154 Days
154 days. I believe, by the massive prophetic movements in the nations, that you have about this much time to throw yourself into responding to Jesus' return in order to be ready to endure it well. I began saying this about three years ago. I believe it more now than ever. The response to Jesus' that I've been trying to give give has made me a better father, husband, and follower of Jesus. The answer to the end times is to really do the gospel the way it is written, not the generally lukewarm way it is received in America in 2016.
The answer to Jesus' return is to wholeheartedly desire to know him. To fast, pray, and separate from the distractions that kept me dull and comfortable to not know him that well... And left me generally not confident in my hearing of his voice. Maybe you feel you are just fine in this area. Is your response overflowing to anyone else? OK, you feel confident that you are good...How are you getting anyone else vision to respond with zeal to the pressing need to really hear God?... To know Him and His intense plan to return that He warned of over and over?
John 21:17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
18“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
You have to know Him and hear Him to follow Him and lead others. If you aren't hearing Him, that's OK...That's what a House of Prayer is for: a place to intentionally spend time asking God for what you and those you care about NEED. People who don't need anything need not respond, but those who are willing to admit their need actually find it met in the asking!
Mark 2:17When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Most people that come in mostly unaware of God's voice, start hearing Him shortly after responding..Anyone can do it...They just have to want to.
So, are you hearing Him with confidence? What does He say about the time to you? Do you ever ask Him? If you think I am wrong, what is He telling you? Are you confident in your hearing of His voice.... His plans... His timing? Are you confident enough to rest the lives of those around you in the safety of what you hear? Do you have enough confidence in what you hear to warn anyone at all...To take a risk in faith? When you ask Him, what is He warning YOU about? Did you realize He spent most of His ministry warning His best friends to respond to Him. What can you say is the growing response in your life to Him? Are you ready?
If I'm wrong about the 154 days, and you get ready anyway, then you are ready early. If I am right... And that looks very likely, to be perfectly honest...and you don't get ready, then you are too late, forever...
Matthew 25:1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2“Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4“but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5“But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
7“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9“But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
10“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12“But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
I say this for love...Jesus warned of this because of love. No one has to be foolish. No one has to be found unready.
What have you done to intentionally respond to Jesus' return? What can you honestly say to Him you have done to respond to all of His warnings?
Matthew 24:8“All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17“Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18“And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25“See, I have told you beforehand.
Matthew 24:37“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39“and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Luke 12:34“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36“and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
38“And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44“Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45“But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
49“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Revelation 3:2“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Luke 14:16Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
17“and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20“Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21“So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
22“And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
25Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
The answer to Jesus' return is to wholeheartedly desire to know him. To fast, pray, and separate from the distractions that kept me dull and comfortable to not know him that well... And left me generally not confident in my hearing of his voice. Maybe you feel you are just fine in this area. Is your response overflowing to anyone else? OK, you feel confident that you are good...How are you getting anyone else vision to respond with zeal to the pressing need to really hear God?... To know Him and His intense plan to return that He warned of over and over?
John 21:17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
18“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
You have to know Him and hear Him to follow Him and lead others. If you aren't hearing Him, that's OK...That's what a House of Prayer is for: a place to intentionally spend time asking God for what you and those you care about NEED. People who don't need anything need not respond, but those who are willing to admit their need actually find it met in the asking!
Mark 2:17When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Most people that come in mostly unaware of God's voice, start hearing Him shortly after responding..Anyone can do it...They just have to want to.
So, are you hearing Him with confidence? What does He say about the time to you? Do you ever ask Him? If you think I am wrong, what is He telling you? Are you confident in your hearing of His voice.... His plans... His timing? Are you confident enough to rest the lives of those around you in the safety of what you hear? Do you have enough confidence in what you hear to warn anyone at all...To take a risk in faith? When you ask Him, what is He warning YOU about? Did you realize He spent most of His ministry warning His best friends to respond to Him. What can you say is the growing response in your life to Him? Are you ready?
If I'm wrong about the 154 days, and you get ready anyway, then you are ready early. If I am right... And that looks very likely, to be perfectly honest...and you don't get ready, then you are too late, forever...
Matthew 25:1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2“Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3“Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4“but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5“But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
7“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9“But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
10“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12“But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
I say this for love...Jesus warned of this because of love. No one has to be foolish. No one has to be found unready.
What have you done to intentionally respond to Jesus' return? What can you honestly say to Him you have done to respond to all of His warnings?
Matthew 24:8“All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17“Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18“And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25“See, I have told you beforehand.
Matthew 24:37“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39“and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Luke 12:34“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36“and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
38“And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39“But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43“Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44“Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45“But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48“But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
49“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Revelation 3:2“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Luke 14:16Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
17“and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20“Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
21“So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’
22“And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
23“Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
25Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
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