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, the man doomed to destruction.

‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A spiritual decline and falling away from the truth are earmarks of this rebellion. The current state of our nation would be a good example, giving rise to curiosity about the emergence of the one who will lead the world into its final destruction.

But hold on.

This letter to the Thessalonians is much more a warning guarding against being deceived than a footnote about revelation of the Antichrist.

Whether it speaks about today, tomorrow, or years from now, the command is “do not be deceived” about the coming of the Lord. A lot of things still need to happen.

So in the interim, how do we guard our hearts and minds from would be deceptors and their seemingly convincing messages?

At the same time these deceptions are emerging, notice all the public figures, entertainers, and sports figures coming out of the woodwork for Christ. Notice the rise in bold defenses of our faith and values at great social, professional, and political cost.

The lines are being drawn and rebellion is in the air.

Read, understand, and live your bible. Gather near to godly people. Immerse yourself in truth and prayer for wisdom.

Act like tomorrow may not come and if so, may increasingly not arrive as we might hope or expect.

Guard against being deceived more than discovering the identity of the man of lawlessness.

His time will come.

Your time is now.

For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All days are last days. There is no preparation except to know Christ and in doing so, to live on as instructed.

Though the evidences appear to mount daily, they are yet just speculation on circumstances, not destinations to get caught up in as so many are doing and losing sight of the remaining mission at hand.

Live fully like today is the last day and tomorrow might just be payday.

I was invited to a business networking breakfast yesterday as a prospective member and introduced myself and our nonprofit as a fine agency with 10,000 new clients every year, all of whom have absolutely no benefit to anyone in this room except me.

Serving the underserved, the forgotten, and those on the margin’s edge is not a pretty cause but the results can be a thing of beauty.

Experiencing people, seniors, and entire families once homeless on the streets lifted out of the rolls of poverty, into good housing and good jobs, and into a renewed hope for a thriving future is an incentive to show up every day rarely found in for profit work.