The pressure on believers to abandon their faith and follow the crowd will not diminish as the years roll on. It will increase. Though there may be spells when the pressure eases off, by the grace of Yahweh, to allow us to get much needed rest, it will overall be increasing. I hope, then, that you accept that and are under no illusions. The 'good old days', whatever they may have been to you, will not be returning - ever.

And Yahweh makes no promise that they will be returning either. Forget about any 'rapture', it's a fairy tale concocted in that same place where the masses are headed. Take heed of all the false prophecies concerning it. They have all, without exception, failed, and those which are projected for the future, I guarantee will fail. How do I know? Because the Bible teaches uniquivocably that the only people who will be lifted into the sky will be those of the first resurrection who meet the resturning Messiah who is on His way here - and will be staying here - for a thousand years. The flight duration of those blessed to be here when He comes back will probably only be a few minutes - and they will have passed though the Great Tribulation and have been made the better for it. The only people who escape the Great Tribulation will be those who die here before it.

Many Christians and Messianics have been sold the lie that trial and tribulation are a 'bad' thing and that this is only for the 'unspiritual' or 'disobedient' folks. But to believe that, they must cover their heads with a sack when a whole cluster of scriptures contradict this lie. Why, you may, ask, would Yahweh want to go through 'trial and tribulation'? And why would He want us to welcome it, even?

"We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, tikvah (hope). Now tikvah (hope), because the ahavah (love) of Elohim (God) has been poured out in our levim (hearts) by the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) who was given to us" (Rom.5:3-5, NKJV).

"And now abide (remain) emunah (faith), tikvah (hope), ahavah (love), these three; but the greatest of these is ahavah (love)" (1 Cor.13:13, NKJV).

If you agree that tivkah (hope) is vital to discipleship, to our relationship with Yahweh, and to our eternal future, then do you not think that that which produces tikvah (hope) is important too? Clearly. Tribulation leads to perseverence which leads to character development, which leads to tikvah (hope). And tikvah (hope) develops our ahavah (love).

Yahweh will send whatever tribulation is needed to accomplish this in your personal life. It will be a uniquely tailored cocktail which you can either choose to embrace while embracing Him or flee letting Him go. The trouble with the latter - and this is Satan's biggest trick - supposedly fleeing the tribulation that leads to tikvah (hope) by abandoning Messiah and embracing the world not only doesn't result in a tribulation-free life but the resultant tribulation is of no use to you at all. You will not profit by it, for it will neither develop your emunah (faith), tikvah (hope) nor ahavah (love). The tribulation of an authentic believer matures his soul whereas the tribulation of an unbeliever or a rebellious believer stunts his development. There is no life on planet earth without tribulation of some sort - the thing is, will you accept tribulation that makes you a better man or woman and secures you happiness in the eternities or will you fall into the hands of the other kind that does not by rejecting or abandoning your Saviour?

To understand why it is not a bad thing to experience trial and tribulation as a believer, consider your purpose for being down here in this mortal sphere. Your birth here was not some cruel cosmic joke and random event. It has multiple purposes:

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by Elohim (God)'; for Elohim (God) cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of emet (truth), that we might be a kind of bikkurim (firstfruits) of His creatures" (James 1:12-18, NKJV).

"For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of Elohim (God), you may receive the promise:

For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by emunah (faith); but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul" (Heb.10:36-39, NKJV).

"My brethren, count it all simcha (joy) when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your emunah (faith) produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4, NKJV).

You will recall that in Yah'shua's (Jesus') Parable of the Sower, the seed on the good ground must not only endure the heat of the midday sun but that it must actually bear fruit while enduring that scorching heat (Mt.13:3-9)! Both the good seed and the bad seed had to run the gauntlet of the hot sun. The reason the seed that fell on the rocky soul did not endure was because its root was not deep enough to suppy it with water - it was unable to continue, whithered away, and could not bear fruit.

The reason why so many Christians and Messianics fail and fall away is because of this problem of bad soil. And if we do not understand what this 'bad soil' is, we will never be able to help them turn it into good soil. Yah'shua (Jesus) explains:

"Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the davar (word). And these are the ones by the wayside where the davar (word) is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the davar (word) that was sown in their levim (hearts). These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the davar's (word's) sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the davar (word), and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the davar (word), and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the davar (word), accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred" (Mark 4:13-20).

Yah'shua (Jesus) plainly teaches that only those believers who cling to Him in emunah (faith) and continue in spite of the difficulties, pain and sorrow during the Great Tribulation or any tribulation they may have to face, will be saved:

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because Torahlessness (lawlessness) will abound, the ahavah (love) of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:9-13).

"Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:21-22, NKJV).

"Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Mark 13:12-13, NKJV).

"Remember that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my besorah (gospel), for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of Elohim (God) is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Messiah Yah'shua (Christ Jesus) with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: 'For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (Timothy 2:11-13, NKJV).

This is serious stuff and we can't trifle with it.

The book of Revelation is not only a warning about the difficulties and things that are to come, but also an encouragement to believers about what Yahweh will grant to those who have continued through trial and tribulation by His grace and strength, and having thus overcome. Overcoming cannot be disconnected from continuing in emunah (faith):

"But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations (i.e. rulership) — ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ — as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star" (Rev.2:25-28, NKJV)

"For whatever is born of Elohim (God) overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our emunah (faith). Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yah'shua (Jesus) is the Son of Elohim (God)?" (1 John 5:4-5, NKJV).

Now the promises:

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of chayim (life), which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim (God)" (Rev.2:7, NKJV).

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt (injured, suffer) by the second death" (Rev.2:11, NKJV).

"Blessed and set-apart (holy) is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be cohenim (priests - i.e. rulers) of Elohim (God) and of Messiah (Christ), and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Rev.20:6, NKJV).

So overcomers do not have to go through the pain of those who were rebellious believers or unbelievers - they will be free of tribulation forever unlike their lawless brethren.

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it" (Rev.2:17, NKJV).

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Chayim (Life); but I will confess his name before My Father and before His malakim (angels)" (Rev.3:5, NKJV).

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim (God), and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My Elohim (God) and the name of the city of My Elohim (God), the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim (God). And I will write on him My new name" (Rev.3:12, NKJV).

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev.3:21, NKJV).

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim (God) and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev.21:7-8, NKJV).

Everyone reading this is struggling and one or two are even struggling with me! If the latter is the case, edit out all I have written and just read the scripture quotes. That's all I ask.

If we continue in emunah (faith), struggle to overcome and continue clinging to Yah'shua (Jesus) no matter the trials and trbulations, then the promise we have is that Yahweh will show Himself faithful.

We need not over-dramatise this either. Most of our struggle is not about facing challenging Herculean tasks (though there may be one or two), riding out in shining armour to fight epic battles (though we may occasionally have these too), or anything nearly so flashy, as it is about simply

Endurance, you see, is for the most part overcoming by continuing along the Way, clinging onto the promises, believing that everything Yahweh says is Emet (Truth), holding on to Emunah (Faith) and strictly abiding divine Tavnith (Pattern). What overcoming is not is continuing in sin, trying to overcome in our own strength, or doing our own thing. These three consitute defeat and guarantee that we will whither up fruitless when the real presecution comes our way.

I want to conclude today by underlining the extreme importance of trusting everything Yahweh says. A great deal of overcoming consists of coming to a decision as to whether our Father in Heaven's words really are true, and whether His Way really is right and perfect. And the big question really is whether we will continue trusting Him even when we are hurting and in great difficulties? Part of true salvation involves the divine enablement to respond positively to these things and to continue following Him. His words are true and He is righteous and faithful even when we are going through difficulties and especially when we don't understand why. Then, we have one final promise if we will do this:

"Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame" (Rom.10:11, NKJV).