"After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth."~Genesis 8:6-11

Thursday, December 20, 2012

1 Thessalonians


This letter was written by Paul to the church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey, while he was in Corinth, between 49 and 52AD.  Paul had founded the church in Thesslonica not long before he had written this letter.  He had been in Thessalonica about three weeks (Acts 17:2) before being chased out of town (Acts 17:5,10).  Despite the persecutions that the believers were facing in Thessalonica, they received the gospel in word, in power in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (1:5,6).  The church quickly became an example for believers elsewhere (1:7).  Paul really had a heart for the people in this church (2:9).

"And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit"- 1 Thessalonians 1:6

OBSERVATION
What happens amidst affliction?
Thessalonians received the word with joy in the Holy Spirit, as it came to them in power, in word, in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

INTERPRETATION
How would this encourage Paul?
It would be a good reminder that God works despite, through, and around persecutions.  Also, as he faces much of this throughout his life, it would be nice to know that he is not alone, a reminder that he is not the only one suffering for God, and that the gospel is so powerful that even those who have only just received it believe it worth suffering for.

TIMELESS TRUTH 
The gospel is more powerful than anything man can do and is worth suffering for.
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