“Oh, if ever I get to heaven, it will be because God will, and nothing else; for I never did any thing of myself, but get away from God!”
― David Brainerd
Quote by David Brainerd
Month: January 2026
Light in the Last Days – Day 10
Luke 21:35-36 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The world is loud right now, saturated with reports of chaos and global upheaval. But despite the headlines, I am choosing peace over panic. For the believer, there is no room for anxiety—only faith.
The Scriptures offer us a powerful promise: those who are born again and sealed with the Holy Spirit are not destined for the period of wrath intended for the world. While some debate the timing of the Tribulation, the Word of God is clear about its scope. As we see in Luke 21:36 (which urges us to pray that we may be accounted worthy to escape), this coming trial will encompass the entire globe. It will be a time of great distress unlike anything history has ever witnessed, yet we can stand firm in the hope of our deliverance.
Revelation 3:10 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.
Looking at Revelation 3:10, we see a distinction that changes everything. Jesus promises to ‘keep thee from the hour of temptation.’ If He intended for us to endure it, He might have said He would sustain us through it. But the word ‘from’ suggests a total exemption. How can the Lord keep an entire group of people from a global event? The answer is clear: He must remove us from the earth before it commences. The Greek word and definition for “from” is:
A primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause; literally or figuratively; direct or remote):
This verse is specific: Church-age saints are kept from the temptation, not just protected while inside it. Amen! Paul’s letters give us extensive insight into the Rapture, and his message was always one of reassurance. If the Church had to face the Tribulation—the most harrowing period of judgment ever recorded—Paul’s words would offer no comfort. We aren’t looking for the Antichrist or the wrath of God; we are looking for our Savior. Let’s read together:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
We must distinguish this event from the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. At the Second Coming, Christ returns to stand upon the earth; however, verse 17 tells us specifically that we will meet Him in the air. Remember Jesus’ promise in John 14:1–3: He went to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us so that He could receive us to Himself. If we were simply staying on earth, why would He spend 2,000 years preparing ‘mansions’ or rooms in His Father’s house in Heaven? Those who believe we endure the Tribulation struggle to explain this, often suggesting these dwellings are on earth—but the Word points upward! Ultimately, if we were destined for the horrors of Revelation, Paul’s command to ‘comfort one another’ would be impossible. There is no comfort in judgment; the comfort is in our rescue.
Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote by Hudson Taylor
“I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realize that He is able to carry out His will for me. It does not matter where He places me, or how. That is for Him to consider, not me, for in the easiest positions He will give me grace, and in the most difficult ones His grace is sufficient.”
― Hudson Taylor
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Light in the Last Days – Day 9
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
History is stained with the stories of martyrs and the trials of the faithful, but the Bible speaks of a coming shadow unlike any the world has ever seen. While the Church has weathered the storms of human cruelty for centuries, the Great Tribulation introduces a different kind of reckoning—not just the malice of men, but the righteous outpouring of the wrath of God. As we look at the sobering reality of Revelation 13:7, we are forced to grapple with a difficult truth: a time is coming when the Tribulation saints on earth will not find earthly deliverance, but will instead be overcome. This reality serves as both a solemn warning and a powerful catalyst for us to cherish the “blessed hope” of the Rapture.
While every era of history has seen the Church endure seasons of persecution, these trials pale in comparison to the coming Tribulation. The difference lies in the source: past persecutions stemmed from the malice of evil men influenced by the devil, but the Tribulation is defined by the righteous wrath of God poured out upon an unbelieving Israel and a defiant world.
Revelation 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
There is a common view that the Church must endure the Tribulation, finding safety within the storm rather than escape from it. However, Scripture warns that the saints on earth at that time will be surrendered to the power of the Antichrist. This confirms that the Church Age ends at the Rapture, and those saved afterward constitute a different group who must face those terrible days. We are commanded to find encouragement in the coming of the Lord; but if we were staying for the wrath to come, would that truly be an encouraging message?
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Let’s be honest: the only thing truly ‘encouraging’ about a world-ending Tribulation is the promise of not being here for it. Our comfort is the Rapture—the exit strategy God provided to bring us home before the Antichrist even takes the stage.
Luke 21:35-36 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote by Amy Carmichael
“There is only one way of victory over the bitterness and rage that comes naturally to us–To will what God wills brings peace.”
― Amy Carmichael
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Light in the Last Days – Day 8
Isaiah 13:6-13 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. (7) Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: ( 8 ) And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. (9) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. (10) For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (11) And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
We’re diving into a heavy topic today. Isaiah calls the Great Tribulation the “day of God’s wrath.” Some believe Christians will have to face part or all of that time, but as we’ve discussed before, that doesn’t align with Scripture. We can take comfort in the fact that God didn’t design His wrath for those who follow Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus used Noah and Lot to show us how God handles judgment. Just as they were pulled out of harm’s way before the destruction started, we see a blueprint for the Rapture. It’s hard to square a Mid- or Post-Tribulation view with these stories, isn’t it? God consistently rescues His own before the judgment falls.
Luke 17:26-37 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (31) In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. (32) Remember Lot’s wife. (33) Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. (34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. (35) Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (36) Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (37) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
It is significant that the word “church” disappears from the Book of Revelation after chapter 3, verse 22. Immediately following this, Revelation 4:1 issues the command: “Come up hither!” This shift suggests a change in location; the Church is no longer mentioned on Earth during the dispensing of judgments because we have been delivered from the coming wrath. Through the grace of our Groom, Jesus Christ, we have been granted a way to escape the judgment intended for the world.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
I find such joy in these promises, and I hope you do too. But if you aren’t sure of your future, don’t ignore this moment. You aren’t here by chance; you are here by divine appointment. Today is the day to step into the safety of God’s grace. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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Quote by A.W. Tozer
“One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team.”
― A.W. Tozer
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Quote by William Carey
I was once young and now I am old, but not once have I been witness to God’s failure to supply my need when first I had given for the furtherance of His work. He has never failed in His promise, so I cannot fail in my service to Him. William Carey
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Light in the Last Days – Day 7
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ( 8 ) 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:
We don’t hear a thing when we see the fluff from a dandelion flowing gracefully through the air with the wind, dancing until it eventually drops softly to the ground. You don’t hear it fall; instead, you witness the subtle evidence of its delicate descent scattered across the earth. This phenomenon is no different from the topic we are discussing today. We don’t see the Holy Spirit, the invisible yet powerful force that guides and empowers believers, but we clearly see the transformative results of His work manifested in our lives and in the world around us. It is through the Holy Spirit that born-again believers are emboldened to act in love, produce good fruit, and share the message of hope with others. He is responsible for stirring the hearts of the unsaved, drawing them toward faith and redemption. His holy presence is invaluable, serving as the barrier standing between the imminent Rapture and the unsettling start of the seven-year Tribulation, a time foretold in Scripture that reshapes existence and reveals the urgency of being born-again before it is too late.
As we’ve discovered, the timing of the Rapture remains a divine mystery. Scripture reminds us that the one who ‘now restrains’ will continue to do so until He is taken out of the way. Because the Holy Spirit lives within every believer, His presence acts as a barrier against darkness. Without Him, the world would descend into the same unchecked evil seen in the days of Noah—a time so dire that only eight people were spared from destruction. Incredible! It is a sobering reminder of God’s holiness and His grace toward the faithful.
The Holy Spirit currently acts as a barrier, keeping the Antichrist from the world stage. Once the Rapture occurs, the Church Age concludes, and the Spirit’s work will transition back to an Old Testament-style empowerment. This shift ushers in ‘the time of Jacob’s Trouble,’ moving the spotlight back to the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. While the door to salvation stays open for everyone, God’s primary dealings will be with His original covenant people. If you want to know where we are in God’s timeline, look to Israel.
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
The post-Rapture world will shift its focus entirely back to Israel, marking a period of unprecedented upheaval. Without the Church and the Holy Spirit’s restraint to hold back the darkness, the stage is set for a ‘Great Deception.’ Deceiving spirits will use human vessels to broadcast a lie so moving that it will draw the entire world under its spell.
The unveiling of the Antichrist cannot occur until after the Rapture. As Scripture notes, the ‘mystery of iniquity’ is already active among us; global chaos and moral decay do not materialize overnight, but build steadily over time. We see the shadows of the Antichrist’s spirit across our daily news cycles even now. The only barrier preventing his full appearance is the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. Once that restraint is lifted through the Rapture of the Church, the ‘man of lawlessness’ will be revealed, granted free rein over a world prepared for his arrival.
Friend, born again Christians will not see the Antichrist in his role as Revelation describes. The epitome of the evil of this world is hindered right now thanks to the Holy Spirit. But once His power of restraint is removed with the Rapture of the church, the church age will end and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble will begin, also known as Daniel’s 70th week. The Antichrist will cut loose his evil influence and one will be hard pressed to find anything good.
I am trying to describe these events as simply as I can so that it is easily understood by those who are not born again. It may sound strange to you but with even just a little faith, you can be saved. This event is not something believers have to worry about because we will be in Heaven with Christ! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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A Mother’s Heart – For those who are hurting over their prodigal child.
“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown
I never imagined I would be at a point in my life where I would be writing about this very topic. Lord, why would you allow me to bear this cross? I love the Lord deeply, and I want to be found faithful in every area of my life, embracing His will with open arms. However, this particular trial was going to test my spiritual metal and challenge the very foundations of my faith. It feels as though I am standing on the edge of uncertainty, grappling with emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. I must admit, I allowed myself to be overwhelmed by those emotions. Yet I cling to the promises I’ve learned in my 45 years of salvation. In these moments, I seek the strength to endure and the wisdom to grow, trusting that even in the darkest valleys, there is a purpose to the pain and a light that leads me forward.
If you have a prodigal child or know of someone who does, please feel free to share this devotional.
