Crisis coming has been the regular diet for most Christians. I have personally never witnessed a time when the Christian community has been so caught up in the prophetic looking for every little sign and the demon behind every rock. Make no mistake, I too have written considerably about the things to come, warning God’s children, giving commentary on world events, and standing against the abuses of our age. On the other hand, I have also tried to balance it with godly counsel on how to stand firm and not lose hope. I have discovered that the Bible does the same, proclaiming the whole blessed truth giving much encouragement to God’s children who have in times past and in the present have had to deal with the most difficult of circumstances. There is nothing new under the sun. Just taking a cursory look in the past two thousand years of church history one does not miss the many times of persecution against God’s beloved children who stood their ground unwilling to waver from His magnificent truth. These true saints from the past and the present stood their ground not on all the signs that they had gathered or their knowledge of things to come, but on the pure teachings of God’s Word concerning the hope held out to every believer. Dear friend, do you have this kind of hope that will hold you secure during the coming crisis?

We all know that a crisis is coming perhaps sooner than you think, so let’s take a few moments and look at this blessed hope that acts as an anchor to our soul. The Bible says, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19). As the troubles of this world act as a raging sea against our soul, casting us in one direction and then another, we are truly in need of an anchor for our soul. For we all have a multitude of problems attempting to pull us apart: problems of strained relationships, emotional problems, physical problems and worried finances to name just a few; then there are the larger problems of the world that’s gone mad, legalizing immorality, forcing on us the equality of all religions, the fear of a one world government controlling the masses through some diabolical plan, the fear of Muslim fanatics invading our borders to torture and kill, or the real fear of a third world war with the use of nuclear weapons. As our ship is tossed by turbulent waters we must cast our anchor into safe heaven beyond the veil. To do so will redirect our focus away from this world, to look beyond our present difficulties, toward our heavenly goal of being in the presence of Jesus Christ who has broken down the veil that separates man from a Holy God. Having the anchor of our soul cast beyond the veil will cause our hope to be sure and steadfast not easily shaken by the gale force winds of personal problems, catastrophic disasters, persecution, and the plans of the enemy to crush all of God’s children.

Let’s be clear, Jesus Christ by His grace has brought us into a lively hope by casting that anchor of our soul beyond the veil. (See I Peter 1:3-5)  I love that phrase “lively hope.” It says so much, which opens the door to what a true Christian looks like. Think back to a time when you first came to know Jesus Christ. It was a time of great excitement. You had such a bubbly personality, a loving spirit, and the glow of God radiating out for all to see. Everyone knew immediately that there was something different about you. It was this kind of Christian that led the Apostle to write, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 3:15). Indeed, as the Christian focuses on all that Jesus Christ did for us through His grace and all of His wonderful promises it brings forth a great joy bursting forth for all to see. If Christians were filled with this “lively hope” they would turn the world upside down. Furthermore, those with this lively hope look beyond the suffering of this world to a world where every tear is wiped away, where there is no more pain or sorrow. This was the hope demonstrated by the Christians throughout the ages who blessed their tormentors, at times singing and praising God that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name.

Dear friends, if the enemy has stolen your joy through all the world’s hardships, so called prophetic proclamations, or a news media designed to drag you around by the nose though a mire of wickedness and corruption, then it is time to turn a deaf ear and re-focus your attention on your blessed hope in Jesus Christ. In so doing it will allow you to see, really see the truth that lies beyond all the depravity in the world and put you back on the path that leads to a lively hope. Personally, I have been led only to briefly scan the headlines of the news media being very careful as not to be immersed into a quagmire of misinformation or taken captive by its progressive agenda. Moreover, I am more than critical of other stories circulating on the social networks keeping you pre-occupied with world events that often contradict one another, proclaim half-truths, or outrageous lies.

Dear children, it will take every ounce of energy to stay focused on our hope in Christ Jesus allowing it to perform its task of leading us into all righteousness made possible by the precious blood of the Lamb. The Bible says, “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:19). The ancient law had its followers focused on memorizing a set of commandments and attempting to bring each into the life of the believer most often bringing pride upon those who thought they were actually following it. Therefore, nothing was made perfect by the law. By contrast our better hope keeps the believer in Christ focused solely on Jesus Christ the Author and Perfecter of our faith. It keeps the Christian focused on His promises and our eternal destiny. It keeps the believer focused on doing the will of His new Master by following the two great commandments of love – love for God and for our fellow man. Moreover, this better hope brought us nigh unto God. For the first time in history man, brought by way of the Cross, was now able to walk with a Holy God receiving all that’s necessary for this life and godliness – made perfect by the blood of the Lamb. Again, let me stress that it is this new hope that brings such tremendous joy and excitement that overflows to everyone we come into contact. We sing with joy in our hearts that, “My hope is build on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not trust this sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus Name.” (The Solid Rock) We dare not trust in the things of this world; not in its governments, not in its laws, not in its leadership, not even in our own knowledge, and strength, but wholly lean on Jesus Name who is our Solid Rock that will bring us through every storm that lies ahead. In so doing my dear friends, we will be standing on the solid rock and not on sinking sand.

Finally, the Bible says, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:3). At this point I cannot over emphasize the importance of staying focused on our blessed hope. This, my friends, is where we as a people of God have fallen woefully short of being the true Church of God. The Christian community has become so focused on the world and the things of the world that whatever hope they profess to have is none existent. For if there hope was real then it would influence their entire life by consuming every waking moment into focusing upon the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, every waking moment! Our every thought is brought back to the living Lord singing praises to His Holy Name, reading and meditating upon his Anointed Word, fellowshipping with other believers, proclaiming the truth to unbelievers, encouraging and admonishing other Christians as we are led by the spirit, and in constant prayer. It is all of these activities and more that helps us to stay focused upon the risen Lord and less focused upon an evil and depraved world. This is the outcome of our hope to be so focused upon the things of Christ and His Church that it tends to purify us by keeping us separate from the world, only touching it to allow our light to shine, and taking every opportunity to give the reason for the hope that we have.

Let me very clear here. The more you stay in the world staying focused on the things of the world, the more the dirt and filth of the world will rub off on you making it very difficult for you to stand firm during the coming crisis. Let me once again caution you to take everything you read on the social networks and watch on YouTube with a grain salt. This running after the world has confused very many Christians, keeping them from the hope held out to them in Christ Jesus, which will cause them great panic in the coming days. I pray that you have discovered by now that hope is a powerful weapon against all that lies ahead. It will keep you safely in the hands of God who has called you out of the depths of darkness, and into a marvelous light. A crisis is coming, but our hope must ascend higher than the heavens, to find refuge in the throne of grace.

Rev. Blair has recorded this Blog Article as a Tribulation Radio Show in HD Video with local vocalists, prayers, and much more to the glory of God. Click Here

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