Sermon - 06/07/2020

Good Sunday morning to all and may our great God continue to keep us safe and well.

Just a few days ago, sister Jackie Price responded to an email I sent to our 2015 and 2017 Israel travel friends. Sister Jackie and her husband, brother Fred traveled with us in 2015. The one thing I remember is that brother Fred's suitcase did not arrive with him in Israel and he had to wait a few days for it. It was eventually delivered to him at one of our hotels. Does any one remember that? Sister Jackie shared her concerns with the horrible spread of the lethal corona virus as well as the recent upheavals of violence in towns and cities across the United States.

Please allow me to draw your attention to a brief look at the apostle Paul's message to the Christian church in Thessaloniki, Greece. I trust that you utilize your bible as you read and study these important messages. Please carefully read each verse or passage that I reference or to which I allude.

In 1st Thessalonians, Paul encourages the young converts to Christianity, comforts them with regards to those who had passed away and instructs them about the Lord's return. In the 4th chapter of this letter, a description of the coming rapture is detailed.

It would appear that someone may have forged Paul's signature and prepared a document purporting to have originated with the great apostle. This document gave the false impression that the church at the time was actually experiencing the tribulation period and by implication, had missed the rapture. One can imagine how devastated Thessalonian Christians would have become and so, Paul found it necessary to write a second letter denouncing the fraudulent information and confirming that neither the rapture nor the tribulation had happened. This second letter came to be known as 2nd Thessalonians.

In the 1st verse of the 2nd chapter of Paul's 2nd Thessalonians, the apostle distinguishes between the 'coming of the Lord Jesus Christ' and the 'gathering together to Him.' Clearly, these are 2 separate events with the 'gathering' taking place at least 7 years prior to the return of our Lord. Some have mistakenly assumed that the resurrection or rapture and the 2nd coming refer to the same event. They are not!

With regard to the 2nd return, Paul provides concrete indications to the pre-rapture, pre-tribulation church. He says in verse 3, '....for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first..." It is true that the phrase "that day will not come" is not found in the original manuscripts of the bible, but it was included in the modern versions to ensure easy understanding. The verse goes on to say that the man of sin, or anti-Christ, aka, son of perdition (destruction) must appear before Jesus comes back. This coming evil individual will oppose God and His righteousness, he will attempt to exalt himself above God, he will even take his place in the temple of God, thereby making the false claim to be God.

Then Paul coins the term "The mystery of lawlessness", saying that it is already at work. If lawlessness was at work in Paul's day, how much more can we expect it today? In fact, the anti-Christ is called 'the lawless one' in verses 8 and 9. Lawlessness then, is an expected characteristic of our time. People calling good, evil and evil, good, refusing to acknowledge God in our institutions, rejecting the truths of the holy scripture, denouncing all that is called 'biblical morality' and loudly calling for anarchy. This fairly describes our today's world and its emerging new image.

But, we must not despair. I believe that our wonderful United States would have to be radically changed in order for the war of Ezekiel 38 to happen. Paul makes it clear that the miraculous 'snatching away' of believers is imminent. In verse 7 of 2nd Thessalonians, chapter 2, we are told that "He who now restrains, will do so until He is taken out of the way". This "He" in none other than the Holy Spirit residing in the community of believers. Note that He is not taken 'away', but rather, taken 'out of the way'. In other words, He will step aside to permit Satan's evil control of the world, but His presence is still on the earth to save sinners even during the tribulation.

In these times of multiple personal, local and global challenges, let us not loose heart. Continue to pray for God's peace, the healing of our land, and for the removal of the corona virus (or a viable vaccine and treatment). Pray also for one another and that God's will may be accomplished.

Pastor Chandroo