By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #347 ~
I have been talking about the state of the “United” States, specifically, the sinful condition of our country. And all this horrible, God-rejecting sin you see is the reason our spiritual foundations are now being destroyed. Ps. 82:5 says that sinners “do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.” John 3:19, 8:12
God wants you to know that our nation’s extreme sin has put us on a depraved, demonic, and downward path (Rom. 1:19-32, 1 Tim. 4:1-2). God, being holy and just, and knowing all our sin, has no choice but to judge and punish us. And in the coming years, God’s punishment will become increasingly evident, prominent, and severe. Prov. 15:3, Jer. 4-8, Rom. 1:18
As you see sinners and their sin, you might react by being sad, upset, angry, or worried. But how does God want you to respond to the evildoers and their evil in this country? Ps. 11:3 asks, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” What does God want you to do? How does He want you to think? Let me share God’s plan, God’s will for you in these days, in these last years before Christ returns to rapture the church and judge the world.
* Know that you are greatly and forever loved by God! Nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:35-39, Ps. 23:6, 1 John 4:16
* Praise the Lord! Love the Lord! Stay close to Him, enjoy Him, walk with Him, and talk to Him! “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” Mark 12:30, Gen. 5:22, Ps. 11:7
* Love the people God puts in your life! “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other.” Col. 3:12-13
* Preach the gospel, the most important message in the world. “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. 24:15, Matt. 28:19-20
* Do not seek the kingdoms of men, but the kingdom of God. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Matt. 6:33, Ps. 2:1-8, Ps. 33:10-12
* Pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven…” (Matt. 6:9-10), and for the kingdom of this world to “become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15
* Pray for justice on this earth, for God to judge and punish the evildoers. “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night” Luke 18:7, Acts 17:30-31, Rev. 6:9-11
* Be holy. We often judge others for their sin, but first and foremost, we must judge ourselves, and be living a holy life (Matt. 7:1-5). “Be holy yourselves in all your behavior.” 1 Pet. 1:15-16
* “Have faith in God” (Mk. 11:22), believing Him for both big things and little things. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor. 5:7; Ps. 31:14, 37:3, 62:8; Heb. 11:6
* “Be filled with the Spirit”, the One who is in you, who teaches you, purifies you, leads you, comforts you, helps you, and empowers you. 1 Cor. 16:19; John 14:16, 16:13; Rom. 8:14
* Know that God is with you and that He never leaves you. “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5-6). “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20
* Be filled with hope, with the expectation that God will give you good things in the future. “May… you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 15:13, Rom. 8:18-25
* Know that God will keep you going, will enable you to persevere. “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8, Jude 24-25
* When life is hard, don’t run to a physical refuge but run to the Lord, your spiritual refuge. “In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain?’” Psalm 11:1
* “Encourage one another day after day” (Heb. 3:12-13), especially during difficult times. “Encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25
* Do all the work God wants you to do. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God created beforehand that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10, Ph. 2:12-13
* Learn all that God wants you to know about the end-times and the kingdom ages. “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” Mark 13:23, 2 Tim. 2:15, Is. 41-66
* Learn from the prophets: they called out peoples’ sins; they told them to repent; they warned them of God’s wrath; they preached forgiveness; and they gave people hope. “The voice of one calling in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord.” Luke 3:3-18, Isaiah – Malachi
* Know that God is sovereign, that He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him…” Rom. 8:28
* Be watching and waiting for the coming of Christ. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10
* Be a watchman – know what’s happening in our country and in our world, and how it all relates to end-time prophecies. “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman” (Ezek. 3:17). “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” 1 Chr. 12:32
* Be assured that Christ is building His church, that everything is going according to plan, and that the “gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:18-21, 2:19-22, 3:20-21
* Persevere, whether it’s to the end of this age or the end of your physical life. “Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” Col. 1:23
We live in the end-times, a crazy time, a God-directed time, and it won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church and reign on earth. This is the time God has determined for you to be alive. As His child and servant, be thrilled and thankful that He wants you to be alive at this unique and special time in history. Also, be sober, discerning, and obedient, living full out for God, loving Him and living for Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk. 12:30). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). “Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20
P.S. I hope you are understanding the moral corruption in our country, and that difficult times are coming because of our sin. Here are three other posts relevant to this subject: “How Then Should We Live in the End Times?”, “The Most Important Country in the World, and It’s Not the United States”, “It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better.”