We purchased a new kitchen nook this past week and on Sunday I put it together. There were a couple of times as I was building it that I didn’t read the instructions correctly and got to a certain point and realized something was wrong. So I had to take the project apart to the point where I misread or didn’t pay attention and then start again from that point. This also used to happen to me as a kid when building a Lego set. The instructions are always there but sometimes they just weren’t read correctly and then what was being built was incorrectly assembled.

God is very precise. His instruction manual (the Bible) is there for us to learn from and to lean on. When we start to lean on our own understanding and stop seeking Him in ALL of our ways, then we start to build in a way that is off center and when we reach a critical point, we hopefully realize that we have been building in a wrong way, and then we have to start to tear down those bad ways and get back to the point where we are once again focused on how to live God’s Way.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 states a big warning for us: “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Our daily work in behaving as a Christian needs to be in our minds. It needs to be constantly built on. We do this by renewing our relationship with God through prayer and meditation and then find our answers and our strength by turning to the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

But if we are not actively studying, then we are not learning and seeking God. We will begin to lose our precision. Satan is all about trying to distract us from the Truth and cause us to fall away from God. When we do something over and over again, we reach the point where we can do something very well, maybe without even looking at an instruction manual. The Bible though is an interesting manual in that it is a living manual that requires constant study as new information is actively being released to God’s true servants and the knowledge of it. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s word is ALIVE and ACTIVE. If we believe this to be the case, then why would we NOT want to be reading from the Word of God?

One of the greatest gifts we have is that the Word of God is available to each of us. This has not always been the case throughout history. With this in mind, we see that God tells us in Joshua 1:8 that we need to be studying it: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” When we study, we put out other thoughts and focus on what matters. This is true in anything we do. When we study a lot about something, we start to not only think that way but to act on those things that we have studied.

Another warning to remain precisely in tune with God’s Word is found in Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

The time is drawing nearer as we continue to closely watch world events and line them up with biblical prophecy. We have the time now to become precise with God’s Word. Let us make sure we are putting in the effort that is needed. Romans 15:4 says: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” We can have comfort from God’s Word if we are actually studying from it and learning, even in the most difficult of times. King David went through a lot of terrible times, yet his words in the book of Psalms always showed that he was precisely focused on God and dedicated in attempting to let God remain in control even in the most fearsome of circumstances.

We need to be precise when it comes to seeking God and reading His Word. We can have faith that the Word of God holds keys for us pertaining to our lives. Psalm 12:6 says that “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” That is precision. And it is the one thing that doesn’t change with time. It stays true for us and we can always rely on it. When we become precise in this Way, then we can have a proper relationship with the great Creator and Sustainer of our universe.

We all know people who, at some point in their lives, disappointed us. Because of this, relationships can become so broken that there is no longer any contact. It may be leaders who fail, friends who let us down, family members who cause great offence or mates who sin by departing from the marriage and God’s Church.

Sometimes there really is a somber and grim finality in which relationships end, without any hope of reconciliation or restoration. We understand that Satan and those angels who followed him in rebellion will be ultimately and absolutely cut off from God. Furthermore, people who refuse to repent, but who instead harden their heart, sear their conscience and completely reject God and His Way, will be destroyed.

Sometimes, however, relationships can be restored! God, against Whom all of mankind have sinned, gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself (Romans 3:21-26; 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; 1 John 2:2). Through Jesus Christ, we can now have access to the Father (John 14:6; 16:26-27). Our part in this reconciliation is to repent and obey God. (Acts 2:38; 3:19-21).

We are told, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). This must be our approach to others, but it takes real effort on our part. A first step in this is our willingness to forgive upon sincere and godly repentance of the other person, and this is a grave responsibility, as Jesus taught:

“‘Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him’” (Luke 17:3-4).

Also…

“‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses’” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Take a moment and think about someone who sometime, somewhere or somehow offended you. Can you forgive them when they show through their conduct that they are truly repentant of what they did? When you sin against another person and repent, would you not want to obtain forgiveness so that a right relationship can be restored? Then, that same responsibility of forgiving others upon their repentance rests with you as well.

I have a memory from an elementary school recess when my classmates and I were picking teams for a game of basketball. One of my classmates looked me in the face, and plainly said, “You’re weird.” I didn’t get the impression that it was intended to hurt my feelings, or to express that there was something “wrong” with me. It was just a simple statement made in a non-judgmental kind of way, expressing that I was different. Even then, I remember having a feeling of mutual agreement.

I look back at that moment, now finding it quite humorous, because it wouldn’t be the last time my playful nature would be seen as being different and a little goofy. But there’s more to it than just a funny story. I look at that moment and find evidence of having confidence to think and act independently at an early age, not worrying if I didn’t fit into the compartments defined by society. I now see how early in my life God began working with me to develop a drive to search for the Truth and build the conviction to live by it, regardless of what others thought. Following in suit, I can recall several moments as I made decisions to draw closer and closer to God, while turning further and further from the ways of the world.

What a relief it is to see that the Bible provides support for not fitting into the world! In Romans 12:1-2, Paul provides guidance for us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As Christians, we undoubtedly encounter pressure to conform to the world at the expense of following the Truth, but we are instructed not to do so. As soon as our desire to be judged as “normal” by the world exceeds our desire to follow God, we put ourselves in danger of compromising our relationship with God. Following the Truth is infinitely more important than fitting in, even if the world thinks it is “weird.”

While it is unhealthy to fall prey to the pressure to conform to the world, it is even worse to follow whims of what our carnal minds might justify if those ways are absent from the direction of God. As Paul wrote to the Romans, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds in seeking the Will of God. We are to conform to God, not the world. In being different from the world by turning away from those ways of living, we find strength by living our lives in obedience to God’s commandments. Independence from the way of the world is dangerous without following the Way of God.

In this age prior to the return of Jesus Christ, there is no way of removing ourselves entirely from living in the world. In fact, it is our assigned obligation to live our lives in this world as an example. But we cannot allow ourselves to be pulled in by its deceitful enticements. If we do, it will choke out the Truth, threatening to jeopardize our salvation (compare Matthew 13:22). Our confidence and conviction must be in living the Way of Life that God commands. If the world thinks we’re weird, but God thinks we’re right, we have nothing to worry about.

Being grateful in our lives is a very important characteristic we must have to please God. We are instructed in Ephesians 5:20 to be “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And one of those “all” things is God’s Word, the Bible.

In this day and age, it is easy to take for granted the opportunity we have to purchase Bibles so very readily. We can go to a local bookstore which usually has at least one version of the Bible available. We can order one of many different translations on-line. There are even free downloads of some older biblical versions available. But do we acknowledge that this ability is actually a great blessing for us that is not available in some countries and has not been available at all in past times?

Here in Melbourne, Australia, a city with a population of just under five million, the number of religious bookstores has been reduced over the last forty years with some Protestant stores closing or going to on-line ordering only. General bookstores usually stock one or a few modern versions of the Bible amongst various other religious books like the Koran and books on Buddhism. So probably due to reduced demand, the availability of Bibles is not as convenient as it once was.

But still there are no restrictions in most of the Western World yet on purchasing Bibles. In some countries, Bibles are restricted or even totally banned. In North Korea, being caught possessing a Bible can result in a fifteen-year sentence to a labour camp or even death. In some Islamic or communist countries, obtaining Bibles can be quite difficult. For example, in China, the most populous country in the world, the sale of Bibles is government-controlled. The government is actually preparing a new approved translation with a “correct understanding” favourable to the Chinese Communist Party.

When we look into God’s Word, it appears that in New Testament times the Old Testament Scriptures were readily available. In Acts 8:27-28 we read that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah. Because of his position, he may have been able to obtain the Old Testament without any difficulty.  However, another mention of the Scriptures being readily available, perhaps in public libraries, occurs in Acts 17:10-11 in the city of Berea. Here we read, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” It appears that these attendees of the synagogue, Jews and Gentiles, were able to read the Scriptures as often as they wanted to.

2 Timothy 3:15 indicates that Timothy had access to the Scriptures in some manner all of his life. For we read, “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This seems to indicate that either his family had access to the Scriptures or that Timothy was taught from them regularly in the synagogue.

The manner in which Christ and the apostles quoted the Old Testament Scriptures throughout the New Testament indicated that their listeners were familiar with what was being said. Many of the various audiences obviously knew the Scriptures and there is no indication that anyone claimed the Scriptures were in any way misquoted.

So that is the situation today and the situation in New Testament times, but what about between these times? Early on there were some translations into languages like Armenian and Coptic (Egyptian).

Focusing on translations in Britain, over time quite a large part of the Bible was translated into various languages used in the British Islands. In the mid-14th century however, English became the language of Britain, and the older translations became effectively unintelligible to the population. The Latin Vulgate existed, but by this time almost nobody could read Latin. So now the Bible was basically unobtainable in England. However, it was necessary that English translations would become available, as God’s Word was to spread from England to the New World.

Near the end of this century, in about 1382, John Wycliffe and his associates translated the whole of the Bible from Latin into English. So, the Bible became available to be read by the people, but since copies were hand-written, they could cost a year’s salary. This was a very great barrier for most people. A further consideration was that the Catholic Church was totally against any English translation and condemned John Wycliffe. While he was not put to death, later his bones were exhumed and scattered far from a Church burial site.

In 1408 in Oxford, Archbishop Arundel produced a law forbidding anyone to translate the Scriptures into the common language, and to even have a copy of it could, and did, lead to the death penalty. Many were burnt at the stake purely for possessing a Bible in English.

The next major event in the production of the English Bible was with the arrival of William Tyndale. In 1526 he translated the New Testament from the Greek text provided by Erasmus and later the Old Testament from Genesis to 2nd Chronicles and the book of Jonah from the Hebrew text. His New Testament was sold as a printed edition which made it much cheaper to purchase. However, to try to prevent its circulation, the bishop of London bought and burnt as many copies as he could obtain. Various ways were tried to smuggle copies into England to prevent them from being confiscated.

Tyndale was arrested and burnt at the stake for his efforts. About a year after his death, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers in 1536 produced a complete English Bible, beginning with William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament and part of the Old Testament from the original languages, and finishing with Miles Coverdale’s translation of the rest of the Old Testament from the German and Latin languages. For this effort, Miles Coverdale had to flee to Europe to save his life, and John Rogers was burnt at the stake. This version of the Bible, named the Thomas Matthew Bible, formed the basis of the King James Bible or the Authorized Version and other modern versions.

So, from this we can see that obtaining a copy of the Bible has not always been easy. In fact, we find that the blood of men has been shed in order that the ordinary person could obtain a copy of the Word of God.

So then, when we think how easy it is today to obtain our own personal copies of the Bible, we can be thankful that some have laboured long and hard and in constant danger to make this possible. We should consider this convenient access to His Word a great blessing that God has provided for us and give Him thanks for it always.

In our weekly Update number 235, dated March 17, 2006, there was a Q&A entitled, “Does it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his ‘public’ job effectively?” 

We have had a leadership contest in the UK for the leadership of the Conservative party, following the resignation of the former incumbent, Theresa May. From an initial list of eleven, the final two candidates were chosen and have been in a run-off for the position leader of the party and Prime Minister of the UK.  The winning candidate has indeed had a well documented chequered personal lifestyle over many years until the present time and, although he is highly likeable and a charismatic figure, he would rate very poorly as a role model for those with high standards.

It struck me that briefly re-visiting that Q&A from over 13 years ago would be a reminder of what really matters in the choice of someone for the top political position in the country. Below are just a few of the comments made in that Q&A:

“The Dutch theologian and historian philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) said that ‘A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.’

“Those in the public eye and in political leadership positions should have certain standards. We ought to be able to expect that politicians bring certain qualities to the jobs that they undertake, including honesty, integrity, uprightness and a moral code. In other words, we ought to be able to expect ‘character.’

“Character is the ability to discern right from wrong and to always choose the right, irrespective of circumstances or popular demand.

“Character is a vital ingredient and involves the whole person. In his book ‘The Death of Outrage,’ William J. Bennett made the following comments: ‘Are character and integrity abstract side issues, outweighed by current economic well-being?… The leader must be whole; he cannot have his public character be honest and his private character be deceitful.’…

“Integrity comes from studying and applying God’s Word, and it is still of paramount importance. To put it simply, integrity is the difference between what you say and what you do. It has also been described as what you do when no one is looking…

“The behaviour of politicians really does matter. Sadly, in this world which is ruled by Satan, most politicians do not follow God’s Way of Life. Many citizens copy the bad behaviour of their leaders and among many other reasons, that is why the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates do not vote in governmental elections, nor do we endorse any political candidates.”

We know that both the UK and the USA are due for a big fall before they rise again after Christ’s return, and the importance of voting in someone of high intelligence, leadership qualities and personal charisma is no substitute for good character and integrity. This is not to say that a leader must never slip nor make any mistakes, as no human being is without sin, but we are addressing here an habitual lifestyle and concepts, philosophies and ideas, which are opposed to the Word of God.

What has happened with both Brexit (or the lack of Brexit) and the change of national leadership should not surprise us, as the nation heads for disaster for many and varying reasons, not least being that of great national sins and leaders who are responsible for and involved in them.

The sad thing is that turning to God could have avoided so many problems, but that approach is not even considered today, and we are all the poorer for that.  The new Prime Minister of the UK will have his work cut out over Brexit and the economy at large. However, the sins of the nation are great and the recent winner of this “prize” will not be able to stop the demise of a once great nation. It is sad, it is inevitable and it is to be expected, and only a nation whole-heartedly turning to God can stop it and, based on all the evidence, that is not likely to happen.

Only the return of Christ will solve the problems of the UK, and the world at large, and that cannot be too far away now.

Mankind’s vision of the universe is built upon an ever-changing landscape of understanding. The pursuit of scientific discovery, in what has become religion to many, causes foundations of knowledge to often shift.  What is understood today often replaces the understanding of our past. This fluidity of fact is considered part and parcel in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. No truth is unshakable if discovery proves it false.

In a recent web article entitled, “New Hubble Data Breaks Scientists’ Understanding of the Universe,” the author, talking about the Hubble Constant, states, “The value was first calculated by astronomer Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. But since then, astronomers observing and measuring the universe’s expansion have arrived at different values of the Hubble Constant, none of which seem to agree with one another. The discrepancy calls into question not only our idea of how old the universe is, but also our ability to fundamentally understand the physics that drive its behavior.”

The Hubble telescope, named in honor of Edwin Hubble, has called into question one of his fundamental truths. But for the scientific community, this is part of the process in gaining understanding. The earth was once flat until discovery proved it to be round. Today’s truth and understanding might end up as a simple footnote in the chronicles of our civilization.

How fortunate we are to have our eyes opened to Truth that doesn’t change! Truth that was set as a foundation for all eternity at creation when our God uttered the words, “Let there be light.” When Christ manifested Himself to mankind, He left us with examples of the unchanging Truth of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We are warned to not take that Truth for granted by pursuing ungodliness.

Continuing in Hebrews, “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).

Man searches in vain because Godly wisdom has been wholeheartedly rejected. Instead, our scientific leaders posit ideas such of parallel universes (to name one) as a way to explain what they can’t understand.

Christ, the one through which creation was accomplished (see Colossians 1:16), was clear in how applicable His teachings were for all ages.  “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:17-19).

We must stand firm in the Truth as this age draws deeper into ungodliness, and not be led away from Truth that doesn’t change.

In our daily lives, we have a plan.  We plan on getting things done. We make plans for the day and for the week and, in general, future plans to achieve our goals.  We may not always fulfill them, but our plan is to do so.  There may be several hurdles over which we need to jump to get to that finish line, and perhaps thoughts of giving up may come into our minds, but then we catch ourselves veering away and no matter how difficult it may be at times, we ultimately end up sticking to the plan.  Just as we have a plan to accomplish whatever goals we may have, God also has a plan for us!

So how is it then that the trials we go through seem to be so overwhelming at specific times, but soon thereafter, we are able to get through them?  We have help!  God is there to guide us and through the power of prayer with faith, we place it all in God’s hands. He knows! He knows our struggles. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, and so does Satan.     Satan knows where we are vulnerable, which is why we are tested and tempted time and time again. As we know this, we are to “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces patience” (James 1:2-3).  Verses 6-8 tells us that we are to ask God in faith for help without doubting, for the one who doubts will not receive anything from God, for such a person is unstable in all his ways.

Christ can relate to what we all go through since He had experienced the same trials and temptations. In Matthew 13:31-32, we read about the parable of the mustard seed stating that, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

As we explain in our Q&A on the mustard seed, “The spiritual application of this parable is very clear. Christ compared the Kingdom of God with a very small seed, as it begins in a very small way. It is like a little bit of leaven, which will ultimately leaven the whole world (Matthew 13:33). Today, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not accepted by very many, and very few–the firstfruits–respond to its message and become converted. Once they receive the Holy Spirit, they are begotten children of God and of His Kingdom–which is the Family of God that will rule on this earth, when Christ returns. Ultimately, the knowledge of God will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. The government of Christ will increase and will have no end.”

As we can see, the purpose for us today is quite clear for we have been chosen as the pioneers to be part of God’s plan.  And even though we struggle often and sin continuously, God is very merciful and forgiving WHEN we have recognized our sins and ASK for forgiveness. He does not give up on us but He sticks to His plan for us to succeed.  When we go through our trials, we may react the wrong way at first, but when we recognize this and ask God for help, He will help us to get through our trials in some way or another. Let us keep this in mind and let us strive to be victorious so that God will count us worthy to enter His Family. He called us to carry out and accomplish His plan for and in us, and He will do so as long as we don’t draw back.

The use of plastic, paper and other packaging material is at an all-time high; and by extension, so is the waste of these products. For many years, the United States and other countries shipped much of their “recycling’” to China. Since 2017, China has stopped taking most recyclables, causing back-ups of trash and an increasing cost to cities which have recyclable programs. Growing up in the 90’s, everything was about recycling, but now we are starting to see the side effects, as no one wants to deal with the massive amount of waste. Many news articles show the negative impact recycling has had on the earth.

This is only one small instance of what we as human beings are doing to this earth. One only has to do a little research on-line to see the massive impact we are having on the destruction of this earth. From wrong farming practices to deforestation, when one looks at all the bad things that are happening as a whole, it can be depressing and demoralizing.

We know from Scripture that the end times will be terrible and brutal. Things we are seeing today will continue to grow worse. There is no end in sight either. So many of today’s wrongs are based on greed and feeding into people’s desire to get “more”. Our new free booklet “How Can We Know That Christ’s Return Is Near?” goes into great detail in looking at the signs of the times and helps to show how close Christ’s return is, when considering the things that are happening in the world. The wholesale destruction of the earth is but one facet.

God created earth and gave instruction to Adam and Eve to care for and to protect the earth. God is not pleased with the practices that we now see in effect.  Revelation 11:18 states: “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

We look forward to the coming Kingdom of God, when these practices will be changed; when people will learn from God how to properly take care of the earth; and when God will help to make massive changes for our planet. How excited does the plan of God make us? When we see the tremendous amount of things going wrong, does this cause us depression and fear? Or does it cause us to draw closer to God (James 4:8; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 29:13-14; Isaiah 55:6-7)? We should belong to those in the latter category, looking for and hastening the day of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:11-13).

This world has nothing of real value to offer to us. We must come to the point where we see the issues and the errors of this life and really work for and pray for Christ’s return. When we observe the shambles of this world, compared with what God is saying will happen once the Kingdom of God is set up, it should cause us to really dig into what matters most. Christ’s admonition in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first the Kingdom of God” and what that means should be foremost in our lives. This life will attempt to distract us and sidetrack our efforts. But if we are awake and aware of what is happening around us, we will understand that our efforts in doing what is right and needed are not in vain, and that this is exactly what God wants and expects of us.

It is amazing that over the years, so many members of God’s Church family just simply walked away from the great promised rewards ahead. Of course, they found various reasons and excuses for their inexcusable conduct:

Real or imagined personal or other offenses, including from officials in the Church; feelings that prophecies were not being fulfilled fast enough; unwillingness to accept doctrinal changes, such as how to determine Pentecost; rejecting the authority which Christ placed in the Church, while feeling themselves superior; rejection of tithing, as giving one tenth back to God was considered to be unaffordable; pressures from their mates, parents, children or schools; loving the pleasures of the world more than God’s Sabbaths and Festivals; and finally, just wanting to fit in with those around them.

People who never grow to love all of God’s Way will find excuses in the end to leave. The responsibility of God’s true ministers in the body of Christ is to help in facilitating growth in God’s grace and knowledge, proving by the Bible what is correct, and to change any error in order to please God, not men.

God never promised that entering into the Kingdom was going to be an easy sled ride down a gradual slope Quite the opposite is true. It is rather through much suffering that we can inherit eternal life.

Matthew 5:11 tells us: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”

Matthew 10:23 adds: “ When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Luke 21:12 reads: “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and  persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.”

In the end time, true Christians are almost guaranteed to experience some form of persecution, trials and tests, and some will even be martyred.

Look at what some of God’s true servants went through in the past, as Hebrews 11:32-39 explains:

“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

“Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise…”

Notice, they did not receive the promise of eternal life and the inheritance of the Kingdom of God at that time, but they will in the future, together with us if we hold fast and endure to the end.

Very tough times are coming so it is important to be mentally prepared and remain close to God Who is our only true protection.

Notice also John 16:2: “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”

If we have to go through serious trials, we must not be offended, but we must always bear in mind that God will not try us beyond our abilities. 1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us this promise: “No temptation [or serious trial] has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear.”

Even though trials and tests are coming, we must make sure that with God’s help, we do not fall into the category of those who walk away. We must be ready to accept God’s Will in all our trials and put all our trust in Him. We must cement His truth in our heart. We can grow in our relationship with God through daily prayer and Bible study. Then we will not be looking for excuses to leave when times get hard, and ultimately, we will receive our great rewards in the Kingdom of God.