May 30, 2021 | 2 Thessalonians 3:11–15 DEVOTIONS In the city of Joppa in the days of the early church, a believer named Dorcas (also called Tabitha) “was always doing good and helping the poor.” The poor in that time and culture included many widows. When she fell sick and died, they mourned greatly. But […]
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 […]
May 18, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In 2020, many of us struggled to maintain a positive attitude. As week after week and month after month passed with no end to the pandemic in sight, it was easy for even the most ardent optimist to get discouraged. In today’s reading, the apostle […]
May 17, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A well-known quote from the gangster movie The Untouchables expresses a strong spirit of retaliation or revenge: “You wanna know how to get [gangster Al] Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his […]
May 16, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:7–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The belt of truth. The helmet of salvation. The shield of faith. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us to put on the “full armor of God” in order to prepare for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10–17). We put on the breastplate of righteousness […]
May 15, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 5:1–6 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue An elementary school teacher told her class to be ready because in the coming week there would be a fire alarm. She taught them what they should do when the bell rang. They would need to follow directions and act promptly. But, of course, she […]
May 14, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The “Day of the Lord” is portrayed in Scripture as a day of fear and trembling, justice and judgment. On that day, God will come as a Mighty Warrior and conquer the nations (Joel 2:1–11; Zeph. 1:14–16). The Day of the Lord is a recurring […]
May 9, 2021 | 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When I was a child, pastoral prayers were a main feature of our church worship service. When the prayer began, I knew to settle in for a long one. Over the years, it seems that pastoral prayers have diminished in length and prominence or […]