Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

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How to Defeat Death and Live Forever

April 19, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #114 ~

Death isn’t a popular subject. Who likes to think or talk about it? But it’s a reality that most people have to grapple with, and eventually face. I was 7 years old when my father died, and in the next 18 years, three grandparents and three uncles also passed away. Those were difficult times, both mentally and emotionally, having an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, and wondering where they had gone. When I was a freshman at college, God enabled me to see what life, and death, are all about. I realized that sin is the root problem and that death is the result. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4). I saw that death is physical in nature, but first and foremost, is spiritual in nature, in that people are spiritually cut off from God, and can’t experience and enjoy His life and love.

What is the answer to this problem of sin and death? God made it clear to me that either I pay for my own sins by being punished forever in hell, or that I believe His Son, Jesus Christ, died to pay for my sins, and then was raised from the dead. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).  I understood that Christ’s death and resurrection was the only answer, the only way I could get victory over my greatest problem, over sin and death. By God’s grace, I repented of my sins, and put my trust in Christ, believing that He died for me, that He personally paid the penalty for my all sins. Romans 5:8, Mark 1:15, Ephesians 2:8-9

Now if Jesus Christ hadn’t died, there’d be no forgiveness; and if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead, there’d be no hope for the future, no life after death. But Jesus did die and rise again from the dead, and that was the best news I had ever heard. I knew I was no longer guilty, but was forgiven and holy in the sight of God, for my problem of sin had been forever dealt with by Christ. My problem of death was also solved, for Christ, by rising from the dead, had defeated and obliterated death. Not only were my sins taken away, but I didn’t have to worry about dying and what came after it. Amazingly, I had been given eternal life, a personal and permanent relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. I had a brand new life on earth, I had hope for the future, and soon enough, I’d be in heaven with Jesus and all the other believers. God “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3-4

During my early years as a Christian, I knew I was forgiven and going to heaven. As time went on, I realized there was much more than just going to heaven after I died. God was increasing my hope, and I could say: I can’t wait to be with Jesus; I really want to be with loved ones who have already gone through death’s door and are in heaven; I’m excited about seeing Christ reign perfectly over this earth and reigning with Him; and now that I am older, and am feeling more aches and pains, I am looking forward to getting that brand new, perfect, immortal body! 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

But if the future is so good, and God loves us so much, then why are we still here? Philippians 1:21-27 tells us why. We are to live on earth for the Lord, which means we are not to live for ourselves, but for others. In particular, we are to reach out to those who aren’t saved. Think about the lost, about all those who live for sin, self and Satan, who love worldly things, who have no hope, and are without God in the world. Oh, they have food, a job, a home, a car, pets, games, sports, movies, video games, and a few friends. But they are in a sad and sorry state if this is all they are living for, if they have nothing more than this to look forward to. People and things may give a little happiness and satisfaction, but they do nothing to save a person’s soul, make him right with God, and enable him to escape death and get to heaven. “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). People need the Lord!

Might you see that the lost are harassed and helpless, distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Might you pray for them, love them, and share the good news with them. Tell them about Christ’s 1st coming, that He died to pay for people’s sins and rose again, defeating both sin and death. Encourage them to repent of their sins, to trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and a future in heaven. “Deliver those who are being taken away to death” (Proverbs 24:11). Tell them that only Jesus can give them real love, joy and peace, in this life and in the ages to come. Warn them, that if they don’t trust in Christ to pay for their sins, they themselves will have to pay for them by being punished forever in hell. “These will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:41, 45). Tell them it won’t be long before Christ’s 2nd coming, and if they don’t repent, they will miss the rapture of the church, and greatly suffer when God’s righteous wrath is being poured out upon this earth.

What a needed and wonderful message is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you don’t know the Lord, if you are not saved and on your way to heaven, then turn from your sin, and trust in Jesus to forgive you of your sins and give you eternal life. If you do know Jesus, then thank Him, love Him, live for Him, and look forward to seeing Him. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). I pray you do!

P.S. We are celebrating Easter this weekend, or as some say, Resurrection Sunday. Might we all thank the Lord for His incredible and eternal victory over sin and death. Two previous posts that also speak of this amazing victory we have through Christ are: The Resurrection and Rapture of the Church, and Christ’s Resurrection Means the Best is Yet to Come.

Your Great Hope and Most Glorious Future

April 12, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #113 ~

Think of your life on this earth as one single dot on a piece of paper, and the rest of your life as the distance from that one dot to the end of the universe. That’s a long, long way, impossible for your human mind to really comprehend. I use this analogy to help you visualize the never-ending length of your life, but more-so, the supreme and godly character of it. Your finite life on this earth is very small compared to the infinite and incredible future God has planned for you. As Christians, we often focus on our present life, and therefore are short-sighted, failing to rightly see the rest of our eternal life. What we need is Biblical hope, for it speaks about our amazing, magnificent, awesome, perfect, wonderful, spectacular and heavenly future. Romans 5:1-5, 8:29-30, 15:13

How do you get this hope? First, you need to read God’s word to know what this hope is. Second, you need to believe what His word says about this incredibly blessed future. That is, you need faith, for “faith is the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). Third, you need to be looking forward to your hope being fulfilled. Remember when you were a child and you were looking forward to Christmas, and you couldn’t wait for it to come. What we are talking about is better than a billion Christmases! How do you know that you have this godly hope in your heart? When you know, believe, and are looking forward to the glorious future God has in store for you! Hebrews 11:10-16

Titus 1:2 also talks about this, for it says, “in the hope of eternal life.” Your Christian life starts when you are saved, but the fact that it says “eternal” means it never stops, but goes on forever and ever. That it says “hope” means God wants you to be actively thinking about your eternal life, your life after this life. He wants you to be interested in, and excited about, this magnificent future He has designed for you. He wants you to be looking ahead to the best life you could ever imagine. Yes, God has perfect plans for your present life, but you need to live your life in light of eternity, in view of His perfect future for you. This Son-brilliant backdrop of your life on earth is an all glorious and most-blessed eternity. Having this perspective of your eternal life will undoubtedly and dramatically affect how you live your important, but short, life on this earth. Colossians 3:1-4

Let me give you a preview of this fantastic future God has for you, for you need to think about your life after you leave this earth, when you will not be cramped or hindered by your flesh. In the future, your life will always be for God the Father, with Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit. You will never sin, never mourn, never get tired, and never get sick. You will fully know the wonderful love of God, and you will always and perfectly love Him. You will always be experiencing His abundant joy, peace, goodness and strength. You will always and perfectly love every person, and continually be blessed by sweet, soul-satisfying fellowship. You will be most-encouraged by your time with Christian friends from earth, as well as time with all of God’s children, and angels too. Life will be full of purpose, pleasures, and more than anything else, praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It will be eternal life, for it will be eternal and it will be life; and it will be glorious, life like God always intended, for you and all His people. John 17:24

I have saved the best for last. 1 Timothy 1:1 speaks of “Christ Jesus, who is our hope.” Your life in the coming ages isn’t just about seeing people, going places and doing things. It will primarily be centered and focused on Jesus Christ. This verse says Christ is your hope, which means Christ is your life, in the future and forever. This is the most important reason why God wants you to be longing for your heavenly future. Yes, life is good now for “to live is Christ,” but “to die is gain” means life will be supremely better because you will be with Christ. Might you be hoping, might you be expecting to, soon and forever, be with Jesus, your Savior, Lord, King and Friend, the One who loves you more than anyone else in the world. I encourage you to be looking forward to that time when you will be with Jesus, and be with Him forever. “Eternal life is this, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

Let me conclude with a key command about hope: 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Why does God tell you to fix your hope on Christ’s return? Because:
* that is when all that you have hoped for will begin to be fulfilled;
* then your salvation will be complete, for you will be immortal and glorified, that is, fully saved;
* you will finally see Jesus (unless you physically die before the rapture);
* the church age will be over, and for the first time, all the saints will be with Jesus;
* “to die (or be raptured) is gain,” which means the next and better phase of your eternal life will begin;
* you will be given a special measure of grace, enabling you to be all that God wants you to be in heaven and on earth, and for all eternity.
* then “… I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

P.S. I am in the middle of a series of posts on hope, which is essential for your Christian life. I encourage you to read my article on hope, “You Have to Have Hope,” as well as the post I just put up last week, “You Need Hope to Get Through Life.”

You Need Hope to Get Through Life

April 5, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #112 ~

Every person has challenges, difficulties and pressures. Life is not easy. It can be hard, extremely hard, and at times, seem impossible! That’s why you need hope! A person can only keep going if he has hope. People who are sick look forward to getting better. People who are hungry are anticipating their next meal. People who work hard all week can’t wait for the weekend. To be honest, you can’t live without hope. But for you, as a Christian, I’m talking about godly hope; and God knows you need it, otherwise, you will become discouraged, lose heart, and want to give up and quit.

But what is hope? It’s a reason to live. It’s a present certainty about a future reality. It’s what you don’t have now but are convinced you will receive in the future. It’s the promise of the gospel that speaks about your life after this life. It is the confident expectation of God’s future love for you. It’s a present faith in God’s promises resulting in a sure realization of His future blessing upon your life. But more than anything else, it’s longing to be with Jesus, knowing that you will soon see Him in heaven.

My fear is that many Christians don’t have this godly hope in their heart. Focused on this present life, they are thinking about this world, but are not setting their hearts on things above. A believer cannot live rightly for God in the present if he is not longing for the future, for that time when Christ is revealed, and he will be with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4). You need hope, for it helps you to be holy, strengthens you during trials, and anchors your soul when you are in troubled waters (1 John 3:3, Psalm 62:5-6, Hebrews 6:10). To have hope, you need to meditate on God’s promises. Think about Psalm 23:6 (“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”), and God will give you hope.

All godly believers who have gone on before us have lived with hope in their hearts. They had an assurance, a “conviction of things not seen.” Abraham “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God… all these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance” (Hebrews 11:1, 10-13). But now that we live in the end-times, we are seeing prophesied signs being fulfilled, which means it won’t be long before the coming of Christ. More than any other generation, we ought to be “looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13

This Titus verse, as some wrongly think, does not imply there won’t be great tribulation before Christ’s coming. The Bible makes it clear that before Christ’s return and the rapture of the church, there will be birth pains, economic difficulties, food shortages, family members hating us, great persecution, and the Antichrist ruling the world. Some of the most difficult days for the church still lie ahead, which means that the way to heaven will be a rough road for many of us. I am not saying we are to be looking for the tough times, but we do need to hear and heed Christ’s warning: “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matthew 24:9

This is when “looking for the blessed hope…”, will not just be a nice idea, but a necessity. This is when hope will be essential, when we cannot, at least in a godly way, make it without it. When life gets real hard, we need to know that Christ is coming soon, and be “fixing our eyes on Jesus… who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God.” The greatest example of One who had hope is Jesus. “Consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). Are you abounding and overflowing with hope? Are you excited that you have a God-planned future, an amazing and perfect future in the ages to come? No matter what happens in the present, your future will be infinitely better. It’s well worth it to live and suffer for Christ on earth, for yours “is the kingdom of heaven… your reward in heaven is great.” Matthew 5:10, 12

What is this hope God wants you to be looking forward to? You will be with Jesus, your Lord, Savior and King (John 14:3). You will be in a heavenly home, a place prepared by Jesus just for you (John 14:2-3). You will receive an immortal, glorified, spiritual, powerful body, perfectly suited to love and serve God forever (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). You will be with all the saints, including loved ones who have passed away before you (1 Thessalonians 4:14). You will obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled (1 Peter 1:5). Finally, there will always be fullness of joy, along with eternal pleasures. Psalm 16:11

Godly hope is greatly encouraging and extremely motivating, and will energize you to keep persevering to the end of your short stay on this earth. Look forward to being with Jesus, and to the fulfillment and realization of all your hopes. “Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13

P.S. I encourage you to read this article, “You Have to Have Hope,” for it greatly expands on this important and needed subject.

A Sin-Wrecked World and the Coming of Christ

March 29, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

A Saturday Morning Post #111 ~

Our real problem, our #1 problem, is sin, and it severely sickens every single person in this world. Like a spiritual cancer, it is a global plague that is spiritually and physically deadly. The only answer is Jesus Christ, for He has dealt with it, and will deal with it, “one way” or the other, and that’s the good news, the best news there is. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Romans 6:23

When I think about the spiritual condition of our world, I think of Ephesians 4:17-19, which says unbelievers are “being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God… and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” Similarly, Psalm 82:4 says, “They do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are being shaken.” Since the sin of Adam and Eve, the world has continually been hating God and trampling on His truth. At this time, in the beginning years of the 21st century, it’s obvious that the majority of the people living on this planet are sinners who don’t love God, don’t know God and don’t understand His truth. Our spiritual foundations are crumbling around us, resulting in damaged and destroyed lives, morals, families, schools, cultures, businesses, governments, and yes, churches too.

For close to 50 years now, I’ve been watching our sinful world get worse and worse. I am spiritually sickened as I see this world flooded with sin. There’s love of self, love of money, and love of pleasure. There’s an increased lack of respect for those in authority, whether it’s parents, teachers, policemen, or government leaders. There’s a growing disregard for the young, the old, and the unborn. There’s a sharp increase in sexual sin, in unmarried people living together, and in divorce. All kinds of people are liars, in big ways and little ways. Personal and public speech is more crude, filthy, obscene and hateful. All over the world, there are lawbreakers, many who have no conscience, and many who receive no consequences. Much of our music, movies and video games is unholy. People say things are good when they are evil, and say things are evil when they are good. People do what is right in their own eyes, but not in the eyes of God. There’s crime, theft, corruption, murder and all kinds of devilish deeds. There are many people whose thinking is depraved, who are out of their minds, don’t make sense, and aren’t rational. The bottom line is that people don’t fear God, don’t love God, and therefore, reject His truth. Mark 7:20-21; John 8:31-47; Romans 1:18-32; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:1-5

And it’s going to get a lot worse. That’s what Matthew 24, the end-times prophecy chapter tells us: “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” God is saying that lawlessness will increase in the years leading up to Christ’s return. Paul substantiates this sad truth when he talks about the Antichrist, this “man of lawlessness… the son of destruction… the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). The unrestrained sinful flesh of man, along with Satan and his devilish Antichrist inciting them to sin against God, will result in this world becoming more lawless and corrupt the closer we get to the end of this age. Now that we live in the end-times, it’s clear that our sinful world is on an irreversible collision course with the Day of the Lord, the dreadful wrath of God. Nothing can stop God from carrying out His predetermined plan to judge sinful people and this sinful world. Psalm 98:9

It’s sobering and somewhat depressing talking about all this sin in the world, but always remember that God is sovereign (Daniel 4:35), God is merciful, and God is holy.
* God is merciful, for Jesus Christ, at His 1st coming, died to pay for the sins of people, and then rose again. If you aren’t saved, if you don’t know Christ, then now’s the time to repent of your sins, and ask God for mercy, for forgiveness, for eternal life. Then expect to be perfected, to be glorified at Christ’s 2nd coming, during the rapture. Hebrews 9:28
* God is holy, which is seen in 3 ways. 1) Individual sinners who reject Christ’s offer of mercy, will perish, will be cast into hell and punished forever. 2) Jesus Christ will defeat the Antichrist: “that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearing of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). 3) This sinful world will be judged by Christ after the end of this age, during the Day of the Lord, but not before He raptures the church, rescuing the Christians who live on this earth from the wrath He will pour out upon this wicked world. Revelation 8-9, 16

Let’s go back to Matthew 24, which instructs us how we are to live in the end-times.
* Verse 12 warns us, “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” It’s important for you to know that this world will spiritually and morally get worse and worse.
– Verse 13 says, “The one who endures to the end will get saved.” There will be increasing lawlessness, but Christians need to endure. Some will die and go to heaven, and others will persevere to the end of the age and be saved, that is, be raptured and go to heaven.
– Verse 14 tells us to preach the gospel “to all the nations, and then the end will come.” No matter how difficult it gets, remember to tell people about Christ and how they can be forgiven of their sins and escape God’s wrath. What a great privilege to be alive for Christ in these last years before His return to rapture the church. “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). “Go make disciples of all the nations… surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

P.S. The increasing sin of the world is such an important subject to understand. I encourage you to read two other posts related to this one: “It’s Going To Get Worse Before It Gets Better,” and “How Then Should We Live in the End-Times?”

The 21st Century: Your Time to Live

March 22, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #110 ~

You weren’t alive during the life of Noah, the life of Moses, the life of David, the life of Daniel, the life of Jesus, the life of Luther, the life of Edwards, or the life of Spurgeon. You weren’t born 5,000 years ago, 3,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago, 1,000 years ago, or even 100 years ago. What I’m saying is relevant to you, for realizing when you weren’t alive magnifies the fact that this is the time God wants you to be alive. I say this to point out the plain and simple truth that now, in the 21st century, is your time to live on this earth.

It’s not by chance that you are alive at this time in history, for God Himself planned out your life way ahead of time. Psalm 139:13-17 says, “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me.” Not only did God create you exactly the way He wanted, but He also planned out when you would live, and how long you would live (Acts 17:26). Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That God planned out your life long before this world was ever made should raise this question in your mind: “Why does God want me to be living on this earth at this time?” That God determined the details of your life way back in eternity past should not just intrigue you, but motivate you to want to know why you are alive at this time in history. As for myself, I can’t tell you how excited I am, for I know this is my time to be living on this earth so I can do what God wants me to do.

The era we live in is called the “present evil age” (Galatians 1:4), an age that began with the sin of Adam and Eve, and will end with the signs in the heavens and Christ’s 2nd coming. But now we’re living during the last part of this “present evil age,” what is called the church age, the time between Christ’s 1st and 2nd comings. More than that, we are now living during the end-times, the last part of this church age, the last years leading up to Christ’s return. It’s like the final minute of a basketball game or soccer match.

I hope you realize this present age is almost over, and that Christ is coming soon! But how do we know that we are living during the last years of this present age, and that Christ is coming soon? The main reason is because the Jewish people are back in their land. In 1880, there were about 25,000 Jews in Palestine, but since then, year after year, both sporadically and in waves, they have been gathering back to their homeland, returning by the power and will of God. At present, there are 6.6 million Jews living in what’s once again called Israel. God promised over 2,500 years ago that the Jewish people would return to their land, and now it is true, an amazing miracle, the strongest evidence that we are living in the end-times. Ezekiel 36-37, Daniel 12:9, Luke 21:24

Now that we are living in the end-times, God wants us to know what will be taking place. Remember what Jesus said about these years, “Behold, I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:23). What a blessing that Bible prophecy is no longer sealed and concealed (Daniel 12:4), and that we can understand it. Not only can we understand it, but more and more, we’ll be seeing it come to pass in the years ahead. I must say, I’m really driven to find out what God wants us to know about our future. And it’s all in His word: Matthew 24, Luke 21, 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-2, Revelation

Where are we now? We know that Daniel’s 70th week, that prophecy-packed, 7-year time frame, hasn’t started yet (Daniel 9:24-27). Before it does, there will be a further aligning of nations, an increasing desire for globalism, growing antisemitism, a continued push for peace in the Mideast, birth pains (wars, famines, and earthquakes occurring around the world), and the development of super-sophisticated technology enabling the Antichrist to control the world. All these events are part of God’s plans, propelling us to the end of the age, the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, the salvation of a remnant of Jews, and the establishment of His kingdom over this world.

At this time, March of 2019, you need to step back and see the big picture, that God has chosen you to be alive at this time in history, in the last years of this church age, an age that is soon coming to an end. Knowing this should motivate you to live all out for God, be informed about world events, use your gifts and talents to be working for Christ, and be joined with the church in carrying out God’s plans for planet earth. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20

P.S. Here are two other past posts I would encourage you to read that will help you have the right perspective for your one life on this earth – God’s Time Frame For Your Life and Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?

For Pastors and Preachers in the End-Times

March 15, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #109 ~

Forty years ago, this month, I was recognized as a pastor. Looking back, I have to say that it has been by God’s grace and sovereign will that I have been able to serve Him all these years. What a privilege and blessing it has been to be a pastor and do the work of the Lord. Now in 2019, knowing we are living in the end-times, I look ahead to these last years before Christ’s return and the rapture of the church. And at this time in history, I believe it’s necessary to summarize God’s plans for the lives of pastors and preachers.

Jesus is to be our first love. We are to regularly be seeking Him, and be daily satisfied, strengthened and led by Him. We are to be filled with God’s Word and Spirit, resulting in faith, wisdom and courage. We are not to be worldly, but holy and zealous for His purposes and glory. We are to be working and fighting hard for God, for truth, humility and justice. Might we not be weak, but strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, so we can stand firm against the evil schemes of the devil. Being a pastor means possessing godly character, and having godly conduct. It’s who we are, and what we do.

But what is our job description, what are we to do? We are to be fully committed to God and His work. We are not hired men, 9 to 5 workers, but are slaves of God, and are to be laboring 24/7 for Him. We are to pray to God for people, for only He can truly change individual lives, as well as entire churches. We are to be examples in speech, conduct, faith, love and purity. Otherwise, we are hypocrites, and discredit God’s name and undermine His work in the church. We are not to be selfish, but are to genuinely shepherd the saints, loving them, encouraging them, tending to their spiritual needs, and protecting them from spiritual danger, from lies, errors and enemies.

One of our primary duties is to preach the gospel, to tell the lost the truth about Christ’s first coming, His sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection from the dead. We are to tell the unsaved that forgiveness of sins and eternal life are for all those who repent of their sins and believe that Christ died for them, paying the penalty for all their sins. We must also remember that we are in the greatest war of all time, a spiritual war against the devil himself. But by taking up the full armor of God, we and our churches can resist the enemy in these increasingly anti-Christian days leading up to Christ’s coming.

What else are we to do? It is imperative that we study and preach God’s word, so the saints can understand it, be nourished by it and apply it to their lives. We are to clearly and passionately teach the truth about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, man, salvation and the church. We are to teach the saints that they are children of God and new creatures in Christ. We are to encourage them to live for God, to be holy, loving, and truth-filled, witnessing to both the saved and the lost. We are to teach them to be devoted to the saints, and to use their gifts for the good of the church and the glory of God. But might we never preach weak, worldly, feel-good, ear-tickling messages. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 is my most motivating preaching verse – “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word.” Do you see how relevant this is? We are to preach the word in the context of Christ’s coming, the judgment of the world, and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. Our preaching needs to relate to the return of Christ. It must be forward-looking and hope-filled, motivating us to live godly lives during this church age, and especially now that we are living in the end-times.

This subject of eschatology, of unfulfilled prophecy, is not founded on a few verses, like baptism (which is a correct doctrine), but is based on hundreds of verses from both Old and New Testaments. Don’t be negligent, ignorant, or confused, for we are commanded to teach the whole purpose and plan of God, which includes Christ’s coming and the future kingdom ages. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of God.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Teach Daniel, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13, 1 Thessalonians 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-2, 2 Peter 3, Revelation, along with many other prophecy passages. Tell the saints what we will be facing in the years to come. Be honest with them about the birth pains, the coming of the Antichrist and great tribulation. Tell them about Daniel’s 70th week, God’s plans for the Jews, the church, and Christ’s coming. Instruct them to be godly saints and good soldiers, to be sacrificing their lives for Jesus, and to be making disciples to the end of this age. Make sure you tell them about their hope, about being glorified, being with Jesus, being with fellow saints, being rewarded, and reigning over the world with Him. 

Men of God, I hope you see “that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Romans 13:11-12). Be excited about the fact that this is our time to live, at the end of this church age, in these years leading up to Christ’s return to earth. Then everything will change, and Christ will be the perfect King and Lord over the entire earth. But for now, be awake, be alert, do your job in leading, building and protecting the saints, especially in light of the grand and glorious coming of Christ!

Fellow pastors and preachers, we have an important job to do! Let me say it this way: Ezekiel 3:17 – “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman.”  1 Chronicles 12:32 – “… men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” Daniel 11:32-33, 12:4 – “The people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many… and shine like the brightness of the heavens.” Luke 3:4 – “Prepare the way for the Lord.”

P.S. – Here are two articles that I believe will be very helpful to you pastors in learning more about eschatological prophecy: Over 100 New Testament Verses on Christ’s Second Coming and Charting the Future With Prophecy Charts.

The Christ-Like Character God Wants You to Have

March 8, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #108 ~

God the Father looks down on this world and, in particular, sees His church, His chosen ones, His children. He is focused on us for He loves us, and because He is training us so we can be useful to Him by doing His work on earth. Do you realize that He has been building your character, and will continue to do so until that time when He takes you home to heaven, and glorifies you? As Paul said, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it on the day of Christ.” Philippians 1:6

As Christians, we often forget that God is working in our lives, that He is using our relationships, jobs and trials, to help us be godly and more like Jesus. We often don’t see that God, by His Spirit, word and grace, is helping us to grow up. We have all gone to earthly schools for academic reasons. But now we are in a heavenly school for spiritual reasons, and God is our teacher, helping us to grow in truth and character.

That God develops character in the lives of believers is a major theme in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation we read about His perfect working in imperfect people. The Old Testament is filled with stories about God wisely and wonderfully building the lives of believers. There is Abraham with faith, Moses with humility, David with love, Jeremiah with perseverance, Esther with courage, etc. In the New Testament, we read about Christ patiently discipling His men. Then there are the epistles, filled with instructions about how we are to become godly children by growing in godly character. Might you “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for
His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

What is this character? Suffice to say, in this short blog post, I can only summarize this Christ-like character that God desires for each of His children.
* There is humility, seeing God as our awesome and loving Lord and ourselves as His children, His servants, and worshiping, trusting, and obeying Him. James 4:10
* There is holiness, seeing God as perfectly holy and pure, and then being holy, hating evil, and wholeheartedly doing what is good, right and true. 1 Peter 1:14-16
* There is love for God, where we see Him as our first and true love, and are loving Him, adoring Him, committed to Him, and giving our lives entirely to Him. Mark 12:30
* There is love for people, which results from knowing God’s love for us, and is seen as we are humble, kind, forgiving, gentle, compassionate and loyal. Colossians 3:12-14
* There is truthfulness, living a life in line with God’s truth, having integrity, being honest with others in words and actions, and just doing what’s right. 1 Timothy 1:5
* There is rejoicing, not being sad or down, but having a grateful and glad-hearted spirit, resulting from knowing that you are greatly loved by a sovereign God. Philippians 4:4
* There is faith, a sincere reliance and dependence, not on yourself or others, but on God Himself, for life, strength, joy, purpose, wisdom, and the future. Proverbs 3:5-6
* There is forgiveness, not holding a person’s sin against him, but letting it go and not remembering it, being able to be forgiving and kind to him. Genesis 41:50-52
* There is perseverance, seen in a life that doesn’t give up and quit, that is determined, that continues on for God, in spite of trials, troubles and sinful people. Acts 14:19-22
* There is wisdom, a heart that is not naïve or foolish, but understands God’s word and applies it to life, making good decisions, and knowing what to say and do. Proverbs 1:1-7
* There is zeal, a fervent, wholehearted love for God, people and His work, a life energized by the Spirit, a life excited and driven to live all out for Him. Romans 12:11
* There is faithfulness, the year after year continued devotion to God’s work, seen in that you keep trusting God and keep doing all He has planned for you. Jeremiah 25:3
* There is diligence, not procrastinating, being lazy or distracted, but continually using your time to work hard so you can fully carry out the work of Christ. Ephesians 5:15-17
* There is hope, a looking forward to the future, a confident expectation of the perfect plans God has for you, in heaven, and in the kingdom ages to come. Romans 15:13

I cannot stress enough the importance of having godly character, for this is what God wants for you, and is building into your life. “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). Might you want to be like Christ, and possess His godly character. Might you be a beautiful shining light to those who live in this very dark world. Stand out and speak up for God, and let the world know that you are His child, and that you are heading to heaven; and hold out to them the good news of forgiveness in Christ.

I cannot overstate how difficult life will be for the Christian in the years leading up to Christ’s return and the rapture of the church. Having godly character is essential if you are to be a good soldier, one of God’s special forces, one who is courageously fighting for Him. You need to be in excellent shape, “at the top of your game,” trained and ready to carry out God’s assignments, united with the church in making disciples, until the very end of this age. “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness… since it holds promise for the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

P.S. Here are two other articles about the character of the Christian: Being Thankful – The Character of a Christian, and Your Spiritual Service: A Member of the Special Forces.

Christ and the Church in the End-Times

March 1, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #107 ~

She is more powerful than any country, more important than any government, and more prestigious than any person or company. I am talking about the church, the body of Christ, the assembly of saints, the called-out ones, those who have repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ. In the past, my focus in these posts has been on prophecy and the individual Christian. But as you know, you are not to be a loner, off on your own – your life must be seen in light of the church. As much as anything else, what defines your role in life and your effectiveness as a Christian is your relationship with the church. From Christ’s 1st coming to His 2nd coming, the church is God’s primary focus, His chief interest on this earth. Here are some things you need to know about the church:

Jesus Christ deeply loves the church, for she is His first love, His beautiful and eternal bride. He came down to this earth for her, and died for her, purchasing her with His own blood. More than you know, Jesus loves and cares for His church. He thinks about her all the time, continually intercedes for her, and cannot wait for that day when He will return to earth to take her home to heaven. “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 4:17

Jesus Christ is building His church. Christ is the head, the leader of the church, and He is the One who is building her and causing her to grow. “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Through God’s word and God’s Spirit, Jesus Christ has been lovingly, faithfully, and wisely building the church. Sinners are being saved by Christ, and are being transformed from glory to glory. For the past 2000 years, He has been directing, teaching, encouraging, strengthening, and protecting the church, resulting in her growth, spiritually and numerically. But Christ’s church-building plan won’t keep going on forever, for once that last soul is saved at the end of this age, then the church will be complete, glorified, and gathered up to be with Him. Matthew 24:31

God has chosen and predestined those who are members of the church. “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy…” (Ephesians 1:4). It’s a promise from God that those whom He has chosen will be justified and glorified. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, will finish what they started, and no devil, demon or person, will ever stop Them from fully carrying out Their plan to save the elect and bring them to heaven. Even though the church is fighting in the fiercest and most dangerous of all wars, we know that Christ will completely crush all her enemies, thereby gaining a decisive, glorious and everlasting victory for His precious and beloved bride.

The overall purpose of the church is to “make disciples of all the nations… even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20), to be Christ’s witnesses“to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), to preach the “gospel of the kingdom” to the whole world (Matthew 24:14), to proclaim “repentance for forgiveness of sins” to all the nations (Luke 24:47), and to be “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Might you be committed to and involved in a church that has these as her purposes.  

As a Christian, you are a member of the church, a key part of the body of Christ.“God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” (1 Corinthians 12:18). If indeed you are saved, then be very thankful that you are joined to Christ and are a part of the church. You can be a member of many different groups or organizations, but being a member of the church is what’s most important in life, for this has eternal value. As you love, trust and obey God, and are in a good local church, you will be able to use the spiritual gift(s) He has given you to do the special work He has planned out for you. Not only that, but much of the love, joy, peace, wisdom and grace God wants to give you will be experienced as you fellowship with the church.

Do not neglect the church, but love her and be committed to her. You need to be involved in a good church, a loving, purposeful, and Christ-centered church. Be serving Christ by doing your part in the church, which is how you will be useful to God and be able to make a lasting difference in the lives of people (2 Timothy 2:21). Now that we live in the end-times, it’s essential that you learn from God’s word what will be taking place in our world, the birth pains, great tribulation, the coming of the Antichrist, the coming of Christ, etc. The church will soon enter the most difficult phase of her history, and you want to be working with Christ in helping her to be holy, healthy and victorious. “Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace forevermore; till with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.” The Church’s One Foundation

It’s paramount that you see the purpose of the church, the importance of the church, and your part in the church, especially as we are getting closer to Christ’s coming. In these years leading up to Christ’s return, might you be excited about what God is and will be doing in and through the church, the body of Christ, the army of God, this family of believers, this fellowship of Christians. Be joined with Him and with other believers in building up the church. 1 Corinthians 15:58

God is in Charge of Everything

February 22, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #106 ~

Do you believe God is sovereign, that He does what He wants, when He wants, where He wants, and how He wants, and no one can thwart His plans? I pray you do. This is a critically important truth, for God is God, and He is in charge of all things. Nothing happens that God does not expressly command or permit. Not only does God know what is going to take place, but He orders it or allows it to take place. God is never surprised. There are no accidents. Nothing happens by chance. With perfect knowledge, power, love and wisdom, God directs and oversees everything, in accordance with His eternal purposes, and for His eternal glory. “He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’” Daniel 4:35

The sovereignty of God relates directly to your own life. He planned your birth and He caused it to happen. He knows the day you will die (or be raptured) and He will bring it about. “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). He planned when you would live and where you would live. “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and boundaries” (Acts 17:26). “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God’s sovereignty is a strategic, comprehensive and powerful truth, one that will humble, comfort and encourage you, and bring great glory to God.

What about the world? Yes, God is sovereign over the entire world – every country, city, nation, person, relationship, animal, event and atom. “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?” (Lamentations 3:37-38). God is sovereign over rulers (Isaiah 40:23), over Israel (Psalm 33:10-12), over the church (Matthew 16:18), over your job (James 4:13-15), and over the devil (Job 1:6-12). God is always sovereign, “declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure… truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.’” Isaiah 46:10-11

God’s sovereignty also has a direct bearing on Bible prophecy being fulfilled. Think of the prophecies about Christ’s first coming, and how they all were perfectly carried out: that Jesus was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), where He was born (Micah 5:2), that He rode on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), how Jesus died (Psalm 22), and so forth. The fact that all Bible prophecy comes true is one of the clearest and strongest proofs that God is sovereign.

What about Christ’s 2nd coming? Of course, God is sovereign, for He will do what He has decided to do. Every day, from now until Christ’s return, has been carefully planned out by God. We now live in the end-times, and God is directing all things and all people to that point when Christ will return and rapture the church. As the days and years go by, we will literally see His prophetic word being carried out. All of His plans related to Israel, the nations, the true church, false religion, birth pains, the Jewish temple, the Antichrist, the preaching of the gospel, great tribulation, Christ’s 2nd coming, and Satan’s defeat, will be fully carried out. Might you be assured and encouraged by the faithful, powerful, wise, and glorious working of God, resulting in Christ’s return as King.

You may wonder what will happen in your own life, and to your family and church. You may worry about whether you will live or die, whether you will be martyred or raptured. You need to trust God and be at peace, for God is sovereign, and “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This “good” is that your salvation will be completed, that you will be glorified, that you will be “conformed to the image of His Son.” Romans 8:28-29

The fact that God is sovereign doesn’t mean you are to sit around and do nothing, that you are to just wait and see. You are to work and wait and see. You are responsible for your words and actions, all the time knowing that God is sovereign, that “man plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps” (Proverbs 16:9), that “the steps of man are ordained by the Lord” (Proverbs 20:24). “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). “Go, make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20), knowing that Christ will build His church.

Finally, it’s all about Jesus Christ. Love Jesus, live for Jesus, and look forward to seeing Him come in the clouds. Remember, “we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory… with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of times, that is, the summing up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.” Ephesians 1:9-12

P.S. If you have not looked at and read the Key Terms, listed on one of the tabs, I would encourage you to do so. Knowing the definitions of key prophecy terms, and related subjects, is essential in understanding prophecy. One area that is related to this subject of God’s sovereignty, that is found in the Key Terms, is the “Purposes of God.”

I Can See the Future

February 15, 2019 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Special Post ~

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end
time” (Daniel 12:4,9). Seeing that the Jewish people are back in their land is God’s clear signal to us that His end-time plans are being carried out. Therefore, I believe these prophetic words of Daniel, as well as all end-time prophecies, are no longer sealed and concealed. This means Christians are to study them, and can now understand them, and now need to understand them. What a privilege and blessing to be alive at this moment in history!

I am taking a break from writing a post this week, but plan to start again next week with one that is entitled, “God Is In Charge of Everything.” In the meantime, here are a few thoughts I want to pass on to you:

1. I will continue to write weekly posts on prophecy related subjects, but am planning to focus more on specific passages and chapters, such as Daniel 7, Daniel 9:24-27, Daniel 12, Mark 13, Luke 17:22-37, Luke 21:7-36, Acts 3:17-21, Romans 11, Romans 15:4-13, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Revelation 2-3, Revelation 11, Revelation 13, Revelation 17, Revelation 18.

2. Zion’s Hope has one of the best prophecy websites in the world, with many good articles to read, and instructive videos to watch. I really encourage you to check it out – www.ZionsHope.org

3. Many people put off learning about the end-times and the coming of Christ, thinking that not much is happening now, and so why study the subject. But don’t procrastinate, and think you will learn later, for now is the time, in the calm before the storm, to learn what God wants you to know about the future He has for us and for the entire world.

4. You can download the English posts. I would suggest that you put them in a file so you can easily retrieve them, and then print them out, for yourself and others. You never know when sites like this will be shut down by the authorities.

5. Remember to tell others about Christ’s first coming, His coming as Savior, and about Christ’s second coming, His coming as Judge and King. Here is God’s instruction to you, along with a promise from Him: “Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many… Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to
righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 11:33, 12:3

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