1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

{Hebrews 10:25} (NIV1984)

Here in this text in Hebrews, we have the clearest instruction for what to do in 2012 about declining church attendance. First of all, keep going to church yourself. Secondly, encourage others to go. Encourage them to break the habit they have gotten into of not attending church.

A number of the people of Parkdale talk to me and tell me that they see the Day (the day of the Lord Jesus’ return) approaching. They see the signs and they sense that it is close, surely the Lord is coming back soon. So then, encourage each other in this matter of attending church.

Your church board, the deacons and the elders, should be commended for meeting last night for the sole purpose of formulating a plan that will result in more people coming to our church services. They are obeying the command of the Lord, contained in this verse.

May each of us put this verse into action. Think of someone you didn’t see at church for a while; contact them, and encourage them to attend. We need each other; we need to assemble together as brothers and sisters. Keep it up! For the Lord is coming soon!

Matthew 25

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the

 least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

{Matthew 25:40}  (NIV1984)

 

This passage is a sobering passage, for it speaks to that great and terrible judgement day when all humans appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and He separates those going into eternal life, and those going to eternal fire. 

The judgement He renders surprises the people. They want to know when they met Him on earth. The Lord declares that anything done for the least of His brothers and sisters on earth, is actually done for Him. 

Ponder this for a moment. 

The Lord is saying that the deciding factor, for whether or not a person faces eternal life or eternal punishment, is how they treated me and you. How can this be? What makes us so important? 

According to this text, the Lord’s family is not like our earthly families. Our heavenly family is bound tightly in Christ. How you treat a Christian is how you treat Christ. What a wonderful truth this is! 

O Lord, help us to remember who we are dealing with when we deal with a Christian. Help us to treat them as we would treat you. For they are united with you, and you with them.

Mark 3:20-35

"Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers!"

{Mark 3:34}  (NIV1984) 

 

This is a fascinating glimpse into our Lord’s family life. His family were concerned that He was insane. They came on an intervention mission. When they sent someone inside to get Him, our Lord not only wouldn’t leave, He refused to acknowledge them as His family! He points to those not related to Him by blood, and declares that whoever does God’s will, is His brother and sister and mother. 

What a blessing for us.

To know that our Lord calls us His sister and brother, because we have obeyed God and put our faith and trust in God’s only Son. 

Think about this truth. 

If we were an athlete’s brother or sister, or a movie star’s brother and sister, or someone ruler’s brother and sister, then we would be in a favoured position. How much more favoured are born again Christians?  We are the brothers and sisters of the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings! We are the Heavenly Father’s children, sitting alongside His only Son, adopted by faith into the family of God. 

Oh friend! What else do you need for encouragement today, other than the truth that you are in the family of God, and the Lord is not ashamed to call us brother and sister?

Psalm 25

David’s prayer is that God Himself would teach David. David doesn’t pray for a mentor or a human teacher. He wants God to teach him, because his God is his Saviour and David’s hope is in God, no one else. 

David’s prayer was answered in his life, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to him. David couldn’t sit at Jesus’ feet like the apostles did. He couldn’t walk with Jesus and watch Him as the Lord lived His life on earth. The Holy Spirit was with David, teaching him the nature of God, teaching him the will of God. 

In this sense we are the same as David. We cannot walk with Jesus as the apostles did, but we have the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus told us would teach us all things. We have the promised Holy Spirit, who entered us and changed us. 

Do we listen to the Spirit? Do we learn from Him; that is, listen and put into practice the things we are told? Or do we seek after humans to teach us? 

O Holy Spirit, teach us through the Word today. Reveal God our Saviour to us, we pray.

Psalm 71

“But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” 

{Psalm 71:14} (NIV1984)

Am I praising God more and more? Do I praise God more this week than last week? 

You say to me - 'John, you have no idea what a bad week this is'. The psalmist who wrote Psalm 71 knew what a bad week was. It seems that he was in the bad part of his life. His prayer is that God would not forsake him in his old age, when his strength is gone. His prayer is that people who wish to harm him would be stopped by God. 

But his praise is not based on his situation; it is based on the hope that he has in the LORD. His hope is based on the LORD’s righteousness, His salvation, His mighty acts, and His faithfulness. 

The psalmist actually says “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;” O friend. Do you have hope in the LORD your Saviour? Then may we say with the psalmist today; “I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.” Praise the LORD!

1 Timothy 4

 

“Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, 

so that everyone may see your progress.”

{1 Timothy 4:15} (NIV 1984) 

Pastors are to progress. That is, they are to grow in righteousness and in their relationship to the Lord Jesus, in such a way that people can see their progress. Just as they are to publicly read Scripture, preach, teach and exercise their gifts in a way that the people see progress, they are also to progress in their speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 

To see progress means that an evaluation is made. A starting point is observed, and although the end line may not be observable, the pastor is seen to be moving in the direction of the end line. If pastors (“the holy men”) should have observable progress in their lives, than how much more should all Christians have observable progress in our lives?

Make an evaluation of your speech, life, love, faith and purity. Are you further along the path from a month or year ago? Have you stayed the same? Or have you slipped back? May God help us to be diligent in these matters!

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day."

{Proverbs 4:18} (NIV1984)

What a beautiful metaphor! Life is a journey. Paths filled with travelers. Those who walk in the path in right relationship with God, have light on their way. God guides them on the path of righteousness. God’s Word is a light to their path. God’s Son is the Light that shines from within them as they travel. 

The Light starts small, like the first gleam of dawn, but as they use their will to make their bodies do the will of the Lord Jesus, little by little, more and more, the Light grows brighter and brighter. 

Life lived surrendered to our Lord Jesus is meant to get better every day. “Little by little, every day, Little by little in every way. My Jesus is changing me.” Then we reach the end of our path, and death is our entrance into the full light of day! 

Is this metaphor true of us? Are we this morning “brighter” than we were last month, or last year? O Lord Jesus, cleanse me I pray, change me, use me, bless me this day.