God never gives specific dates for Jesus’ return; but Paul, inspired by the Spirit, is allowed to offer us a panoramic glimpse of God’s victory and evil’s doom. The value of the doctrine of the Second Coming is in the guarantee that history is going somewhere, thus inspiring courage, perseverance, and hope. Believers daily devote themselves to righteousness in anticipation of that day when His glory is made evident.

Salvation brings us a hope for the future as we look forward to an eternity with Christ. What should we do until then? The hope that salvation brings us should result in a desire for daily transformation. The desire for holy living does not come from a desire to be perfect by the world's standards, but rather, a desire to be made righteous as the Holy Spirit transforms our lives to be more like Christ every day.

Pastor AJ Gonzalez brings us a word on the unfading hope upon which followers of Jesus can confidently rely. Do you know this hope? Do you know Jesus? We encourage you to consider your situation as you listen.

In his first letter to this church, Paul expressed unrestrained enthusiasm for church life in Thessalonica. A second letter follows quickly after the first one because a problem surfaces regarding daily work ethic of some in light of the coming return of Jesus. Paul begins this new letter with a reminder of his pride in them and his specific prayers offered for them regularly.

Evergreen, like every church, is a complex community involving a great variety of personalities. There are leaders and followers, those weak in faith and those strong, optimists and pessimists, the cynical and the gullible. Yet, encouraged by our common hope in the return of Jesus, Evergreen believers breathe an atmosphere of love and service together.

The rapture stirs debate among theologians about sequences and events, but Christ’s return is as certain as God Himself. Jesus will come. He will rule. He will be glorified. Knowing this should produce two things in the believer: a life lived in obedience to God and courage in the world.

C.S. Lewis once remarked, “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” The return of Jesus energizes believers for consistency and endurance.

Too often today, Christian faith is held as a purely intellectual pursuit.  We believe certain things and remain content to give mental assent to the idea of being a disciple without ever practicing the tangible life of a Jesus-follower.   Paul will not allow that as a viable option.  The life of Christ in us is practical, visible, and influential by action and not just word.

At a time of national emergency a wicked king had an encounter with God. The story of Ahaz, the 11th king of Judah is a cautionary tale for the people of God who are tempted to follow the conventions of the world. When his adversaries came knocking at the door, his pagan faith was tested by God. In the process, God revealed the condition of his heart, showed him who he was, and who was really at fault for his situation.

In the next two chapters, Paul appeals to two related motivations for believers to live up to the high ethical standards of God’s Kingdom. The first motivation is internal—to please God. The second is external—to live in a way that earns the respect of those outside the gospel. These compelling motives strengthen our determination in the pursuit of Christlikeness.

How do you build a great church? How do you recognize one? What traits does it display?  Paul knew the answers to these questions and he often pointed to the church at Thessalonica as an example of a great church.  Not defined by size or programs, a great church demonstrates faith in ways which bring God pleasure.