Victory Life KY

Discerning The Times IV

Episode Summary

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.

Episode Notes

• 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.