Dear friends and readers,
Last weeks article was about the great falling away listed as an end times event in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3. We know this is an end times event because the actual wording also includes the revealing of the "man of sin" (the antichrist of Daniel chapter 9). These scriptures in 2 Thessalonians pretty well describe the order with which these end times events will unwind.
Before I launch into a follow up on that article, I have a couple of announcements for my regular readership: 1). This is Thanksgiving week so my staff is on vacation. I am however posting the article below because many of you have expressed interest in the "great falling away" and this break in my regular publishing schedule allows me to explain further and throw some other aspects into the old theological pot.
2). I have been praying the the Lord will show me how and when to expand my already published 3 weekly blogs. The answer to that came to me recently in the form of another blog entitled, WHERE DID MY LOVED ONES GO? No one knows when the rapture of the church will happen but I for one want to continue to minister to the lost even after I am no longer in this world. Articles published on the internet through blogs stay there forever. To this day I am notified when people from various countries lock onto articles that I wrote several years ago. Consequently I have launched a new blog at the following address;
www.wheredidmylovedonesgo.blogspot.com
The very first article is now posted entitled DID MILLIONS OF PEOPLE JUST DISAPPEAR? CONFUSED? READ HERE TO GET YOUR ANSWERS. Once again this blog is intended to simply "float around" out there in cyberspace and be available for people to find after the eventual rapture of the church happens. I plan to write several dozen articles on that blog site with various titles that someone left behind might think of to look up on the internet. FYI!
This week, I want to take you on a journey and to do so I have to build a case for my premise that satan himself has been extremely successful in dividing the church into bite size pieces that he can devour at will. Ergo, much more potential falling away.
2 Thessalonians chapter 2 Verse 3 says, "Let no one deceive you by any means" For that day will not come (emphasis on WILL NOT), unless 1). The falling away comes first 2). And the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.
Pretty clear don't you think? But I need to back track a bit so we have a full understanding so stay with me and we will get there.
Later in chapter 2, this issue of timing is clarified to a fare-thee-well. In verse 5 the Apostle Paul says "Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things?" These words were penned in a second letter to the church of Thessalonica. In the first letter to that church Paul had identified the event which came to be called the RAPTURE of the church. A great calling away from the earth of all church age believers alive at the time Christ decides to come back for His Bride, the church. Now in the second letter Paul is giving us the timing of events yet to come.
Going back to verse 6, Paul says "Now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time". So who is he? The "man of sin" is identified and Paul gives us a crash course on this guys personality and ugly little plan. Verse 4 describes him and tells us what to look for. "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God". Talk about a personality disorder on steroids. This guy, the eventual antichrist has a pride issue of grand proportions. Since he is the antichrist he will be the polar opposite of the true Christ, Jesus the Messiah of Israel. The wording "showing HIMSELF" that he is God should be the dead give away. The book of Revelation chapter 12 verse 9 says that the serpent of old, the devil, satan WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD was cast out of heaven. NOTE: Keep your finger on the words WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD, for future reference.
Depending upon which author you are reading the antichrist is either physically entered by the one called satan at about the mid point of Revelation (3 1/2 years into the 7 years of tribulation) or he is completely controlled by satan who has his own celestial body. For me the difference is not worth arguing over but some folks do, just as they do over very many things clearly defined within the pages of the Bible. One way or another the timing is clearly stated in 2 Thessalonians, not once but twice.
There are also those who will cause argument about verse 6. The question? Who is restraining and what is He restraining? The "what" is ultimate evil in the form of antichrist. The "who" as far as I am concerned is the Holy Spirit. We know that within the Trinity of God, He displays Himself to mankind in 3 different personalities but He is still only 1 God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, let's think that through; God the Father is omnipresent. He is literally present everywhere at once so He, the Father can never be taken out of the way of anything. Jesus Christ the Son was taken out of the way (temporarily at the cross of Calvary) and currently sits at the right hand of the father in heaven awaiting the word to come back for His Bride, the church. That leaves the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter 2, Jesus Disciples were all together with one accord on the day of Pentecost. That was when they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 4 verse 31 reinforces that doctrine by stating "and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness".
So we know that the Holy Spirit inhabits believers within the church. One of the job descriptions of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin without which evil will always grow and violence increase. This will make sense as we discover how satan deceives the whole world including many within the church. Back to first and second Thessalonians, we know that the church will eventually be called to heaven by the Lord and no where in the word of God does it ever say that after being filled with the Holy Spirit, that portion of the Trinity of God is ever withdrawn from believers. Consequently, it is the Holy Spirit who now restrains evil but when the church is raptured along with the presence of the Holy Spirit, then the remainder of verse 6 will happen and "he, the man of sin will be revealed". This is the prescribed order of things to come; 1). Rapture 2). end of restraint of evil by the Holy Spirit 3). Revealing of the man of sin, the antichrist. This is one of the many reasons we know that the rapture takes place before the advent of the 7 years of tribulation but that is the subject for another article.
What does all that have to do with sound doctrine and the title of this article? Remember when I said keep your finger on "satan who deceives the whole world"?
Last weeks article zeroed in on what the great falling away is. A falling away from sound Biblical doctrine. And I can expand that to include an extremely fractured church worldwide. We know for certain that this will happen coming into the end times. 2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they WILL NOT endure sound doctrine." Couple that with "satan who deceives the whole world" and we have a clue as to why Jesus says to MANY in Matthew chapter 7 "I never knew you, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness."
Or do we somehow think that by virtue of being a Christian we are not included as part of the whole world who can be deceived by satan? When the church first began (albeit much smaller than todays estimate of 2 billion 500 million believers worldwide), the very first admirable characteristic was that they were in ONE ACCORD! Can anyone truthfully say that about the church today?
Did you know that the World Christian Encyclopedia in 2012 listed a worldwide existence of 33,830 Christians denominations? That's amazing when you consider that all of us share two things in common; 1). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2). The Bible. However obviously all kinds of cultures are involved here but the fact is, culture should never change the Bible. The Bible, the words of God, should always conform each and every culture to a single Godly standard. An example of how satan gets his slimy foot in the church house door is as follows; A question for you to think about. Who is right? The denominations who claim that all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12) all passed away with the last Apostle? Or those who claim that everyone should speak in tongues? Biblically neither of those are true but those two decidedly different views of something the Bible never says have separated Christians for multiple eons.
Or how about entire congregations torn asunder by the color of church carpeting or song books? How about thousands being driven completely out of church because of unbiblical church legalism or license (to sin). Or head coverings and long dresses opposed to concentrating on the condition of the human soul? The use of alcohol verses non alcohol? A huge thing in some denominations and a no brainer in others. While at the very same time, people within the church on both sides of that issue are dying daily from nicotine poisoning and diabetes (in many cases from food abuse) which are seldom if ever discussed in church. In most western countries you are taking your life in your own hands by even mentioning the condition of "overweight"! In Mexico where I served as a pastor for 25 years, being overweight is often celebrated as a sign of prosperity. Same issue but treated differently by the very same denominations in different countries but through rose colored glasses.
In the course of my career in ministry I have had the pleasure of traveling and either teaching or doing some kind of missionary work in several countries. I have always been willing and frankly happy to cross denominational lines. Not that I approve of some denominational doctrines or practices but I have always believed that as Christians we should be able to find some common ground to walk on. Frankly that has not always worked because there is great suspicion between many of our denominations. You know, the old "we are saved but they are not routine?" But I continue to try. At first I was utterly shocked when I discovered that some habit, action or type of clothing that would be considered extremely sinful in a particular countries denomination, was perfectly OK and practiced regularly in another country by the very same denomination. I have seen that first hand in many places. I just don't think that kind of religiosity is something the Lord would approve of.
In a way, I do understand because as a man with a pastors heart myself, we all want the folks in our congregations to be the very best they can be in Christ Jesus. But what I have learned is that Holiness cannot be regulated into existence. Holiness is something that proceeds from the heart of a person who is in love with their Creator. Man made rules of conduct cannot make that happen and in fact is responsible for driving many people out of churches. For a crash course in church legalism and what the Bible has to say about that please refresh yourself in Colossians chapter 2.
What do you think would happen if every denomination simply taught the Bible exactly as written? Maybe then we would ably to come together ALL WITH ONE ACCORD. If that were the case and every Christian worldwide depended solely on his or her Bible for the correct answers, and held their pastors and teachers to that Biblical standard??? Well, I for one do not think that satan would be able to divide and conquer within the church . He might be able to continue to deceive the whole world but that would be minus those who are believers. Maybe we would no longer need 33,830 denominations. Maybe the only denomination we would need is the one headed up by Jesus Christ.
I am going to close this article by making a statement that may shock some of you. I think what we are seeing develop is two separate and distinct churches of Jesus Christ. Man's version of the church with all those unbiblical rules and regulations or the proverbial "wink" at sin agenda. And a much smaller true church of Jesus Christ who has the motto, "God said what He meant and meant what He said"! Does that sound judgmental to you? I don't mean it that way at all and I am not one of those who thinks my way is the only way.
What I do think is that Jesus way is the only way.
God bless you all. THINK BIBLE!!!
Pastor Rance.
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