¤ ¤
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Hello friends. Welcome to our
Wednesday night Bible Study here
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at the 3ABN Worship Center. We
are continuing lesson number 44.
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It Is Coming, the Signs of
the Second Coming of Christ.
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We'd like to invite you to take
you time and join us for the
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next hour as we walk through
the word of God finding out what
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the Bible says about the soon
return of Jesus. All you need is
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a Bible. In just a moment, I'll
tell you where to get a copy
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of the lesson where you can
download it. But invite your
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family and friends and whoever
may be with you whether in the
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church or in your home by
yourself. We'd like to take the
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time to invite you to join
us. Before we go any further
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though let us bow our heads
and ask the Lord to guide us in
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prayer. Loving Father in heaven,
we thank you for the opportunity
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to open your word. We do pray
that You'll speak to our hearts
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tonight, that your word will
be clear, that what we read will
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not only be informative,
but also transformative. We pray
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that those who are watching and
those who are listening will be
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strengthened by this program.
Teach us Lord. And we ask that
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all the glory and the honor go
back to you. In Jesus' name we
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pray, Amen. Now we're on lesson
number 44. We're beginning on
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question number 6. If you'd
like a copy go to the following
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website: ASF.3ABN.org and let's
download lesson number 44 and
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you will be prepared to follow
us along in this exciting and
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informative study. But before we
do anything else, we always like
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to sing our theme song. You
can join us as we sing the song
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Victory in Jesus. ¤ ¤
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¤I heard an old, old story,
how the Savior came from glory¤
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¤How He gave
his life on Calvary¤
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¤to save a wretch like me¤
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¤I heard about his groaning
of His precious blood atoning
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¤Then I repented of my
sin and won the victory¤
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¤Oh victory in
Jesus my Savior forever¤
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¤He sought me and bought
me with His redeeming blood¤
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¤He loved me e'er I knew
Him and all my love is due Him¤
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¤He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood¤
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¤I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory¤
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¤And I heard about
the streets of gold¤
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¤Beyond the crystal sea¤
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¤About the angels singing
and the old redemption story¤
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¤And some sweet day I'll sing
up there the song of victory¤
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¤Oh victory in
Jesus my Savior forever¤
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¤He sought and bought me
with His redeeming blood?
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¤He loved me e'er I knew
Him and all my love is due Him¤
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¤He plunged me to victory
beneath the cleansing flood¤
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Amen. And say amen again. We're
glad to have you here. We're
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going to continue our
study tonight. You know the most
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important event that is yet
ahead of us is the soon return
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of Jesus. And it reminds me to
some degree of the story of Noah
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You know, Noah preached for 120
years that the flood was coming.
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He repeated it day after
day over and over. It was his
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repetitious sermon. He had one
sermon, that the flood is coming
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Can you imagine preaching for
120 years the flood is coming.
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He kept preaching the flood
is coming. And after a while the
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people heard Wah, Wah, Wah,
Wah. Mmm, Mmm. It became muted.
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And the problem, the only
problem that happens when people
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hear this constant reminder that
something is going to happen is
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they believe, well it didn't
happen 10 years ago, it didn't
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happen 15
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years ago, it didn't happen
two decades ago, maybe it's not
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going to happen in my lifetime
and they tend to relax. But the
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Bible tells us, let's go to
Matthew chapter 24. I want to
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just kind of lay some foundation
here. The Bible gives us a very
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subtle nudge, somewhat of an
elbow to not allow the gospel
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to become something that...
Okay, Matthew 24:36. I'll look
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at that one first. Let me
see if we're going to hit that
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again. No we're not going
to hit that again, so I'm good.
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Matthew 24:36, The Bible
say: But of that day and hour...
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how many of us know? No one
knows, not even the angels of
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heaven, but my Father only.
So no one is aware, but now look
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down at verse 42, verse 42.
Watch. What's the first word?
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Watch therefore for you do not
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know what hour your Lord is
coming. Now verse 44: Therefore
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you also be together be ready
for the Son of Man is coming
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at an hour when
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you do not expect Him. So we're
told to watch. And then we're
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not only told to watch and be
aware and alert, we're not only
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told that no one knows the day
nor the hour, but we were told
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as we're going to lead into this
from next week, from last week,
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we were told in verse 33, verse
33, and let's look at that.
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Matthew 24:33, what were we
told? So you also when you see
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all these things know that,
together, it is near, even at
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the door. And so we are
mindful of the signs that Jesus
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prognosticated or pointed
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out in Matthew 24: He says
when you start seeing all these
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things
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you need to know that it's near,
even at the door. My wife and I
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fly quite frequently. The last
flight we took, we got to the
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airport on time, but we got a
notice on our phones flight is
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leaving a little later, 15
minutes later, 20 minutes later,
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half an hour later, hour later,
and it kept going. So I walked
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up to the desk and I asked the
guy after we got to the airport,
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I said to the ticket agent, I
said, do you know what time the
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flight is leaving? I said well
it hasn't even arrived yet, so
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whatever time they just
announced, that's going to be
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pretty accurate, you can rely
on that time. Well, we went away
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to get something to eat and
thankfully we came back because
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experience tells us that no one
knows when this plane is going
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arrive. So we got there and
then I looked at the time of the
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departure and they actually
moved it up 20 minutes earlier.
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So good thing we were at the
gate, because we've had those
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experiences where... The
one thing that we've made an
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appointment, actually we've made
an agreement with the airlines
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and they've always honored their
agreement. We've said if we're
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not there at the gate when the
flight is ready to leave, leave
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without us. Now do you think
that's an agreement I've made?
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Is that a fact? That's a fact.
If we're not at the gate when
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that plane leaves, it's going to
leave without us. And that has
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happened not too many times,
because we surely try to make
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sure that we are on time. So we
must understand that the coming
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of the Lord is a certainty. The
prophet Isaiah says to us: He
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that shall come will come and
will not tarry. So what we think
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is a tarry or a wait or a delay
is really not a delay. It's just
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that we don't know the day nor
the hour so we think that well
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it's a delay, but it's not
delayed. There's a day that
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Jesus is coming. Matter of fact
I believe it's in Acts 4:17.
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Let's go to Acts chapter 4, is
it chapter4? I'm thinking in my
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mind... No, we'll go on. I'll
get it in just a minute here.
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It popped in and out of my head.
But the day of the Lord, the
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coming of the Lord, is a
certainty and we need not be
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concerned about it. We just need
to be ready. The Bible says: Be
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ye also ready. Okay. So let's
go tonight. We're going to begin
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with question number 6. And by
the way, if you have the lesson
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lesson number 44, we will begin
with question number 6. And here
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it is:
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How else do we know. Matthew 24
verses 26 and 27, Okay. Matthew
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24:26,27, Okay
here I am. We read:
00:11:08.36\00:11:23.41
Now do I need to ask if
lightening is visible? No, I
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don't really need to ask that.
Let's talk about that's how
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visible the coming of the Lord
is going to be. Lightening, the
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brightest light we get outside
of the sun during the day is a
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good old flash of lightening.
I think somebody once said, it's
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like 55,000 volts in a flash of
lightening. Whatever the volt is
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it's visible. So the coming
of the Lord is not going to be
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invisible. So if you're writing
the answer down. Just go ahead.
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How else do we know that the
second coming of Jesus will be
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visible to the world? It's going
to be as visible as lightening,
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as lightening. Lightening
doesn't need any help. When I
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was young I didn't like
lightening. As I got older I
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liked lightening. I like
lightening when it flashes but
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I don't like when it flashes
near. There are all kinds of
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theories. People say that
lightening could not affect you
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if you're in your car because
the wheels are rubber. Well
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there are some instances when
that doesn't work. Then they say
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that lightening would not
affect planes because planes are
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not grounded. Well that's not
always the case. So I said all
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that to say this; the only thing
that we can really trust is the
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Lord will protect us if anything
does happen, and praise God for
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that. So we can place implicit
trust in the coming of the Lord
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knowing that it's going to be
visible. Now we're talking about
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the manner in which Christ
will come. Let us peek down to
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question number 7.
Question number 7. All right:
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We're going to go to the book
of Psalms. We're going to go to
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Psalm 50 and verse 3. Psalm
50:3. If you can't find Psalms
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find the book of Job and it's
right after the book of Job.
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Here it is, Psalm 50:3 Mm and
we are told in the Bible by the
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psalmist, it says:
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Our God shall come, and shall
not keep what? Silent. Will it
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be audible? Yes. A fire shall
devour before him and it shall
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be very
tempestuous all around Him.
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So the fire that will accompany
His return and the lightening
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and the sound. I'm not exactly
sure what the sound will be
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created by, but I believe that
Divinity can do anything. The
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Lord is going to create a sound
that will be accompanying His
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soon return. Why do you think
He's going to use lightening and
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sound and thunder? Why do you
think He's going to use that?
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So the whole world can
know, exactly. What else, Larry?
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Things we understand. Things we
learned. To alert - Another good
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one. So all of those are
indicative that He's coming
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again.
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What are you saying? So that it
won't be a secret. Have you ever
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been to a secret fireworks
show? Shhh, this is just for you
00:15:31.13\00:15:36.40
Pschwwr! There is no such thing.
And I like fireworks shows but
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there's no such thing as a
secret fireworks show. Maybe
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a private fireworks show, but
it's definitely no secret. Why?
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Why is it not secret? People
could see it and what else?
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They can hear it, that's right.
Matter of fact, here in southern
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Illinois what they often do is
whenever July 4 is coming around
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coming around they always
put out a bulletin on the news
00:16:02.29\00:16:05.23
that says please keep your
dog safe. Bring them inside, put
00:16:05.26\00:16:08.16
them on a chain so the dog won't
run away. But I tell you in the
00:16:08.20\00:16:12.53
return of Jesus somebody is
going to be running but it's not
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going to be the animals. Let's
go to Revelation. Let's see
00:16:16.20\00:16:20.91
what's going to happen. Go to
Revelation chapter 6. There is
00:16:20.98\00:16:30.95
going to be some expectation.
Revelation chapter 6. The answer
00:16:30.99\00:16:38.33
by the way to question 6: How
else do we know that the second
00:16:38.36\00:16:44.53
coming of Jesus will be visible
to the whole world. A fire shall
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devour before Him. In what other
component does the Bible connect
00:16:50.87\00:16:56.85
to the return of Jesus. Number
7. He will not keep silent. He
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will not keep silent. The whole
world is going to know. Okay,
00:17:03.92\00:17:09.46
Revelation chapter 6. Let's look
at a scene that has been drawn
00:17:09.49\00:17:17.37
concerning the second coming of
Jesus. All right. Starting with
00:17:17.40\00:17:25.24
verse 14: Let's look at it.
The Bible says: Then the sky
00:17:25.27\00:17:34.08
did what? receded or departed
as a scroll when it is rolled
00:17:34.12\00:17:40.76
up or rolled together. And how
many mountains? Every mountain
00:17:40.79\00:17:46.09
and island was moved out of
its place. What would have to
00:17:46.13\00:17:51.33
happen for islands and mountains
to move? An earthquake, so
00:17:51.37\00:17:56.50
mighty and so great. Wow!
Then look at the continuous
00:17:56.54\00:18:02.44
description: And the kings of
the earth, that's the leaders of
00:18:02.51\00:18:07.52
nations, the great men, that is
those who are very well known.
00:18:07.55\00:18:12.49
Somebody might say, well I know
this person, he's dead now but
00:18:12.52\00:18:17.43
people might say well what
did Elvis do when he heard the
00:18:17.46\00:18:20.30
sound? He was a great person.
People that are well known;
00:18:20.33\00:18:23.06
That's referring to people that
are very visible, very front and
00:18:23.10\00:18:28.80
center. The kings of the earth.
The great men. The rich men.
00:18:28.84\00:18:32.44
Why the rich men?
00:18:32.47\00:18:34.61
Because rich people often think
that they are excluded from
00:18:34.64\00:18:37.28
anything that's dangerous.
The rich people. They think that
00:18:37.35\00:18:41.48
somehow their money can buy them
exclusion from the second coming
00:18:41.52\00:18:44.82
of Jesus. But the rich
men; the commanders. Who are the
00:18:44.85\00:18:49.89
commanders? Yeah, the mighty,
yeah the military that's right.
00:18:49.92\00:18:55.40
We have the mighty men but
also the commanders. The mighty
00:18:55.43\00:19:00.54
men. Those are the soldiers.
Every slave and every free man.
00:19:00.57\00:19:05.61
Even up to the coming of
the Lord there will be slavery
00:19:05.64\00:19:09.74
practiced somewhere in the
earth What do they do? They hid
00:19:09.78\00:19:14.28
themselves in the caves and in
the rocks of the mountains and
00:19:14.32\00:19:19.39
said to the mountains and the
rocks, let's read that together,
00:19:19.42\00:19:24.03
fall on us and hide us from
the face of Him who sits on the
00:19:24.06\00:19:28.60
throne and from the wrath of the
Lamb. Here it is: For the great
00:19:28.63\00:19:34.57
day of His wrath has come and
who is able to stand? Wow! And
00:19:34.60\00:19:39.21
all the categories mentioned in
verse 15, nobody's going to be
00:19:39.24\00:19:43.78
excluded from it. You know
there's no mountain that your
00:19:43.81\00:19:47.15
height is too high on to
miss that, because it's going to
00:19:47.22\00:19:50.49
happen from above. There's no
underground bungalow or bunker
00:19:50.52\00:19:54.99
that's going to be exempt from
that because the earth is going
00:19:55.02\00:19:59.09
be shaken and there are people
who are dooms-day preppers.
00:19:59.13\00:20:02.80
Have you heard of the dooms-day
preppers, the off-the-grid
00:20:02.83\00:20:06.57
people. You know, they said I
want a house. My wife and I like
00:20:06.60\00:20:09.60
the House channel. And there are
some people that just want to
00:20:09.64\00:20:12.94
get away from the cities. We
watched a program where somebody
00:20:12.97\00:20:16.54
got a house on an island way up
in British Columbia. And another
00:20:16.58\00:20:20.08
person got one way down in
Tahiti. They have to take a
00:20:20.12\00:20:23.39
plane to the main island, and
a boat to a small island then
00:20:23.42\00:20:25.82
another boat to another island
in the middle of nowhere and
00:20:25.85\00:20:29.62
they said this is living. We're
off the grid; no one will find
00:20:29.66\00:20:34.00
us. Who will find them? There's
nobody that can hide from the
00:20:34.03\00:20:38.77
coming of the Lord. Every island
every mountain will be moved out
00:20:38.80\00:20:43.97
of its place. What a cataclysmic
event is ahead of us. What's the
00:20:44.01\00:20:49.14
only safe thing to do? That's
right. The only ones that will
00:20:49.18\00:20:54.48
be able to stand is those who
are walking with Christ. And we
00:20:54.52\00:20:58.49
won't be running into the rock.
I think we'll be running out
00:20:58.55\00:21:02.89
from the rocks, out from
the caves. Matter of fact, go to
00:21:02.92\00:21:07.26
Isaiah 25:9. I think you know
where I'm going, but let's see
00:21:07.30\00:21:11.40
the opposite to that, the
opposite to what we just read.
00:21:11.43\00:21:15.47
Isaiah 25:9: Hmm. Beautiful text
And it will be said in that day,
00:21:15.50\00:21:41.66
Behold this is our God, we have
waited for Him and he will do
00:21:41.70\00:21:48.94
what? Save us. This is the Lord.
We have waited for Him, we will
00:21:48.97\00:21:56.24
be what? We will be glad
and rejoice in His salvation.
00:21:56.28\00:22:00.28
They're going to be glad and
the others that are going to be
00:22:00.32\00:22:03.75
sad. They're going to be running
to Him. There are those that are
00:22:03.79\00:22:07.89
going to be running from Him.
They are glad to see Him. Others
00:22:07.92\00:22:12.13
are saying hide us. And who are
they asking to be hidden from?
00:22:12.16\00:22:18.30
A lion? Who are they asking
to be hidden from? A Lamb.
00:22:18.33\00:22:22.87
Isn't that amazing! One of the
most harmless of creatures is
00:22:22.90\00:22:28.48
the very one that they don't
want to see because they are at
00:22:28.51\00:22:31.08
odds with the Lamb. You see
you'll be able to face the Lamb
00:22:31.11\00:22:34.35
on that day if you behold
the Lamb of God in this day.
00:22:34.38\00:22:39.02
That's why John points us to the
Lamb and what a day it will be
00:22:39.05\00:22:43.53
when Jesus comes. So what
question are we up to now?
00:22:43.56\00:22:46.90
Number 8. Let's go to number
8. Question number 8 and look at
00:22:46.93\00:22:53.37
what the Bible says:
00:22:53.40\00:22:54.77
Go a few chapters forward and
we're going to go to the book of
00:23:04.08\00:23:07.62
Jeremiah, Jeremiah. Jeremiah
and Isaiah are books that will
00:23:07.65\00:23:15.22
swallow us up. They're
very deep books when it comes to
00:23:15.26\00:23:20.60
prophecies. Jeremiah chapter 4
and we're going to look together
00:23:20.63\00:23:31.51
at verse... I'll start with
verse 23 and then when we get to
00:23:31.54\00:23:39.21
verse 26 you could bring it up
on the screen. The Bible speaks
00:23:39.25\00:23:44.15
about the conditions of that day
I beheld the earth, verse 23 of
00:23:44.19\00:23:50.03
Jeremiah chapter 4. I beheld the
earth and indeed it was without
00:23:50.06\00:23:54.20
form and void. And the heavens,
they had what? No light.
00:23:54.23\00:24:02.47
Sounds like the _. I
beheld the mountains and
00:24:02.50\00:24:05.94
indeed they trembled and all the
hills moved what? Back and forth
00:24:05.97\00:24:12.35
I beheld and indeed there was
no man and all the birds of the
00:24:12.38\00:24:21.52
of the heavens had fled, and
this is the answer, verse 26:
00:24:21.56\00:24:24.86
But I want to just add verse 27
here. So let's answer to verse
00:24:40.31\00:24:43.38
26. How will Jesus' return
affect the cities of the earth?
00:24:43.41\00:24:47.98
What would happen to them? What
two words do you see together?
00:24:48.02\00:24:52.22
All the cities were broken down.
That's right. I didn't bring it
00:24:52.25\00:24:56.73
up. Sorry about that. All
the cities were broken down. Say
00:24:56.76\00:25:01.60
that together, broken down.
Now if you're in a city like any
00:25:01.63\00:25:05.33
major city where they
pride themselves in building 40
00:25:05.37\00:25:08.97
stories and above. Here in
Thompsonville there's not a
00:25:09.00\00:25:12.51
single building's going to fall
on us. You just have to walk
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.04
two feet away from the building
and we're safe in some respects,
00:25:15.08\00:25:19.35
but if you're not in the Lord,
it doesn't really matter how far
00:25:19.38\00:25:21.82
away from the building you are.
But if you're in a city like New
00:25:21.85\00:25:24.39
York or Los Angeles or Detroit,
Michigan, or Atlanta or just
00:25:24.42\00:25:30.53
pick anything, any major city
for buildings that are called
00:25:30.56\00:25:34.73
sky scrapers. I can't even tell
you to run cause how can you
00:25:34.76\00:25:42.37
run. For those of us who
remember it 9/11: Two 110 story
00:25:42.40\00:25:48.24
buildings came down. Just
imagine them all coming down at
00:25:48.28\00:25:51.28
the same time. That's
just beyond belief. That's just
00:25:51.31\00:25:58.25
beyond description. I mean, here
you are you're standing up on
00:25:58.29\00:26:00.42
the two twin towers. It's a
sad reality. I'm not glorying in
00:26:00.46\00:26:03.43
that event at all, but just
imagine. The Twin Towers are
00:26:03.46\00:26:07.60
coming down and I used to work
in that area and all of a sudden
00:26:07.63\00:26:10.00
the Bankers' Trust is coming
down, Merrill Lynch is coming
00:26:10.03\00:26:14.70
down, the phone company building
is coming down or all the
00:26:14.74\00:26:19.01
buildings on Wall Street
are coming down. Then all of a
00:26:19.04\00:26:22.21
sudden there's somewhat of a
ripple effect from downtown to
00:26:22.24\00:26:25.08
uptown. There's a section called
I think it's Harold Square.
00:26:25.11\00:26:29.38
Harold Square is a place right
by Macy's on 34th street where
00:26:29.42\00:26:33.39
if you stand in the middle there
are six different streets. It's
00:26:33.42\00:26:36.86
like an axle and every direction
you look, it looks like this
00:26:36.89\00:26:40.56
like you're looking down a pipe
because the buildings go like a
00:26:40.60\00:26:44.40
tunnel down that way, a tunnel
down that way. Every direction
00:26:44.43\00:26:47.44
you look the buildings are sky
scrapers, easily 30, 40 stories
00:26:47.47\00:26:52.37
I mean the short buildings,
30 stories is short for
00:26:52.41\00:26:55.58
Manhattan. That's like maybe
an apartment complex. But even
00:26:55.61\00:26:59.25
those are tall. Just imagine all
this city being broken down. Why
00:26:59.28\00:27:07.66
do you think they are
being broken down? Put on your
00:27:07.69\00:27:11.29
thinking cap. Why do you
think they're being broken down?
00:27:11.33\00:27:13.63
Okay great, a very bad
earth quake. That'll definitely
00:27:13.66\00:27:19.13
accomplish that. But why do you
think they're being broken down?
00:27:19.17\00:27:21.90
The Lord is coming? Okay. Let me
pull the answer out. If a fire
00:27:21.94\00:27:29.88
works show is going off and the
buildings are around you what do
00:27:29.91\00:27:32.05
people often say? I can't see it
The buildings are blocking it.
00:27:32.08\00:27:39.29
What happens when the buildings
come down? Their view is clear.
00:27:39.32\00:27:44.59
The Lord doesn't want anybody
to miss that event. But the sad
00:27:44.63\00:27:48.73
reality is when buildings like
that come down, Oh man! That's
00:27:48.76\00:27:52.47
when the Lord gave signs to
the children of Israel about the
00:27:52.50\00:27:55.90
destruction of Jerusalem, He
said pray that your flight not
00:27:55.94\00:27:59.97
happen in the winter nor on the
Sabbath day. When Jerusalem was
00:28:00.01\00:28:03.51
destroyed the Roman armies had
retreated long enough for all
00:28:03.55\00:28:06.72
the Christians to come out of
Jerusalem, so when it came down
00:28:06.75\00:28:09.32
and was destroyed not a single
Christian lost his or her life.
00:28:09.35\00:28:13.46
I think that's one of the
reasons why we're counseled
00:28:13.49\00:28:15.79
to get out of big cities, to
not live in big cities. Can you
00:28:15.82\00:28:20.10
imagine if the buildings come
down, I'm kind of milking this,
00:28:20.13\00:28:23.37
do you think that the highways
are going to stay up? Do you
00:28:23.40\00:28:27.17
think that those expanded road
ways that look like spaghetti
00:28:27.20\00:28:29.97
all entwined, what do you think
Tracy, are they going to stay up
00:28:30.01\00:28:32.51
The San Francisco earth quake
when the Embarcadero freeway
00:28:32.54\00:28:37.35
pancaked, it just came down.
And some people survived it,
00:28:37.38\00:28:41.62
others didn't. But you look at
some of those cross places like
00:28:41.65\00:28:46.79
Atlanta, where they have those
major exchanges like Highway 4,
00:28:46.82\00:28:52.26
Highway 10, they all... And
they're one above the next. What
00:28:52.29\00:28:58.90
about the bridges? Let's talk
about the bridges. Do you think
00:28:58.93\00:29:00.87
the bridges are still going
to be up. I'm trying to magnify
00:29:00.90\00:29:03.81
this picture here. Anything that
was built by man what's going to
00:29:03.84\00:29:07.91
happen? It's going to be broken
down. It's coming down. The Bay
00:29:07.94\00:29:16.99
Bridge. What'll happen to the...
Bay Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge,
00:29:17.02\00:29:18.62
Manhattan Bridge, Verrazano
Bridge, the bridge down from
00:29:18.65\00:29:21.76
Miami all the way down to Key
West. Any bridge, it's coming
00:29:21.79\00:29:26.09
down. Yes? Anything built
on this earth structure-wise is
00:29:26.13\00:29:34.00
going to come down. Except the
Lord protects His people we're
00:29:34.04\00:29:38.17
all in a bad way. What a text.
And so when we read verses like
00:29:38.21\00:29:42.94
this sometimes get so locked
into just this description our
00:29:42.98\00:29:48.78
minds don't expand and begin to
see this on a broad scale. But
00:29:48.82\00:29:52.02
the destruction is going to
be quite fierce. As a matter of
00:29:52.05\00:29:55.79
fact go to Joel chapter 2. I
want you to get another picture
00:29:55.82\00:29:59.53
of this. Joel chapter 2, Daniel,
Hosea, Joel, go to the book of
00:29:59.56\00:30:06.13
Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel.
Once you see Joel, chapter 2.
00:30:06.17\00:30:09.70
Because the minor and major
prophets all contribute to the
00:30:09.74\00:30:16.98
picture that is drawn about the
second coming of Jesus and what
00:30:17.01\00:30:19.71
a day it's going to be. Joel 2.
I'm going to start with verse 1.
00:30:19.75\00:30:27.89
Remember you know for the
great day of the Lord has come,
00:30:27.92\00:30:36.77
remember the great day of wrath
has come and who shall be able
00:30:36.80\00:30:39.63
to stand it. Look at Joel 2:1,
we are told, and this by the way
00:30:39.67\00:30:45.67
was specifically an event that
had to pertain directly to the
00:30:45.71\00:30:53.65
children of Israel, but it has a
dual application. Before we read
00:30:53.68\00:30:57.59
verse 1 of chapter 2 just look
at verse 15 of chapter 1, just a
00:30:57.62\00:31:05.43
peek at that because I have
so much stuff highlighted here.
00:31:05.46\00:31:08.76
Look at verse 15 of chapter
1. It says, Alas, for the day of
00:31:08.80\00:31:16.04
the Lord is where? At hand. It
shall come as destruction from
00:31:16.07\00:31:23.45
the Almighty. Truly a tremendous
day. Let's begin to see it in an
00:31:23.48\00:31:28.15
expanded view. Chapter 2:1
Blow the trumpet in Zion and
00:31:28.18\00:31:33.02
sound an alarm in my holy
mountain. That means, you know,
00:31:33.05\00:31:37.93
when you hear a trumpet sounding
it says let all the inhabitants
00:31:37.96\00:31:40.73
of the land tremble. A trumpet
sounds to _ man's urgency.
00:31:40.76\00:31:45.13
For the day of the Lord is
coming, for it is where? At hand
00:31:45.17\00:31:50.31
Just what we read in
Matthew 24:36-44. Look how it's
00:31:50.34\00:31:55.61
described: A day of darkness and
gloominess, a day of clouds and
00:31:55.64\00:32:01.55
thick darkness, like the morning
clouds spread over the mountains
00:32:01.58\00:32:06.65
A people come great and strong
the like of whom has never been
00:32:06.69\00:32:12.43
nor will there ever be any such
after them. At a later date I'll
00:32:12.46\00:32:17.37
explain this further to you. And
it says: A fire devours before
00:32:17.40\00:32:21.94
them and behind them a flame
burns. The land is like the
00:32:21.97\00:32:25.61
garden of Eden before
them and behind them a desolate
00:32:25.64\00:32:29.64
wilderness. Surely nothing shall
escape them. And then we go to a
00:32:29.68\00:32:33.58
description that's found
in Revelation 9 and Ezekiel 2.
00:32:33.62\00:32:40.89
Their appearance is like the
appearance of horses and like
00:32:40.92\00:32:44.66
swift steeds so they run
with a noise like chariots over
00:32:44.69\00:32:48.60
mountains they leap. Like
the noise of a flaming fire that
00:32:48.63\00:32:52.27
devours the stubble, like
a strong people set in battle
00:32:52.30\00:32:57.01
array. What kind of effect
is going to happen. By the way,
00:32:57.04\00:32:59.84
these descriptions, can I just
give you a hint at what it is?
00:32:59.87\00:33:04.48
You want a hint? Are you
ready for it? Okay. This is a
00:33:04.51\00:33:09.68
description when the Lord
removes his restraining power
00:33:09.72\00:33:14.72
from all the angels that are
evil and they are loose in the
00:33:14.76\00:33:21.13
land. Because look at the effect
When evil angels are released
00:33:21.16\00:33:25.53
look at what verse 6 says.
Before them the people writhe
00:33:25.57\00:33:34.74
in pain, all faces are drained
of color, they run like mighty
00:33:34.78\00:33:39.85
men, they climb the walls like
men of war. Everyone marches in
00:33:39.88\00:33:44.45
formation and they do not break
ranks. They do not push one
00:33:44.49\00:33:48.16
another, everyone marches in his
own column and when they lunge
00:33:48.19\00:33:51.93
between the weapons they are not
cut down. They run to and fro
00:33:51.96\00:33:56.26
in the city, they run on the
wall, they climb into the houses
00:33:56.30\00:33:59.57
they enter at the windows like
a thief, the earth quakes before
00:33:59.60\00:34:06.41
them, the heavens tremble, the
sun and the moon grow dark and
00:34:06.44\00:34:09.91
the stars diminish their
brightness. The Lord gives voice
00:34:09.94\00:34:13.01
before his army, for his camp
is very great, for strong is the
00:34:13.05\00:34:18.02
one who executes His word, for
the day of the Lord is great and
00:34:18.05\00:34:22.52
very terrible, who can endure
it? Now what a picture that's
00:34:22.56\00:34:28.20
coming. When people say... Let
me just make a point here and I
00:34:28.23\00:34:30.20
want to emphasize something
tonight in our study. When
00:34:30.23\00:34:32.30
people say Well you know okay
I'm going to be lost, what's the
00:34:32.33\00:34:35.57
big deal? They have no clue.
It's not like missing a car wash
00:34:35.60\00:34:41.54
or missing the premier of
the movie that is a blockbuster.
00:34:41.58\00:34:44.78
It's not like missing a plane.
Before destruction comes, the
00:34:44.81\00:34:50.59
Bible says this later on, in
describing this day, it says men
00:34:50.62\00:34:55.52
will seek death and will not
find it. In other words, it's
00:34:55.56\00:34:59.53
going to be of such magnitude...
I'm minimizing it actually,
00:34:59.56\00:35:04.47
because you can't really imagine
what it's going to be like. It
00:35:04.50\00:35:09.30
men are going to seek death,
but they won't find it. And why?
00:35:09.34\00:35:14.68
Because they've turned their
backs on the Lord. I want to
00:35:14.71\00:35:17.45
kind of give you a text here.
Go with me now. Let me just
00:35:17.48\00:35:20.72
look at this very quickly.
I'm going to find it right here.
00:35:20.75\00:35:23.45
Okay. What a day it's going
to be. I'm going to find this
00:35:23.49\00:35:30.06
text here for you. Okay, here
it is, coming now. Okay, got it.
00:35:30.09\00:35:42.44
Here it is.
00:35:42.47\00:35:43.81
Go to Proverbs 1, okay. Wow! In
verse 20 down to verse 23 lays
00:35:43.84\00:36:19.57
a foundation as to the appeal
the Lord is making. He's talking
00:36:19.61\00:36:25.11
about wisdom. He's saying we
need to be wiser than we are.
00:36:25.15\00:36:29.68
Look at verse 24: Because I have
called, and what happened? and
00:36:29.72\00:36:38.69
you refused, I have stretched
out my hand and what? no one
00:36:38.73\00:36:43.37
regarded. Because you disdained
all my counsel and would have
00:36:43.40\00:36:49.70
none of my reproof. Look at
verse 26: I also will laugh your
00:36:49.74\00:36:56.44
calamity will mock when your
terror comes. Your terror comes
00:36:56.48\00:37:02.22
like a storm and your
destruction comes like a
00:37:02.25\00:37:05.05
whirlwind. When distress and
anguish come upon you, they will
00:37:05.09\00:37:08.89
call on me but I will not answer
They will seek me diligently but
00:37:08.92\00:37:14.23
they will not find me because
they hated knowledge and did not
00:37:14.26\00:37:18.57
choose the fear of the
Lord. They would have none of my
00:37:18.60\00:37:22.84
counsel and despised all my
reproof. It's a sad day coming.
00:37:22.87\00:37:27.58
My rebuke, is it okay to say
that? All the rebuke of the Lord
00:37:27.61\00:37:34.35
they despised them. They don't
want to hear it. There is a
00:37:34.38\00:37:38.29
recalcitrance, the word
recalcitrant means there's a
00:37:38.32\00:37:41.79
consistent, there's almost a
concreting of the human heart.
00:37:41.82\00:37:45.06
People are being appealed
to. The Lord is saying this is
00:37:45.09\00:37:47.00
what's coming, this is what's
coming. And they hated knowledge
00:37:47.03\00:37:52.70
they despised counsel. I
stretched out my hand to save
00:37:52.73\00:37:55.80
them, they said, I don't want it
I've heard people say, it's okay
00:37:55.84\00:38:01.54
if I'm lost. I'll just go to
hell and I'll be just fine. Well
00:38:01.58\00:38:04.05
hell is not going to be a
vacation resort. Yeah. Ronald
00:38:04.08\00:38:11.22
Reagan this is so terrible. I
saw this commercial a number of
00:38:11.25\00:38:15.39
years ago and it just popped
up recently, he says I'm an
00:38:15.42\00:38:21.96
unashamed athiest whose not
afraid to burn in hell. And I
00:38:22.00\00:38:26.27
thought to myself you actually
would put that on television and
00:38:26.30\00:38:29.80
tell the entire world that
you're an unashamed athiest, not
00:38:29.84\00:38:32.34
afraid to burn in
hell. I'm thinking to myself
00:38:32.37\00:38:33.71
you have no clue, he has no idea
what's ahead of us. What I'm
00:38:33.74\00:38:37.61
giving you is just a glimpse,
I'm telling this to you in a
00:38:37.65\00:38:41.22
perfectly peaceful setting with
you all sitting down. The only
00:38:41.25\00:38:45.49
thing you have is your
imagination. But pull the
00:38:45.52\00:38:48.66
curtain back and turn on the
effects like God has the ability
00:38:48.69\00:38:52.76
to do. What a day. That's why
it's important to be ready for
00:38:52.79\00:38:55.83
the coming of
00:38:55.86\00:38:57.20
the Lord. Amen. It's important
to be on the right side. Look at
00:38:57.23\00:39:01.17
Question number 9. Is that
where we are. Question number 9.
00:39:01.20\00:39:06.34
Let's go to 2 Timothy. We're
going to go to 2 Timothy. The
00:39:16.82\00:39:20.62
we're living in a world where
there's unrest all over the
00:39:22.56\00:39:24.79
world. There's unrest all
over the world. And by the way,
00:39:24.83\00:39:29.70
2 Timothy is a book that
cannot be applied to any other
00:39:29.73\00:39:35.74
generation except the last days.
This is one of those chapters
00:39:35.77\00:39:39.34
that has been reserved for the
last days because it starts that
00:39:39.37\00:39:44.48
way. Okay. I'll go ahead and
bring it up on the screen so if
00:39:44.51\00:39:50.39
you don't have a
Bible you can see it.
00:39:50.42\00:39:51.75
But know this, that in the
last days what kind of times?
00:39:54.26\00:39:56.59
Perilous times will come.
00:39:56.62\00:39:59.79
That means dangerous,
stressful, overwhelming. Why?
00:39:59.83\00:40:04.47
For men will be lovers of
themselves, what else? lovers of
00:40:04.50\00:40:12.27
money. Okay, not only that,
lovers of themselves, lovers of
00:40:12.31\00:40:17.41
money, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, what else?
00:40:17.45\00:40:22.12
disobedient to parents,
what else? Unthankful, together,
00:40:22.15\00:40:28.52
unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
without self-control, slanderers
00:40:28.56\00:40:37.30
that means they just tell lies
on folks, they slander people.
00:40:37.33\00:40:41.90
Rather than just telling
lies they always think bad about
00:40:41.94\00:40:44.97
people, that person's no good,
nothing's ever come out of that
00:40:45.01\00:40:51.01
person that's good, do you see
them, look at that. Slanderers,
00:40:51.05\00:40:53.68
just finding
00:40:53.72\00:40:55.45
pleasure in what you call
character defamation. It goes on
00:40:55.48\00:40:59.85
Where am I now? Without self-
control, brutal, despisers of
00:40:59.89\00:41:08.46
those that are what? Those that
are good. Traitors, what else?
00:41:08.50\00:41:14.64
Headstrong, haughty, what a list
lovers of pleasure rather than
00:41:14.67\00:41:21.51
what? Lovers of God. You
know when you talk about that...
00:41:21.54\00:41:25.88
Having a form of godliness
but denying its power, and from
00:41:25.91\00:41:29.85
such people that Bible say
do what? Turn away. You know we
00:41:29.88\00:41:34.42
live in a generation where
to say you're a Christian is a
00:41:34.46\00:41:36.69
popular thing. Nowadays you can
be a Christian by just saying
00:41:36.73\00:41:41.26
you're a Christian. I'm a
Christian. But our behavior
00:41:41.30\00:41:45.27
should be evidence of our
profession, don't you think. So
00:41:45.30\00:41:50.21
if we say that we're Christian,
our behavior should be evidence
00:41:50.24\00:41:53.44
of it. Nowadays, it's sad in
our country, Lord save me from
00:41:53.48\00:42:02.12
myself, that the social, moral,
political... The climate in our
00:42:02.15\00:42:11.03
world is of such that these
things are so in our face that
00:42:11.06\00:42:16.00
there are some people that will
see the behavior of a person to
00:42:16.03\00:42:19.83
degrading and they will say
well that person said he's a
00:42:19.87\00:42:25.57
Christian. You can't judge them.
Now the word judge is a word
00:42:25.61\00:42:31.58
that we've often thrown around
so lightly. The Bible says by
00:42:31.61\00:42:38.09
their blanks you will know them.
So what's that word. By their
00:42:38.12\00:42:42.09
fruits. So if I walk up to a
tree can I judge it, by what?
00:42:42.12\00:42:50.97
Give me an apple, that's an
orange tree. Well get me a pear,
00:42:51.00\00:42:52.33
that's a mango tree, you know.
And we find that one of the ways
00:42:52.53\00:42:58.87
we can tell what's in a person's
heart. Lot of people say, well
00:42:58.91\00:43:01.88
you cannot judge their heart.
Well we can't judge a person's
00:43:01.91\00:43:05.35
heart if we don't know what's in
it but the Bible does say: For
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.78
out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaks. So you
00:43:07.82\00:43:14.39
don't have to know what's
in a person's heart. I've heard
00:43:14.42\00:43:15.76
somebody once say, listen
long enough and you'll find out
00:43:15.79\00:43:19.26
what's in there. Because it
comes out. So be careful when
00:43:19.29\00:43:22.83
we just think that people...
Nowadays we live in a climate
00:43:22.86\00:43:26.84
where... and I'm praying that
people are converted and are
00:43:26.87\00:43:32.24
changed because the Lord gives
every one of us an opportunity
00:43:32.27\00:43:33.98
to have our lives turned around.
Amen? Nobody could say well that
00:43:34.01\00:43:38.11
person is surely lost, but we
must be mindful of where we are
00:43:38.15\00:43:43.15
and how we live and what we say
and what we do so that our lives
00:43:43.18\00:43:46.32
won't be while we're looking
at somebody else's behavior, our
00:43:46.35\00:43:51.69
lives won't be a castaway. We
must know. So now how does the
00:43:51.73\00:43:57.83
Bible describes the
social condition that will be
00:43:57.87\00:43:59.70
manifested prior to the return
of Jesus? Okay, you want to know
00:43:59.73\00:44:03.61
how to put that in there. Here's
the answer: You put a breakdown
00:44:03.64\00:44:06.07
of society. A societal breakdown
The other thing you could do is
00:44:06.11\00:44:17.29
just say see 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Just circle the text because the
00:44:17.32\00:44:22.69
description is so amazingly
detailed. It's amazingly
00:44:22.72\00:44:29.40
detailed when you look at it.
So let me ask you a question.
00:44:29.43\00:44:35.24
Since we're talking about the
signs of the coming of the Lord
00:44:35.27\00:44:38.31
Is this sign a reliable one?
Say something. Is it yes or no?
00:44:38.34\00:44:43.65
You can see it all around you.
Your right. The Lord said to
00:44:43.68\00:44:52.85
Paul, write this down because
1800 years from now they're
00:44:52.89\00:44:59.13
going to need that text. See?
That's exactly what's happening
00:44:59.16\00:45:06.37
today. Our world is exactly the
way the Lord described it would
00:45:06.40\00:45:10.31
be and amazingly enough when we
read that it says, But know this
00:45:10.34\00:45:13.51
that in the last days? what day?
Last days. We're living in the
00:45:13.54\00:45:20.68
what? Last days. Yes we are. And
the closer we get to the last
00:45:20.72\00:45:27.46
days the last of the last days
we are going to see that these
00:45:27.49\00:45:31.59
things are going to intensify
amazingly, tremendously,
00:45:31.63\00:45:35.16
amazingly. Okay, now let's go
to the next one. What's the next
00:45:35.20\00:45:41.27
question? Question number
10. And here's the question:
00:45:41.30\00:45:48.28
Let's go to the book of Isaiah
chapter 60. Isaiah is another
00:45:59.55\00:46:04.46
book that will really shake you
up. Can I ask you a question?
00:46:04.49\00:46:10.37
Can the world use a good
shaking up? And it's going to
00:46:10.40\00:46:19.87
come. The unfortunate thing,
it's going to come for some
00:46:19.91\00:46:22.44
people too late... What am I
looking for? Isaiah. Why am I
00:46:22.48\00:46:27.85
in the book of Micah. Here I
am. I'm talking to myself and
00:46:27.88\00:46:31.02
going in the wrong direction.
Isaiah 60 and we're going to
00:46:31.05\00:46:37.33
read verse 2. A condition that
we just described in the book of
00:46:37.36\00:46:42.13
Joel. The Bible says, here it is
00:46:42.16\00:46:44.20
So, while the world is
physically dark and then there's
00:47:01.48\00:47:05.99
spiritual darkness where will
the light of God's glory be seen
00:47:06.02\00:47:09.82
where would it be seen. It'll be
seen on us. So there's nothing
00:47:09.86\00:47:14.96
that we have to be worried about
Matter of fact, let's talk about
00:47:15.00\00:47:17.93
this, let's just focus on this
for a moment. Have you ever gone
00:47:17.97\00:47:21.50
outside at night with a
flashlight? Do you think people
00:47:21.54\00:47:27.78
could find you at night if you
had a flashlight? What about if
00:47:27.81\00:47:31.41
was a tiny flashlight? Could
they still find you. Because the
00:47:31.45\00:47:34.45
darker the surroundings are the
brighter and more obvious the
00:47:34.48\00:47:39.19
flashlight seems to be. Am
I right? What the Lord is in
00:47:39.22\00:47:42.72
essence saying here, let's look
at verse 1 now. So the answer to
00:47:42.76\00:47:45.76
that is Whatever sign that the
Bible describes with physical
00:47:45.79\00:47:50.27
and spiritual application?
The sign: There is darkness. Put
00:47:50.30\00:47:54.54
that word there, darkness. But
I like verse 1. I have really
00:47:54.57\00:48:00.28
enjoyed Isaiah 60:1 and here
it is: Let's read the first two
00:48:00.31\00:48:05.65
words together. Arise, shine,
for your light has come and the
00:48:05.68\00:48:12.29
glory of the Lord has risen
where? Upon you. So right now
00:48:12.32\00:48:18.29
we're seeing in this darkening,
in the darkening environment...
00:48:18.33\00:48:21.30
We just not too long ago bought
some lights for the front of our
00:48:21.33\00:48:26.94
house and we don't have to turn
them off during the day because
00:48:26.97\00:48:30.41
they go off when it gets bright
and they come on when it gets
00:48:30.44\00:48:33.07
dark and they are bright. I
think if a helicopter flew over
00:48:33.11\00:48:40.52
southern Illinois could find our
house. It's bright. And then we
00:48:40.55\00:48:45.32
have these lights that when
you drive up, it's four Halogen
00:48:45.35\00:48:49.06
lights that turn on like, it's
bright. The beauty of having
00:48:49.09\00:48:57.80
light at night is you can be
seen. And the Lord is saying to
00:48:57.83\00:49:02.97
those of us who are in Him, our
lights are going to shine. Amen.
00:49:03.00\00:49:09.21
So when the Bible says let
your light so shine, that means,
00:49:09.24\00:49:11.91
don't worry about it. You don't
have to make your light shine.
00:49:11.95\00:49:14.45
You have to do what? Let
the light of God shine from you.
00:49:14.48\00:49:18.79
The timing of this is beautiful
because Revelation chapter 14
00:49:18.82\00:49:24.79
talks about fear God and give
glory to Him. How can we give
00:49:24.83\00:49:27.80
glory to God in a time of
darkness? How can we give glory
00:49:27.83\00:49:30.57
to God at a time of darkness.
Say it again. Letting our light
00:49:30.60\00:49:38.87
shine. That's right. And
our light shining has a positive
00:49:38.91\00:49:43.41
impact. Look at verse 3.
The Gentiles shall come to what?
00:49:43.45\00:49:50.39
To your light and the kings
to the brightness of what? Your
00:49:50.42\00:49:57.53
rising. What does the word
rising denote? When something
00:49:57.56\00:50:05.23
is rising, it's getting darker
or brighter? Is it getting
00:50:05.27\00:50:07.94
brighter.
00:50:07.97\00:50:09.30
So the light of God is getting
brighter and brighter and
00:50:09.34\00:50:12.64
brighter on those who are in
Him So while the light of God is
00:50:12.67\00:50:17.61
getting brighter on those of
us who are in Him, those who are
00:50:17.65\00:50:20.68
not in Him will come to
the brightness of our rising.
00:50:20.72\00:50:23.75
They'll see it. That's why verse
4 is so significant. Lift your
00:50:23.79\00:50:30.23
eyes all around and see. They
all gather together, they come
00:50:30.26\00:50:36.43
where? To you. Your sons
shall come from afar and your
00:50:36.46\00:50:41.14
daughters shall be nursed at
your side. Then you shall see
00:50:41.17\00:50:46.04
and become what? Radiant and
your heart shall swell with joy.
00:50:46.07\00:50:53.35
So the Lord is talking about
the blessing of this. There's a
00:50:53.38\00:50:54.75
beauty that's coming out of the
light that God gives to us, if
00:50:54.78\00:50:57.49
we allow that light to
get brighter and brighter and
00:50:57.52\00:51:00.09
brighter. That's simply allowing
the Lord to manifest His glory
00:51:00.12\00:51:03.53
in our lives. So the answer
to question number 10: The sign
00:51:03.56\00:51:08.80
that a physical and spiritual
what? Darkness. Darkness
00:51:08.83\00:51:13.84
covered the earth and deep
darkness the people. And we
00:51:13.87\00:51:17.44
talked about that darkness just
a moment ago. All right. Let's
00:51:17.47\00:51:21.68
scoot on down to question
number 11. Question number 11.
00:51:21.71\00:51:27.35
And here it is...
00:51:27.38\00:51:28.72
Boy I'll tell you when I saw the
news few days ago just recently
00:51:36.52\00:51:43.33
I thought man alive how
true this is, how true this is.
00:51:43.37\00:51:49.04
Matthew 24:6-8. Okay, hmm.
and we read the following...
00:51:49.07\00:52:06.02
But it goes on. And this we see
not only wars and rumors of wars
00:52:21.60\00:52:24.54
but something happening
internally... For nation shall
00:52:24.57\00:52:29.44
rise against what? Nation. And
kingdom against what? Kingdom
00:52:29.48\00:52:32.51
And there will be what? Famines.
What else? Pestilences, that's
00:52:32.55\00:52:37.62
diseases, and earthquakes in
various places. And look at how
00:52:37.65\00:52:42.26
Matthew caps this off...
00:52:42.29\00:52:47.76
You know when you see the ocean
rising unusually and if you put
00:52:47.80\00:52:51.03
those signs all together, some
places are experiencing drought
00:52:51.07\00:52:54.94
that has never been seen before.
Some places it's one fire after
00:52:54.97\00:53:00.48
the other after the other after
the other, unchecked. Yeah, I
00:53:00.51\00:53:06.72
mean. I had this dream once that
I had four or five times and I'm
00:53:06.75\00:53:10.85
just praying that it doesn't
come to pass in a negative way.
00:53:10.89\00:53:13.46
But I dreamed we were in a large
city and while we were in the
00:53:13.49\00:53:18.29
city just fire just started
pouring out of the sky. Water
00:53:18.33\00:53:20.76
started rising above the
height of the bridge. And we got
00:53:20.80\00:53:25.47
separated briefly but when
we got to the other side of the
00:53:25.50\00:53:27.44
bridge, we were both together.
Don't know how that happened,
00:53:27.47\00:53:29.70
but dreams have
unexplainable parts to it.
00:53:29.74\00:53:32.37
But the picture that's
00:53:32.41\00:53:34.11
being drawn here, and I'll go
back to that in brief moments,
00:53:34.14\00:53:37.75
when it talked about nation
rising against nation, we have
00:53:37.78\00:53:41.65
unrest in so many parts of the
world that you really can't keep
00:53:41.68\00:53:46.45
track of it. But here's the
danger. The danger is getting
00:53:46.49\00:53:53.40
used to it. What is that called
when you get used to something
00:53:53.43\00:54:00.14
and it doesn't affect you any
more. Complacency, another one
00:54:00.17\00:54:07.11
I heard just a moment ago:
Desensitized. One psychologist
00:54:07.14\00:54:16.92
said that children by the time
their 18 they've seen so many
00:54:16.95\00:54:21.79
thousands of murders on
television that the word murder
00:54:21.82\00:54:24.16
doesn't even move them anymore.
They've seen so much bloodshed,
00:54:24.19\00:54:28.33
They've seen so much violence.
The story was told about a young
00:54:28.36\00:54:33.74
boy and this story impacted me
in a positive way. Talked about
00:54:33.77\00:54:38.21
a young boy whose family
lived outside of the city. They
00:54:38.24\00:54:43.28
intentionally kept their
children away from all the
00:54:43.31\00:54:46.21
polluting influences of the
city They didn't even have a
00:54:46.25\00:54:49.42
television. So when this young
boy got older he asked to spend
00:54:49.45\00:54:53.99
the weekend with a good friend
of his, a classmate. His mom and
00:54:54.02\00:54:57.43
dad got to the point where they
felt they could trust him and he
00:54:57.46\00:55:00.36
went to the house. They were
watching a show on television
00:55:00.40\00:55:04.83
and he saw at age 15 he saw his
first time a person who got shot
00:55:04.87\00:55:12.57
and killed.
00:55:12.61\00:55:14.24
He saw it on television and he
got sick and he started throwing
00:55:14.28\00:55:17.11
up. And his friend said, What's
wrong with you. He said they
00:55:17.15\00:55:19.85
just got killed. That's
the first time he saw it. It
00:55:19.88\00:55:25.85
affected him so negatively.
You know the news will say
00:55:25.89\00:55:28.62
now days this is quite, if
you have children, they warn you
00:55:28.66\00:55:33.16
this is quite graphic they tell
you and we sit there and we go
00:55:33.19\00:55:38.60
Ho-hum. Then we go to U-tube
to look at the unedited version.
00:55:38.63\00:55:45.24
We've become desensitized. Am I
right. Come on, can we say amen
00:55:45.27\00:55:49.71
to that. We have become
desensitized, because the moment
00:55:49.74\00:55:53.62
they say you might want to turn
away, we say what was the name
00:55:53.65\00:55:57.49
of the article? Then we go look
up the... It's sad but that's
00:55:57.52\00:55:59.99
what the world has done to us.
That's why I can't wait for the
00:56:00.02\00:56:03.16
day for Jesus to come that these
things will not even be in our
00:56:03.19\00:56:06.09
presence any longer. Praise God
for that. Because when you say
00:56:06.13\00:56:10.17
people are hungry, you say
why do you have to bother me for
00:56:10.20\00:56:12.63
food. Can't they go ask some
body else. We get desensitized
00:56:12.67\00:56:16.91
to human suffering. That's why
whenever I hear mission programs
00:56:16.94\00:56:20.74
whenever we have a mission
program on 3ABN it always kind
00:56:20.78\00:56:23.71
of recalibrates me. There was
a beautiful story of a homeless
00:56:23.75\00:56:29.72
lady on the news. She was
a pharmacist. This is a very
00:56:29.75\00:56:32.32
touching story. It was
00:56:32.35\00:56:33.69
on the news this evening
actually before we came here.
00:56:33.72\00:56:39.79
They saw her at a gas
station at a carwash and
00:56:39.83\00:56:41.16
all of her belongings
00:56:41.20\00:56:42.53
were on the side outside of her
car and she was on a wheelchair
00:56:42.56\00:56:46.50
and she had a blanket wrapped
around her. And two ladies
00:56:46.53\00:56:49.94
caught the ladies attention
and they came. She had two dogs.
00:56:49.97\00:56:53.27
And they came to here and
they said are you okay? Well
00:56:53.31\00:56:56.54
naturally she said I'm fine but
they wouldn't take that as an
00:56:56.58\00:57:00.05
answer. They said, no really
what's wrong? She said well I
00:57:00.08\00:57:03.85
used to be a pharmacist but
I lost my pension, I don't have
00:57:03.89\00:57:10.63
any money, I have no health
coverage. I could no longer
00:57:10.66\00:57:13.66
afford to live anywhere.
The rent became too much for me
00:57:13.70\00:57:19.23
to even afford, so now I live
out of my van. So I'm getting it
00:57:19.27\00:57:22.84
cleaned out and vacuumed out
because I have two dogs. Those
00:57:22.87\00:57:27.11
two ladies, these two good
Samaritans, they got together
00:57:27.14\00:57:30.95
and started reaching out, put
it on social media. They got to
00:57:30.98\00:57:35.22
the place where they got
her a brand new apartment, they
00:57:35.25\00:57:39.15
furnished it and they paid for
the rent for two years and what
00:57:39.19\00:57:44.33
a touching story that was when I
saw that. The two dogs, they fed
00:57:44.36\00:57:48.40
the dogs, they packed that
apartment. I'll tell you, there
00:57:48.43\00:57:51.33
are still some good things
to look for in the world, right?
00:57:51.37\00:57:54.74
Well you know friends our time
is to an end so quickly, it's
00:57:54.77\00:57:56.10
sad. Keep studying God's word
because one day it'll come into
00:57:56.14\00:57:59.77
A Sharper Focus. God bless you.
00:57:59.81\00:58:01.44