Moments With God

I Thessalonians 2:1-12

Paul's desire and prayer for the Thessalonian church was that they would receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord and that they would grow in spiritual maturity. Paul's passion and desire was that his life, testimony, and preaching would influence others for Christ. Our desire also must be that our actions, words, and attitudes will draw others to Christ.

As we seek to live our lives for Christ, we must be very certain that we are speaking and acting as men and women "approved by God." Our motives must not be to please people "but God, who tests our hearts." (I Thessalonians 2:4) In all our motives, actions, and attitudes we must be seeking to bring glory to the Lord. We must be also seeking to draw others to the Lord by our actions and words. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should be evident to all those around us. We must not seek to win a popularity contest according to the world's standards. Our passion should be to being glory to the Lord and to reflect the Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives. Our love relationship with the Lord should be so obvious in our lives that others will also be drawn to our Savior and Lord.

If we desire to live lives "approved by God" we must make certain that our lives are not motivated by greed or selfishness. We must demonstrate gentleness, kindness, and compassion towards others. We must be gentle and loving towards others and "like a mother caring for her little children." (I Thessalonians 2:7b) We must be willing to share our very lives with others, and we must strive to demonstrate a servant attitude towards others. By the example and words of our lives we must be "encouraging, comforting and urging" others "to live lives worthy of God." (I Thessalonians 2:12a) By our examples and words we must be drawing others to the Savior and towards spiritual maturity.

Finally, if we are going to live our lives "approved by God" our lives must be governed by a desire for purity and holiness. Our lives must be "holy, righteous, and blameless," and our lives must be based on the truth of the Word of God. (I Thessalonians 2:10) We must be striving to eradicate sin and behavior unbecoming to a child of God from our lives. We can and must do this through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must be passionately seeking to make our lives "living sacrifices" for the Lord. (Romans 12:1) We must be living our lives in such a way that others will be attracted to Christ's kingdom and will grow in spiritual maturity. "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans12:11)

I Thessalonians 1

The book of I Thessalonians was written to encourage the believers in Thessalonica to remain steadfast in their faith in spite of the pagan society which was all around them. The First Epistle of Thessalonians is a call for Christ-centered living. I Thessalonians is a call for a radical transformation in our lives, because we belong to the Lord.

Paul saw much evidence of Christ-like living in the hearts and lives of the believers in the Thessalonian church. Paul said in I Thessalonians 1:2-3, "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul knew that a working and fruit-bearing faith was true faith. Paul saw this in the Thessalonian believers, and he was thankful to God for them. Do others see Christ in our lives? Do others thank and praise the Lord because of the evidence of faith they see in our lives?

One characteristic that Paul mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 as a characteristic of true faith is "work produced by faith." True saving faith always results in holy living. We still continue to struggle with sin as believers in the Lord Jesus, but it must be our consuming passion to live lives which are pleasing to the Lord. Our relationship with our Lord must be primary in our life, and our relationship with the Lord must be shown in every area of our lives. We must have a passionate desire and love for the things of the Lord. We must have a passionate desire to bring about the fruit of obedience to our Lord in all areas of our lives.

Yet another characteristic of true faith mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 is "labor prompted by love." We must love God and others to the point of exhaustion. This kind of love in not necessarily a sentimental feelings type of love, but it is a love produced by the Holy Spirit. Love sometimes involves hard work and perseverance. I Corinthians 13 reminds us that sacrificial love does not always come naturally. Love is patient and kind. Love is not envious, proud, or self-seeking. Love is not rude or easily angered. It certainly does not keep a checklist of the wrongs committed against us by others. God's sacrificial love requires the Holy Spirit's help and involves perseverance and hard work.

A third characteristic of true faith mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 is "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." True faith proves itself by patience and perseverance. God's children can be patient and persevere in their faith; because they have the certainty that they belong to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for time and for eternity. Because of this blessed certainty they can endure and persevere even in difficult times in their lives. God's children can remain steadfast and patient in their faith even under pressure. This is because they rest their lives in the Lord Jesus Christ, and know they are secure in Him.

We were chosen by the Lord to live for His glory. The Lord has called us to changed lives, and He has called us to be imitators of the Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 1:6) We must reflect the Lord and His character in both pleasant and difficult times in our lives. Our lives must become "a model" to all our fellow believers and also to those who do not know the Lord. (I Thessalonians 1:7) May we be such good examples of perseverance in love, joy, and peace that our faith will be evident to those all around us. May others see the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ-like character in our lives. May others know that our lives have been touched and changed by our Lord and by His presence in our lives!

Job 42:1-3 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."

On August 16 I had my second session of chemotherapy in my fight against my breast cancer. I have experienced some tiredness again this time after the chemo treatment, but the nausea has been much better this time. It has been quite minimal. They tried a stronger anti nausea prescription which although expensive seemed to help significantly. I saw the dr. and had a lab test also before the chemo session started on the 16th, so it took a good chunk of my day. The chemotherapy session alone takes at least three hours. The session itself is not an unpleasant ordeal, as one just sits in an easy chair while the liquid medicines are going into one intravenously. I have what I consider some good news. The dr. told me on the 16th that my tumor had shrunk about 25% after my first chemo session on July 27th. My next chemo session is scheduled for Sept. 6 in the morning.

Please continue to pray. Please pray also that I will always be submissive to God's plan for me. After questioning God's ways Job finally said to God in Job 42:1-3 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." God's way and His timing is always good even when we do not understand.

Allow me to also paraphrase Psalm 91 to fit my situation today. I, who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. He will surely save me from many unforeseen things. He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings I will find refuge; His faithfulness will be my shield and rampart. I will not fear the terrors of night or day in spite of this disease of cancer. The Lord will be with me. If I make the Most High my dwelling-even the Lord who is my refuge-then no ultimate spiritual or eternal harm will befall me. For He will command His angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways; they will lift me up in their hands. "Because she loves me," says the Lord, " I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in this trouble, and will deliver her and honor her with abundant life will I satisfy her and show her my salvation."

Lamentations 3:18-33

We have the certainty of the Lord's faithfulness and love even in the harshest of circumstances. In the Old Testament book of Lamentations the author is lamenting or mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He was also mourning the capture and exile of God's people of that day. All this came about because of the sinful choices made by God's people. We also experience adverse consequences for sinful or wrong choices in our lives. Even in these difficult circumstances brought on by our own actions and choices, however, the Lord remains loving and compassionate to us.

The author of Lamentations said in Lamentations 3:18, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord." The author of Lamentations went on to say in Lamentations 3:20b, "my soul is downcast within me." Have you ever felt like the author of Lamentations? Have you ever felt completely discouraged and without hope? Have you ever felt like everything was crashing down around you? When we begin to feel like the author of Lamentations felt we are beginning to focus on ourselves instead of on the Lord. The truth of the matter is that there is always the certainty of the Lord's presence even in the worst of circumstances. It is not necessary for our circumstances to change to experience the Lord's joy and peace in our hearts and lives. We just need to take our focus off ourselves and our problems, and focus on the Lord.

This is exactly what the author of Lamentations began to do in Lamentations 3:21-23. He said, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." When we are feeling discouraged by a difficult set of circumstances in our lives, we must "call to mind" the Lord's love for us and the Lord's awesome promises in His Holy Word. The Lord's river of mercy and love never runs dry. People, material possessions and our own resources will often fail us. The Lord, however, will never fail us! We can put our trust in the Lord because of His great love and His faithfulness to us. No matter what is going on in our lives, we can trust the Lord! In fact, the Lord's love and faithfulness is "new every morning." We experience His love and faithfulness moment by moment and day by day. The Lord is loving and compassionate to His children and always walks beside them with His protecting love and faithfulness. How precious it is to awaken each morning knowing that the Lord will be walking beside us each day, as we face the daily stresses and challenges. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

We can put our trust in the Lord in the most difficult of circumstances because of His love and faithfulness. We can also put our trust in the Lord, because He is our portion or inheritance. Lamentations 3:24 says, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." We, as His children, have the promise of His protecting love in our lives. We also have an eternal inheritance and future in the Lord. Thus we can "wait" on the Lord. Waiting on the Lord means we are resting our entire trust in the Lord for time and eternity. We can trust completely in the Lord's "unfailing love," (Lamentations 3:32b) Praise His name!

Lamentations 3:18-33

"I don't understand, Lord. You have been faithful to me in numerous times of difficulty in the past. This latest trial in my life seems a bit overwhelming, however, Lord. Was not dealing with the emotional stress of my husband's disabling neurological disease enough, Lord? Did I have to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer also?" Such have been some of the thoughts and prayers running through my mind since my diagnosis of breast cancer on July 18, 2007.

Of one thing I am certain, however. Even though I do not always understand His ways, my Lord does not make mistakes. I can count on His promises in His Holy Word, His eternal love for me, and His infinite wisdom. I can count on these things when "my soul is downcast within me" (Lamentations 3:20b) as well as on days when everything seems to be good in my world. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great in Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23) One other thing of which I am certain also is that I have nothing or no one else I can cling to but the Lord. He alone can be and is able to be "my portion" and my "hope." I must "wait for Him" to work out His plan in my life. (Lamentations 3:24-25)

I also believe that somehow God can make "a place of springs" out of the deep valleys of life. He indeed also is the only One but the capable One to help us proceed from "strength to strength" in facing life's huge hurdles. (Psalm 84:6-7) What possible "place of springs" could I have already seen from this cancer? I have seen the overwhelming support, love, and prayers of God's people. It also has been a time for family members to more freely express their love verbally and tangibly. Further, it has been a time to simplify and prioritize my life. Finally, it has been a time to begin to reflect once again on my relationship with my Lord. Do I see all these things in my mind as a fair exchange for the cancer? To be honest the answer to that question would have to be "No." My God, however, is infinitely wiser than I am.

At the time of this writing I have passed one difficult bump to be followed by many more difficult bumps on the road in my fight against this cancer. I have had one chemotherapy treatment out of four treatments. This is to be followed by surgery and then more chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Please pray for my husband, me, and my extended family as we take this trip together.

Colossians 4

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

Life can become very hectic and busy at times. Sometimes our schedules can get so packed with activities that we feel as if our heads are spinning. Spending time with the Lord in His Holy Word and in prayer, however, must be at the top of our list of things we do each day. Nothing spiritually worthwhile can be accomplished in our lives without the help of the Lord and without the power of prayer. In Colossians 4:2 we are told to devote ourselves to prayer. Not only should we set aside a special time each day for prayer and the reading of our Bibles, but we also need to have an attitude of prayer throughout the day. We need to have a constant awareness of the Lord's presence with us each and every moment of the day.

We must never become weary of spending time in prayer and in God's Word; but we must be passionate, steadfast and watchful in our prayer lives. We must never discontinue our prayer times with the Lord. We must pray earnestly that we will grow in our personal relationship with the Lord. We must pray earnestly that we will grow in our ability to reflect Jesus in our lives and that we will grow in practical holiness. Colossians 4:5 tells us that we must also pray that we will "be wise" in the manner in which we act towards those who are not believers in the Lord Jesus. We must "make the most of every opportunity" to let our lives shine for the Lord. The only way we can do that is through the power of prayer. Nothing worth while can be accomplished in Jesus' name without prayer. In addition to this we may and must come to the Lord with all of our needs. The Lord welcomes us with His open arms and is willing to meet our every need. Finally, we must always express our praise and thanks to the Lord through our prayers.

We must not only pray for ourselves, but we must also pray for others. Little is known of Epaphras spoken of in Colossians 4:12. He apparently was a servant of the Lord who had completely yielded his life to the Lord. Epaphras also seemed to have been a man of prayer. He "was always wrestling in prayer" for the Colossian Christians. God had laid the Colossian Christians on his heart, and Epaphras considered it his joy and service to pray for them. Epaphras prayed that they would "stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." We too can have a prayer ministry for others. We like Epaphras can pray that those individuals on our prayer list will grow in spiritual maturity and that they will "stand firm in all the will of God." We can pray for others when they are going through difficult times that they will be "fully assured" of God's precious promises to always be with them.

We need to pray about everything. Are we or someone we know in need of healing? We need to pray! Are we or someone we know going through a time of physical or emotional pain? We need to pray! Are we or someone we know weighed down with a past failure? We need to pray! Have we or someone we know sinned? We need to pray! Is there some problem in our lives or in someone else's life that seems beyond human ability to remedy? Take it to the Lord in prayer! "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer." (I Peter 3:12a)