1 Thessalonians 4 - 03.07.24

SCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 ERV 

“We don’t need to write to you 

about having LOVE for your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

God has already taught you to love each other.

In fact, you love all the believers in Macedonia. 

We encourage you now, brothers and sisters, to show your love more and more.”

OBSERVATION 

The Love of the Brethren

Philadelphia—phílos = beloved + adelphós = brother= Brotherly Love 

 Brotherly love normally referred to the love members of a family held for each other,

however, in the NT philadelphia is used to describe the love that believers have for one another.

Although we may be members of different natural families, 

we are ALL united in Christ as ONE Family originating from our Heavenly FATHER AND we ALL share in the eternal Promised Inheritance of Heaven as His Spiritual Children.

APPLICATION 

Love One Another—as Christ Loves us…

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; 

even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

By THIS all will KNOW that you are MY disciples, IF you have LOVE for one another.””

(John 13:34-35 NKJV)

Jesus tells us that if we Love HIM, we will Love one another—

Loving each other in the Same way that Jesus Loves us.

This is important to God—because—

it is the MOST significant way others will SEE our Faith in Action!

Jesus said:

…this is HOW…EVERYONE will SEE and KNOW that you are MY disciples.

Love is an Action Word…

God Gave

““For this is how God loved the world: HE gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)

Jesus Sacrificed His Life for our sins:

“No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”” (John 10:18 NLT)

Today I am asking the question how my Love for Christ can be expressed to others sacrificially. What is God asking me to give? Would someone from the “Outside” identify me as Jesus disciple by how I am Loving “the Brethren”?

May we be the sweet aroma of Christ to those around us and especially a sweet sacrifice onto to Christ.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for placing me in a family. I so dearly love this extended family. I am constantly challenged and growing and learning by every single person—and You are shaping me. I am humbled and still there is so much to learn.

Help me to let go more and more of preconceived notions and to trust YOU with ALL my Heart. Help me to be a vessel that Your Love flows through. Even when I know I’m not at my best, help me not to shrink back. It’s not about us, it’s about YOU. Your Power is made PERFECT in our weakness. Here I am Lord, send me. 

Tina L Kudelka 

Psalm 91 - 3.6.24

Scripture 

Because he clings to me I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high. He will call upon me and I will answer; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and give him honor.  (Psalms 91:14-16, NABRE).

Observation

Psalms 91 is a wonderful psalm filled with God’s promises of protection for those who abide in the shadow of the Almighty (verse 1, KJV). When we abide in Him, we are promised protection from secret traps, deadly diseases, dangers of the night, dangers of the day, disasters at noon and protection from accidents (verses 3-12). In verse 14, God promises us that He will deliver us, if we “cling” to him. The NIV translation says “because he loves me, I will rescue him”. I chose the NABRE version as the word “cling” is a better English translation of the original Hebrew word “chashaq”, which is used to convey a deep love, longing and intense clinging of the heart to God. When we cling to God, he will deliver us from whatever we are facing. He will set us on high, because we hold on to his name. We can rest assured that He will answer us, when we call upon Him. He will deliver us and honor us. 

Application

God desires that we love him intensely. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind (Deut 6:4-5). Jesus called this the greatest and first commandment (Matt: 22:37-38). When we cling onto him, he will deliver us. When we know him truly, he will lift us up. He will honor us. All of this starts by us clinging onto him with fervent love. I strongly believe that love is a verb, and not a fuzzy feeling that is depicted in the Hollywood movies. Husbands are commanded to love their wives (Eph 5:25), and wives are commanded to love their husbands (Titus 2:4) in the Bible. It is a commandment, because Biblical love is not a feeling. We choose to love. We choose to love and pursue God. When we draw close to Him, we get to understand the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ (Eph 3:18). Setting our love upon Him and clinging to Him everyday is the best decision that we can ever make in our life.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for loving me. Thank you for choosing me and making me your own. Help me to love you, as you desire. Help me to set my love upon you. Help me to cling to you. Thank you for promising that when I draw near to you, you will draw near to me (James 4:8). May my life be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you (Romans 12:1). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George 

1 Thessalonians 2 - 3.5.24

SCRIPTURE:  1 Thessalonians 2:7 “Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.”

OBSERVATION:  Paul was such an excellent role model to the church because he was so good at imitating Jesus. Shortly after he and Silas had planted this church, they were forced to flee to avoid being persecuted. Later on, Paul sent Timothy back to check on them, and Paul received a glowing report from him about how well they were growing in their faith. Paul’s teaching, and the way he had modeled Christ’s attributes, had paid off big time! The good news inspired Paul to write these letters of encouragement to the church.

APPLICATION:  The church in Thessalonica began in persecution, and the struggle continued. Paul stated that after he, Silas, and Timothy had previously suffered and had been treated outrageously in Philippi that God had emboldened them to speak the gospel of God to them in spite of great opposition. Even after they had suffered, it was important that they didn’t become a burden to the apostles, but instead they were “gentle among them, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children”.  They modeled endurance of hope as they spent an extended period of time with them, and after sharing the gospel, they shared their lives as a labor of love, and work of faith.  

PRAYER:  I pray like Paul that I will be an imitator of Christ, and a light in this dark world. I pray my life will be a model of faith, hope, and love in my home, and in the church, and even when I go through life’s challenges, difficulties, trials, and sufferings that I will be found standing firm in the Lord as I continue building my trust and hope in Him.

-   Robin Orefice