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What Is the Tribulation?

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Twelve Answers to Twelve Questions



A Time of Unrestrained Evil

During the Tribulation, evil will flourish. God’s wrath toward the wicked will be revealed. Signs of His coming judgment will loom. It will be a terrible time. But in His goodness, God has not left us unaware. The Bible describes various signs, disasters, and circumstances of this future event and how we can prepare for it.

What Signs Will Warn of the Approaching Tribulation Period?

We can expect ten events to occur in the days preceding the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation. They will continue to multiply and progress as the first 3½ years of the Tribulation unfold.

A Time of Deception

Matthew 24:5

Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

A Time of Dissension

Matthew 24:6-7

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars . . . Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

A Time of Devastation

Matthew 24:7

There will be famines . . .

A Time of Disease

Matthew 24:7

. . . pestilences . . .

A Time of Disasters

Matthew 24:7

. . . and earthquakes in various places.

A Time of Death

Matthew 24:9

They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

Meme: You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. Matthew 24:9

A Time of Disloyalty

Matthew 24:10

Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

A Time of Delusion

Matthew 24:11

Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

It is likely that the delusion will be facilitated by an increase in drug use. One of the characteristics of the End Times’ false religion will be what Revelation calls “sorceries” (9:21). The word John uses is pharmakos, from which we get the word pharmacy. It is an ancient reference to the ingestion of drugs.

The use of mind-altering substances such as narcotics and hallucinogens will be associated with false religions, doubtless with the approval of the government.

A Time of Defection

Matthew 24:12

Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

People will turn away from God and from each other.

A Time of Declaration

Matthew 24:14

This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.

What Will Happen on Earth During the Tribulation?

Things will be far worse than today (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Completion of the Rapture will usher in the seven-year period described in Revelation 6—18. For the first 3½ years, conditions will worsen; God’s anger will burn against the wicked; and signs of Christ’s coming will appear. During the last 3½ years, the “lawless one”—the Antichrist—will be empowered to sit at the center of the Tribulation’s evil as he personifies Satan.

What Will Happen in Heaven During the Tribulation?

Christians will be in heaven. God will be seated on the throne, surrounded by a rainbow of emerald greens. Twenty-four elders representing the church-age saints will sit around the throne. Before the throne will be a sea of glass. Around the throne, there will be four living creatures, singing praise to the One on the throne. All heaven will worship the glorified Christ, the Creator of the world. God’s judgment of the physical earth will soon follow, but before He does, the Church will worship earth’s Creator in heaven. Thunder, lightning, and voices proceeding from the throne will signify the impending judgment (Revelation 4:5).

Will Christians Escape the Tribulation?

Yes, Christians will escape the seven-year nightmare of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10).

I believe the Bible clearly teaches that the Church will be raptured, or transported to heaven, before the Tribulation begins. This will be accomplished through the personal, bodily return of the Lord to remove His waiting Church from earth and to reward them according to their works. This will take place before the judgments of God are poured out upon the unbelieving world.

Meme: The Church will be raptured before the great tribulation begins.

I believe the following Scriptures support the imminent return of Christ for His Church prior to the Tribulation, rather than during or after it: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 21.

Excerpt from The Handwriting on the Wall:

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3, NIV). In the midst of all the difficult times, the horror of the Tribulation, God has some special things that He has reserved for those who serve Him. He says they are to become like stars in His galaxy! (Chapter 20, “The End Times,” page 240)

What Natural Disasters Will Occur During the Tribulation?

The sun will turn black, the moon will turn red, and great earthquakes will be common.

Revelation 6:12 says, “Behold, there was a great earthquake.” It continues, “The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.” When Jesus died on the cross, the whole earth darkened at midday. When Egypt was judged, there was a blackness of night. When the Lord descended at Mt. Sinai, the mountain was shrouded in black clouds. Likewise, darkness will fall at the onset of the Tribulation period.

The stars will fall out of the sky.

Revelation 6:13

The stars of heaven fell to the earth.

The word “star” here is the Greek word aster and it refers to luminous bodies in the sky other than the sun and moon. Clearly these “stars” are not the distant stellar objects we know as stars. More likely, this refers to a cluster of asteroids that will pummel the earth.1

The mountains and islands will move.

Revelation 6:14

Every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

When the asteroids strike the earth, it is possible that the earth’s crust will be so disturbed by the impact that great segments of it will actually begin to slip and slide over the earth’s mantle. According to Dr. Henry Morris, those living in the regions above such shifting will observe the heavens appearing to move in the opposite direction, as if they are being “rolled up.”2

The ocean will become blood.

As Revelation 8:8-9 explains, a great mountain burning with fire will be cast into the sea. The sea will become blood, and one-third of all sea life will die. In addition, one-third of all ships will be destroyed. The far-reaching implications of these judgments are beyond our understanding. Someone has reasoned that the oceans occupy about three-fourths of the earth’s surface, so the extent of this judgment will be staggering. The pollution of the water and the death of so many sea creatures will vastly affect the balance of ocean life. This will happen to one-third of the saltwater bodies of the world.

The water will become poisoned.

Next, freshwater supplies will be affected. They will become bitter and cause many people to die (Revelation 8:10-11). The instrument of judgment will be a great star known as “Wormwood.” This literal star or meteor hurtling through space will sideswipe earth, turning one-third of the earth’s water into a deadly poisonous liquid. Rivers, springs, and wells will all be affected.

Excerpt from Escape the Coming Night:

The hour-hand on God’s timeclock is wound up and spinning. We are being swept along the path of history by a swift wind at our backs. Our individual ability to weather the storm will come from our understanding of the Word of God. We need only heed what has echoed through the centuries: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22). (Chapter 5, “The Lukewarm Church in the Last Days,” page 82)
Meme: Our individual ability to weather the storm will come from our understanding of the Word of God.

When Will the Rapture and Tribulation Occur?

Jesus could come tonight! You may hear people argue that the Rapture cannot occur until the whole world has heard the Gospel; therefore, we need to preach the Gospel to every creature until the “last person to be saved” is brought into the kingdom, at which time Jesus will return for His Church. This cannot be true. If there is anything yet to happen before Christ’s return, then there is no such thing as the “imminent return” of Jesus Christ. The command to take the Gospel into the whole world is pressing upon every generation. However, the condition of the Gospel going to the whole world is not a condition of the Rapture, but of the Second Coming of Christ.

Will People Be Saved During the Tribulation?

Assuming there are no believers on earth at the beginning of the seven years of the Tribulation, this is a good question. However, Scripture indicates there will be two witnesses and 144,000 sealed Israelites who will proclaim the truth during the Tribulation (Revelation 11, 14). In addition, Dr. Henry Morris suggests a “silent witness” because “millions upon millions of copies of the Bible and Bible portions . . . will not [be] remove[d] and multitudes will no doubt be constrained to read the Bible in those days . . . [and] will turn to their Creator and Savior.” These blood-bought believers will begin to warn others of even more severe judgment to come. They will preach repentance and judgment and they will be killed for their message.

Meme: There will be a great harvest of souls for Christ during the Tribulation.

If Someone Becomes A Christian During the Tribulation, What Will Happen to Them When They Die?

The Lord has pronounced a special blessing for them: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (Revelation 14:13). Just as the New Testament begins with the Beatitudes of Jesus for the living, it ends with a beatitude for the dying. Revelation 14:13 is the second of seven Beatitudes found in the book of Revelation. Even though these words are particularly written for those who die during the Tribulation, they are also words of encouragement for the saints of every generation. Death is not the end for a believer; it is simply a punctuation mark while we await the coming of the Lord. Blessed are those who have gone to sleep in Jesus.

If I Can Be Saved During the Tribulation, Why Should I Change My Life Now?

Just as death terminates the day of grace for those who reject Christ, so the Rapture will end the day of grace for those who have rejected Him. Those who have resisted the Gospel message will be given a “strong delusion” during the Tribulation. Second Thessalonians 2:10-11 tells us, “Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (KJV). According to Revelation 13, the Beast and the Antichrist will imitate the life of Christ and bring deception. Believing these deceptions, the day of grace will end for anyone who rejected the Gospel prior to the Tribulation.

The Bible urges today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Don’t expect to outwit God’s plan. One day soon, the Lord will return. If you have rejected Him, your day of opportunity will be lost. Accept God’s free gift of eternal life while there is still time. If you would like to know more about becoming a Christian, please request a free copy of my booklet Your Greatest Turning Point.

Is It True That It Will be Impossible to Commit Suicide During the Tribulation?

The Tribulation will be so terrible that men will seek to die, and many will attempt suicide. Yet apparently, death will not be possible during a five-month period described in the fifth trumpet judgment: “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them” (Revelation 9:6).

It will be an awful experience for those who are left to endure countless demons from the pit of hell running unchecked throughout the earth. The only people these demons will be allowed to sting are those who do not belong to God (verse 4). The poison from the sting will literally set the nerve center on fire (verse 10). This evil will be stretched out for 150 days (verse 10), and death cannot provide escape (verse 6).

What Can I Do About the Coming Tribulation?

On any given day, our newsfeeds are filled with disaster—crime, greed, wars, famines, disease, earthquakes, devastating storms, and more. It is hard to imagine how things could possibly get worse. But, in His Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned the disciples that things could, and would, get a whole lot worse. Today, God restrains evil and extends grace to mankind. However, evil will continue to crescendo, building toward a day when God’s people will be raptured away, ending the age of grace.

Immediately after the Rapture, God’s Spirit will remove any restraining influence on earth (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Life on earth will yield to unbound evil.

Meme: Today, God restrains evil and extends grace to mankind.

The best preparation for the Tribulation is to make sure you are not around for it. If you haven’t already, confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and trust Him to be your Savior. Once that is settled, you have a commission to carry out! Jesus appointed us to carry His message to the very ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20). There will be an opportunity for some to receive grace during the Tribulation, but until then, it is our responsibility to share Truth with as many people as will listen. In the words of a great, old spiritual:

When you see the lightnin’ flashin’
When you hear the thunder crashin’
When you see the stars a-fallin’
When you hear the chariot’s callin’
Good news, chariot’s a-comin’
Good news, chariot’s a-comin’
So glad, chariot’s a-comin’
And I don’t wan-na be left out!

We do not know when the chariot will arrive, but we are to be ready when it comes. In His goodness, God has revealed the judgment that awaits those who reject Him, and He has provided a plan of salvation for those who receive Him. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)


Sources:

1Henry Morris, The Revelation Record (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983), 123.
2Ibid.
3“Great Commission Action Guide,” https://reachbeyond.org/Advocate/RBActionGuide.pdf, accessed on January 1, 2019.

For deeper study of Revelation and Prophecy, visit Dr. Jeremiah’s Prophecy Academy where you will find a panorama of prophetic materials to enhance your understanding of God’s Plan for the end of the world.

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A Whole Person

In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.
Titus 2:7

In mathematics two of the basic kinds of numbers are integers and fractions: 2, 100, and 56 are integers, while ½, ¼, and 2.5 are fractions. Integers, from a Latin root meaning “whole” or “entire.” The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances.

When the apostle Paul wrote to his young pastoral protégé, Timothy, he told him to show “integrity” in doctrine, to be incorruptible in belief and in actions. Paul wanted Timothy to hold fast to the truth of God, not allowing himself to be divided. A person of integrity obeys the whole counsel of God every day, in every circumstance. Daniel’s three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). They told the king they would not divide their allegiance, that they would maintain their faith in God and His promises. That is integrity.

Are you a whole person or a fractioned person today? If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word.

Integrity of heart is indispensable.
John Calvin

Victory in Him

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57

To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. Citizens lined the streets applauding while the aroma of celebratory incense filled the air. Paul uses that image to say that Christ leads His followers in a victory procession through every difficulty in life (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

The Christian’s victory is through Christ. The victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and sin was won by the Cross and the empty tomb. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We have victory now and for eternity only because of the victory Christ won for us. Therefore, if we are to experience victory in this life, it will come only as we depend on Him. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, the life we now live is the life of Christ in us as we keep our faith in Him.

If you need a victory in your life, begin every day by renewing your faith in Christ in whom all our victories are to be realized.

The spiritual battle, the loss of victory, is always in the thought-world.
Francis Schaeffer

New Earth

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Revelation 21:1

A great misconception carried by many Christians has to do with the location of heaven. The word heaven itself implies that our eternal destiny is somewhere “up there” in the heavens. But the Bible says our eternal destiny is earthly, not heavenly. As Peter wrote, we look for a “new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

In his vision of the future, the apostle John saw that “new heaven and a new earth,” our new domain being pictured as the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:1-2). Somehow, at the end of the age, when Christ has returned to reign and inaugurate the eternal state, this earth will be renovated and a new earth will be the result—a new earth full of righteousness in which pain and sorrow will be absent. The beautiful imagery of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 lets us know that the new earth will be a place that reflects the glory of God throughout.

Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for you if you belong to Him (John 14:1-4). The New Jerusalem, on the new earth, is that place.

Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death.
William Gurnall

The Conspicuous Hand

The Lord your God cares.
Deuteronomy 11:12

In a letter to Brigadier General Thomas Nelson, George Washington marveled at how God’s hand had protected him and given success to the cause of liberty: “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and… has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.”

In the middle of life’s battles, we’re tempted to question God’s ordering of our circumstances, but every follower of Christ can look back and see the conspicuous hand of God’s Providence. He is committed to caring for us, watching over us, and giving us strength when we are within His will.

Moses reminded the Israelites that God was taking them into a land of hills and valleys, of water and streams, “a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12).

That’s the way He cares for us too—every day, all year long, always.

[The Lord] loves, and cares, and sympathizes, and understands, and seeks, and saves, and forgives, and helps, and encourages, and walks by our side… taking care of us in life when we can’t take care of ourselves.
W. A. Criswell

The Need for Prayer

Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Officially, church historians recognize seven ecumenical church councils held between A.D. 325 and A.D. 787. The first, the First Council of Nicaea, met to agree on the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as both Son of God and Son of Man, as both fully divine and fully human.

The humanity of Christ, while at the same time divine, is hard to understand. But thankfully, Scripture gives us illustrations: Like us, Jesus suffered, experienced hunger, required sleep, ate food, and had limits on His knowledge (Mark 13:32). One of the most striking and helpful illustrations of Jesus’ humanity was His prayer life. We might think that, if Jesus was truly divine, He would have had no need to pray for knowledge, guidance, or help. Yet He did, following the example of godly men like Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 2:16-18). Jesus repeatedly said that He only did what the Father showed Him to do (John 5:19), and prayer was His means.

If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)?

Prayer and a holy life are one.
E. M. Bounds

What Is Humility?

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
1 Peter 5:5, NIV

What is humility? Is it the opposite of pride? If pride expands one’s importance, does humility deflate one’s importance? That’s the view given by most English dictionaries—a deemphasis on one’s own importance. But what is the biblical view of humility

If someone compliments you on a job well done, do you refuse to take credit or receive their compliment? Or do you graciously say, “Thank you,” in a spirit of genuine appreciation and humility? In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves “soberly”—that is, realistically or accurately. Paul’s topic is the grace given by God to each Christian to serve in the Body of Christ. We should neither overestimate the gift of God’s grace or underestimate it. Rather, we should think of it soberly and realistically—humbly—and minister accordingly. To think less of God’s gift would be to devalue it; to think realistically about it allows one to serve humbly.

How do you view yourself? With pride? With false humility? Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life?

A really humble man…will not be thinking about humility, he will not be thinking about himself at all.
C. S. Lewis

The Power of Confession

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
Psalm 32:4

California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the state—shorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.

Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32—a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his “bones grew old” and he groaned “all the day long” (verse 3). It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him (verse 5). And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made (verses 9-10).

Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from God’s sight; but when we seek God’s forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restored—that is the power of confession.

The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.
Richard Sibbes

Treasure!

I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.
Psalm 119:162

Earlier this year, a volunteer for a charity in Arizona was going through books donated for a sale. One was an old copy of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The volunteer decided the dilapidated volume wasn’t worth saving and was about to throw it away when she thumbed through it and found a hidden chamber. Someone had used a knife to cut a hole in the middle of the book. Inside was $4,000!

That’s nothing compared to the treasure you’ll find when opening the covers of the Bible. Perhaps it would help to think of it in those terms. Use your imagination to see every word of Scripture turning to gold as you read it. Think of every promise as a precious stone. See the words about Jesus in the Gospels as sparkling like diamonds. Visualize your daily Bible study time like a miser running his hands through a chest of gold.

The treasury of Scripture will enrich your mind, refocus your goals, replace your doubts, and redirect your path—but only if you read it and heed it. Start today!

To get the best use out of [the Bible] for daily life,…Give it the best and freshest, not the most tired and dull, hour of the day.
M. S. Kimber in The Sunday School World, 1893

Hello Heaven!

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside.
2 Peter 1:13-14, NIV

Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. He wasn’t discouraged; he was looking forward to the future. He spoke of “looking forward to these things.” and “[looking] for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13-14).

Life is full of hardships and heaviness. We have the promises of God to help us in difficult days, and we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have a purpose for being here—to refresh the memory of others regarding the things of the Lord. But we’ll soon put aside the tent of our earthly body, and what a relief! Goodbye hardship and heaviness. Goodbye trials and troubles. Hello Jesus! Hello heaven! Hello golden streets, glorified bodies, endless days, and the fresh air of New Jerusalem!

During difficult times, the hope of eternity gives us strength. If you’re prone to worry yourself to sleep each night, turn your thoughts upward and close your eyes thinking of heaven and its eternal throne.

A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.
Harriet Buell, in her hymn “A Child of the King”

Overcoming Temptation

Temptation. Whether we realize it or not, it is part of our past, and it will be part of our future. The moment we resolve to stand strong and walk away is when temptation grows most intense. That is why Scripture is of paramount importance. God’s Word contains the answer to resisting temptation before it’s too late. Consider these verses:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, brings forth death (James 1:13–15).

Some people wonder about the value of the Old Testament in a Christian’s life. The apostle Paul addressed that question in 1 Corinthians 10:11—”Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition.” To what things was Paul referring? He listed them in verses 7–10. They are idolatry, immorality, infidelity, and disloyalty.

Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is.

With that background, Paul exhorted believers not to make the same choices the Israelites made—not to provoke God’s discipline by willfully sinning. None of us is above God’s discipline if we engage in sin. We must look for and take “the way of escape” God provides in every situation where temptation is found (verse 13). To think our temptation is unique is to believe a lie. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man” (verse 13). There are no “new” temptations in life.

The apostle James argued that if temptation becomes serious, it is because we have allowed it to do so. Our own “desires” entice us away from God and desire “gives birth to sin” (James 1:13–15). God doesn’t tempt us, but He may allow temptation to enter our lives in order to give us opportunities to make obedient and mature choices.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and He took the same means of escape that is available to us—obedience to God’s Word (Matthew 4:1–11; Hebrews 5:8). Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is. There is always a righteous choice to be made if we are willing to seek it.

Ready and Willing

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

A leper approached Jesus and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed”—and he was healed (Mark 1:40-42).

That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. In fact, there are no instances of Jesus being asked to help or heal and Him answering, “I am not willing.” There is a place where the Bible says God is “not willing,” and that is 2 Peter 3:9. In writing about the timing of the Day of the Lord (the end of the age), Peter says God is waiting for all who will be saved to come to Him. He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Said another way, God is willing for any who want to be saved to come to Him (John 6:37; 7:37). The question is never whether God is willing but whether man is willing.

Have you responded to God’s willing invitation to come to Him?

God is far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved.
J. C. Ryle

Steadfast

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul’s letter to the people at Corinth was an exhortation to remain steadfast. The church in Corinth was an undisciplined church, and he was letting them know that even though the culture around them was in flux, their faith in Jesus Christ needed to remain focused and sure. It is true for us today also. How can we remain steadfast in our faith and avoid the pressures of this ever-changing world? By devoting time each day to the study of God’s Word.

As we read the Bible and immerse ourselves in God’s truth and character, our lives are changed—we become more like Him. God’s Word is a powerful litmus test for our souls and actions. As our lives center on God, giving priority to hearing His voice and reading His Word, we become bolder in sharing our faith.

Joshua had the confidence and courage to lead God’s people into the Promised Land because He believed in God’s promise and presence. We serve the same God who said: “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

You can place your steadfast trust in Him.

When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful.
Dwight L. Moody

Creation Care

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28

Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Many countries’ coastlines are littered with plastic and debris, and there is an “island” of plastic more than the twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean where currents have accumulated the debris. Fish become entangled in discarded fishing nets and lines, with bellies full of plastic debris they have swallowed.

Such images are in stark contrast to the pristine beauty and glory of Eden as presented in Genesis. Though mankind was given the mandate to “have dominion over” (that is, to care for) all of creation, we have not done a good job. When God’s mandates go unfulfilled on earth, God’s glory is diminished. And that mandate extends to our personal life as well. Paul writes that we belong to God and we are to glorify Him with our care and use of our body.

When you see opportunities to care for creation—nature or your own body—do so as a way of glorifying the Creator.

The creation is both a monument of God’s power, and a looking-glass in which we may see his wisdom.
Thomas Watson