When the Answer Is “No”

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When we have come before God in prayer asking fervently, obediently, faithfully, humbly and persistently for something … what are we to do when God says, “No”?
 
First, we can realize that we are in good company.  God has said “No” to many notables in the Bible: David, when he wanted to build the temple; Paul, regarding the thorn in the flesh; and even Jesus when He asked that the cup be taken from Him.  If God has said it on occasion to this most illustrious group, then surely we can expect that He is going to be saying it to us at times. 
 
As we look back on the many things that we have prayed about, we may realize that this is already the case – perhaps many times over.  What next then?  We need to accept it, learn from it, and move on.
 
Obviously “No” is not the answer we wanted, and it may even be difficult for us to swallow.  This is not the time to lack faith or get upset.  Understanding that our God is all-knowing and a loving Father, we should realize that He knows and does what is best for us.  If God is completely and totally in charge of our life, then we can take solace and comfort in the fact that the right things are going to happen at the right time. 
 
Even though we get a negative as an answer, it is really a positive.  God does not capriciously reply to our prayers.  When He says “No,” it is for a reason and a purpose.  His hope is that a good result will come out of it.  We should pray, “Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths” (Psalm 25:4). We need to learn from the way that God is working in our life, so that we may continue to grow in the Godly righteous character He is trying to facilitate in us.
 
When we petition God, it is for His Will to be done in our lives – and now that we can better understand it, all that is left is for us to move on in the direction that God is guiding us in, and not on the route we thought to take.
 
God sees us and hears us (Psalm 34:15, 17), and His arm is not too short that He cannot save us (Isaiah 59:1).  Know this!  Keep it in mind!  In the end, God’s ultimate goal is to see us make it into His Family, and He will do what it takes to make sure that we are with Him in the end.

The Church of God

On February 11, 2012, Robb Harris will give the sermon, titled, respectively, “The Church of God.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “Why Sanctions Against Iran Will Not Help.” The West does not understand the goals of Iran’s religious and political leadership. While sanctions are being imposed, Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expect the appearance of the Mahdi as the Twelfth Imam, but not before this world has undergone a gigantic, cleansing upheaval and is in utter chaos. Iran’s nuclear program with the goal of developing and using the atomic bomb must be seen in this light.

Two more radio programs have been recorded this week, titled, “Christ’s Battle with Hostile Armies,” and “The Very Last Plague.” They will be broadcast, respectively, beginning Sunday, February 12 and 19, 2012. Our radio broadcasts are being posted on our Website, www.standingwatch.org.

A new German AufPostenStehen program was posted on YouTube, titled, “Wirkungslose Sanktionen Gegen den Iran” (“Ineffective Sanctions against Iran”).

A new German sermon was posted on YouTube, titled “Neu! Die Letzten Sieben Plagen!” (“New! The Last Seven Plagues”).

God Knows

by Manuela Mitchell

In a very short time, it will have been one year since my husband lost his job. During this time, I have been blessed to be able to work part time, despite the slowing economy. My husband has been diligently looking for work and taking care of our 20-month-old son. Recently, as the amount of work has increased, I have been asked to work additional days/hours throughout the week. Considering the current circumstances, I agreed.

While I do enjoy my job, I have been battling thoughts in my mind. On numerous occasions, I have felt guilty for leaving my son, knowing how much he may need his mother. I often question why God permits me to have to work and not raise my son on a daily basis, and why He tolerates that potential employers are unwilling to employ my husband, mainly because of the Sabbath. On the other hand, I am glad that my husband has been able, during that time, to draw very close to our son.

In the end, I have concluded that I don’t know the ultimate reason. But, I do believe that I am working because I am able to do so. I have a gift that I can share with other people regarding animals. I have the ability to multi-task with work and my family. Now, I can see that my son has not suffered emotionally or physically in any way, due to me not being with him more often. He has a great support group and a father who has helped him learn and love more.

While I still wish things were different and I could be at home with my child, I have the faith that God will ultimately bless my husband with employment in these economically difficult times. I also understand that I don’t always get to choose my path and I know I can’t have it all.  God knows the reasons for what He lets happen, even if I can’t see His bigger picture at the moment. I will continue doing what He will have me do, even if I don’t quite know the initial reason.

What does the Bible say about Christ’s battle with hostile armies at the time of His return?

In previous Q&A’s, discussing the seventh plague of the seventh trumpet, mentioned in the Book of Revelation https://www.eternalgod.org/qa/11097 , and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, https://www.eternalgod.org/qa/11159 we described the resurrection and the change of the saints. As immortal beings and born-again members of the Family and Kingdom of God, they will meet the returning Christ in the air and descend with Him on the Mount of Olives, where Christ’s decisive battle against the evil forces of this world will take place.

The book of Zechariah describes in vivid terms the outcome of that battle. We address this battle in detail in our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!”. After first focusing on the terrible fate of the city of Jerusalem during the time of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, we then address the events at the time of Christ’s return:

“The last chapter of the book of Zechariah (chapter 14) gives us, without doubt, the great crescendo or final climax of the fate of the city of Jerusalem—picturing first its terrible future destruction, and then its subsequent glorious destiny.

“Note these highlights from chapter 14…: ‘(1) Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. (2) For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. (4) And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley… (5) Then you shall flee through my mountain valley… As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with [Him]… (7) It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD [God the Father]…

“‘(12) And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongue shall dissolve in their mouths. (13) It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will… raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand; (14) Judah will also fight at [better: against] Jerusalem [speaking of those Jews who escaped captivity by supporting the Gentile armies, compare Daniel 11:32]… (15) Such also shall be the plague On the horse and the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those [military] camps. So shall this plague be.”

The battle will be swift. Revelation 19:11-21 gives us further information on the return of Jesus Christ with His mighty angels, and the outcome of Christ’s battle with the hostile and deceived armies of this world:

“(11) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (12) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. (13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (15) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

“(17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God; (18) that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’

“(19) And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) Then the beast (a future political and military leader) was captured, and with him the false prophet (a future religious leader) who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast (determining whether or not one could buy and sell) and those who worshipped his image (the religious power and its future leader, the false prophet). These two were cast alive into the [or better: a] lake of fire burning with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

The beast and the false prophet as well as their armies and supporters will be killed when Christ returns. This includes the kings from the East (compare our Q&A on the seventh plague of the seventh trumpet) and also the ten kings, mentioned in Revelation 17, who will give their power and authority to the beast. It will even include drafted soldiers (“slaves,” compare Revelation 19:18) and those who act as volunteers or mercenaries (“free,” verse 18). Everyone who opposes the returning Christ must and will be killed—whether “small” or “great” (compare verse 18).

We read in Revelation 17:12-14, regarding the ten kings or future European powers and leaders:

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings… [which] receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ], and the Lamb will overcome them; for He is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful.”

Daniel 2 confirms the destruction of the ten kings or ten toes, and their kingdoms, during this decisive battle outside Jerusalem. We read in Daniel 2:44:

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

Indeed, the Kingdom of God will rule on and over this earth, and Christ’s called and chosen and faithful disciples will inherit eternal life in His Kingdom and rule with and under Him. Daniel 7:21-22, 26-27 explains:

“I was watching; and the same horn [the little horn—a religious power, which will be led by the end-time false prophet] was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days [Jesus Christ, the Lamb] came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High [God the Father], and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom… But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his [the little horn’s] dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

Notice in passing that in none of these passages is the Holy Spirit mentioned as a third Person in the Godhead. The reason is that the Holy Spirit is not a Person, but the power and mind of God—both of the Father and the Son. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is God A Trinity?”.

The book of Revelation confirms that the saints will rule on and over this earth, under Jesus Christ. Revelation 20:4-6 tells us:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years…This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death (the eternal death in the ultimate lake of fire after the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment) has no power, but they shall be priests of God (the Father) and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Compare also Revelation 5:9-10, quoting a song of angels about Christ’s faithful elect:

“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; for You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.”

Regarding Christ’s battle with the deceived armies of this world, we want to quote once more from our booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today”:

“Joel 3:2, 11–14 reveals that at the time of Jesus Christ’s return, ALL nations—referring to their armies—will move to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, just outside Jerusalem, in order to fight there. Revelation 16:14, 16 tells us that they will first assemble at a place called Armageddon—but, according to the book of Joel, they will then move toward Jerusalem. At that time, the modern nations of Israel and Judah will have already been defeated in war and will have become captives of Gentile powers (Joel 3:1, 6; compare Jeremiah 30:10). The book of Joel informs us further that Jesus Christ will return to Jerusalem to fight for it—and THEN ‘Jerusalem shall be holy’ (verse 17). He and His saints will overcome all of God’s enemies, including the king of the North, the man of sin and their armies, and their attempt to fight Christ and His saints will be defeated (Revelation 17:14).”

The king of the North is identical with the beast, and the man of sin (mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3) is none other than the false prophet. They will be cast alive into a lake of fire, to be devoured and burned up there. But this is not their final fate. As all who die “in Adam” will be resurrected “in Christ” in their due time (1 Corinthians 15:22), the beast and the false prophet will be raised in the second or third resurrection—depending on whether they committed the unpardonable sin. We would feel that they will be raised in the second resurrection to obtain their first opportunity for godly repentance and belief, and ultimately salvation (For more information, please read our Q&A on the resurrections and our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”).

However, even though the hostile human armies will be utterly destroyed at the time of Christ’s return during the decisive battle of the Lord outside the city of Jerusalem, further events will have to take place to bring about and establish peace on this earth. We will discuss these events in subsequent Q&As.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

The StandingWatch Radio Program is now in its fourth week of play on ten radio stations. This weekly program can also be listened to on our website, www.standingwatch.org. The titles for these programs are: “The four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” “Destruction and Hope,” “The Great Tribulation,” “The Seventh Seal,” “The Seventh Seal, Part 2,” and “The Seven Bowls.”

Our annual Church Conference will begin on Thursday, March 15, 2012, continuing through Tuesday, March 20th. Meetings will be held in the San Diego area.

Will God’s people be protected from the terrible times to come?

In previous Q&As, including the Q&A on “Matthew 24” and the Q&A on the “events which will occur after the Great Tribulation has begun”,we discussed that mankind will have to endure a time of unparalleled sorrows and suffering.

We also pointed out in the past, that just prior to Christ’s return, some in God’s Church will be protected from the Great Tribulation, while other Christians will have to go through that terrible time.

In one Q&A, we explained the Scripture in “Revelation 12:17,” and in another Q&A, we set forth the “biblical proofs for our teaching that members of the Church of God will be protected at a particular ‘place of safety,’ here on earth, during the Great Tribulation.”

In addition, we explained that following the beginning of the Great Tribulation, which is Satan’s wrath, God will pour out the plagues of His wrath during a time referred to as the Day of the Lord. We also showed that God will protect at that time many of those who will have experienced and survived the trials of the Great Tribulation. However, there is no indication that God will bring those survivors to the place of safety as well; rather, He will protect them wherever they will be at that time. We have addressed the protection of those servants of God in our Q&A on the “144,000” and the great multitude.

It appears that the 144,000 and the great multitude will consist mainly of people who will come to conversion during the trials of the Great Tribulation. Especially addressing the great multitude, for example, we read in Revelation 7:14: “These are the ones who COME OUT OF the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” We also read in Jeremiah 30:7 that later on, the modern descendants of the house of Jacob or Israel will be saved OUT OF the Day of the Lord.

In addition, it is possible that some who will be protected during the time of God’s great wrath will include converted members in God’s Church (commonly referred to as those belonging to the lukewarm “Laodicea” group in Revelation 3:14-22) who were not found worthy enough to be protected at the place of safety from the Great Tribulation, but who worked on their conversion with fear and trembling and who overcame their nature, Satan and society IN and DURING the Great Tribulation. They survived these terrible times and will be declared worthy to be protected from God’s wrath during the Day of the Lord.

But we must note an important point, lest we misunderstand what God is telling us. It is easy to assume and conclude that all those who will be at the place of safety will be those converted members who were worthy of protection, while none of those who won’t be at that place would be worthy. Both concepts are wrong, if carried to an extreme.

First, we are assured that young children and teenagers of those members who are counted worthy will be protected as well (Proverbs 14:26). Since children or teenagers would not be converted and would not have received the Holy Spirit, they would not be “worthy” per se, but God promises their protection because of the “worthiness” of their parents or parent. It is also not inconceivable that well-meaning adults could be protected, who are not yet converted, but who understand and accept God’s calling and promises… as God looks at the heart and does not judge as man judges. Remember that during the time of the Exodus, not only Israelites were departing from Egyptian slavery, but also a mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4).

One might ask, why would God consider “unconverted” people worthy of protection at the place of safety, while He would not protect certain converted, but lukewarm members. The answer is, again, that God looks at the heart, and He expects more from converted members than from those who may not yet be converted. It is interesting to see how enthusiastic and zealous, as well as teachable, prospective members can be, who are being introduced to the truth, while at the same time, certain converted members in God’s Church who have been in the Church for many years, might have lost their original zeal and their first love and their humility, having allowed to slip and to become proud, ending up as being neither hot nor cold.

The flipside of the coin is also true. Not everyone who would “normally” be worthy of protection at the place of safety, will be there. This is self-evident for the two witnesses. They are prophets of God who stand before God, and who preach His Word for 3 ½ years during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-4). God will give them great powers during the time of their preaching (verses 5-6), but at the end, He will allow them to be killed and to be dead for 3 ½ days (verses 7-9).  Following that event, God will resurrect them to eternal life (verses 11-12), together with all the other saints who have died in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). But as we can see, the two witnesses will not be at the place of safety. It is, again, not inconceivable that other converted members who would “normally” be worthy of protection at the place of safety, will assist and work with the two witnesses. Recall that many times, God’s prophets did not act alone, but they were accompanied and supported by other disciples or followers. This is true for Moses and Aaron (we might think of Joshua, as well as the elders of Israel or the Levites etc.); Elijah and Elisha and their disciples, John the Baptist, and even Jesus Christ, as well as, of course, the original apostles.

This will bring us to another important point. It would be a grave mistake to think that God’s followers will not have to suffer any persecution, before the Great Tribulation begins. Remember, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse will have already begun to ride, and the combination of religious deception and “holy” wars will cause much suffering. It is true, of course, that those whom God will protect during the Great Tribulation and the Day of His Wrath will have to be protected, physically, during the times preceding these events, but this does not mean that they won’t suffer any persecution. It does also not mean that every otherwise worthy disciple of Christ will escape violent death prior to the Great Tribulation—we are only told that those worthy disciples who will be alive at the time when the Great Tribulation begins, will be protected at a place of safety.

As we have seen, the fifth seal in the Book of Revelation describes the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). It refers to a future martyrdom of the saints. It undoubtedly includes many (but not necessarily all) who are converted members, but who have allowed themselves to slip, become lukewarm and embrace the spirit of compromise, pride and self-sufficiency. But we are also told that future martyrdom will be a continuation of a prior deadly persecution (compare verse 11).  It appears that all of Christ’s original apostles—with the possible exception of John—endured a violent death. This is also true for subsequent apostles, such as Paul. Over the centuries, many true Christians were tortured and killed for their beliefs. They were not protected at that time at a physical place of safety.

In Matthew 24:9, Christ tells us that “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” This will apparently occur—at least to an extent—before the Great Tribulation begins (compare the continuation of Christ’s warning in Matthew 24:15-28). The same conclusion can be reached, when reading the parallel passage in Luke 21:12-19, apparently referring to events prior to the Great Tribulation, and in Luke 21:20-24, apparently referring to events that begin with the Great Tribulation.

Compare also the parallel account in Mark 13:9-13, speaking first of persecution of God’s true servants in the end time, which will be followed by the Great Tribulation (compare Mark 13:14-23).

There are many more passages telling us about future persecution, apart from the general truism that everyone who wants to live godly will encounter and suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said in John 15:20: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” Matthew 10:16-26 tells us about future persecution, and Luke 11:47-52 speaks about past and future persecution of God’s prophets and saints in very vivid terms.

We should always remember that no trial will come upon us that will be too difficult for us to bear, and that God will show us the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God has the confidence in us that we will be able to endure persecution, who are we to doubt Him? What all of this means is that we have to be willing to accept God’s Will for us, whatever that Will might be. Christ had to do this (Matthew 26:42), and so must we. Rather than concentrating on the thought that we have to be among those whom God will bring to the physical and temporary place of safety, we ought to concentrate on qualifying and doing everything we can to allow God to make us worthy to be able to enter the eternal and immortal Kingdom of God at Christ’s Coming (Matthew 25:34).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program was posted on YouTube and on our Website www.standingwatch.org. It is titled, “Why Disasters and Catastrophes?” Disasters made 2011 the most expensive year ever. With the beginning of 2012, more birds die a mysterious death; devastating volcanic eruptions threaten Germany; and it is now 5 minutes to midnight on the Doomsday Clock, with midnight symbolizing humanity’s destruction. With all that bad news, it there any good news? Indeed, there is, but not in the way most people think.

The sermon titled, “Persecution,” by Norbert Link, is now posted on our website, www.eternalgod.org.

©2024 Church of the Eternal God