“Great peace have those who love Your (God’s) law, and nothing causes them to stumble. LORD, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments. My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You” (Psalm 119:165-168)
The entire world is in a panic mode. I am receiving many phone-calls and emails, many from hurting people looking for answers and solutions. Some are already (rightly) guessing that things will only get worse. Mankind needs HOPE, and mankind’s ONLY hope is the Word of God! All else has been tried and failed!
Below, I will give you (in outline form) God’s solutions for your predicaments (read the following instructions):
I.WAKE UP!
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:1)
That has to do with PREPARATION
A. Personal Preparation [Make sure you yourself are a genuine Christian]
- Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
- Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; (2 Peter 1:10)
B. Public Preparation [Make sure you share the Good News of Christ with others]
- Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
II. LOOK UP!
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:13)
That has to do with PERSPECTIVE
A. Hope is not wishful thinking but anxious anticipation of what has been promised in God’s Word, the Bible.
B. It is a blessed hope for those who believe – – they will meet Jesus, God’s Son, in the clouds of the air to be with Him forever
- But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
- Unbelievers are hope-less (verse 13).
III. SHAPE UP!
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (2 Peter 3:11)
That has to do with PRACTICE
A. Practice Productivity
- Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
B. Practice Patience
- You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (James 5:8)
C. Practice Proclamation
- I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
D. Practice Prayer
- But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7)
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