I Thessalonians 3

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1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Who is a brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ? I want to point out to you that brothers and sisters, who are co-workers, could apply to any and all disciples. It seems that each of us has a different walk with Jesus and others as we stand before the world in which we live.

Then, NOTE their anticipation of trials. They warned the Thessalonians that they would be persecuted and this actually happened. Again, what kind of trials were these and where were they coming from? As we have pointed out frequently, the trials and persecution spoken of here is pressure from the religious community. It is not from the "secular" world. It is from the spiritual or religious community. Even in the 8th Beatitude Jesus speaks of being persecuted as primarily a verbal offense. Although the verbal attacks did grow into some physical persecution, the vast majority of it is all verbal pressure--either talking badly toward you or about you.

I've experienced this a bit since we have been stubbornly following Jesus more closely. The rejection comes in the forms of saying, "Well, that's fine, but living this kind of lifestyle just can't be practiced within the structure of the church." Or, "It all sounds too simple." "You're ignoring the doctrinal teachings and even much of the Bible." At one point, when I mentioned JESUS PLUS NOTHING, a comment was made, "You've got to be kidding. You can't live like that. There's more to Christianity than Jesus plus nothing."

I'm reminded once again of the words in the 11th chapter of II Corinthians: But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. In another translation this is "to be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."

Every time we feel the need to add-on something to Jesus, then we have added too much. In fact, add-ons too easily become the primary focus. And then the add-ons are received as "the truth" that is equal to or greater than Christ or instead of Christ. This is precisely what is meant by the biblical term, ANTI-CHRIST--all that is "instead of" Christ. The spirit of anti-Christ or "instead of" Christ is not something we're waiting for; it is already here. I beg you...hang on to JESUS PLUS NOTHING. He is the only One Who can get you out of this world alive!