The Foundation Part 2

 

Greetings! This is Rob Haymes. This program is called 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we are continuing to talk about The Foundation. I would like you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 7, verses 24-27, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 6, verses 1&2, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. I want you to notice here in verse 1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, that's what we are talking about when we talk about the foundation; it's being established in the principles of the doctrine of Christ. We need to be firmly established as Christians in the truth that Jesus taught. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. We need to be established in the principles of the doctrine of Christ. Doing the Words of Jesus is like building your house on a rock. We must be established in the whole, true foundation as described in Heb 6:1&2 in order to be able to do the Words of Jesus, to do the Sermon on the Mount. When the foundation is built on the rock, established on the rock, then the building will be founded on the rock, and it will be able to withstand the storm that is coming. And the storm is surely coming.
Last week we talked about Repentance from Dead Works, Faith toward God, and the Doctrine of Baptisms. Today we are going to start with the Laying on of Hands. Not many people build houses upon the sand now a days. Everybody knows that the house will fall if it's built on the sand. So what they do is, they build it on some kind of a concrete foundation. There are different types of foundations that can be built, but the only ones that really stand the test of time, and the movement of the earth, and the storms that come; the only ones that really stand are the ones that are founded upon the rock. What they do for a really good foundation is they drill piers all the way down to bedrock; it may be only a few feet, or it may be as much as 15 or 20 feet deep; they drill a pier and it's founded on the rock. And they pour concrete, reenforced with steel. And they pour a certain number of piers in certain locations, and the foundation is built on those piers which are established on the bedrock. That way you have a solid foundation, and you can build whatever building has been designed for that foundation. But many houses are built on inadequate foundations. They may only pour a concrete slab without piers. In order to cut costs on building a house, many people compromise the foundation, and they build a lesser quality foundation. The result is that they always end up having problems with the house. There is settling, there is cracking, there are all kinds of problems that happen with an inadequate foundation. However, this foundation that we are talking about is a very costly foundation. It was purchased with the precious Blood of the Lamb of God. It was purchased and established through His sacrifice on the cross. The lamb of God, the Son of God became a man; Jesus became a man, and He lived as a man, and He was tempted in every way as we are, yet He never sinned, and He offered Himself a living sacrifice for our sins to establish us in His righteousness, through His grace. And He rose from the dead on the third day to bring us into eternal life with Him; to overcome all the powers of darkness, all sin and unrighteousness, and to live with Him forever in His glory. This is a precious, costly foundation, founded on the Rock. So, as a Christian, we must be established in all the foundation that the Lord has built for us.
Today we are going to talk about the fourth part of The Foundation, in Hebrews chapter 6, The Laying on of Hands. Let's turn to Acts 9:10-12, And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. And, as we read on, Ananias obeyed the Lord, in verse 17&18, And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. In Acts 9, Ananias ministered healing and the Holy Ghost to Saul, by the Holy Ghost, as he was sent by Jesus to do so, through the laying on of hands. Let's turn to Acts 13:2-4, As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. We see here that the Holy Ghost is sending out Barnabas and Saul for the work that He had called them to do. The disciples fasted and prayed and then they laid their hands on them and they sent them away. So they were sent out through the disciples, by the Holy Ghost. They were sent forth by the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands has to do with commissioning disciples for the work that the Lord has called them to. They prayed, they fasted, and then they laid hands on them and they sent them out by the Holy Ghost. When a man is sent by the Lord he has authority to do whatever He sent him to do. The laying on of hands in Acts 13 was to send out Saul and Barnabas, giving them authority by the Holy Ghost to accomplish the work He was sending them to do.
Let's go to Acts 6. This is talking about when the Apostles appointed deacons. Just to give a little back round we'll look in chapter 6, verses 1-6; And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. This was the appointing, or commissioning of the deacons, including Stephen and Phillip, by the Apostles. It was done through prayer, and then the laying on of hands.
In Acts chapter 8, let's go there. This is talking about when Phillip went down to Samaria and preached the Gospel, with many signs and wonders, and many people were saved. Verse 12, But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Verse 14-17, Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. So we see here a pattern: they prayed for them first, and then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. So here we have a second purpose for the laying on of hands which is the giving of the Holy Ghost. Acts 19:1-6, And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. So again we see Paul laying hands on the new disciples, and the Holy Ghost was given.
Another purpose for the laying on of hands is to minister healing, as we see in Acts 28: In Acts 28 Paul and those that were with him experienced a shipwreck and they landed on an island call Melita. Verses 7-10, In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. So here we see the same pattern: Paul entered in, he prayed for the man, and then he laid his hands on him and he was healed. Luke 13:10-13, talking about Jesus, And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called and said unto her Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. Similar to prayer, Jesus spoke that word to her: Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity, and then He laid His hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. So we see Jesus ministering healing through the laying on of hands. Luke 4:40&41 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. Jesus was sent by the Father, and He was obeying the Father. Remember He said, I only do what I see my Father doing, and I only say what I hear my Father saying. He was a man under authority. We also see in Mark 16:15-18, in Jesus' commission to the disciples, And he said unto them, 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.
The purpose for the laying on of hands, to conclude, is for healing, for the baptism in the Holy Ghost, for commissioning and sending out. Most of the time they prayed and then they laid hands. They did not lay hands and pray at the same time, as we usually do in the contemporary church. Also it is done only through the authority of God, the command of Jesus, by the Holy Ghost, the will of the Father at the direction of the Lord, not when we feel like laying hands on someone and praying for them, or when someone asks us to do so. Things happened because it was by the direction and authority of God. He initiated it. People believed, and prayed, and obeyed, and laid hands, and God moved. First, a man must be sent by God, doing the will of God, led by the Holy Spirit to pray and lay hands, and then, because we are in His authority and obedience and faith and love, it will happen. By the way; just a reminder: all of this works through love. Jesus said, If you love me, keep my Words; if you love me, you will do my Words, you will do my will. So, as we love the Lord, we are seeking to follow Him. We don't have an agenda to be going around laying hands on people. We don't have an agenda to see people healed. Our purpose is to serve the Lord because we love Him and He directs our lives.

 

Using God’s Word

Are you using God’s Words? Or, are you speaking them faithfully; reading, studying with an honest heart, seeking the knowledge of the truth? Are you doing God’s Words? Are you living God’s Words? We should only then speak His Words as they are given to us by the Holy Spirit; for only two purposes: to edify and build up the body of Christ and to glorify the Name of Jesus Christ, and His Father, our God.

If you are using God’s Words to impress men and women for your own personal gain and glory, you are of all men most miserable. Repent! And acknowledge this to God and turn from your wicked self-centered way. Plead with Him to take this wickedness out of your heart, and be willing to do only what He leads you to do going forward. That way you may have true reward some day, rather than the fearful judgement awaiting you if you will not repent. God is not mocked! He has promised many times that He is going to render to every one of us according to our works.

 The Foundation Part 1

 

Greetings in the name of Jesus. This is Rob Haymes. This program is called 15 Minutes With Jesus. I want to bless you in the name of Jesus, all you who are listening, I thank God for you; all you that are reading this message in your own language around the world, God bless you. Thank God for you. Today we are going to talk about Foundation Repair. I am somewhat qualified to do so, as I've been in construction since the 1970's; just recently retired, by the grace of God. Here in Texas there are many houses that are built upon faulty foundations. If you have a bad foundation it creates problems for the house. We have the same problem in the Body of Christ. There is a great need for foundation repair in the Body of Christ. Let's go to 1Cor 3:10&11, The Apostle Paul said, According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Let's go to Heb 6:1&2, Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Here in Hebrews, chapter six, in these first couple of verses, the Apostle Paul describes the foundation. How is your foundation? What is your foundation? Is it Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, and all that He provided us in the Gospel? We must partake of all the true foundation, in order to be truly established in Christ, and to bring forth fruit in Him.

The first part of the foundation is repentance. If you look in the Book of Jonah, I don't have time to go there, you read about how Jonah preached to the city of Nineveh, and the whole city, from the King, unto the poorest person, turned from their sin in true repentance, and they humbled themselves with fasting. They put on sack cloth and sat in ashes, and they cried out to God in true repentance, turning from their sin. True repentance produces true change, there's a real change, there's a real turning. It starts with Godly sorrow. The Bible says Godly sorrow worketh repentance; the Holy Spirit convincing a person of their sin, and then Godly sorrow regarding that sin. Repentance is not just a changing of the mind, as many people teach. Definitely there is a change in the mind, but it starts with Godly sorrow in the heart, being truly sorry for your sin. 

Next we're going to talk about faith toward God, let's go to Rom 4:1-3, What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Let's go to verse 13-16, For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, And we go down to verse 20-25, He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Chapter 5, verse 1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We believe in the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the gift of God, the gift of righteousness through faith. If we believe that Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, that is imputed to us for righteousness. It's the gift of righteousness. Our sins are washed away through His sacrifice. By faith in His shed blood we are righteous. Our sins are cleansed by His blood, white as snow. The Bible says, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. All of this starts with repentance, and then faith; faith toward God; faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The next thing is the doctrine of baptisms. Let's go to Rom 6:1-6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Do we know this? Do we know that our old man is crucified with Christ; that when we were baptized in water we were baptized into Jesus' death? The scripture says, in Gal 2:20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. If we are in faith when we go into the water, we are crucified with Christ. When we come up out of the water, we are raised with Him. If we understand Romans 6, if we understand what happens when we are baptized in water: by faith we are baptized into His death, and burial, and resurrection. Our old man is dead, therefore sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are no longer under the law, but under grace; we have been raised in newness of life to serve Jesus with our spirit in the Gospel.

Then we have the second baptism which is the baptism in the Holy Ghost. As Peter said in Acts chapter 2, repent and be baptized and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. So, after water baptism, in some cases even preceding water baptism, we have the third part of the foundation, actually the second part of the third part, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the apostles, in Acts,1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Also, in verse 5 He said, For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. And notice, in verse 8, He talked about the Holy Ghost coming upon you. So the baptism in the Holy Ghost is not the same as baptism in water. Many of you understand that, but many people do not understand that. They believe that they received the Holy Ghost when they were baptized in water. If we look in Romans 7, let's look at verses 4-6, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Now we serve in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. That's why we need to receive the Holy Spirit, so we can learn to walk in the Holy Spirit. The Bible says they that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. So, a very important part of the foundation is being baptized in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit coming upon you; being filled with the Holy Spirit; then learning to yield to the Holy Spirit. The first thing you yield to the Holy Spirit is your tongue, to speak in tongues and prophecy. If you look through the New Testament, in the book of Acts, every time a person received the Holy Spirit they spoke in tongues or they prophesied. We need to learn to yield to the Holy Spirit, and then to be led by the Holy Spirit.

As you read through Romans 7, let's go to verse 18-25, For I know that in me that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Remember, in verse 5 of chapter 7, Paul wrote, For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. So, Romans 7 is talking about, in the flesh. Verse 18, For I know that in me that is, in my flesh... So, Romans 7 is talking about a man in the flesh. But then verses 1-4 of chapter 8: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Verse 8, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Verses 13&14, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

In the church, for many years, many false doctrines have been given by Satan, and taught by false prophets and teachers, to convince Christians not to receive the Holy Spirit, yet believe that they have, and to live under some kind of law, never overcoming sin, thus preparing them to receive false grace, false justification, turning the grace of God, in some cases, into lasciviousness: All is covered, once saved, always saved, all your sins are already forgiven, past, present, and future, not confessing their sins, never learning to walk in the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Spirit. As it says in verse 4 of Romans 8, the righteousness of the law is only fulfilled in those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 7:4, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Jesus rose from the dead by the power of the Holy Ghost, and as we are married to Him, as we receive the Holy Ghost, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will bring forth fruit unto God. You cannot do that without the Holy Ghost. You cannot just say you have the Holy Ghost when you don't have the Holy Ghost. That won't work. You have to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. 

The only way to overcome the flesh and sin is to receive all that God has given us; the atonement for our past sins, through faith in Jesus' sacrifice, but also faith in His resurrection; He lives by the power of God. He was raised by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are baptized into His death and resurrection to live by the power of God; to walk in the Holy Ghost and not fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but to fulfil the righteousness of the law, by the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The key to all this is the love of God, Romans 5:8, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. If we love God, we will seek after righteousness with all our heart, and He will fill us. We will yield ourselves to Him, and to His Spirit, to walk in the Spirit.

Rom 8:31-39, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 The Day Of The Lord

Greetings. This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is a warning to the people of God in America and the world. This morning God has given me a message. It’s a warning. I must warn you. If you will not listen to this warning, your blood will not be on my hands. And this is not me. Understand, this is not me. I had no idea what I was going to talk about. The Lord has brought this forth this morning, and it’s a warning to the people of God. Let’s turn to Joel chapter 1, verse 13, Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. This message is called The Day Of The Lord. Joel 2:1-3, Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; Understand, people, the judgement of the Lord God is upon us. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. This goes on to talk about God’s great army, and the destruction that comes with them. Verse 10-17, The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Verse 18 says, Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Verse 19, Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: verse 20, But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate…. Move on down to verse 23-26, Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. These verses that I just read talk about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of God upon His people. But it will not happen unless verses 15-17 are fulfilled; that we blow the trumpet in Zion, that we sanctify a fast, that we call a solemn assembly; that the priests, the Lord’s ministers weep between the porch and the alter. Let them say, spare thy people oh Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach. There will be no revival without real repentance.

Jonah 1:1&2, Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. Let’s go to Jonah, chapter 3, verse 1-10, And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For Word of the Lord came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: It says, cry mightily unto God. yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

During this pandemic, many people have been quoting from 2Cronicles 7:14. Let’s turn there. Verse 14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. How many of us have truly repented? Is there a real mourning in the land, as described in the Book of Jonah, in the city of Nineveh? Are the people of God truly turning away from their wicked ways? Or are we just happy to continue in them, as long as we have food and drink? We cry out for revival, but there will be no revival without repentance.

I would like to share some personal testimony; my wife and I, at the beginning of this Corona Virus pandemic, went into the hospital for different reasons. While we were there, we were both praying. I was praying quite a bit, and I got a tongue and interpretation from the Lord; the Lord told me that He had sent this pandemic into the world, and He was watching His people to see if they would humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, and seek His face. He told me that while I was in the hospital at the beginning of this pandemic. Many people that quote verse 14 of 2 Chronicles 7 leave out verse 13, but I just want to quote both verses again: If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; that’s what this is; a pestilence, a plague, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. So there must be true repentance, as is shown in the Book of Jonah, when the City of Nineveh, from the King unto the poorest person, even the animals, repented in fasting, in sack cloth, crying out to God. There must be real repentance if anyone is to escape the judgement of God which is coming upon the land.

Jer 5:21-31, Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, That’s what we need to do people, now! Right now! Judgement is coming upon us. We need to fear the Lord. If we will fear the Lord, we will be spared, but if we won’t, we won’t be spared. Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: There it is; the former and the latter rain. If we will repent, people of God, and turn back to God, and really seek Him with all our heart, then we will experience the former and the latter rain in it’s season. He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. We will experience that great harvest. But if we will not repent, we will not experience it. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. This is all over the world right now. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: especially in America, therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Why, people, do you love these false prophets, do you love their lies? They lie to you! They are deceiving you! What will you do in the end thereof? Isa 5:20-25, Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Many Christians are being lulled to sleep by false prophets promising everyone that Jesus will soon be coming to take us all away before the Anti Christ should ever show up, and we will never experience the great tribulation; that we are all under some radical form of grace; that no matter how we walk, all is taken care of, all is already forgiven. There is nothing before us but a beautiful future, when the Apostle Peter said that the righteous shall scarcely be saved! Where is our faith? Where is our righteousness? Be warned people! These false doctrines will not sustain you when the judgement comes upon us, and it is coming! God is going to render to every man and woman according to our works. Rom 2:4-11, Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

2Pe 3:17&18, Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.