Revelation 22:10-11 ESV
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. [11] Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
As I set here the world turns, and as I still have breath, ask the Lord Yahweh to cleans me of all that has jaded me. We see all things coming to a close as we enter perhaps the final act of human history. Chaos reigns supreme as those who have no hope hide in fear while clutching to futility and those who have a hope clouded by sins abounding in these times. Written on the wall are the sins of our fathers yet we still have been doomed to repeat history. We have the promise that if we try to save ourselves that we will lose our lives but if we lose our lives for Jesus Christ sake we will find true eternal life.
Why do I start at the end? Because the end is the beginning! If one thing I know, God completely laid out the first coming, and his entire message within his word and no one saw it coming. No one was aware. They were awaiting a worldly leader, a messiah to establish a literal kingdom. The religious leadership was in complete darkness to the fact that Jesus came to establish a kingdom that was spiritual. A kingdom that never could be overthrown. It was alluded to throughout the Torah and by the prophets. As we enter I ask myself if we too are missing the point of his first coming, the subsequent prophecies and the book of revelation. You see people love to find work around uncomfortable truths. We try to find answers to problems that we don’t need answers to. We live in fear everyday like what will we wear, what will we eat, where will I lay my head? We have an an answer. The great I am will provide. We seek to help him by actively getting in his way like Abraham. Who acted faithfully, yet caused problems to this day with one unknowingly adulterous act of conceiving a child with a second wife. Indeed a blessing to Abrahams seed from Hagar became a curse of tension and fighting over bloodline of faith. Indeed a butterfly effect by one sin. We should be very careful when we set out to do God’s will on our terms. We have grace but every sin causes death and suffering! No wonder God hates sin so much. We ask how he stand to allow such calamity in the world. The truth is we make bad choices and blame him for them. Proverbs 19:3 ESV When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.
So again to our times we see man’s folly in full fruition. Indeed we try to legislate morality to no avail. Sin still tears through our land liberal and conservative alike. Doing as we please without concern. Look to the left, those looking to be left alone in their sin, look to the right looking for freedom to life, liberty and the right to happiness by whatever gain necessary standing on the near waisted earth and the backs of his fellow man asking am I my brothers keeper? All the same as Cain stood in arrogance before his creator while his brothers blood ran cold. We cry over our freedoms to worship yet what have we done with such freedoms? Indeed the church stands before God as filthy as Israel, yet looks down on those who mock as if we did not have an example of holiness and did not ignore it for personal gain and self righteousness. I myself included.
Over and over again Jesus warned us himself and through his prophets and his apostles. Did we listen? Some. Not nearly enough.
To this generation living perhaps within 100 seconds to midnight Jesus told his church….
….. ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. [2] Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. [3] Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. [4] Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Revelation 3:1-4
Revelation 2:20-23 ESV
But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. [21] I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. [22] Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, [23] and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
Revelation 2:5-7 ESV
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. [6] Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
One of the repeating themes in the bible is perseverance, continued steadfastness and trying of faith. I have heard the pre tribulation rapture theology all of my life and I try to balance my views through scriptures. I have come to the conclusion that I just don’t know. The left behind books, thief in the night movies, made it sound like there would be chaos thereafter because of how many Christians are taken but the way Jesus calls us to live I just don’t see it. Also the foreshadowing of how God gave Job to be tested makes me wonder about Christians living as though they will be excused from the hardship of Satan be set free to do as he will. I do know that when Israel enters into the agreement with the anti christ he will be allowed to make war with the Saints.
Revelation 13:7 ESV
Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,
Many will die for their faith. In these last days brothers and sisters, remember Jesus words to endure as sin will continue to abound. It is our love that we must not allow to wax cold. Because our enemy will be in our own house. And we are to continue to love our enemy.
Matthew 24:12-13 KJVS
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 5:44 KJVS
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 10:34-36 ESV
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. [35] For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. [36] And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
Brothers and sisters if we do find ourselves in the tribulation or the beginnings of the tribulation do not lose faith. Hold strong and endure. Never lose faith till the end. Christ comes like a thief in the night and indeed we don’t know the day and hour. We don’t know how it will unfold. Look up for your redemption.
The Path Less Traveled 