It's a wild stormy night
in southern Illinois tonight
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and we've been
knocked off the air.
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Some of you have been
watching from time to time,
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but as you know and we found out
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we were no longer
reaching out around the world.
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But now - praise
God! - we're back on
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and we are thankful for that.
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Our speaker for
this second program
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which is our
first preaching program
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is the It Is Written Speaker/
Director Pastor John Bradshaw.
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And he has... for 12
years he was an evangelist with
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Amazing Facts. Pastored
for many years - 15 years -
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in the Kentucky-Tennessee
conference and also
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at the Village Church
near Walla Walla, Washington.
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And this is a man
who loves the Lord Jesus.
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To get to know John
Bradshaw is to really know him.
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I first met him when my
brother-in-law Jim Thurmond
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was the ministerial director
in the Kentucky-Tennessee
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conference. He called John
Bradshaw to come and do some
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evangelism. And I was
president at Arkansas-Louisiana
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and he said: "Jim, you
need to look at this young man.
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God has called him in a
special way to minister. "
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And so it was at that time
that I met John and his wife
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Melissa. They didn't
have any children then.
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They have a son Jacob now and
they have a daughter Shannon.
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But we got well
acquainted with John Bradshaw
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and we were able to have him
come to the Arkansas-Louisiana
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conference and do some
evangelism as well when he was
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with Amazing Facts.
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So now the next voice
that you hear will be the voice
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of the Speaker/Director
for It Is Written
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Pastor John Bradshaw.
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Thank you, sir...
thank you very much.
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Well... good evening everyone.
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Good evening. All right.
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Glad you brought
your umbrella with you.
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If you can't be with us
here in Illinois, then you can't
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appreciate the... You
know what I tell people?
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Right now I live in
southern California.
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I'll be living there just
a couple of months longer.
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Excuse me. I tell people
that in southern California
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the weather is
either good or perfect.
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It's one or the other.
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They don't say that
here in southern Illinois.
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They don't say that...
that wouldn't be truthful.
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But irrespective of what
the weather's doing out there
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I'm happy to be in here
with you all. What do you say?
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Amen. The Lord is
good... He is very, very good.
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I'm not going to say I
hope He's been good to you
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'cause I know
He's been good to you.
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I hope you know that
He has been good to you.
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God is only good - Amen!
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And I trust that you are here
expecting to be richly blessed
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over the next few days.
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I'm thankful to be here at 3ABN
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and I thank God for 3ABN
and what He continues to do
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through this terrific
Christian organization.
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And as a matter of fact
I'll tell you a funny story.
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I got on a plane
to fly out here...
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And I walked onto the plane
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and you know... you
walk on a plane, there's
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flight attendants waiting
there to greet you as you get on
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the plane. And I
stepped on the plane
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and a very lovely lady
who may well be watching me...
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Dawn, if you're
watching then good evening...
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she... I'm about
to embarrass her...
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she... and myself...
she greeted me and she said:
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"Are you James Bradshaw? "
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Oh yeah... she was close
and that was good enough.
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Part of me wanted to
say: "No, that's my nephew"
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'cause I have a
nephew named James.
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And instead I looked at
her as though I was guilty.
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I said: "Ma'am, I did not
take that money, honestly.
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It was not me. "
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And then she said: "I
watch you on television. "
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And I was glad to know
that somebody's watching
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you know. And
she told me later on:
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"Oh, I'm so blessed
watching you on 3ABN. "
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So anyhow...
thank the Lord for that.
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And there's a wonderful story
about how... anyway, I'll...
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Dawn, I'll leave you
to tell your own story.
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That's enough for now.
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But that was kind of
fun and lovely to meet her
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and wonderful to hear
how God continues to work
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through ministries
that He has raised up.
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Anyhow... tonight I'm to
talk with you about the promise
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of His coming.
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I believe Jesus is coming
back soon, what about you? Amen!
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I'm convinced...
I'm profoundly convinced
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and I'm glad Jesus
is coming back soon.
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If you don't mind
or as a matter of fact
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even if you do mind
we're going to pray now
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and not ask God
for His presence.
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That would be an insult.
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We shall thank Him for
His presence with us tonight.
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Let's pray. Our
Father and our God,
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we come to You tonight in
the name of Jesus Your Son.
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I think of the words of
that old hymn: In my hands
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no price I bring.
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Simply to the cross I cling.
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That's where we are.
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We can't turn up tonight feeling
good about our accomplishments
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and proud of our good works
for we know that Jesus said
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"Without Me ye can do nothing. "
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That's who we are,
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but tonight we
come to You in faith
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to be found in Him not
having our own righteousness's
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which are of the law
but the righteousness of God
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which is by
faith in Jesus Christ.
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We don't deserve...
we are not worthy...
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we shall never
deserve and never be worthy.
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But in Christ
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we have and are
everything that we need.
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So now I pray
that You would speak.
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I pray that we
would hear Your voice.
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I pray I would hear Your voice.
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I pray that in spite of the
limitations of fallen humanity
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we would be blessed tonight
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through Your Spirit's presence,
through the power of Your Word,
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and through the
touch of divine grace.
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And so, Lord, bless now we ask
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and we pray in Jesus'
name - please say with me -
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Amen.
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It was World War II.
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The American-occupied
Philippines were under attack
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from Japan.
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In fact, the attack seemed
so relentless - so strong -
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that defending the
Philippines seemed futile.
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MacArthur was told to get out,
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to leave the
Philippines... and so he did.
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He boarded a ship bound for
Australia, and on his way to
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Melbourne, Australia, he uttered
some words that history has
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recorded and that
we have remembered.
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MacArthur made a wonderful
promise, a tremendous promise...
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a promise that is relevant
to what we are talking about
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tonight. General MacArthur
said: "I shall return. "
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Now imagine: you are a
citizen of the Philippines.
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There you are, and you are now
living in an occupied country...
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a country not
occupied by liberators
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but by an occupying force
bent on removing your freedom
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and establishing a
system not your own.
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Ringing in their ears was
the promise MacArthur made
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"I shall return... " behind bar-
bed wire or high stone fences.
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Behind lines of men
holding machine guns.
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Behind whatever
they were behind!
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Here were people who remembered
that MacArthur had said
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"I shall return. "
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And what did MacArthur do?
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Well, the fabulous news for the
people in the Philippines was
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that on October the
20th in the year 1944
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now as the commander of
the southwestern Pacific area
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General Douglas MacArthur made
good on his previous promise
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and waded ashore at
a place called Leyte
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and then the people of
the Philippines experienced
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freedom... freedom from tyranny.
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Freedom from occupation.
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Freedom from captivity.
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And they experienced the
promise of hope for the future.
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This has a parallel for 2,000
years ago Jesus left this earth
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and just before He did
He made the same promise.
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He made the promise to a
people who were likewise bound,
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captive, held in
an occupied territory.
00:09:36.61\00:09:39.71
Open your Bible
please to John chapter 14.
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John chapter 14.
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And tonight while
you are turning there
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I shall tell you this:
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I aim to tell ya nothing new.
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But if I tell you something you
already knew when you arrived
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and you leave this place
tonight or that place tonight
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encouraged and
strengthened in your faith
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I will consider that the Holy
Spirit has done His job tonight.
00:10:02.18\00:10:05.14
John chapter 14 verse 1. I
used to tell my congregations
00:10:05.44\00:10:08.75
"If I ever tell you anything
that you've never heard before,
00:10:08.95\00:10:11.20
there's something wrong either
with you or me... one of us. "
00:10:11.30\00:10:14.07
John 14 verse 1 Jesus said: "Let
not your heart be... " What?
00:10:15.28\00:10:20.67
"troubled. "
00:10:20.70\00:10:21.73
He said: "You believe in
God believe also in... " What?
00:10:21.99\00:10:25.51
"Me. "
00:10:25.78\00:10:26.95
"In My Father's
house are many mansions;
00:10:27.26\00:10:29.78
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:10:29.98\00:10:31.83
I go to prepare a place
for you. " Do you like that?
00:10:32.03\00:10:35.80
"And if I go and
prepare a place for you... "
00:10:36.70\00:10:39.04
Say it with me:
00:10:39.34\00:10:40.64
"I will come again to
receive you unto Myself
00:10:40.84\00:10:44.86
so that where I am there...
" What? "you may be also. "
00:10:45.16\00:10:48.17
What a promise!
Jesus said: "I'm leaving.
00:10:48.31\00:10:51.24
I am going to
heaven and I'm coming back.
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And when I come
back I'm getting you
00:10:54.86\00:10:57.57
and I'm taking you to
be with Me in that place
00:10:57.77\00:11:01.61
forever. " Praise the Lord!
00:11:01.81\00:11:05.40
You know, something I enjoy
doing... and I don't think this
00:11:05.70\00:11:07.89
is very different than most
people: I enjoy driving around
00:11:07.99\00:11:10.08
and seeing nice homes.
00:11:10.18\00:11:11.76
I don't mean every day I'm
saying to my wife: "Let's go
00:11:12.06\00:11:14.33
driving, " but you know
what I mean. It's always nice
00:11:14.43\00:11:16.21
to look at... "Well
that is beautiful. "
00:11:16.41\00:11:17.97
"Look at that
beautiful structure. "
00:11:18.27\00:11:19.87
Do you know something?
You have not even imagined
00:11:20.07\00:11:22.96
in your wildest dreams what
Jesus is preparing in heaven
00:11:23.17\00:11:26.44
for you now. And
bear with me for a moment.
00:11:26.54\00:11:30.40
We know that in heaven we
shall walk on streets of gold.
00:11:30.60\00:11:32.79
We'll enter the place
through gates of pearl.
00:11:32.99\00:11:34.65
But you know
what? I could care less.
00:11:34.95\00:11:36.69
I don't mind if there is a
pup tent up there waiting for me
00:11:36.89\00:11:39.29
next to a lane
that's covered in mud
00:11:39.49\00:11:41.91
and rocks and stones
because for me heaven is
00:11:42.11\00:11:45.90
less about the mansion,
less about the pavement,
00:11:46.00\00:11:48.72
less about what the
pearls are made out of
00:11:48.92\00:11:50.76
and all about the fact that
God and His Son, our Savior,
00:11:50.96\00:11:54.92
elder brother
Jesus will be there.
00:11:55.12\00:11:56.91
That's enough for me.
00:11:57.11\00:11:58.89
Eternity's
going to be beautiful.
00:11:58.99\00:12:00.67
The promise of the return of
Jesus is the central theme of
00:12:00.87\00:12:04.07
the New Testament and you could
say the theme of the Bible.
00:12:04.17\00:12:06.93
From the day when Adam and Eve
turned their steps slowly away
00:12:07.23\00:12:11.71
from the gates of Eden
people of faith have been
00:12:11.81\00:12:15.13
waiting for their Redeemer
to bring them again to the
00:12:15.23\00:12:18.46
lost paradise. First
book of the Bible written
00:12:18.56\00:12:21.71
was the book of Job
and in that book Job said
00:12:21.91\00:12:25.71
"I know that my Redeemer liveth
00:12:25.91\00:12:29.45
and that He shall stand upon
the earth in the latter day. "
00:12:29.65\00:12:32.60
He said: "And though
worms destroy this body
00:12:32.80\00:12:35.38
yet in my flesh
I shall see God. "
00:12:35.58\00:12:40.15
Job was looking
forward to the return of Jesus
00:12:40.35\00:12:42.83
and Job lived
thousands of years ago.
00:12:43.03\00:12:45.66
Saint Paul wrote in II Timothy
chapter 4: "I am now ready
00:12:45.96\00:12:49.79
to be offered. The time
of my departure is at hand.
00:12:49.89\00:12:52.43
I have fought a good fight;
I have finished my course;
00:12:52.63\00:12:55.63
I have kept the faith.
00:12:55.83\00:12:57.31
Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness
00:12:57.62\00:13:01.72
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
00:13:01.92\00:13:04.50
shall give me... "
When? "at that day.
00:13:04.70\00:13:07.92
And not to me only
but unto all them also
00:13:08.22\00:13:11.55
who love His appearing. "
00:13:11.76\00:13:14.11
Paul said: "I'm going
to die and fall asleep
00:13:14.31\00:13:16.42
but I am looking
forward to that day. "
00:13:16.62\00:13:18.64
"I will receive a crown of
righteousness on that day. "
00:13:18.84\00:13:22.12
"All those who love His appear-
ing will be blessed supremely
00:13:22.32\00:13:25.76
by God on that day. "
00:13:25.96\00:13:28.31
That great day when
Jesus comes to take us home!
00:13:28.61\00:13:32.29
The long-promised Messiah
will one day really appear.
00:13:32.59\00:13:38.30
It is said that
one verse in every 25
00:13:38.53\00:13:41.21
in the New Testament
refers to Jesus' second coming.
00:13:41.41\00:13:43.95
The Bible talks
about "the Blessed Hope. "
00:13:44.15\00:13:49.56
And I don't want you thinking
it's the blessed hope as in
00:13:49.96\00:13:51.96
"Well I... I
hope He comes back. "
00:13:52.06\00:13:54.36
You know, ladies and gentlemen,
there are some things that
00:13:54.66\00:13:58.03
you should not hope
for. You should not hope
00:13:58.13\00:14:01.55
to be saved when
Jesus comes back.
00:14:01.75\00:14:04.29
There I was standing in
church where I was pastoring
00:14:05.66\00:14:08.19
and after early service in the
chapel people were filing out
00:14:08.49\00:14:11.51
and I was shaking
hands as I love to do.
00:14:11.71\00:14:13.91
And there was a dear
saint who came by. And I said...
00:14:14.11\00:14:17.19
I don't know... what did
I say? Oh I'll make it up...
00:14:17.29\00:14:19.12
You weren't
there... you'll never know.
00:14:19.22\00:14:20.34
I don't know what was
said but it was something like:
00:14:24.90\00:14:27.76
"Well sister, the good news
is Jesus is coming back soon. "
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.77
Ah, that was it
exactly word for word:
00:14:31.07\00:14:33.18
"Jesus is coming back soon. "
00:14:33.58\00:14:35.16
And she looked up at me and
with I don't know quite what
00:14:35.26\00:14:38.16
in her eyes she said: "Pastor,
I just hope I'm ready. "
00:14:38.26\00:14:41.97
I said to the next person in
line: "Would you mind waiting
00:14:43.48\00:14:46.06
here a moment? Excuse us. "
00:14:46.16\00:14:47.37
And I ushered here
over here a little bit
00:14:47.47\00:14:49.74
and I said:
"Sister, we need to talk. "
00:14:49.95\00:14:51.10
And she looked at me like
she was being taken to the
00:14:51.30\00:14:53.64
principal's office.
But the fact was.. she was!
00:14:53.74\00:14:58.91
And I said: "What did you say?
00:14:59.15\00:15:00.45
Did you say you hope to be
ready when Jesus comes back? "
00:15:00.65\00:15:03.11
And she said: "Yes...
did I say something wrong? "
00:15:03.42\00:15:05.82
And I said: "Yes. "
00:15:06.02\00:15:08.61
"Well, shouldn't I
hope to be ready? "
00:15:08.91\00:15:11.11
"No. " Why here's the pastor
telling her not to hope to be
00:15:11.41\00:15:14.09
ready to meet
Jesus when He comes back.
00:15:14.19\00:15:16.59
I said: "Have you accepted
Jesus as your personal Savior? "
00:15:17.09\00:15:20.17
"Yes. " I said: "Are you living
in any kind of wild, crazy
00:15:20.37\00:15:24.06
lifestyle that I should
know about? " "No pastor! "
00:15:24.16\00:15:27.41
Well I knew that. I said:
"Then you don't need to hope
00:15:27.71\00:15:31.21
to be ready when
Jesus comes back.
00:15:31.41\00:15:33.07
You can live your days knowing,
believing that you are ready
00:15:33.28\00:15:37.30
to meet Jesus
when He comes back. "
00:15:37.40\00:15:38.86
Amen! If we are
confused about that, man,
00:15:38.99\00:15:41.61
we are seriously confused.
00:15:41.81\00:15:44.22
John wrote in I John: "I
have written these things
00:15:44.62\00:15:47.47
to you so that you may
KNOW. " You don't need to doubt
00:15:47.57\00:15:52.29
and you don't need to
hope. Instead, you can believe!
00:15:52.49\00:15:55.92
Don't be telling
anybody "I hope so. "
00:15:56.12\00:15:58.29
Hope implies doubt;
it implies uncertainty.
00:15:58.59\00:16:01.96
If you tell me you hope to
be ready, then you're telling me
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.39
there's a good
chance you might not be.
00:16:04.49\00:16:06.25
Come on now, the day
you accepted Jesus Christ
00:16:06.45\00:16:09.38
you received Him, you
received His righteousness...
00:16:09.41\00:16:12.60
what more do you need?
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.09
Live a life of hope;
live a life connected to God;
00:16:14.39\00:16:18.31
and you are living a
life of confident assurance.
00:16:18.51\00:16:22.08
And I'm not talking about you
saying: "Well now that I'm saved
00:16:22.38\00:16:24.99
I can't be lost. " You
know I'm not saying that.
00:16:25.09\00:16:27.33
But when you have
Christ... Come on now,
00:16:27.53\00:16:29.80
when I travel back to the
United States I don't travel on
00:16:29.90\00:16:33.69
a U.S. passport.
But it's OK... really.
00:16:33.79\00:16:37.06
I still travel on a
New Zealand passport.
00:16:37.85\00:16:40.01
When I come back with
my passport and I hand over
00:16:40.22\00:16:42.86
my green card and I
know they can't keep me out.
00:16:42.96\00:16:46.64
Legally I mean...
unless I break the law...
00:16:46.94\00:16:49.19
they can't not let me in!
00:16:49.49\00:16:51.55
I belong! When I travel home to
my home country of New Zealand
00:16:51.85\00:16:55.29
I flash that New Zealand
passport at them. In fact,
00:16:55.49\00:16:58.22
I don't even have to
talk to a person. I just
00:16:58.42\00:17:00.39
look in a machine
and it reads my mind or
00:17:00.59\00:17:03.35
looks at my retinas or something
and I put my passport in a slot
00:17:03.65\00:17:08.06
and I pull it out and
the doors open and I'm in.
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.08
And they can't keep me out!
00:17:11.69\00:17:13.63
I'm a citizen,
man... I have my passport!
00:17:13.84\00:17:17.17
If you have Christ
in your heart by faith,
00:17:17.78\00:17:22.13
you've got your passport.
00:17:22.33\00:17:24.52
You have punched
your ticket for heaven!
00:17:24.72\00:17:28.12
God can't keep you out.
00:17:28.33\00:17:31.24
Why would He?
He doesn't want to.
00:17:31.44\00:17:33.31
Because if you are
connected to Jesus by faith
00:17:33.51\00:17:36.54
the Blessed Hope has
become the blessed reality.
00:17:36.75\00:17:39.73
Praise the Lord! Amen!
00:17:39.93\00:17:41.96
Don't leave this place...
If there's any doubt in your
00:17:42.16\00:17:44.21
mind about your connection with
Jesus and whether or not you're
00:17:44.31\00:17:46.58
ready for the second
coming don't go. Just stay.
00:17:46.68\00:17:49.36
Tell security: "I'm not leaving
until I get this figured out
00:17:49.56\00:17:52.15
with God. " It's that important.
00:17:52.25\00:17:55.13
The Blessed Hope... not
hope as in "Hmmm, I hope so. "
00:17:55.33\00:17:58.62
But it is a
certainty... it's a promise.
00:17:58.82\00:18:03.13
We're talking about the
promise of Christ's coming.
00:18:03.33\00:18:07.02
Jesus has made a
promise: "I'm coming back
00:18:07.22\00:18:12.36
for you. " And this is a
promise that He will keep.
00:18:12.57\00:18:16.71
Jesus has kept every
single solitary promise
00:18:16.91\00:18:20.45
that He ever made,
00:18:20.65\00:18:21.99
and He's not about to
let us down on this one.
00:18:22.19\00:18:24.51
And do we know when
Jesus is going to come back?
00:18:24.62\00:18:26.22
Do we know?
00:18:26.62\00:18:27.69
You said no? You're
wrong. Of course we know.
00:18:27.89\00:18:29.94
That's right...
He's coming back soon.
00:18:30.24\00:18:32.39
We know that.
00:18:32.49\00:18:33.69
Now Jesus said: "No man
knows the day or the hour. "
00:18:37.54\00:18:39.73
I understand that. Boy, you've
got to love these preachers.
00:18:39.93\00:18:42.91
"Well no one knows the day
or the hour, but if you take the
00:18:43.11\00:18:45.09
1,260-day prophecy... "
00:18:45.19\00:18:47.29
Oh-oh, there's
trouble brewing right there.
00:18:47.69\00:18:50.95
"I'm not setting dates...
but if you take the 1,260 days
00:18:51.15\00:18:56.78
and then you add another
30 and if a day is a year... "
00:18:56.99\00:19:00.47
Oh come on man, no one
knows the day or the hour.
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.97
Don't try to be more
clever than the Holy Spirit.
00:19:03.17\00:19:05.97
No one knows
the day or the hour.
00:19:07.00\00:19:09.18
Having said that, Jesus
said we can know that His coming
00:19:09.38\00:19:12.40
is near... even at the
door. And I believe that!
00:19:12.60\00:19:16.21
And I know
you've heard this before
00:19:16.54\00:19:18.11
but I'm not trying to
impress you with anything new.
00:19:18.31\00:19:20.31
I'm trying to
encourage you that what you know
00:19:20.52\00:19:23.59
and believe is rock solid
00:19:23.79\00:19:26.32
and you can be
confident in that and in Christ.
00:19:26.53\00:19:29.83
Jesus said: "When these things
begin to come to pass... "
00:19:30.04\00:19:32.87
And He had said in
Matthew chapter 24:
00:19:33.07\00:19:35.02
"Wars, rumors of
wars, earthquakes, famines,
00:19:35.23\00:19:39.41
pestilences, false Christs. "
00:19:39.61\00:19:42.29
Now I tell you what: every time
there's an earthquake or a flash
00:19:42.59\00:19:45.51
of lightning you don't have
to think: "Man! Maybe Jesus is
00:19:45.61\00:19:48.97
coming right now. "
Because in verse 8 in Matthew 24
00:19:49.07\00:19:52.02
He said: "All these things
are the beginnings of sorrows. "
00:19:52.22\00:19:55.41
Like birth
pains... you've heard this.
00:19:55.71\00:19:57.87
And as they increase
in frequency and intensity
00:19:58.17\00:20:01.68
it's a sign to us
that Jesus is coming back.
00:20:01.88\00:20:04.66
Now when you were a kid you
remember somebody going nuts
00:20:04.96\00:20:07.57
with a gun and shooting some-
body on the other side of town.
00:20:07.67\00:20:10.04
And you said: "Oh man,
Jesus is coming back. "
00:20:10.24\00:20:13.00
And then there was Columbine
00:20:13.31\00:20:14.63
and you said: "Jesus
is coming back tomorrow. "
00:20:14.83\00:20:16.43
And then there was Virginia Tech
and you said: "No one can be...
00:20:16.63\00:20:19.35
this is just crazy. "
And then there was Sandy Hook
00:20:19.55\00:20:22.19
and you said: "God, how
much longer can this go on? "
00:20:22.40\00:20:24.99
Increasing in
frequency and intensity.
00:20:25.93\00:20:28.48
It's getting mad out there!
00:20:28.78\00:20:30.86
Natural disasters like
you've never seen before.
00:20:31.06\00:20:33.98
Hurricane Katrina... Wait a
minute. That was a few years ago
00:20:34.18\00:20:36.89
right? And we
kind of... " Oh well,
00:20:36.99\00:20:39.98
that's over... "
until the next one.
00:20:40.18\00:20:43.47
And sure as anything
the next one will come.
00:20:44.54\00:20:48.10
We live in California
and the ground shakes...
00:20:48.31\00:20:50.33
I uh... oh man!
00:20:50.54\00:20:53.09
Now not just in California.
Not far from here in western
00:20:53.49\00:20:55.66
Tennessee. Well
I'll tell you a story.
00:20:55.76\00:20:58.25
It was nighttime. We
were childless at the time
00:20:58.45\00:21:02.80
and my wife was
sitting on the end of the bed.
00:21:03.11\00:21:05.08
And so I sat down next to her.
00:21:05.48\00:21:06.74
I did something I
hardly ever do: I leaned over
00:21:06.84\00:21:09.18
and I kissed her. I mean I
don't know what I was thinking.
00:21:09.28\00:21:12.61
She had the shock of her
life: "What are you doing? "
00:21:16.18\00:21:18.23
But right as I kissed
her - this is fantastic -
00:21:24.42\00:21:27.52
right as I kissed her
the ground shook. Huh?
00:21:27.72\00:21:32.59
How 'bout that?
00:21:33.03\00:21:34.16
Wow! Yeah, I got it.
00:21:36.04\00:21:39.92
The ground
shook; the house shook.
00:21:40.42\00:21:43.94
Thank the Lord it wasn't too
bad but it was... the earthquake
00:21:44.24\00:21:46.65
was big enough that it
moved glasses and, you know,
00:21:46.75\00:21:49.53
you could see where they'd
been and they'd moved and stuff
00:21:49.73\00:21:51.95
and things on the wall. And wow!
00:21:52.15\00:21:54.80
She looked at me with her eyes
big. I said: "You want me to
00:21:55.10\00:21:57.36
do that again? "
00:21:57.46\00:21:59.17
"Yeah. "
00:22:04.09\00:22:05.49
I live in California and
we had an earthquake recently.
00:22:08.22\00:22:11.51
It was right about the
time we were getting out of bed
00:22:11.71\00:22:13.59
and I'm laying in bed and
the room started to shake.
00:22:13.79\00:22:18.37
And the construction of the
place we're living in is such
00:22:18.47\00:22:21.51
that our room is... Well anyway,
I think it's precariously
00:22:21.71\00:22:25.74
positioned. And you lay there,
right? And the thing shakes
00:22:25.84\00:22:28.75
and you say to yourself:
"Oh, this is California.
00:22:28.95\00:22:30.92
It happens all the time. "
And you can think an awful lot
00:22:31.02\00:22:33.61
in about the space
of about 3 seconds.
00:22:33.71\00:22:35.04
And after it's been shaking
for about a second and a half
00:22:35.44\00:22:37.98
you say to yourself: "I
hope this isn't going to get
00:22:38.18\00:22:40.13
any worse. " Because
they've been telling us
00:22:40.23\00:22:43.59
for so long that one day
the big one is going to come.
00:22:43.70\00:22:46.14
People in Nevada will
have beach-front property.
00:22:46.35\00:22:48.35
They've been saying
that for a long time.
00:22:48.55\00:22:49.96
And I imagine
that one day it will.
00:22:50.48\00:22:52.83
But the signs that we see...
00:22:53.43\00:22:55.37
You don't have to go nuts
and say: "Well it means Jesus
00:22:55.57\00:22:57.78
is coming back now. "
00:22:57.88\00:22:59.02
They're like... The
signs that we see are like...
00:22:59.42\00:23:03.32
They're not like
the mile markers.
00:23:03.52\00:23:06.13
You know, you're
driving towards St. Louis.
00:23:06.43\00:23:07.80
St. Louis 100 miles.
00:23:08.00\00:23:09.59
St. Louis 75
miles. St. Louis 32 miles.
00:23:09.79\00:23:12.44
It's not that. But if you're
driving towards St. Louis from
00:23:12.64\00:23:15.20
here eventually you're
going to be on Interstate 64.
00:23:15.40\00:23:17.85
And the signs of
the times say to us 64.
00:23:18.15\00:23:21.38
You're still
heading on the right road.
00:23:21.58\00:23:23.12
64... you're going that way...
west. You drive a little further
00:23:23.33\00:23:27.48
64 west.
00:23:27.69\00:23:30.20
What we see is this:
we see signs of the times
00:23:30.40\00:23:33.14
that tell us: "Yes, we
are on the right road. "
00:23:33.24\00:23:36.31
"Yes, we are heading in the
direction of the second coming
00:23:36.51\00:23:39.22
of Jesus. " "Yes, what
God said is still true. "
00:23:39.32\00:23:43.06
"Yes! Jesus is coming
back for us one day soon. "
00:23:43.26\00:23:48.83
And we say "Praise the Lord. "
00:23:49.03\00:23:50.36
The only sign that hasn't been
fulfilled is the one spoken of
00:23:50.57\00:23:53.41
in Matthew 24:14.
00:23:53.51\00:23:55.52
"This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the
00:23:55.72\00:23:58.51
world for a
witness to all nations;
00:23:58.61\00:24:00.39
then shall the end come. "
00:24:00.42\00:24:03.53
We are not waiting for the
beast power to bare its fangs
00:24:03.73\00:24:08.66
any more than it already has.
00:24:08.86\00:24:10.25
That's not what
we're waiting on.
00:24:10.45\00:24:11.50
We're not waiting for the
governments of nations to do
00:24:11.90\00:24:14.05
their thing or for another
earthquake or a new disease.
00:24:14.16\00:24:17.77
The only sign awaiting
the fulfillment or awaiting
00:24:18.07\00:24:21.14
fulfillment in
preparation for Christ's return
00:24:21.24\00:24:23.72
is that one about the gospel
going to the entire world.
00:24:23.92\00:24:27.50
Imagine where we are
in the stream of time.
00:24:27.70\00:24:31.39
Friends, we are close.
00:24:31.62\00:24:32.98
The head of gold...
I've got one of them.
00:24:33.18\00:24:35.03
The head of gold;
the chest of silver.
00:24:35.23\00:24:37.70
I have one of them, too.
00:24:37.90\00:24:38.93
The belly and thighs of
brass; the legs of iron.
00:24:39.11\00:24:41.67
The feet and toes: part
of clay and part of iron.
00:24:41.87\00:24:44.61
That's where we
are... we are way down there.
00:24:44.81\00:24:47.43
No more great kingdoms to come.
00:24:47.63\00:24:49.91
We are this close to
the return of Jesus Christ.
00:24:50.43\00:24:54.17
I say "Thank the Lord" and I
don't care of you are cynical.
00:24:54.37\00:24:57.83
I don't... Well I care for
you but I don't care for me.
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.31
"Well, these preachers have
been saying that for years. "
00:25:00.71\00:25:03.01
"Well these preachers... "
Do you know how close we are
00:25:03.21\00:25:04.89
to the second coming of Christ?
You're a heartbeat away, man.
00:25:04.99\00:25:08.96
Just like the vice president
is a heartbeat away from being
00:25:09.29\00:25:11.94
the president.
We are this close.
00:25:12.04\00:25:14.33
If you close your eyes tonight
and they don't open again,
00:25:14.73\00:25:17.39
Jesus has
essentially come for you.
00:25:17.59\00:25:20.27
You know what I'm saying.
00:25:20.47\00:25:21.50
It's over then.
00:25:21.69\00:25:23.42
And I don't mind.
Every day that passes
00:25:24.46\00:25:26.55
is a day closer to the
second coming of Christ.
00:25:26.75\00:25:29.64
And I know preachers have been
talking about this for years
00:25:29.95\00:25:32.31
and years and years
but one day they won't be
00:25:32.51\00:25:36.19
talking about it anymore be-
cause Jesus will have come back.
00:25:36.29\00:25:41.06
Gravity will have lost power
over the soles of our feet.
00:25:41.39\00:25:45.35
Up we will have gone, and
we'll be on our way to glory.
00:25:45.65\00:25:49.88
What a day of
rejoicing that will be!
00:25:50.08\00:25:53.41
I tell you, you don't have to
look too far to see that Jesus
00:25:54.54\00:25:57.17
is coming back.
Waukesha, Wisconsin.
00:25:57.27\00:26:01.30
You have hardly
ever heard of that place.
00:26:01.60\00:26:03.38
You've probably... "Well
I've heard of Wisconsin. "
00:26:03.58\00:26:06.66
"Isn't that near
South Carolina? "
00:26:10.51\00:26:12.27
"No... it's near Wyoming. "
00:26:14.22\00:26:16.18
I'm sorry.
00:26:20.88\00:26:22.23
Waukesha, Wisconsin.
00:26:24.09\00:26:27.82
An unremarkable place,
although a couple of years ago
00:26:28.12\00:26:30.57
it was rated one of
the 100 most livable cities
00:26:30.60\00:26:33.30
in the United
States. 70,000 people.
00:26:33.40\00:26:35.98
That's the population. South-
eastern corner of Wisconsin.
00:26:36.18\00:26:38.69
It's just like Main Street USA.
00:26:38.99\00:26:40.72
It's a nice enough
town... got nothing against it.
00:26:41.12\00:26:43.88
Lovely place. Just
where people do their thing
00:26:44.08\00:26:46.53
and get about
living their lives.
00:26:46.63\00:26:47.93
Until a couple of days ago.
00:26:48.13\00:26:49.83
It is alleged and it
seems like the allegations
00:26:50.04\00:26:54.42
can be substantiated
00:26:54.62\00:26:57.53
that is alleged that a
couple of 12-year-old girls
00:26:57.73\00:27:00.44
lured their 12-year-old
friend into the woods
00:27:00.54\00:27:03.37
and took out a great
big knife with a long blade
00:27:03.67\00:27:05.73
and stabbed her 19 times
00:27:05.93\00:27:07.91
in order to please a character -
00:27:11.08\00:27:16.07
a fictional character
- on an Internet website.
00:27:16.27\00:27:20.20
They came within a millimeter,
and we don't have millimeters
00:27:21.38\00:27:25.21
in this country, but
where I'm from we have them
00:27:25.31\00:27:27.26
and I can tell you
that a millimeter is small.
00:27:27.36\00:27:29.82
It's little. They
came within a millimeter
00:27:30.23\00:27:33.31
of killing the
girl... a millimeter.
00:27:33.51\00:27:35.35
And she survived. She
crawled out of the woods
00:27:37.79\00:27:39.58
and got near a path.
And a cyclist saw this girl
00:27:39.69\00:27:42.21
and stopped and
said: "What in the world? "
00:27:42.31\00:27:43.91
And thank God she's alive.
00:27:44.11\00:27:46.02
You know what? Two
middle school girls
00:27:46.32\00:27:49.22
tried to knife to death
their middle school friend -
00:27:50.35\00:27:55.87
FRIEND - if the
allegations are correct.
00:27:56.17\00:28:00.26
Are we living in a sick world?
00:28:00.56\00:28:03.02
We look around and we
say: "Come on... how long
00:28:03.32\00:28:06.63
can this go on?
Lord... how long? "
00:28:06.84\00:28:10.09
Habakkuk asked that
question, didn't he?
00:28:10.29\00:28:11.95
"How long? " And
what is God's answer?
00:28:12.25\00:28:15.93
No, God is not in
heaven sitting on His hands.
00:28:16.13\00:28:19.28
He promised us:
"I will come again. "
00:28:19.48\00:28:25.16
In the book of Revelation
twice it says that Jesus will
00:28:25.26\00:28:27.78
say "It is done!
" And one day soon
00:28:27.88\00:28:31.45
it will be done. Hallelujah!
00:28:31.66\00:28:35.62
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:28:35.82\00:28:39.43
Humans have been trying
their best for hundreds of years
00:28:39.64\00:28:41.83
to improve society.
00:28:42.03\00:28:43.73
We have not succeeded.
00:28:44.13\00:28:45.46
We are sinking deeper
into the quagmire of sin
00:28:45.66\00:28:48.65
and immorality, but we know
00:28:48.85\00:28:51.60
one day it's
going to come to an end.
00:28:51.80\00:28:53.84
Jesus is coming
back... He promised!
00:28:54.04\00:28:58.06
There's another promise God
made back in Genesis chapter 3.
00:28:58.57\00:29:01.32
You know what had happened.
God made a perfect world,
00:29:01.52\00:29:03.83
put our perfect parents - Adam
and Eve - in that perfect world
00:29:04.13\00:29:07.54
and said "You can have the
run of the place, just don't eat
00:29:07.74\00:29:10.20
that fruit. " And they
had the run of the place
00:29:10.30\00:29:13.64
and couldn't help themselves.
00:29:13.84\00:29:15.08
And in spite of
what God had said
00:29:15.48\00:29:18.71
they ate the
fruit. And what happened?
00:29:18.91\00:29:20.95
What happened? The
world was plunged into sin.
00:29:21.15\00:29:24.45
Suddenly their perfect
human natures were now corrupted
00:29:24.75\00:29:28.70
and their offspring would
be born with fallen natures
00:29:28.80\00:29:31.70
rather than perfect natures.
00:29:31.81\00:29:33.38
Now things were
going to go haywire.
00:29:33.78\00:29:37.45
Not only would the
leaves turn brown on the trees
00:29:37.66\00:29:40.09
and fall to the ground.
The animal kingdom would be
00:29:40.19\00:29:42.60
all messed up and the
world would be polluted.
00:29:42.70\00:29:45.30
And ultimately the economies
of the world would be scrambled
00:29:45.50\00:29:48.18
and there would be
wars and there would...
00:29:48.21\00:29:49.43
Look around... this
is what was the result.
00:29:49.73\00:29:51.91
And what did God do
00:29:53.76\00:29:55.87
in response to Adam and Eve
signing Jesus' death warrant?
00:29:56.92\00:30:02.65
'Cause that's what he did.
00:30:03.05\00:30:04.38
Remember who God is: He
is the God of the universe.
00:30:04.68\00:30:07.61
The universe is very, very big.
00:30:07.81\00:30:09.50
Bigger than we can even imagine.
00:30:09.90\00:30:11.50
He made it all... billions
of galaxies we are told.
00:30:11.60\00:30:14.83
That's the ones the
scientists know about.
00:30:15.03\00:30:16.50
I imagine there
must be many more.
00:30:16.80\00:30:19.33
God is that
big... we are so small
00:30:20.57\00:30:23.32
and yet we caused the
death of the divine Son of God.
00:30:23.52\00:30:28.36
Uh-uh. If I'm God, I'm saying:
"No, forget it. It's over for
00:30:28.56\00:30:31.32
you. I shall start again. "
00:30:31.42\00:30:33.10
But when Adam and Eve
subjected the Godhead to that
00:30:33.40\00:30:37.24
God responded with a promise.
00:30:37.54\00:30:41.99
"I will put enmity
between you and the woman
00:30:42.29\00:30:46.50
and between your
seed and her Seed. "
00:30:46.80\00:30:50.16
Isn't that something?
00:30:50.36\00:30:51.47
God comes down to Adam and
Eve: "Hey, what's going on? "
00:30:51.67\00:30:54.20
"Oh man. The
woman... her fault. "
00:30:54.40\00:30:57.37
They're passing the
buck... they're lying.
00:30:57.57\00:30:59.69
"No, no, no... the
woman that You gave me.
00:30:59.79\00:31:01.74
It's not her
fault... it's YOUR fault. "
00:31:01.94\00:31:03.60
And God instead of saying:
"Oh why should I even bother
00:31:04.00\00:31:07.86
with you? " God said:
"I'll do something for you. "
00:31:07.96\00:31:10.87
"I will put enmity
between you and the woman. "
00:31:11.07\00:31:13.88
Eve was no better than
Adam. "Oh man, the serpent...
00:31:14.08\00:31:16.96
the serpent that You created...
00:31:17.16\00:31:18.93
he beguiled me.
God, it's Your fault. "
00:31:19.91\00:31:22.16
"We're in a mess...
but it's Your fault. "
00:31:22.46\00:31:24.27
And God says: "I will
put enmity between you
00:31:24.57\00:31:27.82
and the woman... "
He's speaking to Satan.
00:31:27.92\00:31:29.95
"and between your
seed and her Seed.
00:31:30.15\00:31:31.83
It shall bruise your head;
you shall bruise His heel. "
00:31:32.13\00:31:35.76
God makes a promise.
00:31:36.06\00:31:38.41
When the human family
messes up royally God says:
00:31:38.61\00:31:42.68
"I promise you I will
get you out of the mess. "
00:31:42.82\00:31:44.59
Isn't that remarkable?
00:31:44.99\00:31:46.38
Now your kid throws a baseball
through the kitchen window
00:31:47.33\00:31:50.37
and you say: "I promise you. "
00:31:50.57\00:31:52.12
You make a different promise.
00:31:52.32\00:31:53.71
But when God's kids
caused the death of God's Son
00:31:55.95\00:32:00.98
God says: "I promise
that I will give you the gift
00:32:01.18\00:32:05.58
of repentance. Make
it possible for you to
00:32:05.61\00:32:08.49
experience
re-creation, a new heart,
00:32:08.69\00:32:12.60
righteousness... through
faith in the Son of God. "
00:32:12.80\00:32:15.52
God said: "You
have made such a mess!
00:32:15.72\00:32:18.83
The only thing that can
take care of it is grace.
00:32:19.03\00:32:22.05
I will save you. "
00:32:22.35\00:32:24.70
God makes a
promise... an expensive promise.
00:32:24.91\00:32:27.82
Some promises
are very expensive.
00:32:28.02\00:32:30.16
I remember one that
worked out in my favor.
00:32:30.46\00:32:32.46
I was working for a
radio station. In a prior life
00:32:32.66\00:32:34.90
I was a radio broadcaster.
00:32:35.00\00:32:36.30
And we were coming down to
ratings time, and the other
00:32:36.40\00:32:38.90
radio station, they were...
they were... they were... I mean
00:32:38.93\00:32:42.26
they looked like they
could beat us up in the ratings.
00:32:42.46\00:32:44.40
And so when I was
negotiating my contract
00:32:44.70\00:32:46.86
right around that time with
the manager of the radio station
00:32:46.96\00:32:49.15
who was desperate. We
did this little thing where
00:32:49.35\00:32:52.37
every point in the ratings that
I finished ahead of the other
00:32:52.47\00:32:55.24
guy they'd give me
a small pile of money.
00:32:55.34\00:32:57.27
Well actually, a
reasonably large pile of money.
00:32:57.47\00:32:59.38
So if I finished a
whole lot of points ahead
00:32:59.78\00:33:02.36
happy days! But the manager
had no faith that I would.
00:33:02.56\00:33:06.17
But he knew if he
incentivized me like that
00:33:06.37\00:33:08.48
I would work hard and it
would give us our best chance.
00:33:08.69\00:33:10.71
So man, he gave me
the keys to the kingdom.
00:33:11.55\00:33:15.24
And what do you know?
00:33:16.42\00:33:18.50
We won the
ratings by a country mile
00:33:18.90\00:33:21.09
and I was
contemplating early retirement.
00:33:21.39\00:33:23.31
Well it wasn't like that.
00:33:23.51\00:33:25.17
Wasn't like that...
but it was sure good!
00:33:25.20\00:33:27.17
Promises can be expensive.
That promise cost my manager
00:33:27.57\00:33:31.18
a lot of money. And
I never did find out
00:33:31.38\00:33:33.75
what his boss said to
him. I'm sure it wasn't pretty.
00:33:33.85\00:33:36.15
You recall there was a foolish
man who promised a young lady
00:33:36.36\00:33:41.57
as much as half of his kingdom.
00:33:41.77\00:33:43.06
She said: "No that's
fine but do bring me the head
00:33:43.26\00:33:45.58
of John the Baptist. "
00:33:45.68\00:33:47.25
But God made an
extravagant promise.
00:33:48.97\00:33:51.66
"Adam and Eve: you've
done such a terrible thing.
00:33:52.63\00:33:55.20
You know what I'm
going to do? I promise you
00:33:55.40\00:33:57.66
that I'll make it
possible for you to be saved. "
00:33:57.96\00:34:00.91
That's wonderful, isn't it?
00:34:01.31\00:34:04.40
I believe it; I accept
it; I have no problem with it
00:34:04.70\00:34:07.08
but if you try to
get to the bottom of it
00:34:07.18\00:34:09.34
it might bend your brain.
00:34:09.44\00:34:11.14
That's an enormous
thing that God did.
00:34:11.34\00:34:13.54
What a promise:
"I will save you. "
00:34:13.74\00:34:18.79
And God gave the gift
of repentance to us so that
00:34:19.43\00:34:22.17
there is a war
that rages inside of us.
00:34:22.37\00:34:24.47
Thank God for that. We're
born bent, but God comes to us.
00:34:24.67\00:34:27.80
Christ works on us, in us.
00:34:28.00\00:34:30.91
The Spirit of God
refuses to let us go.
00:34:31.11\00:34:33.70
He gives us enlightenment
and show us the pathway
00:34:33.90\00:34:37.06
to a better life.
It's similar to what
00:34:37.09\00:34:39.20
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
said in 1968 in Atlanta, GA.
00:34:39.30\00:34:42.95
He said this:
"In every one of us
00:34:43.25\00:34:45.71
there's a civil war going on.
00:34:45.91\00:34:48.06
Every time you set out to be
good there's something pulling
00:34:48.26\00:34:51.45
on you. Every time
you set out to love
00:34:51.55\00:34:54.29
something keeps pulling on
you trying to get you to hate.
00:34:54.49\00:34:57.49
Every time you set out to
be kind and say nice things
00:34:57.79\00:35:00.76
something is pulling on
you to be jealous and envious
00:35:00.96\00:35:03.57
and spread evil gossip.
We end up crying out with
00:35:03.78\00:35:06.73
with St. Augustine:
"Lord, make me pure...
00:35:06.94\00:35:10.06
but not yet. "
00:35:10.26\00:35:12.88
There's a war that
goes on inside you.
00:35:15.12\00:35:17.19
It's made possible
because of the grace of God.
00:35:17.49\00:35:19.43
If God had not made
that promise to Adam and Eve,
00:35:19.53\00:35:21.24
we would have been
done with long ago.
00:35:21.34\00:35:23.42
We'd have all been
fully given over to do evil.
00:35:23.73\00:35:25.91
But there's enmity today
because God made a promise:
00:35:26.31\00:35:30.18
"I will do this for you:
00:35:30.38\00:35:33.58
Jesus will come into
the world. " And He did.
00:35:33.78\00:35:36.55
And when Jesus was in the
world He made another promise
00:35:36.75\00:35:39.36
to a sinful world. You
know, this was John 14.
00:35:39.56\00:35:43.12
"I will come again and
receive you unto Myself. "
00:35:43.72\00:35:45.58
Not long after that
Peter was denying Him.
00:35:45.88\00:35:48.88
They all forsook Him and fled.
00:35:49.28\00:35:52.30
Jesus promised a
wicked, rebellious, hard-headed,
00:35:52.80\00:35:58.72
hard-heart... and
these were His friends.
00:35:58.92\00:36:01.62
And they abandoned Him
and yet He promised them
00:36:01.92\00:36:05.35
"I will come again. "
00:36:05.55\00:36:07.71
There's no doubt
He will come back
00:36:07.91\00:36:09.62
and He'll come
back to take us home.
00:36:09.92\00:36:12.14
The promise of His coming
suggests some things to me.
00:36:12.34\00:36:15.00
I'll share some points with you.
00:36:15.20\00:36:16.59
I have six to share, and I
don't know if I'll get through
00:36:16.79\00:36:18.74
all six of them or
not... but let's see.
00:36:18.84\00:36:21.79
Number one point: the promise
of His coming tells us that
00:36:22.02\00:36:24.89
Jesus is the Messiah,
the divine Son of God.
00:36:25.10\00:36:29.08
Do you know what the
Bible says? I John 5 verse 12
00:36:29.39\00:36:32.29
"He that hath
the Son hath life. "
00:36:32.49\00:36:36.47
Don't you like that?
00:36:36.67\00:36:37.74
Now let me tell you something.
00:36:39.01\00:36:40.59
Now man, I've got to be
careful that this doesn't become
00:36:40.89\00:36:43.18
the burden of
every discourse I share.
00:36:43.28\00:36:45.44
But some of you know
that over the last year or so
00:36:45.84\00:36:48.89
I had a rather interesting
tangle with ill health...
00:36:49.19\00:36:53.19
one of those tangles that causes
you to think about the big
00:36:56.52\00:36:59.95
picture. If anyone ever
says to you "It's cancer, "
00:37:00.05\00:37:03.95
one of the first things
you think of is "I could die"
00:37:06.14\00:37:09.30
because it's a killer.
00:37:10.82\00:37:12.23
And I thought that,
too: "Man, I could die. "
00:37:12.53\00:37:15.07
And I wondered about that.
00:37:15.37\00:37:16.90
Tell you what... tell
you why... I tell you what...
00:37:17.11\00:37:19.08
I don't have time for
this but I'll tell you anyway.
00:37:19.18\00:37:20.52
I said to myself: "If I die,
where will I spend eternity? "
00:37:21.58\00:37:24.07
Well I said: "I have to
answer the right way and say
00:37:24.31\00:37:28.07
I will be with
God for eternity. "
00:37:28.27\00:37:29.75
And then there was a question
that came to me, and the
00:37:30.15\00:37:32.21
question was: "Upon
what do you base that? "
00:37:32.32\00:37:34.64
And I thought to myself:
"Well, I know the right answer
00:37:38.15\00:37:42.76
but let me think this through.
00:37:42.86\00:37:44.16
I can't base my hope of
eternal life upon my goodness
00:37:44.36\00:37:48.01
because I know
what I'm really like.
00:37:48.04\00:37:49.99
Thank God you don't.
00:37:51.16\00:37:52.71
I know what I'm really like.
00:37:57.13\00:37:58.82
I know my weaknesses,
I know my corruption,
00:37:59.12\00:38:01.15
I know my... you
know... I know my track record.
00:38:01.35\00:38:03.91
I know the stuff I don't
want other people to know.
00:38:04.21\00:38:06.62
If it's up to my
goodness, I'm doomed!
00:38:06.92\00:38:10.30
I mean, even if I live
like Enoch from here on out
00:38:10.70\00:38:14.01
I've got my
past to contend with.
00:38:14.31\00:38:16.76
I'm doomed. What then? "
00:38:17.06\00:38:19.91
And then I realized the
wonderful promise of the Bible:
00:38:21.45\00:38:24.46
"He that hath
the Son hath life. "
00:38:24.76\00:38:29.01
And there it is. I mean, your
good deeds... that's all good.
00:38:29.21\00:38:33.62
Don't make the mistake
of thinking they're going to
00:38:33.82\00:38:35.71
get you into heaven.
The only thing that will
00:38:35.81\00:38:38.33
is Jesus.
Possessing Him by faith.
00:38:38.53\00:38:42.05
If you have
Christ, you have enough.
00:38:42.25\00:38:45.81
We have reason to
love Jesus supremely
00:38:46.11\00:38:48.48
because through Him and
through His merits and by His
00:38:48.68\00:38:51.47
goodness, and because
of what He has done for us
00:38:51.67\00:38:54.23
and what He will do
in us THERE is the basis
00:38:54.43\00:38:58.67
of our hope of everlasting life.
00:38:58.87\00:39:00.82
Thank the Lord
Jesus IS the Messiah.
00:39:01.02\00:39:04.20
He said to us: "Be
ye therefore ready. "
00:39:04.40\00:39:07.66
And that might mean
getting your house in order.
00:39:08.26\00:39:10.30
But you don't start with your
house, you start with Christ.
00:39:10.60\00:39:13.86
Get Christ in your heart.
00:39:14.06\00:39:15.53
When you have Jesus, when
you have fallen on the rock
00:39:15.83\00:39:18.84
and been broken,
when you have told God
00:39:19.04\00:39:21.79
"I accept Christ. " When
you have wrestled in prayer
00:39:21.99\00:39:24.42
like Jacob and said:
"I will not let You go
00:39:24.53\00:39:27.25
until You bless me. "
00:39:27.45\00:39:28.81
"Lord I believe...
and Jesus is mine. "
00:39:29.22\00:39:32.18
Then you don't
have to worry any more.
00:39:32.38\00:39:34.47
If you've accepted Christ,
you have the Son and therefore
00:39:34.67\00:39:38.30
you have life.
Jesus came into this world
00:39:38.50\00:39:41.11
to give you and
me hope and a future.
00:39:41.31\00:39:44.67
And we say "thank God" for that.
00:39:44.87\00:39:46.73
Jesus is the Messiah. That's
what the second coming says.
00:39:47.04\00:39:50.01
A second point tells
us that the second coming
00:39:50.21\00:39:54.47
spells the absolute
end of hope for the lost.
00:39:54.57\00:39:59.51
Revelation chapter 6:
"The heavens depart as
00:39:59.81\00:40:02.70
a scroll. " The lost hide
themselves in the mountains
00:40:02.80\00:40:05.80
and in the dens of
the rocks and they say:
00:40:06.00\00:40:07.84
"fall on us. " Matthew
24, this is in verse 30:
00:40:08.14\00:40:12.36
"All the tribes of
the earth shall mourn. "
00:40:12.56\00:40:15.96
The fact that Jesus is coming
back is a wake-up call for us.
00:40:16.36\00:40:20.22
I will talk with you
more about that tomorrow.
00:40:20.42\00:40:22.00
It is a wake-up call for us.
00:40:22.20\00:40:24.15
He's coming back, and
you might be able to tomorrow
00:40:24.45\00:40:28.56
deal with what you did last
week but one day there's coming
00:40:28.76\00:40:31.57
a time it will just be too late.
00:40:31.67\00:40:33.58
If you've not accepted Christ,
yielded your life to Him,
00:40:33.78\00:40:37.68
made a full surrender and
said "God, be God in my life, "
00:40:37.89\00:40:41.57
after that it will be too late.
00:40:41.77\00:40:47.45
Too late.
00:40:47.71\00:40:49.27
Too late. You don't need
to be neurotic about this
00:40:49.57\00:40:51.83
but you ought to
be urgent about this.
00:40:52.77\00:40:54.68
There ought to be
some urgency about this
00:40:55.67\00:40:57.30
because when Jesus comes back
it's going to be like hide and
00:40:57.60\00:41:00.51
go seek. You remember that?
00:41:00.61\00:41:02.09
You counted to 200 by fives...
that's what we used to do.
00:41:02.40\00:41:05.70
And then you say...
what do you say next?
00:41:06.10\00:41:08.67
"Ready or not, here I
come. " That's what Jesus says.
00:41:09.07\00:41:12.25
"He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still. "
00:41:12.45\00:41:16.83
But thank God: "he that
is righteous... " and she...
00:41:17.04\00:41:19.13
"let that one be
righteous still. "
00:41:19.33\00:41:21.90
When Jesus comes back,
the lost have no more hope.
00:41:22.10\00:41:24.40
Let me appeal to you: if
you're dillydallying around,
00:41:24.50\00:41:26.70
if you're playing, if it's
not right with you and God,
00:41:26.80\00:41:32.17
get it right, would you?
00:41:32.31\00:41:33.51
Get it right... get it right.
00:41:33.81\00:41:36.02
Go to God and say:
"God, make it right. "
00:41:36.16\00:41:37.88
More about
tomorrow... but make it right.
00:41:38.09\00:41:40.14
"Lord, take my
heart. Make it Yours. "
00:41:40.34\00:41:42.68
"Come into my
life... make me Yours. "
00:41:42.88\00:41:44.83
"God, take possession of me. "
00:41:45.14\00:41:48.31
And then it's right.
00:41:48.61\00:41:50.28
A third point I want to share
with you: the second coming
00:41:50.68\00:41:53.27
of Jesus offers us hope.
Isaiah said: "It will be said
00:41:53.37\00:41:57.13
in that day: 'Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for Him
00:41:57.23\00:42:00.54
and He will save us. ' "
00:42:00.74\00:42:04.08
We have a Father who cares.
00:42:04.28\00:42:07.67
He has not forgotten you.
00:42:07.87\00:42:11.45
Man, it's easy for us because
we live in comfortable homes
00:42:12.94\00:42:15.89
and we drive in
comfortable vehicles
00:42:15.99\00:42:17.91
and we've got enough money
to get fed and even help others.
00:42:18.01\00:42:21.41
There are a lot of people
living in this world today
00:42:22.43\00:42:24.54
who are living bereft of hope.
00:42:24.72\00:42:26.33
They are struggling and battling
and they're dealing with
00:42:27.27\00:42:29.22
illnesses and diseases and
they are living in marriages
00:42:29.32\00:42:32.17
that have gone down the toilet
and they're living in homes...
00:42:32.27\00:42:34.34
families... that
have been torn apart.
00:42:34.54\00:42:36.34
And they're going to work
for the last day because they're
00:42:36.54\00:42:38.88
losing their job and they
don't know how they're going to
00:42:38.98\00:42:41.26
make money to eat, and their
kids have gone off the rails.
00:42:41.36\00:42:44.02
And it seems as though
God has abandoned them.
00:42:44.22\00:42:47.58
Except... God
will never forget us
00:42:49.48\00:42:53.20
and He has said: "I'm
coming back for you. "
00:42:53.60\00:42:59.59
He knows your name.
00:42:59.89\00:43:00.93
He knows your address.
00:43:01.13\00:43:02.39
He knows everything
there is to know about you.
00:43:02.59\00:43:04.88
He knows when your
next breath will be taken.
00:43:04.99\00:43:07.57
God is sending
His Son Jesus back.
00:43:07.77\00:43:10.28
It tells us He loves
us. He has not forgotten us
00:43:10.58\00:43:14.95
and will never forget us.
00:43:15.15\00:43:17.23
Jesus is coming back
soon; God won't forget ya.
00:43:17.53\00:43:21.94
I believe, too, the return
of Jesus offers us comfort.
00:43:22.44\00:43:26.52
Don't you believe that?
00:43:26.76\00:43:27.98
"The Lord Himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout
00:43:29.22\00:43:32.00
with the voice of the archangel
and with the trump of God. "
00:43:32.30\00:43:35.21
What's going to happen?
The dead in Christ shall what?
00:43:35.51\00:43:38.27
Oh... come on, now.
00:43:38.47\00:43:40.30
"The dead in Christ shall
rise first. " Thank the Lord!
00:43:40.50\00:43:44.67
Paul said: "For me to live
is Christ and to die is gain. "
00:43:45.59\00:43:48.43
And I have to
think about that, too.
00:43:48.53\00:43:50.15
The worst thing
that can happen...
00:43:50.55\00:43:52.74
I had a conversation
with a young man the other day
00:43:54.15\00:43:56.29
and we were talking
about the death of his mother.
00:43:56.40\00:43:57.79
She died too young,
00:43:57.99\00:43:59.29
and there were some
circumstances that took place
00:44:00.72\00:44:03.58
about this whole business
of the death of his mother.
00:44:03.78\00:44:06.28
And I said to him... I said:
00:44:06.48\00:44:09.17
"Was death really the worst
thing that could have happened
00:44:09.47\00:44:13.55
to your mother? " I
mean, stop and think about it,
00:44:13.65\00:44:16.52
ladies and gentlemen.
The worst thing that can...
00:44:16.62\00:44:19.11
If the worst thing that
can happen is that you die,
00:44:19.21\00:44:22.00
well the best news is the
next thing you're going to be
00:44:22.40\00:44:25.02
aware of is that
Jesus has come back
00:44:25.13\00:44:27.17
and He's raised you
from your dusty grave.
00:44:27.37\00:44:29.39
Man... death is not the end!
00:44:29.69\00:44:32.22
Isn't that good news?
00:44:32.52\00:44:33.55
That is supremely good news.
00:44:33.75\00:44:35.49
We have hope tonight
that beyond this world
00:44:35.69\00:44:38.27
there is a world to come.
00:44:38.47\00:44:40.14
Beyond this life there is a life
which measures with the life
00:44:40.34\00:44:44.28
of God. The return of Jesus
offers us hope, immense hope.
00:44:44.58\00:44:50.54
Thank the Lord.
Say "Amen" tonight.
00:44:50.64\00:44:53.12
Amen! Jesus is coming back soon.
00:44:53.42\00:44:55.24
"We shall not all
sleep but we shall be changed
00:44:55.44\00:44:59.12
all, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye
00:44:59.32\00:45:02.46
at the last trumpet. "
This is when Jesus calls out
00:45:02.66\00:45:05.61
"Awake, you that
sleep in the dust. "
00:45:05.81\00:45:10.39
When Jesus comes
back it's the end of sin.
00:45:10.59\00:45:13.40
It's the end of death. You won't
fear for your children's safety.
00:45:13.60\00:45:18.65
You won't have to
say: "Oh my goodness...
00:45:18.85\00:45:21.00
did I take my
medication this morning? "
00:45:21.03\00:45:23.10
There won't be nursing homes
and long stays in the hospital.
00:45:23.30\00:45:26.32
No chemotherapy; no dialysis.
00:45:26.53\00:45:29.36
No strokes; no heart attacks.
00:45:29.56\00:45:31.45
There won't be chemical
dependencies or addictions.
00:45:31.65\00:45:34.21
There won't be
crimes and criminals.
00:45:34.41\00:45:36.28
The funeral parlors will exist
no more, and the undertakers
00:45:36.49\00:45:39.04
will be out of
business. So will the doctors.
00:45:39.14\00:45:41.53
Thank the Lord...
no more bills to pay.
00:45:41.73\00:45:43.91
No more tax returns to fill out.
00:45:44.12\00:45:46.35
No injustice; no discrimination.
00:45:46.55\00:45:49.56
Jesus is coming
back to take us home
00:45:49.76\00:45:52.25
to a land where
the flowers never fade
00:45:52.45\00:45:54.96
and the inhabitants thereof
will not say "I am sick. "
00:45:55.16\00:45:57.64
I'm about ready to
go! What about you?
00:45:57.84\00:45:59.66
Amen! Man, this is good news!
00:45:59.86\00:46:01.68
Another point right
there: when Jesus returns
00:46:01.98\00:46:04.85
we get to go home.
00:46:05.05\00:46:07.83
"Well tell me what it's like,
preacher, if it's so good. "
00:46:08.23\00:46:10.57
Well I can't
'cause I've never been.
00:46:10.87\00:46:13.74
I can tell you what
it's like in my home.
00:46:13.98\00:46:15.89
I can tell you what it's like
in New Zealand. That's good.
00:46:16.19\00:46:19.17
I can tell you about
the places I've been to
00:46:19.47\00:46:21.47
but I can't tell you
about what heaven's like...
00:46:21.77\00:46:24.34
and I'm glad. The Bible
says: "Eye has not seen,
00:46:24.44\00:46:26.93
ear has not heard, it has
not entered into the heart
00:46:27.13\00:46:29.31
of man the things
that God has prepared
00:46:29.51\00:46:31.53
for them that love Him. "
00:46:31.63\00:46:32.96
It's better
than you can imagine!
00:46:33.11\00:46:35.83
Amen! How about that?
00:46:36.03\00:46:37.56
We get to go home... hallelujah!
00:46:37.86\00:46:40.92
Home... home forever.
00:46:41.22\00:46:43.62
The home we're meant to be in.
00:46:44.02\00:46:46.43
Oh man! Another point... this
might even be the 6th point.
00:46:46.63\00:46:49.90
The return of Jesus... It
might not. Were you counting?
00:46:50.72\00:46:54.06
"Yeah, honey, it went well.
They were right with me tonight
00:46:57.92\00:47:00.80
every step of the
way... making notes. "
00:47:01.10\00:47:05.67
The sixth point: why
don't you turn in your Bible to
00:47:06.88\00:47:09.26
Titus chapter 2.
The return of Jesus
00:47:09.36\00:47:12.26
is an enormous
celebration of the grace of God.
00:47:12.56\00:47:16.23
That's what it is.
00:47:16.53\00:47:18.00
It's a celebration
of the grace of God.
00:47:18.30\00:47:20.88
It says in Titus 2 and verse 11:
00:47:21.08\00:47:23.61
"For the grace of God
that bringeth salvation
00:47:24.75\00:47:27.24
has appeared to all
men. " You like that.
00:47:27.44\00:47:29.24
To all. Grace brings salvation
00:47:29.27\00:47:32.00
and that grace
has appeared to all.
00:47:32.21\00:47:34.05
"Teaching us that
denying ungodliness
00:47:34.35\00:47:37.29
and worldly lusts
00:47:37.49\00:47:39.32
we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly
00:47:39.52\00:47:42.79
in this present world
looking for that... " What?
00:47:42.89\00:47:47.34
You know, when I wore
a younger man's clothes
00:47:51.34\00:47:55.44
I used to frequent Pentecostal
churches from time to time.
00:47:55.84\00:47:58.73
And I was very excited
00:47:59.55\00:48:01.06
because when the preacher
said "Looking for that what? "
00:48:01.36\00:48:04.40
everybody spoke up.
00:48:04.70\00:48:06.26
But then I found the truth
and the Lord led me to a place
00:48:06.46\00:48:10.89
where some speak and most don't.
00:48:11.09\00:48:13.01
I said: "Lord, how come is
it that people without the truth
00:48:15.74\00:48:18.14
get so excited and
the people with the truth
00:48:18.34\00:48:20.36
it's like they've been
injected with propofol? "
00:48:20.57\00:48:24.00
I mean, what is it?
00:48:24.10\00:48:25.13
Looking for that reasonably-
good hope... looking for that
00:48:31.16\00:48:35.93
so-so hope. Come on now,
help me out. "Looking for
00:48:36.13\00:48:38.53
that... " What? Blessed
Hope. "the Blessed Hope... "
00:48:38.73\00:48:41.27
Thank the Lord. "And the
glorious appearing of... "
00:48:41.47\00:48:43.53
"the glorious appearing. "
00:48:44.10\00:48:45.92
You can't just
brush right over that.
00:48:46.02\00:48:47.77
"the glorious
appearing of the great God
00:48:48.17\00:48:51.22
and our Savior Jesus Christ. "
00:48:51.42\00:48:54.63
Grace! Paul starts this thing
off telling us salvation has
00:48:54.84\00:48:58.55
come to all by the grace of God.
00:48:58.75\00:49:02.81
That same grace teaches us
we ought to live a certain way
00:49:03.01\00:49:05.78
and it is that grace
that enables that to happen
00:49:05.98\00:49:08.53
as the God of grace allows
His Son Jesus to come and live
00:49:08.73\00:49:11.78
His life in you.
00:49:11.98\00:49:14.34
Something else
about the return of Jesus:
00:49:14.54\00:49:16.51
evil will be gone!
00:49:16.71\00:49:18.74
Oh, there's a wonderful
prophecy that Satan hates...
00:49:18.94\00:49:21.31
Satan hates in Isaiah 14.
00:49:21.61\00:49:24.14
"You shall be brought down to
hell, to the sides of the pit.
00:49:24.24\00:49:26.86
They that see thee
shall narrowly look upon thee
00:49:27.16\00:49:29.80
and consider thee saying:
'Is this the man that made
00:49:30.00\00:49:33.01
the earth to tremble?
That did shake kingdoms?
00:49:33.12\00:49:35.51
That made the world as
a wilderness and destroyed
00:49:35.71\00:49:38.33
the cities thereof, that opened
not the house of his prison? "
00:49:38.43\00:49:42.44
You know what? One day you're
going to look at the devil
00:49:42.64\00:49:43.93
and you're going
to say: "Is that it? "
00:49:44.13\00:49:46.58
"We let him mess us up? "
00:49:48.47\00:49:50.81
"What... what
were we thinking? "
00:49:51.31\00:49:53.69
Really... that's
what the prophecy says.
00:49:54.19\00:49:57.18
We will look on him
and say: "Huh? Is that it?
00:49:57.69\00:50:01.73
This is the one who
caused misery for the world? "
00:50:01.93\00:50:04.19
When Jesus comes back
it's going to be over.
00:50:04.49\00:50:10.07
Well, I took the whole
time to tell you the first half
00:50:10.27\00:50:12.82
of my sermon, and now
I'll give you the second half
00:50:12.92\00:50:15.62
in about two
minutes and 47 seconds.
00:50:15.82\00:50:17.77
And the second half is
this: ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:18.07\00:50:20.41
the Blessed Hope
ought to do something in ya.
00:50:20.71\00:50:23.91
It ought to fire you up
and fill you with confidence.
00:50:24.01\00:50:26.51
We ought to be
believing Jesus is coming back.
00:50:26.71\00:50:28.85
And if we know that
Jesus is coming back,
00:50:29.15\00:50:30.85
we hang on to Him. We
cling to Him like a barnacle
00:50:31.05\00:50:34.55
clings to the hull of a ship.
00:50:34.75\00:50:36.15
We hold on and we don't let go!
00:50:36.25\00:50:38.47
We love Him
because He would save us.
00:50:38.77\00:50:40.70
We trust Him because
He's coming to get us back.
00:50:40.90\00:50:43.85
We thank Him because
He would forgive us...
00:50:44.06\00:50:46.34
We yield to Him because
He has died to set us free.
00:50:46.54\00:50:50.74
But not only should the
Blessed Hope do something in us
00:50:50.94\00:50:54.45
it's got to do
something through us.
00:50:54.65\00:50:56.87
Now come on... do you
believe Jesus is coming back?
00:50:58.03\00:51:00.63
Yes. Do you know
Jesus is coming back?
00:51:00.83\00:51:03.48
Yes. Does your neighbor
know Jesus is coming back?
00:51:03.79\00:51:07.73
Who's the only person who
can do anything about that?
00:51:10.40\00:51:12.81
Hmmm?
00:51:14.71\00:51:16.04
We've got people living
next door who don't know Jesus
00:51:16.34\00:51:19.35
from anybody else. Ron
Watts who is our manager
00:51:19.45\00:51:21.75
right now at It Is Written work-
ed in India for many many years.
00:51:21.85\00:51:25.51
He went into a
remote... a village in India
00:51:25.71\00:51:28.08
and he said to somebody:
"Hey, have you ever heard of
00:51:29.20\00:51:32.42
a Man named Jesus Christ? "
00:51:32.52\00:51:34.47
And the Indian man
looked. He said: "Hmmm, hmmm. "
00:51:35.39\00:51:38.63
More like
this... India, you know.
00:51:38.73\00:51:40.20
"Hmmm, hmmm. " He
turned to his friend.
00:51:40.40\00:51:43.39
They spoke in I'm
not sure which language.
00:51:43.59\00:51:45.68
They turned back and they
said: "No, no, as far as we know
00:51:45.78\00:51:48.47
there's no one here
living here by that name. "
00:51:48.57\00:51:50.39
Never heard of Jesus.
00:51:53.78\00:51:55.85
Did you hear what I
said? Never heard of Jesus.
00:51:57.09\00:52:01.90
Now that's India.
What about where we are?
00:52:02.40\00:52:04.61
The United States are
a first-world country.
00:52:04.71\00:52:06.61
People have heard of Jesus.
00:52:06.81\00:52:08.42
But to many people
He's a cartoon character
00:52:09.02\00:52:11.72
or a swear word or
some irrelevant thing.
00:52:11.92\00:52:17.42
We know Jesus is coming back.
It's up to us to tell others
00:52:18.63\00:52:21.50
that Jesus is coming back.
00:52:21.60\00:52:22.93
We've got to be set on fire by
this hope with an evangelistic
00:52:23.87\00:52:27.17
fervor to see to it
that we commit our lives,
00:52:27.37\00:52:30.73
our talents, our resources,
00:52:31.03\00:52:34.84
our creativity to
letting the world know
00:52:35.04\00:52:38.88
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:52:39.08\00:52:41.94
All around us there
are people going to hell,
00:52:42.24\00:52:44.61
going down to Christless graves.
00:52:44.91\00:52:47.06
They will not come up
in the first resurrection.
00:52:47.26\00:52:49.32
Masses of people...
multitudes of people.
00:52:49.62\00:52:52.90
Yet we've got what they need.
00:52:53.20\00:52:55.94
When Jesus called them
He said: "You fishermen:
00:52:56.35\00:52:58.73
I will make you
fishers of men. "
00:52:58.93\00:53:01.16
A demoniac came to
Jesus; Jesus cast the demon out.
00:53:01.46\00:53:04.84
He said: "I
want to follow You. "
00:53:05.04\00:53:06.10
Jesus said: "No, no, no.
You don't want to follow Me.
00:53:06.20\00:53:08.02
Go home and share with others
what I have done for you. "
00:53:08.22\00:53:11.04
And that was so powerful
that when Jesus came back there
00:53:11.24\00:53:13.82
the whole city - the people
who kicked Him out last time -
00:53:14.02\00:53:16.94
were ready to welcome Him back.
00:53:17.24\00:53:19.15
Isn't that something?
00:53:19.82\00:53:21.73
Ladies and gentlemen, it's
one thing for us to proudly
00:53:22.03\00:53:24.74
puff out our chests and
say: "I know what I believe
00:53:24.94\00:53:27.80
and Jesus is coming back.
00:53:28.00\00:53:29.29
Check that one
off... I believe it. "
00:53:29.49\00:53:30.91
That's fine, but come on now.
00:53:31.11\00:53:33.26
We don't possess this
belief just for the sake of our
00:53:33.46\00:53:36.08
intellect or the sake
of merely our souls...
00:53:36.18\00:53:38.82
but for the sake of others.
00:53:39.12\00:53:40.84
God has given us the truth.
You know when there were these
00:53:41.24\00:53:43.25
people who believed Jesus
was coming back in the 1840's
00:53:43.35\00:53:45.70
led by a Baptist
named William Miller.
00:53:46.00\00:53:47.89
And they believed
Jesus was coming back.
00:53:48.19\00:53:49.43
The Bible talks about
that in Revelation chapter 10.
00:53:49.63\00:53:53.39
"Take this little
book... " Book of Daniel...
00:53:53.63\00:53:55.69
"put it in your
mouth. It will be sweet.
00:53:55.89\00:53:57.47
Swallow it... it'll be bitter. "
00:53:57.67\00:53:59.22
And they did that
and then the angel said:
00:53:59.42\00:54:01.43
"Prophesy again before
kings and these people and that
00:54:01.63\00:54:04.70
people. Prophesy again. "
00:54:04.80\00:54:06.55
In other words, you
believe Jesus is coming back.
00:54:06.75\00:54:09.05
I am commissioning
you. You've got a message,
00:54:09.26\00:54:12.18
a responsibility, a
privilege to tell others.
00:54:12.38\00:54:17.79
And I would close by telling
you that knowing that Jesus is
00:54:18.80\00:54:21.31
coming back gives us
hope. What does hope do?
00:54:21.41\00:54:24.77
Hope will change your life.
00:54:24.97\00:54:26.33
Hope will change your life.
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I wanted to tell
you about my friend Ron.
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I don't have time but
instead I'll tell you a story
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that was first shared by a
fellow you might have heard of.
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His name was George Vandeman.
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He worked for a
ministry you might have heard of
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called It Is Written
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and he hosted a television
program by the same name.
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Vandeman talked about a
little boy in Massachusetts
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named Shawn Butler. The doctor
said: "Shawn is going to die.
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He is full of cancer. "
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Well, somebody arranged for a
first baseman from the Red Sox,
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Dave Stapleton, to
come and visit Shawn.
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And when Shawn
heard Dave's voice
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he opened his eyes.
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Dave said: "Shawn, tomorrow
I will hit a homerun for you. "
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Well, little Shawn
had to watch the game.
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And sure enough, Dave
stepped up to the plate
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and smacked the
ball over the fence.
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Something remarkable happened.
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It wasn't long after
that that the doctor said:
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"There's something
we can't figure out.
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This boy is well now.
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He was saved by hope. "
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