I Thessalonians 3:1-5
The first verse is the story in Acts 17:14-34 where Paul, because of persecution was convoyed out of Thessalonia and Berea and stayed at Athens until his party of men could join him. While Paul was rather a notorious Christian evangelist. The young man Timothy was able to come in to establish the new believers in the faith. It is interesting that Paul says that we are appointed to persecution. This makes me thankful for the freedoms we have in our country where we are not faced with the kind of persecution that Christians fear in many countries around the world today. Yet there is a growing element of the attitudes of being ‘anti-Christ” in our own country today. At this point it has not come to the type of violence that Christians suffering around have experienced. But who knows, it still may reach that level before Christ returns for His Church. Paul previously told the Thessalonians that because of Christ, they could expect to suffer persecutions. Because of this, Paul sent to inquire to see if they were standing firm in their faith. He encourages them to remain faithful though opposition may come.
We are introduced to someone called the tempter. If he succeeded, Pauls ministry would be in vain. This is the same one who tempted Adam and Eve in the beginning of time. He is the same one who throws Christians off the path even today. Each of us need to be alert and aware that the Devil does the same thing to us today. He has been doing this for thousands of years. I want to be alert and understand that if I listen to him in any way, the same thing can still happen today.
We are introduced to someone called the tempter. If he succeeded, Pauls ministry would be in vain. This is the same one who tempted Adam and Eve in the beginning of time. He is the same one who throws Christians off the path even today. Each of us need to be alert and aware that the Devil does the same thing to us today. He has been doing this for thousands of years. I want to be alert and understand that if I listen to him in any way, the same thing can still happen today.
