fbpx
Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Month: December 2019

Loving God Today, Tomorrow, and Forever

December 27, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #150 ~

What is the most important thing you are to do on earth, and in heaven, now and forever? You are to love God! Jesus tells us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). With your entire being, with every bit of feeling, and every bit of strength, you are to love God! You are to love Him during the day, at night, and on the weekend. You are to love Him when you are at home, at work, at church, doing errands, or out seeing friends. You are to love God all the time, today, tomorrow, and forever!

Why should you love God? Because God created you and you are His, and you are to love the One who made you. But most importantly, because God loves you – and Oh, how He loves you! If Jesus Christ suffered and died for you, if He saved you from sin, death, Satan and hell, then you are truly and greatly loved by God, and nothing will ever change that. Romans 5:8

Let’s look more closely at how God has loved you, and will love you. God has placed His Holy Spirit in you and, therefore, He is with you forever! You have been forgiven of all your sins, and are perfectly holy in His sight! You have been redeemed, rescued from the devil’s dark domain! God has adopted you into His family which means you are forever His child. God has given you eternal life which results in you knowing Him, and having this special, soul-satisfying relationship with Him. God’s love for you is specific and personal, in that He is good to you, kind to you, merciful to you, patient with you, gentle with you, and compassionate towards you. Psalm 86:15

That’s not all! God has also given you His Word, His eternal truth which results in all the wisdom, security, direction, peace, and hope that you need! God has made you a brand new creature in Christ! God gives you an eternal purpose, a real reason to live! God gives you a spiritual family, the church, friends to be with forever. God gives you an incredible future, a heavenly inheritance, resulting in eternal blessings and pleasures. And nothing in this world, no person, no devil, no problem, no time or distance, will ever separate you from this continual and incredible love God has for you. Romans 8:31-39

There is no doubt that God has greatly loved you, but have you come to know and believe this amazing and wonderful love He has for you? Many Christians are weak and worldly because they don’t truly know God’s love. For if you really know it, you will be a holy and strong Christian, one who loves God and is living for Him. This God-awesome love is powerful and passionate, and when experienced, will control you, and compel you to love Him with all your heart. Without question, God’s love for you will fuel and fire your love for Him. “We love because He loved us.” 1 John 4:19

But what should this love for God look like? How are you to express your love to the One who has loved you so much? Your love will be seen in that you will think about God, and be excited about Him, and tell Him that you love Him. Your love will be personal and relational, for you will talk to Him, listen to Him, and enjoy spending time with Him. You will faithfully worship, praise and exalt Him. You will be thankful to God for who He is, and for what He does for you. You will love His word and desire to learn from Him. Psalm 119:97

That’s not all! You will pray to God, pour out your heart to Him, and ask Him for His help. You will love all the saints, those in your church, and others you know or meet. You will obey God, and carry out the work He wants you to do. You will hate sin, evil, and every false way. You will love your enemies, even those who persecute you. You will share the gospel with the lost, with those who don’t know God’s love. And you will be looking forward to being with Jesus, and seeing Him face to face. Job 19:25-27

In view of who God is, and all that He has done for you and will do for you, you ought to love God. It’s the right thing, the logical thing to do, and it’s foundational, practical, purposeful, prioritizing, and without question, the most important thing to do. And it gives glory to God, which is the most important thing of all. Loving God should be an overriding constant in your life, that which will affect what you do, where you go, who you see, and how you spend your time and money. Make it your goal to love God every day of this new year. As you go through life, through the coming weeks, months and years, whether in good times or bad, sickness or health, prosperity or poverty, joy or sorrow, remember to keep loving God, knowing that He keeps loving you. Psalm 136

As you know, we live in the end-times, the last years of this present age, and the closer we get to Christ’s return, the tougher it will get. Some of you may even be on earth when the Antichrist comes, which means you will likely experience extreme hate and great tribulation. But whatever happens, remember that God loves you, and you are to keep loving Him. Doing this will help you stay on track, and keep you going down that straight and narrow road until you meet up with Jesus. Psalm 84:1-7

Your life of loving God on earth is only the beginning – never forget that you will be loving Him forever, which means in the kingdom ages to come. Can you imagine what it will be like to be glorified and in heaven with Jesus, when your love for Him will always be perfect, heartfelt, and God-glorifying? While in these fleshly bodies, your love for God is inconsistent, up and down, daily punctuated by sin and worldliness. But someday and very soon, you will be in heaven, and you will literally see Jesus, and you will love Him like you have never loved Him before. “Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. Knowing God’s love is not an option for your life. If you are to be encouraged, obedient, and exciting about living for God, you must know His great and amazing love for you. Here are two past articles that will help you comprehend His wonderful love for you: “The Father’s Love for His Children” and “Keep Yourself in the Love of God.”

Christmas is More than Baby Jesus

December 20, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #149 ~

Many people do not understand the true meaning of Christmas. Indeed, it’s a special day of the year, but it’s not really about family, food and presents. In its simplest sense, Christmas is about Jesus, that as God’s only Son, He became a man, and is now both God and man. We should be thrilled and thankful for what is called the “incarnation,” that Jesus came to earth to be God in human flesh. But more than that, Jesus actually came to live with us, for He is called “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

Living on earth that first time was an extremely humbling experience for Jesus. He was perfectly holy, yet dwelt among sinful people, with those who were worldly, with those who were ignorant of the truth, and with those who hated the truth, which meant they hated Him and His Father. But Jesus wasn’t looking for praise and honor, for He wanted to be a servant, and He was the servant of all. Multitudes of people from all over Israel saw and heard Jesus, this perfect man, the best teacher, a fighter for truth, a healer of diseases, One who drove out demons, and One who loved everyone, even His enemies.

For three years, Jesus ministered to the Jews, and to some Gentiles. Then the time came for Him to do His most important work, to suffer, die and be raised again. Jesus’ death was purposeful, for it meant being punished by His Father for people’s sins, so as to defeat the devil and destroy his work, and to pay for the sins of those who would repent of their sins and believe in Him. Justice and love met when Jesus died on the cross, for He satisfied God’s justice, resulting in God being able to forgive sinners and show them His love. This forgiveness and salvation is only by God’s grace, by Christ’s death and the Spirit’s work in a person’s heart, and not by their own works. “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:5-6

Jesus was born. Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus ascended into heaven. That sums up Christ’s 1st coming. Now we live in the church age, that period of time between Christ’s 1st coming and 2nd coming, when He is building the church, redeeming a bride for Himself, and awaiting the end of this age when He will come back to earth. That the Jewish people have returned to Israel and reclaimed their land is God’s clear signal to us that we are now living in the last years of this church age.

It won’t be long before Jesus, with “power and great glory,” will come back in the clouds (Luke 21:27), and rapture the church still on earth, gathering her to Himself along with all believers who have already died and gone to heaven. Jesus will then punish this wicked world (Revelation 8-9, 16), redeem a remnant of Jews, and begin His long-awaited and prayed-for reign over the earth (Matthew 6:9-10). Then those famous Christmas verses (Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2-5a), along with many others from God’s word, will be completely fulfilled. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

At this time in history, we can look back and see exactly which prophecies Christ fulfilled at His 1st coming, and look ahead, knowing that He will fulfill the rest of them at His 2nd coming. Believers living at the time of Jesus’ birth (e.g. Mary, Simeon, and Anna) didn’t have 20/20 vision like we do. They did understand that what happened was not just about a baby being born, but about the Messiah being both a Savior and a King – they just didn’t know there would be a 1st coming and a 2nd coming. But we can see clearly now, knowing there needs to be a 2nd coming, and that Christ Himself told us so (Matthew 24:3-44). It’s a God-guaranteed fact that Christ will return to earth, and once again will be called, “Immanuel,” for God, will literally be with us.

At this special time of the year, remember these words about Jesus, the Messiah: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:31-33). “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). If you don’t know Jesus and His love for you, I encourage you to pray these words from that Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” “O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel.”

P.S. I have written two previous posts about Christmas, ones I would encourage you to look at – “First Coming to Church Age to Second Coming” and “The Christmas Story and Christ’s Second Coming.” Have a blessed Christmas season as you are with family and friends and celebrate the birth of our Savior and King.

Micah – The Prophet Predicts the Future

December 13, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #148 ~

I love the prophets, the God-exalting, Spirit-filled, sin-declaring, judgment-speaking, future-telling, hope-inspiring prophets. What a blessing that God raised them up, godly men for their day, for our day, and for our future. Their writings are not outdated; they are not to be allegorized; they are not too hard to understand; they are not to be skipped over and ignored; and they are for both the Jewish people and the church.

Micah, like many of the prophets, focused on the sin and judgment of the Jews, but he also spoke about the coming Messiah, the Christ, and the hope He would bring. We see in this short book, like diamonds shining in the dark, a number of verses speaking about the Christ, one predicting that He would be born in that little town of Bethlehem. “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you, One will go forth from Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). This comprehensive, 1st coming – 2nd coming prophecy does not talk about this eternal One being the Savior, but points to Him being the King, the ruler in Israel. And that Christ will be ruling over the Jews and the world in the kingdom ages to come is a major theme in the rest of Micah’s 2nd coming prophecies. Here is what we learn from Micah:

* Micah 2:12-13 predicts, “I will surely assemble all of you Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like sheep… so their King goes on before them, and the Lord at their head.” In the future, Jesus will visibly be the King of the Jews. 

* Micah 4:1 tells us, “It will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as chief among the mountains… and the peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Christ the King will reign from Jerusalem, but He will also be a Teacher, declaring to people from all over the world the truth they need to know and live by.

* Micah 4:5 declares, “He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares… nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.” In this rebellious and war-torn world, there is no real peace, but rejoice, for Jesus Christ will come and be the Judge, and bring true peace. Micah 4:6-8 gives more valuable information about Christ’s coming kingdom and, in particular, that it will be an eternal kingdom. “The Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever.”

* Micah 5:3-4 goes on to say, “He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has born a Child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel, and He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God… at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth.” This prophesy, that the Jews would be given up, also stated in Luke 21:20-24, means they would be scattered all over the world, and this happened around 70 AD. But since 1880 AD, over 6 million Jews have returned to their land, and now Israel is in labor, for her birth pains are taking place. (Matthew 24:4-8, Revelation 12:1-5). That the Jews are back in their land means we are living in the end times, and so it won’t be long before we see Christ coming in a cloud to rapture the church from the earth, pour out His wrath on this world, and then be a Shepherd over this remnant of newly-saved Jews.

* Micah 7:18-20 concludes, “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity… He will again have compassion on us… You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old.” Here is God, the Christ, being a Savior, showing love, forgiveness and compassion. And we are reminded of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that they would have a great multitude of descendants, a large portion of land, and world-wide blessing. Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17, 17:1-8

The Messiah, the Christ is coming, and He will be a King, a Teacher, a Judge, a Shepherd, and a Savior. You can only fully understand God’s plans for the church if you understand the prophets, and their description of His plans for the Jews. God’s work with the church is now coinciding with His work with the Jews. What an honor to be living in the last years of this church age, for we read the prophets and look back and see what has been fulfilled, and look forward to see plans of His that will be fulfilled. Christ will soon return, and then we will see these Micah prophecies, along with many more, all come true. And these prophecies for the Jews will directly affect the church, for Christ will be our King, and we will reign with Him, and with Jewish believers, forever and ever.  

I encourage you to read the prophets, and find the verses that speak of the future of the Jews, for they now relate to Christians. Hebrews 11:39-40 explains it this way, “All these (Old Testament believers), having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us (church age Christians), so that apart from us they (Old Testament believers) should not be made be perfect.” God’s work with the Jews and the Christians will come together, converging in the age to come. The conclusion is given at the end of Romans 11, that chapter to the church that tells us about the salvation of the Jewish remnant, “To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

P.S. During this Christmas season, it’s good to be reminded of the Old Testament prophets, for they told us so much about Christ’s first coming, and birth, and His second coming. Here are two posts that will help you understand how God’s past working relates to the future God has for us. “Why the Jews Are Important for You and the Church” and “Prophecy Predicts the Future.”

1 Peter 1:3-13 – Living Today in Light of the Future

December 6, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #147 ~

God wants you to see the end from the beginning, from that time when you were saved until that time when you see Jesus Christ and are glorified and in heaven. It’s so easy to get stuck in our own little world, in the here and now, and that’s why it’s imperative for you to see where you have come from and where you are going. A passage that explains this better than any I know is 1 Peter 1:3-13. What you see is that the future is spoken of in 8 of these 11 verses, using words like “living hope” (3), “inheritance” (4), “heaven” (4), “last time” (5), “revelation of Jesus Christ” (7, 13), “salvation” (5, 9, 10), “grace” (10, 13), and “glories to follow” (11). What God is telling you is clear and convincing, that the only way to live today is in view of the future that He has already planned out for you.

1 Peter 1:3-5 sums up your Christian life, the past, present and future, from when you were born again to your life today to that time when you will receive your heavenly inheritance. There’s direction and movement in these verses, for they are not just focused on being born again, but on the fact that you now have a living hope, that which is to excite you and point you to your future in heaven. Your life isn’t just sitting still, but is going someplace, and God Himself is moving you along and taking you to glory, to a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” And God’s power will keep protecting you until that time when you will be fully saved, when you will be glorified. Jude 24-25

1 Peter 1:6-9 talks about your present life, but again in light of the future. Right away you read about trials, and it tells you there are various kinds of them, they last only a little while, they are distressing, and they only happen if God says they are necessary. And these trials are for your faith, which is extremely valuable, for it is a means to know God, to experience His grace, and to spiritual growth. Most importantly, it results in “praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” At the end of this age, there will be one grand celebration, for all believers will be gathered together to see Jesus, and will be excitedly and wholeheartedly worshiping Him. Revelation 7:9-12

These verses also instruct us how to live at this present time. First, we are to love God, and with all our heart. And we are to have faith in this One we cannot see, but soon will see, trusting Him, believing His word, knowing that He is fulfilling His plans for us. And we are to greatly rejoice, for we know what’s coming, “the salvation of our souls” and the glorification of our bodies. Do you see this, that your faith, hope, love and joy in the present are in light of the future, in view of that time when this age will come to an end, and Jesus Christ will be revealed for the entire world to see? 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8

1 Peter 1:10-12 is an encouraging and motivating parenthetical. It tells us about the Old Testament prophets, men writing about 2400-2900 years ago, and they wanted to know more about the Messiah to come. They knew He would suffer, and that His glory would be revealed to the whole world, but they didn’t know the specifics, they didn’t know when, and they really wanted to find out, and so they “made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time…” And these prophets did this for us – they were searching and seeking and writing for Christians, for those of us living in this church age. I must say, I get very excited, knowing that what the prophets wrote, along with the New Testament writers, is for us, especially since we now live in the end times.

Here we are, thousands of years later, and we can look back and see that part of what the prophets predicted has already taken place. We all know that Jesus Christ came to earth, and that He suffered, died, rose again, ascended into heaven, and that He will soon come back to fulfill the 2nd part of these predictions. But unlike the prophets, we now know there’s a 2nd coming, at which time Christ will return to earth with “great glory” (Luke 21:27), and then glorify us, and after that, the world will be full of His glory (Isaiah 6:3). Another amazing truth is that the angels long to look into these matters about Christ’s 1st and 2nd comings. Just think, if the prophets wrote this for us, and the angels are looking into these things, shouldn’t we be super-motivated to study and learn and tell others what God wants us to know about our glorious future? Mark 13:23

1 Peter 1:13 starts with “therefore,” which means it’s the conclusion to this prophetic passage for Christians. In view of Christ being revealed, in view of being glorified and being in heaven, in view of receiving an incredible inheritance, how should you live on earth? You are to prepare your mind for action. You are to be spiritually awake, aware of what God’s word says, alert to what He’s doing in the world, and actively working for Christ, helping to carry out His end-time plans for the church. And you are to “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Don’t get distracted by worldly things, but be focused on the fact that Christ is coming soon, and be looking forward to seeing Him, knowing that He will then “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” Philippians 3:21 

You can’t miss the future in this present day, 1 Peter passage for Christians. Don’t skip over it, make light of it, or think it’s not relevant for your life, and especially at this time in history, with the return of Jesus Christ right around the corner. Might 1 Peter 1:3-13, this big-picture passage, help you to love Jesus all the more, and to live today in light of the fantastic future that God has “reserved in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:4

P.S. I love this subject, the big picture of our lives. Having this perspective is a must if we are to be able to rightly and wholeheartedly live for the Lord. Here are two previous posts that address this same subject: “God’s Time Frame for Your Life,” and “An Overview of Your Christian Life.”

© Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

© 2024 Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑