![]()
Giving Up or Going on!
by the Watchman Dana Smith
keywords: Christians, America, Thessalonians, Lord, Jesus
When the Apostle Paul wrote the Thessalonians much had been going on. They had fought against those who knew not the gospel. They did so, not with swords, but with the sword of the spirit. Today in America we are living in a time when the famed prosperous wealth of this nation is unstable. The rest of the world is watching and waiting for the next great fall. A leading Russian political analyst Professor Igor Panarin said in an interview the ‘breakup of America is inevitable’. He was quoted by major news sources in the US, this quote was on Drudge.
He predicted that the U.S. will break up into six parts – the Pacific coast, with its growing Chinese population; the South, with its Hispanics; Texas, where independence movements are on the rise; the Atlantic coast, with its distinct and separate mentality; five of the poorer central states with their large Native American populations; and the northern states, where the influence from Canada is strong.
He even suggested that “we could claim Alaska – it was only granted on lease, after all.” Panarin, 60, is a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has authored several books on information warfare.
In comparison to those in Thessalonica, Americans, especially Christians today are caught up in this American financial trouble. For many of us, debt is something we have lived with our whole life. We have not known trouble and turmoil as other generations or nations have. Ours in the last fifty years have been relatively peaceful, aside from the wars in ‘Nam and the Gulf.’ This puts the believer in a situation where we live, at least many do, in a world where car payments, house payments, and credit card debt have had major impact on our lives. Some are living debt free, that is not the norm, for many are in debt today. Many others are unemployed, while even others are facing some of the most harsh conditions of their lives. In this though, there are many others who are doing very well, have plenty of money, and live at ease. This is the opposites of American life.
For the Thessalonians, however, they were not in debt as we are. They lived a life of faith, many did. We know this from the epistles Paul wrote. Their faith was sounded out to all those who surrounded them.
2 Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 ¶Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
The question today is this, will you go on or will you quit? For many christians today they have a choice. Will I follow the Lord no matter what or will I get mad at God for what is occuring in this nation. Will we let our lives continue to be ruled by wealth, prosperity, abundance, unbelief, and worldly american values or will we really get down to business with the Lord. Paul Addressed many issues with the Thessalonians, but one he talked about in 2 Thessalonians was the Coming of the Lord Jesus. Before he was to apppear, Paul said, two things had to happen. One was the appearance of the Son of Perdition and the second was a ‘falling away’.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 ¶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 be revealed, the son of perdition;
No doubt in America, the falling away from the true faith has been going on for many years. The trouble is many are so caught up with their Americanize Gospel of Glitz and abundance that many churches and Pastors preach that they failed to see it. Add to this the pure decadence of our society and this adds one more thing to blind Americans to the real truth.
Over the months of this financial collapse, so to speak, we have heard from many who are hurting. There are many people in this nation who are heading into hollidays with dire situations. The question now must be asked, are you really doing all you can to seek the Lord and his will for your life right now? Are you going to let this thing affect you or infect you? Will you go on or quite going? Will you give up? Will you continue? Who will you blame?
Jesus spoke to us of these days:
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Our Lord told us not to be overcome with all the ways that society is doing. We are not to get caught up partying, getting drunk either on alcohol or on the ‘wine of this life.’ We are not to let the cares of this life crowd out our Lord’s priorities and what we should be doing. This is a snare that is coming, the Lord says, on all them who dwell on the earth. If you get too caught up worrying about bills, going out to dinner, going to work, having fun, or any number of things that we as Americans tend to do, the day when the Lord comes will come upon you as a ‘thief in the night.’ It will come on you ‘unawares’.
If you are hurting, out of work, facing terrible hardships, you need to stand in the altar, grabbing the horns of the altar, and seek the Lords mercy and grace to find help in time of need. This is the time to forget carnal solutions and seek the Lord. Keep your eye on the Lord and your hands on the horns of the altar. Keep fasting, praying, and seeking him. He will see you through, he will take care of you. Hold on to the Word of God, stand on it, walk in obedience to his will, and seek his face. He will see you through. Anything short of this will be too little! It is time, to seek the LORD, so make up your mind as to whether you will give up or go on!
Grabbing the Horns of the altar brings safety as Mercy is appealed for! Here is an example from Kings. As believers, we can go direct to the LORD, lay hold of the presence of God, and hang on for mercy and grace, finding help and deliverance.
1 Kings 1:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
1 Kings 1:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
Walking in the Council of the Godly!
Read Psalms 1, meditate on it and find yourself in this Psalms!
Psalms 1:1 ¶Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 ¶The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
A Promise from Gods Word!
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Shalom,
The Watchman Dana G Smith




