Our life is full of choices. This morning we chose what clothes to wear, what food to have for lunch and dinner. When buying, we also choose what brand to buy. We choose where to go for holiday.

We make choices from the moment we wake up. Some choices are more important, some less.

We often say, “I don’t have a choice!” In actuality, choosing not to do anything is a choice in itself.

When we make a critical decision, we would definitely spend a bit of time thinking through Old Testament. But sometimes no matter how much time we’ve spent thinking about it, the outcome is not as we desire.

For example, we choose our desired stream in secondary, or our desired career. The speaker studied in the IT line but many of his course mates ended up in jobs that weren’t related to IT.

Therefore in every critical decision, it is important to involve God in our decision making. Most of the time we decide first and pray to God to guide us in it. Actually, we should pray to God BEFORE making the decision; to ask Him for wisdom to guide us. Especially if it relates to our spiritual lives. For example, the choosing of our spouse needs to be carefully made. Because we spend our entire lives with our spouse, and we want God involved. Consider carefully whether our decisions are according to God’s will. God’s will is for our life partner to have the same faith as us.

The choice we decide on in our daily lives may not go according to our expectations but the choice we choose in our spiritual lives has certainty, because God has given us depictions in the Bible to understand/know the outcome.

All of us are given a precious gift from God: free will to choose. Since the creation of Man, God gave us the freedom to choose. God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Man had the choice to obey or not to obey.

Gen 2:16-17
The choice was given to both Adam and Eve. If they had chosen to obey and not eat from the tree, they would’ve lived forever. But if they chose not to obey, they would surely die. So when God gives commandments, the outcome for each choice is very certain.

Deut 11:26-28
God told the Israelites through Moses that there’ll be blessings if we obey God’s commandments, and curses if we disobey. God gives us free will to choose to obey or disobey.

The choice we choose will determine the end of our lives. If we make the wrong choice, we’d be directed to the wrong end. But if we choose to obey God, there’ll be a blessing.

Eccl 7:8
“The end of a thing is better than its beginning”
If we obey God’s commandment, of course the ending is better than the beginning. But a person who disobeys God’s commandments won’t have an ending that’s better than the beginning.

Sin can start small. But it can grow to a big tree that bears many fruits. It can grow something beautiful. The same can happen to our lives. Our end can be better than our beginning. (? link ?)

Rev 5 records the 7 seals that represents God’s work in the Last Days. The Bible tells us clearly that we’re in the Last Days or even the Last Hours (Acts 2:17-18). Elder John also tells us that when we hear the Anti-Christ has come, it indicates we’re in the Last Days (1 John 2:18). This was almost 2000 years ago. If that time was the Last Hours, then perhaps we are in the Last Minutes today. We’re getting nearer and nearer the end times.

If we look at society, we can see the signs; we can see the world is in chaos; it’s getting worse. Indeed, we are in the last hour of the last days. All these signs point us to repent. What’s wrong becomes right, what’s right becomes wrong. It’s really in chaos. We really need to make preparation for ourselves. Using Noah’s context to apply to our situation, it can be said that the flood is coming soon.

For all of us, we don’t know when our lives will end.
20 years ago, the speaker spoke to his father. All seemed well, nothing was amiss. He passed away that evening.
On another occasion, he was talking to a schoolmate. Later that day, his schoolmate met with an accident and passed.
On another occasion, his Aunty was talking to his brother-in-law on the phone when suddenly there was silence. “Hello? Hello??” She put down and tried to call again but the line was engaged. Worried, she phoned her sister to go down to check. He had passed away. The very minute you’re talking to the person is the very minute he dies.

We may not live to the Last Day; we don’t know if we’ll still be alive after this service ends.

We don’t know when our lives will end, which hence makes it so important for us to prepare for the end of our lives.

Rev 7:9-17
Why did God give such a depiction of God’s people in heaven? He wants us to understand our suffering will end one day. One day we’ll be with God in Heaven. We’ll no longer hunger or thirst; the heat of the sun will no longer strike us; we’ll no longer shed tears. This is the hope we as Christians have in Jesus! This hope helps to push us along our journey of faith. This is a hope that’s very certain. Question is: do you believe?

Rev 6-7 shows us two pictures: (1) the judgement over the world, (2) salvation of great redemption of God’s people. These two pictures are greatly contrasting. One of condemnation, one of salvation. Our choices determine our spiritual end. It’s up to us how we exercise the free will God has given us.

Rev 6:9
This verse describes the people of God who died for the word of God. Christian persecution is not something new. God wants us to understand that there WILL be Christian persecutions; He wants us to get ready. God knows and will judge and avenge us. If we’re being persecuted, He wants us to stand firm.

Many people don’t like to hear about Christian suffering or sacrifices. They’d prefer to turn away from reality. Many Christian churches prefer to preach something positive. They like to talk about blessings and prosperity, hence there’s something called ‘prosperity gospel’.

Today many young people are trapped in fantasy. This is how Satan tries to destroy the youths.

“It’s nothing wrong! It’s positive! We should always talk about positive things what”
That’s true. But as long as it concerns the truth, speaking it is more important than speaking what’s positive. The truth can be painful, but it’s important to speak it. If you’re unwell, you should speak up about it.

Matt 24:9-14
The Lord speaks of great tribulation in the last days. Many early believers died as martyrs. In Singapore we are generally not persecuted as Christians; we’re in our comfort zone. If we go out on the streets to preach about Jesus, it’s unlikely we’d get beaten up. At the very most, we’re beaten up spiritually or chased out or asked to shut up (because our society wants us to keep our faith private).

A couple of years ago we heard news of a baker who refused to make a cake for a gay couple. They were subsequently sued and the court ruled the baker pay a fine of US$185,000. He ran out of business and went bankrupt. Witnessing this, some people may say, “Why not just make the cake? It would’ve been much easier for your life!”

Many people say the US respects freedom and human rights. But the baker didn’t even have freedom to express his faith.

In Vietnam, a Vietnamese translator was imprisoned for aiding and abetting the American forces. In the process, he became a Christian. When he came out of prison, he testified how the communist tried to brainwash him with communist ideology; to go against the democratic and Christian ideology. Until one day he was convinced that God didn’t exist. He was going to disown God. He determined not to pray anymore the next day or to be a Christian. On the day he stopped praying, the prison commander set him to clean the toilet. While doing so, he saw a dustbin overflowing with rubbish. There was faeces on a piece of paper with English on it. He washed it and kept it. When all were asleep, he took it out to read. It happened to be a page from the Bible, and on it was Rom 8:28. When he read it, he was trembling. “And we know all things work together for those who love God…”
:38-39 “I am convinced nothing is able to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ our Lord…”

At that moment he wept and cried out to God. He asked God for forgiveness. That day was the first day he decided to disown God but God didn’t even allow him to go for 24h.

The next day, he asked the commander if he could clean the toilet everyday (because he realised the commander was using the Bible pages as toilet paper). So he started collecting these pages. He treasured the word of God very much.

This story is claimed to be true, but the speaker is unsure if it is true. Nevertheless let us reflect on this story. How much do we treasure the word of God? Do we read the Bible everyday?

We should appreciate the freedom we have right now, because one day we may not have the opportunity to read the Bible anymore.

Christian persecution is not a thing in the past. It still exists today. In fact in this 21st C, the persecution of Christians right now is the highest in modern times.

Open doors is a non-profit organisation that focuses on Christian persecution worldwide. They do an in-depth investigation on Christin persecutions in affected countries. According to their 2019 World Watch, 11 Christians are killed in the top 50 countries (either per day or per month, the speaker forgot). North Korea is the top in the list. If someone asks who NK’s no. 1 enemy is, some may say US or South Korea. But actually it’s Christianity. If Christians are discovered, not only are they reported, they might even be killed on the spot. Second in the list is Afghanistan. Being Christian is not allowed. If you’re found out, you’ll be killed. Third in the list is Somalia; Christians are especially targeted and the situation has worsened over the years. Islamic militants have intensified their hunting. China is in 27th place; recently they’ve intensified their persecution. Many churches aren’t able to hold services. Children 18 years and below aren’t even able to attend church service according to Elder Che.

It is projected that by 2025, there will be no Christians in the Middle East. They’ll either have run to another place or have been killed.

We all face different difficulties. Some want to keep their faith quiet to themselves. Some don’t even want to share they are from True Jesus Church in case they get flagged out.

The question for us is: do we care enough to preach the gospel? Or will we keep our faith silent for ourselves?

The description of what happens when the 6th seal is opened is what will happen on the Last Day.
Rev 6:12-13
The sun becomes black. The moon becomes like blood. The stars fall to the earth like a fig tree shaken by a wind. This is similar to what’s described in Matt 24.

Matt 24:29-31
In those days, it was already too late for some people to come to know God. Like when God closed the doors of Noah’s ark, no one could enter after that.

It’s important for us to think how our end will be.

The second picture God shows us is that of salvation (Rev 7:1ff). In the Last Days, God gives us 2 pictures that shows us 2 choices: to obey or disobey God’s commandment. Will our end face the wrath of God or will we put on a white garment? Should we face persecutions and tribulations, will we be able to endure and overcome?

Rev 8:1
“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
The speaker is unsure what this silence was for but usually when it’s silent, we need to pause to think and reflect. Often in our lives, we get ourselves too busy and forget to pause. We work and work and work and forget about our spiritual lives. So let us give ourselves time to pause and think about our choice. Every time we do, let us think carefully whether our choice has been to obey or disobey God’s commandment.

88: One Day
The speaker would like to invite all of us to pause, stop and think about our lives. To stop and think about the coming judgement. To stop and think about the coming redemption. We we really ready? If we think we.’the not, what are we going to do to be ready? So we won’t look back at our past and regret on the Last Day.

In our prayer, let us pray to press forward and strive for the Kingdom of God, and endure to the end. So our ending is better than our beginning.