The
American
Wisdom Series
Presents
Pamphlet #5151 KC2Thes5-1
If
you are one of God's elect, a servant of Jesus Christ?; What is your number
one priority in life?
The question regarding the day Jesus
Christ returns and when we gather back to Him has now been settled once
and for all!
In his first letter to the Thessalonians
Paul told us that the Second Advent will occur at the LAST TRUMP, at which
time we who are alive and remain in the flesh will be changed into our
spiritual bodies to meet the Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints who have
gone on before us, i.e. our deceased loved ones who are with Him right
now and will be returning with Him as Paul explained in 1 Thes. 4:13-18.
Apparently though, there was some
confusion over the definition of the word "LAST"!
Can something be last and yet happen
at any moment before something else?
Of course not, because then the
"something else" would be last!
So the apostle Paul, authorized
by the Lord Jesus Christ, made it real clear in his second letter to the
Thessalonians with a simple solid statement of fact as to what MUST happen
first, BEFORE Jesus Christ returns at the Last Trump!
In 2 Thes. 2:3-4 he says, "Let
no man deceive you by any means."
No man
means no preacher, teacher, visionary, commentator, friend or foe, whether
male or female, or whether dead or alive!
Paul continues... "For
that day", the day the Lord returns, "shall NOT come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son
of perdition; [4] Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God."
So before Jesus Christ returns,
Satan will be cast to this earth along with his angels according to Rev.
12:7-9 and he will appear as the Messiah with "all power and signs and
lying wonders (2 Thes. 2:9)", performing miracles "in the sight of men
(Rev. 13:13)" and deceive the whole world into believing he is God, i.e.
Jesus Christ.
You SEE, if you do not KNOW that
the false messiah comes FIRST, which is part of having the "seal of God"
in your forehead (Rev. 9:4), no one will convince you after the fact that
Jesus Christ has not returned and you will surely worship the abomination
of desolation, the abominable one, the wicked one, the beast, the dragon,
that old serpent, Satan himself.
But, now you do know, don't you?
Having therefore set the record
straight and establishing the chronological order of events leading to
the second advent, Paul now concludes his instructions to us with some
very useful words of wisdom.
2 Thes.
3:1
Finally, brethren,
pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified,
even as it is with you:
Are you one of God's elect,
a servant of Jesus Christ?
If so, then what is your number
one priority in life?
Are you just trying to make it through
each day and endure your trials and tribulations while looking for signs
and anxiously awaiting the culmination of the events of the age and the
return of Jesus Christ?
That certainly was not Paul's desire!
Here is a man, the apostle Paul,
who while serving God was or would be at various times jailed, stoned,
put on trial, shipped wrecked, persecuted and who knows what else.
If ever there was a man who should
have been anxious for Christ's return it was him.
Yet here he is requesting that our
prayers be that the Word of God continue to be spread freely thereby causing
others to be saved and have their lives changed like the Thessalonians,
all to the glory of God.
There is not even the slightest
hint of "Woe is me" from this great servant of God.
That alone should give one encouragement
and comfort and increase one's faith.
[2]
And
that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men
have not faith.
And pray that we be not hindered
by unreasonable and wicked men in carrying forth that gospel.
There is a battle raging and yet
to be waged for the souls of men and yes, there is enmity between the children
of God and the children of the wicked one as there has been from the beginning
(Gen. 3:15).
Lord,
The ungodly are unreasonable.
And kenites are wicked men.
Neither of them have the faith.
Lord, deliver us from them.
Amen
2 Thes.
3:3
But the Lord
is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
If we do His will, the Lord
has faithfully promised to strengthen us and keep us from evil [the evil
one]!
Christ Himself taught us to pray
for deliverance from the evil one "... but deliver us from evil [the evil
one]: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen (Matthew 6:13)" Let there be
no doubt who rules supreme and who has all power and glory and can back
up His faithful promises!
[4]
And
we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and
will
do the things which we command you.
You must be a "doer" of the
Word and not a "hearer only" (James 1:23), doing and continuing to do "the
things" which he has commanded you, holding steadfast to His Word and not
the traditions of men.
Then with just a little "touch"
from the Lord, just a little stablishing and strengthening, He will take
care of those wicked men and they will know that you are one of His.
Here are Christ's words to the church
of Philadelphia in this final generation:
Rev.
3:8
I know thy works:
behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for
thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not
denied my name.
Those of the church of Philadelphia,
one of the only two churches (the other being the church of Smyrna - Rev.
2:9) that Jesus found no faults with, do as Paul has instructed and they
"prove all things" from the Word of God and they "Hold fast that which
is good", i.e. the truth as it written, and they have that little touch,
a little strength from the Lord.
That is all one ever needs!
[9]
Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and
are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before
thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
As Paul said, the Lord is faithful
in His promises to His servants so you can ALWAYS count on Him to deliver
you!
"O Israel, trust thou in the LORD:
he is their help and their shield (Psalm 115:9)."
2 Thes.
3:5
And the Lord
direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for
Christ.
"In all thy ways acknowledge
him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:6)."
Again, are you impatiently waiting
for Christ to return?
What about the love of God for all
of His children, like your brothers and sisters?
Do you love (agape) them?
Then be patient, we will gather
back to Christ quite soon enough.
Meanwhile we need to do as Paul
instructs us and be "doers" and pray "that
the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified" among
our brothers and sisters before that 6th Trump sounds.
Sure, we are all growing weary of
this flesh age, but be of good cheer because you can rest right now in
Him:
Psalm
37:7
Rest in the
LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth
in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Note: If you have a Companion Bible
you are fortunate indeed and you can discover that the 37th Psalm contains
an acrostic, which is kind of like a hidden puzzle, that describes what
happens to the wicked.
They will perish into thin
air like a fat droplet falling and bursting upon a red hot coal.
Check it out!
2 Thes.
2:6
Now we command
you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw
yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the
tradition which he received of us.
This is a command from Jesus
Christ concerning a brother, whether he be a blood relative or a brother
in the Lord.
Withdraw yourselves from and do
not pattern your lives after those who walk disorderly, i.e. contrary to
the word of God.
[7]
For
yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves
disorderly among you;
Paul and Timothy and Silas
set the example for them (and us) to follow.
They did not behave inappropriately
or take advantage of or "use" people, nor did they pass a collection plate!
They established the honorable "Work
Ethic" as the Godly manner in which to both serve the Lord and conduct
one's life!
That's right, the "Work Ethic" applies
both spiritually and physically!
[8]
Neither
did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail
night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
Paul paid his own way so that
his credibility was beyond reproach and his accountability was only to
God.
No one could say that he preached
the gospel and served God for the money.
He was a tent maker and to be sure
a very skilled one at that!
[9]
Not
because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to
follow us.
Paul lead by example which
is what great leaders do!
As the saying goes, "He practiced
what he preached."
He knew that it would have been
OK for him to receive support for his ministering unto the Thessalonians
but he chose rather to set the proper Christian example and pay his own
way lest his former admonition to those who were living off the charity
of others while "waiting for Christ to return" appeared to be even the
slightest bit hypocritical.
2 Thes.
2:10
For even when
we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither
should he eat.
The Greek word translated "would"
as in "would not" is "thelo" which means to "prefer".
In other words, if anyone chooses
not to work, neither should he eat.
We should not be supporters and
enablers to those who are able to but are too lazy to work and support
themselves, again both spiritually and physically.
[11]
For
we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not
at all, but are busybodies.
They should have been busy
working, being doers, but instead they were busy hanging out and nosing
into everyone else's business.
[12]
Now
them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that
with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Loafers, busybodies and those
who are always looking for the easier softer way, are commanded and exhorted
by the Word of God to mind their own business and earn their own keep.
[13]But
ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Never get tired of doing what
is right.
It is not always easy to do the
right thing and at times it seems like a constant uphill battle, because
often it is.
Never get disheartened either by
fact that you have to work hard for what you get while others seem to prosper
and dwell in luxury, especially the children of disobedience who have no
faith in Christ.
Also, never get weary of telling
the truth or of teaching the truth of God's Word as it written, regardless
of how unpopular it may be!
For if you follow Christ, the Word
of God, and do what is right you shall accrue unfathomable riches in heaven
as it is written in Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal:"
2 Thes.
2:14
And if any man
obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with
him, that he may be ashamed.
Tough love is not called "tough"
because it is the easy thing to do. It is far easier to enable someone
by giving him (or her) a handout than to let him go hungry for a day or
fall flat on his face.
But if by your "kindness" and your
"compassion" based on your "feelings" instead of that which is right by
the wisdom contained in the Word of God, even as Paul just declared regarding
the lazy who refuse to work, you PREVENT a person from "experiencing the
consequences of his or her own actions" you have "WRONGED" that person
and you have NOT shown them the love of God!
Even if, and especially if, it is
your own son or daughter or husband or wife.
You see, you have actually practiced
liberalism and executed injustice!
This is exactly the kind of feel-good,
ungodly thinking that has produced the plethora of entitlement programs
in this country which debilitate the spirit of our people and weaken our
nation.
Do not misunderstand what is being
said here!
We are not talking about widows
and orphans and some disabled people who are not able to support themselves
or those who are temporarily "down on their luck" but are working hard
to recover.
We are talking about those who "willingly"
refuse to work and do for themselves either physically or spiritually.
As Paul just said in verse 14, they
should be ashamed of themselves and if we don't support them and have no
company with them, perhaps sooner or later they shall be!
2 Thes.
2:15
Yet count him
not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Be careful not to be mean or
hateful to someone, although you can be GUARANTEED that is exactly how
the "freeloader" will view you and so accuse you.
Always be gentle and kind but firm
in your convictions and let them know precisely WHY you are doing what
you do!
Then it won't be a problem to "have
no company with them" because it just may be, at least for awhile, they
will have no company with you!
You know, when you think about it,
just as the state governments have developed a welfare program where even
people who can work, but are unwilling to, show up once a week for a pittance
of a paycheck, the churches have developed a spiritual welfare program
where people show up once a week for a pittance of crumbs from the Word
of God, and they are lucky if they even get that.
It is known as the "famine" of the
end times (Amos 8:11).
The churches themselves should be
ashamed!
You see, all one needs to do is
open the Word of God and come the 'table of the Lord' and they can feast
to their full on the delicious meat of His Word and taste the delicacies
of the rich "hidden manna".
Of course it does require some work
and effort and study on one's behalf!
But then you will never have to
be ashamed because you are a workman and you do show yourself approved
unto God.
2 Tim. 2:15 "Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth."
What was that again Paul said about
those who would not work?
2 Thes.
2:10
For even when
we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither
should he eat.
No wonder there is a spiritual
famine in the land.
2 Thes.
2:16
Now the Lord
of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you
all.
The Lord gives us peace, which
is comfort and inner peace of mind and freedom from anxiety and worry including
what others think about us as they call us uncompassionate or cruel-hearted
Christians because we seek the truth and execute discipline according to
the Word of God.
He gives us that peace, that freedom,
through His Word which is Truth (John 17:17).
As John 8:32 says, "And ye shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
[17]
The
salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle:
so I write.
Paul wrote the salutation of
this second letter to the Thessalonians "by his own hand" as the sign of
its authenticity.
How authentic is his epistle?
It is the Word of God!
Therefore believe it and do it,
for you see, our Lord Jesus Christ has already shown us His grace by giving
us these epistles of Paul whereby we may grow in His grace and knowledge.
[18]
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
His grace is with you, if you
will but believe the Word of God!
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.
1 Corinthians
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them {the
ancient Israelites} for
ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world are come.
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