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GYC Southwest

Steve Toscano

A Mighty Movement

Over the last 4 months, as we'll get into in a moment, over the last 4 months, I made my residence in Manhattan, where I was a part of a very special, historic set of meetings called NY13.

And we're gonna get more into that in a moment.

Over the last 4 months, I've been able to visit here and there.

Most notably, I was able to come and see the birth of our newest baby boy.

My wife would not let me get away with that 1, but it was truly a privilege to be here and to see that and to be part of the meetings that we had not too long ago with Pastor Ivor, the Operation Blueprint.

I came for the last weekend as well and some other times sprinkled here and there.

I want to tell you that what took place and what is taking place in New York I really believe is something historic and I think you will see in a moment, is something very special that we need to continue to keep in prayer because God's people are working in a way that we have not seen for the first time that I'm aware of.

In our denominational history, we have lay people working with the ministers, working with the local conferences, working with the unions, working with the general conference.

And so you have all of God's people in the tri-state area working together for the sole purpose of winning people to Jesus in New York.

This morning I want to give not only a mission report, but I want to speak to this special prophetic movement that according to the pen of inspiration, that soon what we will see before our very eyes is a mighty movement as we have not yet witnessed.

But before we begin, I want to begin with a word of prayer.

Dear Father in Heaven, Lord, I am unworthy to be here on this sacred desk.

And therefore, Lord, I plead the blood of Jesus on my behalf and on behalf of all your children who realize that of ourselves, Lord, there is nothing but weakness and sin.

But Father God, we thank you that you are indeed a God of grace, a God of mercy, and a God of justice.

And I pray, Lord, that you would visit us in a special way.

Lord, I pray that as we reflect upon what You are doing in these last days, that our hearts would be inspired, that our minds would be lifted up, and that we would see the truth and the wonderful mission that you have given to us as a people.

And now Lord, I just pray that your Spirit will fill this place, fill our hearts and minds, block out every distraction, Lord, and I just pray that you will be glorified.

For this is what we ask and humbly seek in Jesus' name.

Before we begin discussing in greater detail what NY13 was all about, I want to tell you that as a denomination, we have been preaching and teaching the coming of Jesus for over a hundred and 50 years.

Because it is the Second Coming that stands as the hallmark of the Christian faith, amen?

It is the Second Coming that we have eagerly been anticipating and looking forward to from the very beginning when Christ was resurrected and ascended back to heaven.

The Bible says in John 14 verses 1 to 3, the Bible says, Jesus speaking to his disciples, he says, let not your heart be troubled.

If it were not so, I would have told you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, " notice these next words, Jesus says, Jesus promises, I will what?

You see it is this event, It is these words that we as a church from the very beginning, the time period of the early church, all the way down through our own denominational history, we have clung to these words, we have looked forward to these words, we have waited with eager anticipation to see Christ return in those clouds of glory.

You see, it is at the second coming we know that the dead in Christ will be risen and that we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds.

It is at the second coming that we can finally see the promise of being reunited with all of our friends and long lost loved ones who have died in Christ.

But as I said, this message of the nearness of the Advent, this message that says Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming soon, is not a new message.

You see my friends, the early church preached and truly believed in their heart of hearts that Jesus was soon to return.

You see, during the dark ages, Groups like the Waldensians and many others, they also believed that Jesus was about to return.

And in the early 1840s, our own pioneers truly believed that Jesus was about to return in their own lifetime.

And we know that they believed that Christ would return sometime around the year 1843 to 1844.

But as we have seen every generation come and go, as 1 generation has proclaimed the nearness of Christ advent, the 1 commonality we have seen, the 1 thing that we have seen across the board is that each generation has come and gone and Christ has still not returned.

And so the question I want to ask this morning is where is Jesus?

Why has He yet fulfilled those precious words in John, I will come again.

As I mentioned, our pioneers studied and truly believed that Christ would come around the year 1843-1844.

Based upon the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, they were convinced that Christ would come.

On October 22, 1844, a group called the Millerites, all over the nation waited for Jesus to return.

And when Christ did not return on October 22nd 1844 they were sorely disappointed.

Inspiration tells us why Christ did not come shortly after the disappointment of 1844.

Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, listen carefully, held faster faith and followed on unitedly.

We'll come back to that concept in a moment.

In the opening of the providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God.

The Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts.

The work would have been completed and Christ would have come.

Dear friends, do we realize that every year that we as a denomination celebrate another year of our existence, It is similar to the Israelites celebrating another year wandering in the wilderness.

But because we as God's people were not ready, because we as God's people had not yet worked together, unitedly, to take the gospel to all the world, Christ has tarried.

Had we as a people fulfilled our mission in taking the power of the Holy Spirit and proclaiming this gospel message to all the world, Christ would have returned already.

In 2 Peter 3 and verse 12, notice what Peter writes Concerning the second advent, concerning the apparent delay in Christ's return, Peter says that we as Christians should look for and hasten unto the coming of the day of God, when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and all the elements shall melt with fervent heat." You see, according to the Bible, not only are we to look forward to, not only are we to anticipate Christ's return, but the Bible instructs us that we should hasten the coming of God.

And the only way we can hasten the coming of God is when we complete our mission.

Concerning the Second Coming, the Bible says the following in Revelation 14, And I looked, and behold, a white cloud.

And upon the cloud 1 sat like unto the Son of Man, that's Jesus, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

When I read this text in New York about Jesus returning upon this cloud and having a golden crown on his head and having a sharp sickle.

When I read this text in New York, they didn't understand what the sickle was all about.

You see, in an agrarian society, a sickle is like this blade that's attached to some sort of long stick.

And what would happen is that when the harvest was ripened, when the harvest was ready, the farmer would then take his sickle to reap the harvest.

And so it is interesting that concerning the Second Coming, Jesus is depicted as not only having this golden crown upon his head, but as having a sickle in his hand.

Verse 15, and another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap.

For the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

This is a picture of Christ's second coming.

And if This is a picture of Christ's second coming.

And if this is a picture of Christ's second coming, this tells us something very, very important.

Christ will not come until the harvest is ready.

You see, because the Bible says that Jesus will thrust in his sickle and reap when the time has come for him to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.

And let me tell you, my friends, the harvest does not ripen on its own.

You see that outside, right out that window?

That corn doesn't just magically and mysteriously just appear there, right?

You actually have people that come in during the sowing season and they will continue to do their part in preparing the ground.

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A Mighty Movement

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