Participants: Pastor Kenneth Cox
Series Code: TOTE
Program Code: TOTE000001
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00:02 Can you believe it?
00:04 Can you build your faith on it? 00:08 The promises of God's Word are sure. 00:12 They do not fail. 00:17 This book has stood the test of time. 00:30 Heavenly Father, 00:33 tonight as we open Your Word 00:36 we ask that our hearts may be open. 00:41 We pray, Lord, that they may be soft, 00:44 they may be tender. 00:47 That we may hear the voice of Your Spirit 00:51 and that as we listen to Your Spirit 00:56 that each one of us may be willing to follow. 01:01 Give us wisdom. 01:03 Give us understanding, 01:05 and give us faith to walk with You. 01:09 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen. 01:20 All you have to do is ask any 01:26 child, any... schoolchildren, 01:31 what the poem that was written by Longfellow is 01:35 and just quote a few stanzas of it 01:38 that says: "Listen my children, and you shall hear... 01:42 the midnight ride of Paul Revere. " 01:46 And every child recognizes that poem. 01:50 They remember the story 01:51 how those colonists were faced with an invasion from England 01:55 and how they had decided that there in the tower 02:00 of the North Church in Boston 02:03 that if the British were coming by land 02:06 they would hang one lantern. 02:09 If the British were coming by sea, 02:12 they would hang two. 02:14 Paul Revere took a boat and rowed across the bay 02:19 over to Charleston. 02:21 And there he waited to see if that lantern would show 02:26 in the belfry of the church tower. 02:29 And sure enough, at midnight 02:32 there in that tower was hanging two lanterns 02:36 saying that the British were coming by sea... 02:39 and Paul Revere began his famous ride. 02:42 Riding through all the towns and the villages 02:45 shouting: "Wake up! Wake up! 02:48 The British are coming! Wake up! " 02:51 And those men as they heard the cry of Paul Revere 02:55 rose up and put their clothes on and took their rifles 02:59 and went out to defend the colonies. 03:01 They were called Minutemen, 03:03 and they stood for something. 03:05 And the cry went out across the whole area: 03:08 "Wake up! The British are coming! " 03:11 In the Bible, it speaks of another cry: 03:16 the cry that is given to you and to me at midnight. 03:22 I want you to listen to what the Word of God says about it. 03:25 It's found in Mark the 13th chapter 03:28 starting with verse 35. And it says: 03:35 Ah, He said: "Listen, watch... 03:38 You don't know when the master of the house is coming... 03:43 in the evening, at midnight, 03:46 at the crowing of the rooster or in the morning. " 03:48 You don't know when it's going to take place. 03:57 He said: "Watch out! 04:00 Be prepared. The Master's coming back... 04:03 You don't know when it's going to be, but He's going to come. " 04:05 So listen to the words of Christ Himself. 04:08 He says: 04:15 Said: "I'm saying that to everyone: watch! Be prepared! " 04:19 Now folks, this cry that's given where the Lord's saying: 04:23 "You don't know when this is going to happen. 04:25 You don't know when the Master of the house is coming back. 04:28 Be prepared! Watch! " 04:30 He is speaking to Christians. 04:33 That is the call 04:35 that is being given to Christians 04:39 To those that have accepted Jesus Christ 04:42 He's saying: "Wake up! watch! 04:45 because you don't know when I'm 04:46 coming back. " 04:48 "Oh, " you say, "Oh, Brother Cox, 04:50 I'm so weary of watching! " 04:54 "I've been watching so long I'm tired of watching. " 04:59 Remind me of the old minister I was talking to... 05:03 He said: "Oh, when I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ 05:07 I thought I wouldn't be able to go to school. 05:10 I thought the Lord would come 05:11 before I could go away to school. " 05:13 "Then, " he said, "I went away to school 05:15 and I thought I'll never make it through school. " 05:18 And he said: "I went all the way through school. " 05:21 And then he said: "When I got out of school, 05:23 I said... 'Well, I won't have long in the ministry. ' " 05:26 And he said: "Now it's been all these years 05:28 in the ministry and I've retired. 05:30 I'm so tired; I'm so weary of watching and waiting. " 05:35 The Lord said: "Be careful! 05:38 Watch out! Don't become indifferent. " 05:43 Don't say: "Well, I'm tired. 05:46 I'm just going to go on and forget about that. " 05:49 "I'm going to go about life. 05:51 It's time that I do something else. 05:53 They've said that for years. " 05:57 I run onto people all the time that tell me that. 05:59 They say: "Oh, Brother Cox, we have heard this for years. 06:03 I've just become indifferent about it. " 06:06 And then I run onto some people who say: 06:10 "I've been so disappointed... so disappointed. 06:15 I didn't believe we would ever make it into a new millennium. 06:20 Why I thought the Lord would have come long before now. 06:25 So disappointed that He hasn't come back. 06:29 I don't know that the Lord's going to come back. " 06:33 The scripture has some special counsel to you and to me 06:37 about that. This is what it says: 06:46 When? 06:50 He said: "Now know that scoffers are going to come 06:53 in the last days. " 06:55 OK. That's the time in which you and I are living. 06:59 We'll find that out tonight. 07:00 Going to come in the last days. 07:02 What are they scoffing about? 07:10 They're scoffing about that. They're saying: 07:12 "Where is the promise of His coming? 07:14 Why doesn't He come back? " 07:17 "For all things continue as they were... " 07:22 "Where is the promise of His coming? 07:24 For since the fathers fell asleep... " 07:31 "Oh, " he said, "so disappointed. " 07:34 Dear friend, let me tell you something... 07:37 hang on! The promises of God's Word are sure. 07:42 They do not fail. Never do they fail! 07:47 Promise that He gives when He says He will come back... 07:50 Indeed, He will come back! 07:52 Don't go through life and become careless 07:56 about your relationship with Jesus Christ. 07:59 Don't become careless about your belief 08:03 in what you're holding onto. 08:05 I run onto people that say: "Oh, Brother Cox, 08:07 we don't know when the Lord's coming. 08:09 Why it could be a thousand years from now. 08:13 We don't have any idea when the Lord's going to come back? " 08:18 Well, I want you to listen to a scripture. 08:22 This is what it tells us in I Thessalonians. 08:24 It speaks of Jesus coming as some people say 08:29 as a thief in the night. Listen: 08:39 Paul is saying: "Now concerning the times and the seasons, 08:42 I really shouldn't have to write to you. " OK? 08:53 People say: "Well see right there. It says that Jesus 08:57 is going to come back as a thief in the night. " 09:02 Let me tell you something tonight: 09:05 if Jesus comes back as a thief in the night to you, 09:10 you're lost. 09:14 If Jesus comes back 09:17 as a thief in the night to you, 09:19 you're lost! 09:21 Let's go on: 09:34 Now listen very carefully... 09:40 See, this call is to Christians. 09:42 This call is to people that have accepted Jesus Christ. 09:45 This call is to people who believe the Word of God. 09:48 "You brethren... " See, that's talking about people 09:51 that have accepted Christ. 09:53 "But you brethren are not in...? Darkness. " 09:57 "You're not in darkness so that this day 09:59 should overtake you as a thief. " 10:02 He said: "No! You're not in darkness 10:04 that that day should come upon you as a thief. " 10:15 Said: "You're sons of light! 10:17 That day's not to come upon you unaware. " 10:27 No, don't become careless. 10:31 The promises of God are sure. 10:34 He's coming back just exactly like He said He would come back. 10:40 Jesus Himself gave a parable... 10:44 a parable that deals with this midnight cry. 10:48 And He speaks of some very definite things 10:51 concerning Christians today. 10:53 This is what He says... 10:55 talks about ten virgins... listen: 11:11 OK, so these ten virgins... 11:13 they've gone out to meet the bridegroom. 11:24 OK? 11:31 Those were the foolish ones. 11:33 OK? 11:40 So we have two groups here. 11:43 They're all virgins. 11:44 They've all gone out to meet the bridegroom. 11:47 One took oil with them; 11:48 the other didn't take any oil with them. 11:50 "Now while the bridegroom was delayed, 11:54 they all slumbered and slept. " 11:58 All of them... church members. 12:01 They ALL slumbered and slept. 12:06 Afraid we've been doing a little bit of that... 12:08 slumbering and sleeping. 12:11 OK? BUT, the cry is given! 12:21 That means right down at the end. 12:24 Midnight there means the darkest hour of this earth's history. 12:28 The cry is given: "Behold, the bridegroom comes! " 12:34 Heard: 12:41 That was the cry that was given. 12:49 All of them arose and trimmed their lamps. 12:57 They said: "Give us some of your oil... 13:00 our lamps are going out. 13:02 We didn't bring any oil with us. " 13:12 They said: "If we give you oil, we won't have enough. " 13:38 While those five were out looking for oil 13:42 the bridegroom came 13:45 and those five wise went in 13:48 and the door was shut. 13:49 Now listen very carefully 13:52 to what the scripture says here 13:54 because what I'm going to read to you now 13:55 is most important. 14:05 They got the oil; they went back; they knocked on the door. 14:09 They said: "Lord, open the door to us! " 14:22 "I do not know you. " 14:27 Terrible! Terrible! 14:29 They didn't make it in. 14:32 He said: "I don't know you. " 14:34 "I don't know who you are. " 14:44 God says: "Watch, you don't know when the Son of Man's coming. " 14:49 The call has come. If you're not ready, 14:52 if you aren't... if you don't have the oil, 14:55 you're not going to be able to go in 14:57 and the door will be shut 14:58 and He'll say: "I don't know you. " 15:00 Those wise virgins... they went in. 15:05 The foolish didn't. Now there's some things 15:08 that you need to know about these virgins. 15:11 Let's look at what it tells us about these ten virgins. 15:23 All of them. 15:25 I mean, they're all church members. 15:28 They're all followers. 15:31 They're all believers. 15:33 They all accept the truth of God's Word... 15:36 all ten virgins! OK? 15:38 This call I'm talking about right now, folks, 15:41 is to Christians. 15:43 It's to people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. 15:45 These - all ten - are followers of Jesus Christ. 15:49 Secondly, all ten of them are advocates of the truth. 15:54 If you were to ask any one of them 15:57 they would have told you: "Yes, this is what we believe. 16:00 This is what we stand for. " 16:02 They all were advocates of the truth of God's Word. 16:06 Thirdly... 16:12 All ten of them are there. 16:14 They're church members. 16:15 They're the people... different ones that serve in the church. 16:19 They could be ones that sing in the choir. 16:22 They're attracting each other; they like to go to church. 16:25 That's these ten virgins. 16:31 Now let's take a look at the facts. 16:34 The facts are that five of them 16:39 were wise. They had oil and they went in. 16:44 Five were foolish. 16:48 They didn't take any oil with them. 16:50 You see... 17:00 Oh, I know lots of people 17:03 who read the Word of God 17:05 and it doesn't do them any good. 17:09 You see, without the Spirit of God 17:13 a knowledge of the Word of God won't do you any good. 17:18 I know people that believe 17:22 but they don't have any of the oil. 17:25 You see, the oil represents the Holy Spirit. 17:28 And unless the Holy Spirit is there 17:30 to touch your heart and to work on your heart, 17:33 it won't do you any good. 17:35 And those five foolish virgins, 17:38 they didn't take any oil with them. 17:41 They were lacking the Spirit of God. 17:43 So what happened? 17:45 Here's the terrible facts: 17:50 five foolish... the door was shut and He said to them what? 17:55 "I do not know you. " 17:58 "I don't know you. " 18:00 You see: 18:04 50% of them didn't make it into the kingdom of God. 18:10 Is it possible... is it possible 18:14 to know all this and be lost? 18:17 To miss eternal life? 18:19 Is it possible that a person could accept the truth 18:22 of God's Word - could be an advocate of the truth, 18:25 could enjoy going to church - 18:28 and miss heaven? 18:29 Is that possible? 18:33 Well, there's several places in scripture 18:37 that gives us a good idea. 18:40 Listen to what it says here in Matthew the 7th chapter 18:44 verse 22: 18:58 Now these are people that have cast out demons. 19:03 They... they have prophesied in the name of the Lord. 19:07 They're certainly people that would advocate the truth, 19:11 would they not? 19:13 And listen to what He says to them: 19:23 Same thing that He told those five foolish virgins: 19:27 "I don't know you. " 19:30 Here these people have prophesied in His name... 19:33 cast out demons. And He says: 19:36 "Sorry, I don't know you. 19:38 Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. 19:42 I don't know who you are. " 19:46 In fact, Jesus told of an experience that He had. 19:51 He told of a young man - a rich young ruler - 19:57 that came to see Him. 20:00 If you remember that experience, 20:04 it goes like this: 20:17 Said: "Good Master, tell me 20:19 what good thing I must do 20:22 to have eternal life. " 20:27 In Matthew 19 He goes on and He says: 20:38 Jesus said: "Why are you calling Me good? " 20:40 Now what Jesus was trying to get out of that young man 20:44 was him to acknowledge that He was the Savior. 20:47 That's what He was... that's why He said: 20:49 "Why do you call Me good? " 20:51 But listen to this... what Jesus says to him now: 21:00 He said: "Oh, if you want to enter into life, 21:04 if you want to have eternal life, keep the commandments. " 21:19 I mean, here is a young man 21:23 that from his youth has kept the commandments of God. 21:25 And by the way, I can read to you in one of the other gospels 21:28 where it says that when Jesus looked upon this young man 21:32 He loved him... so this young man's not lying. 21:35 He's telling the truth. 21:37 And he said: "All this I have done from my youth. 21:42 What do I still lack? " 21:54 Said: "If you want to be perfect, 21:58 go sell what you have and give it to the poor. 22:03 And you will have treasure in heaven 22:05 and come and follow Me. " 22:10 Do you catch the significance there? 22:15 Do you catch the significance? 22:17 "Come" and what? "Follow Me. " 22:20 You see, there's a difference there between 22:22 "I do not know you" and "Follow Me. " 22:26 He's saying: "If you want to get into eternal life, 22:30 sell what you have. Give it to the poor. 22:32 Come and follow Me... walk with Me. 22:34 Come and be with Me... get acquainted with Me. 22:38 Spend time with Me... learn to know Me. " 22:41 That's what He's saying to this young man. 22:45 So what about today? 22:47 What does the scripture say that the conditions are today? 22:53 Where do you and I stand? 22:55 As far as the scripture is concerned, it says: 23:05 II Timothy the 3rd chapter... 23:28 Having a form of godliness: go to church... Yes! 23:33 but don't know anything about the power of the Holy Spirit. 23:37 You see, having a form of godliness 23:43 but no relationship with Jesus Christ. 23:48 This is what the call is to the church... 23:51 to those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. 23:54 To those that today say "I'm a Christian" 23:57 God is saying: "Wake up! 24:00 Wake up! Come to know Me. 24:05 Get acquainted with Me. 24:06 Have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. " 24:09 That is the call that He is giving in preparation 24:14 for the coming of Jesus Christ. 24:16 That's what He's saying to you and to me: 24:18 "Get ready. I'm coming back. Come to know Me 24:21 as a personal Savior. " 24:23 Jesus told many, many parables. 24:29 Tonight I'd like to tell you a modern-day parable 24:33 that might illustrate what I'm trying to tell you tonight. 24:38 We'll call the parable The Night I Was Too Busy. 24:42 OK? 24:44 It was on a Saturday night 24:47 and I had just sat down - 24:51 or the man had just sat down - to watch an episode 24:55 on television. 25:00 Had sat down and had watched the first segment of it. 25:04 And when the commercial break came 25:07 uh, he went to the kitchen and got him a piece of cake 25:11 and a glass of milk and uh 25:13 came in and watched the second episode 25:16 or the second part of it - of Lethal Weapon. 25:22 Watching Lethal Weapon. 25:25 And then when the next commercial break came 25:27 he decided he'd have another piece of cake. 25:29 Went in to watch the last episode of Lethal Weapon - 25:35 this is the most interesting part 25:38 because this is when Danny Glover and Mel Gibson 25:41 are about to capture the enemy. 25:44 And right in the very heart of that episode 25:48 down the stairs came his little sister yelling 25:52 "Jesus is coming; Jesus is coming! " 25:55 And he said: "Shhh, be quiet. 25:59 I'm watching Lethal Weapon. " 26:01 And she said: "No, Jesus is coming. I've seen Him. " 26:05 And he said: "Shhh, be quiet. " 26:08 She said: "No, I need to go out and meet Him. 26:11 You need to come with me. Jesus is coming! " 26:13 And he said: "Oh, go ahead and go on. 26:16 I'll be out in a minute. " 26:19 Strange that Jesus would come right in the middle... 26:23 right at the very end of Lethal Weapon 26:26 and spoil the very whole... last part of it! 26:30 And right in the midst of that dynamic part 26:34 when everything is happening 26:36 they decided to take a commercial break. 26:40 And he said: "Well, while we're having a commercial break 26:43 I'll go out and meet Jesus. 26:45 Probably can say in 5 minutes everything I have to say. " 26:50 And so he goes out, opens the door and everything is dark. 26:55 And he said: "Terrible. 26:58 Why would He come... 27:00 Why would He come very... in the last part of Lethal Weapon 27:04 and not even say 'Hi?' " 27:08 Said: "Oh, well, it's dark. 27:11 I'll go in and get some root beer and popcorn 27:15 and enjoy an evening of watching TV. " 27:19 Are you understanding what I'm talking about? 27:24 You see, He said: "I don't know you. " 27:28 "I don't know who you are. " 27:31 Concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, it says 27:35 that if you and I are going to enter into life 27:38 this is what we must do: 27:41 "And this is eternal life... THIS is eternal life... 27:53 "THIS is eternal life: that they may know You. " 27:59 If you want to enter into life, dear friends, 28:01 then you have to become acquainted with Jesus Christ. 28:05 You're not going to have eternal life if you don't. 28:08 Going to church won't get it done. 28:12 You can go to church and not know Jesus Christ. 28:15 It's even possible for you to read the Word of God 28:18 and not know Jesus Christ. 28:20 You've got to know Him. Who is this Jesus Christ? 28:27 Who is He that I need to know? 28:31 And tonight for this first part 28:34 I have talked to those that are Christians. 28:37 Those of you who go to church. 28:39 I'd like to take a little time to talk to those of you 28:43 who may not know Jesus Christ as your Savior. 28:45 Who is He? God up in heaven, the Father... 28:50 this is what He said about Him: 29:01 God the Father said: "This is My beloved Son. " 29:07 That's who He is: He is the Son of God. 29:11 There is no one else... He is the only one 29:16 that is the Son of God. 29:18 John the Baptist, as he stood there on the banks 29:22 of the Jordan River and Jesus come walking down 29:25 the Jordan River, John said this about Him: 29:38 John said "He is the Lamb of God. " 29:42 That means dear friend tonight no matter who you are 29:46 Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for your sins. 29:50 He died for you. 29:52 He paid the price that you rightfully owe. 29:56 He paid. He is the Lamb of God 29:59 that takes away the sins of the world. 30:02 That's what John the Baptist said about Him. 30:04 Peter... When Peter was asked who He was 30:15 Asked him: "Who is He? " 30:18 Peter said: "He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. " 30:23 Tonight, if you don't know Him 30:28 then tonight He IS the Savior, the Son of God. 30:34 When Jesus spoke about who He was 30:39 Jesus said this: 30:58 Oh, He said: "I'm the light of the world. 31:00 That person that comes to Me will not walk in darkness. " 31:06 No, won't walk in darkness. 31:11 In the scripture it gives you 31:13 an insight to what Jesus Christ 31:17 will do for you tonight. 31:20 What is the life? What is the life that Jesus Christ gives? 31:45 So it says the first thing 31:47 that Christ does is He opens your eyes. 31:51 You see, dear friend, you can't see if your eyes are shut. 31:57 And I run onto a lot of people that won't open their eyes. 32:02 Their eyes are shut! 32:03 And the Lord Jesus Christ wants to open your eyes 32:07 tonight so you can see. 32:09 I got on the plane, sat down, 32:13 and this fellow came in and sat down beside me. 32:16 He was very talkative. 32:18 And as we were flying, he began to tell me 32:21 about a book he had just bought at the bookstore. 32:23 Told me it was a best seller 32:26 and how it was recommended so high 32:28 and how anxious he was to read it. 32:31 Now the book was not very big... just kind of a thin little book. 32:34 And the name of the book was Who Moved My Cheese? 32:37 That was the name of the book: Who Moved My Cheese? 32:40 And so as we flew he read this little book. 32:43 And when he finished it, he began to rave 32:46 what a marvelous book it was. 32:48 And then he looked at me and he said: 32:50 "Would you like to read it? " 32:51 And I said: "Sure, I'd like to read it. " 32:53 So he handed it to me, 32:55 and so as we flew along I read the little book. 32:57 What the book is about is not being afraid 33:01 to move out of your comfort zone. 33:03 That's what it's about... 33:04 not being afraid to change. 33:07 Not being afraid to look at new things 33:10 and to accept changes that take place. 33:13 That's what the little book is all about. 33:15 And I enjoyed it. It was a great little book. 33:17 When I finished reading it, I told him how much I enjoyed 33:19 the little book, how much I appreciated him 33:22 letting me read it. 33:23 Then I decided in my own mind 33:26 that I would see how much good it had done him. 33:28 So I said to him, I said: "You know, I have a little book 33:32 that I just finished reading 33:35 that really is a fabulous little book. 33:36 It's called Almost Home 33:39 and it's on Bible prophecy 33:41 and it kind of tells us where we are today 33:43 and I thought you might like to read it. 33:45 And I pulled it out of my briefcase. 33:48 And he took it and he said: 33:50 "What did you say it was about? " 33:52 And I said: "Oh, it's about Bible prophecy. " 33:54 And he handed it back to me and said: "No thank you. " 33:58 Now you see, dear friend, 34:01 it didn't get him out of his comfort zone. 34:03 You see, if your eyes are closed 34:06 you can't see. 34:07 So Jesus Christ comes to open your eyes. 34:12 And when your eyes are open 34:15 something marvelously begins to happen because it says: 34:19 "in order to turn them from darkness to light. " 34:24 You see, you've got to open your eyes to know 34:28 that you're in darkness. 34:30 If you keep your eyes closed all the time, 34:33 you don't know whether there's light or there's darkness. 34:36 Your eyes are shut. But when you open your eyes 34:38 you can tell whether you're in darkness 34:41 or whether you're in light. 34:42 And Jesus said: "Listen, I've come to open your eyes 34:44 so that you will turn from darkness to light. " 34:48 That's what Jesus Christ is going to do for you. 34:50 I can tell you tonight: if you have never known Jesus Christ 34:56 as your personal Savior, 34:58 when you accept Him, oh, dear friends, 35:01 how He brings in the light and how everything looks different. 35:06 I mean, He changes things. 35:09 And things that you once loved 35:12 all of a sudden they aren't near as attractive to you. 35:16 And some of those things that you didn't care about 35:19 all of a sudden you enjoy. 35:22 He changes you. 35:23 Makes you different so that you enjoy the light. 35:27 Brings that to you. 35:28 Dear friend, it can only be experienced. 35:34 Sorry. I can tell you about it, 35:38 but you can only know about it by experience. 35:42 If you're going to sit back and say: 35:45 "Well, I don't know, " 35:48 you'll never experience it. 35:50 But when you give your heart to the Lord and you experience it, 35:54 what a change comes over your life. 35:57 And then He said: 35:58 " to turn them from darkness to light, and from 36:01 the power of Satan to God. " 36:13 It says that He turns you from darkness to light 36:17 that you might receive what? The forgiveness of sin. 36:24 He says: "Listen, I'll take you just like you are. 36:28 I'll accept you just like you are. 36:32 Welcome you into My family. 36:36 I'll forgive you of all your sins. " 36:40 Dear friend, let me tell you tonight: 36:42 I don't care how dark your sins may be, 36:46 the Bible says that He will forgive 36:49 "all manner of sin. " 36:53 Listen: 37:07 What does that mean? 37:09 It says that if you and I come to Him 37:12 and we confess our sins 37:15 "He is faithful and just 37:18 to forgive us our sins. " 37:20 He's faithful. That means that heaven is open for business 37:25 24 hours a day. 37:28 It means that you can come to Him any time 37:32 and if you confess your sins He'll forgive you. 37:35 And it says that He is "faithful and just. " 37:38 That means that He won't treat me one way 37:41 and you another way. If He'll forgive me of my sins, 37:44 He'll forgive you of your sins. 37:47 That's what it means: that our sins can be forgiven. 37:52 He will do that for you and for me. 38:08 It says that the blood of Jesus Christ 38:12 cleanses us from ALL sin. 38:18 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin. 38:24 So tonight it doesn't make any difference 38:31 how dark your past may have been. 38:34 It doesn't make any difference, dear friend, 38:37 how terrible your sins may have been. 38:40 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from ALL sin. 38:46 There is no sin that it won't cleanse. 38:51 See, I have at home in my laundry room 38:56 some spot remover. 38:58 Some of it says "SUPER" spot remover. 39:03 But none of it ever seems to do a very good job. 39:07 But let me tell you, the blood of Jesus Christ 39:10 cleanses ALL sin. 39:14 Not any sin that it won't cleanse. 39:16 And then it says: 39:18 "the forgiveness of sins according to the riches 39:22 of His grace. " 39:25 Ah, marvelous! 39:27 The riches of His grace... 39:31 This fellow had a dream. 39:34 He dreamed he went to heaven. 39:38 When he got to heaven, he was met by Peter 39:41 at Peter's gate 39:44 and Peter welcomed him to heaven. 39:47 They had a nice talk, and then Peter as they were talking 39:52 said to him... said: "Well, if you want to come on inside 39:55 you have to have 100 points. " 39:58 And the fellow said: "Well, 40:00 how do I go about getting 100 points? " 40:04 And Peter said: "Well, what have you done? " 40:09 "Oh, " he said, "I've lived a good life. " 40:11 He said: "I have a family. 40:14 I've tried to be a good husband. 40:16 I've tried to be a good father. 40:18 I've tried to do good things in the community. 40:20 I've lived a good life. 40:22 I've gone to church. 40:23 I've been very supportive in the community. 40:26 I've done a lot of good things. " 40:28 And Peter said: "Well OK, that's worth a point. " 40:33 He said: "Worth what? " 40:35 Said: "Oh, that... that's worth a point. " 40:37 He said: "You mean my whole life? 40:39 Everything that I did is only worth one point? 40:43 That's all? " 40:45 And Peter said: "Don't you have anything else? " 40:50 He said: "Well, yeah, when I died, "he said, "I left 40:54 a large amount of money to the church. " 40:57 He said: "All the things that I have saved 41:01 I left to the church to forward the gospel 41:04 and to help the poor. " He said: 41:05 "I gave all that to the church. " 41:08 Peter said: "Well yeah, " 41:10 he said, "that's worth another point. " 41:12 He said: "You mean... you mean all that I've done 41:17 all my life and all the things that I saved 41:20 and everything that I gave to the church... 41:22 that's only worth two points? " 41:26 Peter said: "That's right. " 41:29 He said: "There's no way on earth I'll get in there 41:33 except by the grace of God! " 41:35 And Peter said: "That's worth 100 points. " 41:39 Dear friends, that's the way it works is by the grace of God. 41:44 You see, it's not because you're worth it. 41:48 It's not because you did something 41:51 that makes you worth it. 41:53 It's not because you're intelligent. 41:55 It's not because you are good looking. 41:59 It's not because of what you've done... 42:01 it's because of Jesus Christ. 42:04 Because of Him... that He died for you. 42:08 And by His grace He takes His blood and He cleanses you 42:13 from all sin. That is because of what Jesus Christ 42:18 did for you and for me. 42:19 And dear friends, that is why it is so absolutely vital 42:24 that you know Him. 42:26 You see, if you don't know Him He can't do anything for you. 42:31 You can go to church, but dear friend 42:33 if you don't know Him, 42:34 if you don't have a relationship with Him, 42:37 when that time comes He'll have to say: "Sorry, 42:40 I don't know you... 42:43 I don't know you. " 42:45 Very important... To open the eyes of the blind, 42:51 "to turn them from darkness to light, 42:55 from the power of Satan to God. " 43:07 Sanctified by what? 43:09 Sanctified means changing your life. 43:13 That means what the Lord Jesus Christ does for you. 43:16 How are we sanctified? 43:19 "By faith. " Get it clear, folks. 43:22 You're sanctified by faith. 43:37 Ever read the story of Abraham of old? 43:40 Came out one evening, looked up in the sky 43:45 and God said: "Abraham, 43:47 you ought to tidy the place up here 43:50 because there's going to be a baby born. " 43:52 Abraham said: "Good Lord, who's going to have a baby? 43:56 Lot's wife or one of the servants? " 43:58 God said: "No, Abraham... 44:00 your wife Sarah's going to have a baby. " 44:02 "In fact, Abraham, I'm going to give you a son 44:05 and your offspring will be like the stars of the heavens 44:08 and like the sands of the sea. " 44:10 And Abraham said: "Oh, Lord, 44:11 that's wonderful... wonderful 44:14 that You're going to give us a baby. 44:16 I've always wanted a son. " 44:18 And he went running home and he said: 44:20 "Sarah, Sarah, guess what? We're going to have a baby! " 44:23 She said: "We are? " 44:27 She said: "Abraham, you've forgotten something. 44:30 You've forgotten that I am 65 years old. 44:36 You're 75 years old. 44:40 I'm past the time of life to have a child. 44:43 I can't have a child. " 44:46 Abraham said: "Sarah, I wasn't hearing things. " 44:51 And - you know - every time they got around 44:56 that's all Abraham could talk about was having another baby, 44:59 having a baby... having a baby. 45:01 So Sarah got tired of talking about it. 45:04 Year after year passed. No baby. 45:07 Finally Sarah said: "Abraham, why don't you take my handmaiden 45:12 Hagar and have a son by her. " 45:14 And so Abraham took Hagar and had a son by her. 45:17 And God said: "Abraham, I didn't say a word about Hagar. 45:21 I said Sarah was going to have a son. " 45:26 Now, 25 years passed, folks. 45:32 Twenty-five years passed, 45:34 and here Christ comes talking to Abraham. 45:40 Told him he's going to have a son. 45:42 And it says Abraham's now 100 years old. 45:46 Sarah... she's 90. 45:49 And when He said: "Abraham, you're going to have a son, " 45:52 Abraham just fell on the ground and started laughing. 45:55 Said: "You've waited too long. " 45:57 Sarah... she was listening at it in the tent 46:00 and she started laughing. 46:01 You'd laugh too if some sister here 46:04 stood up 90 years old and told us she was pregnant. 46:07 You'd all say: "Oh, she's senile. " 46:10 That's what you'd do. 46:12 But, folks, have you ever considered 46:14 how embarrassing that was? 46:16 Huh? 46:18 Because Abraham and Sarah... they traveled. 46:22 They were kind of nomads. 46:23 And when God told him He was going to give him a son 46:27 he changed their names. 46:28 He changed Abram's name to Abraham, see. 46:30 Abram to Abraham 46:31 and Sarai to Sarah. 46:33 Do you know what those names meant? 46:35 Abraham means father of nations. 46:39 Sarah means mother of nations. 46:42 And so here they come walking up to this village 46:45 and as they did back then all the elders are sitting 46:48 out in front of the village. 46:50 And they say: "Welcome to our village. " 46:52 And Abraham said: "Thank you. " 46:53 They said: "What's your name? " 46:54 He said: "Oh, my name's father of nations. " 46:58 They said: "Your wife? " 46:59 "Oh, this is my wife: mother of nations. " 47:01 "Well how many children do you have? " 47:03 "We don't have any. " 47:04 Terrible! 47:07 Why? Why would God wait 25 years? 47:15 So... waiting so that Abraham would get so old 47:20 that he couldn't reproduce. 47:24 Said: "Abraham, since you wouldn't listen 47:27 I'll just wait you out. And when you're so old 47:30 you can't reproduce, then I'll give you a son. " 47:33 Listen. That's what it says in Romans... 47:35 Romans the 4th chapter: 47:43 That meant he couldn't reproduce. 48:03 Listen, folks... 48:08 By faith Abraham hung on. 48:11 That was counted to him as righteousness. 48:14 It is our faith that overcomes the world. 48:19 Hang on! Jesus Christ will do wonderful things for you. 48:25 How can I find direction for my life? 48:28 Let me tell you quickly 48:31 how you can find direction for your life. 48:34 You see, there's some people that make decisions. 48:40 They think they're the right decisions 48:43 but they're the wrong ones and they lead to death. 48:58 You see, I can't trust my own ability. 49:03 I can't do that, dear friend. 49:05 And if tonight you're trusting your own ability 49:08 you're on dangerous ground. 49:22 Don't put your trust in your ability. 49:25 Put your trust in the Word of God. 49:27 Don't lean on your own ability. 49:37 So if you want to know what's the right way 49:39 then, dear friend, get out that Bible. Read it. 49:43 Commit your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, 49:45 and read it to have a personal relationship with Him. 49:50 Read it to understand and listen to His voice. 49:52 As He speaks to you it will change your life 49:56 and make you different. 49:57 Jesus Christ is saying that He is the way. 50:11 You want eternal life? 50:14 Jesus Christ is the way. 50:24 Where do we stand? 50:26 It says that the cry is given at midnight. 50:30 That's what it says. 50:40 The Bible gives you two indicators 50:44 of helping you know where you are in the stream of time. 50:47 Those two indicators are these: 50:55 That's what prophecy is for. 50:58 Prophecy is given to help you and I know where we are 51:01 in the stream of time. 51:03 That's why God gives prophecy. 51:05 The other is... 51:10 For instance, in Matthew the 24th chapter 51:12 Jesus Christ Himself gave 17 signs of His coming. 51:18 Of those 17 signs, 16 have been fulfilled. 51:23 Can I trust these two indicators 51:28 to tell me where I am in the stream of time? 51:31 Listen, this is what the Bible tells you: 51:49 So he said: "If anything is sure, it's the prophetic word. 51:54 You can trust it. " 51:56 So starting tomorrow night, we're going to begin to take 52:00 the prophecies and take them step by step 52:03 and we'll bring them right on down to the time 52:06 in which you and I are living. 52:08 Concerning the signs, Jesus said: 52:22 So those are indicators to help you and I 52:25 know where we are today. 52:27 What is the danger today? 52:28 What's the danger for you and for me today? 52:34 This is the danger: 52:51 That's the danger. 52:53 The danger that we have today is that the coming of Jesus Christ 52:57 will come upon you unexpectedly. 53:02 Being so involved with the things of this life, 53:05 so concerned with making a living, 53:07 so concerned with taking care of the things of this life 53:10 that I miss eternal life. 53:14 Jesus made a comparison to it and He said: 53:26 He said: "Now, like the days of Noah, 53:29 so will the days of the Son of Man be. " 53:32 Let's see what the days of Noah were like. 53:41 That meant they were going on about life as usual. 53:44 They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. 53:47 Not really very concerned about 53:50 really what was taking place. 53:56 OK? 53:57 So they were just going on about life as usual. 53:59 Now listen... I want you to listen very carefully 54:03 to the next words: 54:10 Terrible words. 54:20 Didn't know till the flood came. 54:25 Took them all way. 54:27 "So will the coming of the Son of Man be. " 54:35 Sometimes in our schedule 54:39 it's rather hectic. 54:42 Sometimes we have to go for months - 54:47 even years - without vacations. 54:49 And for the last couple years it's been that way. 54:52 I'm just constantly from one meeting to another. 54:56 And here about a year ago now 55:00 we received an invitation to speak at a convention 55:04 in Sacramento. 55:05 And so since we hadn't had a break 55:08 Gordon and Dona Klein that work with me 55:11 and I decided that we would catch a plane 55:15 and fly up to Seattle. 55:17 And there in Seattle we would take the Clipper Ship 55:22 from Seattle over to Victoria 55:24 and we would spend a couple days just sightseeing 55:28 and relaxing in Victoria. 55:30 Go out to the Butchart Gardens and just enjoy the scenery 55:34 and relax a little bit. 55:36 And then we would come back - 55:38 take the Clipper back to Seattle. 55:41 Spend the night there, 55:43 spend a day in Seattle sightseeing, 55:46 and then catch Amtrak train that night... 55:51 get us a berth and sleep overnight... 55:55 and get up and be in Sacramento the next morning. 55:58 That was our plan. 55:59 So we did. We flew up to Seattle. 56:02 Caught the Clipper; went to Victoria. 56:04 Enjoyed two wonderful days in Victoria 56:07 just looking at the scenery and enjoying the area. 56:09 Caught the Clipper back to Seattle and spent the night. 56:13 The next morning I got up... we weren't rushed. 56:16 I had a very leisurely breakfast; enjoyed it very much. 56:21 And then went up to the room and spent some time just reading 56:26 and praying with no schedule or anything. 56:29 Just enjoying spending time with the Lord. 56:32 And then when I had finished my devotions 56:35 I said to Gordon and Dona... I said: 56:38 "Well, let's go look at some things here in Seattle. " 56:42 But I said, "You know, I don't want to lug this suitcase 56:47 around all day. " You know, I had this big suitcase, 56:49 and I said: "I just don't want to lug it around all day. 56:52 You reckon I could call Amtrak 56:55 and see if they'd let me check it in early? " 56:57 So I called up Amtrak and I told them, I said: 57:00 "I have a train... a train to catch with you this evening 57:04 and I'm here in Seattle. I don't want to lug this all day. 57:08 I'm wondering if you'd let me check it in early. " 57:10 They said: "Sure, Mr. Cox. You can check it in early. " 57:13 They said: "What's the number of your train? " 57:16 And I said: "The number of the train I'm catching 57:18 is this number and it leaves tonight at 9:45 pm. " 57:22 And there was silence on the other end. 57:24 And the man spoke up and said: 57:26 "Mr. Cox, your train leaves at 9:45 this morning. " 57:31 That was 9:40 am, folks. 57:35 Only by the grace of God did we make that train. 57:40 But I hope you're getting my point. 57:43 Did not know... did not know 57:47 until all of a sudden there it was. 57:50 "So, " the scripture says, 57:52 "will the coming of the Son of Man be. " 57:56 Tonight I want to ask you: 57:59 are you ready for Jesus to come? 58:02 Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 58:05 Can you look into His face and say 58:08 "This is my God! " 58:11 Let us pray. 58:14 Heavenly Father, tonight we ask 58:17 that each one of us may be ready for Jesus to come. 58:23 May we know You personally as a Savior. 58:29 May our hearts be surrendered to You. 58:32 To obtain a copy of this program or for more information, 58:35 please write to: |
Revised 2014-12-17