Why Tribulation?

Part One

God had given Adam explicit directions in the Garden of Eden to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Nevertheless, Adam yielded to the temptation to become like God, rebelled, and ate the tree's fruit. This action severed his life-giving connection with God causing immediate spiritual death. Hence, spiritual death, not having a relationship with God, will eventually result in physical death. The amount of rebellion in a person's life affects the impact of that rebellion, weakening our bodies and inviting disease, infirmities, and various sicknesses. Rebellion does not cause these maladies but opens doors for Satan's attacks against our bodies.

When rebellion or sin enters our life, the concept put into motion is sowing and reaping. God said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." If we sow rebellion and sin, we will reap death. However, God can delay or mitigate the harvest because of His grace and mercy, allowing people to repent before physical death. Tribulation is the mitigator of their incoming harvest when people have lost their position with God and are no longer obedient.

Another way of expressing it might be; tribulation is delaying the deserved punishment, allowing repentance, and opening the eyes of our hearts.

God has set aside a time of seven years of tribulation, allowing the world's repentance. The purpose of this process is twofold. First, genuine repentance is to reveal the Christ in people to the world, or the revelation of Jesus. The second is to remove the ungodly from the vicinity of the Kingdom of God. The Bible calls this the valley of decision. The decision is whether we will move entirely into God's Kingdom or away from the kingdom. God is no longer going to allow indecision. Lukewarmness breeds indecision.

When the Lord sends His angels to harvest the ungodly from the earth, they will remove those not entirely in the Kingdom of God (Mat. 13:36-43). What remains will be only the Kingdom of God. Then God can announce:

Revelation 11:15 KJV

(15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Part Two

At this point, the critical question in everybody's mind is, am I entirely in the Kingdom of God today? Well, only you can answer that question. Therefore, I do not intend to try; however, I will attempt to help you answer for yourself. God holds you accountable for your decisions; make them wisely, enlisting His aid in all of them, and you will be fine.

Partial quote:

Acts 11:26 ----And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

The name Christian was first given to the Church at Antioch by the people who lived there. God did not call us Christians. Although it is used by Agrippa in the book of Acts and again by Peter in His book, God never used it to identify His people. But, of course, with every name is a destiny proclaimed by that name. Therefore, I believe the world has seduced us into accepting their destiny instead of God's.

I believe the right path to following Jesus is to be identified by a name He has given us. God has given us several names and their associated destinies. I accept the identity He has given me as a son of God, His offspring, and a grown child. God recognizes this identity in the kingdom constitution called the New Testament. It is also a part of the Last Will and Testament of God and included as an heir of His kingdom. Therefore, I am a legal citizen of His kingdom and an heir to that kingdom.

As a son of God, I am included in His household, living in constant communion with the Godhead. He welcomes me as a king and priest unto God and assigns me a vital role in ruling and reigning in His kingdom today.

As a son of God, He has chosen me as His ambassador and personal representative of His government to the world. Joining me as one person with all of His other ambassadors forms His ekklesia. I feel like I am no longer ashamed of Him. I no more adopt a name the world has given me.

As I stated at the beginning, the decision is yours. May the Lord help you to choose wisely. May the grace and wisdom of God abound in your life. Amen.

Part Three

When I received Christ, the people told me I could be confident of going to heaven when I died. Jesus never preached that message. He only preached about the Kingdom of God. Perhaps if we understood what He preached, we might also understand heaven better.

The Kingdom of God is a family relationship between the king and His people, who occupy a territory that the king owns. In our case, the Lord owns the earth and the people because He made them. Any place God the king exercises His total authority over is called heaven. That includes us.

Jesus told us that the Kingdom of God is within us; therefore, the expression of the rule of God from within us makes us an area of heaven. God's manifestation expresses His nature, which is His glory and emanates heaven from us. Therefore, when we die, we remain in the presence of God and the place of the expression of heaven. However, our perception will change dramatically. We will see heaven and become unaware of the earth.

Jesus told us to pray that His kingdom would come and establish itself within us. Therefore, he wants to fill us with heaven, not fill heaven with us.

As I stated earlier, it is your decision. I cannot make it for you. However, you have free will; even God will not violate that. Please choose wisely. Earnestly and fervently seek God for His all-knowing guidance. As for me, I choose to live in heaven now. Being there now is my assurance of being in heaven when I die.

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