Participants: Mark Fox
Series Code: AMP
Program Code: AMP000023A
|
00:04 We are racing towards the global crisis at the close.
00:09 God is going to set up His kingdom on earth. 00:13 Preparation for the tribulation and the translation 00:17 is to develop a character like Jesus Christ 00:20 to reach every hamlet, every village, every man, 00:24 every child, every person in India, 00:27 every person in South America 00:28 must hear these three angels' messages. 00:32 These are stories that illustrate 00:36 the kind of fabric of character and perseverance that we need 00:40 to go through the tribulation just as certainly as they did. 00:44 The Bible makes it very clear... 00:46 we are living in an unusual hour, 00:48 the last grains of sand are trickling 00:50 through the hourglass of time and the door of probation 00:53 is about to swing shut. 00:59 The remnant of Revelation... and so here tonight 01:03 are you searching for the right church for you? 01:07 Have you ever wondered if God 01:10 has a true church on earth today? 01:14 Have you ever wondered that, have you ever asked that, 01:16 have you ever considered that, 01:18 indeed, have you ever felt confused 01:21 about which church to attend? 01:24 There are almost 01:25 300 different denominations in North America alone 01:30 can you say, "Confusion?" 01:32 World Christian Encyclopedia says, 01:35 "10,000 Distinct Religions in the world. 01:38 Christianity = 33,830 different worldwide denominations. " 01:46 But God is not the author of this confusion. 01:50 You say, "God must have a way 01:54 where the average person who has not been to the seminary 01:58 can readily determine which is the correct church, 02:02 which is teaching the truth... the only truth. 02:06 Now we know that all churches would have some truth 02:10 but we want a church that only has truth 02:12 and so, "Why don't I just stay home 02:15 and watch church preachers on TV? 02:17 If you'll can't get it straight, 02:19 I'll just stay home and watch preachers. " 02:21 You all think about it... 02:23 Is that really what God wants us to do? 02:26 Some say, "Well, Pastor, I have been turned off 02:29 by many ice-cold churches!" 02:31 And someone said, "you know you could skate 02:34 right down the aisle. " 02:36 Well, you know what? 02:37 Is it really necessary 02:40 that I go to church, after all... I mean... 02:43 isn't it very personal between God and me? 02:45 Well, the Bible says, Hebrews 10:25 02:47 let's read it together, here we go... 02:51 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, 02:54 as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, 02:57 and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. " 03:00 How many see the day approaching? 03:02 So here Paul says, 03:03 "as you can see the day approaching, 03:05 look at the signs of the times 03:07 of harbingers of the Lord's return. 03:09 As you can see, 03:11 the nearness of the Lord's return, 03:13 make sure that you do not neglect 03:16 or forsake gathering together with believers 03:19 who believe what you believe. " 03:21 All right, what church should you assemble together with? 03:26 It must be a church that you feel 03:29 is in harmony with your conscience 03:32 that they're not saying things that you don't believe. 03:35 You should go to a church that... 03:37 where you can say, 03:38 "Amen" and it's from your heart, can you say, "Amen. " 03:41 Good... it must be we're in harmony, all right. 03:44 So what church should you assemble together with? 03:48 It should be 03:49 God's church. 03:51 John 10 verse 16, Jesus said, 03:55 "... other sheep I have which are not of this fold; 03:59 them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice;" 04:03 that's endearing... my voice... 04:06 "and there will be one flock and one shepherd. " 04:10 I like the ring of that, I like the tone of that, 04:14 I like the certainty of that, I like the guarantee of that, 04:17 Jesus says, number one, He's the shepherd, 04:21 number two, He has sheep, 04:23 number three, He has those sheep in all folds, 04:27 different churches... across the ocean, 04:29 number four, His sheep hear His voice, 04:33 number five, they follow that voice, 04:36 number six, His voice... the voice of the shepherd... 04:41 urges those sheep to come out of wherever they're at 04:46 and define and become a part of the one fold... number seven. 04:52 Seven points that you can see right there. 04:55 The Bible makes it very clear that Jesus is on the move 04:59 and so are His sheep. 05:00 His sheep are being led from different folds, 05:04 different churches and He's leading them 05:07 into one fold, would you agree 05:09 didn't you expect Jesus to be up to something in the last days? 05:12 Amen... and so... 05:14 Can we really be sure how to find that "ONE FOLD"? 05:18 That one flock... 05:20 well... thumbs up you'd better believe it. 05:23 How can we escape the confusion? 05:25 Can we find God's truth in these last days? 05:30 Let me illustrate it. 05:31 Come with me to Grand Lake, Colorado. 05:34 The Lake is grand... 05:37 the town, well, it's not so grand, 05:39 here's Main Street and, by the way, 05:42 that's the tail end of my RV 05:44 and I'll tell you what happened to that RV another time 05:47 that's not the RV I have now, anyway, this is Main Street 05:50 and sometimes in between crusades 05:53 we were able to go gallivanting around... we love to travel, 05:56 and so, this is Grand Lake, Colorado, 05:59 you go right down through Main Street, 06:01 I mean, it's just a blink of an eye, 06:04 and at the end of Main Street is a Human Arcade Maze, 06:09 and there, at this maze... a human maze, life size, 06:14 there are two observation decks and so, there up this human maze 06:21 you can see my wife right there with our first baby 06:23 which was a Cocker Spaniel... more human than dog, 06:26 and we don't have the Cocker Spaniel anymore, 06:29 we've got my son Caleb, 06:31 my daughter Jordan, age five... but at any rate, 06:35 this is a human maze and there's the Maze Entrance 06:39 but I said, "No way, I'm not paying to get confused. " 06:43 You see, I thought confusion is free, 06:46 and so, Adults $4.00 for confusion, 06:49 $3.00 for the children 06:50 and then, if you want to go through it again, 06:52 $2.00 for a rerun and so, sure enough, 06:55 they did let us to go to the free observation area, 07:00 so, I was just clicking pictures, 07:03 taking pictures because I knew 07:05 this was a classic illustration 07:07 of our religious world 07:09 of all the different 07:10 denominations we have. 07:11 These parents were laughing at the expense 07:15 of their poor, vulnerable children. 07:17 What were they doing? 07:19 They were running in the dead-end streets 07:20 right before their noses 07:22 and so there were signs to rub it in. 07:25 "Are you lost? Still lost? 07:27 You see... they were in a hurry 07:29 to find the way out of the confusion! 07:31 We must also be in a hurry to escape religious confusion! 07:36 Do you get the point, yes or no? 07:38 But you know, there's another point to make. 07:41 From the vantage point of the observation deck, 07:45 I believe you could see 07:47 the way to the goal for the finish 07:49 if you would have tracked it, and so, likewise, 07:53 from the vantage point of the Bible 07:55 we can eliminate all the unnecessary confusion, 08:00 all the dead ends of falsehoods. 08:02 Too much to believe in, no... 08:04 with God all things are possible. 08:06 I said, "Honey, please... " "Oh, my hair... " 08:08 I said, "Don't worry about your hair, come on... " 08:09 The Bible will help us to avoid dead ends 08:12 and to identify a church which uplifts only TRUTH. 08:17 Every church has some truth, that's why it's so confusing. 08:20 God's church would only teach truth 08:25 and no false teachings, 08:27 its people would be imperfect to be sure, how do I know that? 08:30 Because I'm imperfect. 08:32 "You shall know the truth 08:33 and the truth shall set you free... " temporarily. 08:38 You know the name of our ministry 08:40 is "Forever Free Ministry. " 08:42 You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you... 08:46 can I add it... "forever free" 08:49 can you say, "Amen?" Forever Free... 08:50 How many agree... 08:52 "He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed. " 08:55 How many agree, you have been set free from sin. 08:59 You may make a mistake, you may fail, 09:01 my Bible tells me, you get up, 09:03 you forget the things that are behind, 09:05 you press on. Philippians 3:13 and 14 09:07 you are forgiven, life is worth the living. 09:10 Because He lives... I can face tomorrow. 09:12 You've been forever free, and ultimately when Jesus comes, 09:16 how many agree? Soon we shall be forever free 09:20 in a fuller sense... and so, 09:21 "You shall know the truth 09:23 and the truth shall set you free. " John 8:32 09:25 So, what should be the primary reason 09:28 why you attend a particular church? 09:30 Why? Reasons for being part of a church... 09:34 some might say, "Well, I like the pastor there" 09:35 Some might say, 09:37 "Well, I like going to the particular church I go to 09:40 they're friendly. " or "they got excellent music" 09:42 or "they got a solid children's ministry 09:44 you know I got ten kids and they take care of them" 09:46 or "you know I'm... 09:48 look I'm single and there are a lot of fish in the sea 09:50 over at this church I go to... " 09:51 or you know "Hey, I don't get around as I used to 09:54 and look, I can see the steeple out of my front window there" 09:57 or, you know, here's a good one, 09:59 "If it's good enough for mom and dad, 10:01 it's not necessarily good enough for me. 10:04 I have to know the Bible for myself. " 10:06 Can you say, "Amen. " 10:07 So what is God's True Church founded upon? 10:10 You know the Bible makes this clear in 1st Timothy 10:14 1st Timothy chapter 3, 1st Timothy... go there with me 10:19 very quickly... 1st Timothy... 10:21 all righty, I'll give you a moment to locate that 10:24 and I'll find it as well, chapter 3 verse 15, 10:26 how can we find the church, 10:29 what is it founded upon? 10:32 "But I am delayed I write so that you may know 10:34 how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, 10:37 which is the church of the living God, 10:40 the pillar and ground 10:42 that is foundation and mainstay of the truth. 10:47 So the church is founded upon the truth. 10:51 Let me quote Jesus in John 17:17. 10:55 He said, "Sanctify them in thy truth: thy word is truth. " 11:01 The word "Sanctify" means set apart. 11:04 So, God's people are set apart by the truth, 11:10 would you agree? 11:11 God's church is going to be set apart 11:14 different from the world, the very word "church" 11:18 in the New Testament written in Greek 11:21 the Greek word for church is Ekklésia 11:25 from which the basic interpretation... 11:27 of course... we get "church" from that 11:30 the interpretation of that is, "The called out ones. " 11:35 That's literally what it means. 11:37 Church means, the called out ones. 11:40 We have been called out from sin, 11:43 we have been called out from the flesh... from self... 11:45 How many agree we're not to live in the flesh, 11:47 we're to live by faith, 11:49 I mean we live in the flesh, 11:50 but we're not to live for the flesh. 11:52 That's what I'm trying to say, 11:53 according to Romans 6, Romans 7, Romans 8, you can read it there. 11:57 And so the Bible makes it very clear 11:58 that Jesus has set us apart by His truth. 12:01 We have been taken out 12:04 just like Lot was taken out of Sodom and Gomorrah 12:06 would you agree, 12:08 God has taken us out of some stuff, amen, 12:10 and so I don't know about you, 12:12 there's no turning back to Egypt, amen, 12:14 and no turning back, and so... 12:16 There are some risks you should not take! 12:19 I know... I meet people... rock climbers and... 12:24 you know... look... that may be your thing 12:26 but Mark Fox is not going to get up on some precipice 12:29 and go down or try to go up 12:31 you know, what do they call it 12:33 Half Dome Bear in Yosemite National Park, 12:37 that's a very popular rock-climbing spot, 12:40 you know what? It's not for me... 12:42 I can barely even look at it happening... 12:45 recently we took a trip to Colorado, 12:47 and my cousin lives up there in Colorado Springs 12:50 and lo and behold, 12:52 we went to a place where they were doing... 12:54 there was a bunch of rock climbers and so forth 12:57 and I'm telling you... it makes me sweat just looking at it, 12:59 but another thing I will not do is Bungee Jumping, 13:03 I'm sorry, I won't do that, 13:05 and there are a lot of other things 13:06 now there is one risk that by necessity... 13:08 and it's a very big risk that I take every day, 13:11 it's called "Driving," I live in Dallas, pray for me... 13:15 but, anyway, those are some risks... how many agree, 13:19 we'd better not add to the risk of driving, 13:21 I'll just throw that out to you, but, at any rate, 13:25 oh yeah... and then flying if you have to, 13:26 all right... listen to me, listen, 13:30 do you want to risk your walk with Jesus 13:33 by listening to false teachings week after week? 13:36 You see, when you've learned the truth, 13:38 how can you continue to listen to a false teaching 13:41 when you know it's not right? 13:43 And so, listen carefully, 13:45 is there a... such thing as a perfect church? 13:48 Yes and no, my Bible tells me... is that God would have a church 13:53 that is teaching only truth but not the people, 13:59 because all are sinners, that's right. 14:02 I don't see any person other than Jesus 14:05 that has a halo over their head, 14:07 but of course you'll see paintings of it, 14:09 but those are just paintings, those are not photos. 14:11 All right... but we should expect to find God's true church 14:15 based on only truth and not false teaching. 14:20 Does that make sense, 14:21 does that resonate in your heart? 14:23 So, is there a church in the last days 14:25 that is preaching Bible prophecy correctly? 14:28 Revelation 22... Revelation chapter 22 14:32 we go there very quickly, Revelation chapter 22, 14:37 can we really find a church that is presenting truth 14:42 unvarnished, undiluted, and not doing a spin on truth, 14:47 not doing a spin on the Word of God, 14:49 but indeed they are giving correct interpretation, 14:52 the Bible says, "Study to shew yourself approved 14:56 a workman of God that needeth not to be ashamed, 15:00 rightly dividing the word of truth. " 2nd Timothy 2:15 15:04 so we should find a church that is "rightly dividing" 15:08 or "interpreting" the Word of truth. 15:10 The Bible says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verses 19 and 21, 15:14 that Scripture is of no private interpretation, 15:17 that is... prophecy is of no private interpretation 15:20 then in Revelation 22 and looking here at verse 18 and 19 15:24 "For I testify to everyone that hears 15:25 the words of the prophecy of this book, 15:27 If anyone adds to these things, 15:29 God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book:" 15:32 would you agree there must be a church... 15:34 there must be a church that is not doing that. 15:37 Verse 19, "And if any one takes away 15:39 from the words of the book of this prophecy, 15:42 God shall take away his part from the... " what? 15:44 "from the book of life, and from the holy city, 15:46 and from the things which are written in this book. " 15:49 So would you agree... there must be a church 15:51 that is getting it correctly, I'll give you more proof, 15:55 verse 7... "behold I'm coming quickly," 16:00 so that's going to be a paramount teaching 16:03 of God's church, Jesus is coming, get ready. 16:06 "Behold I'm coming quickly, blessed is he 16:09 who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. " 16:14 Would you agree... there must be a church, 16:17 there must be a church in the last days 16:21 that is preaching this book correctly, 16:24 not adding to it, not taking away from it, 16:27 but they're championing a correct interpretation 16:29 of this book, does that make sense? Yes or no? 16:32 So we know... all books in the Bible are inspired 16:35 the Bible says so in 2nd Timothy 16:37 chapter 3 verses 16 and 17, 16:38 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," 16:42 but the Bible makes it very clear 16:44 that God has a special church with a special message 16:49 in the last days of earth's history. 16:51 Now the Bible makes it very clear, 17:07 The Apostle Paul said so in Ephesians 4 verses 4 and 5. 17:11 I got a question for you. 17:13 In the end of time, what book in the Bible 17:16 do you believe would identify and spotlight 17:21 and reveal this "One Fold" this "One Faith?" 17:25 The book of... that fascinating, dynamic, 17:30 symbolic prophetic book of Revelation. 17:33 Now does Bible prophecy, therefore, 17:37 revealed God's true church, 17:39 in the time of the end... it does. 17:41 The true church is spotlighted in Revelation 13, 17:45 go to Revelation 13... I'm sorry... Revelation 12... 17:48 Revelation chapter 12, and we're going to read there, 17:53 Revelation 12 we're going to read about a pregnant woman. 17:57 A pure, pregnant woman, 18:00 "Now a great sign appeared in heaven; 18:03 a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet, 18:07 and on her head a garland of 12 stars:" 18:10 in Bible prophecy this pure woman represents 18:15 God's people, in Revelation chapter 19 18:19 here's what we read in verse 7, "Let us be glad and rejoice, 18:23 and give him glory: 18:25 for the marriage of the Lamb is come, 18:27 and his wife has made herself ready, 18:29 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, 18:33 clean and white: 18:34 for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 18:38 ...then he said unto me, Write, 18:40 Blessed are those who are called 18:41 to the marriage supper of the Lamb. 18:43 And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. " 18:46 So the Bible makes it very clear 18:48 that this woman is the bride of Christ. 18:51 And so, going back to Revelation 12, 18:54 we have a few more questions, 18:56 if this woman represents the pure church, 18:58 pure woman... pure church... the question is: 19:02 what about the symbolism of the sun, the moon and the stars? 19:07 These are the three sources of light for Planet Earth. 19:11 Now we know the moon is a reflection of the sun, 19:15 but nevertheless, at night, 19:17 you see the reflection of the moon... 19:19 and the moon is reflecting that light from the sun. 19:22 Who is the Sun of righteousness in the Bible? 19:25 Jesus Christ, Malachi 4 verse 2. 19:27 Who said, "I am the light of the world? 19:30 Jesus Christ, John 8 verse 12, 19:32 but then, didn't Jesus say to the church, 19:35 "You are the light of the world" Matthew 5:16 19:38 so, therefore, we are to reflect Christ. Amen. 19:41 Now the Bible makes it very clear here, 19:44 that in the Old Testament, 19:46 that was like the dim, reflecting light of the moon 19:50 but in the New Testament, how many agree? 19:53 in the New Testament, there is more light, 19:55 it's a brighter light because Jesus Christ has come. 19:58 So this is a picture of the woman 20:00 going from the Old Testament dispensation 20:03 to the New Testament church, and I want you to notice 20:06 twelve stars... 20:08 now we know that these twelve stars 20:10 would represent the twelve patriarchs in the Old Testament 20:14 and the twelve apostles in the New Testament. 20:18 Now I want you to notice 20:20 twelve is a number associated with the church, 20:22 and I think it's kind of neat that it's Revelation 12, 20:26 now, I'm not saying that's significant 20:28 but it's nice and convenient. 20:29 "Then being with child," Jesus... 20:32 "she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 20:35 And another sign appeared in heaven; 20:38 behold a great fiery red dragon... " 20:41 this is the beauty and the what...? 20:43 the beast... the beauty and the beast. 20:45 here it is, "and another sign appeared in heaven; 20:49 behold a great, fiery red dragon, 20:51 having seven heads and ten horns 20:54 and seven diadems upon his head. 20:57 And his tail drew the third stars of the... " 21:00 notice here... "third stars of heaven, 21:03 and threw them to the earth: 21:05 and the dragon stood before the woman 21:07 who was ready to give birth, to devour her child 21:09 as soon as it was born. " 21:10 Who was it that rebelled in heaven 21:14 and was thrust out of heaven 21:16 along with one third of the celestial stars 21:20 of the celestial host, who sided with him? 21:24 One third of the holy angels... became fallen angels. 21:28 Look at verse seven, "the war broke out in heaven: 21:31 Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; 21:34 and the dragon and his angels fought. " 21:36 Look at now... verse number 8, "but they did not prevail; 21:41 nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 21:44 So the great dragon was cast out, 21:46 that old serpent of old, called the Devil, and Satan, 21:48 who... " what is he known for? 21:50 what's his chief characteristic? "Deceives the whole world: 21:55 he was cast to the earth, 21:56 and his angels were cast out with him. " 22:00 So would you agree if one third of the celestial host 22:04 sided with the devil and were cast out of heaven 22:08 then, I ask you, what percentage on Planet Earth 22:12 do you think are siding with the rebel angels? 22:15 I think it's probably more than one third 22:19 but I'll let you decide that, but I want you to notice here 22:22 that the devil hates God, he hates the Lord, 22:27 he hates the Holy Spirit and he hates God's people 22:32 and so I want you to notice here... 22:35 would you agree, the devil is trying to always rough you up, 22:37 he's always trying to pick on you, 22:39 would you agree, he's the ultimate bully, right? 22:42 But I'm so glad our elder brother, Jesus, 22:45 comes to our rescue. 22:46 "Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. " 22:49 1st John 4 and verse 4, 22:51 I've read the Bible... Jesus wins... can you say "Amen" 22:54 and His people triumph with him, now I want you to notice here 22:58 who did the devil use... the dragon use... 23:02 to try to destroy Baby Jesus as soon as He was born? 23:06 Herod... Herod issued a decree 23:09 that killed those little infant babies 23:11 there was a cry, weeping... that took place 23:17 in Judea, I want you to notice here 23:20 verse 5, "She bore a male child" 23:24 that's Jesus 23:25 "who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: 23:28 and her child was caught up to God, and His throne. " 23:32 Jesus was victorious, Jesus won the battle, 23:36 He was attacked by the devil from the time He was born, 23:41 but He never sinned, Hebrews 4 verses 14 to 16 23:46 tells us that Jesus was tempted yet without sin, 23:50 that's why he said that we can overcome 23:54 as He overcame, Revelation 3:21 23:57 so the Bible makes it very clear 24:00 that the devil, then, would shift his attack, 24:03 he'd lost the battle with Jesus, 24:05 Jesus was taken to the throne of God 24:08 and that's where Jesus intercedes for us 24:11 pleading His blood, do you know that when you pray, 24:14 your prayers, 24:15 if you pray in the name of Jesus, 24:17 are taken into the heart of Jesus 24:19 and spoken from the lips of Jesus, 24:21 didn't He say, "If you confess me before men, 24:24 I'll confess you before my father in heaven. " 24:27 Do you recognize the good news tonight? 24:29 That's Matthew 10 verse 32. 24:33 So I want you to notice here, Beloved, I want you to notice, 24:35 "then the woman fled into the wilderness" 24:39 now the devil is in fever... with fever pitch 24:43 pursuing this woman, 24:46 this pure woman, 24:48 and the woman fled into the wilderness... 24:50 a place of obscurity... 24:51 where she has a place prepared by God 24:53 that they should feed her there... 1,260 days... 24:59 now I'm going to ask you this, 25:00 the devil attacked Jesus every day of His life, 25:04 but during what period did the devil really pull out 25:08 all the stops... really attack Jesus more than ever 25:12 during the last 3 and 1/2 years of His life 25:15 and I want you to notice a parallel. 25:18 Jesus had a reign... that is... a special ministry 25:23 when the devil was after Him for 3 and 1/2 literal years, 25:28 and now, here's the church, 25:30 being attacked by the devil who attacked Jesus, 25:33 and the church is going into the wilderness 25:36 did the devil chase Jesus 25:39 when He was out there in the wilderness, 25:41 for example, but I want you to notice here 25:43 three and a half literal years, Jesus was preaching 25:48 and ministering and working miracles 25:51 and the devil was dogging His heels 25:53 and then... for 3 and 1/2 prophetic years, 25:57 symbolic years, which is 1,260 literal years 26:01 because one prophetic day equals a literal year, 26:05 these are 1,260 days or years, Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34, 26:10 how many can see that striking parallel? 26:12 Isn't that an amazing comparison? 26:14 In other words, what it's saying is... 26:16 Jesus said, if the devil... basically... He's saying, 26:19 that the devil picked on me, he's going to pick on you, 26:21 "if the world hated me, you know it's going to hate you, 26:24 if I was persecuted, 26:27 you know you are going to be persecuted," 26:28 read John chapter 15, now I want you to notice here 26:31 as we continue, I want you to notice here 26:33 as we continue, 26:35 "for the marriage of the lamb is come, 26:37 and his wife hath made herself ready" 26:40 Revelation 19 and verse number 7 so Jesus won the battle, amen, 26:47 how many are thankful He won that battle? 26:50 then the devil shifted his attack 26:52 to the woman, now the woman was persecuted 26:55 initially by Pagan Rome. 26:57 How many have ever been to Rome? 26:59 I've been there to the Roman Coliseum for example, 27:03 Cruel Entertainment there... well guess what? 27:06 you don't need to go to the Roman Coliseum today 27:10 to see bloody sports, 27:11 all you have to do is turn on, who knows, how many channels 27:15 and you'll see it or even News Organizations 27:19 that tell you, "Well, here's something newsworthy" 27:22 and they give you stuff that is not newsworthy, 27:25 50,000 spectators, gladiatorial contests or games, 27:29 public spectacles, mock sea battles, 27:31 animal hunts, executions, 27:33 re-enactments of famous battles and dramas, 27:35 that all happened there. 27:37 It's estimated that about 500,000 people 27:39 and over a million wild animals died 27:41 in those cruel Colosseum games. 27:44 Even there, the Caesars demanded worship, 27:47 what would they do? 27:48 They would feed these innocent Christians to the lions 27:52 and torch their bodies. 27:53 The more Christians were martyred and persecuted though 27:56 for their faith in Jesus, the more they multiplied. 27:59 It's been said the blood of the martyrs is seed to the gospel. 28:02 But then, since the devil saw that his strategy 28:08 of persecuting the church did not work, 28:12 but rather... it backfired... 28:13 it was counterproductive, he thought to himself, 28:17 "You know if I can't beat them, I'll join them. " 28:21 And so the devil came into the backdoor in the church, 28:24 the church apostatized from the truth, 28:27 and up came the Roman Papal Power. 28:30 False teachings flooded the popular, false church. 28:33 Look here at a little list of the Flood of False Teachings. 29:00 and then comes Sprinkling for the sick, 29:03 and then Worship Icons, Penance, Rosaries, 29:06 Sale of Indulgences, Transubstantiation, 29:09 Confession to priests, Sprinkling for all 29:11 and this is not an exhaustive list... would you agree? 29:14 There was a terrible apostasy that wrecked havoc in the church 29:18 and so listen carefully, 29:25 So first Pagan Rome, and then... Papal Rome, 29:28 persecuting God's people, and so listen carefully. 29:51 "... the woman fled into the wilderness, 29:54 where she has a place prepared... " by who? 29:58 just like Elijah went into hiding for 3 and 1/2 years, 30:02 isn't this amazing? 30:04 because Elijah is a type of the Church 30:06 and there was only one Elijah and 850 False Prophets, 30:12 have you ever felt outnumbered? 30:24 Revelation 12 verse 6 30:35 Revelation 12 verse 13 that's verse 13. 30:46 All right, stay with me... stay with me... 30:49 This time period, Beloved, of 1,260 years 30:52 is mentioned seven times in Scripture. 30:56 Twice in the book of Daniel, 30:57 five times in the book of Revelation, 31:01 now, in one place it's called 42 months, 31:04 in another place it's called time, times and a half a time, 31:07 in another place it's called 1,260 days, 31:10 it all equals the same amount. 31:12 Here you have it: "Time," that's 360 days 31:15 according to Revelation 12:14, "time, times and a half a time" 31:19 That's Revelation 12:14. 31:21 Revelation 12 verse 6, calls it 1,260 days, 31:26 Revelation 12:14 uses a different way 31:29 of saying the same thing: time, times and a half a time, 31:32 now, you can do this... watch, 31:34 time... that's one year... 360 days, 31:36 times... that's two years... 720 days, 31:39 half a time... that's a half a year, 180 days, 31:43 that's 1,260 days or years, all right? 31:46 Now, the Apostate Church, the Church dominating the State 31:50 that Church/State Union, had a reign of terror 31:54 from 538 AD to 1798, 31:58 in 1798, the Pope was taken into captivity 32:00 and around that time, 32:02 the church was able to come out of the wilderness 32:04 but God's faithful were in the wilderness 32:06 during that timeframe. 32:08 The wilderness time period ends in 1798. 32:11 Now, the devil, the serpent, cast out of his mouth 32:16 water as a flood after the woman, 32:18 that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood, 32:22 the flood of persecution and the flood of falsehood 32:26 threatened the church but the church prevailed. 32:30 That's verse 15, then Revelation 12:16, 32:35 you've got to see it, 32:37 the Bible says in Revelation 12:16, 32:48 So who helped the woman? The earth... 32:51 the earth helped the woman, the earth opened its mouth 32:56 and swallowed up the flood 32:57 which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 33:00 Wow! now we learned that the earth would represent 33:05 a sparsely populated area Revelation 12:16... 33:09 Rescuing truth... 33:11 the Protestant Reformers like Martin Luther 33:14 championed truth, they rescued truth 33:17 from the flood of false teaching. 33:19 The earth rescued God's faithful from the flood of persecution. 33:24 "the earth" what? "helped the woman. " 33:26 You see, this was a refuge for the oppressed: 33:30 there were mountainous palaces, 33:32 yeah... palaces in the places there... in the mountains, 33:35 isolated valleys, and secret caves. 33:39 The deadly wound was inflicted in 1798, 33:43 exactly 1,260 years from 538 AD to 1798. 33:47 America was a sparsely populated area, 33:51 and like the Swiss Alps that provided a haven of rest, 33:56 so the United States of America was opened up 34:00 to be a haven of rest for the oppressed. 34:03 You know around 1798, 34:05 there was a Battle of independence, 34:07 Declaration of Independence right around that clustering 34:10 in that timeframe, 34:11 Constitution, Supreme Court, Bill of Rights. 34:17 from religious tyranny 34:20 and religious intolerance and persecution. 34:29 Around this time, 34:31 there was the founding of Bible Societies. 34:34 How many are thankful 34:35 that you were able to come in tonight with a Bible? 34:38 As a matter of fact, you probably brought in tonight 34:40 one out of the five Bibles you have, 34:43 you see, The British and Foreign Bible Society 34:46 was organized in 1804. 34:47 What's the point of these Bible Societies? 34:48 Just get the Bible out 34:50 to all the world... that's their goal. 34:52 The American Bible Society was founded in 1816. 34:55 The Bible became available to the man on the street. 34:59 And today... it's a best seller. 35:01 Would you agree, there is no other better 35:03 companion than the Word of God. 35:04 I recommend, you take the Bible 35:07 wherever you go. 35:08 I don't care where you go, whether you go to work 35:11 you carry the Bible with you 35:13 or you have a little pocket Bible, 35:15 or you write Scripture on a three-by-five card. 35:17 How many agree? You never know 35:18 when you're going to need it 35:20 and so Revivals broke out all across America 35:24 when the Bible was being printed and was being distributed. 35:28 There is a picture... 35:29 a painting of an 1839 Methodist Camp Meeting 35:33 and preaching that Jesus is coming soon, Amen. 35:36 So when would God's church appear? 35:39 Verse 17 identifies God's last-day church 35:45 can I hear a drum roll... everything leading up to this... 35:49 this is the climax of Revelation 12. 36:11 That is the true church, the Remnant... 36:13 Now, think about it, 36:15 Remnant... everybody say, "Remnant. " 36:34 Well, contents are important regardless of the name. 36:40 Can you say 36:42 "cereal boxes" 36:43 would you agree when you go through that cereal aisle, 36:46 if you have kids with you, like I do, 36:49 it can really, really be a chore 36:51 just to make it through that aisle 36:53 because there are so many colorful boxes 36:57 claiming all sorts of things 36:59 and sometimes, at least when I grew up, 37:00 they had a lot more prizes than they do today, 37:03 and it can be mesmerizing, it can be downright alluring, 37:08 and, you see, it really doesn't matter 37:12 what the packaging is, what matters is the content. 37:16 So the name is not the primary thing, 37:19 the brand... not the primary thing, 37:21 the appearance... the outward appearance... 37:24 that's not the main thing, 37:26 the main thing is, "What are the contents?" 37:28 Would you agree, a church can say, 37:30 "Well, we don't even have a name, 37:32 we're just non-denominational," well that's kind of like, 37:35 remember they used to have generic brands 37:38 there was no brand on it, there wasn't any brand there... 37:41 Post or Kellogg's or anything like that? 37:43 it was just... how many remember those days? 37:45 Now-a-days you go to Wal-Mart and there's a Wal-Mart brand 37:48 but listen to me, 37:50 somebody can say, "Well you know what, 37:52 I don't want to belong to any denomination, 37:54 I'll just attend a non-denominational church 37:57 well let me tell you this, regardless of the name 37:59 whether it's non-denominational... 38:01 how many agree, every preacher has to believe something, 38:03 you got to look at the contents of what that church believes, 38:06 the reason why I think it's better to have a church 38:09 that's willing to stand out and tell you 38:12 maybe some distinctives of what it believes 38:15 tells me that there might be more honesty there, 38:18 listen, identify the genuine denomination of a 100, 38:22 you know, we call these bills "denominations" 38:24 think about it, when you go 38:26 with a hundred dollar bill 38:27 or a twenty dollar bill... 38:28 may be a hundred dollar bill, what do they do sometimes? 38:32 They look up and see if it has the right characteristics, 38:35 and so it is, 38:36 we must look up the Scriptures to know 38:39 what is the correct denomination. 38:41 Sudden changes are about to catch the world by surprise. 38:46 Amazing Bible Prophecies are fast fulfilling. 38:49 Do ancient prophecies predict a sudden economic collapse? 38:53 Will the Middle East crisis erupt into World War 3? 38:56 Are we living on the eve of Armageddon? 38:59 How will the final moves of the Antichrist affect you? 39:02 What is the future of the United States of America? 39:05 How will natural disasters usher in the Mark of the Beast? 39:10 Now you can watch the entire Amazing Prophecies Series 39:14 of 32 hope-filled messages on DVD. 39:17 Don't guess about the future, know the future, 39:21 the complete set of DVDs 39:23 is available for a gift of $60 or more. 39:26 Call us at 1-855-336-FREE 39:30 or you can send a check or money order to 39:33 Forever Free Ministries, 2001 Munro Park, 39:36 Corinth, TX, 76208. 39:39 You can also visit us online at foreverfreeministries. org. 39:43 Let's look at ten characteristics very quickly. 39:47 This is the "Remnant" 39:50 Characteristic number 1: it arises after 1798, 39:55 Timing of the Rise of the Remnant: 39:57 The Bible indicates that the remnant appear 40:01 to the world's stage after the time of persecution. 40:05 Characteristic number 2: and by-the-way... 40:08 a lot of churches arose before 1798, 40:12 I'll just mention a few, Presbyterian Church, 40:15 Methodist Church, Baptist Churches, 40:19 and, of course, the Catholic Church 40:21 it's been there for a long time, 40:24 Characteristic number 2: 40:52 So, "Only Elijah" a type of a church 40:55 "was a true prophet on Mount Carmel 40:58 in comparison with... " how many false prophets? 41:00 "850" and I can hear the talk, 41:05 "Huh, he thinks... he's right and we're all wrong!" 41:09 Hmmm... very interesting, he's a type of a church... 41:12 and so, this is your time! 41:15 Jesus said, "Many are called but few are chosen. " Matthew 20 41:25 They: "keep the commandments of God" Characteristic number 3. 41:30 See we're using 10 fingers to identify the remnant. 41:33 They keep the commandments of God, Characteristic number 3 41:36 that is... they uplift all 10 of God's Commandments, 41:40 unchanged... Amen. 41:41 Revelation 14:12 makes it very clear. 41:44 "Here is the patience of the saints, 41:46 here are they that keep the Commandments of God 41:49 and the faith of Jesus. " Revelation 14 and verse 12. 41:52 Characteristic number 4: They observe the seventh-day Sabbath 41:55 one of the Commandments "as the Lord's Day. " 41:58 Brothers and Sisters, this eliminates 99% of churches 42:03 that have many of God's sheep in them. 42:05 Now listen carefully, Characteristic number 5: 42:14 that's our next presentation 42:16 so we'll just leave that out on hook. 42:24 The Spirit of Prophecy... the testimony of Jesus Christ. 42:27 We'll get into that in a subsequent presentation. 42:30 Characteristic number 6: 42:37 They preach the Three Angels' messages. 42:40 Come with me to Revelation 14 verse number 6 42:43 all right... what is the first angel's message? 42:55 It's worldwide... it's a worldwide church... 42:57 and they preach the gospel, 42:59 what is the first angel's message? 43:01 Jesus Christ... it's the gospel message. 43:04 He made you, He died for you, He intercedes for you, 43:08 He rose again for you to intercede for you, 43:10 He judges for you, and He's coming for you... 43:13 the eternal gospel. 43:14 And notice here as we continue, 43:17 What is Jesus doing now? 43:19 According to the gospel, Paul said in Romans 2 verse 16 43:23 he said, "According to the gospel, 43:25 God would judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ. " 43:29 That's going on now, 43:30 judgment begins at the house of God, 43:32 what does the verse 7 say of the first angel's message? 43:37 "Saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him; 43:41 for the hour of his judgment is come:" 43:44 this must go around the world, 43:45 there's only one church preaching this around the world, 43:48 the remnant church 43:49 would preach that we're living in the judgment hour, 43:52 it's going on right now, the hour of God's judgment 43:55 it's going on right now 43:57 and we're living in the last moments of earth's history. 44:00 "The court was seated," Daniel saw it. 44:02 "and the books were opened. " Daniel 7:10 44:05 "the time of the dead, that they should be judged" 44:08 Revelation 11 verse 18, 44:22 So the time will come when our Great High Priest 44:26 will say for every person, "He who is unjust," 44:29 all the righteous who've been judged, 44:31 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still: 44:34 he who is righteous, let him be righteous still. 44:36 ...and behold I come quickly; and I bring my rewards with me" 44:39 Revelation 22:11 and 12. 44:40 So, therefore, we're living in an hour of judgment. 44:44 Jesus is engaged in His final work as our Great High Priest 44:49 in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Revelation 11:19. 44:52 When did Jesus go into the Most Holy Place 44:55 to begin this time of judgment, 44:57 this cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary? 45:13 Sir Isaac Newton believed that in 457 B.C. 45:17 the decree went into effect to restore Jerusalem 45:21 in 457 B.C. according to Ezra 7 verses 7 to 11 45:24 and so, in Daniel 9:25, it makes it clear that this time 45:29 would begin and 2300 years later it ends in 1844. 45:43 We've been in overtime ever since. 45:45 You say, "that's a long time ago" 45:47 Noah preached the time-of-the- end message for 120 years. 45:58 Jesus must be coming soon 46:01 because the Priest in the Old Testament 46:03 was only in the Most Holy Place for one day. 46:05 Jesus is coming soon: 46:12 God raised up a church 46:14 that would preach, 46:16 "Worship Him that made heaven and earth 46:19 and the sea and the fountains of waters 46:21 and they keep the Commandments of God. " 46:23 They would champion the seventh-day Sabbath. 46:26 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," Exodus 20. 46:29 Revelation 1:10: 46:36 The Lord's Day is still holy! 46:38 So who was the Sabbath made for? 46:45 Are the Ten Commandments for everyone both Jew and Gentile? 46:48 Oh yes... Did Jesus keep the Sabbath? 46:51 He did, let's read it together, can we do this, 46:54 are you ready? Here we go... 47:05 Jesus knew which was the correct day to go to church on... 47:08 the primary day, Luke 4 verse 16. 47:10 Jesus, right now, is standing by His Ten commandments. 47:15 Can you imagine. Jesus said to the disciples 47:19 referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. 47:23 40 years after He would be risen 47:26 and would ascend to heaven 47:33 So He didn't do away with it. Matthew 24 verse 20. 47:38 Isaiah 66:22, 23 says, "Even in the earth made new 47:42 we will gather together to worship the Lord 47:45 on the Sabbath. " 47:48 The "Everlasting Gospel" also includes a warning about Babylon 47:53 it says there... "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 47:56 that great city, because she made all nations 47:59 drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. " 48:02 We got a message coming up about that. 48:06 Revelation 14:9 to 12, 48:08 it warns about the Mark of the Beast. 48:10 It says, "Don't worship the beast. " 48:13 What is the Mark of the Beast? Well, the Bible makes it clear 48:16 it must be a sign of the power of the Roman Papal System. 48:20 What is the sign of their power? Daniel chapter 7 and verse 25, 48:26 makes it very clear what is that... 48:40 What is the only Commandment that has to do with time? 48:43 It is the seventh-day Sabbath. 48:44 No wonder they changed it and they said, 48:53 Wow! the Sabbath Commandment 48:56 is the only one that relates to time, 48:57 the Bible predicted they would change it. 48:59 Now the Mark of the Beast has not been enforced yet 49:02 so no one has it, but that day is coming. 49:04 So the Bible says, "Don't forget the Sabbath 49:06 remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. " 49:09 Now the Everlasting Gospel also includes 49:11 a call to "give glory" to God. 49:21 Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit 49:24 which are God's. " 1st Corinthians 6:20 49:27 In other words, God's last-day church 49:30 would preach a healthy lifestyle. Amen. 49:33 As a matter of fact, National Geographic 49:36 did an article, front page story, 49:39 that included spotlighting the longevity 49:43 and the lifestyle... 49:44 the healthy lifestyle of Seventh-day Adventists 49:47 and even Paul Harvey who attended a 49:50 Seventh-day Adventist Church regularly, 49:52 he also talked favorably 49:56 about the lifestyle of Seventh-day Adventists 49:58 that they are living longer, as a matter of fact 50:00 the Seventh-day Adventist Church people 50:03 have the highest average life expectancy. 50:06 The average life span is more than 88 years 50:09 and that is not just in longevity but quality. 50:12 Paul said: 50:22 All I can say is God delivered me 50:24 from smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. 50:28 God delivered me from being an alcoholic... 50:31 or basically drinking every day, 50:33 I don't know... whatever you want to call that 50:34 drinking every day for a while, and God saved me from drugs 50:38 and God saved me from a whole lot of other stuff 50:40 and I thank God for it. 50:42 Characteristic number 7: 50:57 That sounds like church members 51:09 And the Lord added to the 51:10 church daily as those should be saved. " 51:13 Characteristic number 8: 51:14 Teaches the truth about death and hell. 51:17 "... the dead know not anything" 51:20 and yet what's being taught today is that when you die, 51:23 you know more than you ever have known. 51:25 But my Bible doesn't teach that. 51:27 Where are the dead? 51:29 Jesus said, they're in the grave. 51:32 John chapter 5:28 and 29 51:34 makes that clear that they are in the graves. 51:36 What happens when a man dies? Ecclesiastes 12 verse 7 51:40 says, "the spirit or breath goes back to God 51:43 and the person goes to the grave. " 51:46 "Dust thou art and dust thou shalt return. " 51:48 So what returns to God at death? 51:50 Well, how did God make man? 51:53 "He formed man of the dust of the ground 51:56 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life 51:58 and man became a living soul. " Genesis 2 verse 7. 52:16 That's what goes back to God, 52:17 Jesus said, "Father, into Thy hands 52:19 I commit my Spirit" or breath... 52:22 that's what He was saying, Job 27:3 52:24 and Matthew chapter 27, so breath equals spirit 52:29 and that's what goes back to God. 52:31 What does the Bible call death? Sleep... Lazarus sleeps... 52:35 but then He qualified it, Lazarus is dead. 52:39 So it's a dreamless, unconscious sleep... 52:41 that's what happens to a person when they die. 52:46 everybody say it together... 52:49 Where is King David? 52:50 "David is not ascended into the heavens" 52:53 the dead do not praise the Lord. " 52:58 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 53:00 with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 53:02 and with the trumpet call of God: 53:04 and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 53:08 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together 53:12 to meet the Lord in the air 53:14 and so shall we ever be with the Lord 53:16 wherefore comfort one another with these words. " 53:20 1 Thessalonians 4:16 to 18... that is the comfort. 53:24 That's the time when this mortal 53:26 puts on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15 53:34 no such thing as an immortal soul, 53:37 the "whole body... " when a person does go to hell... 53:40 their whole body is cast into hell 53:42 so there's no such thing as an immortal soul, 53:45 no one is in hell now. 53:47 When is hell fire? 53:55 and they'll be reduced to ashes. 53:58 So, Characteristic number 9: 54:03 the term "Adventist" focuses on the Second Coming of Christ. 54:07 Does God's Remnant Church preach the Secret Rapture? 54:11 No, Adventists focus on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 54:15 Jesus did not say, 54:16 "I will come again... in a rapture 54:19 and again in a Second coming" 54:21 He said, "I... Let not your heart be troubled: 54:23 ye believe in God, believe also in me. 54:25 In my Father's house are many mansions: 54:27 if it were not so, I would have told you. 54:29 I go to prepare a place for you. 54:31 And if I go and prepare a place for you, 54:32 I will... " what? "come again, 54:36 and receive you unto myself; that where I am, 54:39 there you may be also. " 54:41 Do you recognize the good news tonight? John 14:1 to 3. 54:44 So at that time, every eye will see Him. 54:49 Revelation 1 verse 7. 54:50 What is the blessed hope? 54:52 It's the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 54:56 not a secret snatch. Titus 2 verse 13. 54:59 Characteristic number 10: 55:01 A worldwide church with a worldwide mission. 55:04 By process of elimination, what church is the only one 55:09 that would fit all of these specifications? 55:12 You see, you can find your way out of the maze. 55:16 There is a church that takes seriously... the global mission. 55:19 There are 16 million Seventh-day Adventists 55:22 around the world... growing rapidly... 55:25 having a Pentecost every day, I think about... 55:29 when I did a Seminar like this in a little tiny church 55:31 in Spearfish, South Dakota, a number of years ago, 55:34 40 people took a stand 55:36 and became a part of that little church. 55:38 I think about Ottawa: Capital of Canada in 1996 55:42 I was there, 120 souls... true it was just a Seminar 55:46 of course... much larger, 55:47 120 Souls took a stand and joined the church. 55:51 I think about... in closing... 55:53 I think about my father-in-law 55:56 who was a Catholic all of his life, 55:59 and a non-practicing Catholic, 56:02 he tells us that the family Bible was on the coffee table 56:07 kind of like... more like a decoration 56:09 than a book that was read, 56:10 and he attended the series of meetings 56:14 I did in Queens, New York in 1996, 56:17 and he attended and a Bible Worker 56:21 that was working with me, an Associate of mine, Ed Cook, 56:24 gave him Bible Studies 56:26 as he... in addition to his nightly 56:28 attendance at the meetings, 56:29 and there's my wife along with her parents 56:32 and Ed Cook studying the Bible and I handed out cards 56:36 and I told people... on three-by-five cards 56:39 just write a "B" if you want to be baptized, 56:41 and lo and behold, one day, as I was looking at the cards 56:46 I couldn't believe it but there's Papi... 56:49 there he is with his name and he wrote "B" 56:52 and I showed it to my wife, and she began to cry, 56:55 she began to cry and let me tell you something 56:57 relatives... you know I married a Hispanic wife 57:00 and let me tell you they came out of the woodwork 57:02 it was a packed house, and... it was a packed church anyway, 57:07 500 people there, and there's Papi... 57:09 and here is a close up of him, 57:11 there he is being baptized, I just had to be right there 57:15 near him... as he was baptized he took a stand. 57:18 You know what he said? 57:20 He said, "I wish you would have... 57:22 kind of put a little more pressure on me before 57:24 to take a stand. " 57:25 Let me tell you something, 57:27 I'm inviting you to take a stand for Jesus, 57:31 if you believe this is the truth, 57:33 then take a stand. 57:35 It's one of the most important decisions you'll ever make 57:39 to know the truth and to stand for it. 57:43 Although sudden and alarming changes 57:46 are sweeping across the globe, 57:48 you and your family can be prepared 57:50 to face the future with confidence. 57:52 The complete set of Amazing Prophecies on DVD 57:56 are available for a gift of $60 or more. 57:59 Call us at 1-855-336-FREE or send your check or money order 58:06 to: Forever Free Ministries 2001 Munro Park 58:10 Corinth, TX, 76208. 58:14 If you would like to have Mark Fox hold 58:17 an Amazing Prophecies Seminar or a Marriage Seminar Weekend 58:20 in your church, contact us today. 58:23 markfox@foreverfreeministries. org. |
Revised 2015-10-12