Welcome to Anchors of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Last Day Events
with John Lomacang.
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Hello friends and
welcome to the Thompsonville
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smallest city in the
world, yet the largest city
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by many measures.
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This is the 3ABN Worship Center.
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And I'd like to personally
welcome you to another
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Anchors Of Truth series.
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I'm your host as well
as your presenter for the
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next five meetings.
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And we thank you for tuning
in; whether it's by satellite,
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by television, by
internet, or even if you're
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joining us by radio.
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We believe that God has a
plan and God has a blessing
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in store for you.
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And we thank you so
much for joining us.
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For the next five meetings,
we're going to be covering
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the topic on the last
days, the last day events.
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And we are truly
living in a very critical time
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in this world's history, and we
know that Jesus is soon to come.
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But what's actually
happening on the horizon?
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And we do need to be mindful
that we are living in the
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closing moments of
this earth's history.
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The five topics are going to be;
tonight, The Final countdown.
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Ten reasons why I believe
that Jesus is soon to come.
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Then tomorrow night at 8:00 pm
Central, don't forget, not 7:00,
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but 8:00 pm Central, the topic
will be or the title will be,
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The Final Stage.
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What is the platform
on which the last day
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is being constructed?
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Friday evening,
The Final Coalition.
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The seven systems that will
join together to battle the Lord
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and His people in the end times.
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And on Sabbath morning,
or Saturday for those of you
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who don't
understand what Sabbath is,
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The Final Apostasy.
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What act will bring our
world to the point of no return?
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And then Saturday afternoon
at 3:00 pm, the final message
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entitled, The Final Act.
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What is the final
thing that must happen
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before Jesus returns?
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And so, invite your
friends and family to join us.
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If you are in the
driving distance area of
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southern Illinois, we invite you
to come and join us physically
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to be here for the blessing.
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You know, it's one thing
to see food on television,
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but it's something altogether
to be where it's being served.
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So we pray that you'll join us.
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But before we go any further,
let's ask for the Lord to
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guide and bless in
this meeting tonight.
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Let's bow our heads.
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Our gracious Father in
heaven, we thank You Father
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for this opportunity.
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It is a moment, Lord, for Your
Holy Spirit to work once again.
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And, Father, I submit myself to
Your molding, to Your guiding.
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And under Your influence, I
pray that tonight those watching
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and listening may understand
the urgency of the hour
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in which we exist.
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So take this message on
paper, Father, and use it for
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Your glory and Your honor.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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And all of God's
people said, amen.
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Now we always have a
Bible verse to begin our topic.
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I'm not going to
read the Bible verse yet,
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but I'm going to begin
with a very interesting story
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I think is something that every
one of us can identify with.
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A number of years ago before
my wife and I got married,
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we lived in New York City.
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And New York City is one of
the most thrilling places to be
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on New Year's Eve.
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That is, if you are brave
enough to go to Time Square.
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And we made up our mind in
that bone chilling cold, on this
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December 31st, to make our
way to Time Square and to join
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the multiple millions,
people from all over the world,
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every race, every
language, every nationality,
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packed into 42nd
Street, the Time Square area,
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waiting for the final countdown,
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waiting for the
ball to come down.
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I'll never forget it.
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When we got down to
the final few seconds,
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four, three, two, one, I
turned around to kiss my fiancé
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and a short little
Spanish man grabbed my wife and
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kissed her before I did.
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I said "my wife,"
but I meant my fiancé.
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We were not married yet.
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And the only reason he got
away is, it was New Year's Eve.
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The only time that he
would have gotten away with that
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is New Year's Eve.
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But I learned seven things
about the final countdown.
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One, the final
countdown eliminates
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all places of neutrality.
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Everyone is there
for the same reason.
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Everyone is there
for the same event.
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The second thing I learned
about the final countdown is,
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it demands our full attention.
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All other things lose
their significance and our
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eyes are focused on the thing
that's happening at that moment.
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The third thing I've learned
about the final countdown is,
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regardless of the
language, the nationality
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where the individuals that
were gathered there were from,
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everyone was synchronized.
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It was like our heartbeats
were in one single pulse.
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Ten, nine, eight...
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All nationalities and
every language, they were
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counting down together.
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One pulse, one multitude.
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The fourth thing I learned
was, the final countdown focuses
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our eyes and
ears in one direction.
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Everyone was looking up
at that brightly lit ball
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in Time Square.
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And I can tell you right
now before we go any further.
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One day, everybody is
going to be looking up
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to that brightly lit
ball as Jesus is returning.
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Can you say amen.
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The other thing I learned
is, the countdown signals
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the end of one event and
the beginning of another.
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It also bring one
stupendous event into view.
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And at the countdown, the
only thing that's overshadowing
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the thrill of victory
is the agony of defeat.
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We are living in
the final countdown.
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If you are awake, if
you're listening to the news,
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you know that we are
living in the final countdown.
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Everyone knows that
this is a critical moment
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in our world's history.
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Everyone knows that something
great is about to happen.
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Listen to the words of
a person who seems like
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this was an editorial
written just a few weeks ago,
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or at least in our day.
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From the book,
Education, page 179,
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we read these solemn words.
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The word "stupendous"
is larger than huge.
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It is a word that means;
unimaginable, incalculable.
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You cannot even measure the
things that are going to happen
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in the days and months, and
if so, the years ahead of us.
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But this passage brings all
of the events of our last days
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into clear focus.
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Listen to Matthew, a
converted tax collector,
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as he wrote as
Jesus penned these words,
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Matthew communicated this
message, in Matthew chapter 24
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beginning with
verse 32 to verse 35.
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Notice what He said.
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So we can trust
the words of Jesus.
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He said He's coming
again, and He's coming again.
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And all these signs we
see are indicators that the
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coming of our Lord
is not too far away.
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We are definitely
living in the closing hours
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of earth's history.
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When you look at the
words of Jesus, to reiterate
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what He said, He said
the generation that sees all
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these things happen collectively
is going to be the generation
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that's going to be
alive to see Jesus return.
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And friends, if you think
about it, all these things are
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happening collectively
in this one generation.
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We're seeing everything;
one event after the other,
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one event on the
heels of the other.
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And people today, even those
that don't have any church,
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are wondering
what's coming next.
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There's something else I learned
about the top ten countdown.
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And that is this, when the
final seconds are remaining,
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the entire crowd is fully awake.
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Because everyone knows
that the final countdown means
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that the very thing that
they have been looking for
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is about to happen.
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Brethren, the reason
why the world is awake
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is because they know the
end cannot be too far away.
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For Christians, we're excited
that Jesus is soon to come.
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Amen.
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Paul the apostle
made it very clear.
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When you look at the clock...
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Don't look at the clock.
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But when you look at the clock,
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and your show is about to end,
another show is about to begin.
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If you're at the baseball game,
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the clock really doesn't matter.
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But if you're at the football
game or the basketball game,
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the clock is critical.
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Paul the apostle
says in Romans 13 verse 11
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that we ought to
look at the clock.
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He said:
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You know, when I was a
young man back in the 1970's...
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By the way, I'm still young.
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I've got a lot of years ahead
of me if God is gracious to me.
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But I remember back in
the 1970's, there was a show
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on television
called, 2001 Space Odyssey.
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You may remember that.
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And in watching that program,
I thought to myself, "2001!"
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And I began to calculate and
I said, "Now if the world lasts
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until 2000, I
mean, surely not to 2001,
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but if it makes it
to 2000, I will be..."
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And I began to
calculate my age and I thought,
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"That's going to be old.
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I'm not going
to make it to 2000.
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The Lord is going to
come long before 2000."
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But here we are 11
years into the new millennium,
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and Jesus hasn't come yet.
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But brethren, be
sure, "He that shall come
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will come, and will not tarry."
00:11:16.52\00:11:18.09
So allow me tonight
to take those ten seconds
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and replace them with
ten conditions or ten reasons
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why I believe we're
living in the final countdown.
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Reason number one,
the increase of knowledge.
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We are living in the day and age
where knowledge is increasing
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tremendously around us.
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As a matter of fact, I found
something a number of years ago.
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My wife actually found
it for me in a magazine.
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I don't remember which one.
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I think it was
maybe Ebony magazine.
00:11:45.40\00:11:47.60
And this really caught
my attention so much that I
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took it out and
I printed it out.
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And this really summarizes how
much knowledge has increased.
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If you were born before 1945,
consider the changes that have
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taken place in
the last 66 years.
00:12:00.45\00:12:02.97
You were born before television,
penicillin, polio shots,
00:12:03.39\00:12:06.59
and Xerox machines.
00:12:06.62\00:12:08.04
There were no frozen
foods, contact lenses, Frisbees,
00:12:08.07\00:12:10.60
and birth control pills.
00:12:10.63\00:12:11.93
Radar, credit cards,
split atoms, laser beams,
00:12:11.96\00:12:14.97
and ball point
pens were yet to come,
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.86
along with panty hose,
dishwashers, clothes dryers,
00:12:16.89\00:12:20.31
electric
blankets, air conditioning,
00:12:20.34\00:12:21.88
and before men
walked on the moon.
00:12:21.91\00:12:24.43
In those days, closets
were where clothes were kept,
00:12:24.46\00:12:27.22
not something that
people came out of.
00:12:27.25\00:12:29.42
Bunnies were rabbits and rabbits
were not yet Volkswagens.
00:12:29.82\00:12:32.87
To those living in
1945, fast food was what you
00:12:33.17\00:12:36.50
ate during Lent, and out
of space was the back of a
00:12:36.53\00:12:39.23
local movie theatre.
00:12:39.26\00:12:40.72
They lived before
house husbands, gay rights,
00:12:40.75\00:12:43.32
computer dating, dual careers,
and drive through marriages.
00:12:43.35\00:12:45.95
It was before daycare
centers, group therapy,
00:12:45.98\00:12:48.66
and nursing homes.
00:12:48.69\00:12:49.72
Before 1945, they never
heard of FM radio, tape decks,
00:12:49.73\00:12:53.45
electric
typewriters, artificial hearts,
00:12:53.48\00:12:55.55
word processors, yogurts,
and guys wearing earrings.
00:12:55.58\00:12:59.41
For that generation, time
sharing meant togetherness,
00:12:59.44\00:13:02.00
not condominiums.
00:13:02.03\00:13:03.09
There were no laptop computers.
00:13:03.12\00:13:04.80
PS3 was the school you attended
and Wii was what you said
00:13:04.83\00:13:08.43
when you pushed
your child in a swing.
00:13:08.44\00:13:10.26
A Bluetooth was what you
got after eating an Italian ice.
00:13:11.38\00:13:14.00
And cell phones were only found
on the wall of the local jail.
00:13:14.34\00:13:17.62
A chip was a piece of
wood, hardware meant hardware,
00:13:17.92\00:13:20.93
and software wasn't even a word.
00:13:20.96\00:13:22.93
And it was not
possible back then for you to
00:13:23.40\00:13:25.35
upgrade your memory.
00:13:25.38\00:13:26.83
In the 1940's, "Made
in Japan" meant junk,
00:13:28.23\00:13:30.81
and making out meant
how you did on your exam.
00:13:31.27\00:13:33.91
Pizza, McDonalds,
Burger King, and instant coffee
00:13:33.94\00:13:36.28
were unheard of.
00:13:36.29\00:13:37.50
Spikes were found in the ground,
not created in somebody's head.
00:13:37.53\00:13:40.72
Back then, you could buy
things for 5 and 10 cents.
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.14
For one nickel, you could ride a
city bus and make a phone call,
00:13:43.17\00:13:45.99
buy a soda, and buy enough
stamps to mail two letters
00:13:46.02\00:13:49.79
or two postcards.
00:13:49.82\00:13:51.35
You could buy a Chevy for only
$600 back then in the 1940's.
00:13:51.38\00:13:56.46
But then again,
who could afford one.
00:13:56.47\00:13:57.98
And it was a pity because
gas was only 11 cents a gallon.
00:13:58.01\00:14:01.47
In those days, cigarette
smoking was fashionable,
00:14:01.78\00:14:05.05
grass was mowed and not
smoked, coke was a cold drink,
00:14:05.08\00:14:08.74
and pot was
something you cooked in.
00:14:08.75\00:14:10.58
Rock music was grandma's
lullaby, hip hop was a game
00:14:10.61\00:14:14.04
you played and not
something you listened to.
00:14:14.05\00:14:15.74
And aids were helpers
in the principal's office.
00:14:15.77\00:14:18.35
Back then, there seemed
to be a marked difference
00:14:18.38\00:14:20.67
between the sexes; men
were men and women were women,
00:14:20.70\00:14:23.73
and they were happy to be that.
00:14:23.76\00:14:24.80
Can you say amen.
00:14:24.83\00:14:25.88
There was no such thing
as sex change operations.
00:14:26.08\00:14:28.47
They were satisfied with
the way that God created them.
00:14:28.50\00:14:31.33
Back then, people got
married and then lived together.
00:14:31.36\00:14:34.80
That was the last generation
that was so dumb as to think
00:14:34.83\00:14:37.95
you needed a husband
first to have a baby.
00:14:37.98\00:14:41.39
Times have really
changed, has it not.
00:14:41.65\00:14:43.95
But is it a surprise?
00:14:44.25\00:14:46.03
Daniel the prophet said:
00:14:46.13\00:14:48.63
Nowadays, I must
confess, I am a gadgetarian.
00:15:01.87\00:15:05.86
I like gadgets.
00:15:05.89\00:15:07.51
But when gadgets take the place
of God, there's something wrong.
00:15:07.54\00:15:11.78
When gadgets are
our number one focus...
00:15:12.05\00:15:14.60
There are people
nowadays that can't even
00:15:14.61\00:15:16.14
open a Bible and read it.
00:15:16.15\00:15:17.15
You know why?
00:15:17.16\00:15:18.17
Because gadgetry has
caused us to believe that
00:15:18.18\00:15:21.64
everything has to happen
in a nano and a millisecond.
00:15:21.67\00:15:24.31
But the Bible
requires concentrated study.
00:15:24.71\00:15:27.40
It requires looking at something
that's not going to move
00:15:27.43\00:15:30.40
in the next millisecond.
00:15:30.43\00:15:31.82
Gadgets have made a difference
in how we even approach
00:15:32.15\00:15:36.29
the study of the Bible.
00:15:36.32\00:15:37.76
But due to rapid advancement
in technology, everything is
00:15:37.79\00:15:41.67
taking our attention by storm.
00:15:41.70\00:15:43.82
And we are no longer
in the generation where we
00:15:43.85\00:15:46.65
don't understand.
00:15:46.68\00:15:47.86
This is the generation where
anything you want to find out,
00:15:47.89\00:15:50.93
the knowledge is available.
00:15:51.25\00:15:52.54
It's on the
computer, it's on the internet,
00:15:52.64\00:15:54.56
it's on Wikipedia.
00:15:54.59\00:15:55.58
And the social
networks are multiple.
00:15:55.61\00:15:58.50
Everything we want to
know is available today.
00:15:58.53\00:16:01.44
That's why Dr. Luke wrote as he
did in Acts chapter 17 verse 30.
00:16:01.47\00:16:05.55
He says:
00:16:05.58\00:16:06.59
We cannot say, we do not know.
00:16:15.05\00:16:18.26
We're going to be judged,
not just on what we know,
00:16:18.29\00:16:20.67
but what we could have known.
00:16:20.70\00:16:21.97
Because knowledge
truly has increased.
00:16:22.00\00:16:24.40
That's reason number one.
00:16:24.43\00:16:25.70
But now look at
reason number two.
00:16:26.07\00:16:27.85
Everybody is
afraid for something.
00:16:31.35\00:16:34.09
People that are
working are fearful that they
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.80
may lose their jobs.
00:16:36.81\00:16:38.15
People with
mortgages are fearful that the
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.41
prices will go up.
00:16:40.44\00:16:41.94
People are fearful of
what's going to happen to
00:16:41.97\00:16:44.52
their children, their income,
their future, their savings.
00:16:44.55\00:16:48.38
People are fearful of leaving
their jobs, leaving their homes.
00:16:48.81\00:16:52.27
But this is no
surprise to the Lord.
00:16:53.62\00:16:55.18
He said this would be the
atmosphere of the last days.
00:16:55.21\00:16:58.02
Notice what He says in Luke
chapter 21 verses 25 and 26.
00:16:58.05\00:17:02.27
He says:
00:17:03.07\00:17:04.08
Is that the condition
of our world, yes or no?
00:17:11.00\00:17:13.36
The nations are in perplex.
00:17:13.66\00:17:15.13
Look at the
Middle East, for example.
00:17:15.16\00:17:16.79
What's going to be the
next war in the Middle East?
00:17:17.98\00:17:20.11
He says:
00:17:20.14\00:17:21.13
I mean, listen to the list.
00:17:29.12\00:17:30.56
Economic instability,
real estate decline,
00:17:30.57\00:17:33.70
currency decline,
political uncertainty,
00:17:33.73\00:17:36.98
global
recession, terrorism threat,
00:17:37.01\00:17:39.91
international unrest,
natural resource declining,
00:17:39.94\00:17:43.99
global warming, and
then social insecurity.
00:17:44.02\00:17:47.30
That's why the Lord
said in Isaiah 45 verse 22,
00:17:47.68\00:17:51.05
He says to this generation:
00:17:51.08\00:17:52.84
This is the generation
that needs to remember
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.41
that there is a way out.
00:18:02.44\00:18:03.61
There is a God who
wants to deliver us.
00:18:03.64\00:18:06.22
And there's a God who
wants to get us ready,
00:18:06.25\00:18:08.49
not to live down
here permanently,
00:18:08.52\00:18:10.70
but to get out of here.
00:18:11.01\00:18:12.11
Can you say amen.
00:18:12.14\00:18:13.25
But look at reason number three.
00:18:13.46\00:18:15.18
Reason number three:
00:18:15.76\00:18:17.12
Peter writes these
words in 2 Peter chapter 3
00:18:20.84\00:18:24.20
verses 3 and 4.
00:18:24.23\00:18:25.23
He says this:
00:18:25.24\00:18:26.42
Now you know, sometimes
it's easy to say that Jesus
00:18:49.63\00:18:52.40
is not going to come.
00:18:52.43\00:18:53.64
I remember when Pastor
George Vandeman, many years ago,
00:18:54.01\00:18:57.10
would say,
"Jesus is soon to come."
00:18:57.13\00:18:59.42
When H.M.S. Richards
said, "Jesus is soon to come."
00:18:59.43\00:19:02.45
And then H.M.S. Richards Jr.
said, "Jesus is soon to come."
00:19:02.48\00:19:06.17
And then the evangelists that
I grew up with were preaching,
00:19:06.20\00:19:08.65
"Jesus is soon to come."
00:19:08.68\00:19:09.95
I tell you what, even
though it may appear as though
00:19:10.26\00:19:13.22
He is not coming,
somebody is going to be right.
00:19:13.25\00:19:15.59
Because Noah said that for
120 years before the flood came.
00:19:17.45\00:19:21.06
One of these generations
is going to be the generation
00:19:21.85\00:19:24.23
that Jesus is going to come.
00:19:24.26\00:19:25.78
Somebody is going to
be young when Jesus comes.
00:19:25.81\00:19:28.11
Somebody is going to be edging
to retirement when Jesus comes.
00:19:28.14\00:19:31.09
Somebody is going to
just be born when Jesus comes.
00:19:31.12\00:19:34.58
So, I'm not trying to figure
out when He's going to come.
00:19:36.01\00:19:39.19
I just want to be ready
whenever that's going to be.
00:19:39.20\00:19:41.17
But Timothy says, in
the last days people are
00:19:43.50\00:19:45.56
going to reject the truth.
00:19:45.59\00:19:46.56
Listen to his words in 2 Timothy
chapter 4 verses 3 and 4.
00:19:46.57\00:19:50.43
These are the days that people
don't want to hear the truth.
00:19:50.46\00:19:53.05
Listen to his words.
00:19:53.06\00:19:54.36
And I took this from the
New International Version.
00:19:54.37\00:19:56.93
I want to change the flare
so you can hear it a new way.
00:19:56.96\00:19:59.76
He says:
00:20:00.60\00:20:01.73
People don't want to
hear the truth any more.
00:20:27.05\00:20:28.46
As a matter of fact, when
you tell people the truth,
00:20:28.47\00:20:33.60
they look at you
sometimes as though you're doing
00:20:33.63\00:20:36.60
something wrong, or they look
at you as though this is some
00:20:36.63\00:20:39.68
suspicion or
some demonic moment.
00:20:39.71\00:20:43.24
It is as though Satan
has grabbed the minds of
00:20:43.27\00:20:46.74
even Christians.
00:20:46.77\00:20:48.08
When you say, "I know what
you believe, but what does the
00:20:48.82\00:20:50.67
Bible say," some Christians
say, "Well, that's okay.
00:20:50.70\00:20:52.41
I'll see you later,
I'll talk to you later."
00:20:52.44\00:20:53.83
They don't even want to
hear what the Bible has to say.
00:20:53.86\00:20:55.63
This is the day and age
when not just the world is
00:20:55.66\00:20:57.95
rejecting truth, but
even Christian leaders are
00:20:57.98\00:20:59.95
rejecting the truth.
00:20:59.98\00:21:01.13
Paul said it would
come, Timothy wrote it down.
00:21:01.62\00:21:04.16
And we're living in
the day and age where truth
00:21:04.19\00:21:06.86
is being rejected.
00:21:06.87\00:21:07.90
But there's a danger there
because when you reject the
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.10
truth, don't forget,
Jesus says, "I am the way,
00:21:10.13\00:21:13.36
the truth, and the life."
00:21:13.39\00:21:14.88
When we reject the truth,
Jesus is also being rejected.
00:21:14.91\00:21:18.60
He also says those who
will not be allowed in heaven
00:21:19.00\00:21:23.20
are those who
practice and teach a lie.
00:21:23.23\00:21:25.54
Listen to these words.
00:21:25.55\00:21:26.55
And I found this very
interesting that this is in
00:21:26.58\00:21:29.27
the last book of the
Bible, almost the last verse.
00:21:29.30\00:21:32.98
Revelation chapter 22 and
verse 15, notice what he says.
00:21:33.36\00:21:36.42
He classifies the group who will
not be in the kingdom of God.
00:21:36.45\00:21:39.10
He said, and this is
outside of the New Jerusalem:
00:21:39.11\00:21:42.78
Nowadays, for many
reasons, people tell lies.
00:21:57.44\00:22:02.15
Ministers tell
lies, leaders tell lies.
00:22:02.97\00:22:07.64
This is the
generation where people say
00:22:07.67\00:22:09.73
under any circumstances.
00:22:09.76\00:22:11.05
There was a survey
done on a college campus,
00:22:11.06\00:22:13.49
a university campus, and
one of the questions asked;
00:22:13.52\00:22:16.93
Is there ever a situation
that a lie is acceptable?
00:22:16.96\00:22:20.95
And 85% of the people that
responded said, yea there are
00:22:23.30\00:22:26.74
situations where
a lie is acceptable.
00:22:26.77\00:22:28.69
They put it under the
category of situational ethics.
00:22:29.45\00:22:32.99
In other words, "If telling
the truth is going to get me
00:22:33.00\00:22:35.13
in trouble, I'd
better tell a lie."
00:22:35.16\00:22:37.01
But the problem with that
is, people are caught because
00:22:37.66\00:22:40.55
you can never
remember what the lie is.
00:22:40.58\00:22:42.76
That's why they have
lie detectors now days.
00:22:43.83\00:22:46.14
When you tell one
lie, what happens?
00:22:46.34\00:22:47.78
You've got to tell
another lie and another lie
00:22:47.81\00:22:49.95
and another lie.
00:22:49.98\00:22:51.05
And the one lie that
seemed acceptable is now a whole
00:22:51.08\00:22:54.39
mountain of lies.
00:22:54.42\00:22:55.86
There's never a time that
telling a lie is acceptable,
00:22:56.47\00:22:59.49
especially when you're called
to preach the word of God.
00:22:59.52\00:23:02.60
What do you say?
00:23:02.61\00:23:03.63
But on the other hand, Isaiah
the prophet describes those
00:23:04.07\00:23:06.74
who will be allowed in heaven.
00:23:06.77\00:23:08.18
Notice what he says
in Isaiah 26 and verse 2.
00:23:08.21\00:23:11.23
And by the way, this is the
group that every one of us has
00:23:11.63\00:23:14.65
the opportunity of being in.
00:23:14.68\00:23:16.64
Notice what the Lord says.
00:23:16.67\00:23:18.30
No one practicing or teaching
a lie is going to make it
00:23:27.50\00:23:30.86
into the New Jerusalem.
00:23:30.87\00:23:32.03
But those who love and those
who accept and those who teach
00:23:33.18\00:23:37.20
you the truth
will be entering in.
00:23:37.23\00:23:39.60
I've discovered nowadays
that if you want to take drugs
00:23:40.00\00:23:42.46
and have sex and get
drunk, people embrace you.
00:23:42.49\00:23:44.77
But if you want to lose
your friends, accept the truth.
00:23:47.14\00:23:50.04
One person once said, "Now
what do I do with my friends
00:23:51.68\00:23:54.15
if I join the church?"
00:23:54.18\00:23:55.29
I like what
Pastor C.D. Brooks said,
00:23:55.32\00:23:57.14
"You don't have
to get rid of them.
00:23:57.17\00:23:58.52
They'll get rid of you."
00:23:58.55\00:23:59.66
If you're drinking and
smoking and carousing and
00:24:03.50\00:24:06.60
living a loose life,
people are not even concerned.
00:24:06.63\00:24:10.80
But the moment you say, "You
know, I want to follow the Lord.
00:24:10.83\00:24:13.02
I'm going to
live for the truth."
00:24:13.05\00:24:14.07
All of a sudden,
even some Christians...
00:24:14.10\00:24:15.82
I remember a lady once,
attending one of our churches.
00:24:15.85\00:24:17.72
She couldn't get her husband
to go to church no matter what.
00:24:17.75\00:24:20.18
So she forced him to
come to a Revelation seminar.
00:24:20.81\00:24:23.22
But under the influence of
the Spirit of God, that man sat
00:24:23.25\00:24:25.95
there and was
converted, accepted Jesus.
00:24:25.98\00:24:27.73
And now, he was
the one getting up and
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.73
taking his wife to church.
00:24:29.76\00:24:30.77
And she got concerned.
00:24:30.78\00:24:32.12
He made up his mind to
be baptized and she said,
00:24:33.70\00:24:36.03
"Well, why are
you being baptized?"
00:24:36.06\00:24:38.07
He said, "Because I accepted
the truth and I accepted Jesus."
00:24:38.10\00:24:40.24
And now she was the
one that was hesitating.
00:24:40.27\00:24:43.17
And when the time came to give
her life to the Lord through
00:24:43.20\00:24:45.21
baptism, she was the
one that kept hesitating.
00:24:45.24\00:24:47.29
But he said to his wife,
"I'm giving you one week.
00:24:47.62\00:24:49.31
I'm going to put my
baptism off for just one week.
00:24:49.32\00:24:51.23
If you're not ready next
Sabbath, I'm getting baptized
00:24:51.26\00:24:53.87
whether you are ready or not."
00:24:53.90\00:24:55.08
Can you say amen.
00:24:55.11\00:24:56.08
Well, you know what?
00:24:56.66\00:24:57.67
The good news is, he
didn't get baptized without her.
00:24:58.24\00:25:00.56
Pastor Jim, I
prayed for that lady.
00:25:00.59\00:25:02.54
I called her on the phone and
I said, "You know, what's the
00:25:02.57\00:25:04.72
reason why you are hesitating?"
00:25:04.75\00:25:06.05
And she said, "I've been
in the church all my life
00:25:06.68\00:25:08.82
and you're making a
big deal about the Sabbath.
00:25:08.85\00:25:10.65
I don't think the
Sabbath is a big issue."
00:25:10.68\00:25:12.66
I said, "I'm not
making it a big issue.
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.78
I want you, tonight,
to pray and ask the Lord."
00:25:15.81\00:25:17.86
I said, "I know
you love the Lord.
00:25:17.89\00:25:19.14
But if the commandments of
God are a problem with you,
00:25:20.18\00:25:22.38
say, 'Lord, I love You but teach
me to love You that much.'"
00:25:22.41\00:25:25.85
And after I got off
the phone, I made out her
00:25:26.80\00:25:28.58
baptismal certificate.
00:25:28.61\00:25:30.01
And my wife said,
"What are you doing?"
00:25:30.75\00:25:31.89
I said, "I'm making out
her baptismal certificate."
00:25:31.90\00:25:34.04
She said, "Has she said yes?"
00:25:34.07\00:25:35.08
I said, "No, she hasn't
said yes, but I claimed her
00:25:35.11\00:25:37.37
because I know
she loves the Lord."
00:25:37.40\00:25:38.84
Amen?
00:25:38.87\00:25:39.86
The next day at Sabbath school
when he brought his bag with all
00:25:39.89\00:25:43.16
of his baptismal stuff in it
and he was getting ready to be
00:25:43.19\00:25:45.26
baptized, she said, "Pastor,
I have something to tell you.
00:25:45.29\00:25:48.03
I'm getting baptized too."
00:25:48.04\00:25:49.22
And I pulled out her baptismal
certificate and I said,
00:25:49.25\00:25:51.70
"I knew you would."
00:25:51.73\00:25:53.09
When you love the Lord,
you also love the truth.
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.12
What do you say?
00:25:57.13\00:25:58.14
But this is the day and
age where we have to question
00:25:58.20\00:26:00.46
whether or not a person who says
they love the Lord really do.
00:26:00.49\00:26:03.31
Because if you really
love the Lord, the word of God
00:26:03.34\00:26:05.19
would not offend you.
00:26:05.20\00:26:06.20
But this is the day
and age when men do not
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.72
endure sound doctrine.
00:26:08.75\00:26:10.41
What about the fourth reason.
00:26:11.27\00:26:12.95
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:26:13.81\00:26:17.04
It is estimated that
less than 20% of Americans
00:26:20.97\00:26:24.36
even claim to be connected
to any religious denomination.
00:26:24.39\00:26:29.19
I'm not going to jump ahead
of myself, because my third
00:26:29.59\00:26:32.08
presentation is going to
really shock you when you
00:26:32.11\00:26:33.86
look at what's
actually happening in America.
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.54
And what happens in
America influences the
00:26:36.07\00:26:37.76
rest of the world.
00:26:37.79\00:26:38.88
But the very atmosphere
that use to be very spiritual,
00:26:39.18\00:26:41.72
you may notice that everything
that was allowed in America
00:26:41.75\00:26:44.29
is now being pushed
out as it relates to God.
00:26:44.32\00:26:47.40
And there is a moral
and a spiritual decline.
00:26:47.43\00:26:50.14
As one person said, as
a matter of fact, Jeremiah
00:26:50.17\00:26:52.09
the prophet says, "You sow the
wind, you reap the whirlwind."
00:26:52.12\00:26:55.89
If you open the window,
something is going to blow in.
00:26:55.92\00:26:59.56
If you shake your feather pillow
outside and the wind blows up,
00:26:59.93\00:27:02.44
you cannot go out and
catch all those feathers again.
00:27:02.47\00:27:04.63
So the feathers of commitment
are blowing in the wind
00:27:05.74\00:27:08.19
and it's too late to
gather them all back.
00:27:08.22\00:27:09.94
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:27:09.97\00:27:12.29
Listen to the
words of 2 Timothy again.
00:27:12.32\00:27:14.62
2 Timothy chapter 3
and verses 1 through 5.
00:27:14.65\00:27:16.77
And I summarized some of this.
00:27:16.78\00:27:18.06
The King James version says,
"denying the power thereof."
00:27:46.39\00:27:48.59
It's locked in my head.
00:27:48.62\00:27:49.68
In other words, it's saying,
they may say their religious,
00:27:51.03\00:27:53.52
but something
missing is the Holy Spirit.
00:27:53.55\00:27:55.68
It is a religion on the outside,
but there are no batteries
00:27:56.38\00:27:58.84
on the inside.
00:27:58.87\00:27:59.87
It's fitting
into their lifestyle.
00:27:59.90\00:28:01.42
A lot of people join
churches that fit what they want
00:28:01.45\00:28:03.82
to do rather than allowing
themselves to follow the
00:28:03.85\00:28:06.67
word of God and lead
them where they ought to be.
00:28:06.70\00:28:10.12
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:28:10.56\00:28:13.72
Nowadays when you look at
the news, people choose suicide.
00:28:13.75\00:28:17.16
There was this...
00:28:17.19\00:28:18.44
I forgot what they called it.
00:28:18.47\00:28:19.55
There are so many
reality shows on television now.
00:28:19.58\00:28:22.21
I was looking at the news
and there was a man that was
00:28:22.24\00:28:23.68
a part of one of
these reality shows.
00:28:23.71\00:28:25.24
I think the Desperate Housewives
or Housewives of Hollywood
00:28:25.27\00:28:28.79
or Housewives of California.
00:28:28.82\00:28:30.45
One of these
Housewives of somewhere.
00:28:30.48\00:28:32.11
As if we care.
00:28:32.64\00:28:34.19
And all these reality shows.
00:28:35.33\00:28:36.89
Bad Girls this
and Bad Girls that.
00:28:36.92\00:28:38.81
I mean, all these
unreality reality shows.
00:28:39.87\00:28:43.34
He was so fed up with the
whole thing, he chose suicide
00:28:44.25\00:28:47.34
instead of trying Jesus.
00:28:47.37\00:28:49.19
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:28:49.63\00:28:51.73
The percentages of
divorce and people cohabitating
00:28:51.74\00:28:55.11
is at an all time high.
00:28:55.14\00:28:57.68
I looked at the Census
Bureau and I began to look.
00:28:57.71\00:29:00.30
And you follow statistics
from one year to the next,
00:29:00.33\00:29:03.12
people are not
getting married anymore.
00:29:03.15\00:29:05.16
They're following the
actors and actresses and they're
00:29:05.19\00:29:07.13
just living together.
00:29:07.16\00:29:08.20
That's why moral
decline is coming.
00:29:08.23\00:29:11.33
That's why spiritual decline.
00:29:11.36\00:29:12.78
Even Christians
are living together.
00:29:12.81\00:29:15.11
In some
countries it's fashionable;
00:29:15.41\00:29:17.16
in countries in the
northern part of Europe.
00:29:17.19\00:29:20.31
They're saying it's a crisis
even in the Adventist church
00:29:20.75\00:29:23.25
where it's customary in
that society to live together
00:29:23.28\00:29:25.94
before they get married.
00:29:25.97\00:29:27.27
And people are living together
and holding offices in church.
00:29:27.30\00:29:30.16
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:29:31.24\00:29:33.23
There's an increase
in sexual immorality.
00:29:34.56\00:29:36.91
There's a show
nowadays called, Modern Family,
00:29:36.94\00:29:39.14
pushing the gay
and lesbian agenda.
00:29:39.17\00:29:41.76
Immorality,
bisexuality, gay, lesbianism.
00:29:41.77\00:29:45.35
And in some communities,
something called "down low".
00:29:45.38\00:29:47.73
Men that are married that are
involved in other men sexually
00:29:47.76\00:29:51.32
and they are saying
they are not bisexual.
00:29:51.35\00:29:54.47
ABC News just did a
program a few days ago,
00:29:56.76\00:29:59.10
as a matter of
fact last week, called,
00:29:59.13\00:30:00.64
Boys That Want To Be Girls.
00:30:00.67\00:30:02.83
They call them, Princess Boys.
00:30:02.86\00:30:04.70
And parents are supporting it.
00:30:05.06\00:30:06.60
But is this new?
00:30:06.61\00:30:07.67
It's not new, it's a repeat.
00:30:07.70\00:30:09.05
Listen to what Luke
says in Luke chapter 17
00:30:09.08\00:30:11.02
verse 28 to verse 30.
00:30:11.05\00:30:13.13
He says:
00:30:13.80\00:30:14.87
It's just like
it was in Lot's day.
00:30:39.32\00:30:40.92
As a matter of fact, you
know, we live down here in
00:30:40.95\00:30:44.54
Thompsonville and we think, you
know, there rest of the world
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.72
is just as peaceful as us.
00:30:46.75\00:30:47.90
No, no.
00:30:47.93\00:30:49.37
Every now and then, we go
to New York City or go down
00:30:49.62\00:30:51.59
to Florida or go to California.
00:30:51.62\00:30:53.63
And we are reminded of
the sad state of affairs.
00:30:53.66\00:30:56.90
And nowadays, if you stand
up and make a moral statement,
00:30:57.37\00:30:59.99
you're plotted as a
person who wants to stop folk
00:31:00.02\00:31:02.61
from having fun.
00:31:02.64\00:31:03.89
Moral and spiritual decline.
00:31:05.01\00:31:07.29
But look at reason number five.
00:31:07.56\00:31:09.13
Back to 2 Timothy
chapter 3 verses 1 through 4.
00:31:13.21\00:31:16.23
And by the way,
tonight I'm simply summarizing
00:31:27.73\00:31:29.62
the categories.
00:31:29.65\00:31:30.64
Once you mention "craves
or thirsts for pleasure,"
00:31:30.67\00:31:33.06
do you need many references?
00:31:33.09\00:31:34.64
You really don't.
00:31:34.91\00:31:35.97
There are some individuals that
can't leave the house because
00:31:36.46\00:31:38.57
they have so many remote
controls and so many devices.
00:31:38.60\00:31:41.76
I once said to a
man... I went to visit him.
00:31:41.79\00:31:43.56
And every time I went to
visit him, he would get up off
00:31:43.59\00:31:45.84
the couch just to answer the
door, but when I went into his
00:31:45.85\00:31:48.32
living room, there was a big ole
hole in the couch where he sat.
00:31:48.33\00:31:51.77
And he couldn't
come to church no matter.
00:31:52.89\00:31:54.42
I couldn't get
him to go to church.
00:31:54.45\00:31:55.50
But he had remotes and
he had them lines up neatly.
00:31:55.53\00:31:58.19
And they were all
covered with Saran Wrap.
00:31:58.90\00:32:01.26
And I said, "Why
are you covering them?"
00:32:01.29\00:32:02.62
He said, "I don't want
my remotes to get dirty."
00:32:02.65\00:32:04.85
But he had them all
lined up, five remotes.
00:32:05.38\00:32:07.59
And I thought, if he
presses any combination in the
00:32:07.62\00:32:09.45
wrong direction..., nuclear war.
00:32:09.48\00:32:11.40
But there are people
that are thirty for pleasure.
00:32:12.85\00:32:15.18
600 cable channels, and
some people get the top package.
00:32:15.19\00:32:18.36
Can you imagine $200 a
month just to watch television?
00:32:18.39\00:32:21.66
Cable,
satellite, on demand movies.
00:32:22.98\00:32:25.97
And nowadays, video stores
are going out of business.
00:32:26.00\00:32:28.41
Because you can type anything
you want on the computer and
00:32:29.44\00:32:31.98
watch any movie, whether it's
been past or it's coming up.
00:32:32.01\00:32:35.17
And you know, some of
the technology is good;
00:32:35.20\00:32:37.89
as it relates to 3ABN.
00:32:37.92\00:32:39.36
What do you say?
00:32:39.39\00:32:40.43
However, if it
takes the place of God,
00:32:41.68\00:32:45.17
it is not good.
00:32:46.02\00:32:47.16
Most electronic
devices nowadays, even those
00:32:48.44\00:32:50.94
PlayStation systems, you ever
see kids in the doctor's office?
00:32:50.97\00:32:53.96
You can't even have a
conversation with your
00:32:57.63\00:32:59.20
child nowadays, because
it's either the PS3 or the next
00:32:59.23\00:33:04.72
gaming device or
whatever it is or texting.
00:33:04.75\00:33:08.01
It's like...
00:33:08.41\00:33:09.45
I went to the Verizon
store and I said to the guy,
00:33:10.46\00:33:12.26
now do we have
unlimited texting?
00:33:12.29\00:33:13.63
That's when we added my niece
in New York on our phone plan.
00:33:13.66\00:33:17.21
We've since then made
her buy her own phone.
00:33:17.24\00:33:19.41
Amen somebody.
00:33:19.44\00:33:20.49
Because we were
tired of those phone bills.
00:33:20.97\00:33:22.42
She would always
exceed the texting rate.
00:33:22.45\00:33:24.32
And I said, "She made
7000 texts this month."
00:33:24.87\00:33:28.14
He said, "That's nothing.
My daughter did 55,000."
00:33:28.25\00:33:31.15
And I thought, "What
is a text, by the way?"
00:33:31.71\00:33:34.00
And he said, "If they
just send back the letter 'a',
00:33:34.03\00:33:36.66
that's a text.
00:33:36.69\00:33:37.78
They sometimes say,
'yes,' that's a text."
00:33:37.99\00:33:40.25
He said, "Every digit that they
send out, every time they go;
00:33:41.02\00:33:43.39
yes, no, uh-huh, what, yeah,?,
00:33:43.42\00:33:46.57
that's a text."
00:33:46.60\00:33:47.64
I said, "55,000?"
00:33:47.67\00:33:48.90
And doctors, listen,
the physicians nowadays...
00:33:48.93\00:33:50.81
Time magazine did an
article on children who are
00:33:50.84\00:33:53.62
getting, what's that,
carpel tunnel syndrome.
00:33:53.65\00:33:56.94
Nowadays, you go to some
houses and if you see the kids,
00:33:58.58\00:34:02.20
you're lucky.
00:34:02.23\00:34:03.54
Because they are
sequestered off stage in a
00:34:04.52\00:34:06.22
sound proof electronic room.
00:34:06.25\00:34:07.95
But then on the other side of
that, compare church attendance
00:34:09.73\00:34:13.90
to sporting events.
00:34:13.91\00:34:15.29
Compare church attendance
to people at concerts.
00:34:15.32\00:34:17.97
People go to concerts
and run to the front row,
00:34:18.00\00:34:19.98
go to church and
run to the back row.
00:34:20.01\00:34:21.83
You can sell tickets for
$200 and somebody is going to
00:34:22.75\00:34:25.70
be at that concert.
00:34:25.73\00:34:26.90
You can't even give away seats
for free in churches nowadays.
00:34:26.93\00:34:30.75
Wait until the two
sermons after this, you'll see
00:34:31.26\00:34:33.29
it's amazing what's
actually happening in America
00:34:33.32\00:34:36.22
and what's
happening in the churches.
00:34:36.25\00:34:37.94
According to crosswalk.com,
it's an Agape Press,
00:34:38.60\00:34:42.13
an Episcopal church researcher
said that less than 20% of
00:34:42.71\00:34:45.58
Americans even
attend church on Sunday.
00:34:45.61\00:34:47.83
He forgot to interview
those who go on Saturday.
00:34:48.03\00:34:50.72
But the bottom line
is, church attendance is
00:34:50.93\00:34:53.26
decreasing in America.
00:34:53.29\00:34:54.55
And here's the reason why.
00:34:54.56\00:34:56.00
1 John 2 verses 15 and
16 makes it very clear.
00:34:56.03\00:34:59.83
Reason number five, he says:
00:34:59.86\00:35:01.15
The world is
really killing the church.
00:35:18.89\00:35:20.94
It should be the
other way around;
00:35:21.39\00:35:22.99
the world being
attracted by the church,
00:35:23.00\00:35:25.42
not the church being
attracted by the world.
00:35:25.43\00:35:27.63
Reason number six:
00:35:27.66\00:35:29.19
Luke 21 and verse 9,
listen to what the Bible says.
00:35:32.25\00:35:35.92
I said, well I wonder
how many people died in wars
00:35:49.44\00:35:52.35
just in the 19th
and 20th centuries.
00:35:52.38\00:35:55.52
And when I saw the 19th century,
I said, well let me just narrow
00:35:55.55\00:35:58.41
it down to the 20th century.
00:35:58.44\00:36:00.01
Do you know that in wars,
more than 160 million people
00:36:00.04\00:36:05.14
have been killed in wars.
00:36:05.15\00:36:06.93
Not in the 19th
and 18th centuries,
00:36:06.96\00:36:09.13
but in the 20th century.
00:36:09.16\00:36:10.48
It is listed as the
bloodiest century on record.
00:36:10.51\00:36:14.73
160 million people.
00:36:16.08\00:36:18.90
Brethren, the bottom line is,
there won't be peace on earth
00:36:19.20\00:36:21.40
until Jesus does
away with the sin problem.
00:36:21.41\00:36:23.23
Can you say amen to that?
00:36:23.26\00:36:24.52
Let's go to reason number seven.
00:36:24.84\00:36:26.48
And this is amazing.
00:36:26.98\00:36:28.06
Reason number seven.
00:36:28.36\00:36:29.46
Back to 2 Timothy
chapter 3 and verse 13.
00:36:36.34\00:36:39.23
If you look at the
crimes nowadays, they are in the
00:36:53.40\00:36:55.64
category of senseless crimes.
00:36:55.67\00:36:58.72
Senseless crimes.
00:36:58.75\00:37:00.23
You know, if a person steals
food, maybe they're hungry.
00:37:00.26\00:37:03.17
There was a guy that I
knew in Brooklyn, New York.
00:37:04.42\00:37:06.57
Around Thanksgiving,
he'd take a beer bottle and
00:37:06.60\00:37:09.75
break a store window so he
could get arrested and have a
00:37:09.76\00:37:12.80
meal for Thanksgiving.
00:37:12.83\00:37:14.45
You could always
guarantee he would do it again
00:37:17.82\00:37:19.37
just before Christmas.
00:37:19.40\00:37:20.63
He lived on the streets.
00:37:20.66\00:37:21.88
And after a while the police got
use to him and they would say,
00:37:22.08\00:37:24.47
"Come on, Jerry."
00:37:24.50\00:37:26.04
Because they knew
that he did that because he
00:37:26.74\00:37:28.80
wanted a place to stay.
00:37:28.83\00:37:29.97
But nowadays,
crimes are senseless.
00:37:30.00\00:37:31.87
People are killed and
disposed of like trash.
00:37:31.90\00:37:36.77
And some of these
shows on television...
00:37:38.10\00:37:39.64
There's a channel
that just talks about all
00:37:39.67\00:37:41.05
these murder mysteries.
00:37:41.08\00:37:42.52
I don't watch that all the time.
00:37:42.55\00:37:44.05
Every now and then, I
get stuck on one of them
00:37:44.08\00:37:45.88
when I'm panning through.
00:37:45.91\00:37:47.17
But you know what, there
are some people that are fearful
00:37:47.20\00:37:49.06
of even answering the door
nowadays because they spend
00:37:49.09\00:37:50.95
all their time
in murder mysteries.
00:37:50.96\00:37:52.73
The slightest
sound in the house...
00:37:53.27\00:37:54.67
Somebody is in
the house, they think.
00:37:54.70\00:37:56.42
We have people that
visit us from New York City.
00:37:57.34\00:37:59.34
And when they go
outside to go to their car,
00:37:59.37\00:38:01.15
they'll say,
"Turn the light on."
00:38:01.18\00:38:02.25
Because it's dark out
here in Thompsonville.
00:38:03.83\00:38:05.78
And I said, "There's
nothing out there but raccoons
00:38:06.11\00:38:08.09
and maybe some deer."
00:38:08.12\00:38:09.19
They said, "No,
no. Turn the light on."
00:38:09.22\00:38:10.57
You know what I asked them?
00:38:10.58\00:38:11.58
"Do you watch a whole
lot of murder mysteries
00:38:11.61\00:38:13.49
and killing shows?"
00:38:13.52\00:38:14.80
"Yeah."
00:38:14.83\00:38:15.84
And you know
what the problem is?
00:38:16.14\00:38:17.17
Their minds have
become their own worst enemy.
00:38:17.20\00:38:19.33
It's what's up here and not
necessarily what's out there.
00:38:19.36\00:38:21.63
But nowadays, we live in
a world of senseless crimes.
00:38:22.57\00:38:25.52
Women are
victimized by abuse and murder.
00:38:25.82\00:38:28.38
And sometimes not just by
strangers, but by their spouses
00:38:28.41\00:38:31.55
and their husbands.
00:38:31.56\00:38:32.66
Children are being
abducted, abused, molested,
00:38:33.39\00:38:36.72
and murdered every day.
00:38:36.75\00:38:38.11
Have you gone
to Wal-Mart lately?
00:38:38.14\00:38:39.50
We say Wal-Mart down here.
00:38:39.51\00:38:40.80
That's the
biggest store we have.
00:38:40.81\00:38:42.13
But you walk into Wal-Mart,
just look to the right.
00:38:42.62\00:38:44.54
All these missing children;
00:38:44.57\00:38:45.99
"Have you seen
this child lately?"
00:38:46.00\00:38:48.16
So many that they can't put them
on the milk cartons anymore.
00:38:48.19\00:38:51.41
But our society
is so numbed by that,
00:38:52.97\00:38:55.57
so inoculated by that,
we don't even pay attention.
00:38:55.60\00:38:58.31
We look at the child and go
ahead and buy our groceries.
00:38:58.34\00:39:01.02
That's the age in which we live.
00:39:01.65\00:39:03.36
It doesn't even
hit us where it use to.
00:39:03.39\00:39:06.39
And by the way, I read
an article where it says,
00:39:06.84\00:39:08.85
"Serial killing is the
crime of the 20th century."
00:39:08.88\00:39:16.15
It didn't exist
in other generations.
00:39:17.28\00:39:19.36
But notice what the Bible
says, another indication we're
00:39:20.07\00:39:22.29
living just before Jesus comes.
00:39:22.32\00:39:24.02
Genesis chapter 6 and verse 13.
00:39:24.05\00:39:26.81
Listen to the words.
00:39:26.84\00:39:28.46
The conditions that led
to the destruction of the
00:39:44.55\00:39:47.72
pre-flood world is preparing our
world for the final destruction.
00:39:47.75\00:39:51.47
Just as it was in
Noah's day, thoughts were only
00:39:51.50\00:39:54.67
evil continually.
00:39:54.70\00:39:56.07
It's getting to that place.
00:39:56.10\00:39:57.41
Lord, have mercy.
00:39:57.44\00:39:59.91
Reason number eight, tonight.
00:40:00.61\00:40:02.54
My wife and I just returned from
St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands
00:40:07.23\00:40:10.02
and we went down
there for vacation.
00:40:10.05\00:40:12.16
We often get a tremendous tan.
00:40:12.19\00:40:14.32
Some of you may
think I'm tanned already.
00:40:14.35\00:40:16.34
But we often look
forward to getting a tan.
00:40:16.37\00:40:19.27
I often look forward to getting
into the nice warm waters.
00:40:19.30\00:40:21.90
But this time, we
went to the water only once
00:40:21.93\00:40:24.89
because of hurricane Irene.
00:40:24.92\00:40:26.87
It came through St.
Thomas as a tropical storm.
00:40:26.90\00:40:29.23
But if you notice
something, that they're saying,
00:40:29.26\00:40:31.44
the meteorologists and
the news casters are saying
00:40:31.47\00:40:34.31
that they believe that very
soon they're going to have to up
00:40:34.34\00:40:37.68
the Fujita scale because
even tornadoes are growing
00:40:37.69\00:40:41.97
in their intensity.
00:40:42.00\00:40:43.17
It went up to a level five.
00:40:43.20\00:40:44.66
Even hurricanes
are category five.
00:40:44.67\00:40:47.18
They're saying it's becoming
so intense and so prevalent
00:40:47.21\00:40:50.60
and so wide and so destructive
that they may have to
00:40:50.63\00:40:53.07
increase it to a category six.
00:40:53.10\00:40:55.04
The intensity of
natural disasters.
00:40:55.45\00:40:58.07
What's the reason why?
00:40:58.10\00:40:59.46
Paul the apostle tells
us in Romans 8 and verse 22.
00:40:59.49\00:41:02.20
He says:
00:41:02.23\00:41:03.49
Even the earth is
crying for delivery.
00:41:12.26\00:41:15.50
Even the earth knows that
what's taking place here is
00:41:15.53\00:41:19.82
not what God intended.
00:41:19.85\00:41:21.48
Killer tornadoes increasing
in number and frequency.
00:41:21.51\00:41:24.35
Spring 2011 was recorded as the
second deadliest tornado season
00:41:24.38\00:41:29.88
in the United States history.
00:41:29.91\00:41:31.86
Earthquakes; 9.1 in Japan.
00:41:31.89\00:41:34.76
Even the east coast
just recently had an
00:41:34.79\00:41:37.13
earthquake in Virginia.
00:41:37.14\00:41:38.34
And we had one last
year here in Thompsonville.
00:41:38.37\00:41:41.03
My sister's daughter, my
niece, was on the 13th floor
00:41:42.08\00:41:45.09
there in Brooklyn, New York
just a couple of weeks ago when
00:41:45.64\00:41:48.69
the building began to shake.
00:41:48.72\00:41:50.15
Now you know what, New
York is not a place that can
00:41:50.18\00:41:52.19
handle an earthquake.
00:41:52.22\00:41:53.34
They are more prepared
for terrorism than they
00:41:53.37\00:41:55.34
are for an earthquake.
00:41:55.35\00:41:56.47
But in her fearful moment,
she thought that she was just
00:41:57.90\00:42:01.00
getting tired or
sleepy or hungry.
00:42:01.01\00:42:04.03
But all of a sudden, she
noticed that it was not just her
00:42:04.06\00:42:06.12
that was swaying, but
the window was swaying
00:42:06.15\00:42:07.71
and the mirror was swaying
and her dresser was swaying.
00:42:07.74\00:42:10.33
And she grabbed her daughter
and found an emergency exit...
00:42:10.36\00:42:14.26
...an elevator.
00:42:14.29\00:42:15.77
That's the last thing you
want to do in an earthquake
00:42:17.79\00:42:19.57
is get in an elevator, but
that's what New Yorkers do.
00:42:19.60\00:42:21.63
Press the button on the 13th
floor, "Let's get out of here."
00:42:22.16\00:42:24.98
But brethren,
something is occurring
00:42:25.97\00:42:27.77
when we see earthquakes.
00:42:27.80\00:42:28.85
The Bible says there
will be earthquakes in places
00:42:28.86\00:42:31.60
that there were
not earthquakes before;
00:42:31.61\00:42:33.30
in diverse or various places.
00:42:33.33\00:42:35.40
But that's not the only thing.
00:42:36.04\00:42:37.64
Matthew 24 verse 7 says:
00:42:37.67\00:42:39.65
Add to that the lack of rain
in Kenya resulting in famine.
00:42:47.20\00:42:50.09
They say every day 1500
people show up in a camp
00:42:50.12\00:42:54.08
trying to deal with famine.
00:42:54.11\00:42:55.68
Over 14,000 people
dealing with famine.
00:42:56.21\00:43:00.49
Some places it's
raining too much.
00:43:00.50\00:43:02.08
Other places it's
not raining at all.
00:43:02.11\00:43:03.34
And Texas just recently
dealing with fires there.
00:43:03.45\00:43:06.11
And in California; fires.
00:43:06.14\00:43:07.22
Why? Too much rain in some
places, no rain in other places.
00:43:07.25\00:43:10.93
And I believe that this year,
Texas broke the record again
00:43:11.80\00:43:14.88
for the number of
100 degree days in a row.
00:43:14.91\00:43:17.23
I think it was forty-two
100 degree days in a row.
00:43:17.26\00:43:19.84
Nature itself is
asking for deliverance.
00:43:21.46\00:43:24.31
But look at reason number nine.
00:43:24.78\00:43:26.45
Reason number nine.
00:43:26.48\00:43:28.27
This one, I believe,
strikes nearer to our hearts.
00:43:28.28\00:43:30.66
Reason number nine.
00:43:30.69\00:43:32.38
James chapter 5
verse 4 says the following.
00:43:39.05\00:43:42.56
What that in essence is saying
is, people are not getting paid
00:43:58.00\00:44:00.81
for the work that
they're doing nowadays.
00:44:00.82\00:44:03.02
People are working
for next to nothing.
00:44:03.05\00:44:04.69
They're laboring but they're
not getting the remuneration
00:44:04.72\00:44:07.48
that they deserve.
00:44:07.51\00:44:09.90
And just recently, the United
States experienced something
00:44:10.15\00:44:13.01
that many of its
citizens already know.
00:44:13.02\00:44:15.88
They got their credit
rating lowered from AAA to AA.
00:44:16.46\00:44:20.53
I don't know about you, but
I'll be happy to get a single A.
00:44:22.94\00:44:25.55
A amen.
00:44:26.47\00:44:28.03
No longer has an
AAA credit rating.
00:44:29.02\00:44:31.67
I don't even know how
we had an AAA credit rating
00:44:31.98\00:44:34.76
with a 14
trillion dollar deficit.
00:44:34.79\00:44:37.61
If you were in debt
by 14 trillion dollars,
00:44:37.64\00:44:39.88
would your
credit rating be an AA?
00:44:39.91\00:44:41.81
It wouldn't even be an
A, it'd be an F; triple F.
00:44:42.87\00:44:45.47
Can even pay your bills and you
are crying about an AA rating.
00:44:46.28\00:44:49.35
15 million Americans unemployed.
00:44:49.68\00:44:52.26
44 million
Americans receive food stamps.
00:44:52.94\00:44:58.48
80 million Americans receive
checks from the US government.
00:44:58.51\00:45:02.54
In 2010, one million
homes were repossessed.
00:45:03.53\00:45:06.91
They say that according
to the records, for 2011
00:45:06.94\00:45:09.46
they're on track for 1.2
million more being repossessed,
00:45:09.49\00:45:12.90
according to CNN.
00:45:12.93\00:45:14.12
And then they're saying we're
facing a double dip recession.
00:45:14.15\00:45:17.64
What that means is, the
recession was followed by
00:45:17.67\00:45:21.12
short lived recovery
back down to a recession.
00:45:21.15\00:45:24.91
We are living in critical times.
00:45:25.69\00:45:28.36
Now, let's go down
to reason number ten.
00:45:29.28\00:45:36.36
You know, I see these are
the days when we have to really
00:45:36.97\00:45:40.54
look to God for our assurance.
00:45:40.57\00:45:41.91
What do you say?
00:45:41.92\00:45:42.96
These are not the days
where we rely on our 401k
00:45:43.24\00:45:46.77
or our 403b or
our retirement plan.
00:45:46.80\00:45:50.11
These are the days
for scriptures like
00:45:50.12\00:45:52.01
Philippians 4 and verse 19.
00:45:52.04\00:45:53.47
I want you to read this with me.
00:45:53.50\00:45:54.65
This is one I believe that
we need to read more often.
00:45:54.68\00:45:57.35
We need to trust
in this one more.
00:45:57.65\00:45:59.60
Paul the apostle says,
Philippians 4 verse 19:
00:45:59.63\00:46:03.62
Jesus has a
quadruple A credit rating.
00:46:14.21\00:46:18.64
There is no shortage of money
and food in the kingdom of God.
00:46:19.41\00:46:23.45
There will never be a shortage.
00:46:23.48\00:46:25.41
He says, "If you are faithful,
I will provide for you.
00:46:25.44\00:46:27.97
I will open the windows
of heaven and pour you out a
00:46:28.00\00:46:29.68
blessing that there will not
be room enough to receive it."
00:46:29.71\00:46:32.53
So the one that we
trust in these last days
00:46:33.00\00:46:35.11
is the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:46:35.14\00:46:36.39
He's going to keep us.
00:46:36.42\00:46:37.42
We are going to make
it by trusting in Him.
00:46:37.44\00:46:39.12
But reason number ten.
00:46:40.00\00:46:41.42
Reason number ten, tonight.
00:46:42.07\00:46:44.74
I did an entire series
on the occult industry.
00:46:51.00\00:46:54.65
Rise in spiritism.
00:46:54.68\00:46:56.82
Just to mention that, I'll
have another five part series
00:46:56.85\00:46:59.97
hopefully in the
future about the occult
00:47:00.00\00:47:02.10
and the entertainment industry.
00:47:02.13\00:47:04.06
But there's so
much to say on that one,
00:47:04.07\00:47:05.50
I had to narrow it down.
00:47:05.53\00:47:06.57
I had to say to myself, don't
make this another occult series
00:47:06.58\00:47:10.02
on just this one point.
00:47:10.05\00:47:11.33
But there is a
rise in spiritism.
00:47:11.36\00:47:14.02
But this is not a surprise.
00:47:14.36\00:47:15.67
The Lord said this
would happen in the last days.
00:47:15.70\00:47:17.83
1 Timothy chapter 4 and
verse 1 reads as follows.
00:47:18.23\00:47:21.55
Do you know what that means
when he says, "expressly says?"
00:47:25.04\00:47:26.98
That means, He
specifically points out.
00:47:27.01\00:47:29.26
Notice "doctrines".
00:47:41.45\00:47:43.26
Doctrines means something that's
suppose to come from God's word.
00:47:43.62\00:47:46.92
Demons are now substituting
the doctrines of God's word
00:47:47.22\00:47:50.81
with doctrines of demons.
00:47:50.84\00:47:52.22
That's why people
are leaving the faith.
00:47:52.25\00:47:54.49
Because what they are
not finding in God's word is
00:47:54.52\00:47:57.64
more pleasing for them than what
is being found in God's word.
00:47:57.67\00:48:01.04
The series I did was how
the world is being affected.
00:48:02.43\00:48:04.82
But this is about how
the church is being affected.
00:48:04.85\00:48:06.99
People are departing
from the faith giving heed
00:48:07.02\00:48:09.34
to seducing spirits.
00:48:09.37\00:48:10.46
There is a fascination
with the occult world
00:48:10.49\00:48:13.18
that is permeating everything.
00:48:13.21\00:48:14.83
Harry Potter series has
created an entire culture
00:48:14.86\00:48:18.40
built on witches and magic.
00:48:18.43\00:48:20.72
But look at the emphasis
on vampires, casting spells,
00:48:21.57\00:48:24.95
and even the afterlife.
00:48:24.96\00:48:27.49
But if that's not
bad enough, world leaders
00:48:29.60\00:48:35.07
are joining the march.
00:48:35.10\00:48:37.45
I remember a number of years
ago, I don't remember which
00:48:37.75\00:48:40.36
president it was, but I
remember one of our presidents,
00:48:40.39\00:48:42.40
his wife would talk to
Eleanor Roosevelt every day.
00:48:42.43\00:48:46.17
Don't tell me his name.
00:48:46.35\00:48:47.38
I don't want to
embarrass anybody.
00:48:47.41\00:48:48.40
I don't want anyone to think I'm
against one party or the other.
00:48:48.43\00:48:50.96
But brethren, it was not
just bad that she spoke to
00:48:51.37\00:48:55.37
Eleanor Roosevelt every
day who already was dead.
00:48:55.40\00:48:57.78
But she was giving advice to her
husband who was the president
00:48:58.53\00:49:00.99
based on what
Eleanor Roosevelt said.
00:49:01.02\00:49:02.84
And they have these shows
nowadays; Psychic Detectives.
00:49:07.07\00:49:11.00
When they can't solve a crime,
they go get a psychic detective.
00:49:11.03\00:49:15.39
You know what a
psychic detective is?
00:49:15.40\00:49:17.00
They take them to the
spot and the guy stands there
00:49:17.03\00:49:19.25
or the woman stands there
and they start humming and
00:49:19.26\00:49:21.00
extending their hands
and feeling, "I'm sensing
00:49:21.03\00:49:23.52
there's a spirit here."
00:49:23.55\00:49:24.81
Like a dog would sniff,
they are spirit sniffers.
00:49:25.39\00:49:29.59
And as ridiculous as
that sounds, that's what our
00:49:31.43\00:49:34.65
law enforcement is
looking at as a viable
00:49:34.68\00:49:37.50
solution to solving crimes.
00:49:37.53\00:49:39.46
Sad, but it shows you how
far spiritism has permeated.
00:49:39.49\00:49:43.34
Then you have courses
you can take in universities
00:49:43.64\00:49:46.00
called
parapsychology and metaphysics.
00:49:46.20\00:49:49.69
They give an esoteric name to
it to make it sound really good.
00:49:49.72\00:49:52.22
But what it in fact
is, is just spiritualism
00:49:52.25\00:49:54.77
in an educational setting.
00:49:54.78\00:49:56.45
And for those of us that
don't think that we are really
00:49:58.18\00:50:00.08
dealing with spiritualism,
look at the shows nowadays.
00:50:00.11\00:50:03.12
I'm going to categorize
that in an upcoming event,
00:50:03.63\00:50:06.33
in an upcoming
series, one of the messages
00:50:06.83\00:50:08.87
in a few nights to come.
00:50:08.90\00:50:10.15
There is more spiritism in
places that it should not be.
00:50:10.18\00:50:14.80
And I hate to say this;
even in Christian churches.
00:50:15.10\00:50:17.76
When people are more
concerned about how they feel
00:50:17.79\00:50:20.64
than how they
walk, it's spiritism.
00:50:20.67\00:50:23.29
When people say, "That
sermon made me feel good,"
00:50:23.32\00:50:26.89
and, "I don't feel
good," they base it on feelings.
00:50:26.90\00:50:30.58
Feelings change
with the weather,
00:50:30.61\00:50:32.30
they change with temperatures.
00:50:32.33\00:50:33.57
We ought to base our
lives, not on what feels good,
00:50:33.58\00:50:36.30
but what the word of God says.
00:50:36.33\00:50:38.36
By the way, when you
think that, it didn't feel good
00:50:38.70\00:50:40.61
to go to the cross.
00:50:40.62\00:50:41.62
It didn't feel good to
get nailed to the cross.
00:50:41.65\00:50:43.27
It didn't feel good to
die, but Jesus did that
00:50:43.30\00:50:45.34
because He was
obedient unto death,
00:50:45.37\00:50:48.00
even the death of the cross.
00:50:48.03\00:50:49.67
But the question is,
what's behind all this?
00:50:50.57\00:50:52.75
Listen to Revelation
chapter 16 and verse 14.
00:50:52.78\00:50:55.80
The Lord makes it clear the
atmosphere in which we live.
00:50:56.60\00:50:59.07
In the church and
out of many churches.
00:51:04.85\00:51:07.26
You put up a sign and
say, "Miracle Service,"
00:51:15.48\00:51:17.59
people come out in the droves.
00:51:17.62\00:51:19.68
They couldn't even get
enough buses in the parking lot.
00:51:19.71\00:51:21.94
But you put up a sign that says,
00:51:22.27\00:51:23.70
"The truth is going
to be taught tonight,"
00:51:23.73\00:51:25.08
"No, I don't want
to hear the truth."
00:51:25.11\00:51:26.45
And the word of God is
pushed to the side and people
00:51:28.00\00:51:30.42
want a pill to fix everything.
00:51:30.45\00:51:31.83
I remember going to one
of those miracle services
00:51:31.86\00:51:34.68
just to be inquisitive.
00:51:34.71\00:51:36.01
Because it was not
too far from where I lived
00:51:36.70\00:51:38.13
in Orlando, Florida.
00:51:38.16\00:51:39.16
I went to one of the
ones when Benny Hinn was
00:51:39.19\00:51:41.67
still pastoring one of
his churches down in Florida
00:51:41.70\00:51:43.89
on Forest Lake Road.
00:51:43.92\00:51:45.29
I remember going there.
00:51:45.32\00:51:46.31
My wife and I and her
cousin went just to see
00:51:46.32\00:51:49.09
what these
services were all about.
00:51:49.10\00:51:50.19
We didn't go to get
anything healed, amen.
00:51:50.22\00:51:52.11
Just to make the record clear.
00:51:52.56\00:51:54.03
But you know, you go
to those services and you
00:51:54.81\00:51:56.22
start questioning
yourself as to whether or not
00:51:56.25\00:51:58.30
you need to ask for a healing.
00:51:58.33\00:51:59.95
But I didn't go for that reason.
00:52:01.44\00:52:02.49
I went to see what
these were all about.
00:52:02.52\00:52:04.26
And I noticed that in the
back of this church, there were
00:52:04.89\00:52:07.02
people in wheelchairs,
people on respirators,
00:52:07.05\00:52:09.57
people whose
bodies were contorted,
00:52:09.60\00:52:11.72
people who had
obvious deformities.
00:52:11.75\00:52:14.38
And not a one of them
were ever called forward
00:52:14.95\00:52:17.39
to have their
bodies straightened out,
00:52:18.41\00:52:20.24
or their wheelchairs vacated,
or their sight restored.
00:52:20.89\00:52:24.66
But the people that were
there were gathered there
00:52:26.01\00:52:27.53
and they were being
deceived by clever words,
00:52:27.56\00:52:29.89
words to make you feel good.
00:52:29.92\00:52:31.45
And so one of the
people came out of the audience
00:52:31.48\00:52:33.55
and the preacher,
called a "prophet"...
00:52:33.58\00:52:36.78
Even that nowadays,
there are a lot of "prophets"
00:52:37.80\00:52:39.91
and "prophetesses" that
are selling prophet programs.
00:52:39.92\00:52:43.28
Prophet really
with a dollar bill.
00:52:43.31\00:52:45.71
Not prophet but profit.
00:52:45.74\00:52:48.27
That's really what they are.
00:52:48.30\00:52:49.50
Profits.
00:52:49.53\00:52:51.12
Anyhow, he invited
somebody to come forward.
00:52:51.33\00:52:53.45
And he leaned over and held
the person's ear and he said,
00:52:54.17\00:52:57.49
"You have a problem with your
ear, but the Lord told me to
00:52:57.52\00:52:59.60
tell you He gave me a prophecy
that your ear is going to be
00:52:59.63\00:53:02.65
healed and you're
going to be able to hear what
00:53:02.68\00:53:03.88
God says to you in the future."
00:53:03.91\00:53:05.00
And I'm thinking, what about
these folk in the back that
00:53:05.03\00:53:07.09
can't even move?
00:53:07.12\00:53:08.44
And when the service was
over, all those people that
00:53:08.74\00:53:10.67
couldn't even hardly
walk, couldn't even function,
00:53:10.70\00:53:14.24
they all went back
home the same way they came.
00:53:14.27\00:53:16.48
And the preacher went
home a whole lot richer.
00:53:16.49\00:53:18.83
That's what
Christianity wants nowadays;
00:53:19.53\00:53:21.48
a fix, a pill, rather
than the real presence
00:53:21.51\00:53:24.83
of the real Holy Spirit.
00:53:24.86\00:53:26.31
Where is it all headed?
00:53:26.90\00:53:28.25
Listen to what Ellen
White says as we begin to close.
00:53:28.33\00:53:30.95
In the book, Testimonies,
Volume 9, page 11 paragraph 2,
00:53:30.98\00:53:36.13
a powerful quotation, she says:
00:53:36.16\00:53:39.06
They're getting it all together,
00:53:47.33\00:53:48.50
they're working
out all the plans.
00:53:48.53\00:53:50.32
Just when you
think it hasn't arrived,
00:54:09.41\00:54:13.44
it's going to happen so fast.
00:54:13.45\00:54:15.28
Just when you think we
have a whole lot more time,
00:54:15.31\00:54:17.41
the dominoes are
going to begin to crumble
00:54:17.44\00:54:19.50
too quickly for
people to read their Bibles,
00:54:19.53\00:54:21.47
too quickly to run
to the churches because
00:54:21.50\00:54:23.08
the doors will be closed,
too quickly to find peace.
00:54:23.11\00:54:25.75
The best time to find peace
is when peace is available.
00:54:25.78\00:54:28.78
The best time to come to the
Lord is when the opportunities
00:54:28.81\00:54:31.12
present themselves.
00:54:31.15\00:54:32.29
Don't wait.
00:54:32.30\00:54:33.30
I saw on a sign one
day on a church that said,
00:54:33.33\00:54:35.81
"Repent now and avoid the rush."
00:54:35.84\00:54:38.08
Because someday, everybody
is going to want to repent.
00:54:38.47\00:54:40.46
That's what
happened in Noah's day;
00:54:40.47\00:54:41.78
knocking on the
door, "Let me in."
00:54:41.81\00:54:43.27
Too late.
00:54:44.83\00:54:46.06
A good friend of ours in
the family once said to me,
00:54:46.84\00:54:48.90
"The two worst words that a
Christian would ever says is,
00:54:50.12\00:54:53.33
'almost' and 'too late.'"
00:54:53.36\00:54:56.50
Brethren, those of
you who are watching,
00:54:57.20\00:54:59.97
ladies and gentlemen,
those of you who are listening,
00:55:00.00\00:55:02.05
it is ridiculous to
not be ready for the Lord.
00:55:02.74\00:55:05.63
He is soon to come.
00:55:05.66\00:55:06.65
The conditions are spelling it.
00:55:06.68\00:55:08.18
Our politicians know
the crisis is increasing.
00:55:08.21\00:55:12.09
Our presidents know, world
leaders in other countries know.
00:55:12.12\00:55:16.36
Whether it's in Greece
or whether it's in China
00:55:16.39\00:55:19.18
where the demand for their
goods are getting less and less.
00:55:19.21\00:55:23.28
Unemployment is still rising.
00:55:23.31\00:55:24.86
The debt ceiling is
continuing to increase.
00:55:25.06\00:55:26.69
The world leaders know.
00:55:26.72\00:55:28.34
Can't even get credit nowadays.
00:55:28.84\00:55:30.42
The world leaders know.
00:55:30.45\00:55:31.46
The banks are holding
onto everything they have.
00:55:31.47\00:55:33.40
Because everyone knows that
something great and decisive
00:55:33.43\00:55:37.58
is about to take place.
00:55:37.59\00:55:39.02
This is the hour
that we need to get ready
00:55:39.05\00:55:42.16
for the coming of our Lord.
00:55:42.19\00:55:43.20
What do you say?
00:55:43.21\00:55:44.26
What does Jesus say
about all these things?
00:55:45.23\00:55:47.27
Listen to this final scripture.
00:55:49.31\00:55:50.97
Matthew 24 and verse 33.
00:55:51.00\00:55:53.36
He says:
00:55:54.76\00:55:56.21
Today, not only is the
end of the world at the doors,
00:56:07.64\00:56:12.22
but Jesus is at the door.
00:56:12.52\00:56:14.44
He says, "Behold, I
stand at the door and knock."
00:56:14.47\00:56:16.76
And brothers and sisters,
and ladies and gentlemen,
00:56:16.79\00:56:19.00
friends and foe alike,
00:56:19.03\00:56:20.87
the Lord is not only showing
us that the end is at the door.
00:56:21.59\00:56:24.92
But He's saying to us
that He is at the door.
00:56:24.95\00:56:27.60
If ever there was a
time to respond to the Lord,
00:56:28.00\00:56:30.60
as a song writer said,
00:56:30.63\00:56:32.00
"We are nearing
home, we are nearing home.
00:56:32.03\00:56:34.49
See the splendor
gleaming from the domes afar."
00:56:34.52\00:56:37.49
We are nearing home.
00:56:38.03\00:56:39.29
Tonight is the time we need
to get ready for that coming.
00:56:39.32\00:56:42.23
What do you say?
00:56:42.26\00:56:43.26
Let us pray.
00:56:43.29\00:56:44.34
Our gracious Father in heaven,
we thank You that You have
00:56:44.37\00:56:46.67
given us more
than enough indicators
00:56:46.68\00:56:49.01
that we're living
in the crisis hour.
00:56:49.04\00:56:50.90
But give us
something that we don't have;
00:56:51.25\00:56:53.46
a mind to think and a
conscious decision to make
00:56:53.76\00:56:56.99
our calling and election sure.
00:56:57.02\00:56:58.77
Help us not to procrastinate,
but to know that this
00:56:58.78\00:57:02.24
is the day of salvation,
this is the crisis hour,
00:57:02.27\00:57:05.50
this is the moment to get ready.
00:57:05.53\00:57:07.79
And Father, when You
come, may it be our joy
00:57:08.36\00:57:11.10
to be prepared to meet
Jesus in His soon return.
00:57:11.13\00:57:15.26
This is our desire.
00:57:15.29\00:57:16.48
And we thank You
for the opportunity.
00:57:16.51\00:57:18.45
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:57:18.48\00:57:21.86
Friends, we look forward
to seeing you tomorrow night.
00:57:22.32\00:57:24.07
The topic will
be, The Final Stage.
00:57:24.10\00:57:27.19
Invite someone to be there.
00:57:27.20\00:57:28.64
God bless you. See you then.
00:57:28.65\00:57:30.80