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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Page 12 of 34

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

May 20, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #216 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They are Scared to Death!!!

May 8, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #215 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rescued from the Punishing Day of the Lord

April 27, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #214 ~

The Bible talks extensively about the “day of the Lord,” a phrase referring to a frightening, devastating period of time when God intervenes in the affairs of this world and judges the ungodly. In the Old Testament, the prophets described in detail many of these “days”, times when God righteously punished deserving sinners, cities, and nations. Here are some examples: “I will punish the world for its evil, and wicked people for their sin” (Isaiah 13:11); “The day of the Lord is awesome and very terrifying – who can survive it?” (Joel 2:11); “You will get exactly what your deeds deserve” (Obadiah 1:15); and “I will destroy people and animals.” Zephaniah 1:3

The most dreadful and destructive “day of the Lord” is still coming, and it will occur at the end of this age, when the holy, powerful, and sovereign God judges the entire world. Matt. 24:29 speaks of these celestial signs suddenly darkening the skies, alerting and warning everyone on earth that this day of doom is soon to begin. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light… and the powers of heaven will be shaken.” Rev. 6:12-14 also tells us that there will be a “great earthquake… and every mountain and island were moved out of their place.” Every single person on this earth will know that something dramatic and cataclysmic is going to happen, and they seem to know what it is, for they say, “Hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Rev. 6:16-17

This severe judgment will be unleashed upon this sinful world during the second half of Daniel’s 70th week, a seven-year time frame. The Antichrist will be ruling the world, unbelievers will be living in “peace”, and Jews and Christians will be undergoing persecution. Then these cosmic disturbances will darken the skies, alarming the unbelievers. Not long after that, seven “trumpets” will be blown resulting in fiery and deadly judgments killing billions of people and animals. “There came hail and fire… a third of the living creatures in the sea died… torment for five months… they would kill a third of mankind.” Rev. 8:7, 9; Rev. 9:5, 15

Soon after that, there will be seven more judgments, for the “bowls” will be quickly poured out resulting in more death and destruction. “It became a loathsome and malignant sore… every living thing in the sea died… men were scorched with fierce heat… they gnawed their tongues because of pain… and huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men” (Rev. 16:2, 3, 9, 10, 21). And the evil unbelievers living on earth still “blasphemed the God of heaven… and did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16:11). Without question, these wicked sinners will deserve to be greatly punished. “Righteous are You, who are and who were, the Holy One, because You judged these things.” Rev. 16:5

Then Jesus Christ will suddenly appear on the scene. The “King of kings and Lord of lords,” along with the armies of God, will come racing down to earth and strike down the nations. “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15-16). He will royally crush that devilish Antichrist and his evil partner, the false prophet. “These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire” (Rev. 19:20). “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Rev. 19:6

What about the Christians? What happens to them during this time? They will not be on earth during this wrath!!! That’s because of “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10). But there’s still some confusion among Christians as to what will happen to them in the end-times, and when. Matthew 24, the most important prophecy chapter in the Bible, gives us the order of end-time events: First, there are birth pains – wars, famines, earthquakes, and plagues (Matt. 24:4-8). These events, affecting both Christians and non-Christians in various parts of the world, are not part of the day of the Lord, God’s wrath, for they take place before it even begins. Second, there’s great tribulation, the persecution of Christians and Jews brought on by the Antichrist. Matt. 24:9-14 talks about this tribulation as it affects the Christians, and Matt. 24:15-26 tells us the origin of this great tribulation, that it’s instigated by the Antichrist and starts in Jerusalem, and that it affects the Jews. Rev. 13:13-17

Matt. 24:27 describes a brilliant light flashing from east to west, the glorious, celestial signal that Christ is coming, and obviously, this happens after the birth pains and great tribulation. Then Matt. 24:28 gives a most sobering message, that vultures gather which means people are dying during this time. But there’s something else we need to know – that this great tribulation is cut short by these sky-darkening signs (Matt. 24:29) which, as Acts 2:20 tells us, are “before the great and glorious day of the Lord.” This can only mean that this great tribulation, this period of persecution, is before the day of the Lord, the period of punishment. Matt. 24:30 then informs us that immediately after these celestial-darkening signs, the skies will be lit up by Christ’s glory (Matt. 24:27). It is at that point that Christ will gather together all the believers from all time, those still on earth and those already in heaven. “He will send forth His angel with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:31, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, 2 Thess. 2:1

This should make it clear to Christians that the rapture takes place after the great tribulation has ended but before the day of the Lord, before God’s wrath begins. People who say the birth pains and great tribulation are part of the day of the Lord are wrong, are in error. Great tribulation is when Christians and Jews are persecuted by the Antichrist, and the day of the Lord is when unbelievers are punished by God. Yes, we may be persecuted but we won’t be punished. As 1 Thess. 5:9 says, “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This “salvation” refers to physical salvation, to being raptured and rescued from God’s wrath, the disastrous and deadly day of the Lord. 2 Thess. 1:6-10 tells us the same thing, that there will be relief from tribulation for Christians, but retribution and eternal destruction for disobedient and ungodly unbelievers.

What 21st century Christians need to understand is that the church will still be on earth during the birth pains and great tribulation, but not during that dreadful day of the Lord, which is only for unbelievers. The order and nature of end-times’ events, shown also in Rev. 6 – Rev. 8, make this very clear. In Rev. 6:1-8 we read about the first four seals, which speak of the birth pains. Rev. 6:9-11 talks about the 5th seal, which is Christians suffering great tribulation and being martyred. Then Rev. 6:12-17 tells us about the 6th seal, which describes the sign of the end of the age, the world-waking celestial disturbances warning us of God’s coming wrath. But this wrath, pronounced by the 6th seal in Rev. 6:16-17, is not poured out on the earth until after the breaking of the 7th seal (Rev. 8:1), which then results in the opening of the scroll and the trumpet judgments (Rev. 8:2-9:21). In between Rev. 6 and Rev. 8 is Rev. 7, which tells us two things, the sealing of 144,000 Jews, and the church, just having been delivered out of great tribulation, worshiping God in heaven.

Since we are so close to the end of this age, it is extremely important that all Christians know this order of end-time events: 1. birth pains; 2. great tribulation. 3. celestial signs (darkness and then light). 4. the rapture of the church. 5. the wrath of God on earth. It is now 2021, and at this time, we’re in phase 1, the birth pain stage. But great tribulation is coming soon, and right after that, catastrophic, life-altering, earth-shaking, God-judging events will impact the entire world. Everything on earth will change, and if you are a Christian, you will be changed too, for you will be glorified. “We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:51-52

What a time to be alive! As Christians, it’s absolutely imperative that you know these things, and then tell others who don’t know, and especially those who aren’t Christians. Tell the unsaved that today is the day of salvation, that now is the time they need to turn from their sin to Jesus Christ. Tell them not to wait, for the time is coming when it will be too late, and they will be left behind, and suffer, and be punished, and not just on earth during the day of the Lord, but in an extremely painful and everlasting hell. Matt. 25:30, 41, 46; Rev. 14:10-11

Tell the unsaved that God is holy, and that He must judge sinners who rebel against Him, who reject the truth of the gospel – but also tell them that God is merciful, that He offers forgiveness to all who come to Him and believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the only One who can save them from their sins, and from that terrible day of the Lord on earth, and from that punishing wrath in hell. “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

P.S. You need to know about the Day of the Lord, the coming wrath of God on this sinful earth. Understanding this subject will sober you up, make you more holy, and motivate you to tell the lost about what they will experience if they don’t turn from their sin to Christ for salvation. Here is another post that will help you understand this most important subject – “The Day of the Lord, the Wrath of God on Earth.”

Holy Communion – From Christ’s Cross to Christ’s Crown

April 15, 2021 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #213 ~

Every Christian is to take communion, to take the bread and cup on a regular basis. And why? God commands you to, for He knows how vitally important it is for your relationship with Him. At its core, Christianity is about God’s love for you, and consistently observing communion helps you know this love, and also fuels and fires your love for Him. 1 John 4:19

When we have communion, we are looking back and remembering that Jesus Christ died on the cross, His saving death being a demonstration of His love for us (Rom. 5:8). But we are also looking ahead and thinking about being with Christ in the kingdom ages and, specifically, at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), when as Christ’s Bride, we will be with Him and freshly experience His love for us. Taking communion helps us to not only remember the past, but to look forward to the future, with the result that we are renewed by His love in the present. In this post we will look at communion from the past to the present to the future, from Christ’s cross to Christ’s crown.

1) Luke 22:14-20 (past). It was the last supper, Jesus’ final meal with His disciples before He suffered and died on the cross for us. We also know this as the first Lord’s supper, that time when Jesus transformed the last Passover meal into the first communion meal. Christ was signaling the end of the Old Covenant with the holy place, priesthood, and sacrifices, and the beginning of the New Covenant, which was accomplished by His death, the shedding of His blood on the cross for us, the means by which our sins would finally and forever be forgiven.

The church age was soon to begin, and Jesus Christ was instituting communion for the church, and for every Christian in the church, and not as a ritual to be repeated, but as a time to intimately remember Him. We all know how easily we forget things, but you never want to forget Christ and what He did for you on the cross. God knows you need to regularly be reminded of His love for you, of Christ’s death for you, by which all your sins are forgiven – and taking communion with other Christians is one of the best ways to do this.

Note what Jesus said, “I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Jesus was looking ahead to when all the people to be saved would be saved, when the church age would be over, when all believers would be together during the millennial kingdom age. He was vowing to not take the bread and cup until His work in building the church was complete, at which time He and His Bride would have their first meal together at this special marriage supper. For emphasis, Jesus says it again, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). It’s so encouraging to see Jesus’ loving heart, His passionate desire to be with us. As Jesus is excited about seeing us, might we be excited about seeing Him and being with all the believers. Without a doubt, it will be the greatest, grandest, most glorious wedding reception this world has ever seen.

2) 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (present). The command for Christians to take communion is stated again. God is stressing this point because it’s what every Christian in every church in the entire world needs to be doing. Having communion is to be a continual constant in the lives of Christians during this church age. Paul reminds us what Jesus said, “This is My body, which is for you” (1 Cor. 11:24). I cannot overstate the significance of this verse, for Jesus gave His body which means He gave His entire life “for you”, and His life was perfect, and therefore would be the perfect sacrifice. Jesus loved you so much, shown in that He gave His life for you, the innocent One substituting His life for the guilty ones, and all to make you holy and perfect forever (Heb. 10:14). This divine, spiritual exchange is the heart of the gospel, the most important transaction, the most wonderful news in the world, that Jesus took your sins, and gave you His life. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

Again, we read Jesus’ words, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you do this, in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:25). The Jews who were celebrating the Passover were to realize that the lamb’s blood which had been smeared on doorposts allowing their forefather’s escape from Egypt had been pointing to, and was now replaced by, the Lamb’s blood, which enabled them and all believers in Christ to eternally escape sin and death. The cup that represented the lamb’s blood was now representing Christ’s blood. Indeed, this new covenant is God’s sure promise to us that Christ could and would save us, for “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrew 9:22

“As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).Taking communion means we are not just looking back but looking forward – and we are to keep proclaiming Christ’s death which was in the past, His victory over sin and death, “until He comes”, which is in the future. Truly observing communion means having faith in what Christ did for you on the cross, and hope for what He will do for you in the coming Kingdom. And this faith and hope produces a real and present love in your heart for your most amazing and gracious Savior.

What Paul said about proclaiming “the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26), reminds us what Jesus said about how He would not be drinking the fruit of the vine “until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:18). Just as Jesus was thinking about the future, of that time when He would be with us, might we also be thinking of the future, of that time when we will be with Him. From the day of Pentecost and the start of the church until the signs in the heavens and the end of this age, Christians are to be taking communion, remembering and loving the Lord, and looking forward to seeing Him face to face and being with Him forever.

3) Revelation 11:15 (the future) – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever.” Jesus Christ told us that the kingdom of God would be coming (Luke 22:18), and it’s at the very start of this kingdom that all believers will be together with Him at the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9), this most holy wedding reception, the greatest banquet ever – and Christ will be at the head table, hosting this glorious and magnificent occasion.   

Finally, Jesus Christ breaks His fast, for He told us at the last supper, at the first communion, “I shall never again eat it until is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:16). Christ has been waiting for close to 2000 years for this time when we, His Bride, celebrate our divine and eternal marriage with Him. Now that we are in the end-times, it won’t be long before all believers will be with Christ having sweet fellowship with Him, and the most wonderful meal.

The purpose of this post is to help you more clearly understand the importance of taking communion. Remember, it’s a faith event, for you are to be believing, to be remembering what Christ did for you in the past when He died on the cross. It’s a hope event, for you are to be looking ahead and thinking about what God has planned for you in the future, that you will be with Jesus during the kingdom age, and specifically that you will be with Him and all the believers at the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” the first of many meals with your Lord and Savior. And it’s also a holy event, for you are thinking about the most holy Christ and thanking Him for making you holy forever (Heb. 10:12-18). And again, it’s a love event, for thinking about what Christ did for you in the past and what He will do for you in the future will fill your heart with love for Him in the present, and the desire and strength to keep living for Him until He comes. “‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. God wants us to keep taking communion during our time on earth to help us keep loving Him and living for Him. Never forget this, for you don’t want to lose your first love for Him. Here are two more posts about your love for the Lord in these days: “The Rapture, A Love Story”, and “Loving the Lord and Longing to See Him.”

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.”

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