From our Pastor

“RPT”

 In this era of texting, we are all familiar with three letter acronyms. These are three letter abbreviations that are substituted for longer phrases, usually made up of the first letter from each word of the phrase being abbreviated. For example, IDK is a substitute for “I Don’t Know,” BTW for “By The Way,” and so on. They are a simple way to represent and remember longer phrases. I have a new three letter acronym to help us remember those things that God asks of all who love and follow Him – RPT.  This comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

                                    The first letter is ……… R – REJOICE ALWAYS!                                    

                                       The second letter is .... P – PRAY CONTINUALLY!

                                        The third letter is …..… T – give THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!

 RPT – Rejoice always; Pray continually; give Thanks  in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.

            First the “R” – Rejoice always. It’s easy to rejoice when everything is wonderful and life is good. It’s altogether different when we are going through dark and trying times. Yet it is in those difficult times when we need to look at the cross and remember that through Christ’s death and resurrection, WE gain the victory with Him and through Him. Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” With His reassurance we can rejoice always!

            Now the “P” – Pray continually.  We can’t spend all our time on our knees, but we can go through our day with a prayerful attitude.  This is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us and making the choice to obey Him fully.  God knows us better than we know ourselves. He alone can provide the answers to our prayers but He likes to be asked! Jesus tells us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  We do need to remember that sometimes the answer is “No.”

            Finally, the “T” – give Thanks in all circumstances. The apostle Paul, who wrote this letter to the Thessalonians, is not saying that we should thank God for everything that happens to us, but in everything that happens to us. There is evil in the world and believers are not immune to it. However, when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God’s presence in our lives and for the good that He will accomplish in spite of the evil. Paul writes “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

            I hope you find RPT useful as a reminder that it can be well with our souls, even if it is not with our circumstances.

– Pastor Kristen