How to Stand Strong by Faith in A Darkening World! ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba

There is no doubt the world is darkening faster than we could have ever imagined thrusting even believers into panic and despair. But why despair? For if you truly know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you should not be surprised by all that is happening. He said, “⁹“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.¹⁰Then many will be led into sin,and they will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, ¹²and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24 NKJV). To Stand Strong by Faith in a Darkening World, one must never forget: God is on His Throne.

All these things must come to place ushering in the return of Jesus. We cannot be dismayed by the appearance that evil is winning because we know the end of the story. Every Old Testament prophecy (except those yet to come) occurred exactly as foretold. God’s will be fulfilled as planned down to the minutest of details. The same truth remains true of the end time prophecies from the Old Testament and the New Testament. Therefore, we have nothing to fear nor to dismay, even when evil appears to be winning. All our prayers appear unheard; but they are not! Judgement will come and come swiftly in the year of our Lord. Every evil act will be judged and every wrong against God’s elect will be avenged by God Himself.

Isaiah 5 (NKJV)

^20 (Woe to) those who call evil good and good evil,^]
who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,
who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.^[
²¹Beware, those who think they are wise,
those who think they possess understanding.
²²(Woe to) those who are championsat drinking,
who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.
²³They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff,
they ignore the just cause of the innocent.
²⁴Therefore, as flaming firedevours straw,
and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,
so their root will rot,
and their flower will blow away like dust.
For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
they have spurned the commandsof the Holy One of Israel.

The word Woe translated as Beware in the NKJV Bible is the word hō-w in Hebrew. In Isaiah this is a pronouncement of judgement with great affliction and despair attached. God will not be mocked, for He is a righteous God who does not overlook sin. We must not water down God’s Glory nor His righteousness by proclaiming He will not judge anyone because of His love.

It is because of His love, righteousness, and Glory that He must destroy all that is evil. That is: all who have not accepted His wondrous gift of Mercy.

God provided the only way of escape by paying the full price for our sin, pouring forth His wrath against sin onto His Son. Therefore, the only hope of sinful humanity is to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Clinging to Him with all our hearts, minds, and strength we can stand strong by faith even in a darkening world.

Stand Strong by Faith: The Wrath of God Revealed

We KNOW that the Lord Jesus Christ will come to avenge sin and every wrong that has been carried out against His children. The word for God’s wrath relating to the end times is always the word orge. Orge is a stored up, settled wrath. Absolute vengeance against sin for all who deny Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father.

Paul spoke of orge wrath in Romans 1

¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

²¹Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:²⁵Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Stand Strong by Faith: How Can a Loving God Be Wrathful?

God has provided humans every opportunity of escape. Yet, they have chosen evil over Him. Still, He has allowed their existence and even allowed them to appear at times to win; because He lovingly is waiting for one more to be saved.

Look what He said to those saved in the first part of tribulations. The church already raptured; the tribulation has begun. Those who profess Christ during the tribulation will be killed for their stance.

⁹And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6).

He knows the exact moment when all who will accept Jesus, have. Furthermore, He knows when they will. Paul also wrote it as this:

¹⁸For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be comparedto the coming glory that will be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of Godwho subjected it—in hope ²¹that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. (Romans 8).

Stand Strong- A Darkening World: Why did God allow sin?

No one or nothing can truly know or experience love if not given the choice to love. Can anyone love righteousness if they did not see it contrasted by evil? He gave us choice. Yet, in and at the same time He is Sovereign to call whom He will to Himself. These seem to be opposite ideas within our finite minds; but both stand equally true. WE stand guilty of our own choice when we reject Christ. Yet, we could never choose Him if His grace did not draw us to Him.

Paul wrote:

²²What if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objectsof wrathprepared for destruction?²³And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objectsof mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴even us, whom he has called Romans 9 (NET)

Would I be able to cherish Him, love Him or desire Him above all else had He not been willing to display all the attributes of His Glory to me?

Surrounding us is a rapidly darkening world, which causes our hearts to hate the evil we see. We grow in our hatred; yet we cannot succumb to become as they are. When I endured severe physical abuse, I knew one thing—the minute I returned violence for violence, the evil would win. So, I did not and in the end, Pete accepted Christ as His Savior before he died. This is also what President Trump so wisely said multiple times. We cannot overcome evil with evil. He learned that from the Bible. So, let us look to the word of God to help us stand firm in faith within a darkening world.

How to Stand Strong in Faith in a Darkening World

Recognize who we are—the Blessed, Chosen, Redeemed, Beloved Children of the God Almighty who reigns Omnipotent and Sovereignly over the affairs of all His creation
Vengeance is coming at the hand of God against every evil—yet a little while and the Day of the Lord will come. The elders are shown holding all the prayers of the saints in a large bowl. All those prayers against evil you have prayed will be answered when the Lamb that is worthy takes the book of judgements from His Fathers’ hands. (Revelation 5:⁸And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. ⁹And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;¹⁰And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.¹¹And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; ¹²Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Therefore

3. Until that day, we pray, study His word, and proclaim His name to everyone we meet. We do that in love because we recognize, were it not for Grace, we too would be lost. Also, we do it because we love the one who died for us.

4. We speak truth and light into the darkening world. ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not ^[^a^]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10: (NKJV).

Finally, to stand strong in faith in a Darkening World

We follow and obey these words of our Lord and Savior, keeping our eyes on Him.

“Blessed are you who are poor,for the kingdom of God belongs to you.
²¹“Blessed are you who hunger^{now, for you will be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
²²“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject you as evil on account of the Son of Man! ²³Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets…

²⁷“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies,do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹Luke 6: 20-31 (NET)

Concluding Thoughts to Stand Strong in Faith in a Darkening World

So, let us see the anger we feel as merely an eye-opening experience to contrast the depth of evil in this world and the Absolute Righteousness of God. Then let us lay aside our anger, knowing this is not our destiny. We are the children of the most high God and we should reflect Him. He will avenge all the evil in His time, His way. Until then, let us be light and salt, standing strong in faith in an ever-darkening world.

He said, “⁹“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.¹⁰Then many will be led into sin,and they will betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets will appear and deceive many, ¹²and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24, (NKJV)

Do not let it be said of you that your love grew cold, no matter what comes. We are in this together.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.