Posts Tagged ‘1 Thessalonians’

National Day of Prayer

May 3rd, 2012

It’s the National Day of Prayer.  In continuing Paul’s urging in First Thessalonians, lets make sure we “pray continually” and participate in the day in  some form or fashion.  As believers this is quite an honor and privilege and a source of great encouragement.  Make sure you work in a little extra moment of prayer today – and pray about this nation and the people you come in contact with each day. Oh, and also do it while you are full of hope and joy!

 

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18New International Version (NIV)

 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV

And don’t forget the rewards from turning over things is praying.  The payback when we leave our anxieties with the Christ is tremendous.

 

 6-7Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 The Message (MSG)

 

I think today may be a good day to reap some of those, don’t you?

We’re just trying to be friendly

March 1st, 2012

Oh man, it’s the first day of March, and the is so much to write about.  Captain Zoom made one of his 4 annual visits to our home to sing his birthday song!  And It’s National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day  – which is a pretty big deal in our home.  There’s Spring in the air, March Madness and several other great blogging topics!  But this is what has been running around in my head the last 12 hours or so:

Hey, hey, we’re the monkees
And people say we monkey around,
But we’re too busy singing
To put anybody down.

We’re just trying to be friendly
So come and…

 

Yeah, good ol’ Davy Jones passed on yesterday, but those lyrics he spun around still live.  And the little hidden message in that playful theme song is a pretty great thought to think about today.

Let’s be friendly and too busy to put anybody down!  That’s sage advice actually!

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 New International Version (NIV)

 

Lifting Up Others

January 17th, 2012

Old Tim Tebow and his Broncos were beat again this weekend, but there are two events from that game that I think about so much more important than the Patriots dismantling of the Broncos.

First, you may or may not have read the ESPN story last week that referenced some of Tebow’s extra curricular activities around the games.  This I think it worth considering.  It’s seems that Tim Tebow will invite one family that has had some issue in their life ( injury, disability, etc) to the Broncos game. He provides travel to and accommodations at the game.  He gets them on to the field before the game, and gives them great low-level tickets.  He also spends time with them before the game and sometimes up to an hour afterward.

And then during his post game presser Sunday he referenced how much spending time with his guest for that week meant to him.

That’s pretty sincere, and a great example.

Your gifts may not be as extravagant as his gifts, but I think you will be able to be just as impactful.  I think it would be interesting to see from the recipient’s perspective which “gift” held the most meaning.  I am going to guess that the time he spends with them, and the genuine concern he shares with them is probably the best.

So today, lets take another lesson from the young man Tim Tebow, as we watch him live his faith.  I am betting that there are people around you today that you can lift up and impact as well.

 

 9-11God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. 1 Thessalonians 5:11The Message (MSG)

Encourage

December 15th, 2011

This morning as I was preparing for the day I could hear the screeching of sirens in the distance, as they raced to some emergency.  As I stood in a very quiet peaceful house in comfort, I thought about how at that moment somewhere there was chaos.  Enough chaos that several emergency vehicles were going as fast as they could to that spot, to help restore some order to the chaos.   I find it quite interesting how there can be peace in one place and chaos in another, and yet those places be so close together.

So today, if you are enjoying peace – and of course I am now talking about on the inside – reach out to someone who is living in chaos and offer them encouragement.  Find someone who needs it, it really shouldn’t be that hard, and encourage them.

And if you are in some chaos yourself you still may want to find someone else to encourage.  It will probably help you as well.

 

11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 New International Version (NIV)

 

 

A List for Living

October 27th, 2011

 So, I was jumping around this morning looking for something interesting to share and I discovered this list of rules for living.  This is a pretty good list for how to treat others, and I thought it would be good to share.

  1. Warn those who are idle and disruptive
  2. Encourage the disheartened
  3. Help the weak
  4. Be patient with everyone
  5. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong
  6. Strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else
  7. Rejoice always
  8. Pray continually
  9. Give thanks in all circumstances
  10. Do not quench the Spirit.
  11. Test everything; hold on to what is good
  12. reject every kind of evil.

 What is really interesting about this is that it comes from 1 Thessalonians.  Yeah, really. Anyway, maybe you already live this way, if not.. consider this a pretty good set of guidelines to consider and to reconsider as you look at your days.