Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

There is a day of judgment and justice coming.  
For some it will be an unwelcome surprise, but it really shouldn't be.  He's told us all about it first.
For some it will be a welcome joy: It is the day to wake up, rise up, meet up and be with the Lord.  There is, however, this pesky issue of JUSTICE, judgment, and punishment.  The summary word for all that is WRATH. 
The big question is how do believers avoid all the wrath-ful parts of that day and have it be a happy day? Only by being found IN Him, found UNDER His favor, found UNDER HIS WING and found under the "blood" or activity of Jesus for us.  On that day, no one will stand without His help.  We are able to take refuge in Him on THAT day by taking refuge in Him on THIS day.
Be found in Him today.  Subscribe if you haven't.  Listen tomorrow too if that day doesn't come tonight! bewithme.us

Don't be uninformed about the following: Everybody dies. Everybody wakes up from that "asleepness".  For believers, this is such an encouragement because we awaken to being gathered to be with the Lord, meeting Him and other believers, and then NEVER leaving His side.  

Believers may die, but then they awaken to be with the Lord always.  

With this news, we should be encouraged if we believe.  
With this news, we should be compelled if we don't yet believe.  "Tell me more. What else should I know? How do I believe? Who is this God?" If that is you, thanks for listening for 7 minutes.  Come back tomorrow for another 7 minutes. bewithme.us. Subscribe, comment, share, like, etc.

Join us for 7 minutes as we look for some good examples.  We'll hear from Teddy Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington and my mother Corinne.  All have something to reinforce from Paul's charge to the Thessalonians about working hard, minding your own affairs, and living a quiet life.  

All of these areas affect the view that outsiders have of us. This perspective is not unimportant.  In fact, it is the most loving thing I can do.  No work = No witness.  No good walk = No good witness.  Yes, Paul tells us we should care about what others think, at least a little.  

Listen 7 minutes (exactly) today. You'll hear from some very wise people.  Paul, Teddy, Booker and my mother. Please join us tomorrow by subscribing at bewithme.us or [email protected] or on your favorite Podcast directory like Apple Podcasts

How's your love life?  Paul addresses the topic with the new church at Thessalonia.  He notes that it is to be characterized by GROWTH.

How's your love life? Is it characterized by withdrawal, not engaging, not risking, not serving, weariness, disappointment, abandonment, holding at arms length, and perhaps a bit of decay? Paul encourages here; admonishes a bit.

Love for the brotherhood and sisterhood is to be marked by growth.  That is, we should be having or finding a people to love. Our posture should be to lean into these people more and more.  Who are the people, not at arms length, but within my arms? 

A good question today: More and more love or less and less?  Let's enact a more and more policy starting today. Join me tomorrow on your favorite podcast provider by signing up at Apple podcasts, google, Spotify, Deezer etc. bewithme.us

I was encouraged this morning reading about how God cares deeply about our sex lives.  I am reminded that He invented it, that He is good, and wants what is truly good for us.  We might be a bit confused about what is truly good, so He reminds us here.  

He's interested in our thriving in our sex life.  To wonder what that means, let's go back to our designer and creator to hear the boundaries and purposes and warnings.

The big thought today is that regarding what is often a battle for us, our sexual agency, is that GOD IS IN IT.  He is IN this area.  He cares. He helps. He instructs.  So, we'd best avail ourselves of the Words.  That is what these 7 minutes are to do.  Please listen.  Subscribe for tomorrow at bewithme.us

God is thrilled with sex.  He invented it and has a great plan for it.  There is a right way and a wrong way to enjoy this amazing creation. Of concern, is that there are expectations He has for us.  Of concern is the agency and the accountability He has blessed us with.

The first key to good sex is to avoid BAD SEX, that is sexual immorality.
The second key to good sex is to keep your eye on yourself: using your sexual agency for your holiness and sanctification.
The third key to good sex is use your theology, your view of God, to make a difference in your thoughts and behaviors here.
The fourth key to good sex is to keep an eye out for OTHERS. This is an area because it takes two to tango, that we can easily step on another's toes.  We can set our minds, souls, and body to help them hold themselves in honor, holiness and self-control.
The fifth key to good sex is to know this part of your life can please the Lord, that you can walk in His will, that it can help your brothers and sisters.

Our problem is not that Christianity and God Himself has a low view of sex. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Our problem is that our view of sex is not high enough. Listen 7 minutes and let's raise our view of sex by looking at the keys to good sex.  bewithme.us

Get ready for a whole list of encouragement from Paul. In every way possible, he articulates with his hopes, prayers, mouth and actions his passion for the people of Thessalonia.  He is shooting for the goal of an established and holy people who abound for love for 1 another.

Join me for a seven minute blast of encouragement to an afflicted people.  If you might feel a bit afflicted today, then hop on the encouragement field of fire from Paul.

Subscribe to make it easier tomorrow to hear the 7 minute podcast, if God gives us another day.  bewithme.us or write [email protected]

We thought yesterday that fellowship was so important that even Satan understands it and tries to thwart it. Today we see Paul voluntarily giving up his fellowship with his A-team missionaries, Tim and Silas, so as to see the Thessalonians walk in a manner worthy.

Paul describes the leaving of Timothy as an AFFLICTION.  That's right, the affliction of aloneness.  And this is from a guy that was stoned to death and beaten with rods, etc. 

If there is another group of people that Paul feels so impassioned towards, I'd like to know about it.  Paul is beautifully obsessed the Christ be formed in this young, even INFANT church. His heart for them is, "You are my joy".  His reality for himself is, "I am willing to undergo the affliction of fellowshiplessness for you by sending my #1 guy Timothy."

Listen 7 minutes and share with your #1 guy, and with the guy furthest away.  Subscribe to make tomorrow's listen easy at bewithme.us or on a podcast directory of your choice.  

What if the content of this encouragement are completely understood by Satan? What if he has send an intergalactic evil force to thwart you in it? What if powers from another world are here to hinder you in our topic today?

All those things are true. Therefore, our topic of FELLOWSHIP must be pretty important. Or more: even CRITICAL to the Christian walk.  Just ask Satan, he knows.

We live a a lonely time of isolation and separation.  There is no argument here.

Here is the goal:  to have a group of people that at the end, you can say, "You are my PRIZE. You are my CROWN. You are my GLORY. You are my JOY."  If you have those people, then you are absolved from listening for 7 minutes.  If you DON'T have those who you'd describe like that, then you MUST LISTEN.  There is a solution within... Subscribe at bewithme.us and comment, share, like, write and if our Lord gives us another day, LISTEN TOMORROW too.

Everybody has a job.  
The preacher is to SPEAK the Word.
The Lord is CALLING into His Kingdom; Revealing Himself; Making the Word Reachable and HELPING on the difficulty day of Salvation.
The listener is to HEAR, BELIEVE, ACCEPT and be SAVED.
This is the Word at Work in Believers and at the time of belief.

Join me for 7 minutes in a little mini-gospel in the book of 1st Thessalonians.  You will hear the Word at WORK in all three categories.  Then mosey on over to bewithme.us and subscribe or at your favorite Podcast provider/host like Apple or Google Podcasts.  They will be happy to sign you up for a reminder of tomorrow's arrival of another episode if the Lord gives us another day.