Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4.
I’m very glad you’ve returned to read about this extremely large and most important elephant in the room. Now, in the second week of the world witnessing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some two months after beginning to write this piece, it becomes much more relevant. Many of us can envision where to the current world events are leading us.
My deep desire is for you to be clear about the generation in which we live. Specifically, preparing for very troubling times and avoiding a devastating and crippling state of fear and desperation. It will accompany many people in the Day of the Lord.
I’m not going to hit this subject with kid-gloves, nor avoid it in order to improve my popularity and gain points for a higher social credit score. I pray for opportunities to be a vessel for disseminating powerful and unadulterated truth to they whom are willing to listen to what God’s Spirit is telling us and warning us to be aware of.
A deep dive into all of the details of the Book of Revelation and other latter-day prophecies is not my intention for this article. Several of those can be found in former essays of mine and much more critically, in the good book itself—the Holy Bible.
Prompted to elaborate on an issue in my previous blog — Part 4. of this series, I feel the need to address an issue in more depth. The circumventing of some crucial scripture passages and lessons. Preacher’s fear of offending their listeners by teaching unpopular lessons, or eventually even becoming illegal to preach certain biblical messages, are not acceptable reasons for Christian clergies to avoid including them in their homilies. On the contrary, they are more important and are needed to be taught now, than in any preceding period of history.
All of God’s word is worthy of reading and teaching at any moment that His Spirit moves us to do so. Failing to obey His confirming call or command promptly, regardless of our reasoning, subjects us to His just consequences for our deeds. The least of those being the exposure of and accounting for our disobedience in the presence of the Great and Righteous Judge. Obeying Him swiftly is very wise and the results will prove to be a much better outcome in the long run. What’s more, we’ll gain rewards for our loyalty to and our trust in God the Father.
The flock is longing for their shepherds to offer the assuring affirmation repeated throughout the bible, “Don’t be afraid!” It’s easy to say, or to read the three simple words, but not so for applying them. We should know how to be fearless in any circumstance.
The fact is, no one can obey the command to “fear not” on their own. I don’t care how big and bad you are, nor how mentally fit and strong you are, nor spiritually knowledgeable and socially stable you are, if you don’t have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you, then you are a target for fear’s terrorizing domination and the complete loss of your soul to hell's eternal fire.
You will beg for rocks on the mountain to fall on you and crush you unto death. Bending your knee and confessing that Jesus is Lord, you’ll want to be put out of your misery from the sight of the face of the One who sits on the great white throne.
On that awesome Day of the Lord, death will flee from you, because God’s wrath will be poured out in full and not a drop less, as prophesied. There will not be any escape from it—for you—the faithless.
If you have rejected God’s free gift of His amazing, sacrificial and saving grace and the blessed hope of His Son, the Savior and Messiah, then I make my firm plea to you again. Repent!—while you still can. You will not get another chance after your life here on earth. Read that again, please!
NOW, is the time for salvation!
Jesus Christ, the Groom, will return to sweep up His Bride, His beloved church of Saints, the followers in the body of Christ. Then, to cast judgement on the wicked souls of the world.
Am I scaremongering? You can choose to believe that, of course, but you’d be hugely mistaken in that assumption. However, fear is a great motivator. It takes fear to move some people toward their Creator to receive His consoling compassion, His needed forgiveness and His secure protection. All you have to do to recognize that fact is to recall the massive rise of church service attendance in the couple of weeks following the horrific event that took place on September 11, 2001.
His peace and truth give everlasting joy.
If you’re reading this and you are not a part of the body of Christ, then you still have the opportunity through God’s grace to become a part of His church body and be saved. The magnitude of what non-believers will experience during the great tribulation is unfathomable, even in our wildest imagination. Such has never been seen before, nor shall ever be again, according to God’s prophetic word. This is true on the other end of the spectrum, as well—the glory of God’s kingdom. Our minds are not wired to comprehend either realm in its entirety.
Though ultimately a futile attempt to express the depth of the coming seven year period, when God’s wrath is to be poured out on the earth and its inhabitants, I will try to share only a snippet of its seriousness. A fleeting glance of its surface is all we’re capable of grasping. That alone speaks to the infinite power of Yahweh.
I’ve written about it before, but it bears repeating. The deception and suffering will be so much so that, if God did not shorten the amount of days to 1,260, ending the second fearsome three and a half year span of His wrath, not even the elect would be able to endure it to the end and be saved.
This tells me that at least some of the saints will be experiencing a part, or all of the great tribulation period. It is also confirmed in Revelation 7:14 NIV, “… These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white.” To come out of “something,” one would have to first be present in that “something.”
One could argue that the saints in question will be converted during the tribulation, therefore surmising that they will have missed the transpired rapture. That’s a reasonable point to debate.
As followers in Christ, let us not get too caught up (excuse the pun) in the timing of the rapture. It’s a disputable issue and should not rise to the level of creating division among God's people. It seems wise to prepare with a mindset for enduring Jacob’s trouble, as it is also referred to as, because the signs of its arrival indicate it may be as near as our doorstep.
When we talk about devastating fear, as Christians, we should be aware of it as only an attribute of heathens. God did not give His children a spirit of fear. The fear in a non-believer is a good state for them to be in. It’s God’s call for them to come to Him. He will give to them His gift of peace and joy, if only they would ask Him for it.
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” There you have it. It’s as easy as that. At anytime, non-believers with a contrite heart can ask our loving God to reveal the truth about His Son and He is faithful to grant them their request. Hopefully it will inspire them to take a leap in faith, believing that Jesus, being the Messiah, will catch them in His saving, pierced and healing hands.
Having self pride only damns the proud. Having pride in the King of the Jews sanctifies the beholder.
There is not one good reason for anyone living to experience the full wrath of God, when Jesus has already done that for you.
Fear not! We shall not come to cower from the elephants in the room. However, we can come to the Lord with fear, trembling and tribulation.
Shalom!