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+ A Letter To A Loved One???
- Enjoy being with our love ones
- They go
- Then their first communication is shared
- We devour it
> For over 50 years chain letters have been sent to mailboxes
> Chain Letters are letters which promise a phenomenal return on a small effort.
- Subject: forward this
- Subject: forward this on if you value your
life
- Subject: just following orders...
- Subject: i don’t normally do this sort of
thing ...
- Subject: This is the most unusual memo
I’ve ever received
- Subj: Might as well share the luck!!
- Subject: do not break this chain or your machine may crash
LETTER:
- Trust in the LORD with all your heart and HE will acknowledge and HE will light your way.
This prayer has been sent to you for good luck. The original copy is from the Netherlands. It has been around the world
nine times. The luck has now been brought to you. You will receive good luck within four days of receiving this letter, provided in turn, you send it back out. DO NOT SEND MONEY, FOR FAITH HAS NO PRICE. Do not keep this letter. It must leave your hands within 96 hours after you receive it. An RAF officer received $70,000. Joe Ellito received $450,000 and lost it
because he broke the chain. While in the Phillipines, General Welch lost his wife four days after he received this letter. He
failed to circulate the prayer. However, before his death, he received $775,000. Please send 20 copies and see what happens
to you on the fourth day. This chain comes from Venezuela, and was written by Saul Anthony, a missionary from South America. I, myself, forward it to you. Since the chain must make the tour of the world, you must make 20 identical copies to this one. Send it to your friends, parents, or associates.
After a few days you will get a surprise. This is true even if you are not superstitious. Take note of the following.
Constantine Dino received the chain in 1953. He asked his secretary to make 20 copies and send them. A few days later,
he won a lottery for $2,000,000 in his country. Carlo Caditt, an office employee, received the chain. He forgot it and a few
days later he lost his job. He found the chain letter and sent it to 20 people. Five days later he got an even better job.
Dolon Fairchild received the chain and not believing it, threw it away. Nine days later he died. For no reason whatsoever should
this chain be broken. Remember, SEND NO MONEY.
Please do not ignore this. IT WORKS!
+ ❶ Getting Ready To Go
– Background
- Reading the NT
- Letter before us has real true power if we would act on it
> Written 20 years after the death of Christ
- So what books would be first written in NT?
FAITH
> 1 Thessalonians is not only the earliest letter we have from Paul, it is also the earliest Christian document which we posses
2 Thessalonians was written under a year of the first book
- Christ’s first coming was a crucial event in world history
- Christ 2nd coming will be the climactic event
- James written roughly same period
WORKS
- Put 2 books together
- “Faith lived out in Christ”
> 1 Thes deals with the rapture
> Jesus is coming again
- Christ’s return in the air for the church
> 2 Thes deals with the revelation, Christ’s
return
> Jesus has not come yet
- “The Day of the Lord” referred to in 2 Thessalonians is that period of tribulation that comes to the earth after the church has been raptured.
+ ❷ Church Not In The Tribulation
- Thessalonians clearly taught that the
church will not go through the Tribulation
> 1 Thes 1:10
> 1 Thes. 5:9
+ Marking the Promise of HIS Coming
- Letters are written to inform and
encourage
- How to live the real life as result of the
resurrection
- Done by faith
- Each chapter ends with the promise of HIS
coming
> 1:10
> 2:19
> 3:13
> 4:13-18
> 5:23
+ ❸ Key Outline FAITH
> F – Faith of the Church - ch 1
> A – Actions of Faith At Work - ch 2
> I – Inspection of Faith by Timothy - ch 3
> T – True Faith Loves - ch 4
> H – Hopeful Faith Waits for Christ’s
Return - ch 5
+ ❹ THREE ACTIONS FROM THESSALONIANS
> 1. Make It Personal - v. 1
Paul wrote 13 letters
In all but these two there is no title
Rom., Philip., Tit. - Paul a servant
1 & 2 Cor., Gal., Eph., Col., 1 & 2 Tim.- Paul an apostle
Philemon - Paul a prisoner
1 & 2 Thes it is just Paul - Not Dear Sir, To Whom It My Concern
- Paul is heart to heart
- Gentle and caring
- He is giving the How to of faith
> 2. Make It Practical - v.1
- He writes to a city &church in Thessalonia
- Rich - Large & Political - Commercial
- On a sea port and major road
- Hub of transportation from all
backgrounds of life
- A resort city & Health Center - Hot
Springs
- Center of the Greek god’s at the foot of Mt
Olympus
- A changing colleague of ideas
- An exiting place to be with lots of action
- Paul gives the real excitement of life
- The real joy of life found in Christ
- Written to a group of believers
- They were hurting 1:6; 2:14-15; 3:3-4; 4:13, 18; 5:11
- In God – In Christ
- Followers of Christ
- Christ works in our lives right where we
are – City
- Christ will work in our lives because of
what he can do – In Christ
> 3. Make It Powerful - v.1
- Christ the anointed one
- Grace & Peace
- All of Paul’s letters have Grace & Peace
- Needed by all
- Only Christ can bring these
- God the source of grace
- Christ the way of grace
- Grace Enlightens
Strengthens
Transforms
Comforts
- Peace flows from grace
(1) Peace with God, We were once against
God Now with God.
(2) Peace of conscience.
(3) Peace one with another.
- v.2 It adds up to thanksgiving
- This equals progress: Growth that is lasting
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