But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:13-19).
First of all, Christ Foster did a fantastic teaching last week on The Laying on of Hands. One thing about studying the foundational principles is that you get to learn things that you won’t learn anywhere else. If you listen to what is being taught, it is practical. You can do this! Even more valuable (in my opinion) is the opportunity to apply what you learn when we gather together for prayer on Tuesday nights. I know…it’s late. Soon, we will have prayer sessions at a more manageable time. However, I want you to understand that the sacrifice is worth it all. In fact, nothing of value comes without sacrifice, and prayer is one of those things. All that to say…come to prayer as often as you are able. The times demand it.
Speaking of the times, I feel the need to go in a diferent direction tonight. We are now on the Resurrection of the Dead portion of the foundational teachings, and we will dive into that topic, tonight. (For good reason, Niral II is burning to share what he understands about this). However, I want to get a bit more in the here, and now. I don’t know if you can feel it, or see it, but there are some things going on in the world that we need to talk about, and pray about. I am concerned that if we are not careful, we will keep doing church, and become victims of whatever the world brings across our path. Here are some examples:
- COVID Delta Variant
- Major crisis in South Africa
- Haiti, Burundi, Tanzania presidents — all dead.
- Door-to-Dood vaccine checks
- FDA announces new vaccine risks
- Communism in Cuba is being revolted against
- Women’s Health Protection Act (allowing abortions up to birth)
- SF Gay Choir: We’re coming for your children
- Canadian churches under persecution
- Transgenderism in the military, while China and Russia rise in power
- 2020 Election audits are showing MAJOR issues, and media is ignoring it
Most of the time, the media reports on these things as though they are a bunch of random, disconnected coincidences. Then, anytime someone tries to discover a connection between them, they are labeled a “conspiracy theorist.” In an effort to discredit the exposure of an evil agenda, this culture will label you in their own terms in order to define you, and discredit (and even persecute) you. It is more convenient to them, for believers to get lost in the world of social media, entertainment, busyness, and self-centeredness. They don’t want you to see plainly, the evil that is actually happening in the world.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.Now as Jannes and Jambres [Exodus 7: 11, 22, and 8:7,18] withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was (2 Timothy 3:1-9).
Even with their folly manifest to everyone, people will still not believe the truth — even those who go to church. The answer to this issue is the ministry of Spirit-led intercession. In the midst of the turmoil in the world.
Read: Ezekiel 22:23-31
Read: Isaiah 59
Questions:
- This Jesus who dies on the cross over 200 years ago: Is He alive?
- What does this reality mean to our present day Christianity?
- Will there be apostasy, or revival in these days?
- How does intercession fit into this equation?