January 7, 2026

1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 20 (NKJV)

Our Christian Conduct”

16 “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies.”

What would your world be like if everyone (including you) followed these words of the Apostle Paul?

Imagine being joyful each moment of the day. When we face a situation that is not pleasant we simply tell God about it and move on. Would that work for you, would you be willing to try it for seven days?

Pray without ceasing is not a call to pray 24 / 7. Rather it is a call to pray persistently, living in an attitude of prayer. We pray regularly, we pray when a need occurs, we pray when others need our prayers. Prayer can be done anyplace, anytime. Have you tried praying while driving?

Thanklessness is a trait of unbelievers. Paul often told his followers to give thanks. Is it difficult in some instances to be thankful., sure it is but believers should be thankful for all things. We can learn from the adversities we face. It’s all about attitude. It is God’s will for all of us to be thankful.

The fire of the life in Christ can be doused with sin; we are called to avoid quenching the Spirit. When we allow Him to control our life then we can rest assured we are not quenching His Spirit.

And finally, do not despise prophecy. Prophetic utterances are from God and are authoritative messages. These come through a well-recognized spokesman and because of their divine origin they should be treated as such.

God Bless.

Bible Study

January 6, 2026

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – 15 (NKJV)

“Instructions On Treating Others”

11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”

Christ Followers should be the ones that bring peace to other people and edify them. That is a basic Christian belief and should be  a practice of all believers. Edify is to uplift someone spiritually or to build them up in their faith. We are to be encouragers and calling them back to fellowship

John MacArtur writes that people are to know their pastors well enough to have an intimate appreciation for them and respect them. He further outlines the work of the pastor identifying three things:

1. Laboring, working to the point of exhaustion,
2. Overseeing, standing before them in righteousness, and
3. Instructing them in the truth of God’s word.

In addition to knowing their pastor they are to hold them in high esteem as congregations are to think rightly and lovingly of their pastors not because of their personality but because they work for the Lord. They are also to submit to their leadership to bring peace to the church.

He has said how pastors are to serve people and how people are to respond to their pastors. In verse 14 – 15 he shares how people are to treat one another in the fellowship of the church. The unruly must be brought back in line, those in fear and doubt must be encouraged and made bold.

The weak must be held up firmly. Patience, forgiveness, and acts of goodness must prevail in the church.

God Bless.

Bible Study

January 2, 2026

1 Thessalonians 5:6 – 10 (NKJV)

“Saty Awake”

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

Believers no longer live in darkness but in light (the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ). We are to be alert to spiritual issues. We must be alert to indifference. We are to live balanced lives, watchful, under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Paul often spoke of the Christian life as one of a comparison to military life always being alert and prepared. The “breastplate” covers the vital organs of the body. “Faith” is the protection against temptation because we trust God’s plan for our lives.

Elsewhere the breastplate has be used to represent righteousness. Faith elsewhere has been used to represent a soldier’s shield.  The “helmet” is always associated with salvation in its future aspects.

“Wrath” is the same as is referred in 1:10 it is the wrath of God’s eternal punishment, not the temporal wrath during the Tribulation period. “Those who died” goes back to the reference of sleep. Whether dead or alive we will one day be alive forever and live together, forever with the Savior who died for our sins.

God Bless.

Bible Study

January 2, 2026

1 Thessalonians 5:3 – 5 (CSB)

“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”

“Sons of Light”

Many false prophets of old forecast a bright future although God had said judgement was forthcoming Paul says we will see the same thing come about in future days. “labor pains” signify the suddenness and the painfulness of the day.

“But you” Paul now goes to those who have been raptured with the church, He says they will not be in darkness and be on earth (to them) to see the terrible things that are brought about prior to the return of Jesus.

Believers will have no part in the “day of the Lord” since they are now in heaven, they are the church John writes about in Revelation. Jesus taught to believe in Him would remove a person from spiritual darkness. Paul brings this out all the way through verse seven.

Believers will not experience the wrath of God but those in unbelief, rejection. Moral darkness, spiritual darkness will experience severe wrath from God. All of those in darkness (those following Satan) will be overtaken in the day of the Lord with deadly results.

“Sons of Light” are referenced as believers or children of God. Believers will live a completely different life than those in disbelief at the day of the Lord.

God Bless.

Bible Study December 31, 2025

 Roman 8:28 – 29 (NKJV)

28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the

firstborn among many brethren.”

“Reflecting”

As 2025 draws to an end have you given thanks for your blessings this year? Maybe you have but this is a good time to stop and thank God for all he has done. I have seen some pop up on Facebook.

I just celebrated my seventy-seventh Christmas God has blessed me with for which I am thankful. Many people do not get that opportunity. There have been those in my life that died way to early but then again I am not God. He knows what is best I accept that.

I have had many opportunities in life that others have not. We have lived in in Oklahoma, Missouri, California, Ohio, Tennessee and all at the expense of the company I worked for. I have met so many wonderful people. God has blessed me with the opportunity after retirement to take the next step in my life.

That step has been to pastor two really supportive churches. We have met long time friends in both that are precious people. I cherish those friends. Life presents its challenges but Paul told the church in Rome “all things work together for good.” Not all things are good that happens in our life but all things are expedient (convenient).

Verse twenty-eight only applies if you keep verse twenty-nine in context. All things work together for good as we transformed into image of God.

Has 2025 been good to you or are there things that you feel were unfair? If that is the case let me challenge you seek out Jesus early in 2026 so at the end of 2026 you can “I have been truly blessed.”

God Bless.

Bible Study

December 30, 2025

1 Thessalonians 1:1 – 2 (CSB)

“About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.’

“Judgement of Believers”

Paul goes from talking about the blessings of the rapture to the judgement of unbelievers that is forthcoming. “Times and seasons” are two terms that mean the measure of times and the character of times. Many people expected Jesus return during their lifetime and they were grieved because their fellow believers died before His return.

The Thessalonians most likely knew all God intended for them to have some understanding about the coming judgement so Paul taught them what they had not known about the rapture. Paul told them needed to live holy lives (as we are today) in light of the judgement of God rather be overly concerned about the timing of His return. They could not know the time of His coming but they knew it would be unexpectedly.

There are nineteen times the  phrase “day of the Lord” is used in the Old Testament four in the New Testament.

Old testament prophets used the term to describe near historical events (s. 13:6-22). It is also referred to as the “day of vengeance.” The New Testament refers to it as the day of “wrath”, day of “visitation”, and the great day of the almighty God (rev. 16:14).

The future “day of the Lord” unleashes God’s wrath in two parts: the end of the Tribulation period (rev. 19:11 -21_, and the end of His Millennial reign. These two events occur 1,000 years apart. Paul refers to the end of the millennial period with the final “Day of the Lord.”

The term “a thief in the night   ‘ is never used to refer to the rapture of the church only to His second coming at the end of the Tribulation period. As the thief comes unexpectedly so Jesus will return.

God Bless.

We are concluding a study of the book of Revelation at church would you be interested if we were to pursue a study of Revelation next?

Bible Study

December 29, 2025

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 18 (CSB)

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

“No Need To Fear”

John said in his Gospel in chapter fourteen of Jesus “I go to prepare a place for you.” He is in heaven preparing that place right now and when the time is come He is returning to the earth for His church. Little is known of the angelic order other than the reference to Michael the archangel. There was most likely other archangels we just do not know.

When Jesus returns the dead in Christ will arise first then those alive will ascend into heaven to be with Him forever, once you are in heaven that is your eternity. The trumpet is not like of the judgements found in Revelation but a trumpet of deliverance.

We have all heard of the term “Armageddon.” This is the final battle where Satan and his followers are ultimately defeated and will be cast into the lake of fire. The rapture of the church or the “taking up of the Christ Followers” will take place before the end time plagues.

There is concern with some people about these events but we are told “to comfort one another” as we wait for His appearing. This passage is not about prophecy but about supporting each other as we wait for His return. There are three things this comfort is based upon:

1. The dead will be resurrected and participate in His coming,
2. When Jesus returns the living will be reunited with our loved ones, and
3. All will be with the Lord in eternity.

There is nothing to fear for the believer that’s the Good News however we need to take this message to all that we can before it is too late.

God Bless.

Bible Study

December 24, 2025

John 1:1 – 5 (CSB)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

“When the Light Shines the Darkness Disappears”

Light and darkness cannot exist at the same time. One little match can light the path of a traveler, it can light up a room, it will dispel darkness.

John is telling us the when Jesus came into the world He brought light. Life was the light of men. As celebrate Christmas in 2025 we must remember the reason Jesus came. He came to bring light. Darkness prevailed until his arrival.

The old kingdoms and empires  of the world were corrupt and the Roman empire that existed when Jesus was born may have been one of the most corrupt causing Herod to kill all the baby boys under two years of age. Each of the previous empires were wicked.

Light of the world is exactly who Jesus is and that is the reason we celebrate His birth. But it is so much more that he did for us. Darkness is gone and light has come – celebrate the birth of the newborn King on a daily basis.

God Bless and Merry Christmas.  

Bible Study

Luke 1:26 – 35 (NKJV)

26 “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

These are familiar words to the church at Christmas time. Maybe we should read them other times of the year.

The importance of the virgin birth cannot be overstated.

 Both Matthew and Luke expressly say that Mary was a virgin. Mary through supernatural means conceived by the Holy Spirit. The testifies to both His deity and His sinfulness. “Rejoice favored one” is a term we find in Ephesians 1:6 where it is translated “bestowed” portraying Mary as a recipient of divine grace.

The angel said to Mary “Do not be afraid” the same thing Gabriel said to Zacharias. Gabriel says to Zacharias “you’re son will be great” but to Mary “Son of the Most High.” Since a son bears his father’s qualities, calling aa person someone else’s “son” was a way of signifying equality. Here the angel is telling Mary her son would be equal to the “Most High.”

The angel knew the heart of Mary because as you remember when Zacharias questioned Gabriel he was struck silent because he questioned. Mary did not question what she said was not borne out of doubt but out of wonder.

The amazing immaculate conception. God Bless.