Temptation Escape

2Th 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

The LORD is faithful.

The LORD is TRUSTWORTHY.

The LORD will establish us.

The LORD will keep us from evil.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God is FAITHFUL.

There is a way to ESCAPE, to keep from sinning blatantly.  The way to escape is placed there so we can BEAR being tempted.

 We will NOT be tempted above that we are able to endure- if we take the way of escape offered to us.

We cannot escape if we do not take that way made for us to escape. We can try all our own methods of escape but they will all fall flat and we will give in to the temptation. The ONLY way to bear being tempted and not succumb to it is through the way of escape that GOD is faithful to make for us. 

trouble comes when we look for our own escape routes shunning the way made for us. We do that all the time, don't we? We have a little voice inside us that convinces us that we should NOT deny ourselves whatever tempting sinful offer is being made to us. That little voice is accompanied by many others- one who tells us that we are too weak to overcome, another telling us we are hopeless, while still another tells us we are only human and what else can we expect.  You know those voices, you have those voices inside you working against God, the voices that would have us keep our eyes, our minds, focused on ourselves at all costs because those voices know that as long as we are looking to ourselves we will not see the way of escape made for us-the way of escape that tells us things like this--

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And this--

Joh 8:11  ...Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

And this--

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not…

And this--

Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

And this--

1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not…

And this--

Psa 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The way of escape.  We all know about fire escapes, right? They put them on the outside of buildings generally so people can escape a fire inside the building and not perish.  As a rule people who live in buildings with fire escapes know where they're located- what room they're in, what window they are outside of.  If a fire erupted they'd know where to go, right? What good would that fire escape do if they chose to go to a different room, a different window where there was no fire escape? It wouldn't do them any good at all to try and go somewhere else, try as they might- they could even go to the windows but no magically appearing fire escape will come into view. They'll have condemned themselves by choosing their own path and not the path of the fire escape, right?  Some would call it ludicrous to even imagine trying to go where you know there is no fire escape, and it is, it's totally ludicrous. Yet we all the time try to go where there is no escape from sin rather than go to the way made for us to escape.

What was that last verse-  Thy word have I hid in mine heart -  why was the Word of God hid in the heart?  That I might not sin against God.

The Word of God in our heart.  A way of escape!  How often when temptation comes your way do you look to the Word of God? Seriously?  That first inkling of temptation presents itself and you …. do…what?  First of all, that temptation isn't going to be quiet, remember those little voices that accompany temptation? So what do you do, you're under attack by temptation, do you stay put and listen to the voices of temptation? Have you been suddenly paralyzed? No, your limbs still work. Do you rush to get your Bible all the while humming loudly some Christian song that will hopefully drown out those temptation voices? Where is your focus?

Temptations are REAL and POWERFUL! Those voices won't be drowned out easily! We are fighting a SPIRITUAL battle that is REAL. The sword the enemy may wield could be a bottle of alcohol, or a recreational drug, or a prostitute, or the television tuned to sinful shows, or a chocolate cake and a 1/2 gallon of ice cream, or a fuse of anger ignited and simply ready for you to take over and go with the flow, or it could be a streak of jealousy, of covetousness, you name it the spiritual enemy we are at war with has an entire arsenal of your most powerful temptations at his disposal and he's not afraid to use every single one of them.  We need to recognize the power of the enemy and temptation, not ignore it. We need to recognize it for what it is, a SPIRITUAL POWER poking at us trying to get us to walk HIS path, not GOD'S! If he can poke and prod us into his path we are lost.  God makes a way for us to escape every temptation, we won't be tempted above what we're able to endure, this is a fact! It doesn't say God will take temptation away, that you will never again be tempted, if anything the word of God tells us that we are going to face more temptation the closer we are to God.  Satan doesn't need to tempt those that are comfortably his, he doesn’t need to waste effort on those he has, but he has to expend a lot of effort going after those he doesn't have and the only ones he doesn't have are those whose hearts belong to God, those who have CHOSEN to LOVE GOD.

It's no joke that you'll face your greatest trials and tribulations the closer you come to God.  So many Christians falter and flail about when they are put to the test, their first line of defense is to BLAME God for allowing their trial, their temptation, their tribulation, Satan LOVES that!  That weapon of Satan's is one he has honed to perfection- he whips it out often and whispers it into our minds conveniently so that we do NOT focus on going to God for help but rather blame him for needing help at all.

Temptations are REAL and POWERFUL, I'm saying it again! These are REAL and recognizable things. They aren't things that just pop up out of no where and are something we've never imagined. We've fallen to our temptations so often that we know them, but we fail to recognize our need of an ESCAPE. We'd rather just face temptation when it comes around and hey, sometimes we'll succumb and sometimes we won't, sometimes we're strong other times we're not. Do you see the flaw in that logic? We need to be prepared- we NEED to know where our FIRE - our TEMPTATION escape is!  We need to KNOW that there is a temptation escape and that is the WORD of God hiding in our hearts! That's CHRIST hiding in our hearts! That's HIS WORD TO US! The SWORD of the Spirit of the Word of God!  We have armor, we have an escape, we have weapons, we have everything we could possibly need when we HAVE a REAL, LIVING, BREATHING relationship with our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!  When we TURN to God and look away from ourselves and our own failings, our own weakness and to HIS STRENGTH, that is our HOPE! JESUS !

2Th 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

PRAISE GOD! PRAISE OUR LORD! He will establish us and keep us from evil!!!!!!!

All glory to God!

For all men have not faith

2Th 3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
2Th 3:2  And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
Unreasonable and wicked men.
We don't want to believe they really exist, do we?  I mean, we know they do, history proves it and so does our daily news. We know wicked and unreasonable people are alive and well walking the earth but we cannot judge their eternal life. And just because we cannot point a finger and judge another doesn't mean we can't be aware of the wickedness going on. We are told here that 'ALL MEN HAVE NOT FAITH'.
If a person does not have faith they don't believe in God and our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ- right?
It's a fact that not all men have faith. I know several that have no faith by their own admission.  Are they horrible, wicked people? As a rule, no, at least not to my knowledge. Yet that is exactly how Satan wants them to appear isn't it? He wants those who do not believe to appear calm, reasonable, and not at all wicked.  He's changed his strategy time and time again and will continue to do so to fit the needs of the present time. When our Savior died and rose, and went to heaven promising to return again, this threatened the current leadership in the churches of the times. Church leaders were FURIOUS and reacted by having the Christians tortured and killed.  These were truly unreasonable and wicked men that had no faith.  And in MANY places today these same types of people exist and they are killing and torturing and making the lives of Christ followers horrific. Yet in my little world I don't know a single person who is out to kill or torture Christians, not one. 
The Apostle wanted to be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.
The Apostle pointed out that 'all men have NOT faith'.
Today those who live in my type of world - without any real, visible persecution from unreasonable and wicked people- have to be alert as well because the enemy surrounding us is spiritual and our Christian battle as real as anyone's.  All men do NOT have faith, all people do NOT have faith.
I say it again- the nicest person in the world isn't saved by their niceness. The sweetest person isn't saved by being sweet. The most seemingly loving person in the world is NOT saved unless that love is a genuine love which can ONLY stem from God! If the most loving person outright denies God and Jesus Christ, can they be saved? Do they have faith?  
God KNOWS their hearts and ONLY God. Their mouths could be professing one thing while their hearts are professing another. We see it ALL the time with men of faith professing their faith and then committing grave sins- their hearts filled with filth while their mouths speak of perfect peace in God.
Truly only God can judge, and we are to pray to be delivered from any that would hinder our own faith in God no matter what they appear to be.  God knows if they have faith in Him, God knows.
We need to be kept from deception, we need to be kept from the wicked who would have us lose our faith.
Please LORD help us. Help ALL those throughout the WORLD who are suffering under the wicked and unreasonable people who have NO faith in You! Please this is our prayer that Your word may have free course, and that Your word may be glorified! Please God help us, save us from the evil in this world, keep us from the evil, please. We live in desperate times as Satan grows angrier and angrier knowing his time will end and he will be punished and then exist no more.  The closer to Your coming to take us Your people home with You, the more horrid this world grows. Keep us in YOU LORD, always!

 

Belief of the Truth

2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth

We all are CHOSEN from the beginning to SALVATION THROUGH the SANCTIFICATION of the SPIRIT and BELIEF of the TRUTH.

We are chosen just by being born, just by being blessed with the intellect our Savior has given to us or order to make choices, to comprehend truth.  We choose. We make the decision, it is NOT made for us. Salvation is NOT forced upon anyone at all. I've said it before and I know I'll most likely say it again, NO ONE IS FORCED TO ACCEPT SALVATION! You are NOT forced saved. You will NOT rise in the air and meet the Lord against your will! Not a single person will be hogtied and dragged to heaven. You choose! If you choose NOT to be saved it's horrible tragic and heartbreaking to our Savior, but He will always and forever respect your right to choose.

If we CHOOSE to be saved then we are sanctified-made holy- by the SPIRIT and by our BELIEF of the TRUTH.

We do NOT make ourselves holy- but the SPIRIT does that work. We MUST believe, we MUST have faith in the TRUTH.

2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise the LORD!

2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Traditions-teachings- and they were and we are taught so much, if only we avail ourselves of the teachings in the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  We can't stand fast in something we do not know. You can't live something you aren't learning. I could know more call myself a cook if I never went to a cookbook than I can truly call myself a Christian without going to the WORD of Christ. 

Yes, I could dabble in cooking and come up with all sorts of things, some probably even good, but my knowledge would be extremely limited if I never learned from an outside source.  There are millions of Christians who call themselves that name who NEVER read the word of God, who NEVER study the word of God.  Is it right? Is it wrong? Only GOD can judge, but from what we can read in that Word we are told  we need to hold fast to what we are taught in the word of God.  Whether you read it for yourself, or listen to others, whether your heartfelt prayer is to have the word explained to you by a true source of truth, it doesn't matter, you are SEEKING to be taught of God. He and HE alone knows our heart and our desire, He knows and He will give to us all we need and in the way we need it. We just can't let ourselves be deceived because as we discussed yesterday PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE to be DECEIVED loving unrighteousness!  God help us not be among them!

2Th 2:16  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2Th 2:17  Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Such a blessing, may it be true for ALL of us who seek to follow our LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF, and GOD, OUR FATHER-  HE LOVES US!

Deceived

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

The mystery of iniquity- the mystery of sin had begun way back then and it was as real then as it is today. Why don't we believe the Apostles? Why don't we believe the word of God given to them through the Holy Spirit? Why do we choose to ignore the truth in favor of our lies? Because sin has clouded our minds and stained our hearts black.

Sin will continue until it is taken away, it will NOT disappear of its own accord. Sin will not leave quietly, willingly. Sin will need to be taken out of the way, sin and those ruled by sin from the greatest to the least.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

That WICKED revealed.
That WICKED will be consume, destroyed by our SAVIOR, and until our SAVIOR returns sin will continue with all it's horrors. The wicked controlled by sin from the impersonator of Christ himself, to the beast whose mark will be placed upon all who do not love the LORD of TRUTH, will continue working. He works today and will work endlessly, tirelessly until he can work no more!

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

HIM- whose coming is AFTER the WORKING of SATAN- with ALL POWER and SIGNS and LYING WONDERS!

This person who will come is REAL! And it will be a PERSON who will be alive when CHRIST returns! They could not be destroyed if they did not exist.  This MAN will do the WORK of SATAN!  Do we believe in a person like this or have we regulated them to the movies and books, to fables and horror stories? We have, haven't we? Seriously, we've put this evil person on the big screen and we watch him commit atrocities and sometimes we watch him be defeated and other times we watch him continue to live on much to the delight of those who want the sequels where this evil wrecks havoc with people in ways we don't want to believe could ever truly be real. Satan has done his work well, and we could expect no less from him.  He's got most people totally deceived.

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

ANYONE - that include YOU who are reading this, it includes ME who is writing this, and it also includes everyone else in the whole entire world- anyone who does NOT receive the LOVE OF THE TRUTH, will be DECEIVED by UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, and NOT SAVED!!!!!!!   Only those who LOVE THE TRUTH WILL BE SAVED!!!!!!! 

Loving the truth. How unfortunate it is that so many would much rather believe lies, comfortable, familiar lies that keep their lives filled with equilibrium that they rely upon. The truth is hard hitting and does not wait for us to feel comfort, our comfort is not mandatory to the truth! Yet we think it is. We think we have to like what we hear, that it has to be soothing to our ears, but it doesn't!  We are DECEIVED by Satan! Eve liked the way the fruit looked upon that tree, it was pretty. Eve loved the soft, alluring voice speaking to her. Eve felt comfortable in the presence of evil itself and enjoyed the conversation. People can argue that Eve didn't know it was evil-  ARGUE all they like because the point is, WE DON'T RECOGNIZE IT ANYMORE THAN SHE DID! We listen to the soothing voice, we take in the lies and we like it! We follow that voice and we are DECEIVED!   Why? Because WE DO NOT WANT TO LOVE THE TRUTH!  We choose to love the truth! This is a CHOICE we make. It's not automatic to a single person!  The TRUTH!  We say those words in court- the truth and nothing but the truth- but SO MANY lies are spoken and believed.

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

When our conscience feels the prick of unease, when we sense that tiniest bit of something not being quite right, we NEED to listen to it! We need to comprehend that sin in all its PLEASURE will lead to DEATH everlasting and eternal!  That PLEASURE we have in UNRIGHTEOUSNESS will KILL us eternally! No one is going to tell you that sin isn't fun and pleasurable, that'd be a huge lie! Sin is wonderful fun and great pleasure, but it's like poisoned icing placed upon poisoned cake.  It looks wonderful, it tastes delicious, but eating it will ultimately kill you. You might LOVE every bite of that cake, it could be the best cake you've ever had the pleasure of eating, but it will end up killing you. Don't believe anyone who tells you that sin isn't pleasurable, that you can't find pleasure in unrighteousness. You can find all sorts of pleasure in sin.  You can also deny yourself all kinds of pleasure and your sin will be found in your self-righteousness.  We HAVE to ONLY believe in the TRUTH, not the lies that Satan wants us to believe.  Go to GOD, go to CHRIST'S WORD, read it, study it, live it, love it! If you don't love it now LEARN to LOVE, CHOOSE to love it! 

All by the GRACE AND LOVE OF OUR GOD AND OUR SAVIOR HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!

Be not shaken in mind, or be troubled

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is REAL.

What do you think you'd believe if let's say twenty years after Jesus died, rose, and returned to heaven, you were told that Jesus wouldn't return for just under two thousand more years? Would that shock you?  What if you were told today, right now, that Jesus would not return for another two thousand years? Would it change anything about the way you hope for His return? It's a given that we ALL, every single Christ follower, want Him to return as soon as possible, right? We want the Bridegroom to come for His Bride, which we are! We want the Master to return home for His servants! We long for our Savior to come save us from not just this awful existence we deal with day in and day out, but save us from ALL sin which has created this horrific world. Don't tell me it's not a horrific world just because you are bent on finding the good in it. We can shove on a pair of rose colored  glasses and see the world as something beautiful, because there IS a lot of beauty in the world. But all the beauty in the world does not negate the horrors that make this world NOT OUR TRUE HOME. The beauty of a newborn babe, does NOT negate the horrific death her mother faced when a total stranger sliced open her belly to remove that babe.  Why am I being so graphic, because this is reality. This sort of thing exists in our world. How many beautiful newborn babes have NEVER reached that stage because their mothers have chosen to scrape them from their wombs? How many children are growing up neglected not only physically but spiritually, emotionally, mentally facing a huge void because of the horrors of this world.  I'm not saying we are to be blind to the beauty God allows us to see, but we can't let that beauty blind us to the sin infested world we live in.  That gorgeous flower will wither and fade, that majestic mountain remains and yet how many have lost their lives on it?  Yes, I'm playing pessimist but I'm NOT advocating anyone worry about any of this. We have to face reality, but trust in our heavenly Father to care for us as only He knows best to do.

We cannot be shaken in our beliefs. We cannot be trouble- not by spirit, not by word, not by Biblical books. We CANNOT let anything  move us from our faith in CHRIST.  We cannot let anyone deceive us and many will try. Many like the idea of getting us to leave our faith because they feel victorious, as if they won some contest and brought us back from the brink of unstable thinking. They want us to be grounded in their logic and fact which do NOT require faith. They believe faith is something detrimental to a person because they set themselves up to believe delusions, not reality. They believe in fantasies and not fact. People want to steal the faith of others because they have none themselves. Many will try to deceive us who believe, they won't stop trying either.

Our Savior will come. We don't know when and yes, we've joined the ranks of those who were alive almost two thousand years ago believing the same thing. That day will come and before it comes there will be a falling away…

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God

The man of sin will be revealed-  the son of perdition- who opposes God, who exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped. This man of sin will be as if he is GOD sitting in the temple of GOD, showing that HE is GOD, but HE WILL NOT BE GOD, HE CANNOT BE GOD! He will be a liar, an imposter!  This evil one will be real and many, many will worship Him as if he is God, they will be deceived.

WE CANNOT let ourselves be DECEIVED!  We can let man deceive us, we can, it's within the realm of possibility and we are fools if we think we are above being deceived. We have to PRAY for the protection from deception that ONLY our God can give to us!  We need to desire the truth in all its purity, not sugar coated with deception that will only prove deadly.

It's almost frightening to realize that there will be such a person deceiving those who desire to be God's but not to the point that they desire to believe all His truth with all their hearts. But we are warned! No one is going to be able to say they weren't told, they didn't know, no one informed them. It's right there in God's word for all to see!  His truth is visible, not hidden. It will only seem hidden to those who do NOT truly desire to know the truth. Those who want to be blind will be allowed to be blind, no one is forced to see.

Please LORD help us NOT be deceived by the man of sin,  please protect us! Help us! Love us! Save us, even from ourselves, especially from ourselves and our tendency to seek blindness over the light of truth, because the blindness allows us not to have to adhere to Your truths fully. Please help us LORD.

In YOUR LOVE!

You who are troubled - rest with us

2Th 1:6  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you

Recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.

GOD will do the recompensing, NOT US. It's NOT our job, not our place to judge. We cannot judge with perfect justice, with perfect righteousness, only GOD can. Our judgment is cloudy and skewed. Even the best of men and women who sit on the benches as judges are NOT impartial. They may claim impartiality, they may claim they stick to the letter of the law without anything else interfering but the truth is even the most minute thing may alter a judges ruling. You might shake your head and say 'no way' they'd be in trouble if they didn't adhere to strict rulings but there is a lot more leeway with judges than people imagine.  It's the SAME with juries.  Juries are made up of 12 average people who are NOT judges and steep deep in the letter of any law. They look at evidence but ALL too often their emotions come into play. Lawyers know all about this. I'm sure you've seen movies about juries and such, and while they are works of fiction they are also based on a lot of truth.  Something a simple as NOT liking the way someone looks can steer a jury a certain way. It's no lie that people on trial are cleaned up good so they don't appear as they would normally, everyday. Our judging, our rendered recompense to those who trouble us is just as faulty because we are basing our judgment on our belief that person troubling us is evil, when in truth we don't know their heart at all. IF they go on unrepentant God will call them to pay for their sins, even the angels will be judged.

Jud 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

Am I against trials, judges, and juries? No. We do what we have to do to keep some sort of order in our world, even if our justice system itself is filled with corruption.

Personally we have to know that we cannot expect those who hinder our walk with Christ, man or angel, to be punished now, or ever punished at our hands. We are called to LOVE, not hurt, not use our very fallible natures to judge others.

2Th 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Our SAVIOR is going to return. This is a FACT.

Our Savior will return and when He returns He will take vengeance- JUSTIFIED IN THE SUREST WAY EVER- on those who do NOT know God, and do NOT obey the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. The truth is those who choose NOT to know God, those who choose NOT to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ are making that choice KNOWINGLY, fully aware of the consequences. They are NOT being duped. They are NOT being tricked in any way shape or form. NO one and NOTHING is stopping them from believing, knowing, obeying, but themselves and the choice they make. You hear quite a bit that people don't want to believe in a God like the God they believe our God is, unfair, unjust, unloving, etc.  That's the choice they make, and when Christ comes again and they realize in that instant all the LOVE He has, the TRUE love, LOVE we can barely fathom, they'll understand that that the hardness of their own hearts has condemned them. What a tragedy that will be, a tragedy of their own making, egged on by the evil enemy of God- Satan himself.


2Th 1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
2Th 1:12  That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please LORD count us worthy of this calling. Please LORD, through YOUR righteousness, through YOUR grace, YOUR love, YOUR mercy!  All through YOU!

Glorify YOUR name in US and US in YOU all according to YOUR GRACE both FATHER and SON!

Please Lord, please.

Worthy of the kingdom of God for which we suffer

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure

You faith groweth exceedingly.
The charity of everyone of you all toward each other aboundeth.
For your patience and faith in ALL your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.
The righteous judgment of God.
That ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God FOR WHICH YE ALSO SUFFER.

Yes, there are REAL physical persecutions of Christ's followers all over the world. There are also REAL spiritual persecutions of Christ's followers all over the world. In fact, not a single Christ follower can escape the spiritual persecution. The same goes for tribulations, every Christ follower will suffer them, if NOT physically then spiritually and all too often both.

We truly do need PATIENCE in our persecutions and tribulations. They are NOT going to stop coming not as long as Satan walks this earth, right up until the last possible moment he will be fighting with everything he's got to keep us from our Savior.

Imagine the worst possible human being you can, take history as an example, take the fictional movie bad guys-the worst of them. I say the fictional because there is a lot of reality mixed with that fiction. I'm talking the worst of the worst, the most heartless psychopath torturer and KNOW that Satan is a million, trillion times worst than that person in His unquenchable thirst to keep us from God, no matter what it takes.  Does it take a tragedy in our lives- so we blame God? Does it take a natural disaster we accuse God of allowing wrongly? Does it take giving us our selfish, perverted desires so that the last thing we want is the selflessness of God in our lives? Does it take the self-righteous concept that we know better than any God? Tragedy isn't the ONLY source for Satan to get us from God.  Once we are God's though and firmly established in our faith, Satan LOVES to throw trials and tribulations, persecutions at us and they come in many, many forms. We cannot shrug off a SINGLE simple upset as being merely bothersome. We have to recognize the attacks coming at us. If we don't recognize the attacks then we are in danger of succumbing to worse attacks.  Satan likes nothing better than hearing us blame God for even the smallest thing. He knows if He can get us believing the God abandons us, that God is unjust, that God is wrong, that God is hateful, spiteful, malicious, overbearing, etc, then he's won us. He got Eve to believe that God was unfairly keeping something wonderful from her.

2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer

Our patience when we endure LIFE and ALL it's horrors and they are horrors, true horrors, true upsets that rock our very core, our patience in all this can only exist because we have faith in GOD'S TRUTH, in GOD'S LOVE, in GOD! We can be counted worthy but NOT if we waver to and fro, not if we doubt every single time we are faced with trials and tribulations, persecutions and awful spiritual attacks. We must believe! And our belief must be manifested in our LIVES. ALL BY THE GRACE OF GOD!

We are so weak, God, so incredibly weak!  Please LORD strengthen us! Help us endure, help us, LORD WE BELIEVE, HELP OUR UNBELIEF!!!!!!! 

Help us be counted worthy of the kingdom of God which we do suffer for as we are put through life's spiritual warfare, and its physical warfare.  Please Lord in YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, not ours, YOURS!


All IN YOU! Always in YOU!

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.

This should be easy to do, right?  Wrong. Not in our day and age. Why isn't it easy? Because so much evil is ACCEPTED as being good. It is! It's a fact. Right now our country is waging a war on homosexual marriage and all those who are against it have been deemed evil, while all those who are for it are deemed good. Having morals, having principles, having beliefs is frowned up. We are told if we aren't for this then we are evil through and through and filled with hate, we are called haters. It is FAR from the truth.  As a Christ follower I do not HATE a single person, that doesn't mean I can't hate any and every sin no matter who commits it whether they are homosexual or heterosexual, and all that is in between the two and you can't tell me there isn't a lot in between.  I can hate sin. Just as I hate murder, lying, cheating, stealing, fornication, etc.  I'm allowed to hate the sin, I am NOT allowed by any stretch of the imagination to hate the sinner and I don't! People get outraged by the mere suggestion of non-acceptance and yet their outrage is only proof of their OWN non-acceptance. Their own prejudices against those who have different beliefs rears up but they refuse to see it as such because their beliefs are somehow more acceptable,  they are more humane, more loving, just because they say they are.  I don't have to accept anyone's sexual life, it's not for me to accept it, no ONE answers to me, not one person. No one has to accept my beliefs, not one person. I only answer to GOD. Everyone will have to answer to Him and if those who are caught up in unrepentant sin -whatever that sin might be big or small- that's between them and God as well, not me and them. I won't condemn anyone, I can't because I will be judged by the same standard I judge by.

I'm not going to go on and on about this, I will NOT debate a single person on this subject not online, I don't debate any of my blogs- they are just that- my blogs and no one has to read or accept anything I say in them.

What I'm discussing here is ABSTAINING from ALL APPEARANCE of EVIL and how today it seems all but impossible to do so because we love so much to fit into the current trends of society. We've called so much evil good- a lot more than just homosexuality, that ISN'T even the tip of the iceberg of evil we call good now. Some of the people most lauded as being good are evil inwardly and their hypocrisy is worn blatantly all the while they are under the delusion they are caught up in good.  There are millions upon millions of liars, coveters, prideful, etc. people and all of that is SIN every bit as much as murder, etc. We would have to condemn everyone, hate everyone if we are to HATE sinners, but we are NOT to hate sinners, we are to LOVE THEM as JESUS LOVED THEM! If we want to be loved, we must love and we often are the worst of all sinners aren't we? Those who claim to 'good', are often the biggest hypocrites in existence.

Who am I to say all this? I'm a sinner, I'm a horrific sinner, and I need to be forgiven my own appearance of evil. It's not easy, not at all in any way shape or form.  Yet we are told to abstain from all appearance of evil.  So if I can, by the grace of God and only by the grace of God abstain from all appearance of evil, I should!  If that means NOT fitting in with society, then so be it, right? Who do I answer to? God or mankind? God.

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please God of PEACE, please preserve all who love you and long for your return. Please preserve us- our whole spirit and soul and body, preserve us blameless in YOU.

1Th 5:24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

PRAISE GOD!

PRAISE OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST NOW AND FOREVER WHO IS TRULY FAITHFUL!

ALL in HIM!

Rejoice Evermore

1Th 5:16  Rejoice evermore.

When you are given a gift you rejoice, yes? But if that gift isn't realized but promised, you might not rejoice completely.  You know the gift is there, it's yours beyond a doubt, it's promised to you, but when something is promised to us and it seems as if it'll never truly be ours we don't seem to rejoice quite so much.

The ultimate gift- Salvation.
A gift beyond compare- our Savior's Sacrifice.
The truth is salvation is OURS, and we can know it.  This is a reason to rejoice evermore, but we get all caught up in life. We get caught up in life outside of our relationship with Christ. We get caught up in all the problems, the trials, the tribulations that life throws at us and we DON'T give all that to Christ. We don't TRUST. We don't BELIEVE. We don't rejoice in that most amazing of gifts, the ultimate gift, because we let other things interfere.

Just imagine how incredibly happy you'd be if you were given special gifts every day. Imagine it. Every day on your pillow before you go to bed there is a gift.  Throughout your day even the worst of days you'd know that gift would be forthcoming. Yet even so you might get so caught up in the cares of this life and you won't even care about that gift waiting. You go in your room walk over to your pillow and just swat that gift to the side, angry, not rejoicing.  Yet inside that little gift box is something you will rejoice about and you know it, but those darn CARES OF THIS LIFE get in the way.

Luk 21:33  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luk 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

We need to rejoice evermore even in our DARKEST of hours, because the DARKEST hour here upon earth cannot compare to the joy in the promise of salvation in the LOVE of our Savior.

1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

Yes, a constant state of prayer. A constant state of connection to our SAVIOR, to our GOD. We need this, we need to be ready always in prayer, because if we are ready then we have that communication that we need. God, our Father is with us in SPIRIT always! We never need to be without that spiritual connection, we break it off ourselves all too often when we should be strengthening it through the grace of our LORD.

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In EVERYTHING give thanks. We do NOT know why we are tried the way we are. We can't comprehend the path we are to walk. We just can't fathom WHY we are called to go through the things we are called to go through and YET, we MUST give thanks because we believe God is in control! God is our creator, our Redeemer, and the ONE we worship and live for! If He's not all that, we have no reason to give thanks in everything.

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.

We can quench the Spirit.  We are NOT forced to listen to the Holy Spirit. We aren't. The Holy Spirit will not slap us upside the head to get our attention.  There is NO forcing even if we want to be forced. We must listen as the Spirit speaks to us in so very many ways.

1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings.

We cannot despise prophesying,  in prophecy we are given proof if ONLY we believe.

1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

All through the glory of God!  Too often we hold fast to stuff that isn't any good at all! We cling to the bad stuff. We wrap the dirty cares of this life all around us and wallow in them rather than giving them to God and clinging to 'that which is GOOD'.

More tomorrow by the grace of our LORD, our SAVIOR!

In HIS LOVE!

Follow that which is good

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
1Th 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

The quest for power is not of God, ever. We are to esteem those who are over us, who are in a position to admonish us because they have the authority given to them by the wisdom of God. Are we to follow anyone blindly? NO! We are to follow truth and if those who are in a position of authority do not speak according to the truth we aren't to have anything to do with them.

 Isa 8:20  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

So, yes, we are to esteem very highly those who are above us, but only in truth. If we do this we will be at peace among ourselves because we know this is the will of God.  There is an order to things and to vie for superiority, to seek to be the greatest is NOT in God's plan, not the order He wants for us. 

We are exhorted to warn those who are unruly. Warn them, why? Because the unruly cause strife, it's a given. Being unruly is never a good thing.  The unruly are not prone to patience, they are not prone to listening, to learning because their unruliness gets in the way. If we warn the unruly we are letting them know the danger they are in by their unruliness. 

We are exhorted to comfort the feebleminded.  Again this is common sense isn't it? To do anything other than comfort the feebleminded is simply cruel.

We are exhorted to support the weak. To not support the weak is criminal isn't it? Yet we live in a world where bullying is all but epidemic. Attacking the weak is awful! We are to support the weak, always!

We are exhorted to be patient towards…  ALL MEN.  Again, this world we live in is filled with the impatient. Do people show patience towards ALL men? Hardly.  Yet as followers of Christ we must, we have to, we need to beg for the forgiveness of our Savior as we follow in the worldly way of impatience towards others.  I can ONLY speak for myself, but my own impatience is awful and something I struggle with. To read these words-  'Be patient toward all men.' - is to read truth.  We can't pick and choose who we are to be patient towards, but we are to be patient towards all men.

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Amazing words and yet our thirst for vengeance only grows. Does evil need to be punished? Yes. But are we to render evil for evil? No. Because ultimately when we render evil for evil, we are committing the very act of evil only justifying it by saying the other person deserves is for their evil. So, who punishes the evil of the act given in return? I know this is a very touchy subject and people love to bring up this famous verse-  Exo 21:24  'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand…'  Yet, this wasn't about people giving evil for the evil given, but finding a way to make reparation for a wrong. It wasn't mandatory an eye be put out for another eye taken, but restitution had to be offered equal to that eye whatever it was determined.  Yet, our SAVIOR came and said this…

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

So what does this do to the old way of an eye for an eye? Was it unjust?  Man is corrupt and perverts even what is supposed to be justice. Christ knew this and knows this. It is BETTER for man to turn the other cheek than to seek revenge, because that revenge can corrupt that man who otherwise has the opportunity to reveal a SELFLESS love.  Our Savior's love, His sacrifice is the ultimate selfless act. He suffered unbelievably, and completely unjustly.  How do we as sinners think we can to otherwise? We who deserve to suffer for our sins, how do we NOT forgive others theirs?  God forgives us and we do NOT and CANNOT ever deserve that forgiveness, not ever!

We need to NOT render evil for evil, but follow the good- among each other as Christians and to ALL MEN.

When we are touched by evil, evil so vile we scarcely can comprehend it in any way, we are to still NOT render evil for evil. We MUST forgive. We MUST seek our Savior because ONLY He in us can enable us to be that selfless, that forgiving, that trusting of HIM to truly reward the evil with His wrath in a way nothing we do can accomplish. 

By His grace may we be HIS in all this, in all things! Help us LORD! Save us! Love us!

Not appointed to wrath, but to salvation

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

We are not all automatically born to death. The wrath of God leads to eternal death.

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

We are all automatically born given the chance to choose the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior so we can find salvation in Him who died for us. Not a single person is left without the chance to choose. You might want to bring up the mentally incapacitated or the young, but I'm talking about those who reach the age of maturity according to the Lord whatever that may be for each individual, and those who are not mental handicapped. We all will have the choice.  What about those who never learn of Jesus but live in such a way as they never come in contact with His word? It is God's will that all have the chance, but should there be those who by circumstances do not- just as with little children and the mentally disabled  - then God will judge them according to all the knowledge they do possess. God knows our hearts.

The truth is it doesn't matter whether we are living when our Savior comes again, or if we are dead. If we are HIS, if He is our Savior, we will ALL eventually live with Him.  We truly do need to comfort each other, helping each other to grow in grace and knowledge of God.

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We all will have the chance to be His, to choose salvation over eternal death.  By the grace of God we will do this, we will accept our LORD'S gift of salvation.  It won't be forced upon anyone at all.

We know how stupid it is to pass up great opportunities, don't we? We all have regrets for passing up chances to enhance our lives, don't we? We look back and wish we'd done things a little differently and such. If we pass up the chance to choose eternal life by living for our God, by choosing HIS plan of salvation, if we pass that up for any reason at all whatsoever it truly will be the biggest regret for those who realize too late that they passed up such an amazing and very real gift.

By the grace of God we WILL NOT pass up His Gift!
By the grace of God we WILL comfort ourselves together, helping each other grow closer and closer to Jesus, our LORD and SAVIOR.

All by HIS WILL, HIS LOVE, HIS MERCY!

Are you a child of darkness or a child of light?

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Joh 12:36  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.

Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light

Children of light and children of darkness. It sounds like some good versus evil story doesn't it?  Perhaps it could be, or already is a title of a movie or a book somewhere. It doesn't really matter if there is a fictional movie or book about this, but it does matter that there is a non-fiction book about this very subject. Ultimately good vs. evil is the reality we live in right now.  Good vs. evil is what the Bible is all about. Good vs. evil is a choice we ALL have to make. You, right now are either a child of light or a child of darkness.

You are apart of this story.  There is no getting out of it, no rejecting the script.  No choice- but the choice to choose which side you want to be on. We do get that choice, we just don't get the choice as to whether or not we have to choose. There is no sitting this out.

You are a child of the light or you are a child of the dark.

Unfortunately we live in a day and age where being a child of the dark is something to be desired. Having a bad reputation is no bother at all, in fact it gives you more standing among your peers and such. Being a child of the dark and having a worldly successful life is something people long for. We truly live in a world where we are calling evil - good.

The night is far spent…
The day is at hand…
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness…
And let us put on the armor of light.

The works of darkness surround us on every side. There isn't a single facet of our lives that isn't affected by darkness. The darkness is trying to steal the light from all our lives and in every single way it can.

Cast OFF the works of darkness.  This is an action to be performed. A casting off.  You have to have something on in order to cast it off, right? The works of darkness in all their sneaky subtle ways will try and infiltrate our lives until they become a part of us, so much a part of us we cannot imagine ever living without them.  We will feel the weight of our works of darkness ONLY if we get closer to the light. Light exposes the things that are hidden in darkness, things  clothed by darkness. When something is made up of darkness when light touches it, it can no longer be completely dark, right? There is not a cave, not an ocean deep, not a single place in outer space that cannot be touched by light. Light can be brought to the darkest sea bottom- even remotely, mechanically.  You can sink a light in the deepest hole if you desired. And once that light is near that darkness that perhaps has NEVER been touched by light before, not ever, it will be changed, forever altered. Dispelling the darkness from our lives means being a child of the light. We HAVE to cast off the works of darkness, there is NO doubt about that. If you think for a moment you haven't any works of darkness to cast off then PRAISE GOD! You are truly living wholly, fully in the LIGHT of our Savior!  You are wearing the armor of LIGHT.

We need that armor on us but we have to be willing to cast of the works of darkness that encumber us hindering the armor from fitting to us perfectly.

You are a child of light or a child of darkness and the night is far spent… the day is at hand.

By the grace of God we will be CHILDREN of LIGHT!
Lord help us to cast off the works of darkness that would engulf us and steal all Your light from our lives. Please LORD, by YOUR mercy and grace, through YOUR love, help us, save us, because we cannot save ourselves.

All in YOU, always!

Hope of Salvation

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Thief in the night.
How does a thief come in the night?
As a surprise.
It's very rare for any thief to NOT be a surprise. The only way that happens is if people are suspecting a thief and prepare, but as a rule a thief comes in the middle of the night and it's a surprise, not announced.

Our Savior WILL return, but we don't know the day or the hour.

Those who do not believe the LORD is going to return and return with the reward having judged us all- dead and living- we'll be shocked. 

So many people do claim peace and safety all the time, you hear it everywhere. They want peace and safety in a world that is ruled by Satan. They believe there can be peace and safety in this world controlled by the Devil, and they are WRONG.  Our Savior is going to return and people everywhere will be stunned. 

1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Sudden destruction will come upon billions of people because they don't know Jesus as their Savior, they don't want Jesus to be their Savior, they aren't KNOWN by Jesus as being His.

1Th 5:4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

We cannot SLEEP. We cannot be caught off guard. We HAVE to be among those who watch in the night, protecting our eternal life as a guard would protect physical property in an area where they know it's likely for a thief to steal into their houses and rob them.  We are of the DAY. We are children of the LIGHT.  We are NOT children of darkness who cannot see, who cannot know, who will sleep and they will be robbed of their eternal life and it'll be their OWN fault!

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

We have to have on the breastplate of FAITH.
We have to have on the breastplate of LOVE.
We have to wear the helmet of the HOPE of SALVATION.

The hope has to be REAL in us, REAL to us! Not some haphazard thought of a possible occurrence.  Do you wake up each day hoping today will be the day? Do you even think about Jesus coming ? Is it a thought you keep foremost in your mind?  How would life be different if we did keep that thought in our minds always? Seriously.  Our Savior is going to return! This is a reality and we must live by this reality even as we go about our day to day life. 

Every generation has to live with this as a reality, all the way back to those Apostles who lived after Jesus died, after He ascended to heaven.  They lived with the hope of His return for them and we TOO must live with that same hope.

We must be SOBER- fully aware of the facts we live with.
We must seriously put on these SPIRITUAL items- this is the recognition of our true SPIRITUAL life.
A breastplate or LOVE and FAITH.  Our lives covered with this, our hearts protected by these very spiritual things.
A helmet of that hope of Salvation. It protects our heads, our brains, our thoughts and this is a REALITY!

So many people tell others that they shouldn't live in a fantasy world, and this ISN'T a fantasy world! It's a real SPIRITUAL world that exists that we MUST be a part of if we want to have that HOPE of eternal life with our SPIRIT God.

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

This is TRUTH!

Truth we MUST live by as children of the LIGHT.

The LIGHT our Savior!

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

God's Truth, God's Word Undefiled!

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

There IS hope.
There IS an eventual life after death.

Those who die in Jesus- God WILL bring with Him, and those who are alive when the Lord comes again cannot stop those who have died in Jesus from living again.

We have hope.

We all have hope, but only in Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR.

We cannot wake ourselves from death's sleep.
And we cannot wake up anyone else from death's sleep.
Yes, back in the days of the apostles there were miracles of bring the dead back to life, but it wasn't a wide scale practice. Not everyone that died was brought back, it was at the Lord's discretion, for His purpose.

Too many people believe their loved ones are already alive and watching them, waiting for them, standing by on another plane of existence able to see everything going on down here on earth.

Some swear that those who they believe are too horrific to gain heaven are suffering in a fire pit, endlessly suffering, always to suffer.  Our God is TOO just to ever arrange things this way, but people have twisted His word to suit their purposes, they've taken His parables and turned them into fact when in truth they are only meant to serve as a tale depicting a situation whose meaning has been veiled and meant truly only for those who really have eyes and want to see the truth of God not blinded by Satan's deceptions that are so perfected they will deceive ALL but God's very elect.

I've spoken on this before and I feel the need to speak on it again because just recently there was a death in my extended family. So many people want to find selfish comfort in believing their loved ones are still alive. I say selfish comfort because they are using this belief to pacify themselves, their grief, when the truth is we are supposed to feel the harshness of death. We are supposed to comprehend that death brings a finale to our lives. That finale is the end of our chance to choose to live for God. No one after death has that choice- to choose salvation in Christ or not to choose it. That choice is gone forever and every death needs to remind us of that fact, because if we aren't reminded of it by death and we pull the fictional snuggle blanket of continuing life right after death, and our loved ones- simply because they were good and we love them, and they are family, must deserve heaven- well, we are going to be in for a huge eternally deadly shock later on.

I'm not belittling anyone's sorrow! It is a very real, very raw process to grieve the loss of a loved one. There is comfort to be found in the knowledge they are sleeping death's sleep.

There is great comfort in this--

Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

The dead know not any thing.

Why in the world do people WANT their deceased loved ones to see all their pain and heartache? Why?! Yet, millions, billions want just that! They want them looking down on them as if our pain and heartaches are so important that our dead loved ones must suffer with us and offer us their unseen comfort while we pretend to feel it because it makes us feel better knowing we're sharing our agonies with someone, someone who loves us and cares for us. I say pretend but the truth is, Satan has GREAT power. We don't want to believe that fact either, but Satan has amazing powers and abilities, and so do his evil angels- those that fell with him from heaven.  These beings exist every bit as much as God exists- we can't believe one without the other. Satan and his angels know everything there is to know about us and he uses it all to deceive us at every opportunity. So if he allows an evil spirit (angel) to make someone feel the invisible comfort from a dead loved one it's all to his delight, all serving HIS purpose to deceive.

The word of God tells us that when Christ comes again the dead that are found in Him will rise.

They will RISE!

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

They will RISE!

So answer me this-  what are they rising from if they're already living in some wonderful existence with God in heaven? Seriously, what could this possibly mean other than the dead in Christ are NOT risen yet, and won't rise until He returns for them.

We are to comfort one another with THESE words, not the words of false belief, not the words of heaven realized immediately after dying, they aren't true!

A friend of mine wrote a wonderful message today and in it she emphasize just how short our time here on earth is and how we need to realize that every breath we take is one breath closer to our end.

There is so much truth in this, realizing that our lives NOW matter. We choose NOW whom we are going to serve- God or Satan. As soon as we die we no longer have that choice, and for most people there is no opportunity to even have a thought before they are suddenly gone. We have to have our house- our lives- in order NOW.  God wants us to be His, to LOVE Him, to know Him and be known by Him and we can do this through HIS word, studying, reading, praying, living a life that makes God a real entity in our existence, a real force. The Holy Spirit will guide us but we have to choose to be led by Him, He'll NEVER force Himself on us, never.

We are given so much LOVING instruction in the word of God, so much! We need to make it real and we need to make it REAL now, not some other time at a later date.

We aren't going to find peace in this world, Jesus didn't come to bring peace to this world- His words, not mine.

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

What is the sword He's brought instead of peace?

Eph 6:17  ... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

HIS WORD! HIS TRUTH UNDEFILED!

All by HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS FORGIVENESS! HIS SANCTIFICATION! HIS HOLINESS!

Study to be quiet & Hope in death

Th 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
1Th 4:12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.


Strive, labor, study-- to be quiet.

All too often we are caught up in babbling, aren't we? Talking but really saying nothing. Sure it might seem like we are saying an awful lot and probably about a lot of things, but seriously, how often are we talking about God and God's way, about Jesus and His way, about salvation and eternal life? How often? Could someone accuse you of speaking to much about God? We go day in and day out talking to others but unless religion is our actual profession, how much of that talking is about eternal matters? We really do have a lot to say about nothing, don't we? And when I say nothing I mean nothing that is of any real consequence when it is measured to eternity.  When we spend a lot of time not being quiet, and not doing our own business but minding the business of others we have no reason to be minding then we are not doing God's work. God would have us support ourselves as much as we are able to, not relying others to support us as we meddle in their business.  Do some people make a habit, a living out of meddling and mooching? Sure, but that isn't God's way at all, that isn't walking honestly, that isn't  revealing God to those around you, it's revealing something sinister.

Christians aren't truly God's followers if they follow a corrupted path. I can claim to be a Christian, a Christ believer, a Christ follower, but I'm not really one at all if I do not live as Christ commands.  If I live in a manner that if far from Christ's, how can I say I am His? I could, but it'd be a lie.  The truth is God would have us look inward at our own faults before we ever meddle in another's.  God would have us be givers, not takers, not users.  I'm not saying there is never a need to accept the help of others, but that should be the exception to the rule.  I'm also not saying there aren't people who have to be dependent upon others because of physical or mental infirmities, but those who are fully capable of living otherwise yet choose to spend their life purposefully being bothersome, meddlesome, relying on others to provide for them are not following God's will. 

Truly we lack nothing if we strive to do our own business, quietly, humbly, working to provide for ourselves and not to be a burden on others.

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

We aren't to be ignorant about those who sleep.  He's not talking about sleep-sleep, that much is very obvious. You don't sorrow over someone sleeping. It's another way of saying- dead. Remember Jesus telling His disciples that Lazarus was sleeping? He had to explain that He meant  dead, not sleeping as in a good night's sleep, or a healing sleep.  Paul hear is telling those in Thessalonica that he doesn't want them to be ignorant, he wants them to know the truth about death. Unlike the popular belief today that we go right to the next world-heaven or hell- upon death these people we under the belief that death was just the end, that everything ended there, you were in the grave where you rotted into dust and then were nothing, finished completely, no hope for anything further.  Most of us who have lost loved ones can't stand the thought that death truly means the end of it all- hence the misconception that we immediately switch to another plane of existence.  It's natural not to want to lose someone close to us, it's natural to want to hope for something more for them. But unless we believe there is a life after death of some sort there is absolutely no hope, right?

Listen to what Paul had to say--

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

There is hope.
There is an eventual life after death.

Those who die in Jesus will God bring with Him, and those who are alive when the Lord comes again cannot stop those who have died in Jesus from living again. 

We have hope.

We all have hope, but only in Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR. We cannot wake ourselves from death's sleep and we cannot wake up anyone else from death's sleep.  Yes, back in the days of the apostles there were miracles of bring the dead back to life, but it wasn't a wide scale practice. Not everyone that died was brought back, it was at the Lord's discretion, for His purpose.

More on this tomorrow all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

All in HIS love!

God has called us to holiness

1Th 4:6  That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1Th 4:7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

Defrauding someone.  We live in a world where defrauding people is extremely commonplace. In fact we like to pat each other on the back when we get away with cheating someone or cheating the 'system'. We think it's wonderful when we can get ahead 'creatively tweaking' the rules to do so. We've made it an art to be able to get into the system and then sneak around it. Daily you hear about such defrauding and it no longer shocks us.  So many sins no longer shock us. Defrauding someone is a sin and yet we barely flinch at it. Our own government which was originally put in place to protect the every day non-political person from tyranny and such has excused huge corporations for their fraud, they've slapped them on the wrists and sent them to the corner for awhile, but real sweeping punishment is elusive. The government itself is filled with those who defraud others. This is a sad, sad world we live in and those who would follow Christ won't defraud others and they won't approve of others doing so either.

The LORD avenges those who are defrauded, the LORD'S wrath will punish the unrepentant sinner for every sin, even those we have labeled acceptable in today's world.

We are NOT called to uncleanness.  We are not called to be impure in our lives in any way. We ARE called to holiness.

So why then do we fill our lives with so much that is geared towards promoting impurity in us and those around us? Why do we excuse impurity? Why do we call impurity good and harmless? Why? 

Why can't we realize we are called to holiness? Why can't this be real to us?  It's real to some people, but to the majority they wouldn't know where to begin even imagining a call to holiness, true holiness found in Christ and NOT themselves. There are a lot of people who believe they are called to egotistical greatness, and some even seem to obtain the greatness they are striving for, but it's a worldly, unclean greatness and it's far from holy.

We are called to holiness, we are called to be Christ's, to live for Christ who was pure in all things, holy in all things.

1Th 4:8  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

When we reject the call to holiness, when we despise the truth and the goodness found in a true love for one another, a true love that would never have us defrauding one another- when we do these things we are despising GOD, we are rejecting GOD. We might think we are only behaving on a superficial level that doesn't affect our relationship with God, but the truth is, every time we hurt one another in ANY way we are hurting our God.  God who has given us His HOLY SPIRIT, that Holy Spirit is despised when we shun God's truths and sin willfully, knowingly, desiring to encourage the uncleanness in our lives.  Is it any wonder Satan has control of the majority of people? Too many refuse the truth that is found in our Savior, preferring their own brand of truths that accommodate their many, many sins.

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1Th 4:10  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

We are taught of GOD to LOVE ONE ANOTHER- no one should have to teach us this because GOD has taught us. We cannot stop loving one another at the church door, at the door to the family home, we cannot stop loving one another and loving more and more every day.  We cannot ever get to a point where we can say that's enough, I've loved enough people, I can't love any more.  Maybe your resources and how you reveal that love might disappear, but taking away all material things you can still choose to love someone even if it's only by praying for them, by feeling compassion, by giving a kind word, a tiny smile, by letting your heart feel.

We can never stop loving, but rather we need our love to increase more and more. By the grace of God alone this is possible. Through the Holy Spirit alone are we able to do this. It is CHRIST'S love that we have to give and our Savior has an endless supply of love for those who desire to be loved by Him.

Please LORD, please help us as we live in this sin-sick world. Don't let us become immune to the sinfulness of sin. Don't let us ever call evil good, and good evil. Please LORD help us to love one another more and more, help us Lord to love YOU as you would have us love you in holiness and not uncleanness.

Please Lord help us, save us.

All praise, all glory, all honor unto You LORD, always!

The will of God

1Th 4:1  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to PLEASE GOD, so ye would abound more and more.
1Th 4:2  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1Th 4:3  For this is the WILL OF GOD, even your SANCTIFICATION, that ye should abstain from FORNICATION...

Webster's Definition--

'Fornication
FORNICA'TION, n. [L. fornicatio.]

1. The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.

2. Adultery. Mat 5.

3. Incest. 1 Cor 5.

4. Idolatry; a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols. 2 Chr 21. Rev 19.'


1Th 4:4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
1Th 4:5  Not in the lust of CONSUPISCENCE, even as the Gentiles which know not God

CONSUPISCENCE-

'For Christians, concupiscence refers to what they understand as the orientation, inclination or innate tendency of human beings to long for fleshly appetites, often associated with a desire to do things which are proscribed.'

Pasted from

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ABSTAIN-  meaning do NOT do.

FORNICATION'S various meanings…

Do NOT have sexual contact if you're not married.
Do NOT have sexual contact if married with someone unmarried.
Do NOT have sexual contact with someone who is married, unless you are married to them.
Do NOT have sexual contact with your relatives.
Do NOT commit idolatry.
Do NOT forsake GOD.
Do NOT worship idols- false gods.

What does sexual contact represent?  The PHYSICAL, self-serving, self-pleasure seeking desires, lusts that are very real for people. These physical desires can seem overwhelming, right? Most people have experienced them, most adults know what it means to have sexual desires.

We are told by Paul -

1Co 7:2  Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
1Co 7:3  Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
1Co 7:4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
1Co 7:5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
1Co 7:6  But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
1Co 7:7  For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
1Co 7:8  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Co 7:9  But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.


To avoid fornication we are to marry.  To avoid getting caught up in  that self-serving, self-pleasure seeking we are to marry.

Why is it wrong to indulge in sexual activity outside of marriage?

Marriage is a symbol of God and His Church- the Bride and the Bridegroom. 

When man was made he was created alone without a counterpart, but then God realized it wasn't good for man to be alone. God wasn't a flesh creature and he wanted the creatures that we were to know a oneness that would truly symbolize the joy in being one with God. Man lost that ability to understand the oneness of God when sin entered the world and self became more important than God, than others. The oneness they now could experience could be pleasurable but nothing on the scale of sinless oneness.  The oneness would be perverted into self-serving, self-pleasing.

God created mankind for a reason, we are HIS, we are to WORSHIP Him, we are HIS, we belong to HIM. Without God we are not whole, we were made only to be whole in GOD.  The Bridegroom and the Bride- two becoming one.

God created man and woman symbolic of God and mankind.

This amazing symbolic oneness is so seldom seen for what it truly is, and is mostly, almost exclusively known for self-gratification- even self-gratification in being able to give pleasure to another making you feel proud of yourself for that ability. Sex became self-serving. When a person truly comprehends the sanctity of sexual contact then and only then can they begin to comprehend why succumbing to the desire for sexual contact outside of an established union made under a covenant before God is so abhorrent to God.

The oneness it symbolizes- the Bridegroom and the Bride- God and His church(His people)- is so incredibly important we can hardly understand. 

When we fornicate it symbolically represents our choosing self over God. We are choosing to separate ourselves from God when we fornicate. But how many people actually realize this? How many people even care as long as their quest for pleasure is being satisfied? So what if it's a symbol, that's all nonsense isn't it? That's all fairy tales and crazy thinking, right? It's become that because Satan doesn't want us to think there is anything more to sex than the pleasure it brings- to give and to get. And he doesn't want us to deny ourselves any pleasure, right?

Why aren't we to fornicate? Because fornicating is truly separating ourselves from God and His love.

Yes, we feel physical desires and in their proper context, in their proper union, in their proper commitment, before God, those desires are good things.

When we are drawn away of our own LUST and that LUST is conceived, the act committed to fully, we sin- we separate ourselves from God.  If we do NOT repent and find forgiveness in our Savior who alone can bridge the gap of that separation, we will only find in the end eternal death.

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

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1Th 4:4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
1Th 4:5  Not in the lust of CONSUPISCENCE, even as the Gentiles which know not God

We need to know how to possess ourselves in sanctification and honor- living towards the holiness of God as God has revealed to us over and over.

We must not live in the lust of trying to fulfill our flesh desires, and many, many do, day after day they live only to please themselves and their desires in the many, many forms they take.  Those who do NOT worship God, those who do not care to worship God, those who choose to live to self, those who choose to live to false gods will be caught up in the lusts of the flesh.  Don't let people confuse you either- many will seem godly when inside they are rotten to the core- God knows, God knows it all.

The men who were supposed to be the godly men of Jesus' day were told this by Jesus--

Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

They were like whited sepulchres - beautiful on the outside!

But inside they were FULL of dead men's bones!

People will often appear to be godly, but they aren't. We can't judge them though, we just have to realize that God is the judge and know that we have only ourselves to deal with and our own actions before God. The reason I even bring the fact up that there are those who appear godly but aren't is because even those who are supposedly celibate- having no sexual contact with others- could be caught up in something else deadly. It's keeping ourselves from any and all things that would take us from God, that would separate us from God no matter what it is!

Please Lord help us to comprehend, help us to understand all we need to understand. Please Lord let the Holy Spirit guide us into full knowledge of Your truths and lead us Lord, lead us in YOUR way everlasting. Keep us from our selfishness in ALL its forms! Help us to be more and more like You, all through the grace and LOVE of Your Son Jesus Christ our LORD, our SAVIOR!

The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another

1Th 3:9  For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
1Th 3:10  Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
1Th 3:11  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
1Th 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
1Th 3:13  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

The LORD MAKE YOU to INCREASE and ABOUND in LOVE ONE TOWARD ANOTHER--
To the END HE MAY STABLISH YOUR HEARTS UNBLAMEABLE in HOLINESS BEFORE GOD, EVEN OUR FATHER at the COMING of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST with all HIS SAINTS.

The Lord MAKE you to INCREASE and ABOUND in LOVE towards each other.

Do you think people lack love for one another? Real love? I'm not talking about the 'being in love' love, but LOVE, general love for one another, do you think people lack this? I know I think they do because I know I'm not anywhere near as loving to others as I believe I should be.

Love.

Love is God. God is Love.

Love is SELFLESS.

Are we in general selfless?  No.

Love is caring and kind.

Are we in general caring and kind? No.

We are indifferent and self-serving. We exist and think that our goals whatever they may be- going to the store, going to work, going to school, going for a walk, whatever it is we might do we do it with the intention of being able to without any hassle, without any bother. We get it in our heads how things are supposed to be and then when things don't turn out that way- you get a flat tire, you wake up sick to your stomach, you get extra homework, you find construction being done on a sidewalk- things happen and we take it as a personal affront, it's so easy to do. When others call us to help them we might do so, but is it truly with happiness or simply out of a sense of obligation. When you say the words- 'Happy to help.' Are you really happy to be helping? When someone asks you to do things that interfere with your ability to do the things that you have planned- whatever they are, even if they are just relaxing- do you resent their asking? Why are we like this? Why are we so indifferent and self-serving?

We believe we exist to please ourselves. We believe we exist to make our lives as easy and unencumbered as possible. We lack love, we lack REAL love, the selfless love.

Is it any wonder that the Apostle told this in Thessalonica that it was His desire that the Lord MAKE you to INCREASE and ABOUND in love towards one another?

We NEED to increase and abound in love towards one another, we need this so desperately. We need the LORD to MAKE us increase and abound in love toward one another.  We need this from the Lord because the natural man, the flesh that seems to rule us, rebels against such love. We need to love and to do so with God's love- a selfless love, a true love.

1Th 3:13  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

We need our hearts established.
We need our hearts to be unblameable.
We need our hearts to be in holiness.

We need our hearts to be made new, to be made clean so that we may stand before God at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. 

Psa 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

We need our Lord Jesus Christ in us, we need HIS righteousness, we need HIS love, we need the Holy Spirit to be with us as we seek our Savior and to live as He would have us live-  loving one another.

All by the grace of God and only by the grace of God is this possible!

Please Lord, make us to love one another, establish our hearts unblameable in holiness before God the Father at Your coming with all Your saints!


All in You LORD, all in YOU!

Perfect that which is lacking in your faith

1Th 3:9  For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
1Th 3:10  Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

The apostle and Christ's disciples wanted to see these people in Thessalonica and yet Satan hindered them.  They sent another to see them and when the person returned and brought good news to those who were hindered, they were pleased. Then this question was asked-

For what thanks can we render to God again for you? For all the joy wherewith  we joy for your sakes before our god. Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith.

Paul and the others were thanking God for those in Thessalonica. They were joyous for those in Thessalonica.  Night and day they prayed exceedingly - desiring to see them again. Why? Why did they want to see them again? So that they might PERFECT that which is LACKING in their FAITH.

Faith is NOT a stagnant thing.  Just as we can lose faith in each other, and just as we can gain faith in each other- the same holds true for our faith in God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for without any evidence of their existing. When I have faith in another human being I am trusting in them, I am counting on them to be what I believe them to be. When they fail to hold up to that belief I have, I lose faith in them.  Now with God we have to holdfast to our faith, our belief, and we have to do so EVEN when all the things around us seem to scream that our faith is misplaced, that God isn't what we have faith in Him to be.  It is SO incredibly easy to lose faith in God because Satan will stop at nothing to undermine our belief that God is holy, just, and good, faithful, and true to His every word. It is SATAN who tries to tempt us away from our faith in God. He'll do all sorts of things to chip at it, or if it meets his desired end sometimes he doesn't chip, but takes an axe to our faith and tries to destroy it in one fell swoop. Seriously, he'll do whatever works and he's not beyond chipping and hacking both if that's what it takes. 

Just imagine you have a loved one who has asked you to trust them, to have faith in them and so you do. Then in comes several people each of whom give you reason after reason not to put any faith in that loved one. How easy it is once that seed of doubt is planted for it to grow. You start watching your loved one differently, you look for things that would prove the things those other people have told you. You lose that faith bit by bit because of that doubt.  You know this is possible, you know how true something like this can be.  How often have you been given an opinion of someone before you meet them and then you meet them and you LOOK to prove that opinion rather than form your own without bias. Situations, people, things all shape our faith in each other and we know how easy it is to lose faith in each other.

Just imagine someone whose sole purpose for existing seems to be to besmirch someone, how intense would that person be in doing so? They'd try everything and anything. Each person that had contact with that other person they'd meet and study, they'd want to know the best way to approach that person. They couldn't approach all the people in the same way but would need to take time, place, circumstances into consideration. Some people are more gullible than others, aren't they? Some are more obtuse than others. Some are hard to sway, they're very stubborn in their opinions. Each person would get a tailor made attack plan so that the person who lives to demean that other can do so each and every time, at every opportunity.

Satan lives to attack our faith in God, he hates God with a passion we can scarcely fathom.  He'll do everything and anything to destroy even the smallest true bit of faith a person might have in God.  So when Paul and the others desire to 'perfect the faith' other followers newer to the faith might have is it any wonder they want to them to be grounded deeply in God so that Satan can't woo them away with his seemingly endless ways of destruction.


More on this tomorrow, all by the grace of God!

In His amazing love!

1Th 3:11  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
1Th 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
1Th 3:13  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Sent to know your faith

1Th 3:3  That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
1Th 3:4  For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
1Th 3:5  For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

We are appointed to afflictions.
We will suffer tribulations.

These are facts. The followers of Christ do NOT walk an easy path and if they think they should they haven't read their Bibles. 

Men get it in their head that things ought to be peaceful and wonderful, everyone should get along here and now on earth but our LORD even says this--

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

How do those who cry out for peace explain that verse and the following?

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

We are NOT going to have it easy, yet many of us do, don't we? Many of us live peaceful lives for the most part and aren't experiencing tribulations.  But we are only a small minority in a huge world and in that huge world there are many countries where being a follower of Christ is very dangerous and anything but peaceful.  Because we aren't personally touched by this we live in a bubble that keeps us from realizing fully that the words of Christ then are still relevant to us today.

When Paul was writing to those who had heard the gospel and had become followers of Christ, born again unto our Savior, He wanted them to know that things wouldn't be easy, and they weren't.

1Th 3:3  That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
1Th 3:4  For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
1Th 3:5  For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

He was worried that Satan would sneak in and steal away those who wanted to be Christ's. The tempter- tempting you.  That's what He does best. Satan will tempt us with all sorts of things, in fact anything he can tempt us with in order to steal our faith away. We have to help others who face the tempter, and pray for help for ourselves, because we aren't immune to the trials and tribulations, the temptations that will come and have come to man since sin entered the world.

By the grace of God may we keep our FAITH.  Please LORD, help us, save us, keep us!