WEDNESDAY, December 17th, 2008

Hey Everyone! Today is Wednesday and you know what that means! Tonight is our Suncoast Youth Group Christmas Party!! I am so excited! We are going to have a great time so make sure are coming! Wear your winter/christmas clothes and bring a gift for the gift exchange. We will start at about 7:00 so come early!

I Thessalonians 3

1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;
2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;
10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Paul is still writing to these people telling them how thankful He is for them! I think it is amazing that Paul was able to do so much for God and we see here that he credits some of his strength and faithfulness to the people he is writing here. In other words it was their faithfulness that motivated Paul to keep going and remain faithful! I know how Paul feels! There are certain people here at Suncoast Baptist Church that I would say the same thing that Paul said to the people of Thesalonica. I would say: Thank you for being faithful! Thank you for doing right! Thank you for being strong! Thank you for serving the Lord! Because all of those things make it so much easier to keep going on and keep serving as well!

We must remember that we do not live and die to ourslves, but every decision we make affects those around us! We must remind ourselves of that whenever we are tempted to quit, sin, be unfaithful, fall away! We never know who will fall away with us!!!

BE FAITHFUL!

I love the last verse, it says that we must strive to be faithful so that in the end we can be blameless and Holy before God! That is a great Goal! That is surely what I want to be, but there is still a lot of work to do to get there!