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…

PARTNER TO SHARE THE GOSPEL! I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. —Philippians 1:3-6             Paul was so thankful for the Philippians who had “partnership in the gospel” with him.  How wonderful to have relationships that are focused on serving together to promote the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Every time Paul remembered the Philippians he thanked God for…

WALK WISELY, EXPOSE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS  For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. —Ephesians 5:5  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. —Ephesians 5:11  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. —Ephesians 5:15              Those living these lifestyles, showing no repentance, have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  This world’s system, this present evil age, seeks to normalize sexual immorality,…