idea of loving each other, you better believe it's important. That's why Paul's bringing it up here. It's a vital part of living the Christian life well.

5. Be a good example for others to follow

"Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends." (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

There's not a lot to say about this one. It's pretty simple. Make good choices. Your choices affect others, not just you- whether you like it or not. You are a walking example of Jesus as a follower of Christ, so make sure you think before you speak and before you act. The world is watching. How will we portray Christ to those around us? How can we be Jesus to those in our lives?

I'm going to wrap this up because I have taken absolutely forever to finish it and get it posted. Sorry. Be blessed today and remember to be a blessing!

* Watch Mark Gungor's Tale of Two Brains for more information on these thoughts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=814eR5K7KD8

Satan is Real and Encouraging Your Worry is his Jam- 1 Thessalonians 2: 17-3:13

"Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn’t been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can’t imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time. Who do you think we’re going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it’s not you? You’re our pride and joy!" (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20)

I prayed over these verses this morning as I do most every morning before sitting down to write anything. Without those prayers, I never have any idea what to say. And in the interest of knocking some of my emotional walls down, I am sharing this information with you here.

Look at how Paul starts things off: "Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn’t been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can’t imagine how much we missed you!" (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18a) He misses them! His heart is aching to see them in person and he wants so much to go back and be among them. Remember that Paul's visit to Thessalonica was cut short pretty quickly. They left in a rush when things went awry. That means there was likely no proper goodbye amongst them. It was a rush to get out of there with their lives still intact.

The thing that stands out to me, though, in this set of verses is the presence of Satan right in the middle of them. It's funny, isn't it, that we try our best to ignore him and pretend he isn't really a real being but in reality, he's always right there in the middle of all we do. It's his goal to trip us up and screw up our plans for God's glory so that he can win that small battle. And sadly, because we try to ignore him so often, he sometimes wins the little battles in our lives.

Let's look at a few verses that show us that Satan really is out there, trying to steal our joy and destroy our relationship with God. Here's one from 1 Peter 5:8:

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

Satan is the devil. He is our great enemy. He's on the prowl, ready to destroy whatever believer comes along. He isn't anywhere near as strong as God. He can't win up against God. But us? He can beat us and we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. What better way to try to win the war than to take out members of God's earthly army?

In Job 1:6, we see that Satan is the accuser: "One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them." Those little whispers that you aren't good enough, don't know enough, will never BE enough? Those are Satan accusing you of his lies. If you believe them often enough, he could win. That's what he wants you to believe. Let's see what God goes on to say in verse 7 and Satan's response:

"'Where have you come from?' the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, 'I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.'"

Satan is patrolling the world. He's watching everything that we do. He is interfering in our lives and whispering fear into them. He is offering just enough truth to make us wonder, "is he right?" Every time you think that God can't use you because you don't have enough life experience, a good enough degree, a good enough job, a good enough speaking presence, good enough vocabulary- you know, all the "enoughs" that we all go through? That's Satan. He's tripping you up. Let me tell you a not-so-secret: God isn't going to use you because you are enough all by yourself. He uses us because He makes us enough. Remember what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9- "Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me."

Let's circle back to Paul in 1 Thessalonians. Here are the next verses:

"So when we couldn’t stand being separated from you any longer and could find no way to visit you ourselves, we stayed in Athens and sent Timothy to get you up and about, cheering you on so you wouldn’t be discouraged by these hard times. He’s a brother and companion in the faith, God’s man in spreading the Message, preaching Christ." (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

If this were some sort of game or match, the score would be God-1 and Satan-0. I love this. Paul and Silas were worried about the Thessalonians. They were listening to the whispers from Satan and longing to be by their sides again. But at the same time, Satan was making it impossible for them to go on their own. So what did they do instead? They sent a dear friend of theirs, a fellow believer named Timothy to check on the Thessalonians in their place. They took their fears and transformed them back into faith by placing them at God's feet.

Let's see what happens next:

"Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You’ve always known that we’re in for this kind of thing. It’s part of our calling. When we were with you, we made it quite clear that there was trouble ahead. And now that it’s happened, you know what it’s like. That’s why I couldn’t quit worrying; I had to know for myself how you were doing in the faith. I didn’t want the Tempter getting to you and tearing down everything we had built up together." (1 Thessalonians 3:3-5)

I almost didn't see that point coming! It's God-2, Satan-0 now. Paul warned the Thessalonians that Satan would do this. They set them up for success by pointing him out and telling them to watch for his tricks. He calls Satan "the tempter" in this verse and that's a good name for him. Satan is constantly tempting us. For the Thessalonians, they would have been tempted to give up, to cast aside Paul's messages from God, and to go back to their old ways when times got hard.

This is a good place to pause in the verses and ask some questions for you to consider. What is Satan tempting you with right now? Where is he whispering lies and trying to steer you in the wrong direction? What fears and worries are you clinging to rather than giving them over to God who can handle them and would exchange them for his perfect peace?

Let's finish up this part of 1 Thessalonians for today so that you can see how things worked out for Paul and Silas after Timothy arrived in Thessalonica:

"But now that Timothy is back, bringing this terrific report on your faith and love, we feel a lot better. It’s especially gratifying to know that you continue to think well of us, and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you! In the middle of our trouble and hard times here, just knowing how you’re doing keeps us going. Knowing that your faith is alive keeps us alive." (1 Thessalonians 3:6-8)

And there you have it. That's a total knock out win for God this time. Timothy returned to Paul and Silas with great news. They didn't need to be worried at all. The Thessalonians were still full of faith and love. They were sticking close to God and practicing all that Paul had taught them. And even better? Those whispers from Satan to Paul and Silas were shown for what they were: lies. The Thessalonians weren't straying. They longed to see them again. Their faith was strong.

Let's see what Paul says he does to keep his faith strong rather than believing Satan's lies:

"What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters.

May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers." (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13)

When Paul starts to worry, he leans into God. He stays in the shadow of the Most High just as it is suggested in Psalm 91:1. He prays constantly. Look at what it says in verse 9 above. It says that Paul prays "night and day." And what is praying for? He is thanking God! He is asking for support for others for their faith; he is asking God to clear the road for them. He is asking God to pour out His love on the Thessalonians. He is putting others before himself. By putting all of his faith in God's abilities and allowing Him to fight this battle, he is leaving the room for Him to win it without any help from Paul.

I think that is our take-away from this portion of 1 Thessalonians. I want to end with this little reminder from our time together in Philippians (also written by Paul):

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

Remember, God's got this. No matter what your "this" is, He's got it. Hand it over and then step back into His shadow and watch Him work it all together for His good.

Be blessed today and remember to also be a blessing!

THINK 1 Thessalonians 2:9-16

"You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn’t have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God’s Message to you." (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

Several weeks ago we studied the book of James, by Jesus' own brother, James. In that book, he urged the readers of his letter to do more than just have faith. They needed to show it, exercise it, put it into action and help it grow. Paul is essentially confirming that same idea in this verse. He is reminding the people of Thessalonica about their behavior while he, Silas, and Timothy visited. They didn't just swoop in and give a good sermon then hang out in the green room waiting to be served. They jumped in and did the hard work too, right alongside everyone. They lived out what they preached and made it real to the people.

Let's keep reading:

"You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren’t freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life." (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

In these verses Paul goes on to answer the burning question that (I hope) we all had yesterday. How do we exercise extravagant love in our lives with those around us, even when it's hard? He is telling us here! Loving others extravagantly starts with being discreet and courteous to those around you. It goes on to being sensitive with others. And it continues through to action with service for others rather than being served. More over, he is calling us to love one another the way we love our own children. That's a high calling!

Before we can move on, I have to point out that word "discreet." What does that mean? Why is it there? When I think about discreet, I think about keeping secrets or not being super obvious about things but that doesn't really apply to the Christian life. So I looked it up. And this was the definition I found:

"judicious in one's conduct or speech, especially with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect."

So discreet here really means "thinking before speaking." We live in a world where we almost always say exactly what is on our minds and Paul is saying that we shouldn't just blurt out whatever we think. Carefully consider what you are saying to one another. Is it helpful? Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary to say it? It reminds me of the acronym (of unknown authorship) regarding this very thing, THINK:

T- Is it True?

H- Is it Helpful?

I- Is it Inspiring?

N- Is it Necessary?

K- Is it Kind?

"And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!" (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

An artesian well is one that doesn't require a pump to bring the water to the surface. If you google it, you'll see images of wells that are overflowing and bursting with water. That is what Paul is comparing his thankfulness to. And it makes me wonder? When is the last time that I was that thankful to God for anything let alone the blessing of a new believer? Is it just me or are our emotions a bit stunted here in America? I hope it isn't just me...

" Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who’ve never heard of our God how to be saved. They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it." (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16)

Okay, so this part is my favorite. Paul takes what happened to the people in Thessalonica- you know, being attacked for their new beliefs- and turns it around. He shows them how God used the bad for the good. He didn't wait for them to figure it out for themselves. No! He spelled it out for them right there in black and white. He used it as this amazing encouragement for them to keep doing what they're doing, to keep believing and to keep following Jesus. And then he assures them that God is not okay with the treatment they received, that God will take care of it. They don't have to worry about revenge in any way. They are free to keep loving as God calls us to love.

So how can we apply all of this information to our lives today? Because there was a lot to take away from this. Let me sum it up. Paul is calling us to actively love one another through our words and our actions. Before we speak, we must THINK. We should be practicing patience and being courteous with one another. Serving each other is another way to show extravagant love for others. If we put all of this into practice, I think we will be well on our way to loving one another well.

Be blessed today and remember to also be a blessing to someone else!

Are you giving your whole heart or just fragments? 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

"You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 3 So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery." (1 Thessalonians 2:1-3 NLT)

Take a look at verse two one more time so that we are all on the same page here. The thing that stood out to me as I read through these verses was Paul saying, "Remember? We were arrested in Philippi! We did not get treated well while we were there and we still boldly came to you!"

I believe we discussed this a bit last week, but I want to refresh our memories on it. Paul and Silas came upon this woman in Philippi who was demon possessed. She followed them around daily screaming about who they were and what they were doing. Paul got sick of it and called the demon out. People, seriously. Everyone should have been overjoyed by this news! This poor woman was hosting a DEMON in her BODY. They had evil walking among them, teaching among them, communing with them. But did anyone care about that? No! They cared more about the lost income for her "owner" than they did about the saved soul. Total sadness.

We have not come far from this, honestly. It's been two thousand years and we still care more about our stuff than we do about the people around us. It's devastating. The same old issues circle around and around, year after year.

But if you read on to the end of verse two above, you'll see that Paul is saying the opposite. Despite the popular way of doing things, (you know, caring about stuff more than people) Paul and Silas stayed in that prison to lead the guards to Jesus. And then they went on to Thessalonica! If that had been me? I'd have said, "forget this" and went on home to watch some Harry Potter and eat cake. That would have been the end of things for me. "Use someone else Jesus, I'm D.O.N.E. done." Thank you for forgiving me over and over again for my selfish and ridiculous dramaticness, Jesus. (And yes, "dramaticness" is now a word. I declare it so!)

"God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you." (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 MSG)

I switched to The Message translation here because I think it packs a powerful punch. Look at what Paul says here:

"God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message."

He didn't go all "woe is me" about his imprisonment or the whole entire host of issues that he had along the way trying to share Jesus throughout the known world. No! He put on his Jesus glasses and saw it all for what it was- an opportunity for growth, a chance to grow closer to God, and tests to be sure he can handle it all! What an amazing attitude. I know that if it were me, that letter would be very Eeyore. I would be pointing out how terrible my life was and how much it sucked that I got arrested, beaten. I would fail that test. But not Paul! He took what happened and allowed God to use it for good, to make him stronger.

"Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did." (1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 MSG)

I love these verses. Honestly, this is something that I'm working on in my own life. You see, in these verses Paul says that they were always totally upfront with everyone. They didn't hide their feelings or try to take advantage of anyone. They didn't look down on the Thessalonians when they struggled to understand, and they didn't withhold their love for anyone. They wore their hearts on their sleeves and were out there. They took the risk of getting hurt because the eternity of these people was way more important to them than their own feelings. They risked it all emotionally for the Thessalonians to truly know Jesus. They loved them with all the earthly love that they could muster.

Do we do this in America? Do we ever risk everything emotionally in order to reach a fellow human? Are we loving others the way that Paul is demonstrating to us in these verses? Because Paul is following Jesus' example here! He is loving them PERIOD. They are loved right where they are just like we are loved right where we are. Paul, Silas, and Timothy swooped into Thessalonica and loved everyone wherever they were in their lives. And then they loved them enough to guide them to Jesus, to change, and to the better life.

Is there anyone in your life that you are doing this with right now? If not, why? We are surrounded by people each and everyday. There are billions of us in the world and there is no shortage of humans who are in need of love. Find someone today. Don't wait. Risk it all emotionally and put yourself out there. Tell them about Jesus because the news of Jesus can't wait. It's too big, too important, too vital to life to keep it to yourself. Paul could see that the moment he was blinded on the road to Damascus. It's amazing how clearly he saw the eternal picture when the finite one was snatched from him. If Paul could see it despite being blinded, why can't we see it with our perfectly functional eyes?

I've said it before and I'm saying it again. Jesus is calling us to more. He is calling us to EXTRAVAGANT LOVE for one another (Ephesians 5:1-2). Extravagant love is huge. It's outrageous. It's more than anything you can comprehend. It's withholding no part of your love for one another. That's what Paul is talking about here in this letter to the Thessalonians. He's reminding them of what he showed them on his short visit among them. And he's reminding us too.

I'm going to end this the same way I end it almost every time. Be blessed today and don't forget to be a blessing to someone else. And I truly mean it. I pray earnestly that this is true in each and every life that reads these words. Who can you love today for no reason at all? Who needs to know that there is someone who cares? Who can you be Jesus to today? Find them and love like Jesus loved- with every single part of you.

The Faith of a Thessalonian: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

Before you go any further in this post, I would like to strongly recommend that you ask the Holy Spirit to come alongside you as you read. The Bible makes it clear that we need only ask for His guidance and we will receive it. Jesus said so in John 16:13 like this: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future."

By asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, it won't matter how much I muck up this post. You'll still get what God intended for you to get from it. ;)

Here are today's verses that we'll look at together:

"We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)

The first thing I feel I need to point out here is all the way down in verse 6. I don't know how you're supposed to say "Achaia," but I can't help but pronounce it like "Ikea" the store. And that makes me think of mass produced shelves and beds. But that isn't what we're talking about at all. According to the notes on biblegateway.com, Macedonia and Achaia were "the northern and southern regions of Greece."

Now that I have that out of the way, let's look again at the first two verses in this section:

"We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

Why does it say "we?" If you'll remember to yesterday's introduction, we learned that this letter is written by Paul but he is including Silas and Timothy in his greeting. It's much like when our family writes a letter to our sponsored child. Shaun does all the writing (sometimes we don't even know he did it until it's all done), but he includes all of us as though we are writing too.

I love that Paul then goes on to mention the Thessalonians' faith, love, and hope in the next verse. These are like the big three things you think of when you think of a stereotypical "good Christian" and they are mentioned fairly often throughout the New Testament- often by Paul. We saw these big three in Galatians when we went through it back in June. And now here they are again.

I want to look a little bit closer at that word "hope." This isn't wishful thinking. It's not pie in the sky, unicorns pooping rainbows kind of hope. Instead, this is firm confidence in Jesus. It's solid belief in his return. And in this case, Paul refers to it as "enduring hope," so it's a firm confidence and deeply held belief that never ends and holds up through the good and the bad.

"We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7)

So, I have Shaun's Study Bible sitting here with me and I'm reading the notes at the bottom because they are awesome and super helpful. Seriously. If you don't have a Study Bible, get one. They are Bible Gold. They are amazing. Every house should have one. I'm a little jealous of Shaun's Study Bible, but that is another post for another time.

Ahem. "Brothers" appears no less than 28 times throughout 1 and 2 Thessalonians. 28 times! Clearly Paul loved and valued this church of new believers. He uses that word to remind them of his love over and over again in his letters to them.

"God loves you and has chosen you." Those words aren't just for the Thessalonians reading this letter. No, they are for us too. God loves me and has chosen me to be his daughter. He loves YOU and has chosen YOU too, dear reader. You are valuable to him. You are loved by him. He needs you and wants you on his team. He is pursuing you with extravagant love (check out Ephesians 5:1-2).

From there, Paul goes on to say that the Thessalonians "received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit." In the New International Version (NIV), it actually says that they "became imitators of us and of the Lord." We are called, as believers, to imitate God (look again at Ephesians 5:1-2). Unfortunately, in doing so, Paul says that the Thessalonians faced severe suffering for it. If you read Acts 17:5-14, you can get an idea of what he was referring to in this verse. Apparently the Jews of that time instigated persecution that was carried out by the Gentiles in the region.

"And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment." (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10)

What stands out to me in these last three verses for today is the fact that the news of the Thessalonians' amazing faith traveled far and wide. Obviously in this time, there were no phones, no texts, no social media, no email. Nothing but letters carried very slowly. It could take weeks, months even, to get a letter. And if it had to travel overseas? You might never get it! What if the ship sank or they encountered a storm that required a "lightening of the load?" The letter could be at the bottom of the sea, unread. It's amazing to me that anyone knew anything, let alone that the news of their faith spread so far. They were clearly being true examples of faithful followers. Shaun's Study Bible goes on to tell me that Thessalonica was also a busy sea port. It's like the ancient times water cooler. All the news travels there.

On Monday, we'll look at chapter two where Paul remembers his visit to Thessalonica. I look forward to seeing what God will show us there! In the meantime, have a blessed weekend and a blessed day today!  

Introduction to First Thessalonians Bible Study

I have to start this introduction by saying that Jen Hatmaker is my hero and I would like to be her when I grow up. I am telling you this because you need to know that I just finished reading her first book, A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study: A Refreshingly Unique Look at God's Word. In it, she gives some great suggestions for expanding the study of God's word. To that end, we are going to start with some introductory stuff because Jen says it's vital to our understanding of the entire book we are studying and I am NOT going to argue with Jen Hatmaker.

First, to get a good idea of what was going on at the time of Paul's first visit to Thessalonica, we should turn to Acts 16-18 and read up. In Acts 16, Paul wasn't actually in Thessalonica yet but it's important to the story. He was actually in Phillipi with Timothy and Silas. They had some success introducing many people there to Jesus but something happened that looked like a big old interruption to their mission. A girl who was demon possessed came along shouting about who they were and what they were doing. Paul got fed up and called the demon out of her. Now, one would think that anyone seeing that nearby would be glad she was no longer hosting a demon. But this was a slave girl who made her master a lot of money by telling people's fortunes. So clearly no one was happy. And Paul ended up in prison with Silas by his side.

This story means so much more if you read it yourself. Here is Acts 16:22-34-

"A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, 'Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!'

29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.' 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God."

I love that in the midst of a big and terrible interruption, Paul and Silas showed such huge faith in God and took advantage of the opportunity to share Jesus with the jailer. More lives were saved that day because Paul and Silas were willing to say YES to Jesus wherever they were. This speaks volumes to their characters and helps us understand more about the author, Paul. It helps us see his heart for Jesus so that we can go on to read 1 Thessalonians through that lens.

Anyway, moving on...in Acts 17, after being released from prison at the end of Acts 16, Paul and Silas traveled on to Thessalonica. There, they stayed for at least three weeks but possibly longer. Paul did what he always did- he argued for Jesus in the synagogue for three weeks straight. Eventually though, Paul and his group had to be snuck out of Thessalonica at night because things were happening. You can read about it in Acts 17.

It wasn't until Paul was in Corinth in Acts 18 that he finally sat down and wrote First Thessalonians. His purposes for writing this letter are outlined throughout First Thessalonians like this:

1. He starts the letter telling the Thessalonians how happy he is with their faith and the growth they've shown. (1 Thessalonians 1)

2. He then points out some false accusations made against him, arguing against them. (1 Thessalonians 2:1-3:13)

3. He goes on to explain the reasons he has for not coming back to visit them as he longs to do. (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18; 3:10)

4. There are some things that the Thessalonians are doing and ways they are choosing to live that aren't quite in line with Jesus. Paul needs to show it to them so they can correct it. (1 Thessalonians 4 and 5)

Tomorrow, we'll dive into 1 Thessalonians 1 and start reading. I can't wait to start this book with you. I am already praying that Jesus will do big things in this one. I am looking forward to learning more about Jesus alongside you. See you on Monday!

And until then, remember to have a blessed day and be a blessing to someone else today!