MY FRIENDS WHEN WILL NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE BEGIN AND END?

April, 5, 2016

MY FRIENDS WHEN WILL NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE BEGIN AND END?

What we as a church, a nation, and a world have to look forward to before Christ second coming, we can only speculate? But the question we must ask ourselves with minds of limited capacity to think but so deep, how does an all-knowing, all-powerful, Omnipresence God define “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened?” Matt. 24:21-22 (NKJV)

Tribulation is defined as “grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering.” But my friends where I need you to focus today is on the words, “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” We have some idea about the beginning of the world, about six thousand years ago. But where does, until this time, no, nor ever shall be start and end?

There was the Holocaust, 17 million dead, or maybe the European Colonization of the Americas, Up to 100 million dead. I could probably continue for days and still never name all the atrocities of man against man. But maybe, no, nor ever shall be was the worst famine in the land, which was the Chinese Famine of 1962, 43 million dead or maybe, no, nor ever shall be was the worst pestilence, the bubonic plague from 1347 to 1352, killing 25 million.

Or maybe no, nor ever shall be was the worst earthquake in 1976, in Tangshan, Hebei, killing 255,000. My friends, are these only the beginning of our sorrows Christ talks about in Matt. 24, or did it start when Satan said in his heart: I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Is. 14:13-14 (NKJV) We can probably say with no reservation that is when it started but when will it end.

As we get closer to Christ second coming we must “Be sober, and vigilant, because our Salvation must become personal as we realize that there is nothing in this world we have to look forward to no matter how educated we become, how much material possessions we obtain or how much money we have acquired, it is only our personal relationship with God that makes us an elect who will have the faith to endure until the end.

And remember, nothing we will ever have to encounter on this earth to get to God’s kingdom will compare with that place, prepared for those who loved God with all their heart and soul, who stayed faithful to the end. That place “Eye have not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man…….” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)  This is why each day we must ask God “not my will but thy will be done as we continually allow His Spirit to transform our lives into the image of the one who gave it all for our salvation.

And gave it all so that we may enter the gates of that city called heaven with all of our loved ones who died in Christ and together we will walk down those streets of gold. And as we look around in awe at where our new home will be throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, I can only imagine we all crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy.” To the One who made it all possible.” and as we look into His face we bow on our knees and cry, once again “Holy, Holy, Holy.” “Heaven is cheap enough.”