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Timothy’s Encouraging Report
But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.
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Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.
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For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.
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Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
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May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
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May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
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Living to Please God
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
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It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
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that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
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and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.
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Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
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Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
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And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
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and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
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so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
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Believers Who Have Died
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
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For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
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According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
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Therefore encourage one another with these words.
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The Day of the Lord
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
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While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
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But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
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So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
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For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
