The Word This Week
2 Thessalonians 1:1…
God is not the author of confusion.
Therefore, who is?
Jesus had spoken of this when He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who is not with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30)
That Satan would seek to scatter abroad should come as no surprise to the Church. Satan is aware of true doctrine. He knows Jesus is the Christ. He is aware of the power of the Holy Spirit to stand for truth and provide power for grace and forgiveness and righteous living, and the witness to Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
That the Church would be motivated to righteous living while waiting for the return of Christ to receive His Bride into glory would be and is something the enemy would attack because it provides strength and energy within the Church.
Should the Church begin to believe the Day of the Lord has already come - or that the Day of the Lord will never come - well, we can only begin to imagine how deflating it would be to The Church - or any individual church - beginning to give hearing to this false and confusing message.
This is why Paul has responded so quickly and strongly. His second letter to this church is his attempt to head off the false and confusing teaching of those who have come into the church at Thessalonica since Paul’s departure. This second letter followed his first letter by only a few months. Already confusion about the doctrine of the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church had crept in by way of false teachers. Paul heard of this confusion, and addressed it directly.
Make no mistake about this, God will judge those who bring false teaching and confusion into His Church. Part of the reason for The Tribulation will be God avenging all those who have brought confusion and false teaching into His Church.
You, (the believers at Thessalonica and believers today,) are His precious Bride. He will not stand for those who may seek to dismay you, or lead you into confusion about the totality of His love for you as you wait for the return of your Bridegroom. He has His eye upon no other, and He will never leave you or forsake you. If it were not so He would have told you.
Also remember Jesus said to keep your wicks trimmed and your lamps filled with oil as you wait. This is no time to languish in laziness with the expectation Jesus will come at any time and take care of all the business which should have been accomplished by all of us as we are waiting. There is presently a very limited time remaining to accomplish His kingdom business here on this earth. Part of how we hasten His Day is to occupy and advance His kingdom as we watch and wait. There is work to be done. Good work. Gospel work. And there isn’t much time.
Pastor Bill
God is not the author of confusion.
Therefore, who is?
Jesus had spoken of this when He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who is not with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30)
That Satan would seek to scatter abroad should come as no surprise to the Church. Satan is aware of true doctrine. He knows Jesus is the Christ. He is aware of the power of the Holy Spirit to stand for truth and provide power for grace and forgiveness and righteous living, and the witness to Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
That the Church would be motivated to righteous living while waiting for the return of Christ to receive His Bride into glory would be and is something the enemy would attack because it provides strength and energy within the Church.
Should the Church begin to believe the Day of the Lord has already come - or that the Day of the Lord will never come - well, we can only begin to imagine how deflating it would be to The Church - or any individual church - beginning to give hearing to this false and confusing message.
This is why Paul has responded so quickly and strongly. His second letter to this church is his attempt to head off the false and confusing teaching of those who have come into the church at Thessalonica since Paul’s departure. This second letter followed his first letter by only a few months. Already confusion about the doctrine of the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church had crept in by way of false teachers. Paul heard of this confusion, and addressed it directly.
Make no mistake about this, God will judge those who bring false teaching and confusion into His Church. Part of the reason for The Tribulation will be God avenging all those who have brought confusion and false teaching into His Church.
You, (the believers at Thessalonica and believers today,) are His precious Bride. He will not stand for those who may seek to dismay you, or lead you into confusion about the totality of His love for you as you wait for the return of your Bridegroom. He has His eye upon no other, and He will never leave you or forsake you. If it were not so He would have told you.
Also remember Jesus said to keep your wicks trimmed and your lamps filled with oil as you wait. This is no time to languish in laziness with the expectation Jesus will come at any time and take care of all the business which should have been accomplished by all of us as we are waiting. There is presently a very limited time remaining to accomplish His kingdom business here on this earth. Part of how we hasten His Day is to occupy and advance His kingdom as we watch and wait. There is work to be done. Good work. Gospel work. And there isn’t much time.
Pastor Bill