One of the fastest ways to become unpopular in this world today is to state that you are a Christian and that there is no other way to Heaven than through Jesus the Christ. In Luke 21:17 and Matthew 24:9, Jesus told His disciples that His followers would be “hated by all nations” for His namesake. He was giving them signs that would be present when this earth was very near the end of this age. (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
All the signs that Our Savior gave have occurred individually at one time or another, but not all at once as is happening today. Watching worldwide newscasts is as if the events are being taken straight from Bible prophecy.
Wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, famines, earthquakes in various places, people falling away from the true faith, betraying one another and hating one another, false prophets, and increased lawlessness are all happening today. Paul, Peter, John, and others add to these signs in their writings. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul’s list is more direct and obviously fits our world right now.
For believers, this should not be a time of “doom and gloom.” What we’re seeing is the fulfillment of the Word from our Heavenly Father, which proves our faith is not misguided. We do not know the exact day or hour that our Savior will call us up to meet Him, but we can rest assured that we are most likely the generation that will see it happen.
The Father promised that none of the Shepherd’s flock would go through the wrath, as given in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10. For the actual tribulation to begin, the ultimate antichrist and false prophet must appear. This takes place in Revelation 6 with the opening of the Seal Judgments. We’re told in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the evil one is being held by a Restrainer right now, and that is understood to be the Holy Spirit.
For reference, some verses that speak about the Holy Spirit being in us are: 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ezekiel 36:27; Isaiah 63:11; 2 Timothy 1:14; John 16:13; 1 John 2:27; and Romans 8:9-11. There are more, but these are specific.
What we need to do is to strive to be more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. On this earth, we are mortal, fallible humans who can never be perfect. Because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, we have all inherited that sin nature. When we are taken up in the Rapture, we will be transformed into our immortal forever bodies and have a mindset such as our Savior has. In 1 John 3:2-3, we’re told, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.”
When we receive and accept Jesus as our Eternal Savior, we are not the same as before. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
God told Jeremiah in Chapter 29, verse 11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord; plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Without our Heavenly Father, there is no hope. When we have Jesus as our Savior, we have the Father. Without Jesus, we do not have the Father (John 3:18, 1 John 1:15, and 1 John 5:12).
Jesus gave us a promise in John 16:33 that is very powerful; “I have said these things to you that, that In Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
For anyone who, up to now, has not formed a true relationship with Our Savior, this would be a good time to get to know Him better and to realize this is no myth. The more we know about Jesus, the easier it becomes to believe He is our one and only Blessed Messiah (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).
Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (1851 – 1920) wrote a wonderful Hymn in 1887 titled; “More About Jesus.” This Hymn could very well be used as a prayer request to the Father to open our minds to learn more about His Son, Our Savior and Redeemer.
1.) More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show; More of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me.
Ref.) More, more about Jesus, more, more about Jesus; more of His saving fullness see, more of His love who died for me.
2.) More about Jesus, let me learn; More of His Holy will discern, Spirit of God my Teacher be showing the things of Christ to me.
3.) More about Jesus in His word, Holding communion with My Lord; Hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine.
4.) More about Jesus on His throne, riches in glory all His own; More of His kingdom’s sure increase, more of His coming, Prince of Peace.
It is becoming more obvious almost daily that evil forces are hard at work trying to gather as many souls to Satan as they can. Up until about a decade ago, we had never heard about “churches of Satan,” yet today, they are opening across our country. Satanic-themed events are taking place with the intent of recruiting souls to accept Satan and what this earth has to offer.
All the “gender” issues can be directly related to this movement. There are those who are saying the actions are no longer an abomination, but they were to apply only to ancient times. There are even those who profess that the Bible is nothing more than ancient fairy tales and does not belong in today’s society.
God does not change; Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In 2 Peter 3:3, we’re told, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” Going to verse 8, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
Going along with the worldly beliefs may make for an easier time now, but everyone’s eternity is at stake. We will spend forever either with Jesus in Heaven or with Satan in hell. There is no other way, no matter what any false prophet may try to tell you.
In some previously biblical evangelical churches, the Bible is being “tweaked” to tickle ears but lose souls. Before accepting what any pastor may say, get a true translation of the Bible and check their messages for yourself. The false prophets will feed you untruths, but God will never lie (Titus 1:2).
If you haven’t formed a relationship with the Savior, please see Romans 10:9-13 for the steps to be saved. All who will truly call on Him to be their Savior will be saved.
For anyone who has not read the Bible for themselves, I would recommend a true translation from a Bible bookstore or a trusted website in a version that will be easy for you to understand. A good starting point would be the book of John, followed by Romans. Then, reading from Matthew through Revelation will be easier to understand.
The point is, the More About Jesus you learn, the more you will see just how much our Heavenly Father loves us all. Our relationship is not based on works or tasks and cannot be bought. Our Savior bled and died on a cruel cross so we would have a true pathway to the Father. No other sacrifices will ever do (Hebrews 10:4).
Jesus gave us the absolute ultimate free gift ever, and to try to pay for it or earn it would be an insult to Him. Please remember, the more you learn about Jesus, the more you will know that His love for us is genuine. He could’ve stopped the process at any time, but He carried through with the Father’s will for you and me. He will be coming for His flock soon. Now is the time to be prepared for His return.
Maranatha! (Come, Lord Jesus.)