The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #4610

My highlighted verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:1  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1 Thes. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
The Greek word for "times" is "chronos" and the Greek word for "seasons" is "karios", meaning "set time" or "proper season".
Let's just say that you should know the "chronology" of the major events and the "season of the appointed time" of Christ's return.
If not, you're already in trouble!
Wake up now!
If there is any question in your mind about this, when we get to 2 Thes. chapter 2 Paul will explain it in irrefutable factual detail!
[2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
One of the prerequisites to learning and understanding the Word of God is that one must apply the basic rules of reading, one of which is to follow the subject and not take things out of context.
Paul is now talking about the "times and the seasons" concerning the return of Jesus Christ and it is that time, His return on the "Day of the Lord", which will "sneak up" on those who are not "watching" and take them by surprise.
In other words, Paul is not saying that Christ is coming as a thief, for Christ is no thief, but the timing of His return is analogous to the time a thief makes his entrance, i.e. when you are sleeping and not on guard.
SURPRISE!
This is really quite simple.
Christ comes in that "hour of darkness", spiritual darkness, when most people, most Christians, are slumbering (Rom. 11:8), believing that they are safe and sound, "nestled snug in their beds while sounds of sugarplums dance in their heads".
They are in for a rude awakening when they hear the blast from the 7th Trump.
Again, those who are familiar with the truth "know this perfectly well".
Now some will say that Paul is merely referring to the non-Christians, the non-believers, those who do not believe in Christ nor in His returning.
Do not be deceived.
It is the majority of Christianity that has been "taken" by the "many who have already come in His name" (Mat. 24, Mk. 13, Luke 21) in these last days and sorely deceived them.
Though the "many" go to church and sing praises and they give to the poor and needy, etc., they have become foolish virgins because they are Biblically unknowledgeable.
They lack sufficient "oil" in their lamps to endure until end.
They have built their houses not upon the Rock, the Word of God, but upon sand, upon the traditions of men.
Here for example is what Jesus has to say to the Christian believers of the church of Sardis in Rev. 3:
Rev. 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
"I didn't know Christians had any works", some say.
Yes, they do!
They are not saved by works, but once they are saved they have much work to do.
In this generation they are to become strong "watchmen" after the example of Ezekiel.
hey are to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only" otherwise their "faith is dead" as James explains in James 2:20, "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"
[3] Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The very last thing Christ told us in Mark 13 after explaining the 7 Seals, the events that would take place before He returns, is to "Watch", i.e. do the deeds of the "watchman".
Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: [36] Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. [37] And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Of course it is your choice.
You can be as the church of Sardis and remain clueless.
Paul now gives us one of the major signs of the time and season for the return of Christ.
1 Thes. 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Jesus Christ really told us this exact same thing. He said that the end of the "age", i.e. His return, will not come as long as your hear of world wars and rumors of wars (cold wars).
No, the sign will be when you hear the cry of peace and safety.
Mark 13:7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
Notice in 1 Thes. 5:3 the statement "they shall not escape".
The sudden destruction that comes upon them is likened to a woman having labor pains, i.e. contractions, which cannot be avoided when giving natural childbirth, can it?
1 Thes. 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
We are not "in the dark" about when Jesus Christ is coming.
We have the light of truth, His Word, which completely scatters the darkness, even the rudiments of darkness.
You actually witness a great analogy of this whenever you enter a dark room and flip on the light switch and the darkness instantly flees away.
Ever wonder where it goes or is it just "consumed" by the light?
Satan loves darkness.
He brought about the period in history which is called the "Dark Ages" when the light of truth was suppressed by religion disguised as Christianity.
Did you know that the translators* of the 1611 King James Bible make reference to the suppression of His Word by the church system (religion) and they explain how that in order to get access to and read the Bible back then you first had to get "a license", and to get that you had show yourself approved to your confessor and the bishops.
There is nothing new under the sun!
Satan is trying to snuff out the light, the Word of truth, again in this generation, isn't he?
Just try to read the Bible in a public school these days and see how long it takes the scorpions to come out of the dark ACLU closet and sting you!

* Note; If you haven't read the "Letter to the Reader" by the translators of the King James Bible, because perhaps you have been kept in the dark regarding its very existence, then log unto to pamphlets #1614 & #6057.  You will then see why it has been removed from the pages of the King James Bibles.
1 Thes. 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
We do not live in the dark ages.
Christ is our light and we are beginning to stand out more and more as the shadows of darkness continue to creep over the earth.
Think how easy you will be able to be spotted when Antichrist shows up and that darkness (spiritually speaking) completely covers the earth.
No need to worry though.
As the "children of the day" that light will continue to shine until we have the victory even as the day of Joshua was extended until the battle was won.
[6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Again, who are those "others" who are sleeping?
Unfortunately they are our brothers and sisters whose eyes God has allowed to be remain closed for their own protection (Rom. 11:8), lest they see and be held accountable unto death.
It is their "ignorance" that remains their cloak of protection (Jn. 9:41).
1 Thes. 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Be vigilant and sober.
Peter explains how it is we remain spiritually "sober" by "Girding up the loins of our minds" with His Word.
Otherwise we will be deceived, which is to become drunken with the "wine of fornication" (Rev. 17:2) which is spiritual adultery, i.e. idolatry.
1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
"Gird up" with His Word right until "the end"!
Paul likens it to putting on a protective suit of armor
1 Thes. 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Paul will later expound on this Gospel Armor in the 6th chapter of his letter to the Ephesians.
The Gospel Armor is not something you can buy or get or put on and off.
It grows on you as a "result" of exercising the faith and love and hope that comes from being a "doer" of His Word because you "believe" in Him.
[9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
This is so important for us to understand and it should give all of His children great comfort.
Our Father God is not angry at His children who love and serve Him, who strive to put on the gospel armor.
And when the Day of His Wrath comes we will not be subject to that wrath.
Think of it this way: If you came home from a long trip and found that some of your children were woefully disobedient while others held to your instructions and even tried to encourage their loved ones to be obedient, would you take out your wrath on the ones that loved and obeyed you?
Of course not!
Here is yet another very comforting thought:
[10] Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
This verse should cause one to wonder "What is the Big Deal with the pre-trib Rapture theory anyway?"
Don't Christians understand this verse?
Christ died for us and paid the price for our sins and if we believe in Him, whether we suffer tribulation or not, or whether we live in the flesh long enough to see the return of Christ or whether we die before He returns, it doesn't really matter!
Because as Paul says, either way "We will live together with Him" and "So shall we ever be with the Lord!"
1 Thes. 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
You bet we should comfort one another with these words, because they are true.
And we should edify on another too!
What does that mean?
That means we should help one another build our houses upon the Rock, upon the Word of God.
Here is Strong's definition of "edify":
edify = oikodomeo, oy-kod-om-eh'-o, Greek 3618; from the same as Greek 3619 (oikodome); to be a house-builder, i.e. construct or (figurative) confirm :- (be in) build (-er, -ing, up), edify, embolden.
Hear the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ to gain wisdom:
Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Not everyone who calls himself a Christian is going to make it except for the "doers" of HIS WILL!
The others are disobedient.
You see, you can be really busy doing other things in the name of the Lord while at the same time ignoring that which He has instructed you to do!

If your children just did what pleased them and totally ignored your instructions, would you be happy and reward them for it?
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
These church goers and supporters of many charities claim to be Christians, virgins ready to wed the Bridegroom.

But here is what the Bridegroom says to them when they finally WAKE UP:
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Why didn't Christ know them?
Because they never knew Him!
They never did HIS WILL, His Word, because they were busy doing other things thinking all along they were doing His will.
Be careful.
Here again is wisdom from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
If you want to endure until the end then you best be doing some building upon the Rock!
Or you can continue to follow the traditions of men.
You not only have that choice, you are ALREADY doing one or the other!
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
The sand is the "traditions of men", Churchianity, which makes void the Word of God.
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Remember how God told Noah to build an ark and then gave him explicit detailed instructions on how to do it, which Noah did?
God did not build the ark for him, did He?
No, Noah worked his buns off!
Imagine if Noah had decided to ignore God's will, His plans, and build his own little dinghy and christen it  "The Ark"?
Christianity is not an entitlement program for the lazy whereby one just sleeps and drinks and shows up for a paycheck.
We are to build our houses upon the Rock in the same manner Noah built the ark, according to the explicit directions of His Word.
Have you studied the "Blueprints"?
So how we do as Paul says in 1 Thes. 5:11 and edify one another?
We lovingly and charitably encourage one another and help each other build upon the Word of God, not the words of men.
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.
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