The Day Of The Lord

Judgment is Coming

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

From Judgment to the Presence of God

Book of Joel

Joel is another of God’s prophets that we know very little about and is called a Minor Prophet.

Joe 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.

We know that the message of the minor prophets is just as important as that of the Major prophets. They are called Minor Prophets because their message is shorter. We know that the Holy Spirit used Joel to give Israel and the Church a message good throughout all the Ages.

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The purpose of the Book of Joel is just like the message of all the writers chosen by the Holy Spirit, to turn the hearts of God’s people back to the LORD.

LORD being Jehovah. Jehovah designates God’s nature as He stands with mankind as the only almighty, true, personal, Holy Being, a Spirit, and the Father of all Spirits.

Num 16:22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he”.

Our Lord Jesus says He is Jehovah in the flesh, the Father of all Spirits.

We will see that Joel may not mention Judah by name, but he begins with a description of God’s “judgment”.

Joel mentions the Day of the Lord more than any other Book in Scripture:

The Day of the Lord is the day of the Lord’s vengeance: Isa_34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

From Joel: Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

From Joel: Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

From Obadiah: Oba_1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

There are other Scriptures by other Prophets as important as these.

Our lesson begins with repentance.

What is repentance?

Repentance is first a change of mind.
It is second, a change of purpose.
It is then a change of life, and these things come with the promise of a remission of sin.

Repentance is walking in the opposite direction from the way we walked as sinners.

Repentance is coming out of the darkness of the Devil and into the Light of Jesus Christ.

Luk_24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

We can only do this if we have a true sense of our own guilt!

Psa 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

We need to study all of Psalm 51 to learn how to truly ask for forgiveness.

What we know is that far too many who started with Jesus Christ are now forsaking Him!

This was readily seen during the time of Covid 19.

*Joe 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The Prophet Joel gives us much information on the coming “Day of the Lord,” but before God’s Day of wrath, He will first call for repentance.

There is more to repenting than just saying you are sorry!

Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Joel is believed to be one of the prophets during the time of Joash who had Zechariah stoned between the courtyard and the altar on the Temple Mount.

How do we question our God, who pleads with His people to return to Him?

Anytime Jehovah calls for repentance then it is not too late to do so.

What we know is the Lord is patient, but His patience will one day run out.

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

God is tired of seeing the tearing of garments and wants to see the tearing of the hearts.

We must reach that point in our life where we hate sin but not the sinner.

We might ask ourselves why we should turn to the Lord.

1) The Lord is full of “Grace and Mercy” and has pure love for us.
2) The Lord will repent of His promised wrath if we repent and turn to Him.
3) He will answer prayers. Which means He can restore our economies and our bodies.

We may not understand the true power of Jehovah, but over and over in the Scriptures, God tells us exactly what he is going to do, especially on the Day of the Lord.

Returning to the Lord also means returning to worship of Him.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Those who say we do not have to attend Church to be saved are one hundred percent correct, but after we are saved, we should do our best to obey all the Word of God, and it says not to forsake the assembling of the Church.

This passage says we should be assembling more and not less, for we know we are in those end times.

Every person who calls upon the Lord is to attend Church worship services and be sanctified, which means “set apart” for the Lord’s use.

In this day of Joel, the Lord told the priests and preachers to pray specifically that the Lord spare the people from the coming judgment on those who refuse to repent.

*Joe 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Joe 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Joe 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
Joe 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

If we know anything about the Word of God, we know the Lord could return at any moment to get His Church, and His wrath will begin once the Church has been removed.

There may not be much time for anyone to repent, so now is the right time to repent, and it is certainly time to be sincere about it.

Sin is an inward thing that comes from a sinful heart, and repentance must come from the heart.

We must be sorrowful for any law of God that has been broken!

Until the Lord returns in “judgment” means we still have time to repent!

Repentance is essential to escape the “Day of the Lord” and the ‘Judgment” of God!

In the time of Jonah: Jon 3:9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The Bible would not say these things if they were not true, but His judgment and His wrath are also true.

Things will get so bad in the “Day of the Lord” that there will be people who say, “Where is God?”, but they should have already considered what He said.

With repentance comes the Lord’s pity.

*Joe 2:18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

If we truly repent, no matter what we have done, the Lord will pity us. This is His promise!

Will we still suffer for our sins? Yes, but we are now justified, and our name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Chastisement leads to repentance.

We should know that the Lord is always jealous of His land, and the Lord will provide well-being for His land.

All those who attack Israel will find this out soon enough, but the Lord is jealous for all His creation.

Maybe this is why we see so much turmoil in the lands today, which we call climate change.

It is a Holy God who controls all our climate: Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Things could be so much better if God’s people would return to the Lamb of God!

We should know that compassion is what the LORD will show to repentant people!

It is also the Lord who provides all our needs and who can end wars.

*Joe 2:19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
Joe 2:20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

The LORD promises mercy to all those who return to Him!

It is called the “Grace of God”.

Material prosperity can be restored.
Respect and honor can be restored.
Peace and national security can be restored.

These are just the little things that come to us when we love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many of us see these words as the end of the War of Armageddon.

What had God said?

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

In type, this happens in verse 17.

The LORD is still waiting for His people to repent and pray this prayer!

God the Father fulfilled His promise to send the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is in Jesus Christ that everyone can receive the gifts of God’s Mercy and God’s Grace.

It is in Jesus Christ that this world will be restored for one thousand years.

This is the reason Our Lord Jesus came to this earth to offer reconciliation, and He will return as King of kings and LORD of lords and all the promises that were made will be fulfilled.

*Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Every denomination of the Church knows that “judgment” is coming, and once it has taken place according to the Word of God, it will be the end of human history!

The only thing that is left for all people to do is to repent!

Just before the Lord returns will be a time of unparalleled tribulations.

Those who are wise will not be victims of these tribulations because the LORD has given us a way out.

Those who love the LORD have the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening in the heavens.
We are not paying attention if we have not seen wonders happening on this earth, no matter what scientists call them.
We should be waiting for something like an eclipse of the Sun and the Red Moon.

We of the Church know that our time is really short and we need to be working on our families with the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Day of Salvation is now!!!!!!!

*Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

We should understand that the scattering of God’s people and the division of God’s land are an insult to the property of God.

Notice God says, “My people” and “My land” and He adds “My heritage”.

As I think upon this passage, I can recall the spot where the Lord Jesus will return.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

When the Lord returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives to the place where He had ascended.

Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Zec 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

I believe that this is the day the LORD will judge all the nations that have gathered to destroy Israel.

And Joel continues:

*Joe 3:12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Every nation that has opposed the Kingdom of God, as well as all those hostile nations that surround Jerusalem, are to be awakened.

Joe 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Up until this time, the lord has been standing, but here, we see that He will sit on His seat of judgment.

Isa 50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

The Lord says Bring them on, He is ready to meet them.

Joe 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

The Lord says it is far past the time to harvest the fruit of the earth because it is rotten.

Rev_14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

God has already condemned these nations.

Multitudes and multitudes are in the valley of decision.

The nations have made their decision, and Jehovah will pronounce His decision at that moment.

Once the LORD begins, He will not end until it is over for wickedness and evil.

*Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Multitudes in the Hebrew suggest the confused noise of a great multitude.

Isa 17:12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

On this day, there will be many cosmic disturbances. All the heavenly bodies will be darkened, and this does not mean an eclipse of the Sun or the Moon because it concerns all heavenly bodies.

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Why? It is the Day God will punish this world for its evil.

Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isa 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

The entire Solar System will shake violently.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jer 25:31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

It certainly will not be a good day for the militaries of those evil nations.

There is much more that can be said about the Day of the Lord, but this would be a complete study in itself.

We can see that the Lord will certainly judge the nations of this world.

*Joe 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Israel will finally wake up to the truth of Jehovah as they see the work of the Messiah, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev_5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

This will be the time for Israel to repent!

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

*Joe 3:20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
Joe 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Israel will become the honcho nation in this world for one thousand years, and Our Lord Jesus will sit upon the Throne of David and rule this world with a rod of iron.

Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Amen

The Lord Jesus Will Return

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Coming of That Day

Book of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2

We must understand that the best approach to what the Bible says is, to take every passage as its literal meaning, compare Scripture to Scripture and refuse to make claims that the Bible does not make.

There are some things that the Bible says that cannot for certain be understood.

It is these places and all the rest of the Bible we are to accept by faith!

It is like the Holy Trinity; I cannot explain and the Bible does not try to, but I know it is real.

I know there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and they are all one person, one God.

I know a virgin named Mary found favor with God and had a child named Jesus.

Isa_7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

I cannot explain it but I know it is the truth.

I know that the Lord Jesus Christ is that One sent down from Heaven to save us. (Immanuel)

I know that eye witnesses saw the Lord Jesus ascend back to Heaven.

I cannot explain it but I know it is the truth.

I know when the Bible speaks of the “Day of the Lord” it does not mean one single day in history.

The “Day of the Lord” covers a long span of time and some significant events that will take place.

There is a terrible time of trouble coming to this world we live in!

There is a day when the wrath of God will fall upon all the wickedness, all the meanness, and all the filthiness of mankind.

This day is not that far off because we are seeing the signs, but as Christians we are not to fear the “Day of the Lord”.

Our hopes are for the future and not in the present!

*2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world.

1) To gather His Church.
2) To bring the wrath of God to all unbelievers.

But we are not to think of wild and unreasonable notions concerning His return.

We must not be troubled by the return of Jesus Christ. To the Church this is the best thing that can happen to us. We will be going home!

These saints of Thessalonica were being persecuted so badly that they thought the “Day of the Lord” was taking place at that time.

Many thought that the tribulation years had already begun.

There were some who claimed that some spirit or some angel had revealed to them that the “day of the Lord” had begun already.

They were listening to some false preacher calming to be the Messiah.

He claimed that he had received some special word that no one else had.
He claimed that that he had heard in a letter from Paul that the “Day of the Lord” was taking place.

Many believers became shaken in mind and troubled by all these things as they strived to believe in the Apostle Paul.

The important thing for all believers is, to look forward to the day the Lord gathers His Church and not to the judgment that comes later because the Church will not be a part of that judgment.

It is far more pleasant to focus on the day we go home to Heaven than the “day of judgment” that does not concern the Church.

Heaven is a beautiful place where we can rest from the persecutions of this world!

It is those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ who should be shaken in their minds and troubled.

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

We must be careful not to get caught up in false teaching, and anyone who says they have a special revelation from God, because God will never go against His Word that He has given to the Church.

There will not be any prophecy in the Church Age other than the Word of God that we now have!

We are not appointed to the wrath of God, but to the salvation that God has presented to us!

We must not be deceive by some false prophet or some false preacher at any time.

*2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

There are two events listed here from the Apostle Paul.

1)The first event to launch the day of the Lord will be a great falling away of believers from God.

In fact that phrase “falling away” means “apostasy”, “revolt” “rebellion”.

Many from all over the world will be rebelling and revolting against God.

Before the Lord returns there will be a great day of apostasy, a great day of deception.

Just yesterday I read where the United Methodist Church were meeting to see if they could reconcile their differences as more than half of those had given in to the LBGTQ agenda, even having some leaders who were prophesied to be part of the gay movement and welcomed them all.

Now it is true that the Church is to welcome all who come but they are to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah and “Repent” to become part of the Church.

This may not be what the Apostle Paul was referring to but it is involved in this thing somewhere.

We simply cannot fall away from the truth of God.

For some man to decide he was really a woman. He is saying that my God made a mistake which is impossible.
For woman to say that she is really a man. She is saying that my God made a mistake and that is impossible.

For groups to give in to this they are calling God a liar and my God cannot lie!

Before the Lord Jesus will return to this earth there will be a great apostasy and I believe we are beginning to see this now in our lifetime.

What did Jesus teach us? Mat_24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

2) The second event that will launch the “Day of the Lord” will be the revelation of that man of sin, the son of perdition, the Antichrist himself.

This means that the Antichrist is on our planet somewhere today.
This Antichrist is a man of sin though he may first seem to be the savior of this world from climate change, war, and politics.
This means that the Antichrist will be that “son of perdition”. He will be so evil he will actually be that son of doom! Doomed to destruction.
This means that the Antichrist will not just be another evil world leader that we see so often, but the Antichrist that has been prophesied.

He will come out into the open after hiding for such a long time, working his way through the politics of this world.

The evil that such men from our past that have caused, will not compare to the evil the Antichrist will bring.

Men such as Hitler, Stalin, and other dictators who themselves slaughtered millions of innocent people will be nothing compared to the Antichrist.

Those days will be like the days of Noah before the flood came.
Those will be like the days of Lot when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Mar 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

What does this wicked man do?

*2Th 2:4 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.

What are the traits of the Antichrist?

1) He is the “man of sin”. All he knows is sin and lawlessness. He idealizes sin. He is the ideal sinner. He will fulfill the dreams of Satan.
He will lead a revolt against our Holy God and the world will follow him.

2) He is the “son of perdition”. Perdition means doom and destruction.
He is the son of the most violent doom and destruction this world will ever see.
He is the son who deserves his own doom more than anyone who has ever lived.
He is the son of the Devil himself, the father of all doom and destruction.

3) He is the “opposer” of all that is called God.
He is the opponent of Jesus Christ and all believers.
He will show no love, no mercy, no grace, and no justice, but especially to those who profess the name of Christ.

4) He is the one who “exalts himself” above everything that God stands for.
He will lift himself above everybody that is alive in his day, in an antagonistic way.
All people will be his subjects or they will be killed or suffer severe consequences.

5) He will claim to be God.
He exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped.
He will attempt to sit in the rebuilt Temple as God to be worshipped as God.
Many people worship science and technology today and the Antichrist will use this to his advantage with some great miracle within his power.
He will lead the governments of this world into war with God.

There will be a one world religion based upon the rule of the Antichrist by the False Prophet.

There will be a one world government.

There will be a false peace for a season.

Remember Rome brought peace through destruction and fear, the Antichrist will do the same.

We must teach these things in the Church!

*2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

When a false preacher gets into to any church his message will always confuse some in the pews because people just refuse to study the Bible.

The Church must understand the truth of the Antichrist and it must be taught in the Pulpit and the Sunday Schools.

Just as Paul had to be careful what he said because he was a Roman citizen and Rome would silence those who spoke against it, it will be the same with those who speak against the Antichrist in his day.

So today is the day we must teach these things about the Antichrist.

The Lord Jesus will certainly return to gather His Church to Him. There will be a “Rapture” of the Church.

The Lord Jesus will return to this earth and that great and terrible day will come and it is sooner than most people want to believe.

The Antichrist will arise upon the world scene maybe just before the “Rapture of the Church” but certainly after the Church has been removed.

After the Church is removed by the Rapture, this world will turn into the most evil and wicked place that ever existed and the Antichrist will use this chaos to his advantage to make a false peace.

Remember the Church will be gone but Israel will remain and Israel will realize how wrong they had been about the Scriptures.

Rom_10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
Rom_11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

*2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

It should be clear that there will be a historical appearance of the Antichrist. His time is set and he will appear before all the world.

Right now there is some power that holds back the appearance of the Antichrist.

Once this power is taken out of the way then the Antichrist will be revealed.

Notice it says, “taken out of the way” and not “taken away” there is a significant difference in these two statements.

If this power of restraint is completely removed there would be no power of good left in this world.

So this power will only step aside enough to allow the Antichrist to present himself to this world.

This power is so strong that He can control events in this world.

In fact, this person is so strong that He knows the exact day to step aside to allow the Antichrist to appear.

So, just what is this restraining power? In the early Church, those people thought that Rome was this restraining power but this cannot be true simply because Rome’s dominance is long gone.

It is not the power of the law because every nation has different laws.

The restraining power can be nothing but the power of God, through the Spirit of God, who came to this earth when the Lord went back to Heaven.

Joh_16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh_16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

That word mystery refers to the mystery of lawlessness that works secretly in our world but when the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way then this mystery of lawlessness will no longer be in secret.

Eph_6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Those principalities, those rulers of darkness and that spiritual wickedness will finally be seen by this entire world.

Why do we do so many rotten things as we live and grow older?

That “mystery of iniquity” is that unseen, unknown power which is in our world dedicated to evil working against the will of God.

This is the thing that corrupts everything it touches causing misery in God’s creation.

When did it begin?

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Who is this Antichrist?

Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
Dan 11:37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

It is the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) who is the power behind the Church!

There should be no doubt that there is an Antichrist that is in this world, he has not revealed himself because the Holy Spirit will not allow it yet to happen just yet, but the Holy Spirit will take Himself out of the way of this Wicked man when the time is just right.

In the last days, when the time is just right for the Antichrist to rise, God is going to remove much of His restraint upon lawlessness and lawlessness will run rampant over this earth.

Men again will be allowed to do their own thing and live as they desire.

Men will get their wish and live without the influence of God.

Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

The Church will already be in Heaven, the Rapture having taken place, and the influence of the Church will be no more on this earth.

The Holy Spirit will still be within each believer in Heaven, but the Holy Spirit will begin another work here on earth.

The Lord will make quick work of the Antichrist!

The Lord will destroy the Antichrist with the brightness of His coming.

How will the Antichrist deceive so many?

*2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

The Antichrist will carry on the activities of Satan upon this earth.

He will be the embodiment of Satan.
He will carry on all the lying power and signs and wonders of Satan.
He will carry out the activity and work of Satan on this earth.
Satan will energize him.
He will be totally surrendered to Satan.

All the unbelievers will think they have reached heaven upon this earth, but even the wicked do not approve of all wickedness.

He will bring a false peace to this earth for three-and one-half years.

He may make a way for all to have food and adequate provisions.

Rev_13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

He may solve the problems of health insurance, employment, homelessness, energy, and other problems, because Satan is the one who caused those problems to begin with.

He will then claim supernatural power for himself, his government, and his science and the last three-and one-half years will begin.

He will cause the world to worship him as god.

Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

No man can be god because that grave will make him to be a liar!

When the Antichrist insist that he is god many will rebel against him because they do not want any sort of god to worship.

This world will live in a lie for only a brief time because it has rejected the truth of God.

*2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

We should understand that any follower of the Antichrist has rejected the truth already.

To receive is to welcome and no one at that time will welcome the truth, they will not want to hear any truth and we are almost there today.

This truth is the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

They do not want a way to be saved.
They do not want a way to escape death.
They do not want a way to live forever and ever.
They do not want a way to live a victorious life.

They have chosen to suffer at the hands of the Antichrist and Satan the Deceiver.

Joh 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

God will cause them to believe every lie of the Antichrist.

*2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

We live today in a nation where there has been a persistent rejection of truth.

This behavior destroys the sense of the truth so much that it results in a fatal error.

The lies against the truth become the truth to those who reject the truth.

In other words they believe the lies are the truth.

This is the America we live in today!

Does this mean that God misleads unbelievers?

That God deceives people?

That answer is no and a thousand times no.

No person is deceived apart from their own will.
No person is deceived against his will.

A person is only deceived because he chooses to reject the truth of God.

We need only to look at the lies of evolution to see how lies have changed our world.

Unbelief is governed by the laws of sowing and reaping.

If a person sows’ unbelief and deception, he will reap unbelief and deception.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

It is because people reject the truth of the Gospel that they will suffer strong delusion because of their actions, and they will believe the lies of the Antichrist.

Those who reject the Word of God will go further and further astray as we see in our own nation today.

So, God will use Satan as the means to punish them!

The Lord Jesus said to just leave them alone: Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

All the followers of the Antichrist will be those who are deceived about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The tragedy of this situation is that a person cannot reject Jesus Christ and expect things to stay as they are.

The truth will always prevail in the end!

God loves His Son too much to see Him rejected because of what He has done for the salvation of this entire world.

The “judgment” of the unbeliever is also drawing closer each and every day!

*2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

All the followers of the Antichrist will be damned to Hell.

All those without the love for the truth will naturally believe a lie when it comes because there is no other choice for them!

People love their sin so much that will hold on to it even if it means they will spend eternity in Hell.

Go back and look at the sin of Adam.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

It is the instinct of sinful man to flee from God and His truth!

When the wickedness of sinners is known of God, they will hide from the truth.

The Lord Jesus came to this earth for this reason.

Joh_15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

This world cannot expect God to overlook its sin, especially those who take pleasure in unrighteousness.

Any person who rejects the work that our Savior has done for our salvation cannot expect God to overlook the dishonor done to His Son!

The world is full of sin!

1Jn_2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

These are the things that Satan has used since the time of Adam and Satan has never had to change his ways.

When the Antichrist shows up the world can expect for him to use these things to become its new world leader.

Man loves himself and himself alone and refuses to show true love to anything else but himself and this is the downfall of mankind.

Job 15:16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Psa 52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
Psa 52:4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
Psa 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah

These are the same ones who will cling to the Antichrist like he is some sort of god when he is nothing.

God will allow the Antichrist to lead this world for seven years and it will be a terrible time to live upon this earth, but Hell is even worse.

Amen

Are You Ready to Meet the Lord

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Ready for the Day of the Lord

Book of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5

Our last lesson was about the return of the Lord Jesus so we know for sure that He will return.

So, we should ask ourselves, are we ready for the return of the Lord?

We must not be confused about death and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus died in our place so, in a real sense we will never die.

A true death is, to live forever without God in our lives, in suffering and despair.

Luk 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

This place of suffering is the same place where the Devil will spend his eternity.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It is a fact there will be degrees of punishment in Hell.

Luk 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

In Hell there will be a total absence of favor with God.
In Hell there will be an endless disturbance of life as a result of the complete domination of sin.
In Hell there will be endless pain and suffering in body and soul.
In Hell there will be pangs of conscience, there will be anguish, there will be despair, there will be weeping, and there will be gnashing of teeth.

A true life is living throughout eternity with God in our lives.

Believers will enjoy an eternal fellowship in the company of Jesus Christ.

Believers will live in fellowship, relaxation, joy, and happiness throughout eternity.

There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth!

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The New Jerusalem will be a literal city because God has given us the measurements.

It is in the New Jerusalem where God will dwell in fellowship with mankind forever and ever!

How could anyone choose a place called Hell over a place called Heaven?

*1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 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.

We will never know the exact day or the exact time of the return of the Lord but the Lord told us Himself that we should be able to tell when that time gets close.

Mat_16:2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat_16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

The signs point to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The day and the time of the return of Christ is not up for discussion the Lord has already said.

Those that set dates on the return of Jesus Christ cannot know what they are talking about!

Times can extend over many years but the seasons, the things that happen in critical periods of time can be looked at and observed such as Israel returning to the Promised Land and the things that are happening today, in Israel and all over the world.

Only God knows when the details of His return will be fulfilled!

The Lord is coming just as a thief in the night has planned his dirty deed. Suddenly and unexpectedly!

We know that the Lord Jesus will first come to meet His Church in the clouds.

Then at least seven days later, this “Day of the Lord” is that period of time in which the Lord will return to deal with wicked men directly and dramatically in judgment.

There is a day coming when God will punish those who have followed the ways of Satan, the Devil.

Every soul will come under judgment.

We can know that this will be the day when the earth has reached such a depraved condition that it is hopefully lost forever and sits ripe for the “judgment” of God!

Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

The day of the Lord will be on that day when the world of unbelievers feel that they are so secure that even a God cannot stop them.

Suddenly out of nowhere God will strike this earth!

It will be on a scale as it was in the days of Noah and the time of Lot.

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

The “day of the Lord” will be a day of catastrophic destruction.

The “day of the Lord” will be a day of no escape for all those who have always been above the law and ignored the Word of God.

Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

The “day of the Lord” will be a dark and miserable day for all those who are left upon this earth.

*1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

A believers we live in the Light of Jesus Christ now, just as we will when we get to Heaven!

Rev_22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

The “day of the Lord” will not be a surprise to the Church because we know the Lord does not ever break a promise.

That word “overtake” means the Lord will return to this earth when He is least expected.

2Pe_3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The true Church will not be caught off guard.

1) By studying the Word of God we are not in spiritual darkness of ignorance.

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

What we do know is that we will welcome the “day of the Lord” as we would welcome the morning hours of a beautiful day full of light and full of joy.

To the unbeliever it will be a terrible day!

Amo 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
Amo 5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
Amo 5:20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

2) Being a child of God is being a child of the Light.

Joh_8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh_11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

As the Lord Jesus returned to Heaven, the Church has now become the light of this world.

Mat_5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are not only the children of the Light.

3) We are the children of the Day.

We will escape the Judgment of God!

We are the receivers of God’s glorious salvation and His deliverance.

We are looking forward to the return of our Savior to take us home to be with Him.

We should be always praying and thinking about the things of God and our responsibility to reach people for Christ.

The “Day of the Lord” is so close that we can almost see it.

*1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

In this verse this sleep refers to spiritual sleep. When we are asleep, we are not aware of what is going on around us. When we are asleep spiritually, we are not alert to the things of God and are not aware of what God is doing.

When we are asleep spiritually, we will be caught off guard when the Lord returns to take us home.

We must be alert to the things of God.
We must continue to worship.

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We must anticipate the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat_16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

We are to live sober lives with discipline and control in righteousness and godliness.

It is certainly not time to quit on God!

We all know that the night refers to evil behavior.

We just need to stay away from those who are asleep to the truth of God other than to witness to them and this should be done in the daytime when no one should be sleeping.

We must stay away from those who indulge in sin and immorality and those who are worldly in their ways.

If a person carouses around in the darkness of the night, then he shows himself to be of the night.

When the Lord Jesus warns us of these things then we need pay attention to Him.

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

*1Th 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.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

We must remain mentally awake to the truth of God to protect ourselves from this deceitful world.

We must put on the armor of God because we are certainly involved in the war for our souls!

There is the breast plate of faith and love. The breastplate protects the heart of each soldier.

We must focus upon Jesus and His cause with all our heart.

Our faith will protect our heart when we really believe that it is the Lord Jesus who saves us from sin!

Love also protects our heart when we can see the love that Christ Jesus has for us!

We must focus on the truth of Jesus that we never have to die because Jesus died in our place on that cross.
We must know that we will never bear the punishment for our sin because Jesus took our punishment for us.

That helmet is the hope of our salvation.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Without the Lord Jesus Christ there is no hope in the world!

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The fact that Jesus Christ died in our place is the reason we can now have that hope that we will never die!

The reality of this hope is:

1) God has not appointed us to see His wrath on this unbelieving world!
2) God has appointed us to receive salvation from sin, death, and the judgment that is coming to this world!

There is now no excuse for us to fall asleep and return to this world of darkness when we have been saved out of it!

*1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

If we have received the Word of God as the truth then how can we deny what the Lord is saying here in these passages.

One of the greatest jobs of each believer is to comfort one another.

To edify is to build upon and not to pull down!

To edify is to preserve the unity of the Church.

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Every part of the Church and every ministry of the Church must work together to become One Body of Christ!

What is the greatest problem in the Church today? The Church refuses to unite together around the truth of God, the complete truth.

Today, much of the church has descended into rules and religion that have nothing to do to the truth of a Holy God and have forgotten about faith and love!

*1Th 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1Th 5:13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

We have seen many times that our own Pastor comes to us completely worn out from his labors and yet he still does his very best to give us the message that God has given him for us.

This is what that word labor means.

It means to labor to the point of exhaustion, then to keep laboring even if we have become weary.

It means to work beyond what we are capable of doing.

When we are doing a work for the Lord Jesus, this is the labor that is expected from God.

When we are doing a work for the Church, this is the labor that it takes to succeed in this world of today.

We are to know our church leaders, which means we are to acknowledge and appreciate each and every one of them and show them respect.

We have seen the evidence that few people labor as much as our Pastor and our church leaders especially our Pastor.

At the end of a tiresome day our Pastor still has to handle the business side of the church.

This is also the way of the Apostle Paul and I am sure the other apostles worked as hard to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and by example.

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

In order for us to acknowledge our church elders we must be at peace with ourselves.

We should not criticize, murmur, grumble, envy and nor oppose our church leaders who are following the will of God.

We may at times have differences of opinion, but we are not to dispute those among ourselves as the Word of God will settle all disputes.

Leaders are not to act as lords over God’s children as we already have the perfect Lord who is Jesus Christ!

But we are to question anyone that acts contrary to Scripture!

Our Church only works when each believer is at peace with themselves and both that leader and that member are at peace with each other all according to the truth of the Gospel.

How did the early Church thrive and succeed?

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

We are to warn those that are in the Church but are against the truth of the Gospel yet, we are to help those babes in Christ to understand.

*1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
1Th 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

We are never to allow unruly church members to destroy the peace of the church family!

We must warn those who are out of line in their disturbances of the church.

Anyone who is causing damage to their own soul must be warned just as any unbeliever.

The Lord will not tolerate unruly behavior in the Church!

Those who come to the church but who leave, going out into the world to do their own thing, should also be warned.

At the same time we are to comfort and assure those who are babes in Christ until they come to the knowledge of the truth.

We need to try to help all those who yield so easily to temptation, and are easily discouraged or defeated.

We need to cling to them as we cling to Jesus never turning loose of either one.

We are to be patient with babes in Christ and patient with each other as the coming of the Lord draws nearer.

It is certainly not a time to quit on the Lord!

We must never render evil for evil to anyone.

When we mistreat someone our testimony with that person is over!

With these things under control there are important things that every church member needs to be doing to make our church a true Church for Jesus Christ.

*1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

We need to be always rejoicing because our names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Our prayers are the main way for us to receive things from God. We need to live our lives so that we can always know that God will hear our prayers for if he hears them, He will certainly answer them in one way or another.

We should wake each day giving thanks to God for another day to serve Him.

If we are having a wonderful day then we need to thank God for it.

If we are having a dreadful day then we need to thank Him for helping us through that day.

We need to thank God for His presence and His power as we walk through our trials and tribulations.

All these things are in the will of God for our lives.

If we quench the Holy Spirit then we have lost the power of God in our lives.

If we ignore the Holy Spirit and go our own way then we have neglected Him.

If we allow sinful things into our lives, we will quench the Holy Spirit.

If we behave immorally, we quench the Holy Spirit.

If we do anything contrary to the Holy Spirit, we will quench the Spirit.

We certainly should not ever lie to the Holy Spirit!

If we quench the Holy Spirit, it is a sin that requires God’s forgiveness!

We must never despise the preaching of the truth of God.

This is what the world does and we are to come out from the world.

Neither are we to just blindly accept any preacher or what they say.

Every person is to be tested and proven by measuring the things they say by the Scriptures.

The Scriptures, the Received Text of the early Church are never wrong but some translations can contain errors unintentionally or intentionally.

We must know the Scriptures ourselves to know if we are hearing the truth of God.

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

When we know we are hearing the truth of God, then we need to latch on to that person and keep that person as part of the Church of Jesus Christ.

We are also to abstain from all appearances of doing evil!

If we are near anything that has the appearance of evil, we need to flee from it!

If there is even the smallest suggestion that what we are doing could be seen as wrong then we are to flee from it!

Being a Christian has its own responsibilities!

Amen

Jerusalem Will Be Delivered

/ Bobby Mayfield / 2 Comments

The Deliverance of Jerusalem

Book of Zechariah Chapter 12

We must always remember, whose words are recorded in the Bible that is given to us!

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Word “all” concerns every Hebrew and Greek word in the “Received Text” or the Textus Receptus from which we get our English translated King James Version Bible, which is one of the few remaining Bibles that come from the truth.

All other Bibles come from text that have been altered by some man or some men and are full of errors!

When we have the Holy Ghost inspired Word of God, then we have the actual words of our Creator. The red letter, Bibles contain the words of Jesus while He was upon this earth, but all the Scriptures are the Words Jehovah sent down from Heaven!

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

The Scriptures tell us about our Creator!

His thoughts.
His reasons.
His commands.
His meanings but most of all His “Love” for His creation!

When the Word of God is settled in Heaven, how could we as the created, think we could change the words of our Creator!

We need to meditate on this for a moment before we continue!

The most major thing that separates humans from the animal world is “words”. We need to hear words and we need to say words and it is words that comfort us and words that stir us up!

God settled this when He gave us His words to live by because we do not have it within us to live by our own words!

The Prophet Zechariah makes this very clear!

*****Zec 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

It was the Jewish nation, the children of Israel, who were predetermined to bring the written Word of God to the world and though they like all humans fail at all things we try to accomplish alone, they did give us the written Word of Jehovah God. The One True God!

That name Israel means “the people of God” so named by the Lord Himself!

Gen 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Had Jacob given in for one moment, he would have perished, and God would have chosen someone else to be His people!

The orthodox Jews still to this day, seek Jehovah and cling to Him.

The Church is bound by the Lord Jesus Christ to our Heavenly Father, who is the One and the Same Jehovah. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, not three gods but One God in three persons. The three persons described in those same preserved Words that He has given to us!

It is our Creator who formed this nation. He chose Israel, so who are we to question His choice!

Not only did He create the heavens, which we know to be three.

The atmosphere that we breath up to the heights that the birds can fly.
The expanse where all the stars and planets that can be seen by the naked eye and with the most sophisticated instruments.
The Heaven of heavens that cannot be seen, the realm of Jehovah and the heavenly hosts.

This same Creator has formed a spirit within each of us, so that we by our spirit can worship our God who is Spirit.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

In our lesson today, our God, Jehovah says I want you all to know this one thing!

The world will tremble at the power that comes from the city of Jerusalem one day in the future!

*****Zec 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

Just when Jerusalem is surrounded by a much overwhelming army of nations.
Just when things seem so bleak for the Jews and Judah.
Just when it seems all is lost.

What do we know for?

On the night before the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt, they took the blood of a lamb and painted the door frame of their homes, in fact in the shape of a cross and the death angel passed over them.

Exo 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exo 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

In fact, Jerusalem will be this “Cup” holding the blood of the Lamb and the armies of the enemy will stagger like a bunch of drunks and they will turn on each other.

We must remember that every nation who has tried to destroy the Jews has failed, and on this day, it will be a great destruction of all the enemies of God!

If you are an enemy of Israel, you are an enemy of God. This God is Jehovah, He is not Allah!

On this day everyone who came to cause harm to Jerusalem, will stagger back like a drunk and fall in destruction and not only Jerusalem will be free of them but all of Judah.

Jer 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

The armies of the Antichrist will fall in so great numbers that blood will flow as a river.

Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This will be the “Day of the Lord”.

*****Zec 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

The enemies of God will use every means possible to destroy Jerusalem, but the city will be like a stone just too large to move.

No matter how cunning these enemies, their every attack will fail.

We already know that every nation that tried to destroy God’s people have failed.

Among them already Rome, Babylon, and Hitler of Germany.

It looks like the world would wake up to the fact that God will not allow these people to be destroyed!

Over and over Jehovah has warned this world.

Isa 66:14 And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.
Isa 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Joe 3:17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Mic 5:15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

Mic 7:15 According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.
Mic 7:16 The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
Mic 7:17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.

This will be a terrible day for the enemies of God!

****Zec 12:4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

We know that the war horse of old would ride into battle without fear and deliver his rider into the conflict.

In modern warfare the horse has been replaced with armored personel carriers.

The Lord will cause these things not to operate and the men inside be driven mad and useless.

When military equipment fails in the modern-day armies and navies and airforces, these militaries are then made useless.

When GPS does not work, much equipment is useless.

When radar does not work, much equipment is useless.

When satellites cannot see, much equipment is useless.

When all the equipment of all militaries is made blind, they are for the most part, useless.

When the armies have to face off with their bare hands against Israel whose technologies will still operate there will be much devastation!

It is during this blind time when these armies will turn on themselves for everyone around them will appear to be their enemy.

The blind man in a wilderness can never find his way out of the wilderness and will perish!

*****Zec 12:5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

The Jews became jealous when they realized that the Church, the Saints of God were all called home to Heaven, before this horrible 7 years began, but now as the enemies of God are falling to their death outside the walls of Jerusalem and the people have remembered Jehovah these, Jewish leaders have their eyes opened for the first time and they see that strength comes only from our heavenly Father.

What had Jehovah said?

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
2Ch 7:16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

This day had finally come!

And Jerusalem would stand before the world as the place where the Antichrist was defeated.

*****Zec 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

The invading enemy will be struck with madness and delusion! Is this some sort of chemical warfare that backfired?

The military machinery will be blinded. All the satellites, the GPS, and all guidance systems have been rendered useless by Jehovah, and all those soldiers are in a panic till they attack each other.

All the means of attack will be turned on themselves!

Remember many of these nations were enemies of each other, until the Antichrist brought them together and they will remain enemies!

The military machine of the Antichrist is in the dark and they will become afraid.

The days of these armies standing their ground will be over because they will see the “supernatural” things of Jehovah, also named “Elohim”!

Inside the walls of Jerusalem just the opposite is taking place. They now know that only God could have done such a thing and their faith will become blistering hot for the truth of the Word of God!

Eze 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Eze 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Eze 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
Eze 39:10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.
Eze 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Eze 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.

Before the Lord saves the city, all those innocents outside the city will be saved from harm! All those too weak to defend themselves will be saved from harm!

*****Zec 12:7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
Zec 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

It will be those Jews and those who help them outside the city of Jerusalem, who will lead the charge.

On this day the impossible will take place!

It will be as David met Goliath! Where one river stone and a sling did take down the invincible giant!

What did David say?

1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
1Sa 17:46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

It will be the same this day in Judah and those of the earth will know that there is a God in Israel and He is real!

The house of David represents King Jesus.

King Jesus the “Captain” of the Heavenly Hosts.

Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Jos 5:15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

The armies of the world led by the Antichrist, will suffer an embarrassing defeat or I should say slaughter!

*****Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

There will be a complete devastation and a total annihilation of all the armies of the world, who come against the Jews and Jerusalem!

Notice also, it does not say just armies but also nations. Those nations that come against Jerusalem!

Personally, I believe what the Bible says so I know this to be true!

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Hag 2:22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

That “day” is the “Day of the Lord”!

That “day” is the “Return of Jesus Christ” to this world!

Before the Lord restores all lands to that of the time of Adam, all these lands where great nations once stood, will be as a wilderness!

Then God will show His covenant of “Grace”.

*****Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

At the same time the Lord is pouring out His wrath upon the enemies of Israel, the Lord is pouring out the Holy Spirit on all those in Jerusalem who are under siege.

We know the Holy Spirit brings “regeneration”.

To regenerate means to give life to.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

At the first coming of the Lord, He was rejected and then crucified.

All the years since they have continued to reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

They know Jesus very well but just not as Savior! Much like the world!

You can either meet the Savior or you will meet the All-powerful King of all kings and Lord of all lords!

When they see their Savior on this day, “The Day of the Lord”, they will continue to reject Him until they see, that this is the same Jesus who was pierced upon the cross at Mount Calvary.

Then they will remember!

It is then, they will feel remorse for having rejected Him all these years, and they will humble themselves and pray!

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

These lowly Jews will finally look upon their Savior and the true Messiah.

They will realize what they have been wrong all these years!
The people will realize they have been led by false prophets!
They will realize that it was they who had attempted to kill God’s Son!
They will mourn even more than those who had mourned at the death of Josiah who fell while trying to pose a threat to the King of Egypt, when he should have stayed at home.

2Ch 35:22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
2Ch 35:23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.
2Ch 35:24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
2Ch 35:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

There was a great mourning for King Josiah who died but there will be even greater remorse for the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has arisen to be their King!

And there was an even great mourning!

*****Zec 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
Zec 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
Zec 12:13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
Zec 12:14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

There will be no one in all Jerusalem who will not realize that this Jesus is indeed the true Messiah!

They will think about all those wasted years. All the sorrows and despair that could have been avoided, had they listened to John the Baptist.

They will be a broken nation which will cause sincere repentance.

When we are broken, it is then and only then, when most of us see the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The House of David represented the government.
The House of Nathan represented the prophets.
The House of Levi represented the priest.
The House of Shimei represented those who were descendants of King Saul who were filled with hatred.

Then all the other families that remained. All sorrowing for the rejected Messiah, but their Messiah that never forgot about them!

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Don’t you just love the Word of God and the amazing truths that we have discovered?

Amen

Let’s Pray!

Enduring Tribulations

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Enduring Patiently

2 Thessalonians 1

Again the theme of our lessons this quarter is practical Christian living.

Once you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you will find out that we are all in a spiritual war.

Each believer must endure suffering in this world to be worthy to be called a Christian!

Christ Jesus will provide comfort through these troubles and abundant rewards when He returns to take us home. Not only this but Christ will bring judgment to all those that have troubled His people.

The “Second Coming” of Christ will reveal His wrath and power upon all His enemies and that same power will be magnified in the complete salvation of His saints.

The Church will not pass through any part the Great Tribulation period nor see the time of God’s wrath.

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

These Thessalonians were still struggling with these things as some do today, so the Apostle Paul wrote this second letter to them.

Both of these letters were written from the city of Corinth.

The first letter dealt largely with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His saints and these Thessalonians misunderstood some the teaching.

For this reason we need to hear the Word of God over and over again.

These people were so convinced that the Lord could come at any moment, which is still true today, they came to the conclusion that it was useless to work for a living.

This was the wrong conclusion because of Christian persecution they felt that they were already going through the tribulation period spoken of by Paul.

Paul wrote this second letter to correct these views and bring them to the knowledge of what it means to walk worthy of God.

The Book of 2 Thessalonians will also teach us some important things about the Anti-Christ.

Let’s begin:

*****2Th 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

It is believed that after these Thessalonians had received the first of Paul’s epistles that some anonymous person had also written a letter to them claiming to be Paul and that stated that they were already living in the “day of the Lord” which is a lie.

2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

This teaching is still taught today in many places and was false then as it is now.

This brought confusion and fright to this newly formed church.

The “day of the Lord” will not begin until Jesus returns unto this Earth.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Jesus will return to the same spot from where He left on the Mount of Olives.

This will not be a secret thing.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Silvanus or Silas and Timothy were still with the Apostle Paul and this only happened at Corinth on Paul’s second missionary trip.

This is where the Apostle Paul wrote both the books to the Thessalonians.

Notice Paul immediately recognizes this assembly as a church.

Jesus said:

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

This is what constitutes the Church.

Remember a church is a house consecrated to the worship of God the Father, through the “Gospel of the Son, Jesus Christ” or a collective body of Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit!

One of the best weapons for fighting Satan is praise. No matter what our circumstances are we need to praise the Lord!

*****2Th 1:2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not the Church that saves, it is God through Jesus Christ.
It is not the Church that is to be worshipped it is Our Father in Heaven.
It is not the Church where we are to place our faith, it is in Jesus Christ.
It is not the Church building that is blessed, it is the “Body of Christ”!

Grace is still “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God and it is only the love of God that can satisfy us enough to bring peace in our lives in this flesh.

When we think of peace as being the ending of war we have missed the point of this word in our scripture.

Peace with God is being reconciled back to Him.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

It is the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ that closes the gap between us and God.

It is God who decided that He wanted to do this.
It is God who provides the means for this to take place.
There is absolutely nothing we could have done to make peace with God!

God was in Christ Jesus and this is the only means of reconciliation!

Those that reject that God came down from Heaven to abide in Jesus cannot be reconciled and will never have the peace that God offers so freely by His “Grace”.

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When God as a babe in the flesh, the angels got involved in God’s plan!

Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And this is why we must esteem those that are called of God.

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

And this is why we must thank God for what He has already done and God tells us what He is about to do in His Word.

*****2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

The Lord Jesus redeemed us and we have been pardoned!

Pardoned means “like it never even happened”.

Num 14:20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
Num 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

We are pardoned by the “Grace of God” and paid for on Calvary’s Cross.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, “which he hath purchased with his own blood”.

That word “bound” means “we owe”.

We are obligated to thank God for what He has done and foolish if we do not do so!

When God calls and we answer, He does not hesitate to immediately forgive us all our sin.

Not just the sin we have sinned up to that point but of sin throughout our life time.

Our names are immediately written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life and can never be removed, surely we can thank God for what He has already done.

The Lord Jesus paid the price for our redemption while we were all still sinners, surely we can thank Him for what He has already done!

We have been saved from a burning Hell.
We have been saved from the coming wrath of God.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Surely we can thank Him for what He has already done!

When we abound in the love of God, then that love will abound even more toward each other!

These are just the proper things to do if you claim to be a Christian and walk the Christian walk!

Only when our faith is real can these things happen!

Our faith cannot be in miracles, nor in the history of the church, nor counterfeit, nor temporary.

Our faith must be in the unseen but the true Living God!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Our faith must be that we believe the promises of God are so real, that we can live them in this life we have now!

This is the faith that can be seen by others!

*****2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

The Apostle Paul had now been in Corinth for nearly a year and a half and not only had he heard of how these Thessalonians were enduring persecutions and tribulations but Paul had even boasted of it in his own sermons to other churches started in Corinth.

1Th 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

We can think what we want to, but even in America Christians may wake up one day and find that Christianity is outlawed!

We should pray much for those in certain places that are being beheaded and condemned to death just because they trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

These tribulations in the Church Age are those that all saints must endure and these tribulations come from men.

Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

The future tribulations that come after the Rapture of the Church, will all come from God Himself.

There will be a great difference!

It is hard for us in America to realize true persecution until we see what is happening in Iraq and Syria and throughout the world, today to Christians.

The Bible speaks of these thing in the Psalms:

Psa 74:7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
Psa 74:8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
Psa 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
Psa 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

Places of worship are being destroyed.

Even old places such as the tomb of Joseph, the Temple mount, and many other places are being systematically destroyed by those of false religion.

It astounds me that the Muslim call Jerusalem a holy place but “they turn their backside” to Jerusalem and pray toward Mecca 5 times a day.

They never pray toward Jerusalem!

**It is Jehovah God, not Allah who instituted and founded the Church.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

These are the places where Jehovah God is to be worshipped and acknowledged.

But we should remember it is all those with faith and patience who inherit the promises of God.

Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

**Faith comes before suffering because we will all suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.

The faith of all Christians will be tested before the return of Jesus Christ to get His Church!

What is the greatest sign of faith? To grow in the love of God and for our fellow saints with great joy through all persecutions.

*****2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

We are made heirs to the Kingdom of God by the “New Birth” but we prove our worthiness of that kingdom by the readiness with which we endure suffering for the things of Christ Jesus.

We are all subject to the same treatment that Jesus suffered.

Listen to what Jesus said:

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

We may never have to endure the cross but Jesus says to pick up your own cross daily and be prepared.

Jesus never said that that cross would not be heavy at times!

We may never be whipped by a cat of nine tails but some go through worse than this today in other parts of the world.

We are not standing on a mountain top with no escape and no food and water but there are some that are doing that in our world today.

We all will suffer some but many today suffer a deliberate attack on their person just because they claim Jesus as Lord.

Still at all times we are to praise the Lord!

We are to take a definite stand knowing that we will become the objects of the world’s hatred.

This is how we become worthy of God’s Kingdom!

We are to love our enemies.
We are to bless them that curse us.
We are to pray for those that despite-fully use us.

But in His own due time God will deal with all those that have persecuted His Church.

This is also a promise of God!

There will be a righteous judgment of the ungodly!

*****2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

Righteous here in this verse means that God is justified in the actions He will take!

Most liberals do not like this verse.

God is not pleased with how the world treats His children.

And just as God made His own choice to provide this period of “Grace” we call the “Church Age” God has already made His own choice to recompense tribulation to them that trouble His children.

Recompense means to repay them for what they have done!

Psa 94:23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

From God’s standpoint this is the absolute right thing to do!

There are only two groups of people on this Earth.

Those that love the Lord Jesus Christ and those that do not!

Those that love the Lord will be in Heaven during this time of re-compensation and only those left behind will feel the judgment of God for all the things they have done and for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ.

This re-compensation is righteous in the sight of the Lord!

Today we know of the Muslim who believe they will rewarded for persecuting the followers of Christ but God says that their reward will be His judgment not 70 virgins in Heaven!

After all Allah is not Jehovah God!

Where will the Church be when this takes place?

*****2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

In Chapter 4 we saw Christ Jesus returning in the clouds to possess His Church.

This when Jesus will return as a “thief” in the clouds!

We do not know much about this time.

Here in this verse, we see Christ Jesus returning to the Earth.

This will take place at the end of the tribulation period which will last 7 years.

These are two separate events!

Those who are doing the troubling will receive tribulation during those 7 years.

Those who are being troubled will already be at rest, where no troubles can ever reach them again, gathered by the Lord!

Those that are “at rest” are the “Raptured” Church.

Rest is the exact opposite of tribulation!

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Those angels that come with the Lord the first time testified of peace:

Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Those same angels that come with the Lord on in second return will bring vengeance and flaming fire.

The angels may not know the plan of God but they will always be involved in God’s plan!

*****2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

When God introduced Himself to Moses it was at the burning bush.

Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

God guided Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of fire.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Fire is used throughout the Tribulation period.

Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

This Earth we now live on will be burned up in the end by fire.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

God will come in vengeance but this cannot be considered revenge, because to God it is only justice.

Psa 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
Psa 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Our God is a consuming fire.

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

There are only two kind of people in this world. Those that love Jesus and those that do not love Jesus and God has this warning.

Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

The world may mock these things but on the “day of the Lord” they will get to meet my God and it will not be a good day to be alive on this Earth.

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Knowing God means much more than knowing about God!

To know God is to know Him as He is!

Knowing God requires a personal relationship with Him!

Knowing God is acknowledging Him as the Sovereign Creator of this Earth and all creation.

Knowing God is acknowledging Him as the only Redeeming Savior.

Knowing God is acknowledging Him as the all-seeing Righteous Judge.

Who are those that do not know God?

Those that do not obey the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

It is by the “Gospel” that people are saved.

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

No matter what the world says there is no other means of salvation!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The “Gospel” is the good news of the Bible and salvation is offered freely to anyone who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Those that die in the “Day of the Lord” will have no excuse for rejecting the love of God as they face the Living God!

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

How will all these that reject the Lord perish?

*****2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

This destruction this “everlasting judgment” is not an annihilation of being!

This destruction is “everlasting punishment”!

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

This destruction is “everlasting torment”!

There will no parties and no joy in the Burning Lake of Fire.

This destruction will be an everlasting separation from God and His power to change things for the better!

**This fiery hell cannot be located on this Earth.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

This burning lake of fire was created for Satan and his angels and it exist now and will exist after the Earth is destroyed by fire.

This burning lake of fire will be as far away from the New Earth as possible!

God is pure.

God is love.

God is power.

God is righteous.

God is in all beauty.

God is the essence of intelligence.

These are some of the things that make man real and these are the things that have been rejected by the lost and none of these things will be found in hell!

While those that choose to be in Hell, and it is a choice they make themselves, God will be glorified in all His saints.

In Chapter 4 the Rapture of the Church was made clear.

God will be “admired in all them that believe”.

There is no such thing as a partial Rapture!

There will be a time of rewards at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” but “all the saved” will admire the Lord on the day He will judge this Earth!

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Knowing all these things then we need to pray for the saints and for the lost!

*****2Th 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
2Th 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is in the hope of all these things that must keep us faithful in these days we live now!

In verse 5 Paul said we should strive to be worthy of the kingdom of God.

This is our walk with God after salvation until the day of the Rapture or physical death.

In this verse we that should consider this day by day.

God ‘s calling is in His “Grace and Love” and this is the same calling we all have to show to those around us!

We should not ever forget, it is a great privilege to be allowed to walk with God in this life, through a world that rejects Him and be given the opportunity to walk with God throughout eternity.

It is a privilege to bear the name of Christian, when the name of Christ is so despised in this world.

It will a great privilege to be counted worthy of His calling!

But for those that reject Our Lord Jesus there is this coming judgment!

Those that do not know the Lord today will certainly know Him when He is revealed from Heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that obey not the “Gospel”!

Without a doubt every knee will bow to Jesus!

Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

This is also the “Gospel”!

Let’s Pray!