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Father, thank you for the doctrine of your Word, which is your will for us to live our lives. Father, thank you for filling us to capacity with joy on the inside and with your gift of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, we know we have eternal life. Now Lord, open your Word to us and give us understanding, so that we may do your Word and be blessed. Now to God our Father that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. In Jesus Christ name. Amen.

Last month we reviewed 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-14. Key points from this teaching include:

• Only God our Father knows the exact time and the season His son will return. No one else knows!
• The second coming of Christ has two phases: 1. The first phase Christ comes for his saint in the air. 2. In the second phase, Christ comes with his saints to earth. Christ coming with his saints on earth is "the day of the Lord."
• Christ's second return is like a thief in the night. It's going to occur fast, before anyone knows anything about it!
• To receive the spirit of God, we must follow the instructions in Romans 10:9-10.
• The brethren are not in darkness, that, the return of Christ should overtake us as a thief in the night. Why? Because we are the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
• God, our Father, has not appointed the born-again believers to wrath but to obtain salvation (wholeness by our Lord Jesus Christ).
  

This month's teaching will cover the remaining verses of 1 Thessalonians 5:15-28. In 1 Thessalonians: 5:10, we are told "Jesus died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." As we gain understanding about the remaining verses in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, I want you to keep this verse in mind.

My brothers and sisters, it is vital to know God's Word regarding the hope of Christ's return! Remember, this was the first revelation God gave to the Apostle Paul! This is a summation of all the great doctrine truths we read about in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 through 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Remember, this epistle is in the imperative mode, which means it is a commandment. In other words, Thessalonians is a doctrine epistle; it is a doctrine warning.

1 Thessalonians 5:15:

See that none render evil [kakos] for evil [kakos] unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines the Greek word kakos as "evil" or that which is morally or ethically evil, whether of persons, qualities, emotion, passions, or works. The verse above tells us that our hearts as born-again believers is to ever follow that which is good not evil. We are encouraged to be spiritually the best both among ourselves, and to all men.

Let's continue with a simple, but powerful verse - 1 Thessalonians 5:16:

Rejoice evermore.

The truth of God's Word documented in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 through 1 Thessalonians 5:15 is the reason for our rejoicing evermore! In order to rejoice, we must first have joy. Joy is an inside job; We have joy inside because we are born again of God's Spirit. We experience joy because of what God our Father has done for us in Christ! God's Word says we do because we have the knowledge given us in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 through 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. And we know we are the children of light, and the children of the day. We know God has not appointed us to wrath, but rather, to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. We know the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, and whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. With this knowledge of God's Word, we can rejoice evermore!

Acts 2:28 says:

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

And Acts 13:52 clarifies:

And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

God's Word tells us there is no joy inside without God's gift of holy spirit! When we operate the manifestation of speaking in tongues, one of the fruits we produce is joy. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 continues the exhortation started in the previous verse:

Pray without ceasing.

This commandment is figurative for it is literally not possible to pray without ceasing. What we are being told is we have an open door to pray as much as we want anytime, anyplace, doing anything. With the abundance of God's Word documented in these five chapters of Thessalonians, we can pray as much as we want to!

There are two types of prayer - 1. We can pray with our understanding and 2. We can pray in the spirit by speaking in tongues [see 1 Corinthians 14:15]. Two of the benefits of speaking in tongues is to pray perfectly and gives thanks well to God our Father! See June 2016's teaching for more benefits regarding speaking in tongues. Genuine prayer is the Word of God in your hearts and on your lips. Prayer without the Word of God is useless!

One of my frequent prayers is that no matter what circumstances I find myself in, I will stand for God! I pray that I will walk in alignment and harmony with God's Word. And I pray that when people see me, they see Christ! There are many examples of prayers in God's Word, here's one.

From 1 Corinthians 1:4-9:

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed [by speaking in tongues] in you:

So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let's continue our teaching by looking at 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This verse does not say "give thanks for everything." It tells us "in everything give thanks." No matter the circumstances we are currently facing, God's Word documented in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 through 1 Thessalonians 5:17, that in everything God has given us in His Word we are to give thanks to God!

Ephesians 5:20 reinforces this by telling us:

Giving thanks always for all things [according to God's Word] unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are instructed to make it our habit to give thanks in everything to God our Father! We give thanks out of the joy and prayers and love for God our Father!

Acts 16:22-25 provides an example of this exhortation from 1 Thessalonians 5:18:

And the multitude rose up together against them [Paul and Silas]: and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

This is an incredible example of in everything give thanks to God! I challenge you to read the rest of Acts 16 to see how God delivered Paul and Silas and blessed them. This is the passionate will of God in Christ Jesus, the now glorified one who was once humbled concerning you! You are to give thanks in everything, with joy in your inner self and praying without ceasing. Can you see how each verse builds on the one before us?

1 Thessalonians 5:19 gives us another instruction to add to our list:

Quench not the Spirit.

The word "quench" means to extinguish. The word "spirit' is the Greek word pneuma which is the gift in manifestation. How do you quench/extinguish the spirit? We are exhorted to "quench not" or not to extinguish the spirit. When we operate the nine manifestations of the spirit documented in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, we will not and cannot quench the spirit that is in us!

We are exhorted to "quench not" by rejoicing evermore. We are urged to "quench not" by praying without ceasing. And we are implored to "quench not" by in everything giving thanks.

Remember, our attacks are spiritual. To battle and defeat these attacks, we need the spirit of God that is in us! For greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world (see 1 John 4:4).

1 Thessalonians 5:20 gives us the next action to take on:

Despise not prophesying.

The word "prophesying" refers to the in-spirit worship manifestation. God's Word in 1 Corinthians 14:1-4 says:

Follow after charity [love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation], and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understand him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

But he that prophesied speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

He that speaks in an unknown tongue edified himself; but he that prophesies edified the church. [bold added for emphasis]

Genuine prophesy in the church will always be in the form of edification, and exhortation, and comfort! Prophesy from the in-spirit worship manifestation is not doom and gloom. True prophesy according to God's Word builds us up and brings us comfort.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 exhorts us to:

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

We prove all things in accordance with God's Word! For 2 Peter 1:3: says:

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

God's Word has given us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness." God's Word is the standard we use to live by! We hold fast that which is the spiritual ideal through joy, prayer, giving thanks in all things, and by quenching not the spirit, and prophesying!

Finally, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tell us:

Abstain from all appearance [forms] of evil.

We abstain ourselves from all forms of evil. God's Word tell us about these forms of evil throughout His Word. By understanding these appearances of forms of evil, we can refrain ourselves. Ephesians 6:16 states:

Above all, taking the shield of faith [believing], wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [evil one].

1 Thessalonians 5:23 provides the conclusion of the previous verses' exhortations.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved [like a treasure] blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse enlightens us to the consequences to taking action on 1 Thessalonians 5:15 through verse 22. Our Father is a "God of peace who has set us apart by His spirit in us!" We have comfort knowing our spirit and soul and body will be a treasure and blameless upon Christ's return. I pray to God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved like a treasure, blameless to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The last five verses provide a closing to this magnificent epistle - 1 Thessalonians 5:24-28:

Faithful is he [God] that calleth you [the born-again believers], who also will do it.

Brethren pray for us.

Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

In this closing, we are told God is faithful to His sons and daughters when they carry out his commandments. We are reminded to encircle the brethren with pray, and to treat each other with respect and courtesy. We are told to read this epistle with each other. Romans 10:17 tells us:

So then faith [believing] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 - 28 is like a handbook of action. We are told to:

• Render not evil for evil.
• Rejoice always.
• Pray without ceasing.
• Give thanks in everything.
• Quench not the spirit.
• Despise not prophesying.
• Hold fast to good.
• Abstain from forms of evil.
  

We are reminded in the concluding verses of 1 Thessalonians that God has sanctified us and preserved us like a treasure. And we are told to work with the born-again believers, our brethren, to read all of 1 Thessalonians together.

Father, thank you again for your wonderful Word which is the heart and soul of our life day- by-day. Thank you for the understanding of your Word. Thank you that we live and have our being in you. Thank you for being faithful to your sons and daughters who you have chosen before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before you, our Father, in love. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Next's month teaching subject: 2 Thessalonians.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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