Reviving the Great Commission*

We are living in the Laodicean Age of the Church. We will see exactly what that involves later. Because of the compromising condition of the Church today, we need a revival of the Great Commission that Christ gave to His disciples: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age)." (Mt. 28:18-20). He also added: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover...And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mk. 16:15-20). Not only does the Great Commission speak about teaching the Gospel to all, and baptizing believers, but the Great Commission also specifically refers to miracles, signs, and wonders that follow the believers, and confirm the Gospel which they preach. Many in the Church do not believe in miracles today. Many seminaries do not teach the complete truth of the Great Commission to the future pastors who will lead the churches, so why would the churches believe? Even as Jesus was appearing to His disciples and delivered this Commission, "some doubted". (Mt. 28:17). We need a revival of the Great Commission today. What kind of disciples are we making? Without practicing the complete truth of the Great Commission, are we making the same kind of disciples of unbelief as Jesus accused the Pharisees of making? (Mt. 23:15). Let's now look at the Church of Laodicea, the notoriously lukewarm church mentioned in the beginning of this message. I think you will see a similarity to the Church of today: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Rev. 3:14-19). However, the Lord will graciously receive His repentant Church: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (v. 20-22). People in the Church believe that the solution is politics, even revolution, as we have seen. Even racism is being preached falsely in the name of Christ. This is not the zealous Church that the Lord is looking for. Jesus is not looking for a part-time, lukewarm, apathetic commitment to the Great Commission. The Lord doesn't want to date you - He wants to be married to you. When the Lord says above that He will "come in" to you, it is the same word used for when a devil enters a man. We foolishly welcome in devils in many different ways, but will we welcome Christ in? David wrote that the godly man has ceased. Instead, he wrote, men were using their lips in an ungodly manner, oppressing and dismissing those who are in need. Men, David said, claimed to own their own lips to use as they chose, saying, "Who is Lord over us?". They speak vanity. However, the Word of the LORD is different. It is a pure Word: "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, while the vilest men are exalted." (Ps. 12). Isn't this what we are seeing today? The most vile are being exalted, even sometimes by the Church. Are we speaking the pure Words of the LORD, rather than our own words of vanity? The Church has taught "Name it and claim it", but this is false. The lips we speak with must speak out of a delight in the LORD, who then gives us the desires of our hearts - because our hearts desire Him, and His desires. This is an understanding that comes with maturity. Is the Church walking in this maturity? The revival of the Great Commission requires sound doctrine, rather than these doctrines of men, as Paul wrote to Titus: "...speak thou the things which become sound doctrine...For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. " (Titus 2:1, 11-15). Paul reminded Titus that the godly works we are called to do are not our own works but the work of grace and the Holy Spirit in us: "For we ourselves were sometimes foolish...hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7). The revival of the Great Commission does not come out of our own works, but out of the root of grace, which also justified us, and gave us abundantly of the Holy Spirit. The fulfillment of the Great Commission will not come through riots in Washington DC, where police officers are assaulted with flags, or with anti-Semitic words of hate being poured out upon Jews, and those of others races, or of differing political beliefs. Paul wrote that the teaching of the Great Commission of grace in the Gospel must be committed to "faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Paul wrote that those who labor bringing the Great Commission of the Gospel will suffer and endure hardship so others "may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ with eternal glory." Men may try to put these workers in bonds to try to stop the Gospel, but the Word of God will not be bound (v. 9-10). "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us..." (v. 11-12). The revival of the Great Commission, even in the face of possible hardships, is more important now than ever before. We can see why as Paul wrote: "This know also, that in the ;ast days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Tim. 3:1-5). We can see these problems in our current time. A lukewarm Laodicean Church will not have any impact. Paul also wrote that these evil men will grow worse, and the godly will suffer persecution. However, he instructs Timothy: "...continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of...the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works...Preach the word..." (2 Tim. 3:12-17, 4:2). At the recent Commonwealth Games in Britain, there was a ceremony among the 56 member nations that included the open worship of the false god, Ba'al. We need a Church that understands the power and importance of reviving the Great Commission, and who will obey the command of Jesus Christ to preach it to every creature, with signs, wonders and miracles following. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 10/30/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook.

Know the Signs!

 

Jesus expected those who were knowledgeable in the scriptures to recognize the signs of the times. Those who considered themselves to be knowledgeable kept demanding that He show them "a sign from heaven" (Mt. 16:1-3). Jesus had just performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes that fed thousands, and the healing of great multitudes who had come to Him, but these experts sought a sign. Jesus called them hypocrites saying, "...can ye not discern the signs of the times?" The greatest "sign" of all was standing right in front of them, but they couldn't discern Him.

Knowing the signs of the end times in which we live is not enough, however. There is a purpose for the people of God to accomplish that follows the signs. It is not about knowledge only, but about "doing" as well. We will see this as we follow one of the signs that is revealed prophetically in both the Old and New Testaments.

Paul wrote about a sign that would precede the return of Christ, and the gathering of the believers unto Him, also called The Rapture:

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in  the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."   2 Thess. 2:3-4

There are three signs mentioned in the above verses to alert the believer of the return of Christ, and the Rapture of the Church. First, there is a falling away from the faith. Paul also wrote a detailed description of this falling away in 2 Tim 3. He identified it specifically with a deception associated with "the last days". Everything that he described in detail regarding this falling away from the faith, we are seeing even now. Secondly, the person of the antichrist is revealed as he sits in the temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Thirdly, there is a third temple that must exist before the antichrist can sit in it. We know that there are groups in Jerusalem, the Temple Institute and the Temple Mount Faithful, that have dedicated themselves for decades to gathering and preparing the items necessary to build that third temple.

The prophet Daniel also gave a description of the individual that we call the antichrist and his connection to the temple:

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time...and they (the antichrist and his forces) shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate...and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done..."  
                                                                                           Dan. 7:25, 11:31, 36, 12:7

Although some believe that the abomination to occur in the temple according to Daniel's prophecy has been fulfilled by a past historic event, the LORD makes clear to Daniel that He is revealing things that are to be sealed even to "the time of the end" (Dan. 12:4,9).

Daniel also revealed a time line involved with this sign of the person of the antichrist, and the temple:

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (3 1/2 years)."  Dan. 12:11

The Book of Revelation, written well past the historic event that many claim fulfilled Daniel's prophecy, also confirms what Daniel had written and sealed:

"And there was given unto him (the beast, the antichrist) a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3 1/2 years). And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."   Rev. 13:5-6

As the Book of Revelation describes the temple of God, it describes an outer court for the Gentiles, and the fact that the holy city would be trodden by the Gentiles for "forty and two months" (Rev. 11:2). The two witnesses who will be prophesying in sackcloth, which represents repentance, during this time, will continue for "a thousand two hundred and three score days" (v. 3).

While Daniel and the New Testament writers prophesied the revealing of the antichrist and his activities associated with third temple in the last days, or time of the end, we are also given a description of what the people of God are to be doing.

Daniel described the time of the end as a time when "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan. 12:4). We have seen an advancement of knowledge like never before in history. However, while worldly knowledge increases, the knowledge of the people of God increases also. During this time, Daniel describes the fulfilled purpose of the people who know their God in this manner:
"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever...And they that understand among the people shall instruct many...and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand...but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do (accomplish, work, make, produce, to act with effect, to prepare, ordain, bring about) exploits...And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."   from Dan. 7, 11, 12
Daniel describes this time of the end as being  a time of trials for the people of God, and judgment for the wicked. For the people of God, Daniel prophetically writes, "...there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."  Dan. 12:1
Reflecting this same promise, during the fall feast of the LORD, Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, the blessing is said, "May you be inscribed in the book." Revealed further in the New Testament, this book is described as "the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."   Rev. 13:8
The names written in the book of life have been inscribed because of the blood of the Lamb,  the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus, who died to take away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). Has your name been written in the book? If you have been inscribed in the Lamb's book of life, do you know and discern the signs of the times, as Jesus expected? Are you doing the purpose of God for His people that accompanies these signs? Signs require a response, an action. Let us respond accordingly to the signs we are seeing now, and will see very soon.

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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior:Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.