Idle Faith

2 Thessalonians 3:11-13, 16
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right… Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Being idle seems to be a real issue in the Church and Paul addresses it quite sternly. He goes on to say how to treat people who are idle so as to wake them up from their slumber and not to treat them as an enemy but as a brother who needs correction. In today’s day and age when we are constantly busy and 24 hours in a day does not seem to be enough, what is the relevance of such a word from God? Surely you are like me fighting to find time to spend at the foot of the cross daily and trying to get more done with less time in hand. Is there something else God is saying to us or should we ignore this word?

God is reminding us of two things. First is that we need to make every effort to seek Him daily regardless of what is happening in our lives because we call Him our Lord and Master and not our Genie whom we call when we need something. Second is that we are serving God and not Him serving us. When we fully comprehend this, we realize that it is our joy to serve God and not just a responsibility which results in us expecting a reward. If every time we faltered we saw our old sinful selves and what God saved us from, we would realize and correct our path but God in His goodness has taken away that hurt and guilt to set us free and so we idle in our new found freedom. Lets wake up from our slumber and joyfully serve the only Living Savior, Jesus Christ.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

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Is It Time Yet?

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Recently I watched the movie 2012 and like all big blockbusters, this one kept me entertained. There has been a lot of talk about this movie and the predictions that were the foundation of it. The Mayans claimed 2012 was the year and so did many people from centuries ago and several people live today trying to prove its validity. In today’s passage, Paul reminds us that Jesus will not return until the rebellion of man is complete to a point where Satan through humankind will crown himself over God and will be worshipped. What are we therefore expected to do and is it time yet?

We were reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5 that the Lord will come like a thief in the night when no one expects him to. This could be now or a 1,000 years from now and only God the Father knows when. Jesus said in Matthew 24:43-44 that if we knew when He was coming, wouldn’t we be all prepared just before He came but until then live like we wanted to in sin? Therefore His return would be at a time we do not expect and so we have to always be prepared. Then what about the signs Paul spoke about? As we look around our world, it seems like Satan is getting more control whether in terms of a one world governance, unified currency, separating religion form state, from school and from daily lives, etc. We do not know when the time will come but we do know that it will be sudden and so we are reminded to be on alert always, to live our lives to the fullest for Jesus Christ who saved us from destruction, to serve those around us His love and to be beacons of light in this dark world. Are you living the life worthy of His name or are you looking for the signs to start?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Matthew 24:43-44 If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

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Growing In Faith

2 Thessalonians 1:3-5
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

I was so exhilarated by Paul’s joyous statement to the Church in Thessalonica of their faithfulness to God and ever increasing love for each other. Sounds like a body of believers I would love to be a part of because I often feel it is something we really miss in today’s selfish world. What struck me as odd was his next statement about how the Church persevered in trials and persecution! If we are faithful and growing in love, why would God permit persecution and trials in our lives? Shouldn’t we be blessed with the opportunity to share this same faith and love with those around us and show people what true joy is? What is God speaking to us today through his Word?

To every story there is always a fairytale ending, at least in children’s books. As we grow up, we start to see the brokenness in the world and accept the bleak reality that there are no fairytale endings. In Christ however, there is a fairytale ending and it is more beautiful than any we have seen, heard or read. However, Christ is a fairytale to the world and we as His followers will always be plagued with people trying to shake us out of our misguided faith. This results in persecution and trials and they are not bad because being Christian is being Christ-like and that means living a life that Christ lived and acting and responding like Him. As we share our joy and faith with those around us like the Thessalonians, we will hit resistance and our response shows our faith. Are you suffering persecution and trials in your life because of your faith? May I direct you to the cross to find your hope and joy in Jesus Christ who overcame the world for us.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

2 Thessalonians 1:11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power

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