Apr. 22, 2008 - Tueday part 1
2 Thessalonians 1
3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
This is truly my prayer for you guys (and I do pray for my blog readers regularly, those who I know read and those I may not know about). I pray that your faith grows more and more and that your love abounds! I pray this for myself as well!
5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Wow! This is something I take for granted. Knowing I am saved stops me from really thinking on what is in store for those who do not "know God or obey the gospel". How many of my close friends and family fall into this category! What a scary thought. Just another reminder how important it is to win people for Christ, the time is short! I am truly convinced that Jesus is coming back SOON!
11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[b]
Amen!
|
