Hello, friends,
welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:00:28.26\00:00:31.39
I'd like to
extend a greeting to you
00:00:31.43\00:00:32.89
from our family to yours.
00:00:32.93\00:00:35.30
And we like to pray and ask
for the Lord to guide our minds
00:00:35.33\00:00:39.20
for this very urgent and
important message entitled,
00:00:39.23\00:00:44.54
"The Coming World Blackout."
00:00:44.57\00:00:48.01
Every time the Lord
gives me an opportunity
00:00:48.04\00:00:50.01
to share from His
Word, I always need to know
00:00:50.05\00:00:54.55
that what I'm doing is
in harmony with God's will.
00:00:54.58\00:00:57.32
And I don't want to make
any attempt on my own effort
00:00:57.35\00:01:00.16
to give glory that only
God is worthy of receiving
00:01:00.19\00:01:03.93
or to receive glory that
only God is worthy to receive.
00:01:03.96\00:01:07.80
But I also want to pray that
God will send His Holy Spirit
00:01:07.83\00:01:10.87
that your mind and His
Word will find a meeting place,
00:01:10.90\00:01:14.97
and our lives will be
empowered by the work He does.
00:01:15.00\00:01:18.11
So let's pray.
00:01:18.14\00:01:19.91
Gracious Father in
heaven, thank You, Lord,
00:01:19.94\00:01:22.84
that we can open Our Word,
which is in fact Your Word,
00:01:22.88\00:01:26.82
we can open our Bibles.
00:01:26.85\00:01:28.85
But even more
than opening the Bibles
00:01:28.88\00:01:30.49
we pray that
You'll open our hearts,
00:01:30.52\00:01:33.02
open our minds,
speak to us in a way
00:01:33.05\00:01:36.86
that you know each one of
us is capable of understanding
00:01:36.89\00:01:42.10
and capable of receiving.
00:01:42.13\00:01:44.53
Take this
message and find I pray
00:01:44.57\00:01:48.90
that heart, that mind, that life
00:01:48.94\00:01:52.17
that not only needs to
hear what is proclaimed,
00:01:52.21\00:01:55.84
but also needs to be
empowered to live in harmony
00:01:55.88\00:01:59.65
with what is proclaimed.
00:01:59.68\00:02:01.95
And so, Lord, I give you
my hearts and hand and mind.
00:02:01.98\00:02:04.95
Use it, Father,
for Your glory alone.
00:02:04.99\00:02:09.32
In Jesus name, I pray.
00:02:09.36\00:02:11.99
Amen.
00:02:12.03\00:02:14.56
The Coming World Blackout.
00:02:14.60\00:02:18.37
A number of years ago,
00:02:18.40\00:02:19.73
my wife and I lived
in Fairfield, California.
00:02:19.77\00:02:22.97
It was August 10th, 1996.
00:02:23.00\00:02:27.64
We had just arrived home
from church after preaching
00:02:27.68\00:02:31.11
at my local church not too
far away from where we lived.
00:02:31.15\00:02:35.95
And as was the case,
every day or every Sabbath
00:02:35.98\00:02:39.35
we pressed our
garage door opener,
00:02:39.39\00:02:42.56
expecting the
garage door to go up,
00:02:42.59\00:02:45.26
but it didn't budge.
00:02:45.29\00:02:47.03
Well, in my mind, I thought,
00:02:47.06\00:02:48.40
well, I didn't
press it correctly.
00:02:48.43\00:02:49.76
So I pressed it again.
00:02:49.80\00:02:51.57
And the garage
door didn't budge.
00:02:51.60\00:02:55.14
And I thought, well,
maybe the batteries died.
00:02:55.17\00:02:57.31
So I took the battery out,
put it back in, shook it up.
00:02:57.34\00:03:01.48
You know, we do things
to try to somehow find power
00:03:01.51\00:03:04.55
where there is none.
00:03:04.58\00:03:05.91
And the garage
door would not budge.
00:03:05.95\00:03:09.75
And then I found, tried
to find alternative ways
00:03:09.78\00:03:14.56
to get into the house.
00:03:14.59\00:03:16.06
But then I realized
00:03:16.09\00:03:18.23
that we had shut the
doors and windows tightly.
00:03:18.26\00:03:23.20
I'm a native of New York City.
00:03:23.23\00:03:24.60
And I know that
it's a habit of mine
00:03:24.63\00:03:27.64
that even still
today I practice,
00:03:27.67\00:03:29.20
I make sure my
car doors are locked.
00:03:29.24\00:03:31.31
My keys are in a safe location.
00:03:31.34\00:03:33.54
I make sure my windows
are shut when I go away
00:03:33.58\00:03:35.94
and the doors
are fastened tightly.
00:03:35.98\00:03:38.21
And so in essence, we locked
ourselves outside of the house.
00:03:38.25\00:03:42.28
But then I noticed something.
00:03:42.32\00:03:44.59
I noticed that
people in the community
00:03:44.62\00:03:46.86
were coming outside of
their homes looking bewildered.
00:03:46.89\00:03:50.49
And I could not help but
asking them what had happened.
00:03:50.53\00:03:54.10
And I heard people
talking amongst themselves,
00:03:54.13\00:03:55.93
they're saying
the power went off.
00:03:55.96\00:03:58.70
Everything in our
house has stopped working.
00:03:58.73\00:04:01.50
It was daytime, the
impact was not immediate.
00:04:01.54\00:04:04.77
But then as I listened, I found
out that there was a blackout
00:04:04.81\00:04:09.01
in our neighborhood.
00:04:09.04\00:04:12.01
I turned on the car radio
to find out more about it.
00:04:12.05\00:04:14.98
And I found out
that the blackout
00:04:15.02\00:04:17.25
was not localized
just to our neighborhood.
00:04:17.29\00:04:21.06
But the blackout had
affected Northern California.
00:04:21.09\00:04:25.29
And as I continued listening,
it bewildered me, it shocked me
00:04:25.33\00:04:29.40
because the
commentator said it's not just
00:04:29.43\00:04:32.53
Northern California,
but the entire West Coast,
00:04:32.57\00:04:36.00
including Western Canada.
00:04:36.04\00:04:38.84
And as I listened, I
found out what the cause was.
00:04:38.87\00:04:42.24
I was told that a
power grid had failed
00:04:42.28\00:04:45.65
because of the
intense heat of the summer.
00:04:45.68\00:04:48.05
They said that the
power grid had been overburden
00:04:48.08\00:04:51.42
and they did not know when
the power would come back on.
00:04:51.45\00:04:56.86
And I thought to myself,
00:04:56.89\00:04:58.23
if I had only known
the blackout was coming,
00:04:58.26\00:05:01.80
I would have made decisions,
00:05:01.83\00:05:03.73
I would have made provision
to do something differently.
00:05:03.77\00:05:07.97
Friends, we spent the
greater part of the afternoon
00:05:08.00\00:05:11.57
in our vehicle waiting
for the power to come back on.
00:05:11.61\00:05:15.84
When I think about that,
00:05:15.88\00:05:17.61
I think about what
the Word of God says,
00:05:17.65\00:05:19.78
if the people of
the world only knew
00:05:19.81\00:05:22.88
that there would be a
coming world blackout.
00:05:22.92\00:05:27.19
To define that even
more, the day is coming,
00:05:27.22\00:05:29.52
when everything that we rely
on will no longer be available.
00:05:29.56\00:05:34.70
The banking
systems, all electronics,
00:05:34.73\00:05:38.17
all means of communication,
00:05:38.20\00:05:40.67
everything material will
lose its impact on our lives.
00:05:40.70\00:05:44.84
All the things that we have
leaned on and learn to trust
00:05:44.87\00:05:48.11
in and rely on will no
longer have any effect at all,
00:05:48.14\00:05:52.01
and everything in the
world, not only economically,
00:05:52.05\00:05:55.42
and socially,
and electronically,
00:05:55.45\00:05:57.85
and all forms of communication.
00:05:57.89\00:05:59.75
But there's going to be
something that's even darker
00:05:59.79\00:06:02.39
than the material impact
of this coming world blackout.
00:06:02.42\00:06:06.83
And Isaiah the prophet
describes this coming day.
00:06:06.86\00:06:09.73
Isaiah the
prophet gives a stark,
00:06:09.76\00:06:12.20
vivid description to
the coming world blackout.
00:06:12.23\00:06:15.50
Listen to his words.
00:06:15.54\00:06:17.64
In Isaiah 60:1-3.
00:06:17.67\00:06:21.38
And the Bible
says, "Arise, shine,
00:06:21.41\00:06:24.45
for your light has come!
00:06:24.48\00:06:27.05
And the glory of the
Lord is risen upon you.
00:06:27.08\00:06:30.59
For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth,
00:06:30.62\00:06:35.02
and deep darkness the people,
00:06:35.06\00:06:38.13
but the Lord
will arise over you,
00:06:38.16\00:06:42.03
and His glory
will be seen upon you."
00:06:42.06\00:06:45.23
And look at the impact.
00:06:45.27\00:06:47.04
"The Gentiles
shall come to your light,
00:06:47.07\00:06:50.87
and the kings to the
brightness of your rising."
00:06:50.91\00:06:54.81
What an amazing day
the Bible is describing.
00:06:54.84\00:06:57.91
A day of darkness,
00:06:57.95\00:06:59.61
a day that's not going to
just cover the people, it says,
00:06:59.65\00:07:02.82
darkness will
cover the inhabitants
00:07:02.85\00:07:05.92
and gross or dense
darkness the people.
00:07:05.95\00:07:11.23
When you think about why
Isaiah the prophet wrote this,
00:07:11.26\00:07:14.96
he's emphasizing
that this approaching hour
00:07:15.00\00:07:18.20
is one of unavoidable darkness.
00:07:18.23\00:07:21.27
And when you study this,
the Bible is in essence saying,
00:07:21.30\00:07:24.47
only those that have
prepared for this hour
00:07:24.51\00:07:28.51
will shine when
this dark moment arrives.
00:07:28.54\00:07:32.95
You see the world has arrived
00:07:32.98\00:07:34.62
at a time of
unpredictable apprehension.
00:07:34.65\00:07:37.72
A lot of people
today are concerned
00:07:37.75\00:07:39.09
about what's going
to happen in the future.
00:07:39.12\00:07:40.49
They have no idea
what's coming down the pipe.
00:07:40.52\00:07:43.26
We are confronted
by something called
00:07:43.29\00:07:45.73
an indiscriminate contagion.
00:07:45.76\00:07:48.36
We're coming out of
COVID, we're coming to normalcy.
00:07:48.40\00:07:51.40
But on the horizon, there
is still this apprehension.
00:07:51.43\00:07:54.80
And the question is
being asked what's next,
00:07:54.84\00:07:57.67
and we're hearing
about this delta variant.
00:07:57.71\00:08:01.08
And people are saying,
I hope it is not as bad
00:08:01.11\00:08:04.18
as what just passed by
until they hear on the news,
00:08:04.21\00:08:07.68
it could be more
deadly, more intense,
00:08:07.72\00:08:10.42
more effective, more infective,
00:08:10.45\00:08:13.56
and people are wondering
to themselves, not again.
00:08:13.59\00:08:16.83
But that's not the only thing.
00:08:16.86\00:08:18.99
We live in a world
that's wracked by calamity
00:08:19.03\00:08:21.23
and disease.
00:08:21.26\00:08:22.60
And when you look at the
Bible, and you begin to see
00:08:22.63\00:08:24.50
how this worked
in the Old Testament,
00:08:24.53\00:08:26.60
using Job as an example.
00:08:26.63\00:08:28.47
We begin to see
that calamity and disease
00:08:28.50\00:08:31.27
are Satan's tools to
prepare the world for its ends.
00:08:31.31\00:08:36.04
And there is an irreversible,
00:08:36.08\00:08:38.15
fearful anxiety
hovering over humanity.
00:08:38.18\00:08:43.22
But let's add to the picture.
00:08:43.25\00:08:44.95
Let's add to the
picture that God sees.
00:08:44.99\00:08:47.06
Let's go to the West
Coast, unquenchable fires
00:08:47.09\00:08:49.92
that are consuming life's
accomplishments in seconds.
00:08:49.96\00:08:53.90
People that thought that
let me move out of the city
00:08:53.93\00:08:56.43
and find a nice, comfortable,
safe place in the country
00:08:56.46\00:08:58.93
only to realize that we are
living in a season of drought,
00:08:58.97\00:09:02.54
where lake levels are lower than
00:09:02.57\00:09:04.07
they've ever been
before in some states,
00:09:04.11\00:09:06.11
where water is
beginning to be rationed.
00:09:06.14\00:09:08.34
And they can't even use
that to water their lawns.
00:09:08.38\00:09:11.81
Something's
happening in the world
00:09:11.85\00:09:13.88
that's letting us know
that there's an unexplainable,
00:09:13.92\00:09:17.12
fearful sign
just on the horizon.
00:09:17.15\00:09:20.19
And when you put
those categories together,
00:09:20.22\00:09:22.16
medically, socially,
economically, and religiously,
00:09:22.19\00:09:26.63
the citizens of our world
are paused in a solemn awe
00:09:26.66\00:09:31.53
about the future
that's coming to this world.
00:09:31.57\00:09:33.97
Men just really don't know.
00:09:34.00\00:09:35.64
And the bottom line is,
00:09:35.67\00:09:37.01
men are not
reading the Word of God.
00:09:37.04\00:09:39.61
Thinking men are not able
to think beyond what they see.
00:09:39.64\00:09:43.78
But God's Word gives
evidence as to what is coming
00:09:43.81\00:09:47.72
and what our
responsibilities are.
00:09:47.75\00:09:49.95
One of my favorite
authors writes this quotation
00:09:49.98\00:09:53.39
about what's
coming down the road.
00:09:53.42\00:09:55.36
We read in the book
Testimonies for the Church,
00:09:55.39\00:09:57.19
volume 9 and
page 43 these words.
00:09:57.23\00:10:00.30
"We are on the very
verge of the time of trouble,
00:10:00.33\00:10:05.23
and perplexities
that are scarcely dreamed
00:10:05.27\00:10:09.14
of are before us."
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.51
Think about that,
scarcely dreamed of,
00:10:11.54\00:10:15.08
stretch your imagination,
00:10:15.11\00:10:17.11
reach back into the
experience of some of the things
00:10:17.15\00:10:19.18
you've seen on television,
and maybe some of the things
00:10:19.21\00:10:21.55
you've seen in movies.
00:10:21.58\00:10:23.12
And we are told
that the perplexities
00:10:23.15\00:10:25.42
that are scarcely
dreamed of are before us.
00:10:25.45\00:10:29.56
Let me make it very clear.
00:10:29.59\00:10:30.93
This is not an
attempt to frighten you
00:10:30.96\00:10:32.29
into accepting Christ.
00:10:32.33\00:10:33.96
But this is an
attempt to awaken us
00:10:34.00\00:10:36.56
to the hour that's coming,
00:10:36.60\00:10:38.17
to the things that
are unavoidable to realize
00:10:38.20\00:10:41.00
that in this hour
where evil is fueled
00:10:41.04\00:10:44.07
with a demonic intensity.
00:10:44.11\00:10:46.41
God is saying, what is
coming has never existed before.
00:10:46.44\00:10:51.85
And He's trying
to awake His people.
00:10:51.88\00:10:53.65
He's trying to say to us,
this is the hour to get ready.
00:10:53.68\00:10:57.45
If ever there was a
time that the people of God
00:10:57.49\00:11:00.06
should be awake,
this is the hour.
00:11:00.09\00:11:03.89
And when you study
God's Word, you begin to see
00:11:03.93\00:11:05.89
that evil angels
and evil men are uniting
00:11:05.93\00:11:11.23
in a coalition
against righteousness.
00:11:11.27\00:11:15.40
And Revelation makes it very
clear that the final contest
00:11:15.44\00:11:18.71
between light and
darkness, good and evil,
00:11:18.74\00:11:22.04
Christ and Satan,
in this final battle
00:11:22.08\00:11:25.81
there will be no middle ground.
00:11:25.85\00:11:29.05
And if you've known
that, if you understand that,
00:11:29.08\00:11:31.72
it makes sense to
make our decision now
00:11:31.75\00:11:34.59
as to where we're going to
stand when that hour comes.
00:11:34.62\00:11:37.83
Because Revelation
expands the picture,
00:11:37.86\00:11:40.73
and adds another brush stroke
00:11:40.76\00:11:44.00
to what Isaiah the
prophet has already said.
00:11:44.03\00:11:46.00
Look at Revelation 12:12.
00:11:46.03\00:11:48.60
We are told in this book
of apocalyptic understanding,
00:11:48.64\00:11:53.58
"Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
and you who dwell in them!"
00:11:53.61\00:11:59.38
But look at the next phrase.
00:11:59.41\00:12:00.95
"Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and the sea!
00:12:00.98\00:12:05.15
For the devil has come
down to you, having great wrath,
00:12:05.19\00:12:09.46
because he knows
that he has a short time."
00:12:09.49\00:12:14.56
Satan is working
with demonic intensity,
00:12:14.60\00:12:17.37
his coalition is building,
00:12:17.40\00:12:19.27
religiously his
coalition is building,
00:12:19.30\00:12:21.84
immorally his
coalition is being built.
00:12:21.87\00:12:24.74
Men of greed and hatred,
00:12:24.77\00:12:26.74
as 2 Timothy describes
this crumbling society.
00:12:26.78\00:12:29.84
Men that have a
form of godliness,
00:12:29.88\00:12:32.41
religion that has run off
the tracks and has gone away
00:12:32.45\00:12:36.18
from righteousness
to just entertainment.
00:12:36.22\00:12:38.85
What a world we're looking at.
00:12:38.89\00:12:40.42
And what a picture
the Bible is describing.
00:12:40.46\00:12:42.62
And why is this happening?
00:12:42.66\00:12:43.99
Because the devil has
come down with great wrath,
00:12:44.03\00:12:46.93
knowing that he
has, but a short time.
00:12:46.96\00:12:51.23
Well, the fact
is, time is short.
00:12:51.27\00:12:53.30
But the question is, what
preparation are you making
00:12:53.34\00:12:56.94
for this trying
hour ahead of you?
00:12:56.97\00:12:59.07
How should you
respond to the knowledge
00:12:59.11\00:13:02.31
that we're living
in the time of the end?
00:13:02.34\00:13:05.08
What should we do?
00:13:05.11\00:13:06.45
And what difference
should there be between us
00:13:06.48\00:13:09.32
and the world
knowing that God is saying,
00:13:09.35\00:13:12.55
it is not even
sensible for the people of God,
00:13:12.59\00:13:15.66
to hear this, and
remain unmoved by it,
00:13:15.69\00:13:18.66
to remain complacent,
00:13:18.69\00:13:20.03
to do nothing to
prepare for what's coming?
00:13:20.06\00:13:22.76
Well, the Prophet Joel not only
describes this coming calamity,
00:13:22.80\00:13:27.67
but he does something
else which I praise God for.
00:13:27.70\00:13:30.11
He instructs the servants of God
00:13:30.14\00:13:32.37
concerning their responsibility.
00:13:32.41\00:13:35.28
Look at Joel 2:1-2.
00:13:35.31\00:13:37.95
Notice what he says in this
descending hour of darkness.
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.82
He says, "Blow
the trumpet in Zion."
00:13:40.85\00:13:43.39
In other words,
wake up the church,
00:13:43.42\00:13:45.25
"and sound an alarm
in My holy mountain."
00:13:45.29\00:13:48.26
In other words, call the people
to urgency, but he expands it.
00:13:48.29\00:13:52.63
"Let all the inhabitants
of the land tremble."
00:13:52.66\00:13:55.53
And look at his description.
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.43
"For the day of the Lord
is coming, for it is at hand."
00:13:57.47\00:14:03.34
Look at his description.
00:14:03.37\00:14:05.37
"A day of
darkness and gloominess,
00:14:05.41\00:14:08.71
a day of clouds
and thick darkness,
00:14:08.74\00:14:12.21
like the morning clouds
spread over the mountains.
00:14:12.25\00:14:15.58
A people come, great and strong,
00:14:15.62\00:14:19.05
the like of whom has never been,
00:14:19.09\00:14:21.82
nor will there ever
be any such after them,
00:14:21.86\00:14:26.29
even for many
successive generations."
00:14:26.33\00:14:30.17
Joel the prophet,
Isaiah the prophet,
00:14:30.20\00:14:32.97
John the Revelator are saying,
00:14:33.00\00:14:34.94
"Brethren, this is coming.
00:14:34.97\00:14:36.87
God is giving us instruction."
00:14:36.91\00:14:38.74
I like to follow instructions.
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.68
As a matter of fact, sometimes,
00:14:40.71\00:14:42.18
I think I have
it put all together.
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.45
I think I have my mind already
calibrated to what's coming.
00:14:44.48\00:14:47.52
But then when I read
the Word of God, it's like,
00:14:47.55\00:14:51.49
it's like a dressing
or listening carefully
00:14:51.52\00:14:54.42
to directions given by our GPS,
00:14:54.46\00:14:57.09
because sometimes we
drive and our feelings
00:14:57.13\00:14:59.59
may say go left or go right.
00:14:59.63\00:15:01.50
But when the GPS points as
we begin to say, wait a minute,
00:15:01.53\00:15:04.77
what I thought was
happening is not, in fact,
00:15:04.80\00:15:06.80
what's really happening.
00:15:06.84\00:15:08.44
You see, Joel the
prophet is saying,
00:15:08.47\00:15:10.17
"This is the hour that
God is saying to His people,
00:15:10.21\00:15:13.17
it is time to
turn up the volume,
00:15:13.21\00:15:15.68
it is time to turn up the light,
00:15:15.71\00:15:17.41
it is time to
ignite the gospel candle."
00:15:17.45\00:15:20.15
And that's why we are
committed to the proclamation
00:15:20.18\00:15:23.75
of the first, second
and third angel's message.
00:15:23.79\00:15:27.86
It is a message
of urgent appeal.
00:15:27.89\00:15:31.69
Now, when you think about it,
00:15:31.73\00:15:33.06
in an hour of
darkness, what do you need?
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.76
You need light.
00:15:34.80\00:15:36.13
The Word of God is
a lamp unto our feet
00:15:36.16\00:15:37.90
and a light unto our paths.
00:15:37.93\00:15:39.43
And as a pastor, I've
often said to my church members,
00:15:39.47\00:15:41.54
are you studying your Bible?
00:15:41.57\00:15:43.47
How much time are you
spending in your Bible?
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.11
And I'm saying the same to you.
00:15:46.14\00:15:47.88
Is your Bible close enough
00:15:47.91\00:15:49.54
so that when
descending darkness comes,
00:15:49.58\00:15:52.21
you will be ready
because the Word of God
00:15:52.25\00:15:54.52
has been hidden in your heart?
00:15:54.55\00:15:57.85
It has informed
and ignited your life,
00:15:57.89\00:16:00.52
and your life will be
the one that's shining
00:16:00.56\00:16:02.72
when this darkness comes.
00:16:02.76\00:16:04.39
Because Isaiah the prophet said,
00:16:04.43\00:16:06.23
"If your light is
shining in this hour
00:16:06.26\00:16:08.86
of descending darkness,
people are going to see it."
00:16:08.90\00:16:11.57
The Gentiles
shall come to your light
00:16:11.60\00:16:14.70
and the kings to the
brightness of your rising.
00:16:14.74\00:16:18.37
Meaning God intends
to turn up the light
00:16:18.41\00:16:22.38
in the life of His people.
00:16:22.41\00:16:24.45
He's calling us to
an intensity, a reach,
00:16:24.48\00:16:27.68
an emphasis that
the everlasting gospel
00:16:27.72\00:16:31.29
in this hour of
approaching darkness,
00:16:31.32\00:16:33.92
the everlasting gospel
says that there is still hope,
00:16:33.96\00:16:37.59
even though the
horizon has a foreboding
00:16:37.63\00:16:41.30
of darkness and gloominess.
00:16:41.33\00:16:43.93
And that's why in this
age of descending darkness,
00:16:43.97\00:16:46.70
Zachariah the prophet tells
us what we need to be doing,
00:16:46.74\00:16:50.41
not only the
proclamation of the gospel,
00:16:50.44\00:16:52.54
but notice what he says,
when we proclaim the gospel,
00:16:52.57\00:16:55.28
God is going to turn the
gospel up to a another level.
00:16:55.31\00:17:00.18
Look at Zechariah 10:1.
00:17:00.22\00:17:04.85
He's saying to us,
"Ask the Lord for rain
00:17:04.89\00:17:08.76
in the time of the latter rain.
00:17:08.79\00:17:12.09
The Lord will
make flashing clouds,
00:17:12.13\00:17:15.16
He will give them
showers of blessing,
00:17:15.20\00:17:18.73
grass in the
field for everyone."
00:17:18.77\00:17:22.00
Notice what Zachariah is saying.
00:17:22.04\00:17:24.21
He says ask, are you asking?
00:17:24.24\00:17:26.71
Are you praying?
00:17:26.74\00:17:28.08
Are you saying, Lord, I
need the latter rain in my life?
00:17:28.11\00:17:30.38
Or are you comfortable with just
00:17:30.41\00:17:33.11
a remedial humdrum
nominal Christian life?
00:17:33.15\00:17:37.29
Are you comfortable just going
to church sitting for a sermon
00:17:37.32\00:17:41.22
and going back home and
falling into complacency?
00:17:41.26\00:17:43.76
Or is there an
urgency in your household?
00:17:43.79\00:17:46.96
Are you leading your family
before the altar of God daily
00:17:47.00\00:17:50.07
in prayer and Bible studies?
00:17:50.10\00:17:52.43
Are you putting down the devices
00:17:52.47\00:17:54.30
and picking up the
all powerful Word of God?
00:17:54.34\00:17:56.71
It is by the
study of the Word of God
00:17:56.74\00:17:58.94
that two things happen.
00:17:58.97\00:18:00.31
One, we become
informed about what's coming.
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.68
And secondly, God
begins to ignite us
00:18:02.71\00:18:05.91
by putting His
Word in our lives.
00:18:05.95\00:18:08.88
And let me tell you something,
00:18:08.92\00:18:10.25
when the Word of
God enters your life,
00:18:10.29\00:18:11.85
it begins to affect your life.
00:18:11.89\00:18:13.76
It begins to
guide your thinking,
00:18:13.79\00:18:15.62
it begins to
become your guiding light.
00:18:15.66\00:18:18.29
Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet and a light unto my path.
00:18:18.33\00:18:21.50
It lets us know
that what is before us
00:18:21.53\00:18:24.53
is either good or evil.
00:18:24.57\00:18:26.97
But you'll never know
that unless God's Word
00:18:27.00\00:18:29.47
is a part of your daily study.
00:18:29.50\00:18:31.17
But not only that, not only
will the message be empowered,
00:18:31.21\00:18:35.24
but the people of
God will be empowered.
00:18:35.28\00:18:37.71
And I can tell you today,
00:18:37.75\00:18:39.08
the church
needs to be empowered,
00:18:39.11\00:18:40.92
because when you look
at modern Christianity,
00:18:40.95\00:18:43.95
with all the
trials and difficulties,
00:18:43.99\00:18:46.12
God is saying, He does
not want His church to end
00:18:46.15\00:18:51.03
less glorious than it began.
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.70
And there are many
people that are comfortable
00:18:53.73\00:18:55.16
with the phrase Christianity
or being church members,
00:18:55.20\00:18:59.90
but their lives are not growing.
00:18:59.93\00:19:01.77
Their experience
is not flourishing.
00:19:01.80\00:19:04.14
And God is saying, He
wants to empower the church
00:19:04.17\00:19:07.01
because we do not have
self possessed vitality.
00:19:07.04\00:19:11.71
There's nothing in us that can
ignite us, because Paul says,
00:19:11.75\00:19:16.28
I know that in my
flesh, nothing good dwells.
00:19:16.32\00:19:20.39
But God wants to
galvanize the latter day church
00:19:20.42\00:19:23.73
as He galvanized the early
church, but He's saying to us
00:19:23.76\00:19:28.20
that there's only one power
that can make the difference.
00:19:28.23\00:19:30.87
Look at Zachariah 4:6.
00:19:30.90\00:19:33.54
Zechariah 4:6, He
tells us about that power.
00:19:33.57\00:19:38.31
"So he answered and said to me,"
00:19:38.34\00:19:39.81
speaking of the
lamp stands and the oil.
00:19:39.84\00:19:42.84
He said, "This is the word
of the Lord to Zerubbabel:"
00:19:42.88\00:19:48.05
What is the word?
00:19:48.08\00:19:49.42
"Not by might nor by power,
00:19:49.45\00:19:52.72
but by 'My Spirit,'
says 'the Lord of hosts.'"
00:19:52.75\00:19:56.69
Notice, not by might,
00:19:56.73\00:19:58.59
that's programs and
ideas and outreaches,
00:19:58.63\00:20:01.33
and things that are
happening in our church.
00:20:01.36\00:20:03.10
It's good to have programs.
00:20:03.13\00:20:05.03
That's a sign of
an active church.
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.00
But when the church is growing,
00:20:07.04\00:20:08.37
when the
membership is flourishing,
00:20:08.40\00:20:10.24
when the person's life
is being ignited by the work
00:20:10.27\00:20:12.71
that God is doing inside
of him, or inside of her,
00:20:12.74\00:20:16.11
something else happens.
00:20:16.14\00:20:17.95
It goes from just
programs to conversion.
00:20:17.98\00:20:21.25
It goes just from
great ideas to the church
00:20:21.28\00:20:25.15
becoming empowered,
unified, strengthened,
00:20:25.19\00:20:28.92
all the walls of
division go down,
00:20:28.96\00:20:31.16
and the walls of the
unity hold the church together.
00:20:31.19\00:20:35.13
But the life that the church
needs is a prelude to the life
00:20:35.16\00:20:39.93
that the Lord knows we can have.
00:20:39.97\00:20:41.97
But we have to understand
where this power comes from.
00:20:42.00\00:20:44.41
You see, the
prelude to a life of power
00:20:44.44\00:20:48.31
is a life of prayer.
00:20:48.34\00:20:50.85
I'm gonna say that again.
00:20:50.88\00:20:52.21
If you want your life
to be a life of power,
00:20:52.25\00:20:54.45
it has to begin
as a life of prayer.
00:20:54.48\00:20:58.59
Simply meaning
before the church can stand
00:20:58.62\00:21:00.59
on its knees, the
church has to learn how to bow.
00:21:00.62\00:21:04.39
Before the church
can stand on its feet,
00:21:04.43\00:21:06.80
the church has to learn
how to bow on its knees.
00:21:06.83\00:21:09.63
Look at Acts 1:12-14,
00:21:09.66\00:21:13.03
the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit
00:21:13.07\00:21:15.77
is a response and not a prelude.
00:21:15.80\00:21:18.97
What is it a...
00:21:19.01\00:21:20.38
what is it a response to
that Acts answer the question.
00:21:20.41\00:21:24.85
Acts 1:12-14, speaking about
00:21:24.88\00:21:28.28
what God did on
that Day of Pentecost.
00:21:28.32\00:21:31.42
The Bible says, "Then
they returned to Jerusalem
00:21:31.45\00:21:34.62
from the mount called
Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
00:21:34.66\00:21:39.29
a Sabbath day's journey.
00:21:39.33\00:21:42.03
And when they had entered,
they went up into the upper room
00:21:42.06\00:21:47.54
where they were staying:"
00:21:47.57\00:21:49.07
look at those who were there,
00:21:49.10\00:21:51.07
"Peter, James, John, and
Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
00:21:51.11\00:21:55.98
Bartholomew and Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus
00:21:56.01\00:22:00.55
and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas the son of James."
00:22:00.58\00:22:04.45
But look at what
it says in verse 14,
00:22:04.49\00:22:05.82
about this illustrious crowd.
00:22:05.85\00:22:08.26
"These all continued
with one accord in prayer
00:22:08.29\00:22:12.83
and supplication,
with the women and Mary
00:22:12.86\00:22:16.97
the mother of Jesus,
and with His brothers."
00:22:17.00\00:22:22.44
What's happening
in the upper room?
00:22:22.47\00:22:24.31
What took place
in the upper room?
00:22:24.34\00:22:26.81
Let me make a
very important point,
00:22:26.84\00:22:28.81
before it took
place in the church,
00:22:28.84\00:22:31.58
before it took
place in Jerusalem,
00:22:31.61\00:22:34.45
before it went
from Jerusalem to Judea,
00:22:34.48\00:22:37.09
to Samaria, to the
uttermost parts of the earth,
00:22:37.12\00:22:39.52
it began in the upper room.
00:22:39.55\00:22:42.32
Now, when you look
at that list of names,
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.16
I know that Peter
was different from James,
00:22:44.19\00:22:46.39
and James was
different from John,
00:22:46.43\00:22:48.80
and John was surely
different from Doubting Thomas.
00:22:48.83\00:22:51.43
And Philip, the
evangelist was surely different
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.54
from Bartholomew and Matthew,
they had all their differences.
00:22:53.57\00:22:57.11
But the Bible says, when
they got together and prayed,
00:22:57.14\00:23:00.71
it says these all continued
with one accord in prayer
00:23:00.74\00:23:04.65
and supplication.
00:23:04.68\00:23:06.72
You mean to tell me that when
they got together and prayed,
00:23:06.75\00:23:08.82
walls came down?
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.22
That's what the Bible is saying.
00:23:10.25\00:23:12.12
When they got
together, not only the men,
00:23:12.15\00:23:14.52
but also the women
00:23:14.56\00:23:15.89
that came from
Galilee that followed Christ,
00:23:15.92\00:23:18.29
and Mary the mother of Jesus,
00:23:18.33\00:23:20.06
and with his
brothers, God created a unity.
00:23:20.10\00:23:24.83
God brought down the
walls that they had before
00:23:24.87\00:23:28.24
because when you
study the disciples' lives,
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.81
you begin to see they
had a lot of contention.
00:23:30.84\00:23:33.24
Peter was the one that
spoke quickly and thought last.
00:23:33.27\00:23:36.48
His mouth was in fifth
gear, his mind was in first.
00:23:36.51\00:23:39.88
James and John was
contending for seats in heaven,
00:23:39.91\00:23:42.85
as their mother requested,
00:23:42.88\00:23:44.52
sit one of my
son's on the right hand,
00:23:44.55\00:23:46.76
and the other on the left.
00:23:46.79\00:23:48.22
But when they got
together and prayed,
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.49
they became less of the focus,
00:23:50.53\00:23:52.43
and the work of the kingdom
00:23:52.46\00:23:54.70
became the most
important focus of their lives.
00:23:54.73\00:23:58.23
It empowered them,
because God was about to do
00:23:58.27\00:24:01.20
something on the
Day of Pentecost.
00:24:01.24\00:24:03.27
And he needed the disciples,
00:24:03.30\00:24:05.64
now the apostles to lay
aside their differences,
00:24:05.67\00:24:09.61
and get ready for the outpouring
00:24:09.64\00:24:11.25
of the early rain.
00:24:11.28\00:24:13.01
Now, let's look
at the comparison.
00:24:13.05\00:24:14.98
The early rain, what the
Lord did to prepare the church
00:24:15.02\00:24:18.55
for the early rain
is what God wants to do
00:24:18.59\00:24:22.42
to prepare the
church for the latter rain.
00:24:22.46\00:24:25.83
Now, this is very important.
00:24:25.86\00:24:27.60
This is vitally important,
00:24:27.63\00:24:29.20
because a lot of
people are contend,
00:24:29.23\00:24:30.97
you know, we excuse the behavior
00:24:31.00\00:24:32.47
of some of our church members.
00:24:32.50\00:24:33.84
We say, well, is
that, that's how she is.
00:24:33.87\00:24:37.01
That's how he is.
00:24:37.04\00:24:38.37
He's always
tempestuous. He's always angry.
00:24:38.41\00:24:40.74
He's always in
controversy with somebody.
00:24:40.78\00:24:43.14
Brethren, we can't expect
to be in controversy and angry,
00:24:43.18\00:24:46.55
and divided amongst ourselves
and expect the Holy Spirit
00:24:46.58\00:24:50.55
to be poured out
on a divided church.
00:24:50.59\00:24:53.25
That's why they got
together and prayed.
00:24:53.29\00:24:55.52
What does prayer do?
00:24:55.56\00:24:57.33
Prayer humbles us.
00:24:57.36\00:25:00.16
It doesn't change God's mind.
00:25:00.20\00:25:02.16
You see, God wants us to pray,
so that He can reveal to us
00:25:02.20\00:25:05.60
the weak walls in our lives,
00:25:05.63\00:25:07.57
the weak places
of our character,
00:25:07.60\00:25:09.67
the things that we think
that we should not be thinking.
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.44
God wants His
church to be empowered,
00:25:12.47\00:25:14.84
because an empowered
church is evidence to the world
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.81
that Christianity is
alive, and it's revealed.
00:25:18.85\00:25:22.42
But if the world
sees a divided church,
00:25:22.45\00:25:24.55
what appeal could a divided
church be to a divided world?
00:25:24.59\00:25:27.92
If the world
sees a church that's,
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.03
that have members that
are at odds with each other,
00:25:30.06\00:25:32.63
what appeal
could a church at odds
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.90
have for a
world that is at odds?
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.73
If the world sees a
church that is bound in sin,
00:25:37.77\00:25:41.47
what appeal is a
church that's bound in sin
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.57
to a world that's bound in sin?
00:25:44.61\00:25:46.88
God wants the
church to be different.
00:25:46.91\00:25:49.88
God wants to bring
the church back to life.
00:25:49.91\00:25:54.92
And that's exactly what
God assures us He can do.
00:25:54.95\00:25:59.29
God can take a
church that's dead,
00:25:59.32\00:26:01.89
and bring it back to life.
00:26:01.92\00:26:03.99
And then fill that church
with the power that it needs
00:26:04.03\00:26:07.03
to accomplish an urgent
work in these last days.
00:26:07.06\00:26:10.80
Look at Ezekiel 37:5-6.
00:26:10.83\00:26:15.40
Notice what God promises to do
00:26:15.44\00:26:17.44
to the church
that needs vitality.
00:26:17.47\00:26:20.64
"Thus says the Lord
God to these bones,"
00:26:20.68\00:26:24.15
Ezekiel was standing in
front of a valley of dry bones,
00:26:24.18\00:26:27.55
and look at the
word that the Lord says,
00:26:27.58\00:26:29.25
"Surely I will cause
breath to enter into you,
00:26:29.28\00:26:33.86
and you shall live.
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.52
I will put sinew on you
and bring flesh upon you,
00:26:35.56\00:26:41.16
cover you with skin
and put breath in you,
00:26:41.20\00:26:45.33
and you shall live.
00:26:45.37\00:26:47.54
Then you shall know
that I am the Lord.'"
00:26:47.57\00:26:53.51
You see, Ezekiel
is painting a picture
00:26:53.54\00:26:56.98
of a people
empowered by a vitality,
00:26:57.01\00:27:00.98
that is beyond
their natural abilities.
00:27:01.02\00:27:03.62
Ezekiel is saying
that we cannot possibly
00:27:03.65\00:27:06.22
by our own strength,
by our own intellect,
00:27:06.25\00:27:09.42
by our own understanding
possibly accomplish the work
00:27:09.46\00:27:12.99
that only
divinity can accomplish.
00:27:13.03\00:27:15.56
Now, why is that the case?
00:27:15.60\00:27:16.93
Because we don't
wrestle against flesh and blood.
00:27:16.97\00:27:19.07
We're living in a very
real world, a thirsty world,
00:27:19.10\00:27:22.20
and men are running to
and fro looking for something
00:27:22.24\00:27:24.47
to satisfy their
thirst, their hunger,
00:27:24.51\00:27:27.84
but they're looking in places
00:27:27.88\00:27:29.44
that will never
satisfy their needs.
00:27:29.48\00:27:32.21
But what would
happen if men of the world,
00:27:32.25\00:27:35.15
and women of the world,
and leaders of the world
00:27:35.18\00:27:37.05
begin to see
something happen to the church
00:27:37.09\00:27:39.12
as they saw it happen
on the Day of Pentecost?
00:27:39.15\00:27:42.02
What would happen if they
see people that are like Peter
00:27:42.06\00:27:45.29
in character
that gets converted?
00:27:45.33\00:27:48.10
And the Lord says,
when you are converted,
00:27:48.13\00:27:49.70
strengthen the brethren?
00:27:49.73\00:27:51.07
What would happen if
they see people like Thomas
00:27:51.10\00:27:54.14
who used to doubt that
doubt the Lord no longer?
00:27:54.17\00:27:57.84
What happen if they
see people like Philip
00:27:57.87\00:28:00.28
that are content in
the position he's in,
00:28:00.31\00:28:02.88
all of a sudden
becomes an effective
00:28:02.91\00:28:05.15
and empowered evangelist?
00:28:05.18\00:28:07.35
What would happen if they
see a man like a tax collector
00:28:07.38\00:28:11.05
finds conversion at the
feet of Jesus and goes out
00:28:11.09\00:28:14.09
and begins to be active
in empowering the church
00:28:14.12\00:28:16.49
to accomplish a divine mission?
00:28:16.52\00:28:18.83
You know, what
happened to these men
00:28:18.86\00:28:20.20
that we read about,
what happened in their lives,
00:28:20.23\00:28:22.23
caused the world to be turned
upside down in just 34 years.
00:28:22.26\00:28:26.03
And get this.
00:28:26.07\00:28:27.47
It wasn't that
many, began with 12,
00:28:27.50\00:28:30.31
and the numbers expanded.
00:28:30.34\00:28:32.11
But on that first day,
when God poured out His Spirit,
00:28:32.14\00:28:35.78
3,000 conversions
happened in a day.
00:28:35.81\00:28:40.05
What am I saying?
00:28:40.08\00:28:41.55
I'm saying that if the church
is just content with sermons,
00:28:41.58\00:28:44.65
and music, and all
the religious activities
00:28:44.69\00:28:47.96
without praying for
this earnest infilling
00:28:47.99\00:28:50.79
of the power of God,
it will never understand
00:28:50.83\00:28:53.60
what God really wants to do.
00:28:53.63\00:28:55.63
He wants to empower the church.
00:28:55.66\00:28:57.93
But listen to this quotation.
00:28:57.97\00:29:00.04
It opens our minds as
to what God is showing us
00:29:00.07\00:29:04.24
that He wants
to do in our lives.
00:29:04.27\00:29:06.17
It comes from a book
that I value very highly.
00:29:06.21\00:29:08.64
It's a book about Evangelism.
00:29:08.68\00:29:10.65
And it comes from page
699, in paragraph five.
00:29:10.68\00:29:14.32
Listen to what is said,
"As the time comes for it,
00:29:14.35\00:29:18.49
that is the
message of the third angel
00:29:18.52\00:29:20.66
to be given with greatest power,
00:29:20.69\00:29:23.22
the Lord will work
through humble instruments..."
00:29:23.26\00:29:27.46
What kind of instruments?
00:29:27.50\00:29:28.83
"Humble instruments,
leading the minds of those
00:29:28.86\00:29:32.73
who consecrate
themselves to His service."
00:29:32.77\00:29:36.60
And watch this.
00:29:36.64\00:29:37.97
"The laborers will be qualified
00:29:38.01\00:29:41.51
rather by the
unction of His Spirit
00:29:41.54\00:29:44.51
than by the training
of literary institutions.
00:29:44.55\00:29:48.18
Men of faith and prayer
will be constrained to go forth
00:29:48.22\00:29:52.62
with holy zeal,
00:29:52.65\00:29:55.12
declaring the words
which God gives them."
00:29:55.16\00:30:00.26
Notice what's going to happen.
00:30:00.30\00:30:02.66
They're not going to
allow society to say,
00:30:02.70\00:30:04.57
you can preach this,
but you can't preach that.
00:30:04.60\00:30:07.57
And we're
living in a day and age
00:30:07.60\00:30:08.94
where so many laws
have been passed to,
00:30:08.97\00:30:11.27
to authorize and
approve things that are not
00:30:11.31\00:30:15.11
approvable in God's sight.
00:30:15.14\00:30:16.95
And men are today
becoming fearful of preaching
00:30:16.98\00:30:19.58
what God has given to them.
00:30:19.61\00:30:21.12
But God is saying
that He is looking for men
00:30:21.15\00:30:23.79
like Joshua and Caleb,
00:30:23.82\00:30:25.69
at a time when people
are looking and thinking
00:30:25.72\00:30:27.99
that things are impossible.
00:30:28.02\00:30:29.46
God is looking for
men like Caleb that says,
00:30:29.49\00:30:33.06
we are able to overcome it.
00:30:33.09\00:30:34.86
Caleb was a man that existed
00:30:34.90\00:30:37.00
during the time of the
journey of the Israelites.
00:30:37.03\00:30:39.47
And just before they crossed
over into the Promised Land,
00:30:39.50\00:30:42.50
God gave the leaders
of the different tribes
00:30:42.54\00:30:45.24
in Israel, a glimpse
of the Promised Land,
00:30:45.27\00:30:48.24
but they saw
obstacles, they saw the giants.
00:30:48.28\00:30:50.81
They saw the people
that were great and strong.
00:30:50.85\00:30:53.62
They saw people that were far
greater number than they were.
00:30:53.65\00:30:58.19
And instead of
saying that God can give us
00:30:58.22\00:31:00.49
victory over these obstacles,
00:31:00.52\00:31:02.36
they said, "We
are just grasshoppers.
00:31:02.39\00:31:04.49
What are we going to do
with the obstacles before us?"
00:31:04.53\00:31:07.10
Well, friends,
what's the problem?
00:31:07.13\00:31:08.50
The problem was their focus.
00:31:08.53\00:31:10.27
They saw the obstacles,
and the obstacles to them
00:31:10.30\00:31:13.54
became bigger than the God
that sent them on this mission.
00:31:13.57\00:31:16.50
He gave them a glimpse
00:31:16.54\00:31:17.87
of what He was
going to bless them with,
00:31:17.91\00:31:19.31
but they focused
on the obstacles.
00:31:19.34\00:31:21.71
And I would suggest today
00:31:21.74\00:31:23.98
that a lot of
what's happening to us,
00:31:24.01\00:31:25.55
a lot of what is
happening to the church today
00:31:25.58\00:31:27.95
is where they are focused.
00:31:27.98\00:31:29.38
If you focus on the problems
more than the problem solver,
00:31:29.42\00:31:33.56
you will feel the very same way.
00:31:33.59\00:31:35.32
The world makes us
look like grasshoppers.
00:31:35.36\00:31:37.49
It makes us look like we
cannot do anything to impact it.
00:31:37.53\00:31:41.00
But if you remember what
God did on the Day of Pentecost,
00:31:41.03\00:31:46.10
when He turned these
ordinary men and women
00:31:46.13\00:31:49.34
into vessels of light, He
turned the world upside down.
00:31:49.37\00:31:53.64
And the Word of God
continued to progress
00:31:53.68\00:31:57.98
and cause division and concern
in the kingdom of darkness.
00:31:58.01\00:32:03.25
But what did God do?
00:32:03.28\00:32:04.62
He turned up the light.
00:32:04.65\00:32:06.25
Look at Acts 1:8,
he turned up the light.
00:32:06.29\00:32:09.59
And He's saying
the same thing for us.
00:32:09.62\00:32:11.89
What does God want to do for us?
00:32:11.93\00:32:13.66
He says, "But you
shall receive power
00:32:13.70\00:32:16.63
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you,
00:32:16.67\00:32:19.47
and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
00:32:19.50\00:32:22.50
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth."
00:32:22.54\00:32:27.08
God is saying, "Wait a minute,
you want to be a witness?"
00:32:27.11\00:32:30.15
Let me make a suggestion.
00:32:30.18\00:32:31.51
I firmly believe
that one of the reasons
00:32:31.55\00:32:34.22
why people are
uncomfortable about witnessing
00:32:34.25\00:32:36.89
is because they think
that witnessing happens
00:32:36.92\00:32:40.56
only as I finished the
course on how I could witness.
00:32:40.59\00:32:45.03
You know, what
course of witnessing
00:32:45.06\00:32:46.39
the disciples had.
00:32:46.43\00:32:48.16
They pray for the
Holy Spirit's infilling.
00:32:48.20\00:32:50.83
The Lord trained them
as He walked with them
00:32:50.87\00:32:54.90
as they walked with Him.
00:32:54.94\00:32:57.47
But they went from head
knowledge to life activity,
00:32:57.51\00:33:01.48
when they prayed
for the infilling
00:33:01.51\00:33:02.88
of the Spirit of God,
00:33:02.91\00:33:04.25
but notice the Word of God said,
00:33:04.28\00:33:05.61
"But you shall receive power
00:33:05.65\00:33:07.15
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you.
00:33:07.18\00:33:10.05
Is there power in your life?
00:33:10.09\00:33:12.49
What do you feel
as a church member?
00:33:12.52\00:33:14.36
And I use the word feel because
many of us go by feeling.
00:33:14.39\00:33:16.99
I don't feel like going
to church today, I'm tired.
00:33:17.03\00:33:20.40
I don't feel like going out
00:33:20.43\00:33:21.93
and giving out
tracks in the community.
00:33:21.96\00:33:23.87
I don't think people
want to hear about that.
00:33:23.90\00:33:26.20
These disciples,
these apostles went out.
00:33:26.23\00:33:30.84
And in spite of
all the obstacles,
00:33:30.87\00:33:32.87
they turned Jerusalem,
Judea, Samaria, Antioch,
00:33:32.91\00:33:38.21
and the
surrounding cities, Philippi,
00:33:38.25\00:33:39.91
they turned the
world upside down,
00:33:39.95\00:33:42.02
and kings tried to stop them.
00:33:42.05\00:33:44.92
Governors tried to stop them.
00:33:44.95\00:33:47.52
The Pharisees and
scribes tried to stop them.
00:33:47.56\00:33:51.13
The officials in the
cities tried to stop them,
00:33:51.16\00:33:54.30
but they could not.
00:33:54.33\00:33:55.66
And the Word of God
grew and multiplied.
00:33:55.70\00:33:59.27
Why?
00:33:59.30\00:34:00.64
Because they
changed their focus.
00:34:00.67\00:34:02.00
They were no longer
focused on the cities,
00:34:02.04\00:34:04.41
they were focused on the Christ.
00:34:04.44\00:34:06.81
They were no longer
focused on the authority of man,
00:34:06.84\00:34:09.24
but they were standing
on the authority of God.
00:34:09.28\00:34:11.95
And I can tell you, I can look
back in my own life and realize
00:34:11.98\00:34:14.92
that the transitioning
point from who I was,
00:34:14.95\00:34:18.12
to who I am
continually becoming,
00:34:18.15\00:34:20.22
is when I pray and
ask for the Spirit of God
00:34:20.26\00:34:22.06
to be in my life,
00:34:22.09\00:34:23.46
for the Spirit of
God to guide my life.
00:34:23.49\00:34:25.99
And I've seen
lives turned upside down.
00:34:26.03\00:34:27.83
I've seen people
ignited by the power of God
00:34:27.86\00:34:31.13
when they say, Lord,
00:34:31.17\00:34:32.70
I'm at a standstill
in my walk with you.
00:34:32.73\00:34:35.50
I want something different.
00:34:35.54\00:34:37.11
I want to ask for
the power that I need.
00:34:37.14\00:34:40.01
I don't want my
Christian walk to end humdrum.
00:34:40.04\00:34:43.95
I need that infilling power.
00:34:43.98\00:34:46.35
We are told that the
church is not going to end
00:34:46.38\00:34:49.98
on a wet noodle note.
00:34:50.02\00:34:51.55
The church is not
going to fizzle out.
00:34:51.59\00:34:53.36
It's going to be more glorious
00:34:53.39\00:34:54.72
than it was on
the Day of Pentecost.
00:34:54.76\00:34:56.73
I go back to an
article written in 1914,
00:34:56.76\00:34:59.53
and when Christians
were concerned about this.
00:34:59.56\00:35:01.96
I was thanking God for
this signs at the Times article.
00:35:02.00\00:35:05.30
It was written
February 17, 1914,
00:35:05.33\00:35:08.34
and notice the encouraging words
00:35:08.37\00:35:09.80
given to the
Christians of that era.
00:35:09.84\00:35:12.57
"Christians ask in faith
for the promised blessing,
00:35:12.61\00:35:16.48
and it will come.
00:35:16.51\00:35:18.38
The outpouring of the Spirit
in the days of the apostles
00:35:18.41\00:35:22.22
was the former rain,
and glorious was the result.
00:35:22.25\00:35:27.26
But the latter rain
will be more abundant."
00:35:27.29\00:35:31.26
The latter rain
will be more abundant.
00:35:31.29\00:35:35.36
What do you mean more abundant?
00:35:35.40\00:35:36.97
It's going to be more powerful.
00:35:37.00\00:35:38.50
It's going to be more glorious.
00:35:38.53\00:35:39.97
It's going to be
far greater than it was
00:35:40.00\00:35:42.07
in the localized
area of Jerusalem.
00:35:42.10\00:35:44.44
It's not just
going to be Jerusalem,
00:35:44.47\00:35:46.07
it's going to be New
York, it's going to be Detroit,
00:35:46.11\00:35:48.61
it's going to be
Miami, California,
00:35:48.64\00:35:50.81
all the major cities.
00:35:50.85\00:35:52.18
It's going to be from the
East Coast to the West Coast,
00:35:52.21\00:35:54.78
it's going to be in Canada,
and in Europe, and in Asia,
00:35:54.82\00:35:58.12
and in Africa,
and the Caribbean.
00:35:58.15\00:35:59.92
God this time is
not going to light up
00:35:59.95\00:36:02.16
just the local
part of the world,
00:36:02.19\00:36:04.16
He is going to light
up the world all together.
00:36:04.19\00:36:06.90
But something has to happen,
00:36:06.93\00:36:09.06
which Satan is working
tenaciously to try to prevent
00:36:09.10\00:36:14.34
from happening in
the Christian Church.
00:36:14.37\00:36:16.34
What is that secret?
00:36:16.37\00:36:17.97
Look at Acts 2:1.
00:36:18.01\00:36:20.11
You see, this is
a powerful passage.
00:36:20.14\00:36:22.18
The Bible says, "When the
Day of Pentecost had fully come,
00:36:22.21\00:36:25.68
they were all with
one accord in one place."
00:36:25.71\00:36:29.55
Now watch this.
00:36:29.58\00:36:31.35
God ignited the
church at its inauguration.
00:36:31.39\00:36:35.39
God also want to
ignite the church
00:36:35.42\00:36:37.33
as it's preparing
for its coronation.
00:36:37.36\00:36:39.89
God ignited the
church when it was small.
00:36:39.93\00:36:43.43
God wants to reignite the church
00:36:43.47\00:36:45.23
as it becomes a mighty
army in all parts of the globe.
00:36:45.27\00:36:49.87
But what happened?
00:36:49.90\00:36:51.57
And this is
where there's a caution
00:36:51.61\00:36:53.27
I need to add right here.
00:36:53.31\00:36:55.28
Right now the devil knows that
00:36:55.31\00:36:57.71
when we argue over
doctrinal differences,
00:36:57.75\00:37:01.62
when he brings in thoughts
and ideologies that cause us
00:37:01.65\00:37:05.09
to question things that
God's Word has confirmed
00:37:05.12\00:37:08.56
through the decades
and through the centuries.
00:37:08.59\00:37:11.19
When we know
what God's Word says,
00:37:11.23\00:37:13.03
and someone
comes to uproot that,
00:37:13.06\00:37:15.30
and supplant that with
theories and ideologies
00:37:15.33\00:37:18.33
that are not
supported by God's Word.
00:37:18.37\00:37:20.24
What is Satan trying to do?
00:37:20.27\00:37:21.90
He's trying to
break that one accord
00:37:21.94\00:37:23.57
that God is intending
for the church to have.
00:37:23.61\00:37:26.07
He wants to bring in division.
00:37:26.11\00:37:27.81
He wants to weaken the church,
00:37:27.84\00:37:30.15
because he knows that
if we could begin to argue
00:37:30.18\00:37:32.21
over whether or
not the Holy Spirit
00:37:32.25\00:37:34.32
is the third
person of the Godhead,
00:37:34.35\00:37:36.58
the church is going to get weak.
00:37:36.62\00:37:38.35
He knows that if we
begin to reinterpret prophecies
00:37:38.39\00:37:41.42
in Daniel and Revelation,
00:37:41.46\00:37:43.46
and begin to add what we
call contemporary applications,
00:37:43.49\00:37:47.53
and say, well,
that no longer applies,
00:37:47.56\00:37:50.03
which is
happening on a large scale,
00:37:50.07\00:37:52.17
he knows the
church becomes divided.
00:37:52.20\00:37:54.40
And a divided church
cannot be a united church.
00:37:54.44\00:37:57.84
And a united church
is the only condition
00:37:57.87\00:38:01.94
that God is looking for
to pour out His Holy Spirit.
00:38:01.98\00:38:06.85
But look what happened.
00:38:06.88\00:38:08.22
The Bible makes it clear
in Acts 2:41, what happened?
00:38:08.25\00:38:12.15
The first impact record
00:38:12.19\00:38:13.86
is recorded there
for us to understand.
00:38:13.89\00:38:17.09
The Bible says in Acts 2:41,
00:38:17.13\00:38:19.89
"Then those who gladly
received the word were baptized,
00:38:19.93\00:38:24.00
and that day about
three thousand souls
00:38:24.03\00:38:28.34
were added to them."
00:38:28.37\00:38:29.80
Now, don't look at the
souls being added to them
00:38:29.84\00:38:32.07
part first of all, first
of all, look at what they did.
00:38:32.11\00:38:35.64
Those who gladly
received the word.
00:38:35.68\00:38:38.85
Don't look at the baptism yet.
00:38:38.88\00:38:40.45
Those who gladly
received the word.
00:38:40.48\00:38:42.85
What's your attitude
toward the Word of God?
00:38:42.88\00:38:45.12
Are you gladly
receiving the Word of God?
00:38:45.15\00:38:47.42
Or is the Word of God
a stumbling block to you?
00:38:47.46\00:38:50.76
I remember
meeting with a family.
00:38:50.79\00:38:55.53
My wife and I call
them the three ladies.
00:38:55.56\00:38:58.30
They came to our church.
00:38:58.33\00:39:00.44
And they came from a
different denomination.
00:39:00.47\00:39:03.24
And they responded to our church
00:39:03.27\00:39:05.14
by a Revelation
seminar that we were giving.
00:39:05.17\00:39:08.14
And they came, one
came, then the other came,
00:39:08.18\00:39:10.45
then the other came.
00:39:10.48\00:39:11.81
And they began to hear
things that were out of harmony
00:39:11.85\00:39:14.12
with what they had
believed, but what they did,
00:39:14.15\00:39:16.75
which is what God
instructs us to do
00:39:16.79\00:39:18.52
is to check out what is
being proclaimed by God's Word,
00:39:18.55\00:39:21.42
so they did that.
00:39:21.46\00:39:23.16
And they took it back home.
00:39:23.19\00:39:24.99
Well, that one
lady became two ladies.
00:39:25.03\00:39:28.66
And then the third one followed.
00:39:28.70\00:39:30.57
And when the series was over,
00:39:30.60\00:39:31.93
we were able to
baptize seven family members,
00:39:31.97\00:39:34.87
husbands and wife,
husband and wife of both women,
00:39:34.90\00:39:38.47
sons, sons, sons, God
created an amazing harvest.
00:39:38.51\00:39:44.28
Why did He do that?
And how did He do that?
00:39:44.31\00:39:46.78
Because they
received the Word of God,
00:39:46.82\00:39:48.92
they gladly
received the Word of God.
00:39:48.95\00:39:51.89
In these last days, the
world is distracting us so much
00:39:51.92\00:39:55.86
that people are not glad
to receive the Word of God.
00:39:55.89\00:40:00.13
But God has
given us the ability.
00:40:00.16\00:40:02.66
God has given us various tools.
00:40:02.70\00:40:05.13
God is saying, maybe they
are not able to read the Bible,
00:40:05.17\00:40:08.37
or maybe they're not ready
to read the physical Bible.
00:40:08.40\00:40:11.14
And this is where God is
saying to us, be creative.
00:40:11.17\00:40:14.28
Don't use
Facebook for propaganda,
00:40:14.31\00:40:16.64
post scriptures on Facebook,
00:40:16.68\00:40:18.91
use your Instagram
to put things there
00:40:18.95\00:40:21.08
that will activate the minds
of those looking at your page.
00:40:21.12\00:40:24.12
Don't tweet, don't
tweet divisive statements.
00:40:24.15\00:40:27.49
Tweet the Word of God, connect
Sabbath School lessons to that,
00:40:27.52\00:40:31.16
connect websites that will
teach somebody the Word of God
00:40:31.19\00:40:35.10
and begin to
ignite in their lives,
00:40:35.13\00:40:37.27
so that as they begin to grow,
00:40:37.30\00:40:39.47
they can gladly
receive the Word of God.
00:40:39.50\00:40:42.74
And then what happened?
00:40:42.77\00:40:44.27
The Bible says in Acts 2:44,
00:40:44.31\00:40:46.64
"Now all who
believed were together,
00:40:46.68\00:40:50.48
and had all things in common."
00:40:50.51\00:40:53.85
So notice, the
first thing I pointed out,
00:40:53.88\00:40:56.35
is that before we
can stand on our feet,
00:40:56.38\00:40:59.39
we have to bow on our knees.
00:40:59.42\00:41:01.52
And when the unity of
Christ is being developed,
00:41:01.56\00:41:04.06
unity in Christ
proceeds the outpouring
00:41:04.09\00:41:07.53
of the Holy Spirit.
00:41:07.56\00:41:09.63
And that's why the
Holy Spirit is needed.
00:41:09.66\00:41:12.53
But unity, the thing
that we must pray for
00:41:12.57\00:41:15.44
and work towards is unity.
00:41:15.47\00:41:17.57
My wife and I have discovered
this beautiful passage.
00:41:17.61\00:41:20.11
And even after
many years of marriage,
00:41:20.14\00:41:22.11
we disagree on certain things.
00:41:22.14\00:41:24.25
But if I
disagree, and she disagrees,
00:41:24.28\00:41:26.11
we say let's go
to God in prayer.
00:41:26.15\00:41:28.65
Let's put down the walls
between us and ask for the Lord
00:41:28.68\00:41:31.32
to give us a unity not
based on our likes and dislikes,
00:41:31.35\00:41:35.02
but based on the
instruction of God's Word.
00:41:35.06\00:41:37.59
Pastors and leaders,
00:41:37.63\00:41:38.96
God is saying the
same thing to you.
00:41:38.99\00:41:40.50
When the church is
confronted with division,
00:41:40.53\00:41:43.06
bring them to
the place of prayer,
00:41:43.10\00:41:45.13
pray for them to
have a receptive heart,
00:41:45.17\00:41:47.57
work with them to bring
down the walls of division,
00:41:47.60\00:41:50.64
and guide them to the place
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.01
where they can
be unified together,
00:41:52.04\00:41:54.04
because God can
take Pentecostals,
00:41:54.08\00:41:56.01
and Presbyterians, and
Methodists, and Catholics,
00:41:56.04\00:41:58.08
and Anglicans, and
Lutherans and every other ism,
00:41:58.11\00:42:02.18
and unify them together, how?
00:42:02.22\00:42:04.62
When the Word of God
00:42:04.65\00:42:06.09
becomes the
focus of their minds.
00:42:06.12\00:42:09.09
Why do you think the
devil will try to keep you away
00:42:09.12\00:42:10.99
from God's Word
because he knows,
00:42:11.03\00:42:12.79
if they believe the Word of God,
00:42:12.83\00:42:15.10
they can have
all things in common,
00:42:15.13\00:42:17.20
and they can
believe and be together.
00:42:17.23\00:42:20.54
Unity in Christ is a precursor
to the corporate outpouring
00:42:20.57\00:42:26.47
of the Holy Spirit.
00:42:26.51\00:42:27.98
Listen to this quotation,
00:42:28.01\00:42:29.54
comes from another
favorite book of mine
00:42:29.58\00:42:30.91
called Testimonies,
volume seven, page 236.
00:42:30.95\00:42:34.58
Listen to this.
00:42:34.62\00:42:36.35
"It is God's purpose that men
entrusted with responsibility
00:42:36.38\00:42:42.29
should counsel and pray
together in Christian unity."
00:42:42.32\00:42:48.10
And here's the reason why.
00:42:48.13\00:42:50.00
"In Christian, in
unity there is a life,
00:42:50.03\00:42:53.07
a power that can be
obtained in no other way.
00:42:53.10\00:42:57.51
There will be a
vast power in the church
00:42:57.54\00:43:01.31
when the energies of the members
00:43:01.34\00:43:03.85
are united under the
control of the Spirit."
00:43:03.88\00:43:08.95
And look at the promise.
00:43:08.98\00:43:10.49
"Then will God be
able to work mightily
00:43:10.52\00:43:15.02
through His people for
the conversion of sinners."
00:43:15.06\00:43:19.26
Wow. It's amazing.
00:43:19.29\00:43:20.93
When we are united, God
takes over and began to work,
00:43:20.96\00:43:25.13
begin to work for the conversion
00:43:25.17\00:43:27.00
of those who are
not yet converted,
00:43:27.04\00:43:29.47
for the strengthening
of those who are weak,
00:43:29.50\00:43:31.94
for the opening of eyes
for those who are in darkness,
00:43:31.97\00:43:35.41
for the guidance of those
who have no compass at all,
00:43:35.44\00:43:38.78
to give them wisdom
as to where to go next.
00:43:38.81\00:43:41.88
And that's why the devil
fights as difficult as he does.
00:43:41.92\00:43:44.95
He wants us to be bound in
this coming world blackout.
00:43:44.99\00:43:48.29
He wants us to lose
power by having no access
00:43:48.32\00:43:51.56
to the very things
that can empower our lives.
00:43:51.59\00:43:54.16
And I've said it
a number of times,
00:43:54.20\00:43:56.23
and I'll say it
again, this is the hour
00:43:56.26\00:43:58.67
that the only
reliable light on the planet
00:43:58.70\00:44:02.47
is the
unalterable, the reliable,
00:44:02.50\00:44:06.21
the never ending,
never changing Word of God.
00:44:06.24\00:44:11.25
And when you look at
the New Testament Church,
00:44:11.28\00:44:12.75
you find something.
00:44:12.78\00:44:14.22
You see, when the Word
of God got into their lives,
00:44:14.25\00:44:16.85
violent opposition
rose up against them,
00:44:16.89\00:44:20.36
but something happened.
00:44:20.39\00:44:22.59
When the violent
opposition rose up against them,
00:44:22.62\00:44:25.46
the church still
grew exponentially.
00:44:25.49\00:44:28.53
Because here's the point.
00:44:28.56\00:44:30.13
When men stand against
you, and God stands with you,
00:44:30.17\00:44:35.50
nothing that man can do can
prevent the blessings of God
00:44:35.54\00:44:39.37
from coming down.
00:44:39.41\00:44:40.74
What kind of blessings
00:44:40.78\00:44:42.11
did the New
Testament Church experience
00:44:42.14\00:44:43.65
that God wants us to experience?
00:44:43.68\00:44:45.65
Look at Acts 4:4.
00:44:45.68\00:44:48.25
Look at Acts 4:4.
00:44:48.28\00:44:50.45
The Bible says, "However,
00:44:50.49\00:44:52.12
many of those who
heard the word believed,
00:44:52.15\00:44:55.86
and the number of the men
came to about five thousand."
00:44:55.89\00:44:59.93
But look at the key again,
I don't want you to miss this.
00:44:59.96\00:45:02.60
The number of those who
heard the Word believed.
00:45:02.63\00:45:06.30
You see that Word.
00:45:06.33\00:45:07.67
It's one thing to hear the Word,
00:45:07.70\00:45:09.10
it's something altogether
different to believe the Word.
00:45:09.14\00:45:11.84
When we hear the
Word, it's one thing,
00:45:11.87\00:45:13.51
it goes into
our auditory nerves.
00:45:13.54\00:45:16.21
It begins to inform
us, but when we believe it,
00:45:16.24\00:45:19.78
it begins to transform us.
00:45:19.81\00:45:22.28
I'm gonna say that again.
00:45:22.32\00:45:23.89
When we hear the Word
of God, it informs us,
00:45:23.92\00:45:27.06
but when we believe the
Word of God, it transforms us.
00:45:27.09\00:45:31.56
You ever wonder why
your week is so busy.
00:45:31.59\00:45:34.33
You ever wonder why the
children always make noise
00:45:34.36\00:45:36.40
when you pick up your Bible?
00:45:36.43\00:45:37.77
You ever wonder why the
phone rings when you say,
00:45:37.80\00:45:39.77
let's take some
time and study together?
00:45:39.80\00:45:41.97
All these are
Satan's distractions.
00:45:42.00\00:45:44.97
And that's why
I've said to my wife
00:45:45.01\00:45:46.34
and we have
practices in our home.
00:45:46.37\00:45:48.14
If you're studying your
Bible, and the phone rings,
00:45:48.18\00:45:50.31
let the
answering machine get it.
00:45:50.35\00:45:53.01
Let it go to your voicemail.
00:45:53.05\00:45:56.48
Don't be controlled
by the things around us.
00:45:56.52\00:46:00.09
You must be more
determined than ever
00:46:00.12\00:46:03.06
to allow God's Word
to permeate your life.
00:46:03.09\00:46:05.66
And if the devil knows that
you're sitting before a meal
00:46:05.69\00:46:08.13
that's going to
empower your life,
00:46:08.16\00:46:09.90
he's going to do
everything in his power
00:46:09.93\00:46:13.23
to distract you from that.
00:46:13.27\00:46:15.04
But what about those of you
00:46:15.07\00:46:16.40
that are living
in an environment
00:46:16.44\00:46:17.77
where you are surrounded
by conflict in your home,
00:46:17.81\00:46:20.81
conflict maybe from
your husband, or your wife,
00:46:20.84\00:46:23.58
family member, family
members turning against you?
00:46:23.61\00:46:25.81
What do you do
in those situations?
00:46:25.85\00:46:27.55
You begin to trust God.
00:46:27.58\00:46:29.25
What do you do when
people that that you trusted
00:46:29.28\00:46:31.75
turn their backs on you?
00:46:31.79\00:46:33.12
You continue trusting God.
00:46:33.15\00:46:34.69
Because there
will be persecution,
00:46:34.72\00:46:36.76
there will be difficulty,
00:46:36.79\00:46:38.23
but at no point will
God allow you to go through
00:46:38.26\00:46:41.20
what you cannot
handle by His grace.
00:46:41.23\00:46:44.37
And so when the
persecution comes,
00:46:44.40\00:46:46.87
when the difficulty arises,
God will still be your strength,
00:46:46.90\00:46:50.64
and God will
still be your defense.
00:46:50.67\00:46:53.54
What happened?
00:46:53.58\00:46:54.91
God added to the church.
00:46:54.94\00:46:56.28
Look at Acts 5:14,
in fierce resistance,
00:46:56.31\00:46:59.98
the church continue to grow.
00:47:00.02\00:47:02.12
And so don't expect
the resistance to go down,
00:47:02.15\00:47:04.75
but in the presence
of fierce resistance,
00:47:04.79\00:47:07.42
God is going to
still bless His people.
00:47:07.46\00:47:09.52
Notice Acts 5:14,
00:47:09.56\00:47:11.73
"And believers were
increasingly added to the Lord,
00:47:11.76\00:47:15.90
multitudes of
both men and women."
00:47:15.93\00:47:21.60
Multitudes of
both men and women.
00:47:21.64\00:47:25.17
We were visiting the
country of New Guinea,
00:47:25.21\00:47:27.88
wasn't too long ago, and
my wife and I were there.
00:47:27.91\00:47:32.01
And I was having a
series of meetings.
00:47:32.05\00:47:34.32
And a young lady
approached us and said to me,
00:47:34.35\00:47:36.35
she said, "You know,
I want to give my life
00:47:36.38\00:47:38.59
to the Lord last year,
but my parents told me,
00:47:38.62\00:47:40.62
I'm not old enough
yet to make that decision.
00:47:40.66\00:47:44.56
And I want to give my
life to the Lord again."
00:47:44.59\00:47:46.29
And I said, "Young
lady, how old are you?"
00:47:46.33\00:47:47.90
And she said, "I'm 22."
00:47:47.93\00:47:49.80
I said, "You're old enough
00:47:49.83\00:47:51.17
to make your own
personal decision
00:47:51.20\00:47:53.17
about your life for the future."
00:47:53.20\00:47:56.20
And so, with tears
in her eyes, she said,
00:47:56.24\00:47:58.91
Pastor John, Sister
Angela, can you pray with me
00:47:58.94\00:48:02.41
that I won't be
fearful of my parents,
00:48:02.44\00:48:05.41
because when they hear
that I'm going to be baptized,
00:48:05.45\00:48:08.12
when they hear
that I am baptized,
00:48:08.15\00:48:10.95
they're going to
get angry with me,
00:48:10.99\00:48:12.32
they've already threatened me,
00:48:12.35\00:48:14.06
because she came from a home
with a different background.
00:48:14.09\00:48:17.23
I won't mention the religion.
00:48:17.26\00:48:18.66
She said,
"They're upset with me.
00:48:18.69\00:48:20.26
They don't want me
to join this church.
00:48:20.30\00:48:22.40
They don't want
me to be baptized."
00:48:22.43\00:48:24.30
I said, "Young lady,
give your life to Christ.
00:48:24.33\00:48:26.30
It's your decision
about where you're going."
00:48:26.33\00:48:28.54
And so as they
were having the baptisms
00:48:28.57\00:48:30.04
and one school student after
another was being baptized,
00:48:30.07\00:48:34.51
and she stepped
into the baptistery.
00:48:34.54\00:48:36.95
And the pastor said,
00:48:36.98\00:48:38.38
"I know your family is
rejoicing over the decision
00:48:38.41\00:48:41.75
you're making right
now to be baptized."
00:48:41.78\00:48:44.09
And she turned
and looked at my wife
00:48:44.12\00:48:45.45
and I with tears
running down her eyes,
00:48:45.49\00:48:47.26
because we knew that
her family didn't even know.
00:48:47.29\00:48:49.96
We knew that her family was not
rejoicing about her decision.
00:48:49.99\00:48:53.96
But when she came
out of that baptistery,
00:48:54.00\00:48:55.76
she said, "Thank you
for giving me the courage.
00:48:55.80\00:48:58.63
Thank you for giving me
the courage and the strength
00:48:58.67\00:49:01.47
to make a
decision about my future.
00:49:01.50\00:49:03.41
Because if anything
happens, she said to us,
00:49:03.44\00:49:05.71
if anything happens
to me, I want to know
00:49:05.74\00:49:09.91
that I've made the
decision for eternity.
00:49:09.94\00:49:12.28
And so the question is,
00:49:12.31\00:49:13.65
what obstacle is
standing before you?
00:49:13.68\00:49:15.68
What is Satan
threatening you with,
00:49:15.72\00:49:17.89
preventing you from
giving your life to Christ?
00:49:17.92\00:49:20.66
Because I say it again,
the coming world blackout
00:49:20.69\00:49:23.43
is not far away.
00:49:23.46\00:49:24.83
Everything that humanity has
relied on will one day be gone.
00:49:24.86\00:49:29.90
And if we don't make
decisions for eternity,
00:49:29.93\00:49:32.67
then we cannot stand
when that time comes.
00:49:32.70\00:49:35.30
But this is the
hour that multitudes
00:49:35.34\00:49:37.87
are still being added,
00:49:37.91\00:49:39.24
because God wants
to empower His church.
00:49:39.27\00:49:41.54
You see, the Day of Pentecost
took place only in Jerusalem.
00:49:41.58\00:49:47.25
But when the Day of
Pentecost comes this time,
00:49:47.28\00:49:49.75
it's going to take
place around the world.
00:49:49.78\00:49:51.52
Just imagine, when
God pours out His Spirit
00:49:51.55\00:49:54.79
on the Day of Pentecost
00:49:54.82\00:49:56.32
is going to be in
every corner of the globe.
00:49:56.36\00:49:59.16
Can you imagine the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:49:59.19\00:50:01.96
on every continent?
00:50:02.00\00:50:03.33
Denominational
walls will crumble.
00:50:03.37\00:50:05.17
Seekers of truth
will be liberated.
00:50:05.20\00:50:07.17
Tradition will be surrendered
to a plain thus saith the Lord.
00:50:07.20\00:50:11.17
That is the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:50:11.21\00:50:13.48
things that people held on to.
00:50:13.51\00:50:15.48
Dissatisfying
rituals will be abandoned
00:50:15.51\00:50:18.18
for the reliable Word of God.
00:50:18.21\00:50:20.58
The light of
hope will be rekindled
00:50:20.62\00:50:22.58
in the lives of those
who have been downhearted,
00:50:22.62\00:50:25.62
and repetitious dogma
will be traded for a life
00:50:25.65\00:50:29.76
surrendered to
the power of Christ.
00:50:29.79\00:50:34.40
Let me pose a question.
00:50:34.43\00:50:36.10
Let me pose a question
and answer the question.
00:50:36.13\00:50:38.87
Why does God want His
church to be empowered
00:50:38.90\00:50:42.24
in the way that He
wants them to be ignited
00:50:42.27\00:50:44.11
in these last days?
00:50:44.14\00:50:45.47
Why does God want
to turn the light on
00:50:45.51\00:50:47.94
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church?
00:50:47.98\00:50:50.01
Why does God
want to empower those
00:50:50.05\00:50:51.71
who have the three angels'
messages in these last days?
00:50:51.75\00:50:55.35
Here's the reason.
00:50:55.38\00:50:56.72
Look at John 10:16.
00:50:56.75\00:50:58.79
Here is the reason.
00:50:58.82\00:51:00.96
The Bible says in John 10:16,
00:51:00.99\00:51:04.99
"And other sheep I have
which are not of this fold,
00:51:05.03\00:51:09.76
them also I must bring,
and they will hear My voice,
00:51:09.80\00:51:14.54
and there will be one flock
00:51:14.57\00:51:18.17
and one shepherd."
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.88
What is the Lord saying to us?
00:51:20.91\00:51:22.78
It is in this
hour of challenging
00:51:22.81\00:51:24.91
circumstances that God
is saying, "Wait a minute,
00:51:24.95\00:51:27.12
I'm not content to have
My people just strewn in all
00:51:27.15\00:51:30.42
these various
corners of the world.
00:51:30.45\00:51:32.22
I want to gather My
people back into My fold.
00:51:32.25\00:51:35.22
I want to bring
them to the place
00:51:35.26\00:51:36.59
where truth abides.
00:51:36.62\00:51:37.96
I want to bring
them to the place
00:51:37.99\00:51:39.33
where the
commandments of God are sure.
00:51:39.36\00:51:40.70
I want to bring
them to the place
00:51:40.73\00:51:42.06
where the
Sabbath is established.
00:51:42.10\00:51:43.90
I want to bring
them to the place
00:51:43.93\00:51:46.07
where tradition is not
more powerful than truth.
00:51:46.10\00:51:51.64
That's why the
Lord says in John 4:23,
00:51:51.67\00:51:55.24
these following words.
00:51:55.28\00:51:56.95
Notice what He says.
00:51:56.98\00:51:58.35
And this is an amazing thing,
because it's all about time.
00:51:58.38\00:52:02.18
He says, "But
the hour is coming,
00:52:02.22\00:52:04.95
and now is, when
the true worshiper
00:52:04.99\00:52:10.93
will worship the
Father in spirit and truth,
00:52:10.96\00:52:15.26
for the Father is
seeking such to worship Him.
00:52:15.30\00:52:19.73
God is spirit, and
those who worship Him,"
00:52:19.77\00:52:25.14
notice, "must worship
00:52:25.17\00:52:27.74
in spirit and in truth."
00:52:27.78\00:52:31.45
That's what
Jesus is looking for.
00:52:31.48\00:52:33.48
He's calling on you,
young lady, young man,
00:52:33.52\00:52:36.15
to worship Him not based
on what your parents did,
00:52:36.18\00:52:38.55
or what your grandparents did,
00:52:38.59\00:52:39.92
or what your
great grandparents did.
00:52:39.95\00:52:41.59
But He's saying,
"This is the hour
00:52:41.62\00:52:43.16
that God wants you
to pick up your Word,
00:52:43.19\00:52:45.66
pick up the Bible, get on
your knees and say, 'Father,
00:52:45.69\00:52:48.70
what do you want
me to do in this hour
00:52:48.73\00:52:51.30
of descending darkness?
00:52:51.33\00:52:52.90
What do you want
me to do in this hour
00:52:52.93\00:52:55.14
when the world has gone mad?
00:52:55.17\00:52:57.11
What do you want me to do
00:52:57.14\00:52:58.77
in a world that
has lost its bearing,
00:52:58.81\00:53:01.38
and is seeking
to ignite our lives
00:53:01.41\00:53:03.48
from one thrill to the next?
00:53:03.51\00:53:05.15
Lord, what do
you want me to do?'"
00:53:05.18\00:53:07.18
Young lady, young man, the world
00:53:07.22\00:53:09.65
as it has become will not
return to what it used to be.
00:53:09.68\00:53:13.56
This is not the world
00:53:13.59\00:53:14.92
that's going to
get better one day.
00:53:14.96\00:53:16.46
Even if we
could return the world
00:53:16.49\00:53:18.53
to what it was years ago,
00:53:18.56\00:53:19.96
the sad history
of humanity is this,
00:53:20.00\00:53:23.26
there'll still be
pain, there'll be heartache,
00:53:23.30\00:53:25.73
there'll be
suffering, there will be death.
00:53:25.77\00:53:28.64
There is no lasting peace
00:53:28.67\00:53:30.17
and safety found on this planet.
00:53:30.21\00:53:33.07
There is no
security found in the banks,
00:53:33.11\00:53:36.34
in the financial institutions.
00:53:36.38\00:53:38.11
There is no lasting pleasure
found in the movie theaters.
00:53:38.15\00:53:41.55
There is no lasting
joy and satisfaction found
00:53:41.58\00:53:44.52
in the social media
part of our generation today.
00:53:44.55\00:53:49.19
The only lasting peace and joy
00:53:49.22\00:53:51.29
we can find is in the
person of Christ Jesus.
00:53:51.33\00:53:54.43
What kind of world is this?
00:53:54.46\00:53:56.03
Political
instability on one side,
00:53:56.06\00:53:58.33
social insecurity on the other.
00:53:58.37\00:54:00.80
Financial
insecurity on one side,
00:54:00.84\00:54:03.34
and rising
unemployment on the other.
00:54:03.37\00:54:05.61
A morally crumbling
society on one side,
00:54:05.64\00:54:08.58
and a racially
divided society on the other.
00:54:08.61\00:54:11.78
A world divided
by ravaging diseases
00:54:11.81\00:54:14.92
amidst a society of mistrust.
00:54:14.95\00:54:17.09
It is in this kind of
hour that God is saying,
00:54:17.12\00:54:20.36
He's wanting to
reignite His church.
00:54:20.39\00:54:23.49
The world coming
blackout is not too far away,
00:54:23.53\00:54:27.10
because the world is
rejecting the only answer
00:54:27.13\00:54:30.83
to the darkness
that is around them.
00:54:30.87\00:54:33.64
But when you open
the Book of Revelation,
00:54:33.67\00:54:36.91
the light is turned up.
00:54:36.94\00:54:38.41
Revelation
illuminates the pathway
00:54:38.44\00:54:40.58
to eternal
peace and tranquility.
00:54:40.61\00:54:42.61
And I know that's what you need.
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.05
Revelation shines
the light on a message
00:54:44.08\00:54:47.25
that can prepare the world
for the soon return of Jesus.
00:54:47.28\00:54:51.19
And, friends,
I'm encouraging you,
00:54:51.22\00:54:53.92
pray for the
infilling of the Spirit of God,
00:54:53.96\00:54:57.23
pray and develop
and train yourself
00:54:57.26\00:55:00.46
to increase in
appetite in holy things,
00:55:00.50\00:55:03.57
because nothing
happens by chance.
00:55:03.60\00:55:06.67
We've got to become personally,
spiritually responsible
00:55:06.70\00:55:10.84
for the way that we are
developing our character.
00:55:10.87\00:55:13.24
We've got to make
choices and decisions,
00:55:13.27\00:55:15.54
because we are living
at the most pivotal hour
00:55:15.58\00:55:18.55
in the history of the world.
00:55:18.58\00:55:21.05
Everyone's destiny is about
to be decided for eternity.
00:55:21.08\00:55:24.92
It's life or death
for the inhabitants
00:55:24.95\00:55:27.62
of this planet,
and no one is exempt.
00:55:27.66\00:55:30.89
So what are you looking for?
00:55:30.93\00:55:32.56
What are you praying for?
00:55:32.59\00:55:34.20
Every one of us is
going to be on one side
00:55:34.23\00:55:37.83
or the other of this coin.
00:55:37.87\00:55:41.20
In the final showdown
between light and darkness,
00:55:41.24\00:55:45.11
there are only two
choices, light and darkness.
00:55:45.14\00:55:48.74
And the question is, in this
hour of approaching darkness,
00:55:48.78\00:55:53.55
in this hour when the
world is going to be wrapped
00:55:53.58\00:55:56.02
in a dense darkness that it
has never before experienced,
00:55:56.05\00:56:00.32
the question is where
you're going to stand.
00:56:00.36\00:56:02.79
It's high time to get
the three angels' messages
00:56:02.82\00:56:04.86
to your friends, your
friends, your coworkers,
00:56:04.89\00:56:07.83
people on the streets.
00:56:07.86\00:56:09.36
And you'll be
fulfilling the most urgent call
00:56:09.40\00:56:11.87
for the hour, the most
earnest mission of heaven.
00:56:11.90\00:56:16.20
The darkness is coming.
00:56:16.24\00:56:17.74
The hour of descending darkness
is coming all around us.
00:56:17.77\00:56:21.61
The clouds on the
horizon is forecasting
00:56:21.64\00:56:25.51
something about to break
00:56:25.55\00:56:27.22
as an overwhelming
surprise upon humanity.
00:56:27.25\00:56:30.89
And where you going to be?
00:56:30.92\00:56:33.46
What you going to do?
00:56:33.49\00:56:35.29
You see, while the world
is heading for a blackout,
00:56:35.32\00:56:38.43
the people of God are
preparing to turn up the light.
00:56:38.46\00:56:42.10
Isaiah the prophet
says it one more time.
00:56:42.13\00:56:44.47
Isaiah 60:1-3, "Arise, shine,
00:56:44.50\00:56:48.97
for your light has come!
00:56:49.00\00:56:50.81
And the glory of the
Lord is risen upon you.
00:56:50.84\00:56:54.14
For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth,
00:56:54.18\00:56:56.54
and deep darkness the people,
00:56:56.58\00:56:58.85
but the Lord
will arise over you,
00:56:58.88\00:57:01.18
and His glory
will be seen upon you.
00:57:01.22\00:57:04.65
The Gentiles shall
come to your light,
00:57:04.69\00:57:08.32
and the kings to the
brightness of your rising."
00:57:08.36\00:57:11.96
And here's my
appeal to you today.
00:57:11.99\00:57:14.40
Pray, Father, ignite my life.
00:57:14.43\00:57:17.60
Turn on the power
00:57:17.63\00:57:20.37
of Your Holy Spirit in my life.
00:57:20.40\00:57:23.81
Make me a living sacrifice
00:57:23.84\00:57:27.21
that someone may find
the light and find Jesus.
00:57:27.24\00:57:31.71
God bless you.
00:57:31.75\00:57:33.08