7 As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, well because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. glory 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. out They displease God and are hostile to all men 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last. Matthew 24:9 12, Then you will be handed over to be PERSECUTED and PUT TO DEATH, and you will be HATED by all nations BECAUSE OF ME. At that time MANY will TURN AWAY from the FAITH and will BETRAY and HATE each other, and MANY FALSE PROPHETS will appear and DECEIVE many people. BECAUSE of the INCREASE of WICKEDNESS the love of MOST will grow COLD... 1
Hebrews 10:24 25, Let us consider HOW we may SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON with LOVE and GOOD DEEDS. And, let us NOT GIVE UP the HABIT of MEETING TOGETHER, as SOME DO, but let us ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER and ALL THE MORE as you SEE the DAY APPROACHING! Let s FOCUS on HOW we can ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER to be FAITHFUL to THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, in this CRITICAL HOUR! 1.)) 2
2 Corinthians 1:4, God COMFORTS US in our TROUBLES, so that WE CAN COMFORT those in ANY TROUBLE, with the COMFORT, we OURSELVES, have RECEIVED from GOD. 1.)) 2.) PERCEPTION 1.)) 2.) PERCEPTION 3.) RIGHTEOUSNESS (Spirituality) 3
1.) 2.) PERCEPTION 3.) RIGHTEOUSNESS (Spirituality) 4.) PERSISTENT 1 Thessalonians 2:11, For you KNOW that we DEALT WITH EACH OF YOU as a father DEALS WITH HIS OWN CHILDREN. Galatians 6:9, Let s NOT become WEARY in DOING GOOD, for at the PROPER TIME TIME,, we will REAP A HARVEST, if we DON T GIVE UP! UP! 1.)) 2.) PERCEPTION 3.) RIGHTEOUSNESS (Spirituality) 4.) PERSISTENT 5.) EXPRESSIVE 4
By being GENUINE Romans 16:18, Stay AWAY from THOSE who by SMOOTH TALK and FLATTERY deceive the MINDS of NAIVE people! By being GENUINE By being BALANCED 2 Timothy 4:2, PREACH THE WORD;... CORRECT, REBUKE and ENCOURAGE! 5
By B b being i GENUINE By being BALANCED By being ALERT By B b being i GENUINE By being BALANCED By being ALERT By WRITING IT DOWN By y being g GENUINE By being BALANCED By being ALERT By WRITING IT DOWN By DOING IT NOW 6
Not ONLY did Paul ENCOURAGE the Thessalonians WELL, but they RECEIVED it WELL. 1 Thessalonians 2:13, We THANK GOD CONTINUALLY because, when you RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD, which you HEARD FROM US, you ACCEPTED IT, not as the WORD of MEN, but as it ACTUALLY IS, the WORD of GOD! Hebrews 4:2, We ALSO have had THE GOSPEL preached to US, just as THEY did! 1 Thessalonians 2:14, For you, brothers, became IMITATORS of GOD S CHURCHES in Judea, which are IN CHRIST JESUS! 7
1 Thessalonians 2:15, You SUFFERED from your OWN COUNTRYMEN the SAME THINGS those churches SUFFERED. They ENDURED PERSECUTION! Jesus said, It is MORE BLESSED to GIVE than RECEIVE! There are TWO KINDS of people in the world. There are SINNERS who KNOW they NEED GOD, and dt there eae are SINNERS who DON T KNOW they NEED GOD! Steven Brown, Christian Author 8