Good morning! Have you ever been in a situation where you knew something would occur and you were ready or prepared for it? Then as you got closer to the day or the event you began to panic or take on fears that other people told you about or put into your heart. Over the past two-decades there have been fears ranging from Y2K – to notions that various presidents were/are the anti-Christ – to the apocalypse. Fears misplaced can certainly create unnecessary chaos, anger, and restlessness. Today we will continue our reading in 2nd Thessalonians with Apostle Paul clarifying some things for the believers.

Bible verse – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NLT

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. ² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.  ³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. ⁴ He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.”

Reflection

Apostle Paul was clearly disturbed by the fact that other believers or false teachers had mislead the Thessalonian believers to believe the day of the Lord was here (meaning at that time). The misleading information not only created confusion among the believers, but also frightened the believers into believing they missed the coming of the Lord. The lies were so rampant that letters regarding it were forged – supposedly written by Apostle Paul and/or his followers.

Sisters and brothers, Apostle Paul reminds us not to be easily fooled by those who say the day of the Lord is here, but he did not deny that the day would come. Apostle Paul being a servant leader began to explain when the day would come and what to expect prior to the Lord’s second coming, but also provided the line of hope for the believer “how we will be gathered to meet him“. Today’s verses and others we will read next week help us to understand why Paul was concerned for the Thessalonian believers, but also reassures believers not to worry – our salvation is in Christ Jesus.

Sisters and brothers, as believers we know the Lord is coming back again. We can stand firm in knowing – the Lord wins every time. Victory belongs to Jesus. We are our Father’s children. Therefore, stay focused. Don’t be shaken.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for making a way for us to be with you for all eternity. Thank you for your son Jesus who sacrificed himself for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus for not only taking on the sins of this world, but on the third day you rose from the grave – conquering both sin and death, and reconciling those who believe back to God. Lord, we thank you for saving us. Lord, we believe your word is true. We know that our time here on earth is temporary and while we are here there is kingdom work to be done. Lord, help us not to be paralyzed by fears but to be actively engaged in the things that are concerning to you. Help us to be examples of Christ on earth and be lights in the darkness. Keep us attuned to you and prevent us from being distracted by unnecessary chaos and unsubstantiated fears. Help us to keep our eyes focused on You. Lord, be with the royal family and the UK as the mourn the loss of Prince Phillip. Lord, help others around the world who are grieving today because of a loss of their loved one. Lord, help us to be more compassionate and loving toward one another. I’m Jesus name, amen.

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