DAY 53
DATE: 2/22/2013
Good Morning! My name is Dan Koepke and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book
of 2 Thessalonians chapters 1-3.
KEY VERSES: 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. 14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
REFLECTIONS:
Paul’s second letter to the church of Thessalonica was giving further instruction on how to weather the storm of persecution. As I read verse 2:3 above I found myself relating to being deceived, or mistreated, in my own life. Then verse 3:13 tells us to keep doing good works, another verse I felt I could relate to. Verse 14 is an easy one to agree with as none of us want to keep company with someone who does not follow God’s Word, especially when they do wrong to us. Up until this point I was feeling pretty good about myself and how I have acted with those in my life whom I feel fit into that description. But then came verse 15, Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish (warn sternly) him as a brother. I felt convicted that I have no problem in the admonish part, but treating him as a brother is where I really have fallen short. Too often I speak my mind in a judgmental way about how someone is not following what I feel is God’s path for them. Then when they act negatively I just shut them out of my life and have no company with them, as though they are an enemy. We act this way because this is the easiest thing to do, as we are human and of the flesh and it is more difficult to keep that relationship open.
APPLICATION:
Let us do as Paul instructed. If we observe someone doing something that doesn’t follow God’s Word (not our own), then we should admonish them. However, we need to do this in the way of brotherly love, a way that shows we are truly concerned for their salvation, not in a condescending, judgmental way that could push them totally away from Christ.
Thank you for being a part of the Route 66 Bible Reading Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Dan Koepke
WHEN YOU GOT SAVED: 15 years old
FAMILY: Wife Crystal, Daughters Regan and Rylie
OCCUPATION: Farmer
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: Security, Outreach
HOBBIES: Camping, anything old with wheels