2 THESSALONIANS 1 – The Book that Changed the World
On our 25th Wedding Anniversary, Mark & I had the privilege of meeting the film producer Norman Stone who, among many other things, created the award-winning dramatized documentary KJB – The Book that Changed the World[a], with John Rhys-Davies. I totally recommend that you follow the link and buy the film – I think it’s great! It’s about King James I, coming to power and how he wanted unity above all things for his new United Kingdom.
One plan that came to his attention early in his reign, was the idea of having one Bible used by all in his realm. Half way through the film, and after King James had produced and printed his Masterpiece – The King James Bible – John Rhys-Davies makes almost a “throw away” comment, “Oh – by the way – his book didn’t sell.”
It made me shake my head in wonder. Now that I’ve printed my own two books – and at the stage now where they’re sitting on my shelf – I’m wondering how to get them out into the hands of people. But of all the people on earth who have ever produced a book, surely King James would have been successful in selling his book. After all, he was the King!
Early on in my writing project, a publisher friend told me that unless I was married to David Beckham, few publishers these days would be interested in a new author. That’s why I created LookUpBooks UK to publish my books. Yet King James was King over the United Kingdom and he still couldn’t sell his book! He was also head of the Church of England and yet he couldn’t force people even within the church to buy his book. So today’s chapter holds a wonderful promise for me.
For one thing, these new Believers in the Roman province of Thessalonica had worse trials than my meagre disappointments and yet they persevered under incredibly difficult circumstances. [v4] How often I’ve wanted to throw my hand in the air and give up as soon as the going gets tough. No wonder Paul was so happy that he boasted about them. They made his lifework real. Their behaviour changes and life stories were proof that the Gospel (the Good News message) was true: the Creator God has indeed allowed anyone in the world to be counted worthy of His Kingdom. [v5]
There are still people today, dotted all over the world, who can’t freely believe what they feel is right in their heart – what is in fact the right path to take. Doing this will mean losing their family, friends, community network of relationships and their jobs. Their new faith in Father God’s Plan for the world, could cause them to suffer physical abuse and imprisonment, in the same way that Paul and these new Believers in Thessalonica experienced in the first century AD. Paul’s teaching on the Creator God’s “Day of Judgement” in v6-9 remains a very real warning that appears many times throughout the Creator God’s Epic Storyline.
But we don’t have to focus on verses like this. We don’t have to worry over it, question it or even disagree with it. All we need to do is “get on side” and wait in complete confidence because “on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people (and to be marvelled at among all those who have believed), this will include you, because you believed our testimony to you.” [v10]
My prayer is that our Father God may count you worthy of His calling, and by His Power, He’ll fulfil every good purpose of yours, and every act prompted by your faith, if you believe His good news message – that is the GRACE of the Creator God through the Lord Jesus Christ. [v11-12]
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[a] http://www.1aproductions.co.uk/portfolio/kjb-the-book-that-changed-the-world/