Prepare Yourself for Jesus’ return (part 10)

Get ready for a fresh moving of the Holy Spirit through you

9.10.2023

Review

This is the 10th lesson on preparing yourself for Jesus’ return.

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

 

We’ve talked about the time period we are in as the time period at the close of the age of Grace and the time just before Jesus returns.

We have a covenant with God in which He has promised to help us during judgment times.

God’s people were provided for in the OT during:

-a flood in Noah’s Time,

-a meteor strike during the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah,

-a famine in Joseph’s time,

-Egyptian judgments in Moses’ time,

-national judgment during Daniel’s time.

*Now is the time to prepare for what is coming!

*It’s a time of getting close to God and keeping your heart clean and open to Him.

*It’s a time of getting serious with the Bible and letting it fill your mind and heart!

Make yourself available to our services, podcast, blogs, small groups. Victory serve team.

Press in and pursue God!

Faith is what will enable us to thrive during this strange time that is upon us!

I spent 4 Sundays looking at faith, how it works, and how you can receive from the Lord in impossible situations!

Today:

It‘s time for the church of Jesus as a whole to prepare for a fresh moving of the Holy Spirit that will bring many into the Kingdom of God.

1. The church has catered to the culture instead of the presence of God!

Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

For My people have committed two evils:

They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

This catering to the culture time has left the church, particularly in America, high and dry!

And it has affected our witness to the current culture and has now created an environment where anything goes. An environment of deceit, of facade, and wokeness to a liberal, no-God, immoral lifestyle that is bringing this nation to the precipice of judgment!

You can sense it all around us!

In 2009, I went to a seminar in Gatlinburg, Tenn where I heard: Before Jesus returns, an fresh moving of the Holy Spirit is coming! And the seeker-sensitive church will be de-emphasized, and the Word and Spirit churches will begin to flourish again!

We have been in the “seeker sensitive” church mode for well over 15 years now, and there is arising a heart hunger in God’s people for a fresh experience with the Holy Spirit.

It is by design. God is asking His people to rise up, repent, pray, and get ready for the Holy Spirit to empower them to minister to others.

We changed our church service this past March to accommodate the Holy Spirit moving among us in a format that will give Him both time and room!

God wants people to experience Him, turn from sin and yield to Him!

2. God wants to use us to minister His life to the people around us!

James 5:7-8 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

As a time of judgment with the Day of The Lord is approaching, God is sending the church a desire to ask for more of Him!

2 Peter 3:3-9 (NLT)

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

3. Yield to the hunger you find within you! THe Holy Spirit is drawing you!

You may in fact sense a deep dissatisfaction within. That just may be the Holy Spirit drawing you!

Zechariah 10:1 (NKJV)

Ask the LORD for rain

In the time of the latter rain.

The LORD will make flashing clouds;

He will give them showers of rain,

Grass in the field for everyone.

Isaiah 60:1-3 (NKJV)

Arise, shine; For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

4. Before Jesus returns, there will be one final harvest of people coming into the Kingdom of God.

God’s plan for the church age is for the Holy Spirit to work through the church to minister to the entire world.

Acts 3:17-21 (NLT)

Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. 19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20 Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Acts 2:16-21 (NKJV)

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:

Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.

21 And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the LORD

Shall be saved.’

Joel 2:28-32 (NLT)

“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. 30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the LORD arrives. 32 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved, for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as the LORD has said. These will be among the survivors whom the LORD has called.

Make room for more!

Do what you haven’t done before!

Isaiah 54:1-10 (NKJV)

Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD. 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. 4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. 5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. 7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the LORD, your Redeemer. 9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Make room for God to do something bigger in your life. Ask Him to prepare you to be a part of the harvest of souls.

He wants to use you!

5. Open your heart to be baptized with the Holy Spirit!

John 7:37-39 (NKJV)

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Luke 24:49 (NLT)

And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.

Acts 1:3-5 (NLT)

During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

I received this experience 47 years ago on Tuesday, and it transformed my life. That same experience is for you and me today. Ask for it, walk in the light of it, and let’s expect God to use us to bless people.

6. Ask God to use you in spiritual gifts. He longs for people to be ministered to through you!

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (NKJV)

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (NKJV)

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

1 Corinthians 12:31 (NKJV)

31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I will show you a more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 14:1 (NKJV)

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

7. These gifts were strong in the early church. They are coming back strong now!

Mark 16:17-20 (NKJV)

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Mark 16:20 (KJV)

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV)

29 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 5:12-16 (NKJV)

12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 14:3 (NKJV)

Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Action Points:

1. Are you willing to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

2. Are you willing to be used to bless others?

3. Are you ready to be used by the Holy Spirit in spiritual gifts?

4. Would you begin to ask the Lord for a fresh move of the Holy Spirit worldwide?

5. Would you be willing to take some time to learn about spiritual gifts? You can go to our website messages, or read Concerning Spiritual Gifts by Kenneth E Hagin.

Additional Information:

The following was taken from a Charisma Magazine article in 2014.

The following is an end-time vision given to an established, seasoned minister of the gospel, Dr. Mark Barclay, and told in his own words. My heart was quickened when I read it and I thought: “This vision needs to be circulated to the body of Christ worldwide for we are seeing the increasing effects of it being unfolded in this hour, although it was given more than 25 years ago.”

If you are skeptical of these things I would encourage you to listen to your heart as you read it and allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness with you.

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. … But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. For as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in Him” (1 John 2:20, 27)

Here then is the vision told in the minister’s own words:

“In 1987 I was a speaker at a camp meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I spoke during the Thursday evening service. Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin spoke during the Friday evening service. I remember that I had just flown in from meetings in Paris, France. I mentioned to my wife how much I would like to stay and hear Dr. Hagin speak. She agreed.

As Dr. Hagin entered the pulpit, he began to pray in tongues. When he started, I started. A moment later, I was caught up in a vision (I was told later that it was probably more like a trance). As I went into this vision, I remember how Dr. Hagin’s voice was getting quieter and quieter, until I could hear him no more. It was so quiet all around me I felt like I could hear my own heartbeat.

All of a sudden I felt evil, as if it were surrounding me. Anger rose up in me, and fear tried to get a grip on me. Suddenly, something caught my attention out of my left eye. I turned hard to the left to see what it was. I saw the circumference of the earth, from one edge to the other, and this horrible black, dark cloud was rising up over the horizon. Somehow I knew it would eventually fill the entire earth.

An alarm went off in me, screaming to me to run away from it as fast as I could. I felt like I should scream at it, to stop it in its tracks by using the name of Jesus. I began to rebuke it and started to say, “In the name of Jesus … ” I didn’t quite get it out, and the Lord said, “That will do you no good.”

“What?” I said.

The Lord said, “Son, you cannot use My name to stop what I prophesied. I am not causing this dark cloud, but I did prophesy it would happen in the last days.”

I remember in the vision that I asked the Lord “What is this? What is this evil, tempestuous, dark cloud?”

The Lord said, “This is what I showed My prophet, Isaiah (Isa. 60:1-2). This is every evil thing you can name. It is every demon, it is every disease, it is sickness and bacterial attacks that haven’t even been discovered yet. It will cause humans to do things to humans that aren’t even human. It is filled with insanity, and many people will lose their mind and their faculties. It is murder, terror, rape, abuse, terrorism, torture and much worse. It is filled with deceptions, heresies, perversions and filth.”

Some things the Lord showed me I have not had permission to speak.

I also saw people—many, many people. Some were running into the dark cloud, and some were being sucked into it. It reminded me of this very powerful Shop-vac I have. It will not only suck up the dirt but also my tools, if I don’t pay attention.

I saw many people screaming with terror and actually being dragged into this cloud. Though they were refusing it and resisting it with all their strength, they still did not possess the power to stop it.

I was so disturbed when I saw a cross on someone’s pocket or jewelry. I remember saying to the Lord, “Who are those people being drawn into this filth and terror, wearing the Christian symbol of the cross? Who are these people, not even resisting? And who are these people, resisting with all their might but it does them no good? They just keep disappearing into this horrible, evil cloud of gross darkness.”

The Lord answered me and said, “Oh, these are those who do not have clean hands and a pure heart. They have been warned but ignored the warnings. Some even wanted this filth as their lifestyle.”

I asked, “Well, who are these wearing the cross?”

“Oh,” the Lord said, “These are the people who claim Me as Savior. Many of them have desired this filth and even fought for it. They make excuses but are not excused. The ones who are resisting thought My prophets were exaggerating and from the old school, and they denied the warnings. Now that this evil has come, they possess little to no power, and certainly not enough to resist and overcome this horrible onslaught of enemy power. Only those with clean hands and a pure heart will be able to totally resist this. It will cover the earth.”

There was much more to this, but I began to come out of the vision and once again heard Brother Hagin speaking in tongues from the pulpit.

I asked my wife what had happened, and she said, “Nothing, he hasn’t done anything but pray in the spirit.”

I began to realize that nobody seemed to see this vision or get caught up into this trance but me. I held my wife’s hand a little tighter and began to pray fervently in the spirit. As I did, I got caught up in the spirit again.

Just like before, Brother Hagin’s voice got quieter and quieter until it was gone. I found myself alone again. It was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. Suddenly, a piercing light hit the corner of my right eye. It was so bright that I instantly shrouded my head with my hands and arms. It reminded me of the intense light that my optometrist uses to examine the back of my eyes. Actually, it was much brighter than that.

Everything within me said, “Turn and look into it. Turn now, and run into it.” Yet there was this hesitation because it was so bright it seemed to shine through me. Finally I gave in to it and looked directly at it. With both eyes I saw the depth of this bright cloud. Just like the dark cloud I had seen before, it was coming up over the horizon of the earth. I could tell that it was going to cover the planet. I just knew that I knew that nothing could stop it.

I remembered asking the Lord, “What is this? What is this massive, earth-consuming, bright cloud?”

The Lord answered me and said, “Oh, this is My glory. This is the glory cloud that I showed My prophet Isaiah (Isa. 60:1-2). This is what I promised, that My glory will fill the whole earth.”

“Well,” I asked, “what is inside the cloud?”

“It is filled with the greatest miracles humans have ever seen. It is filled with healing for every disease, and a cure for every sickness. It is power to overcome sin and filth—to receive the truth and reject error, heresy and doctrines of demons. It is a full manifestation of My Spirit. It is the full anointing of Jesus Christ and more, much more.”

He showed me other things that I have no permission to speak at this time.

I saw people in this vision, just like before with the cloud of darkness. Many, many people were running into it and almost frolicking in it. It was like my first response—too bright to behold, and then I wanted to run into it. There were those who seemed to want to pull away from this glory cloud.

“Lord, who will enter into this great glory of God and enjoy this awesome power?” I asked.

“Those who have a pure heart and clean hands,” the Lord answered. “They are the ones who will escape the horrible vacuum of the evil, dark cloud and be consumed with My glory. I will require you to tell these things to My people at an appointed time.”

Now is that time! As I travel the world over, I see both of these manifestations happening. In fact, I see them beginning to intensify. Sometimes I say that both God and Satan are having a revival among men. We will now see more and more people running to each cloud, causing a great gulf or divide. Could this be the separation of sheep and goats, or the separation of wheat and tares?

I am not a conspiracy-theory person. I am not a fear-based preacher. I am not a prophet of doom. So what I am about to say is none of these. But, I am actually witnessing the spirits of the Antichrist, prepping the people of the earth (including many church goers) for the arrival of the Antichrist himself. I see demons (spirits of the Antichrist) going throughout all the earth. They are slowly re-programming the minds of men (doctrines of demons) to systematically disassemble the work of Christ and disengage the army of God.

You can avoid this, if you choose. If you choose not to, you will suffer the consequences. Please don’t do that!” —Dr. Mark Barclay (marktbarclay.com)

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Tongues and interpretation

There is coming on the horizon in the not too distant future a wall of darkness, a thick wall of blackness. And I can see a horse, in fact, horses four: white, red, pale, black. Yes, even the four horses called the Horsemen of the Apocalypse; they are right at the door. And many shall fall into fear and consternation and dread and will not know what to do. But I have prepared you for this day and this hour and this season. And there will arise at the same time on My people a glory, a light, a joy, a peace, a rest. And it will draw those that are in darkness. You will draw those in darkness to your countenance. And they’ll walk up to you and say, “What shall I do? What does the future hold for me?”

And you will say, “All will be well. If you can, come and stand in the light with me.” For if we walk in the light as He is in the light, the glory of God will come. For those that know their God will be strong and do exploits in this day. And gifts of the Spirit shall come, not in a small measure but in a great measure. From the least unto the greatest, from the youngest to the oldest, if you’ll just spend time in My Presence, if you’ll just spend time with Me.

And now it shall be that the veil between you and Me shall become so thin that when you begin to pray, you’ll sense Me. You’ll sense My Presence. Some have never done this, but they’ll see into the realm of the Spirit. They’ll see the demonic strongholds that are on one. At the other hand, they’ll see the angels of God ascending and descending as Jacob did on the ladder that came down from heaven and rested right above his head. They’ll see the angelic hosts as they minister.

And you’ll minister in the power of My Spirit. People will be healed, people will be free, people will be freed from fear and demonic oppression and depression and thoughts of suicide. They shall lift, and the glory of God shall fall.

So don’t be afraid of what you hear. No, only be filled with faith in Me. The greatest days of your entire life are just ahead of you if you’ll keep your eyes on Me and don’t look at the dark. If you’ll look at Me, all shall be well.