Participants: Dennis Smith (Host)
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000292
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00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel, I'm Dennis Smith,
00:34 pastor of the New Haven, Connecticut Seventh-day 00:37 Adventist Church, every student of Bible 00:40 prophecy knows that we're living very close 00:44 to the time of Christ coming, when you just 00:48 look in the world today there are so many 00:49 things happening that indicate Christ coming 00:51 is near. In the natural world when you think 00:55 about the disasters that have recently taken 00:57 place in this world, the tsunami off the coast of 01:01 Indonesia probably the greatest natural disaster 01:06 in recorded history. More nations effected, 01:10 more people killed. And then Pakistan had 01:14 a great earthquake and reports indicate 01:18 that it was perhaps the greatest earthquake 01:19 they had had, and then in the United States 01:24 we have not escaped the natural disasters 01:27 and you're all certainly aware of the 01:29 hurricanes that have devastated our coasts 01:32 and Hurricane Katrina and the devastating 01:35 effects that had on the city of New Orleans. 01:38 Many times individuals say well there's 01:41 always been natural disasters that's true, 01:44 but the Bible indicates that as we near 01:46 the end of time natural disasters would be 01:49 similar to a woman giving birth to a child. 01:52 The birth pains get more intense and closer 01:55 together as we near the time of birth, 01:58 that's how it is in these last days. 02:01 The disasters become more intense and closer 02:06 together as we near the coming of Jesus. 02:09 God is calling the last generation of Christians 02:13 into existence today to prepare them for 02:16 two events one, the final crisis that is rapidly 02:20 coming upon this earth and secondly, 02:24 the second coming of Jesus. Do you want 02:27 to be ready for those final events? 02:30 You will learn today in our presentation how 02:37 you can be ready for Christ coming and the 02:40 final events earth's history, let us pray. 02:44 Our gracious Father, I think that you are a 02:48 sovereign God reigning in this earth and that 02:51 we have nothing to fear for the future if 02:54 we have Jesus as our Savior and I pray 02:56 Lord that You will open our eyes and ears 02:59 that we may see and hear your word today 03:04 that we will hear your call to come out of 03:08 our lethargy, our Laodicea condition to be 03:11 ready for our Lord's return. 03:13 In Jesus name I pray. Amen. 03:18 God has a time table for everything, 03:22 when we look at Old Testament history we 03:25 find that time and time again God certainly 03:28 foretold what was taking place and that was 03:31 going to take place in this earth. 03:35 Nothing happens and catches God off guard. 03:41 God is foreseen and even ordained the 03:45 events that take transpire in this earth. 03:47 For instance when God called Abraham 03:51 and promised Abraham that he would 03:53 make a great nation from Him God also told 03:57 Abraham that his descendents would go 03:59 off into captivity and sure enough that's 04:01 what happened. And when we read in the 04:03 Old Testament we find that the descendents 04:06 of Abraham did go into an Egyptian captivity 04:10 and then we're told in Exodus chapter 12 04:13 that after 430 years of captivity it says on 04:17 the self same day on the very day that 04:20 God had foreordained that they would come 04:22 out they came out according to God's time 04:25 table and then we also see that God had 04:29 foretold that His people would many years 04:32 later go into a Babylonian captivity and 04:35 God again predicted, foretold that they 04:37 would be there 70 years and then come 04:39 out of that and that's exactly what happened. 04:42 And then perhaps the greatest event, 04:45 certainly the greatest event of earth's history 04:47 was the coming of Jesus Christ and again 04:51 we find in God's word that God foretold 04:53 exactly when the Messiah would appear 04:56 and when we read in Galatians, chapter 4 05:00 we are told when the fullness of time 05:01 came God sent His son. Jesus did not come 05:06 too soon or too late He came exactly on 05:08 time according to God's prophetic timetable. 05:14 We read in Daniel chapter 9 that God even 05:16 gave greater details about the coming of 05:18 the Messiah, in Daniel 9 we find that God 05:21 even foretold when the Messiah would be 05:26 baptized the exact year. God also foretold 05:31 when the Messiah will be crucified again the 05:34 exact year. You see nothing catches God 05:38 off guard and everything that is transpired 05:40 in this earth is again according to God's 05:41 timetable. Jesus did not die one year too 05:45 early or one year too late what about us 05:50 in the damage we're living. The next great 05:55 event and probably the greatest event that 05:59 would have ever taken place in this earth 06:01 is certainly the second coming of Jesus. 06:04 Is that also according to a timetable with 06:06 God prophetic clock? Yes it is. Now from 06:09 our perspective it may appear that he's 06:12 been delayed and Jesus given us that 06:15 indication in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, 06:20 but yet from God's perspective there is 06:21 no delay because Jesus told us when He 06:24 walked this earth He said no man knows 06:28 the day and hour of the coming of Jesus 06:32 and He said not even the angels in heaven 06:34 know when Jesus would return but He did 06:37 say my Father knows. You see God the Father 06:40 has always known for eternity when these 06:43 different events would take place there is a 06:45 prophetic time clock that is being fulfilled in 06:48 the history of this earth and I believe beyond 06:51 any question that prophetic clock has 06:53 reached the hour in which God is saying come 06:56 out of Laodicea, come out of your lethargy, 06:59 prepare for the coming of my son. 07:02 We've reached that time in the history of 07:04 this earth. Today, right now, God is calling 07:12 into existence a people to become just like 07:15 Jesus. Why do I say that, well we read in 07:21 the letter of John, First John chapter 3 and 07:25 verse 2, God tells us beloved, now are we 07:31 the sons of God and it does not yet appear 07:33 what we shall be but we know that when 07:36 he shall appear we shall be like him for 07:40 we shall see him as he is. When we look 07:44 at that verse and consider the word like, 07:48 now in English that word like is somewhat 07:50 of a weak word but if you look at the Greek, 07:53 the Greek word translate that like in the 07:55 English is ómoios, which means just like, not 08:00 kind of like or not just similar but just like, 08:05 it means those ready to meet Jesus will 08:07 be just like Jesus in character, just like 08:11 Jesus in conduct and actually doing the 08:15 ministry that Jesus did, and so just like 08:17 Jesus in ministering authority. That is the 08:22 generation that God is calling into existence 08:25 today, however we've a problem today, 08:30 when we look at the Book of Revelation 08:31 we find that in chapter 2 and 3 of Revelation 08:35 there is a description of the history of the 08:38 Christian Church and what we find there, 08:40 there are seven eras of Church history and 08:44 the seventh era describes the Christian 08:48 time period today, it is called the Church 08:51 of Laodicea. God describes in Revelation 08:55 chapter 3 that Church. When we turn to 08:58 Revelation chapter 3 verse 14 or 16 we 09:00 read about that Church and unto the angel 09:05 of the Church of Laodiceans write, 09:09 these things says the Amen, the faithful 09:12 and true witness, the beginning of the 09:14 creation of God. I know thy works, that you 09:19 are neither cold nor hot. I would you were 09:22 cold or hot, so then because you are 09:27 lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, 09:30 I will spill thee out of my mouth. 09:36 God gives us a very serious warning here, 09:44 what is hot and cold have to do with that 09:45 one. Well if you look historically, Laodicea 09:51 was known for it's hydrotherapy, now in 09:53 hydrotherapy hot and cold is therapeutic 09:57 that brings health, it brings life. 10:01 Lukewarm is comfortable but it's not 10:03 therapeutic what God is saying here is that 10:07 last day Christians will have a lukewarm 10:12 experience in their own life, they will not 10:14 be experiencing the power the gospel to 10:17 bring the greatest healing and freedom from 10:20 the things Satan is trying to bring in their 10:21 life and they are unable to be therapeutic 10:25 in the contact with others. You see 10:28 everywhere Jesus went he was therapeutic, 10:31 everywhere he went he brought life and 10:33 healing in deliverance from the impressions 10:35 of Satan in the lives. God is saying we must 10:40 come out of that lukewarm non-therapeutic 10:44 condition and become like Jesus. 10:48 Now when we look at the Church today is 10:55 God correct? Statistics indicate that that 11:01 description of the church is certainly correct. 11:04 When we look at some of the statistics 11:08 that have come out and these are actual 11:10 studies that have been done, the majority 11:12 of Christians take little or no time in personal 11:16 study and prayer and the majority of 11:19 Christians manage to get out perhaps one 11:22 hour a week for worship service and when 11:26 it comes to prayer meeting, well if they 11:29 existed at all they are very sparsely attended. 11:32 I ask you the question is that a spirit 11:36 filled churches on fire for the Lord? 11:38 I don't think so. It's been said that if the 11:45 Holy Spirit were withdrawn from the earth 11:47 today the majority of the church work 11:52 would continue as usual and most Christians 11:57 wouldn't even know that the Holy Spirit has 11:59 been withdrawn. We've gotten very good 12:02 at carrying on the work of the Lord in our 12:04 own strengths and our own wisdom. 12:08 But God's gonna bring about a change and 12:10 that is the call that he's making today. 12:14 We need more then anything else to 12:17 experience personal and corporate revival. 12:22 One of my favorite authors Ellen White tells 12:25 us in volume one of Selected Messages, 12:28 page 121, a revival of true godliness 12:33 among us is our greatest and most urgent 12:37 of all our needs. To seek this should be 12:41 our first work. Well if that's the most 12:45 important thing that we experience how can 12:47 we experience revival, that certainly be a 12:49 very important question and that's the 12:52 theme of my message today, there is only 12:55 one way we're going to experience revival 12:57 and that is by personally experiencing the 12:59 Baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 13:03 It is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that 13:05 will bring us out of the Laodicean condition. 13:08 In fact that's eluted to when you look at 13:10 the chapter 3 of Revelation, chapter 3 13:13 verse 20, Jesus says behold I stand at the 13:18 door and knock if any man hear my voice and 13:21 open the door I will come into him and will 13:24 sup with him and he with me. You see the 13:28 solution, the answer to the Laodicea 13:31 condition is to let Jesus into our life and 13:35 how do we let Jesus into our life? 13:38 Well we are told in the Bible how that happens, 13:41 in First John chapter 3 verse 24 we read 13:43 about that, And he that keeps his 13:47 commandments dwells in him and he in him. 13:50 And hereby we know that he abides in us, 13:53 how does he abide in us? By the Spirit 13:55 which he has given to us. In this scripture 14:00 we find that we are told very clearly it is 14:03 through the Holy Spirit that Jesus lives 14:05 within us and that is the answer to how 14:09 we open the door that Jesus is knocking 14:12 on in Revelation chapter 3 is that we open 14:16 the door to Jesus and let Him come into 14:18 our lives through the Baptism of the Holy 14:19 Spirit, that is how it works. And as we let 14:23 Jesus into our lives that then begins the 14:27 process of coming out of the Laodicea 14:29 condition and I do want to emphasis the 14:31 word process, we do not come out 14:33 immediately we begin the process of coming 14:35 out of our Laodicean condition and becoming 14:38 like Jesus. In Acts chapter 1 we read the 14:42 words of Jesus to the disciples right after his 14:46 crucifixion and resurrection. And, being 14:49 assembled together with them, 14:51 he commanded them that they should not 14:53 depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the 14:56 promise of the Father, which said he, 14:59 you've heard of me for John truly baptized 15:01 with water but you should be baptized with 15:04 the Holy Ghost not many days. 15:09 In this scripture we find that Jesus told the 15:12 disciples even though they had been with 15:14 him for three and one half years he though 15:16 told the disciples you are not ready, 15:19 you are not ready to go out yet and preach 15:21 the gospel to fulfill the commission I've 15:24 given you, you must wait. You must wait 15:27 for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 15:29 Why did they have to wait? Well, we read 15:32 why they had to in verse 8. But ye 15:35 shall receive power after that the Holy 15:37 Ghost is come upon you and you shall be 15:40 witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and 15:42 in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the 15:46 uttermost parts of the earth. Jesus told the 15:50 disciples here that they did not have the power. 15:53 You see that's what the baptism of the 15:54 Holy Spirit is all about, Jesus living within 15:56 us and manifesting through us His power. 16:00 You and I don't have the power to become like 16:02 Jesus, no way but through the baptism of 16:04 the Holy Spirits we receive the power to 16:06 become like Jesus and to minister to others 16:09 like Jesus ministered. Ellen White clearly 16:13 confirms his teaching in volume two of selected 16:17 messages page 57, The baptism of the Holy 16:22 Ghost as on the day of Pentecost will lead 16:25 to a revival of true religion and the 16:28 performance of many wonderful works. 16:32 I love that statement, it cannot be any 16:35 clearer can it. There is only one way that 16:37 we will receive revival. There is only one 16:41 way we'll come out of the lukewarm 16:42 Laodicean condition and that is by receiving 16:45 the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there is only 16:47 one way that our Church can become a 16:49 spirit filled Church. Is that the people of God 16:56 reach out to God and claim the promise to be 16:58 filled with his Holy Spirit and I'll tell you 17:01 this God's work will not be finished until that 17:06 happens we've better round this earth for 17:08 a long time waiting for Jesus to come and 17:14 it will not happen, that event will not happen 17:18 until God's peoples become spirit filled 17:21 through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, 17:24 that is why I say I believe beyond any 17:27 question God's prophetic clock has reached 17:30 the hour in which he says, now is the time, 17:34 pull my people out of Laodicea bring to them 17:37 in understanding of the Baptism of the Holy 17:39 Spirit that they will reach out to their 17:42 God in faith believing that God will fill them 17:45 and they'll begin experiencing the revival 17:47 and the reformation that must take place. 17:51 Ellen White again confirms this in her 17:54 statement in volume 6 of the testimonies 17:57 page 370, The Lord does not now work to 18:02 bring many souls into the truth, because 18:06 the Church members who have never been 18:08 converted and those who were once 18:11 converted but who have backslidden. 18:15 What influence would these unconsecrated 18:18 members have on new converts? 18:23 That's pretty straight isn't it, now is she 18:27 saying or am I saying that God is not working 18:29 through the Church at all? No, but I will 18:33 say this, God is not able to work through 18:40 the Church and as mighty or a powerful 18:43 way as he wants to, but that will change 18:48 because when you and I as believers in Jesus 18:50 Christ chose to reach out to him and claim 18:54 the promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit 18:55 in our life change will begin happening from 18:58 within, we'll start becoming like Jesus from 19:01 within because he will be manifesting 19:03 Himself in us and through us because that's 19:06 what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is all 19:08 about. This very thing is what Satan is 19:13 afraid of, in volume one of selected 19:16 messages page 124 we read, 19:20 There is nothing that Satan fears so much 19:23 as that the people of God shall clear the 19:25 way by removing every hindrance, 19:28 so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit 19:31 upon a languishing church and an impenitent 19:35 congregation. Satan will do everything he 19:40 can to him, to hinder you and me from 19:42 understanding and experiencing the 19:44 Baptism of the Holy Spirit because he knows 19:47 when we experience the fullness of the 19:48 spirit in our life his power begin to be broken 19:51 in our life and as Jesus began manifesting 19:54 himself to minister through us his power 19:57 be broken in the lives of others. 20:00 What else can we do to corporate with God 20:03 that revival can come into our life and our 20:05 Church. What we read and answer to that 20:10 in the Old Testament in Second Chronicles 20:12 chapter 7 verse 14, If my people, which are 20:17 called by my name, shall humble themselves 20:20 and pray and seek my face, and turn from 20:23 their wicked ways; then will I hear from 20:26 heaven, and will forgive their sin, 20:29 and heal their land. According to that 20:34 scripture what is another important element 20:37 of revival? Prayer. The Baptism of the Holy 20:42 Spirit and prayer go hand in hand when we 20:47 humble ourselves before God earnestly 20:49 seeking him and by the way one of the first 20:51 things that's happened as we seek the 20:53 Baptism of the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit 20:56 will begin bringing a deep sense of our 20:58 sinfulness and will bring a deeper conviction 21:01 and bring us to a deeper repentance before 21:04 God and as we experience that God says 21:08 in Chronicles, as we begin reaching out to 21:11 Him in prayer and we Lord, I give my life 21:14 completely to you I give you permission to 21:18 work in my life and begin bringing the changes 21:20 that have to come. There may be sins in our 21:23 lives that we've been struggling with for a 21:26 long time but I tell you this as you seek 21:30 the Baptism of the Spirit and you begin 21:32 receiving the power of God in you life as never 21:35 before you will begin experiencing victories 21:37 in your life as never before, you start 21:40 becoming like Jesus and God says, 21:42 as we experience that when we reach out 21:44 to him in prayer he will come and heal us 21:48 spiritually, emotionally and every other way 21:50 of healing that needs to take place in our 21:52 life. We need to pray, we need to seek the 22:00 Baptism of the Holy Spirit to experience revival. 22:03 Again Ellen White confirms this in volume 22:06 one of selected messages page 121, 22:09 A revival need be expected only in answer 22:13 to prayer. That quote is rather very clear 22:19 isn't it. Prayer is essential to experience 22:23 revival and as we previously seen the 22:26 Baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential to 22:28 experience revival and when it comes to 22:30 both experiences it is not a once and for 22:32 all experience we must everyday continue to 22:35 seek the in-filling of God's spirit and we must 22:37 everyday continue to pray that God would 22:39 bring the revival in our life. David has a 22:43 very interesting Psalm over in Psalm 22:45 chapter 85 verse 6 along these lines. 22:48 He says, Wilt thou not revive us again 22:52 that thy people may rejoice in thee. 22:56 I love that scripture because it connects 22:59 revival with rejoicing, you see revival is not 23:02 a sad down trident thing, revival is an 23:04 experience where we begin experiencing 23:06 the joy of the Lord, the fruit of the spirit, 23:07 love, joy, peace that is what God wants to 23:11 bring to us those that are ready to meet 23:13 Jesus will have all the food of the spirit 23:16 manifest in their life and they will be rejoicing 23:18 in the Lord in spite of some of the difficult 23:20 times that they're going through. According 23:24 to Revelation chapter 12:17 we find And the 23:31 dragon was wroth with the woman, 23:33 and went to make war with the remnant of 23:35 her seed, which keep the commandments 23:37 of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 23:40 What that scripture tells us is that in the 23:43 last days there is what is called God's remnant 23:46 people people and what that's telling us 23:48 about God's last people they're a remnant, 23:50 they're just like the Church in the book of 23:53 Acts. We shall see the church in the book 23:56 of Acts happen again, the Church in the 24:01 book of Acts had Holy Spirit power, 24:03 on the day of Pentecost those that were 24:05 there experienced the Baptism of the Holy 24:07 Spirit and you throughout the book of Acts 24:09 over and over again they were being 24:10 filled by the Holy Spirit. We will see that 24:15 Church come alive again in God's last people 24:17 and it will happen in the same way that 24:19 happened back then through personally 24:21 experiencing the Baptist Holy Spirit and through 24:24 seeking God in prayer everyday that is the 24:27 people that God is calling into existence today. 24:30 In fact Ellen White had a vision along those 24:32 lines we read in volume 9 of Testimonies page 24:35 126. In visions of the night, representations, 24:39 past, before me of a great reformatory 24:42 movement among God's people. Many were 24:44 praising God, the sick were healed and other 24:48 miracles were wrought. A spirit of 24:51 intercession was seen, even as was 24:54 manifested before the great day of Pentecost. 24:57 Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting 24:59 families and opening before them the word 25:02 of God. Hearts were convicted by the power 25:06 of the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine 25:09 conversion was manifested. We see from 25:14 this statement by Ellen White that she very 25:16 clearly describes the church in the last days, 25:19 that church will be a spirit filled church, 25:21 that church will be operating under the 25:24 direction and power of the Holy Spirit and we 25:27 see that church described during a ministry 25:30 very similar to the ministry of Jesus. 25:32 Why is that? Because they have received the 25:34 Baptism of the Holy Spirit, they powered of 25:36 the early rain in their life and they have 25:38 experienced a latter rain power and they are 25:41 ministering because Jesus living in them 25:43 ministering through them just like He did when 25:45 He walked this earth, and we find that the 25:47 last remnant church will be just like the 25:49 church in the book of Acts and again for the 25:52 same reasons because the church in the 25:53 book of Acts was filled with the Holy Spirit 25:56 and they were ministering under the direction 25:58 and power of the Holy Spirit. That is the 26:01 church that got us calling to existence today. 26:05 I believe with all my heart that the final 26:07 crisis is right upon us, I've no question, but 26:11 Jesus is coming soon, very soon and God 26:14 in mercy is calling his people to get ready 26:18 because if those events come upon us, 26:20 the final crises and the second coming of 26:21 Jesus and we do not come out of the 26:23 Laodicea condition that we're in we will be 26:26 lost. So, this message that God is sending to 26:29 his people to receive the Baptist Holy Spirit 26:31 is a message of mercy because He loves us, 26:35 He wants us to be ready for His coming. 26:38 You see He is calling us to receive His Holy 26:40 Spirit in fullness, He's calling us to come out 26:43 of our Laodicea condition, He is calling us to 26:45 become a people of prayer, He is calling us 26:48 to experience revival and reformation in 26:51 short He is calling us to become just like 26:54 Jesus. Remember in First John chapter 3 26:59 verse 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 27:07 and it does not yet appear what we shall be, 27:10 but we know that, when he shall appear, 27:13 we shall be like him; for we shall see him as 27:16 he is. That verse is very clear about the matter, 27:26 when Jesus comes back those that are ready 27:29 to meet him will be just like Him. 27:34 Not kind of like Him, not sort of like Him but 27:37 just like Jesus. Just like Jesus in character, 27:43 just like Jesus in conduct, just like Jesus in 27:48 ministry. God's last church will be directed by 27:52 Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. |
Revised 2014-12-17