all right let's get to our prophecy update I want to do something a little
bit different for today's update we usually look at the week's events from a
prophetic perspective and sort of connect the dots of Scripture in terms
of Bible prophecy with that which is taking place in the world today but for
today I sensed that the Lord would have us look at and consider what I would
argue is a global state of emergency please stay with me actually I went online
to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary and I mean I know what emergency means
but I wanted to see what the actual definition of the word emergency was and
here's what it said 1 an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the
resulting state that calls listen for immediate action emergency 2 an urgent
need for assistance or relief of particular interest to me were the
synonyms that are listed boiling point breaking point crisis crossroads and
flashpoint just to name a few also Microsoft Word you got al of
Microsoft Word it offers additional synonyms here are 3 disaster tragedy and
danger would you agree with me
that we're a crossroads that we're at a boiling point a breaking point a
flashpoint if you will I think you would agree that every single one of these
definitions and the synonyms with them are an apt description of the state of
the world today and not just here in the United States but more importantly
certainly prophetically in Israel I am of the belief that we today are at the
aforementioned state of emergency as everything seems to be coming to a
boiling point just yesterday Arutz Sheva published a
report in which they quote Avigdor Lieberman who chairs the Knesset
Yisrael Beytenu party as saying that Israel is in quote a state of national
emergency yeah by the way I would venture to say that according to the
media in the US today that it's also a constitutional crisis how many times
have you heard that as it relates to the President of the United States quoting
we are now at a political crossroads the results of the elections lead us to a
single conclusion the people want a unity government in light of the state
of national emergency the economic challenges and the security threats in
the north and south and for other more distant places I reiterate my
call to Prime Minister Netanyahu and MK Benny Gantz show responsibility and
leadership put your ego aside and stop with the games the spins and the time
wasting the State of Israel needs a strong and stable unity government that
was last night in Israel Saturday on Thursday Arutz Sheva also published the
text of an address in which Israel's president
Reuven Rivlin stated that and I'm quoting we're facing an emergency of Israel's
democracy we are facing a time of crisis for the house of Jacob an emergency for
Israel's security and for Israeli society an emergency for Israeli
democracy all that is dear to us forming a government still quoting is not only
the wish of the people more than ever in times like these it is an economic and
security need the likes of which we have not known for many years
Israel's at the crossroads he goes on and says and I quote as we read in the
book of Ecclesiastes there is a time to keep and a time to cast away a time to
tear apart and a time to sew together a time to be silent and a time to speak
my wife quotes that one to me all the time there's a time to be silent
let your words be few honey okay I digress a time to be silent and a time
to speak a time to love and a time to hate a time for war and a time for peace
what I find interesting is that Rivlin was quoting from a well-known passage in
the book of Ecclesiastes the third chapter and you know it well it's a time
and a season and many songs have been written about it as well but what really
struck me about him quoting this passage is that chapter 3 in its context paints
a powerful contrast between time and eternity namely that there's a time and
season for every purpose under heaven which should in turn point us to heaven
that's what the context of the passage is later on in that chapter had he
continued to quote and reached verse 11 here's what it says listen to this He
speaking of God has made everything beautiful in its time also He has put
eternity in their hearts except that no one can find out the work that God does
from the beginning to the end in other words there's a time and a purpose for
everything under the Sun given among men on this earth but
there is a time coming when it's all going to come to an end
and that's the whole point of it I know this might sound morbid but in
Chapter seven of Ecclesiastes I almost always quote and teach Ecclesiastes 7
whenever I do a memorial service and the reason is is because Solomon says that
it's better to go to a funeral than it is to a dinner party what a killjoy yeah
he says the day of our death is better than the day of our birth now at first
you're thinking to yourself well wow that's yay but he explains why he says that
it's when were at a funeral that were more introspective see at a memorial
service we're more likely to take the brevity of this life and the reality of
death to heart why because God put eternity in our heart if I'm at a
wedding oh my goodness it's happy days are here I should stop singing I know I'm I mean
it things are good we're not thinking about the brevity of
life we're not thinking like James says that our life is but a vapor eternity
heaven it's it's far off the furthest thing from our mind boy go to a memorial
service
it was Martin Luther who famously said even in the best of health
we should have death always before our eyes so that we will not expect to
remain on this earth forever but I love this we'll have one foot in the air so
to speak
that's what Ecclesiastes is all about it's the brevity of life the vanity of
life the temporal nature of this life in this world this world is passing away as
one said it so well soon one life will be passed and only that which was done
for Christ will last if I told you that this was the whole
point of the Last Supper which we're going to celebrate today hear me out on
this I was thinking about this this is what the Savior had in mind it was to
have one foot in the air because He's about to go to His death to pay in full
for the free gift offered to us of eternal life and the whole point of it
is life is short it's going to come to an end God did not create you for time
oh yes there's a time for everything under heaven a purpose but God did not
create us for time God created us for eternity
I'm about to go back I'm not coming back but I want you to always have at the
forefront of your mind and always remember that this is how it ends always
have that end in mind living in light of eternity that's what the Savior had in
mind at the Last Supper the time had come He was going to die His life on
Earth was coming to an end and He would be crucified He would be buried and that
He would rise again from the dead defeating death once and for all see
death was never God's original plan death entered the world because sin
entered the world the first Adam Jesus is referred to as the second and final Adam
He came and paid in full the penalty for mankind's sin this is the good news this
is the gospel of Jesus Christ the good news of salvation found in the person of
Jesus Christ this is what we're going to celebrate today with the communion table
in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 the Apostle Paul says to the Corinthian
church moreover brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you
which also you received and in which you stand by which also you are saved if you
hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain for I
delivered to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and that He rose
again the third day according to the scriptures by the way he's also going to
say to the Thessalonians as we get into the study of both epistles that He's
coming back again and that's the good news
it just doesn't end with that He rose again on the third day and He's coming
back again one day soon and very soon that's the good news
that is the salvation that is found in the person of Jesus Christ we've been
doing these ABCs of salvation for over two years now at the end of every
prophecy update and the reason we do it is because it is a childlike explanation
of salvation Jesus said unless you become like a child you will not enter
into the kingdom of heaven so it's the acronym ABC and the A is for admit or
acknowledge that you've sinned against God this is what it means to repent
there's a change of mind an acknowledging of your sin and a turning to the Savior
for forgiveness of sin Romans 3:10 says there is no one righteous not even one
Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God we were
all born sinners which is why we must be born again to enter the kingdom of
heaven Romans 6:23 says for the wages of sin is
death it's the death penalty pronounced on all because all have sinned but
here's the good news the gift of God it's a gift to us paid for in full by
Him is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord that's the A here's the B the B is
for believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and as Romans 10:9 and 10
says if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead you will
be saved and here's the C it's for call upon the
name of the Lord or as Romans 10:9 and 10 also says confess with your mouth if
you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead you will be saved and here's why for it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you
confess and are saved and Romans 10:13 lastly all who call upon the name of the
Lord will be saved now I would venture to say that you
noticed that I'm finishing rather quickly
leaving more time for our communion celebration and that's what it is it's a
commemoration and a celebration and as we do today here's what I want and
here's what I have been asking the Lord for today I don't ever want
communion to become rote just something that we do on the first Sunday
of each month I want for today's communion service to be very special in
this sense I want it for us to become the immediate action we take in light of
the state of emergency that the world is in today maybe I can say it like this
today's communion service is to get one foot up in the air to get our minds
stayed on Him our eyes looking to Him as we wait for Him and off of this world
this life the brevity of this life it's an introspective time to really have the
Lord search our hearts and see if there be anything at all that is keeping
us from knowing Him and loving Him and hearing Him and I can go on and on
serving Him I'm going to have the worship team go ahead and come on up they'll lead us
in song and as they do we'll have you come up we have three tables in the
front and the elements are prepackaged come and get them take them back to your
seat and then take your seat and then wait so that we can partake together
once you all stand please
Father in heaven I thank You
Lord I thank You for the blessed hope of heaven Lord I thank You for the reality
of eternity and Lord I thank You for the communion table and all that it
represents Lord as we look around and we see what's happening in the world today
it is becoming abundantly clear that
we're at a boiling point and we are at that point and so Lord thank You thank
You that we have Your Word the more sure word of prophecy and that we have this
hope that You're coming to take us out of this world
Lord thank You in Jesus' name Amen why don't you go ahead and come on up
He became sin who knew no sin
That we might become His righteousness
He humbled himself and carried the cross
Love so amazing love so amazing
Jesus Messiah Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer Emmanuel
The Rescue for sinners The Ransom from heaven
Jesus Messiah Lord of all
His body the bread His blood the wine
Broken and poured out All for love
The whole earth trembled And the veil was torn
Love so amazing love so amazing
Jesus Messiah Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer Emmanuel
The Rescue for sinners The Ransom from heaven
Jesus Messiah Lord of all more
I appreciate your patience I really
today did not want to rush through I always feel so rushed on communion Sunday you
know we have the teaching and then we have the prophecy update and then we
have the communion and I'm always trying to be considerate of you and your time
and I just appreciate your patience and I really again want for our communion
service today to be something very special in Luke's gospel the 22nd
chapter we have the account Luke is inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and
he says in verse 14 when the hour had come He speaking of Jesus sat down and
the Twelve Apostles with Him then He said to them and here it is this is the
one foot in the air with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer for I say to you I will no longer eat of it until it is
fulfilled in the kingdom of God He's going to say that again here in a moment in
other words what we're doing here today you guys is to point you to that day
that great and final day when what we're doing today finds its ultimate
fulfillment and it's almost I want to say this the right way but it's almost
like Jesus is saying I can't wait I can't wait I eagerly await I fervently
desire I can't wait til that day comes
when what we're doing here today finds it's fulfillment in the kingdom of heaven
He's referring to the wedding feast of the Lamb can you imagine we tried to get
your mind around this it's it's mind boggling for sure but we're going to
actually be with Him partaking with Him together in heaven let that sink in and
that's what He's saying to them He goes on verse 17 then He took the cup and
gave thanks and said take this and divide it among yourselves
for I say to you here it is again a second time I will not drink of the
fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes
can I say this way it's like Jesus is telling them what we're doing here the
sole purpose of what we're doing here is so that you'll always remember that
you're going to be up there with Me it's to point us to Him in heaven so we're
living our lives in light of eternity it's that saying which I totally
disagree with so I've rewritten it hope you don't mind that we can become so
heavenly minded that we can't help but be of earthly good Jesus is saying I'm
getting ready to leave this earth and I'm going to heaven and we're doing this
now but there's coming a day when we're going to be doing this in heaven Luke
goes on to say and He took bread He gave thanks and He broke it and He
gave it to them saying this is My body which is given for you do this in
remembrance of Me so if you peel back the top part of the packaging you'll
find that bread and just hold on to it for a moment we hold in our hands a
symbol the body of Jesus Christ that was broken for us instead of us in a
fulfillment of the Passover prophecy where the Lamb that was to be slain was
to have its skin not bones its skin broken in order for its blood to be shed
and Jesus the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb becomes our Passover Lamb
and that sacrifice once and for all and He says this is My body that was broken
for you I want you to partake of this and when you do I want you to remember
Me and what I did for you that I died for you that I paid for you My body
broken for you would you partake with me
Lord thank You
thank You for Your body thank You for this ordinance thank You for giving us
this to do in remembrance of You and what You did for us thank You Lord Luke
goes on to write and says likewise He also took the cup after supper saying
this cup is the New Covenant in My blood
which is shed for you if you take the rest of the packaging you'll have the
cup and again just hold on to it for a moment we sing it we say it we
know it but there is power in the blood there's power in the blood we hold in
our hands a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for the remission
of all of our sins for the payment in full for all of our sins past present
and future all paid for bear with me for just a moment maybe this is a word for
somebody here today you brought with you to church this heavy guilt and
condemnation from the enemy he's been rubbing your face in it all week
constantly reminding you in fact he even tried to get you to not come today if I
were you I wouldn't go to church my goodness if they knew what you did don't
look at the person sitting next to you as I said that by the way
see this is what the enemy does he'll do everything and stop at nothing to
distance us from Christ and he uses condemnation and guilt to do it Paul
writing to the Romans in chapter 8 verse 1 says there is therefore now no
condemnation no guilt the infrastructure of guilt and condemnation that Satan has
built in your life comes crashing down
because He already paid for it it's been paid for and full when you leave this
church today you leave here free of guilt and condemnation because there's
power in the blood and it doesn't matter how bad it was it's paid for
you're forgiven because of the blood and that's what we're celebrating here today
would you partake with me and please stand
Lord we cannot thank You enough not this side of heaven we can't but we too
fervently desire eagerly await that day
when what we just did here today will find its ultimate fulfillment Lord thank
You for this thank You for the communion table the intended effect that it has on
us appointing us to what awaits us Lord we too cannot wait Lord come quickly
Maranatha in Jesus' name Amen and Amen God bless you have a blessed week in the
Lord and if we don't see you on Thursday for the study in Proverbs we'll see you
Lord willing next Sunday
