LEARNING DAILY

 

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

 

Glenn Beck wrote in his new book, The Great Reset, British politician and historian John Dalberg-Acton, today commonly referred to as Lord Acton, famously wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That’s a great line, but the rarely quoted sentence that follows it is arguably even better. “Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certain corruption by authority.” Beck then adds, “Great men are almost always bad men” does not mean that the only people who achieve greatness or success in life are bad people, but rather it means that those who are able to succeed in attaining power and influence for themselves tend to be corrupted by it, no matter how good their intentions are at first.”

 

My thoughts today come from a statement a friend made this week. He said that the rapture of the church could come this year. Yes, it could come today or tomorrow or this summer or next year. We just do not know. Our responsibility is to be ready and alert and we watch and listen for the trumpet to sound. Here’s my thought. If the rapture of the church would occur this year, the man of sin or the Antichrist must be in the world today. He will come on the scene when the restraining influence of God is taken out of the world; God will then send a deluding (a deceiving or misleading) spirit on all those who refuse to love the truth.

 

The man of sin will become a world ruler who makes a covenant with Israel only to break it three and one-half years later. This is when he declares himself to be God and desecrates the temple demanding to be worshipped. Call me crazy if you want but it seems all the talk from leaders around the world about a one-world government and one-world economic system, and the talk about government control of monetary systems might be significant to biblical narrative. Add to that the way government has dictated the shut down of businesses and schools and disrupted our lives in the past several years might be bringing us closer to these times described in God’s Word. I am watching the events happening in Canada right now with great interest. It sure seems Canada’s leadership is doing some of the same things socialist leaders of the past have done. Watch what occurs there and in other countries closely.

 

Dr. Ed Newton, lead pastor at Community Bible Church, likes to say, “I don’t write the mail, I just deliver it!” I feel that I need to be the one saying that today! God’s Word tells us these days are coming. I don’t know when and neither does anyone else. It tells us to be ready, to be diligently walking on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in God’s kingdom so when that trumpet blows there is no doubt we will be taken in His kingdom. The alternative is to think the warning is foolishness and be left behind. Just be ready! Just be ready for the days ahead by doing everything you can to walk on the narrow way, living for the Lord every day!