fbpx
Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: End-times (Page 4 of 9)

Blog posts about the end times.

What’s Wrong With This World?!?

November 7, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #230 ~

What’s wrong with this world? The problem is SIN. It’s not the economy, guns, the climate, schools, police, lack of food, corrupt leaders, or bad laws. The root problem, the real problem is sin, a spiritual cancer that corrupts (Rom. 8:21) and kills. “The soul that sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). And it’s related to all our other problems. Here are some important lessons to learn about sin:

Sin, the sinner, and its consequences:
* Sin is not worshiping God, the Creator, but instead, is worshiping the creation. Sin is idolatry. It’s rebellion. It’s disobedience. It’s pride. It’s not trusting God. It’s trusting self. Sin is evil, vile, sickening, wicked, wrong, revolting, devilish, and deadly. Deut. 5:7-9; Jer. 2:5, 13; Rom. 1:20-23

* Sin starts in a person’s heart, in his soul, in his innermost being. A sinner’s soul is spiritually blackened, thoroughly dirty, altogether disgusting, and completely detestable to God. Sin is revealed in a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. Ps. 10:3-11, 36:1-4, 51:5-6; Rom. 3:10-18

* The root sin of not loving God is manifested in many ways. In His Word, God describes 100’s of specific sins because He wants us to know what they are and the consequences of committing them. Mark 7:20-23, Rom. 1:28-32, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Gal. 5:19-21, 2 Tim. 3:1-4, etc.

* God demands a payment for a person’s sin, and it’s death. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Sin, the most serious crime, is against God Himself, and He must punish it, and its death. This death is spiritual, physical, and may be eternal (the person who never turns to Christ is forever punished and separated from God). “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of God” (2 Thess. 1:9). “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire.” Matthew 25:41

* Some people are inwardly sinful but appear outwardly righteous. “You are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness… hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:27-28, Luke 18:9-14). Other people are inwardly sinful and outwardly sinful. “There was a woman in the city who was a sinner” (Luke 7:37). Either way, sin is utterly deadly and must be dealt with, or else there will be hell to pay.

* Many people do not believe in sin. The world often classifies sin as a person’s personality, an addiction, mental illness, or behavioral disorder (anxiety, eating, conduct, etc.). Yes, some people’s problems are strictly mental in nature, but most are spiritually based. Most sinners want to forget, excuse, ignore, or gloss over their sin, for admitting it would mean that God exists, and that they are guilty and deserve to be judged. “If we say that we have no sin… the truth is not in us… if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar.” 1 John 1:8, 10

* God judges a sinner at different times: 1) During his life on earth – “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18, note Deut. 28:15-68). 2) The day of the Lord – for those sinners living on earth at the end of the age (Rev. 8-9, 16). 3). In Hades after his life on earth (Luke 16:23). 4) In the lake of fire at the end of the millennial kingdom. Revelation 20:11-15

Jesus Christ is the only answer to sin:
* Jesus Christ pays for a person’s sins by His death on the cross, or a person pays for his own sins by being punished forever in hell. If a person repents and believes Christ died for him, then he’s forgiven, has eternal life, and goes to heaven. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). “God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” Titus 3:5

The Christian’s response to sin, and his purpose in life:
* God commands you to keep yourself holy in this evil world. People clean their house, wash the dishes, take a shower, weed the garden, etc., but what’s most important is keeping your soul clean. By God’s word, by God’s Spirit, and by being in a good church, you can live a holy life, and you need to, for only then can you please the Lord and be useful to Him. “Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord.” 2 Timothy 2:22

* Don’t focus on the sin in this world. Don’t be occupied by the bad news and bad things in this world. Don’t think much about the crime, corruption, and conflicts, or you’ll find yourself fretting and getting discouraged. Look to God, do what is good and right, and carry out the work He gives you to do – that’s what can make a difference, and what’s eternally important. “As for you, be strong, and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chron. 15:7, Neh. 6:1-4, Psalm 37:1-6

* As a Christian, be an ambassador for Christ. You are to be a bright shining light in this dark and evil world. Be a witness to the lost by your life and words. Share with people the gospel of Christ. Exhort them to turn from their sin and turn to Christ. Tell them that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. “We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20-21). “Repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15, Eph. 5:8-13, John 14:6

* To successfully get through life, you need hope. It’s eternally worth it to live for God during your short life on earth – He has a magnificent future in store for you. Your hope is that you will literally be with Jesus (John 14:1-3), that you will be in heaven where there’s absolutely no sin, that you will have an immortal, powerful, perfect, and glorious body (1 Cor. 15:40-42), that you will be with your Christian friends as well as all believers from all time (Heb. 12:22-24), that you will be greatly rewarded for serving God and suffering for Him (Matt. 5:11-12), and that you will be reigning with Christ during the millennial kingdom. Revelation 2:26-27, 5:10, 20:6

The nations, the world, and the end-times 
* God judges an individual nation because of its collective and cumulative sin. God’s word gives many examples and history proves it. You should pray, “Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail. Let the nations be judged before You” (Ps. 9:19, Rev. 6:9-11). The final judgment of the nations, the outpouring of God’s wrath, occurs just after the rapture, during the day of the Lord. (Rev. 8-9, 16). “You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked.” Psalm 9:5

* Sin is the worst problem, engulfing the entire world, yet God is sovereignly causing all its evil to result in His purposes being fulfilled. God used Herod and Pilate to carry out the worst sin ever, the crucifixion of Christ, but it was the best thing that ever happened (Acts 4:27-28). So too, all this sin is part of God’s plan to bring about Christ’s return and the rapture, His wrath, and His 1000-year reign. “All the nations You have made will come and worship before You, O Lord; they will bring glory to Your name. You are great and do marvelous deeds. You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

* The United States is being judged for her sin. Rom. 1:18-32 describes the reason for God’s wrath, a 4-stage progression of sin, which is what we have seen in this country over the past 60 years. We have gone from rejecting God to immorality to homosexuality to depravity (Isaiah 5:20). God has been righteously and severely judging our country, with the result that she is being diminished in power, and sometime in the future, Antichrist’s kingdom will be ruling this earth (Rev. 13). (And don’t ever think that the government, leaders, laws, capitalism or socialism, or conservatism or liberalism are the answers. Remember, sin is our real problem, and only Jesus Christ is the answer. And there’s no doubt that we will see His victory over sin in this age and the next age). Psalms 67, 96; Phil. 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:24-28, Rev. 19:11-21

* The world will become increasingly sinful as we get closer to Christ’s coming. For the Christian, this will be an extremely treacherous place to live. That’s because “lawlessness is increased” (Matt. 24:12); “the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) is revealed” (2 Th. 2:3); they “took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Th. 2:12); and “evil men… will proceed from bad to worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). And there will be great tribulation – “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name” (Matt. 24:9). Yet, this is the time God wants you to be alive. Remember, God will give you all the grace you need to be holy, to be a good witness, and to do the work He wants you to do (2 Cor. 9:8). “The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:12 

You must understand this subject of sin, especially in the end-times, and here’s why: #1, for your own life and conscience, and so you can be loving God with all your heart; #2, so you can be a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master” (2 Tim. 2:21-22), and a good witness to the lost; and #3, so you are not confused, upset, or discouraged by what’s going on in this terribly wicked world, but rather, are a good servant and soldier for Christ. “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” 1 Chron. 12:32

P.S. As Christians, this subject of sin must be understood, or you will have problems growing in the way God wants, and difficulty helping others, both saved and lost. I would encourage you to find the time to read these three articles, for they will be extremely helpful now and in the years ahead: Evildoers in the End-Times; A Little Suffering and A Lot of Glory; and Your Spiritual Service: A Member of The Special Forces.

What’s Wrong With the United States?

October 20, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #229 ~

Very bad things are taking place in the United States! There’s the border crisis, growing inflation, continuing Covid-19, problems in schools, the supply-chain dilemma, drugs and death, the tragic Afghani situation, loss of global status, increasing crime, atheistic philosophies, and false teaching. These are all major problems, and they are not just random or accidental. God has sovereignly directed them and are His way of judging our country. “In those days… God was troubling them with every kind of distress” (2 Chron. 15:5-6). “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people.” Rom. 1:18

Why are these bad things happening? Why does God cause / or allow them to occur? Why does He want us to suffer like this? Because God is holy, and He wants to wake us up to the fact that we’re sinning against Him, and that sin is our primary problem. As a country, we’ve turned away from God, and are not loving our Creator, but instead, are idolatrous, are loving the creature, are greatly sinning. Rom. 1:19-25

A massive amount of sin has infiltrated every city and town of the United States, and it’s worse than ever been before. You know that cancer can kill – well our sin is like a malignant cancer that’s close to killing our country. We are in critical condition! And sadly, most people, even some Christians, don’t realize that sin is our main problem. This country has been very concerned about Covid-19, the physical virus that has infected 100’s of millions of people all over the world. But what should really upset us is sin, that deadly spiritual virus that has affected every single soul on this planet and is terribly and eternally worse than Covid-19.

What exactly is sin? God’s word explicitly and continually describes sin. That’s because God wants us to know exactly what it is, and convince us that it’s our most serious problem. And it must be dealt with or else there will be horrible consequences. Today I want you to look at some verses on sin. Read them slowly, for its vitally important that you understand this subject of sin, for its our root problem, our #1 enemy, one that attacks the soul and the mind.

First, here are some verses about sin in general:
* Exodus 20:3-5 – “You shall have no other gods before Me… you shall not make for yourself an idol… you shall not worship them.” 
* Psalm 14:1 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable idolatries.”
* Psalm 36:1, 3 – “There is no fear of God before his eyes… he has ceased to be wise.”
* Psalm 78:22 – “They did not believe in God and did not trust His salvation.”
* Isaiah 5:24 – “They rejected the law of the Lord… and despised the word of the Holy One.”
* Jeremiah 2:5 – “They went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty.”
* Romans 1:21, 24, 26, 28 – “They did not honor Him as God or give thanks… (they) exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man… God gave them over to sexual impurity… to degrading passions (homosexuality)… to a depraved mind.”
* 1 John 3:4 – “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness.”

Here are a number of verses that specifically describe this sin:
* Exodus 22:21 – “You shall not wrong a stranger… you shall not afflict any widow or orphan.”
* Exodus 23:1-3 – “You shall not bear a false report… you shall not follow the masses in doing evil… nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.”
* Psalm 10:3 – “The greedy man curses and spurns the Lord… his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
* Psalm 119:69-70 – “the arrogant… Their hearts are callous and unfeeling.” 
* Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven… haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and a man who stirs up dissension.”
* Proverbs 19:15 – “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger.”
* Isaiah 3:16-26 – “The daughters of Zion are proud and walk with heads held high, flirting with their eyes, going along with mincing steps… In that day the Lord will take away the… headbands, crescent necklaces, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils… finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, capes, cloaks, purses, and mirrors… destitute, she will sit on the ground.”
* Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.”
* Isaiah 5:21 – “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes.” 
* Isaiah 5:22-23 – “Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine… who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right.”

* Jeremiah 5:27-28 – “They have become great and rich. They are fat, they are sleek, they also excel in deeds of wickedness.”
* Jeremiah 23:31 – “I’m against those who prophesied false dreams… and led My people astray.”
* Ezekiel 16:15 – “You trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame.”
* Ezekiel 16:49 – “… the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughter were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and the needy.”
* Hosea 4:2 – “There is no… knowledge of God in the land… There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.”
* Amos 6:1-5 – “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion… who recline on beds of ivory and sprawl on their couches and eat lambs from their flock… they have composed songs for themselves… they anoint themselves with the finest of oils… they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.”
* Malachi 2:7-8 – “The lips of a priest should preserve knowledge… but as for you, you have turned aside from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble.” 
* Malachi 2:14-16 – “You have broken faith with her, though she is your wife… I hate divorce.”
* Matthew 7:15 – “Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
* Matthew 12:36 – “Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an account for it on the day of judgment.”

* Mark 7:21-22 – “Out of the hearts of men proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.”
* Luke 6:24-26 – “Woe to you who are rich (fortune)… who are well-fed (food)… who laugh now (fun)… woe to you when all men speak well of you (fame).”
* Luke 12:15, 19 – “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions… ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’”
* Romans 1:29-31 – “They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, and ruthless.”
* 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards… will inherit the kingdom of God.”
* Galatians 5:19-21 – “The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry… strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger… envying, drunkenness, carousing.”
* Ephesians 5:4 – “There must be no filthiness, silly talk, or course jesting, which are not fitting.”
* Philippians 2:14 – “Do all things without grumbling or complaining.”
* Colossians 3:18-22 – “Wives, be subject to your husbands… Husbands, love your wives.”
* 2 Timothy 3:2-4 – “People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
* James 5:5 – “You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure… you have condemned and put to death the righteous man.”

Each of these verses describe the sin in our country, and help you understand the heart of our problems. Indeed, the United States is sick with sin, so sick that she’s on her death bed. This is extremely sad and sobering and should greatly concern every single person in this country. What’s really wrong with our country is not climate change, the schools, the economy, crime, guns, the police, the politicians, the government, or the Russians or the Chinese. Our #1 problem is our sin, and it’s directly related to everything else that’s bad in our country. 

Thankfully, there’s an answer to this deadly sin, and it’s the person of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23). That’s because He dealt with our sins by dying on a cross, thereby paying for them. And only those who admit they have sinned, and repent of their sins, and believe that Christ died to pay for them will be forgiven, be perfectly holy, and be forever with God in heaven. “God made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

I’ve been observing things as a Christian for close to 50 years now, since the early ‘70s, and it’s obvious that our country is spiritually and morally much worse – and I don’t see things getting any better. It’s quite clear that the people “do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken” (Ps. 82:5). Look at our churches, families, schools, and culture – generally speaking, they have been going downhill, and are now in very bad shape. Not only that, but we live in the end-times, the last years before Christ’s return and the rapture of the church, when the Bible tells us that “lawlessness is increased.” Matt. 24:12

Dear friend, these are extremely dark and difficult days, and increasingly so. There’s going to be more sin, evil and wickedness in this world, and yes, God will keep judging it. But what a time to be alive, to live for God, to share the gospel, and do our part in ushering in the kingdom of God! “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10). “Come Lord, Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. The United States is quickly and tragically going downhill, and it’s all part of God’s end-time plans. Here are two other posts that will help you understand His plans for this country at this time in history: “Afghanistan and America – Lessons to Learn” and “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ.”

How to Keep Going for God

October 9, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #228 ~

As you know, life can be difficult and, at times, extremely difficult. There are internal struggles, the fight against sin, and relational conflicts. There are problems at home and at work. There is sickness, chronic ailments, and old age. There is government oppression. There is slander, persecution, and attacks from the devil. There are the daily challenges of living in an evil and fallen world. Add to this the normal trials of life. And the Antichrist isn’t even here yet, and with him, the great tribulation Christians will go through. How do we keep going? How are we to keep loving God and living for Him? How are we to persevere?

God will keep you going to the end. “I am always with You. You hold me by my right hand… You will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:23-26). “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). “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:8). God promises you that He will keep you going. He is your spiritual Father, and He won’t let you slip and fall by the wayside and fail to make it to your heavenly home. But what part do you play in persevering for the Lord? What are the divine means by which you can victoriously keep going through all the years of your life? Here are some keys, some God-given truths that will enable you to endure to the end. 

1. The word of God. Knowing, believing, and holding on to God’s word is essential if you are to persevere and be a successful, God-glorifying Christian. “His delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night… Whatever he does prospers” (Ps. 1:2-3). As for me, I love Psalm 119, for it explains in great detail the benefits of loving and living by God’s word. “I have hidden Your word in my heart” (Ps. 119:11). Matt. 4:4, John 8:32, 2 Tim. 3:16-17

2. Your relationship with God is all important. You need to know that God is your Father, and you are His child, His chosen and holy one. Walk with God and, as you do, you will love Him, listen to Him, pray to Him, enjoy Him, and obey Him. “Let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth” (Jer. 9:23-24). “This is eternal life, that they may know You.” John 17:3

3. Knowing Jesus Christ is vital. First and foundational you need to believe that Jesus Christ died to pay for all your sins. That’s just the beginning, for then you are to love Him, trust Him, and grow in your relationship with Him. He is to be your best friend. “I know My own, and My own know Me” (John 10:14). “I want to know Christ” (Phil. 3:10). “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3

4. Having a close relationship with the Holy Spirit is critical for perseverance. It is truly miraculous that the Spirit is in you, and that He is with you forever. (John 14:16). And He wants to lead you (Rom. 8:14), comfort you (John 14:16), teach you (John 14:26), strengthen you (Eph. 5:18), keep you holy (Gal. 5:16), and have fellowship with you (2 Cor. 13:14). He is a perfect and precious gift from God, a daily companion and helper, One you can always count on.

5. God’s grace is indispensable. Grace is a general word that speaks of God’s generous gift to you, the divine power and enablement you need every day in every area of your life. Only by God’s grace can you live and keep going for Him. Paul wrote extensively about this – “Grace to you” (Eph. 1:2). “God is able to make all grace abound to you” (2 Cor. 9:8). “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). “I became a servant… by the gift of God’s grace.” Eph. 3:7        

6. Knowing God’s great love is necessary for perseverance. This love is personal, from God to you, for it’s what you need and when you need it. His love is powerful and energizing. His love is specific, for it’s forgiving, patient, good, compassionate, and gentle. Because the Christian is strengthened by God’s love, he can continue on to the very end. “Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6). “Keep yourself in God’s love.” (Jude 21). “His love is everlasting.” Psalm 136

7. God’s purpose enables you to stay on the highway to heaven. Believing you have a purpose motivates you, keeps you forward-looking, and results in God being glorified and people being blessed. It’s by knowing and obeying God’s commands that you have purpose, direction, and a reason to live. Paul was passionate about fulfilling his purpose (Acts 26:14-18) – might we be like him. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

8. God’s promises are a means to persevere. God’s commands tell you what to do for God, but His promises tell you what He will do for you. Knowing God’s promises is a daily source of His love, life, and grace, and are needed for progress, joy, and endurance. Here are three: “He will lead you in the way you should go” (Ps. 32:8). “I will never leave you” (Heb. 13:5); “Those who wait for the Lord… will run and not get tired… will walk and not get weary.” Isaiah 40:30-31

9. Be in a godly church, a church where there’s good teaching, agape love, true holiness, real devotion, where there’s faith, fellowship, friendships, and encouragement, and where you can use your gift to serve others. Be an active part of the body of Christ. “Christ Jesus… in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Eph. 2:20-22, 3:14-21, 4:11-16

10. Walk by faith. Faith is needed for every facet of your life. It’s believing God and relying on His word. It’s central to your relationship with God, experiencing His grace, knowing His love, and fulfilling your purpose. Faith isn’t based on feelings (2 Cor. 5:7) but comes from God and His word (Rom. 10:17). Learn from others who, by faith, pleased God and gained approval from Him (Heb. 11). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). “Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22

11. Hope is essential for perseverance. Hope is knowing that the future is infinitely better than the present, that living for God on earth results in eternal blessings in heaven. Hope is being excited about being with Jesus, being in heaven, being with friends, and being glorified. Hope is looking forward to the future, to receiving your inheritance and all these rewards. “We have this hope as an anchor of the soul.” (Heb. 6:19) “… You will abound in hope by the power of the Spirit.” Romans 15:13

12. Remember the past. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord… I will meditate on all Your works” (Ps. 77:10-12). You are not to focus on the past, but you are to think about it and thank God for what He has done for you. This is encouraging, for you will more clearly understand how God has wisely, lovingly, faithfully, and sovereignly worked in your life. Then you will see the continuity of your life, that what God has done in the past connects to the present, and this helps you to persevere, to keep moving ahead into the future. “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12). “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles.” (Ps. 77:13-14). Psalm 18:30-32

All these truths are keys to persevering, to going strong and successfully to the end. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). It is by God’s grace that you do your part and work out your salvation, which means it is God who keeps you persevering, who enables you to endure all the way to heaven. “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me… I press on to toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.” (Phil. 3:12-14). “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.” Jude 24-25

P.S. The Christian life is truly a marathon. You need to learn to persevere for God, to keep going day after day and year after year. Look to God, pray to Him, and He will help you to endure to the end. Then finally, you will see the Lord Jesus face to face. Another similar and helpful post is “What Keeps Me Going to the End?”

Working for God While Waiting for Christ

October 3, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #227 ~

“You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matt. 4:10). This verse sums up our eternal purpose as Christians. Worshiping the Lord, loving Him, praising Him, singing to Him – and serving Him, working for Him, obeying Him, fulfilling His plans – this is what we are to do every day of our lives on earth, in heaven, and forever and ever. 

I am in my late sixties, and I ask myself, “What am I to do?” I am to worship and serve the Lord. I look around and see other people focused on food, fortune, fun, and fame (Luke 6:24-26), and I wonder, “What am I to do?” I am to worship and serve the Lord! I see others my age who are retired and engaged in all kinds of leisure activities (Luke 12:19), and I think, “And what am I to do?” I am to worship and serve the Lord! I hear of evil things happening around the world and, at times, get worried, distracted, and angry (Psalm 37:1), “But what am I to do?” I am to worship and serve the Lord! And now that we’re living in the end-times, that critically important period of time before the return of Christ to rapture the church, I think, “What I am to do?” I am to worship and serve the Lord!

I am convinced God chose me to be holy in His sight, that He called me, justified me, and left me on earth so I can worship and serve Him (Eph. 1:4-5, Phil. 1:21-26). I also know I am not my own, that Jesus Christ bought me with His own blood, and that I am now His slave and servant. This freeing truth means I am not a hell-bound slave of the devil lost in a heathen world doing what is sinful and worthless. Instead, I am a child and servant of God! (Rom. 8:12-17). To have a heavenly Father who dearly loves me, and to be able to love and serve Him during my life on earth is such a wonderful blessing. “Not one of us lives for himself… for if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord… therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lords.” Romans 14:7-8

Every Christian must learn what it means to serve the Lord and work for Him. When we talk about work, we usually think of an 8-4, 9-5, or part-time job, but I’m talking about working fulltime, 24-7 for the Lord. Jesus gives a parable illustrating this point, concluding with the statement – “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’” (Luke 17:7-10). This is instructive on two points. First, we are to work for God all the time, every day, every evening, and every week of our life. Second, whatever we do, we are working for God, whether it’s making a meal, cleaning house, raising children, praying, shopping, encouraging someone, serving in a ministry, or mowing the lawn. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men.” Colossians 3:23

Jesus is the best example we have of one who worked fulltime for God. He knew He was God’s Son and also His Slave. “Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave.” (Phil. 2:5-6). To His disciples, Jesus said, “I am among you as One who serves” (Luke 22:27). To the Jews, Jesus said, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17). And Jesus worked like no man has ever worked – crisscrossing the nation of Israel, He was continually teaching, healing, praying, meeting needs, and training His disciples.

Jesus willingly and faithfully worked for and with His Father. He truly loved His Father and really wanted to please Him, and therefore loved to work, doing exactly what His Father asked Him to do. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:24). Jesus was energized both by His Father’s love and by doing the very work His Father wanted Him to do. At the end of His earthly life, Jesus told Him, “I brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). Jesus was overjoyed that He could work for His Father, thereby fulfilling His earthly mission.

Jesus’ example and this John 17:4 verse greatly motivate me. And through all the years, God has given me plenty of work to do. Now I have not been a perfect worker, but Paul’s example from Phil. 3:13-14 helps me – “One thing I do – forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” No matter my age, or what I have done, or what has taken place, or my weakness or sin, I am to say, “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12). What a privilege to be able to work for God, to do what He planned for me to do, and trained me to do. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Now that we are in the end-times, we should be very thankful and excited that we can use our spiritual gifts to serve the Lord, that we can do our part, that we can help build the church and make disciples. We are on the very last leg of this ~2000-year church-age race, and it’s our turn, our time to run for Christ (Heb. 9:27-28, 12:1-3). It won’t be long before we cross the finish line, for in a very little while, we will either physically die or be raptured by Christ. Hebrews 10:37

These three end-time passages should encourage you in doing God’s work:
* Luke 12:42-43 – “Who is the faithful and sensible slave who His master put in charge of His household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom His master finds so doing when He comes.”  Your heavenly Master wants you to faithfully serve those in the church.
* Luke 19:13 – “He called ten of His slaves and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’” You are to use the gifts God has given you to do the work He wants you to do, right up until the return of His Son.
* 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “They themselves report… how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven…”  You are to be serving God while waiting for Christ.

Might you keep serving your heavenly Father to the very end, and then you will be able to say to Him, “I brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do” (John 17:4). And Jesus will say to you, “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.” Matthew 25:21

P.S. The immigration issue is an important one – and how does God want us to think? Here is a post that will help – “Immigration: As It Is, They Desire a Better Country.” And Covid-19 is important too. In fact. I am just getting over it – thankfully. And what does God want us to think about it? Here are two previous posts: “From the Coronavirus to Christ’s Coming and the Rapture” and “The Coronavirus: Fear and Panic, or Faith and Peace.”

Laboring for the Lord, Now and Forever

September 6, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #225 ~

You can never say that a Christian is unemployed. What I mean is that we work for God, and we will always have work. As long as we are alive on this earth, God has work for us to do, and it’s not part-time but full-time. And it’s good work, productive work, eternal work, God-glorifying work, with blessings and benefits that are out of this world. Colossians 3:23-24

On this Labor Day, I am writing about work. I just finished publishing, what I believe, is a helpful article on work – “The Excellent End-Time’s Worker.” It lists 40 different truths and principles that show you how to be a great worker for God in these last years before the return of Christ. I am also planning on writing two other posts on work which will come out in the next few weeks.

But today I want to share with you one main thought about work, and it’s from Eph. 2:1-10. The first nine verses are all about the gospel, the work of Christ in saving us from sin and death, and that it’s by the grace of God. Then verse 10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Do you see what God is telling you, and it’s the very first thing after the gospel? That you are saved to work? You are saved by the work of Christ so you can do the work of Christ. God saved you and left you on earth so you can worship Him, and work for Him. (Matt. 4:10). You are now employed by God and are one of His permanent workers, and you will never be laid off, but will be working with Him and for Him, now and forever. In Ephesians 2:7, you will find another wonderful reason why God saved you.

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:57-58). “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

I encourage you to take the time to look at “The Excellent End-Time’s Worker.”

Eating, Drinking, Being Merry – And Suddenly, Shockingly…..

May 20, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #216 ~

The following is J.C. Ryle’s realistic description of what unbelievers will be doing in the days and months leading up to Christ’s second coming. Even though Ryle wrote this back in the 1860’s, it is extremely relevant today, more so than ever before, for now we live in the end-times. It’s engrossing, compelling, yet very sobering – you need to read this, for it will motivate you to live a more holy and purposeful life for the Lord in the last years of this evil age. From chapter one, entitled, “Watch” – (pg. 25-29) of J.C. Ryle’s Are You Ready for the End of Time? –

“Whenever Christ does come again, it will be a very sudden event. I draw that truth from the verse in the parable (Matt. 25:1-13) which says, ‘At midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him.’

I do not know when Christ will come again. I should think it most presumptuous if I said that I did. I am no prophet, though I love the subject of prophecy. I dislike all fixing of dates, and naming of years, and I believe it has done great harm. I only assert positively that Christ will come again one day to set up His kingdom on earth, and that whether the day be near or whether it be far off, it will take the Church and the world exceedingly by surprise.

It will come on men suddenly. It will break on the world all at once. It will not have been talked over, prepared for and looked forward to by everybody. It will awaken men’s minds like the cry of fire at midnight. It will startle men’s hearts like a trumpet blown at their bedside in their first sleep. Like Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, they will know nothing till the very waters are upon them. Like Dathan and Abiram, and their company, when the earth opened under them, the moment of their hearing the report of the visitation will be the same moment when they will see it with their eyes. Before they can recover their breath and know where they are, they shall find that the Lord is come.

I suspect there is a vague notion floating in men’s minds that the present order of things will not end quite so suddenly. I suspect men cling to the idea that there will be a kind of Saturday night in the world, a time when all will know the day of the Lord is near; a time when all will be able to cleanse their consciences, look at their wedding garments, shake off their earthly business and prepare to meet their God. If any reader of this address has got such a notion into his head, I charge him to give it up forever.

If anything is clear in unfulfilled prophecy, this one fact seems clear, that the Lord’s coming will be sudden, and take men by surprise. And any view of prophecy which destroys the possibility of its being sudden – whether by interposing a vast number of events as yet to happen, or by placing the millennium between ourselves and the advent – any such view appears to my mind to carry with it a fatal defect. Everything which is written in scripture on this point confirms the truth, that Christ’s second coming will be sudden. ‘As a snare shall it come’, says one place; ‘As a thief in the night’, says another; ‘As lightning’, says a third; ‘In such an hour as ye think not’, says a fourth. ‘When they shall say, peace and safety,’ says a fifth. Luke 21:35; 1 Thess. 5:2; Luke 17:24; Matt. 24:44; 1 Thess. 5:3

Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself uses two most striking comparisons when dwelling on this subject. Both are most teaching, and both ought to raise in us solemn thoughts. In one He compares His coming to the days of Lot. In the days when Lot fled from Sodom, the men of Sodom were buying and selling, eating and drinking, planting and building. They thought of nothing but earthly things: they were entirely absorbed in them. They despised Lot’s warning.  They mocked at his counsel. The sun rose on the earth as usual. All things were going on as they had done for hundreds of years. They saw no sign of danger. But now mark what our Lord says: ‘The same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed’. Luke 17:28-30

In the other passage I allude to, our Lord compares His coming to the days of Noah. Do you remember how it was in Noah’s day? Stay a little, and let me remind you. When the flood came on the earth in Noah’s time, there was no appearance beforehand of anything so awful being near. The days and nights were following each other in regular succession. The grass and trees and crops were growing as usual. The business of the world was going on. And though Noah preached continually of coming danger, and warned men to repent, no one believed what he said. But at last, one day the rain began and did not cease: the waters rose and did not stop; the flood came, and swelled, and went on, and covered one thing after another; and all were drowned who were not in the ark. Now mark what our Lord says: ‘As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man: they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all’ (Luke 17:26-27). The flood took the world by surprise, so also will the coming of the Son of Man.  In the midst of the world’s business, when everything is going on just as usual, in such an hour as this, the Lord Jesus Christ will return.

Reader, the suddenness of the Lord’s second advent is a truth that should lead every professing Christian to great searchings of heart. It should lead him to serious thought, both about himself and about the world.

Think for a moment how little the world is prepared for such an event. Look at the towns and cities of the earth, and think of them. Mark how most men are entirely absorbed in the things of time, and utterly engrossed with the business of their callings. Banks, counting house, shops, politics, law, medicine, commerce, railways, banquets, balls, theatres, each and all are drinking up the hearts and souls of thousands, and thrusting out the things of God. Think what a fearful shock the sudden stoppage of all these things would be, the sudden stoppage which will be in the day of Christ’s appearing. If only one great house of business stops payment now, it makes a great sensation. What then shall be the crash when the whole machine of worldly affairs shall stand still at once? From money counting and earthly scheming, from racing after riches and wrangling about trifles, to be hurried away to meet the King of kings, how tremendous the change! From dancing and dressing, from opera going and novel reading to be summoned away by the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, how awful the transition! Yet remember, all this shall one day be.

Look at the rural parishes of such a land as ours, and think of them. See how the minds of the vast majority of their inhabitants are buried in farms and allotments, in cattle and corn, in rent and wages, in rates and tithes, in digging and sowing, in buying and selling, in planting and building. See how many there are who evidently care for nothing, and feel nothing, excepting the things of this world, who reckoned nothing whether their minister preaches law or gospel, Christ or antichrist, and would be utterly unconcerned if the Archbishop of Canterbury was turned out of Lambeth Palace, and the Pope of Rome put in his place. See how many there are of whom it can only be said that their bellies and their pockets are their gods. And then fancy the awful effect of a sudden call to meet the Lord Christ, a call to a day of reckoning, in which the price of wheat and the rate of wages shall be nothing, and the Bible shall be the only rule of trial! And yet remember, all this shall one day be.

Reader, picture these things to your mind’s eye. Picture your own house, your own family, your own fireside. What will be found there? Picture, above all, your own feelings, your own state of mind. And then, remember that this is the end toward which the world is hastening. There will be no long notice to quit. This is the way in which the world’s affairs will be wound up. This is an event which may possibly happen in your own time. And surely you cannot avoid the conclusion that the second coming of Christ is no mere curious speculation. It is an event of vast practical importance to your own soul.

‘Ah!’ I can imagine some reading say, ‘This is all foolishness, raving, and nonsense; this writer is beside himself. This is all extravagant fanaticism. Where is the likelihood, where is the probability of all this? The world is going on as it always did. The world will last my time.’ Do not say so. Do not drive away the subject by such language as this. This is the way that men talked in the days of Noah and Lot, but what happened? They found to their cost that Noah and Lot were right. Do not say so. The Apostle Peter foretold, eighteen hundred years ago, that men would talk in this way. ‘There shall come in the last day scoffers,’ he tells us, ‘saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation’ (2 Peter 3:3-4). Oh, do not fulfil his prophecy by your unbelief!

Where is the raving fanaticism of the things which I have been saying?  Show it to me if you can. I calmly assert that the present order of things will come to an end one day. Will anyone deny that? Will anyone tell me we are to go on as we do now forever? I calmly say that Christ’s second coming will be the end of the present order of things. I have said so because the Bible says it. I have calmly said that Christ’s second coming will be a sudden event, whenever it may be, and may possibly be in our own time. I have said so, because thus and thus I find it written in the Word of God. If you do not like it, I am sorry for it. One thing only you must remember, you are finding fault with the Bible, not with me.” 

—————————————————————————————————————–

At the end of this age, billions of unbelievers will be surprised, shocked, and scared to death. In the days and months before Christ’s coming, non-Christians will be living what you would call “normal lives”, and not expecting anything unusual to happen. But Christians know better, for we know the truth, what the Bible predicts will happen in the years leading up to the end of this age. We should not be surprised, shocked, or scared by the coming of Christ – “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:4). Now that we are living in the end-times, we can “see” the day of the Lord approaching – it’s clearly evident that this dreadful “day” is getting closer and closer. Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 24:4-14, 32-35

O Christian, you must warn the lost, and whether they believe it or not, you must tell them that “all hell” will soon break forth on this earth. More than ever before, you must tell the unsaved this bad news, but also, the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they need to repent of their sins and trust in Him for salvation, so they can escape this end-time’s wrath on earth and the eternal wrath in hell, and then forever be with the Lord in heaven. “Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those who are staggering to slaughter” (Prov. 24:12). This is our duty, our solemn responsibility. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

John the Baptist made this prediction about Jesus Christ, and what we now know will soon be fulfilled: “His winnowing fork is in His hands, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12). You want to be the wheat, and not the chaff! And you want to be like John and “make ready the way of the Lord.” Matthew 3:2

P.S. This message about Christ’s return, and God’s wrath being poured out upon the world is a most important message at this time in history. The coming of Christ is soon to happen, and people need to know the truth, both believers and unbelievers. Here are two more relevant messages: “J.C. Ryle’s Prophetic Creed – an Excellent Read”, and “Evildoers in the End-Times.”

They are Scared to Death!!!

May 8, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #215 ~

As Christians, it’s important to think about what our lives will be like in the end-times. But what about the non-Christians? What will their lives be like? When we study the Bible, we discover there is a lot said about the sinful thinking and actions of unbelievers in those last few years before Christ’s return to rapture the church. That’s because God doesn’t want Christians to be surprised by the lives of sinners, for they will affect us much more than we realize.  

First, God wants you to know the state of an unbeliever’s heart, how he will be thinking. 1 Thess. 5:4-5 says the unsaved will be living in darkness – they will be sinning, and therefore,  spiritually sound asleep. They don’t think Christ is coming to judge the earth and punish people like themselves – they believe the world is going along just fine, and they aren’t expecting anything to change. To them, Christ “will come just like a thief in the night.” 1 Thess. 5:2

From 2 Thess. 2:12, we learn how much the non-Christians love their sin, for they “took pleasure in wickedness.” As Rom. 1:25 says, they do not love God or God’s truth, but in fact, love the lies of the world and the devil. They are terribly deceived with the result that their sinful minds are depraved – they are not thinking right, they have “lost their minds.” God will reject these God-rejecters and send “upon them a deluding influence” (2 Thess. 2:11). These fools will “oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith” and they “will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Tim. 2:8, 13). The Antichrist will be wickedly influencing the sinners at that time – they will be so deceived that they will actually worship and follow this most devilish man.

Second, how will the unsaved be living? It will be like the days of Lot: “they were eating and drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building” (Luke 17:28). Workers will be at their jobs, children will be going to school, businessmen will be making money (Rev. 18), and retirees will be taking it easy. This reminds us what the rich man said to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, ‘You fool.’” Luke 12:19-20

These godless sinners will be living life with no thought of a soon-coming world catastrophe. Like the days of Noah, they will also be “marrying and giving in marriage” (Matt. 24:38). They will not just be carrying out daily activities but will be making plans for the future. It’s not that they won’t know about Christ’s coming, it’s that they won’t believe it, and will even mock those who tell them the shocking, sobering truth about what’s to come, that God Almighty will be pouring out His wrath upon the entire world. Laughingly, they will ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” 2 Peter 3:4

What’s more amazing is that these sinners will actually be saying, “Peace and safety.” Wars, famines, and economic problems (birth pains) will have subsided, due in large part to the power, charm, and rule of the Antichrist. Most unbelievers will have received the mark of the beast, with the result that they will have what they need – and life will seem good. Not only that, but the Antichrist will be hunting down those “dumb and crazy Christians”, who along with the Jews, will be the most hated people on earth. Great numbers of them will be taken into custody, and most of them will be martyred. Many sinners will assist the evil Antichrist by betraying and turning in the saints, some who are their own family members (Mark 13:11-13). For Christians, it’s going to be very bad, and very hard – it will be great tribulation (Matt. 24:9). But for unbelievers, there will be a sense of peace in the world at that time, but it will be a fake peace, a false peace, one that will soon be shattered.

The last day of this age will be like most other days – people will be eating, drinking, studying, working, shopping, playing, partying, sleeping, relaxing, and sinning. Suddenly “there was a great earthquake… the sun became black… the whole moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to earth… and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains” (Rev. 6:12-15). The sinners will be scared to death, crying, anguishing, shouting, screaming, swearing – and running for safety. But there will be none – for they will not be able to hide from the presence of God and the wrath of Christ. A world of wicked people will be “fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). Without a doubt, they will know that “the great day of Their wrath has come.” Rev. 6:17

These peace-shattering signs are only the beginning of the end, the dreadful and deadly end for most unbelievers on earth. Immediately after these signs, all Christians will be wonderfully rescued from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:10) and be quickly taken up and away to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). It is said, “there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left… two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34-36). “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52), millions of Christians will be raptured from the earth, with a world of sinners witnessing the greatest escape in history.

What will these sinners think when they see this? They may be confused, or because they are in shock, because they are scared, so gripped by an all-consuming fear, they won’t care. The massive earthquake, the darkened sky, the mysterious rapture – everything will happen so fast, and the unsaved will only be thinking about finding a safe place, a refuge. But there will be none.

Then what? Thirty minutes of the most sobering silence will be heard all over the world, anticipating the holy day of the Lord, the outpouring of His wrath. First, it will be the Trumpet judgments, and then the Bowl judgments, destructive and devastating calamities occurring over a period of many months, or maybe years. It will be drawn out, unrelenting, and tortuous, a series of events tormenting the unrepenting unsaved. One of the judgments will be so bad that “men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them” (Rev. 9:6). The very next judgment results in one third of mankind being killed, which will be billions of people (Rev. 9:18). Sadly, and stubbornly, “the rest of mankind… did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21). In a future post, I will give a more detailed summary of the Day of the Lord, God’s glorious, righteous, end-time judgment of the world.

Before the day of the Lord, Christians on earth will be persecuted, and only for a little while. But the unsaved will be punished, the day of the Lord being the very beginning of a just and eternal penalty for all their terrible sins. “The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.” 2 Thess. 1:7-10

What do Christians need to know and do during these most times?
– Stay close to Jesus. Love Him with all your heart. Read His word and remember His promises. Psalms 63:1-8, 105:4, 119:5; Luke 10:40-42
– Be thankful for all things and in all situations. 1 Thess. 5:18
– Remember what God told you about the end-times, and tell others. Mark 13:23, Rev. 1:3
– Make sure you love your enemies, those who persecute you – and pray for them. Matt. 5:44
– Share the good news with the unsaved. Tell them how they can be saved from their sins and the coming wrath on earth and an eternal and punishing hell. Tell them to turn from their sin and to believe in Jesus Christ before it’s too late. Matt. 24:14, John 3:16, Col. 4:2-7
– Keep trusting God, have faith in Him, the God of the impossible. Prov. 3:5-6, Luke 18:8
– Have hope – think about the wonderful future God has in store for you. Rom. 8:23-28
– Encourage one another during those difficult times, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Heb. 10:25
– Be praying for Christ’s kingdom to be established on earth. Matt. 6:10
– Fervently love the Christians, and always pray for them. Eph. 6:18, 1 John 4:7-21
– In the evil day, as the battle rages, resist the enemy and stand firm. Eph. 6:13
– Persevere, knowing that God will give you all the grace you need to keep going to the end. Matt. 24:13, 2 Cor. 12:9-10
– Keep looking for Jesus to come and take you to be with Him and then home to heaven. “Wait for His Son” (1 Thess. 1:10). “Be on the alert… you also must be ready.” Matt. 24:42-44

P.S. Most people don’t think much about God’s coming wrath on earth, but they need to, for it’s a holy, sobering exercise, motivating us to live for the Lord and to tell the lost the good news of Jesus Christ. We all wish that better days for our world were ahead but I can’t say that. For all you Christians, I encourage you to read two other important posts – “It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better” and “Christians Will Go Through Great Tribulation.”

Christ is Coming Back to Earth, and Soon

April 9, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #212 ~

Jesus Christ is coming again – He’s coming back to this earth. That’s the truth, and it’s going to happen very soon – and He needs to, for its obvious that this world is becoming more and more of a sinful mess. And when Christ comes, everything will dramatically change, and every person on this planet will be greatly affected. “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27

How do we know? Because God told us so – “… that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things.” (Acts 3:20). Jesus Christ, the Creator, the Son of God, and Lord of lords, first came to this world about 2000 years ago. When He was here, Jesus Himself told us that He was coming again. “Behold, I am coming soon.” Rev. 22:12

Do we know when Christ will return? We do not know the exact time, but we will know the general time, and that’s because God told us many clear, visible signs and events that will be occurring before His Son returns to earth. “When you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matt. 24:32-34
* The Jewish people will miraculously return to their land and become a nation, which has already taken place. Ezekiel 36-37, Matt. 24:15-20
* Most people will hear about, and some will experience “birth pains” happening around the world – earthquakes, wars, plagues, famines, and economic distress. Matt. 24:4-8, Rev. 6:1-8
* There will be an extremely evil man, the Antichrist, who will rule the world for a short time, who will force people to worship him and take his mark, the “mark of the beast”. Rev. 13
* Both Christians and Jews will be greatly persecuted all over the world. Matt. 24:9, 21-22
* The Jews will be offering sacrifices in a newly built temple in Jerusalem. 2 Thess. 2:3-4
* There will be increasing lawlessness and evil, which is now quite evident in every country. Matt. 24:12
* The gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached in all the nations in the world. Matt. 24:14
* God has given us these signs to alert us, to warn us, to wake us up to the fact that His Son is coming back soon. And He does not want us to be surprised!

What will happen when Christ comes back to earth? Five major, global events will occur:
1. The first thing to happen when Christ returns is the rapture, when He suddenly, powerfully, and lovingly takes all the Christians from this earth to be with Himself. At that time, all believers who have ever lived, those from earth and those already in heaven, will be glorified, be given brand-new, immortal bodies, and be gathered to Christ. Matt. 24:30-31, 1 Cor. 15:42-44
2. The wrath of God will be poured out upon this earth. This is the Day of the Lord, a most dreadful time when billions of people will be punished and die, and deservedly so, for sinning, for rebelling against God. You do not want to be here when this happens! Revelation 8-9, 16

3. The redemption, the salvation of a large remnant of Jews will take place at the very end of Daniel’s 70th week, a seven-year period of time. Daniel 9:24, Romans 11:25-26
4. The Antichrist and the devil will be soundly defeated. 2 Thess. 2:8-9, Rev. 20:1-3
5. Christ’s reign on earth will begin. His glorious rule will last exactly 1000 years, during which time the earth will be repopulated. “God is the King of all the earth… God reigns over the nations” (Psalm 47:7-8). People will be saying, “Peace on earth,” and there will be love, justice, and harmony like never before.

How about you? What will happen to you when Christ comes back? Will you experience God’s mercy and be raptured, or be left behind and experience God’s wrath? “It’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). You do not want to ignore, dismiss, or forget what God is telling you about His Son’s return to this planet. With respect to our future, Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). If you happen to be living on earth when Christ comes back, your life will be greatly changed, one way or another. Which way will it be?

The only answer to all your problems is Jesus Christ. And your biggest problem is sin. It’s rejecting and disobeying God. It’s not loving Him but instead loving yourself and other things, being an idolater (Psalm 115:4-8, Col. 3:5-6). About 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to this world to take care of our sin problem. He lived a perfect life, and then died on a cross, being punished by His Father for peoples’ sins, taking the wrath they deserved.

To get right with God, to receive God’s mercy and be forgiven, to go to heaven, you must tell God that you are sorry you sinned against Him, and believe that Christ died for you, was punished for your sins and paid the penalty you should have paid. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “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

It’s not going to be long before Christ returns to earth and changes everything! “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming, will come, and will not delay” (Heb. 10:37). Again, don’t be left behind! “You will see the Son of Man… coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). “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 Thessalonians 4:16-17

P.S. Next to the gospel of Jesus Christ, how you can be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life, the coming of Christ back to this earth is the most important subject there is. I have written a number of posts on this subject. Here are a few more I encourage you to read: “Christ is Coming Again, and He’s Coming Soon”, “Jesus Christ, the Savior, Judge, Redeemer, and King”, and “Everything on This Earth Is Going to Change.”

Sinners and Saints in the End-Times

February 5, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #206 ~

It is obvious to all of us that we are living in very difficult times, and in a very troubled country. We can speculate all day long as to why things are happening, but we always need to come back to what God tells us in His word. And He makes it clear that sin is our number one problem, and that it affects and relates to everything going on in our world today. Because of this, I felt compelled to write a blog post on the subject of sinners, but it kept getting longer and longer, and finally, it became an article: Evil Doers in the End-Times. I strongly encourage you to take the time to read this, and then pass it on to others. Listed below are the main points in this article. All these truths about sin, sinners, and the solution, must be properly understood by Christians, and especially now that we live in the end-times, in a country and world that is increasingly growing more sinful and wicked, for only then can we live for God in a godly and fruitful way.

1) Do you notice all the wickedness in the world, and that it’s getting worse?

2) Why sinners are sinners.

3) Sinners are not thinking right.

4) Some sinners are worse than other sinners.

5) Stay away from those who are evil and wicked.

6) Some sinners may not appear to be sinners.

7) God will protect you from those who are wicked.

8) The devil and his army of demons work through sinners.

9) Part of God’s plan is to work through evildoers.

10) God is sovereign over all evildoers and uses them for His purposes.

11) How are we to live in this world of wrongdoers?

12) Evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

13) God will judge the wicked in His time.

14) What should we say to sinners?

15) Saintly living in a sinful world

16) The devilish end-times’ deception of sinners

17) What needs to be understood is that we live in a sinful world, and it’s going to get worse.

18) This subject of sinners and God’s dealings with them needs to be understood.

19) What Christians need to know is the hope we have.

20) What are you to do now?

Processing the Present Tough Times

January 15, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #204 ~

These are extremely tough times, very difficult days for those living in the United States. There’s the Covid virus, children still not in school, the election controversy, the Capitol riot, the impeachment, freedoms being taken away, and the greatest political division since the Civil War. These things can lead to worry, anger, and being overwhelmed, unless you look to the Lord and are trusting Him. But how does God want you to process what’s presently happening in our country? What does He want you to do?

* Fix your eyes on Jesus. Look to Jesus and cast your cares on Him instead of trying to figure everything out. Love Him and stay close to Him. And ask God to give you the peace He wants you to have. “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations.” Ps. 46:10, Phil. 4:4-6, 1 Pet. 5:7

* Know that God is sovereign. When troubles abound, know that God is still in control, that He reigns, that His will is being carried out, that all things are going according to His plan. “He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’” Dan. 4:35, Is. 46:9-11

* See the big picture. “God changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding” (Dan. 2:21). What’s been going on in our country these past 50-60 years has been ordained by God. A humanistic educational system, a rapid decline in morality, a growing socialistic government, increasing globalism, technological advancements, and super-quick communication – God is sovereign over it all. All the leaders we have had, and now the new President – God is sovereign over this as well. And God wants to give you wisdom, which means He wants you to know where all this is headed, that His Son, Jesus Christ, is coming back and will establish His kingdom on this earth. “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44). “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.” Dan. 7:27, Rev. 11:15

* Know where it all leads. Everything that’s been taking place, whether it has to do with the past 50-60 years, 2020, or what’s been happening in the past few weeks, relates to God’s plans for the future. It may be puzzling to you, but not to God, for all things, all people, all events, all problems, all countries, all the puzzle pieces, are fitting together in just the way He has planned, and are all leading to that time when Christ returns, raptures the church, judges the world, and sets up His kingdom on this earth. “… with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of times, that is, the summing up 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.” Eph. 1:9-11

* Don’t worry about evil people. Don’t fret, for God will deal with those who are wicked, and if they don’t repent, will judge them. “Evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land” (Ps. 37:9-15, 11:5-7). While rulers may think they have all this power and can do whatever they want, God knows they are but fools. He is laughing at them, scoffing at them, and warning them to repent or else. God wants them, and us, to know that He has already installed His Son as the true and future King over this entire world. Psalm 2

* Understand Biblical prophecy. God has already told you everything you need to know about the future. “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:23). All that God wants you to know about what will be happening before Christ’s coming is found in His word, in Matt. 24, Luke 21, 1-2 Thess., Daniel, and Revelation. In these years leading up to Christ’s return, there will be birth pains, false teachers, increasing lawlessness, the signing of a treaty, the building of a Jewish temple, that devilish Antichrist, great tribulation, and finally, signs in the heavens signaling the end of this age. And all that is now taking place and will take place in our world must be seen in the context of these end-times’ Bible prophecies. Don’t worry, be at peace, for God is working all things together for your good, and for His purposes and glory. Rom. 8:28-29

* Don’t get caught up in conspiracy thinking. Isaiah 8:12-13 warns us, “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ in regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, and you are not to fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy, and He shall be your fear.” Many people are speculating, saying things that may or may not be true, but you don’t know for sure. Be very careful to what you listen to, things political or spiritual, things that may sound interesting, but oftentimes are far-fetched, and seem un-believable. In these days, do not waste your time on fantastical theories, do not be led astray by worldly ideas. May God’s prophetic word give you the right perspective, a proper framework by which you can know what is right and wrong, can discern what is true and false. Trust the Lord, and not men. Focus on God’s word, and not human words. 2 Tim. 2:14-18, 1 John 4:6

* Christ is building the church. “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18). When you think about this country and the world we live in, you may get discouraged and wonder if God is winning, if His work is really being carried out. This verse is to remind and encourage you that God, through Jesus Christ, is doing exactly what He wants to do. His plans for the church are precisely and perfectly being carried out, and will never be thwarted by the devil or anyone else. Prov. 21:30, Is. 46:9-11,

* Do the work God gives you to do. “Do business with this until I come back” (Luke 19:13). It’s easy to be distracted and think too much about what’s going on in the world. But be thinking about what God wants you to do, and keep building your part of the wall. This means loving Christ, living for Christ, being in a good church, using your spiritual gift, and being united with others in making disciples. Neh. 4; Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 2:10  

* God’s word is not chained. “I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:9). There is no doubt that the devil is at work, and wants to prevent you and all Christians from preaching the word. When you see and hear of his evil activity, don’t fret or fear, but remember that God is the Lord God Almighty and the Chief Communicator, and that His word, His gospel message, will be preached and will bear fruit. But be wise, keep praying, and persevere in getting God’s word out to the lost, to the unsaved. Mark 13:9-11, Phil. 1:12-18

What a time to be alive! The church age will soon come to an end, but lots needs to happen and much work still needs to be done. Stay close to God and to Christians, keep the big picture in mind, be led by the Spirit, and keep doing the work God has assigned you to do. And it may be that Christ’s return and the rapture of the church is much closer than you think. “Do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:11-12

P.S. I hope and pray that you are excited to be living in the end-times, and that you are learning what God wants you to know, and are doing what He wants you to do. “What the Bible Says About the Future” is a great summary of God’s plans for these years leading up to Christ’s return, and what comes after that.

« Older posts Newer 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.

© 2024 Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑