Monday, October 14th: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, Psalm 84:1-12, Proverbs 25:15 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is  Jeremiah 23:21-25:38, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, Psalm 84:1-12, Proverbs 25:15

2 Thessalonians 2:15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Stand firm

Keep a strong grip on theology

So important!


16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, 17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

I always love doxology type verses, and this is no exception!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Jeremiah 26:1-27, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 25:16

Tuesday, June 19: 2 Kings 10-12, 2 Thessalonians 3 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 2 Kings 10-12, 2 Thessalonians 3

3a Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us.

Why is it so hard for us to ...

1-recognize the importance/power of prayer

2-ask for it

Why is prayer our last resource rather than our first response? Why do we do everything in our own strength & getting to the point of being completely overwhelmed & exhausted before giving it to God. Do we really understand the importance of prayer & the power it brings that is available to us? Do we understand how God wants to be not just a part of our life but our everything?  Only by seeking him daily & giving everything (the big, the small, the easy, the hard, the life changing & the day to day) will we have the opportunity to see him actively working in our lives.

Why are we too proud to ask our friends, family & other fellow Christian’s to pray for us? Why can’t we feel free to share our hurts, concerns, & even failures/struggles knowing that we are no more imperfect than the person next to us? “Where 2 or 3 are gathered”...imagine the power behind a few Christian’s lifting you up before God.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: 2 Chronicles 22-24, 1 Timothy 1

Monday, June 18: 2 Kings 7-9, 2 Thessalonians 2

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 2 Kings 7-9, 2 Thessalonians 2

So many things stood out for me in today's readings. I'd like to start with one of the last things:

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

What a good reminder. "With all these things in mind"..."stand firm"..."keep a strong grip on the teaching" as we too are having knowledge passed on to us in person (our pastors, bible school teachers, Sunday School teachers, etc.) and in letters (Scripture, Christian authors, podcasts, etc.) and as we keep all these things in mind may it help us to stand firm in our knowledge.

This also stood out for me:

God always, always, always is true to His promises!

“Listen to this message from the Lord! ... “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!” 

and it happened.

“Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover.’ But actually the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!” ....But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king’s face until he died. 

and he did die.

 But the Lord did not want to destroy Judah, for he had promised his servant David that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.

and Jesus was born from the line of David and will reign forever.

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the Lord’s people, Israel. 7 You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the Lord’s servants who were killed by Jezebel. 8 The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out. I will destroy every one of his male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. 9 I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 Dogs will eat Ahab’s wife Jezebel at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her.”

and that is exactly what happened.

The Lord pronounced this message against him: 26 ‘I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on this plot of land, says the Lord, for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday...

and so it was done.

and the Bible continues to demonstrate truth:

3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.

Every day we see evidence of those who are in rebellion against Biblical truths. (Most recently this ruling)  and surely destruction will continue to follow.

May we stand firm in the knowledge of Christ.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: 2 Kings 10-12, 2 Thessalonians 3

Saturday, June 16th: 2 Kings 4-6; 2 Thessalonians 1 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 2 Kings 4-6; 2 Thessalonians 1

If you're ever needing ideas of what exactly to pray for someone, 2 Thessalonians 1 has several things!

After all, everyone could use prayer that.....
* their faith would flourish
* their love for others would grow
* they would display endurance and faithfulness in the face of persecutions or hardships
* God would enable them to live a life worthy of His call
* God would give them power to accomplish all the good things their faith prompts them to do
* the name of Jesus would be honoured because of the way they live
* they would be honoured along with Him
* that they would recognize the grace of God in their lives

That's a good prayer list!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  2 Kings 7-9, 2 Thessalonians 2

Friday, October 20th: Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3 ~ Conrad

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your
iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.  For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.  Your lips have spoken falsely, and your tongue mutters wicked things."  Isaiah 59:1-3

As I was reading this passage, it was comforting in being reminded that our God never leaves us.  He hears all our requests, and He will always keep us in His grasp.  

It's our iniquities that drift us away from God, and it's God's gift of forgiveness that bridges us back.  It's our hands that are stained with blood, and it's Jesus who washes us white as snow.  It's our sinful actions and words that make us guilty, and it's Jesus who redeems us. It's not in our power or what we can do, it's what HE can do!  

2 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 62-64; 1 Timothy 1

Thursday, October 19th: Isaiah 56-58; 2 Thessalonians 2 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 56-58; 2 Thessalonians 2

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.
There is no such thing as absolute truth in our culture anymore.  Your truth is whatever you want it to be, whatever you want to believe, as long as it doesn't interfere with my beliefs.

Not so for the Christian.  We must stake our doctrine on the Bible.  God's Word must be our foundation or we too will find ourselves shifting on the instability and corruptness around us. God's opinion is the only one that matters!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Isaiah 59-61; 2 Thessalonians 3

Wednesday, October 18th: Isaiah 53 - 55, 2 Thessalonians 1 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Isaiah 53 - 55, 2 Thessalonians 1

Isaiah 55: 6-7
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon

Verse 6 caught my attention, we are to seek the Lord while he may be found and call on him while he is near. We don't have forever to get our lives in order and then follow God, we need to make that decision now and stick with it.

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2 Thessalonians 1: 6
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

We don't need to worry about giving pay back to anyone, God will take care of that. But we should also remember that we need to seek forgiveness and make things right with those we've troubled. Often it's more fun to look at ourselves as victims, but we also are offenders at times and therefore need to make things right.


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Isaiah 56-58; 2 Thessalonians 2

Wednesday, November 16th: 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-3 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-3

There were so many things that stood out to me today, but I am going to focus on the section in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, that is titled "The Hope of the Resurrection" in my Bible.

First, in 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died.

This gives us the hope and reassurance that we will see our loved ones again. I have a grandpa and two siblings that I have never met, but I have hope and reassurance through Christ that I will see them again. And these verses prove that.

Second, in 5:8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armour of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

Be on guard because we don't know the day of Christ's return. While we are waiting, we will be "protected by the armour of faith and love". That is incredibly reassuring that God gave that to us. As well as "our confidence of our salvation" as our helmet. That's right, protecting your head is the confidence of your salvation. How confident are you in your faith? How much protection do you really have?

And lastly, 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. 

Christ is risen from the dead, and He is coming back for us! Encourage fellow believers with these words of hope!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Acts 18:12-28, Acts 19:1-20, 1 Corinthians 1-3

Friday February 27th: Exodus 25-26, 2 Thessalonians 3 ~ Elizabeth

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 25-26 and 2 Thessalonians 3

In our OT reading the Lord tells Moses to build a sanctuary in which He will dwell. Though God is present everywhere everywhere, He locates His saving presence in the tabernacle, where He has promised to be found. Today, He locates His blessings of salvation for you in the Word and Sacraments of His Church. The Lord speaks to Moses from the mercy seat, the place of the Commandments and the atonement--His Law and His Gospel-mercy. Today, God no longer speaks from Mount Sinai or between the cherubim of the ark. He has spoken in these last days by His Son (Heb 1:2), who came to fulfill the Law for us and atone for all our sin. God sets before His people the bread of His presence. Jesus is "the living bread that came down from heaven" (Jn 6:51). The lampstand serves both practical and symbolic functions, providing the only light in the dark sanctuary and representing the sacred order God established in the daily and weekly services of His house. No wonder "light" and "enlightenment" have come to describe His work among us through the Word we hear at His house, which enlightens our understanding of His ways.

The tabernacle is laid out according to the specifications God gave on the mountain. Worship is not spontaneous or haphazard but is carefully organized to honor the Creator, who set creation in order by carefully arranging space, boundaries, and the passage of time. Today, organized worship, patterned on God's Word and the life of our Savior, honors God's works of creation, redemption, and sanctification, by which He makes us His beloved people.

In our NT reading Paul requests prayer for his missionary work and obedience to what he has commanded them. We are called to listen to those whom God has given to teach and preach the pure Word. The Lord's faithfulness toward us is steadfast; He is an immovable rock. Through the Church (His Body) and her pastors, He will guard us against the attacks of the evil one, the devil, the Antichrist. Those who are idle are to be avoided and even denied fellowship in order that this might cause them to repent, amend their ways, and return to their fellow believers. Laziness is a serious sin against the God who created us and gave us talents and abilities. It is a sin against the Body of Christ, against our brothers and sisters in the Lord, to whom we have been joined and with whom we are to be co-workers. The good news is that this word of the condemning Law is not the last word. The Law shows us our need for the Savior from sin; the Gospel gives us that Savior. Paul concludes his Letter with a prayer for peace and, in his own hand, a blessing of grace. We should imitate Paul in his blessing. We should pray for peace for others, even for our enemies. We should bless, and not curse, even those we do not like, even those who do us harm. Our prayer for God's peace and grace in our lives is no mere wish. We do have peace with God and with one another through the blood of Christ; by the grace of our Lord, this is a peace that passes all understanding and remains steadfast regardless of external assaults by the devil.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage:Exodus 27-28; Philemon

Thursday, February 26th: Exodus 23-24, 2 Thessalonians 2 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2

One thing that struck me about Exodus 23 was that God was practical.  Yes, He commanded the Israelites to drive out the Canaanite et al, but they would need to be persistent as this would not be a quick or one time thing.

v29-30 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

Makes perfect sense.  Though not stated in this passage, it is also a test of the Israelites endurance and their willingness to obey even at the cost of great personal sacrifice for an extended period of time. It would test their desire to drive evil from their land.  Tests they would ultimately fail.  Just like we do in so many ways.  Thankfully, God's faithfulness to us is not dependent on our faithfulness to Him.  We cannot obey perfectly and He knows that - that is, after all, why we needed a Saviour!

In chapter 24, Moses, Aaron, and his sons, and 70 of the elders take part in fellowship and communion in the very presence of God!  We know that no human can see God fully face to face and live (because of His holiness and our sinfulness), so we know this was only a partial viewing of God - perhaps only under His feet as that is all that is described in this passage.  But either way - can you even imagine what that experience would've been like?!  What an amazing privilege!  And how horrible that they could go to that mountain top experiences to the disaster of the golden calf in only 40 days.  Over and over we are battered over the head with our need for a Saviour.  We are no better.  As much as we'd like to think so, we really aren't.


Our Thessalonians passage is mainly Paul reassuring the Thessalonians that they hadn't missed the Second Coming, and explaining more of what would happen beforehand.

I appreciated my ESV Study Bible's note on 2 Thessalonians 2:13 which says
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Note the involvement of each person of the Trinity: the Father elects, the Son loves, and the Holy Spirit makes holy.

The trinity is a hard concept to grasp, but what a wonder it is!


 Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Exodus 25-26, 2 Thessalonians 3

Wednesday, February 25th: Exodus 21-22, 2 Thessalonians 1 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Exodus 21-22; 2 Thessalonians 1

Though many of the laws in our Exodus passage are not directly applicable to our lives today, the truth behind it still is - human life has value because we are made in God's image, and we are to treat each other with the dignity and respect.

Unfortunately, our society does not have respect for all human life.  Abby Johnson (pro-life advocate) said this on her Facebook page today:

Of course we have euthanasia. Of course we have child abuse. Of course we have violent crime.

What else would we expect? When we don't value the most defenseless among us in the womb, why would we value them after they are born?
This theme is carried over into our Thessalonians passage and the persecution of the saints.  Christians are persecuted at an alarming rate in our day and age.  Thankfully, God has promised not only to give them the grace to endure, but that ultimately justice will be done.  I need to remember to pray for those suffering horrific persecution for their faith in Jesus - and be willing to stand up for my faith.



 Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Exodus 23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2

Thursday, August 4 ~ Miriam

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 123-125; 2 Thessalonians 3.

Good day!

The portion of today's reading that stood out to me was in 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9:

⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.


There are days where I find it really hard to get going and do the things I know need doing.  That doesn't mean I'm sitting around doing nothing - that is impossible with anywhere from 3-6 children in my home on any given day.  However, there are times where I'm just doing what absolutely needs doing and leaving the rest for another day because "I don't feel like it today."  Or I find myself doing other things that don't really need to be done right now, but I'd rather do that than what I know I should  be doing.  


The verses above told me that I need to be more self-disciplined and diligent to make myself a model for my children to follow.  There are so many young people out there who truly believe that they deserve a high-paying job, a nice house or apartment, stylish designer clothes, a new car... I could go on... but they don't understand the concept of earning it.  This is NOT what I want for my children.  


I want my children to learn the satisfaction of accomplishment.  Of working hard for something and earning it.  The feeling of self-assurance that comes with knowing they are capable people.  I want them to learn to take good care of what they do have so that it will last.  I want to teach them to appreciate everything that we do have rather than being envious of what others have that we don't.  I want them to learn that you get out what you put in.  I want them to learn that working longer and harder for more stuff is a sacrifice of a different kind - a sacrifice of time with your family and those you care about - and you have to set your priorities.  All of that will mean nothing to them unless they see us living that out on a daily basis.  


I know that the Bible says that God will provide for our needs, and I do believe that wholeheartedly.  What I do NOT believe is that this means we can sit back and expect it to come to us without any effort on our part.  I firmly believe that God made us capable to work and earn our living.  We are not to worry about our needs being met, but we need to work and do what we can from our side, pray, and trust Him to work out the rest.  

 Tomorrow's passage:  Psalm 127-129; Acts 18.

Wednesday, August 3 - Kathryn

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 120-122, 2 Thessalonians 2

I couldn't help but think of Harold Camping  and all his followers who believed him when he said that the world would end May 21, 2011.  They were deceived.  The world went on as it usually does and I barely knew what had happened  (I'm not a big news reader).  I always shake my head when I hear of those who predict when the world will end, or Christ will return. This isn't the first time he's been wrong.  He predicted the world would end in 1994 and was wrong.  He has since changed his mind and said that the world will now end on October 21, 2011.  Whoops.  Sorry, wrong date.  Um, I think that if he was wrong two other times chances are he'll be wrong on this one too.  And it's not his track record that makes me think that.

¹ Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ 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. ⁴ 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.

Helloooooo Harold, have you read your bible?  Specifically Matthew 24:36?

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

And he said the bible is never wrong and he believes in his bible.  He must've missed that part.  

Our reading in Thessalonians points out that people will be deceived and that God will draw them into the deception.  I don't know how many people rode this bandwagon, but I'm sure a good many really bought into the lie.  I mean, I can sort of see the thought process.  'If I'm right, woohoo!  I'm ready!  If I'm wrong, well then no harm done.'  But if we buy into the lie we then propagate the lie.  And if we say that the Lord is coming back on a certain day and doesn't, then that reflects poorly on our Lord.  It's making Him out to be a liar too.  No one believes a liar.  I'm sure those who thought Harold was for sure, don't now.  When we put words in Gods mouth we risk turning people away from Him.

Deceivers and false teachers are a dime a dozen.  In my short lifetime there have been many.  Yet there is one Truth and one Truthteller.  His word is true, we just need to READ it.  He told us He would be coming back, we just don't know when.  He also told us there would be deceivers and, well, that has already come true.  We can trust His word.

And so, to quote our Thessalonian reading tonight because it fits so well:

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

 Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 123-125, 2 Thessalonians 3

Tuesday, August 2nd

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Psalm 119:89-176, 2 Thessalonians 1

A few verses popped out at me in our Psalms reading. This entire psalm, of course, is praising the Word of God, desiring to know it and meditate on it and live by it. Very applicable, I think, to Jody's post from yesterday. It is very common for our desire to draw near to God, to read/study the Word, to pray - to fluctuate. We have spiritual ups and downs. There are times we just naturally feel close to God. And there are times when it feels forced and unnatural.

The key is to decide to do it anyway whether we feel like it or not.

It reminds me of love really. Love is a decision and an action. The feeling of love follows the act of love. It doesn't go the other way around.

We cannot allow our emotional state to dictate our dedication to reading the Word. We need to learn to recognize those times of spiritual lowness, and determine especially in those times, to keep at it. We can change things up a bit if we need to - read some encouraging Psalms instead of whatever was originally planned, or just spend some time silent before God, allowing the Holy Spirit to pray what our words cannot express, or spend time intently listening to some worship music. But we need to decide to keep at it. It's a decision, not an emotion.

I loved the quote Jody gave yesterday that talked about the Spirit producing deep anguish over sin. This verse totally jumped out at me in relation to that...
Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Psalm 119:136
What passion! Passion for the Word and passion for the holiness of God. Passionate about the fact that sin has a temporary hold on this world and that God's holiness is being flagrantly disregarded, even mocked.

May we be consumed by this passion! May the Spirit work in our hearts and lives to produce this passion for the Word and this passion for the holiness of God, that tears stream from our eyes because of the sin we see around us.

It also ties in well to our Thessalonians passage that talks more about the second coming of our Lord.
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. 2 Thessalonians 1: 6-10

This passage really packs a punch! MacArthur has a 3 part sermon on this section. (Part 3 summarizes the first two parts well and wraps things up. If you can't read/listen to them all, read that one)

Jesus is coming back. And this time He will not be veiled like He was at the first coming. This time He will come in full glory with His angels and everyone will know He is God! And when He comes people will fall into only one of two categories. Either they will be believers or unbelievers and will experience either relief or retribution.

For unbelievers, this will be the apocolypse.

When Jesus comes in His glory to deal out retribution, the day of grace ends. Judgment sweeps across the world. We asked three questions about that... Question number one is why. Why does Jesus do this? Why does He come and deal out retribution? Verse 6 gives the answer. "After all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction." It is just, we said, it is consistent with the justice of God, God a holy God who must act in a just way, must punish unholiness. It is just. It is equitable. It is right. It is fitting.

Then we asked the question who. Who is going to feel this just retribution? And there in verse 6 it says, "Those who afflict you." That is, those who persecute Christians, those who mock or ridicule, those who in any way, shape or form demean, accuse or persecute Christians. But they're part of a larger group identified over in verse 8. "As those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." The Lord Jesus will come dealing out vengeance, dealing out punishment. That punishment will fall on all who have persecuted believers, who are part of a larger group who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

How? Was the third question. How is that vengeance, that retribution and that punishment to be meted out? First of all, in verse 6 it says, "God will repay with affliction." That means with pain. It will be a painful execution of judgment, of justice. Furthermore in verse 9, "This penalty to be paid will be eternal." It will be an eternal pain, eternal destruction, he calls it. The word means ruination. In other words, man as to any value or any purpose or any worthiness will be ruined. It will be the ruination of that individual, eternally ruined and eternally to bear pain. Further that is defined as being away from the presence of the Lord and away from the glory of His power. No evidence of the presence of God. He will not be there. No manifestation of the glory of His power. To be in that place called hell prepared for the devil and his angels is to be utterly apart from any representation of God or any display of His power whatsoever...left only to the underworld of fallen angels in their unmitigated, wickedness and punishment and unrelieved and eternal pain. That's retribution. That's what happens when Jesus comes. (emphasis mine)

We're often a bit uncomfortable with this picture of Jesus. It's easy to see Jesus as meek, humble, and merciful. But Jesus is also just. And His justice requires retribution.

For the unbeliever, the second coming of the Lord will be a dreadful day.

But for the believer, the second coming of the Lord will be a most joyous and anticipated occasion beyond our wildest imaginations! And we will experience eternal relief and restoration. No more death, no more pain, no more trials, no more tribulations, no more sadness - ever! Instead, God will be glorified through us and we will all marvel at each other, at what God has done to each one of us, how He has glorified Himself through us perfectly.

Why does God reward us this way? Because that too, is just.

God sets His own standard for justice and He says I will punish the ungodly because it's just and I am the standard of justice, I will reward the righteous and bring them relief because that is just as well....

God's justice said...sin must be paid for. Christ fully paid the penalty. Justice was satisfied. God is merciful now to us and at the same time is just. God says, "I will bring relief to the righteous, relief to those who know Me and love Me and obey My gospel. I will bring relief to My people because it is just. It is right." Why is it right? Because My demand for punishment has been satisfied and now justice allows Me to be merciful. (emphasis mine)

Thank you Lord, for Your justice which has allowed You to be merciful. Instill in us a passion for your holiness, a passion for your Word and a passion to live out that truth, and the strength to make that decision daily. Amen.

Tomorrow's passage: Psalm 120-122, 2 Thessalonians 2


I'd also highly encourage you to read Praying for the Right Things Part 1 and 2. Here's just a snippet to get your toes hurting....
Sadly the prayers of most Christians are directed toward the wrong stuff. Most of the time Christians pray in regard to themselves and those they love for somewhat shallow things. The prayers are often misdirected and very short-sighted, and, in fact, selfish. Christians typically pray for health and happiness and success. They pray for personal benefit. They pray for comfort. They pray for solutions to fix all of the little problems of life. They pray for a healed body or a home or food or a job or a car, a husband, a wife, a promotion, more money. Those things while they certainly make up part of life are very low on Paul's priority list. They're also very low on the priority list of Jesus who said basically take no thought for what you eat or drink or wear, knowing full well that God supplies all of those things. Get on with seeking matters that relate to the Kingdom of God...

True prayer is learning to think God's thoughts after Him, learning to desire God's desires with Him, learning to love what He loves and hate what He hates. And the deeper your prayer life becomes and the more it lines up with God's will and God's longings and God's desires and God's loves and God's hates, the less trivia will occupy it, the less consumable things will be manifest and the more your prayer will be sweeping grasps and affirmations of those spiritual realities that you know are close to the heart of God....

Prayer puts us in closest connection with God, it lifts us to Him. It puts us in the place of keeping company with God and there in that company with an open Bible and an open heart we learn to listen before we talk.

Paul prayed for worthiness, for fulfillment, for power. He prayed for those things so that the name of our Lord would be glorified through us.

November 17th

Today's reading from the One Year Bible Chronological Reading Plan is 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1-3:18; Acts 18:4-23

I love reading Acts and Paul's letters to the churches at the same time - definitely making a bigger impact then reading straight from Matthew to Revelation!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

You could write a whole sermon on those two verses. In fact, John MacArthur did and it's entitled A Prayer for Complete Sanctification.

I love his definition of sanctification....
Sanctification then is the process of being set apart from sin unto holiness. It is as if you have sin on the one hand, holiness on the other hand, and you are moving in progression away from sin to holiness. That's Paul's prayer burden, that there may be a decreasing attachment to sin, an increasing attachment to holiness, that there may be a decreasing incident of sin and an increasing incident of holiness, that there may be a decreasing frequency of sin and an increasing frequency of holiness. That's the path of sanctification.

Sanctification is a process. And it's a strange one, because it depends on God and yet, it also takes a lot of work on our part.

God is the source of our sanctification. But we still have to do it. But we can only do it through His power.

And the best thing - it's guaranteed to be successful. Because of us? NO! Because of Him. Because the one who calls you is faithful and he will do it!

Tomorrow's passage: Acts 18:24-19:20, 1 Corinthians 1-3