Category: 1 Thessalonians

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Speculation about end times is wrong. Speculation feeds on pride and leads to fights and arguments as we defend our position. Reread Luke 12:35-48 together with this passage. Who should you encourage and how will you build them up? (Verse 11)

SJA Notes

* God Above, thank You for Your word to us today. Please teach us, and may we be teachable.

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day.”

God’s word is very clear about staying awake, faithfully waiting for God’s return.

In Matthew 24 we read,

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

In Luke 12 we read,

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

And the warning from Jesus in Revelation 3,

“If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will now know at what hour I will come against you.”

Let us stay awake and alert spiritually, walking in the light of God and His word. Let us refrain from doing evil and work to restrain evil, to love the church and grow together under Jesus.

Let us keep ready for our Lord’s return!

* Father God,

You have set a day in time, a day we do not know, when the last trumpet will sound.

Please equip us to go about the work You have laid out for us will all diligence.

Please help us to stay awake and alert, to be children of Your light, and not of darkness.

Amen.

Reading

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SAA Notes

Faith and works go together and should never be separated. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith is fruitless and directionless. What ambition fills your heart? Does it line up with Scripture?

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please show us what You want us to understand from Your word today.

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

We are able to read this passage and hear Paul’s words to us today.

Paul was human, and he died.

He is in the first segment of people,

“And the dead in Christ will rise first.”

But when he wrote, he was alive, and so places himself in the segment of God’s people who will be alive when Jesus returns (because no man knows the day nor the hour) – Writing encouragement to us all.

Because whether we are raised in Christ first because we have died or alive and caught up together with those dead to meet our Lord in the air – It doesn’t matter!

We all, all of us, whether we shuffle off or whether we still breathe life in this world when the King of Ages returns – We all of God’s people get to ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.

This should be of great encouragement to us today.

That we will ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD.

* Father God,

Thank You for Your Word here that we read – That You that whether we are raised first or caught up second we will have finished our race, and will be with You always.

Always.

Thank You Lord God for this hope, what a hope! What a Saviour!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

When you face trials, ask the Lord to send someone who will strengthen and encourage you in your faith. God did not create us to be independent islands unto ourselves.

SJA Notes

* God Above, thank You for the fellowship of believers, the establishment and exhortation given and received, founded in Christ Jesus.

“… To establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions.”

Paul’s love for the church family is so evident in this letter.

We can be very encouraged both to have the same kind of love, and to see the love in those ministering around us.

This is particularly important when we undergo trials and temptations; as individuals and outwards in our various relational groupings, to our church families and beyond.

When we undergo these things Paul tells us that we ought to find joy in God’s family, as we struggle together through this life.

We can all be praying for one another, that our Father in Heaven would establish our hearts blameless in holiness before Him.

* Father God,

Thank You for these words of encouragement and exhortation.

Please help us to be both established and exhorted in our faith.

Please help us Lord each day to cast our struggles and worries, our concerns and fears, to cast them on You.

We cast them at Your feet, knowing that You care for us.

Amen.