Good morning!
Today we will resume in the great letter to the Thessalonians, with 1 Thessalonians 2:13
There was a popular movie out at about eight years ago, the title of which was Divergent. I did not see it, nor do I plan to. It's not that I have anything against it; I just doubt the opportunity will present itself. They say that the central character, Beatrice, learns that she is "divergent", that she will not fit in and that she will have to fight for her survival.
The word "divergent" is defined in the online dictionary as "developing in different directions" or "dissimilar".
I thought of that word while studying 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16. In this passage, the apostle Paul is reminding the Thessalonians that the persecution they received at the hands of their countrymen was not unexpected nor uncommon among those who bear the name of Yeshua. Similar treatment had happened to the believers in Judea, Paul reminded them.
There is a conservative media figure, Erick Erickson, who uses the expression, "You will be made to care", when exhorting people concerning the issues of the day. What is happening in America is that the Torah belief system is becoming more and more openly divergent from the belief system of the world in general. I say "openly" because the world has always been opposed to the message of the One, True God. But, over the past 60-70 years in this country, that divergence has become more flagrant and more socially acceptable as the people of God have "fallen asleep at the wheel".
The Thessalonians were not asleep. They were actively imitating other heroes of the faith and Yeshua HaMashiach in particular. They were standing firm against the world's belief system, the adherents to which can be described with Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 - - {The Message version}
They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who’ve never heard of our God how to be saved. They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it.
I wish that I could tell you that things in this old world are going to get better, that the culture will become less hostile to the gospel and the Messianic worldview. However, that would be an unscriptural position. Unless God has mercy on America and brings a great, cataclysmic spiritual revival, things are going to continue to become increasingly hostile for American followers of Yeshua and Torah as they are currently in many other parts of the world.
The questions for us are these: What is our responsibility toward this divergence? How shall we react when confronted with positions/beliefs/practices that are contrary to the Word of God? Should we continue the pattern of the past 70 years - - - "going along, to get along"?
Consider what is going happened in Alabama 8 years ago. "The Supremes" (the US Supreme Court) trampled all over states' rights by overturning several of the peoples' initiatives to keep marriage between one man and one woman. They basically told Alabama that they WILL legalize gay marriage, or else. In response, led by Judge Roy Moore, many judges and municipalities rose up to say that they would not obey that judicial "mandate", arguing that it is unconstitutional. What do you think of this response?
Psalm 33 is particularly pertinent here, verses 9-11 especially.
For he spoke, and it came into existence,
he issued the decree, and it stood firm.
10
The Lord frustrates the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans of the peoples.
11
The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages.
Stacked up against the Lord's decrees and decisions, the legal dictates of man matter not one bit. When there is such divergence that we are forced to choose one or the other to obey, there is no contest. Jesus made this plain when asked about paying taxes. His reply?
"Give to the government the things due the government and to God the things due God." (Matthew 22:21).
"You will be made to care." I firmly agree that, for each of us, a time is coming (if you have not already experienced it) when we will be unable to escape the consequences of our lethargy as followers of God and His halacha. When given an opportunity to speak the truth and to take appropriate action, we must do so, instead of putting it off, relying on someone more vocal to do it, etc. Every time we demur and defer action in a critical situation, we further marginalize our biblical positions and further jeopardize our religious freedom. Rise up, People of God!
Although each of us is called to speak the truth, we are required to speak it as would Yeshua, always with love. Our message will not be received as "loving", but we are not responsible for its reception. We have been tasked with delivering the truth with compassion and with genuine love and concern for our fellow man.
Most of us dislike conflict of any kind. It is distinctly unpleasant. What we often fail to recognize is that our lives are characterized by this ever-present, foundational challenge: "Will we seek to please ourselves and the fallen world around us, or will we seek to please God?" If we choose the latter, we will be distinctly divergent. It is inescapable. Incompatible "truths" are irreconcilable.
Yes, there is extreme divergence: diametrically opposed positions to reality, the nature of man, the origin of evil, and other bedrock issues of life here on earth. But, the GOOD NEWS is that God, through Jesus Christ, has the answer to man's miasma of despair!
Will you share it, as did the Thessalonians?
You know, O Lord, that we are largely chicken-hearted. This must be because our belief in You and Your truth is weak. So, open our eyes, Lord. Strengthen our weak faith. Give us the courage to be boldly, blatantly divergent, shining like the brightness of the heavens, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our Savior, in order to lead many to righteousness. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Moving on to 1 Thess. 3 - - -
Can you think of a time when you have received good news in the mail, whether snail mail or e-mail? Perhaps it was a letter of acceptance into a college of your choice. Perhaps it was a tax return check. Perhaps it was a letter from a friend or loved one, sharing good news.
One of my earliest memories of this was when I was a middle schooler. I had a pen pal from a previous meeting at summer camp. Day after day I waited for the mail, to see if a letter had arrived. When I got those letters, that good news, it was a joyous day! Not only did the envelopes smell good; the words they contained brought such joy! In our present day of nearly instant communication, we have lost some of this anticipation and pleasure.
At any rate, this is the type of joy Paul is describing here in 1 Thessalonians 3. As the spiritual mentor of the church at Thessalonica, Paul was eager to hear about how they were doing, whether they had experienced persecution and how they had come through it.
5 For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him {Timothy} to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.
Timothy, Paul's young apprentice in the faith, traveled to Thessalonica to check on the folks there. He returned to Paul with a very good report - - good news!
6 But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love ...
Paul joyfully thanks God for these young disciples (vs. 9) and goes on to say that he continues to pray for the fledgling church, that God will "complete what is lacking in your faith". The chapter ends with a beautiful benediction/prayer, in which Paul prays that God will make their hearts blameless in holiness before their God and Father at Christ's return (vs. 13).
12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we also do for you. 13 May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.
Two of the greatest blessings in the resplendent, Torah walk are to be mentored by another believer and to mentor others in the faith. Another word for "mentoring" is "discipling". This dynamic symbiosis is a powerful force in the congregations of the righteous. However, I am afraid that, all too often, we shun it. American individualism kicks in and we try to "go it alone". Is your congregation guilty of "getting 'em saved" and then "letting them languish"? Paul confessed in this passage that his relationship with the Thessalonicans encouraged him, even as he discipled them. God uses His Holy Spirit in both parties to grow their faith, to help each other when faith falters (vs. 10, The Message), to "shore them up". God uses His people to build one another up in the faith. Farther on in this same letter, Paul exhorts the church at Thessalonica in this regard (5:11) - - -
Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
What does that expression mean, to "shore up"? The expression is from the 1300s in Europe, and means "to buttress", "to prop up and make safe". As Paul puts it "to complete what is lacking".
Who is/are your spiritual mentor(s)? Who encourages you and shores you up in your faith? In whom are you investing? Are you discipling a newer, younger believer? If your answer is "Er-r-r-r....." to either of those questions, let me encourage you to "plug in" more deliberately to your local congregation in order to be used by God in this way. You do have something to contribute, even in spite of troubles, past failures, current hindrances. Don't let the enemy talk you out of it. God wants to bless you and to use you to bless others.
I was talking to one of our church's widows on the phone the other day. It was quite "by accident" (?!). She had intended to call someone else; but, at any rate, God was in it. She lost her husband suddenly, a couple of years ago. As we talked, at one point, I had to laugh. She said something like this: "I have got to get out of this house and get more involved. Just sitting around here, reading my Bible and petting my cat is not going to get it!"
Talk to the Lord about both of these avenues of discipleship today and ask him to show you where "shoring up" is needed. Pray for opportunities to "shore up" another believer. These may come from the most unlikely of sources - - - even an unexpected phone call! They may be brief, one-time encounters; or, they may be long-term commitments. Either way, this is part of our calling. We are not called to hoard our faith, but rather, to exercise it in ministry to others. Then, ask where you need "shoring up" and ask God to lead you to those who can be an encouragement, a buttress, a spiritual mentor to you.
Dear God, "make me a blessing, make me a blessing! Out of my life, may Jesus shine!" I'm thinking of the lyrics to that old gospel song this morning. http://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_m/make_me_a_blessing.php
But Father, help us to remember that "we can't give what we ain't got". We need discipling too! Please lead us to one or more spiritual mentors, who can invest in and encourage us today as well.
In Jesus' name, amen.
As we've seen previously, the primary purpose of this letter is to disciple the young church at Thessalonica. In the first 3 chapters Paul is thanking God for and commending them. In chapter 4, he switches to exhortation mode. Here are the verses, from The Message.
1-3 One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.
Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.
4-5 Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.
6-7 Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
8 If you disregard this advice, you’re not offending your neighbors; you’re rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit.
I have to laugh at Paul's "one final word"; he's like the preacher who announces his final point, but that final point drags on for 30 minutes! No one could accuse Paul of being a man of few words! There are 5 chapters in 1 Thessalonians...
In verses 1-3, Paul exhorts the believers to please God by living pure lives, as opposed to disorderly, unkept lives spent serving our flesh. Here Paul is acknowledging the very real battle of our "flesh", our sinful humanity that fights against the Holy Spirit God has given to those who name His Son as their Savior.
Inside our souls resides the most beautiful gift ever given, God Himself; His Holy Spirit lives inside of us. Our bodies are His dwelling place, and it is for this reason that we are urged by the apostle and by the Spirit to keep His home, His "temple" pure. We are to treat our bodies with dignity.
The practical application that Paul makes here involves sexual promiscuity/immorality. Various ones of The Bride/The Body are tempted in this area to varying degrees, often depending on their lives before they came to know the Savior. Some are tempted to pollute their souls with pornography. Others are tempted to engage in heterosexual adultery. Still others are tempted to sin with members of their same sex, or with children or with animals. The depravity of man runs deep, and we are at the nexus of the Cosmic Battleground. Our adversary, Satan, hates us and all that we represent. He is hell-bent on our destruction. Nothing degrades and destroys the relationship with Christ more than sexual sin, which is why Paul mentions it here specifically. Paul mentions that this particular sin also destroys others, not just the person initiating it with someone else. Sin IS sin, but this is a deep one. In many people's lives, it is an addiction which can only be broken through a combination of addiction counseling, the power of the Holy Spirit and many prayers.
Paul points out that the Thessalonians were surrounded by people who believed free sexual behavior to be nothing out of the ordinary. The pagan peoples surrounding the young churches even incorporated deviant sexual practices in their "worship" services. So, those Christians ran very much "against the grain" in their desire to please God with their bodies. The same is true today. At times, even loved ones work against what Christ is trying to do in our lives. This is the most difficult to bear.
The world looks at Christians who fight to live lives of purity and say, "What drudgery! What a dogged, religious plod!" But, this is a conclusion drawn from spiritual ignorance. What the Holman Christian Standard Bible calls "sanctification" the Message version calls "a living, spirited dance".
Yes, it is extremely difficult to resist the flesh, whether in sexual behaviors or other types of sin. And, if this is not yours, your turn is coming! Paul is an "equal opportunity offender"! Satan has been granted the ability to make the inferior look more appealing than the superior choice. That's why it is called, 'temptation". If the wrong choice did not look so good, we would not choose it! But, the joys of obedience and yielding to Christ, our Bridegroom, are immeasurable and eternal.
The process of sanctification is to prayerfully surrender our will, our control to the Holy Spirit, especially in times of great temptation. We must call out to Him and acknowledge our helplessness against our areas of weaknesses. His grace can then fill us with the strength to resist the Devil's traps.
If you find yourself enmeshed in addiction, get some professional Christian help. There is no shame in getting brothers and sisters in the faith to help you! That type of help falls under the category of mentoring/discipling we discussed yesterday, only in a very specialized way.
Do you realize how God sees you, Beloved? If you belong to His Son, God the Father sees You as beautiful, inside and out! Yes, He hates all sin. But, your sins are forgiven; they are "under Christ's blood", covered, forever. Confess them, and receive God's peace. Another powerful tool of the Enemy is to make us believe that we are defeated by our besetting sins. The Enemy torments us with our failures; he wants us to just give up and perpetually give in.
"Now Satan is a liar, and he wants to make us think that we are paupers, when he knows himself we're Children of the King!" (from "Praise the Lord", by The Imperials)
Resist! Every failure is another opportunity to once again seek success and victory. Don't.give.up. Victory is utterly worth the sacrifice.
I look forward to the day when all sin is banished because some days I just get weary from the fight. I know that I'm not alone in this. Strengthen us, Holy Spirit, to go against the grain of the world and to live lives of joy, to embrace the "living, spirited dance". Help us to please You by consistently accepting Your Spirit's invitation to holiness and true beauty of the soul. In Jesus' name, amen.
Let’s move on to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
In this passage, Paul reveals some of what he must have been taught from The LORD after his conversion. He traveled to Arabia and stayed there for a couple of years. Perhaps this was revealed to him during that period. It is impossible for us to say.
Regardless, here in this passage, Paul is teaching about Jesus Christ's return to gather up the people of His Church - - - that is, those people who have believed on His name and called Him Savior and Lord.
13-14 And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.
15-18 And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.
{The Message}
Apparently, this topic had been one of conversation and speculation among the early Christians and particularly those in Thessalonica. Paul elsewhere expounds upon this topic to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. So, it must have been widespread.
The question of a physical resurrection from the dead had long been a topic for debate among the Jews. The Sadducees were a sect of Judaism which did not believe in a bodily resurrection from the dead. The Pharisees did, which put the two sects at odds with each other, before, during and after Christ's physical ministry on earth. It seems the question had continued even among those who decided to follow Jesus.
Interestingly, the question was not "where are the dead now"?, which is what you might expect. Even though not mentioned here, Paul also deals with this matter, as does Jesus on the cross. Both affirm that those who die believing in Jesus as Savior will immediately be with Him when their souls and spirits leave their bodies. (Luke 23:43 - - Jesus) (2 Corinthians 5:8 - - Paul)
The questions seem to have been about the physical bodies. So, let's look at what Paul says.
1. Paul is expounding on this topic for our encouragement. (1 Thess. 4:18)
2. In the same way that Jesus' dead body was raised, so shall ours be. (1 Thess. 4:14)
Our physical remains, wherever they remain (crypt, ashes, at the bottom of the sea), will be "raised".
3. Dead bodies/remains of believers will not be brought back in their current state, but rather in an "imperishable, incorruptible" body/form. Those new bodies will bear the image of the man from Heaven {NET translation} (1 Cor. 15:49, 53). And, the dead will be raised before the living are "snatched up." (1 Thess. 4:15)
4. This cataclysmic event will be announced by "God's trumpet blast" and by "the voice of the archangel". In other cases where the Bible refers to God's trumpet/voice (Greek word "salpiggi"), there is almost always an earthquake present. {One Christian theologian has proposed that when this event occurs, there will be a massive, worldwide earthquake, much like the one that rolled the stone away from Jesus' tomb, but on an exponentially larger scale. Can you imagine the chaos that would result? No one would miss the living Christians who "disappear". Because of all the resulting chaos, most will assume that they perished in the massive quakes. Interesting to contemplate, is it not? Archangel thunder...}
5. When the bodies of the dead believers and the souls and bodies of living believers are snatched from the earth, those will be reunited with Jesus Christ "in the air", or "in the clouds" according to some translations.
6. "And so shall we ever be with the LORD." Nothing will ever separate us, physically or spiritually, from our Savior, ever again. (1 Thess. 4:17)
Neither of the passages from Paul indicate that Jesus's feet will touch the earth during this event. The 1 Corinthians 15 passage does not mention Jesus' location, although the Thessalonians passage does. This event is commonly called The Rapture, from the Greek word "harpazo", which means to be "caught up" or "snatched up". Paul describes this "snatching up" as happening in the blink of an eye.
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