When I was a kid there was 2 Games that were my favorite games of all, One was a twist on the traditional freeze tag ( we played-it the same with one twist ) you had to tackle each other in order to freeze them) They weren't froze until you took them down to the ground.
We sure tore Up alot of shirts. I remember several times when we would have to call time out to go-inside and get another shirt.
But without a doubt my favorite game was ( Hide and go seek)
You know the Game
Somebody would have to count while everybody else would go and hide) Then after counting to 10 or 50 depending on what everybody agreed on) They would pickup Their heads, open their eyes and holler) ready or not here I Come.
I remember how Exciting that was) Once I was hid and I was sure I could not be Found I Couldn't wait to hear those words (ready or not here I Come. )
that meant (whether you're in your hiding place or not I'm coming)
My greatest responsibility as a minister and especially as a pastor, is to hear what the spirit IS saying and to Faithfully, and correctly interpret that message, and then to boldly declare it whether it's popular or not.
whether it's comfortable or not
whether it Encourages and builds up or it reproves and rebukes.
I know there are many messages that I could share with You today ' and anyone of them could encourage you in your faith and your walk with God.
But I must speak what I hear God saying
In other words I must speak what I hear The spirit saying with urgency
There is an urgency to this message
I feel like Noah who was building an ark to save his family and to repopulate the earth
I Feel like I'm standing at the door of the ark Sounding the warning knowing that any minute the door of grace is going to close.
Noah must have shouted, and pleaded (please come into the Ark, the door is open/ I've done all the work ( I built the ark) all you have to do is come in.
thats what Jesus is saying today: I've done all theWork, i've built the ark with my cross my blood has opened the door. You don't have to be lost
Noah preached and pleaded, (the Flood is coming) Judgement is coming.
Today the urgency of the Holy spirit is upon us, he is saying) ready or not Jesus is coming,
(you may not believe it, you may ridicule it, you may laugh It off, you may criticise it or you may say (I do believe that he's coming again but Not for awhile, (maybe 20-30 years) or a hundred years, after all you might say (it's been 2. ooo years, And he hasn't Come yet)
I remember when I was growing up, we rarely left a service without hearing (Jesus is coming)
We sang songs about it) songs like: Jesus is coming Soon (matt 24) (Jesus getting us ready for that great day) harvest time, and many others,
Every preacher reminded us Jesus is Coming soon ( Tongues and interpretation. often confirmed it)
We lived with a sense of Urgency of the hour, we were constantly reminded (these are the last days.
I literally lived with a fear of missing the rapture (it was that real to me)
Many times as a rebellious - child, not Quite right with God, I would Find myself Fearing that I may have been left behind. it was a very Scary prospect.
Then something happened the church fell into a slumber, she began to cozy up to the world, she began to Fall in Love with money and with Pleasures and she fell out of Love with Jesus- she began to do what the old song said not to do (she got adjusted) She Got comfortable with the world and all of a sudden the church Quit singing about heaven, and very rarely did we hear a message about Jesus Soon return.
it became more and more about being happy than being holy, and it became more about being comfortable than being Converted, and it became More about our kingdom than his.
and Just Like the 10 Virgins we fell asleep) while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept :
It is a fact that the church In General has been asleep, she has long been referred to as the Sleeping Giant, Because the devil knows what the church is capable of when she's Awake, when she's awake she is Awesome, when she's awake she's a threat to hell when she's awake she is glorious.
But when she's asleep, she's a laughing stock, A mockery, a source of criticism and humiliation.
Time and time agian the scriptures have exhorted us to be watchful, to be alert, to not Fall into a spirit of slumber, to not Let the spirit of the age lull as into a false sense of security.
Why is this Point so Important?
It's because a church that is asleep is powerless, she is without influence in the world, and she becomes tolerant and accepting of everything.
They all slumbered and slept:
I know there have always been some faithful Watchman on the wall who have never fallen into the spirit of slumber, and they have remained spiritually awake and Alert, but for the most Part the church has been asleep.
One of the greatest indications of a church that Is asleep'is: they have no sense of urgency concerning Jesus return.
In fact the bible says In the last days: they would even begin to mock and say: where is the Promise of his coming, Everything's the same as it always was, nothing ever changes, everyday is the same, Eat drink and be Merry live however you Want. enJoy your life all that is going to happen is you are going to die.
God Points out that he also had warned of a coming flood of Judgement upon the world and that even though they doubted and mocked and ridiculed noah, the flood came Just like God said it would and it washed them all away.
Many times through the scriptures we are instructed to keep the soon Coming of Jesus in our thoughts and in our hearts, and to live everyday in the urgency that he could come any minute.
There are some things in the scriptures that are conditional and relational. that means that Whether they happen or not depends on our attitude and Our actions,
But This is one thing that God says ( I'm deciding this). I'm not asking for your 'input, I don't care if you agree with me or not, I don't care-if you Like-it or not, I don't care' if you think it's the wrong timing, (when I Give the Word,) Thats it
The disciples lived everyday with that sense of urgency ( They believed the coming of the lord was Imminant.
They did everything with that Sense of urgency.
(Jesus is coming) we've got to get busy
our time is short
Jesus said: work while-it is day for the night cometh when No man can work
Jesus said: Behold I come Quickly
Jesus said: occupy till I Come
Jesus said: Go into all the world and Preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus said; make disciples of all nations.
This urgency filled them with Expectancy and it fueled them to preach and reach as many People as they could before his return and they evangelized their then known world.
This sense of urgency and expectancy of His immanent return also kept them diligent and alert, and holy.
when the church gets sleepy the church gets sloppy , and she begins to look like the world, talk like the world and act like the world.
in fact in many cases you can't tell the difference between the the world and the church-
That is what we are seeing today) we are seeing a church that has fallen asleep with her head in the lap of the world.
Like Samson the church has been in love with a harlot (the harlot spirit of this age)
I'm talking about the apostate church
The backslidden church
the church that accepts and ordains homosexuals and lesbians,
The church that gambles, and drinks beer while singing (hand in hand with Jesus)
The church that Says it's all relative, if it feels right to you then do it.
The church that says: The Holy spirit Doesn't Convict us of our sins, he Just reminds us of how righteous we are.
The church that says: it doesn't matter what sin you Committ or how many times you sin, because it's already covered anyway.
The church that says: we're (all) already saved Anyway: it's Just that some Just don't know it yet.
This is the church that says there is no such thing as hell and your heaven is here on earth
The church that says you are your own God so you decide your own destiny.
The church that says there's no such thing as the rapture, and there's no such thing as a Judge ment day.
This is the Apostate church, this is the backslidden church, This is the harlot church
She still Holds sunday services
She still carries a bible
She still sings religious Songs
She still talks about God
She still Lifts her hands and goes through the motions
She may even speak in tongues But Jesus said : their hearts are far from me and they are Just Vain Babblers.
I know this is not politically correct preaching (but it is biblically correct)
But thank God there is another church ( a remnant seed)The church of the lord Jesus christ and she is the bride of Christ and she Believes the words of Jesus
The church of the lord Jesus christ still teaches: Holiness, sanctification, consecration, and Separation from the World.
she still teaches that the Holy spirit still convicts as of our sins, and without holiness no man shall see the lord
She still teaches that there is a Heaven and there is a hell) And there is an eternal Judgement and that those who reJect the mercy of God in his son Jesus will be eternally Lost
She still teaches that sin Separates from God, That sin is darkness and darkness and light Cannot dwell together
sin is breaking Gods law andThe wages, = the penalty of sin is death (eternal separation from God, Hell) But the Gift of God is Eternal life through our lord Jesus christ.
The church of the lord Jesus christ still believes and teaches that the Coming of the lord is definite and Imminent and only those who are covered by his blood and robed in his righteousness will Go with him when he comes.
*Noah lived every day With the sense of urgency of impending Judgement, He worked, he Prayed, he preached he pleaded with the urgency and intensity of one who believed, this could be the day (when ) (ready or not), saved or not, in the ark or Not, the flood is coming,) Judgement is coming.
We are living in just such an hour (Gods judgement is at the door), but multitudes of people, even believers have fallen asleep.
But I thank God for his mercy (that he would send a warning) an alarm a wake up call
( But at midnight there was a cry made (the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him.)
That cry is Going out today) the Holy spirit is sounding the wake up call, the Alarm is sounding) the trumpet is sounding, the trumpet of his love and mercy is being sounded from every pulpit of every true man and woman of God across the land and around the world. The day of the lord is at hand.
(Ready or not Jesus is Coming).
Even the news casters, the scientist, and people who are not even saved have a sense (something big is about to happen, they are forecasting! Drought, famine, earthquakes, tsunamis, financial collapse, martial law, nuclear war and government take over.
But i have a message to the true church of the lord Jesus Christ, the called out ones, his sanctified ones, those who are washed in his blood and clothed in his righteousness, those who have made a covenant with God through the sacrifice of their lives.
Lift up your head (your redemption draweth nigh)
what is going to be the greatest greif and woe and tragedy that has ever hit planet earth is also going to be the churches finest hour.
Be ye therefore ready for at such a time as ye think not the son of man cometh.
To those who are ready, we welcome his return (we've been expecting him)
To those who are not ready he is coming like a theif in the night.
So i close by saying one more time:Ready or not Jesus IS Coming.
Are you ready today? Are you covered by his blood, is your name in the lambs book of life?
When I was a kid there was 2 Games that were my favorite games of all, One was a twist on the traditional freeze tag ( we played-it the same with one twist ) you had to tackle each other in order to freeze them) They weren't froze until you took them down to the ground.
We sure tore Up alot of shirts. I remember several times when we would have to call time out to go-inside and get another shirt.
But without a doubt my favorite game was ( Hide and go seek)
You know the Game
Somebody would have to count while everybody else would go and hide) Then after counting to 10 or 50 depending on what everybody agreed on) They would pickup Their heads, open their eyes and holler) ready or not here I Come.
I remember how Exciting that was) Once I was hid and I was sure I could not be Found I Couldn't wait to hear those words (ready or not here I Come. )
that meant (whether you're in your hiding place or not I'm coming)
My greatest responsibility as a minister and especially as a pastor, is to hear what the spirit IS saying and to Faithfully, and correctly interpret that message, and then to boldly declare it whether it's popular or not.
whether it's comfortable or not
whether it Encourages and builds up or it reproves and rebukes.
I know there are many messages that I could share with You today ' and anyone of them could encourage you in your faith and your walk with God.
But I must speak what I hear God saying
In other words I must speak what I hear The spirit saying with urgency
There is an urgency to this message
I feel like Noah who was building an ark to save his family and to repopulate the earth
I Feel like I'm standing at the door of the ark Sounding the warning knowing that any minute the door of grace is going to close.
Noah must have shouted, and pleaded (please come into the Ark, the door is open/ I've done all the work ( I built the ark) all you have to do is come in.
thats what Jesus is saying today: I've done all theWork, i've built the ark with my cross my blood has opened the door. You don't have to be lost
Noah preached and pleaded, (the Flood is coming) Judgement is coming.
Today the urgency of the Holy spirit is upon us, he is saying) ready or not Jesus is coming,
(you may not believe it, you may ridicule it, you may laugh It off, you may criticise it or you may say (I do believe that he's coming again but Not for awhile, (maybe 20-30 years) or a hundred years, after all you might say (it's been 2. ooo years, And he hasn't Come yet)
I remember when I was growing up, we rarely left a service without hearing (Jesus is coming)
We sang songs about it) songs like: Jesus is coming Soon (matt 24) (Jesus getting us ready for that great day) harvest time, and many others,
Every preacher reminded us Jesus is Coming soon ( Tongues and interpretation. often confirmed it)
We lived with a sense of Urgency of the hour, we were constantly reminded (these are the last days.
I literally lived with a fear of missing the rapture (it was that real to me)
Many times as a rebellious - child, not Quite right with God, I would Find myself Fearing that I may have been left behind. it was a very Scary prospect.
Then something happened the church fell into a slumber, she began to cozy up to the world, she began to Fall in Love with money and with Pleasures and she fell out of Love with Jesus- she began to do what the old song said not to do (she got adjusted) She Got comfortable with the world and all of a sudden the church Quit singing about heaven, and very rarely did we hear a message about Jesus Soon return.
it became more and more about being happy than being holy, and it became more about being comfortable than being Converted, and it became More about our kingdom than his.
and Just Like the 10 Virgins we fell asleep) while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept :
It is a fact that the church In General has been asleep, she has long been referred to as the Sleeping Giant, Because the devil knows what the church is capable of when she's Awake, when she's awake she is Awesome, when she's awake she's a threat to hell when she's awake she is glorious.
But when she's asleep, she's a laughing stock, A mockery, a source of criticism and humiliation.
Time and time agian the scriptures have exhorted us to be watchful, to be alert, to not Fall into a spirit of slumber, to not Let the spirit of the age lull as into a false sense of security.
Why is this Point so Important?
It's because a church that is asleep is powerless, she is without influence in the world, and she becomes tolerant and accepting of everything.
They all slumbered and slept:
I know there have always been some faithful Watchman on the wall who have never fallen into the spirit of slumber, and they have remained spiritually awake and Alert, but for the most Part the church has been asleep.
One of the greatest indications of a church that Is asleep'is: they have no sense of urgency concerning Jesus return.
In fact the bible says In the last days: they would even begin to mock and say: where is the Promise of his coming, Everything's the same as it always was, nothing ever changes, everyday is the same, Eat drink and be Merry live however you Want. enJoy your life all that is going to happen is you are going to die.
God Points out that he also had warned of a coming flood of Judgement upon the world and that even though they doubted and mocked and ridiculed noah, the flood came Just like God said it would and it washed them all away.
Many times through the scriptures we are instructed to keep the soon Coming of Jesus in our thoughts and in our hearts, and to live everyday in the urgency that he could come any minute.
There are some things in the scriptures that are conditional and relational. that means that Whether they happen or not depends on our attitude and Our actions,
But This is one thing that God says ( I'm deciding this). I'm not asking for your 'input, I don't care if you agree with me or not, I don't care-if you Like-it or not, I don't care' if you think it's the wrong timing, (when I Give the Word,) Thats it
The disciples lived everyday with that sense of urgency ( They believed the coming of the lord was Imminant.
They did everything with that Sense of urgency.
(Jesus is coming) we've got to get busy
our time is short
Jesus said: work while-it is day for the night cometh when No man can work
Jesus said: Behold I come Quickly
Jesus said: occupy till I Come
Jesus said: Go into all the world and Preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus said; make disciples of all nations.
This urgency filled them with Expectancy and it fueled them to preach and reach as many People as they could before his return and they evangelized their then known world.
This sense of urgency and expectancy of His immanent return also kept them diligent and alert, and holy.
when the church gets sleepy the church gets sloppy , and she begins to look like the world, talk like the world and act like the world.
in fact in many cases you can't tell the difference between the the world and the church-
That is what we are seeing today) we are seeing a church that has fallen asleep with her head in the lap of the world.
Like Samson the church has been in love with a harlot (the harlot spirit of this age)
I'm talking about the apostate church
The backslidden church
the church that accepts and ordains homosexuals and lesbians,
The church that gambles, and drinks beer while singing (hand in hand with Jesus)
The church that Says it's all relative, if it feels right to you then do it.
The church that says: The Holy spirit Doesn't Convict us of our sins, he Just reminds us of how righteous we are.
The church that says: it doesn't matter what sin you Committ or how many times you sin, because it's already covered anyway.
The church that says: we're (all) already saved Anyway: it's Just that some Just don't know it yet.
This is the church that says there is no such thing as hell and your heaven is here on earth
The church that says you are your own God so you decide your own destiny.
The church that says there's no such thing as the rapture, and there's no such thing as a Judge ment day.
This is the Apostate church, this is the backslidden church, This is the harlot church
She still Holds sunday services
She still carries a bible
She still sings religious Songs
She still talks about God
She still Lifts her hands and goes through the motions
She may even speak in tongues But Jesus said : their hearts are far from me and they are Just Vain Babblers.
I know this is not politically correct preaching (but it is biblically correct)
But thank God there is another church ( a remnant seed)The church of the lord Jesus christ and she is the bride of Christ and she Believes the words of Jesus
The church of the lord Jesus christ still teaches> Holiness, sanctification, consecration, and Separation from the World.
she still teaches that the Holy spirit still convicts as of our sins, and without holiness no man shall see the lord
She still teaches that there is a Heaven and there is a hell) And there is an eternal Judgement and that those who reJect the mercy of God in his son Jesus will be eternally Lost
She still teaches that sin Separates from God, That sin is darkness and darkness and light Cannot dwell together
sin is breaking Gods law andThe wages, = the penalty of sin is death (eternal separation from God, Hell) But the Gift of God is Eternal life through our lord Jesus christ.
The church of the lord Jesus christ still believes and teaches that the Coming of the lord is definite and Imminent and only those who are covered by his blood and robed in his righteousness will Go with him when he comes.
*Noah lived every day With the sense of urgency of impending Judgement, He worked, he Prayed, he preached he pleaded with the urgency and intensity of one who believed, this could be the day (when ) (ready or not), saved or not, in the ark or Not, the flood is coming,) Judgement is coming.
We are living in just such an hour (Gods judgement is at the door), but multitudes of people, even believers have fallen asleep.
But I thank God for his mercy (that he would send a warning) an alarm a wake up call
( But at midnight there was a cry made (the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him.)
That cry is Going out today) the Holy spirit is sounding the wake up call, the Alarm is sounding) the trumpet is sounding, the trumpet of his love and mercy is being sounded from every pulpit of every true man and woman of God across the land and around the world. The day of the lord is at hand.
(Ready or not Jesus is Coming).
Even the news casters, the scientist, and people who are not even saved have a sense (something big is about to happen, they are forecasting! Drought, famine, earthquakes, tsunamis, financial collapse, martial law, nuclear war and government take over.
But i have a message to the true church of the lord Jesus Christ, the called out ones, his sanctified ones, those who are washed in his blood and clothed in his righteousness, those who have made a covenant with God through the sacrifice of their lives.
Lift up your head (your redemption draweth nigh)
what is going to be the greatest greif and woe and tragedy that has ever hit planet earth is also going to be the churches finest hour.
Be ye therefore ready for at such a time as ye think not the son of man cometh.
To those who are ready, we welcome his return (we've been expecting him)
To those who are not ready he is coming like a theif in the night.
So i close by saying one more time: Ready or not Jesus IS Coming.
Are you ready today? Are you covered by his blood, is your name in the lambs book of life?
