Paul spoke to the problems of the season, shortly after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
The Gentiles were now eligible to be saved. God had made that very clear. Gentiles were being added to the church by God. The Jews and Gentiles were partaking of the same salvation through Jesus.
Paul was very much trying to spread the word that the Gentiles did not have to be circumcised but by faith in Jesus came salvation to the New Testament church.
For the next 2,000 years this was going to be the focal point.
But now the main subject is the approaching return of Jesus for the church.
Today we have the true believers and the apostate church.
Jesus returns when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled and the iniquity abounds in the apostate church and in this world. The iniquity brings the deliverance for the true believer and the wrath of God upon the apostate church which has fallen away from specific scriptures and set up another doctrine in the church groups.
First Jesus gathers those who believe in HIM.
I Thessalonians 4:13-17 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), 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.
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 (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with 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.
We will be removed from this present earth along with those who have gone before us.
Notice we will arise and meet Jesus "in the air".
We will not be living on this present earth, for upon this earth comes the wrath of God (the great tribulation) followed by the complete destruction of this present earth by God.
The apostate church will not be taken up in the air with the believing church. The apostate church will be left on this earth for the wrath of God which comes upon this earth. The apostate church are those persons who have fallen away from scripture and have come to believe a lie.
Paul describes their fate in the following scripture.
II Thessalonians 2:7-12 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, 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:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
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:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Those persons who have been turned over by God to live in "a strong delusion" really believe the lie they live in. They approve all manner of evils in the church. They think it is all right for the divorced woman to remarry. They think nothing of the man marrying a divorced woman. Some in churches even welcome and approve homosexual and lesbians and their lovers into the church. Many approve fornication and sexual sins in the congregation and they just assume it is a way of life today.
These persons who approve sin in the congregation have abandon much of the Bible.
We see their fate in verses 11-12 of the above scripture:
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
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Antichrist in the apostate churches which have fallen away from portions of scripture will have the wrath of God come upon them. The pending end of this world. The believing church being taken to the new Jerusalem wherein dwelleth rightousness.
Antichrist is here now operating in the pastors and congregations that fall away from portions of Bible.
This is the main subject now.
It is not evangelizing the world. It is not building orphanages. It is not trying to fix governments of men or making this world a better place.
This world is going to be destroyed by God. II Peter 3:10-14
The wrath of God is coming upon this world. The vials of woe are coming soon.
Now the message is wake up ... get out of the apostate churches just as Lot had to flee Sodom.
That is the message today.
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