Tag: Comfort During the End Times

Good morning! It’s a beautiful crisp Spring morning near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the sun is shining. The sunlight is coming through the beautiful stained glass in my window and its reflection makes gorgeous designs on the walls!! Despite what is going on around me, I see God’s handiwork even through the darkest of times. I recently went through some health issues with my husband and times like these always prove God’s faithfulness! Praising God is a boost to a discouraged heart. The more I praise Him and thank Him for all He has done for me, it’s as if I am able to climb out of the discouraging hole in which I’ve placed myself. All I have to do is to look around me. I see God’s blessings through nature and in His Word! I see God’s goodness when I look at my husband and family.

So how does one praise the Lord in the midst of trials? When tears are flowing and your heart is breaking, something has to be done to get you out of your pit! It’s not easy – it is a learned habit as you grow in Him. The Book of Psalms is a great place to start when you’re feeling discouraged.

Psa 92:5  O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

You may be asking yourself why God allows these times! You may be accusing Him of even causing your problems. But stop and think for a moment. Once sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, there was no stopping its effects on mankind and nature. Mankind was no longer perfect, as originally created by God. Man made a conscious decision to disobey God, and mankind has paid the price ever since. Sins’ problems are caused by our own disobedience, so don’t be too harsh on Adam and Eve. We all choose to sin. However, not all trials are a result of our own sin. Sometimes God allows hard times in our lives to teach us to rely on Him.

When my children were little, I was walking alongside my son and he fell and hurt himself. Now I couldn’t prevent his fall and I most certainly didn’t want him to be hurt. But what I could do is to pick him up, kiss his booboo and comfort him. It’s no different with God. He gives us the “room” to live and when we hurt, He is right there alongside us, just waiting to comfort us and pick us up.

He also gives us His Word to prepare us and teach us about the dark days ahead. When we know what’s coming up, we aren’t so caught of guard, amen? The Apostles did their best to teach us about the end times so believers would not be caught unawares. Our hearts need to be prepared so when we see and hear horrible tragedies, we can handle them. There are also those around us who laugh at Christians and think we’re “off our rocker” because we anxiously await the return of the Lord to take His Church home to be with Him. Peter called these people “scoffers.” Unfortunately, even some church members are guilty of this as they don’t believe in the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus to rapture His Church!

2 Peter 3:3-5  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  (4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (5)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Don’t let scoffers and Christ deniers rule your thoughts. Get in the Word of God and feed yourself. Prepare yourself for those times because they will get worse. The Bible says that the worst of times are yet to come: times that have never occurred on this earth! We are blessed to have the Scriptures, the very Word of God, that gives us prophecies that have and are occurring as we speak! How great is that!!?? We can know the future end time events because we can trust God’s Word! Why? Because all prophecies which foretold Christ’s birth and resurrection in the Bible have come true. Therefore, there is no doubt that the future prophecies will also!! You don’t have to go to a fortune teller; in fact, as born-again believers, you should not be doing that! That’s what the world does; we are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Friend, are you discouraged this morning, for whatever reason?

The only way you can work yourself out of that pit is to turn to the Lord, acknowledge that you are doubting Him and ask Him to guide you and to place you on that rock that is higher than you! (Psalm 61:2)

On that Rock, you will be able to see clearly because you will see what is before you! (1 Corinthians 10:4) You can trust Jesus Christ because He is God! Praise Him and thank Him for His constant care for you … He will walk beside you and lead you! The Rock is Christ, Reader! It is not an earthly person. It is the Lord Himself who will provide for you. He knows you intimately: every square inch of your entire body, soul and spirit! Who better to care for you than He!! Sing praises to Him and tell Him how grateful you are that He cares for you! One of my favorite hymns consistently creates in me a grateful heart! It gives me goose bumps thinking of how Great God is!!

How Great Thou Art!

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

It is up to you to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and change your current habits about your relationship with the Lord. Are you afraid? Do you doubt that God couldn’t possibly take care of your problems like He did when He parted the Red Sea? Get serious about your walk with Him and allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you. Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Psa 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

Good morning, Reader! As I read through today’s verse and seek answers for my heart during these troubling times, I find myself thankful that I will indeed be in God’s house soon. The Rapture could happen at any time, my friend! God is patient and doesn’t want anyone to die and go to Hell. He is leaving the door to Heaven open as long as possible so the Church, the Bride, can be added to as much as possible. His mercy will even extend to those who live during the Tribulation. He will give them every opportunity to be saved but, unfortunately, those people will go through the most terrible times ever to come to this earth.

Notice as well that David mentions that he will seek after: to dwell in the Lord’s house, to behold the Lord’s beauty, and to ask questions in the Lord’s temple. In these last days, friend, we should be seeking these exact same things:

Dwell in the house of the Lord: One cannot go to the Lord’s house (Heaven) unless one is born again. (John 3:3, John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:23) Only the saved will have the privilege of going to Heaven. (John 14:2, 14:3)

Behold the Lord’s beauty: We know that we born-again believers are saved from the wrath to come which gives us a fellowship with the Lord. We see Him in a new light since our salvation. We understand what He went through in order for us to be forgiven of our sins. We behold Him in our hearts as wonderful and beautiful! We long for the day where we can see Him face to face! (Isaiah 33:17, Psalm 50:2)

Enquire in the Lord’s temple: I know I will have a lot of questions to ask once I get to Heaven. I will be able to ask Jesus to tell me about all the times He appeared in the Old Testament to guide Israel. I’ll be able to ask Him anything and He will answer!

As a believer, today’s verse comforts me because it is a promise to me.

Even though the world is falling apart around me, I know that there are better days ahead for the believer! It comforts me in troubling times.

You may be one who is afraid to get saved because your family will think your nuts. The Lord promises us in Psalm 27:10 that the Lord will “lift” you. He will encourage you and comfort your heart in those times. He strengthens His children and doesn’t leave them abandoned! (Psalm 27:14)

Encouraging your own heart involves effort on your part, Reader. You cannot leave this task to other people as they will eventually let you down. But God never lets you down. Singing praises to Him does something to my heart. My discouraged heart begins to change and I am focusing my thoughts on God and not my circumstances.

It’s amazing how the Lord changes the heart when we praise Him! (Psalm 147:1) It is the best medicine in times like these.

Are you discouraged when you listen to the daily news? Stop listening to that and start listening to God’s Word. Let Him speak to you and heal you! (Psalm 147:3) He understands what you are going through and will encourage you if you do your part. (Psalm 147:5)

For those readers today, anything worth having in your life is worth working for. Do you have salvation? If you do, then once the Rapture happens, you will be in Heaven when the Tribulation happens. In the meantime, dive into God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you. For those who have not committed their life to the Lord Jesus, do so before it’s eternally too late. He is the only One who can bring you comfort and encouragement in the upcoming days. There are no guarantees that you will get saved during the Tribulation. In fact, most people will have hardened hearts going into the Tribulation and they will not seek after God.

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Don’t wait! Get comfort now and be encouraged now!

Remember, before the Antichrist can sign a peace treaty with Israel, there must be a war. We are heading towards that at the moment. The war in the Ukraine is stirring up the hearts of evil men and they will connive to come against Israel. The end times will revolve around Israel. The Bible says that Russia and its accomplices will rise to this level. So friend, times are getting harder and every aspect of life is changing before our very eyes in order to usher in these end times and the Antichrist’s reign. Times are not going to get better or easier. We must learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord in order to make it through these times.

There a beautiful hymn that tells us what to do during these times and I love the lyrics. Have you heard it?

In Times Like These Lyrics

In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He’s the One,
This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

In times like these you need the Bible,
In times like these, O be not idle;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This hymn reflects 2 Timothy 3:1 perfectly! I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy but Scripture warns us of these end times. Therefore, it is up to you to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and change your current habits about your relationship with the Lord. Get serious about your walk with Him and allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you. Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Psa 57:1  Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Good morning, dear Reader! Don’t you love today’s picture? It’s one of those pictures that makes you actually feel the comfort when the cygnet snuggles under the mother’s wing! Being under her wing keeps the baby safe from the scorching sun or horrible storms of life. The mother takes all the hardships that nature puts on her and her family. She absorbs it all so her babies don’t have to suffer. I liken this to my daily struggles and the times I need the Lord the most! Just as a parent’s heart is broken when their child suffers, so much the more does our Heavenly Father suffer when His child is hurting!

Let’s take apart this verse for a moment. When David wrote this Psalm, he was fleeing from King Saul who was trying to kill him! David was hiding in a cave and he was begging the Lord to have mercy on his circumstances… so much so, he begged for God’s mercy twice in the same sentence! When something is repeated like this, it tells you and I to “take notice”! David refers to his circumstances as a calamity. This isn’t just some small problem in his life – he called this “calamities.” Webster defines calamity as:

CALAMITY, n. Any great misfortune, or cause of misery; generally applied to events or disasters which produce extensive evils, as loss of crops, earthquakes, conflagrations, defeat of armies, and the like. But it is applied also to the misfortunes which bring great distress upon individuals.

Are you in great distress today, Reader? Are you going through experiences that you’ve never been through before and don’t know how to handle? Has your spouse left you or been unfaithful? Has one of your children died? Have you gone bankrupt? Did you lose your job and you have a family to support? I agree that these tragedies can be overwhelming. However, we must know what to do when these hardships come into our lives. What should we do? David had the answer when he wrote:

Psa 61:2  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

David knew what to do when life was out of control and he couldn’t change his circumstances. Even more importantly, David knew what to do when he had sinned against God. (Psalm 51:4) David was an ordinary man with the same sins as you and me. In case you haven’t read this yet, David lusted after a married woman (Bathsheba) and had an affair with her while he was King. To top it off, David had her husband, Uriah, (one of his best military soldiers) killed in battle to cover up the affair, just so he could have her. It’s hard to imagine David doing this. This was the same man that wrote 75 of the psalms in the Book of Psalms!! The key here, however, is that David repented of his sin and did not practice sin thereafter. The point here is a person who loves the Lord and obeys His Word will be able to go to that rock that is higher than his circumstances when his heart is overwhelmed.

Are you overwhelmed with today’s world news? Are you fearing the next pandemic? Are you apprehensive that you will lose your retirement pension when the one-world currency and government comes to fruition?

If you are not born-again, you don’t have a way to comfort yourself. You may turn to alcohol, sex, or drugs but these won’t bring you comfort! All they will do is desensitize you and get you deeper into trouble. You will continue to live in fear. The more important issue at hand is that you should be fearing where you will spend eternity! Once you settle that matter in your heart and become born-again, you won’t have to fear where you spend eternity because the Bride of Christ (every born-again believer since Christ ascended into Heaven) will be Raptured and will spend eternity with the King of kings and Lord of lords! However, if you refuse to get saved, there is no guarantee that you will get saved during the Tribulation – you may one of those who will have his/her conscience seared! (1 Timothy 4:1-2) Furthermore, if you do get saved during the Tribulation, you will lose your life for your testimony! (Revelation 20:4) Your fears will be greater during the Tribulation than they are currently!

There’s no need for fear today because Christians are comforted by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word every day! (John 14:26, John 15:26) If you are a believer and you still live in fear, all I can say is you are not submitting yourself to God’s Word. You have to be IN the Word in order to get comfort FROM it! You are being willful and want to get through life on your own terms. But that is not God’s way! As your heavenly Father, He wants to be Abba Father to you! He wants you to turn to Him with your problems just as you turned to your earthly father when you were little! He wants to gather you under His wings and hide you during the storms of life. But you must let Him. I know a few people in my circle who seem to be totally absorbed with worry. I talk to them and all I hear is “woe is me”! Or, there’s no positive thing that comes from their mouth. I understand that there are different people in this world and some have their glass half full, and some have their glass half empty. I get that! But how awful is it to carry our burdens alone! Jesus said:

Mat 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus relieves us of our burdens and gives us His Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to help us! Unbelievers do not possess the Holy Spirit as He comes to those at the moment of salvation. This is when He seals them with eternal life in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30) Christians do not have to be concerned with our circumstances in life. In fact, if the believer walks closely with the Lord, that believer need not concern himself with the world around him. He can hide himself in the shadow of God’s wings and be protected from the “heat” of problems and the storms of life! No amount of worry can change anything in our lives! (Matthew 6:27)

The Lord protects His own! He loves Israel and He loves his “grafted” in children, the born-again believers! He longs to comfort us and take us under His wings! (Matthew 23:37) I love the hymn, “Under His Wings”! It totally encompasses today’s message through Psalm 57:1!

Under His wings I am safely abiding;
  Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me;
  He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

    Under His wings, under His wings,
      Who from His love can sever?
    Under His wings my soul shall abide,
        Safely abide forever.

Under His wings–what a refuge in sorrow!
  How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
  There I find comfort, and there I am blest.

Under His wings–oh, what precious enjoyment!
  There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
  Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

Reader, can you look at today’s picture, read today’s post and lyrics without feeling? A child of God receives great comfort in doing so. But to the unbeliever, today’s message is really not all that comforting. If you are the latter, ask yourself if you are a religious person? Being religious does not get one to Heaven. Being religious doesn’t bring you comfort when you read things such as this. Everyone is looking for someone or something to help with or decrease life’s problems. Look to the only One who can deliver you from eternity in Hell AND draw you under His wings to give you protection and comfort!

Times are not going to get easier, Reader. I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy but Scripture warns us of these end times. Therefore, it is up to you to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and change your current habits about your relationship with the Lord. Get serious about your walk with Him and allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you. Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Psa 57:1  Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Good morning! Are you troubled this morning with the horrifying news about East Palestine, Ohio? What about the latest news on the war with Ukraine and Russia? Ask Jessica Tapias why she was fired from her teaching position for not lying to parents or refusing to allow students with “male genitals” into the girls locker room. Where are your thoughts as they relate to current events? Does it discourage you? Are you angered? Wow, is my post making you more discouraged than when you arrived on my blog? Please continue to read and you’ll see how you can turn that discouragement into joy!

In my experience, the only way to cure discouragement was to change the attitude of my heart. If I concentrate on the circumstances around me, it will most certainly lead me to negative thoughts and add to that discouragement. Watching the news was my “trigger.” However, when I turned to the Lord and gave all my worries to Him, those same worries were not so important anymore. I am not able to change any of the world’s tragedies but I know the God who can. With that in mind, my thoughts focused on the only One who could help me!

Let’s get back to today’s Psalm; there we find the solution! Let’s pick this Psalm apart and see what the Lord is trying to teach us. 🥰

Psa 57:7-11  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.  (8)  Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.  (9)  I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.  (10)  For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.  (11)  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

David starts off with saying his heart is fixed. Noah Webster defines the word “fixed” as “Settled; established; firm; fast; stable.“ Ask yourself if you are settled in God’s Word? Are you established in your faith; are you standing firm on foundation of the Word of God; can you turn to a place in your Bible to encourage yourself when you need it quickly; are you stable in your walk with the Lord or do you keep stumbling? David was able to do this because he said “My heart is fixed, O God”! He even says it twice which emphasizes his point. If you are tired of being discouraged by everything in your life and you want to change your heart, it will take work on your part. It’s not earth shattering work but you will have to form new habits. Let’s learn from David. Here are three areas that impressed me. David said:

My heart is fixed: Your heart can only be “fixed” on God if you surround yourself with the things of God. Start your day in your Bible or devote a special time in your day. Dedicate that specific time to read God’s Word and allow Him to use what you have read to teach you. Pause after each segment you read and ask Him to show you what He would have you to learn. He desires to have a seat right next to you and fellowship with you. (Revelation 3:20, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 11:28-29) Pretend He is sitting in the chair beside you, if you have to. David says he wakes up early as part of his time with the Lord. When I was a young mother, if my children saw the tiniest ray of light from under their door, they would cry for me to get them up. It was impossible to have that quiet time with God in the wee hours. However, once they were in bed at night, I was able to devote my time to Him! Now in this stage of retirement life, I am able to spend all the time I want. To be honest, the more time I spend with Him, my heart desires more. Reading God’s Word is what transforms our way of thinking and what is in our hearts. Remember Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:2! It is by the renewing our minds that we can be transformed! How do we do that? We do that by not conforming to this world!

David continues with:

I will praise thee: Is there a song from your youth that brings back good memories? I think we all have those songs. But there’s something different about hymns. They contain a mini Gospel and words to change the heart. Singing hymns and spiritual songs will encourage your heart. Singing always changes the attitude of my heart. When my husband was sick, even near death, I would encourage myself with godly music. It changed my focus to the Lord and not on my circumstances. One of my absolute favorites is “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” When I sing this song, I think of God’s amazing grace that saved my lost soul. I think of Him shining into my dark night and restoring my vision so I can focus on Him! 🤗 Just read these words and see how they affect you:

O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

His word shall not fail you he promised
Believe him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

It reminds me of my previously lost condition and how grateful I am to now be considered His child. It takes my eyes off ME and turns them on HIM. It encourages me to tell others! Which leads us to David’s next instruction:

David sang among his people and the nations. Honestly, I can “sing” and make a “joyful noise” in my church but to sing to the nations is quite another thing. 😆 The point is that David was not afraid to sing about the Lord to anyone. Where do you stand when it comes to telling others about your spiritual story? Are you afraid to do so? Do you share how you came to know the Lord with others? When I tell someone about what led me to the Lord and how I was saved, it lifts my own spirits and it blesses me. If that story leads a person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then it’s like an energy shot in the arm for me! It is such a huge event that it even brings joy in Heaven! (Luke 15:7, 15:10) This is an excellent way to chase away discouragement, Reader! Share your story with others! Praise the Lord openly and don’t be afraid if others look at you strangely. The more you do this, the easier it gets.

All this takes work, Reader. You also have to remove yourself from discouraging surroundings. If that means not watching the news or listening to negative podcasts, then so be it. (Psalm 101:3-8) If it means not hanging around with people who encourage wrong behavior, then don’t. (Proverbs 22:24, 2 Corinthians 6:14) You may lose friends or fellowship with some family members but you will be happier for it in the long run. It’s amazing what angry and sinful people bring into your life! Proverbs 12:21 is a good warning to all!

You have to start somewhere. If you are truly tired of being discouraged, then do something about it! But, friend, do something that is Christ-centered, not world-centered. The world will suck you into anything that is against God. Remember, the adversary does not play fair. He wants to kill you, both spiritually and physically. (1 Peter 5:8) But what is the heart of God?

1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The Lord does not want you to be discouraged. He is love and He is the Good Shepherd! Psalm 23 shows us just how good He is! This Psalm tells you everything that He desires to do for you. He loves you so much and wants you to trust Him. He knows what is best for you. If you focus your thoughts around Him and His Word, He will encourage your heart during these tumultuous times. The world will not get better. Matthew 24:8 says that all these things that are currently happening in our world are the “beginning of sorrows.” This is terminology for birth pains. The pains that come with child birth start off slowly and they are “not so bad.” However, those birth pains grow closer together and stronger until the blessed event of the baby’s birth occurs!

Times are not going to get easier, Reader. I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy but Scripture warns us of these end times. Therefore, it is up to you to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and change your current habits about your relationship with the Lord. Get serious about your walk with Him and allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you. Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Psa 56:3  What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Good morning, Reader! In my desire to continue the End Times “theme,” along with stressing the importance of salvation, I thought this new series would accomplish both goals. I pray it engages you as readers and it accomplishes my heart’s desire! So, why this theme? I realized there are people out there who are hurting, apprehensive, and afraid of what is currently happening in our world. They fear what is yet to come! And they should be scared if they are not born-again believers! But as Christians, should we be scared and caught unaware of times to come? Can there be comfort found as the world around us collapses?

Friend, we have the Bible as our guide which contains every prophecy and every detail that will happen. Nearly one-third of the Scriptures contains prophecy so it’s important for us to be familiar with what it teaches! The Bible is recorded fact of what has and will ever happen. Everything prophesied the past has happened, Friend! Not one prophecy has failed. God has a perfect track record in fulfilling each one. So there is no reason to doubt that future prophecy will happen just as He said it would. In fact, God was present in the past; He’s present today; and He is also present in the future when prophecy actually happened! I realize it’s hard to understand but to God, earth’s future has already occurred to Him because He exists in the future. God is not bound by time!

You have to understand that in order to understand why Jesus came in the first place! God knew very well that we could not live a sinless life and that there was no way we could gain entrance to His heaven! He saw it happening before it ever happened! (Isaiah 46:10) God’s compassion on mankind is so great that He took upon Himself the responsibility of paying our debt so that we could go to Heaven. Jesus Christ, God Himself, had to take on flesh so He could live that sinless life, become that sinless and spotless sacrifice for all sins. (2 Cor. 5:21) He died on that cross and shed His own blood (Matt. 6:28); He rose from the dead (Acts 10:41) and ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:9). But don’t stop there! He IS COMING AGAIN, people! (John 14:3) He is coming to judge those who refused His gift of salvation. (Rev. 20:11-15) He is coming to destroy the efforts of the devil to rule this world. (Rev. 20:10) He is coming to rule and reign for a thousand years!

When Christians read the Bible, they prepare themselves for what is to come. For the unbeliever, this is not so. This is why they will live through the worse times ever to come on this earth. Before I begin the series, I just want you to see, at a glance, what is in store for those who will go through the Tribulation.

Things will get worse before the Antichrist is revealed when he signs the peace treaty with Israel. There can’t be peace until first there is war or a threat of war! The Bible says that Russia and countries supporting them will go against Israel. (Read Ezekiel 38 and 39) We see this unfolding today! Europe was getting its oil resources from Russia but have now turned to Israel because the Nord Stream pipeline was destroyed. It’s possible that this will cause Russia to go after Israel’s resources bringing on the war which will usher in the Antichrist. As soon as the Antichrist signs that peace treaty with Israel, the seven-year Tribulation begins and the first seven judgments begin, which are the 7 Seals in the first column listed below. Look at what happens with each judgment.

It won’t be a piece of cake for earth’s inhabitants as the world will experience war, famine, and one-fourth of the world’s population dies! (Rev. 6:8) Just because the Antichrist signs a peace treaty doesn’t mean that it will be peaceful and joyful at that time! Friend, we are seeing the birth pangs spoken of in Matthew 24! Look at how much happens with the second set of judgments. During this time, one-third of the population will die (Rev. 9:15).

Mat 24:7-9  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  (8)  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  (9)  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Just as birth pains come stronger and closer together, so will the judgments of the Tribulation. So what can you do? If you’re a believer, trust in the Lord and be ready for the Rapture. (1 Cor. 15:51-52) If you’re not saved, now’s the day of salvation! (2 Cor. 6:2) I pray that this series will bring comfort and encouragement to the believer as well as lead unbelievers to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I start this first day of the series with Psalm 56:3. David was begging mercy from God because those against him were about to overcome him! (Psalm 56:1-2) David sets the stage and shares his pattern for achieving that comfort but it was only through God:

• Trust in the Lord – Psalm 56:3 tells us that when David was scared, he trusted in God. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that as we trust the Lord, He guides and directs us. We know that God is perfect and in Him there is no evil. He means only what is good for us. (Exodus 34:6)
• Praise His Word – David praises God’s Word! Jesus is the living Word of God. (John 1:1) We have God’s Word in our hands and we should read it and be blessed by it. We should praise God for providing us with His Word so we can turn to it in time of need. We also turn to it to prepare ourselves for these end times! Something is frightening if you’re not prepared, i.e. a house fire or a thief breaking into your home. However, when we know what’s going to happen (as indicated in the chart above), we keep watch and we anxiously await for the Lord to Rapture us away!
• Cry and share your tears with God – David was so good at this one! He shed so many tears that he knew that God had every one of those tears recorded. God sees us (Gen. 16:13) and He sees each tear! (Isaiah 38:5) I love how David says that God puts our tears in a bottle! Luke 12:7 says that God even numbers the very hairs on our head – each one of us! THAT is a personal God, my friend. God is for you and will help you! (Psalm 56:9)
• Read the Word – You will see all the vows and commitments God has made. He has never gone back on His word; He has never broken a promise. When you are born-again, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit and you are part of the Bride of Christ, the Church! You will be taken out before the wrath of God comes upon the entire earth. (Rom. 5:9, 1 Thess. 1:10)
• Acknowledge that God has delivered you! (Psalm 56:13) Tell others about being delivered from the pits of Hell! Tell others what God has done for you since you accepted Christ as your Saviour. Tell others about Jesus and His precious salvation. Don’t be silent! You are the light to a lost and world! Shine forth and tell them about Christ’s love, His sinless life, His death on the cross to pay our penalty, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into Heaven to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house (John 14:2), and His return (first in the clouds to pick up His Bride (1 Thess. 4:13-18) and then at the end of the Tribulation (to pass judgment on a Christ-rejecting world). (Rev. 19:11-21)

The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!