2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 - Don't Mess With My Kids!

2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 – Don’t Mess With My Kids!

You don’t mess with my kids! I know that is a strange thing to say as you look at this Scripture, but it’s true. You can get in my face. I can take it pretty good. I have been known to turn the other cheek a time or two. But when you go after my kids, you had better watch out. God gave them to me to protect and to raise, and heaven forbid you do anything to cause them harm.

That is the apostle Paul in a nutshell. In his other letters, he talked about how his spiritual converts were like his children. And you can almost picture this man of God as the proud parent as he brags on his kids. Proud that their faith and love are growing. Boasting about their patience and faith as they endure the hardships of their days. Bragging about how all of this is evidence of their salvation, because quite frankly, none of this would be happening if they did not belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ. But woe unto those who are doing the persecuting!

Look at verses 6-10. Do you see what Paul is saying? God is going to take care of it all, and that doesn’t mean He is going to gather everybody up in His arms and sing Kum Bah Ya. He is going to take care of it by repaying with tribulation those who trouble His people. In other words, He may do some gathering up but it will be to rain down His wrath on the enemies of His people and to give rest to those who are being troubled because of their faith in Jesus. And Paul doesn’t pull any punches here. God will take vengeance on His enemies with flaming fire and eternal destruction. And it’s all going to happen when Jesus returns and takes His bride, the true Christians, home.

You see, here is the reason Paul is writing to the Thessalonicans again. Someone was telling them that Jesus had already returned and they had missed it. They were saying that their suffering was in vain – that they might as well go back to the way they were because none of it was true. And guess what. It was all a lie. Straight from the devil intended to discourage and defeat the faith of God’s people because that’s what the devil is always trying to do. So Paul does what any good pastor does – He once again proclaims to his dear children the truth of what that day is going to be like. And knowing what it is going to be like, they can stay strong and know that God still has a plan.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, I don’t know what all of you are going through, but I know that God is able to take care of you. He will strengthen you. He will walk with you even through the valley of the shadow of death. So take hope! Don’t give up! Walk in victory because you are a child of the King.

2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 - In God!

2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 

It happened! The very thing Paul warned the Thessalonians (and every church he started and those who would read his letters) about. It is every pastor’s nightmare. The seeds of false doctrine had been sown and had begun to take root in the church. Isn’t it amazing how easily bad seed does this. Weeds grow faster than good plants in the physical realm, and they do the same in the spiritual. You can prepare the soil for your crops and have it clean of weeds when you begin. Plant your seeds and watch them grow, but if you don’t stay on top of the weeds, pretty soon they will overtake the entire field. The only solution is to be constantly on the lookout for the weeds and get them out as soon as you see them. So Paul does the spiritual equivalent of spraying herbicide: he applies truth liberally and begins the process of destroying the false teachings.

Look at where he starts. He reminds them of who they are. They are the church of the Thessalonicans IN GOD! Because they are IN GOD, their faith grows, their love abounds, and they have withstood the persecution poured out by the enemy. He tells them that their faith grows because they are IN GOD! Love abounds because they are IN GOD! Persecution is endured because they are IN GOD! Do you see the pattern? In this life and in eternity, good things happen when we are in Him.

That doesn’t mean that living the Christian life is easy. They did, after all, endure persecution. And as we will see in the following verses, these Thessalonican Christians did stumble, but they had not fallen. Let me let you in on a little secret, and it is great news. As a child of God, you may stumble, but you will never fall from grace. Once you have truly trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, and by that I mean committed yourself completely as a bondservant (listen to my message dated February 8, 2015 for a complete description of the concept), you can never fall out of God’s hand. Once saved, always saved! That is what I believe because that is what the Bible teaches.

Sadly, the truth is the truth. False teachers could not have spread bad seed without the permission of the congregation, and that is always the first line of defense against false doctrine. Be aware! Be alert! Our adversary the devil is always lurking about looking for ways to send us in the wrong direction. So know the truth. I had a dear friend, a former bank president, who has gone to be with the Lord now. He told me that when he trained his tellers to recognize counterfeit bills, they never touched a counterfeit bill. He made them handle the real things, and he said by knowing the true bills, you could spot a phony in a heartbeat. That is how we must be. Know the truth, and you will spot false teaching immediately.

Fortunately, these Christians continued to grow in spite of their stumbling. Their faith increased. Their love continued to abound. They still endured the persecution with the patience of saints. Put these together and you have the evidence of salvation – salvation that changes our lives and causes us to be counted worthy of the kingdom not because we are perfect but because our faith is in the One who holds onto us! No, more than holds onto us. Wraps us up in Himself so that we are IN GOD!

2 Thessalonians - Here We Go Again!

2 Thessalonians - Here We Go Again!

Everybody is talking about the last days these days, making predictions, talking about the signs of the times. And the signs are there. Jesus Himself said that many would come claiming to be the Christ, and they have. From Simon bar Kochba in the early second century to Sun Myung Moon and David Koresh in the twentieth. Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. Wars are being fought constantly somewhere in our world; famines in Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, North Korea; AIDS and Cancer, heart disease and strokes killing millions every year not to mention the antibiotic resistant strains of diseases thought to be all but conquered; over the past few years we have heard of earthquakes we never thought would have earthquakes. The signs of the times. But Jesus said, "the end is not yet." Jesus said, "these are the beginning of sorrows." But then He goes on to say that His followers will be persecuted and put to death and hated by all nations because of their relationship with him. Most people don't know this, but 160,000 Christians gave their lives last year for the cause of Christ in our world. Countless others were subjected to unimaginable horrors. And the persecution appears to be escalating exponentially. But then Jesus says, "many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." In other words, there will be a great falling away, church members will betray church members filled with hatred for one another. False prophets will rise up and deceive many. The love of many, Jesus says, will wax cold. The gospel will be preached in all the world and then the end will come.

 

Now I want you to see what Paul says in II Thessalonians about the end time. Understand, many in the church at Thessalonica believed that the Day of the Lord had already taken place and they had missed it. The Old Testament is filled with references to the great and terrible Day of the Lord. In fact, the prophets foretold its coming so much that pretty soon, people began to take it for granted. Oh, sure, they would say, God's going to wipe us off the map. Big deal, they would say, we've heard it all our lives. The judgment of God is coming. And the people had come to the point that they believed the judgment had come but they didn't know it. But hear me. The coming day of the Lord has always been on God's calendar for the time of the end, the last days.

And if you will back up with me to I Thessalonians 4, Paul talks about the rapture of the church. He says the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And in 5:2, he says, "you know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." I believe what Paul is revealing to us is that the Day of the Lord will begin with the rapture of the church. When the church is removed from this world, the salt and the light that is to illumine and to preserve, this world will fully understand the expression that all hell will break loose, because then the man of sin, the man of lawlessness, the son of perdition, the Antichrist himself will be revealed.

I want you to notice first what Paul says in his letter to the Thessalonians. The day will not come until after the falling away. Remember what Jesus said, many will be offended (or fall away), will betray one another, will hate each other. A falling away. It seems like that is the situation of our day. Church attendance is down. And the impact of the church is definitely dwindling. Could this be another sign that the day is near? Yes. Does that mean it could happen at any moment? Yes. Then what should we be doing? Exactly what we have always been told to do – making disciples.

War and Peace: It’s a Matter of Pride and Prejudice

War and Peace: It’s a Matter of Pride and Prejudice

Right now, my heart is broken and my mind is frantically searching for answers. In my role as a minister, one of my responsibilities is to bring people together. Too often, even Christians have conflict with one another, and they need help resolving the issues. The evidence is too easily seen. Walk down the streets of any city in Alabama and you will find dozens of churches. Many of them started because the people couldn’t get along. Conflict probably started over some insignificant issue or someone got their feelings hurt and no one was willing to apologize. So I’ll just pack up my toys and go somewhere else to play. Is it any wonder that the church is losing the battle for souls? Is it any wonder that we are becoming irrelevant as our voices are swallowed up by the noise of conflict? We are living in a world where it is easier to dispose of broken things than to fix them, and I fear that we have applied that philosophy to the very thing that set us apart as Christians -- our relationships with each other. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: that you have love one for another.”

I will tell you this. Because we are sinful human beings, conflict is inevitable. It is going to happen. You will experience conflict in your life, your family, your work place, your school, and your church. What I have discovered in my 30+ years of ministry is that unless all parties involved want desperately to resolve the issues, there will be no resolution. It isn’t enough to say you want it. It isn’t even enough to think you want it. You have to want it so badly that you are willing to sacrifice to obtain it. You have to be willing to sacrifice your time – that’s a given. Working out most issues takes weeks, not days, because you have to get to the root of the problem. Many times, the outward appearance of the conflict is only a poor reflection of what is at the core. So you have to peel away layer after layer to get to the crux of the matter, and that takes time. Too often, we are not willing even to sacrifice the time that is necessary, so the conflict remains unresolved.

But there is something even more important than time as you seek to resolve conflict and come together with a brother or sister in Christ. Pride. You have to sacrifice your pride to find healing. We live in a society that demands that everyone honor my rights. If you wrong me, I will get even. That is my right! If you cheat me, I will take you to court. The New Testament is filled with teachings that tell us it is better to let ourselves be defrauded, defamed, and physically harmed than to respond with the anger that comes from injured pride.

I am dealing with a situation right now where if all the parties involved would just swallow their pride and come together in brokenness saying, “I was wrong,” the whole issue would be resolved. The problem is that all sides are saying, “I will do this, but I’m not saying that. I will go this far, but no farther.” True brokenness, I believe, is the godly sorrow that produces repentance. Paul says that this godly sorrow leads to salvation, but it comes from a heart that is broken over the fact that our behavior has broken God’s heart. And that kind of heart says, “I will lay down my pride. I will do whatever is necessary to be united with my brother or sister in Christ.” Why? Because I want the world to see our love for each other so that they will know that we belong to Jesus and will want to belong to Jesus, too.

Broken and Humbled

Broken and Humbled

I have to admit, that is me. For a week now, I have been a blubbering mess. Yes, I know that is not very manly, but I’ve never been concerned about my masculinity – only my humility. You see, I am a very proud person. Some might say conceited. Some might say arrogant. I am constantly having to go before the Lord and ask His forgiveness and humble myself before Him. That’s what James says, right? Humble yourself so that He may exalt you in due time. I often think of that verse and wonder if it isn’t a little like the man who received a medal for being the most humble man in town, but the day he wore it in public, they took it away from him. I’m joking of course, but too many of us see James’ words as a magic formula. If we want God to lift us up, we must humble ourselves, but if you humble yourself just so that you can be lifted up then you are not really humbling yourself. Wow! It’s kind of like a Catch 22, isn’t it? Well, I digress. Back to the broken and humbled and blubbering stuff.

Most of you – all 7 who read this, I think – are aware that we celebrated our Lucy’s first birthday this week in Pensacola. So many things we did, so many Facebook posts I read reminded me of the horrific roller coaster of emotions we went through the days following Lucy’s birth. I especially cried (in public I might add) when I read my daughter Jennifer’s post about the night after Lucy was born. My first granddaughter, Hayes, had asked what was wrong with Lucy. Jennifer told her, and Hayes said, “God can fix that!” Such faith! And God did fix that. And as I went through these emotions, I wondered to myself, “Why did God look with favor on my family and give us such a wonderful miracle?” So many of these other babies that went through even lesser physical issues than Lucy are not perfectly whole and healthy like she is. By the way, that is not from a grandfather’s bias, either. That is the pronouncement of all the doctors and specialists that have treated her this past year. The doctor and the nurses in the NICU were amazed on Monday at this precious child walking and running and smiling and laughing. The looks on their faces told me that they never believed that would happen. But God showed them, and I am so glad that He did. But why? Was it the thousands of prayers that went up on that fateful day as we stood around her little bed with tears streaming down our faces sending text messages frantically begging our friends to pray because the doctors said there was no hope? Was it because of the simple faith of a child who said, “God can fix that?” Or was it just because God has a plan, and the life of this little girl has already touched thousands and has drawn them to Jesus or has drawn them closer to Him?

Every time I think about that day, I am not filled with pride, conceit, or arrogance. I am broken. And humbled. And so very grateful to my Heavenly Father. And as I sit in my office this morning typing this blog, I am asking God to do it again. Not heal my granddaughter or anyone else’s granddaughter though there are many that I am praying for in that way. I am asking God to heal our church and the churches all over the country. To take us from our cold indifference and light the fires of godly passion in our hearts. To break us and humble us so that He might lift us up once again to be the city on a hill, the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. To take us all through the roller coaster of emotions as we see the hopeless state of our world that takes the horrific murder of a Jordanian pilot and puts it in front of us under the guise of news but that is really meant to “entertain.” The hopeless state of our world when a panel of judges dare shake their fists in the face of Holy God and declare His law to be unconstitutional. The hopeless state of our world that protects the lives of unborn animals and birds but allows unborn human babies to be murdered all in the name of choice. To take us through these roller coaster of emotions not to overwhelm us at how bad things are but to recognize with the faith of a child: God can fix that! But only God can fix that. And it will only be fixed when Christians are broken and humbled and awakened to the truth that salvation is only in the name of Jesus!

A Prayer, a Promise, and a Plea

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 – A Prayer, a Promise, and a Plea

Closing a letter today should be as full of grace as Paul’s letters to the churches. I am so overwhelmed by this benediction that my mind and my emotions are doing battle over what I will write. Look at the words of Paul: a prayer, a promise, and a plea. Powerful words that should strike at the very core of our beings.

First, the prayer – that the God of peace would sanctify and preserve us. And He is, you know! The God of peace. The Hebrew word for this concept is shalom. The Greek word that Paul uses is eirene. Both hold within their meanings the idea of harmony and wholeness. It is all about our well-being, and that is Who God is. And Paul is requesting from our God of Wholeness that He sanctify us completely. To make us holy. To cleans us from unrighteousness. To forgive us and to grow us into the Christlikeness that we are called to. The request for sanctification is an ongoing process that will not end until we go home to be with Him. And in sanctifying us, we are going to be preserved blameless when He returns.

We have been told in Scripture that our adversary, the devil, is an “accuser of the brethren.” He loves to point a finger at us and accuse us/remind us of our sin and our shame. He will “remind us” that we are worthless and useless. He will do everything he can to convince us that we are guilty. But know this: Jesus has declared us blameless. We have been washed clean and made whole by the God of Wholeness.

And then there is the promise. Our God of Wholeness is faithful. Do you know what that means? He will always keep His promises. He will complete the work He has started in us. He will sanctify us completely. No question about it. No doubts.

Finally, the plea. Pray for us. Listen, folks, we all stand in need of prayer, but those who lead us in kingdom service are primary targets of the accuser, and because of that, they need our prayers. We need your prayers. So I join with Paul in saying, “Pray for us!”

Rejoicing Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 – Rejoicing Always

Final exhortations – and they are good. I think in these seven verses (throw in verses 12-15, too), we can formulate a complete doctrine of Christian living. Don’t see these as a set of rules and regulations but as a description of the Christian life. It is all too common today to rage against legalism. After all, God is a God of grace. I fear that like the Roman Christians, we try to go to the extremes. It’s either all about the rules, or no rules apply. Read this carefully. The rules apply. They don’t save you, but they do guide you into right living. They show you how to please God.

So rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in every situation. It’s hard not to rejoice when you are always praying a prayer of thanksgiving because we have so much to be thankful for. As you read this today, we are celebrating the first birthday of our second granddaughter, Lucy. She is a miracle baby. The doctors thought she wasn’t going to live after she was born. She did. They thought she would be brain damaged. She isn’t. If God never did another miracle in my life (and He is constantly working miracles in my life), I would have enough to thank Him for that would keep me busy for all eternity. But our tendency, since we are humans, is to focus on the negative. Rare is the true optimist who has an attitude of gratitude. But that is what we are called to – to see the silver linings in every cloud. God has given us the promise of His presence in every moment of life. He has forgiven and continues to forgive us. When we listen, He guides us through this minefield called life. And in the end, He has given us absolute victory over all our enemies – even death. So rejoice always.

Then, don’t quench the Spirit. How do we do that? How do we puny humans quench the Spirit? With sinful rebellion – saying no to the Father’s will for our lives. By despising prophecies and not holding fast to what is good. By not abstaining from evil. We quench the Spirit by not staying connected to Him in worship and service, by denying His power to work in us and through us.

My friends, we need to walk with Him every moment of the day. Our hearts should be so set on pleasing Him that before we do anything, we ask ourselves, “Is this His will?” Now don’t carry that to the extreme – that would be legalism. But do make it a habit to do what He has called you to do: love God with your entire being and love those around you like you love yourself.