Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang
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Lent Devotion

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"At the Foot of the Cross" is an annual Lenten devotion written by clergy and lay leaders in the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia. This devotion has been faithfully produced since 1992 and this year's theme is on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Join us as we journey together towards the foot of the cross.

 
 

23 March - The Coming of the Lord

 

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us — whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter — asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

 

The Christians in Thessalonica had been taught about the Day of the Lord when Christ returns in glory and power with his angels to gather the elect to himself. The coming of the Lord had given them much comfort and hope. But there had been rumours in the church, allegedly to be from Paul, that the day of the Lord had already come and they had missed the reunion with Christ. These rumours were causing significant distress, “unsettled” meaning “shaken,” like an earthquake and “alarmed”, the fear caused by surprise. They were undergoing such persecution, that they feared that they had missed the gathering together of the church.

Paul wrote to allay those fears, to encourage these suffering saints to persevere in the midst of trials and to ‘stand firm and hold fast to the teachings’ (2 Thessalonians 2:15). He reassured them that the coming of the Lord, and the church being gathered to him, would not come until two events first take place.

The first sign that Paul gives is that before Jesus returns, there will a great falling away, the Greek word is apostasia from which we get the word “apostasy”. What causes this rebellion? Paul then mentions the man of lawlessness or the man of sin. He will oppose all who worship God. He will instead, set himself in God’s temple. Some may interpret that a new temple will be built in Jerusalem but it can also mean that he will set himself to be worshipped in the church, the new temple of God. He is also called the Anti-Christ who will persecute the church. Many will die as martyrs but many will betray their faith and fall away, fearing for their lives.

Paul’s focus is to remind the believers that these two events will happen before the Day of the Lord. While they wait, they ought to trust God and continue doing good rather than obsessing about the end.

In a world where we are increasingly beset by trials and tribulation, persecution and suffering, false teachings and unbiblical doctrines, let us trust in the Lord with all our heart. Let us familiarise ourselves with the truth of Scripture and demonstrate patient endurance. Christians do not need to live in fear!

PONDER

While waiting for the coming of the Lord, in the midst of all the anxieties, we should remain calm, preparing our lives, encouraging our brethren, and spreading the gospel.

PROMISE

Jesus had warned us that those that trust in him would inevitably go through tribulation. However, he had said, ‘be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I pray that as we face these increasingly difficult times, I will patiently endure the trials and tribulations for Christ's sake. Help me to stand fast in the faith, to pray without ceasing, to rejoice in the Lord always, and in everything to give you thanks and praise! Amen.

Article by Canon Dr Teoh Soong Kee, Chairman of the Parochial Church Council, St Peter’s Church Ipoh. He is a practicing Gynaecologist.

HTBB