“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
TEXT — 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Message
A newspaper reported on April 25, 2022 that a pastor in Nigeria had convinced members of his church to relocate with him to a camp in another state to “prepare for the end of the world.” Each qualified member paid the pastor the equivalent of $3,000 for “access to go to heaven.” Eventually, the waiting became a nightmare for the members, and the pastor was arrested and charged to court for fraud. The second coming of Christ has been used once again to deceive the unwary.
The early disciples were passionate about the second coming of the Lord Jesus. When Jesus ascended heaven from Mount Olivet, an angel announced to the disciples, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The return of Christ is a prominent topic Paul covered in his two epistles to the Thessalonian church. In today’s reading, Paul addresses believers’ need to prepare appropriately.
Paul warns the Thessalonian Christians to watch out because of the erroneous teachings of some people about the imminent return of Christ. These false teachers, like the incident reported above, were telling people to do away with productive Christian living because of the impending return of the Lord. Paul, with great passion, dismisses such irresponsible falsehood. He states unequivocally that the Antichrist would not breach the divine agenda. The Antichrist would manifest after a time of great apostasy, and his identity would not be mistaken.
Every believer should prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus. We should, however, not allow ourselves to be deceived by unscriptural expectations and desires. The signs of His coming are clearly stated in the Scriptures, and extra-biblical manipulations should be avoided like a plague. We should seriously heed the warning that the Lord Jesus gave His disciples on His second coming: “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37).
Thought for the day
Every deceiver has something going for him. Shun him totally.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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Every day Daily Manna nourishes and strengthens my life in the Lord.
Every day Daily Manna nourishes and strengthens my life in the Lord.
I am blessed indeed. The Word Of God Is Powerful And Doing Wonders
Is always rich and inspirational
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Is always rich
Thanks very much for today’s message, every Believer must abstain from deceit and we also need the guidance of the Holy spirit.