The Attributes of God:

Who we associate with is who we will become. 2 Thess. 3:6-15 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the traditions which you received from us.”                   Throughout the scriptures, we are warned about the kind of people we associate with and the type of friends surrounding us.  The people we associate with and spend all our time with will influence how we act, think, and live our lives.  In this passage Paul is not forbidding any association with those who do not follow Christ.  This would not only be impossible, but it would also be counterproductive to our mission.  We are called to reach people with the gospel, which requires building relationships with others.  Paul warning us to be intentional and careful about who influences us and shapes our lives, values, and beliefs. In 2 Corinthians 6:17, Paul commands the church at Corinth, a city that is known for its im

What are we to Pray for. 2 Thess. 3:1-5 “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified just as it did also with you and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith.” When we pray, what do we pray for? Take some time and reflect upon the requests that you bring to God. Much of our prayer centers on our physical needs. We pray for God’s protection from harm. When sick, we pray for His healing touch. We pray for others who are experiencing physical problems. Certainly, this is valid and encouraged by God (James 5:13). We also rightfully pray for wisdom and strength during times of difficulty and trials (James 1:1-5). But how do we pray for our spiritual leaders, the pastor, the board, and the church's ministries? As Paul closes his letter, as he often does in all his epistles, he expresses his prayer for the people he is writing to and asks them to pray for him. In these requests, we not only discover how t

The Foundation of A Christian Life 2 Thess. 2:13-17 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”                   In a confusing world filled with contradictory views and people questioning Biblical truth, how do we know what truth is and what God genuinely desires for us?   Where do we turn to discover what is true? While we want to know God and follow His purpose, we struggle to understand His purpose. Having encouraged the believers to stand firm in the face of opposition and having warned them of the danger of deception, Paul now points them to the truth.  Truth and wickedness are irreconcilable.  God judges people by allowing them to be deluded in their thinking and to believe what is false. However, for His followers, He has given His Word so that they might know the truth.                   This confronts us with a question

Relax, God’s in Control 2 Thess. 2:1-13 “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.”                     We live in a time of rapid change, uncertainty, and disagreement where people live in fear.  No longer is there any moral consensus, so people of every political or moral ideology fall prey to the fear that our world and culture are moving on a downward spiral toward oblivion.  Fear is the opposite of faith, and when our focus shifts away from God and his word, we no longer have a foundation for security.                   As strong as the faith of the Christians in Thessalonica was, they were beginning to be captured by fear. False teachers were infiltrating the church and proclaiming that the day of the Lord had already happened. In the p

The Hope of Certainty 1 Thess. 4:13-18 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”                   When confronted with the certainty and reality of death, I can leave us overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness. Of all the events that happen in life, there is no more certain and disruptive than death.  When it strikes, it always comes unexpectedly, leaving us with a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness. With all our technology and advancements in medicine, we can only delay death for a short season, but in the end, we are ultimately powerless. For many people, death is the one topic we avoid talking about or even thinking about.  We believe that if we ignore it, it will go away.  But it does not. It still strikes with impunity.                    However, death was not part of God’s plan; instead, it is what we chose.  When given the option of life and eternal commun

Preachers and Listeners Pt 2 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs it work in you who believe.”                   What do we expect when we go to church on Sunday and listen to a message?  When we listen to a sermon, we expect the pastor to have carefully prepared the message that he is going to give.  We trust that he has studied the passage and prayerfully considered how it might relate to our lives.  We would be concerned if he got up on a Sunday, just randomly picked a passage, and then said he was going to talk about it without any preparation or study. We expect a pastor to be prepared when he enters the pulpit. What we often fail to recognize is that there are two people involved in the message of the sermon. There is the pastor communicating the message, and second, there are those