Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: Character (Page 1 of 4)

Life Lessons, What Keeps Me Going for God – Part 3

May 24, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

A Saturday Morning Post #331

I recently retired from my work as a pastor / teacher. It is at this time in my life that I want to share a number of lessons God has taught me these past 50 plus years. And personally, I will continue to apply these lessons, for I have not yet retired from serving God on this earth – that only happens when I die or am raptured. In my last two posts, I looked at 17 different truths, but there’s more to be said. So let’s continue:

18. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (Jn. 17:3). This speaks of my relationship with God, and it’s most important, for it’s foundational to my entire life, this age and the ages to come. At the heart of this relationship is believing the truth about God: knowing who He is, that He’s Creator, Lord, King, Savior, and Judge; knowing what He’s like, that He’s holy, powerful, loving, forgiving, sovereign, and good; and knowing His purpose, that He wants to raise up a people for Himself, ones who will worship and serve Him forever and ever.

Here are the key components of my relationship with God:
* Getting time alone with God on a regular basis – Luke 10:38-42
* Worshiping God – loving, praising, exalting, and thanking Him – Ps. 100
* Meditating on God’s word, thinking about what it means and how it applies to my life – Ps. 1:2
* Trusting God, having faith in Him, believing Him and His word – Ps. 62:8
* Being humble, knowing God is my Lord and that I am His servant, recognizing my need for Him, calling out to Him, and thanking Him – 1 Pet. 5:5-6
* Obeying God – knowing and keeping His commands – John 14:21, 23
* Serving God – obeying God, working and fighting for Him. 2 Tim. 4:7
* Being aware of the spiritual battle and the devil’s schemes – Eph. 6:10-13

19. “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his generation, fell asleep” (Acts 13:36). God has had a purpose He wanted me to fulfill, a reason why He created and saved me. This is seen in His plans for my life, the work He has wanted me to do. His purpose, His plans, His work hasn’t been what the world, the devil, or my flesh has wanted, but what God wanted. His plans are seen in His truths, commands, and promises. For example, there’s: Ps. 23:6 – God loves me; Mark 12:30-31 – love God and love people; Matt. 6:33 – seek God’s kingdom; Matt. 24:14 – proclaim the gospel; Matt. 28:19-20 – make disciples; John 15:16 – be fruitful; Matt. 24:31 – Christ is coming back.

20. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving Him”(1 Pet. 4:10). God is my Master, my Lord, and I am to serve Him, to work for Him. He has wanted me to serve Him in a unique way, a way unlike anyone else, and my work is part of His overall purpose for the church and overall plan for the world. What a joy to be able to serve the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God, the Lord of lords, the King of Kings, the Savior of sinners!

How has God wanted me to serve Him? How has He wanted to use me? What part of the wall has He wanted me to build? (Neh. 3)? It has related to my relationships, my family, the church, circumstances, my talents, and my spiritual gift. And we must know our gift(s), whether it’s faith, serving, teaching, exhorting, leading, giving, mercy, etc. “God has arranged the members in the body, each one of them, just as He desired” (1 Cor. 12:18). How have I known what God wanted me to do, and how can you know? By knowing God’s word, knowing His purposes, being holy, praying, getting counsel, being led by the Spirit, knowing the plans of my church, and thinking about the needs of others. Serving God and doing what He wanted me to do has been truly satisfying, motivating, and God-glorifying.

21. “I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth” (Ps. 119:13). I have learned the importance of knowing and remembering God’s word. So what have I done?
* I have learned God’s word from God Himself, and He speaks through the Holy Spirit, good Bible teachers, my wife, my friends, and good books.
* My morning routine is reading the Psalms, and an OT and NT passage.
* I keep memorizing verses, which has proved to be a great benefit to my life and God’s work.
* I regularly review my favorite verses, my life verses, which will soon be written up in the articles’ section on this blogsite.
* Most nights, I think of a verse as I go off to sleep.

22. “… though he is dead, he still speaks”(Heb. 11:4). Learning from other Christians has inspired me to be godly – and their sermons and biographies are most instructive. I find that they loved God and loved His word, and wholeheartedly served Him, and persevered in the tough times – that is, they trusted God in their trials. And God used them to preach the gospel, teach His word, and meet needs in the church. I think of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Edwards, Whitfield, Wesley, Spurgeon, Ryle, Taylor, Elliot, Lloyd-Jones, and many others. My favorite author is Iain Murray – his books are accurate, biographical, historical, and theological.

23. “Keep yourself in the love of God” (Jude 21).One of the main ways I’ve been able to keep going for God through the years is that He has helped me to abide in His love. God knows that I needed to continually feed on and be satisfied by His love, and He commanded me to do it. Here is how I have learned to do this:
* I keep reminding myself of the gospel, that God loved me, chose me, redeemed me, justified me, forgave me, reconciled me, and saved me from sin, death, and hell. The greatest demonstration of God’s love is that Christ died to pay for my sins even though I was an unworthy sinner. Rom. 5:8
* I have communion with Christians. This helps me to remember Him and His great love, and motivates me to thank Him for all He has done for me. 1 Cor. 11:23-26
* I have believed the different aspects of God’s love, that He has been good, kind, righteous, patient, forgiving, gentle, compassionate, merciful, and faithful. Col. 3:13-14
* I confess my sins to God and freshly experience His love. Ps. 51:1-13, 1 Jn. 5:5-10

* I have been satisfied by God’s love (Ps. 90:14). I have often started my day by thinking of His love for me “… proclaiming Your love in the morning.” Ps. 91:2
* I go over Bible verses on God’s love. “The Eternal Love of God” lists out over 100 verses from the Psalms on the love that God has for me and all His children.
* I take the time to meditate, to think about the love that God has for me. “We meditate on Your unfailing love.” Psalm 48:9
* I praise God for His character and for His works, for who He is and for what He has done. Ps. 9:1-2
* I have had consistent fellowship with Christians, which has given me opportunity to love them and for them to love me. Eph. 4:15-16, Heb. 10:24-25

24. “Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due time, you will reap if you do not grow weary” (Gal. 6:9). I’ve gotten weary and tired, and at times have wanted to give up. But God has helped me to persevere, to not quit. How has this happened, and how can I keep living for Him until the end of my life or the end of this age?
* I have looked to God for strength, the strength He wants to give me so I can keep doing His work. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Is. 40:28-31). “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13
* I have looked to Jesus’ example and how He suffered at the hands of sinners, He was in extreme pain and under great pressure but He didn’t give up – He persevered. Heb. 12:3
* God’s promises motivated me to keep going, for they told me it’s worth it to endure, that He will greatly and eternally bless me if I continue living for Him. Ps. 31:19, 2 Pet. 1:2-4

* God has work for me to do, a race to run, and to finish it requires endurance. I don’t stop running in the middle of a race – I keep going until I hit the tape. As Jesus said, “I brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” Jn. 17:4
* God’s word gives examples of people who persevered, who kept going until their work was done, until God’s promise was fulfilled. There’s Noah, Abraham, Job, Moses, Hannah, David, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Peter, Paul, etc. “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, you might have hope.” Rom. 15:4-5
* I have learned to take one day at a time. Thinking about all that I need to do in the days ahead is usually overwhelming, and it wears me out, and it makes me feel like giving up. You see, God designed 24-hour days for a reason and I have learned to focus on the work for that day. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps. 118:24, Matt. 6:34

* A good runner paces himself, and if he doesn’t, he won’t win the race, and he may not even finish it. I’ve learned to pace himself, to not go too fast or too slow. (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Not only that, but I don’t have the strength and stamina I had in earlier years, and I need more rest. “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
* I have fellowship with other Christians. And there are important benefits from spending time with them. There is love, prayer, comfort, wisdom, compassion, and encouragement, and these help me and motivate me to keep going. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” Rom. 12:10
* I try to stay healthy, to eat good food, exercise, and get the sleep I need. Ps. 127:2

25. I have learned the importance of hope. Having hope means knowing that God has excellent plans for me after my life on earth. It means knowing that it’s worth it to love God, and that working for God results in a fantastic future, in receiving eternal benefits and blessings. Let me sum up some of the key aspects of having hope. It means you are excited about being with Jesus, and about having no more sin, sorrow, weakness, or pain. It means you are looking forward to being perfect in every way, and being with people and in a place where there’s amazing love, wonderful worship, and perfect fellowship. It means you are expecting to be in heaven with other believers, and being rewarded, receiving a brand-new body, and reigning with Christ during the 1000-year kingdom age. “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.” Rom. 15:13

We have looked at 25 lessons that I believe are vitally important for you to learn if you are you to live rightly for God during your stay on earth. I’ve not learned these in a day or a week or a year, but over the course of many years, in a lifetime of being with Jesus and being in God’s word and being in good churches and being with godly believers. Might God help you to listen to Him and to learn from Him and to love Him and to live for Him in the way that He desires. “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.” Psalm 119:33

P.S. Learning from God is what you must do to live the life that He has planned out for you. I am so thankful that God has been my Teacher, the best Teacher in the world. If you have not done so already, then I encourage you to read Life Lessons 1 and Life Lessons 2.

Life Lessons, What Keeps Me Going for God – Part 2

May 8, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #330 ~

The most important thing in the world is knowing God and His love and then loving Him and living for Him. But what does this look like? Why is this so important? How does this happen? This post is Part 2 of “Life Lessons”, the lessons and principles God has been teaching me over the past 52 years about how I can know Him and keep living for Him. Last time we looked at these lessons: 1. God is first and foremost, 2. Getting with God, 3. Knowing God, 4. The church, 5. My wife, 6. Close friends, 7. Learning from others, 8. Humility, 9. God’s sovereignty, 10. Knowing God’s love. Let’s continue —

11. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). God’s word has been foundational – I wouldn’t have successfully made it in the Christian life without it. Every day, I look forward to getting time with God and learning from His word (Ps. 42:1-2, 119:92-94). God’s word has told me who I am in Christ. It has told me how to love God and love people. It has given me direction. It has encouraged me when I am discouraged. It has helped me stay away from bad people. It has given me hope – it tells me what will happen in these end-times and in the kingdom age to come. Matt. 4:4

Three words sum up the nature, the essence of God’s word. There are truths I’ve believed, like “God is holy”, “God is good”, and the “Gospel, that Jesus alone takes away my sins”. There are commands that must be obeyed, that tell me what God wants me to do, commands like “love God”, “trust in the Lord”, and “pray for one another”. God’s commands have been absolutely essential, for they have helped me do what’s right, and to stay on track for God (Ps. 119:47-48a). There are promises based on God’s truths, and they must be believed. Here are some of my favorites: Ps. 23:6, Ps. 32:8, Ps. 85:12, Matt. 6:33, Heb. 10:37

12. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). This is the great commandment, the most important commandment. God is my Creator, Lord, Savior, and King, and He alone deserves to be worshiped, to be greatly and wholeheartedly loved. Loving God is what I should do, and what I have done, but not by any means perfectly. And it’s by God’s grace that I have learned to love Him more and more.

How have I loved God? By praising Him, thanking Him, singing to Him, and rejoicing in Him (Ps. 18:1). I have loved God by not loving idols, by not loving worldly things (1 Jn. 2:15). I have loved God by loving people (Jn. 15:12). I have loved God by obeying Him – and if I’m not obeying God, then I’m not loving Him (Jn. 14:21). And His perfect and continual love has motivated me to love Him. 1 John 4:19

13. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). I’ve loved God by loving people. And I’ve learned that I can have a “good time with God” in the morning, but if I don’t love people, I’m a noisy gong or a clanging symbol (1 Cor. 13:1-3). I’m not talking about phileo love, which can be a component of our love, but agape love, a giving and sacrificial love (Eph. 5:1-2). To love people has meant being humble, thinking of others as more important than myself, thinking about what others are going through, of listening to them as they talk about their concerns, relationships, trials, work, etc. Phil. 2:3-4

Loving people has meant loving them with humility, compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and devotion (1 Cor. 13:4-8, Col. 3:13-14). It has meant loving those who don’t love me and those who are hard to love. It has meant having fellowship with believers and encouraging them. It has meant sharing God’s word with people and praying for them, two important ways to love them (Eph. 4:14). It has meant initiating with the saved and the lost – I don’t wait for them to call me, I reach out to them.

14. “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25). One of the best things a person can do for others is to pray for them, and I’ve learned to ask people to pray for me. Ex. 17:8-13 talks of Joshua defeating the Amalekites, and it’s because Moses was asking God for the victory, and because Aaron and Hur lifted up Moses’ tiring arms. Marsha and my children have faithfully prayed for me, and a few others have also consistently been praying for me, specifically at key times and in teaching God’s word. Eph. 6:19-20

15. “Trust in Him at all times.” Ps. 62:8. Before God saved me, I was fearful and anxious. But God has helped me to trust Him, to depend on Him, to have faith in Him – and it’s knowing His character that has helped me to trust Him and then experience His peace. “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You” (Ps. 9:10). Eph. 2:8-9 says it was by faith that I was saved. Heb. 11:6 says by faith I have believed God wants to bless me and therefore seek Him. John 11:40 says that by faith I have seen God’s glory. Mark 11:22-24

Having faith means I’m not living the Christian life by how I feel, by my emotions. “Walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). There are times when I don’t feel like doing what God wants me to do, but I’ve learned to obey Him whether I feel like it or not. Jesus didn’t feel like dying for our sins, but He trusted His Father and did what He wanted Him to do. Luke 22:42

“For a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6-7). Like all of us, I’ve had trials – family, relational, church, health, financial, etc. They have been difficult, and some extremely so. But they are necessary for God’s purposes, and for my faith, which is more “precious than gold.” And faith is necessary to have hope, to believe that trials are worth it, to know that I’ll be glorified at the “revelation of Christ,” that I’ll see and be with Christ, and praise Him like never before. Rev. 7:9-12

16. “Like the holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” (1 Pet. 1:15). God is perfectly holy, and He wants me to be holy. I’ve learned to recognize specific sins in my thoughts, words, and actions, sins like fear, anger, jealousy, pride, and selfishness. I’ve had to resist the devil, to say no to temptation and sin. I’ve learned that to be holy, I need God’s word and prayer. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word” (Ps. 119:9). And if I sin, and I’ve sinned a lot through the years, I’ve learned to confess my sins and freshly receive God’s forgiveness, and quickly get up from my sin and keep on living for God. Ps. 51:10-19, Pr. 24:16

I’ve learned that I must be holy to obey God and do His work. 2 Tim. 2:21 talks of being a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” And actively working for God helps me stay holy, for it’s when I’m lazy and just sitting around that I more easily succumb to temptation and sin. Most importantly, I know that I need to be holy to have a close walk, an intimate relationship with God. Heb. 12:14

17. “Life and death is in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Prov. 18:21). I’ve learned about righteous, fruitful speech. I’ve learned to have good speech, to speak for God, to talk rightly, and to teach His word. A carpenter builds with his hands, and I’ve learned to build people with my speech. By God’s grace I can speak in a godly way and make a real difference in a person’s life. Prov. 10:13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 31, 32

I’ve learned that my speech is not neutral, that I affect people by what I say, and that negative words can really hurt a person. I’ve learned the importance of having positive, kind, patient, and encouraging speech (Eph, 4:15), and of having precise and timely speech – saying the right words at the right time and in the right way (Pr. 25:11). I’ve learned the importance of not saying everything that’s on my mind, of holding my tongue. Pr. 21:23

I’ve learned that I need to listen to people, and then I know what to say (Jms. 1:19). I’ve learned the importance of not talking too much, of not dominating a conversation. Eph. 4:29 has been a challenging and necessary verse – “Let no unwholesome speech come from your mouth but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

I am so thankful that God saved me, and has loved me, blessed me, protected me, and been teaching me valuable life lessons. We need them for the entirety of our lives, and especially now that we are in the end-times and can see that Christ is coming soon. “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end” (Ps. 119:33). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8

P.S. I am continuing to stress the importance of knowing how we should live for God in these end-times. That is, we must know what God is going to do, but also know what we are to do. Here’s a key article about your conduct and role in these days leading up to Christ’s coming – “The Excellent End-Times’ Worker.”

Life Lessons, What Keeps Me Going for God – Part 1

April 24, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #329 ~

I just retired from serving as a pastor, something I have done since 1979. What a blessing, what a great privilege and honor to have been able to work for God in this way, especially in the area of teaching God’s word, and specifically with regards to Christ’s 1st coming and 2nd coming. My purpose in the next few posts is to share lessons I have learned that have helped me to keep going for God through all the years. I am passing them on to you because I want you to clearly understand how you can persevere for God in the end-times, in these last years leading up to Christ’s return to rapture the church.

1. “One thing is necessary.” Luke 10:38-42 tells us that Martha was busy doing all these things, but Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. The lesson is that I must be like Mary – God must be first and foremost in my life (“The Lord is my portion” – Ps. 119:57). And God has helped me to love Him, to live for Him, to seek Him, to trust Him, to be satisfied by Him, and to put Him first, in family, finances, church, work, etc. Ps. 27:4-5, Mark 12:30

2. “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a lonely place and prayed” (Mk. 1:35). Ps. 42:2 says, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God.” This is the practical outworking of the first point. God has motivated me to get up in the morning and spend time with Him, and without question, this is the most important and favorite part of my day, the best thing I’ve done over the years. When I get with God, I read His word, pray to Him, enjoy Him, learn from Him, am strengthened by Him, and I am led by Him. 

3. “Let him who boasts, boast of this, that He understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth” (Jer. 9:23-24).This is about knowing the character of God. Back in the 1970’s I read a life-changing book by A.W. Tozer on God’s character. Knowing His character, that He is holy, just, powerful, loving, forgiving, patient, wise, faithful, sovereign, etc., has been a key ingredient in being a growing, healthy, persevering Christian. My ABC’s

4. “Seek to abound for the edification of the church.” 1 Cor. 14:12. A necessary part of my life has been going to church every Sunday, unless I’m sick or on vacation. For the past 50+ years, God has always, year after year after year, provided a good church for me. When I say church, I mean a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, Christ-glorifying church, one filled with true believers who love God, love Jesus Christ, love God’s word, and love one another. Being with believers, and worshiping together, learning God’s word, and being mutually encouraged, has been absolutely essential to my progress and joy.

5. “Enjoy life with the woman you love all the days of your life.” Eccl. 9:9. I love my wife, and I know she loves me. “He who finds a wife finds what is good…” (Pr. 18:22). In God’s wisdom and goodness, and for His purposes and glory, God has given me a wife who’s perfect for me. She’s a great helper, encourage, counselor, and she supports me and prays for me more than anyone else. Where I’m at today is due in large part to having an incredibly wonderful wife. I’m so thankful that God picked her for me!

6. “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Prov. 18:24. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know hundreds of Christians, from Iowa to Maryland to Florida. But this is about having a few close, devoted, and faithful friends, ones you can always talk to and who are always there for you. For sure, it’s been my wife and children. Then there’s my physical brother Jeff who is also my spiritual brother. There’s Mike, a very close friend and gifted teacher who I met in Ames, Iowa in the late ’70’s. And there’s Steve and Vickie, good and faithful friends of both my wife and I for close to 40 years. These precious friends, gifts from God, have been an important part of His work in my life!

7. “Join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Phil. 3:17). I have learned from many believers through the years. There was Abe, the faith-filled leader of a Sunday School class, and Wayne, a man with solid, word-based convictions, and Rick who exhorted me, “fulfill your ministry”, and Brent whose example of getting times alone with God motivated me to do the same, and Roger who, when I was facing opposition, encouraged me to teach the whole truth of God, and Marv and John who, by their good example, motivated me to teach God’s word more than anyone else. All these men loved God, loved His word, and loved His people. What I learned from them had a profound, lasting effect on me and my ministry!

8. “Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10). Being humble means knowing God is my Creator, Lord, and Savior. Being humble means knowing that God is my primary and ultimate authority, and then doing not what I want but what He wants. God has used His word, trials, relationships, being sick, and others’ examples to make and keep me humble. Humility is telling God, “I need You, apart from You I am nothing and can do nothing – You get all the glory” (Ps. 115:1). Humility has been a means to my salvation, my spiritual growth, having faith, receiving grace, loving others, having good friends, and being where I am at today.

9. “Man plans his way and the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). God is sovereign, He is in control, He reigns over all things and all people. I began learning the practicality and glories of God’s sovereignty in the 1990’s, and it has had a major and super-positive impact on my life. God saves people, and He determines who is saved. He does what He wants with this world, with the countries, and with the leaders, including our President. He is in charge of the weather, the storms, and even calamities. He leads Israel and the church, and He directs my life, your life, and the life of every person in the world.

Now that I’m older, it’s easier to look back and see God’s sovereign work. God was sovereign over my father’s death in 1961, being saved in 1972, moving to Maryland in 1983, being married in 1986, being blessed with four children, being gifted to teach in 1993, moving to Tampa in 1999 and being here for the past 26 years, and now moving once again. Knowing the truth and the outworking of God’s sovereignty has been most beneficial to my life. Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:28, Eph. 1:11-12, James 4:13-15

10. A major reason I’ve been able to keep going for God through the years is His love for me. Here are some thoughts about His love:
– God’s love is based on Christ’s death and resurrection, with the result that I have been forgiven, have eternal life, am holy, am a child of God, and have a glorious future.
– God’s love has been personal, powerful, continual, and effective in my life.
– God’s love is multifaceted and is seen in that He’s been forgiving, patient, gentle, compassionate, faithful, and perfectly wise in all His dealings with me.
– God’s love is shown in that He constantly thinks about me, cares for me, talks to me, helps me, protects me, strengthens me, and gives me everything I need.

There are many verses about God’s love that feed and fuel my soul. “Surely goodness and love follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). “Your love is better than life” (Ps. 63:3). “Your love toward me is great, and You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol” (Ps. 86:13). “Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days” (Ps. 90:14). “In Your unfailing love, preserve my life, that I may keep Your commands” (Ps. 119:88). “Neither height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord” (Rom. 8:39). “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 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 4:9-10). Amen.

P.S. My purpose in these posts is two-fold, to help you know what is going to happen, and to help you know how you should live. And the Bible is filled with truths about how you should live, and you must learn and know them in your heart. “How Then Should We Live in the End-times” summarizes the character and the conduct that God wants you to have.

The Great and Wonderful Love of God

February 14, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #297 ~

If you are a child of God, if God is your heavenly Father, then you are greatly, personally, and forever loved by Him. God wants you to know and experience His love every day of the week and every year of your life. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). “Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.” Psalm 90:14

If you are not satisfied by God’s love, then you will look to people or things in the world. That will not be good for you and will not bring glory to God. So go after God, seek Him, and make it your goal for your soul to know and be satisfied by His love. Then you will love God and love others and be able to joyfully carry out His plans for your life. Then you can make it through the tough times and these end-times. And then you will greatly glorify your God and Father.

I have written up a long list of Bible verses on God’s love. They are in my most recent article on this blog site. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing these truths about love, thinking about them, and seeing them impact your life on earth. Listed below are several thoughts about love from these verses.

1. The greatest demonstration of God’s love for you is seen in Christ’s death on the cross, in that He was punished to pay the penalty for all your sins, and that God the Father was perfectly and forever satisfied by what His Son did for you.
2. The love of God is based on the truth of God.
3. God’s word gives you a great amount of information about God’s love.
4. God’s love for you began in eternity past and will continue into eternity future.

5. There is never a gap, a break in God’s love – it is constant and continual.
6. Ask God to show you His love so you can know His love.
7. Never expect or depend on a person to love you, but do expect and depend on God to love you.
8. God’s love is seen in many ways: it is good, kind, gentle, forgiving, patient, and compassionate.
9. Keep thanking God for His amazing and incredible love for you.

10. God’s love is shown in that He thinks about you, speaks to you, and works for you.
11. Knowing God’s love is one of the most important keys to loving people.
12. Singing about God’s love is good for your soul.
13. Being filled with God’s love is necessary to be fruitful and blessed.
14. You need to rely on and be satisfied by God’s love every day of your life. You may start the day with a cup of coffee but you must start the day with God’s love.

15. You see God’s love dimly during this life, but you will see it much more clearly and fully after your life on earth, when you are with Him in heaven.
16. God expresses His love to you in many ways. He loves you by giving you His Spirit, by being with you, by never leaving you, by providing for you, by leading you, by protecting you, by spiritually blessing you, by physically blessing you, by speaking to you through His word, by using you for His purposes, by giving you Christian fellowship, and by giving you hope.

17. Its vitally important to keep yourself in God’s love (Jude 21). You do this by: spending time with God, and for more than just a few minutes a day; meditating on verses about love; remembering what Christ did for you on the cross; loving God; obeying God; being filled with the Spirit; believing the truth of God’s love; having communion with Christians; confessing  your sins to God; being thankful; sharing God’s love with others; and having fellowship with Christians.

18. Remember how God loved you in the past; focus on His love for you today; and think about how He will love you in the future, especially when you are in heaven.
19. A key to perseverance, to not giving up, is thinking about the personal and never-stopping, never-ending love of God.
20. God loves you even when you do not feel like He loves you. Never gauge His love for you by how you feel, by your emotional state, or by the kind of day you are having.

21. That God made you and then made you His child is a good and powerful sign of His love for you.
22. God’s love is true, unfathomable, incomprehensible, infinite, and eternal.
23. You cannot love God and love the world – they do not mix. If you love God, you are not loving the world, and if you love the world, you are not loving God.
24. Disobeying God means you are not being led by and filled up with His love.

25. One way to know God’s love is seeing how He is sovereign over your life.
26. God’s caring and compassionate love is really needed when you are going through troublesome and trying times.
27. The more you know God loves you, the more you will work and fight for Him.
28. Great tribulation, great persecution, is coming upon this earth. But during this time, nothing will keep you from God’s encouraging and comforting love.

29. Many of the verses I have listed in Article 52 are about David. I believe he is our best human example in the Bible of one who knew the love of God. Learn about God’s love by reading the Psalms and learning from David’s life.
30. The more you know and walk in God’s love, the more you will glorify God.

P.S. This is Valentine’s Day, a day that focuses on human love. But as Christians, we must focus on God’s love. I strongly encourage you to read and print out the verses on God’s love that are in my recent article, “The Love of God”, and then take the time to think about them. And pass them on to family and friends.

Working for God While Waiting for Christ

September 2, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #284 ~

[A much more detailed article covering the same subject about work has just been posted. I would encourage you to read that too.]

In these end-times, we are to work for God while we wait for Christ. And God has much work that He wants to do and wants us to do before He sends His Son back to earth. What a privilege to work for God in the last years of this church age. Jesus told us, “Do business with this until I come.” Luke 19:13, Mark 13:33-34

God gives many stories about people doing His work. Noah built the ark, Moses led the Israelites, Joshua commanded an army, David was a king, Nehemiah built a wall, Jesus was our Savior, Mary was His mother, Paul was a preacher, etc. Now we are getting close to the end of this age, and we should be super motivated to do the work God wants us to do before Christ comes back to earth.

Today, we will be looking at several Bible passages that speak about work:
Luke 17:7-10. “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” (Lk. 17:19). Working for God isn’t doing whatever you want whenever you want. God is your Master and you are His slave, and you are to be doing His work all the time. And don’t expect God to thank you – you’re His slave, and when you work for Him, you’re doing what you ought to do.

Colossians 3:22-24. “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” God is your perfect and supreme Master, and you’re His slave, and He is always watching you work. Work isn’t just an 8-4 or 9-5 job – it’s working for God all the time and in “whatever you do.” It can be physical work like mowing the yard, or it can be mental work like working in an office, or it can be spiritualwork like sharing the gospel. All these are examples of working for God.

Working for God when you are on earth results in heavenly and eternal rewards. “From the Lord you will receive the reward of your inheritance” (Col. 3:24, 1 Cor. 3:8). You are to wholeheartedly work for God, for it pleases Him, blesses others, and results in you being richly rewarded. Matt. 6:6, Rev. 22:12

Luke 12:13-21. You’re to think about work from a godly, eternal perspective, and not be like unbelievers who work from a fleshly, temporal perspective.
1. An unbeliever is selfish. He works and makes money for himself.
2. An unbeliever invests money for his retirement, and he stores up possessions. But he doesn’t think about the state of his sinful soul, and if he doesn’t repent while he’s on earth, then he will be punished forever and severely in hell.

3. Believers are to work to make money for their needs, other’s needs, and for God’s purposes. “By working hard… you must help the weak… ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:33-35
4. It’s prudent to save money for the future. But never put your hope in money. Put your hope in God and use the money you have for the lives of others and for His glory. This is your best investment, and the returns are out of this world.
5. Don’t retire like unbelievers who want to “take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19). You may retire from a job where you’re making money, but you are to never retire from working for God. Acts 13:36, 20:24, 28:30-31

Ephesians 2:8-10. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
1. You are not saved by your “good” works, but you are saved by God’s grace, and one reason you are saved is so that by God’s grace you can do good works.
2. You are created in Christ Jesus. Don’t be like an unbeliever working at a job for his own good and his own glory, but work for God and His glory. 1 Cor. 10:31 – “Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

3. You are God’s workmanship. God made you just the way He wants you to be, giving you abilities when you were born and spiritual gifts when you were born again. “May … God … equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ.” Heb. 13:20-21
4. The work you do for God is good work. It’s work that is needed, beneficial, and important, whether it’s for your family, the church, your country, or the world.

5. God knew and planned all these good works in eternity past.
6. Christians are to walk in these good works. As you go through life, you will discover and do the work God planned for you. Pray, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Ps. 143:10, Pr. 16:9

Here are several other important principles about work:
* Serve the Lord with gladness. Ps. 100:1
* Work by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7
* Work hard. Mark 12:30, 2 Tim 2:6, 1 Cor. 15:10, 2 Chron. 31:20-21
* Have a mind to work. Neh. 4:6

* You must be holy to do the work of God. 2 Tim. 2:20-21
* Doing God’s work is a primary reason you are living. Ps. 40:8, John 17:4
* The work God wants you to do is unique, is special. Ps. 139:13-16
* Working with others is usually better than working alone. Eccl. 4:9

* God wants you to be satisfied with the results of your work. Prov. 12:14
* You must persevere to fulfill all the work God wants you to do. Col. 1:9-12
* God wants you to rest. Mark 1:35
* Finish all the work God wants you to do. 2 Tim. 4:7, Acts 13:36
* Glorify God by doing all the work He wants you to do. John 17:4

It’s very encouraging to work for God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son. Be thankful that you can do the work They want you to do, work that has eternal value, that is a blessing to you and others, and that relates directly to Christ’s coming. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10

P.S. “I delight to do Thy will” (Ps. 48:8). I pray that work for God and love to work for God. Here are two detailed articles that tell you most everything you need to know about work: “The Excellent End-Times’ Worker” and “Wholeheartedly Working for God in the End-Times.”

Hope is Having Faith For the Future

July 8, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #280 ~

When it comes to the truths about Christ’s 2nd coming, many Christians don’t know them, or are confused, or have a simplistic view, or just don’t believe them. Some aren’t even interested in what God has clearly told us in His word about the return of our Lord. This should not be! Christ Himself repeatedly told us that He’s coming back to earth, along with many other things that need to happen before and after His return. Luke 21:27

Luke 18:8 addresses this issue of knowing and believing these truths with a question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” This word “faith” is a noun. And a person who knows and believes the truths of God’s word has faith, has convictions, is convinced that what God says is true. Hebrews 11:1

God’s word is filled with truths that we must believe. Most doctrinal statements list a set of foundational truths, ones about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, man, salvation, the word, the church, and hope (Eph. 4:4-6). In Luke 18:8, Christ emphasizes the need for us to have faith when He comes, the need to believe these basic truths. Having a complete, comprehensive faith is essential if we are to be mature Christians, if we are to live strongly and effectively for God in the final, most difficult years of the end-times.

Since the faith spoken of in Luke 18:8 is in the context of Christ’s coming, then it must include the truths about our hope. On this blog site we’ve talked extensively about this hope: Christ is coming back, there will be true justice, we will be given new bodies, we will be in heaven with Christ and fellow believers, we will receive rewards, we will reign with Christ over this earth, a large remnant of Jews will be saved and ruling with Christ from Jerusalem, etc.

So how about you? Will you have a solid faith when Christ returns? Do you know and believe all these basic truths, including hope? If you do, then you will be excitedly loving Christ, living for Christ, and looking forward to seeing Him. You won’t be worldly, you will be living a holy, godly life, you will “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Romans 13:12-14

Do you also know what will be happening before Christ comes back? Do you know about the birth pains, the false Christs, Daniel’s 70th week, the Antichrist, great tribulation, and the signs in the heavens? Do you know that they precede Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church? The faith of a good Christian soldier must include these timely truths. It’s vital that you learn all God’s word, including eschatology – God’s truths, plans, and promises about the last years of this earth. How can you successfully keep going for God if you don’t realize we are in the end-times, if you are scarcely schooled in these truths about the future, if you don’t understand what will be taking place in the years ahead?

A problem for many Christians is that they’re not in a good, end-times’ teaching church, they’re not being taught by a hope-full pastor, one who is teaching the word in view of Christ’s appearing and kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1-2). A pastor’s preaching must be centered on the gospel of Christ and in light of the fact that Christ is returning to rapture the church and establish His kingdom on earth. Bible preaching has more power and relevance when it’s done in view of Christ’s 1st coming and 2nd coming. Hebrews 9:27-28

I can’t overstate the importance of being in a solid, big-picture, hope-preaching church. But it’s not just the teaching – it’s relationships, it’s having good fellowship, it’s “encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). It’s also working together, making disciples with Jesus’ promise in mind – “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

Some Christians say they are not premillennial, that they don’t believe Christ is coming back to set up His 1000-year kingdom on earth. They say they’re amillennial, and that what I’m saying is wrong. If you believe this way, I encourage you to read my articles that address this error of amillennialism. It’s titled, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part One”, and there’s Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Faith has been the primary subject of these past three posts – faith that prays for justice, faith that trusts God, and today, faith that believes the foundational truths of God, including the truths about, about the glorious future God has for you. I cannot stress enough your need for a strong, vibrant faith, a key ingredient in your Christian life, now and until the end. Remember what Paul said before he died – “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, and I have finished the course.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Hear what Jesus told us in Matthew 24 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). Do you see what Jesus said? He’s strongly and unequivocally stating the enduring, eternal authority of God’s word. He’s reminding us of its critical importance, for it’s the basis of our faith. Do you also see that He purposely placed this verse in the middle of what I believe is the most important end-times’ chapter in the Bible? Why? Because He wants you to know that all truth is extremely important, including the truth about our hope. God knew that many people would be doubters and deniers when it comes to the truth about end-times’ prophecy. So He gave us Matt. 24:35, a huge exclamation point warning us to wake up, to take heed, to study and believe these truths about Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church. To emphasize this even further, two other eschatological chapters contain the exact same verse – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33, Mark 13:31

Now’s the time to learn what God wants you to know about the future. Why wait? I encourage you to study Dan. 7, Dan. 9:24-27, Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 17:22-37, Luke 21:5-36, 1 Thess. 4:13 – 5:11, 2 Thess. 1:5-10, 2 Thess. 2:1-12, 2 Peter 3:3-13, and Revelation. Because we live in the end-times, this truth is no longer a secondary doctrine – it’s a primary doctrine. I can’t overstate the significance of God’s prophetic word at this time in history. Finally, hear Jesus’ admonition – “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mark 13:23). Do you want to know everything Christ wants you to know about the end-times, His coming, the rapture, and the 1000-year kingdom age? I pray that you say yes!

P.S. Whether you physically die before Christ’s return or are raptured, God wants you to have faith. Jesus commands us, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). Here are two articles that also talk about the kind of Christian God wants you to be: “Your Spiritual Service: a Member of the Special Forces”, and “The Excellent End-Times’ Worker.”

When Christ Comes, Will He Find Faith on the Earth? Luke 18:8

June 23, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #279 ~

What a convicting, challenging, instructive verse! There will be birth pains in the end-times – wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues – and Christians need faith. This is especially true in those last few years before the coming of Christ, for that devilish Antichrist will be ruling the earth and Christians will be greatly persecuted. But no matter when we live, we need faith to walk with God, to be strong, and to carry out His work. The truths I am sharing with you about faith are for every Christian, now and in the future.

* What is faith? It means you are looking to God, you are seeking Him. (Ps. 105:4, Heb. 11:6). It means you are trusting God – you are believing Him, depending on Him, and you are not trusting yourself, others, or idols. The result is that you are spiritually connected to God, you have this relationship with Him. A person who has faith is humble, he knows that he needs God, that he can’t live without Him (Ps. 34:4-10). A person who has faith is trusting God’s word, for it’s the basis of faith, and a key for growing in faith. He’s believing God’s truth, obeying His commands, and believing His promises. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.” Psalm 56:3-4

* Faith is essential. It’s not optional. In fact, God commands you to have faith: “Have faith in God.” (Mk. 11:23). Just as you need food to physically live, so too you need faith to spiritually live. Your entire Christian life is to be lived by faith. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Gal. 5:6). “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). “… He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Eph. 3:16-19). Faith is the only way you can be saved, can please God, can be strong, can know Christ and His love, can do His work, and can be rewarded. “We walk by faith and not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

* Keys to faith: a) God’s word: “Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). When God’s word is in your heart, then the Spirit enables you to believe, to have faith in God. b) God’s character: “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You” (Ps. 9:10). You must know who God is and what He is like if you are to trust Him, to rely on Him. c) Humility: “As for the proud one, his soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith.” A humble person is needy and knows that only God can meet his needs, and so he trusts Him. d) Examples of others: “In speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:11). Learn about faith by observing the lives of godly people. e) Examples in God’s word: “By faith Abel… By faith Enoch… By faith Abraham… By faith Isaac… By faith Moses” (Heb. 11). You can also learn from the many Biblical examples of people who had faith. f) Prayer: “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mk 9:24). As a believer, you have faith, but you need to ask God to take away your unbelief and give you more faith.

* Faith, little faith, and great faith. In the gospels, Jesus talks about these three kinds of faith. Little-faith people are usually spiritually young, fearful, worried, or self-centered (Matt. 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 17:20). We all begin the Christian life with a little faith, but should we not become ones who have great faith? There is no doubt that God wants you to keep growing in faith so that you have great faith. Matthew 8:10, 15:28

* You are in the school of faith. The gospels give all these stories of Jesus teaching His disciples to have faith. Yes, they failed, but Jesus was patient with them, and they learned. (Matt. 6:30, 8:5-13, 8:23-27, 9:20-23, 9:26-33, 14:25-33, 15:21-28, 16:8, 17:14-17; Luke 5:17-20, 7:36-50, 8:49-56, 17:11-19; John 9:35-38, 11:25-26). This abundance of stories about faith is evidence of its immense importance. Without question, God is teaching you to have faith, and He’s the perfect teacher, using relationships, work, trials, weaknesses, sickness, persecution, etc. Learn from Him, for He’s daily teaching you to trust Him – “… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Get your eyes off yourself and look to the Master and believe Him. 

* Trials are designed to build your faith. Though trials can be difficult and distressing, you must understand that they are necessary. (1 Pet. 1:6-7). Trials are one of the primary ways God teaches you about faith, and about persevering faith. “The testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-12). He has designed trials to make you realize that you can’t get through life on your own strength. “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). You need God every single day. “Trust in God at all times” (Ps. 62:8). Instead of relying on yourself, rely on God, abide in Him, always be looking to Him for the strength you need.

* The result of faith is life, eternal life. By faith, Christ dwells in your heart and then lives through you. Like Enoch, you will walk with God and have a close relationship with Him. You will be filled with the Spirit and have all the power you need to live the Christian life. You will be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. You will have everything you need pertaining to life and godliness – you will be a partaker of the divine nature, sharing in the very life and purpose of Christ. The result of faith is a godly and supernatural life – there’s character, wisdom, endurance, and eternal blessings, and a most satisfying, God-glorifying life. James 1:2-12, 1 Pet. 1:5-7, Rom. 5:3-5, Gal. 2:20, Gal. 5:22

* The importance of persevering faith. Prophecy passages warn us about great evil and great tribulation in the end times – and none of us can imagine how extremely hard it will be. The key to living for God in these days is persevering faith. It’s continually trusting and relying on God, whether it’s for your daily bread, or because family members have turned against you, or because you are about to be martyred. It’s your faith in God that enables you to keep loving and living for Him no matter how you feel or how difficult it is. By faith, you won’t give up, you’ll keep rejoicing, you’ll keep sharing the gospel, you’ll keep loving the saints, you’ll persevere until you die or are raptured. And you’ll also be asking God for justice, for you know that the Lord Jesus will be coming soon to rapture the believers, pour out His wrath, and reign over this world. Remember these verses – “Do not fret because of evil men… for like the grass why will soon wither… Trust in the Lord and do good” (Ps. 37:1-3). No matter what happens, trust and do good!

* A key aspect of faith is hope, is believing God’s word about the future. Having hope means you’re expecting God to bless you after you leave earth and are in heaven. This hope, this conviction that God has an amazing future for you, is an essential component for being able to live successfully for the Lord in the end-times. Learn from the believers spoken of in Hebrews 11 – they persevered, they kept believing that God would fulfill His promises to them about the life to come. And for the Christian, what is this hope, what are some of His promises to you about the future? You will see Jesus, be with other believers, be in heaven, be glorified, be greatly rewarded, and reign with Christ over this earth. Job 19:25-27, 1 Cor. 15:42-44, Col. 3:23-24, Heb.12:22-24, Rev. 5:10

* The most important result of faith is that God will be glorified. Whatever you go through, it’s for God’s glory – and the key to seeing God’s glory is believing Him. Jesus told us, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God” (Luke 11:4, 40). Your ultimate purpose is not about you, but about God being exalted and glorified. Believe in God, and you’ll see His glory on earth and when you are in heaven. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13

Whether you are alive at the coming of Christ or not, you must have faith. I cannot overemphasize the necessity and importance of faith. And let me say – now is the time to grow in faith, to be going from a little-faith person to a great-faith person. Be learning God’s word, be humble, grow in your knowledge of Christ, be passing the tests of faith, learn from others, and keep asking God for more faith. Indeed, it’s a great time to be alive! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understand, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight” all the way to heaven. Proverbs 3:5-6

P.S. We do so many things to physically take care of ourselves, but might you be tending to your spiritual needs, and faith in God is one of your greatest needs. Here are two more posts I would encourage you to read: “You Need Hope to Get Through Life”, and “Don’t Get Mad at the Government – Trust God.”

Working Hard for God in the End-Times

March 11, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #271 ~

We are living in the end-times and, therefore, are end-times’ workers for God. What a privilege, what an opportunity to work for God at this time in history, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). The Bible is filled with examples of people doing God’s work. Noah built an ark; Abraham was the father of the Jews; Moses led the Jewish people out of Egypt; Ruth was the great-grandmother of David; David was a king; Nehemiah built a wall; Esther helped save the Jews; Mary was Jesus’ mother; Anna prayed; most importantly, Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead; Paul wrote epistles; Paul’s nephew warned Paul about being killed, etc. What about you? What is the work God wants you to do?

“We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). It can’t get any clearer – God has work for you to do. It’s good work. It’s work God wants you to do. It’s work He planned out in eternity past. It’s work you can do – God is enabling you to do the work He wants you to do. “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” (Phil. 2:12-13). Be glad and excited that you can do God’s work, that which has spiritual significance, that which eternally affects people’s lives, that which is part of God’s plan to bring about Christ’s coming, and that which will be greatly rewarded.

How do you know what this work is? What are some of the principles and keys to knowing and fulfilling God’s purposes, the work He has planned out for you?
1. Seek the Lord. Ask Him to show you exactly what He wants you to do. “Teach me the way in which I should walk… Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.” Psalm 143:8, 10
2. Be holy. To do God’s work, you must be a holy vessel. “If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21
3. Be humble. Be willing to do whatever God wants you to do. “Here am I, send me!” Isaiah 6:8
4. Give yourself to God, body, mind, soul, and spirit. “Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:13, 12:1

5. Be in a good church and do your part. “… grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part…” Ephesians 4:15-16
6. Use your spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives you gifts, spiritual abilities, so you can do God’s work. “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 4:10-11
7. Obey God’s commands, for they specifically tell you the work you are to do. For example – “Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,… contributing to the needs of saints, practicing hospitality…” Romans 12:9-21
8. Be sensitive to God’s leading, to the leading of the Holy Spirit. “All who are being led by the Spirit, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14

9. Work hard. Be diligent. Don’t be lazy. Have a mind to work. “The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.” 2 Tim. 2:6; Neh. 4:6; Prov. 6:6-11, 10:4
10. Persevere, do not grow weary or give up, for then you will accomplish God’s work. “As for you, be strong, and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chron. 15:7, Galatians 6:9
11. Learn from godly examples, from Jesus, Noah, Jacob, Moses, Hezekiah, Paul, John, etc. “In everything that he (Hezekiah) undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21   
12. Work with others. Don’t be a loner. Be a team player. “Two are better than one, for they have a good return for their labor.” Eccl. 4:9, Colossians 4:7-17

13. Do not love the world, and do not worry about the little things of life. Be praying – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Be seeking – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
14. Never retire from God’s work. At the right time, retire from your job, your place of employment, but keep working for God until the day He takes you home. “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.” Acts 13:36
15. Always work for the glory of God. It’s not about you but about God and His glory. “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
16. Your work is “whatever you do.” Your work is spiritual, not secular or spiritual. It may be shopping, washing dishes, working at a job, reading the Bible, praying, sharing the gospel, having lunch with a friend, etc. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than for men…” Colossians 3:23
17. God rewards your work, everything you do for Him. “I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev. 22:12). “Each one will receive his own reward for his own labor.” 1 Corinthians 3:8

What a blessing that we can work for God! And God has special work for you to do at this time in history, work that is part of His grand and global plan leading to Christ’s return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and establish His kingdom on earth. Let me conclude with my favorite verses on this subject: “Do business with this until I come” (Luke 19:13). “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do” (John 17:4). Might you “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus” has given you. Acts 20:24

P.S. Here at the end of this church age we are running the last leg of this marathon relay, and might we be running for God. Jesus is cheering you on, waiting for you at the finish line. Might He say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). Here are two more posts on working for God: “Do Business Until I Come Back”, and “Working for God While Waiting for Christ.”

The Day of the LORD – God’s Righteous Wrath

August 12, 2022 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #254 ~

The whole world will be judged! That’s what God tells us, that’s what she deserves, and that’s what’s going to happen! Isaiah and Paul call it the “Day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13:6, 1 Thess. 5:2). John the Baptist says it’s the “wrath to come” (Luke 3:7). And this wrath won’t be a super volcano, global flooding, a nuclear war, EMP’s, or any combination of these things, but rather a series of disastrous, God-planned events specifically described in Revelation 8-9, 16.

Most people don’t know about this, don’t have even a clue of the catastrophic events that will soon devastate this earth. Or if they have heard about it, they don’t believe it’s going to happen – they are judgment deniers. (2 Peter 3:3-7). They don’t believe life on earth will be radically different, that this world, as we know it, will soon come to an end. Thinking that everything is going to stay the same, they will be eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building. (Luke 17:24-28). Will they ever be shocked when God’s righteous hand suddenly strikes this earth.

Why is God going to punish this world? Because He’s perfectly holy. Rev. 4:8 sets the stage for this end-of-the-age wrath when it says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” The Judge is sitting on His throne, and He has already told us His verdict, that this world is guilty of grave sins and a great many sins, and there must be justice, there must be divine retribution. “You have sat on the throne judging righteously, You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins.” Psalm 9:4-8

The vast majority of people don’t understand God’s holiness, that He demands perfection from every single person. Even in our own courts, a person shown to be guilty for one crime is pronounced guilty by the judge for that crime and must be punished (James 2:10). But that’s on a human level – here is God, the divine Judge, and He examines an individual’s entire life, and He knows all their evil thoughts, words, and actions, each one being utterly offensive to Him. (Hab. 1:13). Those who have not repented of their sins, not trusted in Christ, not believed He died to pay the penalty for their sins, will be guilty forever, and therefore perish, be punished forever. “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; Mark 1:15; Matt. 25:46

God cannot ignore sin, He cannot say it’s no big deal, He cannot forget it! God cannot excuse sin, not even one! Because God is altogether righteous, He has no choice but to pour out His wrath upon sinful people, and upon this entire world. The Bible gives us story after story about God judging individuals, families, cities, nations, and the world. Sinful Cain was a vagrant and a wanderer upon the earth (Gen. 4:12). The great, global flood destroyed an extremely wicked world in the time of Noah (Gen. 7). Fire and brimstone rained down upon those two evil cities, Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24-25). There were 10 punishing plagues poured out upon rebellious Egypt (Exodus 7-11). There was all Israel stoning and burning Achan’s family (Josh. 7:25). And look at the hundreds of warnings by the prophets! God’s word continually, clearly, and conclusively testifies to the holiness of God in history past. Might we learn from them, and be holy. Romans 15:4

It’s quite obvious to spiritually minded Christians that sin is rapidly increasing in the United States and all over the world. Grievous sin is running rampant, corrupting countries and polluting the entire planet (Lev. 18:24-25). This was predicted in Matt. 24, the most important end-times’ chapter – “lawlessness is increased” (Matt. 24:12, 2 Thess. 2:7-12, 2 Tim. 3:1-4). God must and will punish the whole world, and very soon. “Near is the great day of the Lord, near and coming very quickly… a day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom.” Zephaniah 1:14-15

The day of the Lord was prophesied in many places – Isaiah 13:6-13; Joel 2:30-32; Amos 5:18-22; Obadiah 1:15; Zeph. 1:1-3, 14-18; Acts 2:19-21; 1 Thess. 5:1-4. These predictions, plus many other references to this final cataclysmic judgment are to warn the unbelieving world about what will be taking place. God is alerting believers as well, for we should be living holy lives, especially in these few and final years leading up to the coming of Christ. 1 Thess. 5:5-8, 1 Peter 1:13-16

It’s now relatively calm in this world compared to the catastrophic judgments to come, the deserved and dreadful wrath of God that will be poured out upon this earth – hail, fire, blood, demonic locusts, malignant sores, extreme torment, scorching heat, darkness, and death (Rev. 8-9, 16). It’s calm because God is being patient with the lost (2 Pet. 3:9), wanting Christians to lovingly and urgently share the gospel with them before it’s too late, warning them of the destruction and death to come, begging them to be reconciled to God, to turn from their sin and turn to Christ, to receive His eternal life and love. 2 Cor. 5:21, James 5:7-11

If sinners remain unrepentant and are still alive on earth when Christ returns, not only will they go through the fiery day of the Lord, but they will also go to hell, first to Hades for 1000 years, and then to the lake of fire for all eternity. “Depart from me accursed ones into the eternal fire” (Matt. 25:41, Rev. 20:11-14). I hope you are seeing the big picture, the powerful, painful, and punishing wrath that evil unbelievers will experience forever and ever, and rightfully so. “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. The Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright will behold His face.” Psalm 11:6-7  

Jesus Christ is returning to this earth to reign as King, but first, He must be a Judge and eradicate sin by punishing this evil world and casting out sinners. God is perfectly holy, and He has to clean house, He must purify this place – then Christ can begin reigning and ruling over this world. “He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Ps. 9:8). Then we will all declare, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

Jesus Christ is also returning to rapture all Christians living on earth at that time (Hallelujah!), and this occurs just before God pours out His wrath. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven… who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10, 4:15-17). “God has not destined us for wrath” (1 Thess. 5:9). I cannot wait for this to happen! “‘Behold, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. This is a most sobering subject, and you need to learn from it and be holy. And be thankful for God’s mercy on your soul, that He saved you from the wrath to come, and from an eternal hell. I encourage you to read these three other posts – “The Day of the LORD, the Wrath of God on Earth”, “What About the Unrepentant Unbeliever in the End-Times?”, and “Rescued from the Punishing Day of the Lord.”

Singing – A Key to Sound Christian Living

June 24, 2022 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #250 ~

“Sing praises to Him” (Ps. 33:2). “Come before Him with joyful songs” (Ps. 100:1). “I will sing of Your love and justice” (Ps. 101:1). Christians are to sing to the Lord – and it’s for His glory. Singing is also good for your life, for it positively affects you, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, instructing your mind and refreshing your soul. Without question, singing is a necessary and amazing attitude-adjuster – it is heart-tuning, soul-humbling, spirit-lifting, faith-restoring, joy-giving, and peace-producing. 

Many examples of singing are found in the Bible. Judah’s army was marching to war and leading the way was the choir, and they were singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting” And their singing, their worship, was the key to God’s resounding victory – “When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab… so they were routed” (2 Chron. 20:21-22). Just before He was arrested, Jesus was singing with His disciples (Matt. 26:30). When Paul and Silas were in jail, they were “singing hymns of praise to God” (Acts 16:25-26). Then there are the Psalms, the biggest book in the Bible, and the best songbook ever written. I strongly encourage you to regularly read and sing the Psalms, for they address and will impact all aspects of your Christian life. 

As a Christian, you don’t want to be distracted, defiled, and controlled by fleshly and worldly songs. That’s why you need to be daily transforming your mind by heartily singing godly songs. “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises… I will awaken the dawn… I will sing praises to You among the nations” (Ps. 57:7-11). “Be filled (controlled) with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:18-19). Being in a godly-singing church is also instrumental in being a godly singer.

In these last years leading up to the rapture of the church, there will be tribulation and great tribulation, and singing to the Lord will be essential for your spiritual stability and success. I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing good Christian songs or, at least, having them on your playlist. And don’t just play them, sing them, and not just with others on Sunday morning, but by yourself during the week.

On this blog site, chart #’s 130, 133, 138, 143, 147, 149, 153, 160 contain lyrics about the end-times and Christ’s second coming. And singing songs that speak about your future and hope will undoubtedly help you be a more encouraged, forward looking, God-glorifying Christian. Listed below are some of them:

* Christ the Lord is Risen Today – “Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia. Foll’wing our exalted head, Alleluia. Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia. Our the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia.“
* There is a Redeemer – “When I stand in glory, I will see His face. There I’ll serve my King forever in that holy place. Thank You, O my Father, for giving us Your Son, and leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done.”
* Be Still My Soul – “Be still, my soul, the hour is hastening on, when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joy restored. Be still my soul, when change and tears are past, all safe and blest we shall meet at last.”
* When the Roll is Called Up Yonder – “Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, let us talk of all His wondrous love and care; then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done, and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. When the roll is called up yonder…”

* That Where I Am, There You May Be – “If I go prepare a place for you I will come back again. If I go prepare a place for you I will come back again. You know I am the way, the truth, the life – keep My commands, that where I am there you may also be.”
* Jesus Loves Me – “Jesus loves me, He will stay close beside me all the way; He’s prepared a home for me, and some day His face I’ll see. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.”
* On Jordan’s Stormy Banks – “When shall I reach that happy place and be forever blest? When shall I see my Father’s face, and in His bosom rest? I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land; O, who shall come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land.”
* It Is Well With My Soul – “And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul.”

* All Hail the Power – “O that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall, we’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all; we’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all.”
* Come Thou Almighty King – “To Thee, great One in three, eternal praises be, hence evermore, Thy sovereign majesty, may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore.” —-
* When We All Get to Heaven – “Onward to the prize before us, soon His beauty we’ll behold; soon the pearly gates will be open, we shall tread the streets of gold. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”
* Joy to the World – “Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns; let men their songs employ – while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.”

As you know, this blog post is all about the end-times, the return of Christ, and His reign upon this earth. My purpose is not just to tell you what the Bible says will be happening in the future, but to help you live successfully for the Lord in the last years of this evil age. And there’s no doubt that singing to the Lord is a major key to your life as you journey on to the end. “I will praise God’s name in song.” Psalm 69:30

P.S. In a world saturated by secular and fleshly songs, it’s imperative that you daily sing to the Lord. It’s a way to worship God, a way to combat the flesh, and a means to working for God and living a victorious Christian life. As Christians, we are to worship and to work (Matt. 4:10). And I encourage you to read this article (#49) about work – “The Excellent End-Time’s Worker”.

« Older posts

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

© 2025 Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑