SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/3/2014 9:31 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Who?
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2Thess. 1:7b
Message of the
verse: “to you who are afflicted and
to us as well?” Now remember what we
have been looking at, and that “As did
the issue of retribution, the issue of rest and relief poses three questions:
why, who, and how.”
The answer to this question of who is God going to give
rest and relief can only be for those who are His own, those who have been
bought with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who purchased these on the
cross. “God promises eternal rest to all
believers, for all believers can expect to be afflicted” (MacArthur). I have mentioned in an earlier SD, and perhaps
even more than one, that a true believers life has to be tested to make sure
that their faith is genuine, and this is seen in the parable of the seed that
falls on different types of ground, and in that parable there is only one type
of ground that produces fruit, thus being the only one being a true
believer. After probably the most
fruitful ministry of any believer Paul writes the following to Timothy shortly
before he will have his head cut off because of his faith in Christ: “7 I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
8 in the future there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to
me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His
appearing.” We read on different
occasions that Paul was ready to die for the cause of Christ, and we can be
sure of two things, first Paul would receive many crowns for his service for
the Lord, and those who put him to death will receive their just do too.
How: 2
Thessalonians 1:10 “when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day,
and to be marveled at among all who have believed-for our testimony to you was
believed.”
Jesus Christ will be glorified in His saints when He
returns to planet earth. Now to be
honest I am not sure that Paul is writing about the rapture where the church
age saints will go to heaven to be with the Lord and will glorify the Lord for
the work that they have done for Him while in heaven, which will happen during
the tribulation period. For during that
time the judgment seat of Christ will happen along with the supper of the
Lamb. I could also mean at His second
coming to planet earth as described in Revelations 19 where surely He will
receive glory with those saints who have suffered much during the tribulation
period. Matthew writes the Words of
Jesus from Matthew 5:16 “"Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Christ will receive glory at the rapture and
also at His second coming, as He now receives glory from the work of His own
while on earth. Again I mention
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
John MacArthur seems to have an answer to my question as
to whether or not this will be at the rapture or the second coming. He writes the following after quoting from
Romans 8:18-19 which says “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be
revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for
the revealing of the sons of God.” “This
glorification will be the final and full redemption of all believers alive when
Jesus Christ comes to glory. That
requires some explanation. Some
believers will already be in the glorified condition, having been raptured
before the Tribulation. They will have
been in heaven since then in the place prepared for them (John 14:1-3) in
resurrection glory enjoying their rewards and fellowship with their Lord. They will return with Christ (Rev. 19:14) to
earth for the Millennium, to join the saints still alive on earth who will
receive the earthly kingdom and reign of the Savior. Apparently at the time of Christ’s return,
Tribulation saints and Old Testament saints, whose spirits have been with the
Lord, will be raised and fully glorified to join those descending from heaven. This is the resurrection spoken by
Daniel. ‘1 "Now at that time
Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will
arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there
was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is
found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “Many of those who sleep in the
dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to
disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3
"Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of
the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the
stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:1-3).’
All living believers who enter the kingdom will see the glorified
saints.”
Next we see the following from our verse and that is that
believers will be “marveled at among all who have believed.” MacArthur writes that “the redeemed will
wonder at the glory of Christ that is fully revealed in the resurrected
saints.”
Now remember one of the reasons that Paul wrote this
letter was because of the fear of the Thessalonians had missed the rapture he
writes that they would be among the glorified saints because “our testimony to
you was believed.” They had believed the
gospel and had excepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and so
they would be part of those who would bring glory to our Lord when He returns,
both at the rapture and His second coming.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: When I became a
believer I had and still have a desire to serve the Lord and to bring glory to
the Lord, and to also to do the work that was planned for me that is spoken of
in Ephesians 2:10. By doing this I will
have something to offer to my Lord when the Church Saints receive their crowns
and will be able to lay them at the feet of our Lord because Jesus paid it all
and all to Him I owe.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to show me and to guide me in
the work that He has for me to do for Him today.
Memory verses for the
week: Colossians 3:1-9.
1 Therefore if you have
been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set
your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. 4 For Christ, who is
our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to
idolatry. 6 For it is because of these
things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience; 7 and in
them you once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive
speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to
one another, since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
Answer to yesterdays Bible
question: “Thomas” (John 14:6).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who said, ‘Make haste, and
come down; for today I must abide at thy house’?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/3/2014 10:25 AM
I am not sure whether we
will continue in 2 Thessalonians or begin our study in Ezekiel. I am looking forward to both.
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