INFLUENCERS. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.

We hear about “social media influencers.” Most are young people with a talent for engaging an audience. Celebrities, including singers, actors, and athletes (so many soccer players!), top the lists, but even the highest ranks include four members of the Kardashian family—the family of OJ’s lawyer—who, like Paris Hilton, are merely “famous for being famous.” Further down the list are non-celebrities, once-unknown kids who have made a name for themselves with makeup videos, prank videos, and more.

But why make these people “influencers”? Does an actor’s opinion on politics merit attention? Should the choices of a high-school dropout who is now a famous singer have any credibility? Do you really want to be influenced by people your grandmother might call “empty-headed ninnies”? Do the choices made by celebrities indicate that they possess wisdom?

Who have you chosen to influence you? You get to choose!

“Now we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to keep away from everyone who walks irresponsibly…. For you know: YOU MUST IMITATE US. We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; we labored and struggled, working night and day so we would not be a burden. We did it to make ourselves an example to you, so that YOU WOULD IMITATE US. In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: ‘if anyone will not work, neither let him eat.’ …Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,13.

Paul dares to say “YOU MUST IMITATE US” (meaning Paul, Timothy, and Silvanus). Are we willing to imitate them?

Do we examine the lives of apostles and elevate them to a place of influence?

What about mature believers we know personally?

Are we looking to the best Christians for influence?

Or are we blindly following the lost (the blind), both friends and famous?

Ask yourself: WHOM DO I IMITATE? Choose the best examples you can. “Be imitators of us and of the Lord” I Thessalonians 1:6.

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INCENTIVE. 1 Corinthians 9:7-10.

Satan is the father of lies; one of the worst is COMMUNISM.

Communism KILLS. Karl Marx blamed the world’s problems on class warfare: the rich have the capital (money) and keep the poor impoverished, jealous, and resentful. Marx invented COMMUNISM: everyone works, the government takes everything, and then hands out money in a way that is “fair.” But humans are CORRUPT and people end up MISERABLE.

Marx defends killing property owners, the religious, and other troublemakers—and the numbers are unbelievable. Where Nazism killed 8 million, Communism has slaughtered 100 million(!)—and the numbers keep climbing.

(The notion that Communism is an economic system is just a cover story—this is a GENOCIDE system!)

Communism FAILS. Workers know that no matter how hard they work, they will be paid the same. Thus, they become lazy, refusing to work a second longer than their laziest neighbors. The result is a nation where no one works and there are shortages of EVERYTHING, especially food. People starve and the nation goes bankrupt. That Communist or “collectivist” process killed the USSR. But Communist China has survived by letting people keep a small fraction of what they earn, thus creating INCENTIVE. People work hard when they know they will enjoy some fruits of their labor.

“Capitalism” was Marx’s insulting name for our system, but incentive-based Capitalism was God’s plan:

“Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk?… He who plows ought to plow in hope [of harvesting], and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the grain” 1 Corinthians 9:7-10.

“If any man will NOT work, neither let him eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

The Bible has the answers for EVERYTHING, even global economics. Have you figured that out yet? It is not just happy thoughts to read snuggled in your recliner with a cup of coffee.

This ain’t a poetry reading! This is the OWNERSHIP MANUAL for life on earth: politics, criminal justice, history, psychology, art theory, education, family life—it’s all there.

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HARD WORK IS THE RIGHT THING. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8, 10; 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

There is a notion that spiritual people should not involve themselves in hard work, but stay inside, keep their hands clean, think deep thoughts, and somehow make themselves more spiritual by doing less.

That is ridiculous!

Jesus had dirt under his fingernails.

And a farmer’s tan.

And scars on his hands from years of hard work.

His father was not a priest, but a carpenter. A craftsman.

Never did Jesus avoid hard work.

(Nor were the spiritual disciplines of fasting and prayer easy and pleasant—it’s not sitting on the deck with coffee and a prayer journal—as valuable as that is. When Jesus prayed, He went to WORK.)

Even Paul, raised to a life of scholarship, a brilliant Pharisee, worked as a tentmaker. And after he was saved and became the apostle to the Gentiles, the writer of 13 epistles, possibly HEBREWS (#14) and another four letters now lost, a man who suffered as much persecution as anyone ever has—received 39 lashings from the Jews five separate times, was scourged by pagans (who don’t stop at 39), was beaten with rods 3X, shipwrecked 4X, spent 36 hours adrift in the deep, was stoned and left for dead, imprisoned numerous times—Paul continued to work.[1]

Paul never RETIRED to enjoy the benefits of being “Christian royalty.”

“You must imitate us. We were not irresponsible among you; we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and struggled, working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you” 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8.

“We encourage you, brothers—lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands, just as we have commanded you” 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

This is good news, don’t you see? God loves work. You don’t have to be a missionary or an apostle. God put us here to be a blessing by working and serving others. Your work is a holy and spiritual act of service. GOD CALLS YOU TO WORK. Never think that what you do does not matter. It matters!

And people who refuse to work? God says, “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Thank God for the blessing of a hard day’s work!

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[1] http://www.biblecharts.org/apostlepaulcharts/15%20-%20The%20Sufferings%20of%20Paul.pdf

Cooking Thought for the Day. Revelation 3:14-22.

Have you ever put something like spaghetti in the microwave then sat down to eat it only to find it had cool spots in it? Isn’t that the worst—when you expect it to be hot and it’s lukewarm? Yuck.

Jesus talks about Christians with lukewarm faith in Revelation 3:14-22:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

 The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God [notice the three interesting names for Jesus], says this:

 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Are you lukewarm or are you hot in your faith?

It is easy to convince yourself you are on fire for God when you measure yourself in comparison to other people—particularly lost people. If they are cold enough, all of us might seem hot by comparison. But measuring yourself against the lost is a mistake. The true measure is to measure your life against the standards in the Word of God.

A second mistake is to put the really “on fire” Christians in a different category. To say things like, “well, she is a missionary,” or “he’s going to be a preacher,” or “her dad is a minister.” Those people are just like you. Anyone can be on fire for God—and anyone can be cold or lukewarm in their faith. Those you may be tempted to call ‘All-Star’ Christians are just like you, with the same problems, fears, selfishness, and temptations.

God calls us to take our faith seriously. To work at it. In fact, the Bible actually uses the phrase “work,” when it says to “WORK OUT your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12.

Are you working at it? Are you reading the word? Praying fervently? Do you pray “without ceasing” as Paul commands in 1 Thessalonians 5:17?

When you finish spending time with God, do you feel like it was a workout? Or was it more like a stroll? Why not put some effort into it? Do you want your prayers answered? Do you need His help and guidance and wisdom and peace? Sometimes “You have not because you ASK NOT.” James 4:2.

Are you asking?

Are you praying?

Are you reading?

Are you studying?

Are you growing?

Or are you lukewarm?

Ask God to help you WORK OUT your salvation. Ask Him to show you ways to grow in Christ. Ask Him to give you a deep desire for Bible study and prayer. Ask Him to help you take it seriously. Tell Him you don’t want to be lukewarm, but on fire for God—and ask Him what you can do to make that happen.

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ROSE-COLORED GLASSES. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.


When I was a child, John Conlee sang a song about perspective:

“But these rose-colored glasses that I’m looking through,

Show only the beauty, ‘cause they hide all the truth.”

I remember asking, “What are rose-colored glasses?” Mama told me it means you don’t see the negatives.

That is not a bad thing. If you are THANKFUL, if you EXPECT GOOD THINGS to happen, if you have undying HOPE and OPTIMISM, if you LOVE LIFE and consider every challenge an adventure, how can you not be happy?

Einstein agreed, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

If you choose to believe the latter, everything in your life will become sweeter and more colorful. As a Christian, I DO believe it: God is supernatural. His existence is outside the natural world, thus, by definition, a miracle. And being God, everything He does is a miracle. And He is involved in our lives every day. Therefore, we are surrounded by miracles EVERY DAY!

The Bible encourages a positive perspective.

“Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. And in everything GIVE THANKS, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

I have found myself praying prayers of thanks recently. I get in the car and just start telling God how thankful I am—for my life, my family, my job, my other job, my truck, the dogs, our house—everything, even the bad things, disappointments, all of it.

How can I be thankful for hard things? Because I trust God. I TRUST HIS KIND HEART, so I am thankful for everything life brings. And thankfulness increases happiness. Just as “dark stories” put a dark view on life, thankfulness makes all of life blaze with the glory of the most beautiful, sunny day. Then you begin to see that everything really is a miracle.

MAKE GIVING THANKS PART OF EVERY DAY.

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ECCLESIASTES Part 2: THE KEY TO GODLY ADULTHOOD IS TO RECOGNIZE HARD TRUTHS, BUT CHOOSE JOY AND SERVE GOD.

After the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 4:31) encourages adults to face hard truths and take life seriously, he adds the unexpected, “now lighten up.”

It is as though Solomon says: Work hard, do what’s right, remember one day you will face judgment—and HAVE FUN! While living wisely, choose joy!

The truth is, your earthly life is no more permanent than a foggy breath on a cold morning. (But in Heaven, you will reign with Christ forever! 2 Timothy 2:11-12). Nevertheless, trying to find meaning in this life is like trying to capture smoke in your hands, Ecclesiastes 1:14.

Solomon says yes, you must REMEMBER THE HARD TRUTHS about life on earth.

BUT THEN—now that you know the hard truths—REJOICE! CHEER UP! Enjoy life! (Does Solomon still sound like an angry old man?) Solomon says rejoice, just as Paul would write a thousand years later: “Rejoice always” 1 Thessalonians 5:16. And Solomon gives examples—we can CHOOSE to enjoy the following:

  1. Enjoy your work! (2:24).
  2. Enjoy your spouse and family! (9:9).
  3. Enjoy your food and drink! (8:15).
  4. Enjoy your youth! (11:9).
  5. Enjoy your old age! (11:8).
  6. Enjoy your prosperity! (7:14).
  7. Enjoy your struggles! (2:10).

This is a picture of GODLY ADULTHOOD: recognize the hard and painful truths of life—and remember there is a time to be serious (there is a time for everything)—and choose to find joy in everything He gives you. CHOOSE JOY. It really is a choice.

God, remind us to ENJOY THINGS. Help us to be thankful—for food, for work, for youth, for age, for money when we have it, and for STRUGGLES when we don’t. Make us “shining, happy people” who give You glory and make You look good by our good attitudes.

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ECCLESIASTES Part 1: A MESSAGE FOR ADULTS—WORK HARD, GO TO FUNERALS, BE SERIOUS.

Ecclesiastes is misunderstood because a few influential preachers have described it as cynical words from Solomon during a period in his life when he was not following God. However, Solomon encourages readers to worship and obey God nearly twenty times in twelve chapters.

A better understanding is that this is a book for ADULTS. Ecclesiastes confronts readers with the hardest truths of life, truths children cannot grasp, and that adults don’t talk about, perhaps fearing they will destroy someone’s faith.

But Solomon faces hard truths head-on, confident our faith will not die but grow. He argues you should face hard truths, go to funerals, and take life seriously enough to obey God who is your Judge.

HARD TRUTHS SOLOMON WANTS US TO FACE:  

  1. Life is not fair: good people suffer and bad people prosper (8:14).
  2. Life can be absurd: random chance affects everything (9:11).
  3. There is a time for everything, even war (3:1-8).
  4. There is no one on earth who does not sin (7:20).
  5. There is evil where there should not be: in government and law enforcement (3:16, 8:11).
  6. When you gain great wisdom you gain great sorrow (1:18).
  7. Even reading, writing, and studying books can make you weary (12:12).
  8. When you gain great possessions, the stress of ownership ruins your sleep (5:12).
  9. Money never satisfies (5:10).
  10. There is nothing new under the sun—your achievements are not a big deal (1:9, 2:11).
  11. No one knows the future (7:14).
  12. Funerals are better than birthdays, because funerals give wisdom (7:2).
  13. No matter what you achieve—you CAN’T take it with you (5:16).
  14. After you die, everything you achieved may go to fools (2:19).
  15. After you die, everything you achieved will be forgotten (1:11).
  16. After you die, YOU will be forgotten (1:11, 2:16).
  17. The wisest way to live is to enjoy your food (8:15), enjoy your family (9:9), work hard (9:10) and enjoy your work (2:24), enjoy being young (11:9), enjoy being old (11:8), and remember and obey your Creator and Judge, remember He has already accepted your works (9:7), He gives you JOY (2:26, 5:20), and it is He who put a sense of ETERNITY in your heart (3:11).

God, give us the courage to face hard truths. Prepare us to talk about them with the lost and grieving, and equip us to point others to the hope found only in Jesus.

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FOLLOWING GOD. 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

God called me to law school. I could not ignore that powerful voice: I knew it was Him and I felt His reassurance every day. I was excited but I knew it would be tough. A year later I was well into my first semester and challenges came fast and hot. A year after that, the challenges became discouraging: I began hearing critiques I had not anticipated. I had spent a lifetime building on strengths in public speaking, but the lawyers teaching trial and appellate classes constantly stressed my weakness: they called me “professor” because I was not a zealous advocate–or not zealous enough! Why? Because while I was a passionate advocate for my imaginary client, I was also willing to concede or admit the strengths of my opponents’ arguments. That is, I was trying too hard to be objective and unbiased.

All my life being “open-minded” had been a good thing, but suddenly I found myself in the one place on earth where it was a weakness: lawyering.

It sounds comical, I know, like a lawyer joke waiting for a punch line. But in reality, this was a significant problem: lawyers bear an ethical duty to zealously advocate for the interests of their clients. There is no duty to be neutral. There is no duty to be open-minded.

I remember on the nights before and after the appellate advocacy class, I worried about and regretted my performance in the course. Often while walking in tiny circles in my daughter’s room, rocking her to sleep if she would let me, I worried over my classes and my future career. Every night, a single verse came to my mind. I held on to it throughout law school—quoting it many times every day:

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass” 1 Thessalonians 5:24

I knew God called me. And I knew God was FAITHFUL. I kept telling myself that, kept reminding myself. I quoted the verse, I talked to Him. I reminded Him of His promise. I asked Him to help me and give me peace.

And He always did.

HE IS FAITHFUL.

When God calls you to something, He will be faithful to get you to the other side. He will bring it to pass. Hang on to His promises!

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ENDURE. 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

On November 3, 2022, during game five of the World Series, the announcers mentioned a throwback to my childhood. The Astros’ Ryan Pressly threw a pitch that hit catcher Martin Maldonado on the knee and bounced 60 feet, all the way back to the pitcher.

“That looked like a Pitch-Back,” the announcer quipped.

I loved my Pitch-Back. I might spend 10 minutes on homework in those days. Eleven on a good day. But I could throw balls at the Pitch-Back for hours. I’d rather throw with a person—Dennis was acceptable—but little brother would run out of steam … and I’d return to the Pitch-Back. I would throw and throw and throw, and catch and catch and catch. Daddy would drive up with dinner from KFC; I would keep throwing. Someone would come outside and order me to set the table—I would keep throwing. I was sick of fried chicken. Daddy would come out and—I would stop. Absolutely. I would hurry in, wash my hands with soap, sit down for dinner.

I knew I spent longer with the Pitch-Back than anything else. Certainly longer than practicing piano! But also longer than housework, chores, and even some things I considered fun. (Except TV. the “Boob Tube” could Hoover up hours at a time. But that was not self-discipline; that was the absence of discipline.)

Eventually, the Pitch Back taught me to catch, but more importantly, it taught me to push myself. Later I applied that lesson to long-distance running and finally, to academics and life in general.

Have you learned to ENDURE? We must endure in serving Christ.

“Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” 1 Thessalonians 3:13.

Never lose sight of those things to which God has called you. Talk to Him, thank Him, stay focused; NEVER lose your first love—that thrilling excitement about Jesus (Revelation 2:4). Christians, preachers especially, can get so busy serving God, they lose touch with His heart, His calling, and the REASON they are serving. Keep in touch with Him! “Live in vital union with Him” Colossians 2:6.

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IMITATION: THE SIMPLEST WAY TO LEARN. 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14.

What is the simplest way to learn a skill? How do children learn to walk? To talk? Imitation. Monkey-see, monkey-do, right? It’s so easy a monkey could do it. In fact, monkeys are so good at imitating people, one of the expressions for a good imitation of another person is to “ape” someone.

But don’t kid yourself—imitation is not THAT easy. You can spend years learning to “ape” the motions of Roger Clemens on the mound, am I right? And don’t get me started on learning a proper golf swing. Some imitations can be perplexing. Ask anyone trying to master a new language. No matter how often you hear a word or phrase, you may never be able to speak it like a local—you may forever have an accent. But you keep working on the imitation anyway.

Paul encourages imitation:

If you want to grow in Christ, do what mature Christians do.

“I urge you, be imitators of me” 1 Corinthians 4:16.

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am an imitator of Christ” 11:1.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” Ephesians 5:1.

“Be imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises” Hebrews 6:12.

“Be imitators of us… we make ourselves an example to you so that you might imitate us” 2 Thessalonians 3:7,9.

Paul commends believers in Thessalonica for having chosen to imitate their role models:

“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6.

“You became imitators of the churches of God in Christ… for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews” 1 Thessalonians 2:14.

Honestly, walking with God is tough (it’s not for the faint of heart—i.e., the “soft”). It is TOUGH, but it is SIMPLE: imitate Jesus, Paul, and your local Christian role models. Do what they do: read the word, study, pray, memorize, worship, talk about your faith.

“Be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ…” 1 Corinthians 11:1.

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