Good day to you all dear family, happy Sabbath and Sabbath blessings to everyone. We have a pressing time coming for the church of God where we understand as Biblical Christians that we will not be raptured out of any testing as the world is being taught today by the false prophets of the world. There is a time of trouble that is standing in our midst and all is soon to be tested. Just like there will be no rapture to save us from the hour of temptation that will come upon all the world, there will be no rapture to take us from our present trials, temptations, persecutions, problems that come to us in our lives, or any tests that we may feel are caused by wrong choices, but everyone will be tested in one way or another. We cannot run from the fire of the Lord. His testing shall be accomplished, which it will prove who we profess to be. We can try to silence the voice of God and run from His reproofs and test, but just like Jonah, we will have to face it sooner or later. We have to make the tree good or make it bad. But if we seek to enter into the kingdom of God, we will feel the fire that is designed to burn away all evils that exist in the professed.
If prosperity or adversity discovers falseness in our hearts, what shall we do when God tries every man's work as by fire, and lays bare the secrets of all hearts? We must change and allow the tests and trials to take its course if we expect to receive a crown of life in the end. It is a fearful thing, but to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom that will bring watchfulness and a prayerful life to the Biblical Christian.
The Lord will afflict us that we might gain a needed experience that will perfect our walk and understanding. Satan will always come with temptations so long as we have the breath of life in us. We must learn to watch and pray which will help us close the door to falling for his wicked and sinful ways. We are at war with the flesh if we are Biblical Christians, and if we are to hold to the fruits of a Biblical child of God, which is a saint of the Most High God, then we will have the formula working in our life that will show unto a world that we are patient commandment-keeping Christians who have the works of true faith in God.
We need to let go of what keeps us from making it to heaven. The character is to be molded after Christ. Our tempters are to be subbed, our actions are to speak for Christ, and our words are to be of great good, and our works are to correspond to our lip service. We are to overcome all things through the power of God. We are never to turn our backs from a brother which is to be stronger than the relationships of earthly blood.
As we are walking in this world, we are to be soldiers of God, working together, lifting each other up, help the wounded, helping the fallen, not trying to destroy each other or turning our backs and leaving as we are engaged in this battle. Those who walk off the battlefield and leave their brother because their life is heated up in the flames; they are proving to be a deserter of the faith like Judas who kissed His good with lies.
When Satan comes in like a flood and we are tempted to turn to others who we profess to love, we have shown the works and fruits of darkness brewing in the heart. When this happens, we can understand that we have much correcting to do or we will fall to the side of Satan. Rebellion against God is to turn away from the King of kings and His church on earth.
Many believe that our tests, our trials, and the fire of affliction are not needed in their lives by pointing blame to others as to the reason why these things are happening. That is the fruit of the accuser. There is no blame to be given for what others may be going through. If we cast blame on others in the church, we cast it upon God who has His design and purpose working through these avenues. If you are to run from the fire of the Lord, you will prove to be a failure in the time that stands before us. We must be tested, and we must overcome now if we expect to overcome later. It is no easy matter to enter into heaven. All things are possible if we can lean upon the saving power of Christ.
Whatever things we are tired of and giving up in, no matter how little it may seem or how big the trial may appear, God’s purpose will be accomplished, and if its design will take effect in a Biblical Christian’s life, we will bear fruits that we are standing in the midst of the fire as an overcomer. We have got to stop yielding to the bewitching powers of Satan. The only way that we can do this is by learning to be watchful and prayerful and understanding our visitations of the Refiners fire. The shaking must take place and only a remnant will be saved through it.
As I examine myself, as I understand Satan’s position to annoy and irritate, we have to get rid of the irritable spirit, which will even keep us out of heaven. We must become like a child and walk with God, bearing His fruits of love. When we think that we are doing good and that we are safe, or we have a moment of rest from the pains of fire, that is when we need to be very careful and examine ourselves in those hours too. We must depart from murmuring and complaining. Heaven will be a place of peace, a reward for those who can cast off the riches of the world, the pleasures it offers that draw us away from God and all things that would hinder our ability from walking on the narrow road. Many don’t realize just how narrow this road is. We can walk a lifetime with God and then prove to be false in the end. This is what scares me so much. This is why we must examine ourselves each and every day.
When we are watchful, we will know when we are being visited. When we are about to make fast moves to take our stand with Satan, we must get down and pray and not jump to the side of Satan and cling to his attempt to make us yield to emotions that will spring up the fruits of Satan working. We need to be slow to anger, to want to sin against God. We must control and subdue our evil passions, or we will perish with them. We must learn to help others always and be kind to those seeking for help and guidance no matter who it is. We are here to help and to be helped by accepting the reproofs of the Lord through His appointed agents if we expect to change, to be molded after the pattern of godliness, and being converted to the works of a Biblical saint of God.
"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
The purification of the people of God cannot be accomplished without our suffering. If we are suffering, we are being refined because the Lord wants our tin taken away, the lead in our life to be removed and even the silver that is not like fine gold. He wants us without spot or wrinkle.
Ezekiel 22:18-22 - Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they [are] brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are [even] the dross of silver. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. [As] they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt [it]; so will I gather [you] in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave [you there], and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
We must pass through it, and we must allow the design to be accomplished if we are going to be the sons and daughters of the Most High God. God must be permitted to work in our lives so that the fires of affliction can consume the dross, to separate the worthless from the valuable; that the pure metal may shine forth.
We are going to pass through from one fire to another, where we are constantly going to be tested to see our worth. If it is not that fine gold and there is found even a spot of silver, it will continue to be tested till the silver is removed and turned to gold. Then we shall receive the crown of gold that will never fade away. If we cannot bear these trials, what will we do in the time of trouble? If we cannot let go of our idols of gold and silver that sustain our comfortable lives, which have brought security to many and have claimed these securities through our trust in these worldly possessions, then we have another god living in our life that needs to be removed if we think to stand in the very hour of the mark of the beast when the buying and selling will be enforced soon in the coming world economy.
We have got to learn to put our trust in God and not on earthly idols and powers or surely, we will suffer eternal loss. We should let the Lord work in our lives and understand that God brings His people near to Him by closely testing us through trials, which by doing this, it is showing us our own weakness and inability, and by teaching us to lean upon Christ as our only help and safeguard. Then His object is accomplished. If we are going to learn upon other securities such as earthly treasures, we will receive the mark of the beast when the buying and selling goes forward. We have to learn to let go and God will appoint trials to help us let go by removing these earthly treasures. Many will kick and scream and walk away upset, but we have to see the special design in all this. Earthly treasures and putting our trust in them will gain a destructible crown.
We have all been called to let go of the world that has brought us security. When we learn to let go of them, then God can bless us again for His purpose and glory. We must become poor and separate from the things of the world if we are to become rich. There will surely be a rich reward to those who will submit themselves to the flames of the Lord and allow His consuming fire to work. If we walk away from the fire and fail to walk through it, we will fall into darkness. That fire brings light. God is a consuming fire that will shine in the dark places of our lives so that we may see what needs cleaning. If we don’t want to be burned or have the light shine on us, the fire will go out and be received by others who will take up the fire and join the battle to become true sons and daughters or soldiers of God.
The Lord’s army needs true Biblical Christians to come forward and put on the armour of God and stand with the elect of God and fight for His cause. When God sees the purification has taken hold of His church, His remnant people, He will come and claim His as they will make it through that fire that will be found in the mark of the beast hour. The shaking must take place.
We must know what this is all about. We must have knowledge in the design of it and the purpose of the shaking. The shaking must move forward and take its course. So, what is the shaking all about and its purpose? Many are confused by this. Let us take a look for a moment at what Jeremiah says and bring this subject into plain view so that it will help us become Biblical Christians.
Jeremiah 23:28-29, “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What [is] the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.”
When we look deep into this, we can see that there will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in due time be separated from the wheat; all because iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. It is in this very hour where the genuine will be the strongest.
When the Lord’s people are soon sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen as the world believes they will visibly see, but it is a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so we cannot be moved, or tossed in any direction no matter how shaky the waves of trials may get—just as soon as God's elect are sealed and prepared for the greatest shaking, it will then come all the world. Indeed, as we see the world today, it has begun; the judgments of God are now upon the land that we may know that the hour that stands before us is coming. The storm clouds are gathering, and many are walking away and slipping into failure just as prophesied. But regardless, the Lord’s fan is in His hand.
Matthew 3:12, “Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
So, let us…
Hebrews 10:35-39, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise… We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Let us not draw back and take sides with Satan the accuser and march through the trials of our faith and high calling. Let us all allow God to move through our lives and hopefully He will find a true genuine Biblical Christian full of good fruits.
Matthew 7:16 “Ye shall know them by their fruits…”
Just remember as well, brethren, we are not wrestling against each other, but we are wrestling against Satan and his agencies that have set before us stumbling blocks, which God permits to try us. Let us keep in mind who we are wrestling against.
Ephesians 6:12, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].”
As we stand in the midst of the shaking, Satan is working with all his power to wrestle souls away from the hand of the Lord. Satan is trying to cause us to trample underfoot the Son of God through bad Characters that are being developed. The Angels of the Lord are weighing moral worth, and God is testing and proving His people with everything He can.
We have got to understand that the chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. The design is to separate the worthless from the valuable. God must test our true worth because nothing that would enter into heaven can be corrupted. If we are going to pass our tests and the test to come, we must be getting settled today into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually. We must understand that the stage has been set and the judgments of God are falling upon this wicked world. The warnings are there. Let us not harden our hearts to the voice of God and His warnings. And while we are moving forward in the hour of the shaking and preparing for the storm ahead, we must put on the character of patience. We must apply the true formula of patience, obedience to God and faith if we are to develop and reveal genuine Christian character. God is going to continue to test and prove His people. We cannot run from it or hide if we expect to make it to heaven. If we are in the camp of Israel, we are going to be shaken. Those who walk away from the camp, they will go from us and live their short comfortable lives.
Ezekiel 38:19, “For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.”
Those who are in the camp can see that we are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken; the true will remain, and the false will depart. And those who have tasted of the heavenly gift, who have seen the hand of the Lord, who have walked in the truth, the Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His voice, His command, His fire, and all that God is to the Biblical Christian. There will only be a reward for heaven to those who diligently seek Him and will not depart when the flames are heated up to remove the dross.
Preparation is so important. Just like preparation before Sabbath is so important. Where there is no preparation, then there will be no victory. Many will be caught off guard and taken as a thief in the night when the time of trouble comes to all. Let us all have peace in the calm before the storm that is found in Christ Jesus. Even though we are in the shaking time, we can have peace when we surrender to God. And as we surrender to God, we will see His fire lighting up in our lives through afflictions that will help us see what needs to be removed and allow the Lord’s design to take His course. The shaking will grow more intense till we are standing in the time of trouble where we will be unmoved. Let us endure till the end and put away our connection with the world. Let us find no security in the things the world offers, but let us find security in God alone. Let us put our trust in Him alone and He will direct our path.
Let us not fall down and join in the rebellion against Satan. Let us not allow ourselves to be shaken out. Who will be shaken out?
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Those who are fearful are those who have enjoyed the comforts of the world and can’t let go when they are tested with earthly gains that have given them the pass of an easy-go life. Having money makes it easy in the world; Satan knows this and is why it will be the final test to draw the fearful into his buy and sell system to receive his mark and stamp on their lives as his subjects.
The unbelieving will be those who would not trust in the Words of our Lord and follow His instructions, but they fell for the waves and lies of Satan over that which was Written for their path to victory. By yielding to the things of the world and not conforming to the will of God but conforming to the will of Satan, they have filth found in them with abominable works, which by the works of evil, they have led many away from the narrow road and will partake in the murdering of those they could have led to Christ through good works. They have made themselves into whoremongers with their connection in the world where they have put their trust and have fallen for the sorcerers of Satan’s deceptions, which have made them idolaters for believing not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness and have been found liars and not the children of God but of the professed. It is all really a sad thing to see just how blind so many are because they have been given over to the bewitching powers of Satan. This is why it is so important to examine, examine and examine our lives and not sit at ease. Just because we have the truth does not mean that we are sure to have victory. Just because we are teachers in the truth does not mean that we are guaranteed heaven. Just because we have been walking in the truth longer than others does not mean we are going to be found overcomers. Just because we are going to church does not mean we are going to be found worth of heaven. Just because we are ministers does not mean we are going to stand forever in the truth. Just because we profess to love God does not mean we are going to be reward. We must have corresponding works with our profession. The reward will be given to those who endure the trying of our faith and will not walk away from God but will take the hand of the Lord, let go of the world, wrestle against Satan and never give up and walk away from the storm, but allow God to work in our lives and mold us into His Biblical child.
We cannot get comfortable in who we think we may be. We should always be looking to improve and grow in knowledge and with that knowledge walk in it. We have to constantly be growing. We have to constantly be tested. We have to constantly be afflicted. When we pass through a storm and the purpose of it is not fully accomplished, it will happen again and again until it is removed or we remove ourselves from it, but God’s child will not walk away from it. We can make the cup more bitter as well through complaining and murmurings and what have you. We all just need to learn to submit to the Fire and allow it to consume our dross.
So, while the mighty shaking has commenced and as we know it will go on, all will be shaken out who are not willing to take a bold and unyielding stand for the truth and allow the fire to come, and to sacrifice for God and His cause. It is a sad thing to see how so many do claim to be Christians, but they will not sacrifice their lives, their comforts, their funds, their time, and anything else that establish them to be the sons and daughters of God.
Truly, those who belong to the Lord's kingdom must work earnestly for the saving of their own souls in working out their own salvation with fear and trembling and helping others. They must do their part to bind up the law and seal it among the disciples, which no one can do while only having a profession, but is visibly sealing their destiny and lives with the rebellion.
Those who profess to be soldiers of Christ should wake up and stop neglecting their duties; for the salvation of their own souls depends upon their own individual efforts. Christ says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
It is very sad to see how some have been shaken out and left by the way already as we stand in the midst of the ark doors closing. Probation is clearly soon to close, and I am fearful even of myself and is the reason why I love to examine as much as possible. And when we examine and find more dross to be removed, I say do not be discouraged or distressed, but allow God to continue to work and burn it out of us. I know it hurts as I have been burned myself for many years. And it seems like there is no break as I was called out the world and had no education in righteousness or church doings. It must happen and is why I am tired sometimes, but I continue to get up no matter how many times I may fall or find dross in me.
I wish I could run to the hills and be alone, but even though I would be there and hide, there is no point, because even God will bring the storm of tests there; just like He did to the Israelites in the wilderness where He met them face to face. There is no running from God dear family. We must suffer as Christ suffered if we expect to go home with Him when this is all over with.
Many of us are old in age and may not have many years left in us and may soon find ourselves taking a dirt name as Pastor Nicholas has rightfully called it for a faithful Christian. And many of us may be allowed to go to sleep before the storm, but whatever the future brings, we need to go through the purification process and show to God that we are enduring the trying of our faith. God is looking for progress and He will work with us and save us eternally.
So, who will not be shaken and make it to heaven?
Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
Revelation 22:14, “Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
Brethren, we need to have strong faith and have agonizing cries sent to heaven, pleading with God, wrestling with Him like Jacob and endure till the end. Let our countenances turn to pale; having fear of the Lord and tremble that is marked with deep anxiety, expressive of our internal struggle with the flesh, where we have the desire to overcome what is separating us from entering into heaven. Let us have firmness and great earnestness expressed in our countenances; with large drops of perspiration falling down our foreheads. Let us cry to the God of heaven and earth for the overcoming and enduring power that we need to stand and make it home to be with Him once and for all.
I know how there are evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon those seeking for eternal life, where Satan is trying to shut out Jesus from our view, that our eyes might be drawn to the darkness that surrounded us and sink into disappear, and thus Satan seeks to lead all to doubt and distrust in God and murmur against Him and His people who bear the credentials of heaven putting a seal on their lives.
Our only safety is in keeping our eyes directed upward towards heaven. It is wise to think of the Lord’s coming and the storm that comes before it. It is nice to think of the reward in being with God and living in eternity with perfect love and no more temptations.
Let us continually, with great zeal and love for God, perfect our works through the fire of affliction and enduring the trying of our faith. The time is at hand that all who will be tested shall suffer a little more before the mark of the beast test is front and center. The more we go through the fire, the more we will be prepared for the darkest hour that stands in our midst. The more we meet the test of our faith with Christlikeness, the more we will make it through the next bitter cup. Let us learn through the love of God to make the bitter cup taste sweet. May the purification do its wonderful life changing work, which will change us into a Biblical Christian and a soldier for Christ.
God bless!!!