By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #265 ~
What will God do in 2023? He will carry out His plans for you and every person, family, church, and country in the world. He knows exactly what He’s going to do, and it relates directly to His word, and to His will, what He decreed in eternity past. “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure” (Is. 46:10). That God will do what He has planned to do is so important and extremely encouraging. We can’t trust people, but we can trust God. More than you realize, God will fulfill His plans for you, the church, Israel, and the entire world. “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations… the counsel of the Lord stands forever.” Psalm 33:10-11
What God does this year must be seen in view of the fact that we live in the end-times. The two-minute warning has already been given. All that God does, every single thing that happens, somehow relates to the end of this age and the coming of Christ. God is continually and carefully putting each piece of His global end-times’ puzzle into place, and soon enough we “will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27
I am going to tell you what God will be doing in 2023, and I’m not saying I had a special vision from God, I’m not sharing something “new” that no one else knows. I’m only passing on to you what God has specifically told us in His word, or that which is a necessary prerequisite to the fulfillment of His prophetic word. Here are some of God’s plans with regards to four areas, the unsaved, the saved, the church, and the world.
The unsaved, the sinners, the unbelievers
* In eternity past, God chose who would get saved, who would become His children. This year many unbelievers, because of their repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, will be born again and become members of God’s family. John 3:1-21, Eph. 1:4-7
* Most unbelievers will continue in sin and continue to harden their hearts against God. But God is sovereign, allowing them to sin only in the way that He wants, only in a way that is part of His end-times’ plan for planet earth, and only that which results in Him being glorified. Romans 9:17
* Sinners will be used by God to help fulfill His work on this earth. For example, they will play a key role in God’s spiritual training of the saved, for the saved will learn to love and trust God, to share His truth, and to be forgiving, patient, persevering, and hoping. Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:28
* Some of the unsaved who remain unsaved will physically die this year and be immediately taken from this earth. They will go straight to hell, a place of indescribable pain and the blackest darkness. Matt. 25:30,41,46; Luke 16:24
The saved, the believers, the Christians
* God will be raising up worshipers and workers. Psalm 145, Matt 9:36-38
* Believers are God’s workmanship. He will daily and faithfully work in their lives, teaching and enabling them to love Him, be fruitful, and be God-glorifying. Psalm 115:1, Eph. 2:10
* God will help believers grow in faith, love, hope, holiness, and wisdom. 1 Thess. 5:8-22
* God will teach Christians to walk with the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and have fellowship with the Spirit. Gal. 5:16, Eph. 5:18, Rom. 8:17, 2 Cor. 13:14
* God will be teaching individual Christians truths from His word. John 8:32, 16:13, 17:17
* God will train Christians to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and He will open many doors for the gospel. Matt. 5:13-16, Col. 4:3
* God will ordain specific trials for believers, to discipline them, teach them His word, and provide opportunities for the gospel. Deut. 8, Ps. 119:71, Phil. 1:12-14
* God will sovereignly allow millions of believers around the world to be persecuted, and it’s all according to His plan and for His purposes and glory. 1 Peter 2:20-22, 3:14, 4:12-19, 5:10
* God will take many of His children home to heaven. Psalm 116:15, Phil. 1:21
The church, the body of Jesus Christ
* Jesus Christ will build His church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Matt. 16:18
* Christ will raise up leaders for His churches, ones who shepherd the believers and teach them His word. Eph. 4:12-13, 2 Tim. 4:1-4, 1 Peter 5:2
* Christ will be working in His churches, teaching them to be holy, united, and loving. Eph. 4:1-24
* Christ will give His churches grace and peace, and enable them to go on in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit. Acts 9:31, Ephesians 1:2
* Christ has ordained that some of His churches be greatly persecuted. 1 Peter 4:12-19
* Christ will enable churches around the world to be preaching the gospel and making disciples, resulting in the growth of the church. Matthew 16:18, 24:14, 28:19-20
* The entire church, the spiritual dwelling of God, will continue to be fitted and built together by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22
* Christ will be protecting individual believers and His churches from the enemy. 2 Timothy 4:18
* By Dec. 31, 2023, we will be one year closer to the end of the age and to that time when the church is raptured from this earth and taken to Christ. Matt. 24:31, 1 Thess. 4:17
The world
* We will continue to hear about birth pains in various parts of the world – and some will experience them, these wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, and economic distress. And many will die because of them. Matt. 24:4-8, 28; Luke 21:9-11; Rev. 6:1-8
* Lawlessness will continue to increase in countries all over the world. Matt. 24:12, 2 Tim. 3:13
* There will continue to be a reshaping, realigning, and repositioning of nations. The United States, because of all her sin, is now being judged by God and therefore, will keep declining in power. This will eventually lead to an Antichrist-led empire that will rule the entire world. Dan. 7:23-27, Rev. 13:1-8, Rev. 17:11-13
* There will be continued and increasing persecution against both Jews and Christians. But God will enable the Christians to endure, to persevere. Matt. 24:9-28, Mark 13:9-13
* God, “with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on earth”, will continue to work “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. 1:9-11, Romans 8:28-30. Notice that it says, “all things”, which means God is sovereignly working through all events, people, animals, things, leaders, and countries to the end that Christ will be glorified in the entire world. Isaiah 46:9-11
God, because He is holy, faithful, loving, powerful, and sovereign, will be fulfilling His word and His will this coming year. He will be carrying out His above stated plans in the lives of believers, unbelievers, the church, and the world around us, all leading to Christ’s return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin His glorious reign on earth. I pray that you are excited about seeing God’s work in 2023, and that you keep working for Him, keep watching what’s He’s doing in the world, and keep waiting “for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess. 1:10, Mark 13:34
P.S. As we start a brand new year, here are a few other posts to read that talk about the future: “Prophecy is Predicting the Future”, “Bible Prophecy Enables Us to See the Future”, and “Forecasting the Future of the World.” Have a most blessed and God-glorifying year.