The Uncertainty of Faith on the Earth when Jesus Returns!

23 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 18:8.        Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day. But Brother, are these second wind days ever coming up quickly! (smile) The truth is that all the days are moving ahead quickly, waiting for nothing or no one, so we all had better get our acts together and get doing the Lord’s work, because it would be a serious mistake to get left behind when the trumpet sounds up yonder. (smile)

And who says our God isn’t wonderful and moves in mysterious ways eh, for as I opened the Good Library, it opened at that passage in Luke where Jesus was telling the parable of the unjust judge who refused to give justice to a wronged woman, but finally did so when she kept bothering him. What caught my eye though was this very relevant observation of Jesus. ‘Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall God not avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:6-8)

Now that’s the important question in these evil and ungodly times my people! When Jesus returns to earth, how much faithful believers will there be eh? Judging by the way we’re turning away from Him and embracing evil and ungodliness, it might not be a substantial amount, although the Lord has promised to vindicate those who persevere in faith.

And this commentary offers an interesting take on the subject. It says: ‘This question, posed by Jesus, implies a potential decrease in faith among humanity. The parable of the persistent widow in the preceding verses highlights the importance of perseverance in prayer and faith, even when faced with adversity, and contrasts this with the potential for faith to wane over time.’

And there are a couple of scriptures that suggest that very thing, the waning of faith preceding Christ’s return. The first one is Jesus speaking to the disciples re signs of His coming again and the end of the world. He tells them about wars and rumours of wars, a lot of natural disasters, betrayals and persecutions for His sake. ‘And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax (grow) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt. 24:11-13) And right now we are seeing a titanic rise in lawlessness and licentiousness, which are certainly reducing the ranks of the believers.

Then Bruh Paul warns the Thessalonians thus: ‘That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ is at hand (had come). Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.’ (2 Thess. 2:2-3)

Now, according to the scholars the Thessalonians were anxious and deeply troubled when Bruh Paul talks about the about the Rapture (our gathering together unto him in vs.1), thinking that the day of Christ had already begun. Then the falling away is the great and final apostasy or repudiation of the Christian faith that will occur at the appearance of the son of perdition, the Antichrist. So Bruh Paul himself is insinuating that when the Antichrist appears there will be a “falling away” or apostasy that will precede the return of Christ.

How sad that will be, for so many will have to face eternal death because of their foolish and unwise behaviour and beliefs. And what makes it even worse is that so many of us know the truth of God’s Word which can set us free from the bondage of sin, but we refuse to accept it for whatever reason. Maybe the attractiveness of sinful behaviour is too powerful for us to resist, or we just LOVE it despite its terrible consequences. For remember if we walk in the flesh, we will die by the flesh, but if we walk in the Spirit of God, we will attain eternal life. ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:6)

Yes friends, only when we follow the leading and guidance of God’s Holy Spirit will we ever enter heaven’s pearly gates and see His wonderful face. And this other scripture verse puts it quite simply but truthfully. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 6:23) And the beauty of the whole situation is that you don’t have to work hard to get it, because it’s a free gift of God! All you have to do is simply accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and begin seriously living for Him instead of for Satan.

And Jesus said it very clearly to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who, fearful of his fellow rulers, came to Him under cover of night seeking answers. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18)

It could not be more explicit or straightforward than that my brethren! It’s very simple: you believe in Jesus and you live. You don’t believe in Him and you die. Please note we’re speaking of the life and death of our spiritual souls not our physical bodies, for we all shall die a physical death, but the big question is where will our souls go after our physical death? That’s the big money question my fellow believers!

And the answer is in the hands of each of God’s human creations. We each make the final decision as to where we spend eternity. But please, let’s allow wisdom to rule and do like Moses advised the Israelites way back when: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Now that’s wisdom in spades! And having wisely accepted it (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And there’s an even more glorious future promised to those who endure to the very end with Jesus, one that our finite minds cannot even imagine or comprehend. So let’s endure to the end nuh, so that together, we can enjoy the glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!

…the epitome of wisdom is…choosing Jesus over Satan…eternal life over eternal death…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 February 2024 Luke 18:8b.

01 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 18:8b.       Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And then it was February first, 2024! Yes friends, January of 2024 is already in the dustbin of history, and February, no doubt will be hot on its heels. The days are not waiting for us, so we have to get up and get while the going and the getting are good. That means doing whatever task(s) that Jesus has delegated to us without fear and in an acceptable time frame, which usually means right away. (smile) Ah mih people, too many of us are prone to put off the Lord’s work for when we have time, or when we feel like doing it, but that doesn’t sit well with the Father, for He considers it disobedience when we don’t do what He asks when He asks. And please remember that disobedience carries serious consequences, so it would certainly be in our best interest to do God’s work when He desires it be done. End of Sermon. (smile) 

And what shall we talk about on this wet, cloudy first day of February eh? Well I just opened the Good Library and it opened unto the Book of Luke, chapter 18, that begins thus: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart);’ (Luke 18:1) Now that is not the verse I really want to talk about, but it’s so important, and there are so many scriptures that encourage us to keep on praying, that I want to stop and quote a couple before we move on. 

This first one comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Roman church where he’s writing about overcoming evil with good. He reminds them to keep ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation (perseverance); continuing instant (steadfast) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12)  And those actions , especially steadfastness in prayer, should always be at the top of a believer’s list, for prayer is how we connect with our great God Jehovah. Yes, communication with Almighty God is the greatest privilege we have as believers. Therefore we need to keep a constant and direct communication line open with Him. That’s why Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians to ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17) 

It’s something that ALL serious believers ought to embrace, especially in what seems like the end times. And the scholars add: ‘Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ Now, having reestablished the overwhelming importance of prayer in a believer’s life, (smile) let’s get to the heart of what we truly want to talk about today. That means listening to Jesus’ parable, re God avenges His own. ‘There was in a (certain) city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded (respected) man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of  (vindicate me against) mine adversary. 

And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard (respect) man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge (vindicate) her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge (vindicate) his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge (vindicate) them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18: 2-8) 

Now, that last question is what we want to talk about on this damp and cloudy Thursday my brethren! Whether or not Jesus will find any faith when He returns to earth to get His church? And believe me, the question is a very viable one, for considering how people are leaving the church in droves, while newcomers are merely trickling into it, there is strong concern that the faithful will be few and far between when Jesus returns. And that will be a very sad reality. It won’t speak very highly of us at all. It would mean that the great ‘sufferation’ Jesus endured on our behalf was all a waste, of no value whatsoever. Now, can we, as true believers abide that situation? I sincerely hope not! 

But here are some explanations on the subject from the scholars. They say: ‘If an unjust judge acts in this way, how much more hope may God’s children place in God? However, the issue is not God’s faithfulness. It is whether believers will persist in supplication, or whether their patience and perseverance will give out by the time Christ finally returns’ Now that’s the billion dollar question my fellow saints! Are we going to continue steadfast in prayer and faith until whenever Jesus comes back to get us? Or will we lose that patience, perseverance, longsuffering and faith under the barrage, the bombardment of temptation and distraction from the devil and his evil cohorts? 

I would sincerely like to say we won’t, but the way things are going in Christ’s church today; the many divisions, dissensions, petty rivalries and jealousies, and the poor teaching of the real truth of God’s Word, anything is possible. And Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy are certainly coming true. He admonishes him to:  ‘Preach the word, be instant (ready) in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.’ (2 Tim. 4:2-4) 

Yes friends, that’s certainly happening to day on a fairly large scale. Believers don’t want to hear the real truth, they want to hear what they want to hear, stuff that will make them feel good, and there are certainly many teachers who are willing to appeal to those ‘itching ears’ and tell them exactly what they want to hear. Consequently, those teachers, their slanted and/or untrue words, as well as the supposed believers, will turn into myths and legends, that will even further dissipate the truth of God’s Word. 

Now, it’s up to the true ambassadors, the true disciples of Christ to turn this scary situation around. And we can certainly do it if we get up off of our lazy, comfortable fannies and use the tools, the blessings which the Lord has already bestowed on us to do His earthly work. What we call our Thursday Blessings. It’s time declare them out loud and thus activate them. So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! 

I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having activated those blessings, we are now required to go out and use them to the benefit of mankind, just as generously as God bestowed them to us! Much LOVE!

…steadfast prayer and perseverance is absolutely necessary…if Jesus is to come back and find strong faith…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ