How to understand 2 Thessalonians 3:10?

Many Christians are hung up on 2 Thessalonians 3:10 ...

I say hung up because they take the literal understanding before the spiritual understanding.

"nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate. For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”…
The important clauses being: "not to be a burden"...and "not that we lack this right". Paul (relating the Word of God) is telling us that we should not take advantage of/depend on others to satisfy our basic needs (not that they did not have a right as church leaders to expect a meal and housing for their work as church leaders). Why? Because, if others have to care about us first (we depending on them), they cannot care about their walk with the Lord and will not eat from their input - service!

The Lord gives us all gifts and with those gifts we are expected to serve the Lord first and foremost. And, this goes both ways, if we neglect our gifts in order to wait on / work for others who do not work for themselves not using their God given gifts, then they suffer and we will suffer and no one eats from their input - serving the Lord. The Parable of the Talents and the Scripture telling the story of Mary and Martha (who busied herself neglecting the Lord) supports this scriptural understanding as does Romans 12 and 16 and 2 COR 10:15-16 ~ "Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended... preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working."

Yes, real work is involved but it is work of the Holy Spirit in us, not the 'work' of this world that makes us right with God. 2 Thessalonians is about our work for the Lord, to make our life a representation of His Kingdom.

The Words You As a Christian Should Never Hear!

What are those words... "I didn't know you were a Christian".

Know this ~ 2 Peter 1: 3-11

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Christian Women ~ At Home, Chaste!

Chaste = Modest, very simple in design or execution : Austere, clean and spotless. 

Christian women "are to be sensible, pure 'chaste', workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored" ~ Titus 2:5.

"Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things" ~ 1 Timothy 3:11.

"Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see your pure and reverent demeanor. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes"… ~ 1 Peter 3: 1-3

And so you say what about Proverbs 31?  Yes, what about that!

~ The Wife of Noble Character

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

A wife of noble character finds herself at home first and foremost and value is given to her for that.

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The Dark is Rising!

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the authorities, against the powers of this worlds' darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand".…Ephesians 6:11-13.

Check out "A Godly Man" blog on the right margin of this blog to read in full about ~ "The Dark is Rising"

Women in God's Hierarchy and in the Church!

"Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings ... Do you think God's word originated with you... Are you the only one to whom it was given? If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what is being said is a command from the Lord himself. But if you do not recognize this you yourself will not be recognized." ~ 1 COR 14:34-38.

"And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for it is just as if her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, let her hair be cut off. And, if it is shameful or a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man." ~ 1 COR 11: 5-7.

You see... "woman was created for man. For this reason, a woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head because of the angels. In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.…For just as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?  Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him…Doesn't nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him?... but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory! For long hair is given to her as a covering".… 1 COR 11: 9-16.

"If anyone is inclined to dispute this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God. In the following instructions I have no praise to offer, because your gatherings do more harm than good".… 1 COR 11:16.

When sexual sin is among us ~ What to do when it temps and or enslaves you?

The Body is the Temple for the Holy Spirit ~ 1 COR 6:19.

1 Corinthians 5: 1-13 and 1 COR 6: 1-20

I [Paul] can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you, something that even pagans don't do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. Even though, I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. Your basting about this is terrible. Don't you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spread through the whole batch of dough?

Get rid of the old 'yeast' by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. When I wrote to you before, I told you not associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But, I wasn't talking about unbelievers... I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy or worships idols or is abusive or is a drunkard or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church were are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the scriptures say, "you must remove the evil person from among you."

Surely, this sounds pretty harsh today for the many people who claim to be believers ... who go to church and boast about how 'tolerant' they are of those who continue in pursuit of the sexual sin or any other sin for that matter.  As believers in Jesus Christ we are to call out the sin in our fellow Christians and pray for them, get them to repent and discontinue the sin that shackles them in darkness. If they refuse to give up sinning, if they willfully continue down the dark path, if they claim that God made them that way whether it is their desire for sexual perversion or lust, or greed for flesh and money, then they must be dealt with harshly. They must be given over to Satan so that the sinful nature will be destroyed in hopes that they will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

We, as believers in Jesus Christ, cannot and are not to tolerate the indulging and or flaunting of sin. Why? Because, the body is the temple for the Holy Spirit. You can say, "I am allowed to do anything... but not anything and everything is good for you. Though you are allowed to do anything and everything you must not become a slave to it... If you allow anything and everything (including and certainly sexual immorality as no other sin clearly affects the body as this one) there will be no room left in the temple for the Holy Spirit.  What to do when sexual sin temps you and or begins to or already has you enslaved ~ Run from it!

Again, we as believers in Jesus Christ we are to call out the sin in our fellow Christians and pray for them, get them to repent and discontinue the sin that shackles them in darkness. If they refuse to give up sinning, if they willfully continue down the dark path, if they claim that God made them that way whether it is their desire for sexual perversion or lust for greed, then they must be dealt with harshly. They must be given over to Satan so that the sinful nature will be destroyed in hopes that they will be saved on the day the Lord returns.

Remember, God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. This refers to all things that we do to our body that corrupts the body.

Are there Christians in the Dark?

I encounter many people that call themselves Christians; yet they fail to understand why they call themselves or think that they are Christians. Many are like the Pharisee.

"To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I receive.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” ~ Luke 18: 9-14.

In that parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee - the one who is in the dark and not in the light of Christ, we find the greatest misunderstanding of Christianity. If you point this out to Christians today as Christ did in his time on earth, many will think and or say you are against the law just as they did then.  Why? Because, those that are like the Pharisee consider the practice of the law is what saves you. If you tell them that the "trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with them/me [Paul] for I am./we are all too human, a slave to sin. I/we don't really understand my/ourself, for I/we want to do what is right, but I/we don't do it.  Instead, I/we do what I/we hate. But, if I/we know that what I am/we are doing is wrong, this shows that I/we agree that the law is good. So I am/you/we are not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me/us that does it  [And, this is what most people cannot accept, that sin is living in them].

And, I/we know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I/we want to do what is right, but I/we can't. I/we want to do what is good, but I/we don't. I/we don't want to do what is wrong, but I/we do it anyway. But if I/we do what I/we don't want to do, I am / we are not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I/we have discovered this principle of life, that when I/we want to do what is right I/we inevitably do what is wrong. I/we love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me/us that is at war with my/our mind...Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ~ Jesus Christ! ~ Romans 7:14-24.