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Introduction

Praise God for another day to share a thought with you. We have been talking about the times we are living in, the events that are about to unfold on the earth, and how these events will affect the Church. God revealed through the scriptures that in the last days there will be troublous times on the earth, which will lead to increased persecution of the Church (Matthew 24:8-13); and the world is in the very midst of this prophecy as it gradually unfolds. Right now, the world is experiencing earthquakes, famines, pestilences, commotions, wars, and rumors of wars in biblical proportions, which have led to instability in the world’s economy. This has led to a global recession that world economists believe will last throughout the year 2023.

We don’t know how long the global recession will last but I believe this situation will cause a global shift in world policies, that in a pretext to resolve the world economic crisis a one-world government will emerge with policies that would not be favorable to the Church. Therefore, the Church needs to be ready for what can unfold after now.

Sadly, many Christians who would not be prepared to withstand the pressure from the trials and persecutions that would arise will fall away from the faith. This would give the Antichrist an enabling environment to rise and rule over the countries of the earth through a one-world government. The scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ will not come to the earth the second time until “there come a falling away first (backsliding of Christians), and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (the Antichrist);” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

The Antichrist cannot rise to power when the Church is still functioning on the earth, because the gates of hell can never overcome the Church while it is under the leadership of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 16:18). Recall that Jesus said He will send another comforter in His stead, which is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). Therefore, the Antichrist will only be able to rule over the earth once the church is raptured. The scripture says, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he (Antichrist) might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).

The Rapture is an event foretold in the scriptures as a forceful taking out of the world those that are saved (Born Again) and faithfully following Jesus Christ to preserve them from the great tribulation that would occur on the earth.

Now, Jesus promised to preserve those who have kept His commandments from the troublous times that the whole world would experience, which I believe shall occur eventually through the instrument of the rapture. However, before the rapture, the world will already be facing challenging times. Those that were already faithful to Jesus before this will be protected and supernaturally provided for. This is why I believe the Holy Spirit has made me emphasize that these are the best times to prepare for the coming days of trials and persecutions that the world will experience shortly. Jesus said, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10).

The rapture would mark the end of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the end of the mainly predominantly gentile Church on the earth because they will both depart before the great tribulation. Then God’s predominant focus will be more on the salvation of Jews, who have been spiritually blinded from seeing the truth because their leaders rejected Jesus Christ at His first coming.

This is not to say that the Church is a Gentile Church. There are still Jews that believe in Jesus Christ today and are part of the Church. The Church is a gathering of believers of Jesus Christ from the Jews and the rest of the world into one body headed by Jesus Christ. It is unfortunate that right now many Jews do not believe Jesus is the Messiah they were waiting for: this is why today’s Church even looks more like a Gentile Church. However, after the Rapture, God’s focus of salvation will turn again towards mainly the Jews. The scripture says, “that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved:” (Romans 11:25-26).

So, knowing the end is close and that He cannot directly confront the Church and win, the strategy of the devil until the Holy Spirit and the predominantly Gentile Church is out of the way is to trick Christians to be lukewarm in sin or keep them distracted by placing before their face trials, persecutions, and the cares of this life so that they cannot withstand him. Many Christians not understanding that these situations are created by the devil to distract them, focus on the situations, and err from the faith. This is why Christians must always live by faith. The scripture says, “And because iniquity (sin, trials, persecutions, and cares of this world) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:12).

What We will need for the Days Ahead

It is only the strong that win in a war, and it is only the mighty that are victorious in the face of challenges. Therefore, only the strong will go through the challenging times ahead and come out victorious. I already pointed out from the scriptures that many Christians will reject Christ due to the coming challenges, and only those that are strong in faith will remain in it.

Many Christians in this generation are not taught about tribulation and trials unlike the earlier Christians, who were faced with challenges and remained steadfast in Christ till the end. The teaching in those times made them better prepared than the Christians of this generation. A good example of an earlier church that remained steadfast despite the tribulations of its people was the Church in Thessalonica. Paul prepared their minds towards any tribulation, saying, “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.” (1 Thessalonians 3:3-4).

However, Jesus was the first to set this example: Before He departed from the earth, He prepared His disciples for the tribulations that they would face afterward, saying, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

As long as we live in this world as Christians and are truly serving God, we will face different challenges. This is not because it is God’s Will but because we are living in an evil world, that continually fights against anything good and godly; but the good news is that we will not face these trials and tribulations alone, and we will surely come out victorious if we remain steadfast in the faith. The scripture says, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12), and again, it says, “I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him” (Psalms 91:15).

However, many Christians in this generation are not taught about trials and tribulations in a way that will ensure they are not surprised when they are faced with them. Christians should be careful of messages that anchor their faith on prosperity and a good life as the main benefit of Christianity without any reference to Christian trials and tribulations and eternal life. If not, when new believers come into Christianity and start experiencing trials and persecutions, they will easily give up their faith because they were never taught that trials and tribulations are part of Christianity. No doubt, if we serve God and adhere to the principles of giving, we will be blessed materially, but this doesn’t exempt us from the fact that trials and tribulations may come to test our faith. Jesus said, “There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:30).

We must never think that godliness is equal to material prosperity, because it does not necessarily mean that having material gain makes a person a godly person, nor does it mean a person is not godly when they are faced with tribulations. We must reject such teaching and thinking because the scripture says we should be careful of people “supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” (1 Timothy 6:5).

To be prepared for the days ahead, Christians must have the mindset of Job whose anchor was only on God and not on material things. Even after he had lost all he had which included children, businesses, social status, and physical health, he was still focused on God. This is the mindset that Christians will need in the days ahead to remain steadfast in Christ and overcome the troublous times ahead. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” (Job 13:15).

For anyone to have such strong convictions amid adversity like Job and still be steadfast, they must have a very good relationship with God. God, who is a Spirit (John 4:24), created and made mankind in His image and likeness in the beginning, so He could fellowship with them. Therefore, mankind was created as a spirit being who regularly fellowship with God at the beginning of creation, and everything was okay until mankind sinned against God and died spiritually. It was after then it became difficult for mankind to properly commune with God because mankind needed their spirit to relate with, and to receive things from God. From then onward, mankind became even more disobedient to God’s instructions which made God withdraw His Spirit from mankind and shorten their days in the flesh. The scripture says, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3).

The purpose of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection was to restore man’s relationship with God so that through faith in His finished works anyone that receives the gift of life can become Children of God (John 1:12). Therefore, we must realize that God does not have grandchildren, but children. So, Christians should not be behaving like they are grandchildren of God, seeking to commune with Him through another person. Every Christian can and should go directly to build a relationship with God through prayer and fellowship in His Word. It is the depth of a Christian’s relationship with God that gives them the strength, direction, and protection that they will need in the times ahead.
Therefore, the 4 things that anyone will need to survive the days ahead will be;

1. Be Born Again Indeed
2. Spiritual Strength
3. Divine Direction
4. Divine Protection

How to Get Born Again
Now some people do not understand what it means to be Born Again and some even think that they are already Born Again because they are a member of a Church, or they are serving God in a Church, or they may have been baptized in just water, or they may have been born into a Christian family. No one gets Born Again because they are born into a Christian family, and neither is anyone Born Again if they just decide to change religion. Many people today call themselves Christians for these reasons but are not Born Again because they do not understand how and what being Born Again really means.

To be Born Again, a person must understand that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary for their sins, and after 3 days rose again from the dead to give them a new life. Many people believe Jesus Christ died and rose again that is why they celebrate Jesus’s birth, death, and resurrection. That in itself is good because people believe it, but they miss out on what we must do to get Born Again. Jesus Christ did not come down from Heaven to suffer all the pain, humiliation, and death just for us to celebrate what He did. People let the celebration - eating, drinking, and merriment - overshadow the substance of the main event which is that Jesus also rose again from the dead, so that all of mankind could have a restoration of their spirit man by what is termed as Born Again or Born of God’s Spirit.

So, believing Jesus Christ died and rose again is not enough to get someone Born Again, because even the devils believe in Jesus and the scripture says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19).

Therefore, after we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, what is our reaction to it? If we truly believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again and understand that through His resurrection we can receive the gift of eternal life, then we will go ahead and ask for the gift of eternal life, which is the real gift Jesus Christ brought for all of mankind. The scripture says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Therefore, after we believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the dead, we must ask in prayer for the gift of eternal life so that we can be Born Again. The scripture says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Born Again).” (Romans 10:9).

So I encourage you to say the prayer below right now to get Born Again, that is if you are not sure. When you do that, you receive the gift of a new spirit that will enable you to be able to build a good relationship with God. We must do first things first! A person has to get Born Again first if they must receive the other things God has for them. The scripture says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

So, say the prayer below out with your mouth and believe every word you say to get Born Again:

Prayer of Salvation

Dear Lord Jesus, I believe you died and rose again for me. Forgive me for my sins and come into my life. I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Personal Saviour. Fill me with your Spirit and write my name in the Book of Life. Thank you, Lord, for making me Born Again. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Building Spiritual Strength through the Word and Prayer

If you said the prayer above in faith, I believe you are Born Again. Now that you are Born Again, you need to build a relationship with God through prayer and the study of the Word so you can have strong faith and be prepared for the times ahead. It is a Christian’s depth of relationship with God that determines their spiritual strength to overcome temptations, trials, and persecutions. Sin weakened mankind at the beginning, and made them subject to the devil, and sin is still doing so today even though one is Born Again. If a Christian falls into sin or into the bondage of sin, it is because he does not have enough spiritual strength to break out or say no to that sin. The scripture says, “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” (Proverbs 24:10).

As long as anyone is Born Again, they have a new spirit that can say no to sin if they build up their spirit man through prayer and the study of God’s Word. The scriptures describe the Word of God as food to our spirit. We know how weak a person becomes if they stop eating for some days, and if that trend continues, that person will eventually fall sick and die. The scripture says, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

Moreover, God describes the Word as Himself. Therefore, our study and meditation on God’s Word is fellowship with God. The scripture says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1).

This is why the devil fights Christians from reading the Word of God and understanding the truth. The devil does this by making other things more important than the Word of God when in fact it is the other way around. If we must take God’s Word seriously, we must see it as it is – The Most important thing we have, because nothing is as important as God’s Word. The scripture says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalms 1:1-3).

We must also realize that while a person is trying to build spiritual strength and remains in sin, they shouldn’t expect any result because sin will keep polluting the seed of God’s Word in your heart so that it does not make changes. So let us avoid sin at all costs so that we can build enough spiritual strength to overcome the works of the devil and the times ahead. If you find yourself, unable to stop sin, then you are probably in the bondage of sin enforced by demonic spirits. You probably should get into fasting and prayer about it (Matthew 17:21). The scripture says, “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” (Luke 8:13).

This takes me to the next important thing we can do to ensure we're spiritually strong, and that is to pray. Prayer is another means of fellowship that Christians have to get spiritual strength. The Old Testament believers relied on this means of fellowship and were able to hear specific words from God which gave them direction and strength to overcome their enemies.

Sometimes Christians want to read the bible but find it hard to understand or start to get sleepy or distracted whenever they open their bible to read: This is a demonic attack on the mind. All Christians can read and understand the Word of God for themselves because when they get Born Again they receive a new spirit with a sound mind. The scripture says, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7).

So, my advice for anyone that is not able to understand the scriptures even after they get Born Again, is for them to try to get filled with the Holy Spirit and pray in the Holy Spirit regularly. Praying in the Spirit charges our spirit man so that it rises above the flesh to destroy the works of darkness that cloud our minds, and causing spiritual laziness. It is then a Christian’s spiritual understanding gets better and can now easily understand the scriptures. The scripture says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 1:20).

Moreover, God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us understand the scriptures more deeply. Before Jesus Christ left the earth He said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13).

So, if you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, you can get filled with the Holy Spirit today if you are already Born Again. All you have to do is believe in it and Ask for Him to come into your life in faith. The scripture says, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

Therefore, say the prayer below in faith and expect that you will get filled with the Holy Spirit right now.

Prayer to Get Filled with the Holy Spirit:
Dear Lord, I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in your Word that says if I ask for the Holy Spirit, I will receive Him. I ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me right now. Thank you, Father, for doing this. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you said this prayer in faith, then believe you are already filled with the Holy Spirit. Just keep thanking God and expecting the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in your life.

There are other spiritual things that you can do as a Christian to retain spiritual strength. Fasting and obeying God are two keys to maintaining spiritual strength. I admonish you to add these two to the earlier two major keys of spiritual strength, which are the study of the Word and Prayer. These are the keys to abiding in the Secret Place of God, so we can enjoy God’s provision, protection, and direction. The scripture says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” (Psalms 91:1-4).

Beloved, let us take heed to the warnings God has shown us in His Word and stay even more in His Secret Place these days because I believe 2023 will be a year like no other year, and Christians will need more spiritual strength to ensure they don’t fall by the wayside due to the trials and tribulation that will arise all round the world.

If you have just got Born Again or just got filled with the Holy Spirit, kindly write us at info@revelationtoend.org or leave a message on our Facebook page, so that we can share your testimony and also encourage you more.

Kindly also share this message with others if it has blessed you. God bless you.

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