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THE KING of kings IS COMING!

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #262 ~

We live in a world where there are all kinds of wicked and evil rulers. “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed” (Ps. 2:2). But how are you to live in view of this? And what does God tell you about the age to come, and how His Son, Jesus Christ, will be the greatest King ever?

What God says about living in the present age:
* Know that God will give you all the grace, peace, and wisdom you need to live in this world, even when the Antichrist is ruling over this earth. Revelation 1:4, 13:18, 22:21
* Remember that God is sovereign, that He selects the rulers (Ps. 75:6-7), that they can only do what He allows them to do (Pr. 21:1), and that He raises them up for His purposes. Romans 9:17
* Know that during this evil age, Satan has a limited rule under the sovereign hand of God (1 Jn. 5:19), but in the coming age, Christ will have absolute rule over this world. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
* Don’t focus on the kingdoms of men, but seek first the kingdom of God, a spiritual kingdom (Matt. 6:33). Join with Jesus Christ in building the church, in making disciples. Matthew 16:18, 24:14, 28:19
* Yes, you can vote and help elect rulers but, most importantly, pray for them. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
* Have hope! Live life in light of the future! Be excited about what God has in store for you! Yes, life can be difficult, but it won’t be long before Jesus Christ, the King of kings, will come back and make everything better. Philippians 2:10-11 

What God says about the KING and living in the coming kingdom age:
* The coming of the KING and His kingdom: 2 Samuel 7:16 – “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall   be established forever.” Psalm 2:6-8 – “As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain… I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” Psalm 89:27-28 – “I shall also make Him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth… I will establish His descendants forever and His throne as the days of heaven.” Isaiah 9:6-7 – “The government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.” Jeremiah 23:5 – “I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and He will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.” Micah 5:2, 4-5 – “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah… from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel… at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.”

* The establishment of the KING’S kingdom: Ezekiel 37:21-28, 22 – “I will make them one nation in the land… one King will be king for all of them, and they will no longer be two nations… My servant David will be King over them.” Daniel 2:44-46 – “In the days of those kings 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 those kingdoms, but it will endure forever.” Daniel 7:14 – “… one like a Son of Man was coming… His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Zechariah 14:9 – “The Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only One.” Revelation 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 19:15-16 – “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron… on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, ‘King of kings, and Lord of lords.’”

* The KING will reign: Psalm 10:16a – “The Lord is King forever and ever.” Psalm 22:27-28 – “All the families of the nations worship before You. For the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He rules over the nations.” Psalm 29:10 – “The Lord sat as King at the flood; yes, the Lord sits as King forever.” Psalm 45:6 – “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Psalm 47:6-8 – “God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations.” Psalm 48:1-2 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King.” Psalm 93:1-2 – “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty… Your throne is established from of old, You are from everlasting.” Psalm 95:5 – “The Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 145:13 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Isaiah 43:15 – “I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” Jeremiah 10:10 – “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.”

* The nature of the KING’S kingdom: Psalm 67:4-5 – “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the people with uprightness and guide the nations of the earth.” Psalm 72:6-13, 19 – “In His days, may the righteous flourish… May He also rule from sea to sea… let all the kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him… He will have compassion on the poor and needy.” Psalm 102:21-22 – “That men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” Isaiah 2:2-4 – “The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations and will render decisions for many peoples… Nations will not lift up sword against nation and never again will they learn war.” Isaiah 61:11 – “The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” Joel 3:17-18 – “I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain, so Jerusalem will be holy… and in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk…” Zephaniah 3:15-17 – “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst… a victorious warrior, He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Malachi 1:11 – “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to My name…” 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 – “Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” Revelation 1:5-6 – “… from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us… He has made us to be a kingdom.”

* Glory to the KING: Psalm 72:19 – “Blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory.” Habakkuk 2:14 – “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” 1 Timothy 1:17 – “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

* O Worship the KING: Psalm 98:4-6 – “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Break forth and sing for joy… With trumpets and the sound of the horn, shout joyfully before the King.” Psalm 145:1-2 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Isaiah 12:6 – “Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in Your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Keep loving God and living for Him. Keep waiting and looking for Jesus, the coming KING. And keep praying, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

P.S. We can get too concerned about politics and rulers, and we need to focus on Jesus Christ, His present purpose with the church and His future rule over the world. Here are two good posts about the kingdom – “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age”, and “Kingdom Instructions for the Church.” And here’s an important article on thankfulness – “Being Thankful – The Character of a Christian.”

God Keeps His Promises to the Jewish People

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #261 ~

Some people think God’s plans for Israel were invalidated by their crucifixion of Christ, but that’s just not true! God’s plans are still valid, and one of the primary reasons we know this is because He has already carried out His promise to bring back the Jewish people to their land, and this sets the stage for the fulfillment of the rest of His promises to them. And what happens to the Jews relates directly to what happens to the church. Matt. 24:4-22, Luke 21:10-28, 2 Thess. 2:1-19, Rev. 7:1-14, Rev. 12:13-17 all show God’s side-by-side plans with the Jews and the Christians in the end-times. 

Another reason we know God has not given up on His plans for the Jewish people is that there are at least 20 New Testament passages that talk about their future. And these passages are in the New Testament because they’re part of God’s church age / kingdom age plans. Last week we looked at 10 of them and today we will look at 10 more. These verses, in addition to a large number of other Old Testament prophecies, prove that God will fulfill His promises to the Jews. Let’s go over them:

* Luke 21:20-24“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near… these are days of vengeance… they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Jesus predicted the future of the Jewish people, that Jerusalem would be destroyed, which happened in 70 AD, and that the Jews would be scattered all over the world. But in the last 140+ years, a great multitude of Jews have miraculously come back to their land. That means the times of the Gentiles will soon be fulfilled, and that a large remnant of Jews will soon be saved. Ezek. 36-37, Rom. 11:25-27

* Matthew 19:27-28“Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jesus tells the apostles their reward for being His followers, that they will rule with Him, specifically that they will be judging the 12 tribes of Israel. This occurs during the millennial kingdom, “in the regeneration” (physical new birth – Rom. 8:20-21). This is more evidence that God has a future for Israel and the Jewish people, as was promised in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms and Prophets. Psalm 37:9, 22, 29; Psalm 105:6-11; Ezekiel 37:21-28

* Romans 11:25-27“A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved, just as it is written ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” During this church age, the Jewish people are experiencing a partial hardening of heart and, therefore, are not as receptive to the gospel as the Gentiles. At the end of this age, “the fulness of the Gentiles” will have come in, Christ will return, the church will be raptured, the world will be judged, and a large number of Jewish people will be saved. Psalm 130:7-8, Isaiah 45:17

* Romans 15:7-13“Christ has become a servant to the circumcision (the Jews) on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers (Abraham, etc.), and for the Gentiles to glorify God… ‘Therefore, I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your name… Rejoice O Gentiles, with His people… Let all the people’s praise Him… He (Jesus) who arises to rule over the Gentiles…’” The Jewish people have a magnificent future, and that’s because God will carry out His incredible promises for them. Vss. 7-13 speak of a very important aspect of their hope, and Gentile Christians will share in that hope, which is that all believers, both Jew and Gentile, will unitedly be worshiping the Lord Jesus in the ages to come. Might God fill your heart with this hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Hebrews 8:8-12“‘Days are coming’, says the Lord, ‘when I will affect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be My people… for all will know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.’” The book of Hebrews was written to Jews, many of whom were wondering about God’s plans for them. The New Covenant, the key part of these plans, first written down in Jer. 31:31-34, is quoted here in Heb. 8. It’s true that God made this covenant with Israel, with the Jews, but during this church age, its primary beneficiaries are the Gentiles. God wanted the Jewish people back then and throughout this age to know that He has not forgotten His promise to them. And at the end of Daniel’s 70th week, which isn’t long from now, all Israel, all Jews, will share in this “new covenant” promise, and be saved, be forgiven of all their sins. Daniel 9:24-27, Isaiah 45:17, Ezekiel 37:21-28

Hebrews 11:13, 39-40“He (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise… for he 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… all these… did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” God continues to assure the Jewish people that He has not cancelled His plans for them. Heb. 11 speaks of believers who were, and still are, expecting the fulfillment of these plans. And in this church age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are looking forward to that time when Christ comes back, when all believers will be “blessed by Him” and “will inherit the land” (Ps. 37:22, Matt. 5:5). Vss. 39-40 tell us an amazing truth, that promises to the Old Testament saints will be carried out in conjunction with His promises to the church. God wants you to know that His plans for all His people are converging, are coming together in the end-times. Matthew 24:15-31

* Revelation 7:1-8“I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed…” In the future, a large number of Jewish people, exactly 144,000, 12,000 from every tribe, will be sealed and set apart for Jesus Christ. This occurs during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week, close to the time of the rapture. We know this because Rev. 7:9-14 goes on to talk about the rapture, how a great multitude of Christians will come out of great tribulation and then be in in heaven worshiping God and Christ. Then Rev. 14:1-5 tells us that these 144,000 Jews become devoted worshipers and servants of Christ – “The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.”

* Revelation 11:1-15“Get up and measure the temple of God… they will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days.” This is another informative passage about the future of the Jewish people in the end-times. Here are the main points:
– The events talked about in this passage take place in the holy city, the city of Jerusalem.
– The Jewish temple is to be measured, which means it will be rebuilt sometime in the future.
– Two godly, God-protected witnesses, probably Moses and Elijah, are performing miracles, and are prophesying, that is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.
– The beast, the Antichrist, kills the witnesses, but after 3½ days, God raises them from the dead.
– The time frame for these events is forty-two months or twelve hundred and sixty days, which is referring to the second half of Daniel’s 70th week, the last 3½ years.
– Immediately after these events, the seventh trumpet is blown, and soon after that, Jesus Christ, from the city of Jerusalem, begins His 1000-year reign upon the earth.

* Revelation 20:2,3,4,5,6“… a thousand years… the thousand years… a thousand years… the thousand years… a thousand years… the thousand years.” Many Old Testament promises to the Jewish people speak about the Messiah, the Christ, reigning over His kingdom. (2 Sam. 7:16, Psalm 2). These verses in Rev. 20 repeatedly and clearly tell us that the first part of Christ’s coming reign will last exactly 1,000 years. Immediately after that, there’s the eternal kingdom, when Christ and His Father reign over the world forever and ever. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28

* Revelation 21:10-14“… the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God… it had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.” This describes the holy and eternal city, the new Jerusalem. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the twelve gates, which means the Jewish people are eternally important, and that God’s promises to them will come to pass. All believers from all time will be living together in this holy city, and be eternally worshiping and serving God.  

At least 20 New Testament passages talk about the future God has for the Jewish people. You can’t ignore them, or say they’re not important, or that they’re not true for Jews. Go back over them and study them. Might you see their relevance to both Jews and Gentiles, to believers from Old Testament times and the church age. Since we live in the end-times, we know these glorious plans for God’s people will soon come to pass. And as a believer, you will see it all happen. “I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning… saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11

P.S. I have many charts that really help you see the big picture for the Jewish people and God’s plans for them. Here are four I would encourage you to look at: “God’s Plan for the Jews”, “Promises for the Jewish Remnant”, “Micah and the Millennial Kingdom”, “The Regathering of Jews to Israel”.

God’s Plans for the Jewish People Have NOT Been Cancelled

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #260 ~

The Old Testament talks extensively about the Jewish people – and it’s both historical and prophetical. But some say His promises and plans for them are null and void, that God cancelled them, and that because of the Jew’s rejection of Christ, God rejected them. But that’s not true! Here are three reasons why God’s plans for the Jews are still valid. First, God keeps His promises, He doesn’t go back on His word. “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Is. 46:11). Second, the Jewish people have regathered to Israel just as God predicted, which means He still has plans for them. (Ezek. 36-37). Third, 20 different passages in the New Testament directly and indirectly refer to the Jews. The mere fact that there are all these passages in the New Testament about the Jews must mean something – and they need to be examined and understood. My purpose in this post and the next one is to look at all these verses.

* Matthew 5:17-19“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill… not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished…” The Law and the Prophets are primarily about Jesus and the Jewish people. Jesus wants us to know that all that is said about Himself will come true, and that He will accomplish all His promises to the Jews. And some of these have been fulfilled in the past and the rest will be fulfilled in the future.

* Luke 1:31-33“You shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom will have no end.” The angel is referring to and reminding Mary of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16), and telling her that God’s Son will be her Son, One who will rule forever over the Jewish people, His chosen ones, and as we know now, over all believers in Christ. Psalm 89:1-4, 19-29, 34-37

* Luke 1:54-55“He (God) has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our Fathers, to Abraham and His descendants forever.” God tells Mary, and us too, that He will fulfill His promises to Abraham and to Israel, some of which have already come to pass, and others which will be carried out in the future, ones that will affect all His descendants, both Jewish people and Gentiles. And you see that these promises are eternal, that they will last forever, which means they cannot and will not be revoked. Gen. 12:1-3, Gen. 13:14-17, Gen. 15:4, and Gen. 17:1-8

* Acts 3:20-21“… that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” The prophets made many predictions about the Jewish people, which have been and will be coming true. One in particular is the “restoration of all things”, which will be an incredible blessing to both Jews and Gentiles who are living on this earth during the millennial kingdom. Psalm 98, Isaiah 65:17-23, Matthew 19:28, Romans 8:21

* Luke 24:25-27“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken… Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:44 “All things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Jesus used the Old Testament Scriptures to prove to His Jewish disciples that He was the Messiah, both Savior and King. But note that it says, “All things which are written about Me.” Christ wanted them to know that all the prophecies about Himself were valid, some of which they had already seen come true. The rest will be fulfilled in the future, many of which speak of Christ’s reign over the Jewish people, and over the entire world. Look at Psalms 22:27-31, 47, 48, 67, 72 and 102:18-28.

* 2 Thess. 2:3-4, 8-9“The man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God… that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” This prophecy predicted that the Jewish people would be in Jerusalem, which has now come true, and that they need to build a temple, which will happen soon. Not long after the Jews begin to offer sacrifices, this man of lawlessness, the Antichrist, will desolate their temple. Then that most devilish man will meet his Maker and be thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 19:20

* Acts 28:17, 20, 23, 30-31“Paul called together… the leading men of the Jews… for the sake of the hope of Israel… He was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets… he stayed two full years… preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul was in Rome talking to the Jewish leaders about Jesus, the Kingdom of God, and the hope, the future of Israel. He explained that Jesus was Lord and Savior of all who believed in Him, both Jewish people and Gentiles, and that in the future, He would be King over the whole world. (Is. 2:1-4, 9:6-7; Ezek. 40-48; Zech. 14:9). Paul’s time in Rome occurred about 10 years after he had written his prophecy-laden letters to the Thessalonian church, where He spoke of the Antichrist, the desolation of the temple, Christ’s coming, the rapture and the day of the Lord. I’m sure he explained to them how this related to the salvation of a remnant of Jews, and Jesus Christ ruling from the city of Jerusalem and establishing His kingdom on this earth.

* Matthew 23:37-39“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets… Behold, your house is being left to you desolate. For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’” Jesus tells the Jewish people the bad news, that their city is being destroyed and left desolate, which happened in 70 AD. Then He tells them the good news, that in the future they will recognize Him as their Lord and Savior, which occurs at Christ’s 2nd coming, at the end of Daniel’s 70th week. Psalm 118:22-29, Daniel 9:24-27

* Matthew 24:15-26“When you see the abomination of desolation… standing in the holy place… then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains… pray that your flight will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be a great tribulation… just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” This too tells us that the Antichrist will desolate the temple, the holy place. That most evil man will then go after the Jewish people and bring great tribulation but, mercifully for them, Christ will cut it short. Then everyone on earth will see Christ coming in the clouds, at which time He will rapture the Christians, and a short while later, redeem a remnant of Jews. Matt. 24:27, 30-31

* Revelation 12:5-6, 13-17“She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness …” Rev. 12:13-17“The dragon… persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time (3½ years), away from the presence of the serpent… the dragon was enraged with the woman…”

The woman is referring to the Jewish people, who brought Jesus into the world (vs. 5). You realize that there’s close to a 2000-year gap between vs. 5 and vs. 6, and now we’re in the end-times, the last years of the church age. Not long from now, the Jews will be fleeing into the wilderness (vs. 6). As 2 Thess. 2 and Matt. 24 tell us, the Jews will be persecuted by the Antichrist. But she will miraculously escape, be physically saved by the power of God. Shortly after her escape, she will be spiritually saved by Christ and, in fulfillment of God’s promise to David, He will become their King and rule over them and all the nations. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15

Think about all these verses, all these prophecies and promises, and they all relate to the Jewish people. You can’t just skip over and ignore these verses, or take them allegorically – they are true, and are relevant to the present day, to the 21st century, and to both Jewish people and Christians. Next week, we’ll look at ten more passages. Surely, the Jews have not been forsaken and forgotten, for God has a future for them, a future that relates directly to His plans for the church. “None of them (Old Testament believers) had received what was promised. God had planned something better for us (Christians) so that only together with us (Christians) would they (Old Testament believers) be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40

P.S. There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the Jewish people and prophecy, and it’s vitally important for you, the Christian, to know what God has clearly told us in His Word. I strongly encourage you to read these previous posts about the Jewish people – “A Short Summary of God’s Working With the Jews”, “A Jewish Reading Lesson”, and “Clear New Testament Confirmation of God’s Plans for the Jews.”

For Pastors, Preachers, and Teachers

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #259 ~

What does this country need? It needs men of God, men of faith, holy men, men of courage, men who love God and His word, who know that the only answer to a person’s problems and this country’s problems is God’s word and Spirit. And these godly men need to be abounding in the work of preaching the word of God, of proclaiming all the truths of God.

This country is ensnared in the deadly lies of the devil, lies that are destroying lives, marriages, families, schools, churches, government and, to be honest, our entire society. And godly men need to be preaching and teaching God’s word. We don’t need pastors who are entangled in the affairs of the world. We don’t need ministers who are men-pleasers, who are tickling ears and sharing fluff. We need men who are holy and wholehearted for God, who know that only His truth and His Spirit can defeat the lies of the devil and give us the life and purpose God wants us to have.

This country needs God-loving men teaching the basic truths of the Bible, summed up in Eph. 4:4-6 – one body (church), one Spirit, one hope (our future), one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith (God’s word), one baptism (salvation), and one God and Father. Truth-loving men need to be faithfully, strongly, and clearly teaching about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the truth of the gospel, the truth about man’s sin and the death-saving death and life-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the truth about the church, righteous living, and our glorious hope.

There are many examples in the Bible of men faithfully teaching and preaching God’s word:
* Be like Ezra and set your heart on studying, practicing, and teaching the word of God. Ezra 7:10
* Be like Jeremiah and fearlessly warn people of the wrath to come. Jeremiah 1:11-19
* Be like Ezekiel, a watchman, a man aware of the times, who upon hearing God’s word, spoke to the people and warned them of what was to come. Ezekiel 3:17
* Be like John the Baptist and courageously make ready the way of the Lord. Luke 3:4
* Be like Apollos and boldly, accurately, and fervently be teaching about Jesus. Acts 18:24-26
* Be like Paul, who testified solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God to the lost, and who preached the whole purpose of God to the saved. Acts 20:24, 27
* Be like Paul who knew the importance of the entire word of God, that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17. “The sum of Thy word is truth.” Ps. 119:60
* Be like Paul, who was ready in season and out of season to preach the word and, note this, always in view of Christ’s appearing and His kingdom. 2 Timothy 4:1-4
* Don’t ever be deceived and led astray by false teachers. 2 Thess. 2:1-4; Matt. 24:4, 11, 24

These last few verses about not being in error are given in the context of the end-times and the Biblical hope God has given us. I plead with you pastors, in the final years of this church age, to preach on hope! I cannot say this strongly enough! Now is the time, in the calm before the storm, to clearly tell believers what God has planned out for our future. The Jews are back in Israel, birth pains are happening, lawlessness is increasing, and persecution is growing – these are all signs from God that it won’t be long before Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church.

Like never before, God’s prophetic word is pointing to the soon return of Jesus Christ. Sadly, most believers don’t have a good understanding of what God says about their future and the future of this world. Way too many Christians are confused, ignorant, or in error when it comes to what the Bible teaches about the end-times, the Antichrist, the coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, the day of the Lord, and the millennial kingdom – and this should not be. It’s not like God doesn’t say much about our hope. He does! It’s a huge subject with hundreds of New Testament verses. Pastors need to teach their people what the Bible says will surely come to pass, and what may take place in their lifetime.

Here are some more thoughts for you pastors, preachers, and teachers:
* Get quality time alone with God. This is the number one thing that has kept me going for God through all the years. “When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 42:1-2, Mark 6:31
* “Take heed, behold, I have told you everything in advance” (Mark 13:23). Jesus told you ahead of time what He wants you to know about end-times’ prophecy, and you should find out everything He wants you to know, and then sensibly and faithfully teach others. Matthew 24:45
* Here are some key prophecy passages you should study and then teach your church: Daniel 7-12; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 17:22:37, 21:5-36; 1 Thess. 4:13 – 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:5 – 2:12; 1 Peter 1:3-13; 2 Peter 3:3-13; Revelation. And I would encourage you to start with Matthew 24.  

* “Present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) and, in this case, about prophecy, one of the most relevant, practical subjects in the 21st century. It’s your duty and responsibility to teach your church about our God-planned future. You don’t want to keep the truth from the sheep. You don’t want them to be naïve, confused, scared, or in error, but instead, to know and understand what God is now doing right before our very eyes. You want them to smile at the future, to be looking for the city which has foundations, to be desiring a heavenly country.

* Be humble and learn from godly and studious men on this subject of Biblical prophecy.
* Be “men who understand the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do” (1 Chr. 12:32). Not only should you teach on prophecy, but on how it relates to what’s taking place in the world and what the church should be doing.
* Properly taught Christians will realize that God’s prophetic word is being fulfilled, is unfolding before their eyes, and then see that Christ’s coming is drawing near. That Christ is returning soon is the most encouraging news in the whole world! Hebrews 10:25
* Explain to your people that the church will encounter great tribulation, and that they need to be willing to suffer, but God will give them all the grace they need. 1 Cor. 1:8-9, 2 Tim. 4:18

* Be more than just a teacher – be a pastor, one who cares, and a leader, one who is taking charge, fearlessly out front, courageously forging ahead. Joshua 1:6-9, John 21:15-17
* Completing the work of the church relates directly to the coming of Christ. Matt. 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.” Matt. 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You can’t miss it – when the work of the church, preaching the gospel to a lost world and discipling believers, is finished, then this age will end, and Jesus Christ will return.

* All the qualities listed below are essential to being a strong Christian, and what’s amazing is that each one is in the context of the end-times, and therefore, is necessary for godly living in the end-times. Preaching (Matt. 24:14), readiness (Matt. 24:44), discipling (Matt. 28:19-20), having faith (Luke 18:8), not worrying (Luke 21:14), serving (1 Thess. 1:9), being alert (1 Thess. 5:6), waiting (Titus 2:13), patience (James 5:7), fellowship (Heb. 10:25), encouraging (Heb. 10:25), hoping (1 Pet. 1:13), praying (1 Pet. 4:7), loving (1 Pet. 4:8), being holy (2 Pet. 3:11), overcoming (Rev. 2:7), not fearing (Rev. 2:10), and persevering (Rev. 13:10).

What a time to be alive! Just think, the end-times is our time! God put you on this earth “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14). Don’t be asleep, be awake, be alert, and be doing your job. Teach prophetic truth to your people so they know what will be taking place, so they are equipped, encouraged, and filled with hope, so they are serving God and waiting for His Son from heaven. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Matthew 24:30-31

P.S. I know what some of you might be saying, “I’m not pre-millennial like you. I’m post millennial, a-millennial, and don’t believe God has a future for the Jews, or something else, and I can’t even begin to think of teaching my church about Christ’s coming and the rapture, followed by His kingdom on earth.” If that’s the way you think I would suggest you read the following articles, and maybe you will see more clearly the truth of the pre-millennial position: “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 1”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 2”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 3”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 4”, “Replacement Theology: It’s Not True – Part 5 – (Why People Have Believed This Error.)”

A Hurricane is Coming – Lessons from Job 37

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #258 ~

A huge, potentially catastrophic storm could be heading to Tampa, the worst in over 100 years. Here in Tampa, we are listening to meteorologists, and looking at spaghetti models, storm tracks, wind speeds and possible rain amounts, etc. But only God knows exactly where it will go and what will happen, and that’s because He has planned it all out – it is His storm and it is for His purposes and glory. And what God really wants is for both believers and non-believers to get their eyes off the storm and on Him, to see that He is God, that He is powerful and holy, and that He can do whatever He wishes. And He wants us to bow down to Him, to humble ourselves in His presence. So pray for us in west central Florida that we would be humble, would draw close to Him, would trust Him, and that He would protect us, and show us His mercy and grace.

I have printed out Job 37 which, in my opinion, is the best weather chapter in the Bible. I love it, for it tells us about God, the weather, and lessons we need to learn. I strongly encourage you to read the entire chapter, and note what it says. In particular, look at vs. 7, that God stops us in our work, and that is sure true in Tampa. Look at vss. 12-13, that God brings the storm to either punish or show love. Look at vs. 14, that God wants us to stop and consider His wonders, to think about Him and His awesome power and glory. Look at vs. 24, the bottom line, the most important lesson, that God wants the weather to cause us to revere Him, to fear Him.

JOB 37

“At this my heart pounds
    and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of His voice,
    to the rumbling that comes from His mouth.
He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.
After that comes the sound of His roar;
    He thunders with His majestic voice.
When His voice resounds,
    He holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    He does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’
So that everyone He has made may know His work,
    He stops all people from their labor.
The animals take cover;
    they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
    the cold from the driving winds.
10 The breath of God produces ice,
    and the broad waters become frozen.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;
    He scatters his lightning through them.
12 At His direction they swirl around
    over the face of the whole earth
    to do whatever He commands them.
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,
    or to water His earth and show His love.
14 “Listen to this, Job;
    stop and consider God’s wonders.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
    and makes His lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
    those wonders of Him who has perfect knowledge?
17 You who swelter in your clothes
    when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18 can you join Him in spreading out the skies,
    hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
19 “Tell us what we should say to Him;
    we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
20 Should He be told that I want to speak?
    Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun,
    bright as it is in the skies
    after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north He comes in golden splendor;
    God comes in awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
    in His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress.
24 Therefore, people revere Him,
    for does He not have regard for all the wise in heart?

P.S. Here are four previous posts that all relate to hurricanes, storms, and difficult times, and the purposes God has for them. “A Hurricane is Coming – Be Ready, Watching, and Working”, and The Alarm is Ringing! Wake Up America! The Storm is Coming!”, and “A Big Storm is Coming, and I Don’t Mean Hurricane Irma”, and “When the Storms Come, Don’t Be Afraid.”

What We Need In This World Is The KING!

By Steven. J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #257 ~

In these past few weeks, three things came to my mind about rulers. First, there was the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth, and then this attention on King Charles III, a king with no real power. Second, there’s all this coverage about the coming midterm elections, with most candidates foolishly promising some kind of change. Third, there’s all this evil being promoted, permitted, and protected by evil rulers, resulting in an increasingly corrupt and spiritually cancerous country. Our only hope is Jesus Christ, the true Savior and King! Only He can save us from our primary problem, sin and death, and then bring real peace and prosperity to this world, and that’s in the kingdom age to come.

Today I want to focus on Christ Jesus the King. Here are some things God wants you to know:
* Psalm 2:1-3 sums up the present and future condition of this world with regards to kings and the King. At the present time, “the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against His Anointed (Christ the King)” (Ps. 2:2). In a little while, God will carry out His plan, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion” (Ps. 2:6). There are now all these kings and rulers on this earth, but it won’t be long before Christ will be King over the whole world. “God is the King of all the earth.” Psalm 47:7

* Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Man, the perfect person to be King and rule over this world. “You will bear a son… He… will be called the Son of the Most High.” Luke 1:31-32
* Jesus Christ has the right to reign over this earth, for by His death, He paid for our sins and defeated the devil, thereby giving Him the authority to be King of this world. “Grace to you and peace… from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us… Behold He is coming…” Revelation 1:4-8, 12-18

* God promised that His Son, Jesus Christ, would be King over this world, and He will keep His promise. “I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16
* Jesus Christ, our coming King, is the only hope for this world. No one but Christ can perfectly rule over this planet and bring true justice, joy, and peace. “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for You will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth.” Psalm 67:4 

* We now live in the end-times which means we are fast approaching the end of this evil age. Christ the King is coming soon, and when He does, the church will be raptured (Matt. 24:31), the world will be punished (Rev. 8-9), the Antichrist will be defeated (Rev. 19:20), a Jewish remnant will be saved (Rom. 11:25-26), and Christ will begin reigning over this earth. “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Rev. 11:15, Zech. 14:9

* Jesus Christ will be a perfect, holy, truthful, wise, powerful, loving, merciful, sovereign, and all-knowing King (Jer. 10:10). “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure… He has sent redemption… Holy and awesome is His name.” Psalm 111:7-10
* Christ’s reign in the coming kingdom age will last for exactly 1000 years. Revelation 20:1-6
* True believers will be glorified in body, soul, and spirit, and will reign with Jesus Christ in the kingdom age, helping Him to establish His righteous rule over this earth. Revelation 5:10, 20:6

* Jesus Christ will reign over the entire world from the city of Jerusalem. Psalm 48
* Every person who has ever lived will bow down to Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord and King. He will be feared by all people, and loved and worshiped by all believers – and this will take place during the millennial kingdom. “Every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11; Psalm 72:5-11
* During the millennial kingdom, the entire earth will be full of Christ’s glory. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

* During this kingdom age, it will be obvious to all that Christ is the greatest King this world has ever seen. “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2
* In this coming kingdom, believers will be giving thanks to Christ, singing praises to Him, and shouting for joy. And why? Because of their salvation (Is. 12:1-2), because Christ is defeating their enemies (1 Cor. 15:25), because they are experiencing His incredible blessings (Ps. 67), and because He is “a great King over all the earth.” Psalm 48:2

* During Christ’s kingship, the nation of Israel will have a special place and role on this earth. Christ will rule from Israel (Ps. 48). He will bless Israel in such a way that they are a blessing to the whole earth (Ps. 67:1-2, 7). Salvation in Christ will be proclaimed by the Israelites to all the world (Ps. 96:1-3). “Their (Israel’s) offspring will be known among the nations” (Is. 61:9). Nations will come to Israel because she is so blessed by Christ (Is. 60:3). “The wealth of the nations will come to you (Israel).” (Is. 60:5). Jerusalem will be the most renowned city in the world – “They will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14

* During His millennial kingdom reign, Jesus Christ will defeat all His enemies, and this includes death. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 20:14
* At the end of this 1000-year kingdom age, Jesus Christ, the King of the earth, will hand “over the Kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority… when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
* God commands us to pray for the coming of Christ and His kingdom. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

Look at the world around you! For the most part, it’s a wicked planet ruled by evil leaders, by evil “kings.” Doesn’t this make you long for the true King, for Jesus Christ to return and reign over this earth? I can’t wait to see King Jesus ruling over this earth, for then there will be perfect justice, love, peace, and glory to God like never before. But for now, keep working and waiting for our Lord, and soon enough He will return, judge the world, and then we will join Him in reigning over this earth. “They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). “Then all nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed… may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.” Psalm 72:17-19

P.S. In this world of politics, rulers, and corruption, you must understand what God says about His spiritual kingdom, and the kingdom ages to come. Here are four related posts I would encourage you to read – “The Kingdom of God”, “The King in Your Heart and His Kingdom on Earth”, “Kingdom Instructions for the Church”, and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

Holy, Wholly Living in the End-Times

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #256 ~

God is holy, holy, holy!!! God is the Holy One – He is sinless, blameless, and perfectly pure! And praise be to God that through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, He has made us forever holy, righteous, and pure. And now that we are holy ones, we are to live holy lives. This theme of being holy is a most important message in the Bible and should be our constant and continual endeavor. Hundreds of verses instruct us to live holy lives, and wouldn’t you know it, many are in the context of Christ’s coming. And since we now live in the end-times, we must understand them, and see how they relate to our life, our purpose, and Christ’s return. Let’s look at some of them. 

Revelation 4:8 – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” The book of Revelation is about the end-times, Christ’s coming, and the ages to come. And Rev. 4 is foundational, for it focuses on worshiping the holy God, setting the stage for Christ’s return, the coming of the Holy One. Revelation teaches us that God wants a holy church to welcome His Son, and a holy earth upon which He will reign. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3, Acts 3:20-21

Romans 13:11-14 – “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is almost gone and the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light… put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.” This age is coming to an end, the day of Christ is near, the time for the church to be raptured and for all believers to be glorified is at hand! And God wants you to be awake, alert, holy, and full of hope. The nearness of Christ’s return should greatly motivate you to be inwardly and outwardly holy. “Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Psalm 24:3-4

Ephesians 4:30 – “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” When you get saved, you are given the Holy Spirit, and one of His purposes is to protect you, to keep you safe until the day of Christ, the day of redemption, the day you are glorified. “… Having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit… with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession” (Eph. 1:13). Another purpose of the Spirit is to make you holy – so do not grieve Him, “do not quench the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19) – live a holy life. Eph. 4-6 explains what this looks like.

Philippians 1:10 – “I pray that your love may abound more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” How should you pray? That you grow in your love for God and others, which results from knowing God’s truth, making wise decisions, and living a holy and blameless life – and all this is in view of the day of Christ, for at that time “each man’s work will become evident, for the day will show it because it is to be revealed…” 1 Corinthians 3:13

Colossians 3:4-10 – “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore, consider the members of your body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry… put on the new self.” When Christ returns, He will immediately be revealed – and then you will be revealed with Him in His kingdom. In view of Christ’s holy and glorious coming, say no to the old self, and “put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” Ephesians 4:24

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 16-17 – This is the will of God, your sanctification… the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The coming of Christ is a major theme of 1 Thessalonians, and it too highlights the need for holiness. We are “sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1 Thess. 5:5). Therefore, fervently desire to be “holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:27), especially since you will soon be seeing your Savior. Revelation 22:12

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8 says the same thing – “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You must recognize God’s role in making and keeping you holy. Yes, you are to do your part when it comes to being sanctified, to being holy, but ultimately it is God who enables you to live a righteous life. And again we see that living a holy life is connected to Christ’s coming.

Titus 2:11-13 – “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, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” How are you to live? You are to live a righteous and godly life by saying no to sin and by doing good deeds – and you are to be looking for Christ’s return and the revealing of His kingdom and glory which happen after the end of this present age. Matthew 24:3-31

1 Peter 1:13-16 – “Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in Spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” It cannot be any clearer, for again you are exhorted to be holy in the context of Christ’s coming, and you are to be obedient, and to have hope, to be excitedly looking forward to His return.

2 Peter 3:11 – “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?” Why love this sinful world? Since this evil earth will soon be destroyed, why live like a sinner? Rev. 18:2-4, speaking of this wicked world, “a dwelling place of demons”, tells you, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins.” Knowing that Jesus is coming to rapture the saints and punish the sinners should greatly motivate you to live a holy life, and to share the gospel with the lost, thereby, hastening His coming.

1 John 3:3 – “When Jesus appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Jesus is glorious and perfectly pure, and when He appears, we will be like Him, perfectly pure, and altogether glorious. And having hope, wanting to see Jesus, has a positive, purifying, and powerful effect on your life.

Here are some key truths about holiness and how it helps you to live a holy, God-glorifying life.
* The best blessing of being holy is having a close relationship with God. Matt. 5:8, Heb. 12:14
* God is pleased, honored, and glorified when you are holy. Eph. 5:6-11
* To be useful to God, to be able to do His work, you must be holy. 2 Tim. 2:21
* If you are in sin, then repent and confess your sin. 1 John 1:5-9; Rev. 2:5, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:14
* God wants to bless you, but you need to be holy, obedient, and seeking Him. Psalm 119:1-8
* Learn from the epistles, for they will greatly help you to grow in holiness. Ephesians 4:17-24
* Share the gospel by living a holy life and by speaking the truth about sin and Jesus. Titus 3:1-8
* Living a holy life will result in being eternally rewarded. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
* God will keep you holy all the way to heaven, and enable you to “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.” Jude 24-25

P.S. This past Monday was Labor Day, and so my Sunday message was Working for the Lord. I went into great detail about how, no matter our age, we are to always be working for the Lord. I shared 18 different points from God’s word, ones that I believe will help you be a more successful worker for God in these last years before the coming of Christ. There is also a PDF text of my sermon notes available on that same page.

The Day of the LORD – The Destructive, Deadly Wrath of God

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #255 ~

Throughout history, people have wondered how this world will come to an end. Some say it will just keep going for 1000’s of years, and others say it could end in the next decade or two. Some worry whether it will be destroyed by some catastrophic event(s). In the 1960’s, there was talk about nuclear war; in the 1970’s, it was an ice age; in the 1980’s, it was the ozone layer; in the 1990’s, it was global warming; and since the early 2000’s, there’s been talk about EMP’s, solar flares, super volcanoes, and climate change.

The truth is that God has already told us how this world, as we now know it, will come to an end. His word tells us that Jesus Christ will return to rapture the church, and then judge the earth, pouring out His righteous world-ending wrath. This is called the day of the Lord, and it will be destructive, deadly, and deserved. “The Lord is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness.” Psalm 98:9

The Bible talks extensively about the day of the Lord, and that’s because God doesn’t want us to be ignorant – He wants us to know what will happen, and warn others. Most importantly, we need to tell people to turn from their sin and turn to Christ, believing that He died to pay for their sins and rose again. If they do, they will be forgiven, receive eternal life, and won’t be here on earth when God pours out His wrath. And they won’t go to hell, where they would have been justly and eternally punished for their sins but, instead, will go to heaven, and forever be with God, Jesus Christ, and all the believers. “He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

Here are some important questions and answers about the day of the Lord:
1. What is the “day of the Lord”? This phrase refers to a period of time when God judges sinful people living on this earth. It speaks of specific times in the past (recorded in the Old Testament) when God poured out His powerful and punishing wrath on people and nations. But there is another day of the Lord, a future, fiery, global judgment that will take place just after the end of this age. It is this eschatological day of the Lord that is the focus of this post.

2. Why must God carry out this “day of the Lord”? Because He is perfectly holy and must punish all sin. God has no choice but to judge people’s great and grievous sin. Not only that, but He also needs to clean up this sin-polluted world before His Son begins His holy and glorious 1000-year reign on a restored earth. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 4:8, Acts 3:20-21

3. Does God predict this coming “day of the Lord”? Yes! “The day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation, and He will exterminate sinners from it… I will punish the world for its evil” (Is. 13:6-13; Joel 2:30-32; Zeph. 1:1-3, 14-18; Amos 5:18-20; Acts 2:19-20; 1 Thess. 5:1-4). These many references to the day of the Lord mean that God is deadly serious, that His coming judgment is most severe. Here we are in the end-times, not long before Christ’s coming and the day of the Lord, and God is now sounding the alarm with all these birth pains (Matt. 24:4-8, Rev. 6:1-8). God’s purpose is to wake up and warn people about His world-wide wrath that will result in massive devastation and destruction.

4. Are there other phrases that predict and describe this end-of-the-age eschatological wrath? Yes! Here are some of them: “judgment day” (Is. 10:3), “the day of His burning anger” (Is. 13:3), “the day of vengeance” (Is. 34:8), “the day of the Lord’s wrath” (Zeph. 1:8), “in those days” (Joel 3:1), “the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26), “the day of wrath” (Rom. 2:5), “the day of judgment” (2 Pet. 2:9), “the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6), “the great day of God” (Rev. 16:14). Again, there are many references to this time of judgment which means it’s an extremely important subject, one that both the saved and the lost need to hear and understand.

5. Will Christians be physically affected by the day of the Lord? No, not at all! That’s because God will rescue Christians who are alive on earth from this crushing, cataclysmic wrath. God tells us “to wait for His Son from heaven… Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10), and that He “has not destined us for wrath.” 1 Thess. 5:9

6. How should the coming day of the Lord spiritually affect Christians? First, we should be very thankful that God’s Son was punished for us (Rom. 5:8), that God had mercy on us, that we will escape this end-times’ wrath, and not go to hell, but instead go to heaven (John 3:16). Second, we should be sobered as we think about our just God pouring out His wrath upon this wicked, super-sinful world (1 Thess. 5:5-8). Third, we should be motivated to live holy lives in these last years leading up to the day of the Lord. (Rom. 13:11-14, Rev. 18:4). Fourth, we should love the lost, warning them of the terrible wrath to come and sharing the gospel with them. Luke 21:12-17

7. How will unbelievers be living in the final years before the day of the Lord? They won’t be expecting this coming wrath – they will be living like everything is going to stay the same. “They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying… they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building” (Luke 17:27-28). They will mock the Christians – “… in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’” (2 Pet. 3:3). They will be greatly and grossly sinning – they “did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:12). They will be persecuting Christians – “They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you.” Matthew 24:9

8. What will be the response of unbelievers when they realize the day of the Lord is about to begin. They will be scared to death – “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world” (Luke 21:26). They will be completely caught off guard – “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly… and they will not escape” (1 Th. 5:3). They will try to hide from God but they can’t – “The kings of the earth, the great men, the commanders, the rich, the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.’” Revelation 6:12-17

9. What events need to happen, what conditions need to met before the destructive day of the Lord? Birth pains (false christs, wars, famines, earthquakes, famines); increasing lawlessness; the signing of a treaty by the Jews; the building of the Jewish temple; a great apostasy; great persecution of Jews and Christians; the coming of the Antichrist and his desolation of the temple in Jerusalem; a ten-nation kingdom ruled by the Antichrist; the world worshiping the Antichrist; the false prophet doing great signs and false wonders; unbelievers taking the mark of the Beast, the Antichrist; and the gospel being preached to all nations. All these things must occur before Christ returns to rapture the church and pour out His wrath upon this ungodly world. Matthew 24:4-29, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10, Revelation 13

10. What will be the final warning sign before the day of the Lord? “I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come” (Acts 2:19-20). There will also be a great earthquake. Revelation 6:12-14

11. When does the day of the Lord begin? Sometime after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week. Let me explain. The day of the Lord begins just after the rapture of the church, the rapture being the first event to take place at Christ’s coming. (Matt. 24:29-31, 1 Thess. 4:15-5:2). And Christ’s coming occurs after the coming of the Antichrist. (2 Thess. 2:8-9) – and the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9:27). Therefore, we can conclude that the day of the Lord begins sometime, an unknown time, after the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week.

12. What are the trumpet and bowl judgments? They refer to the two major aspects of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 8-9, 16). First, seven trumpet judgments begin during the 2nd half of Daniel’s 70th week. The first six speak of hail, fire, and blood thrown to the earth; part of the world being burned up; seas, rivers, and springs being polluted with blood; demonized locusts inflicting tormenting pain on the people; and a third of mankind being killed. It will be a most dreadful, devastating, and deadly time. At the end of this 7-year week, the 7th trumpet is blown, and voices in heaven proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Rev. 11:15). It is at this time that Jesus Christ becomes King of the world. Psalm 47, Zechariah 14:9

Second, seven bowl judgments begin just after the end of Daniel’s 70th week and the blowing of the 7th trumpet. Unbelievers are covered with ugly and malignant sores; the seas, rivers, and springs become blood, and all living things in them die; the unrepentant are scorched with fierce heat, and the Antichrist’s kingdom becomes totally dark (the sinners “did not repent of their deeds” (Rev. 16:11). The 6th bowl prepares the world for the climactic judgment of the nations and the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon. The 7th bowl results in the greatest earthquake ever, and huge hailstones pounding the people on earth – and they still “blasphemed God.” And so “it is done” (Rev. 16:17) – the day of the Lord is over, and the righteous, catastrophic wrath of God is completed.

Never forget what God says about the day of the Lord. People have all kinds of wrong thoughts about the future – but now you know what God says about this coming wrath, the day of the Lord. Wake up, be sober, and don’t live for yourself, live for God! It won’t be long before Christ comes back to rapture the church and pour out His wrath upon this evil world. Make sure you tell your saved friends about the day of the Lord. And again, warn the unsaved about this end-of-the age, world-ending wrath. Tell them to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus before it’s too late. Again, be very thankful that you won’t be here for the day of the Lord, but instead, will be in heaven with Jesus and all the believers, and in a brand-new body. “Surely, goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

P.S. You have been reading about the coming wrath of God, but you also need to be reading and thinking about hope, that you have a most glorious inheritance, and will be in heaven with Jesus and all your Christian friends. I encourage you to read these two posts – “You Need Hope to Get Through Life”, and “HOPE: The Who, What, When, How and Why.”

The Day of the LORD – God’s Righteous Wrath

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #254 ~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Being in Heaven With Jesus and All the Believers

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #253 ~

This blog site is about Christ’s coming, the rapture, and the glorious future God has planned out for you. These things should be on your mind and heart, personal and real to you. Do you think about meeting Jesus, being in heaven, seeing your loved ones, and reigning with Him over the earth? It’s important that you do, for this is your hope, giving you endurance and encouraging you to keep living for Jesus. Here are some things God wants you to be looking forward to:

* Literally seeing Jesus Christ. “From my flesh I shall see God, whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another.” (Job 19:26-27). You will actually see Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, One who is God in the flesh. And think about how you will see His pierced hands and feet, permanent marks of His great love for you, of how He died to pay for all your sins. “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see.” Luke 24:29

* Lovingly gazing upon Jesus’ face. “The upright will behold His face” (Psalm 11:7). You will see Jesus’ godly and glorious face, and His sweet and loving smile for you. “I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” Psalm 17:15

* Listening to Jesus’ voice, specifically that He is pleased with you. Won’t it be encouraging when Jesus comes up to you and personally commends you for how you served Him on earth? “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things – I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.” Matthew 25:23     

* Living together with Jesus Christ. “We will live together with Him” (1 Thess. 5:10b) in our heavenly home. “I will go and prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may also be” (John 14:2-3). And you won’t be with Jesus for just a short while – you “shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17, Rev. 21:10-22

* Looking at the incredible, unbelievable, magnificent glory of Jesus. “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.” (John 17:24). You will always be amazed by Jesus, eternally in awe of His glory, of His power, His wisdom, His love, His supremacy, His goodness, His righteousness, His splendor, His faithfulness, His truth, etc. Then you will say, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

* Being gathered together with all the believers to meet Jesus. “We who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17). This spectacular and thrilling onetime event will occur at Christ’s coming – and you will be there! Can you imagine being with this exceedingly joyful assembly, with all the believers from all time, and together seeing Christ in all His power and glory? Matthew 24:30-31

* Being at one of the greatest worship services ever. “Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands, and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.’” (Rev. 7:9-14) This describes what happens just after the rapture, and all the saints are together in heaven, proudly and wholeheartedly worshiping both the Father and the Son. I am really looking forward to this!!!

* Being with your believing friends and loved ones. “Who is our hope or joy or crown or exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19). You will be super-excited about your grand reunion with dear friends and family members you knew on earth. Just think about the soul-warming, God-glorifying times of fellowship you will have in heaven, and which will go on forever. You just can’t imagine the extreme and exhilarating joy you will feel in your heart, and the profound and perfect love you will have for all the saints. “You have come to… the general assembly and church of the first born.” Hebrews 12:23

* Being “absent from the body and… at home with the Lord” – soon enough, you will be gone from this evil world and from your weak, sin-prone body. (2 Cor. 5:1-8). Every Christian should have “the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” than living on earth. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:25). You should long for that time when you will be with your heavenly Father, when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.” Revelation 21:3-4

All believers who have physically died are now experiencing this heavenly perfection, this absence of sin, sickness, and pain, this freedom from fleshly and worldly problems and pressures. And I believe millions more Christians will die and ascend to heaven before Jesus descends to rapture the church, and you may be one of them. At the end of this age, Jesus will return to rescue His bride, and then all believers from all time, those in heaven and those just raptured from the earth, will be glorified. This is when our salvation is complete, when we receive our brand-new glorified body.

Then “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). The Lord Jesus Christ “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21). You will receive “an imperishable body… one that is raised in glory… raised in power… raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:42-44). “We will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52), wonderfully, beautifully, perfectly, powerfully, and eternally.

* Being with the angels. “You have come to… myriads of angels in festive gathering” (Heb. 12:22). All believers will soon be with all the angels, ones who are worshiping the Lord and perfectly “obeying the voice of His word” (Ps. 103:20). We will join the angels in giving praise to our Creator and King, and what a joyful, heart-gladdening time that will be! “I heard the voice of many angels… saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’” Revelation 5:11-13

As a Christian, you have this hope of a great and glorious future, of being in heaven in a new body with Jesus Christ and all the believers and all the angels. It’s imperative that you think about this soul-charging, super-encouraging, God-given hope. This is especially true at this time in history, for we are seeing God’s prophetic word being fulfilled in the world around us – which means it won’t be long before Christ comes and takes us home to heaven so we can forever be with Him. “‘Behold, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20

P.S. Hope is so powerful and so important, and is especially needed when you go through tough times, and as you observe the devilish course of this world. I encourage you to also read this post, “The Rapture, a Love Story” (#6), and this article, “Being in Heaven with Jesus, and the Believers, and in a New Glorified Body” (#14).

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