Sermon – Do You Know What Time it is?

By Sheri Raynor – Presented at Freedom Gateway Ministries 11/3/2019

Matthew 16:1-3 –  Now the Pharisees and Sadducees came up to Jesus, and they asked Him to show them a sign (spectacular miracle) from heaven [attesting His divine authority].  ² He replied to them, ^[a]When it is evening you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red, ³ And in the morning, It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a gloomy and threatening look. You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  (AMPC)

I want us to focus this morning on the last portion of vs. 3, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

The Lord has been speaking to me over the last couple of weeks concerning, “Do you know what time it is”? It was because of their unbelief that the Pharisees and Sadducees were asking the Lord to show them a sign. They wanted to see something from heaven that would attest to the Lord’s divine authority.

It must not have been enough for them to have seen or heard about the many miracles that were done by the Lord. If they had not physically seen them, they had to have at least heard about them because Jesus’ following was increasing – Word of mouth was spreading concerning Him far and wide.

So great was their unbelief that when the Lord instantly delivered a man from demons, they accused Him of doing so by the power of Beelzebub. You might ask why didn’t they believe? I believe the greatest mental block that they had was that they thought they already had things figured out. They thought they knew everything there was to know and deep inside, they thought they knew when Messiah would come and the way in which He would come, and in doing so, they failed to recognize and interpret the signs of the times that they were living in.

In my opinion, one of the saddest times in the Lord’s ministry here on earth is found in:

Luke 19:41-44 – ⁴¹ When Jesus caught sight of the city, he burst into tears with uncontrollable weeping over Jerusalem, ⁴² saying, “If only you could recognize that this day peace is within your reach! But you cannot see it. ⁴³ For the day is soon coming when your enemies will surround you, pressing you in on every side, and laying siege to you.^{[a] 44} They will crush you to pieces, and your children too! And when they leave, your city will be totally destroyed. Since you would not recognize God’s day of visitation, your day of devastation is coming!”

I want to say this morning that the Lord expects that His people would recognize the day we are living in. He expects that just as we are able to discern and recognize things in the natural – such as by the color of the morning sky, when it is red and has a gloomy, threatening look, that we will have rain. He expects us to be a discerning people and recognize the signs of the times. This means that we are able to discern through the things that we are observing what is going on in the supernatural realm. So that we can recognize what He is up to.

For the Jewish people, for those that failed to recognize their time of God’s visitation, they missed out on the blessings God had for them at that time because the Lord only visits for a reason.

I told you last week, that when the Lord is up to something, we need to be able to recognize it. We don’t want to miss out on times of visitation. We don’t want to miss out on times where the Lord’s blessings are being released. We don’t want to miss out on times when the Lord is there to bring a long-awaited answer to prayer….WE DON’T WANT TO MISS THOSE TIMES!!!

When we talk about time in the Bible, there are several different meanings. In Matthew 16 when it is talking about the “sign of the times”, that word time comes from the Greek word “Kairos” and it means a set or proper time. It is often translated as “Opportunity, convenient or due time or season.

So we can see in this that the Lord expects then that we would know and recognize “set times or proper times or seasons“; when He is up to something, so we don’t fail to miss out on what He is doing.

I’ve told you all before that God is not in time. He is eternal and He lives in eternity, but He puts us in time and He moves in time with us. So “time” as far as the Lord is concerned is simply when He steps in and interrupts eternity; He steps into time and intervenes on our behalf. It is a time that can be marked in history…(personal or corporate or national (the nations) And He will step into time so that He can get us to move in time with Him.

This is what happened to Abraham when the Lord stepped into time and visited Abraham and Sarah. (not just for Israel, but for the nations – for the church; the Body of Christ)

Genesis 18:10 – The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

I will return about this “time” next year. This word translated time is the Hebrew word “eth”. It means literally a time as in a long due season. Abraham had been through a long season, and the Lord was faithful to bring forth His promises to Abraham when the time for the fulfillment of those promises had come.

We have to remember that it is important that the Lord’s purposes be accomplished on the earth. Abraham was chosen – he had been tested and tried and though he made mistakes,  he was found to be faithful because he considered His God to be faithful. So the Lord God would make Abraham a father, Abraham would have Issac, Issac (the son of promise) would father Esau and Jacob, and Jacob would father 12 sons that would establish the 12 tribes of Israel.

When the Lord steps in time He is working to get some things accomplished. Some may not believe it, but the Lord God is actively working on our behalf (just as He did with Abraham and Sarah). He is working to get us positioned for whatever purpose that He wants to work out through us. God still visits His people. He still dispatches angels on our behalf. He still works miracles. He still heals and restores and in all of this, He has one goal in mind and that is to raise up a people that will accomplish His purposes in the earth.

GOD HAS A PURPOSE!!!

I heard an interesting story the other day that I had never heard before. It was about Buzz Aldrin – first man on the moon (Neil Armstrong) However, a story that wasn’t told by Nasa was that when Buzz Aldrin went to the moon he had a minister bless the communion elements and he took them with him on the trip. When he reached the moon, Buzz Aldrin took communion there on the moon. He said the presence of the Lord was so rich and real because he had broken through the 2^nd heaven. The restrictions you feel on the earth were not present there. But Nasa did not want to publicize what he had done – they did not allow it to be televised.

But God moves in times and seasons and He honored this first by this man. Buzz Aldrin probably did not realize the significance of what he did. But God can move on your heart and get you to do what needs to be done at times so that His purposes can be established because it is said that the Jesus movement – The great revival that hit America in the late 60’s sprung up about this same time. On 7/20/1969 the first humans walked on the moon, the Jesus movement began about this same time, and it continued through the late 80’s. It married the Charismatic Movement that had already been in full swing for about a decade and things began to change here on the earth.

When we take communion, the Word says that “we bring Him to remembrance.” Prophetically speaking, the bride was stepping out, she was going into uncharted territories. It was a first for her, and the 1^st thing she does is, she brings the Lord her God “to remembrance” as she should and an outpouring begins to take shape on the earth. It was an outpouring that didn’t look like what the church had ever experienced before. Hippies were getting saved – touched by the power of God. It has been just over 50 years since this occurred. Just something for you to think about.

Just as we studied in Isaiah last week, “The Lord is high and exalted, seated on His throne” and the scriptures say that “His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”  (II Chronicles 16:9)

So don’t think that the Lord doesn’t take notice when you do something like Buzz Aldrin did. Something that would bring Him honor and glory. It was almost as if Buzz Aldrin was saying, “People are trying to glorify me, but I want to give God the glory for this.” He chose to give God the glory for this great feat that man was able to accomplish by walking on the moon.

They say that after this incident, that things turned bad for NASA. They had one mishap after another at a time when they should have glorified God, they cut him off and the Lord dealt with that by allowing those mishaps to come.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

To everything there is a season, and a time (a long, due season)

We sing that song, “He’s an on-time God, yes He is…He may not come when you want Him, but He’ll be there right on time…He’s an on-time God, yes He is.

So I want to say to you this morning that although we are in time and God is in eternity, God still steps in time and intervenes in our lives. He still moves and intervenes in the lives of men and women in the earth today. He still moves in the nations. He still moves in the affairs of this earth. He is very concerned with the things that are going on in this earth today.

For God’s people, He is moved by those that are after His own heart.

• Like Stephen, when he was being stoned, the Lord was moved because Stephen would not deny Him although it was going to cost him his life.
• Like Abraham and Sarah….the Lord was moved by their faith and obedience….continuing to consider the Lord faithful even though it took years for the promise to come.
• Like Paul and Silas , they were badly beaten, imprisoned and put in chains. Yet they praise the Lord and God steps in time, a violent earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison and at once all the doors are open and everyone’s chains came loose.
• Like Mary and Joseph walking with the Lord God in order to fulfill their destiny – the Lord God steps in time and intervenes with dreams, visions, and divine intervention.
• Like Enoch who walked with God and was not for God took him.  God stepped in time and took Enoch out of time and into eternity where He dwells.
• Like Job who was faithful through all he had to endure. God stepped in time and intervened and restored everything that he had lost where he had twice as much as he had before.
• Like those that shouted that day at Jericho; God stepped in time and intervened and the walls came tumbling down.
• Like Hannah when she was broken and wanted a child, she cried out to the Lord, and God stepped in time and intervened and He gave her a son.
• Like Gideon who felt he could not take on those opposing Israel, God stepped in time and intervened and when the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the torches, they cried out and fled.
• Like David who stood before Goliath, the Lord God stepped in time and intervened and when that stone was released from that sling shot it made a direct hit in Goliath’s weak spot and down he went.  The enemy of Israel was dead.
• What about when David was told, “When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees then you are to advance quickly.  For the Lord will go out before you to strike the Philistines.”  (he was looking for a sign that the Lord God was stepping in time with Him)
• Then there was Elijah who had sent out his servant to look toward the sea.  Elijah continued to seek the Lord until the sign that the manifestation of what was promised was coming.  Elijah had said, “I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.”  He had heard the sound, but he was interceding for the manifestation of it to come.  His servant saw the very beginnings of the manifestation of it because he was obediently following the leading of the prophet Elijah.  It was a sign that the Lord God was now stepping into time, intervening in the life of Elijah and all of Israel.  It was a cloud as small as a man’s hand and it was rising from the sea. 

Remember that word that Chuck Pierce gave us at the beginning of this Hebrew year (5780) – Meditate on the Word of God that comes, so that eventually what is coming down toward you in revelation can rise up and manifest in demonstration.

Elijah had the promise that the rain was coming. That revelation came down to him from the Lord God. He meditated on that word and prayed concerning its manifestation. The servant was the one that first saw that revelation rising up, and when it began to rain, it manifested in demonstration.

The Bible tells us, “Choose you this day whom you will serve”. Choose blessings or cursings.

The Lord God is moved by those that choose to serve Him – He blesses them and releases His favor upon them, but there are those that do not serve Him and He is moved by them as well.  Remember Noah……The Lord showed favor towards Noah and His family, but for those that were wicked, judgment came.

So it is important that we recognize the times and seasons that we are in.  We can look at things individually (our own lives), but then we need to look at things corporately (those that we are aligned with), regionally and in your territory (where the Lord has planted you). Pay attention to what is going on around you and ask the Lord, what are you saying about this?

I had to take notice of something I saw on Facebook Sunday evening.  I saw where a young woman by the name of Selena Gomez had publicly made a stand for Jesus; Turning back to the Lord and giving her testimony at a recent Hillsong Conference. I sat there and said, “Lord, what are you saying in this because I had a dream about her.” I knew I had, but it had been some time ago. So I went and I dug up that dream and found it in just a few minutes and the dream that the Lord gave me was on 3/29/2016.

These are my notes from the dream: I had a very different dream this a.m. In this dream I saw a very beautiful Hispanic woman on CNN. She was like a news anchor. She was telling of the goodness of the Lord and some incredible acts of power and might that He had been performing. Someone called in and asked if she was trying to take the place of God and she said, “No” and referred them to the Book of Acts. Her name was Solena Gomez. In the 1st part of Acts, Chapters 1 & 2, when I looked and began to read, I could see Solena Gomez’s name and her sister’s name (don’t remember her sister’s name), but could see she was a social worker and she worked in Adult Services). I told my husband in the dream that I had never seen this in scripture before and knew I would have to reread the scriptures. This woman then went on to tell of all the wonders taking place now aided by her sister confirming her statements. This is how the dream ended.

I’ve noticed lately over the last couple of months that there are things that are happening with some celebrities, sports figures, etc. There is a basketball player (can’t remember his name) that accepted Jesus and he is openly testifying of it. Another popular actor Mario Lopez has accepted the Lord and was recently photographed being baptized. There was the overturning of a football players fine where he had chosen to wear a “Man of God” head band. So much support has been out there for him that fans are making their own “Man of God” headbands and are wearing them. I saw that Tom Selleck has come forth telling of His Christian faith, and then the rap singer “Kanye West” that is married to the Kim Kardashian –  He is coming out and telling of his transformation since the Lord has touched his life. He has even recorded a Christian album and refuses to sing any of his old songs as they were originally written because a lot of the lyrics were profane.

But what is strange about all of this, and I knew the Lord had to be speaking to me about watching for the signs and the times, I knew when I saw this posting regarding Selena Gomez that the Lord was saying something and He was saying it very loudly. Because when I had the dream, I didn’t even know who she was. But the Lord is now saying that this is very important – take notice of it and ask for the revelation and the understanding of what I am doing.

For those of you that were here when I taught on the Seven Mountains of Society (revelation by Lance Walnau) and how the Lord wants to transform each and every one of them. (7 mountains are Government, Education, Family, Religion, Media, Arts and Entertainment and Business.) So this movement that I am beginning to see that is taking place affects the “Arts & Entertainment” mountain and even quite possibly the Media mountain because she was working for CNN as an anchor and was telling the news of what the Lord was doing in the earth. The things that were taking place were even as it was in the Book of Acts.

I believe this dream is a sign that the Lord has given to me that it is time for an outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord to hit the “Arts & Entertainment Mountain”.  This outpouring will be like the mighty acts of God that you find told about in the book of Acts and what is coming will be news worthy – CNN is international news!

Now what are we to do when the Lord starts giving us revelation like this? We are to seek the Lord concerning it to try to determine what exactly He is saying. But another thing we can do is what Chuck Pierce has taught me to do is to prophecy into it. Don’t take the revelation of the Lord lightly.  When He gives you a sign, when He reveals to you what time it is, remember He wants to step into time and begin to intervene in the affairs of man and quite often, He needs your “decree” of this revelation to come forth so that it can be established.

I mentioned to you last week that I had read about Simeon and Anna during my private Bible study time. The Lord really started to bring forth revelation concerning how they were able to discern the time and the season they were in. I read how, by the leading of Holy Spirit, they were able to see and recognize Jesus and Who He was. (Luke 2:22-24) Remember Mary and Joseph had come to the temple to present Jesus before the Lord as the law required.

So during my time of prayer, the Spirit of the Lord began to move heavily upon me and I was able to record the following word that the Lord gave me.

The Lord is calling forth His Simeon’s and Anna’s.

For the Lord says that for I even come and stand before My people in this hour.  And for those that have an eye to see and an ear to hear in this hour; the Lord says there is a great revelatory anointing that will be released upon those that I have called to be my Simeon’s and my Anna’s in this hour.  For this nation will not fall away as many have supposed.  But this nation, even as it has been said of her, shall be as a city set on a hill” in this hour says God.  For I will make this nation an example to many nations says God.  Of how a people can turn their nation from the very clutches of the enemy says God.  So take heart in this hour and know that even as I revealed what I was doing in that day when My Son came to this earth, and He went into that temple, I had those prepared that could see and hear and were moved by the Spirit of God to see what I was doing in that hour.  And even in this season called the “time of the decree”, the Lord says that they were willing to make the necessary decrees to cause the blessing of God to be released and to be out-poured upon the nation of Israel.  And this is a season where I have raised up prophets in the land says God.  And all throughout this nation, you will begin to see them come forth in this hour.  For surely I am equipping these prophets with great authority and power in this hour; over this nation, over the earth, and over the heavens above says God.  For this is a time where I have said even that this is the day of Elijah saith the Lord.  And even as these prophets begin to prophesy in this hour, the decrees that they make will release great power in the earth says God.  And it will not come in weeks, and months and years says God, but many of those decrees will release great power in an instant says God; where great significant shifts will take place in the spirit saith the Lord.  And it will not be as it has been in days past says God, but this is a time where the suddenlies will come forth in this hour.  And you will see the very power of the enemy broken in great places where he has built up walls of great resistance says God.  But know through the prophesying, it will break down the walls of resistance saith the Lord, and My Spirit will move in places where great darkness has prevailed says God.  And even as My Spirit enters these places, you will see great confusion taking place because the enemy is scared for that which is coming upon him in this hour.  But begin to see the power of the enemy broken off of many that have been held in the clutches of darkness.  For My Spirit will prevail even in the dark places in this hour says God.  For I will be revealed as a light to this world even as it has been said.  And even as I do these things you will see and you will know that I am at work in this land.  And I will cause that great harvest to come forth in this season says God, but it will not be done as many have supposed says God because I am doing a new thing saith the Lord, and I bring it to the hands of my prophets first says God.  That even as My Son was in the hands of Simeon in that day and in that hour, it was then that the very revelation that I had given him began to be decreed.  And I will decree that which will be done over this nation in the days to come says God, and I will do so through My prophets saith the Lord.  For this is a time of great exposure of the promise that I have for this land.  For many do not know and understand the promises that I have made concerning this nation.  They do not understand those things that I spoke to the forefathers of this nation long ago says God.  But this is a time and an hour where I will begin to reveal to a people that which I am doing and that which I have desired to do in this nation in this hour.  And even as those prophetic words are brought forth again, even as those waters are stirred, begin to see my glory revealed in these places, in these areas, so that my glory can be revealed across this nation….even as the waters cover this earth…so shall my waters of glory, my glory, my glory, shall cover the United States of America even as the glory will cover the earth in these end times saith the Lord.   

Finally, I want to say that last night I turned on Glory of Zion. They are having some special prayer meetings where they are praying and interceding from the Book of Acts. It appears they are taking one chapter at a time. This peaked my interest because of the dream concerning Solena Gomez and how she referred to the Book of Acts. In the prayer meeting I watched, they continually referred to the harvest and the fact that it is coming in. And this is what I see that is beginning to take place. We are on the verge of a great movement of the Lord where He is going to step out of eternity and into time. He is going to visit us, and we will experience His glory in a way that will be unlike anything we have ever known or experienced. So get ready for it!!!