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Consider the great testimony of King David: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust” (2 Samuel 22:2-3, my italics). He said of the godly, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7).

The Bible makes clear that, sadly, only a small percentage of God’s people in any age have ever truly trusted him as their deliverer. As you look around at believers today, how many people do you see operating with such peaceful trust?

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house” (Hebrews 3:1-2).

The author of Hebrews offers a strong word to all who are “partakers of the heavenly calling.” What is this heavenly calling? It is that you hear heaven calling you.

Often prayer is one of the most selfish areas of Christians' lives. Many of us have to admit that most of our prayers focus on our own needs.

Occasionally, we may reach beyond our own narrow concerns and pray for others. Yet usually when we tell someone, "I'll pray for you," we don't do it. Or, we pray once and then quickly forget about that person's need.

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:35–39).

Christians all over the world have a sense we’re living in the final days. The mounting crises, the growing fears, the signs of great shaking — all these things are evident, even to secular commentators. Now, for every follower of Jesus, the question of the hour is this: “Will my faith endure what is coming?”

I believe the most important issue of this hour has to do with what is called “enduring faith.” Simply put, will the faith of God’s people endure the terrible shaking of all things, the intense trials and testings to come, which no previous generation has faced?

The Psalmist writes, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee” (Psalm 76:10). According to this verse, the wrath of the wicked will one day be turned into praise of Almighty God. What a moment that’s going to be: the tongues of evildoers will only be able to acknowledge and worship the Lord!

My question about this verse is, where does the “wrath of man” come from? Right now a fierce, intense wrath is blanketing the whole earth, something that man isn’t capable of in himself. And this wrath is manifesting itself in multiple ways. Think of it:

As Paul was on his way to Jerusalem in Acts 20, he made a stop at Ephesus . There he called a special meeting of all the leaders of the church. He told those Ephesian believers solemnly, “This is the last time I’ll see you. And this will be my final message to you. You’re not going to see my face after this” (see Acts 20:25).

The prophet Ezekiel was given an incredible vision. Scripture says the hand of God carried Ezekiel to a very high mountain, where a man appeared to him "whose appearance was like the appearance of brass" (Ezekiel 40:2-3). John describes a similar vision of a man who appeared to him on the Isle of Patmos: "his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace" (Revelation 1:15).

After Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount, his listeners sat in awe. Scripture says, "The people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:28-29). The Greek word for authority in this verse means "with mastery, power, liberty; as one in control." Jesus' listeners were saying, in essence, "This man speaks as if he knows what he's talking about."

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14).

Many in the church today try to determine the nearness of Christ's return by reading the signs of the times. We see such signs in particular events -- for example, the return of the Jews to Israel. Yet one of the clearest statements Jesus makes about his second coming is contained in the verse above: The end will come only after the gospel has been preached to all nations -- as a testimony.