And The Dead In Christ Shall Rise First

There are many people today of God that are watching and waiting for his return.
Many dreams and visions are coming to Gods servants to awake the sleeping to shake out of slumber those that have been called to be watching for his return.  

Mat 25:4 ASV - but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 ASV - Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 ASV - But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him.
Mat 25:7 ASV - Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 ASV - And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out.
Mat 25:9 ASV - But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 ASV - And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 ASV - Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 ASV - But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13 ASV - Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

OIL       Greek: elaion
Oil:         for lamps, in which the "oil" is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, Mat 25:3, 4, 8;

Mat 25:34 ASV - Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 ASV - for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
Mat 25:36 ASV - naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 ASV - Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 ASV - And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 ASV - And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 ASV - And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.

Mat 24:5 ASV - For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.
Mat 24:6 ASV - And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 ASV - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.
Mat 24:8 ASV - But all these things are the beginning of travail.
Mat 24:9 ASV - Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake.
Mat 24:10 ASV - And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 ASV - And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
Mat 24:12 ASV - And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 ASV - But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 ASV - And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.

There is a time of great trials and tribulation coming upon the earth, now is the time to seek the Lord. For when that day comes your faith will be what saves you your feeding on Gods word and sacrifice of you life to his word will save you in that day.   Matt 24 is for the belivers not the lost Jesus was speaking this to you and to me and all that would hear.  The day of wrath comes after these days of trials and tribulation.   The children came out of Egypt only to go into the wilderness and in the wilderness is where God chose to perfect their faith and belief  in him.  And the coming trials are going to perfect those that repent and trust the Lord to bring them out and save them.


Here is where the many called out ones will prove their calling and stand upon Gods promises.

1Pe 4:16 ASV - but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.
1Pe 4:17 ASV - For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 ASV - And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19 ASV - Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.



2Cr 4:1 ASV - Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not:
2Cr 4:16 ASV - Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
Gal 6:9 ASV - And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Hbr 12:5 ASV - and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him;

 
FAINT    Greek: ekluo

Faint:
denotes

(a) "to loose, release" (ek, "out," luo, "to loose");

(b) "to unloose," as a bow-string, "to relax," and so, "to enfeeble," and is used in the Passive Voice with the significance "to be faint, grow weary,"


(1) of the body, Mat 15:32; (some mss. have it in Mat 9:36); Mar 8:3;

(2) of the soul, Gal 6:9 (last clause), in discharging responsibilities in obedience to the Lord; in Hbr 12:3, of becoming weary in the strife against sin; in Hbr 12:5, under the chastening hand of God. It expresses the opposite of anazonnumi, "to gird up," 1Pe 1:13.  To have one's strength relaxed, to be enfeebled through exhaustion, to grow weak, grow weary, be tired out to despond, become faint hearted.


1Th 1:5 ASV - how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.


Stephen was not thinking of how to save himself, he was thinking of how to express the word of God to his brothers.  He was looking at the souls of his people and declaring Jesus once again to them.     And in the end he forgave them that was stoning him , and they loved not their lives even unto death,  no greater love.   Rev 12:11 ASV - And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.      Living for Christ will cost you, as you read in the gospels ,Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.

Act 7:54 ASV - Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Greek: brucho      Gnash, Gnashing:
primarily, "to bit or eat greedily" (akin to bruko, "to chew"), denotes "to grind or gnash with the teeth," Act 7:54.

These people did the same to Jesus, you must read all of Acts 7 to see how Stephen related their history to them from  Abraham  to Jesus and the truth incited rage and hate in them, they knew the Law!  Just do not expect us to live it!! Jesus said you build beautiful grave sites for the prophets , that you and your fathers killed.  Repentance is a hard word to those that need it the most, when Jesus said to eat his flesh they knew what he was saying and they said it was to hard to be holy or righteous leave us to our flesh pots.  When Jesus said he was the bread of life unless they eat my flesh which is his word the gospel of God,  or drink my blood which is his very nature , Jesus said I came in my fathers NAME so he was saying his nature was the nature of his father.  He was showing the people who was the Father. He said you see me you see the father I and the father are one. We were all made in the Image of God, and the Image of God is not the image of the flesh,   the Image is the very nature, character and authority of who God is.  The word says that God is a SPIRIT he has no body like ours, God can manifest himself in any way he chooses.  For God was in Christ !! see the mercy see the love of your father and he healed them all that came to him.

Eze 43:10 ASV - Thou, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.   Jesus was the pattern that we follow , he came to show the way unto the father he said the works that I do they are of the father he doth the works, for God was in Christ reconciling the WORLD unto himself.   Now the house that the word above is speaking of is you soul you very life and how God demands you to live.
No ye not your body is the TEMPLE of the Holy Ghost .   Paul called his flesh a tent , a temporary thing .  Rom 11:25 ASV - For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;
Rom 11:26 ASV - and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

One covenant for all.

Rom 9:6 ASV - But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel:
Rom 9:7 ASV - neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.    Isaac the promise of salvation
Rom 9:8 ASV - That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.
You are Gods house individually and corporately , the body of Christ      Jhn 14:6 ASV - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life:    No One cometh unto the Father, but by me.    Jesus was manifesting the father to us all ,  his love his mercy his grace.
Jhn 14:7 ASV - If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

2Ti 4:3 ASV - For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
Tts 2:1 ASV - But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine:


Mat 10:19 ASV - But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 24:44 ASV - Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Mar 13:11 ASV - And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Luk 12:39 ASV - But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be broken through.

Act 7:55 ASV - But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Act 7:56 ASV - and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
Act 7:59 ASV - And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Act 7:60 ASV - And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Jhn 12:35 ASV - Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Jhn 12:46 ASV - I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness.
Act 26:18 ASV - to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.



Jhn 5:25 ASV - Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.
 1Th 4:16 ASV - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;
1Th 4:17 ASV - then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 ASV - Wherefore comfort one another with these words.