November 17 - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3:18, Acts 18:4-23

Good morning everyone,

Today we began our reading with (NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.” To that I say, “Amen! Amen!”

I take this to mean respect, protect, guard and appreciate our senior pastors, assistant pastors, youth pastors, and even the worship team. Friends, every week, all week, they work so hard to prepare our hearts for and to present us with God’s Word. No one has a bigger target on their back or gets less thanks than these dedicated servants of God. In 1 Timothy it says, “ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” I would encourage you, the next time you have a chance, to take a moment to express your appreciation to your pastor, tell them how their heart for the Lord and obedience in His work has helped you. Find someone from the worship team and thank them for their dedication. None of them do it for your thanks, but it would be great for them to hear. Yes?

While Paul was still in Corinth, he had gotten word that some folks in Thessalonica had misunderstood his teaching about Christ’s return and apparently had quit their jobs and were just kickin’ it while waiting to hear the trumpets blow in the sky. Paul quickly sent  second letter to the Thessalonians to clear up any misunderstanding and to encourage them stand firm and hold fast to the teachings that were passed on to them.

It is so easy to slack off, to get lazy in our pursuit of God’s will for our lives, but an idle mind is the devil’s playground. It creeps up so subtly. We’ll reason with, “Ahhh, it’s just a movie” or “they’re just girls on a screen” or “it’s just one beer” or …. or, “it’s just one time.” But I promise you, there is so much danger in that. You’ve heard that saying, right? “Once is to many but ten is not enough.” It is a hard spiral to pull out of. It is all TNT to your mind and ultimately your walk with Christ. Philippians 4:8 warns us, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Sin begins in the mind. You don’t even have to do anything or act out in any way to sin. It comes so easily and naturally to us that we don’t even realize that it is happening most of the time. When we are not thinking on the list of Philippians 4:8, we will tend to let our minds wonder about, thinking about whatever it wishes. It is the perfect hiding place for all our indiscretions, and secret desires. A forest of wicked behaviors that the enemy loves to dace you through. Beware!! It is not just enough to control our actions, though, that in and of itself can be tough, the battle is for your mind, for my mind. If your mind is not right, all else will fail. 

Paul consistently taught, salvation begins and ends with God, saying in Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Did you get that? “By the renewing of your mind.” Christians protect your mind for “the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all ….