Act on Revealed Truth - Isaiah 7:1-16

It is hard to imagine and impossible to know all of the problems that our neighbors and friends are having in America today. There has been no period of time quite like the one in which we live today; the nearest thing to it would be the decade or more that the oldest Americans remember as the Great Depression. It seems to me, as a teacher of God’s Word, that His word becomes more relevant each lesson I teach. The depression started with bank failures in 1929 and definitely continued through the thirties, and would have probably lasted longer had we not become involved in WWII. I simply use that circumstance, which I experienced as a teen-ager, to predict that the one we are in today may last ten years or longer. End results will be more devastating because of lack of work ethic among our people today, and greater tendencies toward crime—and the fact that the family farm is almost nonexistent today. Some may ask why this would make a difference.

Before the depression, the family farm was the source of much of the family’s income. When cotton dropped to five cents a pound and hogs and cattle were worth about the same—chickens and eggs were not worth selling. Therefore, these farm families simply fed their families with what they grew on the farm and in gardens. Many of the people that had no farm land went hungry.

I predict that the depth of depression that we face today will yield more misery and greater problems than the one in the 30s. At that time in our history, America’s economy depended primarily on agriculture. A much larger percentage of Americans owned some land and lived on small farms, and were in a position to actually grow the basic foods needed for survival. A vast number of our people actually lived off the land. Today, that is not possible, and I really hate to think about what our people will do when the borrowed money is gone and the day of sacrifice approaches. Hungry men grow desperate and ungodly sinful hungry men grow despotic.

We live today in a sin cursed world and depression at this time will bring more uncertainty than people have ever experienced. When the government hand outs are depleted and there are still no jobs available people will grow desperate. We should remember that life will continue as it has been going, there will still be failing health, death of loved ones, accidents, marital infidelity, and natural disasters. Such situations result in panic when good times are flowing…think what it will be like when money is gone and there are no jobs available. It would ease my mind if our country was growing in our dependence on God—but instead; the trend is just the opposite. One thing is for sure, those of us that believe will have to place our trust in God’s revealed truth and we will have to ACT ON THAT REVEALED TRUTH, trusting and believing that he cares for us.

As a background thought I would have you remember that God’s people were rescued from Egyptian bondage about 4000 years before the setting for our lesson today. The Israelites have been up and down, in and out, won and lost all these years depending upon their willingness to obey God, and it appears that they would have learned their lesson by this time. The lesson today took place around the year 734 BC, and today is 2009, or 2713 years later, and we still have not learned to listen to the prophets, and the writers of the word of God.

It was in the year 734 BC and Ahaz was king of Judah [south] was just before an attack by an alliance of Israel [north] and expected to be annihilated, but Isaiah predicted that Judah would not come to an end at that time. The sign of Immanuel was a sign of deliverance. Remember, ‘the house of David’ refers to Judah…’Ephraim’ was the dominant tribe in the north and refers to Israel which is the northern kingdom.

Shear-Jashub was the son of Isaiah and his name means “a remnant will return.” God named his son to remind his people that regardless of the wars, destruction, and captives taken, God promised that the Jewish people would never be completely destroyed…there will always remain the remnant. God has been faithful regarding his promises and he will remain faithful to us regarding his promises today.

Look at verse one closely. The alliance of the northern kingdom is larger and stronger by far than the city of Jerusalem. There should have been no problem with their success in this invasion. The people in the south realized how weak they were in comparison and they were scared. They trembled as if they were trees being blown by the wind. They were sure that they would be captured. But they were not! [See verse 7] because God had made a promise to protect them as long as they would obey him and stand firm in their faith. Verse 9 is the key to this lesson today. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

There has never been a time in Jewish history that is more relevant to our history than it is today. To the best of my knowledge, we do not have an alliance of kingdoms already organized and set to destroy America. However, there is little doubt that an alliance against us could be organized easily because of the hostility of the mid and far east against us. Many years ago, Russia told America that they would never have to invade us to bring about our destruction. They said that we would crumble and fail from within our own borders, that we were our worst enemy. For some this was hard to take, and not easy to believe, but the time has now come when the interior operation of our system is faltering from every side. Jobs are gone, manufacturing is closing down, and banks are broke and failing. These are all circumstances that are upon us and no one can deny or argue about it. The solutions are where we disagree. Personally I do not believe that man has a solution to all of our problems. We can be confident that God has revealed truths that we must abide by—but far too many of our leaders do not believe and trust God.

I would like to think that I am the Isaiah of our day that is telling you now that America will never fail so long as God’s people will stand strong in their faith and strive to obey God. I truly believe this to be true. However, the problem that you and I have today is that we know that God is patient and long suffering, but we do not know when his patients will run out with America’s present inclination to discard his name from our money, to remove his name from our courts and offices of justice, and from the class rooms of our young people in schools and colleges. His patients could well be running low, since this trend has been the order of the day since back in the degrading 1950s and 60s. This has been a period of about fifty to sixty years. The wandering in the wilderness only lasted forty years.

Let me remind you that the children of Israel suffered under Egyptian bondage for about four hundred years. When God sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt, one would think they would have trusted God all the way to the Promised Land. But they were disobedient, and a one year move from bondage to the land of milk and honey became a forty year journey through a desolate wilderness. This is a revealed truth. Our lesson today tells us that we should act on or go by the revealed truth of God. Therefore, I am called on as a teacher of the bible to remind you that we have many examples of revealed truths in God’s word that tells us that God will not tolerate indefinitely man’s denial of God—disobedience will result in disaster. I can not tell you how much disobedience God will tolerate—but I can tell you with authority that his patients are not unlimited.

When God decided to destroy Sodom and Georama because of their disobedience Abraham ask Him if he would spare the people if he could find just a few who were still worshipping Him. God agreed. The bargaining went on until even as few as ten Godly people could not be found worthy. Listen people! There probably is not a single town with a population of approximately 500 to 600 people any where in this country that has as many criminals, law breakers, homosexuals, cheating husbands, giving and taking of bribes, tax dodgers…and the list goes on…as the Senate and House of Representatives. AND THERE ARE NO LIMITED TERMS.

Now, do not blame the criminals in the house and senate for all of our troubles. God will not! He will be the first to tell the American voters that they are the ones responsible for electing these people and failing to demand their accountability. Only God can save America from certain destruction and whether He will or not all depends on his believers. The remedy, God’s plan is spelled out very plainly and easy for anyone to understand. He made us a promise…and He will keep it. If My people, who are called by my name, [Christians] will humble themselves, repent of their sins, seek my face and pray—then I will hear their prayers and save their land.

Honor the Lord - Isaiah 6:1-3

As many will know, our Wednesday night services have, for several years, included our fellowship dinner, a round-table prayer service and then a message from our pastor. I can remember when we simply called the Wednesday night service ‘prayer meeting’ and for some reason it evolved into a time when there were very few prayers offered, and it consisted primarily of a message from the pastor. Personally, I believe that a prayer meeting should give many the opportunities to talk to God in a personal way. Having said this, I will admit that most of the prayers that are voiced in our meetings are personal request for God to do something for someone in need. And there is nothing wrong with an intercessory prayer. They are great!

I will say that it is a rare occasion when we hear a prayer that is voiced entirely with the whole intent to praise and honor the Lord Jesus Christ. I simply challenge you to occasionally pray a prayer that does nothing else. This can be done by simply talking to the master in a personal way, expressing with every wonderful adjective you have in your vocabulary just how great you think he is. Thank Him for everything under the sun, and ask him for nothing in return. A prayer like this will HONOR THE LORD and this is our subject for today. God always honors prayer and he is especially happy when we pray for others because of his love for all. However, God wants us to recognize His lordship; and he wants us to continually thank him for his grace toward us—grace that has saved our soul. Then finally, he loves to hear our promises to serve him, praise him, and glorify his wholly name.

What happened to Isaiah? When did it happen? He either went to sleep or entered a trance—in 740 BC—that allowed his sub-conscious mind to record one of the most famous visions ever recorded in God’s word; and he awakened the next day to tell us about the vision that God had given him. In this vision he saw God in all of his glory, and was able to retain enough of the picture in his mind to paint one of the most vivid pictures recorded anywhere…of the way God must appear to a mortal man’s vision.

He said that it happened in the year that King Uzziah died. He saw God, our Lord and Savior, high and lifted up. He was seated on an exalted throne that could only have been accommodated in a huge palace with cathedral type ceilings, the likes of which no earthly man has ever witnessed. The train of a wealthy bride’s dress may sometimes flow from their shoulders and extend twenty feet or more and requiring two attendants. Imagine God’s train was so huge that it filled the entire floor part of the temple.

There must have been a lofty area in this huge kingdom throne room, because Isaiah saw two or more angels constantly flying freely above the train that covered the lower part. They were special angelic beings called seraphs that attended the throne and expressed God’s holiness. Each had six wings; two covered their faces indicating that God can not be viewed by man’s natural eyes. Two wings covered their feet indicating that when God is present the floor or ground is holy. With the two normal and natural wings they were able to fly about the throne room.

They were there to deliver a message and to worship God as they chanted Holy, Holy, Holy: no doubt they were conveying the existence of a triune God; the Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit. As they proclaimed His majesty the sound rattled the doorpost and the whole room was filled with smoke. Some say that these seraphs were a special angel whose name came from the word “burn” and perhaps this was to indicate their special purity required to be God’s ministers. Oh please! Stop, kneel and pray that you can somehow comprehend enough about the splendor, power, and love of God that is pictured here to cause you to want to worship him as He was being worshiped in this scene.

The bible reveals that King Uzziah was a relatively good king and was allowed a long and prosperous reign. At a time earlier in his reign he had tried to usurp the duties of the high priest and for this mistake he became a leprous man until death. In the later days of his reign far too many of his people turned away from God. Isaiah was the man chosen by God to go to these disobedient people and tell them that they were doomed for destruction because of their disobedience. This was a very difficult mission because these people believed that they were God’s chosen and that He would care for them.

Oh please hear me now, listen, this was a time when both moral and spiritual decay had peaked, just as many believe they have repeated here in our beloved America. There are no other warnings in God’s word that are more relevant to our world today. There was only one remedy then and it remains the same today; and that is the holiness of God. The word holiness means being morally perfect, pure and set apart from all sin. Believers today need to grasp this lofty view of God’s holiness—we need to see him high and lifted up as our white throne judge; and if we can see and recognize Him as our Master—he is faithful to forgive us and clines our minds from our present problems.

Isaiah stood in awe as he viewed God on his throne and listened to the proclamation of the angles that He was the holy one. This awesome experience caused Isaiah to realize that he stood unclean and undeserving before his Master. There was the experience of having his lips burned clean with coals of fire. Here again, we know that God is often referred to as a burning fire. So, it was not a coal of fire from the stove of heaven…but it was God who cleansed his lips and forgave him of his sins. God cleansed his lips, his voice, and his life to be God’s messenger to His people. Isaiah knew what God was asking of him, and he completely surrendered his life to God by saying—“Here am I, send me.”

This picture of cleansing and commitment tells us that we must do the same thing, if we are to represent God to a disobedient people. If you are to preach, teach or witness to the lost, you must be able to look in your mind’s eye and see God, high and lifted up, and know that He is the power you are calling on to help you in your witness. Listen, you know that you will not have an actual ‘out of life’ vision as did Isaiah, but you must have the same faith and determination that he had, or you will not be successful.

This is not a game we play. Instead, you must be able to see through the eye of your heart…through your mind’s eye…and be fully aware that you personally are inadequate for the task. Then you must submit to God’s control and stand as model of the man you are saying God expects of all men. Has God called you? If your answer is no; then let me ask you a question—‘Why did He give you one of the spiritual blessings? The bible teaches that each believer has been given one or more of the spiritual blessings. Each believer is call to do a work for God, so, you either have not listened to his call, or you are refusing to submit to the call. You HONOR THE LORD by using the spiritual blessings that he has given you.

The rest of this chapter, 9-13, gives us the message that God gave to Isaiah to deliver to His people in Judah and Israel who had refused to obey his commandments regarding their worship of only one God and living a morally decent life; they had gone too far already and were about to be destroyed. In verse 9, the people have heard but did not understand; they saw but did not perceive the meaning of what they saw. God told him to go to the people, but to leave them alone until their problems begin. Their cities will be destroyed and homes would be left deserted. God will send them into captivity to countries far away. Then the promise of always saving his remnant is proclaimed. Even though a tenth of the people may remain, the land will still be in ruin, and they will have to struggle through these adversities, during which time they will realize that they are dependant on God. His remnant is described as a stump of an oak tree. Even though a tree is cut, the stump will sprout, and a new forest will grow. The stumps that are left will be the holy seed that grows a new and obedient people.

God set a president in his punishment rendered to his own people. As I see what God is doing here to the Jewish nation [northern and southern kingdoms] that have sinned beyond His forgiveness—it leads me to warn Americas that they can also sin themselves into total destruction. We sing “God bless America” and make it our prayer. God has blessed America! However, gross sins are being committed and the sinful are even being protected by laws of the land. The court case of Roe vs. Wade is an example of permissive law that protects the murderer of the unborn. God has said, “Thou Shall Not Kill.”

The majorities who have enjoyed the blessings in America “Under God” are supporting laws that remove the very name of God from our money, our monuments, and from public places in general, can not continue to reject God in this way. They will not be allowed to continue without paying a price. That price could very well be total destruction or capture by a heathen nation.

If you doubt my prediction of future possibilities—please read for yourself the examples of how God has always been sovereign and has always triumphed over judges, kings, and despot rulers of all nations. Each situation has always been as a warning to some future generation. His rule for the individual is that the man that sins shall surely die. The rule for a nation is exactly the same—and the nation that sins against God [and refuses to repent] shall surely die. History repeats itself. God is no respecter of any man [or nation] and what so ever we sow, that we shall also reap. Magnify and praise God and reap his blessings; deny or curse God and die. God is the same, yesterday, today and forever—He changes not! He will treat us as he has always treated people. He has warned us so we surely cannot blame Him when we commit the very sins and live our selfish lives that he has forbidden.

Meet Divine Expectations - Isaiah 5:1-14

As superintendent of schools during the last twenty-nine years of my professional life, it was my privilege to attend a great number of conferences on many subjects dealing with education. I have listened to hundreds of introductions of great speakers, leaders in their fields, many of which were nationally known by most people. Invariably many were introduced as “One who needs no introduction.” I have always wondered why they should waste my time, if I already knew the person being introduced. It is possible that you feel this way about the prophet Isaiah, because many of you have been reading about him in the scriptures for many years.

I have been a very naïve person, and you may be also. It has been a terrible shock for me to learn just how few people have studied the bible even as much as most Baptist people do. Men who have given their life to worship and work for God deserve to be known for their dedication to God and their dedicated life given to assist their fellow man. Isaiah is one of those men. We who read the bible often have the problem of forgetfulness and we need to be reminded of important circumstances explained, conditions present, and deeds done by God’s chosen leaders. Introductions are important.

Having given my reason for this introduction, it starts by the fact that I have learned that very little is know about Isaiah’s personal life. The name Isaiah means “the salvation of Jehovah” and it is not an uncommon name since there were several men by this name mentioned in the bible. We know that the Isaiah that we will study was commissioned to preach the salvation of God, and was called the “the evangelical prophet. Many writers compare Isaiah to other great men of the bible such as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah, and Elisha. His writings do not proclaim, but surely indicate that that he lived in a high type of culture; and also indicate that he probably was a product of the school of the prophets, and that he was one of the best educated of the prophets. Isaiah’s father’s name was Amoz, not the same as Amos. Jewish tradition believed that he was the brother of King Amaziah.

The ministry of God’s great prophet extended about 50 years from the death of Judah’s King Uzziah in 740 BC to 690 BC. At this time the kingdom was split into the Southern Kingdom [Judah] and Israel in the north controlled by the Assyrians, who were enemies of Judah. Judah had gone through a period of safety and prosperity that was beginning to fade away as their enemies had grown stronger and were demanding tribute from Judah. This period was somewhere near the beginning of a series of wars declared that destroyed Jerusalem on at least three occasions. Jerusalem was the capitol of the Southern Kingdom, and did not fall for several years, but their freedoms were slipping away [2 Chronicles 28: 20-21].

Both the north and the south were facing internal as well as external problems. They had turned to pagan gods who were teaching that prosperity would come through the fertility of the land. Believing this, society began to crumble as the people focused on achieving their selfish desires rather than on meeting God’s expectations of his people. A very small minority became wealthy by taking advantage of the poor working people. This reduced the working class to a population that was barely scraping by.

I often listen to some of the evangelist today that are teaching that Christians can all obtain wealth and it reminds me of the teaching in Isaiah’s day. I also see a parallel between the thinking of that day with our government today that thinks we can spend the working man’s money and regain prosperity for the nation.

The first five chapters record the Lord’s message sent to the people through Isaiah reminding them that they were his creation and that he cared for Israel; it condemns their actions and calls them back to His way. His people had rejected Him and chose to worship the uncaring idols. The Jewish people continued to worship according to tradition, but brought idol worship in to enhance their advancement. God condemned their ritualistic worship because it neglected his guidelines for serving Him and caring for each other. They had traded their faith in God for the promises of idol gods. Leaders oppressed their people while they lived lavishly paying their way at the expense of the poor. Isaiah’s message was that God would punish them and leave them devastated in the land of plenty…but that He would not abandon them. He would always spare a remnant if they would turn to Him and seek to live by His expectations. God used heathen nations to capture to capture Jerusalem and take his people into exile simply because they had failed to trust Him as the One and Only God.

Isaiah told the people about their coming bondage in Babylon and their heartbreaking return to a destroyed temple in Jerusalem, but they listened somewhat like we listen to our ministers today…with deft ears. READ CHAPTER 1. This regards the sins of Israel [north] and Judah [south] kingdoms. Isaiah had a vision that foretold the destruction that was coming because the north had already sinned greatly against God, and Judah was following close behind. They were perverting justice and oppressing the poor; turning from God to idols, and looking for military aid from pagan nations rather than from God.

Isaiah was primarily a prophet speaking to Judah—but his messaged applied to the northern kingdom also. Read carefully because sometimes the word ‘Israel’ applies to both kingdoms. He lived to see the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 BC; therefore his warning was to both nations.

In 1:2-4, Israel refers to Judah. They had turned from God and broken their moral and spiritual covenant with God [see Deut: 28]. They broke the covenant and brought God’s punishment upon themselves. God had provided them with prosperity but they failed to serve him; he then warned them but they did not listen and finally he would bring the fire of judgment [see 1: 7]. You may realize that Judah was attacked several times and Isaiah may have been referring to all of them…but more than likely he was warning them of the two most devastating attacks, first by Assyria and surely he was warning of the Babylon invasion when they were carried away into captivity.

To emphasize the horror that could be possible, Isaiah reminded them that Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed for disobedience and sin. God did not revoke the sacrifices of Moses, but was unhappy that the sacrifices had been made to other gods, and they had come to the place when they were worshipping the sacrifice and not God in person. Sacrifice had become a ritual. I am afraid that many worshippers today place more faith in the rituals of religion than the God they are supposedly serving. We must examine our faith in the Living God—He does not find pleasure in outward expressions we make but rather he is concerned with our inward faith in Him.

In 21 and 22 the “faithful city’ refers to Jerusalem [actually all Judah] and He compares their action to that of a harlot. Idolatry is spiritual adultery. Has America reached this same point? Has your faith become impure? If your greatest faith is in anything other than God, it can result in lost hope.

Go to 2: The temple was built on Mt. Moriah, the Mountain of the Lord. People were always attracted there…and in the future people will be attracted there—not because of the beauty or wealth—but because it is the city of God’s influence and presence. Isaiah is looking into the future; God showed him what would happen to the city. Rev. 21 addresses the New Jerusalem. There will come a time of peace, after his people return unto him and war will turn to family farming.

Beginning at 2:6 he describes what is known as the ‘Day of the Lord”. This is the day of judgment of both evil and good. He speaks of superstitions and divination like the heathen. Any use of the mind, conscious or unconscious, almanacs, and horoscopes are examples of sinful divination. No one can know or control the future this way. Dependency on these instead of God is forbidden. Lofty towers refer to forts of defense. Trading ships refer to prosperity and stately vessels refer to pleasure ships—like the cruise liners of today. Don’t skip verse 19 and compare it to Revelation 6:15…In 22 he speaks of ‘breath in his nostrils’ and he could have said he is only one breath away from death. We are mortal, here momentarily but God is as eternity.

Chapter 3 deals with judgment on Jerusalem and the state of Judah. Please read carefully…because this writing describes what happens when a nation loses its leadership. America—wake up! In v-9 people are proud of their sins. Sin is often beautiful, desirable, but always destructive regardless of how society views it. In v-10 he offers hope for the believer. In 14 you will find that if you are in a leadership position and fail, you are in worse shape than the vilest of sinners…because you are leading others astray. Justice is important! It is the way God runs the universe. It is the desire of all people, and especially the unsaved—they expect it most. God holds the poor, the women, and children in high esteem, and those that cause them distress can expect extreme treatment. At the same time he is highly opposed to the women that flaunt their jewelry and costly perfumes while the poor suffer. He also speaks hard against those women that have flirting eyes. Men are generally week and easy influenced by women, but even the stronger can be misled by women who push themselves on men.

In 5 the vineyard represented God’s people. They bore much fruit; the problem was that much of it was uneatable fruit. “By ones fruit you shall know him.” Is your fruit one of the rotten apples in the bottom of the barrel? One of these could be your problem: 1. exploiting others 2. drunkenness. your sarcastic pride in sin. 4. confusing moral standards. 5. being conceited. 6. preventing justice. Because of these sins, God punished Israel with destruction by Assyria. Later Judah went into slavery for the same reasons.

You Can Keep at It - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

When I was a teenager back on the farm, we finally got a battery operated radio and I started listening to the Cardinals play baseball. Television came into being in the early 50s, and I started watching the Cardinals; and I still watch a baseball game occasionally, but only if the Cardinals are playing. Football became popular, and I have gone to see the Razorbacks a few times, and watch them play often. It matters not whether it is baseball or football; there is always a player or two that the team depends upon for a miracle win. Any time a good team loses, you can be assured that some of the great players let down…they fail to keep at it. It just seems to be one of the rules of the game. Winning as a Christian depends upon the same rule. When we let down or when we do not keep at it, our game of Christian life winds up with a loosing score, and the sad thing is it usually affects someone else in a negative way.

In our church, there are some of the players that seem to be fired up and in a winning mood any time you talk to them or observe them in their Christian walk. Sorry, but the opposite is also true with some. If you will think about this a minute, you will be able to think of Christians that fit both categories. I am really concerned and often wonder why anyone will submit their life to Christ, accept his grace and then fail to obey him to the best of their ability. A slothful Christian holds the Church back and prevents it from being a winning church in the same way that a non-committed player can harm a good football or basketball team. It is really easier to be a faithful and winning Christian because all Christ expects is that we give 100 percent of our effort, and almost every coach demands 110 percent. How can you judge your performance? Christ said that if you “Love me” you will keep my commandments. What are these commandments? If you are faithful, read the book and find what He says we should do to be faithful.

Paul held a three week revival in Thessalonica and won many to the Lord. He then wrote his first letter to help them clear up some confusion in the church and find their way to serve. When he found that there were some still in doubt and wavering, he wrote his second letter that has three major directions in it. The first chapter tells them that even though they are persecuted, God is still fair and will sustain them and punish the persecutors. In chapter two he tried to help them understand the second coming and help them to know that they had to remain steadfast to the end. In the third chapter of this book he encouraged believers to pray for him and for each other. Then he addressed the problem of unfaithfulness, and accused them of failing to do their part of the work in the church; and even more important he reminded them that they were disrupting the work of faithful Christians.

V-1-3. Note that Paul calls them brothers, so he is talking to Christian people, and not the persecutors. He called them brothers because he had a strong and affectionate feeling for them. Read between the lines and you will see that beneath the surface of the daily life of those in the church there was an invisible power holding them back. He indicates that their first line of defense was daily prayers for each other beseeching God to give them strength to overcome.

In Paul’s day it was, as is true today, the only useful living is Godly living; it requires self-discipline and choices made with a purpose in mind. Once saved, the Christian faith does not advance automatically; it takes determination and right choices on our part. You will find that this process is called “obedience” and requires some sacrifice. All through this chapter, Paul commanded the Thessalonians to focus on respectable and responsible living and to hold tightly to orthodox belief. This was then and still is the only way to be useful in God’s kingdom.

In this letter, Paul requested prayer for the missionaries that the gospel might spread through their ministry. He expressed his confidence in them to follow his instructions; and then warned them again to act with integrity and purpose because laziness was shameful and disobedience was intolerable. Paul ask for intercessory prayer from all Christians—that they would pray for the gospel to move forward and that people would respond in faith.

If you are not a regular worker in the church and if you are seldom involved in active mission work and intercessory prayer you are being singled out by Paul in verses six and beyond. Dedicated workers are instructed to stay away form you and not have anything to do with you. Dedicated and working members are to stay away from every one who is idle. Paul said that he and his workers were not idle while thy lived and taught with them—and they did not expect the church to feed them. They paid their own way. They worked night and day and were not a burden to anyone. They did this to set an example for the church to follow: and their point was that if a man won’t work he has no right to eat. Oh, how I love this teaching. It fits so well into one of our major problems in America today. A great number feel that they are the depressed and that the prosperous people owe them a living. There are some families that have gone into the fifth generation or more living on welfare. The bible teaches that if they will not work, they should not eat. I believe God’s word. Read verse 10 again for yourself.

Paul teaches us that if we are not busy at something that is worthwhile that it is human nature to find someone’s business in which we can get involved. A man that is not busy at something worthwhile is a busybody causing problems. There is a vast difference in leisure and idleness. It is no coincident that the week is divided as it is. There is one day set aside for worship and service to God. Sunday. There is one day set aside for rest and recreation. Saturday. There are five days set aside for us to work to make a living for our family. Not everyone can adhere to this schedule without exception, but faithful followers of Christ will find that something close to this ratio can be worked into their life’s schedule.

I hope we can bring this discussion right down to where you and I are living today. I have been involved in public education of your children most of my adult life and will be happy to share with you why I think God called me…and why I believe that I was called into the education field.

What do you think of your job, position, assignment in relation to what God expects of his workers here on earth? Don’t become jittery about this question because I assure you that there is no honorable assignment outside of God’s will. He is omnipotent and needs no one, but at the same time he can use anyone that will surrender their life to him.

What is your attitude toward work? If you have worked [struggled] all you life and still have needs—does someone owe you? Should others be expected to meet your needs? What did Paul preach about this?

At what point, and under what conditions can you expect others to assume some responsibility for you’re circumstances that you are experiencing? If Christ was running our welfare program in America—what changes would be made? Would America consider Christ a conservative or liberal? God’s word speaks to us and helps us relate to his plan for his people. I think he taught us to be conservative in living and liberal in giving.

You Can Stay Calm - II Thessalonians 2:1-17

As a general rule, most people are interested in future events and many of them have a particular interest in knowing more abut what will take place at the end of this age. I remember well that my parents were unable to buy many books during the depression years of the 30s, but somehow they always found a way to afford the new Farmers Almanac each year. The primary reason for the popularity of the Almanac was that it had all of the needed predictions for preparation and planting of different crops for best results. It let us know the changes of seasons, the position of the moon and where the signs were ‘at’.

I never understood what the signs ‘were’ but always knew where they were ‘at’—and I have always known that you never plant seed of any kind and expected them to sprout and grow well unless the sign was in the groin area…And just to make sure you knew where the groin area was—the illustrator drew the outline of a man and marked the important parts like the brain, the heart, lungs, and groin area. Be honest now—wouldn’t you really like to know when Gabriel’s trumpet will sound—and time will be no more?? Most people would. It may be that they just think they want to know. If you have not accepted Christ as Savior, you really do not want to know.

If you are not interested in the end time, that tells me that you have not read the bible, probably have attended church little or none, and are completely unaware of the promise of Jesus Christ that as “People saw him go, so will he come again.” I know exactly—to the very moment—when Christ will return and I believe that you want to know. I may be the only person on earth that can tell you with assurance, but I can do it. “Listen carefully” ‘He will return as a thief in the night, when he is not expected;’ And it will be at the exact time that he has set on his clock. “Believe it or not.”

Some of the particulars are very dim in my memory but at least three different predictions of the end time have come in the last thirty years. In the early 80s a book was published that heightened the interest of many as to when the end of time would come. Later in the 80s a pamphlet was circulated that had a definite prediction regarding the second coming of Christ. Both dates came and went with no expectations met… and no signs of an approaching Savior.

The last and very disturbing prediction came in connection with the end of 1999 and the beginning of the new century. Many of you can remember all the chatter about how this change in the century would bring a major break down in the computer age, in the timing system and that this Y2-k problem probably was connected to the second coming of Christ. Gabriel did not blow his trumpet! And we are all still here. YOU CAN STAY CALM IF YOU WILL ONLY MAINTAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE in the teaching of Paul regarding the second coming of Christ.

I have read what Paul said in his letters to the Thessalonians church, I hope that you have, or will. I believe Paul was inspired to write truth and if I am right you can make no mistake if you realize that Christ can return at any moment, and absolutely “NO ONE” knows when it will be. The only thing absolutely sure about this matter is that each one of us must be ready at all times. Even with this kind of expectation, WE CAN STAY CALM and MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE if we are born again.

We are fortunate to have several channels on TV that devote time and money to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have personally viewed two or three movies connected with the end time. The “Left Behind” series is one example. I realize that man wrote the script and that it had to be done in a way that would appeal to the public, but I especially appreciate the teaching that Christians will leave all behind and go to be with the Lord. The pilot of the plane flying at 30,000 feet will disappear into the heavens and the co-pilot will have to take over and land the plane. The farmer in the field will leave his plow and be gone while his family is left behind. The mother will go to be with her Lord, and her children will realize they did not make the call. The scripture teaches us that there will be turmoil as “gnashing of teeth,” and crying for the mountains to fall on those remaining.

In all of this “YOU CAN STAY CALM if you MAINTAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE in what God’s word teaches us about the end of time as we know it and the “coming of the lord.” Make no mistake. Jesus could return as you are reading this lesson. Believers are to live each moment with an expecting heart and not setting dates and time. Above all, please do not depend on scholars of biblical history, or so-called prophets, who claim to have inside information. This lesson is designed to help believers confirm the basic biblical truths about Jesus’ return and clarify what our expectations should be. To my faithful readers, I apologize for having to repeat myself in the last two or three lessons. It is necessary because the Thessalonians misunderstood Paul’s teaching in his first letter and he had to re-teach again about the second coming. I am doing what Paul did. This is reinforcement about the second coming, necessary because it is the most important event that will ever occur in our lives, or in our after life.

In 2: 1 Paul exalts us to depend upon the truth of the scriptures and to listen to no man regarding the second coming. He describes the conditions that will exist at the time. Paul describes the end of the world and Christ’s second coming. He says that great suffering and trouble is ahead, but that evil will not prevail, because Christ will return as the Judge of all of us. He makes it plain that our position is to simply make sure that we are ready and able to remain calm and confident that we are in his will and way.

In 2: 2 he tells us not to be worried or unsettled or alarmed by some false prophesy, report or letter that was supposed to have come from him saying that the day of the Lord had already come. It has not come. It will come soon, and it could be as we study this together. Our definition of time is not the same as God’s definition. Do not be deceived by what you read. Do not take MY word. Read God’s Word carefully and see what the Word tells you about this subject. Throughout history there have been individuals who epitomized evil—and have been opposed to everything that Christ stands for. These are the antichrists that have lived among us and will continue to teach error until His return.

In that final day the most noted antichrist of all time will arise. Just before Christ returns the “man of lawlessness”…”the man doomed to destruction” a completely evil man will arise and take charge of the world. He will be Satan’s chosen envoy, a diplomat operating with the power of Satan and will be known as the last of the antichrist. This will be the one mentioned in Revelation that will require his followers to wear the mark of the beast.

It is not unusual to hear people talk about some individual that they think might be the final antichrist. I believe that it is dangerous for us to label any person as the antichrist and try to predict Christ’s coming based on our assumption. Paul talks about the coming antichrist not that we should try to identify him, but that we should always be ready to face any false teacher that might threaten our faith. Christians must remember that our assurance is based on our faith, believing that God is in charge and that he will work things out according to his plan…and his plan is to protect his people here and save them in the end time. Our task is to be prepared and to spread the gospel so that others can also prepare.

In the early days of the church at Thessalonica Christians misunderstood and were actually in danger of loosing their hope in the second coming. Then they shifted to the other extreme with many believing that Christ would return any day. In this second letter, Paul tried to correct their false assumptions. He explained that there were certain events that would happen before his return. Paul assured us that the antichrist would be held back and revealed in God’s time. We have had a law abiding and God fearing nation in the past and I think that has held Satan back. The work of the Holy Spirit definitely has something to do with his deterrence. Paul did not say for sure who would hold him back…but you can be assured that someone is in his way or he would move to destroy us now.

The horror of the last days lies in the fact that the antichrist will be able to do miracles in the name of Satan, and through his power, and this will lead many to follow him. The magicians of today can perform miracles; they do it for money and show. Christ performed miracles to win people to his way. It is not who performs miracles that counts…it is the purpose that is important. The antichrist will use miracles to win people to his way…he will use them as signs and wonders to deceive many and to draw his following. He will lead many away from God. Oh’ ye of little faith, you had better believe that salvation begins and ends with God and not false teachers.

Paul knew his followers would face troubles, trials and persecution and that they would have to be strong in faith and unwavering in their efforts to live both in and for Christ. There has been no change in this teaching. We face our own problems and it is absolutely necessary that we cling to His promises to protect and save us; and to share with us that special place in heaven that He has prepared especially for us. You need not fear. You need not be upset or unsure just because you do not know when…Just be ready and YOU CAN SAY CALM.

You Can Feel Safe - II Thessalonians 1:1-12

The two Thessalonian letters were among the first letters that Paul wrote to the churches and many think they were his first. There is good evidence that they were separated by only a matter of a few weeks. You should remember that there were two primary issues addressed in his first letter, and for some reason he felt that there was a need to write about these same issues again. The issues were matters regarding the second coming of Jesus and concerns about the Greek converts who had stopped working because they were expecting the immediate appearance of Christ.

Paul and his workers spent three weeks organizing this new church and converting the core workers who were primarily Jews, and Greek. The same Jewish leaders that had refused to accept Christ as the Messiah forced him to leave the new church, and the country, and he escaped to Corinth where he remained for some time. While there, he learned that there were problems in Thessalonica that had arisen over their misunderstanding of the teachings on the second coming of the Lord. He wrote the first letter to help them grow in faith and to affirm the reality of Christ’s return.

A short time later Paul learned that some had misunderstood his teaching regarding the second coming. He had said that Christ could come any minute and some took him literally and stopped working. The Jewish leadership that had opposed Paul was now increasing the persecution of the members of the new church, and the persecuted ones interpreted this as proof that “the day of the Lord” was at hand. Paul heard of this misunderstanding and within a few weeks he wrote the second letter…that we will be studying the next few Sundays.

The greeting in verse 1 was much like the one he wrote in his first letter. However there was one word that changed that made a major difference. In the first letter he said the greeting was from God THE Father. In this letter the term became God OUR Father. This change was intended to personalize their common kinship in having the same Father…God. In the first letter he only said grace and peace to you. In this letter he emphasized the divine
source of this desire for them to have grace and peace was from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This passage gives us a great example as to why I wish that I could read Greek. Verses 1 through 10 are all in one long sentence in Greek. The English translation breaks it down into ten verses, and I am sure this makes it much easier for us to understand. I only wish that I could check the accuracy of the interpretation.

We are prone to give Paul all the credit for writing this letter, but in verse 1 the indication is that it is from Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians. Thessalonica was the capital and the largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia. The most important Roman highway went through Thessalonica and then all the way to the Orient. The city had the most thriving seaport in the empire at that time. The highway and seaport made this one of the wealthiest and most flourishing trade centers in all of the empire. It was known as a free city, with self rule, and was exempted from most of the restrictions placed by Roman rule on other cities. This freedom invited many foreigners who migrated to Thessalonica. They brought with them their pagan gods and divisive influences that challenged the Christian faith—this added to the strong Jewish resistance.

Verse 3 gives us an example of how Paul was always complementary of those that were trying to serve God. He began most of his letters to all churches by stating his appreciation for them, always encouraging them to keep the faith. All sincere pastors must be careful to balance their sermons in a way that they will encourage those believers that are trying and deserving; and admonish those members that are slothful as well as those who are not dedicated to the up building of the church.

V-4. Do you as an individual, or does your church ever face trials, problems, persecution, failures, even death in your family or the church body? How do you react? How does your church react? Is there a solution always available that never fails? The answer to the last question is YES and Paul gives you the solution in this verse. The answer is always faith and perseverance. Any time we are faced with crushing trials and problems, we must have faith to believe that God is using our demise for our own good and for His glory. We must believe that God is just and fair and that he will give us the patience to endure; we must continue to trust and believe that He has not forgotten us and that in his time he will relieve our suffering. Our enemies will not escape His judgment. We must accept his timing.

Paul was persecuted [Acts 17: 5-9] and those that followed his teachings and become Christians were being persecuted by both Jews and gentiles. In his first letter to them he said that Christ’s return would bring them their relief and judgment to those that persecuted them. He did not say when this would be. They mistakenly thought that it was to happen in their time. In this second letter he tells them that it may be awhile and that while they wait for Christ’s return, they must have the faith and perseverance to hold out and hold on to God.

V-5. Christians will experience troubles because they are trying to be God’s followers in a perverse world that does not agree. [There are some who think their problems are either caused by sin [maybe in their own life] or because of their like of faith.] That is no what Paul says. He tells us here in this letter that persecutions, trials and troubles may be a part of God’s plan for his children. Have you ever punished one of your children? Why did you do it? Was it for their good? Sure it was. God has a way of spanking his disobedient children, surely it is not that he desires to punish but it is for our good.

If we have faith to believe, then our problems can cause us to look forward and upward to Him instead of looking inward and trying to fix things on our own. Problems build strong character [Romans 5:3-4], and they can provide us with opportunities to comfort others who are struggling [2Corin. 1: 3-5]. Your troubles may be an indication that you are taking a stand for Christ.

Vs. 5-12. Paul says that we should be relieved in knowing that our sufferings are giving us strength and getting us ready for judgment day. We can also gain relief from our pain by realizing the fact that on judgment day everyone will stand before God; and at that time all wrongs will be made right—judgment will be pronounced and there will be no more evil, pain or suffering. The everlasting destruction mentioned here is referring to the lake of fire that is recorded in Revelation 20: 14. This is the place of everlasting destruction and also eternal separation from God. None of those who reach this place of destruction will ever have another opportunity to be saved. We are to strive to be like Christ [Romans 8: 29], to be sanctified is a lifelong process that will end the day we meet Christ face to face [1 John 3:2]. We must want to do what is right to be worthy. We are not perfect but trying.

Do You Get Along with Others? - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

As I review the scriptures that we will be studying in this lesson and look at the challenges Paul lays out for us to get along with the others in our church, I can tell you from experience that it is not always easy to retain a truly Christ-like attitude toward all leaders, all of the time, in any church. Sadly I tell you that there can be false leaders in the church just as there can be false teachers in the classrooms. I was saved and joined a Southern Baptist Church sixty-two years ago. I have served to the best of my ability in just about every capacity except as pastor. During my years of service there has been only one pastor that I could not support. This disagreement has been one of the apostle Paul thorns in my side, unpleasant and threatening even though I believe that I was right. I pray that God will forgive me if I was in error.

In verse twelve, Paul speaks of the respect due those who work hard and are over you and admonish you. He is probably thinking of teachers, elders, deacons, and pastors of the church. I have no choice as a teacher but to admonish you that it is your responsibility to hold the hands of your leaders high while they pray, lest you be the one responsible for their failure. I also remind you that you must know what God wills in your life and in the life of your church in order to be qualified to know whom you must support or reject. Have you read your bible? Do you know when a leader is in error? You are only obligated to support the truth.

The twelfth verse indicates that those leaders that are over you IN THE LORD—which means that they are preaching, teaching, and directing as the Lord has commanded them to do, are worthy of our respect. We are to respect those that work hard among us; who are in leadership positions; and who admonish us to serve faithfully. We are to realize that our pastor has a worthy calling, and that God holds him responsible for his efforts to lead the lost to salvation and feed God’s sheep. Christian members of the church are obligated to hold ministers in the highest regard [in love] because of their assigned task in the body of the church.


The congregation of Christians in the church is obligated to live in peace with each other in order to prevent any disruption, strife, or misunderstanding that will disrupt the unity of the body of Christ. You may wonder how you can show respect and hold him and the other church leaders in your highest regards. Do not forget the other leaders in your church. The music director, youth director and minister of children and families need your encouragement too. It takes overt action on your part. You must express your appreciation; you must tell them of the times when their leadership and Christian teaching has been of benefit to you. Nothing will help them more than for you to tell them how their ministry has helped you in your Christian life. If you never say anything to your pastor, how can he know your feelings? How can he know where you stand? Preachers feel lonesome in the pulpit unless they know that they have company; supporters, and prayer warriors occupying the pews.

This can go one step forward. Actions speak louder than words. Support them at the ballot box and with a personal gift of appreciation often, particularly on special occasions.

Active Christians should never join or support the idle; it is always better to encourage the idle and weak. In fact, it is difficult for us to know the difference between idleness and timidity. Two people may be doing little or nothing; one because they are too lazy and the other may simply be shy or fear doing something wrong. You can’t help unless you know the reason for the problem; therefore there should be no criticism, only admonition, assurance, and encouragement. If we can’t help our fellow man, it is better to do nothing that will discourage.

Vs 16-18 gives three commands. A] spread joy; B] pray and C] give thanks. Most Christians obey these commands but only when they feel like it; it is easy to allow daily circumstances interfere. Actually, when you are feeling down about some circumstance over which you have no control, the best balm is to pray and give thanks for things that are right. We do not give thanks for everything, but in everything. Neither pain nor suffering comes from God. We should not thank him for the bad things that happen to us; however, we should always thank him for seeing us through the bad times, and praise him for the good that He will cause to come as a result of our problems.
V 19 tells us to keep spiritual fires burning. What do you think he means? Remember the trinity, God, Christ, and Holly Spirit, one in all—all in one. Many times in the bible one of these is referred to as fire. God appeared on Mt. Sinai as a burning light, and Moses face actually glowed from the brightness. God appeared in the burning bush. He appeared in the desert wilderness by day as clouds and at night as fire. When Christ came down from his forty day temptation his face was glowing as fire. The Holy Spirit entered the upper room as a fire. The Spirit is God on earth. Our body is his temple. He causes us to have a burning desire to do God’s will. If our lives are evil to the point that the Spirit can not work through us…we are putting out the Spirit’s fire.

One of, if not the most difficult concept for us to truly understand is that all of God’s creation was done to benefit man—with the idea that God’s family would be one of true Christian relationships—with constantly abiding ‘agape love’ always in and between the God head and humanity. The trinity is a spiritual being that demands that true believers first love must be for the holly family. We cannot see, feel, taste or smell the Holly spirit, and Satan uses this to cause us to doubt that He is present. There are many environmentalists that have no problem hugging and loving a tree. Conversationalists believe that the red billed woodpecker in the Cash River Bottoms should be found and preserved from extension. They have never seen the bird, but they love him. The Holly Spirit [God] created the tree and the bird; he is ever present but since we do not see Him we have a great problem hugging Him, loving Him, and fellowshipping with him. Our failure to recognize Him, and worship Him quinces the Holy Spirit…puts his fire out.

We are to test everything; weigh it, measure it and hold on to only the good. How do you do this? Use a test tube, a set of accurate scales, and a yard stick. You have the most accurate testing device on earth on your book shelf—it is called the Holly Bible. Study it and you will know what is good and how to avoid evil. One very good rule is so simple that most of us know it and have no trouble remembering it; therefore it is always handy and available—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

When you believe, God will save you. When you obey God, he will sanctify you through and through. You are by nature a sinner and must share the responsibility for all the evil in this old world. The price of sin and evil is death. Therefore, if you want to be held blameless, you must accept the death of Christ as payment for the sin you have committed.
“THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU.”