The Lord Is Faithful

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5:1Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Reflection: Paul, Silas and Timothy ask for prayer for themselves in their ministry. The prayer is that they be effective in spreading the message of Christ – that they may be delivered from people who would try to stop them.

Verse 3, then, describes a truth I rely on still today. The Lord is faithful. He will strengthen me. He will protect me from the evil one.

These last few days have been very full for me. Had it not been for the faithfulness of God, I would have been overwhelmed. As it was I was able to live relatively stress-free. I did not let myself get frazzled. The peace of Christ ruled in my heart.

The Lord enabled me to do all I needed to do. He gave me all I needed along the way to do what I couldn’t do in my own power. He indeed directed my heart into His love and Christ’s perseverance. And He will do that still today for me and you. We have His word on it.

Foundational Realities

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: 16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Reflection: In some ways this is a very simple prayer for the people in Thessalonica. It begins by recognizing the love, grace, eternal encouragement and good hope we have in Christ. Those are words we can say quite easily and quickly without really thinking about them. It just sounds like a nice blessing to give someone.

Yet those words describe realities that are foundational for life and faith. They enable me to face anything that comes along.

I will live in those realities today. I will let the love and grace of God surround me. I will let the encouragement of Christ motivate me. I will let our hope in eternal life draw me forward. I will trust Him to strengthen my heart, my good deeds and my words this day.

Overcoming the Great Lie

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12: 9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Reflection: Satan’s primary tactic in the spiritual battle is to get us to believe in a lie. And the great lie is that I can take care of myself by myself – that I have within myself the potential to save myself.

This lie has been given all kinds of names. In years past we had the Human Potential movement. More recently we’ve seen the New Age movement. Sometimes it’s called Humanism or just Common Sense. All of the time, at the heart of it all, the great lie is fueled by my pride. I tell myself I should be able to do it. The delusion is that I can somehow be in control – that I am the master of my life.

God sent Jesus, His Son, precisely because of that great lie. He came with the greater truth. He came because we cannot save ourselves. We need help from beyond ourselves. So Jesus came to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Our strength lies in acknowledging our weakness. It comes when I surrender myself humbly to Christ. All I have to is believe Him. That’s the truth that sets us free. That’s the greater truth that overcomes the great lie.

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.

Reading for Sunday, September 28
Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15: 13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

The On-Going Spiritual Battle

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8: 5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

Reflection: One of the things that’s easy to overlook is the spiritual battle that’s being waged right now. We are all caught in the midst of it. I don’t always take time to see it.

Satan is actively working in the world. He has a lot of freedom to work on us. By the grace of God, the Spirit is holding him back from taking total control. If it wasn’t for Him I would have no chance. I would be swept away by Satan’s power – helpless to do anything at all.

But in Christ we have our strength – our rock. For Jesus Christ will be (already is?) victorious.

So I’ll keep my eyes open as this battle is waged. Satan’s primary plan if to get us away from God. The further away I let myself drift, the weaker I become. So I’ll be careful about becoming distracted. The fancy things in life might catch my eye and tempt me to get off track. More often it’s the concerns and pressures of life that lead me to feel stressed. The more stressed I feel, the more I’m inclined to rely on my own power……and the weaker I become.

I refuse to give into that. I’ll rely on God to provide what I need, to handle what needs to be handled, and to accomplish what needs to be done. I’ll let His peace rule in my heart. And as I do what I can do, I won’t worry about what doesn’t get done.

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.

Don't Be Alarmed

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4: 1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Reflection: It seems pretty clear that people back in the early days of the church expected Christ to return in their lifetime. Here Paul offers advice that still applies today.

We know the return of Christ is still to come. Like our first century brothers and sisters we don’t know when that will happen. At the same time, there will always be people talking about it and speaking as though it will happen very soon.

It may happen soon. It might happen this very day. It might be in a hundred years. Paul’s advice still comes to us “not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy.” His return has not yet happened. His return will happen one day. As I keep my faith and trust in Him, I’m ready whenever it may happen. In the meantime, I will live today. I will be open to His leading today. I will follow Him today.

Still Learning to Pray

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: 11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection: The Bible is an amazing and unpredictable book. Sometimes I’ll read chapters at a time, and nothing of great significance pops out to me. Then I come across a couple verses like this where nearly every word has great meaning.

“We constantly pray for you.” Who can I say that to? And what does it mean to pray “constantly” for someone? There are really very few people I pray for every day. Yet there are many I pray for constantly – that is two or three times a week. At the same time, that list changes depending on what’s happening in peoples’ lives.

Another thing I see here is Paul is praying for a group of people – a church. That’s something I don’t do very often at all. I have several friends who are pastors. And while I often pray for them, I usually overlook their churches.

One other thing I notice is I tend to pray for people facing particular challenges or problems. I seldom pray for people who are healthy and strong and doing well.

Many questions regarding my prayer life are raised for me today I’ll make some changes. Specifically, I’ll start intentionally praying for various healthy people each day.

Thank you, Lord, for these thoughts. Teach me to pray this day.

God Is Just

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10: 5All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Reflection: God is just! That’s a reality we can count on. When all is said and done, Christ will be on the throne, and we who have believed in Him will be relieved of all the troubles embracing our faith has brought us.
In crass human terms, in Christ we are on the winning side. Satan already had been defeated. Every time we stand for truth and justice in our world, no matter what the cost, we contribute to that defeat.
There are many opportunities every day for me to compromise with the culture around me. It’s easy to ignore injustice as it happens in so many places. By my silence I even participate in that.
Lord, open my eyes and ears to the world around me. Give me courage, strength and wisdom to work for your Kingdom – to establish your justice in the world and in this local community today.

Always Moving Forward

Scripture – 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4: ¹Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ²Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. ⁴Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Reflection: And so a second letter to the church at Thessalonica begins. The people are commended for their continuing growth in faith and love. In fact, Paul and his partners use the Thessalonians as an example of perseverance for other churches.

That’s a nice thing to hear. It’s also a little discomforting. It’s great to have a good reputation. There’s also a bit of pressure to live up to it.

There’s an old song we sing from time to time. It begins with the proclamation, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” It ends with the challenge, “…no turning back, no turning back.”

Once I embrace Christ as the leader and director of my life, there is no way to go except forward. If I get off track, I don’t back up and start over again. Jesus meets me where I am, He picks me up and we move forward from there. As we keep moving and growing and maturing, our reputation will take care of itself. As long as our focus is always on Christ and His call today, we don’t have to worry about maintaining that reputation. We just keep responding faithfully to what He has for us to do.

A Virtue for Today

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22: 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.

Reflection: The list continues from yesterday. Again, I see attitudes behind the actions. As you read these verses, note the things that pop out to you – areas in which you might focus over the next few days.

Giving thanks in all circumstances is one that stands out to me. Most of the time I remember to say, “Thank you.” At a deeper level, however, the trick is to let myself be thankful. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure. I don’t have to look hard to see that. I sometimes get distracted by jealousy and envy. That’s when it’s important for me to step back and let myself again be thankful.

I will live with a thankful heart today. Christ has given me all I need for this day. I will thank Him with regularity as the day unfolds.

Which of these virtues will you choose for the day? How will you be different because of that choice?

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting tomorrow morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We’ll meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.

Reading for Sunday, September 21

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28: 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.

A Great Reminder

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15: 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.

Reflection: Here’s a whole list of practical ways to live as part of the Christian community. I find lists like this to be very helpful. This one highlights attitudes more than behavior. It points to the idea of letting Christ change me from the inside out.

As I read through these verses and note each virtue on the list, different people pop into mind. I think of a number of individuals I could warn, help or exercise patience with. And I think of people who have done those things for me.

I have to be careful that I don’t turn this list of attitudes into another set of laws to obey in order to assure my salvation. It’s not a checklist I can put up on the wall and start crossing things off once I’ve done them. It’s simply a reminder. As a follower of Christ, how does my life reflect the attitudes and behaviors listed here? How does my commitment to Christ come into play with real people I encounter every day?

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.

Good News for Everyone

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11: 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.

Reflection: Here’s a basic message I need to hear over and over. It’s a message a lot of people need to hear. I need to remember, when we share the gospel, we’re not trying to get people to join a club. Because of Christ, I live each day – even in the darkest of days – with hope and promise. I have fullness in life and peace in my soul. My life is so rich and good because of what He’s done for me. That’s what He wants for everyone.

I know many people live in fear of the Lord. They are truly afraid of God and what He might do to them. The foundational truth of our faith is, God sent His Son so we might receive salvation. Christ died for us so “we may live together with him.”

God wants the best for us. So many people miss that. How can I get that across to them? How can we communicate that? What new languages do I need to learn?

This is a big part of our mission as members of the wider Christian community. We are to encourage one another with the truth outlined in this passage. Then, as I’m aware of what Christ has done for me, I look for opportunities to share that good news. For, indeed, it is good news for all people.

Antiquated Thinking

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8: 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.

Reflection: Here I see some guidelines on how to live in readiness. Very simply, we are to live as children of the light – children of the day. We are to be alert and self-controlled.

In our present day North American culture those are two aspects of life that are being down-played all the time. Rather than staying alert, our culture works to dumb us down. Complex issues are turned into “yes or no” responses. Thoughtful examination of the challenges facing our country is replaced by headline news. The “ostrich approach” is a popular way of dealing with much of life.

Self-control is another value that’s discouraged by the advertising power of our culture. We don’t have to wait for anything. We have instant credit and instant gratification – even if it means instant debt. The idea of saving up to buy something is antiquated thinking.

In today’s’ culture, where do I need to be more alert? In what areas of my life can I exercise more self-control? More specifically, what’s one thing I want today that I will put off until tomorrow?

Staying Ready

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3: 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.

Reflection: Some people get really caught up in studying the end times. They devote their lives to figuring out when Christ will return. All my life I’ve heard various people point out that the signs all point to it happening very soon.

Yet the direction today is very clear: Don’t be concerned about times and dates. The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly. It will be a surprise. All we know for sure is, it will come.

My call is to live today. As part of that, yes, I make plans for tomorrow. I look ahead. I expect to live for several more years. And I expect to be involved in some form of ministry for all those years.

At the same time, if Christ comes today, I’m ready. My faith and trust in Him are all I need. Whether life as I know it ends by my death or Christ’s return, I keep myself ready.

How about you? On what hope are you standing today?

Three Things

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: ¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Reflection: This is overwhelming. There have been countless books written and sermons preached on the truths contained in this brief passage. So I’ll just touch on three things.

1) I am to overcome my ignorance regarding Biblical truth. There’s a lot about the Bible I don’t know. In fact, there’s a lot I’m content to not know. It’s far easier to stay ignorant than to learn. I’ll change that attitude.

2) Christ will come again. I don’t know how it will look or when it will be. This passage tries to give some description. I tend to think that, as Jesus sort of snuck into the world the first time, He just might do that again. A lot of people say they know what to expect. I do not. I only know at some point, in His timing, Jesus Christ will return to Earth. For my part, I’ll keep myself ready.

3) “And so we will be with the Lord forever.” When all is said and done, in Christ, I live with this promise. If we put our faith in Him, we’ll be fine – no matter what happens. Neither my ignorance nor my sin will nullify that promise. Those are very encouraging words.

Set Apart

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8: ³It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; ⁶and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. ⁷For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Reflection: This is pretty clear. To be “sanctified” is God’s will for us. That’s not a word I use in everyday conversation. Yet it describes a reality that I’m called to bring into every day.

In its simplest meaning, to be sanctified means to be made holy. To be made holy means to be set apart for God’s use. Again, that’s not language I use at the gas station or even around our family dinner table. It is, however, a description of who Christ wants me to be.

If I live from that perspective, it affects all of life – how I see people, how I see myself, how I act, how I think, etc. We’re called, for example, to control our own bodies in a way that is “holy and honorable.”

What does that look like for me? What does that look like for you? How will we live as holy people today? There’s clue in tomorrow’s reading.

Reading for Sunday, September 14

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12: ⁹Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. ¹¹Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

A Brief Word Today

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2: ¹Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ²For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Reflection: There are some personal things going on today that I’m not going to talk about here. As a result, it’s hard for me to focus on this passage.

Just give some thought to the instructions you have on how to live. We all pretty much know right from wrong. Generally, we know what we should or shouldn’t do. The instruction here is that we commit ourselves to growing and living in the way that pleases God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your instructions. Thank you for your interaction in our lives. Empower us all today with your grace and strength. Thank you.

God's Messy Love

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13: ¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹²May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Reflection: Life in the Christian community always comes back to love. “May the Lord make your love increase….” To me that means I let love grow deeper and establish stronger, firmer roots in me.

This love also is meant to “overflow.” It’s like filling a glass with water. If I don’t stop pouring water into it, it will overflow and everything around it will get wet, as well. Now generally that’s not a good thing in this image of a glass. However, it is God’s intention for the love He pours into me. It is meant to overflow and splash on people around me.

I can choose to let that happen or I can interrupt the flow by blocking out God’s love. That way I can control where it goes and who gets it. However, when I do that, I’m never full myself.

Real love in the church is not intended to be controlled. Like an overflowing glass, it might get messy. At the same time, the love God has for me is not something for me to keep, but to give away.

So this love is meant to “increase and overflow for each other and for everyone.” How will I do that today? How will I let that happen? How will you?

Leaning on Each Other

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 3:7-10: ⁷Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ¹⁰Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

Reflection: We never know who might be watching us. We cannot know the affect our faithfulness may have on other people.

In this brief letter, Paul has let us see a bit of himself – his fear and insecurity. His own faith needed some shoring up. The Thessalonians provided that.

I understand that. It’s not an issue of giving up the faith. I’m committed to Christ. He is my Savior and the one I follow. That’s not going to change.

At the same time I have my own personal issues that rise up in me from time to time. I’ve learned those are times I need the faith of other people. I need to know someone else is staying strong. And I need to let them know I need to learn on them.

In other days, they will lean on me. Such is life in the Christian community. It all leads back to thanking God for all the joy we have because of what He’s done for us all.

We never know who might be watching us. We cannot know the affect our faithfulness may have on other people. I’ll live with that in mind today.

The Power of a Good Report

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 3:4-6: ⁴In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. ⁵For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. ⁶But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.

Reflection: As we saw yesterday, Paul was in Athens when he sent Timothy to Thessalonica. Paul himself was being persecuted – literally being followed from town to town by people trying to stop him from preaching.

In the midst of that, he found himself worrying about the Thessalonians. Were they facing persecution? Where they standing firm or were they giving into the temptation to give up? So he sent Timothy to see them. And Timothy brought back good news. I can feel some of the lift that brought to Paul.

Sometimes, when I’m feeling discouraged, I begin wondering if anyone is standing firm. Has anything I’ve done made any difference? I’ll start convincing myself that what we’re about as Christian people is a waste of time – a lost cause. I’ll start thinking everyone else feels the same way. If I’m not careful, I’ll let myself begin spiraling down deeper into despair.

In those times, I need to hear from other believers. I need a good report from them. That is encouraging to me and refreshing for my spirit. As the old song says, “Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my work’s in vain; but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.” Lord, thank you for the ways you refresh me and lift me up. Thank you for the wider community of faith in which I live. Remind me that even when I’m feeling down others are staying strong. Thank you for the strength I receive from their strength.

The Art of Delegation

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3: ¹So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. ²We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.

Reflection: There are a couple things I notice here. First, Paul trusted Timothy. Sometimes I get caught up wanting to do things myself. I know how I want them done. And I don’t trust anyone else to do them as I would.

Aside from the arrogance behind that kind of thinking, there’s the simple fact I will quickly become overwhelmed with all there is to do. Trusting other people to handle things is part of leadership. To do that, I accept the reality they will do things differently than I would – not necessarily better, just different. On the plus side, it’s one less thing for me to be concerned about. I’ll practice that this week.

The goal here was to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. Timothy apparently did that quite effectively. The lesson for me is, if I ask someone to do something they can do, I also have to trust them and give them the freedom to do it – however they choose. I keep myself available for advice if they ask, but I will not be looking over their shoulder all the time.

The second thing I notice here is the power of encouragement. The Thessalonians were facing some kind of trials. A word of encouragement was given just to help them stay settled and focused. It’s not hard to encourage someone, as long as I’m authentic in that. Who can you give an authentic word of encouragement to today?

Living by Faith or Fear

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16: ¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, ¹⁵who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men ¹⁶in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Reflection: Living in Christ will set us apart in the wider community. The Kingdom perspective is nearly the complete opposite of our culture’s perspective. As I truly and faithfully walk in the Way of Christ, tensions will arise. I will find myself faced with choices that have real implications. Sometimes they are serious implications.

In the first century, people put their lives at risk by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. On a daily basis, most suffered great loss, as well. Faith in Christ could get one cut out of your family. It could cost you your job. You might not be allowed to shop in the marketplace.

In the face of that, why am I such a timid Christian today? Where I live puts me at risk for none of those things. Yet I let my fear of what people might think of me influence my behavior more than I care to admit.

Lord Jesus, I’m sorry. Give me courage and wisdom today to live in your Way. Keep me open to whatever opportunities arise to stand for you and with you.

Reading for Sunday, September 7

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20: ¹⁷But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. ¹⁹For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

A Model for Life in the Church

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:10-13: ¹⁰You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹²encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. ¹³And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

Reflection: Once again, this is a passage loaded with so much stuff it’s hard to find a place to begin. One of the things I see is a model for life in the church. We are to encourage one another and comfort one another. Those two words are related on a deep level.

To encourage means to fill with courage – to let someone know, ‘You can do this! Don’t give up!’ To comfort means to bring strength or fortitude to someone in a tough situation. That can come from a spoken word or a quiet presence.

A third part of the model is that we urge one another to “live lives worthy of God.” That’s one of the dynamics of being in community. We remind each other of who we are and what we’re about. The Democrats and Republicans came out of their respective conventions pumped up – ready to work for their candidates. What would happen if we came out of our worship experiences, our Bible studies, our business meetings like that?

Actually, we’re pretty good at encouraging and comforting. Urging each other on may be a growing edge for us. How might we get at that?

And how about you? Who has given these things to you? To whom might you give them over these next few days?

Sharing Our Lives

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:5-9: ⁵You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ⁶We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, ⁷but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. ⁸We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ⁹Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

Reflection: One of the crucial aspects of pastoral ministry is that I let myself love the people I serve. As we read here, I not only share the gospel, I share my life as well. I don’t know any other way to do ministry.

There are certainly risks involved, just as there are risks in any relationship. One of the difficult parts of this comes when people die. I’ve been at Bethel long enough that, when I officiate at a funeral, most often it’s a service for a friend.

At the same time, that’s also part of the great reward. It’s a privilege to walk with someone through the final days of life on this earth, all the while knowing it’s not the end of life. The joy of loving far outweighs the pain of grieving. The promise of eternal life casts everything here in the bright light of Christ – reminding us all that much of what we fuss about are trivial matters.

So we continue – sharing the gospel, sharing our lives, sharing our hope. For we know whatever happens today, we will live tomorrow in Christ.

The Measure of Success

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 2:1-4: ¹You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. ²We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. ³For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. ⁴On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Reflection: Wow! These verses are loaded! They begin by touching on how we judge success or failure. From our culture’s standpoint success is measured by results. From the Kingdom perspective success is measured by faithfulness.

Paul faced “strong opposition” in Thessalonica. Yet he and his companions persevered and kept presenting the gospel faithfully. A lot of times opposition will do that. Tell me “No,” and I’ll be even more persistent in moving ahead.

However, there’s also the reminder/warning here about motives. If I’m not careful, I’ll forget why I’m doing something. In the face of opposition it becomes my cause or my project. So I’m called to constantly step back for a moment and check my motives. Am I trying to please God? Or have I slipped into a different perspective?

I’ll keep an eye on all that today. I’ll remember I can act from pure motives only “with the help of God.” So, Lord, please keep me grounded in you as this day unfolds.

Watchers

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 ⁷And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Reflection: What would the world look like if people used me as a model? What would that mean for their life and faith? Those are troubling questions. At the same time, they point to a reality of life. We do watch other people. And we are watched by other people.

So the question becomes, what do people see in me? As a community of faith, what do people see in us?

What’s crucial, I think, is not that I put on a front, but that I let Christ come alive in me and live through me in a way that’s real. For one thing people see is phoniness. I don’t need to be perfect. I do need to be authentic. If I am, people will see that, as well.

Lord Jesus, teach me to be who I am today – remembering you are part of who I am. Make me a model worth imitating.

Who will you watch today? Who might be watching you? What sort of report will they bring?

Welcoming the Message

Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-6: ⁴For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: As far as we can tell, 1 Thessalonians is the oldest letter from Paul we have in the New Testament. That is, if we put Paul’s letters in chronological order, this would be first. We don’t know how Paul came upon the idea of writing to various churches. But the Thessalonian’s letters most likely came early in this new aspect of his ministry.

Here at the beginning, he refers to the way the Thessalonians received the gospel. It came “not simply with words, but also with power.”

How do you prepare yourself when you read the Bible? If I’m not careful, I’ll just begin reading without any preparation. Sometimes it’s even like a chore – a discipline that needs to be done. I’m not really expecting to find anything special. Now, I’ve found that even in those times the Spirit often brings some lesson or new observation to my attention.

However, the more effective way to approach scripture, by far, is to simply ask God to open my mind and heart to His word. In that, I open myself to His power, as well as just the written words. It’s the difference between hoping to see something and expecting to see something. When I come to the Bible with that openness, nearly every time, something special happens.

How will I welcome God’s message today? How will you?