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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Hurricane Helene: GOD Is Telling US to Wake Up!

October 5, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #314 ~

Hurricane Helene over the Gulf of Mexico. September 26, 2024 Credit: NOAA

NOTE: I am extremely concerned about our country’s spiritual condition, and the fact that most people are asleep and aren’t aware of the great danger we are in. Today’s post, adapted from my sermon this past Sunday, conveys this message.

Imagine a well-known person knocking at your door and walking into your house. And you don’t even acknowledge him. Then he starts talking to you and you don’t listen to Him – you act like he’s not there. You completely ignore this person who is trying to tell you some vitally important information.

This is what, to a large degree, happened from Sept. 26-28. Hurricane Helene, this fast and furious storm, came to millions of people, and it was God who sent her. And all these people saw and felt and were impacted by Helene, but most of them didn’t know that God caused this super-powerful, super-destructive storm, and that He was talking to wake them up.

The vast majority of people in the path of this storm didn’t know God was talking to them. Many thought it was mother nature or climate change – they did not believe that God Himself was speaking to them. But it’s spiritually dangerous and arrogant to ignore God, to not listen to Him, whether it was during the storm, after the storm, or anytime. Ps. 119:70 explains why people didn’t hear God – “Their hearts are callous and unfeeling.” Jer. 2:5, 11-13; Rom. 1:18-25

Let me tell you more about this storm. It was about 420 miles in diameter, about the distance from Tampa to Atlanta. It was a strong Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds when the center of it went by to the west of Tampa.  Even though the storm’s eyewall was far from the Florida coast, we still felt it’s strong winds and waves. This caused an enormous storm surge, immense walls of water that pounded the shores of St. Petersburg and Tampa. This resulted in extensive damage to downtown areas, the homes of both rich and poor being flooded, trees and power lines being knocked down, and thousands losing electricity.

This massive storm continued north, greatly damaging Florida’s west side, until it finally made landfall between Tallahassee and Perry. And it was still a Cat 4 storm when it slammed into this same coastal area that had been recently hit with other hurricanes (Idalia – Aug. ’23, Debby – Aug. ’24). God was once-again speaking to them and, as we now know, to millions of others.

Then it went to Georgia as a Cat 2 storm, which meant big blasts of winds racing around at 100 mph. It rapidly tore though that state, striking Atlanta with some of the worst rain and flooding they had ever seen. Then it continued its destructive work as it traveled north through western S. Carolina, western N. Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and eastern Kentucky.

Along Helene’s God-planned path there was booming-loud thunder, thousands of lightning strikes, 41 trillion tons of rain by one estimate (enough to cover the entire state of N. Carolina with 3.5 feet of water), record high flooding, over 100 tornadoes, road-wrecking landslides, tens of thousands of destroyed cars and homes and businesses, and millions of people shocked, saddened, and devastated by the effects of what many considered to be unprecedented, the “perfect” storm.

The worst hit areas were east of the storm’s path, in Georgia, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, and east Tennessee. People hit by Helene called it apocalyptic, catastrophic, cataclysmic, the biggest and baddest storm ever. Some towns were actually washed away. Other communities are, at this time, completely cut off from the world. The stories I have read or seen on the news are unbelievable, are truly tragic, horrific, and heartbreaking. It is said to be a 100-year storm with close to $100 billion in damages and over 220 people losing their lives.

This last point, that a large number of people died, is most serious and sobering. Matt. 7:13-14 suggests that the majority were non-Christians, which means they are apart from God forever. The rest were Christians, people who know Jesus Christ and went straight to heaven, and who literally saw and talked to Him.

But back on earth: it’s obvious that God stopped us in our tracks and was trying to get our attention. People had plans, things they wanted to do, but God kept them from carrying them out. God stopped us because He wanted our full and undivided attention. The best weather chapter, Job 37, tells us, “So all men that He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor.” Vs. 5

God’s purpose is to wake up millions of both Christians and non-Christians all across this country, those who felt the direct effects of the storm, and those not even in its path, those who live in Texas, Oregon, Vermont, Iowa, and all the other states. “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth” (Ps. 50:1). What is God saying, why does He want to wake us up?

God wants the unsaved to realize their biggest problem, their sin and the spiritual and physical death that results. And God wants them to know that He can save them from sin and death. But what does He want an unsaved person to do? About a “natural” disaster, Jesus said, “Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you too will perish.” Luke 13:4-5

God wants unbelievers to know that they are guilty and deserve to be eternally punished. He wants them to know that they need to repent, to confess to God that they have sinned, and believe that Jesus died to pay for their sins, and then rose from the dead. God wants sinners to look to Him for mercy, to know that only He can remove their guilt and eternal pain and punishment. And all who do will be forgiven, receive eternal life, be fully loved, and soon be in heaven with God, Jesus Christ, and all the angels and saints. 1 Pet. 3:18, Heb. 12:22-24, Rev. 21

But what about the Christians? What does God want us to learn from Hurricane Helene or any other trial that comes our way? He wants us to look to Him and learn about Himself, His character, work, and purpose. Let me share a few things:

First, God is sovereign, He is in charge, He does whatever He wants. He is sovereign over storms, people, the church, the government, and the future. “He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have You done?'” (Dan. 4:35). “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lam. 3:38

Second, God is supremely strong, infinitely powerful. “Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts”(Ps. 145:6). “He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to hit its mark.” Job 36:32 , Isaiah 40:12-26

Third, God is perfectly holy, and punishes sinners for their sin, their rejection of Him. “He loads the clouds with moisture… they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men” (Job 37:11-13a). “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.” Rom. 1:18

Fourth, God is loving. In the midst and the aftermath of Helene, God has been showing people His mercy, goodness, and compassion. God displays His love through nature, individuals, the church, your community, organizations, and even the government. “He brings the clouds… to water His earth and show His love” (Job 37:13). “God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.” Matt. 5:45

Fifth, God is purposeful, and had very good reasons for every single thing He did. He had a plan for all the rain, wind, thunder, and lightning, for floods and storm surges, for the problems people had and will go through, and for those who died, some who are saved forever and others who are lost forever. “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:12

So how does God want us, His children, to respond to Him, to the fact that He is sovereign, powerful, holy, loving, and purposeful? What does He want us to do?

1. God wants us to be humble, to see who we are in relationship to Him, to see that He is God and we are but humans, and that He can do whatever He wants and we can’t do whatever we want. “Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord” (Jms. 4:10). “My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:10

2. God wants us to fear Him, to respect Him, to revere Him, to worship Him as the one, true, and almighty God. This is how that great weather chapter concludes – “Therefore men, fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart.” Job 37:24

3. God wants us to be holy, to say no to sin, to do what is good, right, and true. “The hour has come for you to wake up from your sleep, because salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13:11-14

4. God wants us to know His love. He also wants us to know that He restrains Himself from showing us the full weight of His righteousness. “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (Ps. 103:10). “The Lord has compassion on those who fear Him, for He knows how we are formed.” Ps. 103:14

5. God wants us to trust Him, to believe who He is, that He is our Lord, Savior, and King, and that He is sovereign, powerful, holy, loving, and purposeful. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). “Have faith in God” (Mk. 11:22) when there is no food or water or power, when help is slow, when the government is incompetent, or when you have lost your home or car or job or even a loved one. James 1:2-3, 1 Peter 1:6-7

6. God wants us to have hope, to know that the future will be infinitely better, that we will be with Jesus Christ, be in heaven, be with believers, be perfected, be rewarded, and have no more problems or sin or sadness or sickness or sorrow. “Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet. 1:13). “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17

7. With regards to this terrible and trying storm, what should you do? 1. Pray for the Christians, that God would give them grace and peace. 2. Encourage hurting Christians with God’s word. 3. Pray that God would save unbelievers. 4. Serve those who are suffering, if you can. 5. Give financially to good organizations, like Samaritan’s Purse, those who are directly helping those in need.

I also must say that we are now living in the end-times. This means there will be more extreme and devastating events affecting this earth. In particular, there will be “birth pains” – wars, earthquakes, famines, and plagues now being felt around the world, and which will be increasing and growing stronger.

These too are wake-up calls from God, reminding Christians that Christ is returning soon to rapture the church, and that they need to live for Christ, to carry out their “assigned task” (Mk. 13:34). And these birth pains are warning sinners to repent and believe in Christ before its too late, before they physically die or before He pours out His wrath upon them and this sinful world.

Whatever happens, remember that God is doing His work, fulfilling His word, and carrying out His purposes for you, His church, this earth – and for His glory. Yes, life can and will be hard and, at times, extremely difficult – but keep loving the Lord – trust Him, obey Him, and look for Him to return to wrap up His work with the church, and begin His 1000-year reign over this earth. “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

P. S. We live in the end-times, and it will be very dangerous and deadly in the future – and hurricanes are good illustrations of what will be taking place. Here are some previous posts on hurricanes and prophecy. “A Hurricane is Coming – Be Ready, Watching, and Working”, “The Alarm is Ringing – Wake Up America, the Storm is Coming”, and “When the Storms Come, Don’t Be Afraid”.

The Enemies of God in the End-Times

September 18, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #313 ~

The subject of God’s enemies, of people who hate God and therefore hate you must be understood (John 15:18-21). It’s imperative that you know what God says about sinners who are against Christians. You don’t want to be naïve with regards to this subject. In the end-times, the enemies’ opposition to Christians will increase, culminating in the great tribulation, the last years of this age when the Antichrist is ruling the world and persecuting Christians. Thankfully, those days of suffering will not last very long, and then Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, will gloriously return to rapture the church. Matt. 24:9, 21-22, 29-31

For this study of our enemies, I’m looking at the Psalms because it is so extensive in what it says about them. Over 80 Psalms speak of these evil sinners, of who they are, what they are doing, and how we are to get the victory over them. “O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries” (Ps. 60:11-12). In today’s post I am looking at several Psalms that describe our enemies and God’s judgment of them.

Psalm 2:1-3 – “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed One, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their deeds from us!’” Evil rulers are opposed to and are working together against God the Father and His Son – they do not want to be under His control. These truths from Ps. 2 are present day realities – devilish nations are now uniting as a globalist force, which will soon lead to the arrival and rule of the Antichrist. At the right time, Christ will come back and crush the Antichrist, and then begin His glorious 1000-year reign on earth. Speaking of this most certain future, God said, “I have installed my King on Zion.” Ps. 2:6

Psalm 10 – “The wicked boasts of his heart’s desire. And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (3-4) … “His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and wickedness” (7) … “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” (11). Many of the wicked do not believe there is a God, and thus, have no knowledge of Him. Others believe there is a God but that He doesn’t see the evil they are doing. They are proud, greedy, cruel, hateful, and deceitful people. But “The Lord is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land.” (16). In the end, “man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.” (18)

Psalm 14:1-2 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” Many sinners do not believe there is a God. So they believe they can do whatever they want and get away with it. But they are dead wrong, for God sees all evildoers and all their evil, and He will justly judge them, and then eternally punish them.

Psalm 36:1-4 – “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes, for it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil.” The sinner is a fool for he does not fear God and he has no love for God. The sinner is known by his proud thoughts, wicked words, and evil paths, a life of sin. But he does not even know his sin, and thus he does not despise or hate his sin. Here is the true and sobering future of sinners – “The doers of iniquity have fallen; they have been thrust down and cannot rise.” Ps. 36:12

Psalm 52:1-5 – “Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? … Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is right. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.” The evil man is deceitful, he speaks lies – you cannot trust what he says. He is destructive and devouring, not wanting to help people but instead wanting to hurt them. So what happens to the proud person who trusts, not in God but in his money, who things he has all this power, who is determined to do evil (7)? “God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living.” (5)

Psalm 59:12-13 – “On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, and on account of the curses and lies which they utter. Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more, that men may know God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.” A sinner, a proud, cursing, lying person, is usually judged in two ways: 1st, he is caught in his sin and suffers while he is on this earth; and 2nd, he will suffer eternally in hell, where he will be rightfully and severely punished.

Psalm 73:6-9 – “Pride is their necklace; the garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. They have set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue parades throughout earth.” The wicked are proud, violent, and oppressive. Their thoughts run wild – they think they can do whatever they want. They speak against God and mock man. So what happens? “You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors” (18-19). The wicked person will be utterly shocked when his earthly life suddenly ends, and he appears before his Maker and Judge. Without warning, he will go “into eternal punishment”, “into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil.” Matt. 25:46, 41

God has chosen you to be on this earth for such a time as this. Be a good soldier for God, one who is strong and courageous! (Josh. 1:7-9). If you have enemies, God wants you to love them, pray for them (Matt. 5:44), and tell them the good news about Christ. Now it may happen that “they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to synagogues and prisons, and bring you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony” (Luke 21:12-13). God wants you to tell your enemies that Christ is the only way they can be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life. May God have mercy on some of them, and save their souls from suffering His eternal wrath.

We learn so much about the enemy from the Psalms. Now that we’re in the end-times and are seeing the increasing activity of the enemy, we must know these things. I will say it again – we must know these things. Know also that God is sovereign, that the enemy can only do what God lets him do. (Daniel 4:34-35). And if he doesn’t repent while he’s on earth, then God will punish him forever in hell. Rev. 20:15

In a related article, I list out most all the Psalms that speak of God’s enemies, and ours too. Finally, here is God’s promise to you – “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.” Matthew 6:11

P.S. We live in extremely dangerous times, spiritually difficult times. As Christians, we must not just be in “work” mode but in “war” mode (Nehemiah 4). The enemy is raging, but our Lord and Savior, our great and glorious God, is winning the war. My sermon this past Sunday was, “The United States and the Need for the Gospel.” In this message, I am very open and direct about the terribly sad condition of our country, and the need to vote, pray, and share the gospel. May God have mercy on our country. I would also encourage you to read my more extensive article on this same subject, our enemies.

Prophetic Psalms About the King and His Kingdom

September 7, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #312 ~

It’s obvious that we live in the end-times and, therefore, it is essential to learn what God wants us to know about the coming of Christ and the future He has in store for us. God has given us a good outline of what will be taking place along with instructions as to how we are to live – and He has given us hope.

One book that is often overlooked when it comes to studying the future is the Psalms. (Yes, the Psalms was written to the Jews, but it’s also written to you.) My purpose in this post, and in the related article, “The Psalms and Prophecy”, is to give you an extensive list of prophecy verses from the Psalms that I am convinced will be very helpful to you. I encourage you to read them, share them with others, and use them as a basis for more extensive study.

Here are the subjects that are covered: 1) The Salvation of the Jews; 2) The Judgment of the Wicked; 3) The King and His Kingdom; 4) The Land; 5) The Millennial Kingdom; 6) Your Future Relationship with God. In this post, I have listed out only some of the verses. Article 55 is much longer and more detailed for it contains my complete list of verses. 

1) The Salvation of the Jews: God promised to save a remnant of Jews at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. This chosen race, this royal priesthood, this holy nation will be living in Israel, helping repopulate the earth, and worshiping and serving Christ the King. (Is. 45:17, Jer. 31:31-34, Dan. 9:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Ps. 98:2-3 – “The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel.” Ps. 111:9 – “He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.” Ps. 130:7-8 – “For with the Lord is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption, and He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

2) The Judgment of the Wicked: God is most holy, and He will not let the guilty go free. All the wicked who have ever dwelt on this earth, those who have not repented of their sins and turned to God for mercy, will perish, will be righteously and eternally punished. (Is. 24; Matt. 24:41, 46; Rev. 7-8, 16, 20:15). Psalm 1:6 – “The way of the wicked will perish” (6). Ps. 9:5 – “You have destroyed the wicked, You have blotted out their name forever and ever.” Ps. 11:6 – “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.” Ps. 81:15 – “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, and their time of punishment would be forever.” Ps. 83:17-18 – “Those who hate You have exalted themselves” (2). Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever.” Ps. 92:7-8 – “When the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.”

3) The King and His Kingdom: In a world filled with evil and evil rulers, we must be convinced that the King will be coming soon, and that He will establish His kingdom on this earth. The Psalms doesn’t clearly differentiate the two future kingdoms, the 1000-year kingdom and the eternal kingdom, but we do know that He will be perfectly reigning over a world filled with His glory. (2 Sam. 7:16, Is. 42:1-4, Ez. 27:21-28, Dan. 7:13-14, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 20). Psalm 2:6 – “As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” Ps. 10:16 – “The Lord is King forever and ever.” Ps. 22:28 – “The kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Ps. 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.” Ps. 47:2 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.” Ps. 67 – “Let all the peoples praise You, O God” (3). “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth” (4). Ps. 102:15-16 – “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory. For the Lord has built up Zion. He has appeared in His glory.”

4) The Land: God promised to Abraham and to all believing Jews the land from the River to the Sea. But more than that, it will be the entire earth. And Christians, as coheirs with Christ, as part of this chosen race, will also inherit the earth. (Gen. 12:1-3; Jer. 32:40-41; Ez. 37:21-22; Matt. 5:5). Psalm 37:29 – “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever” (29). Ps. 85:1 – “You showed favor to Your land, You restored the captivity of Jacob.” Ps. 105:8-11 – “He has remembered His covenant forever…the covenant… to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you will I will give the land of Caanan as the portion of your inheritance.’” Ps. 136:16, 21-22 – “To Him… who gave their land as a heritage, for His lovingkindness is everlasting, even a heritage to Israel His servant.”

5) The Millennial Kingdom: We live in a devil-ruled, sin-corrupted world. Not long from now we will live in a Christ-ruled and restored world. There will be justice, peace, love, and glory like we have not seen since the beginning days of this earth. Both the people and the land of this glorious kingdom will be blessed. And believers will be reigning with Christ the King. (Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Acts 3:20-21; Rom. 8:19-22, Phil. 2:9-11, 1 John 5:19, Rev 20:6). Psalm 22:27-28 – “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s.” Ps. 47:7-8 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations.” Ps. 65:8-9 – “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. You visit the earth and cause it to overflow.” Ps. 72 – “May He judge Your people with righteousness” (2-3). “May He also rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (7-8). “He will have compassion on the poor and needy” (13). “… may the whole earth be filled with His glory” (17-19). Ps. 96 – “Sing to the Lord, all the earth” (1). “Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations” (2-3). Ps. 98 – “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (3-4). “With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar and all it contains” (5-8).Ps. 102 – “You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her” (13). “The nations will fear the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth Your glory” (15-16). Ps. 145:12 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

6) Your Future Relationship with God: Having a loving, continual, never-ending relationship with Jesus Christ is, without question, the best part of your future. Dwelling in His house, seeing His face, being perfectly satisfied, learning from Him, loving Him and being loved by Him – it can’t get any better than this. (Lk. 10:42; Jn. 17:3; Eph. 1:17, 3:18-19; 2 Pet. 1:2.) Psalm 11:7 – “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.” Ps. 16:11 – “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Ps. 17:15 – “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” Ps. 23:6 – “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Ps. 63:2-3 – “Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

What a glorious hope! And you must know this hope, what God has planned out for you in the future, if you are to live rightly for Him in the present. I say this with utmost earnestness, sobriety, and conviction. Way too many Christians are asleep – and they need to know God’s prophetic word and wake up to the times we live in. “You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky but why do you not analyze this present time?” (Lk. 12:56). “The night is almost gone, and the day is near” (Rom. 13:12). “Therefore, be on the alert” (Matt. 24:42). “… encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25

Please look at the related article. You will be amazed and excited by how many prophecy verses are found in the book of Psalms!!!

I strongly suggest that you read my three-part series on this subject in the articles section – Prophecy Psalms for You and the Jew – “Part 1“, “Part 2”, “Part 3”. You will find them very instructive and encouraging.

Kingdom Prophecies from the Psalms

August 24, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #311 ~

The purpose of this post is to get you thinking about the future that God has in store for you, and to give you hope. In the past few weeks, we’ve focused on the book of Psalms, especially as it describes your relationship with God. There’s no question that having a close walk with God is what’s most important in life. That means in your day to day life, and in these end-times when we “feel” the birth pains, and when we are going through great tribulation. Matt. 24:4-9

What many Christians don’t realize is the enormous amount of truth in the Psalms about the hope God has given them. I’m convinced you will find it to be an invaluable source of information about your future. In this post, I am sharing five critical points about prophecy in the Psalms, and then summarizing some key prophetic passages. 

1. The primary themes in the Psalms are: a) God – His being, character, and purpose; b) the history of the Jewish people; c) the Lord, Savior, and Judge; d) God’s past, present, and future relationship with His people; e) the end-times; f) the coming King; g) the kingdom age; h) persecution, suffering, and deliverance; i) the judgment of the wicked; j) worshiping the Lord God Almighty.

2. The primary prophecy themes in the Psalms are: a) the coming King; b) the judgment of the wicked; c) the kingdom age. You will see these themes repeated many times, which means that we need to know them, and be encouraged by them. For example, Psalm 2 covers all three of these subjects.

3. Jesus wants you to know the prophecies in these Psalms: “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44). Jesus was stressing the importance of the Psalms as they relate to the future. Prophecies in the Psalms about Jesus’ 1st coming have already been fulfilled, but prophecies about His 2nd coming and the kingdom age will be fulfilled in the future.

4. The Psalms are for Jews, and also for Christians, for we share in their blessings. Truths about Christ the King, the millennial kingdom, and the land of Israel are a very important part of the future we have as Christians. Along with believing Jews, you will worship the King (Ps. 47:6 – Rom. 15:10-11), reign with the King (Ps. 47:8 – Rev. 5:10), and inherit the land. Ps. 37:22 – Matt. 5:5

5. To understand the prophecy portions of Psalms, you must know three key covenants God made to the Jewish people: the Abrahamic Covenant – the promise of land (Gen. 13:14-17 – Ps. 37:29); the Davidic Covenant – the promise of the King (2 Sam.7:12-16 – Ps. 89:28-29); and the New Covenant – the promise of salvation. Jer. 31:31-34 – Ps. 111:9

6. The fact that we live in the end-times means that many 2nd coming prophecies in the Psalms will soon be fulfilled. These prophetic portions in the Psalms are critically important for Christians living at this time in history – more than ever before, you need to read and understand them. God knows that you must be instructed, encouraged, hopeful, and ready to meet your Lord and King.

Here is a list of some important 2nd coming prophecy passages from the Psalms:
* Psalm 2 – This is about the enemy’s global opposition to God, His judgment of these evildoers, and Christ’s reign as King over the world. 
* Psalm 22:22-31 – This speaks of believing Israelites glorifying the King, the nations of the world worshiping Him, and believers being satisfied by Him.
* Psalm 37 – This encouraging Psalm keeps repeating the truth that the wicked will soon be taken away and judged, but the righteous will remain and inherit the land of Israel and the entire world.

* Psalm 46 – Earthquakes and wars will soon devastate the earth but you are not to be afraid, for God will make them cease, at which time He will be exalted in the earth and among the nations.
* Psalm 47 – The main point of this Psalm is that Christ the King will rule over the world and be worshiped by all those who live on this earth.
* Psalm 48 – We learn about Christ the King being praised, and about the “city of our God… Mount Zion… the city of the great King”, names for His earthly dwelling place, for the city of Jerusalem.

* Psalm 72 – This prophetic Psalm gives us details about the millennial kingdom. The kings are bringing tribute to Christ the King, the needy are blessed by Christ, the land is producing an abundance of grain, and the whole earth is filled with God’s glory.
* Psalm 96 – Christ is reigning, He is physically blessing the earth, the gospel is being proclaimed all over the world, and God is being glorified.
* Psalm 98 – During the kingdom age, the world will understand the gospel with the result that people will be worshiping the Lord, and nature will be “singing” to Him.
* Psalm 102:12-28 – We read of a future generation living during the kingdom age. Christ will appear in His glory; nations will fear the Lord; men will praise the Lord, and tell of the name of the Lord; and the earth will be physically restored.  

These verses as well as many others in the Psalms give us a great deal of information about our glorious future. It’s no small subject which means it’s a critical book in our study of prophecy. And it’s especially relevant in these end-times for we are now witnessing all this moral evil and social upheaval in this country and all over the world. But be assured that God is reigning, and that all His purposes and promises will be fulfilled.

It won’t be long before we see “the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:9-12). Hallelujah!!!

“All the nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed. Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” Psalm 72:17-19

P.S. Again, I must say that you need hope. And to have hope, you must know God’s prophetic word. Don’t be like many Christians who are ignorant of the glorious future that God has in store for us. I encourage you to read the article, “You Have to Have Hope”, and the post, “In a Wicked World, You Have to Have Hope.”

God’s Grace for Your Good and His Glory

August 10, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #310 ~

We live in the end-times, the final years before Christ returns to rapture the church, and as you probably know, this will be an increasingly difficult time (Matt. 24:9). I hope you realize that you are alive “for such at time as this” (Esther 4:14). And God will give you an abundance of grace for His glory and your good.

My purpose for this post is to help you understand what God says about the end-times, what will be taking place, and how you are to live for Him. We have recently focused on the latter, specifically your relationship with God, the single most important thing in your life. “Whom have I in heaven but You, and besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Ps. 73:25). Today, I want to look at the book of Psalms and see what it says about how God blesses you – and knowing this is vital for your relationship with God and the purpose He has for you. Listed below are 40 verses that tell you what God does for you. 

Psalm 4:3 – “The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” God hears you perfectly when you pray, when you call out to Him, when you ask Him for help.” 6:8, 17:6, Ps. 54:2
Psalm 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” You will sleep peacefully as you know the Lord and trust in Him. Ps. 3:5
Psalm 17:15 – “In righteousness I will see Your face.” Those who walk righteously, who live a holy life, have an intimate relationship with God. Ps. 11:7; Ps. 27:4, 8
Psalm 16:8 – “Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Because the Lord is with you, you won’t be fearful, you’ll be at peace. Ps. 15:5, 55:22, 112:6-7
Psalm 18:1 – “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” God is your strength and power, and experiencing this will stir you to love Him. Ps. 28:7, Ps. 46:1, Ps. 59:16-17

Psalm 18:2 – “God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” For shelter, safety, and protection from the enemy, you must go to God. Ps. 46:1, 61:3-4, 71:1, 91:2
Psalm 20:2 – “May God send you help from the sanctuary.” You need help in every area of your life, and only God can give you the help you need. Ps. 27:7, 30:10, 33:20, 54:4, 63:7, 70:5, 121:2, 123:8
Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.” God personally cares for you. He watches over you, and meets all your needs. Ps. 28:8-9, 145:14-21
Psalm 23:1 – “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Through His Word, God feeds your soul, giving you the best spiritual food there is. Ps. 19:7-11, 119:103
Psalm 23:3 – “He restores my soul.” When you are spiritually tired or worn out, God will revive you, will encourage you. Ps. 19:7; Ps. 80:3, 18; 119:154, 156, 159

Psalm 23:6 – “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” You should be extremely excited and thankful for the hope God has given you, the incredibly great future He has planned out for you. Ps. 16:11, 37:11, 46:10, 47:7, 67:7, 71:5, 72:17, 73:24
Psalm 25:2 – “In You I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” Because God is your God, you will never be put to shame, you will always be victorious. Ps. 25:20, 31:1, 44:4-8, 60:11-12
Psalm 25:4 – “Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.” Learn from God, for He is your teacher, the best teacher there is. Ps. 27:11, 70:17, 86:11, 90:12
Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” Because you are a child of God, you have nothing and no one to fear. Ps. 3:6, 23:4, 46:2, 56:4
Psalm 31:19 – “How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You.” God is good, and shows you His goodness, now and forever. Ps. 23:6, 86:5, 100:5

Psalm 32:1 – “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven… whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” To be forgiven, to have your soul cleansed from your sins, is an amazing grace, a present, eternal, and infinite blessing. Ps. 32:2-5, 51:1-4, 79:9, 130:3-4
Psalm 32:7 – “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble.” God is the only One who can keep you “safe and secure from all alarms.” Ps. 31:20, 64:2, 143:9
Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.” God will lead you, show you His way, help you know what you are to do.” 25:5, 143:8-10
Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the Lord, and He answered me.” You are very special to God, and He never ignores you – He answers you when you seek Him. Ps. 86:7, 118:5
Psalm 34:19 – “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Never forget that the Lord will deliver you from all your troubles, and will rescue you from all your enemies. Ps. 18:17, 33:19, 34:7, 59:1-2

Psalm 36:7 – “How priceless is Your unfailing love.” God greatly, personally, continually, and eternally loves you!Ps. 23:6, 26:3, 33:20, 36:10, 52:8, 57:3, 59:17, 63:3, 66:20, 89:1, 90:14, 92:2, 94:18, 103:17, 107:15, 109:21, 109:26; 115:1, 118:18, 136:1-26, 145:8
Ps. 43:3 – “Send forth Your light and Your truth.” God tells you what is true, and to really live, you must know His truth, what is right and what is wrong. Ps. 26:3, 69:13, 86:11
Psalm 54:4 – “God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me.” When you are sick or weak or tired, God will help you, support you, and keep you going. Ps. 41:3, 55:22, 68:19
Psalm 68:3 – “May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” You should be overjoyed, you should be rejoicing and singing, for God made you perfectly, completely, and eternally holy. Ps. 64:10, 70:4, 90:15, 92:4
Ps. 69:1 – “Save me, O God.” God saved you from hell, and also delivers you from trials, problems, difficulties, and from your enemies. Ps. 69:29, 86:2, 88:1, 116:6

Psalm 71:20-21 – “Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again… You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.”Life can be very hard, but God will revive you, console you, and honor you. Ps. 86:17
Psalm 73:23 – “I am always with you.” An important things in life is to know that God never leaves you, that He’s always with you. Ps. 16:10, 23:4, 118:6, 139:7
Psalm 80:18 – “Revive us and we will call upon Your name.” You may be sad, you may be discouraged, but God can restore you, can give you fresh life. Ps. 71:20, 85:6
Psalm 86:15 – “You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” More than you realize, God lovingly puts up with you – He is patient, forgiving, and forbearing. Ps. 103:8; 78; 106; 145:8
Psalm 89:1 – “With my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known.” God is loyal, He is steadfast and consistent, and never gives up on you. Ps. 36:5, 89:5, 92:2, 100:5

Psalm 90:14 – “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love that we may sing for joy.” God wants you to be filled with joy, His joy, every day of your life. Ps. 63:3, 65:14, 81:16, 90:14, 103:5, 107:9
Psalm 94:12 – “Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law.” The Lord’s admonishing and chastening is a corrective measure, one of the ways He teaches you the truth, trains you to follow Him. Ps. 73:14; 118:8; 119:67
Psalm 94:19 – “When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.” When you are anxious, worried, or afraid, then God Himself wants to console you, comfort you, and fill you with His joy. Ps. 71:21
Psalm 103:2-4 – “Praise the Lord…who redeems your life from the pit.” Praise God, for He purchased you, He rescued you from hell. Ps. 49:7, 55:18, 77:15, 107:2
Psalm 112:1 – “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.” God wants to greatly bless you, to give you what is good, and it happens when you fear Him and obey Him. Ps. 40:4, 65:4, 84:12, 115:12, 119:1

Psalm 116:5 – “Our God is full of compassion.”When God sees you are hurting, then He has compassion on you – and this is a special love, a deep concern that God has for you, and it moves Him to act on your behalf.” Ps. 69:16; 86:15; 103:8, 13
Psalm 121:7 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life.” God is your keeper, He continually protects, guards, and watches over you. Psalm 41:2, 91:10-12, 145:20
Psalm 126:3 – “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” That God does great and wonderful things for you should cause you to be joyful, to be exulting, to be spiritually happy. Ps. 16:10, 43:4, 51:8, 51:12, 100:1
Psalm 145:8 – “The Lord is gracious and compassionate.” In every aspect of life, God will be gracious to you, giving you all the grace you need. Ps. 67:1, 86:15, 123:3
Psalm 147:6 – “The Lord sustains the humble.” God helps you when you’re humble, when you’re hurting, when you’re looking to Him. Ps. 10:17; 22:1-11; 25:9; 34:2

These verses are the truth, an incredible and overwhelming demonstration of God’s great and eternal love for you. Why does God do so much for you?
– Because you are His child, because He really loves you, because He wants you to be filled with joy, because He wants to bless you. 
– Because He wants you to love Him, to thank Him, to glorify Him.
– Because He wants you to spiritually grow, to be a mature believer, and these truths are essential for your growth.
– Because He wants you to obey Him. Look at Psalm 119:115 – “Away from me you evildoers that I may keep the commands of God.” God delivers you from the enemy so you can obey Him. Psalm 119:88, 134, 145 say similar things.
– Because God wants you to be an overcomer, a strong, special-ops soldier for Him in these end-times, even when the Antichrist rules this earth and persecutes you. This can only happen if you have a close relationship with God Himself.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs… For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1, 5

P.S. I will continue to stress the importance of growing in your relationship with God. You won’t be disappointed, and God will be honored! If you have not done it yet, please read the previous two posts on this subject. Also, I finished my article on prayers to God from the book of Psalms – “Psalms and Your Relationship with God.” I encourage you to read it and use it as a way to pray to God.

Prayer and Praise in the Psalms

July 29, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #309 ~

I have been a pastor for over 45 years, and now that we’re in the end-times, I am more motivated than ever to help people know the Lord and grow in their relationship with Him. That’s what’s most important now, and in the trouble-filled times ahead!!! “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple” (Ps. 27:4). “Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You” (Ps. 73:25). Speaking of our relationship with Him, Jesus said, “only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Do you get it? Only one thing is truly important, and that’s your personal relationship with the living God! One of the best ways to grow in your relationship with God is to be reading and thinking about the book of Psalms. Without question, this book will greatly help you have a close and intimate walk with Him.

The book of Psalms gives all these examples from the life of David and others who had excellent relationships with God. The Psalms were purposely given to you by God so you can draw close to Him, so you can know His love, and so you can love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. God wants you to learn from the hundreds of examples in this Spirit-inspired book, the longest book in the Bible, the book that more than any other focuses on your relationship with Him.   

Here are some important aspects about Psalms and our relationship with God:
1. Our personal relationship with God is one of the primary themes in the Psalms.
2. The writers of the Psalms are not holding back in their communication with God – they are very honest and transparent.
3. The writers are fearing God, praising God, crying out to God, calling out to God, seeking God, loving God, trusting God, hoping in God, waiting on God, listening to God, learning from God, getting direction from God, and looking forward to being with God.

4. The Psalms will benefit you spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
5. There are different themes in the Psalms – God and Jesus Christ, the history of the Jews, the future of the Jews, trials, persecution, prophecy, your relationship with God, and your purpose in life.
6. The Psalms will help you when you are sick, tired, sad, fearful, lonely, angry, discouraged, depressed, proud, afflicted, anguished, abandoned, persecuted, feeling empty, feeling hopeless, feeling guilty, or any combination of the above.

7. The Psalmists desire to be with God, to spend time with Him. They want the truth. And they want love, joy, peace, holiness, comfort, direction, protection, wisdom, hope, strength, encouragement, and a friend. They want to be close to God, to “see” His face, to “feel” His presence, and to “taste” and enjoy His mercy and love.
8. Psalm 119 is essential for your relationship with God. It is extremely detailed in how it speaks of God’s word, giving you insights you won’t find in any other book. Psalm 119 is my favorite chapter in the Bible for it motivates me to read it, instructs me how to study it, and helps me to obey it.

In the article’s section, I have listed out hundreds of verses from Psalms that are examples of a believer’s relationship with God, specifically how he should communicate with God, how he should pray to God and praise God. The reason we know these are personal prayers and praise is that the words “I” , “me”, and “my” are used, which refer to you, and the words “You” and “Your”, which refer to God. As you read the Psalms, I strongly encourage you to look for and learn from these verses, for I’m convinced they will help you to relate to and know God in a more intimate way.

Here is a short sampling of these relational verses: Ps. 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Ps. 16:1 – “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.” Ps. 27:11 – “Teach me Your way, O Lord, lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” Ps. 30:11 – “I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths.” Ps. 31:14-17 – “I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” Ps. 40:8 – “I desire to do Your will, O my God.” Ps. 59:1 – “Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from evildoers.” Ps. 67:3 – “May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the people praise You.” Ps. 71:5 – “You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” Ps. 82:2-3 – “How long will You defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless.” Ps. 92:4 – “You make my glad by Your deeds, O Lord, I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Ps. 101:1 – “I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praise.”

I love the book of Psalms – it’s my favorite book in the Bible. Part of my reading every morning is a Psalm and an 8-verse passage from Psalm 119. They have proved to be precious to my soul, for they have helped me to know, “see”, and experience the living God. I wouldn’t have been able to keep going for God these past 50+ years without them – and I will keep needing and reading them the rest of my life.  

As you know, we are living in the end-times, the last years before Christ’s return – and these are tough and trying times, and it will get worse before it gets better. You might be here when that devilish Antichrist comes and rules over this world, and is greatly persecuting Christians. That’s when you will really need a close relationship with God. To spiritually survive and be spiritually successful at that time, you will need His love, His leading, and His strength, and that’s when the Psalms will prove to be extremely valuable to you. 

But why wait? Being with your Father and being with Jesus is the right thing and the best thing to do now, and so be reading and believing the Psalms, and by so doing, you will be close to God, you will be walking with God, you will be a well-loved and obedient Christian, and you will be preparing for the future. “I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Psalm 145:1

P.S. Again, I am stressing your relationship with God, now and forever. And I am focusing on the Psalms, God’s book to help you grow in your relationship with Him. I encourage you to read last weeks post if you have not yet done so – “The Psalms are Needed Now and In the Future.”

The Psalms are Needed Now, and in the Future

July 13, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #308 ~

I love the Psalms! It’s by far my favorite book in the Bible. I’ve been reading it every morning for over 50 years, and that’s because it’s the best book in the world on our relationship with God. But it also speaks about other important subjects, ones relevant to the end-times and the future that God has in store for us. “All things which are written about Me in… the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 24:44

In the coming weeks, I will be looking at six different subjects from the Psalms: your relationship with God, suffering and persecution, the judgment of the wicked, the coming King, the coming earthly Kingdom, and God’s plans for the Jewish people. Each of these topics relates to the future, and you need to understand them if you’re to truly love God and live for Him, if you’re to fulfill His plans and bring maximum glory to Him.

Today we will examine your relationship with God. I will be looking at four points that directly relate to this subject – the person of God, the character and nature of God, God’s relationship and responsibility to man, and a believer’s relationship and responsibility to God. I will do this by writing down a number of verses from Psalms that address each of these points.

First, let’s look at the person of God. Psalms tell us that He is Lord (“You are my Lord” – Ps. 16:2); He is the Redeemer (“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” – Ps. 19:14); He is the Shepherd (“The LORD is my shepherd“ – Ps. 23:1); He is the Savior (“Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my Savior” – Ps. 38:22); He is LORD (“O LORD, be gracious to me” – Ps. 41:4); He is King (“God is the King of all the earth” – Ps. 47:7); He is Judge (“God Himself is Judge” – Ps. 50:6); He is God (“O God, You are my God” – Ps. 63:1); and He is Creator (“He commanded and they were created” – Ps. 148:5b).

Second, let’s look at the character and nature of God. We learn that God is strong (“I love You, O Lord, my strength” – Ps. 18:1), righteous (“the Lord is righteous” – Ps. 11:7), forgiving (“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven” – Ps. 32:1), great (“a great King over all the earth” – Ps. 47:2), glorious (“to see Your power and glory” – Ps. 63:2), awesome (“how awesome are Your deeds” – Ps. 66:3), gracious (“God be gracious to us” – Ps. 67:1), holy (“Your way, O God, is holy” – 77:13), incomparable (“Lord God of hosts, who is like You?” – Ps. 89:8), faithful (“Your faithfulness also surrounds You” – Ps. 89:8), sovereign (“The Lord reigns” – Ps. 99:1), eternal (“From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” – Ps. 90:2b), good (“The Lord is good” – Ps. 100:5), compassionate (“the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” – Ps. 103:13), wise (“… in wisdom You made them all” – Ps. 104:24), truthful (“The sum of Your word is truth” – Ps. 119:160), loving (“His love is everlasting” – Ps. 136), omniscient (“You understand my thought from afar” – Ps. 139:2), omnipresent (“Where can I flee from Your presence?” – Ps. 139:7), praiseworthy (“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” – Ps. 150:6).

Third, let’s look at God’s relationship and responsibility to His people: “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous” (Ps. 1:6). “From the Lord comes deliverance” (Ps. 3:8). “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer” (Ps. 6:9). “What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?” (Ps. 8:4). “Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Ps. 16:5-6). “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge; He is my shield” (Ps. 18:2). “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (Ps. 18:17). “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Ps. 18:28).

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Ps. 23:1-3). “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, He instructs sinners in His ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (Ps. 25:8-9). “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped” (Ps. 28:7). “You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Ps. 30:11). “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Ps. 32:8). “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). “The Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones” (Ps. 37:28).

“God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself” (Ps. 49:15). “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me” (Ps. 54:4). “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him” (Ps. 62:1). “Praise be to the Lord, to God, our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves” (Ps. 68:19-20). “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26). “The LORD will indeed give what is good” (Ps. 85:12). “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You” (Ps. 86:5). “Great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave” (Ps. 86:13).

Fourth, let’s look at a believer’s relationship and responsibility to God: “To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me” (Ps. 3:4). “Save me because of Your unfailing love” (Ps. 6:4). “I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart” (Ps. 9:1). “I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me” (Ps. 13:6). “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge” (Ps. 16:1). “I love You, O Lord, my strength” (Ps. 18:1). “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and You forgave the guilt of my sins” (Ps. 32:5). “My soul will boast in the LORD” (Ps. 34:2). “I sought the Lord and He answered me; and saved me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4).

“I waited patiently for the Lord” (Ps. 40:1). “I desire to do Your will, O my God” (Ps. 40:8). “I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever” (Ps. 52:8). “When I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Ps. 56:3). “Have mercy on me, O God” (Ps. 57:1). “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me” (Ps. 57:2). “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone” (Ps. 62:5). “O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You, my soul thirsts for You” (Ps. 63:1). “Zeal for Your house consumes me” (Ps. 69:9). “Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me” (Ps. 69:14). “Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me” (Ps. 69:16).

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving” (Ps. 69:31). “Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:23-24). “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (Ps. 77:11). “Show us Your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation” (Ps. 85:7). “Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You” (Ps. 86:2). “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name” (Ps. 86:11). “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Ps. 90:14).

Having a quality relationship with God is the single most needed thing in your life. Your relationship with God is what is called eternal life. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). The book of Psalms is given to us by God to help us experience eternal life, to help us get close to God, to help us know His love, joy, and peace. I encourage every one of you to make the Psalms part of your daily reading and meditation.

But I am not just thinking of the present but also the future, of that time when life on earth will be extremely difficult, when Christians will be going through great tribulation. During that time, the single most important thing for you will be your relationship with God, will be walking with Him, and knowing His presence, HIs power, and His love. “The Lord is righteous, He loves justice, upright men will see His face.” Psalm 11:7

P.S. What I have shared today are specially selected snippets from Psalms, hopefully enough to whet your spiritual appetite so that you make it part of your daily diet. In forthcoming articles, I will list a much larger selection of verses about your relationship with God, specifically points three and four. In the meantime, here are some other posts about your relationship with your Lord and Savior: “The Rapture, a Love Story”. “Promises from a Loving Father to His Children”.

The Jewish People’s Historical Right to the LAND of ISRAEL

June 29, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #307 ~

One of the biggest questions in the world has to do with the land of Israel. Is it the Jews or the Palestinians? If you have read my posts then you know what God tells us in the Bible, that the land of Israel is for the Jewish people. (Gen. 12:1-2, 15:18-21, 17:3-8; Ps. 105:8-11; Ez. 36-37, Zech. 14:1-3; Matt. 24:15-16, etc.). Yet millions of Muslims, Arabs, and Antisemites strongly disagree, and many are even willing to kill, and be killed, for this most valuable land.

I have recently been focusing on what the Bible says about the Jewish people and their land, but I thought it would be good to give proof of their right to possess the land from a historical perspective. Just recently I discovered an excellent and enlightening article on this subject, “A Palestinian State: Fact or Fiction?” . Without a doubt, it’s the best one I have ever read on this relevant subject, and I strongly encourage you to read it as well.

Here is a quote from the beginning of this important article about who has the right to possess the land of Israel. It is continued in its entirety in the “Article” section of this blog site.

“The eyes of the world are often turned to the Middle East, Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount. We are told again and again of the great struggle for a homeland for a race of people know as ‘Palestinians’. They desire, we are told, the restoration of their homeland, usurped by the Israelis and the United Nations.”

“In addition, they are willing to conduct a ‘jihad’ (holy war) to protect the sanctity of the third most sacred spot of Islam – the Temple Mount. All of this is presented to us on an almost daily basis as fact. But is it indeed factual, or have we been sold a ‘bill of goods’? An understanding of the historical background of everything involved will help us to put it all in perspective.”

GOD’S PROPHETIC WORD IS TRUE, AND WILL BE FULFILLED!

June 15, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #306 ~

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). This is an extremely significant verse about God’s Word and prophecy. That it’s in the middle of an important prophecy chapter is God’s way of emphatically stating that this entire passage is true. That Matt. 24 is true means it must be believed and understood, especially now that we live in the end-times. (When I use “God’s prophetic word” in this post, I am referring to the end-times, to eschatological prophecy.)

What can be said about the nature and character of God’s prophetic word?
* God’s prophetic word is true, just like the rest of His word is true. Matt. 4:4, 5:17-18
* God’s prophetic word is entirely accurate and inerrant. There are no errors, there is nothing false, nothing wrong with what God has said. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
* God’s prophetic word is absolute, final, and cannot be deleted, altered, or added to. What Christ has prophesied is completely true, and unlike man’s opinions, needs to be accepted and applied. Jeremiah 23:9-40

* God’s prophetic truth is authoritative, powerful, reliable, and commanding, and will be carried out. What God declares to us must and will take place. “Truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it – surely, I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11
* God’s prophetic word is sufficient. God has not told us everything about the end-times, but He has told us everything we need to know. Might we be motivated to learn what God has told us about the future. Mark 13:23

* God’s prophetic word is clear. By this, I mean major truths about the future. For example, Christ is returning to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and reign over the earth. And yes, there are minor points about the future that are debatable and not clearly understood at this time.
* God’s prophetic word is relevant. More than any other time in history, it’s imperative that we know what God has written in Matt. 24 and other prophecy passages. The “day is near”, and God is alerting us about what will be happening in the future, and instructing us how we are to live. Rom. 13:11-14

* God’s prophetic word is essential. Without it, we will be surprised, unprepared, and afraid. God doesn’t want us to be sleeping when Christ comes back – He wants us to be awake, waiting, and working in these last years before Christ’s return. 1 Thess. 1:9-10
* God’s powerful and prophetic word must be our focus and guide, and not this sinful and temporary world, or our flesh. God’s word is future-telling, life-changing, soul satisfying, and God glorifying.

We have talked about the 2nd part of Matt. 24:35, “My words will not pass away”, but what about the 1st part – “Heaven and earth will pass away”? There are several things I believe God wants us to know about this:
* Heaven and earth will pass away. This is a major event and hard to imagine, but it will take place, and that’s because God’s clear-speaking word tells us so. The physical heaven we see and the physical earth we live on will disappear, will no longer exist in the future. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” Rev. 21:1

* That the physical heaven and earth will pass away but that God’s word will not is proof of its primacy, that it is infinitely more important than anything physical, and especially a world which is cursed by sin. Gen. 3:17-19, Rom. 8:21-22
* Most people think this earth will generally stay the same and will not pass away. They mistakenly believe, but for some cataclysmic event like a nuclear holocaust, that this earth will exist for thousands if not millions of years. 2 Peter 3:3-7

* Sinners living on earth at the time of Christ’s coming will be greatly shocked and saddened when they begin to see its destruction. Rev. 18:9, 19
* Most unbelievers do not believe that it’s by God’s word that this world was created and will be destroyed. Gen. 1 – “Then God said”; Ps. 33:6-9; 2 Pet. 3:5-7, 10-13

* One reason Jesus talks about heaven and earth passing away is to make us realize that this evil world will exist only a little while longer, and then there will be a new heaven and earth, and that in two phases, the millennial and eternal kingdoms. Rev. 20-21
* This present earth will be restored at Christ’s coming. It is on this renovated earth that Christ will reign for 1,000 glorious years. Ps. 102:25-26, Is. 65:17-25, Matt. 19:28, Acts 3:20-21
* The brand new earth will replace this restored earth at the end of the millennial kingdom, at the end of Christ’s 1000-year reign. 1 Cor. 15:20-28, Rev 20 – Rev. 21:1

* What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, a world that will pass away, but lose his soul to the devil, and then be sent to the “lake of fire”. Rev. 20:14-15, Matt. 16:36, 2 Thess. 2:9
* Many people are more concerned for this planet that’s passing away than they are for their soul which will live forever, either in heaven or hell. They don’t understand the deadly ramifications of rejecting Christ and the gospel. “These will go away into eternal punishment (‘into the eternal fire’ – Matt. 24:41), but the righteous into eternal life.” Matt. 24:46

Aren’t you glad that God gave us His prophetic word? Aren’t you thankful that He told us all we need to know about the future, what will be happening on this planet, specifically as it relates to Christ’s return to rapture us and take us to heaven. Acts 13:23

What I have a hard time understanding is why so many Christians, including pastors, do not truly know what the Bible teaches about Christ’s 2nd coming and the age to come. Is it that they are worldly? Is it that they are too lazy to study God’s prophetic word? Is it that they don’t believe the clear teaching of His prophetic word? Is it that they are believing some ill-founded error? Is it that they think it is confusing or controversial, and just ignore it? Is it that they don’t think it’s important or relevant?

Most pastors teach extensively on Christ’s 1st coming, about the secret birth of Jesus and how He grows up to be our Savior, but scarcely at all about His visible and glorious 2nd coming, when He returns to be Judge and King of the entire world. Lets pray that Christians have an increased interest in God’s prophetic word in these coming years. And might they be awakened, educated, and excited about the incredible and spectacular future that God has in store for us.

I strongly encourage you to take time to read, study, and learn God’s prophetic truth. Here are several New Testament passages that describe our glorious and God-glorifying future: Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:3-36; John 13:1-3; Rom. 8:18-25; Rom. 11; Rom. 15:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 42-44, 50-58; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Eph. 1:9-14; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 5:1-11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb. 11:8-16, 39-40; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 10-16; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 John 2:28 – 3:3; Jude 21-25; and Revelation. “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20

P.S. We are so blessed to have God’s word, which includes His prophetic word. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing what God wants us to know about the future at this time in history. Here are some related posts – “Prophecy is Predicting the Future”, “What the Bible Says About the Future”, “For Pastors and Preachers in the End-Times.”

Christ’s Coming – Climactic, Miraculous, and Life-Changing

June 1, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #305

When we talk about the end-times, the number one subject is Christ’s coming, His climactic intervention in human history that will dramatically affect everyone and everything on earth. If you are a Christian, you should be eagerly awaiting His return, for then you will be with Jesus Christ, be glorified, be in heaven, and be with all believers.

In this post, I am commenting on several 2nd coming verses. God wants you to learn about the coming of His Son so you can be encouraged, expectant, and know what to share with family, friends, and fellow believers. Matt. 24:29-31

Matthew 24:13 – “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Christians alive at the end of this age will be physically saved, will be raptured and glorified. To be saved, they are to endure, to persevere, to keep going despite great persecution. This can only happen by the wonderful and powerful grace of God. 2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9-10

Matthew 24:30 – “The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” The disciple’s question, “What will be the sign of Your coming?” (Matt. 24:3), is answered. The sign is the brilliant, lightning-like glory of Christ that precedes His coming (Matt. 24:27). Everyone in the world, “all the tribes of the earth” (Rev. 1:7), will see His glory, and immediately see Christ coming on the clouds.

Matthew 24:31 – “He will send forth His angels – they will gather together the elect.” This verse is about the gathering of all the believers. At the sound of a great trumpet, the angels will gather from the earth (“the four winds”) believers who had survived the great tribulation (Matt. 24:9, 22, 29), and gather from the heavens (“one end of the sky to another”) believers who had already died. They will instantly be taken “to meet the Lord in the air.” Mark 13:27, 1 Thess. 4:17, 2 Thess. 2:1

Matthew 24:37-41 – “The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah… There will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.” In the days of Noah, the righteous “entered the ark”, were taken to a safe place, and the unrighteous were left on earth to die in the flood, to suffer God’s wrath. In the days of the Son of Man, the righteous will be raptured and taken to Christ, and the unrighteous left on earth will suffer God’s wrath during the day of the Lord. 2 Thess. 1:9-10

Luke 21:25-28 – “When these things begin to take place… your redemption is drawing near.” There will be “signs in the sun and moon and stars”, signals to us that this age has come to an end (Matt. 24:3, 29). The unbelievers will be “fainting from fear (scared to death) for they know “the wrath of the Lamb… has come” (Rev. 6:12-17). Believers will see these signs and then see Christ come “in a cloud with power and great glory”, and immediately be glorified and redeemed, rescued from God’s wrath, and then be taken to Christ the Savior. Matt. 24:32-34, Eph. 1:14

John 14:1-3 – “Believe in God, believe also in Me… I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus knows we get stressed out by the troubles of life. He also knows there will be great troubles, great tribulation in the end-times. So what does Jesus tell us to do? To have faith, to believe that He and His Father will take care of us (Matt. 11:28-29, John 16:33). Jesus also tells us to have hope, to believe that He is preparing an eternal home for us in heaven. Then He says He will return to take us to our most beautiful and glorious home. And we will live forever with Jesus, One who loves us more than anyone else! What a miracle! Rev. 21:1-21

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 – “The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” This prophecy passage about Christ’s 2nd coming tells us what will happen, why it will happen, and when it will happen. First, we learn what happens – that all believers, those in heaven and those on earth will become like Christ Himself (1 John 3:2), be changed, be altogether perfect. Then we learn why it happens, that we must receive an imperishable and immortal body to live in heaven. “O death, where is your victory?” Finally, we learn when it happens, that it takes place at the last trumpet, and that it occurs “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Philippians 3:20-21 – “We eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” At the end of this age, Jesus Christ is coming back to transform our weak, sin-prone body so that it will be like His immortal body. We should be eagerly waiting, be looking forward to being glorified, and being forever with Jesus.

1 Thessalonians. 4:16-17 – “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” At Christ’s coming, those who have already died will be raised, be glorified. Then those still alive on earth will be glorified, and raptured, caught up with those who were just raised. Then we will meet Christ, and together “we shall always be with the Lord.” What an exciting, exhilarating time this will be, when our salvation is complete, and we are all together with Christ!

2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “… when He (Christ) comes to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” Jesus Christ is coming back to be glorified in His holy ones, in the lives of all those who trusted in Him for their salvation. That Christ will be glorified in us is another way to say that we will be glorified, that we will become like Him. Just after this, God will begin judging all those on earth who don’t know God, who weren’t chosen, who didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. 

2 Thessalonians 2:1 – “… with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him…” This verse clearly states that it is at Christ’s coming that we will be gathered to Him. Matt. 24:31 also speaks of being gathered to Christ – “the angels… will gather together His elect…” And we are glorified, we receive our brand new bodies just before we “meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thess. 4:17

1 John 3:2-3 – “We know that when He (Christ) appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” Can you imagine having a body like Christ’s, one that is powerful, immortal, glorious, and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:42-44)? It is “at His coming” (1 Jn. 2:28), when Christ appears, that we will be made like Him, that we will be glorified. And for the first time, we will see Him and be with Him. “In my flesh I shall see God; I will see Him with my own eyes… How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25-27

I want to conclude with more verses that talk about Christ’s coming. Mark 13:27 – “Then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.” Luke 12:40 – “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Rom. 8:23 – “We groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Col. 3:4 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” 1 Thess. 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 – “… looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Heb. 10:37 – “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” James 5:8 – “Be patient, for the coming of the Lord is near.” 1 Pet. 1:13 – “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ.” Rev. 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.” Rev. 22:12 – “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

P.S, I have written many posts on Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church, and that’s because it is so important for Christians to understand. Here are some more: “The Rapture of the Christians at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ”, “The Coming of Christ and the Triumph of the Church”, “The Timing of the Rapture”, “A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ”, and “The Rapture Won’t Happen Until…”

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