Address—Bob Thonney
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Good evening everybody.
Let's start the meeting tonight with 100 and 68168.
OK, tonight is far spending time. The day is back now.
It's fine to be low for Black Stars in my sky.
Great joy.
I'm not sure it's great. How welcome to.
Your name is wrong.
I'm gonna do that.
And it's OK.
Uh, we are slowing.
I did my love all day.
And this might work.
While the weather is as young as evil.
Let's pray gracious God, our Father.
The coming of our Lord Jesus does encourage our hearts to press on a little while we have left down here in this world. We think of that glorious day ahead of us and what's going to transpire here in this world or God and fire. Our desire is that we be awakened as never before.
And that's how it's worked mightily in the gospel. For the salvation of locks, holes we pray, Father.
For a blessing this evening as we're together here, we can set our own insufficiency in need and ask that thy Spirit may have liberty tonight in this room as we open my precious word to speak from it and to uh.
Uh, apply it to our hearts and conscience as we pray, Father, for blessing in that most wonderful and blessed name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Like to read first of all a verse in Second Corinthians chapter 4?
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And.
Let's read the last two verses to get the connection. It says our light affliction, which is which is but for a moment.
Worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
So that things that you are seeing are temporal. The things which are not seen are eternal.
You know, it impresses me brother, and is that everything that is connected with time is changing everything.
And we could say everything that is connected with eternity is fixed and unchanging. Of course God is eternal, therefore there is no change in our God.
But everything down here changes.
46 years ago this month, Brother Norm, you and I arrived in Chicago.
Remember that.
And.
Norm's done quite a bit of change in that time.
I guess I have two.
Norm used to be pretty good on the football field.
I don't think you could do it today.
You young people.
Are here in your health and youth and strength and intelligence great.
But don't live for what is temporal, live for what is eternal, because it will last forever.
That which you are right now is just a moment 46 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long, Norm, but it has, and things continue to change. And what I wanna speak to you about tonight, the Lord's coming, is what really impresses me as I look at the world around.
Is that we are looking at major changes taking place in not too far ahead.
We are getting close to the time when the Lord Jesus is going to return from heaven and there is going to be major changes.
Already we're seeing the financial system of the United States these days is crumbling.
They're trying to break it up and they may. Who knows what might happen, but things are getting bad in this world down right back. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like here in the United States and Canada, we have such a padded way of life. We have every commodity at our fingertips and we don't like anybody invading our our comfort zone.
That's all right, you can be out there, but don't bother me over here.
Present things are going to change majorly and we need to be awakened.
To use what little more time we have down here.
For those things that will last for all eternity. So much of our lives we strive and are occupied with things that are going to change. How much of this meeting room is gonna be left in 100 years?
How much of these chairs are going to be left in 100 years? I don't know. I don't want to speculate, but things change. Everything changes. You and I bank on something that changes, and it's not gonna be here for very much longer. Let's build our lives on the unchanging principles of God's precious Word. But it really has challenged me, brother, to realize that we are getting so close. And I'd like to read a verse.
And Matthews Gospel chapter 16 to begin with a little question at the Lord Jesus gave to the people in his day. Matthew chapter 16 and verse one the Pharisees also with the Sadducees came and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. And he answered and said unto them, when it is evening.
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You say it will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning it will be foul weather today for the sky is red and lowering.
O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky.
The Can he not discern the signs of the times? We are getting down to the end of this present dispensation.
This present age of grace and brethren, we should discern the signs of the times. We should realize we're getting close, and we should change our lives to fit the picture of where we are. We're not gonna be here that much longer.
Uh, I'd like to go now to the book of First Thessalonians. I want to go through First Thessalonians and 2nd Thessalonians tonight.
In relation to the Lord's coming because every chapter in these two books.
These eight chapters in these two books deals with the Lord's coming, perhaps you might say in the.
Last chapter, the third chapter of Second Thessalonians, it doesn't directly mention the Lord's coming, but there is a little reference there that I think relates to it. But I'd like to go over these. But before I do, I just want to, uh, clarify something that we will be focusing on as we go through these chapters. Uh, the parts of them that relate directly to the Lord's coming.
The Lord's second coming has two distinct parts. It is looked at as one coming because.
When it comes to rapture, His people home before the tribulation begins, it is He comes only to the clouds. He really doesn't come to the earth. And there He's going to give that shout. And all those who believe, have believed from the beginning of time and have had faith in God are going to be raised. And we who are alive and remain are gonna be.
Changed and caught up together.
That's the first part of His second coming, what we call rapture. The word rapture isn't found in the Bible, but it in the 4th chapter of First Thessalonians, it uses the word caught up together. That's the word rapture really in the original. So it's been caught up together. That's the first part of His second coming.
The second part is there's three words used in scripture to describe it. One is the appearing.
The second is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the third is the manifestation. Those three, uh, words are used in connection with his coming at the end of the great tribulation with his Saints. And it will probably be, I would expect that it will be the greatest display of power and glory that there has ever been on this planet.
There will be nothing to equal the glory of that moment when God introduces his man in power and glory with the angels of his power and with flaming fire. He comes back with the millions and millions of His, His redeemed people. Oh, the glory of that moment.
And the first part of that second time, only those who are real believers are going to.
Hear his voice and be caught up.
The second part of his second coming, it says, Behold e-commerce with clouds, and every eye shall see him. So it's something that everybody is going to witness. The first part of his second coming, the Rapture, is something that was not really contemplated or spoken about in the Old Testament.
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It was revealed in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul, in a special way, got revelations about it.
He says, I say unto you, by the word of the Lord, he got a special revelation as to the way it was going to take place.
And John is another apostle. He mentions in John chapter 14, it says, uh, the Lord Jesus says, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. So that we know that they mention it, they don't really develop the theme as much as the apostle Paul does, but the second part of his second coming is revelation or the appearing is a place that is.
Full in scripture.
All the way through. It's lots of the Old Testament scriptures. In fact, I would say rather that there is no point in the history of this world that is so spoken about in the scriptures as that second part of His second coming, the appearing, the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now a question because I'd like to ask questions. Sometimes I can help people remain alert too, a little bit when we ask questions, uh.
Who is the first one in the Bible who knew about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ?
I know some of you probably know that.
I like you young guys at this front rows.
It was the first one in the Bible who knew about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Good Enoch. How did he know about it? He didn't have any buyers.
He walked with God.
When we walk together, sometimes we talk together, don't we? I was with Sam out in his, the forest behind his house today, and we were walking through there and we were talking together. I like to think of it, brother, that one Enoch walked with God. God, I don't know exactly what he said, but he not gives that prophecy, that wonderful prophecy in the last epistle in the Bible.
The title of June. He gives that prophecy. Behold, the Lord cometh with 10 thousands of his Saints. The word is really the myriads of his Saints to execute judgment on all the ungodly.
It was just as if God said.
Enoch, there's a coming event that is gonna be tremendously glorious. I'm gonna tell you about it.
And he told him about it. Oh, brethren, think of it before the flood actually happened. He knew about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you and I should get excited when we see things happening in the world today. Somebody has said there is no sign.
For the rapture of the church, there is absolutely no sign. It could take place at any moment. But there are multitude of signs for the appearance and we're starting to see things that indicate today that we are getting close. Somebody has said if there was no other sign, one of the most vivid signs would be the existence.
Of the State of Israel.
Last May, Israel completed 60 years of being a nation again after almost 2000 years of not being a nation. That's unheard of. And they have their original language, Hebrew. That's unheard of. That is exactly what the Lord Jesus said when He said, behold the fig tree and all the trees of the field.
You know, every nation has a little symbol. I don't know what the symbol Canada is. What is the symbol? Who knows? Anyhow, the United States is an eagle, you know, and you know, Maple eagle. Sure enough, I should have thought of that right in your place. But England is a lion, I think. And sometimes we talk about Russia as a bear. The fig tree is Israel. And he says when you see.
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The fig tree budding and all the trees know that summer is nigh. Even. So when you see these things take place, you read through those chapters that talk about that. We can see those things starting to take place. Doesn't that makes you excited? Doesn't that make you realize we're getting close because the rapture has to take place before those things actually aren't fulfilled?
They're getting close. It is no time.
To be asleep, it is a time to be awake as never before. And so it's good to have those two parts of the Lord's second coming if they are comprehended in one verse in Titus chapter 2 and verse 13, which says looking for that blessed hope, that's the rapture and the glorious appearing or the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
We look forward to the rapture written, we look forward to to his coming back to this world when that man that hung on that center cross is going to be vindicated publicly here in this world. And we aren't going to witness first hand when he takes the reins of power and reigns supreme in this world. We're talking about fantasy here. You know, sometimes I have to almost stop and pinch myself. Is this what is going to actually happen?
Rather, that's the only way you can take this. But it's gonna happen, and things are gonna start to happen soon. Just as soon as we're taking out of here, we're going to be raptured out of here, and things are going to be beginning to happen in major ways. Things are going to change. Let's go to 1St Thessalonians chapter one then.
And let's uh.
I like that, especially young fellows here, when we read about the Lord's coming in a particular place, what part of the Lord's second coming are we talking about in this verse? The rapture or the appearing? The first part or the second part of the second coming? Let's read in chapter one, verse 9, for they themselves sure of us.
What manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead.
Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Or you could read it. Even Jesus, our deliverer from the wrath to come.
They were waiting for the sun from heaven. Now what part of the second coming is this talking about? Which would you say? First part Right on. That's right, it's.
What we're waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus to take it home, and it's the proper.
Home of the leaders in all ages, you might say. Well, these Thessalonians are all died.
Why did he teach them to wait for the sun from heaven?
Brethren, it is always the proper hope of the believer in the Lord Jesus to wait as if he might come this very day, and it will happen one of these times. Oh, it should search our hearts, brethren, to live and view the fact that we might be gone at a moment's notice. Sometimes I say.
I think it was a couple of years ago when I was in Bolivia, I met up with a young man who.
Profess to be a believer, but he said he wasn't living like he should live.
I said to him, what if the Lord gave us 5 minute notice? He said in 5 minutes I'm gonna be coming, so get ready. What would you do? I said to him. He said, well I've had some, I've had some intending to do. I said, well the Lord is not going to even give us one minute notice. From one moment to the next, He's gonna descend from heaven and He's gonna give that shout.
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And if we're not ready?
We're gonna go to meet him. Not ready to meet him. Oh, how we should watch our lives and walk carefully with a tender conscience.
So many times when we kind of lose control like we shouldn't do.
Maybe we get angry as somebody has some words slip out of our mouth before we catch them. And if at that moment the Lord should come back and call us home.
I tell you it searches my heart when I think of.
How it could happen? Do you go to places you would not want to be caught when the Lord comes?
You watch things on the Internet that you know would be a shame to you if the Lord should catch you there. The moment it is coming. It's a present hope. It should search our hearts. It says and 1St John chapter 3.
He's at half this hope in him, purify himself even as he is here. Oh, how important it is to live waiting for the sun from heaven.
Now chapter 2 and verse.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or a crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?
At His coming for ye are our glory and joy.
I just say this that this bike doesn't seem to.
Uh, address either the 1St or the 2nd in particular. I perhaps the first part that it could be applied to the second part of the second coming too, because crowns are often spoken of in connection with his appearance. So I think it's more of a general way that it, it, it uses this time it speaks of his, uh, uh, the Lord's coming. But here the apostle Paul was looking forward to that day of the coming.
To see those that he was used in blessing us to want to be a joy you were used and blessing to some brother or sister. To see them on that side and realize that they are there because.
You are the instrument that the Lord used. You can't glory in what we are, but we can. It is a crown of rejoicing. If God uses this, we should have that desire that He used as an instrument of blessing to others.
Now chapter 3 and the last verse to the end, He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints.
A part of his second coming. Is that talking about?
Uh-huh the appearing exactly the second part because it says he's coming with all his things the rapture comes for us and that the appearance comes with us beautiful difference now let's go on to chapter 4, which speaks so much about the rapture and I'm not gonna even ask anybody on this one because I think we.
Not. But before we talk about the part that deals with the Rapture, I want you to be careful because there's a little indication here of something else.
Verse 13 of chapter 4. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
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Part of his second come in is that.
The appearing exactly.
It's the coming at the end of the tribulation that it refers to in verse 14. The case is this brother, that some of those believers in Thessalonica had died and they knew that the Lord was going to come and they thought that these that had died are going to be missed out on the Lord's coming.
And Paul writes to them to say, no, those that sleep in Jesus, that is, that have died in faith in Christ, are also going to be brought with him when God brings him back at the end of the tribulation. Well, if they're going to be with him, how do they get to be with him? And so versus 15 through 18, it gets Mr. Javi's translation. It's in parentheses.
And I found it very helpful to see that it is a parentheses. So now in these verses he describes the rapture in quite a bit of detail. And it tells how those that have died with faith in Christ get to be with him, so that they can come back with Him at the end of the tribulation. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. That would prevent really is.
Go before. It's an old English word that means go before.
Those that have died will not go before, uh, those of us that are alive in their name will not go before those that have fallen asleep in Jesus. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we.
Ever be with the Lord? Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So there you have the description of the rapture.
They which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. In other words, though there's gonna be some still here when the Lord comes. We don't know if we're gonna die. We really don't. The Lord come tonight. We're not gonna die. We don't wait for death. We'll wait for the Lord from heaven. I think that's such a beautiful thing to think about.
And bearing our meeting in Lawrenceville.
Sister, you're a Buchanan who was later Europe here he was on her deathbed and Chuck Hendricks was visiting her in the home where she was. And she said to Jack Hendricks, she said, would it be all right, brother, if I just asked the Lord to Take Me Home? He thought a little bit and said.
Why don't you just pray? Lord Jesus come and we could all go.
I thought that was a good answer. We don't wait for death breath. That's not what we're waiting for. We're waiting for the sun from heaven. And so even the apostle Paul could say in verse UH-17, we which are alive and remain, he includes himself in that group of those that are alive and remained.
Wasn't all mistaken.
Drawings in debt close to 2000 years now. Is he mistaken? No, he was not mistaken. It is the proper hope of believers in all generations to be the most wonderful to realize that this event could take place tonight, Brad, and it could take place at any moment. There are no signs.
That indicate how close the rapture might be. There are multitude of signs that indicate the coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the tribulation, but of the rapture, no sign. So we just got through singing at him. No sign to be looked for the stars in the sky. Are you waiting for Him brethren, or have we gone to sleep?
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It's so easy to go to sleep.
Follow the alert, watching, waiting for his coming again. Well, it gives a little bit of detail here as to how it's going to take place. It says the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. You know, in Accutraft chapter 24 it talks about, uh, the Lord sending angels with the sound of a great trumpet to gather his elect from the four winds.
That is not this event. Sometimes people try to put it together. It is not just an end. One major difference is that.
He sends his angels here. It says, the Lord himself shall come.
And So what it refers to in Matthew 24 is the left of the nation of Israel that at the end of the Great Tribulation period are going to be reunited again in one nation.
In that coming day of glory, and he's going to send his angels out to gather in those elect. But here it is the Lord himself, and he comes, and it speaks of three things here.
I don't know that they're very distinct things. They may be referring to the same thing. But the first thing is the shout. I understand it is a military term. It is that shout that.
Wakens all those who have fallen asleep in Jesus from the beginning of time. First to die with faith in God was able.
And from then on, how many millions? Perhaps we can say billions.
Are scattered through this world, their bones sometimes are in the depths of the sea. But he is still hiked over the Andes, preaching the gospel. And we're going through towns where the town has been abandoned. And as I walk out the other side, go by the cemetery, there's the bones are laying out on the ground.
Human bones, I don't know what happened, animals dug them out or what happened, but I often think those bones of a believer, if they are at that moment when the Lord descends, those bones are going to be resurrected.
Wherever they are, it's not a question of whether.
It's been impossible thing. God knows where everybody is. It doesn't matter if they've died and their body is in the depths of the ocean and the fish have eaten them. Wherever they are, they're going to be raised.
The first chapter of first strength in chapter, uh, the 1St 15th chapter of First Corinthians speaks of this event. The resurrection is really the resurrection is the theme of the chapter. It says, I assure you, a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the trumpet show sound, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, angry, we shall be changed.
You can't go to heaven in that body you got right now. That body you've got right now is adapted for life on earth. You gotta go ahead and you gotta have a change of body. And that's what's gonna happen when that shout takes place. The dead raised, incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Got a lot of Gray hairs on my head. Didn't used to have. I've got a knee that kinda, it bums me out once in a while.
It's not working like it used to.
Those things are all going to be changed and have bodies of incorruption. Isn't that a wonderful thing about it? Impossible to corrupt them? It's not that they are not corrupted, but their their bodies that cannot be corrupted and bodies that are immortal. Not that they can't die, it's that they absolutely impossible cannot die.
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Beautiful. Now think about it. And debt is going to be swallowed up in the victims. Oh, that moment. So it's the shout, the voice of the Archangel, tremendous power. And then it says the trump of God, man, like we mentioned in first Thessalon, 1St Corinthians 15. It's the last trump. I suppose maybe you've heard that. I like to.
Think about it in the Romania that was in power at the time that these, uh, scriptures were written.
Sometimes scripture uses these figures. There were three Trump's that were given for the marching of the host. The first trump was get ready to March and the second one was get in rank and the third in final trump was March.
And I like to think that, brethren, the 1St 2 trumpets in figure have already sounded. We have ample, uh, warnings that we need to be ready. Is there something pending in your life?
It it taken care of, don't leave it pending. And I mean, sometimes we nurse bitter feelings in our hearts about somebody.
About someone.
Let it go, Loosen it up and let it go. Leave it behind. We're going to meet the Savior and we're going to have to answer for all those things. We don't judge it now. Oh, how important it is to be ready. And then the second is to March in rank. Be ready. Go with your brethren. There's so many of this.
I can't get along with them. I'm just gonna go out myself alone.
That's not what we have in script. We need to bear and forebear. Go on. Yes, you may not see eye to eye with another brother, but we got to learn to go on together. We are members of one body, and if there's one member that's not the same as another, they don't chop themselves off the body and go off in some other direction. We need to go on together.
All we wait for is that final trumpet, the last trumpet.
March, we're going to go to meet with Jesus.
Sometimes I just try to sit down and think of the glory of that moment. We're going to, at a moment's notice, see the Lord face to face. I just can't.
Grasp that in my body that I live in right now, it's just way too wonderful. We need to think about it. Sometimes we're running down the street, doing something, waiting, trying to get into that office before it closes and.
I like to think of it this way, lift up my foot to take another step and instead of stepping on the ground and step under the cloud and face to face.
It's going to happen, brethren. It's going to happen at any moment now.
Oh, how we need to be ready.
Chapter 5. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, for ye yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape as part of his second coming. Is he talking about here?
What would you say that's right?
The second part of the second coming, and every time it speaks of the Lord coming as a thief.
It's the second part. It's never in connection with the Rapture. Sometimes I've heard it years in connection with the rapture. Really, properly speaking, when it speaks with the Lord Jesus coming as a thief, it's always at the end of the Tribulation, not at the rapture. Sometimes, say Brother Dave.
You want us at least to come to your house.
Not very bad.
And are you waiting for one to come?
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No, no. Another set of questions. Are you waiting for the Lord to come?
You wanted to come and he's not going to come for years to see.
Those people who don't want him to come and who are not waiting for him to come, that he will come as a thief.
This world that doesn't want its gun. Think how Solomon is gonna be is a thief.
Been here and that's the way a thief comes without any warning, and that's the way it will be with this world. Terrible to think about. One other item rather than that is solemn to me. It speaks of the Lord coming as a thief in one of the seven churches.
Church.
Of Sardis.
There are those who are professing their leaders not real in their hearts. I'm not able, as I look out across an audience like this, to tell who's real and who's not real. The Lord knows.
And there will be those at the end of the tribulation who had made profession of faith in Christ without reality, and they will meet up with Jesus as I thief saw him to think about. Yes they are professing Christians but not real.
Now let's go on down in this chapter. It has a lot to say about the Lord's coming.
But I'd like to touch on verse 2324.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
We're part of the second coming. Is this talking about?
Thank you.
What did you say?
That's it. The first part of the second coming. It's what we are waiting for at any moment. And Paul's desire was that they would be preserved, blameless spirit, soul and body. You know God is.
Revealed himself in Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and when he created man, he created him. A tripart being.
Spirit, soul and body. Spirit is the part of our being that is God conscious and intelligent, able to reason. Animal doesn't have a spirit, it doesn't have any God conscious part of his being.
The soul is that part of our the seat of our affections, our life, our dislikes. I like certain kind of food. I don't like other kind of food. That's my soul. Sometimes we call it personality, perhaps.
And the body is the physical part of it, that we know each other, we look at each other and we know each other by the body. But there's three parts to our being, and there are things in this world that can contaminate.
The Spirit spiritual contamination.
There are things that can now eat the soil.
Lusts that are wrong, downright wrong. Careful where you let your mind wander. Don't let go any direction. Keep it controlled. That's what it says, what it means. Sanctify, set it apart. The Lord Jesus paid his precious blood to redeem you to God. Then we need to be sanctified, set apart for him in view of his coming again. And there are things.
That contaminate the body as well. Incredible to think of the way sometimes young people use their bodies in ways that is totally shortening their lives.
Well, the apostles desire was that they would be sanctified Holy Spirit, soul and body preserved blindness under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know when I look around and see the contaminations are they are around, they say who is up to that? Can I keep myself? I can't say I'm up to that, but verse 24 is such a consolation to me faithful.
00:50:10
Is he?
That calleth you who also will do it, and it will work for the faithfulness of God. I'd lose heart totally, but we have a God that is faithful. Sometimes I hear brethren complaining about other brethren. They're not faithful. Yeah, they may be true.
I don't go on because rather your faithful and faithful I can go on because I have a God who is completely.
Faithful at all times, thank God for him. Now let's go on to the second chapter, Cecil and the first chapter, and let's read from verse seven. And to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. Notice that detail. Interesting.
In claiming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day?
What part of his second coming is this?
This, George, is this? Yeah, I forget.
That's right. I'm sorry. Are you? What's your name? I'm the younger brother, George. OK, All right.
I don't get up here enough to keep you straight, brother.
Because the Lord doesn't forget, isn't it?
That's right, it's disappearing when he comes, it actually says, uh, here in the Lord Jesus shall be revealed. There's the word revelation, the revelation and the Lord Jesus is coming back with a mighty angels and climbing fire is going to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all that belief. Wonderful to think about sometimes think that our neighbors.
That we know down here.
When they see they are unbelievers, when they see Jesus returning, perhaps they will pick us out and the crowd is there. There it comes, that guy. I knew him and Jesus is going to be admired in all those that believe in that day. Are you and I glorifying him now in this life? Now let's go on to chapter 2, verse one.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.
What part of the second coming is that?
Is that Ken back there?
OK. What would you say, Ken?
When we will be gathered together unto him.
It's his first part of it's the Rapture, isn't it? When we all be there. You know what I like to think of, brethren?
All God's reading people are going to be gathered, and in that sense of the word, they're gathered. Sometimes we talk about gathered things.
And all God's people are going to be gathered at that supreme moment. Not one will be missing. Oh, the sorrow that there is with the splitting up of the public testimony down here to realize that one day all God's people are going to be gathered together in one. So it speaks of the rapture. But now let's go on here because he talks.
About.
A particular person here in verse three, who is called the man of sin, the son of perdition, verse four, who opposes and exalted himself above all that is called God, and that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Incredible this man is going to sit in the temple. It shows that a temple will be built in.
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Israel.
You know, they used to think that the Temple Mount on the Temple Mount is where the Mosque of Omar is. They thought that that would have to be destroyed so that the temple could be built. But I have heard more recently that the actual site of the temple is a little bit more to the north, and they could actually build the temple without, uh, tearing down that Mosque of Omar. We don't know exactly if all that's gonna happen or how it will happen, but here is the scripture that tells us that there is a man.
Probably alive in the world today, although we cannot know who it is, but that will sit in that temple, showing Himself that He is God. Remember not that when I was yet with you I told you these things, and now you know what withholdeth. That is, that which hinders that He might be revealed in His time for the mystery of iniquity that already worked, only He who now let us or hindereth.
Will hinder until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume.
With the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, that coming is.
What coming? What part of the second coming is that?
That's right.
Is appearing second part of the second coming. 20 comes and he will destroy that man who takes the place of God. This is what is called the apostasy. To me. It is interesting to see things developing in this direction today.
There's still a lot in the Americas of people who are have the fear of God and who have a faith in God even sometimes without too much intelligence. When I was over in Europe and they have mentioned this sometimes, but.
Now we can Spain A couple of years ago I was told that the Spanish people.
Our 50% atheist, they don't want you even mention the name of God to them. It's a dirty word and they will really let you know if you even mention that name. They're so incentive against it. And the rest are nominal Roman Catholics. But there too are so fed up with the way that the clergy amongst that system has acted that they're set up with that system.
I say Europe is really ripe for the rising up of Antichrist. Antichrist cannot be revealed while that which hinders the Spirit of God. His presence in the church here in this world is what detains which hinders the development of evil. As soon as church is gone and that kindred is taken away by the this evil one this.
Antichrist will be revealed, so don't believe it if somebody tells you who they think Antichrist is. We cannot know until that which hinges is taken out of the way. Now going over to the third chapter, brother, I just want to mention.
I would just like to say before I go away from that second chapter again, I, I just, it is such a challenge to me when I meet up with people in this world who are not reading the scriptures, how we need to be into this book constantly, continually, how they get deceived.
I don't know if you've heard but there's a man down in Miami, FL now who says he is Christ. He has 666 tattooed on his arm.
And he tells people, throw away your Bibles. I'm here. You don't need your Bibles anymore. And you know, it wouldn't be so tragic, but there are thousands of people that are following this man. How in the world do they get so terribly deceived by such a guy?
Tell your brother, if we're not with the book open and reading it, how can you expect to discern things? This is the light that makes us understand where we are, where we stand, how important it is to the irradiance. You young people, really, they read it in your family, but read it for yourself too. It's so important to get into the book, to read it, to let it light shine.
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So we do not fall into these traps that are being put up in this world around us. Poor people who do not read the scriptures, they're going to be deceived.
And then chapter 3 before we close.
Verse five, the Lord directs your heart into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Really the thought is in the margin of my Bible. It says the patience of Christ. In other words, the Lord Jesus is waiting and we need our hearts directed not only to the love of God.
Brought him to the patience of Christ. Why is he waiting? He's waiting for sinners to come to repentance.
Does that make us get out and do what we can to share the good news with the gospel, with the lot in this poor world? This poor world is on the edge.
Going into eternal punishment.
And we are not awake to warn the lost. O brethren, the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. He's waiting for us.
His people that he has redeemed and we should be waiting for him too.
To, uh, be ruptured at any moment.
You know the end of the Bible, the Lord Jesus says.
Behold, I come quickly.
And it's interesting. The answer is Amen.
Even soul come, O Jesus.
And Robert Cahill began quite often.
When did you last invite him to come?
Do you leave running? Do we long for His coming? Is that what the Lord sees when He looks into your heart? A longing to be gone into the glory? So we must look at the confusion that's mounting on every side in this poor world. There is only one answer to all of it.
It comes lower, G. That's the only real answer. Not only to come and take us home, but come and reign supreme. Gonna be wonderful that coming day of glory when he reigns in this world. Wars are gonna be banished from this globe. They're not gonna learn war anymore.
The Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
That's great, Father. Glad thy precious word. We just feel we're living right on the edge of going home and sometimes.
The pace of light tends to put us almost completely asleep as to where we are. Help us, Lord Jesus, to be waiting and watching, not sleeping.
Nor under the influence of present things. Father we prayed I blessing on each one present and those that couldn't be here too. Yes Lord, all thy reading people. We pray for them that there may be awakened when we see things degenerating in the world around we realize the moment is Niagara. Help us Lord Jesus, bless each one. Keep us now on our returns to our places of rest.
We ask and give thanks, Father in the name.
Of our Lord Jesus, Amen.