FAITHFUL OR FAITH DENYING…  But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. —I Timothy 5:8  If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. —I Timothy 5:16              Family… should be the strongest bond among those who follow Jesus.  It should be a place where I feel safe, taken care of and loved.  Here is where I know that I would be supported and protected, find understanding and encouragement…

IN THE LATER TIMES…  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. —I Timothy 4:1-5              In later times we see that certain things will happen— Some will depart from the faith Those…

THANKFULNESS TO OUR CREATOR!  The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. —Psalm 19:1-4  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. —Romans 1:20              Look into the night sky or do so during the day.  The sky proclaims the “handiwork” of God. …

INDICATORS JUST PRIOR TO THE RETURN OF JESUS!  Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. —II Thessalonians 2:3-4              Before Jesus comes back there will be some things that will happen.  We can glean a few from these couple verses above— There will be those who seek to deceive us about His coming There will be a rebellion/apostasy/falling…

ENCOURAGE & BUILD UP, DON’T’ DISCOURAGE AND TEAR DOWN  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. —I Thessalonians 5:11             It is so encouraging to see a new building- a house or some other building- being built.  Each week as you drive by the progress can be seen.  First you see the site work.  Then the foundation goes in and is capped.  Then the framing of the building causes it to take shape.  The sheathing encloses it, the roof goes on, the windows are installed and it is sided.  The well and septic are installed, the driveway graded and finished and…

CONFLICT!  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. —I Thessalonians 1:6  For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind, —I Thessalonians 2:14-15  For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just…

SERVING GOD NOT PEOPLE AS FIRST PRIORITY  On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. —I Thessalonians 2:4  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. —Galatians 1:10  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.  —I John…

THE FOOL!  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” —Psalm 14:1; 53:1  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… Romans 1:22  Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. —Proverbs 18:2              According to what God says, a fool is all about themselves and what they think.  They have no problem telling you what they think either.  The fool can be absolutely wrong, delight in his wrong as if it is truth and will not find pleasure in understanding.  These people claim to be wise, but God says that they are fools.  One of the greatest indicators of a fool…

 BE A PERSON OF PRAYER— A PERSON THAT SPENDS TIME TALKING WITH OUR LORD  We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. —Colossians 1:9-12              How…

BE CONTENT AND FOCUSED, INTENTIONAL  But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. —Philippians 3:7-9   But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I…