Participants:
Series Code: RPM
Program Code: RPM000004
|
00:01 Music...
00:08 More music... 00:17 Singing... 00:20 Some more singing... 00:28 Beautiful Singing... 00:38 Singing continuing... 00:42 More singing continuing... 00:48 Some more singing continuing... 00:54 Song continuing... 00:59 More singing... 01:05 Some more singing... 01:11 Song ending... 01:20 Music. 01:28 More music... 01:34 Holy, Holy, Holy! 01:41 Lord God Almighty! 01:50 Early in the morning 01:56 our song shall rise to thee. 02:03 Holy, Holy, Holy... 02:12 Merciful and mighty... 02:20 God in three persons, 02:27 blessed Trinity. 02:33 Music... 02:36 Holy... 02:44 All the saints adore Thee, 02:49 casting down their golden crowns 02:56 around the glassy sea, 03:04 cherubim and seraphim 03:10 bowing down before Him... 03:17 which wert, and art, 03:24 and evermore shalt be. 03:32 Holy... 03:40 Holy, Holy, 03:45 Holy... 03:51 Lord God Almighty 03:58 Holy, Holy, Holy... 04:06 Though the darkness hide thee, 04:12 though the eye of sinful man 04:19 thy glory may not see, 04:27 only thou art holy; 04:34 there is none beside thee, 04:41 perfect in power, 04:48 in love and purity. 04:56 Ah... hallelujah... 05:04 Hallelujah... 05:14 Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy! 05:20 Lord God Almighty! 05:25 God in three persons, 05:34 blessed Trinity. 05:42 Ah... 05:48 Hallelujah... 05:56 Hallelujah, 06:01 We praise your name... 06:05 Your 06:11 Name. 06:16 Audience: clapping... "Amen, amen, thank you. " 06:22 clapping... 06:25 Amen and amen again... 06:26 Audience: "Amen. " 06:28 And praise the Lord for the gift of music. 06:31 We need to give recognition to the Southeastern Conference 06:35 which has been very kind to 3ABN and to the: 06:38 Sabbath in Africa Study Commission. 06:40 The President, Hubert Morel 06:41 is an old basketball buddy of mine, 06:43 we used to bump heads in Brooklyn, New York, 06:46 when I was at Bethel, he was at Brooklyn Temple 06:48 but we were adversaries then... 06:51 we are friends now. 06:52 We have been blessed by beautiful music 06:55 during our time here. 06:57 This church has been richly blessed with musical talent 07:01 and music does so very, very much 07:04 to lift our hearts... our minds towards heaven. 07:08 We call upon Bruce and Olivia Turner 07:11 to sing a very beautiful song... "The Prayer. " 07:14 Audience: Clapping... 07:20 Music... 07:24 More music... 07:33 I pray you'll be our eyes, 07:38 And watch us where we go. 07:45 And help us to be wise 07:52 In times when we don't know 07:59 Let this be our prayer, 08:06 When we lose our way 08:13 Lead us to a place, 08:21 Guide us with your grace 08:28 To a place where we'll 08:33 be safe. 08:39 I pray we'll find your light... 08:43 I pray we'll find your light, 08:47 And hold it in our hearts. 08:50 And hold it in our hearts... 08:54 When stars go out each night, 08:57 Stars go out each night, 09:00 Remind us where you are... 09:03 remind us where you are... 09:07 Let this be our prayer... 09:10 Let this be our prayer, 09:13 When shadows fill our day... 09:17 When shadows fill our day, 09:21 oh... oh... 09:23 Lead us to a place, 09:26 oh my... 09:29 Guide us with your grace... 09:32 Guide us with your grace, 09:35 Give us faith so we'll be safe. 09:45 A world where we'll be in 09:48 sorrow will be ended 09:53 and every heart that's broken will be mended 10:00 and we'll remember 10:03 we are all your children 10:08 reaching out to touch You 10:14 Reaching to the sky... 10:20 We ask that life be kind... 10:27 And watch us from above... 10:30 And watch us from above, 10:34 We hope each soul will find... 10:37 We hope each soul will find, 10:41 Another soul to love... 10:45 Another soul to love, 10:48 Let this be our prayer... 10:51 Let this be our prayer, 10:55 Just like every child... 10:59 Just like every child, 11:04 Needs to find a place, 11:08 Guide us with your grace 11:13 Give us faith so we'll be safe. 11:21 Safe... 11:22 Need to find a place, 11:26 Guide us with your 11:29 grace... 11:34 Give us faith so we'll be 11:42 safe... 11:48 Safe... 11:55 Audience: "Thank you, thank you, thank you... " clapping... 11:59 "thank you... thank you... amen, amen, amen... " 12:03 So very beautifully done, thank you so very, very much. 12:08 It is incredible how music can lift you out of your seat 12:13 and into the very presence of God. 12:16 I rather suspect that if there was someone 12:20 who really needs no introduction 12:23 it is C.E. Bradford... 12:24 He has served the church long and well 12:29 and with distinction. 12:31 If you were fortunate enough 12:35 to see the interview that we did with him 12:37 just a little bit ago on 3ABN, 12:38 you know that his mother dialogued with Ellen White, 12:42 sat and talked with her, served as her nurse 12:46 and got great counsel from that Godly woman. 12:49 Ellen White said to Elder Bradford's mother, 12:52 "Do not pattern yourself after me, 12:55 keep your eyes on God. " 12:59 Audience: "Amen. " 13:00 And as great a man as Elder Bradford is, 13:03 I suspect, he would echo that same sentiment. 13:06 Do not pattern yourself after him or any man 13:10 but keep your eyes on God. 13:13 Audience: "Amen. " 13:14 And so, this morning without further ado, 13:16 really the individual who got this all started... 13:20 who in his "retirement years" dug into the Word of God 13:25 and found a truth 13:27 and others saw the light in that truth 13:30 and joined with him in study and that is why we are here today. 13:34 I ask from you for him 13:38 your prayerful and undivided attention... God bless you. 13:41 Audience: "Amen. " 13:44 Please don't pattern after me, you'll be in a bad shape. 13:49 Audience: Laughing... 13:51 I'm so happy to see you today, 13:54 I've had the privilege of speaking at many occasions... 13:58 on many occasions... at many places... 14:00 General Conference Sessions, all kinds of big gatherings, 14:08 big folks... you understand what I'm trying to say, 14:14 but this rises to the top... like cream in milk. 14:21 It is alleged that Latimer, 14:26 the King's chaplain... 14:28 the King of England's chaplain stood in the pulpit 14:33 and said, "Latimer, Latimer, take care what you say... " 14:43 because he had peeped up in the gallery 14:46 where the King had his special seat 14:48 and he said, "The King of England is in the audience" 14:52 then after a dramatic pause, he said, 14:56 "Latimer, Latimer, take care what you say, 15:00 the King of Kings is in the audience. " 15:05 Audience: "Amen. " 15:06 I ask... I believe that the King of Kings 15:10 is in the audience today. 15:13 He is with His people... east and west and north and south. 15:19 Audience: "Yes. " 15:21 All over this world... 15:22 who are worshipping with us through the miracle... 15:28 the modern miracle of television 15:33 and this specific agency of 3ABN. 15:39 Audience: "Amen. " 15:40 Three angels... flying in the midst of heaven, 15:46 having an everlasting gospel 15:51 to preach to those that dwell on the earth 15:56 to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. 16:00 Audience: "That's right. " 16:02 And so I'm happy today to come to you 16:06 representing the King of Kings. 16:10 Audience: "Amen. " 16:11 I trust that I bring to you... whatever I bring to you... 16:16 will be a message from His throne. 16:20 Audience: "Amen. " 16:22 From God to you... with love. 16:26 Audience: "Amen. " 16:27 And I want to read a word from God's Word. 16:32 I want to start out with a text of Scripture. 16:37 It is Isaiah chapter 11, 16:44 Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 11, 16:50 11:11... Isaiah chapter 11 verse 11, 16:58 we'll take our time, hear it. 17:03 "And it shall come to pass in that day... " 17:09 when you read the Word of God, sometimes you must savor words 17:15 and sentences... don't run away from it, 17:20 don't eat your meal too fast, it will give you indigestion. 17:24 take your time, 17:27 "the Lord shall set His hand again the second time 17:34 to recover the remnant of his people, 17:37 which shall be left, from Assyria, from Egypt, 17:43 from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar 17:50 and from Hamath, 17:52 and from the islands of the sea. " 17:55 Let us pray, "Father God, 17:59 send your Spirit upon us today 18:05 pour your Spirit upon your Word... 18:09 and may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 18:16 be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our strength, 18:21 and our redeemer. " 18:22 "It shall come to pass... " 18:26 that means something is going to happen, 18:30 it's on its way... there is movement... 18:34 there is action... 18:35 heaven is not completely in a resting mode, 18:41 heaven is a busy place... they're going... they're coming, 18:48 they're taking your prayers up to... 18:52 they're taking some prayers up here from Mount Calvary today. 18:57 I sure hope they're taking a prayer from this poor soul today 19:03 there is motion in heaven, 19:07 there is no wasted time in heaven... 19:12 it came to pass... 19:16 it always comes to pass because God is the ruler 19:23 and God is the Creator and God is the One 19:29 in whose hands are... time is time. 19:33 When He said, "It came to pass... " 19:37 we're speaking about time, time is passing... 19:41 and with the passing of time, events are unfolding, 19:46 things are happening. 19:48 Actually, it is God's plan working out 19:52 from stage to stage, isn't it marvelous? 19:57 Before television, 19:59 before these machines you people have in your homes, 20:04 all the money you have and all the... 20:07 I started to say, "all the junk you have... " 20:09 all the things you have... 20:11 "Oh Lord, help me not to say the wrong thing here, this morning" 20:14 but, but, but... you can put... 20:16 you can put something on... 20:18 you can move it forward and you can move it back, 20:21 something like that, what do you call those things? 20:23 Moving forward... moving back... 20:25 I'm trying to save up enough money to buy one of them 20:28 but you see, God's plan is unfolding, 20:32 what I would like to do as a poor little preacher today 20:38 is to take you and put you in the center of God's plan. 20:44 Ah, I would like for us today to think 20:50 God's thoughts after Him. 20:53 Audience: "Amen. " 20:55 In the Control Center of the Universe, 20:59 isn't that marvelous? 21:00 You know He did say to us, "Come to the throne of grace" 21:03 didn't He? Come on now, 21:05 He even told us, 21:06 "Come boldly to the throne of grace and find mercy... " 21:10 grace... to help us in time of need 21:13 and if we ever needed the Lord before, 21:16 we sure do need Him now. 21:18 Audience: "Amen. " Clapping. 21:20 Trouble in the east, trouble in the west, 21:25 clouds over our heads, 21:28 earth shaking beneath our feet if we ever... 21:32 and if you're thinking about making earth your home, 21:36 you'd better call the moving van, 21:41 and so we're here to put ourselves 21:46 in the midst of heaven's plan 21:49 God has called us, 21:51 now here is something that I'm going to read 21:57 from what we call, "the pen of inspiration" 22:03 already here today and last night, 22:07 you can realize, if you were here, 22:11 then or now... today... you can realize that 22:15 these people are tremendous scholars, 22:17 I have... I'm the... I'm the little pea-brain 22:20 among all these big shots I have here, 22:22 great folks, PH.D.s and all those names behind them 22:29 you understand all about that? 22:31 but they used to tell me, 22:33 "Son, you're just a little popgun," 22:35 I said, "I'm going to shoot my little gun when God calls me 22:38 and I won't worry about no big gun that you have... 22:41 I want to stir what I got... " 22:43 you all didn't hear what I said, 22:45 I'm going to let my hair down here right now, 22:47 I'm going to tell you a little experience in New York City, 22:49 New York City where I preached for some years, 22:52 you know, you go and get your cup of Postum... 22:55 or whatever... 22:57 and the man went into the restaurant 22:59 and said, "Give me a cup of coffee" 23:02 and the waitress shoved that cup of... 23:05 you know... New York waitresses, 23:07 shoved that cup of coffee back at him 23:10 with a little bitty cube of sugar... it was during the war 23:15 little cube of sugar and he looked at that... 23:18 he was mad and she glared back at him and she said, 23:20 "Stir what you got... " 23:22 Audience: Laughter... 23:25 So I may be a little piece of sugar 23:27 but I'm going to stir what I got, 23:30 you all listen to me, here, 23:31 somebody ought to help me here this morning, 23:34 do I have a witness here this morning? 23:37 I wish I had a praying church this morning 23:41 so I'm bringing you from Ellen White, 23:45 I'm not ashamed to read from Ellen White 23:49 and I want to boast a little bit today, 23:52 I want to drop a little name or two, 23:54 I have introduced Ellen White to preachers of other faiths 24:00 and Leaders of Communities and most of them have said to me, 24:04 "Brad, that's one of the best gifts 24:06 you could ever give to me. " 24:08 So you quit criticizing Sister White and share her 24:12 most of all, you'd better do a little reading for yourself. 24:16 I'm just an old daddy 24:19 so I have to fuss at you every now and then, 24:22 now, this is what Ellen White says, Sister White... 24:26 She said, "We do not sympathize with God 24:30 as we should... in the salvation of the human race. " 24:35 Did you hear that? 24:37 We don't sympathize with God as we should, 24:42 "we do not regard it in the light in which it is viewed 24:48 by the universe of heaven as a plan... a plan... 24:51 device from eternity in the mind of God... " 24:55 then she says, 24:57 "The greatness of the theme almost takes my breath away. " 25:02 "When I survey... the wondrous cross... 25:09 on which the Prince of Glory died, 25:13 my richest gain, I count but loss... 25:18 and pour contempt on all my pride. " 25:22 We don't sympathize with God, 25:26 oh yes mother... when your boy was killed in Iraq 25:30 or Vietnam 25:32 or when your child was run over in the streets 25:38 by a run-away hit-and-run driver, 25:40 and when someone who was close to us 25:43 someone close to us... snatched away by sudden death 25:47 we cried, "Oh God, oh God... " 25:51 but let me tell you one thing... you are finite 25:56 and your intense attention 25:59 is only focused on the few around you, 26:02 but God has everybody in this world 26:05 He's got the little bitty baby 26:08 in His hand... 26:10 He's got the whole world in His hand 26:12 and He cares for every one of them... 26:14 every hair on your head is numbered 26:17 and we need to sympathize with God 26:20 because He's been suffering... my heavenly Father, 26:25 has been suffering for all these 6,000 years. 26:31 So let's start sympathizing with God, 26:35 "Lord, I know that you've been suffering with me... " 26:42 come now, come on now, let's get down to it, 26:45 get right down to it where we live, 26:47 "Oh Lord, I know you've been suffering... 26:49 Lord, I'm not going to cause you anymore pain. " 26:51 It's getting mighty quiet in here now, 26:55 I must tell my Lord, "I will not complain and murmur, 27:01 You got your hands full with all these people, 27:06 I'm not going to stray away from you and cause you pain. " 27:09 Am I making it clear? 27:12 Because this great Creator of ours 27:18 saw us and loved us enough to redeem us, 27:25 bring us back to Him, 27:27 I want to read from 2nd Peter, where am I going? 27:31 I'm going to 2nd Peter and I want to read in 2nd Peter 27:37 chapter 3... I want to look at 27:41 verse 8 and 9 of chapter 3 27:45 of 2nd Peter... which says, 27:49 8... "But, beloved, 27:54 be not ignorant of this one thing... " 27:58 I'm taking you into the plans of God now... 28:01 "that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, 28:05 and a thousand years as one day. " 28:09 What seems long to you is short to Him 28:13 and what thing is short to Him is long to you. 28:18 Look at verse 9, "The Lord is not... " what? 28:22 "slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness... " 28:30 some people say, "It's taking so long... " 28:34 even the souls under the altar cried out, 28:39 "Oh Lord, how long?" 28:40 Pause... 28:45 But is longsuffering, 28:51 He's not slow, 28:52 His arm isn't heavy that He can't raise it, huh, 28:56 time doesn't mean anything to Him like it does to us 29:00 the apostle is trying to get us to see 29:05 that little look into the heart of God. 29:09 Let us sympathize with God a minute here, 29:14 He' looking down upon us and we look into His heart, 29:20 what a great heart God must have, 29:22 come on now... isn't that some heart He has? 29:26 His heart is big enough to contain us all. 29:29 I was trying to think of the words of that song... 29:33 "When you're on the cross" or something, 29:35 "I was on your mind" ah... 29:37 even when He's dying, He's thinking about me, 29:41 isn't that some kind of a God? 29:42 Audience: "Amen. " 29:43 Thinking about me, He said, "Father, forgive them" 29:47 you see, we need to look into the heart of God... 29:50 that great and wonderful... but suffering heart. 29:54 "He is... " Peter said, "longsuffering to us-ward" 29:59 and what is he saying? 30:02 "not willing that... " what? 30:05 "any should perish, 30:06 but that all should come to repentance. " 30:11 What a God... 30:14 now that's... 30:17 I've been looking at a word in the last several years 30:22 in my reading and in my viewing of the media... 30:27 pause... 30:29 talk-show people... I call them, "talking heads" 30:33 and others... 30:35 they use... and military people... 30:39 they use the word, "collateral damage" 30:43 but what is collateral damage? 30:46 Collateral damage is... you're just standing on the street 30:49 and some fool drives down 30:51 and knocks everybody over and kills you 30:53 that's awful but it's "collateral damage. " 30:56 Hate to say it but you go to war 31:00 and there are poor people over there 31:04 who are innocent of anything, 31:07 and they don't have any political persuasion... 31:09 but they drop the bombs... they keep dropping bombs... 31:12 in order to get one person, they got to get everybody... 31:15 and that's "collateral damage. " 31:17 A lot of collateral damage in this world, isn't there friends? 31:22 But I want so very much to present to you today 31:26 a God who can reverse the damage of "collateral damage. " 31:30 Not willing that any should perish... 31:35 I don't know how He does it but He said, 31:40 "It's in my hands... " 31:42 There's not a thing the devil can do 31:46 to take you out of His hands. 31:48 Audience: "You're right... Amen... thank you... " 31:51 That same Ellen G. White that we quoted a bit ago 31:54 says, "He will not let the devil go 31:57 one hair-breath closer to you than He allows it... " 32:03 Audience: "Amen. " 32:04 He can't touch me... 32:06 I haven't got enough money for Brinks... 32:10 but if I had a whole lot of money, 32:13 I would need Brinks plus the angels of God... come on now... 32:17 Audience: "That's right... " 32:19 And He said, "I am with you. " 32:20 He's the only one that can solve the "sin" problem. 32:29 Oh my sins... there are many... like the sands of the sea 32:35 "but thy blood... oh my Savior is sufficient for me... " 32:41 we do not need to remind the Lord of... 32:45 of the enormity of our sin, He knows it already, 32:48 but when we go to Him, 32:51 He says, "I will take care of it. " 32:56 Take care of it... 32:59 Well, how does He do His work? 33:03 You see, this "sin" problem, how is He going to handle that? 33:07 Big job... terrible folks... 33:11 all you need to do is drive around Tampa a little bit 33:15 and you see "terrible folks" there. 33:17 You'd better not take a little nap at the red light... 33:23 you get some new names added to you... 33:26 maybe something even worse... 33:31 we know that this world is loaded down 33:34 with all kinds of wicked, mean, ugly people... 33:37 no care for life and limb... 33:41 you're almost afraid to put on the television news, 33:45 They have so many babies abducted now 33:50 and killing all the children here and there, 33:52 you don't know which one they're talking about. 33:55 Is it one in New York or is it one in California, 33:57 where? It's awful... 33:59 you must have blinders on 34:01 if you don't see and hear and feel all these things, 34:04 how is the Lord going to handle this business? 34:08 It's a big, rough business... the "sin" business... 34:12 now come on, let's go to Isaiah... 34:14 I want to read a text, I want to read... Bible, 34:16 let's read... Bible... 34:18 Isaiah 55... where are we going? 34:21 Audience: "Isaiah 55." 34:23 Oh, why don't we just go ahead and look at Isaiah 55 34:26 and read verse 11, Isaiah 55 and verse 11, 34:32 this is great stuff here, 34:34 I'm the kind of preacher, 34:37 sometimes people don't enjoy my preaching, 34:39 they get tired and everything, but I have a good time anyhow. 34:41 Audience: Laughing... 34:44 Sometimes I'm in some dead audience... 34:45 some dead people looking at... dead... dead... 34:48 I said, "Amen" anyhow. 34:50 Audience: Laughing. 34:52 Ellen White... a favorite writer... 34:54 she says, "We went to the meeting 34:57 and brother so-and-so preached 34:59 and he just spread gloom all over us 35:01 and... just waves of gloom over us... " 35:03 but she said, "I had my chance 35:04 and then in the afternoon I spoke 35:06 and I was lifted up and the people were too 35:08 and I enjoyed myself. " 35:09 "I... " Paul... said, "I'm in jail... 35:11 but glory to God in the highest... " 35:14 he said, "The chopping block is over there... " 35:16 but he said, "rejoice in the Lord... " 35:18 he said, "Caesar has given a command to destroy you... " 35:21 he said, "and yet I will rejoice. " 35:23 So in verse 11... chapter 55... Isaiah... 35:30 verse 11 says... 35:32 how's He going to handle all this? 35:34 Here's the question, 35:35 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: 35:42 it shall not return unto me void, 35:49 but it shall accomplish that which I please, 35:53 and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. " 36:00 He does it by His Word... 36:04 Thy Word... His Word... 36:07 He speaks the Word... 36:10 He spake... and it was done... 36:13 He commanded, and it stood fast... 36:16 He sent His word... and He healed him... 36:19 "when I was down, Lord, you raised me. " 36:23 "When I was sick, Lord, you healed me. " 36:26 "I was confined in the dungeon but you broke open the doors," 36:33 what did it? "Your word... " 36:35 Audience: "Yes, that's true... " 36:37 Sharper than any two-edged sword the Word... 36:42 like dynamite blasts away the chains of Satan, 36:47 Thy Word... Thy Word, 36:50 well, it's time now for the Lord to come. 37:00 Some people will say, "It can never be done... 37:05 how are we going to get it done?" 37:10 You're not going to get it done by yourself 37:14 but you're going to do it through His Word... 37:17 Audience: "Amen. " 37:18 Pause... 37:25 I said something about time a bit ago, 37:27 I'm just thinking of a couple of texts to give you. 37:30 I'm going to Daniel... where am I going now? 37:33 I'm going to Daniel... I love to say to the people 37:37 when they open their Bible, 37:39 I say, "Let your fingers to do the walking. " 37:42 Ah, it's wonderful to go through that Word... 37:45 Twelfth chapter of Daniel, Is that where we are? 37:48 Daniel 12... look at verse 4... 37:51 verse 4... good audience here... 37:54 all you people out there around the world... 37:56 hundreds and thousands of you listening, 37:59 come on in and sit down with us here in Mount Calvary. 38:02 Audience: "Amen. " 38:03 The Word... the Word is here isn't it... the Word... 38:05 Audience: "Amen. " 38:07 "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the... " what? 38:13 Audience: "words... " 38:14 "and seal the book, even to the... " what? 38:18 "time of the... " what? "end... " 38:21 "many shall run to and fro, 38:25 knowledge shall be increased. " 38:31 Time of the end... 38:36 last night we just went over quickly 38:39 I didn't even read them because 38:42 I'm sure you have already done that so many times 38:47 but let's go back to where we were, 38:49 let's review... 38:50 let's go to Revelation chapter 6, 38:52 where are we going now? 38:54 Audience: "Revelation chapter 6." 38:55 Thank you, we're going to Revelation chapter 6. 38:59 We're going to look at verses 13, 14 and so forth 39:02 in Revelation 6... 39:04 and what does it say? I'm going to read it... 39:06 Let's look at verse 12 first of all. 39:10 "And I beheld, when he had opened the sixth seal, 39:16 and... in... 39:20 and there was a great earthquake 39:23 and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, 39:26 and the moon became as blood... " 39:28 okay, we talked about that last night... 39:31 referred to it last night... 39:33 look at 14... 39:35 verse 13... "And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, 39:43 even as the fig tree casteth her untimely figs, 39:46 when she is shaken of a mighty wind. " 39:49 Shaken... 39:51 Verse 14... what does that say? 39:54 "And the heaven... " did what? "departed as a scroll 39:57 when it is rolled together... 40:00 and every mountain and island were moved out of their places" 40:04 that sounds like the very end doesn't it? 40:07 And then I left you last night hanging between two verses, 40:14 huh, because verse 12 and 13 40:19 have already been fulfilled, haven't they? 40:22 Audience: "Yeah, amen. " 40:23 Dark day, stars falling, great earthquake, 40:26 all of that... has already taken place, 40:29 stars fell in 1833... 40:33 so, we've been hanging right here since 1833, 40:37 in fact, we've been living on borrowed time 40:41 since 1833... 40:45 then the next drama... 40:49 as the song said, 40:52 "What shall the next great stirring drama be?" 40:56 Verse 14, "the heavens departing as a scroll... " 41:01 Old Elder Evangelist John Schuller 41:05 used to have a sermon, "Heaven split wide open" 41:09 I can't even imagine that can you? 41:14 Heaven split wide open, so we're suspended here 41:20 between verses 13 and 14... 41:26 we're suspended, we're in space... 41:29 I hope we're not animated, 41:32 I hope we're not sleeping 41:35 because signs are always going on. 41:40 Audience: "That's right... that's right. " 41:42 Did you hear what I said? 41:44 Now I can read you... I'm on strict time... 41:48 I'm not known as the shortest preacher in line... 41:52 and that's all right, you all better make fun of me 41:55 somewhere else, you understand what I mean 41:57 because I may call the bears out of the woods on you. 42:00 Audience: Laughing. 42:03 But Jesus spoke about it, you know what Jesus said... 42:08 and in Luke... there are three gospels that speak about it 42:11 but let's look at the one in Luke, 42:13 let's look at what Luke says, here's Luke talking huh... 42:15 recording the Master's words... 42:18 Luke 21 and we're going to 25, here's Jesus now... 42:23 do you realize Jesus was the greatest of the prophets? 42:29 yes He was... 42:30 the prophet speaks the word of God. 42:32 "And there shall be... " what? 42:33 Audience: "signs in the sun... " 42:35 "In the sun... " in the what? 42:36 "in stars upon the earth... distress of nations... 42:40 with perplexity... the sea and the waves roaring... 42:44 what's next? 42:47 "Men's hearts failing them for fear... " 42:50 the anxiety... listen... 42:52 the anxiety index is rising every day, 42:56 people are anxious, aren't they? 43:00 They are fainting for fear of what's coming on the earth 43:07 and then they'll see the powers of heaven shaken. 43:14 "Then they shall see the Son of man coming 43:18 in a cloud... " with what? 43:21 Audience: "Power... " 43:23 So between 1833... stars fell... 43:27 and the coming of Christ... 43:30 we don't have any time periods marked off, 43:34 Daniel calls this "the time of the end," end time, 43:39 we're living in the end-time... 43:42 now there's a little difference between the end-time 43:45 and the time of the end and the end... 43:47 the end of time... we're not yet to the end of time 43:51 but we're in the time of the end. 43:54 We're in the 9th inning of the ball game... 43:57 we're in the fourth quarter of the ball game, 44:01 we're in the third period of the hockey game, 44:05 whatever game you're in is about over. 44:08 Audience: "Amen. " 44:09 Now, all during this time in between... 44:13 in the in-between times... in the interregnum... 44:18 between the "already" and the "not yet" 44:21 in this time... 44:22 He gives you signs to wake you up, 44:25 every time you hear about an earthquake... wake up church... 44:30 any time you hear the howling wind... 44:33 you here in Tampa ought to know... 44:36 you sure enough need to wake up, 44:38 when the hurricanes are brewing... 44:41 in the south Atlantic 44:43 and the airwaves are breaking on your Program, 44:47 you're trying to look at a Program, 44:48 they're breaking... we have an "event bulletin... " 44:50 the storm is getting closer, 44:52 I've been through four of them in one year 44:55 since I've been down here and one time I woke up, 44:58 I said, "Lord, did you really want me to move to Florida?" 45:01 Audience: Laughing... 45:03 A little voice said, "I'm with you everywhere you go" 45:06 come on now... 45:07 and so these signs take place to wake up the church, 45:15 there are some among us... some among us... 45:18 who "pooh, pooh" these signs, 45:20 Well, nothing turns their heads, "they had these signs all along" 45:23 Jesus told you, "It will be until the end. " 45:26 Didn't He say that... 45:27 He said, "the end is not yet... 45:30 you'll see more... and more... " 45:33 now, I want to give you a little... 45:35 a little something here, 45:37 I like to have fun... a bit of fun... a Godly fun... 45:40 Jesus even had a little fun... He said, 45:42 "You're talking about a man with something in his eye... 45:45 and you got a whole log in your eye... " 45:47 that's kind of fun isn't it? 45:49 Jesus was making fun of them... Jesus... 45:52 so here we are now... and I'm going to tell you this now, 45:56 the signs wake us up... 46:00 and one of my preacher friends, he's now sleeping in Jesus... 46:04 he said, "the problem with the church today... 46:07 is, we are parked between signs... 46:10 now you all didn't get it, you will when you go home... 46:14 when you're eating your chocolate dinner... 46:17 you'll... ah, you'll wake up and say, you see it now... 46:20 The church is terrible... it's parked between signs... 46:24 you know... no path in here... 46:29 but we're between the signs asleep... 46:32 and you may say, "We're not... I'm not... " 46:37 but Jesus said, "they all slumbered and slept" 46:42 there was a time of quiescence... 46:46 when the church got drowsy... 46:51 and they all slumbered and slept. 46:54 Audience member: I know that story. 46:56 Yes, they all slumbered... 46:59 don't come talking about this elder, this deacon... whoever... 47:05 when you're pointing at him, you are... 47:07 Audience: "Pointing at yourself. " 47:09 All right now, you're pointing at him... 47:11 you're pointing at yourself, 47:13 "I know I'm not all I ought to be... but don't... 47:15 you quit pointing at me because you need to wake up too. " 47:19 Audience: "Amen. " 47:21 And H.M.S. Richards... you remember him? 47:23 My great friend... 47:25 H.M.S. Richards... man of God... 47:31 Voice of Prophecy... 47:33 he led out in all this media business... 47:36 led out... he had a "pocket" where he said, 47:39 "If you want me to be on the air... the radio... 47:42 put a little something in that pocket... " 47:43 and he took money out of that pocket 47:45 and financed the Voice of Prophecy. 47:47 He told a story... if I told you you wouldn't believe it, 47:53 but he told it... 47:55 and he said that there was a preacher... 48:00 on sustentation... retired... 48:03 he moved to a little town in California, 48:06 nestled up under the hills, you know, 48:10 the beautiful hills there, 48:11 and they had a little church there... 48:14 about ten or twelve people... 48:16 they asked him... the Conference said, 48:19 "Brother, would you go there and preach for us?" 48:22 "Oh yes... " retired preacher is ready to preach 48:24 any time you ask me... I'll jump up and go to California, 48:26 you know what I mean... 48:28 preach... all right... but he had a little problem, 48:32 he had a little problem with sleep apnea 48:34 or whatever you call it... sleep... something... 48:35 some narcolepsy... he had a problem 48:40 and so, he went one Sabbath to the pulpit, 48:44 opened his Bible, read his text and he said, 48:47 "Brothers and Sisters... and so... " dozing off... 48:55 a non-member... was walking by... 48:59 it was a hot day... he looked in the open door 49:03 and he saw the preacher's head down... dozing... 49:06 and all the saints... dozing... 49:09 and he said, "What kind of a church is that? 49:13 there's the preacher is sleeping the people all are sleeping!" 49:17 But you know the Lord loves us 49:20 and He gives us a wake-up call. 49:22 Audience: "Amen. " 49:23 He said, "My child, wake up and live... 49:28 put on the armor of light, let all the church be awakened 49:34 because the time has come and God arises on His throne 49:41 he said, "Time for me to finish this work... " 49:45 Did you hear Him say it? 49:46 Romans 9:28... "He will finish the work, 49:51 and cut it short in righteousness" 49:53 He will take over... and if this preacher is asleep, 49:57 he'll push him aside... He'll say, 49:58 "If you don't do it, I've got some stones... " 50:02 you all didn't hear what I had to say there, 50:05 "I've got some stones... 50:07 they'll cry out... because I am going to finish this work 50:14 and cut it short in righteousness" 50:20 Well, I've got one more I want to read to you. 50:23 Sometimes the Preacher says, "I've got one more... " 50:28 but the poor little Preacher says, 50:29 he says, "I've got another one" 50:31 but let's look at this one, 50:34 Prophets and Kings... where is it? 50:36 Audience: "Prophets and Kings. " 50:37 This is the last book Ellen White wrote... 50:41 "Prophets and Kings... " it was published after her death 50:46 posthumously... 50:47 in page 188... 50:51 a great comment she makes, 50:55 inspiration of the Holy Ghost, she says, 51:00 "Among earth's inhabitants... " listen to this now, 51:05 scattered in every land, 51:08 there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. " 51:14 Pause... 51:17 You Pharisaical Seventh-day Adventists, 51:20 wrapping your righteous robes around you, 51:22 looking down your long nose at everybody in the world 51:24 and thinking you're better than them, 51:26 remember there are thousands 51:28 who have not bowed their knees to Baal. 51:31 Audience: "Amen. " 51:32 Sister White says, "Like the stars of heaven, 51:37 which appear only at night, 51:41 these faithful ones will shine forth 51:44 when the darkness covers the earth 51:47 and gross darkness the people. 51:49 In heathen Africa, 51:50 in the Catholic lands of Europe 51:52 and South America, in China, in India, 51:55 in the islands of the sea, 51:57 and in all the dark corners of the earth, 52:00 God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones 52:04 that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, 52:08 revealing clearly to an apostate world 52:12 the transforming power of obedience to His Law. " 52:16 Then she says, 52:18 pause... 52:21 "Even now they are appearing in every nation, 52:28 among every tongue and people; 52:32 and in the hour of deepest apostasy, 52:36 when Satan's supreme effort is made 52:40 to cause 'all, both small and great, 52:42 and rich and poor and free and bond,' 52:45 to receive, under the penalty of death, 52:49 the sign of allegiance to a false day... 52:52 a false rest day, 52:55 these faithful ones," listen to this now... 52:59 "blameless and harmless, 53:01 the sons of God, without rebuke, 53:04 'will' shine as lights in the world. 53:07 The darker the night, 53:11 the more brilliantly will they shine. " 53:16 Audience: "Amen. " 53:17 So I got a God who enfolds us all in His great heart, 53:22 that great heart of love 53:25 goes out to everyone... every inhabitant of the earth 53:27 and He sends messages to us through His Word, 53:31 through His human instruments, 53:35 through the printed page 53:38 even through visions to heathens 53:44 as a man in Philippines was plowing with his water buffalo, 53:50 the buffalo stuck and wouldn't go, 53:54 he took his little branch stick out 53:56 and whipped him and he wouldn't go 53:58 then the buffalo turned around and this is true... 54:02 it was in the Review, 54:03 the buffalo said, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, 54:08 stop your sinning and Jesus is soon to come" 54:12 now, if a water buffalo can preach it, come on now, 54:16 what about you and me? 54:18 Audience: Clapping. 54:20 I've got to go on and get through here, 54:23 the Bible tells us, we can read it, you got it... 54:27 and we're going to put this on DVD 54:30 so you have to see it again. 54:31 Audience: "Amen. " 54:33 But my Lord said, "I will leave no child behind" 54:38 if you want to go, 54:40 I'll do like... we used to sing down in Huntsville, Alabama, 54:43 at the Oakwood College... the old quartet boys used to sing, 54:47 "Back, back train... " 54:48 and get your load... 54:50 "and when He passes by, reach out and grab Him 54:54 and say, 'don't pass me by,' 54:58 Savior, hear my humble cry. " 55:02 I heard this story or read it somewhere, 55:05 it came to me... this story... 55:07 I think from Turkey... a big earthquake... 55:09 everything was covered with debris, 55:11 people were down under it and they... 55:14 the poor little things... they just were suffering 55:16 and some were trapped and still alive, 55:19 they put on a very great effort to rescue them, 55:24 there was one little boy... 55:25 after everything was closed up, they said, 55:27 "there's nobody else... we can't go... 55:29 everybody is dead by now" 55:31 but one man kept looking for his boy 55:33 he kept looking... he kept looking, 55:36 he kept screaming his son's name 55:38 and then finally, one day... 55:40 one day it came to pass... 55:42 one day he heard a little faint feeble cry, 55:46 "Father... " "My son... " 55:49 he moved all that rubbish, hands bloody... 55:53 who cares about bloody hands when your child is trapped... 55:57 Audience: "Yes, amen. " 55:58 He pulled every rock he could and he got his child 56:01 and his child looked up at him and said, 56:04 "Father, I knew you would come" 56:06 "How did you know I could come?" 56:09 "Because you said that you would come. " 56:11 Audience: "Amen. " 56:12 "Pass me not... " 56:13 I didn't know what song I wanted to talk to you again, 56:16 these two three times... 56:18 but I think Sister, we'd better change... 56:20 you know the old Evangelists... they change all the time, 56:22 "Pass me not... " 56:23 go on... play a little bit... 56:26 "O gentle Savior hear my humble cry, 56:30 While on others Thou art calling, 56:34 Do not pass me by. " 56:37 "Where two or three are gathered in my name, 56:40 anywhere they are... 56:42 I will be there... " 56:43 So He who promised to be here, 56:47 walking up and down these aisles on Mount Calvary, 56:51 walking up and down your living room, 56:54 wherever you are... 56:55 He won't pass you by... if you just say, 57:00 "Savior... please Savior, hear my humble cry, 57:06 While on others 57:09 Thou art calling... " 57:11 open the doors in the church now, 57:12 "Father God, send your word, you said you'll send your word, 57:18 we're counting on your word to do the job, 57:21 help us to get out of the way, Lord, 57:24 take this little Preacher, put him out of the way, 57:25 set me aside... 57:27 let the people only hear Your word... Your word... 57:30 Your powerful word... 57:32 and Lord, move on that heart... " 57:34 somebody ought to say today, 57:37 "Lord, don't leave me behind, pass me not... " 57:42 Brother Burton, out there, 57:44 do you want Him to stop... reach out His hand to you? 57:50 what do you say, "I will follow you... " 57:53 you just stand up and say, "Preacher, I'll follow Him. " |
Revised 2017-03-01