fbpx

Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Page 12 of 34

Christ is Coming Back to Earth, and Soon

April 9, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #212 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To get right with God, to receive God’s mercy and be forgiven, to go to heaven, you must tell God that you are sorry you sinned against Him, and believe that Christ died for you, was punished for your sins and paid the penalty you should have paid. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

It’s not going to be long before Christ returns to earth and changes everything! “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming, will come, and will not delay” (Heb. 10:37). Again, don’t be left behind! “You will see the Son of Man… coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64). “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

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

The Resurrection: Death to Life in Spirit — and Body

April 2, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #211 ~

Our biggest problem, by far, is death. People physically die, and all people are spiritually dead – and that’s the truth. Now there are two kinds of death, physical and spiritual – and they are related in that sin is the cause of both. People physically die because of their sin, and people are spiritually dead because of their sin. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1

The sobering truth is that people who are physically alive are spiritually dead, which means they are separated from God and spiritually lifeless, unless they have been spiritually saved. And the person who is not spiritually saved during his life on earth, and then physically dies, will be eternally dead, painfully separated from God forever. What is so sad is that many people don’t understand this enormous spiritual problem of sin and death. They have been deceived by their wrong thinking, and by the devil himself. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving” (2 Cor. 4:4, 11:13-15). Some people don’t even believe in sin, others believe you can sin but there are no consequences, and others think they will be annihilated, will go out of existence when they die, but that’s just not true – these are all deadly errors, much worse than having a physical disease, like Covid-19. 1 John 1:8-10

In our world, most people focus on the physical. There are doctors, nurses, hospitals, special diets, medicines, nursing homes, supplements, gyms, and exercise. None of these are wrong in and of themselves, but “bodily discipline is only of little profit” (1 Tim. 4:8). Most people are overly concerned about physical issues but don’t realize that sin and death are their primary problems. You know that Covid-19 has resulted in global havoc, and has now consumed and controlled people’s lives for over a year. Think of the virologists and immunologists, and the efforts by countries to solve this one little, but big, physical problem. I am not saying we shouldn’t have doctors, nurses, etc., and shouldn’t do what we can to help people be safe and well. The point I am making is that we tend to focus on the physical and not the spiritual. Our far bigger problem is sin, ignoring God, rebelling against Him, disobeying Him, worshiping idols, but not loving Him. And the consequences of not dealing with this deadly sin problem are not just temporal, but eternal, and are not just physical, but spiritual.

Most people who focus on the spiritual do not have the correct answers, many of whom should know better, like ministers, rabbis, imams, swamis, etc. To sum it up, most of them say that the way to get right with God is by our own efforts, that we need to carry out religious duties, that our good deeds will outweigh our bad deeds, and then we can go to heaven and live forever. But this thinking is not right – it’s terribly wrong and spiritually dangerous, and the results are eternally deadly and extremely painful. People need to know that hell is real, is justly deserved, and a devilish place where sinners are punished forever. “‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil’… these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41, 46

What then is the answer? The answer is not “what” but “who”? It’s the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He came down to earth about 2000 years ago and become a man and, therefore, a mediator between God and man. Sin is man’s main problem, the cause of both spiritual and physical death, and Christ, the perfect God-man, could pay for our sin. Christ dealt with our sin by taking it upon Himself while dying on a cross, His Father then pouring out His wrath upon His Son instead of upon us. That’s why Christ cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). “God made Him 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). Everyone needs to know that there are only two options – either you pay for your own sin by being punished forever in hell, or Christ pays for it Himself. 

The person who repents of his sin, who sincerely tells God he is sorry he sinned against Him, and believes that Christ took his place and paid for his sin is born again, is forgiven, becomes spiritually alive (Eph. 2:1-5). This is good news, the greatest and most important news in the world, that through Christ we can defeat both sin and death – and it’s because of God’s great love for us. “God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “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

Jesus Christ didn’t stay dead, and He couldn’t, and that’s because He was God and as God and man, He defeated sin and therefore death, seen when His Father raised Him from the dead. The only answer to our problem of being spiritually and physically dead is Jesus’ death-and-resurrection. And Jesus’ resurrection clearly proves He is the Victor, the Conqueror of sin and death, thereby being the One who can give us both spiritual and physical life. “This man… you nailed to a cross… and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:23-24). And a person who is physically alive on earth becomes spiritually alive when he believes in Christ, and after he physically dies (unless he is raptured), he will be glorified, be given a perfect body, be physically alive forever. (1 Thess. 4:15-17). Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (hell).” Revelation 1:17b-18

Jesus speaks of our new spiritual life and new physical life this way: “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). We are spiritually made alive when we believe and are physically made alive when Christ raises us up. Paul says it this way: “These whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:31). We were justified, spiritually made alive, when we believed in Christ, and are glorified, physically made alive, when the church is raptured “on the last day.” Paul also tells us, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). And you see this gap of time between becoming spiritually alive and physically alive. For Christians, this good work of salvation began in the past when we were born again, and it will be completed in the future when Christ returns to rapture the church.

The greatest chapter in the Bible on the resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15. The main message is that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and therefore Christians will be raised from the dead – and we are talking about physical resurrection and life. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:22-23). Christ’s resurrection took place about 2000 years ago, but our resurrection will take place in the future, “at His coming.” It’s sad that many Christians do not even think about how their salvation is not yet complete. But be excited and filled with hope, for it will happen soon, at the end of this age, at the coming of Christ, which is not many years from now. “…waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.” Romans 8:23-24

Since we live in the end-times, it won’t be long before Christ’s comes back to glorify us, to give us our brand-new body, to “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:42-44). This most amazing transformation takes place at the sounding of the last trumpet – “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep (physically die), but we will all be changed (physically glorified), 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. This perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

How should you live during this church age, knowing this wonderful news about Christ’s resurrection in the past and your resurrection in the future? You are to live a holy life, a brand-new life. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so too we might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). You are to know that you have the resurrection power of Christ and can carry out all His plans for your life. “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened, so that you will know… what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:18-20). You are to know the Lord and have this close relationship with Him, daily experiencing His resurrection power in your life. “I count all things to be loss… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection” Phil. 3:8-10

Finally, be exceedingly thankful and wholeheartedly working for the Lord, knowing that it won’t be long before you leave this earth and are with Him forever. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

P.S. As a Christian, you need to know and be excited about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and about your resurrection in both spirit and body. Here are three previous posts on the importance and the blessings of the resurrection – “The Resurrection and the Rapture of the Believers”, and “Christ’s Resurrection Means the Best Is Yet to Come”, and “The Resurrection and the Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.”

“When Christ Comes, Will He Find Faith On The Earth?”

March 26, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #210 ~

Jesus tells us a story about the necessity of faith, and it relates to the end-times (Luke 18:1-8). There was a widow who needed legal protection and she goes to the city judge, but he’s unrighteous, a man “who did not fear God or respect man.” He was a mean and uncaring man, unwilling to help this poor woman. But she keeps bothering him, keeps begging him for help, and finally, because of her persistence, he gives her the protection she wants. The lesson God wants us to learn is one of continued faith, of persevering prayer, and especially in the end times, in those last few years before Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church.

Life on this earth will be extremely difficult for Christians in the end-times, especially when the Antichrist is ruling, during that time we call great tribulation. “Nation will rise against nation… and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes” (Matt. 24:7). “They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name.” (Matt. 24:9). “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child…” (Mark 13:13). “… A quart of wheat for a day’s wages….” (Rev. 6:6). “It was also given to him (Antichrist) to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:7). “No one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark (of the beast, the Antichrist).” Rev. 13:17

Can you imagine how hard it will be to live and survive in those days? Christians alive at that time will be going through some of their darkest days, their most difficult experiences on earth. That’s why they will need faith, for it’s the means by which they can stay close to God and get help from Him so they can keep on living for Him. God wants us to know that in the midst of any trial, or during the coming great tribulation, by faith, we are safe, and can be filled with His love, joy, and peace. “…who are protected by God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet 1:5). “I will be glad and rejoice in Your love for You knew my affliction and the anguish of my soul” (Psalm 31:7). Might it be said of the believers who are living during those most trying times – “Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” Rev. 13:10

“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” What about you? Will you have faith, will you be looking to Him and trusting Him when times are tougher than they are now, harder than they have ever been before? You need to think about this question now, not later when the Antichrist is here. God wants you to be growing in faith in the present, and in the years leading up to that time when there will be great trials and tribulation. But how do you grow in faith? How do you grow in trusting God? How do you learn to walk more by faith and less by your flesh and your feelings? How do you go from being a person with little faith to a person with great faith? Here is what God says about how we can be growing in faith.

The first key to faith is God’s word. Only by knowing God’s word can you have true faith, and then experience the love, life, leading, and power of God and the Holy Spirit. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17, Ps. 56:4). If you want to increase your faith, keep reading and thinking about God’s word, and then the Spirit will stir your spirit and enable you to trust Him. “Take… the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:18

The second key is knowing God’s character. “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:10). Knowing that God is loving, holy, good, strong, wise, sovereign, merciful, and compassionate, is essential to trusting Him, to having faith. Whenever I recite “The ABC’s of God’s Character”, a list of 26 character qualities of God, I’m spiritually refreshed, and am moved to love and trust Him.

The third key is trials. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3). None of us in our flesh like trials, but they are good for our spiritual lives, especially for our faith. God gives you trials to get you out of your comfort zone, to cause you to trust Him, to depend on Him instead of on yourself and others. (Pr. 28:25-26). When you go through a trial and are trusting God, then you will draw closer to Him and experience all the grace you need. “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’ … I am well content with insults, weaknesses, distresses, persecution… for Christ’s sake… for when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Cor. 12:9-10

The fourth key to faith is learning from others. God has given us many examples of those who love Him and trust Him. It’s important that you learn from their lives and see how they trusted God through the years. “Join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Phil. 3:17). Early on in my Christian life, I became friends with some godly men who had great faith, ones who encourage my life to this day. “Though he is dead, he still speaks” (Heb. 11:4). And as you read the Bible, you discover hundreds of believers who looked to God, trusted Him, depended on Him, who had faith. Then there’s Hebrews 11, the single best chapter on faith, for it sums up the experiences of these saints who had faith in the living God. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Have faith in God!” (Mark 10:22). God commands you to have faith in Him. This means all day long, wherever you are at, whoever you are with, whatever you do, you are to be trusting God and His word. It means you depend on Him to lead you; you rely on Him for strength; you believe He will meet your needs; you ask Him to bless your work; you trust Him to use your relationships; you expect Him to reward you; you count on Him to protect you, and enable you to make it to the end of your life on this earth and on to heaven. I cannot stress enough the importance of you trusting God, of having faith in Him now, and for the rest of your life on this earth. And if you are a “little faith” person, one who is doubting, fearful, and complaining, ask God to make you a “great faith” person, for that’s what God wants you to be and knows you can be. Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 11:20, 14:31; Matthew 8:10

Most importantly, faith is how you experience the joy of the Lord, the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). It’s how you have a close and meaningful relationship with God Himself. Without question, this is what you need more than anything else. Way too often we walk by sight, our eyes fixed on worldly things, and we are trusting ourselves, others, and things, with the result that we are spiritually empty – but as we trust and rely on God, then we will be fully satisfied by Him. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.” Jer. 17:5-8; Jer. 2:5, 13

One more thing – the parable tells us one thing we are to be praying for, and it’s justice. As Christians, we will suffer, be under great pressure, and be persecuted, but we have hope, for we know Christ is coming, that He will rapture us (1 Thess. 4:17), and give us relief (2 Thess. 1:7). And being persecuted on earth will result in great rewards in heaven (Matt. 5:10-12). But what is Luke telling us? “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night… I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly” (Luke 18:7-8). There’s a great deal of injustice and lawlessness in this world, and it’s only going to get much worse (Matt. 24:12). But we are instructed to cry out to God, knowing that it won’t be long before Christ comes to judge the world, and pour out His wrath on all the evil unbelievers who have rejected Him. “The great day of Their wrath has come” (Rev. 6:17, Rev. 8-9, 2 Thess. 2:7-8). Hallelujah! The good news is not just that Christ will enable us to escape this wicked world and bring us to Himself and to heaven, but also that there will be justice on earth. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness.” Psalm 98:9

P.S. Some have said that Christians in this country are soft, and I am sure there is some truth to that. Might we see that we are soldiers of Christ and take up the shield of faith. You must have this shield or you will get hurt and be ineffective for God. This is the time to learn, and be growing in faith, and I have no doubt this is what God is teaching you. I encourage you to read “Your Spiritual Service: A Member of the Special Forces”, a good article about being a good soldier.

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.”

The Believer’s Brand-New Body – Amen!

February 19, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #207 ~

The hope of all believers is that they will receive a brand-new body, one that will be truly remarkable, powerful, glorious, and immortal. This is incredibly great news, and what will definitely take place in the future, when Jesus Christ returns at the end of this age.

Our human body, created in God’s image, was fearfully and wonderfully made. Though it’s the most amazing and complex of all God’s creations, it’s still very weak and frail, and that’s because of our sin. Yes, we are able to fulfill the plans God has for us in this present age. But we are also in this downward-spiraling, aging process, one that can be especially difficult. Now that I am 67, I am daily feeling the debilitating effects of being older – I get more tired, feel weaker, and have more aches and pains. What Paul said is so true, “We ourselves groan within ourselves” (Rom. 8:23). “We groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven” (2 Cor. 5:2-4). This groaning is physical, but also spiritual, for we continually struggle against our sinful flesh and unseen enemies. More than ever before, I am looking forward to that time when “there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.” Rev. 21:4, Phil. 1:23

This “looking forward” is what we call hope. As Rom. 8:23 goes on to say, we are to be “waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.” I am sure you know that your salvation is not yet complete, that as a Christian living on earth, you were justified, you are being sanctified, and you will be glorified – you will be given a new body that’s absolutely amazing. It’s vitally important that you see the entirety of your salvation, for as Rom. 8:30 sums up, “These whom He justified, He also glorified.”

What does God want you to know about your glorified body?
* 1 John 3:2 tells us, “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him.” Wow! Can you imagine this, that you will be like Jesus? Of course, you will be recognizably different in appearance than Him and other believers. But you will have the same kind of body as Jesus, a human body with perfect arms, hands, legs, feet, eyes, ears, nose, mouth and hair. Everything about you will be glorious, and yes, stunning. And having a body like Jesus’ body is essential for eternal life, for eternal relationships, and so you can fulfill God’s eternal plans.

* Rom. 8:29 tells us the same thing, that we will be “conformed to the image of His Son.” Again, we are told that we will be like Jesus, we will have a form, a body like His. As 1 Cor. 15:39 explains, “all flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another of birds, and another of fish.” We are not beasts, birds, or fish, we are humans, and we will have the same kind of flesh as that of Jesus, our Lord, Savior and King.

* Phil. 3:20-21 further confirms this – “We eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” No matter what you look like or how good of shape you are in, your body is still in a humble and lowly state. But the time will come when you will be transformed, fashioned, changed, and be like Jesus, possessing the same form, and having a magnificent and awesome body. 

Luke 20:35-36 tells us more, that believers will attain to the resurrection of the dead, but “will neither marry nor are given in marriage” – none of us will be husbands, wives, or have children. It goes on to say, “they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” We are now sons of God and soon enough we will look like sons of God, which means we will also look like the angels. God’s plans for you are perfect which means you will have a perfect body so you can live in your wonderfully perfect home, so you can have all these perfectly enjoyable and encouraging relationships, and so you can carry out your perfect and God-glorifying purpose.

1 Cor. 15, the Bible chapter that best describes the believer’s new resurrection body, is most enlightening, especially vss. 40-42. We learn that our present bodies are perishable, are being corrupted, are growing worse with age, are mortal, and eventually will die. But your new body will be imperishable, eternally durable, and last forever. As vs. 54 says, “this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and then this mortal will have put on immortality.” God also wants you to know that your present body is dishonorable. Yes, you are made in His image, but being contaminated by sin often results in being shameful, disgraceful, and even ugly, both inside and out. But thankfully, you will be given a Christ-like body, one that is honorable, perfect, awesome, magnificent, altogether beautiful, one fit for the King.

Then we discover that your body will never again be weak. No longer will you be tired, feeble, sick, diseased, but rather you will be strong and powerful. We all know about the superheroes in comic books and movies, a primary feature being their strength. In the future, you will have a super-strong body, one that is always vigorous, energetic, and tireless. Finally, you won’t possess a natural body, a body suited just for this earth, but rather one that’s spiritual, suited for heaven and the restored earth (Acts 3:21), and for the new heaven and new earth too (Rev. 21:1). Yes, it will be a physical body, but it will also be spiritual, a supernatural and heavenly body. That you will have a body like Jesus’ is a God-promised and glorious truth, and why? So you can be with Jesus wherever He is – “we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17

I get excited thinking about this aspect of our hope, that we will have brand-new bodies, ones that are imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. Designed and made by God, this body will be perfectly and wonderfully suited so you can be and do all that He has planned for you:
* You will grow in your knowledge of the Lord, and your relationship with Him. “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” 1 Cor. 13:12
* You will fully know and feel the richness and warmth of God’s great love for you. Psalm 136
* You will wholeheartedly be worshiping and loving the Lord, and with a beautiful voice, you will be singing to Him too. Psalm 47:6, 145:1-2; Mark 12:30
* You will have stimulating, loving, and Christ-centered fellowship with all believers. Heb. 3:12
* You will perfectly serve the Lord, rule righteously with Him over this earth, do exactly what He wants you to do, and go everywhere He wants you to go. Rev. 5:10
* You will always be filled with the Spirit, and therefore be filled with love, joy, peace, and goodness. You will be happy and satisfied all the time. Your new body will be able to enjoy and experience all the blessings and pleasures God has in store for you. Psalm 16:11

When will believers receive this brand-new body? It is not when a person physically dies and goes to heaven. It’s when the church on earth is raptured. 1 Cor. 15:23 tells us, “… in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that, those who are Christ’s at His coming.” You will be glorified, be made alive at the coming of Christ. 1 Cor. 15:51-52 says that it’s at the last trumpet – “In a moment, at 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.” 1 John 3:2 gives you more information – “When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” It’s at Christ’s coming and when you first see Him that you will be glorified and be like Him. Job 19:25-27

Imagine what it will be like to have a Christ-like body, a perfect body? Think about being in a new body and being in heaven and being with Jesus. We live in a world that spends way too much time and money on our physical bodies, whether that relates to health care, cosmetics, clothes, or exercise (Is. 3:16-24, 1 Tim. 4:8a). Yes, you should take care of your body, stay in shape, and look nice, but don’t overdo it. Remember that you are a child of God living in a sinful world, and you need to focus on loving and serving the Lord. And since it’s the end-times, you need to be looking forward to Christ’s coming and the next major part of your life, when you will look like Christ, be with Christ, and live like Christ wants you to live. “I know that My redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin (old body) has been destroyed, yet in my flesh (new body) 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. When you are sick or tired or feeling old, then you need to remember what God has in store for you, a brand-new body. I really encourage you to read these two articles for they also talk about this hope of receiving a new body – “You Have to Have Hope,” and “Being in Heaven with Jesus, and the Believers, and in a New Glorified Body.”

Sinners and Saints in the End-Times

February 5, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #206 ~

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

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

2) Why sinners are sinners.

3) Sinners are not thinking right.

4) Some sinners are worse than other sinners.

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

6) Some sinners may not appear to be sinners.

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

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

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

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

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

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

13) God will judge the wicked in His time.

14) What should we say to sinners?

15) Saintly living in a sinful world

16) The devilish end-times’ deception of sinners

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

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

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

20) What are you to do now?

A Troubled Country…

January 23, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #205 ~

This country is terribly troubled! It is sharply divided. It has major problems in its cities. It has big problems in its schools. It has huge problems in the government. It has problems economically. It has problems with crime, drugs, immigration, and human trafficking. There are problems with marriages, families, and even with churches. It is obvious that this country is going downhill, and sad to say, and sovereignly so, it will keep getting worse until Jesus Christ comes back and takes over, not just this country, but the entire world. Rev. 11:15

The real reason for this country’s problems is her sin. The truth about sin and its consequences must be understood by Christians, or else we will be looking for answers in the wrong places. Humanistic and worldly thinking never give us the answers about the spiritual need of the soul, our relationships, and how we can truly live – they only come from God, His word, and from Jesus Christ. John 8:32, 14:6

Sin is a major subject in the Bible. Sin is talked about from the beginning of the Bible to the end of it. One of the best lists of sins is in 2 Tim. 3:2-4: “Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Another detailed list is found in Gal. 5:19-21: “The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealously, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.” Jer. 2:13 sums up sin this way: “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.” Indeed, the sin of rebelling against God and rejecting Him is the root of all kinds of other sins.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only solution to our sin problem. The wages of sin is death, both physical and spiritual death. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezek. 18:4). “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). As people, we have sinned against God, and deserve to be punished, and eternally so. But thankfully, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of man, became our substitute, and suffered and died on a cross to pay for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.” All those who repent of their sin and believe that Jesus Christ died for them, satisfying God’s wrath, and then rose again are born again, receive eternal life, are forgiven, and will go to heaven.

Many Bible stories illustrate our sin problem. There was Cain and his sin of murder, and he was judged (Gen. 4:9-14). There was the family of Achan greedy for gold and silver, and God had them stoned to death (Josh. 7:16-26). There were the proud, immoral, and gluttonous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and God righteously rained down fire and brimstone upon them (Gen. 19:23-29, Ezek. 16:49). In Noah’s time, the people in the world were extremely wicked for “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually.” God had no choice but to devastate the entire earth with a flood, and so everyone was punished, and perished, except for Noah and his family (Gen. 6-8). These examples, along with many more, are to wake us up to our serious and deadly sin problem. It is that which affects and afflicts every person, every family, every village, every city, every country, and the whole world.

A time when Israel was troubled by sin and found mercy – 2 Chron. 15:6 tells us, “many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the land. Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.” It was God Himself who afflicted and troubled Israel because of her sin, because she rejected Him and worshiped false gods. And because of her “abominable idols” (vs. 8), “Israel was without the true God” (vs. 3). But King Asa was stirred by the words of the prophet Azariah who told him, “As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (vs. 7). The king responded by removing the idols and calling on the people to repent and seek the Lord. And by God’s amazing grace, the people “entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul.” This led to a great revival for we see that God “let them find Him.” The undeserved and unbelievable blessing was that “the Lord gave them rest on every side,” and there was peace, for there was “no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.” 2 Chron. 15:15, 19

A major part of Israel’s history is her sin against God. Time after time, the Bible graphically describes how God’s privileged people sinned against Him, and therefore, He judged them. (Ps. 78, Ps. 106, Neh. 9, and the prophets). From around 1450 BC to 600 BC, God demonstrated great patience and love for His people (Ps. 136). There were short periods of time when the Israelites lived in a godly way, but most of the time they kept on sinning. Finally, and righteously, God had many killed and many others exiled from their land. After the Jewish people returned to their land and had been there for about 500 years, a most incredible thing happened – Jesus Christ, the son of God and Savior of sinners, actually came to Israel. Sadly, most of His people rejected Him, and again God exiled them, this around 70 AD, and this time to all parts of the earth (Luke 21:20-24). Since the 1880’s, God has been mercifully, and according to His promise, bringing the Jews back to Israel, a number now totaling close to 6.6 million. That all these Jewish people returned and now reside in their God-given land is the #1 sign that we live in the end-times, and that Jesus Christ will soon return to rapture the church and begin reigning over this world. Dan. 12:1-4

The Old Testament prophets spoke extensively on the subject of sin. 1) The prophets talked very openly to the people about all the different sins they were committing. 2) They made it clear that what they were doing was wrong, and consequently, were guilty before God. 3) They strongly exhorted the people to repent of their sins and turn to God for mercy, for forgiveness. 4) They warned them that if they didn’t repent that they would be judged for their sins. 5) They gave the Jewish people hope, for they spoke about the coming Messiah, One who would be both a Savior and a King. 6) The prophets told them about God’s promises, that in the future He would save a remnant of Jews, give them an eternal King, and that they would inherit a large portion of land (Ezek. 37:21-28). The writings of the prophets occupy a sizeable portion of the Old Testament, and that’s because God really wants us to learn about His holiness, the danger of sin, the consequences of sin, His great mercy, and the hope He has for Israel, which also relates to the hope He has for the church (Ps. 37:11 – Matt. 5:5). It’s not just important, but imperative, that you read the sobering, instructive, and purifying messages of the prophets, for it relates to you, and to the times we live in.

God has been judging the United States. We have been and will continue to be plagued by troubles, and it won’t stop unless we, as a nation, repent of our sins and turn to the Lord. But I do not believe that will happen. Why? Because of the profound magnitude and seriousness of our sin, because of all the Old Testament examples of nations who greatly sinned and then were judged, and because we know that God, as a final and irreversible judgment, gives people over to their sin, especially to gross sexual sin (Lev. 18, Rom. 1:18-33). I don’t believe there’s any stopping our nation’s downhill slide, which we have been witnessing since the 1960’s. David Ettinger, in a recent issue of Zion’s Hope, said, “America is undergoing upheavals, and many of us are concerned. It is tough seeing the foundations upon which our nation was built under attack… If you believe godlessness and secularism in the United States have passed the point of no return – which I, and many evangelicals do believe – then it is highly likely 2020 may have been a spark that quickly becomes an inferno of cataclysmic events paving the way for the rise of the Antichrist and the return of the Lord Jesus. Don’t count on 2021 – and 2022, 2023, 2024, etc. – to offer any respite from the downward spiral in which our nation is swirling.” (Zion’s Hope Magazine – “A Perfect Right Now Passage” – Vol. 31, No. 5, p. 22) 

Just because God is judging the United States does not mean He is not working, that people are not getting saved, and that the church is not growing. Jesus Christ is still building the church in this country and will continue to do so until He comes back at the end of this age and raptures the Christians who are still on earth. Until that time, you are to have faith, hope, and love, and be a holy, dedicated, and obedient Christian. Your job is to carry out the assignments God gives you, love all the believers, use your spiritual gift, and be united with the church in making disciples. And remember, seeking God’s kingdom is your main priority (Matt. 6:33). It’s not being consumed with the world, politics, pleasures, sports, or fame. It’s not making money. And it’s not taking it easy (Luke 8:14, 12:13-21). Jesus plainly and lovingly tells us, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). What an opportunity and what a joy to work with God and fulfill His purposes at this time in history – and it results in Him receiving eternal glory, others being eternally blessed, and you receiving eternal rewards.

You may be saddened to think this country is in decline, but you must be thankful and happy in the Lord. “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice” (Ps. 97:1, 1 Thess. 5:16-18). You should know that what is now happening is by the sovereign hand of God, is part of His end-time plans, and must take place before the Antichrist comes to rule over this earth, and before Christ returns to rapture the church, defeat the Antichrist, judge the world, and reign over the world. I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing this big picture, of knowing where things are headed, and that God’s eternal plans are unfolding day by day. It won’t be long before Christ’s coming, and then He will dramatically and wonderfully change everything, and all for the glory of God. “He had made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” Rev. 1:6-7

P.S. This message about how our sin is in trouble because of our sin is extremely important to understand. I would also encourage you to read two other posts – “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ”, and “In a Wicked World, You Have to Have Hope.”

Processing the Present Tough Times

January 15, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #204 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keys to Living for the LORD

January 8, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #203 ~

I often think about the future, specifically that most wonderful moment when Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church and take us to our heavenly home. I also think about what leads up to that moment, that most difficult time when the Antichrist is on earth and Christians are going through great tribulation. And to think that God wants us to be alive at this time in history and be part of His end-time’s plans should both excite us and sober us. John 15:16, Acts 17:26

With this God-planned future in view, what should you do? First, you need to know what will be happening. Jesus says, “Behold, I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:23). That means you need to study prophecy passages like Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1 and 2 Thess., and Revelation. I also encourage you to read the posts and articles found on this blog site. Second, read His word and do what He has told you to do. Last week I went over seven key Bible truths about how you are to live: your relationship with Christ, your identify, faith, humility, prayer, purpose, and thankfulness. Today I will look at seven more. 

Obedience. The main way you fulfill God’s purpose for your life is by obeying His commands, many that are very basic, but so, so important. Mark 12:30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” John 15:17 – “This I command you, that you love one another.” 1 Pet. 1:16 – “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Prov. 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Eph. 5:18 – “Be filled with the Spirit.” Matt. 6:33 – “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Matt. 28:19 – “Go make disciples of all the nations.” When you carry out these commands God will be glorified, His purposes will be fulfilled, and you and the church will be forever blessed. Psalm 119:1-8

Holiness. As a Christian, you are perfectly righteous in God’s sight, you have been forgiven of all your sins, and you are a saint, which means a holy one. And now you are to live like a saint – you are not to be worldly or sinful, you are not to be angry, bitter, proud, lazy, selfish, dishonest, covetous, impure, or immoral. The main way this happens is by the work of God’s word and the Holy Spirit in your life. “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” (Ps. 119:11). Some wonderful results of being holy are peace, a close relationship with God, spiritual growth, and being useful to God. 1 Jn. 5:5-9, 2 Tim. 2:21

Promises. The Christian life isn’t just doing what God wants you to do, but also knowing what He is doing for you. And much of what God does is seen in His promises to you, and the church. Here are some of them: Ps. 23:6 – “Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” Ps. 32:8 – “I will lead you in the way that you should go.” Ps. 46:10 – “I will be exalted among the nations.” Matt. 16:18 – “I will build the church.” 1 Cor. 1:8-9 – “God will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Heb. 13:5 – “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” Rev. 22:20 – “I am coming soon.” These promises about the future, the hope God has for you, are crucial, for they help you get your eyes off yourself and onto God, and what He is and will be doing. 2 Peter 1:3-4  

Church. The church, comprised of those who are true Christians, is the body of Christ, the spiritual family of God. It is primarily by the church that God’s truth is taught, His purposes are fulfilled, disciples are made, and there’s spiritual growth. And so you need this family, and by being part of it, there’s real love, joy, fellowship, and encouragement. Be assured, Christ will build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matt. 16:18, Eph. 1:3-14

Relationships. God does not want you to be a loner – which is another reason why you need the church. God’s desire is that there are Christians you can be close to, spend time with, talk to openly, give you counsel, pray for you, care for you, and who you can share your life with. But good relationships are godly friendships that go both ways. That is, there must be mutual concern, care, and love. In all this, we are talking about relationships that are committed to Christ, that are focusing on Christ and fulfilling His purposes. Then there will be real blessing, unity, fellowship, and progress for the Lord. Rom. 1:11-12, Col. 4:7-14, 2 Tim. 1:3-4

Character. Life is not just about what you do – it’s also about who you are, that you have godly character. This means being loving, kind, forgiving, patient, truthful, thankful, faithful, hopeful, courageous, rejoicing, loyal, diligent, persevering, a hard worker, and a fighter for what’s right. Of course, only God can build this godly character in your life. By His word, by the Holy Spirit, by prayer, through trials, and by learning from others, you will surely grow in character, you will be more Christlike, you will be effective for God. Rom. 5:3-5; 1 Tim. 4:11

Sacrifice. God did not save you and leave you on earth so you could make a name for yourself. Jesus sacrificed His life to save you from your sins, and so you could sacrifice your life and make a name for Him (Ps. 23:4, Eph. 5:1). When you love people, when you are kind, giving, and patient, then you are sacrificing your life for them, and for Him. Yes, sacrifice can be extremely difficult, but it’s worth it, for the glory of Christ, the good of others, and for your eternal blessing. And it may be that you will sacrifice your life by dying for Christ, that you are a martyr, but remember, He died for you (Rev. 6:9). “I urge you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” Rom. 12:1. Luke 9:23

Each of these truths are vital if you are to live successfully for God. Ask Him to help you spiritually grow up so you can “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1). As you know, we presently live in a very sinful, troubled, divided, and changing country, and this means great challenges and pressures. But what does not change is who God is, what He plans to do, who you are in Christ, and how you are to live for Him. Never forget that! And so no matter what’s happening now or will be happening in the future, keep looking to Christ. And if you are still on this earth when the Antichrist is revealed and devilishly ruling, don’t be afraid, don’t stress out, just remember to keep doing what God has taught you to do. This is the secret to success! “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you! Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

P.S. Here is an article that also tells us how God wants us to live: “Spiritual Survival Food for the Coming Tough Times.” My plan for the future is to put up a post every other week, which means the next one will come out on January 22 – it will be all about our magnificent brand new body! But if events come up necessitating a post more often, I will do so.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑