The Reward of the Overcomer

There is coming a day when to do business, everyone will be required to take a mark onto their right hand or forehead.  If a person takes the mark, it will be to deny Jesus Christ, finally and permanently, as the One and only true God, and to join permanent allegiance with the coming man of lawlessness, the beast, Antichrist.  God's Word is clear - once a person cross's that line, their fate of everlasting, unrelenting torment with the fire of God's wrath, is sealed.

Revelation 13:6, 7 - "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name."

Revelation 14:9-11 - "Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

Mark up, buy groceries, eat, live, be in peace and safety.

For awhile - until the day of the Lord arrives.

"For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, "Peace and safety!"  then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape."  

1 Thessalonians 5:2,3

In my post from a few days ago, I show what will be happening to believers.  The reason the world is crying, "Peace and safety!" is because they are experiencing the peace and safety from aligning with the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.  (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4)  They are safe, but they are beast worshippers and betrayers - turning over family members to death, who love Jesus Christ with an enduring love, with a not-loving-their-life-even-to-death, love.

But those with enduring love for the Savior have something most wonderful and very special coming...

Take a look...

Revelation 22:3 - "There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it (the New Jerusalem), and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads."

They will see His face, and turning their foreheads, their pure, clean foreheads, He will place His precious and wonderful name there.  And then with our pure, clean hands, we can fall at His feet, and love and worship and thank Him.

***

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."  John 3:16

God's Presence

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for You are with me."  Psalm 23:4

"You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, 
I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol,
behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me."  Psalm 139:5-10

"And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

No Sweeter Words

Considering Matthew 11:28-30, from the perspective of the sin of worrying...

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Are there any sweeter words in God's Word than these?

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me..."

Those two oxen that are tethered together when they pull a plow - it's the strength of the two that are better.  Jesus wants us to slip into His yoke.  His shoulders are so big and massive and strong - we are just walking beside Him while He is doing all the work...caring for us.

"Come to Me...and I will give you rest."

Rest in the knowledge of who I am - I am your Master.  I am invested in you.  I will provide for you because I own everything.  I have all the resources.  I will take care of you.  I am also your Father.  I love you dearly.  I know you intimately.  My thoughts are always upon you.  I gave My Son for you.  I paid the highest price possible.  I love you and I am going to care for you.

Strong Faith

"...when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  Luke 18:8

This statement by Jesus should grab every believer's attention.  The return of Christ is the great hope of the church, but Jesus questions if He will return to any who have kept their faith.  Something bad must have happened to the church, for Jesus to have asked this question.  What is going to happen to the church before Jesus returns?

In Mark 13:12 and 13 Jesus gives us a glimpse into that time, "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."  

Here we are given a clearer picture of what will be going on before Jesus returns.  Severe, deadly persecution against Jesus followers is going to break out.  Hatred for Jesus will cause the rising up of non-believing family members to turn against believing family members.  A brother who hates Jesus will turn on a brother who loves Jesus.  A father who hates Jesus will turn on a child who loves Jesus.  Children who hate Jesus will turn on parents who love Jesus.  The hatred will be so severe, that non-believing family members will turn believing family members over to be killed.

Do any other scriptures shed light on what times will be like before Jesus returns?

Let's take a look at Matthew 24:12.  Here Jesus says, "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold."  

Anarchy is going to grow and the putting of Jesus and others first is going to go by the wayside.

The very next verse is the same as Mark 13:13 - "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved."

Now it makes sense for Jesus to ask that question, doesn't it?  Hatred for His followers is going to grow so severe, that family members are going to turn on family members and have them put to death.  His followers are going to be killed.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:10 that "at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another."  Many who once claimed to follow Jesus will deny the faith and turn on those with genuine, hang-in-there-till-death, faith.

Mark 13:19 is very specific to the severity of those coming days, "...those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will."  

Beloved, it is going to be bad.  Worse than the Jewish holocaust.  This will be the wrath of Satan against Jesus and His children.  It will start with Israel, then spread to the church.  (Rev. 12 - Especially verse 17.)  The slaughter against the true believers in the church is going to be unprecedented and many are going to fall away from the faith.  In Mark 13:20 Jesus said that "unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days."  Matthew put it this way - "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short."  Mt.  24:22

His return is going to cut off the days of persecution against His children, or none of His children would be alive at His return.

How do we build strong faith for that time and for any tribulation that we encounter?  How do we grow the kind of faith that will endure to the end, when Jesus returns, or that will not waiver in the face of death for the sake of His name?

We spend every day in the Word, immersing ourselves in the mighty, wonderful, massive, all encompassing character and plan of God.  When we know the character of God and His plan - peace and strength and endurance will grip the hearts of His children. And those of His children who are alive and remain and endure to the coming of Jesus, will all be caught up together, to meet the Lord in the air, and He will bring with Him those who kept their testimony, and did not love their life more than Jesus, but were willing to die for Him, because He loved them so greatly - with His life and death on a cross.

The Pure Joy of Sight

...and though you have not seen Him,
you love Him,
and though you do not see Him now,
but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible
and full of glory...

1 Peter 1:8

...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him...

...and though you do not see Him now, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible...

Loving Jesus (and being loved by Jesus) and God's gift of faith in Jesus produces joy so great, now, that we can't put it into words...

What will the joy be like, when we do see Him?

Charlie

Two years, four months, twenty-two days old,

thriving in Alaska,

and cute as a bug!