Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

A woman in California was greedy for money. She took advantage of homeowners who were about to lose their homes. She did it by taking their money, promising to get banks to refinance their homes. Instead of contacting the banks, she spent the money on herself, cheating the people out of millions of dollars. Tricksters use deception and flattery to defraud unsuspecting people. Religious con artists were around during the time of the Apostle Paul, so when he brought the Gospel to Thessalonica, he took great pains to avoid the appearance of being dishonest. In his first letter to this church, he reminds them of how careful he had been. He had come from Philippi, where he had been beaten and thrown into prison for preaching the Gospel there. Despite the brutal treatment in Philippi, he went to Berea and Thessalonica with the same message. He would let nothing stop him from his mission. In Thessalonica, he assured the people that he did not come with any deceit or impure motives. Rather, he said, "We speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. God alone examines the motives of our hearts." Paul assured the people that he was a true representative of Jesus Christ—not a fake or a trickster. Like Paul, we should avoid any hint of trickery, and not take advantage of the people we serve.