These end times can cause a lot of angst as we witness the world fall apart at an exponential pace. Who could have imagined in January or February 2020 that we would still face the events that happened the last year and the increase that continues to happen in 2021 that will bring us more tribulations and trials stemming from the depravity of man through Satan?
The events of last year and in the present may have surprised us, but we should not be taken aback by them because we know such tribulations must happen. We know as time moves on, we will face adversity, but I didn’t think it would be at the pace we are witnessing.
If you are like me, I expected that things would begin to go downhill gradually, at a slower pace than what has happened and what is happening, but it did not. It is like we were blitzed by the enemy on multiple fronts to knock us off our feet.
We can expect more trials and tribulations because Satan wants us distracted and wants to divide believers, so our eyes are taken off God and our Lord and Savior. He also wants to distract unbelievers from seeking refuge in Christ. The faithful can discern what Satan is doing, and we are prepared to stand strong in God regardless of his tactics.
We can expect more and more troubles to come, including an expanse of persecutions against the faithful. We can expect more diversions and tactics to divide us that are coming from the minions and plans of Satan.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 states, “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” The God of the universe is faithful to believers.
He won’t throw us to the lions to be consumed because He is faithful to His promises. All we must do is trust Him and His ways so that, regardless of what happens, we are in Him and are steadfast in Him.
This does not exclude us from the looming increase in trials and tribulations as we await the rapture. In John 16:33, Christ stated, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Instead of having angst, we should be encouraged by the events unfolding around us. We are eternal beings temporarily pilgriming in this world. Each day that comes and passes is another day closer to the rapture and eternity with our beloved Father in Heaven.
There are believers that do not see it this way. They fear what is occurring. They are terrified of what the next day will bring, of how much worse things will get. Their faith is beginning to wane, and they are slipping into despair instead of rejoicing in our faith and the hope in God. Instead, they are looking to man and the world to make things better.
Many church leaders are to blame for this fear and misplaced faith that envelops believers. Instead of teaching truth, even the hard truths, they look for ways to tickle ears through messages that make people feel good about themselves. They refuse to provide preaching on events related to what we are facing today in the world as prophesied in the Word, as well as the coming rapture of the church.
Pastors are doing a disservice to the souls of their congregants by only feeding them feel-good messages, giving them a false sense of security in the world instead of instruction on preparing for more trials and tribulations as the rapture nears.
The teachings these lukewarm pastors provide are only messages to help people not see the truth unfolding before them. The lukewarm messages are aimed at drawing people in so that they come back each week, so the pastor can stoke the congregant’s emotional responses of feeling good and that everything in the world is fine for them.
So, when these folks leave church on Sunday and face the world the rest of the week, they are blind and unprepared by what is going on around them – their pastors have not prepared them for spiritual battle. They are ripe for the picking by Satan.
Those misled congregants leave church each week and live their lives in a bubble of misinformation. They, due to poor leadership, believe having Jesus in their lives ensures they will not face trials or tribulations. And why should they not believe this? Because all they get is feel-good messages!
This is wrong. I mean, it is great to encourage people, but the hard truths tied to hope found in the Word of God need to be addressed. If not, they are misleading their sheep down the wrong road and are not preparing them for the spiritual battles going on around us right now.
Believers who can read the writing on the wall of what is happening and what is to come know we are in battle on multiple fronts; they know to turn to the Word and prayer to attain confidence and assurance of what must happen so we can go home with Jesus, to meet Him in the air in the rapture.
We can see the evil spewing out everywhere in the world through evil people, but we have confidence in God’s plan for the world and for man. No matter what Satan throws at us through those who worship him and are doing his bidding, we know God will not let us dangle in the grips of the world or leave us behind.
We trust in His promises to believers and Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross as our surety to heaven. As we hold on to our faith, we know He is with us today and will be with us tomorrow and each day thereafter until we go to Him in heaven and live in His holy presence for eternity. Nothing or no one can wedge us apart from our Father for this to happen.
We as believers need not angst about all the things going on or what Satan will do tomorrow because Christ has already won, and Satan is defeated. It does not mean life will be easy, but we can have peace in troubled times because of Christ’s victory over Satan. We know what the end looks like, and we are joyous of the outcome as relayed to us in the Word.
This brings peace to my heart. I know events are being shaped by God to finish His will for the world and for eternity.
I know we will face increasing persecution and trials as believers in the living God. There is no way around this, but we can face them with confidence in God in this world as we look forward to eternity with Him.
Knowing what the end of this era looks like should bring joy to our hearts, not enduring angst. In what we are going through and will go through as this concluding chapter in history closes, let us proclaim to those who listen that God is real, His Word is real, and the revelations of what is to come are sure.
In the end we should rejoice, not fear; praise, not worry. It is going to be a glorious day for believers when we are raptured – soon, I hope!