Originally written in 2012. An open letter to the church.

 I originally wrote this in 2012. I still weep when I read it.

To those who have an ear to hear, it is an encouragement and a call to war.

Hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, not only to those who misguided the sheep but to the sheep as well.

I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such, we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

Illustration 

1: Sheep (Photo credit: James Good)

 I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

The prophets¹ have put forth the call to repent, but you have ignored that call, and instead, induced fear in my people.

Most will not receive this, but some will.

You have taken away their hope.

"To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: The amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the source of God's creation, says: I know what you have done, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. But since you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I'm rich. I'm wealthy. I don't need anything.' Yet, you do not realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you: Buy gold purified in fire from me so that you may be rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them so that you may keep your shameful, naked body from showing. Buy ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act. Look, I'm standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I'll come in and we'll eat together. I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne. Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22 GW)

The call for repentance has gone forth, and you have ignored it. 

The cry for hearts to turn to me has gone forth, and you have rejected it. I 

have sent my prophets, and you have mocked them.

I have sent my warnings upon this nation; do not put your hope in the idea that there will be more warnings. 

I do not recommend you ignore these warnings.

The time of my return, for those who are awaiting me, is now within minutes in my time frame. 

Will you ignore that too?

Pastors

I sent you as shepherds to lead and guide the flock, but you have failed. You have not only failed, but you have robbed my sheep and left them as fodder for the wolves. They wander around with no hope and direction. And even though I have told you that you are not in the darkness that this day should creep upon you, that is exactly what is happening to them.

Read Matthew 25.

Do not ignore this warning! Although everyone in this parable was invited to the same wedding, half were not ready. The oil is not the Holy Spirit, for you cannot buy a gift; therefore, the oil is passion and desire, and none of you have that.

The shepherds are foolish. They don't look to the LORD for help. That is why they won't succeed, and all their flocks will be scattered. (Jeremiah 10:21 GW)

You think you are a success if you have fame and fortune, but I tell you that the first shall be last, and there will be a payment to be made for the damage you have done to my flock.

Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My portion underfoot; they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. (Jeremiah 12:10 LITV)

You love to call this time that is coming the Great Tribulation, and it is, but it is also a time of wrath. If you have played the fool with MY people, then you will be included in that wrath.

You can stand there glowering, in an attempt to rebuke me. I anticipated that, for that is what Pharisees do, but what in your foolish mind makes you think that you will escape the wrath of God?

“Woe to shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture says Jehovah. Because of this, so says Jehovah the God of Israel against the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit on you the evil of your doings, says Jehovah.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2 LITV)

“Shepherds, you should be leading the sheep. Start crying, you great leaders! Roll around on the ground in pain, you leaders of the sheep. It is now time for your slaughter. You will be scattered everywhere, like pieces flying from a broken jar.” (Jeremiah 25:34 ERV)

There will be no place for the shepherds to hide. They will not escape. (Jeremiah 25:35 ERV)

We were designed for hope; it is the reason we are here.

You shepherds that chose not to attend the flock have robbed them of hope. You have chosen to preach what people want to hear, and not what I have spoken to you.

“.., the eye of the Lord is on those in whose hearts is the fear of him, on those whose hope is in his mercy;“ (Psalms 33:18b BBE)

Be strong and brave, all of you who are waiting for the LORD'S help. (Psalms 31:24 ERV)

Hope is the primary motivation that drives my people toward the end. Hope is the backbone of faith, based in faith, and the reason that we look toward a promised end and rescue from destruction.

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37 AMP)

You have not been bold enough to understand this statement, so I will declare it to you. Evil thoughts and violence filled the heart of every man, except one, NOAH. I placed him in the Ark, and I closed the door; then destruction came. In other words, tribulation came from people, and it was all around him, just as it is today.

You have eliminated the talks of hope because you do not believe my words.

Did you think that I would not notice such acts of treason?

In eliminating hope, you have proven your lack of faith and shown your distrust of my word, my life, and my resurrection.

You have robbed my people of hope by your unbelief.

Do you not understand that HOPE was then and is now an integral aspect of our beliefs?

I promised that hope would come, and then guaranteed that promise with my body as the payment when it should have been your body on that cross.

Do you not understand that the riches of heaven are only yours because of the fulfillment of hope?

Paul challenged the Sanhedrin based on a solid understanding of this hope.

But Paul, when he perceived that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part Pharisees, cried out to the council (Sanhedrin), Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; it is with regard to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am indicted and being judged. (Acts 23:6 AMP)

While you have refused to instill hope in people, Paul was willing to be chained because he grasped the hope grounded in Jesus.

This is the reason therefore why I have begged to see you and to talk with you, since it is because of the Hope of Israel (the Messiah) that I am bound with this chain. (Acts 28:20 AMP)

Abraham – One of the main reasons we are here, had hope.

There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, "You will have many descendants."
(Romans 4:18 ERV)

Your deficient decision for Jesus Christ, demonstrating your lack of faith, has caused my Church to not know who I am.

Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. (Romans 5:2 ERV)

Several translations put it this way: “this grace in which we stand,”, Without hope none of them will stand.

And what is it that they might have the need to stand in?

• Faith in adversity;

• Faith in my name;

• Faith in the application of my Word and Name in bringing life to others.

No, you have not taught them that.

They cower and cringe in fear, and if not cowering, they think that they are gods. Where would they get that idea? Because instead of preaching hope and faith, you preach a message of lust and idolatry.

You created a monster that will be your destruction. You only have one option, and that is to repent.

Time is short, and my patience with you has grown thin. The last days are upon us, and you need to clear your hearts and minds now. You need to restore the broken and lost to health. Ignore this, and I will not ignore your wrongs.

The Assyrians are upon you already, and you do not even know it. They will show you no mercy, and they will dash your children upon stones before your feet.

Repent in humility and weeping, and I will restore you. Turn from me, and I will throw you to the winds.

If you are so minded, share this with the pastor of your choice. Share this with the sheep of your choice.

I do not wish to see you miss out on the in-gathering of the church to himself, but lacking zealous passion, you may. You will deeply regret that, as it will be hell for those still here.

Open your Bibles and read the second chapter of Joel. Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and declared that Joel's prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing. God opened the door that day to the amazing.

Should you choose to turn to him, he will turn to you.

Open your mouth and determine, as watchmen upon the wall, that this destruction is not happening on your watch.

Declare, in the Name of Jesus Christ, the risen one, that there will be peace and safety everywhere your foot stands.

Declare sanity over this nation while you are upon it.

Grow a backbone and act like the man and woman of God you were designed to be.

Sons of Adam, and Daughters of Eve, I am calling you out. You know who you are. You have heard the calling in your ears for some time now.

What is holding you back? 

Fear; fear is of the devil and does nothing more than incapacitate you.

Do something.

• Shout,

• scream,

• cry out,

• repent over a broken nation.

• Still the enemy and the avenger.

Have the guts to do something, for you do not have the time or the luxury to be silent.

Hold your tongues, and I will hold you responsible. Their blood will be upon your head. (Find it in scripture.)

Cease to be lethargic and uncaring. Awaken to righteousness.

Do something.

• Be a fire that will not go out.

• Cause a few people to regret the fact that you walked into the room, and make a few glad that you did.

Men and women of God should be the last thing on earth that the unbelieving would ever want to mess with and the first person that they call.

Walk this earth as the prophets walked. BE BOLD, and show the world what the power of God is all about.

DEAR GOD, IT'S TIME.

¹Jonathon Cahn, The Harbinger, Subtitled “The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future,” The Harbinger is published by FrontLine, an imprint of Charisma House. - This is only one of the voices, but if you will take the time to verify and compare, you will see that the Spirit is telling all those that will listen to say the same thing.

It has been a little over 7 years since I wrote this. I still weep when I read it. To those who have an ear to hear, it is an encouragement and a call to war.

Hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, not only to those who misguided the sheep but to the sheep as well.

I am writing as I have been compelled to write. The Spirit of the Lord tells me that we are of the Laodicean church, and as such, we are on the last stand and have failed to hold our ground.

Soul sleep and the transitional period. Where do we go when we die?

 The motivation for writing, in this case, initiated with the study that I have been doing on the Revelation, where, at the moment, we are in chapters 21 and 22. Those chapters focus on a new heaven and a new earth.

I share these studies with the guys I sit with, and they always have questions. For example, one of the men asked about death and Heaven, which prompted him to buy a copy of the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I have a copy of that book but, until recently, never opened it. 

The chapter I pursued first started on page twenty-three. By the time I got to chapter five, page 41, I had run into this bizarre statement by Randy Alcorn, and to be honest, I was done. 

“When a Christian dies, he enters into what is referred to in theology as the intermediate state, a transitional period between our present lives on earth and our future resurrection to life on the New Earth.”

A Pastor I am familiar with, in his book Countdown, states that “a few cult religions believe in a soul sleep.” The problem is, the Bible does not use the phrase soul sleep; nor does it speak explicitly about an intermediate state or a transitional period as we believers await our “future resurrection” to our life on the “New Earth,” as Randy Alcorn stated. 

The possibility of this intermediate state or transition being the same as soul sleep is not that difficult to perceive. 

Because of the questions that believers ask and the conflicting statements from books and the pulpit, I have felt the need to look into the biblical understanding of death and our transition to our heavenly home. 

Our education into death begins by grasping that the soul never dies. 

• The ultimate “death” is separation from God, in whose image you are made. 

  It would be best if you let that statement sink in. 

  Since all of humanity was made in God’s image, then consider the fool that says there is no God, all the while their soul cries out as it longs to worship Him, and, because you chose to turn a blind eye to God, the rocks will sing out the praises of God.

  So, what we call death is distributed – in a sense, between those who are followers of Jesus Christ and those who are not.

• For the follower of Christ, there is a glorious hope, and it is to live in the presence of Love Himself.

  The Apostle Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 that we are merely living in tents of flesh, and when those tents are taken down – destroyed, we are immediately in the presence of Jesus, clothed in the glory and garments of Heaven. 

  The phrase used is, “we have." It is the Greek word echō. Thayer's definition conveys that this word means: to have, hold, own, and possess - as in the sense of wearing a tent.

  One of the verses we focus on is 2 Corinthians 5:6. Here the thought process seems to run backward; as Paul says, 

  “Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” 

  If we apply a mathematical term, inverse, it is then easy to understand that we long to be clothed in our eternal bodies and be present with the Lord, an event that will happen instantly.

  While I can't tell you if you will be hanging around in the clouds with Jesus or dancing on golden streets, I can tell you that the transition from here to there will be instantaneous.

  Please don't ask me about the reasons behind God associating us back with our physical body, as I don't have much more information than you do. Still, it is clear that God gave us these bodies, with sensation and emotion, for a reason and will, therefore, restore them in a condition far better than what we left them in.

  Having said all that, I can picture Jesus sitting at the sea shore with the disciples, eating fish. In His immortal body, He doesn't have to, but He did.

  Is it because He could still enjoy it and the fellowship – an emotion?

  Nobody ever tries to tell you that in His last days on earth, He could not feel the distress the disciples felt. They had Him, lost Him, gained Him back, and now He was going back to the Father once again. What a roller coaster of emotions. Perhaps none of this could be experienced without the body.

The death of those outside of a relationship with Jesus is different. 

• Again, your soul never dies. 

  So, if you are unfortunate enough to make it to the great white throne, there is the sad possibility that your name is NOT listed in the book of life. If that happens, you will be cast into the lake of fire, right behind your fearless leader – Satan. You will experience eternal separation from God and the eternal agony designed for Satan and his fallen angel horde. 

  While the believers are taken immediately into the presence of Jesus, this is not the case for those who would not follow Him. 

• I contend that, for the non-believer, the dead know nothing. 

  What does that mean? 

  It means your soul just lies there, somewhere, without a thought. Most people think of this as being asleep. I don't know about that because I have all kinds of dreams, some of which fall under the category of demonic if you ask me. But whether asleep or simply thoughtless makes no difference, as you are, for whatever amount of time that takes, doing nothing, going nowhere. 

  What evidence do I have for the statement above? 

  How about Ecclesiastes 9:5, for one. 

  “The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered.” (NLT)

  I am aware that some could interpret this otherwise, so I found other witnesses. Psalm 146:3-4 is an excellent one.

  “Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.” (NASB) 

  Remember, it is two or three witnesses, so let's look at one more. It doesn't matter how many pieces of evidence I put up here, as some of you will never change your mind. Psalm 115:17 also bolsters the idea of a thoughtless condition. 

  “The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence;” (NASB)

  It seems obvious that the dead would not praise the Lord, but how do you know that? Considering how some who “come back from the dead” see and feel horrendous torment, why wouldn't they want to praise the Lord?

I feel as though I have done an adequate job of giving you an understanding of death and how the dead know nothing, and I backed my assertions with scripture.

Am I now to be considered a cult religion by some Pastor just because, in his book, he deemed those who believe there is a soul sleep as a religious cult, and he does it by saying, “a few cult religions believe in a soul sleep.”? I don’t think so, for I believe in scripture, God's word, and a relationship with Jesus. And, as this Pastor often tells the audience, I preach the pure Word of God. But obviously, for some Pastors, that is not the case. If this does anything, it moves men like this Pastor into the category of false teachers, who may need correction or be ignored because none of us have the right to make Biblical-sounding statements that have no Biblical basis. 

You follow whoever floats your boat because I am not the church police. But at least get yourself skillful with scripture and judge for yourselves. If what they preach is consistently wrong, and you follow them, then in time, what they say will weaken your faith and undermine your understanding of God’s character.

An example for those who would believe. 1 Ti 1:12-20.

 1 Timothy 1:12 NASB I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,

Strengthen.

This is the Greek word endunamoō and means to empower, enable, to be (made) strong.

Paul felt the need to tell Timothy that God had empowered, enabled, and made him strong. Whatever, Timothy, or anyone else might have thought of Paul and his knowledge of the Mosaic law, he felt the need to point to God as the source of any truth Paul espoused. He took this conversation to the next level when, according to the NLT he said, “He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him.”

1 Timothy 1:13 NASB even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

Paul is effectively giving his testimony, as he says, I was formerly a blasphemer. To give you a feel for who Saul the pharisee was, I give you the definitions of some of these words he uses to describe himself. Keep in mind that we previously talked about how Paul, in 1 Corinthians said that he was meek in person. Meek and humble are two different things, as humble comes as someone else puts you into a subservient position.

BLASPHE'MER, n. One who blasphemes; one who speaks of God in impious and irreverent terms. Webster's Dictionary

Many of us have heard people say, I cannot be a Christian as I have blasphemed against God. Many of us have. Fortunately, Christ paid the price for all of our sins, and we are, therefore, forgiven. Jesus, in speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, told them that they had, at that time, crossed the line, as they had blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, saying that Jesus had released a young man from his demonic oppression through the power of Satan. This then seems to be the critical departure from truth.

The Greek word for blasphemer is blasphēmos and means scurrilous, calumnious, impious, railing.

Scurrilous - Using the low and indecent language of the meaner sort of people, or such as only the license of buffoons can warrant.

Calumnious - Slanderous; injurious to reputation.

Impious - Irreverent towards the Supreme Being; wanting in veneration for God and his authority; irreligious; profane.

Railing - Clamoring with insulting language; uttering reproachful words.

This describes most of the rioters taking over our streets. The next also describes Saul, quite well.

PER'SECUTOR, n. One that persecutes; one that pursues another unjustly and vexatiously, particularly on account of religious principles.

Persecutor is the Greek word diōktēs and means a persecutor.

A violent aggressor – is the Greek word hubristēs and it is used twice to convey being a violent aggressor. The word means an insulter, a maltreater: despiteful, injurious.

Note this part of the paragraph. 1 Timothy 1:13b.

“Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”

Did Paul say anything about a lack of knowledge?

He better not have, as he spoke highly of his skill and knowledge of the Mosaic law.

But, did he believe what those words said?

Apparently not. Were you aware of these passages?

'Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering. (Numbers 15:27 NASB)

Unintentionally?

Look at the Hebrew word sh^egâgâh a mistake or inadvertent transgression: - error, ignorance, at unawares, unwittingly.

To be honest, Saul's actions seemed very deliberate, but then I am aware that I am acting in error by unwittingly judging the man when I make a statement like that.

“then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the man-slayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. 'The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.” (Numbers 35:11-12 NASB)

Now, wait a minute. Doesn't this passage apply to the person who inadvertently had the head of the ax fly off, strike another person, and kill them? In other words, an unintentional act – manslaughter. If we apply this protocol to Saul, it is difficult to see his actions, in the death of Stephen, as unintentional. The only thing that I can apply to Saul's situation, is that by his actions, though not a direct participant in the action, he approved of Stephen's death.

Jesus, by his death, approved of Saul's forgiveness. And the worst part of it is that those Jews, under the constraints of the “Mosaic law,” were fully justified, in their minds, in stoning Stephen.

Because of God's grace and mercy!

1 Timothy 1:14 NASB and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

Picking himself up off the dusty trail, and there is no doubt that there were others there to assist this learned scholar of the Mosaic law to get up, Saul was now aware that it was only the grace of God that allowed him to be standing there, with another chance at life. Let's recap Acts 9.

“As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.” (Acts 9:3-8 NASB)

What do you suppose they said, considering that they heard the voice also?

Perhaps something along the line of, whatever you say, sir.

Pay attention to the statement, that Saul, as a new follower of Christ Jesus, made.

“and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”

There is no doubt that Saul immediately perceived the grace, faith, and love that is found in Christ Jesus. Being of a religious mindset, my mind goes back to things that I heard over the years; things that imply that you can never realize the grace, faith, and love of Christ, without accepting Christ Jesus as your Lord and Abba.

Funny, Saul seemed to understand the Lordship of God, but it was not a personal relationship; that is until he got knocked on his butt on the road to Damascus. Surely, with an instantaneous acceptance of the faith and love, Saul could then understand that he had been given grace. The moment does not follow my religious standard; and yet, it does. Isn't God amazing how He does that! Saul found the grace, faith, and love of Christ Jesus, and it happened in the most unusual way.

Even for Paul, the moment evokes this statement.

1 Timothy 1:15 NASB It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

“It is a trustworthy statement,

deserving (of) full acceptance,

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

And a line that fits us all.

among whom I am foremost of all”

Look at the word save for a moment.

Saved is the Greek word sōzō and means to save, that is, deliver or protect, heal, preserve, and make whole.

I find those words to be overwhelming at the moment. There is not an aspect of this sōzō that does not cover all that I was and am.

Sinners? We have covered this word many times. In its simplest form, it is merely missing the mark. That mark can be large or small, deadly important or so non-significant in our minds; and yet, to miss the mark, whether intentionally, habitually, or forgetfully is still SIN.

Be honest, is there a day that goes by in which you don't miss one of your marks?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Finally having come to the understanding that he, Saul, was the chiefest of sinners, he is able to say:

1 Timothy 1:16 NASB Yet, for this reason, I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

• Yet for this reason, I found mercy,
• so that in me as the foremost,
• Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience
• as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

So the Apostle, now named Paul, tells us, that he is an example for all who would believe in Christ.

What an amazing conveyance and Paul ends it with a prayer and an admonition.

1 Timothy 1:17 NASB Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

He ends with this admonition to Timothy, and us.

1 Timothy 1:18 NASB This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,

This is one of those passages where inserting your own name would be appropriate.

“This command I entrust to you ____________ (insert name here), my son or daughter, in accordance with prophecies previously made concerning you,

Stop here for a moment. Many of you would say, but no one has ever prophesied over me, and therefore I have no motivation, direction, or drive over my life. Ah, but you do, you have the prophecy of God's word to speak over your life. Let me explain.

Revelation 19:10 tells us that the testimony of Jesus – this is the Word of God, which conveys God's hopes, dreams, and wishes for your life. All these things might seem like a variable that might not be available to you. You are right to say they are variables, but not on God's part. He has dealt this way with humanity since the garden of Eden. We see it when He says, to people like Abram, as for Me. God is saying, is that He will carry out His plan regardless of whether you participate or not. The religious side of me would tell you that you have to be a believer to receive the prophecy of God, but the fact that Jesus shows up in the dreams of the Iranian people, and He leads them into a knowledge of Himself.

Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

that by them (the words of God) you ______________ (insert your name here) fight the good fight,

You fight the good fight by doing what you see in 1 Timothy 1:19

1 Timothy 1:19 NASB keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

The word keeping is the Greek word echō and means to hold.

The Greek word for Faith is pistis and means persuasion.

So 1 Timothy 1:19 he is asking/telling you, to hold to that which you have been persuaded, in a good conscience,

Rejected is the word apōtheomai and means to shove away, push off, reject or cast away.

To suffer shipwreck is the Greek word nauageō and it is used twice in order to obtain the phrase we see. The words involved are shipwrecked, stranded, made to suffer shipwreck.

Paul ends this passage with this,

“which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”

Substituting the alternate words we get this: some have cast away, and been made to suffer shipwreck.

To make his point, a bit more personal, he names off some names they would know.

1 Timothy 1:20 NASB Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

In the litigious world, we live in, people will sue you if you publicly out them.

To be handed over, according to the Greek concordance, is the word paradidōmi and means to surrender.

So Paul surrendered these two over to Satan so that they will be taught.

Taught is the Greek word paideuō and means to train up – as you would a rebellious child (this presumes that you still know what capital punishment is,) educate, discipline (by punishment).

So that they would be taught NOT to blaspheme. We covered this word blaspheme, earlier in the study. In short, the word blaspheme means to vilify; specifically to speak impiously.

For those who think that they have crossed God's unforgivable boundaries, I suppose that another way to understand this is that God has the option of turning you over to Satan so that you will be taught NOT to blaspheme. If you have been fortunate enough to not be turned over to Satan, then perhaps you have not, as you thought, crossed God's line of demarcation.

By the way, I do not see this as being turned over to a judgment of hell's flames, but merely a painful education meant to motivate you toward Christ.

My advice to you, run to Him quickly as time is growing short.

The Coming Antichrist and the rapture of the church, chapter two. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10

“The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

If you understand that one of the NEXT events on the horizon is going to be God's wrath being poured out upon the earth then we can move on.

(Why did I say “one of the next events”? Because Daniel 9:26 tells that this time frame will come with a flood – not a literal flood, although that could happen, but a flood of armies coming at Israel from every direction; and Israel will be at war, and they will be desolated. Ezekiel chapters 38,39 tells us that God interrupts this war with fire from heaven. Strangely, Ezekiel speaks of people merely marking the bodies that lie on the hills of Israel, so that specialists can take care of them; from that, we might assume that this fire is nuclear. This theory makes sense, considering the players involved.)

These events happen so rapidly and include the entrance of the Antichrist who declares that there will be a seven-year peace treaty. (Here again, we can see from Daniel 9:27 that someone rises up as a “global” leader. I suspect that he will be a global leader over the Islamic nations. Keep in mind the territory that this scenario is focused on.) With that understanding we can move forward and discuss what we the church will experience just moments before this wrath - our being gathered to Him. (“Him,” is Jesus Christ, and you can see that distinctly in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)

While these two verses (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2) are the entrance into a solid and critical understanding of the rapture of the church, the first three verses used to bring me much confusion. The confusion came because verse three, which we will get to shortly, is typically written in such a manner that it comes across as though the Antichrist will come first. Let me show you.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

See how it says, “it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed.” The word “and” is merely a conjunction and not a mandatory timing. The major problem with this verse is the word apostasy, and we will get into that.

“... and our being gathered together to him,”

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, (2 Thessalonians 2:1 ESV)

Gathered or gathering it is the Greek word episunagōgē and means a complete collection, to gather together, or an assembling.

At some point, soon, we are going to be gathered and collected, back to Jesus.

Our gathering together to Him is the catching away of the church, or, if you wish, the rapture.

“... unless the apostasy comes first, ...”

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

If I read this passage, as is, it gives the impression that two things have to happen before the rapture, but that is NOT what it says. Yes, the apostasy must come first, but the second half of this sentence says nothing about the church’s rapture, nor does it define what the apostasy means. It does, however, speak of a moment when the man of lawlessness will be revealed, and if we migrated forward to 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8 we can see this clear definition.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NASB)

Comes is the Greek word erchomai and means to be established, become known, arise, come into being, show itself, find a place, influence.

In light of verse one, where it speaks of our being gathered together with Him, we know that the “it” is the catching away of the church, however, it could also be pointing to the seven-years of God’s wrath.

“unless the apostasy comes first,” 

This section has been the game-changer for me.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 in the NASB, tells us that the church will not be caught away until there is, as the NASB states, an apostasy, but, as I have learned, the text and interpretation of the word apostasia, was changed to fit a Roman Catholic motive.

G646 apostasia; from G868. G868 is the word aphístēmi, and is derived from From G575 and G2476 and has the meaning to remove, or to put away.

Who or what then, is to be removed? The church.

Now let's get back to apostasia for a moment.
The Word Study dictionary tells us that apostasia means to depart, or departure.

The simple word and, is our problem child here. While I have a clear understanding, based upon apostasia meaning to gather or remove, the word "and," can in some cases, infer that an event or action must occur at the same time.
And is the Greek word kahee and apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force. It can mean: and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.

Since we are looking at 2 Thessalonians 2:3 then let's see how this changes the way we look at this verse with some original wording.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the (departure, gathering, or removal – of the church) comes first, and (then) the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (The bold type is mine.)

One of the early texts was the Geneva Bible. (Imprinted in London, by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Qveenes Maiestie. 1587.) A Swedish translation covers the word apostasia most appropriately.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition, (2 Thessalonians 2:3 Geneva) 

To read this passage, with this understanding, for me, eliminates any confusion I might have had, as we should have been looking for our removal by means of the harpazo, or catching away.

The clarity goes away quickly if I focus on what the Douay-Rheims Bible says. This is the early Catholic translation in which we find the effects of their displeasure with people leaving the church.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3 DRB)

The Rheims New Testament first published by the English College at Rheims, A.D. 1582. The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner, A.D. 1749-1752. This translation reflected the angst of the Catholic church during the Protestant revolution, where radicals were pulling away from the Catholic Church, the state church – also considered to be the mother church. Hence, we have terminology such as revolt. This translation seems to have been a catalyst for an entire shift in understanding and interpretation, so the degree that we now looking, not for a departing to be with the Lord, but a falling away from the Lord and traditions, in our church bodies. Strangely, a falling away from the Lord, is exactly what is happening, but the focus improperly changed, and confusion entered.

So the Roman Catholic Church had the word apostasia which means to gather, transliterated into the word apostasy, and changed its meaning to a falling away from the truth. Truth, of course, meant the state church, the Catholic Church also deemed the mother church.

We, slightly less than efficient Bible students, may not realize that something like the Strong's concordance could be driven by error. Look at what we get from Strong's concordance. Apostasy is the Greek word apostasia and means a defection from truth, a falling away from the truth.

Now examine what the Word Study Dictionary tells us about apostasia. It means to depart, but the WSD doesn't stop there, it gives us more. “In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasía does not refer to genuine Christians who depart from the faith, but mere professors who, without divine grace, succumb to the Satanic deception of the Antichrist.”

Think about these words and phrases for a moment. To fall away from truth implies time, deception, and disinterest. 

If what we are looking for is a disinterest in church, we got it.

Having watched Ultimate Fighting Championships and Mixed Martial Arts, they interest me for a time but then it gets boring, and so I “fall” away. Church has always had problems like this, as some mighty move of God, or an evangelist, comes to the church, and everybody gets excited – we had one evangelist at our church when I was a teen, that continued for 13 weeks. My church doubled in size after so many came and stayed for a time. But then, the excitement turned to mundane daily living once again and the church retracted in size. 

A defection, on the other hand, implies an intentional turning away from.

We typically associate defection with “spies,” but it does not have to be that dramatic. Yes, some, for whatever the reason, become disenchanted and turn against the church. To be honest, because of events I experienced that were brought on by pastors and church leaders, I could have been one of those defectors, and I have been at times as I think about it. Only in my case, the events, for the most part, did not turn my heart away from God

It is not as though He is giving us another 500 years to get it right, it is time to turn up the fire in your own life now. History has demonstrated that most of what we call church has turned into deterioration and religious practices under a phony pretense. My own Pastor, while standing on a platform in the parking lot, stood before us and talked of God pushing the reset button, (but, he equated the church to a cat litter box, owned by a crazy cat lady, who has so many cats that she can no longer manage to clean up after the cats, nor does she care to.)

Have we as a church fallen away from what is right? 

There is no doubt in my mind that we have. 

The IVPBBC says this about verse 3-4.

2Th_2:3-4. The first prerequisite is either the “rebellion” (NIV, NRSV, TEV) or the “apostasy” (NASB). If it is a “rebellion” against God, it is the world’s final insult to him (2Th_2:4); if “apostasy,” it refers back to Jesus’ sayings later written in Mat_24:10-13. Both sins are characteristic of Jewish lists of end-time sufferings, but because Paul omits most of the signs found in such lists and focuses only on those cited by Jesus, the term here might mean apostasy. In either case, Paul indicates that the term does not apply to his readers (Mat_2:10-15).

(For those who will not read the passage from Matthew 2, let me give you a taste. Herod has noticed a large dust cloud in the distance, has sent out spies, and now knows that it is the Magi with a large entourage. Nothing in your Bible says that there were only three Magi. It does say that they brought three gifts. I might also note, that these gifts were of such large amounts, that when you next see Joseph and Mary, they are living in a home, and Jesus is now two years old. Herod calls in the chief priests and scribes to find out what is going on. Surprise, they knew but refused to acknowledge or have anything to do with this king of the Jews. So, while the Jewish leaders were rejecting Jesus, the Magi came from afar and fell to the ground before Him.

Now, since the other twisted possibility is a defection, have we done that as well? 

Defection = Want or failure of duty; the act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; and revolt. 

The answer is a resounding YES. To prove my point look at the descriptions that the NASB/Apostle Paul gives us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)

This is the world we live in.

It seems the entire Congress of the United States operates on these principles. If that is not enough, we ended the month of May and a part of June of 2020, with looting and rioting across the nation, and for convenience sake, blamed it on the murder of one black man. I don’t mean to sound callous, but Chicago alone has multiple killings of black people daily, but NO ONE seems to care about it, or them.