The Stones Cry Out

"The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. The voice of Your thunder [was] in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. Your way [was] in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron."    Psalm 77:16-20 NKJV

A subject I have spoken of often has lately begun to make the news in a somewhat obvious way, especially if looked at in light of what Jesus warned about when using the example of signs increasing in frequency and intensity as they do in a woman’s labor. When I talk with people about the command to watch, the question naturally arises as to just exactly what are the sorts of things we should watch for?  That is a very good question, and one that I believe every one of us should ask ourselves in light of what the Word tells us about signs of the end of the age and the nearness of Christ’s return.

In this passage from the book of Psalms, the author is troubled and in despair so he thinks back to the past and the times that God manifested Himself in human history by actions man could only describe as supernatural. The verses above refer to the time that God led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt and through the Red Sea on their journey to the Promised Land. Now I think the important point to make here is that although Moses and Aaron were used by God to shepherd His people, it was God Himself who led them.

"And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, [from] before the people."    Exodus 13:21-22 NKJV

Now why do I think this is important? Look closely at the passage from Psalms and notice what the author says the reaction of the earth was to the presence of God. Do you see what I see? We are told the waters were afraid, the depths trembled, there was a downpour of rain, thunder along with lightning that lit up the entire world, and not to mention earthquakes that shook the earth. Yet to me, the most important part of this passage is the fact that it does not say God “caused” these things to happen, rather it was a response of the earth to actually “seeing” the presence of God. 

Right about now some of you are probably thinking wait just a minute here; do you really believe the earth can “see”? Well, why not? Not only do these verses say it does, we are told elsewhere that the earth can talk too.

"Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: " 'Blessed [is] the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."    Luke 19:37-40 NKJV

So if we are to believe what the Bible tells us, the earth has and can react to the presence of God in physical ways, some of which might surprise us. Is that really so hard to believe? After all, the earth was created by God just as we were created, so who knows what physical reaction could be produced by the approach of the power which created it? This is the question that I would like you to think about in light of some of the things happening in the world right now.

"For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only [that], but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."                              Romans 8:22-23 NKJV

Why does the entire creation groan? No doubt because of the changes brought about by the fall in Genesis where even the shape of this world was altered by the introduction of sin. Notice that Paul is telling us here that both nature and man are waiting for the exact same event; the return of Christ! And the reason we groan? We as believers know what we will receive when Christ calls us home to be with Him forever. The anticipation of leaving this earth grows every day as we watch the events around us which give evidence that the world is, like in Noah's day, moving farther away from God rather than towards Him.

Most of us would agree the Bible clearly teaches that there will be signs that precede the return of Christ, many of which are physical in nature. Events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis can explain many of the events described as occurring just before Christ returns. Many of these things are beginning to happen right now in various places in the world, and most of those who are watching and waiting for His appearing believe the time is very close. Jesus Himself said this about the signs that would appear just before His return.

"For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."  2 Peter 3:5-7  NKJV

I began this post mentioning that I have noticed a significant uptick in signs I believe tell us our time to leave is near. If, as I believe, the earth itself will warn us of the Lord’s return drawing near, consider the following list of headlines from just this past week alone and I believe you will see what I mean.

Violent thunderstorms hit Germany, possible tornado near Frankfurt

Back-to-back earthquakes shake Southern Colorado

Mississippi tornado claims a life, causes widespread damage amid record southern heat

Five dead, 28 missing as monsoon rains ravage Nepal’s Koshi Province

Extreme rainfall hits southern Brazil, leaving at least 11 people dead and 20 missing

Rare snowfall, cold wave in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz deals blow to agriculture, kills cattle

Beijing breaks mid-June heat record as temperatures reach 39.4 °C (103 °F), China

Residents of an island in Washington are facing an unprecedented invasion of millions of caterpillars

Nevada Hit by Plague of [Mormon] Crickets

Meteor explosion over northern Israel has people looking to the heavens

Blistering heat continues with 25 million in Texas, Oklahoma under Excessive Heat Warnings

What's behind all the giant hail that has pelted the South?

Hailstorm injures almost 100 at Louis Tomlinson concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado

Massive hailstorm and torrential rain cause widespread damage in Spain’s Murcia

Summer snowstorm strikes Alberta, confounds residents with unusual June snowfall, Canada

Severe thunderstorms produce large hail and multiple mudslides in Austria, causing widespread damage

200,000 Lightning Flashes – Tonga’s Hunga Eruption Produced the Most Intense Lightning Ever Recorded

U.S. Corn And Soy Crops Are At Risk As Drought Conditions Rapidly Spread In America’s Breadbasket

The Temperature Rise In The Atlantic Ocean Is “Unprecedented”, And Millions Of Fish Are At Risk

As I said, those were just a sample from this past week alone and to be truthful it was only a small sample.  Is it so hard to believe something strange is going on and that the frequency and intensity of these sort of events is on the rise?

"So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near--at the doors!"    Mark 13:29 NKJV

So here is my question for today; does God cause these things to happen, or just like the events in Exodus when God came to earth to lead His people away, is the earth reacting to His approach once again? Is it possible that the increase in frequency and intensity of physical events is because the closeness of Jesus returning for His church is causing a physical reaction by the earth?  If we consider what the Bible has to say as being the true and faithful Word of God, I would suggest that we should, as well as understanding that by what we are told, this is only the beginning.

"Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry."    2 Samuel 22:8 NKJV

My feeling, along with many others, is that time is quickly running out for the Church to accomplish its work here on earth, and it would come as no surprise to hear the trumpet blow and our call to go home to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at any time.  If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to allow Jesus Christ to come into your heart, and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by simply praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

Are the stones crying out?

Keep watching.

A Time To Mourn

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Mark 13:28-37 NKJV

I often find it surprising that so many ask me why I choose to study and teach on prophecy when there are so many portions of scripture like this one from Mark that makes it clear what Jesus expects from us. I try to explain to those who ask the question that this is not merely a suggestion from God, but a command repeated over and over again. I try to get the point across that if God commands us to watch, it is because He intends to show us signs that we will recognize as harbingers of the end of this age. One of the points I have often contemplated concerning this particular passage is if it is possible God is giving us a clue as to when the rapture would occur when He chooses to use the season of summer as an illustrative tool.

The term “dog days of summer” is familiar to most, yet many are probably not aware of what it means or of its origin. Actually, while the answer to that question is hazy and debatable, some believe it may date back as far as the Roman Empire. As to what it might mean, let me make a suggestion based solely on my own observations and educational experiences. Like many people, at one time I had a dog who was as friendly as the day was long. I also, though, live in a part of the country which experiences summers which tend to occasionally receive triple digit heat late in the season. Just like people, however, I used to notice my dog got just a little testy during these days of excessive heat.

As I considered that, I also was reminded of something I realized back in the day when I was a history major in college. Do you know the vast majority of conflicts in the history of the world have started during the summer months? While there might be many reasons for that, I wonder if the conflict that God reveals in His Word concerning the future of Israel and the world, taken along with His command to watch using a reference to the season of summer, should be a major clue to those of us who choose to obey His command?  Could it be that summer is the season that all the events we are told to watch for will converge and produce the conflict we are told so much about?

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are] bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,”

Isaiah 61:1-2 NKJV

While many are familiar with the seven Feasts of Israel, which were celebrations appointed by God and revealed to Moses during the Exodus, not as many are familiar with the Fasts of Mourning which are days which commemorate a tragic event or events that have occurred throughout Israel's history. While these days of remembrance were not instituted by God, He does mention them when He reveals to the prophet Zechariah that the time will come when they will be turned into days of celebration after the tribulation ends and the Messiah begins His reign on the earth.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Zechariah 8:19 NKJV

The seventeenth of Tammuz, which is the first fast day, or the fast of the fourth month referred to by Zechariah in the passage above, is going to arrive soon. This day begins a period of three weeks of national mourning in Israel that lead up to Tisha B' Av, or the ninth of Av which is the fast of the fifth month. When discussing this first fast day in his book “Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny”, the late Grant Jeffrey says that the events which have occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz serve to show the nation of Israel that God's favor had been withdrawn from them because of their sin as a nation. It also served as a sign that God's judgment was soon to follow, which throughout history has certainly occurred on the ninth of Av.

I have always believed that if God goes to the trouble of telling us a specific day or time that something has happened, there is probably a very good reason for it. The first passage in this post comes from the book of Isaiah, and is noteworthy because it was also quoted by Jesus during His ministry here on earth. If you look in the fourth chapter of Luke you find this account;

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:”

Luke 4:16-17 NKJV

Jesus then reads the passage from Isaiah 61 but does an interesting thing; He stops reading in the middle of verse two where it begins to talk about the day of vengeance. Then Jesus explains to the people;

“And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:21 NKJV

Almost every commentator I have read agrees that this is because the day of vengeance that Jesus does not talk about is the future tribulation period that will come upon Israel because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. It is during this time of tribulation that the rest of verse two comes into play because what it describes is that period of time the passage from Isaiah calls “the day of vengeance of our God“. If you are at all familiar with the events described in the book of Revelation concerning this coming time of judgment you might think that there will be plenty of reasons to mourn, yet the Bible makes it clear that God intends for the world and the nation of Israel to know the real reason to mourn;

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Matthew 24:30 NKJV

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for [his] only [son], and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

We as believers understand that the next time Jesus returns will be the rapture when He comes in the clouds to take His bride the Church, made up of all who believe in Him, back to Heaven. Now if this were to occur in the month of Av, you would think that this would be a cause for celebration and not a time to mourn, yet the thought that immediately crossed my mind when I read this was one which applies to everyone and not just Israel. You see, while it will be a time of celebration for those who go, don't you think it will be a reason to mourn for those who don't? Of all the events which have occurred throughout history during the three weeks of mourning in Israel, they would all pale in comparison to being left behind when the rapture happens.

Consider just some of the things that are happening all over the world right now. We have the signs of a potential war in the Middle East which could occur at any time, massive storms and flooding, earthquakes occurring, volcanoes erupting, along with over 400 wildfires burning just in Canada alone.  Taking all of these things into account, not to mention the fact that we have just entered the period of time where God has historically demonstrated His displeasure with His children’s disobedience, I would certainly conclude that this is an especially important season to be watching. As such, I think it seems even more important than ever for all of us to consider our eternal destiny and make sure we know we will accompany our Lord when He returns for His bride.

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

John 1:12 NKJV

If you have prayed that prayer, or one like it, you can rejoice that you will spend eternity with God. If not, I'm sorry to say that very soon you might just have a reason to mourn.

Keep watching.

Working Overtime

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”  Matthew 5:13  NKJV

As I have already touched upon recently, what concerns many in the past few months are the increasing attacks on the Church, the body of Christ.  Now I am certainly not the only one to notice, and in the past few weeks I have read numerous articles and commentaries by different authors discussing the persecution Christians are beginning to face and how we should respond to it.  Make no mistake, it is only going to get worse the closer we get to the rapture as Satan advances his plans for this world.  What some have overlooked about this though is the question of “why” the body is being attacked.

As I talked with God about the “coincidence” of the growing animosity towards believers occurring during a time where you would think the message of Christ would be welcomed, He reminded me of the bigger picture by pointing out something I was forgetting to take into account, and that is the author of this current crisis.  The struggle between good and evil has been going on since the Garden of Eden.  The Word of God makes it plain that Satan has a plan to destroy God’s creation any way he can, and what we are witnessing now is simply another step in that direction.  The only thing standing in his way is the Church, the body of Christ, in-dwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit acting to restrain the powers of darkness.

That said, it follows that believers will come under attack and suffer persecution because if we do our job, and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, Satan’s evil plans will be stymied in some manner.  The Church stands in the way of where Satan wants to take this world and it follows that he will try most anything to remove the obstacle which is the Church. The question we must ask ourselves, however, is if it’s possible he is succeeding by using current events to produce a side effect of persecution which renders the Church weaker and unable to restrain as effectively as it was intended to do?

Most scholars agree that the restrainer that Paul mentions is the Holy Spirit, sent to indwell believers on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension.  Without a doubt, if a poll were taken of believers concerning how hard the Spirit is having to work in these present times in order to restrain the plans of the evil one, most would probably say the Holy Spirit is working overtime. While we agree that it is the Spirit who restrains, many also fail to realize that it is the Church, those of us who have chosen to believe, that the Spirit uses to restrain evil in this world.  So it follows that if the Church can be rendered weak and ineffectual, evil will increase. 

The following is just an excerpt from an article on the restrainer written by Jack Kelley, that I want to share with you today.

Who is the Restrainer?  A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The Holy Spirit

That leaves the Holy Spirit Himself and there happens to be Biblical precedent for both His restraining influence and His abrupt withdrawal before a world wide judgment. In support of His restraining influence, John 16:8 has the Lord saying the role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, and righteousness, and judgment. Notice the Lord didn’t say He would convict only believers, but the world, believers or not. The Greek word John used there is “kosmos”, which means the whole world.

Just as everyone intuitively knows there’s a God (Romans 1:18-20), everyone intuitively knows right from wrong. Paul said even those who don’t have the law will do things the law requires by nature because the requirements of the law are written on our hearts, and our consciences will accuse or defend our actions accordingly (Romans 2:14-15). I believe the “guilty conscience” that even unbelievers experience when they do wrong is the Holy Spirit convicting them in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment. Throughout the Church Age this conviction has been a major restraining force against evil in the world.

In 1 Tim. 4:1-2 Paul wrote,  “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (In Paul’s time applying a fire-heated piece of metal to a wound was an accepted way to help stop the bleeding and close the wound. It’s called cauterization, an extremely painful process that left a hideous scar.)

This tells us the current trend of making good appear to be evil and vice versa is a sign that the end is near. Hypocritical liars from inside and outside the church have been causing a gigantic paradigm shift in the world. They intuitively know the things they are trying to teach us are wrong and the conviction of the Holy Spirit has wounded their consciences. By repeatedly suppressing the guilt they feel they’ve effectively “cauterized” their consciences to close the wound. This has left their consciences hideously scarred, but allows them to continue spreading their lies without feeling the guilt.

In the process they’ve also destroyed their powers of discernment which means that each succeeding lie is easier to accept and repeat than the one before it.  We’ve seen the proof of this as things our parents’ generation would have abhorred are now being celebrated in ours.

As for the Holy Spirit being temporarily taken out of the way, Genesis 6:1-3 tells of the time before the Great Flood when certain angels rebelled against God, exchanged their angelic form for human form and began having children with human women. Genesis 6:4 calls these children the Nephilim. They apparently had incredible skills and abilities and eventually led the whole world astray. Before long the entire creation had been irreparably corrupted.

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3)

Noah and his family had not been genetically corrupted by this hybrid invasion. The Lord commissioned him and his sons to build an ark to preserve themselves, their wives, and selected animals and 120 years after His pronouncement He destroyed the whole world in the Great Flood.

The Hebrew word translated “contend” in Genesis 6:3 means “to act as a judge”. In other words the role of the Holy Spirit in pre-flood times was to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, and righteousness, and judgment just like He’s doing in our time (John 16:8). And before the flood God said there would come a time when His Spirit would step aside and allow a time of judgment to proceed, just like Paul said the restrainer would do at the end of the age.

So The Holy Spirit has been holding back the secret power of lawlessness and will continue to do so until He is taken out of the way. All things considered, I believe the Bible makes a compelling case in support of the Holy Spirit being the restrainer Paul spoke of in 2nd Thessalonians. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah 09-14-13.

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/restrainer/

The Holy Spirit, using the Church to wield His sword, has been restraining since the beginning of the Church age.  But the combination of false doctrine being taught along with the persecution and hatred many are feeling right could have the result of the Church's "salt" going stale. Just as in the days of Noah, there will come a time when the Holy Spirit will be taken away along with the Church and this world will once again suffer the judgment of a vengeful God.  Is it possible one of the reasons that happens is that the Church becomes weak and ineffective? I think a case could be made that we are rapidly approaching that time for many reasons, but the situation the Church finds itself in right now leads me to believe it is right around the corner.

While this might well be the case for the Church as a whole, individuals can still choose to be a light in these times of darkness and serve the Lord as He desires us to do.  Allow the power of the Holy Spirit which lives inside each of us to do God's will and refuse to be discouraged or distracted from the work we were put here to do.  I believe the intensity of the persecution Christians are beginning to suffer is a very important sign that the end is truly near.  While no one enjoys going through the troubles we are facing in these present times, as believers we know there is light at the end of the tunnel by way of the promised rapture of the Church.

"Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing."  Matthew 24:36. NKJV

The deliverance by way of the rapture is only promised to those who truly believe and are members of the Body of Christ.  If you have never accepted the gift of eternal life offered to us by the sacrifice of Jesus, simply pray a prayer like this one;

Jesus I know that I am a sinner, and have sinned against you.  I believe you loved me enough to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins, and that He rose from the dead so that I can live.  Forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to live for you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Keep watching.

Courage

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”     Revelation 2:10 NKJV

One of the first things I learned when I first embarked on a serious study of the book of Revelation was the importance of the first three chapters of the book and the part they play in the history of the church. The fact that there are exactly seven letters to seven churches should be the first clue that there is something special there by the simple fact that the number seven in the Bible always refers to perfection in the sense of completeness, or a perfectly complete picture of something. Yet when you study these seven letters you begin to see that the picture we are given has application on far more than just one level.

Now the obvious picture is that Jesus is giving a “report card” to the church as a whole, and uses these seven in order to show that there are just seven categories to describe a church and all churches will fall into one of them. Yet scholars have found that these seven categories also mirror the evolution of the church throughout history. On an even more personal level is the fact that each of us as believers can be categorized as fitting the description of one of these churches in regards to how we choose to live out our faith.

So simply put, if we are as close to the return of Jesus for His church as we believe, the church today as a whole can be described as lukewarm (Laodicean), while yet being made up of individual churches which can fit the description of any of the other six. Most important to note though is that all churches are made up of individual believers who can also be described as fitting one of these seven examples we are given. As one well known bible teacher is fond of saying, make no mistake that these seven letters apply to all of us today!

With that in mind, my thoughts have continually been drawn to the description of the church at Smyrna, which you find is the only church of the seven that Jesus had no words of correction for. In Jesus' eyes they were “doing it right” which should to us be an example of how we should live. Yet Jesus also has a word of warning for them which we see in verse ten of chapter two, that has always intrigued me. Why is that? Well if we accept the premise that these letters apply to all of us, it becomes obvious that any church as a whole, and any individual believer fitting the description of the church at Smyrna, is going to have a time of tribulation that apparently lasts for ten days just before the return of Jesus for His church.

Now this conclusion on my part is based on the premise that the Bible “says what it means, and means what it says”, and there is no question that this is exactly what this verse says. Although these ten days of tribulation occurred in the past, because these letters apply to us as well it's logical to assume we are being told that one type of church, and one type of believer, is going to suffer ten days of “tribulation” just before the Church goes home. So my next question is just what might this “tribulation” be? In order to try and figure that one out let's examine the meaning of the word used here for tribulation.

Tribulation; Gk. thlipsis; a pressing, pressing together, pressure...oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits.

Have you ever felt "pressured"?  A question I have always had in regards to living in the end times is just how much discomfort are believers going to be subjected to as we get closer and closer to the return of Christ for His church? Lately it would appear that the answer to that may be very uncomfortable as more and more I am hearing about situations where dedicated, committed believers being subjected to trials they never suspected would occur. Many are a direct result of the state of the economy, as more and more people are having trouble paying their bills, and even struggling to put food on the table.  

Of course, we can’t ignore the controversy surrounding the acceptance and inclusion of behavior the Word of God plainly teaches against, and the increasingly violent reactions when courageous individuals choose to speak out against those actions. The examples we have seen lately of what happens when anyone has the courage to present the Bible's stand on any of the issues pertaining to the “woke war” is alarming to say the least.  Of course, it should come as no surprise that the natural question which results from these situations is simply "why"? As a believer, shouldn't we be able to expect God to spare us from these troubles? 

“Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to [those who have] no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew [their] strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:27-31 NKJV

Obviously, from this passage we can see that Israel was complaining to God that He was obviously unaware of their suffering because He had not done anything about it. They were feeling as if God had abandoned them, and was either unaware or unwilling to do anything to alleviate their suffering. Especially interesting is the idea we see that the people felt that God was obliged to deliver them! Do you notice the words "just claim"? They felt as God's chosen people, they should somehow be immune to struggles. I am sure many today are experiencing those same feelings as they experience the hardships that seem so prevalent in our nations current situation. Yet Isaiah goes on to answer those feelings by telling us three things we need to remember when we experience trials in our lives.

First of all, Isaiah reminds us that God is never asleep, or too tired to listen to our cries for help. He doesn't "faint" or get "weary", and believe it or not, He has a plan that we as humans may not "understand". His ways are not our ways, but Isaiah assures us that even though we may not understand, or agree, God's ways are not our ways.

Secondly, Isaiah assures us that God will give us the "power" and the "strength" we need to endure. It seems here as if we are being told that within the body of Christ there are three levels of maturity. The "youth" would refer to those who are new and relatively immature believers who would struggle the most when experiencing these kinds of difficulties. The "young men" would be those who have grown enough to endure a bit longer, but still struggle with circumstances they could not control. Those who are able to "wait", however, are those believers mature enough in their faith to understand that God is always faithful to provide the strength we need to endure.

Third, Isaiah uses a beautiful example of an eagle to picture what life as a mature believer can be. Can anyone imagine running and never getting tired, or walking forever without running out of energy?  One of the first things you notice when you get up close and personal with an eagle is just how big their wingspans are. Where I live, watching eagles soar is a common pastime and I have often seen eagles with a span of 6-7 feet, and the strength they possess is just amazing to watch. To see them dive on the river and come up with a fish that I would have to use two hands to just lift takes your breath away. Then of course, we come to their endurance. These eagles can seemingly soar forever. They just sit over the river riding the air currents and hardly ever move their wings. They simply sit up there floating for hours without seeming to expend any effort at all until they spot dinner swimming below. 

Is it any wonder God chooses to use the eagle as an illustration of His care and concern for His own? The power and strength and endurance is there for us when we need it, but what is required of us most is to wait. We are an impatient people who want answers and action right now, but our God is a God of patience and deliberation. 

"Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Psalms 34:19 NKJV 

God tells us that as faithful, righteous believers we will suffer afflictions. If we believe what Revelation says, the last ten days here on earth are going to be very, very uncomfortable for some. However the proper response is to wait upon the Lord who is not only able, but promises to give us the strength we need to soar like eagles. Note in the passage from Isaiah that God does not promise to take away the suffering, but rather to give us "strength and endurance" so we can be delivered through it. The Revelation passage says if we endure, we gain the “crown of life”. When believers suffer, rather than growing tired or fainting, we need to ask for strength and wait for the promises of God as a witness to those around us that God indeed will provide what we need.

It is just my opinion, but I truly believe that when the rapture occurs it is the “Smyrna” type believers who will leave the biggest impact on the ones left behind because they were faithful to endure the tribulation they had to go through those last ten days. To me though, the best reassurance I have from this passage in Revelation is the very first words Jesus says to us; “Do not fear...”. As hard as we may struggle, we need not fear for God has promised to deliver us. Right now, anyone who chooses to take the Bible's position on anything sets themselves up for the definition of “tribulation” given in the letter to the church at Smyrna, yet our Lord says do not fear!

"And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Luke 18:7-8 NKJV

At some point, has the thought occur to you that we should just give up? We are losing the fight so why bother anymore? David never gave up although at times it looks like he believed the entire world was against him. Yet David knew God was faithful to fulfill His promises because he never asked "if" God was going to act, only "how long" until He would act, and we should know that as well. Although it may appear that we are fighting a losing battle, the battle is not over until the Son of Man comes to take us away. Will He find faith?

If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.

Please join me in praying for those who are struggling as we approach the end of this age. Never forget; do not fear, for God is faithful.

Keep watching.