Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: God’s Glory (Page 1 of 3)

Blog posts about God’s glory.

God is in Charge of the Weather!!!

January 25, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #352 ~

Much of the eastern half of the United States is being hit by an extremely bad storm. And it’s God Himself who is doing it – for He is in charge, He is commanding all the weather, all the wind, every lightning strike, every bit of rain, ice, and snow, and the cold that goes with it. I have previously written on the weather as it relates to hurricanes, but in view of this present storm, I thought it would be good to refresh our memory with the truth of God’s word, of Job 37. I believe that this is the best chapter in the entire Bible on the weather, for it describes it in a physical way, but it also makes a spiritual application. As you read it, ask yourself what God wants you to learn.

Job 37

1 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
9 “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

14 “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

21 “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 “The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
24 “Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Here are a few of my thoughts on this weather chapter:
* God is in charge, He is sovereign over every aspect of the weather.
* One reason for the weather is so we look to God, so that we see that He is behind the weather. According to Google, a moderate size snowstorm, one about 2,000 square miles, will produce 5 quintillion (5×10^18) snowflakes) and, as you know, every snowflake is unique. So God Himself designed, created, and set in motion every snowflake. And here I’m just talking about the snow.
* God uses the storm to stop us in our tracks – He does not want us to think we can do whatever we want. And there’s probably close to 200 million people who are affected by this powerful storm. “That all men may know His work.” Vs. 7

* “That it may do whatever He commands it”( vss. 12-13). God uses the storm for His purposes – for correction, to show us His love, and to humble us. God does not have regard for the proud, for the “wise of heart”.
* We learn that God is awesome, that He is infinitely more intelligent, powerful, wiser than any person, and He is perfectly righteous.
* At the right time, God Himself will bring this storm to an end, for the sun once again will shine in the sky (vss. 21-22). So too with the trials of life, we are going through “the valley of the shadow of death.” Ps. 23:4
* The conclusion is that men and women are to fear God – we are to humble our hearts, to bow down to Him, to worship Him, and Him alone. Vs. 24

I love Job 37, for it’s all about God and what He does – and what He does is to show us that He is God, that He is in charge, is sovereign. And He is sovereign over all things. When I think of these few days of “bad weather”, I also think of the troublesome times that will increaslingly affect and afflict this country, the birth pains, but more importantly, the suffering and great tribulation Christians will experience. But praise the Lord, then the Son will shine, for we will “see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” Matt. 24:27

Let me conclude with one of my favorite end-times’ verses on the sovereignty and will of God. Eph. 1:9-11 – “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon 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, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. “

P.S. Here is a good post on God’s sovereignty and purpose in your own life. “God Is in Charge of Your Life.” Finally, “Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph. 1:2

I Will Praise YOU Forever and Ever

January 24, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #351 ~

As a Christian, you are to see and know God for who He is, what He is like, and what He does. When you do, you will thank Him and praise Him. You will give Him the honor only He deserves. You will give Him the glory for the good things He does. You will tell Him you love Him. You will sing to Him and shout to Him with a joyful heart. You will worship God alone. And you will praise God in these end-times, in these tough times, when life is extremely difficult. 

So how are you doing in praising God? Most days, there are tens of thousands of thoughts and words on your mind and your lips – but are you praising God? Without question, praising God is the single most important thing you can do. “Praise God for His mighty deeds, praise Him for His excellent greatness… Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Ps. 150:2, 6

All creation is made to praise God, to worship Him. And if you are not worshiping God, you are worshiping someone or something else. It may be yourself, a friend, a celebrity, or it may be money, music, work, food, sports, a car, or some other idol. To not worship God, to not praise God, is sin, the most basic sin, a sin that is at the root of, that leads to every other sin. “I am the Lord your God… you shall have no other gods before Me.” Ex. 20:2-3; Jer. 2:5, 13; Rom. 1:20-25

The book in the Bible that speaks most about praising God is the Psalms. Last time we looked at a number of “praise” verses from the Psalms. Today we talk more about what it means to praise God and what motivates us to praise Him.

What are some keys to praising God? First, you learn who God is, that He is God, the only God, the supreme being, the One who has infinite value, and who is holy, holy, holy! You see that He is the Creator, that He made you and everyone and everything else in the world. You recognize that He is Lord, that there is no other, that He is in charge of all things, and that He does what He wants. You believe that God is the Savior, the only One who can save people from sin, death, hell, and the devil. You understand that God is the Judge, that He decides what is right and wrong and then rewards or punishes accordingly. You realize that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that He is a Trinity. You know that He is the King over the whole world, and that in a little while, you will be reigning with Him. So praise God for who He is. But there’s much more.

Second, you know what God is like, His character, His attributes, His name. You learn that He is holy, just, loving, good, gracious, great, kind, patient, forgiving, sovereign, wise, compassionate, gentle, etc. You understand that God is unique, eternal, self-sufficient, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable, etc. This is amazing, wonderful, unbelievable! You conclude that infinite worth and value must be given to God alone, and that only He deserves to be praised. “Praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. 113:1b). And there’s still more.

Third, you learn what God is doing. By studying God’s word, and by watching, thinking, praying, reading, and talking to others, you discover God’s works, you learn what He is doing in your life, your family, your friends, the church, and in the world. You learn that God is working in the lives of the lost and saving them. You see that He is working in the lives of the saved, and is loving, teaching, leading, correcting, forgiving, and changing them. You learn about His work in this country and around the world. You see His miraculous work, power, mercy, greatness, blessings, goodness, holiness, wrath, and glory. Observing and thinking about these things results in you giving God glory, praise, and honor, and in you being filled with His joy and peace.

To sum up, the keys to praising God are knowing who He is, what He is like, and what He is doing. I separated these three to help you understand what they mean, but they go together. Here are two examples: 1) “God (who)saved (what He did) us because He loved (what He is like)us.” 2) “God (who), by His power (what He is like), will take us to heaven (what He will do).”

Here are several other important truths about praising God:
1) Only a true Christian can praise the true God. Ps. 113:1, Phil. 3:2-3
2) Praising God is a big word, for exulting in Him, singing to Him, and exalting, extolling, worshiping, blessing, thanking, adoring, honoring, celebrating, appreciating, and loving Him, can also be defined as praising God. Ps. 96
3) God commands you to praise Him because it’s the right thing to do. But praising God should not be something you feel you have to do, but what you want to do and are excited to do.  
4) Praising God gives Him glory, and results in His blessing in your life, now and forever.
5) Praising God is personal, between you and God – and it can be done in private or in public.

6) When there’s a problem, praise God. You’ll see that it’s often the key to solving the problem. 2 Chr. 20:20-23
7) Thanking God usually leads to praising Him. For example, thanking God for a specific thing, like a meal, often leads to praising Him for a general truth, like His love. Ps. 100:4
8) Praising God isn’t just what you do on Sunday, but what you are to do all week long. Ps. 145:2
9) Reading God’s word helps you know what specific work God is doing in your life which helps you to praise Him when you see this work. Ps 119:15
10) When you praise God, you recognize that He is your Lord – and you’re humble, you’re not proud.

11) If you are not praising God, it’s because of sin. You are focused on yourself and on worldly and fleshly things instead of thinking about God and loving Him.
12) Being with other believers who are praising God motivates you to praise Him. Rom. 12:10
13) Thinking about and thanking God for your salvation results in praising God. 1 Cor. 11:23-26
14) Praising God may or may not be emotional. You need to learn to praise God when you don’t feel like it, which often leads to praising Him with great feeling. Ps. 13:5-6
15) Praising God causes you to be united with God, and increases your intimacy with Him. Ps. 63:1-5

16) Praising God is foundational for all aspects of your spiritual growth. It’s heart-purifying, joy-filling, soul-strengthening, faith-increasing, peace-producing, and God-glorifying.
17) Be part of a church that is committed to praising God. Acts 2:42
18) Praising God has a positive and godly effect on the lives of other Christians.
19) Take the time to think about what God is doing in your life, the church, the lives of others, and the world around you. Ps. 77:12-15, 92:2, 111:1-2
20) Praise shows who you value, who you feel most strongly about – might it always be of God.

We live in the end-times, in a very sinful and troubled world – and as we get closer to Christ’s return, it will only get worse. I can’t stress enough the importance of keeping God front and center in your life, of praising Him at all times and in all situations. Expressing your love to God by praising Him is a priority, is practical, is a stabilizing and energizing force in your life. And in the coming kingdom ages, you will be praising God more and more and more. “Every day I will bless you, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Ps. 145:2

P.S. Here is a link to a number of excellent, God-glorifying Scripture Songs (Scripture Songs – Our Legacy – Volume 1 and Volume 2) that our church music team recorded when I was in Tampa. And here is another post about praising the Lord – “Worshiping the King, the Greatest Celebration Ever.”

Praise the Lord, From This Time and Forever!!

January 10, 2026 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #350 ~

The most important thing you can do as a Christian is to praise the Lord! When you read the Psalms, the longest book in the Bible, the book that has the most to say about your relationship with God, you learn that praising Him is the #1 subject. In today’s post, I write out a number of verses that speak about praising the Lord.  

First, let me summarize some things we learn from the Psalms about praising the Lord:
* Praising the Lord brings you into His presence.
* Praising the Lord gets your eyes off yourself and your problems and onto Him.
* The word “praise” is comprehensive, encompassing many aspects of what it means to worship God. Other words describing different facets of praise are sing, thanks, bless, extol, exalt, shout, ascribe, boast, glory, love, laud, and honor.
* An excellent way to praise God is by singing praises to Him. As you know, the Psalms are songs.
* Praising the Lord is always personal, and can be done in private or in public.

* Praise God for His work, and for His name, His character, whether it’s His truth, love, power, greatness, goodness, righteousness, justice, or faithfulness.
* Praising the Lord results in you being close to Him, and being blessed by Him.
* Praising the Lord is what you are to do all day long, day after day, and forever.
* Praising the Lord is a good measure of your spiritual health, a sign to you and others of how you are doing as a Christian.
* Jesus Christ reigns over the world during the millennial kingdom, and your primary duty will be praising Him. During this kingdom age, the whole world will be praising Christ. The focal center of praise during that time will be Jerusalem.

Here are 81 verses from the book of Psalms that talk about praise. I encourage you to read through the entire list – you will find it instructive and motivating.
9:2 – I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 9:13 – Be gracious to me, O Lord… that I may tell of all Your praises. 18:49 – I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name. 18.13 – I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. 21:13 – Be exalted, O Lord in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power. 22:26 – The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord. 30:4 – Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. 30:11-12 – You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. 33:1-2 – Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre, sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 35:18 – I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among a mighty throng. 35:28 – My tongue shall declare Your righteousness and Your praise all day long. 42:5 – Why are you in despair, O my soul?… Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

47:6 – Sing praise to God, sing praises; sing praise to our King, sing praises, for God is the King of all the earth. 48:1 – Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. 48:10 – As is Your name O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. 56:4 – In God whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. 57:7-10 – My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises… I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. 59:17 – O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness. 63:3-5 – Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You… My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. 66:1-2 – Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. 66:4 – All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name.

69:30 – I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. 69:34 – Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. 71:6 – By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You. 70:8 – My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long. 71:14 – As for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. 71:23 – My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul which You have redeemed. 76:10 – The wrath of man shall praise You. 84:4 – How blessed are those who dwell in Your house. They are ever praising You. 89:5 – The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. 96:4 – Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 98:4-5 – Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. 99:3 – Let them praise Your great and awesome name; holy is He.

100:4 – Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. 101:1 – I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to You, O Lord, I will sing praises. 102:18, 21 – This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord… that men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion and His praises in Jerusalem. 104:33 – I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 104:35 – Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! 105:42-45 – He remembered His holy word with Abraham His servant… He gave them all the lands of the nations… praise the Lord! 106:1 – Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord, or can show forth all His praises? 106:47 – Gather us from among the nations to give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise the Lord!

108:1, 3 – My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul… I will sing praises to You among the nations. 111:1 – Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly. 111:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. 113:1 – Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord… from the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. 113:9 – He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord! 117:1 – Praise the Lord all nations; laud Him all peoples, for His lovingkindness is great toward us and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. 119:164 – Seven times a day I praise You because of Your righteous ordinances. 135:3-4 – Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely, for the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself. 145:1-2 – I will extol You, my God, O King… Every day I will bless You. And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

145:21 – My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever. 146:1-2 – Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord while I live, I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Ps 146:10 – The Lord will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! 147:1 – Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming. 147:12 – Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. 148:1, 7, 11, 12, 13 – Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise Him in the heights… Praise the Lord from the earth… let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted. 149:1 – Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. 149:3 – Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. 149:9 – To execute on them the judgment written, this is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord! 150:1, 2, 6 – Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him for His excellent greatness… Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! 

We live in the end-times, the last years leading up to Christ’s return to rapture the church. In this post, we have focused on the supreme importance of praising the Lord. So does it not make sense that praising the Lord needs to be your #1 priority during these final years of your life on earth? And is it not true that God deserves all your praise? And do you not see that praising God is central, is critical to His glory, your work, and your success and joy as a Christian?

Revelation 4-5 describes a heavenly scene, the awesome, powerful prelude to God’s holy and victorious work on earth – and the principal theme is that the four living creatures, the 24 elders, the angels, and the believers are praising God the Father and Jesus Christ. Rev. 4:8, Rev. 4:11, Rev. 5:9, Rev. 5:11. Rev. 5:13 – “Every created thing which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen’. And the elders fell down and worshiped.”

P.S. When I was in our church in Tampa, we sang a number of Scripture songs, songs that were straight from the Bible, and many of them from the Psalms. Our music team recorded many of these encouraging, God-glorifying songs, and here are the links to them: Scripture Songs – Our Legacy, Volume 1 and Scripture Songs – Our Legacy, Volume 2

Present Suffering and Future Glory

March 1, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #326 ~

Suffering – this is not what the world or your flesh wants, but it is definitely part of God’s plan for Christians. Suffering is for God’s eternal purposes and glory and results in a believer’s eternal glory. I share this with you because it’s true and it’s personal, and because you need to know that we are living in the end-times, and that the persecution of Christians will increase as we get closer to Christ’s coming.

Today, I want to look at some key passages that speak about suffering and glory:
Psalm 22 is about Jesus Christ, that He suffered and died for us and then will be glorified, and the whole world will see His glory. He suffered at His 1st coming – “A band of evildoers has encompassed Me; they pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones…”, but He will be glorified at His 2nd coming – “You who fear the Lord, praise Him, all you descendants of Jacob glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him.” Vss. 16-17, 23

Philippians 2:7-11 tells us that Jesus Christ humbled Himself, that He “became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Then “God highly exalted and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name… so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Christ is our #1 example – and He suffered extremely so, and will be supremely glorified. Hebrews 12:2-3

1 Peter 1:10-12 speaks of the “sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” 1 Pet. 5:1 tells us that Peter was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glories to follow.” Christ will be greatly glorified and all believers will share in that glory. Col. 3:4 elaborates on this – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” This is so encouraging, for we will soon be with Christ, and will join Him in experiencing the wonderful glory of God.

Matthew 5:10-12 wants us to know that all believers who suffer, who are insulted, maligned, and “persecuted for the sake of righteousness”, will inherit the kingdom of heaven and be greatly rewarded. So it’s suffering first and then receiving and experiencing God’s amazing grace and glory.

Romans 5:2-3 instructs us to rejoice in two things – we are to “exult in hope of the glory of God” and we are to “exult in our tribulations”. Tribulation and suffering come first, occurring during our life on earth. And in heaven and in the ages to come, we will share in God’s incredible glory. All of us should have this hope, this expectation of glory, “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 5:5

Romans 8:18-39 – The first verse sums up the main message: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Life may be extremely difficult, but our temporary sufferings are nothing compared to the eternal glory we will experience after our life on this earth. Vss. 19-39 give more details about God’s sovereign working with regards to our suffering, and that we can “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us”, and that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Vss. 37, 39

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – “Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” This theme is repeated, that our suffering, our problems, troubles, and trials result in receiving God’s glory. But our suffering is momentary, lasting only a short time compared to an eternity of glory. And our suffering isn’t that difficult compared to the weight, the greatness of the glory God gives us. Without question, it’s really worth it to suffer for God, for Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:4-10. As Christians, we suffer, we go through afflictions, even great afflictions, for God’s glory and our glory. Not long from now, “He (Christ) comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed.” This happens at Christ’s return, and is when our salvation is complete, for Christ is “glorified in His saints,” meaning that we receive new bodies, ones like Christ’s, ones that are powerful, immortal, glorious, and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:42-44). Suffering for Christ results in being spiritually and physically glorified, which is what God planned for us in eternity past. Romans 8:28-30

1 Peter 1:3-9 is one of the best big picture passages in the Bible. It says that a necessary part of life is suffering, is going through various and distressing trials, is being “tested by fire” – but it’s only for a little while. And we have hope, for we know we will get through it and receive an unbelievable inheritance. Indeed, suffering for Christ will “result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:7). Two keys to having hope and receiving this glory are loving God, and faith, believing God and His promises. 1 Peter 1:8

1 Peter 5:10 again communicates this truth of suffering and glory. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” Yes, you will suffer, but you will also witness and experience God’s eternal glory. In the meantime, God is sanctifying you, strengthening, perfecting, and molding you into Christ’s image. All of this is by God’s grace, and by His promises and power working in your life. 2 Peter 1:2-4

The Christian life is knowing God and His truth, power, love, goodness, and much more. It’s also being humble, seen by serving, sacrificing, and suffering for Him. Living for God like this results in God being greatly glorified, you being glorified, and you receiving His never-ending glory. 

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

As you truly live for Christ, you will suffer for Him. And that’s a good thing, good for God and His glory, and good for you and receiving His glory. Here are two previous posts about suffering and glory – “The Glory of Suffering for Jesus” and “Suffering for Jesus in the End-Times”.

Romans – Christ’s Coming and God’s Glory

February 15, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #325 ~

In the epistles, we find all this spiritual gold relating to our present life on earth. But we also discover spiritual gems describing our hope. The book of Romans, for example, has much to say about justification, but it also speaks about Christ’s return and the future glory of God. Today I will look at eight glorious gems that are found in this book – Rom. 5:2, Rom. 8:18-25, Rom. 8:28-31, Rom. 11, Rom. 13:11-14, Rom. 14:10-12, Rom. 15:8-13, and Rom. 16:25-27.

Romans 5:2 – “We exult in hope of the glory of God.” I get tired of this evil, people-exalting, devil-controlled world. Don’t you? But God gave us this important example instructing us to be excited about His coming glory – His truth, power, holiness, justice, wisdom, love, mercy, goodness, majesty, etc. It won’t be long before God’s glory is on display all over the world, in the creation, in the lives of Jews, Gentiles, and glorified saints, and most importantly, in the life and work of Jesus Christ the King. Is. 6:3, Hab. 2:14, Ps. 72:18-19

Romans 8:18-25 – “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Vs. 18). Life can be hard – we hurt, we suffer, we get sick, we are persecuted. We live in a world that is groaning and in a body that is groaning. But our hope is that this physical world will be set free from sin – be restored, and that our physical body will be set free from sin – be glorified. “The creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption… we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:21, 23; Phil. 3:20-21

Romans 8:28-30 – “These whom He predestined, He also called, and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (vs. 30). This is an excellent summary of God’s overall plan of salvation, climaxing in God’s ultimate goal for us, that we be glorified. It’s at Christ’s coming that our salvation will be complete, for that’s when we will be glorified, “be conformed to the image of God’s Son”, and when we will be able to love and live for God like He purposed and planned in eternity past.

Romans 11 – “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (vs. 36). One of the biggest ways God receives glory is through His plan of salvation with regards to Jews and Gentiles. In His wisdom, God first focused on the Jews, but during this church age, their hearts being partially hardened, God has focused on the Gentiles. After the end of this age, when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (25), a remnant of Jews will be redeemed. God’s saving work with both Jews and Gentiles will result in Him being greatly and eternally glorified. 

Romans 13:11-13 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” Do you know what time it is? Do you know that we are very close to the end of this age? That’s when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and begin reigning over the world? So don’t be asleep! Wake up! And be holy and lively for the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is how you glorify God!

Romans 14:10-12 – “Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” A person’s primary purpose is to serve God and give Him glory. Knowing that we are in the end-times and that it won’t be long before we see Christ and give an account of how we have lived our life (our “work will become evident” – 1 Cor. 3:13-15), should motivate us to be holy and wholly loving God and living for Him.

Romans 15:8-13 – “Christ has become a servant… to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy.” God’s prophetic word promises a coming age when Christ is ruling over both Jews and Gentiles who are unitedly glorifying Him. This passage concludes with an encouraging, forward-looking prayer, that all believers would be looking forward to God’s glory – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 16:25-27 – “To Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” God Himself will keep us going to the end of our life or the end of this age, and for all eternity. The gospel and the truths of Christ are the basis by which we are established and become strong and give glory to God during this life and forever.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.” Jude 24-25

P.S. God has much to say about our future, about Christ’s coming, and God’s glory, and so much more than we realize. The most well read article is about Matthew 24, what I consider to be the single most important prophecy chapter for Christians.

God’s Eternal Love for His Children

January 18, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #323 ~

You need to be loved by God! And I’m talking about knowing and experiencing God’s love in this life, during the end-times, during the great tribulation, and forever and ever.
* Only by knowing God’s love will you be able to love and glorify Him.
* Only by knowing God’s love can you be strong, satisfied, and encouraged.
* Only by knowing God’s love can you have a close, responsive, dynamic relationship with Him.
* Only by knowing God’s love can you live for Him and serve Him.
* Only by knowing God’s love will you be able to truly love others.

If you do not know and depend on God’s love, then you will seek love in the wrong places; you will stray from God; you will sin against God; you will walk “after emptiness and become empty” (Jer. 2:4, 13); you won’t obey God; you won’t spiritually grow; you will look for love from people instead of from God; and you will be sad, lonely, fearful, angry, impure, greedy, covetous, impatient, discouraged, and spiritually empty. 

So how does God love you? He loves you in many ways, but first and foremost by Christ’s work on the cross to save you from sin, death, and hell. This dying, sacrificial love of Christ is foundational, setting in motion an eternal life of being loved by God and of loving God. “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “We love because God first loved us.” 1 Jn. 4:19

God’s love is wonderfully comprehensive. It’s a fatherly love, a holy love, a personal love, a precious love, a caring love, a great love, an infinite love, an unconditional love, a continual love, a powerful love, an unfailing love, and an eternal, never-ending love. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

God’s love for you is multidimensional, like the facets of an infinitely beautiful and valuable diamond. It’s a love that is good (a blessing), forgiving (cleanses you of sin), kind (gives to you), patient (bears with you), attentive (thinks of you), protecting (keeps you safe), providing (meets your needs), compassionate (feels deeply for you), and faithful (continually and eternally committed to you). “You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in love to all who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5, 15

God’s love is purposeful, is a key component of the good work He wants you to do. God’s love motivates, directs, and helps you accomplish His plans. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the work of Your hands.” Ps. 138:8, 2 Cor. 5:14-15, Eph. 2:1-10

I have summed up God’s love for you. But how can you know and grow in this love (1 Jn. 4:16)? And how can you “keep yourself in the love of God” (Jude 21)? Here are several ways:
* God expresses His love to you through His word. It can be through verses that use the word love. It can be truths that speak about His love for you in salvation. It can be seen in Bible characters who experienced His love, the best example being David as talked about in the Psalms. Ps. 59:16-17
* Through the lives of Christians. Fellowship with believers is essential to knowing and experiencing God’s love for you. Rom. 12:9-10
* Through prayer, by asking God to reveal His love to you. Ps. 57:1-3, 63:1-3

* By faith, by believing that God loves you and will keep loving you. One aspect of walking by faith is believing and expecting God to love you. Ps. 33:18-22
* Through communion, by regularly taking time with other believers to remember God’s love for you through Christ’s work on the cross. 1 Cor. 11:23-26
* Through confession. As you confess your sins to God, He will comfort you with His forgiving love. “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your love; according to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions.” Ps. 51:1, 1 Jn. 1:5-9

* By meditating on God’s work of salvation. Think about being foreknown, chosen, called, born again, justified, redeemed, saved, forgiven, adopted, reconciled, sealed, sanctified, glorified, and a citizen of heaven. Rom. 8:28-39
* By observing God’s work in your life. Declare God’s love in the morning and at night look back and note how He personally loved you during the day. This helps you see God’s goodness, patience, power, protection, provision, forgiveness, and compassion. Psalm 92:1-5

* By remembering and being thankful for how God has loved you, whether it was that day or in the distant past. Seeing and connecting these acts of love helps you understand the way of God’s love, the continuity of His love for you through the years. Being thankful helps you see God’s love, but also solidifies it in your heart. Ps. 77:6-13, 103:7-8
* By experiencing God’s love on earth. God shows His love by giving you good things to enjoy – a growing family, good food, playful pets, stunning sunsets, “purple mountain majesties” , etc. Gen. 1:31, Ps. 119:64

* By obeying God, by carrying out His commands. God reveals His love to you when you do what He wants you to do. John 14:21, 23
* By worshiping and praising God. This most important way to tell God that you love Him results in Him filling and flooding your heart with His love. Ps. 147:1
* By reciting truths about God. I have written out my ABCs of God’s character, and I regularly review them – and they always stir my heart with His love. Ps. 48:9

The apostle John said,“We have come to know and have believed the love that God has for us” (1 Jn. 4:16). Have you come to know the love that God has for you? Do you keep yourself in His love (Jude 21)? Do you walk in His love? Are you being satisfied by His love (Ps. 90:14). I can’t stress enough the blessing, necessity, and importance of God’s love. You need it to love and to live the life God has for you. And in tough times, and in the end-times, and when the Antichrist is ruling the earth and greatly persecuting the church, you must be convinced of it.

Someday soon, you will be in heaven and literally be with Jesus, and it’s then that you will be filled with His amazing, soul-satisfying love. I can’t wait to see Him, to be with Him, to be fully loved by Him, and to fully and forever love Him. Here’s what Job thought about it: “After my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh, I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:26-27

P.S. I can personally say that knowing God’s love has been the best thing in my Christian life. I couldn’t have made it without the daily and incredible love of God. Here’s an encouraging article – “The Love of GOD”, and an encouraging post – “The Rapture, a Love Story.”

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.

From Baby Jesus to King Jesus

December 22, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #293 ~

The world has all kinds of ideas about what Christmas means, but what God does say, what does God’s word tell us, what is the whole message? Matt. 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” A foundational truth about Christmas is that there was a woman named Mary who miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to a baby named Jesus. This Son of Man was the Son of God – and He was both God and man so He could be Immanuel, so He could live with man.

There are a number of reasons why God wanted Jesus to be both God and man – let me share with you seven of them:
1. Jesus had to be God and man to fulfill Bible prophecy. Many prophecies in God’s word had to be fulfilled by Jesus, for only a person who was both God and man could fulfill them. 
– Isaiah 9:6-7 – This child, this son, is the Mighty God, and He will rule over the world forever – and this can only be speaking of Jesus, one who is God and man.
– Micah 5:2-5 – This person is born in Bethlehem, and He’s eternal and He’s a King, a ruler who brings peace to the ends of the earth. This describes one who would have to be both God and man, and we know His name is Jesus.
– Many prophecies speak of the Messiah, one who would be a Savior, King, Judge, and Redeemer. To fulfill these roles, He would have to be both God and man, and indeed, this is referring to Jesus Christ. Isaiah 40-66

2. Jesus is both God and man so He could reveal God to mankind. God revealed Himself to mankind through creation (Rom. 3:20-21), but most importantly He revealed Himself through Jesus. Heb. 1:3 says, “Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” The word radiance means to send forth light, and Jesus is sending forth the light and glory of God. Think about the sun – you don’t actually see the sun, but you see the light, the rays of the sun. And just as the sunlight reflects the sun, so Jesus reflects God. When you see Jesus, you see the exact representation of God’s nature. You see His power, love, supremacy, authority, holiness, goodness, mercy, and His purpose. John 1:29

“Jesus is the image of the invisible God”(Col. 1:15). God is invisible but Jesus is visible, and therefore, He can show us who God is and what He is like. Jesus represented God perfectly when He was on earth. By His words and teaching, by His actions and miracles, by what He said and did, Jesus was manifesting God, was making God visible, was revealing God to us.  The way we know God the Father is by knowing God the Son. John the Baptist said, “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten of God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him”(John 1:18). And Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

3. Jesus is both God and man so He could take our sins upon Himself. He would pay the penalty for our sins, that is, be punished for our sins with the result that God the Father would be satisfied by the justice that Jesus carried out for us, and then declare us righteous and give us eternal life (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus became a man so He could be our Savior, so He could save us from the consequences of our sin, from Satan, death, and hell. Rom. 5:8, 6:23; 1 Pet. 3:18

4. Jesus is both God and man so He could be with us forever. One of Jesus’ names is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” This is a powerful and wonderful truth, that God actually came down to earth to love us, to live like us, to live with us, and to be with us forever. This is unbelievable, this is amazing that Jesus, that God Himself wants to live with us.

To think that God would come down to our level so we can live with Him, so we can see Him and His smile and His love for us, so we can hear Him speak to us, so we can talk to Him, and so we can have fellowship with Him is so encouraging. John 14:16-18, 14:1-3. During this church age, Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit, but soon enough Jesus will come back and we will be glorified, and physically and forever be with Him in heaven and on earth. Rev. 21:1-3, 10-21

5. Jesus is both God and man so He can be an example to us. Matt. 5:48 says that we are to be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect, and Eph. 5:2 says we are to imitate God. Since Jesus is God, then we can be like God by looking to Jesus, by seeing His life and hearing His words. We need human examples and Jesus is the best one we have, a perfect one.

6. Jesus is both God and man so He can defeat death and perfectly reign over this earth. Adam, the 1st man, was created by God to rule this earth, but he sinned and failed in his mission. The result of Adam’s sin was that he spiritually and physically died – and his sin was passed on to his descendants resulting in spiritual and physical death to all of mankind. Not only that, but the entire creation was corrupted by his sin. Rom. 5:12-21, Rom. 8:19-22

So God sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, the 2nd Adam, a perfect man, to earth. He was the only One who could save both us and this world from sin and death. If we believe that Christ died and rose again for us, we will be saved from sin and death and spiritually be made alive. And at Christ’s coming, when the church is raptured, we will physically be made alive, we will receive brand-new, glorified bodies. 1 Cor. 15:20-23

But what about this earth? Who can redeem this world from sin, Satan, and hell? Who is worthy and able to rule this world? Who can break the seals that initiate the whole end-time process that leads to Christ’s return? Only Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, can defeat the devil, and renew and restore this earth. Rev. 5:1-5, Col. 2:14-15

After Christ returns, the restoration process of the earth begins. He will take back the earth from Satan and all the evil authorities and powers. (1 Cor. 15:24-28, 1 Jn. 5:19, Acts 3:20-21). We don’t know exactly how this restoration process will happen, but it will occur when Christ is ruling over this earth during the 1000-year millennial kingdom. At the end of that time, the earth will be restored to God’s original design. Ps. 98:4-8, Is. 65:17-23

Christ’s final act, the culmination of His reign, of all His work, is to turn this world back over to the Father. Then, as 1 Cor. 15:28 says, “The Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” John MacArthur summed up Christ’s work on earth this way: “When He took the assignment of salvation from His Father, Christ came to earth as a baby, and lived and grew up as a man among men. He taught, preached, healed, and did miraculous works. He died, was buried, was raised, and ascended to His Father, where He now intercedes for those who are His. When He returns, He will fight, conquer, rule, judge, and then, as His last work on the Father’s behalf, forever subdue and finally judge all the enemies of God, recreate the earth and heavens, and finally deliver the kingdom to the God and the Father.”

Jesus had to be both God and man to carry out this salvation process, the saving of souls from sin and death, and the restoring of this earth. MacArthur goes on to say, “From the time of the Incarnation until the time when He presents the kingdom to the Father, Christ is in the role of a Servant.” That is, Jesus is serving as God and man from the Incarnation, from the birth of Jesus, until the end of the millennial kingdom. And Jesus will keep being God and man forever and ever – and continue His close and affectionate relationship with His Father and with us.

Why am I taking so much time on this 6th point? So you can better understand the meaning of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas not just to celebrate Jesus’ birth, but to uunderstand the totality of Christ’s purpose, His whole reason for coming to this earth. We are not focused on the baby Jesus but we are looking at the big picture, that Jesus was commissioned by His Father to save man and this world from sin, death, and corruption. During this church age, Christ has been doing just that, and as Christians, we are to be worshiping Christ and working with Him, sharing the saving message of the gospel. Indeed, it’s a wonderful life, a fruitful, exciting, eternal, and God-glorifying life that we have.

But we also have hope, we have a future, a most glorious future. This is what Mary tells us. She knew it wasn’t just about baby Jesus, but that her son was God’s Son, the Messiah, and that He would grow up to be the Savior, and the King who would forever rule over the world. (Luke 1:30-33). And as Christians we are so blessed, for we will be living with Christ, reigning with Christ, and loving Christ forever and ever. Rev. 5:10, Rev. 21

We are now very close to the end of this age, to that time when Christ returns to rapture the church, judge this world, begin His reign over the earth, and begin this restoration process. I love what 1 Chron. 12:32 says – “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” As Christians, we need to understand these times that we are living in, and know what we are to do, that we are to love God and live for Him, and that we are to use our gifts and do our part in building up His kingdom. Mark 12:30, 1 Peter 4:10-11

7. Jesus is both God and man so that He and the Father will be greatly glorified. God knew that much more glory would be brought to Him and His Son if His Son would become a man, and be the Savior of sinners, the Shepherd of believers, the Judge of the world, the King of this earth, and reign with Him over the eternal kingdom. “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Ps. 72:18-19). “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:4-5

P.S. The Christmas message is so important, so instructive, and so encouraging. Here are my six previous Christmas messages: #49 – First Coming to Church Age to Kingdom Age; #99 – The Christmas Story and Christ’s Second Coming; #149 -Christmas is More Than Baby Jesus; #201 – The True Meaning of Christmas; #233 – It’s Not Just About the Baby Jesus; #264 – When I Think of Christmas….

Israel’s Long Stay in “The Land” and God’s Glory

December 9, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #292 ~

What’s the big deal about this small piece of land that sits off the eastern edge of the Mediterranean? Didn’t you know that God’s purpose has always been to work with His chosen people who are living on this land? God’s plan has always been to bless them so they might fear Him, obey Him, and forever praise Him. “The Lord remembered His covenant for their sake… Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say ‘Amen’. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 106:44-48

Who are these people? They are descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people, the Israelites. And God’s plan is for there to be a special piece of land, a designated place where He can bless His people, and where they can worship Him, serve Him, and be a witness to the world of His glory. God wants people all over the world to see His people being blessed so that they themselves might fear Him, obey Him, praise Him, and be blessed by Him. “Let the peoples praise You, O God… Let the nations be glad and sing for joy… God blesses us so that all the ends of the earth might fear Him.” Psalm 67:7

That Israel should possess this land started with God’s promise to Abraham around 2,050 BC, and this was an everlasting covenant. About 1440BC, God gave Moses specific plans as to how He wanted the Jewish people to live in the land. Then around 1400 BC, Joshua led them into the land, the land from the river to the sea, “from the Jordan even to the Great Sea” (Josh. 23:4), where they lived for a little over 800 years.

God’s history of the Israelites living in their land for those 800+ years is extensive, given in 25 different books of the Old Testament, a history that covers close to 60% of its pages.  So what happened during the Israelite’s stay in the land? What does God want us to learn from them? Here are some of the most important lessons:

* God worked through the lives of godly people. God always had His person carrying out His plan, like Joshua, Ruth, Deborah, Samson, Samuel, David, Elijah, Asa, Isaiah, Joel, etc. By God’s grace working in the lives of His people, victories were won and His purposes were fulfilled. I say grace because God’s people in and of themselves were unable to do what He wanted them to do. So God empowered the weak and the humble, like Gideon and his small army, and enabled them to get the victory. “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands” (Judges 7:15). And God always got the credit for the glorious work He was doing through the lives of ordinary people.

* God worked through the lives of wicked people. God raised up evil individuals and nations for His purposes, often allowing them to oppose His own people. Time and time again, God enabled His people to defeat His enemies. But it also happened that God would use His enemies, like the Assyrians and Babylonians, to judge His own people for their terrible sins. Then He would judge these same enemies for their sins (Hab. 1-2). By showing mercy or justice, God would be victorious with both His people and His enemies. The fundamental difference between the two are the three promises that God made to the Jewish people about the land, the King, and salvation, all of which are eternal in nature. You find all three promises in Psalm 125, in Isaiah 55, and in Ezekiel 37:21-23.

* Israel was at its peak during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. The Israelites and their land were being blessed like never before, and when the surrounding nations saw this, they were in awe and worshiped the God of Israel. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon to learn of his wisdom and wealth, and she was truly affected by the incredible display of God’s glory in Israel. She said to Solomon, “Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever.” 1 Kings 10:9

* God’s character, purpose, and glory were on display during Israel’s long stay in their land. If the Israelites were obedient and victorious, it was because God’s grace and power was working in their lives – think of David killing Goliath. If they were disobedient and defeated, then God was merciful and faithful – think of King Manasseh. In either case, God’s character was evident, His purpose was fulfilled, and He was glorified.

These truths are wonderfully illustrated by Psalms 78, 105, 106, and 136. They describe God’s holy, powerful, merciful, patient working with His people. They tell us that God was sovereign, that His promises were kept, and that His purposes were fulfilled. They speak of thanksgiving and praise being given to God because of His awesome works, perfect character, and amazing glory. Psalm 136, my favorite of the four, repeats the truth of God’s love for His people 22 times, from the defeat of the Egyptians to their journey in the desert until the time they entered their land. “To Him who… gave their land as an inheritance, for His love endures forever.” And God continues to show you His immense love during your journey on earth.

God kept communicating to the Israelites during their time in Israel. What God said was the truth, and it was spoken clearly, completely, lovingly, and powerfully (Micah 3:8). He wanted the Jewish people to know who He was – “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King” (Jer. 10:10). And He wanted them to know what He was thinking, what He was doing, and what He planned to do. But most Jewish people weren’t interested in what God said, didn’t listen to what He said, or forgot what He said. Not knowing and heeding God’s word was their biggest problem, and it might be ours too. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6

God talked to His people through the prophets, godly men who spoke eternal life-giving messages. “He has told you, O man what is good; and what the Lord requires of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, Mal. 2:4-7). The prophets talked about God, His person, purpose, and character. They proclaimed to the Jews their sin, warned them of God’s wrath if they didn’t repent, and promised them God’s mercy if they did repent. And the prophets gave the people hope, for they predicted the coming of Christ as Savior (Is. 53) and King (Is. 9:6-7), and spoke volumes about His glorious kingdom age. Isaiah 61

From God’s perspective, all those years in the land were very productive. The Israelites entered the land with promise and hope, but it didn’t take long before they sunk deep into sin. Sadly, it was the general pattern for most of those years. This may have seemed like a failure from man’s perspective but not from God’s. Critically important things took place and extremely valuable truths were written down during this time.
– Christ’s ancestors, 19 from Salmon to Jeconiah, lived during this time. Matthew 1:8-11
– God’s work was done exactly the way He wanted. Psalm 33:10-12
– God’s word was perfectly written down, and permanently so. Psalm 119
– God’s word teaches you very important lessons. From the Psalms you learn about praising God. From Proverbs, you learn many practical truths. From the Prophets, you learn about your Savior and King, and the coming Kingdom age.
– You learn life-lessons from the successes and the failures of those who lived during this time.
– Most importantly, you learn how God was always exalted and glorified by His word, by His works, and by the lives of people. Psalm 145

* Most of the Israelites time in their land, humanly speaking, were bad years, marked by all kinds of grievous sins. There was pride, rebellion, idolatry, disobedience, selfishness, worldliness, immorality, and murder, of babies too. God had no choice but to judge the defiled people and the defiled land (Lev. 18:24-28, Numb. 35:33-34). These judgments usually occurred after significant periods of sin. Some of the Jewish people died because of war, famines, and plagues, while others were forced from their sin-sick land and taken to other countries, most notably, to Assyria and Babylon.

* The Israelites’ mass exodus from their land was in two stages, 606 BC and 586 BC. Jeremiah predicted that their exile would last for 70 years, which was exactly what happened (Jer. 25:1-11, 29:10-14). Then the Israelites came back to their land during which time Jesus Christ lived, died, and was raised from the dead. In 70 AD, they were again exiled, and for a very long time. Since the 1880’s, they have been returning to their land, and now there are close to 7.2 million Jewish people living in Israel. It’s absolutely amazing to see God’s purposeful, powerful, and patient working with His people for the past 4,000+ years. But God has only just begun His work with the Jewish people. “For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own .” 1 Samuel 12:22

P.S. God speaks extensively about the Israelites and their time in their land. That’s because He wants you to know His eternal commitment to them. In the years ahead, you will see the salvation of a great remnant of Jewish people and Christ’s reign over the world. To help you grow in your understanding of God’s chosen people, I encourage you to look at “A Jewish Reading Lesson”.

God Will Richly Reward Your Work for Him

July 22, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #281 ~

Did you know that God wants to greatly and eternally reward you for the work you do for Him? Sadly, most Christians don’t know much about rewards because most churches don’t teach on them. But why is it so important that you learn about them? Because knowing that God wants to wonderfully reward you in the coming ages will profoundly affect how you live for him during this church age.  

Here are some key verses on rewards and, as you will see, this is no small subject. 
* “The law of the Lord… the precepts of the Lord… the commandment of the Lord… by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them, there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11
* “Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.” Isaiah 40:10
* “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5

* “Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you… rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.” Matt. 5:11-12
* “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matt. 6:6
* “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither most nor rust destroys, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt. 6:19-21

* “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to His deeds.” Matt. 16:27
* “There is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or farms for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:28-30
* “Blessed are you who are poor… who hunger now… who weep now… be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven.” Luke 6:20-23

* “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great…” Luke 6:35
* “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven.” Luke 12:33
* “He called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back’… The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made 10 minas more.’ He said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be over 10 cities.’” Luke 19:12-19

* “Make friends by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9-10
* “He who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal.” John 4:36
* “He who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 1 Cor. 3:8

* “Each man’s work will become evident; the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.” 1 Cor. 3:10-15
* “Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Cor. 4:17
* “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done…” 2 Cor. 5:10

* “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” Col. 3:23-24
* “There is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.” 2 Tim. 4:8
* “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” Heb. 10:35

* “By faith Moses… choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” Heb. 11:24-26
* “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.” 2 John 2:8
* “The time came… to reward Your bondservants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great.” Rev. 11:18
* “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.” Rev. 22:12

Here are some thoughts about rewards, and how they relate to your present life on earth, your future in the coming ages, and your relationship with the Lord.
1. God is a very giving and generous Father, and He wants to richly reward you, far more than you can ever imagine, and far more than you deserve. Luke 6:20-26
2. God will reward you for “whatever you do” for Him, whether that’s making a meal, working at a job, praying for someone, sharing the gospel, etc. Col. 3:23-24
3. God will reward each believer “according to his own labor.” Never compare your work and the result of your work with that of another believer. 1 Cor. 3:8

4. God will reward you for faithfully using the money, time, abilities, and gifts He gives you. Matt. 25:14-23
5. Rewards don’t depend on your status, gifts, or abilities – they depend on you being a good steward and faithfully using them for His purposes and glory. A seemingly “small” Christian may receive more rewards than a seemingly “great” Christian. Matt. 25:21
6. Some believers won’t receive many rewards because of their unfaithfulness. “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved.” 1 Cor. 3:14-15

7. The rewards each believer receives from God will be different than what others receive. Yet each believer will be blessed and fully satisfied in heaven. Rev. 21:4
8. We don’t know exactly what these rewards will be, but it seems that they relate to your relationships with God and people, your work for Him in the future, and other special blessings. Psalm 16:11; Luke 16:9; Luke 19:15-18; John 14:21, 23
9. God will reward you at the end of this age, at the coming of Christ. Rev. 22:12
10. Your most important reward is eternal life, which is your relationship with Jesus Christ (Mark 10:30). All specific rewards that you receive have to do with your relationship with Christ, whether it relates to worshiping Him, serving Him, or being specifically blessed by Him. “The Lord is my portion” (Ps. 119:57). “… so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17

God really wants to reward you. And if He wants to reward you, then you should want to be rewarded – and you are not being proud or selfish for desiring to be rewarded. You see, receiving rewards signifies that you were God-glorifying, for they result from loving, trusting, obeying, and humbly and faithfully serving God while you lived on earth. If you aren’t rewarded in the future, then that can only mean you weren’t loving God and living for Him, and weren’t bringing Him glory – and your work was “burned up.” That would be very, very sad. 1 Cor. 3:14-15

Unbelievers work for themselves, for money, fame, needs, and wants, but as a Christian, you must work for God, not to make money, but to meet your needs and to please Him. If you heartily work for God and His glory, you will be truly blessed in this life and greatly rewarded in the future, infinitely more than earthly wages, investments, or retirement plans. Investing your life in the work of God will result in unimaginable, unbelievable, and astonishing rewards.

The message for you is that every moment of your life is relevant, is a way to please God and receive rewards which relate directly to the coming ages. How you live your life for God will dramatically and eternally impact your future and the future of others. So make the most of it! May the Lord 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. I can’t stress enough this subject of rewards – that’s why I have written a number of posts about them. I encourage you to read them if you haven’t read them already. “God Really Wants to Reward You”, “Earthly Work Results in Heavenly Rewards”, “Your Reward is the Lord!!!”, “The Truth About Rewards, the Heavenly Prize”, “Winning the Gold for the Glory of God.”

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