How Satan attacks us.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

e are near the promise of the future new earth. Just as in times past when Jehovah’s people were very near promises being fulfilled Satan’s attacks became viscous. We must remember God can undo anything Satan and his people do. No one can undo what Jehovah does. This is a spiritual war that started in the Garden of Eden when Satan started desiring to have God’s throne so he lied to Adam and Eve to get them to rebel against God. They had no reason to believe God was deceiving them because he put them in a paradise garden and told them to make the whole earth like the garden. In rebelling against God they brought all the death , suffering , corruption, violence and many other things on the earth. Things are coming to a climax and very soon The rebellion against God will occur on a world wide scale when they try to completely replace God’s right to rule over the earth and they ban worship of God. When this occurs we do not have to fear God and Jesus will protect those who remain faithful and loyal.

We are to imitate Jesus and not let any deception be found in us, we are to walk worthily at all times even when under trial. We have to keep in mind Jehovah can read our hearts so we have to be careful we do not false reason to justify wrong doing. Our fruits will show Jehovah the intentions of our hearts. So it becomes clear we must produce good fruits in order to please Jehovah. By our actions we prove our faith. If we follow in Christ foot steps and try our best to please Jehovah, just as Jesus had no fear of anything except Jehovah we will not have any reason to fear anything even death. If we imitate Jesus and let no deception be found in us we will always let Jehovah’s word guide us no matter how dire things may seem. When the time is right we can have confidence that Jehovah will do what is right concerning us. If we do not then we have only one hope and that is death.

Now more then ever we need to be aware of our short comings. Satan can use these to pry his way in and destroy our lives. Job was attacked very bad by Satan. Because he had a deep love and strong faith for God , God said he was righteous but we are imperfect humans and fall short of God. When this happens it can give Satan an opportunity to attack us and accuse us. Just as he accused Job of only loving God because he protects him and blesses him we also are being accused. So the less room we give Satan to attack us the less difficult he can make things for us. If we continue to sin it will blind us to what God wants us to do. This works to Satan’s advantage because once we are blinded he can make us like a wave on the ocean easily blown about the direction the wind blows. In other words he can easily manipulate us into destroying our own lives, causing ourselves misery and even cost us our life. Thus making us an easier target to drag us down to the pit with he and others who are going there. How much better would it be that by our actions we prove to be righteous enough that our righteousness becomes so apparent that it cannot be hidden. So are slowly lured into sin because they will ignore certain scriptures that conflict with what they want to believe. This really opens the door for Satan and he can easily lure a person into committing many sin. All it takes is one door to be open for Satan to be able to open many more. Job believed he was more righteous then God. He ask questions of God he should not have ask. Once Job repented God blessed him.

The bible says bad associations spoil useful habits. We are not to even mention shameful conduct let alone do it. We are not even to keep company with those who do such things. Many will associate with those who have no faith in God believing it is ok because they are a nice person. We need to stop and consider God would be calling them to Jesus if he felt they were worthy. He can read their hearts and see things we cannot. Many in the bible have had bad associations that did not seem so bad but they drew them away from Jehovah and it has destroyed and even cost them their lives. We are not supposed to be a part of the world which means we put our faith in the heavenly kingdom and not humans. Those who may seem nice but do not have faith in God can lure us into putting our trust in man. The whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. He has corrupted most politicians and the ones he has not corrupted will die and anything they have done will be either forgotten or the person who replaces them will do away with the things they have accomplished. By getting involved in politics we are telling God we do not need him we can rule ourselves. Man has tried every form of government and we are only making things worse. We need to follow Christ example, he put his trust in the heavenly kingdom , which he knew God would seat him on the throne. He knew this is the only way the suffering, corruption and evil things happening on earth would be done away with.

In these calamitous times those who trust Jehovah and lean on him will have inner peace no matter what they endure. Those who obey Jehovah have no fear of death or man but those who do not trust Jehovah and do not let his word guide them always have that fear of judgment hanging over them.

We know we are very near the future hope of the promises of Jehovah. Satan’s attacks are an indication of this. He has always viciously attacked Jehovah’s people when they were near to the promises Jehovah made, being fulfilled. This system belongs to Satan and his people. We will not get full use of it like his people will. This system is temporary. We know we will suffer for our faith. We need to keep our eyes forward and see our suffering for what it is. If Satan can side track us get us to lose faith then we will start to lean on our own understanding and lose out on the future hope that is so near. Satan’s attacks are only going to get worse. He does not want us to make it. We must see these attacks for what they are and hold onto to our integrity. The new system belongs to the meek and the righteous. This will all be gone soon and is temporary so why waste time with this system be happy to make it through this system alive. Work to survive not to gain what will be lost when this system is gone.

So what are some ways Satan and his people attack you? One of Satan and his peoples main weapons is sex. It has gotten many to fall short of God and lose his favor. Satan likes to isolate people first then when he gets them isolated he will temp them in some way. This is when we are most vulnerable. Very soon they will attempt to isolate many of us, this is when we have to pray to God the most and trust him the most and be very aware of our short comings because Satan will use them against us.

Remember Jesus said members of our own household will be our enemies. When I started becoming no part of the world and learned most holidays and traditions of man had pagan origins and glorified mythical characters instead of God I stopped celebrating them. Those holidays and traditions are also full of idolatry something we are not to do. Many got very angry at me when I stopped celebrating them. Those holidays and traditions do not bring us closer to God. They actually anger him and make him jealous because during those times people give glory to symbols and idols rather then God. Jesus showed to celebrate his death because that marked the moment that man had been redeemed and our sins could now be forgiven meaning we could now live forever. Jesus never told us to celebrate his birth. His death marked the sealing of the new covenant. We need to remember that it was Jesus own people who killed him . We were warned in the last days that family would betray us. Things are rapidly winding down so we need to be much more careful of what we say and to who we say it to. We need to be absolutely certain we can trust someone whether it is family or a spiritual relative. The bible tells us many will make it through the great tribulation so not all will die but some will be betrayed.

Before the ransom sacrifice once you died you remained dead. Without the ransom sacrifice there would have been no hope for a resurrection so it is the memorial of Jesus death we should be celebrating. Not traditions or doctrine of man which is in opposition to God. This also removes the fear of death because we know if we die righteous and obedient to God we will experience a resurrection of life. Stephan had such faith even when he was being stoned to death he prayed for those stoning him. He did not fear death, he loved God and wanted others to know God as he did. Many of the apostle were killed with violence but they did not let that deter them from teaching others because how could someone put faith in God if they have not heard about him or learned about him. Things will occur very soon and some of us may be in danger but we will not have to fear death because the bible tells us even death cannot separate us from the love of God and the love of Jesus. Just a note during the apostles days those who were not worthy to partake of the wine and unleavened bread became ill.

We have the example of Job. Satan took his health, his children, his wealth and left him with nothing. Jobs short coming was pride. Job remained faithful and repented for his error and he was rewarded many times over. God corrected Job he repented and God forgave him and blessed him. By being aware of our short comings it can protect us from attacks by Satan. This is why we need to reflect in the mirror of Gods word and if we see something we need to work on we should correct it because any short coming Satan is aware of he will use to try and break your faith and attack you. Remember he is the accuser. He accuses man of only loving God because he blesses and protects us. By staying faithful and loving to God no matter what we endure we prove Satan to be wrong. Satan’s attacks can get pretty relentless. It is not what we do when things are going well that shows God we love him and are faithful it is what we do when things are not going so well. Look at what the apostles endured and they stilled accomplished a lot for God and glorified him.

False teaching is another way that Satan can draw people away from God so he can attack them. We were warned the great apostasy would come first. We were also warned in the last days people would gather teachers who would scratch their itchy ears. So they would tell them what they wanted to hear and not what they needed to hear. The bible even said many of the churches would follow teachings of demons. The bible said the deception would get so bad that even some of the elect would be led away from the truth and be deceived. If we write God’s word on our hearts by reading it and letting it guide all we do until it becomes a habit and we don’t have to think about what to do we will automatically know, it will be much more difficult for us to be deceived. The bible warned in the last days the great apostasy or man of lawlessness would be revealed. In other words the ones not obeying God and the commands Jesus gave us. If you learn you are not worshiping the way God would require do you make the changes needed to worship him in truth? Many will refuse to and it will cost them their lives. It would be sad to see someone give up their life because they did not want to give up a doctrine that had been taught so they could please God. Christ means anointed one. So many would claim to be anointed by God and lead many astray. Many think that they are going to claim to be Jesus but Jesus stated they would come on the bases of his name saying they are Christ. So they would claim to be anointed , and would claim to be representing Jesus. These false Christ can be identified because they will not teach what Christ taught. This is why Jesus said we would have to enter through the narrow gate. Jesus is the narrow gate so we have to observe all he told us to do and we have to try our best to imitate him.

Many still cling to images and idols in their worship. These do not bring a person closer to God and they actually offend him. This is a form of idolatry. Anything we covet more then our relationship with God is considered idolatry to God. We do not need images or idols we have God’s creation to observe and we can see his glory in all his creation. The human body is incredibly made, there are billions of stars and they move in such a predictable way they use them to keep more accurate track of time. This is why the bible refers to them as the soldiers of heaven it is like they march in formation. There are billions of stars out there and many we view in the night sky is actually whole galaxies. We could make no image that could compare to God. This is why we are told not to make or use images of heaven above or earth below in our worship. We can also have faith when we read about the miracles Jesus performed so we know the future promises of no more sickness, violence, crime, hatred, or suffering will be fulfilled. No promise God has made went unfulfilled so we can be certain the future promises will be fulfilled.

Satan lied about God in the Garden of Eden. Before then lies did not exist. That is why Jesus calls him the father of the lie. There is another way Satan attacks people he falsely accuses them. He had Joseph imprisoned for attempted sexual assault even though it was the woman who tried to assault Joseph and he fled. Jesus warned in Matthew 5:11 they would lie about you if you are trying your best to follow him. I experienced this first hand. It is very difficult when you hear people saying things that are not only untrue but they even get ridiculous and even falsely accuse you of criminal activities. They did this to Jesus so if you are going to follow Jesus you will be treated the same. When this occurs do not attack them or get angry it will only make things worse. Pray to God to help you through it and keep in mind God knows the truth no matter what they say or do. Jesus stated to the pharisees when they were lying that their father was Satan because he was the creator of the lie. So keep in mind if you are being lied against the source is Satan. Those who choose to lie are choosing Satan as their father instead of God. When Jesus had a conflict with Satan he did not insult or attack him but prayed to God for him to deal with it. We may have to endure some humiliating things when this system collapses but keep in mind it will only be for a short period of time. The new system will be worth whatever we have to endure. If we react in a way God would not approve of when falsely accused then we could lose God’s favor. The bible tells us when they start arresting those who worship in truth we will not have to worry about what to say because the holey spirit will tell us what to say.

Most know temptation is a way Satan can try and attack you. Once he gets you to fall short , he can destroy your life. As long as you do not give in to temptation he is limited in what he can do to you most of the time. For example he was not allowed to take Jobs life. It is when we give in to temptation that we endanger ourselves. The temptation is not always obvious. For example when Satan tempted Jesus he tried to get Jesus to put his trust in the political system of the world by offering him all the kingdoms of the earth. He even used God’s word to try and deceive Jesus when he was trying to temp him so we have to be careful because we know Satan and his messengers can appear as angels of light. Make certain something is from God and you do not have to compromise your values or to put your trust in material things of the world in order to get it. I have learned often times when you except something from someone , it can come with a heavy price. We are supposed to give without expecting anything in return but the world is not like that so we have to be careful. Satan could use our needs to temp us and draw us away from God. Jesus was fasting and he was hungry the first thing Satan did was try to get him to use the power and gifts God had given him for selfish reasons. Jesus made it clear to Satan it was obedience to God that comes first.

Many under estimate the authority Satan has , when he offered Jesus the kingdoms Jesus never contested Satan’s authority to do that. Jesus even stated he is the ruler of this world and would be cast out. So we cannot under estimate Satan’s authority but there is no authority higher then God’s so no matter how much he has corrupted things or influenced things God can provide the way out. We do not have to fear Satan and the demons. Whatever they put us through God can save us as long as we are obedient and faithful. We know Satan can perform man signs and wonders to deceive people. When he empowers the Beast and tries to force everyone to bow to it, we are told it will perform great signs and wonders. Jesus is the one anointed to sit on the heavenly thrown. He is the one that God has given the right to rule the earth to. By Satan trying to take that right on himself he is going against God and Jesus. This is why the Beast which is the United Nations and it’s allies will be destroyed and Satan will be bound for 1000 years. Christ means anointed one. Jesus is the one God anointed to set on his thrown . During that 1000 years he will work to restore the earth to the paradise it was meant to be.

Negative emotions is another way Satan can cause us tribulation. It is why we are told to forgive others. The bible warns if we go to bed angry it can give Satan an opportunity. So we should do our best not to hang on to anger. So if we are feeling emotions that could gave Satan a way to attacking us we need to work on correcting them as quickly as possible. As we can see Satan only needs us to give him a way and he can attack us. As things are winding down we need to make certain of everything and make certain we are doing all God requires so Satan will not have a way to attack us. When the beast has full power we do not have to fear. We may have to go into hiding but God will provide for us and protect us.

(1 Peter 2:21-25) 21In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely. 22He committed no sin, nor was deception g in his mouth. 23When he was being insulted, he did not insult in return. When he was suffering, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the One who judges righteously. 24He himself bore our sins in his own body on the stake, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness. And “by his wounds you were healed.” 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

(Ephesians 4:1-6) 4 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, appeal to you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, 2with all humility and mildness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3earnestly endeavoring to maintain the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace. 4One body there is, and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Jeremiah 17:10) 10I, Jehovah, am searching the heart, Examining the innermost thoughts, To give to each one according to his ways, According to the fruitage of his works.

(Job 2:2-8) 2 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.” 3 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad. He is still holding firmly to his integrity, even though you try to incite me against him to destroy him for no reason.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah: “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life. 5 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” 6 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! He is in your hand! Only do not take his life!” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 . . .

(Ephesians 6:10-13) 10 Finally, go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength. 11 Put on the complete suit of armor from God so that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil; 12 because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason take up the complete suit of armor from God, so that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have accomplished everything, to stand firm.

(Revelation 22:12-14) 12“‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to repay each one according to his work. 13I am the Al′pha and the O·me′ga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14Happy are those who wash their robes, so that they may have authority to go to the trees of life and that they may gain entrance into the city through its gates.

(Jeremiah 17:10) 10 I, Jehovah, am searching the heart, Examining the innermost thoughts, To give to each one according to his ways, According to the fruitage of his works.

(Revelation 2:22, 23) 22Look! I am about to throw her into a sickbed, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with deadly plague, so that all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches the innermost thoughts and hearts, and I will give to you individually according to your deeds.

(Colossians 3:15-17) 15Also, let the peace of the Christ rule in your hearts, for you were called to that peace in one body. And show yourselves thankful. 16Let the word of the Christ reside in you richly in all wisdom. Keep on teaching and encouraging one another with psalms, praises to God, spiritual songs sung with gratitude, singing in your hearts to Jehovah. 17Whatever it is that you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him.

(Matthew 10:27-31) … 28And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Ge·hen′na. 29Two sparrows sell for a coin of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.

(Luke 12:4, 5) Moreover, I say to you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after this are not able to do anything more. 5But I will show you whom to fear: Fear the One who after killing has authority to throw into Ge·hen′na. Yes, I tell you, fear this One.
(Hebrews 10:31) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

(Psalm 38:3-14) 3My whole body is sick because of your indignation. There is no peace within my bones because of my sin. 4For my errors loom over my head; Like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear. 5 My wounds stink and fester Because of my foolishness. 6I am distressed and extremely downcast; I walk around sad all day long. 7There is a burning within me; My whole body is sick. 8 I have grown numb and become completely crushed; My anguished heart makes me groan aloud. 9O Jehovah, all my desires are before you, And my sighing is not hidden from you. 10My heart pounds, my strength is gone, And the light of my eyes has left me. 11My friends and my companions avoid me because of my plague, And my close acquaintances keep their distance. 12Those seeking my life set traps; Those trying to harm me speak of ruin; They mutter deception all day long. 13But like someone deaf, I would not listen; Like someone speechless, I would not open my mouth. 14I have become like a man who cannot hear, Whose mouth has nothing to say in defense.

(Ephesians 5:3-5) 3Let sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as is proper for holy people; 4neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting—things that are not befitting—but rather the giving of thanks. 5For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no sexually immoral person or unclean person or greedy person, which means being an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of the Christ and of God.

(1 Corinthians 5:9-13) 9In my letter I wrote you to stop keeping company with sexually immoral people, 10not meaning entirely with the sexually immoral people of this world or the greedy people or extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, you would actually have to get out of the world. 11But now I am writing you to stop keeping company with anyone called a brother who is sexually immoral or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. 12For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, 13while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked person from among yourselves.

(John 17:15-19) 15 “I do not request that you take them out of the world, but that you watch over them because of the wicked one. 16 They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. 17 Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world. 19 And I am sanctifying myself in their behalf, so that they also may be sanctified by means of truth.

(1 John 5:18-20) 18We know that everyone who has been born from God does not practice sin, but the one born from God watches him, and the wicked one cannot take hold of him. 19We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one. 20But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us insight so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true.

(Ephesians 4:17-19) 17So this is what I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you should no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk, in the futility of their minds. 18They are in darkness mentally and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensitivity of their hearts. 19Having gone past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to brazen conduct to practice every sort of uncleanness with greediness.

(Proverbs 19:1-3) 19 It is better to be poor and walk in integrity Than to be stupid and speak lies. 2 A person without knowledge is not good, And the one who acts rashly is sinning. 3It is a man’s own foolishness that distorts his way, And his heart becomes enraged against Jehovah.

(Proverbs 19:1-3) 19 It is better to be poor and walk in integrity Than to be stupid and speak lies. 2 A person without knowledge is not good, And the one who acts rashly is sinning. 3It is a man’s own foolishness that distorts his way, And his heart becomes enraged against Jehovah.

(Isaiah 29:14) 14Therefore, I am the One who will again do wonderful things with this people, With wonder upon wonder; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their discreet men will be hidden.


(Isaiah 29:15) 15Woe to those who go to great lengths to conceal their plans from Jehovah. Their deeds are done in a dark place, While they say: “Who sees us? Who knows about us?”


(Isaiah 26:3) You will safeguard those who fully lean on you; You will give them continuous peace, Because it is in you that they trust.


(2 Peter 2:9) So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment

(Isaiah 26:3) You will safeguard those who fully lean on you; You will give them continuous peace, Because it is in you that they trust.
(2 Peter 2:9) So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment


(Isaiah 48:17, 18) 17This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk. 18If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.


(1 John 2:15-17) 15Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

(Revelation 21:1-6) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven froSatan’s attacks can be relentless. They can knock you down pretty bad. Then is when you can really give God glory by showing your faith in him and continuing to do all he requires. It is not what you do when things are going well that shows God how faithful you are and how much you love him. It is what you do when things are not going so well that really shows God what is in your heart. Keep in mind those who may tell lies about you may be spiritual relatives to protect themselves so we have to be careful what we say and to who we say it to.

(2 Corinthians 12:7-9) . . .To keep me from becoming overly exalted, I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to keep slapping me, so that I might not be overly exalted. 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it would depart from me. 9 But he said to me: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, then, I will boast about my weaknesses, in order that the power of the Christ may remain over me like a tent. . .m God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” 5And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And he said to me: “They have come to pass! I am the Al′pha and the O·me′ga, the beginning and the end. To anyone thirsting I will give from the spring of the water of life free.

(Job 40:1-17) 40 Jehovah continued to answer Job:  2 “Should a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let the one who wants to reprove God answer.”  3 Job said in answer to Jehovah:  4 “Look! I am unworthy. What can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.  5 I spoke once, but I will not answer again; Twice, but I will say no more.”  6 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the windstorm:  7 “Brace yourself, please, like a man; I will question you, and you inform me.  8 Will you call into question my justice? Will you condemn me so that you may be right?  9 Do you have an arm as powerful as the true God’s, Or can your voice thunder like his? 10 Adorn yourself, please, with glory and majesty; Clothe yourself with dignity and splendor. 11 Release the fury of your anger; Look at everyone who is haughty, and bring him low. 12 Look at everyone who is haughty, and humble him, And tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 Hide them all in the dust; Bind them in the hidden place, 14 Then even I would acknowledge to you That your right hand can save you. 15 Here, now, is Be·heʹmoth, which I made as I made you. It eats grass like a bull. 16 Look at the strength in its hips And the power in the muscles of its belly! 17 It stiffens its tail like a cedar;. . .

(Job 42:10-13) 10 After Job had prayed for his companions, Jehovah removed Job’s tribulation and restored his prosperity. Jehovah gave him double what he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends came to him and ate a meal with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him over all the calamity that Jehovah had allowed to come upon him. Each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12 So Jehovah blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the beginning, and Job came to have 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pairs of cattle, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also came to have seven more sons and three more daughters. . .

(John 18:35, 36) . . .” 36 Jesus answered: “My Kingdom is no part of this world. If my Kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from this source.. . .

(John 15:17-23) 17 “These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Keep in mind the word I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have observed my word, they will also observe yours. 21 But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me also hates my Father.

(Proverbs 5:3-9)  3 For the lips of a wayward woman drip like a honeycomb, And her mouth is smoother than oil.  4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood And as sharp as a two-edged sword.  5 Her feet descend into death. Her steps lead straight to the Grave.  6 She gives no thought to the path of life. Her course wanders, but she does not know where.  7 Now, my sons, listen to me And do not turn away from what I am saying.  8 Stay far away from her; Do not go near the entrance of her house,  9 So thabible sneaky woment you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel;

This was king Solomons downfall.

(Proverbs 5:3-9)  3 For the lips of a wayward woman drip like a honeycomb, And her mouth is smoother than oil.  4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood And as sharp as a two-edged sword.  5 Her feet descend into death. Her steps lead straight to the Grave.  6 She gives no thought to the path of life. Her course wanders, but she does not know where.  7 Now, my sons, listen to me And do not turn away from what I am saying.  8 Stay far away from her; Do not go near the entrance of her house,  9 So that you may not give your dignity to others Nor reap years of what is cruel;

(Proverbs 7:10-21) 10 Then I saw a woman meet him, Dressed like a prostitute, with a cunning heart. 11 She is loud and defiant. She never stays at home. 12 One moment she is outside, next she is in the public squares, She lurks near every corner. 13 She grabs hold of him and gives him a kiss; With a bold face, she says to him: 14 “I had to offer communion sacrifices. Today I paid my vows. 15 That is why I came out to meet you, To look for you, and I found you! 16 I have spread fine covers upon my bed, Colorful linen from Egypt. 17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us drink our fill of love until the morning; Let us enjoy passionate love together, 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a distant journey. 20 He took a bag of money with him, And he will not return until the day of the full moon.” 21 She misleads him with great persuasiveness. She seduces him with smooth speech.

(Hebrews 13:3-6) . . .. 4 Let marriage be honorable among all, and let the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. 5 Let your way of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he has said: “I will never leave you, and I will never abandon you.” 6 So that we may be of good courage and say: “Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

(Proverbs 6:32, 33) 32 Anyone committing adultery with a woman is lacking good sense; The one who does so brings ruin on himself. 33 He will get only wounds and dishonor, And his disgrace will not be wiped away.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-15) 13 Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope. 14 For if we have faith that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in death through Jesus. 15 For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death;

(John 3:16) 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

(John 5:27-29) . . .. 28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

(1 Corinthians 15:26-28) 26 And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. 27 For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.

(Romans 8:37-39) . . .. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Matthew 26:26-30) 26 As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf, and after saying a blessing, he broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said: “Take, eat. This means my body.” 27 And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of you, 28 for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you: I will by no means drink again any of this product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father.” 30 Finally, after singing praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-30) 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night on which he was going to be betrayed took a loaf, 24 and after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This means my body, which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did the same with the cup also, after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he comes. 27 Therefore, whoever eats the loaf or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty respecting the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 First let a man approve himself after scrutiny, and only then let him eat of the loaf and drink of the cup. 29 For the one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment against himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few are sleeping in death.

(Acts 7:54-60) 54 Well, at hearing these things, they were infuriated in their hearts and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of holy spirit, gazed into heaven and caught sight of God’s glory and of Jesus standing at God’s right hand, 56 and he said: “Look! I see the heavens opened up and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand.” 57 At this they cried out at the top of their voices and put their hands over their ears and rushed at him all together. 58 After throwing him outside the city, they began stoning him. The witnesses laid down their outer garments at the feet of a young man called Saul. 59 As they were stoning Stephen, he made this appeal: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then, kneeling down, he cried out with a strong voice: “Jehovah, do not charge this sin against them.” And after saying this, he fell asleep in death.

(Mark 13:9-13) 9 “As for you, look out for yourselves. People will hand you over to local courts, and you will be beaten in synagogues and be put on the stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them. 10 Also, in all the nations, the good news has to be preached first. 11 And when they are taking you to hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand about what to say; but whatever is given you in that hour, say this, for you are not the ones speaking, but the holy spirit is. 12 Furthermore, brother will deliver brother over to death, and a father a child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all people on account of my name. But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.

(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. 2 Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. 3 Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(2 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6 From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-5) 3 Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

(1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over it.

(Mark 13:21-23) 21 “Then, too, if anyone says to you, ‘See! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘See! There he is,’ do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the chosen ones. 23 You, then, watch out. I have told you all things beforehand.

(Matthew 24:4-6) 4 In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, 5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You are going to hear of wars and reports of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

(2 John 8-11) 8 Look out for yourselves, so that you do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that you may obtain a full reward. 9 Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The one who does remain in this teaching is the one who has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

(Hebrews 11:1-3) 11 Faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities that are not seen. 2 For by means of it, the men of ancient times had witness borne to them. 3 By faith we perceive that the systems of things were put in order by God’s word, so that what is seen has come into existence from things that are not visible.

(2 Corinthians 4:17, 18) 17 For though the tribulation is momentary and light, it works out for us a glory that is of more and more surpassing greatness and is everlasting; 18 while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.

(Zechariah 13:1, 2) 13 “In that day a well will be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for cleansing sin and impurity. 2 “In that day,” declares Jehovah of armies, “I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will rid the land of the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.

(1 Corinthians 10:14) 14 Therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry.

(Colossians 3:4-6) . . .Christ, our life, is made manifest, then you also will be made manifest with him in glory. 5 Deaden, therefore, your body members that are on the earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, and greediness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of those things the wrath of God is coming.

(Deuteronomy 5:8-10) 8 “‘You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 9 You must not bow down to them nor be led to serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing loyal love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

(Revelation 12:10-12) . . .“Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! 11 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. 12 On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time.”

(John 8:44) 44 You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.

(Jude 8, 9) 8 Despite this, these men too are indulging in dreams, defiling the flesh, despising authority, and speaking abusively of glorious ones. 9 But when Miʹcha·el the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms, but said: “May Jehovah rebuke you.”

(Luke 4:1-13) 4 Then Jesus, full of holy spirit, turned away from the Jordan, and he was led about by the spirit in the wilderness 2 for 40 days, being tempted by the Devil. And he ate nothing in those days, so when they had ended, he felt hungry. 3 At this the Devil said to him: “If you are a son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him: “It is written, ‘Man must not live on bread alone.’” 5 So he brought him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time. 6 Then the Devil said to him: “I will give you all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 If you, therefore, do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.” 8 In reply Jesus said to him: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’” 9 He then led him into Jerusalem and stationed him on the battlement of the temple and said to him: “If you are a son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will give his angels a command concerning you, to preserve you,’ 11 and, ‘They will carry you on their hands, so that you may not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 In answer Jesus said to him: “It is said, ‘You must not put Jehovah your God to the test.’” 13 So the Devil, having finished all the temptation, departed from him until another convenient time.

(John 12:29-31) 29 The crowd that was standing there heard it and began to say that it had thundered. Others said: “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered: “This voice has occurred, not for my sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now there is a judging of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. . .

(Luke 4:5-8) 5 So he brought him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time. 6 Then the Devil said to him: “I will give you all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 If you, therefore, do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.” 8 In reply Jesus said to him: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”

(1 John 5:18, 19) . . .. 19 We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.

(Ephesians 4:25-27) 25 Therefore, now that you have put away deceit, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to one another. 26 Be wrathful, but do not sin; do not let the sun set while you are still angry; 27 do not give the Devil an opportunity.

(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) 9 But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders 10 and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. 11 That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

(Revelation 13:11-15) 11 Then I saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, but it began speaking like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first wild beast in its sight. And it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first wild beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 And it performs great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind. 14 It misleads those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs that it was permitted to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast that had the sword-stroke and yet revived. 15 And it was permitted to give breath to the image of the wild beast, so that the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who refuse to worship the image of the wild beast.

The truth will set your free.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

Jesus “stated the truth will set you free.” In what ways can the truth set you free? Many are so confused now days. The lines between right and wrong have been skewed. The disease, suffering , starvation, corruption, crimes, violence and many other things are now happening on a scale that has never occurred before. Even though we will endure tribulation the truth sets us free in a way others who do not worship in truth experience. I am going to show why more then ever we need to worship in truth by showing the many benefits that God blesses us with when we worship in truth.

By knowing our bibles well and knowing what God requires and writing his word on our hearts we are free of the pressures society puts on others. Their opinions and ideas change almost daily and they can be unreasonable and often times you don’t know what to expect from someone one day to the next. There is a freedom that comes from knowing when to make your yes mean yes and your no mean no. As the lines between what is right and wrong get blurred which is happening at an alarming rate now days we do not have to be indecisive or confused what we ought to do if we have written God’s word on our hearts. This prevents us from being indecisive when it comes to things involving our worship or morality. Often times when you start opposing the devil he will attack you bad. But if you hold fast to your faith and love for God and Jesus he will eventually flee from you. This is also why the bible says we should not make promises and if we do we should make certain we keep them. There are so many unexpected things that can happen if we make a promise then cannot keep it we look like we are not dependable or we give empty promises. By applying bible counsel we prevent those situations.

Some have been severely injured , have been born with a disability, lost their hearing or eyesight. Those who worship in truth know there will be a new earth were righteous are to dwell and there will be no more lame, sickness or suffering. This gives them hope for the future because none of the promises God has made have ever went unfulfilled so we can be certain the future promises he has given will be fulfilled. Jesus healed many, so we need to have no doubt that in the new earth we can enjoy being fully healthy.

Many have the fear of Hell indoctrinated into them. That is not a biblical teaching the original word used Sheol meant grave or pit. The hell fire teaching came from false religion and they use the parable of Lazarus as validation of this claim but it is a parable and does not refer to an eternal suffering in a fiery hell. The original meaning of Hell was to conceal or cover over, which was not an accurate translation but still did not mean heat or torment. When Jesus spoke of Gehenna , it was used to justify the hellfire teaching. Gehenna was a pit outside the city that they burned refuse in. They would throw animal carcasses and bones in the pit. They kept a constant fire there to burn things to ashes. The bible tells us from dust we are to dust we return. It also tells us in the day we die our thoughts perish. If a person died and went to heaven or hell there would be no need for a resurrection because no one would be dead they would either be in heaven or hell. It seems to me Satan has deceived people into believing the original lie in the Garden of Eden when he told Adam and Eve they would not die. Still today people refuse to believe they die when life ends and believe that they go on living somewhere else. When we die it is like we are asleep to God and our life’s energy returns to God. During the resurrection there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous. The unrighteous will be a resurrection of judgment. If the unrighteous were in hell then why would they need to be resurrected to be judged? This is why many no longer believe the bible because so many false teachings make the bible seem to contradict itself. God told Adam and Eve from dust you are to dust you will return. In Psalms it tells us when the spirit goes out and returns to God we return to the ground and our thoughts perish. If we lived on in heaven or hell wouldn’t we still have thoughts? If it was not for Jesus ransom sacrifice to redeem us there would be no hope for the dead. Jesus died a perfect human which blotted out the sin, he defeated death by remaining loyal and faithful to God even when facing persecution and death. We are also free from the fears that others have. If we have faith in God and Jesus we don’t even have to fear death because the bible tells us not even death can separate us from the love of Jesus and the love of God.

Many heavily rely on things like fortune telling, numerology and astrology. Those are things God would not approve of. Getting involved in those things is a type of false worship because you are putting your faith in something other then God. God requires exclusive devotion. Israel had gotten caught up in this when they worshiped the god of luck and the god of destiny and God showed Israel his disapproval. Some consult spirit mediums. There is only one true God. There is no one wiser , more trust worthy and more loving then him. When you put your faith in Jehovah God and Jesus , because they do not change and Jehovah is the source of life even if we die , we could live again. There is no one more powerful then God is, his power is limitless and he cannot die like humans can. By putting our faith in the one true God we are free from many of the fears that others have because they do not have such a wise and powerful and merciful God. The bible said we would experience tribulation so we may as well experience at as a righteous person so we have the future hope. Not only that but if we are practicing it as a righteous person often times even extremely difficult things God will get those who love him and are faithful through it. Often times those who do not have faith in God get emotionally destroyed by difficult times and they also lack the hope in the future promises that comes with having faith in God and fully trusting him.

It can free us from the influence of demons, lies especially those involved in false religion. It frees us from the sins committed from being deceived and not worshiping in truth. If you have ever noticed someone who believes something that is not a biblical teaching they will resent and even hate those who teach the bible in truth. Falsehoods are very difficult to defend. When you worship in truth you have confidence the truth will defend itself so have no need to react angrily or with violent or hateful thoughts. This is why Jesus said if they do not accept the truth shake the dust off your feet. In other words do not let it bother you. You told the truth it will defend itself. When God’s great day of judgment is here it will become very clear who was telling the truth and who was not. False religion in Jesus days had many traditions and celebration that were not put in place by God and they even violated his laws. They put heavy burdens on people financially and even physically. Many of those traditional celebrations involved forms of idolatry. The bible warned there would be teaching of demons in many churches in the last days. By worshiping in truth we are free of the burdens man and the demons would put on us. We also would be free from the guilt that comes from idolatry.

The truth protects us from lies. Believing or telling lies can complicates ones life. One can tell if they have been convinced of a lie because the more they have to defend it the more complicated it gets to defend a lie because more lies have to be told to support the first lie. For example major religion has actually changed history and how it actually has happened in order to support their lies. But eventually documents or something gets unearthed to expose the truth. It takes more lies to defend the first lie until eventually the lies get so numerous a person would have to completely ignore certain scriptures to maintain their belief in a lie. Some religions teach their leaders word over rides the bible. The bible warned if anyone taught something or said something contrary to what the bible says then they are teaching false doctrine. We are not to add to God’s word or take from it. The bible tells us by preventing our tongue from lying we enjoy many good days. The bible tells us the one who lies with every breath shall perish. It stands to reason, it is very stressful trying to defend a lie. Studies have shown stress dramatically reduces ones life span. When we tell the truth in the end what matters is whether God knows or not, because he is above all others , there is no authority over him. So whether someone believes us when we tell the truth or not we do not have to worry because God knows the truth and will remember that we stood for being truthful no matter what. Since he is the one who gives life we are free from the fear of destruction that others would have to fear. By not lying we are protected from the destruction that others will suffer during the day of judgment and free of the fear that our lie will be found out. Studies have shown those who tell lies eventually start losing their sense of what is real and what is not. So not telling lies protects our minds. Many believe they do not sin. The bible tells us if we believe we do not sin we are a liar. We all fall short and sin. If we were perfect we would not have had to have the bible written for us by God to guide us in how to prevents sinning and how to overcome it when we do sin. This helps us grow and to draw closer to God and Jesus. Those who lie will not reflect in the mirror of God’s perfect word so do not get the peace of mind and security that those who apply God’s word and do their best to draw closer to him would enjoy. Gods word hurts their conscience. What hope do those who lie have for the future. It is why when they are under trials and tribulation they are full of anxiety and the feelings of hopelessness. When the corruption of this system is being used to attack them they lose all hope. Those who do not lie know they can trust God and no matter what they endure, if they endure it as a righteous person God will reward them. This helps to free us from the anxieties and frustrations that come from having no hope. By not lying we can freely approach God in prayer and it will protect our hearts when we are being tried and give us an inner peace that those who lie do not enjoy.

By taking on the yoke of Jesus we are not burdened by the many problems others cause themselves. A yoke is put between beast of burden so they can share the load. What if you have a beast of burden that does not carry it’s load or causes an increased work load for the rest of the beast of burden. It can cause them to become wore down. This is why Jesus warns do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers because it can eventually start wearing at our faith, trust and loyalty to God. For example fornication which covers a variety immoral sex acts comes with the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases , some of them can actually cost you your life. There is unplanned pregnancy that can come with immoral relations. Having children out of wedlock does not provide a child with the stability they need while growing up. Often times the father does not participate in the children’s lives and even refuse to support them causing the mother to struggle financially. If we become unevenly yoked by those who approve of such things we could easily get drawn in and it may not only destroy our lives but it could effect others negatively. By taking on Jesus yoke and doing our best to obey the commands he has given us we are protected from the harm that can come from being yoked with the world who do not obey the commands Jesus has given us. By obeying God and following Jesus example we are protect from the confusion and problems immoral relations can cause. Often times the fornication carries guilt. We are free from the guilt and complications that come from fornicating.

We are told the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. We are also told not to put our trust in ourselves or nobles. By trusting in God and Jesus it prevents us from making the many mistakes that we see man make. History has shown man makes the same mistakes over and over again. If they would obey God and put there trust in him many of those mistakes could be avoided. The mistakes man makes often times causes problems for themselves and others. When you trust God and Jesus and put your faith in them it prevents you from bringing more problems on yourselves and from causing others problems. We are all imperfect but by putting our trust in God if we make an error we have the confidence that his word will show us the way out. We can also be certain when we have whole heartedly repented God will forgive us because he is a merciful God. When the world makes errors they usually try to fix it by making more errors, causing themselves and others more problems. By putting faith in God and letting him guide us we will not make as many errors and if we do we have the confidence that his word will guide us through it and show us the way out instead of adding to our problems. The bible says we will suffer tribulation , by doing our best to obey God when we do suffer tribulation as a righteous person we will not have the added burdens those of the world have. This can helps us to endure because we have the yoke of Jesus so the burden is much lighter. Not only that but when we associate with those who do not let the God’s word guide them it sometimes can add stress to our lives because we try to navigate around their lack of faith and trust in God which can add stress to our lives. Also by being friends with those who reject God we are telling God we approve of their behavior. No matter how nice they may seem if God is not calling them to Jesus then there are things we cannot see that he can. We have to remember God can read peoples hearts and can see the hidden things in the heart we cannot. It is the more subtle things that can draw us away from God. By putting on the yoke of Jesus and being no part of the world we are protected and will not risk falling short and adding to the burdens of our lives.

Things are rapidly winding down, what hope do those who do not put their faith in God or Jesus have. They do not have the hope that being a part of the heavenly kingdom gives to those who do their best to obey God have. This can cause them to become heavily involved in the politics of this world and the corruption in it. Being no part of the world protects us from putting our trust in man and in doing so we have faith in the heavenly kingdom with Jesus as our king, when the end of this system comes we have no need to fear because Jesus said to raise ourselves up because when these things occur it means redemption is near. So when this occurs it is exciting times for those who are obedient because we know things are going to get much much better very soon. For those who put their faith in man and the corrupt political system and imperfect humans in this system when it collapses what hope do they have? What hope do those who put their trust in the wealth of this system or the material things of the world have when these things are gone, which the bible shows will occur very very soon? Those who put their trust and faith in God even if they lose everything they can have faith that God will protect them and get them through it. How refreshing it is to not live in the fear and panic others are in right now as they see things rapidly getting much much worse. What about those who are ill and do not get to know God or who are blind and do not get to know God? They have no hope to ever be healed and to experience perfect health which the bible promised to those who are obedient and faithful. So we can see the truth sets us free from the many anxieties and worries that those who are part of the world will experience.

The bible tells us to protect our minds from bad thoughts, and evil influence. Illegal drugs and excess alcohol make our minds open to influences. They can alter our moral compass . Many have made errors when intoxicated by a drug or alcohol that have destroyed their lives or cost others theirs. Some of the errors made while under the influence of a substance have permanently altered their lives or the lives of others in a way it has left life long emotional scars and sometimes financial loss. The cost of substance abuse or alcohol abuse is very expensive and have driven many to poverty. By protecting our minds from substance abuse or alcohol abuse it also protects us and others. If someone is struggling with substance abuse or alcoholism I can tell you first hand drawing closer to God helps you overcome them. I could never have done it on my own, my spiritual relatives were really there for me and they always had the right scripture to comfort me and help me overcome my alcoholism.

Another way the truth sets us free is we do not hold on to negative emotions, especially anger. Anger has been shown to dramatically impact our health it can negatively effect our mitochondria, our adrenal glands, our guts and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Jesus stressed the importance of forgiving others . We are even to forgive our enemies and pray for them. If our enemies are hungry or thirsty we are to provide for them. This prevents us feeling the hatred and anger that the world seems to be driven by now days. Because of this we come to know the real love that God and Jesus has. Even though our love would never be as complete and as pure as theirs if we do our best to imitate their love then we can experience the happiness they experience and we do not have the burden of the negative emotions that come with hating others or by carrying our anger for long periods of time. It frees our minds to dwell on happier and more fulfilling things. By holding a grudge or not forgiving someone it can hinder our prayers and even prevent God from listening to them. So those who are forgiving will have their prayers heard and be shown mercy as they show mercy.

This system is rapidly winding down. Food shortages, pestilence , hatred, violence, corruption, chronic illness, financial hardships and many other things are going to get worse. Those who have faith and trust in God and Jesus know these things are a sign that things are going to get much much better very soon. This is why Jesus said when you see these things occur raise ourselves up because deliverance is near. So we need to focus more on spiritual things now more then ever. Pray to God now more then ever. Things will get difficult for a short period of time but God has always gotten his people through it. We are in a time very similar to when Israel was ready to enter the promised land. They had two steep cliffs on each side of them. They had the sea in front of them. They had the enemy in chariots that had blades on the wheels. They would run people over and the blades would hack them up. It may have seemed hopeless for them but they remained faithful and did all God ask. He parted the sea for them. This resulted in then having a clear path to the promised land. When the enemy tried to cross God left the sea flood over them. Not a single one of the enemy soldiers that were pursuing them survived. Also even though all these things are occurring those with faith in God know God will protect them and provide for them as long as they have faith in him. This frees us from the fear and panic many are in now. This frees us from having to look for solutions because we know those solutions will not come from man but they will come from God.

(John 8:31, 32) 31 Then Jesus went on to say to the Jews who had believed him: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

(Acts 15:9-11) . . .. 10 So why are you now making a test of God by imposing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our forefathers nor we were capable of bearing? 11 On the contrary, we have faith that we are saved through the undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus in the same way that they are.”

(Mark 7:7, 8) 7 It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.’ 8 You let go of the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men.”

(1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over it.

(Jeremiah 10:1-5) 10 Hear the word that Jehovah has spoken against you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what Jehovah says: “Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens Because the nations are terrified by them.  3 For the customs of the peoples are a delusion. It is just a tree of the forest that is cut down, Worked by the hands of the craftsman with his tool.  4 They adorn it with silver and gold And fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not fall over.  5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, they cannot speak; They have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good.”

(John 8:43-47) . . .. 44 You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie. 45 Because I, on the other hand, tell you the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it that you do not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.”

(Matthew 10:13-15) . . .. 14 Wherever anyone does not receive you or listen to your words, on going out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah on Judgment Day than for that city.

(James 4:7-10) 7 Therefore, subject yourselves to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you indecisive ones. 9 Give way to misery and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into despair. 10 Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt you.

(Matthew 5:33-37) 33 “Again you heard that it was said to those of ancient times: ‘You must not swear without performing, but you must pay your vows to Jehovah.’ 34 However, I say to you: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not swear by your head, since you cannot turn one hair white or black. 37 Just let your word ‘Yes’ mean yes, your ‘No,’ no, for what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.

(Revelation 21:1-4) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

(Isaiah 65:24, 25) 24 Even before they call out, I will answer; While they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah.

(Isaiah 35:6, 7)  6 At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.  7 The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested, There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6) 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.

(Psalm 146:4)  4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish. . .

(Psalm 13:3) 3 Look upon me and answer me, O Jehovah my God. Give light to my eyes, so that I may not fall asleep in death,

(John 11:11-14) 11 After he said these things, he added: “Lazʹa·rus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples then said to him: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.” 13 Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazʹa·rus has died,

(1 Corinthians 15:20-22) 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. 21 For since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.

(Revelation 20:12-15) . . .The dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

(John 5:28-30) 28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

(2 Thessalonians 1:9) 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength. . .

(2 Peter 3:7) 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist are reserved for fire and are being kept until the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly people.

(Romans 8:37-39) . . .. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Isaiah 65:11-13) 11 But you are among those forsaking Jehovah, Those forgetting my holy mountain, Those setting a table for the god of Good Luck, And those filling up cups of mixed wine for the god of Destiny. 12 So I will destine you for the sword, And all of you will bow down to be slaughtered, Because I called, but you did not answer, I spoke, but you did not listen; You kept doing what was bad in my eyes, And you chose what displeased me.” 13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Look! My servants will eat, but you will go hungry. Look! My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty. Look! My servants will rejoice, but you will suffer shame.

(Deuteronomy 18:10-13) . . ., 11 anyone binding others with a spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium or a fortune-teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable practices Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you. 13 You should prove yourself blameless before Jehovah your God.

(Psalm 34:12-14) 12 Who among you takes pleasure in life And would love to see many good days? נ [Nun] 13 Then guard your tongue from what is bad, Your lips from speaking deception. ס [Samekh] 14 Turn away from what is bad and do what is good; Seek peace and pursue it.

(Proverbs 19:9)  9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And the one who lies with every breath will perish.

(Revelation 21:8) But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and the sexually immoral and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death.”

(James 1:12, 13) 12 Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him. 13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone.

(Matthew 24:13, 14) 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

(Job 42:10, 11) 10 After Job had prayed for his companions, Jehovah removed Job’s tribulation and restored his prosperity. Jehovah gave him double what he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends came to him and ate a meal with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him over all the calamity that Jehovah had allowed to come upon him. Each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.

(Philippians 4:4-7) 4 Always rejoice in the Lord. Again I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let your reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.

(John 16:33) 33 I have said these things to you so that by means of me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.”

(John 8:34-36) 34 Jesus answered them: “Most truly I say to you, every doer of sin is a slave of sin. 35 Moreover, the slave does not remain in the household forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.

(Romans 6:15-18) . . .! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thanks to God that although you were once the slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over. 18 Yes, since you were set free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.

(Matthew 11:28-30) . . .. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light.”

(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) 14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” 18 “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”

(1 Peter 2:18-25) . . .. 19 For it is agreeable when someone endures hardship and suffers unjustly because of conscience toward God. 20 For what merit is there if you are beaten for sinning and you endure it? But if you endure suffering because of doing good, this is an agreeable thing to God. 21 In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely. 22 He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth. 23 When he was being insulted, he did not insult in return. When he was suffering, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the One who judges righteously. 24 He himself bore our sins in his own body on the stake, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness. And “by his wounds you were healed.” 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

(1 Peter 4:15, 16) 15 However, let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or a wrongdoer or a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but let him keep on glorifying God while bearing this name.

(Matthew 5:27-30) 27 “You heard that it was said: ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If, now, your right eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be pitched into Ge·henʹna. 30 Also, if your right hand is making you stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you. For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to land in Ge·henʹna.

(Luke 10:26-28) . . .” 27 In answer he said: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 He said to him: “You answered correctly; keep doing this and you will get life.”

(Romans 12:1, 2) 12 Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason. 2 And stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(1 Peter 5:6-10) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. 9 But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. 10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you.

(Ephesians 5:15-18) 15 So keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons, 16 making the best use of your time, because the days are wicked. 17 On this account stop being unreasonable, but keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is. 18 Also, do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but keep getting filled with spirit.

(Proverbs 20:1) 20 Wine is a ridiculer, alcohol is unruly; Whoever goes astray by them is not wise.

(Proverbs 23:21) 21 For a drunkard and a glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

(Matthew 18:21, 22) 21 Then Peter came and said to him: “Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him: “I say to you, not up to seven times, but up to 77 times.

(Mark 11:24, 25) 24 This is why I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for, have faith that you have received them, and you will have them. 25 And when you stand praying, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in the heavens may also forgive you your trespasses.”

(Luke 17:2-4) . . .. 3 Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother commits a sin, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins seven times a day against you and he comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

(Romans 12:17-21) 17 Return evil for evil to no one. Take into consideration what is fine from the viewpoint of all men. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: “‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says Jehovah.” 20 But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals on his head.” 21 Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.

(Luke 21:27, 28) 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”

(Luke 21:16-19) 16 Moreover, you will be handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all people because of my name. 18 But not even a hair of your heads will perish. 19 By your endurance you will preserve your lives.

(Luke 12:6, 7) Five sparrows sell for two coins of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Bad associations, how they can harm you.

If you don't read it how can you have faith.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

We are warned about bad associations. I am going to try and clarify what bad associations are , sometimes the line can be narrow and it is that narrow line that has drawn many away from God.

We are warned not to mislead ourselves when it comes to bad associations. One example we are given is Cain and Able. Cain seemed to be worshiping God the same as Able. Cain and Able made offerings to God. Why did God not look on favor with Cains offering? He could read what was in Cains heart he knew Cain was jealous of Able. He knew Cain had been having thoughts he should not have. Instead of accepting the correction from God Cain chose his own way and killed Able. Often times bad associations are not obvious and those are the most dangerous ones spiritually because they can slowly erode away at our faith they can also cause us to fall short and lose our relationship with God. We will need God now more then ever since things are rapidly winding down.

What if someone may not believe in God or may not take an interest in God but seems to be very kind, and loving and trust worthy. The answer to that is to share God’s word with them. See how they react. God’s word is sharper then any two edged sword able to discern the deeper things of the heart. More subtle things can draw people away like maybe the person makes fun of a certain type or group of people. Or maybe they talk about things others people do like gossip. I am not talking about news events, but more speaking of people in a way to either make themselves look better or dwelling on others flaws. Also pay attention to how they treat those who treat them bad or hate them. Anyone can treat those who love them well but if they return the hate or mean behavior then they are not imitating Christ and it could develop that attitude in us. Does the things a person say build someone up or does it cause division and strife? Does this person tend to be very secretive and only tell you certain things? Often times deceptive people will try to avoid talking about themselves or their day. Does the person hold onto anger and tend to not forgive others. The bible warns this can leave an opportunity for the devil. If a person does do things they should not do how do they respond to correction. If they accept the correction and work to improving themselves daily and work to draw closer to God then we should consider that. Keep in mind we are all imperfect, we should not overlook each others short comings and being aware of a friend’s short comings as they work on them and they being aware of yours can work as a protection when both people have a deep love and faith in God. But many of the world no matter how nice they may seem will usually try to capitalize on those short comings. If we fall into the trap of judging others the bible warns we will be judged likewise. This is a subtle trap to fall into , even gossip can lead to us ruining someones reputation. For example I was stating something good about someone a skill they had. I told someone I thought was a friend how I was impressed by that skill. They started gossiping stating the person was spending all their time with the skill they had and not applying themselves spritually. When the sister was confronted she told the person I stated that which I did not. She twisted what I had stated. So even those who are spiritually related we have to be cautious of if they are a gossiper because that brother stopped talking to me. We should not judge the person if we have confronted them or they have been corrected by the elders for their behavior and still have not adjusted their behavior it may be wise to avoid them when possilbe.

Many can be blinded by the beauty of a woman or man. We must be careful that does not happen. Get to know someone very well and we should do our best not to let their looks fool us into being blind to things the person may do that could cause us to fall short of God. Often times they may seem very nice but we should take note, do they put God first in their life? Does the person put more confidence and faith in the world. We are told putting faith in things of the flesh is in conflict with God. It is not wrong to own worldly possessions or to have wealth but if we put those before God it will draw us away and so can someone who puts wealth and things of the world first. Those who put their confidence in the world even if they are a spiritual relative can cause us more then spiritual harm because they may appear to have faith in God but usually eventually fall away and in doing so hurt many people. Often times whole families suffer from the effects of them putting their faith in the world. The bible tells us the parents are to give the children their spiritual food by sharing the scriptures with them. This takes a lot of work and both parents should be involved because the parents set the example for the children. If one of the parents does not apply themselves and are putting more faith in the world it can eventually effect the whole family. Even worse because a person does not have the reverential fear of God they should , they may betray friends or family. Does this mean we should go through life not trusting anyone? Not at all it just means we need to be careful and watch for patterns. We all fall short at one time or another, it is when the before reoccurs we need to be cautious.

I mentioned earlier about those who do not study the bible or who do not have faith. These ones are usually scoffers. We are even warned to be cautious of scoffers. It could get us to pay no note of the times we are in. It is clear we are in the final minutes of this system but it said many would take no note until destruction was suddenly upon them. We know Jesus said the things that would occur would happen on a grand scale like they have never occurred before. We are now seeing that occur and much more rapidly as this system nears it’s end. We are told it will be just as it was in Noah’s day. Noah prepared for the destruction the flood would cause by building the ark. Only seven people survived the flood. We are told to prepare by entering the narrow gate, the bible said few would enter the narrow gate. Jesus told us to constantly stay awake. We were also told we should imitate Jesus the best we can to enter the narrow gate. Many will want to enter but it will be too late because they did not stay awake and he will say get away from me workers of unrighteousness I do not know you. Those who do not believe in God do not believe in the destruction that is coming. They could distract us enough that by the time we realize what time frame we are in it could be too late. We are told not to become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. Solomon took wives who believed in other gods and they eventually drew him away from true worship. Israel started associating with those in Moab. They have very similar practices as Israel so this caused Israel to be led into Baal worship. There is only one true God and this made him angry. This resulted in 24,000 people dying. If we want God’s protection through these last days we need to make sure of the little things. It was the little things that Satan used to trick people because he knows we are always on the guard for the obvious temptations and things that may draw us away. There are many who will make excuses for not applying themselves more spiritually. Those who are spiritually lazy will always see a lion in the road but those who truly love God and want to draw closer will find a way around the lion. Because this is the last days we are going to suffer no matter what. It would be better to suffer with God on your side rather then against you. I can say God has pulled me through many things that I have watched others die from so I have not doubt what staying close to God can do to protect a person.

I have to interact a lot on social media because I am teaching people things about certain types of illness that I experienced and how I healed from them. I only interact with many of them when I have to because I do not know them well enough to know whether they are a bad association or not. I am very careful who I give my phone number to and my email address. The bible warns to be cautious as a serpent but kind as a dove. For the most part I limit how much I interact with people on social media sites. I have found if you interact too much you can get caught up in news events and other things that can consume large amounts of time and even emotional resources. If I feel this happening I start limiting my time on social media. I post scriptures and share bible truths but I am very cautious when I interact with those on social media. Social media makes information available that you just cannot find anywhere else. The search engines heavily censor preventive health information and information on naturally healing . Things God told us to use to heal often times they will censor even on social media. I and many others were very very ill and if it was not for social media we would could not have learned to heal. We could get a sense of obligation to others on social media for the help we were given. We are to help others when they are in need but we need to be cautious how we go about it. We have to remember Satan and his messengers can appear as angels of light. The bible even warned those who are effected by the operations of Satan could perform great signs and works that could deceive someone. This is where looking at a persons fruits and how many they produce and as they grow spiritually do they produce more fruit. These people can appear to be humble and kind but if you look at the fruits they produced like do they have trust worthy friends, do they have a stable family, do they put spiritual things first in their life so they can draw close and stay close to Jehovah. Is the person we are choosing to associate with prideful, do they show envy, is the person patient when you are working on an imperfection, or does the person get easily provoked? We are told love does not do those things. If they do those things it indicates they do not know know God or they need spiritual guidance if they will accept it. God is love and we are to do our best to imitate him.

Where it gets more difficult is when family is bad associations because we have certain obligations. We just have to be careful how we interact with them and experience has taught me when to interact with them. For example I stopped attending certain family events because this is when it seems their bad qualities would really show. When possible I would not leave family do without. In fact we aren’t even supposed to leave our enemies do without out so how much more would we be expected to take care of family? We have to remember the children in our family follow the examples they see. Would we want the children in our family imitating those we associate with? What children learn from their parents could save their lives as things rapidly wind down. Honoring our fathers and mothers comes with a promise of living longer so it is very important we honor our parents.

We cannot take ourselves entirely out of the world. We have to work, and interact in a variety of ways for daily life. We also were given the work of making disciples of others and of declaring the good news of the kingdom in all the earth which is one of the final prophesies. Our work is almost done and better times are very very near. We need to sure ourselves up spiritually now more then ever just as God had Israel do in the past just before they received the fulfillment of promises God had made. This protects us so Satan and his people cannot blind us to the path we need to take as happened to many who did not listen and were deceived and did not get to see the promised land. We will be wronged many times by the world. We should never retaliate or seek revenge. Some day one of those people could accept the truth and be a spiritual relative. If we responded negatively towards them we could slow them learning the truth and if they do not take an interest in the truth then the judgment will be on them and not ourselves. This is why the bible says conquer the evil with the good. When someone wrongs us even if it is family and they do not repent or make recompense then we need to pray for them, forgive them and be more cautious around them but we should not judge them or seek revenge. We can not read peoples hearts God can. We can not judge righteously because we are imperfect. God is perfect so his judgment is righteous and perfect. We will suffer no matter what , if we want to make it through it or be remembered by God during the resurrection we have to do our best to please him and let him guide us. Many will realize too late and will not have God’s word written on their heart by practicing what they have learned. We are told God will call these things to our minds during the great tribulation to help us through it. We are told those who endure to the end will be the ones who will be saved and these ones will get to enjoy eternal life with no more sadness , pain or death. Often times bad associations can lead us down dangerous paths or even life changing events that can take a very long time to recover from if we survive. Now more then ever we need to avoid that because we are already living in dangerous times and it would not be wise to add to the dangers spiritually and physically that we are already enduring.

(1 Corinthians 15:33, 34) 33 Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits. 34 Come to your senses in a righteous way and do not practice sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I am speaking to move you to shame.

(1 John 3:9-12) 9 Everyone who has been born from God does not practice sin, for His seed remains in such one, and he cannot practice sin, for he has been born from God. 10 The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Whoever does not practice righteousness does not originate with God, nor does the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. And for what reason did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked, but those of his brother were righteous.

(Genesis 4:2-7) . . .Abel became a shepherd of the flock, but Cain became a cultivator of the ground. 3 After some time, Cain brought some fruits of the land as an offering to Jehovah. 4 But Abel brought some firstlings of his flock, including their fat. While Jehovah looked with favor on Abel and on his offering, 5 he did not look with any favor on Cain and on his offering. So Cain grew hot with anger and was dejected. 6 Then Jehovah said to Cain: “Why are you so angry and dejected? 7 If you turn to doing good, will you not be restored to favor? But if you do not turn to doing good, sin is crouching at the door, and its craving is to dominate you; but will you get the mastery over it?”

(Ephesians 4:31-5:2) 31 Put away from yourselves every kind of malicious bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming, and abusive speech, as well as everything injurious. 32 But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you. 5 Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and go on walking in love, just as the Christ also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice, a sweet fragrance to God.

(Luke 6:31-36) 31 “Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them. 32 “If you love those loving you, of what credit is it to you? For even the sinners love those loving them. 33 And if you do good to those doing good to you, of what credit is it to you? Even the sinners do the same. 34 Also, if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, of what credit is it to you? Even sinners lend to sinners so that they may get back as much. 35 On the contrary, continue to love your enemies and to do good and to lend without hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. 36 Continue being merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

(Proverbs 7:20-27) 20 He took a bag of money with him, And he will not return until the day of the full moon.” 21 She misleads him with great persuasiveness. She seduces him with smooth speech. 22 Suddenly he goes after her, like a bull to the slaughter, Like a fool to be punished in the stocks, 23 Until an arrow pierces his liver; Like a bird rushing into a trap, he does not know that it will cost him his life. 24 And now, my sons, listen to me; Pay attention to the words I speak. 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not stray onto her paths, 26 For she has caused many to fall down slain, And those she has killed are numerous. 27 Her house leads to the Grave; It goes down to the inner chambers of death.

(Ephesians 4:25-30) 25 Therefore, now that you have put away deceit, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to one another. 26 Be wrathful, but do not sin; do not let the sun set while you are still angry; 27 do not give the Devil an opportunity. 28 Let the one who steals steal no more; rather, let him do hard work, doing good work with his hands, so that he may have something to share with someone in need. 29 Let a rotten word not come out of your mouth, but only what is good for building up as the need may be, to impart what is beneficial to the hearers. 30 Also, do not be grieving God’s holy spirit, with which you have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.

(Galatians 6:7-10) 7 Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap; 8 because the one sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but the one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. 9 So let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out. 10 So, then, as long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.

(Proverbs 21:2, 3)  2 All of a man’s ways seem right to him, But Jehovah examines the hearts.  3 To do what is right and just Is more pleasing to Jehovah than a sacrifice.

(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

(John 6:39, 40) . . .. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17-19) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; look! new things have come into existence. 18 But all things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of the reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was by means of Christ reconciling a world to himself, not counting their offenses against them, and he entrusted to us the message of the reconciliation.

(James 4:11, 12) 11 Stop speaking against one another, brothers. Whoever speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against law and judges law. Now if you judge law, you are not a doer of law but a judge. 12 There is only one who is Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you to be judging your neighbor?

(2 Peter 3:2-7) . . .. 3 First of all know this, that in the last days ridiculers will come with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires 4 and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep in death, all things are continuing exactly as they were from creation’s beginning.” 5 For they deliberately ignore this fact, that long ago there were heavens and an earth standing firmly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and that by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was flooded with water. 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist are reserved for fire and are being kept until the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly people.

(Luke 13:23-30) . . .: 24 “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able. 25 When the householder gets up and locks the door, you will stand outside knocking at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ But in answer he will say to you: ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 Then you will start saying, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our main streets.’ 27 But he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Get away from me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’ 28 There is where your weeping and the gnashing of your teeth will be, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 Furthermore, people will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God. 30 And look! there are those last who will be first, and there are those first who will be last.”

(Psalm 10:2-6)  2 The wicked one arrogantly pursues the helpless one, But he will be caught in the schemes he devises.  3 For the wicked one boasts about his selfish desires And blesses the greedy one; נ [Nun] He disrespects Jehovah.  4 In his haughtiness, the wicked man makes no investigation; All his thoughts are: “There is no God.”  5 His ways keep prospering, But your judgments are beyond his understanding; He scoffs at all his adversaries.  6 He says in his heart: “I will never be shaken; For generation after generation I will never see calamity.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-5) 5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. 4 But you, brothers, you are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you as it would thieves, 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We belong neither to night nor to darkness.

(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) 14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I will reside among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” 18 “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.”

(Numbers 25:1-3) 25 When Israel was dwelling in Shitʹtim, the people started to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moʹab. 2 The women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people began to eat and to bow down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined in worship of the Baʹal of Peʹor, and Jehovah became enraged with Israel.

(Proverbs 26:13) 13 The lazy one says: “There is a young lion in the road, A lion in the public square!”

(2 Corinthians 11:12-15) 12 But what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to eliminate the pretext of those who are wanting a basis for being found equal to us in the things about which they boast. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light. 15 It is therefore nothing extraordinary if his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works.

(2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) 9 But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders 10 and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. 11 That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

(Galatians 5:22-24) 22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5 does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(Ephesians 6:1-4) . . .. 2 “Honor your father and your mother” is the first command with a promise: 3 “That it may go well with you and you may remain a long time on the earth.” 4 And fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah.

(Acts 18:7, 8) . . .. 8 But Crisʹpus, the presiding officer of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, along with all his household. .

(1 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 This statement is trustworthy: If a man is reaching out to be an overseer, he is desirous of a fine work. 2 The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent, but reasonable, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, 4 a man presiding over his own household in a fine manner, having his children in subjection with all seriousness 5 (for if any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he care for the congregation of God?), 6 not a newly converted man, for fear that he might get puffed up with pride and fall into the judgment passed on the Devil. 7 Moreover, he should also have a fine testimony from outsiders so that he does not fall into reproach and a snare of the Devil.

(Romans 12:20, 21) 20 But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals on his head.” 21 Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.

(John 14:26-29) . . .. 27 I leave you peace; I give you my peace. I do not give it to you the way that the world gives it. Do not let your hearts be troubled nor let them shrink out of fear. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am. 29 So now I have told you before it occurs, so that you may believe when it does occur. . .

(Matthew 10:16-22) 16 “Look! I am sending you out as sheep among wolves; so prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard against men, for they will hand you over to local courts and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18 And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations. 19 However, when they hand you over, do not become anxious about how or what you are to speak, for what you are to speak will be given you in that hour; 20 for the ones speaking are not just you, but it is the spirit of your Father that speaks by you. 21 Further, brother will hand brother over to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and will have them put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all people on account of my name, but the one who has endured to the end will be saved.

(John 14:25, 26) 25 “I have spoken these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.

Why do good people suffer?

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

I know things are getting very difficult and times are getting very hard. In times like this it can cause doubt or even get us to question our faith in God and cause many doubts. Many in bible times have become confused when they were suffering. It may even seem as if you lost favor with God. God is not unjust he remembers the work we have done for him. So I am going to discuss just why people suffer , even good people will suffer. Jesus and the apostles and many of God’s prophets suffered. So understanding why this occurs can help strengthen our faith. (Hebrews 6:9-12) . . .. 10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones. 11 But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness so as to have the full assurance of the hope down to the end, 12 so that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The bible does not say if we suffer tribulation but when. We are all imperfect and fall short of God. Sometimes our own sins ruin our lives and harm others, sometimes others sins harm themselves and others. Those who put more trust in the world harm the most people. For example some may appear to have a form of Godly devotion but will put worldly things like money, material possessions, power or popularity before their worship of God. Things like that will drown out any love for God and make them more prone to committing sins that can harm others. A good example of this can be found in the bible. Joseph was promised authority that his brothers felt should be given to them because they were older. Because of this they sinned and were going to kill him, instead they sold him into slavery. By doing our best to do what God would want us to do and keeping him first in our lives we prevent things like this from pushing our love and faith for God out of our hearts. This did not stop God’s plans for Joseph and he eventually was put in a position of authority in Egypt and he used this position of authority to protect and help save Israel during hard times. The bible tells us we can be tried by our own sins or by others sins. Joseph was tried by his brothers sins.

Sometimes a person’s overconfidence can cause them to sin which can bring harm to others. The scribes and pharisees were overly proud and overly confident. They looked down on others, they would put themselves in prominent places to put on a show, thought they knew God’s word well but they did not understand it’s meaning and thought memorizing God’s word was enough. This drove them to persecute Jesus and eventually led to him being persecuted and killed. This did not stop God’s plans but actually fulfilled them because Jesus died sinless he defeated the lies that brought death on man and God promoted him and he is now our king in heaven sitting on the heavenly throne. The bible tells us he has been given authority over everything but God himself, so when it is time for him to set matters straight he will have the power and authority to do so.

When we are ill this is when we really need to stick to God because this is when we will have a tendency to be overconfident and start leaning on our own understanding because it is difficult to think clearly. We may even have issues that cause us to think things we ought not to think. This occurred with me. To prevent it from getting the best of me I wrote scriptures down and hung them on my wall to continually remind me so I would not act on things. For example the brain swelling caused me rage and also caused me to start mistrusting many people. It caused me to have episodes of anger. I wrote on notes why this was occurring and scriptures that could help me to overcome this. Knowing why this was occurring helped me find comfort because I knew once I healed these things would no longer occur. I was very fortunate because during those times I had Facebook friends who were patient enough to work with me even though I would get irrational and a bit mean at times. They guided me and taught me how to heal. When dealing with something like this it is very helpful to get guidance from someone who truly understands what you are going through. If not you could cause harm to your life and others. By not seeking help we are putting confidence in ourselves. God would want us to take any measures necessary to not let him or ourselves down.

The example we have of the most harm brought on man by sin is Adam and Eve sinning. They not only brought on death but much suffering on man. They listened to Satan’s lies and believeed they did not need God to guide them and they could decide things for themselves. They also did not believe they would die. This brought death and suffering on man. Those were the original lies told in the garden. But Satan also accuses those who put their faith in God. He accuses them of only loving God because he blesses and protects them. Satan destroyed Jobs life, he took Job’s family, all Job owned and even his health from him to try and prove his accusations against Job. This did not shake Job’s faith and love for God. Job’s trust, love and faith in God was rewarded many times over what Satan had taken from him. What opened the door for Job to be attacked by Satan. Job had been overly prideful to the point he believe he did not sin. Because of this he accused God of being unjust for leaving these things occur to him. Elihu was the only one to state the truth about Job and was not afraid of offending Job, though he comforted Job first explaining that his words my not set well with Job he still told Job what he needed to hear and not what he wanted to. Job was speaking of flaws he believed God had. When Elihu and Jehovah set Job straight Job repented and God blessed him many times over. But some may say didn’t God say Job was righteous? No God did not, he said Job holds fast to integrity and is upright. God did not say Job was without sin. The bible tells us we all sin and fall short of God because of our inherited imperfections. It is why we need to read Gods word and reflect in the perfect mirror of God’s word to make us more aware of our short comings so we can continually work to draw closer to God. When being tried by Satan it can make us aware of short comings we have and this is when we should do all we can to overcome them and prove Satan’s accusations wrong.

We are living in the last days. We are warned people would appear to have a form of Godly devotion but prove false to it’s power. So there will be many who seem to love God but they will give in to their imperfection instead of constantly working to overcome the m. This behavior causes resentment, hatred, anger, a lack of affection, it makes a person prideful, they will put things like money or pride over obedience to God. Things like that not only causes a person to fall short but also cause others to be hurt. The bible warned this is how a variety of sects arise because people would gather ones that would scratch their itchy ears instead of telling them what they needed to hear. Surely we would not want to be like those the bible mentions in the last days. People who did those things are the very people who persecuted and killed Jesus. Would we want to imitate their behavior. Their may be things in the bible that hearts our conscience. If this occurs we should reflect on why this occurs and what actions we can take to correct that. This may not be guilt we feel on our part but it may expose something about someone we care about. If the scriptures reveals something about someone we care about we should talk to them. If they do not respond and they share our beliefs we should talk to those spiritually qualified to talk to the person. I would rather a friend get upset with me then for them to lose their gift of eternal life that is promised to those who worship God with their whole soul and their whole heart. In times past God’s own people killed and harmed his prophets because they wanted to follow after their own hearts instead of obeying God. (2 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6 From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.) , (2 Timothy 4:3-5) 3 For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled. 4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories. 5 You, though, keep your senses in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.), (1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. 4 For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over it.

This is why the bible did not say if we suffer tribulation but when. It is very important to do our best to let God guide us when we do. I know it is difficult to understand why God would let bad things happen to good people but we have to keep in mind we are all being accused by Satan, we all are sinful. If we let God guide all we do then we store up treasures in heaven which no one can take away. All the things on earth will be gone soon and so will many of the powerful people that many put their trust in. By sticking to God when we endure the trials and tribulation we will not only prove Satan’s accusations wrong and we will store up treasures in heaven which gives us hope in the future promises God has given us and one of them would be life with no fear of death. Things are rapidly winding down and just as Satan did not give Job a chance to recover before another messenger appeared with bad news many of us will experience similar things. Some already have and may be tired but if we endure to the end we will be rewarded a reward worth more then any treasures on earth. Some of us may die, even if that does occur we do not have to worry. Jesus defeated death, if we remain faithful and loyal to the end God will remember us during the resurrection. Not even death can separate us from the love of Jesus and the Love of God. Those who survive this wicked system or who are resurrected to a resurrection of life will not suffer again because those who have caused all the suffering and refused to repent will be destroyed and experience the second death during the time of judgment so they will never be able to cause pain and suffering again.

I know it is difficult to suffer. Some have suffered most of their lives. But compared to living in a paradise new earth forever the short amount of time we live now is nothing compared to an eternity of happiness. The bible tells us There will be no more wars, illness, suffering or tears of sadness. The bible tells us before we are finished prying God will answer our prayers in the new system. We are told the good memories will cause us to forget the bad. And most of all death will be no more so we will get to see loved ones we have lost in death. Satan and the demons will be destroyed and will not be able to corrupt man or to accuse man anymore. Because of Satan, man relying on their own understanding and the corruption many suffer from the time they are born. This was something Job noticed and wondered how a righteous God could watch things like that happen. We have to keep in mind, God is the judge we are not. He is being patient and giving others a chance to change and repent.

One thing I do want to clarify there is a difference between being tested and being tried. Satan tries us, he tries to overwhelm us and even isolate us to get us to depend on our own understanding instead of God. In doing so he is trying to weekend us so we will act on our imperfections. In times of trials and tribulation we need to be more aware of our short comings and try even harder to avoid situations that could cause us to act on them or to takes steps that would prevent this from occurring. As for being tested God gives us his word. He knows what is in our hearts. He will let us be tempted but has prepared us by giving us his word and providing ones to help give us spiritual food and guide us. Satan hopes you fail when being tried but God hopes you succeed. Satan tries to make you fail God helps you when being tested and wants you to succeed. God desires none to be destroyed and every life lost because they are disobedient does not make him happy. Those who disobey God have no excuse he gave us all we needed to learn how to have faith in him, and how to please him, love him and be obedient so we can enjoy life on the new earth. We just need to hang on a little longer better times are very very near.

One more issue we need to discuss. Satan made many accusations about God and about man. If God interfered and did not let things run their course then Satan could say see I told you God was hiding things from man. He could say God did not let things run their course because he knew it would prove he was right. By letting the lies completely play out the lies in the garden and the accusations Satan makes against those who love God and try their best to be obedient will get proven wrong. This does not leave any doubt. Man has tried every form of government and we have failed miserably. We have not been able to do away with death and illness as a matter of fact death and chronic illness are more rampant on the earth now then ever before. As time goes on man becomes more corrupt and errors more. The more man leans on their own understanding the worse we are making things. As the end of mans rule comes closer and closer many of us will suffer but we need not fear or give up. We have the future hope given to us in the bible and these things are very very near. (Jeremiah 10:23) 23 I well know, O Jehovah, that man’s way does not belong to him. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.) , (Ecclesiastes 8:9) 9 All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm. , (Micah 7:3) Their hands are expert at doing what is bad; The prince is making demands, The judge asks for a reward, The prominent one makes known his desires, And they work it out together.

(James 1:12-15) 12 Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him. 13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone. 14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.

(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

(Proverbs 16:18, 19) 18 Pride is before a crash, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. 19 Better to be humble among the meek Than to share the spoil of the haughty.

(Luke 18:9-14) 9 He also told this illustration to some who trusted in their own righteousness and who considered others as nothing: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like everyone else—extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing at a distance, was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward but kept beating his chest, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home and was proved more righteous than that Pharisee. Because everyone who exalts himself will be humiliated, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Ecclesiastes 7:16-18) 16 Do not be overly righteous, nor show yourself excessively wise. Why should you bring ruin to yourself? 17 Do not be excessively wicked, nor be foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is best to grasp one warning without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God will heed them both.

(1 Corinthians 15:22-28) 22 For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each one in his own proper order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence. 24 Next, the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power. 25 For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. 26 And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. 27 For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. 28 But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.
(Romans 6:16) Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

(John 8:42-47) 42 Jesus said to them: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I have not come of my own initiative, but that One sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot listen to my word. 44 You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie. 45 Because I, on the other hand, tell you the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it that you do not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.”

(Genesis 37:18-28) 18 Now they caught sight of him from a distance, and before he reached them, they began plotting against him to put him to death. 19 So they said to one another: “Look! Here comes that dreamer. 20 Come, now, let us kill him and pitch him into one of the waterpits, and we will say that a vicious wild animal devoured him. Then let us see what will become of his dreams.” 21 When Reuʹben heard this, he tried to rescue him from them. So he said: “Let us not take his life.” 22 Reuʹben said to them: “Do not shed blood. Throw him into this waterpit in the wilderness, but do not harm him.” His purpose was to rescue him from them in order to return him to his father. 23 So as soon as Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the special robe that he wore, 24 and they took him and threw him into the waterpit. At the time the pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat. When they looked up, there was a caravan of Ishʹma·el·ites coming from Gilʹe·ad. Their camels were carrying labdanum gum, balsam, and resinous bark, and they were on their way down to Egypt. 26 At this Judah said to his brothers: “What profit would there be if we killed our brother and covered over his blood? 27 Come, now, let us sell him to the Ishʹma·el·ites, and do not let our hand be upon him. After all, he is our brother, our flesh.” So they listened to their brother. 28 And when the Midʹi·an·ite merchants were passing by, they lifted Joseph up out of the waterpit and sold him to the Ishʹma·el·ites for 20 pieces of silver. These men took Joseph into Egypt.

(Genesis 47:21-28) 21 Then he moved the people into cities, from one end of the territory of Egypt to its other end. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, because the rations for the priests were from Pharʹaoh and they lived on their rations that Pharʹaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people: “See, I have today bought you and your land for Pharʹaoh. Here is seed for you, and you must sow the land with it. 24 When it produces, give a fifth to Pharʹaoh, but four parts will be yours as seed for the field and as food for you and for those in your houses and for your children to eat.” 25 So they said: “You have preserved our lives. Let us find favor in the eyes of my lord, and we will become slaves to Pharʹaoh.” 26 Then Joseph made it a decree, which is valid until today over the land of Egypt, that a fifth belongs to Pharʹaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharʹaoh’s. 27 Israel continued to dwell in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goʹshen, and they settled in it and were fruitful and increased greatly. 28 And Jacob lived on in the land of Egypt for 17 years, so that the days of Jacob’s life came to be 147 years.

(Job 2:2-8) 2 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where have you come from?” Satan answered Jehovah: “From roving about on the earth and from walking about in it.” 3 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad. He is still holding firmly to his integrity, even though you try to incite me against him to destroy him for no reason.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah: “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life. 5 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” 6 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! He is in your hand! Only do not take his life!” 7 So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, and he was sitting among the ashes.

(Job 40:1-8) 40 Jehovah continued to answer Job:  2 “Should a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let the one who wants to reprove God answer.”  3 Job said in answer to Jehovah:  4 “Look! I am unworthy. What can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.  5 I spoke once, but I will not answer again; Twice, but I will say no more.”  6 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the windstorm:  7 “Brace yourself, please, like a man; I will question you, and you inform me.  8 Will you call into question my justice? Will you condemn me so that you may be right?

(James 5:9-11) . . .. 10 Brothers, take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets who spoke in the name of Jehovah. 11 Look! We consider happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful.

(Job 33:8-17) 8 But you said in my hearing, Yes, I kept hearing these words,  9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, without error. 10 But God finds reasons to oppose me; He considers me his enemy. 11 He puts my feet in stocks; He scrutinizes all my paths.’ 12 But you are not right in saying this, so I will answer you: God is far greater than mortal man. 13 Why do you complain against Him? Is it because he did not answer all your words? 14 For God speaks once and a second time, But no one pays attention, 15 In a dream, a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon people While they sleep in their beds. 16 Then he uncovers their ears And impresses his instruction upon them, 17 To turn a person away from wrongdoing And to protect a man from pride.

(John 16:32, 33) . . .. 33 I have said these things to you so that by means of me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.”

(Matthew 4:3) And the Tempter approached and said to him: “If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
(2 Corinthians 11:3) But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-7) 3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings for the Christ abound in us, so the comfort we receive through the Christ also abounds. 6 Now if we face trials, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which acts to help you to endure the same sufferings that we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is unwavering, knowing as we do that just as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

(Revelation 2:10, 11) 10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of you into prison so that you may be fully put to the test, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: The one who conquers will by no means be harmed by the second death.’

(Revelation 21:8) But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and the sexually immoral and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death.”

(Matthew 24:9-14) 9 “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

(Matthew 6:19-24) 19 “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If, then, your eye is focused, your whole body will be bright. 23 But if your eye is envious, your whole body will be dark. If the light that is in you is really darkness, how great that darkness is! 24 “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches.

(2 Peter 3:11-14) 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, consider what sort of people you ought to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, 12 as you await and keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt in the intense heat! 13 But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell. 14 Therefore, beloved ones, since you are awaiting these things, do your utmost to be found finally by him spotless and unblemished and in peace.

(Isaiah 2:4)  4 He will render judgment among the nations And set matters straight respecting many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Nor will they learn war anymore.

(Isaiah 35:5-7)  5 At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.  6 At that time the lame will leap like the deer, And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert plain.  7 The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested, There will be green grass and reeds and papyrus.

(Isaiah 65:23-25) 23 They will not toil for nothing, Nor will they bear children for distress, Because they are the offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah, And their descendants with them. 24 Even before they call out, I will answer; While they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah.

(Isaiah 26:19) 19 “Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully, You residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of the morning, And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.

(2 Peter 3:9, 10) 9 Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. 10 But Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be exposed.
(Romans 1:24-27) 24 Therefore, God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, so that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. 26 That is why God gave them over to disgraceful sexual passion, for their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 likewise also the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full penalty, which was due for their error.

(1 Kings 19:9, 10) 9 There he entered a cave and spent the night; and look! Jehovah’s word came to him, telling him: “What are you doing here, E·liʹjah?” 10 To this he said: “I have been absolutely zealous for Jehovah the God of armies; for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, your altars they have torn down, and your prophets they have killed with the sword, and I am the only one left. Now they are seeking to take my life away.. . .

Balance in giving and receiving help.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

I am going to try and discuss the many aspects of help from receiving help, asking for help and on giving help. The reason I am writing this because I did not apply the scriptures and advice in the scriptures as I helped people it brought a lot of anxiety and frustration on me. Surely you would not want to do what I have done. Something to take note of only 20% of medical treatment now days is backed by valid science the rest is speculation. While many naturals have been proven in clinical trials. Yet people fear the things God gave us and trust corrupt man because they have been indoctrinated to fear those things to fatten the pockets of those who profit from illness.

Helping others is something I have been praying for. Not only that , I am having to learn to ask for help and when I receive it to accept it. I think this came from the fact I usually could solve any problem I had easily and often times helped others. We are in the final minutes of this system things are getting very crazy and overwhelming. The problems now days are so numerous it is becoming difficult to keep ourselves safe and healthy let alone helping others. We need to seek Jehovah God’s help first in any problems we are dealing with and ask him for the wisdom to get through the things we will endure. Even though we should approach God first in prayer Jesus is our king now so we have to approach God through Jesus. When we ask Jehovah God for something we have to ask in Jesus name. Also we should get advice from those who are spiritually qualified. If we need worldly advice we should be careful of the source and pay attention to the type of fruit they have produced. We may have to seek help from those who do not knobeast destroy false religionw God or who appear to know God but have fruits that God would not approve of. So we should be very careful of who we get advice form and whether it conflicts with the advice from God. The bible tells us if we are getting advice , if we do not like it we should not get easily offended. The bible warns the deviousness of the treacherous will destroy them. The bible also warns it is pride that usually causes this. It tells us when we need help we should ask for it. Pride could drive us to try and do things on our own. Often times we may feel we are a burden on others. Often times not seeking help will increase our burden which can negatively effect those around us. Not only that but often times getting help with burdens we have can bring us closer to our friends and family. . No one who is loving likes to see another over burdened. Imagine how confused they would be when a person who is burdened needs help but will not ask or will not accept the help. It could effect them because they may speculate and believe it is pride or even a lack of faith driving you to not seek the help of others. Sometimes if the help is too sudden it can add to the confusion. If this occurs we should let the person know we may need help but we are not ready for it yet.

This is something I am struggling with myself right now and I actually get angry when someone tells me not to help someone because it is not in my power to. I once needed tires for my car they were so bald the threads in the tires were showing through. This man had children , and he did drugs and drank heavily. I tried to share bible truths with him but he rejected them. I did not want to see the children go without food so instead of buying tires for my car I bought the family food. The next day one of my tires blew out and I could not make it to work. It really wasn’t in my power to help him and by doing so I put myself in a bad way and was possibly enabling the person’s bad behavior. So when we help others we need to consider if we have the resources spiritually, physically, emotionally and if we may be enabling someone. For example if a person is lazy or lacks the enthusiasm to do things for themselves when they have a problem we would be adding more burden on ourselves and enabling them to sin. The bible warns that helping lazy ones can bring a lot of problems on ourselves and others.

I am going to discuss the things I learn and hope I can learn to apply them. This system is winding down our emotional and physical resources are going to be more and more limited. If we do not learn to balance helping people it could harm not only ourselves but those we care about because we could neglect our friends or our family. As I study the bible I am learning I am guilty of this and possibly enabling others bad behavior.

The people who do not want to know God and ignore his word will bring many problems on themselves. If they blatantly ignore his warning and guidance then we are taking a part in their sin. Not only that but their sins can negatively effect our lives if we continue to help those who put themselves in bad situations because they refuse to obey God. Not only this but by helping them we could eventually be drawn in.

Another problem I have, is I tend to help to much. The bible warns you can wear out your welcome and the person can learn to hate you. The bible also tells us those who commit sins with no regard for God are mocking him. If we helped them wouldn’t we be also mocking God? We need to weigh are we enabling someone to sin or are we helping them get back on their feet. We need to also consider are we trying to be too helpful. Remember each person has their own burden to carry. We know that many of the trials and tribulations we endure teach us things and build endurance and wisdom when we do things in a way God would require.

I can tell you from personal experience emotional resources also get drained when you help the wrong people and you will start lashing out and getting angry at those who do not deserve it because of the stress it puts on you. So it is not only financially draining, spiritually draining it is emotionally draining. If all your vessels become empty then what does that leave you and what can you give to those who really deserve your help? We are told love bears all things but it does not rejoice in unrighteousness. In a sense if we continue to help someone willfully getting involved in wrong doing are we not rejoicing in unrighteousness?

There was a woman in the bible who gave all she had as a donation because of her love for God. If we spread our resources thin then we could not help ones like her who have a deep love for God and would deserve the help. This woman was producing good fruits, I have been in a position in my life were I helped someone who was ignoring God’s word because they were family. Then shortly after someone who produced many good fruits needed help and because I had already used my resources on someone who did not value God’s guidance I was not in a person to help them.

The bible tells us to ask and we will receive . So we have to remember to be aware when the help is from God and when the help is from a source God would not approve of. For example say we have to use the a lawyer and their advice is legal but would go against what God requires which often times does happen. It would be wise to obey God’s laws because this system is temporary and any suffering that may be brought on because we choose to stand on God’s side in matters will be temporary but the future hope given to us in God’s word is forever.

Things are rapidly winding down some things will occur that could mean life or death for us. We need to learn to rely on God first because there will be situations where no one can help us only God can. We know that Satan and his people persecute those who draw close to God. So we can expect to experience trials and tribulations. The persecution, trials and tribulation caused by Satan and his people often times are not obvious for example look at what Job had to endure because of the trials and tribulations Satan caused him but he endured and in doing so God blessed him many times over. God will leave us endure things because it can expose our short comings and weaknesses and it gives us an opportunity to work on them. When someone smelts precious metals they remove the dross. Dross are the impurities in the metals. When someone endures trials or tribulation it can expose areas spiritually they need to work on. When our short comings are exposed we can see the dross and work on removing it. This also gives us an opportunity to glorify God by showing our faith and loyalty to him no matter what we endure. If we are patient when a person is being refined it can reveal how they respond to something. For example are they lazy and expect others to do the heavy lifting for them? If so then they will continually try to get you to take more and more of their burdens on yourself and others when being tried. I do struggle with stepping in to help people too soon. God has made us industrious and creative. If we step in to soon we deprive others of the opportunity to learn to be industrious and creative in solving problems. The apostles endured many trials and tribulations they were often times told to be industrious. Look how they glorified God in-spite of the things they endured. When a person is under trials and tribulations they will either glorify God or they could smear his God’s name. If the person shows no initiative, they constantly complain about something but do not do the little things to fight their way out, if they do not constantly seek God’s word and seek him in prayer and we step in and help them we could be preventing them from learning the importance of putting God first. When a person endures hardships it reveals whether they are worthy of the heavenly kingdom or not.

So when we are helping someone we need to weigh many things for example is the person turning to God first to help them through the hard times? Are they doing things in a way God would require? Do they really need our help? If we become overly helpful we could be hindering the person from leaning things and to glorify God by showing their endurance and love for God through their hardship. This does not mean we totally abandon them it means we ask them if they need our help. We need to be aware of the circumstances that lead up to them needing help. If it was because of something sinful like excess drinking of alcohol or laziness and they are not trying to overcome those things then we would be enabling them. We need to learn to balance helping others between whether they are trying to help themselves, whether helping them would make us a part of their sin by enabling them, also if a person is not asking for help it may be because they have resources we are not aware of or they have the faith God will get them through it. If they truly need help they will most likely ask for it. If not you could ask them for help but should not help without asking.

Things are rapidly winding down. Many of us will have to turn to those we feel we have no right to because they are not directly related. They are our spiritual relatives which make the bond closer then if they were blood relatives. If we have to get help from them , most of the time they will be happy to help us. Imagine the burden it would be on them seeing us struggle and we did not ask them for help? Many came from the world and the world would hate them. So many of their families are part of the world and because they have chosen to be no part of the world they do not have their families to turn to they only have their spiritual family. We know those who are truly trying to follow Jesus will be hated by the world, persecuted, looked down on and treated poorly so we need to do our best to help each other when possible but also to except our limits and know when is within our power to help another so we do not spread ourselves too thin. It is unreasonable to not expect to experience hard ships. The closer a person draws to God the more the world will hate them. These are ones we should really focus our resources on helping. Those who are part of the world and have cause their own problems , if we help them we are not only enabling them we are becoming a part of their sins by not letting them suffer the consequences of the things they have done. Now if they have repented and are struggling to recover from the damage they have done then we should help them within reason.

When we help someone we should not expect anything in return. If we are in a position where we have been blessed by God and have the resources to help someone else this is a privilege given to us freely from God so we should not expect something in return for our helping others. Most of all we are to take care of those in our household. We are told those who do not have disowned the faith. If we do have to borrow from someone we should do our best to pay it back. We have to be wise about helping others and not letting them take advantage of us. Since we are in the last days we need to weigh why they are in need. Is this a pattern of things caused by them not being responsible or caused by some things they may be doing bringing the need on themselves or is their need because of the things now occurring since these are the last days? When we help someone we should not boat about it or tell others as many in the media do. They do this to get attention and to show their false righteousness. If we are truly giving from the heart and it is love guiding us we do need the attention and acknowledgment of the good things we have done. God gave the world a gift no one could match. He gave the life of his only begotten son as a ransom for our sins so that we could be forgiven. No one could match that gift. So any gift given by a human deserves to be bragged about because he could never compare to the gift God has given us.

Those of us enduring trials. We should accept the comfort of others who have endured trials themselves. They have already built up the knowledge and endurance that they could impart to us. We also need to learn to accept help when we need it. This sometimes takes humility. Many of us have not been in a position where we needed help. Some of us do not want to be a burden on others. When we except help we are giving others a chance to express their love towards us. Imagine how they would feel if they want to help us and it is in their power to do so and we refuse to accept their help because we feel we will be a burden. Would you not feel hurt if you wanted to help a friend or family member you cared about and even though they needed the help they refused it? Some have been blessed by God so they could share their blessings. Wouldn’t it be selfish if we had too much pride or felt we were a burden if we refused the happiness and joy that comes with sharing your blessing with others. How do you feel if someone refuses blessings God has given you when you try to share them?

If we are asking for God’s help we have to make sure we are doing nothing that will hinder our prayers or cause him not to hear them. We have to ask in God’s name and do so through Jesus Christ. Also understand God will not immediately remove us from the difficult situation or hardships but he does promise if we persist in prayer he will give us peace in our minds that will guard our hearts. This is why the bible tells us not to be anxious about anything this system is passing away and so is it’s desires. All this will be gone so very soon all suffering will end we just have to endure a little longer. If a person tries to help us without asking we should not get too harsh it is because they care. We should let them know we will ask in a nice way if we need help. It is always best to ask if you can help before offering to help. We could actually be complicating things for someone if we just try and give them help and they are not prepared for it. We have to remember they have their own plans and way of doing things and when we just help we may cause confusion. By asking we give them a chance to think about it and even prepare.

Things are going to get very difficult soon. We have to be careful we do not overextend ourselves and only help when it is within our power. We also have to be cautious who we help. There will be some we may not be in a position to help. In such situations we can pray for them.

Even now we see them empowering the disgusting thing Jesus mentioned and giving it more and more authority. The disgusting thing is the beast that man is putting in place to try and replace God’s authority over the earth. Once they form this one world order God will put it in their hearts to destroy false religion, once this occurs the beast will turn on true worship. Once this occurs the end of this system will come because Jesus will destroy mans rule and the heavenly kingdom will rule the earth again. These things will never occur again. By balancing helping others and knowing when to ask for help we may walk through the great tribulation into the new system. Those who endure to the end and remain faithful even if they face death will not experience the second death because they will experience a resurrection of life.

(Proverbs 11:2, 3)  2 When presumptuousness comes, dishonor will follow, But wisdom is with the modest ones.  3 The integrity of the upright is what guides them, But the deviousness of the treacherous will destroy them.

(Proverbs 26:12) 12 Have you seen a man who thinks he is wise? There is more hope for someone stupid than for him.

(Proverbs 28:25, 26) . . .But whoever relies on Jehovah will prosper. 26 Whoever trusts in his own heart is stupid, But the one who walks in wisdom will escape.

(Matthew 11:26-30) . . .. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone fully know the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son is willing to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves. 30 For my yoke is kindly, and my load is light.”

(Matthew 7:7-11) 7 “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; 8 for everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened. 9 Indeed, which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not hand him a serpent, will he? 11 Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him!

(John 14:12-14) . . .. 13 Also, whatever you ask in my name, I will do this, so that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son. 14 If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

(Proverbs 26:13-16) 13 The lazy one says: “There is a young lion in the road, A lion in the public square!” 14 A door keeps turning on its hinges, And the lazy one on his bed. 15 The lazy one buries his hand in the banquet bowl, But he is too tired to bring it back to his mouth. 16 The lazy one thinks he is wiser Than seven people who give a sensible reply.

(Proverbs 12:15, 16) 15 The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, But the wise one accepts advice. 16 A fool immediately shows his annoyance, But the shrewd man overlooks an insult.

(Proverbs 3:27) 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom you should give it If it is within your power to help.

(Proverbs 24:6)  6 By skillful direction you will wage your war, And through many advisers there is victory.

(2 Thessalonians 3:10) 10 In fact, when we were with you, we used to give you this order: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.”

(James 1:2-8) 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, 3 knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. 4 But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything. 5 So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. 7 In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; 8 he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.

(1 Timothy 5:7, 8) . . .. 8 Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.

(Ephesians 5:10-13) . . .; 11 and stop sharing in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness; rather, expose them for what they are. 12 For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. 13 Now all the things that are being exposed are made evident by the light, for everything that is being made evident is light.

(Proverbs 13:20, 21) 20 The one walking with the wise will become wise, But the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly. 21 Calamity pursues sinners, But prosperity rewards the righteous.

(Proverbs 25:17) 17 Rarely set foot in your neighbor’s house, So that he does not get tired of you and hate you.

(Galatians 6:7-10) 7 Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap; 8 because the one sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but the one sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit. 9 So let us not give up in doing what is fine, for in due time we will reap if we do not tire out. 10 So, then, as long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.

(Proverbs 23:21) For a drunkard and a glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

(Luke 15:13, 14) A few days later, the younger son gathered all his things together and traveled to a distant country and there squandered his property by living a debauched life. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred throughout that country, and he fell into need.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5 does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(Mark 12:43, 44) . . .. 44 For they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her want, put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

(Matthew 7:7-11) 7 “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; 8 for everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened. 9 Indeed, which one of you, if his son asks for bread, will hand him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not hand him a serpent, will he? 11 Therefore, if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him!

(Jeremiah 17:7, 8)  7 Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Jehovah, Whose confidence is in Jehovah.  8 He will become like a tree planted by the waters, That sends out its roots to the stream. He will not notice when heat comes, But his leaves will always flourish. And in the year of drought he will not be anxious, Nor will he quit producing fruit.

(2 Corinthians 1:8-11) 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the tribulation we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under extreme pressure beyond our own strength, so that we were very uncertain even of our lives. 9 In fact, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. This was so that we would trust, not in ourselves, but in the God who raises up the dead. 10 From such a great risk of death he did rescue us and will rescue us, and our hope is in him that he will also continue to rescue us. 11 You also can help us by your supplication for us, in order that many may give thanks in our behalf for the favor we receive in answer to the prayers of many.

(Matthew 5:10-12) 10 “Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. 11 “Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. 12 Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.

(Zechariah 13:8, 9) . . .And the third part will be left remaining in it.  9 And I will bring the third part through the fire; And I will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people,’ And they will say, ‘Jehovah is our God.’”

(Isaiah 48:10) 10 Look! I have refined you, but not in the form of silver. I have tested you in the smelting furnace of affliction.

(Isaiah 40:29-31) 29 He gives power to the tired one And full might to those lacking strength. 30 Boys will tire out and grow weary, And young men will stumble and fall, 31 But those hoping in Jehovah will regain power. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; They will walk and not tire out.”

(2 Thessalonians 1:4, 5) 4 As a result we ourselves take pride in you among the congregations of God because of your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the hardships that you are suffering. 5 This is a proof of the righteous judgment of God, leading to your being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you are indeed suffering.

(James 1:2-8) 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, 3 knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. 4 But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything. 5 So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. 7 In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; 8 he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.

(John 15:17-21) 17 “These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Keep in mind the word I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have observed my word, they will also observe yours. 21 But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know the One who sent me.

(Isaiah 49:15) 15 Can a woman forget her nursing child Or have no compassion for the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I would never forget you.

(2 Peter 2:8-10) . . .. 9 So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment, 10 especially those who seek to defile the flesh of others and who despise authority.. . .

(1 Peter 5:6-11) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. 9 But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. 10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you. 11 To him be the might forever. Amen.

(Psalm 34:18, 19) 18 Jehovah is close to the brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit. ר [Resh] 19 Many are the hardships of the righteous one, But Jehovah rescues him from them all.

(Leviticus 25:35-37) “‘If your brother who is nearby becomes poor and cannot support himself, you must sustain him as you would a foreign resident and a settler, so that he may keep alive with you. 36 Do not take interest or make a profit from him. You must be in fear of your God, and your brother will keep alive with you. 37 You must not lend him your money on interest or give out your food for profit.

(Luke 6:32-36) 32 “If you love those loving you, of what credit is it to you? For even the sinners love those loving them. 33 And if you do good to those doing good to you, of what credit is it to you? Even the sinners do the same. 34 Also, if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, of what credit is it to you? Even sinners lend to sinners so that they may get back as much. 35 On the contrary, continue to love your enemies and to do good and to lend without hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. 36 Continue being merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

(1 Timothy 5:7, 8) . . .. 8 Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.

(Hebrews 13:15, 16) . . .. 16 Moreover, do not forget to do good and to share what you have with others, for God is well-pleased with such sacrifices.

(Acts 2:43-47) 43 Indeed, fear began to fall upon everyone, and many wonders and signs began to occur through the apostles. 44 All those who became believers were together and had everything in common, 45 and they were selling their possessions and properties and distributing the proceeds to all, according to what each one needed. 46 And day after day they were in constant attendance in the temple with a united purpose, and they took their meals in different homes and shared their food with great rejoicing and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. At the same time Jehovah continued to add to them daily those being saved.

(Romans 13:8-10) 8 Do not owe anything to anyone except to love one another; for whoever loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. 9 For the law code, “You must not commit adultery, you must not murder, you must not steal, you must not covet,” and whatever other commandment there is, is summed up in this saying: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore, love is the law’s fulfillment.

(Matthew 6:1-4) 6 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. 2 So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you.

(John 3:16) 16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

(1 Corinthians 10:32, 33) Keep from becoming causes for stumbling to Jews as well as Greeks and to the congregation of God, 33 just as I am trying to please all people in all things, not seeking my own advantage, but that of the many, so that they may be saved.

(Acts 20:34, 35) . . .. 35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way, you must assist those who are weak and must keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said: ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”

(1 Corinthians 4:12, 13) 12 and to toil, working with our own hands. When insulted, we bless; when persecuted, we patiently endure; 13 when slandered, we answer mildly; we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-7) 3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings for the Christ abound in us, so the comfort we receive through the Christ also abounds. 6 Now if we face trials, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which acts to help you to endure the same sufferings that we also suffer. 7 And our hope for you is unwavering, knowing as we do that just as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

(1 John 3:16-18) . . .. 17 But whoever has the material possessions of this world and sees his brother in need and yet refuses to show him compassion, in what way does the love of God remain in him? 18 Little children, we should love, not in word or with the tongue, but in deed and truth.

(1 Timothy 6:17-19) 17 Instruct those who are rich in the present system of things not to be arrogant, and to place their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly provides us with all the things we enjoy. 18 Tell them to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be generous, ready to share, 19 safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, so that they may get a firm hold on the real life.

(Mark 11:24, 25) 24 This is why I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for, have faith that you have received them, and you will have them. 25 And when you stand praying, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father who is in the heavens may also forgive you your trespasses.”

(Philippians 4:4-7) 4 Always rejoice in the Lord. Again I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let your reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.

(1 John 2:15-17) 15 Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

(Matthew 24:9-22) 9 “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), 16 then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, 18 and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; 21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.

(Revelation 17:15-18) 15 He said to me: “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns that you saw and the wild beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her devastated and naked, and they will eat up her flesh and completely burn her with fire. 17 For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished. 18 And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.”

(Revelation 18:4-10) 4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. 5 For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind. 6 Repay her in the way she treated others, yes, pay her back double for the things she has done; in the cup she has mixed, mix a double portion for her. 7 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent give her torment and mourning. For she keeps saying in her heart: ‘I sit as queen, and I am not a widow, and I will never see mourning.’ 8 That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong. 9 “And the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality with her and lived with her in shameless luxury will weep and beat themselves in grief over her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and say: ‘Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!’

(2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) 6 This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you. 7 But you who suffer tribulation will be given relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength,

(Revelation 2:10, 11) 10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of you into prison so that you may be fully put to the test, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: The one who conquers will by no means be harmed by the second death.’

Escaping Danger.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

When we are being attacked by Satan and his people we need to know when to escape. Jesus work was not done so when they were threatening to capture or harm him he knew he needed to escape . Once his work was complete he did not escape because he knew he was the ransom sacrifice , and eventually would give his life as a ransom for our sins. The things we need to escape may be spiritual dangers or physical dangers.


John 10:39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.


To know when to escape we must keep alert and pray. And follow Jesus. The lines between right and wrong have been skewed by man. By knowing God and writing his word on our hearts it will keep us alert so we will know when to escape. Many are in positions that are very respected such as doctors, lawyers, mental health professionals. All these have been influenced by man. So even though they may offer some sort of confidence their wisdom is based on mans knowledge. If their advice or actions go against what God would require , we should always put what God would require first.

Once I was in a position where lying seemed to be the only way out. I worked in a dangerous environment so you really had to pay attention to detail. One employing was not doing that. He would do unsafe things. I kept requesting the bosses fire him because I felt there would be a day he would not make it home to his family. Well one day he did get very seriously injured. My fellow employees and the bosses all lied and blamed his injury on me. There were opportunities to lie and it may have gotten me out of the situation. Instead I decided to be honest. I described the history he had of doing unsafe things and of the bosses not responding. They had decided they were going to fire me. But while they were in the process of writing me up a CEO of the company showed up. He had seen everything occur. He had been watching the yard and had not notified anyone he was there because he had heard about the unsafe things happening. This resulted in others getting fired and I got a promotion. He promoted me because I would not lie to protect myself.


Hebrews 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.


Luke 21:6 “But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”


If we do not listen to Jesus we can end up even worse off. Letting God’s word guide us and trying our best to imitate Jesus as things get worse will help guide us through this mess man has made. Subtle things can draw us in and get us entangled in this world. Fear, anxiety, frustration, lack of faith, leaning on our own understanding all those things can cause us to get entangled in the things of the world.


2Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the defilement’s of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.


If you need advice do not seek it from someone who has not written God’s word on their hearts. Instead of escaping you will get trapped. You will be following a blind guide. In other words they are blind guides because they go through the motions and may appear to be obedient but their fruits in life will show who they truly are. We should not pay attention to how someone appears, but the fruits they produce. For example do they teach others to love God’s word, do they have a stable family and are they humble ,do they lord any authority they have over others? Jesus did not lord his authority over others. He would give them a choice to obey God or choose the world. He made it clear what God required and left the rest up to the individual. When Jesus was being attacked whether it was spiritually or physically he had faith God would get him through it. He stayed focused on what God’s will was and in doing God’s will while under attack. He did not put his faith and trust in man. He respected secular authority but if mans will opposed God’s he would put God’s will first.

The reason I am stating this is because I am seeing many religious organizations telling people to trust their decision to use a product produced by a companies known for criminal activity, harming people and covering it up. Many government entities have colluded with them to cover up the harm being done. All these things have been well documented. These products have a history of causing death, chronic illness and even disabling people for life. Do you think God would want us to take the risk of being harmed to please man? God will protect us from harm, but deliberately and willfully putting ourselves in harms way by trusting man instead of God can cause us to lose that protection. The bible many times warned us not to put our trust in man or nobles. It also warns us the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. To trust companies that have a history of corruption and deception means we would be ignoring God’s warning and putting our trust in man instead of God.


Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came and said to him: “Do you know that the Pharisees were stumbled at hearing what you said?” 13 In reply he said: “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14 Let them be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”


The things we escape will make us wiser and stronger. Satan and his people will attack us. Remaining humble and submitting to God’s will protects us in many ways. We will suffer if we choose to follow Jesus. Jesus himself warned the student is no better then the teacher, what they did to him they will do to those who follow him. Those who love and trust God look for opportunities to glorify God even during our suffering. We do not over think things, which protects us mentally, we rely on God to get us through it. We put all our anxiety on God. This protects us mentally. Many studies have shown if fear is induced a person does not reason very well and will look to anyone for solutions to their problem. This could let us be easily led astray. No matter how dire things seem if we throw our anxiety on God and trust him it will keep us from getting overwhelmed and protect our thinking. Things are rapidly winding down and some that we love very much may be the ones who are causing our tribulation. If we do not let fear, frustration , or anxieties overwhelm us but trust God to get us through it , this will protect our thinking. It is very difficult to see those who get angry at us because we will not waiver when it comes to putting God’s will above theirs. I have even seen people get violent with some who would not waiver but would stand their ground and do God’s will instead of the family members or friends will. I have experienced similar things. It really hurts to see loved ones starting to get more distanced from you because of your love and faith in God and because you will put God’s will over mans. I have even lost friends because they chose to put money over the worship of God and viewed me as being foolish for not having the same pursuits. This is all temporary and will be gone soon. The treasures we store in heaven are forever and the promises that come with it will for forever. So nothing in this system is worth giving all that up for.

We have to remember they lied against Jesus, they tried to smear his reputation. They scrutinized everything he said or did, constantly accusing him of sinning. They even accused him of being insane. When none of that worked they started to resort to violence. Very soon we will be given choices which will require we put our trust in man or we trust God. It may seem if we do not give in we are going to lose. Even if we lose all we have but preserve our lives, God can restore everything just as he did with Job. Some may even face death. But we can be certain even death cannot seperate us from the love of God and the love of Jesus.


1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. 9 But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. 10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you. 11 To him be the might forever. Amen.

We have to keep in mind that Israel was Jesus people. He was persecuted and killed by his own people. He still gave his life for them because he knew many of them would have a change of heart and eventually accept the truths he had taught. We have to keep in mind we were warned there would be wolves who work their way in. This means knowing what God’s will is and what he requires will be more important then ever as things wind down. Though our spiritual leaders are guided by holy spirit, this does not mean they cannot make errors they are imperfect humans. Some of the apostles made errors and had to be corrected. If things occur and we know it is not God’s will we just need to be patient. Jehovah will set matters straight. We have examples of Peter and others who were being guide by holy spirit making errors. This led others astray. But when they were corrected they accepted the correction and made the changes needed. Though our spiritual leaders are ambassadors for Christ we have to keep in mind they are imperfect humans and can make errors. Especially as things wind down and the lines between what God requires and doing mans will become skewed and more difficult, knowing what God’s will is and what he requires can help to protect us. Those who do take the lead can learn from the mistakes the apostles made so it does not make them over confident to the point they believe they cannot be wrong. In doing so they can become closed minded and make many errors. The bible warns us not to become wise in our own eyes. If we ignore the warnings not to trust nobles and man and willfully ignore the history of corruption and errors without looking deeper into things we are ignoring the warnings God has given us. Satan’s attacks are not always obvious it is usually the subtle things he does that can trip us up especially if we get over confident. We are told Satan can appear as an angel of light. Many religious figures are telling people to put their faith and trust in products that have been produced by companies that are known to lie and deceive people about the harm their products do. Not only that but often times decades later documents come out showing many government entities have colluded with corrupt corporations to hide the harm that had been done. Presently there are experimental medical injections being given. Do you really think it would be wise to trust nobles and the corporations producing those products, when they say they are safe and effective. Data has already came out showing those injections have caused more deaths, injury and illness then the very infections they were supposed to protect from. Many have already been harmed and it took extreme measures for people to get access to this data because the governments world wide did not want the public to know the harm being done. Even now since the data has came out governments are passing bills making it illegal to mention the harm those injections have done. The truth will defend itself. Lies have to be defended with more lies in order to protect the first lie. Eventually the lies get too numerous to defend. This is why it is much easier to silence those exposing the truth as quickly as possible to make it easier to defend the lies. The fact people are being silenced world wide and the data is being hidden should raise alarm bells for everyone. If the nobles and corporations were being truthful they would have no reason to silence people because it would be easy to defend the things they are doing and the results of their actions. If these products were producing the results governments and the corporations claim and were not harming people there would be no reason to silence people the results of the product would promote itself and speak for itself.

When we are being pressured not to question things but to blindly obey this should get our attention. God did not ask that of us and gave us clear instructions on what to do and what he required. If we are being told to do something without clear explanations as to why and we are being told not to question things we should be cautious. Jesus did not say blindly follow me. He gave clear instructions on things and even on what would occur and how a person should respond. We may think by giving in to mans will over God’s we are protecting our right to worship. Daniel did not give in to the kings decrees in order to please the king and protect his friends or himself, he put God’s will first. He trusted Jehovah to protect him and get him through the trials he was under.

Jesus is our foundation. He is the one we should follow. We know there will be very confusing things that will happen. If we write God’s word in our hearts and make Jesus the foundation we build on then when the figurative storms come we will not be easily shaken. It is not any human on earth that our foundation should be built on, wealth, or some physical security that gives us our foundation. Those all will be gone soon. Jesus is the foundation we need to base our faith on. He is our king. If we are ask by a human to do something contrary to what Jesus would do he is our foundation, it is him we should obey. Jesus would not ask us to endanger ourselves to please any human nobles. Jesus instructions on what we would need to do as things wind down were clear also. If we are ask to do something and the reasons for it are not clear we need to be cautious. For example when God told Israel what path to take to enter the promised land. He made it clear he would protect them and guide them. He was not obscure and did not ask them to blindly follow him he was guiding them the whole way. We do have to obey the authority figures on earth. But we know God values life and would not want us to endanger ourselves in order to please man. So if the secular authorities ask us to do something that is contrary to what God’s will would be then it is God’s will we obey and not man’s.

If we are being pressured to not question things or to be silent about things we see or hear that could expose the truth behind what we are being ask to do this should make us more alert that we need to pay special attention to what God’s will is. Keep in mind we may receive scorn and be shunned by some but it is what Jesus and God would want us to do. They are only humans and their will does not take precedence over God’s will. We need to be peaceable about it and let things run their course keeping in mind that God will expose everything in due time. When things occur that may cause us doubts about those who lead us we should not judge them. We need to be patient. We were warned things like this would occur and that God would bring everything to light. We just need to patiently wait on Jehovah to set mattes straight. We need to be very careful what we say and who we say things to because they can be misconstrued and even misunderstood. These are very confusing times and there are many uncertainties. Jehovah will set matters straight. While we wait for this to happen we need to do our best to do what he requires.

One of the signs of true worship is when God’s people find they are in error they correct the error so they can make their worship more pure. Errors are made but it is those who accept the correction from Jehovah then correct the errors and work closer towards pure worship that shows it is God they are trying to please. So if we see errors occur we should not let this cause us to lose our faith. We just need to patiently wait and have faith Jehovah will set matters straight. We need to stay close to our spiritual brothers and sisters because this is where God will provide us with the things we need to know in order to make it through these trying times. I know as we see things unwind some things may be difficult to see happen, some things may even hurt our hearts. Just as our relationship is between Jehovah, Jesus and ourselves so is theirs. God will clear matters straighht he always does.

Very soon thing may happen that will require us to literally flee. If we get too caught up in things that are happening and not paying attention to what God’s will is it could blind us to the time frame we are in and we may endanger ourselves. Now more then ever we need to pay attention to our spiritual needs and to God’s word and not let ourselves get discouraged by things we may not understand.

(2 Corinthians 5:20) 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. As substitutes for Christ, we beg: “Become reconciled to God.”

(Galatians 2:11-13) 11 However, when Ceʹphas came to Antioch, I resisted him face-to-face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 For before certain men from James arrived, he used to eat with people of the nations; but when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcised class. 13 The rest of the Jews also joined him in putting on this pretense, so that even Barʹna·bas was led along with them in their pretense.

(Acts 15:1-3) 15 Now some men came down from Ju·deʹa and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you get circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 But after quite a bit of dissension and disputing by Paul and Barʹna·bas with them, it was arranged for Paul, Barʹna·bas, and some of the others to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding this issue. 3 So after being escorted partway by the congregation, these men continued on through both Phoe·niʹcia and Sa·marʹi·a, relating in detail the conversion of people of the nations and bringing great joy to all the brothers.

(Proverbs 3:5-7)  5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding.  6 In all your ways take notice of him, And he will make your paths straight.  7 Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.

(1 Thessalonians 5:21, 22) 21 Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine. 22 Abstain from every form of wickedness.

(1 John 4:1) 4 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired statement, but test the inspired statements to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

(Proverbs 18:17) 17 The first to state his case seems right, Until the other party comes and cross-examines him.

(James 1:5-15) 5 So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. 7 In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; 8 he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways. 9 But let the lowly brother rejoice over his exaltation, 10 and the rich one over his humiliation, because like a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For just as the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the plant, and its flower falls off and its outward beauty perishes, so too the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him. 13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone. 14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.

(Matthew 7:24-27) 24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Furthermore, everyone hearing these sayings of mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain poured down and the floods came and the winds blew and struck against that house, and it caved in, and its collapse was great.”

(Isaiah 45:19) 19 I did not speak in a concealed place, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me simply for nothing.’ I am Jehovah, who speaks what is righteous and declares what is upright.

(Acts 5:29) 29 In answer Peter and the other apostles said: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.

(Matthew 22:19-21) . . .. 20 He said to them: “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said: “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them: “Pay back, therefore, Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.”

(1 Corinthians 4:4, 5) . . .. 5 Therefore, do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes. He will bring the secret things of darkness to light and make known the intentions of the hearts, and then each one will receive his praise from God.

(Jeremiah 9:4)  4 “Everyone, be on guard against your neighbor, And do not trust even your brother. For every brother is a betrayer, And every neighbor is a slanderer.

(Isaiah 42:9) See, the first things have come to pass; Now I am declaring new things. Before they spring up, I tell you about them.”

Do not fear the accuser.

If you don't read it how can you have faith.

Written by Lee Stevenson, I apologize for being such a lousy editor.

To fully grasp things we need to understand there is a difference between a test and being tried or accused. God test us. Before he test us he prepares us by giving us the knowledge and resources we need to pass that test. Satan on the other hand tries us and he will take resources from us even our health to try and get us to fail the trial. We need to prepare things are going to get much worse. We need not be afraid no one is more powerful then God.

Why is Satan called the accuser? The name of the devil is not given in the bible. Satan and devil are terms that describes specific qualities of the angel that chose to rebel against God. Satan means opposes or adversary. Devil means slanderer or false accuser. So you can see Satan’s main qualities are he will oppose those who do not side with him and he will slander and falsely accuse those who side with God.

(1 Peter 5:6-10) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. 9 But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. 10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you.

Let’s discuss when Satan is first mentioned as making accusations. God had given Adam and Eve very specific instructions. They had to obey God to continue to receive life and dwell in the garden. The word used for the Garden of Eden could not be accurately translated. The nearest words we have now days to compare to the meaning would be words we use to describe an amusement park. So the garden was fun. Adam and Eve were given a job to make the whole earth like the garden and populate the earth. God never lied to Adam and Eve and only did good towards him so they had no excuses for listening to Satan when he started accusing God. God only had one requirement they do not eat fruit from from the tree of knowledge. By listening to God they would show their loyalty and trust in him. Satan Convinced Adam and Eve God was hiding things from them and convinced them if they rebelled against God they could be like him having knowledge and since God does not die he convinced Adam and Eve they would not die. You still see these lies being relied on now days. People are told they do not die they go someone else when they die and become spirit creatures like God. Man still depends on their own reasoning and thinking instead of following God’s word. Man lacks the foresight, wisdom or power that God has. So even if a person had God intention they could not fix the mess Satan and the two rebels brought about. Man continues to believe these lies.

You might ask why did God not just destroy Adam and Even and create new humans. We have to keep in mind Satan was so deceptive he even got some of the angels to rebel against God. If God had done that then Satan could say see I was right. God had to let the lies be thoroughly proven wrong , in doing so he removed all doubt that Satan had caused. Man has thoroughly proven that Satan lied and Adam and Eve were wrong. Man has tried every form of government and ideas and instead of making the earth into a paradise we have thoroughly destroyed it. We have destroyed it spiritually, morally, physically, chronic illness and death is rampant on the earth, violence and many other things are only getting worse. Even if a human could bring about good changes our power is limited and they would frequently meet opposition and eventually die and the things they had done would be destroyed or forgotten. Add to these facts Satan and the demons which are the angels Satan got to rebel against God will still continue to oppose and accuse God and those who put faith in him until mans rule has come to it’s completion and all lies have been thoroughly proven to be wrong. Man has so thoroughly polluted the earth that many circles of life that keep our food supply going have been broken and many species of plants and creatures on the earth are now extinct and many more are on the verge of extinction. There is no doubt we need Gods guidance, wisdom , authority and power to accomplish the original goal for the earth.

(Genesis 2:15-17) 15 Jehovah God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eʹden to cultivate it and to take care of it. 16 Jehovah God also gave this command to the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will certainly die.. . .

(Genesis 3:1-5) 3 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”

(Isaiah 14:12, 13) 12 How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the earth, You who vanquished nations! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens. Above the stars of God I will lift up my throne, And I will sit down on the mountain of meeting, In the remotest parts of the north.

(Ezekiel 28:14-17) 14 I assigned you as the anointed covering cherub. You were on the holy mountain of God, and you walked about among fiery stones. 15 You were faultless in your ways from the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 Because of your abundant trade, You became filled with violence, and you began to sin. So I will cast you out as profane from the mountain of God and destroy you, O covering cherub, away from the stones of fire. 17 Your heart became haughty because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom because of your own glorious splendor. I will throw you down to the earth. I will make you a spectacle before kings.

(Jude 5, 6) . . .. 6 And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great day. . .

(2 Peter 2:4) 4 Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus, putting them in chains of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. . .

(Genesis 6:4) The Nephʹi·lim were on the earth in those days and afterward. During that time the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men, and these bore sons to them. They were the mighty ones of old times, the men of fame.

(Ephesians 6:12) because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.

We were warned in the bible of the signs to watch for when Jesus has sat down on the thrown and has started the work God had given him. We were not told it would get better , but worse because Satan and the demons have been cast out of heaven. They have been cast down to earth and know they do not have much time left. So the accusations and attacks on those who put their faith in God will increase and things on the earth would become much much worse. Most signs have taken place. Jesus defeated Satan by staying loyal and faithful to God even in when facing death. In doing so he shattered all the lies Satan built the foundation of his rebellion on. Since Satan’s lies have been proven to be false he knows his days are short and wants to take as many humans into the fire of destruction with him as he can.

(Revelation 12:7-9) 7 And war broke out in heaven: Miʹcha·el and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

(Genesis 3:15) 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel.”

(Revelation 21:5-8) 5 And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And he said to me: “They have come to pass! I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga, the beginning and the end. To anyone thirsting I will give from the spring of the water of life free. 7 Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and the sexually immoral and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death. . .

(Revelation 2:9-11) . . .. 10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of you into prison so that you may be fully put to the test, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: The one who conquers will by no means be harmed by the second death.’

Things are winding down Satan’s attacks are already relentless. As we endure trials , we are to give each other an ear to listen to. Not to complain but to talk and counsel each other. Do not make the mistake Job’s friends did by falsely accusing him when Satan was attacking him but be a true friend.

If you have a friend like that realize their value because when you are talking about the things that trouble you those who are not true friends will avoid talking to you. They think and say things like you are bringing me down or stealing my joy. If they are true friends they would not avoid you in times of need but they would give you an ear. If you have a friend like that see their value and hold on tight to them.

Most of all very few will find friends like that so God is always listening we have to continue to talk to him. If you are a true friend keep in mind when we are enduring trials or tribulation people sometimes say or do some irrational things or may behave in a way not normal for them. They may become confused. This is were patients and love comes in. It lets them know there is someone they can trust and that they are not alone. If we abandon them when they need us most then we are no different then the accuser because we are telling them they are only worth having as a friend when things are going well for them. We should be happy to be there for them and to strengthen and encourage them when they are being tried by the world or by Satan. When someone is being tried we need to choose our words wisely. We should always make sure our words are giving comfort, encouragement and strength When being accused Satan’s attacks are relentless. This is a time when we need a friend who will be there and will listen or we need to be that friend if another is being attacked by Satan or enduring trials or tribulation.

(Psalm 34:15) 15 The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, And his ears listen to their cry for help.

(Proverbs 17:17) 17 A true friend shows love at all times And is a brother who is born for times of distress. . .

(Proverbs 18:24) 24 There are companions ready to crush one another, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(Proverbs 20:6)  6 Many men proclaim their loyal love, But who can find a faithful man?

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) 9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their hard work. 10 For if one of them falls, the other can help his partner up. But what will happen to the one who falls with no one to help him up? 11 Moreover, if two lie down together, they will stay warm, but how can just one keep warm? 12 And someone may overpower one alone, but two together can take a stand against him. And a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn apart.

Now lets cover some ways Satan accuses man and how severely he attacks man to try and destroy their faith and trust in God. We have the example of Job. Satan claimed Job only obeyed God because God blessed him and protected him. Satan was so relentless in his attacks that while one messenger was still speaking when delivering the bad news another would enter with bad news. Job didn’t even have time to recover and even think on the first bad news he had received. As you study the bible you will notice this is a common tactic of Satan he will try and overwhelm his victims.

As you can see Satan will accuse us of only loving God because he protects or blesses us. Satan claims if things are not going well we will not obey God, will not have faith in him and that we would reject him. Satan even turns family and friends against someone when he is trying them. Knowing what to expect and knowing the source of these things will helps us to better understand what is happening and why to help us keep a clearer mind and also keep us from falsely accusing or making assumptions when someone is enduring trials or tribulation.

We have been warned in Revelations when Satan and the demons have been cast down they would accuse the loyal and faithful ones day and night. As we learned from Job’s example he will take many things from those who are loyal and obedient to God. He took Job’s belongings, he took Job’s health, and for some he will even take their freedom. The whole time Job never accused God of bad things or of evil. He knew God was a God of love and even mentioned this when he expressed if he died God would be yearning to resurrect him from the grave. Job remained faithful and loyal to God even though he thought he may be facing death and even desired it because he knew it would be rest from his suffering.

(Job 1:8-22) 8 And Jehovah said to Satan: “Have you taken note of my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth. He is an upright man of integrity, fearing God and shunning what is bad.” 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have you not put up a protective hedge around him and his house and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has spread out in the land. 11 But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” 12 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only do not lay your hand on the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah. 13 Now on the day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said: “The cattle were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them 15 when the Sa·beʹans attacked and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” 16 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “Fire from God fell from the heavens and blazed among the sheep and the servants and consumed them! I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was still speaking, another one came and said: “The Chal·deʹans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them, and they killed the servants with the sword. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was still speaking, yet another one came and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. 19 Suddenly a great wind came from the wilderness, and it struck the four corners of the house, so that it fell on the young people and they were killed. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” 20 At that Job got up and ripped apart his garment and cut the hair off his head; then he fell to the ground and bowed down 21 and said: “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, And naked I will return. Jehovah has given, and Jehovah has taken away. Let the name of Jehovah continue to be praised.” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin or accuse God of doing anything wrong.

(Revelation 12:10-12) 10 I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come to pass the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been hurled down, who accuses them day and night before our God! 11 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their witnessing, and they did not love their souls even in the face of death. 12 On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time. . .

(Job 14:14, 15) 14 If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes. 15 You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.

A tactic Satan uses is he will isolate people by turning all those around them against them. Jobs family and friends would no longer have anything to do with him and they even became his enemies. We were warned in the last days this would occur so we must prepare to support each other when possible. When Jobs friends started accusing him he did not attack them. He ask them why they accused him and reminded them they should be offering words that would strengthen and bring relief.

Job said some things he should not have said out of lack of knowledge. God corrected him. God also corrected his friends because of their behavior but also knew it was out of lack of knowledge. When God disciplined Job and his friends he required Job to forgive and even pray for his friends. Because Job proved his love, loyalty and trust for God , God blessed Job and he lived a happy and satisfying life. We should not judge others if they do not respond to us in a why God would desire. They may not have the knowledge they need and may be still growing spiritually. When we are going through trials and tribulation we need to set the example and in doing so our strength, wisdom acquired through Gods word and our endurance can help to guide others and build their faith.

(Job 19:14-19) 14 My close companions are gone, And those whom I knew well have forgotten me. 15 Guests in my house and my slave girls consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their eyes. 16 I call for my servant, but he does not respond; With my mouth I beg him for compassion. 17 My very breath has become loathsome to my wife, And I am a stench to my own brothers. 18 Even young children despise me; When I rise up, they begin jeering at me. 19 All my close friends detest me, And those whom I loved have turned against me.

(Job 15:34-16:5) 34 For the assembly of godless ones is sterile, And fire will consume the tents of bribery. 35 They conceive trouble and give birth to what is wicked, And their womb produces deceit.” 16 Job said in reply:  2 “I have heard many things like these before. All of you are troublesome comforters!  3 Is there an end to empty words? What provokes you to answer this way?  4 I could also speak as you do. If you were in my place, I could make persuasive speeches against you And shake my head at you.  5 Instead, though, I would strengthen you with the words of my mouth, And the consolation of my lips would bring relief.

(Job 42:5-8)  5 My ears have heard about you, But now I do see you with my eyes.  6 That is why I take back what I said, And I repent in dust and ashes.” 7 After Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, Jehovah said to Elʹi·phaz the Teʹman·ite: “My anger burns against you and your two companions, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt sacrifice for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his request not to deal with you according to your foolishness, for you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.”

Job 42:12-17 12 So Jehovah blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the beginning, and Job came to have 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pairs of cattle, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also came to have seven more sons and three more daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Je·miʹmah, the second Ke·ziʹah, and the third Kerʹen-hapʹpuch. 15 No women in all the land were as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this Job lived for 140 years, and he saw his children and his grandchildren—four generations. 17 Finally Job died, after a long and satisfying life.

We are in the last days. This system is rapidly winding down and things are going to get very confusing as they were for Job and may even seem overwhelming.

Anyone can show fruits of the spirit when things are going well but those who truly love God and put there faith in him will be strengthened when they are being tried or persecuted and this is when they shine. Their examples of endurance and strength set examples for others helping teach them to be faithful and trust God. No matter how much we may think we can no longer endure God has many times in the past given his people the strength to endure things way beyond what is normal. Their faith and obedience while going through tribulation set examples of faith for us to follow and learn from.

(Isaiah 40:29) He gives power to the tired one And full might to those lacking strength.

(2 Corinthians 4:7) However, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not from us.

(2 Corinthians 12:9, 10) But he said to me: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, then, I will boast about my weaknesses, in order that the power of the Christ may remain over me like a tent. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in times of need, in persecutions and difficulties, for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful.

We know we are in the last days so very soon Satan and his people will hold nothing back. We will experience what many others in times past experienced, only this time it will occur on a world wide scale. Put on the armor of God so we do not lose our boldness to speak. We may lead others to God. We know since the end of this system is near Satan will falsely accuse us, he may throw our former past mistakes in our faces, he may take all we have material wise, he will turn many against us and we may be alone. We are never truly alone we have Jehovah God and his only begotten Son Jesus. Jesus is a king and is now setting on the throne and he will redeem those who remain loyal and faithful. We need to put on the complete suit of armor from God. This means we need to take in and apply bible truths in our lives, do our beast to remain blameless which works as a protection, we should always be prepared to share bible truths and give hope in the future promises that the heavenly kingdom will fulfill. If we have faith it will protect us. We will not fear or get angered, discouraged or stumble even if we may be facing death. We can be certain even death can not separate us from the love of God and the love of Jesus.

The bible has warned us if we follow the path Jesus laid out that we may suffer many of the things he has but the reward is eternal. For those who oppose God they will be destroyed for those who stay loyal and faithful , and prove their love for God they will be given the gift of eternal life.

(Ephesians 6:10-20) 10 Finally, go on acquiring power in the Lord and in the mightiness of his strength. 11 Put on the complete suit of armor from God so that you may be able to stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil; 12 because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason take up the complete suit of armor from God, so that you may be able to resist in the wicked day and, after you have accomplished everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm, therefore, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, wearing the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having your feet shod in readiness to declare the good news of peace. 16 Besides all of this, take up the large shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the wicked one’s burning arrows. 17 Also, accept the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word, 18 while with every form of prayer and supplication you carry on prayer on every occasion in spirit. And to that end stay awake, constantly making supplication in behalf of all the holy ones. 19 Pray also for me, that the words may be given to me when I open my mouth, so that I may be able to speak boldly in making known the sacred secret of the good news, 20 for which I am acting as an ambassador in chains, and that I may speak about it with boldness, as I ought to speak.

(1 Peter 3:13-18) 13 Indeed, who will harm you if you become zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are happy. However, do not fear what they fear, nor be disturbed. 15 But sanctify the Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect. 16 Maintain a good conscience, so that in whatever way you are spoken against, those who speak against you may be put to shame because of your good conduct as followers of Christ. 17 For it is better to suffer because you are doing good, if it is God’s will to allow it, than because you are doing evil. 18 For Christ died once for all time for sins, a righteous person for unrighteous ones, in order to lead you to God. . .

(1 Peter 2:21-25) 21 In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving a model for you to follow his steps closely. 22 He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth. 23 When he was being insulted, he did not insult in return. When he was suffering, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the One who judges righteously. 24 He himself bore our sins in his own body on the stake, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness. And “by his wounds you were healed.” 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

(1 Corinthians 4:9-13) 9 For it seems to me that God has put us the apostles last on exhibition as men condemned to death, because we have become a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels and to men. 10 We are fools because of Christ, but you are discreet in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in dishonor. 11 Down to this very hour we continue to hunger and thirst and to be poorly clothed and to be beaten and to be homeless 12 and to toil, working with our own hands. When insulted, we bless; when persecuted, we patiently endure; 13 when slandered, we answer mildly; we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.

(Hebrews 11:36-40) 36 Yes, others received their trial by mockings and scourgings, indeed, more than that, by chains and prisons. 37 They were stoned, they were tried, they were sawn in two, they were slaughtered by the sword, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, while they were in need, in tribulation, mistreated; 38 and the world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and mountains and caves and dens of the earth. 39 And yet all of these, although they received a favorable witness because of their faith, did not obtain the fulfillment of the promise, 40 because God had foreseen something better for us, so that they might not be made perfect apart from us.

(Romans 8:35-39) 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.” 37 On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What if someone was suffering and we said hurtful things to them? When someone is going through trials or tribulations do we make assumptions and accuse them of bringing it on themselves or assume they deserve it? If we do then we would be judging them. We are not to judge anyone, if we judge others we put ourselves under judgment and will be judged likewise. If we are wronged and we forgive we will be forgiven also. Our actions and our words should be encouraging and up-building to those who are going through hard times. We should let love guide all we do. We should not hate our enemies but pray for them and do not hold grudges against them. Anger and hatred we need to let go because those can effect the ones we love or are close to. We should be ready to give our lives for our friends just as Jesus gave his life for us.

(Ephesians 4:31-5:2) 31 Put away from yourselves every kind of malicious bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming, and abusive speech, as well as everything injurious. 32 But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you. 5 Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and go on walking in love, just as the Christ also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice, a sweet fragrance to God.

(Luke 6:32-37) 32 “If you love those loving you, of what credit is it to you? For even the sinners love those loving them. 33 And if you do good to those doing good to you, of what credit is it to you? Even the sinners do the same. 34 Also, if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, of what credit is it to you? Even sinners lend to sinners so that they may get back as much. 35 On the contrary, continue to love your enemies and to do good and to lend without hoping for anything back; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. 36 Continue being merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Moreover, stop judging, and you will by no means be judged; and stop condemning, and you will by no means be condemned. Keep on forgiving, and you will be forgiven.

When being accused, especially when it is from things you have repented from keep in mind when we truly repent God forgives completely and does not hold our past sins against us. If it is an outright blatant lie or exaggeration keep in mind the source of lies. The bible tells us Satan is the father of the lie. God knows the truth so we need not get upset, they lied about Jesus and the apostles frequently. They did not let this slow them down or deter them. Some of the apostles were hungry, thirsty, barely able to keep clothes on their backs, had health problems and didn’t have any place to live but they still left their light shine and shared bible truths with many and did not leave all they endured slow them down. Most of all do not gossip or grumble against our spiritual relatives. We all are imperfect and they have to deal with our imperfections as much as we do theirs. Now more then ever we need to stick to our spiritual relatives. We need to continue in prayer and have faith more now then ever. To protect our hearts we need to let love guide us it will protect us. So we should not be overly proud of things, we should not get jealous easily except when it comes to Godly things, we should do our best to remain blameless, we do not hold what others did against them by holding grudges, we should be patient and endure hard times or persecutions. In doing so we will be letting love guide all we do and set and example for others and possibly help draw them to God.

(John 8:43, 44) . . .. 44 You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.

(James 5:9-11) 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you do not get judged. Look! The Judge is standing before the doors. 10 Brothers, take as a pattern of the suffering of evil and the exercising of patience the prophets who spoke in the name of Jehovah. 11 Look! We consider happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful.

(Proverbs 18:24) There are companions ready to crush one another, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

(John 15:13) No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends.

(1 Corinthians 16:13, 14) 13 Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on in a manly way, grow mighty. 14 Let everything you do be done with love.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5 does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We need to keep our eye on the prize. In doing so it will help us to remain joyful and strengthen our faith. By staying focused and continuing to love God with our whole soul we will be accepted into the heavenly kingdom and reap the rewards that come from that. If we die before the new system is here we God will not forget what we have done and will resurrect his loyal ones. Jesus endured hostile speech but he did not become ashamed or let it deter him from the work God had given him to do. We need to continue sharing God’s word and giving hope to others in the future promises. In the new system bad memories will be replaced by the new good memories. We will not even call the bad memories up in our minds. In the new system before someone finishes praying God will answer their prayers. Death and sadness will be no more. Since we are so close to this new system now more then ever we need to prepare. We may make it and get to see loved ones we have lost when they are resurrected.

(Matthew 5:10) “Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.

(Hebrews 12:1-3) 12 So, then, because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also throw off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such hostile speech from sinners against their own interests, so that you may not get tired and give up.

(2 Corinthians 4:1-6) 4 Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up. 2 But we have renounced the shameful, underhanded things, not walking with cunning or adulterating the word of God; but by making the truth manifest, we recommend ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. 3 If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. 5 For we are preaching, not about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God is the one who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate them with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ.

(Isaiah 65:17-19) 17 For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called to mind, Nor will they come up into the heart. 18 So exult and be joyful forever in what I am creating. For look! I am creating Jerusalem a cause for joy And her people a cause for exultation. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people; No more will there be heard in her the sound of weeping or a cry of distress.”

(Revelation 21:1-4) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

(Isaiah 65:23-25) 23 They will not toil for nothing, Nor will they bear children for distress, Because they are the offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah, And their descendants with them. 24 Even before they call out, I will answer; While they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah.

(John 5:27-30) . . .. 28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

Is the world fond of you or is God?

Is the world fond of you or is God? It is not those that the world speak highly of like powerful politicians or those who have wealth or even those who put on a big show that have God’s approval but it is those that the world looks down on and those that Satan and his people attack that have God’s approval and it is the very reason we will go through trials and tribulation.

(Luke 6:26) 26 “Woe whenever all men speak well of you, for this is what their forefathers did to the false prophets.

(John 15:19)If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

(James 4:4)Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God.

(1 John 4:5)They originate with the world; that is why they speak what originates with the world and the world listens to them.

Being not part of the world means we will be persecuted. Some is obvious and some like with Job is not obvious. Being no part of the world means the world will hate you. We have to remember those who choose God as their king instead of man will be opposing the world. In doing so the world will hate you. The bible says they will lie about us and do many wicked things to us.

(Hebrews 10:32-39) 32 However, keep remembering the former days in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle along with sufferings. 33 At times you were publicly exposed both to reproaches and to tribulations, and at times you shared with those who were having such an experience. 34 For you expressed sympathy for those in prison and you accepted joyfully the plundering of your belongings, knowing that you yourselves have a better and an enduring possession. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your boldness, which will be richly rewarded. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise. 37 For yet “a very little while,” and “the one who is coming will arrive and will not delay.” 38 “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and “if he shrinks back, I have no pleasure in him.” 39 Now we are not the sort who shrink back to destruction, but the sort who have faith for the preserving of our lives. .

(Matthew 5:11, 12) 11 “Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. 12 Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you. . .

Nothing has changed as a matter of fact the end of this system is near so Satan and his people will increase in badness and also in their persecution of those who choose to follow our king Jesus instead of man. This is nothing new they have always persecuted those who chose to be not part of the world.

(2 Chronicles 36:16) But they kept ridiculing the messengers of the true God, and they despised his words and mocked his prophets, until the rage of Jehovah came up against his people, until they were beyond healing.

(Acts 7:52) Which one of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced in advance the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become

Jehovah did not forget what they had done in his name. In his word he even declared that the world was not worthy of them. They remained faithful and God remembered what they had done and what they endured.

(Hebrews 11:37-40) 37 They were stoned, they were tried, they were sawn in two, they were slaughtered by the sword, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, while they were in need, in tribulation, mistreated; 38 and the world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and mountains and caves and dens of the earth.

We have born witness to them and delivered the good news of the kingdom. When it is time to flee there blood is on their own hands. We will have no guilt because we have warned them and tried to show them there is a better future hope. Their actions towards us shows who’s side they have chosen. We need to shake the dust from our feet and spend time with those who receive the message in a favorable way. We all want to be loved but we have been warned about the love of the greater number cooling off so hatred would abound world wide. But we do know that our heavenly father and his son Jesus love us and even death cannot separate us from their love.

We have born witness to them and delivered the good news of the kingdom. When it is time to flee there blood is on their own hands. We will have no guilt because we have warned them and tried to show them there is a better future hope. Their actions towards us shows who’s side they have chosen. We need to shake the dust from our feet and spend time with those who receive the message in a favorable way. We all want to be loved but we have been warned about the love of the greater number cooling off so hatred would abound world wide. But we do know that our heavenly father and his son Jesus love us and even death cannot separate us from their love.

(John 15:17-22) 17 “These things I command you, that you love one another. 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Keep in mind the word I said to you: A slave is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have observed my word, they will also observe yours. 21 But they will do all these things against you on account of my name, because they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. . .

(Romans 8:35-39) 35 Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 Just as it is written: “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering.” 37 On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers 39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We know that all the signs are in place and that deliverance is near and our heavenly father is ready to give his son the command to set matters straight.

(Luke 21:26-28) 26 People will become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”

We are in the final minutes of this system and the end will be sudden so we must stay alert and draw even closer to Jehovah now more then ever.

(Luke 21:34-36) 34 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you 35 as a snare. For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth. 36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.. . .

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11) . . .. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. 4 But you, brothers, you are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you as it would thieves, 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We belong neither to night nor to darkness. 6 So, then, let us not sleep on as the rest do, but let us stay awake and keep our senses. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But as for us who belong to the day, let us keep our senses and put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation as a helmet 9 because God assigned us, not to wrath, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us, so that whether we stay awake or are asleep, we should live together with him. 11 Therefore, keep encouraging one another and building one another up, just as you are in fact doing.

Our endurance will be rewarded if we do not give out.

(Romans 5:3-5) 3 Not only that, but let us rejoice while in tribulations, since we know that tribulation produces endurance; 4 endurance, in turn, an approved condition; the approved condition, in turn, hope, 5 and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given to us.

(James 1:12-15) 12 Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him. 13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone. 14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death. . .

Some of us will walk through the great tribulation into the new system, and some will be resurrected into the new system. We can let sin have master over us or Jehovah. The promises of sin  is death. God gives hope of life if we are a slave for him. Either way we will be a slave, which master we choose determines if we have a future hope or not.

(Romans 6:15-17) 15 What follows? Are we to commit a sin because we are not under law but under undeserved kindness? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thanks to God that although you were once the slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over.

(Romans 6:22, 23) . . .. 23 For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord. . .

(Matthew 25:46) These will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life

Some Methods And Types Of Persecution.

  1. There will be a belief that the teachings of the truth is a new teaching. (Mark 1:27) (Acts 17:19)
  2. Because you do not choose the way of the world but choose God’s way and do not pursue wealth or material things or whatever else the world has to offer people will be confused, even to the point of thinking you lost your mind. (1 Peter 4:34) (Mark 3:21) (2 Corinthians 4:11-13) They will even look down on a true worshipper. Jesus own family thought that he lost his mind.
  3. Because true worship does not get caught up in the commercialism of worship by using idols and symbols which by now most people know is not permitted by God, or getting involved in traditional celebrations that were not ordained by God. Or because Jesus followers refuses to bow down to those idols or images the world will hate and be angered by it. (Collossians 2:18) (Jeremiah 10:2-5) (Acts 19:23-28) For some their greed over rides their reasoning so they get angered because when people stop buying their images for false worship they lose money.
  4. Because followers of Jesus try their best to obey God and share the truth as he did it exposes false worship. Also those who want to continue in false worship do not want their sins exposed. They will have a form of Godly devotion like the pharisees so they will oppose true worship. (Jeremiah 20:10)
  5. Just as Jesus has done, true worshippers will follow his example. They will not tickle peoples ears but will tell them what they need to hear. Satan’s seed will not want to hear the truth. (2 Timothy 4:3) Because of the demonic influences in the world many peoples minds have been molded by them. (James 3:13-16) Others will persecute just because they have the power to. So they will scheme things against true worship. (Micah 2:1)
  6. Some would view disobedience to God as sport. So persecuting Jesus modern day followers would be sport to them. (Proverbs 10:23, Proverbs 14:6-9)
  7. The world does not want reminded that they will be held accountable so they reject God, so they are going to reject his messengers. (John 8:42-44)
  8. Most of the world would view God’s warnings as a joke. (Genesis 19:14) So just as in times previously they would not seek to know God but get caught up in the world and the destruction will come on them before they have a chance to do anything to protect themselves. (Matthew 17:28-30)
  9. They will try to discredit true worshippers by contradicting everything they say. (Acts 13:45)
  10. Because the world lacks faith they would put their confidence in the world. So they do not desire to pursue spiritual things. (1 John 4:4)
  11. People will try to publicly humiliate those who worship in truth. They will attempt to make a spectacle of them to cause embarrassment. (Hebrews 10:33) (1Peter 4:16))
  12. When they can’t get Jesus followers to give in to the world and it’s ways they will mock, beat, imprison, kill them and even force them to live in poverty. God is aware of what his worshippers are enduring and God won’t forget what they have done for his names sake. (Hebrews 11:35-38) (1 Peter 4:16)
  13. Some will persecute just because they have the power to. They scheme things against God’s people. (Micah 2:1)

God’s word will be banned. We must write his word on our hearts while we can.

 

If you don't read it how can you have faith.

Written by Lee Stevenson. Sorry I am not the best at editing.

Deuteronomy 11:18 English Standard Version (ESV)

18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Hebrews 8:10 English Standard Version (ESV)

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Matthew 22:37 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

 

Those who love and trust God would not only read God’s word but they would live it. It would guide all they do. So much so that it would become a part of them. We know our hearts are deceptive and if we do not write God’s word on our hearts and live by his word our hearts can mislead us.

 

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Psalm 40:8 ESV

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

Christ set the perfect example for us to follow by imitating him and learning from him we will please God. We must keep the commandments Jesus gave us. We must put on the new personality and not look back at the old.

 

1John ESV

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

All this will be gone pretty soon. Why store up treasures that will soon be gone. The treasure we store in heaven will remain. The things in this system will be gone very very soon. We are close to the end of this system and near the beginning of the new system. Most of the things in this system will be gone. If we have not stored up treasures in heaven then what hope do we have?

Matthew 6

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Collosians 3

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What we talk about and how we speak indicates what is written in our hearts. We must guard our tongues and speak of good things as much as possible and not get caught up in the habit many have of spreading gossip , rumors and using vulgar language. What comes out of our mouth shows what is in our hearts.

James 1 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

 

Matthew 12

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

 

Very soon the truths of the bible will not be tolerated. We can see it happening now. Many have become slaves of corruption while falsely declaring themselves righteous. If we do not put God’s word into our hearts we could also be misled.

 

2Timothy 4

3For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

2 Peter 2:10-19 NWT

Daring and self-willed, they are not afraid to speak abusively of glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, although they are greater in strength and power, do not bring against them an accusation in abusive terms, out of respect for Jehovah. 12 But these men, like unreasoning animals that act on instinct and are born to be caught and destroyed, speak abusively about things of which they are ignorant. They will suffer destruction brought on by their own destructive course, 13 suffering harm as their reward for their own harmful course. They consider it pleasurable to indulge in luxurious living, even in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes who revel in their deceptive teachings while feasting together with you. 14 Their eyes are full of adultery and are unable to desist from sin, and they entice unstable ones. They have a heart trained in greed. They are accursed children. 15 Abandoning the straight path, they have been led astray. They have followed the path of Baʹlaam the son of Beʹor, who loved the reward of wrongdoing, 16 but was reproved for his own violation of what was right. A voiceless beast of burden speaking with a human voice hindered the prophet’s mad course. 17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a violent storm, and the blackest darkness has been reserved for them. 18 They make high-sounding statements that are empty. By appealing to the desires of the flesh and with acts of brazen conduct, they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they are promising them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for if anyone is overcome by someone, he is his slave.

Very soon the beast will ban true worship and attack God’s people. When this happens all those who oppose the truth will meet their end and be destroyed. They will take our bibles and punish anyone who is caught with one. Many from false religion will side with the beast also in the battle. This will provoke God to give Jesus the command to end all this corruption and sin and to save those who have been seeking Jehovah with an honest heart.

Revelation 16 NWT

13 And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. 15 “Look! I am coming as a thief. Happy is the one who stays awake and keeps his outer garments, so that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness.”

Revelation 19 NWT

19  And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army. 20 And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who worship its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. 21 But the rest were killed off with the long sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the one seated on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Matthew 24 NWT

7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.9 “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. 13 But the one who has endured to the end will be saved.

I have posted on who the beast is, it is the disgusting thing mentioned. When this occurs we are to flee just as Jehovah’s people had to in the past when he had judged a nation. Only this time it will be on a world wide scale. Even now many nations have started to attack true worship so we know it has begun and we need to prepare our hearts so we will have God’s word written on them when they start taking his words from us.

Matthew 24 NWT

15 “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy placer (let the reader use discernment), 16 then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house,18 and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day;21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.

Those who have been causing the tribulation and will cause it will be punished with everlasting destruction.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 NWT

6 This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for you. 7 But you who suffer tribulation will be given relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 at the time when he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder among all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among you.

Only those who have written God’s word on their hearts will escape. Many will continue on just as they did in Noah’s day not seeing that the end is near so they will not escape the destruction that is coming. This is why now more then ever it is important to write God’s word on our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 5 NWT

5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. 4 But you, brothers, you are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you as it would thieves, 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We belong neither to night nor to darkness.

Matthew 24 NWT

36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

We must avoid the things that have resulted in those God had judged in times past that blinded them so they did not see the destruction that was coming, so we will not be blinded and escape the destruction that is coming soon we must stay awake and write God’s word on our hearts.

Luke 21 NWT

Play

34 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you 35 as a snare. For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth.36 Keep awake,then, all the time making supplicatione that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.

We do not need to fear when these things begin to occur. It should be happy times for us because it is an indication that deliverance is near and we only have a little longer to endure.

Luke 21 NWT

28 But as these things start to occur, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your deliverance is getting near.”

Joel NWT

21 Do not be afraid, O land. Be joyful and rejoice, for Jehovah will do great things. 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness will become green, And the trees will bear fruit; The fig tree and the vine must give their full yield. 23 You sons of Zion, be joyful and rejoice in Jehovah your God; For he will give you the autumn rain in the right amount, And he will send upon you a downpour, The autumn rain and the spring rain, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be full of pure grain, And the presses will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 And I will make compensation to you for the years That the swarming locust, the unwinged locust, the voracious locust, and the devouring locust have eaten, My great army that I sent among you. 26 You will surely eat to satisfaction, And you will praise the name of Jehovah your God, Who has done wonders in your behalf; My people will never again be put to shame. 27 And you will have to know that I am in the midst of Israel And that I am Jehovah your God—there is no other! My people will never again be put to shame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can someone put God to the test?

If you don't read it how can you have faith.

Written By Lee Stevenson

 

This was inspired by something someone said to me. They were eating foods that are known to cause chronic illness. They said that they could eat what they wanted because God would protect them. Jesus would not willfully put himself in harms way to test God and we should follow his example. By willfully putting ourselves in harms way then we are testing God which is something we are told not to do.

Why would Jesus not test God? What harm would it do? Why our trials and tribulation should not cause us to put Jehovah to the test.

As you read the scriptures you will see two examples of how Israel tested God. They tried tempting him and they also lacked faith and constantly ask for proof that he could do as he promised. It also includes whether we believe God’s word is true or not. Jesus had no doubt about the truth of God’s word and quoted it to show Satan the Devil that he did not doubt what Jehovah could do and did not doubt Jehovah’s word.

(Matthew 4:5-7) 5 Then the Devil took him along into the holy city, and he stationed him on the battlement of the temple 6 and said to him: “If you are a son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: ‘He will give his angels a command concerning you,’ and, ‘They will carry you on their hands, so that you may not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him: “Again it is written: ‘You must not put Jehovah your God to the test.’”

Testing God is a sin, it is saying we do not believe him and that we do not have faith that he can or will save us and fulfill his promises.

(Psalm 78:16-22) 16 He brought streams out of a crag And caused waters to flow down like rivers. 17 But they continued to sin against him By rebelling against the Most High in the desert; 18 They challenged God in their heart By demanding food that they craved. 19 So they spoke against God, Saying: “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?” 20 Look! He struck a rock So that waters flowed and streams flooded out. “Can he also give us bread, Or can he provide meat for his people?” 21 When Jehovah heard them, he became furious; A fire blazed against Jacob, And his anger flared up against Israel 22 Because they did not put faith in God; They did not trust in his ability to save them. . .

Many in Israel seen Jehovah’s miracles first hand and still lacked faith. It was their sins and vanity that caused their lack of faith. This often times resulted in Jehovah having to destroy them because they were spreading their sinful nature and causing others to lose faith.

(Numbers 14:20-24) 20 Then Jehovah said: “I forgive them according to your word. 21 But on the other hand, as surely as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Jehovah. 22 However, not one of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness and yet have kept testing me these ten times and have not listened to my voice 23 will ever see the land about which I swore to their fathers. No, not one of those treating me without respect will see it. 24 But because my servant Caʹleb had a different spirit and kept following after me wholeheartedly, I will certainly bring him into the land where he went, and his offspring will take possession of it.

(Psalm 106:14-18) 14 They gave way to their selfish desires in the wilderness; They tested God in the desert. 15 He gave them what they requested, But then struck them with disease that made them waste away. 16 In the camp they grew jealous of Moses And of Aaron, the holy one of Jehovah. 17 The earth then opened up and swallowed Daʹthan And covered those assembled with A·biʹram. 18 A fire blazed among their group; A flame consumed the wicked.

These things happened as an example to teach us not to listen to murmurers who are causing division or causing us to lose faith. Those who listened would continually put Jehovah to the test. We need to be like A’haz he refused to put Jehovah to the test.

(1 Corinthians 10:8-11) . . .. 9 Neither let us put Jehovah to the test, as some of them put him to the test, only to perish by the serpents. 10 Neither be murmurers, as some of them murmured, only to perish by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have come.

A’haz’s faith was very strong , he refused to put Jehovah to the test even though there were very fearful things happening. We are going to experience very fearful things very soon but we must stay strong and just as A’haz refused to put Jehovah to the test he held tight to his trust in Jehovah’s ability to save those remaining loyal and obedient to Jehovah.

(Isaiah 7:3-12) 3 Jehovah then said to Isaiah: “Go out, please, to meet Aʹhaz, you and your son Sheʹar-jaʹshub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool by the highway of the laundryman’s field. 4 You must say to him, ‘Take care to stay calm. Do not be afraid, and do not lose heart because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, because of the hot anger of Reʹzin and Syria and the son of Rem·a·liʹah. 5 For Syria with Eʹphra·im and the son of Rem·a·liʹah have plotted harm against you, saying: 6 “Let us go up against Judah and tear it apart and conquer it for ourselves, and let us appoint the son of Tabʹe·el as its king.”  7 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “It will not succeed, Nor will it take place.  8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Reʹzin. Within just 65 years Eʹphra·im will be completely shattered and cease to be a people.  9 The head of Eʹphra·im is Sa·marʹi·a, And the head of Sa·marʹi·a is the son of Rem·a·liʹah. Unless you have firm faith, You will not be firmly established.”’” 10 Jehovah continued speaking to Aʹhaz: 11 “Ask for a sign from Jehovah your God; it may be as deep as the Grave or as high as the sky.” 12 But Aʹhaz said: “I will not ask, nor will I put Jehovah to the test.”

Through our tribulation God is teaching us , building our endurance and helping us to endure things most could not dream of enduring and surviving. Those who tested Jehovah in the past left their imperfections guide their actions. We have Jehovah’s word to guide us and now more then ever it is very important to write it on our hearts because very soon it will be taken from us and all we will have left of his word is what we have written on our hearts. We know it is his word that is going to carry us through all this.

(1 Peter 5:6-11) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time, 7 while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. 9 But take your stand against him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers in the world. 10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all undeserved kindness, who called you to his everlasting glory in union with Christ, will himself finish your training. He will make you firm, he will make you strong, he will firmly ground you. 11 To him be the might forever. Amen.

(James 1:12-15) 12 Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him. 13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone. 14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.

We are not promised it will be easy but because we know God can and will save his loyal ones we have a peace that will help us endure many types of trials and tribulation.

(Philippians 4:4-7) 4 Always rejoice in the Lord. Again I will say, Rejoice! 5 Let your reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.

Jesus stated the student is no better then the teacher. The world and the wicked one hated him and it will hate those who faithfully follow Jehovah and submit to the authority given his only begotten son Jesus. So one who worships faithfully in truth will be treated no better then our teacher and king Jesus Christ. It does not mean you fell out of favor if you are suffering or if you are being attacked though many who false reason believe that to be so.

(1 Peter 4:12-14) 12 Beloved ones, do not be surprised about the fiery trials that you are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 On the contrary, go on rejoicing over the extent to which you are sharers in the sufferings of the Christ, so that you may rejoice and be overjoyed also during the revelation of his glory. 14 If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy, because the spirit of glory, yes, the spirit of God, is resting upon you.

(2 Timothy 3:11-13) . . .I endured these persecutions, and the Lord rescued me from them all. 12 In fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted. 13 But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled. . .

When we suffer trials it exposes our weaknesses so we can work on them and become spiritually stronger and wiser.

(Deuteronomy 8:1-5) . . .. 2 Remember the long road that Jehovah your God made you walk these 40 years in the wilderness, to humble you and to put you to the test so as to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 So he humbled you and let you go hungry and fed you with the manna, which neither you had known nor your fathers had known, in order to make you know that man does not live by bread alone but man lives by every expression from Jehovah’s mouth. 4 The clothing you wore did not wear out, nor did your feet become swollen these 40 years. 5 You well know in your heart that just as a man corrects his son, Jehovah your God was correcting you.

(James 1:2-8) 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, 3 knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. 4 But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything. 5 So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him keep asking in faith, not doubting at all, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and blown about. 7 In fact, that man should not expect to receive anything from Jehovah; 8 he is an indecisive man, unsteady in all his ways.

For those who like videos here is a wonderful video on examples of when others have put Jehovah to the test.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/videos/respect-jehovahs-authority/#?insight%5Bsearch_id%5D=bcef40fa-582c-4593-a3c6-d9eb88af008a&insight%5Bsearch_result_index%5D=10

Have you drawn close to God for nothing?

IMG_20140719_205356It may seem like God has forgotten those of us who are trying our best to be obedient. It seems those who do not care, who will not help the down trodden and who do many bad things live in peace and comfort. We have to keep in mind God is listening and taking note. We may even question why we have done our best to cleanse ourselves and obey God.

(Psalm 73:3-13)  3 For I became envious of the boasters, [When] I would see the very peace of wicked people.  4 For they have no deathly pangs; And their paunch is fat.  5 They are not even in the trouble of mortal man, And they are not plagued the same as other men.  6 Therefore haughtiness has served as a necklace to them; Violence envelops them as a garment.  7 Their eye has bulged from fatness; They have exceeded the imaginations of the heart.  8 They scoff and speak about what is bad; About defrauding they speak in an elevated style.  9 They have put their mouth in the very heavens, And their tongue itself walks about in the earth. 10 Therefore he brings his people back hither, And the waters of what is full are drained out for them. 11 And they have said: “How has God come to know? And does there exist knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Look! These are the wicked, who are at ease indefinitely. They have increased [their] means of maintenance. 13 Surely it is in vain that I have cleansed my heart And that I wash my hands in innocence itself.

Many have felt this way. God does take note of who is obedient and who is not. This system is temporary but the new system is forever. Those written in the book of remembrance will be rewarded by God and it will be an eternal reward.

(Malachi 3:14-16) 14 “YOU have said, ‘It is of no value to serve God. And what profit is there in that we have kept the obligation to him, and that we have walked dejectedly on account of Jehovah of armies? 15 And at present we are pronouncing presumptuous people happy. Also, the doers of wickedness have been built up. Also, they have tested God out and keep getting away.’” 16 At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name. . .

Those who have washed their outer garments and acknowledged the one true God will not be blotted out of his book.

(Revelation 3:4, 5) . . .. 5 He that conquers will thus be arrayed in white outer garments; and I will by no means blot out his name from the book of life, but I will make acknowledgment of his name before my Father and before his angels. . .

(Philippians 4:2, 3) . . .. 3 Yes, I request you too, genuine yokefellow, keep assisting these [women] who have striven side by side with me in the good news along with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

During the resurrection those who have done bad and thought it went unnoticed will receive their reward which is the lake of fire and those who were obedient will be rewarded with eternal life.

(John 5:28, 29) 28 Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment. . .

(Revelation 20:11-15) . . .. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha′des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.

We know we are in the last days. The time is very near for scoffers who follow their own sinful desires to be done away with. We need to stay strong we only have a little longer it is a sign salvation is near.

(2 Peter 3:2-7) . . .. 3 For YOU know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires 4 and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” 5 For, according to their wish, this fact escapes their notice, that there were heavens from of old and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and by those [means] the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water. 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men. . .

 

We are to lift our heads because it means deliverance is near.

(Luke 21:25-28) 25 “Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and [its] agitation, 26 while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift YOUR heads up, because YOUR deliverance is getting near.”

War of Armageddon.

 

These scriptures are from The New World Translation.

If you don't read it how can you have faith.Before the final war something has to occur. Those who are not worshiping in truth will be revealed. Most know now that this is Babylon The Great mentioned in Revelations.

(2 Thessalonians 2:7-12) 7 True, the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work; but only till he who is right now acting as a restraint gets to be out of the way. 8 Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence. 9 But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents 10 and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. 11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

(1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, marked in their conscience as with a branding iron; 3 forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. 4 The reason for this is that every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over . . .

This will result in Babylon figuratively falling. So we would see Babylon for what she is more and more. Her sins would be exposed for all to see. Some will choose to be blind to Babylons sins and choose to remain in her even as her demise becomes obvious.

(Revelation 18:1-3) 18 After these things I saw another angel descending from heaven, with great authority; and the earth was lighted up from his glory. 2 And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: “She has fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen, and she has become a dwelling place of demons and a lurking place of every unclean exhalation and a lurking place of every unclean and hated bird! 3 For because of the wine of the anger of her fornication all the nations have fallen [victim], and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the traveling merchants of the earth became rich due to the power of her shameless luxury.”

4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if YOU do not want to share with her in her sins, and if YOU do not want to receive part of her plagues. 5 For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind. 6 Render to her even as she herself rendered, and do to her twice as much, yes, twice the number of the things she did; in the cup in which she put a mixture put twice as much of the mixture for her. 7 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent give her torment and mourning. For in her heart she keeps saying, ‘I sit a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’ 8 That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong.

Next Babylon the great will be brought to ruin. All the nations will turn on false worship and destroy it.

(Jeremiah 51:43-47) . . .. 44 And I will turn my attention upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth what he has swallowed. And to him nations will stream no more. Also, the wall itself of Babylon must fall. 45 “Get out of the midst of her, O my people, and provide each one his soul with escape from the burning anger of Jehovah. 46 Or otherwise YOUR heart will be timid, and YOU will become afraid because of the report that is to be heard in the land. And in one year the report will actually come, and after it in another year there will be the report and violence in the earth and ruler against ruler. 47 Therefore, look! there are days coming, and I will turn my attention upon the graven images of Babylon; and all her own land will become ashamed, and all her own slain ones will fall in the midst of her. . .

Many know the harlot is a representation of false religion. So the harlot would be Babylon or false religion. God will put it in mans heart to destroy false religion.

(Revelation 17:15-18) 15 And he says to me: “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, and the wild beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her devastated and naked, and will eat up her fleshy parts and will completely burn her with fire. 17 For God put [it] into their hearts to carry out his thought, even to carry out [their] one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished. 18 And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.. . .

The final war what will it be who will fight it and who will survive it? To understand that we need to understand who the key figures are in this war. But we need to identify when this war was ready to take place.

(Matthew 24:3-14) 3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” 4 And in answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads YOU; 5 for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 YOU are going to hear of wars and reports of wars; see that YOU are not terrified. For these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. 8 All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress. 9 “Then people will deliver YOU up to tribulation and will kill YOU, and YOU will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name. 10 Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; 12 and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. 13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.

(2 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 6 For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

We will have those who will claim these things have always occurred. They have not occurred on a world wide scale and to the degree they are now. Also the news of the kingdom had not yet been preached to the entire earth as it has now. This was also prophesied and many would not take note because of their skepticism until it is too late.

(2 Peter 3:3-7) . . .For YOU know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires 4 and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” 5 For, according to their wish, this fact escapes their notice, that there were heavens from of old and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and by those [means] the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water. 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men. . .

(Matthew 24:36-39) 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. . .

(Luke 17:28-30) 28 Likewise, just as it occurred in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. 29 But on the day that Lot came out of Sod′om it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 The same way it will be on that day when the Son of man is to be revealed. . .

Who is Gog of Magog? When the bible speaks of the attack by it , it also speaks of the attack by the king North and by the kings of the earth. These do not seem to be separate attacks but the same attack under separate names. Also take note that God’s people would be living in peace so they would not be involved in wars.

(Ezekiel 38:1-6) 38 And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog [of] the land of Ma′gog, the head chieftain of Me′shech and Tu′bal, and prophesy against him. 3 And you must say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “Here I am against you, O Gog, you head chieftain of Me′shech and Tu′bal. 4 And I shall certainly turn you around and put hooks in your jaws and bring you forth with all your military force, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in perfect taste, a numerous congregation, with large shield and buckler, all of them handling swords; 5 Persia, E·thi·o′pi·a and Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet; 6 Go′mer and all its bands, the house of To·gar′mah, [of] the remotest parts of the north, and all its bands, many peoples with you.

(Daniel 11:40-45) 40 “And in the time of [the] end the king of the south will engage with him in a pushing, and against him the king of the north will storm with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships; and he will certainly enter into the lands and flood over and pass through. 41 He will also actually enter into the land of the Decoration, and there will be many [lands] that will be made to stumble. But these are the ones that will escape out of his hand, E′dom and Mo′ab and the main part of the sons of Am′mon. 42 And he will keep thrusting out his hand against the lands; and as regards the land of Egypt, she will not prove to be an escapee. 43 And he will actually rule over the hidden treasures of the gold and the silver and over all the desirable things of Egypt. And the Lib′y·ans and the E·thi·o′pi·ans will be at his steps. 44 “But there will be reports that will disturb him, out of the sunrising and out of the north, and he will certainly go forth in a great rage in order to annihilate and to devote many to destruction. 45 And he will plant his palatial tents between [the] grand sea and the holy mountain of Decoration; and he will have to come all the way to his end, and there will be no helper for him. . .

The bible shows that all the kings of the earth will be involved. So many nations will be involved in this attack.

(Revelation 16:13-16) 13 And I saw three unclean inspired expressions [that looked] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and perform signs, and they go forth to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. 15 “Look! I am coming as a thief. Happy is the one that stays awake and keeps his outer garments, that he may not walk naked and people look upon his shamefulness.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Ma·ged′on. . .

So who will this war be against? ?We know the lamb is Jesus. We also know God has seated him on the thrown. So it is clear that they are going to wage war with Jesus. But who else? If you notice the bible tells us also those called and chosen and faithful. So the war will be against Jesus and those God has chosen who follow Jesus as our king and remain faithful to him.

(Revelation 17:12-14) 12 “And the ten horns that you saw mean ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings one hour with the wild beast. 13 These have one thought, and so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. 14 These will battle with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those called and chosen and faithful with him [will do so]. . .

Notice they join forces with the beast. I have posted on who the harlot is and who the best is. If you use the search feature you should be able to find it.

(Revelation 19:19) 19 And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with his army. . .

When they attack God’s people they will view them as defenseless because they do not have weapons and are peaceable. But God will fight for them , he will give Jesus the command.

(Ezekiel 38:8, 9) 8 “‘“After many days you will be given attention. In the final part of the years you will come to the land [of people] brought back from the sword, collected together out of many peoples, onto the mountains of Israel, that have proved to be a constantly devastated place; even [a land] that has been brought forth from the peoples, [where] they have dwelt in security, all of them. 9 And you will be bound to come up. Like a storm you will come in. Like clouds to cover the land you will become, you and all your bands and many peoples with you.”’

(Zechariah 2:7-9) 7 “Hey there, Zion! Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For this is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Following after [the] glory he has sent me to the nations that were despoiling YOU people; for he that is touching YOU is touching my eyeball. 9 For here I am waving my hand against them, and they will have to become spoil to their slaves.’ And YOU people will certainly know that Jehovah of armies himself has sent me. . .

God will repay them for the tribulation they have caused. But those who are suffering will receive relief from God.

(2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) 6 This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, 7 but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. 9 These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 10 at the time he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder in connection with all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among YOU.

The bible tells us who will survive this war.

(Revelation 7:13-17) 13 And in response one of the elders said to me: “These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?” 14 So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before the throne of God; and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down upon them nor any scorching heat, 17 because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”

God’s great day is very near so we must prepare our hearts and do our best to worship with an honest heart.

(Zephaniah 2:1-3) 2 Gather yourselves together, yes, do the gathering, O nation not paling in shame. 2 Before [the] statute gives birth to [anything], [before the] day has passed by just like chaff, before there comes upon YOU people the burning anger of Jehovah, before there comes upon YOU the day of Jehovah’s anger, 3 seek Jehovah, all YOU meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably YOU may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger. . .

(Malachi 4:1) 4 “For, look! the day is coming that is burning like the furnace, and all the presumptuous ones and all those doing wickedness must become as stubble. And the day that is coming will certainly devour them,” Jehovah of armies has said, “so that it will not leave to them either root or bough. . .

The kingdom that remains will not be destroyed.

(Daniel 2:44) 44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite;

God did not form the earth for nothing he created it to be dwelt upon. The original purpose that he command Adam and Eve will be fulfilled.

(Isaiah 45:18) 18 For this is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the [true] God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited:. . .

(Genesis 1:28) Further, God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”

So we must do our best to continue to be meek and mild tempered the reward is well worth it. In the new earth there will be no more suffering, pain or tears.

(Matthew 5:5) 5 “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth. . .

(Psalm 37:29) 29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it. . .

(Revelation 21:1-4) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.. . .

I wanted to keep this short so did not get into too much detail but if you want to learn more and in more detail go to http://www.jw.org . They have a wealth of information.