Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Category: Sin – Wrath (Page 1 of 4)

Blog posts about sin and wrath.

When the Foundations are Destroyed…

December 13, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #347 ~

I have been talking about the state of the “United” States, specifically, the sinful condition of our country. And all this horrible, God-rejecting sin you see is the reason our spiritual foundations are now being destroyed. Ps. 82:5 says that sinners “do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.” John 3:19, 8:12

God wants you to know that our nation’s extreme sin has put us on a depraved, demonic, and downward path (Rom. 1:19-32, 1 Tim. 4:1-2). God, being holy and just, and knowing all our sin, has no choice but to judge and punish us. And in the coming years, God’s punishment will become increasingly evident, prominent, and severe. Prov. 15:3, Jer. 4-8, Rom. 1:18

As you see sinners and their sin, you might react by being sad, upset, angry, or worried. But how does God want you to respond to the evildoers and their evil in this country? Ps. 11:3 asks, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” What does God want you to do? How does He want you to think? Let me share God’s plan, God’s will for you in these days, in these last years before Christ returns to rapture the church and judge the world.

* Know that you are greatly and forever loved by God! Nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:35-39, Ps. 23:6, 1 John 4:16
* Praise the Lord! Love the Lord! Stay close to Him, enjoy Him, walk with Him, and talk to Him! “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” Mark 12:30, Gen. 5:22, Ps. 11:7
* Love the people God puts in your life! “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other.” Col. 3:12-13

* Preach the gospel, the most important message in the world. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matt. 24:15, Matt. 28:19-20
* Do not seek the kingdoms of men, but the kingdom of God. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” Matt. 6:33, Ps. 2:1-8, Ps. 33:10-12
* Pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven…” (Matt. 6:9-10), and for the kingdom of this world to “become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15

* Pray for justice on this earth, for God to judge and punish the evildoers. “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night” Luke 18:7, Acts 17:30-31, Rev. 6:9-11
* Be holy. We often judge others for their sin, but first and foremost, we must judge ourselves, and be living a holy life (Matt. 7:1-5). “Be holy yourselves in all your behavior.” 1 Pet. 1:15-16
* “Have faith in God” (Mk. 11:22), believing Him for both big things and little things. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor. 5:7; Ps. 31:14, 37:3, 62:8; Heb. 11:6

* “Be filled with the Spirit”, the One who is in you, who teaches you, purifies you, leads you, comforts you, helps you, and empowers you. 1 Cor. 16:19; John 14:16, 16:13; Rom. 8:14
* Know that God is with you and that He never leaves you. “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5-6). “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20
* Be filled with hope, with the expectation that God will give you good things in the future. “May… you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 15:13, Rom. 8:18-25

* Know that God will keep you going, will enable you to persevere. “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8, Jude 24-25
* When life is hard, don’t run to a physical refuge but run to the Lord, your spiritual refuge. “In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain?’” Psalm 11:1
* “Encourage one another day after day” (Heb. 3:12-13), especially during difficult times. “Encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Heb. 10:25

* Do all the work God wants you to do. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God created beforehand that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:10, Ph. 2:12-13
* Learn all that God wants you to know about the end-times and the kingdom ages. “Take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” Mark 13:23, 2 Tim. 2:15, Is. 41-66
* Learn from the prophets: they called out peoples’ sins; they told them to repent; they warned them of God’s wrath; they preached forgiveness; and they gave people hope. “The voice of one calling in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord.” Luke 3:3-18, Isaiah – Malachi

* Know that God is sovereign, that He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11), that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him…” Rom. 8:28
* Be watching and waiting for the coming of Christ. “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10
* Be a watchman – know what’s happening in our country and in our world, and how it all relates to end-time prophecies. “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman” (Ezek. 3:17). “The men of Issachar understood the times and knew what they should do.” 1 Chr. 12:32

* Be assured that Christ is building His church, that everything is going according to plan, and that the “gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:18-21, 2:19-22, 3:20-21
* Persevere, whether it’s to the end of this age or the end of your physical life. “Continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” Col. 1:23

We live in the end-times, a crazy time, a God-directed time, and it won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church and reign on earth. This is the time God has determined for you to be alive. As His child and servant, be thrilled and thankful that He wants you to be alive at this unique and special time in history. Also, be sober, discerning, and obedient, living full out for God, loving Him and living for Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk. 12:30). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). “Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20

P.S. I hope you are understanding the moral corruption in our country, and that difficult times are coming because of our sin. Here are three other posts relevant to this subject: “How Then Should We Live in the End Times?”, “The Most Important Country in the World, and It’s Not the United States”, “It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better.”

The State of the “United” States – Part 4

November 29, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #346 ~

The United States, one of the most blessed countries in the history of the world, is in serious spiritual decline and, therefore, is being judged by God! But be assured that Jesus Christ is successfully building His church and that God’s purpose is being carried out in this country, and in your life. Matt. 16:18, Rom. 1:18-32

That God is judging our nation has been the theme of the past three posts. In the 1st post, I stated that our country’s #1 problem is her sin (Jer. 2:5, 11-13), and the only answer is the gospel, that through Jesus Christ, God saves people from sin and death (Rom. 5:8, 6:23). In the 2nd post, I gave many examples of our sins, and why God is severely judging us. In the last post, I shared the big picture, that we live in the times of the Gentiles. And in the near future, Christ will return, rapture the church, defeat the Gentile nations, and save a Jewish remnant. Then the times of the Jews will begin, and Christ will reign over the great nation of Israel and the entire world for 1,000 glorious years. Ps. 33:10-12, Ps. 47, Is. 60-62

What are some of the ways God is now judging and, in the future, may judge this country? Atheists, evolutionists, and antisemites speaking lies; criminals running free; human sex trafficking; divorce; $38 trillion in debt, inflation, and poverty; evil leaders and Marxist mayors; blue cities; gangs ruining cities; abortion; so-called “churches” led by so-called “pastors”; an increasingly uneducated nation; social media spewing out immoral, devilish content; elections; corrupt elections; enemies hacking and harming our institutions and infrastructure; paganism; legalized assisted death; Satanism; and Communists, Muslims, and the Chinese infiltrating educational, economical, political, cultual aspects of our society.

There’s depravity; dehumanizing humanoids; AI, AGI, and ASI; non-assimilating immigrants; a nation no longer united – division; leaders breaking the law and promoting lawbreaking; sanctuary cities that are a safe place for sinful conduct; cities overcome with drugs and homelessness; addictions – food, alcohol, and drugs; violence; shootings and mass shootings; fentanyl; gods and goddesses – singers, actors, actresses, elite athletes, politicians, etc.; soul-corrupting music, movies, television, and video games; deaths due to drugs; and catastrophic and cataclysmic events like floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wars, volcanoes, earthquakes, famine, droughts, or EMP’s. Lam. 3:38, Amos 3:6b

What else can we say about God’s judgment of the United States?
* God is judging this nation because of her sin, because people are rejecting Him and rebelling against Him. Jer. 2:5, 13
* Sinful conduct, man’s evil behavior, is itself often a means of God’s judgment. The Prophets
* God’s judgments may be gradual or sudden, over a short or long period of time. 
* God’s judgments may be local, regional, or national. Gen. 7, Gen. 14, Gen. 19

* The collective, cumulative effect of God’s judgments in our country is getting worse and worse.
* Some judgments affect only unbelievers, but others affect both believers and unbelievers.
* God knows the specific judgments He is bringing upon this nation, their location, duration, and the impact they will have on people. Lam. 3:37, Amos 1
* Judgments upon unbelievers result in misery, sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, conflict, chaos, destruction, injury, and death.

* God is sovereign over the division we are witnessing in our country. Jesus said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Luke 12:51
* Economic prosperity and technological innovations will not diminish or negate the judgments of God upon our country. Only a wholesale repentance of sin can make our country truly great, but this will not happen. Rom. 1:20-32
* God’s judgment upon this nation is irreversible, not that God won’t show some mercy, but He is just, and her influence, economy, military might, global status, etc., will be waning.  

* Judgments are occurring because of this country’s sins but also because God must make a way for the Antichrist. This nation must go down so this wicked man can rise up and take over the world. Rev. 13
* The United States will lose her global influence, and only God knows if another superpower or two will arise on this planet before the arrival of the Antichrist and his kingdom.

I’m not saying this nation is completely washed up, for there will always be a remnant of believers. And at present, there are many strong pastors, churches, and Christians in this country. Not only that, but God has raised up a “Cyrus”, a President who is fighting against crime and corruption, and fighting for the freedoms of people, including Christians. (Is. 45:1). But this nation is too sinful, too spiritually sick, to fully recover. Yes, we can and should pray, “In wrath, remember mercy” (Hab. 3:2c), and God may give us a brief awakening, a small revival, but I don’t believe it will last very long.

So what does God want Christians to know and do at this time?
1. Do not seek the kingdoms of men, but the kingdom of God. Sharing the gospel and discipling Christians so they obey God’s laws is much more important than focusing on this nation with a goal to get people to obey man’s laws. Matt. 6:33, Ps. 146:3-5
2. Be involved in a Bible-teaching, gospel-preaching church, one that is holy, loving, and faithful. If possible, be in a church that is pre-millennial and that is clearly and consistently teaching the soon coming of Christ.

3. Be like John the Baptist and prepare the way of the Lord. Tell people about “the wrath to come” and that Christ “will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Share the totality of the gospel, the gospel of the kingdom of God, how a person can be justified, sanctified, glorified, and a member of the church and of God’s kingdom. Matt. 4:23, 24:14, 28:19-20; Lk. 3:3-18; Acts 20:24-25
4. Pray for one another (Eph. 6:18), for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2), for believers to grow in knowing God (Col. 1:10), for discernment (Eph. 1:9-11), for open doors (Col. 4:2-4), for mercy (Hab. 3:2c), for justice (Luke 18:7-8), and for the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Matt. 6:9-10

5. Do your part by serving God and doing all the work He wants you to do. Mk. 13:34, 1 Cor. 12:18, Eph. 2:10
6. Keep reminding yourself of God’s character, that He is holy, just, powerful, loving, wise, good, faithful, forgiving, patient, and sovereign. And fear Him and love Him with all your heart. Jer. 9:24, Mk. 12:30
7. Be a watchman (Ezek. 3:17). See how God’s prophetic word relates to His work in the world. Be like the men of Issachar who “understood the times” and knew what they should do (1 Chr. 12:32). Tell people that the day of Christ is drawing near. Heb. 10:25

8. Tell family, friends, and church members what you know about the end-times, Christ’s coming, and the kingdom ages. Encourage them to read this blog site.  
9. Tell others the sequence of key events: a. birth pains, b. Jews confirming a covenant, c. building of a Jewish temple, d. revealing of the Antichrist, e. great persecution of Christians and Jews, f. Christ’s coming and rapture, g. the day of the Lord, h. the salvation of Jews, i. Christ’s 1000-year kingdom, j. the great judgment, k. and the eternal kingdom. Matt. 24:4-31, 2 Th. 2:1-9, Rev. 6-22

10. Have hope – know and remember that you will be in heaven with Jesus, be glorified, be with believers, be rewarded, and be wholeheartedly worshiping and serving Him forever and ever. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Rom. 15:13

P.S. Christians need to know that this country is in critital condition. If you have not yet done so, you need to read the last three posts on the state of this country: #343, # 344, and #345. If you have time, I would also suggest that you read “Matthew 24 – a Road Map of the End Times”, and “Make Ready the Way of the Lord.”

The State of the “United” States – Part 2

November 1, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post # 344 ~

This country is in dire straits, is in extremely grave danger. And it’s not because of Russia, China, Iran, AI, climate change, drugs, bad schools, crime, debt, or nuclear war. It’s because of sin. It’s because most people in this nation have turned away from God. They are idolaters – they love self, money, pleasure, food, sports, clothes, and possessions instead of loving God. Exod. 20:2-5

This is the depressing and sobering reality of our country’s spiritual state. And as Christians, we must be like the prophets and declare to the lost that sin is the root problem, that it results in deadly consequences, and that they need to turn to God for mercy (Luke 3:7-18). In this and the next post, I will share what this sin looks like, how it progresses, the reasons we are being severely judged, how God judges it, and how He wants us to live.

Some sins and manifestations of sin in the United States: lawlessness; stealing; anger; self-righteousness; immorality; evil is good; good is evil; racism; factions; lack of true justice; violence; violence against Christians; hate; loving food; loving fortune; loving fun; loving fame; loving things; not loving others; sensuality; homosexuality; lewdness; people doing what’s right in their own eyes (libertarianism); hypocrisy; a false gospel; false religions; false churches; impatience; rudeness; sorcery; adultery; swearing; silly talk; course jesting; pornography; foolishness; laziness; the evolution lie; drunkenness; disputes; witchcraft; bragging (pride); malice; bitterness; lust; boys in girl’s bathrooms and vice versa; and drag shows.

There’s not fearing God; greed; murder; abortion (over 63 million babies killed since 1973 – Guttmacher Institute); selfishness; disobeying your parents; bribery; rich people not helping the poor; communism; misinformation, disinformation, deception (lying); inventing evil; corruption in the government; evil government spending; slander; gossip; not paying taxes; transgenderism; not respecting authority; Satanism; prostitution; gluttony; trusting in your self; trusting in your looks; flaunting; insolence; terrorism; strife; carousing; insensitivity; cruelty; not trustworthy; covetousness; immoral movies and music; human trafficking; and governments not being “a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” Rom. 13:4

I am talking about our nation’s sins, and the negative and synergistic effect of it is growing and getting much worse. And God sees every single sin, and as a country, He is judging us. “God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” Exod. 34:7

Rom. 1:20-24 tells us how sin begins in the life of a person and collectively in a country. It starts when a person doesn’t honor God as his Creator, doesn’t thank Him for who He is and for the world that He made. This is pride and is evident when a person worships the creation instead of the Creator. And this is disobeying the great commandment – this person is not loving God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. Mark 12:30

Sin in the life of a person who rejects God and continues sinning gets worse and worse. God speaks of this downward spiral, that He delivers the sinner over to impurity, immorality, and homosexuality. Then He gives him over to a depraved mind – the person isn’t thinking right, he’s out of his mind, he’s crazy, he has no common sense (Rom. 1:24-28). This wicked, worsening, cumulative sin, this descent from not fearing and honoring God to sexual sin to depravity is what we have been witnessing in the United States for close to 60-70 years. It was impurity and immorality in the ‘60s and ‘70s, homosexuality in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and depravity these past 25 years.

The last stage of this nation-wide degradation is when this full-blown, full-grown sin, this homosexuality and depravity, is approved and promoted (Rom. 1:32). This is what we have been seeing and hearing in the United States – in families, in schools, the media, the news media, the arts, music, movies, businesses, and the government. That people are applauding this sin but not praising God is a clear sign to Christians that He has given this nation over to her sin. God has also given the devil more freedom to carry out his wicked plans (Job 1:6-12). The devil’s demons are adding fuel to the fire by further corrupting the fleshly minds of sinners, which leads to even more evil and unrighteousness. 1 Tim. 4:1-2

This sin, like a metastasizing stage-4 cancer, has infected the entire country. “In the last days difficult times will come. Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:1-4). 2 Tim. 3:12 tells us what discerning Christians have been observing these past 20-30 years – “Evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse.”

Sadly, the United States is so weighed down with sin that there’s no way God will allow her to return to a place of widespread godliness, sanity, civility, peace, and prosperity. This nation is now past the point of no return. This sin is piling up, and it’s a spiritually-sickening stench to our most holy God, and it should be to believers as well. And because of her serious and gross sin, God has been judging this country, and will continue to do so.  

Let me sum up the reasons why God is severely judging our country:
1. This country is righteously being judged because of increasing and pervasive sin. This refers to that long list of sins I wrote out in the first part of this post. Mark 7:20-23, Rom. 1:29-31, Gal. 5:19-21, Eph. 5:3-5, 2 Tim. 3:1-5
2. This country is greatly being judged because of the breadth of her sin, but also the depth of her sin. We have been witnessing this worsening wickedness, from impurity to immorality to homosexuality to depravity. “God gave them over to… depravity” Rom. 1:24, 26, 28

3. This country is justly being judged because she, more than any other nation, is influencing and enabling this world to sin. She promotes, sells, and sends out evil movies, music, video games, and pornography. She is a bad example through godless TV shows and media platforms. She gives financial incentives for abortion, LGBTQIA+, and trans agendas. She sells massive killing machines, deadly weapons of war. And her false teachers peddle a fake and deadly false gospel. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks… woe to that man (or nation) through whom the stumbling block comes.” Matt. 18:7

4. This country is being judged because historically speaking, God’s work has been carried out much more than any other nation. Look at all the churches and how God’s word has been taught and the gospel has been preached more than any other nation. In spite of all this, not that many people have truly listened and responded, especially in the past 60-70 years. Instead, they have rejected God and His truth and have loved their gods and listened to lies – thus she will be severely judged. “You, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” Matt 11:20-24

5. This country is deservedly being judged because she’s increasingly becoming anti-Semitic. Demon-inspired people promote and push an anti-Jew, anti-Israel message. We hear it in universities, mosques, from politicians, in street protests, and even in churches. At this time, the leaders of this nation, in general, support Israel and the Jews, but it won’t be long before this country, as a whole, is anti-Semitic, and then God’s judgment will be more obvious and more severe. “The Lord said to Abram… ‘I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you… and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse.’” Gen. 12:1-3

6. This country is rightly being judged because her churches are increasingly weak and unholy. We are to be salt and light, we are to have a positive influence on the nation, but this is not happening as in years past (Rev. 3:7-13). This lack of widespread moral seasoning is a major reason why righteousness is decreasing and unrighteousness in increasing. As churches go, so goes the country. Sad to say, our churches are going down, and so too is our country – spiritually, morally, and physically. “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world…” Matt 5:13-14

Upon reading all this, you may think I’m negative, pessimistic, and unbelieving. And you may think I am unaware of the fact that there’s a relative peace at this time in our country, that there does seem to be an awakening with young people. I do believe God is working, and that we may be witnessing a mini revival. Hab. 3:2c tells us, “In wrath, remember mercy”, and 2 Pet. 3:9 says that God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

But I’m talking about the big scheme of things, not about the reprieve it appears God has given us. If you are aware of the evil in our nation and understand God’s word, particularly the prophets, and that’s there’s not been wholesale repentance, I believe you will come to the same big-picture conclusion, that this country, collectively speaking, has rejected God and, consequently, is in critical condition. You will realize that this great and grievous sin is our nation’s worst problem and that she’s being judged by our holy and just God.

So how should we think and what should we do?
1. We are not to give up, we are not to quit, we are to persevere, and we should keep praying for our leaders that “we may lead a tranquil and godly life” (1 Tim. 2:2).
2. We are to share the gospel with people, we are to tell them that Jesus Christ is the only answer, that He died on the cross to pay for their sins, and then rose from the dead, proving His victory over sin and death. We are to tell them that all who repent of their sins and believe that Jesus died for them will be saved, will be forgiven of all their sins, and be given eternal life. Rom. 5:8, John 3:16, Rom. 6:23

3. We should have no expectation that there will be a long-lasting, great and glorious golden age. We live in the end-times, and things will get worse for unbelievers, and especially for believers, notably in the last few years before Christ’s coming and the rapture of the church. Matt. 24:9, 21
4. Our primary purpose is not to seek the kingdoms of men but the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Make disciples until the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Preach the gospel “in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matt. 24:14

5. Pray for Christ’s kingdom to be established on earth. “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10
6. Have hope. It won’t be long before your salvation is complete and you are in heaven in a new body with Jesus and all the angels and saints (Phil. 1:6). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom. 15:13

P.S. This was hard for me to write, but I did so because I am convinced of the dreadful state of this nation. God is holy and just, and we can’t just think everything is all right – God is judging us because of all our sin. Here are three important posts: “A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ”, “Processing the Present Tough Times”, “Sinners and Saints in the End-Times.”

The State of the “United” States – Part 1

October 18, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #343 ~

I am shocked at what’s been happening in the United States these past few years. As you know, we have been witnessing more violence, shootings, terrorism, division – and sadly, the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But we can also be glad and that’s because Charlie is in heaven with Jesus, and because God is using his life, death, and homegoing in a remarkable way. Regardless of what’s been happening in our country, God is sovereign, and all that’s been taking place is part of His grand plan to get the gospel to sinners, and to bring about Christ’s return to rapture the church, to judge the world, and to reign over this earth. In this and the next post, I plan to go over several things about the state of the “United” States, the gospel, and our role as God’s servants.

There is SPIRITUAL WARFARE – “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11). Spiritual warfare has always been occurring in our country, but I believe it’s worse now than ever before. The unseen forces of good and evil, of God and His angels and the devil and his demons, are fiercely battling each other. And as Christians, we are on God’s side, and Christ our Commander is leading us in this war and we are fighting with Him, and we are the winners, the victorious ones. Ps. 18

1 John 5:18 tells us, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Eph. 6:12-13 describes our struggle as not against people, but against the devil and his forces, “against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Dan. 10 gives examples of this spiritual warfare, of angels and demons fighting against one another. Rev. 2:9 speaks of “a synagogue of Satan”, a Satan-controlled synagogue (think of false churches) in opposition to Christians.

Rev. 2:12-13 talks of Pergamum as a city “where Satan’s throne is” (think of evil cities). In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” Luke 4:13 talks about temptation – “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” 2 Cor. 4:4 states, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.” These verses help us understand the immense, spiritual warfare occurring in people’s lives, in our cities, and in our country. Without question, there’s an incredibly intense struggle between good and evil, between truth and error.

The devil’s invisible, behind-the-scenes’ work is visibly seen – more demons are influencing more bad people to do more wicked things. The hate that Satan’s children have for God’s children is undeniable, heard not just verbally, but seen in increasingly violent ways. This growing and obvious polarization between the righteous and unrighteous is unmistakable. And God warned us that this spiritual world war would get much worse before Christ’s coming. (Matt. 24:11, 2 Tim. 3:1-3). “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you…” 1 Peter 4:12-19

The main problem in our country is SIN. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Sin is the root problem, and our primary sin is not loving God (Mk. 12:30). Sin manifests itself in idolatry, pride, rebellion, disobedience, selfishness, anger, covetousness, immorality, greed, gluttony, gossip, jealousy, murder, theft, laziness, sorcery, loving money, loving pleasure, and loving evil. There’s also adultery, abortion, racism, drunkenness, human trafficking, rape, war, euthanasia, all kinds of crimes, and brazen Satanism.

Sin starts with evil thoughts which lead to evil words and evil actions. This adds up to an incalculable number of sins in a person’s life – and God knows every sin that’s ever commited. The life of a God-rejecting sinner is summed up this way – “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” Rom. 1:20

What are the consequences of sin? As you know, God cannot and will not be silent. He will not excuse sin, or let it go, or forget about it. “God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex. 34:7). God is the Judge, and He is perfectly righteous, and He will judge every sin that’s ever committed in the whole history of the world. For example, Jesus says this about sinful speech – “I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36

The result of sin is DEATH. Rom. 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.” Ez. 18:4 states, “The soul that sins will die.” What is death? It’s spiritually and relationally being separated from God; it’s physically not being alive, with the result that the soul is separated from the body; it’s eternally being separated from God, having no relationship with God.

If a person is not forgiven of his sins by God before he physically dies then he’s eternally dead – he’s spiritually, physically, and forever cut off from God. Death is a huge and horrible problem, the worst problem in the world. And God is infinitely holy, and will justly punish deserving, unrepentant sinners. “Your sins have made a separation between you and your God.” Is. 59:2

Sinners who die during this age go to Hades (Lk. 16:22-23), a fiery place of pain and punishment. During the 1000-year kingdom age, all unrepentant sinners will continue to be punished in Hades (Rev. 20:13-15). After that, during the eternal kingdom age, there’s the lake of fire, a tortuous, everlasting judgment for all unrighteous unrepentant unbelievers. “Depart from me accursed ones into the eternal fire… into the eternal punishment.” Matt. 24:41, 46

The answer to sin is JESUS CHRIST. The penalty for sin is spiritual, physical, and eternal death. But God wants to save people from sin and death. So what did He do? In His wisdom, by His power, through His justice, and because of His love, He devised a solution by which our sins would be wiped away, be forgiven, by which our eternal punishment would be dealt with. How did God do this? “God made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” 1 Pet. 3:18

God sent His Son to this earth to die in our place, to take our sins upon Himself, to be punished for us, so as to make a full-final-forever payment for our sins. God showed His justice when Jesus suffered and died so we would be just, so we would be perfectly holy. God showed His love when Jesus suffered and died so we would be perfectly loved, so we would always be cared for. Jesus’ death was infinitely purposeful, the most meaningful, important death ever, one that changed the whole course of history, that defined and impacted all eternity.

So Jesus died, and then miraculously rose from the dead, gaining the victory over death. “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death” (Acts 2:24). By His resurrection, Jesus dealt with death so God could make us alive, could give us life. “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him.” Eph. 2:4-6

But not everyone is saved, is made alive. It’s not just that Jesus died and rose again so that everyone from all time is saved. Jesus told us, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). To be saved, a person must respond to God, and to the fact that Jesus His Son suffered, died, and rose again. He must tell God that he is sorry that he sinned against Him – and he must believe that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, and that He died and rose again to deliver him from sin and death. If he does this, he will be forgiven and receive eternal life – a spiritual, physical, purposeful, satisfying, everlasting, God-blessed, God-glorifying life in heaven and on earth. Heb. 12:22-24

It must be said that salvation is a free gift – it’s not by our works, by anything good we do, but by God’s work, by what God through Jesus Christ did for us. “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:23, Gal. 2:16, Tit. 3:5

The worst Problem in the world is SIN and DEATH. It’s not divorce, heart disease, cancer, money woes, a bad leader, losing your job, a car crash, a drug overdose, or a family member dying. It’s sin and death. And the only Answer is JESUS CHRIST. It surely isn’t the government, more money, more education, a good relationship, a better family, a better job, being healthy, crime-free streets, or getting a new car, a nicer home, or having fun. It’s Jesus Christ, and He’s the only solution, the only way a person can get victory over sin and death, be forgiven, and be given eternal life, a super-blessed and joyful life with God, Jesus Christ, the angels, and all the believers. “I came that you might have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

P.S. There’s a lot going on in this country and we must come back to the basic, bottom line truth that sin and death is the problem, and that Christ is the only answer. As Christians, we must not get off track from the real issue, from what’s essential. Here are two posts further explaining this most important subject: “The Most Important Thing for You”, “A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ.”

The Enemies of God in the End-Times

September 18, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #313 ~

The subject of God’s enemies, of people who hate God and therefore hate you must be understood (John 15:18-21). It’s imperative that you know what God says about sinners who are against Christians. You don’t want to be naïve with regards to this subject. In the end-times, the enemies’ opposition to Christians will increase, culminating in the great tribulation, the last years of this age when the Antichrist is ruling the world and persecuting Christians. Thankfully, those days of suffering will not last very long, and then Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, will gloriously return to rapture the church. Matt. 24:9, 21-22, 29-31

For this study of our enemies, I’m looking at the Psalms because it is so extensive in what it says about them. Over 80 Psalms speak of these evil sinners, of who they are, what they are doing, and how we are to get the victory over them. “O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries” (Ps. 60:11-12). In today’s post I am looking at several Psalms that describe our enemies and God’s judgment of them.

Psalm 2:1-3 – “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed One, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their deeds from us!’” Evil rulers are opposed to and are working together against God the Father and His Son – they do not want to be under His control. These truths from Ps. 2 are present day realities – devilish nations are now uniting as a globalist force, which will soon lead to the arrival and rule of the Antichrist. At the right time, Christ will come back and crush the Antichrist, and then begin His glorious 1000-year reign on earth. Speaking of this most certain future, God said, “I have installed my King on Zion.” Ps. 2:6

Psalm 10 – “The wicked boasts of his heart’s desire. And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God’” (3-4) … “His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and wickedness” (7) … “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” (11). Many of the wicked do not believe there is a God, and thus, have no knowledge of Him. Others believe there is a God but that He doesn’t see the evil they are doing. They are proud, greedy, cruel, hateful, and deceitful people. But “The Lord is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land.” (16). In the end, “man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.” (18)

Psalm 14:1-2 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” Many sinners do not believe there is a God. So they believe they can do whatever they want and get away with it. But they are dead wrong, for God sees all evildoers and all their evil, and He will justly judge them, and then eternally punish them.

Psalm 36:1-4 – “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes, for it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil.” The sinner is a fool for he does not fear God and he has no love for God. The sinner is known by his proud thoughts, wicked words, and evil paths, a life of sin. But he does not even know his sin, and thus he does not despise or hate his sin. Here is the true and sobering future of sinners – “The doers of iniquity have fallen; they have been thrust down and cannot rise.” Ps. 36:12

Psalm 52:1-5 – “Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? … Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is right. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.” The evil man is deceitful, he speaks lies – you cannot trust what he says. He is destructive and devouring, not wanting to help people but instead wanting to hurt them. So what happens to the proud person who trusts, not in God but in his money, who things he has all this power, who is determined to do evil (7)? “God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living.” (5)

Psalm 59:12-13 – “On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, and on account of the curses and lies which they utter. Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more, that men may know God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.” A sinner, a proud, cursing, lying person, is usually judged in two ways: 1st, he is caught in his sin and suffers while he is on this earth; and 2nd, he will suffer eternally in hell, where he will be rightfully and severely punished.

Psalm 73:6-9 – “Pride is their necklace; the garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. They have set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue parades throughout earth.” The wicked are proud, violent, and oppressive. Their thoughts run wild – they think they can do whatever they want. They speak against God and mock man. So what happens? “You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors” (18-19). The wicked person will be utterly shocked when his earthly life suddenly ends, and he appears before his Maker and Judge. Without warning, he will go “into eternal punishment”, “into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil.” Matt. 25:46, 41

God has chosen you to be on this earth for such a time as this. Be a good soldier for God, one who is strong and courageous! (Josh. 1:7-9). If you have enemies, God wants you to love them, pray for them (Matt. 5:44), and tell them the good news about Christ. Now it may happen that “they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to synagogues and prisons, and bring you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony” (Luke 21:12-13). God wants you to tell your enemies that Christ is the only way they can be forgiven of their sins and have eternal life. May God have mercy on some of them, and save their souls from suffering His eternal wrath.

We learn so much about the enemy from the Psalms. Now that we’re in the end-times and are seeing the increasing activity of the enemy, we must know these things. I will say it again – we must know these things. Know also that God is sovereign, that the enemy can only do what God lets him do. (Daniel 4:34-35). And if he doesn’t repent while he’s on earth, then God will punish him forever in hell. Rev. 20:15

In a related article, I list out most all the Psalms that speak of God’s enemies, and ours too. Finally, here is God’s promise to you – “Blessed are you when people insult you 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 6:11

P.S. We live in extremely dangerous times, spiritually difficult times. As Christians, we must not just be in “work” mode but in “war” mode (Nehemiah 4). The enemy is raging, but our Lord and Savior, our great and glorious God, is winning the war. My sermon this past Sunday was, “The United States and the Need for the Gospel.” In this message, I am very open and direct about the terribly sad condition of our country, and the need to vote, pray, and share the gospel. May God have mercy on our country. I would also encourage you to read my more extensive article on this same subject, our enemies.

Now Is Not the Time for Justice, But for Mercy

August 5, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #282 ~

This world is full of criminals and crime – and as you know, God has tasked the governing authorities with the job of pursuing justice with lawbreakers (Rom. 13:1-7). A recent and continuing problem in this country is the government’s increasing lack of dealing with crime and carrying out true justice. Conservative newscasts and podcasts give numerous examples of an unrighteous justice system, of gross injustice, and of criminals running free.

Sinful / criminal behavior is ignored, excused, and even promoted by individuals, groups, and governments (Rom. 1:32). Many are calling evil good, and good evil (Is. 5:20). And many are targeting Christians and Christian nationalists, saying they are “the problem”. More than ever before, they are being mocked, cancelled, persecuted, and arrested. It’s insane, it’s crazy, it’s of the devil.

What is a Christian to do? We can hope for justice in the courts. We can ask politicians to carry out existing laws or pass new ones. We can spend time promoting a candidate for the next election, in hopes that he will bring about change. But the real answer isn’t found in the government, a politician, or a judge. “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men… How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord… who executes justice for the oppressed…” Ps. 146:3-7

I’m not saying we shouldn’t want justice to prevail, for the government to do their job, but that’s not our primary purpose. And it’s surely not pushing some political agenda or placing some person in office. It’s reaching out to the lost, it’s telling them the gospel, that they have sinned, but that Jesus Christ died to pay for their sins and then was raised from the dead, and that they can be forgiven of their sins if they repent and believe in Christ.

Isn’t this what Jesus said in John 3:16-17? He told us that His Father sent Him into the world, not to judge the world but “that the world might be saved through Him.” Jesus is offering salvation and eternal life to whoever believes in Him. Isn’t this your mission too, to tell people how they can be saved and become children of God? Yet we get caught up into thinking this country needs the justice of man when what this country really needs is the mercy of God.

Why spend so much time thinking about someone possibly being indicted for a few of his crimes against man? Again, the real and greatest problem is a person’s innumerable sins against the living and holy God, resulting in an eternal and painful punishment (Rom. 6:23, Eph. 2:1-2, Matt. 25:41, 46). Again, the only answer to this problem is Jesus Christ. So shouldn’t we focus our energy on telling people that God wants to grant them mercy for their many and terrible sins against Him? Yes, yes, yes, for this is the gospel message, the most important message in the world!!! Matt. 24:14, John 1:12-13, Acts 20:24, Eph. 2:8-9

Here are some key points on this subject of justice and mercy:
1. Remember Jesus’ purpose when He was on earth. He didn’t go around judging sinners, but He loved them and shared the gospel with them – He wanted them to experience His mercy, and not His wrath. Hear what Jesus said about unbelievers on this earth – “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47, Mark 1:15, John 5:24, Luke 19:10
2. Be like Jesus, and don’t be judging people. Pray for them, with hopes that God will grant them repentance and faith (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Love those who are lost and look for open doors so you can share the gospel with them. Col. 4:2-6

3. Pray for those in authority to be saved, and that they would be “an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” 1 Tim. 2:1-2, Rom. 13:4
4. Don’t be angry when there’s a lack of justice. Trust God and do good. Ps. 37:1, 8
5. During this church age, God delays justice for sinners in general because He wants to save sinners in particular. So be patient. James 5:7-9, 2 Pet. 3:9

6. Imperfect, man-made governments are to punish evildoers, but no matter what happens, God will, in due time, perfectly carry out true justice towards all unrepentant sinners. For example, there’s the Day of the Lord at the end of this age – Rev. 16:4-7, and the lake of fire at the end of the millennial kingdom age – Rev. 20:11-15
7. Aspects of God’s justice are recorded in the Bible to keep us sober and to remind us that God is holy and that He judges sin. Numbers 16:1-50, the Prophets, Acts 12:20-23, Rom. 1:18
8. God raises up evil people and rulers, often withholding justice for a period of time, so that His divine and eternal purposes are fulfilled. Pharaoh greatly persecuted God’s people, but finally he was killed. “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” Rom. 9:17-18

9. True justice is dealt out by God at different times, but the full measure of His justice does not take place on earth, but in Hades (Luke 16:23), and then in the lake of fire. “Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:13-15. Note Rev. 19:20 with respect to the Antichrist and the false prophet.
10. Don’t be like Jonah. He wanted justice, but God wanted mercy. Jonah was mad that the wicked Ninevites didn’t get the justice they deserved, but he should have been glad that God showed them undeserved mercy. Jonah 3-4

It’s vitally important that you understand this message. We are living in the end-times and from now until the coming of Christ, injustice will gradually and increasingly get worse for Christians. More and more we will be hated, arrested, persecuted, and even killed (Matt. 24:9, Rev. 6:9-11). But you must have hope, you must know that what you go through for Jesus Christ will be infinitely worth it, for “momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” 2 Cor. 5:17

P.S. You can’t live rightly for God if you don’t properly understand sin and how you are to think of it with regards to your life and the lives of others. Here are three more posts about sin and salvation: “In a Wicked World, You Have to Have Hope”, “A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ”, “Living with Evil in the End-Times.”

When There’s No Justice, What Should You Do?

June 10, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #278 ~

Pray! Pray! Pray! And keep praying! That’s what you should do. Jesus uses a parable to teach us about faith and prayer (Luke 18:1-8). First, He gives the meaning of this short story, that “at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1). We are to have faith, to persevere in prayer. Yes, we may be tempted to give up, to quit, but God wants us to keep looking to Him, to keep trusting Him, to keep praying.

This parable is about a widow, and she was needy, she was hurting, for she had been taken advantage of by her adversary, and so she’s going to a judge for justice. But this is an unjust, uncaring judge – he “did not fear God and did not respect man.” For whatever reason, this judge did not want to spend his time helping this widow. But this poor widow is persistent, she does not give up, she keeps bothering him. Finally, this evil judge has had enough, and he gives her justice. Luke 18:2-5

Jesus then explains how this parable applies to the elect, to believers. “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Lk. 18:6-7). It’s a lesson from the lesser to the greater. If this unkind and unrighteous judge helps this widow, how much more will our loving and righteous Father give us justice? Jesus tells us that a key to this justice is desperate, persevering prayer. It’s the asking, seeking, knocking kind of prayer He had talked about in an earlier parable. Luke 11:5-13

This parable is most applicable at this present time. It’s obvious to me and I’m sure to you that we are living in an increasingly unrighteous country. (Matt. 24:12). It’s not just that more people are evil, but that lawless judges and DAs don’t even address the evil. (Is. 5:23). Many government officials are unjust, are soft on crime, and are letting criminals go free. Not only that, but they are going after believers, and like never before. It won’t be long before Jesus’ prophecy about the end-times is fulfilled – “You will be hated by all nations on account of My name.” Matthew 24:9

So what can you do when you personally experience injustice? You can address it to a judge in court – but most importantly, pray to the Judge, to God Himself. You may get justice from the judge, and you may not. But you will definitely get justice from the Judge. And now we are watching all this lawlessness in our cities, states, and country – and the people affected may or may not get justice from the judge. That’s why it’s imperative for Christians to not put their hope in earthly judges, but to keep asking the heavenly Judge for justice. Sooner or later, He will give us true and perfect justice.

No matter what happens in our courtrooms on earth, know that God is on His heavenly throne, and He will most certainly bring justice (Ps. 97:1-3). He won’t excuse sin – He can’t let it go – He must punish it, and God deals with it in four ways: 1) A person may be judged by an earthly authority (Rom. 13:1-4). 2) He may in some way suffer God’s wrath while he is on earth (Acts 12:18-23, Rom. 1:18). 3) If he dies and is unsaved, then he immediately goes to hell where he’s justly punished (Lk. 16:22-25), and then at the great white throne judgment he’s cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). 4) He may be alive on earth when Christ comes back, and will experience God’s wrath during the day of the Lord. Revelation 8-9. And this final point is one of the themes of Luke 18:1-8.

This takes us back to Luke 17:22-37, the prophecy passage that’s just before the prophecy-related parable in Luke 18:1-8. In Luke 17:26-30, we read of two examples of God’s justice, of God pouring out His wrath on sinners. There’s the flood during the time of Noah, and the fire and brimstone during the time of Lot. Now it’s our time, and the result of the sin we’re seeing will be God’s wrath, similar to the sudden, devastating justice we read about in the days of Noah and Lot. In this present crisis of evil, we must know that it is our duty to pray, to keep crying to God for justice. And this justice will be dealt out at the end of this present age, during the day of the Lord, which is point four from the previous paragraph. So keep praying, for “He (Christ) is coming to judge the earth.” Psalm 98:9

There’s another point we cannot overlook, and it’s the last phrase of vs. 7 – “delay long over them” or “be patient over them”. From the 1st coming until now is close to 2,000 years, and God’s justice upon this earth is being delayed, even though many believers have cried out, “How long O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10). This justice is delayed because God is patient, because He wants to show mercy to the chosen, to the rest of the elect. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

James 5:7-9 says it this way – “Be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, until it gets the early and the late rains. You too be patient for the coming of the Lord is near… behold the Judge is standing right at the door”. Farmers must wait for the right time to harvest the grain, and Christ is waiting for the right time to rapture the church. “Reap, for the hour to reap has come.” Revelation 14:15

This country, the United States of America, is going down fast, driven by a devilish increase in sin, and a corresponding decrease in justice. This is clearly affecting believers. Just the other day, a Christian, standing across the street from some people celebrating sexual sin, was arrested for reading the Bible, for what the policeman said was disorderly conduct. Do you see what’s going on? God’s enemies are coming after us more and more (John 15:18-25). Persecution against Christians is growing worse in this country. So what should we do?

We are to have faith, we are to keep praying to God for justice. And that’s how this parable concludes – “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth” (Luke 18:8)? We are living in the end-times, in very difficult days, and we need to keep having faith until Christ comes. It would be sinful to be worldly, to be complacent, to be unbelieving. “We are not of night or darkness, so then let us not sleep… let us be alert and sober… having put on the breastplate of faith and love” (1 Thess. 5:5-8), and let us keep praying. Then “He will bring about justice for them quickly.” This justice, this day of the Lord wrath, takes place at the end of this age, and it will happen quickly, suddenly, for Christ returns, Christians are glorified, and God pours out His wrath on this most evil world. Rev. 6:12 – Rev. 9

But remember to be patient, and to pray for God’s mercy upon sinners. Jesus told us, “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). So do your part in sharing the gospel “to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14), and the Son of Man will rapture the church and judge the world. “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9

P.S. Here are a few other posts to read that are related to this subject, and will be very helpful to you: “How Then Should We Live in the End-Times?”, “It’s Going to Get Worse Before It Gets Better”, and “Living with Evil in the End-Times.”

The Prophets’ Punishing End-Times’ Message!

May 27, 2023 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #277 ~

The prophets’ punishing message is particularly relevant as we think about what’s now happening to the United States? The border is being overrun, there’s two-tiered justice, massive debt problems, unchecked crime, the fentanyl crisis, evil rulers, families falling apart, children under attack, homelessness, human trafficking, socialism, communism, countries turning against us, etc.

Habakkuk 1:3-4 sums up what I know many of you have been thinking: “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. The law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” It’s the prophets that explain why all this terrible but justified evil is now occurring in our country!

The news media surely doesn’t give you any answers. The real problem isn’t the economy, the schools, the government, the border, the climate, etc. You must get past the surface to the heart of the problem, and it’s the prophets that tell you our root problem is spiritual in nature – it’s sin, it’s turning from God to idols. And what you are now witnessing in our country are the consequences of our sin, God’s righteous judgment of our wicked ways. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18-32

The prophets, from Isaiah to Malachi, make up one fourth of the Bible, a major portion of God’s word, and they need to be read to understand this present time. They illustrate the sinful condition of countries and cities and how God punished them. Thus, they give us wisdom, enabling us to see and sort out what’s now going on in our own country and in our own cities. “Jerusalem has sinned greatly… Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins.” Lamentations 1:8,5

The prophets tell us that sin, at its core, is two sins – it’s rejecting God and turning to false gods, it’s forsaking God and loving other gods. “They went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty… My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:5, 13). “Nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin.” Hosea 10:10

This double sin, this root sin, results in many other sins. There’s drunkenness (Is. 5:22), denying justice for a bribe (Is. 5:23), rebellion, stubbornness (Jer. 5:23), arrogance, overeating (Ezek. 16:49), cursing, lying, stealing, murder, adultery (Hos. 4:2), idolatry (Hos. 4:12), disobedience (Jonah 1:3), rejecting God’s law (Amos 3:4), laziness (Amos 6:1), love of food, wine, and music (Amos 6:4-6), coveting, defrauding (Mic. 2:2), hating good and loving evil (Mic. 3:2), divorce (Mal. 2:14-16), robbing God (Mic. 3:8), etc., etc. The sins that took place over 2500 years ago are, for the most part, the same sins now being committed in our own country.

God must punish all sins for He is holy – He can’t just let them go. “I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). And the prophets specifically tell us how He punished these sins. Here are some examples: “a lion from the forest will slay them” (Jer. 5:6); “sickness and wounds” (Jer. 6:7); “their houses shall be turned over to others” (Jer. 6:12); “I’m bringing disaster on this people” (Jer. 6:19); “neighbors and friends will perish” (Jer. 6:21); “an army is coming – they are cruel and show no mercy” (Jer. 6:22-23); “I will ruin her vines and fig trees” (Hos. 2:12).

“I will ignore your children” (Hos. 4:6); “a nation has invaded my land” (Joel 1:6); “the people’s joy is withered away” (Joel 1:12); “the seeds shrivel… the grain is dried up… herds of cattle wander aimlessly” (Joel 1:17-18); “I will send fire” (Amos 1:4); “I will destroy the king” (Amos 1:5); “I gave you empty stomachs” (Amos 4:6); “I will send you into exile” (Amos 5:27). In the past, God punished sinners in many ways, and now we are watching God’s diverse and dreaded judgment of the United States. By reading the prophets you can understand what’s taking place, that we are greatly sinning and are being greatly punished by God.

Man’s sin and God’s judgment of his sin are God’s primary messages in the prophets, but there are many other themes. They tell you about God’s identity, that He’s the Lord (Is. 26:4), the Rock (Is. 26:4), the Judge (Is. 33:22), the Lawgiver (Is. 33:22), the Shepherd (Is. 40:11), the Creator (Is. 43:1), the Savior (Is. 43:3), the King (Is. 44:6), the Redeemer (Is. 44:6), the Holy One (Is. 45:11), the Servant (Is. 52:13), and our Husband (Is. 54:5).

The prophets tell you about God’s character, that He’s holy (Is. 6:1-3), wise (Is. 11:2), supreme, powerful (Is. 40:12-31), just, loving, righteous (Jer. 9:24), true, living, eternal (Jer. 10:10), sovereign (Dan. 4:34-35), compassionate and forgiving (Micah 7:19).

The prophets tell you about Christ’s 1st coming, that He would be born of a virgin (Is. 7:14), would suffer (Is. 50:6), would be pierced (Is. 53:5), would die to pay for our sins (Is. 53:4-12), would proclaim the good news (Is. 61:1), would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2), and would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech. 9:9).

The prophets tell you the good news, that God shows you mercy if you repent of your sin and believe that His Son is the Messiah, the Christ who died to pay for your sin. Yes, God is judging this sinful country, but know that He judged His own Son so you could be forgiven, have hope, and be eternally loved. Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 37:23, Micah 7:18-20

The prophets also tell you about Christ’s 2nd coming, and the amazing hope God has for all His people. This is an extremely, eternally important message of the prophets. Sad to say, many people, even believers, don’t see it this way. They believe the truths about Christ’s first coming but not the truths about His 2nd coming, many which are found in the prophets. Much that is said about this hope is easily discovered on the pages of the prophets, but some, like hidden treasure, must be searched for. Here are some verses about this hope: Gen. 12:1-3, 17:4-8; Is. 2:2-4, 4:2-6, 9:6-7, 54:5-8, 61:2b-11, 65:17-25; Jer. 23:5-6, 32:37-44; Ez. 37:22-23; Dan. 2:44-45, 7:13-14; Hosea 1:10-11; Joel 3:16-21; Amos 9:14-15; Micah 5:4; Hab. 2:14; Zeph. 3:14-17; and Zech. 14:9-11.

Here are some final points about reading the prophets and our future:
1. The prophets focus primarily on the Jewish people. There’s nothing specifically in the prophets about the church age. But there are important lessons for all believers, ones that will help you grow in your relationship with God, and in faith, holiness, and hope.
2. The prophets, in general, are predictive. Some of the passages are about their present time and / or the years following. Some are about Christ’s 1st coming. Some are about Christ’s 2nd coming and the kingdom age. Others have a near and a far perspective.

3. If you have not read any of the prophets, I’d recommend you start with the minor ones, like Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Jonah, and then move on to the major ones, like Isaiah and Jeremiah. I will admit, they are not always easy to understand, but ask God to teach you as you read them, and He will.
4. Be looking for the primary subjects in the prophets – God, man’s sin, God’s judgment, the Jews, Christ’s 1st coming, salvation, Christ’s 2nd coming, and hope. 

5. I suggest that you write down the passages that talk about the hope of the Jews. That’s because your hope, your future blessing as a Christian, is in many ways tied to the hope of the Jews. For example, both Jews and Christians will inherit the earth (Ps. 37:11, Matt. 5:5), and together they will be glorifying the Lord. Romans 15:8-12
6. This world is on a fast track to the end of this age, at which time the church will be raptured and the nations will be righteously judged. It’s not just the United States that falls under the judgment of God, but all nations in the world. Psalm 9:17-20; Zeph. 1; Rev. 6:12-17, Rev. 7:9-14, Rev. 8-9

7. One reason why the United States needs to be judged and lose its position as the #1 power in the world is to make way for the Antichrist and his kingdom. I don’t believe it will be long before this takes place, and the Antichrist is ruling this earth, but only for a very short time. Then Jesus Christ will come back to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and reign on earth. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Psalm 47
8. It is true that the United States is being judged and is going downhill. But remember the story of Jonah, and how God had mercy on that wicked city of Nineveh. As Habakkuk 3:2 says, “In wrath remember mercy.” Pray that God would bring revival. Might Daniel 9:4-19 be our prayer – “We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from your commandments (vs. 4)… O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay (vs. 19).

P.S. I pray that you are awake, alert, and watching. We must not be asleep in times like these. We must be like the men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what they should do, and like John the Baptist who was preparing the way of the Lord. I suggest you read these two posts: “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ”, and “The Day of the Lord: the Wrath of God on Earth.”

The Day of the LORD – God’s Righteous Wrath

August 12, 2022 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #254 ~

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

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

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

The vast majority of people don’t understand God’s holiness, that He demands perfection from every single person. Even in our own courts, a person shown to be guilty for one crime is pronounced guilty by the judge for that crime and must be punished (James 2:10). But that’s on a human level – here is God, the divine Judge, and He examines an individual’s entire life, and He knows all their evil thoughts, words, and actions, each one being utterly offensive to Him. (Hab. 1:13). Those who have not repented of their sins, not trusted in Christ, not believed He died to pay the penalty for their sins, will be guilty forever, and therefore perish, be punished forever. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16; Mark 1:15; Matt. 25:46

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Can We Live In This Sinful World?

June 16, 2022 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #249 ~

You may wonder why I keep talking about sin. Because it’s accelerating, it’s hyperactive, it’s on overdrive in our country. And it’s not just growing, it’s becoming much more wicked and perverted. We see all this evil in our schools, government, families, media, music, movies, and yes, even in our churches. Depravity is on full display, and is being celebrated and applauded. (Rom. 1:18-32). As a Christian, you need to understand this subject of sin and sinners so that you spiritually survive, and so that you live a godly, fruitful, victorious life. Don’t stop reading this post just because it’s not one of those feel good subjects. You must hear these truths so you can know how to live in this wicked world.

Here are several things you need to know about sin and sinners.
1. Sin is our biggest problem, for it results in spiritual death, and ultimately results in physical death, and if not righteously dealt with, eternal death, forever and infernally being separated from the living God. (Ezek. 18:4, Rom. 3:23, Matt. 25:46). Our root sin, our central sin, is not loving and worshiping God, our Creator, but instead, loving and worshiping the creation. Jer. 2:5, 13; Rom. 1:19-25

2. If you don’t see that sin is the #1 problem in a person’s life and the world at large, then you will wonder why evil and devilish things are happening. You may feel sick to your stomach. You may be extremely sad. You may be disgusted. You may get discouraged as you see our country growing more sinful. You may get scared by what’s taking place. You may get angry at the evildoers. Or you may feel hopeless, and want to just give up. But what does God say? “The men of Issachar understood the times, and knew what they should do.” 1 Chronicles 12:32, Isaiah 1
3. If you don’t realize that sin is our fundamental problem, then you may think that other bad things in our society are the real problems when, in fact, they are the result of sin. Rom. 3:23, 6:23

4. If you don’t know that sin is our real problem, then you won’t see the need for Jesus Christ, that He’s the only answer to sin. Christ came to earth to die on the cross to defeat sin and death. Only He can solve our sin problem, along with every other problem. Only He can set a person free from their sin. John 8:31-32, Rom. 5:8, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 3:18, Titus 3:3-8
5. If you forget that sin is the core problem, then you will forget the fact that Christ is the only answer, and get off track, and focus on fleshly and worldly solutions, things that may relate to education, racism, equity, inflation, the border, climate change, etc. But these are superficial answers, only band-aids, and they don’t get to the root, they don’t really solve our problem of sin. Psalm 146:3-5

6. Knowing that sin is our main problem should motivate you to fulfill a key aspect of God’s will for your life, which is being a witness for Jesus Christ, telling people how they can be delivered from sin, death, hell, and the devil, telling people how they can know God and Christ. Acts 1:8, 26:15-18
7. We live in the end-times which means this sin problem will get dramatically worse before the coming of Christ. “… lawlessness is increased…” (Matt. 24:12-13). Keep this in mind as you think about the future, as you carry out God’s purpose for your life, and as you persevere to the end of this evil age. 2 Thess. 2:3, Rev. 13

In this world of sin and sinful people, how should you think, how should you live?
1. Love God by living a holy life, by living like a child of God. Resist temptation, confess sin, walk in the light, and be a godly and righteous Christian. Rom. 6-7, Eph. 4, Col. 3, 1 Thess. 4, 1 John 1
2. Know that God is sovereign over sin and sinful people, over evil and evildoers. God allows and uses sin for His divine purposes and glory, and also for your good. Acts 2:23, 4:27-28; Rom. 8:28
3. As you live in this evil age, and in an increasingly sinful world, keep trusting God and keep looking to His word. Ps. 37, Ps. 119:81-88, Heb. 11

4. Be a light to the lost, be the salt of the earth, be Christlike in your words and actions. Show unbelievers what a believer looks like by being kind, gentle, patient, and forgiving. Matt 5:13-16
5. Love your enemies. Like Christ, be compassionate and patient towards sinners, for they are truly hurting – they’re lost, blind, empty, sad, deceived, and caught in their sin. Matt. 5:44, 9:36; 2 Cor. 4:4
6. Pray for sinners to be saved. Ask God to open their hearts so they see and are convicted of their sin and their need for Christ. Ask God to have mercy on their souls. Matt. 5:44, Rom. 10:1

7. Share the gospel with the lost. Tell them about sin, death, and hell. Tell them about Jesus, that He is the Lord, Savior, and coming King, that He is the bread of life and the light of the world. Tell them about His sacrificial and substitutionary death, and His resurrection. Tell them about heaven and hell. And share with them your testimony, what God has miraculously done in your life. Isaiah 53; John 1:12-13, 1:29, 3:16, 5:24; Rom. 3:23-26; Eph. 2:1-9; Col. 4:2-6, 1 Pet. 3:18
8. Don’t be angry with evildoers, with the wicked. Don’t be vengeful, don’t retaliate. God is closely watching each and every sinner and will deal with them in due time. He will either save them or judge them, show them mercy or show them wrath. Prov. 15:3; Rom 9:14-16, 12:19
9. Always stay close to Jesus. Be careful when you are with sinners, for you don’t want their sin to corrode your Christian life and result in you sinning against God. Psalm 63:8-10, 119:149-151; Jude 23  

10. It’s an honor and a blessing to be persecuted by sinners, for Jesus was persecuted. “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary…” Heb. 12:3, Matt. 5:10-12, John 15:18-25, 1 Pet. 2:21-23
11. A key to living in this devilish world is hope, is knowing Christ is returning to earth to rescue and glorify Christians, to put an end to sin and the evil doers who promote it, and to begin reigning as King over this earth. You must have hope, for it will help you live a holy life, and motivate you to keep going for God. Romans 8:18-25, Hebrews 11
12. God will justly punish sinners. Some of this may happen during this life. But for all who remain in their sin, who never repent of their sin during their time on earth, it will be a dreadful, deserved, eternal punishment in the lake of fire. Matt. 25:41, 46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15

This last point, that God judges unrepentant sinners, is very important to understand. As I said, we should always love and pray for sinners, for those who don’t know God, for those who are opposed to Him and us (2 Cor. 2:14-17). But God won’t save every sinner, for many will stay in their sin, reject Christ, and forever be punished. What you must realize is that there are hundreds of verses about God’s righteous dealings with sinners, on earth and in hell. The whole Bible, book after book, talks about sin, sinners, justice, and wrath, especially the Psalms and Prophets, which are much more extensive in their discussion and detail of sin than other books.

Most of these Psalm verses are listed below. They talk about God’s present and future punishment of sinners. They educate you about God’s justice and wrath. They will help you be more holy and sober. They are an antidote to any wrong attitudes you may have about sin and sinners – like fear, worry, fretting, hopelessness, or unrighteous anger. And they remind you that sinners don’t win – they lose, and justly so. I strongly encourage you to read them, especially since we are living in a very sinful world, and are now in the end-times,

Psalm 1:6; Ps. 2:9-12; Ps. 3:7; Ps. 5:6-7; Ps. 6:10; Ps. 7:15-16; Ps. 9:3, 5-6, 15, 17; Ps. 10:15; Ps. 11:6-7; Ps. 17:13-14; Ps. 18:17-19, 48; Ps. 21:8-10; Ps. 25:19-20; Ps. 27:1-3; Ps. 28:3-4; Ps. 31:3-4, 8, 15, 17-18; Ps. 34:16; Ps. 35:1-8, 24-26; Ps. 36:11-12; Ps. 38:19-22; Ps. 40:14-16; Ps. 41:11-12; Ps. 44:4-8; Ps. 45:4-5; Ps. 52:1-7; Ps. 54:4-7; Ps. 55:15, 23; Ps. 56:4-7; Ps. 57:2-4; Ps. 58:1-9; Ps. 59:1-5, 12-16; Ps. 63:9-10; Ps. 64:6-8, Ps. 68:1-2, 21-23; Ps. 69:22-28; Ps. 70:1-3; Ps. 71:12-13; Ps. 73:16-20, 27; Ps. 75:7-10; Ps. 76:5-10; Ps. 78:42-52; Ps. 79:6-12, Ps. 81:13-15; Ps. 83; Ps. 91:5-10; Ps. 92:6-10; Ps. 94:1-11, 21-23; Ps. 97:1-3; Ps. 109:6-20, 29; Ps. 112:10; Ps. 119:21, 84, 118-119; Ps. 120:3-4; Ps. 125:5; Ps. 129:5-6; Ps. 135:8-11; Ps. 137:8-9; Ps. 139:19-20; Ps. 146:9; Ps. 149:5-9

Oftentimes, we read or hear about sinners in our country, sinners who are doing some of the most evil and perverted things, and who are encouraging others to do the same . And we want there to be justice, we want them to be punished for their sins. I encourage you to be patient, to pray for them, to ask God to have mercy on their souls. (2 Pet. 3:9-10). And if they don’t repent, they will be punished, justly and eternally so (Ps. 73:18-19). Indeed, there are degrees of punishment in hell. Matt. 10:15, 11:21-22; Heb. 10:20

Psalm 1:6 – “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” 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.” Psalm 11:6-7 – “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face.”

P.S. This subject of sin must be understood so you can deal with it in your own life, and so you can know how to relate and respond to the world around you. I cannot stress this enough. That’s why I encourage you to read and/or reread these other posts on sin and sinners – “Sinners and Saints in the End-Times”, “Living with Evil in the End-Times”, and “If the Foundations are Destroyed.”

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