The final transformation

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 3-4; Psalm 16

TO CHEW ON: "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 3:12,13

Sometimes I have a little trouble sorting out exactly what Paul is saying in his maze-like and run on sentences. But after puzzling the long sentence in our focus verses, I'm hearing him say that he wants the Thessalonians to abound in [have plenty of, be rich in] love toward each other and the world beyond the church walls. He wants them to be as rich in love toward others as he (Paul) is rich in love toward them.

The result of pursuing such love will be that God establishes their hearts "blameless in holiness"—something that will be completed, however, only at the coming of the Lord Jesus.

As we continue to focus on the theme of Christ's second coming through 1 Thessalonians, these verses give us more insights about that anticipated event. They tell us:

•  the love we cultivate toward each other is preparation for Christ's return.

• this process of making love abound in us and establishing us blameless in holiness—we call it sanctification— is "brought to glorious completion at the Second Coming of the Lord" - Reformation Study Bible.

The truth of God completing the work of sanctification in us at His return is repeated many times in the Bible: 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Jude 24.

What a relief, that God makes provision to complete this process. My Bible's explanation of the world "holiness"  here gives us an idea of what a deep-clean it is and will be:

["Holiness - hagiosune - is the principle that separates the believer from the world…. It causes every component of our character to stand God's inspection and meet His approval" - Dick Mills, "Word Wealth," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1686, emphasis added.]

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that my lifelong pursuit of holiness and blamelessness will be divinely completed at Jesus' return. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 16

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the meantime—holiness

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 5; Psalm 17

TO CHEW ON: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23


Today we complete our reading of 1 Thessalonians. This read-through we've followed the theme of the return of Jesus. We have seen that:

1. Our lives should show that we expect this event (A waiting lifestyle).
2. The hope of someday meeting Jesus is a great motivator (Someday we'll meet Jesus).
3. His return will complete the work of sanctification in us (The final transformation).
4. The Bible gives us details about Christ's return and Christians being caught away with Him—often called the "Rapture" (Caught away).
5. We need to be ready for His return at any time (The ready lifestyle).

Our focus verse today is Paul's affirmation / prayer that these Thessalonian Christians are and will be ready for this event. Paul speaks again about how God will complete their sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

But Paul has just listed a whole lot of dos and don'ts for living (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22)!

So which is it? Is their sanctification an act of God? Or are they to work at it by living a certain way?

I love how Jerry Bridges tackles this question in his book The Pursuit of Holiness. Some of his helpful insights:

In Chapter 3 ("Holiness is not an Option"), he delves into 1 Corinthians 1:2, and focuses on the word "sanctified." "Sanctified" in 1 Corinthians 1:2 is the same Greek word hagiazo that is rendered "sanctify" in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. He says of that word:

"The word 'sanctified' here means 'made holy.' That is, we are through Christ made holy in our standing before God, and called to be holy in our daily lives" - Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, Kindle Location 230 (emphasis added).

Then he goes on to explain the relationship between God's actions and ours:

"Scripture speaks of both a holiness which we have in Christ before God and a holiness which we are to strive after. These two aspects of holiness complement one another, for our salvation is a salvation to holiness" - K.L. 230 (emphasis added).

"… we may say that no one can trust in Jesus Christ for true salvation unless he trusts Him for holiness. This does not mean the desire for holiness must be a conscious desire at the time a person comes to Christ, but rather it means that the Holy Spirit who creates within us saving faith also creates within us the desire for holiness. He simply does not create one without the other" - K.L. 244 (emphasis added).

So according to Bridges' explanation, it's both. It's God and us and God in us, working on the project of our sanctification. And, Paul assures us, when Jesus returns, He will "sanctify you completely" or finish the work of making us holy—the project that began the day we got saved, the project that includes attending now to the practical attitudes and actions of holy living Paul lists in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, come soon! This study has whet my appetite for Your return. In the meantime, help me to be obedient to the Holy Spirit's training in holy living. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 17

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A waiting lifestyle

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 1-2; Psalm 15

TO CHEW ON: "For they themselves declare concerning us, what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10

In the next two days we're going to read all the way through 1 Thessalonians. As we begin today, here are some background facts about the book to help us understand its setting.

1. 1 Thessalonians was the first of Paul's letters that has been saved and the first book in the New Testament to be written. My Bible's introductory notes date it at A.D. 50—written before the Gospels, though they describe earlier events.

2. Paul founded the church in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. It was on the route he took after having the vision of the Macedonian man begging, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" - Acts 16:10.

3. On that trip (about 49 A.D.) Paul went to Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) and then to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9). His stay there was brief and controversial but life-altering for that "...great multitude of devout Greeks and not a few leading women" who believed Paul's gospel message.

One of the main themes in 1 Thessalonians is the return of Christ. In fact, a reference to it appears in each chapter. It is a theme thread we can follow as we read through the book.

In today's focus verses, Paul is complimenting the Christians there for their stellar reputation.

(The "...they…" ["For they themselves declare concerning us… etc. - vs. 9] who speak so glowingly of the Thessalonian believers refers back to the other believers in the region: "… all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe…" - 1 Thessalonians 1:7.)

It's interesting to note what these early and quite new Christians were known for:

• Faith in God - 1 Thessalonians 1:8.

• A dramatic lifestyle change as they turned from idol worship to worship and serve God - 1 Thessalonians 1:9.

• An attitude of expectancy. These people had a reputation of waiting for Jesus' return - 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

• A serenity about the future as they no longer feared the "wrath of God" - 1 Thessalonians 1:10.

I wonder how the expectant lifestyle of these Christians looked. Maybe they had stopped collecting stuff, like property and clothes. Maybe they were making sure all their relationships were tended to. They probably spoke of their expectation to family, friends, and neighbors so that their dear ones would believe too and not be left behind. It's clear that they had a reputation for sounding forth their beliefs (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

A good question to ask ourselves is, what sort of reputation do we have as believers? Are we known for our faith in God? Have we turned from our old pre-Christian ways? Do our lives give any evidence at all that we expect Christ to return? (Or do we really expect that?)


PRAYER: Dear God, I am challenged by the simple yet bold faith of these one-year-old New Testament Christians. Please help me to firm up my expectation inYour return so that it becomes evident in my lifestyle. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 15

The Bible Project VIDEO: 1 Thessalonians (Read Scripture Series)




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The impossible life

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

TO CHEW ON: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Reading through this passage, I'm struck by how impossible its instructions are:
"… be patient with all …. always pursue what is good, for yourselves and for all … Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks …. Test all things … Abstain from every form of evil…"

Can you do it? Neither can I!

The process Paul is describing here is sanctification. He uses a form of the word in a sum-up verse after naming the specifics above: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely..." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

The Encyclopedia of the Bible defines sanctification:
[…  the process of acquiring sanctity or holiness as a result of association with deity. Its synonyms are consecration, dedication, holiness and perfection" - Encyclopedia of the Bible, accessed through biblegateway.com.]

It's an impossibly tall order. However, the next verse has the reassurance that we're not expected to do it by ourselves. This process of sanctification is not, finally, our project but His:

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" - 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Whew! So we can just sit back and it will happen? Not exactly. We have a part to play. It's really a joint effort.

An article in The Dictionary of Bible Themes lists means and obstacles to sanctification (each undergirded by many Bible verses*):

Means of sanctification:

• The work of the Holy Spirit

• Meditation on the Scriptures.

• Our active pursuit of holiness and righteousness.

• Obedience and self-denial.

• Prayer.

Obstacles to sanctification:

• A lack of faith.

• Rebellion against God.

• Satanic temptation.

• Self-indulgence and greed.

• Yielding to sinful desires.

Let's view the specifics of the sanctified life (the 'be patient with all," the "rejoice always," the "pray without ceasing," the "in everything give thanks" etc.) through the grid of these means and obstacles. Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to put His finger on where we need to change—be more joyful, pray more, give thanks etc.? Do we read the Bible? Do we meditate on it? Do we actually obey the things God tells us to do? Do we pray, confessing the times we resist, rebel, mess-up?

Or do we throw up our hands with "This is too hard!" and carry on as usual, resisting the voice of conviction to be joyful, pray, give thanks, procrastinating on obedience, telling ourselves, everyone else can live like they please—why can't I?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the means You have given to bring about this set-apart life. I love the part of the definition that says it comes about through "association with deity." I want to hang out with You today. Amen.

MORE: *Access the article on Sanctification and view supporting Scriptures:
1. Click on the link 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 (passage on biblegateway.com).
2. Click on "Study This" - the blue box that displays to the right of the reference.
3. In the right sidebar that opens, click on "Dictionary of Bible Themes."
4. Select #6745 "Sanctification."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How pregnant is Earth?

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:12

TO CHEW ON: “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Since I’ve had kids this verse always amuses me a little. For on which pregnant woman do the pains of labor come by total surprise? In fact, when I was pregnant, from about 7+ months along, I became hyper-vigilant about every twinge I felt in my body (Is this labor?).

Of course the likelihood of labor starting on any particular day rises with the pregnancy’s progression. I became ever more conscious, as that baby grew within me, as I got heavier and more ungainly, as that baby moved and kicked and turned around, that a day of labor was coming, sooner rather than later.

Extending the pregnancy metaphor, we can identify some signs of earth’s progressing pregnancy, moving toward the day of Jesus’ return. Here are several:

• Nation rising against nation - Matthew 24:7.

• Many false prophets - Matthew 24:24.

• Moral rottenness - 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

• Famines - Matthew 24:7.

• Epidemics - Matthew 24:7.

• Earthquakes - Matthew 24:7.

• Fearful natural phenomena - Luke 21:25,26.

Is Earth feeling twinges of labor pains? I believe it is.

That last sentence of our focus verse: “And they shall not escape” also fits well with the picture of pregnancy. For once you get pregnant, you know that the day of labor and delivery is inevitable.

 In the same way, a pregnant woman’s body works toward delivery, I believe Earth’s history is working toward Christ’s return. It is inevitable. Let’s not be found napping or caught by surprise!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live vigilant and aware of how natural phenomena and societal changes point toward Your inevitable and, I believe, soon return. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A life to aspire to

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-4:12

TO CHEW ON: “… aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands…” 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Who, these days, does that—“aspire(s) to lead a quiet life” or, as the Amplified puts it: “Make it your ambition … to live quietly…”? It’s far more common to want to be noticed, to get attention with lots of “LIKES” on social media, for example, or to achieve the goal of all goals and go viral.

Yet to me, perhaps to you too, there is something attractive and alluring about these instructions on how to live:

• “lead a quiet life”

- “Lead a quiet life” brings to mind verses like “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” - Isaiah 30:15.

- Peter’s instructions on how to be a beautiful-from-the-inside woman include: “… a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” - 1 Peter 3:4.

- However, many Bible references to quietness also harbor within them an aspect of tension—the tension of waiting for something to happen: “It is good that one should hope and wait quietly / For the salvation of the LORD” - Lamentations 3:26.
“Truly my soul silently waits for God; / From Him comes my salvation” Psalm 62:1.

• “mind your own business”

This advice is, at some level telling the people not to gossip and be busybodies. This must have been a problem in Thessalonica because Paul addressed it in 2 Thessalonians 3:11,12. I wonder how Paul would have viewed Facebook!

• “work with your own hands”

From crocheting a shawl to building a house I’m sure most of us have experienced the satisfaction of a project we’ve completed with our own hands. Physical work is something the Bible endorses from cover to cover (Genesis 2:15; 1 Timothy 5:8).

These three bits of good-life advice are not only to make the readers’ lives better, but to serve as an example of a good and godly life to pre-believers - 1 Thessalonians 4:12.

In this time when we can be barraged with communication, information and noise from morning to night, doesn’t this lifestyle sound like a refreshing option?


PRAYER: Dear Father, at the root of this lifestyle of quietness, self-control, and work is confidence in You and Your ability to work things out in my life without my interference. Please help me to trust you so implicitly that quietness becomes my default setting. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Somday we'll meet Jesus

"Christ the Redeemer" statue - Rio De Janeiro - Photo: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:5

TO CHEW ON: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"  1 Thessalonians 2:19


First Thessalonians contains several references to Christ's return. In chapter 2 Paul mentions it in verse 19 when he describes how he anticipates presenting the Christians in Thessalonica to Christ and how that will work out: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" - 1 Thessalonians 2:19.  He looks forward to meeting Jesus with joy. His victory crown will be the believers he brings with him.

The Bible speaks in other places of meeting Jesus and being in His presence.

• There will be joy in His presence - Psalm 16:11.

• We will enter His presence on the "today" of our death - Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8 - or on the day He returns, whichever comes first - 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.

• Jesus' servants on earth will someday join Him in heaven where even the Father will honor them - John 12:26.

• Appearing before Jesus will be just the beginning of living with Him - John 14:3.

• When we appear before and live with Him, we will experience Jesus' and God's glory in all its eternity - John 17:25.

What motivation to serve God and in that serving win the crown of others standing with us at Christ's appearing on earth or our appearing before Him in heaven.

What a reason to live each day well, for none of us knows the day He will return or the day we will die.

What a hope for the future as we soldier on in the world of sometimes difficult relationships, unpredictable circumstances, and wearing out bodies.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your promise to return and accept me into heaven to live with You. May this hope motivate my living. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Paul's mother-care

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but our own lives, because you had become dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8


What untypical words to read from Paul, who is usually so instructional and corrective. They remind me of a little saying:

"People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care" - John C. Maxwell.

This might be a good time to refresh our memory about who these people were that Paul was writing to (the Thessalonians) and how the church at Thessalonica came into existence.

It was only the second church started on the European continent. The first was in Philippi, about 90 miles northeast. You will recall how Paul and Silas traveled from Troas to Macedonia (on the continent of Europe) in response to a vision (Acts 16:9). The mission at Philippi took a bad turn when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. But an earthquake sprung them from their cell. They then led the jailor to Jesus and soon left town. (Their Philippian adventures are recorded in Acts 16:11-40.)

Their next stop was Thessalonica. Their stay there was just as troubled. Paul spent mere weeks with them, teaching for three Sabbaths in the synagogue where he "...reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ'" - Acts 17:1-3).

His message kindled a big response: "...a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women joined Paul and Silas" - Acts 17:4. But the gospel was too controversial for the Jews, who also envied the missionaries their success, hassled Jason their host, provoked a riot, and essentially ran Paul and Silas out of town (Acts 17:5-10).

It is to these believers Paul had known only a matter of weeks that he wrote this letter. It demonstrates the bond of love that Christians everywhere can feel for each other even though they have barely met. For Paul the relationship was especially poignant, as the people he had left behind were brand new believers. And so he used the language of motherhood, assuring these spiritual babies of his mother care for them: "...we were gentle among you just as a nursing mother cherishes (literally 'keeps warm') her own children.... pleased to impart to you not only the gospel...but our own lives."

I ask myself, do I have that spirit of sacrificial mother-love, especially toward those who are new and immature in the faith? Physical babies take a lot of time. Toddlers can tax one's patience. It's not so different with spiritual babies. I want Paul's words to be a model of Christian nurture to me as I interact with believers in all stages of maturity. You too?

PRAYER: Dear God, please grow in me love and gentle care for other believers, especially those who are new in their faith. Amen.


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Would you say "Imitate me"?

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

TO CHEW ON: “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6,7

A few weeks ago in a church Bible study I’m part of, the topic of mentorship came up. Paul’s description here sounds a lot like that: “And you became followers of us” - 1 Thessalonians 1:6.


[Mentor:  (Noun) 1] A wise and trusted counselor; 2] an influential sponsor or supporter. (Verb) To advise or train.

"Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored, but he or she must have a certain area of expertise" - from Wikipedia]

This business of mentorship (though that specific word is never used) is mentioned in more places in the New Testament:

• Paul to the church in Corinth: “Imitate me” and listen to Timothy who “will remind you of my ways” - 1 Corinthians 4:16.

• Paul to the church in Philippi: Copy everything about me: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do” - Philippians 4:9.

• Paul in a later letter to the Church in Thessalonica: Imitate me in the way you work for a living - 2 Thessalonians 3:9.

• The writer of Hebrews also encourages his readers to be enterprising and diligent - Hebrews 6:12.

• Hebrews urges, as well, that readers imitate and submit to leaders - Hebrews 13:7,17.

 But mentorship is not meant to be a dead end that stops with the person being mentored. I love how Paul proposes it continue. “And you became followers of us and the Lord…so that you became examples to all…” 1 Thessalonians 1:6,7 - emphasis added.
The goal of mentorship is to produce more mentors. There’s a place for everyone.

Are we  being mentored—by a person or by books (in a class discussion answering the question, “Who have been your mentors?” a large number of us named books and their authors as significant mentors)? Are we, in turn, becoming mentors, to our children and those newer in the faith?

Let’s keep the mentor chain growing!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the life of Jesus in the Bible, and for flesh-and-blood and book teachers and mentors to learn from and imitate. Help me to live in such a way that I could say to anyone, “Imitate me.” Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The ready lifestyle

The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11


TO CHEW ON: "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5:8

It was a Sunday just over four years ago that my daughter and I were discussing when I would make the three-hour trip to her home to help care for her toddlers when she went into labor. Because she was already a week overdue I favored coming up the next day (Monday), even though I would have to cover some obligations. But she had no sense that the baby would arrive any time soon and thought that if I came up Wednesday, after my commitments were done, that would be soon enough.

The next morning I opened my email to see: "Ok back and forth... I'm in labor. My water broke just before 1 a.m..." By eight that morning her little girl was born.

Birth, with its sudden and inescapable labor pains is one metaphor that Paul uses to illustrate how the the "Day of the Lord" will come. He also talks about that Day coming as unexpectedly as a thief.

But it shouldn't be a surprising event to those of us who have taken Jesus' and Paul's words to heart. Our passage today is one way we can live prepared. To do that, we need to:

• Stay awake and watchful - 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

• Stay sober (versus letting ourselves become inebriated by the alcohol and pot of our culture) - 1 Thessalonians 5:7-8.

• Live with our armor on— the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation - 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Leslyn Musch says about this preparation:

"Commit yourself to grow in your relationship with the Lord, which includes prayer, worship, and studying to understand the Bible. This is the lifestyle of the children of light who have salvation in Jesus" - "Truth-In-Action through 1 Thessalonians," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1690 (emphasis added).

I ask myself, do I live with my armour on in a ready lifestyle that is prepared for Jesus' return at any moment? Do you?

PRAYER: Dear God, You remind me repeatedly that You are returning and I need to be expectant and ready. Help me to live a ready lifestyle today. Amen.

MORE: Darker and brighter

"As we await our Savior’s return, let us keep on praying, working, and watching, while 'looking for the blessed hope'—our only hope for this world.

And for the hope of His return,


Dear Lord, Your name we praise;


With longing hearts we watch and wait


For that great day of days! —Sherwood

As this world gets darker, the promised return of God’s Son gets brighter."

- Richard De Haan, "Our Only Hope"

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Caught away

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Have you ever heard Christians talking about the "Rapture." Well, this is it. A note in my Bible explains:

"'Caught up together with them': The chief biblical source of the doctrine of the Rapture—the catching away to heaven of those, dead or living, who have trusted in Christ and await His return. The exact word "rapture" does not occur in Scripture: it was formed from a word in the Latin translation of the Bible which, for this phrase, reads simul rapiemur cum illis. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 gives the additional information that a great rebellion by humankind against God's authority and the emergence of the Man of Sin will precede the return of the Lord" - Russell P. Spittler,  New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 1687.

First Thessalonians isn't the only place in the Bible where such things are mentioned, though.

• Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 talks about the instantaneous change that happens to believers at the "last trumpet."

• The Old Testament prophet Daniel saw a vision of "one like a son of man coming in the clouds of heaven..." Daniel 7:13.

• John, in Revelation, speaks of Jesus as "...coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him..." Revelation 1:7.

Not surprisingly, this teaching—that Jesus will come again to raise the dead and snatch the living from their activities—has attracted scorn throughout the centuries. In fact it was ridiculed already in the days of the New Testament church (see 1 Peter 3:1-13), where Peter concluded with this encouragement: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night....Therefore since all these things will be dissolved, what matter of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" - 1 Peter 3:11-12.

Paul, in our 1 Thessalonians passage, speaks of this sudden coming as a source of comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

I ask myself, is the fact that Jesus will someday return in bodily form something that comforts me, or does it make me uneasy?

The 2 Peter passage talks about that thief-in-the-night day accompanied by the heavens passing away, great noise, elements melting in fervent heat when "the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" - 2 Peter 3:10.

If I am too much in love with this earth and the things in it, my possessions and accumulations, then being removed from them will be a day of tragedy for sure. But it doesn't have to be. If my focus is on accumulating heavenly treasure and my great hope is being with Jesus (John 12:25-26) it can be a comfort indeed.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live with the fact of Your anytime return always in mind. I want to be found expectant, waiting, and unashamed. Amen.

MORE: Views of the end

Over the centuries theologians have developed different views of how end-time prophecy will play out. (This Wikipedia article on Christian eschatology, for example, will probably make your head spin. Here is the part that details various prophetic end-time views.) Who's right? Who's wrong? Only God knows.

Personally, I don't concern myself too much with the details, but rather, focus on general themes that recur when the Bible speaks of Jesus' return:
1. It will be sudden and unexpected.
2. It will be a day when secrets are revealed.
3. It will be a day of facing consequences.
4. It will be a day of meeting Jesus!

That's enough to keep me living with sober hope.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Uncleanness—are you savvy?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-4:8

TO CHEW ON: "For God didn't call us to uncleanness but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8

"For God has not called us to impurity, but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity]. Therefore whoever disregards—sets aside and rejects—this disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you [is] holy—chaste, pure." 1 Thessalonians 4:7,8 AMP.


After specifically naming sexual immorality as a sin to avoid, Paul warns the Thessalonians about general "uncleanness."

[The word uncleanness (akathars) is translated "impurity" (NASB, AMP), "impure" (NIV, NLT) and "immorality" (GNT). In the Greek akathars—uncleanness— refers to physical uncleanness as well as uncleanness in a moral sense: "The impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living."]

Paul suggests that people who resist his call to pure living aren't only rejecting him, but God whose Spirit in the believer is holy—"His Holy Spirit."

As believers all these many years later we too get the gift of the Holy Spirit when we put our faith in Jesus for salvation. He makes good and sure that we know we're on dangerous ground when we're around uncleanness.

Have you ever been in the middle of a novel and realized—this book is not good for me? Or walked out of a movie that exalted immorality? Or turned off a comedy routine on TV because it was rife with dirty humor? Or purposefully avoided the astrology section of the paper? The Holy Spirit in you is behind those feelings of offense, outrage, and wanting to get and stay away from certain things.

I am currently taking Priscilla Shirer's course Discerning the Voice of God. In the workbook that goes along with the DVD lectures, Shirer gives lots of good teaching about how we can sharpen our spiritual ears to hear the Holy Spirit speak ever more clearly. Here are some bits I've underlined:

"If we want to hear God's voice clearly, we need to immerse ourselves in the Word of God" - Priscilla Schirer, Discerning the Voice of God, p. 40.

"God is doing everything to reveal His will and cause us to go after it! Through the Holy Spirit, 'He writes His laws on our hearts and on our minds, and we love them and are drawn by our affections and judgment, not driven, to our obedience' " Ibid. p. 42, Shirer quotes Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, p. 76.

"As I seek Him, stay in His Word, and continue to keep an intimate relationship with Him by confessing my sin, He transforms my mind and emotions to align with His plans" - Ibid.

"When you delight yourself in Him, you can relax in knowing that He will speak clearly to you, order your steps, and cause you to desire what brings Him pleasure"  Ibid. p. 43.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Holy Spirit who lives in me and alerts me to thoughts, influences, reading material, and media (TV, movies, the internet, music) that will plant seeds of uncleanness in my heart. Help me to practice obedience in getting and staying away from these things. Amen. 




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

You pastor's words

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:5

TO CHEW ON: "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it, not as the word of men but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Do we consider the message our pastor preaches each Sunday the actual "word of God" to us? Do we welcome it as Paul's readers did? Or do we hear it with a critical ear and the intention to obey only the comfortable bits?

It might be a good idea to keep Paul's words in mind next Sunday as we listen to our pastor preach.

• We can ask ourselves is there something we need to hear?

• If pastor's sermon sounds like a repeat of other messages he's preached, we can examine our lives for disobedience. Maybe the reason God is impressing the same message on our pastor's heart week after week is because we aren't obeying.

• If we find it hard to concentrate, taking notes may help. We could write down his main points, statements that grab our attention, and Scriptures that he refers to so we can reread them later.

• We can listen with the goal of taking something practical home with us. We could look for a truth or principle to apply to everyday life or one change we could make.

• And one more thing: why don't we pray for our pastor throughout the week that he will hear from God for us, and have the freedom and liberty to speak what God impresses on him to preach. Let's not take lightly God's choice and anointing of our pastor as a means of building us up (His body the church).

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank You for my pastor. Please help him to hear from You this week, and to preach with confidence and conviction next Sunday. Amen.

MORE: Understanding your pastor's challenges

For us in the pews, it's easy to think a pastor's job is a piece of cake. After all, doesn't he just have to get his sermon ready each week and preach on Sunday? What can be so hard about that?

However, the reality is quite different. Kevin DeYoung, an author, blogger and pastor writes of the challenges of being a pastor:

"Ask any pastor who really takes his work seriously and he will tell you of the pressures he feels in ministry—people in crisis, people leaving, people coming, people falling through the cracks, people disappointed by the pastor, people disappointing to the pastor. In the midst of this work the pastor is trying to find time for study, prayer, preparation, and family. He’s trying to improve himself, train up new leaders, meet the budget, get to know a few missionaries, champion important program, manage staff, take care of administrative details, provide for deep, accessible worship and preaching, be responsive to new ideas, listen to new concerns, be ready to help when people are in trouble."

Read all of "Pastoral Pressure and Apostolic Anxiety."

May this insight into pastoral life add to our incentive to pray for our church's pastors and leaders.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Nitty-gritty holiness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "And may the Lord ....  establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 3:13

In his fatherly prayer for the Thessalonian Christians, Paul prays two main requests: that their love for each other increase, and that their hearts be holy.

Jerry Bridges in his book The Pursuit of Holiness defines "holy":

"To be holy is to be morally blameless. It is to be separated from sin, and therefore consecrated to God. The word signifies 'separate to God, and the conduct befitting those so separated'" - Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, Kindle Location 85.

[The Greek word hagiosune that Paul uses refers to "the process, quality and condition of a holy disposition...Hagiosune consecrates us to God's service in soul and in body, finding fulfillment in moral dedication and a life committed to purity. It causes every component of our character to stand God's inspection and meet His approval" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1686. (emphasis added)]

"Oh yes, we want to be that way," our hearts say as we sit, stand, or kneel before God. But the minute we leave the quiet place our resolve is tested, and probably before we've gone one hour we've again found ourselves sidling up to sin—playing host to selfish, mean, or fearful thoughts, uttering sharp or unkind words, pressing on with self-exalting plans...

Bridges puts his finger on three what he calls "basic problem areas":

1. "Our attitude toward sin is more self-centred than God-centered." We focus more on our victory over sin than on how much our sins grieve God. We are success-oriented not obedience-oriented. Bridges again: "God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self" - Bridges, KL 97.

2. "We understand 'living by faith'—Galatians 2:20—to require no effort from us." Bridges talks about hearing his pastor preach along the lines of 'we have a personal responsibility for our walk of holiness,' agreeing with the message, and then sensing the Holy Spirit say to him: "And you can put away the sinful habits that plague you if you will accept personal responsibility for them" - K.L. 107.

3. "We don't take some sins seriously. We have mentally categorized sins into that which is unacceptable and that which may be tolerated a bit" - KL 110.

Mea culpa. I am guilty on all these counts. Lord have mercy!

PRAYER: Dear God, may my focus today be on obedience. Help me to take responsibility for my actions, and to view sin, all sin, with abhorrence. Amen.

MORE: "Clear the Stage" by Jimmy Needham

"Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open
Then read the Word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken" - Jimmy Needham

Thanks and thanks again

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28


TO CHEW ON: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Paul's little list of to-do items would make more sense to me if it was inverted: in everything give thanks + pray without ceasing = rejoice always.

Thankfulness in everything is a choice. It's easy to be thankful for the little and big blessings that keep appearing throughout our day: a morning carafe of coffee, a hot shower, electricity and a functioning computer, a drawerful of pens... But the things that aren't good on the outside: a morning headache, a sick child, a snowstorm on the day of the outing. How can we be thankful for these?

Two lines of thought come to mind.
1. We can usually find something in the situation to be thankful for. My morning headaches get me out of bed early. They usually dissipate with my first coffee. When kids are sick we can be thankful for doctors and medical help. The day's plans wrecked by weather may lead to a set of new ones with their own reasons for thanksgiving.

2. Our intentional thanks, even when we don't understand, confirms, expresses, and grows our faith in the goodness of God who has allowed this circumstance to touch us.

Pray without ceasing is what we do as we continually think, whisper, say out loud, even sing our thanks to God.

Rejoice always is the natural result, in our attitude and emotions, of such determined thanksgiving.

Need help with this? Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are is a powerful apologetic for thankful living. But you don't have to wait until you have it in hand to be thankful. Begin taking note of things for which you're thankful today. One way is to keep a gratitude journal. Here's a mini-journal to make that will get you started (with instructions for assembly here).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this reminder to be thankful always. Help me to do this as I face the highs and lows of this day. Amen.


MORE: Only 17 more sleeps

Advent Calendar - December 8

Christmas Fact:


The poinsettia was originally cultivated in Mexico. The leaves that crown the end of each poinsettia stalk undergo a seasonal color change in December, turning from green to red. As Christianity spread across Mexico during the colonial era, this color change turned poinsettias into a popular Christmas decoration. The Mexicans call the plant flor de la Nochebuena or "Christmas Eve flower".

– Encyclopedia of Christmas p. 474

Open December 8

Visit the Poinsettia Pages to learn more about this popular Christmas plant.

Trio of the good life

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and Father." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

What an encouraging start to a letter! We all love to be told that we're making our leaders proud, that they're praying for us, that they've observed good qualities in us, and have noticed our spiritual progress.

The three things Paul names—his readers' work of faith, their labor of love, and their patience of hope—occur together in other places in the Bible. Note their appearance in

~ Romans 5:15

~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

~ Galatians 5:5-6

~ Colossians 1:4-5

~ Hebrews 10:22-24.

A commentary article in my Bible draws attention to the fact that these three things make up a large portion of Godly living:

"Godly living is characterized by a life lived to please God. Through Jesus' sacrifice we have already found favour in God's sight; therefore we are to live a life that reflects that favour. Like Jesus, our work is to flow from faith and love, honouring God in all that we do...


Understand that Godly living includes: 1] work that flows from faith, 2] labor that flows from love, and 3] patient endurance that flows from living hope" - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action Through 1 Thessalonians," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1689 (emphasis added).

So as you and I go through the humdrum activities of this day, let's do those dishes, care for those babies, attend those meetings, work those jack hammers, coffee grinders, and cash registers with the awareness that our mundane jobs have big significance as we do them with faith, hope, and love before our appreciative Audience.


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to link my ordinary activities, my labor and my leisure, with the knowledge that You see and approve...or prick me where You don't. Amen.


MORE: Audience of One

“Only madmen, geniuses, and supreme egotists do things purely for themselves. It is easy to buck a crowd, not too hard to march to a different drummer. But it is truly difficult–perhaps impossible–to march only to your own drumbeat. Most of us, whether we are aware of it or not, do things with an eye to the approval of some audience or other. The question is not whether we have an audience but which audience we have.

This observation underscores another vital feature of the truth of calling: A life lived listening to the decisive call of God is a life lived before one audience that trumps all others" – Os Guinness, The Call, p. 70