FRAGMENTS FROM THE MASTER’S TABLE

BE NOT SHAKEN

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

I don’t know about you, but I find tremendous comfort in these words of Scripture.
For one, I am of the opinion that the world is going mad! Reading newspapers and watching the daily news on TV is a shocking experience for anyone. Wild animals don’t do to each other what man does. The crime, the greed, the killings, the murders, the bombings, the rapes and abuse of young children is mind-blowing to say the least.
When will it end?
Are we all so blind to the fact that we should NOT be living like this?Surely there must be an end to this havoc and mayhem!
Yes there is! Our verses of Scripture tell us so!

There is great comfort for believers in knowing that Jesus is coming!
Yes He is, and He is coming for those who have put their trust and faith in Him.
Paul the Apostle is encouraging the Thessalonians not to be swayed in their faith, even though they were being persecuted and were suffering as a result.
It is a message we can take to heart in today’s world, because many of the saints were and are struggling to come to terms with what is going on in this topsy-turvy world of ours.
Listen to what Paul tells us:

• Not to be shaken in mind: We are to guard against being tossed about, to and fro, like a ship in rough seas.
• Not to be troubled: We are to avoid being emotional and agitated by what we see going on around us.
• Not to be troubled by word: With so many different theories and ideas coupled with rumours which surround us every day of our lives, we are not to listen to those who do not preach the truth as found in the Word of God.
• Not to be troubled by letter: Questionable reading material is to be found in every book store and library throughout the land, including newspapers and we are to avoid them!

We are to comfort ourselves and one another with the knowledge of our Lord’s coming. There are many people who are out to deceive.There are many false appearances and presentations of things to come, and we would do well to recognise them and pay them no heed whatsoever.
Note these four important words in our verse of Scripture: The Day of Christ
Not many people realise that there are Two Types of Days mentioned in Scripture, and that there is a stark contrast between these two days: The Day of Christ and The Day of the Lord

1. The Day of Christ                                             2. The Day of the Lord

This is for the Church (the Body of Christ)         This is the day for rejectors of Christ

A day of Blessing and Reward                                A day of Judgment

A Heavenly Hope                                                      An earthly despair

Eagerly anticipated                                                  Feared and dreaded

The real hope we have is in knowing Jesus as our Saviour and listening to what He has to say. For example, He has told us the following:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. John 14:1-4
Jesus is coming again!
WOW! It can’t get any better than that! Why would anyone want to trade the Hope Jesus promises with what the World promises? No matter what this world throws at us, Jesus is coming again! He has prepared a place for us in His Father’s House. And, what’s more, He’s coming for us! We are going to be with Him! For ever!