1 Thessalonians 3 & 4

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1 Thessalonians 3 (NLT)

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1 Thessalonians 4 (NLT)

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What I learned today...

Ch. 3:

v. 3-5, 7-8: "...and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know what we are destined for such troubles. Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come-and they did, as you well know. That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless." "So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord."

It is important for me to remain strong in faith in the Lord, even when I'm struggling and suffering. I never really thought about this before, but it's not only for me... I could be an encouragement for others in this also.

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v. 10: "Night and day we pray earnestly for you..."

This goes along with some things posted yesterday about praying. It's important to recognize "night and day" as well as "earnestly."

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v. 12: "And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows."

This verse doesn't boast of minimal love... overflowing love is on an entirely different level. My commentary book referenced John 13:35... "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." This kind of ups the ante and brings a whole new importance to the act of love. I desperately want others to see Jesus through me, and it's extremely clear here that one way to do this is through showing overflowing love to others.

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Ch. 4:

v. 8: "Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you."

The thought of rejecting God puts more fear in me than just the thought of disobeying Him. This is a great reminder of the seriousness of disobeying God!

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v. 10: "Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more."

The Thessalonians were known for their faith and the love they showed for Christ and for others (Ch. 1-3), but Paul encourages them to love even more. We can never love too much!

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v. 14-18: "For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words."

The last verse really caught my attention. I believe that all of this will happen, and I very much look forward to it.. it's something that is engrained in my heart... but do I encourage others with it? Possibly, but definitely not enough. It's something that brings so much joy to my heart, and I wish for everyone else to experience it also, but I'm not doing my part in sharing that joy.

Hebrews 2-4

Hebrews 2 (NLT)

Hebrews 3 (NLT)

Hebrews 4 (NLT)

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2:1

"So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it."

It takes more than mere belief to be a Christian. I must continually seek out Christ and follow His teachings. If I'm not diligent in my pursuit of Christ, I could easily drift away from it.

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2:18

"Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."

4:15-16

"¹⁵This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

These verses about Jesus are so encouraging! He became human and was tested and tried, just as we are. He knows what we are going through; He has been there! When I feel overwhelmed, I need to remember that Jesus has been here and knows what I'm going through. I need to come to Him in prayer and ask Him to help me when I'm struggling!

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3:7-8

"⁷That is why the Holy Spirit says, 'Today when you hear his voice, ⁸don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness."

3:15

"Remember what it says: "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."

4:7b

"God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts."

These verses all refer back to Psalm 95:7-8: "⁷for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! ⁸The LORD says, 'Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness.'"

(Meribah means "arguing," and Massah means "testing.")

Basically, God is making it real clear that when He speaks to me, I should listen to Him! The Israelites missed out on the Promised Land because of their bad attitudes and disobedience to God. I certainly don't want to miss out on all the wonderful things God has to offer me! It's so easy sometimes to avoid or talk myself out of something that God puts on my heart. When God speaks to me, I need to listen and obey, not turn away from Him.

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4:12-13

"¹²For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."

God's word (the bible) is meant to be more than just a good story to read. It's a powerful life-changing tool. The bible exposes things about myself that I need to be aware of and change. If I read it with a true open heart, I can see where I fall short in God's calling for me.

Also, I can't hide my heart and my true intentions from God. He knows everything about me. Thinking about that fact makes me ashamed for my past (and sometimes even my present). I am very blessed that He is willing to forgive me and wipe my slate clean day after day! I also want to do my best to please God and live the way He wants me to. When it comes down to it, my heart really has to be in it! God knows if I'm just going through the motions.

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy, Chapter 1 (NLT)

This is Paul's last letter written to Timothy. Imagine being in Paul's place. He has been put in jail for preaching the Good News of Jesus and the salvation He has to offer. Paul knows that he will soon be put to death for his beliefs, yet he still has the faith to continue believing and trusting in God. Not only that, but he has the courage to still be forthcoming about His beliefs. He didn't tone down his beliefs (or the preaching of those beliefs) just because persecution came his way. I can't even imagine going through the things that Paul (and other persecuted believers) have gone through. I say to myself that my faith is strong enough and nothing could make me deny my beliefs, but it's hard to really know without being in a situation to test that. I pray that God would give me the strength to profess my belief in Him no matter what my circumstances.

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Verse 3

"Timothy, I thank God for you--the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers."

I think this is wonderful. I love how Paul tells Timothy that he is constantly praying for him. This is something I really struggle with; I need to remember to pray for people much more often than I do. I also should not hesitate to let someone know if I'm keeping them in my prayers, because I could be withholding from them some much needed encouragement.

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Verse 8

"So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News."

No matter what, I should never be ashamed to speak up about the Lord! Before I was truly saved, I was ashamed to talk openly about God and my beliefs. I don't know why, but I was under the impression that it was something to keep quiet about. Then I met someone who changed my whole point of view on this. He was very, very open about his beliefs, to anyone and everyone. At the time I was really shocked by how open and forthcoming he was about it. It was soon after this that I was saved and now I understand. My relationship with Jesus is definitely not something to be ashamed of! Actually, it's quite the opposite! I love the fact that Jesus is in my life, and I would love to share that with anyone who is willing to listen. Unfortunately, what I want to do is not always what I actually do. I'm a shy person by nature, so it's often hard for me to share my feelings about anything, even my faith. I pray that when I am confronted with opportunities to share my faith, God will give me the strength and courage to simply speak up!

Also, Paul mentions that I will likely suffer because of my faith in Jesus. I admit that I have not encountered serious suffering for my beliefs. Sure, a lot changed in my life when I was saved. For example, I changed the way I was living my life, turning away from sin instead of letting it control my life. Sometimes it seems more fun to live in your sin, but this comes at a very high price (not worth it for me!!!). My change in lifestyle led to a change in friends. I grew apart from most of my friends, and although this has been hard, it's nothing compared to the suffering some people have encountered for their faith. Regardless of how severe my suffering for Christ is, Paul tells me to be ready for it. He also reminds me that I can get through it with the strength God gives me! I'm not expected to be able to overcome this suffering on my own.