April 28, 2013: Hope Comes from God's Grace

1 Thessalonians 2
New King James Version (NKJV)

Paul’s Conduct

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 

² But even^[a] after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 

³ For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴ But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 

⁵ For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 

⁶ Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 

⁷ But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 

⁸ So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 

⁹ For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

¹⁰ You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 

¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged^[b] every one of you, as a father does his own children, 

¹² that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 

¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

¹⁶ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 

¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. 

¹⁹ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 

²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.

April 21, 2013: Living With Hope

1 Thessalonians 4

New King James Version (NKJV)

Plea for Purity

4 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; 

² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 

⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 

⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 

⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 

⁸ Therefore he who rejectsthis does not reject man, but God, who has also given^[a] us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 

¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 

¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 

¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.<sup>[b]

15</sup> For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Day of the Lord

5 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.

² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 

³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 

⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 

⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 

⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 

⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 

⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Various Exhortations

¹² And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 

¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 

¹⁵ See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, 

¹⁷ pray without ceasing, 

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. 

²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. 

²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good.

²² Abstain from every form of evil.

April 14, 2013: The Holy Spirit Comes

Acts 2:1-36

Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord^[a] in one place. 

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 

³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 

⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Crowd’s Response

⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 

⁶ And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 

⁷ Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 

⁸ And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 

⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 

¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 

¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 

¹² So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

¹³ Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 

¹⁵ For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 

¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.




¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
²¹ And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’^[b]

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 

²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken^[c] by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
²⁶ Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
²⁷ For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’^[d]

²⁹ “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 

³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,^[e] 

³¹ he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 

³² This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 

³³ Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴ “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵ Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’^[f]

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

April 7, 2013: The Lord Appears

Luke 24:36-53

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶ Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them,“Peace to you.” 

³⁷ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 

³⁸ And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 

³⁹ Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.^[f] 

⁴¹ But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 

⁴² So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.^[g] 

⁴³ And He took it and ate in their presence.

The Scriptures Opened

⁴⁴ Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 

⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

⁴⁶ Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise^[h] from the dead the third day, 

⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹ Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem^[i] until you are endued with power from on high.”

The Ascension

⁵⁰ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 

⁵¹ Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

⁵² And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 

⁵³ and were continually in the temple praising and^[j] blessing God. Amen.^[k]