Dwell on these three verses if you will....9, 10 and 11....from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians....the second chapter....this from the ESV....
"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false."
Just a few more verses to consider....Matthew chapter 24 verses 24 and 25. This is from what is known as the Olivet Discourse....found in Matthew....and also Mark 13 and Luke 21. One of the reasons that I am opposed to all of the....'read the Bible in a year'....plans.....is that when today....and for the the last half century.....we should be dwelling on these areas of Scripture that pertain to the Second Coming.....because we will live it....the 'read the Bible in a year' plans keep you out of the areas that that God wants us to be very vigilant in! OK....verse Matthew 24....followed by Paul's warning in Galatians 1:8.
"For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand."
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." This was so important that Paul immediately repeated the warning.
If these verses do no shake you to the core then there is something wrong....for they were meant to shake to the core....for they are warning the believer that even they....knowingly and gloriously and joyfully aware that they are redeemed by the blood of Jesus....and kept safe in the palm of His hand.....even they.....must.....remain vigilant!
We do not know the...."wicked deception"....(as the ESV puts it)....and there will be multiple false wonders.....but I will give you just one very strong possibility to consider. Satan and his demons....(we still believe in demons do we not)....they have the ability at least to present some kind of physical appearance. We do not know that much about this and should not go too far into speculation. Suffice it to say that they can appear to us in some way.
So we have today....and greatly increasingly....credible reports and even video....of some things flying....at speeds and with physics that go beyond what we are aware of. We immediately assume that they must be some sort of alien life visiting our planet.
Ask yourself if you will....how would this normally affect people as it pertains to belief in the God of the Bible? You know the answer....it would at the very least cause them to ignore God's Word. If there are aliens....then the Bible is not God's Word....should there even be a God. And to the believer.....it depends on how strong they are in their faith....for if they are strong in that faith.....then they know beyond a doubt that that whatever these reports are....they are not what are called aliens....but if they are not strong in their belief....if they have not been vigilant.....then they are susceptible to falling for great delusion....or...."wicked deception."
There is another message that comes out of this situation....and you would have to look around at the general American public here to consider it.....(I'm using America but it is much worse around the world.) What would be demonstrated here is that....'few are saved'....for that is what God's word tells us. If you have trouble with this....that few are saved....then I would recommend to you what the great London Anglican minister....(a peer of the Baptist Charles Spurgeon)....wrote about....few being saved. Just Google....'J. C. Ryle....Few Are Saved.' It was not a sermon but a book that was put on audio. It is easy to listen to....and you will at least find it interesting.
There is a winnowing coming.....just as Gideon's army was winnowed down....only here it is where the only ones left are those who have been born again! Even if God should have great mercies on us in an general awakening....which is what we pray exceedingly for....the winnowing will still be there....and the saved....although the numbers would be wonderful....would still be 'few' in a nation of over 300 million!
Folks....I could talk for hours on this...or write until both you and I are thoroughly confused. Finding these answers is up to you. I'm just trying to stir you up. If you love Jesus....then you will want to know more and more about Him every day of your lives....and you will seek Him....in His Word....and He will be there for you....but if you really have little more than a passing fancy....then you will not put in the effort.
Christ will hold on to the elect....but we must heed Peter's God-breathed words in the first chapter of his second letter...."Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure...."
