The Thessalonians were an exceptional group of Christians. They received the apostles and prophets as all men should receive them, as messengers of God; not as men preaching their own philosophy. Too many of us hear what a man says and take it as his view or opinion, when it is in fact the teaching of God. We need to spend more time examining a man’s teaching in light of God’s word so we will know if it is of God or of man.

The saints here were no strangers to persecution. Their faith brought heavy opposition from society. Just as Christians in Judea were attacked, so were the Thessalonians being attacked. If we are faithful, if we become “imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus” we will be persecuted. One of my great fears is that the lack of opposition or light opposition we face today is because we are not as militant as saints of the first century. The gospel has not changed, nor has society. So, what’s the difference?

Another thing of particular interest is that the devil hindered Paul’s movements. The Bible teaches Satan has a limited providence. He works in this world. He is not stronger than God, nor can he overrule God. Yet, he is able to act so as to affect men and their plans, actions, and labors. Let us understand that some of the frustrations we face and feel in our work for the Lord might be the devil getting in our way. Just as Paul did not give up because of this, neither can we.

First Thessalonians 2:1-12 is a primer for preachers. Paul makes it abundantly clear that he works for the Lord, not man. Many people, preachers and others, get this exactly wrong. Preachers are not employed by a congregation. Rather, they are supported in their work of preaching; whether locally or somewhere else. Brethren need to remember that a preacher is not doing the church’s work, but the Lord’s.

Preachers would do well to remember to whom they are ultimately accountable. Yes, there is a measure of accountability to a congregation and its leadership. However, he is finally accountable to the God of heaven. Men can pass judgment of approval or disapproval wrongly: “what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15). They need to be more concerned with pleasing God than men; with heavens treasures than a church’s paycheck.

The first chapter of 1 Thessalonians is uplifting. The saints are faithful and active in the Lord. Paul esteems them highly for their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in [the] Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Thessalonians were busy spreading the gospel locally, regionally, and internationally (1:8).

Paul considered it a great triumph for them to turn from idols to the living God. And, truly it is a precious victory for every soul that escapes sin and the clutches of the devil.

If Paul were to write to us today, to our congregations, would he pen such a letter?

May we endeavor to be like the Thessalonian saints.

Our daily reading is in Philemon.

Paul is in prison and has converted a runaway slave, Onesimus. His master, Philemon, is also a Christian. This letter is an appeal to Philemon to free Onesimus so he can help Paul in his work. It is a personal letter as Paul uses his relationship, including a “debt” that Philemon owes him. The “debt,” no doubt, is Philemon’s soul.

Philemon is about repentance. Even though Onesimus is a Christian now, he had to do the right thing and go back to his master. Note, Paul does not condemn Philemon for harsh or inhumane treatment, nor does he attack slavery. Rather, gentle, but firm pressure is put on Philemon to release Onesimus for service to Paul.

Onesimus’ life would be much better spent laboring in the Lord than serving Philemon; working for his heavenly Master instead of his earthly one.

Mark 16 is the climax of the gospel story. The great victory that Satan thought he accomplished was suddenly reversed and became a crushing defeat (Gen. 3:15). In fact, it was so crushing he will never recover from it. He could not undo the plan of salvation. Rather, by his actions he helped to solidify it. In this we can see the infinite wisdom of God.

The disciples were taken completely off guard when they heard of Jesus’ resurrection. The women at the tomb were astounded; so were the eleven. Jesus rebuked the latter for their unbelief. Imagine the “rebuke” on the Judgment Day when the evidence has been clearly established for two millennia. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess (Phil. 2:9-11).

Thankfully, the apostles did develop faith, and rather quickly. Every single one remained true to the Lord even though they were terribly tormented, abused, and/or murdered. Let us thank God for the faithful who have gone before us; those who labored with blood and tears to pass the faith to the next generation. Too, let us thank God for revealing and confirming His soul-saving word.

Mark 15:27-47: thank you Lord for your sacrifice.

Mark 15 opens early on Friday morning. Jesus was taken before Pilate as the Jews sought to have Him put to death. When the other gospel accounts are examined, we see that Pilate declared Jesus innocent multiple times. However, the Jews kept the pressure on him, even threatening to declare Pilate an enemy of Caesar. No doubt, seeing very little consequence to killing the one whom the Jews so despised and fearing for his political future…even his life…Pilate sentenced Jesus to death.

The Roman soldiers took the Lord and shamefully treated Him; mocking Him and His position as King of the Jews. Are we ever guilty of similar conduct?

When they crucified Jesus, He refused the medicated drink that would have numbed His senses. He felt the full force of the pain and suffering associated with the crucifixion; all for you and me. How little we appreciate what He went through for our eternal salvation. Let us be determined to gain a better understanding and deeper appreciation for the Lord’s sacrifice.

Jesus faced the Sanhedrin in a sham trial (Mark 14:53-65). The council determined to kill Him and then went searching for evidence to support it. The witnesses were essentially useless. The testimony that convicted Jesus before the council was His affirmation of truth…the truth that He was the Christ. At this point, the Jews shamefully treated their Savior.

The final section of Mark 14 is the account of Peter’s denial (Mark 14:66-72). Peter’s denial is no worse than any other sin any of us have committed. The circumstance is what makes us feel the acuteness of the pain. In his denial Peter sacrificed his honor, conscience, and soul. It is no different for us when we sin. Thankfully, the apostle recovered, and though not perfect from then on, he did become one of the most powerful advocates for the cause of Christ. We, too, can recover from grievous sin to faithfully serve Jesus.

Jesus told the disciples they would all forsake Him (Mark 14:27-31). Each of them denied it with Peter taking the lead. Peter sincerely stated he was ready to die for the Lord. We know from later events that he was indeed ready to fight and die, but not lay down his life willingly. Sometimes we are willing to do some things for the Lord; things we see as the proper way to go about defending or promoting the Cause. However, when it comes to doing what God wants the way He wants, we falter. It is a shame we do this at times. Thankfully, as we see with Peter and the others, we can recover from such.

When Jesus prayed in the garden, He was in deep grief (Mark 14:32-42). He knew what was ahead of Him. The disciples’ lack of support was hurtful. Will we be there when our Savior needs us most? No, we cannot go back to the garden. Yet, there are situations that arise in the home, church, or other places when we need to be alert, prayerful, watching, speaking up, encouraging, rebuking, and more. If we fail at these times due to our lack of grasping the seriousness of the occasion or simple neglect, we are like Peter, James, and John. While we are not overtly rebelling, we do disappoint Jesus.

It is hard to imagine how a man could be with Immanuel for over 3 years and turn Him over for execution. Judas saw the miracles, heard the teaching, and experienced the exhilaration of being with the Son of God just like the others. So how could he so coldly walk up to Jesus and betray Him with a kiss? Sin. Sin blinds and corrupts thoroughly if left unchecked. This ought to scare us to death and motivate us to exterminate every sin and deny every temptation. If we allow sin to reign in our life, we will be just like Judas…the son of perdition. Let us lean on God and trust in our Lord.

Though the Jews previously determined to kill Christ, it is in Mark 14 that they actually set a plan in motion.

Jesus knew His death was the next day. He was anointed for death by the woman in Bethany (Mark 14:3-9). The disciples were upset because the oil was costly (worth about 1 year’s wages) and could have been used to help the poor. The Lord points out that His anointing was more important and the woman did a good deed. This helps us to see the spiritual is more important than the physical. There are some things that are of immediate need, while others can wait.

Judas determined to betray Jesus for money and sought opportunity to do the deed. What a contrast between the woman and Judas; one sacrificing greatly to honor Jesus, the other betraying the Lord for a mere pittance.

Jesus directed the disciples to prepare for the Passover and they complied. At the feast He predicted His betrayal by one of them, prompting each to ask if it was he.

It is amazing that the Lord knew what was just a few hours away; the torture and excruciating death. Still, He remained composed as He continued working with His disciples. Jesus previewed the Lord’s Supper, the true meaning and impact of which was still to be impressed on the apostles.