WELCOME

This is the homepage for the University of Jesus.

You are invited to click on any of the LABELS on the lower left column of this page to begin a daily study of one of the Books of the New Testament.

After you click on the Book of your choice, simply repeatedly click on SHOW OLDER POSTS until you arrive at the first page of posts. Then scroll down to the bottom of that page for the first post of the Book.

More titles will be added soon.

God bless you.

PEACE

II Thessalonians 3:16-18

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Peace at all times? Even when bad things are happening around us and to us?

Peace in every way? No fear for the future, anxiety in the present or guilt over the past?

Such peace is possible, but only in the way Paul suggests here – The Lord of peace himself give you peace…

The Teacher promised to give His peace to those who trust Him. The peace He Himself lived every day in every circumstances.

Jesus was peaceful in the storms of life. At peace when His enemies attacked! Peaceful even on the cross!

Paul gives the key to receiving the peace of Jesus. It is living with the sense of His continual presence in our lives.

The Lord be with all of you.

When the Lord is present there is peace!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

WORK

II Thessalonians 3:6-15

We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

To some people, work is a bad word. They would rather live at the expense of another’s labor.

Here Paul lays down the law - If a man will not work, he shall not eat.

Paul doesn’t say if any cannot work, but rather if one can and won’t!

Apparently some in Thessalonica were expecting the immediate return of Jesus. They stopped working and became dependent on the largesse of others.

Not only were they a burden to hardworking friends, they became busybodies. Going from house to house, gossiping and generally being a nuisance.

Such people became a bad example of what it means to be a student of Jesus.

Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

There is something noble in work. Right thinking people respect one who earns his own bread, even if in the most menial job.

Paul reminds them of his own conduct when he was living among them.

We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

Good students of Jesus do not feel entitled to the benefits of another’s labor. They do not take advantage of the bonds of love between believers. They remember the Teacher’s words – It is more blessed to give than to receive! To have something to give, one must work!

PRAY

II Thessalonians 3:1-5

Finally, brothers, pray…and pray…

Jesus’ life was filled with prayer. Another word for communication with His Heavenly Father!

He prayed often, sometimes all night. Other times He seemed to be in a constant state of communication with the Father. Interrupting his conversations with others to address God directly in the moment!

Prayer can and should be like that. Not only specific times when we stop what we are doing and take time to pray, but also a more general sense of God’s presence with us all the time!

A kind of running dialogue in our minds with the ever-present Teacher, Father and Holy Spirit!

Students of Jesus learn to be like their Teacher. They constantly talk to God for He is with them always.

It is natural to converse with those we love. One true measure of the strength of any relationship is the desire to communicate.

As with any relationship, specific circumstances are the subject of conversation. It is the same in our relationship to God. We can talk about anything all the time, but when situations arise we naturally pray specifically about them.

Here Paul reminds the believers to pray for certain things. For Paul and his fellow-workers! For the message of Jesus to be received by others! For personal safety from those who might persecute them!

Sometimes we share our problems with our friends. We do so knowing they do not have the ability to change the situation. We simply find comfort in someone who is willing to listen because they are interested in our welfare

Our Heavenly Father not only cares for us and hears our prayers; He has the power to help us, to change things!

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

SHARED GLORY

II Thessalonians 2:13-17

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the hero. He comes from heaven on an unlikely rescue mission. He succeeds gloriously!

He alone lives a perfect life, overcomes every temptation!

He dies alone, paying for the sins of everyone who ever lived!

He becomes the first to defeat death, rising never to die again!

The glory is all His!

But wait!

Jesus graciously shares His glory with everyone who trusts Him. The Good News of His victory over sin and death is the message of the Gospel. Those who believe enter into all the benefits of His victory!

...Saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

Students of Jesus share in the glory of their Teacher. The honor of forgiveness of sins! An invitation to live with Him forever!

And more...we are invited to share His glory now through a changed life - So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you…

The glory of Jesus enlightens our hearts and lives. His victory gives us hope for the future and His teaching give us power for the present. His power works in us to change our hearts and win victories every day!

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

LOVE THE TRUTH

II Thessalonians 2:1-12

For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

The truth must be loved to be received. If a person does not love the truth, he is liable to believe a lie.

It is the truth that saves. A lie can only condemn.

Here Paul warns about a secret power of lawlessness already at work. It is the work of Satan in the world.

This is no surprise. In the very beginning it was he who led Adam and Eve into rebellion against God’s command. Lawlessness is his goal for mankind, and ultimate ruin his plan for the world.

Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden because of disobedience. Willful disobedience to God is wickedness. And wickedness leads to destruction.

Here Paul predicts the coming of the man of lawlessness!

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Many ideas about who this person is have been proposed through the years. Some have even suggested is not one person, but a general state of lawlessness that will pervade society immediately before Jesus comes.

It is not as important to know exactly who or what Paul is talking about as it is to avoid falling into the trap of lawlessness. This is done by loving the truth of God.

There are two spirits evidently at work in the world today: lawlessness and obedience.

Nobody likes to be told what to do. There is a spirit of rebellion in every person. But anyone who has been changed by the power of God loves to be told what to do by Jesus.

HELL

II Thessalonians 1:6-12

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power…

God’s grace only looms large in our minds when we understand what would happen to us without it! When we realize the ultimate fate awaiting those who do not receive God’s grace revealed in Jesus!

Paul says – God is just!

What does this mean?

It means His very nature is about fairness. While God is also merciful, His mercy does not make Him unfair. Every wrong must be made right!

Those who are persecuting the believers in Thessalonica will be punished. In fact, every sin will receive a fair penalty. And sin’s punishment is separation from God, hell!

But God is more than just. He is also love. His love sends Jesus to take our punishment on the cross.

Jesus’ death pays for the sins of those who trust Him. Another fate awaits those who reject God’s grace. They will pay for their own sins!

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

The thought of hell – separation from God – is a terrible thought. The idea of evil behavior going unpunished is equally troubling.

God is just and loving. Jesus takes the punishment of our sins. Now when God graciously extends the mercy of forgiveness, He is also just because the price of sin was paid by Jesus.

Why do you think Jesus spoke so often about the reality of hell?

He wanted the world to know the greatness of God’s saving grace.

GRACE AND PEACE

II Thessalonians 1:1-5

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace! What gifts from God!

God’s grace is revealed in the coming of Jesus. His perfect life freely given up on the cross for our sins!

What does this empowering grace produce?

Faith!

Trust in Jesus is the hallmark of His students.

Grace also brings peace. Peace with God and therefore peace within. And peace in our relationships!

For Grace which produces trust and brings peace also fills our hearts with God’s love. The same love that flows out to the world in the coming of Jesus, now overflows from our hearts to others by the power of the Holy Spirit within.

Paul’s prayer is for God’s grace and peace to continue to be with them. For the results are already growing in the lives of the Christians in Thessalonica!

Your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

The Teacher says – He who is forgiven much, loves much!

Love for one another is proof of God’s grace. Love in our hearts is the evidence of our relationship with Jesus.

All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

How can students of Jesus know they are following the Teacher? A growing trust in Him and increasing love in our hearts for others!