Can you imagine having a Paul in our lives who consistently encourage us, with nothing of himself held back, wanting nothing in return, only thankful praise to God for us?  This is Paul! Paul thanks God often for believers he knows are going through rough times of persecution and harassment for their determined faith in Jesus.  He knows what they are feeling because he is sitting in jail cell for preaching Jesus himself!  Paul’s living forward thinking is contagious to believers as well as encouraging. 

Paul’s letters remind us that God indeed gives us everything we need while growing us to be all He created us to be.  God held nothing back of His love for us.  Because of His love, He gave His Son, Jesus, freely so we can be free from all our sin.  I thank God for Paul!  I thank God for all of you reading this right now because you want to know more and live more closely to Jesus!

Jesus told us there would be hard times with rejection for following Him.  Paul, led by God’s Holy Spirit, encourages believers in Jesus that suffering through hard times is only temporary, justice is on the way!  This is yet another level of forward thinking—looking forward to the Day when Jesus returns for His own while bring justice as only He can. Judgement belongs to the Lord.  Revenge is mine, says God.  HE is God, we are not.

We live for Christ with Christ living in us.  Our prayer is Paul’s loving prayer for all believers, “Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.”

In Jesus Name, For His Glory, Amen! 

Celebrate the coming of the Lord, even now!

THESSALONIANS—LIVING FORWARD!

2 Thessalonians 1, the Message

^1-2 I, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, greet the church of the Thessalonian Christians in the name of God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you’re to be.

Justice Is on the Way

^3-4 You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks. We’re so proud of you; you’re so steady and determined in your faith despite all the hard times that have broadsided you. We tell everyone we meet in the churches all about you.

^5-10 All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You’re suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he’ll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we’ve been waiting for. Those who refuse to know God and refuse to obey the Message will pay for what they’ve done. Eternal exile from the presence of the Master and his splendid power is their sentence. But on that very same day when he comes, he will be exalted by his followers and celebrated by all who believe—and all because you believed what we told you.

^11-12 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.

He IS coming back, you know.

What a Day that will be…