1 Thessalonians 1

1Paul, Silas^[a] and Timothy, 
      To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
      Grace and peace to you.^[b]

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

 "2We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."

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-The Word of God has power. There is no such power that will bring a person to conviction and repentance. Because God has chosen, He has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to imitate Christ. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no fruit would come forth, and this fruit is our testimony. We need not tell the world how God has changed us, rather, our daily lives should be testimony enough to the world. This is why Paul states that he and other Christian men did not have to speak of their conversion because the church had displayed the fruits of the Holy Spirit with their actions.

Matthew 7:18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

While it is possible to do good works without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to feel the power of God in our hearts without His Spirit, and this power is what enables others to identify us with Christ. If we do not feel the power of the Holy Spirit compel us to follow His Scriptures, we must pray and seek Him. The only way is through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, please give us the assurance of salvation. Let us never doubt we are your children. In all we do, may we seek to glorify You with our words, actions, and thoughts. May our plans be your plans, so that in all we do, we will be known in the world as being children of God, that no one person will ever doubt our salvation. Help us represent you well. Convict our hearts daily of our wrongdoing. Help us love unconditionally as your Son Jesus did, so that we too will be blameless and spotless in Jesus' righteousness. In His sacred name, we pray. Amen.

"The Son Also Rises"

Few words

I am so tired and weary today, yesterday, perhaps tomorrow. Had I not rested on this Rock by the grace of God, I would have walked away from the Lord by now and perished in a second. Thank you dear Father in Heaven for placing hope in my heart; Thank you.

The Lord is my desire, and my family shall serve Him

Upon having conversations with several friends, I have come across the topic of materialism, and in my mind, I came to the final conclusion - we are all tempted by the many, many things that the world has to offer.

The temptation of our eyes comes from the heart. It's a circle that never ends. Our eyes see, our hearts desire; our hearts desire, and our eyes seek. This temptation has been in us since we can remember.

In this world, a child is tempted by toys. By the time he reaches a tender age of two or younger, his vocabulary consists of popular television characters; his eyes search the isles for his t.v. personalities. It should be evident to all that from the time we are young, we have been tempted by what our eyes behold.

That same child goes from desiring the newest toys and videos to desiring the latest technology as a teenager. A male adolescent goes on saving his money to get the most recent video games while girls seek out the clothes racks in their favorite department stores for that name-brand, perfect outfit, no matter the cost. Their eyes desire and never stop craving; their hearts are never content.

A young man gets married and seeks a woman to marry. He must build himself up before he gets the girl of his dreams, and this he does by building himself a reputation and status. In doing so, he has much to offer, even part of the moon. A beautiful young woman marries a man who can offer her financial stability, and together, they can keep up with the Jonses. Together they will work for those things that their eyes behold.

I remember my marriage vows so clearly, especially because the judge who married my husband and I was quite strange, but he said one thing that I laughed off the first couple of years of marriage. Part of my husband's vows was "I cannot promise you the world..." It's true. He cannot promise me the world, nor can he purchase part of the moon for me. I have learned to understand that more and more as I seek His ways.

As a Christian wife, I cannot afford to desire what the world uses to tempt. I cannot afford to desire an extravagant home in the suburbs, expensive jewelry, name-brand clothes, or even the best toys for my future children. My husband cannot afford to behold these things either. How are we to glorify the Lord if we live our lives only to obtain what will some day rust and mold? That beautiful dress will someday be eaten by moths. That purse will some day lose its value. That vehicle will one day break down, and the house of my dreams will be someone else's dream house when I die. In my mind, my dream house used to sit on a hill with several acres of land. I had horses and sheep and even a clothes line where I could hang clothes out to dry if I desired without being afraid of any restrictions.

I have had a new dream home for a while now. I ponder on it many times. I pray for the day that I can obtain that dream land of mine. It still sits on a hill, but this hill cannot be reached by climbing up the ladder of success. The only way to get there is to behold what is real and true in this life, and that is by beholding the Lord, Jesus Christ. Not many understand this because many have been blinded by the glittering lights of the center stage of success, of diamonds, and of status. We have become so driven that we have taken it upon ourselves to work for material wealth and success rather than working to glorify and magnify our Savior.

As a wife, will I ever desire what other wives possess? I probably will for a split second here and there, in a moment of weakness, most definitely, but the Lord has placed a tremendous, great burden in my heart, and that is not to glorify Him by obtaining things for myself; rather, that whatever I have, I may share with His church.

Will my husband ever desire success and status? He probably will until the Lord corrects his heart and leads him to the right path, humility and servitude to God's children, forsaking all of his selfish desires. What does it benefit him that God fill his pockets with money if he cannot extend it to those who do not have food on the table? Is this what God wants us to work for? Absolutely not!

Will my children desire what other children have? Most definitely. What will I say to them? What will I tell my husband? What will I tell myself when I am tempted by the deceivingly beautiful things in this world? I will tell them exactly what Jesus said to my heart this morning:

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

-Matthew 6:19-24

Thank you Lord for your precious Word.