Faith for the End Times*

When Jesus first came, the religious experts missed the signs of His coming. As we look to His return, could the Church also miss the signs of the End Times, and Christ's appearing? As Jesus dealt with His disciples and the people of God, He repeatedly remarked about the importance that faith plays in our connection with Him. Jesus told a parable about a certain unjust judge, and a widow who continually came before him asking this judge to avenge her of her adversary. The unjust judge finally agreed to avenge her, because she would weary him with her continual petitions. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Lk. 18:1-8). Jesus told this parable in order to teach the people "that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The kind of faith that Jesus is looking for is the Greek word pistis, which means "conviction of the truth...with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it". Faith is active. It is a holy fervor with the conviction of truth. In the same idea, Jesus addressed those who had cares and worries for the necessary things of life, and had fear of what tomorrow might bring, "O ye of little faith...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you..." (Mt. 6:30-34). The faith that Jesus is exhorting us to have is especially necessary for the Church in these end times. More than ever before, we see great challenges and dangers that will call for faith for miracles, and faith for the intervention of God. Jesus said this: "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." (Jn. 14:11-14). Do we believe this with the conviction of truth, with a holy fervor born of faith and joined with it? If so, we shall do the works of Christ, and even greater works. In this ministry, we have seen many of these miracles. These miracles are based on this very promise of Christ. The Book of Hebrews instructs us, "Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our hope without wavering (for he is faithful who promised). Hebrews goes on to tell us to provoke and exhort one another to the good works "and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching". (Heb. 10:19-25). As we see the day approaching for the return of Jesus, we should be believing and acting upon that belief to be doing the works of Christ. Our assurance in that faith mentioned in these verse comes from our having washed and sprinkled ourselves in the blood and water of the Lamb of God (see also 2 Chron. 7:14). As the disciples failed to cast out an evil spirit that convulsed a man's son, Jesus said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither." Of course, Jesus rebuked that evil spirit, and the man's son was delivered. (Lk. 9:38-42). When the disciples later asked Jesus why they had failed to cast it out, He answered them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Mt. 17:17-21). These wonderful works of Jesus require faith, and not great faith, but even faith the size of a small mustard seed. Did the disciples not even have enough faith to be in readiness through prayer and fasting? Do we? As Jesus described the signs of the end times, and His return, many of which we are already seeing, He talked about false Christs that would appear and deceive many. The love of many will grow cold. He told of how those who knew Him, would be hated, betrayed and persecuted. He said, "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Mt. 24:3-13). A key component of our end time "endurance" is faith. From the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras 13:23 says, "He that shall endure the peril of that time hath kept himself: they that be fallen into danger are such as have works, and faith toward the Almighty." 1 John also says, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (5:18). Faith for endurance, faith to "keep" ourselves, faith to minister greater works to others as Christ's in these perilous end tmes will be required and necessary for believers. *Based upon Dr. Stevenson's 12/27/20 message to the Church. To contact: Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com or PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 Look for us on Facebook and Twitter also.