"And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!" (Matthew 24:19)?
At the very least one has to wonder if the children being born today won't see the days of which Jesus is speaking in Matthew 24, the times of great tribulation in the earth.
While Jesus said we can't know the day nor the hour of His return, He did caution us to know the season we're in,
"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:2-3)?
It's easy to get disheartened by what you see every day, especially when observing the evil living in power and wealth and seemingly rewarded for their evil deeds, while the good remain meek and lowly, unacknowledged by the world for God's goodness in them, being persecuted while living humble, yet provided for existences.
I'm reminded of Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes:
"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth" (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7).
So when you see the rich, famous, and wealthy of our world, our political and even Church "Leaders" as characters of the lowest moral fiber, people who hate God and His word, love to promote defiance and rebellion against Him, i.e., through promoting abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, adultery, fornication, pornography, unjust wars, murders, selfishness, hatred and every other immorality under the sun, all the while seemingly rewarded with the most lavish of lives, this is nothing new.
But it is going to get worse, much worse.
It makes loads of sense that the wicked seem to prosper when one considers that the prince of this world is Satan (John 12:31, 14:30, 15:11). He, being in charge, would of course reward his followers with power and material wealth. He offered as much to Jesus Himself after Jesus' wilderness fast when,
"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:8-9).
So those in power and with the preponderance of wealth are servants of Satan, for we are not of this world, and the resources he controls he gives to those who are of this world.
Let us see just how not of this world we are in Jesus' own words.
"I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word...I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine...And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:6,9-16).
So those in power and with the preponderance of wealth of the world and are often servants of Satan. Those who serve the Lord are not of this world, and God is their Provider. The resources Satan controls he gives to those who are of this world, who serve sin and him, but not without serious repercussions and consequences.
The blessing of God is just the opposite, for,
"The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22).
This is not to say that Satan controls resources that God doesn't. No, God owns it all, but when Eve and then Adam chose sin over God in the Garden of Eden, humanity through Adam and Eve allowed, again, HUMANITY ALLOWED Satan a position of rulership over both ourselves and the earth God had given us dominion over.
But sometimes, when we are in the flesh, and we forget these things, or if we are new Christians and have been convinced that if we will just do what Bible says, we will succeed in a worldly way, in what the world defines as success, we can fall into the trap of trying to use God to "gain the whole world,"
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul" (Matthew 16:26)?
So Christians get fooled by their own drive for success and wealth and also by the preaching of the FALSE Prosperity Gospel which tries to mold Christians into worldly seekers of wealth, right in line with the people of this world. But Jesus said,
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also...
...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:19-21, 33).
What we forget, don't understand, or were never taught is that success in the kingdom of heaven is not measured by worldly wealth: our reward is heavenly, and eternal. It's not a material, physical, temporary reward, like money, material wealth, and earthly power are. We are literally laying up wealth for ourselves in another kingdom, another place. A place which is for to come,
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new..." (Revelation 21:1-5).
This is what we have to look forward to, a completely new heaven, a completely new earth, where none of the things of this world, this life can go. Only the spiritual, non material things can make it there. Your spirit and soul already qualify, but your body will need to be immortalized in order to go there. This is why our focus on the things of this present world is so foolish. Nothing of this world can go to the next.
Why else would Jesus tell the rich young ruler,
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21).
This doesn't mean that God won't allow or even support our succeeding in a financial way in this world, but our job is to remain trusting in Him, and content, no matter our condition, be it financial, or in terms of our position in society or in the area in which we work. For large swaths of time, He may keep our positions in this world humble, and ever more so, the further we go into his kingdom. At other times he may deposit large amounts of wealth into our hands to bless other Believers and the needy, rather than to lay up that wealth for ourselves. I can't say it enough, as much as our own lives are temporary, this world itself is temporary and such a failed system must come to an end.
Nevertheless it still remains that it's difficult to see the injustice of this world's system, of all the wrong that goes on in the world on both a macro and micro level, on a global scale and even in your own homes, schools and workplaces.
This is why Jesus said things like, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" and "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5).
When you see the upsidedown-ness of this world, that the wicked seem to be rewarded for their wickedness with great power and wealth, and that the righteous are humbled, persecuted, hated and seem (key word: seem) to suffer lack for the goodness of God that's in them, it's hard not to mourn.
This is why Jesus said,
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Matthew John 16:33).
He knew that we would have trouble in life, because of the mere fact that we are not of this world, and that as the world rejected him, it would also reject us, and that this would hurt, and seem so very wrong. But Jesus overcame the world through His love and obedience to His Father, in spite of its evil, for,
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us..." (1 John 3:16).
Have you ever wondered why Jesus said,
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27)?
Aside from saying we should hate our family (He's saying that if you put your family before Him, before the truth, and live in sin with them, you are not worthy of Him) why would Jesus say we should hate our own life also? Because this life, on this earth, in this world, is not the eternal life we have inherited as a byproduct of our salvation.
Once you are saved this world's systems, the way they operate, should cease to make sense, because you are now able to see that Satan has turned it all upside down, made immorality, hatred, impurity, and all the evils of this world commonplace and to be exalted, and has exalted those who walk therein.
Just take a look at our political leadership as well as our most famous musicians and actors, and even much of the famous Christian leadership with all the dough and the corporate jets and the greed and immorality that go with it. Do a quick google or YouTube search Joel Olsteen, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Jesse Duplantis, T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Paul (now deceased) and Jan Crouch, etc. and etc. to discover how greedy they are and just how on Satan's team they are. Further still, do a little research on the Illuminati and you'll find yourself down a rabbit hole you almost wish you had gone down.
This is why, however, we must be in God's word so that we can see that all of this must come to and end, that our mourning and hating our own lives, will not go on forever, that indeed something quite wonderful lies ahead, that we shall inherit a wonderful eternity with a new heaven and a new earth.
And there shall also be justice against the wicked,
"...for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19).
Sometimes it feels like all of these people who seem to live to hurt and leech off of others are getting away with murder, that no judgment will ever come upon them. This judgment is coming, believe me, or better yet, believe the prophecies of the Bible. Take a gander at what happens to the wicked (those who take the mark of the beast) in the end times,
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:9-10).
There is much judgment to come for the wickedness and evil propagated on this earth. God is giving so many of them space to repent right now. He doesn't wish for anyone to suffer for ever, but they do so by their own choice. They truly have made themselves the goats who are being separated from the sheep.
And those who offend the children of God who have been washed clea by the blood of the Lamb and the washing of the water of the Word shall suffer even more, for,
"...whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea" (Mark 9:42).
What you may find amazing is that the people who in days passed already seemed so soulless, dead inside, without conscience, they will only get harder, more evil, without remorse. As 2 Timothy reports,
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:1-7).
All the above characteristics of evil are directly related to self, selfishness, narcissm and pride. It's no wonder the subject of narcissism and narcissistic abuse is blowing up on YouTube and in blogs and articles. Victims of narcissists are wondering left and right what in the wild world of sports is possessing the people in their lives to abuse them so. It's this prophecy coming to pass.
Selfishness and doing what pleases oneself has already begun to rule, as you see it already in the world, and even in past times in ourselves, until God renewed our lives and caused us to be born again. This cancer will continue to spread, so much so that people will look to use and hurt others first, rather than wait to be hurt. They won't even understand how to love or what love means.
And the people who love God will be their primary targets. The demons who possess them fanning the flames of their own hatred for God inside those they possess, and causing them to lash out at Beleivers who love God and are called according to His purposes. This is why Jesus said,
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12).
So please don't be surprised and caught off guard, if, in these last days you find yourself experiencing this phenomenon on a greater level than ever before, on both a macro and micro level, not just outside your family and even the so-called Church, but within, too. Jesus said,
"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household" (Matthew 10:34-35).
He's saying this because he knew that the real division of man will be that of separating the sheep from the goats. Your current family is biological and temporary, but the kingdom you're a part of now, God's kingdom, is much more tying, a stronger relationship or foundation than your earthly family.
If a person is saved in a family while another is not, then the two are from two different kingdoms. One is of this world. One is not. That's why it's so important we pray for our unsaved family members, so we can all be part of an eternal family that lives in bliss forever.
But when you're being persecuted by the world, and especially by family, those whom you love, for your love for Christ, it's hard to rejoice and be exceeding glad. One thing that gets me the most is the idea of being falsely accused or lied about. I personally can't stand that, and I imagine that with Christ going to the cross one of the worst parts was sitting in their earthly court hearing all the false accusations of his accusers, the lies against Him. It's hard not to want to strike out against them, lay down the hammer, exact your own vengeance, punish them for their wickedness. This is natural, and even in many cases, a just response. But that's part of Satan's game. He wants us to want to get physical with people instead of fight him and his demons. We have to remember God's Word:
"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:17-19).
This takes great faith, to trust God to take care of the vengeance, to know He's got your back. In the middle of your rage and anger it's hard to hold on to that, and to do good to your enemies, to pray for them who persecute you and despitefully use you, as Jesus commanded,
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 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" (Matthew 5:43-45).
You're praying for the salvation of your persecutors, that they would repent and come to the light and receive everlasting life. This is actually like heaping coals of fire on their head, that hopefully will burn out their demons, and if not, at least you sought a chance for them. God sees you praying for this person you should want to destroy, how you are sincerely trying to help them to possibly receive salvation through your pryaers, and when they do, your reward in heaven shall be great. If they don't, the aforementioned vengeance shall be great, and also eternal and you still will receive your reward.
I sometimes think the wicked are allowed to live in temporary earthly splendor because their eternal habitation, the lake of fire that burns with brimstone, is so permanent, so forever. God sees that and, as with the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man from hell asking Abraham for relief,
"But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented" (Luke 16:25).
So Believers can scrape out what seems like meager existences on earth because they serve and trust God as little children rather than serve mammon.
Jesus said,
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
This is why it is also written that ,
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10).
It can be difficult to see the wicked seemingly succeed day after day, month after month, year after year, but all of these things are smoke and mirrors. Deep down they are not really happy because they are slaves to sin and money and don't have the sweet release of trusting in God. And, what seems like the good fruit of their wickedness and greed must also have an end.
Our persecution and suffering shall end. Christ will return and make all things right. But not before the tribulation and the antichrist come into power. We shall see many great and terrible things, but God Shall protect us, and those who do die for Christ shall rule and reign with him a thousand years.
Let's set it in our hearts to rejoice and be exceeding glad as we suffer persectution, and to pray for those our persecturos, and pray also that we be able to stand the onslaught. I leave you with this scripture, we describes what will happen and what we need to do to a T.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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. 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: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless (2 Peter 3:3-14).
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