The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.11\00:00:12.77
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
00:00:12.80\00:00:15.42
is spiraling towards it's
ultimate hour with destiny.
00:00:15.45\00:00:18.43
Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
00:00:18.46\00:00:21.66
Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
00:00:21.69\00:00:24.31
the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
00:00:24.34\00:00:26.75
Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:26.78\00:00:28.61
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
00:00:28.64\00:00:32.53
Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
00:00:32.56\00:00:35.29
God has planned for His people.
00:00:35.32\00:00:38.08
And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.11\00:00:41.28
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
00:00:41.31\00:00:46.62
This morning's subject
we've entitled: [text on screen]
00:00:46.65\00:00:50.18
This is a subject that
you hardly ever hear talked
00:00:50.21\00:00:53.41
about in church, and
yet it's a very significant
00:00:53.44\00:00:56.53
passage in the word of
God, and if God has placed
00:00:56.56\00:00:59.96
it there in the stream of
end time events and He expects
00:00:59.99\00:01:03.07
us to know it and we
should take time to study it.
00:01:03.10\00:01:05.93
So we're going to do
that this morning, would you
00:01:05.96\00:01:08.75
open up to the book of
Revelation with me please,
00:01:08.78\00:01:11.43
what does the Bible have to
say about the US in Scripture?
00:01:11.46\00:01:14.38
Does it say anything at
all? Does it describe the rise
00:01:14.41\00:01:17.27
of America? Well,
as begin this morning
00:01:17.30\00:01:20.14
it's important to note that the
Bible is not just predominantly
00:01:20.17\00:01:23.92
a book of history, does
it have a lot of history?
00:01:23.95\00:01:26.85
Absolutely, it does,
but it's not just history
00:01:26.88\00:01:29.85
because if it was
just history we would say
00:01:29.88\00:01:32.67
"Well, what does the
Bible say about Poland?"
00:01:32.70\00:01:35.46
Or "What does the
Bible say about Russia?"
00:01:35.49\00:01:38.29
"Why doesn't the Bible
mention every single country"
00:01:38.32\00:01:41.17
"in the world?" So
no, the Bible doesn't
00:01:41.20\00:01:43.93
mention every single
country, but the Bible mention
00:01:43.96\00:01:46.81
those specific nations
that come into the plan of
00:01:46.84\00:01:49.64
salvation, or have a direct
relationship upon His people.
00:01:49.67\00:01:52.51
For example, as we open up
the Bible we see the Garden
00:01:52.54\00:01:55.26
of Eden, why?
Because that's where Adam
00:01:55.29\00:01:57.79
and Eve are, that's
where His people are, so that's
00:01:57.82\00:02:00.63
the area of the
world that is focused on.
00:02:00.66\00:02:03.35
Later on we see areas
of the world like Babylon,
00:02:03.38\00:02:06.12
Medo-Persia, Greece
and Rome. Why again?
00:02:06.15\00:02:08.84
Because these areas of the
world bear a direct relationship
00:02:08.87\00:02:12.03
to where God's
covenant people are.
00:02:12.06\00:02:14.81
After Jesus ascended to heaven
we see the gospel going out
00:02:14.84\00:02:17.69
to the world and we
see places like Asia Minor,
00:02:17.72\00:02:20.29
where Paul takes
his missionary journey.
00:02:20.32\00:02:23.06
Yet, we would expect
America to be mentioned
00:02:23.09\00:02:25.83
in Scripture, not just
because it's a political nation
00:02:25.86\00:02:28.64
but because for the first
time a nation has risen up
00:02:28.67\00:02:31.47
with different kinds of
principles, principles that
00:02:31.50\00:02:34.14
nations before it did not
enjoy, principles of freedom of
00:02:34.17\00:02:36.78
religion and
freedom of conscience.
00:02:36.81\00:02:39.41
In Revelation 14 we see God's
last, final warning message
00:02:39.44\00:02:42.73
going to all the world,
culminating in the second
00:02:42.76\00:02:45.35
coming of Jesus.
Revelation 13 then, is a
00:02:45.38\00:02:48.26
connecting link.
It first takes us back
00:02:48.29\00:02:50.94
to the time of the Dark
Ages and shows us some of what
00:02:50.97\00:02:53.49
went on there, and then
it takes us forward in time
00:02:53.52\00:02:56.38
all the way back to the closing
scenes, and shows us what's
00:02:56.41\00:02:59.56
going to happen just
before Jesus returns,
00:02:59.59\00:03:02.02
a very important passage.
So in Revelation 13 we find
00:03:02.05\00:03:07.17
a lot of information, and
we also find that the mark
00:03:07.20\00:03:09.76
of the beast is going
to be strictly enforced.
00:03:09.79\00:03:12.34
It says in Revelation
13:16: [text on screen]
00:03:12.37\00:03:16.07
So those who don't
receive the mark of the beast,
00:03:33.14\00:03:36.66
they'll be boycotted,
they'll be punished, eventually
00:03:36.69\00:03:40.07
they'll be threatened
with death, but those who do
00:03:40.10\00:03:43.03
receive the mark of the
beast, they're in trouble too
00:03:43.06\00:03:46.08
because we've read about that
last night in Revelation 14:9-11
00:03:46.11\00:03:49.38
where it says "if any man
worships the beast and his"
00:03:49.41\00:03:52.67
"image, and receive his mark
on his forehead or in his hand,"
00:03:52.70\00:03:54.71
"the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God."
00:03:54.74\00:03:57.71
So this has been the issue with
God's people throughout time,
00:03:57.74\00:04:00.64
throughout the centuries,
they've always had to decide
00:04:00.67\00:04:03.42
between will they serve
God and take what man gives,
00:04:03.45\00:04:06.28
with God as their protection.
Revelation 13:1 [text on screen]
00:04:06.31\00:04:11.30
We have thoroughly covered
the identity of this power
00:04:28.96\00:04:32.65
in our prophecy
seminar. The Papacy is described
00:04:32.68\00:04:35.98
as having the features of these
other beasts, or these other
00:04:36.01\00:04:39.57
kingdoms because it
emerged from those kingdoms,
00:04:39.60\00:04:42.39
and it took it's identity
from much of the religion
00:04:42.42\00:04:45.11
that survived on from
those pervious kingdoms.
00:04:45.14\00:04:47.57
So let's go down to
verse 3 if we could.
00:04:47.60\00:04:50.67
In verse 3 it
says: [text on screen]
00:04:50.70\00:04:53.72
The Bible tells us that one
of the characteristics of this
00:04:55.54\00:04:57.85
power is that it's going to
reign supreme for 1260 years,
00:04:57.88\00:05:02.38
and at the end of 1260 years
it's going to receive a wound
00:05:02.41\00:05:06.55
so significant that it
would to be referred to
00:05:06.58\00:05:09.29
as the mortal
wound, or a deadly wound.
00:05:09.32\00:05:12.17
We found out that that
is referring to the time
00:05:12.20\00:05:14.90
that the Papacy ruled from
538 all the way down to 1798.
00:05:14.93\00:05:17.59
In 1798 Napoleon sent
his general Berthier down
00:05:17.62\00:05:20.61
into the heart of the Vatican,
there they took the pope
00:05:20.64\00:05:23.82
captive, they confiscated
the property and declared it
00:05:23.85\00:05:26.68
a republic, and everyone in
Europe thought that the Papacy
00:05:26.71\00:05:29.70
was over, that it was finished,
that it would no longer reign.
00:05:29.73\00:05:32.99
The scholars of the day
thought the papacy was finished,
00:05:33.02\00:05:36.09
but the Bible prophecy
went on, and it tells us that
00:05:36.12\00:05:39.67
the deadly wound would be
healed, and so the rest of
00:05:39.70\00:05:43.78
the story, as Paul Harvey would
say, is that the deadly wound
00:05:43.81\00:05:46.44
would be healed and
things would start to change
00:05:46.47\00:05:49.21
after a while. In
Revelation 13:9,10
00:05:49.24\00:05:52.19
it tells us: [text on screen]
00:05:52.22\00:05:54.65
So what it's telling us
here is that because the Papacy
00:05:57.58\00:06:00.81
put people into captivity,
it too will go into captivity
00:06:00.84\00:06:04.07
for a period of time.
It goes on in Revelation 13
00:06:04.10\00:06:07.10
and it says: [text on screen]
00:06:07.13\00:06:09.56
What it's saying is:
"Here is the endurance"
00:06:12.00\00:06:15.50
"during that special,
terrible time of persecution"
00:06:15.53\00:06:17.83
"that's going to go on."
What Revelation is doing here,
00:06:17.86\00:06:21.87
it's positioning us in time.
In Revelation 13:10 it tells us
00:06:21.90\00:06:26.49
the time that the first
beast goes into captivity,
00:06:26.52\00:06:30.66
that is 1798. So
when we know the first
00:06:30.69\00:06:34.18
beast is going into captivity,
now we see another beast
00:06:34.21\00:06:38.18
coming onto the
prophetic scene in verse 11.
00:06:38.21\00:06:42.14
Many people don't realize as
they call this the Antichrist
00:06:42.17\00:06:44.59
chapter that there are
actually 2 beasts mentioned
00:06:44.62\00:06:47.12
in Revelation 13, so
often we talk about the one,
00:06:47.15\00:06:50.04
we don't mention the other.
Revelation 13:11, it says:
00:06:50.07\00:06:55.09
"And I beheld another
beast", so as the first beast
00:06:55.12\00:06:58.60
is going into captivity,
another beast is coming up
00:06:58.63\00:07:01.22
on the scene of history.
This morning we're going
00:07:01.25\00:07:04.14
to study about this
second beast of Revelation 13.
00:07:04.17\00:07:07.07
It says: "And I beheld
another beast coming up out of"
00:07:07.10\00:07:10.04
"the earth and he had 2
horns like a lamb, and he spake"
00:07:10.07\00:07:12.89
"as a dragon." So
some time around 1798,
00:07:12.92\00:07:16.48
some time around the time
that the first beast is going
00:07:16.51\00:07:19.58
into captivity, we've got
another beast, and he's coming
00:07:19.61\00:07:22.44
up out of the
what? Out of the earth;
00:07:22.47\00:07:25.16
I want to hear you this morning
just like I hear you at night,
00:07:25.19\00:07:27.87
those who are coming.
The second beast is coming
00:07:27.90\00:07:30.87
up out of the
what? [Audience] Earth.
00:07:30.90\00:07:33.65
Thank you. And he's
got 2 horns like a lamb
00:07:33.68\00:07:36.67
and he spake as a
dragon. The second beast
00:07:36.70\00:07:39.51
comes up out of the earth,
and the first beast came up
00:07:39.54\00:07:42.50
out of the
water, out of the seas.
00:07:42.53\00:07:45.41
So we've got the first
beast coming up out of the seas,
00:07:45.44\00:07:48.30
the second beast
coming up out of the earth.
00:07:48.33\00:07:50.86
There are some questions
we need to answer about this
00:07:50.89\00:07:53.61
second beast. We want to know:
00:07:53.64\00:07:56.01
[text on screen]
00:07:56.04\00:07:58.07
By answering these
questions we can get a very good
00:08:00.22\00:08:03.13
identity of what's
being spoken about.
00:08:03.16\00:08:05.22
Revelation 17:15, it
tells us: [text on screen]
00:08:05.25\00:08:09.77
So waters represent multitudes
of people, so that's very plain.
00:08:17.51\00:08:21.68
That's actually very
common language, if you have
00:08:21.71\00:08:23.58
a lot of people assembled
in one place we often call it
00:08:23.61\00:08:26.26
"A sea of people", so
that's common usage, we're used
00:08:26.29\00:08:29.28
to that even in
our English language.
00:08:29.31\00:08:32.21
So a beast represents a
kingdom, we found that out
00:08:32.24\00:08:35.01
in Daniel 7:17, 23, so
when you see a beast coming up
00:08:35.04\00:08:39.43
out of the sea, or up out of
the waters, you see a kingdom
00:08:39.46\00:08:42.36
rising up over multitudes
of people, the great sea
00:08:42.39\00:08:45.59
of humanity. Of
course, that exactly
00:08:45.62\00:08:48.35
describes what the Papacy did,
the Papacy grew up in Europe,
00:08:48.38\00:08:51.20
over there among many
civilizations, and the second
00:08:51.23\00:08:54.14
beast, it says,
comes up out of the earth.
00:08:54.17\00:08:56.68
Now, the world is basically
made up of 2 components.
00:08:56.71\00:08:59.89
The world, as it sits for
us today, is basically made of
00:08:59.92\00:09:02.99
2 components:
the land and the sea.
00:09:03.02\00:09:05.65
So if the first beast
comes up out of the sea,
00:09:05.68\00:09:08.72
the second one comes up
out of the land, and the sea
00:09:08.75\00:09:11.32
represents a very densely
populated area of the world
00:09:11.35\00:09:14.12
what would the land represent?
It would represent the opposite.
00:09:14.15\00:09:17.04
It would represent a
very sparsely populated area
00:09:17.07\00:09:19.87
of the world. So
the beat comes up out
00:09:19.90\00:09:22.47
of the sea over the
peopled areas of Europe,
00:09:22.50\00:09:25.42
this power would not
come up in a very people area
00:09:25.45\00:09:28.24
of the world, it would have
to come up in a very sparsely
00:09:28.27\00:09:31.01
populated area. So
let's go to Revelation 12:14,
00:09:31.04\00:09:34.57
it says: [text on screen]
00:09:34.60\00:09:36.75
In Bible prophecy,
what does a woman represent?
00:10:04.44\00:10:08.35
A church, so a woman
represents a church, we get that
00:10:08.38\00:10:11.67
from Scriptures such as 2
Corinthians 11:2 where it says
00:10:11.70\00:10:15.59
[text on screen]
00:10:15.62\00:10:17.68
So what are we being told here?
We're being told that the church
00:10:24.04\00:10:27.30
is married to Jesus,
just as a bride is married
00:10:27.33\00:10:31.20
to a husband. So
the church is compared
00:10:31.23\00:10:34.19
to a woman in Bible prophecy.
When you see a very chaste
00:10:34.22\00:10:36.83
woman represented, you're
seeing a very pure church,
00:10:36.86\00:10:39.83
a pure faith; when you see
a corrupt woman represented
00:10:39.86\00:10:42.67
as you do in Revelation 17,
you're seeing an apostate church
00:10:42.70\00:10:45.85
being represented.
When we see a woman
00:10:45.88\00:10:47.55
fleeing into the wilderness,
you're seeing the church,
00:10:47.58\00:10:50.62
because of persecution
that is coming upon it,
00:10:50.65\00:10:53.22
fleeing underground, it's
going into hiding, it's going
00:10:53.25\00:10:55.88
into obscurity because of
the fact that visible church
00:10:55.91\00:10:59.58
is persecuting it.
We know that during
00:10:59.61\00:11:01.97
the Dark Ages faithful
groups like the Waldensians,
00:11:02.00\00:11:04.95
and the Albigenses, and
the Huguenots, and these
00:11:04.98\00:11:07.80
faithful worshippers of God
had to flee into remote places
00:11:07.83\00:11:10.42
up in the Italian alps
and in the French mountains,
00:11:10.45\00:11:13.27
and these kind of
places in order to have a place
00:11:13.30\00:11:16.27
where they could worship
God according to their own
00:11:16.30\00:11:19.05
consciences,
according to Scripture.
00:11:19.08\00:11:21.74
If they came up into the visible
areas they would be killed,
00:11:21.77\00:11:24.70
so the church fled from
the face of the serpent.
00:11:24.73\00:11:27.24
And then it says in
verse 15: "And the Devil cast"
00:11:27.27\00:11:30.40
"out of his mouth water
as a flood after the woman."
00:11:30.43\00:11:34.13
What do the
flood waters represent?
00:11:34.16\00:11:36.44
In Isaiah 59:19 we
get an answer to that:
00:11:36.47\00:11:39.70
[text on screen]
00:11:39.73\00:11:41.70
So the enemies of the church
are compared to flood waters.
00:11:46.19\00:11:50.46
So now we find that the flood
waters are coming after God's
00:11:50.49\00:11:53.18
people, the rescue plan
comes in Revelation 12:16.
00:11:53.21\00:11:58.80
And Revelation 12:16
says: "And the earth helped"
00:11:58.83\00:12:01.76
"the woman, and the
earth opened her mouth"
00:12:01.79\00:12:03.91
"and swallowed up the
flood which the Dragon cast"
00:12:03.94\00:12:07.05
"out of his mouth." So
the earth, like a dry sponge,
00:12:07.08\00:12:12.38
was able to soak
up the flood waters.
00:12:12.41\00:12:15.12
Satan cast all this
persecution out of his mouth,
00:12:15.15\00:12:17.46
God opened up a rescue
area of the world, and the Bible
00:12:17.49\00:12:20.59
tells us that it's
called "the earth".
00:12:20.62\00:12:23.20
In other words,
it's some new place.
00:12:23.23\00:12:25.74
Some specific place of
the world was opened up
00:12:25.77\00:12:29.25
where God's
people could flee to.
00:12:29.28\00:12:32.10
The second question is:
when did this power arise?
00:12:32.13\00:12:34.95
Well, we've already
answered that, it says
00:12:34.98\00:12:38.05
the Papacy went into captivity
in 1798, and at the same
00:12:38.08\00:12:40.90
time that the Papacy was going
into captivity, somewhere around
00:12:40.93\00:12:43.90
that time a young
nation was coming up.
00:12:43.93\00:12:46.76
So we're told that this
nation had 2 horns like a lamb,
00:12:46.79\00:12:50.64
so it's going to
be a young nation.
00:12:50.67\00:12:54.80
Some area of the world
that's unpopulated, we're going
00:12:56.49\00:12:59.64
to see a nation rise
up. The third question is
00:12:59.67\00:13:02.41
how does this power
arise? Because it says it has
00:13:02.44\00:13:05.46
lamb-like horns, we wouldn't
expect it to be as ferocious
00:13:05.49\00:13:09.47
as these other beasts that
are talked about in the book
00:13:09.50\00:13:12.43
of Revelation. The beasts
00:13:12.46\00:13:14.69
of Daniel 7 were all
beasts of prey, weren't they?
00:13:14.72\00:13:17.53
And the beasts of prey,
they conquer other nations,
00:13:17.56\00:13:21.41
they devour them in a
ferocious way: through wars
00:13:21.44\00:13:24.96
and such-like things, they
devour people and they in turn
00:13:24.99\00:13:29.53
are devoured; but this
one is different, it doesn't
00:13:29.56\00:13:32.36
have that same kind
of ferocious nature.
00:13:32.39\00:13:35.52
Jesus is symbolized by a
lamb because God's principles
00:13:35.55\00:13:38.90
are different than
the world's principles.
00:13:38.93\00:13:41.64
There's no force here, there's
no coercion, with Jesus there's
00:13:41.67\00:13:44.68
no reason to fear,
and I appreciate that.
00:13:44.71\00:13:46.98
The prophecies are
written in symbolic language
00:13:47.01\00:13:49.43
and therefore it's very
important that the symbol
00:13:49.46\00:13:52.28
be a correct symbol so we
will apply it in the right way
00:13:52.31\00:13:54.77
and come up with
the right answer.
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.89
This nation rose into power
rather than conquering some
00:13:56.92\00:14:00.45
other advanced civilization.
The first beast that rose
00:14:00.48\00:14:04.07
up that we know is the Papacy,
it had 10 horns representing
00:14:04.10\00:14:07.33
the 10 divisions of Europe,
and what were on the horns?
00:14:07.36\00:14:11.65
Crowns were on the horns.
00:14:11.68\00:14:16.53
The second beast that comes up
out of the earth is different,
00:14:16.56\00:14:19.56
crowns represent kingly
authority, it came up over
00:14:19.59\00:14:22.84
in Europe and monarchies were
reigning all over the countries
00:14:22.87\00:14:26.78
of Europe, but the second beast
that comes up out of the earth,
00:14:26.81\00:14:30.51
it has 2 horns, but it
has no crowns on the horns,
00:14:30.54\00:14:34.22
there is a notable
absence here, isn't there?
00:14:34.25\00:14:36.72
So by the absence of crowns,
meaning there is no ruling king,
00:14:36.75\00:14:40.75
or no monarchy, we now
have the understanding that this
00:14:40.78\00:14:44.77
kingdom is going to be
ruled by the people, it's going
00:14:44.80\00:14:47.36
to have freedom that these
other nations did not have.
00:14:47.39\00:14:50.92
We have a prophecy that
deals with a nation coming up,
00:14:50.95\00:14:54.24
arising around 1978,
around the time the first beast
00:14:54.27\00:14:57.82
goes into captivity.
We find it is a arising
00:14:57.85\00:15:00.41
in a relatively unpopulated
area given the fact that it is
00:15:00.44\00:15:03.46
coming up out of the
earth and not the sea.
00:15:03.49\00:15:05.69
It's going to be a young nation,
given the fact that the horns
00:15:05.72\00:15:08.15
are going to be lamb-like,
and also because it's going
00:15:08.18\00:15:11.78
to be lamb-like it would
espouse Christ-like principles.
00:15:11.81\00:15:14.34
It also would have no
crowned head, meaning no kingly
00:15:14.37\00:15:16.85
authority, it's going
to be ruled by the people,
00:15:16.88\00:15:19.71
and also it would arise to
a position of worldwide power,
00:15:19.74\00:15:22.23
worldwide influence.
Well, after going through
00:15:22.26\00:15:24.85
these 5 rather quick, but
very telling identifying marks
00:15:24.88\00:15:27.99
we can come to only 1 conclusion
as to what we're talking about.
00:15:28.02\00:15:31.92
The only nation that was rising
to power in and around 1798
00:15:31.95\00:15:35.43
in a relatively
unpopulated area of the world
00:15:35.46\00:15:38.06
with these kinds of principles
as its foundation is what
00:15:38.09\00:15:40.85
we call the
United States of America.
00:15:40.88\00:15:46.11
A new power in a new society
is how the Bible describes
00:15:46.14\00:15:50.19
this nation. The
Bible tells us that it was
00:15:50.22\00:15:52.83
in a relatively
unpopulated are of the world.
00:15:52.86\00:15:55.30
Yes, there were people
here, no doubt about it,
00:15:55.33\00:15:57.67
but there weren't multitudes
of people here, and that's
00:15:57.70\00:16:00.44
the difference that
we're talking about.
00:16:00.47\00:16:03.19
Satan sent out a flood of
persecution upon the church
00:16:03.22\00:16:06.39
over in Europe, and in order to
flee the religious persecution
00:16:06.42\00:16:09.73
that was there, the founders
of this nation came over
00:16:09.76\00:16:11.98
to find another country.
In order to know the history
00:16:12.01\00:16:15.04
of the USA, you need to
know how it was founded.
00:16:15.07\00:16:18.45
Many times people came over
here afterwards for financial
00:16:18.48\00:16:20.85
reasons, but in the
beginning it wasn't financial.
00:16:20.88\00:16:23.19
In the beginning it was because
of religious persecution,
00:16:23.22\00:16:26.12
so yes, we find that
the pilgrims came over on
00:16:26.15\00:16:28.72
the Mayflower, and when
they came over on the Mayflower
00:16:28.75\00:16:31.24
they knelt down on their
knees on the shores of America
00:16:31.27\00:16:33.46
and they thanked God for a
country where they could worship
00:16:33.49\00:16:35.79
as they desired.
They wanted to be free
00:16:35.82\00:16:39.04
from the chains of persecution,
they saw what happened
00:16:39.07\00:16:41.49
when you had a church-state
system over in Europe,
00:16:41.52\00:16:43.97
so they wanted a country
without a king, and they wanted
00:16:44.00\00:16:46.96
a church without a
Pope. That's what they desired
00:16:46.99\00:16:50.11
and it is over here in
this nation that they found
00:16:50.14\00:16:52.95
refuge, they found a place
where truly they could worship
00:16:52.98\00:16:55.57
as they felt the
Bible taught them.
00:16:55.60\00:16:58.09
Abraham Lincoln, I love how
he said it, he said it was to be
00:16:58.12\00:17:01.01
a nation "of the people, by
the people, and for the people".
00:17:01.04\00:17:03.92
This prophecy that
shows us what's going on here,
00:17:03.95\00:17:06.64
it pictures the woman
fleeing with 2 wings as of
00:17:06.67\00:17:08.93
a great eagle.
Isn't it interesting that
00:17:08.96\00:17:11.78
the USA has chosen as
its emblem the great eagle.
00:17:11.81\00:17:14.82
I think that's more than
just coincidence that that has
00:17:14.85\00:17:17.90
taken place. The
USA, historically,
00:17:17.93\00:17:22.36
geographically, religiously,
and politically all fit
00:17:22.39\00:17:26.64
the identifying marks
in Revelation 12 and 13.
00:17:26.67\00:17:31.39
The horns would be lamb-like,
so it was a power that was
00:17:31.42\00:17:35.57
to be Christ-like. It
is true that this nation
00:17:35.60\00:17:39.35
hasn't always had
peace, it has had war,
00:17:39.38\00:17:42.69
but it's a nation that
desires peace, it's a nation
00:17:42.72\00:17:45.63
that desires to live in a
peaceful way with the world.
00:17:45.66\00:17:49.44
America was built on
different kinds of principles
00:17:49.47\00:17:52.40
than the nations that came
before it, let me share with you
00:17:52.43\00:17:55.13
what some of the
founding fathers had to say
00:17:55.16\00:17:57.75
about what they
desired to see in this country.
00:17:57.78\00:18:00.28
The first one would be
from George Washington,
00:18:00.31\00:18:03.00
the first American
president, and he said this:
00:18:03.03\00:18:05.95
[text on screen]
00:18:05.98\00:18:08.19
This is what George
Washington had to say.
00:18:16.72\00:18:19.47
Now, Ulysses S. Grant who
was the great civil war hero,
00:18:19.50\00:18:22.36
and later became a president
of the US after Abraham Lincoln,
00:18:22.39\00:18:24.99
he said this: [text on screen]
00:18:25.02\00:18:27.52
One thing we want to
mention as we read these kinds
00:18:34.96\00:18:38.09
of quotes, the
founding fathers believe in God.
00:18:38.12\00:18:41.05
The founding fathers
desired to see this nation
00:18:41.08\00:18:43.86
built on Christ-like
principles, they desired to see
00:18:43.89\00:18:46.36
the principles of Christianity
and work in our society,
00:18:46.39\00:18:49.30
but they did not want
to see religion mandated by
00:18:49.33\00:18:51.77
the government.
That's the difference,
00:18:51.80\00:18:54.36
they believed in God,
they believed in the Bible
00:18:54.39\00:18:56.97
and they believed in
the principles of the Bible,
00:18:57.00\00:18:59.47
and they longed to see a nation
established along the lines
00:18:59.50\00:19:02.47
of the principles of the Bible,
but they saw what happened
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.27
over there in Europe
when you mandated religion.
00:19:05.30\00:19:09.11
You see, when you
mandate religion it's okay
00:19:09.14\00:19:12.04
when you're in the
majority and you believe what's
00:19:12.07\00:19:15.10
being mandated, but when you're
in the minority, watch out,
00:19:15.13\00:19:18.18
then you're in real
trouble. So what we're seeing
00:19:18.21\00:19:20.86
is that the founding fathers
believed in religious freedom
00:19:20.89\00:19:23.62
and this nation has grown
and prospered because of 2 main
00:19:23.65\00:19:26.51
principles that we believe
are represented by those 2 horns
00:19:26.54\00:19:29.33
on the second
beast of Revelation 13.
00:19:29.36\00:19:32.20
The main principle, Nr.1-
civil liberty, freedom from
00:19:32.23\00:19:34.83
the tyranny of a king;
and Nr.2- religious liberty,
00:19:34.86\00:19:37.67
freedom from the
tyranny of a pope.
00:19:37.70\00:19:40.24
What about the future of the US?
00:19:40.27\00:19:42.85
Does the Bible teach that
the freedoms that we have long
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.81
enjoyed in this nation will
continue on into the future?
00:19:45.84\00:19:48.57
What does prophecy reveal?
That's the question for us here.
00:19:48.60\00:19:51.29
Let's go to Revelation
13:11, it says: [text on screen]
00:19:51.32\00:19:55.87
This once Christ-like
nation that started out so well
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.95
ultimately speaks as a
dragon. So what we're reading
00:20:04.98\00:20:07.67
is that it really is a
dragon in sheep's clothing,
00:20:07.70\00:20:10.89
it is a lamb for a
while, but the nature changes.
00:20:10.92\00:20:16.20
It seems like such a
contradiction in terms,
00:20:16.23\00:20:18.84
but a change is
going to take place.
00:20:18.87\00:20:21.40
So when it says it speaks like
a dragon, what's happening here?
00:20:21.43\00:20:23.97
What's going on is the
Bible is attributing man-like
00:20:24.00\00:20:27.55
characteristics to a nation.
If a nation is going to speak,
00:20:27.58\00:20:32.02
how does a nation speak?
It says the nation is going
00:20:32.05\00:20:34.97
to speak, we need to
know how a nation speaks.
00:20:35.00\00:20:37.67
Well, a nation speaks through
the laws that it legislates,
00:20:37.70\00:20:40.68
through its congress,
through its halls of congress.
00:20:40.71\00:20:43.51
When it says it's
going to cause, that means
00:20:43.54\00:20:45.86
it's going to enforce.
Look at this next verse up here.
00:20:45.89\00:20:49.05
Revelation 13:12, it
says: [text on screen]
00:20:49.08\00:20:52.59
What we're seeing here is
God's headlines for the future,
00:21:04.50\00:21:11.02
ever thought about it that way?
The evening news in advance.
00:21:11.05\00:21:14.22
I don't know how many of
you watch the evening news,
00:21:14.25\00:21:16.99
but when you get the evening
news you're getting what's
00:21:17.02\00:21:19.67
happening that day.
But here we're finding out
00:21:19.70\00:21:22.43
that this is for the
headlines for the future.
00:21:22.46\00:21:25.22
The US that begins in such
a noble way, begins in such
00:21:25.25\00:21:27.85
an innocent way, eventually
returns back to the spirit
00:21:27.88\00:21:31.62
of religious intolerance.
It shows that that old dragon,
00:21:31.65\00:21:36.05
the Devil himself, is
going to get his dirty claws
00:21:36.08\00:21:39.12
right into the heart of
Protestant America and through
00:21:39.15\00:21:41.96
working in this country he's
going to turn the government
00:21:41.99\00:21:44.76
in such a way that it's going
to revert back to the style
00:21:44.79\00:21:48.09
of the old world Europe.
So the new world, as it was
00:21:48.12\00:21:51.06
often called, reverts
eventually back to the style
00:21:51.09\00:21:53.68
of the old world in
trampling upon the rights of
00:21:53.71\00:21:56.43
people's consciences.
00:21:56.46\00:21:59.05
Here it's predicted that
Protestant America reaches
00:21:59.08\00:22:02.64
its hand across the gulf, it
clasps the hand of Papal Europe
00:22:02.67\00:22:08.27
and there's going
to be a coalition.
00:22:08.30\00:22:10.16
Notice, in the prophecy
it doesn't say that the first
00:22:10.19\00:22:13.81
beast, the Papacy is
going to do all the work,
00:22:13.84\00:22:16.09
it's the second beast
that's going to do the work
00:22:16.12\00:22:18.95
in the sight of the first beast,
so if you ever have any doubt
00:22:18.98\00:22:23.43
that these 2 nations are working
together, all you have to do
00:22:23.46\00:22:26.14
is take a look at
what's going on in the news.
00:22:26.17\00:22:28.80
Do we have an ambassador from
the US to the Baptist church
00:22:28.83\00:22:32.30
of America? No.
Do we have one to
00:22:32.33\00:22:34.84
the Presbyterian
church of America? No.
00:22:34.87\00:22:37.06
Do we have one to the Adventist
churches in America? No.
00:22:37.09\00:22:40.46
Do we have one to the
Vatican? Yes we do, why?
00:22:40.49\00:22:43.58
Because it's not just a church,
it's a church-state system.
00:22:43.61\00:22:47.94
This one former ambassador,
understanding the relationship
00:22:47.97\00:22:52.61
between these 2
powers, the US and the Vatican,
00:22:52.64\00:22:55.36
had this to say, he
said: "I believe that the US,"
00:22:55.39\00:22:59.39
"as the world's only
superpower, and the Holy See",
00:22:59.42\00:23:02.84
that's the
officials of the Vatican,
00:23:02.87\00:23:05.62
"as the only worldwide political
sovereignty have significant"
00:23:05.65\00:23:09.02
"roles to play in the future.
Their actions will impact"
00:23:09.05\00:23:12.57
"the lives of people in
all parts of the globe."
00:23:12.60\00:23:15.44
This man did not understand
how prophetic his words
00:23:15.47\00:23:18.02
actually were.
Working closer and closer
00:23:18.05\00:23:20.70
together, these 2 powers
are going to impact what goes on
00:23:20.73\00:23:24.04
in the future. Let's go back to
00:23:24.07\00:23:27.35
Revelation 13:12 and
it says: [text on screen]
00:23:27.38\00:23:32.30
Who's doing the speaking?
It says he's going to speak
00:23:56.88\00:23:59.66
and cause. Well,
the US is going to do
00:23:59.69\00:24:02.43
the US, is not the US the lone
superpower of the world tonight?
00:24:02.46\00:24:05.58
Absolutely, it is.
Is not the US the lone
00:24:05.61\00:24:09.33
influential spokes
person for the world?
00:24:09.36\00:24:12.28
It absolutely is.
What's this spokes person
00:24:12.31\00:24:15.04
power going to say?
Listen carefully to verse 14,
00:24:15.07\00:24:19.06
it says: [text on screen]
00:24:19.09\00:24:21.92
So the US is going to
speak to nations everywhere,
00:24:28.95\00:24:31.80
what is he going to
say? [continues to read]
00:24:31.83\00:24:35.46
Once again, this is far in
advance of the evening news.
00:24:39.81\00:24:43.50
When it says that there's going
to be an image to the beast,
00:24:43.53\00:24:46.31
what exactly is this
image that's being talked about?
00:24:46.34\00:24:50.20
Well, an image is a
likeness, so there's going to be
00:24:50.23\00:24:52.79
a political likeness
made to the beast, the Papal
00:24:52.82\00:24:56.75
church-state system
of coercion we could say,
00:24:56.78\00:24:59.45
that's going to be set up, it's
going to be established right
00:24:59.48\00:25:02.84
here in beautiful America,
and it says that it's done
00:25:02.87\00:25:06.72
in the sight of the
beast. So once again, it's not
00:25:06.75\00:25:09.15
the beast power that does
all the work in the last days,
00:25:09.18\00:25:11.95
it's going to be this
second power that legislates
00:25:11.98\00:25:15.33
and enforces law in the presence
of the beast, that's what
00:25:15.36\00:25:19.24
prophecy is saying. In
other words, the US is going
00:25:19.27\00:25:21.97
to create an image to the beast.
It doesn't mean that everyone
00:25:22.00\00:25:25.35
in the US is going to
become Catholic, but it means
00:25:25.38\00:25:28.07
that the US will being to
image what the first beast
00:25:28.10\00:25:31.46
was all about. I'm
trying to say it in several
00:25:31.49\00:25:34.26
ways so that
there's no misunderstanding.
00:25:34.29\00:25:37.12
The first beast, the
Papacy, enforced religious law,
00:25:37.15\00:25:40.23
that's what they're known
for throughout the centuries.
00:25:40.26\00:25:42.86
Essentially, there's
no separation of church
00:25:42.89\00:25:45.82
and state there, church
and state are one when you talk
00:25:45.85\00:25:48.63
about the Papacy.
One thing I love about
00:25:48.66\00:25:51.29
our God is He is
not a God of force.
00:25:51.32\00:25:53.54
God does not try to
force people to love Him,
00:25:53.57\00:25:55.50
it's the Devil who forces, isn't
it? God respects human freedom.
00:25:55.53\00:25:59.70
God respects the ability
of people to be able to make
00:25:59.73\00:26:02.59
a choice for them
self, who they want to serve.
00:26:02.62\00:26:05.00
The first beast, the
Papacy, enforced religious law
00:26:05.03\00:26:11.48
and when we see in this
country the image of the beast,
00:26:11.51\00:26:14.94
what we're seeing is that
we're going to see leaders
00:26:14.97\00:26:17.38
in America, in the churches
of America, go to the political
00:26:17.41\00:26:22.15
leaders of the country and
they're going to say something
00:26:22.18\00:26:24.63
along the lines of "we need
to get this nation back to God".
00:26:24.66\00:26:28.46
So what you're seeing is
there will be a dismantling
00:26:28.49\00:26:32.40
of the current system of
separation of church and state
00:26:32.43\00:26:36.29
by well meaning, but
misinformed, misguided
00:26:36.32\00:26:41.04
people who say "let's
get our country back to God,"
00:26:41.07\00:26:44.16
"let's legislate religious law".
That's the result of religion
00:26:44.19\00:26:48.15
gone bad. When religion is good,
00:26:48.18\00:26:50.73
it's one thing, when religion
goes bad, it's quite another.
00:26:50.76\00:26:54.00
Benjamin Franklin was a very
astute reasoner, and Benjamin
00:26:54.03\00:26:56.88
Franklin said
this: [text on screen]
00:26:56.91\00:26:59.83
He was a pretty
astute reasoner, wasn't he?
00:27:19.49\00:27:21.63
Benjamin Franklin understood
that if religion is proper,
00:27:21.66\00:27:24.77
God will sustain it.
It is the goodness of God
00:27:24.80\00:27:28.47
that leads us to
repentance, not force.
00:27:28.50\00:27:33.24
When someone has to force the
religion upon another person,
00:27:33.27\00:27:36.08
you know that
something is not right with it.
00:27:36.11\00:27:38.73
Now, in an attempt to get moral
values back to this country,
00:27:38.76\00:27:43.06
the laws will go too far by
legislating something that Bible
00:27:43.09\00:27:47.45
commandment keeping
Christians can't go along with.
00:27:47.48\00:27:51.69
If you want to know what
the image of the beast is going
00:27:51.72\00:27:54.38
to be like, friends all
you have to do is look back
00:27:54.41\00:27:56.96
in history and see what
was the beast like in the time
00:27:56.99\00:27:59.65
of the Dark Ages. In
the time of the Dark Ages
00:27:59.68\00:28:02.38
when Pagan teachings and
Pagan practices were drawn
00:28:02.41\00:28:05.15
into the church, the Holy
Spirit departed from the church
00:28:05.18\00:28:08.10
because the Holy Spirit
can't endorse error, and when
00:28:08.13\00:28:11.66
the Holy Spirit departed from
the church, in order to mandate
00:28:11.69\00:28:14.62
what they wanted to do,
they went to the civil power
00:28:14.65\00:28:17.46
and they said: "We want you to
back us up", and then you have
00:28:17.49\00:28:20.15
the beast power. The
beast power, we've already
00:28:20.18\00:28:23.44
talked about it in our seminar,
is built on certain principles.
00:28:23.47\00:28:27.51
One is that they
claim to take God's place
00:28:27.54\00:28:30.47
on earth and because they claim
to take God's place on earth,
00:28:30.50\00:28:33.42
they claim to be able
to enforce religious law,
00:28:33.45\00:28:35.53
they say they have
that right and authority.
00:28:35.56\00:28:38.55
One particular Catholic,
C.S Thomas, Chancellor of
00:28:38.58\00:28:42.24
Cardinal Gibbons, he
said this: [text on screen]
00:28:42.27\00:28:46.13
Speaking of the change
from Saturday to Sunday,
00:28:48.74\00:28:51.53
he says: [continues to read]
00:28:51.56\00:28:53.90
So they're saying: "We
have God's place on earth,"
00:28:58.06\00:29:01.50
"we can make religious
law, and the fact that we have"
00:29:01.53\00:29:04.93
"changed the Sabbath is
a mark of that authority"
00:29:04.96\00:29:07.87
"because if we have made
that change and the churches"
00:29:07.90\00:29:10.86
"of the earth basically go along
with this, then that shows"
00:29:10.89\00:29:13.43
"that we can
make religious law."
00:29:13.46\00:29:15.08
One more from the Catholic
Record, it says, speaking of
00:29:15.11\00:29:19.12
the Catholic church,
it says: [text on screen]
00:29:19.15\00:29:22.87
Friends, Sunday keeping
has nothing to do with Jesus.
00:29:26.22\00:29:30.08
It has everything
to do with Paganism.
00:29:30.11\00:29:32.21
Paganism gave it over to
Papalism, and Papalism gave it
00:29:32.24\00:29:36.70
over to Protestantism,
and Protestantism is keeping
00:29:36.73\00:29:39.29
it today as a tradition,
not as a principle of Scripture.
00:29:39.32\00:29:42.84
The Bible doesn't forbid
the worship of God on any day,
00:29:42.87\00:29:47.25
but when religion is
forced upon people by law,
00:29:47.28\00:29:50.96
now you've got the makings
of the mark of the beast,
00:29:50.99\00:29:53.47
and the image to the beast.
00:29:53.50\00:29:55.87
Revelation 13 is where we've
been studying this morning,
00:29:55.90\00:29:59.58
it's speaking now of a
world wide monetary control
00:29:59.61\00:30:04.40
coming upon God's people
down at the end of time in order
00:30:04.43\00:30:07.08
to try and force them to come
into compliance with this issue
00:30:07.11\00:30:12.08
of Sunday keeping.
When a nation becomes more
00:30:12.11\00:30:15.53
and more engulfed in disasters,
when more and more problems
00:30:15.56\00:30:19.30
come upon the economy, natural
disasters start to occur,
00:30:19.33\00:30:23.11
people start to get worried,
and when people start to get
00:30:23.14\00:30:26.40
insecure they're willing to sell
out freedoms in order to have
00:30:26.43\00:30:29.72
security. The final show down
00:30:29.75\00:30:32.52
is going to come between true
and false worship, and it says
00:30:32.55\00:30:35.48
in Revelation 13 that a
mark will come those who
00:30:35.51\00:30:38.64
compromise upon their forehead
or upon their right hand.
00:30:38.67\00:30:41.84
I shared this last night,
but let me briefly go through it
00:30:41.87\00:30:44.04
right now. When
it says that there's
00:30:44.07\00:30:46.51
is going to be a mark on the
forehead or on the right hand,
00:30:46.54\00:30:49.37
what are we talking
about? We're talking about
00:30:49.40\00:30:52.28
"in the forehead"
meaning that these people have
00:30:52.31\00:30:55.12
intellectually sold out their
allegiance to the beast power,
00:30:55.15\00:30:57.80
they're thinking like the beast,
they believe that God's law
00:30:57.83\00:31:00.94
either can be done away
with or God' law can be changed,
00:31:00.97\00:31:03.78
or altered somehow to
fit their particular liking,
00:31:03.81\00:31:06.57
they're thinking rebellion
like the beast is a power
00:31:06.60\00:31:09.64
of rebellion against God,
but the ones who receive it
00:31:09.67\00:31:12.47
on the hand,
that's a different issue.
00:31:12.50\00:31:15.05
They're acting out rebellion,
they may not agree with
00:31:15.08\00:31:17.88
what the issues are, they might
not agree with what the law says
00:31:17.91\00:31:20.82
but they might go along
with it anyway, that is forced
00:31:20.85\00:31:23.89
compliance. Once
again, the Devil doesn't
00:31:23.92\00:31:26.47
care how he gets
us, isn't that right?
00:31:26.50\00:31:29.29
The Devil doesn't care if
he can get you to believe it
00:31:29.32\00:31:32.04
or if he can never get you
to believe it, as long as he
00:31:32.07\00:31:34.86
can force you to go
along with the issue.
00:31:34.89\00:31:37.43
So some will get it in the
forehead, and some will get it
00:31:37.46\00:31:40.23
in the hand.
Some people will say
00:31:40.26\00:31:42.31
"Well, I'm sincere in what
I'm doing. I may not be doing"
00:31:42.34\00:31:45.08
"according to all what the Bible
says, but I'm sincere in what"
00:31:45.11\00:31:48.17
"I'm doing, and therefore
God's going to see me through."
00:31:48.20\00:31:50.90
It doesn't matter, they'll just
get the mark in the forehead.
00:31:50.93\00:31:53.81
People will intellectually
try to convince God's people
00:31:53.84\00:31:56.59
to go down a wrong road,
and friends, don't be mistaken,
00:31:56.62\00:31:59.30
they will put forth
some powerful arguments
00:31:59.33\00:32:01.97
before it's all through.
They'll put forth arguments
00:32:02.00\00:32:04.74
like this, they'll say: "we've
got terrorism in our world,"
00:32:04.77\00:32:07.61
"and we've got bombs dropping
all over in streets of cities,"
00:32:07.64\00:32:10.23
"and we've got drugs
running rampant, and we've got"
00:32:10.26\00:32:12.87
"abortions constantly, and
we've got runaway immorality,"
00:32:12.90\00:32:15.70
"and crime, and violence,
terrible violence going on!"
00:32:15.73\00:32:18.41
So with all of these things
happening the powers that be
00:32:18.44\00:32:21.30
will say: "Why don't we just
drop our differences, why don't"
00:32:21.33\00:32:24.11
"we just forget all
these things that separate us,"
00:32:24.14\00:32:26.93
"and we're just going to join
hands and we're going to sing"
00:32:26.96\00:32:29.84
" 'We're one in the Spirit,
one in the Lord', and if"
00:32:29.87\00:32:32.64
"the majority of the
people go to church on Sunday,"
00:32:32.67\00:32:35.41
"why don't we just
go to church on Sunday?"
00:32:35.44\00:32:38.34
Friends, it's going to be very
very difficult to go against
00:32:38.37\00:32:41.32
the popular flow.
Many people succumb because
00:32:41.35\00:32:43.82
of what we might
call peer pressure.
00:32:43.85\00:32:46.53
If September 11, 2001,
has taught us anything,
00:32:46.56\00:32:49.11
it's taught us how quickly
a diverse nation can come
00:32:49.14\00:32:51.95
together under a certain
cause. This nation came together
00:32:51.98\00:32:54.78
in a hurry. A war
on terrorism can be
00:32:54.81\00:32:57.36
applauded, but prophecy
speaks that the world's last
00:32:57.39\00:33:00.15
remaining superpower will
not always be just, as sad
00:33:00.18\00:33:04.66
as that is, it's lamb-like
power of freedom and democracy
00:33:04.69\00:33:08.81
will turn, and it will
speak like a ferocious dragon
00:33:08.84\00:33:13.75
in the future.
Some laws can be passed
00:33:13.78\00:33:16.52
very quickly
under crisis situations.
00:33:16.55\00:33:19.29
Let me share with you what
some of the current political
00:33:19.32\00:33:21.31
leaders are talking about even
as we sit here this morning.
00:33:21.34\00:33:24.69
Pat Robertson, of
course you know who he is,
00:33:24.72\00:33:27.94
very popular person, he became
the founder of the Christian
00:33:27.97\00:33:31.16
Coalition. In his
book "The New World Order"
00:33:31.19\00:33:33.68
Pat Robertson said
this: [text on screen]
00:33:33.71\00:33:37.03
So he's lamenting the fact
that they don't have mandated
00:34:05.17\00:34:08.06
Sunday laws right now.
"We used to have them",
00:34:08.09\00:34:10.69
he's saying, "we need them
now". It goes on, Jerry Farwell
00:34:10.72\00:34:14.56
has something to say on
this, you know who he is,
00:34:14.59\00:34:16.46
a very popular religious leader
in America, he's on TV all
00:34:16.49\00:34:19.39
the time voicing his opinion.
He said: [text on screen]
00:34:19.42\00:34:23.87
"Federal law", that's a national
law, [continues to read]
00:34:25.23\00:34:32.73
Friends, when he says "Sabbath",
he doesn't mean the 7th day,
00:34:32.76\00:34:35.62
he's talking about Sunday,
the first day of the week.
00:34:35.65\00:34:38.34
But even if he did talk
about the 7th day, we still
00:34:38.37\00:34:41.04
wouldn't want it mandated.
It still would be wrong
00:34:41.07\00:34:43.93
either way. Once again,
Pat Robertson had to say:
00:34:43.96\00:34:47.17
[text on screen]
00:34:47.20\00:34:49.35
Even one of the former
editors of "Christianity Today"
00:35:13.05\00:35:16.45
weighed in on this, and
this is a very popular magazine,
00:35:16.48\00:35:19.26
it may be the most influential
magazine in the Christian world,
00:35:19.29\00:35:22.35
and it says in this magazine,
speaking of this editor,
00:35:22.38\00:35:25.02
he said: [text on screen]
00:35:25.05\00:35:28.19
"legislative fiat" means
"by a law", [continues to read]
00:35:31.07\00:35:35.57
Even the Supreme Court Justice,
Justice William Rehnquist
00:35:36.68\00:35:40.54
recently went on record
as saying: [text on screen]
00:35:40.57\00:35:44.69
You know when the
chief justice starts to speak
00:35:46.11\00:35:47.77
that way that the fulfillment
of prophecy is not far off
00:35:47.80\00:35:50.99
in the future. Church
and state will unite once
00:35:51.02\00:35:54.22
again in this
country. One particular man,
00:35:54.25\00:35:57.38
Ed Dobson, not to be
confused with Dr. James Dobson
00:35:57.41\00:36:00.35
of "Focus on the Family",
but Ed Dobson, he looked through
00:36:00.38\00:36:02.85
these issues and he saw
the real bottom line problem
00:36:02.88\00:36:08.04
and notices what he says in
this book, "Blinded by Might",
00:36:08.07\00:36:10.66
he said: [text on screen]
00:36:10.69\00:36:13.25
Friends, this man had it
right. If people of a nation are
00:36:35.47\00:36:40.49
not wanting to live in
a righteous way, no law
00:36:40.52\00:36:44.18
and no congress can
make a person righteous
00:36:44.21\00:36:48.10
because righteousness
comes through the indwelling of
00:36:48.13\00:36:50.96
the Holy Spirit, and it is
only as we surrender our hearts
00:36:50.99\00:36:54.61
to the Holy Spirit can
He truly make us righteous,
00:36:54.64\00:36:56.92
that's the duty of the
gospel. That's that the work
00:36:56.95\00:37:00.01
of the gospel, it is the
duty of God's people to go out
00:37:00.04\00:37:02.89
and preach the gospel.
Churches today are coming
00:37:02.92\00:37:05.81
together at
enormous speed, aren't they?
00:37:05.84\00:37:08.23
Rapid fire speed; churches
today are dropping those
00:37:08.26\00:37:11.09
differences that they once
had, trying to unite on points
00:37:11.12\00:37:14.32
that they have in common.
For example, we have articles
00:37:14.35\00:37:17.05
about the Lutherans and
the Episcopalians uniting.
00:37:17.08\00:37:19.85
You've got Catholics
meeting with the Orthodox,
00:37:19.88\00:37:22.41
you've got Baptists and
other groups meeting in America,
00:37:22.44\00:37:25.19
basically at such a
rapid pace you can hardly
00:37:25.22\00:37:28.03
keep up with who's
joining who and who's meeting
00:37:28.06\00:37:30.81
with who. One
particular article,
00:37:30.84\00:37:33.16
one that I think really
bears upon what we're speaking
00:37:33.19\00:37:36.01
about this
morning: [text on screen]
00:37:36.04\00:37:38.96
In his people "Politically
Incorrect", Ralph Reed had
00:37:52.50\00:37:55.83
to say: [text on screen]
00:37:55.86\00:37:57.89
"Ecumenism" - that means the
coming together of the churches,
00:37:58.75\00:38:01.38
[continues to read]
00:38:01.41\00:38:03.55
So he's saying this union
of coming together, it's not
00:38:16.16\00:38:18.58
just a union to solve our
theological problems, it's a
00:38:18.61\00:38:22.16
union that we might
have an impact on politics,
00:38:22.19\00:38:25.92
how the laws in this
nation are legislated.
00:38:25.95\00:38:30.25
When the US shall
enforce Sunday observance,
00:38:30.28\00:38:35.31
which Rome claims is the
special acknowledgement of her
00:38:35.34\00:38:39.36
supremacy, now you've got
an image made to the beast.
00:38:39.39\00:38:43.38
All of these churches
coming together in unity
00:38:43.41\00:38:46.34
are for the purpose of being
able to mandate their desires
00:38:46.37\00:38:51.48
to the people. So
God's people, no matter
00:38:51.51\00:38:53.82
what, can't go along
with this kind of a system.
00:38:53.85\00:38:57.15
There are faithful Christians
who see through the masquerade,
00:38:57.18\00:39:00.61
there are faithful
Christians who are going to see
00:39:00.64\00:39:02.14
at the end time the
true nature of Antichrist,
00:39:02.17\00:39:04.83
and as they see through
the true nature of Antichrist
00:39:04.86\00:39:07.54
I believe, and this is the
good news, multitudes are going
00:39:07.57\00:39:11.26
to take their stand on the
right side of the issue before
00:39:11.29\00:39:14.40
it's all over, do
you agree with that?
00:39:14.43\00:39:17.18
[Audience] Amen.
00:39:17.21\00:39:19.30
But as these churches
come together there's no doubt
00:39:19.33\00:39:22.22
what church is going to
be at the head of it all.
00:39:22.25\00:39:25.04
Recently, in the year
2000, this article came out.
00:39:25.07\00:39:27.65
One of the closest aids
of the Pope said, and this is
00:39:27.68\00:39:30.61
through the Associated
Press, it said: [text on screen]
00:39:30.64\00:39:35.04
Friends, the Bible has
something to say about that
00:39:58.65\00:40:01.60
in Revelation 17, doesn't
it? It calls that last day power
00:40:01.63\00:40:04.52
the Mother of Harlots.
It's one thing for religious
00:40:04.55\00:40:07.15
leaders to influence government,
but it's another for them
00:40:07.18\00:40:10.22
to take over government
and start to legislate what
00:40:10.25\00:40:13.47
they do. If history
teaches us anything,
00:40:13.50\00:40:16.09
it's that the greatest
persecution that comes upon
00:40:16.12\00:40:18.96
people is the persecution that
comes when religious leaders
00:40:18.99\00:40:21.89
control the government.
Satan's plan is not to do
00:40:21.92\00:40:24.81
away with everything because if
Satan did away with everything
00:40:24.84\00:40:27.73
it wouldn't fool people.
So Satan's plan is not to come
00:40:27.76\00:40:30.98
with some kind of package
that looks evil and try to
00:40:31.01\00:40:33.88
pound that off on
people, Satan's plan is to come
00:40:33.91\00:40:36.82
with a package that looks
very good, it has a lot of good
00:40:36.85\00:40:39.88
principles in it. You
see, when you see people
00:40:39.91\00:40:42.59
like Pat
Robertson, and Jerry Farwell,
00:40:42.62\00:40:45.36
and Dr. James Dobson and
these kinds of people talk about
00:40:45.39\00:40:48.17
the issues, we could
agree with so much of what they
00:40:48.20\00:40:50.94
talk about. They
believe in family values,
00:40:50.97\00:40:53.71
they're against abortion, they
believe that we need to bring
00:40:53.74\00:40:56.79
morals back to this country,
they believe in the same things
00:40:56.82\00:40:59.20
we believe in, but the
Bible teaches that unfortunately
00:40:59.23\00:41:03.06
some of these leaders are
going to take these issues
00:41:03.09\00:41:06.39
and they're simply
going to go too far with them.
00:41:06.42\00:41:11.22
The fact that a movement
that has error in it, also has
00:41:11.25\00:41:15.93
a lot of good with it is not
an excuse to accept the error.
00:41:15.96\00:41:20.92
You can take glass of
orange juice and put some poison
00:41:21.29\00:41:24.80
in it and mix it up so
it looks really good still,
00:41:24.83\00:41:28.17
but you still
don't want to take it.
00:41:28.20\00:41:30.75
In the same way Satan
will come along with what looks
00:41:30.78\00:41:33.55
like a lot of good, and he'll
say: "here, this is the best"
00:41:33.58\00:41:36.31
"for the country", but
it's got a poison pill in it
00:41:36.34\00:41:39.18
and God's people can't go along
with it because God's people
00:41:39.21\00:41:42.29
realize you can not have true
revival while at the same time
00:41:42.32\00:41:46.95
you're disobeying the
express commandments of God.
00:41:46.98\00:41:49.84
We can't do it.
00:41:49.87\00:41:51.93
People today are being
told to unify, they're saying:
00:41:51.96\00:41:54.64
"Unify, unify, unify!"
Jesus wants unity among
00:41:54.67\00:41:58.79
His people, but Jesus never
said "compromise to achieve"
00:41:58.82\00:42:02.82
"unity", Jesus said:
"Sanctify them by Thy truth,"
00:42:02.85\00:42:06.32
"Thy Word is truth", so
Jesus wants us to come into
00:42:06.35\00:42:09.45
conformity to His word,
and by doing that we will have
00:42:09.48\00:42:12.31
true unity. Friends, once again,
00:42:12.34\00:42:19.30
this is coming, why
hasn't it come so far?
00:42:19.33\00:42:22.40
Because God is holding
back the winds, isn't He?
00:42:22.43\00:42:25.17
God is merciful to us all.
As we sit here this morning
00:42:25.20\00:42:28.22
God is giving us extra
time to get right with Him,
00:42:28.25\00:42:30.99
did you know that? God
is giving you and giving
00:42:31.02\00:42:33.63
me extra time to come into
obedience to His principles.
00:42:33.66\00:42:36.75
He's giving us extra time
to prepare for these issues
00:42:36.78\00:42:39.62
that are soon to
come upon the world.
00:42:39.65\00:42:42.33
People will say: "Oh,
it's never going to happen,"
00:42:42.36\00:42:44.96
"how could people accept
this plan that will come from"
00:42:44.99\00:42:47.58
"the government?" I'll
show you how it will happen.
00:42:47.61\00:42:50.23
Go to Revelation 13:13,
here it says: [text on screen]
00:42:50.26\00:42:54.69
So friends, in other
words, miracles are what Satan
00:43:08.55\00:43:11.91
is going to use to unify
people under a canopy of error.
00:43:11.94\00:43:16.85
Because of the lawlessness
that is present, he can't
00:43:16.88\00:43:19.91
get them to be reading Scripture
so he turns their eyes away
00:43:19.94\00:43:22.85
from Scripture and he says
to them: "Look at the miracles,"
00:43:22.88\00:43:25.74
"look at the healings,
looks at the tongues speaking,"
00:43:25.77\00:43:30.49
and he's going to get
them under these false revivals
00:43:30.52\00:43:33.79
to believe that the
Holy Spirit is among them.
00:43:33.82\00:43:36.69
There are 2 great revivals
that are going to take place
00:43:36.72\00:43:39.50
at the end of time, one
is genuine and one is false.
00:43:39.53\00:43:43.48
The genuine is going to
be based on the word of God,
00:43:43.51\00:43:47.65
the false is going
to be based on miracles.
00:43:47.68\00:43:50.15
Have you noticed that in
recent times you're seeing
00:43:50.18\00:43:52.65
one particular church
come to the forefront, and it's
00:43:52.68\00:43:55.18
always talking about
Mary, the miracles of Mary,
00:43:55.21\00:43:58.07
and wonders that are going on
in this church around the world.
00:43:58.10\00:44:01.03
It doesn't take very
much to see that the Devil is
00:44:01.06\00:44:03.89
focusing people on this
power. This particular magazine
00:44:03.92\00:44:09.93
"The meaning of Mary", a whole
article simply on Mary's role.
00:44:09.96\00:44:14.61
Well friends, the Bible
doesn't concentrate on Mary,
00:44:14.64\00:44:17.26
no, not after the birth of
Jesus and the raising of Jesus,
00:44:17.29\00:44:20.26
it doesn't concentrate on
her, but people are being told
00:44:20.29\00:44:23.30
to look at her. This
next picture I cut out
00:44:23.33\00:44:26.04
of "Life" magazine, you say
a picture is worth 1000 words,
00:44:26.07\00:44:29.77
here you see this
picture of Mary, and she's being
00:44:29.80\00:44:33.01
adored and worshipped
and of course, you'd think
00:44:33.04\00:44:35.57
it should be Jesus that
is adored and worshipped,
00:44:35.60\00:44:38.34
but it's not, people are
being directed not to Jesus
00:44:38.37\00:44:40.89
through this
movement, but to Mary.
00:44:40.92\00:44:43.16
And if Mary is supposedly
working signs and wonders,
00:44:43.19\00:44:45.96
then people get off on
these miracles and they don't
00:44:45.99\00:44:48.86
find what the truth is.
The Bible says in Exodus 23:2:
00:44:48.89\00:44:54.31
"Thou shalt not follow
a multitude to do evil."
00:44:54.34\00:44:58.53
No matter what the masses
do, no matter what the popular
00:44:58.56\00:45:01.65
group says, no matter what
the majority of churches do,
00:45:01.68\00:45:05.41
Revelation saints have
to follow the word of God
00:45:05.44\00:45:09.03
no matter what it says.
What exactly is the image
00:45:09.06\00:45:11.77
of the beast? When
the leading churches
00:45:11.80\00:45:14.23
of the US unite on such points
of doctrine as held by them
00:45:14.26\00:45:19.42
in common, and they influence
the state to enforce their
00:45:19.45\00:45:23.27
decrees and sustain
them, then you've got
00:45:23.30\00:45:26.72
Protestantism forming
the image to the beast,
00:45:26.75\00:45:30.99
and that's what the
Bible says is going to happen.
00:45:31.02\00:45:33.95
What's the result of
this image to the beast?
00:45:33.98\00:45:36.72
The infliction of penalties
to those who will not go along.
00:45:36.75\00:45:39.71
Now lest that worry you in any
way, I sure hope you will come
00:45:39.74\00:45:42.37
tonight because tonight
in our study of Armageddon
00:45:42.40\00:45:45.07
and the 7 last plagues,
we're going to study all about
00:45:45.10\00:45:47.69
the time of tribulation,
and it's one of may absolute
00:45:47.72\00:45:50.57
favorite topics to study
in the seminar because it's
00:45:50.60\00:45:53.55
all about how God's
marvelous power is going to be
00:45:53.58\00:45:56.37
with His people to go
through the time of tribulation.
00:45:56.40\00:45:59.02
Fantastic study, I
sure hope you will come.
00:45:59.05\00:46:01.83
The early church
became corrupted when it left
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.86
the word of God, and in
the end the Protestant churches
00:46:04.89\00:46:07.46
are also leaving the word of
God and they're following after
00:46:07.49\00:46:10.29
many other like things
that seem to be popular
00:46:10.32\00:46:13.12
and Jesus says in
Matthew 7 that in the last days:
00:46:13.15\00:46:15.72
[text on screen]
00:46:15.75\00:46:17.85
The word "iniquity" there
literally means "lawlessness".
00:46:27.45\00:46:30.41
So the one is based on the
word of God, the one rival,
00:46:30.44\00:46:33.08
and the other is
based on a false revival.
00:46:33.11\00:46:37.24
How does God prepare
the world then to understand
00:46:37.27\00:46:39.48
the issues? In
Acts 5:32 we read this:
00:46:39.51\00:46:43.98
[text on screen]
00:46:44.02\00:46:46.02
The Holy Ghost is not
given to those who want to be
00:46:51.38\00:46:54.23
disobedient to the word,
but God wants His people to be
00:46:54.26\00:46:56.93
filled with the Holy
Spirit and when we're filled
00:46:56.96\00:46:59.65
with the Holy Spirit
where's our focus going to be?
00:46:59.68\00:47:02.23
In Isaiah 8:20 it
says: [text on screen]
00:47:02.26\00:47:05.63
So God is going to send
a message to all the world,
00:47:11.68\00:47:14.50
helping people to see
the true issues in His law,
00:47:14.53\00:47:18.00
and that's the message
of Revelation 14, isn't it?
00:47:18.03\00:47:20.86
And that's your work and
that's my work this morning:
00:47:20.89\00:47:23.82
to preach a true message
that people will be able to see
00:47:23.85\00:47:26.63
through all of this darkness
and confusion that's out there.
00:47:26.66\00:47:30.46
In the time of the Dark Ages
God had many faithful martyrs,
00:47:30.49\00:47:35.21
and one of the issues of
the Dark Ages, and it still is
00:47:35.24\00:47:38.14
an issue today, though
people are not necessarily dying
00:47:38.17\00:47:40.78
for it like they did then, but
the priest would claim to change
00:47:40.81\00:47:44.57
the communion host, communion
bread into the actual body
00:47:44.60\00:47:49.19
of Jesus. The Protestants
would say it's an emblem,
00:47:49.22\00:47:52.42
it's just a symbol of the
body of Jesus, but the Catholic
00:47:52.45\00:47:55.36
church said no, the priest
has the power to change it into
00:47:55.39\00:47:57.98
the actual body of Jesus.
This became such a controversy
00:47:58.01\00:48:01.02
that people would actually
be burned alive at the stake
00:48:01.05\00:48:03.74
if they would not
agree with the church.
00:48:03.77\00:48:06.22
They would take these
people and they would tie them
00:48:06.25\00:48:09.76
to the stake and they would
put the wood around their feet,
00:48:09.79\00:48:13.73
and then they would say
"We're going to give you one"
00:48:13.76\00:48:16.51
"more chance", and they
would hold up the host again,
00:48:16.54\00:48:19.72
and they would say "do you
believe that this is the actual"
00:48:19.75\00:48:22.20
"body of Jesus", and
all they would have to do
00:48:22.23\00:48:24.98
to spare their life would
be to say "Yes, I believe it"
00:48:25.01\00:48:28.02
and they would be let go,
but because they knew what
00:48:28.05\00:48:30.77
the Bible said and they
wanted to be true to Jesus
00:48:30.80\00:48:33.44
they would say "No, I don't
believe it", and they would
00:48:33.47\00:48:36.07
light the fire and another
martyr would give their life
00:48:36.10\00:48:38.93
for the truth.
The Scripture says:
00:48:38.96\00:48:41.24
"What does it profit a man,
what does it profit a woman"
00:48:41.27\00:48:43.95
"if we gain the whole
world and loose our soul."
00:48:43.98\00:48:47.42
What does it profit us?
00:48:47.45\00:48:50.11
Just like in the days of
old, God desires us to take
00:48:50.87\00:48:54.38
a stand for truth.
00:48:54.41\00:48:56.76
We know these issues are
coming, we know that the Bible
00:48:56.79\00:48:59.55
is true and can be
relied upon. One of the great
00:48:59.58\00:49:03.30
Christian hymns is that
hymn "Faith of our fathers".
00:49:03.33\00:49:07.91
These words from hymns
like these come out of their
00:49:08.43\00:49:11.25
experience, they wrote out
the things that the Christian
00:49:11.28\00:49:14.39
church had passed through,
and we are not to forget that.
00:49:14.42\00:49:18.89
In the first verse of this
hymn, "Faith of our fathers",
00:49:18.92\00:49:22.09
it says: "Faith of
our fathers living still,"
00:49:22.12\00:49:25.13
"in spite of
dungeon, fire and sword;"
00:49:25.16\00:49:28.35
"O how are hearts beat
high with joy, whenever we hear"
00:49:28.38\00:49:31.23
"that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers,"
00:49:31.26\00:49:34.50
"holy faith! We will be
true to Thee till death."
00:49:34.53\00:49:40.86
How about you this morning
friends, will you still be true
00:49:40.89\00:49:44.10
to Jesus to death? Do
you still want to hold on
00:49:44.13\00:49:47.17
to the true faith of Scripture?
00:49:47.20\00:49:50.17
Then I want you to stand with me
right now as we sing this hymn,
00:49:50.20\00:49:53.15
you up in the
balcony please stand too.
00:49:53.18\00:49:55.75
We're going to sing this
through and I've got Charles
00:49:55.78\00:49:58.59
here to help me.
Friends, this morning before
00:49:58.62\00:50:01.11
we sing this hymn, many
of you are here with a burden
00:50:01.14\00:50:06.01
on your heart, you may
have a burden that you need
00:50:06.04\00:50:09.66
special prayer for. I
know we had a prayer time
00:50:09.69\00:50:12.48
earlier, I recognize
that, but when we studied verses
00:50:12.51\00:50:16.07
like this and we talk about
issues like this, this is a time
00:50:16.10\00:50:19.30
to make commitments, is it not?
00:50:19.33\00:50:21.33
This is a time to come to church
for renewal and commitment
00:50:21.36\00:50:24.26
to God, so that we leave
here different than when we
00:50:24.29\00:50:27.25
walked in.
00:50:27.28\00:50:29.25
As we sing these verses I
would like you to come forward
00:50:29.28\00:50:32.05
and I want to pray with
those here this morning,
00:50:32.08\00:50:35.04
and I know there should
be many of you, that perhaps
00:50:35.07\00:50:37.90
something in your life is
such a burden that you want
00:50:37.93\00:50:40.65
to have a special prayer
for. I don't know, maybe there's
00:50:40.68\00:50:43.48
something in your life
that you feel is hindering you
00:50:43.51\00:50:46.11
from making a full commitment,
it might be some peer pressure,
00:50:46.14\00:50:49.02
it might be a job situation,
it might be something far other
00:50:49.05\00:50:51.93
than what I've mentioned,
but you'd like to have special
00:50:51.96\00:50:55.16
prayer for it.
So as we sing this
00:50:55.19\00:50:57.27
just come forward right down
here and we're going to have
00:50:57.30\00:51:00.09
a prayer afterward
that God can certainly bless
00:51:00.12\00:51:02.76
you life and help you to
live the spirit filled life.
00:51:02.79\00:51:05.15
You in the balcony, if
you want to come forward,
00:51:05.18\00:51:08.09
please start moving now, it'll
take you a while to get down
00:51:08.12\00:51:10.63
here, it's going to
take you an extra minute,
00:51:10.66\00:51:13.74
so you just come down right
now and that way we can all
00:51:13.77\00:51:16.69
meet together.
Don't feel you're left out
00:51:16.72\00:51:19.45
because you're way up there,
we don't want to leave you
00:51:19.48\00:51:21.96
out either, so come forward
as the angels meet with us
00:51:21.99\00:51:24.56
here. Let's sing this Charles,
00:51:24.59\00:51:26.92
all of you together.
00:51:26.95\00:51:29.26
Faith of our
fathers, living still,
00:51:29.29\00:51:34.71
In spite of
dungeon, fire and sword;
00:51:34.74\00:51:41.68
O how our hearts
beat high with joy
00:51:41.71\00:51:48.73
Whenever we hear
that glorious Word!
00:51:48.76\00:51:55.44
Faith of our
fathers, holy faith!
00:51:55.47\00:52:02.52
We will be true
to thee till death.
00:52:02.55\00:52:10.06
Those of you who've
come forward, come right up
00:52:10.09\00:52:12.99
to the stairs, we want
to make room for some others
00:52:13.02\00:52:15.82
to come; that's the
way, thank you for that.
00:52:15.85\00:52:18.57
Those of you who are
still coming come on down,
00:52:18.60\00:52:21.21
don't be afraid to come
down. You're coming down, you're
00:52:21.24\00:52:23.96
saying: "Lord, I have a special
desire to live this life,"
00:52:23.99\00:52:26.82
"to stand for truth",
and I think that's what God
00:52:26.85\00:52:29.52
expects when we meet together,
to say that I am going to take
00:52:29.55\00:52:32.35
a stand on the right side
of these issues, and I need
00:52:32.38\00:52:35.27
special prayer in order to
do that and that's what God
00:52:35.30\00:52:38.24
is longing for us to
do. Let's keep singing
00:52:38.27\00:52:40.95
this next verse. Come forward!
00:52:40.98\00:52:43.74
Our Fathers
chained in prisons dark,
00:52:43.77\00:52:47.52
were still in heart
and conscience free;
00:52:47.55\00:52:54.44
How sweet would be
their children's fate,
00:52:54.47\00:53:01.14
if they like them
could die for Thee.
00:53:01.17\00:53:07.94
Faith of our
fathers, holy faith!
00:53:07.97\00:53:14.76
We will be true
to Thee till death.
00:53:14.79\00:53:22.71
We have 1 more verse to
sing, this is a marvelous hymn,
00:53:22.89\00:53:25.72
isn't it?
00:53:25.75\00:53:27.22
The word's of this
hymn are very very special,
00:53:27.25\00:53:30.66
that's why I chose it
this morning as we finish
00:53:30.69\00:53:33.51
this important subject.
Once again, it's a subject
00:53:33.54\00:53:36.38
that you don't hear
spoken of very much,
00:53:36.41\00:53:39.06
it's kind of a complicated
one to go through as you know,
00:53:39.09\00:53:41.83
but it's one that helps
us to realize that we're not
00:53:41.86\00:53:44.41
to just go through
church and play church
00:53:44.44\00:53:47.07
or pretend to be on
God's side, or pretend to be
00:53:47.10\00:53:49.97
Christians, we have
to really be Christians.
00:53:50.00\00:53:52.67
We have to be Christians
in heart as well as in word,
00:53:52.70\00:53:55.34
that's why by coming
forward like this it's important
00:53:55.37\00:53:57.93
to be able to make
these decisions and say:
00:53:57.96\00:53:59.81
"Lord, I do need help", or
"I do have something in my life"
00:53:59.84\00:54:02.23
"I need special prayer
for", it's not saying that any
00:54:02.26\00:54:04.60
of us are weaker than
the others, it's just saying:
00:54:04.63\00:54:07.59
"Lord, I want Your
Spirit in my heart and life",
00:54:07.62\00:54:10.21
so we have 1 more verse to
sing, it's not too late to come
00:54:10.24\00:54:12.82
forward, we hope that some
of you will because we want
00:54:12.85\00:54:15.85
to have a special prayer for all
of you here that God is going
00:54:15.88\00:54:18.78
to bless us as a
people before we leave.
00:54:18.81\00:54:21.29
Let's sing this last verse.
00:54:21.32\00:54:23.53
Faith of our
fathers, we will love
00:54:23.56\00:54:28.59
Both friend and
foe in all our strife;
00:54:28.62\00:54:35.28
And preach thee,
too, as love knows how
00:54:35.31\00:54:41.96
By kindly words
and virtuous life.
00:54:41.99\00:54:48.51
Faith of our
fathers, holy faith!
00:54:48.54\00:54:55.29
We will be true
to Thee till death.
00:54:55.32\00:55:03.67
As I close with prayer,
I want you after we finish
00:55:03.70\00:55:08.19
just to stay where you
are for just one moment
00:55:08.22\00:55:11.25
because I know Pastor
Mike has an announcement
00:55:11.28\00:55:13.77
that he'd like to
make. So we're going to have
00:55:13.80\00:55:16.73
closing prayer and then
if you just stay standing,
00:55:16.76\00:55:20.08
don't move, we're going to
have our closing announcements.
00:55:20.11\00:55:22.67
Is Pastor Mike close
by? I hope he is, okay.
00:55:22.70\00:55:26.17
Father in heaven,
this morning we realize
00:55:26.20\00:55:29.48
that You call us
all to commitment.
00:55:29.51\00:55:32.63
You call us all to be Christians
as this verse has said:
00:55:32.66\00:55:36.53
in heart and in deed.
How sweet would it be Lord,
00:55:36.56\00:55:41.41
if we were called to
give the ultimate sacrifice
00:55:41.44\00:55:44.59
as many millions
have in the past.
00:55:44.62\00:55:47.03
We don't know if that might
be the situation in the future,
00:55:47.06\00:55:49.84
we realize that things
are going to be really trying
00:55:49.87\00:55:52.48
before Jesus comes
back. How much we need to make
00:55:52.51\00:55:55.46
commitments, some of us have
fear in our hearts this morning,
00:55:55.49\00:55:59.18
perhaps that is the situation
with some that have come
00:55:59.21\00:56:01.81
forward, or maybe
some even that haven't,
00:56:01.84\00:56:04.52
but Lord, if that's the
case, slay that giant of fear
00:56:04.55\00:56:07.56
and give us courage
knowing that if God be for us,
00:56:07.59\00:56:10.30
who can be against us?
00:56:10.33\00:56:12.80
Some might be kept back
by friends, Lord help us
00:56:12.83\00:56:15.54
to realize that if we loose an
earthly friend for Jesus' sake
00:56:15.57\00:56:18.36
you'll give us a hundred
spiritual friends in it's place.
00:56:18.39\00:56:21.59
For some it might be
economics, it might be a job
00:56:21.62\00:56:24.76
that's keeping us back
from keeping Your Sabbath.
00:56:24.79\00:56:27.57
Lord, if such be the case,
help us to realize that You
00:56:27.60\00:56:31.53
have never seen the righteous
forsaken, nor Your seed
00:56:31.56\00:56:34.54
begging bread, that You will
give us a better work to do.
00:56:34.57\00:56:39.29
Help us to have faith Lord, that
will grow and grow and grow.
00:56:39.32\00:56:44.29
Lord, if there's
another reason represented here,
00:56:44.32\00:56:46.84
maybe it's something in
our life that's a habit,
00:56:46.87\00:56:49.93
a body destroying vice, I
don't know, if it's the case,
00:56:49.96\00:56:52.90
please help us to realize
that You are a God that can make
00:56:52.93\00:56:55.66
the impossible possible,
You can take out of our life
00:56:55.69\00:56:58.71
something that is destroying
us, a habit that is leading us
00:56:58.74\00:57:01.76
back into the world.
Lord, if it's loneliness that we
00:57:01.79\00:57:06.15
have, help us to realize that
with Jesus as our best friend,
00:57:06.18\00:57:10.06
that's all we really need;
You'll give us the ultimate
00:57:10.09\00:57:12.42
peace and comfort
that comes from heaven.
00:57:12.45\00:57:15.41
I want to ask for Your
special blessing on every person
00:57:15.44\00:57:18.35
that was willing to
come forward to the front.
00:57:18.38\00:57:20.98
They had the courage to
step out from their seat
00:57:21.01\00:57:23.98
and make that walk down here.
Whatever their need is Lord,
00:57:24.01\00:57:27.43
minister to that need
this morning in a special way.
00:57:27.46\00:57:30.51
Reward them for their
faith in coming forward.
00:57:30.54\00:57:33.60
Lord, I pray that you will
give each one according as their
00:57:33.63\00:57:36.57
need may be; to
some they need comfort,
00:57:36.60\00:57:39.52
to some they need conviction,
to some they need desire,
00:57:39.55\00:57:42.23
but whatever it is
Lord, You know, and may You
00:57:42.26\00:57:45.13
minister accordingly,
and we pray this according
00:57:45.16\00:57:47.72
to Mark 11:24
that whatever we ask,
00:57:47.75\00:57:50.37
whatever we desire, when
we pray we must believe that
00:57:50.40\00:57:53.00
we receive it
and we shall have it.
00:57:53.03\00:57:55.35
So Lord, help us to have faith
to know that You are ministering
00:57:55.38\00:57:58.40
right now. We
thank you and we praise
00:57:58.43\00:58:01.22
You this morning in
Jesus' lovely name, amen.
00:58:01.25\00:58:04.90