Pentecost Eve

On this day before Pentecost, the Lord gave me something that I now give to you. If you've been following the writing here you know there has been a constant and insistent thread for the past month of so and that thread is FAITH. I believe there is a strong argument to be made that Pentecost (the birthday of the church) could also be the last day of the church on earth. This would be the removal of the restrainer (light restrains darkness..the true church IS salt and light), and a switching back to the way the Holy Spirit dealt with men before Pentecost to pick up where the Lord left off with Israel.

What does this have to do with faith? What if the "escape from all" is tomorrow or sometime over the next few weeks? You do know that there is a "worthiness" factor involved with this escape don't you?

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Unlike the babylonian church's opinion that everyone calling themselves "christians" are on their way up to heaven, we know a worthiness factor must preceed standing before the Son of man.

What are some of the things you think might account for "worthiness?" How about obedience for one? We are told to PRAY that we may be counted worthy of this escape, do you know how many people openly rebel and refuse to do this very specific command even though we've been pointing it out to them for YEARS now? We didn't give the command, Jesus did, disobey and ignore it at your own peril. You will not make the escape without obedience nor will you make it into the kingdom of heaven (being "saved") without obedience. How do we know this? Matt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Doing the Father's will is called what? OBEDIENCE. So if someone promised you some kind of eternal "life insurance policy" based on a one time decision you made and you find yourself in willful disobedience today, you BETTER wake up and re-read your bible. Because of lies like make a one time decision for Jesus then you are in forever, MANY will be told by the Lord "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Here's where we see the tie in (by the Lord's planning not mine) with the writing here for the past MONTH. Another requirement to be counted worthy of this escape? FAITH. Yep, it hit me like a hammer this morning while reading Hebrews 11, its all just in your face "escape from all" and pre-flood, pre-fire and brimstone rapture, see for yourself..faith and ENOCH, faith and NOAH:

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Could this short section of the Word be anymore loaded with "escape from all" meaning? How was Enoch translated? BY FAITH. How was Noah moved with FEAR to prepare the ark? BY FAITH. Do you really think you are "saved" if you are reading this in a faithless condition? Do you really think you'll meet the worthiness factor required of the escape if you are faithless today? When the Son of man comes back WILL HE FIND FAITH ON EARTH????

I cannot overstate the importance of this. Just yesterday we looked at how upset Jesus became with THE DISCIPLES for their faithlessness in dealing with the demon possessed and the feeding of the 5,000. If the disciples were found lacking how do you think you stand in your faith today? This is not some exercises to scare you or make you feel bad its a PREPAREDNESS check...are you ready?

I heard someone else say it well, these things are not to make you scared, but to make you prepared. Bottom line here we've looked at obedience and faith, two whoppers. What does the Lord tell us to wrap up the "worthiness" idea when we look at how Enoch was translated?

Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God

Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God. Simple enough yea? Do you think you can please God living in faithlessness and disobedience? Do you think you can be "saved" or be counted worthy of the escape living in disobedience and faithlessness?

If you want to please God as Enoch did, ground zero, the first building block that MUST be in place is what? FAITH Heb 11:5".....he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him." There is no salvation without faith..we are saved by grace THROUGH FAITH, and that word "through" means your faith is a necessary conduit REQUIRED for the grace to work for you. It does not say "by grace you are saved." By grace THROUGH faith let it sink in. You must be found "in Christ" to be worthy of anything in the kingdom, and how can you lay hold of Jesus with no faith? It's IMPOSSIBLE.

The Lord has been on my heart this past month with the same thing..faith. You have to ask yourself why "many" will be told to go away after calling Jesus "Lord" then going on to recite to him all the wonderful things they have done in his name? WHY will many be turned away? WHY will only a few make it through the narrow gate that leads to life (Matt 7:14)? Do you think its a fair calculation to say that if only a few make it through the narrow gate leading to life, that only a few will be found worthy of the escape from all that's coming? Yep, I think thats a fair enough conclusion. The things written here are written to prepare you not to scare you.

If you have committed every fiber of your being to Jesus, you have laid your body soul and spirit down at his feet and you are doing the things you know please him, do you really need to worry? I think not. If you are of the lukewarm crowd who still loves the world and all that it offers and you still enjoy "playing" church instead of being the church, you might need to worry. You know what you are supposed to be doing without me telling you. The Holy Spirit witnesses to each person's heart, one by one. You KNOW what he's said to you and whether or not you are doing what you are supposed to be. We are not perfect, but we should be striving for perfection in his sight: Matt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

These are the things the Spirit is speaking to me on the eve of Pentecost. He does not stop working for the kingdom even up to the very end. We don't have long to wait to see if the Lord shows up for us tomorrow or over the next few weeks. In the meantime let's do what Enoch did and be found with the testimony that "we please God." We are dearly loved, grace and peace