1 Now we ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken in your mind or be alarmed whether by a spirit or a word or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, exhibiting himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (LSB) Read verses 5-12 on the site.
Part of my daily devotions is the reading from a book that takes a Greek word and shows how it is used in the Bible and then how it is understood and/or misunderstood in the visible Church. I am in a section of the book right now that focuses on the Greek words that describe worship. It just breaks my heart how the focus in our churches has become so self-focused instead of God focused….
How is that worship if it is all about us? In some of the cases used as examples in the devotions over the last several days the writer of the book describes how churches have moved away from singing Hymns by replacing them with spiritual songs. What’s the difference? Hymns are all about God that we sing to Him. They describe his glory, holiness, mercy, and grace and draw us to worship him. Spiritual songs are songs that we sing to each other instead of singing to God. They are always based in modern music of some sort and more often than not, bring glory to the musicians rather than to God. This will probably be an unpopular statement, but I’m going to make it here. I believe that this is either part of or something that leads to the great falling away or apostasy that Paul was describing in 2 Thessalonians 2:2. If you disagree with me that’s fine, but if all you have is ad hominem or straw man arguments I will not post them. <Continue reading post>