Are you watching and waiting with high expectations?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.

For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom.
(2 Thessalonians 2:3 (CJB))

There are times that I wish that I could read the scriptures in the original Hebrew or Greek with a full understanding of those original languages. There are subtleties and nuances in these words that have baffled translators for countless years. For example, the word translated as “Apostasy” comes from the original Greek word “apostasia.” The Liddell and Scott Greek Lexicon defines apostasia first as “defection, revolt;” then secondly as “departure, disappearance.” Depending on which definition you use, the whole meaning of this passage can change.

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
(2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NIV))

Most translations use the first definition, but since we don’t truly know what Paul intended, and the possibility that the definitions may have shifted over the years, the best that anyone can do is make an educated guess based on the context of the passage. If we simply use a word substitution, you begin to see the conundrum. One speaks of a rebellion while the other speaks of the Rapture.

…that day will not come until the revolt occurs
or
…that day will not come until the disappearance occurs

It is in these situations that I rely on a different source than human translations. I seek the Lord in prayer and prayerfully ask for discernment and understanding. As is the case for this passage, I often have to wait for the Lord’s timing. We know that we cannot know the hour or the day, but we can know the season. I venture that this also applies to God giving us insight into the clarity of passages such as this. If you think about it, people have been debating over the meanings of Scripture passages for a very long time. Only as the events described within the passage come into focus does the true meaning come to light.

Something just made my whole body tingle. We know that God’s Word often has a short term and a long term meaning. Is it possible that Paul’s choice of the word “apostasia” and the two very distinct meanings was intentional? Let’s try one more word substitution in order to convey what just came to mind.

…that day will not come until the revolt and the disappearance occur

Does this make sense? Humanity has to cross a line of no return in their rebellion against God AND the true church has to be taken out of the picture before the man of lawlessness will come on the scene. Does this indicate that God will judge the world’s rebellion and then remove the church based on His judgment? In many of my readings, this coincides with what many people believe will happen. Is it possible that the translators picked a single definition when Paul meant that both definitions were to be applied?

No matter how you choose to translate that word, one thing is certain. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived. We MUST keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

Are you watching and waiting with high expectations?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you a new creation?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
(2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV))

Anyone who has accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior has a tremendous reason to celebrate!

We like to celebrate the passage of time by having a major event at the transition from the last day of one year to the first day of a new year. In all honesty, this celebration is nothing more than a time to celebrate the fact that we made it through another year. For this simple fact, the whole world celebrates and then within just a few hours, we are back to the very same things as before the celebration.

What if we could celebrate something that would leave us completely different? What if we could celebrate receiving a gift so magnificent that it changes our eternal destiny? What if we could discard our sinful nature and replace it with the very nature of God through the gift of His Son, Jesus?

Each one of us was physically born into a sinful world and we inherited a sinful nature. That nature has condemned us. That nature has destined us for eternal separation from God. Through the gift that God gave us in Jesus, we can replace that condemnation and that destiny with a grace filled rebirth. We can be made new! We can repent and take hold of the promises of God. We can be made better than new! We can be made new in the image of Christ!

Are you a new creation?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Can you proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
(1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (NIV))

Many people do not see the need to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They do not think that one “man” can change how God will look upon us. They have not stopped to think how God looks upon us because of the actions of another man.

Adam sinned. We are not Adam, yet we suffer because of his sin. All of history was irreversibly changed due to the actions that happened in the Garden of Eden.

If this is the case, then why can’t the actions that happened in the Garden of Gesthemene and Golgatha change the way God looks upon us again?

Through the actions of one, all were destined to suffered. Through the suffering of One, all can be saved from suffering. All it takes is acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL.

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What have you read today?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives.
(Deuteronomy 17:19 (NLT))

We have been told to keep God’s Word in our hearts and in our lives since the beginning of creation. God’s Word has been classified into several different categories, one of which is the Law. The Law tells us how we are to live. We are to read it daily for we live our lives daily. We need the guidance that the Law provides to us.

Some people believe that because Jesus came to die for our sins, we are free from the Law. They believe that the grace and mercy that He brought keeps us from needing to live be the righteous statutes that it conveys. They feel that they can do whatever they want because they are forgiven; that they are covered by the Blood of the Lamb.

Jesus, Himself, put this belief to a very sound resolution.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
(Matthew 5:17 (NIV))

Just because God’s Word may come from what we call the Old Testament does not mean that it is to be ignored because Jesus saved us from the Law. He did save us from the Law, but He did not save us to blatantly ignore the Law. We are to keep God’s commands because Jesus kept His commands. Jesus fulfilled every single one of them. We, as believers, are destined to be matured into the very image of Jesus. If He fulfilled them, then we should also.

What have you read today?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Will you face judgement or Salvation?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
(Hebrews 9:27 (NIV))

People live their lives as if they would never die. They are too engrossed in the “here and now” to think about eternity. When they do think about eternity, they do not think about the judgement that they must face after they die.

All throughout their lives they have been mislead by false religions and false teachings such as reincarnation, Buddhism, karma and a vast number of others. It is common in today’s culture to hear people speak of “It must be karma” or something similar. But, among non-believers, you never hear of someone speaking of judgement. It is not a concept that they wish to believe in.

The world has been successful in spreading the lies that there is no judgement after death. According to God’s laws, there is no reincarnation, no karma, or any other such thing. We have one life after which we will be judged based on one criteria. Did we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior? Those who answer “Yes” will receive eternal life in the presence of God. Those who answer “No” will receive the same judgement as Satan and the Anti-Christ: eternal separation from God and the Lake of Fire.

Without Jesus, there is no hope. With Jesus, we have God’s promise of eternal life.

Judgement is a Biblical principle. Salvation is a Biblical principle. Salvation comes through only ONE source, Jesus Christ. Will you face judgement or Salvation?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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The greatest reason to rejoice!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV))

I know that it is sometimes hard to rejoice because of the worldly events that effect our lives. We see terror and hatred in our daily lives and this makes it hard to rejoice from a worldly perspective. We must remember that, according to 1 Peter 2: 11, we are as aliens and strangers in this world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
(1 John 4:4)

We are faced with the world every single day of our lives, yet we must not lose focus on the fact that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are destined for an existance far greater than this world. This is only temporary. This, too, will pass.

It is our task to make sure that we always reflect the love of Jesus Christ to those whom we meet. We are to do this in the hopes of planting a seed within them that will grow and bloom as it has in our lives. For this reason, even in the face of adversity, we must rejoice, for God has given us, through Jesus Christ, the greatest reason to rejoice.

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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