The Second Coming and the Son of Perdition

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and the Son of Perdition

For the introduction to this series click here

I confess, this is a difficult passage. It’s not what he says about the second coming, rather it is some of the details surrounding what he says about the second coming. There will be dark days before the second advent, but there is comfort in the certainty of His coming and His sure and certain victory!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
 1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
 2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
 3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
 6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
 7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
 8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
 9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Paul mentions the second advent twice, so let’s start and end with these two references.

1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him – coming, the parousia; he is referring to 1 Thessalonians 4 where he spoke of his coming and our being caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. Here he calls it the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him. Both of these chapters, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2, speak of the same event – the parousia of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and those who are alive and remain being caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us – It would seem teachers had come and confused the Thessalonians, claiming by a word of prophecy, by teaching, and by (forged) letters from Paul that...
the day of Christ is at hand – that the parousia could happen at any moment; “causing much distress and disturbance of mind to the brethren” (Simpson). Why would “at any moment he could return” teaching disturb them? The same way it has disturbed others – they quit their jobs, quit paying their bills, quit caring for family and folks around them because “Jesus is coming, right now!”

3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Let no man deceive you by any means – don’t be fooled by teaching, by sermons, or by books telling you that Jesus could come at any moment...
for that day shall not come, except there come – that day refers to the parousia, the revelation of Christ; Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit, is very clear, it shall not come before two things happen first...

a falling away first
Before the parousia of Christ, there must be, there will be, a falling away. Falling away is a translation of the Greek word, αποστασια or apostasy, and according to Thayer it means “a falling away, defection, apostasy; in the Bible namely, from the true religion (Acts 21:21; 2 Thess. 2:3).” A falling away from or forsaking of what? The Faith. Before Christ returns there will be a falling away from the faith, from the doctrines and morality of the faith. I think it is safe to say that apostasy has taken place, and not only in our lifetime. A brief glance at church history will demonstrate this. The Reformation. In the late 1800s there was the higher criticism movement which sought to strip the Bible of divine authorship. In the early 1900s liberalism burst on the scene, attempting to “update” the faith and make it compatible with modern thought. And look around today, even the “evangelical” church is accepting, embracing, promoting practices that just 50 years ago it condemned. Multitudes of “Christians” today deny Jesus is the only way, repudiate hell, reject the wrath of God, condone abortion, homosexuality, and immorality, all in the name of “love”. I believe we are living in times of apostasy.

and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
Who is this man of sin, this son of perdition? None other than the antichrist. Paul says he had taught them about him, Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? Nevertheless, he refreshes their memory:

 4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
 7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
 8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed...
 9  whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
This describes the career and character of the man of sin. The mystery of iniquity doth already work, it has been at work in the world since apostolic days, and is working today, but something is withholding/letting it, that is, hindering it, holding back its the full manifestation in the son of perdition. In v 6 Paul says, ye know what withholdeth... Is it any consolation that the Thessalonians knew what he was talking about? Yeah, not for me either!

11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
This man of sin, the son of perdition, antichrist, will be welcomed with open arms by those who have rejected Christ. They will gladly embrace him and his doctrines of God and Christ. The antichrist is the devil’s substitute for Jesus. The world will welcome him because they have rejected Jesus. The way of Jesus is straight and narrow and the flesh despises it. As for the way of the man of sin, wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.

Earlier I offered an abbreviated v 8, here is the entire verse
8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
This brings us back to the second advent. The Wicked One shall be revealed, and run his course, but he shall be destroyed by the coming of the Lord.

the brightness of his coming – brightness is the third word used for the return of Christ, it is epiphaneia, epiphany, “an appearing, appearance; often used by the Greeks of a glorious manifestation of the gods, and especially of their advent to help” (Thayer). Coming is our word parousia. Epiphany speaks of his glory; apocalypse his power; parousia his presence.

“Paul here uses both epiphaneia (epiphany, familiar to the Greek mind for a visit of a god) and parousia (more familiar to the Jewish mind) of the second coming of Christ.” (A.T. Robertson)

Epiphany occurs a few more times in the New Testament and every other time it is translated appearing:

1 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The emphasis in parousia is presence, a coming that results in the presence of the one coming. I think it’s safe to say that the phrase, the brightness of his coming is to be understood as, the appearing of his presence. Amen. The mere appearance of Christ destroys the adversary!

Praise the Lord! Jesus is coming again. His coming is called parousia, apocalypse, epiphany. He will be revealed from heaven with power, he will appear in glory, he will come to be present with us. There are those who tell us that these words tell us of different comings, so that there is to be a secret coming (parousia) followed by his visible coming (revelation). No, there are not two or three second comings, there is only one second advent. And we are waiting for his parousia, his revelation, his appearing. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

This is your day • Prepare • Jesus is coming soon!

Christmas memories

December 24, 2016

As I was driving home from Augusta last night I reminisced about Christmas past. Mary’s family always came together during Christmas. Every year we gathered in such exotic places as Arkadelphia, AR, Jackson, MS, Starkeville, MS, Macon, GA, Doe River Gorge, TN, and Hamilton, AL. As the families grew so did our gatherings. We all drove from hours away to get together. These are great memories!

I remember one particular Christmas morning. We were living in Pensacola, FL. It was 8°. In Pensacola, FL! We only had Anne and Sarah in those days. We all piled in the car and drove to Arkadelphia, AR, where it was just as cold with lots of snow and ice. And everybody else drove there in ridiculous and dangerous conditions!

And then there was football. Mary was the first of her family to get married. And she married me! When I joined the family, Mark was the only brother at home. He and I would go out to the backyard and play “punt return”. That is, we would stand at opposite ends of the backyard, one of us would punt the ball to the other who would attempt to return it for a touchdown. This was tackle punt return.

After a while, her brother Ronnie started coming home, and he joined Mark and me in the backyard. Since you can’t play punt return with three people, we made some changes and played “goal line stand.” That is, the ball was placed at the 3 yard line, two guys were the defense and one guy had four chances to score. Again, this was tackle.

Then Dave came along. He married Mary’s sister Debbie. But before they married he joined us in the backyard. Now we played  all-out, tackle football, two vs two. We had a blast!!

Now back to the Christmas it was 8° in Pensacola and colder with ice and snow in Arkadelphia. As was our annual tradition, we all drove on icy roads to gather together. We were committed to playing football, so we all bundled up and headed off to a field to play in the freezing cold ice and snow. As we were trudging out the back door, Mary’s mom told us what a dumb idea this was and yelled out to us, "If you get hurt don't come crying to me." We laughed among ourselves and went on to play the famous “Ice Bowl.” And no one got hurt.

Yes, we had great times in The McDougald Christmas Gathering.

Were Mary and Joseph refugees?

I saw this on facebook last week. I've actually seen quite a few memes and posts saying the Mary & Joseph were refugees. “See, they were refugees, therefore it would be hypocritical of you to offer anything less than all-out support for refugees today.” My point today is not to debate or discuss whether or not we should support refugees or how many etc. Instead, I’m asking, Were Mary and Joseph refugees? Is it biblically correct to refer to them as refugees? 

First, let’s refresh ourselves with the story from Luke 2:1-7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed... And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Next, let’s define refugee. Here is a definition offered by Merriam-Webster:

ref·u·gee
noun
: someone who has been forced to leave a country because of war or for religious or political reasons
: one that flees; especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution

And in order to be thorough, let’s define immigrant and homeless as well

immigrant : a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence

homeless : having no home or permanent place of residence

Is there anything in the story of Jesus’ birth to indicate the family were refugees? Let’s see, they weren’t fleeing anything or anyone; they didn’t leave one country and enter another seeking safety; they weren’t relocating at all. The government decree called for them to temporarily travel to Bethlehem. They didn’t even go to a place with a different culture. They went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, 70-90 miles apart, two cities within the same country.

Therefore, they were not refugees – they had not been forced to leave their country and go to another because of war or politics. They were not immigrants - not only did they not leave one country for another, this was merely a temporary inconvenience. They weren’t even homeless. Since they were seeking lodging in an inn, I would say Joseph was willing and able to pay for accommodations.

What were they then? Inconvenienced travelers. Were they “squatters” who “wrecked a barn”? No. These are all details added to the story. As far as we know, Joseph paid his own way the whole trip. The truth is, while the story mentions no room at the inn and the birth in the manger, no emphasis is placed on either detail. It’s almost as if, while unusual, this was not all that uncommon.

So calling them refugees is nothing more than sloppy sentimentalism (akin to making the innkeeper gruff and uncaring), an attempt to capitalize on general biblical illiteracy to promote an agenda. Let me hasten to repeat, this is not about whether supporting refugees is a biblical mandate or not. I am simply stating that it is quite incorrect to use the nativity to say it is.

There is another incident that tells a different story. Matthew 2:13-23

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.  
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,  
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.  
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.  

This time the holy family clearly were refugees – fleeing their own country in order to escape government persecution. I don’t know how long they were in Egypt but this was obviously a temporary stay, until I bring thee word. They weren’t immigrating. Were they homeless and penniless during their stay in Egypt? There is nothing to indicate that. Did they “wreck” things while they were there? Again, there is no evidence. Were they part of a mass migration from Judah to Egypt? No. They stayed briefly and then returned to Judah.

All this talk of refugees and immigrants reminds me of the time Israel fled Egypt and wandered up to the land of Canaan. They were refugees. They were immigrants. Wait, didn’t they take over Canaan?

Back to the real question, Does the Bible teach us to support refugees and immigrants? Whether it does or not, these two incidents in the life of Jesus do not speak to it or illustrate it. If anything, it would encourage us to offer assistance to inconvenienced travelers.

Were Mary and Joseph refugees? No.

The Second Coming and Suffering for Jesus

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and Suffering for Jesus

For the introduction to this series click here

In his first epistle the emphasis was on the comfort the coming or parousia of Christ brings believers. In this second epistle the tone is different, the emphasis is on the power of the coming. “In the second epistle we have the vivid picture of the other side of the advent, the coming of the day of God as it will appear to the unbelieving and ungodly.” (A.B. Simpson)

2 Thessalonians 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
 4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
 5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
 6  Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
 7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
 8  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
 9  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth
Amen! They were really growing in the Lord. It's neat to see once again the trinity of virtues in the Christian life: faith (grows exceedingly), love (abounds), and hope (of His coming).

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure – It would seem life was not a bowl of cherries for these believers. There was persecution and tribulation, and I have no doubt that every step of progress in their spiritual lives was met by more intense pressure (tribulation). But they would not give up (patience), they pressed on (faith).

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer – we are surrounded and bombarded daily by people who preach that increased faith on our part will reduce, even eliminate, trouble and tribulation, that faith in God brings wealth and ease. Lies! All lies! The Holy Ghost says here that God is in this tribulation and persecution. He didn’t bring it, but he is in it, using it to make the Thessalonians worthy of the kingdom of God.

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us – God allows them to persecute us now, then he will repay those who have troubled us with tribulation of their own. Tribulation for those who trouble us, and for us who are troubled, rest. Amen! But when?

when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels – here is the second main word used for the return of Christ, revealed. It is the Greek word, apokalupsis or apocalypse. It means revelation, appearing. Parousia emphasizes the result of his coming, his presence, and the comfort that brings. Apokalupsis speaks of the revealing, the unveiling, the appearance of Christ; the emphasis is on power and glory.

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power
Here “we have the vivid picture of the other side of the advent, the coming of the day of God as it will appear to the unbelieving and ungodly. It shall be rest with us “when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe,” but for them who “know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,” it will be “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (AB Simpson)
If we accept the comfort of the parousia, we have to accept the vengeance of the apokalupsis or apocalypse. The second coming will not be a joyous event for everyone. Who are these folks? “them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”. And what is the vengeance on such? everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Oh how we need to pray for the lost in our families, among our friends, and those nations who are yet in darkness!!

When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day – The Thessalonians were being persecuted by the unbelievers, they were considered dirt to be trampled on. In that day everything is reversed. Our persecutors will suffer the vengeance of the Lord and we will be the Lord’s glory. Isn’t this amazing? He comes to be glorified in his saints, in us! He will be glorified in his saints, he will be admired in all them that believe. Oh sure, we will praise and admire him, but he will be glorified in us – “These are your people! What a great work you did in saving and keeping them!”

Amen! and Amen! So, how do we apply this to our lives? The Holy Spirit does that in the closing verses of the chapter (2:11-12)
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The First Noel

The First Noel, the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise men came from country far
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star wherever it went.

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both stop and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.


Like so many other Christmas songs “The First Noel” has mysterious beginnings in either France or England. The First Noel is one of the few surviving early Christmas standards that can genuinely be earmarked as a folk song. It was written by and for the peasants hundreds of years ago.

In England, The First Noel was sung each year by many peasants as they lit the Yule log. Therefore, this became the song that started the entire Christmas season, the twelve days of Christmas. Especially for children, this carol meant the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year.

The First Noel finally was published by William Sandys in 1833. A lawyer by trade, Sandys loved music and spent his spare time collecting both French and English folk songs. Already a favorite with the peasant class, when the Church of England began to use new songs during services in the mid–1800s, The First Noel found universal acclaim.

Our modern English word Noel (also written Noël and Nowell) comes from the Middle English nowel, which Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defined as “a shout of joy or Christmas song.”

Second Coming and Times and Seasons

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

Second Coming and Times and Seasons

For the introduction to this series click here

Paul has painted a beautiful portrait of the second coming of Christ, filled with comfort, consolation, and encouragement. But this renewed emphasis on the soon coming of Christ, then as well as now, naturally raises the question, “When? When will all this take place?” Paul writing by the Holy Spirit, anticipates this inquiry and answers it.

1 Thessalonians 5:1  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
 2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
 3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
 4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
 5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
 6  Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.
 7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
 8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
 9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you – I don’t mean to be flippant, but apparently we do. Paul must have taught these things to the Thessalonians when he was with them, yet he felt the need to repeat it.

2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night 
you know perfectly - he had obviously taught them this.
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night – He is referring to the teaching of Jesus, But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Paul is saying, “We don’t know when he is coming.” His coming as a thief in the night does not mean he is coming to steal something, it refers to the unexpectedness of his coming, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
they shall say - This is an important key to understanding this passage, for he begins a strong distinction between they and ye/we and paying attention to this will help us understand what he is saying. Who is they? Unbelievers. The day of the Lord will come upon unbelievers suddenly and unexpectedly, as a thief in the night.

4  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief
That day should not overtake us, believers, as a thief. The unsaved will be caught thoroughly off guard. The saved need not be caught unawares.
An interesting thought:
“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness - Probably St. Paul refers to a notion that was very prevalent among the Jews, viz.: that God would judge the Gentiles in the night time, when utterly secure and careless; but he would judge the Jews in the day time, when employed in reading and performing the words of the law. The words in Midrash Tehillim, on Psa 9:8, are the following: When the holy blessed God shall judge the Gentiles, it shall be in the night season, in which they shall be asleep in their transgressions; but when he shall judge the Israelites, it shall be in the day time, when they are occupied in the study of the law. This maxim the apostle appears to have in view in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th verses.” (Adam Clarke)

5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness 
We are not in darkness because we are children of light, children of the day. The dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Jesus is the light, and he has shined the life of life and truth on us. This means we can see the hand of God at work and recognize the times.

6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober
This is fun: watch literally means to stay awake, so he is saying, “let us not sleep but stay awake.” Obviously, he is not speaking literally, you cannot stay awake all the time. And as we know, when you stay awake too long you can be “asleep with your eyes open.” He means, just as a person is unaware of things around him when he is asleep, so we can become spiritually asleep and thus unaware of what is happening around us. Let us instead watch and be sober.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” We are here reminded that the saints of Christ shall know enough of the time of His coming to be ready. The world will be surprised, but the Bride of the Lamb will know early enough to be in the attitude for translation. At the same time, there must be no carelessness, but a spirit of vigilance and a habit of constant preparedness. ~Simpson

7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Being of the day means we are awake and alert. We are also to be sober - clear headed, clear minded. How? Putting on the breastplate of faith to protect our hearts and the helmet of the hope of salvation to protect our minds.

9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
This is what the parousia, the second coming, will bring to us – salvation. And how can we sum up that salvation? That we should live together with him. The parousia is not merely a spectacle, the show of shows, no, this is to bring us salvation, that we might ever be with him. Amen!

11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do 
There is comfort in his coming and the resurrection, there is much comfort in the hope of salvation, there is great comfort in our ever being with him!

Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

"Fear not then," said the Angel,
"Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan's power and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy


God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen is a traditional English Christmas carol. It is also known as Tidings of Comfort and Joy, and as Come All You Worthy Gentlemen; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; God Rest Ye, Merry Christians; or God Rest You Merry People All. It is one of the oldest existing carols, dating back to at least the 16th century. The earliest known printed edition of the carol is in a broadsheet dated to c. 1760. The traditional English melody is in the minor mode.

Rest is a verb meaning "to keep, cause to continue, to remain". So, "God rest ye merry, gentlemen" means, "God keep you joyful, cheerful".

Sing away! Sing all day!

The Second Coming and Them Which Sleep

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and Them Which Sleep

For the introduction to this series click here. This will explain why I am on chapter four for the second week of Advent!

1 Thessalonians 4
13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This is a wonderful passage full of truth and comfort in which he answers the question from chapter 3, “When Jesus comes, and all his saints with him, what about us who are alive and remain to that day? Where will we be?”

13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
It would seem that Paul’s emphasis on the soon coming of Christ was so strong that when some of the brethren died, the Thessalonians were perplexed, bewildered, confused, even disconcerted.
concerning them which are asleep – notice how the gospel softens even death, when a believer dies he merely falls asleep, awaiting the day when he shall be awaken in resurrection.
that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope – when you have no hope, death is the end, they’re gone and that’s it. But the gospel speaks of life, life after death; there is a resurrection from the dead, so we are not to sorrow because we have this hope...

14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Amen. I know brothers and sisters in Christ who have fallen asleep, well, here’s the promise - when Jesus comes again they will come with him! They will be among the saints accompanying Jesus when he returns.

15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
His teaching on the soon coming of Christ was so strong that they were convinced that the living were in a better position than the dead, which was a misunderstanding.
unto the coming of the Lord – coming is our word parousia, coming, arrival, advent, resulting in his presence with us
shall not prevent them which are asleep – today, prevent means hinder, so this looks like a terrible translation, but the word prevent comes from a Latin word which means “come before” and originally meant “act in anticipation of or go before”

So, we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. Actually, it is quite the opposite!

16   For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Amen! Here is an actual description of the parousia of Jesus. What a day!
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven – he will appear in the sky and descend to the earth. Who? The Lord himself. This same Jesus who was born of a virgin, walked among men, healed the sick, preached the sermon on the mount, crucified, dead, raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, this same Jesus shall descend from heaven!
with a shout – what will he shout? "Come forth"? I’m not sure but it will raise the dead!!
with the voice of the archangel – probably crying, “Behold the Lord!”
with the trump of God – is this not awesome!
Listen, people have tried to tell us that this will be a secret coming, but this looks loud enough to wake the dead...
and the dead in Christ shall rise first – which is exactly what happens! The resurrection of the dead takes place first. Jesus is coming and the dead will be raised to life. What a day that will be!

17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
we which are alive and remain – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds - caught up; believe it or not this is where the word rapture comes from. But not from English (caught up), or Greek (αρπαζω arpazo). No, it is from the Latin translation which reads:
deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur
Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together at the same time

That word rapiemur, the first person, plural, future form of rapere, which means to ‘snatch, grab, take away’, is the source for rapture. However, caught up is not a separate coming, it is one part of the resurrection at the parousia: when the Lord comes, the dead are raised, and the living are caught up with them to
meet the Lord in the air – Jesus appears in the sky, the dead are raised and the living are caught up with them to meet the Lord, to appear with him in his glory, and to return in glory with him. How long will all this take? Not long, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This is a public event. The Lord is not going to slink back in and steal us away. He’s not ashamed of us. He will come back boldly, personally, in power, with glory, and claim us as his own.

and so shall we ever be with the Lord – no more faith, no more valleys of despair, or the valley of the shadow of death, we shall see him and ever be with him! Amen!

18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words – these are comforting words indeed. Jesus endured the cross thinking of us. When he ascended to heaven he didn’t forget us, no, he ever liveth to make intercession for us. When he comes again in power and glory, he won’t forget us then either, He is coming so that we may ever be with him!
“This entire passage contains the most comforting and tender picture of the Lord’s coming in the Scriptures.” (A.B. Simpson)

He who testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus.

So, when will all this happen? On to chapter 5...

Of The Father's Love Begotten

This is my favorite song of Christmas and one that I have never sung publicly! You can hear it here.
The words in this version are hard (for me) to understand but you can hear the tune. I find the variation of both the order and translation of the lyrics in the different versions a little frustrating. But here is the entire hymn, followed by the Latin original.

1. Of the Father's love begotten,
    Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
    He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
    And that future years shall see,
        Evermore and evermore!

2. At His Word the worlds were framèd;
    He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean
    In their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
    Of the moon and burning sun,
        Evermore and evermore!

3. He is found in human fashion,
    Death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam's children
    Doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
    In the dreadful gulf below,
        Evermore and evermore!

4. O that birth forever blessèd,
    When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
    Bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
    First revealed His sacred face,
        Evermore and evermore!

5. This is He Whom seers in old time
    Chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets
    Promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected,
    Let creation praise its Lord,
        Evermore and evermore!

6. O ye heights of heaven adore Him;
    Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him,
    And extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
    Every voice in concert sing,
        Evermore and evermore!

7. Righteous judge of souls departed,
    Righteous King of them that live,
On the Father's throne exalted
    None in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming
    Sinners from Thy face shalt drive,
        Evermore and evermore!

8. Thee let old men, thee let young men,
    Thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens,
    With glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
    And the heart its music bring,
        Evermore and evermore!

9. Christ, to Thee with God the Father,
    And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving,
    And unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
    And eternal victory,
        Evermore and evermore!

Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-405)
Translated into English by John M. Neale 1851
edited and extended by Henry W. Baker 1854
Tune: Divinum Mysterium


1. Corde natus ex parentis ante mundi exordium
A et O cognominatus, ipse fons et clausula
Omnium quae sunt, fuerunt, quaeque post futura sunt.
Saeculorum saeculis.

2. Ipse iussit et creata, dixit ipse et facta sunt,
Terra, caelum, fossa ponti, trina rerum machina,
Quaeque in his vigent sub alto solis et lunae globo.
Saeculorum saeculis.

3. Corporis formam caduci, membra morti obnoxia
Induit, ne gens periret primoplasti ex germine,
Merserat quem lex profundo noxialis tartaro.
Saeculorum saeculis.

4. O beatus ortus ille, virgo cum puerpera
Edidit nostram salutem, feta Sancto Spiritu,
Et puer redemptor orbis os sacratum protulit.
Saeculorum saeculis.

5. Psallat altitudo caeli, psallite omnes angeli,
Quidquid est virtutis usquam psallat in laudem Dei,
Nulla linguarum silescat, vox et omnis consonet.
Saeculorum saeculis.

6. Ecce, quem vates vetustis concinebant saeculis,
Quem prophetarum fideles paginae spoponderant,
Emicat promissus olim; cuncta conlaudent eum.
Saeculorum saeculis.

7. Macte iudex mortuorum, macte rex viventium,
Dexter in Parentis arce qui cluis virtutibus,
Omnium venturus inde iustus ultor criminum.
Saeculorum saeculis.

8. Te senes et te iuventus, parvulorum te chorus,
Turba matrum, virginumque, simplices puellulae,
Voce concordes pudicis perstrepant concentibus.
Saeculorum saeculis.

9. Tibi, Christe, sit cum Patre hagioque Pneumate
Hymnus, decus, laus perennis, gratiarum actio,
Honor, virtus, victoria, regnum aeternaliter.
Saeculorum saeculis.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Adeste Fideles is a Christmas carol attributed to John Francis Wade (1711–1786), the earliest copies of the hymn all bearing his signature. The music was written by John Reading. The English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley translated it into English as O Come, All Ye Faithful in 1841. An original manuscript of the oldest known version, dating from 1751, is held by Stonyhurst College in Lancashire. These are the four original verses.

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the King of Angels:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

God of God, light of light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God, begotten, not created:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above!
Glory to God in the highest:
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be all glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him, (3×)
Christ the Lord.

I love reading and singing this in the original Latin!

Adeste fideles læti triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte
Regem angelorum:
Venite adoremus (3×)
Dominum.

Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine
Gestant puellæ viscera
Deum verum, genitum non factum.
Venite adoremus (3×)
Dominum.

Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum;
Cantet nunc aula cælestium,
Gloria, gloria in excelsis Deo,
Venite adoremus (3×)
Dominum.

Ergo qui natus die hodierna.
Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Patris æterni Verbum caro factum.
Venite adoremus (3×)
Dominum.

The Second Coming and Sanctification

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and Sanctification

For the introduction to this series see. This will explain why this is my third post yet this is only the first week in Advent!

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all, even as we toward you:
and the Lord make you to - just as salvation is the work of God received by faith, so this is also the work of God received by faith
increase and abound in love – they had begun their Christian life with love for one another and Paul prays that this love would increase and abound.
one toward another – for brothers and sisters, the church
and toward all – it is not “love your brother and hate your enemy” with us, no, we love the brethren and we love those outside the family as well.
even as we toward you – they would no doubt remember Paul’s love for them, which he reminded them of in chapter 2:
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:  8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.  9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.  10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:  11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,  12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

In v 13 we find what this prayer for increased and abounding love is aiming at
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
To the end – this is the purpose, this is the goal of this prayer
he may stablish your hearts – establish, strengthen, make firm
unblameable in holiness before God - Holiness is not talked about much these days, but Paul was clearly a holiness preacher. He speaks of it often in both epistles.
First, we have to admit that unblameable in holiness before God is a possibility. After all, this was Paul’s inspired prayer for them.
Second, the holiness in view here is not that stuffy, starchy, sanctimonious caricature so often portrayed. No, this is a person who is increased and abounding in love. Love suffers long and is kind; does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love is not hateful or ugly or mean-spirited. He is not saying such are without fault or error, but that such a person is unblameable in holiness with a love like this. If Paul prayed for them to have this kind of love, surely we can pray this for ourselves. When we notice something unkind, ugly, or mean-spirited in our hearts or attitudes, then we should pray that he would make us to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all so that we might be found unblameable in holiness...

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints – here is our goal, to be unblameable in holiness before God at the coming of Christ. Coming is that word parousia. Have you noticed how Paul is painting a picture of the coming of the Lord? In chapter 1 it is merely, his Son from heaven. Chapter 2 it is, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. And here it is, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. He keeps adding details. And the detail added in chapter 3 is this, when Jesus comes he will be accompanied by all his saints. When he sallies forth in that great day, all his saints, from all the ages, will appear with him. This is no secret, this is not something hidden. The parousia of Christ will be visible, personal, in power, and with great glory! and what a retinue will accompany him! What an entourage! His glorious train will be all his saints! Hallelujah! Maranatha!

When Jesus comes, and all his saints with him, what about us who are alive and remain to that day? Where will we be? Ah, chapter 4 adds that detail!

Perspective

I thought it would be interesting t take photos of my backyard from three different windows. They were all taken Saturday at 9:20 in the morning. The distance from the window on the right to the window on the left is 30 feet.

When you look out each window you see a different part of the backyard. It is interesting how the yard looks different in each view. And you have a different feel for it when viewing from the different windows. That is perspective.

Which view is the truth?

They are all true because they all look out on the back yard. Not every look will be true - If you are looking at the front yard you simply are not looking at the backyard, no matter how sincerely you believe you are. But no matter which window you choose, if it is looking out on the backyard, you will see the backyard. Your view is true, but incomplete. That is perspective.

Is there a point to this? I’m sure one could be made, but I don’t have one. Friday night I was sitting out by the fire, pondering different things, and this was one of them. Saturday morning I took these photos. I just thought it was cool.

How would I be described politically?

We just had a presidential election and everyone had an opinion. The election is over yet people are still talking. Where do I stand in all this? How would I be described politically?


I'm so Progressive it will blow your mind - I believe Jesus is coming again to be King of all nations and He will reign in righteousness

2 Peter 3:13  we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Psalm 72
2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.  
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.  
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.  
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.  
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 
11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.  
12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.  
13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.  
14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.


I'm incredibly Liberal - I love the saints, I love my neighbor, I love my enemies

Matthew 5:43-48  
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

Matthew 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 

Matthew 22:36-40
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  
This is the first and great commandment.  
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Galatians 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.


I'm an arch-Conservative - I believe the Bible is the Word of God from cover to cover.

Isaiah 40:8   The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Matthew 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

1 Peter 1:23-25   
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 

2 Peter 1:16-19  
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 


I’m very political. Jesus is King. The kingdom of God is my thing!

The Second Coming and Christian Service

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and Christian Service

For the introduction to this series see

In the day when Paul would stand before the Lord to give account of his life and work, he would present the Thessalonians. They were his crown and glory and joy. God has promised to reward us for our labor for Jesus and they are Paul’s anticipated crown.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

“Here the Apostle bears witness that the Lord’s coming was a motive in his own ministry and the inspiring hope of his own loving service for the souls of men. As he tells us elsewhere, he expects to present his beloved people to the heavenly Bridegroom as a delightful trust, and to find in their joy his joy and crown. To the faithful elders Peter says in this connection, “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that does not fade away.” And a still more ancient promise declared that “they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever.” There is one sense in which the souls we win for Christ shall be eternally linked with our happiness and reward, and be as jewels in our crowns of rejoicing.” (A.B. Simpson)

Amen. Are we laboring for the Lord? Will there be people in that day who will point to me and say, “Thank you, Lord, for Jeff, he spoke to me/helped me/prayed for me/fed me/clothed me, visited me”?

When and where will such a scene take place? Paul tells us!

in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming

in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ - This means we will stand before him. I mean actually, literally, face to face with Jesus! He will be there and we will be brought before him, into his presence. Oh what a day that will be!

at his coming – The word for coming is παρουσία, parousia. This is one of the three words used for the return of Christ. “παρουσία - the presence of one coming, hence, the coming, arrival, advent. In the N. T. especially of the advent, i. e. the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus, the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment, and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God. It is called in ecclesiastical writings the second parousia, and is opposed to the first parousia which took place in the incarnation, birth, and earthly career of Christ.” (Thayer’s Lexicon)

This parousia is his return from heaven to earth and will result in his physical, visible presence with us. And it is at this time that he will reward us for our service, our work, our labor, our faithfulness in this life.

The prophet Isaiah said:
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (Isaiah 40:10)

Later, in the book of Revelation, Jesus said:
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12)

Hallelujah! Jesus is coming! And we will see him, and stand before him, his very presence, and he will reward our labor for him.

Maranatha!

A hymn for Thursday

Ooops! Last week there was no hymn for Thursday. I was out of town so I was unable to make a post. I make up for today that with two Fanny Crosby hymns. Both are great songs!
(There will be no post next Thursday since that is Thanksgiving.)

Redeemed

Once, when Fanny Crosby was asked, "Is there a special hymn written for your conversion experience?" she replied, "I would write many hymns to describe the joy of my salvation. The one that stands out the most to me right now is this one." And she began to sing in her beautiful soprano voice, "Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it."

You can hear it here

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.

Music: William J. Kirkpatrick, 1882

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Blessed Assurance
Based on Hebrews 10:22 " Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

Fanny Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete, so Mrs. Knapp, using the piano, played a new melody she had just composed. When Knapp asked Crosby, "What do you think the tune says?", Crosby replied, "Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine."

You can hear Alan Jackson sing it here

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest!
I in my Savior am happy and blessed,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Music: Phoebe Knapp, 1873

The Second Coming and Salvation

Advent 2016 - Second Coming in 1 & 2 Thessalonians

The Second Coming and Salvation

For the introduction to this series click here

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
 9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, [even] Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Here we have a glimpse into the preaching of the apostle. This is also a picture of their conversion.

Acts 17 gives us a summary of Paul’s brief ministry among them:
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Amen! We see his message – Jesus (who died and rose again) is Christ – and their response – and some of them believed. In 1 Thessalonians 1 we see just what it meant to believe that Jesus is Christ:

ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

There are three distinct yet related matters here.
ye turned to God from idols – believing in Jesus means to turn to God, to turn away from your idols. Obviously, Paul preached that their idols were no gods, that there was only one, living, and true God, and that they needed to turn from, give up the worship of, their idols, and turn to God. This involved repentance, changing the way they thought about God – there are not many, only one; and the ones they were worshiping were not him; and they must give up their former gods. Paul’s invitation was not simply, “If you want eternal life, raise your hand. I see that hand.” No. It was more like, “Jupiter and Diana and Venus and Mars are not gods. Jesus is the Son of God, he was crucified and raised from the dead. Believe in him; turn to the true and living God and turn away from these who are not gods.”

to serve the living and true God – believing in Jesus meant they were to turning to God to serve him. We have made serving God a specialty, that is, something a select few do – pastors serve God; when you work in the church you are serving God. The implication being, there are two classes of Christians, mere believers and those who serve God. But Paul describes the whole of the Christian life as to serve God. If you are a believer in Jesus you are a servant of God. This is what it means to believe in Jesus: previously, you did what you wanted, now, you believe in Jesus, you have decided to follow Jesus, you do what he wants you to do.

And to wait for his Son from heaven – Paul’s gospel evidently included the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the second coming of Jesus. And he must have warned them of the wrath to come as well. To believe in Jesus means you believe he came and ministered among us, he died, he rose, and he’s coming again. The gospel proclaims another kingdom, and by believing in Jesus we abandon this world and hope for the one to come.

What does this tell us about the second coming? 
to wait for his Son from heaven - wait means, ‘to wait for, expect, wait expectantly; basically, expectancy concerning a future event. And what are we waiting for? Jesus, who was raised from the dead. Preaching the second coming is as fundamental to the gospel as the resurrection. “The hope of the second coming of Christ was real and powerful with Paul as it should be with us. He alludes to this hope at the close of each chapter in this Epistle.” (A.T. Robertson)

his Son from heaven - this doesn’t tell us much about the manner of his coming, except that it will be from heaven. He died, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and from thence he will return. Literally. Personally. Visibly. Come, Lord Jesus!

Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come – “It is the historic, crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus Christ, God's Son, who delivers from the coming wrath. He is our Saviour, true to his name Jesus. He is our Rescuer. It is eschatological language, this coming wrath of God for sin. It was Paul's allusion to the day of judgment with Jesus as Judge whom God had raised from the dead that made the Athenians mock and leave him. But Paul did not change his belief or his preaching because of the conduct of the Athenians. He is certain that God's wrath in due time will punish sin. Surely this is a needed lesson for our day. It was coming then and it is coming now.” (A.T. Robertson)

The gospel declares that he who was crucified was raised from the dead, and he who was raised from the dead is coming back. We believe it. This is our hope: Jesus is coming again! And we are waiting. The gospel is incomplete without the second coming. A few years ago I heard a plaintive song by Tim Hughes, which begins, “There must be more than this...” Yes, Mr. Hughes, there is - the King is coming! and we are waiting for him!

Now comes the test - Am I waiting for him? Am I expecting him? Am I waiting with anticipation? This is my hope. This is my politics. Maranatha!

One final note. I find it kind of cool that Paul’s preaching, as described here, so closely fits the Apostolic Faith revealed in the Apostle’s Creed:

“I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: Who... Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead...”

Amen.

Advent 2016

In the Old Testament, God established an annual calendar of feasts for Israel. This calendar, which followed the agricultural seasons, reminded the people of God’s salvation from Egypt. It was also a prophetic calendar, setting forth God’s promise of salvation through Messiah. Early on the Church established a similar calendar based on the historical life of Jesus Christ. By observing this calendar, the church is reminded each year of the life and ministry of Christ, and the salvation he brought.

In this calendar, the Church Year begins with Advent. Advent, from the Latin word meaning coming, is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Advent.

As pastor, I had a special teaching series for Advent, and I have continued this with my blog. This year I thought I would focus on the second advent of Christ using the Apostle Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians. A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, explains why these epistles are a good choice for such an emphasis:

“The New Testament epistles have, as a rule, some specific quality or characteristic by which they are known. Romans is the epistle of gospel truth; Corinthians of the Church; Galatians of grace; Ephesians of the highest Christian life; Philippians of the sweetest Christian life; Colossians of the Christ life, etc. The letters to the Thessalonians are the advent epistles. The one theme that runs throughout the two letters like a sort of golden thread and appears in every chapter in connection with some important and practical doctrine, is the blessed hope of the Lord’s coming. So prominently did this subject occupy the preaching of Paul during his visit to Thessalonica, that when his enemies brought charges against him before the rulers of the city, they made this the point of their accusation, that “these that have turned the world upside down have come hither also; . . . and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another King, one Jesus.” It is evident from this that the general impression received from his preaching in Thessalonica was that the Christ to whom he bore witness was a real King, and was coming again to establish a kingdom on the earth. Otherwise there would have been no possible ground for jealousy on the part of Caesar’s friends. Indeed, we know from the very first chapter of his epistle that he began with this theme in his first messages to the unconverted, and it was this that awakened their consciences while still heathen, and led them to turn “to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven.”

The fact that the letters to the Thessalonians were Paul’s earliest epistles, and that this subject occupies so prominent a place in them, makes it very plain that the doctrine of the Lord’s coming is not an advanced truth that can only be understood by deeply spiritual Christians. It is one of the primary doctrines of the Gospel, and is part of the very essence of the Gospel of the Kingdom.”
A.B. Simpson, Christ in the Bible: First and Second Thessalonians

Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica is described in Acts 17:

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:  
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.  
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.  
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.  
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;  
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.  

Paul’s message was summed up as, Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. But his emphasis was also on Jesus as the returning King. We learn this from the reaction of his opponents and from the emphasis he places on it in both epistles to the Thessalonians. In fact, as Simpson observed, he mentions the second coming in every chapter.

The season of Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. This year that is November 27-December 20. My plan is to feature one chapter a week, but, as there are 8 chapters in these two epistles, I need 8 weeks for that. So this year, Advent begins early! I will post a chapter every Tuesday, beginning tomorrow.

Here is my planned schedule:

November
15 1 Thessalonians 1 The Second Coming and Salvation
22 1 Thessalonians 2 The Second Coming and Christian Service
29 1 Thessalonians 3 The Second Coming and Sanctification
December 
6 1 Thessalonians 4 The Second Coming and Those Who Sleep
13 1 Thessalonians 5 The Second Coming and Times and Seasons
20 2 Thessalonians 1 The Second Coming and Suffering for Jesus
27 2 Thessalonians 2 The Second Coming and the Son of Perdition
January
3 2 Thessalonians 3 The Second Coming and the patient waiting for Christ

(The dates in red are Advent, the dates in purple are Christmas)