PITN: Watching the Middle East

     

THE MAN OR MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS.

 The apostle Paul wrote, "Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time. For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way." 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7

The Lord Jesus said, "While I was with them, I kept and preserved them in Your Name in the knowledge and worship of You]. Those You have given Me I guarded and protected, and not one of them has perished or is lost except the son of perdition [Judas Iscariot—the one who is now doomed to destruction, destined to be lost], that the Scripture might be fulfilled." John 17:12 

The apostle John wrote, "Boys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist [he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time." 1 John 2:18

There are many types and foreshadows in scripture, this is most certainly one of them. The man of lawlessness does not necessarily only mean an individual man but also refers to the plural sense, hence Paul's reference also to the mystery or secret of lawlessness. There is always that element of darkness disguised as light, wolves in sheep clothing, satan masquerading as an angel of light. Oh, to learn these lessons now while we can.... the Lord be with you all.

UNFOLDING EVENTS.

As each day comes and goes, we see and hear of events taking place world wide that are pieces of the larger puzzle that are fitting together that will bring us finally to the end of days. Yeshua told us "see to it that we are not troubled or frightened for these things must take place". Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9 Floods, earthquakes, droughts, wars, race against race, nation warring other nations, all these things must be so.

Israel is a key nation in these last days, events taking place there currently are potentially a boiling pot. Certain pressures are being brought to bear on nations that are supportive of Israel, to the point that Israel will become a burden to all peoples round about. See Zechariah 12. Events we may think that are unfolding in the middle east as being just another headache, are in fact details playing out that will bring on some of the final actions before the Messiah returns.

There is an onus upon each of us to be prepared and ready for the days that lie ahead. Yeshua has told us before hand, there is no excuse, we are children of the light. Paul to the Thessalonians tells us the same. 1Thessalonians 5:1-8. If we are being lead by the Spirit, we will not walk in darkness or ignorance, for to be led by the Spirit is to walk in the light and we will then be ready and prepared and not be caught off guard.

Have you considered my closing thoughts from the last post about Judas Iscariot foreshadowing the man of sin? John 6:70-71. Judas, was one of the twelve, he did the things the other apostles did. Perhaps he cast out demons, healed the sick, maybe even raised the dead, yet he was of the evil one. Learn the lesson from this in relation to the man of sin, the falling away, i.e. the apostasy. It is no coincidence then that before the Lord comes and the revealing or manifestation of the man of sin who is also the man of lawlessness takes place, this falling away or apostasy takes place. The one is a part of the other, they are linked together. The falling away, then the revealing of the man of sin and then the Lord comes. Thinks about this.... until next time, the grace of the Lord be with you all.

WHAT DO WE CONSIDER IMPORTANT?

What do we consider important? A good question indeed. Many believers consider that the fundamentals are what are important, things like, Is Jesus the Son of God? Can you be saved by any other, other than Jesus? The list goes on. What about other matters that seemingly are not salvation issues? We will agree to disagree we say. It is true, that certain aspects of our faith ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE. But, does that mean we are free to believe anything else about the faith we want? Our respective denominational groupings mostly tell us what to believe and we hold the teachings we are taught as gospel.

What a sad picture of the true condition of the church. And we love to have it so. I have said in a couple of previous posts that, the time of tribulation will be a time also for sifting of the church. The unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith are fundamental matters that affect ALL of the church. We are not where we think we are as far as these matters of unity go. The true condition of the church is one of great division with the resulting effect of dysfunction. If you hold to a view that tells you, you will be raptured out before this final time of tribulation, you have failed to see what God requires of the church in these last days, in particular, the matters aforementioned and the most weighty matter of Jew and gentile as believers together in the Messiah of God.

Not only will Israel be sifted, but so will the body of believers in the one Messiah. They will be a demonstration of the wisdom of God to principalities and powers. Yeshua is the pattern Son, as the Head of a body that will follow in His steps. Oh dear saints of God, read the scriptures, discern the Spirit and heart of God, cast aside man made doctrines that lead you astray from Him. There is a very difficult time ahead and I am persuaded to believe that the time of the falling away, i.e the apostasy will take place during this time, then the man of sin, the lawless one will be revealed. On this matter of the lawless one, this man of sin, I will leave this thought with you, Judas Iscariot is the foreshadowing of this man of sin, read the scriptures... May the grace of our Lord Yeshua be with you all.

JUST WHAT ARE THE END TIMES ..... CONTINUED.

You may have noticed, this blog is not so much a discussion about the unfolding events from the book of Revelation etc. That can be read from reading the book of Revelation and other prophets. Rather, this is a call to preparation for what lies ahead. I hope that the call to preparation will be clear with no mixed overtones at all. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 : 8, "If the war bugle gives an indistinct sound, who shall prepare himself for war"? 

You will not find a belief in a pre or mid tribulation rapture theory here. The Lord returns  "immediately after the tribulation of those days," (Matthew 24:29), as the Lord Himself declares it. This is not a secret coming. It is not an additional coming. It is His second coming, His return. None of the other writers of scripture contradict this in any measure. Our differing interpretation of these events are the imaginations and misunderstanding of men.

 We need to be pre-pared for these last times dear saints of God. We start by drawing near to God, seeking His face for direction. We need to be watching and being alert, walking accordingly.

 This will be a time when the Spirit of God will sift through the lies and deceits of false teaching we subscribe to. It will be a time of undoing and exposing of our trust in the arm of the flesh. Our religious programs will not help us here. We will experience true fellowship as it was intended from the onset of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. These are but a few of the actual things that will take place during the great tribulation period. Already, this process of preparation is beginning to take place.

God has afforded us the opportunity to repent of our reliance on our own strength and religious knowledge, but we have been obstinate and rebelled all the more. He will then force us into it through the fire where we come out the other side with no pretense. The Lord Jesus comes for a people who are made spotless and without blemish or any such thing. A people made ready for Him at His return. 

While it is true that we are not appointed to experience the wrath of God, we will be kept safe from that, we will however, experience the devil's anger and God's discipline during this time of final tribulation of suffering. Much more can be said of this, this is sufficient for now, discern the heart of God, he allows this because He loves us so greatly. Read the whole of Hebrews 12.

Be strong and of good courage, our Father loves each one and He has covenanted Himself to us. His heart is purposed to do good towards us. May the grace of our God be with you all, until next time.

JUST WHAT ARE THE END TIMES?

What do the end times actually mean? The terms end times, last days, end of days, are all descriptions of a period of time that will culminate in the end of this age. Are we living in the end times? Absolutely, we are. We have been living in the last days since the time that the Lord Jesus was manifested in the flesh.  John 1 v 14 says, the "Word became flesh ..." Christ came and took up residence amongst humanity. When He came and was born as a babe, it marked the beginning of the last days. "God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets, but now in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son"... Hebrews 1:1-2

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached the gospel, saying, But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  For these men are not, as you suppose, drunk, since it is only the third hour of the day.  But this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:  ‘And it will be in the last days,’ declares God, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Even on my male servants and on my female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.  And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky vapor. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Acts 2:14-21.

From these scriptures, we can see that the last days began when Christ came in the flesh and will continue until the Last of the last days.The last days have always been a period of time from the time of the first coming of Messiah. But, we are most certainly living at the tail end of the last days prior to the 1000 year reign of Messiah on this earth. The time of great tribulation lies ahead, this is a call for the faith and patience of the saints. Draw closer to the Lord each and everyone, until next time, may the grace of God be with you.

THE END DRAWS NEARER..

The end of all things draws nearer than when we first believed. As each passing day goes by, the days become weeks, weeks become months and months become years. We wonder where have the years gone. This year, 2012, has come and is just about gone. Faster than we can recall. All the while, events are taking place that are fitting all the pieces together for the culmination of the end of all things. Scoffers and mockers have been a round for a long time. "Where is the promise of His coming", they say. What does not help is when so called "Christians" put dates to the Lord's return and say He is coming at this or that time and still the Lord Jesus has not returned. See 2 Peter 3.

The outcome of the US presidential elections will be an important factor in these last days. Whoever is chosen will make decisions that will have far reaching effects on the entire world. The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. Proverbs 16:33. Events are being set in place right now even as you may read this that are going to have consequences worldwide. Natural catastrophic events, even political events that can and do prove the undoing of a nation, will take place on greater scale. 

The year 2013 will bring greater challenges and events that will bring us even closer to that final time of tribulation where the devil is cast down and out of the heavens to the earth where he knows he has but a short time. Read Revelation 12. Take heart dear saints, God has His love set on us.... until next time, may the grace of the Lord be with you all.