Saturday, December 13, 2014

1 Thessalonians: The Blessed Hope

The Book of 1 Thessalonians
I charge you by the Lord
that this epistle
be read unto all the holy brethren.
5:27

Chapter 1
(Spiritual Character)
Path of Sanctification
 ....and how ye turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God;
v.9
The 2 states
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,
having received the word
     * in much affliction,
     * with joy of the Holy Ghost:
v.6

Example & Evangelism
So that ye were ensamples to all that believe...
For from you sounded out the word of the Lord .....
.....in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad;
v.7,8
That BLESSED HOPE
And to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus,
v.10
Chapter 2
(a Gentle Spirit)
But we were gentle among you,
even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
v.7
--Sincerity--
1) For neither at any time used we flattering words,
2) And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends
just to get your money!
3) Nor of men sought we glory,
v.5,6 NLT
Longing for Reunion
Wherefore we would have come unto you,
even I Paul, once and again;
but Satan hindered us.
v.18
That BLESSED HOPE
For what is our hope,
or joy,
or crown of rejoicing?
Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
v.19
Chapter 3
(Loving Messages)

Timothy sent
   And sent Timotheus,
       our brother,
       and minister of God,
       and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ,
to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
v.2
The Question...
For this cause, when I could no longer forbear,
I sent to know your faith,
lest by some means the tempter have tempted you,
and our labor be in vain.
v.5
The Answer...
But now when Timotheus came from you unto us,
and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity,
and that ye have good remembrance of us always,
desiring greatly to see us,
as we also to see you:
v.6
That BLESSED HOPE
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God,
 even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
v.13
Chapter 4
(The Waiting)
(Be Prepared-Be Sanctified)
Then each of you will control his own body and
live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion
like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.
v.4,5 NLT
(Wait Quietly-Patiently)
*to seek to lead a quiet life,
*to mind your own business,
and *to work with your own hands,
v.11 HCSB
That BLESSED HOPE

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
 that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
v.15
Chapter 5
(You know what to expect) 
For yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
v.2
Day & Night
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:
we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
For they that sleep sleep in the night;
and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
v.5,7,8
Remember....
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
v.22
That BLESSED HOPE
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;
and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
 be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v.23
***********************************

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
4:16-18