We are surely in a wild and confusing age. The world seems to be caught-up in a whirlwind of evil, totally out of control. But the reality is: God Himself is the real controller.
God is at work! He works non-stop in us His followers, and He works in time — in the world and its history (before history happens!). He frustrates the machinations of the Evil one.
What God wants to accomplish in these End Times
Up ahead, on the road we are travelling, God is accomplishing His mysterious work so that all conforms to what He Himself has planned to accomplish in these End Times. God is not distant, as the world would have it.
He did not speak us into existence
and then walk away!
He has plans for us,
great plans!
-Source: God is not distant
Fear not!
Our journeys together in these end times will be difficult! Believe it! Prepare for it! But, we are told: Fear not!
I will protect you from the time of testing…quoting Revelation 3:10-11
Matthew 24 verse 8: Fear not “the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble”
God is at work up ahead
God brings into fruition His plans – as He wills. Events will not happen as Satan wills, not as the Beast wills, not as evil men want it to be. Rather – as He wills. We do not know exactly when the time will be ripe, but we are to wait faithfully for these things to come, knowing He has us in His Hands:
We are now in “Birth Pangs” times, and then – the End
We are inside the timeframe Jesus gave for the Rapture
Jesus promises an End Time Rapture
First Apostasy, then Antichrist, then the Rapture
The Great Tribulation by: Words of Life Ministries
The “appearing” of the Antichrist, the Beast (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3), will usher-in The Great Tribulation period. Speaking about the end time “Beast”, Candice Lucey says there are three of them:
None of these beasts has ultimate control, however. “God ordains what the beast does” and His “judgment is his ‘strange’ work” referenced in Isaiah 28:21.
“For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way” – 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
– Source: What Is the Mark of the Beast in the Bible? – by Candice Lucey for CrossWalk.com
What we know from Isaiah 28:21:
“The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon— to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task.” – Isaiah 28:21 1
1. God “rises up” when He so chooses. He has done it before (at MountDon’t worry. God will act in His good timing of things.
2. God’s work is “His work”, not ours. Don’t fret about it. He is not a slacker. Wait for it.
3. God’s work is sometimes a “strange work”. He does it His way, not our way. Sometimes, as when He used Babylon to destroy Israel, He will cause choosen evil ones to accomplish what He planned.
4. God’s work is His and His alone, “His task” to perform. It is His to work out. Wait for it!
5. God’s work does not emanate from within this world. It is “His alien task”.
What we know from 2 Thessalonians 2:7:
“For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way.”
Or, as said in the New International Version:
“7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:7 NIV)
- The coming “power of lawlessness”, which appears to me to be Satan’s plan for a One World government under the Antichrist – “is already at work“; has been under development for ages.
- Only the Holy Spirit has been able to stop Satan’s plan. And He will continue to do so until the time is ripe, and the Holy Spirit is taken out of the earth. Then, as they say, “all hell breaks out”, as Satan has his way during The Great Tribulation.
- God is holding back Satan’s plans until the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth.
- Since He has promised to never leave us (now residing in all believers) the Rapture must happen prior to the point in time when Satan is given a free rein in the End Times Great Tribulation. (*We do not know when exactly it will be that God gives Satan free rein during The Great Tribulation.)
- We have the promise of God that His own (all His followers) will not experience His wrath. We have been redeemed from His wrath. So when His wrath falls on the earth during a specific time within the Great Tribulation — we know believers will not be there. Thus, the Rapture has to happen prior to His wrath being poured-out on all who have rebelled against Him.Daniel 12:1 [ The Time of the End ] “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
- The effect of The Rapture is (1) the removal of all believers from earth; and (2) the simultaineous removal of the Holy Spirit and His restraining work. He is “the one who now holds it back” (verse 7).
The Returns of Christ in the End Times
The next “coming of the Lord” will happen in two phases: first the Rapture, and then, several years later — He will return again, but this time in power and glory (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27) to destroy the enemies of Israel at the battle of Armeggedon and establish His Kingdom. – Source: Jesus Promises an End Time Rapture
The world is a wild and wooly place these days. But believers need not fear. The Lord is our strength.
FOR MORE:
The non-stop work of God inside you and me
About Satan… a series on our Enemy
What God has going on with us here on this planet
I will protect you from the time of testing…quoting Revelation 3:10-11
Matthew 24 verse 8: Fear not “the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble”
We are now in “Birth Pangs” times, and then – the End
We are inside the timeframe Jesus gave for the Rapture
First Apostasy, then Antichrist, then the Rapture
The Great Tribulation by: Words of Life Ministries
What Is the Mark of the Beast in the Bible? – by Candice Lucey for CrossWalk.com
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