Tag: satan

Thy Word Have I Hid on My Smartphone

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Many Christians are familiar with Psalm 119:11 in the King James Version, even if they do not know its reference, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” And if we have ever heard of these words from God, the question is, do we take them seriously? I mean to say that Psalm 119:11 is no less the Word of God than John 3:16. The command and promise of this verse written three thousand years ago are not archaic, but rather timeless and accurate. This precept is not inferior to any others; it stands as God’s eternal edict, and I believe we will see its main truth reverberate into the future – leading up to the last days of history.

With the advent of the laptop computer, the iPad, the tablet, the smartphone, etc., a phenomenon has arrived that is much like a two-edged sword – it cuts both ways – for good and bad. We use our electronic devices very often to reference needed information. At our fingertips – just one click away – lies a world of data. Access to worthy material can be a very profitable thing. Of course, much knowledge without wisdom can be dangerous, but that is a story for another day. In terms of our nearly instant access to Bibles through apps of various types, many Christians have grown accustomed to using their smartphones, tablets, or computers for regular study and irregular or casual interfacing with the Bible’s contents. This can be beneficial, and it can also prove detrimental if we lean too heavily on the constant and immediate availability of the information on which we are relying.

There is a reason that God said through his prophet, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11, KJV). Notice the Lord’s emphasis on the fact that the Word is hidden or stored up in the human heart. While the scrolls and parchment on which the original Scripture was written were materials outside of the human heart, the people of God understood that the text had to be taken from the material on which it was written and processed diligently by their minds in order to ultimately reach a place of rest in the heart. Without the printing press – let alone computers – God’s people relied heavily on oral transmission. They spoke about God’s Word and repeated it over and over in an attempt to pass it on to the generations to follow. But this oral practice was also a way to get the Word of God settled in the very neuronal pathways of their own brains. The Word was second nature to many of them. It flowed freely when needed, for God has rigged our brains in such a way that the more we rehearse and interact with information in varying ways, the deeper the pathway that is engraved in our brains becomes – like a well-worn trail. This makes it easier to pull that information out again when needed or prompted. All of this scientific data can be explored with an article I wrote during my study of educational leadership and brain function. The article can be found at our website: Dendrites and Deuteronomy: The Alignment of Brain Research and the Timeless Word of God, or in my book, “Living in Awe.”

One potential problem with ongoing, momentary access to the Bible is that we begin to rely too heavily on its availability outside our own hearts and minds. We may be lulled into a false sense of security that since we can get any verse of the Bible at any time we want, there is no need to memorize it or understand its context. This is a false assumption. If the Bible is only outside of you, then your mind is not able to make critical connections on the spot. All the processing happens on your computer or your phone. Since you don’t have God’s Word hidden in your own heart, your brain on its own cannot associate God’s promise to a need that arises, or God’s command to a situation that occurs. You will rely on a Google search to do the connecting. While it’s true that we have always had concordances to do the same type of thing, our dependence has grown by leaps and bounds due to immediate access and the convenience of carrying the small smartphone. However, if we make our brain the main computer and the smartphone only a tool, we will be able to connect God’s promises to everyday living in a way the Lord intended – as coming from our own heart’s storehouse of the Word!

The second potential dilemma we have with the Bible and other valuable literary works being primarily online is what may happen in the future. At the outset, I must mention that I enjoy and benefit greatly from technology. One of my published devotional books is also available in a Kindle version. God gives us creativity and innovation that we might honor Him. But in this broken world, what is intended for good may also be used for evil. Technology can be employed for building the kingdom of God, and technology can also be used to damage the kingdom of God. In the future, as the “last days” of which Jesus spoke progress, we may see technology manipulated for purposes against God. Nonetheless, the ultimate victory of Jesus is sure. Consider, though, what may happen according to how the Bible describes the nature of the Antichrist and the end times.

First, we know from Jesus that the order of the day for the end times will be deception. He proclaimed in Matthew 24:24 (ESV), “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” The apostle Paul corroborates this concept in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-10 (ESV, emphasis mine), “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” In writing warnings to us about the coming of many with the spirit of antichrist, the Apostle John declares in 1 John 2:26 (ESV), “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”

It is crystal clear that a hallmark characteristic of the Antichrist is trickery. No wonder, for Jesus is the Truth, and the spirit of the antichrist is exactly that – against Christ – against the Truth embodied! Accordingly, Satan is known as “a liar and the father of lies,” a title applied to him by the Lord in John 8:44 (ESV). Another attribute of the Antichrist will be his temporary power. As we observed in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, he will “exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship,” and he will set himself up in the very temple of the true God! He will have a wicked and fading power to deceive many people. The dying world will look to him for hope and peace in their great fear. As Unger’s Bible Dictionary notes, “This sinister demon-inspired leader will rise to dominate the world in the end-time, persecute the saints, seek to destroy the Jew and banish the name of God and His Christ from the earth, and thus take over.”

All that being understood, it seems logical that the Antichrist will deceptively dominate all forms of communication possible. In order to beguile the nations, it makes sense that the Antichrist – operating at the fullest capacity that God will sovereignly allow before the return of Christ – will harness every viable option for his treachery. Is not the internet as it now stands a great thing for Satan to attempt to control in order to deceive the world if possible? Jesus told us in Matthew 24:14 (ESV), “And the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The internet and satellites provide an easy way for everyone to hear, even simultaneously. Will not the master deceiver, the devil, use the same venue for his last attempt to destroy the coming of God’s kingdom?

As far back as 2008, Scholastic.com published an article titled, “The End of Textbooks?” The work informs us of all the reasons traditional textbooks in the classrooms of 8-12 grade students need to be replaced with electronic books, just as many of the college classrooms have done. What if the world community continues on in its “phasing out” of hard print? What if everything is moved to electronic version and most of our hard print books begin to disappear as they age? The history books and text books and hard print Bibles vanish. Then what? How easy would it be for the Antichrist, the great deceiver, to take over the internet and wipe away all information he then wants hidden? Or worse yet – and more in line with his nature – change the information to suit his purposes? A twisting of the truth is worse than its disappearance, for it is difficult to discern. Even now Satan tries to distort God’s Word among the Christian community. Can you image the grand distortion of that day of which God so carefully warned us?

What if we depended on all electronic Bibles and electronic forms of historical and scientific information? What if the Antichrist took control of that, and we had not enough hard copies with which to compare? And what if we had not truly “hidden His Word in our hearts” so that even we cannot discern the fraud?

What if the Holy Spirit really meant what He said – that the Word must be hidden in our hearts if we are counting on not sinning against God?

Take heart, and take God at His Word. Use every possible tool to grow in knowledge of Him. Also grow in wisdom. Know that it is not just a suggestion, but a command, that we hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him. Read the Word. Ponder it. Talk about it in conversation. Write it. Apply it. Memorize it. Go to it over and over.

Oh, and hold onto your hard copy of the Bible!

References:

Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1966), 68.

David Rapp, “The End of Textbooks?” Scholastic.com. Nov/Dec 2008. Web. Aug 31, 2015.

What Demons Know

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There is an appointed time and place of God’s unbelievable judgment. Demons know this. Though they continue to wage war against God, they are fully aware of their own coming demise. Demons also know of the current power of Jesus Christ to command their comings and goings, for they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Demonic powers recognize the God-Man and His dominion. They react to His kingship now to the degree God ordains in this age, and they will finally be demolished to the absolute degree at God’s appointed time.

If only we human beings knew of God’s power and judgment! And, of course, I mean “knew” in the sense of acting upon the information. I fear the people of God live far too timidly in this dark world and experience far too little victory and hope. Jesus is Lord over the domain of darkness and self-destruction. Let’s recognize Him as such and take Him at His Word.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all explain the account of Jesus casting a legion of demons out of a man in the first century A.D. While Matthew tells us of two demon-possessed men, Mark and Luke focus on only one of the demoniacs at the scene. The demons had such horrid effects on this human life that no other people could come near the man. He was violent, self-destructive, out of his right mind, and living among the tombs of the dead due to the influence of Satan’s minions. Matthew tells us of both the demon-possessed men that they were “so fierce that no one could pass that way” (Matthew 8:28, ESV). Mark explains the horror: “He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:3-6, ESV). The physician, Luke, informs us that the demoniac wore no clothes while living among tombs instead of in a house. We have, therefore, a terrible and comprehensive description of Satan’s influence on this person. The demons wrought devastation in this life – and the effects were obvious to all.

And yet, despite all the damage the demons could do, they yielded to the awesome power of Jesus. Even though no human could get near these demons inhabiting a man, when Jesus came close, they met Him and cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29b, ESV) Notice three things about the demons’ knowledge:

    1) They recognize and name Jesus as the Son of God, and
    2) They realize there is a specific, future time of their punishment; and
    3) They admit that Jesus has the power to torment them.

Though Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), even His demons must acknowledge the Truth of God in Jesus Christ. Satan makes it his business to slander and lie by twisting the truth and withholding it from us, but Jesus stands as the Truth of God in Person. Lies cannot stand up to Jesus, who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Though they rebel against His way, the demons realize their rebellion is, in fact, against the very real God of the universe.

The demons function in futility. They work hard to torment and enslave, knowing all the while the final doom they face. As Matthew recorded, they know the time is coming. Luke says, “And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss” (Luke 8:31, ESV). Satan and his disgusting servants are aware of the material of the book of Revelation, as well they should be; for hell itself was originally prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

    Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while … And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10, ESV)

The demons’ awareness does not stop them. Jesus made clear that “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, ESV). The devil will battle to the bitter end. Knowing his fate is sealed, it appears his goal is to take as many people with him as he can.

We notice that although the demonic forces torment willing humans, demons recognize that Jesus has the power to torment them eternally. For every bit of destruction Satan has brought upon mankind, he will be repaid. His cohorts know this. Justice will be served by the holy God who sees everything and rights all wrongs.

My prayer is that we would act on the knowledge we have. Demons know much, but they have no saving faith. In a discussion about faith and works, James tells us that true faith will result in action. He brings to our attention demons – who believe in the sense of knowing – but are not saved from damnation. He says to the church, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder!” Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? (James 2:19-20, ESV)

James here expresses a vital truth. At the very least, we need to know what demons know about God’s power and judgment. However, we must also ACT on our knowledge, for that is true belief. Angels and demons are who they are from now into eternity; humans alone are the objects of God’s wonderful salvation. In fact, when Peter tells us of this good news of salvation through Jesus, he adds that they are “things into which angels long to look” (I Peter 1:12b, ESV). In other words, angels do not know of the glorious experience of being loved despite sin — to the point of Jesus paying the price for their lives. Only a redeemed human can know the depth of that love. Angles and demons remain who they are – with their end already determined, glorious and damnable, respectively. People, on the other hand, must decide to act on the truth we have been given. We must believe to the point of a changed life.

If we as Christians acted out our belief in 1) Jesus as the Son of God, and 2) His power to bring about His specific, future time of punishment; the world would be different. I would worship Him more intensely and prayerfully witness to unsaved people with increased fervency.

Knowing the fear demons had of Jesus’ power, I should act more boldly in the spiritual realm. Putting on the full armor of God, I should stand firm. (Ephesians 6:13) Waging war against demonic strongholds on a regular basis, I should actively access divine power and begin destroying the work of the enemy in my life. (II Corinthians 10:3-4) After all, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8b, ESV). Obviously, even the demons know that!

The Answer to Self-Esteem Issues

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True confidence for living comes only from God, the One who invests Himself in us. Self-esteem is not necessary when a person comes to understand who he is in Christ; for that individual will know Jesus-esteem! She will realize that God, who fashioned the universe, has now taken her up as an enterprise!

Philippians 1:6 (NASB) states clearly, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” The Greek root behind “work” in this verse implies “business, employment, that with which anyone is occupied, enterprise; an accomplishment of hand, art, industry, or mind.” Wow! Imagine that a single human being on this celestial orb can be an enterprise of God! You can be an accomplishment of the very mind and hand of the Almighty!

Not only can we be a work of God; we are a “good” work of God. “Good” in this context means “useful, pleasant, excellent, distinguished, or honorable.” When a man comes to Jesus for salvation, his life becomes a good life, in the sense that his life is now honorable and excellent. His life now serves the purpose of bringing God’s ways to the forefront. Our life now brings with it wherever we go the sweet fragrance of grace and the excellence of truth. A woman finds reason to live in the fact that she is useful to her Creator and to every part of the world to which He has commissioned here to take His glory and righteousness.

Amazingly, this good work of God in us will be completed – despite all the troubles of the world and the inconsistencies of humanity. Philippians 1:6 declares that “[God] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” The concept of “perfect” implies “bringing to fulfillment or completion.” It is the same root behind Hebrews 12:2, which promises that Jesus is both the Author and the Finisher of our faith. What He starts, He will surely complete. Many a project of man has been left in the dust – to disintegrate and be forgotten. Not so the project of God!

In fact, contrast happily the work of God to the work of the devil. No matter how diligently, methodically, and diabolically Satan labors to bring about his destructive desires; we know that his work comes to an end. I John 3:8 (NASB) is a verse of huge and comforting proportions: “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” The business of Satan is the promotion of sin and its ultimate outcome – death. Well, his enterprise is crushed by Jesus!

When John here tells us that Satan’s work is destroyed by Jesus, the Greek root means, “loosen, undo, dissolve.” Whatever the devil assumes he has accomplished, God absolutely undoes it. The Creator of all reality can dissolve whatever Satan has tried to assemble. A pivotal example is Jesus’ prophetic claim when He spoke of His body as a temple in John 2:19 (NASB), “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” In other words, it is as if God said, “Go ahead, devil, and do your work. It will be undone. I will dissolve your effort and raise mine up forever.”

Thank you, God, that the good work you do in your people will be brought to completion; it will not fail. Conversely, whatever the enemy tries to do will be undone. What an awesome God! And – to think – He works in you and me.

Endure

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“And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22 (ESV)

Reality check: Genuine followers of Jesus Christ will have a rough time of it in this lifetime, and endurance is required. Jesus was speaking to His hand-picked group of twelve apostles when He warns, “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, ESV). Yes, God is brutally and lovingly honest with His own.

When Jesus alerted His followers of the persecution they would surely face because of their relationship to Him, Jesus had already been accused of blasphemy and of casting out demons by the power of Satan. The unbelieving world proved ferocious. The people were determined to discourage and destroy the Son of God, as they were fueled by their “father,” the devil. Certainly, Jesus instructed His disciples that we who follow Him will also come under direct attack of the powers of darkness working through people and circumstances. What is the response we are to have in the middle of this fierce hatred? Persevere to the end, and God will take care of everything in ways unimaginable.

My heart is thrilled by the terms our Savior uses here, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” In other words, the end is not the end; it is essentially the beginning of a real and tangible salvation of our whole being. God saves us now from sin, then we endure through the persecution of the enemy during our brief lifetime, and finally God saves us completely and in all ways from every hint of destruction that sin promotes. As we have been saved from the power of sin, so we shall be saved from the possibility of sin’s damning effects and given the promise of the redemption of the entire universe.

For now, the battle rages. For now, the devil tempts us at every turn. For now, the light in our hearts is scorned by those in darkness. For now, we hear the words of Jesus and realize we must continue to bear up under every evil plot; and we are not alone. When encouraging the disciples not to be fearful in the face of confrontation, Jesus promised that “it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:20, ESV). Clearly, God’s own Spirit residing in us provides the wisdom needed in what to say and the power needed to keep trekking forward through the forest of wickedness. With the Holy Spirit in us, where shall we find excuse to give in? With Jesus having given everything of Himself on our behalf, how shall we claim we are not loved deeply enough to go on? With the Father’s plan prevailing and ready to be entirely revealed, why should we give up?

Endure to the end – to the end of this age, because the end is the beginning of the fullness of God’s kingdom (Revelation 11:15). Persevere until the end – until death or His return. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Can you believe it? There it is, spoken by the Lord of All, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Get a Taste of This Kingdom!

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Weariness. Struggle. Disappointment. Separation. Helplessness. Grief. Illness. Battle. Pain. Regret. Fear. Disillusionment. Sorrow. These are just a few of the words to describe parts of our experience in the kingdom of this world. By “this world,” I mean the aggregate of all things earthly – the entire system of this currently broken cosmos. Temporarily, Satan is permitted to exert influence and humans are free to rebel against God. Hence, the Psalmist notes, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, ESV). The apostle Paul also reminds us of the devil who is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV). The force of evil rebellion is wielded, and God’s creation suffers.

Enter Jesus Christ. Diving wholeheartedly into the mess, Jesus begins to tread the dirt of this earth two millennia ago. At the inauguration of His ministry, he walked to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee and began preaching some of the sweetest words I have ever heard, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, ESV). The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Praise God! We can now begin to sense the infiltration of a kingdom ruled by what is right; the invasion of all we have longed for has begun!

Just in case we are questioning what the rule of God’s righteousness is honestly like, Jesus works His way through all of Galilee “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23, ESV). Did you catch the wonderment of His action? Jesus healed every disease and affliction that broken humans could present to Him. He single-handedly demonstrated the heart of God . . . to cure what ails and destroys us. This heart of God prevails with the kingdom of heaven, so let us go back to Jesus’ prescription for the ushering in of that glorious kingdom.

Jesus exhorted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The prerequisite for my part in this kingdom is repentance. I must rightfully acknowledge my guilt in the hellish schemes of a sinful heart. I must confess that I am a sinner, and that I desire to be forgiven of my sins. The gist of repentance bids me go further – to agree to turn away from sin and toward God by the power Jesus grants to me. A repentant heart says, “I run to God and away from sin; and I desire to never look back, even though I know the cost will be great.”

You will notice that after calling people to repentance in anticipation of God’s kingdom, Jesus approaches individuals and asks them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22) – not just in a walk by the lake, but in a walk of self-denial and God-exaltation. He asks Peter and Andrew to come with Him, and both men left their fishing nets and embarked on a relationship with Jesus Christ. They deemed Him worth the adventure and all that would be asked of them.

After the call to repentance and the invitation to follow in the everyday walk of life, Jesus begins to display the heart of the heavenly kingdom with His miracles. How overjoyed the disciples must have been to begin realizing the momentous nature of that of which they had become a part. God wants things right! He wants our hearts right, our words right, our actions right, our relationships right, our bodies right, and our universe right! Jesus began in that small province in the Middle East to shine forth hints of what the kingdom of heaven is, and what indescribable joy we shall experience when – finally – “the kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, ESV).

Friends, as surely as the words of John 3:16 are true, the words of Revelation 11:15 are true. One day this world’s dark kingdom will be replaced with the kingdom of our Lord. Then we will witness in full what Galileans witnessed in part in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We will see with our own eyes afflictions disappear, weariness turn to strength, love prevail without challenge, grief be obliterated, fear become trust, sorrow vanish, regret run away, the earth be restored to perfection . . . and Jesus take charge forever.

Get a taste of this kingdom now, and join me one day when we feast together with our Savior!

Rescue from the Wrath to Come

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“Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” – I Thessalonians 1:10b (NASB)

There is a wrath to come. Oddly enough, I affirm that statement with both grief and gratefulness. God does not delight in the pouring forth of His wrath (II Peter 3:9, NASB). In fact, He delights in the demonstration of mercy (Micah 7:18, NIV). As one of His children, I also do not take joy in God’s wrath, but I imperfectly grasp its necessity.

I am aware of horrible things in this current world system: children starve to death, dictators wield unjust power, people suffer with myriad debilitating diseases, parents neglect and abuse little ones, angry people kill other humans, desperate people give up on themselves, natural disasters destroy homes and lives, people speak hateful words, humans die in loneliness, entire groups wage war on nations, and some orphans never find homes. In light of these observations, I thank God that one day He will set things right and refuse to allow sin to influence anymore. The Bible makes clear that the sinfulness of human beings has brought a curse to this world. All who choose to follow the sinful nature will have to be dealt with in order for God to bring to reality a right world. All who choose to follow Jesus and accept His righteousness in exchange for their sinfulness will abide eternally in that right world (John 3:36, NASB).

At the helm of sinful choices stands Satan. He leads those who want to follow him in rebellion against God and God’s ways. He leads the march against all that is right. Satan leads the march toward destruction, because God must pour out His holy wrath on sin and all its horror. Revelation 20:10 (NASB) declares, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” The greatest tormentor will be tormented so that horror will finally be confined. Atrocity and pain will be imprisoned with sinful rebellion in a place of God’s making. Justice will be served so that Heaven can flourish. There is wrath to come.

Following the ultimate demise of Satan, Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB) proclaims, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” And there we have it. All people who have chosen death instead of life by choosing sin instead of Jesus (Romans 6:23, NASB) will be confined to the same place of torment in which their leader will exist. The wrath of God Almighty will be poured forth on all the sinfulness that has perpetuated the horrible things of which I spoke earlier. God hates sin, and God hates what sin does. God also dignifies His human creatures. We are made in His image, with the freedom to choose. Sin, therefore, originates in the human heart (James 1:13-15, NIV). Unless Jesus is asked to stop it, sin continues to reign in the souls of those who choose it to be so. Therefore, the wrath of God must extend to those souls. In His mercy, God must one day eliminate sin and its indescribable damage.

Let us now focus on our hope found in the Scripture we are studying. I Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB, emphasis mine) describes our hope as “Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can rescue us from this wrath. He is our Way to the right world God is preparing (John 14:1-6, NIV). We have no chance of escaping God’s wrath but by divine rescue. Ours simply cannot be a mission of self-help. There is nothing we can do to change the bent of our heart from sinfulness to righteousness; for us, only one answer exists – rescue by Jesus Christ! He alone can make our whole being brand new – apt to love and serve Him (II Corinthians 5:17, NIV).

Two millennia ago, Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to suffer the wrath of God on behalf of humans He loves. The infinite, holy God bore the wrath of the infinite, holy God so that finite, failing humans who believe in Him may enjoy eternal life rather than suffer eternal wrath. God’s holiness demands justice. Jesus offered to meet the just requirement of payment for sin on our behalf by shedding His own blood. We must now run to Him and yield our hearts and lives to Him.

I have asked Him to save me from the wrath to come by re-making me so that I am fit for righteousness through Him. His sacrifice is my only hope. Please turn to Him this moment and ask Him to save you from the wrath to come. The divine rescue of Jesus – and the needed wrath of God – work together to give us the eternal hope that we will one day suffer no more!

Troubled by the Tribulation

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Recently a group of second grade students at my school was very much troubled by the tribulation. Some had become fixated on the number “666” as their little minds pondered the end times. A few had actually become afraid of the devil’s work as the day of Christ’s return approaches.

As a principal who loves my students and loves the Word of God, I was happy to visit the classroom personally and attempt – by God’s Holy Spirit – to calm these precious souls.

I emphasized three basic points for these adorable, inquisitive kids:

1) The reality of God’s power and control,
2) The reason for Jesus’ second coming for Christians, and
3) The status of heart Jesus wants us to have regarding the end of time.

I found that the reiteration of these basic, Biblical principles did me a world of good! I hope a brief discussion of each vital concept will lift your heart today.

1) The reality of God’s power and control

    Question: Who made God?
    Answer: No one.

    Follow-up: No one made God because He is the biggest and most powerful. He had no beginning, and no one can stop Him or His plan!

    Question: Who made Satan?
    Answer: God.

    Follow-up: Though first created as Lucifer, an angel of light, the devil is only a created being. Therefore, He is nothing compared to God, His Creator. He is no match for Jesus in any way, shape, or form! (Even in the desperation of the end times.)

2) The reason for Jesus’ second coming for Christians (based on Hebrews 9:28)

    Question: Why did Jesus come the first time to Earth?
    Answer: To take away our sins.

    Question: Why is Jesus coming back the second time?
    Answer: To rescue us!

    Follow-up: We are forgiven because Jesus came to Earth the first time to bear our sins on the cross.

    When He comes the second time, He will rescue us from all of sin’s effects and influence.

    In the Greek, the word for “salvation” here is equated to “deliverance” or “rescue.”

    Jesus is coming back to make us completely safe! No more will we battle sin, no more will people hurt one another, no more will anyone be sick or die.

3) The status of heart Jesus wants us to have regarding the end of time.

    Question: What is the first thing Jesus said when He began to tell His disciples about the world He is preparing for us?
    Answer: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

    Follow-up: When we think about the New heaven and the New Earth that Jesus is making for us, we ought to do so with a heart that is untroubled.

    Though Jesus has left the Earth for now, He wants us to know that He is completely trustworthy. He made this world and all its glorious contents, and He is making the next world. The difference is that the world to come will be perfect and complete because God will have His way unhindered there!

    In the meantime, do not become unduly focused on the details of the end of time. Rather, become intently focused on the God of all power, Who is returning to rescue us, and Who wants us to be untroubled in the meantime.”

    May this response to a second grade concern comfort our adult hearts. God’s Word is beautiful in its simplicity for all!