Thessalonians Archives – Sonshine's Journal

December 8, 2022December 8, 2022

Encourage Another Today!

2Thess 1-3: Paul sends his second message to encourage the Thessalonians. They were facing persecution and tribulation, so he sent them a second message filled with words of encouragement. How thankful Paul was for their endurance because he heard their faith was blossoming. How often is that true! We are in the midst of suffering; in that time, our faith flourishes and grows exponentially! That is what Paul has noted. Their faith has grown, and their love for one another has also increased. Yet, it is in those times we must be on guard because the evil one takes that opportunity to try to undermine our faith with deception and delusional ideas.

Paul wanted to share a simple message with them as he had shared with the Corinthians; “Be firm. Do not be moved! Always be abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” [1Cor 15:58]

Who today needs this message? Who is facing hard times and needs a word of encouragement? Who is facing a difficult time, and yet their faith is flourishing? Praise God for them.

June 24, 2018

Who Are You Walking With?

crowd walking 1Thess 4 “Which Crowd Do You Walk With?”

The Pharisees were hypocrites because they were like the whitewashed tombs outside the city. They looked the part of righteousness and acted the part of the righteous but inside they were full of dead men’s bones. We are the same when we walk with the Jesus crowd on Sunday and walk with the worldly crowd on Monday. Often we partake of communion with the saints on Sunday but partake of liquid spirits on Monday. Those we meet do even recognize we are different because our “walk and talk” are just like theirs, the Gentiles/unbelievers. Our behaviors are no different and we justify it by saying “everybody is doing it.” Really? If charged as a Christian would there be enough evidence to prove it?

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they are on view before the unbelieving world. Their lifestyle had to be pristine if they hoped to win others to Christ. He challenged them to look at the crowd they were a part of. Were they walking circumspectly or like the world? The first test is to see if you live a life of holiness and separateness from the world in purity without promiscuity.

Everybody is NOT doing it so why do you use that argument?

May 9, 2015

Jesus-Believer’s Transformation

In Thessalonica Paul preached the truth of the gospel from the scriptures “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” [Acts 17] But his stay was short lived and as Paul left hurriedly he had visions that his work was of no value as it seemed that the word of the Lord had fallen upon deaf ears. How often do we proclaim and think that what we have shared has done the same? It is then that we must remember it is NOT about you or me, but it is the power of the gospel, the power of the Holy Spirit that changes lives. It must have been almost more than Paul could take when he heard that the Thessalonians not only heard but received and now were living as Jesus-Believers. They were transformed!

Three things stood out in the lives of the Thessalonians that we can take to heart. First their transformation was evident to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia so much so that the message of the power of the gospel was echoing everywhere. Does our transformation by Jesus do the same? It was evident in three ways: ‘work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope.’ They put faith; words and their belief into action. The world is looking for the reality of transformed lives. Are we living out the gospel so much so that even our “trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold –“?

How does your life and my life look to the outside world?

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