Tag: Jesus

Merry Christmas!

“For unto us a child is born,
unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
– Isaiah 9:6

Our Savior humbled Himself and came to Earth as a man. Born of a virgin in a lowly manger our Savior came. Knowing that He would later die a painful death on the cross to atone for our sins, He came anyway. Thank you Lord for your great love that You spared not your Son in Your great plan of redemption for Your rebellious people!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

1 Thessalonians Day 24

4:15-16

15: For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Those who have died will enter into heaven first.

16: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

This is a verse that supports the idea of “soul sleep” that I mentioned yesterday. I’ve heard some people explain this as referring to those who are in Christ through the Old Covenant (the people who believed in the coming Messiah, but died before He came.) I’m not as confident in my interpretation of this passage as I would like to be and hope to study more about the second coming of Christ and how that all works. What I can tell you with confidence is 1) Jesus is coming again 2) those who believe in Him will be taken up to heaven 3) those who have died before Jesus’ return will be in heaven first. This subject is on my list of things that I wish to study further, but we’ll all fully understand it when Jesus does return!

1 Thessalonians Day 18

4:1-2

1: Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you out to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

So that is a long and slightly confusing sentence. An English teacher might call it a run on sentence so let’s break it down. Paul and Silas are urging the Thessalonians in Jesus. They are pointing out how the Thessalonians learned to walk in Christ from Paul and Silas. He says they are currently walking in a way that pleases God and wishes them to continue to do so more and more.

2: For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus

Paul and Silas had communicated the way to walk with Christ. Not only had did they speak it, but they had shown them how (as said in previous chapters).

We can learn from fellow believers how to walk in Christ and can also be examples to others. We should strive to grow more and more in our walk and, by implication, we should not be satisfied to stand still and drift along with little to no growth. That hits me because I’ve noticed that there have been times where I’m fine just drifting along instead of growing. Thankfully God didn’t let me feel satisfied in that for long! My prayer for everyone, including myself, is that we continue to grow in our walk with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians Day 12

Sorry for missing a day!

2:14-16

14: For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews

The Thessalonians also suffered for their faith. Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed a life without struggles. Those struggles grow us and bring us closer to God. They are hard, but worth it in the end.

15: who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind

Paul is reminding us who called for Jesus to be crucified and who despised the prophets (just read the Old Testament.)

16: by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But the wrath has come upon them at last!

Paul wanted to share the Gospel to the Gentiles as well and the Jews. He knew that God wanted all of His people to hear His Word. If you recall, often in the Old Testament God will refer to bringing judgment upon sinners when their sin has reached a certain level. As for the last portion of this passage, it is a little confusing and there are a few different options for understanding it.

  1. the wrath is referring to the judgment that will come upon them when they die (but Paul sought for all to be saved so I don’t think he would be excited about this)
  1. the wrath is referring to the wrath bore by Jesus on the cross for their sins (although there is an issue regarding whether or not they were actually saved and if not, their sins couldn’t have been covered by the cross)
  2. the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 (but this book is dated to around 52 AD so unless the dating is wrong, that isn’t possible)

So I will admit that I am unsure of exactly how to understand this particular part of the passage. I do, however, understand that the measure of their, the Jews, sin had reached a certain level and God was bringing judgment to them. What the judgment is, I do not know.

We can learn from these passages that we will face trials, even as Christians. If we look around us, we can definitely see that as true. Fortunately our eternity is secure and all our struggles on earth will feel like the blink of an eye when we enter into the presence of our holy God! We can also be reminded that the wicked people will face judgment. We should seek to share the Gospel, but those who do not believe will face judgment when their measure is up. Ultimately that will be hell, and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Hell is where people are eternally separated from the love of God and instead feel the full wrath of God against the sin of man for all eternity. The joys of heaven are balanced out by the realization of what comes to those who do not repent and believe. Praise God for His goodness and ask that He will save more and use us in our imperfectness to do so!

1 Thessalonians Day 10

2:9-10

9: For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

Paul reminds them of his time with them. We know from studying Paul that he was a tent maker and would do that in order to pay for travels and needs. That way he didn’t need to depend on others to sustain his mission trips, but could focus on presenting the Gospel rather than raising funds. Paul also notes in this verse that they proclaimed the Gospel to the Thessalonians as they worked.

10: You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.

Paul’s conduct while with the believers was worthy of repetition. He and Silas treated the Thessalonians well and were seen as respectable.

We should seek to live in unity with others, whenever possible. There are cases, however, where we must stand our ground and speak of what is right. Paul and Silas’ testimony among the Thessalonians was without reproach. They were in unity with the believers, but were chased out by the Jews who didn’t want the Gospel preached. We should seek to live our lives without reproach. Paul and Silas were not chased out because of bad conduct, but were chased out because the Jews didn’t want to hear the truth of the Gospel. Our reputation should be without reproach and our words should be words of truth.

1 Thessalonians Day 5

Chapter 1 Review

Questions

  1. Who is the Author?
  2. Who else is traveling with the author?
  3. Who is the letter to?
  4. What did we learn?
  5. How can we apply what we’ve learned?

Answers (Answers for 4 and 5 may vary)

  1. The author is Paul
  2. Timothy and Silvanus (Silas) are traveling with Paul
  3. The letter is to the Thessalonian church
  4. We learned about prayer, the witness of believers, and are reminded of what Jesus has done for us
  5. We can grow in our prayer life, realize how much our witness can affect others and seek to grow in our witness, and always be thankful for what Jesus has done and share the news with others

Some notes that I took while studying this chapter were:

  • people notice our testimonies
  • pray for our brothers and sisters
  • proof of our being chosen by God is in our daily lives
  • we are to be imitators, to turn from ourselves, and to await Jesus’ return

I look forward to going through the next chapter with you all!

1 Thessalonians Day 3

1:6-7

6: And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the Word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit

It can help us if we find other more mature Christians who follow God and learn from them. They can often teach us things that we need to know and help us learn how to go through our trials. Ultimately we imitate Christ and imitating Him precedes how we imitate others. Paul was driven out from Thessolonica due to persecution so his mention of them receiving the Word in affliction makes sense. However, they had the joy of the Holy Spirit which aided both in imitation and during their afflictions.

7: so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia

We are always influencing the people around us. Just as the Thessalonians were influenced by Paul, Silas, and Timothy, they are now influencing other believers not only in Thessalonica, but also in the surrounding areas.

As Christians, we need to realize the influence that we have on those around us. If we are Christians, yet have a spiteful and vengeful attitude towards others, that is not showing the Gospel and will negatively reflect on Christ and fellow believers. I’m sure we all can think of at least one person who claims to be a Christian yet affects others negatively. Instead, we need to seek others who can be good examples to us and imitate them. Ultimately our goal is to imitate Jesus and He gives us people who can help us with that (as well as His Word and prayer.) We should seek to be good examples to others and point them to our glorious savior Jesus Christ! I know none of us are perfect, but if our focus remains on Christ, people will be able to see Him, even when we stumble.

1 Thessalonians Day 2

1:3-5

3: remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

Paul continues his introduction by specifying what he is praying about. In his prayers Paul remembers the Thessalonians’:

  • work of faith (example: obedience to God’s word)
  • labor of love (example: hospitality)
  • steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (example: remaining faithful with focus on Christ)

4: For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they are loved by God and are brothers with Paul in the faith. He also reminds them that God has chosen them.

5: because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

The Gospel changes people. It is not just mere words that tickle your ears, but it is something that transforms the dead into life. The Holy Spirit enters a person when they believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins. Paul also mentions his, as well as Silas’s and Timothy’s, testimonies among them.

We see in these three verses what we should seek to pray for in others (as well as in ourselves). We should pray to be known, and for others to be known, as workers of faith, laborers of love, and those who are steadfast of hope in Jesus. It is good for us to remember the power of the Gospel. I’ve heard it said before that we should preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. I know that I am encouraged when I am reminded of what God has done for me. I will admit that sometimes I have a hardened heart and think to myself that I’ve heard this a million times, but it is always encouraging and convicting to hear. The Gospel reminds us of what we’ve been saved from, how we’ve been saved, and Who we’ve been saved for. Sin. Jesus’ death on the cross. God. It is humbling to know what God has done in order to bring us to Him. Praise God for His mercy and love!

1 Thessalonians Day 1

Intro and 1:1-2

As I mentioned yesterday, I am hoping to brush up on my Greek during this study. When I went through the first verse, I felt somewhat confident and then the second verse had me questioning myself. Anyway, this is going to be fun!

Author: Paul

Date Written: around 50 AD

Audience: The church at Thessalonica

Setting: Paul had to leave Thessalonica after planting a church sooner than he would’ve liked due to persecution.

1: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

Excellent letter introduction. Paul gives his name as well as those who are with him, who he is writing to, and a greeting. Timothy was like an adopted son to Paul and Silvanus, better known as Silas, was on one of Pauls’ traveling companions on his missionary journeys.

2: We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers

Although Paul had to leave early, he had heartily prayed for the Thessalonians. He lets them know that he thanks God for them and is praying for them.

Reading verse two always reminds me of how I should be praying for others and letting them know that I am praying for them. It is not to sound conceited, but so that they may be encouraged knowing that there are people praying for them. I know that I am always encouraged when someone tells me that they are praying for me. As a matter of fact, someone today told me that they had been praying for me during my pregnancy (this was the first time we had met, but he worked the same place as my husband) and was happy to see that I, and my daughter, are doing well. It was neat to know that someone I had never even met before had been praying for me.

God calls us to pray for those around us. We are to pray for family, friends, neighbors, strangers, and leaders. We are told to pray without ceasing. There are different kinds of prayer that range from prayers of thanksgiving to prayers of mourning. A study on different prayers would be fun to do in the future as well as quite edifying. I’m not sure about you, but I can always grow more in the area of prayer.

As for where we see Christ in this, His name is mentioned. (I try to see an application as well as point to where we see Christ, although it may be a little more difficult since I am working through two verses at a time.) The Thessalonians are in God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ meaning that they are saved by and have given their lives to Him.

{At the current rate of two verses a day, we can expect this study to last 44-45 days. I may add more verses here and there or shorten it to one if there is a lot to go over, but we will see. As mentioned yesterday, my schedule is getting busier so that is why the pace has slowed down. Thank you and God bless!}

Ruth Day 28: Chapter 4 Review

This is the last day of our study on Ruth. I’ve enjoyed going through it and I hope that you have as well! For our review questions, instead of focusing on what we’ve learned in chapter four, we’ll focus on what we’ve learned throughout the whole book.

  1. Give a summary of events in the book of Ruth.
  2. What did we learn about Naomi?
  3. What did we learn about Ruth?
  4. What did we learn about Boaz?
  5. What did we learn about God?
  6. How can we apply what we’ve learned?

A tidbit of information that I realized I never expanded upon was who the Moabite people were. Remember Abraham? He is the one who left his homeland because God promised to give him a land (which we find out to be Israel) There’s a whole lot about Abraham that we could talk about, but we’ll focus on the beginning of his journey. He took his nephew, Lot, along with him. We later find out that Lot had a wife and two daughters and they split from Abraham’s group due to lack of room for both groups (they both had large herds of animals and many servants and workers because God blessed them greatly). Lot and his family eventually moved to Sodom which was later destroyed by God for its evil and wicked ways. Lot and his family were saved by angels, but Lot’s wife looked back on the destruction of Sodom after they had been warned not to and was turned into the pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters ended up living in a cave and his daughters came up with a plan to have children to carry on their family line: they would get their father drunk and sleep with him. They both became pregnant and the older daughter bore a son named Moab who is the father of the Moabites. The younger daughter bore a son named Ben-Ammi who is the father of the Ammonites. That is where the Moabites originated. The story of Ruth occurs hundreds of years after this. The Bible does not condone the actions of the daughters, but gives an account for what has occurred.

Your answers don’t have to be the same, this is just a general list.

  1. Give a summary of events in Ruth.
    Naomi and her family leave Israel
    Naomi’s sons get married to Moabites
    Naomi’s husband and sons die
    Naomi travels back to Israel with Ruth
    Ruth works in Boaz’s field
    Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz is a redeemer
    Naomi tells Ruth what to do so that Boaz will redeem her
    Boaz accepts her request
    Boaz speaks with other redeemer who could redeem
    Other redeemer gives up his right to redeem
    Boaz redeems Ruth by marrying her
    Ruth bears a son named Obed
    The people praise God
    Obed is the grandfather of king David
  2. What did we learn about Naomi?
    Naomi was upset with God for taking away her sons and husband
    Naomi saw herself as bitter and though that God was against her
    Naomi saw a glimpse of hope when Ruth found Boaz’s field
    Naomi was a bit of a schemer
    Naomi learns that God had never truly left her and had another plan in mind
  3. What did we learn about Ruth?
    Ruth was willing to give up everything to follow Naomi
    Ruth was a foreigner
    Ruth worked hard to care for Naomi and herself
    Ruth was worthy
    Ruth was respectful
  4. What did we learn about Boaz?
    Boaz was worthy
    Boaz was a man of God
    Boaz was kind and generous
    Boaz was a kinsman redeemer
    Boaz often praised God
    Boaz didn’t let important things sit
  5. What did we learn about God?
    God is always working, even when we can’t see Him
    God never left Naomi or Ruth
    God provided a kinsman redeemer for Ruth
    God ultimately provides a kinsman redeemer for us (Jesus!)
  6. How can we apply what we’ve learned?
    Know that our salvation is only found in Jesus
    Seek to be known as worthy (by our words and actions that honor God)
    Be willing to work hard
    Be willing to leave everything behind (sometimes God may ask us to)
    Know that even when we can’t see Him, God is with us and working out His plan

Thank you all for taking this journey with me. I am currently working out what book to study through next and will have it figured out within the next few days. I had hoped to figure it out by now, but it has been a busy past few weeks. God bless!