Category Archives: 2 Thessalonians

I wonder ….

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I wonderIn 1 Kings 2, Solomon takes vengeance on his father’s enemies. God does not condone or condemn it, He just tells us what happened.  I wonder if the Lord might be giving us a prophetic picture of what is to come when the Lord Jesus ascends to the throne and takes out all the enemies of the kingdom. For example …

1. Abiathar, the priest.

David said he wanted Solomon to be king but that wasn’t the proper protocol. The law of succession said David’s oldest son should be king. Solomon was not the oldest and, in fact, wasn’t even a legitimate son. Abiathar tried to follow the law and keep Solomon from the throne. He only wanted to obey the law but by doing so he was putting it above the expressed will of the king. Abiathar’s life was spared but he lost his priesthood – ability to minister before the Lord.

Will there be those who inherit eternal life but are not permitted to minister to the Lord because they insisted on clinging to the law refusing to embrace grace?  Hmmm … I wonder. Continue reading →

Pain: Evidence God has plans for you

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Trials against blue skies

Individuals that God uses in a special way are often put through deeper and more difficult trials than others.  We see this throughout Scripture.  You cannot name a single individual used greatly by God that did not face fire, opposition, sickness, hardship, persecution and testing.  In fact, you often see a correlation between the depth of their despair and the height to which God uses them after they have been proven by the testing. The deeper the pit the higher the mountaintop to follow. This is counterintuitive to our way of thinking (and, sadly, also counter to much of what today is proclaimed as “gospel”).  Why would a loving God not treat His children better?

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Isn’t God responsible for evil?

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Best of Best

QUESTION:
“If God created the devil and put the tree in the garden to tempt man, isn’t God responsible for the evil in the world?  Furthermore, if God can stop all the evil and doesn’t, isn’t He then doubly guilty?”

ANSWER:
Sounds like a pretty open and shut case against God. This is a tough issue for a short answer but let’s see what we can discover God is guilty of.

When God made man he was faced with a choice.  If He made man incapable of rejecting God, incapable of choosing evil, then man would also be incapable of truly loving God or others. Love can never be forced.  Love demands options.   For man to be capable of truly loving it was essential that man also be able to truly not love and even hate.  Of course, God knew man would choose this selfish route and it would bring great evil into the world.  Then why did God go ahead and make man knowing the problems He would cause? Continue reading →

Best of Times, Worst of Times

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What a glorious day when Jesus returns “to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)

Imagine what it will be like to stand in that sea of believers, surrounded by saints throughout the ages. What will Jesus look like? How will he appear? I can’t imagine how glorious it will be but we will “marvel” at Him. That implies we will stand with mouth open, eyes wide and speechless before our supremely marvelous Savior.

Can you imagine the excitement as those who were martyred for His name look upon Him in His brilliance? I can’t even begin to fathom the joy for those who have run with patience very cruel and hard lives here on this earth and now receive the reward of their suffering – the King Himself. As I look at those around me I’ll realize what a very easy life I have lived, what precious little I sacrificed for Him but I will rejoice with those who now inherit the prize for their obedience.

It will be the best time in all time for those of us who know him. But for those who have rejected him it will be the worst, the most horrific time. Scales of injustice will be brought into balance. The wicked who oppressed the poor will suddenly become the oppressed ones. The abusers will become the abused. The thief will have all taken from him and the murderer will lose his very life and soul.

Justice will finally be accomplished – a glorious time of liberty for the oppressed but a time of grief and agony for the wicked. I long for that day when evil will be crushed, when justice will rise like the dawn and our King will be glorified in the midst of His people. _____________________
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, …

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