This message was presented by Michael Wilkerson on 5-25-25
The title for our teaching today is: Come, Lord Jesus
The fact that Jesus is returning is the best news ever for those who are going to be ready for His return and the worst news for those who are not going to be ready for His coming.
Those who demand the comforts of heaven now and sell their soul for it may enjoy it for a little while as Satan accommodates them. But to trade eternal life for temporary pleasures tops the chart of insanity.
Slowly but surely, good things come to those who wait. Psalm 24:14 says, “14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
The only thing that is going to matter when Jesus comes is whether or not we did the will of the Father. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
1 John 2:6 says: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
And Jesus was only concerned about doing His Father’s will.
Jesus said in John 8:29: “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
That means Jesus always did the will of the Father. And Jesus said: “Follow Me.”
That means Jesus requires us always to do the will of the Father, just like He did.
And before you say, “That is impossible,” we accomplish this the same way Jesus did, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
When Peter, John, and James were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, Luke 9:34, 35 says: “A cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
God would not instruct us to listen to or follow Jesus without providing the means to do so. When God speaks a command to us, within the very words He speaks is the power to fulfill His command. Thus, He gives us the power to fulfill His command at the same time He makes the decree.
For example, when Jesus told His disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side, the Word He spoke came with the ability to perform that instruction. In other words, no matter what happens along the way, be it storm, hell, or high water, any time God commands you to do something, -
He will give you the power to do it, because the power to fulfill His command is resident in the words God spoke in the command. That means when we are under the command of God, we are unstoppable in fulfilling His command.
Nevertheless, Satan is not going to sit idly by and watch us build the Kingdom of God without a fight. He is going to resist you with all his might by sending his evil angels to frustrate and hinder God’s plans for your life.
Ephesians 6:12, 13 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
1 Peter 5:9, 10 says, “Resist the devil, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.”
Thus, we are commanded to fight. We fight on the offensive, beating back the forces of darkness to rescue the perishing. And scripture says, “Our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Jesus has already trampled down the enemy. So don’t let the devil make you think that he will ever win. Jesus said, “All power in heaven and earth has been given unto me; therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.” Also in Luke 10:19, Jesus said, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
That is why the Bible says your adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Jesus has rendered the devil toothless, declawed, and emaciated. Still, the devil preys on those who are ignorant of the Word of God, the Holy Book that tells you that the victory is already yours. Thus, we fight from victory, not for victory.
Satan always mimics God. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Thus, Satan roars like a lion to intimidate. A lion roars to communicate and to create fear to ward off predators from intruding into its territory. Fear weakens and paralyzes those who succumb to it, but if you stay in faith, you will remain in victory.
When Satan roars, Proverbs 3:25 says, “Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being taken.”
Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and he said follow Me. That is why we roar in the spirit and wield our swords. And the sword we wield is the Word of God we speak anytime we say, “It is written…” as our Lord taught us how to fight the devil when He was fasting in the wilderness.
And when the evil angels realize that we are a people bold with strong confidence because we know our God by knowing and obeying His Word and are skilled in using our spiritual swords, the evil angels are intimidated when they hear us roar.
The reason demons enter your territory is that you don’t roar, or because your roar sounds weak to them. This is why Prophet Ed says, “A closed mouth is a closed destiny.”
The way you keep demons out of your territory is by roaring. Psalms 47:1 says, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” A voice of triumph means you have victory, and victory means you control territory.
If you fail to roar, a demon will enter your territory and take over what belongs to you, because he will think you are either dead or too weak to claim it. 1 Timothy 5:6 says: “She who lives for pleasure is spiritually dead while she lives.”
But when predators hear your roar, that tells them to stay out and away from your territory: Your health, your finances, your marriage, your children, your career, and all the possessions God has given you stewardship over.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
Thus, we roar that scripture in the face of every devil: “It is written, ‘Blessed be God who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus.’” That means I always win, and you devils always lose. So, you might as well give up now, devil!
And as long as we keep roaring and keep swinging, the devil will eventually flee, the Bible says. Thus, we continue. It is written: “Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” “That means you are a quitter, devil.” “That means you will quit before I will you snake.”
“You are characterized in the Bible as a snake. And snakes are cold-blooded creatures, which means they tire out easily. That means you have no endurance.”
“But as for me, I have a never-ending supply. It is written: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’ therefore, I will outlast you. It is written: ‘Greater is He that is in Me than he that is in the world.’”
And when your enemy sees that you are confident and steadfast, standing on the Word of God, he will eventually flee. However, your enemy will put up a fight to test your confidence and your endurance to wear you down into quitting. Because he knows that Satan will punish him if he fails to complete his mission.
A spirit is called familiar when it becomes familiar with you. The demon Satan assigns to you will watch every move you make and listen to every word you say. And if that evil angel sees a sign of weakness in your faith or armor, he will not give up the fight. That means you will have to correct or corroborate whatever is lacking on your part or get help with reinforcements.
We are at war with the forces of darkness. And as a believer in Christ, you don’t get to set out the war or you will be destroyed. The devil will attack your finances, your health, your marriage, your children, your career, and everything else that God will allow him to touch. Does God allow this? Read the book of Job, for example. Satan asked permission to afflict Job, and God granted it to him!
Then, Satan killed all 10 of his children and confiscated all of his wealth and his health. He only left his wife alive so he could use her to try to talk him into cursing God and killing himself.
But what the devil means for evil, God uses for our good, much like Joseph said to his brothers. That is why the holy apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 4:12, 13, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
This is why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.”
This is why Acts 14:21 says, “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
Did you hear that? “We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.” This is the cross we are called to carry, saints. So, embrace the cross. Let us be courageous and follow Christ and the faithful who have gone before us.
Paul said in Hebrews 6:12, “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
And Jesus is our ultimate example to follow.
First Peter 2:21 says: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” And you better know that God expects us to follow in His steps!
Now, how could we follow His example if Jesus accomplished all that He ever did in his own strength?
It would be impossible for us to follow the example of our Lord and the way He lived without help.
Thus, Jesus clearly told us that He did nothing without help.
Jesus said in John 14:10: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”
In other words, Jesus is saying, “My Father is the one who enables me to keep the commandments, live a disciplined life, fast and pray, heal the sick, cast out devils, and preach with power.
And Jesus said in John 14:12: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
And how are we who believe in Jesus able to do the works He did and even greater works?
Because of what Jesus continued saying in verses 13 and 14: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
And now here is the key to all the power you will ever need to live just like Jesus did and fulfill the will of your heavenly Father.
Are you ready for it? Do you want the key to unlock the power you will ever need? Here it is:
Jesus goes on to say in John 14:15-17, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
This is how we follow the example of Jesus. It is the same way all believers have been able to live righteously since the beginning of time, as it says in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
How can I say that this is how it’s always been since the beginning of time?
Jesus said in John 6:63, 64, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.”
In Genesis 4:7, God spoke the following to Cain, the son of Adam, before he killed his brother Abel after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
That was Jesus talking to Cain. Remember, Jesus said in John 8:58, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!”
And when Jesus spoke to Cain, there was Spirit and Life in the Words Jesus spoke to him when He said, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
In that one word of God Jesus spoke to Cain was enough to show Cain his potential, it was enough to enable him to believe that he could reach his potential, it was enough to convict him to pursue his potential, and it was enough to develop in him a passion so great that it would overcome every desire he would ever have to quit until he fulfilled his God given potential. Because the Word Jesus spoke embodied the Spirit of truth, which possesses unlimited power.
Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” That means every word God says carries within it the power to accomplish what He says.
This also means the Word of God carries within it the power to fulfill whatever the Word of God commands you to do. For example: If Jesus tells you, “Go and sin no more,” within those 5 words He spoke is the power for you to go and sin no more, not by your strength but His.
But Cain, he did not believe.
Again, Jesus said in John 6:63, 64, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.”
Psalm 119:50 says, “Thy word hath quickened me.”
That is why Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The reason is, when you store the Word in your heart, you are storing the power to perform that Word in your heart. That is why Jesus said, “It’s the Father in Me doing His Work.”
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Because when you store evil in your heart, you also store the power to perform that evil in your heart. That’s when Satan becomes your father. And it’s the spirit of your father in you doing his work.
Saints of God, the whole reason for your allotted time on earth is to find out what you cherish or regard in your heart, as it all comes down to who you worship.
As it says in Deuteronomy 8:2, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”
Lot’s wife looked back, for she longed for and cherished in her heart the temporary things of this world, not the eternal things of God. Thus, she became a pillar of salt. Whereas scripture says of her husband, Lot was a righteous man who was vexed daily by the filthy conduct of the wicked.
How about you, are you looking back at anything? What do you cherish or regard in your heart? Do you love the temporary things of this world, or do you find yourself spending more time thinking about, spending more time with, and pursuing the eternal things of God?
Do you spend more time doing your own will and pleasing yourself, or is your heart set on doing God’s will and pleasing your heavenly Father? This is the eternal question of the hour. Because all God is doing throughout every day of your life is testing you to find out if you love Him more than anything else. We are all taking a lifelong test.
Therefore, Psalm 26:1-12 says, “Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. 2 Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; 3 For I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.
4 I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. 5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. 6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, 7 proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. 8 Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty, 10 in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. 11 I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me. 12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.”
Jesus said in Matthew 13:44-51, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” End of quote
Thus, the essence of life is what or who it is you worship. Do you idolize the things of this world, which are only temporary and can only give you a quick fix or do you idolize Yahweh, the eternal King of glory?
Since the beginning, it has always been about faith. Scripture says: Without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Hebrews 11:24,25 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
So, you need to ask yourself: Am I like Moses? Am I living with eternity in view, or am I living for the moment? Will you sell your soul for fleeting pleasures, or love God more than you love to please yourself?
The scripture says: “Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is one.” That means there is no other God but Yahweh, which means we are not God. Thus, we must avoid obeying the evil desires of our flesh and obey God only.
The Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season. That may be what your flesh desires, but what your soul needs is pleasure that lasts forever. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Maybe you were raised to believe that once saved, always saved. So, you make excuses for your sin. Thus, saying, “It’s okay, God will forgive me. Nobody can live right all the time as long as we are in the flesh.
But is that the truth of scripture? Or is that heresy from the father of lies to deceive you? Satan is the master of deception, for he convinced one-third of the holy angels to follow him.
Romans 8:13 says, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
Romans 8:14 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” End of quote.
If anyone had the right to be eternally secure, it was the holy angels. Nevertheless, one-third were thrown down with Lucifer. Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning.” Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
2nd Peter 2:4 through 3:18 says, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime.
Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin (implying you can cease from sin with the help of the Holy Spirit, but let’s continue); beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty,
they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
5 But they deliberately forget that long ago, by God’s word, the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
The passages I just read, saints of the most high God, obliterate the doctrine of eternal security. And there are a ton of other scriptures that put the nail in the coffin on that damnable heresy.
And this is why I love to provide a lot of scripture in my teaching. Because His Word brings light, and with light comes life. Psalm 119:130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light.”
What is light? I mentioned that light brings life with it. Where is that in the Bible?
In John 1, it says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” Again, Jesus said, “The words I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.”
We are talking about the Word of God that became flesh. And Jesus said, when we eat his flesh or feast on His Word, we have life. God’s Word brings light. And to have light, you must have power. Therefore, the light of God’s Word is coupled with power to perform the Word God commands.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” And indeed, the Word of God is our daily bread to live by, by which we will never hunger.
As we must eat physical food for our bodies to live, we must eat spiritual food for our spirits to yield the fruit of the spirit. Otherwise, scripture says those who bear no fruit are cut off, bundled with the other castaways, and burned in the fire.
Finally, brethren, let’s talk about another fire. The Bible says that in the end, when Jesus comes, all of our works will pass through the fire. Nothing will pass through or survive that fire but the things we achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit that pertain to the will of the Father.
Everything we did in life according to our own will will be burned up. And everything we did according to the will of the Father will survive the fire. We will receive eternal rewards only for the things that pass the fire test. Thus, the saying: One life will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.
Therefore, I leave you with this question: Why waste precious time and resources on vain things that will only be burned up? For example: Why waste your time reading fiction novels or sharpening your skills for playing games of chess, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, archery, -
shooting guns, hunting, fishing, video games, etc., when you could be sharpening your spiritual sword and learning better how to wield it against the enemy of your eternal souls, who uses all those vain things to distract you from what is important?
Not to say that any of those activities are sinful when done in moderation. Otherwise, it becomes idolatry. God designed us to need and desire Him above all else, as it says in Matthew 4:4. The title of our lesson today is Come, Lord Jesus. And the more we all concentrate on seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, the more we hasten the day of His coming, as it says in 2nd Peter.
Praise the Lord!
You are blessed in Jesus' name!