Good afternoon,
friends, and welcome once again
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to the 3ABN Worship
Center here in Thompsonville,
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Illinois... southern Illinois.
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If you're in the vicinity
and you'd like to come by and
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join us for this final
meeting in the series of
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The Winds of War, we
surely do encourage you to come
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and spend the day with us.
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But if you've been
tuning in from wherever you are
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in the world, we
welcome you once again.
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And we have been
blessed as we've discovered
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that Pastor Murray has
not been talking about wars
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like World War I
and the Vietnam War
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and whatever war
your country may have had.
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But he's talking about
the war that continues to rage
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in our heart. This
afternoon we pray that you will
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set your mind on the day
when there will no longer be
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any kind of war.
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And Pastor Murray is bringing
that message to us entitled
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War No More.
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We were blessed this
morning with the challenge of
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how do we win the
war? When War... Who?
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or When War...
How? Very unique titles.
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But I encourage you to
invite the Spirit of God to come
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and to speak to your
hearts as we once again
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open our ears to hear what
the Spirit has to say to us.
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So before we
introduce our speaker
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let's go to the Lord in prayer.
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Gracious Father, We thank you...
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The blessing of the Word
of God can never be estimated
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in the natural sense.
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But truly, Father, these
spiritual seeds are being
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planted to produce
in us trees and fruits
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for eternal life.
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We pray that You will
bless once again your manservant
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Pastor C.A. Murray.
Bring these words to life.
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Give us the hope and
the courage that we need
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to not only hear but
the strength to follow
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and live out in our lives all
that You intend for us to be.
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And thank you, Father,
that You promised that one day
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there will be war no more.
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We thank you in
Jesus' precious name. Amen.
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And now our speaker for this
afternoon: Pastor C.A. Murray.
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How quickly time flies.
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Seems like we were just at
the beginning of our sojourn
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together and now we come
down to the last presentation.
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Want to thank Pastor
John for sticking by me.
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The brethren ran off
and left me this week.
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Everyone had something to do.
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Pastor Jim is away preaching.
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Danny is away speaking.
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And this was one
of the weeks when
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Pastor John was in town.
And so it was good to have him
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sort of come on for me there.
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We have been talking about war
and drawing lessons from war.
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My sister said the other day:
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"Bet you can't go through
those titles without looking. "
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And, I assured her that I could.
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What War... When?
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When War... Why?
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Why War... Who? When War... How?
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War No More.
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Very easy.
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But this
afternoon it's War No More.
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And I would invite you
to turn with me if you will
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to Revelation chapter 20.
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20th chapter of
the book of Revelation.
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And we will
consider a fairly lengthy
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passage of scripture -
just verses 5 through 10-
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in Revelation 20.
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Gracious Father,
again we call upon You
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to be our teacher.
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To mentor us as we seek
to learn from Your Word.
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We thank you already
for what You have promised
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to do whenever we open
the Word of God in faith.
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And so fail us not.
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Teach us again we do pray.
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And thank you in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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Revelation 20 verse 5.
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I am reading
from my New King James
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and the words should be there
on the screen just momentarily.
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The Bible says:
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Now before I leave this text
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I want you not to get
too hung up and afraid
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or ashamed or chagrined
by "forever and ever. "
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That is not saying
that they will be burning
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forever and ever. One
of the reasons we know that
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is we jump back to
verse 9: "fire came down
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and devoured
them. " Burned them up.
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Forever and ever. The quickest
way to translate that is
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for as long as it lasts.
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That is a sermon in
itself that perhaps we ought to
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just wrestle with one day.
That's a good hour's worth of
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Bible study. But it doesn't
mean they're going to be burning
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forever and ever because verse
9 says "they will be devoured. "
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But they will be
totally devoured.
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The fire will burn as long
as is necessary to do the work
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that needs to be done.
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Amen.
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Now I want you to close
your eyes for just a moment
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and I want you to
think about heaven.
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You're thinking about heaven.
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Now open them up and look at me.
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Yeah, you're still here.
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It occurs to me that when
you ask someone to think about
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heaven you really
do them a disservice
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because "eyes have not
seen, ears have not heard. "
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We don't really have a
concrete idea as to what
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heaven is like because
there is simply nothing
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to compare it to.
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So we are reduced to
thinking about the best thing
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on planet earth and making
it better... and that's heaven.
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So if the best thing
for you is ice cream,
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then heaven is all ice cream.
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I'm sure glad heaven
is more than ice cream.
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Amen. Amen?
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If the best thing on earth
to you is health and freedom
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and not getting up in the
morning with any aches or pains,
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well that's a little more of
the heaven that I want to go to.
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But "eye hasn't
seen; ear hath not heard. "
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We don't really know
precisely what to expect.
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And that may be part of the
excitement of the whole thing.
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We're going to go to a place
for which there is no parallel.
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We've never seen it before.
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We certainly have
never experienced it before.
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Likewise, if we
were asked to think about
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a world where there is no war,
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that's a difficult
thing for humans to imagine.
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I was doing a little
research the other day online.
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And a number of
historians, paleontologists,
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archaeologists came together
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and they have determined
that in the last 4,500 years
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of recorded human history
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there have been 279
years of peace on planet earth.
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279 out of 4,500.
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We've been at war a long time.
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I want to go to
Revelation 14 for just a moment
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because there is housed
in that wonderful chapter
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messages from the three angels.
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Beginning at verse 6.
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The messages of the three
angels are solemn messages.
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The messages of the three
angels are warning messages.
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The messages of the three
angels are final messages.
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The constitute the
last and most urgent
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of the warning
messages given to God's people
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in this truly
lost and dying world.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
make no mistake about it:
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we inhabit a
lost and dying world.
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One of the television
stations that my wife and I
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have begun to watch
since we got the new G9 dish
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that 3ABN and all of the
Adventist channels have moved to
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is a station called Al-Jazeera
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It's an
international news station.
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out of Dohar in Qatar
or Qatar... depending on
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which side of
potato/potato you flip on.
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Dohar, Qatar.
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And they have a London bureau
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but being an
international station they cover
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international news.
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And we tend to watch a
little of that each evening
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because it gives you a view
of the world that we live in.
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And one of the things
that you quickly realize
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when you watch Al-Jazeera
or any international news
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station is that this
planet is in trouble.
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There's not a corner of
the earth where there's not
00:11:02.12\00:11:05.32
fomentation and aggravation
00:11:05.52\00:11:07.70
and drama and
trauma and bloodshed
00:11:07.90\00:11:11.15
and war and killing
and death and cheating
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and treachery across the globe.
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What must it be like to be
God and daily have to watch
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the drama and the death
and the trauma that this world
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is going through.
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Truly this world
is lost and dying.
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And it is very
difficult for we humans -
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even converted Christians
- to drink in the reality
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of the times in which we live.
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It seems very hard for us
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to maintain the readiness
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and close contact
and connection with God
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that these times demand.
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The hour, ladies and
gentlemen, is very late
00:12:00.51\00:12:04.27
and Christ is
coming very soon. And yet
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it seems almost impossible
for God's people to focus
00:12:08.43\00:12:12.92
on that and to
stay focused on that.
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It's very easy to
lose our focus and forget
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the times in
which we find ourselves.
00:12:19.95\00:12:22.01
So that first angel
gave a stirring message.
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"Fear God
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and give glory to Him
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for the hour of
His judgment is come. "
00:12:32.61\00:12:37.87
Amen?
00:12:38.17\00:12:39.40
"And worship Him who
made heaven and earth
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sea and springs of waters. "
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"Fear God... give glory. "
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This is not a suggestion...
it is a command from God.
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It is time to
fear God, respect God,
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and worship Him who made
the heaven and the earth.
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And in these last days
that command is both corporate
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and personal.
00:13:06.27\00:13:08.42
The corporate aspects
stand out much clearer
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in the second and third
angel's messages, but all three
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are corporate
message and personal message.
00:13:17.34\00:13:19.90
Make no mistake about
it: these messages demand...
00:13:20.21\00:13:22.99
they demand attention and
response from God's people.
00:13:23.19\00:13:26.48
These are not
messages that you can ignore.
00:13:26.78\00:13:28.91
I am so glad that when the
Lord impressed Danny Shelton
00:13:29.21\00:13:34.73
to start this
network He gave him the title
00:13:34.93\00:13:38.77
Three Angels Broadcasting.
00:13:38.97\00:13:41.63
That's right up there
with Seventh-day Adventist
00:13:41.93\00:13:44.27
because it speaks a message.
00:13:46.00\00:13:47.32
It's a message
that comes from God.
00:13:47.72\00:13:49.64
Now there are
other... there are other...
00:13:49.84\00:13:50.96
There's Trinity Broadcasting
Network and other kinds
00:13:51.16\00:13:53.72
of networks. But
Three Angels Broadcasting
00:13:53.82\00:13:57.37
speaks a message just
like Seventh-day Adventist
00:13:57.57\00:14:00.47
speaks a message
every time you call it.
00:14:00.78\00:14:04.49
That didn't come from a
man... it came from God.
00:14:04.69\00:14:07.23
For indeed "Babylon has fallen"
00:14:08.74\00:14:12.93
and we must come out of her.
That's the corporate reality
00:14:13.13\00:14:17.16
that there are systems of
worship that are bankrupt.
00:14:18.57\00:14:23.12
That's the reality:
00:14:23.52\00:14:25.87
that every system of
worship is not the same.
00:14:26.17\00:14:30.00
The truth is that
there are individuals
00:14:30.30\00:14:35.16
who are worshiping
God but they are doing so
00:14:35.36\00:14:39.71
in ways that are
unacceptable to Him.
00:14:39.91\00:14:42.83
Now that sounds very bigoted
in this pluralistic society.
00:14:43.13\00:14:47.69
Because the world we
find ourselves in today
00:14:47.99\00:14:50.94
is conditioned to accept
everybody and everything.
00:14:51.14\00:14:53.91
I've had pastors say to
me: "Well that's your truth...
00:14:54.11\00:14:56.74
this is mine. "
00:14:58.14\00:15:01.01
"And when last I
looked, pastor, truth is truth.
00:15:01.41\00:15:04.83
Not your truth and mine. "
00:15:05.13\00:15:07.11
And all 33,000 Christian
denominations can't be right.
00:15:07.41\00:15:11.84
Somebody's got to be wrong.
00:15:11.87\00:15:13.55
Either the train is on
the track or off the track.
00:15:14.91\00:15:19.97
Either the Sabbath is crucial
and important or it's not.
00:15:20.27\00:15:25.75
And I remind you,
ladies and gentlemen, we serve
00:15:26.06\00:15:29.25
a particular God. Amen.
00:15:29.35\00:15:31.35
We're coming to that
toward the end of this message.
00:15:31.55\00:15:34.30
God is not a slip
shod, half-hearted,
00:15:34.60\00:15:38.22
do-it-any-kind-of-way
God. God is VERY particular,
00:15:38.42\00:15:41.67
and when He says one in
seven He means one in seven.
00:15:42.07\00:15:45.89
And when He
designates which one in seven
00:15:46.19\00:15:48.66
either He means
it or He doesn't.
00:15:48.86\00:15:51.41
Either it is
important or it is not.
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.03
If He gives you ten commandments
00:15:55.33\00:15:58.82
all ten are important.
00:15:59.02\00:16:01.69
Amen?
00:16:01.99\00:16:03.81
If I'm towing your
car with a ten-link chain
00:16:04.11\00:16:07.37
and the chain
breaks at link number four,
00:16:07.57\00:16:11.41
is it broken?
00:16:12.97\00:16:14.51
Can I pull you?
00:16:14.91\00:16:17.05
If it breaks at link
number nine, is it broken?
00:16:18.48\00:16:22.64
Can I pull you?
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.33
Donna?
00:16:25.63\00:16:27.83
If the chain is
broken, it's broken.
00:16:31.80\00:16:37.34
Doesn't matter what link because
in order for the chain to work
00:16:37.64\00:16:43.01
all links have got to function.
00:16:43.21\00:16:46.10
And if it breaks at link
number four or number one
00:16:46.40\00:16:49.65
or number ten or
number nine doesn't matter...
00:16:49.85\00:16:51.80
I can't pull you
with a broken chain.
00:16:52.00\00:16:55.68
So our God is very particular.
00:16:57.80\00:16:59.40
He is very, very particular
00:17:00.83\00:17:03.08
and the truth is:
everybody cannot be right.
00:17:03.38\00:17:07.41
Now that's a fact, Jack.
00:17:07.71\00:17:11.79
And even in this pluralistic
age everything is not OK
00:17:15.41\00:17:19.71
and everything is
not acceptable to Him.
00:17:20.01\00:17:22.20
Now that is not...
that is not a commentary
00:17:22.30\00:17:25.15
on any Christian or
anybody's Christianity.
00:17:25.25\00:17:28.52
It is a commentary on worship
systems that God has said
00:17:28.62\00:17:33.21
are bankrupt.
00:17:33.41\00:17:35.00
They're not acceptable.
00:17:35.30\00:17:37.11
Now there may be
honest Christians in them.
00:17:37.41\00:17:40.34
That is why the
call comes: "Worship Him
00:17:40.54\00:17:44.74
in Spirit and in truth. "
00:17:44.94\00:17:48.96
And if you're in a system
that is teaching or preaching
00:17:49.26\00:17:53.60
something that is unlike
God, you've got to "come out"
00:17:53.80\00:17:57.77
and follow the truth because
so much of the Christian world
00:17:58.07\00:18:03.69
prizes tradition over truth.
00:18:03.89\00:18:06.14
The Catholic
bishops went into conclave.
00:18:08.06\00:18:12.68
Stayed in 18 years
00:18:12.89\00:18:15.18
and in 1558 at the Council
of Trent they came out and said
00:18:15.38\00:18:18.55
"tradition is equal to truth. "
00:18:18.75\00:18:22.25
And the Catholics accepted
it and Protestants accepted it.
00:18:24.00\00:18:28.09
And now we believe if you
can do something long enough
00:18:28.39\00:18:31.49
and get enough people to
do it it's gotta be right.
00:18:31.69\00:18:34.69
But that's not the Word of God.
00:18:36.23\00:18:37.85
Tradition cannot trump truth.
00:18:39.38\00:18:43.20
Doesn't matter how
many people believe it,
00:18:44.85\00:18:46.41
truth will always be truth.
00:18:46.71\00:18:50.37
And so many people
refuse to study for themselves.
00:18:52.16\00:18:56.83
You know II Timothy 2:15:
00:18:57.14\00:18:59.71
"Study to show
thyself approved. "
00:18:59.81\00:19:02.65
Sit down in front of the
TV. Open up your head and let
00:19:02.95\00:19:06.09
some
televangelist pour in truth?
00:19:06.29\00:19:08.90
Study it for yourself.
00:19:09.10\00:19:10.78
The secular world is godless and
ranges from mildly intolerant
00:19:11.09\00:19:16.18
or mildly tolerant to
apathetic to openly hostile
00:19:16.39\00:19:19.46
against the things of God.
00:19:19.56\00:19:21.07
And much of the religious
world Ellen White tells us
00:19:21.37\00:19:24.30
is in a spiritual stupor.
00:19:24.50\00:19:26.93
They rely on the
comfort of familiarity
00:19:27.23\00:19:32.14
and of tradition. And a lot of
people think and I've heard it
00:19:32.34\00:19:36.02
"If you've got a guy who
has 30-40,000 people listening
00:19:36.22\00:19:39.84
to him every week,
he's got to be right! "
00:19:40.04\00:19:42.71
I want to say something
but it may not be kind.
00:19:47.28\00:19:49.96
Let me say it this way:
00:19:50.26\00:19:54.17
Everybody loves a circus.
00:19:54.27\00:19:57.07
Amen?
00:20:00.05\00:20:02.97
Everybody loves a show.
00:20:03.27\00:20:04.60
But worship is not a show.
00:20:06.30\00:20:08.97
Worship is an affirmation of a
connection between man and God.
00:20:09.27\00:20:14.32
And if we look
at the Bible history
00:20:16.53\00:20:18.52
the majority has
never been right.
00:20:18.72\00:20:23.57
God doesn't deal with
neither is He impressed by
00:20:23.87\00:20:29.21
the majority.
00:20:29.41\00:20:31.42
Many don't want to know
00:20:32.98\00:20:36.27
and so they just don't know.
00:20:37.84\00:20:40.27
Many don't care
because the cost of caring
00:20:41.82\00:20:45.52
is just a little too high
00:20:45.72\00:20:47.52
and is more than
they're willing to pay.
00:20:47.72\00:20:49.76
I've had two pastors
that I've studied with.
00:20:50.06\00:20:51.75
One, the pastor of a
large Methodist church.
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.94
Studied the Word of God
together and after we were done
00:20:56.24\00:20:59.42
he said: "Murray, I've
got to ask you a question:
00:21:00.78\00:21:03.97
how much money do you make? "
00:21:06.25\00:21:07.68
So I told him. He said: "Oh. "
00:21:10.44\00:21:14.60
"Does the
church buy you a car? "
00:21:14.91\00:21:18.02
I said: "No. "
00:21:18.42\00:21:20.23
Said: "Oh. Does the
church pay for your house? "
00:21:21.40\00:21:25.79
"No. " "Ooh. "
00:21:26.35\00:21:30.97
"Does the church
buy you a boat? "
00:21:31.27\00:21:32.81
"No. "
00:21:34.11\00:21:35.86
He said: "Oh. " He said:
"Well I'll tell you frankly...
00:21:37.43\00:21:42.17
I like your doctrine but
I can't take that pay cut. "
00:21:43.58\00:21:48.32
What he told me!
00:21:49.44\00:21:50.48
Brian, he told me:
"I love your message;
00:21:50.78\00:21:54.31
can't take that pay cut. "
00:21:54.62\00:21:56.58
He said: "I'm making $92,000. "
00:21:56.88\00:22:00.23
This was in the 80's.
00:22:00.53\00:22:02.36
"I get a new car every 18 months
00:22:02.66\00:22:05.08
and give the old one to my wife.
00:22:05.12\00:22:07.51
My church is paying for my house
00:22:07.91\00:22:10.61
and they just
bought me a new boat. "
00:22:10.81\00:22:14.71
Told me it was
about a 36-, 40-footer.
00:22:16.31\00:22:19.24
Cabin cruiser, sleeps 6.
Two screws, flying bridge.
00:22:19.54\00:22:23.40
I said: "Wow! My
church bought me a TV set. "
00:22:23.80\00:22:28.00
He said: "I love your message
but I can't take the pay cut. "
00:22:32.12\00:22:35.28
So he turned his back on God.
00:22:35.48\00:22:37.35
But I did baptize
his associate pastor.
00:22:38.93\00:22:41.64
Amen.
00:22:44.71\00:22:46.01
So some don't care
because the cost of caring
00:22:46.31\00:22:51.68
is a little more than
they are willing to pay.
00:22:52.08\00:22:54.72
II Peter chapter 2 verse 5.
00:22:55.22\00:22:57.52
says that there are some
who are "willfully ignorant. "
00:22:57.72\00:23:02.97
They don't know because
they don't want to know.
00:23:03.30\00:23:07.68
And there are some who
have settled down in ignorance.
00:23:09.19\00:23:11.31
I remember being on a
certain Christian network
00:23:11.61\00:23:15.73
before I came to 3ABN.
00:23:16.03\00:23:18.00
And we were supposed to
be talking about my book
00:23:18.30\00:23:20.37
and the pastor
tried to embarrass me.
00:23:20.57\00:23:22.77
And, um, he read half of a text
00:23:23.07\00:23:28.14
and he sort of sat up
on the chair and said:
00:23:28.34\00:23:31.12
"So what about that? "
00:23:31.32\00:23:32.49
And after I got
myself composed I said:
00:23:35.03\00:23:37.90
"You only read half the text.
00:23:38.20\00:23:40.16
You read the other half...
00:23:40.46\00:23:42.29
your answer is in the
other half of the text. "
00:23:42.49\00:23:44.37
And I said: "Anyway, how many
times is that text that you're
00:23:46.61\00:23:51.35
referring to in the Bible?
" He said: "Oh, hundreds. "
00:23:51.55\00:23:54.26
I said: "No... just once. "
00:23:54.56\00:23:55.97
Said: "You know where it is? "
00:23:57.39\00:23:58.46
He couldn't think of that.
00:23:59.92\00:24:01.37
I said: "Well here is where it
is and here is what it means. "
00:24:01.77\00:24:05.12
Study to show THYSELF approved.
00:24:05.42\00:24:09.57
So some don't know
because they don't want to know.
00:24:09.87\00:24:13.85
Some don't know because the
cost of knowing is too high.
00:24:14.05\00:24:18.02
Some don't know because
they simply preach and teach
00:24:18.42\00:24:22.74
what they have heard...
00:24:22.94\00:24:24.41
what tradition teaches them.
00:24:24.71\00:24:27.26
Ellen White says in
Selected Messages page 443
00:24:29.10\00:24:33.21
that "ignorance
is inexcusable. "
00:24:33.51\00:24:37.49
Did you know this?
00:24:37.79\00:24:39.51
We are told that one of
the things we're going to be
00:24:39.71\00:24:41.67
judged on is the stuff
that we could have known
00:24:41.77\00:24:47.49
and should have known
but were too lazy to know.
00:24:47.79\00:24:52.43
Um-hmmm.
00:24:53.70\00:24:55.71
You could have known it
and should have known it
00:24:56.80\00:24:59.99
but you were watching Gunsmoke.
00:25:01.05\00:25:06.36
God knows. Bibles
collecting dust on coffee tables
00:25:09.86\00:25:14.52
while we're looking at
our iPads, iPods, iPhones,
00:25:14.72\00:25:18.70
yada, yada, yada.
00:25:18.90\00:25:21.04
Ignorance is no excuse.
00:25:23.02\00:25:26.36
The world must know
and God's people must know
00:25:26.56\00:25:31.38
and we must teach them.
00:25:31.59\00:25:34.52
The warning must be sounded
00:25:36.07\00:25:37.85
inside and
outside of the church.
00:25:38.05\00:25:41.91
You know, Dick
O'Fill, Richard O'Fill,
00:25:42.21\00:25:44.33
said something last month...
We were at a Summit together
00:25:44.53\00:25:47.27
with Pastor Stephen Bohr.
00:25:47.57\00:25:49.56
He said something very
intriguing. He said: "You know,
00:25:49.86\00:25:52.50
so many of us spend a
wonderful Sabbath with the Lord
00:25:52.70\00:25:58.08
and sit in heavenly places.
00:25:58.38\00:26:01.77
Then we go home,
turn on the television,
00:26:01.98\00:26:05.36
and crawl right
back into the gutter.
00:26:05.56\00:26:08.80
Isn't that interesting?
00:26:09.10\00:26:11.50
He said: "Spend a
little more time with Jesus. "
00:26:11.80\00:26:13.92
Take the time
to spend with Jesus
00:26:14.22\00:26:18.32
and a little less
time polluting our minds
00:26:18.62\00:26:22.56
with the things that
the world has to offer.
00:26:22.86\00:26:26.70
Spend a little
more time with the Lord.
00:26:27.10\00:26:30.89
Ellen White says: "Our Christian
experience ought not to be
00:26:32.45\00:26:37.01
a ceaseless round of
sinning and repenting. "
00:26:37.21\00:26:39.93
We wonder why so many times
our Christian experience is
00:26:40.23\00:26:43.74
up and down and up
and down and up and down
00:26:43.84\00:26:45.91
and up and down
00:26:46.11\00:26:47.62
and why so many times we
lose focus on the things of God.
00:26:47.92\00:26:51.69
The Bible says: "The hour
of His judgment IS come. "
00:26:53.47\00:26:58.03
True worship is not
something you just do in church.
00:26:59.71\00:27:05.64
True worship is a lifestyle.
00:27:05.95\00:27:09.46
True worship is
a 24/7 experience
00:27:10.06\00:27:14.18
that includes corporate worship.
00:27:14.38\00:27:17.04
But true worship is
something you do with your life.
00:27:18.40\00:27:21.16
II Peter chapter 3 verse 11 says
00:27:21.66\00:27:25.26
in speaking about
the times of the end:
00:27:25.46\00:27:28.03
Amen?
00:27:42.18\00:27:43.42
What'd you ought to live like?
What'd you ought to be like?
00:27:43.45\00:27:46.44
What'd you ought to act
like? What ought you to do
00:27:46.65\00:27:50.42
with your life?
The tenor of the times
00:27:50.63\00:27:53.09
and the lateness of
the hour demand attention
00:27:53.29\00:27:57.05
from God's people.
00:27:57.26\00:27:58.97
Luke 21:34 says:
00:27:59.27\00:28:02.41
King James say, I
think, "unawares. "
00:28:20.90\00:28:23.38
In other words, God is saying
"Heads up, ladies and gentlemen.
00:28:23.68\00:28:28.88
Be aware of the times.
Don't get so concerned with the
00:28:29.18\00:28:33.73
things of this life that
you forget Jesus is coming soon.
00:28:33.93\00:28:38.37
I was looking at my
friend and fellow director
00:28:38.67\00:28:42.63
here at 3ABN. We
were all so pleased.
00:28:42.73\00:28:45.22
A couple years ago I
married Robert and Nadia.
00:28:45.43\00:28:48.96
Now Robert and Nadia have
this gorgeous little baby.
00:28:49.16\00:28:51.22
He's a director here.
00:28:51.42\00:28:52.66
And they were in the back
of the church this morning.
00:28:52.96\00:28:56.33
And everybody is
looking at the little baby
00:28:56.53\00:28:58.74
and she's such a cute
little child and she's gorgeous.
00:28:58.94\00:29:01.02
Looks like
Nadia... not like Robert.
00:29:01.22\00:29:02.73
And it's very easy to get
caught up in stuff like that.
00:29:06.46\00:29:10.01
We have grandkids,
and grandkids are fun.
00:29:10.11\00:29:12.98
They are the ultimate present.
00:29:13.18\00:29:14.67
You can play with them, have fun
with them, and as soon as you
00:29:14.87\00:29:17.45
get tired you send them
back home to their parents.
00:29:17.55\00:29:19.66
What could be better than that?
00:29:19.86\00:29:21.07
But we can get caught up
in these things, can we not?
00:29:22.91\00:29:25.57
Children and grandchildren
and parents and children
00:29:25.87\00:29:29.66
and car notes and house
notes and mortgages and repairs
00:29:29.86\00:29:34.29
and clothing and food.
And all of these things
00:29:34.49\00:29:36.88
which are necessary
and not bad in themselves
00:29:36.98\00:29:39.97
and yet the Bible is
saying: "Don't get so caught up
00:29:40.17\00:29:43.26
in these things that you
forget the times which you find
00:29:43.36\00:29:46.19
yourself because
one day, like it or not,
00:29:46.29\00:29:49.05
ready or not, believe it or not,
00:29:49.25\00:29:50.68
Christ is coming. Amen.
00:29:50.88\00:29:53.33
So we've got to live in
the reality, the expectancy
00:29:54.47\00:29:57.03
of that time: the fact that
Jesus is coming very, very soon.
00:29:57.23\00:30:01.88
"Take heed to yourselves
00:30:02.08\00:30:04.72
lest that day come
upon you unexpectedly. "
00:30:04.92\00:30:09.55
There are people on
earth today - even Adventists -
00:30:09.85\00:30:14.50
who think they have more
time than they really have.
00:30:14.70\00:30:20.63
And the truth is
that the last movements
00:30:21.94\00:30:25.56
will move and fly
with lightning rapidity.
00:30:25.76\00:30:29.70
Lightning speed.
00:30:30.00\00:30:32.03
Look at Revelation chapter 13.
00:30:32.33\00:30:34.51
We are told that this nation
will one day speak as a dragon.
00:30:34.72\00:30:39.55
And things are
happening, ladies and gentlemen,
00:30:39.85\00:30:41.33
in this world that we
never believed could happen.
00:30:41.53\00:30:43.46
I used to wonder: "How
are we going to get the word
00:30:43.66\00:30:46.16
into the Soviet Union? "
00:30:46.36\00:30:48.33
The Soviet Union
no longer exists.
00:30:48.63\00:30:50.77
There's no such
thing as Soviet Union
00:30:51.07\00:30:53.00
and now the gospel is in Russia.
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.52
We know because
we carry it there
00:30:55.82\00:30:57.81
and others carry it there.
00:30:58.01\00:30:59.26
How are we going to get
the gospel into some of these
00:30:59.46\00:31:01.58
Arab countries? Some of these
countries which are so locked
00:31:01.78\00:31:04.38
down and so closed up?
And in the last several months
00:31:04.48\00:31:07.59
we've seen this
Arab Spring take off.
00:31:07.70\00:31:10.41
And now dictatorships that
are 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years old
00:31:10.61\00:31:15.01
no longer exist
00:31:15.21\00:31:16.91
and opportunities are being made
for the opening of the gospel.
00:31:18.21\00:31:22.56
God is going to move
things and open things
00:31:22.86\00:31:25.78
and open things up, and
God's people have to be ready
00:31:25.98\00:31:29.11
to go in with the gospel and do
the work that God has called us
00:31:29.31\00:31:31.79
to do. And there's not going to
be a lot of time to get it done.
00:31:31.89\00:31:35.69
You've got to know what
you believe and be ready
00:31:35.99\00:31:39.65
to give a reason for
the hope that is within you.
00:31:39.75\00:31:42.69
So Revelation 13 says that
this country will speak like
00:31:45.04\00:31:47.48
a dragon, will
repudiate its heritage,
00:31:47.58\00:31:51.14
withdraw freedoms and cherished
rights from its own people.
00:31:51.34\00:31:55.76
We're going to be
compelled to fall in line
00:31:57.35\00:32:00.20
under the pretext of
either national security
00:32:02.01\00:32:05.14
or some other pretext.
But things are going to change
00:32:05.34\00:32:08.69
and we will have to know Him
00:32:08.89\00:32:11.87
in whom we have to believe.
00:32:12.07\00:32:14.38
We cannot draft on
the faith of others...
00:32:14.58\00:32:16.37
you've got to
know it for yourself.
00:32:16.57\00:32:17.94
You cannot have the
Bible on your iPad...
00:32:18.14\00:32:20.61
it's gotta be in your head.
00:32:20.81\00:32:22.68
Knowing our faith and
being able to defend it
00:32:26.56\00:32:31.51
will be crucial
in these last days.
00:32:31.71\00:32:35.41
One day each of us will
be called to give a reason
00:32:37.53\00:32:41.66
for the hope that is within us,
00:32:41.86\00:32:43.38
and I pray that
we'll be ready on that day.
00:32:43.48\00:32:48.87
The answer cannot
be: "I forgot my iPad. "
00:32:50.78\00:32:54.57
"Forgot my iPhone. "
00:32:54.87\00:32:57.14
"Forgot my iPad. "
00:32:57.34\00:32:59.36
The Bible says the Word's got
to be hidden in your heart...
00:32:59.66\00:33:03.89
right here. Amen?
00:33:04.19\00:33:07.08
Everybody's going to be tested.
00:33:07.38\00:33:10.63
Armageddon is the
corporate cosmic culmination
00:33:12.16\00:33:16.91
of the age-old
struggle between good and evil,
00:33:17.11\00:33:20.61
right and wrong,
error versus truth.
00:33:20.81\00:33:24.00
But I submit that each of
us in a greater or lesser way
00:33:24.30\00:33:29.94
will be brought to our
own personal Armageddon
00:33:30.14\00:33:33.11
and experiences where
our stand for the right
00:33:33.41\00:33:38.18
will be sorely tested and
we will have to make a decision
00:33:38.39\00:33:42.11
not in a closet but
before kings, priests,
00:33:42.32\00:33:46.31
and princes.
00:33:46.51\00:33:47.55
And my fear is that
we may not be ready.
00:33:47.96\00:33:50.96
My prayer is
that we will all be.
00:33:51.16\00:33:54.97
Ellen White indicates in
the Great Controversy page 608
00:33:55.27\00:34:00.65
that some saints are going
to spend some time in jail.
00:34:01.98\00:34:07.06
Some saints are going to spend
some time before magistrates.
00:34:07.36\00:34:13.11
Some saints are going to spend
some time hidden in forests.
00:34:13.41\00:34:17.65
There is coming a
time, she says, when:
00:34:17.95\00:34:22.50
Standing up for Christ
00:34:32.46\00:34:34.84
is going to be
treated like treason.
00:34:35.04\00:34:38.15
All that live in Christ
will suffer persecution.
00:35:03.00\00:35:08.58
Amen?
00:35:58.09\00:35:59.21
We're going to
have that same test.
00:35:59.41\00:36:01.25
We're going to have
that same set of trials.
00:36:01.55\00:36:03.58
We are going to have to fight
through as they fought through.
00:36:03.88\00:36:07.64
All that live godly shall suffer
00:36:08.04\00:36:13.95
persecution.
00:36:14.16\00:36:16.70
This is my fear: that I,
we, particularly in this country
00:36:18.42\00:36:23.53
may not be ready
for severe trial.
00:36:23.73\00:36:26.04
Let's look at this
sobering statement.
00:36:28.03\00:36:29.90
I'm in Great Controversy 609.
00:36:30.20\00:36:33.05
Sorry, 610.
00:36:36.42\00:36:37.96
610.
00:36:38.26\00:36:39.64
So when you step out for Jesus
you pick up at least one enemy.
00:37:04.68\00:37:09.07
Amen? And as long as
you're on Jesus' side
00:37:09.37\00:37:12.43
he's going to be there.
00:37:12.63\00:37:13.89
She says: "Evil men and angels
will try to tempt you out.
00:37:14.09\00:37:17.73
And if that doesn't
work, Satan will use raw force,
00:37:17.93\00:37:21.52
threats,
insults, and suffering. "
00:37:21.72\00:37:24.64
First he'll try
to trick you out.
00:37:24.84\00:37:26.62
Then he'll try
to entice you out.
00:37:26.82\00:37:28.45
And if that doesn't work,
he'll try to just force you out.
00:37:28.65\00:37:31.35
He'll use your friends;
he'll use your family members;
00:37:31.65\00:37:35.48
he'll use anybody he can.
00:37:35.68\00:37:37.03
You know there are people
in this church today right now
00:37:37.23\00:37:39.56
who are suffering
silently for their faith in God.
00:37:39.77\00:37:43.16
Family members
have turned their backs.
00:37:43.56\00:37:45.61
When my mom became a
Seventh-day Adventist
00:37:45.81\00:37:47.66
her family said:
"Hm-mmm, not going to have it. "
00:37:47.86\00:37:51.24
And they just stepped back.
00:37:51.44\00:37:52.96
That's not a single incident.
00:37:54.37\00:37:56.15
There are many whose families
have said: "We don't want you
00:37:56.35\00:37:58.72
in that faith, and
as long as you're there
00:37:58.82\00:38:00.66
we're not going
to support you. "
00:38:00.86\00:38:02.50
Praise God Christ says:
"When mother and father and
00:38:03.96\00:38:06.64
family and friends desert
you, I'll be your family. "
00:38:06.74\00:38:10.80
So he turns friends,
family members, co-workers.
00:38:13.39\00:38:18.03
We must be
prepared to stand for Christ
00:38:19.26\00:38:23.54
at all costs.
00:38:23.84\00:38:25.93
It is hard for us to think
that things will get that bad.
00:38:26.23\00:38:28.88
And yet the Bible
tells us it will be that way
00:38:29.08\00:38:32.81
before Christ comes.
00:38:33.01\00:38:34.24
We can go where we please now.
00:38:34.54\00:38:36.65
We can do what we want now.
00:38:36.85\00:38:38.39
We can worship as we please now.
00:38:38.61\00:38:40.41
It's difficult to see a time
00:38:40.61\00:38:42.45
when freedom-loving people
will not be able to exercise
00:38:42.65\00:38:46.53
their faith, and
yet that time is coming.
00:38:46.73\00:38:50.52
I'm reading now from
Great Controversy, 610.
00:38:53.33\00:38:58.58
Ellen White says:
00:38:58.98\00:39:00.83
Praise God! Christ is
holding things back now.
00:39:12.50\00:39:15.92
Amen... Amen.
00:39:40.59\00:39:44.71
Their lifestyles say that.
00:39:45.01\00:39:47.21
Amen?
00:39:54.91\00:39:55.93
The devil's got some
in there; so does God.
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.91
Ellen White says that
"the Advent Message of 1844
00:40:01.35\00:40:07.17
was the first angel's message.
" She called it "a glorious
00:40:07.37\00:40:10.72
manifestation of
the power of God. "
00:40:10.92\00:40:13.25
It had its flaws;
it had its mistakes;
00:40:13.45\00:40:15.78
but it turned men's
hearts toward heaven.
00:40:15.98\00:40:19.49
Then one of my
favorite passages:
00:40:19.79\00:40:23.93
Great Controversy page 611.
00:40:24.16\00:40:26.58
This is something that
God's people need to hold onto.
00:40:26.88\00:40:29.14
Isn't that a powerful statement?
00:40:50.54\00:40:51.98
I want to be part of that.
00:40:52.38\00:40:54.75
I don't know how much
longer I have on planet earth.
00:40:55.05\00:40:58.76
I'm not an old man... I
don't feel like an old man.
00:40:59.06\00:41:01.09
Hopefully I don't act
like an old man, Pastor.
00:41:01.29\00:41:04.34
But I want to be a
part of that loud cry.
00:41:04.74\00:41:07.91
I want to be a part of
that great manifestation.
00:41:08.21\00:41:10.72
You know, it's funny.
When I was colporteuring...
00:41:11.02\00:41:13.42
I'm not a good colporteur.
If I had to live selling books,
00:41:13.63\00:41:16.17
I would starve to
death. Can't do it.
00:41:16.37\00:41:18.34
People have certain talents.
00:41:18.64\00:41:20.89
Selling books door to door
is not my thing. I tried it.
00:41:21.19\00:41:23.39
Had to do it in school
before we could get our degree
00:41:23.59\00:41:25.46
so I spent a summer. I first
of all would starve to death.
00:41:25.66\00:41:27.92
I'm a sucker... I use
that term for every story.
00:41:28.12\00:41:30.58
I want to sell you a book.
You say to me: "I don't have the
00:41:30.78\00:41:32.25
money. " I'm going
to give you the book.
00:41:32.35\00:41:33.70
Well that means you've
got to take the money out
00:41:33.90\00:41:35.01
of your pocket.
00:41:35.11\00:41:36.86
And I remember once
going up on this porch.
00:41:37.98\00:41:40.09
There was a lady there,
and I wanted to get a...
00:41:40.29\00:41:43.87
I had given her the book and
she said: "Come back next week
00:41:44.07\00:41:47.42
to get the money. " And
I came back the next week
00:41:47.62\00:41:51.10
and she had an
attack cat on her porch.
00:41:51.30\00:41:54.44
This wasn't an attack...
this was an attack cat.
00:41:56.09\00:41:59.84
Big, thick, furry,
mountain lion-looking cat.
00:42:00.14\00:42:04.31
And as I went up on the
porch it would raise up and...
00:42:04.51\00:42:07.22
This was an attack cat. I've
never seen a cat that vicious.
00:42:07.42\00:42:11.13
And I said: "Lord, You've
got to get me in that house
00:42:11.53\00:42:14.17
'cause I need this
money. " And my,...
00:42:14.37\00:42:16.22
You know, your group
leader said: "You've got to
00:42:16.53\00:42:19.10
collect this week. "
00:42:19.20\00:42:21.43
And this... hissing...
and just an attack cat.
00:42:21.53\00:42:25.68
I said: "Lord, how'm I
gonna... how'm I gonna? "
00:42:25.98\00:42:28.87
You know, this
cat is backing me up.
00:42:29.17\00:42:32.14
Grown man, a college
student, basketball player.
00:42:32.34\00:42:34.79
Six foot tall; 170+ pounds
00:42:34.99\00:42:38.28
and this little ball
of fur is backing me down.
00:42:38.58\00:42:41.06
And I had to wait the cat out.
00:42:44.96\00:42:47.53
Finally he got
bored and went away.
00:42:47.83\00:42:49.81
I sat there an hour
waiting for that cat to leave.
00:42:50.01\00:42:51.85
I said: "I will starve to
death trying to sell books
00:42:54.84\00:43:00.02
for the Lord. "
00:43:00.32\00:43:01.42
And yet that text says
00:43:01.72\00:43:06.12
God is going to send a
power to finish the gospel
00:43:06.42\00:43:10.69
like He did on
the Day of Pentecost.
00:43:10.89\00:43:12.55
I want that power.
00:43:12.65\00:43:13.86
I want to be part of that.
00:43:14.16\00:43:15.56
I want to see miracles
wrought like never before.
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.63
I want to be there when the
earth is lighted with the glory
00:43:18.93\00:43:22.48
of the third angel's
message. When men and women
00:43:22.78\00:43:25.00
hear and know and understand
to keep the Sabbath day.
00:43:25.20\00:43:28.12
I want to be... I want to
see that with my own eyes.
00:43:28.33\00:43:30.70
More than that, I
want to be part of that.
00:43:31.01\00:43:32.78
The work is not going to close
with less of a manifestation
00:43:35.19\00:43:38.46
than when it began. I
want to be a part of that!
00:43:38.66\00:43:42.52
But Satan will not stand idle.
00:43:45.75\00:43:48.31
He's not going to stand by
and see us work unfeathered
00:43:48.61\00:43:54.58
or unfettered, rather.
00:43:54.68\00:43:56.23
We are going to experience
a time of unfettered evil
00:43:56.63\00:44:00.65
as never before that will
attend the unfettered power
00:44:00.85\00:44:04.15
of the Lord. I'm in
Great Controversy 613 now.
00:44:04.28\00:44:06.41
Great Controversy 613.
00:44:06.71\00:44:08.97
This is crucial.
00:44:36.99\00:44:40.33
Satan's going to
throw this world into chaos
00:44:40.63\00:44:44.18
in one last attempt to
trip up the people of God.
00:44:44.48\00:44:48.67
You know, I ran out
of time the other night.
00:44:48.97\00:44:50.27
Didn't get a chance to
tell you. You need to read
00:44:50.47\00:44:52.50
Early Writings. I
think it's page 147
00:44:53.99\00:44:57.22
where Ellen White gives
this vision. She saw Satan.
00:44:57.42\00:45:00.43
She saw him sitting with
his head resting in his hand
00:45:00.74\00:45:04.81
just thinking. And
she described the vision.
00:45:05.01\00:45:08.02
She says he's a
large-framed angel.
00:45:08.15\00:45:10.87
She said his skin
hung loosely from his face.
00:45:12.10\00:45:16.79
She said he still bears
the mark of a superior being
00:45:16.99\00:45:21.05
because he is an angel,
but she says you can see
00:45:21.15\00:45:23.33
what sin and evil has
done. How it has carved itself
00:45:23.53\00:45:26.73
into his features.
00:45:26.93\00:45:28.52
She said he was
thinking about Christians.
00:45:28.92\00:45:32.54
Then she says an evil, Satanic
smile came across his face.
00:45:33.79\00:45:38.20
And she said that's
the smile that he gets
00:45:39.66\00:45:43.78
just before he
claims another saint.
00:45:43.98\00:45:48.75
Just before he
destroys another soul
00:45:49.05\00:45:51.74
that's the smile that he gets.
00:45:52.05\00:45:54.31
Don't think that Satan
is going to stand idly by
00:45:55.68\00:45:58.65
and watch God do His work.
00:45:58.85\00:46:02.49
In Great
Controversy page 620 she says:
00:46:04.11\00:46:07.40
Now I want to
put my finger there
00:46:45.12\00:46:46.70
You hear what she's saying?
00:46:46.90\00:46:48.32
If you think you can
sneak by with a little something
00:46:48.62\00:46:52.26
you're opening the
door to your own defeat.
00:46:54.29\00:46:57.51
Every sin must be confessed.
00:46:58.80\00:47:01.38
Every sin must be forsaken.
00:47:01.78\00:47:05.40
Little things and big
things must be put away
00:47:05.70\00:47:10.69
and we must be
spotless if we're going to stand
00:47:10.79\00:47:14.27
in that final battle.
00:47:14.47\00:47:15.70
It is Satan's plan to think:
00:47:16.00\00:47:17.92
"God's not that
particular about little stuff.
00:47:18.22\00:47:20.56
So I get mad and blow up.
00:47:20.76\00:47:22.47
I'm a Christian 99% of the time.
00:47:24.00\00:47:26.21
I'm fine... " when ALL
must be surrendered to Him.
00:47:26.42\00:47:30.21
Even the little things.
00:47:30.51\00:47:32.49
And if we don't check the little
things, we are opening the door
00:47:32.80\00:47:36.69
to our own defeat.
00:47:36.89\00:47:38.90
Now let me pick it
up where I left off.
00:47:39.20\00:47:40.86
That's me.
That's Pastor Lomacang.
00:47:45.32\00:47:48.51
That's Pastor
Steve. That's every deacon,
00:47:48.71\00:47:51.29
every deaconess.
That's John Dinzey.
00:47:51.49\00:47:53.78
That's Danny Shelton.
That's Mollie Steenson.
00:47:53.98\00:47:56.28
That's Shelley
Quinn. That's Jim Gilley.
00:47:56.58\00:47:59.22
That's the General
Conference president.
00:47:59.42\00:48:01.08
That's everybody who is in
a position of trust and honor.
00:48:01.38\00:48:04.63
Huh?
00:48:22.19\00:48:24.39
So when you get to be
pastor, elder, deacon,
00:48:24.69\00:48:27.72
church treasurer...
The higher your position
00:48:27.92\00:48:30.90
the more God calls
upon you to follow Him.
00:48:31.10\00:48:34.52
So if you've got a high
position, you've got to be
00:48:40.62\00:48:43.23
closer to God because
Satan's comin' after you.
00:48:43.43\00:48:46.16
When the winds
blow and the storm comes
00:48:58.97\00:49:01.71
it's too late to start
working on your character.
00:49:01.91\00:49:05.05
You do it now so
that when the wind comes
00:49:05.35\00:49:09.83
and the storms blow
your character is already set
00:49:10.04\00:49:13.75
and fixed on Jesus
Christ. Can you say "Amen? "
00:49:13.95\00:49:16.75
And the more God gives you,
the more He expects from you.
00:49:18.12\00:49:21.77
Huh?
00:49:22.07\00:49:24.20
They used to say: "Get it
now while the gettin' is good. "
00:49:51.42\00:49:54.58
Get it now while it's possible
00:49:56.00\00:49:58.98
because if you wait
till the time of trouble
00:49:59.28\00:50:01.23
it's going to be too late.
00:50:01.43\00:50:03.38
So you see why I keep saying
00:50:06.33\00:50:09.21
"Examine yourself; examine
yourself; examine yourself;
00:50:09.41\00:50:12.05
examine yourself. "
00:50:12.25\00:50:13.61
Take a look at your own works
00:50:13.91\00:50:15.43
and make sure
of where you stand.
00:50:15.63\00:50:18.27
Our time is getting
away so I've got to make
00:50:18.58\00:50:20.56
a couple of quick turns.
00:50:20.66\00:50:21.97
Revelation 16:13.
00:50:22.16\00:50:23.40
Revelation 16:13.
00:50:23.70\00:50:25.19
I'm not going to read
it all... just refer to it.
00:50:25.49\00:50:28.08
"I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs... "
00:50:28.28\00:50:31.35
I cannot read this text at all
without thinking about my pastor
00:50:31.55\00:50:33.69
and unclean spirits.
But... "I saw unclean spirits
00:50:33.89\00:50:36.86
like frogs... out of the
mouth of the dragon, beast,
00:50:36.96\00:50:40.00
false prophet. "
Satan, paganism, spiritualism,
00:50:40.20\00:50:43.88
and its ecclesiastical
arm an apostate Protestantism.
00:50:44.18\00:50:49.43
The world is whipped up
into a frenzy for the spiritual
00:50:49.73\00:50:53.42
showdown called Armageddon.
00:50:53.52\00:50:55.76
It is a spiritual showdown
between the forces of good
00:50:56.06\00:51:00.25
and evil. So don't
look for tanks and guns
00:51:00.45\00:51:02.50
and battles in the
Middle East. This is a showdown
00:51:02.70\00:51:05.02
right and wrong, good
and bad, good versus evil.
00:51:05.23\00:51:10.55
There may be and will
be a physical manifestation
00:51:11.90\00:51:15.54
because people are involved.
00:51:15.74\00:51:17.79
Don't look for a
rebuilding of Jerusalem.
00:51:18.09\00:51:20.38
Don't look for a regathering.
00:51:20.78\00:51:23.08
Look for a battle
between good and evil,
00:51:23.19\00:51:28.71
and in rapid succession we see
a number of things happening.
00:51:28.91\00:51:32.79
Seven vials, seven
bowls being poured out.
00:51:33.09\00:51:35.41
The dissolution
of Babylon the Great.
00:51:35.71\00:51:38.25
The second great call...
that call of the second angel
00:51:38.55\00:51:42.98
repeated in Revelation 18 just
like it was in Revelation 14.
00:51:43.18\00:51:48.15
And then we
move to Revelation 19
00:51:48.35\00:51:50.53
and we see a great multitude
00:51:50.73\00:51:52.62
called to the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
00:51:52.92\00:51:55.59
Here's where I want
to pick up the story.
00:51:55.89\00:51:58.32
At the coming of the Lord, there
will be four classes of people
00:51:59.66\00:52:03.35
and I've got just 5
minutes to get this done.
00:52:03.55\00:52:05.50
There will be first
of all righteous dead.
00:52:05.80\00:52:08.87
When Christ comes, you're going
to fall in 1 of the 4 classes.
00:52:09.17\00:52:12.24
You'll be righteous
dead, unrighteous dead,
00:52:12.55\00:52:15.46
unrighteous living,
or righteous living.
00:52:15.66\00:52:20.22
Three of those are taken care
of in I Thessalonians 4:16-17.
00:52:20.83\00:52:25.60
Now... New King
James on the screen,
00:52:48.23\00:52:52.36
my head is a King James
head. So you'll forgive me?
00:52:52.56\00:52:55.05
When I did my
memory it was in King...
00:52:55.25\00:52:56.79
I think you're like
that too, Pastor Lomacang.
00:52:56.89\00:52:57.98
You know, you start
out learning the King James
00:52:58.18\00:53:00.15
and it's hard to get that
King James out of your brain.
00:53:00.35\00:53:02.96
So we dealt with righteous
dead, righteous living.
00:53:04.17\00:53:08.39
We're going where?
00:53:08.59\00:53:10.60
Going with Jesus.
00:53:10.90\00:53:12.27
II Thessalonians 2:8
deals with the third class:
00:53:13.65\00:53:18.05
unrighteous living.
00:53:18.25\00:53:19.77
"And then the
lawless one will be revealed
00:53:20.17\00:53:24.19
whom the Lord will
consume with His breath
00:53:24.39\00:53:26.81
and with the
brightness of His coming. "
00:53:27.02\00:53:28.97
So there's going to be a group
of people who are not righteous
00:53:29.07\00:53:31.80
who are not ready and
don't want to see Christ coming.
00:53:32.00\00:53:35.52
They'll be slain by the
brightness of His coming.
00:53:35.82\00:53:38.70
Paul is targeting
in that particular text
00:53:39.01\00:53:41.16
actually when you
look at it he's targeting
00:53:41.36\00:53:43.59
a religious system. But
when you read the ensuing verses
00:53:43.79\00:53:46.83
it goes for those
unrighteous living also. So...
00:53:47.03\00:53:49.56
if you're righteous
living, you are running to Jesus
00:53:49.87\00:53:55.10
but you've got to get in
line behind the righteous dead
00:53:56.33\00:54:01.41
because they rise first.
00:54:01.61\00:54:04.25
If you are
unrighteous and living,
00:54:06.01\00:54:08.90
you'll be slain by the
brightness of His coming.
00:54:09.10\00:54:11.71
That leaves just one group:
00:54:12.01\00:54:14.52
that's the
unrighteous dead. You follow me?
00:54:14.82\00:54:18.95
That's where the
story is picked up
00:54:19.25\00:54:21.34
in Revelation where it
says "the rest of the dead" -
00:54:21.54\00:54:25.69
we're in Revelation 20,
00:54:25.89\00:54:27.35
our reading for the
beginning of the message -
00:54:27.55\00:54:29.83
"lived not again until the
thousand years were passed. "
00:54:30.13\00:54:35.04
Time does not afford for me
00:54:37.71\00:54:40.15
to give you the
complete scenario.
00:54:41.59\00:54:43.85
Safe to say one of the things
we're going to do during that
00:54:44.15\00:54:47.36
thousand years is look
over the books and ratify
00:54:47.46\00:54:51.13
and certify that all the
things that God said and did
00:54:51.33\00:54:54.69
were just. Then the new
earth is coming back down here
00:54:54.90\00:54:58.85
because this is going
to be the permanent home.
00:54:59.05\00:55:01.65
At that point the rest
of the dead are resurrected
00:55:02.92\00:55:07.56
and Satan goes about to deceive.
00:55:07.86\00:55:11.75
They think they
can take the city
00:55:13.47\00:55:16.23
because of their numbers
and because there's no reason
00:55:16.53\00:55:19.91
for them not to because there's
absolutely no Holy Spirit
00:55:20.11\00:55:22.94
working now. This is under
the total control of Satan.
00:55:23.14\00:55:25.50
Then the Bible says "fire
comes down and destroys them. "
00:55:26.91\00:55:31.36
And ladies and
gentlemen, just that quick
00:55:31.66\00:55:34.47
it's over!
00:55:34.77\00:55:37.14
It is.
00:55:37.44\00:55:39.68
Just that quick.
00:55:39.98\00:55:41.99
Then there will be a
new heaven and a new earth
00:55:45.46\00:55:49.69
in which dwells righteousness
00:55:49.99\00:55:54.04
and sin will never rise again.
00:55:55.09\00:56:00.90
It's done... once and for all
00:56:01.20\00:56:06.45
and it will
never come back again.
00:56:06.75\00:56:11.25
I long for that time.
00:56:12.83\00:56:16.12
I long for a time when
everybody can get along.
00:56:16.42\00:56:21.38
When there's no
anger, no malice,
00:56:21.68\00:56:25.59
no hate, no temper tantrums,
00:56:25.90\00:56:29.74
no lying, no stealing,
00:56:30.14\00:56:34.26
no covetousness, no death.
00:56:34.56\00:56:37.90
no dying, no
aging, and no more tears.
00:56:38.41\00:56:44.40
It'll all be over!
00:56:44.70\00:56:48.47
We'll be with Christ.
And I don't know about you,
00:56:48.97\00:56:52.77
I've got a million
questions to ask Him
00:56:52.97\00:56:55.53
so you may have to
get in line behind me.
00:56:55.93\00:56:58.84
I've got a lot to ask Him
00:56:59.14\00:57:01.86
but I've got a
million years to ask them.
00:57:02.16\00:57:06.64
Amen? Amen.
00:57:06.94\00:57:08.42
And there will be truly
00:57:08.83\00:57:12.58
war no more.
00:57:12.88\00:57:17.57
Are you excited
about that day? Amen.
00:57:19.33\00:57:21.18
Are you preparing for that day?
00:57:21.48\00:57:24.31
Are you doing all you can?
00:57:24.71\00:57:28.50
For that day is coming.
00:57:28.70\00:57:32.24