Blessed Are Those Who Lead By Christ

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King James Bible Study[Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]

Date: Sunday, November 28, 2021
Chapters: The Books Of I & II Thessalonians
Message: Blessed Are Those Who Lead By Christ

Hello My Friend,

As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind, [1 Peter 4:12-13  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.] As rewarding as living the Christian life is, it does come with its share of sorrows, but when you stop to think about it, our sorrows are nothing compared to the lost. At least, we have Jesus and are blessed through ours, [Matthew 5:8-12  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.]

In the Book of Acts we read about Paul spending some time in Thessalonica, the Book of I Thessalonians was written by Paul in AD 54, shortly after his departure from Thessalonica. The purpose of the letter was to reconfirm young disciples in the foundational truths already taught them, to encourage them to live holy lives, and to comfort their concerns about those saved who die before Christ returns. What we are to learn from the book is that the second coming of Christ is coming, and sooner than we think, the hope of His return is the inspiration, and comfort of the true saved, born again Christian, [1 Thessalonians 3:13  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.]

I know that it seems like the right thing to do to reach the lost is to blend in with the world as the means to lead someone to Christ, but that is actually the worst thing that we could do. If we who are saved are living as the world, then they will not see the need to know who Jesus us. So many Christians use their salvation as a cloak for their sin, and that is the worse thing they could ever do. Every saved, born again Christian, who has been truly touched by the Holy Spirit no longer desires to remain living in sin, and will start to make changes in their lives to remove the sin. When Paul presented this letter to the Thessalonians, the church was facing a lot of affliction, Paul decided to write this letter to assure them that he knows how they turned from idols to serve the living and true God, and the only reason why that was possible was because they were led by their example.

[1 Thessalonians 1:2-7,9-10  We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;  3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;  4  Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.  5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.  6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:  7  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;  10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.]

[So that ye were ensamples to all that believe] We are the examples that lead others to Christ, we do not live as though we are holier than thou or as though we never knew Christ as our Saviour. We live our lives humbly and meekly, through our faith in Christ, knowing that we are sinners saved by the same grace as everyone else who got saved. However, God has entrusted us with the Gospel for that very reason.

[1 Thessalonians 2:4-10  But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.  5  For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:  6  Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.  7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:  8  So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.  9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.  10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:]

[but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.] There is truly something incredible that only the Holy Spirit imparts on us that we certainly would never do on our own, and that is the desire to see lost souls receive Christ as their Saviour. I have said it before, we are automatically wired through the Holy Spirit to start living our lives through Christ, and this is exactly why I believe that no true believer will ever remain living as they were before they accepted Him as their Saviour, [1 Thessalonians 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.]

We did not get saved through some watered down or even down right false version of the Gospel, we got saved because we heard the truth of the Gospel and believed. Now, when we who are faithful suffer for something we know we have done wrong we can accept that, but when we suffer for doing what is right it can be down right discouraging. Paul stresses the importance of realizing that it is the tribulation that strengthens our relationship with God, keeps us faithful. and leads us to bring others to Christ.

[1 Thessalonians 3:1-3,7-8,11-13  Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;  2  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:  3  That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 7  Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:  8  For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 11  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.  12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:  13  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.]

[That no man should be moved by these afflictions:] We do not like affliction, but to be honest, affliction is often what draws us to Christ to begin with. I do not have to tell you that being faithful to God does not mean that we are not going to fail Him. As long as we carry this flesh, and until Jesus returns, sin is something we cannot escape. While Christ certainly does save us by grace that does not mean that He wants us to live anyway we please, we are to live our lives in a way that pleases God, and that does not mean

[1 Thessalonians 4:1-2,4-7  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.  2  For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 7  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.  8  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.  9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.  10  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;  11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;  12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.]

[so ye would abound more and more.] The longer we walk with Christ the more we reflect Him, which only happens because we are living our lives to please God. And again, that does not mean that we live as though we are holier than thou, we are truly humble, knowing that we are the chiefest of sinners, but somehow Christ sees fit to use us anyway. When Jesus died on the cross it would have been enough to bring permanent salvation to all who believe, but He did not stop there, He arose three days later to prove not only that death cannot stop God, but all who believe in Him will live forever with Him. We will never lack anything as long as we are walking honestly with Christ. Why? Jesus is returning, and when He does we are going to want to make sure that we are ready for Him, even if our bodies are in the grave when He does. No matter what we do in this life, we must remember that everyone is going to spend eternity in one of two places, if we are not living by the example of Christ living inside of us, then we are not going to be prepared for that either.

[1 Thessalonians 5:25,8  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.]

[and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.] We do not need to believe in God to know that the world is being destroyed and will only get worse before Christ returns. The world somehow thinks if they control everything, they it will prolong life and save the planet. Making people follow strict diets, gun control, climate change, sending them to Mars, get vaccines, and even denying that God exists will never stop His judgment. Paul encourages the Thessalonians, and all of us to live in a manner that is pleasing to God toward all mankind, if only for the sake of the Gospel, [James 5:19-20  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.]

Now, II Thessalonian was written also in 54 AD, shortly after Paul’s first letter, the reason being is that there was some confusion at the second coming of Christ. The purpose of this letter was to instruct believers awaiting the return of Christ while going through tribulation. What we are to learn from the book is that it is important to understand that tribulation will come, but it is for our benefit in obtaining the glory of Christ, [2 Thessalonians 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.]. So, when we who are faithful to Christ show them that there is hope, especially when they see our faith and the blessings that come with it, it does bring a few to Christ. However, that does also bring quite a few reprobates attacking us for our faith. Paul reminds us that our faithfulness through tribulation strengthens our relationship and work with Christ.

[2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;  7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,  8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;  10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.]

[and to be admired in all them that believe] The day will come when Jesus will return, and avenge every believer that has had evil brought upon them, and that is pretty much all of us. Christ wants to be glorified in you, but not only that, He wants to glorify you by being faithful to Him through it all, in fact, He admires you for it. And as for those who cause the tribulaiton, we need not to worry about them, because they will have their own tribulation to face, and when they least expect it.

[2 Thessalonians 2:8-14  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:  9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:  14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.]

[because they received not the love of the truth,] This is why God gives them up to their own delusions, as much as He would like every soul to be saved, He will not waste His time with them. He is more concerned about those who love Him than those who do not, and shows us how these reprobates become, [2 Timothy 3:2-4  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;]

Some people are beyond knowing Christ as their Saviour, and will never accept Him, they will even go to extremes to try to stop you from speaking about Him, but we must carry on, we cannot let them stop us from being who Christ creates in us. I do not know if you noticed, but it seems that immortality is at an all time high these days, sex, drugs, alcohol, alternative lifestyles, flaunted for all the world to see, and there is not one ounce of humility. And let me tell you, there are many who call themselves Christians doing these very things. As Christians, we are not to be living the way the world does, we are to stand out from the crowd.

[2 Thessalonians 3:6-7,10-11,13-15  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.  7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;  10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.  11  For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.]

Let Us Pray: God, I admit that I am not thrilled at the affliction I am going through, it seems as though the second I get over one problem another arises. I will not always understand this, but I do understand You are with me, growing me, and strengthening my faith and trust in You through every trial, every tear, and every fear. Thank You for everything You do for me, I know nothing I go through is in vain and has a purpose. Lead me and guide me, give me the strength only You can give me to stand firm in my faith, and not be drawn away from You. I love You Lord, and pray in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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