In the first installment of Egypt’s Exodus I put forth the idea: Chaos— confusion is the new normal. Learn to anticipate so you can adapt. Keep your eyes focused on the reward— Christ’s return and eternal reign. In the second installment I explored the birth pains of civil unrest and ineffective, unrighteous problem solving strategies. Persecution, martyrdom and natural disasters were the subjects of the third installment. Culminating in the defeat of the antichrist in the fourth installment.
This chaos— confusion I believe is a sign of the birth pains that Jesus said would precede His return. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 that devastation will envelope the earth before His return. War, famine, economic upheaval, plagues, natural disasters, and animal attacks will increase in frequency and intensity. Although there will be times of peace— rest, the time between catastrophic events will diminish over time.
How can Papa’s children prepare for the end times so they are lighthouses in the darkness?
For you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices and have put on the new spiritual self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self. Colossians 3:5-10
Repentance, renewing the mind is paramount.
How?
Allow Papa’s truth— His righteousness to reign in your heart and life, not corrupt affections and evil practices.
Acknowledge that it is Papa’s grace and mercy that empowers you to overcome sin, not self-righteousness or piety.
Courageously decide that Christ’s presence in your life takes priority over everyone and everything.
Silence the desires of your flesh so you can say yes to Papa’s purposes and plan for your life.
Nothing will be more important in the end times than devouring Papa’s word.
Wholeheartedly believing that if God is for us, who can be successful against us? He, who did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect, His chosen ones? It is God who justifies us, declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself.
Who is the one who condemns us?
Christ Jesus is the One who died to pay our penalty, and more than that, who was raised from the dead. Who is at the right hand of God interceding with the Father for us.
Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written and forever remains written.
“For Your sake we are put to death all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us so much that He died for us. For I am convinced and continue to be convinced beyond any doubt that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the unlimited love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
But those who are living according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit— His will and purpose. Romans 8:5-8
Daily you are assaulted by a multitude of voices clamoring for your attention. Until you learn to distinguish between Papa’s voice and the voices of this sinful world, you’ll be vulnerable to satan’s schemes, especially in the end times.
Only in the place of solitude— separation from this world is the beauty of surrendering to Papa’s divine will unveiled. Leaving you awestruck and overwhelmed by His ever-expanding majesty, divine power and truth. Falling on your face in worship is a no brainer, eternally grateful for Christ’s incredible gift of salvation— forgiveness of sin.
As the world grows darker, fear not. Envision what the prophet Isaiah saw.
I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings, with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”
Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:1-7
If someone is destined for captivity, a captive he will be. If someone is destined to die by the sword, by the sword he will die. The endurance and faithfulness of the saints will be tested here. Revelation 13:6-10
Satan’s only hope of victory in the battle for your soul is to persuade you Papa has abandoned you. If he can convince you that Papa has forsaken you, then resistance, arrogance and indecision will replace obedience, humility and perseverance.
Many will submit to the antichrist’s dogma when they witness his persecution and martyrdom of Christians. Not understanding that Papa has given the antichrist freedom to do this so that His children are purified, worthy to be the bride of Christ.
A bride who…
Perseveres.
Overcomes.
Conquers.
Refuses to numb her pain or feed her desires, regardless of the consequences.
Determined to keep her eyes focused on Papa’s promises and eternity, not temporal conditions.
Believes unswervingly that…
Papa is a gracious and loving Father. Trustworthy. Caring. Kind.
Any affliction, need or encumbrance is temporary.
Being made into the image of Christ is a life well lived.
So we have no reason to despair. Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day.
You see, the short-lived pains of this life are creating for us an eternal glory that does not compare to anything we know here. So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting. It will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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