Search the transcript 0:01 Wow, you came ready this morning. Y'all can be seated. Thank you. You came ready today. My hope and my prayer is that you are ready for what Holy Spirit put in me as I bring this this morning. Last Sunday, I began or I taught on a message titled The Present Christ. And let me just say before I dive into this, I do not ask you to accept what I'm teaching. No one. To accept what I'm teaching blindly today. 0:38 What I do ask is that you listen and that you ask Holy Spirit to help you overcome theologies and doctrines of man so that you can arrive at the truth of heaven. It's one thing for us to nod our head in agreement to that or even verbally agree to that. It's another thing when something is presented to us that is a little different than what we've been used to for most or all of our Christian walk. 1:18 And it's hard to overcome that. And I said, I'll just say it this way, several times this week to my wife, many times to the father, when I'm teaching Sunday, what you put in my heart to teach, help me to speak it in such a way that people are not just dismissive because it's different than what they've heard or accepted. I think, I don't think, I am certain that 1:51 that much of the church or the body of Christ today, let me say it that way, much of the body of Christ today is still dealing with similar struggles that they dealt with when Christ came because much of the body of Christ today is still stuck in theologies and doctrines of man and not the truths of heaven. And yet saying that, 2:26 I understand that we can only operate, any of us, individually or corporately, we can only function and operate in the earth based on our current belief system. What we strive for, we strive for it because we believe that striving for it will produce a positive outcome. It's true of anything, whether it's secular or spiritual. 2:53 We strive for that because we have a belief. That belief, especially anything pertaining to the Father as we talked about last week, is a theology. And the difference between theology and doctrine is this. Theology is what we believe about God and what His purpose is in our life. Doctrine is the rules and laws that are put in place to enforce the theology that has been presented to us. So... 3:23 All over the world today, and let me just say it this way, there are as many theologies in the world today as there are people breathing. Remember, theology is simply what is believed about God. Theology and the Bible are not the same. Theologies are man-made. Scripture is God's Word. It's not a theology. It's fact. It's truth. Are we on the same page there? But theology is what man creates based on their interpretation of it. And as I said last week, 4:02 Theology changes. Whatever doctrine you apply yourself to, because I'm going to be continuing on this present Christ today or the present Christ today, I need to make sure that some initial points are clear. So even church organizations, whether they're non-denominational, denominational, independent, free for all, whatever you want to call it, 4:33 Specifically, organizations create doctrines to enforce theologies, what they have come to believe about Scripture. Those doctrines are, they call it something different. They call it bylaws. They call it different things. And then they meet every year. Organizations meet every year to decide if their theology has changed. And they change it. They adjust that theology to meet current, usually, current times. What's accepted at this moment. Yeah. 5:08 Happens every year, every year. And I want to say this about that. I'm not knocking that. I believe that that's a right thing, is to always be open to what the Father wants to show us about something that's new. What I do knock is that whatever theology they come to, groups and organizations come to, I knock the idea that this is the final word. Because even as it is said from their podium, by the time the next convention comes around, it has suddenly changed. Right? 5:52 Are you with me this morning? So today, my hope is, as we continue the present Christ, will we do this next week? I don't know. But I hope that today I can share with you what is in my heart and that I can lead you to come to a conclusion of your own interpretation of the truth about a present Christ. 6:21 What I'm going to share with you this morning is, or are, words and teachings and interpretations that Holy Spirit has implanted in me and has grown over the years within me. So much of what those of you that have known me, there's some in this room that have been a part of this house for 27 years, almost since the very beginning, certainly over 26 years. 6:54 And there have been things in me, which is true of all of us, there are things in us sometimes that we don't cast our pearls before the swine. I'm not calling anybody swine, but I'm saying I'm using that symbolism, that idea, I'm using, not symbolism, but that analogy, I'm using that because it's important for all of us to know that there is a time and a season for things to be released. There is a time to be quiet and sit on it, let something incubate. 7:24 And then there's a time when it has come to full term that you release it. You hear me today? So anyway, so this... 7:35 that I was speaking of last week, you know to be true. If you know me in our private conversations, not only privately but often publicly, I've made the comment, and I'll make it right now, just simply put, you know, I've talked about even what much of the body of Christ calls the rapture of the church, and people will ask me, do you believe in the rapture of the church? And my response is always the same. I could care less if there is or isn't one. The rapture of the church is not a point of contention for me, 8:08 In fact, that word rapture is an idea of man's making. But I won't argue. What I won't argue is that there is a return of Christ. Now, as I said last week, whether he comes in on a white horse or he comes in in a VW Bug is irrelevant to me. All that matters is in whatever way he chooses to return, I will be a part of it. But here's the thing. There are people who will hang their entire relationship with Christ on 8:49 on a doctrine man-made. Even listening to me right now, there are people that struggle with the idea that I don't care if there is a rapture or isn't one. What I care about is a return of Christ. And do it however you want to. Throughout history, the people of God have had this continued issue of rejecting the one that God sent to them 9:30 Because the message did not fit their theology or the person did not match their expectation. In the first testament, again, the Bible, for those of you that are new here today, I just want you to track with me. We probably use a little bit of different terminology than you do referring to the same thing, but I don't call it the Old Testament and the New Testament. I call it the first testament and the second testament. No one in scripture called it the Old or New Testament. 10:05 I call it the first and the second because if we say old or new, what we do is we imply that the old is no longer relevant. I don't believe that. I believe the second builds on the first. So in the first testament, the people asked, who is this Noah? Who is this Moses? Who is this David? And in the second testament, who is this Christ but a carpenter's son? So when the appearing of God showed up, and it goes on and on and on. When the gospel was made available to the Gentiles and the Jews alike, who is this apostle who believes he has the right? 10:57 to bring this message throughout history, this whole idea, this whole concept of this is what it is, and I'm fixed on this, and this is what it's going to be. I'm going to tell you today, as I said before, I'm going to make it as plain as I can before I go any further. There are three inarguable truths in the Scripture. Three. One. God is the Father of all creation. Jesus Christ is 11:36 So I'm going to reference point that word leads, meaning you haven't arrived, but I'm trying to take you somewhere. I don't know, yet it could possibly be true. 12:09 That there's people in this room or watching online or listening at some other point down the road after it's been preached, but I don't know. But it's probably likely that there are people in this room that your theology is fixed. Your doctrine is set in stone. And no matter what anybody says, including the Holy Spirit of God... 12:36 You will hang your hat on that theology and doctrine and go to hell with it. I say that with as much grace and kindness as I possibly can. But I'm convinced that there are people today that are in anguish without God. 13:08 Without Holy Spirit because they rejected what He sent to bring them closer to Him so that they could know Him not in part but in fullness. People that hung their hat on theologies and doctrines that Holy Spirit kept sending different voices to. Amen. 13:34 The gospel is not just for the Jew. It is also for the Gentile. How dare you? The gospel is not just for the circumcised, but for the uncircumcised. How dare you? Last week, I talked about three things. I encourage you, especially if you didn't hear that message already, I encourage you to go back and listen to it again. And if you already have, I encourage you to go back and listen to it again and do the same for today. 14:13 If you are still alive and remain in this building by the time I get to the end of this, I encourage you to do that. I can tell you what I'm not after. I'm not after growing the biggest church in town by giving the simplest word that costs nothing. I can tell you I'm not interested in that. I'm not trying to fill seats with the people who don't know what they believe or who they are. What I'm trying to do is change the earth with a people who are ready to receive what the Father wants to release to them. 14:53 Not raising an army of people with swords and knives and guns and bullets and what have you. We're raising an army of people that are full of the truth of the gospel of who Jesus Christ is in the present. So last week, these are the three things that I talked about. The truth, deeper truth, and the deepest truth. And I'm going to just reiterate very quickly what those things were. One, the Jewish people rejected Jesus because he wasn't holy. 15:22 who they expected. We know that. No one's going to argue that today because if that's not part of your theology, get saved. But the Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ simply because he was not who they expected. They didn't want a carpenter's son. They wanted a king and they wanted a ruler who would deliver them from their oppressors. That's what they were after. He 15:56 Was indeed that. And even more. And did in fact provide deliverance. But not in the way that they expected. My point with that is. What expectations do you have about the present Christ? And he has shown up. But he did not show up the way you expected. Or thought that he would. Therefore you rejected the answer when it came. Two. All of heaven is within Christ. 16:33 When we reject the present Christ, the one that is present with us, when we reject the present Christ, we also reject all of heaven. And within all of heaven is every answer to every problem you have ever had and ever will have. So if I reject the Christ, the present Christ, if I reject the present Christ, I am rejecting all of heaven, which most and... 17:12 let me put it this way much of the body of christ is doing today they are rejecting all of heaven because they are waiting for a christ that is afar off while they sing about it this morning jesus is coming soon morning or night or noon but he's not quite here yet wonder how long it will take him to get here let's find him on our maps and then thirdly theology is as diverse as there are people i said at a moment ago willing to believe anything about god at all 17:44 It's simply what you believe about God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and that part of Him called Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth. Doctrine is simply the rules and laws that are put in place to enforce whatever theology we have accepted. So this is what we talked about last week. But I want to dive into this today because take it a little bit further about something that... And let me just say it again. I want to remind you again. I want to be careful. I've said to my wife... 18:22 I don't want people to dismiss what I'm going to release today because I don't have the fullness of the truth yet either. Not any more than you do. What I do have is a word he put in my heart and in that word there is truth and I promise you I will incubate that truth inside of my spirit. So I'm going to share with you some of the incubation process. Let's begin with this. There are many, many, many, many. Everybody say there are many. There are many inhibitors to the body of Christ actually being 18:57 The body of Christ. I mean, it's loosely applied. The body of Christ. It's loosely applied. Teachings that are received every day that lead away from present truth and an unwillingness to test the spirit of a truth against what he's doing in us. So these are some scriptures that I shared last week. Let me share them again. In Revelation chapter 1 verse 7 it says this. It says, Behold, he is coming with the clouds. Everybody say, he is coming with the clouds. And every eye will see him. 19:37 Even those who pierced him. Thank you. You don't have to repeat anymore. And all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him even so. Amen. Amen. This is a yes and an amen. And then in John 14, 3, we read this. And if I go and I prepare a place, it's Jesus' words. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will what? I will what? I will what? 20:00 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you to myself so that where I am, you may be also. Let's dive into this. And I'm certain that I'm going to stir thoughts today. Certain of it. Contemplate. Consider. You don't have to agree with me. Let Holy Spirit give you whatever interpretation you need at this time. But I would be remiss and I would be missing my calling and purpose because 20:34 If I did not, like every other person throughout history that brought a word that changed things, I think about even Christ. I think about when he, I'm not comparing myself to Christ, and yet I am comparing myself to the Spirit of Christ who dwells in me. When he's standing there in the temple and they're asking, telling him, reminding him what the Sabbath is, and he says, I want to tell you something, I am the Sabbath. You blasphemer. You blasphemer. 21:06 I'm not blaspheming against you. I'm just telling you a truth that you have not yet interpreted correctly. You have interpreted a truth. You just haven't interpreted it correctly because you haven't been open. You've been so fixated on what you have known and what has been fed to you and what has been given to you that you have not been open to what more I want to release to you. So the assumption... 21:34 That most make, especially regarding Revelation 1, 7, John 14, 3, most, not all, but the assumption that most make is that these scriptures are references to a far-off place at a far-off time. Let me go back to 14, 3, where Jesus said, if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again. I will take you to myself so that where I am, you may be also. So the assumption again, 21:54 This is something that is far off. This is a far off place. He's going and he's doing something for us, yada, yada, yada, yada. I want to show you something. In Revelation 1, I'm going to ask a question. Is it possible, 1-7, is it possible, let me read that again first. "...behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him, even so, amen." 22:16 In that verse, is it possible that his coming is his appearing to you and me the moment we receive him as Savior? Yes. 22:27 You don't have to answer this, but I want you to consider this. And we ask the question again, is it possible that his coming is his appearing to you and me at the moment that we received him as Savior? I understand people will trip over that no man knows the day nor the hour. In fact, we'll read it if we get a chance to get there. But no man knows the day nor the hour of the return of the Son of Man. But I want you to know I know the day and the hour that he returned to me. 22:56 The day he returned to me was on July the 8th, 1985, and the hour was about 8.10 in the evening. He comes as a thief in the night, but thieves only come to those who aren't expecting him. I was expecting something miraculous, and something miraculous happened. He did not surprise me with his presence. I had witnessed it before I received him and the people that were gathered in that room that night, and then suddenly there was something that happened in me. 23:29 The day and the hour for me was July the 8th, 1985, sometime after 8 o'clock that night. The only reason I know that it was sometime after 8 o'clock is because it happened in the Assembly of God Church and they're never longer than an hour and 30 minutes. So is it possible that His coming is His appearing to you and me at the moment we receive Him as Savior? I'm going to say it again because I want you to get this. Is it possible? 23:57 When we read Revelation 1 verse 7, we think of a far off. We think of this distant Christ. We think of this distant opportunity. Something that's been proclaimed over and over and over and over and over against millennia, centuries of time. We go over this over and over and over and we keep telling this generation, the next generation, Jesus is coming soon. Jesus is coming soon. Well, who is it then that's going to come and actually do something miraculous in my life? Is he going to do it before he comes or is he going to come and do it? Is that an honest question? Amen. 24:32 I'm just talking what he puts in me. I can't help but speak. And then in John 14, 3, he says, I'm going to read that scripture again, and I'm going to ask a question, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again, and I will take you to myself that where I am you may be also. I know there's a lot for you to take in this morning, and it's going to get a little deeper as we go. So the question I have in John 14, 3 is this regarding it. Is it possible the place that he prepared for you 25:03 Now there are people going to have a hard time with this. I'm saying consider what I'm saying to you. Is it possible that the place he prepared for you isn't a distant place but a local one where you are right now and in this place he has already taken you to himself? If you are not in him then in whom are you? These are honest questions that we are so afraid to ask because somehow we're afraid we're going to miss it. I remember... 25:42 When my wife and I went to a church, we went to the Rock of Panama City and met Apostle F. Nolan Ball up there and we moved there and you know the story and when we got there and they didn't have Sunday night service. It was the first church I'd ever been to that didn't have Sunday night service. I'd never even heard of that. I didn't even know that was possible or even righteous. So we go up to that church and we get up there and 26:07 They say, you know, we don't have Sunday night service. We'll see you next. We'll see you Wednesday night. They did have Wednesday night. We don't have service tonight. We'll see you tonight. Spend time with your family. Well, man, I'll tell you what. My theology didn't allow for that. I struggled with that. And I said to my wife, bless God. I got saved in a church that has Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. And I'm going to find us a place to go to church tonight. We're going to be in a church tonight because that is the word of the Lord. I have been taught that my whole life. And I'm going to church tonight. 26:40 We're going to load that baby up, drag her hiney out, and we're going to stay up as late as that church goes. We left that church Sunday morning. We went and had lunch there in Panama City. We got back to, we went to her parents' house, and we went to her parents' house, and when we got to the parents' house, we're sitting there, and we're talking and carrying on. It's getting closer and closer, and Kim is like, what do you want to do tonight? Man, everything in me was struggling. Man, I don't want to go. 27:17 I would rather stay here and be with my family and spend time with my kid at that time. That's what I would rather do. But man, you know, the doctrine and my theology and, you know, I'm going to let God down if somehow I believe that it's possible you don't have to be there Sunday night. Time rolled on. Finally, I made the decision. We're not going. And I'm not sure, but if I look back at it, if I could remember back at that time, I probably said a few I'm sorries to God. 27:50 I'm sorry I missed tonight. I'm sorry. There's probably a few of those in me. I don't know. I don't remember. But I do know this. When the next Sunday came around, there was a little bit of that feeling still there. Maybe we should. By the time the third Sunday got around, what do y'all want to do tonight? And somehow God didn't leave me, didn't forsake me. 28:23 Didn't make me feel guilty like somehow I had missed out on something or came up with a new theology. He just helped me understand that, listen, relationship with him is not just about when I'm gathered and how often I'm gathered. It's about what happens before I gather. Make my gatherings count by being with him all throughout the week. Are you hearing me today? So to accept that all of God's goodness, all that is in Christ... 29:00 and all of his promises, to believe that all of that is afar off, I believe, is to misinterpret a very present God who sent a very present son to be joined to a very present bride. I wonder how much I missed, and I won't dive into this a long time, but I wonder how much I missed over time. Because I focused so much on a distant Christ, talked so much about a Christ that was coming, 29:46 that I miss the opportunity with people right in front of me to tell them, He's not just a Christ who is coming, He's a Christ who is present. And He can come to you right now. See, when Christ comes to us right now, Kathy, we don't have to wonder, when's He coming? At what point will the return be? 30:22 When he is present, Kathy, with us right now, we don't have to keep kicking that can down the road and explaining to this generation and the next generation and the next generation, I know we've been saying it for generations, Jesus is coming soon. What happens when we say, guess who's here? 30:48 Guess who's here to do the miraculous in you right now? Not in the sweet, sweet by and by. Guess who's here to wipe away your tears right now? Not in the sweet, sweet by and by. Guess who's here to resurrect you from the spiritual death right now? Not just in the sweet, sweet by and by. There's some old stagnant water that needs to be turned into brand new wine in this place today. So a present Christ is actually present. Man, I have so much more to say. I don't know if I'm going to get it all out today. 31:29 I have to because what I'm getting to, if what I've said so far is a strong point, what I'm about to say is stronger. Everybody say this with me. A present Christ is actually present. That's profound. Say it again. Say a present Christ is actually present. 32:03 So this is going to seem like a left field turn here, but let's just jump in here and let's just go all the way out on the left field here and let me just share a couple of scriptures. Scripture gives us a very definitive answer as to what marriage between a man and a woman is like. 32:16 Scripture tells us clearly what that relationship looks like. So let me read this scripture in two different places. Basically says the same thing. You guys can put it up there if you want to real quick. I put it in there. But in Genesis chapter 2 verse 24 and in Matthew chapter 19 verse 5, Scripture says that the man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Come on now. Yes. Let me let you think about it for a second. Again, this is in your Bible. I didn't write it. 32:53 I copied and pasted it, but I didn't write it. In Genesis 2, 24, Matthew 19, 5, Scripture says that the man... Everybody say the man. Everybody say the groom. Shall leave his father and mother. Say it. Let's say it again. The man shall leave his... And he will... Oh. Come here, baby. Come here, hon. Everybody put your hands together for my bride. I'm in trouble. The man... 33:46 Shall leave his father and his mother and do what? Do you know what that means? Be, you ready? Be present with. She said I'm not in trouble. Say it again. The man shall leave his father. Well, let's just stop on father for a second. Let's just stay there for a second. The man shall leave his, his what? Father. 34:36 Let's just stay there for a second. Which father? Archie's like, I won't be sure. You're on the right track, Archie. Father and his mother and be present, cleave to, hold fast to his wife. Thank you, honey. You're beautiful. Doesn't she look cute? In that same spirit, in that same spirit, Christ left his father and all of heaven and gave himself up to be present with his bride. Amen. 35:41 I'm just trying to get you to see this. I want to go at the speed needed for things to sink in. Christ, his daddy said, it's time. There is a waiting bride. People have been prepared for you, son. And he left heaven and he gave himself up on a cross so that he could be present with his bride. Not a far off, not disconnected bride. 36:33 Not untouchable. He didn't leave his bride to wander like so many do in the natural. Wonder where my husband, who's my husband with now? That's not the Christ. He is cleaving to. He is holding fast to. He is present with his wife, with his bride. 37:00 Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 through 27 says this. In reference to this it says, Husbands, love your wives just in the same way that Christ loved the church and he gave himself up for her. So that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her. 37:21 By the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself, his bride to himself in splendor. 37:35 Without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish he left the heavens to be joined to his wife to be present with his bride so that she could be found in him whole and complete. All of heaven in the groom. A present Christ. 38:12 Is not represented by a bride that is here and a groom that is somewhere else. Say it again, Kaylee. I'm going to say it again. A present Christ is not represented by a bride who is right here and a groom that is somewhere else. The groom is present. He is not far off. Why? Why? 38:48 He is present to do a present work of doing exactly what we just read in Ephesians chapter 5 to sanctify, to cleanse, and to make his bride whole. What marriage have you ever known of that in a separation of that marriage healing came, wholeness existed? 39:14 When the groom remained far away, in fact, marriages fall apart because, in this case, I'm going to use groom, because grooms go and they're always busy and they're always off and they're never present to sanctify, to cleanse and to make whole that bride that was purposed for them. That groom is always busy doing something else, going somewhere else. 39:35 The only time that that bride gets to receive from the gifts and the fullness and the wholeness that are within that groom is if she calls and says, can you please come home? I need you. What kind of Christ would it be that we serve if he were always absent and we just kept reminding ourselves, soon and very soon my groom will be coming back. Wouldn't it be better for the bride to be able to say, my groom is ever present today. 40:05 I am being sanctified and cleansed and made whole through the presence and the oneness and the unity that I have with a groom that is holding fast to me. I hope I'm not confusing you. I taught this over the years and believe it still to this day, but questions many of you are familiar with, but I believe that questions are the beginning of honor. To ask questions is where honor begins. To ask questions is to admit that I'm not all knowing. I don't have all the answers. I 40:44 So the one that we're asking the question of, we're honoring them by saying, I believe you have an answer for this. And I have trust. I trust you. And I honor you and the time that you put in to understand something that I do not currently. Therefore of Yahweh God, therefore of our Father, I have asked questions. As I've said before, I ask them every day. I don't know a day that goes by that I'm not asking the Father and writing notes about 41:20 asking the Father, what about this? And I may not hear an answer for years, or I may hear an answer in two minutes, but help me understand this. What is this? What do you mean by this? And I am one who has always been this way, and it is my nature. It's how He created me. 41:51 I am one who asks questions of the Father all the time rather than allow any theology and any doctrine decide for me what I believe. I have never allowed a single church to decide for me what I believe and what they teach. 42:12 I don't even want you to decide today to believe what I'm teaching simply because you're a part of this house. I want you by spirit, by revelation, I want you to interpret what the Father releases to you out of the word that I'm releasing this morning. After last week's message, my wife asked me a question that I have since asked Holy Spirit over and over again, a question that I had never actually considered before. Not sure why I didn't considering everything else that I believe about what I've taught this morning. 42:46 And the question is this that she asked me. She said, babe, is it possible? She calls me babe. I won't tell you what I call her. No, I'm just kidding. She said, is it possible that the mature and unified body of Christ, the church, is the physical manifestation of His second coming? Is it possible that the mature... Remember... 43:30 A man and woman shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. Jesus left his father to be joined to his bride. He sent him to redeem his bride, be joined to her, cleaved to her. What is true of us, he also accounted to his own son. There was a mandated leaving so that the proper joining could take place. Remember when the father turned his face when Christ died on the cross. It's because this is a process. You were leaving me and you were being joined to them and this has to happen in this way. 44:04 So she said again, she said, is it possible that the mature and unified body of Christ, the church, is the physical manifestation of His second coming? And I'm going to answer you what I said to her. I don't know. But I also know this. Within me, it was as though my spirit let at the possibility that this was a moment of truth. So you know what I did? I did what I do. And I said, Holy Spirit, you used my bride. 44:47 To make me consider what I never have. So either make it clear for me. Do whatever you need to do. But I want to be definitive in my response. Because what I do know is I am not going to miss anything that is present within the present Christ. So I looked. I opened up my Bible. And I went to 1 Corinthians 12, verse 27. And it says this. It says, now you. Everybody say, look at your neighbor and say, you are the body of Christ. And individually members of it. 45:30 Okay, let's start. This is just start. This isn't my, these are not my words. You are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And then Ephesians chapter 1 verses 22 and 23 says, And he, Jesus Christ, put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his, which is his, wait, listen to the second part, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 46:04 You separate Christ from the body and you do not have fullness. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 23, For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, which is his and is himself. It's nothing about these scriptures, nothing about them says that the body is part of 46:42 of a Christ who is a far off. Nothing. To deny this is to make up our own story. That's easier, more comfortable. See, he fills all in all. He is the body's savior. And to be these, both of these require a present Christ, not a far off Christ. Amen. 47:28 So all throughout Scripture, 1st Testament, 2nd Testament, Old, New Testament, whatever you're comfortable with this morning. I want you to be comfortable with your declaration. I'm comfortable with mine. So in the 1st Testament, 2nd Testament, symbolism, parables are used to explain, to show, to give pictures of certain things so that we can see them, which is good. They're often used for that reason. But when we read stories that are parables... 48:01 Or we read stories in scripture that represent some sort of symbolism. If those stories are not viewed as that, it often results in people having faith in the symbolism or faith in the parable more than the truth that they are pointing to. I consider the many ways, the different ways that specifically Jesus himself used parables. He loved parables. He was a master of it. 48:37 He's a master of everything. He's a master husband that wants a present bride just as much as this bride needs to have a present Christ. But I reference symbolism and I reference parables because it's important that you know that there are things in Scripture that are not... What's the word I'm looking for? They are not literal. Thank you, Tim. They are not literal. It's simply pointing you to an understanding about a particular concept, idea, or thing. 49:19 And as I ask Holy Spirit about what my wife mentioned last week, and I think out loud. When I teach, I think out loud. So when you hear me teaching, it's a lot of thinking out loud. But by the time I teach it, I'm pretty well settled in it. I'm going to share a scripture that the body of Christ likes to use all the time that I believe there's more symbolism in. It's pointing to something, but not necessarily the way that we have fixed our eyes on it. You ready? Ready? 50:00 And we're going to wrap it up with this. I'm going to leave you hanging on something that you have to chew on. You need to chew it or spit it out. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning with verse 16, says this. And then let's talk about what it means. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with a voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive 50:45 who are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be, and so we will always be with the Lord. That's how it's read. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. Now, if I look at that and I read this literal, I'm going to say, I'm just going to do the best I can to get by because they've been talking about this event for eons and eons. 51:31 I'm just going to do the best I can. Jesus, come take us home. And that's going to be my prayer. But I want to point something out to you in Greek. Because this is Greek. New Testament is written in Greek. Let me show you something. The word clouds and air here. Let me read back. Let me go back. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Everybody say clouds and air. Those words come from the Greek word air. Air. I'm not sure how. Eeyore. I don't know how you say it. You know what that word means? Atmosphere. Atmosphere. 52:12 Now, when I say atmosphere, you might be thinking, well, is that any different than air or clouds? Oh, yeah. There are many atmospheres. When I walked in the doors this morning, there was an atmosphere of praise in this place. Not in the afar off, right here in front of me. When I walk out of this building today and I go home, there's going to be an atmosphere of appreciation with my wife and my family. Many atmospheres. 52:53 So I challenge you with this, that the point that Paul is making isn't of a place somewhere else physically, but instead a place that is in Christ that is distinct and separate from the hopelessness of the present without him. 53:05 Who was it Paul was talking to at this point in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4? He was talking to the Thessalonian church, a young church. They're not very old. And they're worried. They're concerned. They're feeling hopeless because people had died. They had family members that had died and they're no longer with them and they were worried about it. Paul, what happens to these that have gone on before us? Will they ever be able to know Christ? So what does Paul do? Paul says, I want to give you a message of hope. I want you to know that there is an atmosphere. 53:34 In Christ, where the dead aren't dead, but they're alive. We're seeing, isn't just seeing what's right in front of your face, but it is seeing that all of heaven is right there in front of you and with you. Paul is saying, I want to give you hope today. 53:59 Not that you have to wait for this sweet, sweet, distant by and by, but that right now there is a very real Christ. And if you can receive that, I want you to know there is a meeting in your atmosphere right now. He is present in your atmosphere right now. Right now. I'm convinced of this. There are people suffering today. Tell me your name. 54:48 What is it? Luna. Luna. How do you spell it? L-U-A. I've watched you as I've been preaching and I've watched your response and your reactions. And I want you to know that I'm joining my faith to yours. And as the Father releases this to us in its fullness, that we are going to be celebrating together. Together with this house. Thank you. Bless you. There are people... 55:28 suffering right now the same spirit that the Thessalonians had when Paul was trying to encourage them he wasn't trying to encourage them by saying what encouragement is it by the way to say to somebody not today but sometime soon I can tell you what Paul didn't write the old song there is going to be a meeting in the air in the sweet sweet whatever he didn't write that song 56:01 Because Paul said, I'm not talking about the air like you think of the air. The ways of God are higher than ours, deeper than ours, broader than ours, wider than ours. 56:13 more deep than ours. And the only way to access the meaning that he has for all of these things is by allowing the present Christ to be able to release all of heaven to us through Holy Spirit so that we can see what he wants to show us. And I'll say this, as I was going to say a moment ago, but there are people suffering right now, hopeless. 56:35 believing their answer's never going to come, and they're putting all their confidence, but one day Jesus is going to come back, and when he does, all of these things will be fixed. And he's saying, the whole time he's saying, if you think I haven't come already to you, where's your faith? People under the sound of my voice watching online today, listening to the podcast, whatever they might be doing, are wondering, when's he going to come to me? When's this going to happen? When's that going to happen? And all the while, the Father's saying, I'm standing right in front of you, and all of heaven is available to you. 57:11 Can you receive that? So stand with me if you would, please. All of heaven is before you, including the Christ. Miss it. Don't get caught and entangled in theologies and doctrines of man that separate you from the truth of a very present Christ. Three inarguable things, Kaylee. God is the Father and Creator of all things. 58:03 Jesus Christ is his son sent to redeem us back to the Father. And Holy Spirit is that part of the Father that was sent to lead and to guide us into all truths of heaven. Those are three inarguable truths. Everything else the Father uses to point back to that. He has never used his son to point back to a theology. He uses his truths to point back to his son. Amen. 58:38 And His Son isn't distant. His Son is present. Do you hear me today? So here's my hope. Here's my hope today. My prayer today. That you can receive in your spirit the words that Holy Spirit put in me to release to you today. I'm not asking you to agree. I'm not asking you to, with me, I'm not asking you to trust me blindly. 59:17 I'm asking you to allow the words that Holy Spirit released today to incubate in your spirit and let him reveal to you truths that are beyond whatever theologies and doctrines that you have hooked your wagon to that have left you hopeless, left you wanting, left you dreaming about something that has still not come. Do you hear me today? Give Holy Spirit an opportunity to incubate in you. 59:49 Revelation truth out of what he released to us today. Father, I lift my voice over the men Transcript generated automatically from the audio, so a few words may be off.
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