1 Thessalonians 4 Commentary

1 Thessalonians 4 Commentary

“Each of you should learn to control your own body”. Verse 4. This injunction demolishes the LGBTQ argument! That’s what the Word does; it demolishes all arguments. It is a sword of the Spirit. It won’t hunt fruitlessly!

A world where everything goes, as long as a feeling pops up isn’t godly. The body must be controlled. Feelings must be caged. The argument that “I did it because I felt it” won’t stand on judgment day. If a law is broken, it is broken. That’s what counts on that day.

“The LORD will punish all those who commit such sins.” Verse 6.

God has called us to live a holy life. Verse 7. It is possible. Doable. Achievable. It is an expectation. And the LORD provides His Spirit to help you do it.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. Verse 11. Mind your own business. These instructions come after an instruction to “love more and more”. No one should mistake a “quiet life” for isolation from loving and caring for the brethren. Again, to “mind your business” shouldn’t be an excuse for social distancing in the church. Withdraw from politics; not from loving and caring for each other.

Work with your own hands. Verse 11. You don’t have to be dependent on anybody. If we have trouble, it should never be because we haven’t worked hard with our hands. The LORD commands that we win the respect of outsiders as we sustain ourselves through the work of our hands.

The resurrection is big news! There is life after life! We will live with the LORD forever!

Death isn’t an end. There is life after the grave. Believers think of death as a transition. They are not scared. They actually look forward to it. It may look like an escape from the troubles of this world, a shortcut to glory.

Life is brief. It is fragile. No one sustains it. But the resurrection gives us hope. You must have died in Christ. Verse 16. Then you have eternal life with the Son – the LORD Jesus.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

1 Thessalonians 3 Commentary

1 Thessalonians 3 Commentary

Trials or suffering or persecution. We are destined for them. Don’t be unsettled by them. Heavy statements indeed!

From the Book of Acts, we know Paul and the team narrowly escaped with their lives from Thessalonica. In fact, the apostles are away from Thessalonica because of persecution. But guess what, their presence in other places brings the gospel to the people everywhere else. Who wins against God!

It is an easy guess; the LORD allowed the ‘scattering’ from Thessalonica so that Athens and other cities could hear the Gospel! But there is much more behind suffering that we simply cannot understand. Why would the LORD make it part of the spec for the believer? What purpose is achieved through our exposure to suffering? The LORD may allow you a measure of insight here and there but it remains a mystery in many cases.

It is destiny! Or, it is the will of the LORD! It becomes a question of when and not if!

Yes, it is for Paul; but also for the believers on the ground. Jason is in big trouble for welcoming the apostles. Acts 17. There is a false accusation. The believers, Jason and the team, are detained. The story is the same today. Others are never promoted on account of Jesus. Others are demoted because of the name of Jesus. Yet others are “excommunicated” from the “club” for belonging to Jesus. They are foreign objects in an evil setup.

Don’t be unsettled by trials. Thessalonians are a good example of believers who stood their faith in the face of great opposition. It feels heavenly to know you have faced persecution because of the name of Jesus. Instead of pain, worship flows.

Paul is a loving apostle. He glued himself to the people that he interacted with. It was Christ’s love in him – the fruit of the Spirit. Love breeds holy concern for the church of Jesus. Members become special friends. We pray for them but also we long to be with them.

If you claim to love a brother or a sister, ask yourself this question: How often have I prayed for them?

The goal is blamelessness when the LORD Jesus appears. Verse 13. If you feel condemned by Heaven, know the journey has just started. The Spirit is speaking to you about an advocate who can argue your case. You too can be blameless when Jesus appears. Pray about it.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

1 Thessalonians 2 Commentary

1 Thessalonians 2 Commentary

The gospel could be anything else but never a TV advert. No flattery. It is not spoiled by flowers and deco. It is always raw truth. TRUTH. The gospel presents an unprocessed Jesus. Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians isn’t any different.

It’s not designed to impress people!

But love flows – the love of God. And because of this love, Paul and team share their lives with the people. If there is love in the church, it is God’s love. It is such a sweet fellowship when love flows! When Jesus flows freely in the community of God’s people.

Of course, this is Paul! He could claim blamelessness – a sacrilege in our day. But that is God’s command, “Be blameless”.

They worked hard – toiling day and night. It is an important lesson for us. Laziness isn’t part of the Kingdom of God!

They dealt with the Thessalonians as a father with his child. What a picture! Fatherly love flows from the heart of the LORD, the Father of all.

“Who calls you into His Kingdom and glory”. Verse 12. The glory part is interesting. Christianity isn’t an empty shell devoid of substance. It comes with glory! You wonder why saints keep smiling! Compare the cold, loveless, emptiness, torture, torment, slavery, and nothingness of the wicked to the simplicity and love of the sons and daughters of God!  

The gospel creates such a strong bond that you cannot wait until the next fellowship meeting. Love flows. Diligence flows. Blessings flow. But persecutions also flow. Satan becomes active. But does it really matter? The plans of the LORD always succeed!

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

1 Thessalonians 1 Commentary

1 Thessalonians 1 Commentary

These items are power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction. Then you know your work isn’t in vain. What every minister prays for! The LORD Jesus won’t let you in on a mission without power. Power to transform hearts, break addictions, and free prisoners of sin. Verse 5.

Endurance is a product of hope – hope in our LORD Jesus Christ. You cannot have endurance without hope. If lack of endurance is a disease, know that ‘hope’ is the medication. Hope in the LORD Jesus Christ.

Verse 6. Joy (given by the Holy Spirit) amidst severe suffering is always fascinating. We learn one important lesson: Joy isn’t an absence of suffering. It’s the product of the Spirit.

The chapter closes with the word ‘wrath’. The coming wrath may refer to the coming judgment – when the Son of Man comes to separate the sheep and the goats. It’s salvation for the sheep but wrath for the goats.                                                                                                                                              

“Severe suffering” for the believers isn’t wrath. And in the heat of things, they don’t feel it. Instead, they have joy and peace supplied by the Spirit. What can you do to a Spirit-filled saint? Nothing. They smile, pray for you, and are full of joy and peace as you inflict suffering on them! They actually feel privileged enough to suffer in the name of Jesus!

Behind the Thessalonian church is a huge wave of persecution. The apostles, including Paul, narrowly escaped with their lives. Acts 17. Yet the church thrived. Then you know there is power behind the gospel. You also know there is great value for which men and women won’t give up.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Colossians 4 Commentary

Colossians 4 Commentary

No one is self-made. Not in the Body of Christ! Paul needed the prayers of the saints at Colossae and Laodicea. Verse 3. The LORD wants us to survive and thrive on the intersession of the brethren.

The calling upon Paul’s life was such that Heaven always responded when he knocked. A special mission guaranteed Paul an ‘easy’ link to the LORD via visions and special revelations. Yet Paul would still ask the brethren at Colossae to “stand in the gap”.

What God does… He has subjected the success of an important mission to the petitions and requests of his children. It means the voice of the ‘lowly’ placed saint is mightily important to God! Paul knows it and goes ahead and enlists the prayers of the brethren.

A godly master knows all good things come from the LORD – the ultimate Master. He wants to treat his slave with the same generosity he received from Heaven. Equalization of dispensed blessings.

The immediate thought is that we shouldn’t funnel out God’s generosity grudgingly. Don’t receive with an ever-open and infinitely wide mouth, then dispense the blessing with a narrow (probably even blocked) outlet. Let generosity flow as received!

No blind prayers! Persistence is key. Watch and be alert. Be thankful.

Outsiders would be people outside of the church. Be wise how you interact with them, gracefully and seasoned with salt. It should always be an opportunity to share the love of Christ.

Paul’s imprisonment wasn’t an isolated event. Many other believers suffered in the same way. Aristarchus is one of them – probably in the same prison as Paul. Rome is a possible location as we can see Paul freely interacting with other believers. They come in and go.

The mention of “Mark, the cousin of Barnabas” is interesting. In the early years of ministry, Paul and Barnabas differed over Mark. Acts 15. We can make some beautiful guesses. Paul is never one to let pride hinder God’s work. It won’t contaminate his heart. The ‘rejected’ Mark is now a co-worker and a “comfort” to Paul. Verse 11.

Carefully consider your relationships in the church. The rejected brother may be your “comfort” tomorrow. And if you are rebuked and corrected, if your work rate comes under fire from others, don’t put a full stop to your relationship. We are still a team. Paul and Mark are real Christians! You can sense Paul’s feelings toward Barnabas – tender and recognition.

Luke is still with Paul at this Moment. You wonder why he cut short the Book of Acts! It tells you one thing: The Spirit determined the end of the story. Other details are needless. The star of the script is Jesus and not Paul. There is simply no space for mortals!

Look at Paul. You would never guess he is in chains! He must remind us. When Christ is the focus, such troubles as imprisonments become less important.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Colossians 3 Commentary

Colossians 3 Commentary

Set your mind on the things above. Intellectual processes must be focused on the things above. What occupies your mind? Projects? Careers? Farm? Family? Cars? Fashion? Money? Fame? Very few individuals score high marks on this one!

At the point of salvation, you died with Christ (symbolized by water baptism – burial in water). Your life is hidden with Christ in God. Paul isn’t joking! The proof that you died can be seen from the fact that your care for earthly things has vanished.

The examiner isn’t done yet. You are still in the game. Your file in Heaven can be better! Here is what you must do: Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature – sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed.

Death for the saint is both a one-off event and a continuous process. It is always Work-In-Progress. Rid yourself of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. Don’t lie to one another.

The Christian walk isn’t all about the don’ts. We also have the ‘dos’. Cloth yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These would be the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5 verse 22.

Verse 17 is about our words and our actions. “Do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus”. So the list is complete: our thoughts (mind processes), our words, our emotions (love, peace…), and our actions. The total human is fully consumed! Probably this is what the scripture means by Christ being our life! Verse 4.

Verse 15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. This is big! The prophetic stage is fully set! The Son is here with the government on His shoulders. He rules. He is the Prince of Peace. All these pieces come together like a flood out of the saint! The Son born to us – called Immanuel, God With Us.

The rule of Christ Jesus permeates all our interactions. Husbands must love their wives. Think of the entourage that moves with love! Wives must submit to their husbands. How else do you respond to love? Children must obey their parents. Fathers must not embitter their children. Slaves must obey their masters.

Christ Jesus defines how we interact with each other in the physical family and the workplace. It is the LORD Christ we are serving. Verse 24.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Colossians 2 Commentary

Colossians 2 Commentary

Christ is the mystery of God. Christ is the password humanity has always looked for. Christ ends all religion! The search is ended! Look no further!

Forget the other books. Forget the different ideas. Forget tradition. Ignore elemental spiritual forces. You have found the Creator of everything. Chapter 1 and its foundational understanding of the divinity of Christ bears fruit here. You don’t need anything else.

You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. MSG Bible. Quit big words. Quit intellectual double-talk. It is all foolishness! In Christ, you have been brought to fullness. Verse 10.

Nothing has changed. The serpent sold deception in the Garden of Peace and Tranquility. This deception described the missing components. But nothing was missing! The devil convinces you that you are needy even when your bank balance is the fattest in the country! You go ahead and rob the poor. You won’t kill one lamb for your visitor – from your countless stock. You must kill the one and only lamb that the poor has kept like his own child!

Look at the richness of Christ – Chapter 1. Is it not strange that we still feel we need something more than what we have? Deception is the keyword.

For “spiritual kings”, you can still do your game. Christ is the head of every power and authority. There is no competition. It is sacrilege to even mention the word here! But you can have your debate answered if you care enough.

For “ritual kings” (the traditionists), the saint is fully circumcised by Christ. Baptism is another ritual that buries your old self – in case you preach human sacrifice! Christ fulfilled all things! You don’t need anything else.

You are not in debt. Christ paid it all. Check the facts of His death. It was for your salvation and freedom to live a life that the Father ordained for you.

Don’t let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink. Forget the “spiritual kings” who talk big about the spiritual things – the unseen things. It is all dead!

Under these lines is one important thought: Christianity is simple. It can be had by the simplest of us. If you know Christ, you have the wisdom of God. Everything else is foolishness! You can check this fact and see how it plays out in the real world. Drop yourself and your brains and have Christ. See how the wisest and smartest brains become so foolish! You wonder how they can be so foolish!

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Colossians 1 Commentary

Colossians 1 Commentary

In 6 verses, Paul (and Timothy) unpack the identity of Jesus. Who is Jesus?

Image of the invisible God. We look at the Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We probably also see what mankind was like before the fall of Eden. Since the Son is also the Creator God, we may conclude that He created mankind in His own image – Male and female, He created them. All in His likeness but that was before Eden’s rebellion.

Through Him and by Him, all things were created: visible and invisible; rulers, powers, and authorities. The thought that satan runs a parallel structure is all deception. He is a fallen angel, together with countless fallen angelic beings called demons. Jesus is one huge statement that human words cannot express.

Creation for Jesus: Picture a house constructed to the exact specification of the Son. He needed to be happy with the drawings (design) and with the actual factory work (manufacturing). At each point, He would say, “This is good”. Genesis 1 verse 10.

All things hold together: He sustains all things by the power of His name. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1 verse 3. God’s fullness dwells in Him. Verse 19.

It is this Jesus who reconnects us back to God. Christ in us, the hope of glory. Gloryland awaits! Spacious rooms for His saints!

In the meantime, Paul prays that the believers fill up with the knowledge of His will. At every point ask the all-important question, “What pleases you?” Remember, everything was created to His exact specification and pleased Him. Consequently, everything must behave in a manner that pleases Him.

Through the wisdom and understanding that comes from the Spirit, we can live a life that pleases God. Verse 9. We can bear good fruit. Self-confidence, willpower, resolve, new-year resolutions, good teachings… Nothing works. It is only as we receive wisdom and understanding from the Holy Spirit.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Philippians 4 Commentary

Philippians 4 Commentary

The more you have; the more you want; the more difficult it becomes to be content. Contentment may be the only missing item in the rich saint’s house. You need the strength of the LORD to be content when well supplied!

Is it ever possible to be content when hungry? You definitely need the strength of the LORD here!

Paul can be content in both situations – hence, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

When a blessing won’t excite you…then you know maturity is in the house. The devil is flat powerless. Money won’t affect you; lack of it won’t affect you. Contentment is such a powerful weapon against the enemy!

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The “heart” may refer to the center of emotions. The “mind” may refer to intelligence or the logical functions of the human being – thinking.

Concerning your heart (emotions): Rejoice in the Lord always; Gentleness; Zero anxiety; Prayerfulness – Requests and Petitions in all situations.

Concerning your mind: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Then you will have attained peace as given by the Spirit of God.

Don’t worry. Instead, let the worry points become prayer requests – all kinds of requests and petitions. The saint should be a noise maker in the house! Let Heaven hear your voice! Pray continually. Remember to be thankful.

Once again, we are reminded of how the early church funded the missions. Churches sent their support for specific missions. Nothing has changed. That’s how God wants it done! Giving is a God thing! Ministers of the gospels are sustained by the offerings of the church members. The church members are supplied “according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus”. The church member must work and the LORD blesses the work of his or her hand.

The gospel’s impact is such that even Caesar’s palace has believers! They sent their greetings to the believers at Philippi. Verse 22. These would be civil servants at the very top of government in today’s setup. So we have the brains of governments, tax collectors, fishermen, rich people, poor people, young and old, teachers of the Law, governors, civic leaders, doctors, and soldiers… the list is endless. Team Jesus is extensive. It should include you!

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com

Philippians 3 Commentary

Philippians 3 Commentary

Two instructions. First: Rejoice in the LORD. Second: Watch out for “mutilators” who put confidence in the flesh.

The two instructions go together because the “mutilators” can reduce the saint’s joy to zero. Mutilation is a term Paul uses to refer to the circumcision operation. Mutilators would be the Judaizers who demanded that every believer be circumcised.

Salvation by the Spirit is complete. You don’t have to add anything to it. Paul wants the believers to rejoice because they have a total package. Circumcision was a symbol of inclusion or “belonging”. It was outward evidence of “belonging”. Today’s equivalent would be prosperity as evidence of “belonging”.

Mutilators still exist and insist that a lack of prosperity puts a question on salvation. Watch out for the mutilators!

Knowing Christ Jesus is everything! And the price? Paul has lost “all things”. Verse 8. How dare we think of “gaining all things” as evidence of knowing Christ Jesus!

The saint has a different set of ambitions: To know Christ and the power of His resurrection…to participate in His suffering, becoming like Him in death, and “somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead”. Verses 10 and 11. It is always work in progress!

Have this environment and rejoice!

Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. A world that views 99% of people as “good” is terrible! Sinful and anti-scripture. The truth is that they all live for their stomachs – not for Christ Jesus. The truth is that only the minority (the remnant) live for Jesus. Their citizenship is in Heaven. They await salvation from there – the LORD Jesus Christ.

More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com