RESTING IN TESTING TIMES LIKE THIS

Brethren, the end is near,
Our Lord shall soon appear:
These the days of vengeance be,
Rumour’d ills the land distress;
Wars on wars ye hear and see,
Ushering in the Prince of Peace

His judgments are abroad,
Forerunners of our God;
Nation against nation fights,
Kingdoms against kingdoms rise;
Signs above, and fearful sights
Speak the anger of the skies.

The powers of heaven he shakes;
Earth to her centre quakes;
Famine shews her meagre face;
Pestilence stalks close behind;
Woes surround the sinful race;
Wrath abides on all mankind.

The nations are distress’d,
The wicked cannot rest:
No, in sin they sleep no more,
Tossed with sad perplexity;
Swell the waves, and work, and roar,
Men are like the troubled sea.

Terror their heart assails,
Their heart thro’ terror fails;
Fails, overwhelmed with huge dismay,
Looking for the plagues to come,
Shrinking from their evil day,
Fainting at their instant doom.

 But ye that fear the Lord,
Fear neither plague nor sword;
Jesus bids your care depart,
Ye in Jesus’ love are blest;
Sprinkled is your peaceful heart:
Now expect the perfect rest.

These threatening clouds look thro’,
Good they portend to you:
Lift your heads, with joy look up,
Find your full redemption near;
See your soul’s desire and hope,
See your glorious Lord appear

His near approach ye know,
Treated like him below;
This the word that Jesus said,
Now your Master’s lot ye find,
Mock’d, rejected, and betray’d,
Hated now by all mankind.

 In calm and quiet peace
Your patient souls possess;
God hath kept your innocence,
God shall still his own defend:
Rest in him, your sure defence,
Suffer on, and wait the end.

His mercy’s wings are spread,
To guard your naked head;
None can hurt you now, or grieve,
Hated tho’ ye be by all:
No, without your Saviour’s leave,
Not one sacred hair shall fall.




  The time of His arrival we do not know, but we know the signs.  As we can see around us, in the news, on the street;we're in the last days.
   A day ago I was reading an article about the persecution of christians in Egypt  ,I read about the killings and I was moved to tears and anger.
  The Bible has prepared us about the persecutions christians will suffer  for his namesake ,but Jesus in Matthew 5 vs 4 tells us to REJOICE when persecuted
  The secret of "RESTING IN TESTING TIMES" is to REJOICE

May the Lord fill our hearts with joy

P.s  Western christians need to pray more for persecuted brethren in Egypt,China,Middle East
      




The above poem was a piece by John Wesley during  the war of Austrian succession in 1774



God Bless you for reading the above post, share with friends,encourage,exhort and edify each other
May the Lord find us watching and ready when he comes
Amen