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.
00:09:36.50\00:09:39.67
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.
00:10:02.06\00:10:05.10
John chapter 14 verse 1. I
used to tell my congregations
00:10:05.33\00:10:08.70
"If I ever tell you anything
that you've never heard before,
00:10:08.84\00:10:11.17
there's something wrong either
with you or me... one of us. "
00:10:11.21\00:10:14.04
John 14 verse 1 Jesus said: "Let
not your heart be... " What?
00:10:15.18\00:10:20.58
"troubled. "
00:10:20.62\00:10:21.58
He said: "You believe in
God believe also in... " What?
00:10:21.78\00:10:25.49
"Me. "
00:10:25.69\00:10:26.92
"In My Father's
house are many mansions;
00:10:27.16\00:10:29.76
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:10:29.89\00:10:31.79
I go to prepare a place
for you. " Do you like that?
00:10:31.93\00:10:35.76
"And if I go and
prepare a place for you... "
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Say it with me:
00:10:39.23\00:10:40.60
"I will come again to
receive you unto Myself
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so that where I am there...
" What? "you may be also. "
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What a promise!
Jesus said: "I'm leaving.
00:10:48.21\00:10:51.21
I am going to
heaven and I'm coming back.
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And when I come
back I'm getting you
00:10:54.75\00:10:57.55
and I'm taking you to
be with Me in that place
00:10:57.69\00:11:01.59
forever. " Praise the Lord!
00:11:01.72\00:11:05.39
You know, something I enjoy
doing... and I don't think this
00:11:05.63\00:11:07.86
is very different than most
people: I enjoy driving around
00:11:07.86\00:11:10.03
and seeing nice homes.
00:11:10.07\00:11:11.70
I don't mean every day I'm
saying to my wife: "Let's go
00:11:11.93\00:11:14.27
driving, " but you know
what I mean. It's always nice
00:11:14.30\00:11:16.17
to look at... "Well
that is beautiful. "
00:11:16.30\00:11:17.94
"Look at that
beautiful structure. "
00:11:18.17\00:11:19.84
Do you know something?
You have not even imagined
00:11:19.97\00:11:22.91
in your wildest dreams what
Jesus is preparing in heaven
00:11:23.08\00:11:26.41
for you now. And
bear with me for a moment.
00:11:26.45\00:11:30.39
We know that in heaven we
shall walk on streets of gold.
00:11:30.52\00:11:32.75
We'll enter the place
through gates of pearl.
00:11:32.89\00:11:34.62
But you know
what? I could care less.
00:11:34.86\00:11:36.66
I don't mind if there is a
pup tent up there waiting for me
00:11:36.79\00:11:39.26
next to a lane
that's covered in mud
00:11:39.39\00:11:41.86
and rocks and stones
because for me heaven is
00:11:42.00\00:11:45.87
less about the mansion,
less about the pavement,
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.67
less about what the
pearls are made out of
00:11:48.80\00:11:50.71
and all about the fact that
God and His Son, our Savior,
00:11:50.84\00:11:54.88
elder brother
Jesus will be there.
00:11:55.01\00:11:56.88
That's enough for me.
00:11:57.01\00:11:58.85
Eternity's
going to be beautiful.
00:11:58.88\00:12:00.65
The promise of the return of
Jesus is the central theme of
00:12:00.78\00:12:04.05
the New Testament and you could
say the theme of the Bible.
00:12:04.09\00:12:06.89
From the day when Adam and Eve
turned their steps slowly away
00:12:07.12\00:12:11.69
from the gates of Eden
people of faith have been
00:12:11.73\00:12:15.06
waiting for their Redeemer
to bring them again to the
00:12:15.10\00:12:18.40
lost paradise. First
book of the Bible written
00:12:18.43\00:12:21.67
was the book of Job
and in that book Job said
00:12:21.80\00:12:25.67
"I know that my Redeemer liveth
00:12:25.81\00:12:29.41
and that He shall stand upon
the earth in the latter day. "
00:12:29.54\00:12:32.58
He said: "And though
worms destroy this body
00:12:32.71\00:12:35.35
yet in my flesh
I shall see God. "
00:12:35.48\00:12:40.12
Job was looking
forward to the return of Jesus
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.79
and Job lived
thousands of years ago.
00:12:42.92\00:12:45.63
Saint Paul wrote in II Timothy
chapter 4: "I am now ready
00:12:45.86\00:12:49.73
to be offered. The time
of my departure is at hand.
00:12:49.76\00:12:52.37
I have fought a good fight;
I have finished my course;
00:12:52.50\00:12:55.57
I have kept the faith.
00:12:55.70\00:12:57.27
Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness
00:12:57.51\00:13:01.68
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
00:13:01.81\00:13:04.48
shall give me... "
When? "at that day.
00:13:04.61\00:13:07.88
And not to me only
but unto all them also
00:13:08.12\00:13:11.52
who love His appearing. "
00:13:11.65\00:13:14.09
Paul said: "I'm going
to die and fall asleep
00:13:14.22\00:13:16.39
but I am looking
forward to that day. "
00:13:16.52\00:13:18.63
"I will receive a crown of
righteousness on that day. "
00:13:18.76\00:13:22.06
"All those who love His appear-
ing will be blessed supremely
00:13:22.20\00:13:25.70
by God on that day. "
00:13:25.83\00:13:28.27
That great day when
Jesus comes to take us home!
00:13:28.50\00:13:32.24
The long-promised Messiah
will one day really appear.
00:13:32.47\00:13:38.28
It is said that
one verse in every 25
00:13:38.41\00:13:41.18
in the New Testament
refers to Jesus' second coming.
00:13:41.32\00:13:43.92
The Bible talks
about "the Blessed Hope. "
00:13:44.05\00:13:49.52
And I don't want you thinking
it's the blessed hope as in
00:13:49.86\00:13:51.93
"Well I... I
hope He comes back. "
00:13:51.96\00:13:54.30
You know, ladies and gentlemen,
there are some things that
00:13:54.56\00:13:57.97
you should not hope
for. You should not hope
00:13:58.00\00:14:01.50
to be saved when
Jesus comes back.
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.24
There I was standing in
church where I was pastoring
00:14:05.54\00:14:08.14
and after early service in the
chapel people were filing out
00:14:08.38\00:14:11.48
and I was shaking
hands as I love to do.
00:14:11.61\00:14:13.88
And there was a dear
saint who came by. And I said...
00:14:14.02\00:14:17.15
I don't know... what did
I say? Oh I'll make it up...
00:14:17.19\00:14:19.09
You weren't
there... you'll never know.
00:14:19.12\00:14:20.32
I don't know what was
said but it was something like:
00:14:24.83\00:14:27.73
"Well sister, the good news
is Jesus is coming back soon. "
00:14:27.86\00:14:30.73
Ah, that was it
exactly word for word:
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.13
"Jesus is coming back soon. "
00:14:33.47\00:14:35.10
And she looked up at me and
with I don't know quite what
00:14:35.14\00:14:38.11
in her eyes she said: "Pastor,
I just hope I'm ready. "
00:14:38.14\00:14:41.94
I said to the next person in
line: "Would you mind waiting
00:14:43.38\00:14:46.01
here a moment? Excuse us. "
00:14:46.05\00:14:47.35
And I ushered here
over here a little bit
00:14:47.38\00:14:49.72
and I said:
"Sister, we need to talk. "
00:14:49.85\00:14:51.09
And she looked at me like
she was being taken to the
00:14:51.22\00:14:53.62
principal's office.
But the fact was.. she was!
00:14:53.66\00:14:58.89
And I said: "What did you say?
00:14:59.06\00:15:00.43
Did you say you hope to be
ready when Jesus comes back? "
00:15:00.56\00:15:03.06
And she said: "Yes...
did I say something wrong? "
00:15:03.30\00:15:05.77
And I said: "Yes. "
00:15:05.90\00:15:08.57
"Well, shouldn't I
hope to be ready? "
00:15:08.80\00:15:11.07
"No. " Why here's the pastor
telling her not to hope to be
00:15:11.31\00:15:14.04
ready to meet
Jesus when He comes back.
00:15:14.08\00:15:16.54
I said: "Have you accepted
Jesus as your personal Savior? "
00:15:16.98\00:15:20.15
"Yes. " I said: "Are you living
in any kind of wild, crazy
00:15:20.28\00:15:24.02
lifestyle that I should
know about? " "No pastor! "
00:15:24.05\00:15:27.39
Well I knew that. I said:
"Then you don't need to hope
00:15:27.62\00:15:31.19
to be ready when
Jesus comes back.
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.06
You can live your days knowing,
believing that you are ready
00:15:33.19\00:15:37.27
to meet Jesus
when He comes back. "
00:15:37.30\00:15:38.83
Amen! If we are
confused about that, man,
00:15:38.87\00:15:41.57
we are seriously confused.
00:15:41.70\00:15:44.17
John wrote in I John: "I
have written these things
00:15:44.51\00:15:47.44
to you so that you may
KNOW. " You don't need to doubt
00:15:47.48\00:15:52.25
and you don't need to
hope. Instead, you can believe!
00:15:52.38\00:15:55.88
Don't be telling
anybody "I hope so. "
00:15:56.02\00:15:58.25
Hope implies doubt;
it implies uncertainty.
00:15:58.49\00:16:01.92
If you tell me you hope to
be ready, then you're telling me
00:16:02.06\00:16:04.36
there's a good
chance you might not be.
00:16:04.39\00:16:06.23
Come on now, the day
you accepted Jesus Christ
00:16:06.36\00:16:09.26
you received Him, you
received His righteousness...
00:16:09.30\00:16:12.57
what more do you need?
00:16:12.70\00:16:14.04
Live a life of hope;
live a life connected to God;
00:16:14.27\00:16:18.27
and you are living a
life of confident assurance.
00:16:18.41\00:16:22.04
And I'm not talking about you
saying: "Well now that I'm saved
00:16:22.28\00:16:24.95
I can't be lost. " You
know I'm not saying that.
00:16:24.98\00:16:27.28
But when you have
Christ... Come on now,
00:16:27.42\00:16:29.78
when I travel back to the
United States I don't travel on
00:16:29.82\00:16:33.66
a U.S. passport.
But it's OK... really.
00:16:33.69\00:16:37.03
I still travel on a
New Zealand passport.
00:16:37.76\00:16:40.00
When I come back with
my passport and I hand over
00:16:40.13\00:16:42.80
my green card and I
know they can't keep me out.
00:16:42.83\00:16:46.60
Legally I mean...
unless I break the law...
00:16:46.84\00:16:49.14
they can't not let me in!
00:16:49.37\00:16:51.51
I belong! When I travel home to
my home country of New Zealand
00:16:51.74\00:16:55.24
I flash that New Zealand
passport at them. In fact,
00:16:55.38\00:16:58.18
I don't even have to
talk to a person. I just
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.35
look in a machine
and it reads my mind or
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.32
looks at my retinas or something
and I put my passport in a slot
00:17:03.55\00:17:08.02
and I pull it out and
the doors open and I'm in.
00:17:08.16\00:17:10.06
And they can't keep me out!
00:17:11.59\00:17:13.60
I'm a citizen,
man... I have my passport!
00:17:13.76\00:17:17.13
If you have Christ
in your heart by faith,
00:17:17.67\00:17:22.07
you've got your passport.
00:17:22.20\00:17:24.47
You have punched
your ticket for heaven!
00:17:24.61\00:17:28.08
God can't keep you out.
00:17:28.21\00:17:31.21
Why would He?
He doesn't want to.
00:17:31.35\00:17:33.28
Because if you are
connected to Jesus by faith
00:17:33.42\00:17:36.52
the Blessed Hope has
become the blessed reality.
00:17:36.65\00:17:39.69
Praise the Lord! Amen!
00:17:39.82\00:17:41.92
Don't leave this place...
If there's any doubt in your
00:17:42.06\00:17:44.19
mind about your connection with
Jesus and whether or not you're
00:17:44.23\00:17:46.56
ready for the second
coming don't go. Just stay.
00:17:46.59\00:17:49.30
Tell security: "I'm not leaving
until I get this figured out
00:17:49.43\00:17:52.10
with God. " It's that important.
00:17:52.13\00:17:55.07
The Blessed Hope... not
hope as in "Hmmm, I hope so. "
00:17:55.20\00:17:58.57
But it is a
certainty... it's a promise.
00:17:58.71\00:18:03.08
We're talking about the
promise of Christ's coming.
00:18:03.21\00:18:06.98
Jesus has made a
promise: "I'm coming back
00:18:07.12\00:18:12.32
for you. " And this is a
promise that He will keep.
00:18:12.49\00:18:16.69
Jesus has kept every
single solitary promise
00:18:16.83\00:18:20.43
that He ever made,
00:18:20.56\00:18:21.93
and He's not about to
let us down on this one.
00:18:22.06\00:18:24.47
And do we know when
Jesus is going to come back?
00:18:24.50\00:18:26.17
Do we know?
00:18:26.50\00:18:27.64
You said no? You're
wrong. Of course we know.
00:18:27.77\00:18:29.90
That's right...
He's coming back soon.
00:18:30.14\00:18:32.34
We know that.
00:18:32.37\00:18:33.64
Now Jesus said: "No man
knows the day or the hour. "
00:18:37.45\00:18:39.68
I understand that. Boy, you've
got to love these preachers.
00:18:39.81\00:18:42.88
"Well no one knows the day
or the hour, but if you take the
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.05
1,260-day prophecy... "
00:18:45.09\00:18:47.26
Oh-oh, there's
trouble brewing right there.
00:18:47.59\00:18:50.93
"I'm not setting dates...
but if you take the 1,260 days
00:18:51.06\00:18:56.73
and then you add another
30 and if a day is a year... "
00:18:56.87\00:19:00.44
Oh come on man, no one
knows the day or the hour.
00:19:00.57\00:19:02.94
Don't try to be more
clever than the Holy Spirit.
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.94
No one knows
the day or the hour.
00:19:06.91\00:19:09.14
Having said that, Jesus
said we can know that His coming
00:19:09.28\00:19:12.38
is near... even at the
door. And I believe that!
00:19:12.51\00:19:16.18
And I know
you've heard this before
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.09
but I'm not trying to
impress you with anything new.
00:19:18.22\00:19:20.29
I'm trying to
encourage you that what you know
00:19:20.42\00:19:23.56
and believe is rock solid
00:19:23.69\00:19:26.29
and you can be
confident in that and in Christ.
00:19:26.43\00:19:29.76
Jesus said: "When these things
begin to come to pass... "
00:19:29.93\00:19:32.83
And He had said in
Matthew chapter 24:
00:19:32.97\00:19:34.97
"Wars, rumors of
wars, earthquakes, famines,
00:19:35.10\00:19:39.37
pestilences, false Christs. "
00:19:39.51\00:19:42.24
Now I tell you what: every time
there's an earthquake or a flash
00:19:42.48\00:19:45.48
of lightning you don't have
to think: "Man! Maybe Jesus is
00:19:45.51\00:19:48.95
coming right now. "
Because in verse 8 in Matthew 24
00:19:48.98\00:19:51.99
He said: "All these things
are the beginnings of sorrows. "
00:19:52.12\00:19:55.39
Like birth
pains... you've heard this.
00:19:55.62\00:19:57.86
And as they increase
in frequency and intensity
00:19:58.09\00:20:01.63
it's a sign to us
that Jesus is coming back.
00:20:01.76\00:20:04.60
Now when you were a kid you
remember somebody going nuts
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.54
with a gun and shooting some-
body on the other side of town.
00:20:07.57\00:20:10.01
And you said: "Oh man,
Jesus is coming back. "
00:20:10.14\00:20:12.97
And then there was Columbine
00:20:13.21\00:20:14.58
and you said: "Jesus
is coming back tomorrow. "
00:20:14.71\00:20:16.38
And then there was Virginia Tech
and you said: "No one can be...
00:20:16.51\00:20:19.31
this is just crazy. "
And then there was Sandy Hook
00:20:19.45\00:20:22.15
and you said: "God, how
much longer can this go on? "
00:20:22.32\00:20:24.95
Increasing in
frequency and intensity.
00:20:25.82\00:20:28.46
It's getting mad out there!
00:20:28.69\00:20:30.83
Natural disasters like
you've never seen before.
00:20:30.96\00:20:33.96
Hurricane Katrina... Wait a
minute. That was a few years ago
00:20:34.10\00:20:36.83
right? And we
kind of... " Oh well,
00:20:36.87\00:20:39.93
that's over... "
until the next one.
00:20:40.07\00:20:43.44
And sure as anything
the next one will come.
00:20:44.44\00:20:48.08
We live in California
and the ground shakes...
00:20:48.21\00:20:50.28
I uh... oh man!
00:20:50.45\00:20:53.05
Now not just in California.
Not far from here in western
00:20:53.38\00:20:55.62
Tennessee. Well
I'll tell you a story.
00:20:55.65\00:20:58.22
It was nighttime. We
were childless at the time
00:20:58.35\00:21:02.79
and my wife was
sitting on the end of the bed.
00:21:03.02\00:21:05.06
And so I sat down next to her.
00:21:05.39\00:21:06.73
I did something I
hardly ever do: I leaned over
00:21:06.76\00:21:09.13
and I kissed her. I mean I
don't know what I was thinking.
00:21:09.16\00:21:12.57
She had the shock of her
life: "What are you doing? "
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.17
But right as I kissed
her - this is fantastic -
00:21:24.31\00:21:27.48
right as I kissed her
the ground shook. Huh?
00:21:27.62\00:21:32.55
How 'bout that?
00:21:32.92\00:21:34.12
Wow! Yeah, I got it.
00:21:35.96\00:21:39.89
The ground
shook; the house shook.
00:21:40.33\00:21:43.90
Thank the Lord it wasn't too
bad but it was... the earthquake
00:21:44.13\00:21:46.60
was big enough that it
moved glasses and, you know,
00:21:46.63\00:21:49.47
you could see where they'd
been and they'd moved and stuff
00:21:49.60\00:21:51.91
and things on the wall. And wow!
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.78
She looked at me with her eyes
big. I said: "You want me to
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.31
do that again? "
00:21:57.35\00:21:59.15
"Yeah. "
00:22:03.99\00:22:05.45
I live in California and
we had an earthquake recently.
00:22:08.12\00:22:11.49
It was right about the
time we were getting out of bed
00:22:11.63\00:22:13.56
and I'm laying in bed and
the room started to shake.
00:22:13.70\00:22:18.33
And the construction of the
place we're living in is such
00:22:18.37\00:22:21.47
that our room is... Well anyway,
I think it's precariously
00:22:21.60\00:22:25.71
positioned. And you lay there,
right? And the thing shakes
00:22:25.74\00:22:28.71
and you say to yourself:
"Oh, this is California.
00:22:28.84\00:22:30.88
It happens all the time. "
And you can think an awful lot
00:22:30.91\00:22:33.58
in about the space
of about 3 seconds.
00:22:33.62\00:22:35.02
And after it's been shaking
for about a second and a half
00:22:35.35\00:22:37.95
you say to yourself: "I
hope this isn't going to get
00:22:38.09\00:22:40.09
any worse. " Because
they've been telling us
00:22:40.12\00:22:43.59
for so long that one day
the big one is going to come.
00:22:43.63\00:22:46.13
People in Nevada will
have beach-front property.
00:22:46.26\00:22:48.30
They've been saying
that for a long time.
00:22:48.43\00:22:49.90
And I imagine
that one day it will.
00:22:50.37\00:22:52.77
But the signs that we see...
00:22:53.30\00:22:55.34
You don't have to go nuts
and say: "Well it means Jesus
00:22:55.47\00:22:57.74
is coming back now. "
00:22:57.77\00:22:58.97
They're like... The
signs that we see are like...
00:22:59.31\00:23:03.28
They're not like
the mile markers.
00:23:03.41\00:23:06.08
You know, you're
driving towards St. Louis.
00:23:06.31\00:23:07.78
St. Louis 100 miles.
00:23:07.92\00:23:09.55
St. Louis 75
miles. St. Louis 32 miles.
00:23:09.68\00:23:12.42
It's not that. But if you're
driving towards St. Louis from
00:23:12.55\00:23:15.19
here eventually you're
going to be on Interstate 64.
00:23:15.32\00:23:17.83
And the signs of
the times say to us 64.
00:23:18.06\00:23:21.33
You're still
heading on the right road.
00:23:21.46\00:23:23.06
64... you're going that way...
west. You drive a little further
00:23:23.20\00:23:27.44
64 west.
00:23:27.57\00:23:30.17
What we see is this:
we see signs of the times
00:23:30.31\00:23:33.11
that tell us: "Yes, we
are on the right road. "
00:23:33.14\00:23:36.28
"Yes, we are heading in the
direction of the second coming
00:23:36.41\00:23:39.18
of Jesus. " "Yes, what
God said is still true. "
00:23:39.21\00:23:43.02
"Yes! Jesus is coming
back for us one day soon. "
00:23:43.15\00:23:48.79
And we say "Praise the Lord. "
00:23:48.92\00:23:50.33
The only sign that hasn't been
fulfilled is the one spoken of
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.40
in Matthew 24:14.
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.46
"This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the
00:23:55.60\00:23:58.47
world for a
witness to all nations;
00:23:58.50\00:24:00.27
then shall the end come. "
00:24:00.30\00:24:03.47
We are not waiting for the
beast power to bare its fangs
00:24:03.61\00:24:08.61
any more than it already has.
00:24:08.74\00:24:10.21
That's not what
we're waiting on.
00:24:10.35\00:24:11.48
We're not waiting for the
governments of nations to do
00:24:11.81\00:24:14.02
their thing or for another
earthquake or a new disease.
00:24:14.05\00:24:17.75
The only sign awaiting
the fulfillment or awaiting
00:24:17.99\00:24:21.12
fulfillment in
preparation for Christ's return
00:24:21.16\00:24:23.69
is that one about the gospel
going to the entire world.
00:24:23.83\00:24:27.50
Imagine where we are
in the stream of time.
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.33
Friends, we are close.
00:24:31.50\00:24:32.93
The head of gold...
I've got one of them.
00:24:33.07\00:24:34.97
The head of gold;
the chest of silver.
00:24:35.10\00:24:37.67
I have one of them, too.
00:24:37.81\00:24:38.74
The belly and thighs of
brass; the legs of iron.
00:24:38.87\00:24:41.64
The feet and toes: part
of clay and part of iron.
00:24:41.78\00:24:44.58
That's where we
are... we are way down there.
00:24:44.71\00:24:47.38
No more great kingdoms to come.
00:24:47.52\00:24:49.88
We are this close to
the return of Jesus Christ.
00:24:50.32\00:24:54.16
I say "Thank the Lord" and I
don't care of you are cynical.
00:24:54.29\00:24:57.79
I don't... Well I care for
you but I don't care for me.
00:24:58.03\00:25:00.30
"Well, these preachers have
been saying that for years. "
00:25:00.63\00:25:02.96
"Well these preachers... "
Do you know how close we are
00:25:03.10\00:25:04.83
to the second coming of Christ?
You're a heartbeat away, man.
00:25:04.87\00:25:08.90
Just like the vice president
is a heartbeat away from being
00:25:09.17\00:25:11.91
the president.
We are this close.
00:25:11.94\00:25:14.28
If you close your eyes tonight
and they don't open again,
00:25:14.61\00:25:17.35
Jesus has
essentially come for you.
00:25:17.48\00:25:20.25
You know what I'm saying.
00:25:20.38\00:25:21.55
It's over then.
00:25:21.58\00:25:23.39
And I don't mind.
Every day that passes
00:25:24.29\00:25:26.52
is a day closer to the
second coming of Christ.
00:25:26.65\00:25:29.62
And I know preachers have been
talking about this for years
00:25:29.86\00:25:32.29
and years and years
but one day they won't be
00:25:32.43\00:25:36.13
talking about it anymore be-
cause Jesus will have come back.
00:25:36.16\00:25:41.00
Gravity will have lost power
over the soles of our feet.
00:25:41.27\00:25:45.31
Up we will have gone, and
we'll be on our way to glory.
00:25:45.54\00:25:49.84
What a day of
rejoicing that will be!
00:25:49.98\00:25:53.38
I tell you, you don't have to
look too far to see that Jesus
00:25:54.45\00:25:57.15
is coming back.
Waukesha, Wisconsin.
00:25:57.19\00:26:01.29
You have hardly
ever heard of that place.
00:26:01.52\00:26:03.36
You've probably... "Well
I've heard of Wisconsin. "
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.63
"Isn't that near
South Carolina? "
00:26:10.40\00:26:12.23
"No... it's near Wyoming. "
00:26:14.10\00:26:16.14
I'm sorry.
00:26:20.78\00:26:22.18
Waukesha, Wisconsin.
00:26:23.98\00:26:27.78
An unremarkable place,
although a couple of years ago
00:26:28.02\00:26:30.49
it was rated one of
the 100 most livable cities
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.29
in the United
States. 70,000 people.
00:26:33.32\00:26:35.96
That's the population. South-
eastern corner of Wisconsin.
00:26:36.09\00:26:38.66
It's just like Main Street USA.
00:26:38.89\00:26:40.70
It's a nice enough
town... got nothing against it.
00:26:41.00\00:26:43.83
Lovely place. Just
where people do their thing
00:26:43.97\00:26:46.47
and get about
living their lives.
00:26:46.50\00:26:47.87
Until a couple of days ago.
00:26:48.00\00:26:49.77
It is alleged and it
seems like the allegations
00:26:49.94\00:26:54.38
can be substantiated
00:26:54.51\00:26:57.48
that is alleged that a
couple of 12-year-old girls
00:26:57.61\00:27:00.42
lured their 12-year-old
friend into the woods
00:27:00.45\00:27:03.35
and took out a great
big knife with a long blade
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.69
and stabbed her 19 times
00:27:05.82\00:27:07.89
in order to please a character -
00:27:10.99\00:27:16.03
a fictional character
- on an Internet website.
00:27:16.16\00:27:20.17
They came within a millimeter,
and we don't have millimeters
00:27:21.27\00:27:25.17
in this country, but
where I'm from we have them
00:27:25.21\00:27:27.21
and I can tell you
that a millimeter is small.
00:27:27.24\00:27:29.78
It's little. They
came within a millimeter
00:27:30.11\00:27:33.28
of killing the
girl... a millimeter.
00:27:33.42\00:27:35.32
And she survived. She
crawled out of the woods
00:27:37.69\00:27:39.55
and got near a path.
And a cyclist saw this girl
00:27:39.59\00:27:42.19
and stopped and
said: "What in the world? "
00:27:42.22\00:27:43.89
And thank God she's alive.
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.99
You know what? Two
middle school girls
00:27:46.23\00:27:49.16
tried to knife to death
their middle school friend -
00:27:50.23\00:27:55.84
FRIEND - if the
allegations are correct.
00:27:56.07\00:28:00.21
Are we living in a sick world?
00:28:00.44\00:28:02.98
We look around and we
say: "Come on... how long
00:28:03.21\00:28:06.58
can this go on?
Lord... how long? "
00:28:06.75\00:28:10.05
Habakkuk asked that
question, didn't he?
00:28:10.19\00:28:11.92
"How long? " And
what is God's answer?
00:28:12.15\00:28:15.89
No, God is not in
heaven sitting on His hands.
00:28:16.02\00:28:19.26
He promised us:
"I will come again. "
00:28:19.39\00:28:25.10
In the book of Revelation
twice it says that Jesus will
00:28:25.13\00:28:27.74
say "It is done!
" And one day soon
00:28:27.77\00:28:31.41
it will be done. Hallelujah!
00:28:31.54\00:28:35.58
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:28:35.71\00:28:39.38
Humans have been trying
their best for hundreds of years
00:28:39.55\00:28:41.78
to improve society.
00:28:41.92\00:28:43.69
We have not succeeded.
00:28:44.02\00:28:45.42
We are sinking deeper
into the quagmire of sin
00:28:45.55\00:28:48.62
and immorality, but we know
00:28:48.76\00:28:51.59
one day it's
going to come to an end.
00:28:51.73\00:28:53.83
Jesus is coming
back... He promised!
00:28:53.96\00:28:58.00
There's another promise God
made back in Genesis chapter 3.
00:28:58.47\00:29:01.27
You know what had happened.
God made a perfect world,
00:29:01.40\00:29:03.77
put our perfect parents - Adam
and Eve - in that perfect world
00:29:04.01\00:29:07.51
and said "You can have the
run of the place, just don't eat
00:29:07.64\00:29:10.18
that fruit. " And they
had the run of the place
00:29:10.21\00:29:13.62
and couldn't help themselves.
00:29:13.75\00:29:15.05
And in spite of
what God had said
00:29:15.38\00:29:18.69
they ate the
fruit. And what happened?
00:29:18.82\00:29:20.92
What happened? The
world was plunged into sin.
00:29:21.06\00:29:24.43
Suddenly their perfect
human natures were now corrupted
00:29:24.66\00:29:28.66
and their offspring would
be born with fallen natures
00:29:28.70\00:29:31.67
rather than perfect natures.
00:29:31.70\00:29:33.34
Now things were
going to go haywire.
00:29:33.67\00:29:37.41
Not only would the
leaves turn brown on the trees
00:29:37.54\00:29:40.04
and fall to the ground.
The animal kingdom would be
00:29:40.08\00:29:42.58
all messed up and the
world would be polluted.
00:29:42.61\00:29:45.28
And ultimately the economies
of the world would be scrambled
00:29:45.41\00:29:48.08
and there would be
wars and there would...
00:29:48.12\00:29:49.38
Look around... this
is what was the result.
00:29:49.62\00:29:51.89
And what did God do
00:29:53.66\00:29:55.86
in response to Adam and Eve
signing Jesus' death warrant?
00:29:56.83\00:30:02.60
'Cause that's what he did.
00:30:02.93\00:30:04.33
Remember who God is: He
is the God of the universe.
00:30:04.57\00:30:07.57
The universe is very, very big.
00:30:07.70\00:30:09.47
Bigger than we can even imagine.
00:30:09.80\00:30:11.47
He made it all... billions
of galaxies we are told.
00:30:11.51\00:30:14.78
That's the ones the
scientists know about.
00:30:14.91\00:30:16.48
I imagine there
must be many more.
00:30:16.71\00:30:19.28
God is that
big... we are so small
00:30:20.48\00:30:23.28
and yet we caused the
death of the divine Son of God.
00:30:23.42\00:30:28.32
Uh-uh. If I'm God, I'm saying:
"No, forget it. It's over for
00:30:28.46\00:30:31.29
you. I shall start again. "
00:30:31.33\00:30:33.09
But when Adam and Eve
subjected the Godhead to that
00:30:33.33\00:30:37.20
God responded with a promise.
00:30:37.43\00:30:41.94
"I will put enmity
between you and the woman
00:30:42.17\00:30:46.47
and between your
seed and her Seed. "
00:30:46.71\00:30:50.11
Isn't that something?
00:30:50.25\00:30:51.35
God comes down to Adam and
Eve: "Hey, what's going on? "
00:30:51.48\00:30:54.18
"Oh man. The
woman... her fault. "
00:30:54.32\00:30:57.35
They're passing the
buck... they're lying.
00:30:57.49\00:30:59.65
"No, no, no... the
woman that You gave me.
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.72
It's not her
fault... it's YOUR fault. "
00:31:01.86\00:31:03.59
And God instead of saying:
"Oh why should I even bother
00:31:03.93\00:31:07.83
with you? " God said:
"I'll do something for you. "
00:31:07.86\00:31:10.83
"I will put enmity
between you and the woman. "
00:31:10.97\00:31:13.84
Eve was no better than
Adam. "Oh man, the serpent...
00:31:13.97\00:31:16.91
the serpent that You created...
00:31:17.04\00:31:18.87
he beguiled me.
God, it's Your fault. "
00:31:19.81\00:31:22.11
"We're in a mess...
but it's Your fault. "
00:31:22.34\00:31:24.25
And God says: "I will
put enmity between you
00:31:24.48\00:31:27.78
and the woman... "
He's speaking to Satan.
00:31:27.82\00:31:29.92
"and between your
seed and her Seed.
00:31:30.05\00:31:31.79
It shall bruise your head;
you shall bruise His heel. "
00:31:32.02\00:31:35.72
God makes a promise.
00:31:35.96\00:31:38.39
When the human family
messes up royally God says:
00:31:38.53\00:31:42.66
"I promise you I will
get you out of the mess. "
00:31:42.70\00:31:44.53
Isn't that remarkable?
00:31:44.87\00:31:46.33
Now your kid throws a baseball
through the kitchen window
00:31:47.20\00:31:50.34
and you say: "I promise you. "
00:31:50.47\00:31:52.07
You make a different promise.
00:31:52.21\00:31:53.68
But when God's kids
caused the death of God's Son
00:31:55.84\00:32:00.95
God says: "I promise
that I will give you the gift
00:32:01.08\00:32:05.49
of repentance. Make
it possible for you to
00:32:05.52\00:32:08.46
experience
re-creation, a new heart,
00:32:08.59\00:32:12.59
righteousness... through
faith in the Son of God. "
00:32:12.73\00:32:15.46
God said: "You
have made such a mess!
00:32:15.60\00:32:18.77
The only thing that can
take care of it is grace.
00:32:18.90\00:32:22.00
I will save you. "
00:32:22.24\00:32:24.67
God makes a
promise... an expensive promise.
00:32:24.81\00:32:27.78
Some promises
are very expensive.
00:32:27.91\00:32:30.11
I remember one that
worked out in my favor.
00:32:30.35\00:32:32.41
I was working for a
radio station. In a prior life
00:32:32.55\00:32:34.88
I was a radio broadcaster.
00:32:34.92\00:32:36.28
And we were coming down to
ratings time, and the other
00:32:36.32\00:32:38.79
radio station, they were...
they were... they were... I mean
00:32:38.82\00:32:42.22
they looked like they
could beat us up in the ratings.
00:32:42.36\00:32:44.39
And so when I was
negotiating my contract
00:32:44.63\00:32:46.83
right around that time with
the manager of the radio station
00:32:46.86\00:32:49.10
who was desperate. We
did this little thing where
00:32:49.23\00:32:52.33
every point in the ratings that
I finished ahead of the other
00:32:52.37\00:32:55.20
guy they'd give me
a small pile of money.
00:32:55.24\00:32:57.24
Well actually, a
reasonably large pile of money.
00:32:57.37\00:32:59.34
So if I finished a
whole lot of points ahead
00:32:59.67\00:33:02.31
happy days! But the manager
had no faith that I would.
00:33:02.44\00:33:06.15
But he knew if he
incentivized me like that
00:33:06.28\00:33:08.45
I would work hard and it
would give us our best chance.
00:33:08.58\00:33:10.69
So man, he gave me
the keys to the kingdom.
00:33:11.45\00:33:15.22
And what do you know?
00:33:16.32\00:33:18.49
We won the
ratings by a country mile
00:33:18.83\00:33:21.03
and I was
contemplating early retirement.
00:33:21.26\00:33:23.26
Well it wasn't like that.
00:33:23.40\00:33:25.07
Wasn't like that...
but it was sure good!
00:33:25.10\00:33:27.14
Promises can be expensive.
That promise cost my manager
00:33:27.47\00:33:31.14
a lot of money. And
I never did find out
00:33:31.27\00:33:33.71
what his boss said to
him. I'm sure it wasn't pretty.
00:33:33.74\00:33:36.11
You recall there was a foolish
man who promised a young lady
00:33:36.24\00:33:41.55
as much as half of his kingdom.
00:33:41.68\00:33:43.02
She said: "No that's
fine but do bring me the head
00:33:43.15\00:33:45.55
of John the Baptist. "
00:33:45.59\00:33:47.22
But God made an
extravagant promise.
00:33:48.89\00:33:51.63
"Adam and Eve: you've
done such a terrible thing.
00:33:52.53\00:33:55.16
You know what I'm
going to do? I promise you
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.60
that I'll make it
possible for you to be saved. "
00:33:57.83\00:34:00.87
That's wonderful, isn't it?
00:34:01.20\00:34:04.37
I believe it; I accept
it; I have no problem with it
00:34:04.61\00:34:07.04
but if you try to
get to the bottom of it
00:34:07.08\00:34:09.31
it might bend your brain.
00:34:09.34\00:34:11.11
That's an enormous
thing that God did.
00:34:11.25\00:34:13.52
What a promise:
"I will save you. "
00:34:13.65\00:34:18.75
And God gave the gift
of repentance to us so that
00:34:19.32\00:34:22.16
there is a war
that rages inside of us.
00:34:22.29\00:34:24.46
Thank God for that. We're
born bent, but God comes to us.
00:34:24.59\00:34:27.76
Christ works on us, in us.
00:34:27.93\00:34:30.87
The Spirit of God
refuses to let us go.
00:34:31.00\00:34:33.67
He gives us enlightenment
and show us the pathway
00:34:33.80\00:34:36.94
to a better life.
It's similar to what
00:34:36.97\00:34:39.17
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
said in 1968 in Atlanta, GA.
00:34:39.21\00:34:42.91
He said this:
"In every one of us
00:34:43.14\00:34:45.68
there's a civil war going on.
00:34:45.81\00:34:48.02
Every time you set out to be
good there's something pulling
00:34:48.15\00:34:51.42
on you. Every time
you set out to love
00:34:51.45\00:34:54.26
something keeps pulling on
you trying to get you to hate.
00:34:54.39\00:34:57.46
Every time you set out to
be kind and say nice things
00:34:57.69\00:35:00.73
something is pulling on
you to be jealous and envious
00:35:00.86\00:35:03.53
and spread evil gossip.
We end up crying out with
00:35:03.67\00:35:06.67
with St. Augustine:
"Lord, make me pure...
00:35:06.84\00:35:10.01
but not yet. "
00:35:10.14\00:35:12.84
There's a war that
goes on inside you.
00:35:15.01\00:35:17.15
It's made possible
because of the grace of God.
00:35:17.38\00:35:19.38
If God had not made
that promise to Adam and Eve,
00:35:19.41\00:35:21.22
we would have been
done with long ago.
00:35:21.25\00:35:23.39
We'd have all been
fully given over to do evil.
00:35:23.62\00:35:25.89
But there's enmity today
because God made a promise:
00:35:26.22\00:35:30.16
"I will do this for you:
00:35:30.29\00:35:33.56
Jesus will come into
the world. " And He did.
00:35:33.70\00:35:36.50
And when Jesus was in the
world He made another promise
00:35:36.63\00:35:39.30
to a sinful world. You
know, this was John 14.
00:35:39.43\00:35:43.07
"I will come again and
receive you unto Myself. "
00:35:43.61\00:35:45.54
Not long after that
Peter was denying Him.
00:35:45.77\00:35:48.84
They all forsook Him and fled.
00:35:49.18\00:35:52.28
Jesus promised a
wicked, rebellious, hard-headed,
00:35:52.71\00:35:58.69
hard-heart... and
these were His friends.
00:35:58.82\00:36:01.59
And they abandoned Him
and yet He promised them
00:36:01.82\00:36:05.33
"I will come again. "
00:36:05.46\00:36:07.66
There's no doubt
He will come back
00:36:07.83\00:36:09.56
and He'll come
back to take us home.
00:36:09.80\00:36:12.10
The promise of His coming
suggests some things to me.
00:36:12.23\00:36:14.97
I'll share some points with you.
00:36:15.10\00:36:16.54
I have six to share, and I
don't know if I'll get through
00:36:16.67\00:36:18.71
all six of them or
not... but let's see.
00:36:18.74\00:36:21.74
Number one point: the promise
of His coming tells us that
00:36:21.91\00:36:24.85
Jesus is the Messiah,
the divine Son of God.
00:36:25.01\00:36:29.05
Do you know what the
Bible says? I John 5 verse 12
00:36:29.28\00:36:32.25
"He that hath
the Son hath life. "
00:36:32.39\00:36:36.46
Don't you like that?
00:36:36.59\00:36:37.73
Now let me tell you something.
00:36:38.93\00:36:40.56
Now man, I've got to be
careful that this doesn't become
00:36:40.80\00:36:43.13
the burden of
every discourse I share.
00:36:43.16\00:36:45.40
But some of you know
that over the last year or so
00:36:45.73\00:36:48.84
I had a rather interesting
tangle with ill health...
00:36:49.07\00:36:53.14
one of those tangles that causes
you to think about the big
00:36:56.41\00:36:59.88
picture. If anyone ever
says to you "It's cancer, "
00:36:59.91\00:37:03.92
one of the first things
you think of is "I could die"
00:37:06.05\00:37:09.29
because it's a killer.
00:37:10.73\00:37:12.19
And I thought that,
too: "Man, I could die. "
00:37:12.43\00:37:15.03
And I wondered about that.
00:37:15.26\00:37:16.87
Tell you what... tell
you why... I tell you what...
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.03
I don't have time for
this but I'll tell you anyway.
00:37:19.07\00:37:20.47
I said to myself: "If I die,
where will I spend eternity? "
00:37:21.47\00:37:24.04
Well I said: "I have to
answer the right way and say
00:37:24.21\00:37:28.04
I will be with
God for eternity. "
00:37:28.18\00:37:29.71
And then there was a question
that came to me, and the
00:37:30.05\00:37:32.18
question was: "Upon
what do you base that? "
00:37:32.21\00:37:34.62
And I thought to myself:
"Well, I know the right answer
00:37:38.05\00:37:42.72
but let me think this through.
00:37:42.76\00:37:44.13
I can't base my hope of
eternal life upon my goodness
00:37:44.26\00:37:47.93
because I know
what I'm really like.
00:37:47.96\00:37:49.93
Thank God you don't.
00:37:51.03\00:37:52.67
I know what I'm really like.
00:37:57.01\00:37:58.77
I know my weaknesses,
I know my corruption,
00:37:59.01\00:38:01.11
I know my... you
know... I know my track record.
00:38:01.24\00:38:03.88
I know the stuff I don't
want other people to know.
00:38:04.11\00:38:06.58
If it's up to my
goodness, I'm doomed!
00:38:06.82\00:38:10.29
I mean, even if I live
like Enoch from here on out
00:38:10.62\00:38:13.99
I've got my
past to contend with.
00:38:14.22\00:38:16.73
I'm doomed. What then? "
00:38:16.96\00:38:19.89
And then I realized the
wonderful promise of the Bible:
00:38:21.33\00:38:24.40
"He that hath
the Son hath life. "
00:38:24.63\00:38:28.97
And there it is. I mean, your
good deeds... that's all good.
00:38:29.10\00:38:33.58
Don't make the mistake
of thinking they're going to
00:38:33.71\00:38:35.68
get you into heaven.
The only thing that will
00:38:35.71\00:38:38.28
is Jesus.
Possessing Him by faith.
00:38:38.41\00:38:42.02
If you have
Christ, you have enough.
00:38:42.15\00:38:45.79
We have reason to
love Jesus supremely
00:38:46.02\00:38:48.46
because through Him and
through His merits and by His
00:38:48.59\00:38:51.46
goodness, and because
of what He has done for us
00:38:51.59\00:38:54.20
and what He will do
in us THERE is the basis
00:38:54.30\00:38:58.63
of our hope of everlasting life.
00:38:58.77\00:39:00.77
Thank the Lord
Jesus IS the Messiah.
00:39:00.90\00:39:04.17
He said to us: "Be
ye therefore ready. "
00:39:04.31\00:39:07.61
And that might mean
getting your house in order.
00:39:08.14\00:39:10.28
But you don't start with your
house, you start with Christ.
00:39:10.51\00:39:13.82
Get Christ in your heart.
00:39:13.95\00:39:15.48
When you have Jesus, when
you have fallen on the rock
00:39:15.72\00:39:18.82
and been broken,
when you have told God
00:39:18.95\00:39:21.76
"I accept Christ. " When
you have wrestled in prayer
00:39:21.89\00:39:24.39
like Jacob and said:
"I will not let You go
00:39:24.43\00:39:27.23
until You bless me. "
00:39:27.36\00:39:28.76
"Lord I believe...
and Jesus is mine. "
00:39:29.10\00:39:32.13
Then you don't
have to worry any more.
00:39:32.27\00:39:34.44
If you've accepted Christ,
you have the Son and therefore
00:39:34.57\00:39:38.27
you have life.
Jesus came into this world
00:39:38.41\00:39:41.08
to give you and
me hope and a future.
00:39:41.21\00:39:44.65
And we say "thank God" for that.
00:39:44.78\00:39:46.68
Jesus is the Messiah. That's
what the second coming says.
00:39:46.95\00:39:49.98
A second point tells
us that the second coming
00:39:50.12\00:39:54.46
spells the absolute
end of hope for the lost.
00:39:54.49\00:39:59.49
Revelation chapter 6:
"The heavens depart as
00:39:59.73\00:40:02.66
a scroll. " The lost hide
themselves in the mountains
00:40:02.70\00:40:05.77
and in the dens of
the rocks and they say:
00:40:05.90\00:40:07.80
"fall on us. " Matthew
24, this is in verse 30:
00:40:08.04\00:40:12.31
"All the tribes of
the earth shall mourn. "
00:40:12.44\00:40:15.91
The fact that Jesus is coming
back is a wake-up call for us.
00:40:16.24\00:40:20.18
I will talk with you
more about that tomorrow.
00:40:20.32\00:40:21.98
It is a wake-up call for us.
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.12
He's coming back, and
you might be able to tomorrow
00:40:24.35\00:40:28.52
deal with what you did last
week but one day there's coming
00:40:28.66\00:40:31.56
a time it will just be too late.
00:40:31.59\00:40:33.56
If you've not accepted Christ,
yielded your life to Him,
00:40:33.70\00:40:37.63
made a full surrender and
said "God, be God in my life, "
00:40:37.77\00:40:41.54
after that it will be too late.
00:40:41.67\00:40:47.41
Too late.
00:40:47.61\00:40:49.24
Too late. You don't need
to be neurotic about this
00:40:49.48\00:40:51.78
but you ought to
be urgent about this.
00:40:52.65\00:40:54.65
There ought to be
some urgency about this
00:40:55.58\00:40:57.29
because when Jesus comes back
it's going to be like hide and
00:40:57.52\00:41:00.49
go seek. You remember that?
00:41:00.52\00:41:02.06
You counted to 200 by fives...
that's what we used to do.
00:41:02.32\00:41:05.69
And then you say...
what do you say next?
00:41:06.03\00:41:08.63
"Ready or not, here I
come. " That's what Jesus says.
00:41:08.96\00:41:12.20
"He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still. "
00:41:12.33\00:41:16.77
But thank God: "he that
is righteous... " and she...
00:41:16.94\00:41:19.07
"let that one be
righteous still. "
00:41:19.21\00:41:21.88
When Jesus comes back,
the lost have no more hope.
00:41:22.01\00:41:24.38
Let me appeal to you: if
you're dillydallying around,
00:41:24.41\00:41:26.68
if you're playing, if it's
not right with you and God,
00:41:26.72\00:41:32.19
get it right, would you?
00:41:32.22\00:41:33.49
Get it right... get it right.
00:41:33.72\00:41:36.02
Go to God and say:
"God, make it right. "
00:41:36.06\00:41:37.86
More about
tomorrow... but make it right.
00:41:37.99\00:41:40.13
"Lord, take my
heart. Make it Yours. "
00:41:40.26\00:41:42.63
"Come into my
life... make me Yours. "
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.77
"God, take possession of me. "
00:41:45.03\00:41:48.27
And then it's right.
00:41:48.50\00:41:50.24
A third point I want to share
with you: the second coming
00:41:50.57\00:41:53.24
of Jesus offers us hope.
Isaiah said: "It will be said
00:41:53.27\00:41:57.08
in that day: 'Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for Him
00:41:57.11\00:42:00.52
and He will save us. ' "
00:42:00.65\00:42:04.05
We have a Father who cares.
00:42:04.19\00:42:07.66
He has not forgotten you.
00:42:07.79\00:42:11.43
Man, it's easy for us because
we live in comfortable homes
00:42:12.86\00:42:15.83
and we drive in
comfortable vehicles
00:42:15.86\00:42:17.87
and we've got enough money
to get fed and even help others.
00:42:17.90\00:42:21.37
There are a lot of people
living in this world today
00:42:22.30\00:42:24.57
who are living bereft of hope.
00:42:24.61\00:42:26.27
They are struggling and battling
and they're dealing with
00:42:27.18\00:42:29.18
illnesses and diseases and
they are living in marriages
00:42:29.21\00:42:32.15
that have gone down the toilet
and they're living in homes...
00:42:32.18\00:42:34.32
families... that
have been torn apart.
00:42:34.45\00:42:36.32
And they're going to work
for the last day because they're
00:42:36.45\00:42:38.85
losing their job and they
don't know how they're going to
00:42:38.89\00:42:41.22
make money to eat, and their
kids have gone off the rails.
00:42:41.26\00:42:43.99
And it seems as though
God has abandoned them.
00:42:44.13\00:42:47.56
Except... God
will never forget us
00:42:49.36\00:42:53.17
and He has said: "I'm
coming back for you. "
00:42:53.50\00:42:59.54
He knows your name.
00:42:59.77\00:43:00.88
He knows your address.
00:43:01.01\00:43:02.34
He knows everything
there is to know about you.
00:43:02.48\00:43:04.85
He knows when your
next breath will be taken.
00:43:04.88\00:43:07.55
God is sending
His Son Jesus back.
00:43:07.68\00:43:10.25
It tells us He loves
us. He has not forgotten us
00:43:10.49\00:43:14.92
and will never forget us.
00:43:15.06\00:43:17.19
Jesus is coming back
soon; God won't forget ya.
00:43:17.43\00:43:21.90
I believe, too, the return
of Jesus offers us comfort.
00:43:22.33\00:43:26.47
Don't you believe that?
00:43:26.63\00:43:27.94
"The Lord Himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout
00:43:29.10\00:43:31.97
with the voice of the archangel
and with the trump of God. "
00:43:32.21\00:43:35.18
What's going to happen?
The dead in Christ shall what?
00:43:35.41\00:43:38.25
Oh... come on, now.
00:43:38.38\00:43:40.28
"The dead in Christ shall
rise first. " Thank the Lord!
00:43:40.42\00:43:44.65
Paul said: "For me to live
is Christ and to die is gain. "
00:43:45.49\00:43:48.39
And I have to
think about that, too.
00:43:48.42\00:43:50.13
The worst thing
that can happen...
00:43:50.46\00:43:52.73
I had a conversation
with a young man the other day
00:43:54.03\00:43:56.26
and we were talking
about the death of his mother.
00:43:56.30\00:43:57.73
She died too young,
00:43:57.87\00:43:59.23
and there were some
circumstances that took place
00:44:00.60\00:44:03.54
about this whole business
of the death of his mother.
00:44:03.67\00:44:06.24
And I said to him... I said:
00:44:06.37\00:44:09.14
"Was death really the worst
thing that could have happened
00:44:09.38\00:44:13.52
to your mother? " I
mean, stop and think about it,
00:44:13.55\00:44:16.48
ladies and gentlemen.
The worst thing that can...
00:44:16.52\00:44:19.09
If the worst thing that
can happen is that you die,
00:44:19.12\00:44:21.99
well the best news is the
next thing you're going to be
00:44:22.32\00:44:24.99
aware of is that
Jesus has come back
00:44:25.03\00:44:27.13
and He's raised you
from your dusty grave.
00:44:27.30\00:44:29.33
Man... death is not the end!
00:44:29.56\00:44:32.17
Isn't that good news?
00:44:32.40\00:44:33.50
That is supremely good news.
00:44:33.64\00:44:35.44
We have hope tonight
that beyond this world
00:44:35.57\00:44:38.24
there is a world to come.
00:44:38.37\00:44:40.11
Beyond this life there is a life
which measures with the life
00:44:40.24\00:44:44.25
of God. The return of Jesus
offers us hope, immense hope.
00:44:44.48\00:44:50.52
Thank the Lord.
Say "Amen" tonight.
00:44:50.55\00:44:53.09
Amen! Jesus is coming back soon.
00:44:53.32\00:44:55.22
"We shall not all
sleep but we shall be changed
00:44:55.36\00:44:59.09
all, in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye
00:44:59.23\00:45:02.40
at the last trumpet. "
This is when Jesus calls out
00:45:02.53\00:45:05.57
"Awake, you that
sleep in the dust. "
00:45:05.70\00:45:10.34
When Jesus comes
back it's the end of sin.
00:45:10.47\00:45:13.38
It's the end of death. You won't
fear for your children's safety.
00:45:13.51\00:45:18.61
You won't have to
say: "Oh my goodness...
00:45:18.75\00:45:20.88
did I take my
medication this morning? "
00:45:20.92\00:45:23.08
There won't be nursing homes
and long stays in the hospital.
00:45:23.22\00:45:26.29
No chemotherapy; no dialysis.
00:45:26.42\00:45:29.32
No strokes; no heart attacks.
00:45:29.46\00:45:31.43
There won't be chemical
dependencies or addictions.
00:45:31.56\00:45:34.20
There won't be
crimes and criminals.
00:45:34.30\00:45:36.23
The funeral parlors will exist
no more, and the undertakers
00:45:36.36\00:45:39.00
will be out of
business. So will the doctors.
00:45:39.03\00:45:41.47
Thank the Lord...
no more bills to pay.
00:45:41.60\00:45:43.87
No more tax returns to fill out.
00:45:44.01\00:45:46.31
No injustice; no discrimination.
00:45:46.44\00:45:49.51
Jesus is coming
back to take us home
00:45:49.64\00:45:52.21
to a land where
the flowers never fade
00:45:52.35\00:45:54.92
and the inhabitants thereof
will not say "I am sick. "
00:45:55.05\00:45:57.62
I'm about ready to
go! What about you?
00:45:57.75\00:45:59.62
Amen! Man, this is good news!
00:45:59.75\00:46:01.66
Another point right
there: when Jesus returns
00:46:01.89\00:46:04.83
we get to go home.
00:46:04.96\00:46:07.76
"Well tell me what it's like,
preacher, if it's so good. "
00:46:08.10\00:46:10.53
Well I can't
'cause I've never been.
00:46:10.77\00:46:13.70
I can tell you what
it's like in my home.
00:46:13.87\00:46:15.84
I can tell you what it's like
in New Zealand. That's good.
00:46:16.07\00:46:19.14
I can tell you about
the places I've been to
00:46:19.37\00:46:21.44
but I can't tell you
about what heaven's like...
00:46:21.68\00:46:24.31
and I'm glad. The Bible
says: "Eye has not seen,
00:46:24.35\00:46:26.88
ear has not heard, it has
not entered into the heart
00:46:27.02\00:46:29.28
of man the things
that God has prepared
00:46:29.42\00:46:31.49
for them that love Him. "
00:46:31.52\00:46:32.99
It's better
than you can imagine!
00:46:33.02\00:46:35.79
Amen! How about that?
00:46:35.92\00:46:37.53
We get to go home... hallelujah!
00:46:37.76\00:46:40.90
Home... home forever.
00:46:41.10\00:46:43.57
The home we're meant to be in.
00:46:43.90\00:46:46.37
Oh man! Another point... this
might even be the 6th point.
00:46:46.50\00:46:49.87
The return of Jesus... It
might not. Were you counting?
00:46:50.61\00:46:54.01
"Yeah, honey, it went well.
They were right with me tonight
00:46:57.81\00:47:00.78
every step of the
way... making notes. "
00:47:01.02\00:47:05.65
The sixth point: why
don't you turn in your Bible to
00:47:06.79\00:47:09.22
Titus chapter 2.
The return of Jesus
00:47:09.26\00:47:12.23
is an enormous
celebration of the grace of God.
00:47:12.46\00:47:16.16
That's what it is.
00:47:16.40\00:47:17.97
It's a celebration
of the grace of God.
00:47:18.20\00:47:20.84
It says in Titus 2 and verse 11:
00:47:20.97\00:47:23.57
"For the grace of God
that bringeth salvation
00:47:24.61\00:47:27.21
has appeared to all
men. " You like that.
00:47:27.34\00:47:29.14
To all. Grace brings salvation
00:47:29.18\00:47:31.98
and that grace
has appeared to all.
00:47:32.11\00:47:34.02
"Teaching us that
denying ungodliness
00:47:34.25\00:47:37.25
and worldly lusts
00:47:37.39\00:47:39.29
we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly
00:47:39.42\00:47:42.76
in this present world
looking for that... " What?
00:47:42.79\00:47:47.30
You know, when I wore
a younger man's clothes
00:47:51.23\00:47:55.40
I used to frequent Pentecostal
churches from time to time.
00:47:55.74\00:47:58.67
And I was very excited
00:47:59.44\00:48:01.01
because when the preacher
said "Looking for that what? "
00:48:01.24\00:48:04.38
everybody spoke up.
00:48:04.61\00:48:06.21
But then I found the truth
and the Lord led me to a place
00:48:06.35\00:48:10.85
where some speak and most don't.
00:48:10.99\00:48:12.99
I said: "Lord, how come is
it that people without the truth
00:48:15.66\00:48:18.13
get so excited and
the people with the truth
00:48:18.26\00:48:20.33
it's like they've been
injected with propofol? "
00:48:20.50\00:48:23.97
I mean, what is it?
00:48:24.00\00:48:25.07
Looking for that reasonably-
good hope... looking for that
00:48:31.04\00:48:35.88
so-so hope. Come on now,
help me out. "Looking for
00:48:36.01\00:48:38.48
that... " What? Blessed
Hope. "the Blessed Hope... "
00:48:38.61\00:48:41.25
Thank the Lord. "And the
glorious appearing of... "
00:48:41.38\00:48:43.49
"the glorious appearing. "
00:48:44.02\00:48:45.89
You can't just
brush right over that.
00:48:45.92\00:48:47.76
"the glorious
appearing of the great God
00:48:48.09\00:48:51.19
and our Savior Jesus Christ. "
00:48:51.33\00:48:54.56
Grace! Paul starts this thing
off telling us salvation has
00:48:54.73\00:48:58.50
come to all by the grace of God.
00:48:58.63\00:49:02.77
That same grace teaches us
we ought to live a certain way
00:49:02.90\00:49:05.74
and it is that grace
that enables that to happen
00:49:05.87\00:49:08.48
as the God of grace allows
His Son Jesus to come and live
00:49:08.61\00:49:11.75
His life in you.
00:49:11.88\00:49:14.32
Something else
about the return of Jesus:
00:49:14.45\00:49:16.48
evil will be gone!
00:49:16.62\00:49:18.72
Oh, there's a wonderful
prophecy that Satan hates...
00:49:18.85\00:49:21.29
Satan hates in Isaiah 14.
00:49:21.52\00:49:24.13
"You shall be brought down to
hell, to the sides of the pit.
00:49:24.16\00:49:26.83
They that see thee
shall narrowly look upon thee
00:49:27.03\00:49:29.76
and consider thee saying:
'Is this the man that made
00:49:29.90\00:49:32.97
the earth to tremble?
That did shake kingdoms?
00:49:33.00\00:49:35.47
That made the world as
a wilderness and destroyed
00:49:35.60\00:49:38.27
the cities thereof, that opened
not the house of his prison? "
00:49:38.31\00:49:42.41
You know what? One day you're
going to look at the devil
00:49:42.54\00:49:43.88
and you're going
to say: "Is that it? "
00:49:44.01\00:49:46.55
"We let him mess us up? "
00:49:48.38\00:49:50.79
"What... what
were we thinking? "
00:49:51.22\00:49:53.66
Really... that's
what the prophecy says.
00:49:54.09\00:49:57.16
We will look on him
and say: "Huh? Is that it?
00:49:57.59\00:50:01.66
This is the one who
caused misery for the world? "
00:50:01.80\00:50:04.13
When Jesus comes back
it's going to be over.
00:50:04.37\00:50:10.04
Well, I took the whole
time to tell you the first half
00:50:10.17\00:50:12.77
of my sermon, and now
I'll give you the second half
00:50:12.81\00:50:15.58
in about two
minutes and 47 seconds.
00:50:15.71\00:50:17.75
And the second half is
this: ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:17.98\00:50:20.38
the Blessed Hope
ought to do something in ya.
00:50:20.62\00:50:23.89
It ought to fire you up
and fill you with confidence.
00:50:23.92\00:50:26.49
We ought to be
believing Jesus is coming back.
00:50:26.62\00:50:28.82
And if we know that
Jesus is coming back,
00:50:29.06\00:50:30.83
we hang on to Him. We
cling to Him like a barnacle
00:50:30.96\00:50:34.50
clings to the hull of a ship.
00:50:34.63\00:50:36.10
We hold on and we don't let go!
00:50:36.13\00:50:38.43
We love Him
because He would save us.
00:50:38.67\00:50:40.67
We trust Him because
He's coming to get us back.
00:50:40.80\00:50:43.81
We thank Him because
He would forgive us...
00:50:43.94\00:50:46.31
We yield to Him because
He has died to set us free.
00:50:46.44\00:50:50.71
But not only should the
Blessed Hope do something in us
00:50:50.85\00:50:54.42
it's got to do
something through us.
00:50:54.55\00:50:56.85
Now come on... do you
believe Jesus is coming back?
00:50:57.92\00:51:00.59
Yes. Do you know
Jesus is coming back?
00:51:00.72\00:51:03.46
Yes. Does your neighbor
know Jesus is coming back?
00:51:03.69\00:51:07.66
Who's the only person who
can do anything about that?
00:51:10.30\00:51:12.77
Hmmm?
00:51:14.60\00:51:16.00
We've got people living
next door who don't know Jesus
00:51:16.24\00:51:19.31
from anybody else. Ron
Watts who is our manager
00:51:19.34\00:51:21.71
right now at It Is Written work-
ed in India for many many years.
00:51:21.74\00:51:25.48
He went into a
remote... a village in India
00:51:25.61\00:51:28.05
and he said to somebody:
"Hey, have you ever heard of
00:51:29.12\00:51:32.39
a Man named Jesus Christ? "
00:51:32.42\00:51:34.46
And the Indian man
looked. He said: "Hmmm, hmmm. "
00:51:35.29\00:51:38.59
More like
this... India, you know.
00:51:38.63\00:51:40.20
"Hmmm, hmmm. " He
turned to his friend.
00:51:40.33\00:51:43.33
They spoke in I'm
not sure which language.
00:51:43.47\00:51:45.63
They turned back and they
said: "No, no, as far as we know
00:51:45.67\00:51:48.44
there's no one here
living here by that name. "
00:51:48.47\00:51:50.34
Never heard of Jesus.
00:51:53.68\00:51:55.81
Did you hear what I
said? Never heard of Jesus.
00:51:56.98\00:52:01.88
Now that's India.
What about where we are?
00:52:02.32\00:52:04.59
The United States are
a first-world country.
00:52:04.62\00:52:06.59
People have heard of Jesus.
00:52:06.72\00:52:08.39
But to many people
He's a cartoon character
00:52:08.92\00:52:11.69
or a swear word or
some irrelevant thing.
00:52:11.83\00:52:17.37
We know Jesus is coming back.
It's up to us to tell others
00:52:18.50\00:52:21.47
that Jesus is coming back.
00:52:21.50\00:52:22.87
We've got to be set on fire by
this hope with an evangelistic
00:52:23.77\00:52:27.14
fervor to see to it
that we commit our lives,
00:52:27.28\00:52:30.68
our talents, our resources,
00:52:30.91\00:52:34.82
our creativity to
letting the world know
00:52:34.95\00:52:38.85
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:52:38.99\00:52:41.92
All around us there
are people going to hell,
00:52:42.16\00:52:44.59
going down to Christless graves.
00:52:44.83\00:52:47.03
They will not come up
in the first resurrection.
00:52:47.13\00:52:49.26
Masses of people...
multitudes of people.
00:52:49.50\00:52:52.87
Yet we've got what they need.
00:52:53.10\00:52:55.90
When Jesus called them
He said: "You fishermen:
00:52:56.24\00:52:58.67
I will make you
fishers of men. "
00:52:58.81\00:53:01.11
A demoniac came to
Jesus; Jesus cast the demon out.
00:53:01.34\00:53:04.81
He said: "I
want to follow You. "
00:53:04.95\00:53:06.01
Jesus said: "No, no, no.
You don't want to follow Me.
00:53:06.05\00:53:07.98
Go home and share with others
what I have done for you. "
00:53:08.12\00:53:11.02
And that was so powerful
that when Jesus came back there
00:53:11.15\00:53:13.79
the whole city - the people
who kicked Him out last time -
00:53:13.92\00:53:16.93
were ready to welcome Him back.
00:53:17.16\00:53:19.13
Isn't that something?
00:53:19.69\00:53:21.66
Ladies and gentlemen, it's
one thing for us to proudly
00:53:21.90\00:53:24.70
puff out our chests and
say: "I know what I believe
00:53:24.83\00:53:27.77
and Jesus is coming back.
00:53:27.90\00:53:29.24
Check that one
off... I believe it. "
00:53:29.37\00:53:30.87
That's fine, but come on now.
00:53:31.01\00:53:33.21
We don't possess this
belief just for the sake of our
00:53:33.34\00:53:36.04
intellect or the sake
of merely our souls...
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.78
but for the sake of others.
00:53:39.01\00:53:40.82
God has given us the truth.
You know when there were these
00:53:41.15\00:53:43.22
people who believed Jesus
was coming back in the 1840's
00:53:43.25\00:53:45.69
led by a Baptist
named William Miller.
00:53:45.92\00:53:47.86
And they believed
Jesus was coming back.
00:53:48.09\00:53:49.39
The Bible talks about
that in Revelation chapter 10.
00:53:49.52\00:53:53.36
"Take this little
book... " Book of Daniel...
00:53:53.53\00:53:55.63
"put it in your
mouth. It will be sweet.
00:53:55.76\00:53:57.43
Swallow it... it'll be bitter. "
00:53:57.57\00:53:59.17
And they did that
and then the angel said:
00:53:59.30\00:54:01.37
"Prophesy again before
kings and these people and that
00:54:01.50\00:54:04.67
people. Prophesy again. "
00:54:04.71\00:54:06.51
In other words, you
believe Jesus is coming back.
00:54:06.64\00:54:09.01
I am commissioning
you. You've got a message,
00:54:09.14\00:54:12.15
a responsibility, a
privilege to tell others.
00:54:12.28\00:54:17.75
And I would close by telling
you that knowing that Jesus is
00:54:18.72\00:54:21.29
coming back gives us
hope. What does hope do?
00:54:21.32\00:54:24.76
Hope will change your life.
00:54:24.89\00:54:26.29
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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