The Purpose of This Life is Knowing God.

God made humanity for his pleasure, and it was always supposed to be a mutual relationship.  We messed it up, on our end.  So now the whole point of our lives is finding God – being reconciled to him in relationship.  If we miss this, we miss the entire point of our existence.  Nothing else we accomplish matters if we don’t get this right.

I Thought I Knew God?

The most distraught people right now will be those who believed they knew God and would be saved, yet were left behind after the rapture of the church.  If this is you, you are experiencing one of the most terrifying passages in the Bible:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

As a follower of Jesus, you must always test yourself, to see if you are in the faith:

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

God is offering you a second chance to pass the test.  This time, you need to surrender your whole heart to Him and be willing to die for Him, just as He died for you.

Finding God is a Process.

It doesn’t happen overnight, nor is there a magical formula.  We seek Him, and we will find Him, IF we seek Him with all our heart.  That means we don’t give up.  We press on and search as we would for a lost child, for our entire lives if necessary.  He’s that worth it.  And He wants to be found.  But He wants to be found by people who are willing to give their all to pursue Him.  Until the very end.

Following Jesus Will Be Virtually Impossible.

The time that you have now entered will be the most challenging time humanity has ever faced.  God’s escape hatch has closed, and there is no longer a possibility of being sheltered from what is to come.  There will be natural disasters and a shortage of essential survival items – food, water, shelter, and medical care.  The world will be violent and spiritually dark.  Satan will be actively targeting and suppressing the Truth of Jesus Christ.  In our humanity, it will be impossible to follow Jesus.  But with God, all things are possible.

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”  But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 

Luke 18:26-27 ESV

God Offers a Second Chance for Salvation.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.

Joel 2:12-13 ESV

God Has Left Instructions Specifically For You.

I want to show you the words Jesus left specifically for you.  These are somber warnings, but they are pregnant with hope.  This life we are living is not all there is.  Although it seems long and at times unbearable, once it is done it will be but the briefest moment compared to the eternity that follows.

There Will Be a False Prophet and a False Messiah.

Jesus clearly taught that there will be false prophets and false messiahs.  There will be a singular false prophet who will point to a singular false messiah, who will claim to be “god” at some point (approximately 1260 days after a 7-year covenant is signed or strengthened with Israel).  These will be empowered by Satan himself, performing all kinds of supernatural signs and wonders.  This will include the “antichrist” rising from the dead, and fire being called down from heaven (Revelation 13).  God will grant this authority for His specific plans and purposes.

…and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.   Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:11-13 ESV)

Jesus warns repeatedly against being deceived.  This is Satan’s last chance – you can bet that he has been planning this for thousands of years and that it is going to be very convincing.

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.   See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matthew 24:23-24 ESV)

God grants this authority because those who remain on the earth rejected His truth.

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.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV)

This will be the greatest deception the world has ever seen, and most people will be deluded.  You have been warned.  Do not believe the lie.

Don’t Take the Mark of the Beast.

At some point after the antichrist claims to be “god”, he will institute his “mark of the beast” system.  He will demand worship and the taking of his mark to be able to buy or sell.  He will likely actively seek out and kill those who refuse either.  The mark is not specified in the Bible, but it will be on the right hand or the forehead.  It may be something that affects DNA.

And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,  so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.  This calls for wisdom: let the one 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 ESV).

Whatever it is, DO NOT WORSHIP THIS “god” OR TAKE HIS MARK.

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,  he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”  (Revelation 14:9-13 ESV)

Followers of Jesus Will Be Persecuted.

When the “antichrist” claims to be “god”, this will begin the greatest persecution against believers in Jesus Christ of all time.  Those who are physically in the vicinity of Jerusalem can flee to the wilderness (likely Petra, in Jordan) and be supernaturally protected by God.  Hebrew followers of Jesus Christ, the “elect remnant” of Israel, is the “woman” in Revelation 12 who will be “given the wings of the great eagle” to flee from the persecution.  If you can get to that specific wilderness area near Israel before the antichrist claims to be “god” (approximately 1260 days after the 7-year covenant signing), you would also be protected by God starting when obedient Israel flees.  Otherwise, laying as low as you can, off the grid, would be a wise decision.

 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.  Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.  How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!  Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.  (Matthew 24:15-21 ESV)

 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.  The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.  But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.  Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.  (Revelation 12:13-17 ESV)

There Will be no Special Protection Offered to Believers at This Time.

^{Jesus warns that His followers will be persecuted, hated, betrayed, and killed for His name.  Believers will have to stubbornly persist in the faith, even unto death.  The Holy Spirit will guide the words of those standing up for Jesus’ Name, just as He did for the apostles and early Christians.  Note that beatings will be in synagogues, suggesting that the persecution against Christians will be tied to the Jewish faith (they will likely accept the “false messiah” – the “antichrist”).}

 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.  It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.  Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,  and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.  If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

(Revelation 13:5-10 ESV)

 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,  (Matthew 24:9-10 ESV)

 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.  And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.  And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:9-13 ESV)

Death For Christ is Victory

If you die for Christ, you will immediately be escorted to heaven.  You will appear on the crystal sea before God’s throne and worship Him!

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.  And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

 

Some of You Will Survive This Time of Trouble.

It will seem that it will be impossible to physically survive.  And yet, some of you will.  The reign of the antichrist will be limited to 1260 days, no matter how he tries to extend it.  God has allotted a certain amount of time for satan to rule and not a moment more.

And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. (Mark 13:20 ESV)

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Will Return.

^{Jesus is going to come and defeat those who gather against Him.  There will be no guessing, His coming will be obvious.  If there’s any question, it’s not truly Him.}

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:26-27 ESV) 

[I’m not sure if anyone reading this will literally be in Jerusalem at this point in time, near the end of the 1260 days of the antichrist’s rule.  If you are, there will be an escape route provided to you by God.  The Mount of Olives will experience an earthquake, splitting in two and creating a valley.  That would be your sign to IMMEDIATELY flee to the wilderness, as Jerusalem is about to be utterly destroyed.]

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Matthew 24 ESV) ²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. (Mark 13 ESV)  ²⁵ “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21 ESV)

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  Be a Berean – examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!