Timely and Inspiring Prophetic Analysis so you can Prepare.

By Pastor Hal Mayer

Dear Friends,

Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry. Today, we study what will happen to those who sincerely follow the law of God, when it is viewed by society as morally wrong. Society is upside down. Many times, we can see this in other arenas of life. How dissidents are treated tells us a lot about how God’s people will be treated when they are the focus of political correctness. What happens if you are out of step with society? What happens if you are politically incorrect and you have to say things that will get you in trouble? What sacrifices will we have to make to be law keepers and keep all of God’s commandments?

As we begin let us pray. Dear Father in heaven, we are so unprepared for the crisis. We are unprepared to lose everything for Christ’s sake. So please help us to understand our times and the future. Be with us as we study. Thank you for your magnificent love and all you’ve done for us and your great sacrifice. In Jesus name, amen.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 24:9, 10. This verse explains what will happen to those who are politically incorrect.

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”

Satan’s animosity is so great that he will kill you if you are loyal to Christ. Notice that offense is related to betrayal. If people are offended by you they are likely to turn against you. Even your friends will subtly undermine you and your social connections. In Luke there is a little different spin on this concept. It’s found in Luke 6:22

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.”

Why do they separate you from their company? Today that’s called canceling you. How will they reproach you? Well, they will make you look like a lawbreaker. How will they treat you as evil? They will accuse you of crimes that you didn’t commit.

Jesus made reference to His people being hated by others in society. But even their friends will turn on them.

1 John 3:13 says, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

Conservative people are thinking that if only conservatives can get in power, we can get America right again. They work to be accepted by enough people on both sides to get conservatives elected. But when they are in power, they are just as compromised as the liberals.

But there’s a story in Desire of Ages that gives us clear indication that political action is not God’s plan. It starts on page 377. Jesus had been teaching all day. Now it was evening.

“Seated upon the grassy plain, in the twilight of the spring evening, the people ate of the food that Christ had provided. The words they had heard that day had come to them as the voice of God. The works of healing they had witnessed were such as only divine power could perform. But the miracle of the loaves appealed to everyone in that vast multitude. All were sharers in its benefit. In the days of Moses, God had fed Israel with manna in the desert; and who was this that had fed them that day but He whom Moses had foretold? No human power could create from five barley loaves and two small fishes food sufficient to feed thousands of hungry people. And they said one to another, “This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.

“All day the conviction has strengthened. That crowning act [of feeding the people] is assurance that the long-looked-for Deliverer is among them. The hopes of the people rise higher and higher. This is He who will make Judea an earthly paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey. He can satisfy every desire. He can break the power of the hated Romans. He can deliver Judah and Jerusalem. He can heal the soldiers who are wounded in battle. He can supply whole armies with food. He can conquer the nations, and give to Israel the long-sought dominion.”

This was a set up for the master deception Satan will foist upon the world when he will personate Christ in the end of time. Listen to the description of Satan’s work during the last great deception. It’s found in Great Controversy, page 624.

“The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.”

This deception is overwhelming to most people because they are looking for a temporal Christ, someone who will solve their temporal problems. They are looking for someone that can erase the famines and hunger that will plague the world. They are looking for someone to heal the pestilences and deadly diseases that are killing thousands around the world. But they are looking for someone that will not require them to sacrifice and obey His commandments, particularly the 4th commandment.

Do you think Satan will speak humbly and appear pious and religious? Do you think this will be an easy time for God’s people to stand for the right and for truth? The whole world will turn against them. Right now, the whole world is preparing to hate those who don’t follow the popular prevailing narrative. Don’t think that society will ever return to the relatively peaceful days that once blessed both sides of the political divide when everybody accepted the same realistic understanding of the world. Let’s read on from Desire of Ages.

“In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. They see that He makes no effort to attract attention or secure honor to Himself. In this He is essentially different from the priests and rulers, and they fear that He will never urge His claim to David’s throne. Consulting together, they agree to take Him by force, and proclaim Him the king of Israel. The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. It is the modesty of Christ, they say, that causes Him to refuse such honor. Let the people exalt their Deliverer. Let the arrogant priests and rulers be forced to honor Him who comes clothed with the authority of God.”

“They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. Even now the priests and rulers are hunting His life. They accuse Him of drawing the people away from them. Violence and insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. Without delay the movement must be checked. Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss the people.”

Even the disciples got caught up in a movement that could lead to political insurrection. Friends, politics cannot save us. It will only lead to compromise and disappointment. But it is very hard to let go of politics. Politicians look like they can solve the problems we face in our world. But they only make them worse. I’ll read on from the book Desire of Ages about the effect of Jesus turning the disciples and the people away from a political movement.

“Never before had a command from Christ seemed so impossible of fulfillment. The disciples had long hoped for a popular movement to place Jesus on the throne; they could not endure the thought that all this enthusiasm should come to nothing. The multitudes that were assembling to keep the Passover were anxious to see the new prophet. To His followers this seemed the golden opportunity to establish their beloved Master on the throne of Israel. In the glow of this new ambition it was hard for them to go away by themselves, and leave Jesus alone upon that desolate shore. They protested against the arrangement; but Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never before assumed toward them. They knew that further opposition on their part would be useless, and in silence they turned toward the sea.”

Today, many of Jesus professed followers are hoping for a movement that will correct the wrongs in society like abortion, and other moral deviance, crime and corruption that is as bad as it was at the time of the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and place Jesus, or at least a political Jesus, or His representative on the throne of the world. It’s getting so bad that it will seem like the only human solution will be for a dictator to come and solve the problems of the world. Someone who has the interests of everyone at heart and someone that can work for the common good. The common good means taking away your freedom and God-given liberties. Who could that person be?

Again, an attempt will be made to place this so-called Jesus on an earthly throne, so to speak, and get everyone worshipping Him. It will look as though the conditions are right. And the majority will see it as for the common good and will cooperate with government and religious leaders to bring it into effect. Ultimately, a Sunday law with universal application will be imposed to get the world back on track, stop the wars, and bring peace once again to society. It will seem destined to succeed, contrary to the last time when He was here.

The movement will be seemingly unstoppable. And it will take on a distinct political tone. God’s people will stand astonished at the speed of the rapidly unfolding events. Like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car they will freeze in horror as they feel the hatred and realize that they are abandoned to survive by themselves.

But the enthusiasm will make it seem like the right thing to do. The people cannot endure the idea that the enthusiasm that seems so godly will come to nothing. And since they have the vast majority of the world ready to cooperate, why not take the idea to its completion. Both church and state will unite together to accomplish their objective. It will be thought to be a “golden opportunity” to return the nation and the world back to God and end the reign of increasing lawlessness and corruption.

I recommend you spend some time thinking about this scenario. It is a fearful time that we are facing. Living by the truth is far deeper than political and religious conservatism. And the consequences are more far reaching. The question is: How strong are you spiritually when the fight reaches its pitch?

Proverbs 24:10 warns, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”

On this earth Satan and his agents are in the majority. You are outnumbered by a long shot.
The battle is getting fierce. And it’s making the battle lines clearer and clearer. But many conservatives, so-called, are seeking negotiation and disarmament, so to speak. They don’t truly grasp just how evil the enemy is. Their principles are flexible and pliable and they believe capitulation to evil will make life easier. They join the long ranks of history’s appeasers and compromisers. Abraham Lincoln spent years and lost many battles looking for generals committed to saving the American union at any cost. Winston Churchill struggled to get his nation to see the evil rising across the English Channel. And today, God’s people want to negotiate to buy them time to live the way they used to. Yet a greater evil is rising and most people don’t recognize it.

Human nature tends to put off confronting evil, and give up in adversity. But history shows that when you grow faint and compromise, evil always grows worse!

Trying to do the right thing is always a struggle in this world. Why? Because human nature is dominated by a superior force, and that force is evil. Satan is the “god of this world” as it says in 2 Corinthians 4:4.

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
The masses of human beings are blinded by the enemy. They believe whatever lies he dishes up. Eventually, they will be ready to accept that he is Christ.

You don’t have to be deceived by the overwhelming deception. But you have to be connected to Christ. Ephesians 2:1-6 tells us that we were once dead, but Christ has made us alive. Listen to it.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

But the world is deceived, completely deceived. And the deception and lies just get deeper and deeper. Defending the right in an evil world always has been the hardest thing to do! And it’s about to get a lot harder.

2 Timothy 3:13 says, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

How do you defend the truth when it is universally rejected by every nation and all people groups throughout the world? How do you defend the truth when you are alone and there’s only a small, scattered remnant? The world is headed for more deception. But defend the truth you must. That’s why God put you here. Your mission is to defend the truth and the right in this wicked world and evil generation. And you will be sustained only by God.

What is unfolding today is not just a matter of politics or religious preference. It’s a war for your mind. Satan is real, and he is relentless and worst of all, he is ruthless. He excels at getting people to compromise. Even the small minority of true Christians have been devastated by compromise and seem “lukewarm” and “at ease.” God warns us not to be at ease.
Amos 6:1 says, “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!”

The enemy is coming after you. If you don’t have your armor on and aren’t battling every day, you will be conquered. You must fight evil that exists in your own life. And you have to do what you can to fight the evil in those under your influence. Don’t be weary in well doing. This is a war. And you have to fight it or lose eternal life.

But count the cost. The consequences of doing what is right and speaking the truth when the wrong proclaims itself to be right and when truth is made to appear like a deception, will be dire, even life threatening for those who love the truth and proclaim it. When truth is very unpopular and is politically incorrect, you will be punished for even believing it, and worse for proclaiming it.

You will lose everything. In fact, if you defend the truth long enough you will lose what you have depended on to sustain you. You have to lose your fear of the opinions of others; the fear of being different. You have to lose your fear of not having enough money, and of having enough food and water. You have to lose your fear of not being under the security of the medical establishment. You have to lose your fear of the government welfare net, and of the government itself. You have to lose your fear of losing your shirt. And probably one of the most difficult things to be fearful of is being out of step with your friends and colleagues. But you even have to lose your fear of that.

For starters, all your social media accounts will be cancelled. If you speak out against the woke culture, or abortion, or if you speak the truth concerning medical information that is not according to the prevailing narrative, and eventually if you tell the truth about Babylon and the beast of Revelation 13, you won’t be able to post on social media or communicate with your friends. You will be completely isolated.

Your job will be taken from you and you will be fired because you don’t represent the philosophy of your company. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of seniority or have worked yourself up to a high position in your workplace. You will be given no notice. You will not be given an opportunity to defend yourself or give facts concerning your case. You will just be given a letter telling you that you have been terminated.

If you are a professor, doctor or scientist and publish papers and work in the scientific community, and you speak the truth against the predominant narrative, you will be stripped of all your credentials, your fellowships, and your hospital privileges or university professorships and your name will be removed from the works you already published and from the institutions you were associated with. You will be censored. It’s already happening to some people on other issues.

What if you are not quite as academic? You still have a lot to lose. Imagine your home, your family, your job, and your church. What happens if your church turns against you because you speak out against the predominant narrative? Suppose your church disfellowships you as some churches did in World War II to politically incorrect members. They can strip you of your positions and your associations and basically leave you without a faith community to fellowship with. That’s not farfetched. That has happened in quite a number of instances where the church cooperated with the government and removed all dissidents. When your faith becomes the subject of ridicule this is how they will treat you for being politically incorrect on spiritual matters. You will be ostracized, mischaracterized and misrepresented. You’ll have to start a house church, or self-supporting church that is free to do what is right. The crushing censorship will be real and pervasive. It is easy to communicate and let other people know who you are and what you believe.

Luke 6:22 says, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.”

Stories will be told about you that are not true. Your friends, or those whom you thought were your friends, will spin stories about you. Church members will not speak to you. They will look the other way when you walk by, or turn their backs on you and walk the other way.

The media will spin stories about you that are false. They will make up stuff to smear your character and reputation. They will interview your enemies and not allow rebuttals. Don’t expect fair treatment.

Your friends and your family will be alarmed that you are taking such a politically incorrect viewpoint. They will cast arguments that you are harming them by taking the path you take to defend the truth. They will put pressure on you through your children. And the younger they are the more pressure they will use. They will call social services and have the children taken from you, because you are harming them by causing them to not socialize with others. They will say that you are not allowing them to be socially adjusted to respect the common good. They also may accuse you of restricting their diet to a vegetarian or plant-based fare. Imagine how that will affect young families who love the truth and want to defend and uphold it. Will they self-censor in order to keep their children?

Some will have their homes raided by the FBI. Their belongings will be searched and confiscated. Your phone will be seized because of suspicions that you are planning some secret meeting. It will be dangerous to have a cell phone in that day. There is no privacy, no limit to the investigation of your private record of calls and texts.

You can see it all in the present circumstances in our world. What they do to political offenders today, they will do to religious offenders tomorrow.

And by the way, they will make snide remarks that belittle and ridicule you. They will criticize you and think of every angle they can that will make you look like a dunce, or foolish or just plain odd and strait laced. Listen to this from Fundamentals of Education, page 289.

“When we reach the standard that the Lord would have us reach, worldlings will regard Seventh-day Adventists as odd, singular, strait-laced extremists. ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.’”

Jesus was accused of being too strait laced. He has gone over the road before you. He knows what it feels like. Here it is from Desire of Ages, page 89.

“There were some who sought His society, feeling at peace in His presence; but many avoided Him, because they were rebuked by His stainless life. Young companions urged Him to do as they did. He was bright and cheerful; they enjoyed His presence and welcomed His ready suggestions; but they were impatient at His scruples and pronounced Him narrow and strait-laced. Jesus answered, It is written, ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word.’ ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ Psalm 119:9, 11.”

In fact, Jesus was a singular anomaly in His society. It eventually led to his persecution and death. His loyalty to God and to His word got Him killed. Listen to this description of the way He was treated from His youth. It’s from Desire of Ages, page 89.

“When questioned why He did not join in the frolics of the youth of Nazareth, He said, It is written, ‘I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes; I will not forget Thy word.’ Psalm 119:14-16.

“Again and again He was asked, Why do You submit to such despiteful usage, even from Your brothers? It is written, He said, ‘My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.’ Proverbs 3:1-4.”

His brothers couldn’t understand His purity, and His life was a rebuke to theirs. They thought nothing of a little sin, some small advantage for a small compromise. Nor could others who knew Him understand why He endured mistreatment silently and patiently. The consequences of His actions and His life started early and prepared Him for His later trials and His death. Eventually, the Jews had to get rid of Him.

Jesus did not contend for His rights. He really didn’t contend for the rights of anyone, natural or artificial. He only defended godliness and repentance toward God. He didn’t campaign for reforms in society, or carry picket signs, or join marches of protest. He went about quietly doing good, healing people, giving them comfort when they were oppressed, and other godly things. His countenance always reflected joy and rejoicing in God. Listen to this statement from Desire of Ages, page 509.

“The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses,—extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.”

You can take comfort that He trod the road before you. If you feel helpless, you can think of the many other Bible heroes that were treated that way too. Noah was ridiculed and laughed at until the raindrops began to fall. He kept at it for 120 years before the end of the world in that era. Lot in Sodom was laughed at and ridiculed when he went around and tried to convince his children to leave the city because it was doomed. Friends, the cities are doomed today too. They are destined for destruction. Listen to this statement from Manuscript Releases, Vol. 21, page 68.

“He will punish cities and places where men have given themselves up to the possession of satanic agencies. Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s indignation because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.”

You can’t live in the city and expect to be free either. There are too many people that will notice every move. For example, it’s difficult to follow God’s counsel and grow a garden in the city. Besides, starving people will strip it of every green thing when severe famines come.

Your bank accounts will be frozen, and you won’t be able to get money out or put money in. Money will be no good to you then. How will you be able to get food. You will be restricted from buying and selling anyway.

Let’s remind ourselves what Revelation 13:16, 17 says, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

Buying and selling is a most basic function in society. You can hardly go anywhere without buying something such as fuel. We depend on the grocery store to bring us fresh produce from a distance all nicely cleaned and ready to cook. But what if the stores can’t get the produce? And what happens if you can’t buy anything? Where are you going to get what you need? While you’ll be tempted to panic and prepare to fend for yourself, you will get to see the way in which God will feed you.

Some will have their homes confiscated too. They will be put out on the street to find another place to shelter. Most people will be very suspicious and wary of helping them, because if they do, they’ll be helping the enemy. And that’s treason. There were many groups in World War II that helped shelter Jews, or Sabbath keepers. And when they were found they too were sent to the camps. So, you won’t likely get help from anybody. I’m glad that God has angels who excel in strength and who can stop the mouths of lions, because the modern lions will be very fierce. They can even prevent automatic weapons from working; they have many ways to protect God’s people.

And if all these other tactics don’t work, they may try to take your life. You will be hunted like a wild animal. You will ultimately have to take refuge in the caves and dens of the earth to be sustained by God. Here is a statement from Maranatha, page 270 that explains how God’s people will be led to secure retreats in the mountains.

“During the night a very impressive scene passed before me. There seemed to be great confusion and the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord stood before me, and said, ‘Call your household. I will lead you; follow me.’ He led me down a dark passage, through a forest, then through the clefts of mountains, and said, ‘Here you are safe.’ There were others who had been led to this retreat. The heavenly messenger said. ‘The time of trouble has come as a thief in the night, as the Lord warned you it would come.’”

God will tenderly care for his people in that time. He will even feed them when necessary. Here is this statement from Great Controversy, page 629.

“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that ‘walketh righteously’ is the promise: ‘Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ ‘When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.’ Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17.”

This precious statement can be relied on. It is truth that endureth forever. If you are under His care, you will not worry about temporal matters, only spiritual matters.

The consequences of living the truth and of living a godly life will place God’s people in the most awkward and humiliating circumstances. It will seem like the whole world is against you and you will have to stand alone. And when the crowning deception comes it will be very politically incorrect to be truly on the Lord side keeping all of His commandments and living by faith in His word. This next statement reveals the ultimate consequences of those who will be loyal to God. And again, it is an expansion of the statement I read earlier. It is found in Great Controversy, pages 624 and 625.

“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is ‘the great power of God.’ Acts 8:10.

“And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect…. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole world.”

God’s people will look like the most rebellious and treasonous people ever. They will be hauled before the courts of the land, even the highest courts and be accused of even genocide because their “rebellion” is causing disasters that kill many thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people. There is only one escape, one solution for God’s people. The last statement in Great Controversy, page 625 reveals the secret.

“Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.”

Most people want to avoid the truth. Even God’s people don’t really relish thinking about the stark and difficult future. They want a life of relative ease. That’s why they haven’t prepared. That’s why the deception will come as a thief, unexpectedly for even church members. Friends, please don’t avoid the truth. Think about the consequences of living the truth and commit your life to it. It’s the only way to salvation in this end time.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we see that there is a very stark future for the people of God, but it’s also a bright future. We pray that we will unite with Christ so that we can be found on the right side of the present and future conflicts. Help us not to fear the consequences of living for the truth. May we stand for the lesser issues now as practice for the bigger ones. Make us willing to stand on our own when it becomes politically incorrect to do so. Please Father, send us your Holy Spirit, that we may have the assurance that we are in Christ. And sustain us we pray, during the time of trouble ahead. And thank You for Your love and watch care for your people, in Jesus name, amen.