2 Thessalonians (Program #3) – A Word of Correction of the Misconception Concerning the Day of the Lord’s Coming (2)

Though the word “rapture” cannot be found in the Bible, the fact of the believers being caught up to the air to meet the Lord at the time of His coming again to the earth is definitely revealed in numerous portions.  According to Paul’s own word in 2 Thessalonians he must have mentioned this matter in a general way to the believers in Thessalonica when he first passed through the city and established the church there.  But by the time of these two letters to the church about a year later he had realized that there were many wrong concepts and rumors confusing the church on this matter. And so he gave them more instruction in first twelve verses of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.  Actually many of these same misconception plagued the church today. We all can benefit from the reexamination of this chapter concerning the Lord’s second coming and our being rapture to meet Him.

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2 Thessalonians (Program #23) – A Word of Correction of the Misconception Concerning the Day of the Lord’s Coming (1)

The subject of Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians were encouragement and correction concerning the holy life for the Church life.

Verse 3-5 of chapter 1 say : “We ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, even as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of each one of you all to one another is increasing, So that we ourselves boast in you among the churches of God concerning your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions which you bear, a plain indication of the righteous judgment of God that you may be account worthy of the kingdom of God for which also you suffer.“

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2 Thessalonians (Program #1) – A Word of Encouragement

How do you unclog the arteries of your psychological heart to be sanctified wholly and preserved complete?  Many of us are not as spiritually healthy as we ought to be and could use some practical help taking care of our spiritual heart.  It is a matter of spiritual life or death.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #21) – To Be Sanctified Wholly with our Spirit, Soul, and Body Preserved Complete (1)

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says:“And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Do you really know what it means to be sanctified wholly and to be preserved complete?  You know many things in the Bible apparently are understood. But what did the apostle Paul really mean?

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1 Thessalonians (Program #20) – To Be Sanctified Wholly with our Spirit, Soul, and Body Preserved Complete (1)

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States today. And there is many radio programs talking about how to improve our physical health through diet and exercise.  But what about our psychological heart? What about our spiritual health?  Well, you have tuned in to a unique radio program today talking about the spiritual health.

The basis for our program today is 1 Thessalonian 3:13, which says: “So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

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1 Thessalonians (Program #19) – Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness and our Body to be Preserved Clean in Sanctification

Proverbs 4:23 says: Keep your heart with all vigilance, For from it are the issues of life.

So, how do you keep your heart? Well, if you are a seeker and lover of the Lord Jesus, and that you want to stay with us for a special life study program from 1 Thessalonians today, entitled “Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness.”

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1 Thessalonians (Program #18) – Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness (2)

The Bible has a lot to say about man’s heart. And sometime it can seem confusing. For example, Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And it is incurable; Who can know it?”  But in Proverbs despite the incurable condition of our heart it becomes a door or a gate for the experience of the divine life.  Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, For from it are the issues of life.”

So, our hear does at times seem confusing because it is not a simple thing and above all, man’s heart is prone to change like the wind. It is with this thought in view no doubt that Paul wrote to the new believers in Thessalonica telling them that he desire to come and see them face to face in order to perfect the things which are lacking in their faith and to establish their hearts.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #17) – Our Heart to be Established Blameless in Holiness (1)

In the final chapter of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul uses a few very short verses to point out fifteen different items that he was concerned about in the experience of the young believers in Thessalonica.   He gave them this list against the backdrop of his fellowship in chapter 4 concerning the Lord’s second coming, the rapture of the church and the judgment seat of Christ, which will impact every born again person at the Lord’s return.   No doubt this word sobered them and brought forth a watchful attitude as they contemplated meeting the Lord of Lords and King of kings face to face.  Then in verses 23 and 24 of chapter 5, he summarizes his burden on a marvelous and clear utterance that reveal both God’s operation and the need of man’s cooperation.  “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it. “

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1 Thessalonians (Program #16) – Cooperation with the Divine Operation (2)

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is a chapter presenting the promise of the Lord’s return and the rapture of all the believers at the end of this age. And to the young believers in Thessalonica these word were encouraging and fill them with hope.

But in Chapter 5, Paul begins with the word “but”, implying that though it’s good to be encouraged by the hope of the Lord’s second coming, before He does come, we need to be watchful and sober, and most of all prepared and ready for His coming.  It’s in this light that we come to the last half of the final chapter of the short book to the new believers in the Church in Thessalonica.

Chapter 5:12 begins this way, “Furthermore we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who labor among you and take the lead among you in the Lord and admonish you, And to regard them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.“

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1 Thessalonians (Program #15) – Cooperation with the Divine Operation (1)

As we are caring for new believers, we likely often follow the pattern of the apostle Paul as he cared for the young Church in Thessalonica by giving them encouraging and hopeful passages from the Bible.

In the Thessalonians, it was Paul’s word concerning the coming rapture of the believers at the end of the age and the Lord Jesus promise return from the heavens to the earth that fill them with hope. But if we are fully faithful  to the pattern of the apostle will also bring them to the words of warning and sobriety that Paul concluded the book of 1 Thesssalonians with Chapter 5. Listen to this lengthy passage at the beginning of Chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians 1-11:

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you; For you yourselves know perfectly well that like a thief in the night, so the day of the Lord comes. When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction comes upon them, just as birth pangs to a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief; For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. So then let us not asleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep during the night, and those who get drunk are drunk during the night; But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us in order that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do.“

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