It seems that everyone is upset today. No matter where you turn, you hear political mumbo-jumbo, pandemic scares, anger in the streets, evil inflicted upon babies, ungodly lifestyles, and much more. Sin is rampant. That’s all we hear… sin, hate, chaos. Godly values are vilified while satanic ways are embraced. All of this evil can begin to wear away at people, and fear can cause many sleepless nights. What’s wrong with that picture?

The fear that is generated by the news media should have no effect upon Christians. The media can talk all they want, but none of their doom and gloom should shatter our hope and faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe the trouble is that we have a hearing problem… instead of hearing God’s voice, we only hear Satan’s voice speaking through worldly people doing worldly things. Brothers and sisters, we need to openly speak of our faith in order to calm fear and encourage each other.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

To hear the voice of the Lord, pray, study Scripture, and fellowship with other Christians. When you hear God’s truth, you’ll reinforce your faith and will block the fear-mongers of this Satanic world from discouraging you. When others hear your faith in these troubled times, you will be an influence on them.

The news media jabbers on 24/7, and we listen. There’s a frenzy of misinformation. In trying to be the first to break news to the world, they throw out “facts” as fast as the speed of the internet. Then, when the “facts” change, they retract their first fable and throw out other “facts”, which will change before the day is over. It’s all liberal lies. It all creates confusion, which leads to fear. On the other hand, if we listen to Christians standing upon God’s word, our fear is quelled.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33). 

Who do you listen to? If you only hear the chaotic voice of Satan, then your fear will rise. Hearing God’s voice will calm your fears and build your faith. We need to share our faith with non-believers in order to bring them to the saving grace found only through Jesus. We also need to share with fellow Christians. When we share our faith with other believers, we encourage each other to be strong in the Lord. I use prophecy a lot when speaking with fellow believers, because God is in control and prophecy proves He knows exactly what’s happening – because He told us it would happen. It’s easy to be afraid when you’re alone, but knowing there are others near you who have rock-solid faith in Jesus Christ can allow our fear to fade. Don’t stop fellowshipping with other Christians. We need each other.

Paul wrote his letters to the Thessalonians in order to calm their fears. False teaching had trickled in, and these teachings caused confusion and fear. The believers in Thessalonica had been the first to hear about the Rapture, which gave them a sense of peace and hope. Paul had only been with them for three weeks, but in that short time he shared the Gospel, established a congregation, and taught deep spiritual truths. Unfortunately, many pastors today don’t preach the Gospel, let alone mention the Rapture.

From reading Paul’s letters to these Christians, we can see that their faith was true, and they served the Lord. They also saw members of their congregation die. Many were being severely persecuted, and some were martyred… the result of tribulation caused by a corrupt and evil government. They were watching and waiting for the Rapture to take them away from it all, just as we should be doing. Then, false teaching began to enter and caused fear. Instead of remembering what they had heard from Paul, they began to fear they had somehow missed the Rapture. This is similar to the false teaching of today that there will be no Rapture. The congregation in Thessalonica was worried and fearful. Instead of faith giving them peace, false teaching was making them afraid. Paul wrote to reassure them and calm their fears.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).

The Christians in Thessalonica listened to things that caused them fear, and their faith was shaken. They didn’t have MSNBC to feed them lies, but the same spirit of evil existed then as exists now. Paul encouraged them and reiterated the sequence of events leading to the Great Tribulation. The Rapture would happen first.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

First, there will be a falling away. There’s some discussion as to whether Paul meant a departure as in Christians departing in the Rapture, or a falling away from faith as in worldly Christians that care more about secular pleasures than God’s truth. Other Scriptures make it clear that both are true. Today, we see many people turning away from Christianity and mocking God, even when sitting in a pew, standing behind a pulpit, or calling yourself the pope. These are people described in Revelation chapter 3 as the Laodicean congregation.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). 

When the Rapture happens, if you individually haven’t opened the door to Christ, you will be left to face horrors of the Great Tribulation. After the Rapture, the man of sin will set himself up as God Almighty. He’s NOT God Almighty but possessed of Satan. We know that the temple has to be rebuilt in order for him to sit in the temple of God, and that could happen very soon. This passage, as well as many other prophetic passages, tells us that time is getting short and the Rapture is on the near horizon. We need to keep our faith in God and believe His word. That faith will dispel fear.

Do you speak openly of your faith? Many people today are afraid, and only God’s truth can bring an inner peace. Speak up because people need to hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope that it brings. As a Christian, can you explain that to someone? First, we’re all sinners. Adam’s sin put a chasm between humans and God. We had no way to go to Him because of our unrighteousness and sin. Instead, He came to us.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:21-26).

All sin can be forgiven through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but you have to admit you’re a sinner and change your mind about sin. Instead of embracing that which separates you from God, repent and embrace Jesus Christ for salvation. The time for repentance is swiftly ticking away. Accept Christ and turn your fear into faith.

Every believer needs to study prophecy. That means studying both the Old Testament and the New. Understanding the times in which we live can take the fear out of what’s happening around us. God gave us prophecy for a reason. Studying prophecy won’t make the future in this life rosier, but it will give you a road map of what’s to come. Just like when traveling down the highway and your gas gauge is almost to empty, you can find hope and peace in seeing signs that a gas station lies ahead.

We are rapidly moving towards the final seven years of earth’s history. That will be a time filled with horrors unlike anything seen before. Prophecy makes that very clear. Jesus said that there will be many frightening things that lead up to the Great Tribulation, and we are seeing those things happening quickly. That means the Rapture is very near. Every generation thinks they are the final one, but no generation until now has seen so many prophetic signs fulfilled. Israel being back in their God-given land is a major milestone in prophecy. Peter encouraged the study of prophecy. He had seen many wonderous sights as he walked the Holy Land with Jesus, but it’s prophecy he says to pay attention to.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Fear of the dark is dispelled by a light… Satanic darkness is dispelled by the Light of God. As we move through the dark times in which we live, the light of God’s word will calm our fears. Only Biblical prophecy will give us light and help us to see that our Lord will call us Home soon.

Have faith… don’t fear. You have the choice between living in fear or living by faith. Choose faith.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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There are so many things to be thankful for. God gives us so much, but sometimes we misplace our values. Instead of humbly being thankful for the breath in our lungs and the food on the table, we thank Him for things that we shouldn’t take pride in. Our Lord knows the difference between true thankfulness and self-righteousness pride. Jesus taught many lessons through parables. In that way, His point was made, but only those with ears to hear could understand the hidden truth.

One day, He had some truth to teach regarding thankfulness. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” (Luke 18:9). Jesus pointed this lesson to self-righteous people who had little regard for others. Was He speaking to you? Maybe not entirely, but this parable does have a lesson for all of us.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican” (Luke 18:10). These two men were socially complete opposites. Scripture tells us much about Pharisees, and very little is good. For the most part, they were very religious. They knew the Law inside and out…and all the loopholes. They were also very proud of their perceived perfection, and tended to look down upon anybody who wasn’t part of their inner circle. The other man in this parable was just the opposite. He was a publican…a tax collector. This class of people were detested by most people. They were Jewish by birth, but had “sold out” to the Romans. One of the perks of their job was collecting more than the amount of the tax and keeping the difference.

You might remember Zacchaeus who, according to Luke 19:2, was chief among the publicans and rich. He saw Jesus coming his way and was excited. Zacchaeus was “little of stature,” so he climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus as He passed by. Long story short, Jesus chose to visit Zacchaeus at his house, and that encounter totally changed this publican. “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Zacchaeus turned his life around. Anyone who has truly encountered Jesus is changed.

Back to the parable. The Pharisee’s prayer is highlighted first. He was full of gratitude, but was he thankful for the right things? “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Luke 18:11). The Pharisee was thankful, but do you think God was pleased by his prayer? We need to thank God for all that He gives us, but the Pharisee in this parable had a heart problem. He was filled with pride. He was thankful that he was better than others. In his opinion, God had made him better than “…extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”

Then, the Pharisee went on to remind God of just how good he was. “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:12). Those are nice things to do, but they were done for the wrong reasons. They weren’t done to glorify God, but they were done to prove how superior the Pharisee was than others. Good works cannot bring salvation but should be a result of true faith. They should be done to honor God and not to honor yourself.

The publican also prayed. “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The prayer was simple, but it pleased God much more than the prayer of the Pharisee. The publican was humble. Instead of being sure he was in the spotlight where everyone could see him pray, this humble publican stood quietly off to the side. There, he fellowshipped with God, asking for mercy because of his sins. This man recognized that God alone is to be exalted.

Jesus compared these two men and their attitude towards God. “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

God notices the intent of our heart when we pray. Prayer is a time of communicating with God. It’s Him who is to be exalted and praised. The Pharisee only saw God’s blessings in his life as something that made him better than others. His riches were, in fact, his god. What if his circumstances changed? If he lost his fortune and his status among the people, he would have nothing because he wasn’t thankful for true blessings. He saw these material things as lifting him above other people, such as publicans. Would the Pharisee still go the Temple and pray his arrogant prayers if he was poor? On the other hand, the publican was humble and recognized that he was a sinner. He had no false god in his life and humbled himself before the one true God.

A few Pharisees did earnestly seek God. Nicodemus was one of them. Historic records say that he was quite rich, but Scripture discloses that he was also a man who wanted to know truth. He turned to Jesus to find truth. “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:1-2).

This Pharisee was very different than the one in Jesus’ parable, in that he was humble in seeking God. Scripture also records that it was Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arimathea (a rich member of the Sanhedrin), who took Jesus’ body from the cross and placed it in the tomb. These two men humbly put Jesus above their wealth. They were more blessed than the Pharisee who thought himself better than other people. They had truly found blessings through faith, not through riches or social standing.

What about publicans? Scripture tells us of one who chose to leave his wicked ways behind to follow Jesus. “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him” (Matthew 9:9).

As noted before, publicans weren’t respected among the people at all. Tax collectors were considered traitors because they were Jewish men who worked for the Roman government to collect unfair taxes from their fellow countrymen. Any money they collected above the required tax was money in their own pockets. Yet, when Jesus called Matthew, there was no wavering. Matthew immediately left his dishonest profession and followed Jesus. He gave up worldly riches for eternal blessings. When a person sees the sin in their life and turns to Jesus, He will welcome that person no matter what the past sins are. Like Matthew, forgiven sinners must leave their sin and follow Jesus.

Religion cannot bring salvation, and if you’ve put your faith in rites and rituals, you’ve rejected grace through faith offered by Jesus at the cross. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Although it’s difficult for a religious Pharisee, Catholic priest, or any sinner who sees fault in others but not themselves to humbly put God above status and riches, even they can find salvation in Christ. Jesus Christ was not religious, and the rites seen in many so-called Christian congregations are not Scriptural. Only humble faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring salvation.

The Apostle Paul is a good example of that. He had been a Pharisee who knew the Letter of the Law and wanted to force every Jewish-born man and woman to bow before the letter of the Law. Then he met Jesus. His life and attitude were totally changed by that encounter. He learned to be thankful to God no matter what came his way. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). His encounter with Jesus changed the way he saw life. Instead of stoning people who disagreed with him, he understood that only things done for Christ mattered. No matter if he was in prison because of his faith or shipwrecked on an island, he was thankful to God.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That’s a good lesson for all of us. Too often we thank God for our comforts and status, but forget to thank God in the bad times too. Even a Pharisee learned that lesson.

Is your gratitude like the Pharisee grounded in pride and arrogance? Or are you humbly thankful for what God provides, like the publican? I’m thankful that God has blessed me richly, and I recognize the blessings are from Him. I’m thankful that my feet were set firmly on a Christian foundation when I was very young. I’m thankful that God gave me a wonderful husband who drew me closer to God and that my three grown children all know Jesus as their Saviour. I’m thankful my bills get paid each month, and that there is food on my table. Mostly, I’m thankful for salvation through Jesus Christ and want to share that blessing with others.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:3-7).

That blessing is above all other blessings.

What are you thankful for? Pharisee and publican alike can find salvation through Jesus Christ. One isn’t superior to the other, but all are sinners saved by grace. That’s what we all need to be thankful for.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.