A Contradiction for the Scattered Church
The word “contradiction” describes a unique condition expressed in one manner or another by the vast majority of baptized people who were scattered after the “falling away.” Although the Church experienced the kind of dispersion (scattering) referenced above, very few seem willing to acknowledge that the Church experienced the Biblical “falling away” from the truth that is described in II Thessalonians. Yet the evidence that nearly two-thirds of the scattered Church no longer holds onto the foundational truths of God’s Church, reveals that there was a very great “falling away” from the truth of God—indeed an apostasy!
The reality that the remaining third, who have desired to hold onto some form of the foundational truths, cannot agree on those truths and are all scattered into over 600 different bodies of people, reinforces the truth of the effects of an apostasy. The denial of such devastation upon God’s Church being the result of an apostasy is to compound the contradiction that exists in so many people’s lives.
Though a very few will acknowledge an apostasy occurred, these same “few” cannot grasp the contradiction in their lives to deny that the apostasy was the very sign of Christ’s return to this earth at this end-time. God stated through Paul that Christ’s return could not and would not take place until this event happened in His Church. To acknowledge that Christ’s return is now at hand and that an apostasy did occur would mean that the rest of the story in II Thessalonians 2 would need to be acknowledged. It is about the “man of sin” who is also referred to as the “son of perdition.”
There was one who betrayed Jesus Christ and was referred to as the “son of perdition” at the time of Christ’s quick trial and sentence of death at his first coming. God revealed through Paul that at the time of the apostasy there would be another man who would betray Jesus Christ—one who was “set” in authority in His Church. These basic truths have been published for the scattered Church from the beginning by this organization of the Church of God – PKG. Acceptance of this basic message from God in II Thessalonians 2 is necessary for anyone who was baptized before the “falling away” in order for them to progress forward in understanding of “how” and “why” this apostasy occurred and what it portends.
Some scattered people can acknowledge portions of these events but seem unwilling or unable to “hear” the whole matter. Many still hold to a belief that the “man of sin” referred to in these verses is about the Pope. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as the Pope has never known the truth and he has no power or affect upon God’s Church.
Having said all this, as it has been said so many times before over the past 14 years, we have now come to the end and Jesus Christ is now going to return on May 27th. This event will catch the whole world off guard—even the Church that was scattered. But it will afford a great opportunity to 63,000 baptized people who were scattered after the apostasy to once again be reunited as God’s Church into a single organized body and to be given opportunity to live on into the new millennial age of Christ’s rule on earth.
The very fact that people have not received the “sign” of Christ’s coming being the events of II Thessalonians 2 is the very reason they have not received what was to follow just before the return of Jesus Christ. It is the story contained in Revelation about God sending His two end-time witnesses (and prophets) who would lead His Church up to the very moment of Christ’s coming. We are NOW there! The job of God’s two witnesses is nearly complete.
Christ’s coming is at hand, and it is just as God said it would be: “But as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the coming of the Son of man. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they did not know until the flood came, and took them all away. So shall it also be in the coming of the Son of man” (Mat. 24:37-39).
It will be the same right up until nuclear weapons begin to be used on the earth. An automatic response of nations will spark immediate retaliation to real or imagined enemies. Such events will be so rapid and have the potential of being so devastating that God must quickly intervene by stopping it as He sends His Son back to this earth to become King of kings.
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edit on 24-5-2012 by ElohimJD because: (no reason given)
