Article 49

By Steven J. Hogan

Your heavenly Father wants you to be a good, faithful, and fruitful worker, to be fulfilling His purpose on this earth. In His word, God tells you how you can do this. My desire in this article is to share a number of key truths and principles that will help you be a more excellent and effective end-time’s worker for God.

1. Working for God means you are using your mind, soul, and body for the good of others and for the purposes and glory of God. Adam and Eve were the first workers for God, and because they were perfect, their work was perfect. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30, Gen. 1:28-29

2. Your primary work is to love God, to worship Him – it’s the single most important thing you are to do. Everything else you do are specific ways you show your love for God, are those things which flow, which spring from your love for Him. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Matthew 4:10, Luke 10:38-42

3. God’s eternal and great love for you is the primary spiritual driving force in your work for Him. Knowing and being strengthened by His love is the key motivational factor, the central component for you to be an effective worker. His love for you will encourage you to love Him which leads to you doing what He wants you to do. All the work you do is to be done from a heart of love for God and others. Jesus says, “I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 15:9-10). Paul says, “Let all you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 6:14). “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 21

4. Adam and Eve sinned which resulted in their work becoming very difficult, for then they had to work by the sweat of their brow. We all know from experience that work can be very hard, but this is the way it is during our time on this earth, and it’s all because of sin. Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 8:20-22

5. God is your Master and you are His slave, and He has given you one life with the perfect number of years so you can do all the work He wants you to do. And don’t think of yourself as a 9-5 worker, but as a fulltime, 24-7 worker. The entirety of your life, all your days, are given to you by God so you can work for Him. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be…” Psalm 139:16-24, Jeremiah 1:5-10, Luke 17:7-10

6. Always see yourself as one who is working for God. You are to faithfully and diligently work for your earthly employer, but first and foremost you are to serve the Lord, knowing that He will richly and eternally reward you for your work. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24

7. Be encouraged and excited that God not only chose to save you, but also chose you to do His work. Be thankful that God planned out ahead of time all the work He wants you to do. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.” John 15:16, Jeremiah 29:11-12

8. You only have one life to live, and it’s a short life, and so make it your goal, your ambition, to do all the work God has given you to do. “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” John 17:4, Philippians 3:12-14

9. All your work is to be spiritual work, that which God wants you do that is to be done for Him and His purposes. The entirety of your life – your 9-5 job or whatever work you do, fixing a meal, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, helping your children, helping your parents, praying for someone, serving in the church, sharing the gospel, etc. – is spiritual work that is to be done for the Lord. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord…” Col. 3:23

10. The work God wants you to do is outlined in the Bible. That is, the general nature of your work is given to you in God’s word. For example, you learn that you are to love people, work at a job, pray, share the gospel, be faithful with your money, have fellowship, encourage others, etc. 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 1 Thess. 4:11

11. Obeying God’s commands is doing God’s work, and is one of the easiest ways you know that you are doing His work. “Love one another”, “pray for one another”, “encourage one another”, are some of the commands that spell out the work God wants you and every Christian to do. Then there’s the grand command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19-20), the basis for what is called the Great Commission. This command cannot be carried out by any one Christian, but is the work of all believers during the entire church age. God has chosen every Christian to do his part, his role, in making disciples, work that usually relates to using the spiritual gift(s) that God has given him in a loving way.

12. How can you know God’s will for your life, the specific work He wants you to do?
a. Read and study His word for it has truths and commands that will lead you in the work God wants you to do. Proverbs 2:1-9, 4:4
b. Get counsel, get advice from godly Christians. Proverbs 12:15
c. Be in a good church. The work God wants you to do is usually in conjunction with being involved in a spiritually healthy church. 1 Corinthians 14
d. Think about the physical and spiritual talents God has given you, for they directly relate to the work He wants you to do. Jer. 1:5, 17-19; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:12
e. Be willing to do whatever God wants you to do, and then He will show you the work He has planned out for you. Psalm 40:9, Rom. 12:1-2
f. Pray to God. ASK Him for guidance. “Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find; Knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matt. 7:7, Psalm 143:8, Prov. 8:17
g. Be led by the Spirit. “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10
h. Do what you already know what to do, and then God will lead you, like a car that is much easier to steer when it’s already moving.

13. God is working in you, training you to carry out His will. Never say you can’t do what God wants you to do, for He will enable you to do His work. Joseph was trained when he was in prison. David’s training included fighting the lion and the bear. For forty years, Moses was being trained by God. “We are His workmanship… ” Ephesians 2:10

14. Believe that God has work for you to do, expect Him to show you what it is, and believe that He will use you to accomplish His work. Believing God, having faith in Him, is a needed and critical component in doing the work God wants you to do. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). Hebrews 11 gives many examples of how doing God’s work requires faith, and that you cannot do His work apart from faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

15. Whether it’s big things or little, God wants you to know the work He has planned out for you. Making big decisions usually means taking more time to seek the Lord. “I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the Lord.” Nehemiah 1:4-11  

16. God is sovereign and will often wisely change your plans and redirect your steps so you do what He wants you to do. Always be sensitive to God’s leading. “Man plans his way, and the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “The steps of man are ordained by the Lord. How then can anyone understand His way?” Proverbs 20:24, Acts 16:6-10

17. God spiritually and physically strengthens you so you can do the work He wants you to do. God’s Holy Spirit is in you – His grace is sufficient for every task He gives you. “God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times you will have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor. 9:8). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

18. God has a special plan for your life which means He has special work for you to do, work that is unique, unlike anyone else in the world. “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function…” (Rom. 12:3-8). “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow… For we are God’s fellow workers.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

19. God does not want you to be working alone but to be teamed up and united with others, for then you will be more encouraged, more effective, and have better results. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, Nehemiah 3  

20. When you are doing God’s work, don’t be surprised if there’s opposition from the devil and from evil people, for they hate God, and will do whatever they can to stop you. “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews…” (Neh. 4:1) “When our enemies heard that… God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his own work.” Nehemiah 4:15, 2 Timothy 4:17-18

21. It’s easy to be distracted, tempted, or persuaded to give up when you are working for God. There are many things that can get you off track, but you need to stay the course, and keep doing the work God has called you to do. When the enemy tried to trick him, Nehemiah said, “Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Nehemiah 6:1-4

22. Be faithful to do God’s work even when it may seem to be a small thing. Every task you do is important in the eyes of the Lord and is to be done for Him. Being faithful in small things usually leads to God giving you bigger assignments. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10-13

23. The work you do for God may take a minute (microscopic) or it may take a very long time (macroscopic). Being married is a good work that usually lasts for decades. Encouraging someone can take place over lunch. Praying for someone can happen in a few seconds. “Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 2:4

24. The work God gives you changes every day. God designs each day to be different and, therefore, how you serve Him varies from day to day. You may get with a friend, meet a need, pray for someone, or go on an errand. That is, your work is microscopic, for God has uniquely selected you to do specific tasks, work that He planned for you to do, and work that only you can do. “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

25. When you look at the big picture, you realize that your work is macroscopic. That is, the general nature of your work does not change every day, but only over the course of your life. Examples of this are your physical job, your church ministry, being married, raising children, and special friendships. Other factors that can affect what you do on a macroscopic level are your age, health, location (you may move), and spiritual maturity. When you look at the life of Paul, you read about the specific things he did, but the general nature of his life, his preaching, teaching, discipling, as well as many relationships, did not change very much. “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). “… I have finished the course…” (2 Tim. 4:7). The overall macroscopic work of the church, directed by Christ Himself, is that which involves all Christians, each doing their part during this church age.

26. To be an effective worker, God gives you some important instructions: a) be praying (1 Thess. 5:17); b) be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14); c) be faithful (Luke 16:9); d) be diligent (Prov. 10:4, 21:5); e) work hard (2 Tim. 2:6); f) persevere (Gal. 6:9); g) make the most of the time (Eph. 5:15-17); h) work with others – Eccl. 4:9.

27. Work that is done for God has many good results. There is profit, blessing, reaping, and fruit. The work you do will be a glory to God, a blessing to others, and eternally rewarding for yourself. Knowing that serving the Lord has many good results, both on earth and in heaven, will motivate you to work for Him. “He who tills his land has plenty of bread” (Prov. 12:11); “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads to poverty” – Proverbs 14:23, Psalm 128:1-2.

28. There are are good reasons to work at a job: a) It enables you to meet your needs (1 Thess. 4:11-12). b) It enables you to help meet the needs of others (1 Tim. 6:18). c) It helps build your character (humility, faithfulness, diligence, endurance, etc.). d) It is a good testimony to others – both saved and lost (1 Thess. 4:11-12). e) When you are working, God often gives opportunities for the gospel. Colossians 4:2-6

29. God’s desire is for people to use their gifts and abilities to serve others with the result that He will bless them now and in the future. “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake, and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age…. and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30). God righteously indicts the person who is gifted to work but doesn’t by saying that he is a “wicked, lazy slave… throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:26, 30

30. You must persevere, you must keep going when doing God’s work. Working for God over the course of your life is truly a marathon, a lifetime race. There will surely be times when you are working and you get physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired, and you feel like giving up, quitting, stopping. But you need to endure, to persevere to the end, whether that means the end of a particular task, the end of your life, or the rapture. “Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due time, you will reap if you do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9, Isaiah 40:27-31

31. Laziness and procrastination can be major hindrances when you are working. Overcome sluggardly thoughts and habits, and be diligent, for then you will be a faithful and fruitful worker. “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat” – Proverbs 13:4, 6:6, 20:4, 24:30-34, 26:16

32. When you are working for God you are a good example to others, and are motivating them to be working as well. “… show yourself an example to those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:12

33. As a Christian, you are to never retire. You may retire from a physical job that has provided earthly income, but you are to never retire from working for God. Don’t be wrongly influenced by unbelievers who say, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19). Yes, you may get more weak and tired as life goes on but God still has work for you to do, right up until that time when He takes you home. Pray, work, and pace yourself, and God will keep you going to the end. “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree… they will still yield fruit in old age… to declare that the Lord is upright.” Psalm 92:12-15, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9

34. When you are working you need physical and spiritual rest. Get the physical rest you need, and make sure you get time with the Lord so you can be spiritually recharged and refreshed. “… Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word…” Luke 10:40-42, 1 Kings 19:1-18, Psalm 63:1-5

35. God will generously reward you in heaven for your work on earth, whether you are working at a job, in a ministry, going shopping, praying, or encouraging a Christian. You are to work with hope, knowing that it’s well worth it to work for the Lord. “He who plants, and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:8). The reward a person receives does not depend on the kind of work he does, but on his motives, the quality of his work, his faithfulness in finishing the work. “… wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come from God.” 1 Cor. 4:5, Matthew 25:14-30

36. Once your work on earth is done, then God will take you home to heaven. The fact that you are now reading this means you are alive, and that God still has work for you to do. “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.” Acts 13:46

37. You should be looking forward to that time when you have finished all your work on earth, and Jesus says to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

38. You will be eternally worshiping God (Ps. 145:1-2), and eternally working for God. Matt. 25:21 goes on to say, “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.” But in the future, the curse of sin will be all gone, you will have a new body, work will not be hard, and you will never get tired. The work you do for God will be done effortlessly and perfectly, exactly the way He wants. “And they will reign upon the earth.” Rev. 5:10

39. Remember that God will fulfill His purpose for you, He will always use you to accomplish the work He wants you to do. Yes, you are imperfect, but God is perfect, and powerful, purposeful, and sovereign. Nothing will ever prevent Him from using you to carry out all the work He has planned for you to do. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever.” Psalm 138:9, Psalm 33:10-12

40. The work you do for God is God’s work and, of course, is a small fraction of all the work He is doing. This point needs to be understood for many reasons: a. The work you do needs to be seen in the context of the whole of God’s work. b. Only when you get to heaven will you begin to see things from God’s perspective and get an idea of how your work is part of the entirety of God’s work. c. Your work is not separate from others but, like a puzzle piece, fits together perfectly with the work that others are doing for God. d. The work you are now doing for God must be seen as part of God’s overall plan for this entire church age, an age that is soon coming to an end. e. The work you do for God is grace-empowered work, that which He enables you to do. f. You need to be humble, for it is God’s work being done in and through you. g. The work you do for God is ultimately about His purposes and glory. Ephesians 1:3-11, 2:10, 2:19-22, 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundant beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Pray over these truths and principles and apply them to your life, asking God to help you be the best worker you can be in these end-times, some of the toughest times the church will ever face. What an opportunity to be living for Him in these days! “Onward Christian soldiers…” And remember, when all is said and done, your work for God is truly His work, and for His glory. “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness… the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your godly ones shall bless You.” Psalm 145:1-8

Article 48

By Steven J. Hogan

Your future as a Christian is not just that you will be in heaven someday – it’s so much more than that. If you are saved, if you are born again, then you have this hope – which is summed up as being with Jesus Christ, being with fellow believers, being in a brand-new body, and being in your heavenly home. This is what will happen if you are just born again, if you are just saved, which is very good news! But if during the course of your Christian life, you love the Lord, you serve and obey Him, then you will also be greatly rewarded, and beyond imagination! Do you realize that you will be rewarded for living for the Lord, for whatever you do for Him? “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Col. 3:23-24). “To Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think… to Him be the glory…” Eph. 3:20-21

No words can truly and adequately describe your future. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). But always remember that your greatest reward, your greatest future blessing is the Lord Himself. “And so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17). All other rewards you receive from the Lord relate directly to your personal and eternal relationship with Him. “In your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

We are now living in the end-times, the last years before Christ’s return to rapture the church. This means it won’t be long before all believers from all time will be gathered together and then individually receive their rewards, their inheritance from Him. “Behold I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to what He has done.” (Rev. 22:12). “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3

Listed below are over 150 verses about God’s future plans for you, about your eternal life after this short life on earth. Your heavenly Father gives you His word, and many words at that, because He wants to give you a little taste of your incredible, wonderful, and amazing future. Might you read every one of these verses, and take the time to think about them. As you do, you will be greatly encouraged for they all speak about what God has in store for you. You will also grow in your love for God, for He is giving you a good glimpse of how He will love you in the future. And you will be more motivated to love the Lord, to serve and obey Him every day. “How (eternally) blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How (eternally) blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.” Psalm 119:1-2

* Job 19:25-27 – “I know that My Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” 
* Psalm 11:7 – “For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face.”
* Psalm 16:11 – “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
* Psalm 17:15 – “And I – in righteousness I will see Your face – when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”
* Psalm 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.”
* Psalm 31:19 – “How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You.”
* Psalm 67:1, 7 – “May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make His face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth… God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.”
* Psalm 73:24-25 – “You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You, and besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”
* Psalm 84:1-2 – “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my flesh and my heart cry out for the living God.”
* Psalm 84:4 – “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house. They are ever praising You.”

* Psalm 100:3-5 – “We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good, His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.”
* Psalm 117:2 – “For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.”
* Psalm 121:8 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever.”
* Psalm 145:2, 13 – “I will exalt You, my God, the King; I will praise Your name forever and ever. Every day I will praise You, and extol Your name forever and ever… Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”
* Isaiah 40:11 – “Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him.”
* Isaiah 57:1-2a – “The righteous man perishes, and no one takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, he enters into peace.”
* Matthew 5:3, 10 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
* Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.”
* Matthew 5:12 – “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
* Matthew 5:44-45a – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father, who is in heaven.”

* Matthew 6:3 – “When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
* Matthew 6:6 – “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
* Matthew 6:20 – “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.”
* Matthew 10:41b – “… he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”
* Matthew 19:28-29 – “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
* Matthew 24:46-47 – “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when He comes. Truly I say to you that He will put him in charge of all His possessions.”
* Matthew 25:21 – “Well done, good and faithful slave, you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.
* Mark 10:29-30 – “… he will receive a hundred times as much now in this present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”
* Luke 6:22-23 – “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven.”
* Luke 6:35 – “Love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”
* Luke 6:38 – “Give and it will be given to you.”

* Luke 12:37 – “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird Himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.”
* Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid little flock for the Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
* Luke 12:33 – “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.”
* Luke 12:37 – “Blessed are those slaves whom the Master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird Himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.”
* Luke 12:42-44 – “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom His master will put in charge of His servants, to give them their rations at the proper time. Blessed is that slave whom His master finds so doing when He comes. Truly I say to you that He will put him in charge of all His possessions.”
* Luke 16:9 – “I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into eternal dwellings.”
* Luke 19:16-17 – “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’”
* John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
* John 4:14 – “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
* John 7:37 – “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

* John 11:25-26 – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if He dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”
* John 12:26 – “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
* John 14:2-3 – “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
* John 14:21, 23 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
* John 17:24 – “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which you have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
* Acts 20:32 – “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
* Acts 26:18 – “… to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
* Romans 5:2 – “We exult in hope of the glory of God.”
* Romans 5:5 – “Hope does not disappoint us because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”
* Romans 8:18, 23, 25 – “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us… waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body… if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

* Romans 8:29 – “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
* 1 Corinthians 2:9 – “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
* 1 Corinthians 3:8, 14-15 – “Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor… if any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved as through fire.”
* 1 Corinthians 4:5 – “… wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts, and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”
* 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 – “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wrath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
* 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”
* 1 Corinthians 15:53 – “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
* 2 Corinthians 4:17 – “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”
* 2 Corinthians 5:1, 8 – “If this earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands… We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
* Galatians 4:7 – “Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

* Ephesians 1:13-14 – “You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
* Ephesians 2:6-7 – “But God… because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
* Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
* Philippians 1:21 – “To live is Christ and to die is gain… I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.”
* Philippians 3:12 – “I press on toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
* Philippians 3:20-21 – “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also 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.”
* Colossians 1:5 – “… because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel.”
* Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
* Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.”
* 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 – “We do not want you to be uninformed about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”
* 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 5:10 – “… so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words… so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”
* 1 Timothy 6:18-19 – “Instruct those who are rich in this present world… to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they might take hold of that which is life indeed.” 
* 2 Timothy 2:11 – “It is a trustworthy statement; for if we died with Him, we will also live with Him.”

* 2 Timothy 4:7-8 – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
* Titus 3:7 – “… that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
* Hebrews 6:10 – “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”
* Hebrews 11:6 – “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
* Hebrews 11:10 – “He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
* Hebrews 11:13, 14, 16 – “All these died in faith without receiving the promises… For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own… But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
* Hebrews 11:24-26 – “By faith Moses… choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking ahead to his reward.”
* Hebrews 11:35 – “… and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.”
* Hebrews 12:2 – “… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
* Hebrews 12:22-24 – “You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God. You have come to thousands and thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.”

* James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to all who love Him.”
* James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
* 1 Peter 1:4 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
* 1 Peter 1:13 – “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
* 1 Peter 5:4 – “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
* 1 Peter 5:10 – “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
* 2 Peter 3:13 – “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
* 1 John 3:2-3 – “Now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
* 2 John 2:8 – “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”
* Revelation 1:6 – “He made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”
* Revelation 2:17 – “To Him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one else knows but he who receives it.”
* Revelation 2:26-27 – “He who overcomes, and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”

* Revelation 3:12 – “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore.”
* Revelation 3:21 – “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne.”
* Revelation 5:10 – “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
* Revelation 5:13 – “And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’”
* Revelation 7:9-10 – “And behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
* Revelation 7:16-17 – “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
* Revelation 19:7 – “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
* Revelation 21:4, 7 – “He will wipe away very tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away… He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be His God and he will be My son.”
* Revelation 21:10-21 – “… and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper… and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”
* Revelation 22:3-4 – “There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”

BEHOLD, I AM COMING SOON, AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE. REVELATION 22:11

Article 47

By Steven J. Hogan

1. God is a perfectly righteous judge. Because God is holy and hates sin, then He must judge sin. Throughout history, whether it’s in individuals, families, cities, countries, or the entire world, God has judged sin. Many examples of this are in the Bible: the flood (Gen. 7-8), Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), Achan and his family (Josh. 7:16-26), Israel and Judah (Prophets), Babylon (Jer. 51), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), Herod (Acts 12:21-23), etc. Then there’s God’s eschatological wrath, also called the day of the Lord, His fierce and just judgment of the entire world, which will happen in the near future.

What’s most amazing is that the holy and merciful God also judged His own Son, Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon Himself, and paid for them by dying on a cross so that we could be made perfectly righteous. All those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ are completely forgiven and receive eternal life, and they will never be judged for their sins – they will be saved from God’s wrath, this end-of-the-age wrath, and from eternal wrath, that forever and fiery hell. Matt. 25:41, 46; Mark 1:14-15; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rev. 20:11-15

2. The eschatological day of the Lord, the climactic judgment of this world, takes place at the end of this present evil age, which, since we now live in the end-times, won’t be long from now. This awesome and righteous judgment will be extremely destructive, devastating the entire planet as well as human life, the greatest global demonstration of justice since the Noahic flood. Rev. 8-9, 16

3. God’s holiness is the reason for His justice and wrath during the day of the Lord. God is perfectly just in unleashing His wrath upon an unjust world. The execution of His justice is a vivid demonstration of His righteousness and brings Him great glory. Rom. 3:4-6, Rev. 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Rev. 19:5 – “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”

4. The day of the Lord results in the exaltation of Christ, the vindication of Christians, the punishment of unbelievers, the defeat of the Antichrist, the end of Satan’s rule on earth, and the beginning of Christ’s reign on earth. Matt. 6:9-10, Eph. 1:9-11, Rev. 1:4-7, Rev. 8-9, Rev. 19:20-21, Rev. 20:1-6

5. A scroll written by God contains instructions for the day of the Lord. This scroll has seven seals, and Jesus Christ is the only One who can break these seals. Once He does, then the scroll is opened, and this sets in motion the day of the Lord – for soon as all the seals are broken, then there is the blowing of the seven trumpets, the outpouring of God’s wrath, resulting in Christ reclaiming the earth and receiving “power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise… and dominion forever and ever.” Rev. 5

6. The events associated with the first six seals are not part of this “day of the Lord” wrath, but are judgments that happen here and there and now and then, and they are also wake-up calls, signs to those on earth that Christ is coming soon. The first four seals are the “birth pains” (wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues) which affect Christians and non-Christians in various parts of the world. The fifth seal is great tribulation affecting Christians and Jews. The sixth seal, speaking of great signs in heaven and a great earthquake, is announcing to the world that the day of the Lord is at hand, “that the great day of Their wrath has come.” Note – this eschatological wrath of God begins after the breaking of the 6^th seal, and not before. Matt. 24:4-9, 29; Rev. 6:1-17

7. Christ’s coming will be like a “thief in the night” to non-Christians. Unbelievers in the end-times will not know and / or not believe what will soon be hitting the world. Similar to sinners in Noah’s day, they will be eating, drinking, working, marrying, sleeping, etc. Suddenly they will see these heavenly signs and feel this huge earthquake, and be shocked, scared to death, and try to escape, for they know God’s wrath will soon be poured out upon them. “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world.” Luke 21:25-26, 1 Thess. 5:1-9, Rev. 6:12-17

8. The coming of Christ will not be like a “thief in the night” to Christians. Christians “are not in darkness” and should not be surprised by these cosmic signs announcing the immediate outpouring of God’s wrath upon a wicked world. Those knowledgeable about the end-times are sober, alert, and doing the Lord’s work, and understand that the signs are not just signaling the wrath of God, but also the imminent rapture of the church. Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Thess. 1:9-10, 5:1-11

9. A vast number of Jews will be physically protected during the day of the Lord and will not experience God’s wrath. Between the breaking of the 6^th and 7^th seals there will be the sealing of 144,000 Jews. There will also be a large remnant of Jews who escape from the devil (the Antichrist) when he comes chasing after them. Matt 24:15-20; Rev. 7:1-8, 12:13-16

10. At Christ’s coming the church is raptured, which happens before the day of the Lord. Thus, all Christians will escape the fierce and deadly judgments, for “Jesus… rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:10, 5:9). The rapture occurs between the breaking of the 6^th and 7^th seals, and at a time unknown to us. Matt. 24:36, Rev. 7:9-14  

11. The day of the Lord begins right after the rapture and on the same day. Luke 17:26-35

12. The day of the Lord is comprised of the trumpet and bowl judgments. The trumpet judgments (Rev. 8-9) begin after the rapture, after the breaking of the seventh seal, and during the 2^nd half of Daniel’s 70^th week. The bowl judgments (Rev. 15-16) begin after the blowing of the 7^th trumpet, and after the end of this 70^th week.

13. The breaking of the 7^th seal results in the scroll being completely opened which sets in motion the first phase of God’s wrath, the trumpet judgments. Once the 7^th seal is opened, there will be exactly 30 minutes of silence before God begins to pour out His wrath on earth. This will be a most sobering and suspenseful time for unbelievers, for they will be in utter agony, dreading the destructive and deadly day of the Lord. Zeph. 1:7, Zech. 2:13, Rev. 8:1

14. Just before the trumpet judgments, the pleasing smell of incense mixed with our prayers arises up to God. These prayers are from great tribulation saints crying out to God to judge their persecutors (Rev. 6:9-10), as well as from believers throughout history, praying, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth” (Matt. 6:9-10). Then this censer, filled with incense, prayers, and also fire, is thrown down to earth, a signal to the world that God’s wrath is starting. 

15. Seven angels, standing before God, prepare themselves to sound their trumpets. These angels, these agents of God, are carrying out His righteous work. They know what to do, and that the trumpet blasts are a battle cry for God’s justice, for His holy wrath to be poured out upon an extremely wicked world. Psalm 103:20-21, Rev. 8:2, 6

16. The blowing of the seven trumpets happens consecutively, one after another, the first, then the second, and all the way to the seventh. After the blowing of the seventh trumpet, there is the outpouring of the seven bowls, and these too do not happen simultaneously, but are consecutive, each one occurring after the previous one.

17. The fact that the judgments are sequential, and take place over a period of time, tells us that the entire day of the Lord is not quick and sudden. It won’t be done in a day or two or even a month – and so there won’t be a complete and instantaneous end of this earth and the people on it like some may think. But rather, the outworking of God’s justice is gradual and takes time – God’s punishing wrath is drawn out, cumulative, and terrible. The effect on the unrepentant unbelievers will be tormenting and torturing, mentally, emotionally, and physically, resulting in great fear, great pain, and death – and rightfully so.

18. We do not know how long the trumpet judgments will last. We do know they begin after the rapture, at an unknown time during the last half of Daniel’s 70^th week, that the fifth judgment goes on for five months, and that they conclude with the seventh, which is at the end of the 70^th week. Since the last half of Daniel’s 70^th week is 42 months, then we know these trumpet judgments last more than 5 months but less, and I’d say, much less than 42 months, for the Antichrist-led persecution (great tribulation) of Christians and Jews goes on for at least a little while. Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:36; Rev. 9:1-6, 10:7, 11:15, 12:13-17

19. The first three judgments are cataclysmic, destroying plants, animals, rivers, and seas. The fourth judgment impacts the sun, stars, and moon, darkening the earth. These particular aspects of God’s wrath don’t affect the entire world, only thirds of it, those parts specifically targeted by God. The blasting of the fifth trumpet results in unbelievers being tormented by the stings of scorpion-like-locusts – and it lasts for five long months and is so painful that people want to die but they can’t. The sixth judgment is the worst, for 200 million horsemen go out and kill one third of mankind, which I believe will be between 1 -2 billion people. 

20. Three things result from the blowing of the seventh trumpet:
– Daniel’s 70^th week, seven prophecy-filled years, comes to an end. Dan. 9:24, 27
– The mystery of God is finished, and a large number of Jews are saved. Dan. 9:24, Rev. 10:7
– “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). Fantastic, for Christ reclaims the earth! This is one of the most important points in the history of the world – but it’s not at this precise time that Christ actually begins His reign. It’s the ensuing bowl judgments, the final defeating of His enemies, that enable Him to fully establish His reign on earth.

21. The Antichrist is present on earth during the day of the Lord, during both the trumpet and bowl judgments. He is given authority to rule for 42 months, lasting from the midpoint to the end of Daniel’s 70^th week. During this time, people are worshiping the Antichrist and being influenced by him – but during the day of the Lord, his power is diminished, for God’s wrath is being poured out upon his kingdom. At the sound of the seventh trumpet his role as world ruler is officially over. Yet, the Antichrist still wants to be in control and refuses to accept Christ’s authority. The bowl judgments are a transitional phase from the rule of the Antichrist to the rule of Christ. They are God’s means to defeat the Antichrist, and all His enemies, so as to reclaim and establish Christ’s kingdom on earth. At the battle of Armageddon, the Antichrist puts up his final fight, but he’s quickly and royally defeated, and along with the false prophet, is thrown into the lake of fire, where he will greatly and eternally suffer. Rev. 17:14 – “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lord, and King of kings.” Dan. 9:27, 12:11; Rev. 13:4-5, 16:12-16, 19:20-21

22. The bowl judgments are the final phase of God’s wrath on this earth. These bowls, being wide and shallow, are quickly poured out, meaning this aspect of God’s justice happens fast, for only 30 days, yet it’s terribly destructive and most effective, specifically wiping out the kingdom of the Antichrist. Daniel 12:11, Rev. 16

23. The bowl judgments are extremely painful, sickening, and deadly. The first bowl judgment results in all worshipers of Antichrist receiving “loathsome and malignant” ulcer-like sores. The second one results in all the seas becoming like the thick, coagulated blood of a dead person, resulting in the death of every sea creature. The third affects all the rivers, and they too turn to blood. The fourth causes all the people in the world to be “scorched with fierce heat.” How excruciatingly painful!! The pouring of the fifth bowl results in the Antichrist’s kingdom being darkened. These judgments are consecutive and cumulative, with the result that the people “gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven…” Rev. 16:1-11

24. No one repents of their sins. It is incredibly sad that after all these fierce, fiery, hard-hitting judgments there are still all these hard hearts, unbelievers who won’t and don’t repent of their sins. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver… and they did not repent of their murders nor their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21). Not only did they not repent but they were angry at God and yelled back at Him – “they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.” Rev. 16:1-11

25. The battle of Armageddon. The pouring out of the sixth bowl prepares the world for the battle of Armageddon. The river Euphrates is dried up so the kings of the east can march their armies to the battleground. Unclean spirits, God’s instruments, go out to the kings of the world, supernaturally gathering them together for this last battle, a place in Israel called Armageddon. But there’s no real battle. Yes, “the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him,” but they don’t have a chance, not against the “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” The Antichrist and the false prophet are quickly seized and thrown into the lake of fire, and “the rest were killed with the sword” of the Lord. Rev. 19:11-21

26. “A loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’” The most destructive bowl judgment is saved for last. There is a mighty earthquake, the most powerful ever, and every mountain is leveled, and all the cities of the nations collapse. Everyone knows that God is angry at them, and rightfully so. Finally, 100-pound hailstones rain down from the sky, crushing and killing millions of sinners – and “they deserve it” (Rev. 16:7). From before the creation of the world, God knew this day of the Lord would come, when His holy justice would be on display like never before, His righteous wrath being poured out upon a most sinful and wicked world, and that this particular day would come when the heavenly voice would finally say, “It is done!” Rev. 16:17

27. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons” (Rev. 18:2). The “whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), and it has been this way since the sin of Adam and Eve. But the devil’s wicked rule climaxes in those last years before Christ’s coming, necessitating the day of the Lord, the powerfully awesome judgments described in Rev. 8-9, 16. Then we come to Rev. 17-18, two chapters that are parentheticals – they describe in detail the world system, and the devilish end-time’s kingdom of the Antichrist. We read about Babylon the Great, a phrase referring to both the religious and economic systems of the world (Rev. 17:1-7, 18). We also learn about the Antichrist’s ungodly and evil empire, and the nations aligned with him, and that these are destroyed by God’s catastrophic judgments (Rev. 17:7-18). You see, before Christ can come and begin His kingdom on earth, He must wipe out the Antichrist’s kingdom and the demonic world system.

28. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God’s wrath is completed. “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because His judgments are true and righteous.” (Rev. 19:1-2). The Antichrist’s authority comes to an end at the blast of the 7^th trumpet, but it is by the pouring of the 7^th bowl that the execution of God’s justice is completed, for at that time the Antichrist is fully defeated, Satan’s world system is totally destroyed, and Christ’s authority is finally and fully established on earth. The saints and angels in heaven are super-excited, and so there is this great celebration – and they are thanking and praising God and Jesus for Their incredibly awesome and glorious victory over the enemy. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” Rev. 19:6

29. The greatest world war is between God and Satan, and God is the winner. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, there has been a gargantuan battle, seen and unseen, raging between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan, between the forces of God and the forces of the devil (Gen. 3:15, Dan. 10, Eph. 6:10-13, Rev. 12) – and it has been playing out on earth from that time in the past to the present, and now we look to the future when Satan and his Antichrist will be defeated. It’s 2021, and we are very close to that point in time when God’s plans for believers and planet earth will be completely carried out, and God’s victory, and ours, will be realized. “… with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.” Eph. 1:9-11, Phil. 2:9-11

Let me summarize what Christians can expect in the years ahead: we will see this spiritual battle intensify, from the birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8) to the coming of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8-9) to the great tribulation (Matt. 24:9) to the rapture of the church (Matt. 24:31) to the outpouring of God’s wrath (Rev. 8-9) to the salvation of a remnant of Jews (Rom. 11:25-26) to the defeat of the Antichrist and his kingdom (Rev. 16, Rev. 19:11-21) to Jesus Christ reigning over the earth – “The Lord will be King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9, Psalm 47). I hope you understand how wonderfully blessed you are that you can be part of God’s eternal plans, that you are on earth at this key time in history, and that you will actually reign with Jesus Christ during the millennial kingdom. “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” Rev. 1:6-7

30. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth” (Psalm 98:9). Be very excited and very thankful that you are now living on earth, for we are very close to the end of this age and the coming of Christ to rapture the church. Don’t be fleshly or worldly, and don’t be ignorant of what will soon be taking place on this earth (Rom. 13:11-14). This is our time to live for the Lord and do the work He wants us to do. Tell the lost to turn from their sin to Christ, to believe that He died to pay for their sins so they can be saved from sin and death. Warn them that if they don’t, then they may be here for that dreadful and deadly day of the Lord, and from there, descend to a fiery hell where they will have to “pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:9). “Be encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:58

Article 45

By Steven J. Hogan

How are you thinking and feeling about what’s been happening with regard to COVID-19, to the coronavirus? These have been tough times, most difficult times. These past six weeks have been like none I have ever seen before, and I am 66 years old. There’s talk about sickness, death, social distancing, mitigation, masks, ventilators, testing, therapeutics, vaccines, antibodies, and herd immunity. There’s talk about jobs, layoffs, unemployment, financial stimulus, protests, inflation, recession, and getting back to work.

Then there are the thoughts and emotions of people trying to deal with this: Anxious, distraught, fearful, frightened, nervous, scared, unsettled, worried. Alarmed, angry, annoyed, mad, upset. Aggravating, difficult, disruptive, frustrating, inconvenient, stressful. Bored. Confused. Depressed. Lonely. Oppressed. Questioning. Uncertain. There is no doubt that people have been greatly affected by this sickening little virus that has been spreading all over the world, now in 184 countries. How about you? How are you doing? How have you been affected?

I am sure you have been tested by this most unusual trial. Peter 1:6-7 tells us, “In this we greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” God says that trials are distressing, are difficult and troubling for the body / or soul. They take place now, only during your life on this earth. They last a little while, not very long compared to eternity. There are various trials, all kinds of trials, and this pandemic is a very unique one.

They are necessary. They help you be humble, for you see that God is much greater than you, that He is sovereign and in charge, and that He will do what He wants to do. They help you have faith in God, to trust Him, for He is good and powerful, and can enable you to get through the trial (James 1:2-12). They help you grow in hope, for you know things will get better, that there will be a time when everything is perfect (Rev. 21-22). They help you grow in love, for you learn to love God even more, for it is He who strengthens and comforts you, and who through the Holy Spirit, is with you all the time. “The Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deut. 13:3, Romans 5:1-5

God is using this present pandemic, this Coronavirus trial, to help you spiritually grow up, to be more humble, have more faith, be hoping in Him, and be loving Him. God does not want you to be like people in the world who are fearful, upset or angry, or who are trusting in themselves, in their money, or in the government. He wants you to love Him, and trust Him and obey Him. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15  

To love God, to trust and obey Him, you need to think about how God is your heavenly Father, how He is the only One who greatly cares for you, who loves you far more than anyone else. At times like this, you need to have an intimate relationship with Him. And for that to happen, you need to know that He is sovereign, is in complete control, and that He is holy, loving, merciful, faithful, wise, purposeful, good, unchanging, righteous, and truthful. Only as you truly know God and His character will you be delivered from fear, loneliness, anger, stress and boredom, and be given all the grace, peace and joy you need. Then you will be encouraged and enabled to love and obey Him. Phil. 3:7-10, 2 Tim. 1:2 

Now you need to see this pandemic with the big picture in mind, in light of the end-times, the last years leading up to the end of this age and the return of Christ. God has told us many things in His word about the end-times, and specifically the condition of the world before the coming of Christ. That’s because He doesn’t want you to be surprised when His Son returns to rapture the church. As Christians, we are so blessed and privileged to be living in the end-times, and yet it is during this time that “birth pains” will be occurring around the world, signs that are designed by God to wake us up, to alert us to the soon coming of Christ.

This plague, this pandemic, is one of the birth pains, along with wars, great earthquakes, famines, and economic distress. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains” (Matt. 24:4-8). “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines…” Luke 21:8-11, Rev. 6:1-8

Now I must admit, this pandemic, this present birth pain, has personally affected me. What do I mean? Well, for the first time ever, I feel like I have an idea of what it’s like to go through an end-times’ birth pain. Like an expectant mother literally experiences and feels her birth pains, I am now literally experiencing and feeling the effects of this pandemic. I don’t believe Florida has ever had wars, great earthquakes, or famines. But now there’s this plague, this coronavirus, affecting our country, my county, my church, and my wife and I. And God wants this plague, this virus to sober up, to wake up the Christians, which includes you and me. These birth pains are God-ordained problems, designed to get our attention, to get our eyes off ourselves and on Him. God does not want us to ever be living for the world or for self, but only and always for Him. 2 Chronicles 15, Psalm 27:1-9

What can we say about these birth-pains, which includes this pandemic?
1. These birth pains will continue and will increase in frequency and intensity. This present plague will come to an end, but there will be more of them. As much as we would like to say we will never see a pandemic again, Christians must know that these plagues, along with wars, famines, and great earthquakes, will continue to take place in the years ahead, leading to the “birth” of Christ, that is, the coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. 1 Thess. 5:4-11, Matt. 24:4-31

2. These birth pains will not continually be taking place. You know that an expectant mother, at a certain point in time, begins experiencing these birth pains. But once they start, they don’t continually keep going, one right after another – one happens and then stops, and then another happens and then stops, and so on. The point is that these birth pains will be happening now and then (Matt. 24:6-8). This means this present pandemic will come to an end. In the future, another one will take place, and only God knows exactly when it will happen, how bad it will be, and how in the world it relates to the coming of Christ.

3. These birth pains occur in various places on this earth. For example, wars are not, and will not, be taking place in every single country, but in various places around the world. Great earthquakes usually happen only in certain areas, in geographical areas where the tectonic conditions are right (“The Ring of Fire”). Then there are famines, which typically take place in poorer parts of the world. Matt. 24:4-8 talks about these birth pains, but in Rev. 6:1-8, they are called the first four seals, and in verse 6, we read about food and poverty, which I believe relates to these famines we are talking about in Matt. 24:7.

Matthew 24:6 says we will be hearing about these birth pains. And for most of you, isn’t that the way it is? You watch TV or read some internet news source, and you hear about some war, earthquake, or famine happening in some other geographical area. It is not taking place in your locality, but you are hearing about it. For example, I do not personally know anyone who has died from this coronavirus, but I have heard that many people have died.

4. We are living in the beginning stages of the end-times, a time during which these birth pains are occurring, but not intensely so. I personally believe they will go on for about 10, 20, 30 years or more, and then Christ will return to rapture the church. “All these things are merely the beginning of birth pains” (Matt. 24:8). “These things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately” (Luke 21:9). That is, many more things need to happen in our world before the coming of Christ. Some even say His coming is imminent, that no prophesied events need to take place before the rapture, that it can happen today, tomorrow, next month, or this year, but that is not true, for many prophesied things need to occur before this age ends and Christ appears above the earth, and then takes us to heaven. Matt. 24:8-31

5. I do not believe, as some say, that the birth pains start at the beginning of Daniel’s 70^th week, a seven-year period. The rapture happens sometime in the last 3½ years of this time frame, and I cannot see how you can fit all these wars, famines, earthquakes and plagues into what I believe will be a rather short time period, maybe only 4-5 years long. The very nature of these events, with the exception of earthquakes, is that they occur over a somewhat elongated period of time. I do believe they have been already going on for many years.

6. These birth pains affect believers and unbelievers. They do not affect just the unbelievers, and they do not affect just the believers. These birth pains are wake-up calls for both the saved and the lost. The very nature of these events shows us that. If an earthquake hits a city, then surely there are some Christians living in that city who are affected. And of course, this present pandemic does not discriminate, for it is affecting both Christians and non-Christians.

7. These birth pains are not God’s wrath. They are separate from God’s wrath, taking place at a completely different time. Rev. 6:1-8 describes the birth pains which affect both Christians and non-Christians. Rev. 7:9-14 talks about the rapture which affects only Christians. Then Rev. 8-9 describes God’s wrath which affects only non-Christians. These birth pains are distinct from God’s wrath and affect both Christians and non-Christians. And as Christians, we should be extremely thankful that we will escape this punishing and devastating wrath of God, which is coming upon this earth, wrath which starts right after the Christians are raptured. “… Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess. 1:9, 5:9). And so, Christ comes, rapturing and rescuing the church, and then God’s wrath is immediately poured out upon the unbelievers who are still on earth.

8. These birth pains will be distressing, disruptive, and death-producing. Rev. 6:8 tells us that up to one-fourth of the people in the world will die because of these birth pains. That’s close to two billion people, an unthinkable number of people, both saved and lost, who will die. In addition to that, many end-time deaths will be Christians who are martyred for their faith, particularly during the great tribulation. “They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you” (Matt. 24:9, 21; Rev. 6:8-11). This sad and sobering state of our world is also described in Matt. 24:28 – “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” The word corpse means a dead body.

During these last years leading up to Christ’s return, great multitudes of people will be dying. We are talking about birth pains, major events and conditions which will be affecting and, to some degree, devastating many parts of our world in the last years leading up to the coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. With this in view, here are a few closing thoughts:

1. God does not want you to be afraid when these things take place. Be strong and very courageous. Psalm 46, Eph. 6:10-12

2. Trust God during these difficult times, knowing that He is sovereign, and that He greatly loves you, and is using you for His purposes. Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Know that God is faithfully and continually working, and these birth plans are all part of His overall plan to send His Son back to earth to rapture the church and judge the world. Isaiah 42:1-4, Matthew 24:4-31, Revelation 8-9

4. Birth pains are wake-up calls to get you focused on God and your relationship with Him. They are to also alert you to the fact that Christ is coming soon. The occurrence and increasing frequency of these birth pains will be continual reminders that the return of Christ to rapture the church is drawing near. 1 Thess. 5:1-9, Heb. 10:25

5. Life on earth will get more difficult in the days leading up to Christ’s coming, and you don’t want to be weak, worldly or fearful. You want to be a strong, holy and courageous Christian, walking with the Lord, experiencing His grace and peace, and doing what He wants you to do.

6. Finally, you are to keep doing the work of the Lord. Even though life may be very hard, even though there may be extreme difficulties, you will need to stay close to your Father, and stay focused on the work He gives you to do before Christ returns to take you home to heaven. Matt. 24:14, Matt. 25:12-19, Matt. 28:19-20 – “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Article 44

By Steven J. Hogan

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is a most important truth, a central fact of Christianity. Only because Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead can we be saved and forgiven, receive eternal life, have true love and peace in our hearts, and go to heaven and be with God and Christ and fellow believers forever and ever. 1 Cor. 15:3-4 – “I delivered to you of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Today, I want to look at a number of verses that talk about a person’s death and Christ’s resurrection, about our problem and Christ’s solution for us and, in fact, the only solution there is. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” 

First, we have to look at the reason for a person’s death, which is sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Every person who has ever lived in this world has sinned and is therefore separate from God, and falls short, far short of being holy, of being what God wants him or her to be. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” The consequence, the result of our sin, is that we spiritually die. In Genesis 2:17, God said to Adam and Eve, “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die.” The dying talked about here is not physical, but spiritual. Ephesians 2:1 tells us, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul that sins will die.” These verses are not talking about the death of the body, but the death of the soul. We are talking then about spiritual death, which is caused by sin, and which results in physical death. While people get quite concerned and upset about physical death, we should be most concerned about spiritual death, our separation from God, our Creator, and the Lord of all.

The person who sins is spiritually dead, and if he never gets right with God, is never forgiven of his sins and physically dies, then he is eternally dead. That is, he is spiritually dead and separated from God forever, and will be punished forever by God for his sins. I cannot think of a more sad and sobering truth in the Bible, that people who sin and don’t ever get right with God, will be apart from God, and be righteously punished by God forever. “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31

God is holy and righteous and must deal with a person’s sin, one way or the other. The one way is what Jesus Christ does for us, and the other way is what we try to do ourselves, which never works, which always results in eternal death and punishment. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” Matthew 25:41, 46 – “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels… These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Romans 4:23-25 – “Now not for His sake only was it written that it was credited to Him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” Vs 25 says Jesus was delivered over because of our transgressions. That is, God the Father delivered Jesus over to death because of our sins. Jesus died on the cross for us, being punished by His holy Father. Then it says He was raised “because of our justification,” or better said, He was raised for our justification, that is, Christ’s resurrection was necessary for us to be justified. You see, Jesus would not have defeated sin and justified us if He had just stayed in the tomb, because the result of sin is death, and Jesus was still dead in the tomb.

But the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead means He got victory over sin, and proves He got victory over sin. You see, sin results in death, and the fact that Jesus was no longer physically dead, meant that He defeated not just death, but sin which resulted in death. And all who believe in Jesus are justified, are completely righteous in God’s sight, and because of Jesus Christ, defeat both sin and death. Romans 4:24 talks about those “who believe in Him.” To be justified, to be made perfectly righteous in God’s sight, we need to believe in God, and believe that He raised Christ from the dead. And God raising Christ from the dead showed that Christ got victory over sin – for Christ paid for our sins, and then died, but He did not stay dead. His resurrection proves that He not only got victory over our sin, but also over the result of sin which is death.

Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise, also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” This tells us some important truths: First, Jesus needed to be a man, for only by being a man could Jesus die in our place, and die for our sins. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and died, thereby getting the victory over sin and death, the evidence and proof being that He rose from the dead. Second, we understand that the devil has the power of death, which means he has power over unbelievers who are spiritually dead. All who are sinners are children of the devil and are in his camp, his domain of death and darkness and, therefore, the devil, has power over them. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 3:13-14

Of course, it’s our sin, our rebellion against God that allows Satan to have power over us; and an unbeliever when he sins, whether he realizes it or not, is doing what Satan wants him to do, and thereby remains spiritually dead. Again, it is our sin that gives Satan his power over us, this power of sin resulting in this power of death. The devil’s desire is to do all he can to keep people spiritually dead during their life on earth, and if he succeeds in that, then people will go to hell forever. In a real sense, Satan has the power of sin and death over us, and this power of sin and death has to be broken if we are to be saved.

Satan knows if unbelievers remain spiritually dead during their life on earth and then die, their opportunity for salvation is gone forever. Jesus came to take the devil’s power away, to destroy it for us, and give us the power of life, which is eternal life. The way to eternal life is through the resurrection, and the way to the resurrection is through death, and so Christ went through death and was then raised from the dead and, therefore, conquered death for us, His death and resurrection being the only means of eternal life. Christ took away the devil’s power of death through the resurrection and, therefore, could give us the power over death which is eternal life.

Hebrews 2:14-15 – “He (Jesus) also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” Unbelievers are enslaved to sin, and the result of sin, which is death. Now many unbelievers are afraid to die. Maybe they have realized they have sinned against God and are guilty and deserve to be punished in hell. (Hebrews 10:26-27). Maybe they are afraid of being apart from loved ones and friends on earth. Maybe they feel they have to be a good person to get to heaven, and they know they are not. Maybe they are afraid of the unknown, of what is going to happen to them after they die. For whatever the reason, many unbelievers are afraid to die.

Colossians 2:9 says Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, which means He is perfect, and therefore could die for us and pay for our sins. Colossians 2:10-14 tells us, “In Him you have been made complete, … And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the remove of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead… He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven of us all our sins.”

Through Jesus Christ you have been made complete. The fact that you were spiritually circumcised means you have a new spiritual heart, you are a new person in Christ, you are a child of God. And it’s not by your works, but by your faith, your trust in Christ alone. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness.” (Titus 3:5). Colossians 2:12 says you were baptized, not physical baptism, but spiritual baptism, which means you were spiritually placed into Christ. Since Christ was raised from the dead you were, spiritually speaking, raised from the dead and raised up with Him. This is an amazing work, an incredible miracle of God for us who were lost in our sins, spiritually dead, and with no hope.

Because of Christ’s death and resurrection and because you were raised up with Him, you are not spiritually dead but are spiritually alive, your sin and debt being taken away; and it’s not by your works, but by your faith in Christ and His work for you. Again we see that Christ defeated the devil, made him powerless, which means he has no power over you; and you are forgiven of all your sins. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 8:1, 31-34

Ephesians 2:1-9 is a great section of verses about our problem of sin and the answer being Christ and what He did for us. As unbelievers we were sinners and, therefore, spiritually dead and deserving God’s wrath. But because of His mercy, God sent His Son to die in our place, to save us from our sin and from death. And again we see that we are saved, not because of what we do, but because of God’s grace, because of His mercy, because of what He did for us. The good news is that we are now spiritually alive, and spiritually speaking, are seated with Christ in heaven and, in fact, are citizens of heaven. Not only that, but God will show us the surpassing riches of His grace in the ages to come.

Revelation 1:17-18 –“Jesus placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” John was very afraid, for he had just seen this vision of Jesus, and it was a powerful, sobering and frightening vision. But Jesus tells him not to be afraid, and if we know Jesus, if we are saved, we have nothing to be afraid of, not even death, which to be honest, is a person’s biggest fear.

An unbeliever should be very concerned about what’s going to happen to him after he dies. He should be asking himself some serious questions: “Is there life after death? Will I live after I die? Will I cease to exist? Is there purgatory? Will I go to heaven? Will I go to hell? Will I be judged by Christ for my sins? Will I be declared innocent or guilty? If I go to hell, will I be eternally and painfully punished for my sins? What is the answer to my problem of sin and death?” These are extremely important questions; and a person who doesn’t know Christ should be dreadfully afraid of what will happen to him after he dies – but sadly, most people aren’t very concerned. Their idea of the afterlife is often wrong, for they are believing their own misconceptions or some false teaching. And so they are stuck in their sin, and facing eternal death. Yet you should pray for God to be merciful and gracious to the lost, and for Him to give you opportunities to share the good news of the gospel.

Now Jesus reminds John and all of us the truth about life and death.
– First, Jesus says He is the “first and the last,” that He Himself is God, which means He has all authority and power, and that what He says is true, absolutely and eternally true.
– Second, Jesus says He is the “Living One,” for He was dead, but He was raised from the dead, and is now alive, and will live forevermore, which means He defeated and conquered death, which is the best news there is. No one else could defeat death, could get victory over it, but Jesus did, and He did it for Himself, for His Father, and for those who know Him and will know Him.
– Third, Jesus has the keys to death. This means through Christ, we can defeat death, both spiritually and physically. We spiritually come alive when we are born again; and we physically come alive when we are glorified, for then we receive our new, immortal bodies, which enable us to live forever with God in body, soul and spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53

It also says Christ has the keys to Hades. In the New Testament, Hades refers to hell, to that place of punishment an unbeliever goes to after he dies (Luke 16:23-24). That Christ has the keys to Hades means He controls, means He has power over who goes to Hades and who doesn’t. Jesus died on the cross to pay for all the sins of all the people who repent of their sins and believe He died for them, and those who believe will be forgiven of their sins, and not be punished in Hades. If you don’t believe in Christ you will go to hell, to Hades, and after that you will be punished forever in the lake of fire, that horrific place unbelievers go to at the end of the millennial kingdom, after the Great White Throne Judgment. Rev. 20:11-15

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 – This gives us the big picture. It talks about Christ being resurrected, which happened about 2000 years ago, and then it says we will be resurrected, will be glorified at Christ’s coming, which will happen in the near future. At Christ’s coming, the church will be raptured and all believers from all time will be given brand-new, perfect and powerful bodies. And then the next age, the millennial kingdom age will begin, and you and I, in our glorified bodies, will reign with Jesus Christ and serve Him, carrying out our specially assigned tasks on this earth. And then it will be said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts, and the whole earth will be filled with His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

Finally, at the end of that 1000-year period, Jesus Christ will hand the kingdom over to God the Father, and then the eternal kingdom will begin, and we will be with Christ in the new city of Jerusalem, worshiping Him, reigning with Him and serving Him forever. Psalm 23:6 – “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 145:1-2 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised.”

Article 43

By Steven J. Hogan

God is sovereign, and that is the absolute truth, one we need to be convinced of, and apply to our daily lives, and to our entire life. Once believed and understood, this truth will bring comfort, peace and wisdom to your soul, and great glory to God. To learn about God’s sovereignty, you must read and study His word. You must then look at life through the lens of His sovereignty, for only then can you more clearly see God, and how He works in life, and what He is doing in your life. Following are hundreds of verses about His sovereignty, and I encourage you to take the time to read them all, as well as the time to reflect, to think about what they mean. Share them with your family and friends, and pass them on to your pastor, for it is necessary for your church that he teach on this vital and most important truth. After the listing of these verses, I will share a number of thoughts about sovereignty. 

ABRAHAM: 
* Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing.”
* Genesis 17:2-6
* Genesis 18:18-19 – “I have chosen him (Abraham) so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised.”

ANGELS:
* Psalm 103:20-21 – “Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will.”
* Matthew 26:53 – “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
* Revelation 7:14 – “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.”

ANIMALS:
* Numbers 22:28 – “The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’”
* Isaiah 34:16 – “Look in the scroll of the Lord and read, ‘None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate.’ For it is His mouth that has given the order and His Spirit will gather them together.”
* Isaiah 11:6 – “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together.”
* Isaiah 46:9-10 – “I am God, and there is no one like Me… saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure, calling a bird of prey from the east… Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.’” 
* Isaiah 65:25 – “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food.”
* Matthew 10:29 – “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”

BABIES:
* Genesis 18:14 – “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”
* 2 Samuel 12:22-23 – “Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live. But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
* Psalm 139:13-15 – “For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.”
* Jeremiah 1:4 – “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
* John 9:2-3 – “‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned nor his parents; but it was so the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day.”

CHURCH:
* Psalm 127:1 – “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”
* Matthew 16:18 – “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
* Acts 9:31 – So the church through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
* Ephesians 2:20-21 – “… Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.”

CREATION:
* Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
* Psalm 104:5, 14, 19-20 – “He established the earth upon its foundations, so that it will not totter forever and ever… He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man… He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting. You appoint darkness and it becomes night.”
* Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
* Colossians 1:16-17 – “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

DAVID:
* 2 Samuel 7:8-16 – “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I will cut off all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of all the earth.’”
* 2 Chronicles 6:6 – “Now I have chosen Jerusalem for my name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.”
* Acts 13:22, 36 – “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all My will’… For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep…”

DEATH:
* 1 Samuel 2:6 – “The Lord kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”
* Matthew 28:6-7 – “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.”
* Luke 7:14-15 – “‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”
* John 11:43-44 – “When he said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and cloth around his face.”
* Acts 2:24 – “But God raised Him up again putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
* Hebrews 2:14-15 – “He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

DEMONS:
* Mark 1:34 – “He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.”
* Luke 4:41 – “Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.”

DISASTER:
* 1 Samuel 2:7 – “The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts.”
* Isaiah 45:7 – “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I the Lord do all these things.”
* Lamentations 3:37-38 – “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?”
* Amos 3:6 – “When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?”

FUTURE EVENTS:
* Isaiah 46:8-10 – “I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”
* Ephesians 1:9-11 – “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is the summing 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.”
* Matthew 24:3-41, Mark 3:13-37, Luke 21:7-36, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
* Revelation 1:1 – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place.”

ISRAEL:
* Genesis 13:14-16 – “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth.”
* Exodus 6:7 – “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”
* Deuteronomy 7:6-7 – “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession. The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
* Deuteronomy 8:18 – “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers.”
* Joshua 24:3-8, 13 – “Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the river and led him through all the land of Canaan… To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau… Then I sent Moses and Aaron… I brought your fathers out of Egypt… Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites… I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you lived in them.”
* Psalm 105:8-10 – “He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham… to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you will I give the land of Canaan.’”
* Ezekiel 37:23-24 – “I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their land.” 
* Haggai 1:12-14, 2:4 – “The whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you.’… So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel.”
* Romans 11:25 – “A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved.”

JESUS’ BIRTH:
* Isaiah 7:14 – “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
* Isaiah 9:6 – “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders”
* Micah 5:2 – “But as for you Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Judah.”
* Matthew 1
* Luke 1:30-31 – “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”

JESUS’ LIFE:
* Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me among you.”
* Psalm 69:21 – “They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
* Isaiah 53:3 – “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
* Hosea 11:1 – “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
* Zechariah 9:9 – “Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey…”
* Zechariah 11:13 – “So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.”

JESUS’ DEATH:
* Psalm 22:1-24
* Isaiah 53:4-12
* Luke 9:22 – “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
* Acts 2:23 – “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.”
* Acts 4:27-28 – “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”

JOB:
* Job 1:21 – “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
* Job 14:5 – “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.”
* Job 42:2 – “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”

JOBS:
* James 4:13-15. “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'”

JONAH:
* Jonah 1:4 – “The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea…”
* Jonah 1:7 – “So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.”
* Jonah 1:17 – “The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah.”
* Jonah 2:10 – “The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land.”
* Jonah 3:10 – “When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.”
* Jonah 4:6 – “So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort.”
* Jonah 4:7 – “God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered.”

JOSEPH:                    
* Genesis 45:5-8 – “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance… So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
* Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me but God meant it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
* Psalm 105:17-21 – “He sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons… He made him lord of his house…”
* Acts 7:9-10 – “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and He made him governor over Egypt and all his household.”

JUDGMENT:
* 1 Samuel 2:9-10 – “But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail. Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered. Against them He will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.”
* 2 Kings 19:25, 31 – “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.”
* Psalm 9:5, 8, 16-17 – “You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever… And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity… The Lord has made Himself known; He has executed judgment. In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. The wicked will return to Sheol.”
* Psalm 98:9 – “For He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”
* Isaiah 10:5-12 – “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of My anger, in whose hand is the club of My wrath! I send him against a godless nation (Israel), I dispatch him against a people who anger Me…. But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations… When the Lord had finished all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will say, ‘I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look of his heart.’”
* Isaiah 14:24-27 – “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed so it will stand. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.’ This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”
* Acts 17:30-31 – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
* Revelation 6:16-17 – “They said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
* Revelation 8-9 – The Trumpet judgments
* Revelation 16 – The Bowl judgments
* Revelation 20:11-12 – “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away. And no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds…. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake fire.”

KINGDOMS:
* Daniel 2:21 – “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings.”
* Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all those kingdoms.”
* Daniel 4:34-35 – “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
* Daniel 5:28 – “Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
* Daniel 7:27 – “The sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.”
* Revelation 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”

KINGS: 
* Psalm 47:7-9 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.”
* Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.”
* Isaiah 40:23 – “He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.”
* Ezra 1:1 – “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia.”
* Isaiah 45:1 – “Thus say the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue nations before him and to loose the loins of kings, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut; I will go before you and make the rough places smooth.”
* Daniel 2:21 – “He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men.” 
* Acts 12:21-23 – “On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man.’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
* Romans 9:17 – “The Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’”
* Revelation 17:17 – “God has put it in their heart to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”

LIFE:
* Job 12:13-16 – “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His. What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released. If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose they devastate the land. To Him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are His….He makes nations great, and destroys them…”
* Job 14:5 – “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.”
* Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”
* Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in heaven and He does whatever pleases Him.”  
* Psalm 139:16 – “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
* Proverbs 16:33 – “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s every decision is from the Lord.”
* Proverbs 19:21 – “Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
* Proverbs 20:24 – “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?”
* Jeremiah 10:23 – “I know O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”
* Daniel 4:34-35 – “His dominion is an eternal dominion: His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the people of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have you done?'”
* Acts 13:36 – “For David, after he has served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.”
* Romans 8:28-29 – “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.”

PAUL:
* Acts 9:15 – “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.”
* Acts 13:2, 4 – “The Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’… So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia.”
* Acts 16:7 – “They were trying to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.”
* Acts 18:20-21 – “When they asked him (Paul) to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, ‘I will return to you again if the God wills,’ he set sail from Ephesus.”
* Ephesians 1:1 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God…”
* 2 Timothy 4:17-18 – “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom, to Him be the glory forever and ever.”

PERSECUTION:
* Matthew 24:9 – “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.”
* John 21:18-22 – “‘When you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where do not wish to go.’ Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death He would glorify God… Peter, seeing him said to Jesus, ‘Lord, and what about this man.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.’”
* Revelation 6:10-11 – “‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’… Wait a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”
* Revelation 13:10 – “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”

PURPOSES AND PLANS:
* Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
* Psalm 33:10-12 – “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands firm forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”
* Psalm 135:5-6 – “I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”
* Jeremiah 29:10-11 – “‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”
* Romans 8:28-30 – “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
* Romans 9:20-21 – “One of you will say to me: ‘Then why does God still blame us? For who resists His will?’ But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
* Ephesians 1:11 – “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”

SALVATION:
* Matthew 11:27 – “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
* John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
* Acts 13:48 – “All those who were appointed to eternal life believed.”
* Acts 18:9-10 – “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you and no one is going to harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 
* Romans 8:30-39 – “And those God predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
* Ephesians 1:4 – “God chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.”
* Ephesians 1:11 – “In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.”
* 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning, God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
* James 1:18 – “In the exercise of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

SAMSON:
* Judges 14:4 – “‘I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.’ His father and mother replied: ‘Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people?” … But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.’ (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines.)”

SICKNESS:
* Isaiah 38:9-22 – “But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and He himself has done this… You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish…”
* Mark 1:34 – “He healed many who were ill with various diseases…”  
* Luke 4:40 – “While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and laying His hand on each one of them, He was healing them.”
* Luke 7:1-10 – “… Just say the word, and my servant will be healed… when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.”
* John 9:1-8 – “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth… So he went away and washed and came back seeing.”
* Acts 3:2 – “A man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along… he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened… it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.”

SIGHT AND SPEECH:
* Exodus 4:11 – “The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’”
* Matthew 9:27-29 – “As Jesus went on from there two blind men followed Him, crying out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ … Then He touched their eyes saying, ‘It shall be done to you according to your faith.’ And their eyes were opened.” 
* John 9:1, 7 – “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth… and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”

SIN:
* Genesis 3 – Adam and Eve
* Genesis 6 – The world in the time of Noah
* Genesis 16 – Abraham and Hagar
* Genesis 38 – Judah and Tamar
* Genesis 39 – Joseph and his brothers
* 2 Samuel 24:1 – “Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’”
*1 Chronicles 21:1 – “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.”
* 2 Chronicles 10:15 – “So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the Lord might establish His word…”
* Acts 2:23 – “This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
* 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful…”
* 1 Corinthians 1:6 – “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”
* 1 Corinthians 15:10 – “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of with me.”
* Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
* 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass.”
* Jude 24-25 – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

SPIRITUAL WORK:
* John 15:16 – “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
* Ephesians 2:10 – “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
* Philippians 2:12-13 – “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

TIME:
* Joshua 10:13 – “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.”
* Daniel 9:24-27 – “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement… And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will make a stop to sacrifice and grain offering…”
* Luke 9:22 – “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
* Acts 17:26 – “He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
* Revelation 20:6 – “They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

WEATHER:
* Job 37:6, 10-12 – “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong’… From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it to do.”
* Psalm 135:6 – “The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.”
* Matthew 27:45 – “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon the land until the ninth hour.”
* Mark 4:39 – “He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” 

WAR:
* Joshua 11:19-20 – “Not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the Lord Himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”
* Psalm 46:8-10 – “Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the shields with fire. Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”

WHERE AND WHEN YOU LIVE:
* Acts 17:26 – “From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

WORD OF GOD:
* Joshua 21:45 – “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.”
* 1 Samuel 3:19, 21 – “Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of His words fail… And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.”
* Psalm 147:19-20 – “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any nation.”
* Isaiah 55:11 – “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
* Ezekiel 1:3 – “The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest.”
* Matthew 24:33-34 – “This generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
* Luke 24:25, 44-45 – “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken’… ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

Some concluding thoughts about God’s sovereignty:
1. To say that God is sovereign means that He predestines, He ordains, He chooses, He leads, He controls, He directs, He intervenes, He works, He initiates and He commands.
2. That God is sovereign means you cannot do whatever you want.
3. When making plans, learn to say, “If God wills.”
4. When it seems circumstances are beyond your control, remember that they are never beyond God’s control, for He is sovereign over everything. 
5. Don’t try to figure out everything, but rather, learn to trust God, and know that He is in charge, and that He is working all things together for good.
6. When difficult things happen, you will not feel like God is sovereign, and it may not look like He is sovereign. But you must have faith and trust God, knowing that He is working, and knows what He is doing, and that all things will turn out for your good, and for His glory.
7. Even though God is sovereign, you are still responsible for your actions. From a human point of view, you cannot understand how these truths can coexist, how both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility can both be true at the same time.
8. Though God is sovereign over sin, He is never sinful, and He never sins. 
9. God’s sovereignty is based on many aspects of His character working together – His power, supremacy, holiness, wisdom, omniscience, love, goodness, justice, patience, faithfulness, and eternality, etc.
10. Because He is sovereign, God can carry out all His purposes and plans.
11. For God’s purposes to be accomplished, whether it is in your life or in the world, He must be sovereign over every single person, every single action and every single event.
12. Prophecy that has been fulfilled in the past is one of the greatest proofs that God is sovereign. For example, Christ’s first coming is the fulfillment of prophecy, and proves that God is sovereign. 
13. God’s sovereignty relates to the future, that is, in the end times, and in the ages to come. God is sovereign forever and ever, and we will see His sovereignty in the future.
14. The truth of God’s sovereignty is one of the strongest and clearest ways that we see that God is God, that He is in charge, and that He can do whatever He wants.
15. If God enables you to live until the time of Christ’s coming and the rapture, then you will be seeing His sovereignty in action like never before.
16. That God is sovereign should silence you, in that you are not to object to what is taking place, and get angry at God for what He is doing. 
17. To be a mature Christian, you must understand the truth of God’s sovereignty. You cannot rightly and wholly live for God without believing that He is sovereign.
18. It is very important that you understand God’s sovereignty with respect to your salvation, in addition to all other areas of your life.
19. Be assured that God is sovereign over the church, and that He is building the church, and that no devil, no demon, no person, will stop Him and His work in the church.
20. The truth and realization that God is sovereign should result in you being humble, having more faith, peace and joy, and desiring to fulfill God’s purposes for your life.
21. The fact that God is sovereign means He has a purpose for your life, and has plans for your life, and that He is now carrying out these plans, and wants you to do your part in fulfilling these plans. 
22. God’s sovereignty is seen in both the small things of life, and the big things of life.
23. On one hand, God’s sovereignty can be isolated and seen in one person, in one event, or in one day, but it’s also true that each thing that happens, each person in your life, each day of your life, can’t just be separated out, but is connected and relates to everything else, to the entirety of your life, and to all that God wants you to be and do. 
24. Take the time to reflect on the past, and think about the works of God in your life, and in others around you, for this will help you believe and see that God is sovereign.
25. That God is sovereign shows you that He is the King of kings, and that He deserves all the glory, resulting in you giving Him praise and honor.

ROMANS 11:33-36 – “OH, THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS AND UNFATHOMABLE HIS WAYS! FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.

Article 42

By Steven J. Hogan

The last few years leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ will be an extremely difficult time for Christians living in this world. Close to the end of this age, the Antichrist will appear and begin his evil rule over this earth. He, along with the rest of the unruly unbelievers, will be greatly sinning, and in fact, appear to be winning. Truly, it will be a terribly dark and distressing time for Christians. But God’s word is sufficiently instructive and very comforting with regards to these last days before the return of Christ: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:7-9

My purpose in writing this article is to focus on the unrepentant unbelievers living in the end-times, their lives, their sin, their hate for God and Christians, and the trouble they may bring to your life. In fact, many of you reading this may be alive on this earth during the time of the Antichrist’s devilish rule. During his short time as dictator, there will be great tribulation, believers will be persecuted, fellow saints will be martyred, and food and water may be hard to find. You may even wonder if you are going to survive during these dark and evil days, if you can keep persevering until the return of Christ and the rapture of the church. Now I am not trying to scare you. I just want to make sure you are Biblically informed and warned about the end-times, and that you have a living hope. God wants you to know what will be happening, but also how you can victoriously live for Him during what will probably be the most difficult time of your life.

God gives us many promises to comfort and strengthen us, even in the midst of our worst problems. Romans 8:35-37 tells us about suffering, but it also gives us hope: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Do you see this? Even though you may go through extreme trials, you can be a conqueror, you can be victorious through Christ, who loves you much more than you could ever imagine. Do not fear, for your heavenly Father will make sure that you make it to heaven, so that you can be with Him and Jesus, and all the rest of the saints. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

This subject about the unrepentant unbeliever in the end times, their open sin and rebellion, and the resulting trouble it could bring to your life, is something you rarely read about, something you just don’t hear being taught in our churches. But you will see that God’s word has a whole lot to say about the character and conduct of the end-times’ unbeliever. Here are a number of things God wants you to know about the sinful people living on earth in the years leading up to the coming of Christ.

Disrespectful of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). The unrepentant sinner’s primary problem is that he doesn’t fear God, he doesn’t give God the respect that He deserves. Most ungodly people don’t believe in the one true God, and many don’t even believe there is a God. They have rejected the truth about God seen in creation, and that which is given in God’s word (Romans 1:18-32). Therefore, the unbeliever doesn’t see God as God, and give Him the praise, honor and love that is due Him. But God is our creator, the One who has fearfully and wonderfully made us. He is our sovereign Lord, the One who is in charge of our lives. He is the holy One, and we are accountable to Him, and if we don’t turn from our sin to Him, then He will righteously judge and punish us. Yet, instead of being humble and worshiping God, the unrepentant unbeliever is proud, and worships and idolizes himself and creation. He is not thinking right, he is not thankful, he is not wise, and he is a terrible fool. “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin… he has ceased to be wise and do good.” Psalm 36:1-4

Greatly sinning. In the last days, unbelievers will be increasingly lawless. “But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). We are living in an evil age, and the hearts of men are evil, but it’s going to get a lot worse in the last few years before the return of Christ. In the end times, sinners will be extremely sinful, similar to the days of Noah (Genesis 6:5-6, Matthew 24:37). It will be a very wicked time, when everyone will be doing what is right in his own eyes. In the middle of that important prophecy chapter, we read, “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). But as a Christian, “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

What about the Antichrist? Unbelieving sinners will undoubtedly be doing the work of Satan, but it is the Antichrist who is the most devilish sinner on earth. Without question, he will be the worst sinner in the world, the chief lawbreaker, the most corrupt man on earth, for 2 Thessalonians 2:3 tell us that he is “the man of lawlessness.”

The Antichrist’s desire is to oppose Christ, to take the place of Christ, and to rule the world. He is the one “who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). This Antichrist, this beast, this man of lawlessness, will actually try to take the place of God, but there’s no way he will ever succeed. He will be the greatest fake, the biggest impostor, the most despicable and diabolical man to ever live on the face of the earth. Revelation 13:4 sadly says that he will actually fool and deceive the people, for “they will worship the beast.” The unbelievers will turn out to be his followers, and will do whatever he tells them to do. Revelation 13:5 tells us that this Antichrist will speak “arrogant words and blasphemies… he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name.”

The Antichrist will hate God and all of His children with a passion, and he will hate all that is right and godly. As the most lawless man on earth, he will promote sin, and encourage the unbelievers to act wickedly, to hate the believers and do them harm. Matthew 24:9 warns us, “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Revelation 13:7 confirms this by saying, “It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them.” The Antichrist will try to hunt you down, hurt you, and kill you. And it’s his forces of evil, unrighteous unbelievers, religious defectors, or even members of your own family, who will be doing his dirty work. At that time, the most wicked man on earth will be the Antichrist, and he will use his Satanic power to get the rest of the unrepenting unbelievers to join him in his outright hate for God, and his persecution of the saints. But in the end, he will be a total failure, a big-time loser at the battle of Armageddon, after which, he will immediately be cast into the lake of fire, where he will remain forever and ever. “The beast was seized, and with him the false prophet… these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” Revelation 19:20

Worshiping Satan. “They worshiped the dragon (Satan), and they worshiped the beast (Antichrist)” (Revelation 13:4). It will happen around the time of Daniel’s 70^th week that a series of events will take place, leading to this one man becoming this powerful and world-renowned Antichrist. This man will seem to miraculously rise from the dead; he will militarily defeat a number of other nations; he will proudly and loudly proclaim his hate for God; he will take “his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Not only that, but his partner, this 2^nd beast, will be promoting this most evil man. “I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he will make the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men” (Revelation 13:11-13).

After seeing all these things, the sinners of the world will be utterly amazed, and therefore, will worship this superman, this first beast, and in effect, be worshiping the devil himself. Nothing like this has ever happened before, for we will literally see the whole unbelieving world united in their love and worship for this most wicked man. This is so wrong and so unrighteous, but God, sovereignly ruling over all the world, will be working all this together for our good, and for His purposes and glory (Revelation 17:16-17). And soon enough, this rule of the Antichrist and his course of evil will be finished, and God will send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, back to earth, to take up the saints, take out the enemy, and take over the world.

Taking the mark of the beast. “He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead” (Revelation 13:16). Most unbelievers will take this mark of the beast, with the result that they will be able to openly buy and sell, to publicly do business. But taking this mark means that they will be worshiping, trusting and following the Antichrist. What these sinners don’t know is that this will turn out to be their death sentence (Revelation 14:9-11). But what about the Christians? Won’t this new godless business plan make life very difficult for us? Where will we get food and water? How can we buy clothes? Where will we buy gas? How will be able to travel? Will be able to live in our own home? How will we be able to take care of our children? How will we get the medicines we need? Will we be able to use our phones to communicate with believers? I have to admit, I don’t have the answers to all these questions. I do know we are to pray and trust God. But let me say this, that as long as God wants us here on earth for His purposes, then He will protect us and provide all our needs. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Deceived, deluded and depraved. “God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). Sinners hate the truth, love their sin and enjoy their evil ways. But in the end times, God will cause sinners to be deluded and deceived all the more, resulting in the rapid and devilish decline of our world. It’s hard to imagine, but all these wicked and wayward sinners will be even more deceived, fooled and tricked by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sinners will go from bad to worse. They will think they are doing what is right, when in fact, they are doing what is wrong. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). But the truth and promises of God will still stand. “The wicked will perish; and the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures, they vanish – like smoke they vanish away… for those blessed by the Lord will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be cut off.” Psalm 37:20-22

Mocking the Christians. “In the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’… But by His word, the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3-6). During the Antichrist’s rule, we need to share with people the gospel, the truth of Christ’s 1^st coming and salvation through Him, and the truth about Christ’s 2^nd coming and the rapture of the church. But most unbelievers will think we’ve gone crazy, that we have lost our minds, and therefore will make fun of us, mocking and taunting us. But remember, Jesus was mocked and ridiculed. Might we see it as a privilege to suffer like our Savior suffered, and for this, we will be eternally blessed. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps… and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats; but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” 1 Peter 2:21-23

Hating and killing. “They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name” (Matthew 24:9). During Daniel’s 70^th week, Christians will be seen as a terrible menace, a harmful blight, a spiritual plague, as ones who need to be dealt with, as ones who need to be put to death. Unlike any other time in history, unbelievers will be united, emboldened and impassioned in their hate for Christians, so much so that they will want to kill them, to rid the earth of them. You can see how serious and deadly this situation will be, for the leader of the world, his military forces, people you don’t know and people you do know, even your own family members, will want you dead. “I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony they had maintained” (Revelation 6:9). “They poured out the blood of saints and prophets” (Revelation 16:6). The sinners in the world will be so deceived, for by wanting to kill you, they will think they are doing what is right, but instead will be doing what is wrong, and in fact, what is the most outrageous and unrighteous thing they can do. “An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2). “Do not fret because of evildoers… trust in the Lord and do good… for evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:1, 3, 9

Betraying family members. “You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death” (Luke 21:16 ). Many unbelievers will turn against family members who are Christians, and turn them in to the authorities. Can you believe this, that members of your own family, ones whom you have loved and prayed for, will betray you, and want you to be persecuted and killed? It may be your mother or father, your brother or sister, your son or daughter, an aunt or uncle, or a first or second cousin. I tell you, do not be surprised that people you have known so well, whom you have grown up with, whom you have spent time with, whom you have loved so deeply, will hate you so much. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). Being hated by your own family members will unquestionably be one of the saddest and hardest things for Christians to go through in the end times. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37

Repenting, at least some of them. “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” (Matthew 24:14). We have been talking about the attitudes and actions of unrepentant unbelievers living on this earth in the end times. But this verse, along with Matthew 28:19-20, instructs us to do what is good, specifically, to be preaching the gospel and making disciples of all the nations. And some of our preaching will bear fruit. God wants to know that some of the unbelievers living during this time, by His grace, will repent of their sins and be saved. Though the world will be filled and controlled by unbelievers, our compassionate God will have mercy on some of them, “snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23), causing them to be born again, and giving them eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

This window of mercy for lost sinners extends right up to the end of this age. You don’t know who will repent of his sins and believe in Christ, and so keep showing your love, and sowing the gospel seed, believing that God will save some of the unsaved (John 4:34-38). In Jesus’ instruction about the end-times, He says, “The gospel must be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:10-11). Do you see what God is telling you? When you preach the gospel, you may be arrested and persecuted. But you are not to be afraid. You are to live your life full out for the Lord by loving the lost and sharing the gospel, in hopes that the unsaved will turn from their sin and trust in Jesus, and be forgiven of their sins and be given eternal life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

Eating, drinking, and shocked. “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: They were eating and drinking, they were buying and selling, they were planting and building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:28). A pseudo peace will be seen on earth during the Antichrist’s rule, and the deceived unbelievers will be so happy, living life like everything is just fine. Yes, life will be better than what they had been going through, for the famines, wars, plagues and economic distress, for the most part, will be gone. Not only that, but there is the “good news” that Christians are being dealt with, are being turned in to the authorities and killed.

Sinners will be saying and singing, “Happy days are here again.” Unbelievers will be doing the things they were doing before, and life will seem to be back to normal. “For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:38-39). Suddenly and unexpectedly, there will be these great signs in the heavens, the trumpet will sound, and immediately the Son of Man will be seen coming in a cloud with power and great glory – and all the Christians will be raptured off the earth. “There will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left” (Matthew 24:40-41). The unbelievers will be dumbfounded, completely surprised, and in great fear.

Scared to Death, and Doomed. “There was a great earthquake… the stars of the sky fell to the earth… the sky was split apart like a scroll… and the kings… and the great men… and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves… for the great day of God’s wrath has come” (Revelation 6:12-17). In the end times, there will be these great signs in the heavens, and a great earthquake, and the whole world, in great shock, will be stopped in its tracks. But Christians should know that these heavenly signs and this earthquake are signaling the end of this age and the return of Christ. But the unrepenting, unsuspecting unbelievers will be totally caught off guard and greatly afraid. There will be “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26). Christ-rejecting unbelievers will be scared to death when they see Christ’s sudden return, and wanting to get away from God, they will find no place to hide. Christians will be suddenly taken from the earth, the day of the Lord will come, and unbelievers, left on earth, will be doomed, forever damned and punished by God.

Remaining unrepentant. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands… they still did not repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21). Unbelievers alive at the rapture of the church will be punished during the day of the Lord, and remain unrepentant. Their hearts will get harder, and it will be obvious that they still hate God and Christ, and Christians and Jews, and therefore, will be justly judged for all their evil thoughts, words and deeds. “They deserve it… Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments” (Revelation 16:6-7). As the ungodly are rightly and greatly afflicted, they will not be broken, they will not be softened, but will be hardened all the more, and hate God all the more. With fists raised high, these children of the devil and worshipers of the Antichrist, will defiantly and madly cry out blasphemies against the King of kings and Lord of lords. “They worshiped the dragon… and they worshiped the beast.” Revelation 13:4

Punished in hell. “He will be tormented with fire and brimstone… and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:9-10). These unrepentant unbelievers will receive the mark of the beast, and they will go to hell, and later be cast into the lake of fire, where they will be punished forever (Revelation 20:15). This will be the sad but righteous reality for the God-hating, Christ-hating, Christian-hating, Jew-hating unbelievers. Jesus solemnly tells us, “Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth… Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then they will go away to eternal punishment.” Matthew 25:30, 41, 46

This is not one of those feel-good, ear-tickling, prosperity-gospel messages, but in fact, is one of the most mind-sobering, complacent-smashing, holy-producing messages in the Bible. God really wants you to know what it’s going to be like during the days of great tribulation, what the unbelievers will be like, how they will act, how they will treat you, and what they will be saying. What is called “great tribulation” will be great tribulation. But even during these difficult days, you will have a great opportunity to serve the Lord, and do the work He has called you to do. If God has planned for you to be alive at this time in history, then be assured that He will lead you, encourage you, provide for you, and use you for His purposes, giving you all the grace and peace you need.

What else do you need to know? What else do you need to do? When there are tough times, we can easily lose sight of God, we can get afraid, we can forget what we are to do, and how we are to live. But you are not to be surprised when life gets hard, for God has already told you in His word about these difficult days in the end times. And you are to be prepared, you are to be ready for whatever may come. Let  me remind you of truths you need to know, promises you need to believe, and commands you need to obey, for knowing and living by God’s word is vital for your spiritual survival and success as a Christian.

1. Remember that God is sovereign, that He is in complete control. There are no accidents, nothing just happens. God has planned out all things on this earth, including all the details of your life; and everything in this world, and everything in your life is going exactly according to His design. Yes, you are to pray, and plan your way, but you are to also know that God will direct every one of your steps. He causes all things, even the difficult things, the evil unbelievers, the wicked Antichrist, the great persecution, to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose. “In Him 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.” Ephesians 1:10-12, Proverbs 16:9, Romans 8:28

 2. Don’t be afraid. It may seem like there’s lots to fear, but in reality, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Your loving Father is not only sovereign and in complete control, but He is also infinitely wiser and stronger than the devil, than any of your enemies. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid, what can mere man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4). Through the Holy Spirit, He is always with you, and will lead you, instruct you, use you, protect you, and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom. And don’t forget that God has a lot of angels out there, and in ways you cannot see or understand, is also using them to help you and keep you safe. “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11, Psalm 34:7). Not only should you not be afraid, but you should be strong and courageous, you should be a brave fighter, a good soldier for God and His glory. “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons… Our God will fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:14, 20

3. Be strengthened by the love of God. The truth of God’s great love for you needs to be deeply embedded in your heart. No matter what happens, know that the Lord loves you, cares for you, forgives you, has compassion on you, and will bring you home to heaven, whether by death or by rapture. Jude 21 reminds you, “Keep yourselves in the love of God as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” You keep yourself in the love of God by remembering your salvation in Christ, believing His promises, being in fellowship, and by obeying God. “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 14:9-10). “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love…” 1 John 4:16

4. Receive God’s grace so you can be who He wants you to be, do what He wants you to do, and joyfully make it through all your trials. You will never lack the power, strength and ability to live rightly for the Lord in the end times. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work… My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9). “May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” 1 Peter 1:3

 5. Be in a good church. You are not to be alone, and you are not to be a loner. You are a member of the church, and you need others, and others need you. As much as possible during times of tribulation, you need to stay connected and close to other believers, working as a team, praying for one another, and encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 1 Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 4:12-16, Hebrews 10:25

6. Do the work God gives you to do. Reading this article might get you thinking about the possibility that you might suffer in the end times, but don’t focus on that. Instead, think about how you are to serve the Lord, and carry out the work He wants you to do. Be focused on finishing strong for God by completing the work He has planned out for you. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus instructs you to “do business with this until I come back” (Luke 19:13), meaning that you are to use the unique gifts and talents God has given you for His work and His glory. While you live on this earth, be excited and committed to do all that God wants you to do. Once your work on earth is done, then His angels will bring you home to heaven. “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers.” Acts 13:36

 7. Trust in the Lord. In Luke 18:8, Jesus asks a very important question, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” At this time, Jesus is asking you and I this same question. Will you have faith, will you be trusting God at the coming of Christ? Might you have this mindset, to trust the Lord and His word, from the present time to the end of this age. You need to walk by faith, and as times get tougher and we get closer to the return of Christ, you need to keep walking by faith. No matter what happens, rely on the Lord, and trust Him for wisdom, grace, peace, direction, protection, and for all that you need. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

8. Have hope in your heart. As a Christian, you have so much to look forward to – being in heaven, being with believers, being in a new glorified body, and most importantly, being with Jesus. For you to keep moving ahead with faith, joy and peace in your heart, you have to have hope. You need to know that living for the Lord is well worth it, that the sacrifices you are making and the trials you go through are short-lived, and soon you will see Jesus face to face, and be with Him forever. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

 9. Know and believe the truth and promises about Christ’s second coming, the rapture, and the future God has for you. Read, believe, and meditate on prophecy passages like Matthew 24:29-31, Luke 12:35-59, Luke 17:20-37, Luke 21:7-36, John 14:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 1 Corinthians 15:42-58, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 2 Timothy 4:18, Hebrews 10:37, 2 Peter 3:3-18, Jude 24-25, Revelation 1-22, and other sections of Scripture that speak specifically about the return of Christ, the rapture of the church, and the coming kingdom age.

10. Tell others the truth about the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, and our glorious future. “Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Luke 3:4) was the purpose of John the Baptist in the 1^st century, and it is our purpose here in the 21^st century. As John told people about the 1^st coming of Christ, is it not our duty to tell people about the 2^nd coming of Christ? Be excited about the return of Jesus, and be looking forward to seeing Him. Tell your family, friends, fellow church members, co-workers, neighbors, and even people you meet on the street, about the coming of Christ, as well as the day of the Lord. Tell them that Christ is coming to rescue the believers, the children of God, and take them to heaven, and warn them that He will pour out His wrath on those who don’t believe in Him, on those on earth who remain unrepentant unbelievers.

11. Be a watchman. “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me” (Ezekiel 3:17). In these remaining years of the end times, we are to be watchmen. We are to be telling people that the prophetic word of God is being fulfilled in the world around us. “You know how to analyze the appearance of the sky, but why do you not analyze the present time?” (Luke 12:56). The men of Issachar understood the times, and so too we need to see how God’s prophetic word is being fulfilled in today’s world, and then be telling others (1 Chronicles 12:32). We are not to keep what we know about Christ’s coming to ourselves; tell others about how He will soon return to rescue the believers from the earth, and then pour out His wrath on the unbelievers who remain on the earth.

12. Remember the example of Jesus, and of saints from the past:
– Think of Jesus, the holy One, living in this unholy world, being hungry, slandered, mocked, beaten, persecuted and killed. “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3
– Think about Lot, and how he suffered when he was living in that wicked city of Sodom. “He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men… that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds… the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.” 2 Peter 2:7-9
– Think of Job and his great trial, and the great suffering he experienced. “‘Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?’ In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:10
– Think of Joseph being in that Egyptian jail for those 13 years (Genesis 40-41). “They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons. Until the time that His word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” Psalm 105:18-19
– Think of David, and all the trials and persecution he went through, even from his own family members. “Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men who devise evil things in their hearts; they continually stir up wars. They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; the poison of a viper is under their lips” (Psalm 140:1-4). Psalms 27, 31, 34, 52-55, 59, 140-143
– Think about what it was like for Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, as he saw his own people being killed, and the city of Jerusalem being destroyed. “I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath. He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. Surely against me He has turned His hand repeatedly all the day. He has caused my flesh and skin to waste away…” Lamentations 3:1-18
– Think of all that Paul went through, being hungry, beaten, whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, falsely accused, and much, much more. “To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things.” 1 Corinthians 4:11-13
– Think about what is written in Foxes Book of Martyrs. There we read about hundreds of saints who were persecuted and killed in all kinds of ways, and they all loved Jesus, lived for Jesus, and were willing to die for Jesus.

What we are going to see taking place in the coming days, at the very end of this age, is not something totally new. Persecution of God’s people has been happening ever since the days of Cain and Abel. What is new is that this great tribulation in the days of the Antichrist will be global in nature, taking place all over this world. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name… For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, not ever will.” Matthew 24:9, 21

Think about the future, and the fact that you might be on this earth during the time of this great tribulation brought on by the Antichrist. Who are you to think that you should not suffer for the Lord, that somehow, you are exempt from great persecution? Might you be living for God, and be willing to die for God. Might you not shrink back from suffering for your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And look at the promise of God, how He says you will be victorious during this time of great tribulation: “They overcame him (Antichrist) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Revelation 12:11

13. Be in the word of God. Be in the word of God today – don’t wait until times get tough. Love the word. Delight in the word. Read the word. Study the word. Pray over the word. Memorize the word. Meditate on the word. Believe the word. Obey the word. Teach the word. I can’t stress enough your need for God’s word. And now is the time to get God’s word into your heart! There is nothing more important than this! I mean that – there is nothing more important than getting God’s word into your heart! “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you will be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:9). “They almost destroyed me on earth, but as for me, I did not forsake your precepts… If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:87, 92). “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

14. Remember that suffering results in great blessing and glory.
– “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they treated the prophets who were before you” Matthew 5:10-12). Do you see it? Persecution results in blessing, joy and great rewards in heaven!
– “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). You need to know that the little suffering you go through is only for a very short time compared to the great and eternal blessings you will receive from God.
– “To the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation” (1 Peter 4:13). The suffering you experience is Christ’s suffering. In reality, you are suffering with Christ. What a wonderful blessing!

15. Be excited about seeing Jesus, and being with Him forever. You are not to focus on any suffering that may come your way. You are to fix your eyes on Jesus, your Lord, Savior and King. Think not of the difficulties that may lie ahead. Think about being with Jesus, the One who loves you so much more than anyone else. And think about how you will be with Him forever and ever.
– “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
– “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” Job 19:25-27

16. Christ is excited about seeing you. I hope you realize this, that Christ is in heaven, and with love in His heart, is looking down on you. He knows what you are going through, and what you will go through, and He deeply cares for you, always wanting the best for you. What you don’t always see is that His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). I think of the Jews when they were suffering in Egypt, under the hand of that other antichrist, that wicked Pharaoh. Here is what God said to Moses: “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction” (Exodus 3:16-17). I think of God’s promise to Christians living during the time of that final Antichrist, that God will “give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” Might Christ’s love for you encourage and strengthen your heart. And remember, He can’t wait to see you, and be with you. Here is Jesus’ prayer for you: “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for you have loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Here is what Jesus says to you, “Behold, I am coming soon.” Revelation 22:7

Article 41

By Steven J. Hogan

The slogan, “Be the Best You Can Be,” is instructive to all of us. As people, we should want to be the best we can be, but as believers, we should desire to be all that God wants us to be. Being who God wants us to be means that we need to be taught and trained by Him for His purposes on this earth. Growing and becoming more like Jesus Christ, being useful to God, being their able servants, is truly what’s most important, and is what we should want more than anything else.

To be a servant of God, a disciple and soldier of Christ in this life, is most encouraging, and the highest privilege. Think of it this way, that in a spiritual sense, you are to be a member of the Special Forces, a Navy Seal or an Army Ranger. Isn’t it good to set the bar high, to have God’s standard in view, knowing that’s what it will take for you to fully carry out His plans for your life? Matthew 5:48 says it well, “Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

There is an abundance of stories in the Bible about believers being used by God for His unique, eternal and glorious purposes. There are the stories of Noah, Moses, Deborah, Gideon, Ruth, David, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Mary, Peter, Susanna, Paul, Paul’s nephew, and many others, ones who are to be models and examples to us. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

Set your sights high. See what God wants you to be. Know that God has special plans for you. Realize that you are in training, and are always in training. Understand that what you are going through, with relationships, with trials, at your job, in your church, and in your own personal life, is part of God’s sovereignly designed, spiritual regimen for you. Your heavenly Father wants you, His child, to grow up, to be strong in faith, hope and love, to increase in wisdom and discernment, to be courageous, and to do the work He has called you to do. “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

Since God has your life all planned out, then He must know exactly what He’s doing, day after day, month after month, and year after year. As I look back, I can more clearly see how God has faithfully, wisely, lovingly and purposely been working in and through my life. Who I am today, what I am doing today, and what God wants me to do tomorrow, relates directly to what He has been doing in my life for the past 64 years. (Psalm 139:16). “I am what I am by the grace of God, and His grace toward me did not prove vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

I think of Moses, and he was 80 years old when he received his most important task, a God-planned assignment that took up the last 40 years of life. We live in a world where most people retire from their job sometime in their sixties, but we are to never think of retiring from serving God. Don’t ever quit working for God, don’t ever retire from your spiritual service. Yes, we may not physically be able to do what we did in the past, but physical limitations will never keep God from using us, and from doing His spiritual work in and through us. In fact, sometimes our physical weaknesses are the means by which we do our greatest work for Him. As long as we have life and breath, we are to work for God, like Moses, and like David. “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.” Acts 13:36

My desire is to remind you to be working for God, and to help you see that He is teaching you, discipling you, always making you more like Christ, always preparing you for the work He wants you to do. Now that we are living in the end times, it is important and, in fact, imperative for you to see the need to be specially trained by God so you can be all that He wants you to be. I wouldn’t be surprised if this were the last generation of believers to be living during this church age, and that many of us will be here on earth when Christ returns to rapture the Christians. “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming, will come, and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:37

I am convinced that hundreds of millions of Christians will be living during Daniel’s 70^th week, not having been raptured before it, like so many erroneously believe. A great multitude of believers will be living during the rule of the Antichrist, going through great tribulation, and suffering persecution like never before in the history of the world. It will not be easy. It will be the most difficult time of your life. You need to be a member of God’s “Special Forces” if you are to spiritually survive and successfully carry out the mission He has for you.

But sadly, many Christians are totally oblivious to what will be taking place. It really is a shame that so many believers are worldly, in error, or just plain ignorant with regards to the soon coming of Christ, and the rapture of the church. “How is it that you do not know how to interpret this present time?” (Luke 12:56). “The men of Issachar understood the times, and knew what Israel should do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32). “Do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11). Might we wake up from our sleep; might we be alert and aware of what is going on in the world; might we know what God’s Word says about the end times, the future of the church, the future of the Jews, the future of unbelievers, and the future of our world.

The Jews have returned to Israel, over 6.4 million of them, and that is the reason we know we are living in the end times. Matthew 24:4-8 describes the “beginning of birth pains,” those events signaling to us that we are in the beginning stage of the end times. This means there are still many years to go before the start of Daniel’s 70^th week, the revealing of the Antichrist, the return of Christ, and the rapture of the church. I am convinced that God is now, at this time, raising up men and women, His own “Special Forces,” for the days and years ahead, and for the work He has prepared for us. Jesus Christ is building the church with His return and the rapture in mind. Many who are unsaved are being saved, and are then being discipled for one of the most important and strategic times in the history of mankind. This then is the time, as we see the approaching storm, for you to be trained, for you to be ready to do all God has in store for you, and for His church.

I have no doubt that God will have all His people in place, people praying, people serving, people preaching, people making disciples, people doing the work He wants them to do. I have no question that God will succeed, that His eternal plans will not fail, that He will faithfully carry out His work through His faithful saints, servants and soldiers. Yes, God is sovereign, for He has chosen the people He wants for the work He has planned to carry out. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.” (John 15:16). Yes, God chooses, but it is also true that He doesn’t want us to be just sitting around, waiting for something to happen. As God’s people, we should pursue Him, and should want to be trained, so we can help to fulfill His plans. “I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek Me, will find Me.” Proverbs 8:17

I think of athletes and their amazing dedication and devotion to their sport. I think of how hard they train, how diligently they work out, how they are so disciplined, and so driven to be a success in their sport. And they may be training for only one event, one Olympics, or one season, and all for some earthly glory. Might we learn from their example. Might we be determined to be all we can be for God. Might we be spiritually working out, spiritually staying in shape, with a commitment to be the best we can be for the purposes of God, the work of God, and the glory of God. Might we be fully equipped, knowing all we need to know, believing all we need to believe, and doing all we need to do. “Therefore, I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body, and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:26-29

I write this to stir you up to want to be this kind of a person for God. You need to seek God, see what lies ahead, know what He wants you to be, and be excited that you can be serving Him during these last years before the start of Daniel’s 70^th week, and the return of Christ. Don’t miss your calling, your assignment, the work God has already planned out for you. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). Be loving God. Be trusting God. Be trained by God. Be faithful to Christ. Be living for Christ. Be filled with the Spirit. Be walking by the Spirit. Count the cost. Sacrifice your life for the Lord. “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Listed below are some key truths, commands and lessons God has been teaching me during my life, and I want to pass them on to you. By writing these out, I am by no means, saying I have arrived. I know well my weaknesses, my sin, my inadequacies and my failures. I know I need to keep growing. But I am determined to keep going, to not give up, to not quit, to persevere to the end of my life, or to the end of this age. These are life lessons, lessons you can’t learn in a day or a week or a month, but over time, over the years, in all kinds of ways, in all kinds of situations, and with all kinds of people. I could give stories and examples for every truth and lesson, but I wanted to give you bullet points, and as you continue on for the Lord, and are being trained and used by Him, then He will give you your own life experiences.

Be thankful that you can be alive at this special time in history, these last years before the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, and the Day of the Lord. Know that you are a servant of the living, holy and true God. Know that He is training you for His special plans. Know that you are to fulfill His purposes, for the good of the church, the good of the world, and for the glory of God. Be willing to do whatever God wants you to do. And do today the work He wants you to do today, knowing that He has work for you tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, until that time, whether by death or by rapture, He takes you home to heaven.

LIFE LESSONS: FIFTY FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS

1. The Word of God – Loving and delighting in God’s word. “O, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 97:1, Psalm 1:2, Matthew 4:4

2. Seeking and knowing God – Personally knowing God, and walking with Him. “I want to know Christ.” Philippians 3:10, Ephesians 1:17, 1 John 4:16

3. Loving God and Jesus – Loving God deeply and passionately. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30, John 14:15, Psalm 18:1

4. Loving people – Loving the people God puts in your life. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31, John 15:12-13, 1 John 4:7

5. Knowing who you are – “Beloved, now we are children of God.” 1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 1:1

6. Praying – Taking the time to pray, to intercede, to ask God for things. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 11:6, 1 John 5:14-15

7. Communion – Having close and continued fellowship with God. “Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and glory.” Psalm 63:1-8, Mark 6:31-32, Luke 10:42

8. Fearing God – Respecting God, holding Him in the highest regard. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Proverbs 1:7, Deuteronomy 10:12, Psalm 33:18

9. Humility – Being humble before God and people. “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt You.” James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5, Matthew 23:12

10. Trusting God – Trusting the Lord, having faith in Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 17:7, Psalm 56:3

11. Authority – Submitting to the authorities God puts in your life. “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…” 1 Peter 2:13-14, Romans 13:1-5, Colossians 3:18-25

12. Other people – Putting others first. “With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 13:5, Ephesians 5:21

13. Grace – Depending on God’s grace every day. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 1:2

14. Meditation – Thinking about God’s word, and getting it into your heart. “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:15

15. Walking in the Spirit – Being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16-25, Ephesians 5:18, John 14:16-17

16. Purpose and vision – Knowing and carrying out God’s purpose for your life. “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for welfare, and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:9-11

17. Sovereignty – Seeing God’s sovereignty in your life. “Man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9, Daniel 4:35, Romans 8:28

18. Obeying God – Doing what God wants you to do. “I delight to do Thy will, O God. Thy law is in my heart.” Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119:1-8, John 14:21

19. Righteousness – Doing what’s right, not what’s popular. “Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:18, Proverbs 10-12, 1 Samuel 15:22-23

20. Forgiveness – Knowing God’s forgiveness, and forgiving others. “Forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.” Colossians 3:13, Colossians 2:13-14, Matthew 18:33

21. Serving – Being a servant to God and to others. “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” Luke 22:27, Romans 12:11, Hebrews 3:5

22. Stewardship – Using your time, abilities and money wisely. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10, Luke 19:17, 1 Corinthians 12

23. Church – Being in a holy, loving, Bible-teaching church. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Hebrews 10:24-25

24. Training others – Be an example, and teach others to obey. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2, Psalm 78:5-8

25. Communicating – Learning to listen, and to speak. “Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” James 1:19, Luke 2:46, Ephesians 4:29

26. Trials – Learning to trust God as you go through trials. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” 1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2, Romans 5:3-5

27. Sin – Getting victory over temptation and sin. “Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me.” Psalm 119:133, Romans 6, Genesis 4:1-8

28. Error – Discerning lies and errors, and staying away from evil. “Hate evil, you who love the Lord.” Psalm 97:10, Matthew 24:4, Psalm 119:104

29. Relationships – Having fellowship and building good friendships. “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will bring you information.” Colossians 4:7-17, 1 John 1:5-7, 1 Samuel 18:1-3

30. Hope – Looking forward to the future God has for you. “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13, Colossians 1:27, Romans 15:13

31. Thankfulness – No matter what happens, always give thanks. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Colossians 3:17, Psalm 100:4

32. Wisdom and discernment – Learning what is right and wrong, better and best, and making good decisions. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6, Philippians 1:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

33. Promises – Having promises for your life. “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4, 2 Peter 3:13, Psalm 32:8

34. Witnessing – Being a witness to the lost. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8, Acts 26:16, 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

35. Encouraging – Faithfully building up the believers. “Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called today.” Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:10

36. Learning – Being taught by good teachers. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Acts 18:26, 2 Timothy 2:2

37. Working – Being a hard worker, and a diligent worker. “The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.” 2 Timothy 2:6, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Proverbs 21:5

38. Physical disciplines – Disciplining your body and being self-controlled “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is of some value.” 1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Corinthians 9:27, 1 Timothy 3:2-3

39. Warfare – Fighting and battling for God. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness…” Ephesians 6:10-18, Nehemiah 4, 1 John 2:14

40. Courage – Not being afraid, but being courageous. “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10

41. Unity – Being of like mind with other believers. “That you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:2, Psalm 133

42. Perseverance – Never give up, but keep going for God. “As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7, Galatians 6:9, James 5:11

43. The Past – Remembering the deeds of the Lord. “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11, Psalm 78:5-11, 1 Samuel 7:12

44. Contentment – Being satisfied with what you have. “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Philippians 4:10-13, Psalm 23:1

45. Prophecy – Knowing about and looking forward to Christ’s coming. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30, Daniel, Revelation

46. God’s plan for me – Being content with your lot in life. “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.” Psalm 16:5, 1 Corinthians 7:17-20, Romans 8:2

47. Sacrifice and suffering – Be willing to suffer for Jesus. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21, Matthew 5:10-11, Matthew 24:9

48. Patience – Waiting on God, and being patient with people. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Colossians 3:12-13

49. Rebounding – Getting up after sin or failure. “When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” Psalm 37:24, Psalm 51, Philippians 3:12-14

50. Living for Jesus – “To live is Christ, and to die is gain… Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.” Philippians 1:21-26, Colossians 1:27-29, Philippians 3:7-10

Article 40

By Steven J. Hogan

I recently received an email from a friend who is convinced, as I am, that the return of Christ and the rapture of the church will take place sometime in the near future. One of his primary concerns is that his family be prepared, be equipped for what God so clearly tells us will be taking place in this world in the years ahead. In response to my friend’s email, I have written an article that, I believe, is relevant and necessary for Christians living in the end times. At this time in HISstory, it’s imperative that we get ready for this storm, for these most difficult, yet divine and opportune years, leading up to the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In this article I will be covering six different areas. Today, in part one, I will focus on the Word of God, first in general, and then with specific verses.

THE WORD OF GOD:
Christians need to be strong and courageous in the end times, particularly during Daniel’s 70^th week, and especially when the Antichrist is ruling the world (Revelation 13). This will be the toughest time ever for Christians living on earth, for these will be very intense years of unprecedented difficulty. There will be great tribulation and persecution for true believers, for true lovers of God. Those who don’t worship the image of the beast (the Antichrist) will be targeted, tracked down and attacked by his evil forces, so as to be killed. Those not taking the mark of the beast will find it very difficult to obtain the basic necessities of life. Like never before, these will be days of great distress, of both inward stresses and outward pressures. But remember, this is the time God has chosen for you to live on earth for Him, and to be faithfully doing the work He has planned for you to do.

People ask, “What do I need to know? What do I need to do in the end times? How am I supposed to live?” As pointed out in Matthew 4:4, your main, overall objective is to always live by the word of God. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” While we may be thinking about physical bread to eat, God wants us, first and foremost, to feed on the spiritual bread of His Word. The spiritual food coming from God’s word is what we need to be eating if we are to survive and live for the Lord.

Three categories come to mind when I think about God’s word for our lives, whether it’s now or in the future. There is truth we need to know, commands we need to obey, and promises we need to believe. God’s truth, God’s commands and God’s promises are all absolutely essential. Think about soldiers preparing for battle: there are things they need to know, things they need to do, and things that will motivate them to be good fighters. And as spiritual soldiers, there are things we need to know, things we need to do, and things that will motivate us to keep going for God. But you need to realize that God is training you now, and that this present preparation is getting you ready for the work He has for you today and tomorrow, but also for the future He has planned for you, whether that means you are alive during the days of great tribulation, or have already gone to heaven.

This is peace time, this is the calm before the storm, which means now is the time to get ready. Here in Florida, during hurricane season, we are regularly reminded to plan ahead, to get food, water and supplies before the storm hits. This only makes sense. How can you get ready in the middle of a hurricane, when winds are howling outside at 100 mph, or the power has just gone out, and it’s pitch dark? You can’t! You need to prepare ahead of time. How much more-so does this relate to Christians who are alive on earth in the years leading up to the time of great tribulation, and the return of Christ? Sadly, many Christians think there will be what’s called a pre-tribulation rapture, and don’t even believe we will be here when there is great tribulation, let alone are getting ready for it. I pray that God gives you Biblically based, heart-felt convictions about the timing of the rapture, and that you are totally convinced about what will be taking place in the end times, with the result that you are preparing and planning ahead for the upcoming storm.

My desire is that you have a clear understanding of what will be taking place in these last, fast-moving, event-packed years leading up to the coming of the Antichrist and the coming of Christ. You need to know what will be happening, and what you are to be doing, how you are to be living for Him. In all this, the word of God is essential, and needs to be dwelling in your mind and heart. Then you will be a successful, useful and ready Christian, a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Remember what God said to Joshua before he and Israel’s armies fought their way into their God-promised land. “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

Listed below, by categories, are a number of verses particularly relevant to the end times, and especially as we get closer to the return of Christ. These verses are your instructions, a set of orders to follow, and truths and promises you need to know and believe. (The bold verse references refer to verses specifically written in the context of the end times and the coming of Christ. After each category there is one or two letters, T, C or P, meaning that the verses listed below it, are in general, God’s Truth, God’s Commands, or God’s Promises).

Antichrist (T):
* Daniel 9:27 – “He (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week (Daniel’s 70^th week), he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.”
* Daniel 8:23-25 – “A king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power… Through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by His influence; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency.”
* 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – “The man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
* Revelation 13:4-6 – “They worshipped the beast saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’ There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two month was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God.”

Comfort (T, P):
A great need during the end times is having verses that are encouraging and comforting, and the best place to find them is in the Psalms. Without a doubt, it is the best book in the Bible to find truths that minister to your soul in times of trouble and need. Listed below are some of my favorite verses, but you need to read the Psalms yourself, recording and remembering those verses that are a blessing to your own life.
* Psalm 16:7-11, Psalm 18:1-3, Psalm 23, Psalm 28:6-7, Psalm 31:7, Psalm 31:14-17, Psalm 34:4-10, Psalm 37:1-11, Psalm 40:1-5, Psalm 42:5, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 57:1-5, Psalm 59:16-17, Psalm 63:1-4, Psalm 66:10-12, Psalm 68:19-20, Psalm 71:17-21, Psalm 84, Psalm 86, Psalm 90:12-13, Psalm 91:1-3, Psalm 91:14-16, Psalm 94:17-19, Psalm 96:1-3, Psalm 98, Psalm 100, Psalm 103, Psalm 107:23-32, Psalm 109:30-31, Psalm 112:4-6, Psalm 116, Psalm 119:81-88, Psalm 121, Psalm 123, Psalm 130, Psalm 138:7-8, Psalm 139, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 150

Coming of Christ (T):
* Luke 21:27 – “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
* Hebrews 10:37 – “In a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.”
* James 5:8-9 – “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near… the Judge is standing at the door.”
* Revelation 22:7, 12, 20 – “Behold, I am coming soon.”

Endurance (T, P):
* 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “God will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
* Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
* Romans 8:30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
* Jude 24-24 – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Evil men (T):
* Matthew 24:4 – “See to it that no one misleads you.”
* 2 Thessalonians 2:3 – “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (Day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed.”
* Matthew 7:15 – “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
* 2 Peter 2:1 – “False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”

Faith (C):
* 1 Thessalonians 5:8 – “Putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
* Luke 18:8 – “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
* John 14:1-3 – “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me… If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself.”
* Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Fear not (C):
* Mark 13:11 – “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.”
* 2 Chronicles 20:15 – “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
* Matthew 10:28 – “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
* Revelation 2:10 – “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Fellowship (C, T):
* Hebrews 10:25 – “Not forsaking our own assembling together,… encouraging one another and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”
* Proverbs 18:24 – “A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
* Acts 2:42 – “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
* Romans 16:3-4 – “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me… Greet also the church that meets at their house.”

Fight for God (C, T):
* Ephesians 6:12 – “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places… take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day.”
* 1 Samuel 17:26 – “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
* 2 Chronicles 14:11 – “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against You.”
* Nehemiah 4:14 – “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, your houses.”

Grace (T, P):
* 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness… Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
* 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, you will have an abundance for every good deed.”
* 2 Timothy 2:1 – “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
* Revelation 22:21 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.” (the last verse of the Bible)

Holiness (C):
* 2 Peter 3:11 – “What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?”
* 2 Timothy 2:21 – “If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
* Titus 2:12 – “Say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled and godly lives.”
* 1 Peter 1:15 – “Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior.”

Hope (T, P):
* Hebrews 12:22-24 (heaven) – “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.”
* John 14:3 (being with Jesus) – “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may also be.”
* 1 Thessalonians 2:18 (being with believers) – “For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?”
* 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (a new body) – “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”
* 1 Peter 1:3-4 (an inheritance) – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who… has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
* Revelation 5:10 (reigning on earth) – “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

Hoping (C):
* 1 Peter 1:13 – “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
* Romans 5:2 – “We exult in hope of the glory of God.”
* 1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “… and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
* Titus 2:13 – “While we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Jesus (T, P):
* Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
* Psalm 63:8 – “My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”
* Psalm 73:23 – “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth.”
* Matthew 28:20 – “… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
* Philippians 3:7-9 – “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

Love God (C):
* Psalm 18:1 – “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
* Mark 12:30 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
* John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and disclose Myself to him.”

Love one another (P):
* 1 Peter 4:8 – “The end of all things is near… above all, keep fervent in your love for one another.”
* John 15:12 – “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
* Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”
* 1 John 4:7 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

Not Alone (T, P):
* John 14:16 – “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Holy Spirit), that He may be with you forever.”
* Hebrews 13:5-6 – “I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you… The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
* Isaiah 41:10 – “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.”

Overcome (C, P):
* Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
* Romans 8:35-37 – “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?… But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
* 1 John 2:14 – “I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”
* Revelation 2:7 – “To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life.”

Persevere (C, P):
* Matthew 24:13 – “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
* Revelation 13:10 – “If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints.”
* 2 Chronicles 15:7 – “As for you, be strong, and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
* Galatians 6:9 – “Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due we will reap, if we do not grow weary.”

Pray (P):
* 1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
* 2 Chronicles 20:12 – “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
* John 14:13-14 – “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
* Hebrews 11:6 – “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.”

Preach the gospel (P):
* Matthew 24:14 – “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
* Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
* Acts 3:19-21 – “Repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things.”
* Philippians 1:12-13 – “I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard.”

Rapture (T):
* Matthew 24:31 – “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.”
* 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, 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, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
* 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

Sober (C):
* 1 Thessalonians 5:6 – “Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”
* 1 Peter 1:13 – “Keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
* 1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
* Titus 2:6 – “Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech…”

Sovereignty (T, P):
* Isaiah 46:9-11 – “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning… saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’… Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass”
* Psalm 46:10 – “Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted in the earth.”
* Daniel 4:35 – “His dominion is an everlasting dominion… All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. 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?’”
* Romans 8:28 – “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Strong (C):
* Ephesians 6:10-13 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might… Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil… Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day.”
* Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” 2 Samuel 10:12
* 1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

Suffering (T, P):
* Matthew 24:9 – “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”
* 1 Peter 4:12-13 – “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you… but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
* 1 Peter 2:21 – “You have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.”
* Revelation 2:10 – “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Unbelievers (T):
* 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 – “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so they will believe what is false, in order that they may all be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
* Revelation 14:9-10 – “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone… in the presence of the Lamb… and the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.”
* Psalm 37:7-10 – “Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes… For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more…”
* Luke 12:4 – “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more they can do.”

Wisdom (T):
* Revelation 13:18 – “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
* Proverbs 4:7 – “The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
* Matthew 10:16 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
* 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – “Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.”

Work for God (P):
* Luke 19:12-13 – “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for Himself and then return…. Do business until I come back.”
* Matthew 25:21 – “The master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”
* 1 Peter 4:10 – “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
* Ephesians 2:10 – “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

THE LAW OF THE LORD IS PERFECT, RESTORING THE SOUL;
THE TESTIMONY OF THE LORD IS SURE, MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE.
THE PRECEPTS OF THE LORD ARE RIGHT, GIVING JOY TO THE HEART;
THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD IS PURE, GIVING LIGHT TO THE EYES.
Psalm 19:7-8

Article 39

By Steven J. Hogan

One of the most important subjects for the Christian is the love of God. “For God so loved the world… God demonstrates His own love toward us… Your love is ever before me… Your lovingkindness extends to the heavens… The love of God has been poured out into our hearts… Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Psalm 26:3, Psalm 36:5, Romans 5:5, Romans 8:35). These are just a few verses, but there are hundreds of verses that speak specifically about the astounding and immeasurable love that God has for His children.

What an awesome and most wonderful subject is the love of God, and a most necessary one for the Christian. But it’s not just a subject, for we are talking about your personal relationship with your heavenly Father, with Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit. God knows you and you know Him, and comprehending the love He has for you is essential if you are to grow in your relationship with Him. And your relationship with God is foundational if you are to have a good relationship with anyone on earth. How can you love another person if you are not first experiencing the love God has for you? “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love… We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:7-8, 19). My focus in this article is your relationship with God, and specifically helping you grow in knowing His great love for you.

Let me ask a couple of questions. Can you say as David said, “Your love is better than life?” Can you say as John said, “I have come to know and have believed the love that God has for me?” Isn’t it true that God wants you to be 100% confident of His divine love for you? Of course, this is what God wants for you. I am so thankful to God for the 46 year journey He has given me with Him, and especially for how He has expressed His love to me, the kindness, patience, forgiveness, compassion, gentleness, and faithfulness that He has shown me over that entire time. I am so thankful God has loved me the way that He has and has given me assurance of my relationship with Him.

My favorite book in the Bible is the book of Psalms. Without a doubt, this is the number one book in the Bible to help you grow in your relationship with God. One of the main reasons I like it so much is because it goes into great detail about David’s relationship with God, and in particular how he was strengthened, revived and motivated by the love God had for him. And I want to learn what David learned. That’s why I read Psalms every day of my life. I don’t want to miss a day because God’s love means so much to me – I want to learn about His love, and be reminded of His love. I know I can’t make it without the love of God. Indeed, it is what has strengthened, sustained and satisfied me through all the years.

O, how the love of God needs to flood our minds, overwhelm our souls and sink deep into our hearts. But way too many Christians are only skimming the surface, and are not diving into the depths of God’s love for them. Way too many Christians are not believing, knowing and experiencing the love God has for them. O, how sad. We have a heavenly Father who greatly loves His children, but yet, many of them aren’t being satisfied and sustained by His love. Might this not be. The truth is that God loves us, and this truth needs to get into our hearts and then be lived out in our lives.

God has done His part in saving you through Christ dying on the cross for you, and the Spirit regenerating your life. God has also given you His Word, His grace and the church, and even placed His Spirit into your heart. There’s nothing else you need, but to do your part. You are instructed, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” How does this relate to our subject about the love of God? Jude 21 gives us the answer, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” I personally believe this is one of the most important commands in the Bible. This is essential, this is what you must do everyday of your life. But what must you do? What are the means God gives you by which you can keep yourself in His love? Listed below are a number of things that God has taught me over the years, and things you need to learn to keep yourself in the love of God.

Make sure you are a Christian. The first and most important step in knowing God’s love is being assured and confident that you are forgiven, that you are a child of God, that He has saved you from sin, Satan, death and hell. But it’s not just remembering that you are saved, that you are a Christian. It’s daily believing and being thankful of this reality, that you are a child of God, that God is your Father, and that you have eternal life. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God… In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:7, 10

Take time to be with God. You need to get time alone with God if you are to more fully know God and His love for you. Take time to read the Word, God’s love letter to you, and meditate on verses that speak about His love for you. In particular, take time in the morning, before the day starts, to be refreshed by the presence and love of God. “O God, You are my God; I shall seek you earnestly… Your lovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm 63:1, 4). “Satisfy me in the morning with your lovingkindness.” Psalm 90:14

Believe that God loves you. You can read 100 verses about God’s love, and can even memorize them all, but you need to believe them, you need to believe that God loves you. Faith is how you get saved and first know God’s love, but it is also a key to keep experiencing His love for you. “I have come to know and have believed the love that God has for me.” 1 John 4:16

Think about your salvation. The salvation God purchased for you is the single, greatest, and most important expression of His love for you. Think about and consider the particular details of your salvation – that He chose you, foreknew you, predestined you, suffered for you, died for you, called you, adopted you, redeemed you, justified you, forgave you, and gave you the Holy Spirit. Think also about how He is presently saving you in that He is sanctifying you, and that in the future, He will glorify you, thereby completing your salvation. From beginning to end, your salvation is a marvelous demonstration and display of God’s amazing love for you. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” Ephesians 1:5

Confess your sins to God. Confession is a necessary means in experiencing God’s love. If you have knowingly sinned against God, then you need to openly and sincerely confess your sin to Him, and then you will freely and freshly experience His forgiving love. Only as you are open with God about your sin will you be able to more fully bathe in God’s love for you. “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness, according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalm 51:1, 1 John 1:9

Stay in the word of God. God’s Word is essential if you are to grow in God’s love, for it is His primary means to describe His love to you. Hundreds of times in God’s personal love letter to you, He tells you that He loves you. Keep reading and thinking about God’s word, and you will learn more about His precious and marvelous love for you. And keep believing it. “Consider how I love your precepts; revive me according to Your lovingkindness.” Psalm 119:159

God’s love is freely given to you. You don’t deserve, and can’t earn, buy, or trade for God’s love. The love God has for you is not dependent on what you do but on what God has done and is doing for you. God’s love for you is unconditional, is based solely on His mercy and grace. God’s love is not gained or given to you because of your good works but because of Christ’s good and perfect work on the cross for you. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.” Ephesians 2:4-5, Hosea 14:4 – “I will love them freely.”

 Worship the Lord. One way to know and experience God’s love is by worshiping Him, by praising Him. You have a personal relationship with God and you are to communicate your love to Him, and when you do that, then He will reciprocate and express His love to you. God is not silent when you worship Him, but is most pleased and blessed when you express your love to Him. Tell God that you love Him, and He will tell you that He loves you. “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1

Obey God. Obeying God is one of the most important ways to keep yourself in His love. Christians who faithfully obey God will experience His special and personal love, a closeness with Him, an abiding and intimate friendship with their heavenly Father. “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” John 14:21, 23; John 15:9-11

Love others. You are like a channel, like a pipeline, and God wants His love to flow freely through you to others. The more God’s love flows through you, the more God will show His love to you, and then you will be able to love others even more. This is the way God’s love works, through His people, from one person to the next. “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

Don’t go by how you feel. God’s love for you isn’t dependent on how you feel. Yes, you may feel tired, overwhelmed, lonely, anxious, distant from God, and unloved. You may not even feel like you love God. But don’t question God’s love for you. In spite of your feelings and emotions, just believe what God says in His Word about His love for you. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?” Romans 8:35-39, Psalm 13

Be devoted to the saints. Being closely connected to other Christians, and having fellowship with them, results in mutual kindness, caring, giving, compassion, gentleness, forgiveness, forbearance and patience. Only as you are with others in the body of Christ can you know these aspects of God’s love in the way He desires for you. More than you realize, God loves you through people. But don’t seek to be loved by people. Love people, and seek to be loved by God, and then you will be loved by God. “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Expect God to show His love to you today. God loves you every day of the week, and He wants you to believe this, and to expect Him to love you today, and in very specific, visible and tangible ways. Get up in the morning, believing that God will love you that day and, then going through the day, you will see His love for you. And before you go to bed, think back over the day, and you will be most encouraged by how many times and by the different ways God specifically and personally showed His love to you. “Surely, goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life…” Psalm 23:6, Psalm 92:2

God shows His love to you in all kinds of ways. Realize that God’s love for you is revealed to you in many different ways. It is seen in His word, through people, through creation, through His provision, through trials, through the church, through His protection of you, and in other ways. Be alert and take careful note of how God loves you as you go through life, and then you will be more encouraged, and will then be reflecting His love to others. “The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.” Psalm 119:64, 145:8-9

Be thankful for all that God has done. Being thankful is an important and necessary way to remind yourself of how God has loved you in the past. Being thankful for past relationships, situations, trials, victories and events crystallizes in your mind the love that God has for you. When you get discouraged, think back over the past, and be thankful, and then your heart will be revived as you remember specific ways that God has loved you. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Psalm 136:1, Psalm 77:10-14

Trials are a means to know God’s love. One of God’s purposes for trials is to help you draw close to Him, and to more fully and intimately know the wonderful love He has for you. We too easily get dependent on fleshly and worldly things, but they are but flimsy and fake substitutes for God’s love. Knowing this, God will give you trials so you can know His true love. Don’t be distressed by trials, but rejoice in them, knowing that God, the source of real love, will then fill your heart with His love. “I will rejoice and be glad in Your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul… Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love… Praise be to God for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.” Psalm 31:7, 16, 21

When God disciplines you, then He is loving you. Your heavenly Father corrects you, spiritually spanks you when you are doing what is wrong. This discipline is done in love so as to draw you back to Him so that once again you will know and experience and be satisfied by His love. “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” Hebrews 12:5-6

Don’t be deceived by the world or the flesh. The world is a worthless substitute for God and His love. Your heavenly Father longs to show and express His love to you, but way too many believers are tricked, and look for love in the wrong places and in the wrong things. Don’t love the world, and don’t look for love in the world. Don’t be fooled by the “love of people”, by “lovely” women or “handsome” men. True love is a godly love, and God is the source of that love. “What fault did your fathers find in Me, that they strayed so far from Me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves… My people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.” Jeremiah 2:5, 11-13; Psalm 115:1

Knowing God’s love is a spiritual battle. Don’t believe it when the devil says God doesn’t love you. Believe what God says, and not some lie that the devil floats into your mind, saying you are no good, you are not forgiven, that God doesn’t love you, or that God doesn’t care about what you are going through. “I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2:14, Job, Lamentations

God loves you through people. More than you realize, God shows His love to you through the saints, through the body of Christ. You may question God’s love for you, but oftentimes it’s because you fail to see how He has been loving you through friends, family and fellow church members. It is important to think of the many ways God has loved you and is loving you through the people He puts in your life. “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22

Be with mature Christians. Older, mature Christians have known and seen the love of God over time, through good days and bad, through thick and thin, through “many dangers, toils and snares.” They are given to you to be an example and a reminder of God’s great love. Get with them, listen to their stories, find out how they have seen God’s love through the years, and be encouraged. “Greet Epanetus, my beloved… Greet Ampliatus, my beloved… Greet Persis, the beloved.” Romans 16:5, 8, 12; Colossians 4:7-17

Have hope. Hope speaks of how God will show His love to you in the future, and you should be excited about this, and be looking forward to this. You can’t imagine the amazing plans God has for you, the incredible and wonderful ways He wants to show His love to you in the ages to come. For then you will be perfect and be perfectly able to know and experience all the love God has for you. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 1:13, Ephesians 2:7

God’s love is radically different and infinitely better than man’s love. Man’s love is fleshly, flattering, selfish, superficial, shallow, short-lived, fake, fickle, temperamental, hypocritical, two-faced, conditional, disappointing and empty. Don’t look to be loved by people in the world, for that is foolish and disappointing. Look to be loved by your heavenly Father. “Your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth” (Psalm 26:3). “Because your love is better than life, my lips will praise You.” Psalm 63:4

Remember the many kinds of love. Like a diamond with many faces, so too the love of God has many faces, and therefore, is seen in a variety of ways. God’s love is kind, compassionate, gentle, good, faithful, patient, forbearing and forgiving. Take time to think about God’s working in your life, and specifically how He expresses His love to you in so many marvelous and incredible ways. “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.” Psalm 145:8, Psalm 40:5

God’s love is continuous and eternal. The love that God has for you is all the time. It is continuous and has no breaks. It’s every day, and all day long. It’s every week, and all month long. It’s every year and for the rest of your life on earth. And it’s forever. No matter what you think, no matter how you feel, no matter the trials you face, or no matter what you are going through, God always loves you. To know in your mind that God loves you all the time and loves you forever is the best news there is. But to actually know in your heart that God loves you is infinitely better. “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136

In all this, you must remember the great commandment, that your primary purpose in life is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And you are to love one another. But these two great purposes God has for you aren’t going to happen if you are an unloved person. I encourage you to keep yourself in the love of God, and then you will love God and love others, and be able to fulfill the plans God has for you. “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:7-21

What does all this have to do with prophecy? As you know, this blog site is primarily about prophecy, is about the future God has for you, for me, for all the Christians, and for this planet earth. As you also know, we have talked about how life will become more difficult the closer we get to the return of Christ and the rapture of the church. There will be birth pains. Lawlessness will increase. There will be great apostasy. The Antichrist will rule the world. There will be great persecution. You may even be betrayed by your own family members. But what does God say you need to know to spiritually survive, to be victorious, to be able to endure to the end? Without a doubt, knowing the love of God is the main thing, the most essential thing for your life. This lesson about keeping yourself in the love of God is critically important for your life today, tomorrow and yes, in days of great tribulation. My desire is to help you grow in knowing the great love of God, at this time, and in the days and years leading up to the coming of Christ.

As you know, Paul suffered greatly for the Lord – he went through so many extremely, difficult trials. He warned us, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). But what was it that kept Paul going? It was the love of God that filled him, encouraged him, sustained him and fired him up. Might this be true for each of you as you live for the Lord, this love of God affecting, transforming, strengthening and revitalizing your life, and then overflowing and wonderfully affecting the lives of others.

Here are Paul’s words which clearly proclaim this important truth about knowing and being sustained by the love of God. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword. Just as it is written, ‘For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14