March 31 - The End WILL come

The End WILL come
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

One of the core teachings of the Bible is the fact that Jesus will return to earth. “Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.” Unlike His Palm Sunday entrance (which we will celebrate this coming Sunday), He will not enter on a donkey, the animal of peace. Rather He will come on His white war horse to crush evil and establish His eternal reign (Revelation 19:11-16). 

 In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians Paul writes about it. In this passage they were apparently unsettled by false teaching that the Day had already come (v.2). Paul assures them that 3 things must first happen: a great apostasy within the Church (v.3), the appearance of a man of lawlessness empowered by Satan with power and signs to deceive many (v.4). After the Holy Spirit, who currently restrains evil is taken away, this lawless one will be revealed (v.6-7) and then be defeated by Christ (v.8). Keep these truths to help you look at the times. Meanwhile, live in light of His Return. 

 C.S. Lewis wrote, “The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that we do not and cannot know when the world drama will end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment… We are not the playwright, we are not the producer, we are not even the audience. We are on the stage. We do not know the play, whether we are in Act I or Act V. The Author knows.” 

So Paul blesses them and I ask the same two things for us: “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” Be encouraged, friend. And always look to Christ to strengthen you to “never tire of doing what is right." (2 Thess. 3:13)