You could know the exact day, the hour, and the place of His appearing and you could even recognize Him. But the issue is: Will you receive Him? It is impossible for you to receive Him unless you have broken away from your dependency, your confidence, and your sense of security in the things of this age. The Lord's return is as certain as the dawn. Instead of searching for the day, the hour, and the place, humble and prepare your heart to receive Him.
Although the Apostle Paul had experiences in which he saw the Lord and heard His voice, he lived with a drive to know the Lord. We must not be lulled into settling for experiences with the Lord yet never come into a full knowledge of Him. In this age when people are looking for signs and wonders, God is looking for people who know Him.
The Appearance Of His Appearings
We are in the time of the Lord's appearings, but He often appears in ways that not everyone can recognize. Will you perceive His appearings as judgment or as blessing and fulfillment? The difference in how you perceive His appearings will depend upon what is in your heart toward the Lord.
CD includes both of the above messages by Gary Hargrave (2009-0821-8R)
In this Word, Gary transports us back to what it was like to live in the days of the early Church. For those early disciples, everything they had from the Lord was by virtue of experiences. After the Lord's death and resurrection, the disciples lived with His appearings, expecting His immediate return. This earnest expectation for His return dissipates because those who were added to the early Church did not expect or experience the Lord's continued appearings. For us, the renewing of our minds must include an earnest expectation of His return.
Living Word Publications is a ministry of The Living Word, the publishing house of The Living Word Fellowship. The Living Word was established in 1968 out of a vision to capture, preserve, and publish the teachings of John Robert Stevens. Many of Stevens' sermons have been edited and published in books, manuals, and a weekly periodical titled "This Week."
The Living Word continues in its ministry today—carefully recording, editing, and publishing teachings of Stevens' successor, Gary Hargrave, and others who teach and minister the Word.
