3/17/22
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
For several years before the Covid pandemic started three years ago, there has been an increasing awareness that much within the church today is somewhat amiss. More and more folks have been talking about the increasing apostasy, our falling away from the true and pure faith, and what they believe is the cause, and what we, the church need to do about it. According to Scripture, God's on-going grief has always been with the carnal, worldly, fleshly chosen people of God. That is because we have free will and, sadly, elect to do things our way or the way of tradition. The word of God says to pray without ceasing and to feed the flock of God. Leonard Ravenhill, a highly respected 20th century evangelist and preacher once said that too many in leadership positions have changed that to "fleece the flock and play without ceasing." About 45 years ago for about 40 minutes I sat in the 1000 square-foot office of one of the foremost TV evangelists of the day who fleeced the flock out of more than 100 million dollars. He is still doing the same today. Further, I will never forget what a charismatic woman said to me some 25 years ago. She said that she liked prophet so-and-so (and she named him) because he always keeps me laughing. I do not recall any time that Jesus or one of the prophets kept anyone laughing. The church in America today could be categorized by prosperity, personality, and popularity. The early church just after Pentecost could be categorized by persecutions, prisons, poverty, and passion for the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some say we need more good teaching; others say "just love everybody," still others focus on deliverance. As our good, beloved brother, Marion Fretwell, used to say, "I believe my opinion is just as good as that of anyone else." (end quote) Therefore, I want to throw my hat into the ring. Hence the title of this message, "The Missing Link." May the Lord have mercy on me if it is only my hat. I must believe this is the hat that the Lord has given to me for this message.
I doubt that any Christian would ever disagree that the importance of a rich and full prayer life can never be overemphasized.
That verse has no natural level interpretation. "A stone" could refer to any member of the body of Christ. "The stone" can be no other that the Lord Jesus. "The wall" is the wall around spiritual Jerusalem, not just any ordinary city wall. The Lord Jesus is also "the wall."
"The beam out of the timber" in Habakkuk 2:11 refers to the Father, Who upholds all things through His Son.
Therefore Habakkuk 2:11 says that the Lord Jesus shall cry out to the Father on behalf of the Church. That verse is an Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament verses in Luke 19:37-40.
The second of the two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for is recorded in Lamentations 2:18-19.
Those verses represent our identification with the Lord Jesus in His intercession for God's chosen people. I have not found any place in my Bible that speaks of a gift or ministry of intercession. Every member of the body of Christ is called to intercede on behalf of the Church. However, "Many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14); or rather, "Many are called, but few choose." Few see the need to intercede on behalf of the Church; even fewer choose to intercede, which literally means "to come in between." The intercessor is one who comes in between God and man, on behalf of men, frequently those men who deserve His wrath and punishment. Samuel prayed for Saul even after God had rejected him from being king. 1 Samuel 15:11 says that Samuel cried unto the Lord all night on behalf of Saul.
A few related verses ...
In effect, when Jesus died on the cross, He was saying, "Let the judgment that is due to the people come upon Me." Then after His death, resurrection, and ascension, we are told,
The great Intercessor, of course, was and still is Jesus. What a comfort we have to know that Jesus continues to make intercession on our behalf before the throne of the Father! Jesus spent thirty years in relative obscurity, in "normal" family life; three and one-half years in public ministry; and now about two thousand years in intercession, unseen by any natural eye. Do those time frames say anything about the importance of intercession?
Some careful thought will bear witness that the greatest saints were often the greatest intercessors, for they were those who were closest to the heart of God. Some of those great intercessors were Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Paul, to name a few. Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom because his nephew, Lot, was there. Abraham knew that if judgment came upon Sodom, then Lot and his family would be part of the judgment. Abraham kept interceding for Sodom until the Lord promised that He would not destroy it if He found ten righteous persons in the city. I have read that at that point in time, Sodom was a major city with a population of no less than 10,000 people. So for the sake of ten righteous people out of 10,000 persons God was willing to spare the entire city. That is one out of a thousand! Elihu, in the Book of Job records this same proportion.
One out of a thousand! That does not seem like a very large percentage ... 0.1% ... or a tenth of a tenth of a tenth. Let us apply this same proportion to the United States. As of the last census the U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are about 254 million adults in the United States. Does that mean, if we use the same proportion, that God will spare the United States if He finds 254,000 persons who walk in righteousness? (That does NOT mean those who have their names on a church roster; nor does it mean those who are born-again believers but are doing their own thing.) Do you think that America is in trouble? Is it time for the judgment of God to descend upon our country? Do we need some real intercessors, such as Abraham was in his time?
Moses was another striking example of an intercessor. The apostasy of the Israelites who came out of Egypt during the Exodus was so great that only two of those over the age of twenty actually made it into the promised land. But Moses interceded.
That is intercession! How many such saints do you think there are in the United States who would sincerely make that same statement? Only the Lord knows, but I would guess not too many! The Lord surely would have destroyed His chosen people had not Moses stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath.
In Verse 31, the people had made gods of gold. Do you think that some believers today have likewise made gods of gold? Money is a HUGE driving force in America, both in the world and in the Church. How much money is enough? just a little bit more. Almost all of the teaching relating to money that I have heard in person and from the television preachers is warped and distorted!
The apostle Paul made the same statement, in Romans 9:1-3, as did Moses.
Ezekiel 22 records a different scene. Just as in the time of Abraham and Moses, the sins of God's people are portrayed once more, but this time there was NO intercessor found to stand in the gap.
One man ... one intercessor ... could have saved an entire nation, even though every section of society was corrupted (see Ezekiel 22:23-29 for proof of that). Can one man save the United States from the judgment of God?
The same apostasy existed in the time of Isaiah. Please read all of Isaiah 59 to get the complete picture.
Even God Himself wondered that there was no intercessor! What an amazing verse! Not one intercessor! Therefore, He sent His son, Jesus to be that intercessor. Thank you, Lord!
From my somewhat limited experience, I have seen very few saints who even know what intercession is, much less move in that vital ministry. Oh, we all know the definition of intercession and some of those saints who moved in that ministry, but the operational reality?
Therefore, we believe it is crucial for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, to ask the Lord to raise up true intercessors in our midst. There is no higher calling than that of an intercessor. Man will not see, recognize, or applaud you, but in the Kingdom of God your life will count for eternity.
I am positive that a number of believers would say that they have been interceding for the body of Christ and our nation for many long years. I am also positive that most of those believers have good intentions and believe they have been and still are interceding. However, if that has been pleasing and effectual in the eyes of the Lord, why do we find our nation and the church still wallowing in apostasy, awaiting the sure judgment of God? Enter the word for tonight ... the missing link. To understand what that missing link is, let us re-visit four of the scriptures that we referenced earlier, to which we will add one more set of verses. We want to see what all of these verses have in common, because they constitute the "missing link."
In Lamentations 2:19, "the life of thy young children that faint for hunger" should be interpreted in the spiritual realm. Many Christians believe there is more that is missing in their life but they have never even heard the true gospel of the kingdom of God.
"All your heart" speaks of giving our self completely to the will of God. Fasting, as described by the Lord in Isaiah 58, verses 5 through 7, is far more than abstaining from natural food. Fasting means to deny self. Jesus said to the Father, not my will but thy will be done. Every Sunday morning thousands of professing Christians repeat what we call The Lord's Prayer, part of which is "thy will be done" and then go home and do our own thing. Concerning weeping, as Jesus was led to be crucified, He said in
"Rend your heart and not your garments" clearly means a sincere, not a superficial consecration and dedication to the Lord.
Paul was a meal offering and a drink offering as unto the Lord.
Verse 16 has a rather unusual phrase ... "let the bridegroom go forth of His chamber." The bridegroom is clearly the resurrected Lord Jesus and His chamber is the right Hand of the Father. That seems to indicate that we believers, at least a remnant, can hasten the day when Jesus comes out of the Holy of Holies on the last spiritual Day of Atonement. Although God certainly has His timetable for all events to occur, I must believe that when the remnant fulfills Joel 2:17, the second coming of the Lord will very soon follow. So in that sense, the remnant can indeed hasten the day when Jesus returns.
Almond trees in the Middle East were the first to bud, typically around the time of Passover. Jesus was resurrected shortly after Passover. In Numbers 17, Aaron's rod, made from almond wood, that budded, flowered, and produced almonds overnight was prophetic of the power of the resurrected High Priest of God that was coming. This gave blossoming almonds the additional symbolism of honor and blessings.
Back to Joel 2:17.
I have said many different times that perhaps the most important priority in the Lord's timetable today is the raising up of those priests, the ministers of the LORD, who will fulfill Joel 2:17. In the rest of the Book of Joel, man does nothing; God does everything.
That verse does not say that the prayer of a Christian avails much. The phrase "effectual fervent" is one Greek word ... energeo, which means "mighty in power" or "inwrought by the Holy Spirit." A "righteous" man is one who is walking with God ... a man in whom is no guile. Just as Christ in you is the hope of glory, Christ within must teach; Christ within must preach; Christ within must pray; Christ within must sing to the glory of God; Christ within must intercede.
Some, including me, believe that the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, parallel different ages in the church world. The first of those seven messages was to the church of Ephesus, which parallels the time shortly after Paul's departure. The seventh and last message was to the angel of the church of Laodicea, which parallels the age in which we now live.
The major characteristic of the church of Laodicea is that they were deceived. Because of their natural-level prosperity, they assumed God was blessing them so they became lukewarm, believing that they were doing everything "right," and had no thought of repentance. I have heard too many "big name" evangelists verbally make those same statements, so they are deceived. Likewise, far too many evangelical Christians are deceived because they seem to believe that after they are initially "saved," they can go about their life in a worldly manner. There are many different reasons for deception.
After Elijah ran from the threats of Jezebel, the Lord came to Elijah and asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" In effect, the Lord said He never sent Elijah to that cave. Elijah responded that he was very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. That question and answer was repeated a second time. What does that mean for us? I believe the Lord is asking us whether we are jealous for the Lord God of hosts.
In John 2:16-17, after Jesus had overthrown the tables of the money changers, we read,
The word, "earnest," means a pledge or a promise or a down payment. Only the risen Lord Jesus Christ has the fulness of the Holy Spirit.
Now let us see perhaps the greatest indication of what constitutes the missing link.
In verse 41 Jesus prayed. In verse 44 Jesus was in agony and prayed more earnestly such that his sweat was like great drops of blood. Quite a difference in the intensity level. The "missing link" for us Christians today is our lack of intensity ... our lack of passion for the Lord. We have become lukewarm just like the church of Laodicea and for the same reason ... prosperity ... prosperity which all too often leads to deception, both in the natural and the spiritual realm.
The question is ... who is jealous for the Lord God of hosts? Who is groaning for our full redemption? Who is hungry for the living Word of God? ... for the Person of the Lord? for Christ in you, the hope of glory? Who does hunger and thirst after righteousness?
Please read Psalm 136. Every 26 verses in that Psalm says that His mercies endure forever.
Thank you, Lord for your great grace and mercy toward us. You are holy; you are majestic; you are awesome; you are amazing. Lord, flood our hearts with the intensity for you that glorifies your name. Lord God, you will always be our endless love. Amen.
Some say we need more good teaching; others say "just love everybody," still others focus on deliverance. As our good, beloved brother, Marion Fretwell, used to say, "I believe my opinion is just as good as that of anyone else." (end quote) Therefore, I want to throw my hat into the ring. Hence the title of this message, "The Missing Link." May the Lord have mercy on me if it is only my hat. I must believe this is the hat that the Lord has given to me for this message.
I doubt that any Christian would ever disagree that the importance of a rich and full prayer life can never be overemphasized.
1 Timothy 2:1, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;"
The phrase "first of all" seems to be rather important.
For all in the church who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, the first of two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for us to "do" are the following.
For all in the church who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, the first of two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for us to "do" are the following.
Habakkuk 2:11, "For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it."
That verse has no natural level interpretation. "A stone" could refer to any member of the body of Christ. "The stone" can be no other that the Lord Jesus. "The wall" is the wall around spiritual Jerusalem, not just any ordinary city wall. The Lord Jesus is also "the wall."
Zechariah 2:5, "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
"The beam out of the timber" in Habakkuk 2:11 refers to the Father, Who upholds all things through His Son.
Hebrews 1:1-3, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when he had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;"
Therefore Habakkuk 2:11 says that the Lord Jesus shall cry out to the Father on behalf of the Church. That verse is an Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament verses in Luke 19:37-40.
37 And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.40 And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
The second of the two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for is recorded in Lamentations 2:18-19.
18 Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward Him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger on the top of every street.
Those verses represent our identification with the Lord Jesus in His intercession for God's chosen people. I have not found any place in my Bible that speaks of a gift or ministry of intercession. Every member of the body of Christ is called to intercede on behalf of the Church. However, "Many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14); or rather, "Many are called, but few choose." Few see the need to intercede on behalf of the Church; even fewer choose to intercede, which literally means "to come in between." The intercessor is one who comes in between God and man, on behalf of men, frequently those men who deserve His wrath and punishment. Samuel prayed for Saul even after God had rejected him from being king. 1 Samuel 15:11 says that Samuel cried unto the Lord all night on behalf of Saul.
A few related verses ...
Isaiah 30:19. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry: when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.James 5:16, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Joel 2:12-18.12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:13 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.14 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?15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:16 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.17 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?18 Then will the LORD be jealous for His land, and pity His people.
Isaiah 53:12. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
In effect, when Jesus died on the cross, He was saying, "Let the judgment that is due to the people come upon Me." Then after His death, resurrection, and ascension, we are told,
24 But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24-25
The great Intercessor, of course, was and still is Jesus. What a comfort we have to know that Jesus continues to make intercession on our behalf before the throne of the Father! Jesus spent thirty years in relative obscurity, in "normal" family life; three and one-half years in public ministry; and now about two thousand years in intercession, unseen by any natural eye. Do those time frames say anything about the importance of intercession?
Some careful thought will bear witness that the greatest saints were often the greatest intercessors, for they were those who were closest to the heart of God. Some of those great intercessors were Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Paul, to name a few. Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom because his nephew, Lot, was there. Abraham knew that if judgment came upon Sodom, then Lot and his family would be part of the judgment. Abraham kept interceding for Sodom until the Lord promised that He would not destroy it if He found ten righteous persons in the city. I have read that at that point in time, Sodom was a major city with a population of no less than 10,000 people. So for the sake of ten righteous people out of 10,000 persons God was willing to spare the entire city. That is one out of a thousand! Elihu, in the Book of Job records this same proportion.
Job 33:23-24, "If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then He is gracious unto him. And saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom."
One out of a thousand! That does not seem like a very large percentage ... 0.1% ... or a tenth of a tenth of a tenth. Let us apply this same proportion to the United States. As of the last census the U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are about 254 million adults in the United States. Does that mean, if we use the same proportion, that God will spare the United States if He finds 254,000 persons who walk in righteousness? (That does NOT mean those who have their names on a church roster; nor does it mean those who are born-again believers but are doing their own thing.) Do you think that America is in trouble? Is it time for the judgment of God to descend upon our country? Do we need some real intercessors, such as Abraham was in his time?
Moses was another striking example of an intercessor. The apostasy of the Israelites who came out of Egypt during the Exodus was so great that only two of those over the age of twenty actually made it into the promised land. But Moses interceded.
Exodus 32:31-32, "And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book, which Thou hast written."
That is intercession! How many such saints do you think there are in the United States who would sincerely make that same statement? Only the Lord knows, but I would guess not too many! The Lord surely would have destroyed His chosen people had not Moses stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath.
In Verse 31, the people had made gods of gold. Do you think that some believers today have likewise made gods of gold? Money is a HUGE driving force in America, both in the world and in the Church. How much money is enough? just a little bit more. Almost all of the teaching relating to money that I have heard in person and from the television preachers is warped and distorted!
The apostle Paul made the same statement, in Romans 9:1-3, as did Moses.
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Ezekiel 22 records a different scene. Just as in the time of Abraham and Moses, the sins of God's people are portrayed once more, but this time there was NO intercessor found to stand in the gap.
Ezekiel 22:30-31, And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.
One man ... one intercessor ... could have saved an entire nation, even though every section of society was corrupted (see Ezekiel 22:23-29 for proof of that). Can one man save the United States from the judgment of God?
The same apostasy existed in the time of Isaiah. Please read all of Isaiah 59 to get the complete picture.
Isaiah 59:16 says, "And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him."
Even God Himself wondered that there was no intercessor! What an amazing verse! Not one intercessor! Therefore, He sent His son, Jesus to be that intercessor. Thank you, Lord!
From my somewhat limited experience, I have seen very few saints who even know what intercession is, much less move in that vital ministry. Oh, we all know the definition of intercession and some of those saints who moved in that ministry, but the operational reality?
Therefore, we believe it is crucial for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, to ask the Lord to raise up true intercessors in our midst. There is no higher calling than that of an intercessor. Man will not see, recognize, or applaud you, but in the Kingdom of God your life will count for eternity.
I am positive that a number of believers would say that they have been interceding for the body of Christ and our nation for many long years. I am also positive that most of those believers have good intentions and believe they have been and still are interceding. However, if that has been pleasing and effectual in the eyes of the Lord, why do we find our nation and the church still wallowing in apostasy, awaiting the sure judgment of God? Enter the word for tonight ... the missing link. To understand what that missing link is, let us re-visit four of the scriptures that we referenced earlier, to which we will add one more set of verses. We want to see what all of these verses have in common, because they constitute the "missing link."
Lamentations 2:18-19, "Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward Him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger on the top of every street."
In Lamentations 2:19, "the life of thy young children that faint for hunger" should be interpreted in the spiritual realm. Many Christians believe there is more that is missing in their life but they have never even heard the true gospel of the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 30:19, "For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry: when He shall hear it, He will answer thee."
What is "the voice of our cry?" The word "voice" occurs 48 times in Jeremiah, 48 times in the Psalms, and 42 times in the book of Revelation. The voice of the Lord is spoken of seven times in Psalm 29, verses 3-9. As a generality a voice is a means of communication.
John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"1 Corinthians 14:10 "There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification."
We believers each have a voice.
Genesis 3:8, "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
The voice of the Lord is also unique. His voice denotes Divine truth. The voice of our cry speaks of the intensity in our heart to do His will.
John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
Joel 2:12-18.12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
"All your heart" speaks of giving our self completely to the will of God. Fasting, as described by the Lord in Isaiah 58, verses 5 through 7, is far more than abstaining from natural food. Fasting means to deny self. Jesus said to the Father, not my will but thy will be done. Every Sunday morning thousands of professing Christians repeat what we call The Lord's Prayer, part of which is "thy will be done" and then go home and do our own thing. Concerning weeping, as Jesus was led to be crucified, He said in
Luke 23:27-29, "And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck."
Jesus wept over Jerusalem twice. Jeremiah also wept over Jerusalem. An untold number of saints have identified with Jesus over the years by weeping over spiritual Jerusalem.
Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
Mourning is somewhat the opposite of celebrating. Today there is much emphasis in our teaching and preaching about celebration. There is a time for both. There are a number of different reasons for the chosen people of God to mourn. One reason to mourn is over those who are spiritually dead and are unrepentant. That is why Samuel mourned over Saul in 1 Samuel 15. We should also mourn for those professing Christians who continue to go their own way and for sin in the church. Amos 8:11 speaks of a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. That should also be a reason to mourn. In John 11:33, when Lazarus apparently had died, Mary and Martha and many other Jews were weeping, but Jesus groaned and was troubled in His spirit. Why? certainly not because of the apparent death of Lazarus. Jesus knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Why did Jesus mourn? Because of the unbelief of the relatives and friends of Lazarus .... unbelief that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead.
Back to Joel 2:13.
Back to Joel 2:13.
13 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.
"Rend your heart and not your garments" clearly means a sincere, not a superficial consecration and dedication to the Lord.
14 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?
Paul was a meal offering and a drink offering as unto the Lord.
2 Timothy 4:6-7, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"
When Paul said he was ready to be offered, that means he was ready to be poured out as a drink offering. No man ever drank the drink offering; it was always poured out as unto the Lord.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:16 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.
Verse 16 has a rather unusual phrase ... "let the bridegroom go forth of His chamber." The bridegroom is clearly the resurrected Lord Jesus and His chamber is the right Hand of the Father. That seems to indicate that we believers, at least a remnant, can hasten the day when Jesus comes out of the Holy of Holies on the last spiritual Day of Atonement. Although God certainly has His timetable for all events to occur, I must believe that when the remnant fulfills Joel 2:17, the second coming of the Lord will very soon follow. So in that sense, the remnant can indeed hasten the day when Jesus returns.
Jeremiah 1:11-12, "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it."
Almond trees in the Middle East were the first to bud, typically around the time of Passover. Jesus was resurrected shortly after Passover. In Numbers 17, Aaron's rod, made from almond wood, that budded, flowered, and produced almonds overnight was prophetic of the power of the resurrected High Priest of God that was coming. This gave blossoming almonds the additional symbolism of honor and blessings.
Back to Joel 2:17.
17 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?
I have said many different times that perhaps the most important priority in the Lord's timetable today is the raising up of those priests, the ministers of the LORD, who will fulfill Joel 2:17. In the rest of the Book of Joel, man does nothing; God does everything.
18 Then will the LORD be jealous for His land, and pity His people.
James 5:16, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
That verse does not say that the prayer of a Christian avails much. The phrase "effectual fervent" is one Greek word ... energeo, which means "mighty in power" or "inwrought by the Holy Spirit." A "righteous" man is one who is walking with God ... a man in whom is no guile. Just as Christ in you is the hope of glory, Christ within must teach; Christ within must preach; Christ within must pray; Christ within must sing to the glory of God; Christ within must intercede.
Some, including me, believe that the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, parallel different ages in the church world. The first of those seven messages was to the church of Ephesus, which parallels the time shortly after Paul's departure. The seventh and last message was to the angel of the church of Laodicea, which parallels the age in which we now live.
Revelation 3:15-21.15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.17 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:18 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.19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.20 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.21 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.
The major characteristic of the church of Laodicea is that they were deceived. Because of their natural-level prosperity, they assumed God was blessing them so they became lukewarm, believing that they were doing everything "right," and had no thought of repentance. I have heard too many "big name" evangelists verbally make those same statements, so they are deceived. Likewise, far too many evangelical Christians are deceived because they seem to believe that after they are initially "saved," they can go about their life in a worldly manner. There are many different reasons for deception.
After Elijah ran from the threats of Jezebel, the Lord came to Elijah and asked, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" In effect, the Lord said He never sent Elijah to that cave. Elijah responded that he was very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. That question and answer was repeated a second time. What does that mean for us? I believe the Lord is asking us whether we are jealous for the Lord God of hosts.
In John 2:16-17, after Jesus had overthrown the tables of the money changers, we read,
"And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
Do we have that same zeal for the church?
2 Corinthians 1:22, "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."Ephesians 1:13-14, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."
The word, "earnest," means a pledge or a promise or a down payment. Only the risen Lord Jesus Christ has the fulness of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:22-26.22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Now let us see perhaps the greatest indication of what constitutes the missing link.
Luke 22:39-46.39 And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him.40 And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.44 And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.45 And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow,46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
In verse 41 Jesus prayed. In verse 44 Jesus was in agony and prayed more earnestly such that his sweat was like great drops of blood. Quite a difference in the intensity level. The "missing link" for us Christians today is our lack of intensity ... our lack of passion for the Lord. We have become lukewarm just like the church of Laodicea and for the same reason ... prosperity ... prosperity which all too often leads to deception, both in the natural and the spiritual realm.
The question is ... who is jealous for the Lord God of hosts? Who is groaning for our full redemption? Who is hungry for the living Word of God? ... for the Person of the Lord? for Christ in you, the hope of glory? Who does hunger and thirst after righteousness?
Please read Psalm 136. Every 26 verses in that Psalm says that His mercies endure forever.
Psalm 33:18, "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy;"
Thank you, Lord for your great grace and mercy toward us. You are holy; you are majestic; you are awesome; you are amazing. Lord, flood our hearts with the intensity for you that glorifies your name. Lord God, you will always be our endless love. Amen.
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