1 Corinthians 2:5 - That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Hello there to you all dear brethren, and Sabbath blessings to you all. May the Love of truth penetrate our lives this day, and all that we may learn. Let us learn of the God of grace who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ. Let us continue to suffer in the hour of purge and be made perfect, stable, established in the truth and strengthen by it.
1 Peter 5:10 - But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].
Let us be that blessed woman or man that will endureth temptation…
James 1:12 - Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
And let us all be rejoicing in hope…
Romans 12:12 - Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Let us not fall into giving up because the Lord shall fight for you.
Exodus 14:14 - The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
So, my brethren…
James 1:2-8 - My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
And, not only so, but glory in it.
Romans 5:3 - And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And we will reap the reward that comes with patience if we faint not…
Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
And let us have understanding in the thoughts of God towards us that should give us peace and comfort that will help us faint not…
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Furthermore…
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Let us all come to repentance while we still have time, because when we look down through the hands of time, back in the time of Noah, the righteous preacher of the Lord, we can see how he called a world to repentance, but the world had rejected it, just as they are doing today. Many even helped Noah in building the ark and learned of the heavenly truths that gave them understanding what they must do in order to be saved. The ark of God was not received by most of the world; in fact, only eight people accepted the saving power of God.
As years went by, people were given the chance to receive and repent, but in the end, even those who stood next to Noah left and took their stand in the world. They stood afar off looking at all that was entering into the ark. Through trials and difficulties, the cares of the world, earthly treasures and money, the cares of life, the riches, the temptations of all the flesh, the murmuring and complaining, the finger pointing, the blaming of others, all drunkenness, the backbiting, the sowing of discord and all sorts of other wretched ways corrupted this time in earth’s history, just as we see today. And just as we see today, many fled away from all that Noah had sown into the heart. The truth was choked by what the world had offered, not realizing that these very tests could have been overcome if they would have just simply put their trust in the Words of heaven that had proceed forth from the voice of Noah, the servant of the Most High God.
While the ark was being filled with the creatures of the Lord, none but eight persons were ready to enter therein. When we look at this picture, we can see the very thing happening today. Very few are responding and many that have tasted of the heavenly gift are playing with the idea of standing a far off and not entering due to the bewitching power of Satan.
The trials, temptations, the difficulties, the lack of faith, the lack of trust, the problems, the stresses in life, the cares of this world, the worldliness have made billions drunk from seeing and staying in the truth. It is a sad thing to see as it has taken a toll on my life, my family’s life and my kids with all the attacks and sad shortcoming of others who have decided to take a step back from the fire of our trials that are not there to destroy us but to purify us through this affliction hour, but all we know to do as a family is to pray for others and press forward in sorrow, and continue to trust in the Lord. When you learn to love others, it becomes a pain burden to bear. I pray that none will stand afar off and walk away any longer from God because the furnace gets heated up seven times hotter, but pray and enter the ark of God before the doors close as it did in for the generation before the flood. We need to be burned, we need to be tried, we need to endure through this race and run.
The end of all things is at hand; and now is not the time to sink into despair, pack up our bags, give up and walk away. Today is the day of our salvation and we must fight harder than ever before as the bitter cup is soon to get bitterer. Life is no easy matter to walk through to make it to heaven. No matter what choices we make, no matter where we go, we will meet the wrath of the dragon who will present all sorts of circumstances that are designed to beset those seeking to enter the ark of heaven. We must fight through the obstacles that are set before us and endure the tests of our time and not surrender and walk away from them. Walking away and putting down the armor of God is not what a soldier of God does. We are in the battle of battles now before the greatest bitter cup arrives when the MOB is enforced.
Satan has studied our weaknesses, he has studied our movements, he has studied our efforts and he will continue to become much wiser to overthrow all who are ready to give up, walk away, take a break and surrender their post. The bewitching power of Satan is upon the land and the greatest hour that is to stand before us where Satan will present himself under the cloak of Christianity, is soon to put the icing on the cake and call it a victory over the world and over those who are shrinking from God this day. Many are becoming tired; many are playing with the things they can’t seem to let go that dragged them into the worldliness that has kept them from coming into the fullness of truth. We must stand up like real soldiers more now than ever before and take the fight to the enemy, get up if your wounded, patch your wounds up and press forward. Now is not the time to give in and shrink into fear.
Psalms 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Let us take our fears and offer it to God and allow Him to turn it into endurance as He turned water into wine. Let us believe, have faith, and ask for the power to overcome the attacks of the enemy.
We need to withdraw all of our connection with the world so we can see clearly, hear clearly, understand clearly, walk clearly so that we accept the bitter cup for what it is and press forward in a world that is drunk with evil where they have all turned their backs to the Creator. We must help those who are weak on the battlefield today and do all that we can to help them walk as we should.
It is such a painful matter when you learn to love so many brethren, and then they fall down wounded and have a hard time fighting anymore. It is a painful matter after so many years of toiling in the soil, walking with them through the land of the dead, through the desert storms, through the battles that were so hard fought, but then at the last moment in time, they fall down from the sword of Satan, badly wounded and they can’t get up. Oh Lord, how much longer? Oh God of heaven and earth, how much more before thy return? Save us all and bring a storm upon the land that will divide the earth. Send the storm of test that will call back those who once were under thy banner. Send forth the flood of endurance and let the rain fall upon this battlefield and end this great controversy. Give us the power to drink the bitter cup as it gets bitterer.
Those who have loved thee and denied thy name with works that are contrary to thy ways, and help them bring forth the repentance of your apostle Peter; and have them become that double edged sword. Let not their wounds drain out the Lifegiver. Seal up their wounds and lift them up again off the battlefield. Let all come forth in the spirit of Elijah. Set us all up right and give us a new heart, a new mind and a new-found zeal to go forward conquering. Let the storm clouds be gathered as a warning to the world that the time has come. Let the rain fall so that we may proclaim victory over the beast and his image that is coming to the front lines of test. Bring forth the sword of the Spirit and devour much! Oh Lord, let the hour of the serpent’s head be crushed under thy foot. Give us the power to tread on serpents.
Luke 10:19 - Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
1 Corinthians 4:20 - For the kingdom of God [is] not in word, but in power.
1 Corinthians 6:14 - And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
Praise be to the God of heaven and earth. Be of good cheer brethren and endure. For the day that works against Satan, for all those he has led into captivity, his hour cometh when the saying shall come to pass “thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Set thy chains upon the dragon and let not his bands devour another. Let thy day come quickly and reward this land of her doings.
As we stand on this battlefield where the dragon and his host are marshalling in order to prepare for their final attack, let the trial of our faith be victorious unto the day where He will bring us home unto victory. We are not home yet dear soldiers of Christ. It is not time to stop, but it is time to move forward and press harder together and encourage one another like never before; nevermore working the works of blame, finger pointing, accusing, rendering fruits of the flesh, or casting contempt upon thy law through our old wretched ways, or bringing back the old man who was to have been crucified already and give us the victory that will allow us to stand in thy presence.
Romans 6:6 - Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Father ABBA, the temptations of Satan are greater now than ever before, and we need thy tender mercy and offered power to stand stronger. The dragon’s time is shorter than ever before, and his wrath and delusions are stronger than ever before, and we need the weapons of truth to destroy the works of Satan. His arms are surrounding our borders; they have enlarged their camps and are pressing together to destroy us. Send forth the rain. Shower us with thy blessings. Let thy judgments fill this land. Let it be music to our ears and a trumpet of warning to the inhabitants of the earth. Let the divisions of Satan be scattered and take up the ranks under the King of kings. Let thy pale horse cross the borders of Babylon and destroy her works once and for all. Bring forth the righteous works of the Lord soldiers of Christ, let us put down our hidden sins, confess and repent as the Day of Atonement is here. Prepare the scapegoat. Prepare oh Israel and dig the graves and cast down the old man. Render that which Christ asks of us all and swallow up the past in forgiveness and pray to the God of heaven and earth. The time has come to prepare like the storm are above us. Burn the flesh and destroy the works of it. Afflict the soul, afflict I say! Confess all things to our High Priest and prepare His way. For the day of vengeance is soon to fill the land and none will rise up a second time against the Lord's house.
We must prepare to bear up under all our afflictions, and trust wholly in the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Lord has shown that His grace is sufficient for the battles we fight now, and for the battle of battles to come. And He will help us to fight. We are not alone.
Deuteronomy 20:4 - For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Let us overcome every temptation, which is set there by Satan to lead us away from God, but when we yield to Christ the arrows of affliction are destroyed by the armor of God. And through His mighty grace come we shall all prevail and come off victorious.
Let us overcome our trials, and get victory over the temptations of the dragon, and then we endure the trial of our faith, which is more precious than gold. Let us be stronger and evermore and pass our tests to meet the next. The cup will only get bitter if we do not pass now. If we will not and we give into the temptations of Satan, we shall grow weaker and get no reward for the trial and shall not be so well prepared for the next. The world has given in. They have cast truth off and sunk into their graves of eternal death by their works. They have been led captive and unless we show the victory in our lives, there is no life sermon, no testimony, no good works to bear before their eternal death.
We must be ready at any moment for a conflict with the powers of darkness that even come to us full force in our dreams to awaken us from our rest, which is to weaken us in our daily walks. When temptations and trials rush in upon us, let us swiftly go to God, and agonize with Him in prayer, even if it takes hours. Do less talking to others and more talking to God. He will not turn us away empty, but will give us grace and strength to overcome, and to break the power of the enemy at anytime. Oh, that all could see these things in their true light and endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ! Then would Israel move forward, stronger in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
Isaiah 48:10-22 - Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
48:11 For mine own sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I [am] he; I [am] the first, I also [am] the last.
48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: [when] I call unto them, they stand up together.
48:14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these [things]? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.
48:15 I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
48:16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there [am] I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
48:17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way [that] thou shouldest go.
48:18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
48:19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
48:20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it [even] to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
48:21 And they thirsted not [when] he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
48:22 [There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.
But for those who are of the promise, those who are the children of God will have peace while they drink of the bitter cup as seen in the fruits of the Spirit. The bitter cup to drink must be done so to purify and cleanse us brethren so that we may obtain the character and image of God in all things. There is a great work for us to do if we would inherit eternal life. We are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live a life of righteousness, as we are called to strive unto perfection. Many are falling into such complaining, murmuring characteristics as ancient Israel who professed to be the children of God too, but they died in their sins while marching through the trials of our faith. Complaining at the one who was the voice of God for bringing them into a place that was not as comforting as where they were previously. They denied the furnace of affliction and sent for accusations and blame to the servant of Christ for all that had happened, not realizing the purpose for the years journeying through the wilderness of test.
The true Israel today should learn from this and understand that they can make it worse for themselves by murmuring, complaining, and saying things that we know we should not be speaking. We should learn to never open our mouth and point fingers at others for things that may be happening in our lives and just pass our tests. Think of good things, remove the bad thoughts, dissolve the evils that exist in our characters, and cast off the wretched man that we shall be nevermore that will not be permitted in the world to come. Those who accept and receive willfully the bitter cup of purification will need another and another till its work has been accomplished. Our filthy ways need to be removed out of the way and receive a pure heart of gold that was tried in the furnace of affliction. By our patience, endurance, love for the Lord, through much prayer, it can be sweetened as it takes root in our life that will bring honor to our King.
The world sees and thinks that being a Christian is some small easy thing, but it is not. They are the army of the Lord, the navy of truth, the fire that will burn like an oven that the enemy cannot quench as the Lord provides it. The lip service Christian is cold and dead in works and has not life, but there is “One” that can still yet bring life through the fire we have. Let us who profess the present truth have the corresponding works with our profession. Let us not fall short any longer of Bible holiness. Let us not partake in any more vain things and unbecoming conversation, nor give way to the risings of self. Old self must be destroyed and hung upon the tree to die. Crucify the FLESH and be born again in good works unto righteousness. Let us all work the fruits of repentance and shine forth as stars and fly in the heights of the clouds as eagles. We must not work to please ourselves, but Christ alone. We must not live and act like the world any longer. We must remove ourselves from the pleasures it offers. Let us reign with Christ in glory.
If we are Christians, we must be partakers of Christ's sufferings here and now, if we are going to share in His glory hereafter.
Romans 8:18 - For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
If we want to be citizens in the world to come, we must prove to be citizens of that kingdom now, worthy to receive that Gold card for entrance. We must allow Christ to accomplish His last finishing touches on our lives. Allow Him to turn a mistake into a masterpiece that is worth more than fine gold. We have but a little space of time left in which to work for God, so stand up and FIGHT! Cry oh righteous, cry unto the Lord and He will deliver you!
Psalms 34:17 - [The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
And as He hears and delivers us and saves us from our troubles, let us be in good courage to be that voice of him in the work of the Lord that crieth in the wilderness, where we are to be preparing the way of the LORD.
Isaiah
40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].
40:6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh [is] grass, and all the goodliness thereof [is] as the flower of the field:
40:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass.
40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift [it] up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
The Christ who is our God, it is He that desires nothing so much more as to redeem His heritage from the dominion and power of Satan. But of course, before we are delivered from Satan's grips on our lives, we must be delivered from Satan’s power that is within us. This is why the Lord permits all these trials, temptations and afflictions in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from selfishness, from harsh words, actions, expressions, and all-around characters that have formed unchristlike traits of character.
He allows the suffering of the deep waters to afflict our lives as it runs over our souls in order that we may know Him, receive Him and cling to Him; in order that we may also have a deeper understanding and clean heart that longs to be cleansed from even more from defilement. This is so that we may come forth from the trial, the temptations, the persecutions, the afflictions, to have a purer, holier, happier life on this path to change. The fruits of the Spirit are found in the children of God who bear these characteristic especially through their hours of testing. Everything in life is designed for us and has a purpose which most cannot see because their lives have not been in full accordance with the Word of God. Often we enter the furnace of trial with our souls darkened with selfishness; cares of the world; comforts of the world where most are looking for a retirement type of a life, which no true Christian will have retirement while they’re truly seeking citizenship in the world to come, but if patient under the crucial tests, we shall come forth reflecting the divine character. When Christ’s purpose in the affliction is accomplished…
Psalm 37:6 - He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
And there is no danger that the Lord will neglect the prayers of His true children. The great danger that Satan has designed is that in temptation and trial we may go through, it is Satan’s purpose that we will become so discouraged, and fail to persevere in prayer, which will cause that soul to backslide and not endure till the end. Endurance is key to run the race and to with grace fly through the obstacles that are set before us.
Let us never give up on the Lord or surrender brethren and keep pressing forward. We are running out of time as probation is soon to close. Let us not stand back and give up our post. If are not in the hour where we are to retire. We are never to walk away or take a break from the church who is the voice of God, because doing so is walking away from Christ and His voice that ministers over His heritage. Let us learn to stand stronger, wiser, departing from the world more, walk through our afflictions, test, trials and temptations that are set before us.
2 Corinthians 13:11 - Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.