Victory Life KY

My purpose on this earth is to leave a room brighter than I found it. I will inspire people to be happy and hopeful in the person they are capable of becoming. My ultimate goal in this is to not reach the world but just one person. I will show people, although we are different, greatness is within us all.”

Someone most recently asked me how to live like God is with you. In order to do this, you need a why. 

You need a why when things get tough. Why do you press on when there is a virus and people are dying?

Why are you not worried about losing your job?

Why do you have hope?

-There are issues of this life that bring challenges. Those challenges can knock you down. 

-The reason they present challenges is because of the fallen state of humanity since sin entered the world. 

-There is no such thing a perfect world because of sin. Sickness, violence, famine, death, disagreements, all entered the world as part of the curse for sin.

-Tough times are going to come. We are in them now. 

-But as Christians we can have hope because of Jesus. This is the Gospel.

Gospel- Good news. This is our hope. This is our why.

-God had a plan to restore the world and bring hope. 

-That plan is Jesus. 

-Acts 10:34-48. 

1.The gospel prevails over the issues of culture.  (Acts 10:34-35)

-The circumstance was that the Jews wanted to kill Paul because they thought he brought gentiles into the temple area. Gentiles were non-Jewish.  (Acts 21:27-22:22)

-In Acts 10 Peter is talking to the gentiles when he says acts 10:44-48

Gentiles- ANYONE not of Jewish race.

There was a group of Jews that were Christians and there was a group that was not. The group that was not Christian would not except the fact that salvation was for everyone. Cultural issue. 

-The great commission. Jesus Last command to his disciples. Matthew 28:18-19. All nations! Cultural issue. 

Background for gospel. (2 Timothy 2:8-9) God’s word is not chained.

-The gospel always prevails 

        The gospel prevails over the issues of government. (Acts 10:28)

            Felix was the governor. (Acts 24:22-24)

            -Agripa was the king. Acts 26:19-32

            -Peter and John told to stop preaching Jesus’s name but prevail (Acts 4:18-20)

The gospel prevails over the issues of time. (Acts 10:42-43)

            -The first account of the gospel of Jesus being preached after his death is recorded in Acts 2 when Peter stands up and addresses the crowd after Jesus’s death. This happened around the year 30 A.D……..its 2021 and this gospel is still being preached.  Issue of time. 

            -Isiah mentioned what Jesus would do 600 years before it happened. (Isaiah 53:12)

            -Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

-The gospel prevails over issues of sickness. (Acts 10:38)

-Matthew 8:17, The prophet Isaiah said, he took up our infirmities and carried our diseases. 

-The gospel prevails over the issues of sin. (Acts 10:43)

1 Peter 2:24

-Know your why is the gospel because the gospel prevails over all the issues of life. 

• Listen to the prophecy of King David, “Trust in the Lord, commit your way to Him. He will bring forth your righteousness like the new day sun.
• Don’t fret because of evildoers, they will soon be cut down like grass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath, for in just a little while the wicked will be no more. For the Almighty upholds the righteous!”

• Matthew 16:3 (NKJV)  Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

• Here’s something Jesus said that we should get settled on, “Blessed is the servant the master finds watching when he returns.”

• And since we have His Spirit living in us. The Spirit Jesus told us would show us things to come, we should absolutely be able to discern the times we’re in.

• Matthew 24, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branches have already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

• That being said, we’ve gotta start thinking big picture. We have to realize that the stage is being set for the anti-christ. He is making his push for a global reset. 

• It’s amazing how everything the enemy is trying has already been lade out in the book. Seriously, all the way back in Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel was one of the enemy’s first attempts at global government.

• Centuries later Babel becomes Babylon, that grew from there east into Persian Empire, the Greek Empire include all the the first two eastward. Then Roman Empire went from Babylon conquered all westward.
• Here’s what’s interesting, Babylon is modern day Iraq. And expanded eastward into Iran and Afghanistan.

• I bring this up because the enemy has no new tactics. The major difference today is he owns the media. The spirit of Babel is desperately trying to infiltrate our land. Remember the prophecy, “This is My Nation”

• Unfortunately, too many of our self titled leaders are under the influence of the spirit of Babel. In other words, satan. And God is saying today, “Watch what I did to each of those that came before you”

• The church has to understand, to discern where we are right now, and recognize that the enemy can only be so effective as long as we’re still here.

• A.W. Tower, “A scarred world needs a fearless church.”

• Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

• MSG- Take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. 
• This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. 
• This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.

• We, the born-again become very dangerous to the enemy when we’re fully awake, and embrace who we are in Christ.

• Remember, even though we’re talking about His return, Jesus was very clear, occupy till I return. Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him and busy about the master’s work when he returns.

• Occupy, do my business, exercise dominion, run things
• Till I return, there is a day He’s coming back

• Here’s two key statements Jesus made about His return, Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him, then He said, Blessed is the servant that’s busy about the master’s work when he returns.

• Matthew 24:36, The day and hour no one knows, not even the angels, only the Father.

• And I know there are different views on this subject, and I can take some scripture and partially support some of those beliefs, but I can only support one with 100% confidence from the scripture, and it is this same revelation God gave the apostle Paul.

• So when it comes to this event that we call the rapture, there are types throughout the Bible. But God’s children going through the great tribulation, we can’t find them.

• As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:21, There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

• He wouldn’t have told us to be watching and busy about His work at the time of His return if it wasn’t important. I believe He wants us to use this revelation God gave Paul as an evangelistic tool, not some religious scare tactic.

• But if we cant have a confident, intelligent conversation about these truths, people will be just like they were in the days of Noah when God delivered his people from the wrath to come.

• Jesus actually tells that it will be as it was in the days of Noah when this event takes place. They went about they’re business, ignoring, mocking, even coming against what Noah was doing, until the day the Lord shut up the ark.

• Think about it, if you’ve read the book of Revelation, how is there any way we can comfort and encourage each other to look forward to facing that kind of wrath and destruction, not to mention the antichrist.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NLT) “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 
• 14, For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 
• 15, We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 
• 16, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 
• 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 
• 18, So encourage each other with these words.”

• This word caught, (harpadzo) snatched away by divine energy.

• So when we read Revelation and the terrible things to come, this revelation in Thessalonians absolutely brings comfort and excitement! 

• Don’t let anyone talk you into believing that the God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His firstborn, won’t keep us from that wrath that’s coming.

• So, be watching, be busy, live ready!

• Now keep in mind, Paul is dealing with a number of false teachings as well as fear, unbelief, not to mention much opinion.

• One of the biggest was dealing with those misguided souls that were assuming the rapture had already taken place and the antichrist was already at work.

• What I want to do with this teaching is simply give a different perspective on what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying through Paul’s letter.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV) Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 
• not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 
• Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 
• who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

• Ive always with struggled with the “falling away” commentary on this passage, and after watching the documentary on the Galilean wedding, I was absolutely convinced.

• Think about it, it just doesn’t make sense that Christ would be returning for a bride that has fallen out of love with Him, not prepared for Him or looking for His return.

• I have a very old Oxford dictionary and this phrase falling away in the Greek is the word apostsia, is translated 2 ways, rebellion and departure.

• If you look at the history of our nation and our founders, the Geneva bible was one of the first they used.

• v.3, Geneva bible, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition.

• Before the Geneva bible, William Tyndale”s first translation also used the word departure in this passage.

• The Wuest translation, “Unless the departure of the church came first...”

• And I get it, this word, apostasia can be translated either way, departure or rebellion, but in the context of the chapter, it actually ties everything together.

• I personally think it’s simply more of a common sense interpretation.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (NKJV)  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 
• And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 
• For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 
• And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

• He who restrains until He is taken away; think about it, He, the Holy Spirit is the person and life of God in the church.

• In John 14, Jesus said that He would abide with us forever.

• Not to mention, He is part of the Holy Trinity. He is omnipresent.

• He’s also the only way a human can be born again, and millions will be born again during the tribulation.

• He the Holy Spirit, in His earthen vessel, the body of Christ, exercises His authority. And yes we are also the bride of Christ, that will be taken out of here. A departure. According to the Holy Spirit’s revelation to Paul.

• We’ve got to remember, Jesus told His disciples on more than one occasion, “I’ve given you all authority over the powers of darkness.”

• In Acts, the born again receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them.

• The apostle Paul reminds us the we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

• And I love this one, Jesus said, if anyone receives you they receive Me.

• I’m more convinced than ever the restrainer preventing the antichrist from manifesting is the church, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

• Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT) God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, 
• that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 
• For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 
• So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

• Jesus told us in Luke, “I give you all authority over the power of the enemy.”

• Remember, He’s returning for a glorious church. And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs, The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

• Even though we are able to get a glimpse of what’s next on God’s calendar, we stay about the masters work until!! Maybe even get a little more dialed in because we recognize our time is short.

• Seriously, during Jesus’ first coming, there came a point where His disciples had to make some hard decisions concerning their faith, their lives.

• A.W. Tower, “A scarred world needs a fearless church.”

• That being said, the next event the church should be ready for is our departure. The Lord gave Paul this revelation in his letter the church of Thessalonica. 

• Paul actually gave the Corinthian church just a little glimpse.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NLT) “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 
• 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 
• 18, So encourage each other with these words.

• There’s no better way to leave whatever’s harassing, tormenting, manipulating you, there’s no better place for restoration and healing than gathering around the Lord’s table, and walking away with a renewed mindset, renewed trust in Jesus. 

• 1 Peter 5:7,AMP- Casting all your cares, all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares about you with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully.

• This is why our faith is absolutely vital, anyone who comes to God must believe… Believe He is a burden removing, bondage destroying, barrier braking God. The God of peace that passes understanding.

• So today, come to the Lord’s table with a divine expectation. And let these words from Jesus settle into your thinking.

• John 14:1,NKJV- Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 
• In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
• And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

• v.27, Jesus repeats His point, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

• Seriously, if the Almighty, my Heavenly Father tells me to not let my heart be troubled… If He tells me I’m victorious, forgiven, blessed, prosperous, favored, healed, why wouldn’t I accept what He says as truth? 

• 1 Corinthians 15:57,AMP- Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory making us conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Romans tells us we are more than conquerors. Then Paul tells us to imitate him like he imitates Christ. Say what he says, do what he does.

• Think about it, why shouldn’t I say what my Father says about me?
• After all, Jesus told us, rivers of living water will flow from our born again nature.

• Psalm 34, How blessed, fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God is the man who takes refuge in Him.

• Unfortunately, human nature has made it very clear that as long as we can live without more of God, we will.

• Whether you’ve walked with Jesus most of your life, or you’re just starting your journey, 

• Because of human nature, because we have an enemy, there will be times when we question God, our relationship with Him, His promises, our failures, things we don’t understand, etc...

• And it’s in those times that being able to come to the Lord’s table, free of all sin, made completely righteous by His sacrifice, can be an absolute life changer for us.

• The reason I talk about communion before we take it is because we all need reminded from time to time that communion is this divinely inspired place of revelation from the Father. 

• It allows us the opportunity to acknowledge that Jesus alone made us worthy to stand in His presence. 

• He’s counting on us embracing the fact that He made us heirs to the Kingdom through what He suffered.

• Today as we gather around the Lords table, let the Holy Spirit help you see His crucifixion, His sacrifice as so much more than just our passage to Heaven.

• May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened, that we can embrace the hope of His calling, so that we can walk in the exceeding greatness of His power.

• John 6:51,NKJV- “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever...”

• Earlier in this same gospel Jesus told us, the Father is looking for those who will come to Him with the recognition of who He is. With a humble attitude of worship. Those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

• The Samaritan women is a beautiful picture of God’s divine love, destroying racial agenda, reaching past moral failure to extend His true nature.

• While we’re here, something else Jesus constantly brought to light was the destructive nature of religious tradition.

• John 4:10,NKJV- Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

• v.14,NKJV-“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

• Here’s the thing we’ve got to keep out in front of us as we follow Jesus. He said, “I only do the will of My Father who sent Me.”

• John 10:10,(paraphrase), I came from Heaven to give you a rich and satisfying life. A better life than you've ever dreamed of. A life to enjoy in abundance, to the full, till it overflows.

• Communion isn’t just acknowledging Jesus’ sacrifice, it’s embracing and reverencing the fact that Jesus actually restored us to our rightful place with God.

• Today as we honor and reverence our King’s sacrifice, let His Spirit minister to you, embrace what Jesus did, what He said, and embrace who you are because of Him.

• This is why having moments like this, around the Lord’s table allow us the privilege of drawing closer to Him. 

• Something very important to remember is that communion is something a Christian can practice anytime you feel led to.

• Remember, Jesus has already made us alive together with Him and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Him.

• Understand, we’re not just citizens of Heaven, we’re heirs to the Kingdom, appointed ambassadors of our King, assigned here to establish His kingdom. 

• And there is no better place to be reminded, no better place for fresh perspective, no better place to draw closer to Jesus than around the Lord’s table.

• I tell you this all the time, communion is one of the most spiritual things the born-again can take part in.

• In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Corinthians we receive the very same revelation from Jesus concerning communion.

• The bread is His broken body and the cup is the blood of His new covenant.

• Regardless of what you may be facing, let today's communion encourage you that you are made whole by His broken body and shed blood. They are still declaring, "It is finished."

• As we worship Jesus today with communion, as we draw closer to Him, may our spirits see Jesus and all that He accomplished for us clearer than ever before.

• My prayer today is that everyone of us  see Jesus with a fresh perspective as we partake of the cup and the bread.

• 1 Corinthians 10:16,NLT- When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? 
• And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?

• Let today’s talk remind all of us of His supreme sacrifice. Let todays communion helps us discern in a little more depth the fear of the Lord.

• 1 Corinthians 11:30,NKJV- For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
• v.29, For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

• By faith, acknowledge Jesus’ body being broken so that yours can be whole.

• Matthew 8:16-17,NLT- That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and He healed all the sick.
• This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.

• Today, let’s come to the Lord’s table with a fresh understanding that Jesus’ broken body and shed blood provide deliverance for us, spirit, soul, and body.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23,MSG- May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master.

• When Jesus told us in John that He came to gives us live, He literally meant, wholeness to our spirit, soul, and body.

• Let today’s communion help you see Jesus with a fresh perspective as we partake of the cup and the bread.

• Matthew 16:3 NKJV-  Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

• If Jesus expected that group to discern the time, those of us born of His Spirit should absolutely discern the times we’re in today. 

• And without a doubt, the “anti-christ” is discerning his time. Much of what we see happening around the world is the result of his aggressive assault. 

• This is why believers have to remember, the enemy’s primary weapon of choice has always been deception and fear. But God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. Therefore give no place to the devil.

• Listen to the prophecy of King David, “Trust in the Lord, commit your way to Him. He will bring forth your righteousness like the new day sun.
• Don’t fret because of evildoers, they will soon be cut down like grass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath, for in just a little while the wicked will be no more. For the Almighty upholds the righteous!”

• As we dive into our subject, let these words from Jesus settle into your thinking, “Blessed is the servant the master finds watching when he returns.”

• Without a doubt the Lord expects us to be able to discern the times! We’ve gotta start thinking big picture. We have to realize that the stage is being set for the anti-christ. 

• Another one of satan’s key targets in these last days is the justice system. 

• And as difficult as it may be, I don’t think its in our nature as people of God to turn a blind eye to injustice as long as it doesn’t effect me personally. 
• “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men too nothing.” Edmund Burke 

• He is making a major push to divide the world, but we’re not ignorant of his tactics. This is why I’m repeatedly telling you that you can’t rely on the media, they will never tell you the truth because satan owns them. Another resource, (icandecide.org)

• But for those of us who have God’s Spirit living in us, according to Jesus, He will reveal all things to us. He is our Counselor, Advocate, Comforter, Anointer. This means we should be able to discern the difference between the truth and lies.

• Proverbs 27 tells us that a prudent man foresees the evil and takes action. Why do you think I keep bringing up things going on around the world? Example: (stock up a little)

• Here’s something to keep in mind, remember our nation is God’s major source of the gospel going around the world. And make no mistake, the world is watching and waiting to see what we do.

• Let’s review just a bit, as we said last week, the platform the anti-christ will take the stage with is 100% operational right now.

• And it will be implemented through the one world government system spoken of by Daniel. That is absolutely being pushed around the world right now.

• For example, this global push for mandatory vaccines, on an experimental drug. And especially a vaccine passport, which by the way is already designed with a social credit feature in it.

• Think about it, as of last week less than half the population has said yes because they told you it’ll keep you safe. The rest of the world is saying no. Wonder why…

• Mandating an experimental drug is unacceptable. Don’t quit your job. You seriously think these major companies are actually going to let over half their work force just go.

• Let me give you some food for thought, here’s a few companies not mandating the shot: the White House, CDC, FDA, WHO, Pfizer, J&J, Moderna.

• Remember, Proverbs tells us a prudent man foresees evil. And what we see happening is a glimpse into exactly how the anti-christ sets up his demonic government.

• Revelation 13:16-17,NKJV- He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 

• This one world government system he will use is the revised Roman Empire (feet of iron & clay) that is revealed through Daniel in the vision Nebuchadnezzar had. We know it today as the European Union.

• And as we get into this, don’t get focused on times or dates, just be watching and ready.

• Remember what Jesus told us, “Blessed is the servant the master finds watching when he returns.”

• Daniel 2, There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these.

• Daniel 2,
• Head of Gold — Babylon
• Chest and arms — Persia
• Belly and thighs — Greece
• Legs of iron — Roman Empire 
• Feet of iron and clay — revised Roman Empire \ European Union 

• Daniel 2:44-45,NLT-  During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 
• That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.

• And just like the metals degraded in Nebuchadnezzar‘s dream, so will the world which we live in today. To the degree that it’s one world, militarized system becomes its only form of government. 

• Here’s what the church has to be more aware of in the days we’re in. 

• We’ve got to discern our season. And the first thing we’ve got to get settled is that we, the church are the restrainer stopping the kingdom of darkness from just having its way. Jesus said, “I give you the keys to the Kingdom.”

• Seriously, during Jesus’ first coming, there came a point where His disciples had to make some hard decisions concerning their faith, their lives.

• Remember, He’s returning for a glorious church. And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs, The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

• In Luke 12 Jesus is once again talking to His disciples about occupying and this is why He says, Blessed in the servant that the master finds watching. In v.43, He says, “Blessed is the servant that’s busy about the master’s work when he returns.”

• Then He said to the multitudes in v.56, “You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times.”

• Just like Jesus expected the people of that time to be able to recognize His first time coming, He absolutely expects the people of this time to be able to recognize the time of His coming.

• Matthew 24, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branches have already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

• So as we approach the age of the church coming to its end, this is our wake up call! Lets make sure we’re about the masters work. Because everyone of us that have accepted Christ will come before the judgement seat of Christ.

• 1 Corinthians 3:11-15,NKJV- For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
• Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 
• each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 
• If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 
• If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

• I believe Moody was right, everything we do this side of Heaven is simply preparing us for what we’ll be there.

• God gives us a simple revelation that will make understanding events of the Bible much easier to interpret.

• 1 Corinthians 10:32,NKJV- “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,”

• Here’s the thing, having this simple understanding concerning any truth from the scriptures is a key component of clarity; who’s talking, who they’re talking to, and what they’re talking about.

• So with this in mind, there are glimpses of Jesus’ return throughout the scriptures, but the major players are, Daniel, Revelation, Jesus In Matthew 24, and the Apostle Paul.

• Even though we are able to get a glimpse of what’s next on God’s calendar, we stay about the masters work until!! Maybe even get a little more dialed in because we recognize our time is short.

• That being said, the next event the church should be ready for is our departure. The Lord gave Paul this revelation in his letter the church of Thessalonica. 

• Keep in mind that after Jesus’ resurrection He appeared, disappeared, and reappeared many times over His last 40 days on the planet. To the degree that those closest to Him got used to it.

• Acts 1:11,NKJV- “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

• This would be Jesus’ last disappearance for a while, but there were many that were expecting the same thing they had seen repeatedly over the last month.

• But days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and no sign of Jesus. And as saints begin to pass away and the Lord still hasn’t returned, they began to entertain different theories.

• Keep in mind they didn’t have any kind of reference, not to mention this new revelation of the resurrection from the dead is just now being taught.

• So Jesus calls Paul to Heaven and teaches him.

• They hadn’t heard Paul’s revelation yet, so the Holy Spirit is going to use this churches concern about saints that have already passed on to the other side, as well as for the saints that will be on the planet at the time of this special event.

• Paul actually gave the Corinthian church just a little glimpse.

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52,NLT-   “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,NLT- “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 
• 14, For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 
• 15, We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 
• 16, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 
• 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 
• 18, So encourage each other with these words.”

• 2 Peter 1:16-18,NKJV- For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 
• For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 
• And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

• Think about this, at the birth of the church, they had the luxury of having eye witness accounts from those that walked the planet with Jesus.

• They had first hand, anointed information from those who walked with the Living Word.

• So as He launched His church, He inspired these guys by the Holy Spirit to write these prophetic letters that would become, the Lord’s revelation to His creation.

• 2 Peter 1:19-21,NKJV- “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, (KJV, a more sure word of prophecy) which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 
• knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 
• for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

• A more sure word of prophecy than an eyewitness account. Even though Mark, Luke and Paul aren’t listed in the original 12, that had to have had some eyewitness accounts.

• For example, John Mark was one of Peters closest associates. And Luke has way too much detail of his accounts, not to mention his follow up in the book of Acts.

• The of course, Paul was taken to Heaven and taught personally by Jesus.

• Remember, Paul reminds us that we see through a glass dimly. We only know in part. He said I saw things that can’t be uttered with human words.
• So as we follow the writings of these God inspired men, lets make sure that we approach what they’re saying with the utmost humility and faith, knowing that according to Peter, we have these prophetic words confirmed.
• They’re actually a more sure word than even their eyewitness account.

• Matthew 28:16-20,NKJV- Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 
• When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 
• And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 
• Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
• teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

• This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, but extending His Lordship through the life of every believer willing to follow His lead.

• Jesus is counting on followers today that will accept the fact that the commands He gave His first disciples are just as much a reality for us today.

• This is Peter’s point when he tells us that the prophetic words they wrote are more sure than their eyewitness account of Jesus.

• In John’s gospel Jesus actually tells us that anyone who will believe Him should be doing the things He did.

• This is why Paul says things like, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

• I think it’s important for the born again to understand that accepting Jesus does come with an assignment. I realize the security of salvation is where we all start,
• But when we go back to the eyewitnesses, Jesus didn’t just offer them eternal life, He said, “follow Me.”

• Part of our assignment is taking over where He left off. To carry on His mission, to do the things He did, to imitate Him. 

• Look at Peter for example, he actually denied knowing Jesus, but after the Holy Spirit came on him, he operated in a completely different capacity.

• One of Jesus’ main points was that He only said what the Father said. He actually said, “I am truth” My words are spirit and life. 

• I’ll probably say this repeatedly throughout this series, but I think it’s one of the keys to our discipleship; we have more sure word than even their eyewitness account.

• And then He left us His Spirit to be our guide, actually our guarantee.

• John 16:7,13-14,NKJV- Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
• However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

• Here’s another key in our success as disciples, don't ever make the mistake of thinking you've got to have it all together for God to use you. Look at His first followers, the eyewitnesses. Jesus knew we would need the Holy Spirit.

• So never underestimate what He'll do through someone who will dare to believe Him. So don't underestimate yourself.

• Lets go back to Jesus’ instruction, this is from the MSG&CET, Matthew 28, God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you.

• As a disciple, at what point do we embrace the fact that everything Jesus told His first disciples is just as much a reality for us today.

• Here’s something we all need to take a closer look at as part of His body here and now; because the minute Jesus started His ministry, it wasn’t just teaching and preaching, it was accompanied with signs and wonders.

• Then He told his first followers, the eyewitnesses to go and train everyone they meet to do everything He told them. Which absolutely includes teaching, preaching, and healing.

• But as we look at today’s church, we’re good at teaching and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom today, but what’s up with the healing part?

• Seriously, why would He train His first disciples to live and minister a certain way,
• Then tell them to train everyone they discipled to live the same way,
• Then He move back to Heaven and expect us to live a different way and not even say anything about it to His closest followers, not to mention something in His Word?

• Matthew 8:1-3,NKJV- When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I AM WILLING; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

• Jesus told the centurion, “I WILL come and heal him.”

• We’ve got to understand that repeatedly God reminds us that He shows favoritism or partiality to no one. The scripture also makes it clear that Jesus and His word doesn’t change.

• Luke 4:38-39,NKJV- Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. 
• So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

• What about this, why do you think Jesus healed everywhere He went?

• John 6:38,NKJV- For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

• He even said, "if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father."

• I think it’s important we have talks like this because there are so many different views on the life and ministry of Jesus, especially healing, unfortunately to the degree that we leave it out of the gospel message.

• Remember, Jesus told the centurion, “As you have believed, so let it be down for you.”

• Think about this, when Jesus told us to follow Him, where do we draw the line? Was He actually showing us what a believer, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like?

• Mark 2, When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
• “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 
• Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God.

• Jairus comes to Jesus about his daughter and is interrupted by the women with the issue of blood. Then Jesus tells Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”

• He tells two blind men, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.”

• Remember, Jesus told us, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. 
• So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

• Matthew 10:1,NKJV-  And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, (eyewitnesses)He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

• v.7-10,“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 
• Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 
• Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 
• nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.”

• Proverbs 4:18,AMP- The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until it reaches its full strength and glory in the perfect day.

• The way of the righteous, not our own way. God leads the righteous in the way we should go. He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake. The righteous are as bold as a lion. The kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• Remember what the Holy Spirit said through Paul, Atime is coming when people will no longer listen to sound teaching. 
• They will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. 
• Theywill abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

• My assignment from the Lord is to feed the flock He sends me. That’s why Acts says it’s not good that l leave the word of God... That means we can’t just listen to the messages we want.
• Like Paul told the church, I fed you with milk and not solid food…

• So as we move forward, it is absolutely essential we remember these words from the Lord, 
• 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV-  God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

• So as Christian, when we do things out of fear, it gives the enemy to much influence in our lives. This is why James tells us to resist the devil. Remember, fear is one of the enemy’s primary weapons.

• Fear is a spiritual force designed to breaks down faith, hinder the anointing of a believer. But any child of God refusing to give into fear will always conquer. 2 Corinthians tells us that we are being led in His perpetual victory parade. We are more than conquerors.

• Psalm 34:4,NLKV- “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

• The book of Daniel is a powerful example of what God will do through His people, right in the face of an ungodly government. Through those who refuse to give into fear.

• I’m telling you, we’re living in a world that is being driven by fear. Because the god of this world knows his time is coming to a close.
• But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

• And something you’ve got to come to terms with is that you are not being told the truth, remember, he is the master of distractions. In this Information Age we live in lets not confuse information or education with intelligence.

• So as truth begins to come out and as more of you turn your tv’s off, I promise we will do all we can to provide safe, true information for you.

• Here’s something to keep in mind, for those of us who have God’s Spirit living in us, according to Jesus, He will reveal all things to us. He is our Counselor, Advocate, Comforter, Anointer. This means we should be able to discern the difference between the truth and lies.

• Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

• The USA is the dominant force of the gospel on the planet. God’s river of living water flows from this nation! His favor and anointing are on us. God actually says, “Touch not my anointing.” And make no mistake, His gospel will be preached in all the world.

• Don’t think for a second the hand of God has left our nation because of a small group of ungodly people. He would have sparred sodom if there had be even one righteous.

• Prophecy: “Fear not, God says, as I promised before, this is My nation, and I will change things according to the time and season. I told you, now I will expose and reveal things that have been hidden so that My nation can move into its next phase of victory, honor, and glory.”

• Keep in mind, as the light of God in the world, we are built to grow brighter, and as this happens it automatically reveals the things of  darkness more.

• That being said, let’s not forget we’re talking about our ability to discern the times.

• 2 Peter 3, Above all, you must understand that in the LAST DAYS scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 

• As we introduced our talk last week out of Matthew, the Pharisees came to Jesus wanting a sign to prove it was Him. And Jesus said;

• Matthew 16:3 NKJV-  Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

• Here’s the thing, since Jesus expected His people to be able to recognize His first coming. Without a doubt, He feels the same way about His return.

• This means the “anti-christ” knows very well that his time is drawing to a close. Much of what we see happening around the world is the result of his aggressive assault. This is why believers have to remember his primary weapon of choice has always been deception and fear.

• And unfortunately, because of the influence media has had on us, way too many people have settle for the place where we don’t want truth, we just want to be reassured that what we believe is the truth.

• Isn’t it interesting that the media refuses to tell you that a large percentage of their cases are people that have the shot. (Last Friday the CDC acknowledged that the vaccine cannot prevent transmission.) 

• On their website, “The current test is not able to specify which variant a patient might have.” ( the difference between influenza & corona virus)

• Why am I bringing this stuff up? Because the Lord expects us to be able to discern the times! We’ve gotta start thinking big picture. We have to realize that the stage is being set for the anti-christ. But the media will never tell you the truth because he owns them. 

• Like we said last week, the enemy knows that if he can keep us divided, he can keep us weak.

• Galatians 5:6,NIV-  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

• Here’s the thing, as God’s born again, blood bought, children, heirs to the Kingdom of heaven, we’re going to have to do things His way. Remember, He leads us in the path of righteousness for His name sake.

• Remember this phrases from last week, 
• “OCCUPY TILL I RETURNS”

• And He is absolutely returning, for a glorious church. His bride that’s being prepared and watching.

• So we have to understand, because Christ is preparing His bride for His return, do not be deceived, the anti-christ is absolutely working on the same thing.

• Remember what Peter tells us, in the last days scoffers will come, following their own evil desires. Paul says, some will follow doctrines of demons.

• As we unpack this, keep this simple rule in mind, "The new is in the old contained, the old is in the new explained."

• When it comes to a subject like this, Jesus and Moses gave us a simple guide for the scriptures, “In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses lost every word be established.”

• Any truth from God’s word will support itself through out the scripture.

• Let’s remember, we’re talking about discerning the times. Jesus was upset with His people at His first coming because He actually expected them to be able to recognize it. To discern the time.

• And as you shepherd, I believe it’s important that we have this discussion because we can and should recognize, “discern the time” of His return.

• We’ve got to take a step back and see thing from God’s perspective.
• The anti-christ, the prince of this world system is making his move.

• Here’s the deal, don’t get focused on times or dates, remember what Peter told us, “A day with the Lord is like a 1000 years.” 36 years is only 45 minutes.

• One of the main reasons I’m bringing this subject up is because the platform the anti-christ will take the stage with is in motion right now. 

• And it will be implemented through the one world government system spoken of by Daniel. And here’s the crazy part, it is 100% operational right now.

• For example, this global push for mandatory vaccines, even a vaccine passport, which by the way is already designed with a social credit feature in it.

• Listen very carefully, I’m not saying this is the mark. It can’t be because we’re still here. But it is the exact system the anti-christ will use.

• Revelation 13:16-17,NKJV- He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 
• Can you say “Chip”

• What’s really cool about the book of Daniel is that the entire end time blueprint is lade out in it.

• Daniel 9, the anti-christ will establish a covenant with many for one week; 7 years. But in the middle of the week he will break it. This is the 7 years of tribulation spoken of by Daniel, Jesus, and Revelation.

• The system he will use is the revised Roman Empire (feet of iron & clay) that is revealed through Daniel in the vision Nebuchadnezzar had. Which is already operational. We know it today as the European Union.

• Daniel 2, There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these.

• Daniel 2:32-35,NKJV- This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 
• its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 
• You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 
• Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

• Head of Gold — Babylon
• Chest and arms — Persia
• Belly and thighs — Greece
• Legs of iron — Roman Empire 
• Feet of iron and clay — revised Roman Empire \ European Union 

• Daniel 2:44-45,NLT-  During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 
• That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain, though not by human hands, that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God was showing the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain.

• And just like the metals degraded in Nebuchadnezzar‘s dream, so will the world which we live in today. To the degree that it’s one world, militarism system becomes its only form of government. 

• Setting the stage for the one world leader to take the stage out of the Revised Roman Empire, the EU. Keep in mind, this image in Daniel is a type of the anti-christ.

• Listen to this prophecy, “Fear not, for God says, as I promised before, this is My nation and I will change things according to the time and season. I told you, now I will expose and reveal things that have been hidden so that My nation can move into its next phase of victory, honor, and glory, says the Lord.”

• Here’s what the church has to be more aware of in the days we’re in. 

• We’ve got to discern our season. And the first thing we’ve got to get settled is that we, the church are the restrainer stopping the kingdom of darkness from just having its way. 

• Seriously, during Jesus’ first coming, there came a point where His disciples had to make some hard decisions concerning their faith, their lives.

Remember, He’s returning for a glorious church. And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs, The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

When’s the last time you brought someone to Jesus?

I sat there just trying to think of the answer then the guilt sank in as I said “never”. 

Good Church goer, faithful in my serving, giving. I could read more and pray more, but I seem to neglect the Great Commission or the call on all of our lives. 

No condemnation we all miss the mark, thats why we are thankful and need Jesus… 

Then the excuses ran through my head…. I am busy with work, No one will listen to me, I am not comfortable…. 

How many of us know we can come up with a million reasons we can’t do something, but we have the ultimate Trump card….. Jesus!

We got to stop keeping that card up our sleeve and play it more often… 

The world is going crazy out there… heck its going crazy in here sometimes! When we deal with people we get all that goes along with it. 

But this is why we need to stop coming to church, but be the church. Thats the way we reach people is by meeting them where they are at. 

On your job, at the grocery store, the DRs office, where ever you are at Jesus is also there. Will you allow Him to move through you? 

All of this is going to take intentionality and being on purpose for Him. Will you allow Him to use you? 

As a believer what do you have to lose? Nothing, 

but the hurt, the lost, the broken they have everything to lose and they need us to step into the gap for them and bring them to the cross. 

More times than not, folks first experience with Jesus is with us, His followers! 

As we unpack this tonight there are 3 words to remember

• Information
• Revelation
• Transformation 

Think about it as your journey with Jesus starts as information. Someone shared with about Jesus and this thing called the Bible. 

Time in the word and in prayer that information becomes revelation. 

Although not the only way God reveals things, it has been the way I experience it. Some may have a road to Damascus experience.

With revelation comes transformation of you and your spirit life. 

Often times we flip these around.. We try an modify our behaviors before we feel good enough to be in His presence. 

This is just not right…. If we spend time with Him, He will give us revelation. Truth that just runs so deep. With the revelation it will transform you. It will change you from the inside out. 

So lets stop trying to change from the Outside in.. Let Him change you from the inside out! 

Let me use a personal example to share this thought.. I have been a follower of Jesus since my early 20s, but it wasn’t until I turned 28 that I had a revelation of God as provider. 

I remember having the information of tithing, the 10%, He will meet your needs, how much more does He love us than the Lillies and the birds ? 

For years this was all information… Because it was just that, the information can change and my opinion or view point could change. I remember my last church I was 1 Sunday from pulling my family from the church due to the talk of tithe. I was snagged up.

I remember asking God to give me a sign to pull my family. Instead of that He gave me a revelation of God as provider, God as my source. Tithing stopped being a legal obligation and became a joyful thing. Amanda and I stopped fighting about money or not having enough. 

Because that revelation caused transformation. I no longer worried about not having enough, because God always made sure we had enough. It may not always of been surplus, but it was a enough. The funny thing about the pursuit of money is it never ends. 

Unless you get a revelation that Jesus is enough. You can be broke, but live like you have it all, because you do, you have Him inside of you. 

There are still things that I am leaning in on. Right so healing, I believe He is a healer, but I don’t have that revelation yet. But I will tell you what when I do aint nobody going to take it away from you. 

One day I will be like Wendy and get that revelation and with it the No More Motrin mindset! 

Information can be changed, Revelation does not! 

So if you don’t know where to start, start with the information in your Bibles, because that will become revelation keep pressing and keep seeking God for it. He will give it to you.. 

Ok, back to our Calling… Reaching others! Lets take a look at

Matthew 28:18-20 NLT 

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This was just information to me, until that day the question I was asked When was the last time?

In that moment no longer words on a page, but a call and purpose for the words and actions. No longer to live for ourselves but for Him

My prayer is that you will spend time with these words and seek the revelation. 

What I am talking about is not always easy, we will be ridiculed, we will get stung by those closest to us. 

Make the daily choices on what you know and not what you feel.

Revelation stays with you and pushes you through it….. But are not alone in this! 

Lets take a look at 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT

“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. 

What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. 

And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

I love this we are in this together, but in the end it is God who makes it grow. We do not need to force it, we simple sow a seed, sow a seed, sow a seed.

I think sometimes we can become paralyzed with inactivity because we are overwhelmed. But it is not all on you, we all have a part to play, but Gods is always bigger! 

God gives us the opportunities He puts people in our path and in our lives on purpose. 

That co-worker? That boss? That soccer mom, the other drivers on the road…. We have opportunities. 

How will you answer those calls? 

Step up to those opportunities? 

Meet people with where they are at? 

Not be afraid to Share Jesus

It starts tonight as we walk out these doors.

Church lets choose a life that outlives us. 

Generations can be impacted by answering the call

Last thing and then lets pray… Become a pencil in the hand of God and help Him write a new chapter.

I know we don’t normally do this on a Wednesday, but tonight we will. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord we want to give you an opportunity 

Lord Jesus 

come into my life and make me new

From this day forward

Jesus is my Lord

Heaven is my home

And I will never be the same

• 2 Timothy 4:3,NLT- “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”

• 1 Timothy 4:1,NIV- The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

• And as I look over the landscape of what’s happening, not just in our nation, but on the planet, I think its time we talk about these things from God’s perspective.

• Let’s start with this, how many of you conduct your lives, right now with the reality that we belong to a different kingdom?
• That our Father will be with us through every situation?

• And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs 4:18,NLT- “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

• Listen to what God says through Paul again, “Atime is coming when people will no longer listen to sound teaching. They will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.”

• Part of my responsibility, calling, is to feed the flock God has send me. To shepherd you during uncertain times. That means we can’t just listen to the messages we want.
• Like Paul told the church, I fed you with milk and not solid food…

• In Amos, God tells us He will do nothing without revealing it to His prophets. We should be discerning the times.

• Now in Matthew, the Pharisees came to Jesus wanting a sign to prove it was Him. Check out Jesus’ response;

• Matthew 16:3 NKJV-  Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

• Let me ask you this, did Jesus expect His people to be able to recognize His first coming? I wonder if He feels the same way about His return.
• I can tell you the kingdom of darkness is aware of it.
• Matthew 8,  the demon possessed man cried out, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

• Make no mistake, the “anti” knows very well that his time is drawing to a close. And his primary weapon of choice has always been deception and fear.

• But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

• Unfortunately, the enemy has had way too much success, not only deceiving us, but causing division with God’s people. And the amount of fear being pushed. And it has to stop (masked and unmasked, vaxx or no vaxx) 

• These are just a few of his tactics to keep God’s people distracted, even worse, at odds with one another.

• Listen to me very carefully, the things going on in our world today are not mere human developments. The days of republican or democrat or over. There is a separation taking place between light and darkness.

• And if your only source of information is main stream media, the enemy has way too much influence in your soul. (Reverence website)

• Over the last year, the only thing washed more than hands has been brains.

• The church has to realize that the stage is being set for the anti-christ. But the media will never tell you the truth because he owns them. 

• Remember what Jesus said. You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.”

• We are closer than any generation to the things Jesus told us to watch for concerning His return. So don’t think the enemy won’t do everything possible to keep people from these truths.

• 2 Peter 3, Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 

• Truth is, evil hasn’t really changed its look throughout history, the only difference today is he has the influence of the media.

• And as I watch born again Christians getting mad at each other, leaving their churches, blaming anyone that doesn’t agree with them, it’s time for some good old fashion biblical explanation and solutions.

• The enemy knows that if he can keep us divided, he can keep us weak.

• Galatians 5:6,NIV-  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

• Paul writes, unless what I do is done in love, all I’m doing is making noice.

• Here’s the thing, as God’s born again, blood bought, children, heirs to the Kingdom of heaven, we’re going to have to do things His way. And make no mistake, as His body in the earth, He will have someone that says yes.

• Here’s a phrase we need to make our minds up about, 
• “OCCUPY TILL I RETURNS”

• Remember, Jesus is returning for a glorious church. His bride that’s being prepared.

• So we have to understand, because Christ is preparing His bride for His return, do not be deceived, the anti-christ is absolutely working on the same thing.

• Remember what Peter tells us, in the last days scoffers will come, following their own evil desires. Saying, “where is this ‘coming’ he promised? 

• As we unpack our talk, keep this simple rule in mind, "The new is in the old contained, the old is in the new explained."

• When it comes to a subject like this, Jesus and Moses gave us a simple guide for the scriptures, “In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses lost every word be established.”

• Any truth from God’s word will support itself through out the scripture.

• So let’s not forget, Jesus was upset with His people at His first coming because He actually expected them to be able to recognize it. To discern the time.

• And as you shepherd, I believe it’s important that we have this discussion because we should and can recognize, “discern the time” of His return.

• Keep in mind what Peter told us, “A day with the Lord is like a 1000 years.” 36 years is only 45 minutes.

• One of the main reasons I’m bringing this subject up is because the platform the anti-christ will take the stage with is a one world government. Which is in motion right now.

• Daniel 9, the anti-christ will establish a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week he will break it.

• The system he will use is the revised Roman Empire spoken by Daniel in the vision Nebuchadnezzar had. Which is already operational. We know it today as the European Union.

• Daniel 2, There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these.

• Daniel 2:32-35,NKJV- This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 
• its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 
• You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 
• Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

• Head of Gold — Babylon
• Chest and arms — Persia
• Belly and thighs — Greece
• Legs of iron — Roman Empire 
• Feet of iron and clay — revised Roman Empire \ European Union

• Here’s what the church has to be more aware of in the days we’re in. 

• We’ve got to discern our season. And the first thing we’ve got to get settled is that we, the church are the retainer stopping the kingdom of darkness of just having its way. 

• Seriously, during Jesus’ first coming, there came a point where His disciples had to make some hard decisions concerning their faith, their lives.

• Remember, He’s returning for a glorious church. And as the world around us grows darker, according to Proverbs, The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

• Hebrews 11,MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. 

• Living this kind of life requires development, practice, it really does take some God inspired trust, motivated by some God inspired expectation. 

• Think about this, if we’re born again, according to Jesus we’re no longer of this world. We’re built to live a different way, the faith way.

• Habakkuk 2:2, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38,
• THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

• I think throughout our day, each of us has to ask ourselves, are we actually living a life by faith? Living like the truths we believe about Jesus are the fundamental foundation of our existence?

• John 11:21-27 NKJV-  Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 
• 22, But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 
• 23, Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 
• 24, Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 
• 25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 
• 26, And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 
• 27, She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

• John 11:40-44 NKJV-  Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 
• 41, Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 
• 42, And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
• 43, Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 
• 44, And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

• Remember last week, Jehoshaphat and the people of God, even though they had the word of the Lord, still had to step out to see the word come to pass.

• Here’s the deal, yes, God absolutely has plans of success for each of us, but they usually come on the other side of us stepping outside our comfort zone, (otherwise what do we need faith for?) 

• Something I’ve discovered over the years is that most of the time God’s not going to ask us to take these giants steps of faith right out of the gate. 

• Remember Ananias, God asked him to take one small step of faith and it changed the landscape of Christianity.

• Ananias is a faithful example, that even if we don’t become some superstar for God, taking those small steps of faith God puts in front of us, usually have a much bigger impact.

• And I realize that on the surface it might seem small and insignificant, but Ananias was used by the Almighty to change the course of mankind by one simple act of obedience.

• Think about it, if our steps are ordered by the Lord, and we’re willing to take them, it means every step, especially the small ones matter.

• Listen to Paul’s words again, “The life I now live, I live by faith in Him” 
• The steps I take, I take by faith in Him. 
• Martha, “Didn’t I tell you, that if you believed…”

• Here’s a reality way too many of us overlook, the majority of the time it’s those seemingly small decisions we make that shape our lives, because they eventually become habits.

• Studies have shown that it takes between 30 and 90 days for a small decision to become a habit. Lets give our faith a chance to become a habit.

• Seriously, in the bigger picture, the majority of our lives are made up of seemingly small choices.

• Come on, one small decision, refocusing our attention on something Godly, positions us just like Ananias.

• This is why putting into practice what the Psalmist says is key to this life of faith. Be still and know that He’s God. In other words, take the time to make room in our thinking for God to inspire us.

• If we continue to neglect our “be still and know moments” we can miss what God is trying to do in us because we’re so occupied with the things of this world.

• Seriously, we get clouded by circumstances, opinions, emotions, the things of the world, and it hinders us from hearing the Lord when He communicating.

• So, no matter how uncertain, stuck, afraid, hurt, disappointed you may feel, no matter how green the grass looks somewhere else, you still have to weed eat it. So let’s not overlook the next small step God has for us, regardless of what we’re facing.

• God said this through Zechariah saying, “How dare any of you despise the day of small beginnings.”

• So, regardless of what you have or haven’t done, accept this reality, God’s not finished with you. 

• Start today with one small decision, acknowledge Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith. Remember Martha.

• Dare to believe for more, one decision at a time, one day at a time. Let God enlarge your vision. Remember, it’s in the little things.

• Van Gogh said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” (Just like the Church)

• Great faith starts with usbeing faithful in the little things.

• Proverbs 4:18,NLT- “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

• Here’s a reality Christians have to come to terms with, God actually expects us to live beyond our humanity, to actually live a spiritual life.

• Remember this, right thinking+right believing+right speaking=right living

• Practicing this simple principle right in the middle of whatever situation we’re facing is exactly what living a life of faith looks like.

• This is a challenge for most of us in our modern, multitasking lifestyle is that  we don’t make the time for God. Not to mention, living a spiritual life isn’t something human nature just willingly accepts. 

• And for the born-again, our new lives can only be found in Him, willfully giving our lives to Him is the key to our success.

• This is why Paul instructs us that we are to put on our new man in Christ.

• Those who live spiritual, set their minds on spiritual things. See how things constantly bring us back to our thinking. Listen, we can’t live spiritual without living by faith.

• Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

• Remember, Faith is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. We walk by faith, not by sight. We live by believing not by seeing.

• 1 Timothy 6:12,NKJV- Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called...

• Could the good fight of faith God tells us to fight actually be us fighting to defend something God has already blessed us with as opposed to fighting to get something from Him?

• Romans 8 tells us that we are already more than conquerors. And as heirs to the throne of Heaven, we’re called to conquer anything that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God.

• According to the power that’s at work within us.

• This is why Jesus made statements like,”If you can believe, all things are possible for you,” "Whatever you ask for believing, you'll receive it."

• Fight the good fight of faith. MSG says, run hard and fast in our faith, seize the life you were called to.

• Listen to God's Words from the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 46,
• I am GOD, the only God, incomparable and irreplaceable.
• From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be.
• Assuring you, I’m with you. Assuring you I’ll do exactly what I set out to do. 
• I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done.

• Hebrews 11,MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. 

• Simply put, faith is God inspired trust and expectation. And according to the apostle James, it demands a corresponding action. We could say, it’s activated by our actions.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, (God inspired trust and expectation) not by sight, 
• NLT, We live by believing and not by seeing.
• We live our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES.

• A major component or action of faith is us speaking what God says, right in the face of not seeing anything yet.

• We cannot overestimate the spoken word of God, even in its seed form, it is still the most powerful force in existence.

• Jesus and Moses said, “Man shall live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

• Joshua & Proverbs paraphrase, Don’t let God’s Word leave your mouth, pay close attention to what it says, don’t let it out of your sight, on purpose do what it says and you’ll experience its success.

• Remember, God said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so”

• Hebrews 1 makes it very clear, Jesus Christ is the exact image of His Father, The Almighty. Upholding the entire physical and spiritual universe by the word of His power.

• The Psalmist says, God’s word is flawless, purer than gold, sweeter than honey, sharper than a double edged sword, forever settled, true and righteous, transforming the soul. And in keeping them there is great reward.

• Psalm 138, Lord You have magnified Your word above Your name.
• Jesus said, I only say what the Father says.

• Seriously, what if we on purpose started saying what our Father says about us on a more regular basis? For example:

• Psalm 103:2-5,NKJV- Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 
• Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 
• Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

• Hebrews 11:3,NLT- By faith(God inspired trust and expectation) we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. 

• Hebrews 1, Jesus Christ is the exact image of His Father, The Almighty. Upholding the entire physical and spiritual universe by the word of His power.

• And according to Romans 10, faith, this God inspired trust and expectation comes from hearing God’s words about His Anointed One. This means we can’t just continue hearing whatever we want to hear and think we’re going to walk in faith.

• Remember what Paul tells us in Colossians, “The same way you received Christ is how you walk in Him.”

• We’ve got to get this settled, faith is spiritual substance, evidence, the title deed, proof of things not seen. It truly is a God inspired trust and expectation.

• Proverbs 3:5-6,MSG- Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 
• Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. 
• Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! 

• For everyone of us that are heirs to the Kingdom, part of our responsibility is expressing God in the world. That means being able to have practical conversations about Kingdom realities.

• A big part of the life of faith starts with us seeing ourselves the way God sees us, in His class, made in His image, heirs to His Kingdom. Not a religious image but an in Christ image.

• I know I quote this scripture all the time, but we need this revelation. 

• Galatians 2:20,NKJV- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

•  All He has, He has already given. All His promises in Christ are yes, and in Him amen. His life, His nature, His wisdom and provision. Remember, God, our Father wants to be the El Shaddai of our lives.

• I realize all these things we’re talking about to some degree make absolutely no sense. This is why we have to have talks like this, because truth is, a life of faith, as a matter of fact, the things of God are not of the senes.

• 1 Corinthians 2:14,NKJV- But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

• Here’s the deal, as long as we allow our senses, emotions, circumstances, or intelligence to determine the realities of our new world, we leave no room for faith.

• And this is why it’s important that we keep reminding ourselves that God didn’t give us these new lives in Him just to do our own thing until we go to heaven.

• We’re suppose to be bringing Heaven with us wherever we show up.

• We’ve got to stay aware of this, we’re made for the supernatural, the impossible. God just might lead you into a battle you can’t win, into a situation you see no way out of, without Him.

• 2 chronicles 20:15,NLKV- Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

• When a Christian can get to the place where what God says is more real than circumstance and experience, that person’s faith will become the dominant force in our lives.

• The challenge for most of us is that we identity more with our natural world than our spiritual world. But in our new creation, we’re made to live out of our new world, while we’re still confined to this one.

• This is why Paul instructs us that we are tolive our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. Or in the words of Jesus, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

• Matthew 9:27-30,NKJV-  When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 
• And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 
• Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened. 
• When we follow the life of Jesus, we’ve got to understand, He was on a short assignment from the Father. Listen to what He said, “I came down from Heaven to do the will of My Father who sent Me.”

• Acts 10:28,NKJV- How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

• The actual Greek word that we get oppressed from is a little more in depth than just oppression, the word is tyrannized- cruel, unreasonable, arbitrary use of power.

• 1 Hebrews 13:8,NKJV- Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

• What people have to realize is that every part of God’s new covenant has to be accessed by believing and speaking.

• Every where He went, when people came to Him for healing, they got healed.

• There was never a let Me check with the Father, or maybe He’s wanting to teach you something, or it’s a blessing in disguise, or sometimes God says no. Where are those scriptures?

• He healed every where He went to establish the covenant He was leaving for His followers. Fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah decreed hundreds of years earlier.

• Lets go back to what Paul teaches in Galatians, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

• Is it the same Christ we follow through the scriptures?

• I can’t help but wonder if “according to your faith” means something different today than what Jesus meant when He spoke those words?

• We walk by faith, (God inspired trust and expectation) not by sight, 
• We live by believing and not by seeing.
• We live our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES.