God's Love/Chrit's Patience

Thursday, ‎October ‎20, ‎2022 Good Morning, Lord Verse of the Day: Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. Memory verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Today's reading: ISAIAH 59-61 2 THESSALONIANS 3 God’s Love and Christ’s Patience In 2 Thessalonians 3 Paul writes: 5 "We pray that the Lord will lead your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s patience." Paul talks about 2 kinds of people that the new working church had to deal with. The first is mentioned in verse 2: "And pray that we will be protected from bad and evil people." (Not all people believe in the Lord.) Of course, not all people believe in the Lord. The mission of the new church was to reach unbelievers. I believe Paul speaks of the periphery folks who are around the church work. I remember standing on Sunday morning, outside in a small village in Ukraine at the back of a crowd of more than 200 people as they listened to the pastor speak. In the crowd were folks who walked around-they never stopped-as the preacher went on and they mumbled constantly as they walked. After the service was over, I asked the translator what the 'roamers' were saying. She said they were old hardline communist mumbling about this 'senseless message of Jesus'. This was 1993 not long after the fall of the 'iron curtain'. There will always be those who come around the work and mumble. They have evolved into folks who show up for things but are always negative. They always have a 'better way'. These are the 'bad and evil' people Paul talked about. They are the voice of the enemy himself trying always to stir up negative feelings. This is one of the reasons Paul prayed for God's love and Christ's patience. God's love is completely unconditional. God loves the people themselves but, of course, not the bad and evil spirit they have. We must know how to love them as God does and have patience as we pray for them and work with them always with the hope that the Holy Spirit will give them sight and that they accept the truth of Christ Jesus. The second kind of people are the ones who will not work(verses 6-14). Paul says at one point:10 "When we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If anyone will not work, he will not eat.” Then Paul writes in verse 13, "Brothers, never become tired of doing good." Then in verse 15, Paul says, " But do not treat him as an enemy. Warn him as a brother." If we put that together, we could say this, "Never become tired of being a brother in Christ in the love of God and with the patience of Christ. Some people can really wear you down to your last nerve. But remember, "See past the sin to the sinner" or the person who is created in the image of God but who is under the control of the enemy. It's all about the person-not the personality. It's all about the relationships God wants us to cultivate. When a farmer cultivates a young crop-the young plants have sprung up and so have some weeds. So if the man on the tractor cannot plow in a straight line, he plows up the young plants-if he plows well, he will only get the weeds in-between the rows. But, there are always some weeds in the row... We always have sin in and out of our lives. We must pray for God's love and the patience of Christ or we may plow up some young plants and that damage can take years to mend. Seek, first, God's Kingdom and His righteousness-His righteousness-not your own... ...because He loves us... Father in Heaven, Forgive me for becoming legalistic and judging and plowing crooked rows-give me your love and Christ's patience to mend relationships and cultivate new ones. Great God of righteous reconciliation, In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen

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