And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7
The Savior has come. Sing hallelujah!
The Savior has arrived. Let us give thanks to the Lord.
The Savior is here. There is now hope for the hopeless.
The Savior has come. There is help for the helpless.
The Savior has appeared. The forgiveness of sins is possible.
The Savior has entered. Jesus takes away our guilt and gives us His righteousness.
The Savior is with us. And He is with us forevermore!
May God bless you all with a glorious Christmas Season.
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessnessis revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
As we live in these last days, let us keep these thoughts in mind listed below. Let us find encouragement in Christ amid our troubles.
Holiness is a moral attribute of God. At its core, holiness means to be distinct, set apart. The biblical word “holy” (as it applies to God) carries with it the idea of God being separate and distinct from any other person or anything else in the entirety of the universe. Holiness also imparts the fact that God (being uncreated and eternal) “does not depend on anyone or anything to bring Him into existence or to sustain Him in being.” [1]
God’s holiness means He is majestic and powerful. The Scriptures declare “There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2) God is above and beyond all His creation. He is sovereign over all creation.
Isaiah’s vision of God holiness was breathtaking and awesome. Around the throne of God, the angels cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3). Nothing can compare to the God of Scripture.
In Revelation 4, John gives us a companion scene to Isaiah’s vision. The cries of “Holy, Holy, Holy” rise up continually amidst the throne of God. He is awesome, mighty, and powerful. No one can resist His plans.
Dear fellow Believer, the God of the Bible is holy. The God we serve and owe everything to, He is Holy, Holy, Holy. He calls us to be holy and separate as well. “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 6:7) He is holy. Therefore, we should seek holiness every day.
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Principles to help Christians prepare for the Day of the Lord……
**Give thanks for God’s goodness
**Trust God for vengeance
**Trust the Lord to set things right
**Pray earnestly that Christ will be glorified in us
“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”
Luke 6:24
It’s easy to fall into the trap of placing our trust in material wealth and possessions. We live in a world that constantly tells us that more is better, that financial security is the key to happiness. But Jesus challenges this notion, reminding us that worldly riches are fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying.
This isn’t a blanket condemnation of wealth itself, but rather a warning against the worship of money and the false sense of security it provides. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10). Our true security and provision come from God alone, who promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-17
How do Christians prepare for the coming of the Lord? Paul answers this question in I Thessalonians 5. The principles the apostle gives are not to be taken as exhaustive. Rather, they are reminders of the proper disposition for the Believer as he/she awaits the return of the Savior.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
**God’s Mercy
Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Timothy 1:13
**God’s Forgiveness
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.
Ephesians 1:7-8
**God’s Power
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
**God’s Compassion
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
**God’s Presence
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
**God’s Security
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Let us consider a few thoughts about the goodness of God from the Scriptures.
**God’s goodness is the displayed in His mercy.
Isaiah 60:10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
**God’s goodness is granted unto those who seek Him in righteousness.
Psalm 5:12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
**God’s goodness will lead us to repentance and relationship with God through Christ Jesus.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
**God’s goodness calls people to salvation.
Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19) Peter’s words seem strangely out of place for us today. In our age and time, we seem to value to comfort and ease above most anything else. It is for this reason that Peter’s teaching (as inspired by the Spirit of God) strikes us so forcefully.
As Christians, we will suffer. Suffering is not limited merely to the realm of the wicked. The righteous also endure pain and agony as we traverse this life.
We want to think that following Christ will somehow exempt us from suffering. But, the hard truth remains that Believers struggle with physical hurts, material deficiency, relational pain, and emotional injuries. Suffering occurs in everyone’s life at some point.
There will be times that we will even suffer as a result of following God. Peter says that those who “suffer according to God’s will” should continue to follow God and love others. Following Christ may result in particular pains as those in the world reject us, harm us, and smear us.
In those times of heartache, remember that God is with you. (John 14:8) We should also understand that all who follow a righteous path will suffer. (Matthew 5:12) And we ought to consider that Christ suffered for us. (1 Peter 2:21)
We can make it through difficult times. The pain that we endure is only temporary. We await a day when we will be with Jesus. In Heaven, all suffering, heartache, and pain will cease. (Revelation 21:1-7) Even so, come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)
mrtonyfrench 