The Disappearance of God- I Samuel 3:1

"And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." During that time in Israel's history when it transitioned from a confederation of chieftains to a unified nation-state, there was little or no revelation of God to His chosen people. Why? Was God less present? Maybe it wasn't so much because God was disappearing but because the people of Israel become more evil and, therefore, were unable or had no desire to see or know God. We know that there was significant corruption and pervasive unbelief among Israel's religious leaders: "Thus the sin of the young men [the high priests sons] was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt (I Samuel 2:17). The diminution of  a vision for God in Israel in those days was the result of increased sin and disbelief among the people and religious leaders and not because God was any less present among them. It seems, however, that God often allows His people to come to brink of destruction before He saves them so that they will understand that God is our Savior and not we ourselves. "And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord" (3:21). If the God's Word is rare and there is no frequent vision for God in your life, then it's time to examine yourself because God hasn't disappeared. Sin and unbelief may be creeping in and preventing you from seeing God Who is always present and willing to reveal His Word to you.

The God of the Powerless - I Samuel 2:1-10

This passage is known as Hannah's Prayer or Song or the Magnificat of Hannah. The story of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, expresses a theological theme that is oft-repeated throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Ruth 1-4) and in the ministry of Jesus (e.g., Matthew 5:1-11): God is the protector and the provider of those who have been marginalized by life and He is especially interested in  reversing the circumstances of those unfortunate ones by His power: "The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength" (vs. 4). He is God of the powerless not the powerful. In other words, if you have been marginalized by this world, then access to God's intervention is especially available to you. With God misery is not necessarily the antithesis of joy but can be the bearer of joy, the path to fulfillment; desperation can point the way to hope; and misfortune can open the door to blessedness. So what's amazing to me about Hannah is the clear theological understanding of God that this young mother expressed in her song of praise to God. Hannah realized that with God our lives are not defined so much by our present circumstances but by what will be our circumstances in the future—not what we are but what we are becoming because of His lovingkindness and salvation: "He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needs from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lords', and on them he has set the world" (vs. 8).

God's Eternal Life Insurance Policy - II Corinthians 5:5

"He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee." The Holy Spirit is God’s eternal life insurance policy taken out on His people on this side of eternity. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will be beneficiaries of the Kingdom to come. The Holy Spirit appropriates God’s creative and redemptive activity into the lives of His people. By the indwelling Holy Spirit God prepares us in the here and now for all the rewards and benefits of the hereafter. George Eldon Ladd says that the indwelling Holy Spirit is like a down payment on our ultimate future in much the same way as we make a down payment on a home to indicate our intention to own it and abide in it. The partial possession of the home guarantees full possession when the mortgage is completely paid off. In the same way the indwelling Holy Spirit is the down payment on the fullness life we will one day experience in eternity. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the evidence of our citizenship in eternity with God. By filling us with His Spirit, God has consummated a divine contract with us to ensure that we participate in eternity with Him.

An Unlikely Participant in God's Providence - Ruth 4:13-18

A Jewess named Naomi moved from Bethlehem in Judah to the country of Moab with her husband and family. They remained there many years and both of Naomi's sons married Moabite women. In a tragic turn of events Naomi's husband died, both of her sons died, and Naomi and her two daughters-in-law had no family to care and provide for them. Naomi decided to return to Judah to live among her relatives and one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, determined to accept the faith of Naomi and move with her: "For where you go I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16). When Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, Ruth provided food for Naomi and herself by gleaning grain in the harvested fields. Boaz, the owner of the field, noticed Ruth and learned that she was Naomi's daughter-in-law and was working to support them both. So Boaz allowed Ruth special privileges in gleaning the grain to help her and Naomi. Near the end of the harvest season Naomi told Ruth to present herself to Boaz as her kinsman-redeemer, because he was a relative of Naomi. Provision was made in the Law of Moses for the nearest relative to redeem his kinsman's lost opportunities. If a family member was forced into slavery, his kinsman-redeemer purchased his freedom. If a family member died without an heir, the kinsman-redeemer perpetuated the name and heritage of the deceased by marrying the widow and raising a son  So Boaz agreed to redeem Ruth and he took her as his wife and they had a son: "They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David" (Ruth 4:17). This story demonstrates the providence of God at work in the life of a most unlikely participant in His plans and purposes. Ruth was a Moabite and a young widow and therefore, had no standing and few prospects in ancient Israel. Yet God used her to perpetuate the heritage through whom King David would be born and utlimately the human heritage through whom the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was born. If God can use someone as unlikely as Ruth to play such an important role in His providence, how much more can each of us be deliberate participant's in God's plans and purposes!

God's Big I Love You - Isaiah 43:4

"Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life." In the closing verses of Isaiah 42 God decries Israel's failure to hear and see His salvation and to "take it to heart" (42:25). God tried everything with Israel to get their attention even allowing them to be plundered by other nations and taken into captivity (42:23-25). God pleads with Israel to return to Him and His salvation if for no other reason than He is their God and they are His chosen people. Since none of His other efforts have convinced Israel of His love for them, God implores them to do it for the sake of love. "You are precious and I love you!" God declares. God loves His people Israel so much that He will go to any length to redeem them, even to the extent of taking a ransom for the sake of their redemption. God loves us so much that He did take a ransom for our salvation--Jesus Christ, His One and Only Son. Jesus is God's big "I love you" by Whom He is beseeching us today to receive His salvation.

God's Big Yes - II Corinthians 1:20-22

"And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." Paul uses a financial term to describe the gift of the Holy Spirit given to those who believe in and follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given as a "down payment" or "deposit" or "guarantee” of a future inheritance. This "guarantee" refers to the first installment paid as a pledge of faithfulness to complete a purchase. The indwelling Holy Spirit is a down-payment on the life that Jesus has purchased for us--eternal life. By the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit God gives a foretaste of the life to come that He has prepared for His people. The gift of the Holy Spirit is God's pledge to us that we can receive eternal life through Christ Jesus: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him" (vs. 20). Jesus is God's big YES to humanity and the gift of the Holy Spirit assures you that God is saying Yes to you!

A Lack of Integrity - Judges 21:25

"In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The final sentence in the Book of Judges is an editorial comment that repeats earlier ones (17:6; 18:1; 19:1t). Israel's sin and unbelief had reached new depths and so the stage was set for the coming of a godly king, David, a man after God's own heart with whom God would make an everlasting covenant (cf. Ruth 4:17; 1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 7). When people do not acknowledge and abide by God's commands then there is no absolute standard for truth and righteousness and the moral fiber of a society declines and a state of lawlessness and political disorder can occur. This decline can happen collectively and individually. When an individual has no absolute moral standards, then an individual's decisions and actions lack integrity and character erodes and falls into decline as each one defines his or her own version of right and wrong. When everybody has a different moral standard, then social and political anarchy and takes over a nation, its institutions, and individuals.

Dying Your Way To Eternal Life - I Corinthians 15:35-58

I once lived in a house that was located across the road from a soybean field. In the early summer that field was lush with green, leafy soybean plants. In autumn the large leaves on the soybean plants turned bright yellow. As the autumn days became shorter and cooler the soybean leaves would begin to shrivel and the plant would start to die. When it seemed that the field became a soybean plant cemetery, then the farmer would come to harvest the soybeans from the dead plants. The Apostle Paul explains that the death of the natural body is necessary for the resurrection to a spiritual body: "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain....So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable" (vs. 36-37, 42). Just like the farmer harvesting his soybean field, God harvests the lives of His people for eternity from the lives they live in the present age when they pass through death. The way human beings enter into eternal life is through the death of the physical body (unless you happen to be living when Jesus returns). You have to die to live eternally. The death of the physical body is your entrance into eternal life, so you will want to closely consider what you sow in your present life to ensure that you will be all that God wants you to be for eternal life.

The Rest of the Gospel - I Corinthians 15:19

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." The great radio broadcaster Paul Harvey had a radio program called "The Rest of the Story." In this program he would usually reveal some little known fact about some well-known person, but wait to the end of the segment to reveal the famous person's name. When we present the gospel of Jesus Christ to people, we are often quite articulate in explaining that Christ died to save us from sin but we sometimes forget to present the rest of the gospel--that Christ arose from the dead to prepare us for eternal life. The gospel message must include both Christmas and Easter! The Apostle Paul says that if Christ came only to save us from our sins then we are to be pitied for believing a story like that. So it is very important that we understand and then tell the whole message about Jesus: Christ saved us from our sins and to eternal life. The first part of the message explains what we need to do; the second part explains why we need to do it. The hope for resurrection from the dead and preparation for eternal life is essential to one's acceptance of and belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Does God Give Do-Overs? - Isaiah 38:7-8

“This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps. So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined." Hezekiah, king of Judah, contracted a serious illness. The prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah and told him to get his affairs in order because his illness was terminal. Hezekiah immediately cried out to God and prayed for restoration and healing. God determined to heal Hezekiah and add fifteen years to his life and sent Isaiah back to report the good news to Hezekiah. Hezekiah asked Isaiah what would be the sign that he would be healed and Isaiah gave Hezekiah a choice of either shortening or lengthening the day. Hezekiah thought that lengthening the day was the more difficult miracle for God to perform and made that his request. So God turned back time as a sign to Hezekiah by causing the shadow on the steps of Ahaz, a sort of sundial, to move back ten steps--possibly the equivalent of ten hours. This miracle seemed to symbolize moving the clock back on Hezekiah's life. While some have speculated how this miracle could have occurred, what we can learn from Hezekiah's experience is that our God is a God of second-chances. When God redeems us and we are under His loving care, it is as if He has turned the clock back on all our mistakes and sins. Our God gives do-overs and He sends us His Holy Spirit so we do it right the next time around!

The Love Test - I Corinthians 13:4-7

I Corinthians 13 is known as the "Love Chapter" in which the Apostle Paul explains a way of life motivated by love. What if we took Paul's description of love and made it into a test to see if love motivates our lives? Rate yourself on this 10-question Love Test based on I Corinthians 13:4-7 and then decide for yourself how much love motivates you:
1. Are you patient and kind to other people?
 __Always  __Mostly  __Sometimes  __Never
2. Are you ever jealous of someone else?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
3. Do you like to talk about yourself?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
4. Do you like to have your own way?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
5. Are you easily irritated with others?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
6. Do you resent others successes?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
7. Do you like to hear about other people's problems and mistakes?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
8. Do you give up when things don't go your way?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
9. Do you have a positive outlook?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never
10. Do you think things will turn out for the best?
__Always __Mostly __Sometimes __Never

The Spiritually Gifted - I Corinthians 12:31

"But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." The Apostle Paul begins a response to the Corinthians' question about Spiritual gifts in corporate worship in I Corinthians 12. Paul identifies varieties of Spiritual gifts and varieties of Spiritual service. (We render the word "Spiritual" with a capital "S" to indicate that the source of the gift or service is God the Holy Spirit and not the individual who may be perceived to be "spiritual" because he or she is exercising the gift.) Paul explains that these manifestations (gifts and services) of the Holy Spirit are given for the common good. He makes an analogy of God's people, the Church, being similar in function to a human body. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (vs. 27). There are many parts to the human body; some body parts perform a higher function than other body parts; yet all parts of the human body are required for the body to function properly. It is the same for the dispensation of Spiritual gifts and services to the collective body of Christ. Therefore, we should earnestly desire Spiritual gifts and especially the higher gifts that do more to build up the body of Christ. And while it is desirable to seek the higher gifts, a still more excellent way is to use those gifts in love as explained in I Corinthians 13 so that the body of Christ is built up as explained in I Corinthians 14.

Highway To Heaven - Isaiah 35

In this poetic passage Isaiah points to the promised future that was inaugurated by the first coming of Jesus Christ and will be fully consummated at His second coming. Isaiah contrasts the suffering of the present age with the spiritual well-being and physical healing and wholeness in the world to come, which was demonstrated repeatedly in Jesus' own ministry and will be fully realized in the resurrection bodies of God's people when Christ returns. God's pilgrim people are on a journey to their eternal home following the metaphorical highway named Holiness Way: "And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness...It shall belong to those who walk on the way" (vs 35:8). This highway is clearly marked and no danger lies along the way because it is the way the redeemed of the Lord travel to enter into His eternal salvation: "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (vs. 10; this verse is also quoted in Isaiah 51:11). As God's people travel through this life and when they arrive at their eternal destination they do so with joy and gladness because it is the place they will see God and be with Him in His glory and majesty (vs 2).

Do All to the Glory of God - I Corinthians 10:31

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  The theology Paul has developed in I Corinthians 8-10 in regard to the eating of food offered to idols can be summed up in this principle: You should not act or behave in a way that could be detrimental to the cause of Christ. When you belong to Christ, then every aspect of your life is a living testimony to His redemptive love. Thus, you should keep your behavior and actions in check and be aware of how others may perceive your behavior. Avoid the appearance of evil for Christ's sake. Always remember that when you belong to Christ every aspect of your life has the potential to honor God.

Our Spiritual Heritage - I Corinthians 10:11

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” The Apostle Paul used several examples and non-examples from Israel's wilderness wanderings to warn the Corinthians what can happen to people who hear God's words and see his works but do not believe or are disobedient to His plans. Although most of the Corinthians were Gentiles, Paul assumed a continuity or spiritual connection between Old Testament Israel and the Gentile Corinthians (and Christians today). According to Paul's theology, the experiences of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament were designed by God beforehand and placed in history to point forward to a later, larger fulfillment. This fulfillment takes place preeminently in Christ. The Corinthians along with God's people today live in the time of the end of the age--the fullfillment--and are, therefore, the recipients of all the benefits and blessings of God’s plan of redemption in Christ. Today, we have the privilege of looking into the past and seeing the examples and non-examples of our spiritual forefathers and learning from their experiences how to be faithful and obedient to God.

Wait for Grace - Isaiah 30:18

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." Notice the amazing logic of grace that is explained in this verse. God's people have forsaken Him for a false salvation (vs. 1–17).  God is gracious to them but He waits for just the right time to extend His grace. Because He is the God of justice, He knows the perfect way to achieve his purpose and  the perfect time to take action. Then those who wait on the Lords to extend His grace and mercy will certainly receive it and be blessed. When you are in need of a special touch from God, tell Him about your need and then wait patiently for the Lord's grace and just in time and at just the right time His tender touch of grace and mercy will come to you and bless you.

Your Brother's Keeper - I Corinthians 8:8-9

"Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:8-9). Paul is addressing the issue of the Corinthian Christians eating meat that has been offered as a sacrifice in a pagan temple. Because pagan temples offered parts of animals in sacrifice to idols, they also often functioned as butcher shops and banquet halls. Public and private dinner parties were held in temple dining rooms and meat from the temple was sold to the public in the marketplace. Paul urged the Corinthian Christians not to eat in pagan temples because it might be destructive to the faith of a weaker brother or sister. Even if the Corinthian Christian had the right to eat food offered as sacrifices in pagan temples, it is more important to refrain from using that right out of concern for the spiritual well-being of other Christians.While eating meat purchased in the marketplace that may have come from a pagan temple was technically not wrong, if it caused a brother or sister in Christ to stumble, then it was the same as sinning against Christ (vs. 12). Yes, you are your brother's keeper!

Your Heavenly Assignment - 1 Corinthians 7:17

"Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him." This verse presents the idea that one's vocation in life is a “calling” that comes from God. The Apostle Paul declares that one's way of life is a vocational calling from God that He has assigned to that person. In the following verses Paul elaborates on how God calls people to Himself who are in various situations in life related to their socio-economic status (slave or free), family status (divorced or married), and religious affiliation (circumcised or uncircumcised). God has a plan and purpose for you when you are saved; therefore, you should be content with whatever situation you are in when you are saved because that is where your calling and assignment from God begins (vs. 20, 24).

God's Leadership Strategy - Judges 6

The Midianites were invading Israel and consuming or destroying the produce of the land so that Israel had no crops or livestock to sustain them. When the Israelites cried out to God, He chose Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites. Before Gideon became Israel's leader, God first required him to get rid of the altars of Baal in his own family: "Take your father's bull...and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order" (vs. 25-26). Once the idols were eliminated in his own home, then God prepared Gideon to lead Israel against Midian: "But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them." (vs. 34-35). God's call to leadership is always accompanied by a call to holiness. While no one is without defects as was certainly the case with Gideon, there is still an expectation that one should have his own house in order before trying to oversee God's house. Leading by example is God's leadership strategy. That's what Jesus did during His earthly ministry. To lead people to Christ, they must be able to see Christ in you.

Think About It - Isaiah 26:3

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Does your mind ever wander? When your mind wanders, what is it you find yourself thinking about? If you're like me, your mind wanders to thinking about things that are worrying you. What if you let your mind wander to thinking about the Goodness and Greatness of God instead of thinking about your problems? This verse says that God is the source of peace for those who keep their thoughts focused on Him. Such serenity is possible because the person whose mind is focused on God also trusts in God and, therefore, has no reason to be anxious because God is trustworthy: "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock" (Isaiah 26:4). The Hebrew word for "peace," shalom, conveys not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of having a right relationship with God so that “all is well” in one's life. Shalom may be manifested most clearly amid persecution and tribulation, which is the context for Isaiah's declaration in this verse. So instead of obsessing about your problems, find perfect peace by letting your mind wander to thoughts of the One Who is greater than your problems.

A Powerful Kingdom - I Corinthians 4:20

"For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians of his apostolic ministry and of his way of life in Christ Jesus—a way of life that was consistent with what he taught--and he admonished the Corinthians to imitate him. Apparently Paul expected a confrontation with those who were misleading the church at Corinth. So Paul told them that the Kingdom of God does not come through talk but is demonstrated by power. While that power is the power to transform lives, Paul's meaning here is that it may have to be manifested as some kind of disciplinary force or action. Still there's much to consider in Paul's declaration about the Kingdom of God. When the Kingdom of God comes to us individally or collectively, it comes in power and not as a mere intellectual or philosophical argument. When the Kingdom of God really comes, it changes things--it removes the old regime and puts new leadership in charge. The Kingdom of God comes to believers as the indwelling Holy Spirit Who enables and empowers us to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God and to live our lives in such a way as to manifest God’s redemption to others.

Paying Attention to Eternity - I Corinthians 3:13-15

"Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."  Paul used a metephor of contructing a building to explain why the Corinthians should not claim to be a follower of a certain peson or teaching other than that of Jesus. Each person's service to God works together to build the Church and each will be rewarded according to his or her own labors, not on who one followed. God's people should live their lives with an attentiveness towards eternity in the things we do in the present becase what we do in this world and why we do it will be tested by fire. The gospel of Christ is the foundation and the good works you do that build upon that foundation will stand the test and you will be rewarded for them. Works that do not build on that foundation will not stand the test and you can lose your reward but still be saved. Although God's people will not face condemnation on the Final Day, God will still judge our works and reward us accordingly, or not!

Heavenly Mindreaders - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

"And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (vs 2-5). The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that he did not proclaim the gospel to them using intellectual arguments but proclaimed the simple truth of the gospel through the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit so their faith would not be based on human reasoning but on the life-giving power of God. It is God's Spirit Who enables human beings to understand the message of the cross, which would otherwise be incomprehensible. This understanding is possible because just as the human spirit knows the thoughts of a person, the Spirit of God knows God's thoughts. So if God has imparted His Spirit into us, then we can know God's thoughts or "spiritual truth." So a "spiritual" person, that is, a person filled with the Holy Spirit, can comprehend God's thoughts--spiritual truth--because God reveals it by His Spirit. But the natural person, that is, a person who does not have God's indwelling Spirit, does not comprehend spiritual truth and it may even seem like foolishness to that person. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that we are heavenly mindreaders: "We have the mind of Christ" (vs. 16). You can think God's thoughts and comprehend God's plans and purpose because you have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable you. Find out what is on God's mind for you today!

The Kingdom Reversal Principle - I Corinthians 1:18-31f

The Apostle Paul illustrates the Kingdom Reversal principle with this statement about the gospel message he is preaching and teaching to the Corinthians:  "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (vs. 18). Paul provides several examples of The Kingdom Reversal Principle:

• God chose foolish things to shame the wise (vs. 27)
• God chose weak things to shame the strong (vs. 27)
• God chose lowly and despised things to devalue and bring to nothing things of value (vs. 28)

Dallas Willard says this "Great Inversion," as he calls it, is the heart of the gospel of Jesus. Willard says this role reversal is inevitable because of the irresistible reality of God’s Kingdom as it breaks into this present age in which we live. Because God's redemptive order, His Kingdom, has come, it is available and accessible to anybody and everybody--especially the foolish, the weak, the lowly, the despised, and the worthless. I'm glad that's the case, otherwise I would not have been invited to join.

Being an Example - 2 Thessalonians 3:9

"It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate." What greater way to teach than to model or be an example of the lesson you are teaching! However, when you use yourself as an example, it requires a high level of accountability and responsibility. Paul brought the gospel to the Thessalonians and he did not ask for any financial support from them. While he was wth them he worked and paid his own expenses as he instructed them in the truths of God's Kingdom: "For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you" (2 Thessalonians 3:7-8). The best way to tell somebody about Jesus is to be an example of His salvation. Let a person see the difference Jesus made in your life so that He can make a difference in another person's life.

Becoming Delusional - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Some of the Thessalonians had succumbed to a teaching that Christ had already come and so the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians refutes this false teaching. Paul seems somewhat surprised by their lack of discernment over doctrines he had already taught them (vs. 5). Paul explained that the second coming of Christ ("day of the Lord" - vs. 2) will be preceded by two events: a widespread rebellion presumably against God by humanity and the appearance of the Antichrist ("the man of lawlessness" - vs. 3), who will personify hostility to God and his revelation. Unfortunately, the Antichrist will be able to deceive many people because "the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders" (vs. 9) and because people "refused to love the truth and so be saved" (vs. 10). When people refuse to love truth, then God allows them to become delusional and they believe what is false. It is as if they bury their head in the sand to keep from hearing and acknowledging the truth. Paul says the satanic activity of deception is a mysterious force, in fact, already at work in this world but is being restrained until the time when it is fully revealed prior to the second coming of Christ. Living in a world filled with deceptions requires discernment. You can't have too much discernment and you develop discernment be learning the truth through Bible study, prayer, meditation, and through the preaching and teaching of God's Word. Avoid becoming delusional by loving the truth of God and His salvation and developing discernment.

Resolving the Divisions Among Us - Joshua 22

After the initial conquests in Canaan under the leadership of Joshua were complete, Joshua sent the men from the three tribes with land assignments on the east side of the Jordan River back home. On their return to their lands the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (Transjordan tribes) built an altar by the Jordan, apparently on the western, Canaan side. (The only altar permissible to the Israelites was the one in the tabernacle.) The altar was of "imposing size" so that it was conspicuous enough to be seen by the Israelites on both sides of the Jordan River. The western Israelites were ready to go to war against the Transjordan tribes over this heresy (vs. 12), but first they sent a delegation to confront them over "this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord" (vs. 16). At the meeting the Transjordanian delegation explained that the altar was not for sacrifice but was only intended as a reminder to future generations that the Israelites on both sides of the Jordan were God's chosen people among whom God dwelt. If only we could resolve the divisions among God's people today that the solution to our differences be "a witness between us that the Lord is God" (vs. 34) as it was for the eastern and western Israelites.

God's Will For You - I Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  If you don't know what you are supposed to do as a Christian, the answer is contained in these verses: rejoice, pray, and give thanks no matter what the circumstances. Having a bad day at the office--rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Stuck in traffic--rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Not feeling too good--rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Learn to do these three things and you can stay on track with God.

The Blessed Hope - I Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Thessalonians were concerned about what would be the destiny of those who have died in Christ. Paul reassured them that the destiny of the dead in Christ is the same as for those who are alive in Christ when He returns to earth. Paul gave us considerable detail about how the resurrection of the dead and living takes place at Christ's return:
1. Jesus died and rose again (vs. 14)
2. When He comes again, those who have died in Christ will come back with Him (vs 14) (The spirits or souls of Christians who have died will be with Christ at His second coming as He descends to earth.)
3. Those who are alive in Christ when He comes again will not precede those who have already died in Christ (vs 15).
4. When Jesus comes again, He will come down from heaven with a loud command from the archangel and the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first (vs 16), which means that at the moment of Christ’s return the spirits and bodies of the dead in Christ will be joined as they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
5. Then those who are alive in Christ will be caught up together with the resurrected dead in Christ to meet the Lord in the air (vs 17) and all will be with the Lord forever (vs 17).

God's Supernatural Salvation - Isaiah 12:2-4

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God s my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted." Isaiah foresees a day when God's people will praise him for the abundant joy of his salvation. Because God is my salvation, declares Isaiah, therefore, it is a supernatural salvation. God Himself and God alone saves me and He is also enough to be one's strength, the One Whom you sing about, and your salvation. There are endless supplies of salvation that can be richly enjoyed. But God's salvation flows out to people through the witness of God's own people.

Be Worthy of God - I Thessalonians 2:12-13

"We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory" (vs. 12).  It is important for us to start living the life of God's future Kingdom in our present lives. We are now in God’s family and so we should live in a way that does not bring disrespect to the family name. “When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers" (vs. 13).  The way we live lives worthy of God is by living according to His Word through our daily lives. This Word of God is actually at work in us who are believers in Christ and members of God's family. Therefore, let the Word of God transform you into a person worthy of God's name and citizenship in His Kingdom.