1 Th 5 QUENCHING THE SPIRIT
Saturday, January 29, 2022.
1 Th 5:19
Do not quench the Spirit: how do we quench the Spirit? Firstly, to quench is to extinguish or suppress, like the kinking of a hose, not allowing the water to flow outwardly. The Holy Spirit is symbolized as rivers of living water flowing within us Jn 7:38. His task is to convict us of our sin Jn 16:8 and to guide us into truth Jn 16:13. When we resist the Holy Spirit we are quenching His Spirit. Whenever, we allow our old man to rule our temples, we are suppressing the Holy Spirit Gal 2:20.
Application: whenever we are unkind to our fellow citizens, we are quenching the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to save humanity and said if anyone was charitable to the least of mankind, they were doing it to Him Mt 25:40.
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1 Th 4 RAPTURE
Saturday, January 29, 2022.
1 Th 4: 17
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever: Paul wanted to encourage believers about their future hope that life didn’t end with physical death. Jesus died but rose again and when He returns, it will be with those saints, who had fallen asleep 1 Th 4:14. Their bodies will rise from the earth and be re-united with their spirits 1 Th 4:16—the opposite of what had happened at death Jas 2:26. Then, we who are still alive on earth will be caught up together in the air with the saints to meet the Lord, to be with Him forever!
Application: we are told that we will reign with Christ 2 Ti 2:12. The Bible doesn’t explain many of the details of life in eternity, but understanding the creativity of God leads me to anticipate something even more wonderful than our present earth. We live by faith not by sight 2 Co 5:7 and our veiled understanding of the new heavens and earth also has to be appreciated by faith.
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1 Th 3 BUILDING UP THE BODY
Friday, January 28, 2022.
1 Th 3:2
We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith: Paul told the Thessalonians that Christians are destined to go through trials 1 Th 3:3 so he sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them. We are not an island but a body and therefore it is the Body’s responsibility to care for its members.
Application: Jesus gave us a wonderful principle: a house divided cannot stand Mk 3:25. Therefore the body of Christ must be united and care for all members. The Holy Spirit has given each member of the Body a gift 1 Co 12:7 to be used to equip His people to build up the Body Eph 4:12. Remember to use your gift for others for their encouragement and strengthening of their faith.
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1 Th 2 MOTIVE FOR SHARING THE GOSPEL
Thursday, January 27, 2022.
1 Th 2:4
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: Paul preached the gospel because he was entrusted with that assignment by God. Therefore, he wasn’t trying to win the favor of man but of God, by doing what he was commissioned to do—share the Good News.
Application: God is testing our hearts as to our motives in sharing the Gospel. There are many preachers that are using the Gospel for personal profit rather than to please God. Unfortunately, for these charlatans, their motives will be exposed and justice will be given to all 1 Co 4:5.
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1 Th 1 SALVATION
Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
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1 Th 1:9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God: the word repent means to change one’s mind. Adam chose to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” thus becoming his own god, independent, in all decision making. For a person to turn to God, he needs to repent from his sins and change his mind from independence to dependency upon Christ, the “Tree of Life,” no longer serving money, fame or pleasure. Application: as long as one is independent of God, he cannot connect with the Living God. No matter how sincerely you believe that Christ died for your sins that in itself cannot save an individual. You must make Jesus not only Savior but Lord of your life which means to die to self-rule and allow Jesus to come in and rule Gal 2:20. |
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