The Thessalonians' Honoring of the Saints (1 Thess. 2:14a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/16/2014 8:55 AM

My Worship Time                                            Focus:  The Thessalonians’ Honoring of the Saints 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1 Thess. 2:14a

            Message of the verses:  “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.”

            Perhaps an obvious question here is why what was it that made the Thessalonian Church like the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judah?  A little history of the church in Judah may help us understand the answer to this question.  Let us begin at the beginning of the Church age, for it all began in Jerusalem which is a part of Judea.  After the resurrection of Jesus Christ and just before His going back into heaven He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem   “Acts 1:4  Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”  Later on in chapter two we see that the Holy Spirit did come upon them as they were all baptized with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages to those who were gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost.  This was the beginning of the Church, and despite the fact that there are actually some today who believe that the Church began in the Garden of Eden, it started there in Act Chapter two on the day of Pentecost.  The Church will end when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to the clouds above the earth and “raptures” the entire Church into the air to be with Him, both those who had died in Christ and those who are still alive on that day.  (See 1 Thess 4:13-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51ff.) 

            As we read through the book Acts we see that as time went on the church in Jerusalem began to grow as on the first day there were some 3000 people added and we then read of other great numbers being added to the church.  However one of the things that they did not do was to go into all the world to preach the gospel:  “19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”  (Matthew 28:19-20)  We know this as the great commission and I suppose that the people who were in the church in Jerusalem were too comfortable to leave their surroundings to do this, but then came the persecution and this caused many of them to leave and with them they took the gospel to begin to tell others about how the Lord had saved them.  Warren Wiersbe writes “The churches in Judea had not been exterminated by suffering; if anything; they had been purified and increased.”  As we read this we can see why the church in Thessalonica and the churches in Judea were alike as they both suffered persecution.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at John 2:36 which says “"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.’”  This statement was made by John the Baptist and it says to me that there are two kinds of people in this world, those who are saved by believing in Jesus Christ who actually became sin and paid the price of sin for all those who believe in Him, and those who will pay for their own sins in hell for all eternity who have not accepted the gift that He offers.  Some people think that all people are born good, but that is not true for all are born sinners and they sin because they are sinners.  Saying this I can understand why believers are persecuted for their faith in Christ, and it is happening more today than at any other time in the history of the church.  It is beginning to happen in our own country and if the Lord does not return to snatch us out of here we will see great persecution in the United States of America, which will purify the church as it did in Judea.  On my prayer list I pray for God to raise up a spiritual giant in this country to be used by God to bring about a great revival in this country before the Lord returns to take us to be with Him.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to bring about a revival in me and in His Church in our country and around the world.

Memory verse for the week:  Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “God” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Today’s Bible question:  “How long did Jesus pray on the mountain?”

Answer in our next SD.

4/16/2014 9:39 AM