- The Lord will come as a thief in the night. There will be a peace & safety then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin & death) will come suddenly as labor pains upon a woman with child, they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape.
- We are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake us by surprise like a thief, but we are sons (meaning we belong to God & we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit)
- Be wide awake and sober (calm, collected, or in 21st century terminology: cool)
- Put on the breastplate of faith & love & for a helmet the hope of salvation.
- God has appointed us to receive his salvation.
- Encourage one another & edify one another.
- Get to know those that labor among you (recognize them for what they are, acknowledge, appreciate, & respect them (our leaders/those that are over us).
- Be at peace among yourselves.
- Encourage the timid & fainthearted, help & give your support to the weak souls, & be very patient with everybody (always keeping your temper)
- Be unceasing in prayer (praying perseveringly) Persevere means to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. Basically NEVER GIVING UP!
- Thank God in EVERYTHING (no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful & give thanks), for this is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will).
- Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the Holy Spirit
- Do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning- (prophets)
- Test & prove all things (until you can recognize) what is good, (to that) hold fast
- Abstain from evil in whatever form or whatever kind it may be.
- Faithful is He who is calling you to Himself and utterly trustworthy; and He will also do it (fulfill His call by hallowing (make holy/consecrate) and keeping you).
I am in a tough season of my life in which I have to trust the Lord with EVERY fiber within me. Whenever you step out & began to fulfill the purpose God has originally designed for your life you must expect demonic attacks & expect for people to hate you for no reason. However, what I love about this passage is it teaches me how I am to behave & it stirs up my faith by reminding me that prayer is vital & I must get back to the basics & reside there. We can never pray too much or fast too much for there is no such thing! We must slow ourselves down & remember to keep God first by maintaining a consistent relationship with Him because the truth is none of us can make it without Him. So be empowered on today & refuse to allow adversity to hinder you from being who God has designed you to be! Continue to move forward! Even in the midst of your pain, even in the midst of being misunderstood & talked about KEEP MOVING FORWARD! Be obedient unto the Word of God & watch Him open the windows of Heaven & shower blessings upon you! Pray for your enemies! Pray for those that seek to set up traps for you & to terminate your life! There is POWER IN PRAYER & we can’t make it without having a solid foundation of prayer (spending time with the Lord & allowing Him to speak unto us). Don’t do all of the talking. Say what’s on your heart & sit in quietness before the Lord even if you have to let out tears, but ensure you allow ‘quiet time’ to hear what the Lord wants to tell you concerning your circumstances. And remember it is ALL working out for your good! So praise God even in the midst of your storm!!!
