When the Apostle Paul wrote those words now in the first verse of 1 Thessalonians 5, it was a continuation of his comments recorded now in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, which are as follows:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

There were no chapter breaks nor numbered verses when Paul wrote his letters to his followers and churches. So, the beginning of chapter 5 at verse 1 reads as, “But concerning times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.”

Then he continues with further explanation of the timing and effects of that sudden transformation of believers in Christ at the end of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians:

“…For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, for when they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1Thessalonians 5:2-3).

Notice that Paul did not clearly pin down a future time for that “Rapture or ‘snatching out’ of the saints,” but he did give a clue—”when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety.” So, what does that mean? And who are “they”? Daniel 9:27 has the answer when he tells of one who is coming on the scene with a heritage reaching back to the Romans who destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 A.D. That person will “confirm a covenant with many for one week [of years].” Daniel can only be writing a prophecy of coming peace for Israel that is set for a seven-year period and is confirmed by “many” nations–the United Nations. It was the United Nations that established the restored nation of Israel on May 14, 1948.

For nearly 73 years now, that nation has been under threat of destruction by its neighbors. No wonder they will express that sigh of relief, “Peace and safety,” when a promise of peace is made, even for only seven years. However, it will only last half that time; for that person, the Antichrist, will shut down the temple’s activities and stand in it, declaring himself God, and demanding that he be worshipped as God.

Therefore, what is meant by “times and seasons”? It means the times and conditions when prophecies will be fulfilled. Jesus touched on that when He said, in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to happen, look up, for your redemption draws near.” Then begins a parable about the fig tree’s blooming as a likeness to the return of the nation’s status as an independent entity. It seems to open a doorway to current “times and seasons,” for God’s recurring promise to return those people to their land as promised to Abraham has come to pass. Current events, now, take on a new significance.

What are some of these events that appear to be fulfillments of “things beginning to happen”? One nation after another in the Middle East region are beginning to make peaceful diplomatic relationships with Israel. Watch this development result in that peace covenant coming together in the United Nations.

Now, with the Biden administration in place, it appears likely that Israel’s defensive support by the United States will not be forthcoming. It is noticeable that Iran has become openly aggressive toward Israel again, thus spotlighting the coming Gog-Magog war foretold in Ezekiel 38-39.

Without question is the “falling away” from law and order, from moral integrity into total perversion and depravity, from “justice for all” to selective judicial favoritism. In short, good is made to be wrong, and evil is called good.

With these things stirring in the background, the conditions described in Luke 17:26-30 come to mind, that of “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, building and planting”—the conditions which Jesus said would be prevalent when He, the Son of Man, is revealed on that Day of the Lord.

It is an absolute truth that God has never made a promise that He did not intend to fulfill. There are at least two such promises not yet fulfilled. One is obvious, that a “falling away” will occur, then end with the removal of that One who restrains the evil. That has not happened yet, for the Holy Spirit-indwelt believers in Christ are still present in the world.

The other promise is that He will “take out of the Gentiles a people for His Name,” and only God will know when that is completed. (See Romans 11:25.)

We can speculate on the timing of these things, but as Jesus told us in John 7:6, “My time has not yet come, but yours is always ready,” a statement that is as current in this time today as it was when He said it. Only now, His situation faces the time of return in these last days.

There are other considerations that can be added to these “times and seasons” that are upon us now, but these are significant enough, it seems, to be on the alert. Jesus said to “watch,” and the writer of Hebrews says “not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

The greatly increased aggressiveness of the LGBTQ’s agenda, with the blessing of the Biden administration, is rapidly pushing this nation into the likeness of Sodom. We can see how they turned out in Genesis 19—total destruction as soon as Lot and his family were out of the city. The judgment of God is a very present danger to that increasing multitude who have no regard for Him.

Even so, the continuation of that passage in 1 Thessalonians 5 with verse 4-5 tells us this great assurance:

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”

Therefore, let “the joy of the Lord be your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com

Living a lie means denial of truth, and denial of truth requires constant vigilance to keep your tracks covered. However, if you have the authority to demand that denial, then the truth is kept hidden a little longer. In the spiritual arena, denial of truth is sinful, and the Scripture says you can “be sure your sin will find you out!” (Numbers 32:23). In fact, it is the very foundation of the unpardonable sin when the truth is known and then rejected decisively (Mark 3:28-29).

In the 2020 election, the evidence of fraud and compromise is rampant—that means tremendous! Yet, this evidence never got a fair hearing—well, let’s say, “No hearing at all.” Election officials, secretaries of state, local and district court judges, the Supreme Court—all refused to look at the evidence. Now there has been time to allow a more intensive investigation by those who care, and the bank of condemning evidence continues to rise.

Just like we have seen displayed in Communist countries and other dictatorships around the world, suppression of truth is maintained with great vigilance and harsh penalties. You don’t have to wait long nor look hard, now, to see how this is developing in America. The devious purpose for America is the intent of those who tell us “the future is bright and everything is just great.” It really shows up as they shut down our energy independence, open our borders, and call evil good and good evil by rejecting law and order.

The Supreme Court votes for equality of morality with immorality, with the Chief Justice leading the vote. A pestilence called Covid-19 allows an excuse to isolate potential victims into camps made for the situation, but for an alternative reason—but wait, is that still future? Covid-19 is working great for the purpose of “dumbing down” the nation’s children in order to have more submissive slaves in the future. Socialism needs a horde of people who have no challenging motivation to improve themselves.

What are some signs of living a lie that is becoming the hallmark of Biden’s first few weeks in office, along with his stated intentions for the future? Along with those mentioned above, they are truly massive:

• The immediate cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline construction. In Biden’s view, energy independence is much worse than putting hundreds of people out of work, thus increasing unemployment. A goal he vowed to reverse in defiance of “Trump’s failure” to increase employment. That is what living a lie looks like.
• As sudden as the defunding of the border wall construction was the opening the border to all comers, including criminals of the worst kind, people and drug trafficking, and you name it for all kinds of destructive possibilities. It is all for the desire to add to votes for the Democrat Party’s power grab as well as increasing the US population with subservient, dependent people for a Socialistic state. This is what living a lie looks like.
• Establishing an all-out support for the agenda of the LBGTQ+ to push for forced equality of immorality with morality in every specter of life in America. Dignity and respect are demanded for those who chose to live lives of immorality. That is what living a lie looks like.
• The T in LBGTQ+ means “trans-gender,” a Pandora’s Box of demands that no one can point to a youngster’s private biological makeup and know what gender the person is. Parents must wait until the child can decide for himself or herself (themselves) what gender they want to be. It has ruined women’s sports activities when a biological male maintains he is a woman and thus must be allowed to compete as a female. This is what living a lie looks like.
• Two cities in Massachusetts have now voted to be havens of “families” that are made up of three or more adults united in “marriage.” Will the many sanctuary cities be next in line? That is what living a lie looks like.
• Gearing up for an all-out battle for solving the “man-made climate change crisis before it is too late.” Their plan is to cease the use of fossil fuels by stopping oil drilling and processing in favor of wind power and solar power. At the same time, America is suffering under heavy freezing temperatures and power outages. Wind turbines freeze up because their oil freezes—a fossil fuel product needed for the wind mills to run. That’s what living a lie looks like.
• The intent to reinstate as many social medicine programs as possible when it turns out that the government cannot get the new virus vaccines out to the people who are in greatest need immediately.
• The idea that raising taxes on the rich by reversing Trump’s tax cut is a foolish notion. Taxing the rich 100 percent would only fund the government about a week, so the result of such a plan always ends up hitting the middle taxpayers a lot more. Plus, those who build things and hire workers are those who have the financial means. No poor person will be able to do that. So, it is a falsehood, and that is what living a lie looks like.
• The idea of defunding police, protecting criminals with sanctuary cities and allowing crime to go unchecked with encouragement to organizations that openly focus on eliminating law and order, such as Black Lives Matter, when they have no interest in the welfare of black lives, in actuality. That, too, is what living a lie is like.
• Are there more? No doubt but that we will see open destruction of American sovereignty in order that their New World Order might be successfully in place. The Scriptures clearly show there is no question about what happens to a house built on sand—the sand of deception and fraudulent principles thrust forward as truth. Beware, for it is doomed for destruction, as the winds of truth reveal its lack of a strong foundation. (See Matthew 7:24-27.)

As Isaiah, the prophet, looks forward with his eternal words of warning—”Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)—for that is what living a lie looks like.

That very descriptive phrase in John 10:10a tells more than it seems to tell when the word “only” is thoughtfully considered:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy….”

That thief is already on the scene, working quietly in the shadows. He is stealing, killing, and destroying—stealing authority in elections, killing babies in the womb by the millions, destroying freedom for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” That thief will soon ride into public on a white horse, “conquering and to conquer,” meaning steady progress toward his goal of a claim to be God and demanding that all people worship him (Revelation 6:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4). He can only steal, kill and destroy. There is not one ounce of good in him. None.

It seems obvious, to me at least, that we are experiencing the fulfillment of prophecy told in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 where the “falling away from lawfulness” is predicted. It looks like the nation, and the world, is beginning to adopt the characteristics of the Sodom of Genesis 19. America has been the citadel of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” before the whole world, and those who long for her destruction have known that her sovereignty stands in the way of their purposes. Thus, we have no borders, essentially, and therefore, we are no longer a nation with independent sovereignty. That tale is being told almost every day now.

Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com