New Year's Resolutions OR
REVIVAL AND REFORMATION!!
In the great plan of salvation, there are 2 special crises:
#1) the crisis at the close of Christ's earthly ministry
and
#2) the crisis that comes at the close of the experience of the remnant.
In Revelation 14:1-5, we are given a picture of the remnant- the 144,000. Concerning them verse 4 says; "these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth."
This is an interesting statment, for I believe that those who follow Jesus IN heaven wherever He goes, will have learned to follow Him on earth FIRST!
And doesn't it seem logical that we begin where Jesus begins, so that we can arrive where He has arrived?
In this world we look upon Jesus as a helpless babe there in Bethlehem.
We see the humility, the condescension.
Thank God we can choose to follow Him in humility, even humiliation!
We see Him in Nazareth growing up as a child in a humble peasant home, bearing the burdens of a daily toil, giving an example of patience and love.
As He goes to the Jordan to be baptized, we can follow Him there. As He goes to Capernaum in His medical ministry, we can follow Him there.
But as we look at His life, we see Him come at last to Gethsemane. There beneath the shadows of the olives, we look upon a great crisis. SHALL WE FOLLOW HIM THERE?
As we watch , we see the mob come; we see the Saviour taken and arrested, and hurried to earthly courts, there to be abused, mistreated, falsely accused, tortured. WILL WE FOLLOW HIM THERE?
We see Jesus led off to Calvary. We see Him nailed to the tree and hung up between heaven and the earth. SHALL WE FOLLOW HIM THERE?
If we learn WHAT it means to follow Him through those scenes of crisis, WE SHALL ALSO share with Him the glory and the triumph....FOR triumph awaits those who follow Him,- A TRIUMPH prefigured by His resurrection glory, and the hour of ascension BACK to the Father's house. ALL OF THESE, in one way or another, we are to share with Jesus in THIS LAST HOUR.
BUT, let me make very plain, there are SOME EXPERIENCES THAT JESUS WENT THROUGH, which we shall never understand, or experience. AS our sin-bearer, and sacrifice for our transgressions, we can never enter into them!!
Friends! Of all the experiences in the life of Jesus, the ones we need most to study, that come right at the close of His life.
WHY?
Because they have lessons of deepest significance to us concerning the CLOSING EVENTS OF OUR LIFE here in THIS world. The time of trouble is just before us.
We must remind ourselves, that JESUS WAS NEVER TAKEN BY SURPRISE! John 13:1 says "Jesus knew that His hour was come." And in John 12:19, Jesus said, "I tell you BEFORE IT COME, when it is come to pass, you may believe."
God's Remnant Church is to be brought into scenes of terrible darkness, experiences of persecution, and terrible suffering and sifting.
ALWAYS in the hearts of those who listen to Jesus will be the certain hope of the ULTIMATE TRIUMPH of the church.
Thank God, with the Church , will triumph every true-hearted believer!
Looking back at the Biblical Record, we discover that Peter and the Apostles did NOT have an adequate preparation or understanding, of what lay ahead for Jesus and ultimately them.
Peter had never accepted deep down in his heart the FACTS OF THE COMING CRISIS. Peter had never understood it WHY? Because he had never wanted to understand it.
In Luke 18:31-34 we read these words, " Then he took [unto him] the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
33 And they shall scourge [him], and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."
Isn't that pitiful?
The disciples had their minds made up; they KNEW how things were going to happen.
Do you suppose that YOU AND I have come to grips with what lies ahead for US?
We see those disciples coming up to the last night. NOBODY BUT JESUS KNEW IT WAS THE LAST NIGHT. And in Luke 22 , we see them all gathered in the upper chamber. What is the condition of the disciples' hearts?
Luke 22:24 " And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest."
Think of it!
Jesus was about to be taken by wicked men, and scourged, and crucified, and here are those that HE loves the most, and they WHO THINK THEY LOVE HIM THE MOST, engaged in a political squabble over who should have the highest honor and seat.
HOW that must have grieved the heart of Jesus.
Do you believe Jesus is grieved today, by our actions?
Notice how the Saviour dealt with them. In Luke 22:31 , we read these words: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:"
The "YOU" in Greek is 'plural'...meaning ALL of them...NOT just Peter!
Do you see as we look at the whole picture, how Jesus tried again and again to make TWO THINGS CLEAR?
First the coming crisis involving suffering, persecution and death to Himself.
And second, in doing that His object was to SEEK AND obtain THE PREPARATION that would enable them to go through that sifting without losing their faith?
Unto every believer is given some gift of grace, for their mutual help. Not a mere head knowledge, or bare acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God, but such as brings trust and obedience.
Friends! We're either going through the experience of Jesus or Judas!
In Matthew 26:21, Matthew gives us the record of the events which happened at "The Last Supper". Jesus told His disciples WHICH ONE would betray Him.
And as we celebrate the Last Supper today, do we really understand what Jesus did 2000 years ago?
We can choose. We will either be betrayed, as Jesus was, OR we will act the part of the betrayer , and join in the persecution of the remnant, concerning whom Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 " And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me."
Jesus will AGAIN be betrayed in the person of His saints.
He again will be mocked, derided, scourged, insulted, spit upon, IN THE PERSON OF HIS SAINTS!
God has chosen the remnant church to make the demonstration that Satan is A LIAR, and to reveal it to the whole universe!
Revelation 12:17 tells us " And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Will we follow the Lamb on earth? 1 Peter 2:21 " For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:"
Persecution was ahead of Jesus, and His disciples; Persecution is ahead of the remnant who follow the Lamb today.
2 Timothy 3:12 " Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
2 Timothy 2:12 " If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:"
And 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to" Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Friends! Adversary has the opposite meaning of Friend. Adversary means devil. and the Bible is very plain in identifying who the devil is- the god of this world.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says ," In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
Verse 3 " But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:"
At the midnight hour the mob came. But the mob found Jesus PREPARED. He was ready for them. When the clock struck the hour, as it were, Jesus said to His disciples, "Rise, let us be going; behold he is at hand that doth betray Me." Matthew 26:46
Friends!
It is NOT by chance or coincidence that we are gathered here today.
It is not, by chance, that we celebrate the Last Supper in this memorial called communion.
The Bible tells us, we are to come together "in the unity of the faith, and of the perfect knowledge of the Son of God..." Ephesians 4:13
In Matthew 26:29 Jesus gives this promise: " But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
What happened next?
v.30" And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives"
v36-40" Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder."
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"
Three times, Jesus prayed, and three times He came back and found His disciples ASLEEP!!
Jesus didn't start to pray that night. That was the CLOSE of His prayer experience on earth, NOT THE BEGINNING.
The difference between the revelation that Jesus gave, and the exhibition the disciples gave was this: ONE believed the prophecies and took action accordingly; the others had their own plan, and THOUGHT they were prepared for any emergency.
Concerning Jesus praying...there was actually ONE prayer, ONLY ONE PLEA, and that is" THAT THE FATHER'S WILL BE DONE"!
Knowing that His hour was come, Jesus took Himself to the place of prayer. Nobody drove Him, and shall I add, nobody invited Him. Jesus KNEW the time, and He knew what to do about it.
Friends! I wonder ! Do we know the hour in which we are living? Romans 13:11 says this:" And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed."
Since the tragedy of Sept 11, 2001, events are happening that will change our world forever. Government bills are being passed that will remove citizens previous rights of liberty and conscience. Do you realize that there are canon laws that are already " on the books" that can deprive people the right of exercising freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of civil liberties?
I believe 2002 is going to be a year of surprises! The war on terrorism has just started, and the Bible says there will be a time of trouble such AS NEVER WAS..(Daniel 12:1).
The Bible also says that "
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people 
and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time 
and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
Friends! Jesus is Coming again SOONER than most of us realize.
When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was visited by an angel. Was the angel there to remove the cup, or was the angel present to give Jesus strength?
In Rev 14:6-12 we read about the Three angel's Messages.......the LAST warning messages to a dying world. In Rev 18:1 we read these words:" And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory."
Before Jesus comes BACK, there will be a great outpouring of power in the presence of the Latter Rain. as at Pentecost, the disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 1:8 that Jesus promised the disciples POWER ." But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Friends , history has a habit of repeating itself . InMatthew 24:14, the Bible gives us the LAST sign that signifies Jesus return.
" And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
Do you suppose that God's disciples will have LESS power than the disciples of old?
The Bible tells us that AFTER Jesus ascension into heaven, the disciples did something special. We pick up the story in Acts 1:12
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas [the brother] of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
Friends!
If we are to have Latter Rain POWER, we must FIRST ENTER INTO THE PRAYER EXPERIENCE.
James 5:16 says "pray for one another..."
and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
Friends! "The time of trouble" will soon be upon us. How will we be prepared for that time?
Will we be grounded in the truth, or will we fulfil Ephesians 4:14:?
" tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
Psalms 27:5 " For in the {time of trouble}, He shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock."
And do you suppose when probation closes,(Revelation 22:11) and just before Jesus comes, what will God's people be doing?
EW p269, "I saw some with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale, and marked with deep anxiety, experssive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expessed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads."
How many of us know about THIS KIND OF PRAYING?
Romans 12:2 " And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Friends!
Without a Revival of True Godliness, and A REFORMATION, wherein we desire to be LIKE Jesus, and not the world....without a change in our minds to accept Jesus' character, we will NOT be ready for Him when He returns.
I want to be ready and prepared for Jesus Second Coming. What about YOU?
Keep "the" faith as it is IN Jesus!
AMEN!
