If you have your Bibles, turn to Second Peter chapter 3.
Amen. Now, you know, I like it because
God loves you so much that, you know, He can set us up and you
know, you get an impression in your spirit about, you know, you
know, it seems like the Lord wants me to go here.
And then when you get into it, you realize how he is
orchestrating this thing, like really awesome.
And and then when you kind of look at your counter, like, I
could not have planned that better myself, that the Lord is
doing some things, that he set some things up.
And so we're going to be talking again about this expected
arrival today. But you know, when I was
thinking, I would just conclude this thought process, the Lord's
life, you're going to have to continue this in to finish out
the year. So we will do it again.
We'll, we'll, we'll kind of get into part of it today.
We'll finish it out next Sunday. Again, you're going to want to
come to every service that you can be a part of.
I'm telling you, it's powerful. And then it, it sets us up for
our January 5th message. That way, we'll, we'll preach on
and then we'll talk about the vision of what God has for us
for 2025 on January the 12th. So, you know, not always do we
have such a forecast of, of content, but I'm telling you
when I, when I get it that far in advance, it's usually really
powerful of what God wants to deliver to us.
How many believe God's speaking to you again?
You know, in one of the Pauls letters to the Church of Fessa
Fesson Aniki is the actual term in over in Greece and he's
talking to them. He said, you know, I appreciate
that when we minister to you, you do not receive it as the
word of men, but what it really is, the word of God.
And one of the biggest challenges that can happen in
the believers life, especially when they have become committed
to a vision for quite some time. And and then when the the pastor
of that church has been there for quite some time, you know,
the vocal cords become kind of familiar, you know that voice.
And so, you know, a lot of times and then you develop
relationships with the person of that voice.
And the next thing you know, if you don't watch out, all of a
sudden you start getting into common scriptures that you can
start to check out. So you have to rest yourself
from that. And so you have to begin to say,
OK, what's being said? This is God speaking to me.
And if we come in every time, not looking at the person
delivering, but the content that's being delivered and then
assimilate that in our spirit, desire it to renew our minds.
I'm telling you to change our lives because, you know, Anchor
Faith Church is not built on just trying to make you feel
better about yourself, is built to grow us as as believers.
And so the content is always there to feed.
And the crumbs are pretty good too, Amen.
If you weren't here on Wednesday when we preached on the crumbs,
then you definitely want to go online and listen to that.
And so you know, whether we're throwing out sliced bread or
loaves of bread or crumbs are falling from the masters table,
man, we re ready to feed. Amen.
So we want to feed again this morning in second Peter chapter
3 verse one through 4. It's kind of our context of this
expected arrival. Last week we talked about the
king is born. Now we're going to talk about
the king is coming. I said the king is coming.
So it says this. This is now beloved.
The second letter I'm writing to you.
This is Paul or Peter. Excuse me, I'm writing you in
which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
OK? And it's very important that we
are reminded of things, you know, Because even though we are
born again and have the Holy Ghost in us, we still can be
prone to being forgetful. So we need to be reminded.
And a reminder is just like another great meal of going to
that same restaurant you've always been to and you order the
same thing, you know, And you all know that I'm a black Molly
fan in our community. I love that particular
restaurant. I am pretty well known there so
and I didn't realize how well known I was known until one
Wednesday night. My wife and I went there for
lunch and then we came into town, went there for lunch and I
ordered the blackened salmon daddle style.
I'm giving you some secrets here people.
They'll put goat cheese on it and their daddle Jelly.
Yes, it it'll make you want to slap your mom, but don't slap
your Mama, OK? And then I've got some sauteed
spinach with that and probably something else.
I can't remember. So anyway, did I get a salad, a
Caesar salad? So and then unsweet tea.
All right, so that was my meal. Well, we came and ministered
that Wednesday night and didn't eat before surface and I was
like, man, I need some food and we can get the black Molly
forecloses. Let's go.
So I snuck in and I'm like, I'm going to get this same meal
because you know, you got your lunch people who wait on you and
then there's a dinner crew. Nobody knows you're there twice
until we came. Oh, you're back again.
And we're like, who told you we were here the first time?
I said, well, since, you know, I'm back, I'm getting the exact
same thing that I got for lunch because it was that good.
And and when I ate it the second time, I wasn't disappointed.
Are you hearing me? So that's what the word is.
You know, when you value what a scripture is being said beings
are, you're like, please make that meal again.
So you got to understand, you got to keep the word like that
in your spirit. Say that scripture again.
Give me Matthew 633 again. Can I please get Genesis 126 one
more time? I mean, Brother Hagin's whole
ministry was built on Mark 1123 and 24.
And he gave it again and again and again.
And everybody kept showing up to the breadline knowing he was
going to go there because that was the meal of the day.
And I'm thankful that he was faithful.
Well, our meal of the day is Genesis 126 and Matthew 633.
We are going to continue this until he comes home.
Amen. So to stir us up by way of
reminders, just having that awesome meal that you love and
you're like, thank God you are cooking it again.
So he's goes on to verse 2 and he says, but but you should
remember the word spoken beforehand by the holy prophets
and the commandment of the Lord of our 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 lust and saying where is the promise of His
coming forever since the fathers fell asleep All continues just
as it was from the beginning of creation.
So again there comes this time where people are going to become
pretty complacent, almost dismissive to think or be in
faith that Jesus Christ would return in their lifetime.
However, the Scripture is pretty clear when He will come.
Now that doesn't mean it's so specific that you can set your
watch because the Bible says you do not know the day nor the
hour. But notice what it doesn't say.
It doesn't say you wouldn't know the month or the year.
Now I'm not telling you you're going to know the year or the
month. I'm just saying, what does the
Bible say? You will not know the day or the
hour, hour. And there's a reason why that
term's being used. And we're not going to minister
that today. It's just that we have been
religiously taught, you know, because a lot of times we have
stayed away from in time teaching because we have
concluded it. Especially when you go through
revelations by yourself, you know, without a heart to know
that we're like, well, it's confusing.
Have you ever went through a passage of Scripture?
Like, man, I don't even understand what that means.
I'm just staying out of it. I mean, you know, there's stuff
many people only want to read Leviticus because of that,
right? There's certain books in the
Bible, like I don't even know what they're saying, but yet we
know we actually haven't said. Now, Lord, I'm going to seek you
till I get understanding of what you're saying here.
Many of us then conclude and take this particular thought,
and I don't believe it was God who plants this thought.
And that is, you know what the end times are just going to work
out. It's going to work itself out.
So I don't need to be concerned about it.
Well, then why does he talk about it so much if you didn't
need to know about it? Amen.
So there comes this point where people are like, well, you know,
this has always been said. And which means then most people
during that time, because of the verse prior to that, they're
going to be following after their own lust.
Meaning they're more concerned about how this present life and
how they're doing in this present life and pretty much the
afterlife is going to take care of itself.
That they're thinking exclusively, even to the point
that they're applying faith for this time only, that they are
dismissive of a return and we don't want to be there.
Now, why is this? Because Isaiah 46 verse 9 and
10. Pretty powerful.
The Lord lets us know some awesome things here.
He says, now remember former things from forever.
Remember former things from where?
Forever. For I am God and and and no
other is God, even none like me declaring the what end from the
beginning and from the past things which were not done
saying by purpose shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.
So the Lord declares the end from the beginning, which means
when things start, you already can know the ending.
Amen. That's just any of you went back
on, you know, say your your television station and whatever
network was covering the the playoff, College Football
Playoff game. Now that you know who won, if
you go back and watch the game it you won't have the same
anxiety, especially if your team won.
But even if your team lost, you're not gonna have anxiety
because you won't have any hopes when they score or when they get
an interception. Like this is the this is going
to change the momentum of the game.
You know how you tell yourself that when your team gets in
there, you're like, woo, this is going to change the momentum of
the game, right? Like when Indiana, they got this
interception while it's going to change and then a couple plays
later the Notre Dame intercepts and they don't get in.
Well, you know this now because you know the end from the so you
have no anxiety. You understand what I'm saying?
You can watch LG Notre Dame and you're like, we got this right
because he knows the end from the beginning.
All right, Well, the Lord knows this as well.
And here's the thing, He'll he lets us in on it.
I said he's going to let us in on it.
He does let us in on it if we choose to want it to be so.
So for every verse about the first coming of the Lord, there
are 8 times more verses about the second coming of the Lord.
There are three. There are 300 prophecies or
really more definitely 300 prophecies.
And this is general number, I'm not giving you exact about the
first coming of the Lord, but almost 2500 prophecies about the
second coming of the Lord. Why God wants to make sure you
recognize the appointed time. Amen.
Now I'm going to give you a list of 12, just 12 of of things
spoken concerning the first coming of Jesus, just 12 and
there are 300. Are you hearing me?
And Jesus has fulfilled at least 300.
The statistical math of just in one generation fulfilling around
17 mathematically is so impossible that even the
scientific community who goes through, you know, scientific
methods because of how many zeros are carried out wouldn't
would never consider it by chance.
It would have to be ordered that even scientists who do not
believe in a God there becomes a probability number so large that
in order for it to come to pass they would have to conclude it
was ordered. Cause by chance is not going to
occur and Jesus fulfilled in his first coming around 300
prophecies in his generation. He did this within a 34 year
time frame. Wow, are you hearing what I'm
saying? So let's look at the first one.
We've got a list for if you want to take some notes here.
Number one, Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.
This was prophesied by Micah. Then chapter 5, verse two,
Number two, Jesus's lineage is of the tribe of Judah.
You can find that in Numbers chapter 24, verse 17 #3 Jesus
would be preceded by a messenger.
Isaiah 40, verses 3 through 5 #4 Jesus would be given away for 30
pieces of silver. That's in Zechariah Chapter 11,
verses 12 and 13 #5 Jesus's betrayal.
Money would be used by Judas to buy the Potter's field.
Pastor Marcy, you don't have to take photos.
I can e-mail this to you. We live in the same house.
I will share. OK, All right.
My wife's taking phone like we're in the same house.
Surely she would just ask. OK, Number number six, Jesus
would ride into Jerusalem on a Colt Zechariah 99.
Number 7, Jesus would be crucified among thieves in
Isaiah 53 two. Number 8, Jesus's side hands and
feet would be pierced on the cross in Psalms 2216 and
Zechariah 12/10, of which those two didn't know each other #9
Jesus would wear a crown of thorns in Isaiah 53.
Five. Number 10 Jesus's bones would
not be broken. This is an exodus, and in Psalms
of which the two riders never knew each other and were
centuries apart from each other #11 soldiers would gamble over
Jesus's robe after he was crucified.
Who gambles over a poor carpenter's clothing because
Jesus wasn't poor? All right #12 Jesus would be
raised from the dead. And who but God could pull that
off? Isaiah 2619.
OK, so here I'm just giving you 12 that were fulfilled.
He did over 300. So here's the thing.
God moved on some 40 different authors to write down 66 books
in just under 2000 years. These men and women came from
all walks of life, of which the majority never knew each other,
and were from various countries over 3 continents.
And yet not one of its prophecies has ever failed to
come to pass Not one. Why?
Because God himself is the author of the book.
He just uses ghost writers to write his content.
Hallelujah. So the next time someone comes
and says to me, you know, well, you know, you have ghosts or
you're not really an author, well then apparently quit
reading the Bible. Amen.
All right. Therefore, when you recognize
how Florida State, the Bible told of the first coming, what
does that tell you about Bible prophecies forecasting the
second coming? So let's go back to second Peter
chapter 3. I want us to continue.
We're going to pick back up in verse 4 because in these last
days, mockers will come. And mockers are not just people
outside of the covenant with God.
They can also be believers that are living for now, not renewing
their mind and living carnal. We talk more about that next
week. So again he says insane.
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. And we saw last week that that's
not true because in the beginning, when after Adam fell
from dominion and sin enter the world, the Father prophesied of
a of a child who would come in order to save humanity.
And the child has been born. And they were looking for the
king to come and miss that he would first come to lay down his
life. They look for a reigning king.
And he was a reigning king, but came as a servant of which he
would suffer on behalf of our sin, and sow himself as a seed,
which is a king, so he could reap kings.
Amen. Because Adam was sowing after
his kind, which were those lost. We've all sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God. So Jesus wanted to begin to
receive people after his kind, which are kings he is the King
of. And who are those kings we are?
And when are we right now? Not when we go to heaven.
Because you are of a royal bloodline.
Now. If you're born of God, you are a
peculiar people. You're a holy nation.
Are you hearing me? You are a children of God, and
God is the reigning king. Hallelujah.
So he sews himself. And so they missed their
visitation of Jesus, and Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they
did not know. Their day of visitation, which
means they had had prophecy of this coming.
There was detailed of what he would do.
We did 12 and the the the scribes and the Pharisees had
the content of that. They themselves recognize that
he fit the description but chose to reject it, which means just
because God doesn't event doesn't mean you get to
participate in the event outside of faith.
Hallelujah. So he says again, verse four.
And where is the promise of his coming forever since the
Father's fell asleep all continues as just before from
the beginning of creation. Now verse 5.
Here we go. Let's start moving forward for
when they maintain this. When they maintain what?
Well, you know what, it's probably not going to happen.
Everybody has said that and they go and start living life based
upon the number of years they think they will have on the
earth because they're convinced that, you know, all's the same.
Everybody has said this before. This is not different.
You know what, we're probably going to live and die like
everybody else who just live the best you can.
And then one day we'll all go to heaven right after we die.
So for when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by
the word of God the heavens existed long ago, and the earth
was formed out of the water, and by water through which the world
at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
OK, but by His word, the present heavens and earth being reserved
for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of
ungodly men. But do not let this one fact
escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord, say with the
Lord, one day is like 1000 years and 1000 years like one day.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count,
slowness, slow slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing
for any to perish before all to come to what?
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the
heaven will heavens will pass away with a roar, and the
elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and
its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be
destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in
holy conduct and godliness? Looking, say looking, looking
for and and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of
which the heavens will be destroyed by burning and the
elements will melt with intense heat.
But according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and
a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Hallelujah. Now let's jump back up to verse
9. Verse 9 says the Lord is not
slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
towards you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come
to repentance. Do you know it is God's desire
that none would perish? But the facts and truth remains,
Many will perish. So just because God desires a
thing does not mean that everyone will walk in what He
desires. Because we are free will, God
gives us the choice. He does not make us receive Him.
He gives us the option. And His desire is that we would
not be eternally separated from Him.
That is God's will. However, not everyone's going to
do His will. Now God is not slow concerning
his promises. Why?
And the reason why he's not slow is because God is telling you
when say Amen. I'll give you an example.
If this Christmas you let all your family know that at 12:00
you're going to serve the Christmas lunch.
So if I show up at your house, if I've been invited part of
your family at 11 and there's food all over the table or
there's no food for that matter, and I'm like, what are we going
to do? Well, listen, you're not slow.
You've already told me when. I mean, you said it'd be at 12.
So it's not slow because I'm there at 11.
I know it's an hour later. And you know as well as I do,
when you want something, that hour can seem extremely forever,
like eternity. At other times, you know, when
you don't want something to end, it's like it's over.
It's like, where did the time go?
Like 2025? Where did it go?
Our 2024, where did it go? Right, It's gone.
I mean, it's like, wow, we're about finished with this year.
I mean, I felt like we just started this year.
OK. But when you know something,
then it's not slow because you have accuracy.
However, when you maintain the thought, well, I don't know.
We don't know when he's going to come.
Just because a scripture says you do not know the day nor the
hour doesn't open it up to no one never knows that.
We cannot be clearer in understanding where we're at.
OK, I'll go over here now. I'll be honest with you.
If you want to maintain a religious perspective of the end
times, then things I will say are going to be problematic
because you want to hold on to a religious tradition more than
what scripture says. And again, it's easy to develop
religious tradition when we do not want to actually get into
the word to determine what is being said.
So it's easy to accept a general piece of information that has a
layer of truth, but not enough to give you clarity.
So again, man, he could come at any time.
Well, could he? I'm going to tell you, no, he's
going to come at an appointed time.
So again, that kind of is a premise that isn't accurate.
Well, he could come at any time. No, the Bible says very clearly
that Jesus says the Father knows the time.
So it's not anytime it is an appointed time and it's an
appointed time that we will not be unaware of.
Now we won't know it to the day or hour, but we're going to
know. I said we're going to know.
And the reason why he wants us to know is because he wants us
so fixed on the finish line. He wants us so fixed on the
finish line. And I like what a particular
author that has written a book on end time said.
He used this analogy and I thought that that is an amazing
analogy, you know, because for most of of of the church, both
from the Saint perspective and also from the FIFO ministry
perspective, is that once you have a bit of time invested in
the church, much like a career. Yeah, you know where I'm going
already, the retirement starts to set in.
Yet every day we draw closer. So and Paul was very clear about
this actually, and use this similar analogy himself.
Yet we've missed it because we've kind of brought corporate
America into our serving the church.
Well, you know, I've worked with children's for years.
It's time for somebody else. I'm going to, I'm going to
retire. I'm going to come to service.
But Pastor Earl, you know, I'm going to kind of go and do
whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it because, you know,
I've already spent in my time. Ministers are looking for the
next successor to the pulpit so that they can retire.
What are they going to do? Well, they're going to go
travel, see things, you know, because they've basically have
given their whole life to a congregation and now they've
come to a particular age that for whatever reason, God can't
use them anymore. Sounds a lot like America to me
and not the Kingdom, right? So if we don't watch out, we'll
do the same thing when it comes to truths.
But yet Paul said, listen, I have fought the good fight.
I have ran my my race. Well, if you're running a race,
say you start Tunisia, where's Tunisia?
I know you're in here somewhere. Stand up Tunisia, Tunisia, come
down here. Actually come down.
Tunisia has been running multiple 5 KS, OK.
And you've been pretty active this year alone, specifically
the Lord spoke to her and she's like, I'm going to start
running, I'm going to get in shape this way.
And she has been doing 5 KS, like multiple 5 KS.
OK, now did you know if you were in the race or not?
How do you know you're in the race?
OK, let's go back before the run.
Was there something you needed to pick up before you enter the
race? Could you just jump in the race
on your own? OK, how did you get in the race?
You signed up of her own free will.
She paid a price. You pay a price to get in the
race because you lay down your life to receive his.
She paid a price. She signed up of her own free
will. Did they acknowledge receipt of
your sign up the day before the race?
Was there anything you needed to get?
I had to pick up. You had to pick up all of my
utilities, all of the stuff I needed.
Her number, her little tracker. Because they tracking you in the
race. Oh y'all don't want to hear
this? I mean, the Holy Ghost is a
tracker. I mean, you can't be on the race
and the Holy Ghost not know where you're at.
OK? So you pick up everything that
allows you to be legally in the race.
All right. The day of the race, did you did
you know when it was going to start?
OK. All right.
Did you hear the start? OK, 5K, for anyone who doesn't
know what a 5 kilometer is, it's 3.12 miles.
All right. Were there any indicators along
the route to let you know where you were at in the race right
now? When you started your race, did
you Sprint like you just ran as hard as you could right when you
started? OK, At any time did you maintain
that pace or did you like, OK, I got some time so I need to.
OK, got to pace yourself now. Every time we knocked off 1
kilometer, 2 kilometers, 3 kilometers, 4 kilometers 5.
Was there ever a point in time in the race that you saw the
finish? So if you're in the race,
they'll come a point that you'll see where the finish is.
Now. When you saw the finish, did you
stop and get on the sideline and say, whoo, all right, y'all go
finish that thing. I've ran 4.5 kilometers.
I see the finish, but man, I've already put in my time.
You did what? You push harder.
Oh, my goodness, you kicked in another notch.
I mean, you said I'm going to leave it all now on the track
because when I finish, that's it.
I'm done. The race is over.
All right, you can be seated. So here's my pastor.
Why were you pushing us, Pastor? Why are you driving us?
Pastor? Why are you not content?
Well, I can see the finish line and I know about you, but I'm
not comforting and I'm not, you know, OK, let it.
I am. My eyes are fixed.
I'm running at another speed. The closer it gets, the faster I
will run. So for anyone who is not
running, maybe they're not looking, but you get accused of
a lot of things in life. But if you're going to get
accused, be accused of one who pushes to do the things of the
Lord. Because nowhere in the Bible
does it say that we should coast.
And honestly, you're going to hope that I'm with you because I
have overcome what happened to me in Basic, because I will
become like Shadow. I will sing you into victory.
Are you hearing me? But again, even though Shadow
came back in my last PT test, saw that I was not going to make
it on time, came back and encouraged me with the words,
saying that cadence got me moving forward, got my mind off
my troubles and got my mind focused on finishing.
The only reason you don't finish your race because you're too
busy thinking about your pain and then looking at all the
people on the sideline that's not participating.
Oh, you don't want to hear this. All right, Glory.
Hey, man, I mean, I remember running the Gate River Run with
my daughter-in-law, Britney. She puts me in all kinds of
crazy stuff. And, and so the first time, I
mean, we're running, you know, you get 5K in, you know, and
then you hit the 10 and then you got the big green monster at the
end. And you're like looking at that
thing saying, Jesus, help me, I need some grace right now.
I need some supernaturability. Running up.
It wasn't bad coming down, it was horrible.
You think, Well, coming down was gravity.
Yeah, but my knees were hurting so bad by them.
And the jarring was like, oh, my Jesus, I wanted to run backwards
down that thing the first time, you know, you know, you think
you're in shape until you get going, you know, and then you
realize, hmm, I probably should have trained better than this
anyway, you know, you want to finish.
But man, when I went by places, people are just hanging out.
Don't think it was tempting to say, man, next year, right, next
year. But you know, I saw some people,
man, they just kept walking and running, walking and running.
I'm thinking, man, who am I not to finish this deal, right?
No, we need to finish. So the end times, we will see
the finish line. Are you hearing me?
Now look at this. In Hebrews Chapter 11 verse 7,
it says by faith, Noah, being warned by God about things not
yet seen in reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his
household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of
the righteousness which is according to faith.
Now what did Noah do? Noah obviously hurt by God that
he was going to destroy the planet with a flood, so he was
warned. And he wasn't the only one that
God would have taken because Noah was a preacher of
righteousness. The ark wasn't large enough just
to be able to house animals. It could have carried more
people had they repented, but they chose not to.
Amen. And so Noah communicated in his
day of a wrath or judgment to come, that they all could have
escaped. And yet he's talking about
something that no one had had experienced yet called rain
because at that time, the, the earth had been, you know, was
being watered by the dew and there was going to come a
torrential down poor because of this water expanse that kind of
gave our globe this greenhouse effect.
He ripped that open and man, it came down and flooded the earth.
And so when the floods came, those who were not on the
salvation ship did not prevail. I said did not prevail, but they
were warned the signs were there.
Are you hearing me? OK?
Turn to Matthew chapter 16 verses 2 to four.
He said but he but this is Jesus saying.
But he replied to them saying when it is evening you say it
will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning there
will be a storm today for the sky is red and threatening.
Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky but cannot
discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous
generation seek after a sign, and a sign will not be given it
except the sign of Jonah. And he left and went away.
The sign of Jonah, The sign of Jonah.
Well, what is the sign of Jonah? Well, you have to go to Jonah to
understand what the sign of Jonah is.
And the sign of Jonah specifically is.
Is that he went into a big fish. OK, the Bible says it's a great
fish. Obviously most people associate
it with a whale. Can't tell you it's a well, it's
a great fish. That's what I know.
And so this particular great fish swallowed him because he
was in disobedience to the Lord. And again, he swallows him not
not because of his disobedience, but because of mercy.
A storm came because of disobedience and he got thrown
over, but God's mercy in his life swallowed him.
The Bible says that he was in the belly of this great fish for
three days and three nights, and on the third day I said on the
third day that fish spit him up on dry ground and he was alive.
Now for those who need to understand this, Jonah died in
the fish. He did not build a fire.
He was not. He drowned, he was dead, but God
brought him back to life. That is a sign.
Well, who's going into the earth?
Who's going to die? But on the third day I said, but
on the third day, Come on now. So Jesus here is communicating a
prophecy that I'm going to fulfill.
I'm doing miracles, signs, and wonders, but at the end of the
day, you're missing it that you're supposed to come to me.
I am the word. You seek signs, but you don't
seek me. So I'm not going to give you any
of these miraculous things anymore.
What I'm going to do is give you the sign of Jonah.
Yet the sign of Jonah is prophecy, not only of what Jesus
would do, but when he would come.
I have often asked the question, why three days?
Wow. I mean, he is the king of kings.
His dad created the heavens and the earth.
He was there and spoke into existence.
I mean he has all power. He is crucified, He is nailed to
a cross. He gives up his spirit.
He goes down to the grave on our account, disappears from the
planet. He was there one day and
disappears from the planet. He moves into a, a, a grave,
they wrote, his spirits gone. Now his physical body is still
in a grave with a stone. We don't seem, we don't know
that he, I mean, as far as the disciples are concerned, he's
gone. You don't hear him.
He's not talking, so to speak. They do not see him right?
And again, he goes down to the grave.
We know that he led captivity captive, so he took everyone out
of paradise. I mean, could he not have done
that in a few minutes? Why is it 3 days?
Well, the answer is in Second Peter.
Second Peter, chapter 3 verse 8. Again, we've already read it.
Let's look at it again. Do you?
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved,
that 1000 years is like one day, that with the Lord one day is
like 1000 years, and 1000 years is like one day.
So Jesus dies day one. He leaves the earth.
Day one, Jesus ascends in a cloud.
He's gone 1000 years. We don't see Day 2.
He's in the grave. We don't see another thousand
years. That's 2000 years day.
Day three, he raises and he's been seen.
He makes his appearance known. Day three is another thousand
years. Do you know he's coming back to
the earth to reign on the planet for?
Are you ready for this? Jesus has not been in the earth
now for nearly 2000 years. Oh y'all don't want to hear
that? This is not coincidence.
From Adam to Abraham, 2000 years, from Abraham to Jesus,
2000 years Jesus to now, we are coming on 2000.
He is about to break open the clouds.
See, a generation 1000 years ago could not have had this event
because he already communicated his time frame.
He's already communicated it. I'll be out of here for a couple
1000 years, but I'm coming. There's a generation that will
listen. This is why he says be ready.
Oh my Mama. I'd be more excited than that.
That's OK. I was, I was so excited about
that. I'm like, that's the answer.
That has to be the answer of the three days.
Wow, he's at it don't seem gone. We haven't seen him, but he's
come we all know he's coming and here's order.
I mean he fulfilled the feasts. I mean he did I mean he he died
on very specific the Pentecost came on a very specific this is
not happen chance. These are a specific things
ordered by the Creator God who continues to prove to humanity I
am who I say I am, I am the only one and you should give your
life to me. If we would quit painting such a
mysterious picture and begin to communicate what we can clearly
see. Hallelujah.
So if you are of the persuasion
that Jesus was born at AD zero, there is some debate that he was
born prior to that date and that he died not at 33 or 34 AD, but
he died at 29. I can't prove it either way, but
let's go with 29. Well, what year are we coming
into 2025? And if he was raised in 2029,
how many years is that? But let's go with the furthest
134 Now again, you're like, wait a minute, it's getting kind of
spooky. You're giving year.
It doesn't say that we couldn't know a year.
It says you don't know the nor the now don't get upset because
we talk in years now. Now at the end of the day, they
could all be off and maybe there's some other year, but you
can't You're we're only getting so far past.
I don't think you're going to be able to get over into 2050, over
into 2075. You're definitely not going to
get to 2100 again. The Bible has patterns that God
sets in order. Why does he do again?
Is it is it a lack of faith that Trenisha knows I have 1/2 a
kilometer left? Why wouldn't God give us what's
left? Why wouldn't he let us see the
finish line? Why wouldn't he allow us because
he knows in the last days there's going to be a deception
that comes seducing spirit. And why would he not make it
more clear for us so that we would throw off the constraints
of deception and and and seduction and the cares of this
life and say I'm keeping my eyes fixed on the prize.
Jesus is going to return. He's got to come in sometime and
based upon a very specific prophecies, there's no doubt he
should return in my lifetime. So we run with great diligence
and I'm just giving you from the Bible.
I'm not we're not even jumping into the prophecies of things
happening in the world that is on an accelerated we're going to
preach on these things next year.
I'm telling you we're going to preach on them in great detail.
Look what it says in Luke chapter 21 verse 2825 to 28.
It says this and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon
and in the stars and on the earth will be anxiety will be
anxiety of nations with perplexity and the sea and the
waves roaring, men fainting from fear and expecting those things
which have come on the earth for the powers of the heavens shall
be shaken. And then they shall what they
shall, what they shall what see the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory. Notice when he comes.
It's not without our knowledge. So everything you've seen on the
theater screen that it's like boom, you're gone is not from
Scripture. Again, they took, it's just like
your nativity guys, the nativity for the sake of packaging.
They have a Manger, Joseph, Mary, little baby Jesus, some
sheep, maybe a mule, maybe a cow.
Shepherds were definitely there scripturally that night, but the
three wise men were not, nor were they just three.
It was gifts. Didn't talk about people, just
talking about some gifts, but they were not at the Manger.
It took them a couple of years to show up.
So our nativity is not an accurate representation of what
the Scripture is. So when we hear you'll be
changed in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, which is
half a blink, that doesn't say you'll be gone.
It says you'll be changed. And if you read the scripture in
the first resurrection, meaning when Jesus came out of the
grave, others came with him and walked the streets of Jerusalem
and went and saw their family members that had been dead.
Now that wasn't, I'm bringing you out of the grave and we shot
straight to heaven and no one saw the event.
Oh y'all, let's stay with scripture, not with religious
tradition. So again, he's coming back in a
cloud that people will see it. Verse 28 and when these things
began to happen, then look up and lift up your heads for your
redemption draws nod. What's the saying?
Acts chapter one, verse 9 through 11, when he left in the
cloud the first time and after these things, he said these
things, he was lifted up while they were what, looking on and a
cloud received him out of there. So they watched him go up.
That had to be pretty amazing, period.
I mean, he's like doing a Superman right now.
That's awesome. And as they were gazing intently
in the sky while he was going, which means they were like, just
like you watch a balloon with helium, you just keep watching
till you're like, you still see it.
Yeah, right there. I still see it, you know, till
you can't see it anymore. And that's what they were doing.
They were watching him go. He didn't just disappear.
They watched him, then you look what it says here, verse 11 or
verse 10, and they were gazing intensely into the sky while he
was going. Behold, two men in white
clothing stood beside, and they said, Men of Galilee, why do you
stand looking in the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up
from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have
watched him go into heaven, which means we will watch him.
I said we will watch him come in the cloud.
Well, do you want to be inside the house and not watch?
Do you want to be somewhere that when it's coming, you're not
paying attention? No.
First Thessalonians 414 to 18 says this.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, Even so God
will bring him, bring with him those who have fallen asleep in
Jesus. 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 not precede those who have fallen
asleep. Let me say this before I go on
prophecy. Always communicate something in
the future. So those in the present or
making declarations, not so much because they believed it would
happen in their lifetime as much as they needed to prophecy of
something that was going to happen at a later time.
So many times we'll conclude, well, they said they were
believing that. I don't know if Paul actually
really believed that they were. He was coming in his lifetime.
Under the unction of the Holy Spirit, he could have been
writing, obviously writing in his letters of a time that is to
come. That doesn't mean he concluded
it would be in mind. He could already had enough
revelation this and not in my lifetime.
But I'm telling you, there's a time to come, and I have to say
it because God is so perfect that he always speaks to future
generations before those generations ever show up, so
that when it occurs, you know that it was God who did this and
man couldn't have done it. So he said, for the Lord himself
will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the
Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. Now that's just the skin suits
that will become glorified bodies to be able to reunite
with the soul and the spirit of those who are already present
with the Lord in heaven. Because we are a three fold
nature man and we will always be a three fold nature man.
OK, verse 17 then we who are alive and remain will be what
will be what we're going to be what called up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we shall always be with the Lord.
Now always be with the Lord. Well, you might want to find out
where the Lord's going to be, because this statement doesn't
mean heaven. In fact, in this context, it
doesn't even say heaven or what we would call the 3rd heaven.
It says we're caught up in the clouds.
I can see the clouds from the planet now.
I can't see what's on the other side of the clouds unless I fly
above them. I'm not saying, but it's
probable that the Mayor's supper, the Lamb, is just in a
cloud. I'm not saying that it is, but
if it is, those on the earth below the clouds would not see
it. All right.
Therefore, therefore, what comfort?
What are we supposed to do? Comfort one another with these
words? So it's actually comfort for you
to hear He's coming, especially you.
Because if I was 75 right now, man, I'd be like, I am not
getting in a casket. If I was 80 I'd be like bless
the Lord O my soul, I will stay in this skin suit till you come.
Amen. I mean, why not believe for it?
Well, no one of my family's ever lived past 80.
Go ahead and live to 100 cuz man, if you could be changed in
the moment, in the twinkle, why would you settle to go to dust
first? No, I mean, if we're seeing it's
that close, why would we not say, I am going to see this
thing, I'm that generous, I'm going to be it.
And I'm not giving you false hope.
I'm giving you what the scripture says.
Now you can be those that say, well, they promised this, OK,
we'll talk about you next week. Luke 1726 to 36 says, and just
as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the
days of the Son of Man. They were eating, they were
drinking, they were marrying. And that sounds like a lot of
church congregations. They were being given in
marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and the flood
came and destroyed them. That's just not the world.
Verse 28 And it was the IT was the same as happened in the days
of They were eating and drinking, they were buying, they
were selling, they were planting, they were building.
But on the day, on the day that lot went out from Sodom, it
rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is
revealed. On that day the one who is on
the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to
take them out, and likewise the one who was in the field must
not turn back. What does that mean?
Remember Lot's wife. This is someone who has been
taken out of Sodom and has made the trip to the place that wrath
doesn't come but turn back. I do not have this answer, but
it definitely puts a image in my mind of people being changed,
going up but looking back wishing they were still down
there. And what if they fall out of the
sky now? I cannot say that so, but lot by
all right, his wife was delivered from the wrath to
come. Sayla Hallelujah.
Whoever seeks to keep his life will, and whoever loses his life
will. I tell you.
On that night there will be two in one bed, one will be taken
and 1:00 will be left. There'll be two women grinding
at the same place. One will be taken and the other
one will be left. Two men will be in the field,
one will be taken, and the other will be left.
Now, we've always preached this, or at least a lot of people have
preached this, that the one who goes is the righteous, the one
who leaves is the unrighteous. But it doesn't say that.
You are assuming that. Now, I can guarantee you if
they're unrighteous, they're not going.
Amen. You just want me to preach you
things about how great you are and how awesome you are and how
much of A victory you have. And then let's don't even talk
about this and let it work it out itself because you can go
plenty of places that will preach you those things.
But I have an assignment to equip you, and one of my
assignments is to take as many of you out of here when he comes
and you need to know he's coming.
I said you need to know he's coming.
The assignment is not to get you into heaven.
The assignment is to keep you walking with the Lord every day
of your life because the day's coming.
I said it's coming and it's coming soon, man.
We are toying with the world, toying with the things of the
world, and yet this thing could be with us in the next 10 years
potentially. It's plausible now, again, so,
and I just don't believe that. Well, unbelief has problems.
Unbelief has problems. But those who believe, Amen.
Because if 2035 comes, I'll still be believing.
I'll still be believing that I'm not dying.
I'll believe it all the way up to 2070.
Because I'll be 100. I'll be believing it all the way
up to 2090. Are you hearing me?
I'm going to be believing and I don't want to be going up in the
air and saying, didn't I tell you?
Because if I was wrong, I'm going to grave like everybody
else, righteousness of God to be absent from the body.
I'm going to be present with the Lord.
But man, I do believe I am of the generation.
Are you hearing me Last passage of Scripture will conclude today
and then we'll jump back into it next week.
Luke 1235 to 40. It says this.
Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit.
Oh man, I feel like I could preach that verse right now.
Let me be dressed in readiness. If the catching away has no
context to us, then why does he keep telling us to be ready and
watchful? There be no reason to warn or to
tell us to be watchful if we don't have a part to play in the
ascension. Now, I understand this is not
popular preaching, but I decided long ago that I wasn't into
preaching for popularity. I mean, recently I kind of feel
like Martin Luther, who's been putting some 95 thesis on a on a
door recently. And Martin Luther had a lot of
issues going on because of things he was seeing from
scripture that was not being taught, but it was true.
And the religious like their religion and their tradition and
he got persecuted by it. But he was right.
And we enjoy his accolades today, but he wasn't enjoying
accolades when he was going through it.
So there's a lot of people. Oh, that's works.
It's called faith. And faith is works just because
religion is made a works dirty word.
It's not a dirty word in the Bible.
It's only a dirty word if it's your works outside of God's
Word. It is a powerful word when you
are working your faith because you've heard God and you're
being a doer of it. And that is expected.
That's expected because it's not your ability.
It's His ability based upon your firm persuasion of His ability.
But it's your firm persuasion, not His.
Hallelujah. So be dressed in readiness and
keep your lamps lit. Keep your lamps lit.
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 knocks.
Oh, Mama, blessed, blessed are those slaves whom the Master
will find on the what? On what?
On the alert when he comes, not on the couch, but on the alert
when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will
gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and
will come up and wait on them whether he comes in the second
watch or even in the 3rd and finds them.
Now second watch and 3rd watch are actually times during the
day. It's the time during the day
because we don't know the day nor the hour.
So he may come in the second watch of the day, or he may come
in the third watch of the day, we don't know.
But whether he comes in one of those and finds them, So what
alert? Blessed are those slaves be.
But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at
what hour the thief was, I don't need to know any more than the
hour. If you know what hour, he would
not have allowed his house to be broken into.
You to be what? Why do we have to be ready?
If the event doesn't require us, we have no part to play.
Being born again alone means you here.
I know what I was taught when I was little, but that's not what
the scripture says. You 2 be ready for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour out of what?
And an hour that you do not expect?
When I have loved ones coming over to the house, they know
exactly where they're at, but I don't unless I'm tracking them
right? Unless they've given me their
location on the phone. Outside of that, you're like,
man, I don't know where they're at, but they know they're 15
minutes out. They know whether they're two
hours out, whatever the case may be.
And you're like just waiting like, man, when they're going to
get here, when they going to get here.
And then sometimes you get busy doing something else in the
door. They showed up.
Wow. Because I got busy doing
something else. I quit watching.
You know, they're coming. You know they're coming.
Well, the Scripture is letting us know he's coming and these
should have an expectation. We should have an expected
arrival expectation. And if anyone should be looking
for a return, it's you. It's this generation.
I said it's this generation. You can plan like he's not
coming In one sense. I have no problem with that.
I'm just saying you should expect that some of these plans
are probably not going to come to pass because the King's
coming and I'm going to be changed.