Preparing for the Day of Trouble.

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Today we had our Christmas program. It was excellent, as always. As I looked upward toward the Lord, which is my custom, I was troubled. I think the Lord was saying that He appreciated our fervent worship, but we still need to press in further. I had a presentiment of danger, that we are facing trouble—perhaps war on our own soil.

(12/23/2007) I felt not to preach after our program. Instead, I felt directed to call on five people with a proven ministry of prophecy to speak out. You know, if we have prophesied accurately in the assembly, that gift is there. We just need to stir it up.

I wanted corroboration of what I felt I was seeing with the Lord.

The prophesies were along the line of preparing the way of the Lord and pressing further into Him. We were not being congratulated as to our spiritual condition.

I was anxious to bring the people up to the present, after the presentation of the historical Jesus in our program. I wanted to remind them to keep the prophetic atmosphere on their life during this Christmas season, asking the Lord Jesus about every decision they make.

The prophesies were strong and clear, and it appeared the Lord wanted some who have gifts but are not using them to become more involved. So I gave an altar call for those who felt they have gifts and ministries they are not using. There was a good response.

At night we read the ninety-first Psalm in unison. Then I stressed two main points. The first was about abiding in Christ. The second was about how God was able to keep Jeremiah in the midst of the destruction that was all around him.

“He who dwells in the secret place,” that is in Christ at the right hand of God.

I firmly believe we are preaching salvation incorrectly. We make “accepting Christ” a ticket that we purchase at some point, and then look back to the time when we were “saved.” I don’t believe the expression “accept Christ” is in the Bible. Romans 15:7 speaks of Christ accepting us. That statement at least is scriptural.

We cannot point back at a time and say that was when we were saved. This is not scriptural. The day of salvation is always today.

You could say truthfully, I repented and was baptized in water twenty years ago; but that was when you began the program of salvation. According to the Word of our Lord, you are not fully “saved” until you endure to the end.

Salvation is a specific program, tailored to the individual. It always is a continual interaction with the Lord Jesus Christ. It has a specific beginning when we confess Christ as our Saviour. It has a specific process that we are to work out with fear and trembling. It has a specific conclusion when we have been redeemed totally from Satan and he has no part in us.

We must dwell in Christ at all times if we are to appropriate the promises of the ninety-first Psalm. We must seek to dwell in Christ at all times by looking to Him for every aspect of our life. If we will do this, then Christ dwells in us. We dwell in Him, and as we do, He dwells in us.

Salvation has nothing to do with eternal residence in Heaven. Salvation is deliverance from the person and works of Satan. Redemption begins in the present world and may continue in the next. It does have a definite conclusion. But I believe we will grow in the image of our Father for eternity.

“A thousand shall fall at our side.”The 39th and 40th chapters of the Book of Jeremiah are an account of an astonishing incident. Nebuchadnezzar’s forces had invaded Jerusalem. They removed the Ark of the Covenant and burned down the Temple. They captured King Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They led away numerous Israelites in chains, bringing them across the Arabian desert to Babylon.

Here was the prophet, Jeremiah in the midst of this tumult. One man. Nebuchadnezzar commanded his highest officials to take care of Jeremiah. This they did. Jeremiah was set free by the Babylonians, but later forced down into Egypt by Israelites who escaped the Babylonians.

There is an important lesson for us here. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Nebuzaradan, made clear to Jeremiah that Jerusalem was destroyed because the Jews had sinned against God. However, Nebuchadnezzar, under God’s direction I am certain, commanded that Jeremiah be spared.

We are going to see numerous moral abominations in the United States of America, and the result will be severe Divine judgment. Let us keep firmly in mind that our enemy is not the people that God uses to punish us. Our enemy is Satan. If we will be careful to serve God, as did Jeremiah, the people who bring Divine judgment will spare us. It was the uncircumcised Cyrus who commanded that the Temple be rebuilt.

If we will press into Christ diligently, leaving behind the foolish grace-rapture teaching that has so bemused the ministers of our day, we need have no fear of the Divine judgment that is approaching America.

But if we, like King Zedekiah, refuse to listen to the Spirit of God, we will be punished severely.

The message to me, yesterday, was to remind the people that during this holiday season we are to refuse to be caught up in the American frivolities and to pray without ceasing. Danger! Danger! Danger! Christ is warning, if I am hearing correctly.

He who has an ear to hear, let him follow Christ closely. In so doing he will save himself and those how hear him; for a season of moral and physical horrors is approaching the United States of America. The Lord bless you and your family.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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