FBCD_FaithEssentials_June_FlipBook

Todd Gaddis

he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:6,7, emphasis added). Although some commentators disagree, “he” in verse seven is clearly the Holy Spirit. In a fallen world in which the majority of the people are lost, the Spirit maintains a presence in our schools, businesses, government, and families, harnessing an onslaught of evil that will one day overflow its banks and break the dam, leaving destruction and death in its wake. Why would a loving God let this happen? Because He’s setting the stage for His Son to come again, this time to defeat His opposing armies, set up His millennial kingdom and usher in a new heaven and new earth. In the meantime, the third member of the Trinity is busy convicting, teaching, counseling, calling, restraining. At an astounding 55.232 carats, the famed Sancy diamond resides in the French Grand Jewel collection at the Louvre. Once the largest white diamond in the Western world, the stone possesses a history teeming with mystery, tragedy, and intrigue. In the 16 th century, a courier of France’s King Henry IV was killed by thieves while en route with the precious stone. When the body was later interred, the valuable gem was discovered in the stomach of the messenger, who chose to swallow it rather than let it get into the hands of robbers. 5 If you’re a believer, you have something inside, Someone in fact, infinitely more valuable than the Sancy diamond. If not, there’s no better time than the present to make that happen.

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