Prepare Yourself for Jesus’ Return (part 4)

Let the Word of God Stabilize Your Life!

7.9.2023

 

Review

We are living in an unprecedented time just prior to Jesus’ return.

Changes are rapidly occurring worldwide. There are those that are seeking a global reset by 2030 where all the nations of the world come under the authority of a global government with uniform law for all nations; where all nations use one digital currency; and where all peoples worship the same god under a worldwide accepted umbrella religion.

The big problem is, the human heart is decrepit, evil, and desperately wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Psalms 51:5 (NKJV) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

This scheme will enslave the masses of people to the desires of a few elitists.

It is called in the Bible the reign of the antiChrist.

It will produce a severe persecution of both Christians and Jews, because the God they worship is holy and will not allow impurity in His Kingdom.

Over the past few lessons on Jesus’ return, we have talked about the time prior to Jesus’ return being a time of judgment of sinful people, of believers, of nations, of the antiChrist, and finally of Satan and all fallen angels and demon spirits.

Jesus’ return will bring 1000 years of peace to the world before a new heavens and new earth emerge, and time and eternity meet!

We can expect God’s miracle-working power to manifest as He watches over and cares for us during this time of natural disasters, destruction, war, famine, and unparalleled misery.

It will be a time when the light will shine the brightest, since it will be so dark!

Isaiah 60:1-3 (MEV)

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD shall rise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. 3 The nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Last week we began looking at seven things to be aware of during this time!

1. Develop a heart fellowship with God to cope with the pressures of the times.

Some will fall away from God because they will yield to the force of the circumstances and culture, like Demas in the New Testament.

Others will stand strong and be used by God to help others, like Gideon in the Old Testament.

The key is learning to lay your thoughts, your motives, your worries, your disappointments, and all your wrong thoughts and desires, before God in times of heart searching!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (MEV)

For I know the plans that I have for you, says the LORD, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you shall call upon Me, and you shall come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.

2. Make God’s Word your first priority in all you do!

Proverbs 4:20-23 (MEV)

My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them,

and health to all their body. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NLT)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Matthew 4:4 (MEV)

But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Job 23:11-12 (MEV)

My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and have not turned aside. 12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Jeremiah 15:16 (MEV)

Your words were found and I ate them. And Your word became to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

Psalms 19:7-11 (MEV)

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple; 8 the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is Your servant warned, and by keeping them comes great reward.

Psalms 119:97-98 (MEV)

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandments have made me wiser than my enemies, for they are continually with me.

Psalms 119:105 (MEV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalms 119:130 (NKJV)

The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

God is no closer to you than His Word that you have in your heart and mind.

In the late 1970’s I bought a book by EW Kenyon. I had to put the book down for a bit after I read the first sentence of the first chapter.

New Creation Realities – EW Kenyon:

“Our attitude towards the Word determines the place that God holds in our daily life.”

God means no more to you than the Bible does. It is His Word!

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He will lead you to the Word!

John 16:13-15 (NKJV)

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

John 14:21-24 (NKJV)

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

1 John 2:3-5 (NKJV)

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

The Word will give you stability in your mind and emotions, and in life in general.

There is an inward confidence that is produced when you take the Bible literally and make it GOD speaking to you personally!

Isaiah 33:6 (NKJV)

Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,

And the strength of salvation; The fear of the LORD is His treasure.

1979 – spiritual leader over Bible school and church went south.

He accused me of being in rebellion against him, and said I was practicing witchcraft and would be on the road to hell in 5 years.

Romans 8:38-39 kept me mentally and emotionally.

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Instead of being guided by circumstances, feelings, or thoughts, you decide to let God’s Word guide your life.

God’s Word is forever settled in heaven. It does not change. He does exactly what He says He will do!

God’s Word will test you. God will allow tough things to give you a chance to prove that He does exactly what He says He will do!

Psalms 105:17-19 (NKJV)

He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

In 1980, Susan and I moved to Tulsa to go to our 2nd Bible school. We had been married for 9 months. I worked at a grocery store, and Susan was a Medical Lab Tech.

Before we went, I asked God for a job at a unionized grocery store that paid what would be in today’s dollars about $30.00 an hour.

I based my prayer on Mark 11:24.

Mark 11:24 (NKJV)

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

I visited 23 different grocery stores over and over again with a reference letter from my manager in SC.

I got the job!

Once you found out that God will honor His Word, you become invincible! You just know that you can do anything God says for you to do.

And you just know that you can conquer any problem in life, because God will always do what He says!

Over and over again throughout my 47 years of walking with God, He has always honored His Word.

And I know that I know that I know, that if I do what His Word says, He will bring His Word to pass in my life!

I have bought houses, sold cars, rented buildings, built buildings, ministered God’s power in other countries, raised 4 children and put them through private Christian School, and now built a building in the worst of circumstances, all because God honors His Word!

If you will place your life in submission to God and His Word, you will live an abundant, free, joyful life filled with peace!

But you have to sell out. You must give it your all. You must consecrate yourself to Him and His Word.

He will always do what His Word says He He will do!

And, when you give yourself to Him and His Word, your life will transform.

Halfway will NOT work. You’ve got to give yourself to it.

This alone will give you great personal confidence as the world continues to unravel.

Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Psalms 119:89 (NKJV)

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Smith Wigglesworth quote about the Word of God:

Read it through; write it down; pray it in; work it out; pass it on. The Word of God changes a man until he becomes an epistle of God.

 

Read it, memorize it, meditate it, believe it, work it in, walk it out!

Turn off social media, news, etc. They have become mechanisms of control…

Our future, as we enter Tribulation days, will be determined by the tenacity with which we give ourselves to God through His Word!

Action Points:

1. Is doing what the Bible says your first priority in decision making?
2. Do you have a confidence that God will do for you exactly what He said He would in His Word?
3. Are you willing to sell out for God and His Word, giving yourself unreservedly to live and make decisions based on the fact that God will never fail to do His Word?