2 Thessalonians 2 - Outline

v1-2

Don't be "shaken in mind" even by something that seems like some great thing

v3-4

the "Son of Perdition" must be revealed before the day of Christ

v5-7

someone or something is temporarily preventing that Wicked person from being revealed

v8

what the end of that wicked one will be

v9-12

everybody who has not believed the truth will be deceived and destroyed

v13-14

those who have believed the truth are destined to obtain the glory of Christ!

v15-17

stand firm and be established in speaking and behaving in every way that is good

meanwhile, some are even martyrs

Revelation 6

v10

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

The souls of the martyrs crying to the Lord reminds me that there are very serious and important things going on and in the future. We need to be serious about what we should be doing.

Don't cry; Look: The Lion of Judah has prevailed!

Revelation 5

v5

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Here is something that we can worship the Lord for. He has taken away our reason to week because He has prevailed.

the superiority of the Lord's fantastic glory

Revelation 4

v11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

We can make things today that we think are great and amazing, and we can try to make fantastic presentations or imagine up breathtaking scenes, but that is nothing compared to the Lord. The Lord created all things. Being with the Lord as one of His people and taking part in His glory will far outweigh the minuscule and relatively negligible effort that it takes to serve Him faithfully today. We should serve with this "vision" that there is a great reward and end for being His and faithfully serving Him... And we should worship Him.

the Lord richly rewards faithfulness

Revelation 3

v8

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

If we serve the Lord, even having a little strength, He will reward us amazingly (like setting an open door in front of us that nobody can shut). That should make us want delighted to serve Him with all of our strength, even when it might be a little bit hard.

don't tolerate evil in your life

Revelation 2

v2

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

It was a good thing that the church of Ephesus could not bear them who were evil. This is convicting about our mindset about things that are evil. We shouldn't just think lightly about those things, thinking out for our own entertainment about how people could do evil things (scams, etc.), but we should utterly hate and despise that prospect of that sin in our own lives.

2 Thessalonians 1 - Key

v3

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

It says that they were bound to thank God always... We should thank the Lord for and pray for the brethren, all the time. It says they were bound to do so.

Application

v11

Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of [this] calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of [his] goodness, and the work of faith with power:

Even though the Thessalonians were doing well right then, they still prayed for them all the time. And here's a good example in this verse, of how we can pray for each other.

I'll thank the Lord and pray all the time for my brethren, even when they're doing well right now. I'll thank the Lord for and pray for how well they're doing, for their faith and love, and for the Lord's will, calling, and work in their lives.

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2 Thessalonians 1 - Outline

v1-2

greetings and blessings from Paul and company to the Thessalonian Church

v3-4

have growing faith, abounding charity, patience and endurance, even in persecution and tribulation

v5-7

we may have to suffer with Christ, but it is for a reason and a reward: for the kingdom of God, and for rest with the saints when Christ returns

v8-10

Jesus will judge those who do not obey the gospel

v11-12

we should be worthy of our calling to take part in Christ's glory

Him has washed us from sin

Revelation 1

v5

And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

It is a great joy to praise the Lord with a pure heart. It is a joy to know that your sins are forgiven, to have a clear conscience and a clean slate, and to have a hope for the future, being right with God. It is a joy to praise and worship Him, knowing it is the right thing to do, and being glad that you can be enabled to do the right thing.

We should remember that it is by Jesus' death, and the shedding of His blood on the cross, that we can be forgiven and saved. We should repent from our sins, even when it is hard, because it is definitely well worth while to be reconciled to the Lord. Then we should thank, praise and worship the Lord out loud, with a pure heart, because it is such a joy to do so.

the power of outreach

Jude

v23

And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

A great way to apply this verse is in reaching out to people with the gospel. It says, ...others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire... As we go out and preach the good news to people, we have the chance, by doing that, to be pulling them out of the fire. We should be prepared and serious about these times, and we should carry out this outreach faithfully.

the Lord will judge

Ezekiel 9

v9

Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah [is] exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

They had exceedingly great sin because they said that the Lord does not see. Let's remember that the Lord does see everything that we do, and that it is certain that the time is coming that He is going to do something about it.

pray for people who are doing well

3 John

v2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

We should not just pray for peoples' spiritual condition, but it is also sometimes a good idea to pray for their physical condition, especially if they are already doing well spiritually.

Also, one of my friends mentioned recently that it is a good idea not just to pray for lost wicked sinners, but it is really also important to pray for people who are doing well right now in their walks with the Lord. If we seem to be doing well now, we need prayer to resist temptation, and to keep doing well, and we could always do even better.

love keeps us from getting tripped up

2 John

v6

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

Let's remember love for the Lord's people, today. 2 John talks about the danger of deceivers who are antichrists and don't confess the truth of who Christ is. This chapter also talks about making sure not to miss out on the full reward for serving Christ. These things are related love, and we can work on avoiding these dangers by making sure to have God's love for each other.

v8

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

1 Thessalonians 5 - Key

v25

Brethren, pray for us.

Here is a Biblical example of a prayer request. It is not just prayer that is Biblical, but sometimes a few short prayer requests, too.

v17

Pray without ceasing.

We should pray in the Spirit, rejoicing, living holy lives, and with giving thanks. In our midweek meetings, we are emphasizing prayer for 8 weeks, but we don't just have to pray in those meetings, or on that day in the middle of the week. We should remember to take the time and be in prayer all the time, everywhere.

Application

Romans 15:30

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in [your] prayers to God for me;

The verses in 1 Thessalonians 5 reminded me of this verse in Romans 15 that I've been studying. The first half of this verse is really striking! What is it that Paul would be so audacious as to such terminology to say? To strive in prayer for him. Not just are some prayer requests OK sometimes, but here we see an bold charge to that end, with incredible power.

My application from this passage is that I'll request prayer when I need it.

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1 Thessalonians 5 - Outline

v1-3

the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night

v4-10

light, being awake, and sobriety, of symbols of how we should live while watching for the Lord's return

v11-15

how we should behave towards other people

v16-22

how we should behave in general

v23-28

blessings that the Lord will be faithful to carry out

take advantage of the power of prayer

1 John 5

v14

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

We should be taking advantage of this power of prayer.

remember to care about other people

1 John 4

v7

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Here is a very good and important thing for us to remember and focus on today: loving each other. That just means caring and seeking for what would be the best for other people. As we show godly love towards other people, that is the way that we can really love to God.

v21

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

purifying ourselves

1 John 3

v3

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We should wake up. As the Lord's people, who hope to go to heaven and be like Him some day, we should live like His children today. Remember that, being the Lord's people, we need to be pursing righteousness and going away from sin.

v23

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

abide in His Word

1 John 2

v5

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

This chapter seems to talk about "walking with God": not sinning, knowing God, abiding in Him, having His love perfected in us, being in the light, knowing the truth, keeping His Holy Spirit abiding in us, and doing righteousness. Here is one way that we can do that, by keeping His Word.

v24

Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

the power of confessing our sins

1 John 1

v9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is a verse that most of us have probably heard a lot of times, but it's still a very good and important verse. If we have to be sneaky about our behavior, and hide it from somebody, that is probably a bad sign. The simple key of humbling ourselves to the point of confessing when we have sinned, is a very powerful way to get free from addictive bad habits and receive an abundant life of joy.

v4

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

two different ways people could walk

2 Peter 3

v3

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

The scoffers were just walking in selfishness, pursuing their own pleasures. How are you and I walking, today?

17,18

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We, even when we are steadfast right now, should be careful that we aren't deceived into falling. We should grow in the Lord.

do your work as a servant of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4

v11

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Like every part of our lives, we should use our careers to be faithful servants of the Lord. When we work, we should do the most excellent job we can, as if we are working for Him.

I know that's something commonly said, so we have probably heard it before and already know it, but hopefully it can be a good reminder. For example, if you feel tired or unmotivated while you are at work today, remember this passage.

v12

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and [that] ye may have lack of nothing.

what kind of people ought we to be?

2 Peter 3

v11

[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,

When trying to decide what decisions to make, and what to do in life, here is the answer to where we need to align those direction: in the pursuit of holiness, godliness, and righteousness.

v18

But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.

For example, when we are trying to decide how to line up our schedules, what we should do first, and how much time we should spend on each thing, let's guide all of those according to the diligent pursuit of serving Christ.

responding to the warning about false teachers

2 Peter 2

v1

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

First of all, we need to make sure that we are night like those false teachers, as they will receive such judgment. We should be zealous to repent, and we should be willing to do anything we need to do in order to repent from sin.

Next, we should care about other believers who are walking in sin, and realize that they are headed for terrible judgment if they don't repent. If we have a chance to help another believer turn back to the Lord, that would be a great thing, and really important for us to do.

Finally, we should care about people who need saved, and love them enough to try to persuade them to receive Jesus. We should think about what will happen to people who don't turn to God.

why do you weep? whom do you seek?

John 20

v15

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

I think that Mary Magdalene was at an all-time low point here. She had been focused on the natural physical in the world, like the Lord's body and His death.

This is an interesting question, Who are you looking for? She thought she was seeking Jesus, because she was looking for His dead body.

Sometimes in life, I think that we make the same mistake. We think we are seeking God while we are focused on the natural physical things. Then, when those things don't work out, we get depressed. Mary would come to find out that Jesus was right there, with her! We can know Him too, through His Word, by faith.

v9

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

I think it is interesting that it says they knew not. Hadn't He told them these things, or hadn't they heard it read in the Scriptures? That makes me think of how we've heard the things of Christ in the Scriptures many times, but do we really know it? The key is to believe.

stirred up and put in remembrance

2 Peter 1

v13

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance;

It was such an important thing for Peter to remind us of these things, shortly before he died. I was especially struck in this verse, by how we ought to be stirred up and put in remembrance. With so much busyness and tiredness these days, it is easy to become bored, let my mind wander, and start day-dreaming and wasting time instead of focusing on what I should be thinking about, like the things of the Lord and the Scriptures.

Instead of that, we ought to have our minds and hearts stirred up, and really remember and pay attention to these critically important things of the Lord. Let's work on bringing our thoughts into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5), having a sound mind, (2 Timothy 1:7) and meditating on the Scriptures (Psalm 23:2).

money isn't everything

1 Peter 5

v2

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

The instructions to take care of the Lord's people not for filthy lucre (not for impure profit), made me think of how we shouldn't think too much of money.

For example, we shouldn't think that if we just offer a certain amount of money to other people, that they must then help us out like we want. We should recognize their right to say No. If they do say No, we shouldn't give them a hard time for it like a slave-driver. Maybe we weren't offering enough or something, even if we thought we were.

suffering in well doing

1 Peter 4

v19

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

This doesn't mean that we should go out and try to get suffering for ourselves, just for the sake of suffering. It means that we should do what is right and good, according to the will of God, even if we have to suffer for it. The point is not that we should suffer, but the point is that we should live according to the will of God. When we live that way and suffer for it, we should still keep on in well doing, trusting that God will be faithful to take care of our souls, even as He is the one who is the Creator.