Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has 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 himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
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 till 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 with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish 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 Thes 2:1-12
Tm Keller explained this really well, sharing that we should be looking - not for a man, but an attitude. The center of the temple of God contains the mercy seat, a place of sacrifice. It's were God reveals the gospel. At the mercy seat and the Cross of Jesus Christ, God says - "my life for yours." When a mother lays down her life for a child to care for the child she says "my life for yours." Everything good in this world comes from people saying "my life for yours" to other people saying the same. It's what Charlie Kirk advocated for. Romans 12, In view of God's mercy, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice - your spiritual act of worship. Then you will know the will of God for your life.
The Spirit of Lawlessness is "without law" - its cannibalism, it's genocide, it's hell on earth. It says "your life for mine."
The breath of God and splendor of his coming. We believe the truth, I'm prone to foster iniquity in my life. I get tired and want to relax, be alone in "the secret power of lawlessness" - my true self is a distorted shell of my ideal self. My life for yours feels over whelming when we keep score and shows up in an attitude towards Jesus, "didn't I do all these things." and Jesus says, "away from me your workers of iniquity, I never knew you"
The Spirit of the Law, the breath of resurrection and the glory of God, when embraced is cause for joy and peace, fulfillment. Life to the full! Resting after a honest days work is best with a sober mind.
Great start to Alpha this week at Teen Challenge we enjoyed the new film series that includes pause-and-share moments during the video. My friend Jeff from Alpha USA said this was requested from the prison ministries. Jeff shared that Alpha has strong partnerships with various ministries and expanding to Latin America. Keep praying, "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
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