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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: God’s Word

God’s Grace for Your Good and His Glory

August 10, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #310 ~

We live in the end-times, the final years before Christ returns to rapture the church, and as you probably know, this will be an increasingly difficult time (Matt. 24:9). I hope you realize that you are alive “for such at time as this” (Esther 4:14). And God will give you an abundance of grace for His glory and your good.

My purpose for this post is to help you understand what God says about the end-times, what will be taking place, and how you are to live for Him. We have recently focused on the latter, specifically your relationship with God, the single most important thing in your life. “Whom have I in heaven but You, and besides You, I desire nothing on earth” (Ps. 73:25). Today, I want to look at the book of Psalms and see what it says about how God blesses you – and knowing this is vital for your relationship with God and the purpose He has for you. Listed below are 40 verses that tell you what God does for you. 

Psalm 4:3 – “The Lord will hear when I call to Him.” God hears you perfectly when you pray, when you call out to Him, when you ask Him for help.” 6:8, 17:6, Ps. 54:2
Psalm 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” You will sleep peacefully as you know the Lord and trust in Him. Ps. 3:5
Psalm 17:15 – “In righteousness I will see Your face.” Those who walk righteously, who live a holy life, have an intimate relationship with God. Ps. 11:7; Ps. 27:4, 8
Psalm 16:8 – “Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Because the Lord is with you, you won’t be fearful, you’ll be at peace. Ps. 15:5, 55:22, 112:6-7
Psalm 18:1 – “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” God is your strength and power, and experiencing this will stir you to love Him. Ps. 28:7, Ps. 46:1, Ps. 59:16-17

Psalm 18:2 – “God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” For shelter, safety, and protection from the enemy, you must go to God. Ps. 46:1, 61:3-4, 71:1, 91:2
Psalm 20:2 – “May God send you help from the sanctuary.” You need help in every area of your life, and only God can give you the help you need. Ps. 27:7, 30:10, 33:20, 54:4, 63:7, 70:5, 121:2, 123:8
Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.” God personally cares for you. He watches over you, and meets all your needs. Ps. 28:8-9, 145:14-21
Psalm 23:1 – “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Through His Word, God feeds your soul, giving you the best spiritual food there is. Ps. 19:7-11, 119:103
Psalm 23:3 – “He restores my soul.” When you are spiritually tired or worn out, God will revive you, will encourage you. Ps. 19:7; Ps. 80:3, 18; 119:154, 156, 159

Psalm 23:6 – “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” You should be extremely excited and thankful for the hope God has given you, the incredibly great future He has planned out for you. Ps. 16:11, 37:11, 46:10, 47:7, 67:7, 71:5, 72:17, 73:24
Psalm 25:2 – “In You I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” Because God is your God, you will never be put to shame, you will always be victorious. Ps. 25:20, 31:1, 44:4-8, 60:11-12
Psalm 25:4 – “Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.” Learn from God, for He is your teacher, the best teacher there is. Ps. 27:11, 70:17, 86:11, 90:12
Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” Because you are a child of God, you have nothing and no one to fear. Ps. 3:6, 23:4, 46:2, 56:4
Psalm 31:19 – “How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You.” God is good, and shows you His goodness, now and forever. Ps. 23:6, 86:5, 100:5

Psalm 32:1 – “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven… whose sin the Lord does not count against him.” To be forgiven, to have your soul cleansed from your sins, is an amazing grace, a present, eternal, and infinite blessing. Ps. 32:2-5, 51:1-4, 79:9, 130:3-4
Psalm 32:7 – “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble.” God is the only One who can keep you “safe and secure from all alarms.” Ps. 31:20, 64:2, 143:9
Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.” God will lead you, show you His way, help you know what you are to do.” 25:5, 143:8-10
Psalm 34:4 – “I sought the Lord, and He answered me.” You are very special to God, and He never ignores you – He answers you when you seek Him. Ps. 86:7, 118:5
Psalm 34:19 – “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Never forget that the Lord will deliver you from all your troubles, and will rescue you from all your enemies. Ps. 18:17, 33:19, 34:7, 59:1-2

Psalm 36:7 – “How priceless is Your unfailing love.” God greatly, personally, continually, and eternally loves you!Ps. 23:6, 26:3, 33:20, 36:10, 52:8, 57:3, 59:17, 63:3, 66:20, 89:1, 90:14, 92:2, 94:18, 103:17, 107:15, 109:21, 109:26; 115:1, 118:18, 136:1-26, 145:8
Ps. 43:3 – “Send forth Your light and Your truth.” God tells you what is true, and to really live, you must know His truth, what is right and what is wrong. Ps. 26:3, 69:13, 86:11
Psalm 54:4 – “God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me.” When you are sick or weak or tired, God will help you, support you, and keep you going. Ps. 41:3, 55:22, 68:19
Psalm 68:3 – “May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” You should be overjoyed, you should be rejoicing and singing, for God made you perfectly, completely, and eternally holy. Ps. 64:10, 70:4, 90:15, 92:4
Ps. 69:1 – “Save me, O God.” God saved you from hell, and also delivers you from trials, problems, difficulties, and from your enemies. Ps. 69:29, 86:2, 88:1, 116:6

Psalm 71:20-21 – “Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again… You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.”Life can be very hard, but God will revive you, console you, and honor you. Ps. 86:17
Psalm 73:23 – “I am always with you.” An important things in life is to know that God never leaves you, that He’s always with you. Ps. 16:10, 23:4, 118:6, 139:7
Psalm 80:18 – “Revive us and we will call upon Your name.” You may be sad, you may be discouraged, but God can restore you, can give you fresh life. Ps. 71:20, 85:6
Psalm 86:15 – “You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” More than you realize, God lovingly puts up with you – He is patient, forgiving, and forbearing. Ps. 103:8; 78; 106; 145:8
Psalm 89:1 – “With my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known.” God is loyal, He is steadfast and consistent, and never gives up on you. Ps. 36:5, 89:5, 92:2, 100:5

Psalm 90:14 – “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love that we may sing for joy.” God wants you to be filled with joy, His joy, every day of your life. Ps. 63:3, 65:14, 81:16, 90:14, 103:5, 107:9
Psalm 94:12 – “Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law.” The Lord’s admonishing and chastening is a corrective measure, one of the ways He teaches you the truth, trains you to follow Him. Ps. 73:14; 118:8; 119:67
Psalm 94:19 – “When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.” When you are anxious, worried, or afraid, then God Himself wants to console you, comfort you, and fill you with His joy. Ps. 71:21
Psalm 103:2-4 – “Praise the Lord…who redeems your life from the pit.” Praise God, for He purchased you, He rescued you from hell. Ps. 49:7, 55:18, 77:15, 107:2
Psalm 112:1 – “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands.” God wants to greatly bless you, to give you what is good, and it happens when you fear Him and obey Him. Ps. 40:4, 65:4, 84:12, 115:12, 119:1

Psalm 116:5 – “Our God is full of compassion.”When God sees you are hurting, then He has compassion on you – and this is a special love, a deep concern that God has for you, and it moves Him to act on your behalf.” Ps. 69:16; 86:15; 103:8, 13
Psalm 121:7 – “The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life.” God is your keeper, He continually protects, guards, and watches over you. Psalm 41:2, 91:10-12, 145:20
Psalm 126:3 – “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” That God does great and wonderful things for you should cause you to be joyful, to be exulting, to be spiritually happy. Ps. 16:10, 43:4, 51:8, 51:12, 100:1
Psalm 145:8 – “The Lord is gracious and compassionate.” In every aspect of life, God will be gracious to you, giving you all the grace you need. Ps. 67:1, 86:15, 123:3
Psalm 147:6 – “The Lord sustains the humble.” God helps you when you’re humble, when you’re hurting, when you’re looking to Him. Ps. 10:17; 22:1-11; 25:9; 34:2

These verses are the truth, an incredible and overwhelming demonstration of God’s great and eternal love for you. Why does God do so much for you?
– Because you are His child, because He really loves you, because He wants you to be filled with joy, because He wants to bless you. 
– Because He wants you to love Him, to thank Him, to glorify Him.
– Because He wants you to spiritually grow, to be a mature believer, and these truths are essential for your growth.
– Because He wants you to obey Him. Look at Psalm 119:115 – “Away from me you evildoers that I may keep the commands of God.” God delivers you from the enemy so you can obey Him. Psalm 119:88, 134, 145 say similar things.
– Because God wants you to be an overcomer, a strong, special-ops soldier for Him in these end-times, even when the Antichrist rules this earth and persecutes you. This can only happen if you have a close relationship with God Himself.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs… For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1, 5

P.S. I will continue to stress the importance of growing in your relationship with God. You won’t be disappointed, and God will be honored! If you have not done it yet, please read the previous two posts on this subject. Also, I finished my article on prayers to God from the book of Psalms – “Psalms and Your Relationship with God.” I encourage you to read it and use it as a way to pray to God.

GOD’S PROPHETIC WORD IS TRUE, AND WILL BE FULFILLED!

June 15, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #306 ~

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). This is an extremely significant verse about God’s Word and prophecy. That it’s in the middle of an important prophecy chapter is God’s way of emphatically stating that this entire passage is true. That Matt. 24 is true means it must be believed and understood, especially now that we live in the end-times. (When I use “God’s prophetic word” in this post, I am referring to the end-times, to eschatological prophecy.)

What can be said about the nature and character of God’s prophetic word?
* God’s prophetic word is true, just like the rest of His word is true. Matt. 4:4, 5:17-18
* God’s prophetic word is entirely accurate and inerrant. There are no errors, there is nothing false, nothing wrong with what God has said. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
* God’s prophetic word is absolute, final, and cannot be deleted, altered, or added to. What Christ has prophesied is completely true, and unlike man’s opinions, needs to be accepted and applied. Jeremiah 23:9-40

* God’s prophetic truth is authoritative, powerful, reliable, and commanding, and will be carried out. What God declares to us must and will take place. “Truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it – surely, I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11
* God’s prophetic word is sufficient. God has not told us everything about the end-times, but He has told us everything we need to know. Might we be motivated to learn what God has told us about the future. Mark 13:23

* God’s prophetic word is clear. By this, I mean major truths about the future. For example, Christ is returning to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and reign over the earth. And yes, there are minor points about the future that are debatable and not clearly understood at this time.
* God’s prophetic word is relevant. More than any other time in history, it’s imperative that we know what God has written in Matt. 24 and other prophecy passages. The “day is near”, and God is alerting us about what will be happening in the future, and instructing us how we are to live. Rom. 13:11-14

* God’s prophetic word is essential. Without it, we will be surprised, unprepared, and afraid. God doesn’t want us to be sleeping when Christ comes back – He wants us to be awake, waiting, and working in these last years before Christ’s return. 1 Thess. 1:9-10
* God’s powerful and prophetic word must be our focus and guide, and not this sinful and temporary world, or our flesh. God’s word is future-telling, life-changing, soul satisfying, and God glorifying.

We have talked about the 2nd part of Matt. 24:35, “My words will not pass away”, but what about the 1st part – “Heaven and earth will pass away”? There are several things I believe God wants us to know about this:
* Heaven and earth will pass away. This is a major event and hard to imagine, but it will take place, and that’s because God’s clear-speaking word tells us so. The physical heaven we see and the physical earth we live on will disappear, will no longer exist in the future. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away.” Rev. 21:1

* That the physical heaven and earth will pass away but that God’s word will not is proof of its primacy, that it is infinitely more important than anything physical, and especially a world which is cursed by sin. Gen. 3:17-19, Rom. 8:21-22
* Most people think this earth will generally stay the same and will not pass away. They mistakenly believe, but for some cataclysmic event like a nuclear holocaust, that this earth will exist for thousands if not millions of years. 2 Peter 3:3-7

* Sinners living on earth at the time of Christ’s coming will be greatly shocked and saddened when they begin to see its destruction. Rev. 18:9, 19
* Most unbelievers do not believe that it’s by God’s word that this world was created and will be destroyed. Gen. 1 – “Then God said”; Ps. 33:6-9; 2 Pet. 3:5-7, 10-13

* One reason Jesus talks about heaven and earth passing away is to make us realize that this evil world will exist only a little while longer, and then there will be a new heaven and earth, and that in two phases, the millennial and eternal kingdoms. Rev. 20-21
* This present earth will be restored at Christ’s coming. It is on this renovated earth that Christ will reign for 1,000 glorious years. Ps. 102:25-26, Is. 65:17-25, Matt. 19:28, Acts 3:20-21
* The brand new earth will replace this restored earth at the end of the millennial kingdom, at the end of Christ’s 1000-year reign. 1 Cor. 15:20-28, Rev 20 – Rev. 21:1

* What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, a world that will pass away, but lose his soul to the devil, and then be sent to the “lake of fire”. Rev. 20:14-15, Matt. 16:36, 2 Thess. 2:9
* Many people are more concerned for this planet that’s passing away than they are for their soul which will live forever, either in heaven or hell. They don’t understand the deadly ramifications of rejecting Christ and the gospel. “These will go away into eternal punishment (‘into the eternal fire’ – Matt. 24:41), but the righteous into eternal life.” Matt. 24:46

Aren’t you glad that God gave us His prophetic word? Aren’t you thankful that He told us all we need to know about the future, what will be happening on this planet, specifically as it relates to Christ’s return to rapture us and take us to heaven. Acts 13:23

What I have a hard time understanding is why so many Christians, including pastors, do not truly know what the Bible teaches about Christ’s 2nd coming and the age to come. Is it that they are worldly? Is it that they are too lazy to study God’s prophetic word? Is it that they don’t believe the clear teaching of His prophetic word? Is it that they are believing some ill-founded error? Is it that they think it is confusing or controversial, and just ignore it? Is it that they don’t think it’s important or relevant?

Most pastors teach extensively on Christ’s 1st coming, about the secret birth of Jesus and how He grows up to be our Savior, but scarcely at all about His visible and glorious 2nd coming, when He returns to be Judge and King of the entire world. Lets pray that Christians have an increased interest in God’s prophetic word in these coming years. And might they be awakened, educated, and excited about the incredible and spectacular future that God has in store for us.

I strongly encourage you to take time to read, study, and learn God’s prophetic truth. Here are several New Testament passages that describe our glorious and God-glorifying future: Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:3-36; John 13:1-3; Rom. 8:18-25; Rom. 11; Rom. 15:8-13; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 42-44, 50-58; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Eph. 1:9-14; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 5:1-11; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb. 11:8-16, 39-40; James 5:7-9; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 10-16; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 John 2:28 – 3:3; Jude 21-25; and Revelation. “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20

P.S. We are so blessed to have God’s word, which includes His prophetic word. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing what God wants us to know about the future at this time in history. Here are some related posts – “Prophecy is Predicting the Future”, “What the Bible Says About the Future”, “For Pastors and Preachers in the End-Times.”

Philippians – Running to Win the Prize

January 29, 2022 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #237 ~

Most of the epistles contain verses or passages on end-time’s prophecy, on the future God has for you and the church. Some epistles, like 1-2 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, contain entire passages; others, like Ephesians, Philippians, and 1 Peter, have verses here and there, prophetic truths weaved in the fabric of the text, sovereignly and purposely placed there by God.

Many Christians read their Bible but skip over and ignore verses like these that speak of our future on earth and in heaven. Why? Maybe they don’t know what they mean, or don’t see how they fit in the context of the passage, or just don’t think they are relevant. But these verses about our future are critically important for how we live our current life on earth. That’s because a key ingredient for how we live in the present is having hope for the future.

Life can be very difficult, stressful, and wearing, and hope helps you to be encouraged, energized, and to keep persevering. What does it mean to have hope? You are convinced that the best is yet to come; you believe that God has the most wonderful future planned out for you; you are expecting God to bless you, to pour out His goodness upon your life in the ages to come; you are looking forward to being in heaven with Jesus and fellow believers and in a new glorified body.

As a Christian, you need hope, you need something to look forward to. That’s why God placed all these prophecy verses in His word, ones that enable you to see the future and that motivate you to keep living for Him. It’s worth it to sacrifice your life for God, to carry out His work, for it brings glory to Him and results in you being rewarded in the future. Your life on earth has direction and a destiny, and hope keeps you hopeful, keeps you looking ahead to a much more glorious time.

I think of athletes running a race, and they are looking ahead. They are running for a reason. They have a goal, there’s a finish line, an end to the race. They know there’s a prize, a trophy, if they stay on track, if they compete “according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5), and win the race. Paul talks about this when he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” 2 Tim. 4:7-8

So too, the Bible talks quite extensively about your life in the future, for God wants you to know how He will bless you for running “the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). That’s why it’s necessary for you to understand prophecy passages and verses. Today, we will be looking at all the prophecy verses in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, ones that I am sure will instruct and encourage you.

Philippians 1:6 – “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” This gives the big picture of your salvation, that it began at a point in time (justified), and will be carried out, will be completed on the Day of Christ (glorified). When God saves, He justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies – He saves completely and eternally. Rom. 8:28-30

Philippians 1:9-11 – “… so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness…” Living for God means being holy and making wise decisions, resulting in you being fruitful now, and being rewarded in the future, on the day of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:10

Philippians 1:20-23 – “… to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.” There’s a spiritual tension you experience in life, continuing to live for Christ on earth, which means bearing fruit for Him, or wanting to be with Christ in heaven, which is better for you. Either way, whether you are on earth or in heaven, Christ will be exalted and you will be blessed.

Philippians 2:9-11 – “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus Christ is now exalted over all powers and beings, but only in the future will they all bow down to Christ and confess Him as Lord. This will take place during the millennial kingdom, when “the Lord will be King over all the earth.” Zech. 14:9

Philippians 2:14-16 – “Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation… so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain.” We will know that our earthly work was successful on the day of Christ, that people we loved and influenced lived godly lives, and then we will rejoice.1 Cor. 15:58

Philippians 3:11 – “… in order that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead.” Paul was looking forward to the resurrection of the dead, which occurs on the day of Christ, for then he and all believers would be glorified, would become like Christ, and be with Christ. Phil. 3:20-21

Philippians 3:14 – “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” At some point in the future, God will call you home to heaven, either when you physically die or are raptured. You are to keep pressing ahead, to keep working for Christ until that time, knowing that it will be worth it, for then you will be supremely blessed and rewarded. 2 Tim. 4:6-8

Philippians 3:20-21 – “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conforming with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” You don’t know whether you will physically die and go to heaven or be raptured and go to heaven. Either way, at the coming of Christ, you and all believers from all time will be glorified, will receive brand-new bodies, ones like Christ’s. 1 Cor. 15:21-23, 40-42

Philippians 4:4 – “The Lord is near.” This can mean that the Lord is near in a spiritual sense, or that the Lord is near in a physical sense. That we now live in the end-times means both are true. We can say that Christ is near, and that the day of Christ is near. Amen! John 14:1-3, 16-17

Living for Christ (witnessing – Phil. 1:12-13, suffering – Phil. 1:29, serving – Phil. 2:3-4, being holy – Phil. 2:14-15, pouring out your life – Phil. 2:17, pressing on – Phil. 3:14, praying – Phil. 4:6, going hungry – Phil. 4:12) is to be done with hope in mind, in view of the fact that this part of your life will soon be over, that Christ will return, rapture the church, glorify the believers, give out rewards, judge the sinners, save a remnant of Jews, and begin reigning over the world with you. Hope needs to be an essential part of your daily thinking, for having hope will help you to truly live for Christ, bear fruit for Christ, and bring glory to Christ. Jude 24-25

P.S. Sad to say, but many Christians don’t understand hope, and how successfully running the race for Christ relates directly to knowing the wonderful future God has in store for you. Might God increase your hope, and then you will have a more fruitful and God-glorifying life. Here are three good posts about hope – “In a Wicked World, You have to Have Hope” , “Your Great Hope and Most Glorious Future” and “Hope: the Who, What, When, How, and Why“.

The Worst Lies and the Most Important Truth

March 17, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #209 ~

There are all kinds of lies in this world: 
– the little lies a person tells another person,
– the lies of slandering and smearing, 
– the lie that having lots of money means you are successful, 
– the lie that life means having lots of possessions,
– the lie that you need to be entertained by movies, TV, and sports,
– the lie that alcohol and drugs satisfy you and makes you happy,
– the lie that says human beings evolved from lower life forms,
– the lies and spin we hear in the news media, the fake news,
– the lie that outward beauty is more important than inward beauty,
– the lie that being popular is important,
– the lies we hear in movies and music,
– the lie that sex outside of marriage is okay,
– the lies of Hitler that led to WW2 and millions of people dying,
– the lie that the government can solve our problems,
– the lie that our coastlines will someday be flooded because of climate change,
– the lie that there is no male or female, no man or woman,
– the lie that gender is subjective,
– the lies many people make when they do their taxes,
– the lies we see and hear in advertising, 
– the lies we see in deepfake technology, in manipulated videos,
– the lies we are told about our history,
– the lies and propaganda we hear from politicians,
– the lie that skin color makes you more, or less, important than others,
– the lies taught in critical race theory,
– the lie that abortion is not wrong, and
– the lie that feelings are more important than facts.  
These are just some of the lies you may have heard, and there are many, many more.

All lies are wrong, sinful, and attacks against truth, but some lies are far worse than others. You see, the worst lies have to do with spiritual truths, with God’s truth. And why? Because what you believe about God’s truth has a direct bearing on whether you go to heaven or hell, are saved or damned, are forgiven or guilty, are blessed or punished, are with Jesus in heaven, or are eternally consigned to a dark, lonely, and most painful place. Without a doubt, believing God’s spiritual truths is the most important and impactful thing you can do in life. “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

The devil, “the father of lies” (John 8:44) wants people to believe his lies, and not God’s truths, in particular those that relate to whether you are spiritually and eternally alive or are spiritually and eternally dead. The devil’s lies regarding God’s truths are pure evil, deceptive, deadly, and, at times, contradictory. (Many unbelievers, like the devil, are two-faced, double-minded hypocrites, saying one thing one day and another the next day, all to suit their evil desires – Ps. 119:113). What are some of these lies?
– That there is no God,
– that there is no devil,
– that there is no spirit world,
– that man is basically good,
– that there is no such thing as sin, only mistakes,
– that there is no right or wrong, no absolute truth, that everything is relative,
– that God does not know, see, or care what you do,
– that you can do whatever you want for there are no consequences,
– that you aren’t guilty if you do something wrong,
– that Jesus is not God, and not the Son of God – He was just a good man,
– that Jesus never existed,
– that Jesus sinned and therefore, was not perfect,
– that God is cruel, merciless, powerless, forgetful, and unforgiving,
– that there is no heaven,
– that there is no hell,
– that only a few people go to hell, like Hitler, Stalin, and Castro,
– that there is a heaven, but no hell,
– that this life is all there is, and so eat, drink, and be merry,
– that the Bible is not God’s word,
– that there are many errors and contradictions in the Bible,
– that Jesus did not die on a cross to pay for people’s sins,
– that Jesus was never raised from the dead,
– that to be saved you need to do good works,
– that to be saved you need to believe in Jesus Christ plus do good works,
– that if your good works outweigh your bad works, then you will go to heaven,
– that there are many good religions and therefore, many ways to heaven, and
– that everybody goes to heaven.

It’s shocking and sobering that there are all these lies, and many more besides? But why does the devil lie? Because he hates God and the truths of God, and he doesn’t want people to believe these truths and be saved – he wants people to suffer forever in hell. The person who believes the devil’s lies with regards to God, Jesus, man, and salvation is deceived and is downing a spiritual poison, one that is eternally deadly. Sadly, these lies have been believed by billions of people all over the world. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel” (2 Cor. 4:4). “The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” Matt. 7:13-14

The devil is extremely deceptive, for “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” and “his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Some servants of the devil actually look, talk, and act like they are real pastors and ministers, but they are fakes, hypocrites, blind guides, wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 5:15, Matt. 23). They are the worst kind of liars and therefore, the most dangerous people, for they seem to be sharing the truth with people about how to get to heaven when, in fact, they are telling people lies that lead them to hell. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in… You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?” Matt. 23:13, 33

Thankfully, God has given us spiritual truth, spiritual absolutes, and it’s found in His word. And it’s truth that’s good, right, holy, loving, perfect, and precious, truth that restores the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever (Ps. 19:7-10). It’s truth you need to know, understand, and believe. The most important of all spiritual truths is the truth of the gospel. If you’re a Christian, if you’ve been forgiven, if you’re going to heaven, if you’ll be with Jesus, then thank God that He opened your heart to believe this gospel truth, that salvation is a gift from God, and is for those who repent, and believe that Jesus died and paid for their sins, and then rose again. Without a doubt, the truth of the gospel makes all the difference in your life, for only it can enable you to have an eternally satisfying and encouraging relationship with God Himself.

A great spiritual war engulfs this entire world, and it’s a fierce battle for the truth. The devil’s #1 weapon is his lies, and God’s #1 weapon is His truth, which is clearly spelled out in His Word. As a Christian, make sure you know the spiritual truths of God and aren’t being led astray by the lies of the devil. And don’t be distracted by and focusing on the other lies, like those mentioned in paragraph one. Remember, your primary purpose as a Christian is not to counter the lies you see in the world, those in our schools, media, culture, government, etc. That’s not how Jesus and Paul spent their time when they lived on earth. Your job is to learn spiritual truth, live the truth, correct spiritual errors, like those in paragraph three, and share the truth, especially the truth of the gospel. “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom” (Ps. 51:6). “… speaking the truth in love…” (Eph. 4:15). And if you’re a pastor, remember that your number one priority is preaching and teaching God’s word (2 Tim. 4:1). “The overseer must be… holding fast the faithful word… so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Titus 1:7, 9 

The most important truth for any person is the truth of the gospel, what Christ did for us at His 1st coming, and how we can be saved from sin and have eternal life, this most wonderful relationship with God Himself. In this blogsite, I have talked about the gospel again and again. But the principal reason for this site is end-time’s prophecy, the truths about Christ’s 2nd coming. And it’s the truths about Christ’s 1st coming that are foundational to His 2nd coming. At His 1st coming, Christ was glorified and resurrected from the dead, and at His 2nd coming, all believers from all time will be glorified and gathered to Jesus. At His 1st coming, Christ told us about His 2nd coming, and events leading up to it. And it’s Christ’s 2nd coming that begins the fulfillment of 100’s of prophecies and promises from both the Old and New Testaments, those with regards to Jews and Gentiles, and how we will together glorify our great God and Savior. Romans 15:8-11

Of course the devil lies about prophetic truth as well. I am not going to list out the devil’s many lies about our most amazing and glorious future, but only to say that his #1 lie is that Jesus Christ is not coming again. And there is absolutely no truth to this lie, for truly, Christ is coming again, and it won’t be long from now. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:37

P.S. God wants you to be discerning, to recognize the difference between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. Here are two articles that give you many truths about our future – “Thirty Important Truths About the Second Coming of Jesus Christ” and “50 Truths God Wants You To Know About the Rapture.”

The Truth of God and the Lies of the Devil

March 5, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #208 ~

A country that does not live by the truth will sooner or later cease to be a country. God has designed us to live by the truth, whether it’s in our personal lives, relationships, churches, jobs, society, or government. Seeing progress and success in any of these areas relates directly to the understanding and application of specific truths, facts, laws, principles, or realities. For every aspect of life, truth is foundational and fundamental. The heartaches and hardships a person experiences often result from not knowing and living by the truth. And the problems we see in our country, the greed, corruption, conflicts, crime, and unrighteous policies result from this too, most specifically because of the lies of the devil.

There are countless examples of how people need to live by the truth. There is anatomy and physiology, truths about your body. There are proteins, carbs, and vitamins, truths about the foods you eat. There is low pressure, high pressure, and humidity, truths about the weather. There are truths about leadership, taxes, and borders, and how governments should function. There are truths that relate to the law, to judges, juries, and the need for witnesses to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” There are truths that relate to raising a child, cooking a meal, building a house, driving a car, or growing a garden.

The truth is that you cannot live without the truth. For example, what happens if you don’t believe the law of gravity and you jump off a cliff? What happens if you don’t believe principles about budgeting and you keep buying things on credit? What happens if you don’t believe truths about relationships, about being kind, patient and forgiving? There is truth that relates to every single person and thing in the world. And if you aren’t living in accordance with the truth, then you will be living by lies and your life won’t make sense – it will be filled with problems.

Living by the truth means you need to be a learner. God has given you a brain and a mind so you can learn the truth. And it’s from parents, teachers, friends, books, making mistakes, and observing things that you learn the truth. I remember my grandfather always telling me, “to be successful, you need to be with those who are older and who have done well.” People whose lives are led by lies, who don’t learn and apply truth, will encounter many difficulties and will not grow up in the way God wants. Your whole life, from beginning to end, from birth to death, needs to be lived in accordance with truth. To be truly successful you must keep reading, watching, listening, and learning from others, especially from God.

I have made some general points about truth, but what’s most important in life? It’s spiritual truth, truth that comes from God, truth only He can give you (Ps. 119:33-40). Do you remember when Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” This was just after He told Pilate, “I have come into the world to testify to the truth.” Jesus’ whole purpose in life related directly to the truth, to living the truth and telling the truth. Everything He said was the truth – He never lied, He never spoke falsehoods, He always told the truth. And the truth He spoke was spiritual truth. He could have impressed people with His knowledge of the human body, the stars, or the weather, but that’s not what people really needed to hear. Spiritual truth is what really matters, it’s what’s eternally important, and Jesus was always teaching it. And it related to knowing and loving God, loving others, and living a moral and meaningful life that would be eternally blessed.

Jesus Christ was and is a perfect Teacher, the best in the world! He taught the truth about God and His mercy, man and his sin, and how He would die to pay for our sins so we can be forgiven. This truth is the gospel truth and is the most important and needed truth on earth. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free (from sin)” (John 8:32). The smartest person in the world can know all there is to know about business, health, or science, but if he doesn’t know the truth about God, Jesus, and salvation, then his life will be empty and futile. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36

Jesus didn’t just speak the truth – He was the truth. In John 14:6, He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” When people saw Jesus, they saw the truth, One “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). They actually saw God, a perfect human who loved the truth, embodied the truth, and lived by the truth (John 14:9). He was always giving, kind, patient, serving, wise, and compassionate. He always did what was good, right, and true. “Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). God sent His own Son down to this earth because He wanted us to know and see what truth really looked like.

The truth was not just given to us in the person of Jesus, it was also given to us in a book, in God’s word, in the Bible. It’s only by the truth of God’s word that we can spiritually grow up and be all that God planned us to be. “The sum of Thy word is truth” (Ps. 119:160). There are millions of books in the world, many of them non-fiction, many that share various aspects of truth on different subjects. But infinitely more important than all of them is the Bible, for only through it can we learn what we need to know about God, Jesus, the Spirit, salvation, the church, the kingdom age, and how we can be truly loving, kind, and successful Christians. “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation” (Ps. 25:5). “Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Eph. 4:24

There’s something else you need know, and it’s the truth about Satan, the father of lies (John 8), the number one enemy of the truth. Satan hates God, Jesus Christ, and the truth in God’s word – and his primary goal is to promote and proclaim his lies, hoping to hurt, deceive, and control people. He does not want you to believe truth, and especially spiritual truth which is clearly communicated in God’s word. Satan would want you to believe that there is no truth. He would want you to think that a person can come up with his own truth. He would want you to believe that truth does not have to be absolute, that it can be relative. He would want you to think there is no God, no sin, no heaven, no hell, that Jesus did not die and rise again, that salvation is by works, that God did not create the world, that there is no male or female, that Christ isn’t coming back, etc. Satan is the most wicked and evil liar there is, and so watch out – do not be deceived! And remember, truth defeats lies, truth never loses, truth always wins.

It’s quite obvious that Satan is fighting fiercely against God and His truth, and therefore against Christians who believe the truth. And it’s demons working through evil people who carry out His global plan to cancel truth and promote his evil doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Without question, we are in a ferocious battle for the truth, a battle for the hearts and minds of people, one that will continue until the very end of this age. (Eph. 6:10-12). As Christians we must know and keep fighting for the truth – and we must not succumb to the terrible and deadly lies of the devil, but instead destroy them. “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge (truth) of God.” 2 Cor. 10:4-5

Thankfully, God’s truth will never be silenced or cancelled (2 Tim 2:9). This happens through the church, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), through pastors who proclaim the truth to the people in their church (2 Tim. 4:1-2), and through individual Christians who personally share God’s precious and life-changing truth with others. “Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). Might you be faithful and keep living and speaking forth the truth of God, and now more than ever, for we are in the end-times, and Christ will be coming back soon to rapture the church and take us to heaven.

P.S. What a blessing to be a truth-loving, truth-learning, truth-talking person. I encourage you to be reading and studying God’s word, and learning from others, specifically those who are God-appointed teachers. Here are two relevant and encouraging posts to read: “Deception or Discernment”, and “Old Testament + New Testament = Word of God.”

Do You Know God’s Promises for You?

November 29, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #146 ~

I have a friend who is a food scientist, which means he understands nutrition, what’s good for the body – the proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals that we need to stay healthy. But how do we keep our soul healthy? We need the truth of God’s word, and one particular and important aspect of His truth are His promises. Let me share some thoughts about these promises, followed up by many of my personal favorites.

1. God’s promises are all true, for God tells the truth, and He does not lie.
2. God’s promises are based on His word and character and, therefore, will never fail.
3. God’s promises are essential, for you cannot truly and fully live for God without them.
4. God’s promises are about your future, your time here on earth, and / or in heaven.
5. God’s promises are forward looking, and keep you from living in the past.
6. God’s promises tell you what God will do for you, not what you will do for Him.
7. God’s promises motivate you to persevere, to press on to the end.
8. God’s promises spiritually energize you to keep going for God.
9. God’s promises, though spiritual in nature, can also physically energize you.
10. God’s promises give hope, not worldly hope, but a godly hope.
11. God’s promises speak of how you will be eternally rewarded for your earthly service.
12. God’s promises are all about experiencing His grace in the future.
13. God’s promises encourage you today because they give you hope for tomorrow.
14. God’s promises will help you understand His purpose for your life.
15. God’s promises are a means to living a holy and God-pleasing life.
16. God’s promises are activated by faith, by believing what God is saying.
17. God’s promises must be personalized, for they speak of what God wants for your life.
18. God’s promises are either conditional or unconditional.
19. God’s promises give you confidence and assurance about your future.
20. God’s promises help you to live rightly today for you know you have a God-blessed tomorrow.
21. God’s promises are needed during stormy times, for they are forecasting a sunny future. 
22. God’s promises are often prophetic, predicting His plans for both the church and the world.
23. God’s promises are precious, magnificent, incredible and wonderful.
24. God’s promises speak of how God will show you His great love in the future.
25. God’s promises should be shared with other Christians.

Here are a number of my favorite promises:
* 2 Chronicles 15:7 – “As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
* Job 23:10 – “God knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
* Psalm 23:6 – “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
* Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”
* Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
* Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
* Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations.” 
* Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
* Psalm 84:11 – “The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
* Psalm 91:14-16 – “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”

* Psalm 119:1 – “How blessed is he whose way is blameless, who walks in the law of the Lord.”
* Psalm 119:50 – “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”
* Psalm 136 – “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
* Proverbs 2:3-5 – “If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom…”
* Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
* Proverbs 8:17 – “I love those who love me, and those who seek Me find Me.”
* Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”
* Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
* Isaiah 41:10 – “Do not fear for I am with you; do not be anxious for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
* Lamentations 3:22-23 – “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

* Matthew 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
* Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
* Matthew 5:11-12 – “Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.”
* Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
* Matthew 11:28-29 – “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
* Matthew 24:31 – “He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another.”
* Matthew 28:19-20 – “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
* Mark 1:17 – “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
* Luke 12:32 – “Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
* John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

* John 5:24 – “He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
* John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
* John 11:25-26 – “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if He dies; and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”
* John 14:3 – “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
* John 14:13-14 – “I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in My name, and I will do it.”
* John 15:5 – “He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit.”
* Romans 8:28 – “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” 
* Romans 8:32 – “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”
* 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful…”
* 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

* 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
* 2 Corinthians 2:14 – “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him.”
* 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 – “Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
* 2 Corinthians 9:8 – “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, you will have an abundancefor every good deed.”
* 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
* Galatians 5:16 – “Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”
* Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
* Ephesians 2:10 – “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
* Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
* Ephesians 6:2 – “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.”

* Philippians 2:9-11 – “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
* Philippians 3:21 – “… the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
* Philippians 4:19 – “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
* Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.”
* 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 –“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
* 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – “May the God of peace sanctify you entirely; may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass.”
* 2 Timothy 4:18 – “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
* Titus 2:10-11 – “If we died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure, we will also reign with Him.”
* James 4:10 – “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
* Hebrews 10:37 – “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.”

* Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
* 1 Peter 5:10 – “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
* 2 Peter 1:4 – “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
* 1 John 1:7 – “If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
* Jude 24-25 – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
* Revelation 3:5 – “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels.”
* Revelation 5:10 – “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
* Revelation 21:3-4 – “God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death, there will no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; the first things have passed away.”
* Revelation 21:7 – “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be His God and he will be My son.”
* Revelation 22:7 – “Behold, I am coming soon.” 

All these promises, and many more besides, are wonderful and needed gifts from God. Don’t miss out on the blessing, the grace, hope, peace, strength and encouragement they bring to your soul, your life, and your future. I want to remind you of what Elizabeth said to Mary for, in principle, it applies to us: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her” (Luke 1:45). And remember these words that describe some of the saints of old: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were exiles and strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11:13). Sometime in the future, as Joshua said to the Jews, you will be able to say to others, “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” Joshua 23:14

The closer we get to Christ’s coming, the more difficult it will be, and the more you will see that you need these promises, and cannot live without them. Through God’s promises, you will experience His amazing grace, and a special closeness with Him, until that time when, for the first time, you will see His face. “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

P.S. I love God’s promises, and I trust that you will learn to love them and see and experience their supreme and eternal worth. Here is a previous post that I believe will help you learn more about the value of these precious truths from God’s word – “Promises from a Loving Father to His Children.”

Prophecy is Predicting the Future

January 5, 2018 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #51 ~

All kinds of people try to predict the future, and they may guess right some of the time, but most of the time they are wrong. But God predicts the future and He is right all the time. Our primary subject on this blog site is Bible prophecy. But what is prophecy? In a general way it is defined as the speaking forth of God’s truth. It is also used to speak of the entire inspired word of God. More specifically, it is defined as God predicting the future, which is the way I’ve been using it in this blog site and will use it today.

As Christians we understand fulfilled prophecy as that which was predicted in God’s word and has already come true. For example, Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and about 700 years later He was (Micah 5:2). Jesus Himself predicted He’d be killed and raised up, and that came true a short time later (Luke 9:22). Then there’s unfulfilled prophecy, predictions which will be fulfilled in the future. My main objective is to explain to you and get you excited about unfulfilled prophecy. Today I want to share some verses to give you a better understanding of prophecy.

2 Peter 1:21 – “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Prophecy is from God – it is definitely not from man. It was God speaking to men through the Holy Spirit who then proclaimed it to the people. Many prophets began by saying, “The word of the Lord,” for they wanted their listeners to know it wasn’t what they were saying, but it was God Himself who was speaking to them and through them (Jeremiah 1:11, Ezekiel 28:1, Jonah 1:1, Micah 1:1).

2 Peter 1:19 – “Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.” Prophecy predicts events that will take place in the future. This word “until” is a timing word telling us that “the day dawns” in the future. This prophecy was given at a particular time, and at a later time it will come true. Specifically, it is predicting that Christ will return in glory to rapture the believers, and then set up His kingdom on earth.

2 Peter 1:19 – “We have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” Prophecy is given by God to man, and we need to listen to what He’s telling us, and be looking forward to its fulfillment. It’s 2018, about 2000 years after Christ’s 1st coming, and many prophecies have already been fulfilled, but since we’re living in the end times then we know it won’t be long before His 2nd coming. It is those who pay attention to God’s prophetic word who will literally see His word being fulfilled in the world around us. Might we be like the “men who understood the times.” 1 Chronicles 12:32

Luke 24:44 – “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” As we now know, some prophecies about Jesus came true at His 1st coming which means the rest will be fulfilled at His 2nd coming. And there’s not one single prophecy about Jesus which will remain unfulfilled. “All things… must be fulfilled.” It’s imperative and important to take heed and pay attention to God’s prophetic word, and especially what it says about the return of Christ.

Isaiah 46:9-11 – “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure… Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.’” God purposed what He was going to do, God planned what He was going to do, and He predicted many of the things He was going to do. Our loving, holy, powerful, omniscient, wise and sovereign God knew exactly what He was going to do. Long before God made this world, He had determined His eternal purposes and made plans to fulfill them. And all that God planned to do, He has either already done, or will be doing in the future. I encourage you to seek the Lord and study His word, and find out what He wants you to know about the future. Revelation 22:7, 10, 12

Mark 13:23 – “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” Prophecy contains critically needed information about the end times. In a great number of prophetic passages, Jesus tells us every future end time event and detail that He wants us to know, as well as specific instructions as to how we are to live. Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, 2 Thessalonians 1-2 and Revelation.

Revelation 1:3 – “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near.” Do you see that you will be blessed as you read and believe the words of prophecy, and then live by what is written in it? What a great privilege and opportunity it is to be alive at this time in history. “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. Here is an informative and encouraging article that goes along with this post: A Summary of the Work of God, from the Time of Abraham to Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.

What in the Wor(l)d is going to Happen?

March 3, 2017 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #7 ~

 

Why should we read Bible prophecy? And why do I read and study it, and come up with all these charts, and then take the time to write to you about it? Because Bible prophecy is God’s Word, and therefore it’s true, and therefore it’s most important, especially at this time in history. What I am  writing you are not my ideas or other men’s thoughts, but is based on God’s Word,

The Bible is the word of God, and not the word of man. Millions of books have been written by man – some are fiction, some are non-fiction, some are intelligent and some are silly or profane. But the Bible is the only book written by God – and it’s the supreme and absolute truth, and therefore, it has authority over our lives. It tells us about God, and how to get right with God; it tells us how to live; and it tells us about our future. We are foolish if we think it does not need to be read and applied to our lives, and that we can just do whatever we want. Who are we to think we can ignore God’s Word, and in these end times, God’s prophetic Word?

You listen to a person who talks to you, right? Well, God is talking to you and He is telling you the truth, and you’d better listen, or else there will be consequences. When you were a student, did you ever not listen to your teacher or not read your textbook? And if you didn’t listen, if you didn’t read, then you’d fail the test, you’d flunk out. How much more important is it to listen to God’s Word, for God is your Teacher, and you need to read and take heed to His Word, the only textbook He has given you.

The Bible is a book of truth and a large portion of it speaks about your future. Your loving Father wants you to know and believe what will be taking place, and He has told you ahead of time everything you need to know about the end times and the return of Christ. Personally, I really want to know what He wants me to know, and I really want you to know too. Mark 13:23

I get very excited when I think about this large unfulfilled portion of the Bible that is now more relevant than ever before, that is beginning to come true right before our eyes. There is prophetic truth in Genesis, in the Psalms, in Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. In the New Testament, there is Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-2, 1 Peter 1, 2 Peter 3 and Revelation. There are other verses here and there, but these are the main portions about prophecy. In these passages God predicts, He promises, He instructs, He explains, He warns, He comforts, and He gives hope.

Old Testament prophets predicted Christ’s 1st coming, and it all came true; and all Christians believe in Jesus Christ, and then celebrate Christmas and Easter. Old and New Testament prophets and writers predicted Christ’s 2nd coming, and should we not believe them? Will not all there predictions come true too? Yes they will, every single one of them.  “(The prophets were) seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you… things into which angels long to look.” 1 Peter 1:10-12. Wow! I love these verses! The prophets predicted the coming of Christ, and they did it for us, and specifically for us in these days. Let’s be excited about prophecy, and find out all these things they have said about the end times and the coming of Christ.

About 2,550 years ago, God told Daniel, “Conceal these words and seal them up until the end of time.” Daniel 12:4. Since the Jews are back in their land, then we know we are living in the end times. This means Biblical prophecy is no longer concealed, no longer sealed up. These are the days for you and I to be reading and learning about prophecy. For the Christian, it is not an elective, it is required reading, it is a required course of study. Might you love God’s prophetic Word and read and study it so you can learn more about the future God has for you.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35. Right in the middle of one of the most important prophecy passages in the Bible, Jesus gives you this powerful statement regarding the absolute truth of God’s prophetic word, and it will surely come to pass, and maybe in your own lifetime. This is God’s promise to you – “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3

P.S.  Please check out my new article!  Article 10 – Charting the Future With Prophecy Charts

© 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.

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