IN THE WORD DAILY

with Brother Rick

1 Thessalonians 1: 7- 10

  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

V- 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

V- 9 For they themselves shew of what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

V- 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

We find in this epistle to the church in Thessalonica, a commendation from Paul for the example this Gentile church had set for the believers in Macedonia and the rest of the early churches. They helped set the standard for the New Testament Church. They helped establish the conduct that would help other churches to grow in the Lord. How many of our churches today follow this biblical example? How many of today's churches worship according to the leading of the Holy Ghost? How many of today's churches hold true to Bible doctrine, not man's opinions? I pray that you and your family attend a solid New Testament church, not because grandma was a charter member, not because they have a great basketball program for the kids, not because the softball team is league champions 5 years running, not because your wife or husband grew up in that church, but I pray that you and your family attend your church because it is the place where you are continually fed by the word of God. Colossians 3: 16 says, “Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Does this sound like your church?

First, Paul commends them on their ability to spread the gospel. We are instructed as a local body to go out into the community and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Every local New Testament church is sanctioned to have a structured outreach program; not a program to feed the poor, or build habitat homes, or rally to help families at Christmas, and these works certainly have their place. BUT, lets keep the main thing the main thing. Every local New Testament church is sanctioned by God to have a structured program that specifically goes out into their community to share the good news of God's own Son, Jesus. The church in Thessalonica had their focus in the right place.

Secondly, this body of believers had the testimony of staying unspotted by the world. They turned from serving idols, they turned from serving the flesh, they turned from serving the world, and the turned from serving Satan. James 1: 27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” They had a testimony of saying “NO” to the world and “YES” to Jesus. May we all strive to have this testimony.

Lastly, They lived their lives as if Jesus would come at any moment. What will the Lord find you doing when he returns?These believers were waiting on Jesus. These believers conducted their lives in a fashion that would be pleasing to God when Jesus returned. Friends, Jesus is coming back, and I pray that we all would walk in such a manner that he would not find us in sin if he returned, what a tragedy that would be. Mark 13: 35- 37 says, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto all, Watch.”

Jesus is coming, may we all be ready and WATCH.

Have A Blessed Day!!!