MONDAY, December 15th, 2008

Hey Guys! This season is going to be very busy and I am sure that you will be just as tempted as I will be to skip the devotions but I want to encourage you to stay faithful! From now until the end of the Christmas Season, I will do a little bit shorter devotions so that there is no excuse about not having time! I am excited about continuing this into the new year. In just about a month we will have been doing devotions on this blog for one year! Wow!

Let's Keep it Up!!

1 Thessalonians 1

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Paul is writing here to the church of Thessalonica, and he is telling them that he is thankful for them! Why? Because of their faithfulness! Verse 3 explains that they were known for their work of faith, their labor of love and their patience of hope!! Wow! I hope that one day that can be said of me! That I am working hard because of my faith in Christ, also that I am working at showing the Love of Christ as much as possible! finally I want to have a patience of hope! I do not want to lose hope in what God is doing even when times are tough I want to keep the hope and trust in His faithfulness!

I love the end of this chapter verse 9 explains that these people were not perfect people... in fact they were idol worshippers before they turned to Christ. But when they finally did accept Christ they had an incredible testimony that the whole world was able to see (even to this day through the word of God)

Wow! I want to have a testimony like that! I am so thankful for their faithfulness! They also remind me that I need to thank the faithful teens in our youth group!! I am so thankful for you guys! You know who you are! The teens that are faithful to church, faithful in your devotions, and faithful to God (most importantly).

Love you guys! Pastor Lee