Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

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When the Foundations are Destroyed…

December 13, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #347 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The State of the “United” States – Part 4

November 29, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #346 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The State of the “United” States – Part 3

November 15, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #345 ~

The “times of the Gentiles” is coming to an end, and then the time of the Jews will begin. (Luke 21:24, Rom. 11:25-27). Therefore, the United States will no longer be a global superpower. This relates to the end of this age and Christ’s return to carry out His purposes. Let me explain:

God has always worked through nations. All people are descended from “Shem, Ham, and Japeth,” and Gen. 10 speaks of them as the ancestors of those who had a language and a land, and formed nations. Gen. 12:1-3 promises that from Abram would come a great nation, what we know as Israel. And most of the Old Testament is focused on Israel, that they are God’s people, and are to share His word and show to the world His righteousness, power, and glory.

For much of Israel’s existence, she rebelled against God. The reigns of David and Solomon were exceptions, along with those of a few good rulers – but for the most part, Israel was ungodly. A key theme of the prophets is that God punished her and other evil nations for their sins against Him. The prophets, Isaiah to Malachi, go into great detail about Israel’s sins and how God justly dealt with her. “Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity… they have abandoned the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel” (Is. 1:4). “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me… and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jer. 1:16, Ez. 16:1-52, Hos. 1:1-13, Obad. 2-9, Mic. 1:2-7, Zeph. 1

The prophets, along with the Psalms, speak of God’s justice and His love. They predicted Christ’s 1st coming, that He would be both God and man, and by dying to pay for our sins and then rising again, He was able to deliver us from sin and death. The gospels, Christ’s biography, talk of His life and ministry on earth, and that He would build the church through God’s children, through Christians. Ps. 22:1-18, 69:21; Is. 7:14, 9:6-7, 53:3-12; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 16:18

Israel, as a nation, rejected Christ, and so God chose the church to be His instrument by which He would speak His truth, display His righteousness, and “make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19-20). In 70 AD and in the years following, the Jews, because of their evil, were “led captive into all the nations”, and Jerusalem was “trampled underfoot by the Gentiles.” Lk. 21:24a

After being exiled from their country, the Jews were greatly persecuted. This did not mean God had abandoned them, that His plans for them had been revoked, been rescinded, but only that Israel had been set aside for a while. Instead, God would focus on the church and on the Gentiles (Rom. 11). And as Luke 21:24b informs us, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

So now we are in the church age, and the New Testament speaks extensively of how Christians are to be godly disciples, have faith, hope, and love, and be witnesses and workers for Christ. They also predict Christ’s 2nd coming, that at the end of this age, He will return to rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and set up His kingdom on earth. Matt. 28:19-20, 24:27-31; Rom. 11:25-27; 1 Thess. 4:14-18, 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:16; Rev. 7-9, 16; Rev. 20

I spoke of the fact that the Jews were exiled from their homeland, and the phrase, the end-times, refers to when they are back in their land. It was in the late 1800’s, according to God’s promises and plans, that the Jews miraculously began returning to their land, and in 1948 Israel once again became a nation. Daniel 12:4, 9, Is. 11:11, Jer. 31:10, Ez. 36:24, Zech. 8:7-8

The gospels and epistles give several side-by-side passages of the Jews and the church. That’s because in the end-times, God is working with both groups, preparing them and using them for His purposes in advance of Christ’s 2nd coming. We will be seeing the fulfillment of many prophecies about the Jews and the church in the end-times, signaling Christ’s soon return to earth. Matt. 24:9-14, 15-27; Lk. 21:12-19, 20-24; Rev. 7:4-8, 9-14; Rev. 12:13-16, 17

What about the United States? What are God’s plans for her? God sovereignly raised her up about 250 years ago, and it was for His purposes. Growing from 13 colonies to 50 states, she has had incredible success – educationally, economically, militarily, technologically, politically, and culturally. Without question, she has been a global superpower, the most prosperous and influential nation on earth these past 80 years. Most importantly, she has had an amazing spiritual effect on this world. Whether it’s with missionaries, materials, or money, the United States has greatly and wonderfully impacted this planet, much more than any other nation.

Yet, the United States is now terribly sick, and it’s because of all her sin. She has stage-4 spiritual cancer and it has affected every part of our country and every aspect of our society – churches, marriages, families, schools, media, government, businesses, and culture – and this cancer is too far advanced to be cured. God’s justice demands that her wickedness be punished. Rom. 1:18-28 outlines this downward spiritual spiral, this progression of perversion, telling us that God delivers unrighteous, unrepenting nations over to impurity, immorality, homosexuality, and depravity, which is what we have been seeing these past 60 years. Consequently, there won’t be a nation-wide revival, and this country won’t be experiencing a long-lasting golden age.

The decline and downfall of the United States is happening not just because of her sin but also because God’s end-time plans must be carried out. Here’s what we learn from God’s word:
1. The Antichrist will come and his kingdom will rule the world, and this means no other nation will be a superpower at that time, including the United States. So this country will soon lose her #1 standing in the world. We don’t know if another superpower or two will rise up before the Antichrist becomes dictator of the world. But there will be a time when we say, “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nations was given to him (the Antichrist). All who dwell on the earth will worship him.” Rev. 13:7-8, Dan. 7:23

2. God prophesied that He will defeat all Gentile nations, including the Antichrist’s kingdom. This hasn’t happened yet, but it won’t be long before it does. “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Dan. 2:44-45, 7:26-27; Psalm 9:4-5; Luke 21:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-9; Rev. 19:11-21

3. God prophesied that He will save a remnant of Jews, and these people, with Christ leading the way, will be a God-blessed nation, a physical and spiritual nation, the most powerful and influential nation in the world. “Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation” (Is. 45:17). “The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations… Blessed is the nation (Israel) whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:10-12). “The Lord will rise upon you (Israel) and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Is. 60:2-3

4. God told us that Christ will reign over the nation of Israel for 1,000 years. It’s not the United States or any other Gentile nation, but a Jewish nation that God will supremely bless which will rule with Him and lead the world in worshiping and serving Him. “They will be priests of God and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6; Ps. 18:49-50, 102:18-22, 147:1-2

God told us that all Gentile nations will be defeated, and this includes the United States. Now that we are in the end times, God’s final plans for this world are being fulfilled and, therefore, Christ will be coming soon. The “times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24, Rom. 11:25-26) will end, and the times of the Jews will begin. And Jewish and Gentile believers will worship the Lord together. “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people… Let all the peoples praise Him.” Rom. 15:10-11

“Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing… He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs… as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (Ps. 2:1-6). “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15). “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth…” Ps. 47:6-8, 145:9-11; Is. 60-62; 1 Cor. 15:20-28;Rev. 21-22:5

P.S. You can only understand God’s work with the United States if you understand God’s past, present, and future work with Israel. Here are some posts about that subject – “A Short Summary of God’s Working with the Jews”, “Why the Jews Are Important for You and the Church.” Here’s another post about the future of the United States – “The Downfall of the United States Before the Return of Christ.”

The State of the “United” States – Part 2

November 1, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post # 344 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The State of the “United” States – Part 1

October 18, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #343 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preach the Word in View of Christ’s Appearing and Kingdom

October 4, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #342 ~

Three of the last four posts have focused on preaching the gospel of the kingdom (338, 339, 341). Jesus Christ is coming back soon to establish His kingdom on earth, and we know that because we live in the end-times. Therefore, these three lessons about God’s kingdom are critically important. That’s why eschatology, the study of last things, is a major doctrine at this time in history. Christ’s coming and kingdom comprise a comprehensive truth about the future that must be fully and clearly taught so that it’s fixed in the hearts of all believers.

A church’s teaching must focus on Christ’s death and resurrection, our spiritual growth, and the church age, but should also include truths about being glorified and reigning with Christ in the kingdom ages. We need to know about God’s love, holiness, sovereignty, justification, sanctification, but we also need hope, and therefore must preach and promote doctrines describing our glorious future with Christ and all the saints in heaven and on earth. 

The book of Acts emphasizes the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God, signifying that it’s a primary purpose of the church. Acts 1 starts off by summarizing Jesus’ teaching during His last 40 forty days on earth. He was “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (vs. 3), which would have been both the spiritual kingdom (the church), and the physical kingdom. It’s vital that we know this, and imitate Jesus by doing the same.

Jesus taught His disciples about the entire kingdom of God. He wanted them and us to understand the whole of our Christian life in the context of God’s kingdom, and to then tell people this good news of His death and resurrection, the church age, and the kingdom ages. To live rightly for God, we must have an eternal perspective, God’s great, grand, glorious plan of an eternal life with His Son.

In Acts 3:21, Peter tells us that Christ will return to bring about the “period of restoration of all things”, which speaks of the millennial kingdom. Acts 8:12 says that Philip was “preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” In Acts 14:22, Paul instructs his disciples, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Paul is talking about suffering for God during this life, and then entering His heavenly and physical kingdom.

In Acts 15:13-18, James quotes from Amos 9:11 to let us know that Gentiles will also be part of God’s coming kingdom. “I will return… I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, all the Gentiles who are called by My name.” Acts 19:9 states that Paul was “speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God”. Surely, he was speaking about God’s kingdom from a present and eternal perspective. He told them the good news about the present and future reign of Christ in our lives, and His future reign over this world.

Paul is talking to the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:17-38), and what he taught them is for all elders to understand, model, and teach. He wanted them to know that he had declared to believers everything that “was profitable”, that He “went about preaching the kingdom”, and that he taught them “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:20, 25, 27). Equating these three phrases makes it quite clear that God wants us to know and preach the totality of our eternal life, from being justified to being sanctified to being glorified to reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom.

The last chapter of Acts says, “Paul… was… solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus… He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:23, 31). In this conclusion to Acts, this accurate church history, Paul was teaching people about Jesus and His kingdom. I hope you are realizing that God wants His people to always be occupied with the big picture, the person of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. As in the first verses of Acts (Acts 1:3-11), so too in the final verses of Acts, the focus is on Jesus Christ and God’s kingdom.

What does Paul tell Timothy in his last letter? “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word…” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). The “appearing” refers to Christ’s coming, that point in time when we are glorified and our 3-part salvation is complete. The “kingdom” refers to the visible, kingdom age when we are with Christ and are reigning with Christ (Lk. 21:28, 31). To all believers, Christ’s appearing and kingdom must be in view, must always be on their hearts.

A believer must not be spiritually static, stagnant, or stuck in the present, or think that he is. He must see the present in light of the future, must have the whole of his eternal life in mind. He must know that he was justified and is being sanctified and will be glorified, and then will enter the kingdom – and he should be longing for it. He must know that what God is doing in his life, in the church, and in the world, is in light of an incredibly amazing future. He must know that he is on a journey, that God is leading and directing him and all believers to the end of this age, to Christ’s coming, and to be glorified, and to the kingdom ages, to when Christ is supremely glorified and we are reigning with Him. Ps. 72:19, Hab. 2:14

A pastor must not forget the hope that he and all believers have. that we will soon and forever be with Jesus Christ. A pastor must remember his primary purpose, to preach God’s word in view of Christ’s appearing and kingdom, whether his teaching is Spirit planned, Spirit prompted, a sentence or two, an entire message, a series of messages, or whether it’s a song, closing verse, benediction, or in a private conversation, etc. To rightly do this, a pastor must diligently study the end-times, Christ’s coming, the Jewish people, the kingdom ages, Isaiah, Daniel, Matt. 24, Luke 21, 1 Th. 4-5, 2 Th. 1-2, Revelation, etc. Then what is in his heart will come out of his mouth – he will declare the whole counsel of God, he will preach God’s word in view of Christ’s appearing and kingdom.

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

P.S. It’s extremely encouraging and motivating knowing that we belong to the greatest royal family of all time, and that we are children of the King. Here are two more posts on the kingdom: “They Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done”, and “Christ’s Kingdom is Coming.”

Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, The Whole Counsel of God

September 20, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #341 ~

View of Jerusalem

The gospel message is a kingdom message and you can’t separate the two. Understanding the gospel is understanding the truth of an eternal life and the truth of an everlasting kingdom. Look at how God says it in Rev. 1:5-7 – “To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood – and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds…”

The gospel message describes the entirety of your Christian life, from the moment you are saved and enter His kingdom (John 3:5) through all eternity, from this church age, this spiritual kingdom, to the kingdom ages (Rev. 20-22). And this is how Jesus taught. “Jesus was… teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). We previously saw from the book of Acts that Paul and others taught the same way. In this post we will continue to learn about the gospel of the kingdom, a relevant and essential subject.

Jesus was with His disciples, and “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). That’s quite the statement, that the summary of Jesus’ teaching during those 40 days was the kingdom of God. And it wasn’t just the spiritual kingdom, the church, it was more than that. The text goes on to say that Jesus’ disciples, who knew God’s promises to Israel about a physical kingdom, ask Jesus if He was “restoring the kingdom to Israel” at that time. (Acts 1:6). It’s obvious that the disciples really wanted Jesus to restore the kingdom to Israel.

If there was to be no kingdom, if God’s promises to the Jews were canceled, then this would have been the perfect time for Jesus to say so. But He doesn’t do that! Jesus’ answer is that they didn’t need to know when it was going to happen, followed by His instruction to focus on being His witnesses to the world (Acts 1:8), on building the spiritual kingdom of God. Matt. 16:18

During those 40 days, Jesus’ purpose was to help His disciples understand the gospel of the kingdom, to teach them about the entirety of the kingdom age, from the spiritual kingdom to the physical kingdom. God further assures them of its reality in the future by sending two angels to tell them that His Son would be coming back (Acts 1:11-12). And it is at that time that Jesus raptures the church, judges the world, and begins His 1000-year kingdom. Rev. 11:15, Rev. 20

What else do we learn in Acts and other passages about the kingdom of God?
* Acts 8:12 – “… when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…” Philip was one of the apostles who heard Jesus talking about the kingdom of God, and was now himself preaching this gospel. He was sharing the truth about Christ, sin, salvation, and the church, the spiritual kingdom (Rom. 14:17). And he surely told them about Christ returning to set up His physical kingdom on earth.

* Acts 19:8 – “He entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.” The truth of God’s kingdom was on Paul’s heart and lips. For three months, he communicated this comprehensive, big-picture message. He was powerfully proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in the synagogue, reasoning with the Jews about the good news concerning the present and future reign of Christ in our lives, and His future reign over this world. After that, and for two more years, Paul focused on His disciples, continuing to teach them the transforming truth of God’s kingdom.

* Acts 20:24-25 – “… that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom…” Paul preached the gospel of God’s grace and he was “preaching the kingdom.” He taught people the necessity of God’s grace during this church age and the kingdom ages. God’s grace is His power, and is what we need if we are to be active and fruitful members of His holy, eternal, God-glorifying kingdom.

* Acts 28:23 – “Paul… was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus.” Acts 28:31 – “He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” The gospel message preached by Paul was not two separate messages, about Jesus and about the kingdom. It was a unified message that Jesus, as Lord and King, is to spiritually rule in our hearts and over the church during this present age, and to physically rule over the world in the coming kingdom ages. Paul knew the overarching importance of this kingdom message and he kept preaching it.  

* Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Our work on earth is to seek God’s kingdom, to work with Christ in building His spiritual and internal kingdom during this church age. And we should all have an eternal perspective, that our present-day kingdom work relates to and results in a visible, everlasting kingdom. In this future kingdom, we will wholeheartedly worship and serve the King and have intimate fellowship with the believers. “They will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9

* Matthew 6:9-10 – “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” A major theme in this well-known prayer is that we are to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, which means both the present spiritual kingdom and the future physical kingdom. We are to pray for Christ to be King in people’s hearts during this church age and in the kingdom ages. We are now seeing God’s “will being done on earth as it is in heaven” in the church in a limited way. But in the kingdom ages, His will is always and fully carried out all over the world. Phil. 2:9-11

* Matthew 24:14 – “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.” What are we to do when the Antichrist is ruling the earth and persecuting Christians? We are to preach “the gospel of the kingdom… to all the nations.” We are to proclaim the entirety of the gospel. We are to tell people how they can be part of God’s eternal kingdom, how they can be saved, sanctified, glorified, and reign with Christ during the kingdom ages. 

* Luke 21:28, 31 – “Lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near… so also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.” In this prophetic passage about the end-times, Jesus tells the disciples that redemption is near, redemption referring to being glorified at His coming. Then Christ says that the kingdom of God is near, this referring to a short time later when He begins reigning over this renovated earth. That we now live in the end times means that two life-changing, world-changing events will soon take place, the completion of our salvation, and the beginning of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

We have been talking about the gospel of the kingdom, the good news that speaks of the entirety of our eternal life. We have talked about Christ dying for our sins and our need to believe in Him to be spiritually and physically saved with the result that we will be fit and ready to live with Him and for Him in the coming kingdom ages.

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word…” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). What do we learn from Paul’s final words to Timothy and to all preachers of God’s word? Pastors are to preach God’s word in view of, in light of Christ’s appearing and His kingdom.

At His appearing we will be judged, be rewarded for our work on earth. We will also be glorified, be completely saved, able to wholly live for Christ from that point through the kingdom ages, through eternity future. From Sunday to Sunday, pastors are to keep the big picture in mind and teach believers all the truths of God’s word. They are to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God. Living for Christ in hopes of a glorious future must be repeatedly taught and fixed in the hearts of all God’s people. “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable… I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:20, 27

Might we all have this eternal perspective of the kingdom of God. Knowing these truths will definitely and positively affect your relationship with God and how you live for Him. Here are two more posts on the kingdom of God: “Kingdom Instructions for the Church” and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

Why Do Christians Die?

September 13, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #340 ~

When someone dies, there’s always the “why” question? Why did the person die, what was the cause of death? If it was homicide, they ask why did the killer murder him, what was his motive? But why do Christians die? This is a such an important question. And I am not talking about physical reasons, like sickness, old age, an accident, drugs, war, murder, or assassination. I am talking about spiritual reasons. That is, why does God want His children to die? What are His reasons for the death of a believer? What does God tell us in His word?

His time on earth was finished. “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Ps. 139:17). “His days are determined… his limits You have set” (Job 14:5). God had decided in eternity past the exact number of days the believer was to live on this earth. They had been predetermined by God and they had come to an end. This believer’s time on earth was over, and God had to bring him home, not one day sooner or one day later.

His work on earth was finished. “I brought You glory on earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do” (Jn. 17:4). “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep” (Acts 13:36). All the work God wanted the believer to do was done. When a believer leaves earth and goes to heaven, then we must conclude that his work on earth was completed and there was nothing more for him to do. The believer went through death’s door to get to heaven, and there his eternal work for God continues in a greater, more glorious way.

To be at home in heaven with His Father. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones” (Ps. 116:15). God the Father wanted His child to come home, for He knew it was better that he be with Him in heaven than with us on earth. It’s imperative that we see a believer’s death from God’s perspective, for while we may have wanted the believer to stay, God wanted him to go, and to be with Him in heaven. And who are we to argue with God?

To be with Jesus and see His glory. “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me” (Jn. 17:24). On earth, the believer is not physically with Jesus, but now he is in heaven and is literally with Him. The believer’s eyes are opened wide and he can clearly see Jesus’ great glory, which is on full display. Like never before, the believer experiences His love, joy, holiness, power, kindness, wisdom, and majesty. Why would we not be glad that he is in heaven? Why would we not want the believer to be with Jesus and know the wonderful joys and pleasures of heaven? “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

To be with other believers in heaven. “Aaron will be gathered to his people” (Num. 20:24). A believer has family and friends on earth, but his death results in him being with them and others who had gone to heaven before him. This believer is now with ones in heaven who love him and whom he loves, and whom he has missed. Think about the intimate and perfect fellowship this believer is now having with other Christians. “Who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus?” 1 Thess. 2:19

To be taken away from evil. “The righteous man perishes, and no one takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, He enters into peace” (Is. 57:1-2). This world, led by the devil and evildoers, is a very wicked place, and it’s filled with pride, hate, greed, war, crime, corruption, racism, immorality, injustice, persecution, and much more. To die is a great blessing for the believer, for he is finally and forever freed from the devil, this evil world, and from all temptation and sin.

To be free from physical pain. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain” (Rev. 21:4). What a comforting truth – the believer who just went to heaven is totally free from physical ailments, from aches, pains, sickness, tiredness, and weakness. On earth he lived in an earthly tent, in a physical body afflicted and scourged with physical struggles (2 Cor. 5:1-5). Jonathan Edwards said it this way, “When a godly man dies, he rises from all remains of spiritual death, and comes into a state of perfect life. This body is like a prison to the soul, it exceedingly clogs, and hinders, and cramps it in its spiritual exercisers and comfort. When a saint dies, the soul is released from this prison, this grave and comes into a state of glorious freedom and happiness.”

To rest from his labors on earth. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on, so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (Rev. 14:13). The believer was on earth working for the Lord and this was good work, and it was hard, tiring, wearing, but rewarding (Col. 3:23-24). Now he is in heaven, and he is still working for the Lord, but it’s no sweat, no stress, no aches, and he never gets tired. His deeds follow him in that his heavenly work is related to his rewarding earthly work, and more than ever, it’s productive, fulfilling, and God-glorifying. Luke 19:11-19

To be able to perfectly worship the Lord. “How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You” (Ps. 84:4). The believer in heaven is finally, fully, and always able to love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. Since he sins no more, since his relationship with God is perfect, than he perfectly knows God’s love, perfectly loves God, and is joyfully and wholeheartedly worshiping 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

To be in heaven with Jesus is gain. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain… to be with Christ is very much better” (Phil. 1:21-23). It is much better for the believer to be in heaven than on earth. In heaven, he has no pain, sin, sickness, sadness, tiredness, weakness, worries, fears, conflicts, difficulties, or trials. His character is pure and holy; he is able to wholly love and worship God; he is full of goodness and joy; he is with friends he knew on earth. Most importantly, the believer is with Jesus, his best friend, and as they are together, there is great joy and love and fellowship. Just think, the believer you know, the believer you spent time with on earth, is now in the very presence of Jesus, “blameless with great joy.” Jude 24-25

To instruct believers still living on earth. “The day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart” (Eccl. 7:2-4). A believer’s death is to instruct us that life on earth is short, is but a vapor (James 4:14). It is to remind us that while we are alive, God has work for us to do, and now’s the time to do it. And it is to wake us up, to alert us to the fact that our last day on earth is coming soon, and then we will be with Jesus.  

To instruct unbelievers living on earth. “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish” (Lk. 13:2-3). The death of a person is to sober up the sinner. It is to remind and warn him that he will die, and if he doesn’t repent, then when he dies, he will perish, he will be punished in the everlasting lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). He must realize his need to turn from his sin before it’s too late, before he dies and has no more time to repent and be saved. He must believe that Jesus is the only answer, that only He died to pay for his sins, was punished by His Father for his sins, and then rose again. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring you to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but will have eternal life.” John 3:16

To be in the house of the Lord. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6). The believer that died is in the best place in the universe, the house of the Lord. And he’s not a guest, not just passing through, but is living there in his heavenly home – and it’s infinitely better than his earthly home. The Lord’s home is holy, joyful, peaceful, beautiful, clean, comfortable, and the perfect temperature – it’s the perfect place. The recently relocated believer is not in some far off corner of the universe, but in heaven with Jesus Himself. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3

To bring glory to God!!! “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever” (Rev. 7:12). This is what all these angels are saying when they see all these believers before the throne worshiping and glorifying God. Believers in heaven will be glorifying God like never before, along with all the angels. “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart and will glorify Your name forever.” Psalm 86:12

Consider these truths that convey God’s perspective about the death and future of a believer. You may be grieving and have strong feelings about his death, and understandably so, especially a loved one. But God does not want your grieving to be overwhelmed with sadness – there must be a gladness from God that is mixed in, that sweetens your tears, that flavors your soul with joy, and stirs you to praise your precious Lord. These truths give you hope about the future and, in particular, that you will again and forever see and be with loved ones and friends. 

That we live in the end-times means Christ is coming soon, and there may be many people now living on earth who are alive when He returns. Those still alive is that remnant of God’s people who won’t physically die but “will be caught up together with them (believers who physically died) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Th. 4:17-18). These raptured believers will likely know many believers who died because of birth pains (wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues) and the great tribulation (Matt. 24:28). All these truths are especially relevant for last-days’ believers who survive the Antichrist’s great persecution. “The one who endures to the end (of this age), he will be saved (raptured and glorified).” Matthew 24:13

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

P.S. I have been to many memorial services, and most pastors focus on the past, on the life of the believer. Yes “the memory of the righteous is a blessing,” but the pastor’s job is to also give hope, to share with the people what God says in His word about our glorious future. Here are two articles to read: “Heavenly Verses That Speak About Your Glorious Future”, and “You Have to Have Hope!”

Preaching Christ and His Kingdom

August 30, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #339 ~

The writers of the New Testament epistles thought about and taught the totality of our salvation. They focused on justification, sanctification, and glorification (Rom. 3-4, 6-8:1-17, 8:18-25), and as we saw in the previous post, they often summed up our 3-part salvation in a few verses or less (Ph. 3:8-11, Tit. 2:11-14, 1 Pet. 1:3-4, 1 Jn.3:1-3). They knew it was important for us to see the future in light of the past and present, to know that our life is not static, but that our past justification and present sanctification is leading to our future glorification.

Today we will look at the gospel of the kingdom, which speaks about the entirety of our eternal life, including this 3-part salvation. It tells us of being born again and entering God’s kingdom with the result that we are members of the church, a spiritual kingdom, and in the future, of His physical kingdom. It talks of Christ dying to pay for our sins and our need to believe in Him to be spiritually saved and then physically saved with the result that we will be able to wholly and perfectly live for Him in the ages to come. Let’s look at the gospel of the kingdom:

* Matthew 4:23 – “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”  The “gospel of the kingdom” is good news about Jesus being Savior, Lord, and King. This is shown in that He saves people from their sins, is Lord in their lives, and is head of the church, a spiritual kingdom. In the coming ages, He will be King over this whole wide world, over a spiritual, physical, glorious, God-glorifying kingdom.

The gospel of the kingdom was evident during Jesus’ ministry years when He displayed His power over diseases, demons, and storms, and when He defeated sin and death. In the kingdom ages, His power will be absolute, universal, and always visible. This gospel of the kingdom is supreme and comprehensive, embodied in our lives and encompassing the entirety of our eternal life from being justified to being glorified to perfectly worshiping and serving God in the millennial and eternal kingdoms.

* Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Again, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, and it was at hand because He, as God in the flesh, was with people, and was revealing to them His holiness, love, power, and purpose. A primary goal of His teaching during His 1st coming was telling people their need to repent of their sins and believe the gospel, the good news that He was Lord and Savior, that only He could save them from their sins and open the door to His eternal kingdom.

* Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” A person has to be poor in spirit, he has to be humble to be saved from sin and death and become a member of God’s kingdom. He must see his spiritual poverty, his need for salvation, his need for God to show him mercy. A person poor in spirit is desperate, like a beggar. Once he is humble and believes in Christ to save him, then he is supremely blessed, immediately becoming a member of the kingdom of heaven, one that is forever holy, loving, joyful, and peaceful.  

* John 3:5 – “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” A person becomes a member of God’s kingdom by being born again, by being born of the Spirit, a supernatural work of God in his soul. Once a person is saved, he can spiritually see Christ, and he knows he is a member of His kingdom. In the coming ages he will physically see Christ and the kingdom of God. “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:13-14

* Acts 1:6-8, 11 – “He… appearing to them over a period of 40 days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God... They were asking Jesus, saying, ‘Lord is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs… but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem… and to the remotest part of the earth.’… He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out their sight… This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Jesus had just been resurrected from the dead, and He wanted to be with His disciples and teach them, for He knew He would soon be leaving them. And what was the main subject? It was “the kingdom of God”! Jesus wanted them to see the big picture, from the present to the future. But the disciples didn’t really understand the full gospel, the good news of the kingdom from the church age to eternity future – they were thinking about prophecies that stated that Christ would be King over a physical kingdom. Jesus, by not denying or dismissing there would be an earthly kingdom, was confirming it was true. But He told them they didn’t need to know the “times or epochs” as to when His kingdom would be established on earth. Matt. 24:32-36

The disciples were to concern themselves with being witnesses to the world, with working with Christ in building the church, a spiritual kingdom (Matt. 16:18). He had already instructed them, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). And He had commanded them, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19-20

After Jesus ascends into heaven on a cloud, two angels tell His disciples that He would come back in the same way. Jesus had previously told them He would come back on a cloud, and it was at that time they would be redeemed and gathered to Himself, and after that He would come back to earth and set up His physical kingdom. Matt. 24:31; Luke 21:27-28, 31; Rev. 11:15

One of the main lessons of Acts 1, this introductory chapter to the early history of the church, is the kingdom of God. And it was the whole kingdom of God that was being proclaimed, from the present spiritual kingdom to the eternal physical kingdom, from the good news about our salvation in Christ to the good news about Christ eternally reigning over His kingdom. Dan. 7:27

The book of Acts clearly tells us that the primary message being proclaimed to the masses, the disciples, and us was Christ and the kingdom of God. “… Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 8:12). “He (Paul) entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God”(Acts 19:8). “… solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ… I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself… to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face…” (Acts 20:20-25). “Paul… testifying solemnly about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus…” (Acts 28:23). “He stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31

Might we realize the importance of Jesus Christ and the truth of the kingdom of God in our own lives, and of preaching Jesus Christ and the truth of the kingdom of God to others. Let’s also “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). Let’s pray, “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). Let’s “speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Our kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Ps. 145:1-3). Let’s long for that day when we say, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Rev. 11:15

P.S. I can’t stress enough the importance of understanding the entirety of our salvation, from justification to glorification to the kingdom ages. Here are more posts that tell us about God’s kingdom how it relates to us: “The Kingdom of God”, “The King in Your Heart, and His Kingdom on Earth”, and “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Seeing the Entirety of Your Salvation

August 16, 2025 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #338 ~

It was a discovery, it was a special find of an invaluable truth, a spiritual treasure I had never seen before. It was something I had missed in my 50+ years as a Christian. But I was clearly seeing it on the pages of God’s word, it was in plain sight, it was God-revealed and obvious.

What am I talking about? What is this discovery? It’s that the New Testament writers, in just a handful of verses, and not a few times, repeatedly spoke about the whole, the totality of our salvation, that we were justified, are being sanctified, and will be glorified. These truths were not new to me – I learned them when I was first saved, but that they were collectively and continually talked about in just a few verses or less was an amazing spiritual treasure.

It became clear to me that God wants Christians to keep thinking about the big picture of our 3-part salvation, and of our eternal life, that we see our Christian life from being born again to eternity future. God also wants us to share the whole gospel message with the lost like Jesus, who was “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt. 4:23), and Paul who “went about preaching the kingdom’’ (Acts 20:25). This truth about understanding the entirety of our life is especially important for pastors, for they need to teach it in their churches.

There are numerous examples of this whole of salvation message in the New Testament, and we looked at a many of them last week: Rom. 5:1-3, 8:30; 1 Cor. 1:7-9, 11:26, 15:20-23; Eph. 1:7-12, 1:13-14; Phil. 1:6; Col. 1:4-5, 3:3-4; 1 Thess. 1:9-10. Today we will look at several more:  

* Philippians 3:8-11 – “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection… in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Here is salvation in its entirety: 1) knowing Christ, being righteous; 2) knowing Christ and pressing on (Ph. 3:12-14); and 3) attaining to the resurrection from the dead, being physically transformed (Ph. 3:20-21)! It’s clear that knowing Christ, having a relationship with Him or, as it’s also stated, experiencing eternal life, is the central theme of our salvation. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” Jn. 17:3

* 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 – “If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Him… we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep… the Lord Himself will descend from 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.” The believers were living a godly life and being persecuted, and were worried they had missed Christ’s coming. Paul assures them that this was not so by reminding them of His resurrection – that since we are in Christ, we too will be raised from the dead, we too will be glorified, and this happens at His coming! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to being spiritually saved in the past, to living for Him in the present, and to being physically saved in the future. “… in Christ all will be made alive.” 1 Cor. 15:20-23

* Titus 2:11-14 – “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Our salvation is again summed up in three parts. Those who repent of their sins and believe that Christ appeared to die and rise again to pay for their sins will: 1) be saved, be justified; 2) be living a holy life, be sanctified, and 3) see Christ when He appears in glory, and be glorified!

* Hebrews 9:27 – “Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” The reason we can be justified, sanctified, and glorified is because of what Christ does for us at His 1st and 2nd comings. 1) He appeared to die and pay for our sins, to spiritually save us, and 2) He will appear again to physically save us, to give us a spiritual body! Might we be excitedly waiting for Him!

* 1 Peter 1:3-4 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who… has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” This too speaks of our 3-part salvation: 1) we were born again, born of the Spirit; 2) we have a living hope – as we serve God on earth, we should be expecting Christ to return to take us to heaven; and 3) at the revelation of Christ, we will receive a heavenly, imperishable, undefiled, eternal inheritance! 1 Pet. 1:13, Col. 3:23-24, Rev. 22:12

* 1 John 2:20, 27-28 – “… the anointing which you received from Him abides in you… His anointing teaches you about all things… abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” Again, we read about our salvation in three ways: 1) we were anointed by the Spirit, we were spiritually saved; 2) now we are to abide in Christ, to have a close relationship with Him; and 3) we should be confident of our relationship with Christ and at His appearance, be thrilled to see Him! 1 Thess. 4:15-18

* 1 John 3:1-3 – “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God and such we are… Beloved now we are children of God… When He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him.” Again, you are told three things about your salvation: 1) you were first called a child of God when you became a child of God, when you were saved; 2) spiritually speaking you are a child of God, and thus, you are to live like a child of God; and 3) physically speaking you will look like a child of God when Christ appears, for then you will literally see Christ in His glory and be given a body like His. 1 Cor. 15:42-44

* Rev. 1:5-7 – “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born of the dead… To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood – and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God… Behold, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him.” Jesus Christ, motivated by love, died on a cross, paid for our sins, and was raised from the dead. His 3-fold purpose was: 1) to release us from our sins, to forgive us, to make us a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9), to bring us into a spiritual kingdom, the church (Col. 1:13-14); 2) for us to serve Him as priests; and 3) to bring us into His physical kingdoms, the millennial and eternal kingdoms.

There are three parts of our salvation, our past justification which happened at a point in time, our present sanctification occurring during our life on earth, and our future glorification happening at a point in time, at the outset of Christ’s coming. Justification results in being delivered from the deadly penalty of sin, sanctification from the spiritual power of sin, and glorification from the very presence of sin. 

Once we are glorified, our salvation is complete, which is what the New Testament writers kept telling us. They wanted us to know what God was, and is, and will be doing in us. Once you are completely saved, which occurs at Christ’s coming, then you will be fit and ready to wholly worship and serve Christ in the next age, the millennial kingdom age. Eph. 1:20-21, 2:10, 18-20; Rev. 5:10

All that we’ve talked about is an incredible, supernatural, eternal work of God – and it’s for your good, the good of others, and the glory of God. “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36). Next week, we will look at a number of verses that talk about the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23). You will learn that the gospel is not just good news about salvation, but is also about your eternal future, the kingdom ages.

P.S. The NT writers were teaching the entirety of our salvation so that you too would see it, be encouraged by it, and be motivated to tell others, both saved and lost. I suggest you read these posts which are similar to this one: “An Overview of Your Christian Life” and “Your Entire Christian Life.”

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