Preparing for   
The End   
of the World

Writings from the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians Regarding the End Times

Russell M. Stendal
Contents

Looking Forward to the Future

Ch. 1: Why a Clean Heart is Crucial

Ch. 2: Our Need to Be Led by the Holy Spirit

Ch. 3: Occupying until Christ Returns

Ch. 4: The "Secret Rapture" Error

Ch. 5: Staying Awake

Ch. 6: Prevailing through Persecution

Ch. 7: Beware of the Tares

Ch. 8: The Lord Wins in the End

About the Author
Introduction

Looking Forward to the Future

I wrote this book after sailing our boat, the Dawn Treader, into the Hemingway Marina in Cuba, as I soon found myself struck by the many parallels I saw between the Thessalonica of Paul's time and the Havana of the present day, where the Lord has also established quite a beachhead. In Havana, we visited with people from all walks of life as we interacted with those on all sides of the Colombian peace process that has been taking place in the city over the past three years; but mostly, I spent my time writing in the quiet solitude of the sea.

Quite a number of sport fishing boats are based at this marina, and I always found it interesting to watch anglers fish for the blue marlin that the area is famous for. It seems that many regard marlin fishing as the pinnacle of offshore sport fishing, due to the size, power, and elusiveness of the species. But believe me, it's not nearly as exciting as fishing for men! Jesus promised to make us fishers of men if we would follow him, and for us the results have been above and beyond our wildest dreams.

We're living in very exciting times, when many Bible prophecies are being (or are about to be) fulfilled. Are we approaching the end of the world? And if we are, how can we prepare for it? Fortunately, we don't need to know all of the intricate details, but one thing is of paramount importance as we enter the prophesied day of the Lord: Our hearts must be clean and pure. This book deals first with the individual prior to getting into more specific end times detail. As we eagerly await the return of our Lord, we can trust in his promise that the pure in heart shall see God, and we know that every passing day brings us closer to this wonderful reality.

Russell Stendal

December 30, 2015
Chapter 1

Why a Clean Heart is Crucial

1 Thessalonians

...as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:11,12).

As we know, the Thessalonians lived in the city of Thessalonica, a word meaning "the victory of that which is false." When Paul traveled there with Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy, they certainly had reason to believe that this was an appropriate name, inasmuch as false gods had apparently been victorious in taking over the city. Far from being welcomed, Paul received considerable opposition from people whom Scripture describes as disobedient Jews, moved with envy (Acts 17:5), who followed him to Berea and stirred up trouble there as well.

Thessalonica was definitely an Enemy stronghold, filled with dark spiritual forces that did everything possible to choke the spread of the gospel. Sadly, there are still many places like this all around the world – places where it seems very difficult if not impossible to make missionary journeys. But those are only the most visible strongholds of the gospel's enemies. There are also congregations and churches all over the world that appear to be benign until someone challenges their false doctrines with the truth.

Challenging false doctrines was Paul's strong suit, so the situation in Thessalonica failed to daunt him. He knew that he could rely on his Lord, and indeed, the Lord opened the door so that some of the Jews and a great multitude of the Greeks believed in Jesus and consorted with Paul and Silas (Acts 17:4). Later, after receiving a good report of them, Paul wrote these believers the letter we know as 1 Thessalonians.

(1:1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the congregation of the Thessalonians congregated in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word translated here as "congregation" is translated in many Bibles as "church," and originally it had a very different meaning from the one we now generally associate with this word. The Greek word is ekklesia, which means "called-out ones," and in the Jubilee Bible the word is translated as "congregation" and footnoted. Ekklesia doesn't mean an institution or a religious fortress. It's not a magnificent stone building with stained-glass windows nor a humble construction of wood or brick. It simply describes those who were called out from among the Jews or from among the pagans to join the Lord Jesus. The word ekklesia describes the people or local congregation in a given place who left what they were doing in order to follow Jesus Christ. In this sense, we are the church if we have left the world or a contaminated religious institution so that we can follow Jesus. There are many congregations or churches of called-out ones described in the New Testament, but there is only one universal body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4).

(1:2) We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.

The body of Christ has only one head, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, but it has many members. If we're members of the body, we will each be linked directly to the head and also to our brothers and sisters who are all around us.

This body is not a formal organization but a living organism. If we are part of the body, then we sense and feel and think in accord with the head and the rest of the body. Even if we become separated by time and distance, we'll continue to feel the link from our hearts to one another. Later, when we have another opportunity to encounter these fellow members of the body again, even if years have gone by, it may seem as if we only saw them yesterday, because our bond with them by the Spirit remains intact. For instance, I recently encountered some friends who had helped send my parents to the mission field in the early sixties. Even though I hadn't seen them for over fifty years, the bond in the Spirit was still there between us, and they had been faithfully praying for us all this time.

(1:2) making mention of you in our prayers,

(1:3) remembering without ceasing the work of your faith and labour and charity and of waiting with the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

(1:4) being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.

In many places and in many groups, I feel that the emphasis is on the idea that we must be the ones doing the choosing; we need to accept the Lord with a formal prayer (and if someone doesn't know how to pray, there will be a standard formula for him or her to repeat). And yes, it is undeniably important that we choose to follow God.

But which is more important?

That we choose God? Or that God chooses us?

Both things are important; we must never lose sight of this. But there are many people who go on superficially choosing and choosing and choosing God, and in some cases, there is little or no evidence that God has chosen them. It is true that we're given wonderful promises such as the one that says that God will not despise those with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). However, Scripture also clearly states that although many are called, few are chosen (Matthew 20:16).

Consider the following scene from the book of Esther.

Remember that after the king gave Haman his ring, which Haman then used to seal a law that he wrote in the king's name, authorizing the killing of all the Jews, the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed (Esther 3:15). Haman hadn't told the king that the people he wanted to wipe out were Jews, and the king didn't know that Queen Esther was Jewish. When Esther risked her life to petition the king and invited him to a banquet, the king began to come to his senses. He even acceded to Esther's request that Haman attend the banquet (Esther understood that we are to feed even our enemies and overcome evil with good). During the banquet, the time came when Esther had the full attention of the king, who was by now very intrigued, and he said to her, And what is thy request? It shall be given thee, even to the half of the kingdom (Esther 5:3). It was a generous offer, but Esther knew that an invitation to partner with the king in his pagan kingdom wouldn't rescue the Jews.

In the same way, there are some who say to the Lord, "Let's be partners, half and half." They wish to make the Lord a partner in their business. They wish to make a stronger commitment than merely giving a tithe and keeping 90 percent for themselves. It seems like an admirable desire, and in a certain sense, it is.

But it won't solve the problems that surround us. The world is extremely hostile to the people of God, and it intends to give us no place in it.

The situation straightened out for Esther and the Jews when the king took back his ring, hanged Haman on the gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai, and placed his entire kingdom under the management of Esther and Mordecai.

If we take partial steps towards the Lord, little by little – baby steps, if you will – this is not the same as when the Lord chooses us. And the Lord may not choose us if we only offer him part of our kingdom. He wants us to give him our whole heart, willingly, unconditionally. I know that it's possible for someone to be saved even if all their works are burnt up in the judgment, but I can assure you that these saved ones will not be the ones chosen to reign and rule with Christ.

(1:4) being certain, beloved brethren, that you are chosen of God.

The Lord chooses certain individuals for certain of his purposes. He chose to "call out" particular Jews and pagans to form part of the early church; he also chose to send Paul to Thessalonica. This wasn't a strategy planned by Paul or even by some missions committee back at Antioch or Jerusalem, but Paul followed his Lord's plan.

(1:5) For our gospel did not come unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in full assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

When the Lord has a plan, it's not the same thing as us having what we think is a good idea. When God sends forth his emissaries, he provides unlimited resources to fulfill his word. Our human resources are far more limited.

Consider John 3:34: For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God does not give the Spirit by measure unto him.

These are the words of John the Baptist referring to Jesus Christ.

At Pentecost, only a measure of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early Christians. Paul calls this the "earnest" or down payment of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). In Acts 2, Peter quotes the prophet Joel, but under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, he makes a slight modification to the Old Testament Scripture. Joel said that God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28). Peter quoted that God would pour out of his Spirit on all flesh – that is, a portion of his Spirit – because it was not yet the time of fullness (Acts 2:17).

Over the centuries, some of God's people, like Elisha, have asked for (and obtained) a double portion of the Spirit. But over the centuries, only Jesus, who was expressly sent by the Father, has had an unlimited anointing of the Spirit without measure.

He will give us the earnest of the Spirit to test us and see what we will do with the talents, with the gifts, and with the ministries he has given to us; but the fullness is different.

Those who will have the Spirit without measure must be commissioned and sent by God. It was the Holy Spirit, not the elders at Antioch, who separated Paul and Barnabas for ministry, and it was God who sustained them on their missionary journeys.

When Paul was still known as Saul – when he was persecuting Christians, when he was on the road to Damascus breathing out threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord – during those times, he had letters and credentials from the leaders of the Jews and from the authorities (Acts 9:1-2) to do what he was doing. When God sent him out, however, no longer as Saul of Tarsus but as the apostle Paul, he had no such letters or credentials. This is what he later wrote in that respect in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3: Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Changed lives, beginning with his own, were now Paul's credentials, and they were the only ones he needed. Jesus said, So that by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:20). While there are many fruits, there are only two basic types that need to be discerned: good fruit and evil fruit.

There are only wheat and tares in the field. The tares are planted by the Devil; they are the sons of the Evil One, and in the end, they produce poison. Jesus, on the other hand, was the grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died so that the life and nature of God could be reproduced in us (John 12:24). At the time of the harvest, it doesn't take an expert to discern the difference between the two.

As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:

(1:6) And ye were made imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit:

The word tribulation is used fifty-five times in Scripture. There are people who think that the great tribulation only comes at the end; but no, all Christians of all times have had to face trials and tribulations caused by Satan and his followers. At the end, it is the wrath of God that will cause great tribulation for anyone who does not have a clean heart (Revelation 2:20-23); but God does not destroy the righteous along with the wicked.

Paul wasn't out there giving how-to seminars; he was a living example, not a lecturing example. He wasn't running around controlling others, giving orders, or creating a body of people who were called out to follow him wherever he led. Paul wanted followers not for himself but for a specific purpose: "Follow me as I follow Christ" were his words.

Those who desire to have their own sheepfold and give orders do not understand the ministry. They do little good and may do much harm. The one who gives the orders is the Lord; it is the heavenly Father who provides the discipline. It is not for us to declare ourselves a leader and start telling others what to do. Rather, if the Lord has placed us as a leader, then we must, with patience, do nothing unless and until he gives us the order or makes it clear that he has delegated the responsibility. Then, like Paul, we can offer ourselves as an example that others can follow, and those who follow will set a good example in their turn.

(1:7) So that ye have become examples to all that have believed in Macedonia and Achaia.

When those who feel that they are the pastors or the elders or the deacons or have some such other title and proceed to give the orders and implement human control, their followers may never come to maturity and therefore may never set a uniform good example for others. The leaders will have failed them. "Follow me as I follow Christ."

On a recent trip to Africa, I saw many churches of many different persuasions, but one thing that virtually all of them had in common was that they were run by leaders with a very strong hand. In one place, they had a back room with rugs and easy chairs where beautiful girls on their knees served the leadership and their friends with special food. This seemed quite typical and was no doubt very pleasant for the leaders, yet almost all of the believers we visited seemed very immature, and this touched our trip with sadness, for where immature believers predominate, this means that the fruit has not come to maturity.

With almost all fruit-bearing trees or plants, the seed is in the fruit. If the fruit has not come to maturity, the seed is not yet viable, and the tree cannot reproduce. Churches that are not bearing mature fruit – or worse, are bearing the wrong fruit – will not have any incorruptible seed to plant. What good, then, will they do? They may be trained by rote to evangelize, but if they are planting corrupt and non-viable seed, it cannot reproduce the life of Christ in others, and there will be a shortage of good examples to follow. What a contrast with the ministries of Paul and the other early apostles! The seed they planted – the example they set – was so strong and vigorous that the early Christians multiplied the quality of the life of Christ on a grand scale that turned the world upside down.

(1:8) For through you the word of the Lord has been divulged not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is in God, has become extended, so that we have no need to say anything.

Paul was only with them for a very brief time, and yet without founding a Bible school or a seminary, and without implementing human control or demanding human credentials, the incorruptible Word that was planted gave mature fruit and multiplied. It didn't happen because Paul, Silas (Silvanus), and Timothy used professionally written scripts and gave slick multimedia presentations. It happened because the people embraced the Word of God and began to walk in righteousness and integrity, following the clean example of Paul and Silas and Timothy. Soon, three good examples turned into hundreds and then thousands, all of them walking upright in the love and in the life of Jesus Christ.

People frequently come up to me and say something like this: "Brother Russ, I would like to be in the ministry. Do you think I can do this or that, or be in charge of a group somewhere or in my home? I'll always be very careful to do whatever you say!"

To this I always respond, honestly, that I don't know. If I authorize them, what if God doesn't agree with me? If I say yes and God says no, it will be a huge disaster. On the other hand, if God says yes and I say no, where will that lead? Who am I to decide who the Lord's ministers are?

Jesus taught us not to judge and not to condemn. He said that we should look at the fruits (that is, we should see if mature and godly character has been developed or not). But a fruit that is immature this year may be mature next year or even in just a matter of months. How, then, can I decide?

I have found by long and painful experience that it's much better to let God make the decisions on who should do what and when. If someone has clear evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, if the grace and favor of God is upon them, if they are under the discipline and chastening of the heavenly Father, then I am perfectly happy to witness to what God is doing as he uses them, and it's not up to me to be in charge, even though God has given me some very definite responsibilities.

It is clear that from Thessalonica, believers and entire congregations multiplied naturally in the body of Christ as a living organism. God sent the ones he chose to plant the right seed, and those who accepted his nurture and correction came to maturity and multiplied. It's not necessary to hold seminars to tell people how to produce godly fruit. Are we so vain that we imagine we need to teach an apple tree how to make sure that the apples are the right shape and color and size and sweetness? The nature of the seed, the nature of the life of Christ, determines the quality of the fruit if the seed falls into good ground that is watered and fertilized.

One day someone came up to me after a meeting and told me that my ministry was deficient because I wasn't telling the people what the mortal and venial sins were, what their religious responsibilities were and how they should carry them out, how they were to dress and conduct themselves, and so on. But the truth is that the Lord hasn't shown me that I should preach like that. I give God's message as I'm able, and if the message of God enters someone's heart, if that person embraces the truth with faith, then they won't depend on my words. They won't need to, because they'll have God's Word hidden in their hearts. They'll be born again and have new, clean appetites. God will chasten and correct all those sons (and daughters) whom he loves (Hebrews 12:6-11). It's not my job to run a detective agency to spy on what the people are doing. The burden of their correction and discipline doesn't lie on my shoulders. They're in God's hands, and unless he blesses them with his grace and mercy and correction, what can I do?

We're all familiar with David's words in Psalm 23:1 when he says, The Lord is my shepherd [or pastor]; I shall not want. If people think that it's Russell Stendal (or anyone else) who's their shepherd, they're going to lack many things. Try as I might to supply their needs, I'm only a man. But if I diligently seek the Lord and strive to follow in Christ's footsteps, I can at least offer myself as an example to them.

Paul could say with truth that the Thessalonians had become examples to all who believed, that their faith had been extended so that Paul and his companions had no need to say anything, because the changed lives of the Thessalonians spoke for themselves.

(1:9) For they themselves tell of us what an entrance we had unto you and in what manner ye were converted to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

The world is still full of idols – and by "idol," I don't necessarily mean some kind of statue or "graven image." For some, their possessions are idols; for others, their work or vocation may be an idol; even our children may become our idols. An idol is anything that is more important to us than the Lord. Are we devoting 10 percent of our thoughts to God and 90 percent to something that exists only in the world – some idol? What foolishness! No wonder we find ourselves struggling. If we put the Lord first, he will order everything in our life and show us how to fruitfully invest our time and resources.

(1:10) and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.

Many suspect that the end times are approaching, and they seek to prepare for the end of the world and to escape the wrath to come by believing doctrines. It's as if they think that knowledge alone will save them. But as my father always told me, "Our doctrines can't save us, even when they're true. Make no mistake: Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save us."

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

May we receive discernment from you regarding the times we live in. May we come to maturity in Christ and invest our time and resources according to your direction. May we receive your correction and chastening so that our hearts may remain clean and pure. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 2

Our Need to Be Led by the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 2

(2:1) For you yourselves, brethren, know that our entrance unto you was not vain,

(2:2) but having suffered before and having been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to announce unto you the gospel of God with much diligence.

(2:3) For our exhortation was not of error nor of uncleanness nor in guile,

(2:4) but because we have been approved of God that he might entrust us with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who tries our hearts.

Starting way back in the Old Testament, for God, things were either clean or unclean. There was no in-between. One of the tasks of the ministers or priests was to separate the precious from the vile (Jeremiah 15:19), and to show the people the difference between what was clean and what was unclean (Leviticus 10:10). Now, we are part of the priesthood of all believers (Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6), and it is even more important not to mix the gospel with anything that would contaminate it.

God approved of Paul and his friends and entrusted them with the gospel. Their mission was to please God above all else. God had tested their hearts. When you read about their actions, it's obvious that they were in direct contact with God and were sent directly by him to carry out his purposes. Does this not sound vastly different from the intellectual training and testing that takes place in many religious institutions? If all our leaders had this sort of calling from God and this kind of direct relationship with him, how different our congregations would be!

Even after his conversion on the Damascus road and in Damascus itself, close to fourteen years passed before the Holy Spirit indicated that Saul (Paul) and Barnabas be separated unto the work that God had called them to do (Acts 13:2). We might expect Paul to have spent that time learning the theories and techniques of evangelism from the apostles down at Jerusalem. Instead, it was God himself who taught Saul and brought him to maturity in Christ for the work of the ministry. When Saul (a name meaning "asked for" or "desired") was sent out by God, even his name was changed to express that he was now a new man: Paul (which means "little" or "small").

Paul claimed to be the least of the apostles – indeed, he could be said to glory in that title – yet God used him greatly. Paul had many enemies, as will any true messenger of God, since such messengers tend to speak, not as pleasing men, but God. Jesus himself had many enemies while on earth, and he has just as many, if not more, in the present times. Last year, one of my friends, a wonderful man named Pabel, was brutally murdered as he worked for the Lord. They tied him to a tree and then strangled him to death with the weight of the bag of Bibles that he always carried with him on his motorcycle. Afterward, his widow said, "My husband did not preach the gospel to please men; he preached the gospel to save souls."

(2:5) For we were never flatterers in the word, as ye know, nor tainted with covetousness, God is witness,

(2:6) nor did we seek glory of men neither of you nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome unto you as the apostles of Christ.

Paul and his companions set an example of working with their hands and normally did not ask for offerings, even though they could have done so.

(2:7) But we were gentle among you, as a mother feeding and caring for her children,

(2:8) loving you so much, that we were willing to give unto you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls, because ye are dear to us.

(2:9) For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for labouring night and day, not to be a burden unto any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God.

Paul knew what would happen later, when many would use the gospel as a pretext for personal gain. It happened in his lifetime and it's still happening in ours. But Paul decided to be an example. For many years, he planted the gospel throughout the Roman Empire without receiving any reward beyond the knowledge that he was fulfilling his mission for God – but that was the only reward he truly valued. How many of us can say the same?

(2:10) Ye are witnesses, and God also, of how holy and just and irreprehensible our behaviour was among you that believe,

(2:11) as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children,

(2:12) that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

The new believers could perceive Paul more easily than they could perceive God. So Paul was like a mother and a father to them at the beginning, and now they were all setting an excellent example throughout the entire region – an example that others were following.

Is this not very interesting?

All of this was going on right in the middle of a place that was a strong Enemy fortress: a place so strong that the pagans named it The Victory of That Which is False. But God sent Paul over there to plant That Which is True instead, and the truth took root and bore mature fruit that spread the gospel of God all over the entire region.

Maturity in the original languages of the Scriptures (Greek and Hebrew) is the same word as perfection. The work of God multiplied because many brothers and sisters came to maturity in Christ. Does this mean that they reached perfection? Some would say that this is difficult or even impossible. They think that we can't come to perfection due to our human state. Since it's impossible for us to score 100 percent on every exam or even hit the right notes with every song, and since as humans we tend to lose things or forget things and to make other honest mistakes, they proceed to throw out the baby with the bath water.

It's true, of course, that the natural, fallen man can never come to perfection by his own efforts, but what of it? Jesus Christ is perfect, and he desires to live in us by the Holy Spirit and to reign from the throne of our hearts. What the Lord Jesus does in our hearts is perfect, and he will not rest until our hearts are clean. In fact, he desires to replace our heart with his heart; and if we submit to the chastening and discipline of our heavenly Father, our hearts will not only be washed clean but will also stay clean.

If we are to be greatly used by God, his primary requirement is that we have a clean heart. Jesus and his Father can flow through our hearts by the Holy Spirit in whatever way they desire. What God does in and through us can be perfect.

Therefore, perfection or maturity is not so far away. It's not an impossible dream. Perfection can indeed live inside of us; perfection may reign from the throne of our hearts. Perfection flows from God.

This is not to deny that many of those who have walked with the Lord and have experienced the quality of the eternal life of God have nevertheless backslidden. Some have gotten tangled up with the distortions of the Pharisees (that is, the religious practices of men), or others with the corruptions of Herod (that is, by making their own kingdoms). There are many human weaknesses and many forms of corruption, and Scripture states that a little leaven leavens the entire mass – that is, even a small error can soon spread through a large group. But if we turn again, confessing our sin with genuine repentance, our Father will always forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

(2:11) as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father with his children,

(2:12) that ye would walk worthy of God, who has called you unto his kingdom and glory.

(2:13) For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that having received from us the word to hear from God, ye received it not as the word of men, (but as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually works in you that believe.

This doesn't sound like what is going on in many religious places today where the church is in sharp decline. Paul taught and preached the word to hear from God. Having done so – having taught the people how to hear God's voice – Paul was able to leave after just a few weeks; and after his departure, many Thessalonians came to maturity in Christ by listening directly to the voice of God. This was all accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit without microphones, without loudspeakers, without recorded messages, and even without literature, until two short letters (epistles) were written quite a bit later.

Paul knew by the Spirit that if someone is immature in the faith (and especially if that person has money), it is not wise to twist their arm in an effort to solicit offerings, because this may derail what God is doing in their lives. I find it striking that there is no mention at all in the New Testament of Jesus or of any of the apostles ever asking anyone for tithe monies.

I would also venture to say that if someone has ill-gotten gains and we attempt to get them to give us some of their money, the leprous curse (in spiritual terms) that is upon them may fall upon us in the same way it happened to Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, when he took money from Naaman, the Syrian general who was healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:15-27).

When Jesus encountered the rich young ruler who longed for spiritual answers, he could have asked him for money or possessions, and the young man could have offered this willingly. Instead, Jesus told him to sell all that he had (this would include any ill-gotten gains) and give it to the poor and then come and follow him (Matthew 19:22-23).

Are there ministers of the gospel doing things like this today at the prompting of the Holy Spirit? I hope so.

Among the early Christians, there was an abundance of good examples to follow, and Paul was able to commend the entire congregation at Thessalonica. In some quarters, corruption was beginning to have an effect even in those early days, and corruption of the church that Jesus established is much more advanced today (because the Enemy has spent a long time sowing tares among the wheat), yet there are still many great Christians whose examples encourage us to walk uprightly before the Lord.

(2:14) For ye, brethren, have been imitators in Christ Jesus of the congregations of God which are in Judaea, for ye also have suffered like things of your own nation, even as they have of the Jews,

(2:15) who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they do not please God and are contrary to all men,

(2:16) forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up the measure of their sins always, for the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

This is one of the later epistles that Paul wrote, and his words about the wrath of God that has come upon them to the uttermost undoubtedly refer to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem that was prophesied by Jesus and used by him as an example of the end of the age of the church and of events leading up to his second coming (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). At the end of the age of the law, the wrath of God came down upon the disobedient Jews to the uttermost. What makes us think that something similar will not happen to disobedient Christians at the end of this age?

(2:17) But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly with great desire to see your face.

(2:18) Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us.

The part about Satan hindering Paul from traveling to see the Thessalonians is an important point, and we will come back to this later. Satan is the god of this world, and he will continue to dominate the world until he is taken out of the way.

(2:19) For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

(2:20) For ye are our glory and joy.

Paul does not just say that his hope or joy or crown of rejoicing is that the Thessalonians will someday be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He says that they will be "in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming." This is the time of the first resurrection.

It is also very interesting to note that of all the places Paul ministered at, he spent less time at Thessalonica than almost anywhere else, yet this is one of the places that bore the best fruit because the people became directly connected to God. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, goes into detail and shares with the Thessalonians a revelation about the second coming of Jesus that is not found in any of his other epistles.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

We desire to hear directly from you. We desire revelation from you. Please grant that we may be among those found in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. Amen.
Chapter 3

Occupying until Christ Returns

1 Thessalonians 3

(3:1) Therefore when we could wait no longer, we agreed to remain in Athens alone

(3:2) and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of the Christ, to confirm you and to exhort you in your faith,

(3:3) that no one should be moved in these tribulations, for you know that we are appointed for this.

(3:4) For even when we were with you, we told you in advance that we must pass through tribulations, even as it has come to pass, and ye know.

(3:5) For this cause I, also, not waiting any longer, have sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter has tempted you and our labour is in vain.

(3:6) But now when Timothy came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you.

(3:7) Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our tribulation and need by your faith;

They were in tribulations and so was Paul, in the midst of a desperate Enemy onslaught. Paul was comforted to know that they were doing well, that some had come to maturity in Christ, and that God was multiplying believers all over the region.

From this we can also deduce that it does not necessarily have to take extended amounts of time for believers to mature in Christ, and that this process is greatly accelerated under tribulation and persecution. Jesus Christ is already mature (perfect), and if we allow him to work in us by the Holy Spirit and bring us under the direct discipline and chastening of God the Father, God will soon be able to work through us. This was now clearly happening with the Thessalonians and was cause for great joy among Paul and his companions.

(3:8) for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

(3:9) For what thanks can we render to God again for you for all the joy with which we joy for your sakes before our God,

(3:10) night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might complete that which is lacking in your faith?

In the body of Christ, all are joined together and therefore we can sense and feel concern for one another when tribulation and persecution set in, as well as joy when our brothers and sisters stand firm in the faith, even if we are not always able to see them face to face. Paul was bonded with the Thessalonians and desired to be with them and to continue to strengthen them in their faith.

(3:11) Now may God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you.

Here Paul applies the title of "Father" to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our example, and we are to imitate him. He is a father, and he desires to show us how to be fathers. This is another indication of the goal of maturity and perfection set before us, and it is an important key to the multiplication of the people of God.

(3:12) And the Lord make you to multiply and make charity to abound among you and toward all men, even as it is with us toward you,

(3:13) that your hearts may be confirmed in holiness, irreprehensible before God, even our Father, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Notice that it does not say that all the saints will someday be raptured and disappear to join Jesus in heaven. No! It says that Jesus will come (that is, return here) with all of his saints. There is absolutely no mention of a secret rapture taking place years prior to this second coming, and no suggestion that Paul is describing our going up in any way, shape, or form, rapturous or otherwise. No, he is talking about "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."

Paul also makes it very clear that it is indispensable for our hearts to be confirmed in holiness and for us to be irreprehensible before God the Father, in order for us to be ready for the second coming.

What does it mean to be irreprehensible? Put more simply, it means "not reprehensible" – that is, not deserving of severe rebuke or condemnation.

What is holiness?

Holiness is being separated for the exclusive use of the Lord. Holiness is not a dress code nor a certain religious vocabulary; it's not even a religious lifestyle. Holiness is having our hearts focused entirely upon pleasing God. Holiness is victory over the flesh, over sin, over the Devil, and over the world in the power of Jesus Christ. This is holiness. We are called to fight the good fight, to stand firm, and to occupy until Jesus returns. Those who teach the doctrine of the secret rapture declare premature victory. They tell Christians not to worry because the battle is over and the rapture is imminent. Friends, the battle isn't over until the last Enemy has been conquered.

If this were not the case, why would we be admonished to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10)? Why would Paul say in Philippians 3:7-11, But those things which were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ. And doubtless I even count all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Paul places his emphasis on resurrection, not on rapture. He obviously knows something about the first resurrection that most Christians today do not understand. May God reveal this to you also.

He goes on (Philippians 3:12-17): Not as though I had already attained it, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if I may lay hold of that for which I have also been laid hold of by the Christ, Jesus. Brethren, I do not reckon to have laid hold of it yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us, therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, in that unto which we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us have the same mind. Brethren, be imitators of me and consider those who so walk, as ye have us for a pattern.

There is something of extreme importance having to do with the resurrection of the dead that Paul desired with all his heart to attain, something that he had not yet laid hold of, which he calls the pressing on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. This is not just some personal objective of the apostle Paul, because he encourages the Thessalonians to be imitators of him and to consider those who walk like him as a pattern for everyone else.

He closes with these thoughts (Philippians 3:18-21): (For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end shall be perdition, whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things). For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall transform our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is also able to subdue all things unto himself.

When the Lord Jesus returns, may he find us going about his Father's business. It does not matter if our responsibilities are few or many. May he find us faithful with whatever he has entrusted to us when he comes back.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

May we have the courage to go wherever you desire to send us. May we enter the strongholds of the Enemy and establish beachheads for the gospel. Wherever there has been victory of that which is false and in error, we ask that these places be penetrated with your light, with your truth, and with your love. May many come to maturity in their faith, and may they be multiplied all across the globe. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 4

The "Secret Rapture" Error

1 Thessalonians 4

(4:1) It is in order then, brethren, that we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that in the manner ye were taught of us how ye ought to walk and to please God; so ye would continue to grow.

(4:2) For ye already know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

(4:3) For the will of God is your sanctification, that ye should separate yourselves from fornication,

(4:4) that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honesty,

(4:5) not with affection of lust, as the Gentiles who do not know God,

(4:6) that no one oppress and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

This is a serious warning to all Christians.

(4:7) For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.

Sanctification (being set apart unto holiness) is the place of victory over sin, over the world, and over the Devil. God is not calling anyone to be a carnal Christian who lives according to the flesh. We are warned over and over about this (Romans 8:13).

(4:8) He therefore that despises us, does not despise man, but God, who has also given unto us his Holy Spirit.

The Thessalonians had received the word of God and were now mature enough to be a good example unto others. God's word had now begun to multiply throughout the entire region. But, as has happened everywhere up until now, when God plants good seed, the Enemy comes along behind planting tares. Scripture says that the Enemy is able to do this when men sleep (Matthew 13:25). Paul gave the Thessalonians a serious warning that they should stay spiritually awake.

(4:9) But as touching love among the brethren, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves have learned of God that ye are to show charity to one another.

The love that the brethren felt for each other (philadelphos in Greek, from the root word phileos) is a friendly affection that lies within our human capabilities. Charity (agape in Greek) is the sacrificial, redemptive love of God that only flows from the presence of God. Jesus warned the congregation at Ephesus that they had left their first love (charity) and that unless they repented and returned to the first works (that is, to the works of God instead of their own works), he would remove the lampstand of his presence from among them (Revelation 2:4-5). If the agape love of God ever ceases to flow among a congregation of believers, Jesus may withdraw his presence even if human phileos love continues to flow.

(4:10) And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia, but we beseech you, brethren, that ye continue to grow

(4:11) and that ye procure to be quiet and to do your business and to work with your hands, as we commanded you,

(4:12) that ye may walk honestly toward those that are without, and that ye may desire nothing from any one.

It's very important that each one of us be dedicated to doing something useful and productive and that we not covet anything that isn't ours.

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul said the first step towards apostasy is when we cease to glorify God and be thankful for what we have (Romans 1:21). If we are not content with and thankful for what we have, then we will never be satisfied, no matter what we obtain. Every now and then, we should take inventory of what God has given us, be thankful for it, and make sure that we are making good use of it, whatever it may be and no matter how little it may appear to be to us. If we are faithful with little, God will entrust us with more.

(4:13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as the others who have no hope.

(4:14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who sleep in Jesus will God also bring with him.

(4:15) For this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep.

(4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

This unquestionably kills the doctrine of the secret rapture. If those who are dead in Christ shall rise first in bodies to reign with him here upon the earth (Revelation 20:4-6), then it is clear that the believers who are alive and remain will not mysteriously disappear by some kind of rapture into heaven for three and a half or seven or even seventy years, as some are teaching.

(4:17) then we who 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.

(4:18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

When the Lord Jesus returns, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with those who are dead in Christ (and who have just been resurrected) and meet him in the air as he descends from heaven and returns with all of us to earth. It will be sudden and unexpected, but it certainly won't be secret: after all, it's going to take place with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God! Which trumpet? In the book of Revelation, seven trumpets are mentioned. The first resurrection of the dead is at the last trumpet, which is the seventh trumpet, but the previous six trumpets are also very important and set many things into motion. According to Revelation 10:7, but in the day of the voice of the seventh angel when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he did evangelize unto his slaves the prophets.

 See Russell Stendal, Revelation Unveiled (Aneko Press, 2015).

The events leading up to the return of the Lord Jesus are veiled in mystery until God chooses to reveal them. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll (Revelation 6:14) and will vanish like smoke (Isaiah 51:6), and the powers of heaven shall be shaken (Luke 21:26). In fact, it is Jesus himself who will be revealed from heaven, and it will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised without corruption, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Revelation 11:15 describes it this way: And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet, and there were great voices in the heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are reduced unto our Lord and to his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

This is the same scene as in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where it says the Lord will descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and it coincides exactly with the words and parables of Jesus in the Gospels and with all of the Old Testament prophets.

There are, of course, important events leading up to the seventh trumpet, because it appears that each of the trumpets is blown in very close succession, paralleling what happened when Joshua led the children of Israel to march around Jericho seven times on the seventh day and to blow all seven trumpets. That was when everyone shouted and the mighty walls fell down flat (Joshua 6:15-16).

Consider too the words of Mark 13:26-27: And then they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth unto the uttermost part of the heaven.

Here it is also clear that at his return, Jesus is not secretly taking his people from earth to somewhere far away. He is coming in the clouds with great power and glory and gathering those who have gone before, together with those who are alive and remain.

A more detailed description is given in Luke 21:25-28: Then there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near.

If this were to happen years after a secret rapture, these words would not make sense. If all of God's people were up in heaven, this would have to say look down, not look up!

The world is in great turmoil that is increasing extremely rapidly. The future of the world economy is uncertain, and the state of politics in all nations is increasingly troubled. Anyone with a clean heart for God can also perceive that the contamination and unrest that have flooded many sectors of Israel and of the church are intensifying.

God is about to suddenly come upon the scene and clean house. The judgment begins from the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17-19), not from the stock market or from the bastions of secular political power (although these may be used as a means of bringing judgment about). This is the meaning of the four blood moons that have been taking place every six months, alternating between Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, for the past year and a half. The fourth blood moon took place on September 28, 2015. In the Bible, the moon is a symbol of the people of God (Israel and the church). The blood moons mean that God is about to cleanse his people by removing the wicked from among the righteous. The tares will be removed from among the wheat (Matthew 13:40-43).

As the new day of the Lord dawns, unclean representatives of God will not be able to stand. They will attempt to run and hide when they suddenly find themselves naked, exposed, and defenseless (Revelation 6:14-17). But for those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb – those who are cleansed in the life of Christ and are doing his work of righteousness – there is nothing to fear (Matthew 24:42-51).

The Jewish New Year began on the new moon of September 13 this year (2015). As you probably know, in the Old Testament, every seventh year was to be a year of rest in which the Israelites were not allowed to sow or reap, and that which grew up of itself was to be for everyone, including the animals (Leviticus 25:4-7). Seven Sabbaths of years or seven times seven is forty-nine years, and in the fiftieth year the trumpet was to be blown on the tenth day of the seventh month (the Day of Atonement (or reconciliation)) to announce the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-22). If the book of Leviticus was written circa 1483 BC, and if this was the beginning of the seventh year of rest cycle and of having the Year of Jubilee every fiftieth year (that is, the Jubilee comes on the year following seven seven-year cycles), then we are now entering the forty-ninth year of the seventieth fifty-year cycle. Therefore, this is the 490th year of rest; and next year, starting in the fall of 2016, will be the seventieth Jubilee, marking 3,500 years total.

We will soon see if 1483 BC was, in fact, the right starting date for this sequence. If this is the case, then 1967 was the sixty-ninth Jubilee; and events like the Six-Day War, with the return of Jerusalem to the control of the Jews, together with the spiritual revival and ministries that were born in 1967, seem to confirm this. We can expect the seventieth Jubilee to be even better (and much more intense), but the blessing may very well be preceded by a day of reckoning as God removes the wicked from among the righteous. This is the real meaning of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and it has yet to be fulfilled in fullness among the people of God (Leviticus 23:27-32).

Remember that the Jubilee applies to the people of God (Israel and the church) and has to do with trumpets, with the fullness of redemption, with the release of all debts, with the return of all property to its rightful owner, and with freedom for all slaves. However, on a very special year of liberty (very possibly referring to the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ, Revelation 20:5), gifts given to servants or slaves return to the house, and only the gifts given to sons (and this is not referring to gender) remain perpetually as an inheritance (Ezekiel 46:16-17). Those who are using God-given gifts while in bondage to the world, to sin, and to the Devil, or while serving any entity or idol other than God, are in grave danger of having their gifts and ministries revoked in the year of liberty.

I feel in my spirit that these dates and numbers, along with all of the unusual signs in the heavens (blood moons, eclipses, and constellations), are very significant; I believe that they signal that we are at or near the end of this age (the seventieth Jubilee comes at the end of approximately fifteen hundred years of law and two thousand years of grace). I have been writing and preaching through the Bible for many years, and this subject is very hard to miss.

In the coming days and months, watch Israel. The Middle East is a powder keg that will soon explode if God does not intervene (Zechariah 14). The lukewarm church and so-called carnal Christians are also in extreme danger all over the world. There is, however, a place of total victory in Christ; and those who have clean hearts and a right relationship with God have nothing to fear, and can look forward to unprecedented opportunities to win battles that have previously been difficult or impossible.

We are approaching the time when the lamps of the foolish virgins will begin to go out (that is, God will pull the plug on the anointing and ministry of gifted men and women who do not have a direct relationship with God the Father and who have not submitted to his discipline and chastening). This is also the time when the wise virgins will spiritually wake up and enter in to God's plans and purposes for this hour, as he removes the wicked from among the righteous to produce a bride without spot or wrinkle for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For more clarification on this subject, we can turn to the book of Matthew, beginning with Matthew 24:36-42: But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of the heavens, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

God is about to remove the wicked from among the righteous. This happened in the days of Noah, when the flood took away all the wicked and removed them from the earth, and now we are coming again to a time when the wicked shall be taken and the righteous shall be left. Many theologians and Bible teachers have this backwards, believing that the righteous will be raptured before the wicked are destroyed. Quite the reverse! The tares shall be removed first and burned and then the wheat shall be gathered into the barn (Matthew 13:30). Matthew 13 also has this to say in verses 36 to 43: Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house, and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked; and the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this age. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who do iniquity and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

At the end of this age (which is now upon us), the wicked will be gathered and removed from among the righteous, not the other way around. The wicked are defined as all things that offend (that is, cause others to stumble) and all people who do iniquity. Iniquity is deliberate, known sin that the person chooses to hide, rather than bringing it into the light and dealing with it before God and before those who have been offended. Iniquity is related to darkness. Once the wicked are removed, the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their heavenly Father. This is the day of the Lord.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

May we understand the signs of the times. May we stay in the light. May we be wide awake spiritually as we await your orders. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 5

Staying Awake

1 Thessalonians 5

(5:1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

(5:2) For ye know well that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night.

(5:3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

False teachers are even now proclaiming peace and safety. They teach that the universal church (including even the lukewarm churches) will soon be raptured and thus there is nothing to worry about. They teach that we can relax because the battle is over. They cite the promises of God involving Israel and the church as if God were a slick sales agent making real estate deals and Jesus a shyster lawyer getting unrepentant criminals off the hook. They say "Peace and safety" to those who are still mired in iniquity. In the short term, this makes people happy; in the long term, however, there may be a terrible price to pay.

All of God's covenants are conditional on God's people being faithful and obedient. Whether or not our hearts are clean is of monumental importance as the day of the Lord approaches. Those who are in darkness will never see that day coming until they are taken by the Lord "as a thief in the night."

(5:4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should take you as a thief.

(5:5) Ye are all the sons of light, and the sons of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darkness.

Those who are of the darkness (even within Israel and the church) will be taken as a thief – that is, that day will take them with the shock and surprise of a thief invading their homes in the hours of darkness. If we are the sons of light, the sons of the day, then even though we will not know the day nor the hour in advance, we will know enough about the times and the seasons to know that the Lord could come at any time. We are closer now than ever. Now is the time to lift up our heads. Now is the time to look up and pay attention to what God is doing and not get distracted by other, lesser things.

It will avail us nothing to have intellectual understanding of the Scriptures and even of the time and the season that we are now living in, if our hearts are not clean. Whoever has a clean heart and is dedicated to pleasing the Lord will be saved from the wrath to come, even if they don't understand all the prophetic details of what is about to happen. Those who have clean hearts will receive direct revelation from God.

Jesus said that if we keep his commandments, we are his friends. He gave us only one new commandment: that we are to love one another even as he has loved us. Jesus said that he does not reveal his plans to slaves or servants but only to his friends (John 15:9-17). If you desire to know more about his plans, make sure that he considers you his friend, as he is longing to do, and he will open your understanding and grant you revelation.

(5:6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

(5:7) For those that sleep, sleep in the night, and those that are drunken are drunken in the night.

(5:8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet, the hope of saving health.

If our salvation from the wrath to come were a done deal, this would not refer to the hope of saving health. It is true that we have been saved from many things since we first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; we are still being saved from other things; and if our hearts are clean and our relationship with God is right, we shall be saved from the wrath to come. The wrath to come is the wrath of God, not the wrath of the Devil, which Paul had to deal with and which we are still dealing with today.

In Genesis 14, Abraham, in representation of God, saved the kings and people of Sodom and Gomorrah, including his nephew, Lot. They even paid tithes to Melchisedec, who came with bread and wine (the elements of covenant). Yet later on, when God visited Sodom, he was not pleased with the fruit. You know the rest of the story (Genesis 19). None of us wants to face that kind of godly wrath.

(5:9) For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain saving health by our Lord Jesus Christ,

(5:10) who died for us, that whether we watch or sleep, we should live together with him.

(5:11) Therefore comfort and edify one another, even as ye do.

(5:12) And we beseech you, brethren, to recognize those who labour among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you

(5:13) and that you express greater charity unto them for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

It doesn't matter whether we're physically awake or asleep when Christ returns, because the dead in Christ will rise first, regardless of what we may be doing. We will not be raptured prior to the first resurrection. And when that resurrection happens, as Jesus Christ returns, it won't be secret, even though those who are unprepared will be taken as by a thief in the night. If it were not necessary for us to be prepared, the Scriptures would not contain such strong warnings directed to Christians. We would not be told, for example, that his bride has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7).

(5:14) We also exhort you, brethren, that you warn those that are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone.

(5:15) See that no one renders evil for evil unto anyone, but always follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.

(5:16) Always rejoice.

(5:17) Pray without ceasing.

(5:18) In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This is not a call to a rigidly religious lifestyle. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The word for pray used here means a continuous, unbroken relationship with God; it doesn't refer to a religious exercise or a prescribed religious regimen.

(5:19) Quench not the Spirit.

Paul would not say this if it were not possible to quench the Spirit. But how do you do such a thing? It's all too easy. If the Holy Spirit prompts you to do something and you don't do it (even if you intend to do it but you keep putting it off indefinitely, in favor of doing other things first), or if the Holy Spirit sends someone to encourage or admonish you and you fail to listen, eventually the Holy Spirit will leave. As I said above, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty – including the liberty to ignore that very Spirit. But there are consequences for such behavior. When the Holy Spirit leaves, you will most likely not remain alone, because another spirit – one that is not holy – will take over. That, you may remember, was the case with King Saul, who received an evil spirit sent from the Lord (1 Samuel 16:14-15).

(5:20) Despise not prophecies.

The Bible is filled with prophecies.

Even if we were not living in the time when the Lord Jesus could suddenly return to the world in general, his return could still be a reality for any one of us at any time. Even if he doesn't come for anyone else, at the moment of our physical death, he can come for us – and physical death can happen most unexpectedly.

This is why we must all watch and be ready. All of the prophecies regarding the return of the Lord will now come to pass sooner rather than later, because the end of the age is upon us. Christians from the time of the apostle Paul to the present day have lived under this reality, because none of them knew when Jesus would receive them, just as none of us knows when he will come for us. At any moment, in the twinkling of an eye, any of us could find ourselves behind the veil and in the presence of God. Are you prepared?

(5:21) Examine all things; retain that which is good.

(5:22) Separate yourselves from all appearance of evil.

(5:23) And the very God of peace sanctify you completely, that your spirit, soul, and body be preserved whole without reprehension for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are those who teach that during our sojourn here on earth, our spirit and soul may be saved while our body continues in defeat to chronic sin. This is an abomination. It is true that at the first resurrection those who are in Christ shall be transformed (and receive glorified bodies) and that when we see him we shall be like him, but even now we are called to put to death, by and through the Spirit, the deeds of the flesh, so that we might live (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16).

(5:24) Faithful is he that has called you, who will also do it.

(5:25) Brethren, pray for us.

(5:26) Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

(5:27) I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

(5:28) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

May we open our being so that you may work in and through us. May we understand the relationship between faith and grace and good works so that we may be found doing your work as this present age draws to a close. May we receive your correction and discipline so that we will bear good fruit in abundance. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 6

Prevailing through Persecution

2 Thessalonians 1

(1:1) Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, unto the congregation of the Thessalonians in God our Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ:

This refers to the people (the congregation) who have been brought into relationship with God the Father and with our Lord Jesus Christ (and therefore into fellowship with one another); it is not referring primarily to religious meetings but to ongoing, continuous fellowship with God and with one another.

(1:2) Grace unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1:3) We must thank God always for you, brethren, as is due because your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of each and every one of you toward each other abounds,

We are each given a measure of faith, and this may grow as we tap into the unlimited faith of Jesus, as his life and love (charity) grow within us and dominate our entire being. When our faith grows exceedingly, so does the agape love of God as it flows in and through us.

(1:4) so that we ourselves glory in you in the congregations of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure and

Paul is not referring to institutional churches; he is referring to groups of people in many different localities that are all part of the universal body of Christ. Persecution and tribulation are normal for those who follow Jesus Christ, and this is why the Thessalonians are upheld as a wonderful example for others.

(1:5) in testimony of the just judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer,

The Thessalonians are not being commended because they made great progress jumping through all the hoops of religion. There is no mention of their completing courses or any kind of formal training, or even of their carrying out water baptism or communion or any other religious rites or ceremonies. Rather, they are being commended for growing exceedingly in faith and charity while under an extreme Enemy onslaught of persecution and tribulation.

(1:6) seeing it is a just thing with God to recompense tribulation to those that trouble you

This is the way in which our battles are fought and won. What the Enemy does to those who are just and pure will come back upon the enemy. This is what happened regarding the ministry of the two witnesses described in Revelation 11:4-5. In fact, it is persecution and tribulation that help to cleanse and purify us: this is why God has allowed it for all of these long centuries. Faith must be tested and proven if we are to inherit the kingdom of God and reign with Jesus Christ. The fire of persecution burns up the dross, and that which remains is pure.

(1:7) and to give you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power,

(1:8) with flaming fire, to take vengeance on those that do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Again, there is no mention whatsoever of a secret rapture in which carnal, lukewarm Christians are helicoptered out of the battlefield and whisked off to heaven while Satan triumphs for a period of time here upon the earth. Satan has been dominating the world for six thousand years, and now we are very close to the time when he will be taken out.

It is clear that the Christians will be here upon the earth in the midst of persecution and tribulation until Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven, at which point it is the wicked who will be consumed and destroyed. There are many people today who use the name of God and the name of Jesus, and who congregate in religious institutions, yet they do not obey the gospel to make Jesus their Lord and King.

(1:9) who shall be punished with eternal destruction by the presence of the Lord and by the glory of his power,

This is when the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; this is when the heavens shall vanish like smoke; this is when the heavens shall disappear with a great noise and the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed with all of his angels and saints. This is when many shall say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And the Lord will answer, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22-23).

(1:10) when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all those that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Let's read those words again: he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all those that believe (emphasis added). Christ is now a body of many members, of which Jesus is the head. When we see him at his return, we shall be like him. His glory will not only be an external manifestation. All of his body will be glorified and placed on display, and all the members of his body will be able to clearly see and admire him. What a wonderful thought!

Yes, we will be caught up to meet him in the air as he comes in the clouds. However, we will not be secretly raptured off to heaven. No, we will meet him in the air and accompany him as he returns.

(1:11) Therefore in this manner we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling and fill each will with goodness and the work of faith with power

(1:12) that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be clarified in you, and ye in him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why would Paul be earnestly praying always for the believers at Thessalonica that God would count them worthy of his calling and fill each will with goodness and the work of faith with power? Why is Paul so concerned that they not only believe and receive the gospel but that they also obey it and bear good fruit? The name of our Lord Jesus Christ refers to the nature of God, which is imparted unto us by the grace of God. The grace of God is the fruit of power; it is not passive.

It is true that we do not deserve the grace of God and that in this sense it is unmerited favor. Grace, however, is much more than this. Grace is when God does for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. Grace is when God changes us from the inside out. Grace is when God transforms our entire being with his power by the Holy Spirit, until we bear good fruit and actually do the will of our heavenly Father.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in the heavens. And so strongly does God desire us to do his will that by his grace he gives us the Holy Spirit, from whom we can draw the strength to obey him.

Let us pray

Heavenly Father,

May we bear good fruit for your kingdom. May we do your will here on earth and be found faithful. May your promises be fulfilled in us. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chapter 7

Beware of the Tares

2 Thessalonians 2

(2:1) Now we beseech you, brethren, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together unto him,

Once again, our being gathered together unto him is linked to his coming. Once again, there is no mention of us being secretly raptured and going to heaven years before his coming.

(2:2) that ye not be easily shaken in understanding or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as if the day of Christ is at hand.

(2:3) Let no one 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,

(2:4) opposing and exalting himself against all that is called God, or divinity, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, making himself appear to be God.

This has had a historical application that led to the Dark Ages, the Spanish Inquisition, and many other horrible things. There is, however, also a personal and spiritual application to these words, namely, that there is a false spirit that pretends to be an angel of light but desires to displace the Holy Spirit and live in us, and there is a man of sin (the old man with the old nature, which has a great affinity for Satan) who can only be put to death by the power and presence of God.

We are presently in a time of falling away, in which the spirit of antichrist (false Christ) has overrun large sectors of Israel and of the church (but once the wicked are removed from among the righteous, a great ingathering is also promised). Paul was writing this letter not long after the Romans destroyed the temple at Jerusalem, and some teach that in order for the Scriptures regarding the return of Jesus Christ to be fulfilled, a replica of Solomon's temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem. However, this is not necessarily the case. According to the New Testament, we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-20; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-21).

(2:5) Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

(2:6) And ye know what impedes this now, that he might be revealed in his time.

(2:7) For the mystery of iniquity is already working, except that he who dominates now will dominate until he is taken out of the way.

According to Scripture, the Devil is the god of this world. Satan is the one who dominates now and will dominate until he is taken out of the way. At some point, Satan will literally fall from heaven to the earth, and this will set the stage for him and for all of his followers to be trapped and overcome (Revelation 12:7-10). Jesus saw a vision of this described in Luke 10:18. When Jesus came the first time, the Devil had even taken over the religious system at Jerusalem. The world empire that dominated at the time was Rome. When pagan Rome was taken out of the way and Christian Rome arose, this set the stage for the rise of the papacy, which ultimately succumbed to the same mystery of iniquity that has been working since ancient times.

In worldly terms, the power that dominates today is the United States of America. In the religious realm, however, Rome is still doing everything possible to make a comeback. As the power of the United States fades in places like Libya, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, and Iraq, horrible persecution of (mostly lukewarm) Christians has been unleashed, and this trend is likely to continue until God intervenes. Even the Vatican is scared to death of the growing threat posed by ISIS.

For the past seventy-five years or so, America has been known as the world's policeman. This doesn't sit too well with some, but what would the world be like without a policeman? We may soon find out.

There are some who believe that at the rapture, God will remove the Holy Spirit from the earth, but I'm confident that this will not happen. God will not remove either his people or the Holy Spirit. He will, however, allow whomever and whatever is not explicitly his to enter into more and more darkness, chaos, and confusion. As this happens, he will greatly increase his anointing upon the people of God who are pure and clean. Then Jesus will return for a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5:27).

People read the Scriptures and then attempt to solve the puzzle with their own natural understanding. Prophetically, however, many numbers and details in Scripture also have a deeper, symbolic meaning. For example, Scripture states that Babylon the Great will fall in one hour (Revelation 18:17-18), and elsewhere, it says that for God, a thousand years are as a day and a day is as a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8). If a twenty-four hour day is as a thousand years, then one prophetic hour could be as long as 41.666 years.

Those who attempt to decipher prophecy by human intellect not only enter into error but also are capable of infecting many others with their error. To understand prophecy, it is much more important to have a clean heart than a sharp intellect. It is even more important to be a close friend of Jesus, for he reveals his plans only to his friends.

(2:8) And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and remove with the clarity of his coming:

(2:9) that wicked one, who shall come by the working of Satan with great power and signs and lying miracles,

There have been many ugly situations throughout history, but many prophecies predict that evil will ultimately come to a head and that there will be a spectacular grand finale in which the wicked will be caught in their own trap. Satan himself is going to be caught and trapped in his own astuteness, along with his many representatives upon the earth.

(2:10) and with all deception of iniquity working in those that perish because they did not receive the charity of the truth, to be saved.

(2:11) Therefore, for this cause, God shall send the operation of error in them, that they should believe the lie;

(2:12) that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but consented to the iniquity.

Please notice that it is not just one wicked individual that the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth and remove with the clarity of his coming. All workers of iniquity who are misusing his name will be dealt with when he returns. Even those who did not originally intend to work iniquity but have been deceived into doing so will perish because they did not receive the agape love (or charity) of the truth. Iniquity is when the person knows that what they are doing is wrong and chooses to hide it instead of bringing it into the light and allowing God to help them deal with it.

God is charity (1 John 4:16). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We need the charity of the truth in order to be saved from the wrath that is to come. Jesus said that if we receive those whom he has sent, it is the same as receiving him, and that if we receive him, we also receive the Father who sent him. Let us look at some practical applications of this in the Gospels.

Matthew 18:3-5 tells us that Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens. And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me.

Mark 9:36-37 says, And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me; and whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.

Mark 10:15 presents it in very simple terms: Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And Luke 9:47-48 tells us, But Jesus, seeing the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receives me, and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me; for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Jesus had similar words for his disciples when he sent them out in ministry, as recorded in Matthew 10:40-41: He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

What is the reward of a prophet? What is the reward of a righteous man? In both cases the reward includes – eternal life.

The theme continues in Luke 10:16: He that hears you hears me, and he that despises you despises me, and he that despises me despises him that sent me.

And finally, in the words of John 13:20, Jesus says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whomsoever I send receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.

In most modern evangelism, Christ is received by responding to an altar call or repeating a sinner's prayer. In Jesus' ministry, however, as described in the Gospels, there is a different method. Those who are sent to us by God must be received, and even the most insignificant child, if received in Jesus' name, means that we have received Jesus and his Father. If we have embraced Jesus and his Father, then we have embraced the love (or charity) of the truth and vice versa.

Continuing, then, with 2 Thessalonians 2:

(2:7) For the mystery of iniquity is already working, except that he who dominates now will dominate until he is taken out of the way.

(2:8) And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and remove with the clarity of his coming:

(2:9) that wicked one, who shall come by the working of Satan with great power and signs and lying miracles,

(2:10) and with all deception of iniquity working in those that perish because they did not receive the charity of the truth, to be saved.

This is much different from receiving doctrine or believing historical facts. We will be tried and tested to see if we will receive those whom God sends to us. Our actions and response, even to a little child, can make the difference between eternal life or death. Those who reject God's messengers or harm one of God's little ones will be in an awful lot of trouble when Jesus returns.

(2:11) Therefore, for this cause, God shall send the operation of error in them, that they should believe the lie;

(2:12) that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but consented to the iniquity.

How do they consent to the iniquity? By rejecting the ministry and messengers and even the little children who represent the Lord.

(2:13) But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to saving health through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth,

(2:14) unto which he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul distinguishes the gospel that he is preaching with Timothy and with Silvanus (Silas) by calling it our gospel. They were commissioned and sent forth directly by God. There are many others who have gone out to preach the gospel but were not sent by the Lord.

(2:15) Therefore, brethren, stand fast and retain the doctrine which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.

We are to stand fast until Jesus returns. Here is what Jesus wrote to the faithful at Thyatira, as recorded in Revelation 2:25: But that which ye have already hold fast until I come.

We are not told to stand fast and hold fast to what we have until we're secretly raptured; we are to stand fast and occupy until Jesus returns.

(2:16) Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father, who has loved us and has given us eternal consolation and good hope through grace,

(2:17) comfort your hearts and confirm you in every good word and work.

We are called unto good words and good works – not our own words and our own works, which are unable to save us or anyone else. Rather, it is the words and works of Jesus that are to flow through us. His words and works produce eternal results. He will comfort our hearts and confirm us in every good word and every good work by the Holy Spirit.

It is true that Jesus came two thousand years ago and died for us and rose from the dead. This was a wonderful work on our behalf. However, Jesus desires to continue to work in us and through us. He desires to change our hearts. Without that, there is no salvation. If Jesus cleanses our hearts, then the time will come when he will also work through us as he brings forth the good fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Notice that Paul doesn't mention any human agency being involved in this. It isn't the elders or pastors or bishops who are to confirm each believer in every good word and work. It is Jesus and God the Father, directly. If God does not confirm our words and deeds, they are not good.

Let us pray

Lord,

We thank you for the clarity of this message and for sending your Spirit to comfort our hearts and to confirm our words and our deeds. Amen.
Chapter 8

The Lord Wins in the End

2 Thessalonians 3

(3:1) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you,

(3:2) And that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked men, for the faith is not of everyone.

(3:3) But the Lord is faithful, who shall confirm you and keep you from evil.

When Paul arrived at a new place with the word of God, he came not just with words but also with the power and grace of God. People were genuinely converted, and the Lord demonstrated extraordinary force and power. We are beginning to see this again, sometimes in the most difficult and unexpected places, and are filled with joy because the Lord is sending forth his word with power.

It is important for the word of the Lord to have free course and be glorified. If there is too much human intervention in the lives of new Christians, however, this will not happen, and unfortunately, many religious organizations and assemblies reek of human control. This is why we must be delivered from perverse and wicked men (who appear on the surface to be angels of light), because they will not allow the word of the Lord to have free course.

The course of the church age has been described as having early rain and latter rain (James 5:7), referring to the special outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the first century and also the past century. The day of the Lord, however, is different. In the day of the Lord, it's not a matter of just having rain. That day will begin with a word that is also thunder, lightning, and hail. Even the heavens and the earth will shake. We're now seeing the beginning of something that has never been seen before.

A few years ago, the norm was that the forces of evil always seemed to overcome the forces of good. Many Christians in North America and around the world lament that they're losing their freedoms and that evil forces have been making a lot of headway, imposing their corrupt, immoral agenda. The people of God have had a lot of patience. In Colombia and around the world, there have been many martyrs. We too are willing to give our lives for the Lord. However, lately the Lord has been delivering me from situations that, from a human perspective, looked very lost.

I've been willing to accept whatever the Lord ordains, even if it means that they kill me or put me in jail or kidnap me or something else. Many things have happened to me in the course of my work for the Lord, but every time someone has attempted to do me harm, it has always backfired on them. Sometimes it has backfired so spectacularly that, like the apostle Paul, they've been so convicted of the presence and the power of God that they've been converted.

There is something extraordinary going on now in Colombia that the Devil has not been able to put out. It's now beginning to spread elsewhere and will undoubtedly happen all over the world. When God causes a new day to happen, it must dawn somewhere first, so why not in places like Colombia?

(3:4) And we have confidence in the Lord regarding you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

(3:5) And the Lord make your hearts upright in the charity of God and in the hope of the Christ.

The Thessalonians were living in the time of the early rain upon the church. We, on the other hand, are living in the final stages of the end of the age, when the day of the Lord now looms upon our horizon. The second coming of the Lord Jesus has been a real hope throughout the centuries, because even though the second coming has not yet happened, each and every Christian has had that hope, and it has become a personal reality that those who die in Christ arrive into the presence of the Lord.

Therefore, the Lord has been harvesting much fruit throughout human history, even in the face of apostasy in Israel and the church. Scripture, however, also speaks of a great end-time harvest that we are only beginning to see.

(3:6) Now we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks out of order, and not after the doctrine which ye received of us.

(3:7) For you know in what manner you ought to imitate us, for we did not walk disorderly among you,

This is more important now than ever. The Lord is not going to return for a church that isn't clean. For the Lord, something is either clean or it is unclean. There are no grey areas.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about. When I recently visited a wonderful Christian community in Colombia that has been through much persecution and tribulation, I was told the story of one of their young men. He had gone out to find work and, attracted by the very high wages being offered, had accepted a job working for a local mafioso. The work he performed was seemingly legitimate and legal. However, less than a week later, the enemies of the mafioso arrived, and since they couldn't find the mafioso, they shot the young man instead – eighteen times.

Some of the brethren back at the community were asking themselves, "Why would such an awful thing happen?" But these things do happen when we fail to separate ourselves from those who are walking out of order.

For Paul and the other early apostles, a person who was walking out of order wasn't someone who refused to obey the whims of a local hierarchy of chief brethren. (After all, Jesus had taught them that the greatest among them were those who became the servants of all.) No, those who walked out of order were those whose words and deeds were not confirmed directly by Jesus and by God the Father, and therefore their fruit was corrupt.

Another incident happened recently up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Some Christian brethren decided to go into a pagan ceremonial house and fellowship in a manner that mixed Christianity with ceremonies that were contaminated, in an initiative taken by a tribal leader who was attempting to please everyone. About midnight, one young man left. Another also felt an impulse to leave but didn't follow it through. In order to exit the round, low building, a huge and heavy one-piece wooden door had to be pivoted on immense hinges. It took several people to move it, and after being helped to open the door, the first young man left it open behind him because he thought that his friend was going to follow him out.

The impulse to leave was from the Holy Spirit, but it was not immediately recognized by the second young man. Two or three minutes later, a lightning bolt hit the thatched-roof house, splitting it into pieces and lighting it on fire. Half of the participants in the mixed-up ceremony were killed and the rest were burned, some quite badly. Those that were saved were only rescued because the massive door was open: some women and children who were outside the building were able to drag about half of the men who were inside to safety before the flames engulfed the entire structure. The second young man was unconscious for hours, but he survived and bears the scars of a lesson he will never forget.

Brethren, we are no longer living in normal times. We are used to people planting good or evil and the harvest taking a long time to come: twenty, thirty, fifty years. Not anymore. We are now entering into a day in which it is of urgent and extreme importance to be able to instantly hear and obey the voice of the Lord, for this is our only true security.

(3:8) neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but working with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

Paul was very careful to not mix money with his clean message. He was extra careful about this when dealing with immature Christians. Paul worked with his hands to support himself and others, so that he was able to make the gospel available without being a burden to anyone. In doing this, he made sure that Christians who were mature in worldly success but immature in Christ couldn't control him through their finances.

(3:9) Not because we did not have authority, but to give you an example that you might imitate us.

Ministers who twist arms in seeking money have damaged the appeal of the gospel. Some of them may have good intentions (only God can judge their hearts), but this has been a very bad example for the immature and the lost. As Christians, we should avoid not only all evil but, as Paul wrote, also all appearance of evil. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he had the authority to ask for money but instead decided to set a good example that could be imitated by others.

(3:10) For even when we were with you, this we declared unto you, that if anyone desires not to work neither should he eat.

(3:11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you out of order, not working at all, but are busybodies.

Again, the phrase out of order is used here to describe those who didn't want to work with their hands. How many of those who run around today claiming to be called to ministry would be classed as busybodies by the apostle Paul because they refuse to work and spend much of their time manipulating people for money? Many orthodox Jews in Israel do not work and must be supported by the government.

(3:12) Now those that are such, we charge and exhort in our Lord Jesus Christ, that working with quietness, they eat their bread.

Working with quietness is a great way to begin to minister. If the Lord confirms our words and our works, others will notice our example and begin to ask questions. If people receive us because they see that our lives demonstrate the character of Jesus and that God has truly sent us, then this is how they will receive the love of the truth. This is how they will receive Jesus and be saved.

(3:13) But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Paul doesn't admonish them to have more religious meetings. He isn't interested in finding out religious details. The brethren are encouraged to have the Lord confirm their good words and works; they are encouraged to work with their hands and not be busybodies. Whoever does not do this is out of order.

(3:14) And if anyone does not hearken unto our word by this epistle, note that one and do not join with him, that he may be ashamed.

In other words, do not join with those who don't work with their hands and who go around promoting endless religious ritual, unless (and that's a very big "unless") it can be clearly demonstrated that the Lord confirms their words and works.

(3:15) Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

(3:16) Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by every means. The Lord be with you all.

(3:17) Receive saving health from my hand, Paul, which is the sign in all my letters: so I write.

(3:18) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

This may have been one of the last letters written by Paul: inspired letters that have proven to be timeless in their ability to minister to everyone across the centuries. It is certain that the congregation of the Thessalonians was one of the groups of Christians among whom Paul's ministry was most successful and where the Christians rapidly became mature in the face of much persecution and tribulation.

If we analyze the ministry of Paul and others truly sent by Jesus, their objective was not to run around giving religious indoctrination. They went in the power of God, and people had the opportunity to receive them or reject them in person. This is how the gospel was spread. This is how Jesus operated when he was here.

I have been criticized for not teaching principles and values. I have been told that I don't teach the people to distinguish between mortal and venial sins and don't tell them what religious ceremonies and procedures they should adhere to. And my critics are correct – I don't do those things, because teaching principles and values will never change people's hearts. The results will be no better than they were with the children of Israel in the Old Testament (Matthew 23).

If God sends me and if I am received as his messenger, then the love of the truth will enter people's hearts, and the Lord will begin to write his laws on the tablets of their hearts and in their minds. God deals first with the heart and then with the mind. God's plan is to break the power of sin and death and to heal and transform and save our souls.

Just as we previously had a natural compulsion to sin because we were slaves to sin, now we will have a strong inner motivation to do God's will because we belong to him. We will now serve righteousness.

This will never happen under religious indoctrination. It will never happen just by learning principles and values (even if they are derived from the Scriptures). It will never happen just by disciplining ourselves to have a daily quiet time reading our Bibles or a regular routine of going to church services. The only way that our being can be transformed is if God does a work in our hearts that only he can do.

Jesus said that if we even receive a little child in his name, we receive him; and that if we receive him, we also receive the Father who sent him. For us to receive him is a good start, but it's even more important for him to receive us and for our heavenly Father to take us on as his sons and daughters.

God has many secrets that cannot be taught or learned in a classroom. These things only come by revelation, and the status of our hearts is extremely important. Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). If you are unable to perceive God, check your heart. Place your heart on the altar so that God may have his way with you.

Unless God opens our understanding, it's impossible for us to understand many things written in the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). Unless he opens our understanding, we won't really understand. It's possible for us to learn the historical narrative and glean certain facts and concepts, but the letter kills and only the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).

If you're reading your Bible as an obligation and going to church because you feel guilty, your appetites may not yet have been changed. Or maybe you're not satisfied in church because God isn't present in the place where you've chosen to worship. When the Lord transforms our hearts, our appetites change, and we hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

I know of excellent Christians who have endured much persecution and tribulation without church meetings – and sometimes even without Bibles – because no one can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:35). The Enemy can shut down formal meetings and even restrict the availability of Bibles, but he can never cut anyone off from a direct relationship with God. No power on earth can do that!

There is a new day in God on the horizon, and it will be vastly different from the experience of the church today. We are entering into territory in Christ that the church does not know. This is a place in God that is more demanding; this is a place in God that does not allow a mixture of the precious with the vile or of tares among the wheat. Jesus will no longer tolerate the leaven of the Pharisees or the leaven of sin. All must be clean in Christ. This is impossible in our own life; we may only enter the clean realm of the presence of God in the life of Jesus Christ.

Ever since Jesus' death and resurrection, Christians have had access to make our petitions known to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. However, the Enemy has always planted tares among the wheat. God is about to remove the tares, and then he will gather the wheat. After this, he will begin a new season of planting – a season of planting something new in which no corruption will be allowed. There are exciting days ahead as we await and prepare for the return of our Lord.

Let us pray

Lord,

May your message penetrate our hearts. May we feed on your clean word without the leaven of men or of devils. We ask that many may be brought into the cleanness of your life. We ask that we may be congregated in God our Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ in an unbreakable and perfect bond with you. Amen.
About the Author

At the age of four, while his family was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Russell Stendal prayed and asked God to call his parents, Chad and Pat, to be missionaries. God answered that prayer and within just a few years the whole family was on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He became an accomplished jungle pilot and married a beautiful Colombian lady named Marina. They have four children, Lisa, Alethia, Russell Jr., and Dylan, plus six grandchildren.

When Russell was 27 years old, Marxist guerrillas of the FARC kidnapped him for 142 days. The story of his kidnapping is told in the book he wrote titled Rescue the Captors. His reason for the title is because he realized that his captors were more captive than he was. There was a possibility he would be released, but most of his kidnappers were young people who had been taken from their families, given a weapon, and taught to kill. They had little hope of survival.

To reach all the actors of the armed conflict, including his former captors, Russell established a radio ministry to air programs into the dangerous war stricken areas of Colombia with messages of peace and hope. He has also written more than 50 books in English and Spanish.

In 2017, he was awarded the Shahbaz Bhatti Freedom Award, (given to Pope Francis the year before) for his tireless efforts towards spreading peace and reconciliation in Colombia (in the context of promoting religious freedom). Russell travels extensively as a guest speaker in conventions around the world. His speaking is unique in that he is very sensitive to the Lord's voice and does not hesitate to deliver the message imparted to him, no matter how uncomfortable that may be to him or to others. Most of the books he has published were transcribed directly from the radio messages he has preached in Spanish and beamed into virtually all of the war torn areas of the countryside.

Russell is the editor of the Jubilee Bible translation that has been published in English and in Spanish. Well over a million copies of this Bible have been donated and distributed into the most needy areas of Colombia and Venezuela.
Connect with the Stendal's Ministry

For more information on the Stendals Ministry, and to find out the latest news on how to pray for Colombia visit the following websites:

Website

www.cpcsociety.ca

spiritofmartyrdom.com

Receive newsletter updates

https://spiritofmartyrdom.com/application-form/ (Find out more of the Stendals ministry by looking in the Latin America section of the Page)
Visit Russell's website: www.cpcsociety.ca

Preparing for the End of the World – Russell M. Stendal

Copyright © 2016, 2019

Second edition published 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Jubilee Bible, copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010, 2013 by Russell M. Stendal. All rights reserved.

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Cover Photography (Knife): Mackey Creations/Shutterstock

eBook Icon: Icon design/Shutterstock

Editors: Bronwen Jorel and Ruth Zetek

Printed in the United States of America

Ransom Press International

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Holywood, Florida, 33021

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-931221-19-4

eBook ISBN: 978-0-931221-20-0

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