8/13 Acts 17:12-15
12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men. 13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15 Those escorting Paul went with him to Athens; then they returned to Berea with a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.
HATE
The world is filled with hate and is against our proclaiming Christ as Lord. You will get push back from non-believers. In fact there are some who will seek to stop us proclaiming Jesus as the Good News of God by claiming that we are turning the world upside down. Jesus is Lord. You can believe that.
Author - Clay Corvin
8/12 Acts 17:8-11
8 The people of the city, as well as the city officials, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 But the officials released Jason and the other believers after they had posted bail. 10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.
LISTEN
Listen to the Lord as you read His Word. The Holy Spirit will open your heart and mind and equip you to hear what the Lord is saying to you. We struggle in this “veil of tears” but the Lord is faithful and will be with us as we live our life. Rejoice for the Lord loves you.
8/11 Acts 17:4-7
4 Some who listened were persuaded and became converts, including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city. 5 But the Jewish leaders were jealous, so they gathered some worthless fellows from the streets to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city,” they shouted. 7 “And Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, Jesus.”
KING
Jesus is the THE KING. Creator God, Son of God, Righteousness of God Jesus is the way the truth and life. He gives us new life and breathes into our life spiritual growth, insight, and a relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Following Jesus leads us to real life. Jesus is Lord.
8/10 Acts 17:1-3
1 Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people. 3 He was explaining and proving the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.”
JESUS
Jesus is the Son of God. We start with Jesus, we grow in Jesus and we stay with Jesus forever. We never have to go outside Jesus for spiritual growth. Jesus is the only way to the Father. He is God’s everything.
8/09 1 Thessalonians 5:24-28
24 God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this. 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters in Christian love. 27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. 28 And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.
FAITHFUL
The Lord is interested in your life. Nothing gets by Him. Spend time with Jesus and He will equip you to face the day. When you day gets out of kilter simply go back to Jesus and ask Him to see you through. He will.
8/08 1 Thessalonians 5:23
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
PEACE
God gives us His peace. This is a promise we can claim as His child. When our life spins out of control in chaos we need to stop and check our spiritual focus. Are we focused on Jesus or are we focused on the world?
8/07 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil.
EVIL
We are to keep away from every kind of evil. The Lord knows our ability and He knows that we can discipline ourselves with His strength. If we attempt to deal with the spiritual realm in our own strength we will fail miserably. Focus your heart and minds upon the Lord. He will not fail you.
8/06 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18
14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Keep on praying. 18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
JESUS
We belong to Jesus therefore we are to live in victory. We can have joy and peace in the face of really bad situations. Jesus is the key. Is He in control of my life or will I seek to control it and only turn to Jesus when life gets out of hand. Humility and dependence are elements of a surrendered Christian walk.
8/05 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. 13 Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.
HONOR
Today, cynicism is rampant in our society. We do not want to be cynic. We must not let the world shape us. We should honor our leaders. This means that I am to be understanding, forgiving, in pray for, and helpful to our Christian leaders. Sometimes people dishonor our leaders in the Lord’s work out of jealousy. Lord give me the correct attitude towards our Christian leaders.
8/04 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11
10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
BLOOD
His death is a grace gift to us. He shed His blood to pay for my sin. He is Lord, Lord of me, Lord of you and Lord of life. Jesus gives us life, life like His now and forever. We are helped and we must become helpers. Encourage one another and help each other.