DO I TRUST GOD'S HAND ON MY LIFE?
HE PUTS STEEL IN OUR CONVICTIONS
I Thes 1:2 -5 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.
DO I ACCEPT THAT GREAT TROUBLES ACCOMPANY THE WORD?
TAKE THE TROUBLE WITH THE JOY
I Thes 1:6 Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
IF GOD IS CLEARING MY ROAD, WONDER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE?
MAY THE MASTER POUR ON HIS LOVE IN YOUR
I Thes3:11-13May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.
AM I TRULY THANKING GOD NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS?
ONLY GOD CAN MAKE US HOLY AND WHOLE
"Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation." I Thes 5:8.
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. I Thes 5:18...May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! I Thes 5:23-24
WILL I ALLOW MY FRUSTRATION AND WEARINESS TO TURN ME
IN DEEPER DEPENDENCE ON GOD...a quote from 66 LL to close this book:
"Your frustration with everything else, including yourself, makes it possible to turn in deeper dependence to Me. Your weariness requires the strength of supernatural love to continue serving Me. Your haunting sense of futility shuts you up to a kind of endurance that can be sustained only with Hope in My Son's Return."
1 Thes. 3:11-13 “May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers. “
ReplyDelete1 Thes. 4:23-24 “May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!”
May His love through you splash out over everyone around you today. Have a good Monday, everyone.
Sons of Light
ReplyDeleteDaughters of Day.
Let the light shine into you and through you.
Stay awake, keep your eyes open and be smart.
1Thessalonians 5: 4 -8"But friends, you're not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You're sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let's not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let's keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we're creatures of Day, let's act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation."
"We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn't slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God's Message to you, defiant of the opposition."
ReplyDeleteReminds me of our readings in Jeremiah. Locked away, he came out saying the same message they put him away for!
***
"God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message."
Can I be trusted with this Message?
How would I hold up to this challenge? Silence? Run away? Confront? Submission through God's Spirit? Speak truth in love?
***
"we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did."
Who loves me this way?
Who do I need to show this kind of love to today?
***
"Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends?"
Okay, this hits me hard. Some of you pearls I've never met. But I love you as my dear friend. But those of you I've shared M&Ms with, those of you I've shared Abby with, those of you I've shared pasta with, those of you I've shared toasted marshmallows with, those of you I've shared laughter and tears with, and prayed with...I'm feeling homesick for you...
I'm so glad to believe that one day we will be together in Glory!
Praying each one of you will be awe-struck over Jesus...just like the shepherds keeping watch over their sheep on that night in Bethlehem when God's Wondrous Gift was given...
Amazing that we will spend the rest of our lives together. Will I grieve over whom I missed here on earth?
ReplyDeleteI'm homesick too. It will be a beautiful day when we share those moments again!