Bethel Christian Center

Second Thessalonians was written by Paul to the church to address the “false teachers” that had come to Thessalonica and were teaching that the Day of the Lord had already come and gone. Paul wrote that two things must take place before the “Day of the Lord” took place (1) a falling away and (2) the man of sin is revealed. In light of all that would happen, Paul encouraged them to stand firm.

The final chapter of 1 Thessalonians gives a series of admonitions instructing the Christians how to live in the light of Christ’s coming. Some in the church were living carelessly; some were not respecting their church leaders and some were abusing the public services. The admonitions point out how the local church can live in harmony and purity.

The most certain thing in the entire world is the return of Jesus Christ. The bible is full of promises concerning the return of the Lord. In the New Testament the events related to Christ’s coming are mentioned 300 times. Jesus told His disciples He would come again (John 14:3). When Jesus was taken up to heaven the angel said he would come in “like manner” (Acts 1:11). The writer of Hebrews said...

Chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians is a defense against insinuations about Paul’s alleged ulterior motives. The apostle was subjected to a constant barrage of accusations. The Thessalonians themselves may have begun to question Paul’s sincerity. So Paul addressed his readers most affectionately. Paul puts them in mind of the manner of his preaching among them, then the manner of his conversation among t...

The way we conceive the future sculpts the present, gives contour and tone to nearly every action and thought through the day. If our sense of the future is weak we live listlessly. Most emotional and mental illness and most suicides occur among men and women who feel that they “have no future.” Eugene H.Peterson Many people in our world, even in our churches don't see a lot of hope for the future...

Let us be faithful to the journey God has for us.

Sometimes preachers, elders and other concerned Christians spend too much time on those who do not appreciate the gospel. We are often hesitant to "give up" on someone whom we believe to be a good prospect for the gospel. However, when our Lord sent out the apostles on the limited commission He said, "And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust und...

There are times when it seems there is little energy left in our spiritual sails. There are times when we feel defeated and deflated and unable to rise above our circumstances. Regardless of how low you may feel today spiritually, there is help in the Lord for you. In order for us to renew and gain new strength, to mount up with eagle's wings, to run and not get weary, to walk and not become faint...

“The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts” (Proverbs 14:8 The Living Bible). We all face pitfalls as we make plans for our future, such as cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts, and discouraging delays. The Gaithers wrote, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and l...

In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off the Sicily Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the rocks. In life, too, powerful currents of compromise can catch th...

This chapter includes one of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. This morning, we're looking at an invitation that Jesus extended to the weakened hearts of some of His disciples after they had spent a long night of fishing. And to these weak hearts, He said, "come and dine". The Bible teaches us that Jesus offers us a place of refreshing when we have failed or are fearful. His love is so g...

We live in a changing world filled with people who are reaching for a firm grip on something which cannot be shaken. God calls us to become people who have that grip, formed of the unshakable nature of the Savior that transcends our temporal world and introduces the constancy, stability, and strength of His Kingdom into the shifting, shaking, and sometimes shattering circumstances around us. Jack...

Christians today are living in limitation. The problem is not with our limitations it is with our thinking and believing. The disciples were limited in their ability to cast out a demon because of their unbelief (Matthew 17:17, 20). Your limitations do not define who you are. Our limitations lead to God’s opportunities. God is bigger than all our limitations.

Failure is never fun and defeat is seldom something we take delight in. It can be painful, embarrassing and humiliating. And our response can be life changing, altering our destiny. Failure can make us bitter or it may make us better. We can take it as instructive and corrective and learn from it.

Enoch, an often neglected Hero of the Faith, walked with God. His testimony in Genesis 5:23-24 is a powerful statement that challenges us today to please God in our Christian walk.

Jesus often ran afoul of the religious leaders over the matter of keeping traditions; plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, or eating with unwashed hands. Tradition is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it has more authority than the Word of God then it is wrong. Colossians 2:8 warns us against man-made traditions, but we should heed the traditions given by God and han...

The plan was to trap Jesus. In chapter seven, the religious leaders sent officers to arrest Him, but they returned saying, “no man ever spoke like this man.” Now bringing a woman caught in adultery, Jesus is trapped between the Law of Moses and the law of the Romans. At first Jesus ignored the accusers, and then He exposed them. Let’s follow this cruel scheme.

Important to the ministry of Jesus was the appointment and training of His apostles…Men who would follow Him and continue His work after His death; men that would be with Him and later to be sent out to preach, heal, and cast out demons.

In this temporary life, what/who are you trusting in?

The miracles of Jesus are stories arranged to tell a bigger story about the life of Jesus. In other words, there is a message behind the miracle; the steps of understanding this message is: (1) Observation, study the events of the miracle; the context, and the culture (2) Interpretation, determine what truths it teaches, what does it mean theologically and (3) Application, determine how the truths...

The miracles of Jesus are stories arranged to tell a bigger story about the life of Jesus. In other words, there is a message behind the miracle; the steps of understanding this message is: (1) Observation, study the events of the miracle; the context, and the culture (2) Interpretation, determine what truths it teaches, what does it mean theologically and (3) Application, determine how the truths...

The story contained in these verses is also recorded by Matthew and Luke; each supplies additional details not given by the others - so when you take all three gospel accounts together you get the complete picture of what was said and what happened. This is a story that contains some powerfully important lessons for you and me.

Christianity is founded on miracles. The Bible speaks of the virgin birth, Christ's miracles, the resurrection of the dead, the coming of the Holy Spirit and much more. Yet many who call themselves Christians deny them for today. Hebrews 2:3-4 tells us three reasons to accept the great salvation that God offers through Jesus Christ. First, it was "announced by the Lord." Second, it was "confirmed....

Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of paralysis, often accompanied by weakness and the loss of feeling and uncontrolled body movements. This particular man was brought to Jesus by believing friends, and Christ answered their faith by not only healing the man, but forgiving him of his sins. These four men are carrying more truth than we might think.

Jesus has introduced a new counter-cultural standard of living: deep, genuine bliss that only He can offer.