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23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 ESV)

Paul closes many of his letter with a benediction. Here he asks the Lord to completely sanctify the Thessalonians keeping their bodies, souls and spirits blameless when the Lord Jesus returns. Paul reminds them that the God who calls them is faithful and will do it. Paul then asks that they greet each other with a holy kiss, to pray for him, and to read his letter to all the brothers. He ends with a blessing of the Lord’s grace to them.

Heavenly Father, As Paul blessed those who read his letters may we, as we communicate with our brothers in You, bless those with whom we communicate that they will receive grace to remain, sanctified and blameless on the day our Lord Jesus returns; and may we encourage them to share our blessing with others that they too will be blameless on the last day. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,3 encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-21 ESV)

Here Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians to respect those who are over them in the Lord and admonish them to esteem them highly in love due to their work. He asks them to be at peace with each other. He urges them to admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak and be patient with all of them. He tells them not to repay evil with evil, but always seek to do good to everyone. He encourages them to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all circumstances; as this is the will of God through Christ Jesus for them. He commands that they do not quench the Spirit, and not to despise prophesies, but to test them and hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every form of evil.

Heavenly Father, Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians are good for followers of Your Son Jesus to do in all ages. They make for holy, upright lives pleasing to you. May we do the things that are instructed here that our fellowships will be full of peace and places of harmony that will be attractive to all who enter bringing glory to Your name. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 ESV)

It is important to stay awake. Paul says those who sleep, sleep at night and those who get drunk do so at night. He reminds us that we belong to the day and we are to be sober, as we wear the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation for a helmet. We are aware that God has not made us for wrath, but to acquire salvation through Jesus Christ who died for us that we might live with him. It is important that we encourage and build each other up when we are together.

Heavenly Father, Let us remain awake and sober, knowing that we are children of the light not of darkness. When we meet together may we encourage and build each other up that we may seek to bring others to salvation and bring glory to Your kingdom. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
(1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 ESV)

Paul is reminding the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord will come at an unexpected time. He says they are fully aware of this. He says others will say there is peace and security, but then sudden destruction will come upon them and they will not escape. He says they are not in darkness for the day to come and surprise them. He reminds them that they are the children of light, not the children of darkness to be surprise when the Lord returns.

Heavenly Father, Those of us who are followers of Your Son Jesus do not walk in darkness unaware that the day of His return is coming. May we be willing to share our faith that others who walk in darkness will come into the light with us confidently waiting with hope for the return of Your Son that they may with us participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV)

Whether or not the above description of the day of the Lord’s return is accurate we are assured that on that day: the dead will be raised and those alive will come before the judgement seat of the Lord. Those who were steadfast in their love of the Lord will be given eternal life in God’s kingdom and those who were not will be sent to eternal separation from God. See that you are steadfast in the love of the Lord that you may enter God’s kingdom for all of eternity.

Heavenly Father, On the last day those who are asleep will be raised and those who are living will come before you to be judged. May we live our lives loving You and Your Son Jesus that when we come before You we will be granted entry into Your kingdom for all of eternity. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
(1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 ESV)

Paul is telling the Thessalonians that God has taught them to love their brothers throughout Macedonia, so he does not need to write about it. He urges them to love more and more, to live quietly, to mind their own affairs and to work with their hands as he instructed them. They are to do this so they will be dependent on no one and walk properly before outsiders.

Heavenly Father, We too need to heed the advice that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that we will be able to walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. May we take this admonition to heart that our example will attract others to join us in Your kingdom for all of eternity. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
(1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV)

Paul is urging the Thessalonians to walk in the way that he taught them to please God and to do so more and more. He says that when he instructed them through the Lord Jesus, he told them it is the will of God that they abstain from sexual immorality, that each knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, and not in the passion of sexual lust like the Gentiles who do no know God, that they do not transgress in this way because the Lord avenges these things as they were warned. Paul reminds that God did not call them for impurity but for holiness. He says that whoever disregards this, disregards God not man who gives the Holy Spirit to them.

Heavenly Father, You expect your followers in every age to be pure and holy and to abstain from sexual immorality. May we heed the above warning as one given to us to remind us to remain pure and holy that we may be fit for Your kingdom and that others may join with us in living pure and holy lives. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
(1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 ESV)

Paul’s prayer here asks the Father and Jesus to direct his way to them, and Paul asks that the Lord will cause you to increase and abound in their love for each other and for all, as he does for them, in order that their hearts may be blameless before God, at the coming of Jesus with all of the saints.

Heavenly Father, It is my prayer that those who read this blog will be continually led by the Father to love each other and to grow in the knowledge of you, sharing it with all that they to may come to know Your Son Jesus as savior and Lord. I ask this in His name, amen.

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6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
(1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 ESV)

Timothy has returned to Paul from Thessalonica. He has given a good report of the faith of the brothers there and reported that they remember Paul kindly and long to see him. Paul says this comforts him. Paul says that he prays night and day that he might return to see them and further educate them in their faith.

Heavenly Father, When we have brought some one into the faith of your son and been with them for a time, but have had to part from them and move on may we remember them in or prayers daily that they may be steadfast in the faith and seek to grow in the knowledge of it. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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1 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.
(1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV)

Paul is writing that he stayed behind in Athens, while sending Timothy, a brother and a coworker in the Gospel of Christ, to establish your faith and exhort you in it that you would not be moved by his afflictions. He says they knew that this is his destiny. He says that when he was with them he told them about what he was to suffer, and it came to pass as they were told. When he could bear not knowing any longer he sent to learn about their faith for fear that somehow the tempter would test you and his labor would be in vain.

Heavenly Father, When we have spent much time and effort working with people and we then depart to a new location. We can fear that those we worked with will leave the faith and that the labor we went to will be fruitless. May those whom we served maintain the faith they were given and grow in it. I ask this in Jesus name, amen.

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