Week One - Observation 3

OK guys!  I REALLY need some feedback!  Please let me know your thoughts, comments, things you see differently...I so want this to be interactive and not just a one-sided dialogue!  If I'm not making you think and question, then I'm not doing my part in opening up God's Word to you.  If my statements are confusing, if the material is too long, then I need to know that!  Please let me hear something back from you TODAY!  If you're trying to use the comment feature on the blog and it is not working, I need to know that too - if that's the case you can e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.  Also, if you'd rather just send your comment direct to me rather than posting, you can do that via e-mail.  Or if it's easier to comment on Facebook under the link for the day, that's fine too.  Just let me hear from you! Please!

Remember our question to consider this week:
"Once we entrust our lives to God, are we exempt from the pain and difficulties of life?  Does our relationship with Him provide protection against suffering?"

And our first passage to memorize:
Philippians 1:29  "For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.

OBSERVATION 3

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 2:1-2, 2:14, and 3:4

 

1:6-7 "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with the joy from the Holy Spirit.  As a result, you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia."

2:1-2 "For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit with you was not without result.  On the contrary, after we had previously suffered and been outrageously treated in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition."

2:14  "For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country."

3:4  "In fact, when we were with you, we told you previously that we were going to suffer persecution, and as you know, it happened."

What Kay Arthur would have you do right now is to read and re-read the above passages, and as you are re-reading to circle all of the pronouns that refer to the believers in Thessalonica and to draw a box around the pronouns that refer to Paul and/or those who were with him.  Then read the passage for a third time and underscore all the references to any type of persecution, tribulation, mistreatment, or suffering.  

When you look at these patterns, what does it tell you about the believers in Thessalonica and about Paul and his fellow evangelists?  

What I see is that the believers of Thessalonica understood from the get-go that their belief would invite severe hardship into their life, and yet they "welcomed the message" with joy...a supernatural joy that came from the Holy Spirit.  This Holy Spirit-driven joy was what allowed them to be the kind of people that Paul could brag about for their flourishing faith and their love for one another.  That joy will override the desperation that the world wants us to feel in light of our opposition. 

I see that the Thessalonian Christians were being persecuted not by foreign invaders or outsiders, but by their own countrymen, probably their own neighbors, possibly their own families.  This is something that for someone my age (64) is harder to get my head around at times.  For so much of my life, the United States was a Christian nation, and you really didn't encounter much opposition to your Christian faith and beliefs.  That is no longer the case.  We are now a nation of pluralism and inclusion - peoples belief systems are all over the board, and Christians, especially evangelical Christians, are becoming a minority.  With that change in status, we are seeing things change in the way our belief systems are viewed from those outside of our faith - we are seen as intolerant and judgmental.  I believe that the future may see these new views of Christians result in a much more restricted display of our faith and we will need to be prepared to stand strong in the face of potential opposition from our friends, neighbors and family.  

I see Paul telling them that even though he and his companions had just come from being abused and persecuted by sharing the Gospel in Philippi, they came to Thessalonica emboldened by God to share the Gospel there even though they were being overtly opposed and threatened. When you know your message is true, when you know your message is life-giving, and then when someone tries to stop you and you recognize the opposition as being driven by our ultimate enemy, Satan.....well then you realize your mission is important enough to engage the enemy, that your mission is critical and that you must keep going!  Where does all of this "realization" come from - just as Paul said, they were "emboldened by God."  God opens eyes that are looking to Him to see what is really going on and just how important the work is.  

I see that Paul knew in advance that they would undergo persecution for their ongoing mission, but that knowledge did not deter them or cause them to slow down - they just kept on preachin' the Word!!   It is why Paul was placed where he was, it is why we are still here and it is why Jesus has not yet returned - there are more to be brought into the Kingdom.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be the one who shared the Gospel to the last new believer right before the trumpet sounds and we are gathered up with Jesus?

My observations today:

1.  We need to continually request the Holy Spirit to infuse us with His joy that makes us alive and vibrant and unable to be discouraged even though outside forces are opposing us and working against our Gospel-mission.  

2.  We need to be prepared for persecution/opposition from those immediately around us.  

3.  Persecution feeds our courage to be bold and keep going.  

4.  Knowing that persecution may/will result should never deter us from proclaiming the Gospel to a dying world.  Fear not!

OK - challenge on!  Someone share an observation, comment or argument!!  I hope to hear from someone soon - either below, on FB or e-mail me at janicehodges1356@gmail.com.

In His Amazing Love,

Janice