Christ-centered Love In Sharing The Paschal Mystery

Scripture Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, 'Paul's love and witness within paschal faith community'.


In today's Epistle 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13, the apostle Paul declares his sincere desire to follow Jesus Christ as Messiah, in living the Paschal Mystery. After his dramatic encounter and transformation with the Glorified Christ (ADONAI) on the way to Damascus, Paul taught and modeled agape love, self-sacrifice and sincere service for the sake of the Gospel of Christ (Acts 9:3-7). By embracing and facilitating the death of the mind of the flesh in his life, Paul experienced spiritual resurrection, spiritual awakening and Christ-centered formation. In the mind of the spirit, he developed great power and zeal for the salvation and Christ-centered formation of souls. Paul's life manifested God's grace and brotherly love within the Thessalonian witnessing paschal faith community (Thessalonians 2:9).

Paul's evangelistic and pastoral ministries involved steadfast spiritual labors and travail for the deliverance and liberation of souls from slavery to the sins of the mind of the flesh. In the midst of their generous giving however, Paul ministry remained self- supported. He zealously labored day and night to lead this witnessing paschal faith community, to deeper personal and collective encounters with the indwelling Christ (ADONAI), through their spiritual bodies (Colossians 1:24-29, Thessalonians 2:9).


Before his conversion, Paul was a good example of great zeal for religion believed, taught and practiced in the mind of the flesh. He wanted to punish and destroy those believers in his religion, who chose to follow Jesus Christ, and live their lives in the mind of the of the spirit. With greater zeal, Paul's affirmation, proclamation and practical application of the gospel of Christ after his conversion and transformation were blameless and pleasing to God.  His message, ministry, behavior and life continue provide excellent examples for believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, who choose to follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery (1 Thessalonians 2:10).


Paul exhorted the Thessalonians in ways to avoid and shun various forms of evil. He taught then how to choose between truth and error. His teaching of the Gospel as the Paschal Mystery provided true comfort for these believers in the midst of their persecution and suffering. In the mind of the spirit Paul proclaimed, affirm and manifested  the presence, power and work of the Holy Spirit and Christ (ADONAI) within and through his and their spiritual bodies. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they were faithful in offering true and laudable service to God and one another (1 Thessalonians 2:11).

Because Paul and these believers walked by faith and not by sight, they experienced deliverance from slavery to sin.  In the mind of the spirit they realized rest for their souls in the midst of persecution. In the power of the Holy Spirit they lived Christ-centered lives, bearing the fruit of the spirit. Their daily Christ-centered walk involved steadfastly followed Jesus Christ and Paul in living the Paschal Mystery, and revealing God's kingdom and glory, on earth as it is in heaven (1 Thessalonians 2:12).


Because they believed, embraced and appropriated Paul's message of the Gospel of Christ as the authentic Word of God, their lives revealed God's heavenly promises. They took the Gospel as the Word in their hearts, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, their lives manifested the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-26). Paul gave unceasing praise and thanks to God because these believers received and demonstrated the truth of the magnificent promises found in the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). 


The universal Gospel of Christ, as revealed in the life, teaching and ministry of Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul, can be taught, understood and applied in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, in the mind of the spirit (John 3:14-18, Colossians 1:26-29). Deliverance from slavery to sin and passing over into the freedom, love and abundant life of God, are available to all person through repentance and faith in Christ (ADONAI), in the spiritual body all persons. Are you willing to embrace the authentic of the Gospel of Christ and follow Jesus Christ and Paul in living the Paschal Mystery, here on earth, in the mind of the spirit?

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Effective stewardship Of The Gospel In Living The Paschal Mystery

Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 'Paul's stewardship of the Gospel of Christ'. 


In the midst of suffering and imprisonment, the apostle Paul maintained his integrity and faithfulness in declaring the Gospel of Christ. He sought to please only God and reveal the truth of mankind's redemption, to all mankind. To Paul suffering for the sake of the Gospel of Christ did not produce fear. Suffering actually engendered Christ-centered honesty, clarity and Holy Spirit-based boldness.

To Paul the Church in Thessalonica was a model witnessing paschal faith community.  They embraced, taught and modeled the Gospel of Christ with clarity, confidence and steadfast faith. As proof of their faith, these Christ-centered believers manifested the fruit of the spirit in their daily lives and relationships (Galatians 1:22-26, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2).


These Christ-centered spiritually awake brethren were faithful stewards of the Paschal Mystery. In the mind of the spirit, they followed Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul is seeking, worshipping and serving Christ, ADONAI, in the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, as Messiah, and in the spiritual body of all persons. They not only suffered, but they actually embraced, allowed and facilitated death of the mind of the flesh, in their hearts, minds and lives for the sake of Christ, and the sake of the Gospel of Christ. In the mind of the spirit, they followed Jesus Christ and Paul in living the Paschal Mystery (1 Thessalonians 2: 1-2).

Paul's proclamation of the Gospel of Christ to the Thessalonians was not contaminated with the deceit and divisiveness of the mind of the flesh. Paul experienced radical transformation, resurrection from spiritual death and conversion on the road to Damascus. In Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul realized what it meant to have a clean heart. He had no guile and contempt for others who also shared their understanding and experience of the Gospel of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:3).

The effective and true stewardship of Paul and these Thessalonian believers of the Gospel of Christ was pleasing to God. In the mind of the spirit, their affirmations of the Gospel were not based in empty human flattery, but in Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based integrity. In the midst of suffering and persecution, they sought no earthly honor or human glory. Their witness manifested their perseverance, caring, courage, true faith and dependence on God (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).

Gentleness and solicitude characterized their dialogue and sharing within their witnessing paschal faith community. Through God's grace, agape love and self-sacrifice, these believers cast down and cast out the inappropriate and destructive dominion of the mind of the flesh. In the mind of the spirit they showed great zeal and enthusiasm, as they experience the deliverance of their souls, hearts, minds and lives from slavery to sin. Their lives manifested the fact that they were passing over into the freedom, love and glory of God, through the indwelling and incarnation of Christ (ADONAI) in their lives, through their spiritual bodies (I Thessalonians 2:7-8).


How does the effectiveness, gentleness, integrity and Christ-centered stewardship of the Gospel, within your witnessing faith community, compare with that of these Thessalonian believers? Have you personally experienced a Christ-centered spiritual awakening from the spiritual death of the mind of the flesh, in your own life? Are you now discerning and actually experiencing the joy and new life of being born from above, as you follow Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul in living the Paschal Mystery?

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Christ-centered Transformation In Living The Paschal Mystery

Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 1-10, 'A model witnessing paschal faith community'


In today's Epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul focuses on this witnessing paschal faith community's relationship with the indwelling Godhead through Christ, Jesus Christ, his fellow workers Silas and Timothy, himself and each other. He was not concerned about their adherence to ceremonies, rituals and sacraments. He honored and encouraged them in revealing and manifesting true Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based, repentance, conversion, transformation and kingdom living, here on earth.  Their lives and works were real proof of their Christ-centered faith, witness, balance, stability, listening and spiritual companioning.

These spiritually awake believers followed Jesus Christ and Paul in recognizing and honoring God as the universal Father of all mankind. Like Paul they sought, discerned, worshipped and served Christ, the universal, indwelling Revealing One, God's image and likeness, in the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, themselves and all persons. They steadfastly followed Jesus Christ as Messiah, the full incarnation and fully orbed and manifested, Revealed One (Colossians 2:9). In the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, they manifested the fruit of the spirit  by their good works, as proof of their faith and Christ-centered spiritual mindedness (Galatians 5:22-26, Colossians 1:24-29, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-4).


As a witnessing, paschal faith community, the effectiveness of their ministry was based in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, in their midst and within them. They followed Paul, as Paul followed Jesus Christ, as Messiah. Like Jesus and Paul they endured and embraced the suffering, casting down and casting out the mind of the flesh, in their hearts, minds, relationships and lives, for the sake of the Gospel of Christ (Matthew 4:1-11). In the mind of the spirit, they realized great joy and became great examples for all witnessing paschal faith communities, in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups (I Thessalonians 1:5-8).


In turning from  the mind of the flesh, they chose to steadfastly clothe themselves in the mind of the spirit. By worshipping, seeking and serving Christ, in the spiritual body of all persons, they awaited, discerned and experienced, the Revealing One, the universal, indwelling and incarnation of the Christ of Faith, God's image and likeness, through their spiritual bodes. As spiritually awake believers they affirmed, Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Christ is risen in me! They honored and proclaimed Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Revealed One and the Messiah (John 14:6, Colossians 2:9). They were being delivered from bondage and slavery to sin of the mind of the flesh, and were realizing passing over into the liberty, freedom and glory of the love of God in Christ, by following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal mystery (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).    


Is your witnessing faith community inclusive, collaborative, Christ-centered and Holy Spirit-based in leadership, sharing and dialogue? Do they discern the importance of first changing mindsets, if they expect Christ-centered changes in human relationships, attitudes, behavior and actions? Does your faith community avoid focusing on differences, uniqueness, individuality and incivility? Are you committed, with God's help, to doing your part in building Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based, witnessing paschal faith communities, who seek and model kingdom living here on earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10, Luke 17:20-21)?

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Christ-centered Sufficiency In Living The Paschal Mystery

Scripture Text: Philippians 4:1-9, 'Stand firm in Christ's sufficiency'


In today's Epistle Philippians 4:1-9, the apostle Paul shares with fellow believers the injunction to stand firm in Christ-centered spiritual mindedness. He reminded these believers, who chose to join him in follow  Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery, that they are now a witnessing paschal faith community of heavenly people. Because of their firm affirmation and adherence to their new heavenly position in Christ, they have now been delivered from slavery and bondage to sin, in the mind of the flesh. They are now enjoying the freedom and joy of abundant and eternal live in the mind of the spirit (Romans 8:1-11, Philippians 4:1)
   
By steadfastly following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery, personal rifts are being healed. These believers are now experiencing unity and agreement, because they seek, worship and serve Christ, the invisible image and likeness of God, in the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, each other and all persons as Lord (Genesis 1:26-27, Colossians 1:26-27). A spirit of helpfulness has developed and now prevails within their witnessing faith community. There is great joy, meekness and gentleness among them as they are now experiencing the mystery and eminent return and reign of the universal indwelling and Christ of Faith, through their spiritual bodies (Philippians 4:2-5).
    

The secret to finding and dwelling in God's peace  is following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery. When standing firm in our position in Christ, we pray about everything in a spirit of thanksgiving, gratitude and praise. There is now no need to worry about anything. This new peace is incomprehensible to the mind of the flesh.  It surpasses anything the mind of the flesh can grasp. These believers are learning to keep on their guard and protect their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life from Satan, the mind of the flesh (Philippians 4:6-7). 
    
The key to preserving God's peace is maintaining proper stewardship of our thought life.
These Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based believers meditate on the things that are true, noble, honorable and irrefutable. They contemplate the things that are pure, lovely and of good report (Philippians 4:8-9).


Do you desire to possess God's peace? Are you willing, like Jesus Christ, to be possessed by the indwelling and incarnate Christ of Faith, God's peace? Will you seek and serve the Christ of Faith in the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, yourself and all persons? Will you steadfastly follow Jesus Christ in loving your neighbor as your self? Will you steadfastly follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery?

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