Some Christians believe God chooses people. Some Christians believe people choose God. Which is it? As we learned in the previous post, God love us. Paul called the Christians in Thessalonica, “Brethren loved by the Lord.” Paul continues to prove that God loves them by talking about salvation. He says that God chose them asContinue reading “Does God choose people to be saved? – 2 Thessalonians 2:12-17, Part 2”
Tag Archives: Discipleship
A basic, revolutionary truth: God loves you – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, Part 1
One of our sister churches every Christmas season has a Blue Christmas service. During the holidays, while the world is filled with joy, some of us can really struggle. We miss loved ones who passed on, some of whom died in the last 12 months, and this is our first Christmas without them. Some ofContinue reading “A basic, revolutionary truth: God loves you – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, Part 1”
What Burmese Christians taught me about Christmas – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, Preview
Earlier this week I was talking with a member of the Burmese Church that my church rents to, and he asked us to pray because they are dealing with a situation in the Burmese Christian community. Here’s what’s happening. The Burmese Christians in America are eagerly posting on social media about the Christmas holidays. TheirContinue reading “What Burmese Christians taught me about Christmas – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, Preview”
A distinctly Christian response to conspiracy theories – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 5
Have you noticed the massive increase in the number of conspiracy theories in recent years? There have been what are called troll farms on social media, many of which are run by foreign countries, purposefully spreading lies. They create totally fake articles meant to deceive and create mistrust. One article said, “Facebook took down 1.3Continue reading “A distinctly Christian response to conspiracy theories – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 5”
The lies we tell our kids – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 4
We live in an era of conspiracy theories. A comedian said that he hears people say that not a single conspiracy theory is true, and that we can trust the government. But, he said, the government is like a parent to the people, and how many of you parents tell your kids the truth allContinue reading “The lies we tell our kids – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 4”
How an ancient case of identity theft can help us get ready for Jesus’ return – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 3
We hear about identity theft frequently, and more than likely, you’ve experienced it yourself. A couple years ago, a person created a fake Gmail account, impersonated me, and emailed my staff, asking them to send gift cards to help a needy person. Thankfully, my staff questioned the veracity of this, alerted me, and we contactedContinue reading “How an ancient case of identity theft can help us get ready for Jesus’ return – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 3”
Christians, Conspiracy Theories and the end of the world – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Preview
Join me in a little True or False quiz: The earth is flat. The moon landing was fake. Bigfoot is real. The Lochness Monster is real. The Abominable Snowman is real. Jet plan entrails are soaking us with chemicals. Know what they all have in common? People believe them. Do you believe any of theseContinue reading “Christians, Conspiracy Theories and the end of the world – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Preview”
How to be counted as worthy of God’s Kingdom – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 5
Will you be counted as worthy of the Kingdom of God? Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 5 that the Thessalonian Christians’ growing spiritual maturity in the midst of persecution is evidence that they will be counted as worthy of the Kingdom. That’s quite a statement. What if we are Christians who haven’t beenContinue reading “How to be counted as worthy of God’s Kingdom – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 5”
A helpful perspective on pain – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 4
Is pain always bad? How do you handle pain? I’m not a fan of pain. I’ve been battling a heel spur for the past year. Initially it hurt sharply every step I took. But through treatment, especially stretching, it is at bay. I can still feel it, but it isn’t crippling. I even run 4-5Continue reading “A helpful perspective on pain – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 4”
When does a church become a church? – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 2
My church rents space to four other groups of Christians, and those groups describe themselves with a variety labels that indicate their relative age. First Baptist Church, as you can see in its name, is an established local church, older, I believe, than my church. The Orthodox group, however, calls themselves a fellowship. An establishedContinue reading “When does a church become a church? – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 2”
Engaging Scripture 