This week's Bible study will be 1st Timothy chapter 1

Saving Us From Our Sins is God's Top Priority

[First Timothy chapter 1]

Today we will be moving on to the apostle Paul's first letter to Timothy, better known simply as First Timothy. As we begin our study of chapter one, we find Paul giving a serious warning to Timothy about false teachers and bogus pastors. Evidently there was a problem with this almost right from the start of the early Church, as we have previously seen in other studies such as the books of Thessalonians, Ephesians, Romans and others, all of which was written by the apostle Paul. This problem still exists today, and in some ways it is far more prevalent than in the 1^st century AD due to the earth's huge growth in population since then. The proliferation of religious cults, along with the popularity of the so-called “prosperity gospel”, which is sometimes referred to as the “word of faith” movement within Christendom, are prime examples. We should all be very wary of these types of “churches” who distort the true Gospel in order to fit their message to please their congregants, when it should be the other way around. Having established that fact, or having reinvigorated it to fit with modern times, let's commence today's study beginning at verse one.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy my true son in the faith: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these things and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Timothy chapter one, verses 1-11, NIV)

“... grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” How many of us today greet one another similarly today when we come together to worship? Better yet, how many of us greet total strangers this way? I have done this numerous times in the past with people I don't know, with special attention paid toward those who look like they could use some significant encouragement. I see them all the time; the homeless, the long-term unemployed, victims of foreclosure fraud that is so rampant within banks both large and small, the sick and disabled, the mentally ill, the elderly, widows and orphans, kids from single parent homes or from homes with at least one parent incarcerated, and (speaking of incarceration) those who have obviously been recently released from prison. It is these people, and others who have suffered similar misfortunes, that Jesus went to minister to, as do I. Paul comments further down in this letter about this very thing, but I'll get to that in just a minute.

“... command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work...”. What was Paul writing about here? Generally speaking, it is most likely that Paul was referring to what he called “Judaisms” in his letters to the Corinthian church, which we have studied previously, when he wrote of “false doctrines”. He was referring to a “teaching” that persists to this day that new converts to Christianity were/are required to worship Jesus Christ while also practicing traditional Judaism. According to this “teaching”, the Law of Moses and the salvation of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins must be practiced side by side, and all male children must be circumcised when they are eight days old as a sign of their complete salvation (among other things). But what did Jesus say about this when he preached? “I have come to fulfill the law”, he said. What law? Today we call the Law of Moses the Old Testament, which is exactly what they were referring to. And what of “myths” and “endless genealogies”? It is a virtual certainty that Paul was referring to people worshiping pagan gods of Greek and Roman mythology. It would appear, then, that certain churches were trying to combine them into one religion, mixing Greek and Roman gods with the One true God, whose only begotten Son saved us all from condemnation. Jesus was and is the only one who can do that; no other “god” can come even close to making such a claim. Those who do otherwise are polluting the Word of God, and they need to repent of this while they still have the chance. We're almost out of time, you know.

“Some have wandered away from these things and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about”. What can we compare this to in modern times? For one thing, I would compare it to various denominations preaching and teaching against other denominations, even condemning those who don't believe as they do, or those who don't walk, talk, think and act exactly like their church does (as if it was “their” church to begin with). Other examples of meaningless talk would include tithing (you must give exactly 10% of your income each and every week or else), the debate about same-sex marriage (the same ones who accuse gay people of immorality have issues of their own, such as rampant adultery and being addicted to porn), as well as the ultimate hot-button issue of abortion (abortion is murder, but it's perfectly OK to wage undeclared wars overseas and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians). If anyone reading this is currently in a church such as I have described, you really should consider finding a better church.

“We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers... and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God...”. As the old saying goes, rules are made to be broken. Unfortunately for those who take this adage literally, the teachings of Jesus Christ are made to be kept and to be guarded zealously within our hearts and minds. Jesus taught similarly when he said, “I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. It is an important fact that we all have so very little time left since the second coming of our Lord is so very close now. In fact, it could be as little as a couple of years or so until this occurs, so we are all just about out of time. It is for this very reason that we must redouble our efforts, first to purify ourselves from the inside out, and second to minister to others from the outside in so they will open their hearts to Jesus and allow Him to come in and live there. That is the second step to salvation in and through Christ. Preceding this is our own conversion (or re-dedication for those who have fallen away from the church and “forgotten their first love”), which begins when we go to the cross and confess our sins before the Lord. We first confess our sins, faults, and deficiencies, and then ask forgiveness as we devote the rest of our lives to service to Christ, performing any works or tasks that we are led to do by the power of the Holy Spirit. Having said that, let's conclude our study beginning at verse 12.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even tough I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example of those who believe on him and receive from him eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1st Timothy chapter 1, verses 12-20, NIV)

“Even tough I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” This verse speaks volumes about the apostle Paul and others like him. At one time I would have had to include myself in this category, even though – like Paul – I did these kinds of things because I didn't know any better. I used to curse and swear and use profanity a lot, and I also used to have a violent temper. I even carried a loaded pistol everywhere I went, and I was once jailed briefly after getting into an altercation with someone in traffic (please don't worry, this was years before I embraced the Lord). There are countless examples of others who were once the same way – ex-convicts who find the salvation of Jesus Christ while serving time for God-knows-what is just one example – only to have their lives and themselves completely transformed by “having the mind of Christ”, as Paul wrote in an earlier letter in the New Testament. But today, thanks to Jesus Christ and only Him, I have in its place “the peace of Christ which surpasses all human understanding”, as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian church that we studied previously. In short, I am a radically changed individual compared to what I was prior to 1992 when I gave my heart and surrendered my life to Christ. If this is something that you aspire to but have not yet attained, take heart because it's a process that all Christians go through once they make a lifetime commitment to Jesus. Everyone can do this, not necessarily by their own will, but rather by the Spirit of Christ that inhabits the hearts of every true believer.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners... so that... Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example of those who believe on him and receive from him eternal life.” Jesus was crucified, died, and was resurrected on the morning of the third day so that all of us may secure eternal life in and through Him. He died, only to be resurrected from the dead, as an atonement for all the sins of mankind, including the really bad ones like Paul, who persecuted the early Church and supervised the death by stoning of saint Steven (see Acts chapters 6 and 7 for details). Paul, in the eyes of God and the early Church, was a murderer – actually a “hit man” by 21^st century standards – of innocent Christians, and yet God forgave him when he humbled himself on the road to Damascus (see the book of Acts chapter 9) and ordained him to be a minister of the Gospel. If God can do this for a murderer of his people, how much more than this can He do for us, for all who call upon the name of Jesus for eternal salvation and as an atonement for our sins (and I had plenty of those, you can be sure of that)

 

“I give you this instruction... so that by following [it] you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” So if anyone likes a good fight like I used to all those decades ago, fight the good Spiritual fight for Christ instead of a down-and-dirty fight in the flesh for the domination, intimidation and control of others. Love – unconditional love – always wins and triumphs over hate, aggression, fear, and greed. There are no exceptions that I can think of at the moment. So I urge you all to fight the “good fight” and to “run the good race” as Paul wrote in an earlier letter that we studied previously. Besides, with the return of Jesus being so imminent, what else would we do? How else can we live and still profess and practice allegiance to Jesus and unconditional worship? There is no substitute.

Endless War Coming From An Allegedly Christian Nation

The Hypocrisy Of War In A Nation That Professes Christianity

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

Being the proactive Christian and Jesus follower that I am, I make it my business to follow current events, particularly anything having to do with Israel and the Middle East (since the majority of Bible prophecy has to do with both). It's in our best interest to do so due to America's very serious financial situation, not to mention the dangerously overextended US military which has bases in over 100 countries while fighting two wars. Rev. Billy Graham has prophesied that these multiple wars, clandestine activities and other occupations “will end in disaster”. This brings me to the point I wish to comment on today, and that is the hypocrisy of war in a nation that calls itself Christian and proclaims its devotion to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. You can't profess to worship Christ as a nation while waging war, they are diametrically opposed to one another. We can't bemoan all the wars overseas and all the over-the-top violence going on in America's streets while continuing to be the world's largest arms manufacturer and exporter. We Americans are going to have to make up our minds what we want, because we can't have it both ways as a nation. Either wage war or wage peace. As for me, I choose peace. Killing only begets more killing.

The latest chapter in Washington's plan for global domination is the threat of war with Iran. The US incursions into Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya were really bad ideas no matter how you look at it. What is America doing over there? First, the 2^nd war in Iraq was based on a series of lies about weapons of mass destruction. Second, we already got Osama Bin Laden, so why are we still in Afghanistan? Why is the US still conducting drone strikes inside Iraq and Syria? As for Libya, Italy and France were perfectly capable of managing the Libyan crisis from just across the Mediterranean Sea, they didn't need the US to come all the way across the Atlantic to help them out. These two regional powers don't need or want our help. Yet the US military continues to stick its nose into every situation it can find globally as if America is the world's policeman. America can't afford to continue to spend more money on military hardware than all the other countries of the world combined. This is clearly unsustainable. Our country's aggressive actions are also infuriating a large number of people worldwide, and I believe it is the primary cause of much of the world's terrorist activity.

What would Jesus say about this if he were here right now? God bless America? I think not! The US military entered and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the air war in Libya and the drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, without getting a formal declaration of war from Congress, a requirement of the US Constitution. Of course, the American public is being told that there are no US troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria, but US Special Forces and the CIA have been 'in country' right up to this very day. Not to mention the fact that the US military is lately beginning to set its digitized sights on China. Our country's “leaders” have forgotten that Hitler lost the Second World War when he opened up three battle fronts against the USA, Great Britain and Russia within a year. Although they held their own at first after scoring significant battlefield victories, the Nazis ultimately found themselves overwhelmed. What do you think will happen if the US opens up just as many battle fronts at once? Apparently our nation's “leaders” haven't learned one stinking thing from history. America has charted a course towards disaster!

We are going to have to face up to the fact that we live in a very violent society, and that perpetual war for profit – not for victory, but for humongous amounts of money – is only a superficial symptom of a much more deep-seated problem. Violence surrounds us. Like it or not, it is ingrained into and embraced by U.S. Society. We are bombarded with violent imagery on a daily basis if we watch much TV or rent a lot of movies. The nightly news is full of it, and the followers of Christ are sick and tired of all of it. Come to think of it, so is nearly everybody else.

More than 50 years ago, President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the growth of the “military-industrial complex”. He cautioned us about the need to guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, "whether sought or unsought," by this military industrial complex. "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist," he said. George Orwell once wrote of “perpetual war," a situation in which war operates as a means of controlling the population by constantly rallying them against a common enemy. This is exactly the situation we are faced with in America today, with its military/industrial/incarceration complex running in overdrive. At the same time, the American people have figured out that if all the money spent on wars was spent on its people instead, we could give every American free health care, free higher education or free vocational retraining for life, with a minimum wage that is double its current rate. There are many people constantly, loudly lamenting their shortage of money. They fail to realize that vast portions of their incomes are being drained off by their country for war, death and destruction.

Obama administration officials said the United States decided to wage war on Libya because of the threat Moammar Qaddafi was to his own people. Why not attack Bahrain or Yemen? Tyrants in those countries are committing similarly repugnant acts against their citizens. Why not attack Syria since atrocities are being committed against the people there? I am very excited that ordinary people are rising up across the Middle East to cast off autocrats, tyrants, kings and dictators, not to mention the secret police who harass the citizenry daily. People want peace and justice, not war and violence. And they want it here in America too. That is why we will see very soon here in the US a similar political movement that we have seen previously in the Middle East. The Arab Spring of 2011 has evolved into the 'Occupy' and the 'we are the 99%' Movements here at home and other capitalist countries, and they are just the beginning of what is to come.

Given the near silence of our nation's pulpits in the face of the violence and war that surrounds us, the exertions of our theologians in justifying war, and the propensity of religious people to condemn abortion while proudly sending their sons and daughters off to fight and kill “the enemy”, it is certain that future historians will view organized religion as a slave to the vast war machine that engulfs us. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prophesied, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." Will we rise up against the madness of violence or are we dead already? What's it going to be, people?

The Honest Wife: 3 Mistakes Keeping You From Healing

The Honest Wife: 3 Mistakes Keeping You From Healing: We all handle stress differently, dealing with infidelity can take its toll on the betrayed physically, mentally and emotionally. For some i...

For this week's Bible study we'll finish up 2nd Thessalonians

The Works of Our Hands Are An Offering to God

[2^nd Thessalonians chapter 3]

Last week when we finished the second chapter of 2^nd Thessalonians, we left off with the apostle Paul's warnings and exhortations about the antichrist and the End Times before His return. Of course, there were evidently a good-sized number of the early Christians who then asked something similar to, “That's all well and good, brother Paul, but what should we do in the meantime, especially considering the fact that we don't know when Jesus will come back for us? Besides that which you have already taught us, what else can and should we do?” These are very good questions, and Paul used the remainder of this letter to clarify exactly that. With this in mind, let's finish up 2^nd Thessalonians today, and we'll dissect the entire third chapter to complete our task that God has given us, which is to study and learn the Word to “show ourselves approved” to God through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. So here we go, starting at verse one.

“Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1-10, NIV)

“... pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored...”. Spreading the message about the good news of the salvation of Christ was something Paul had come to regard as being his new mission in life, and it shows right here. As practicing Christians, then, we should similarly regard the spreading of the Gospel to be our main reason for living. Granted, not everyone is called to preach or to be an evangelist on TV. But I strongly believe that we can honor Christ just as well by our deeds rather than our words. In fact, it is what we do for others that counts the most in God's kingdom. As one well known TV preacher says, “Being in church on Sunday morning does not make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a motor vehicle”. That is ever so true. We can honor and even worship God through Jesus Christ our Lord by spontaneous acts of kindness and charity, especially to people we don't know. Jesus said it best, “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brethren, that you do for me”.

“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Translated into 21^st century English, this is a prayer for deliverance from godless and immoral people who cannot distinguish good from evil, or who simply refuse to do so because it would spoil all the “fun” they are having. People without a conscience, or who suppress their conscience, are capable of anything, which makes them very dangerous individuals. But if we place our faith in God and follow his precepts, God will protect us and empower us to stand up to the hostile intentions of these kinds of people. “... we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” This is an easy one – steer clear of idle troublemakers and others of ill repute. Because if we don't, some of that is bound to rub off onto us, which in turn will most definitely compromise our faith, not to mention our personal integrity. Paul then elaborates some more on this topic as he wrote, “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we are with you... On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so we would not be a burden to any of you.” Paul did so “to set an example for you to follow”. You will recall from our study of the book of Romans that Paul was a tent maker by trade. He worked full time during the day and preached and taught in the evening. Paul earned his keep and pulled his own weight, apparently because he did not rely exclusively on donations for the existence of his ministry. “If a man will not work, then neither shall he eat.” Contrast that with ministers, preachers and evangelists of today, who not only rely on the charity of others, they also work hard to make sure that their congregations or TV audiences feel guilty about not giving when some can't afford to. This is obviously mass manipulation and nothing less. Why should they work when they don't have to? (Or so they think, sometimes to themselves, and other times in the pulpit or on global TV.) This is blatantly materialistic at best and heretical at worst, and has no place in a house of worship, and particularly within our own hearts. So let us all purify ourselves and give our hearts a good housecleaning, so that when Jesus returns, we will be ready to meet him. Reject materialism and the empty pursuit of financial gain! Having said all that, let's finish up this week's study beginning at verse 11.

“We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busy-bodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Now may the God of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 11-18, NIV)

“We hear that some among you are idle... Such people we command... to settle down and earn the bread they eat.” Now it becomes more clear as to Paul's meaning when he wrote above, “If a man will not work, then he shall not eat”. Keep in mind that there was no welfare or food stamps, no disability or social security, and there was no such thing as workman's compensation or unemployment back then either. But, as Paul wrote back in his first letter to the Corinthian church, and as the apostle Luke wrote in the Book of Acts, there was what the Bible calls “the breaking of bread”, which is equivalent to Holy Communion in the modern church. The main difference was that instead of little white wafers like we see today, they baked loaves of bread that may well have been far better than an ordinary loaf of bread purchased at a modern grocery store. Undoubtedly there was more than just plain bread due to the fact that every worship service was an event that lasted for the better part of the day. Today it is only the charismatic and messianic churches, plus Jewish people and their synagogues that still practice this. Based on what Paul wrote here, it looks like they were having a problem with certain members of the church who were there primarily for a free meal, with praise and worship as their second priority when it should have been the other way around. So the apostle Paul was telling these freeloaders to stop hanging around for all the wrong reasons, and to get a life, to get somewhere and get themselves some business to take care of.

“And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.” No matter how much evil we find ourselves surrounded by, it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ to make sure we are putting our faith into action. We can talk about God all we want or brag about our good deeds all day long, but if we only do so when we feel like it, or when we think we have the time, then what good is that? As the apostle James wrote, “If you see someone in need and say to them 'be well and I will pray for you', but do nothing to assist them, then that is the same as not helping them at all”. 

 

“If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter... do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” If someone is doing wrong to others, or if he or she refuses to work and shows up at church just long enough to filch a free meal, do not be the least bit shy about warning that brother/sister in the Lord. If they reject you and your warning, stop associating with them. Sooner or later they will notice and begin wondering why they're being left out. But this is the first step in the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and it is intended to be sufficient motivation for repenting from sin. Hopefully things will work out for the best in these kinds of situations, but it is ultimately up to that church member to repent and seek forgiveness. The good news here is that, as the apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1^st John chapter 1, verse 9, NIV), and again in the first 2 verses of chapter 2 of that same book, “My dear children, I write this to you so you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but for the sins of the whole world.”

“Now may the God of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” That right there, brothers and sisters in the Lord, is exactly my prayer for each and every one who reads this. Let “the peace of Christ which surpasses all human understanding” – as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians – surround you today, tomorrow and for all the rest of your lives. In the name of the Lamb of God I pray for you all. Amen.

An Economic Crash Is Coming, and It Will Be the Government's Fault When It Happens

If Capitalism (and Deficits) Were Replaced With A Bible Based Monetary System, Could That System Be Made Workable?

By Rev. Paul J. Bern

Just last week, Congress passed yet another legislative patch for our country's broken-down patchwork monetary system so the US government won't run out of money. But it has been my observation that America's capitalist economic system, together with the US dollar it is represented by, has a very big problem. It's like the old 'elephant in the room' truism, and in this case the elephant in the room is debt – unbelievable, nearly incomprehensible, colossal debt! The global capitalist economic system rooted in Wall Street and big banking, administered in New York and presided over in Washington, is based on greed and materialism in a debt-based economy where money is created from nothing. Debt-based economies are nothing new, they have been around for at least 3,500 years (see Nehemiah chapter 5, verses1-14). The pursuit of profit reigns supreme over all other pursuits in modern America, trampling humanity underfoot in the pursuit of that power over others that provides the top 1% with the illusion of human supremacy. Designer clothes, 400+ horsepower cars and trucks, million dollar bank accounts and 30,000 square feet houses are the norm in today's world. Capitalism would have us believe that the pursuit of more and more material wealth is what everyone wants to achieve. But is that necessarily so, and is it a healthy pursuit in life?

All we have to do is to look around us. Massive deficit spending that funds multiple wars and over 700 military bases overseas (not counting the mainland US) threatens to bankrupt our country. Bankruptcies and foreclosures remain near an all-time high, and there will be a second wave of foreclosures starting in 2016 that will include commercial and industrial real estate. The interest on the federal budget deficit will exceed 70% of US gross national product by 2025 (at the rate we are going and if something isn't done quickly). Millions can't find a job because all the good jobs have been exported overseas. I know this to be true from my own previous experience with long-term unemployment which ultimately ended my 20-year computer/IT career. There are more homeless people in America today than at any time since the Great Depression. On any given night in New York City it has been estimated that there are from 10,000 to as many as 30,000 homeless people. Here in Atlanta where I live, the homeless problem is no better, and that includes appalling numbers of homeless children. It appears that our entire capitalist economic system is on the verge of collapse. China will have the world's biggest economy by the middle of 2016, and that will dethrone the US as the world's leading economic power permanently when it does occur – and rest assured it will! That will mean the US dollar will no longer be the world's reserve currency, resulting in a crash of undetermined magnitude for the dollar, the equivalent of a financial earthquake. Communism in Soviet Russia fell in 1989, and it may well be that the American economic system is going to be the next to go. What will we all do when this finally does occur?

To find the answers, we need to go to the book of Acts in the New Testament. I am going to use two separate quotes from the Book of Acts, starting with Acts chapter 2, verses 44 to 47. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to everyone that had need. Every day they continued to meet in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The closest thing the US has had to this ancient tradition was the hippie movement of the 1960's, where communal living was widely experimented with. How many people today would, after becoming Christian, immediately sell nearly everything they had just so they could share it with others? How many would give up owning property and join together with others of like intent and noble purpose for the sole expressed purpose of combining their resources so that all could have more? Very few, I would guess. Everybody today is trying to get a better job, house, car, investment portfolio and whatever else it takes to get over. Nearly everyone is out only for themselves at the exclusion of everyone else. They are afraid to share because they are convinced that if they do, there will not be enough for themselves. I'm going to say this as gently as I can, but people like this need to learn to let go of their fear and apprehension and stop thinking about all that could go wrong. Instead, try replacing that with new solutions concerning managing things, people and situations so that they come out in your favor. The early Church had a good handle on what it takes to have this kind of genuine success in this life. I have another quote about this two chapters later in the book of Acts:

“All the believers were of one heart and mind. No one claimed any of his possessions as his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to everyone as they had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles feet. (Acts 4, verses 32-37, NIV) How many people today are doing this? Who would sell their house, land, car, truck, boat and whatever else they have and then turn around and give all the proceeds away? I would be very surprised if anyone sent me a check for such an amount since I rely on small donations almost exclusively. Many other churches and charities do the same. If anybody sold their house today and then gave the money away, people would assume they were crazy. And yet this is exactly how the early church operated. Maybe what we need to do now that we know this is to relearn what has been lost. Could it be that, due to a greatly reduced standard of living due to the dollar's inevitable devaluation, people with no money, home or job will have to pool their resources to survive? What if that turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

We have lost our way, entangled in a web of material goods and services, opulence and luxury, and all at the expense of everything and everybody else. We have forgotten the most important things, like how to take care of each other, how to show love and be merciful towards one another. Some of us have simply forgotten how to make friends, or even recoil at the thought of doing so. Solving this social problem can only be accomplished by a change in priorities. Maybe we should all be giving some of our excess wealth away to those less fortunate. What have I done for somebody else lately? How do I treat people, really? What matters most in life to me, and to those around me? What can I do to make a positive contribution to those whose lives I touch? What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind when I am dead and gone? Let us begin to ask ourselves some other basic questions. Such as, why do I need 400 horsepower under my hood? Come to think of it, why buy a new car when I can get a used one much cheaper? Do I really need a bigger house, or more new clothes? What's wrong with the house or the clothes I have now? The truth of the matter is that it's time to get back to the basics of life – God, family, friendship, a home and a livelihood.

Let us make sure and remember the lesson learned from the two Bible quotes listed above. There are certain advantages to living our lives as the early Christians did. “No one claimed anything as his own, but they shared everything they had”. I admit that this seems to be a bit idealistic at the moment, but a life such as this is the logical outcome in the event of the collapse of capitalism. Our country's debt, which is growing exponentially as everybody knows, is clearly unsustainable. This huge debt load will be on the backs of our children, grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren, and that is a social injustice that must be protested and demonstrated against until something is done about it! Even if it means shutting down entire cities, it is up to us, the American people, to put a stop to this once and for all. I think it's high time we “occupied” social and economic injustice.

If this money was spent on taking care of the American people instead of waging war, what a difference it would make in the lives of every one of us! What if we outgrew our need to own things and to accumulate frivolous material goods? If we set our priorities this way, it would line up with the priorities and values of the early Christians. I am prophesying to you all that the death of capitalism – or at least as we have known it – will happen within the next year or two, and maybe even sooner. But when it occurs, something wonderful will happen. We will all become equals and peers in a land where service to others rather than ownership of property and consumer merchandise will not only become the law of the land, but the new standard for personal success. What a wonderful world we could create if only we set our minds to doing this very thing! We will have become an egalitarian society, and I see a lot more that's right about that than what's wrong. We can accomplish this by living as the Bible commands us to do in the book of Acts. By doing so together we can get our priorities straight once and for all. And in the process we can create a new economic system completely from scratch to effectively replace the old one. It would be a brave new world, that's for sure. I exhort and encourage each one who reads this to make a real effort at beginning to live your life this way. God has given each of us this ability. It is up to us to learn to plug into this new power source so we can use it for the good of others. And we do this knowing that the more good we perform for others, the more it will ultimately benefit ourselves.

This week's BIble study will be 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2

End Times Warnings From the Apostle Paul

[2^nd Thessalonians chapter 2]

As I wrote when I closed out our study of Second Thessalonians chapter one, “God always protects and he never fails”. Today as we plunge into the refreshing waters of the writings of the apostle Paul we will examine chapter two in detail. As I wrote last week, it is here in chapter two that Paul goes into detail about the end times after only giving this a quick mention in chapter one. So let's begin chapter two of Second Thessalonians starting at verse one.

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord is already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2nd Thessalonians 2,verses 1-4, NIV)

Remember what Jesus said when he taught his apostles about the end times in Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21 (among others)? “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” So here we can clearly see that Jesus prophesied what Paul would write decades before Paul did so. There are also a few misguided individuals and denominations (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) who teach that Jesus has already returned. As we can see from this bit of Scripture, these sects, or more accurately cults, have been around since the dawn of Christianity. “Don't let anyone deceive you in any way”, Paul wrote, which is nearly identical to Matthew's gospel, chapter 24 and verse one where Jesus said, “Watch out that no man deceives you”. I love it when I find two seemingly unrelated chapters and verses within the Bible that have these hidden similarities, because I find it so fascinating! In short, I have fallen in love with God's Word, and I hope you have too. But Paul continues on, making two references to the antichrist by calling him “the man of lawlessness” and “the man doomed to destruction”. Then he elaborates on what he means starting in verse 5.

“Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance of the works of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perished because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2, verses 5-12, NIV)

“And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.” The first thing Paul makes abundantly clear is that the antichrist has not yet come. It was not “the proper time”, and it still isn't. I have seen one example after another of modern-day phony messiahs claiming to be Christ (such as David Icke and others). Have nothing to do with these people. If you turn on your TV and someone is on your screen saying, “I am the risen Christ” or that the path to God can be found only in and through that person who is on your screen, turn the channel immediately! These people are nothing but incredibly evil deceivers, so avoid these people if at all possible and keep on seeking Christ. Continuing on, we find a reference to the book of Revelation, which had not yet been written, regarding “the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way.” So here we have something truly prophetic by the apostle Paul because he was specifically mentioning this quote from Revelation, which is as follows: “The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates'. And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.” (Revelation 9, verses 13-15, NIV) This passage of Scripture was written at least 3 decades after Paul's death by execution in Rome.

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance of the works of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perished because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” Have you ever watched a “faith healer” on TV or seen one at church? You know what I'm saying, you can spot a phony preacher if you watch them closely and carefully evaluate their words. The point is that Paul wrote about these shameless hustlers long before the advent of television. He prophesied their coming of age 2,000 years before it occurred. That's what the real prophets look, act and sound like, not those con men on “Christian” TV. (I should also point out that there are also some TV preachers and teachers who are not only very good, but they are clearly anointed by the Holy Spirit. It's our job to sort them out, so don't stop watching Christian TV! But that's exactly what is happening today. People are being led astray by all kinds of teaching from supposedly “anointed” people who often have no business being in a pulpit to begin with. Followers of these unscrupulous individuals, together with their financial backers, will perish because they don't love the truth. Only the truth can set us free, just as Jesus himself taught us. And so, “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie”. What powerful delusion was Paul writing about here? This has been debated by Bible scholars and ministers from diverse backgrounds and faiths for centuries. Some say Paul was writing about Islam, others say it's the Catholics, while the Catholics say it was the Protestants. But I don't think it's necessarily commenting on religious denominations as it is regarding the world in which we live, with all its trappings, temptations, sin and empty materialism, not to mention its predatory and greed-based Capitalist economic system. That would qualify, I think, as the ultimate delusion. The endless acquisition of riches, fame and fortune, and investments and fine collectibles as an end unto themselves is the biggest delusion of all. Having said that, let's close out today's study beginning at verse 13.

“But we always ought to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our Gospel, that you might share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we have passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13-17, NIV)

“... from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” When Paul wrote “from the beginning”, he meant the very beginning of time as we know it, from the creation of the universe itself. As it was above, so it is here, which is that the apostle Paul having knowledge of the beginning of creation from a scientific as well as a Spiritual perspective was and is a prophetic statement. As most of you know, the universe as we know it was created about 13.7 billion years ago. The earth, on the other hand, is known to be around 4.4 billion years old. How did Paul know that the universe had been around for 9.3 billion years before the earth was made? Is this not what he is referring to? It could only have been by revelation of the Holy Spirit, there is no other explanation. “Belief in the truth”, on the other hand, is very likely a reference to a few of the early churches that weren't teaching the truth of the full Gospel. Paul has made ample mention of the apostasy of those churches elsewhere in his writings. So when Paul wrote, “He called you to this through our Gospel”, he meant the genuine true Gospel that he was preaching and teaching, the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified, died and resurrected, and his twin gifts of eternal life and the Grace of God.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we have passed on to you”. The same thing applies today, and every day of our lives. Stand firm, stand with Christ and he will stand with you. “If God is for us”, Paul wrote elsewhere, “then who can be against us?” Hold on to the teachings of Jesus! The best starting point for this is to simply start reading your Bible regularly. For those who may not yet be doing this, I recommend starting with any of the four gospels, with Mark's gospel being the shortest. The other thing we can all start doing is to sever our ties with the world. Unplug your TV, especially your cable service, pocket the money you save each month like I do, and begin streaming Christian content from the internet instead. I have been doing this for years, and I encourage all who read this to do the same. Of course, this doesn't mean we should all become hermits or recluses. On the contrary, we should have no reservation whatsoever about letting our Christianity show by putting our faith to work. Going to church is not enough – not if we are serious about following Jesus. Giving a beggar your spare change or buying them a sandwich, fries and a drink, spontaneously assisting a blind or disabled person, taking in a foster kid or two, and giving to charity are only a few of the things we can do that don't cost much. Please don't forget to give to the church of your choice as well. It doesn't always have to be a lot, but the Bible reminds us that “God loves a cheerful giver”. “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father... encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” Those are exactly my words that I extend to you as I close out this lesson. Be encouraged and strengthened, because that is God's will for your life. And once you learn to tap into His will and utilize the courage and strength of Jesus Christ you will be a truly empowered individual, which is what having a relationship with Jesus Christ is about.

Russia, the US, and the Middle East in Biblical prophecy

Russia's Move Into Syria Fulfills Bible Prophecy

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

I have been following the news intently throughout the Middle East as usual, but the Russian incursion into Syria that has been ongoing for 12 straight days has really piqued my interest. The CIA's completely inept attempt to arm and train “moderate” (whatever that's supposed to mean) Syrian rebels, for the purpose of overthrowing the Assad regime of Syria, has emboldened Vladimir Putin's Russia to make a move while he has the chance. This has become a victory in brinkmanship handed directly to Vladimir Putin on a silver platter by Barack Obama in what has turned out to be the biggest American foreign policy goof-up since the Libyan disaster of Benghazi on September 11 (there's that date again!) 2012. So, Russia has been building a military base in northwestern Syria right under the noses of nearby Turkey and Lebanon on the west, while forging an alliance with Iran and Iraq on the east. Putin is obviously after the oil, and all at the expense of the US. In my view, American foreign policy in the Middle East is in shambles as of this writing, with no relief in sight until possibly as late as January 2017. And that, ladies and gentlemen, may be too late for America. Still, this all falls in line with End Times Biblical prophecy as it is chronicled in the Old Testament books of the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel, as you all will see shortly.

As I delved into the following Bible verses, it struck me that this all began three days after the 4^th Blood Moon of September 28^th. Starting on that same day, hurricane Joaquin began drenching America's east coast with up to two feet of rain. Putin's military victory in Syria combined with the effects of Hurricane Joaquin add up to a double-whammy for the US exactly three days after that 4^th Blood Moon. The number three, as many of you know, is the Biblical number of perfection, sometimes called the number of completion. So I do not believe that the occurrence of those two events exactly three days after the 4^th Blood Moon was coincidental. But first, a little background, specifically about the Great Babylon mentioned by the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel. Many of you will recall that I posted an in-depth piece about the Great Babylon back in the Spring of this year that used Ezekiel chapter seven as a frame of reference (you may view that posting by clicking here). In this post, plus another prophetic one from a couple of months before that, I used Revelation chapter 18 and Ezekiel chapter 7 to prove conclusively that the Biblical Great Babylon of the end times is none other than the United States. But in this post I will show you some places where modern-day Russia can be found in Scripture, with the first example coming from Jeremiah chapter 50, verses 41-42: “Look! An army is coming from the North; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, oh Daughter of Babylon.” 

 

Again in the following chapter Jeremiah wrote in verses 45-48, “'Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord. Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, the other the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her. Then heaven and earth and all that is within them will shout over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her', declares the Lord.” In this passage, the name 'Babylon' has a double meaning. The original Babylonian empire of King Nebuchadnezzar was overthrown by a night time military assault by the Medes and the Persians in 539 BC. The new Babylonian Empire, as it is called in the Bible in Revelation chapter 18 and Ezekiel chapter 7 (among others) is the United States as I have previously demonstrated. So who, then, is the 'Daughter of Babylon' from Jeremiah chapter 50 verse 42? That would be none other than Israel, whose chief ally is the US, of course.

There are also comparable passages in the Book of Daniel that describe what Daniel called the 'kings of the north' and 'kings of the south'. With the 'kings of the north' (Russia and Iran) coming down and attacking Israel as described herein, we can conclude with substantial certainty that the 'king of the south' can be none other than the US, Israel's staunchest ally. This also means that at some point in the fairly near future, Russia will attack Israel, and America will come to Israel's aid while emerging victorious, as it is written: “Then the king of the south will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the north, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. When the army is carried off, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant. For the king of the north will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.” (Daniel 11, verses 11-13, NIV) In verse 11, we have what closely resembles the Cold War. In the very next verse, the narrative moves along to what appears to be the Iraq wars, where America attacked from the south. As you can see, it is debatable as to whether Russia has any significant involvement at this juncture, excluding being mentioned in verse 11. But in the following verse is a prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled, and that is the resurgence of Russia as a world power, a process that is already well underway, as I stated at the beginning of this posting.

“Then the king of the south will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the north, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated.” Russia, having lost the Cold War, will fall back and regroup into a far better force than ever before. This prophecy is at the latter stages of being fulfilled as I write this, with ample evidence to be found in Syria – a topic the American media is carefully downplaying. Gee, I wonder who told them to do that? The US military, perhaps? Or did that order come straight from the White House? The prophet Jeremiah goes on to explain in the following verse: “When the army is carried off, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.” How many Americans died during 9/11, roughly 3,000 altogether? How many Iraqi civilians got killed during Gulf War #1? It was roughly 100,000, a number that was not fully disclosed by the Pentagon until many months later. And, how many more Iraqi civilians died in the second armed US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and in the subsequent years of US occupation afterward? Wasn't that figure also in the six figure range? Of course it was. Who does the American media and the combined US military think they are kidding? One thing is for sure – based on the second half of the above prophecy, America's military victories will soon come to an end. I'm sorry, I realize this will be too much to take for some readers, and I may well be accused by some as a prophet of doom and gloom or worse. But I didn't write the Bible. I'm only the messenger, and the message from this passage of Scripture is simply that the age of the American Empire is coming to an end. In fact, Russia will ultimately mount a calculated counterattack, as it is prophesied in the next verse after that: “For the king of the north will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped.”

This is further chronicled down in verses 25-30, and I quote: “With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the south. The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots against him. Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle. The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time. The king of the north will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country. At the appointed time, he will invade the south again, but this time the outcome will be different than what it was before. Ships of the western coast lands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.”

“The king of the south will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots against him. Those who eat from the king's provisions will try to destroy him; his army will be swept away, and many will fall in battle.” As you can clearly see, the 'king of the south' is the US president at the time all this prophecy is being fulfilled. Whether this is Barack Obama or another US president, presumably the winner of the 2016 election, remains to be seen. That sitting US president, whoever he or she is, will be swept away by political intrigue at the very least, and more likely by massive civil unrest that will result in America's downfall. That, combined with the series of natural disasters spoken of by Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21, among others, will ultimately spell the end of the United States as we have known it. It will end with the defeat of the US military, which can only be accomplished by a preemptive nuclear strike as of this writing. (This spells bad news for big city dwellers like myself. The end of life for myself and others like me will be instant vaporization in an atomic blast. My only consolation will be that I will probably not feel any pain.) But then in the following verse, the two “kings” will make a peace treaty that will be long on form and short on substance. “The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time.” I can only surmise that 'because an end will still come', this could mean to either or both opponents in this conflict that has yet to be fought.

“The king of the north will return to his own country with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant. He will take action against it and then return to his own country.” When the 'king of the north', likely Vladimir Putin, returns home from those future peace negotiations, the phrase 'with great wealth' could very well mean oil and gas deposits as opposed to cash, gold or silver. “But his heart will be set against the holy covenant”, which is symbolic for Israel. Russia will take some kind of action, either military or economic, against Israel as a condition for returning “to his own country”. It will be part of the peace treaty between Russia and the US, when they “sit at the same table and lie to each other”. “At the appointed time, he will invade the south again, but this time the outcome will be different than what it was before. Ships of the western coast lands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.” So, the end of the matter as far as this particular set of prophecies are concerned is that Russia will attack Israel a second time (see the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39), but the Western nations (whether the US as we now know it will be included or not remains to be seen) will counterattack and drive Russia and her allies (Iran, Syria and possibly Iraq) back to their home countries. So, now it is easy to see that there won't be a single war in the Mideast, but there will actually be three wars that will occur within just a couple of years combined. It is reasonable to assume the antichrist will be in power when at least the latter two events occur that I have written about. That's why Jeremiah wrote at the end of the passage of scripture I quoted from, “He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.” The 'kings of the north', Russia, Syria and Iran will make a peace treaty with the antichrist and against Israel. Anything that goes too far beyond this is outside the scope of this article.

So, this is the majority of Biblical prophecies for what is modern-day Russia, excluding the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. As I wrote above, this is also a topic that really should be taught separately, otherwise the Biblical account becomes too convoluted, and potentially confusing to newer believers and those who haven't been taught much about Biblical prophecy (much to the discredit of their own pastors). So this will be the most comfortable place to close this week's message. I cannot overemphasize that we are all commanded to “watch and pray”. Let's all make ourselves busy doing exactly that. Nobody knows what day or hour Christ will return for his Bride. Let us all continue to prepare ourselves accordingly.

This week's Bible study will be 2nd Thessalonians chapter one

Maintaining An Attitude of Thankfulness and Prayer

[2^nd Thessalonians chapter 1]

Today we will begin our study of 2^nd Thessalonians in our ongoing study of the writings of the apostle Paul. Since chapter one is fairly short by Paul's standards, we will be able to cover this quickly and with relative ease before moving on to chapters 2 and 3, where Paul gets into some heavy prophecy regarding the end times in which we are currently living. So with that in mind, let's begin today's study starting at verse 1.

“Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be found worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to those who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed with blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord, and from the majesty of his power, on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at by all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1, verses 1-12, NIV)

“We ought always to thank God for you, ... because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.” OK, let's use the Thessalonian church as a measuring tape for our own faith and love. Is your faith growing most, if not all, of the time? You know, like going to the gym or going jogging, you keep at it and get a little better and stronger each day. Another example is from my own life when I was recovering from a stroke back in 2006. That stroke hit me like a ton of bricks, catching me and all my friends and business associates completely by surprise. But it was the 2 weeks of intensive physical therapy for me in 2 different hospitals that got me on the road to recovery. Had I not done so I'm certain I would be permanently disabled by now, or maybe worse. So, since we exercise our bodies to build them up, or our minds to stay mentally sharp, the same goes for our faith in the salvation of Christ. Or, how about our love for one another, do we exercise that? Do we make our hearts and minds open to compassion and empathy? Do we show love to everyone equally and unconditionally? Although I have no doubt that Paul was referring to the ministry of Jesus Christ, he was very likely thinking about his first letter to the Corinthian church that we studied a few months back, specifically to 1^st Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” that was written so eloquently by the apostle Paul. You may want to go back and re-read that to gain some additional perspective about this.

“Among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring... and as a result you will be found worthy of the Kingdom of God... “. This is a clear reference to the persecution of Christians in the first century AD. During this time the notorious Roman emperor Nero was in power, and his hatred of all things Christian knew no bounds. But those who were martyred will be found worthy of eternal life because they suffered and died at the hands of the Roman Empire, with the full complicity of the Hebrew religious establishment. The very same people who crucified Jesus were the ones who were actively participating in the slaughter of the early Church. That same murderous spirit is alive and well today, and he inhabits the halls of power all over the world like a predator looking for its next meal. Still in all, to me at least, I would gladly die for my faith since Christ died for me, knowing that it would catapult me to one of the higher places in heaven.

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to those who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed with blazing fire with his powerful angels.” Here is where the apostle Paul makes a transition in this 2^nd letter to Thessalonica, going from writing of present-day persecution to warning about payback for those who persecute the church. It doesn't matter how much punishment we endure for our faith, up to and including death itself. God will cut short the lifetimes of those who have cut short the lifetimes of those who believe most fervently, and those who persecute the church will themselves be made miserable by spending the rest of their lives in danger, fear, and wracked with remorse. Revenge is not the business of mankind, that is God's domain and we should let him handle it, knowing that he will address our grievances and right our wrongs, and without any help from ourselves (as if he needed it). The final act of vengeance for Christ and his church will be the overpowering return of Jesus at his second coming, “when the Lord Jesus is revealed with blazing fire”. This is a clear reference to what we now call the 24^th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, the prophesies of Daniel and Zechariah in the Old Testament, as well as prophetic declarations of the Book of Revelation which had not yet been written when Paul wrote this.

In the very next sentence, Paul prophecies again regarding those who refuse to believe in Jesus and walk away from their chance at knowing the Son of God personally, even intimately as I do, when he wrote, “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” Those who choose to forget about God, or who scoff at the cross, will find themselves forgotten about and scoffed at for all eternity by Almighty God. Worse yet, the blood that Jesus shed at the cross for all of us will be – and is – made null and void in their case by their refusal to believe in Jesus, and who back away from a personal relationship with Christ out of pride or vanity, mistakenly thinking that there is no power beyond or higher than themselves. They will be left out in the darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.” Indeed – may God count all of us who believe worthy of his calling, and he surely will. Even if you don't think you're strong enough or lack the resources for whatever reason to fulfill “every act prompted by your faith”, God can enable you to succeed, for “God is able to make you stand”, as the apostle Paul wrote elsewhere. That's the whole point of believing in Jesus, that none of us can do this on our own, and that God's help is essential. But more than that, by making Jesus the Lord of our lives and the ruler and measurement of our faith, we voluntarily step aside and let Jesus assume the controls of our lives as he inhabits our hearts. That, after all, is where real church takes place. Although brick-and-mortar houses of worship are an integral part of Christianity and should not be overlooked, the biggest changes we can make will always be within us because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God's purposes are fulfilled best when left up to Jesus Christ and his consummate leadership. “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in Him.” Just as Paul prayed over the church 2,000 years ago, so it is with myself and all those who read this today. May our dear Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, be glorified in you and you in him so that we may become mirrors for our faith as we reflect Christ to others in our daily living. Until next time, keep that tucked away inside your heart as your ultimate Spiritual defensive weapon to use against Satan and his demons. God always protects us, and he never fails.