"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each another and for everyone else ... " (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Where does real love come from? It comes from the Lord. He loves us with the best love of all. There is no love like the Lord's love for us. His love is the …
Category: 1 Thessalonians
Do you doubt that the Lord can bring you safely into his eternal kingdom?
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. …
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More Than The Words Of Men
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 Note especially 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - more than the words of men, the Word of God. It works effectively in those who believe. Our faith doesn't create God's Word. It's God's Word that creates our faith. Man's word is a shaky foundation. It's building on sand. It's foolishness. God's Word is a …
He who calls you is faithful.
“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Here, Paul is thinking about the fullness of God’s salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is the big picture. As I was reading these words about God’s faithfulness, I started thinking about the smaller picture: my own call to serve the Lord. There was a real sense of the call of God, but it wasn’t there all the time. As I moved beyond the original sense of God’s call, there were times when I wondered, “Is this really a call from God?” In times like these, I was taught to look beyond my own changeable feelings. I was reminded of God’s faithfulness: “He who calls you is faithful.”
We may think about this, and ask, “Why has God called me? What’s so special about me?” The more I thought about these questions, the more the Word of…
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Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126 (or Luke 1:47-55); 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126 (or Luke 1:47-55); 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 God has given us the Good News of salvation: Jesus Christ. ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus has fulfilled these words (Luke 4:18-21). …
Revised Common Lectionary – Year C: First Sunday of Advent – Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
Revised Common Lectionary – Year CFirst Sunday of Advent: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36 Every spiritual blessing – in Christ: Come to Him and receive His blessing.‘I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin …
How are our lives to be changed?
Jeremiah 23:9-25:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18; Proverbs 24:23-34 How are our lives to be changed? They can be changed by God - “I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 24:7). Knowing God makes a difference. Those who do know not Him live “in passionate lust” (1 Thessalonians 4:5). …
Hear the Word of the Lord.
Jeremiah 21:1-23:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13; Psalm 119:9-16 “O land, land, land, hear the Word of the Lord” (Jeremiah 22:29). When we truly hear the Word of the Lord with attentive hearts, there will be an “increase and overflow” of “love” and a strengthening of holiness (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). This is the teaching of Psalm 119:9 …
Forever with the Lord
1 and 2 Kings So many kings, so many names - Most of them are best forgotten. Is there a king we must never forget? "King of kings and Lord of lords" - This is what Jesus is! When all the kings have come and gone, Jesus remains - King of kings and Lord of …
Three Centuries!
When I was living in Glasgow, at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, I met a lady who lived in three different centuries! She was a born a few months before the end of the nineteenth century. She died a few months into the twenty-first century. When someone …
Responding to God’s Word (48): The Lord’s my shepherd.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you (1 Thessalonians 5:28). God chose you as firstfruits through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might be share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). …
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It won’t be long.
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). May God teach us to live our life in the light of eternity. "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him …
A New Beginning: Some thoughts from the Scriptures
Genesis 1:1-3‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. Its opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) the priority of God(1) God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) the priority of God’s Word (3) God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord. (c) the priority …
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A lady who lived in three different centuries!
When I was living in Glasgow, at the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, I met a lady who lived in three different centuries! She was a born a few months before the end of the nineteenth century. She died a few months into the twenty-first century. When someone …
Continue reading A lady who lived in three different centuries!
We have heard more than the words of the preachers.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe" ( 1 Thessalonians 2:13). More than the words of the …
Continue reading We have heard more than the words of the preachers.
God will give us the strength that we need to serve him with gladness.
"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). When some people use the words, "faith, love and hope", they do not speak of "our God and Father", and they do not speak of "our Lord Jesus …
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When the going gets tough, remember this: Jesus says, “I will come again.”
"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?" (Habakkuk 1:2). "Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation (or vision) and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation (or vision) awaits an appointed time; …
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An oasis in the desert
"You prepare a table before me" (Psalm 23:5). The Lord invites us to his table. This is wonderful - but it's followed by something that's not so wonderful: we are surrounded by "enemies." (Psalm 23:5). We cannot get away from this - but we can come to the Lord's Table: it's his oasis in our …
The Kingdom Will Come.
When Jesus began his preaching ministry, he proclaimed this message: "The kingdom has come." In the coming of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God has come. This is a message of great practical relevance to our lives here and now. Since Jesus Christ has come, we are called to repent and believe the gospel - …
God calls us to be faithful and fearless preachers of His Word.
Jeremiah 25:15-26:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28; Psalm 119:17-24 The word of judgment is not an easy word to speak, yet it must be spoken in every generation. It was spoken by the Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 25:15). It was spoken by the New Testament apostles (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The wrath of God is part of the …
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The Kingdom has come. The Kingdom will come.
The Kingdom Of God: 1st Thessalonians and 2nd Thessalonians When Jesus began his preaching ministry, he proclaimed this message: "The kingdom has come." In the coming of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God has come. This is a message of great practical relevance to our lives here and now. Since Jesus Christ has come, we …
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May God help us to become more loving and more holy.
"You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12). Love and holiness …
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Our love is to be holy. Our holiness is to be loving.
We need both ‘love’ and ‘holiness’(1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). Our love is to be holy. Our holiness is to be loving. Getting the right balance between love and holiness is like walking a tightrope. You can easily lose your balance and fall off. We can be too soft - all love and no holiness. We can …
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Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123 or Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
Our help comes from the Lord. The glory goes to the Lord. Barak is an example of ‘faith’ (Hebrews 11:32-34). Faith involves believing God’s promise - ‘I will give...’and obeying His command - ‘Go’ (Judges 4:6-7). God still says, ‘Go... I am with you always...’ (Matthew 28:19-20). Barak needed Deborah’s help (Judges 4:8-10). Both needed …
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7 or Amos 5:18-24; Psalm 70; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
Let us serve the Lord all the days of our life. Close to the end of his life, Joshua commits himself and his family to the Lord (Joshua 24:15, 29). Moved by his example, the people commit themselves to the Lord (Joshua 24:16-18, 21, 24). For Israel, this was a momentous decision - a definite, …
More Than Words …
"Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5). We need more than words. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 or Micah 3:5-12; Psalm 43; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12
Set apart for God, we rejoice in His great love. ‘Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you’ (Joshua 3:5). ‘Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is truth’ (John 17:17). Together with the command, there is the prayer. We are called to set ourselves apart for God. We can only do …
Saved By The Lord, Saved For The Lord
"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The Gospel does not only come to us with a Word concerning our past - "Your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2) - and our future - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36). We rejoice in what God has done …
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 or Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46
“The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.” ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27): This is no guarantee of peaceful tranquillity. For Israel, there was conflict. ‘Saved by the Lord’, Israel had found true happiness. Still, there were ‘enemies’ to be ‘thrust out’and …
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 33:12-23; Psalm 99 or Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22
God is holy. God is love. Let us come to Him with our prayers. In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (Exodus 32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (Exodus 32:32). Filled with ‘the fear of the Lord’, Moses was fearless before men. God’s Word …
Links to Rev James Philip’s notes on 1 and 2 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians
The Word of God, preached in the power of the Holy Spirit
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). When the Word of God is being brought to …
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For our encouragement
For our encouragement, let us read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. "According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice …
All of this is the work of God.
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). What is it that convinces men and women of …
Don’t let God’s Word go in one ear, and out the other ear (Journey through the New Testament: 1 and 2 Thessalonians).
1 Thessalonians ‘The Word of God, which is at work in you believers’ (2:13). Don’t let God’s Word ‘go in one ear and out the other’. We need both ‘love’ and ‘holiness’ (3:12-13). Our love is to be holy. Our holiness is to be loving. Do you feel like giving up? God is not about …
1 Thessalonians
1:1-2:20 - If God is to be glorified through the preaching of His Word, there needs to be more than the ‘words’ of the preacher. There needs to be ‘the power of the Holy Spirit’ (1:5). Good preaching is not a matter of ‘plausible words of wisdom’. We must look for ‘a demonstration of the …
1 Thessalonians
The power of the Holy Spirit is emphasized in this letter: "we brought the Good News to you... not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction" (chapter 1), "as soon as you heard the message that we brought you as God's message... a living power among you …
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Jeremiah 18:1-20:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:16; Psalm 119:1-8 “The Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail” (Jeremiah 20:11). This is a tremendous Word of encouragement when the battle is at its fiercest. In this battle, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5), empowered to …
Rejoice in the Lord, and give thanks to him.
"Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Sometimes, we think of prayer as ask, ask, ask ... nothing but asking. Here, we have prayer, set in the context of rejoicing and giving thanks to him. It is good for us to be reminded …
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Praying Through God’s Word: 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20When we gather together to hear the preaching of Your Word, show us, Lord, that we need more than the “words” of the preacher. Show us that we need “the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Help us, when we hear Your Word, to know that it is more than “the …
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One Year Bible: Days 274-304
Day 274 Jeremiah 2:31-4:9; Philippians 2:12-30; Psalm 115:12-18 The Lord calls us back from our backsliding: “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding” (Jeremiah 3:22). The returning people say, “Yes, we will come to You, for You are the Lord our God ... surely in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel” …
Learning From God's Word 