Devo 32:10 What Happens to Believers When They Die? I Thess 4:13-18

The death of a friend is never easy but some deaths are really hard to take. Such was the case of my friend Robert who was had a passion for God and loved people! He had recently married a wonderful woman of God (Jan was a mutual friend) had moved to Charlotte, started a great job, joined a solid church and had started their family. He was expected to live a long, happy and productive life! When I got the news that Robert had been killed through a freak accident at work, it rocked my world! This happened over 25 years ago but to this day, I can hardly believe that he is gone! Paul's words to the Thessalonians give me comfort:

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[g] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died[h] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. I Thess 4:13-18 NLT

Paul encourages the saints by saying:
We don't have to grieve like people who have no hope (that is the hope of Christ). When Jesus returns, he will bring with him our believing loved ones who had died! The dead believers will rise first, then the saints who are alive will be caught in the clouds with Christ. We will all be with the Lord forever! Hallelujah! This is great news! I will see my friend Robert again!

Let's Pray:
Lord, thank you for raising Jesus from the Dead! I thank you that because of Christ's resurrection, we also have hope of resurrection! I will see my dead brothers and sisters again! Lord help me to share this hope with nonbelievers in my life so that they too will have this hope. In Jesus Name! Amen!

Living a Life that Brings Respect from your Non Christian Neighbors 31:10

What do your non Christian neighbors see when they see you? What do they think about when they think about you? Notice Paul's words of commendation and exhortation in this area:

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. 11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. I Thess 4:9-12 (NIV)

Paul commends the Thessalonians for the way they love each other as well as the love they should to other Christians throughout Macedonia! If Paul was writing to you and your Christian community, would he commend you for the love you show each others as well as the extended Christian Community?
He then challenges them to live a quiet life, tending to their own business, working hard so that their lifestyle will engender respect from their non Christian neighbors. Not only do the unbelievers see our quiet and industrious lifestyle but they also notice how the christian community treats each other. In fact, Jesus said: This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 ISV

What do your non Christian neighbors see when they see you? Do they see a person who is living a quiet and respectable life, treating his family and fellow Christians with love and honor? Is what they see turning them away or drawing them to Christ. If our lifestyle makes Jesus look good, then when we open our mouths to speak, our word will have so much more power!

Let's Pray: Thank you for this challenging word today! Forgive me for the times when I have shown a poor image of Christ to my neighbors in my lifestyle or in the way I treat my brothers and sisters. Lord, help me live such a life of integrity, humility and transparency before my nonchristian neighbors, that when I speak your name, they will be eager to listen or else be convicted by your truth. In Jesus Name! Amen!

We are Called to Live Lives of Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity 30:10

God’s Call to Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity
In this passage, Paul is calling the believers to live lives of Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity in a world where everybody else is doing the opposite!
1 Thessalonians 4: 1-8

Listen to his words: 1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit

This word is relevant today. Immorality and sexual promiscuity has become the acceptable norm by our larger society. The world will laugh at you if you talk about abstaining from sex. They will even tell you that it is unreasonable to expect a young person to abstain. Even in the Christian community, many Christians struggle with sexual purity.
Yet, Paul challenges the Thessalonians to live a life of sexual purity. In fact, he tells them that they are called to live holy lives, not sexually impure lives. (v7)

Explanation of Passage: God’s Call to Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity
First Paul tells the Thessalonians that it is God’s will that they be set apart or sanctified. We are not to live or think like the world! (v2)In fact he tells them that they should avoid sexual immorality (v3). The Christian is called to go out of his way to avoid being caught up in this sin, even if it means losing friends or popularity. Paul exhorts these believers to learn to control their own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable.(v4) This implies that it is possible for the believers to take actions to avoid sexual sin. We do not have to be controlled by our own lusts, in fact we are called to a higher standard of holiness and honor. For us to be continually controlled by our own lusts is to live like the heathen who does not even know God(v5) Sexual impurity is not an isolated sin but it impacts the community. Paul challenges these believers not to wrong each other or abuse each other through sexual sin. This type of behavior is the exact opposite of what God has called us to. Paul reminds them that men will be punished for all such sins (v 6) and that those who reject such instructions reject God, not men. God is calling the believer to live lives of Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity. The truth is that we need God's help and power to live this kind of life in a world where everything goes against these values and principles!

Closing Prayer: May the Lord give us strength, power and wisdom to obey God in every area of our lives. May we set Godly examples for other people to follow, so that they too can hope for a lifestyle of Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity.
May we be communities of grace, receiving God’s forgiveness when we sin and offering forgiveness for those who fail. May we challenge each other and hold each other accountable to the fact that we are called to a lifestyle of Holiness, Honor and Sexual Purity.
Through the Power of Jesus Christ!. Amen

May You Stand Before God Strong and Holy 29:10

Notice Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians:

11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen
. I Thess 3:11-13.

As Paul continues to rejoice over the strong faith of the Thessalonians, he prays that their love for each other will overflow, helping them to be strong and Holy people as they stand before God:

What is your Prayer for the people that God has placed in your life?
Will you pray this prayer with me?

Let’s Pray: Lord, I pray for the people that you have placed in my life that their love would overflow. May this this overflowing love cause them to be strong in their faith and stand blameless before your Throne one day!

In Jesus Name! Amen!

Stand Firm in the Lord (28:10)

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. (I Thess. 3:7-8)


4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless. 6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters,[b] because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.
I Thessalonians 3:4-8


Have you ever led someone to the Lord or ministered and moved on, wondering how they were doing in their walk? This is how Paul felt about the young church in Thessalonica. He had sowed seeds into their lives and longed to visit them and wondered how they were doing in the midst of trouble and difficulties. Finally, he sent Timothy to check on them. Paul jumped for joy when he got the report:

- Not only did they remember him but they also longed to see him and they were standing firm in their Faith! Paul was greatly encouraged by this report and in fact he said it gave him “new life” as he heard it!

Our spiritual welfare is not just for us, it encourages others who have poured into our lives.

Closing Prayer: Lord I thank you for the people you have placed in my life to minister to sow spiritual seeds into their lives. Encourage them in their faith and let the stand strong in the Lord. Not only will they be blessed but I will be encouraged as well. Lord help me to stand firm in the faith as well, knowing that those who care about my welfare will be greatly encouraged as well.
In Jesus Name! Amen!

Accept God's Word and Let it Work in You! (Vol 27:10)

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. 1 Thess. 2:13

Paul was thankful for the fact that the Thessalonians accepted the word that he preached as the word of God, not as his word. There is a popular expression used by some preachers to day “work the word”. In this passage Paul says that the word was actually working in them.
In today’s world when the bible’s truth is questioned, it is important for Christians to believe once and for all that the bible is the authoritative word of God. God’s word has the power to save us, cleanse us and help us and overcome the flesh, if we receive and walk in it. II Timothy 3:16 says that: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.
The question for us is this: Will we accept God's word when we hear it? Will we submit to God's word and chamge our lives to line up with his word. In other words, will we obey his word?

Let’s pray: Lord I thank you that the scripture comes from you. Like the Thessalonians, I receive the word so that it will continue to do it’s work of cleansing and correction in my life. In Jesus Name! Amen!

What Motivates You To Do Ministry? Part 2 (26:10)

In this passage we see the true heart and motivation of the Apostle Paul as he serves the Thessalonian church.

6b As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We 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. 9Surely you remember, brothers, 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.

10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. I Thess 2:6b-12

As an Apostle, Paul had the right to receive support from the people he served, but instead chose to support himself to free them of this responsibility. Instead of lording his position over them, he served them with compassion of a mother and the guidance of a father - putting their needs above his own! His heart for the people would be very rare in today's world! He lived among them and shared his very life with them, yet lived a holy, righteous and blameless life before them. In verse 12 we see his heart for the Thessalonians to encourage them, comfort them and see them live lives worthy of God

Reflection Questions:
Is that what you want for the people you serve? Do you want to see them encouraged, comforted and living worthy lives or are you just concerned about what they can do for you or the ministry? Do you walk and live among the people that you serve or do you stand apart from them, giving orders?
As a ministry leader, are you more concerned about the people's needs or your needs?
Do you serve the people you lead with the heart of a mother or father?

Let's Pray: Lord Thank you for the privilege of serving people as a leader. Forgive me for the times when I lead out of selfishness, pride or other wrong motivations. Help me to lead with the compassion of a mother or father, with a desire to see your people encouraged, comforted and living lives worthy of God In Jesus Name! Amen!