The Church has been at Pentecost, so to speak, since the turn of the twentieth century. Now it is time to press on to the spiritual fulfillment of the next feast, the fifth celebration, the Blowing of Trumpets.

The Lord Jesus will perform two major works when fulfilling the Blowing of Trumpets. First He will proclaim war against His enemies dwelling in our personality. Is this happening to you already and you thought you were backsliding because you are becoming conscious of your worldliness, lusts, and self-seeking?

Second He will bring you under discipline and train you as a soldier in His army.

You may not enjoy either of these works, but if you are to move past Pentecost this is what you are facing.

You cannot go past Pentecost until you are willing to confess your sins and turn away from them.

You cannot go past Pentecost until you are willing to accept Jesus as your personal Lord, your Commander in Chief whom you are to obey instantly and totally.

To hear the preaching of today you would think Jesus is the head butler of the churches just yearning to wait on the believers hand and foot. Well, the Bible reveals that the sight of the Lord was enough to make the Apostle John faint and you and me to faint.

Jesus is not the butler of the churches. He is the Lord of armies, strong and mighty in battle. Jesus in His role of Commander in Chief of God's armies is ferocious, terrible, awesome, making Genghis Khan look like a little boy playing soldier.

If you think I am exaggerating wait until you see Him. Don't worry, you will tremble with fear like the rest of us. You and I are only dust. He is the Lord of Glory, the eternal Son of God!

In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. (Habakkuk 3:12—NIV)

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11—NIV)

Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them. (Joel 2:3—NIV)

This is the manifestation of the sons of God that the material creation awaits. All the works of Satan and self-seeking man will be destroyed by the fire of Divine judgment. Nothing will escape this army.

When we think of the corruption taking place in our own nation, the United States of America, we could become sick at heart and filled with dread and gloom. But because we know that the Lord Jesus Christ will return with His victorious saints and put an end to all this wickedness we take heart and rejoice.

The wicked are able to triumph over justice today by their cunning, even in the Christian churches. But the fire of God will test all of their words and actions and burn them like the wood, hay, and straw that they are.

To be continued.