What’s Next?

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be kept safe.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”  Matthew 24:12-14

 

An act of extraordinary evil happened in Nice, France.  Numerous deaths occurred as a man driving a truck purposely drove through crowds of people during the Bastille Day celebration in France.  As I saw the news while at work, I was dismayed and saddened that things of such nature continue to plaque the world.  Then another attack on police in Baton Rogue, though I am not convinced that there is sufficient evidence to prove that this was indeed a purposely planned ambush.  As a Christian I understand that not only will things get worse, but eventually the reality of the world will become so desperate that what happened in Nice will be relatively minor in comparison. 

 

“Woe to those who desire the day of Jehovah! Of what good is this to you? The day of Jehovah is darkness, and not light.  It is as if a man fled before a lion, and a bear met him. Or he goes into the house and leans his hand against the wall, and a snake bites him.  Is not the day of Jehovah darkness, and not light; even very dark, and not any brightness in it?”  Amos 5:18-20

 

As we get into this article, let it be known that no man knows the day or the hour.  The Lord Jesus Christ has made that quite clear!  I am no exception, yet there are things that can be declared that are clear from the Holy Scriptures that will take place.

 

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, except the Father.”  Mark 13:32

 

In the article titled Lone Wolves?, the question was presented as to whether or not a Believer could soon come underneath condemnation for expressing the Truth regarding the Holy Scriptures.  With the ordeal in Nice, France, there was talk about whether or not America should declare war on ISIS.  President Roosevelt was the last President to actually declare war the correct and Constitutional way.  While a lot people proclaim that it is unlikely that the United States would do so, understand the potential exists and the consequences for Believers could be of an extreme nature. 

 

Donald Trump has stated that, if elected, he would ask Congress to declare war.  The big media outlets state that such a measure is unlikely, but I point the reader to our current state of affairs and ask them to consider how quickly things have been changing and ponder what would happen if they continue to quickly erode. 

 

Fighting ISIS is not an easy task.  Many of their fighters are based only loosely on the ideology of ISIS, not actually directly connected.  Essentially their fighters agree with ISIS, carry out an attack while proclaiming it is done on behalf of ISIS.  Consider the current affairs with the Department of Justice (DOJ), their Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

 

Together they have collected a dossier of over a million citizens whom they deem to be potential terrorist.  While they have been able to keep a renewing of the unpatriotic Patriot Act, their power is still limited, due to restrictions regarding Constitutional rights afforded to the American people.  What would happen if suddenly several attacks happened in the United States in comparison to what has recently happened in Nice, France and Brussels, Belgium?

 

With war powers permitted by Congress and an enemy whom is not defined in one country or region of the world, this would cause intelligence sources to be at the forefront of the battle.  This not only including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) with foreign intelligence duties, but would push to the forefront the DOJ, including the FBI, and DHS.  Quickly what is left of Americans freedom would disappear and under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) any citizen could be declared an enemy combatant and hauled off to some sort of secret rendition prison, without any of their Constitutional rights remaining.  This is dangerous stuff!  Let us not forget what happened to American citizens of Japanese descent during World War 2. 

 

What formulates ISIS is an ideology that is based on religion and their determination to wage jihad (war) to further that ideology.  When you read into what the federal government guidelines are for adding a name to the already over-bloated Terrorist Watchlist, you see that someone who not only engages in behavior and actions that is unacceptable to the list-makers, but further has strong religious beliefs, immediately becomes a larger security threat than the neighbor down the street who just received a one year supply of freeze-dried food.  The Government firmly believes that those who hold extreme religious views are many times more likely to commit an act of terror than those who do not.  Is there a distinguishing between Islamic jihad and true Believers telling others about the gospel of peace?  (Eph. 6:15)

 

Regardless of what is next, the Bible offers some insight regarding future events and ultimately the solution to all of the woes that an individual might eventually face.  At some point in the future the world is going to enter the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7) or what is commonly referred to as the Great Tribulation.  Immediately prior Christ will come to take those who are His out of this world, as the dead in Him also rise. 

 

(It is beyond the scope of this article to debate the numerous modern arguments against the Rapture.  I point readers to this website, which has already put to rest every argument against a pre-Tribulation Rapture.)

 

If you, dear reader, are -left behind- what you are seeing unfold in this modern era of troubles, uncertainties and hopelessness, is but a drop in the bucket of what will eventually come into reality.  Just to give you a few glimpses of what the future holds from the Word of God, let me interject the follow bible verses. 

 

“And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men came to be on the earth.  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the anger of His wrath.  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.”  Revelation 16:18-20

 

“For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken. Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall quake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.”  Ezekiel 38:19-20

 

“And I heard the angel of the waters saying: You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things, for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, for they are deserving.  And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.  And the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.  And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent to give Him glory.”  Revelation 16: 5-9

 

“And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah binds up the breach of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.”  Isaiah 30:26

 

“And another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.”  Revelation 6:4

 

“So I looked, and behold, a pale green horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed behind him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”  Revelation 6:8

 

“So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.”  Revelation 9:15

 

This is just an inkling of what will take place during the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7) where the world will be judged by God Almighty.  The vast majority of the world’s population is going to enter this time period unprepared and it will come to them as a shock and horror.  Why or why do you who do not know Christ refuse to repent of your sins and believe into Him who is the author and finisher of our Salavtion?  Why do you choose death rather than life?  (Duet. 30:15)

 

…”looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrew 12:2

 

Many people, not just in America, but around the world are concerned with the way the world is going, as event after event unfolds.  This is to say nothing about the threats of war with China and Russia, as a dispute is engaged regarding the South China Sea with China and NATO with Russia.  There is also the house of cards of the world financial markets that could come crashing down at any moment.  Yet in these situations the Believer can take comfort in knowing that our departing will not be caused from the actions of man, but will happen when God has predetermined it would happen. 

 

“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be unveiled in his own time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He is now restraining, until it is raised from out of the midst.  And then the lawless one will be unveiled, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”  2nd Thessalonians 2:6-8

 

What is next is to be determined and until Jesus receives us unto Himself, your guess might be as good as mine, but the time will come when Believers, those who were not Saved unto AFTER the ‘Great Tribulation’ began, will become enemies of the state or rather world government. 

 

“And it was given to him to give spirit to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not do homage to the image of the beast to be killed.  And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,  so that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”  Revelation 13:15-18

 

“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and because of the testimony which they held.  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?  And a white robe was given to each one of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they were, was filled up.”  Revelation 6:9-11

 

One thing to understand is that any of us could suddenly die today and where would you go?  Without Christ as your Savior, you will go to Hell for eternity.  As things progress worse and worse in this world, what exactly prevents you from repenting of your sins and believing into Jesus?  What roadblocks have you placed from hearing the Word of God?  What issues do you think you must resolve before you are ready to accept Jesus?  Do you not understand that this is a SERIOUS matter that should require immediate attention. 

 

If your home suddenly had smoke pouring out from one of the walls, would you not immediately call the fire department and try to rectify the situation, ensuring that everyone in the household was safe?  If your home is that valuable in your eyes and the safety our family is of upmost importance, than how much more your soul?  Understand that this world is not going to get better, things are going to get worse.  What is next, is not known to man, but what I do know is that those who die without Christ as their Savior will spend eternity in Hell.  What I do know is that this is not the wish of your Creator, He made Salvation available to all men that they should repent and accept His free gift.  Please take a moment to consider your priorities.

 

“For he does not know what shall be; so who can tell him when it shall be?”  Ecclesiastes 8:7

 

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me there is not a thing you are able to do.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”  John 15:4-6

 

“The Lord is not slow concerning His promise, as some count slowness, but is longsuffering toward us, not purposing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with intense burning; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, of what sort ought you to be in holy behavior and godliness, looking for and earnestly hastening unto the coming of the Day of God, through which the heavens will be dissolved, being set on fire, and the elements will melt with intense burning?  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and without blemish; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware also that you not be led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”  2nd Peter 3:9-18

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17

 

Amen!