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This week I spent hours upon hours seeking a word from God to share with you today. I diligently prayed, faithfully read the Bible, sought godly counsel, listened to sermons, read a newly published book written by a man I consider to be an anointed prophet in these last days, connected with pastors, listened to the personal needs of several individuals and families under my pastoral care, and then I secluded myself to meditate and study the Word for yet another 10+ hours yesterday.
This was a fairly normal week for me in the pursuit of my God-given responsibility to deliver a Holy Spirit anointed, life-changing challenge from God to His children. I do not say this to boast, as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12, but rather to hopefully give you confidence that today you will have the chance to hear a true Word from God specifically designed to impact your life for His purpose.
Only God knows your past, your present, and your future. And He has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save you, deliver you, set you free, and keep you free to accomplish His will. God knows what you are going through, and He also knows what you are going to. The mark of the ministry God has given me is to cut to the heart of the moment with the truth and clarity of God’s Word.
I am a passionate preacher, but I am not driven by emotions. My passion comes from a firm conviction that almighty God is speaking through me to you. Those who know me best and have known me the longest will attest to the fact that I do not preach about issues, ideas, or opinions; I preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, issues, ideas, and opinions do come under the scrutiny of God’s Word. And if God wishes to address them from this pulpit, we make no apology for how God feels or what His Word says.
Every point made today will once again be clearly backed up by the simple reading of scriptures and confirmed by the mouth of two or more truths found in the Bible. Truth transcends time and public opinion, and truth is evident to those who open their hearts and their minds to Jesus.
My part today will be to share the message God has given me. Your part will be to listen and learn what the Holy Spirit desires to impart or confirm to you. With this being said, let’s turn our attention to the New Testament book of First Peter, chapter 5. I will be reading from the NKJV today.
1 Peter 5 NKJV
8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
The
question I pose this morning is:
·
What if you knew Jesus would come for you tonight?
·
What
if you knew today was the last day you would have to influence a family member
or a friend?
· What if you knew you would never get another chance to invest in your heavenly reward?
Right now you might be asking, “Are you trying to scare me or manipulate me Preacher?” No, that’s not my aim at all. What I am hoping to do this morning is to inspire you. I want to encourage you to:
1.
Be sober.
2.
Be vigilant.
3.
Be acutely aware the devil is looking for someone to destroy.
4.
Resist the devil.
5.
Be steadfast in the faith.
6.
Realize you are not the only person going through problems.
7. Be ready for the coming of the Lord.
The New Testament encourages us to live by faith and to be ready for the coming of the Lord.
Luke 12:40 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Jesus
will come for everyone someday … He will come for someone tonight. What if? Are
you ready?
