1-31-2023 Devotion: Hear

 As we continue to focus on developing our devotional life, we want to approach every passage of Scripture as a Word from the Lord. There are many who misinterpret verses out of ignorance or by design. For example, John 10: 44 reads: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me...." This verse is used wrongly to support the idea that God is giving someone personal extra-Biblical revelations. We have seen previously, that is how the following churches were formed from "new material" outside of His Word: Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, the Jim Jones cult and even Muslims. The context for verse 44 is found in the immediately preceding and following verse. Verse 43 reads: "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." So the context is that Christ is talking to nonbelievers. This is confirmed when looking at verse 45: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." Verse 44 is not about Jesus whispering guidance to you about who to marry, what job to take or what clothes to wear. Instead, He is talking about the effectual call that the Holy Spirit gives to those chosen before the foundation of the world. God's elect hears His voice and responds. John Wesley called it prevenient grace and John Calvin called it irresistible grace. The point is that the Lord Jesus Christ was describing how one receives the call to be saved through the grace of God. The Bible is so clear when it is studied correctly. God did not intend to make you follow breadcrumbs to get direction. The Bible is His Word, that is it.

1-30-2023 Devotion: Discipline

 As we continue to develop our devotional life, we want to ensure that we avoid "cherry picking"  a verse out of context and trying to make the verse mean what our opinion is, not what the text actually says. For example, one verse misinterpreted by a number of churches is Matthew 18: 20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This verse is generally quoted when the attendance for a service is small. You will hear someone in authority say, "Well, there are just a few of us here tonight, but the Bible says that where two or three are gathered, Jesus will be in their midst." While I concur that the Lord Jesus Christ is omnipresent, that is not what the verse is referencing. The verse is about church discipline. If someone is in sin, go to him privately. If that does not work, take one or two witnesses with you. If that does not produce results, take the matter public to the church. Start reading in Matthew 18: 15-20 and you will see what the context says about the verse. My point today is that it is not enough just to read your Bible and pray, but you want to also have an understanding about what Scripture means. I have said for years, the Bible is the only book I need to know how to be saved, how to walk in holiness, and how I am to make decisions in my everyday ordinary life. Read, study and pray, and be careful who you let have your ear. As a side not, if you have been attending a church for several years and there has never been a case of church discipline, you should prayerfully consider going somewhere else. If a church is never disciplining anyone, you are either in a perfect church or one with weak leadership.

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Part 2: The Manner of His Coming

Today, we continue our new series on the Second Coming of Christ. When was the last time you heard a message on this topic? When was the last time you heard a man of God call the church to repent? Time is drawing short, the Antichrist is coming, and the great apostasy is happening now. In this series, we will explore the signs of His coming, the manner of His coming and much more. This will be a series that may read like a daily news broadcast because we are living in the last days. These messages will establish that point beyond any reasonable doubt. This lesson will be "The Manner of His Coming." When you have finished this study, you will be seeing the signs yourself. He is coming again, and we must be ready.

Introduction

The world is slowly sinking into spiritual midnight darkness. The light is slowly going out on the road to Hell. The church is married to the world and has lost her hope of His coming. The call to repentance is no longer heard from the church. Christ is standing outside the door of His church and knocking for entrance. The church is unmindful that she has lost the presence of Christ, being lost herself, and as a result there is no compassion for the souls of the lost. Old time prayer meetings are a thing of the past, and there is being substituted today every type and form of religious movement and programs such as religious movies, civil causes (social justice), "fun, food, and fellowship," all designed to boost morale, to increase the crowd size. The desire is to get a crowd, increase its size, and thereby increase finances.

There are at least four things wrong with the world today:

1. The believer is out of place; we ought to be home with Christ.

2. Christ is out of His place; He is outside the worldly compromising church.

3. Satan is out of his place, he ought to be in hell.

4. The Jew is out of his place; he ought to be in Palestine.

When Christ is in His place and the believer is with Christ, when the Jew is in his place and Satan is in his place, then we will have the thousand-year reign of peace on earth. God will bring this to pass.

Section 1: Manner of His Coming

Against the dark background of our times, there is a ray of hope; the return of the Lord Jesus Christ back to earth again. The Lord Jesus Christ will come back to earth in two stages. First, He comes to the earth, but He does not actually stand on the ground. Rather, He stops in midair FOR His saints. This is the first resurrection of the believing dead and the transfiguration of the living believer, which is commonly referred to as the RAPTURE, or the catching away of the believer. The second stage of His coming is known as the REVELATION or the "appearing," or manifestation, of Chrisy WITH His saints., when He comes to earth to reign. There are many Scriptures which tell of His coming that would seem to contradict each other if we do not understand the distinction between the rapture, or first resurrection, and the revelation, the two stages of His coming back to the earth.

The word "rapture" means "to be caught up, or caught away, or kidnapped, taken by force" from this earth to be with Christ. The revelation of Christ, or the unveiling, means the appearing, or the shining forth, or the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. The rapture occurs when the born-again believer is caught up to meet Christ in the air, and this takes place before the Great Tribulation, according to 1 Thessalonians 4: 14, 17: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord."

The revelation occurs when Christ comes WITH all His saints to end the Great Tribulation by the execution of righteous judgment upon the earth, according to II Thessalonians 1: 7-10: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe."

Section 2: Distinguishing Between Rapture and Revelation

At the RAPTURE Christ comes into the air FOR His saints, according to John 14: 3: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." At the REVELATION the Lord Jesus Christ comes to earth WITH His saints, according to 1 Thessalonians 3: 13: "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." The Lord must come FOR His saints before He can come WITH His saints. Some day before long the Lord Jesus Christ will lay aside His priestly garments as our High Priest and deck Himself in the robe of the Bridegroom and leave heaven with a shout, coming for His own. He will descend into midair, and the Holy Spirit will call forth all the believing dead at the sound of the first trumpet, and at the sounding of the second trumpet He will translate all the living believers; then the two companies are united together; the resurrected believers and the translated living believers. They will be taken away or caught away by force by the Holy Spirit. Friends, does your heart cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus, come!" Mine does.

The RAPTURE is the first stage of His coming. We see the rapture that Christ comes as the Bridegroom to take unto Himself His bride (Matthew 25: 10), "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, according to Ephesians 5: 25, and redeemed it with His precious blood, according to Acts 20: 28, "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5: 27) The cry of every born-again believer should be, "Lord, make me like unto thee." In the first stage of His coming, He comes as a Bridegroom for His bride, which He has purchased with His blood. Listen closely, I want to make sure you hear this: The purpose of the Gospel today is not to bring in the kingdom, or to make the world a better place in which to live, but to call out God's elect, save them, and make them ready for the Lord's return.

At the REVELATION Christ comes with His bride to rule the nations with a rod of iron, according to Revelation 2: 26, 27, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father." Revelations 5: 10 states: "And hast made us unto our God kings (a kingdom) and priests; and we shall reign on the earth." Read also Revelations 19: 15: "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

There is a teaching among some groups known as "Amillennialism," which means "no millennium." They teach that Christ is ruling and reigning right now. That what we experience now is all we will know. This is simply wrong. Look around you and see if it looks like Christ is ruling on earth. The only place Christ rules in in the hearts of the believer. This does not take away from God's Sovereignty. He is in charge and part of His being in charge is to allow to take place what is happening in the world today. After the REVELATION there will be a thousand-year reign known as the Millennium.

At the RAPTURE the Lord Jesus comes only to meet the saints in the air. At the REVELATION He comes back to earth, according to Acts 1: 11: "...This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go to heaven." Christ left Mt. Olivet: He'll come back to Mt. Olivet. Zechariah 14: 4, 5 makes this very clear,

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south...And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."

Notice how Zechariah made it personal: "The LORD MY God shall come." Are you going to be coming with the saints? Will you? Yes, the feet of our blessed Lord will one day again stand again upon Mt. Olivet, from which He ascended. He will rule with His bride one thousand years! Praise the Lord! Where will you be standing? With Him or against Him. There is no middle ground.

At the RAPTURE the church, like Enoch, will be taken out of the world. It is said that "Enoch walked with God" for three hundred years, and one day he disappeared, "and he was not; for God took him." He went to heaven without dying. That is the same experience that will happen to the living believers at the time of the RAPTUIRE. This world is not your home if you belong to Christ. One day He is coming back FOR YOU! I don't know about you but that encourages my soul. My LORD is coming back for me. Is He coming back for you? You can be ready if you will come to Him acknowledging and repenting of your sins and having faith in His blood sacrifice as a substitute for you. YOU MUST HAVE A BLOOD SUBSTITUTE! Scoffers can laugh as I'm sure the lost in the times of Noah did until it started to rain. In the same way, when He returns at the REVELATION it will be too late if you have already rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation! Are you ready?

At the REVELATION, that is when Christ comes WITH His saints back to earth, the Millennial Kingdom begins. In Luke 21: 28 the rapture is referred to as being at the beginning of the Tribulation, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Redemption spoken here means the first redemption, as set forth in Romans 8: 23, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Then in Luke 21: 31 the revelation is referred to: "When ye see these things (speaking of the tribulation) come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Believers have for years prayed for His return as we do now. Do you pray for His return? If not, why not? Know for a certainty, I stake my eternal destiny on the face that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again soon! He is coming back because the Word of God says so and His Word cannot be broken. Let the scoffer laugh, the unsaved religionist make fun, and the infidel belittle if they will the second coming of Christ, but in spite of all their laughter and ridicule our Lord is coming back, for His own.

The RAPTURE, that is Christ coming for His own, can occur at any moment, according to Matthew 24: 42: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." There is not one thing that stands in the way of the Lord coming any minute for His own. I look every day and ask; is this the day I see my Lord return for the church? Are you ready, my friend? Suppose He comes in the next 5 minutes? For myself, I had a real awareness that I was not ready to meet Him. I was scared. I saw my need as a lost sinner and yielded myself to Him in repentance and faith and He saved me, GLORY TO GOD! I knew He didn't have to save me, but He did. I brought no righteousness with me when I came to Him. I only brought my sin. He took MY sin and gave me HIS righteousness.

Why are you not concerned about your soul in like manner I do not understand, sinner-friend. The Word of God is too plain for you not to hear and understand. Knowing that He could come at any moment for His church, why do you delay coming to Christ? He will never turn you away. We have no assurance that He will delay His coming another hour. There is not one promise in the Word of God that He would ever have mercy on you if you do not get saved before the Rapture. I know that there will be a multitude saved during the Millennial reign, as well as during the Tribulation period. I know that. But to you who have had your chance now and have turned it down, I hold out no hope at all for you!

While the RAPTURE can occur at any moment, the REVELATION will not take place until the close of the Great Tribulation, and after the Antichrist is revealed and rules the earth for seven years. The REVELATION of Christ ushers in the day that the Bible speaks of as "the day of the Lord." Listen to 1 Thessalonians 5: 2: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." Then Luke 17: 30 states: "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."

There are many prophecies which will be fulfilled after the RAPTURE before Christ comes in His REVELATION, that is between the Rapture (Christ coming for His own) and the Revelation (Christ coming with His saints back to earth again). First, when Christ comes for His own and takes them out of the world, then will come the revelation of the Antichrist (the son of Satan). Antichrist cannot and will not be revealed until the Holy Spirit takes every believer out of the world, both the living and the dead. This will be the beginning of the Tribulation Period, known as Daniel's seventieth week of years (Daniel 9: 24). Second, God will again deal with the Jews, bringing them back to Jerusalem and gathering His elect from among the Jews to receive the Messiah (Christ) when He comes in His revelation. Third, during this period between the rapture and the revelation God will deal with the apostate church, and every Christ-rejector will receive his just recompense of reward. Fourth, there will take place the Judgment Seat of Christ in the heavens, before which every saint will have to appear and give account of his stewardship.

Fifth, there will be the Marriage of the Lamb and the Marriage Supper after the Judgment Seat of Christ while the Tribulation is taking place on this earth under the reign of the Antichrist. I am going to be at the Marriage Supper! Are you? Sixth, Satan will have his heyday on earth, when he will rule this earth through the Antichrist. I won't be here on earth, will you? Seventh, the wrath of the Lamb shall be poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. I want it to be crystal clear; before we can enter the Millennial Reign on earth when Christ reigns for 1000 years, this world will pass through the darkest hours she has ever known. The world is being prepared now; she is ripening for judgment, and the only thing that is holding back the judgment of God is the return of our blessed Lord, the presence of the Holy Spirit here on earth waiting for the coming of our Lord. We are so near Christ's coming for His own that I tremble for the unsaved and what they will go through during the Tribulation.

Section 3: The Attitude of the Believer

In the face of these facts, what should be the attitude of every born-again believer? First, we should walk humbly before God, as Enoch did, so as to please Him. We should also be like the prophet Micah, "He hath showed thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Then, seeing that these days are coming upon us, we should be like the Apostle Peter.

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?...Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (II Peter 3: 11-14).

To me the rapture or being caught away at the coming of the Bridegroom, is full of the sweetest comfort. Paul, talking about the coming of our Lord for His own, says in 1 Thessalonians 4: 18, "Comfort one another with these words." What is more blessed to the human heart--what thrills the human heart that is born-again, washed in the blood of the Lamb, more than the thought of the fact that the Lord is coming, and that He might come at any moment! Not only does it comfort my heart, but it gives me strength and courage to fight on, because I know there is coming an end to this battle, and we will win!!!

Conclusion

What does His coming again mean to you, my friend? Are you waiting for His coming or are you fearful of His coming? Let me ask the believer the following questions:

1. Are you giving yourself to witness and testify of Christ as you should?

2. Are you being true to the souls of men in our testimony as you should?

Let us give ourselves and spare nothing to being faithful to the cause of Christ. We must get the truth to the lost. I like the expression, "Preaching the Word of God as it is, to men as they are." Can you say, "Yes, Lord, I will be faithful."

Let me ask the lost sinner these questions:

1. Is His coming a joy to your heart?

2. Do you believe He is coming again? If so, do you want to be saved?

3. Sinner, will you cry out for mercy? Down, sinner! Down! Down at His feet and cry for mercy. Will you ask Him for mercy?

Throw yourself upon His mercy!

You now know the manner of His coming. What will you do?

1-29-2023 Devotion: Peace

 We are continuing to look at developing our devotional life. I am a firm believer that one should employ a good Bible commentary to aid in understanding difficult passages. The rule is context, context, context. You must read a verse in context and a commentary will help you gain understanding.  Colossians 3: 15 reads: " And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." This verse is misinterpreted by many (this means most) people to suggest that if you are having to make a decision about something, you let "peace" be your guide. Whatever you feel most peaceful is the way to go. The problem is, that is not what the verse is about. Matthew Henry wrote: "Let this peace rule in your heart—prevail and govern there, or as an umpire decide all matters of difference among you.”—To which you are called in one body. We are called to this peace, to peace with God as our privilege and peace with our brethren as our duty. Being united in one body, we are called to be at peace one with another, as the members of the natural body; for we are the body of Christ, and members in particular, 1 Cor. 12:27." The verse is speaking about having peace with God and with your brethren. Peace with God as our privilege and peace with our brethren as a duty. The commentary would help keep people from misinterpreting Scripture and making bad decisions. I have known many bad decisions that were made because someone felt "peace" about it. Don't be deceived.

1-28-2023 Devotion: Help

 We are continuing to look at developing our devotional life. I am a firm believer that one should employ a good Bible commentary to aid in understanding difficult passages. The rule is context, context, context. You must read a verse in context and a commentary will help you gain understanding. I recommend Matthew Henry's Commentary and you can find it free online here:   Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete) - Bible Study Online (christianity.com) (https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-complete/). For example, Proverbs 21: 1 reads: "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." Matthew Henry wrote the following on this verse: "Even the hearts of men are in God’s hand, and not only their goings, as he had said, Prov. 20:24 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Prov.20.24). God can change men’s minds, can, by a powerful insensible operation under their spirits, turn them from that which they seemed most intent upon, and incline them to that which they seemed most averse to, as the husbandman, by canals and gutters, turns the water through his grounds as he pleases, which does not alter the nature of the water, nor put any force upon it, any more than God’s providence does upon the native freedom of man’s will, but directs the course of it to serve his own purpose." Now we can apply this verse by praying that the Lord would turn the heart and mind of our lost loved one to Himself. The commentary brought out the application for our prayer life. That is good praying.

1-27-2023 Devotion: Complete

 We continue looking at Bible reading and study as part of your devotional experience. The Bible is no ordinary book. It is the Word of God. Some may say that the Bible contains the Word of God but this is in error. The Bible is the Word of God and it is perfect without contradiction or error. Some additional rules for Bible reading are: read the Word reverentially and expectantly. Several days ago we read about Coram Deo, knowing that you are "before the face of God." To read it expectantly means that the Bible will do for us what it claims it will do. 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 reads: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." The Bible will make you complete in that it will provide guidance to help you to live a Christian life. Make studying the Bible part of your daily devotional life and you will be amazed at the results. 

1-26-2023 Devotion: The Bible

 We are continuing to look at developing our devotional life. We have learned about prayer and the proper attitude in prayer. Now, we shift to daily Bible reading. For years, I have had the practice of reading the Bible in a year. It takes about 15 minutes a day and it is a good habit to create. There are a number of free reading plans available online.  However, because of the volume of material read each day, I believe the best practice is to read passages and meditate on them in addition to the Bible in a Year Reading Program. To "meditate" in Hebrew means to mutter quietly to yourself (like a low whisper). Over the next few days we will observe some suggestions for reading the Bible. For today, the two rules are: read the Bible every day and read it analytically. Before I eat anything for my physical body, I take nourishment for my soul. Set aside 20-30 minutes a day to read the Bible. Know that God wants you to understand His Word. I recommend Halley's Bible Handbook and the Davis Dictionary of the Bible. Davis' work is in the public domain and you can get free access online. A good dictionary and a good handbook will enable you to have a better understanding of God's Word. Begin now to increase your Bible knowledge. The Second Coming is getting close and we need all the Words of our Lord to maneuver through these difficult times.

1-25-2023 Devotion: Before Him

 We continue today thinking about the Latin phrase Coram Deo. Coram Deo means “before the face of God” or “in the presence of God.” To live one’s life “before God” (coram Deo) is a Scriptural concept, as the Lord is omnipresent and knows our every action and thought. Since God created us for His glory and purposes, our lives should be lived for Him and His glory. As Psalm 115: 1 says, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” Living coram Deo is to recognize that God is ultimately whom we live for; we do not live for others’ approval, recognition, or admiration. Since God alone is the One who redeemed us from our sin, He alone deserves all the glory and praise. Coram Deo counters what is taught in the world today. Entertainment and social media constantly present a version of life in which God is totally absent. The world wants God removed from every aspect of our lives. This is the plan of the enemy and he uses the world's systems to help accomplish that plan. The predominant view of our society is that we should focus on ourselves and do what we think is right for us. Popularity, fame, and fortune are the acceptable pursuits. In contrast, Coram Deo reminds us that we live for an audience of one: the Lord God. Walking before God and living to glorify Him will affect all areas of our lives, and we should be ready to tell others about our purpose of living for Jesus. Remember, you are concerned with the Audience of One. Live all of life before Him.

1-24-2023 Devotion: Know

 As we continue to focus on developing our devotional life, we want to stress our attitude in prayer. Whether you use written prayers, extemporaneous prayers, or a combination of both types, your attitude must be one of humility and submission. True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God. True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that. Prayer is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of heaven and earth. There is a Latin phrase that helps us to have the proper attitude in prayer: Coram Deo. Coram Deo means “before the face of God” or “in the presence of God.” In the Latin Vulgate Bible, the phrase coram Deo appears in Psalm 55:13 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2055.13) (Psalm 56:13 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2056.13) in modern translations). Translated into English, the verse says, “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God [coram Deo] in the light of life” (emphasis added). Coram Deo is used by many Christians as a reminder that all life is about God and that we must live our whole lives to glorify and honor God. According to R. C. Sproul, the essence of Coram Deo is to “live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.” When we are spending time with the Lord in our private devotions, we should keep this Latin phrase before us. When we take time to pray, we are in the very Presence of God. I am not talking about some emotional or spine-tingling encounter, but rather something much more. We are speaking to the Creator of the universe and He wants you to speak with Him. Let that sink in. The Creator of the Universe 

and you as well, wants you to speak with Him. Remember before Whom you are speaking.

1-23-2023 Devotion: Throne

 Hebrews 4: 16 reads: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." That God is to be viewed in prayer as our Father is the aspect that should be the dearest to us. We should always regard prayer as an entrance into the courts of the royalty of heaven, and if we are to behave ourselves as an attendee in the presence of an illustrious majesty, we are not at a loss to know the right spirit or attitude in which to pray. First, we should come in lowly reverence. It is pride that would refuse to pay homage to the King. That would be treason. We worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our approaching the throne of grace should be done with a somber attitude with a heart full of humility. We need to remember Who He is and who we are. That is the correct approach. Make sure to prostrate yourself in such a presence. 

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Part 1: Some Signs of His Coming

 Today, we begin a new series on the Second Coming of Christ. When was the last time you heard a message on this topic? When was the last time you heard a man of God call the church to repent? Time is drawing short, the Antichrist is coming, and the great apostasy is happening now. In this series, we will explore the signs of His coming, the manner of His coming and much more. This will be a series that may read like a daily news broadcast because we are living in the last days. These messages will establish that point beyond any reasonable doubt. This lesson will be "Some Signs of His Coming." When you have finished this study, you will be seeing the signs yourself. He is coming again, and we must be ready.

Introduction

The world is headed toward chaos and the pit. The church is saying, "I am rich, and have need of nothing." The sinner is saying, "Let me alone." The world is blindly asleep in the lap of Satan. The church is taken up with her little programs and has no message for a dying world. The sinner is using the church to promote his own agenda, according to his own purposes. The world knows there is something wrong but knows no way out.  The church is helplessly floundering. Therefore, she has become the laughingstock of the world, because the world has no confidence in her. The world and the church are cooperating together to try and make the world religious without Christ. That is Satan's program. In the face of this darkening hour, the born-again believer is looking up, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as his only hope.

While we cannot know the exact day and time of His Second Coming, we can review the signs to point to a soon coming. Let us prayerfully consider this lesson and be ready for His appearing. Glory to God!

Section 1: Duty of the Watchman to Warn

Isaiah 21: 11, 12 reads: "The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, the morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come." Preachers are God's watchman, standing on the wall of time, either to edify God's people or to warn them. God's divine messenger is an ambassador from heaven commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to give God's message regardless of what man may say or think. The man of God who is faithful will not care about his reputation, his position, his salary or what the public thinks of him. The true servant will fire the gospel gun and spread truth wherever God opens the door. It matters not whether men appreciate his ministry or what their attitude may be. It does matter to the hireling preacher because he cares about the money and prestige. But to the true man of God, there is a heaven to win and a hell to shun. For myself, think about what you will say about me. Call me too hard, too dogmatic or too strict, I don't care because I preach not my words but God's Word. Your argument is not with me, but God. Abortion is murder, not my opinion, just the truth. Marriage is between one man and one woman, not my opinion, just the Biblical truth. There are only two genders: male or female, not my opinion, but the Word of God says so. Most "preachers'' are afraid to make a Biblical stand because they fear being canceled. You can't cancel the Lord Jesus Christ and I am His servant, not yours!

As a watchman, I am crying aloud and sparring not, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh." Are you ready to meet Him? Are your garments washed in His blood? Do you know Christ as Savior and Lord? I am ready to go. If you don't know Him, hell is your doom. There is a hell, the Bible teaches it. Every awakened sinner knows there is a hell. Any person that denies there is a hell does not know Christ. 

People have asked if there are any signs easily understood which indicate Christ's return. Yes, there are. While we are not in the business of looking FOR signs, but are listening for a shout, the shout of the Bridegroom. Yet, we ought to be looking AT signs, not FOR signs, but AT signs.1 Thessalonians 5: 1-6 tells us: "But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us WATCH and be sober." 

To a born-again believer the second coming of Christ will never overtake him as a thief. Born-again believers are called upon to WATCH! "Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21: 28). Before every judgment through all ages God has given repeated warnings before the judgment fell. Remember Noah preceding the flood, God gave people 120 years to repent. The world didn't repent, and the flood and judgment came. God did not hide from Abraham what was to happen in Sodom and Gomorrah. Amos 3: 7 states: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Listen carefully: THE WORLD TODAY IS FACING COMING JUDGMENT. WE ARE NEARING THE END OF THIS AGE OF GRACE. You can call me an old fool, an alarmist, or a fool, but I want to be a voice crying out that the Wrath of God is coming. The world is under judgment. You are under judgment if you have not been redeemed through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can laugh but you won't be laughing in hell. You can make fun, but you will make fun at the expense of your own damnation. Do you want to know what to look for? The Lord God has not left us in the darkness. We can see the signs.

Section 2: The Signs of His Coming

The first sign I call your attention to is THE NIGHT OF SIN IS DEEPENING." Isaiah 60: 2 says, "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." This is a prophetic statement of the end time, that gross darkness, which is spiritual darkness, shall fall upon the people. Friend, we are living in such a day. Spiritual darkness is appalling everywhere; sin is rampant in every circle of society, religious or otherwise. We are approaching the Saturday night before the dawn of the coming of our LORD. The church is trying to bring the Kingdom in with her little religious programs, trying to make the world religious without Christ. Look around at the different "Christian programs' ' such as: Christmas pageants or musical productions, recovery self-help groups, fun, fellowship and field trips, ALL WITHOUT CHRIST. THERE IS NO PREACHING OF REPENTANCE, NO BLOOD REDEMPTION, NO WARNING ABOUT HELL. As the world is given over to gross immorality, covetousness, greed, drunkenness, bloodshed and violence, the church is fast drifting into the state of apostasy, preparing the way for the soon coming of the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation. There is a lack of true preaching of the Word of God. Knowledge is increasing, but very few are hearing the Word of God (Amos 8: 11).  Think about how so many churches have become "woke," embraced nontraditional marriages, support "choice" for abortions, and failing to call gender confusion the offense against God that it is. The church has compromised to such a degree that the world doesn't respect it and it has no power because of the failure to preach the Word of God.

The second sign is THE GREAT RELIGIOUS APOSTASY.  2 Thessalonians 2: 3 states: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first (apostasy), and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." 

Here the Holy Spirit tells us that there shall come a falling away, and we are in that falling away now. He is not talking about the world; He is talking about the church. Revelation 3: 14-20 reads: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked...Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."

The Holy Spirit here gives us a picture of the final state of apostasy, the church saying, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," and at the same time it is wretched (an outcast), and miserable (helpless), and poor (penniless), and blind (can't see), and naked (has no righteousness for her soul), and doesn't know it, with Christ on the outside of the church, Christ is outside His church, and the church is so deaf, so taken with the world, that she does not hear His knock, and is satisfied without Him. The Lord is not standing outside helpless, NO!!! He is standing outside as the Sovereign Lord waiting for the church to bow to Him as the Sovereign Lord.

Let us turn to 2 Timothy 1-7; 4: 3,4, and see the picture the Holy Spirit gives us of the church in the last days: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away...Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (that they are lost sinners) ...for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (half-truths--for instance, remission of sins without repentance)."  

I want to call your attention to the fact that this is not a picture of the world, no, it is a picture of the church in the last days before our Lord comes. These Scriptures give us a true picture of the present-day church. If you can't see it, you are spiritually blind. That means you are part of the apostasy. I am not trying to be mean, but rather to warn those that are in danger because the coming of our Lord draws nigh. The world rejected my Lord; I have no sympathy with the world. That includes the religious world. I am warning you to turn to Christ while the Day of Grace is drawing to a close. 

Yes, this is a picture of the modern church. They don't talk about Christ, they may talk about the doctrine of Christ, but not Him. They may argue about doctrines and teachings, but they won't talk about how God saved them. They never talk about how the Holy Spirit convicted them of sin and opened their hearts to know Christ. You may ask, "How did Christ get outside the church?" The answer is worldliness. The world came into the church and Christ went out. He that is a friend of the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). 

It is an accepted fact that the church has departed from the early faith and has lost the reality of Christ. Christ is not real to the church today. Why? Worldliness has crowded Christ out of their profession. I want to make a statement, most of the churches I have recently attended, you will not find Christ there. Again, you may ask "why"? The answer is that the missing note in present-day preaching is Bible repentance, and it is! But the missing note in present day testimony is the Person and Work of Christ. Hear this closely now, the majority of people attending church don't know Christ. How can I say that, just listen to them.  I attended a church a few years ago and something struck me. As people were entering into the sanctuary, I noticed the conversations taking place either directly to me or in a group nearby. "Did you see the game yesterday? Where are you eating lunch today? Did you hear about _____?" The conversations never focused or even mentioned Christ. I would occasionally say, "Tell me how God saved you." "What has the Lord done in your life?" Across the board, people didn't talk about Christ because they didn't know Christ personally or experimentally. 

The church is losing the reality of Christ. Then, the church has lost the authority of God's Word. The Word of God is no more to the average individual today than a farmer's almanac. People, both minister and member alike, do not reverence the Word the way they should. Preachers will start with a text from the Bible and springboard off to preaching some notion that is personal to them. I remember being at a church camp and the evangelist spoke on the evil of incest and that women needed to wear panty hose in public. You could not have gotten saved at that camp if you wanted to. The church had substituted their man made rules (regarding the pantyhose) for Bible truth. Hardly a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ except perhaps in closing prayers. This is why we that know the truth must fight error everywhere we encounter it. People need to hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; then some people may get saved.

According to 1 John 5: 19, the religious world is asleep in the lap of Satan. A sleeping child wants to be left alone, and the religious world wants to be let alone. I recall before I left one particular church, I told the pastor directly that the church had compromised with the world and all the "food, fun and fellowship" was just sending the members to hell riding in a happy little yellow school bus playing games headed to a field trip. Of course, it was not received, because the pastor and the church were a worldly compromising social club! The state of the church today is a sure sign of the soon coming Lord!

Section 3: The Missing or Lost Doctrine of the Church

The church, having lost the reality of Christ, the authority of God's Word and Holy Spirit conviction, knows nothing about old-time Bible repentance. The church today is trying to make the world religious without Christ--that is their slogan. There is very little depth to present-day church services. It is all about programs and "fun, food, and fellowship." Let me ask you this question, how many people are being converted at your church? I'm not talking about decisions or professions of faith; I am talking about people being awakened as to their lost sinful condition and coming to Christ in repentance. 

Most churches see little results. Most "converts'' don't stay around. In the 1800's there was an evangelist named D.L. Mooney. He was very famous, but only about 20% of his converts stayed with their faith. On the other hand, during the same period, Charles G. Finney had approximately 80% of his converts remaining true to the faith. What was the difference? Finney preached old-time Bible repentance and old-time Holy Spirit conviction, and it gripped the hearts of sinners. Moody emphasized the love of God and as a result old-time Holy Spirit conviction did not accompany his preaching as it did for Finney. We see this pattern today. Churches that focus only on the love of God create false converts. True converts come from Bible preaching and Holy Spirit conviction. REPENTANCE AND HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTION ARE THE MISSING DOCTRINES IN THE CHURCH TODAY.

One of the results of the lost doctrine not being taught is people falling into apostasy. What is apostasy? The word "apostasy" means "falling away"---and when applied to the church means "the church is falling away." This carries two thoughts. First, there is a falling away from the common faith based on blood redemption, falling away from the Person and Work of Christ. There is your missing note. It is putting Christ out of the church. The second thought is substituting the spirit of the antichrist. Having put Christ outside the church, the church is waiting for another and that another will be the antichrist.  This has not happened to the church in all her history up until now. The present-day church has rejected Christ as her Head, as her Ruler. Therefore, the present-day church does not talk about Christ, the reality of Christ, Christ experimentally. It is all camouflage under a profession, and the church officially is looking for "another" and that "another" is the antichrist. 

II Thessalonians 2: 3 reads: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." You see, the apostasy, the falling away, is associated with the revelation of the "man of sin," the antichrist. II Timothy 4: 3 says: "The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Let me summarize: The great apostasy is the deifying of man. The great apostasy is the elevation of man and the abasing of the Son of God. We are living in that day. The pulpit has been a leader in this "downgrade" of the faith. Preachers have failed to declare the whole counsel of God. The "church" today is looking for some great political leader, or an economic savior. I want to make sure you get this: the great apostasy is the deifying of man. 

Now in the midst of this great apostasy in the last days will come the midnight cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." Matthew 25: 5-13, the parable is told of the ten virgins that were waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. Five were wise and had oil for the lamps and five were foolish because they didn't have enough oil to meet the bridegroom. While the foolish went to look for oil, the bridegroom came, and they were shut out. Simply put, they were not ready. The bridegroom told the foolish virgins that he never knew them. Yet, they called the bridegroom, "Lord, Lord." These people thought they were in a state of salvation, but they were not. This is a picture of the church today. I don't believe we will see a great revival. Why? Because the church won't repent. The church will give you programs and fellowship, but not the Word of God and repentance. Christ said in Luke 13: 3, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Preachers won't call people to repentance because they have not repented themselves! This is a dark time for the church, that is the apostasy that we are in today. 

Section 4: The Sign of Scoffing 

 II Peter 3: 3, 4 reads: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

I have never witnessed in my lifetime the SCOFFING and RIDICULING and belittling of the second coming of Christ and in the Christian faith generally, as I see now among the church and the world. Some statistics tell us that over 60% of ministers today deny that He will ever come back. Some will laughingly say, "I don't preach His second coming, I only preach about His first coming." The Christian faith, even in a land that says it has religious freedom, is under severe attack. True Bible believing Christians are seen as archaic and need to be removed from society. Yes, it is that bad. Not only is our faith scoffed at and ridiculed, but our faith is also despised and hated. Time is drawing short. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR CHRIST'S RETURN? All the fundamental doctrines of the Bible are tied together with the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

My friend, I want to make a statement and I want you to remember it: I WILL STAKE MY ETERNAL DESTINY ON THE FACT THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN!!! AND HE IS COMING SOON, I BELIEVE PERHAPS IN MY LIFETIME AND I AM 68 AS I GIVE YOU THIS WORD.

Conclusion

I want to conclude with a call to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. You may be the purest man in the eyes of the world, you may have no yesterdays to haunt you, you may have no fears of tomorrow, your character may be such that men will salute you as you pass by, you may be all this and more, however, UNLESS YOU REPENT AND ACCEPT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR, YOU ARE LOST AND DOOMED AND DAMNED FOR HELL FOREVER. If you reject Christ, you are committing the greatest sin in all the calendar of sins---the rejection of the truth. If you fail to repent and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing but hell that awaits you. Hear me friend, I pray you will, TURN SINNER TURN, DOWN SINNER, DOWN, DOWN AT THE FEET OF CHRIST IN DUST AND ASHES OF REPENTANCE, 

FRIEND, WILL YOU COME? I PRAY YOU DO.

1-22-2023 Devotion: Attitude

 As we continue to focus on developing our devotional life, we want to stress our attitude in prayer. Whether you use written prayers, extemporaneous prayers, or a combination of both types, your attitude must be one of humility and submission. True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God. True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that. Prayer is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of heaven and earth. Hebrews 4: 16 reads in part: "The throne of grace." We are to come boldly and confidently, but at the same time with deep humility to that throne of grace. Our Spirit within us, begotten by the Holy Ghost at our regeneration, discerns the Great Spirit, communes with Him, presents to Him requests, and receives from Him answers of peace. True prayer is a spiritual business from beginning to end, and its aim and object end not with man but reach to God Himself. We should approach our time of devotional prayer with delight and humility. He will hear you. That is enough reason to arise a bit earlier than normal and spend time with your Creator.

1-21-2023 Devotion: Affirmation

 We continue looking at developing your devotional life. I like to use written prayers as a springboard to unscripted prayer. The written prayer will give you seed thoughts to pray from your heart whatever you desire to say to the Lord. Today, I offer you a prayer I wrote on affirming your faith. It is good to daily affirm your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great way to start or end your day. Pray slowly meditating on the words:

 Prayer of Affirmation

Blessed are You Lord God

There is No God like unto You

Your mercy, grace and forgiveness

Is from everlasting to everlasting.

From the depths of my heart

I praise and worship you with all that is within me.

You have been my fortress, my refuge, and my deliverer.

I confess my shortcomings, failures, and sins 

And admit that they are no way to thank You

For the goodness You have shown me.

I praise and adore You

That Your Word is true.

Your forgiveness and cleansing power knows no end.

I thank You for deliverance and protection.

May I live every day, every hour, every minute,

Every second to glorify You.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen and amen.

1-20-2023 Devotion: Tongue

 We continue looking at developing your devotional life. I like to use written prayers as a springboard to unscripted prayer. The written prayer will give you seed thoughts to pray from your heart whatever you desire to say to the Lord. Today, I offer you a prayer I wrote on controlling your tongue. The tongue is capable of blessing and cursing. You can hurt the ones you love by speaking harsh words. Pray the following to control your speech:

Prayer for Our (My) Tongue

Blessed are You Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth;

You have created me with a tongue, 

One to speak good but it often speaks evil.

I am tempted to gossip, backbite and speak mischief.

Forgive me dear God for allowing my tongue 

To bless You and then curse those made in Your image.

I find it hard to control my tongue;

Sometimes I do not want to control my tongue;

Yet Your grace is sufficient to control my tongue;

I surrender my tongue to You; set a guard over my mouth.

I ask You to forgive my sins of speech

And cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Let me be slow to speak and quick to listen;

Let me work twice as much as I talk.

Let my mouth praise You, Bless You and 

Comfort and exhort my brethren.

In Your Name I pray,

Amen.

1-19-2023 Devotion: Surrender

 We continue looking at developing your devotional life. I like to use written prayers as a springboard to unscripted prayer. The written prayer will give you seed thoughts to pray from your heart whatever you desire to say to the Lord. Today, I offer you a prayer I wrote on surrendering every day to the Lord Jesus Christ:

Prayer of Surrender

Blessed are You Holy God

I now give my all to You,

My body, soul, and mind together as one without division;

I give my time, talents, and family all to You.

I give my past, present, and future

All to You for guidance, forgiveness and safekeeping.

Whatever occurs to me today, I will trust in You.

My very life is in Your hands.

I thank You for the Word of God.

You have provided the truth to instruct me how to live for You.

Your ways are perfect.

May I walk in obedience to Your commands and bring Glory to Your Name.

It brings comfort to give my all to such a great God;

You are love. 

Yet, Your love for me remains a mystery.

May I show my love for You by studying and obeying the Bible.

Into Your Hands I commit my all

That Your name may be glorified.

Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Your name I pray.

Amen and Amen.

1-18-202# Devotion: The Morning

 I want to continue with thoughts about a private devotional life. This is so important to be walking with the Lord. I recommend a good daily devotional, a prayer book and of course the Holy Bible. I like to start every day with a "Morning Prayer." This is the first thing I try to do every day. I encourage you to do the same. The following is a "Morning Prayer" I wrote years ago:

Morning Prayer

Blessed Heavenly Father, I thank You and praise You

That You have protected me through the night

And mercifully restored my soul to me.

I am refreshed and ready for Your calling today.

As I follow Your commandments today

May I show the compassion and love of Christ

To one of Your creations today.

May my life be a blessing to You today;

And also to someone who needs to see You in me.

No matter what occurs today, let me never forget that 

This is the day You have made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

All power and authority is with You

And I will praise You today.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen.

1-17-2023 Devotion: Desperation

 Isaiah 38: 2-3 reads: "Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, 'Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.'" Hezekiah was pleading with the Lord to heal him. God answered by adding 15 years to Hezekiah's life. In this way, he argued in his distress because Sennacherib (2 Kings 19: 15), " And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth." The point I want you to see is that distress brought Hezekiah to a place of desperation in his prayer life. If you want to shake off spiritual slumber, GET DESPERATE. You can't be in spiritual slumber and desperate. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again and soon. Do you have unsaved family members or friends? It is time to plead for the lost. Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken the lost with His conviction for sin. Get specific. Get in your prayer closet and pray as if someone's life depended on it (because it does)! Let our Lord hear your desperation.

1-16-2023 Devotion: Slumber

 We have been looking at some of the errors seen in the church that cause confusion and disappointment. Today, we shift to focus on your personal devotional life. Without a consistent time of Bible reading, study and prayer, you will find yourself living a defeated Christian life. We want to focus on improving our time with the Lord. We need to break the spirit of slumber. Spiritual slumber will weaken the spirit of prayer. Christ Himself gave us a perfect pattern of prayer. In Matthew 6: 13, we read: " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Our Lord provides three reasons to persuade God to hear our prayers, which means He will hear and answer. The reasons influence every one of the petitions in what we call "The Lord's Prayer." Thine is the kingdom, and therefore we expect that as a good King you should receive and answer our petitions. Thine is the power, which kings sometimes lack, but our King lacks nothing and He is all powerful and He will answer. Thine is the glory, the hallowing of Your Name is a chief part of Your glory. You are glorified when we obey your Word and Will. We can pray, "Lord, do all these things for us, for we trust and hope that you will do all these things for us." Saints  have prayed this way for ages. Let us arise and shake off the slumber as we emphasize to Whom we pray.

Attributes of God Part 6: The Faithfulness of God

 Today, we look at part 6 of our series on the Attributes of God: The Faithfulness of God. We cannot form a right conception of the LORD unless we consider Him as all faithful see that faithfulness in His operations. If you talk to many in the church world, you will become convinced that their view of God is not the God of the Bible but is a god of their own creation. The religious world is merging into the great apostasy and is being brought under a great delusion, which is preparing it for the acceptance of the Antichrist when he appears on the scene.

Introduction

The primary text for this message is found in Hebrews 11:11: "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." Here was Sarah, a child of the living God, who believed the promise that God had made to her that she would be bring forth a child, the child of promise. She had to face every doubt, every fear, every human opposition, every impossibility humanly speaking, and believe the promise of God and count Him faithful who had promised. In the face of every impossibility, she trusted the faithfulness of God to do what He said He would do, i.e., strengthen her womb that she could conceive a child in her old age, who would become the child of promise.

We face many challenges today including financial problems, rising inflation, an emerging sense of cultural confusion on gender, sexual identity, abortion and many others concerns. This message will teach about "The Faithfulness of God" and at its conclusion you should find yourself encouraged to trust in His Faithfulness even more than you have before. The Word of God speaks clearly to God's faithfulness. YES, GOD IS FAITHFUL.

Section 1: Scriptures on Faithfulness

Consider the following Scriptures:

1. In Deuteronomy 7: 9, we read "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God."

2.  In 2 Timothy 2: 13, we find these words, "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." 

3. Psalm 89: 8 we also read, "O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee."

4. It was prophesied of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Isaiah 11: 5, "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reigns (waist)." 

So, we see from the Scriptures that faithfulness is essential to God's being. Without this great attribute He could not and would not be God. In other words, for God to be unfaithful would be for Him to act contrary to His nature, and that is impossible! GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Over the years I have encountered people in the church that don't trust the faithfulness of God. They take matters into their own hands and fix the problem. Listening friend, that is the attitude of the world today. Both religious and those that are not, do not trust the LORD. This has been a problem in the church that began using what is referred to the "seeker sensitive" approach to bringing people to the Lord. I have remarked that the moment tries to get people saved before they know. Of course, this is not possible. People don't trust the Lord to save His own children, so they take matters into their own hands to get people saved. It doesn't work. All it does is create a group of people who were never saved, thought they were, and they fall away and are labelled backsliders. No, they aren't backsliders, they unsaved religionists!

That is why we must preach the pure gospel. If the Holy Spirit is drawing someone to Him, that person would crawl through broken glass to get to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must preach truth and rely upon God's faithfulness.

GOD IS FAITHFUL.

Section 2: The Unfaithfulness of Man

Over against the faithfulness of God we see today the unfaithfulness of man. Someone once said, "Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days." Believe or not, there was a time in our country that "a man's word was his bond." If you said something you would honor what you have promised. In the business world, a man's word is no longer his bond. I hope you have had the privilege of knowing some people that you could depend on their word. I remember when some of my children were younger. They might ask for something that I could not immediately provide for them. They would be listening for me to say, "I promise." If I uttered those words, they would scamper away to their siblings saying, "Daddy said I promise." They knew that I always fulfilled my promises. To them, it was as if they possessed what they desired. They knew it was coming. It is rare exception to find a man in business today whose word is his bond. It seems the motto of the business world today is: "Make money; make it honest if you can; if you can't, make money. 

MAN IS UNFAITHFUL IN THE REALM OF HIS WORD.

Then, in the social world the sacred bonds of wedlock are being broken with as little regard as the discarding of an old shirt. Homes everywhere are broken, because men have no word of truth. It seems to be a virtue today to lie, to be untruthful and unfaithful. In other words, men and women live a lie. They pretend to be that which they are not. Very seldom do you see folks in the social world live what they are. Almost half of all marriages end in divorce. That is a staggering statistic. It should be noted that divorce statistics tell us the rate is falling. You what to know why? It is because more people are just living together without marriage. 

MAN IS UNFAITHFUL IN THE SOCIAL WORLD.

Another area where man is unfaithful is in the realm of religion. When a man is ordained, he takes solemn oath to preach the truth of God's Word without compromise, but many times these "preachers" have no scruples in attacking or denying the truth of God's Word whether in the pulpit or in the seminary. Instead, they will preach a "feel good" gospel, that convicts no one, but promises prosperity, fun and fellowship. 

One of the hardest things in the world is to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and true to the souls of men, and the hardest thing is to be true to the members of your own family and be true to those who love you. It truly is. My hearts all but sinks when I recall how unfaithful to Christ and to the great privileges and opportunities which God has entrusted to me. As I have grown older, and you know that there is more of your life behind you, than before you, I have become increasingly committed to speak truth regardless of the consequences. This may cause me to be attacked, but they did so and more to my Lord Jesus Christ. Let me be true to the gospel should be a motto of every born-again believer.

It is refreshing in these dark days to know that the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and is the Faithful Witness. Psalm 36: 5 reads: "Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds", and every believer can exclaim, "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3: 22, 23). God never forgets; God never fails; God never falters; God never forfeits His Word. Every promise in His Word, every prophetic utterance in His Word He will make good. Yes, in these dark days we can rely upon God's unbroken Word and upon His faithfulness. for our God cannot lie. (Titus 1: 2; Hebrews 6: 18) Friends, that is where I rest; that is where I live in the quietness of my heart and GOD IS FAITHFUL. 

Section 3: Illustrations of God's Faithfulness

Consider the following Biblical illustrations of God's faithfulness:

1. In Genesis 8: 22, God said to Noah: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." We see that every year which comes and goes furnishes us a fresh witness to God's fulfilment of this promise. There comes the spring, the planting and harvest, then the summer heat and the cold, wintery nights. The day comes, then the night shades fall fast. Every day you live you can see the truth of God's faithfulness. Have you ever thought the seasons and every day this way to give you a reason every day to trust the faithfulness of God?

2. If you look at Genesis 15, you will find that God said to Abraham, "Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs's and shall serve them" (v. 13). Then the LORD went on to say, "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again" (v. 16). Time went on, and we see Jacob with seventy souls moving to Egypt during the severe famine. God blessed them, but ultimately, we see them under heavy loads, groaning amid making bricks without straw as slaves of a mighty foreign power. I'm sure that many thought about God's promises and they must have believed that God had forgotten them. However, God had not forgotten! In Exodus 12: 41, we read: "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt." God never forgets a promise! The omnipotent (all-powerful) God is able to bring every promise to pass. Never has a promise in God's Word been broken and none ever will. Saint and sinner can rely upon His promises because OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!

3. In Isaiah 7: 14 we find these words: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Centuries rolled on, and time turned grey with old age. Men's hearts began to fail them. But the saints of God still looked to the future trusting in God's unbroken promises. So, according to Galatians 4: 4, "When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman." The shepherds upon the hills heard the angels singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2: 14) The wise men from the east saw His star and made their way to the cradle of the Holy One.

Yes, the God of the Bible is a faithful God; His Word cannot be broken, His promise cannot be set aside. Every awakened sinner can rest upon the promise of God's Word, knowing that it cannot be broken (John 10:35) and that God will verify His promise under every circumstance. 

4. The Lord Jesus came, and when He went back to heaven from Mount Olivet that morning, the two angels who stood there said to those men: "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1: 11) This same Jesus will come again. That promise will be fulfilled. Yes, it will!

AWAKENED SINNER, SALVATION IS FOR YOU! Why should you despair with a faithful God on the throne? My awakened sinner, there are promises for you from the God of the Bible. If you come to Him, He will never turn you away!

5. Remember Hebrews 11: 11: "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." One day God spoke to Sarah, "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and, lo, Sarah they wife shall have a son." (Genesis 18: 10) God spoke it and Sarah believed and she judged Him faithful who had promised. She could not be shaken from that Word; she could not be moved away from His Word. God is true; His Word of promise is sure. God is faithful to His people and to every awakened sinner. You may totally rely on Him. Let me say this with all emphasis of my soul: No individual--saint or sinner--has ever really trusted God in vain. My friend, the faithfulness of God is the basis of our confidence in Him.

Now hear this, it is one thing to accept the truth of the faithfulness of God, but on the other hand it is quite another thing to act upon it. Peter said: "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises" (II Peter 1:4). They are great--they are exceeding great; they are precious. But are we really counting on His fulfilment of them and counting on the faithfulness of God? Are we? Are you?

Let me ask two categories of people a question:

1. Awakened sinner, are you counting upon God to save you; are you really relying upon Him to fulfil His Word? I know resting upon the promise isn't salvation but resting upon the promise brings salvation. Are you really expecting God to do for you all that He said He would do? Remember Hebrews 10: 23: "He is faithful that promised."

2. Let me ask every born-again believer, are you living by the promises of God? Or are you living by your fears and your doubts? Are you resting upon His unbroken Word? That is all I have to live by. The God of the Bible, whom I know and who knows me, has taught me, and "learned" me, and led me to trust first, for salvation (and God did not turn me down); second, He has led me slowly but surely to rest everything in His hands and to trust Him for every detail of life, for every need. His Word is true and cannot be broken; we can safely rely on every word written. We can face the storm clouds of life in confidence based upon His Word. No matter what you face today, every day you see evidence of God's faithfulness. In the good and in the bad, we can have confidence. Do you have this confidence? If not, you can! Come to Him, take His yoke and He will not fail you. 

I try to live my life as one continual confession, one continual desire to walk in His will, to rest upon His Word as a little child, and to believe Him as a little child, because "He is faithful that promised. "The only two crutches I have are the crucified, buried, and risen Lord, and His unbroken Word. They are my resting places.

Section 4: Responding to God's Faithfulness

I know that there are times and seasons in our lives when it is not easy to believe that God is faithful. So many times, our ears are distracted with the noise of the world or harassed by the blasphemous whisperings of Satan, and God seems to have withdrawn the comforts of grace from us until we can no longer hear His still, small voice found in His Word. All our plans seem to have failed and friends on whom we thought we could depend on, even our best friends have failed us. Someone whom we thought was a brother or a sister in Christ has betrayed us. Under all this load of disappointment we are made to stagger, as the clouds become dark and hide His face from us.  BUT GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL! Listen to Isaiah 50: 10: "Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and stay upon his God." 

My friend, I will grant you there are times when you cannot harmonize God's mysterious dealings with His love and His faithfulness. I don't try to do it; it is our place to wait upon Him for more light. Our God is in His own good time will make it plain to you. Let me whisper this to your ear, God has never forsaken or deceived His child.

What should you do when you feel harassed by Satan and circumstances? Isaiah 30: 18 provides an answer: "Blessed are all they that wait for him." God can be more gracious and more real in hours like these and more wonderful than when you are on the mountaintop. Do you know it is in these difficult times that the faithfulness of God is proven.  

How beautiful is the sunshine of the presence of the Lord when He comes walking to you upon the troubled seas of time and embraces you with His arms and whispers in your heart the sweetness of Calvary, of the empty tomb and the glory of His presence at the right hand of the Majesty on High. God is faithful in preserving His own people. In 1 Corinthians 1: 9, we read: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

Do you know the confidence of every born-again believer in the absolute security of his salvation in Christ is based upon the veracity of the God who cannot lie? (Titus 1: 2) You know, God's Word says, "All the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6: 37) He says again, "Those that thou gavest Me, I have kept, and none of them is lost...." (John 17: 12) The Paul writes, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8: 35) Our Lord also said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10: 27, 28)

Section 5: Faithful in Discipline

God is faithful in disciplining His people. God is just as faithful in what He withholds from His people as He is in what He gives His people. God is just as faithful in sending sorrow as He is in giving joy. God knows what is best for us. When God smites us with the rod of correction, He is faithful. It is up to us to ask Him to conform us to His will. He said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." (Matthew 11:29) Yes, we are accustomed to His yoke. His yoke is the sweetest thing in the world to walk in His will, whether in shadow or in sunshine, whether under the correcting rod of chastisement or on the mountain of blessings. OH, THAT YOU AND I COULD HEAR HIS VOICEABOVE THE RANGING BILLOWS OF THE SIN-TOISSED WORLD SAYING, "ALL IS WELL; ALL IS WELL!"

My friend, if you and I would turn our ears from all the other voices and let the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ ring in our ears through His written Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit, how gracious it would be! Let us keep our eyes on our blessed Lord, not straying to the right or the left. Let us run the race leaning on His faithfulness and trusting in His Word.

Conclusion

Friend, you have heard the truth today. You have a choice: will you trust, rely, and count on our Lord's faithfulness or will you listen to the world's voices and be defeated. Stand for the truth og God's Word and His faithfulness. His Word will see you through no matter what hurdles you face. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Disbelieve and be damned. My prayer is that you will come the Lord Jesus Christ, fall at His feet and be His disciple.