Faith – The Response of the Elect in These Perilous Times

[Study Aired November 21, 2022]

Introduction

This is a follow-up of what Brother Mike wrote on “Our Faith Overcomes the World” for the recent conference. Before the conference I was thinking of writing to encourage the participants of the conference regarding the stressful times in which we live. Unfortunately, I was not able to write due to my workload. I was therefore glad to see that Mike had written on the theme I had in mind which touched on our faith, being what will cause us to overcome in these trying times. I will therefore call this the second part of what Mike wrote.

There is no doubt in the mind of all of us that the times we live in are very challenging. The reason the world is getting worse as we get close to the end of this age is that men will get worse in character because of deception by the devil.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Apostle Paul gave us insight into what it means when men grow worse in character.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 
2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The outcome of men’s behavior is seen in the worsening of the economies of various countries making lives unbearable as we see the general rise in prices resulting from the greed of men and the desire to control the world. Apart from conflicts or wars plaguing the world, there is increased polarization of political parties in various countries. It is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to live in these perilous times.

In spite of all these occurrences, we must bear in mind that it is all part of the grand scheme of God to humble humanity to intensify their desire for the revealing of the sons of God at the end of this age. This desire will culminate in the first resurrection of the Lord’s elect to rule the world.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.    

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

All of what the world is going through is the beginning of sorrows as indicated by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 
Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

In trying to understand our response to these perilous times, two examples will be provided – one from the New Testament and one from the Old Testament. These examples show us the desperate situation in which the Lord’s elect found themselves and how the Lord wrought deliverance on their behalf. As we look at these examples closely through the Lord’s eye, the Lord will grant us the grace to know our response in these perilous times.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Our Response – New Testament

Let’s now take a look at the response of Paul when he was traveling with other prisoners by sea to Rome to face trial as the ship encountered a storm.

Act 27:8  And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
Act 27:9  Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 
Act 27:10  And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 
Act 27:11  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 
Act 27:12  And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. 
Act 27:13  And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 
Act 27:14  But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 
Act 27:15  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 
Act 27:16  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 
Act 27:17  Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
Act 27:18  And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 
Act 27:19  And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
Act 27:20  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
Act 27:21  But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 
Act 27:22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. 
Act 27:23  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 
Act 27:24  Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 
Act 27:25  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 
Act 27:26  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 
Act 27:27  But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
Act 27:28  And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 
Act 27:29  Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 
Act 27:30  And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 
Act 27:31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 
Act 27:32  Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 
Act 27:33  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 
Act 27:34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 
Act 27:35  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 
Act 27:36  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
Act 27:37  And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 
Act 27:38  And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 

As we can see, this was a life and death situation Paul encountered, and he even gave up hope of surviving until an angel of the Lord came to him to assure him that he will survive and that because of him, the Lord has also spared the lives of all those traveling with him (verse 24). One of the lessons we can glean from this situation is that we need the Lord’s words of assurance to survive in these perilous times. We must therefore take consolation in the words of assurance that the Lord has given us in His words.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (words of assurance): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is using what every joint supplies to assure us of His deliverance in these times. We should therefore not take for granted what our brothers and sisters say to us as they represent the angel of the Lord.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

What is insightful is the fact that the angel of the Lord mentioned that not only will Paul be saved from the storm but also all those with him. It is reassuring to know that in these times, the Lord is not only preserving us but also those we care about (our families).

Act 27:24  Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

In these perilous times, it is the word of the Lord that shines as light to show us what to do. It is this spiritual food that we are required to eat in these times to give us the strength to continue our journey of life.

Act 27:33  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
Act 27:34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Act 27:35  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 
Act 27:36  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

When Paul talked about the perilous times in 2 Timothy 3, he also emphasized the need to continue with the word of the Lord. This is the light that shines in our darkness until the day dawns and the morning star (Christ) rises in our hearts.

2Ti 3:14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Another lesson we can learn from this desperate situation Paul encountered is that we should be of good cheer in these perilous times.

Act 27:22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.

The reason we should be of good cheer is that nothing in these perilous times can harm us as we hold on to Christ. Fear of the unknown can stifle our relationship with the Lord as fear undermines faith. Many of our fears in life never materialize, and it is because the Lord knows how to preserve His own. Being of good cheer is anchored on the hope we have in Christ that no matter what happens around us in this life, our lives, together with our families, will be preserved and that we will finish successfully the race marked out for us. If we have this hope, then it necessitates that we wait for it with patience.

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

The third point to note is that in order for Paul and the others to remain safe on the ship, they had to offload many weights such as equipment, cargo, wheat, etc. that may facilitate drowning of the ship in the storm. As we journey in these storms of life, we have to let go of every weight of sin in our lives so that we can run the race of the kingdom of God with patience.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

As we are aware, letting go of these weights of sin is not our work but that of the Lord. What we have to do is to cry to Him to deliver us as He shows us our weights of sin. Since this is in line with the will of God, our prayers will surely be answered!!

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 
1Jn 5:15  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (ESV)

It is worth noting that some of the wheat was thrown away from the ship to lighten the weight. Here the wheat is shown in a negative light. It represents the false doctrines in our heavens that must be cleansed as we journey through the sea of life.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

The fourth point to note here is that when finally Paul, and those traveling him on the ship, were getting near land, the sailors wanted to use the lifeboat to run away. Paul noted what the sailors intended to do, and so he warned the centurion and the soldiers about this.

Act 27:30  And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 
Act 27:31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.

What we can learn from this is that unless we stay on the ship, we shall be lost, that is, the storm of life will sweep us away. The ship is where the miracle of God’s deliverance is taking place, not outside. The ship here represents our gathering together or the church of the firstborn sons of God.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 

The fifth point to observe is that the soldiers cut off the lifeboat to ensure that nobody left the ship. The lifeboat represents all that we depend on that have taken the place of Christ.

Act 27:31  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 
Act 27:32  Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

Jesus warned us against mammon (material wealth) which can easily derail our commitment to the New Jerusalem – the church of the firstborn.

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

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The love of money has destroyed many servants of the Lord. We have to depend on the Lord to be content in every situation. That is what will keep us in the “ship” to be saved!!

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

Finally, the soldiers took counsel to kill the prisoners, including Paul, lest they run away. However, the captain of the soldiers intervened and saved the prisoners.

Act 27:42  And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
Act 27:43  But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 
Act 27:44  And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. 

In these stressful times, the Lord will cause us to have favor in the sight of men who will help us when the need arises.

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Our Response – Old Testament Example

Let’s now take a look at the response of Mordecai and Esther when they faced being destroyed together with the Jews in Shushan.

Est 4:5  Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
Est 4:6  So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king’s gate. 
Est 4:7  And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
Est 4:8  Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. 
Est 4:9  And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Est 4:10  Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; 
Est 4:11  All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 
Est 4:12  And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. 
Est 4:13  Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 
Est 4:14  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 
Est 4:15  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
Est 4:16  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

The situation facing the Jews in Shushan was precarious as Haman had obtained a writ from the king which empowered him to destroy all the Jews in Shushan, including Mordecai and Esther. As we are aware, Esther was the king’s wife and therefore was uniquely privileged to intervene on behalf of the Jews. We, His elect, are also the bride of Christ, and therefore are in the same position as Esther in the sense of being favored by the King (our Lord Jesus) as we navigate through the storms of this life.

The first thing Esther suggested to Mordecai was that he should assemble all the Jews together. This is echoing the need to meet regularly as it is through our assembling together that we know the mind of Christ regarding what we should do in these distressing times.

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

The second thing Esther suggested was that the Jews must fast. We know that the spiritual significance of fasting is to keep ourselves from taking in false doctrines and to walk in righteousness as the Lord breaks the yoke of sin in our lives through the judgment of our old man (fasting for three days). That is what the Lord wants us to do as we “fast” in these stressful times.

Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 
Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 
Isa 58:9  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;  

These distressing times are all part of the Lord’s design for the elect with the view to perfect His work in us. As we are aware, all things are ours, that is, all things are designed by the Lord for our sakes, and that includes what is happening in this world now and what is to come. It is all for our good!!

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

The third observation here is that when Esther was faced with death, she was prepared to lose her life in a bid to save the Lord’s people. Her statement that day, “If I perish, I perish” shows us her resolve to lose her life to gain it one day.

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

To lose your life in this sense means to die to the flesh. To gain your life means to inherit the promises of God. So, what this means is that Esther was prepared to die to the deeds of the flesh so that she will inherit the promise of eternal life. Dying to the deeds of the flesh is the work of God which is achieved through the trials that we face. The confidence we have is that what the Lord starts, He is able to complete!!

Nobody is saying that living in these times is easy. However, we have an advantage in the sense that the Lord is with us. This reminds me of what my mother told me about her life. She had just buried her son and was very apprehensive about what the future held for her family and was getting ready to sleep when my dad (a Minister of the Methodist church) told her that they should pray before they sleep as was their habit. My mum’s response to my dad was that if Jesus really is alive and well, why didn’t He intervene in their circumstance but allowed her son to die? This was about the third son she had lost.

After saying this, she turned and slept without praying, leaving my dad to pray alone. Immediately as she slept, she had a dream in which she was traveling on a journey and came to a big river and was wondering how to cross when she heard a voice saying to her, “You say that the crocodile in this river is dead but I want you to know that the crocodile is alive and well. The light you see at the end of the river is his light.” My mum then lifted up her head and saw a great light at the end of the river. Suddenly, she saw a great army on her right and left come to escort her and her family across the river to the other side. Immediately, she woke up and woke my dad up saying, “Jesus is Alive!! Let us pray!!” This experience impacted greatly on my Mum and Dad’s lives, and it influenced the way my siblings and I were raised.  This is all to let us know that the eye of the Lord is on us, His elect, and will never fail us!!

2Ch 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

I will end with this encouragement from the Lord that whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in, the Lord is with us and will see us through these perilous times!! May His name be praised!!

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 
Psa 46:3  Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Psa 46:4  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 
Psa 46:5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Psa 46:6  The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 
Psa 46:7  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.