Empire's End by Jerry Jenkins, James S. MacDonald Page A
Authors: Jerry Jenkins, James S. MacDonald
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believe I rose again, then believe My Father will bring with Me those who sleep in Me, for this you may say confidently by My word, that those who are alive at My coming will not precede those who are dead. For I Myself 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 those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Me in the air. And thus they shall always be with Me. Therefore comfort everyone with those words
.
But concerning when this will happen, that day will come as a thief in the night. Watch and be vigilant. Put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation. For My Father did not appoint you to wrath but to salvation through Me, who died for you
.
So comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. Donât return evil for evil, but pursue what is good both for you and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything, for this is My will for you. Do not quench My Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things and hold to what is good. Abstain from evil
.
He who calls you is faithful and will bring all this to pass
.
I responded,
Yes, Lord
.
I will require of you patience and faith, for you will suffer persecutions and tribulations in your work for Me. This will give evidence of the righteous judgment of My Father, that you may be counted worthy of His kingdom. Be assured He will repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and He will give you rest when I am revealed from heaven with My mighty angels and in fire take vengeance on those who do not know Me and on those who do not obeyMy gospel. These will be punished with everlasting destruction, banished from My presence and from the glory of My power
.
I wondered,
Can I know and proclaim when the Day of the Lord will be?
That day will not come until the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition who exalts himself above God and is worshiped, sitting as God in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. That lawless one will be revealed, and I will consume him with the breath of My mouth and destroy him with the brightness of My coming
.
The coming of the lawless one is the work of Satan, who will deceive all who perish, because they did not love the truth so that they might be saved. For this reason My Father will send them strong delusion, and they will believe the lie, and they all will be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness
.
Though the Lord fell silent, I sensed He wanted me to meditate on what He had revealed to me. I remained there in the Spirit, unmoving, reflecting. How long this reverie lasted I cannot say, but when He spoke again I was aware the sun was much higher than when He had last spoken.
I am not sending you out to baptize but to preach My gospel, not with wisdom or eloquence, lest My death should be made worthless. For the message of My cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to those who will be saved it is the power of My Father. It is written: âI will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.â Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer? Has not My Father made foolish the wisdom of this world? It will please Him through the foolishness of the preaching of His gospel to save those who believe
.
Jews ask for a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom. You preach Me crucified, which to the Jews will be a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, I am the power and thewisdom of My Father. Godâs foolishness is wiser than men, and Godâs weakness is stronger than men
.
I will not call many wise, mighty, or noble. But My Father has chosen the foolish things to put to shame the wise of the world, and the weak things to put to shame the things that are
.
But concerning when this will happen, that day will come as a thief in the night. Watch and be vigilant. Put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation. For My Father did not appoint you to wrath but to salvation through Me, who died for you
.
So comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. Donât return evil for evil, but pursue what is good both for you and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything, for this is My will for you. Do not quench My Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things and hold to what is good. Abstain from evil
.
He who calls you is faithful and will bring all this to pass
.
I responded,
Yes, Lord
.
I will require of you patience and faith, for you will suffer persecutions and tribulations in your work for Me. This will give evidence of the righteous judgment of My Father, that you may be counted worthy of His kingdom. Be assured He will repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and He will give you rest when I am revealed from heaven with My mighty angels and in fire take vengeance on those who do not know Me and on those who do not obeyMy gospel. These will be punished with everlasting destruction, banished from My presence and from the glory of My power
.
I wondered,
Can I know and proclaim when the Day of the Lord will be?
That day will not come until the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition who exalts himself above God and is worshiped, sitting as God in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. That lawless one will be revealed, and I will consume him with the breath of My mouth and destroy him with the brightness of My coming
.
The coming of the lawless one is the work of Satan, who will deceive all who perish, because they did not love the truth so that they might be saved. For this reason My Father will send them strong delusion, and they will believe the lie, and they all will be condemned who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness
.
Though the Lord fell silent, I sensed He wanted me to meditate on what He had revealed to me. I remained there in the Spirit, unmoving, reflecting. How long this reverie lasted I cannot say, but when He spoke again I was aware the sun was much higher than when He had last spoken.
I am not sending you out to baptize but to preach My gospel, not with wisdom or eloquence, lest My death should be made worthless. For the message of My cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to those who will be saved it is the power of My Father. It is written: âI will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.â Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer? Has not My Father made foolish the wisdom of this world? It will please Him through the foolishness of the preaching of His gospel to save those who believe
.
Jews ask for a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom. You preach Me crucified, which to the Jews will be a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, I am the power and thewisdom of My Father. Godâs foolishness is wiser than men, and Godâs weakness is stronger than men
.
I will not call many wise, mighty, or noble. But My Father has chosen the foolish things to put to shame the wise of the world, and the weak things to put to shame the things that are
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