Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I am not a Biblical scholar. All my posts and comments are opinions and thoughts formulated through my current understanding of the Bible. I strive to speak of things that can be validated through Biblical Scriptures, and when I'm merely speculating, I make sure to note it. My views can be flawed, and I thus welcome any constructive perspectives and criticisms!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Acts 18:23-21:15

Notes compiled from my BSF group


2 Thessalonians
Acts 18:23–28


During Paul's 3rd missionary journey, Paul traveled throughout Galatia and Phrygia and strengthened all the disciples (Acts 18:23)


Before Aquila and Priscilla helped Apollo, Apollo was a learned man who thoroughly knew the Scriptures. He was brought up in the way of the Lord and taught about Jesus accurately, passionately, and publicly (Acts 18:24-26).


Priscilla and Aquila invited Apollo to their home and explained the way of God more adequately. After this encounter, Apollo was compelled to go to Achaia and was encouraged by his fellow brothers.




1 Corinthians 1:1–12; 3:4–6; 16:12


The good results from Apollos' ministry in Corinth is...
- The Corinthians are enriched in every way, in their speaking and in their knowledge (1 Corinthians 1:5)
- They do not lack any spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:6)


However, Apollos' ministry also resulted in...
- Divisions in the Church (1 Corinthians 1:12)
- The Corinthians became worldly (1 Corinthians 3:3). This means these people were very focused on the materialistic things of their life. Instead of being focused on living for God, they worried about earthly things like money, power, and status.


Apollo was frustrated enough with this outcome that he was reluctant to go to them again. However, the other apostles encouraged Apollo to go again, and Paul also urged the Corinthians to see the fallacy of the divisions and their worldliness.




Acts 19


The disciples mentioned here had not yet received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2).


Paul taught boldly in Ephesus. However, some were stubborn and refused to receive Christ. Paul then left them and went instead to preach to the Jews and Greeks who lived in Asia. During this time, God worked many miracles through Paul, healing the sick and performing exorcism. When people of Ephesus saw the power of Jesus had over evil spirits, they openly confessed their sins, turned away from their old life style, refused to worship man-made idols, and accepted Christ. The Word of God thereafter spread widely and grew in power (Acts 8-20).


This passage (Acts 19:14-16) tells us many things:


1. Even demonic spirits KNOW and FEAR Jesus! If we can become over-powered by demonic spirits, we can only imagine the greater power that rests in Jesus. Furthermore, if demonic spirits fear Jesus, how could we not come to know Jesus and be confident that with Him, we will always be safe!


2. The ONLY being who has the power to drive out demons is Jesus. This is why when Paul is driving out evil spirits from people who were demon-possessed, Paul always said, “In the name of Jesus, I command you to come out.” When we are strong in our faith, we know that all we need to do is call on the name of the Lord, and we will be saved (Romans 10:13). We would be foolish to think we have any power without God. As this passage shows, if we try to take on demonic spirits without Jesus, we only get ourselves into deeper trouble. Demons do not fear us. Demons fear Jesus. Demons therefore fear us when we have the power of Jesus residing within us.


True repentance means 1) we truly understand we are sinners, 2) only Jesus can save us from our sins, 3) when we truly accept Christ to save us from our sins, we cannot go on living the sinful life that we’ve been living; we must TURN AWAY from those things.


Like the people of Ephesus did, when they repented, they stopped doing the things that were sinful, such as stopping idol worship. Every person sins. It may not be idol worship. It may be money worship. It may be power worship. It might be social status worship. It may even be self-worship, which comes in the form of pride. Whatever we hold higher than Jesus, that is our biggest sin. We are to worship no one but Jesus. True repentance returns our WHOLE heart to Jesus.


Acts 19:23–41
John 19:10–11
Acts 16:37–39
Romans 13:1–7
There is order in life. God’s order. Even when we meet resistance from authorities, we are to behave in a Christian manner and find peaceful ways to resolve the issue. There is no authority that did not come from God. Even when it is run corrupted by man, we need to remember that ultimately, the authority placed in man's hands comes from God. The corrupted person running it may not deserve respect, but we still need to respect God's authority. Therefore, when we run into trouble with social authorities, we should not take matters into our own hands but turn to God with our prayers. God will always save us in the end, as illustrated here in Acts (which not only resulted in Paul and his companions being released from prison but also led the prison guard and his family turn to Christ).


Another idea here is that God uses EVERY situation to His advantage. Just as God can use His enemies for good, God can also use unfortunate events to redeem His people.


Read also the Book of Esther. I think this is a beautiful picture of how God uses civil authority to accomplish His purpose for the world, nations, and individuals.


My notes on Esther is here:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/12/esther.html




Acts 20:1–12


Paul knew about the plot the Jews had made against him, so Paul decided to stay in Macedonia and travel through Greece instead of setting off for Syria (Acts 20:3).


Eutychus fell asleep and fell out of the window from the 3rd floor when Paul was speaking to the believers at Troas and was found dead after his fall (Acts 20:9).


Paul then immediately ran down and raised Eutychus from the dead in the name of Jesus.


We learn several things from this passage:


1. When we study the Word of God, we should let the Word of God fill our heart and mind.


2. The power of Jesus is GREAT. Paul was able to raise Eutychus from the dead because of Paul's faith in Jesus. This was a miracle of God that Paul was able to perform because Paul performed it in the name of Jesus. When we have deep faith in Jesus like Paul, we, too, can perform miracles like Paul did in time of need. This miracle helped turn many people to Jesus. For example, before this miracle, people were falling asleep during Paul’s sermons. This suggests people listened, but they didn’t really believe or understand. This is why the miracle was necessary. When the people witnessed the power of God with their own eyes, they immediately turned to the Lord.




Acts 20:17–21:15


Paul ran into many hardships during his ministry:
- Severely tested by the plots of Jews
- Warned by the Holy Spirit that prison and hardships face him
- Warned by Agabus that the Jews will imprison Paul and hand him over to the Gentiles


The following verses in Paul’s farewell speech are particularly meaningful to me:
- However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Act 20:24)
- Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God (Acts 20:26-27)
- Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:30-31)


These phrases tell me the following things:


1. Paul is one of the best examples of how we should live as Christians, as disciples of Jesus. Our goal in this life, on this Earth, is not to gain riches or power but to preach the Gospel and help bring as many souls to God as we can. If we do not have this as the one and only focus in our lives, then we do not truly understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Our lives have no meaning without Jesus. And with Jesus, our lives need to be devoted to accomplishing the will of God. Not our own selfish will. The Will of God.


2. Paul always told people about the Gospel of God, and shared his knowledge with those around him. He never did it half-heartedly or thought, “Oh, this would get me in trouble, so I’d better not talk about it.” This is why he could say, “I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” We learn here that a) Paul never hesitated. If he knows you haven’t heard the Word of God, he will not hesitate to share it with you. Furthermore, b) Paul told the WHOLE will of God. He didn’t just tell people bits and pieces that he liked the best. He shared EVERYTHING he knew with EVERYONE. This was how Paul lived as a disciple of Christ. He was so focused on spreading the Word, he preached to everyone, people he’d meet on the street, people he’d meet in prison. To Him, death was not a concern. Not being able to spread the Word to as many people as he could was the ONLY concern he had. And so, anywhere, any time, Paul is always spreading the word. And not just parts of the Word. The WHOLE Word.


3. We need to keep our faith tight. Paul warned us that even those close to us could cause us to fall. If we do not take care to keep our faith righteousness, sin will seep back in and cause us to fall away from the Way. This is why we need to be on our guard. We need to make sure we never fall away from the Way. This is why it is always smart to have a few strong Christian friends, because when we are weak, they can strengthen us. Satan is a scary opponent. We are stronger together against him, and we should therefore gather together to fight against him.


Paul is a very strong believer. It is incredible to see how far he has come. He was once an over-zealous and religious Pharisee who murdered Christians. Jesus, however, opened his eyes and cleansed him of his sins, and he was changed from then on. And from then on, we can see how he devoted his entire life to spreading the Gospel of God. He saw how deprived he was before he became a Christian and truly understood how such a life was meaningless. He truly know that life without Jesus is meaningless because he was once there! Once he knew that, Paul never stopped preaching the Word. Even with his last dying breath, he still preached. Hundreds and thousands and millions of lives have been saved because of Paul. Paul showed us how we have nothing to fear, not even death, when we are focused on doing the will of God. Paul lived such a fearless life. He’s a great role model for me, and this is why I pray always to have the opportunity to tell people about Christ. I, too, want to be like Paul, never stop bringing the Gospel to people.


Souls need to be saved. At the end of this battle between God and Satan, souls would either belong to God or stolen by Satan. Right now, there are a lot of lost souls that are in danger of being stolen by Satan. There are so many lost souls around us. Walk outside, and all we see are lost souls! We should bring the Good News of the Gospel to these people whenever we can. Obviously, we can’t just go up to strangers and start talking to them about God. People nowadays are so against such interactions, they don’t even listen before they assume we’re crazy. I think the best thing for us to do is to pray for the opportunity. This is what I do when I pray at night. I always pray for God to give me the opportunity to share His Word with the people around me. So far, I’ve talked to several people at work, and I can see how they are beginning to think about the Word. It's just amazing how God provides the opportunity, and it's even more amazing how saying the right things at the right time by the will of God changes things. However, change doesn’t happen overnight and takes a LOT of THINKING. I see the changes in the people I've talked to, and I now pray, thanking God for giving me that opportunity to share God’s Wisdom with them. I also now pray that God will work their heart and open their eyes so that they can make the choice to return to God. None of this is easy, but I just pray that I can be a support for these people. Sharing the Word with people doesn’t mean getting into people’s faces and start yapping away non-stop, shoving Scriptures down their throats. Sharing the Word with people means love. It means care. We therefore need to pray for guidance and the opportunity and go out with a loving heart, a heart that wants to prevent more souls from falling into the traps of Satan, as opposed to a heart that evangelizes with harsh rebuke.

Matthew 25: Are we ready for His party?


Notes and thoughts from Bible Study with Pastor Terry Gray

Matthew 25
Parable of the 10 Virgins

To understand this parable, we need to first familiarize ourselves with the Jewish Wedding.

The Jewish Wedding has 3 phases:

Phase 1: Formal Engagement
Parents of the groom and bride meet and discuss the marriage arrangement. If everyone is in agreement, a contract would be signed. A dowry from the groom's family would be given to the bride. From this moment on, the couple would be formally engaged.

Phase 2: Betrothal Period
The couple at this stage is viewed as legally married, though they are not living together. Hence, the marriage has not been consummated. The only way to break this bond is through a legal divorce. During this period, the groom would be out preparing a place for his bride, getting everything ready (financially, etc) for him and his bride. The bride would be learning how to be a wife and mother back in her home. Since the groom will come for the bride only when all the preparations are completed, the specific length of time during this period is often unknown.

Phase 3: Wedding Banquet
The groom announces everything is ready. He sends notice to his bride that he's ready to receive her in the home he's built for them. There is no set time when the groom would show up at the bride's place, but everyone would be on the lookout, because they know he's coming and could arrive at any time. The groom would be accompanied by his groomsmen and musicians, and when they arrive at the bride's place, they would have a private wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the bride and groom would leave the bride's place and parade back to his house. One of the people they'd pick up on the way would be the bridesmaids. The 10 virgins in this parable are these bridesmaids. Once the parade returns to the groom's house, a huge wedding feast would begin and last for a week of celebration. The bride and groom then begin their lives as one after that week of celebration.

In the Parable of the 10 Virgins, we see that it takes place in the 3rd phase of the wedding process. The groom is coming, and the bridesmaids are getting ready. Five of them are foolish and five are wise. The foolish five don't have enough oil for their lamps, but the wise five do. At midnight, the groom arrives, and the lamps of the foolish five go out. By the time the foolish five buy enough oil for their lamps, they've missed the parade. When they show up at the groom's house, the door has been shut. They knock on the door, and the groom said, I do not know you (a phrase of judgment). And so, only the five wise virgins who were prepared made it to the party. The five foolish virgins were not prepared and missed the whole thing.

What does it all mean?

Let's look at the symbolisms:

Groom = Christ, who has been preparing a place for us in Heaven and will come for us once the place is prepared (John 14:2-3)

Virgins = the Church, the bride of Christ

Oil = Holy Spirit, both anoints

Lamp = Good works


From this parable, we can come to the following realizations:

1. For 2000 years (since the birth of the Church in Acts 2), Jesus has been betrothed to the church! Jesus is now preparing a place for the Church in Heaven and will one day return for us!

2. Not all those who "claim" to be a Christian will be saved.

Take a moment and think about that.

This is a statement that rubs many Christians the wrong way. The first thing they say is, and who are you to judge?

So, let's just take a moment here and breathe.

First, I don't judge. God is the ONLY righteous Judge, and ONLY He judges.

Second, the only people who know whether I am a true Christian are God and me. That's it. Just like the only people who know whether you're a true Christian are God and you. And yep, that's it.

Hence, lastly, this parable isn't about judging others. This parable is about reflection. Am I a true Christian? Am I going to be saved?

To clarify, when I say "true" Christians, I'm referring to Christians like the wise five. Let's look at what they did to make it to the wedding:

1. They proclaimed their loyalty to the groom
2. They remained vigilant in their lookout for the coming of the groom: They kept the oil full, and they trimmed the wick of their lamps to ensure they would stay lit.

Let's look at what the foolish five did to miss the wedding:
1. They, too, proclaimed their loyalty to the groom
2. They weren't too good about staying on the lookout though. They kind of did it, but when they got tired, they got lazy. They didn't bother to make sure they have enough oil, and they weren't very diligent about trimming the wick of their lamps either.

What is all this saying?

Simply put, it is easy for anyone to proclaim their loyalty to Jesus. How hard is it to say, "I am a Christian." Not very. Even hardcore atheists can say it.

Obviously, "just saying" it is not enough. This parable is only further proof of that.

Jesus wants our heart. Action without heart is still no heart.

In the Book of Romans, Paul referred to a group of Jews, who back in those days, placed a lot of emphasis on circumcision. Anyone who was not circumcised were deemed unworthy of God. (Basically, circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites -- See Leviticus 12:3). And what did Paul say to them?

"A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God" (Romans 2:28-29).

Jesus spent a large chunk of time telling the Pharisees the same things as well. It is not about following the rules perfectly or doing certain rituals on certain days. It is about having our heart belong to Jesus.

And as illustrated by the 10 virgins here, it is not enough to just proclaim our decision to follow Christ. Once we proclaim it, we then must work diligently to set our heart on Christ. We need to constantly be refreshed by the Holy Spirit and trim away our sinful acts so that the light of Jesus can shine brightly through us. 

"Faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26).

Our deeds are proof of our salvation. When the light of Jesus shines brightly through us, we bear the fruit of His testimony. When we are not diligent in keeping our heart with Christ, the light dims and goes out in us. We then lose our way and no longer live a Christian life.


When I posted my notes on a similar subject before (see link below), there was a bit of a discussion about whether a person can "lose" his/her salvation.


Here's my notes on a sermon by Pastor Mark on the same subject:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/02/jesus-kingdom-is-party.html


I hope this does not turn into a semantics debate, so let's not get boggled down with what "lose" really means but focus on what Jesus is saying.


When the foolish five knocked on the door, the groom said, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." And after telling this parable, Jesus warned the disciples, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."


This parable is meant as a lesson. We are all pictured as the 10 virgins here, and Jesus is warning us, do not be like the foolish five but be like the wise five who diligently kept watch. For if we become lazy like the foolish five and go knocking on Jesus' door, He will look at us and say, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you."


This statement cannot be more clear. It is a judgment sentence. It is Jesus telling us we will not be let through the gates of Heaven if He does not know us.


Now, back to the ability to "lose" salvation.


I say there is a semantics debate going on here because people would argue that we cannot lose salvation, because we cannot lose what does not belong to us in the first place.


There is definitely some truth to that.


Salvation is not ours to give or to earn. Salvation is a gift from God through the death of Jesus Christ. Because of sin, we were separated from God. And because we are sinners, nothing we do can ever reach perfection. In order to declare us righteous again, we need the blood of a perfect human to wash us of our sins. This is why God had to sacrifice His perfect Son on the cross. God sacrificed Jesus for us to do what we can never accomplish.


Furthermore, this gift of Salvation is given to ALL. Jesus did not die just for the Israelites. He did not not just for the rich. He did not die just for the powerful. He died for EVERYONE.


This is why people would say we cannot lose our salvation, because it is not ours to give. It is given by God, and it is ALWAYS available through Jesus.


But here's the thing, just because Salvation is out there freely for us to take it, WE STILL MUST BE THE ONES TO TAKE IT. IT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY SAVED!


And I believe this is the point that both Pastor Gray and Pastor Driscoll are getting at. I can say I am a Christian, I can say I have received Jesus and Salvation all I want, but if my heart does not truly belong to Jesus, then my actions would reflect that, and I would be like one of the foolish five. I would be lazy about my duties, and I would not be truly looking out for the return of Jesus. (If I don't have love for my husband, why would I care when he comes home? Why would I care to prepare dinner to welcome him home with? Similarly, if I have no love for Jesus, why would I care for His return? When I "trim the wick," so to speak, it would be more of me going through the motions than me truly caring about Jesus!) I will then have the door shut in my face, with Jesus telling me that He does not know me.


The focus here really shouldn't be about whether we can lose salvation. Because, clearly, even if we cannot lose our salvation, Jesus has stated very clearly that He can still shut the door in our face. So, I would argue that the focus here should be about whether Jesus KNOWS us.


What does that mean anyway?


God knows the name of EVERY star in Heaven (Isaiah 40:26). Do we naively think He doesn't know every one of our names? Of course, He does. Then what does it mean when Jesus said, "I do not know you"? It certainly doesn't mean He doesn't know our names or who we are. Oh, trust me, He knows every one of us, and He knows our true nature better than ourselves. Therefore, when Jesus says He does not know us, He means He KNOWS our heart does not belong to Him.


When that judgment is pronounced, be clear about what it means: Salvation is STILL out there freely for anyone to grab it, but we just never grabbed it. Fine, we can't "lose" salvation. Then, we just never CHOSE TO RECEIVE it.


I hope I'm being clear. Salvation is freely available. It may not be ours to lose, but we must still make the choice to grab it. We must still ACT to RECEIVE it.


Also, be clear that we do not have an eternity to make this choice. What does it mean to be standing at the gates of Heaven? It means we've DIED a physical death. It means, when we physically die and go knocking on Jesus' door, our time to make that choice ENDS. It means, at that point, Salvation is still freely available to those STILL LIVING, but it is no longer an option for those knocking on Jesus' door.


Hence, for people who get caught up with semantic debates about the ability to "lose" salvation, I eagerly urge you to get over these intellectual exercises. Focus on what matters the most: Get our heart in line with Jesus. Make sure Jesus KNOWS us.


The parable of the 10 virgins also alludes to the Rapture.


The Wedding Party, aka, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, is thought to take place during the same period as the Tribulation. Simply put, the Tribulation is God's judgment on Earth. Since God does not judge the righteous, He will remove His people prior to the Tribulation (Rapture). And during the 7 years of Tribulation on Earth, God's people will be feasting in Heaven, joining Jesus for the biggest Wedding Party ever.


Let me back up here and walk us through this.

Those who have followed my posts for a while now probably have figured out that I support the pre-Tribulation Rapture theory.

Those of you who are unfamiliar with this topic, allow me to briefly clarify.

1. There is an intense debate in the theology field about whether or not there is a rapture. The Rapture is an event when Jesus comes back for His Church and removes them from Earth so that they would escape God's judgment on Earth during a 7-year period known as the Tribulation. I would therefore argue that if you don't believe in the Rapture, you wouldn't even think to be on the lookout for Christ. And if you aren't on the lookout for Christ, you wouldn't even know there's a wedding party.

2. For those who do believe in the Rapture, there is also an intense debate about when it would occur. It could occur either before, during, or after the Tribulation. If you read and understand the Bible, all evidence point to the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation. I'll just raise one obvious evidence: The Tribulation is called a time of Jacob's Trouble. The Tribulation is God's judgment on the Israelites, not the Church. God has never pronounced judgment on the righteous and has shown He removes the righteous from His wrath (Remember Abraham's plee for Sodom and Gomorrah? Remember how God saved Rahab the prostitute?). Since the Church is declared righteous through Jesus Christ, it points to the removal of the Church (Rapture) BEFORE the Tribulation.
If you don't know which view to take, STUDY THE BIBLE. Don't just take other people's words for it. Whether you believe one view versus another won't affect your salvation. The key is, if you're not on the lookout for the return of Christ, it would determine whether you make it to the wedding party.

Which bring us back to the topic at hand: the Great Wedding Banquet, aka, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.

At the end of this parable, Jesus said, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour" (Matthew 25:13).

Clearly, Jesus is telling us that if we are not on the lookout, and if we are not diligently keeping our heart in line with Jesus, we will miss His coming.

In Matthew 24, Jesus told us the signs of the end of days. When we see those signs, we would know that the return of Jesus is rapidly approaching. We do not know the exact day or hour, but we do know the season and should therefore be on the lookout.

Right before God's judgement on Earth, Jesus will therefore come back for His Church. For the next 7 years, while the Earth receives God's judgment during the Tribulation, Jesus and His Church will be at the Great Wedding Banquet in Heaven. Just like the Jewish wedding, where the party lasts for a week of 7 days, so too will the Great Wedding Banquet last for a week fo 7 years (exactly the same number of years as the Tribulation).

After the 7 years of celebration or decimation (depending on where you are), Jesus and His Church return to Earth and set up His kingdom on Jerusalem and reigns for 1000 years. The wedding supper of the lamb is like the inauguration of King Jesus that kicks off His millennial reign.


Note that if we miss the Rapture, it doesn't mean we've lost our chance to receive Salvation. Again, we only lose that chance when we're physically dead. As long as we're still alive, then we still have that chance as we go into the Tribulation. But, note that the Antichrist will come on the scene during that period, and he will not make it easy for Christians. Most, if not all, Christians who stand firm during that period will die as martyrs, for Revelation 14:14-20 tells us that the blood of the martyrs will rise as high as the horses' bridles for miles and miles and miles.


My take on this? It's not about escaping wrath or calculating when's the best time to receive Salvation. For me, it's all about belonging to Jesus. As long as my heart is in the right place, Jesus will protect me from Satan's deceptions and God's Wrath.


There are those who think that, "Oh, when the Rapture occurs, I'll then make that choice to belong to Jesus," as if things will be that simple and easy! I won't dwell on the fallacy of such a mindset here, but I'll point you to my past post that deals with some of those ideas:
http://aletheia-seekers.blogspot.com/2011/07/misunderstandings-about-rapture.html


Jesus taught us to be diligent and vigilant. It isn't just because we know not the day nor the hour of His return. It is also because during this time Satan will work his deceptions in the world, which may very well pull us away if we are not careful in keeping our oil full and trimming our lamps' wicks.


Jesus also taught us that it isn't enough to just say, "I want to follow you, Jesus!" Our heart needs to truly belong to Jesus. (Circumcision of the HEART!) If we don't know whether we are ready for His party, the answer is probably we're not.


So let us be refreshed with the Holy Spirit, re-establish our one-on-one relationship with God, trim away our sinful ways, and let the light of Jesus shine through us. The brighter we shine, the surer we can be that we're ready for His party!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

2 Thessalonians


Notes compiled from my BSF group


2 Thessalonians 1


Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians for their faith grew, and the love all of them had for one another increased (2 Thessalonians 1:3).


In discussing the return of Christ to Earth, Paul discusses the return of Christ to Earth (2 Thessalonians 1:5–10).


Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels (2 Thessaloniasn 1:7). He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:8).


The believers will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5). He will give relieve to those who are troubled (2 Thessalonians 1:7). He will be glorified in His holy people and be marveled at among all those who have believed (2 Thessalonians 1:10).


Jesus will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:8). They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thessalonians 1:9).


Paul prays for the Thessalonians that God may make them worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition their every desire for goodness and their every deed prompted by faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11).




2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
Revelation 13:6–13


Paul speaks about the occurrence of the rebellion and the revealing of the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3).


Matthew 24 tells us the signs of events that would take place before Christ return to earth:


- Many false teachers and false prophets would come claiming to be the Messiah (Matthew 24:5, 11)


- There will be wars of wars; nations and kingdoms will rise against each other (Matthew 24:6-7)


- Christians will be persecuted and be hated by all because of our faith in Jesus (Matthew 24:10)


- However, he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13)


- The Gospel will be preached in the whole world (Matthew 24:14)


- The abomination that causes desolation would be revealed (Matthew 24:15, Revelation 13:6-13)


About the man of lawlessness:


- He is doomed to destruction (2 Thessalonians 2:3).


- 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 (2 Thessalonians 2:4).


- He will be revealed when the Holy Spirit is removed from the world (2 Thessalonians 2:7)


- He will be overthrown by Jesus with the breath of His mouth and be destroyed by the splendor of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)


- He will work in accordance with Satan, displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9)


- He is the antichrist, the beast that comes out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-8)


I think we should pay full attention to what is being said here.


For me, the point that jumps out is the massive deception displayed by the Anti-Christ and Satan. They will come, claiming they are God. And people will believe them because the Anti-Christ and Satan will come showing miracles, signs, and wonders! And those who would believe these false events are those who are “perishing”. And they are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10)!


Do you know what this is saying?


This is saying, PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE TRUTH, PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO LOVE THE TRUTH WILL BE DECEIVED BY SATAN. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH WILL END UP FOLLOWING SATAN BECAUSE THEY WON’T KNOW THEY ARE DECEIVED!! And so, “all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:12)


This is why Jesus told us to be aware of false teacher and prophets. He warned us against being deceived. And the ONLY way we can prevent ourselves from believing LIES is to KNOW THE TRUTH. We therefore need to study the Bible and use our understanding of the Bible to discern what is true from what is a deception.


Satan is very dangerous because he is brilliantly deceptive. We will fail if we are going up against him on our own. We therefore need Jesus, and Jesus will help us see through his deceptions.


The unbelievers will be deluded to believe a lie because they will refuse to love the truth and be saved. God will therefore send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).


God has given men over to their depraved minds when they refused to retain the knowledge of God in the past (Matthew 7:13–14, Romans 1:25–32). The people then became filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They were gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invented ways of doing evil. They disobeyed their parents. They had no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.


Very similar characteristics to what we observe in our society today.


The ONLY way we can prevent ourselves from believing LIES is to KNOW THE TRUTH. We therefore need to study the Bible and use our understanding of the Bible to discern what is true from what is a deception.


Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Satan is very dangerous because he is brilliantly deceptive. We will fail if we are going up against him on our own. We therefore need Jesus, and Jesus will help us see through his deceptions.


The reason why Jesus is the answer because we are saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We should thus stand firm and hold to the teachings of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and remember that God loves us and is always there to give us eternal encouragement, hope, and strength (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)!




2 Thessalonians 2:13–17


- God the Father loved us and chose us as first fruits to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:13).


- God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (2 Thessalonians 2:13).


- Our responsibility is to believe in the truth by standing firm and holding fast to the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15).


Knowing the Truth is very important. It not only allows us to get to know God, but it also keeps us safe from the deceptive powers of Satan. By knowing the Truth, we will gain the ability to DISCERN. Jesus has emphasized this again and again. We need to be able to DISCERN good from evil. Well, how can we do that if we don’t know the Truth? Hence, knowing the truth is SUPER important. It helps us see clearly, and it helps us fight against the evilness of Satan.


In regards to “share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14), believers will become Kings and Priests (like our Lord Jesus Christ) when Jesus comes back (the second coming) to set up His kingdom. As Jesus conquered death, we (believers) will also share in His glory by receiving eternal life (which was made available to us by the blood of Jesus Christ).


May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).


We should remember that God has ALWAYS kept His promises. This is why we can trust Him and KNOW that He will protect us. There is no doubt for me at all, because I know God has always delivered those who are in Him. Walk in Him and we will prosper in Him. Read the Bible and understand the historical events. No one has ever failed when they placed their trust in the Lord. Remember the success of Moses, of Joshua, of the apostles! And then, look at Satan. His doomed destruction is already written in ink. Such a powerful being as Satan, and he will still be destroyed with just a breath of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:8)! 


We are not nearly as powerful as Satan… so imagine what would happen to us if we stood with Satan!


Like I’ve emphasized before: We have ONLY 2 choices. Stand with Jesus or stand with Satan. The choice is really easy. Please make the right choice.




2 Thessalonians 3


- Pray that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1).


- Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people (2 Thessalonians 3:2).


- May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5).


We learn from 2 Thessalonians that those who cannot see the truth are those who are being deceived by Satan. I therefore pray for loved ones every day, and I pray multiple times during a day, that God helps them be cleared of Satan’s deceptions. Satan’s deceptions are leading them away from God, and I pray diligently for God to lift that deception and to help them SEE.


Both 1 and 2 Thessalonians discussed the return of Christ (the second coming). However, 2 Thessalonians also talked about the "man of lawlessness" (i.e., the Antichrist). This is not found in 1 Thessalonians.


Zondervan NIV Introduction to 2 Thessalonians


Author, Date and Place of Writing
Paul's authorship of 2 Thessalonians has been questioned more often than that of 1 Thessalonians, in spite of the fact that it has more support from early Christian writers. Objections are based on internal factors rather than on the adequacy of the statements of the church fathers. It is thought that there are differences in the vocabulary (ten words not used elsewhere), in the style (it is said to be unexpectedly formal) and in the eschatology (the doctrine of the "man of lawlessness" is not taught elsewhere). However, such arguments have not convinced current interpreters. A majority still hold to Paul's authorship of 2 Thessalonians. Because of its similarity to 1 Thessalonians, it must have been written not long after the first letter - perhaps about six months. The situation in the church seems to have been much the same. Paul probably penned it (see 1:1, 3:17) c. a.D. 51 or 52 in Corinth, after Silas and Timothy had returned from delivering 1 Thessalonians.


Purpose
Inasmuch as the situation in the Thessalonian church has not changed substantially, Paul's purpose in writing is very much the same as in his first letter to them. He writes (1) to encourage persecuted believers (1:4-10), (2) to correct a misunderstanding concerning the Lord's return (2:1-12) and (3) to exhort the Thessalonians to be steadfast and to work for a living (2:13-3:15).


Theme
Like 1 Thessalonians, this letter deals extensively with eschatology (see Introduction to 1 Thessalonians: Theme). In fact, in 2 Thessalonians 18 out of 47 verses deal with this subject.


Friday, December 23, 2011

How to Seek the Truth


Bible Study with Dr. Chuck Missler


The biggest obstacle to seeking the truth is to believe we already have it. When we are convinced that we "already know," our minds are thus shut off to hear anything that would contradict it.


Where's the problem in that?


Well, when we truly know the truth, that can seem to be fine. I know what I know is the truth, so why should I have to listen to the falsehoods coming out of other people's mouths? The problem with this is selfishness. If you do know the truth, and this other person doesn't and is fighting you on it, would it not be more loving if you could guide him to the truth?


Alternatively, if we don't actually know the truth, but we think we do, then we're in a pretty dangerous predicament, aren't we? We stop listening because we think we're right, and so we become our own biggest obstacles to realizing the truth!



Jesus opened and closed His sermons by warning us not to be deceived. How do we make sure we're not deceived?



1. Always LISTEN. Stop judging.


2. Test EVERYTHING. The Truth will stand any test. If we think we know the truth, then we should not be afraid to test the validity of that truth. Often times, we get offended when people doubt us because we find ourselves unable to defend our position. So, instead of getting offended, we need to realize that our inability to defend our position is the root of the problem, and we need to fix that. By refusing to listen, by refusing to consider other people's perspectives, we are not convincing anyone that what we think we know is in fact a truth.


Christians, we know God is the Absolute Truth. And so, in addition to the two points above, we can do the following to ensure we're not deceived when seeking the truth:


3. Establish the integrity of the Word of God


4. Establish the identity of the principle figure, Jesus




Below are two examples of how we can establish the integrity of God's Word:


Example 1
The integrity of God's Design: Genesis (in the beginning) vs. Revelation (in the end)


Genesis: Earth was created
Revelation: Earth is passed away


Genesis 1: The sun was made to govern the day; darkness was called night; waters was called seas
Revelation: There is no need for a sun anymore; there is no night; there is no more sea


Genesis 37: Earth's government is Israel
Revelation 16: Earth's judgment of Israel


Genesis 2: There is a river for the blessing
Revelation 22: There is a river for the new earth


Genesis 1: Man in God's image was declared
Revelation: 13: Man is headed by Satan's image


Genesis 3: Sin enters
Revelation 21: Sin ends


Genesis 3: The curse was pronounced
Revelation 22: There is no more curse


Genesis 3: Death entered
Revelation 21: There is no more death


Genesis 3: Man is driven out of Eden
Revelation 22: Man is restored


Genesis 3: The tree of life is guarded
Revelation 22: The right to the tree of life is re-established


Genesis 3: Sorrow and suffering enters
Revelation 22: There is no more sorrow


Genesis 10: Nimrod founds Babylon
Revelation 17-18: Babylon falls


Genesis 6-9: God sends a flood to destroy the evil generation
Revelation 12: Satan's flood will destroy the God's elect generation


Genesis 9: A bowl was given as a token of the establishment of God's covenant
Revelation 4, 10: The Bowl for Remembrance is established


Genesis 13: Sodom and Egypt represent corruption and government
Revelation 11: Sodom and Egypt are used as a description of Jerusalem


Genesis 14: A confederation fights against Abraham's people
Revelation 12: Satan fights against Abraham's seed


Genesis 24: A bride was found for Abraham's son
Revelation 21: A bride was found for Abraham's seed


Genesis 2: Marriage of the first Adam
Revelation 19: Marriage of the last Adam


Genesis 3: man's dominion ceased and Satan's began  
Revelation 22: Satan's domain ends and man's is restored


Everything that began in Genesis is finished and tied off explicitly and climaxed in Revelation.


Example 2
The Book of Joshua is an anticipatory outline of Revelation


Joshua: Joshua was a warrior dispossessing the land of the usurpers
Revelation: Jesus is the Warrior dispossessing Earth of the usurpers


Joshua 2: Two spies were sent in advance to scout out Jericho prior to Joshua's attack
Revelation 11: Two witnesses will be sent in advance to preach the Word of God prior to the releasing of the 3rd woe


Joshua 6:10: Trumpets blown followed by silence prior to judgment
Revelation 8:1: Trumpets will be blown followed by silence prior to judgment


Joshua 5:13-15: Jesus was the one fighting in the battle of Jericho
Revelation 19: Jesus will conquer Satan and return as the King of kings




For those who have not yet found the Absolute Truth, the world would be very confusing.


Why?


You don't know if there is an absolute truth. You have no standard to measure anything people claim to be truth against. You are therefore extremely vulnerable to deception. You don't know what to believe because you don't know what is true.


One of the best deceptions is to convince you that there is no absolute truth. If there is no absolute truth, then you can go ahead and do whatever it is that you deem right. Whatever sounds right must be right. And so, those who want to manipulate you, all they have to do is to make sure they make it sound right to you, and they have you in their bag to do their bidding.


Other than the obvious problem that not knowing the truth opens yourself up to vulnerability, there is another problem with the argument that there is no absolute truth. People who tell you there is no absolute truth, they just told you that as an absolute truth! The statement, "there is no absolute truth" simply cannot stand alone! You can see how things just start spiraling into chaos from here.


The fact that we reason, and the fact that physics work, the fact that there is order in this world (and I'm not just talking about social order but scientific order as well) all point to the presence of absolute truths. They exist, and I would urge you to find them. Ultimately, this collection of absolute truths leads to THE Absolute Truth: the existence of God.


I will not dwell on this here and instead point you to excellent starting materials so that you can start this exploratory journey yourself:
1. The Bible
2. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel


Test the Bible against the Koran, the Book of Mormon, Buddhism, etc. Think logically and demand proof. I've done the work, and I'm certain once you have, you would come to the irrefutable conclusion that ONLY the Bible speaks the Absolute Truth.


For the Christians, we should therefore have no doubt in our minds that the Bible is God-breathed, and it is THE GOLDEN STANDARD that we measure everything else against it. God is perfect, and He has never been wrong, nor will He ever be. Based on the perfect fulfillment of past prophecies, we therefore have complete confidence that future prophecies will be perfectly fulfilled as well.


The whole point of this post is to bring forth the idea that we need to be confident about what we know. We should never just take what people say for granted, because if we follow people's words blindly, who do we have to blame but ourselves if we end up in a horrible situation?


We should never assume what we know to be the truth unless we have tested the validity of it ourselves. For the Christians, reading and understanding the Bible is thus critical, because we obtain God's wisdom through such studies.


When we cannot defend our position, it's because we do not know enough. When people expose our inadequate understanding (be it innocently or maliciously), do not be let them offend us. It should be a humbling reminder for us to go back to the Bible and fill in the holes in our understanding. And should similar discussions pop up in the future, we would be better equipped to defend the Truth. Knowing the Truth is one of the ways to make sure our Armor of God (Ephesians 6) remains strong against the attack of Satan and those who follow him and those who are blindly deceived by him.