Once you find your way there, if you're able, I'll ask you to stand. You can follow along as I read. If not, where you're seated is fine.

I should have done this earlier, but that's all right.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church there in Thessalonica and by the Holy Spirit says verse 13 and we also

thank God continually.

What a great start on this, the first Sunday after Thanksgiving.

We also thank God continually and we're going to be told why. Because

when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it. not as a human word, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea,

which are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own people the same things. Those churches

suffered from the Jews who killed verse 15

the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out a reference to Paul being driven

out ran out of Thessalonica when he was there starting this church.

Some believe only for three weeks before they ran them out of town.

They displease God and are hostile to everyone in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved.

In this way, they always heap up their sins to the limit.

The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Wow.

Verse 17, but brothers and sisters,

when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time,

and we're told parenthetically in person, not in thought, out of our intense longing,

we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you.

Certainly I, Paul did again and again, but, interesting.

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