MOVING FROM INFORMATION TO TRANSFORMATION

MOVING FROM INFORMATION TO TRANSFORMATION

                “For just as the body without they spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:26

                In my short 70 year lifespan I have sat through hundreds of Sabbath school and Sunday school classes where we talk about what should be and what must be. But during this same 70 year period I have seen a decline in our devotion to God rather than an increase. Even our worship has become an art form, a performance to please men more than to please God.

                It is a sad commentary that they have to use smoke machines to simulate reality, because in reality, the smoke of God filled the sanctuary so that the priests could no longer minister before God and Isaiah speaks of that smoke as well saying:

                “And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of Him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” Isaiah 6:4

                1 Kings 8:10-12 also speaks of the cloud that filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

                There are occasional times even today when a cloud will fill the sanctuary where people are worshipping. Our Pastor’s wife Alice was telling me the other day that she had experienced this herself in a place of worship. It fills people with a sense of awe and reverence.

                 I think the Lord allows His glory to leak through at times where true worship is going on, but it cannot stay long, for the church is not yet ready for what God really wants to pour out.

                To date we are still caught up in our fleshly issues. We are often divided by disagreements and strife over petty things. We don’t forgive as we should. WE don’t operate in the fruit of the Spirit as we should. WE amass information and we deal with information and we have made information a goal in itself, but we have not allowed it to get into our hearts where the Holy Spirit can use that information to bring about transformation.

                It is exactly like James explains it: The body without the spirit is dead and so our faith is dead as well because our faith is not being applied where the rubber meets the road.

                The big question is how can we expect to reign with Jesus Christ on His throne as kings and priests, if we can’t even settle simple disputes here and now?

                Paul brought this up to the early church as well saying:

                “Does any one of you when he has a case against his neighbor dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world: And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent6 to constitute the smallest law of courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels: How much more the matters of this life? 1 Cor. 6:1-3.

                Unforgiveness is at the root of all of our strife. That, along with failing to live by the fruit of the Spirit, causes the church to reflect the world much more than it reflects heaven at times. We can complain to God that the fruit of the Spirit is not enough. We can say that forgiveness and the blood of Jesus is insufficient. We can tell Him that His Full armor cannot protect us… but do you really want to say that to His face? Do we really want to stand before Him and explain that His plan of salvation was not enough for you? Do you want to tell Him that Jesus died in vain, because His blood doesn’t have the power that it claims to have?

                Somehow we have to grab hold of the Word and apply it to the real circumstances of life. We need to receive the Holy Spirit for more than a momentary good feeling. He must become our very life! The Bible is much more than a source of information. It is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. Hebrews 4:12.  It cuts right down to our very motives… the very motives that only God can see. And then God says: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Now, go and obey My word and stop making excuses.

                The anointing of God cannot remain where there is strife and contention. So then those people that refuse to let go of their own self-interests, are depriving the whole congregation of a deeper fellowship with the Lord. Do we really want to do that?

                World War 1 was started in the Balkans in 1914 and quickly became a world war that in 4 years killed 17 million people and left 20 million wounded. Such carnage has happened in many a church family as well, splitting them up and damaging the faith of many.

                We need to protect the anointing of God in our midst. We have come to the end of life as usual... We have entered the final days in which the Bride of Christ is called to make herself ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. She is to be without spot or wrinkle.

                The saints are seen wearing fine linen at the marriage supper of the Lamb found in Revelation 19:7, 8. Those robes are said to be made up of the righteous acts of the saints. Then in Revelation 19:14 we see those same saints dressed in fine linen white and clean, following Him (Jesus) on white horses. This is a picture of Jesus with His saints returning to earth at His second coming to rule the nations with a rod of iron.

                This scenario is verified in Rev. 2:26, 27 where Jesus says:  “And he that overcomes and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces as I also have received authority from My Father.”

                This is speaking of Christ’s earthly millennial reign when as Zechariah says in Chapter 14:3-5 that His feet will land on the Mt. of Olives to provide a way of flight for the Jews and then the Lord, my God will come AND ALL OF HIS HOLY ONES WITH HIM.” Again this is a picture of the second coming and the beginning of Christ earthly millennial reign and we will come with Him.

                Beginning from verse 9 to the end of the chapter we then see a description of the millennial reign of Christ. Many of the other Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah, describe this time period in great detail.

                But the point is this: We need to move beyond information to transformation. Our purpose is to be “Conformed to the image of God’s Son.” Romans 8:28-31, Ephesians 4: 12, 13 and elsewhere.

                Over the past few years God has been filling the sky with signs in the sun, moon and stars. He has filled the earth with the signs of His coming. Luke describes our present time saying:

                “And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; And there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at eh roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:24b-27

                Then right after that, Jesus says to lift up our heads for our redemption draws near.  And then He talks about the budding of the fig tree and says that this generation shall not pass away until all things take place.” Here He can be speaking of no other generation than the one that sees the fig tree (Israel) bloom once again.

                So when we see all of the signs taking place in the world today we cannot take them lightly and above all, we need to be ready. We need more than to be informed… we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus then says in Luke 21:36:

                But keep on the alert at all times praying in order that you may have strength (or be accounted worthy) to escape all these things that are about to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

                We know that we will be with Jesus when He returns in the clouds at His second coming. That means that we will have been caught up to meet Him in the air at some time prior to that. However 2 Thess. 2:3, 4 tells us that we will see the great apostasy that ushers in the antichrist. We will see the antichrist and we may well have to face the Mark of the Beast as a final test of our allegiance. But we will not be here to face the wrath of God. That much we have been promised.

                So no one can predict the time of the coming of Jesus or to set dates, but my personal opinion is that it happens in Revelation 14 where two sickle harvests take place. The first one catches the saints up, while the second one harvests the grapes and casts them into the wine press of God’s wrath.

                There are many wonderful scholars and prophetic voices out there that have different times for these events and I would not argue with any of them. I respect them all, because like me, they are seeking understanding and they are warning that the time is near. That much we can all see.

                So now is the time to wash our robes and to make them white in the blood of the Lamb.