Good morning, Friend. 🙂  How was your week?

Spring Ladies’ Retreat happened out at Camp over the weekend, and it was so good to catch up with special women I see only once or twice a year.  The speaker taught from John 15 all weekend, on the theme of Abiding, which was our theme in women’s ministry last year.  It was sort of nostalgic hearing a recap of the things I taught last year, and the message felt full of personal promise.  God has been preparing me that He is in the process of taking me into a season of pruning and rest.  After the rest will come another season of fruitfulness.  I love it when God prepares me for what is coming, and I am really looking forward to whatever it is He has planned.  I know it will be better than what I can imagine.

{Snuck an imperfect picture of the centerpieces for Saturday night’s banquet.  The cups were full of m~n~m’s, jelly beans, and whopper eggs, but they’ve already been polished off!}

After the retreat we had a birthday to celebrate.  Precious #3 turned 15.

{For her birthday treat, she chose Keto Angel Food Cake with strawberries and whipping cream. 🙂  }

{She’s smiling because she just realized I passed down a special ring.}

And all this in the midst of the stomach flu, which the “Littles” passed around all week.  So I apologize that I am late in posting today.  I hope I haven’t kept you waiting.  I am running behind, but I’m thankful that today is the first day of Spring Break!!  I hope to catch up!

 

What did you find in 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 1??  I studied with the NASV and blueletterbible.org.

Please, lets pray for wisdom before we delve in.

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My Notes:

vs. 1–This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica.

Based on chapter 2, verse 2, scholars conclude that the Thessalonian had been misled or misunderstood end times.  They believed that the Day of the Lord was already upon them, and they were not living with proper perspective.  Paul’s goal is to correct their understanding.

vs.3,4– Their faith and their love for one another had continued to grow, and they had persevered under persecution because of their loyalty to Christ.

vs.5–Their perseverance was proof of God’s sanctification in their hearts.

vs. 6-10–When Jesus returns with his mighty angels, he will bring relief to those who are suffering for them.  His saints will share in his glory, and they will marvel at and worship him.

Conversely, Jesus will repay those who have caused the suffering of his holy people, as well as those who have never accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life with him, with flaming fire and the suffering of an eternity away from God and the ‘power of His glory’.

vs. 11,12–Paul prays for the Thessalonian church, that they will live up to their calling of salvation, and that their behavior would reflect Christ’s glory.  Oh, to have a prayer life like Paul’s!!

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In 1 Thessalonians, our breath was taken away by the glorious image of Christ coming back for his church, and while our promise is still given in this chapter, this tells us more about what is in store for those who have never known our Lord.  It should terrify us for the lost.  It should motivate us to obey Jesus’s commandment to go into the world (and our sphere of influence–where has God planted you?) and make sure the gospel is shared.

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“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  1 John 5:14-15

How can I use these observations to pray according to God’s will?

Pray:

vs. 1,2– Pray that we will live with a proper understanding of our times and the imminent return of Christ.

vs. 6-10– Thank God for the promise of Christ’s return and the hope we have in Him.  Pray for the lost, that God will open the eyes of their hearts and send workers to share the gospel with them so that they may be saved.  Thank God that He doesn’t want anyone to perish. (2 Peter 3:9)

vs. 11-12– Pray for us, the church, that we will live up to our calling of salvation, and that our lives/our behavior will truly reflect Christ’s glory.

2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2

2 Thessalonians, Chapter 3