Faith Under Fire, Hope That Holds

We walk through 1 Thessalonians 5 to build a simple, steady rule of life: refuse revenge, rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks, stay open to the Spirit while testing everything, and trust God to sanctify you fully. Personal updates, honest struggles, and a clear invitation to hope frame a practical path forward.

• background on Thessalonica as a diverse trade hub
• faith under pressure and hope in Christ’s return
• do not repay wrong for wrong
• rejoice, pray, and give thanks as daily habits
• do not quench the Spirit; test everything
• hold fast to good; reject every kind of evil
• sanctification of spirit, soul, and body
• community encouragement and constant prayer
• armor of God for daily battles
• invitation to receive Jesus and live new
• trusting God through slow work and uncertainty
• renewing the mind to change your life

Go to www.forChristMinistry.com and you can give a gift there through PayPal, through Venmo, through Apple Pay. Any gift over $25 will get you a free custom t-shirt mailed to you anywhere in the United States. You can also text me directly, 706-691-1043.

Chapters

• 1:02 Birthday, Ministry Support, Housekeeping
• 2:11 Setting The Scene: Thessalonica Context
• 4:45 Do Not Repay Wrong For Wrong
• 6:18 Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks Always
• 7:21 Do Not Quench The Spirit
• 7:46 Test Everything, Hold To Good
• 8:55 Sanctification: Spirit, Soul, And Body
• 10:41 Community, Prayer, And Grace
• 13:00 Armor Of God And Daily Faith
• 13:51 Invitation To Faith And New Life
• 14:42 Personal Trials And Trust In God
• 16:08 Hope Over Fear And A Future In Christ
• 17:23 Less Politics, More Bible Study
• 18:16 Renew Your Mind: Change Your Life

Transcript

Setting The Scene: Thessalonica Context

Do Not Repay Wrong For Wrong

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks Always

Do Not Quench The Spirit

Test Everything, Hold To Good

Sanctification: Spirit, Soul, And Body

SPEAKER_03 0:31

Hey guys, it's B Rob. It is the Food for Thought Faithcast. And I'm your host, and you already know that. It's Wednesday, January the 21st, and I am 51 years old today. And if you want to give me a birthday gift, please gift my ministry. Go to w dot for Christ Ministry.com and you can give a gift there through PayPal, through Venmo, through Apple Pay. Any gift over$25 will get you a free custom t-shirt mailed to you anywhere in the United States. So keep that in mind, guys. You can also text me directly, 706-691-1043. I do not mind. Well, guys, we're going to be uh doing a little Bible study today that uh God uh threw on my heart this morning. It's um gonna be uh out of First Thessalonians chapter 5, and um just want to give you just a little insight, real quick, about um Thessalonians, um, basically the first Christians living in Thessalonica. The apostle Paul wrote two letters to them, first Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians in the um New Testament, and basically they address faith under persecution, Christian living, hope in Christ's return, not fear. Um basically that's what that boils down to. Thessalonical was in Paul's missionary journeys. The city itself was a major port or trade hub in Macedonia, it sat on via Ignesia, a key Roman highway. And the population was kind of like the United States, it was mixed. There was Greeks, there was Romans, and there was Jews, there was Gentiles. Um, so it was very influential place, and if you wanted to get an idea spread, you would go there and it would quickly spread. So during the first the first church was kind of scattered and they preached in different places, so um Paul actually visits there in Acts chapter 17, verses one through nine. He uh preached in the synagogue for three Sabbaths. A lot of people believed, both Jews and Gentiles, including women, prominent women. Um, but there was always opposition, and Paul was always forced to leave. So which brings us, let's let's fast forward to what I was talking about, first Thessalonians chapter five, and we're gonna we're gonna shoot right on down to um chapters 14 and 15, and I'm gonna read first from there. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the dishearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone, make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. So what he's saying there is if somebody does you wrong, don't repay them with wrong as much as you want to avenge whatever they hurt you with, whether it be um physical, whether it be emotional, whether it be financial, repaying wrong for wrong is plain evil in the sight of the Lord. So let's move on. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So he's given three commands. Paul's given three commands. Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Joy, prayer, and gratitude should be daily habits, not feelings depending on circumstances. So it should be, you should have joy, prayer, and gratitude in everything you do, because this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. It plainly says right there. So let's move on. Do not quench the spirit, says chap verse 19. Do not quench the spirit. So what does quench mean? Quench means to put out a fire or suppress, don't suppress the Holy Spirit. That's uh verse 19. So let's move on. Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all. Hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. Basically test everything. Use discernment. Hold on to what's good, reject what is evil. Keep in mind though, keep in mind that many forms of the Antichrist are already here, and they're not gonna come as evil. So you have to use discernment, be spiritually open, but also be wise, don't be gullicble. I guess that's the right word, or I'm I guess that's the right word. Anyway, let's move on to 23 and 24. 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. That's the man camp verse. May your spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. God sanctifies believers, spirit, soul, body preserved. That means reject every form of evil, hold on to good. Being spiritually open and wise, using discernment.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

Be ready, do not fear. Have hope. Hold on, pain ends, not speculation. Live out your faith on a daily basis.

Community, Prayer, And Grace

SPEAKER_03 9:57

Encourage others in the community. Whether it be online, whether your community's online or physical, encourage others.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

Guys, you see what I'm saying? Let's move on. Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

SPEAKER_03 10:40

That's verse twenty-five. He's saying, keep everyone in your prayers. Greet all God's people with a holy kiss. Live each day with love in your heart. Is exactly what he's saying. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all brothers and sisters. Share the good news.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Guys, I don't know about you. But I'm so thankful to have the grace of God.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

To be able to walk and talk with Him every day. To know that my faith is not for sale. To know that my commitment to Christ is not for sale. To know that my family is protected, and I am their shepherd. And they are not for sale.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

To know the future I have in eternity is not for sale.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

Guys, Ephesians 6, keep the armor of God on. Do not give in to the temptation of sin. God loves you, Jesus loves you, and you can do all things through Him, through Christ, because He strengthens you. And that's Philippians 4 13. God has created everything you already need.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

Those desires are from the flesh. Kill them. Guys, I want you to know something.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

I feel great. I feel strong in my faith. Jesus is my hope. Jesus is my hero. Jesus is my shield. Jesus is my savior. Jesus is my strength. He is my company. Guys, Jesus is my everything. And he can be yours too. All you have to do is ask him in your heart.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

That's it. That's all you gotta do. It's that simple.

Personal Trials And Trust In God

Hope Over Fear And A Future In Christ

SPEAKER_03 14:01

And die to that old self so you can live. Well, guys, I'm gonna jump off. It's my birthday. I don't know what else I'm gonna do today. I don't have any leads. We haven't had a lot of work. I was sick, and now we don't have leads or no work. And so, but the good thing is, is I have faith and God's gonna pull us through, and that is amazing. Be still and know that I'm God. And I uh believe that 100%. I believe it 150%, and you should too. So if anything negative is going on in your life, do not fear. Fear is the devil, fear is false evidence appearing real. Always have hope. Hold on until the pain ends because God is going to fix it. God's grace is bigger than your mistakes. I promise you are not a sum of your past. You have a beautiful future in Christ Jesus, just like Thessalonians. First Thessalonians says First Thessalonians 523 to be exact. Guys, I love you. You have a great day. We'll do more tomorrow. We're probably gonna do more Bible study this year than politics. I think politics are gonna turn for the good. I have faith in my Lord Jesus because he controls all presidents and kings, because he is the king of all kings. Guys, never forget that. And if you do not have a relationship with him, with Jesus, the King of all kings, you better get right.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

God will also reveal the hearts of those who surround you to see if they are ready to go to the next level with you.

Less Politics, More Bible Study

SPEAKER_01 16:50

You become what you think about. And since the only thing that you can control is your thinking, if you change what you are thinking about, you will begin to change your reality. If you change what you expect, you change what you believe, you change your dominant thoughts, you change your inner working, you begin to attract in your life, people, circumstances, events, opportunities, everything successful with your new thoughts. The reason people are unsuccessful is they think unsuccessful failure. Cognation is mental. We live in a mental universe. If you wish to change your universe, you have to change your mentality. And this brings us to the most important line of all, which is simply this. Let me write it over here. If you change your thinking. Change your thinking. And you change your life.