Joel 2:1 - The end of the world

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
     sound the alarm on my holy hill.
Let all who live in the land tremble,
     for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand—

The end of the world isn't something most of us think about much. The Bible always refers to the "day of the Lord" in urgent terms, like it could happen any moment. But it's been thousands of years and it hasn't happened yet, so we get complacent and don't really think about it. Should we? Yes! Not only the end of the world, the end of our world. We can die at any time, without any warning. Are we ready? Do we know God and are a Christian, baptized for the forgiveness of our sins and to receive the Holy Spirit? Have we reached all of those with whom we want to share the good news of Christ?

Lord, thank you for reminding us that the end of time, or the end of our time, can come at any time. Please help us to always live with a sense of urgency regarding your work. Amen.

John 15:13 - Thank you to those who serve

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Thank you to those who serve in the US military.

Lord, thank you for the people who are and have served to protect our country, Please keep them safe and successful and help us to never forget their sacrifice. Amen.

Joel 1:3 - Pass it down

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

This passage is talking about passing down the story of a devastating locust invasion, but the idea of passing down information to our children is evident throughout the Bible.  This appears to be one of the best ways share our faith, by sharing it with the next generation in our family. If you are a multi-generational Christian who grew up going to church, you may be a little frustrated that you did not have a "great conversion experience". But remember, even if we learn our faith from our parents, we have to make the choice to follow God. If we are still just following our parent's faith without making our own decision, then we have not yet decided to follow God.

Lord, thank you for allowing me to be raised by a Christian parent. Please help all of us to independently decide to follow you. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 - Idleness

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

This is an interesting passage. Apparently there was a problem in the church in Thessalonica with people who were idle and expected the church to feed them. I am constantly complaining about my job and wish I could just not work. I long for retirement, but I am just 46 and in good health, so I scheme and plan to figure out how to retire early. In truth, this passage reminds me that it is not good to be idle. If I am unwilling to work, I can not expect others to support me.

Lord, thank you for reminders about what we are to be doing. Please help me to follow your will in every area of my life. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 - Strength and protection

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

We know satan exists and is in the world today, but we also know if we are Christians God will strengthen and protect us from him. We do not have to live in a fearful state. Living in fear of satan will only give him power. So put on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) and stand firm in His promises.

Lord, thank you for giving us strength and protection from the evil one. Help us to not be fearful, but to stand firm. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 - Man of lawlessness

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

End of days prophecies are not something I usually focus on, but I don't remember reading this before. This passage (v. 1-12) talks about the Man of Lawlessness who will come before Christ returns. To me this sounds like many notable historical and current political figures.

Lord, thank you for preparing us for the evil in this world. Please help us to love truth. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 - Not a quick pay back

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

Paul is talking to the Thessalonian Christians who have been enduring persecution and trials. This passage sounds kind of vengeful and angry, but I think there is more to it. First, that trouble being paid back will be for those who do not know God or obey Christ. (v. 8) They will receive everlasting destruction when the Lord returns, (v. 9,10) This trouble is not a quick payback for being mean to you. Now, what if this person becomes a follower of Christ or is a follower of Christ? They will be forgiven and, as their brother or sister in Christ, we need to forgive them, for their sake and ours.

Lord, thank you for forgiving us and assuring us of your justice. Please help us to be patient and wait for your justice. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:28 - A blessing

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - A guide for daily living

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

It's easy to say and hard to do, but really, if we live this way every day we will be living in God's will. Rejoice always - allow the peace that passes understanding and the joy of the Lord to always be felt inside and seen by others.
Pray continually - talk to God about everything all day long, let prayer be your inner monologue.
Give thanks in all circumstances - there is always something to be thankful for, even in the most difficult situations.

Lord, thank you for telling us your will for us. Please help us to rejoice, pray and give thanks. Amen

1 Thessalonians 5:14 - Family interactions

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

As we go about our lives as Christians interacting with other members of our Christian family...remember these things.

Lord, thank you for giving us a family of believers. Please help us to care for each other. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - Sleep in death

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

When someone close to us dies, it is painful. Our loss is so great it can be overwhelming. But if the person who died was in Christ, we have hope. We know that they will one day be with God.

Lord, thank you for giving us hope. Please help those grieving for the loss of a loved one. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 - Work hard and mind your own business

And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Ok, I gotta' say, this verse kind of surprised me. the two verses above it were about love so I expected to be sharing something about love.

Then I read this.

I'm always looking for the grand calling, the thing that will make me amazingly significant. Just this morning I read about this concept in Unoffendable by Brant Hansen. So maybe God has me in the right place, doing the right job, working hard.

Lord, thank you for giving us these simple tasks. Help us to realize that an extraordinary thing has already happened: You, the Lord of Lords, Creator of the Universe, love us and want to be with us. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 - Control your body

That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

In this passage, Paul is talking about sexual immorality, but I think this verse can go beyond sexual sin. I need to control my body. That includes how I treat my body and what I do with my body. I've thought a lot about this in relation to food and being overweight. I don't think being overweight is a sin, by any means. I don't think being overweight has to limit my potential in any way. But...I think loosing weight could make me better. I would be a better employee with more stamina. I would be a better actor with a broader range of roles to play, I would be a better Christian with more energy and influence.

Lord, thank you for giving us choice in our lives. Please help me to control my body. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 - Strengthen your hearts

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

This prayer is from Paul at the end of the introduction to his letter to the church at Thssalonica. He is happy to hear these new Christians are remaining faithful and he prays for God to strengthen them to remain faithful. When we share Christ with people, we want to continue to keep them in our prayers, asking God to strengthen their hearts.

Lord, thank you for allowing us to come before you on behalf of others. Please strengthen the hearts of new Christians everywere so that they will be blameless and holy when Jesus returns. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 - Our glory and joy

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Our glory and joy to present to Christ when he returns are those with whom we have shared the gospel and they have obeyed. Here Paul is speaking of the church at Thessalonica. Who is your glory and joy? Is there anyone you have helped to teach about Christ? If not, it's never too late to start.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to share the good news. Please lead us to people who are seeking you and help us to bravely share your word. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 2:15b - Hostile

They displease God and are hostile to everyone.

This verse is in reference to the Jews who killed Jesus, the prophets and drove out those preaching Christ. If our beliefs are causing us to be hostile to everyone, our beliefs need to be reexamined. Hostile is a strong word. Even enemies are to be forgiven and treated kindly.

Lord, thank you for offering us forgiveness and kindness. Please help us to offer forgiveness and kindness to everyone. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 - The family of believers Part 3

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.

Paul compares fatherhood to teaching the gospel to the people of Thessolonica. When sharing the gospel and working with new Christians, it is important to be encouraging and comforting while at the same time urging them to live Christlike lives as children of God.

Lord, thank you for being our Father and offering us loving patience. Please help us to treat new Christians as you treat us. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 2:9-10 - The family of believers Part 2

Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

Paul continues to talk about sharing the gospel with the people of Thessalonica. He now compares the relationship to that of brothers and sisters. When we share Christ, we need to aim to be holy, righteous and blameless while not being a burden.

Lord, thank you for teaching us how to share the gospel. Please help us to be a blessing as a sibling to those we are reaching. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 2:7b-8 -The family of believers Part 1

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Today and for the next two days I am focusing on 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-12. In this passage Paul is discussing how the gospel was shared with the people of Thessalonica. He compares this process to a family. The verse above describes the mother and how she cares for her children, just as those sharing Christ cared for the people of Thessalonica and became involved in their lives.

Lord, thank you for giving us examples of how to share the gospel. Please help us to not be afraid to get involved in peoples lives and show them we care. Amen.

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A Poem About Spring

Spring skies, sunny or grey.
Time to put the blankets away.

The kids are taking tests
While mom is spring cleaning the mess.

Warm weather brings us outside without a coat,
To see the plants come up and the butterflies float.

Gardens and flowers are all in bloom,
There's a soft green carpet to the outside room.

Young animals are everywhere,
Insects and pollen are in the air.

Dad is cooking outside on the grill,
Mom's getting things ready, so you be still.

Now that the weather is fine,
The kids all know it's baseball time.

Time to go outside and play,
Vacations, the beach and fishing all day.

-Written by the residents of Silverado Valley Ranch

Lord, thank you for spring and the renewal it brings. Please help us to appreciate the beautiful earth you have created. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 2:4 - Praise from people

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

In these and the surrounding verses Paul is talking about how the gospel was shared with the people of Thessalonica. It is a good guide for how to share Christ. My purpose in this blog is twofold: personal study and to share my study with others. On down the passage verse 6 states, "We are not looking for praise from people."

Lord, thank you for this opportunity to study your word. Please help me to not seek praise from people, but only work to please you. Amen.

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1 Thessalonians 1:4 - Chosen

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you,

Chosen by God. What a powerful thought. God has chosen us to be his children. The following verse tells how we can know we have been chosen: "because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." The gospel isn't something we have to convince ourselves is true, we can feel our conviction, it's power and the Holy Spirit living in our lives.

Lord, thank you for making us a part of your family. If we don't feel your power, Holy Spirit and deep conviction, help us to reevaluate our conversion story. Amen.

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I Thessalonians 1:3 - A dedication

We remember before our God and Father
   your work produced by faith,
   your labor prompted by love, and
   your endurance inspired by hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I would like to dedicate this verse to Crissy Ketchersid. Crissy was the coordinator of our church Senior Banquet. It was an amazing event honoring our graduating high school students. Crissy's organizational skills were evident in the planning, setup, during the meal and at tear down. Thank you Crissy for your tireless efforts!

Lord, thank you for Crissy. Please help us to give honor where honor is due. Amen.

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Exodus 40:33 - Finished work

Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

It is so fulfilling to see the end of a project. It may be a banquet, a renovation, a presentation, etc. Whatever the project, it is great to come to the end. Moses and the Israelites gets the opportunity here to see the end of this project. The tabernacle is completed.

Lord, thank you for allowing us to see the completion of projects. Help us to be patient and work hard until projects are done. Amen.

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Exodus 39:42 - Following instructions

The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The Israelites followed God's meticulous plans for the tabernacle. Are you good at following instructions? Some people zone out at soon as they are being instructed. I'm pretty good at reading or hearing instructions and following them...as long as I agree with them. As Christians we don't have a set of laws to adhere to as the Israelites did, but there are commands in the New Testament, guidelines for us to follow.

Lord, thank you for giving us parameters to live by. Please help us to hear and follow those instructions. Amen.

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Exodus 38:8 - Women and mirrors

They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

This verse really stuck out to me. I didn't realize there were women who served in the tabernacle. Also, I was confused about a basin made from mirrors. I found a paper which gave me some insight. Mirrors were made from polished metal at this time, so these were just melted down and reformed. On the question of the women, it's not entirely clear as to their role, but it would make sense to me they would be responsible for changing out the water in the basin.

Lord, thank you for including details like this in your word. Please help us to each find our place of service. Amen.

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Exodus 36:5 -More than enough

Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more,

When it was time for the Israelites to give items for the tabernacle, they gave more than was needed. So much that Moses had to ask them to stop bringing offerings. Have you ever seen this kind of giving??

Lord, thank you for being generous with us. Please help us to be generous as well. Amen.

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Luke 9:23 - First things first

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Yesterday morning I didn't study. I had worked late the night before then had to go to work that morning, so I decided I needed sleep more than study. Wrong answer! I had a really rough morning. I had not asked God for sustenance and endurance to make it through the day. But God knew what I needed, he gave it to me and I started to feel better. Then I stopped to thank him and give him praise and honor.

Lord, thank you for knowing what we need before we do. Please help us to always put you first. Amen.

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