And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Always be joyful. 17Never stop praying. 18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.19Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20Do not scoff at prophecies, 21but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22Stay away from every kind of evil.

Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness2:3a Some manuscripts read the man of sin. is revealed—the one who brings destruction.2:3b Greek the son of destruction. 4He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed,

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

never get tired of doing good.

Lord God my Father,

Soften my heart to release my stubborn arrogance and allow your Peaceful Truth to overwhelm me. Allow your Joy to be my guide and protect me from the deceiver. Allow your Peace to temper my desire to control.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen