1 Thessalonians 5
1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
4 comments:
TGIF, gents:
1 Thes 5:
In the midst of do and do not do, here's the bottom line:
9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
This really struck me as central to Paul's message and the Gospel in general. There is lots of advice that can be given about what should and shouldn't be done, but most importantly keep each other in mind! Be encouraging, I would love if more churches actually kept this message as part of their founding principles. It's enough to fight off the Enemy on a daily basis, we don't need to help each other be more discouraged when we're looking for fellowship.
Father, help us to grow to fill the image of your Son, let us be ever-forgiving, loving, encouraging, and hard-working. Please watch over jrs, let him find You and stand up to the Enemy. Let him learn to love, and help him know how much he means to those of us who have never even met him. Continue to watch over timmcd6's engagement, as well as ER's work in Your house, the two impending births, and the health of those wonderful women who are carrying those incredible gifts. Help us to be focused on growing closer to You and keeping our mind on Christ. We pray all of these things in Jesus' name,
Amen
crb
wow...what great instructions...just recently, the more i hear these words, the more they start to sink in. i have read these words before, but for some reason, they are starting to sink in more. not really sure why and not sure what that means or how it will change me. but there is just so much comfort in these instructions. and, actually, not just these verses, but so many of the verses we have read lately. i am praying that these instructions are not just words on paper but i adopt them as my way of living. slowly, and recently, i have felt them sinking in. the words trust and peace are what come to my mind right now. this is kind of jibberish but just what i was feeling. i pray for each of us that we maintain our focus on God as we enter the weekend. Have a great weekend!
1 Thes 5
Good stuff fellas. For sure timmcd6, now we just have to figure how to apply it daily. Certainly we should be encouraging each other and holding each other accountable. I believe that if we consistently read and study these things, it will have the desired effect; God is trying to tool us into His instruments. A guy who spoke at our church made this statement "Who you listen to determines the way you think; The way you think determines the decisions you make; Your decisions determine your actions; And your actions honor or dishonor God" Russ Cadle.
Keep plugging away fellas.
IN Christ,
cas
Man, This really describes how I feel so often, so I decided to post it here for you guys to see. It is from "On the Anvil" by Max Lucado.
On God's Anvil. Perhaps you've been there.
Melted down. Formless. Undone.
I know. I’ve been on it. It’s rough. It’s a spiritual slump, a famine. The fire goes out. Although the fire may flame for a moment, it soon disappears. We drift downward. Downward into the foggy valley of question, the misty lowland of discouragement. Motivation wanes. Desire is distant. Responsibilities are depressing.
Passion? It slips out the door.
Enthusiasm? Are you kidding?
Anvil time.
It can be caused by death, a breakup, going broke, going prayer less. The light switch is flipped off and the room darkens. “All the thoughtful words of help and hope have all been nicely said. But I’m still hurting, wondering…”
On the Anvil
Brought face to face with God out of the utter realization that we have nowhere else to go. Jesus, in the garden. Peter, with a tear-streamed face. David, after Bathsheba. Elijah and the “still, small voice.” Paul, blind in Damascus.
Pound, pound, pound.
I hope you’re not on the anvil. (Unless you need to be and, if so, I hope you are.) Anvil time is not to be avoided; it’s to be experienced. Although the tunnel is dark, it does go through the mountain. Anvil time reminds us of who we are and who God is. We shouldn’t try to escape it. To escape it could be to escape God.
God sees our life from the beginning to end. He may lead us through a storm at age thirty so we can endure a hurricane at age sixty. An instrument is useful only if it’s in the right shape. A dull ax or a bent screwdriver needs attention, and so do we. A good blacksmith keeps his tools in shape. So does God.
Should God place you on his anvil, be thankful. It means he thinks you’re still worth reshaping.
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