Today’s Thought “Watch Yourself!” G. Ward 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” What warranted this letter was great persecution/ill-tolerance of Christianity (people of the Way) and the Apostle Paul, the number one evangelist/teacher of that time, knew it best. His instruction that clarified Jesus as the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament, was proved and disciples grew; yet in the face of Truth many were defiant, even treacherously so. This portion of his letter sought to encourage their knowing that our resurrected Lord would return for them and also received their loved ones who either died of natural causes or were martyred for belonging to Christ (i.e., who confessed His Sufficiency to forgive their sins, along with absolutely dying to themselves and allowing His regeneration). As I endeavored to understand what Paul’s encouragement looked like, that study revealed a comforting warning to prepare others against plights of self-preservation (an anti-spiritual mechanism) and to absolutely walk alongside of any fearful in being perceived as belonging to Christ, particularly as so many others refuse to be owned and look so free…