DELUDING INFLUENCE Part 5

I believe we have pretty much established who are going to be the "deluded ones", now we will switch our attention to "when" this deluding influence is scheduled to take place (everything is on God's schedule, you know).

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. (Emphasis added)

Well…….that was pretty simple. Paul is reassuring the church at Thessalonica that the rapture hadn't taken place yet……..and they had missed it. However, he establishes two very important FACTS here that were both for the Thessalonian believers and all true believers down through history……right up to today. The first fact is that Paul fully expected them to "not be quickly shaken". This tells me that he was absolutely assured of their real & genuine salvation (as we spoke of in the past 4 posts)……..the enemy (a spirit) doesn't waste his time on those who are not genuinely "born again"! He focuses his attention on those who have the ability to impart the gift of reconciliation to those who need it desperately……..remember, he does not want his kingdom to shrink any further than it already has….and time is getting short for him.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

The second FACT
is probably one of the most important ones for all true believers, especially in today's heightened spiritual climate. He unequivocally establishes that the rapture (gathering together to Him), and, the unmistakable biblical phrase (the day of the Lord) are one in the same……at the same time. In coming to an understanding of how our enemy works it is really easy to see how he has quickly shaken some of us from our composure over this whole issue of the rapture of the church. It really is a classic attack that he has used down through history on believers. It's not "divide & conquer"……..it's "divide & confuse"…….once you have confusion you spend endless hours in debate and argument of your point…….and less and less time in IMPARTING TO THE LOST THE GIFT OF RECONCILLIATION.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

The prophet PAUL has told us that He is not coming back until the apostasy takes place first and the man of sin is revealed! Let's really attempt to stay on target here and truly believe what has been written down here by God's Holy Spirit……..GO AND SHARE THE GIFT THAT HAS BEEN IMPARTED TO YOU………Hmmmm, where have we heard this before?