If you have your Bibles, turn over to Second Peter chapter 3.
I'm going to kind of conclude this idea, this concept.
We've been ministering on expected arrival and you know, 2
Sundays ago we started this expected arrival concept
concerning that there was an expected arrival that a child
would be born and the nation of Israel was looking for this
child. The devil was looking for this
child so much so that he was killing children to try to keep
the child from being from fulfilling its purpose.
Because the devil heard in the garden when the when Adam fell
from dominion and gave his authority to Satan, that when
the Lord said I will bring my seed through the woman, he will
you will bruise his heel, but he will crush your head.
So the enemy was like was at that point, I don't need this
child to show up in the earth because if he doesn't come or he
doesn't fulfill his purpose, then my head can never be
crushed. And so This is why we read
through scripture and it's pretty some some very horrific
detail of all the children who have lost their lives because it
is a Antichrist or a demonic spirit that wants to eliminate
children from the earth. And so this has been happening
for quite some time. And but the Lord was able to
still get his seed in Amen. And his seed showed up in a
virgin named Mary, of which we celebrate, you know, that birth
on Christmas Day. But they were expecting a king
to come now. They did not realize that he
would first have to come as a suffering servant, that he would
have, even though he's still king, He had an assignment to
lay down his life. He had to sow his life so he
could redeem or he could reap his nature back in US.
And so he said we sow God sowed a king and we he received kings
when we became born again because Jesus is the King of who
are those kings we are. So again, Jesus death, burial
and resurrection was not to take you to heaven, it was to cause
you to become a child of God again.
Now ultimately, will you go to heaven?
Sure, we are going to be present with Him.
Anyone who has passed away prior to His coming definitely is with
Him and He is presently in heaven seated at the right hand
of the Father, but He is not staying in heaven Himself.
OK, and we're going to look at some of that.
So they were a child was to be expected.
So when the child came, those who were anticipating Him saw
Him. Those who were not expecting
missed their day of visitation. Even though they saw Him, they
did not acknowledge it. And when you do not acknowledge
it, then you do not reap the benefits.
OK, You do not reap the benefits.
So we saw quickly in Scripture that, you know, there was a, a
particular man in the temple that the Lord told him you would
not die till you see the Messiah.
And one day in the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, you know, said you
need to go to the temple because all of a sudden Mary and Joseph
had brought Jesus to the temple to do the custom of the law to
circumcise him. And when he held Jesus, he knew
he's the Messiah. And he said, I can go, I can
pass away. Now God had, I have seen the
Messiah. Amen.
Wise men, you know, travel for over 600 days to get to where
Jesus was because prophecy from Daniel's time in Babylon had
communicated that this king would be born one day.
They saw his star and they traveled.
And when they came to the house they were in, they fell down at
his feet, opened up their treasures, and they declared him
king. So they expected his arrival
from Daniel's day and there can't be.
There came a generation that was on the earth to see, but unless
and unless they would have kept themselves looking, then they
never would have showed up. So what we are learning is that
the church knows that there is an expectation of a return of
Jesus, but are we positioning ourselves to expect it?
Now? The Bible tells us here in
Second Timothy chapter 3, one through 4 says, Now this
beloved, the second letter I'm writing to you in which I am
stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should
remember the word spoken beforehand by the holy prophets
and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your
apostles. Know this first of all, that in
the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following
after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of
his coming forever since the Father's fell asleep?
All continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.
Well, that statement alone is not even reality.
Because since the beginning of creation, a lot of things have
changed. Because since the beginning of
creation, there was a time when that was God, Adam and Eve in
the garden. No sin, Earth was just like
heaven. No sin, perfect environment, no
issues. OK, but change came that did not
continue. Adam fell, he ate the fruit that
what he was told not to eat from and he gave his authority over
to the devil. And when the devil got his
authority, everything on the planet changed, right?
Well, I mean it changed so bad at one point that the Lord was
disappointed, regretted he made man and flooded the earth.
But he could not totally judge man completely because he had
said in the garden, I'll bring my seed through the woman.
So he was obligated to fulfill this word from Genesis 126.
Let us make man in our image according to our likeness, and
let them have dominion, of which bringing his see through a woman
would give access to have dominion again.
And so he saved a family that was righteous.
Ultimately after that flood, he said I will not judge the earth
with water again. That's why the rainbow was
there. It is the promise that God will
not judge with water, not that He will not judge the earth.
OK, the next time he judges the earth, he'll do it with fire.
And so things continued. And then God kept revealing
himself to man through a nation. Well, first to a man called
Abram, and then into a nation called Israel.
And then ultimately the seeds showed up.
The child is born, the son is given, and through that nation,
Jesus Christ of the tribe of Judah, Cain was born and laid
down his life so that we could be born again.
And when he died and rose from the grave, then it changed the
earth again, because then we had access to boldly come before the
throne of grace. We could have direct communion
with the Lord on an individual basis, although it was not for
individual worship. It was for corporate community
and family of which we are individuals within it.
OK. And so things have changed.
Well, there will come a time because again, here we are now
since Jesus is death, burial, resurrection.
And some scholars have it somewhere around, you know, 2930
AD when he ascended. Some have it around 33 or 34AD
when he ascended went up into heaven.
And and you know, now we're waiting for this return.
And you know, most people conclude that there is some some
events that will take place. Obviously everyone believes that
Jesus is coming back to planet earth called the second coming,
that he will come and put his foot down on the Mount of
Olives. It will become flat at that
point and he will rule in the earth for 1000 years.
OK. And so everyone concludes that
where you know, there are some debate among people is the
catching away of the church, of which there is what they call
the pre Trib, which is prior to the tribulation there is a mid
Trib and then there is a post Trib.
Now I'm not here to teach on that today at all.
I am here to teach on a because whether you're pre, mid or post,
all still believe in a catching away and I'm here to talk about
a catching away. Although I do believe that if we
took time to go through Scripture it it can be pretty
obvious how to conclude where that it takes place.
And I would conclude we know for sure just with the two witnesses
that there's a mid trip because they are called up, they are
killed, left in the streets for three days.
The whole world sees it and gives presents to one another.
Do you understand? We can see anything going on in
the planet today, all of us at one time because technology has
allowed us to do it. You know, back over in October
7th when Israel was attacked and all of a sudden we started
seeing those image. All of us were able to watch
that and anywhere those images got into places people could
see. Well, there's going to come a
time that everyone is going to be focused on these two guys
who's going to be creating great havoc on planet Earth.
Now they are only saying what they're hearing from heaven and
it's coming to pass. And then they'll be killed and
they won't even bury them. They'll leave them in the
street. I mean, the cameras will be on
them. But on the third day they will
be raised up and the world will watch them go up.
And again, if you study Scripture, any catching away or
leaving the earth going, there's only one that we do not have a
specific record, but we almost could assume based upon the
others. Meaning the other events are
what we call precedent setting events in Bible interpretation.
Which means if it's happened in these events, then you could
conclude, even though it's not stated, it happened with that
event. OK.
And I'm going to, we're going to look at one real quick.
Besides the two witnesses, 2 witnesses, they watch them go
up. In Acts chapter 1 when Jesus
ascended, they watched it, which means Jesus did not disappear.
He ascended and it said they watched him.
They're going to do this with the two witnesses.
That's two accounts. Then we go over to 2nd Kings
chapter 2 verse 3 and we see another catching away.
People consider this the type and shadow of the catching away
of the church said then the sons of the prophets who were at
Bethel came out to Elijah and said to him, do you know that
the Lord will take away your master from over you today?
So and then look what he Elijah says and he said yes, I know be
still. So Elijah knew he was going,
Elisha knew he was going, and the prophets at Bethel knew he
was going and knew it was that day.
Now we know when Jesus returns, we do not know the day or the
hour. But the Bible doesn't say we
won't know the season. It doesn't know we won't have
the signs. It won't know it we won't.
It doesn't say we won't know where the finish line is.
We just do not know the day or the hour.
And the day or the hour is within a 2420 to 4 to 48 hour
period. People, that's what that is.
OK, again, I can't tell you it'll be next year, but there
are signs that give us indicators that we could be
looking at very specific time frames with greater expectation.
So we jump down to the fifth verse because they leave Bethel
and go on to Jericho and then the sons of the prophet who were
at Jericho. So not only were prophets at
Bethel knew, but prophets at Jericho in a totally different
location. New approached Elijah and said,
do you not do you know that the Lord will take away your mask
from over you today and he said yes, I know be still right.
So then to conclude Elijah and his leaving you go down to verse
10 and this says and he said Elijah saying to Elijah, he said
what do you want? And Elijah says I want a double
portion of your anointing and what does he tell him?
You have asked a, you know, when people like, man, I want a
double anointing of this minister, you are asking a hard
thing, a hard thing. I think a lot of people don't
know what they're asking for sometimes, right?
Nevertheless, he said if, what's that word?
What's that word? That is a conditional statement.
That doesn't mean because you asked, it's going to happen.
That isn't I know I'm going, you know I'm going, so you're going
to get it because you've been with me, you've served me,
you've washed my hands. No, there was a condition
because if is a conditional statement.
So he says you've asked a hard thing.
Nevertheless, if so, if you meet this condition, if you see me
when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you.
But if not, it shall not be so. So Elijah does not get a double
portion just because he was with Elijah.
Hallelujah verse 11 As they were going along and talking, behold
the there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which
separated the two of them, which means shot between them, and
Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
Now we know Elijah saw him, communicates it, it's watching
him leave, watching him leave, and yells out to him what he is
seeing. Obviously the mantle of Elijah
falls down, you know that he was wearing and he was able to then
receive a double portion, which means every miracle that Elijah
Elijah performed, Elijah did double.
But one of his double s did not happen till after Elijah died,
because he raised one kid from the dead only in his lifetime.
The second one came after he had died, was in a grave, and they
dug his grave up to throw a dead body in it.
And when it touched the bones of Elisha, the word was so powerful
that even after his lifetime it had the power in his dead body
to raise a different dead man's. That's the power of the word,
ma, ma, ma. But the point is that they saw,
now we know of another person who was taken.
His name was Enoch. Enoch was taken.
OK. And we can conclude based upon
they watched Jesus, they watched Elijah, they watched the two
witnesses, that someone must have seen Enoch just go, that
the Lord took him, that he went walking and he just kept going
and they must have seen him go. Now we have the Hebrew account
of Enoch, which to me was awesome because it explains
things, because you're like, how can Enoch in the old covenant?
I mean, we're not even talking old coven.
This is prior to the writing of the law stuff that he could go.
I mean he is born in a sinful world, but the Bible tells us in
Hebrews by faith Enoch, which means then the Lord said
something to Enoch that he could do or wanted to do with him and
he believed God concerning it, that God took him.
God must have said I want to bring you up here.
I want to bring you up here. OK.
Now many scholars believe that the two witnesses are Elijah and
Moses based upon the miracles they're performing.
OK, there are other scholars that believe it's Elijah, nobody
debates about him, but that it's not Moses but Enoch.
And the reason they think it's Enoch because the Bible says
it's appointed for once for man to die.
Both of them went to the earth never to die.
So they believe that these are the ones that come back.
Because here's the thing, the miracles they perform, the
miracles Moses did is an exclusive to Moses.
They're actually God's miracle that he can work through
anybody. So the fact that some of the
same miracles that Moses performed could be done when
Enoch is here is highly probable.
I'm not telling you to believe either.
Either way, I have my own personal view of that.
I tend to lean towards the E brothers, OK, Enoch and Elijah
myself personally. But at the end of the day, I can
be wrong. You know, it's not going to
change the salvation that I have, the power that I have, the
anointing that I have, the dominion that I have.
I mean, that doesn't change that.
OK, We'll all find out one day. And the ones who believed it was
Enoch and it is Enoch, we'll look to the ones who thought it
was Moses and say, I told you and Moses would be like, how
could you have thought it was me, right?
And they'll talk about it or vice versa, you know?
And it was like, yeah, I never had to go back, which is like,
what a gig he had, right? That what an awesome thing that
this man had, that he was able to live wholly in an on a fallen
state that he never had to reenter it Can't explain that
one. But hey, we'll be like, we'll
praise God for you at the end of the day.
Amen. OK, so we left, we kind of left
off with this Scripture. We hinted to this Scripture last
week. And I want to drive on from this
point. Luke chapter 12, verse 35 to 48
says this. Be dressed in readiness and keep
your lamps lit. All right.
Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns
from the wedding feast so that they may immediately open the
door to him when he comes and not so there's there are many
scriptures that have this context of us having this
readiness or what we would call what we've been calling an
expected arrival that we should really have this real
anticipation that. And when we do, you understand
how you make decisions on earth will change when you are always
expecting His return, because you no longer will weigh your
decisions on the temporal, but on the eternal.
As we know in 2nd Corinthians 418, while we look not at the
things that are seen, but the things that are not seen, For
the things that are seen are temporary.
The things that are not seen are eternal.
And man, when you begin to have this expectation, then when you
get an expectation, because the signs are saying, as we brought
up Tanisha last week talking about running a race when she is
in that 5K, it they let them know you're at your first
kilometer, you're at your second kilometer.
Now here they usually don't say third kilometer because there's
only .12, you know, miles left after that.
And so you just see the finish line and you see it.
And as Tanisha said, when she sees the finish line, she
doesn't slow down. Sure, don't pull off on the side
of the road to take a drink and let a lot of other people pass
her by and not finish. She runs harder and faster.
Now the enemy wants the church as he, as we get closer and see
the signs to do less, but the Lord actually expects us to move
more, to be more diligent, to realize not only does the devil
know his time short, but you need to know your assignment is
short in this, in this particular dispensation, and you
want to finish strong. Paul said.
I've run my race, I have finished my course, and there is
a generation that will not go to the grave but will be changed in
the moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
And if there's ever been a generation, it's us.
So much so that we can basically, and almost
emphatically, I mean, we can conclude it's within our
generation. And it's not just because as we
talked about last week, to the Lord, a day is like 1000 years
and 1000 years is like a day where we show that Jesus is
death in the grave for three days.
Because again, why three days? God is all powerful.
Can't he go strip the devil of his power in an hour?
I mean, how long does it take him?
I mean, you understand, translation is beyond the speed
of light. And Philip was translated.
I mean, boom, you're, you're in another location.
It's not like the Lord can't go down, strip him of his power.
Make him present before God the Father.
He has killed an innocent man. I should have not be here.
I was righteous. I never sinned.
The wages of sin is death. And I've never did anything for
death to come. A part of my life.
He had me murdered. Jesus lays down his life, his
blood pure. Why three days will be It's a
sign that he is saying I was in the grave for two days and on
the third day I've been revealed.
So in essence, for 2000 years you're not going to see me, but
I'm coming back. I'm coming back.
Why? Because we already have this
mathematical equation from Adam to Abraham's 2000 years, from
Abraham to Jesus's 2000 years, from Jesus to his return will be
2000 years. That will then kick into the
7000 year, which is the millennial reign of Christ.
But again, we've been taught evolution that our planets
billions of but this sliver of time from Adam on is not and God
has fulfilled his prophecies to AT he's crossed every T dotted
every I right. And so not only that, but they
also is in the scripture that when he pulled Israel back to
their location. There's prophecy that Israel
will become a nation in one day. That happened in 1948 and it
said when that event occurred, that generation would not die
till the return of the Lord, which means 1948.
Now if we just go with the mathematical equation of God has
said, you know, man's not going to be here more than 120 years,
we're going to go with a long one.
OK, During the Noah flood scenario, well, if someone was
born in 1948 and lived to be 120, that's 2068.
Well, I was born in 1970. I can make it.
I'd be 98 and I would much
rather be changing the moment of twinking a lie then go into the
ground. But there's other scripture in
the Psalm that talks about man living a satisfied life 70 to 80
years. Well, if we added 80 years.
OK, now let's backtrack some math now.
So 20 years back from 68 is 4820 years back is 20 What?
How many years is it till 2028 again The and you say what's
getting really specific? God is specific.
He doesn't want us to miss it. This is not fairy tale and the
reason he told us back then. Remember he said I know the end
from the beginning. The reason he tells it to us
back then so that when it comes, we know it was God.
So it's more difficult for me to believe he'll come after I die.
And the only way that occurs is if I'm murdered, I'm a martyr.
I get into sin and let sickness and disease Take Me Out or
something. But if I follow the plan of God
based upon how long I could live, then I conclude I should
be able to change. Which means every year I have an
expectation. I have this expectation that I
am of that generation. Come on, George, I'm that
generation that is going to be able to fly like Superman.
Yes, and it would be more, it would be more difficult for me
to believe otherwise. It's like my vehicle, when I
push the button for me to open the door, I expect that thing to
be unlocked. When I grab the handle, which
you know, most vehicles now like mine and my wife's, we don't
even have to push a button because it's on the doorknob
itself. And so the minute you touch the
doorknob, it unlocks and I pull it.
I'm surprised if it did not open.
And the only reason it wouldn't open is because no power, no
power is on my vehicle anymore. Well, I'm going to stay in
power. I'm going to keep the lamp lit.
All right, so the signs are telling us in this.
This is no. It's no wonder there's so much
conversation about his Kingdom because the church for the last
couple thousand years has kind of been picking up.
Well, you know, it's been like this forever.
So much so that they're like, man, we don't know when he's
going to come and let's just go ahead and not even think about
all the let it work itself out. Well, why is it say to be alert?
And why does it say to be alert if it's an event that takes
place without us having to be alert?
Now it will come as a thief in the night.
I get it. Which means it will not be signs
to the world. It will catch the world by
surprise, but not the believer. Now, the second coming of Jesus,
when he shows up physically in the planet they will have been
advertised to for some years. Within that seven-year period,
they're going to know, because if all you got to do is read
Revelations, we already know that when the church is gone,
144,000 from Israel are going to evangelize like we've never seen
evangelism. Then in the 14th chapter of
Revelation, when you read it, angels will actually get
involved with evangelism that they'll fly in the minute that's
they are flying in the mid heaven.
You know, have you ever seen, especially here in Saint
Augustine, you go down to the beach in a plane that's pulling
a banner and it's advertising, it's telling you where you can
get tacos right when you come off the beach, all right, and
you and you reading it, it's a sign, right?
Wow, there it is a billboard. Whatever the case may be, well,
the angels are going to be flying in the mid heaven
declaring the things of God, telling people how to accept
Jesus, not to take the mark of the beast.
I mean, that's going to be such a sight.
I'm glad I'm not here. I'll be watching it from the
other side. But the reality is these are
events that are going to take place.
You know, it's because the church has allowed itself at
large to be able to accept. If I ask Jesus into my heart,
he'll save me. So when I die, go to heaven.
The rest of it I don't even care about.
It'll work itself out. Yet the Bible never says for us
to live an existence on earth that way.
We know that it's God's will to heal, yet not all believers are
healed. We know that salvation comes
only by faith, yet God has already paid the price for all
sin to be paid for. Yet not everyone receives that
payment. Why 'cause they have not
received it by and yet healing comes by faith, prosperity comes
by faith. All these things of God come by
faith and we think the catching away is a non faith.
Now at the end of the day, if it is that the trumpet blows and
you hear it regardless and we all go, I have no problem with
that. It's not going to bother me one
bit. But according to scripture, when
it talks about be alert, there are very specific things we're
going to talk about that have some other conclusions that
point to other things where you're going to want to be
expecting the arrival. Amen.
OK, So again, Luke 1235, let me
press on. Be dressed in readiness and keep
your lamp slip. Be like men who are waiting for
their master when he returns from the waiting fees so that
they may immediately open the door to him when he comes
knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom
the Master will find on the alert when He comes.
Truly I say to you that He will gird himself to serve and have
them recline at the table. What table's that?
OK, we'll talk about it and we'll come up and wait on them,
whether he comes in the second watch or even in the 3rd and
finds them. So blessed are those slaves.
What are those slaves? They're attentive, they're
alert, they're doing. They're about the Father's
business. They're living their life based
upon a return, not based upon what's going on in the world.
And how can I make the most out of this life until I die?
Now I got to prepare my life while I'm here.
This is how this world works. I want to do it this way.
And we make all of our decisions naturally, taking no fault of
the eternal, saying, well, when we die, it takes care of itself.
He goes on then to say, but be sure of this, that if the head
of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he
would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
You 2 be what? Be what?
So it can't be, you can't think about it, have no thought.
This is an event that's going to happen.
Just because you're born again, you're for sure in now you Let
me just stop at this point. The minute I say this is because
people immediately have their own religion talking and they
we've have to do better at our study.
You can be born of God and miss things.
If someone is during the tribulation as a believer
doesn't mean they are eternally damned.
So when someone says well, if they don't make the rapture,
you're saying they're having to do works.
I'm not saying that. I'm saying that if they were not
in faith and ready and are left behind, although in covenant, it
doesn't mean they'll go to hell. It just means they're going to
go through some hell. But that doesn't mean they're
going to the Lake of Fire. But they could have come out
earlier. So it's not I'm working.
My you're telling me they have to work for their salvation?
Being at the marriage supper of the lamb is not solely based on
salvation. Right, right.
Hallelujah. Now people have this conclusion
that once you're saved, you're always saved, that you can never
lose your salvation. And what do they use?
They use this particular scripture that no one is able to
take you out of my hand. You know what?
No trial, tribulation, famine, nothing can separate you from
the love of God. But that doesn't mean you can't
separate yourself. No one can pull you from God,
but you can leave God. Now how do we know this?
Adam had no sin. He was perfect, no sin at all.
I mean he was made in the image of God.
His body won't will not even die yet.
Who made the choice to leave the relationship?
Did God was was he pulled out of God's hand?
No, he willfully left the relationship and you can be born
of God, which we'll talk about this next year.
I did not get to it this year. We will next year that in this
dispensation a person can get into the blasphemy of the Holy
Ghost, and it is an imparnable sin in this one and the one to
come, which means you cannot have blasphemy of the Holy
Spirit unless you were born again.
So for people to say you can't lose your salvation, that is not
true. You, you don't lose it, You, you
denounce it. No one's stealing it from you
taking it. You know, I'm so no, you
denounce again, I'm not going to get into detail, but you have to
conclude that when God went to Sodom and Gomorrah with the
angels and said lot, get your wife, your daughters and get out
of town, he like meandered. We're going to see a new
covenant. We're going to hear Jesus
comment about this. Moran, meandering, grabs his
hand, pulls them out. These 4 leave the city.
They are going to the next town. They have made it to the city,
all four of them. But the minute what did Lot's
wife do because her heart was in that world again, it it, it
makes me go. Could someone start to go up and
love this life more? I don't know.
I'm not telling you that. I'm just you got to what's going
on with Lot's wife. Now, the daughters were not
without spot in their minds. They were still carrying some
thought processes from where they came from.
There ain't no men out here, girl.
We gonna have to sleep with Daddy.
You know, it's just us 3 and no more.
Like the whole population of the world's gone.
I mean, they basically consider the whole world falling apart at
the time. At least their world did, right?
But they were saved because they didn't look back.
OK, what's the Bible say? It says this, that anyone who
puts their hand to the plow and then they're not fit for the
Kingdom, then we're not even getting into a dog, returning to
their mom and stuff. Hallelujah.
Hey man, you know when we were born again we should make.
We have to stir up that passion and grow and grow and grow.
I'm not here to scare you. I'm here to empower you to love
your relationship with God because I'm going to communicate
things that you can be so confident that you are going to
be changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, that you
are going to be able to walk around and tell people prior to
your going that they need to be stayed with God.
You need to give your heart to Jesus.
Don't take the mark of the beast because your clothes aren't
going to be left somewhere and your car on the highway.
So you're going to be changed. That doesn't mean you're leaving
that fast. If you look at the first
resurrection, when Jesus came and the grave was open, they
walked the streets of Jerusalem and went back to their families
to testify that Jesus was the Messiah before they went up with
Jesus. So this last event of the return
of Christ or the catching away of the church will be able to
witness in our glorified body to the ones left behind and give
them instruction and then they get to watch us leave.
For most though they will conclude the deceptive argument
that aliens took us, which is why you see all the alien
abduction stuff happening in the Movies Now.
Hallelujah. OK, verse 40, you 2 be ready for
the Son of Man is coming an hour that you do not expect, Peter
said. So you don't know exactly the
day or the hour. But so when you say you don't
expect it, that doesn't mean, well, we shouldn't expect, but
we don't know. That's not what it's saying.
It's saying he's coming in a day and an hour that you don't know,
but yet you know he's coming. So expect his coming even though
you don't know the day or the hour.
Just like when someone's coming over to your house and saying
hey, I'm going to be coming over.
So you expect them now you don't know exactly when they're going
to show up. But you know, they're coming,
all right. So he goes on and Peter says,
Lord, you are addressing this parable to us.
To or to everyone else as well. And the Lord said, who then is
the faithful and sensible steward whom his master will put
in charge of his servants to give them their rations at their
proper time? Listen, this life is a resume
for the next one and what you receive in the next life.
We all are equally. We all have the equal
opportunity to receive all God wants for us by doing His will
in the earth while we remain in the earth.
But not everyone will have the same rewards when we go to the
Kingdom. It will not be socialism.
There will be responsibilities that will be different.
Yes, some of your peers are going to be governing, see more
cities than you are. OK, Blessed is the slave whom
the Master finds doing when he comes, right?
Truly, I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his
possessions. But if the slave says in his
heart it's his slave, it's his person, my master will be a long
time in coming begins to beat the slaves, both men and women,
and eat and drink and get drunk. And the master of that slave
will come on a day when he does not expect him, which no one
knows the day or the hour, but he doesn't even have
expectation. He's not even looking for him.
He's not even alert. And an hour that he does not
know, he will cut him in pieces and assign him in a place with
unbelievers. Now he doesn't say the slave is
an unbeliever. He says he'll assign him in a
place with unbelievers. Now most of the time people
conclude that the weeping and gnashing of teeth is hell itself
or the lake of fire. But the tribulation is known as
a weeping and gnashing of teeth as well.
And again, if you're a believer and you've been assigned with
the unbelievers, I like to say it kind of this way.
In this dispensation right now, I have to crucify my flesh and I
have my own free will, crucify my flesh daily to live by the
Spirit. And in doing so, it's proving my
love to the Lord of what He's done for me, because I will not
do my own will, only my Father. And I'm doing it in the realm of
the Spirit. Should you be left behind
because of unreadiness, you'll be you'll have to become one of
the martyrs that will prove that you are loyal and He is Lord of
your life because you did not keep your flesh in subjection
and not run after the things of the world.
Wild Believer say Amen. Anyway, the Lord has issues with
things going on in his church. All you got to do is read the
book of Revelations and read about his church in one of his
churches. He's like, y'all are lukewarm
and he said I'm gonna throw, I'm gonna throw you up now that's I
mean, that's tough stuff. Hallelujah.
And that these are not negative things.
These are things that are empowering.
These are things that say, OK, I won't do that.
I mean, really, how more empowering can this be?
We're going to talk about the negative mindset next year.
But again, how more empowering is this?
If the Lord says, hey, now this right, here's a challenge.
I'm like, thank God for telling me that because I'll make sure
I'm not in that challenge. I mean, that's a no brainer to
me. Like praise God, you told me
what not to do, because here's the thing, what I could not do,
you did in me. You made me a new creature in
Christ. You put the Holy Ghost in me.
And by my studying my yielding to you my living by the Spirit,
you renewed my mind because I allow the renewing of my mind
process to take place. I crucified my flesh.
I allowed your spirit and my new spirit to dominate me.
I did that that you gave me instead of you gave me all this
power, and I never used it. Then the master will come on
that day. He'll sign him with unbelievers.
Verse 47. And the slave who knew here it
is. And the slave who knew his
master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his
will, will receive verse 48. But the one who did not know it
and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive.
But for everyone from everyone who has been given much, much
and to whom they entrusted much of him, they will ask all the
more. Yes, So I could have everyone
who's ever gone to a Bible school, whether it's in this
house or somewhere else, you've been given more.
I mean, someone who just came to Anchor Bay Church and just
gotten born again. I mean, God's not requiring the
same. And for us to ignore his will
with training we've received. This is called personal
responsibility. This does not negate the God's
side. This does not diminish the God's
side. This does not act like God
didn't do his part. God did his part.
Only God could have done his part.
Now he's empowered you to do your part and expects you to do
a part. I mean, he's a fruit inspector.
Which brings us to Matthew 25. Matthew 25, one through 13, says
in the Kingdom of heaven may be compared to 10 virgins who took
their lamps. Oh, we're back to those lamps.
Remember what it said. Keep your lamp.
All right. Who took their lamps and went
out to meet the bridegroom? Five of them were foolish.
Five of them were prudent. Before, when the foolish took
their lamps, they took no oil with them.
But the prudent took oil and flask along with their lamps.
Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy
and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a
shout. Behold, the bridegroom come out
to meet. There's a shout, the trumpet.
Right Then all the virgins rose. Trim their lamps.
The foolish said to the prudent, Give us your oil for our lamps
are going out. But the prudent answer, no,
there will not be enough for us and you to go instead to the
dealers and buy some for yourself.
Now we read last week where it says when he returns, those that
are in the housetop do not go back in the house.
There was this context that when he'll take one leave the other,
but he said when, when these events do not go back.
OK. Then the foolish said to the
prude, obviously give us some. So you got to go get your own
because again, what I've done, I've done and I can't give what
I've done to you. And while they were going away
to make purchase, the bridegroom came and those who are ready,
those who are what went in with him to the wedding feast.
What wedding feast is this? It's called the marriage supper
of the lamb and the door was what was it?
Later the other virgins came also saying Lord, Lord open to
us and he answered truly I say to you, I do not know you now
this word do not know you literally means first of all,
fool it, let me go on. They do not know you.
Verse 13 be on the alert then for you do not know the day or
the hour. So what are you to be?
You have an expected arrival, and this is not hard.
Every day you can say, Lord, I believe you're coming and I'm
expecting now I'm going to do what's necessary for me never to
be considered left behind, period.
And it's not my works. It's you working through me.
It's my faith in you and your will.
I'm operating in faith. I'm doing you.
I'm only here to do your will. I'm not getting caught up in
what's going on in the world. I'm not getting caught up on how
to live here in the world. I'm not getting caught up in all
that stuff. I'm caught up in you.
I'm called up in your church. I'm called up in your vision.
I'm called up in what you've called me to do in my life.
That's what I'm doing. And he'll find you about his
business, right? Because you're supposed to seek
first the Kingdom anyway, and everything else will be added to
you. But again, the word foolish here
means lacking in reverence or proper respect.
Because when he says I truly, I do not know you.
Perry Stone, a minister says that word if when you break it
down, this original context means I was not intimately
acquainted with you. I was not intimately acquainted
with you. Now, the first thing we need to
conclude is this. I have everyone is the beast
without spot or wrinkle, and the blood of Jesus did that.
Right now we are going to be dealt with based upon what we
know in accordance to acting on his will.
And some people don't know what other people know at this point.
So everyone who is going or caught up may not have the same
spiritual maturity, but they are doing based upon what they have
been revealed to them and they're blameless in that.
So again, someone who's never drank, smoke, all these things,
you know, have studied the word, but now it's just basically kind
of gone back doing their own deal.
And then someone else that is still dealing with, you know,
cigarettes, maybe even drugs or alcohol, they get caught 'cause
maybe the Lord hasn't dealt with them on that.
They just got born again. They're following God based upon
what He has revealed to them at that juncture when someone else
knows way more and they're choosing not to.
Basically, I like this present life and I've concluded probably
not going to come in my lifetime anyway.
I mean, because when's that everybody's been talking about
it. You know, I got to take care of
my family down here. I got to make sure I do what I
need to do down here because, you know, I've asked Jesus in my
heart to save me. So I know when I die, I'm going
to go to heaven. And we're so more focused on how
we are performing down here that we are not seeking Him at all.
And the Bible gives warnings concerning that.
Now, again, you'll never have that issue if you only seek Him
first. So if I never put myself in that
position, well then I never have to be concerned whether I'm
going to hear or not, whether I'm going to be ready or not.
He's told me just be ready. All right.
First, Peter chapter 2, verse 6 through 12 says it this way.
Therefore it is also contained in Scripture.
Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone.
Elect precious. He who believes on him will by
no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe He
is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which
the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
Verse 8 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of a fence they
stumble. Why?
Being disobedient to the word here it is to which they were
appointed. He goes on to say, But you are
chosen generational royal priesthood, a holy nation for
His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into this marvelous light, who
wants were not a people, but not, but are now the people of
God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims us look what he
said. Abstain from fleshly lust which
wage war against your soul, having your conduct honorable
among Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evil doers,
they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God
in the day of visitation. Meaning when you are caught up
because you did the Word, you abstain from the things of the
world they'll be able to say. Do you remember Vanessa?
Remember Kevin was always talking about this and they
won't miss it. In fact, they'll begin to.
They were right it he is the Messiah, he.
But if you're acting like the rest of the world, unprepared.
Hallelujah. What happens when we're called
up? Revelations chapter 19, verse 7
to 19. Look at this, it said, Let us
rejoice and be glad, and give the glory to him.
For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made
herself ready. It has been given to her to
clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine
linen is the righteous acts of the Saints.
Then he said to me, right, blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
And he said to me, these are true words of God.
Now it's easy to conclude that if your name is written in the
Lamb's book of Life, you should be getting an invitation.
The King James says the righteousness of the Saints, but
so many other translations actually say the righteous acts.
So I'm like, well, what does that mean?
So we look this up and it means this Saints were already Saints.
We already are. We all of us are in name by
title and profession according to the Scripture meaning of the
word Saints, that is persons consecrated or dedicated to God.
So the minute you made Jesus Lord of your life, you are
considered by title A St. You're born again.
Saints we are by title, but woe to us if we rest content with
being mere title Saints. To the outward consecration must
be added the inward sanctification which converts
the name into a reality, the righteousness of Saints, the
saintly life. We see now very clearly that
what that in what that life or righteousness consists, that it
consists above everything else in devotion to the will of God,
in the reconciliation of our wills to his holy and blessed
will, alike in action and in suffering, in joy and in sorrow.
Here is the root of the matter, and this root such as marvelous
virtue in it, that it will Grove and flourish and bear fruit in
any soul of circumstance, stance of ritual, or religious opinion.
But it is to do this it must be cultivated with all diligence.
Be watching, be striving by praying by, in, in, in cessant
struggles against the snares and temptations and enticements of
the world, the flesh and the devil, by repeated efforts after
self mastery and self nursification, In a word, by
earnest imitation of Christ and the power of the Spirit of
Christ. In essence, you've been made
righteous in Christ. Now live it.
Now livid. Hallelujah.
And if we continue on in the scripture, we know at the end of
Revelations 19, it tells us that Jesus is coming back on a horse.
So Jesus was not a mere expression of just coming to
into our heart. He is a physical being that has
a physical suit, a glorified body of which he will physically
show up in the planet. In Revelation 19 it says he will
come with the Saints, with his armies, not with his navies, not
with his coast guards, not with his marines, but with his
armies. Hoorah.
So we understand the eternal branch of service is the army.
Say Amen anyway, so he comes back with his armies and he will
judge the nations with a rod of iron.
And then we see when we move over into the 20th chapter of
Revelation, he when he comes he will grab this the Satan, the
devil of old one Angel will apprehend him, chain him and
throw him into the bottomless pit which he will be sealed
there for 1000 years. And Jesus will physically once
again like he did when he was born and was grew up to be a man
full of favor during the will of God lay down his life, died on
the cross, but rose from the grave.
Then they ascended to heaven. He will a second time come to
planet Earth. He will be on the planet and
reign with us in our glorified bodies of which we will be the
judges of communities, while sinful man like we are, are
still in the earth and we will reign with Him for 1000 years.
Then he will release the devil. The Bible says for a time, which
means it's not the last time you will encounter the devil.
Now here when you encounter him, don't worry, you're not going to
be tempted. You're never going to be prone
to sin because when you get sealed in that glorified body,
you're never going to have that issue.
Don't have to worry about man. You're going to let him go.
Man, I don't want to mess. You're not going to mess up.
You made the first resurrection. Glory to God, Amen.
But he'll deceive the humans on the earth that have been under
the reign of Christ for 1000 years and can see him, touch
him, go worship him. I mean, that's even better than
the one we're in now that we just have it by the Spirit.
They'll have the Spirit and physically see Jesus.
But they will listen to him, They will wage war, but that
battle will not last very long. And after that takes place, he
will throw the devil with the false prophet, the beast.
All the kingdoms of the world will be cast into the lake of
fire, which is the second death. Then he will give up the dead,
all that have died, never making Jesus Lord.
They will leave hell or the grave and go to heaven, where
they will stand before the Father.
So even those who are assigned to the lake of fire will go to
heaven and stand before the great white throne, of which
he'll open up the Lamb's book of life.
See no name in it. Shut that book.
Open up the books of their deeds, which are all the charges
against them for their treason to the crown, and he will justly
judge them and cast them, and give them what they wanted,
Eternity without Him. Say Amen.
But you want to hear some really good news?
Let's close with these passages of scripture.
These are powerful people, I'm telling you.
Look at this in Revelations 21, one through 5.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the 1st heaven and
the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming.
What down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned
for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, behold, the Tabernacle of God is among notice.
God never intended for us to come up to him as in the Genesis
1. He's come down to man in the
end. He's still coming.
All you want to do is go to heaven.
All God wants to do is come to earth.
We're singing when we all get to heaven, the Lord singing when we
all get to earth in that Interesting.
Now we don't have that record in Scripture, but we know he's
coming. So it could be that when we all
get to earth, what a day of rejoicing that will be when we
all dwell among me and we'll sing and shout the come on.
We can write this as a song. They'll they'll call us, you
know, a cult again. But if they read their Bible,
they would see this. I mean, this is your Bible.
This is not just things I put on the screen for you to look at.
Pull your own Bible out, it says.
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the
Tabernacle of God is among men, and he will what live among
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be
among them. And he will wipe away every tear
from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death, and
they'll no longer be any mourning or crying or pain.
The first things have passed away.
And he who sits on the throne, behold, I am making all things
new. And he said right.
For these words are faithful and woo glory to God.
Now, when this takes place, when this New Jerusalem revelation
does not communicate, what takes place when the New Jerusalem
comes down? What happens in the New
Jerusalem 'cause once the the the enemies, the final enemy is
thrown into the lake of fire, something occurs.
And Revelation doesn't tell us, but First Corinthians 15 does.
1st Corinthians 15 gives us the insight of what happens in this
new heaven and new earth. He says, But in fact, Christ has
been raised from the dead. He is the first of great of a
great harvest of all who have died.
So see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the
resurrection from the dead has become has begun through another
man. Just says everyone dies because
we all belong to Adam. Everyone who belongs to Christ
will be given new life. So a man lost dominion.
A man regained dominion because God had to do it that way.
Verse 23 but in but there is an order to this resurrection.
Christ was raised at the first of the harvest.
Then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes
back after that, say after that the end will come.
So after everything is done, it says this, then he will turn the
Kingdom over. Who's turning the Kingdom over?
Jesus. God said, let's make man in our
our image according to our eyes and let him have dominion over
all the earth. So man had the Kingdom on the
earth. Why God had the Kingdom in
heaven? Adam fell from dominion, gave
his Kingdom to the devil who should have never had it.
Jesus takes back the Kingdom that was rightfully man's, but
because man had a problem and cannot rule just like God the
Father, Jesus in the form of man.
Although God will give the Kingdom back to Dad and when
will he give it to Dad? After destroying every ruler and
authority and power? So This is why they'll never be
an issue again, because Dad will have all the power, because
Jesus will say what you gave man in dominion to rule.
It's yours. You rule it.
We follow. Go on, let's keep reading.
For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath
his. He must because God's given
dominion to man. And the last enemy to be
destroyed is death, which means you'll never have to worry.
In all eternity, in the new heaven and the earth, would you
ever make a mistake? Would you ever blow?
Would you ever think about wanting to rebel against God?
Never going to happen because death will no longer be a
problem. For the Scripture says God put
all things under his authority. Of course, when he says all
things under his authority, that does not include God Himself who
gave Christ his authority. Then when all things are under
his authority, the Son will put himself under God's authority,
so that God who gave his Son authority over all things will
be utterly supreme over everything, everywhere.
Hallelujah. And where will they be living?
So let me comfort you with these closing statements.
In second Peter chapter 3, verse 10 through 14, he says, But the
day of the Lord will come like a thief.
When it comes, the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise,
and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and the
earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare.
Since all these things are to melt away in this manner, what
sort of people must we be conducting our lives in holiness
and godliness while waiting for and hastening the coming of the
day of God? Because of this day, the heavens
will be burned up and dissolved, and the celestial bodies will
melt away in a blaze. But according to His promise, we
are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness truly resides. Therefore, dear friends, since
you are waiting for these things, strive to be found at
peace without spot or blemish when you come into His presence.
Verse 17. Therefore, dear friends, since
you have been forewarned, be on your guard that you do not get
LED astray by the air of these unprincipled men and fall from
your firm grasp on the truth. But grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the honor both now and on that eternal day.
We need to have an expectation that the eternal Kingdom is
coming and that we're going to be a part of it, and our
guarantee is first. Jesus is Lord and we live a life
in keeping with our repentance. John the Baptist says then leave
a live a life and keep him with repentance.
You're not living a life because I prayed a prayer back some year
that I wrote in my Bible and this is when I was born again.
And you really don't even have much conversation with the Lord
at times. You may pick up a Bible.
You darken the door of a church whenever it's convenient.
You serve at your own decision making.
There's a way that he says to live, that you've been empowered
to live this way because you've been given the likeness of
Christ and Christ lived this way.
And when you live that way, then when the trumpet sounds, you're
going to be changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, and those around you will see.
You can bear witness and then they'll watch you go to be
caught up in the air with the Lord at His marriage supper,
giving the rewards of your obedience to Him in the earth,
and then you'll return with Him, to reign with Him for 1000 years
with sinful man still on the earth, but then in the new
heaven and new earth. Hallelujah, What a blessed hope
we have because God has given us a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Hallelujah, I said Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I said Hallelujah.
So this last thought, This is why the scripture says do not
forsake the assembling of yourself together.
And all the more as you see the day approaching, because God
Himself knew that if you try to individually live for God
separate from His body, you are at the greatest risk of being
deceived and quite possibly being left where He is not
intimately acquainted with you. People think that the only
reason pastors quote that is because we want to see numbers
don't care about numbers. I care about your personal life
and your assignment in the body. I'm passionate about you
fulfilling God's will and doing what he said to do.
So I didn't tell you to assemble.
God said, and he said all the more you have to be more
diligent in the last days to make sure nothing keeps you out
of the body that he assigns you because you're very existence.
I'm not saying lake of fire. I'm just saying with God
rewards, all kinds of things are at stake because even during the
tribulation, it says if God had not cut those days short, it was
possible that could it be possible that even the elect
could have been deceived. And as as as casual as people
are in the relationship with God right now and the relationship
with his Church and we think we can overcome deception.
No, we're banking on I ask you to send them a heart and save me
so that when I die, go to heaven and I'm in, I'm secure, I'm
good, I got it. And it doesn't really matter
what I do know it matters a lot what you do because he's
empowered you to do and you're not doing the salvation.
You're living out the salvation.