Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Set – 1 Chronicles 25; 1 Thessalonians 4
Go! – 1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
1 So finally, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we ask you, we beg you to remember what we have taught you: live a life that is pleasing to God as you are already doing. Yes, we urge you to keep living and thriving in that life! 2 For you know the instructions we gave you, instructions that came through the Lord Jesus. 3 Now this is God’s will for you: set yourselves apart and live holy lives; avoid polluting yourselves with sexual defilement. 4 Learn how to take charge over your own body, maintaining purity and honor. 5 Don’t let the swells of lustful passion run your life as they do the outsiders who don’t know God. 6 Don’t violate or take advantage of a fellow believer in such matters. As we told you before and warned you: the Lord will settle the score with anyone who does these things. 7 Here’s why: God does not call us to live impure, adulterous, scandalous lives, but to seek holiness and purity. 8 If you ignore this message, then you’re not only rejecting us but you’re rejecting God, the One who has given His Holy Spirit to live in you.9 Now there’s no need for us to send you instructions on caring for your faith family because God Himself has already taught you how to love outside yourselves. 10 And it’s evident you learned that lesson well by the way you love all the people of Macedonia. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to love even more 11 and make it your goal to lead a peaceful life, mind your own business, and keep your hands busy in your work, as we have instructed you. 12 That way you will live peacefully with those on the outside, and all your needs will be met without depending on others.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Paul understood My word clearly as he gave instructions to his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. “Now this is God’s will for you: set yourselves apart and live holy lives;…” I told you how to do that, too. Love Me with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as you love yourself. The problem is too many think holiness is for someone else. They assume it’s only for those cloister in monasteries and convents or so old they can no longer enjoy life.
Paul understood the truth of living a holy life, though. It means living life in a way the world doesn’t necessarily agree and clearly doesn’t understand. It means helping others. It means succeeding in the areas I think important; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. You know these as the fruit of the Spirit. They don’t grow unless My Spirit lives in and controls your life.
People can fake the fruit or have cheap substitutes for a short period of time, but Paul and all My followers discover real holiness comes only from letting Me fully control your life. It means dying to self and living for Me. That doesn’t mean becoming a pastor or a monk or hiding yourself from the world. Paul still made tents as he shared the gospel in all the cities he visited. Peter still fished to make money. Lydia still traded as a merchant in purple dye.
But all of these with their occupational pursuits kept their minds on their vocation – spreading the gospel. All were compelled by their separateness, their holiness, their dedication to Me to share the gospel with those around them. They died to self and let My Spirit send them to places and people ready to hear the good news I had for them. They didn’t let their careers or their personal desires get in the way of My desires for them.
Interesting enough, though, as you read their letters and the stories of their lives, you do not find them complaining after they received My Spirit. You hear joy in their voices. You hear excitement in their speech. Time after time they give themselves over to My direction and find themselves in situations that look like dead ends – literally – only to become the instruments that win dozens or hundreds or thousands to the kingdom because of their testimony.
I ask you to do something that goes against the grain of this world. Be holy, because I am holy. I ask you to give yourself wholly to Me so that I can do great works through you. I ask you to invest yourself completely in My kingdom so that you can inherit the kingdom. The world will never understand being holy, loving Me with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, or loving others like you love yourself.
The world says, “Me first. Don’t worry about anyone else.”
I say, “Be holy, because I am holy.” Who will you listen to today?
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