“Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.” (Psalm 97:2)
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 14:1)
All of the items, all the occurrences of evil that you are witnessing unfolding across the planet hold absolutely no value in the eyes of the Almighty. He is not surprised by them, it causes no disturbance in Him in any way, shape or form. The Almighty is just that, Almighty, nothing in His creation can hinder Him, the efforts of man and Satan mean nothing, He has no equal.
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:” (Isaiah 45:5)
I would ask you to ask this question of yourself, as you watch evil unfolding, as you watch this world preparing to walk into the Tribulation, do you fear, or do you rejoice?
Billions of people are going to die, untold animals will perish, and before we are caught up in the clouds to be forever with the Lord, many millions may die, obedience will be demanded, and all resistance will be dealt with harshly. Do you fear what is approaching or are you in anticipation?
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2nd Tim. 3:12)
Persecution my friends does not always mean a prison cell, it does not always infer torture, but it always means much more than a slight inconvenience. Wandering in the rubble during the day looking for a scrap of food, sleeping at night in some form of shelter from the elements, with one eye open. The Scriptures are full of such times, as is all of history, there are people going through just such an existence as that right now. Do you fear? Can you still look up as your redemption draws nigh while everyday your life is consumed by simply trying to stay alive?
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matt. 5:45)
You might want to prepare for a thunderstorm, for what is approaching cannot be stopped, and it is approaching fast.
I hope for the Rapture as much as the next man, but I also realize that before that blessed moment, there may be many trials and tribulations to go through. The wheat must be thrown into the air many times before it is separated from the chaff.
Satan has never changed, he has always accused the brethren, he has always done all that he is allowed to do to hinder us in our walk. You may find out in the days ahead if you are truly saved or not.
They met in caves, in dark places, in hiding to speak of the glory of God, of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and there was no shame in that. They were taken in chains, used as amusement for the masses, and they did not love their lives to the end. How much the Living God allows each of us to go through is in His hands, it will be in many cases more than you can bear, else you would not run to Him.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
You must start thinking eternally, if you have not yet, you must stop being overly concerned with your flesh, with your life. You must die completely to self; you must understand that today you are hid in Christ. You must believe Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Are you afraid? Do you fear the loss of all your possessions, of having no place to lay your head?
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” (2nd Tim. 2:12)
Suffering is coming, for whom I cannot say, but for many of us, suffering is coming.
“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Matt. 24:46)