Maverick's Muttering

    Second Epistle to the Thessalonians Chapter 1. Paul as a matured Christian shepherd urges the Thessalonians to come together and be bounded in God’s grace. The outpouring and out flowing grace of God brings Christians together as on flock in fellowship with one another in love and in Faith. Silas, Timothy, and Paul have abounding love for the Thessalonians even in their absence from the church of Thessalonica where the Christian are going through  trials and tribulation. And they show their love in their continued prayers for their beloved brethren. Faith cannot be built by being separated from other Christians. Why?  True faith needs to show works of faith. James says faith without works is dead, being alone. (James 2:17) Therefore its crucial to come together as a church and build one another in faith with works. Paul says faith grows as it is necessary, and it must grow exceedingly in love too. This love is expressed as Agape love by Paul. Why must Paul ur...

  1 Thessalonians 4 “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Our daily walk must please God. The psalmist say that we must mark the perfect man like Paul in this letter and behold his upright walk with God, for the end of man like Paul is peace. (Psalm 37:37) We must do it more and more purposefully because it is the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Verse 2) “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” 1 Thessalonians 4:3 . It is the will of God, even our sanctification. John Murray says in this book, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, that sanctification is a work of God in us that leads to regeneration and the effects of regeneration is our consciousness in the exercise of faith, repentance, love, and obedience. He furthers expresses that the regeneration is w...

  Proverbs 1 A Wise Man Will Hear Proverbs 1:1-6 “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” King Solomon’s give clear direction and guidance like a GPS device to all who wants to seek godly wisdom. One must first be prepared to hear and to hear wisely, to know wisdom, to receive instruction, to give knowledge and discretion. We must train and discipline ourselves to hear. Only a wise man who listens will gain in learning and understanding and able to attain wise counsels. When we read the proverbs do we listen to our own reading? Do we rea...