A Warning

The apostle Paul, following the unction of the Holy Spirit, spoke in Acts 20:27, "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God... 28a, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock... 29, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

 1 Corinthians 4:14, reads, "as beloved children, I warn you."

 As a minister, preaching and teaching about the love of the triune God came easily.  The messages that were more difficult to prepare were those that were issued as a warning.  And yet, we see that the warnings are vitally important.  Throughout the Scripture, we see various references to the fact that our Christian life involves warfare:  "wage the good warfare"  (1 Timothy 1:18); "you must endure hardship as a good soldier" (2 Timothy 2:3).  Then in 2 Corinthians 10:3 and 4 we read, "we do not war according to the flesh" and "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal..."

 Throughout the history of our nation, if advance warnings had been received and issued, loss from military and civilian attacks could have been greatly reduced.  I think of the 2,500+ lost at Pearl Harbor and the over 3,000 lost from the terrorist attack on 9-11.

 Today, the Lord has directed me to speak a warning for the children of God.  Why? 

So that we would be prepared to do battle, be prepared to stand in the midst of trials and tribulations, be prepared to remain steadfast in our relationship with Him, no matter what comes, and be prepared to endure till the end.

 The subject of tribulation, oppression, stress, adversity and/or affliction is not a new one.  It is though, the one that has been on my mind, as I take note of what is taking place in our country and around the world.  Jesus spoke clearly concerning tribulation when in John 16:33(NLT), He stated, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  Acts 14:21 and 22, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."  According to the Kingdom Dynamics in the NSFLB "Paul not only taught the joy and peace of the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17), it's power (1 Corinthians 4:20), and it's present authority to cause the believer to triumph over evil (2 Timothy 4:18); (Romans 16:20).  He also taught that "kingdom people" experience trial, suffering, and not always an "instant victory" (2 Thessalonians 1:5).  Triumph and victory may characterize the attitude of each citizen of the kingdom of God, and Holy Spirit-empowered authority is given to be applied to realize results.  Yet, God did not promise life without struggle.." The Greek word for "tribulation" is thlipsis, which means: pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, adversity, afflictions, crushing, squashing, squeezing and distress: like compressing a tall stack of papers into a tight stack...Used of crushing grapes or olives.  Paul told the believing Thessalonians that they will suffer afflictions and tribulations.   1 Thessalonians 3:2-4, "and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you."  These verses let us know that deliverance would be needed from unreasonable and wicked men and that we need to be guarded from the evil one.  The people of this time suffered great persecution from idol worshippers, the Romans, and even the Jewish leadership.  They were arrested, tortured, stoned, crucified, burned, fed to lions and lost their possessions.  They lived in a world where their faith in Christ was not well accepted.

 Until now, the United States, because of their Christian heritage, has escaped most of the persecution and tribulation which comes upon the body of Christ around the world.  The Word of God states that we all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  I believe some of what the world is facing today has come about because the nations of the world are coming under the judgment of God.

 Matthew 5:45, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  When the difficulties that come with judgment come, those difficulties have to be dealt with by all.  (In the Old Testament when Israel was in captivity, they all were in captivity.  Yet, God ministered to and even blessed the remnant, in that place of captivity.)  We must realize that the righteous will be preserved through all of the difficulties.  Psalm 34:19, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

 When the disciples asked Jesus what the sign of His coming and the end of the age would be, we see His response in Matthew 24:4-14, "And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 As we see a greater and greater falling away from the statues and will of God, I expect God's judgment will, increase more and more.  Already, we have seen an increase in natural disasters, drought, flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, storms, earthquakes and even wild-animal attacks.  (Twenty orcas destroyed a yacht being delivered to a customer). Covid 19, even though man made, is a disaster that was developed from natural viruses.  These disasters have caused loss of jobs, high prices, food shortages, and other product shortages.  Without a major turn around, these circumstances will only worsen.

 Matthew 24:21 and 22, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." 

 We see the body of Christ losing freedoms.  Those who speak out for the truth of God's Word are being persecuted.  A well known evangelist had his bank account frozen because he spoke out against abortion.  Freedom of speech for conservative voices is being taken away by the liberal social media giants. At least twenty churches have been burned and/or vandalized in Canada, liberal values are being forced upon everyone, by liberal progressive government leaders.  Without a battle, most schools in the nation are being forces to follow CRT standards.  The common themes of CRT are: teaching that white people are inherently racist and bad, teaching children to fantasize about suicide and how to masturbate. (From books in the Kindergarten curriculum), reading books full of anti-American sentiments, etc. etc..

 As believers in Christ should we become fearful or fall into a panic because of the radical events taking place in out nation?

 Paul instructed believers in how to respond to these things:

 Romans 12:12, "rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."

 Romans 5:3 and 4, "And not only that, but we also glory (boast or rejoice) in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

 James 1:2-4, " My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing."  The proper attitude in meeting adversity is to count it all joy, not an emotional reaction, but a deliberate intelligent appraisal of the situation from God's perspective.  We rejoice in the possible results - that we would be mature, complete (no part lacking or unsound) and lacking nothing!

 We are encouraged to endure in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 and 5, "so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure (anechoma, meaning: standing firm, not losing courage under pressure), 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer"

 Hebrews 13:5b and 6, "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

 What a wonderful promise we have in Romans 8:31,and 34-37, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ... 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

 Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  We can do all things with Christ helping us!

 Revelation 12:10 and 11," Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

 Even in the face of tribulation, trials, and persecution, we must share our testimony with the lost.

 Praise God, He has given us His Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will give you what to say.  Luke 12:11,12, "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 "For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

John 14:16 and 17, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

 Acts 1:8a, ""But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."

 Isaiah 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

 Finally, Matthew 10:22, "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."

 Hebrews 10:35-39 (NLT), "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 37 "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." 39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

 This has been your warning!  You know it is coming!  Be prepared!  Saturate yourself with the Word of God and prayer.  Commune with God daily.

 Then, having done all to stand, stand therefore!