1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 With so much darkness in this world you will be shaken from your foundation if not built upon Christ. If it were not for Him we would be a people most miserable and without hope. But because of His death, resurrection and ascension, because God has chosen us to be sons and daughters of the King and even though we are in this world we are not of this world. For we are going to be caught up with the resurrected saints to meet Christ the Lord in the air and we shall be with Him forever!
Something big is coming! There is a rumbling, a quaking of the ground beneath us and the world we live in. It is like an approaching wave in the distance, building in height and breadth as it draws closer. As legions of demonic angels are positioning against myriads of heavens angelic host, it seems that the church has found itself in the middle of this spiritual battle, that in the natural, is beyond our capabilities. It seems like darkness is winning, especially because of our technology, we see and hear what is taking place right before our eyes, exactly what the enemy wants. Brutality, murder, violence, hate crimes, even people being beheaded many of which are christians of the faith.
How many times have you thought of giving up, or even dropped your weapons right there on the battle field and began to walk away. When suddenly a voice within you says, "its not time, pick up your sword, I am with you." You're stopped in your tracks by something beyond your comprehension or control. Habakkuk was in a similar situation as he cried out to God in his day about the violence on every side and didn't see God doing anything about it. But Gods response was "I am doing something in your day that if I were to tell you, you would not believe it (Habakkuk1:5). Even with all the images we see, as believers must see in the spirit, trusting that God's plans are far greater and understand that His ways of dealing with situations will be different from ours, its just a matter of time. What we see taking place in the world today has already been spoken of in the bible and a total melt down of life as we know it is eminent, moving closer to Jacobs trouble, the great tribulation.
But Christ is coming for His church! He said when you see these things taking place "Look up for your redemption draws near."We are in the beginning of sorrows and the heat has been turned up but Christ our King, the Lion of Judah, is walking in the midst of the fire with us. For He is a consuming fire and His Spirit fills us that
we can overwhelmingly conquer through Him. Many throughout history have been persecuted
because of Christ through means of vial acts. Tortured, scourged, stoned to death, crucified upside down, sawn in two and yes beheaded. Why? Because of their love and faith in Christ not loving their lives even unto death. Their reward as is ours is greater than this world could ever offer. Steven was a brother full of the Spirit and faith doing great wonders and signs for Christ, until his own countrymen couldn't listen to the gospel or take the conviction of the Spirit any longer, so they began to stone him. As he gazed intently into heaven he saw the glory of God and Christ standing at the right hand of the Father. Steven falling down dying from all the stones, said Lord receive my spirit and don't hold this sin against them (Acts 7:54-60). I have no doubt that this recent barbaric act and many others have been orchestrated by the prince of darkness. As with the case of Steven I am convinced it was the same with those brothers, that they saw the glory of the Lord as their spirit's rose to Him (2Corinthians 5:6-9). Satan is the one who robs, kills and destroys and hates everyone that confesses the name of Jesus. These hate groups, terrorist, are no more than gangs being driven by the spirit of anti-christ, preparing the way for the Beast. But the truth is, it is a win win situation for the christian, because of Christ we truly are the victors. For the dragon may kill the flesh but can never kill the spirit! For the Lord Himself shell descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. All the saints including those coptic christians who are dead but in christ will be raised up into heaven, then we who are alive when the rapture occurs will also be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall always be with the Lord. The question is, are we the American church ready to lay down our lives for the sake of Christ. Saints it is not a time to magnify the darkness but to magnify the Lord. It is that time to stand for what we believe in and who we confess as Lord of lords and the King of kings in our lives!
For the Lord would say " the battle rages on will you dance the dance of freedom in the midst of violence? Or will you be like children in the market place playing the flute and nobody dancing or singing a dirge and nobody weeping. You want things to go your way and you can't see the very presence and plans of God being demonstrated before your eyes. "Come away with Me My beloved My beautiful one and I will show you what is to come" For behold the
winters past the rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines. For the stars will fall from the heavens, the sky will be rolled up like a scroll and every mountain and island will be moved out of their places, "but I will never leave you or forsake you. You are My beloved and I love you with an everlasting love"
Hebrews 11; Romans 8:37; Song of Solomon 2:10-12
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