Persevering To The End Under Trial & Hell

 Whoah!  It is intense, these days.  For me and mine, and pretty much everyone I encounter or have anything to do with. . . . 

James 1:12: "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial . . . will receive the crown of life."

Galatians 6:9: "Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up."

Matthew 10:22:  "The one who endures to the end will be saved."

THESE ARE THE WORDS OF GOD

We're not at the part where "the pits of hell are opened" (according to Rev. 9:2)  BUT . . . it is as if the smoke and hot temper boiling, wicked steam . . . is seeping out of the cracks, getting ready to be loosed and explode.

For as long as I can, I must relate what I have seen.  Since the devil came (early on, about age 13) and offered me the "ticket" ... offered me "kingdoms of the world" (that sounds grandiose . . . but, metaphorically speaking, when the adversary draws in close, and if you've got potential use/promise in HIS (albeit temporary) reign over earth . . . he basically offers you the ol' "fame and fortune and power" spiel.

SO, anyway . . . yeah, I sat there for a moment.  The "fruit" WAS alluring, no doubt.  But I had already committed myself in my heart and mind to God (even though I wasn't sure Who He Was, exactly, at the time.)

I said, "no."  

And in that key confrontation, I knew from that moment on I knew I would most likely be shunned, ignored, persecuted, maligned, dissuaded, oppressed, neglected etc., etc.  I didn't at that moment realize all of those particular detailed angles of assault and suppression, but I knew that I wasn't going to get an easy path in life.  And indeed, so it has gone, for the most part in terms of worldly "success".  

I refused "the offer".  I gave up my life to gain it.  For early on, I was very aware of the inevitability of DEATH!  No matter what one gains, gets, "achieves" in THIS world . . . there is the infinitely more important and lasting WORLD TO COME.  You die.  Everyone does.  It's the one absolute guarantee.

On top of that, ANY blessing, anything good, worthy, helpful, beneficial you experience and "get" in this world, including your given talents, food, breath, water, the enjoyment of the animals, the fauna, the emotions, the gift of a beating heart and intricate (fearfully made) BRAIN and body--all the visceral pleasures and wonder of this (albeit fallen) created world--is ALL from God.

The BIG QUESTION . . . PURPOSE . . . is to figure out . . . THEN WHAT!?  THEN WHERE!?  

[At the time, and in my early young prime, by the way, I was being "scouted" by "finders" for both my athletic and musical and artistic prodigy-type skills/talent, so they said.  They hooked me up to EEG's, tried to have me skip 2 school grades, always had me in special "accelerated/gifted" classes. 

In retrospect, I can now clearly recall the various attempts of "the club" to wrangle me into it's/their service.  BUT, I loved GOD above all, so while flattering, tempting etc., I kept saying "no."  So then they made (and still make) sure every door is closed and sabotage all along the way.  

Jus' sayin'. . . .  A lot of the more recent stories, confessions of artists, "talents", etc., being courted and caught, that are now quite ubiquitous--I had early experience with such.]

As in, the devil showed up, proffered "the offer" . . . and I said no.

Now, getting back to the start of this post, re: "persevering to the end under trial". . . . 

"For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall." --Prov. 4:16

"There is no rest for the wicked . . . says my God." --Isaiah 57:21

MEANING . . . the adversary and his wicked, grotesque, hateful, blasphemous minions (seen and unseen) will continually harry . . . the children of God in this realm, in this time, end of days.

HOWEVER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN . . . and believe and know the Scripture, HELL IS REAL, and it is more than any horrific imagination that these (foolish followers of Lucifer) simply imagine.   They think it's going to be a party.  It's not.  It is beyond the WORST horrible situations that anyone in THIS world has experienced, no matter how painful and horrific.

He is impelling me to emphasize and share this difficult subject, Hell.  Not pleasant.  But, life is short, and hard truths are compelled to be alerted to.

[I have more to relate on this.  He is pressing me to do so.  It's rough, because, of course, the adversary does NOT want this vision to come out, so-to-speak. . . . Your prayers and support are cherished.]