Wrath or Salvation? I Thessalonians 5:9-11

Thessalonica was the Crown Jewel of the Apostle Paul’s mission work! His preaching there achieved a numerous and socially prominent following! Paul and his companions in the summer of 50 A.D. had to leave the city! Paul’s sudden departure left the newly found church exposed to great persecution! Paul sent Timothy from Corinth to check on the congregation at Thessalonica. Timothy informed Paul at his return to him that the congregation was steadfast and had a zeal to spread the Gospel! However the church did have some internal problems with sexual relations and some theological issues. Some in the congregation thought that those believer’s that had preceded them in death would have a disadvantage over the living when the Lord returned! So the Letter to the Thessalonians was born out of the need for Paul to settle these issues with the Church there. Paul has made it clear in his letter that God has not appointed us to wrath! The word wrath used here means a punishment with revenge from men! Revenge is a punishment from men that satisfies them but also brings grief to the punisher! The wrath of men is the opposite to the Salvation of God! God took out his revenge on men for their sin by punishing his only Son Jesus Christ on the Cross! Wrath and judgment came upon Jesus Christ for our sin! This is why rejecting Jesus Christ is so serious an offense to God! In fact it is the only unpardonable sin! Judgment or Salvation? Heaven or Hell? The choice you make about Jesus Christ will cast your eternity forever! Jesus is not an option unless you want the consequences being separated from God forever! Jesus is Judge of the living and the dead! He will be your Judge or Savior! The choice is yours to make! Keep in mind in Hell there are no more choices! In Heaven as the Angel’s who are created beings like us still have a choice! Lucifer made his choice to reject God but do you want to follow him to Hell? Jesus took our place on the Cross and took our Judgment upon himself! If Jesus does not take your Judgment you will take your own Judgment! Paul went on to clarify that whether we wake or sleep we live together with him! The word live from the Greek means that God through his Son Jesus Christ causes us to live righteous and Holy physically, spiritually and eternally in him! Paul goes on to say we need to comfort one another! We as the Church need to come to one another’s aid! To comfort one another together as the Body of Christ! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com

The Lawless One! 2 Thessalonians 2:3

Have you noticed over the past 8 years that lawlessness has increased in America? If have not then your head is stuck in the sand somewhere? Remember Obama proclaimed America is not a Christian nation? What does all this mean? Just as the wise men were looking for Christ’s first coming so we as wise men are looking for His second coming! One of the signs of Christ’s return according to Paul is the promotion of lawlessness! I want to translate this verse three from the Greek back to the English. “Do not be moved out from the (truth) and be cheated! The day shall come towards you when defection from the (truth) and wicked men who error from the (truth) who is also an illegitimate son in whose destruction shall come through corruption.” Did you notice the word truth appearing throughout this verse? What or who is the truth? Jesus Christ is the truth! So as in America or any other culture when truth or Jesus Christ is suppressed then lawlessness increases! In fact they are inversely proportional to each other! As one decreases the other increases! As one increases the other decreases! The bad news brings the good news! So the signs of Christ’s second coming presented to us by our Bible are all around us! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com