By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #259 ~
What does this country need? It needs men of God, men of faith, holy men, men of courage, men who love God and His word, who know that the only answer to a person’s problems and this country’s problems is God’s word and Spirit. And these godly men need to be abounding in the work of preaching the word of God, of proclaiming all the truths of God.
This country is ensnared in the deadly lies of the devil, lies that are destroying lives, marriages, families, schools, churches, government and, to be honest, our entire society. And godly men need to be preaching and teaching God’s word. We don’t need pastors who are entangled in the affairs of the world. We don’t need ministers who are men-pleasers, who are tickling ears and sharing fluff. We need men who are holy and wholehearted for God, who know that only His truth and His Spirit can defeat the lies of the devil and give us the life and purpose God wants us to have.
This country needs God-loving men teaching the basic truths of the Bible, summed up in Eph. 4:4-6 – one body (church), one Spirit, one hope (our future), one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith (God’s word), one baptism (salvation), and one God and Father. Truth-loving men need to be faithfully, strongly, and clearly teaching about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the truth of the gospel, the truth about man’s sin and the death-saving death and life-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the truth about the church, righteous living, and our glorious hope.
There are many examples in the Bible of men faithfully teaching and preaching God’s word:
* Be like Ezra and set your heart on studying, practicing, and teaching the word of God. Ezra 7:10
* Be like Jeremiah and fearlessly warn people of the wrath to come. Jeremiah 1:11-19
* Be like Ezekiel, a watchman, a man aware of the times, who upon hearing God’s word, spoke to the people and warned them of what was to come. Ezekiel 3:17
* Be like John the Baptist and courageously make ready the way of the Lord. Luke 3:4
* Be like Apollos and boldly, accurately, and fervently be teaching about Jesus. Acts 18:24-26
* Be like Paul, who testified solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God to the lost, and who preached the whole purpose of God to the saved. Acts 20:24, 27
* Be like Paul who knew the importance of the entire word of God, that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17. “The sum of Thy word is truth.” Ps. 119:60
* Be like Paul, who was ready in season and out of season to preach the word and, note this, always in view of Christ’s appearing and His kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:1-4
* Don’t ever be deceived and led astray by false teachers. 2 Thess. 2:1-4; Matt. 24:4, 11, 24
These last few verses about not being in error are given in the context of the end-times and the Biblical hope God has given us. I plead with you pastors, in the final years of this church age, to preach on hope! I cannot say this strongly enough! Now is the time, in the calm before the storm, to clearly tell believers what God has planned out for our future. The Jews are back in Israel, birth pains are happening, lawlessness is increasing, and persecution is growing – these are all signs from God that it won’t be long before Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church.
Like never before, God’s prophetic word is pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ. Sadly, most believers don’t have a good understanding of what God says about their future and the future of this world. Way too many Christians are confused, ignorant, or in error when it comes to what the Bible teaches about the end-times, the Antichrist, the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, the day of the Lord, and the millennial kingdom – and this should not be. It’s not like God doesn’t say much about our hope. He does! It’s a huge subject with hundreds of New Testament verses. Pastors need to teach their people what the Bible says will surely come to pass, and what may take place in their lifetime.
Here are some more thoughts for you pastors, preachers, and teachers:
* Get quality time alone with God. This is the number one thing that has kept me going for God through all the years. “When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2, Mark 6:31
* “Take heed, behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mark 13:23). Jesus told you ahead of time what He wants you to know about end-times’ prophecy, and you should find out everything He wants you to know, and then sensibly and faithfully teach others. Matthew 24:45
* Here are some key prophecy passages you should study and then teach your church: Daniel 7-12; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 17:22:37, 21:5-36; 1 Thess. 4:13 – 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:5 – 2:12; 1 Peter 1:3-13; 2 Peter 3:3-13; Revelation. And I would encourage you to start with Matthew 24.
* “Present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) and, in this case, about prophecy, one of the most relevant, practical subjects in the 21st century. It’s your duty and responsibility to teach your church about our God-planned future. You don’t want to keep the truth from the sheep. You don’t want them to be naïve, confused, scared, or in error, but instead, to know and understand what God is now doing right before our very eyes. You want them to smile at the future, to be looking for the city which has foundations, to be desiring a heavenly country.
* Be humble and learn from godly and studious men on this subject of Biblical prophecy.
* Be “men who understand the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chr. 12:32). Not only should you teach on prophecy, but on how it relates to what’s taking place in the world and what the church should be doing.
* Properly taught Christians will realize that God’s prophetic word is being fulfilled, is unfolding before their eyes, and then see that Christ’s coming is drawing near. That Christ is returning soon is the most encouraging news in the whole world! Hebrews 10:25
* Explain to your people that the church will encounter great tribulation, and that they need to be willing to suffer, but God will give them all the grace they need. 1 Cor. 1:8-9, 2 Tim. 4:18
* Be more than just a teacher – be a pastor, one who cares, and a leader, one who is taking charge, fearlessly out front, courageously forging ahead. Joshua 1:6-9, John 21:15-17
* Completing the work of the church relates directly to the coming of Christ. Matt. 24:14 – “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matt. 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You can’t miss it – when the work of the church, preaching the gospel to a lost world and discipling believers, is finished, then this age will end, and Jesus Christ will return.
* All the qualities listed below are essential to being a strong Christian, and what’s amazing is that each one is in the context of the end-times, and therefore, is necessary for godly living in the end-times. Preaching (Matt. 24:14), readiness (Matt. 24:44), discipling (Matt. 28:19-20), having faith (Luke 18:8), not worrying (Luke 21:14), serving (1 Thess. 1:9), being alert (1 Thess. 5:6), waiting (Titus 2:13), patience (James 5:7), fellowship (Heb. 10:25), encouraging (Heb. 10:25), hoping (1 Pet. 1:13), praying (1 Pet. 4:7), loving (1 Pet. 4:8), being holy (2 Pet. 3:11), overcoming (Rev. 2:7), not fearing (Rev. 2:10), and persevering (Rev. 13:10).
What a time to be alive! Just think, the end-times is our time! God put you on this earth “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14). Don’t be asleep, be awake, be alert, and be doing your job. Teach prophetic truth to your people so they know what will be taking place, so they are equipped, encouraged, and filled with hope, so they are serving God and waiting for His Son from heaven. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:30-31
P.S. I know what some of you might be saying, “I’m not pre-millennial like you. I’m post millennial, a-millennial, and don’t believe God has a future for the Jews, or something else, and I can’t even begin to think of teaching my church about Christ’s coming and the rapture, followed by His kingdom on earth.” If that’s the way you think I would suggest you read the following articles, and maybe you will see more clearly the truth of the pre-millennial position: “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 1”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 2”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 3”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 4”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 5 – (Why People Have Believed This Error.)”