This is a deeply troubled world, and the Bible says that things are going to get worse before they get better. But Bible believers have a thousand reasons to be encouraged every day. It is not God’s will that we fret or fear. We possess a sure hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. We are children of the living God. We serve the One who said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” One of His commandments is to “rejoice in the Lord alway.” A God who commands His people to rejoice alway, who wants His people to be happy, is a good God! We live in dark and confused times, but we don’t walk in darkness and confusion. We have the bright light of God’s holy Word, and we know the “end of the story.” Islam will not take over the world or destroy Israel. Life will not become extinct through man-made global warming. The church age will continue to progress toward its prophesied end at the Rapture of New Testament saints. Until then, the focus of every child of God and every assembly should be on the fulfillment of the Lord’s Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. He has promised, “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Mat. 28:20). Scorners will increase, and apostasy will spread in perilous times, but the Spirit of God will continue to restrain the mystery of iniquity and save souls and comfort saints until God is good and ready for this age to end, for it is He who changes the times and the seasons and removes kings and sets up kings. When the Restrainer is taken out of the way, the Antichrist will rise out of the old Roman Empire as a brilliant, charismatic leader and an unprecedented diplomat. He will seemingly solve the “Middle East crisis” with a peace covenant affecting Israel. The Third Temple will be rebuilt. The world will cry, “Peace and safety,” but then sudden destruction will come upon them (1 Th. 5:3). There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Dan. 12:1). God’s judgments will fall. The Antichrist will set himself up as God and force the world to worship him on pain of death. No one will be able to buy or sell without his mark. This time of unprecedented trouble will last a few years only, and Jesus Christ will return as He promised. Those of us who know Him, are looking for the uppertaker, not the undertaker. We are strangers and pilgrims in this present world. Our citizenship is in heaven where Christ sits at the right hand of God. And that’s only the tip of the blessing iceberg! Pray tell, why should I be discouraged? “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4). (Friday Church News Notes, July 4, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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