Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 NIRV

Podcast Introduction

Today Epistles Sunday, and we’ll read the the book of 2 Thessalonians. “Living with Expectancy: Balancing Awareness and Action as We Await Christ’s Return.”

Comments on 2 Thessalonians 2

In the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians, Paul warns the church not to panic when people claim that Jesus has already returned. He emphasizes that there are things that must happen before the Lord’s return, and it’s crucial for believers to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples and obeying Jesus’ teachings. While it’s important to be aware of the signs that indicate the end times, focusing solely on the return of Jesus can lead believers astray and negatively impact their lives and the lives of their followers.

One of the signs that Paul points out is the rise of the man of sin, who will oppose everything that is called God and set himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself as God. The world seems to be ready for this figure, with many turning away from God and religion. Despite the likelihood of the man of sin’s arrival, believers should continue to focus on their mission of making disciples and living in a way that reflects the peace and hope they have in knowing Jesus.

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The Team

Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript Correction
Michael Haner: Podcasting: 2.0 Chapters
Scott Snider: Show Art
Jason Paschall: Show Art
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher

Transcript

Download .txt file.

Transcript corrected by Sister Denise

Steve Webb 0:00
Our job is to keep our eye on the ball.

Steve Webb 0:11
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring! One Year Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. Today is Epistle Sunday and we’ll read the book of 2 Thessalonians. We’ll also have a time of praises and prayer requests. Before we get started, let’s have a word of prayer. Our heavenly Father, we thank you for our time together and we ask you to bless us as we read. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. All right, let’s begin.

Steve Webb 0:42
2 Thessalonians, chapter 1. I, Paul, am writing this letter. Silas and Timothy join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the church in Thessalonica. You belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. That is only right, because your faith is growing more and more. The love you all have for each other is increasing. So among God’s churches we brag about the fact that you don’t give up easily. We brag about your faith in all the suffering and testing you are going through. All of this proves that when God judges, he is fair. So you will be considered worthy to enter God’s kingdom. You are suffering for his kingdom. God is fair. He will pay back trouble to those who give you trouble. He will help you who are troubled. And he will also help us. All of those things will happen when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come in blazing fire. He will come with the angels who are given the power to do what God wants. He will punish those who don’t know God. He will punish those who don’t obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. They will be destroyed forever. They will be shut out of heaven. They will never see the glory of the Lord’s power. All of those things will happen when he comes. On that day his glory will be seen in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. That includes you, because you believed the witness we gave you. Keeping this in mind, we never stop praying for you. Our God has chosen you. We pray that he will consider you worthy of his choice. We pray that by his power he will make every good thing you have planned come true. We pray that he will make perfect all that you have done by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory through what you have done. We also pray that you will receive glory through what he has done. We pray all these things in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Steve Webb 2:54
2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. Brothers and sisters, we want to ask you something. It has to do with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It concerns the time when we will go to be with him. What if you receive a prophecy, report or letter that is supposed to have come from us? What if it says that the day of the Lord has already come? If it does, we ask you not to become easily upset or alarmed. Don’t let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is sentenced to be destroyed. He will oppose everything that is called God. He will oppose everything that is worshiped. He will give himself power over everything. He will set himself up in God’s temple. He will announce that he himself is God. Don’t you remember? When I was with you, I used to tell you those things. Now you know what is holding the man of sin back. He is held back so that he can make his appearance at the right time. The secret power of sin is already at work. But the one who now holds that power back will keep doing it until he is taken out of the way. Then the man of sin will appear. The Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth. The glorious brightness of Jesus’ coming will destroy the man of sin. The coming of the man of sin will be Satan’s work. His work will be seen in all kinds of fake miracles, signs and wonders. It will be seen in every kind of evil that fools people who are dying. They are dying because they refuse to love the truth. The truth would save them. So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie. Many will not believe the truth. They will take pleasure in evil. They will be judged. Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. The Lord loves you. God chose you from the beginning. He wanted you to be saved. Salvation comes through the Holy Spirit’s work. He makes people holy. It also comes through believing the truth. He chose you to be saved by accepting the good news that we preach. And you will share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, stand firm. Hold on to what we taught you. We passed our teachings on to you by what we preached and wrote. Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loved us. By his grace God gave us comfort that will last forever. The hope he gave us is good. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father comfort your hearts. May they make you strong in every good thing you do and say.

Steve Webb 5:38
2 Thessalonians, chapter 3. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread quickly. Pray that others will honor it just as you did. And pray that we will be saved from sinful and evil people. Not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you. He will guard you from the evil one. We trust in the Lord. So we are sure that you are doing the things we tell you to do. And we are sure that you will keep on doing them. May the Lord fill your hearts with God’s love. May Christ give you the strength to go on. Brothers and sisters, here is a command we give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep away from every believer who doesn’t want to work. Keep away from anyone who doesn’t live up to the teaching you received from us. You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you. We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn’t cause any expense to any of you. We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow. Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, “Anyone who will not work will not eat.” We hear that some people among you don’t want to work. They aren’t really busy. Instead, they are bothering others. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat. Brothers and sisters, don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing. Keep an eye on anyone who doesn’t obey the directions in our letter. Watch that person closely. Have nothing to do with him. Then he will feel ashamed. But don’t think of him as an enemy. Instead, warn him as a brother or sister. May the Lord who gives peace give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own handwriting. That’s how I prove that I am the author of all my letters. I always do it that way. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Steve Webb 7:52
In chapter 2, Paul was telling the church at Thessalonica that they shouldn’t panic when people come around saying that Jesus had already returned. Yes, Jesus is coming back to be sure. And it will be a very good thing when he does. But there are some things that have to happen before his return. And Paul tells them a few things to look out for. We’ll talk about that, but first, it’s important to know that these are not the only things that must happen before the Lord returns. Now, some people have made a career of trying to decipher all the prophecies given in the Bible about the end times. And while it is an interesting thing to study, it’s more important to live our lives in such a way that we fulfill our part of the Great Commission. The last thing Jesus said before he was taken up to heaven was “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I’ve commanded you.” Well, some people have gotten off that track. They’ve forgotten about those parting instructions of Jesus, and they focused on watching for his return. And in the process, they’ve gotten so off the mark, that they have ruined lives, their own and their followers. Don’t do that. Be aware of the signs but stay focused on doing the business that Jesus gave us to do. So having said that, let’s look at the signs that Paul pointed out here in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. In verses 3 and 4, Paul said, “Don’t let anyone trick you in any way. That day will not come until people rise up against God. It will not come until the man of sin appears. He is a marked man. He is sentenced to be destroyed. He will oppose everything that is called God. He will oppose everything that is worshiped. He will give himself power over everything. He will set himself up in God’s temple. He will announce that he himself is God.” Well, I have to say that from that description it sounds like this could happen almost any day, doesn’t it? People are turning against God all around the world. Church attendance has been trending down here in America for some time, and of course, the pandemic made it worse. But this is not just an American phenomenon. Much of Europe has already turned its back on God and the same is true of Asia. And make no mistake, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world right now. I’ve made a study of it, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the God of Islam is not the God of the Bible. I could spend hours comparing and contrasting Allah with the true and loving and holy God of the Bible, but that’s not what we’re here for. But with the growth of Islam, it is obvious that people are turning away from the one true God. Now it seems as if the world is ready for the one Paul called the “man of sin.” And it is my personal opinion that this man could very well be alive today. I’ve already said on the show here, I believe that the time is short before these things happen. But my job is not to stop everything and wait for that day to arrive, nor is that your job. Our job is to keep our eye on the ball, to do what Jesus told us to do, to make disciples, to live in such a manner that others will see a difference – a good difference – in us. Let people see that even though the world may be falling apart, we have the peace that passes all understanding because we know the One who holds the future. If you have any comments I’d like to hear ’em. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Comment via boostagram, or go to comment.lifespringmedia.com. Tomorrow will be The Law Monday and we’ll read Leviticus 25 through 27 which will complete that book. Boostagram.

Steve Webb 11:56
Boost. Fountain user @smarroquin3 (I hope I’m pronouncing that right) sent a 10,000 sat boostagram on the Ezekiel 43 through 48 episode, “The Future Temple” and they said “ITM,” (or, in the morning) “as a newly saved Christian, I appreciate the valuable resource you’re providing as I better understand God’s word.” Well, thank you so much, and welcome to the family, not just the Lifespring family, but God’s family. I love hearing from new believers. God bless you. And Fountain user @2558 came in again with a 500 sat boostagram with a thank you. Well, thanks again, @2558. God bless you.

Jingle 12:34
Lifespringmedia.com/support

Steve Webb 12:37
Today we have both praises and prayer requests. And the first one is from Sean of San Pedro. He said, “Brittaney and I have been wondering where we are meant to be and when we should go there. Southern California has been home to us our whole lives and we love the area. But it’s becoming less and less comfortable for us to live here. And impossible for us to imagine raising our son and any possible other children here. After much prayer and consideration, we’ve committed to moving to the Phoenix area this July. We’re asking for prayer for God to guide us to where he wants us to be. And for him to help us with the numerous decisions and difficult process and transition.” And they also asked us to pray for the church family that they’re going to be leaving behind as well. So there’s that. But then he also said. “As a praise, we’ve received blessing after blessing here in the Southern California area and are so grateful for those. We’ve been slowly breaking the news to our jobs and church family over the last week. And of course, there is some pain and concern but overall the news has been well received. And people are understanding and supportive. We thank God for that.” Well, Brother Sean, oh my goodness, this is big news. I mean, right now you live just a little over an hour away, and it’s always been kind of nice to know you’re there and now you’re going to be all the way in Phoenix. That’s okay though the internet makes the world seem like just a tiny little ball. So yes, we’ll pray for you, and we’re praising God with you, too, for the blessings that you have received here because it is a blessing to live in Southern California even with some of the problems we have. So thank you for that, Brother Sean. We’ll certainly pray with you and for you. And then, Beloved, yesterday, I told you that I had an exciting praise to share with you. Well on Thursday, Bryan Duncan went with his wife, Cassie to USC Medical Center, as I’ve already told you, so that she could be examined by a neurologist for the pain in the side of her face. Well, I’ve since found out that the name of her disorder is trigeminal neuralgia. I looked it up so I could have a better understanding of what it is and here’s what the Mayo Clinic says “Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes painful sensations similar to an electric shock on one side of the face. This chronic pain condition affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.” Well, that sounds exactly like what Bryan has told me Cassie’s symptoms have been for the last four years. Now, here’s what the Mayo Clinic says about the cause of the disease just in case you’re curious. “In trigeminal neuralgia, the trigeminal nerve’s function is disrupted. Usually, the problem is contact between a normal blood vessel — in this case, an artery or a vein — and the trigeminal nerve at the base of your brain. This contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to malfunction.” Now, here are some of the triggers that can set it off: shaving, touching your face, eating, drinking, brushing your teeth, talking, putting on makeup, a breeze lightly blowing over your face, smiling, washing your face. So can you imagine how debilitating this can be? How many times do we do these things in a day? Well, Cassie can hardly eat because of the pain and she’s just become skin and bones. Just moving around can trigger it. So she spends most of her days in a chair or sleeping. And the drugs they’ve given her sometimes cause stroke-like symptoms. The first time that happened, Bryan thought that she was dying. So here’s what Bryan texted me from the doctor’s office on Thursday. He said, “Praise God! A doctor is recommending microvascular decompression surgery. At last!” Okay, so what is microvascular decompression surgery? What they do is they go in through the back of your skull in a small quarter-sized hole that they cut, and they separate the nerve from everything around it. And the success rate is about 97%, according to the doctor, with reasonable long-term pain relief. So I said, “Praise the Lord for that, but does the insurance coverage still have to agree to this?” And his reply was “Yes, it still has to be approved by the insurance. But they said they’ve never had a problem with insurance with this kind of a surgery.” He said, “I hope they’re right. Even if they aren’t, we will find a way forward regardless.” So praise the Lord for that, right? And obviously, we need to pray that the insurance company will approve it and then that the operation will be successful. So praise God. This is something we’ve been praying about for quite some time ever since Bryan told me about it. All right, so let’s pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, Lord, again, we thank you for telling us what to watch for in the end days. And I pray God that you would help us not to concentrate on that, but to concentrate on what you’ve called us to do and to be. And now Lord, I thank you so much for Brother Sean of San Pedro and Sister Brittaney, for the blessing that they’ve been to us here last year when Sean was doing the chapters, and this year with Brittaney doing the newsletter. And I just lift them up to you, Lord, now, that you would give them direction as they move to Phoenix. Guide them as to where to go and what jobs you’d have them do. Direct them Lord to a church that they can be participating members in and where you can use them. Lord, I pray. I ask you, Lord, to have your hand on them. And also we pray for their church family here in Southern California. I know Brittaney has been an integral part of their children’s program. And I pray, Lord, that you would bring someone in who can, if not completely fill Brittaney’s shoes, do the job and be blessed by it and someone, Lord that you’ve already picked out, I know. Again, Lord, I just pray that you would bless their little family and that you would give them direction in every step. And Father, we thank you so much for this doctor at USC Medical Center that saw Cassie. We thank you, Lord, that he sees the need and that he’s willing to do it. I pray now, Lord, that the insurance company would give their approval and that the surgery would take place very quickly, and that it would be successful. Bless Bryan and Cassie and help the time to go quickly until surgery can happen. I thank you for the Lifespring family for each one that’s here. And I pray specifically now for the Fountain user named @smarroquin3, Lord, as a new believer. I pray, God, that you would bless them that you would firmly establish them in the faith, and that they would have an unquenchable thirst for the Word and for closer fellowship with you. And I pray that Lord, for each one of us, each one of the Lifespring family, I pray that we would always desire a closer walk with you. Lead us, Lord, guide us, and direct us. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen. Wednesday will be our next time of prayer requests and praises. So call in your prayer request at 951-732-8511 or go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com or you can even email me at st***@*************ia.com.

Steve Webb 19:59
Thanks to Sister Denise, Michael Haner, Scott Snyder who did today’s show art, Jason Paschall, and the soon-to-move-away Sister Brittaney. These are the team. Thanks to you, Beloved, for being a part of the Lifespring family and for inviting me into your life today. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

James Cooper 20:21
All the programs in the Lifespring! Media family are made possible by the generous gifts of people like you.

Announcer 20:29
Podcasts are cool.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai