PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE

PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE

I Tim. 2:1  I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. NLT

I am challenged by that word all.  All means all, all the time and I must confess that I don't always pray for all people.  I do pray for people, but there are many people who do not make my prayer list.  There are people who need prayers that I do not know about or feel led to pray for.  There are people who are not close to me that I don't pray for.  There are people who I am not led to pray for at all, but yet, Paul urges us, the Church, to pray for all people.  So, how do we reconcile what we do with what we should be doing?

      First of all, we should never exclude anyone from our willingness to pray for.  No matter who it is, all people need prayer.  We should not discriminate against anyone with our prayers.  Whether they be people we like or not, we should be willing to pray for them.  Whether we personally know them or not, we should be willing to pray for them.  Whether they are people we agree with or not, we should be willing to pray for them.  Anyone whom the Lord nudges you to pray for, you should pray for them.  How then should we pray for them?

      I like the way Paul prayed for the church.  Read his prayers in Philippians, Colossians, and Ephesians.  It would be a wonderful way to pray for one another.  Paul tells Timothy to plead for God's mercy on them.  We should always want others to know the Lord and grow in Him.  It takes a lot of mercy on God's part to help people.  Pray that the Lord will be merciful and withhold the judgment that they deserve and reach out to them in grace and love.  Pray that others will respond positively to God's love and mercy.

      And, as you plead with God on the behalf of others, do it with a thankful heart.  Be thankful for your own salvation and the work of the Spirit within you.  Be thankful for the opportunities God gives you to play a part in the soul development of others. 

      Thank the Lord for those who respond to God and let Him have control of their lives.  Thank the Lord always for His goodness and favor on man.  Thank Him for His mercy and love for all.  Thank Him for the opportunities He gives to us to partner with Him in the salvation of souls. 

       Your prayer for someone today may be the key that unlocks the door to their heart for Jesus to come in.  Will you pray?

WHY JESUS CAME

WHY JESUS CAME

I Tim. 1: 15-16  This a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the worst of them all.  But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners.  Then others will realize that they too, can believe and receive eternal life.  NLT

       There was no other reason why Jesus came into the world; He came to save sinners, you and I.  We must never take this lightly.  Jesus loves us and came to save us from certain life in eternal hell.  This marvelous truth should so captivate our thoughts that we are driven to our knees in gratitude and worship our wondrous Savior and Lord.

       I don't know how you perceived yourself before you came to Christ.  Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners.  No matter how good of a person we thought we were, without Christ we were in the same boat as Paul.  We were sinners undeserving of God's love and favor.  Like Paul, we ought to be amazed at the fact that Jesus bothered with us.  Our sins made us enemies of God and deserving of His wrath.  You without Christ were the worst you have ever been.  Whether you were the best or worst of sinners, you were still an enemy of God, undeserving of God's forgiveness and mercy.

      Jesus saves us so that we can tell others this simple truth: "If God can save me, He can save you, too."  We each have a story of redemption to tell.  We ought to be telling it over and over again.  No one is beyond God’s forgiveness.  God is patient with the lost and anyone who is willing can be saved.  Our lives are a living testimony of what God can do. 

     Praise God for His marvelous patience, mercy, and love!  I am redeemed!  Shout it from the rooftop to all who will listen.  Let your voice be heard.  People everywhere must be told that Jesus can and does save everyone who comes to Him with a broken, repentant heart.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

I Tim.1:4  Don't let people waste time in endless speculation over myths and spiritual pedigrees.  For these things only cause arguments; they don't help people live a life of faith in God.  NLT

      How much time is wasted over arguing over things that really don't matter?  Probably a lot.  We sometimes get into some interesting "discussions" that end up doing nothing more than cause hard feelings that sometimes result in broken fellowship that is never quite restored.  How sad!!  We need to be careful about what issues we choose to get defensive over.  As much as we would like to think otherwise, our opinions really don't matter all that much.  What does matter are those things which help us and others to grow in faith.

      We need to focus our attention on things that edify the soul and the source of those things is the Word of God.  The Word of God should never be argued over.  We can have different understandings on interpretations and applications, but they should NEVER be allowed to sever relationships in the body of Christ.  We should agree to disagree agreeably on our different understandings and move on to how we can help each other grow in faith.

       If we truly love each other as God loves us, we will work very hard to live peaceably with each other and work together for our common good and Christ's glory on earth.  Loving each other ought to disarm those things which divide us.  As long as Christ is the focus of our faith and we rally around the cross, we should accept one another as brothers and sisters in Him and help each other become a holy people, a people after God's own heart.

SELECTIVE FELLOWSHIP

SELECTIVE FELLOWSHIP

II Thess. 3:6  And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the traditions of hard work we gave you.  NLT

       Let's face it; there are a lot of spiritually lazy people in the church.  They may be faithful attenders of the church and participate in her activities, but they are shallow in faith and often create problems in the church.  They are content with being who they are and do not do the leg work necessary for spiritual growth.  They are often confused on spiritual matters and may persuade others with their unfounded claims of truth.  While we should not give them the cold shoulder and totally ignore them, we should pay no attention to what they say.  We should ignore what they pass off as truth, knowing that they have not diligently studied the Word to understand the truth.

      Sometimes it is necessary to disassociate ourselves from those who do not strive to help themselves, those who are spongers, expecting others to take care of their needs without any effort on their part.  There are always those who think they have a right to take advantage of the love and generosity of others.  Paul tells us to have nothing to do with such people.  It is good to help those who simply cannot help themselves, but it's not good to help those who can help themselves but refuse to do so.  It does no one any good to be enablers of those who are just plain lazy.  Be leery of those who would lay a guilt trip on you simply because you don't cater to their demands for help. 

      Hard work is good for the soul.  It gives a person a sense of self-worth and accomplishment.  It instills discipline in the soul and gives a person an incentive to keep pressing on.  It helps a person to grow and become a better person than he is.  Hard work ought to characterize the child of God.  No one will ever stay right with God without working hard at it.  The Lord will not do it for us.  When we honor Him by pursuing Him and diligently seeking to grow in Him, He rewards us with greater faith and understanding.  We become confident in Him and are able to stand up in His strength and resist the many temptations to sin we encounter daily in our lives. 

      Selective fellowship is good for the soul when you associate most with those who spur you on to a deeper faith by their godly example of working out their salvation.  It does not mean we ignore those who are idle or lazy, but it does mean we need people in our lives who will help us to get better. 

      Everybody needs love and affirmation, especially those who are idle and lazy.  Be sure to be a good example for them to follow.  Humbly be who God expects you to be and strive to spur them on to a deeper walk with the Lord.

STAND FIRM

STAND FIRM

II Thess. 2:15  With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter. NLT

       Paul had been reminding the church that the Lord is coming back to right the wrong.  Judgment is coming on the earth against those who reject God and His Word.  It is going to happen and Paul reminds them here to stand firm and hang on tight to the Lord and His ways.  There are times in which it means we desperately hang on.  Doubts, discouragements, defeats, disillusionments, and despair are all part of life.  We must never stop hanging on, no matter what comes our way.  Eternity is at stake.

     We live in a very unstable and unsteady world.  People are lost and are staggering around trying to find some semblance of meaning and purpose for their lives.  People are grasping for whatever their depraved minds tell them will bring them a sense of pleasure and enjoyment in their desperate lives.  People everywhere are without hope and are seeking whatever reason they can find to keep on living.

      Stand firm on the solid foundation of God's Word.  Trust in what God says.  Live diligently by its precepts.  It is the only truth there is in the world.  Don't listen to the opinions of men or trust what they say.  Listen to God and what He says.

      Keep a strong grip on everything you have been taught from God.  Don't let go of what you know is from God.  He will never lead you astray.  He will always tell you what you need to know.  His only desire for you is that which is good for your soul.  We live in a very perilous time and it is imperative that we cling tightly to the Lord.

       Stay focused on Christ.  It is when we lose our focus that we lose our grip, stumble, and fall.  Don’t let anything in life distract you.  Eternal life with Christ awaits those who stand firm and don’t lose their grip.

A WORTHY LIFE

A WORTHY LIFE

II Thess. 1:11  And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you.  And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds.  NLT

      Are you worthy of eternal life?  In order to be worthy of eternal life, we must be living holy lives.  We must be striving to stay away from sinning against God.  We must be living to the best of our ability by the Word of God.  We must not cater to sin and those who live in it.  We must be living always in a state of readiness for Christ's return.

      Notice that it is God who makes us worthy.  It is the work of God in us that makes us fit for heaven.  The Holy Spirit is constantly molding and shaping us into a people after God's own heart.  It is the Spirit who is constantly teaching us new things to apply to our lives to make us more holy.  It is God's expectation of us to be holy and He is working to make it happen as long as we let Him.  However, He will not make us into who we have no desire of being.  We must love Him enough to want to be a holy people and we must trust in His work to make it happen.

      It behooves us to pray and ask the Lord to do His work in us.  Our greatest need is to be holy before God.  Without holiness, we shall not see God.  We must be open to the Lord having His way with us.  Our sinful nature wants to resist the changes God needs to make in us.  We must pray faithfully and sincerely that we will let the Lord have His way with us.  We will then find that what we intend to do and what we do will line up with God's will and be pleasing and holy before Him. 

      A worthy life is a fully surrendered life to Christ.  It is a life that is completely dedicated to becoming holy in conduct, conversation, and contemplation.  God’s will is that each of His children is found to be worthy of eternal life in Christ. 

      Are you living a worthy life in Christ?

REST AND JUDGMENT

REST AND JUDGMENT

II Thess. 1:7-8  And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven.  He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.  NLT

      There is coming a certain rest for God's children.  No matter how bad things may be for us here on earth, Jesus is coming to take us out of it all and put us in a place of eternal rest.  Jesus is coming for us and when He comes, there will be no doubt about it.

      Paul is referring here to God's final judgment on earth.  There is coming a time when the Church will no longer be on earth to hold back evil.  During those days there will be great persecution against those who choose to trust in God.  There will be a massive rejection of God and an embracing of evil.  Instead of following God, people will be following the Antichrist.  This turning away will last for seven years and then God will bring to a close the reign of evil on earth. 

      He is coming with the hosts of heaven in flaming fire to bring judgment on those who have rejected Him and those who have chosen to not obey God's Word.  Everyone makes choices daily as to whether or not they will let God be in their life.  Everyone makes daily choices as to whether or not to live by God's rules or not.  God has given everyone ample knowledge of right and wrong so that no one will have any leg to stand on when God's judgment falls on them. 

      To know God is to know His Word and obey it.  You do not love God if you do not live by His Word.  There is no wiggle room about this.  The standard of God’s Word is the measuring stick for our holiness and without holiness, no one will enter heaven.

      If you choose to ignore God and His Word, you can be assured that you will come under God's judgment.  God will wait only so long for you to change your ways and let Him be your Savior and Lord.  No matter when it may come for you, Judgment Day is coming.  You will stand before God and give an account for the choices you make now.  Don't mess with God because you will lose.

HOLINESS OF HEART

HOLINESS OF HEART

I Thess. 5:23-24  Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.  NLT

      Anyone who knows me at all knows that holiness is my passion.  I cannot read God's Word without seeing God's holiness everywhere.  He is holy and commands us to be holy.  No one will be in heaven who is not holy in heart.  In heaven, there is perfect holiness. 

      It is my heart's desire that everyone reading this today will be made holy in every way.  I long to see God's children live like they are holy.  I long to hear things coming from their mouths that would not make me question their holiness.  I long to see them treat others out of holy love.  I long to see people in the church be a people who are truly after God's own heart.

       Sadly, it is common amongst us to see those who are not blameless.  We often let down our guards and fall into sin.  It is not unusual for us to see church leaders make the news because they have failed to live up to their profession of godliness.  Moral failure is everywhere.  Actions and attitudes often betray our witness.  We don't live blameless lives like we should.  We will never be perfectly blameless on earth, but we certainly can come a whole lot closer to it than we normally do. 

      It is alarming to find out that pastors are forced to leave the ministry because of moral failure.  It should concern us that polls tell us that over half of our pastors are addicted to pornography and view it in their offices.  It should concern us when the divorce rate in the church parallels that of society.  We have a real problem amongst us and it is not our being too holy for the world to relate to us. 

      Jesus is coming back for His church and we should be striving to be found blameless when He comes.  How can we do that?  By our own willpower and strength, we can't.  The only way we will be found blameless before God when Jesus comes is for us to live daily, moment-by-moment in Christ.  We must invest our time and energy into living holy lives.  We must adequately feed our souls and spend time alone with Him consistently.  We must live humbly and obediently before Him.  We must always strive to let the Lord have His way in us and through us.  God is faithful and will keep us blameless if we do our part and remain faithful to our pursuit of holiness in Him. 

STAY AWAY FROM EVIL

STAY AWAY FROM EVIL

I Thess. 5:22 Keep away from every kind of evil.  NLT

     Let's be honest with ourselves today. We don't do the best of jobs with staying away from evil things. We know we can't avoid it entirely because we live in an evil world. But, how hard do we really try? Do we deliberately not go where we know there will be sinful activities? Do we not linger and watch what we know to be sinful? Do we avoid evil conversations (talk laced with bad language, sexual overtures, gossip, etc.)? Do we entertain ourselves with stuff that we know is not good for our souls?     

      We must take responsibility for protecting our souls and minds from evil if we want to stay pure in God's eyes. Our failure to do so boils down to the will. We can do it, if we want to do it. The next time you are in the presence of evil, pause to ask yourself if you would linger there if Jesus were physically standing beside you. And remember, although He may not be with you physically, He is there with you. He sees all and knows all, including your deepest thoughts and motives.

      We will stumble and fall down, but we can control a lot of our stumbling and falling. All we have to do is say no to the evil we are confronted with in our lives. We can stay away from those things and places that would lead us into temptation. We are responsible for protecting our souls from evil. How well are you doing? You have no one to blame but yourself when you sin. And, God will blame no one but you when you sin.

PROPHECIES

PROPHECIES

I Thess. 5:20-21 Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.  NLT

       Prophecies are not limited to just the end times. They include anything God reveals about the future. Many predictions are made in the name of God about life. Unless they are clearly verified by God's Word, accept them with extreme caution. God only speaks from the context of His Word. He never says anything that contradicts or conflicts with His Word. Never. Therefore, be discerning about what you believe about the future. Test what you hear in light of God's Word. If His Word is in agreement, then you have reason to believe it is true. So many of us are way too quick to accept and believe what we hear simply because someone who is supposed to know what he is talking about says it. Examine everything you hear in light of what God has already said.

      One of the sure ways of knowing that the Bible is true is the way history has unfolded in light of the prophecies of the prophets of old.  We read often of what they said was going to happen and it did.  The Bible is historically accurate on all it proclaims.  It can be trusted to be accurate on all the prophecies not yet fulfilled.

      Everything that God has proclaimed is both true and good. Do not let Satan confuse you about it. Don't doubt God's Word, no matter how convincing someone's words may be. All Scripture comes directly from the mind and heart of God. It is absolutely true in everything it says from beginning to end. Unless you stand on that truth, you will be led astray. It is very important that we understand this, especially in these days, because we live amongst so many smooth talkers and people who have personality plus. If we are not careful, we get caught up by the messenger instead of the message.

       Prophecies are anything that speaks of what God is going to do. Pay attention to them, but always put what man says about them to the test of God's Word. Be wary of anyone who adds to or takes away from what God has already said.

      God never contradicts himself. If there seems to be a problem with what has been said, the problem is with man’s understanding, not with what God has said.  God is absolutely trustworthy in everything He declares.  If He said it happened, it happened.  If He says something is going to happen, it will. 

      Hold on to that which is true and good. Let it guide your living.

STIFLING THE SPIRIT

STIFLING THE SPIRIT

I Thess. 5:19-22  Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good.  Keep away from every kind of evil. NLT

      We stifle the Holy Spirit whenever we do not hear or listen to what He is saying to us.  He speaks to us mainly through the Word of God and there are so many different ways we fail to hear Him speak as we read it.  We often read it with our minds already made up as to what it says, instead of just reading it for understanding of what is being said.  We do not set aside quiet time when we read it so we can hear the Spirit speak.  We do not read enough of it to get a sense of what is being said.  We do not read it with our minds engaged.  We do not read it with the idea that we can learn new things.  We don't read it knowing we need to hear from God. 

      We stifle the Spirit when we shut out the Word being proclaimed.  We sometimes hear the Word proclaimed and do not evaluate it in light of the Word.  Instead of thinking over a text for ourselves, we blindly accept what others say about it.  We need to put everything we hear to the test of God's Word before we accept it.  In order to do that, we must engage our minds when the Word is being spoken.

      We need to hold on to that which is good and discard that which is not.  If we hear the Word being spoken, we take that which is good and discard that which is not good.  Just because someone may say it is true, doesn't make it true. 

      We are to keep away from every kind of evil.  In our minds, there should be a warning sign in front of evil when we encounter it.  WARNING:  DANGER AHEAD.  DO NOT GO ANY CLOSER.  IT IS DEADLY TO YOUR SOUL.  We dare not take evil lightly.  Stay away from it for the health of your soul.

KEEP ON PRAYING

KEEP ON PRAYING

I Thess. 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  NLT

       I don't know about you, but I wish the Lord had not put that word always in this verse. How can anyone always be anything, let alone joyful? Maybe the key to success is found in the next sentence. Keep on praying. Prayer certainly helps us to be joyful. How can we not be joyful when we are in the presence of the Lord? Now, I am not talking about what often passes for prayer. Prayer that causes us to be joyful is unhurried and it is focused solely on who the Lord is. It is time spent enjoying the presence of Christ and lingering to get to know Him better. It is not what we normally do. We have our own agendas and when we are done, we hurry on to the next thing. We don't like staying in our prayer closets any longer than we have to. When was the last time you simply waited on the Lord without an agenda? Is it any wonder joyfulness escapes us?

       We need to learn how to linger in God’s presence.  We need to learn how to not be time conscious when we pray.   The busier our lives become, the more time we should be spending in prayer.  The more complicated our lives become, the more time we should be spending in prayer.

      Always be thankful. The more we value life in Christ, the more thankful we will be. We live like it is not that big of a deal. We carry the Lord around like added baggage to an already full life. We often fail to stop in awe at the life we have in Him, except for maybe at Christmas and Easter time. We scarcely pause to worship Him in love and adoration. We get so caught up into life that we neglect our appreciation for eternal life. We are created in Christ Jesus for worship, thanksgiving, and praise.

      We are created in Christ Jesus through faith for fellowship and fruitfulness. Without faith there is no fellowship and without fellowship, there is no real faith.

ALWAYS IS NOT A SUGGESTION

ALWAYS IS NOT A SUGGESTION

I Thess. 5:16-18 Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  NLT

      We don’t like that word always.  It is frustrating to read it, because we know that we don’t do it.  We aren’t always joyful, thankful or prayer warriors.  We may try to be these things most of the time, but always?!!

       Even though we may struggle in these areas of our lives, we should always keep on trying.  We should never give up just because we find we can’t do it. 

       Joyfulness comes from staying focused on the activity of the Lord in our lives.  We need to never forget or take for granted that the God of the universe has chosen to take up residence in us.  We should rejoice that He is always at work in us to make us holy vessels for Him.  We should always keep in mind that we are children of God by His choosing. 

      Most of us are not prayer warriors.  It is one of those things that we don’t practice as much as we know we should.  It is hard for many of us to pray except for when we are in need.  Effective praying comes with much practice.  The more we pray the more comfortable we get with praying.  Praying opens up our hearts to God and invites Him in.  It is essential for our souls.

      We should never let circumstances dictate our gratitude.  We are never left alone to deal with life.  We have the promises of God for life now and for all eternity.  We have been given freedom from the bondage of sin and a clean heart before God.  We must always strive to think on these things and bow before our God in deep gratitude.

      God desires that we do these things.  He knows that it is great medicine for the soul.  He knows that as we do these things we will be able to live in victory and not defeat.   May the Lord help us to be doers of His Word and not just listeners of it.

BE GRACIOUS

BE GRACIOUS

I Thess. 5:14  Brothers and sisters, we urge you to those who are lazy.  Encourage those who are timid.  Take tender care of those who are weak.  Be patient with everyone.  NLT

       Do you know any lazy Christians?  If so, you need to warn them to change their ways.  How we live affects our witness.  A lazy Christian dishonors Christ.  We should be leading the way on how to live productive lives.  A lazy person generally is a vulnerable person.  Their slothfulness carries over into their spiritual lives.  You cannot stay connected to Christ by being lazy.  It takes diligent work to stay on track with the Lord.  It requires of us sacrifices of time and energy.  If you, or anyone you know who professes to know Christ, is lazy, in love warn them before it is too late.

       Do you know any timid Christians?  Encourage them to step out of their comfort zone.  Praise them for the good things they do.  Encourage them to just simply tell others what Jesus has done for them.  Remind them that they don't have to be a scholar in order to have a story to tell.  They don't even have to know the Bible well if they know Jesus well.

       Do you know any hurting or needy Christians?  Treat them with tender care.  Show them the love of Jesus.  Come alongside of them and just be a caring friend.  Everyone needs to know that someone truly loves them and wants to help them when they are weak.

        Dear friend, just be patient with everyone.  Be gracious.  Don't expect more from people than what they are able to do.  Give people some slack.  Be gracious, kind and understanding as people grow in grace, even as Christ is towards you. 

LAZINESS

LAZINESS

I Thess. 5;14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.  NLT

       There is no room in the work of the Kingdom for lazy people.  Lazy people do not get the work done.  They become a liability rather than an asset.  Lazy people have a tendency to be critical of those who are busy.  They are quick to judge and slow to change.  Lazy people are not growing people.  They lack the incentive to help themselves grow.  They are not good students of the Word, let alone doers of it.  They are not generally prayer warriors.  They always follow and never lead.

      We need to encourage one another to step out in faith.  We need to spur one another on to service in spite of fear and lack of confidence.  We need to inspire others by our example to become bold servants of God.

       We need to take tender care of the weak.  We should be aware of those who do not have strong faith and come alongside of them to help them.  We need to be sensitive to those who are vulnerable and need coaching along the way.  We need to get involved in their lives and do what we can to help them become strong.

      We need to learn to be patient with everyone.  Not everyone thinks alike and not everyone grows alike.  We must not become impatient with those who don’t seem to “get it” like we do.  We must allow the Lord time to teach and grow others in the faith.  We must ask the Lord to exercise patience to all, especially those who have a tendency to mess up more than others.  And while we are at it, we need to ask the Lord to grow us.  Our ability to help others depends on our own maturity of faith and understanding. 

HONOR YOUR LEADERS

HONOR YOUR LEADERS

I Thess. 5:12-13 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.  NLT

      There is a fine line between putting people on a pedestal and honoring what they do for the Lord.  We must be careful that we don’t idolize people because they may be talented and gifted.  We don’t idolize people because they have winsome personalities.  We don’t idolize them because of their position in life or wealth.  We don’t idolize them because of their successes in the world.  We don’t value them higher than others and make them out to be favored citizens of heaven.  However, we do need to honor those who are leaders in the Lord’s work.

      We should respect their role in the church.  God prepares and puts into place leaders in the church.  They are given the responsibility to preach and teach the Word.  They are responsible for spurring others on to greater faith and godliness.  They are responsible for the spiritual well-being of those whom they serve.  They have to answer to God for what they do. 

       We should respect what they say to us.  Godly leaders warn us of not only what is to come, but what happens to us now when we reject the Lord or His Word.  They warn us that sin has consequences and no one can escape them.  We need to pay attention to what they say to us and strive to put into practice what we hear.

       We should think highly of them and intentionally love them and pray for them.  It is so easy to criticize those in leadership.  They are vulnerable to being criticized and judged for their failures.  They are expected to be better than we are and to meet all of our expectations.  They are easy targets to blame when things don’t go the way we think they should.

      What we should do is be supportive of those who lead in a godly way.  We should appreciate what they are doing for the Lord.  We should come alongside of them and stand with them.  We should encourage them and support them in their efforts.  As long as leaders are doing the best they can do in their service to the Lord, we should be on their side and not against them.

       We should honor them by adequately supporting them in the work they do.  Support comes in a wide variety of ways: financially being fair to them, being kind to them, being positive, encouraging them, etc.  We must never forget that they are human just like we are and their need for being treated with decency and affirmation is just as important to them as it is to us.  We should as well treat their families in the same way we want our families to be treated.

       We should always strive to live in peace with not only our leaders, but every one of faith.  Internal conflict within the family of God is always wrong and should not be allowed to continue.

FAITH AND LOVE PROTECTION

FAITH AND LOVE PROTECTION

I Thess. 5:8  But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.  NLT

       The light is the truth of the Gospel message; it is living under the guidance and authority of the Holy Spirit.  When we are being led by the Holy Spirit, we should be thinking clearly about things.  It's when we take off and fend for ourselves that we begin to get confused about things and begin to question the truthfulness of the Gospel.

      When we are living in the light, we are protected by the body armor of faith and love.  We live by faith in Christ and are governed by the love of God.   Everything we do is influenced by our faith in Christ.  We see things through the Word of God and choose to live by the Word and nothing else.  We see the possibilities of what God can do in and through us instead of what we can't do.  We see the difference between that which is holy and unholy and choose to live by what is holy.  We accept as truth those things which our minds cannot grasp based on the fact that God has said it. 

      When we live in the light we are governed by God's love.  We seek to always embrace others through God's love and not be quick to dismiss them and judge them unworthy of our time or attention. 

      When we live in the light, we have our heads screwed on straight.  We are confident in how we live and our standing with God.  We know that Christ has saved us and we are moving in the right direction for heaven.  We seek always to honor and glorify Him as we live for eternity.  We see our lives on earth as an investment in eternity.

       When we live in the light we refuse to doubt in the dark what we know to be true in the light.  We refuse to let circumstances or feelings to overrule our faith.  We believe and trust in what God has said no matter what.  We refuse to listen to those who would distort, dilute, or deny God’s Word.

SALVATION CONFIDENCE

SALVATION CONFIDENCE

I Thess. 5:8 But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. NLT

      The Lord is not the Lord of confusion.  He clearly gives us understanding about the things we need to know.  He clearly reveals to His children the truths of the Gospel so that we can grow in faith and be more effective witnesses for Him.  He protects us from false teachings by making His Word known to us.  We, who are children of God, must always protect the light that we have been given so that we can think clearly.  Sin darkens the light and that is when we begin to get cloudy in our thinking and confused.

      Our protection from darkness is our body armor of faith and love.  Faith compels us to stay rooted in Christ.  It compels us to seek out truth through Him.  It compels us to listen to the Holy Spirit as we read the Word.  It compels us to filter all that we hear through the Word.  It compels us to get it right so that we don’t get led astray and sin against God.  Faith is evident in our desire to accurately know the truth of God’s Word and then live it.

       Love is our love for God.  If we love God, we will want to get things right.  We will want to know what He says and not necessarily what others say He says.  Our love for God protects us because we don’t want to misinterpret or misapply what God says.  We want to get it right because He is the lover of our souls and we want to please Him.

      We think clearly when we are confident in our minds about our salvation.  We know we are saved by how we think about Christ and His role in our lives.  Children of God have a desire to let Christ rule their hearts.  They have a desire to honor and please the Lord.  They want to put into practice the pure life of Christ.  They want to honor Him by becoming like Him.   They are not content with the status quo but always want to improve the quality of their spiritual lives.  The mindset of the redeemed is clearly set on becoming more and more like Christ.  

      Salvation confidence is seeing life through the lens of faith.  It is finding one’s purpose for living and meaning for life in Christ.  It is being spiritually-minded instead of being worldly-minded.  It is living with hope rooted in Christ.  It is wanting to please God and not man.  It is bearing fruit in one’ life that is consistent with the fruit of the Spirit.