2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

While Paul was encouraging the church and showing appreciation for their steadfast faith, the Thessalonians were dealing with a weak point in their faith which was a false assumption that they were in the “day of the Lord” where God would enact wrath and judgment upon this world. Paul corrects the Thessalonians and reminds them that several events must occur before such day comes. The first is an event of rebellion that must occur. Interestingly enough it says “the” rebellion which may indicate a specific major rebellion type of event must occur. Second, the lawless one must be revealed and come to this world, deceiving the world in the form of Satan. This individual will use “all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie”. It is then that Paul assures the reader that Jesus would come and crush the rebellion, overthrowing the lawless one. It is during this moment, in this time before the “day of the Lord” that we must be busy in the Lord’s work, seeing more come to Jesus.

In 1998, there was a boy named Christopher that was playing basketball with his friends when a drive-by shooting left him with a bullet in his chest. His friends immediately helped to get to the front of the entrance at the hospital, went inside asking the nurses for a gurney or for some help. The hospital staff refused to help saying that it was against the hospital’s policies to administer aid to someone outside the hospital doors. A policeman who was furious no aid was coming, came inside to grab a wheel chair and wheeled Christopher into the hospital where he was treated but by this point, he had already bled to death. Yet this is the state of our church in America in this day and age. There are many outside our church doors that are desperately seeking help or aid. Yet we as Christians the cure, the answer, are afraid to go out there to render that aid simply because of “policies”, traditions, fear, anxiety, etc.

There are a lot of people that talk about the “end times” and mention in their sermons that we are living in the end times. While I understand that is the case and certainly there are visible signs that the world is getting more wicked, it does not negate the command we find in Scripture to continue to be busy in the Lord’s work which is to share the good news that Jesus saves. We simply do not have the time to dilly dally around while many are desperately seeking the answer of hope found in Christ alone. Let us also remember that while the world is diving deeper into evil and wickedness, that one day all of these lawlessness will be overthrown by Jesus’ second coming. Let us look unto that day with great hope and continue to keep the main thing the main thing which is the gospel.

Proverbs 29

Righteous people seek to do what is right and seek to help others whereas evildoers only seek their own desires, ambitions, themselves. It says in verse 6-7 that the “Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” Are we seeking our own or are we seeking to help others?

What matters is not the difficulty but how we respond to the difficulty. Do we respond to hard situations with anger? It says in verse 8 that “Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.” We must seek wisdom and one action of seeking wisdom is being cautious and prudent about how we respond to criticism or difficult people. We must respond with patience instead of anger. It is what is mentioned in verse 22 that “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”

The Lord is really speaking to my heart lately about how I respond to EGR (Extra Grace Required) people. I used to want to respond with anger but that does not benefit anyone or anything. Response with patience will always calm the situation and all emotions at play. May I continue to seek God for wisdom to respond not with anger but with wisdom.