Appointed to Afflictions

Paul was concerned about the faith and spiritual welfare of the believers in Thessalonica so he sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them. "Strengthen" is from the Greek word "sterizo"which means to make firm or stable, to cause to be inwardly committed. "Encourage" is from the Greek word "parakaleo" which means to call someone alongside. Timothy was sent to support these believers for spiritual stability and to come alongside them & urge them to persevere through difficulties with faith, courage, and confidence. To ponder: Do you know anyone who is going through trials and afflictions? Pray and ask God to show you how you may encourage and strengthen them. Let them know that you're praying for them and available whenever they need you.

Trial/Affliction is from the Greek word "thlipsis" (from "thlibo) which means to crush, squash, squeeze. Afflictions can be physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual distress which makes you feel squeezed and crushed due to intense pressure/great difficulty. To ponder: When we squeeze something, what comes out is what is on the inside. What comes out of you when you experience afflictions that squeeze you? How we respond to trials and afflictions reveal the reality of our faith. Trials and afflictions will come, sooner or later. They are unavoidable for Christ's followers in this present life in a fallen world. We are never promised a trouble-free life. In fact, Jesus states the opposite in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Don't be surprised or discouraged by afflictions. God wants His children to stay spiritually strong and stable in the midst of the storms. He doesn't want our faith to be unsettled/shaken/disturbed. Remember that trials and afflictions are temporary and they serve a purpose. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

"They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." (Acts 14:21-22)

"Afflictions are sent for this end, to bring us to the throne of grace, to teach us to pray and to make the word of God's grace precious to us... Many are taught with the briars and thorns of affliction that would not learn otherwise." (Matthew Henry)

"There are no crown-wearers in heaven that were not cross-bearers here below." (Charles Spurgeon)

It helps when we remind ourselves of trials' divine purpose: proving our faith genuine, deepening our faith & reliance on God, humbling our souls, weaning us from the things of this world, drawing us closer to God, helping us learn & grow in spiritual maturity, molding us into Christlikeness, and making us useful to God. Trials and afflictions have their necessary place in the process by which God works out the sanctification of His children. God will allow only what is necessary for He does not delight to afflict or grieve His children. In addition, we are promised that Christ is always with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We are never alone no matter what trials we are going through. “As sure as God puts His children in the furnace, He will be in the furnace with them.” (Charles Spurgeon) God's presence gives us peace and comfort. God may not remove our pain and sufferings but He will carry us through them. The Holy Spirit/the Comforter dwells in us, giving us the grace and strength to endure.

Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for carrying me and comforting me through all my trials! Please use me to be a blessing and encouragement to those who are going through afflictions. Please show me how I can help them stay strong in their faith and be emboldened to cope with any challenges. Please enable them and me to trust and rest in You completely, even in the fiercest storms of life. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Joy of Soul-Winning and Discipling

Paul's hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing result from leading people to Christ, seeing new believers' lives transformed by God and His gospel, discipling them to grow in spiritual maturity/Christlikeness, and looking forward to seeing them in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming. Paul echoed the same thing to the believers in Philippi, "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!" (Philippians 4:1)

Although I rejoice at each soul saved (no matter who witnessed to them), I would be thrilled and filled with special joy to meet people in Heaven who trusted in Christ as their Lord and Savior because of my witness. What a priceless reward it is in itself to take as many people as possible to Heaven with us! Christ's second coming should motivate us to be faithful in sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Evangelism is something that cannot be done (won't be needed) in Heaven. Those whom Paul led to Christ became Paul's glory and joy. "As you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to glory/rejoice on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." (Philippians 2:16-17) There's no better winning than winning souls for Christ!

"A missionary was once asked about his salary. The inquirer knew it couldn't be much, and he wanted to know why anyone would give so generously of himself to help total strangers, yet be paid so little. The missionary pulled out a letter and read these words: 'If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know Jesus Christ as my Savior. Every morning I kneel in prayer, thanking God for everything you've done for me.' 

'That's my pay!' exclaimed the dedicated servant of the Lord." (from Our Daily Bread)

"Save some, O Christian! By all means, save some. From yonder flames and outer darkness, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, seek to save some! Let this, as in the case of the apostles, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means you might save some." (Charles Spurgeon)


Prayer: Thank You, Father, for our blessed assurance in Christ! Please help us to faithfully serve You, live for You, and reach out to the lost with Your gospel while we await Christ's second coming. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Live Lives Worthy of God

"Encouraging, comforting and urging you to walk/live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory. 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 2:12-13)

Paul's ways of discipling new believers included: exhorting/encouraging them to grow into spiritual maturity, comforting them during difficult times of trials & sufferings, and urging/challenging them to follow God's teachings. Paul's motive for all his encouraging, comforting, and urging was his desire that the Thessalonians believers would walk daily in a manner that is worthy of God and His gospel...in a manner that honors and glorifies God Who called them into His kingdom and glory. This was his ministry's goal. The word "worthy" used in verse 12 is from the Greek word, "axios" which means weighing as much as, worth as much as (balancing the scales).

We, Christ's followers, are to walk in Christ, reflecting Christlikeness in how we conduct our lives. Live in such a way that proves you belong to God. Live accordingly as children of the King and fellow heirs of Christ. Live in the pursuit of holiness. Live in the light of eternity. We need God's power to be able to live in such a way. Be encouraged; God is at work in the lives of the redeemed. God will help us when we cannot walk and when we find it difficult to walk but He won't do the walking for us. The walking/living out part is our responsibility. Walk in love, light, wisdom, humility, submission, obedience, walk in newness of life, walk in the Spirit,...walk by faith. To ponder: Is there anything in your life that dishonors God? When people look at your lives, what do they think of God?

Paul, Silas, and Timothy thanked God continually because not only had the Thessalonian believers received & accepted the Word of God (the gospel) by faith, but the Word of God also continued to effectively worked in them (sanctification). The same Word of God that brings us salvation also enables us to live for Him and endure trials in this life. It has power to transform and sanctify us. If we want the Word of God to continue to work in us, we must read, study, memorize, and apply His Word. Knowledge of God's Word renews our mind which controls our conduct. Right living begins with right thinking.

"If I look at the world, I will conform to ways of the world. If I look at the Word, I will conform to the will of God." (A.W. Tozer)

"Lamp for the feet that in byways have wandered,
Guide for the youth that would otherwise fall;
Hope for the sinner whose life has been squandered,
Staff for the aged, and best Book of all." (Unknown)

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Word that transforms, sanctifies, guides, comforts, and encourages me! May I hide Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You! Please enable me to live in a manner pleasing to You, worthy of Your calling. Please help me die to self daily and may people see only Christ in me. Use my life, Lord, for Your glory and Your kingdom! In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Share the Gospel and Your Lives with Others

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Paul, Silas, and Timothy had a deep affection for the believers in Thessalonica. They were well pleased/delighted to share not only God's gospel but also their lives with these new believers. They were willing to put themselves at their disposal without reservation. True love (agape) is to love like Jesus. It is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. It involves doing the hard thing. It's much easier to just share the gospel with someone and then never see that person again than to invest our lives in that person. This is a drawback of short-term mission. Even though there's some benefit to short-term mission, long-term mission is much more effective and yields more fruit.

"The gospel is always most effective when it is shared by people who joyfully give themselves away." (David C. McCasland)

"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!" (Unknown)

"The message you may give,
The words that come from you,
Most truly honor Jesus
When love is given too."
(D. De Haan)

Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for the Body of Christ! Please help us love one another and share our lives with one another. Please enable us to love and serve like Jesus. Please empower us to live gospel-centered lives and faithfully share the gospel with those who need to hear. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.

Gospel Power

We, Christ's followers, are eternally loved and chosen by God. By His sovereign grace, God has chosen all believers for salvation, drawing them to Himself by the work of the Holy Spirit. "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will." (Ephesians 1:4-5)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16) The gospel (good news) has power (from the Holy Spirit) to transform lives, to convict people of their sin, and to assure them of the gospel truth. It's our job to share the gospel with others while it's the Holy Spirit's job to open their spiritual eyes (heart and mind) to see/realize their need for a Savior and their need to repent. Without the Holy Spirit, our words (no matter how eloquent) are powerless and won't be able to convert anyone.

The Thessalonians could trust Paul's preaching because they knew that he lived in accordance with what he taught. To ponder: Are your character and conduct congruent with your creed and confession (what you say you believe)? Your credibility depends on it. Whether we like it or not...realize it or not, people read us and notice how we act and how we react. Do you live what you believe? Do you walk the talk? If not, hypocrisy will quickly turn people off. "Our manner of life either helps or hinders the Gospel. It either recommends the truth to others or else makes the truth repulsive." (Ron Mattoon) Our lives should reflect Christ and testify of the gospel's transforming power. 

"I am my neighbor's Bible. He reads me when we meet. He may not even know my name, yet he is reading me." (Unknown)

"Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian." (Dwight L. Moody )

"So let our lips and lives express
The holy gospel we profess;
So let our works and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine." (Watts)

Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for loving me, choosing me, and adopting me into Your family! I'm so grateful for the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. Please empower me to boldly share the gospel with those who need to hear. Please help me conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Faith, Love, Hope

In the Bible, thanksgiving and prayer often go together. "We (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) always thank God for..." (the verb is in the present tense) indicates their practice/habit of giving thanks to God continually. They thanked God for the work He had done in the lives of the believers at Thessalonica. They acknowledged that the virtues and success of these believers were ultimately enabled by God. We see consistent & persistent intercessory prayer in Paul's life. To ponder: Do you devote yourselves to prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving? Do you continually pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Paul points out about their work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope (in our Lord Jesus Christ). What an encouragement! To ponder: Do you tend to commend rather than condemn or the other way around? Do you tend to encourage rather than criticize or the other way around?

Faith, love, and hope are evidence of authentic conversion and abiding in Christ. Faith results in (good) works. Love results in labor. Hope results in endurance. We can see their faith at work and their love in action in verse 9, "...you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God," and their endurance of hope in verse 10, "and to wait for His Son from Heaven, Whom He raised from the dead--Jesus, Who rescues us from the coming wrath."

Faith that is not accompanied by good works is dead, futile, and worthless. Faith without works is not a genuine, saving faith. We are not saved by good works but we're saved to do good works. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Love without labor/action is mere fleeting feeling; it's not true Biblical love (agape). The word "labor" here comes from the Greek word, "kopos" which means chop, strike, beat one's chest as a sign of sorrow. It implies discomfort and difficulty. Labor prompted by love involves effort, toil, weariness, even sorrow, for Biblical love is selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial. Christ demonstrated this costly love in His death on the cross. Love moves us to gladly do a labor of sweat, blood, and tears. "Where love is the motive, the labor is light." (Unknown) 

Eternal hope in Christ brings about endurance and perseverance. Biblical hope is what keeps us going and never giving up no matter how difficult our trials and sufferings in this life may be. Confident hope in the Lord & His return, in eternal life in Heaven, and in all God's promises propels us to steadfastly, patiently, trustingly, courageously endure hardship, struggles, afflictions, and persecutions. When Jesus Christ is our Hope, we can endure anything.

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the gifts of faith, love, and hope! I thank You for all my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and I ask You to watch over them and help them stay steadfast in faith, love, and hope through any circumstances. Please make Your children people of prayer and thanksgiving. Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit and may the work of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of hope be evident in our lives! In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.