Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Day of the Lord, a Day of Many Questions

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Don Merritt

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love | 4 Comments

Proverbs 15:18

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Don Merritt

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. This one requires no comment from me; let us bask in its simplicity and truth.

Posted in Bible | Tagged attitude, Bible, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, life, perspective, Proverbs, wisdom | 7 Comments

Discussing Spiritual Warfare

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Don Merritt

One of the great challenges of discussing matters that relate to spiritual warfare is how to describe it; how do you do that? Most of the people who read these posts are writers, so I think I’m posing the question … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible interpretation, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, perspective | 8 Comments

Wait and See!

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Don Merritt

2Thessalonians 1 If anything, the persecution of the church in Thessalonica has increased since the last letter; yes, this seems certain. Paul’s writings here, after the initial opening, seem to place even more urgency on the situation as he tries … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective | 9 Comments

Introduction to 2Thessalonians

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Don Merritt

Having completed First Thessalonians, we now come to Second Thessalonians, which is also quite an interesting little letter. While it only contains three chapters, it packs quite a punch for us today, and it is surrounded by controversy. The first … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, perspective | 2 Comments

Rejoice Always

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Don Merritt

1Thessalonians 5:12-28 Paul closes out this first letter to the Thessalonian church in these verses; the NIV calls this his “Final Instructions” yet somehow to me at least, that doesn’t quite describe it. It might be that in a technical … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, perspective, photos | 4 Comments

A Prayer of Purpose

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Don Merritt

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Life | Tagged Bible, Christian, Devotional, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love, Prayer | 7 Comments

Bonus Post: Conditions in Thessalonica

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Don Merritt

Thessalonica was located on the Macedonian coast with a large natural harbor, which would explain its founding there in 315 B.C. by Casander, a general of Alexander the Great. In 146 B.C. the Romans made it the capital of Macedonia … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, history, hope, Jesus, life, perspective | 4 Comments

More Encouragement from Paul

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Don Merritt

1Thessalonians 5:1-11 Paul continues the discussion he began in 4:13-18 and in a sense repeats himself in slightly different words. He has been talking about what happens with those who have died, and as we saw last time, this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible | Tagged 1Thessalonians, Bible study, Christian, discipleship, encouragement, hope, inspiration, Jesus, life, love | 1 Comment

Those who Have Died

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Don Merritt

1Thessalonians 4:13-18 This passage (and the next for that matter) can either be simple to understand or difficult; the choice is ours to make. If you prefer simple, as I do, then all we need to do is to remember … Continue reading →