The Great Tribulation or Persecution

Over the last eight studies, we have looked at Scriptures that indicate that God will allow His people to go through a time of persecution, distress, or tribulation in the last days. God's goal in letting His people go through trials and tests is to bring forth a pure radiant bride for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul the apostle writes about this goal for the Bride of Christ, saying that Christ is at work in the church “to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). Many of us are not yet at a place in our lives where the stains and wrinkles of our character have been removed. We are a work in process, being transformed into the likeness of Christ:

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Unfortunately, this transformative work of the Spirit doesn’t happen when life is going wonderfully, but when things start getting hot in the furnace of life. God allows times of testing for our faith. The end goal of tribulation is character building. Paul the apostle writes, “Tribulation [Gk. thlipsis] works patience” (Romans 5:3 KJV). The NIV translates thlipsis as suffering and that it produces perseverance. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering [thlipsis] produces perseverance” (Romans 5:3 NIV). We don't get out of tribulation; we become changed through our correct responses in the middle of character-transforming difficulties.

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The power of Grace

The other day I noticed a change in me. It’s funny when that happens. When you watch yourself respond differently than you expect—like you’re looking at someone else.

I noticed while listening to a powerful song I hadn’t heard in years—Steeple Song by Don Francisco. Right away, I knew what caused the change—grace.

I didn’t understand grace back when the song came out. I understood pain. Back then, I used the song as a rant. But the other day, I noticed my rant had changed to something good.

By Danielle Bernock

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God Is Near To The Brokenhearted

There is no inner experience you’ll ever have that is not expressed in the Psalms in some way. And we’re given the way to walk through them all. We’re shown how to get back up from our lowest moments, to sing again, and rejoice again. In Psalms, God turns our mourning into dancing. For me, it has been my book of spiritual and psychological health. It directs me back to the goodness of God, the love of God, and restores my confidence in God.

Verse 19 from this Psalm says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers Him out of them all.”  That promise has sustained me through a lot of problems, it’s restored my joy and courage time and time again.

The Psalms direct us to a life of praise and joy, but they also talk about our lowest feelings, the times we feel most broken or devastated. And they promise us that God comes near to us, and helps us ESPECIALLY in those times.

By Reid Strahan

Full story at Realifeakeny

UNFPA Appoints Botlhale Boikanyo as Regional ICPD Youth Champion for East and Southern Africa

Johannesburg, August 2026 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional Office is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Botlhale Boikanyo as its new Regional International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Youth Champion.

 

Botlhale Boikanyo is an award-winning South African poet, actress, speaker, and youth advocate whose journey from becoming the first poet and youngest winner of South Africa's Got Talent at the age of 11 has evolved into a powerful platform for youth empowerment and social change. As the founder of the Botlhale Boikanyo Foundation, she has dedicated her work to amplifying young voices, championing education and self-expression, and inspiring a new generation of African changemakers through the power of storytelling. Through her advocacy and leadership, she has inspired young people to use their voices and engage in shaping policies and solutions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will work alongside UNFPA to amplify the voices of young people across East and Southern Africa and advocate for accelerated action towards achieving the commitments of the ICPD Programme of Action. She will support efforts to advance bodily autonomy, gender equality, access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, and meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes.

 

For UNFPA,  young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today. Putting young people at front and centre of sustainable development is both urgent and non-negotiable. Their voices, experiences, and innovations are essential in building the Africa we want.

 

Speaking on her appointment, Botlhale Boikanyo said:

 

“My hope and dream is to live in a world where every young person, especially women and girls, has the freedom and opportunities to shape their own future and is included in the rooms where decisions about their lives are made. Being a UNFPA Champion is another step towards turning that vision into reality. It is an opportunity to amplify the voices of young people through storytelling across our region, and advocate for investments that uphold the rights, dignity, well-being and potential of every young person everywhere.”

 

The appointment comes at a critical moment for the region, where young people in Africa constitute a significant share of the global youth population of 1.9 billion and are leading transformative efforts in their communities. Yet many continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, employment, and opportunities to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect their lives. She believes that storytelling is a catalyst for social change and that young people must not only be heard, but meaningfully included in shaping the decisions that affect their lives and futures.

 

As Regional ICPD Youth Champion, Botlhale will use her energetic presence and platform to engage with young people, policymakers, civil society, and development partners to advocate for investments and policies that uphold the rights, dignity, and potential of every young person.

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The Great Tribulation

I receive several phone calls each year from people — some of them ministers — asking me if I think we are in the Tribulation yet. I always respond by telling them that when the Tribulation begins, the people who are on earth will not have to call anyone to find out for sure whether or not it has begun. The Tribulation will be a living hell with a degree of violence that is unparalleled in all of history.

The Bible gives us a lot of information about this horrible period of seven years that is fast approaching. The entire book of Zephaniah is devoted to it. In addition to many other Old Testament passages, like Isaiah 24, fourteen chapters in the book of Revelation focus on it (Revelation 6-19). But despite all this information, there are many myths concerning the Great Tribulation that circulate among Christians. For example, many argue that the first half of this time period will be peaceful and that only the second half will be characterized by intense warfare. Other misconceptions relate to the Antichrist and the Church.

Before we consider some of these myths and misconceptions, let’s familiarize ourselves with the concept of the Tribulation. Where does the idea come from, and what does it mean?

By Dr. David R. Reagan

Full story at Christin prophecy