⏱ 10 min read

• Step by step we’re moving forward and gaining ground! Excited about 1 Thessalonians 4 📖🔥🤗
• We encourage you to join in on this journey and let’s “tattoo” God’s Word in our hearts! 📖🤍
• God bless you, and looking forward to your lessons, insights, and comments.

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ~ 1 Thess 4:1-5

The perfect will of God is for you and I includes abstaining from sexual immorality. The will of God, which is often mysterious to know, is very clear about fornication.

• How many of us really want to do the will of God and please Him?
• Perhaps go on missions; win souls for Jesus! Heal the sick, raise the dead; do the Lord’s work; build multi-billion companies; attempt great things for God, etc.?
• Dear friend, perhaps the first mission we have to master is our sexual organ. This is God’s clear will for your life!

 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 

• And we can do it just by the grace of God. Grace teaches us how to say no to worldly lusts and to live Godly lives.
• Receive God’s grace for your life! Receive that power that works in you both to will and to do! (Phil 2:13) Receive the lessons grace gives!
• Make a decision based on this to walk worthy of this precious grace and to please God. And do it so well that you appear odd to others (Titus 2:14).

Listen, when people start saying you are odd, different, strange about this, please call us and let’s have a party… You have broken through in Christianity! Rejoice greatly, for you are on the narrow way!

For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure. ~ Phil 2:13

• Now, since this is one of the clearest directions of the Lord, it is important that we make it one of our clearest and most energetic goals to practically live a sexually pure life.
• Please stay away from anyone who would want to have an impure relationship with you.

Everyone has a different way through which they keep themselves from fornication and sexual immorality. You must find out: “What is God’s will for my life’s journey of staying away from fornication?”

• It may be God’s will for you to never read certain books or watch certain films; and that may be the way you will stay away from fornication (Prov 4:23, Phil 4:8, Matt 6:22-23)
• It may be God’s will for you to marry as a very young passionate man/woman in order to keep yourself from fornication (1 Cor 7:1-2, 8-9). 

Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:2

But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, [that as a practical matter] it is good if they remain [single and entirely devoted to the Lord] as I am. But if they do not have [sufficient] self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:8-9

• It may be God’s will for you to have sex with your spouse every day in order to keep you from fornication (1 Cor 7:3-5, Prov 5:15-19).

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

• It may be the will of God for you to never live in certain countries that are more immoral; or for you to move from such places and settle in another place.

“and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)” ~ 2 Peter 2:7-8

• It may be God’s will for you to travel everywhere with your spouse in order to stay away from fornication.
• It may be the will of God for you not to have certain friends in order to avoid fornication (1 Cor 15:33, 2 Sam 13:3-5, Psalm 1:1-6).

Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. ~ 1 Cor 15:33

• It may be God’s will for you never to work closely with the opposite sex (e.g. having female secretaries) in order to keep you from fornication.

What is the will of God for your specific circumstance and situation? When it comes to possessing your vessel in sanctification, everyone should know how it works best for them and what the will of the Lord is. May grace help us all.

The Best Family Reunion Ever

“There will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 (The Message)

• Rick Warren says that when he was young, he didn’t really think about heaven that much.
• First, it seemed so boring—at least the way the world describes it. Second, it seemed like a long way off.
• And third, he didn’t have anybody there that he knew. But today, we may know a lot of people who are in heaven now.

And some of us, perhaps, can’t wait to get there and be with them. In heaven, we’re going to be reunited with our loved ones who love the Lord. Those who are in the family of God are all going to be there.

• Tell me, who would you like to talk to first in heaven? Of course, we’re going to meet and worship the Lord first.
• But who are you excited to see next? Every believer throughout history will be there.
• Would you like to talk to Moses? You can! How about Abraham or Mary or Paul? I don’t know about you, but I definitely have some questions for some people lol.

We’ll see famous people from throughout Christian history and scientists and world leaders (in every field) – people from every tribe and nation. We’re going to have all of eternity to relate and talk with them!

This is what Paul says in 1 Thess 4:17, “There will be one huge family reunion with the Master” (The Message). Can you imagine how emotional and joyful that is going to be?

• One of my spiritual mothers (Lady Vee) is in heaven now. You may also have dear people in heaven now; from family to friends and loved ones.
• The more of our dear ones, family and friends who are on that side of death, the dearer heaven becomes to us.

Paul continues and says: “There will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words” (1 Thess 4:17-18 The Message).

Are you encouraged by the thought of being in the presence of Jesus and reunited with your friends and family?

• When we are grieving with someone, we should share that encouragement with them.
• If they and their loved one know Jesus as their Savior, then death is not the end. They will see them again!
• This is God’s goodness to us, that there is no greater hope in life than a big family reunion for eternity!

• Is there someone in your life who needs to hear about God’s offer of an eternal home in heaven? What will you do about it?
• Do tell in the comments: What kinds of things do you think you will want to talk about in heaven, and to whom? (once we’ve left the world behind).

Will you be part of the heavenly family reunion?

The Bible says we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through His Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven:

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you’re willing to commit your life to Jesus, we can pray together:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!”

Congratulations! Heaven rejoices greatly because of you! If you just prayed to accept Jesus or rededicated your life to Jesus, please contact us here; or leave a comment. We’d love to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus and walk this journey with you.

Hey, you're blessed and highly favoured and dearly loved! Do share your lessons from 1 Thessalonians 4. Remember to tag us and your friends on 📲:
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Disclaimer: this post contains portions of messages and text originally shared by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills and Ps Rick Warren (both of whom are my mentors in the faith).