Tag: Tribulation

Week 50: Worship God because He is Holy.

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” –Revelations 15:4 

So, what does it mean that God is holy? What does holy mean? The Strong’s dictionary lists many connotations of the word holy, but the one that refers to a holy God is “purity from defilement.” God is perfect, and no sin exists in His presence. Because God is holy, He deserves our devotion and is worthy of glory.

Why should you fear a holy God? Because your sin separates you from God, and you don’t want to be separated from Him. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” You must repent of your sinful nature by first asking Jesus, the Son of God, to forgive you because of the blood He shed as the perfect sacrificial lamb. Second, do what is right by obeying God’s commands, namely that you love Him and love others with all your heart (Luke 10:27-28).

King David tells us in Psalm 99:9, “Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” And Psalm 99:5 states, “Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he.”

Here is something interesting I researched. The scene of Heaven in Revelations 15 falls between the seven trumpets of judgment and the six bowls of wrath during the seven-year tribulation period. Because God is Holy, He will pour out His wrath on the wicked (sinners) who do not fear or worship Him, like in the days of Noah (1Peter 3:20). Also read 2 Peter 2:4-10.

Remember, 1Thesselonians 5:9-10 states, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” If you were made righteous by your faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and walk in faith (Gal. 3:11), you will not experience the wrath of God. Hebrews 10:38 states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Matthew 24:36-42 explains what the rapture will look like. “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” Also read Luke 17:26-37.

Revelations 7:9-10 states, “After this (sixth seal opened) I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” It appears that the multitude are those who were raptured before the seven-year tribulation. Many who know about Jesus Christ but do not fear and obey God nor love Him and others with their whole heart will be left to go through the tribulation. I believe these and others will repent of their sins at the time of the rapture and are the saints in Revelations 13:7 and 14:12, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” I understand everyone does not share this view.

If you want to learn more read my series of posts about the end of times.

The following posts explain the other aspects of worship mentioned in this post.

WEEK 27- Worship Gives God Glory.

WEEK 28: Worship reveals the fear of God. 

Week 34: Worship God at His footstool.

365 Days of Worship – Week 8 – Exult

As you worship the Holy God this week, ask Him to show you where you are not obeying Him or loving Him and others wholeheartedly. I pray God blesses you this week.

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WEEK 50–December 10-December 16

Day 344-Dec. 10—Worship God for revealing Himself to all mankind.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. –Romans 1:19-20

Day 345-Dec. 11—Worship God because He is kind, forbearing, and patient toward you.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? –Romans 2:4

Day 346-Dec. 12—Worship God because He is not partial.

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11For God shows no partiality. –Romans 2:9-11

Day 347-Dec. 13—Worship God, who blesses you for your faith and with forgiveness.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” –Romans 4:5-8

Day 348-Dec. 14—Worship God, who justifies you by your faith, so you can have peace with God.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. –Romans 5:1

Day 349-Dec. 15—Worship God for pouring His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit.

Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. –Romans 5:5

Day 350-Dec. 16—Worship God for removing the control of sin over you.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. –Romans 6:6

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. –Romans 6:11

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

Last Days: Part Seven—God’s Wrath and The Rapture

Do you think the rapture will happen pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation, or pan-tribulation? Pan means, however the rapture pans out. One thing we know, we will face suffering and troublesome times in the last days, which I explain in Part two. Over 2000 years ago, the first century writers proclaimed that we were in the last days. How much closer are we today? In this post, I want to address the uncomfortable subject of God’s wrath and the tribulation. Revelations15:1 states, “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.”

The Bible says in Ephesians 5:6, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” What things is Paul referring to? Ephesians 5:5 explains, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” I explain this in more detail in the posts called: Are you in control of your life? And, What Will Cause You to Lose Your Inheritance. I encourage you to read them.

What is the wrath of God, and how do we avoid it?

God is Holy (perfect, untainted by evil) and deserving of reverence and worship. God has wrath on sin, which is disobedience of His instructions in the Bible. To avoid God’s wrath, you need to receive the atonement (payment) of your sins through Jesus Christ, God’s Son. 1Theselonians 5:9 tells us, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” John 3:36 tells us, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” Have you warned your friends and neighbor’s about the wrath of God and salvation through Jesus Christ?

The flood in Genesis 6 was God’s wrath on a wicked world. Likewise, the tribulation described in Revelations is God’s wrath on the wicked, who do not repent of their sins. Romans 1:18 states, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Do you see how godless people are suppressing the truth in our world today? What is happening in America with the Leftist’s evil desire to eliminate the truth and control what they want us to think and do is concerning, but not surprising. History repeats itself.

Since the tribulation is God’s wrath on humanity’s wickedness, yet God has not destined us (the righteous) for wrath; therefore, the righteous will be removed from the earth before the tribulation begins. An example is when God saved Noah and his family from the flood. 1Peter 3:20 tells us, “Because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.” God is waiting for each of us to humble ourselves and repent of our sins. Do it now before the tribulation starts and it is too late. 1Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Remember the conversation between God and Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God would not destroy the two wicked cities if there were any righteous people in them. Lot and his family were the only righteous people, so God sent an angel to lead them out before He destroyed the cities (see Genesis 18:22-33).

Who are the righteous?

Malachi 3:18 states, “Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” How are you serving God? The Bible also explains that the righteous lives by faith. Hebrews 10:37-39 explains, “For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” 1John 2:28-29 states, “And now, little children, abide [remain; stay] in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29) If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” Living by faith is active trust in the promises of God based on the evidence in the Bible and the lives of those who live by faith. Read my post on the 15 Promises We Can Trust God to Keep.

When you practice something, you perfect a skill by repeating the task until you can do it flawlessly. For instance, when you practice a song on the piano, you don’t get it perfectly right the first time you play it. But after playing the piece many times, you become, near perfect. It is the same with righteousness. 1John 3:7-8, 10 explains, “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.8) Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 10) By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” In my post called The End Will Come: Part Four—Be Ready in Love., I explain why and how we are to love.

Thank you for reading this post, so to respect your time, I will continue this subject in the next post as there is so much more to cover. But before I end, I want to encourage you with what God spoke to Isaiah in Chapter 3. Replace Judah with the United States. Ponder these three verses. Isaiah 3:1, “For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah [USA] support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water;” Isaiah 3:8, “For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah [USA] has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence.” And Isaiah 3:10, “Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.” What is the fruit of your deeds? The Albert Barnes commentary says, “As a farmer who sows his field and cultivates his farm, eats the fruit of his labor, so shall it be with the righteous. A similar expression is found in Pro. 1:31.”

How are you practicing righteousness? How are you living by faith? What does righteousness look like in your life?

Grace and peace to you in the coming year.

All verses are from the English Standard Bible unless otherwise indicated. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share my website link with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. No part of the blog or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

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