Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Again we welcome
you to Anchors of Truth
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night number 3,
presentation number 3,
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in a five part series
dealing with the transformation
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of America tonight as we look at
the overall prophetic landscape
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that pretty much
shaped the world that we find
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ourselves in just now.
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And I think you can agree with
me that the messages have been
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plain and powerful and
very practical and very timely.
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That's what I like, I think,
about these Anchors messages.
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The speakers that come,
each one seems to tap into
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the flavor, the tenor, the
texture, the tone, the taste
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of life as it is right now.
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And James
Rafferty is no exception.
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He, currently from
southern California, is with us.
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And we've tried to
treat him a little bit better,
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it got a little warmer today.
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Instead of snow
we gave him rain.
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Of course, we
followed the rain with ice.
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So we're doing the best
we can, but mother nature
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is not cooperating.
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But he is a trooper.
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And I want to thank all those of
you who came out this evening,
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because the rain has
frozen, it is now ice.
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And we heard some horror
stories of people being frozen
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in their cars on the way here.
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But God is good and
our hearts are warm.
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And it's sunshine in our
souls each time we stand and sit
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in the presence of Jesus.
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So welcome to Anchors of Truth
to our lords and ladies here
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in the house and to those who
are watching around the world.
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We anticipate a
good night again.
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James is father of two,
husband of one wife, Rise.
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And she is a great
friend of this ministry also,
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and is co-founder of
Light Bearers Ministries
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which now includes
James Rafferty, Ty Gibson,
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Jeffrey Rosario,
and David Asscherick;
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a mighty team for the Lord.
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And we are so
happy to have him here.
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We're looking with
great anticipation forward to
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this message tonight, The
Transformation of America.
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How many are really
looking forward to the
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coming of the Lord?
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Do you ever sit and think about
what it will be to be in heaven?
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No more pain.
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You know, it occurs to
me that we don't know what
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will be in heaven, because eye
has not seen, ear has not heard.
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So you don't really
know what will be in heaven.
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We're a little more
comfortable talking about what
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won't be in heaven.
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So think of something
bad that won't be there
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and we can praise
the Lord for that.
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No sickness, no
death, no pain, no sorrow.
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But what a day of
rejoicing that will be
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when we all see Jesus.
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That's going to be
a great, great day.
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We're going to pray and
then move out into that song
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that talks about the day
of rejoicing that will be
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when we all get to heaven.
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Father God, we
praise You and we thank You
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for Jesus, who
is Lord and Savior.
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We thank You
for the Sabbath day.
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We thank You for
the six days of labor,
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but we are especially
thankful for that seventh day,
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the blessed day,
the sanctified day,
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where we can commune with You.
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We're thankful for the temple
in time that has been erected
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since creation,
that very special day.
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And so Father, on this
Sabbath day we ask You now
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to be the honored Guest.
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That through Your Spirit
You will speak to our hearts
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and make us truly sons and
daughters of the Most High God.
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May we walk Your
walk, talk Your talk,
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and live Your life as
we move towards that day
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of great rejoicing
when we shall see Jesus
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face to blessed face.
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Bless us tonight and
each day until that day
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is made a reality.
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Be with our speaker.
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And we thank You dear Father.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
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sing His mercy and His grace.
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In the mansions
so bright and blessed
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He'll prepare for us a place.
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While we walk
the pilgrim's pathway
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clouds will
sometimes overspread the sky.
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But when
traveling days are over,
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not a shadow,
not a sigh, a sign.
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When we all get to heaven,
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what a day of
rejoicing that will be.
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When we all see Jesus,
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we'll sing and
shout the victory.
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Let us then be
true and faithful;
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trusting Jesus,
serving Jesus every day.
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Just one glimpse
of Jesus in glory
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will the toils of
life repay, repay.
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Onward to the prize before us,
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soon His beauty we'll behold.
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Soon the pearly
gates, they will open,
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and we shall tread the
streets of gold, of gold.
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When we all get to heaven,
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what a day of
rejoicing that will be.
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For when we all see Jesus,
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we'll sing and
shout the victory.
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For when we all get to heaven,
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what a day of
rejoicing that will be.
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For when we all see Jesus,
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we'll sing and
shout, we'll sing and shout,
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we'll sing and
shout the victory.
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Wow, these guys, they
can sing, they can preach.
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They can preach, they can sing.
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I'm thinking of C.A., I'm
thinking of John Lomacang;
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those 3ABN guys.
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I guess if you want to work
for 3ABN, you can't just preach.
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You've got to be
able to preach and sing,
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or sing and preach.
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So I don't qualify,
because I can barely preach,
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and I definitely can't sing.
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How are you doing this evening?
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Glad you're here.
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Glad you braved the weather.
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Because I had a hard
time braving the weather.
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I went out to my car and I
realized it was frozen shut.
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There was ice
over the whole thing.
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I'm glad I didn't
have a long way to go.
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Well, we are talking about a
very important subject tonight.
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The title of
tonight's meeting is,
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The Transformation of America.
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And I want to
start with a story.
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It happened to me
quite a few years ago.
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Actually, it's
been 25 years ago.
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I was just a
brand new Christian.
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And, well, I had
been raised a Catholic
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and then became converted
through Calvary Chapel Church,
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which is kind of a
non-denomination church.
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And then ended up going
also to a Pentecostal church.
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And finally, I encountered
Adventists through my sister.
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And through a process and Bible
studies, I became an Adventist.
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And I hadn't been an
Adventist for very long
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when a buddy of mine and
myself decided to try something
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we thought would be
an interesting experience
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for us and for others.
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Every Sunday we
decided to open the phone book
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to the yellow pages to
the section of churches.
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And we would open up to the
churches and one of us would
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close our eyes and
we'd take our finger
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and we'd put our finger down.
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Wherever we landed, that's where
we'd go to church on Sunday.
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And we would go to the church
and we'd go to the Sunday school
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and we'd sit in the
Sunday school, the two of us.
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And you know, we
weren't there to be, you know,
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argumentative or
debative or anything like that.
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We were just there, we just had
one question we wanted to ask.
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And the question was, "You
know, we're pretty new converts.
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We've, you know, I
was raised Christian.
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My friend wasn't, Ty wasn't.
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But we've come to believe,
we've come to understand
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that the Bible
teaches, this Book teaches,
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that we should go
to church on Saturday.
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And we're just wondering
why you folks keep Sunday.
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That's our question."
00:11:03.38\00:11:04.43
We had some
amazing, amazing experiences.
00:11:04.96\00:11:08.41
Incredible
experiences doing that.
00:11:08.73\00:11:10.59
And I think it was good for us,
I think it was good for them.
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We met with
pastors, Bible workers.
00:11:13.53\00:11:16.10
We had Bible studies
with different churches.
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Different
explanations were given to us.
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And of course, it
sharpened us, sharpened them.
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We'd study together.
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Sometimes we'd go
through these long discussions.
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And I remember this
one particular church
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we were studying with.
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There were two guys
there, two pastors there,
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and they had a library.
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We went to their
library and we showed them
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from their library that the
very message we were teaching
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was what their history of their
church taught and believed.
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And I'll never forget
how they responded to us.
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Because, you know,
this was 25 years ago.
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And they said, "You know,
basically what you're saying,"
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they said to us, "what
you're saying basically is that
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this country is going
to repudiate the principles
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upon which it was founded.
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Religious liberties, civil
liberties are going to be gone.
00:12:03.75\00:12:06.48
Because in order for what your
saying of prophecy to happen,
00:12:06.61\00:12:08.66
these things
have to be put aside."
00:12:08.69\00:12:09.88
And they said, "We just
can't see that happening.
00:12:09.91\00:12:11.25
There's just no way we could
see this country doing that.
00:12:11.28\00:12:15.41
It just isn't going to happen."
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And that was, you know,
that was about 25 years ago.
00:12:17.57\00:12:19.99
Mid 80's, 26 or 27 years ago.
00:12:21.11\00:12:23.55
And so we said...
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Because you know, God just
calls you to plant the seeds.
00:12:26.39\00:12:28.77
You can't convert people.
00:12:28.80\00:12:30.22
Nobody could convert me.
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I was stubborn
and I was persistent.
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The only thing that could
get me was the Word of God.
00:12:33.74\00:12:35.88
You know, so we're not
called to convert other people,
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but we're called to be seed
planters, and sharing of the
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truth, and being witnesses,
and being Christ-like.
00:12:40.41\00:12:42.95
And so I just said to
them, I said, we said, "Listen,"
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we said, "if what
we're saying is true,
00:12:45.93\00:12:50.38
and if some time down the
road, some time down the road
00:12:50.41\00:12:55.50
a change did take place,
the description of this nation
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as we see prophetically did
actually begin to speak like
00:13:00.41\00:13:04.09
a dragon, that the
principles of Lamb-like freedom
00:13:04.12\00:13:08.16
and liberty were transformed
into the principles of the
00:13:08.46\00:13:12.05
dragon, would you reconsider?"
00:13:12.08\00:13:14.36
Now those men were in a
church in Spokane, Washington.
00:13:15.19\00:13:18.34
And maybe they're
listening tonight, may they'll
00:13:18.37\00:13:21.06
hear this program, I don't know.
00:13:21.09\00:13:22.75
But I believe that now
is the time to reconsider.
00:13:23.20\00:13:26.33
I really do.
00:13:26.90\00:13:27.93
I believe we are there.
00:13:27.96\00:13:29.23
And we are so
close that it's scary.
00:13:29.70\00:13:33.77
Actually, I'm not
totally super nervous
00:13:33.80\00:13:37.89
about this message.
00:13:37.92\00:13:39.29
But I'm a little
bit, just a little bit.
00:13:39.39\00:13:41.47
Because, I don't know,
I think at a certain place
00:13:41.50\00:13:44.34
at a time in history
we're going to get in trouble.
00:13:44.37\00:13:46.14
I think about
Jeremiah, you know.
00:13:46.17\00:13:47.26
Jeremiah had a message
for his people and it wasn't
00:13:47.29\00:13:49.31
a very popular message.
00:13:49.34\00:13:50.75
Because his message was viewed
as being against the nation.
00:13:50.78\00:13:54.39
And so they put him...
00:13:54.63\00:13:55.66
They...
00:13:57.24\00:13:58.27
I don't want to say
what they did to him because
00:13:58.52\00:13:59.79
I don't want to
give anyone any ideas.
00:13:59.82\00:14:01.17
But I think that we are standing
right now on the very verge
00:14:01.20\00:14:07.53
of the collapse of freedom as
we once knew it here in America.
00:14:08.12\00:14:11.99
And the question we
have to ask ourselves is,
00:14:12.67\00:14:14.11
how did it happen?
00:14:14.14\00:14:15.55
And the answer...
00:14:15.58\00:14:16.61
I know we could spend a lot
of time going through a lot of
00:14:16.64\00:14:19.58
ideas and theories,
information, but I'd like to
00:14:19.78\00:14:26.32
just go to the Bible tonight.
00:14:26.35\00:14:27.38
What do you think?
00:14:27.41\00:14:28.44
I'd like to just go
right into the Word of God.
00:14:28.53\00:14:30.00
Because I believe God tells
us exactly how we got here.
00:14:30.03\00:14:33.76
Matthew chapter 24
is one of three chapters
00:14:33.79\00:14:36.36
we're just going
to reference here.
00:14:36.39\00:14:37.84
Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.
00:14:37.99\00:14:40.25
We're going to go in that
order, because that's the order
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.64
that we find in the gospels;
Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
00:14:42.67\00:14:46.50
And each one of these chapters,
Matthew 24 is where we'll start,
00:14:46.70\00:14:50.21
and then Mark
13, and then Luke 21,
00:14:50.56\00:14:53.62
are parallel prophetic chapters
with the books of Daniel
00:14:53.65\00:14:57.00
and Revelation.
00:14:57.03\00:14:58.18
If you study carefully,
you're going to find that
00:14:58.21\00:15:00.63
these are Christ's very
own prophetic narratives
00:15:00.66\00:15:06.41
of Bible prophecy.
00:15:06.81\00:15:08.10
They parallel especially
the book of Revelation,
00:15:08.52\00:15:11.22
because they begin in Christ's
time and take us all the way
00:15:11.25\00:15:13.33
down to the
second coming of Jesus.
00:15:13.36\00:15:14.86
And Jesus tells us here
what it's going to be like.
00:15:15.17\00:15:17.08
He's actually got a repeat and
enlarge in these three chapters,
00:15:17.11\00:15:21.74
but also a dual
application prophecy here.
00:15:21.77\00:15:24.97
We don't see this in
every prophecy, but it's
00:15:25.20\00:15:26.97
definitely here in Matthew 24.
00:15:27.00\00:15:28.76
Because Jesus begins by
telling the disciples that
00:15:28.79\00:15:33.53
the temple in Jerusalem is going
to be destroyed in such a way
00:15:33.56\00:15:37.71
that not one stone is
going to be left upon another.
00:15:37.74\00:15:39.86
And so they asked Him
this question in verse 3,
00:15:39.89\00:15:42.44
"And as he sat on the mount of
Olives, the disciples came unto
00:15:42.47\00:15:44.85
him privately, saying, 'Tell
us, when shall these things be?
00:15:44.88\00:15:48.80
And what shall be
the sign of thy coming,
00:15:48.83\00:15:50.62
and of the end of the world?'"
00:15:50.65\00:15:52.57
There's the
duality of this prophecy.
00:15:52.71\00:15:54.81
You apply this duality
to Mark 13 and Luke 21.
00:15:55.01\00:15:58.40
Because each one of
these chapters is again
00:15:58.43\00:16:01.23
layered on the other.
00:16:01.75\00:16:02.97
They are repeat and enlarge.
00:16:03.00\00:16:04.43
Each one of them fills out the
picture a little bit more and
00:16:04.46\00:16:06.70
gives us a fuller understanding
of this prophetic scenario.
00:16:06.73\00:16:09.75
So this first chapter,
Jesus Christ is indicating
00:16:09.78\00:16:13.60
what signs are going to proceed
the destruction of Jerusalem,
00:16:13.63\00:16:17.54
70 AD, and then same signs
repeated for the end of the age
00:16:17.57\00:16:22.77
and the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:16:22.80\00:16:24.50
He puts the two
together in this prophecy.
00:16:24.53\00:16:27.65
Now our interest is
not going to be primarily
00:16:28.20\00:16:30.91
to the destruction of Jerusalem.
00:16:30.94\00:16:31.97
That's past history,
it's already happened.
00:16:32.00\00:16:33.57
We could go through this
and show how all of these things
00:16:33.60\00:16:35.96
were fulfilled before
Jerusalem was destroyed.
00:16:36.16\00:16:38.87
At least the first 13 verses
including 15 were fulfilled,
00:16:38.90\00:16:44.35
and onward a couple more there.
00:16:44.38\00:16:45.86
But we want to primarily
look at how these verses
00:16:45.98\00:16:48.32
apply to us today.
00:16:48.35\00:16:49.63
Now notice this in verse 4.
00:16:49.66\00:16:51.79
"And Jesus
answered and said unto them,
00:16:51.82\00:16:53.70
'Take heed that
no man...'" What?
00:16:53.73\00:16:56.78
"...deceive you."
00:16:56.81\00:16:57.90
That point, that sign,
that warning is given by Christ
00:16:57.93\00:17:02.53
two more times in Matthew 24.
00:17:02.56\00:17:04.18
Do you think it's important?
00:17:04.64\00:17:05.88
It is vitally important.
00:17:06.77\00:17:07.98
It is three times as
important as any other sign
00:17:08.01\00:17:10.44
that is only given once.
00:17:10.47\00:17:11.60
In other words, and this is
the reason why we began with
00:17:12.81\00:17:15.89
the lie, we began
with Genesis chapter 3.
00:17:15.92\00:17:18.55
You remember that,
we talked about the lie.
00:17:18.58\00:17:20.52
That how in John 8:44, that
the devil is the father of lies.
00:17:20.55\00:17:25.76
And then we talked a little
bit about it in Revelation,
00:17:25.79\00:17:28.51
in Revelation chapter 21.
00:17:28.54\00:17:30.70
Liars will be outside the city.
00:17:30.73\00:17:32.04
I told you about my experience
as a young man and how
00:17:32.07\00:17:33.95
I lost faith in my
mom because of Christmas.
00:17:33.98\00:17:37.04
And how that there's no
such thing as a white lie.
00:17:37.07\00:17:39.76
Because every little
lie is one little block
00:17:39.79\00:17:43.04
in the building of deception.
00:17:43.07\00:17:46.71
Which unsettles our
faith, our confidence, in truth
00:17:47.09\00:17:50.84
or in anything that is true.
00:17:51.15\00:17:52.41
And so, I think this
is one of the reasons why
00:17:53.44\00:17:55.90
Jesus says, you
know, children are...
00:17:55.93\00:18:00.74
That's the kingdom
of heaven right there.
00:18:00.77\00:18:02.36
Because they're trusting.
00:18:02.56\00:18:03.81
They believe what you tell them.
00:18:04.74\00:18:06.42
You know, when we get
older we get wiser and we say,
00:18:07.04\00:18:08.57
"No, no. No, no, no, no.
00:18:08.60\00:18:10.38
I can't... nope, nope, nope.
00:18:10.41\00:18:11.79
Oh, you think you
can... you think you can...
00:18:11.96\00:18:14.13
Now way, I'm not
going to believe that.
00:18:14.16\00:18:16.30
No way am I
going to believe that.
00:18:16.33\00:18:17.70
Yeah, and there's Santa Clause
and a tooth fairy, right?"
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.39
See, our confidence
is completely unsettled.
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.17
It's unsettled.
00:18:23.20\00:18:24.23
And that is what we see as
a danger here in the context
00:18:24.26\00:18:28.73
of Matthew 24.
00:18:28.76\00:18:29.96
There is deception that
is all around the signs.
00:18:29.99\00:18:34.82
And that deception is a
major player in the end of time,
00:18:34.85\00:18:37.87
according to
Revelation chapter 13.
00:18:37.90\00:18:39.75
We're going to look at that
a little bit more as we go on.
00:18:39.87\00:18:42.01
And then He goes on and He says,
"For many will come in my name,
00:18:42.12\00:18:44.40
saying, 'I am
Christ,' and will deceive..."
00:18:44.43\00:18:46.23
A few.
00:18:46.90\00:18:47.95
Many will be deceived.
00:18:48.35\00:18:49.84
So be careful when
people tell you religious things
00:18:49.87\00:18:53.09
and your conclusion is,
"Well that can't be true because
00:18:53.12\00:18:55.36
most people don't do that."
00:18:55.39\00:18:56.42
"Well that must be right
because everyone's doing that."
00:18:57.39\00:18:59.77
Many will be deceived.
00:19:00.26\00:19:01.74
Not a few, many.
00:19:01.77\00:19:02.92
So the many
aren't necessarily right.
00:19:03.10\00:19:05.03
In fact, the
indications are from Christ
00:19:05.06\00:19:07.26
the "many" are
going to be wrong,
00:19:07.29\00:19:08.83
the "many" are
going to be deceived.
00:19:08.86\00:19:10.37
"You shall hear," verse 6,
"of wars and rumors of wars."
00:19:10.57\00:19:14.02
Have we heard those things?
00:19:14.05\00:19:15.41
Hold onto that.
00:19:15.44\00:19:16.47
"See that you be not troubled."
00:19:17.60\00:19:19.44
Are they troubling us?
00:19:19.47\00:19:21.54
Are wars and rumors
of wars troubling us?
00:19:21.74\00:19:24.90
"All these things must come
to pass, but the end is not yet.
00:19:25.58\00:19:27.50
Nation will rise against nation
and kingdom against kingdom.
00:19:27.53\00:19:29.76
There shall be famines,
and there will be pestilences,
00:19:29.86\00:19:34.16
and there will be earthquakes,
in different places.
00:19:34.19\00:19:37.01
All these are the
beginning of sorrows."
00:19:37.41\00:19:38.76
We're going to just move
to Mark here in a second,
00:19:38.79\00:19:41.15
but I want to
emphasize one thing right here.
00:19:41.18\00:19:42.88
And that is, the word,
"sorrows," means birth pangs.
00:19:42.91\00:19:46.25
These signs are described
by Christ as those that will
00:19:46.48\00:19:50.69
increase in
intensity and frequency.
00:19:50.72\00:19:54.15
They will get more intense
and more frequent as we move
00:19:54.88\00:19:58.51
toward the
fulfillment of these prophecies.
00:19:58.54\00:20:02.30
Do we see natural
disasters becoming more intense
00:20:02.51\00:20:05.18
and more frequent?
00:20:05.21\00:20:06.24
Do we see
pestilence, even though we live
00:20:06.41\00:20:08.67
in an age, you know, when
we have great health coverage,
00:20:08.70\00:20:12.32
supposedly
healthcare, modern science.
00:20:12.35\00:20:14.77
But we live in an age
when disease of every kind...
00:20:14.80\00:20:17.80
I mean, we haven't seen anything
yet, because it's going to
00:20:17.83\00:20:20.03
get more intense and more
frequent more so, even worse.
00:20:20.06\00:20:23.90
We live in a time when
there's war and rumors of war
00:20:24.28\00:20:27.05
that are growing in
intensity and frequency.
00:20:27.68\00:20:29.67
Now look over
in Mark chapter 13.
00:20:29.70\00:20:32.19
I don't mean to rush you but
we're repeating the same thing,
00:20:32.79\00:20:35.15
so I'm not going to
feel bad about this.
00:20:35.18\00:20:36.70
We're not leaving this point.
00:20:36.73\00:20:38.09
Mark 13, and I just want
to emphasize one thing here.
00:20:38.12\00:20:40.44
We're not going to
spend a lot of time here.
00:20:40.47\00:20:41.54
But Mark 13, when
Jesus talks about this again,
00:20:41.57\00:20:45.12
verses 1 and onward,
again He says, verse 5,
00:20:45.63\00:20:49.40
immediately, "Take heed
lest any man deceive you.
00:20:49.43\00:20:53.86
Many will come in my
name saying, 'I am Christ,'
00:20:53.89\00:20:55.59
and will deceive many.
00:20:55.62\00:20:56.65
And you will hear of
wars and rumors of wars;
00:20:56.68\00:20:58.19
see that you be not troubled.
00:20:58.22\00:21:00.00
They're the beginning
of sorrows," birth pangs.
00:21:00.03\00:21:01.32
Now, going over
again to Luke 21.
00:21:01.35\00:21:05.36
And the reason why I
just wanted to stop in Mark
00:21:05.39\00:21:07.31
primarily is because
I wanted you to notice
00:21:07.53\00:21:11.27
that each one of the gospel
writers includes a chapter
00:21:11.47\00:21:16.09
on end time events.
00:21:16.12\00:21:17.15
There are some things
that are left out by Mark.
00:21:17.18\00:21:18.76
You know, Mark is a very
short gospel, 13 chapters,
00:21:18.79\00:21:21.38
14 or 15 chapters.
00:21:21.41\00:21:22.54
Very short, but
he does include this.
00:21:22.64\00:21:25.93
Matthew includes it.
00:21:26.53\00:21:27.78
Luke includes it.
00:21:28.44\00:21:29.84
What about John?
00:21:29.87\00:21:30.94
John said, "You know what?"
00:21:32.11\00:21:33.23
Or God said, "You know what?
00:21:35.23\00:21:37.32
I'm not going to
give you a chapter.
00:21:37.65\00:21:38.69
I'm going to
give you a whole book.
00:21:38.72\00:21:40.04
Revelation.
00:21:40.07\00:21:41.29
I'm going to give you a
whole book on end time events.
00:21:41.32\00:21:43.04
Because it's
important, it's significant.
00:21:43.07\00:21:45.35
And I know people are
going to be a little bit scared
00:21:46.08\00:21:48.26
about that, so I'm going to
go ahead and bless that book.
00:21:48.29\00:21:50.35
Blessed are those that hear
and read and keep the things
00:21:50.67\00:21:52.63
that are written in that book.
00:21:52.66\00:21:53.85
So you'll be happy to
know the things that are in
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.99
the book of Revelation,"
that's what God is saying.
00:21:57.02\00:21:58.77
Okay, Luke 21,
again it begins with...
00:21:58.80\00:22:02.82
Well, it starts a
little bit differently.
00:22:02.85\00:22:04.45
About the widow and her
mite, casting in her offering.
00:22:04.48\00:22:07.65
But then it goes on
in verses 7 and onward.
00:22:07.68\00:22:12.10
They asked him
about these things.
00:22:12.40\00:22:13.80
"And he said," verse 8, "Take
heed that you be not deceived.
00:22:13.83\00:22:17.29
Many will come in my name
saying, 'The time draws near.'"
00:22:18.35\00:22:20.65
We could spend a
little bit more time on that,
00:22:23.15\00:22:24.46
but we don't have time.
00:22:24.49\00:22:25.52
Now here's the key
verse, here the key verse is.
00:22:25.55\00:22:27.34
Now notice these verses.
00:22:27.37\00:22:28.59
"But when you shall hear
of wars and commotions..."
00:22:28.62\00:22:32.11
And that word, "commotions,"
means, instability,
00:22:32.59\00:22:35.95
disturbances, confusion.
00:22:36.60\00:22:40.58
"...be not..."
What's the next word?
00:22:42.72\00:22:45.84
"...terrified."
00:22:46.36\00:22:48.13
That word,
"ptoeó," means, to terrify.
00:22:48.85\00:22:54.74
Does it bring to
your mind something
00:22:56.35\00:22:59.26
that is in our world today?
00:22:59.84\00:23:01.73
How about terrorism?
00:23:02.22\00:23:04.75
See, Jesus is indicating here in
the context of last day events,
00:23:05.62\00:23:09.32
in Luke 21 He's indicating
here that there are going to be
00:23:09.35\00:23:13.55
wars and rumors of wars that
are going to cause disturbances,
00:23:13.58\00:23:17.47
they're going to
cause instability,
00:23:17.50\00:23:18.79
and they're going to
cause people to be terrified.
00:23:18.82\00:23:21.48
And because people
are terrified, going on,
00:23:21.68\00:23:24.69
"Then said he to them, 'Nation
shall rise against nation,
00:23:25.31\00:23:27.47
and kingdom against kingdom.
00:23:27.50\00:23:28.80
And there are going to be great
earthquakes in different places,
00:23:28.83\00:23:31.94
and famines, and pestilences;
00:23:31.97\00:23:33.30
and fearful sights and
great signs there shall be
00:23:33.33\00:23:36.94
in the heaven," or from heaven.
00:23:36.97\00:23:38.84
I just think
it's so interesting.
00:23:39.82\00:23:41.90
Because this leads right
into this unity of nations,
00:23:41.93\00:23:46.93
this persecution that comes
against God's people, etcetera.
00:23:46.96\00:23:49.46
I think it's so interesting
to think that there are
00:23:49.49\00:23:51.13
two things here that
are happening that are
00:23:51.16\00:23:52.82
so applicable to us.
00:23:52.85\00:23:53.88
There's terrorism that's scaring
people and causing instability.
00:23:53.91\00:23:57.55
And then there
are fearful sights.
00:23:57.58\00:23:59.25
Nation is rising against nation.
00:23:59.28\00:24:01.05
And there are these fearful
sights that are taking place
00:24:01.08\00:24:03.09
all over the world.
00:24:03.12\00:24:05.10
And when I think
about the weather,
00:24:05.13\00:24:06.96
and what clearly now, evidently,
is laboratory experiments
00:24:07.50\00:24:15.07
in these different
countries and different ways of
00:24:15.10\00:24:17.27
manipulating the weather...
00:24:17.30\00:24:18.70
America does it.
00:24:18.93\00:24:19.96
Russia does it,
other nations do it.
00:24:20.15\00:24:22.20
...and changing the
weather patterns, etcetera.
00:24:22.30\00:24:25.18
And we're seeing
fearful things taking place.
00:24:25.21\00:24:27.38
As Matthew said, that
are going to increase in
00:24:28.62\00:24:31.40
intensity and frequency.
00:24:31.43\00:24:32.72
Strange weather patterns
taking place all over the world.
00:24:33.29\00:24:37.36
Because we're
messing with the weather.
00:24:37.39\00:24:39.56
And this is exactly what
Jesus told us would be a sign.
00:24:40.05\00:24:43.35
There would be
terrorism and people will be
00:24:43.38\00:24:44.99
unstable and scared.
00:24:45.02\00:24:47.51
And if you would have
told me that this country
00:24:48.33\00:24:52.97
of America would
transition from the principles
00:24:53.92\00:25:00.34
of religious and civil
freedom to reveal the principles
00:25:00.55\00:25:05.55
of the dragon, if you would have
told me that 20 some years ago,
00:25:05.58\00:25:09.06
I would have said,
"Yeah, I believe that by faith."
00:25:09.09\00:25:10.56
Just like in 1984 when I
accepted the Adventist message,
00:25:10.59\00:25:14.34
I believed that
Communism was going to fall.
00:25:14.37\00:25:16.09
By faith I believed that.
00:25:16.69\00:25:18.17
Because that's
what prophecy indicates.
00:25:18.38\00:25:20.24
Prophecy tells us who
the end time players are.
00:25:20.27\00:25:22.29
And Communism isn't in there.
00:25:22.32\00:25:23.59
So I believed that by faith.
00:25:23.62\00:25:24.82
But in 1989 that faith
was validated, was confirmed.
00:25:24.85\00:25:32.15
It went sky high...
00:25:32.18\00:25:35.36
...when Communism actually fell.
00:25:36.82\00:25:38.56
And now today,
that faith is again...
00:25:39.59\00:25:41.40
Because if you were to ask me,
00:25:41.43\00:25:42.46
"Well how do you think
that's going to happen?"
00:25:42.49\00:25:43.52
I would have said,
"I'm really not sure how
00:25:43.55\00:25:44.90
that's going to happen."
00:25:44.93\00:25:45.96
But today I can say,
"Wow, it's happening."
00:25:46.15\00:25:49.15
Our fear of terrorism
is taking away our rights.
00:25:49.18\00:25:53.54
And we're happy to see them go.
00:25:53.57\00:25:55.01
I mean, we're not
happy to see them go,
00:25:55.42\00:25:56.73
but you
understand what I'm saying.
00:25:56.76\00:25:58.05
We're willing to see them go.
00:25:58.59\00:26:00.34
We're willing
for this to happen.
00:26:00.37\00:26:02.90
This
instability, this terrorism,
00:26:04.53\00:26:06.80
that Jesus said, "Don't be
afraid, don't be terrified,"
00:26:07.32\00:26:10.65
this instability is
causing us to just give them up.
00:26:11.17\00:26:13.57
Now, in the prophetic
sweep of history, God fills in
00:26:13.60\00:26:17.68
more and more of the details.
00:26:17.71\00:26:19.55
That's why I wanted to introduce
you, at least those of us
00:26:19.58\00:26:22.92
who are listening in
our audience, TV viewers,
00:26:22.95\00:26:25.18
to Matthew 24, and Mark
13, and Luke 21, and make sure
00:26:25.21\00:26:29.31
we put those into the pot
with Daniel and with Revelation.
00:26:29.34\00:26:32.50
We know those are
twin prophetic books,
00:26:32.53\00:26:33.98
but we need all of the
information we can garner
00:26:34.01\00:26:36.71
in order to properly
align ourselves with the
00:26:36.74\00:26:39.83
path that God has given us.
00:26:39.86\00:26:41.19
Remember, there's a
lot of paths out there.
00:26:41.22\00:26:42.65
There's a lot of
interpretations out there.
00:26:42.68\00:26:44.26
There's a lot of information
being floated out there.
00:26:44.29\00:26:47.82
And we've just got to
stay focused on the truth
00:26:48.90\00:26:51.34
that God has given us.
00:26:51.37\00:26:52.68
So God gives us
this sweep of history.
00:26:52.71\00:26:56.04
He goes all the way
back, you know even to Genesis,
00:26:56.24\00:26:58.25
but prophetically
Daniel, Daniels' time, Babylon,
00:26:58.28\00:27:01.55
Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome.
00:27:01.58\00:27:03.49
Then you have the
little horn power,
00:27:03.70\00:27:05.29
the papal Roman power,
taking us through the Dark Ages,
00:27:05.54\00:27:09.67
all the way down to
the rise of America,
00:27:09.70\00:27:12.14
the wound in 1798,
America rising up in 1776.
00:27:12.42\00:27:16.29
And then America
comes on the scene and says,
00:27:16.32\00:27:18.44
new land of freedom.
00:27:18.47\00:27:20.08
And out of that comes,
well, our present day situation.
00:27:20.58\00:27:25.62
The history of the Bible
is telling us what we see
00:27:26.16\00:27:31.36
taking place in the
history of the world.
00:27:31.39\00:27:33.40
But it tells us ahead of time.
00:27:33.43\00:27:34.88
And we can gain confidence
for what hasn't happened yet
00:27:35.37\00:27:38.57
by looking back
at what has happened
00:27:38.77\00:27:41.09
and lining it up
with Bible prophecy.
00:27:41.12\00:27:43.14
That gives us confidence to
believe God is right on track.
00:27:43.34\00:27:46.51
What God says is
true and we can trust Him.
00:27:46.87\00:27:49.51
We can believe what He says.
00:27:49.97\00:27:51.86
Last night we looked
at some of the principles
00:27:53.25\00:27:56.77
that identify
America in prophecy.
00:27:56.80\00:27:59.04
We looked, for
example, at the fact that
00:27:59.07\00:28:02.05
this power was another
power, it was a new nation,
00:28:02.18\00:28:06.63
coming on the world scene.
00:28:06.66\00:28:07.69
Another beast, another nation,
rising up out of the earth.
00:28:07.72\00:28:11.91
The earth as opposed to the sea.
00:28:12.13\00:28:14.07
A less populated
place on the planet,
00:28:14.10\00:28:17.17
as opposed to the multitudes,
nations, peoples, and tongues
00:28:17.43\00:28:19.95
of Europe where all these
other powers arose in that area.
00:28:19.98\00:28:23.09
It was depicted as
having two horns with no crowns.
00:28:23.29\00:28:26.30
So it wasn't going
to be another monarchy,
00:28:26.33\00:28:27.93
another king and queen type.
00:28:27.96\00:28:29.59
It was going to be a republic.
00:28:29.62\00:28:31.26
It was depicted as having
two horns that were lamb-like,
00:28:31.80\00:28:35.42
which indicates liberty and
freedom, civil and religious.
00:28:35.45\00:28:41.10
And of course, this all
came about because we had
00:28:42.83\00:28:48.39
people, men and women,
people who were brave enough
00:28:48.87\00:28:54.34
to pave this whole
new path for the world.
00:28:54.70\00:28:59.78
A path I think that God had
ordained in His prophetic Word.
00:29:00.67\00:29:03.51
The Declaration of Independence,
at least the signers of
00:29:03.61\00:29:06.40
the Declaration of
Independence were brave men
00:29:06.43\00:29:08.69
with brave families who
were willing to venture out
00:29:08.72\00:29:12.89
and give to the world and
to us a brave new way of life.
00:29:12.92\00:29:19.11
Now when we look at prophetic
history, it's important that we
00:29:19.73\00:29:23.18
don't just dismiss all
of these different nations
00:29:23.21\00:29:26.90
as if God has a
favorite or an only one,
00:29:26.93\00:29:30.43
because God loves the world.
00:29:30.46\00:29:32.67
And the reason why God calls
anyone, like He called Abraham,
00:29:33.14\00:29:37.28
and Isaac, and Israel,
and then the Hebrew nation,
00:29:37.31\00:29:42.39
is because He wanted to use
them to share with the world
00:29:42.65\00:29:46.89
this great love.
00:29:46.92\00:29:48.02
It's only when they fail to
do that, it's only when people
00:29:48.61\00:29:51.37
fail to do that, it's only
when nations fail to do that,
00:29:51.40\00:29:53.28
that God says, "You
know, I can't, I mean, I want
00:29:53.31\00:29:56.76
to work through you, but if you
don't let Me work through you,
00:29:57.16\00:29:59.17
I'm going to have to go
and try something else."
00:29:59.20\00:30:01.65
So He does that
first with His own people.
00:30:01.68\00:30:04.15
They're the ones that actually
forsake and turn away from Him.
00:30:04.77\00:30:07.52
So that's why God leads
them into Babylon, because He
00:30:07.55\00:30:09.48
wants to reach Babylon.
00:30:09.51\00:30:10.54
And there are some faithful
people in His church still,
00:30:10.57\00:30:13.13
like Daniel and his
friends who are going to be
00:30:13.16\00:30:15.46
witnesses for Him in Babylon.
00:30:15.49\00:30:16.64
And then Nebuchadnezzar,
I mean, you think about it.
00:30:16.68\00:30:19.08
Nebuchadnezzar
passed a couple of laws
00:30:19.11\00:30:22.28
that basically said,
"The God of heaven is the God.
00:30:22.31\00:30:24.50
The God of the
Hebrews is the God.
00:30:24.53\00:30:25.84
You need to worship
Him, He's the only true God."
00:30:25.87\00:30:28.00
He testified to
that in Daniel 2,
00:30:29.31\00:30:31.36
and wrote
another law in Daniel 3.
00:30:31.39\00:30:33.38
And again testified in Daniel 4.
00:30:34.17\00:30:35.72
In fact, Daniel 4 is
his own personal testimony.
00:30:35.75\00:30:37.99
People ask me, "Do
you think Nebuchadnezzar
00:30:38.05\00:30:39.32
will be in heaven?"
I say, "Read Daniel 4.
00:30:39.35\00:30:40.96
Just read Daniel 4."
00:30:41.19\00:30:42.22
It matches up
with Revelation 12.
00:30:42.25\00:30:43.76
Nebuchadnezzar overcame
by the blood of the Lamb.
00:30:43.79\00:30:45.93
I mean, he was
just praising God.
00:30:45.96\00:30:47.89
And that was after seven
years of being a wild man.
00:30:48.51\00:30:50.57
But Belshazzar didn't get it.
00:30:52.99\00:30:55.26
And so God transitions again.
00:30:55.76\00:30:57.41
When we look at the
history of these nations,
00:30:57.44\00:31:00.22
it's not as though God
isn't working through them
00:31:00.25\00:31:03.16
and mindful of them.
00:31:03.19\00:31:04.22
When Medo-Persia
came, God says in Isaiah 45,
00:31:04.25\00:31:07.18
"Cyrus is My anointed.
00:31:07.21\00:31:09.17
I'm going to open
the gate so he can go in
00:31:09.47\00:31:11.01
and he can take over and take
this thing a little bit further.
00:31:11.04\00:31:13.71
Because Belshazzar is
just not wanting to do this.
00:31:13.74\00:31:16.41
Even though he has all
this information, you know."
00:31:16.44\00:31:18.38
Daniel said, "Hey, you have all
the history of your grandfather.
00:31:18.41\00:31:21.00
You have all the history.
00:31:21.03\00:31:22.06
You know that you live
and move and breath in God.
00:31:22.09\00:31:24.55
Share that with the world."
00:31:25.39\00:31:26.42
He said, "No, I
just want to party.
00:31:26.45\00:31:27.59
I just want to hang out here
with my friends and just party."
00:31:27.84\00:31:30.05
Daniel said,
"Well Nebuchadnezzar,
00:31:31.68\00:31:33.15
he was like a tree, you know.
00:31:33.18\00:31:34.56
All the animals gathered
under him and it gave, you know,
00:31:34.59\00:31:37.85
shade for the animals,
and life for the birds.
00:31:37.88\00:31:42.04
I mean it was just
like, you know, taking care."
00:31:42.07\00:31:44.01
In fact, when Daniel
was rebuking Nebuchadnezzar,
00:31:44.04\00:31:46.46
he said, "You know
what, you need to repent
00:31:46.49\00:31:48.26
and take care of
the poor and the needy."
00:31:49.22\00:31:52.51
That's the point.
00:31:52.54\00:31:53.73
The same point of
Matthew 25 is the same point
00:31:53.93\00:31:57.29
of Daniel chapter 3.
00:31:57.39\00:31:59.58
It's the same point.
00:31:59.61\00:32:00.71
Take care of people.
00:32:01.35\00:32:02.79
Love people.
00:32:03.24\00:32:04.38
Feed people.
00:32:04.41\00:32:05.46
Look after people.
00:32:06.15\00:32:07.40
That's what government
really is suppose to do.
00:32:08.49\00:32:10.44
Government isn't
bad when it does that.
00:32:10.47\00:32:11.96
The principles of
government can be really good.
00:32:11.99\00:32:13.41
In fact, even when Paul
was sitting on death row,
00:32:13.44\00:32:15.41
even when he was
there under Nero,
00:32:15.44\00:32:17.51
he wrote Romans chapter 13.
00:32:17.54\00:32:19.53
He talked about how we need to
submit to the powers that be and
00:32:19.56\00:32:21.47
pay taxes to the powers that be.
00:32:21.50\00:32:22.76
And they are a
sword in the hand of God
00:32:22.96\00:32:25.07
to take care of evil doers.
00:32:25.10\00:32:26.68
There's a place for
government and for nations.
00:32:27.15\00:32:31.08
And that's why God worked
through all of these nations.
00:32:31.28\00:32:33.22
He worked through Medo-Persia
and the nations of Europe.
00:32:33.25\00:32:37.77
I mean, when you look at
Rome, God used Augustus Caesar
00:32:37.97\00:32:41.25
to call His Son,
Jesus Christ, to Bethlehem
00:32:41.28\00:32:44.80
where He was suppose to be born.
00:32:44.83\00:32:45.86
It was the
decree of August Caesar
00:32:45.89\00:32:47.27
to pay taxes and
sign up for the censor.
00:32:47.30\00:32:49.69
Remember that?
00:32:49.72\00:32:50.75
And boom, Luke chapter 2.
00:32:50.78\00:32:52.50
There comes
Jesus born in Bethlehem
00:32:52.53\00:32:54.01
because of that decree.
00:32:54.04\00:32:55.15
And of course, through
the Dark Ages God still
00:32:56.13\00:32:58.28
worked through the church.
00:32:58.31\00:33:00.06
All the great
reformers were honest men.
00:33:00.47\00:33:03.05
You've got Luther,
he was a Roman Catholic.
00:33:03.08\00:33:04.95
Huss, Roman Catholic.
00:33:05.32\00:33:06.69
Gerome, Calvin, all these
men, standing for the truth
00:33:06.72\00:33:11.05
and what was right until
they couldn't stay with that
00:33:11.08\00:33:14.07
nation or denomination anymore.
00:33:14.10\00:33:16.06
Because God was moving
them on, God was moving us on.
00:33:16.97\00:33:19.09
God has a plan, a
purpose, for the world.
00:33:19.12\00:33:22.94
And so there, as
this one nation goes down
00:33:22.97\00:33:25.94
another one comes up.
00:33:25.97\00:33:27.20
And this nation is espousing
the principles of the Lamb.
00:33:27.47\00:33:33.49
Those are the
principles we need to hold onto.
00:33:34.03\00:33:35.86
So tonight as we go
through this message,
00:33:35.89\00:33:37.59
please understand that you
can stand for the principles
00:33:37.62\00:33:42.29
that have made this country
great, that have made this
00:33:42.32\00:33:45.44
nation great, even
though government, even though
00:33:45.47\00:33:48.38
people, even though
other individuals, even though
00:33:48.41\00:33:50.52
programs and systems may be
straying from those principles,
00:33:50.63\00:33:56.74
failing those
principles, we can still stand
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.41
for those principles.
00:33:58.44\00:33:59.67
We can still stand
proud for those principles.
00:33:59.87\00:34:01.79
So John picks up this
sweep of history and takes us
00:34:02.78\00:34:08.80
all the way down into
the time in which we live.
00:34:08.83\00:34:11.00
And by the way, I
just want to recommend,
00:34:11.24\00:34:13.11
if you have not ever seen a
copy or read a copy of the book,
00:34:13.14\00:34:17.05
The Great Controversy, you've
got to get a copy of that book.
00:34:17.08\00:34:19.76
And I'm just going
to encourage our viewers
00:34:19.79\00:34:21.74
call into 3ABN, write into 3ABN.
00:34:21.77\00:34:24.12
Get a copy of the
book, The Great Controversy.
00:34:24.15\00:34:25.86
Because that book really
helps to give an understanding
00:34:25.89\00:34:30.06
of a lot of this
history and the sweep of history
00:34:30.09\00:34:32.38
down through time.
00:34:32.41\00:34:33.65
Very important as it
lines up with Bible prophecy.
00:34:33.95\00:34:36.86
Now, sandwiched in the
layers of all this history
00:34:37.39\00:34:40.65
is the meat, if you will.
00:34:40.68\00:34:42.66
The vital foundational
truth of Jesus Christ
00:34:42.85\00:34:48.34
and the everlasting gospel.
00:34:48.37\00:34:49.78
It's everywhere.
00:34:50.27\00:34:51.46
It's even in Revelation
13, the Lamb slain from the
00:34:51.49\00:34:53.42
foundation of the world.
00:34:53.45\00:34:54.81
The Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world.
00:34:55.01\00:34:57.22
From the very beginning
God has always had a plan.
00:34:58.04\00:35:01.15
And if it was from the
foundation of the world,
00:35:01.82\00:35:03.32
that means it was
before anyone was born.
00:35:03.35\00:35:05.12
Who did Jesus die for?
00:35:05.15\00:35:07.11
Who, at the foundation
of the world, who did He say
00:35:07.14\00:35:09.43
He was going to die for?
00:35:09.46\00:35:10.52
Well, there were only two
people that needed salvation.
00:35:10.55\00:35:12.87
You know who they were.
00:35:12.90\00:35:13.93
There was Adam
and there was Eve.
00:35:14.32\00:35:16.71
Just those two.
00:35:16.93\00:35:17.96
Jesus died for Adam and Eve.
00:35:18.54\00:35:20.47
He was slain from the
foundation of the world.
00:35:20.57\00:35:22.37
You understand, He wasn't
actually literally slain, but
00:35:22.40\00:35:25.22
He decided, it was
predetermined, the Bible says.
00:35:25.25\00:35:30.21
Predestined.
00:35:30.72\00:35:31.75
Jesus was predestined
to be our Savior from the
00:35:31.79\00:35:33.67
foundation of the world to
be the Savior of Adam and Eve.
00:35:33.70\00:35:35.44
But you know, if He's going to
be the Savior of Adam and Eve,
00:35:35.47\00:35:37.96
guess who He's
going to be the Savior of.
00:35:37.99\00:35:39.48
Every single person
that came from Adam and Eve.
00:35:40.23\00:35:44.13
Is there anyone on planet earth
that is excluded from that?
00:35:44.78\00:35:48.97
Zero.
00:35:49.51\00:35:50.61
So right there in Revelation
13 we have this beautiful truth
00:35:50.84\00:35:54.35
of God's plan of salvation,
the everlasting gospel.
00:35:54.71\00:35:58.91
Now, that has to be
part of the package.
00:35:59.30\00:36:03.55
Because that keeps us on center.
00:36:03.58\00:36:05.37
It's so easy for us to
get distracted by a lot of the
00:36:05.40\00:36:07.88
the things that are happening;
conspiracy theories, a lot of
00:36:07.91\00:36:10.65
the, you know, dark shadowy
things that are taking place.
00:36:10.68\00:36:13.00
The Bible says we shouldn't even
talk about some of these things.
00:36:13.03\00:36:15.26
Shouldn't even talk about them.
00:36:15.29\00:36:16.32
...and get off track.
00:36:16.61\00:36:18.59
And so we've got
to have something that
00:36:18.62\00:36:19.65
keeps us on track.
00:36:19.68\00:36:20.71
And that's what the Lamb
does, that's what Jesus does.
00:36:20.74\00:36:22.38
That's what Jesus...
00:36:22.41\00:36:23.48
The Lamb is the
most repeated symbol
00:36:23.51\00:36:25.42
in the book of Revelation.
00:36:25.45\00:36:26.66
And finally God's people get it.
00:36:26.69\00:36:28.80
I mean, it's easy to
get distracted by Babylon,
00:36:28.83\00:36:30.65
and distracted by the beast,
and distracted by the dragon,
00:36:30.68\00:36:32.61
and distracted by all the
things that are taking place.
00:36:32.64\00:36:34.13
But finally, it says in
Revelation 14, God's people
00:36:34.16\00:36:37.04
follow the Lamb...
00:36:37.07\00:36:38.35
What's the next word?
00:36:38.87\00:36:40.03
...wherever...
00:36:40.60\00:36:41.69
I like the King James,
"...whithersoever He goes."
00:36:41.72\00:36:45.24
It that hard to understand?
00:36:45.27\00:36:46.49
That King
James, "whithersoever."
00:36:46.80\00:36:48.48
They just follow Him.
00:36:49.96\00:36:51.63
Because they've
tried everything else.
00:36:51.90\00:36:53.64
And they fall into
all this other stuff,
00:36:53.67\00:36:54.92
and they finally
figure it out, "You know what?
00:36:54.95\00:36:56.30
Huh, we've just
got to follow the Lamb.
00:36:56.40\00:36:58.65
In fact, that's
about all I can do.
00:36:58.92\00:37:01.35
That's about all I can actually
do is just follow the Lamb."
00:37:01.62\00:37:04.25
And it's not always
easy to keep focused.
00:37:04.28\00:37:06.68
But getting back to
our message tonight,
00:37:08.38\00:37:11.38
the
transformation of this nation
00:37:11.41\00:37:14.50
that is predicted
in this Bible prophecy
00:37:14.53\00:37:17.50
in Revelation 13.
00:37:17.87\00:37:19.36
We've got to recognize
the difference between the
00:37:20.83\00:37:24.45
principles of God's
kingdom, of Jesus, of the Lamb,
00:37:24.48\00:37:29.37
and the principles of
the power of the dragon.
00:37:29.83\00:37:31.50
Now here are three differences
that I want you to consider
00:37:31.53\00:37:34.90
if you want to identify
where God wants us to be
00:37:35.66\00:37:39.59
compared to where the
dragon wants us to go.
00:37:39.79\00:37:43.53
Number one, deception.
00:37:44.52\00:37:47.73
Revelation 13, let's
just look at it real quickly.
00:37:48.29\00:37:50.21
Revelation chapter 13, we don't
have to look at it quickly.
00:37:50.24\00:37:52.26
We can settle right in here.
00:37:52.29\00:37:53.39
Revelation chapter 13 talks
here in verse 11 about this
00:37:55.66\00:38:00.03
other power, beast, kingdom,
earthly kingdom or power, king,
00:38:00.06\00:38:04.04
coming up out of the earth.
00:38:04.25\00:38:05.61
Less populated
area of the world.
00:38:05.64\00:38:07.07
Having two horns; principles
that govern its power.
00:38:07.10\00:38:11.14
Like a lamb;
Lamb-like principles of
00:38:11.17\00:38:13.67
religious liberties, etcetera.
00:38:13.70\00:38:15.27
By the way, a lot of
people say, "Oh, this means that
00:38:15.30\00:38:17.19
we're a Christian nation."
00:38:17.22\00:38:18.25
Yes and no.
00:38:18.28\00:38:19.36
It depends on how you
define Christian nation.
00:38:20.46\00:38:22.40
A Christian nation in the
days of the founding fathers was
00:38:22.96\00:38:26.67
a nation that allowed no other
religion but their religion.
00:38:26.70\00:38:29.72
"This is the only
religion we're going to have.
00:38:31.09\00:38:32.84
It's going to be this one."
00:38:32.87\00:38:33.92
And so from the
founding father's perspective,
00:38:34.29\00:38:36.53
this wasn't
necessarily a Christian nation.
00:38:36.56\00:38:38.44
200 years later we look
back and we say, "Well, this was
00:38:38.89\00:38:41.00
indeed a Christian
nation compared to the pluralism
00:38:41.03\00:38:43.37
and the immorality
that we think about today."
00:38:43.40\00:38:45.77
In other words, it was
based upon the principles of
00:38:46.10\00:38:47.88
religious liberty and civil
liberty, but it was based upon
00:38:47.91\00:38:49.97
the principles of morality.
00:38:50.00\00:38:51.54
It was based upon the
principles of God's law.
00:38:54.22\00:38:56.03
The first four commandments
never to be enforced upon
00:38:56.06\00:38:58.30
the populous, but the second,
the last six, definitely.
00:38:58.33\00:39:01.20
From that perspective, yes.
00:39:01.94\00:39:03.07
But it would allow
freedom for all religions.
00:39:03.10\00:39:06.77
Lamb-like freedom.
00:39:07.10\00:39:08.88
Jesus was the
same way, you know.
00:39:09.57\00:39:10.74
His disciples at times would
get a little bit, you know,
00:39:10.77\00:39:13.54
kind of like...exclusive.
00:39:13.57\00:39:16.45
"Jesus, we saw
someone casting out devils,
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.39
but he doesn't follow with us.
00:39:18.42\00:39:19.59
Uh, so we forbade him.
00:39:19.69\00:39:21.20
'You can't camp
here, you can't be...
00:39:21.59\00:39:23.51
You've got to go back
to wherever you came from.
00:39:23.71\00:39:25.57
You can't be in our country.'"
00:39:25.60\00:39:26.70
Jesus said, "No,
don't forbid him."
00:39:26.73\00:39:28.24
Those are the
principles of the Lamb.
00:39:29.24\00:39:31.59
The principles of liberty.
00:39:31.62\00:39:33.17
They were at a Samaritan
village and the disciples,
00:39:33.38\00:39:35.93
they want to spend the night.
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.23
And the Samaritans say,
"No, you're going to Jerusalem.
00:39:38.26\00:39:39.67
We're not having you here."
00:39:39.70\00:39:40.77
And the disciples say,
"Hey, what do you mean?
00:39:41.10\00:39:43.32
This is the Messiah.
00:39:43.35\00:39:44.38
Jesus, according to the
Old Testament, let's call
00:39:44.41\00:39:46.29
fire down from
heaven on these guys."
00:39:46.32\00:39:48.09
Jesus said, "You don't know
what manner of spirit you're of.
00:39:48.73\00:39:50.90
That's the spirit of
the dragon right there."
00:39:50.93\00:39:52.70
Of course, they're
quoting the Old Testament.
00:39:54.06\00:39:55.17
So we've got to be careful
there how we apply that, right?
00:39:55.20\00:39:57.49
But Jesus is making a
proper application, because
00:39:57.59\00:40:00.96
He knows the time and the
place in which He is right now,
00:40:00.99\00:40:04.30
and that does not
apply to this time.
00:40:04.33\00:40:06.94
He's saying, "You can't
quote that and apply it to here.
00:40:06.97\00:40:08.76
Doesn't apply.
00:40:09.04\00:40:10.07
I've come to give
people freedom to reject Me.
00:40:10.93\00:40:14.33
The Samaritans don't
want Me to spend the night?
00:40:14.36\00:40:15.90
It's their loss.
00:40:15.93\00:40:17.13
The Messiah, I'm
their... It's their loss.
00:40:17.44\00:40:19.35
If the Gennesarets
don't want Me to be here
00:40:19.38\00:40:22.83
because the swine got
lost, I'm going to leave.
00:40:22.86\00:40:25.64
I'll go."
00:40:26.05\00:40:27.08
Of course, He came back.
00:40:27.38\00:40:28.56
God always comes back.
00:40:29.01\00:40:30.59
We may push Him away,
but He'll always come back,
00:40:30.62\00:40:32.83
come back, come back.
00:40:32.86\00:40:34.26
Until we absolutely
completely decide, "That's it."
00:40:34.71\00:40:37.55
And He does, He
honors our choice.
00:40:37.58\00:40:38.74
Which is the wrath
of God, by the way.
00:40:38.77\00:40:40.14
The wrath of God
is not Him being more
00:40:40.17\00:40:42.23
angry than anyone else.
00:40:42.26\00:40:43.90
The wrath of God is
Him finally giving us up
00:40:44.46\00:40:46.41
to the thing that
we persistently choose.
00:40:46.44\00:40:48.05
Honoring our choice.
00:40:48.08\00:40:49.44
Honoring our choice.
00:40:50.17\00:40:51.20
So really, when we
talk about the wrath of God,
00:40:51.23\00:40:53.35
we're talking about Him
handing us over to the beast.
00:40:53.38\00:40:56.12
Because that's the
choice we finally make.
00:40:56.54\00:40:58.41
He doesn't want to do it.
00:40:58.60\00:40:59.64
He longs to save
us from that choice
00:41:01.40\00:41:03.32
and the
consequences of that choice.
00:41:03.35\00:41:04.95
Seven last plagues, etcetera.
00:41:04.98\00:41:06.52
Which is really the
outworking of that power
00:41:06.79\00:41:10.21
and the powers of this earth.
00:41:10.24\00:41:11.39
In fact, you think about
Revelation 11:14 and onward
00:41:11.42\00:41:15.24
when the kings of this
world become the kingdoms
00:41:15.27\00:41:16.81
of the Lord and of Christ.
00:41:16.84\00:41:18.00
He comes to judge those
who have destroyed the earth.
00:41:18.03\00:41:21.30
And you look at the seven
last plagues and you realize the
00:41:21.50\00:41:23.32
sun is scorching men, where
you realize the seas becoming
00:41:23.35\00:41:26.45
as the blood of a dead man.
00:41:26.48\00:41:27.51
It's happening already.
00:41:27.69\00:41:29.80
Right now it's happening.
00:41:29.83\00:41:30.99
These things are happening.
00:41:31.02\00:41:32.21
Hail the weight of a talent, 70
pound hail, already happening.
00:41:32.24\00:41:36.98
The seven last plagues are
not some kind of supernatural
00:41:37.97\00:41:41.06
judgment that God
imposes on the world.
00:41:41.09\00:41:43.00
It's when God, Revelation
7, let's loose the four winds
00:41:43.03\00:41:46.58
and allows the consequences
of our tampering with nature
00:41:46.61\00:41:50.60
and with each
other, etcetera, to come.
00:41:50.63\00:41:52.20
Right now He's holding it back.
00:41:52.23\00:41:53.26
He's holding
back, He's holding back.
00:41:53.29\00:41:54.42
We see a little bit of the
vials kind of seeping through,
00:41:54.45\00:41:56.25
but He's holding them all back.
00:41:56.28\00:41:57.48
But when His wrath
is finally released,
00:41:58.66\00:42:00.85
without mercy, He lets it go.
00:42:01.05\00:42:03.30
God, many times in
the Bible, is pictured as
00:42:04.27\00:42:07.66
doing what He allows.
00:42:07.69\00:42:09.20
So we see this in the
context, beautiful context,
00:42:10.64\00:42:15.41
of Revelation and we
recognize a God of love.
00:42:15.51\00:42:20.28
Three principles.
00:42:21.37\00:42:22.40
First one, Revelation 13,
we were reading in verse 11.
00:42:22.43\00:42:26.67
Let's get to verse
12, "And he exercises..."
00:42:26.70\00:42:28.61
He speaks like a lamb,
"He had two horns like lamb,
00:42:28.95\00:42:31.15
and spake as a dragon.
00:42:31.18\00:42:32.48
And he exercises all the power
of the first beast before him,
00:42:32.51\00:42:35.69
and causes the earth
and them that dwell therein
00:42:35.72\00:42:37.77
to worship the first beast,
whose deadly wound was healed.
00:42:37.80\00:42:40.09
And he doeth great
wonders, so that he makes fire
00:42:40.12\00:42:44.17
come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men,
00:42:44.20\00:42:46.58
and," verse 14,
"deceives them..."
00:42:46.61\00:42:49.03
Deceives them.
00:42:49.39\00:42:50.54
That's what Jesus
talked about in Matthew 24 and
00:42:50.92\00:42:53.32
and Mark 13 and Luke 21.
00:42:53.35\00:42:54.56
Deception.
00:42:54.59\00:42:55.70
Now I really want to
emphasize this a little more.
00:42:56.62\00:42:59.02
But let me just give you two
more principles before we do.
00:42:59.05\00:43:01.36
He caused, he
forced, Revelation says,
00:43:02.08\00:43:05.25
it says here, verse 14,
"And deceives them that dwell
00:43:05.28\00:43:08.41
on the earth by the means
of those miracles which he had
00:43:08.44\00:43:10.18
power to do in the sight
of the beast; saying to them
00:43:10.21\00:43:12.09
that dwell on the earth,
that they should make an image
00:43:12.12\00:43:13.84
to the beast, which had the
wound by a sword, and did live.
00:43:13.87\00:43:16.01
And he had power to give
life to the image of the beast,
00:43:16.31\00:43:18.52
that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause..."
00:43:18.55\00:43:23.21
That word means, force.
00:43:23.24\00:43:24.56
That words
means, put pressure on.
00:43:24.59\00:43:27.05
That's the same
thing we see in Matthew 24,
00:43:27.15\00:43:28.89
"You'll be hated of all
nations for My names sake."
00:43:28.92\00:43:31.23
That the context of
that, it talks about...
00:43:31.26\00:43:34.11
I'm just going to
give you the word, because
00:43:34.14\00:43:35.55
I want to make sure I
got this 100% accurate with
00:43:35.58\00:43:39.50
what the Bible is saying.
00:43:39.70\00:43:40.87
Matthew 24, you
don't have to turn there.
00:43:40.90\00:43:42.34
I'll just give
you the word here.
00:43:42.37\00:43:43.40
It says, "And they shall
deliver you up to be afflicted."
00:43:44.15\00:43:48.47
That word means, to pressure.
00:43:48.50\00:43:49.69
You're going to be delivered up,
you're going to be pressured.
00:43:49.72\00:43:51.91
You're going to be caused,
you're going to be forced,
00:43:52.29\00:43:53.72
you're going to be squeezed,
you're going to be pushed
00:43:53.75\00:43:55.18
in a certain direction.
00:43:55.21\00:43:56.24
You feel that?
00:43:58.99\00:44:00.17
You feel like, "I've got
to be careful what I say.
00:44:00.20\00:44:02.46
I've got to be
politically correct.
00:44:02.49\00:44:03.52
I've got to be careful
about my biblical principles."
00:44:03.55\00:44:05.33
"If I'm a radio talk show
host and I tell you what I think
00:44:05.36\00:44:08.33
about certain things that
the Bible teaches, I might
00:44:08.36\00:44:11.05
lose my position here."
00:44:11.08\00:44:12.69
We can't talk freely
anymore about what we believe.
00:44:13.74\00:44:18.21
Not that we haven't perhaps
violated that to some degree.
00:44:18.24\00:44:22.85
I'm speaking now
corporately as Christians,
00:44:22.88\00:44:24.87
that sometimes we're a little
too hard, a little too over the
00:44:24.90\00:44:27.42
edge with the way that
we talk about other people.
00:44:27.45\00:44:29.53
God loves everyone.
00:44:29.56\00:44:30.79
So we've got to be
careful there and balanced.
00:44:31.32\00:44:33.60
But to say nothing?
00:44:33.79\00:44:35.28
To be so constrained
and restricted and forced
00:44:36.00\00:44:39.67
in this certain direction
by the rest of the world,
00:44:39.70\00:44:42.80
by the rest of these powers.
00:44:42.83\00:44:46.54
Causes them.
00:44:46.80\00:44:47.88
And then the last principle
here, notice what it says,
00:44:47.91\00:44:50.98
"And he had power to give life
unto the image of the beast,"
00:44:52.15\00:44:54.06
verse 15, "that the image
of the beast should both speak
00:44:54.09\00:44:56.33
and cause, that as
many as would not worship
00:44:56.36\00:44:57.96
the image of the
beast should be..." What?
00:44:58.36\00:45:00.64
"...killed."
00:45:00.74\00:45:01.81
Three principles;
deception, force, and death.
00:45:02.06\00:45:06.38
Deception, force, and death.
Deception, force, and death.
00:45:06.60\00:45:09.17
Those are the principles that
God wants us to work away from.
00:45:09.77\00:45:15.16
Deception is the first one.
00:45:15.79\00:45:17.89
And I think it leads
right into the others.
00:45:18.22\00:45:20.17
And there is
where I want to start.
00:45:20.32\00:45:21.37
Because I don't think anyone
here tonight really is thinking
00:45:21.40\00:45:24.39
that they're
going to kill anybody.
00:45:24.42\00:45:25.96
I don't think so.
00:45:26.72\00:45:27.75
And maybe force.
00:45:28.36\00:45:30.53
I struggle with that.
00:45:30.56\00:45:31.83
16 year old daughter.
00:45:31.86\00:45:33.06
Okay, maybe I want to
force her not to do things
00:45:33.09\00:45:36.65
that I are foolish, maybe.
00:45:36.68\00:45:39.00
So I struggle
with that a little bit.
00:45:39.03\00:45:40.44
But, the Lamb is
convincing me to give liberty
00:45:41.12\00:45:47.51
to my daughter.
00:45:47.54\00:45:48.66
To some degree, I'm
still a parent until she's 18.
00:45:48.69\00:45:51.07
I remind her of that.
00:45:51.10\00:45:52.24
But, you know, I don't want
to be so controlling over that
00:45:53.39\00:45:57.76
that when she's 18 she
says, "Okay, I'm out of here."
00:45:57.79\00:46:00.16
Oh man.
00:46:01.09\00:46:02.21
I could talk for the
rest of the time about that.
00:46:02.24\00:46:04.26
And we've only
got 10 minutes left.
00:46:04.29\00:46:05.53
So from the beginning
Satan works through deception.
00:46:06.15\00:46:08.65
That's what we've seen,
that's what we've understood.
00:46:08.68\00:46:10.19
He has used
deception to force our hand
00:46:10.40\00:46:14.19
to choose the
knowledge of the good and evil.
00:46:14.59\00:46:17.47
That's what he did with Eve.
00:46:17.50\00:46:18.87
He said, "Hey,
look at... No, God...
00:46:18.90\00:46:20.75
Did God really say... No, no.
00:46:20.78\00:46:22.05
This, I'm walk...
Look, I can talk."
00:46:22.25\00:46:24.29
And we kind of went,
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
00:46:25.28\00:46:27.03
Pretty soon, boom.
00:46:27.06\00:46:28.09
We're doing that,
we're eating that.
00:46:28.28\00:46:29.73
And you know, that's
the same thing that we feel,
00:46:30.20\00:46:32.50
the peer pressure that we feel.
00:46:32.53\00:46:34.05
"Come on, it's not
going to be that...
00:46:34.08\00:46:35.25
It's a... look at me. I'm not...
00:46:35.28\00:46:36.82
Are you saying
you're not going to...
00:46:36.85\00:46:37.90
Oh, come on. God's going to...
00:46:37.93\00:46:39.30
Not a big deal."
00:46:39.80\00:46:40.84
It's a simple
formula that we can
00:46:41.94\00:46:43.12
trace back to
the garden of Eden.
00:46:43.15\00:46:44.32
There's nothing
new in Revelation.
00:46:44.35\00:46:46.18
It's the same thing
that he used back then.
00:46:46.21\00:46:48.09
He's using the same thing again.
00:46:48.12\00:46:49.24
In fact, Paul talks about this
in 2 Corinthians chapter 11.
00:46:49.27\00:46:51.97
We don't have
time to go there now.
00:46:52.00\00:46:53.07
But if you read the whole
chapter, it's really powerful.
00:46:53.21\00:46:54.97
It talks about how, "I
want you to be a virgin,
00:46:55.00\00:46:56.97
but I'm afraid that the devil,
just like he did with Adam and
00:46:57.00\00:46:59.34
Eve back there, he's going
to do the same thing again;
00:46:59.37\00:47:01.19
another gospel,
another Jesus, another Spirit.
00:47:01.22\00:47:02.93
Ministers of...light.
00:47:03.15\00:47:06.47
Angel of light.
00:47:06.50\00:47:07.55
So it's
deception, force, and death.
00:47:08.95\00:47:10.86
It's the
principle of the dragon.
00:47:10.89\00:47:12.67
It's the natural
outworking of our natures.
00:47:12.70\00:47:15.17
Even the best of us,
think about this, tend to lie.
00:47:15.20\00:47:18.58
I bring that up because I
think it's really practical.
00:47:20.05\00:47:23.57
And I want to give
you some history on this.
00:47:23.67\00:47:25.12
Okay, the first experience that
we find, I think is very clear;
00:47:25.15\00:47:28.00
Abraham.
00:47:28.55\00:47:29.67
Abraham.
00:47:31.15\00:47:32.20
Genesis chapter 12.
00:47:32.23\00:47:33.54
He lied about his wife, Sarah.
00:47:33.85\00:47:35.15
He lied in chapter 12, and then
he lied again in chapter 20.
00:47:36.24\00:47:40.00
He lied to
Pharaoh, the Egyptians,
00:47:40.37\00:47:42.03
and then he lied to Abimelech,
which was the Philistines.
00:47:42.06\00:47:45.94
And both times it was serious.
00:47:46.22\00:47:48.19
And it's really interesting,
because really he wasn't lying.
00:47:48.22\00:47:50.45
Kind of like a white
lie, because, you know,
00:47:50.48\00:47:51.70
Sarah was his sister.
00:47:51.73\00:47:54.02
But God...
00:47:54.59\00:47:55.78
God, the God of truth and not
deception in any way or form,
00:47:57.15\00:48:01.94
said, "This isn't
going to work, Abraham.
00:48:01.97\00:48:04.19
You are going to be
the head of this nation,
00:48:05.05\00:48:07.14
this Lamb-like
nation, this people that I'm
00:48:07.17\00:48:08.99
calling out of deception.
00:48:09.02\00:48:11.14
Can't do this.
00:48:11.32\00:48:12.48
You've got to be a
witness for Me to Abimelech
00:48:12.78\00:48:15.30
and to Pharaoh,
and to everyone else.
00:48:15.33\00:48:17.50
So, can't go there."
00:48:17.86\00:48:19.27
Remember that time when
Abraham and Sarah were told
00:48:19.30\00:48:21.42
they were going to have a child?
00:48:21.45\00:48:22.51
And Sarah laughed?
00:48:23.13\00:48:24.22
And the angel
said, probably Christ,
00:48:25.62\00:48:27.72
"You laughed."
00:48:29.13\00:48:30.16
What did she say?
00:48:30.19\00:48:31.22
"Didn't. didn't laugh."
00:48:31.54\00:48:33.22
"Yes you did."
00:48:33.74\00:48:34.80
It's serious. God is serious.
00:48:35.05\00:48:37.47
It's important. It's
an important principle.
00:48:37.50\00:48:39.39
In fact, Abraham
passed it on to Isaac.
00:48:39.42\00:48:42.46
Isaac did the same
thing with Abimelech, no less.
00:48:42.49\00:48:45.09
Genesis 26.
00:48:46.23\00:48:47.58
And there were
serious consequences.
00:48:48.07\00:48:50.03
Why to the people?
00:48:50.41\00:48:52.33
Why not to Abraham,
why not to Abimelech?
00:48:52.44\00:48:54.71
I mean, to Abraham and to Isaac.
00:48:54.74\00:48:56.14
Why to the people?
00:48:56.17\00:48:57.20
Because God wants us to
realize that when we lie, it has
00:48:57.23\00:49:00.01
serious consequences for
the people that we're lying to.
00:49:00.04\00:49:02.98
God needs a people through
which He can tell the truth,
00:49:05.30\00:49:08.90
the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.
00:49:08.93\00:49:11.14
And those people are
pictured in Revelation.
00:49:11.70\00:49:13.91
They are the ones that
stand before the throne of God
00:49:13.94\00:49:16.30
without guile in their mouths.
00:49:16.33\00:49:17.50
No guile, whew.
00:49:17.53\00:49:19.28
I mean, we often point
to the Ten Commandments,
00:49:19.48\00:49:21.90
but I just want to go back
to Revelation 14 and think about
00:49:21.93\00:49:24.04
that for a little bit;
no guile in your mouth.
00:49:24.07\00:49:26.28
Wow, that's
practical. That's powerful.
00:49:26.83\00:49:29.11
That's
something only God can do.
00:49:31.36\00:49:34.03
And He will do it,
He promises to do it.
00:49:34.06\00:49:35.50
He does it with
Abraham, with Isaac.
00:49:35.53\00:49:37.60
He's going to do it with us.
00:49:37.63\00:49:38.74
So, we're going to
stand without this deception.
00:49:39.11\00:49:42.75
This is going to be one
of the identifying marks of
00:49:43.38\00:49:45.75
God's remnant people.
00:49:45.78\00:49:47.26
This "follow the Lamb"
people "wherever He goes."
00:49:48.46\00:49:50.59
Standing without deception.
00:49:50.62\00:49:53.02
He rids us of this.
00:49:53.17\00:49:54.61
We become, we become, I
would like to say we become
00:49:54.71\00:49:57.05
sensitive to deception.
00:49:57.08\00:49:58.90
At first it's like,
okay we're convicted.
00:49:59.00\00:50:01.17
Someone came to me,
they said, "You know,
00:50:01.20\00:50:02.83
that really hit home with me.
00:50:02.86\00:50:04.13
I'm convicted about that."
00:50:04.16\00:50:05.34
I said, "Yeah me too,
I'm convicted about it too."
00:50:05.37\00:50:07.45
Because I'm so convicted about
it, because I've realized often
00:50:07.48\00:50:11.99
that I actually do
tend to lie when I didn't
00:50:12.02\00:50:16.65
really know that I was.
00:50:16.68\00:50:18.36
It's like, you know,
so much of a pattern.
00:50:18.39\00:50:20.73
And now I'm catching it.
00:50:21.51\00:50:22.74
So I'm sensitive to it.
00:50:22.83\00:50:23.87
Okay, I'm sensitive to it.
00:50:24.42\00:50:25.65
So that's where Jesus starts.
00:50:25.68\00:50:27.01
He starts with the sensitivity,
and then He indicates...
00:50:27.04\00:50:29.54
Because I think that the
reason why He needs to get this
00:50:29.57\00:50:31.73
out of our system is because
if we don't get it out of
00:50:31.76\00:50:34.41
our system, we're not going
to be able to discern deception.
00:50:34.44\00:50:37.91
If we are part of the
web of deception, we're not
00:50:38.23\00:50:41.11
going to be able
to discern deception.
00:50:41.14\00:50:42.75
Look at Jacob.
00:50:44.15\00:50:45.18
He deceived his father.
00:50:45.55\00:50:46.92
And then what happened to him?
00:50:47.21\00:50:48.40
He was deceived.
00:50:48.71\00:50:49.84
He was blinded,
didn't see it coming.
00:50:51.87\00:50:53.47
I don't know if it's a
psyche thing, you know,
00:50:54.94\00:50:57.11
you carry this kind of guilt,
whatever, and then you just
00:50:57.14\00:50:59.55
allow things to happen
because you're not real...
00:50:59.58\00:51:01.29
Whatever it is, God
wants to get us out of it
00:51:02.44\00:51:05.96
so that we're not
susceptible to it.
00:51:05.99\00:51:07.92
Why is this important?
00:51:07.95\00:51:08.98
Well, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:51:09.01\00:51:12.91
Let's just look there,
we've got a few minutes left.
00:51:12.94\00:51:16.25
Let's just look at 2
Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:51:16.28\00:51:19.36
This is very significant.
00:51:19.39\00:51:21.06
I was in Pakistan for...
00:51:21.09\00:51:23.63
I said Pakistan, I really
meant to say Pakistan, because
00:51:24.24\00:51:27.16
I was raised in London
and that's one of the words
00:51:27.19\00:51:29.08
that gives it away.
00:51:29.11\00:51:30.25
But I still say it with
a slight British accent.
00:51:30.35\00:51:33.24
I was raised in Pakistan.
00:51:33.27\00:51:34.62
No, I was raised in
London. I was in Pakistan.
00:51:34.65\00:51:37.85
People say, "You
were raised in London?
00:51:38.77\00:51:40.37
How come you
don't have an accent?"
00:51:40.40\00:51:41.43
I was raised in London,
and I still say Pakistan.
00:51:41.46\00:51:44.00
And I remember doing a series
there for all these pastors
00:51:44.33\00:51:47.27
and they were asking
about the antichrist.
00:51:47.30\00:51:48.77
I didn't have time to get
through the entire series,
00:51:48.80\00:51:51.00
but they just wanted me to
tell them about the antichrist.
00:51:51.03\00:51:52.56
And I said, "I can't do that.
You know, I haven't set up.
00:51:52.59\00:51:54.08
I haven't explained that."
00:51:54.11\00:51:55.14
So they said,
"Well, give us something."
00:51:55.33\00:51:56.39
I said, "Okay, 2
Thessalonians chapter 2."
00:51:56.42\00:51:58.62
2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:51:59.43\00:52:00.98
I just want to
highlight three verses.
00:52:01.01\00:52:02.70
I said, to these
pastors I said...
00:52:03.66\00:52:05.80
And, you know, I went back
there and did another series
00:52:05.83\00:52:07.53
there and went
through the whole process;
00:52:07.56\00:52:08.59
the antichrist, mark of
the beast, the whole thing.
00:52:08.62\00:52:09.84
It was really
powerful. God blessed.
00:52:09.87\00:52:12.12
But I said, "If you want to
understand how to be prepared
00:52:12.15\00:52:18.41
against the antichrist,
just read these verses."
00:52:18.44\00:52:20.85
2 Thessalonians
chapter 2 beginning here
00:52:20.88\00:52:23.69
with verse 9.
00:52:23.72\00:52:25.41
"Even him," that is
talking about the man of sin,
00:52:26.17\00:52:28.31
"whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all
00:52:28.34\00:52:30.48
power and signs
and lying wonders,
00:52:30.51\00:52:33.21
with all," verse
10, "deceivableness
00:52:36.03\00:52:39.18
of unrighteousness
in them that perish."
00:52:39.21\00:52:41.75
Why did they perish?
00:52:41.78\00:52:42.81
"Because they received
not the love of the truth,
00:52:42.84\00:52:47.26
that they might be saved.
00:52:47.56\00:52:49.19
For this cause God
shall send them..." What?
00:52:49.61\00:52:52.30
"... strong delusion,
that they believe a lie.
00:52:52.81\00:52:54.47
They all might be damned
who believed not the truth,
00:52:56.36\00:52:58.29
but had pleasure in..."
00:52:58.32\00:52:59.40
We need to have
pleasure in righteousness.
00:53:00.20\00:53:01.62
We can't have
pleasure in deception.
00:53:01.65\00:53:02.91
We can't have pleasure in a
lie for whatever reason it is.
00:53:03.45\00:53:06.37
We can't do that.
00:53:06.40\00:53:07.66
Abraham said, "Well, you need
to tell them you're my sister
00:53:07.69\00:53:09.93
because if you don't
tell them you're my sister,
00:53:09.96\00:53:11.82
and you're so
beautiful, they may kill me
00:53:12.02\00:53:14.01
so they can have you."
00:53:14.04\00:53:15.07
Wow.
00:53:17.87\00:53:18.90
Talk about trusting in God, huh?
00:53:18.93\00:53:20.70
You see how easy
it is for us to waver.
00:53:23.53\00:53:25.88
We think along human lines.
00:53:25.91\00:53:28.41
Friends, I'll tell
you something right now.
00:53:28.74\00:53:30.16
According to the
Bible, if it wasn't for God
00:53:30.19\00:53:32.81
we would be dead.
00:53:32.84\00:53:34.16
Just right now,
we're just going to die.
00:53:34.94\00:53:36.29
So don't worry about
all these other things
00:53:36.64\00:53:38.53
that can happen
to you in this world.
00:53:38.56\00:53:40.26
Because there is a
lion that is going around
00:53:40.29\00:53:44.95
seeking whom he may devour.
00:53:46.02\00:53:47.66
And if it wasn't for
the guardian angels...
00:53:47.69\00:53:49.31
Psalm 91, He'll send
His angels, verse 11,
00:53:50.13\00:53:53.47
to give charge over you and
to hold you up in all His ways.
00:53:53.50\00:53:56.95
If it wasn't for the
angels, we'd be dead.
00:53:57.72\00:53:59.30
So just... It's settled.
00:53:59.69\00:54:01.53
Okay, now we can
just be honest before God.
00:54:01.90\00:54:03.54
We're standing
before Him without guile.
00:54:03.57\00:54:04.85
We just trust in Him.
00:54:04.88\00:54:06.82
Just trust in Him.
00:54:07.47\00:54:08.55
See, Paul is basically
saying that those who refuse
00:54:08.58\00:54:13.67
to receive the love
of the truth are the ones
00:54:13.87\00:54:16.18
who are going to be deceived.
00:54:16.21\00:54:17.48
And also the power of deception
is that those who are deceived
00:54:17.85\00:54:22.66
genuinely end
up believing a lie.
00:54:22.69\00:54:24.90
How does that happen?
00:54:26.72\00:54:27.78
Well, look at
Pharaoh and the plagues.
00:54:27.98\00:54:29.88
It isn't that God
sends strong delusion.
00:54:30.08\00:54:31.93
God sends
evidence, He sends light.
00:54:31.96\00:54:33.71
He wants to enlighten us.
00:54:33.74\00:54:35.44
But when we reject
the light He sends,
00:54:35.47\00:54:37.30
our hearts get hard.
00:54:37.33\00:54:38.64
Pharaoh's heart
got harder and harder.
00:54:39.02\00:54:40.13
God sent more and more
light, it got harder and harder.
00:54:40.16\00:54:42.30
God wants to enlighten us,
but He knows that if we reject
00:54:42.49\00:54:45.59
that light He has
to send more light.
00:54:45.62\00:54:47.58
And if we reject that
light, more and more and more.
00:54:47.61\00:54:49.20
And pretty soon,
there's nothing that can...
00:54:49.23\00:54:51.01
And so the strong delusion
is actually suppose to be
00:54:51.21\00:54:54.93
that which opens
our hearts to the truth.
00:54:55.03\00:54:57.43
But because we love a
lie, we don't love the truth,
00:54:57.46\00:55:00.44
it because a delusion
and we settle into the lie.
00:55:00.47\00:55:03.21
And this is the
difficulty that God has.
00:55:03.62\00:55:06.05
The Pharisees were the same way.
00:55:06.08\00:55:07.27
I mean, talk about
Jesus being the strongest...
00:55:07.47\00:55:10.03
And careful
what I'm saying here.
00:55:10.06\00:55:11.25
...the
strongest strong delusion.
00:55:11.28\00:55:12.78
Let me put it this way.
00:55:12.81\00:55:13.86
This is the way
the Bible puts it.
00:55:13.89\00:55:14.93
He was a stone of stumbling.
00:55:14.96\00:55:16.33
Was He meant to be a stone of
stumbling to the Pharisees? No.
00:55:16.36\00:55:20.65
He was light.
00:55:21.47\00:55:22.50
He was the greatest
light that came into the world.
00:55:22.53\00:55:24.88
But as they began,
right at His birth,
00:55:24.98\00:55:28.02
they wouldn't listen to
the reports of the wise men.
00:55:28.21\00:55:30.86
They wouldn't listen to
the reports of the shepherds.
00:55:30.89\00:55:32.03
As they began
their rejection of Him,
00:55:32.06\00:55:34.31
and that
continued and continued,
00:55:34.34\00:55:35.72
He became a stumbling stone.
00:55:35.75\00:55:36.82
He became a
strong delusion to them.
00:55:36.85\00:55:38.47
They said, "No way,
that can't be the Messiah.
00:55:38.67\00:55:40.32
Look at where He came from,
look at the way He's dressed,
00:55:40.35\00:55:42.80
look at the way He acts.
00:55:42.83\00:55:43.86
That can't be the Messiah."
00:55:43.89\00:55:45.20
Because they loved the
lie they rejected the truth.
00:55:45.75\00:55:49.81
So God wants to pull
us away from the lies.
00:55:51.69\00:55:53.64
We're out of time right
now, but I just want to close
00:55:53.67\00:55:55.85
just with a thought.
00:55:56.18\00:55:57.36
There's a few other
things here, and hopefully I can
00:55:57.89\00:56:01.07
share a little
bit of them tomorrow.
00:56:01.17\00:56:02.92
I've bought a lot of used cars.
00:56:05.33\00:56:06.77
Never bought a new
car. It's not worth it.
00:56:07.70\00:56:09.41
You drive off the parking
lot and just lose, you know,
00:56:09.44\00:56:11.37
thousands of
dollars, so I buy used cars.
00:56:11.40\00:56:13.54
And what I do when I buy
a used car, I've learned,
00:56:13.73\00:56:16.33
what I do is I go
and I get a title report.
00:56:16.36\00:56:20.15
It's a few
dollars, but it's worth it.
00:56:21.45\00:56:22.97
It tells you all about the car.
00:56:23.25\00:56:24.45
If it's been in any accidents,
what the title is like.
00:56:24.48\00:56:26.50
You know, if the
miles are actual, etcetera.
00:56:26.64\00:56:28.78
It's a title report that
helps me to know if I'm making
00:56:28.81\00:56:31.55
a good choice.
00:56:31.83\00:56:33.47
This Book is the title report.
00:56:34.94\00:56:40.09
This is it.
00:56:41.25\00:56:42.28
Whenever a doctrine,
truth, whatever it is
00:56:42.88\00:56:46.07
that anyone is trying
to sell you comes along,
00:56:46.10\00:56:48.42
get a report.
00:56:50.09\00:56:51.23
Find out if it is
what they claim it is,
00:56:51.50\00:56:56.66
if it is what they claim it
is, by going to the Word of God.
00:56:57.12\00:57:00.98
This Word is what
will keep us in the end.
00:57:01.24\00:57:05.05
Love it, believe
it, hold onto it.
00:57:05.52\00:57:07.19
Don't deny it.
00:57:07.50\00:57:08.54
And don't lower
that ideal of God,
00:57:08.74\00:57:10.95
even if you're not reaching it.
00:57:11.05\00:57:12.44
God understands.
00:57:12.47\00:57:13.83
It's His job to get
you there, not yours.
00:57:13.86\00:57:15.98
Keep the standard where
it is in the Word of God,
00:57:16.61\00:57:20.27
and He'll take you
safely into the kingdom.
00:57:21.22\00:57:23.07
Amen? Let's pray together.
00:57:23.10\00:57:24.82
Father in heaven, thank
You tonight for Your Word,
00:57:24.85\00:57:26.63
the picture of prophecy...
00:57:27.52\00:57:28.96