05/02          1 Thessalonians 3:1-3

Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided that I should stay alone in Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our co-worker for God and our brother in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from becoming disturbed by the troubles you were going through. But, of course, you know that such troubles are going to happen to us Christians.

TROUBLES
Every one of us has to deal with many troubles. Jesus is the strength and encouragement that we need as we face each days challenges. Take your trouble to Jesus. He is our victory.

05/01          Psalm 93:1-5

The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. 2 Your throne, O LORD, has been established from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. 3 The mighty oceans have roared, O LORD. The mighty oceans roar like thunder; the mighty oceans roar as they pound the shore. 4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore — the LORD above is mightier than these! 5 Your royal decrees cannot be changed. The nature of your reign, O LORD, is holiness forever.

 

HE REIGNS

No force of nature

No act of man

Can divert the Lord’s will

He reigns

 

Evil seeks to block our way

Time batters our work

We tire in the heat of the day

He reigns

 

Untimely deaths

Failure’s painful hand

Fears icy stare

He reigns

 

Jesus is greater than anything

His love deeper than imagination

His care everlasting

He reigns

 

You have value

Your life is worthy

Every thought He has of you is good

He reigns

 

Be who you are

Do what you can

Jesus will not forget you

He reigns

04/30          1 Thessalonians 2:17
Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18 We wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. 19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again. 20 For you are our pride and joy.

YOU
You count with Jesus. He knows you and seeks for your best good. Surrender you life to Jesus. Let Him have control of you.

04/29          1 Thessalonians 2:15-16

For some of the Jews had killed their own prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us and driven us out. They displease God and oppose everyone 16 by trying to keep us from preaching the Good News to the Gentiles, for fear some might be saved. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.

AVOID

Avoid displeasing the Lord. Accept Jesus as your Lord. Accept His free gift of life and light for living. He is Lord.

 

 

04/28          1 Thessalonians 2:13-14

And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached his message to you, you didn’t think of the words we spoke as being just our own. You accepted what we said as the very word of God — which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 14 And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.

IMITATION

Imitation is called for-we are to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ as we live our life. He put the Father first and did everything the Father told Him to do. Listen to Jesus and do what He says.

 

 

04/27          1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

You yourselves are our witnesses — and so is God — that we were pure and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory.

BE

We must first learn to be the person that the Lord Jesus called. Forgiven, focused and forgiving. This is step one. Learn to be first and then learn to do. Do what He says, be who you are and let Him have control of you.

 

 

04/26          1 Thessalonians 2:8-9

We loved you so much that we gave you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 9 Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that our expenses would not be a burden to anyone there as we preached God’s Good News among you.

GOOD NEWS

The Good News is a message from God that He loves you. He died for your sin while you were still dead in your sin. He lives today and gives you His life. When we come to Jesus we accept His free gift of life and live in Him.

 

 

04/25          1 Thessalonians 2:6-7

As for praise, we have never asked for it from you or anyone else. 7 As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were as gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children.

NEW

When we minister with New Christians we are responsible for their well being. Mature Christians never demand their way, are not puffed up nor self centered. They deal with them out of love caring for them as if they were precious little children. We are responsible for our brother/sister and as a mature Christian we often have to put ourselves second or third.

 

 

04/24          1 Thessalonians 2:5

Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you very well know. And God is our witness that we were not just pretending to be your friends so you would give us money!

FRIENDS

Be a friend. Ask for nothing. Give everything. Jesus loves you therefore love one another. Be the Gospel where you are.

 

 

04/23          1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

So you can see that we were not preaching with any deceit or impure purposes or trickery. 4 For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.

TRUST

We trust the Lord. He gives us His marching orders. We follow Him. We say only what He calls us to say. Blessed be the name of the Lord.