Pam Padgett ... teacher
When Jesus told of the end times, He spoke of the persecution and hatred
that would come to those who keep His word. And He warned that because
iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold, but those who
endure until the end will be saved ...
Matthew 24:9 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. 10 And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And
because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But
he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Because the word of God is truth and shines light on darkness, when we
speak according to His will we offend those who want to continue in
evil, and we are hated by them. Evil is highly esteemed and sought after by those of the world, iniquity abounding.
We have been warned about the deceitfulness of sin, attempts to hide or disguise the wickedness of sin, and we are counseled to
exhort one another daily because there is danger of being hardened by it ....
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day;
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we
are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence
stedfast unto the end;
While those of the earth continue in loving iniquity, we
endeavor to not go in the way of sin but to be steadfast in loving and serving God.
And Jesus told us that when He returns those who are of the earth will
mourn when they see Him coming in power and great glory ...
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those
days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall
see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
But for the elect of God, angels will gather them to be with the Lord for ever ...
Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.
1 Thess. 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word
of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the
Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
What wonderful promises are given to those who endure to the end, not
allowing their love for God and the word of God to become cold as
iniquity becomes common and held in high esteem by those of this earth. I'm reminded of what
Paul told us in the following ...
Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us.