May 28, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 DEVOTIONS A recent survey by Arizona Christian University found that most American adults believe a gospel of works, that is, they don’t believe the true gospel at all. About 48 percent think that if they are generally good or do enough good things during their life they will […]
May 27, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 2:13–17 DEVOTIONS Before Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he wrote a letter to the Galatians. The church there had “astonished” the apostle by “turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all.” False teachers had arrived, perverted the truth, and thrown the Galatians into confusion. Paul’s […]
May 26, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 2:5–12 DEVOTIONS In 1997, musician and author Michael Card released an entire album on the Book of Revelation. Titled Unveiled Hope, the album includes songs such as “To the Overcomers,” “The Song of the Lamb,” and “The New Jerusalem.” Its main purpose is to celebrate the completion of God’s […]
May 25, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4 DEVOTIONS When natural disasters and wars occur in rapid succession, many people begin to talk about the End Times. They wonder what day the Lord might return, and which living person might be the promised Antichrist. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, the Antichrist who is controlled by […]
May 24, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 DEVOTIONS What does it mean for Christ to be glorified in us? The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon answered: “Even now His saints glorify Him. When they walk in holiness they do, as it were, reflect His light. Their holy deeds are beams from Him who is the […]
May 23, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:7b–10 DEVOTIONS What is biblical justice? How is it different than what we mean by justice today? Pastor and author Tim Keller explained: “In the West, when we think of justice, we think of individual rights. We think justice means freeing individuals from the constrictions of the group, freeing […]
May 22, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:3–7a DEVOTIONS The word martyr originally meant “witness”—someone who testifies to truths they have personally seen, heard, and experienced. Even in the first generation of believers, though, the word came to signify someone who testified to truth under threat of death. That’s what we mean today— a martyr is […]
May 21, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 1:1–2 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Do you get excited when you receive an actual hand-written letter? In today’s era, letters are a rare treat. But in Paul’s time, they were a necessary means of communication. This second epistle to the Thessalonians was likely written just a few months after the […]
May 20, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:25–28 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Nowadays, we authenticate or verify as genuine a person’s identity through such means as government-issued picture ID cards or notarized signatures. Higher standards of proof can be met by fingerprints, retinal scans, or DNA matching. These techniques were not available in the ancient world, of […]
May 19, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue What does it mean when the Bible says we are to long for Christ’s return? The fifth president of Moody Bible Institute, William Culbertson, once preached: “If you say you love the appearing of Christ and are indifferent to the claims of Christ and are […]