Sunday, February 19, 2017

To those who are jobless, actively seeking work

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 1 Thessalonians 1:9b

In today's daily bread the Apostle speaks of the state of employment for "all" of God's children, that is, He calls former slaves/jobless to turn to the true and living God (of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob), worship and serve Him only, (and to wait for the Son to come and rescue God's children from coming wrath.)

Today's passage reminds me of the following points on the Lord's employment plan for his children:

* Former state

The Thessalonians used to serve/worship "idols". But by God's grace the gospel reached them, and they were set free to serve the true and living God. 

This is like the Israelite serving Pharaoh while in Egypt. They did not have future, for they worked, worked, and worked, until they were all used up and perish.  

* Training

But in His mercy the Lord God saved them through Moses. Put them in the desert area for close to 40 years, and train them to know what it is to worship and serve God. 

During this time of training they did not work. The Lord provided them with what is needed - food, clothes, sandals, every thing. They devoted their time to study the Bible, to know that man lives on the word of God. 

* Employment

The Lord put Israel in the Promised land so they would worship and serve God, that Israel be a kingdom of priest and nation. 

The Old Testament history writes  that Israel failed to live up to the call. 

Yet the Lord did not give up on them. He sent Jesus the Son of God, who when tempted said to the Devil, "Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that come from the mouth of God", "Worship God and serve Him only",  and "Do not put God to the test". 

Jesus then taught people, the parable of the workers in his vineyard. 

Pharaoh dictated Israel to make bricks without providing them with supplies. But God is different. He never asks his children to work without providing them with means to meet the call, as Paul says, "work produced by faith, labor stemming from love" etc. 

* Insurance/Retirement Program

The Lord will come back to rescue us from the coming wrath.

Upon leaving this world, while seated on the Mt. of Olives, looking at the Temple, Jesus gave his disciples the future state, that is, the coming wrath, culminating his return for the purpose of rescuing believers. 

Since then about two days (or two thousand years per man's calculation) on God's time clock passed. It appears that things grow difficult world wide. (We have lots of disasters looming large every where.)

But soon Jesus will come back to save his children (bride) to Himself, only to renew and put them in the new heavens and the earth, as is seen in Revelation 20-22.


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