1 Thessalonians 1 - 5, 2 Thessalonians 1 - 3 (27th November) - Junming

1 Thessalonians
This letter was written to the church of Thessalonica after the apostle Paul left them very abruptly, leaving many of the new converts without spiritual guidance. So this can be viewed as a letter from a spiritual father to his children on how to lead Godly lives.

In 1 The 4:1-8, Paul talks about leading holy lives for God. God punishes such sin. Verses 9-10 go on to talk about loving your brothers. These are the 2 things Paul mentioned that we ought to do in order to please God. Brothers and sisters, May God speak to you if these are the areas of your lives that you struggle in.

Verse 13 and continueing on to chapter 5, Paul reminds the Thessalonian church that Jesus will one day return and to always be on their guard for the coming of that day. Also, we are not alone. Let us encourage the brothers and sisters around us to always be spiritually-alert.

The main message in the book of Thessalonians should be in the conclusion ba. That paragraph sums up everything that Paul wants to speak to his spiritual childern in Thessalonica.
Of special note: 1 The 5:19-22 ''Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.''

2 Thessalonians
Paul follows up his first letter with a second. This is itself shows his heart for his spiritual children. For those of us with spiritual children, do we all show such concern for their lives? Paul led a busy life too. But he genuinely cared and wanted to be part of them, even though he couldnt be with them physically.

The message is essentially similar to 1 Thessalonians. He reiterated to the church to be on guard spiritually, to stand firm till the end. Finally, he ended off with a request for prayer from his spiritual sons, then to warn them against idleness. Warning: If we slack off, there are going to be consequences!

''If a man will not work, he shall not eat.''
We must not take God's providence and grace for granted. In our studies, in our work, give our best. God can provide, but if we are not going to put in effort, then there, the bible says you will not succeed.