The Great Time of Trouble

In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. Mark 13:19.
The time of trouble such as never was, is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. And now, while the precious Saviour is making an atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. God’s providence is the school in which we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would choose, which is easier and pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. None can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls.
The apostle John in vision heard a loud voice in Heaven exclaiming, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heavenly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction reaches its culmination in the time of trouble. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation, and the Lord withdraws His protection, and leaves them to the mercy of the leader they have chosen. Satan will have power over those who have yielded themselves to his control, and he will plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.
In the midst of the time of trouble–trouble such as has not been since there was a nation–His [God’s] chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God’s saints.
Maranatha p. 275
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray that God will supply the needed funds for Brian to go to AFCOE and for Esther and the children to go with him so that the family will not be apart for four months. Rose
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Dear Friends,
When my mother married my dad, my grandmother was very upset. Indeed, she was more than upset, she was very angry with her. She could see that my mother had made a very poor choice. My father’s character was not good. He was an alcoholic and completely worldly-minded. Some of her grief stemmed, no doubt, from the knowlege that a few years before, she had caused my mother to break her engagement to a fine Christian man for reasons that no longer seemed valid.
My dad realized that his mother-in-law did not like him, so he tried everything he could think of to change her mind. He bought her her favorite candy, he picked flowers and brought them to her, he did many little things that needed doing. He even went to church with her. Even that did not help. She was upset because he would not wear a necktie.
Some people view God in the same way. They think that they must work hard to make Him love them. They try to do good deeds so He will not be angry with them. They even try to keep the commandments to placate Him, but somehow they never attain the righteousness all must have. Try as they might, they are never good enough “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” “There is none righteous, no, not one.”Romans 3:23; 10 James declares, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10
Others believe that our Great Creator causes them troubles and enjoys their distress. Many call natural disasters an “act of God, when, in reality, these things are from the evil one. The devil would like us to think the lies that he whispers in our ear, but in the book of Job, the curtain is drawn aside, so we may understand the true source.
Praise God! Scripture reveals God as He truly is. He is “the LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Ex 34:6, 7 Our Heavenly Father does not feel toward us like my grandmother felt toward my father. He is not looking for an excuse to punish us. He does not enjoy our distress. He loves each one as if there were no other person in the universe. He tenderly cares for us and longs for us to want Him to be our constant companion. He declares, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jer 31:3 “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die? Eze 33:11
Jesus told a parable that helps us understand our Heavenly Father’s love. “A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Luke 15:11-24
Notice that the father is watching, longing for his son to return He is not sitting there thinking of ways to punish his son. No! When that boy “came to himself” and realized his folly; the father freely forgave him. How grateful that wandering son was. Think of it, as he stands there, clothed in his father’s robe, he sees his father’s love for the first time. He sees how much he has hurt his father and he feels lower than he did when he was feeding the pigs. He no longer wants to do the things that hurt his loving father. He wants to please him and do those things that will make him happy.
Even so, when we see God’s great love as revealed in His Holy Word, we see ourselves as we really are. We see how much we have hurt our Dear Father in Heaven. We long have a change in our life that we may please the One Who loves us so. We pray as did David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Ps 51:10-12
Our Loving Redeemer has promised, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Eze 36:26, 27 May we come to our Loving Father in Heaven, that we may receive that new heart. May we always do those things that please Him because of His great love and sacrifice that He made for us is my prayer
Rose