YOOOO!
What up! Good evening brethren and sistren! It gives me great joy to again write to you all about... da Word! Yeah KIIIIIIIIID! Things over here are going pretty well. I'm still exercisin' my knee in preparation for a lil' surgery. I gotta get this bad boy STRAIGHT! I've also been increasin' my repertoire of dishes ;-D I love the experimenting; it's a ton of fun, believe you me! UH HUH! Aight, on to.... da Word!
checkit:
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:2)
Boooyaka! Did I mention ;-D how much I love the way Paul opens his letters? Homeboy always lays on the affirmations dawg! He gives maaaaaad props! He encourages, and he brings joy. Maaaan, imagine receiving a letter from Paul, da man himself, and starts out saying, "We are joyous son! You have grown so DEEP in da faith. It shows in all of your actions and in all that you do! Your newness of character is light and shines brightly! Many speak of you and your deeds. We are proud that you have grown so close to Pops Himself that His light now shines brightly through you." Potnas, that would be freakin' AWESOME! But wait, hold up.. that's just Paul. Now imagine Pops above saying it to you when that day comes! I mean, imagine, you meet Pops, da creator Himself, for da first time face to face. He's chillin', your chillin' (and probably shakin' a lil bit, heh heh). And he says to you, "Well done! Well done! My good and faithful servant! You have loved me, and you have loved many unconditionally. Many are here because of your faithfulness to me and willingness to listen and to love. Well done my son! Well done my daughter! Well done!" Yo.... that would be da ultimate bomb diggity!
Aight aight, back to the verse above. There are bunch of things to note bruthaz and sistaz. First, note that these are all non-passive actions! We are talkin' work, labor, and endurance. Man, that can be some tough stuff. Paul ain't talkin' about kats sittin' on their jolly and plump booties, enjoying da weather, and watchin' the tube son! He's talkin' about kats who are up and out there potnas, peeps who are movin' and shakin', they are doing things! They aren't just sitting idly in the security of their salvation and their faith. Naw law, they are working to share that security with as many as they can bruthaz and sistaz! It's not sit and receive, but puff puff give! Receive some "out of this world" goodness, and share da wealth!
The next thing to note is that of these actions.... none of them were done on these peeps' own strengths. Naw lo. If that were the case, if the Thessalonians were able to do these things on their own strength, then what need would they have of God? What need would any have of God? Naw dawgs, it is because of their reliance on Pops above himself that they could work, labor, and endure to the greatest magnitude! I mean check it, Paul says, "your work, produced by faith!" If they had no faith, there would be no work! It is their faith in the awesome creator, Pops above himself, that prompts them and motivates them to bust out some ill work potnas! Their faith drives them. So faith is important.
Then Paul drops, "labor prompted by your love." Oh snap! There, he went and said it! It was a labor not driven by selfish desires.... because love is not a selfish concept. They labored for others! Out of service to their fellow man and woman. Out of service to their fellow humans! Yo, they labored because they loved! They loved so much that they sought to serve one another, in order to build each other up. Ain't that da bomb? Imagine if we all started doing that. You know, stopped looking inward and started looking outward, and did so with love. This world would be a much better place no? Matter of fact, your individual circles of relationships would be that much more awesome no? Give it a try, I'm sure you will not be dissappointed. So love, also, is important.
Boooyaka! Did I mention ;-D how much I love the way Paul opens his letters? Homeboy always lays on the affirmations dawg! He gives maaaaaad props! He encourages, and he brings joy. Maaaan, imagine receiving a letter from Paul, da man himself, and starts out saying, "We are joyous son! You have grown so DEEP in da faith. It shows in all of your actions and in all that you do! Your newness of character is light and shines brightly! Many speak of you and your deeds. We are proud that you have grown so close to Pops Himself that His light now shines brightly through you." Potnas, that would be freakin' AWESOME! But wait, hold up.. that's just Paul. Now imagine Pops above saying it to you when that day comes! I mean, imagine, you meet Pops, da creator Himself, for da first time face to face. He's chillin', your chillin' (and probably shakin' a lil bit, heh heh). And he says to you, "Well done! Well done! My good and faithful servant! You have loved me, and you have loved many unconditionally. Many are here because of your faithfulness to me and willingness to listen and to love. Well done my son! Well done my daughter! Well done!" Yo.... that would be da ultimate bomb diggity!
Aight aight, back to the verse above. There are bunch of things to note bruthaz and sistaz. First, note that these are all non-passive actions! We are talkin' work, labor, and endurance. Man, that can be some tough stuff. Paul ain't talkin' about kats sittin' on their jolly and plump booties, enjoying da weather, and watchin' the tube son! He's talkin' about kats who are up and out there potnas, peeps who are movin' and shakin', they are doing things! They aren't just sitting idly in the security of their salvation and their faith. Naw law, they are working to share that security with as many as they can bruthaz and sistaz! It's not sit and receive, but puff puff give! Receive some "out of this world" goodness, and share da wealth!
The next thing to note is that of these actions.... none of them were done on these peeps' own strengths. Naw lo. If that were the case, if the Thessalonians were able to do these things on their own strength, then what need would they have of God? What need would any have of God? Naw dawgs, it is because of their reliance on Pops above himself that they could work, labor, and endure to the greatest magnitude! I mean check it, Paul says, "your work, produced by faith!" If they had no faith, there would be no work! It is their faith in the awesome creator, Pops above himself, that prompts them and motivates them to bust out some ill work potnas! Their faith drives them. So faith is important.
Then Paul drops, "labor prompted by your love." Oh snap! There, he went and said it! It was a labor not driven by selfish desires.... because love is not a selfish concept. They labored for others! Out of service to their fellow man and woman. Out of service to their fellow humans! Yo, they labored because they loved! They loved so much that they sought to serve one another, in order to build each other up. Ain't that da bomb? Imagine if we all started doing that. You know, stopped looking inward and started looking outward, and did so with love. This world would be a much better place no? Matter of fact, your individual circles of relationships would be that much more awesome no? Give it a try, I'm sure you will not be dissappointed. So love, also, is important.
Finally, Paul drops the ultimatle clincher, "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord... Jesus da Christ potnas!" YEAH! That's what I'm talking about. It all stems from da Lord himself, Jesus da Christ, sacrificed and raised, da Son. He done paid da price for our sins potnas! We no longer have to account for them (cuz there is no way we could be let off in the face of Justice). Da hope is that da Christ defeated death itself and paid for all our badness. Now we got a free ticket! And so that is our hope! Because we have this hope that we can enter da heavenly of heavenlies, we can now be inspired to ENDURE all manner of heat potnas! Ain't nothing can squash us because we have hold of the hope!
Faith, love, and hope. Have you got these three? If not, whatcha waitin' fo'!?!? If so, have you been beefin' them up? If not, better crack the whip potna! Let's go now! Ain't no time to dilly dally, let's move! We've got the doors of Life.... opened to us ;-D
G-bless,
- patrick
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