1 Thessalonians 5

The Day of the Lord

 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought of was 1 Thessalonians 5:13. I have been praying to read my Bible more, to crave the words of the Lord.  I woke up with this verse in mind and I know it is straight from Jesus.  Such a blessing to know that He is real.  He reveals Himself in so many ways.  I prayed to crave His word and He communicates back in voice – “read this one Katie, be curious about what I said.”

I get so excited when I think about Paul.  I think about who he was and who he became.  It is the BEST reminder that Salvation is for EVERYONE.  Jesus was sent to Earth to save the scum, not the “perfect” (although, if you think you are perfect you are actually the scum, soooooo….). Back to my Bible reading of the day, what a great Chapter, eh?!  Thank you Jesus for hearing my heart, soothing my soul and reaching out in ways only you know I need.  Thank you for Paul and for blessing him with Salvation, just like you blessed me.

This last year has definitely been one of darkness.  It started with the most bazaar loss of toilet paper – and thus became one of the most inconsistent and fear filled mess of life I think this world has ever seen.  Where is the Shepherd?  Society has become a mass of lost sheep following no one.

That is what happens when fear comes to live in the hearts of humans.  When humanity allows fear to win over our faith the outcome is what we see now.  Trying to mask themselves into control – control over everything.  Control leads to communism.  It’s a really scary outcome.

If you turn off the incessant chatter of fear – your life line to adrenaline and tap into faith and God’s word you can control your mind, your feelings and your health.  You give your now to Jesus.  You now depend on Him.   

When you read the commands of the Bible, “¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.” It makes life so much more real.  When God commands us to work against the tricks of the Devil we must obey.  When godless people tell you to stop worshipping in church and stop going to church altogether – forsake not the gathering of yourselves together – for this is the command from God – you have to know that this form of Government is against the Lord. (Hebrews 10:25)

Therefore it would be disobedient to the Lords command to follow the current government. I will not do that.  I will not disobey my Lord.

I do not fear.  I don’t tap into the lies that the Devil is bathing in now.  He is so amped up because so many people are loving the fear, the embrace it.

I saw the saddest thing I have ever seen the other day while driving home.  I cannot erase it from my mind no matter how hard I try.  We witnessed the immediate aftermath of an accident on the freeway.  Someone has lost control of their little car and smashed directly into a massive light post.  I saw a man’s arm sticking out of the window.  He was wearing a blue surgical glove.  It makes me so sad because this man’s last moment on Earth were so engulfed in fear that he was wearing surgical gloves in his own vehicle.  That is the reality he was living in and that was the fear he had faith in.  

It makes me sad because I know another life.  I know Jesus.  I know that no matter what, I have a future in Him.  There is no fear in life here because I know He holds the future.  That does not mean that I do not have preservation of life.  It means that when the media and the government tell me lies to control me I don’t listen.

Let me give you facts.  I have a friend who works in a hospital.  She gave me information that was so shocking and infuriating that I can’t even believe it.  She told me that she is not allowed to get tested for Covid.  She works in a place where people go to get healed and she isn’t even allowed to get tested.

Yes, she goes about her day as a human.  She grocery shops, she pumps her gas, she goes to the bank, lives her life, she is a normal human.  Yet, she isn’t allowed to get tested.

Now that I know that, I burn up with rage.  My husband’s dad had a heart attack two months ago.  He was rushed to the hospital where they tried to save him by doing surgery, cooling his body and waiting to see if his brain would have activity.  

However, they wouldn’t do anything to him when he arrived at the hospital until he passed a Covid test – where the results didn’t come back for 2 hours.  Um…but my friend who works at the hospital just told me that they don’t get tested…not ever.

Another thing, in the three days that our Dad was in the hospital, do you know who could go see him, comfort him, talk to him, hold his hand while he was fighting for his life?  No one.  No one could go, not if we got tested, not if we suited up and stayed safe, not for any reason. He passed to Heaven that way.  He is no longer with us and now I know that tests are not given to people who work there.

The nurses that cared for my dad did not get tested.  Why could they go care for him?  Why could they enter his room.  They were strangers.  We love him.  He knows us, he hears our voice.  He wanted us.  We wanted to talk to him, to say things, to talk about memories, to engage him, to try.  Why. 

Information like that is ammunition.  None of this government control make sense.  Cling to the world and get nothing.  Cling to sin and you surely will fall.  Keep information like that to yourself and you will suffer.  

Truth will set us free.  God will hear the cries of His people and He will allow us freedom to worship, love, care, embrace, rejoice, testify, witness, surpass evil in every way.

1 Thessalonians 5

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

We love you dad.  You were the best.  You gave me my husband and he is the greatest man I know.  You filled the room with your presence.  You had no limits.  You lived life to the fullest.  We miss you every second.  I can’t wait to wrap my arms around your neck and tell you how loved you are.  The kids miss you so much.  You little pickle doesn’t cry, she is different now.  And your little grandson cried so hard, he talks about you all the time.  He remembers every detail of his memories with you.  He will continue on, just like you.  John 3:16 dad.  I will see you again.  I love you so much.