Chapter 3: A
Clear Signal You Must Not Miss
What will be one of
the most visible signs of the Messiahs coming? Most Biblical students
agree that the Book of Daniel teaches that there will be a period known
as the tribulation period in which the Antichrist, the prince of the
earth, will reign for 7 years. Then the Messiah, the Prince, shall come.
Listen to Daniel's prophecy.
Daniel 9:24-27
24 "Seventy weeks are
determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression,
to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring
in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the Most Holy.
25 "Know therefore
and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore
and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks
and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall,
even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two
weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people
of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations
are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm
a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he
shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations
shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which
is determined, is poured out on the desolate."
(NKJ)
The final seven weeks in verse 25 (read
as 7 years) are referred to as the Great Tribulation. Most also agree
that this 7-year period will probably be preceded by the rapture of
the "Church," the body of believers. (I capitalize "Church,"
not because it ranks with the Deity, but because there is only one Church
although there are many churches). Listen to the words of Jesus as He
taught his disciples what was going to happen.
Luke 17:34-37
34 "I tell you, in
that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and
the other will be left.
35 "Two women will
be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.
36 "Two men will be
in the field: the one will be taken and the other left."
37 And they answered
and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body
is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
(NKJ)
The question is not
"whether the Church will be raptured," but exactly when it will
occur. Listen to God’s word regarding when it will occur.
Matthew 24:42
42 "Watch therefore,
for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
(NKJ)
The answer to when
the Church will be raptured is "you do not know."
Now the apostle Paul explains both the rapture and the resurrection
of the dead in more detail.
1 Corinthians 15:35-57
35 But someone will
say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?"
36 Foolish one, what
you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 And what you sow,
you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain-- perhaps wheat
or some other grain.
38 But God gives it
a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
39 All flesh is not
the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh
of beasts, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial
bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one,
and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory
of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars;
for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection
of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural
body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there
is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written,
"The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving
spirit.
46 However, the spiritual
is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.
47 The first man was
of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As was the man of
dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly
Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne
the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly
Man.
50 Now this I say,
brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor
does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you
a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--
52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible
must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible
has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed
up in victory."
55 "O Death, where
is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
56 The sting of death
is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to
God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(NKJ)
Paul, in a different
letter, makes the same point again.
1Thessalonians 4:13-17
13 But I do not want
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep,
lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those
who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say
to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until
the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(NKJ)
1Thessalonians 5:1-2
1 But concerning the
times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write
to you.
2 For you yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
(NKJ)
These verses describe the circumstance
of the resurrection of the Body of Believers who have died and the rapture
of those believers who are alive when the trumpet sounds. When one is
taken and the other is left, the one taken will have confessed their
faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Redeemer and they will by the
grace of God have entered into a saving relationship with Him.
There are other instances in the Bible in which individuals have been
taken up to be with the Lord. Listen.
2 Kings 2:1-12
1 And it came to pass,
when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind,
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Then Elijah said
to Elisha, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel."
But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you!" So they went down to Bethel.
3 Now the sons of the
prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do
you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?"
And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
4 Then Elijah said
to him, "Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho."
But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not
leave you!" So they came to Jericho.
5 Now the sons of the
prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, "Do you
know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?"
So he answered, "Yes, I know; keep silent!"
6 Then Elijah said
to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan."
But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not
leave you!" So the two of them went on.
7 And fifty men of
the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while
the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Now Elijah took his
mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this
way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 And so it was, when
they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I
do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let
a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
10 So he said, "You
have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken
from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
11 Then it happened,
as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared
with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went
up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it,
and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its
horsemen!" So he saw him no more… (NKJ)
When you read the letters
of Paul, you are amazed at his wisdom and insight. Read this excerpt
and understand why Paul had insights into God's will for our lives.
2 Corinthians 12:2-5
2 I know a man in Christ
who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or whether
out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a one was caught up
to the third heaven.
3 And I know such a
man-- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--
4 how he was caught
up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful
for a man to utter.
5 Of such a one I will
boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.
(NKJ)
Paul was speaking of himself. He was
caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words. Is it any wonder
that God used him in such a powerful way?
Another rapture of believers is prophesied. We will study more thoroughly
the topic "two witnesses" who die during the tribulation and
are raised again at the end of the tribulation. Listen to the account
of their ministry.
Revelation 11:3-12
3 "And I will give
power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred
and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4 These are the two
olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if anyone wants
to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.
And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
6 These have power
to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy;
and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike
the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
7 Now when they finish
their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will
make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies
will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called
Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the
peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half
days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10 And those who dwell
on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one
another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the
earth.
11 Now after the three-and-a-half
days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their
feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a
loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended
to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
(NKJ)
"They ascended to heaven
in a cloud." That is a "rapture" event. The single event that was
of most significance to believers is the rapture of our Lord and Savior.
Listen to the account of His ascendancy to heaven.
Acts 1:7-11
7 And He said to them,
"It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put
in His own authority.
8 "But you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses
to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of
the earth."
9 Now when He had spoken
these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received
Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel,
11 who also said, "Men
of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,
who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as
you saw Him go into heaven." (NKJ)
If some are taken up into heaven, what
about those that are left? Let's focus on "not being left."
What must one do to be assured of ascendancy? The choice is a personal
one, made independently by each person. Salvation is not a "team"
effort. Your record is "yours." Listen to the Scriptures about
how personal the choice is and where the responsibility lies.
1 Chronicles 28:9
9 "As for you, my son
Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart
and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands
all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by
you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
(NKJ)
2 Chronicles 15:1-2
1 Now the Spirit of
God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
2 ..."Hear me, Asa,
and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with
Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him,
He will forsake you. (NKJ)
Psalms 73:27-28
27 For indeed, those
who are far from You shall perish; you have destroyed all those who
desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for
me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I
may declare all Your works. (NKJ)
Psalms 145:17-19
17 The LORD is righteous
in all His ways, gracious in all His works.
18 The LORD is near
to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill
the desire of those who fear Him; he also will hear their cry and save
them. (NKJ)
Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the LORD while
He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the
LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly
pardon.
8 "For My thoughts
are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and
My thoughts than your thoughts. (NKJ)
Hosea 6:1
1 Come, and let us
return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken,
but He will bind us up. (NKJ)
There are going to be some very surprised
"Christians," I suspect, when the rapture of the Body of Believers,
the true Church, occurs. Why? Because they have mistakenly relied upon
"membership in a local church" and all of the busy activities
of the church as a means to salvation. These are very good people, in
terms of morals and attitudes, usually, but their comfort is in "ritual"
and their personal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
is either non-existent or impotent.
If it is non-existent, then they simply have mistaken church membership,
attendance, participation, tithes and offerings as acts of "merit"
which will be rewarded. If it is impotent, then their lives simply do
not bear "fruit." They are like the fig tree that takes up
space but yields nothing or worse yet they say they are a fig tree and
yet, their life yields olives. Listen very carefully to the word of
God.
Matthew 7:13-29
13 "Enter by the narrow
gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are many who go in by it.
14 "Because narrow
is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it.
15 "Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravenous wolves.
16 "You will know them
by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from
thistles?
17 "Even so, every
good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 "Every tree that
does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "Therefore by their
fruits you will know them.
21 "Not everyone who
says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to
Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast
out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 "And then I will
declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!'
24 "Therefore whoever
hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise
man who built his house on the rock:
25 "and the rain descended,
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did
not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 "Now everyone who
hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish
man who built his house on the sand:
27 "and the rain descended,
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.
And great was its fall."
28 And so it was, when
Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His
teaching,
29 for He taught them
as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
(NKJ)
The last words you and I want to ever
hear are "I never knew you; depart from me" Does your life
bear fruit? The one "measuring stick" which I feel confirms
that the Holy Spirit dwells in you is described by the apostle Paul
in his letter to the Galatians
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are
Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (NKJ)
Consider memorizing this list of the
"fruits of the Spirit." You will have to remember "love,
joy and peace" on your own but try using this mnemonic device for
the others. Think, "package figs," but visualize it as, PKG FGS. Then use the letters PKG FGS to memorize the list
of fruits. I.e., Patience, (I know it says longsuffering,
but that means patience), Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self
control. PKG FGS.
The reason you should memorize that list is because those are the fruits
of the Spirit, the evidence of the Holy Spirit in you. Which of us would
like the opposite of those terms to characterize our life? Just start
naming the opposite of those words. Love/hate, joy/depression and so
on and you will get the point. When does your life become "overcome"
by the opposite terms? Are you impatient, unkind, not good, unfaithful,
not gentle and lacking in self control? Are you unloving, not joyful
and not at peace?
Of course we all suffer from moments of lapse, but it is never God's
will that we fail to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. God calls us to
be perfect. Listen to the words of the prophet Samuel.
2 Samuel 22:31-33
31 As for God, His
way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; he is a shield to all
who trust in Him.
32 "For who is God,
except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God is my strength
and power, and He makes my way perfect. (NKJ)
Does God make your way perfect? I doubt
you or I think our way is perfect. But, when you are sensing that you
are completely within His will, don't you feel His presence, His perfection
in you? We can take no credit for that feeling, for it is His Spirit
in us that rescues us from the impulses of the flesh. We are in the
flesh until we die or are raptured. The battle between our flesh, which
will perish, and our spirit which will endure forever continues, moment
by moment as long as we remain in this "testing ground" called
earth.
The test is but for a moment because three score and ten years is as
nothing, it is as a vapor, in terms of eternity. Yet this "vapor"
is all we have to work with. It seems to us to be a big deal. We can't,
in this body, get a grip on the eternal existence that we can only visualize.
God has placed His truth deep in our hearts. You know He exists, that
He created everything that was made, including you and me and even though
we can not reduce it to a level of understanding that will leave us
without questions, we can believe. Our faith will sustain us and His
grace and mercy will save us.
Perfection will elude us as long as we are in the flesh. The closest
thing to perfection available is His Spirit, His perfection, in us.
We die to "self" that we might live in the Spirit. His Spirit
witnesses to our spirit. We crucify the flesh as it were, that the spirit
within us might live, with abundance. Listen to the words that God gave
to King David for our benefit.
Psalms 19:7-14
7 The law of the LORD
is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the
LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is
pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD
is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous
altogether.
10 More to be desired
are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey
and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them
Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand
his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant
also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then
I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. (NKJ)
The Word of God is an astounding treasure
of love, strength and wisdom. This Psalm and hundreds of others are "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"
(119:105). If you feel you are walking in darkness, unguided
by God, it is because you have not opened your heart to Him. God wants
to place His Spirit in you and to have your spirit be "as one"
with Him. This marriage, becoming as one, is not forced upon you.
God has extended His hand, repeatedly, but He will not enter into a
relationship with an infidel, sinners like you and me. Since we can
not atone for our sin, nor can the sacrifice of bulls and goats atone
for our sin, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, is the only means of salvation.
Only He can present us to the Father, blameless. Your faith in the fact
of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is the "enabling factor"
that allows God's grace to be present in you. If what I just said is
true, you had better get to know Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, very
quickly. There is no other means to salvation because there is only
one Son of God, only One who has the power to cleanse you and only One
who will judge you. The God you and I love and worship has sent Him
to us.
I realize that when I say "God" in the context of His Spirit
in you, I mean the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In Chapter 15, "The
Holy Spirit" is more fully considered. It is His Spirit in
you that lifts you into the presence of the Father. But, your flesh
must die, daily, for your spirit and His Spirit to function as One.
Listen to these wonderful verses.
Galatians 2:20-21
20 "I have been crucified
with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21 "I do not set aside
the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ
died in vain." (NKJ)
First, memorize verse 20, then as a
Jew understand verse 21. Do you feel you have achieved righteousness
as a result of your obedience to the Law? Has the Law not become the
straight edge by which you are measured? Is your sin still with you
or has it been "covered" by sacrifice? You are God's chosen
people. It is to you to whom He revealed Himself and it is upon your
history, your prophets that we stand. Did the Messiah die in vain? No,
many will follow Him but the choice is yours.
These questions are intended to provoke, yes, but they are asked in
love and out of a sense of desperation. How can I, a Gentile, grafted
into the branch not seek your eternal salvation? If your prophets are
my guides and if their prophecy is true, the One to whom they point,
with such precision has come. If the Jewish nation has delayed in acknowledging
His mission of mercy, His love for God's chosen people, then it is as
I discuss in another chapter, only because God willed that it be so,
allowing the Gentiles to enter into His presence. Go to Chapter 6, Has
Israel been "On Hold" for 2000 Years?, for a more complete
discussion of this question.
In this chapter, we are concerned with the rapture of the Body of Believers,
the one true Church. It will either include you, as a believer, or it
will not. If it does not, signs like the rebuilding of the Temple are
going to become increasingly important to you. Doesn't prophecy fulfilled
motivate you? Isn't it a wonderful fact that God sent His Word to His
prophets and we can now witness all of the times in which prophecy was
fulfilled. It is as though we could peek behind the curtain of uncertainty
and see what was going on backstage. We have been invited into the presence
of the Creator, the orchestrator of the history of man on earth. He
has revealed Himself to us.
Listen to how Jesus explains the intimacy
that God intends for His children.
John 15:1-26
1 "I am the true vine,
and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 "Every branch in
Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears
fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 "You are already
clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 "Abide in Me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides
in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you
are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing.
6 "If anyone does not
abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather
them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 "If you abide in
Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it
shall be done for you.
8 "By this My Father
is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 "As the Father loved
Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 "If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's
commandments and abide in His love.
11 "These things I
have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy
may be full.
12 "This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 "Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
14 "You are My friends
if you do whatever I command you.
15 "No longer do I
call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father
I have made known to you.
16 "You did not choose
Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father
in My name He may give you.
17 "These things I
command you, that you love one another.
18 "If the world hates
you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 "If you were of
the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of
the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates
you.
20 "Remember the word
that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they
persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they
will keep yours also.
21 "But all these things
they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him
who sent Me.
22 "If I had not come
and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse
for their sin.
23 "He who hates Me
hates My Father also.
24 "If I had not done
among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin;
but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
25 "But this happened
that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They
hated Me without a cause.'
26 "But when the Helper
comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth
who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
(NKJ)
Jesus tells us many wonderful truths
here, but notice that we are called "friends," no longer servants,
but friends. And now, our Messiah says that He will send the Helper,
the Holy Spirit in you, who proceeds from the Father. The Trinity is
summarized in verse 26.
Notice that Jesus says that if they persecuted Him, they will persecute
His followers. Following Jesus, with dedication and enthusiasm will
not be "easy." It will be glorious and exciting but many that
say they love you, in your state of unforgiven sinfulness, will hate
you because of your faith in Jesus. Your faith will offend. The scriptures
assure you of that. You will, in that faith, send off signals of your
rebirth that are unmistakable. You will change. You will exchange your
righteousness for His. Your friends and family will see your joy. Listen.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14 Now thanks be to
God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses
the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God
the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those
who are perishing.
16 To the one we are
the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life
leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not,
as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from
God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. (NKJ)
You will be the aroma of life to some,
the aroma of death to others. Why? It is because you will be changed,
forever. Your flesh, even while you live, will die. The Spirit within
you will live, lifting you from the heaviness of the flesh. The battle
for your soul will continue for a while, but Satan can never defeat
the Holy Spirit in you. In time, you will become more and more attune
to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in you. Listen.
Romans 8:22-28
22 For we know that
the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until
now.
23 Not only that, but
we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of
our body.
24 For we were saved
in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still
hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for
what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit
also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose. (NKJ)
Do you not see what
happens when you commit your soul to the Father and accept the empowerment
of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit Himself makes intercession for you, with
groanings, which cannot be uttered. He makes intercession for you, according
to the will of God. Do you now feel that is true, in your present condition?
Notice verse 23. We have the "first fruits" of the Spirit. Jesus, the
Christ is the first fruit of the Spirit of God. It is Jesus who is the
"only begotten Son of God." It is He who broke the barrier of death
and showed us His resurrected Self. It is He who paid the price for
our sins. It is His mind "in us" that we seek. Listen.
1 Corinthians 2:12-16
12 Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we
also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy
Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural
man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual
judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known
the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind
of Christ. (NKJ)
I am completely unworthy as a spokesperson
to you. Fortunately, it does not matter. God can use anyone to accomplish
His will, even a Gentile sinner. He has given me access to the "mind
of Christ." My constant prayer in this endeavor is to not miss
His will and to know that I am His "good and faithful servant,"
serving, not leading. It is He who leads. It is our magnificent pleasure
to be His servant. We stand in the court of the King at His invitation,
and in the worthiness of the Messiah, not our own. It is in His power,
His wisdom, that we stand, knowing that we are as nothing, apart from
Him. Listen.
John 16:13-15
13 "However, when He,
the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for
He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will
speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 "He will glorify
Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 "All things that
the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine
and declare it to you. (NKJ)
I will make one final
point about your decision to either join the "Body of Believers" or
not. The decision is yours, not anyone else’s. You stand completely
alone before your Judge. You will not be able to blame anyone for your
decisions. You stand alone, completely alone, before God, even this
moment. You will be held accountable. Listen to these scriptures.
Psalms 62:12
12 Also to You, O Lord,
belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work.
(NKJ)
Proverbs 24:10-12
10 If you faint in
the day of adversity, your strength is small.
11 Deliver those who
are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Surely
we did not know this," does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render
to each man according to his deeds? (NKJ)
Zechariah 13:9
9 …They will call on
My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and
each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (NKJ)
Matthew 16:27
27 "For the Son of
Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He
will reward each according to his works. (NKJ)
Romans 2:5-11
5 But in accordance
with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for
yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God,
6 who "will render
to each one according to his deeds":
7 eternal life to those
who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and
immortality;
8 but to those who
are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--
indignation and wrath,
9 tribulation and anguish,
on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the
Greek;
10 but glory, honor,
and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also
to the Greek.
11 For there is no
partiality with God. (NKJ)
Romans 12:3-5
3 For I say, through
the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as
God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
4 For as we have many
members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many,
are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
(NKJ)
1 Corinthians 3:13
13 each one's work
will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed
by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
(NKJ)
1 Corinthians 4:5
5 Therefore judge nothing
before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light
the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts.
Then each one's praise will come from God. (NKJ)
1 Corinthians 7:7
7 For I wish that all
men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one
in this manner and another in that. (NKJ)
1 Corinthians 7:17
17 But as God has distributed
to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk… (NKJ)
1 Corinthians 12:7
7 … the manifestation
of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
(NKJ)
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether
good or bad. (NKJ)
Galatians 6:4-5
4 But let each one
examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone,
and not in another.
5 For each one shall
bear his own load. (NKJ)
Ephesians 4:7
7 … to each one of
us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
(NKJ)
Revelation 20:13
13 The sea gave up
the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who
were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
(NKJ)
If you suspect that you may feel "lonely"
in making this decision, you are correct. If you want to commune with
God, to confess your sins, to beg for forgiveness, to pour out your
heart to Him, you will find that He awaits. Not necessarily in a synagogue
or church, but perhaps by the sea or on a mountain or in the privacy
of your back yard. Jesus taught many important truths, but perhaps the
one I am going to offer here, is what you need to hear. Listen.
Matthew 7:7-8
7 "Ask, and it will
be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you.
8 "For everyone who
asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will
be opened. (NKJ)
Revelation 3:15-21
15 "I know your works,
that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 "So then, because
you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of
My mouth.
17 "Because you say,
'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-- and do
not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
18 "I counsel you to
buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white
garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness
may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may
see.
19 "As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20 "Behold, I stand
at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21 "To him who
overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame
and sat down with My Father on His throne. (NKJ)
If the rapture occurs while you are
still alive, it will be an unmistakable sign to you, one more prophecy
fulfilled. If you are "left behind," do not accept The
Mark of the Beast (a Choice for Eternity), a chapter (32),
you should review carefully. The situation will be calamitous. You may
feel that you will be up to handling that trial. You will only do so
in the strength and grace of God and I pray that is the case. |
