Freedom from manipulation
The "end times" or the events leading up to the return of Jesus are really a test. They are a "harvest test." That means God is going to shake everything in order to find out who truly wants to be His. The shaking is another word for threshing, or separating the wheat from the chaff:
Isaiah 13:12-13 I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir. For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger.”
Amos 9:9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
In the time these passages were written, the harvest process included threshing. You threw a whole clump of stuff into the air and the wind would separate the wheat from the junk left over...the chaff... this is called threshing, sifting, or shaking, depending on the passage or the translation.
Peter got "shaked" :)
Luke 22:31-34 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Peter denied Jesus, and for a moment fell away...got blown away from the grain pile with the wind. Even though Peter was ready to make a split second "fight or flight" decision to stand with Jesus the supernatural king, he wasn't ready to live with the day by day consequences of standing with Jesus the public criminal. Even a little girl scared Peter into lying about knowing Jesus:
Mark 14:66-71 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it. ” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
Jesus, and the truth He stands on, is being made a public criminal once more. Many are afraid of the consequences of standing day by day with Jesus the "narrow minded bigot." Even great church leaders are worried about being relevant as Jesus' words seem more and more out of step. I want to be relevant with Jesus, not people. He is coming back with great force and every person who seems relevant now will tremble. You need to be ready to stand.
Peter LOVED Jesus, but he had more confidence in his ability to resist pressure than he did in Jesus' simple plan to resist pressure. Because Peter claimed to be ready when he wasn't, he neglected to do the only thing that would have actually made him ready: watch and pray with Jesus:
Matthew 26:38-44 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. ” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Peter wasn't humble enough to believe Jesus' warnings were for him...the great and strong disciple... so he wouldn't do the thing Jesus actually asked him to do that would have made PETER ready: Watch and Pray like his future depended on it.
Jesus prayed for Peter, but Peter wouldn't pray for Peter, because Peter wouldn't humble himself and listen for what Jesus was telling him to watch for. It didn't have to go down this way.
The way God is going to shake everything is He is going to give mankind success in the evil plans of mankind. He is going to let the antichrist government control the money, the food, the reputations, the media, much of the "church", and the military power.
For 42 months, or 1260 days, there is going to be a great test to see who is really loyal to Jesus. This is a spiritual test that will touch EVERY physical means of life. There is only a spiritual answer to a spiritual problem, but because the spiritual problem will touch the physical reality, many will grope for a physical answer...but it IS a spiritual problem.
Just like the Israelites wandering in an empty desert for 40 years, you are expected to trust God for physical needs for 42 months. This requires faith. Faith is confidence that the manna will come and the water from a rock and the direction to the right and left will be there...the pillar and the cloud. This is the final exam for a pure and spotless Bride in one generation. You don't want to cram for this test. You need to watch and pray now.
Just like Peter's test that he failed, there is a way to agree with God in advance and get supernatural help to be ready! It is called "David's Key"...it will actually advance you through the test..David's prayer and worship program is the practical end time expression of "watching and praying"...Jesus calls this "faithful"
David's Tabernacle... night and day prayer as a community of people...It is kind of a weird plan to be ready...watching and praying as a community night and day...but it is the Father's plan. He gets to pick...just like he picked a cross. Certainly few saw that coming, though it was clearly the plan.
You can just claim you are ready and take your chances like Peter, or you can humble yourself and obey Jesus...watch and pray with him now, while you clearly see the end time events are heading your way. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak:
Revelation 3:7-10 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” : “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Worship and prayer builds a throne...an invitation...a dwelling place for the Lord to come help you. That is what makes David's tabernacle a barn in the time of the harvest!
Amos 9:9-11 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground. All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;
You have got to watch, pray, and be ready. Only arrogance would convince a disciple that Jesus was wasting His breath with all the warnings.
Isaiah 13:12-13 I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir. For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger.”
Amos 9:9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
In the time these passages were written, the harvest process included threshing. You threw a whole clump of stuff into the air and the wind would separate the wheat from the junk left over...the chaff... this is called threshing, sifting, or shaking, depending on the passage or the translation.
Peter got "shaked" :)
Luke 22:31-34 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Peter denied Jesus, and for a moment fell away...got blown away from the grain pile with the wind. Even though Peter was ready to make a split second "fight or flight" decision to stand with Jesus the supernatural king, he wasn't ready to live with the day by day consequences of standing with Jesus the public criminal. Even a little girl scared Peter into lying about knowing Jesus:
Mark 14:66-71 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it. ” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
Jesus, and the truth He stands on, is being made a public criminal once more. Many are afraid of the consequences of standing day by day with Jesus the "narrow minded bigot." Even great church leaders are worried about being relevant as Jesus' words seem more and more out of step. I want to be relevant with Jesus, not people. He is coming back with great force and every person who seems relevant now will tremble. You need to be ready to stand.
Peter LOVED Jesus, but he had more confidence in his ability to resist pressure than he did in Jesus' simple plan to resist pressure. Because Peter claimed to be ready when he wasn't, he neglected to do the only thing that would have actually made him ready: watch and pray with Jesus:
Matthew 26:38-44 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. ” Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Peter wasn't humble enough to believe Jesus' warnings were for him...the great and strong disciple... so he wouldn't do the thing Jesus actually asked him to do that would have made PETER ready: Watch and Pray like his future depended on it.
Jesus prayed for Peter, but Peter wouldn't pray for Peter, because Peter wouldn't humble himself and listen for what Jesus was telling him to watch for. It didn't have to go down this way.
The way God is going to shake everything is He is going to give mankind success in the evil plans of mankind. He is going to let the antichrist government control the money, the food, the reputations, the media, much of the "church", and the military power.
For 42 months, or 1260 days, there is going to be a great test to see who is really loyal to Jesus. This is a spiritual test that will touch EVERY physical means of life. There is only a spiritual answer to a spiritual problem, but because the spiritual problem will touch the physical reality, many will grope for a physical answer...but it IS a spiritual problem.
Just like the Israelites wandering in an empty desert for 40 years, you are expected to trust God for physical needs for 42 months. This requires faith. Faith is confidence that the manna will come and the water from a rock and the direction to the right and left will be there...the pillar and the cloud. This is the final exam for a pure and spotless Bride in one generation. You don't want to cram for this test. You need to watch and pray now.
Just like Peter's test that he failed, there is a way to agree with God in advance and get supernatural help to be ready! It is called "David's Key"...it will actually advance you through the test..David's prayer and worship program is the practical end time expression of "watching and praying"...Jesus calls this "faithful"
David's Tabernacle... night and day prayer as a community of people...It is kind of a weird plan to be ready...watching and praying as a community night and day...but it is the Father's plan. He gets to pick...just like he picked a cross. Certainly few saw that coming, though it was clearly the plan.
You can just claim you are ready and take your chances like Peter, or you can humble yourself and obey Jesus...watch and pray with him now, while you clearly see the end time events are heading your way. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak:
Revelation 3:7-10 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” : “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Worship and prayer builds a throne...an invitation...a dwelling place for the Lord to come help you. That is what makes David's tabernacle a barn in the time of the harvest!
Amos 9:9-11 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground. All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ “On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;
You have got to watch, pray, and be ready. Only arrogance would convince a disciple that Jesus was wasting His breath with all the warnings.
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