The Hour Has Come!
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Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Introductory Thoughts
It is important that we are aware of the passing of the times and seasons of life.
It is one thing to say, “time will come”, or the day will come”.
Time is more valuable than gold - time is life; time is opportunity
It is another thing to “this is the day!” “This is the time!”
Man does not know how to use his God-given, God-allotted, time on earth
We squander our time (squander = waste in a reckless or foolish way)
It is equally important that we are aware of the single purpose of our life on earth.
Jesus recognized His purpose, and His hour
How can we recognize “the hour” of our life?
Man only realizes his loss when there is no more time.
Main Points
It is a sad fact that many Christians today are living their time like the unbelieving - spending time in as many activities as they can as if there is no other life except this life.
Jesus used His time wisely
the goal of the natural is what they call the “fulfilled life” - happy, no regrets, enjoyed everything life has to offer, balanced life,
Jesus taught His disciples to be watchful of the coming ‘hours’
The true reason for living is not to enjoy one’s existence.
The real reason for living is to find purpose of God, prepare for that purpose, and fulfill the purpose.
Jesus used His time preparing for “the hour” for which He came
We are alive in such a time as this, for a purpose - God’s purpose.
Important Lessons from Jesus with Regards to life and its purpose
Important Lessons from Jesus with Regards to life and its purpose
Jesus knew the purpose of His life on earth.
Jesus knew the purpose of His life on earth.
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
He embraced the purpose
He embraced the purpose
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6.38
LIFE HAS ONE SINGLE PURPOSE THAT WE MUST FULFILL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
Jesus knew the hour of its fulfillment.
Jesus knew the hour of its fulfillment.
He did not rush Himself
He did not rush Himself
Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
“For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.
“The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
“Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.”
Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
“For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.
LIFE IS NOT TO BE SPENT PURSUING OUR PERSONAL GOALS.
“Your time is always opportune/ready.”
for the natural man, anytime is the right time to fulfill one’s goal or desire
for the Son of God there is a right time for God’s purpose to be fulfilled.
He "focused” for the hour of its fulfillment
He "focused” for the hour of its fulfillment
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
“Get behind be Satan…you are a stumbling block to me...”
Peter’s good intention cannot replace God’s purpose.
Matthew 16.21
As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
Matthew 20.17-19
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.
“For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon,
and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.”
The disciples did not understand these things...
FOCUSED LIFE VS. BALANCED LIFE
Luke 18.31-33
But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
Balanced life - when you want to give equal attention, and place equal value on “important” things in life
Example 1 - family, work, ministry, friends, hobbies
Example 2 - "mind, body, spirit” (holistic well-being)
Focused life - when you give the highest priority to one single purpose/objective/goal, and aligns all the other important things in life in order to achieve that purpose.
Examples in plants
fruit-bearing trees focus all their resources on producing tasty fruits
flowering plants focus all their resources on producing beautiful flowers
JESUS DID NOT “BALANCE” HIS LIFE - between ministry and family
JESUS FOCUSED HIS LIFE ON THE HOUR OF HIS DEATH - He prepared His disciples, His loves ones, Himself! He aligned His activities to lead towards that “hour”.
He embraced “the hour”
He embraced “the hour”
Jesus Embraced the Hour of fulfillment.
And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.
And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 22.14
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
Putting the Lessons in the Present Context
Putting the Lessons in the Present Context
We live in such a time as this for a special, and unique purpose of God!
We live in such a time as this for a special, and unique purpose of God!
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Matthew 13.
God is going to show us His greatest act in the Church - His final act - the translation of the saints into glory. The Rapture!
The disciples were hearing the parables - but we are seeing the fulfillment of the parables!
We are seeing the fulfillment of the parables!
The disciples will see the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - but are going to experience the translation!
THE SINGLE, MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE OF OUR LIFE IN THIS END-TIME IS TO “BE THERE” WHEN THE TRANSLATION TAKES PLACE!
The single, most important purpose of our life today is to be there when the translation takes place!
We should focus our lives - our time, resources, priorities - on the hour of its fulfillment!
We should focus our lives - our time, resources, priorities - on the hour of its fulfillment!
Jesus Prepared all His life for that Purpose.
Jesus Prepared all His life for that Purpose.
Jesus Embraced the Hour of fulfillment.
Jesus Embraced the Hour of fulfillment.
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5.1
First - Understand the will of God
Second - walk wisely, by using your time towards the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
LIVE A FOCUSED LIFE!
WHEN YOU ARE FOCUSED, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR TIME-WASTING ACTIVITIES.
Third -
WHEN YOU ARE FOCUSED - EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE GOAL!
I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.
Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2.1-
Our duty is to wait for God’s instruction
Record - God wants His words recorded
Read - God wants His words read
Run - God wants the reader to run
Run means to hasten based on what was read in the word of God
Run because the vision will be fulfilled in its appointed time
THE FOCUSED LIFE LIVES ITS TIME PREPARING FOR THE “HOUR” THAT IS COMING.
What Happens when “the Hour has Come”?
What Happens when “the Hour has Come”?
It is the hour unique and exclusive to God’s children
It is the hour unique and exclusive to God’s children
And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
John 12.23
THE HOUR THAT WE ARE WAITING FOR IS THE HOUR OF OUR GLORIFICATION!
Note:
the first 4 thousand years of human history climaxed in the manifestation and glorification of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
the next 2 thousand years is closing in and will climax in the manifestation and glorification of the people of God in Christ!
the last thousand years will be the glorious reign of the Kingdom of God!
It is the hour that will require the utmost dedication from God’s children
It is the hour that will require the utmost dedication from God’s children
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
It demands that we “die” so that we will bear much fruit!
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
This is not death to sin - but death to our own needs, ambitions, desires.
It demands that we hate our life in this world!
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
Hate life in this world - it means to "give up” your place in this world
It demands that we serve in full obedience to Christ!
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Some serve - but not follow. They serve in ways that is convenient for them
To truly serve is to follow the Master
To truly serve is to abide where the Master is
That hour will be vindicated by the living Voice of God from heaven
That hour will be vindicated by the living Voice of God from heaven
“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
John 12.27-2
Jesus looks forward to His “glorification”
God spoke to confirm the glory!
The crowd said that it “thundered”, but Jesus heard the voice!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Prepare for the Great Hour!
417 And I don’t know. I don’t know, sirs. I’m only honest, with you, as my brothers. I don’t know. Is it—is it time? Is the minis-…the mystery all finished? Has the sounding all over? Is that really them Seven Thunders, fixing to utter out something, that the little group that is gathered together will receive a Rapturing Faith, to go in the Rapture when He comes? “For we’ll be changed,” as quick as those Angels come, “in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye; and shall be caught up together with those that had sleep, to meet the Lord in the air.”
My prayer is:
418 God, if this be so, I don’t know, Lord. I just was telling the church. If it is so, Lord, prepare our hearts. Make us ready, Lord, for that great hour. That, all the history of time, all the prophets and sages has looked for that time. Lord, I don’t know what to say. I’d be afraid to say, “Don’t come, Lord.” I feel ashamed of myself, when I look and see the world in the condition, I’ve done no more than what I’ve done about it. I’m ashamed of myself. If there is a tomorrow, Lord, anoint my heart. Anoint me greater, Father, that I can do everything that I can, to bring others to You. I am Yours.
- 62-1230E - Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?
Rev. William Marrion Branham
The “time” that we’re living in is not just the “end-time”
This is the hour! This is the time!
http://table.branham.org