1 Thessalonians 5:5 (KJV) Is the Gospel Offensive to the Lost?

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (KJV) 

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

I can’t help but think of the unsaved souls who would be offended by nearly every term we use to distinguish the difference between “them and us” (and even that phrasing would likely offend them).

• Saved and unsaved
• Redeemed and lost
• Believer and unbeliever

So of course, they’d be offended at this distinction: they are of the darkness.

Light and dark—this contrast speaks of enlightenment. We know something they do not. That, too, offends them. They’d claim we are the superstitious ones. They believe they’ve progressed beyond such primitive ideas as:

• God and the devil
• Heaven and Hell
• Good and evil

That last one shows up clearly today. The further people get from the light of God, the less they recognize anything as evil or wrong.

Our text highlights several contrasts involving light:

• Light vs. Sleep: Believers tend to be more aware of the consequences of their choices.
• Light vs. Drunkenness: Believers tend to be sober-minded about life.
• Light vs. Evil: Believers are generally inclined toward what is good.

That doesn’t mean we’re perfect. The children of darkness love to point that out. We still battle the corruption of the flesh. But children of light do battle it. Darkness tends to ignore it, deny it, or surrender to it.

#ChildrenOfLight #DayNotNight #TruthIsOffensive #DarknessDeniesSin #LightExposesEvil

Is the Gospel Offensive to the Lost? Clear Differences Between Light and Darkness

Are you walking in the light or stumbling in the dark? God's Word draws a clear line—light versus darkness, truth versus error. If you're saved, you're called to live like it: awake, alert, and aligned with God’s truth.

💥 Action Step: Share this with someone who needs the light of God's truth today. Then choose one area of your life—entertainment, friendships, habits—and remove what doesn’t belong in the light.

💬 Question: What’s one thing in your life that proves you're walking as a child of the light?

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (KJV) Is the Gospel Offensive to the Lost? 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (KJV) What I Learned from Mike Riggs—and God

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (KJV) 

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

There is no doubt that God uses teachers in our lives.

Preachers –
They are called of God, anointed by God, and led of God to study and proclaim the truths of the Bible.

Teachers and disciplers –
Every Christian is charged to be a witness. Obedient Christians, then, are also teachers of God’s Word. I have no clue where I’d be spiritually if it had not been for Mike Riggs. He spent hours and hours teaching me the Bible—especially how to live it out every day.

Writers –
I’ve always been drawn to writing because God chose to carry His message through the generations in written form. While paper books are beginning to lose favor, the written word is more prevalent than ever—in texts, emails, and digital media.

God uses all these means to teach us.

But the best Teacher—the very best—is God Himself.

I can learn from others. But what I am taught of God is not only perfectly true—it’s never forgotten.

#TaughtOfGod #BrotherlyLoveInChrist #BiblicalTeachersMatter #DiscipleshipWorks #GodIsTheBestTeacher

What I Learned from Mike Riggs—and God: Learning from God Is Never Forgotten

📖 God still teaches today—are you listening?

Preachers proclaim, disciplers invest, and writers share truth—but the greatest Teacher is God Himself. His lessons are always true and never forgotten (1 Thessalonians 4:9 KJV).

👉 Take action: Send a thank-you text or call the person who first taught you God’s Word. Let them know their investment mattered. Then share one truth you’ve been taught of God this week with someone else—today.

💬 Question for the comments: Who has God used to teach you the Bible and how did it change you?

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (KJV) What I Learned from Mike Riggs—and God

1 Thessalonians 3:9 (KJV) Fellowship Lifts the Heaviest Burdens

1 Thessalonians 3:9 (KJV) 

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

There is no doubt that the apostle had suffered, was suffering, and would suffer again—through afflictions and distresses. His care for the children of God was intense, immeasurable; it was a constant conflict for him. At times, he felt like he couldn’t stand another minute, so great was his concern for their wellbeing in the Lord.

I’m sure he cared for their health and safety, but as his calling was of a spiritual sort, so was his chief concern.

As much as he carried these burdens, he was easily lifted above them.

Notice the double joy.

No matter the affliction, or how difficult the circumstances… no matter the weight of our burdens or the heaviness of our care… the believer, in fellowship with godly, Christ-loving Christians, may always have joy upon joy.

#JoyInTheBattle #ThankfulForGodsPeople #FellowshipBringsJoy #SpiritualBurdensLifted #DoubleJoyInChrist

Fellowship Lifts the Heaviest Burdens: Truths About Joy That Overcomes Burdens

📖 Are You Carrying a Heavy Burden?

The Apostle Paul knew deep sorrow—but also deep joy. In 1 Thessalonians 3:9, we see a powerful truth: fellowship with Christ-loving believers brings joy upon joy, even in the middle of trials.

✅ Action Step: Send an encouraging message to a fellow believer today. Let them know they bring you joy in the Lord. It’ll lift their spirit—and yours.

💬 Question: Who has God used in your life to bring joy during hard times? Share in the comments!

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Thessalonians 3:9 (KJV) Fellowship Lifts the Heaviest Burdens

1 Thessalonians 2:1 (KJV) Who Are You Trying to Impress?

1 Thessalonians 2:1 (KJV)

For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

The account of Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica is recorded for us in the book of Acts. It was unique, to say the least. He was immediately persecuted by the Jews to the point that, in less than a month's time, he was forced to evacuate. Their hatred was so fierce, they chased him down to Berea, where he had to flee again. Paul would have liked to return to Thessalonica but was hindered in doing so.

It is under these circumstances that Paul wrote, “our entrance in unto you… was not in vain.”

I think all of us who serve the Lord would like to say the same — that our ministry is not in vain. It’s not empty, useless, or ineffective. We’d love to point to our life’s work and say, “See. I was successful.”

But in a world hostile to the cross, that’s an uphill battle. And it’s one where men are tempted to compromise, just to feel like their work mattered. In soldiers’ terms, if the goal is to “take the hill,” taking it by dressing like the enemy, speaking like the enemy, and befriending the enemy is not victory — it’s betrayal.

In this light, Barnes writes of Paul’s words:

“Here it seems, from the connection (1 Thess. 2:3–5), to be used in the latter sense, as denoting that they were not deceivers. The object does not appear to be so much to show that their ministry was successful, as to meet a charge of their adversaries that they were impostors. Paul tells them that from their own observation they knew that this was not so.”

Far more important than appearing successful in the ministry is conducting it in such a way that everyone knows — we were genuine. We were not imposters. We were not compromisers. We were not hypocrites.

#NotInVain #StandWithoutCompromise #FaithfulInTheFight #GenuineMinistry #BoldForTheGospel

Who Are You Trying to Impress in Ministry? Genuine Ministry Matters More Than Visible Success

📣 Are You Serving Without Compromise?

In a world that rewards popularity over truth, it’s easy to slip into ministry methods that look successful but lack sincerity. Paul’s entrance into Thessalonica was brief and met with fierce opposition — yet it was not in vain because it was genuine, Spirit-led, and uncompromised.

🛡️ Take action: Reach out to a fellow servant of God today—send a word of encouragement to someone who’s standing firm in truth. Let them know their labor is not in vain.

💬 Question: What’s one specific way you’ve resisted the temptation to compromise in your service to the Lord? Share in the comments and strengthen someone else’s resolve.

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Thessalonians 2:1 (KJV) Who Are You Trying to Impress?

1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV) Faith That Speaks—Not Just Shows

1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV)

For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

I’m intrigued by the words, “For from you.”

I’ve met many in our day who seem to believe that if our faith is genuine—real, confident—then we won’t need to speak about it. People will just know. In the early days of my faith, this was called “lifestyle evangelism.” It was often set in contrast to—and in many circles, in opposition to—what was called “confrontational evangelism.”

My circles advocate for the more confrontational style, sometimes even militant. We view lifestyle evangelism as no evangelism at all. The other group would accuse us of being offensive and turning off the would-be seeker.

But our view is that no one seeks the Lord; they must be sought out.

Paul said of the believers in Thessalonica, “from you sounded out the word of the Lord.” Albert Barnes notes that this must have been both involuntary and unintentional (the natural result of faith—we talk about the things that matter to us), as well as voluntary and purposeful—there were “decided efforts” to send the Word abroad.

Barnes writes further:
“There is no improbability in the supposition that they sent out members of their church—messengers of salvation—to other parts of Macedonia and Greece, that they might communicate the same gospel to others.”

This, I believe, ought to be a decided effort of every church—to organize members to go out into the community with the gospel, and to purposefully commission and finance those called of the Lord as missionaries to the regions beyond our own.

#SoundOutTheWord #FaithInAction #RealEvangelism #GoYeTherefore #FromYouToTheWorld

Faith That Speaks—Not Just Shows: Why Lifestyle Alone Isn’t Evangelism

📢 Is your faith heard or just seen?
Paul said of the Thessalonian believers, “From you sounded out the word of the Lord.” Their faith didn’t sit silent—it moved, spoke, and spread.

Too many today rely on passive “lifestyle evangelism” and never speak a word. But the Bible commands us to go, tell, and proclaim.

👉 Take action today: Share the gospel with one person—face-to-face, over the phone, or through a message. Don’t wait for them to come to you.

💬 Question: Do you believe people can truly be saved without someone actively telling them how? Answer in the comments!

📲 Hungry for more solid, biblical teaching? Visit marvinmckenzie.org for Bible studies, videos, and resources rooted in the King James Bible.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6800 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV) Faith That Speaks—Not Just Shows