SOUL TIE OR SPIRIT TIE?

We, brethren, have been bereft of you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were al the more eager with great desire to see your face.  I Thess. 2:17

            Paul was in Corinth when he wrote this to the believers in Thessalonica, but though they were geographically separated, they were together in spirit.  He felt it.  The Holy Spirit, in him, was connected to the Holy Spirit, in them.

            Spirit ties are healthy, conceived by God.  The common denominator in their unity is the Holy Spirit who binds people together.  This very phenomenon is what makes for a great marriage, an enduring and strong friendship, and a harmonious home.  God desires that all of us fatten our Spirit, that place where His Spirit speaks to us, so that one Spirit-filled believer can connect to another Spirit-filled believer.  The result is a bond that spans distance and time.  It will take them into eternity where their relationship will continue where it left off on earth.   Continue reading “Soul Tie Or Spirit Tie?” →

HOSTILITY

They killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out.  They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men.  I Thess. 2:15

In my earlier years, I struggled to understand the hostility shown to Jesus and his prophets.  Someone coming from heaven to deliver people from Satan’s kingdom should be popular.  A man who offers Himself up as the perfect Lamb should cause people to weep with joy that their sins could finally be forgiven.   Everyone should run to Him.  How could this loving miracle worker end up on a cross? Continue reading “Hostility” →

I’M NOT ALONE!

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.  I Thess. 2:14

I love to watch movies, especially those that portray the best of the human spirit.  Long drawn out sagas are my favorite, even though they are often the target of much teasing by my husband, Ron.  He swears that it’s more fun to watch grass grow.  Nonetheless, I am encouraged to see a few of the main characters work through their challenges and deepen their relationships.  Why?  Because it reminds me that I’m not alone. Continue reading “I’m Not Alone” →

CONFUSING THE MESSAGE WITH THE MESSENGER

We constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its working you who believe. I Thess. 2:13

Do you test the spirits of the messages you hear?  We are, each of us, Bible students who have been personally called to contend for the faith.  Sound theology falls into the hands of God’s children to defend and protect.  Yet, we can coast and sit like sponges under charismatic platform personalities and rarely question the words that are preached. Continue reading “Confusing The Message With The Messenger” →

A NEEDED COMBINATION

You know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His kingdom and glory.  I Thess. 2:11-12

            Eugene Peterson paraphrases this beautifully.  “With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.”  He characterizes the kind of mentor each of us needs. Continue reading “A Needed Combination” →

RELATING AS A NURSING MOTHER

We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.  I Thess. 2:7

How many men do you know that talk like this?  Probably few.  Their metaphors usually have more to do with sports than nursing mothers so this is rare language for a man, especially a single man. Continue reading “Relating As A Nursing Mother” →

PATRONIZING AND CONDESCENDING

We did not seek glory from men, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.  I Thess. 2:6

    A good father does not belittle his toddler for not walking like an adult.  When he pulls himself up to the nearest coffee table, is unsteady on his feet, and then begins to take a step or two before tumbling to the floor, he is not shamed.  He is still a baby and nothing more is expected of him.  Continue reading “Patronizing Or Condescending” →

REFORMATION OR TRANSFORMATION

We are being hindered from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins.  I Thess. 2:16

Paul knew.  Unless the Gentiles heard the words of Jesus Christ, they would have absolutely no chance of leading a different life.  They would be trapped in a cycle of sin that would lead to death and ultimate separation from God.  “Filling up the measure of their sins” means that they would keep walking in the paths of corruption that would cause them to suffer utter futility.  Only God can rescue a man or woman from such a desperate journey. Continue reading “Reformation Or Transformation?” →

A NOTCH ON THE BELT

For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed.  God is witness.  I Thess. 2:5

I remember an episode of The Cobsy Show where one of their college age children called home early one evening.  Because that particular kid rarely surfaced, Bill Cosby’s first comment after saying hello was, “How much should I make the check out for?” Everyone laughed because adults can usually tell when kids want something.  Audiences are pretty savvy, too.  They can tell when someone is in the ministry for self-centered reasons. Continue reading “A Notch On The Belt” →

WHAT I BELIEVE WHEN TROUBLE HITS

Let no man be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.  I Thess. 2:3

The grid of my true beliefs is revealed when trouble visits my front door.  What I really think of God, what I really believe about myself, and what I believe about how He rules His kingdom becomes apparent.  When there is a cancer of disbelief, down deep, pain drives this faulty theology to the surface. Continue reading “What I Believe When Trouble Hits” →