2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Intelligence agencies monitor communications. An increase in “chatter” often indicates a pending attack. Those in the know cannot help but talk about upcoming events. I have to say that I see an increase in the “chatter” amongst fellow Christians related to the opening verse. Are they in the know? Do they know something the rest of us do not?

Isaiah 50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

What I see is a people who are weary. They are tired of persecution of Christians. They are tired of seeing innocent blood being shed. They look at all that is going on in and around Israel, and being aware of end times prophecies cannot help but wonder if indeed this is not the beginning of the end. How much more will it take until our greatest hope is achieved?

But if you would please, allow me to deliver to you a word in due season. If you are weary and you seek some comforter, please hear the Word of the Lord in respect to His coming.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Our task is not done for if it were we would have heard our Lord calling us home. We are the bride of Christ and the hour of gathering unto Him requires that every part of the body should be received. God the Father will not deliver a crippled bride unto His Son.

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Do not slow down just because you can see the finish line, finish strong.

Psalms 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Jesus proclaimed that the whole of the law could be summed up in two things. Love God and love one another. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot more understanding to do that than to obey all of the Mosaic and Levitical laws. Those Old Testament laws are complicated, illogical, and in many ways impractical. The one thing those laws do not do are attack you and hurt you in your daily life.

People on the other hand cause a lot of pain and suffering. Extending grace to someone who has just insulted you takes Godly understanding. It won’t come from our old nature, it has to come from our new nature as sons and daughters of God.

As a child if I was slapped I would make a fist and strike back. As a son of God if someone were to slap me now, I would seek understanding as to the heart of the one who slapped me. No one would strike out at me without motivation. Did they believe a lie about me? Did they misunderstand me or my intentions? Striking back will not clear up the misunderstanding, only understanding will make it right.

My first responsibility as a son of God is reconciliation. That is my ministry. It is the only ministry we all have an active part of in this world. Reconciliation requires mutual understanding, to see things from God’s point of view, not our own. In order to do that we must first agree with God.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.