Hello, friends, and
welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
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We are studying
Matthew Chapter 24.
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And we're going to be
looking at the third stage
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of deception.
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Our focus is faithful service.
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So have you ever
been in a situation
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where someone has
sold you something you
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didn't really need
or didn't really want.
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I was gone from home
when a vacuum cleaner salesman
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came by our house
and convinced my wife
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to buy this very
expensive vacuum cleaner
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on the installment plan.
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This vacuum cleaner
would deep clean our rugs,
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this vacuum cleaner would
be able to take out allergens,
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this vacuum
cleaner would even be able
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to with attachments wax the car.
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I got home and told
my wife or asked my wife
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why in the world would
we buy this vacuum cleaner?
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We have a built in top
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of the line
brand new cutting edge
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vacuum system in this home,
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we don't need
another vacuum cleaner.
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Well, she said I wasn't
sure if I should get it or not,
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but they promise me that
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we could return
it within three days.
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Well, that promise
was not actually validated
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by the vacuum cleaner company.
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Fortunately, we had a
church member's daughter
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who was visiting her who
was a lawyer from the very state
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where this vacuum
cleaner company resided
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and she took the
vacuum cleaner explained to us
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that possession is
nine-tenths of the law,
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she took the vacuum cleaner
with her and dropped it off
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at their office and got us
out of those enormous payments
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for something
that we didn't need.
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Well, friends, today,
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we're going to be
looking at stage number three
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of deception,
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and how the devil is
trying to give us something
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that we don't actually need.
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He's trying to
convince us to receive something
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that is not in
harmony with the Word of God
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and not in
harmony with our health
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and eternal salvation.
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Let's just pause for a
minute and pray as we prepare
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to dig in to the Word of God.
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Father in
heaven, thank You so much
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for each one
that's listening here.
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Thank You for
Your Word and thank You
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most of all for Jesus.
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He's promised to send the
Holy Spirit to instruct us,
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to lead us, to
guide us into all truth
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to convict our hearts.
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And, Father, we're praying
for the Holy Spirit right now.
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Thank You so much that we
can be heard and answered,
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when we pray in the
name of Jesus Christ.
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Amen.
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Well, we've been
studying Matthew Chapter 24.
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It's been an incredible study,
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really, when you think about it,
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Matthew Chapter 24
lays out for us the path
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that we are on
past, present, and future.
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And when we look
at Matthew Chapter 24,
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and break it up into
these three sections,
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these three stages of deception,
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we find Matthew Chapter 24,
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bringing us the
first stage in verses 1-10.
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That stage involves
wars, rumors of wars,
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pestilence, which is
infectious contagious disease,
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earthquakes, natural
disasters, and famines
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that are going to increase
in intensity and frequency
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until the Lord returns.
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That's where we are right now.
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And the
intensity and the frequency
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of these signs
that Christ has given us
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in Matthew 24:6-7,
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the intensity and frequency
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is not just in the
actual signs themselves,
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but our response to those signs.
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I've never seen an intensity
of response to, for example,
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disease as we're seeing today.
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Even 100 years ago,
during the Spanish flu,
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we didn't respond the way
we're responding right now.
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Wars and rumors of wars,
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the response is
overwhelmingly different
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than it's been in the
past because that response
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is restricting liberty,
it's restricting freedom,
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it's taking away
the very principle
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of God's character of love.
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And that principle is liberty.
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In fact, we're told
in 2 Corinthians 3:17
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where the Spirit of the
Lord is there is liberty.
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Liberty is a
foundational principle
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of God's character of love.
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You cannot have love,
you cannot have genuine love,
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real love without
liberty, without freedom.
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So we see that taking place,
and then we go into Matthew,
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and the second stage of
deception in Matthew 24:11
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all the way down to verse 21.
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And that talks about, of course,
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this abomination
that makes desolate,
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that the Sabbath
truth in conflict with it,
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the everlasting gospel
going to all the world,
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we saw that, we parallel that
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to Revelation
Chapters 13 and 14.
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We saw this as a
crisis that is impending.
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It begins with the restriction
of liberty of conscience,
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and it moves into
this worship crisis.
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So we're somewhere between
the first stage of deception
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and the second stage
of deception right now.
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We're looking at
a transition point
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of this earthly
power in Revelation 13:11,
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where's two principles,
two horns like a lamb,
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civil liberty,
religious liberty,
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but speaks as a dragon.
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And that
transition takes that power
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into its last manifestation
which is a false prophet,
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a false prophet, or
pretended fore teller,
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pretending to know the future,
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pretending to
know what we are going
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to be facing in the
future, but actually being fake,
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being false
because it's not in harmony
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with the truths of God's Word.
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And we could say even
with the truths of signs.
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So now we're in
Matthew Chapter 24
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and we're looking here
in the context of Matthew 24
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at the third stage of deception.
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The third stage of
deception begins in verse 23.
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Let's just look
there in Matthew 24:23-24.
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"And then if any
man shall say unto you,
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Lo, here is Christ,
or there, believe it not.
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For there shall
arise false Christs,
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and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs
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and wonders, insomuch that,
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if it were possible,
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they shall
deceive the very elect."
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Verse 25, "Behold, I
have told you before.
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Wherefore if they
shall say unto you, Behold,
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he is in the desert,
go not forth, or behold,
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he is in the secret
chambers, believe it or not.
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For as the lightning
comes out of the east,
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and shines even to the west,
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so also shall the
coming of the Son of man be."
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Now you might wonder,
what is this deception, I mean,
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we've looked at
the first deception
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and that one is
basically people claiming
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to have the
authority to tell you
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what you need to do in a
crisis that's out of harmony
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with conscience, and
with the Word of God.
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We looked at the second
deception which is basically
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the transition
of an earthly power
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that give that
promise that was identified
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as giving liberty
or religious liberty
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and civil liberties.
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And now it speaks
like a dragon it choruses,
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it controls, it deceives.
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What is this third deception?
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Well, this third deception
is actually the personation
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of Christ by
the devil, by Satan.
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Jesus Christ has promised
that He's going to return
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to this earth to set
things right to get His people
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and to finish up this
legacy of sin and suffering
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and pain and evil
that God never intended
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that we would experience.
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He's going to take us
back to what it was like
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at the beginning
in the Garden of Eden
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before sin entered.
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And before we
had all of this guilt
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and shame and
sorrow, and we know that
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because when we look
at the end of the Bible,
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the last book of the
Bible, the Book of Revelation,
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we get to the last two chapters,
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we have Eden restored.
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We have the New Jerusalem
returning to this earth
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or coming to this earth,
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and we have God's kingdom
being restored on planet earth,
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and we have no more
pain, we have no more sorrow,
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we have no more crying.
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And according to Revelation
as rested as well as the Old
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and the New Testament,
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that final establishment
of God's kingdom on earth
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is going to be
preceded by the Second Coming
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of Jesus Christ.
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It's one of the
clearest teachings in the Bible
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Old and New Testament,
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hundreds of verses talk
about return of Jesus Christ.
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And that return is also
talked about here in the context
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of Matthew Chapter 24.
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Jesus tells us what
it's going to be like.
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And He tells us now
what the devil is going
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to do to try to
deceive us in relationship
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to the Second Coming of Jesus.
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What's going to happen
is you're going to have,
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first of all the
first stage of deception,
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you're going to have
that transition taking place,
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the control the deception
taking place in our world
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and in our country,
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then you have the
second stage of deception,
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you have a false day of worship
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put in the place of God's
day of worship, false authority,
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man's authority put in
place of God's authority,
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man's mediation put in the place
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of God's mediation,
man's counsel put in place
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of God's counsel,
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and then you have the
devil himself showing up.
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He appears here,
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he appears there in
different places in the world,
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in the desert, in
the secret chambers,
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he comes as a majestic being.
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Now a lot of times when
you think about the devil
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you think, well,
you know, red with horns
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and a pitchfork and a fork tail.
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No, indeed, not.
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That is not what
the Bible tells us.
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In fact, look at a Bible verse
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with me in 2
Corinthians Chapter 11.
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2 Corinthians Chapter
11 where Paul describes
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how the devil works.
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2 Corinthians Chapter 11,
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and we'll start
here in verse 13.
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I want you to
notice the connection
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between 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
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And what we're
reading in Matthew Chapter 24
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as well as in
Revelation because really,
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all through the New Testament,
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not just in Matthew 24,
and Mark 13, and Luke 21,
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and Revelation, but all
through the New Testament,
00:09:59.56\00:10:02.16
there are these little
snippets of end time prophecy.
00:10:02.20\00:10:05.67
2 Corinthians Chapter 11 has it,
00:10:05.70\00:10:07.57
2 Thessalonians
Chapter 2 has it,
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.40
2 Peter Chapter 2
and Chapter 3 has it.
00:10:09.44\00:10:12.74
We talk about it also,
00:10:12.77\00:10:14.24
in many of the
different little chapters
00:10:14.28\00:10:17.31
of the New Testament,
like Jude, for example,
00:10:17.35\00:10:20.42
it's all about the
Lord's Second Coming
00:10:20.45\00:10:22.68
and the signs leading up
00:10:22.72\00:10:24.09
to the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:10:24.12\00:10:25.52
2 Timothy Chapter 3
is all about what's going
00:10:25.55\00:10:28.99
to happen in the
last days, and it's going
00:10:29.02\00:10:30.36
to be perilous times that
are going to come upon us.
00:10:30.39\00:10:32.59
So all through
the New Testament,
00:10:32.63\00:10:33.96
we have this
Revelation from God,
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a God who loves
us and cares about us
00:10:37.70\00:10:39.47
of what's going to be
taking place in the end of time.
00:10:39.50\00:10:41.80
We can trust the Bible,
we can trust the Word of God,
00:10:41.84\00:10:44.47
He can help us to
navigate our situation,
00:10:44.51\00:10:46.78
we don't need to
trust the misinformation
00:10:46.81\00:10:48.88
and fake news, we
don't need to put anyone else
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in the place of
God is our authority,
00:10:51.35\00:10:53.35
in the place of God
is the one we lean to,
00:10:53.38\00:10:55.15
we can trust the Word of God.
00:10:55.18\00:10:56.69
So Paul says it here in
2 Corinthians 11, he says,
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verse 13, "For
such are false apostles,
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deceitful workers,
00:11:02.09\00:11:03.59
transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ.
00:11:03.63\00:11:07.80
For no marvel, for Satan himself
00:11:07.83\00:11:09.90
is transformed
into an angel light."
00:11:09.93\00:11:12.47
Can you imagine that?
00:11:12.50\00:11:13.84
Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.
00:11:13.87\00:11:17.17
"Therefore it is no great thing
00:11:17.21\00:11:19.87
if his ministers
also be transformed
00:11:19.91\00:11:25.81
as the ministers
of righteousness,
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.52
whose end shall be
according to their works."
00:11:27.55\00:11:30.12
That's 2
Corinthians 11:13, 14, and 15.
00:11:30.15\00:11:34.72
Now earlier in the chapter,
Paul describes what Satan
00:11:34.76\00:11:39.29
and his false ministers,
his ministers of righteousness,
00:11:39.33\00:11:42.43
and this angel of
light are seeking to do.
00:11:42.46\00:11:44.90
In verses 2 and 3 he says this,
00:11:44.93\00:11:49.14
"For I am jealous over
you with godly jealousy,
00:11:49.17\00:11:51.41
for I have
espoused you to one husband,
00:11:51.44\00:11:52.91
that I may present you as
a chaste virgin to Christ.
00:11:52.94\00:11:55.41
But I fear, lest by any means,
00:11:55.44\00:11:57.78
as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety,
00:11:57.81\00:12:00.72
so your minds
should be corrupted
00:12:00.75\00:12:03.42
from the
simplicity that is in Christ."
00:12:03.45\00:12:05.35
Verse 4, "For if he that
comes preaches another Jesus,
00:12:05.39\00:12:10.26
whom we have not preached,
00:12:10.29\00:12:11.86
or if you
receive another spirit,
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.60
which we have not
received, or another gospel,
00:12:14.63\00:12:17.83
which ye have not accepted,
you might well bear with him."
00:12:17.87\00:12:22.24
Paul is talking
here about deception.
00:12:22.27\00:12:24.41
And he's talking about
deception in the same way
00:12:24.44\00:12:26.27
that Jesus is, he's saying,
they're going to be people
00:12:26.31\00:12:27.94
who are going to
come and they're going
00:12:27.98\00:12:29.31
to pretend to be
Christ, they're going to pretend
00:12:29.34\00:12:31.38
to be
representatives of Jesus Christ,
00:12:31.41\00:12:33.48
they're going
to be false Christ.
00:12:33.52\00:12:34.92
How are we going to know
the false from the genuine?
00:12:34.95\00:12:37.45
The only way that we can know
00:12:37.49\00:12:39.65
is if we are
familiar with the Word of God,
00:12:39.69\00:12:42.49
if we know the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:12:42.52\00:12:44.69
if we know and
acquainted with the Holy Spirit,
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.16
if we understand and
recognize Jesus Christ as
00:12:47.20\00:12:50.33
our personal friend, and Savior,
00:12:50.37\00:12:52.23
that's the only way
we're going to know.
00:12:52.27\00:12:54.04
We can't have a
profession of faith
00:12:54.07\00:12:56.17
and no connection with Jesus.
00:12:56.20\00:12:57.61
We can't just go to
church, sit in the pew,
00:12:57.64\00:12:59.27
and then go about our daily life
00:12:59.31\00:13:00.64
and think that we're
going to be protected
00:13:00.68\00:13:03.68
from deception
because that Jesus tells us
00:13:03.71\00:13:06.61
that Satan's going to
come as an angel of light,
00:13:06.65\00:13:08.18
Jesus tells us
that His ministers going
00:13:08.22\00:13:09.78
to be ministers
of righteousness,
00:13:09.82\00:13:11.15
and they're going
to be preaching Jesus,
00:13:11.19\00:13:12.65
and they're going to
be preaching the spirit,
00:13:12.69\00:13:14.12
and they're going to
be preaching the gospel.
00:13:14.16\00:13:15.86
But it's not
going to be the gospel
00:13:15.89\00:13:17.23
that's in harmony
with the Word of God.
00:13:17.26\00:13:20.63
We've already talked
about just a little bit,
00:13:20.66\00:13:22.30
but it's important for
us to recognize that now
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.20
as we look into
Matthew Chapter 24
00:13:25.23\00:13:27.40
and this last deception.
00:13:27.44\00:13:28.77
So how can we know
for sure that we are going
00:13:28.80\00:13:31.31
to be in harmony
with the Word of God?
00:13:31.34\00:13:33.58
Well, let's take the
second coming, for example.
00:13:33.61\00:13:36.14
We can know that Jesus
has not come the second time
00:13:36.18\00:13:41.78
when we hear
voices in the media,
00:13:41.82\00:13:44.79
or in a church that says,
00:13:44.82\00:13:46.49
Jesus has
landed on planet earth.
00:13:46.52\00:13:49.82
Secretly, no one
really knew about it,
00:13:49.86\00:13:51.99
but we've got
videotape, we've got pictures,
00:13:52.03\00:13:54.66
we're going to
show you Jesus Christ.
00:13:54.70\00:13:57.10
He's going to be healing people.
00:13:57.13\00:13:58.80
And He's going to be
speaking about the truths
00:13:58.83\00:14:01.54
that He spoke about
when He was on this earth.
00:14:01.57\00:14:03.00
In fact, he
looks just like Jesus
00:14:03.04\00:14:05.77
is described in the
Book of Revelation Chapter 1,
00:14:05.81\00:14:08.48
you know what, in
Revelation Chapter 1
00:14:08.51\00:14:10.28
it talks about Jesus
Christ as coming to John
00:14:10.31\00:14:14.32
and His eyes were
like a flame of fire,
00:14:14.35\00:14:16.05
His voice of many
waters, and His hair down
00:14:16.08\00:14:18.15
to His shoulders was wide,
00:14:18.19\00:14:19.52
and His feet were
like polish brass,
00:14:19.55\00:14:22.42
this description
of Jesus glorified,
00:14:22.46\00:14:25.43
is going to be counterfeited
by Satan in the end of time.
00:14:25.46\00:14:28.70
He's going to come
as an angel of light,
00:14:28.73\00:14:30.07
He's going to come,
00:14:30.10\00:14:31.43
and He's going
to say I'm Christ.
00:14:31.47\00:14:32.80
And He's going to
say, look at the truths
00:14:32.83\00:14:34.27
that He's going to reaffirm
those truths from the mount
00:14:34.30\00:14:36.74
of blessings and talk
about all of the things
00:14:36.77\00:14:39.64
that are right to
do to love and to serve
00:14:39.67\00:14:43.65
and to give and to be humble.
00:14:43.68\00:14:45.28
You can say all of those things,
00:14:45.31\00:14:46.82
and He's going to
heal people of diseases.
00:14:46.85\00:14:49.28
He's going to
manifest such deception
00:14:49.32\00:14:52.72
that if it were
possible, it says in Matthew 24
00:14:52.75\00:14:55.42
even the elect
would be deceived.
00:14:55.46\00:14:57.86
And then He's
going to say something,
00:14:57.89\00:14:59.23
it's going to make it very clear
00:14:59.26\00:15:01.73
that he is not Christ.
00:15:01.76\00:15:04.27
He's going to say, by the way,
I did change the Sabbath day,
00:15:04.30\00:15:08.97
the Bible Sabbath day,
the seventh day Sabbath.
00:15:09.00\00:15:11.04
I did change that to
the first day of the week.
00:15:11.07\00:15:12.87
I did change that to
Sunday, and all these laws,
00:15:12.91\00:15:15.31
and all these restrictions,
00:15:15.34\00:15:16.68
and all these
coercions for you to worship
00:15:16.71\00:15:20.92
according to the dictates
of the authority of the world
00:15:20.95\00:15:22.95
on Sunday
instead of the Sabbath.
00:15:22.98\00:15:24.89
That's all good.
That's all right.
00:15:24.92\00:15:26.79
We're going to know right
then that this is not Christ
00:15:26.82\00:15:29.69
because he's not speaking
in harmony with his word.
00:15:29.72\00:15:34.33
Now there are other
ways that we're going to know
00:15:34.36\00:15:36.53
that this is not
Christ, but that is going
00:15:36.56\00:15:37.90
to be one of the
most significant ways.
00:15:37.93\00:15:39.80
Jesus tells us we need
to remember the Sabbath day,
00:15:39.83\00:15:41.97
pray that our fight
is not on the winter
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.81
nor on the Sabbath day.
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.17
He's telling us that
under the second deception
00:15:45.21\00:15:46.78
because the
abomination of desolation
00:15:46.81\00:15:48.64
is going to be put
in place of the Sabbath.
00:15:48.68\00:15:50.41
And remember, the abomination
of desolation is putting man
00:15:50.45\00:15:54.15
where God should be, man's laws
00:15:54.18\00:15:55.58
where God's law
should be, man's counsel,
00:15:55.62\00:15:57.69
man's authority
where only the authority
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.26
of God should stand.
00:16:00.29\00:16:01.99
Remember the call
in Revelation 14:7
00:16:02.02\00:16:04.26
to worship Him, who
made heaven and earth,
00:16:04.29\00:16:06.73
and the seas and
the fountains of waters,
00:16:06.76\00:16:08.36
the Lord of the Sabbath.
00:16:08.40\00:16:10.17
And, of course, He
tells us over and over again,
00:16:10.20\00:16:13.10
in Genesis, in
Exodus, in Deuteronomy,
00:16:13.13\00:16:16.64
that the Sabbath is
reminder of His creative powers,
00:16:16.67\00:16:19.47
reminder of His
redemptive power,
00:16:19.51\00:16:21.28
it's a sign that
He sanctifies us.
00:16:21.31\00:16:23.95
So remember the Sabbath day,
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.95
mark the Sabbath
day to keep it holy,
00:16:25.98\00:16:27.68
don't receive the
mark of earthly powers
00:16:27.72\00:16:30.29
of earthly authority.
00:16:30.32\00:16:31.65
So Jesus Christ also tells us
00:16:31.69\00:16:33.69
that He's going to return
in verse 27 here of Matthew 24,
00:16:33.72\00:16:38.16
he says, "For as
lightning comes out of the east,
00:16:38.19\00:16:40.53
and shines even to the west,
00:16:40.56\00:16:42.26
so also shall the
coming of the Son of man be."
00:16:42.30\00:16:45.33
Lightning shining
from the east to the west.
00:16:45.37\00:16:47.57
That is, everyone is
going to see this, you know,
00:16:47.60\00:16:50.24
lightning flashes so fast.
00:16:50.27\00:16:53.21
And you can imagine
it flashing from one end
00:16:53.24\00:16:55.14
of the earth to the
other end of the earth,
00:16:55.18\00:16:56.78
it's almost going
to look like as Jesus
00:16:56.81\00:16:58.85
is circling the
earth at His second coming,
00:16:58.88\00:17:00.52
that He's standing still
00:17:00.55\00:17:01.88
because it takes place in
less than a second of time.
00:17:01.92\00:17:05.65
And so we're going
to see Jesus, every eye,
00:17:05.69\00:17:07.89
we're told in Revelation 1:7,
every eye is going to see Him,
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.19
He's going to be able to
circle this earth so quickly,
00:17:11.23\00:17:13.66
that looks like He's
standing in one place,
00:17:13.70\00:17:15.80
and the whole world is
going to see Him at His return.
00:17:15.83\00:17:20.37
But then we're told in
2 Thessalonians Chapter 4,
00:17:20.40\00:17:24.61
excuse me, 1
Thessalonians Chapter 4,
00:17:24.64\00:17:27.14
we're told
what's going to happen
00:17:27.18\00:17:28.51
when Jesus Christ returns.
00:17:28.54\00:17:30.18
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4
00:17:30.21\00:17:34.02
talks about the
Second Coming of Jesus
00:17:34.05\00:17:35.55
in verses 13, 14, 15, and 16.
00:17:35.58\00:17:39.02
"Don't be ignorant of
this, he says, brethren,
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.79
concerning those
who have fallen asleep,
00:17:41.82\00:17:43.29
those who have died in Christ."
00:17:43.32\00:17:44.99
Because sleep in the
Bible is like unto a death
00:17:45.03\00:17:47.10
and unconscious
waiting in the grave
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.96
for the Second
Coming, a moment of time,
00:17:50.00\00:17:52.77
when we die, the
next thing we know
00:17:52.80\00:17:54.24
is the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:17:54.27\00:17:56.10
And then it goes on to
say, "For this we say unto you,"
00:17:56.14\00:17:59.14
verse 15, "by the
word of the Lord,"
00:17:59.17\00:18:01.84
I love that, "by
the word of the Lord,"
00:18:01.88\00:18:03.78
not by the word of man,
but by the word of the Lord,
00:18:03.81\00:18:05.91
not by the word
of a false gospel,
00:18:05.95\00:18:07.28
by the word of the Lord,
00:18:07.32\00:18:08.72
not by the word of a
minister of righteousness,
00:18:08.75\00:18:10.52
that's speaking out of
harmony with the truth,
00:18:10.55\00:18:12.59
but by the word
of the Lord he says,
00:18:12.62\00:18:15.09
"that we which
are alive and remain,"
00:18:15.12\00:18:16.99
so there'll be some
that are alive and remain
00:18:17.03\00:18:18.46
when Jesus comes.
00:18:18.49\00:18:20.30
And I believe perhaps someone
listening to this message,
00:18:20.33\00:18:22.13
you're going to be
alive because we are inching
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.47
so close to the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ,
00:18:24.50\00:18:27.00
the signs are fulfilling,
"we which are alive and remain
00:18:27.04\00:18:30.31
unto the coming of the Lord
00:18:30.34\00:18:31.71
shall not prevent or go
before those who are asleep."
00:18:31.74\00:18:34.61
Those who are laid
to rest in Jesus Christ,
00:18:34.64\00:18:37.35
we won't proceed them.
00:18:37.38\00:18:38.71
"For the Lord
himself," verse 16,
00:18:38.75\00:18:40.38
"shall descend from
heaven with a shout,"
00:18:40.42\00:18:42.62
so it's going to be loud,
"with a voice of the archangel,
00:18:42.65\00:18:45.95
and with the trump of God,
00:18:45.99\00:18:48.02
and the dead in
Christ shall rise first."
00:18:48.06\00:18:50.73
So we are going to
know when Jesus comes,
00:18:50.76\00:18:52.93
it's not going to be one
person here or one person there.
00:18:52.96\00:18:55.16
Everyone who's died in the Lord
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.17
is going to be
resurrected when Jesus comes.
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.30
It's going to be loud,
there's going to be a shout,
00:18:59.33\00:19:01.70
there's going to be a
trump of the archangel.
00:19:01.74\00:19:04.54
And then it says in verse 17,
00:19:04.57\00:19:07.01
"Then we which
are alive and remain
00:19:07.04\00:19:10.51
shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds,
00:19:10.55\00:19:13.48
to meet the Lord," where?
00:19:13.52\00:19:15.18
"In the air."
00:19:15.22\00:19:16.75
1 Thessalonians
4:17 is very clear,
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.99
the Word of God is very clear.
00:19:20.02\00:19:21.92
If you hear voices telling you
00:19:21.96\00:19:23.46
that Jesus is
appeared over here,
00:19:23.49\00:19:25.26
and He's appeared over there,
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.63
and He's in the secret chamber,
He's out in that wilderness.
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.76
And He's speaking these amazing
words and these amazing truths
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.07
that He shared with us
when He was here before
00:19:32.10\00:19:33.94
and He's healing
people and by the way,
00:19:33.97\00:19:36.27
He's confirming all of
what the authorities say
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.64
about that day of worship
that He actually changed it.
00:19:38.67\00:19:40.91
Do not even go,
don't even look at it,
00:19:40.94\00:19:44.58
don't even go there
because if it were possible,
00:19:44.61\00:19:46.21
the very elect will be deceived
00:19:46.25\00:19:47.68
because you can
imagine as majestic being.
00:19:47.72\00:19:50.25
Paul even says
in 2 Thessalonians.
00:19:50.29\00:19:52.59
I'm worried about you.
00:19:52.62\00:19:54.09
I'm jealous of you
because I'm afraid just like
00:19:54.12\00:19:56.06
Eve was deceived,
00:19:56.09\00:19:57.43
you all be deceived
because when Satan comes,
00:19:57.46\00:20:00.50
he comes as an angel of light.
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.16
His ministers are
ministers of righteousness,
00:20:02.20\00:20:04.13
and they're preaching
Jesus, but it's another Jesus,
00:20:04.17\00:20:06.23
and they're
preaching the gospel,
00:20:06.27\00:20:07.60
but it's another gospel,
00:20:07.64\00:20:08.97
and they're
preaching the holy spirit,
00:20:09.00\00:20:10.34
but it's another holy spirit.
00:20:10.37\00:20:11.71
So don't even go
Jesus says, "Don't even go."
00:20:11.74\00:20:13.58
You're familiar
with those words?
00:20:13.61\00:20:15.94
Don't even go.
00:20:15.98\00:20:17.41
It says here in
Matthew Chapter 24.
00:20:17.45\00:20:21.78
It says,
00:20:21.82\00:20:23.18
"For there shall
rise false Christs,
00:20:23.22\00:20:24.62
and false prophets, and
shew great signs and wonders,
00:20:24.65\00:20:26.76
insomuch that it's
possible deceive the very elect.
00:20:26.79\00:20:29.02
Behold, I've
told you beforehand.
00:20:29.06\00:20:30.76
For when they shall
say unto you, Behold,
00:20:30.79\00:20:32.76
he is in the
desert, do not go forth.
00:20:32.79\00:20:35.56
Behold, he is in a secret
chambers, believe it or not."
00:20:35.60\00:20:37.83
Don't go and
don't believe it, right?
00:20:37.87\00:20:40.10
This is what the
Word of God is telling us.
00:20:40.14\00:20:42.60
Because in 1
Thessalonians 4:17, it says,
00:20:42.64\00:20:45.21
When Jesus actually
comes, those resting in Christ,
00:20:45.24\00:20:49.11
all of the faithful that
are going to be resurrected.
00:20:49.14\00:20:51.55
So you're going to
know, you don't need the news
00:20:51.58\00:20:53.21
to tell you, you don't
need someone to tell you,
00:20:53.25\00:20:54.75
you're going to know
'cause everyone's going
00:20:54.78\00:20:56.12
to be resurrected.
00:20:56.15\00:20:57.49
And it says that there's
going to be a loud shout,
00:20:57.52\00:21:00.22
and there's
going to be the trump
00:21:00.26\00:21:01.59
of the archangel.
00:21:01.62\00:21:02.96
And it says that we are going
to meet the Lord not on earth,
00:21:02.99\00:21:06.63
but in the air.
00:21:06.66\00:21:08.00
Jesus is not going to
lay His feet on planet earth,
00:21:08.03\00:21:10.80
when Jesus returns,
00:21:10.83\00:21:12.17
we're going to
meet Him in the air,
00:21:12.20\00:21:14.24
and so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
00:21:14.27\00:21:18.07
So there's no way
that you can be deceived
00:21:18.11\00:21:20.81
if you follow the Word of God.
00:21:20.84\00:21:22.78
And that's what we
need to do, friends.
00:21:22.81\00:21:24.41
We need to be
following the Word of God.
00:21:24.45\00:21:26.35
We need to let the Word of God
00:21:26.38\00:21:27.72
be the foundation
for what we believe.
00:21:27.75\00:21:29.95
And as we let the Word
of God be our foundation,
00:21:29.98\00:21:32.35
we will not be deceived.
00:21:32.39\00:21:35.06
The only way we can be deceived
00:21:35.09\00:21:36.62
is if we veer
from the Word of God.
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.83
Remember, Eve was
deceived by the serpent
00:21:38.86\00:21:41.40
because she veered
from the Word of God.
00:21:41.43\00:21:44.07
She listened to the
words of the serpent,
00:21:44.10\00:21:46.33
and because she listened
to the words of the serpent,
00:21:46.37\00:21:48.37
she was deceived.
00:21:48.40\00:21:49.74
We are not even to
listen, we are not even to go,
00:21:49.77\00:21:51.84
we're not to believe
the words of deception,
00:21:51.87\00:21:54.68
the words that
are out of harmony
00:21:54.71\00:21:56.38
with the Word of God.
00:21:56.41\00:21:58.71
Then he goes on
to say in verse 28
00:21:58.75\00:22:00.22
of Matthew 24
because we're going
00:22:00.25\00:22:01.58
to continue now and
try to finish this up
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.12
this third stage of deception.
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.12
He says, "For
wheresoever the carcase is,
00:22:05.15\00:22:07.99
there will the
eagles be gathered together.
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.93
Immediately after the
tribulation of those days
00:22:10.96\00:22:13.33
the sun shall be darkened,
00:22:13.36\00:22:14.70
and the moon shall
not give her light,
00:22:14.73\00:22:16.06
the stars shall
fall from heaven,
00:22:16.10\00:22:17.53
and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken."
00:22:17.57\00:22:19.70
So going back here to
verse 28, when Jesus comes,
00:22:19.73\00:22:23.24
there's going to
be a resurrection
00:22:23.27\00:22:24.71
of the faithful who
have died in Christ,
00:22:24.74\00:22:27.74
we're going to be caught
up with them into the air,
00:22:27.78\00:22:29.84
and all of the wicked
are going to be destroyed,
00:22:29.88\00:22:32.38
their carcasses are
going to lay on the earth
00:22:32.41\00:22:34.55
unburied because there's
not going to be anyone left
00:22:34.58\00:22:36.15
to bury them.
00:22:36.18\00:22:37.52
We're told this in
Revelation Chapter 20,
00:22:37.55\00:22:39.22
we're told this all
through the Word of God,
00:22:39.25\00:22:42.42
Revelation Chapter 6,
00:22:42.46\00:22:44.26
all of the wicked are
going to cry for the rocks
00:22:44.29\00:22:45.93
and mountains to fall on them,
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.30
hide us from the face of
him that sits on the throne
00:22:47.33\00:22:49.80
from the wrath of the Lamb.
00:22:49.83\00:22:51.30
Revelation Chapter 20 says
00:22:51.33\00:22:52.90
that all of the
wicked are going to be slain
00:22:52.93\00:22:54.90
at the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ
00:22:54.94\00:22:56.27
and not resurrected again,
until the second resurrection
00:22:56.30\00:22:59.07
of the
unrighteous or the wicked.
00:22:59.11\00:23:00.78
And Satan is going
to be bound in a chain
00:23:00.81\00:23:02.51
of circumstances on
this earth for 1000 years,
00:23:02.54\00:23:06.08
and the saints are
going to be with Christ
00:23:06.11\00:23:08.52
in heaven for 1000
years investigating the books,
00:23:08.55\00:23:11.52
looking at the history
of this Great Controversy.
00:23:11.55\00:23:14.19
And having all of
their questions answered,
00:23:14.22\00:23:16.29
as to why people are there
00:23:16.32\00:23:17.66
and why people are not there,
00:23:17.69\00:23:19.03
every question is going
to be answered in that time.
00:23:19.06\00:23:21.53
And so then Jesus goes
on to tell about the signs
00:23:21.56\00:23:23.70
of the sun and the
moon and the stars,
00:23:23.73\00:23:25.33
these are all
signs that preceded
00:23:25.37\00:23:27.34
the Second Coming of Jesus
00:23:27.37\00:23:28.70
or proceed the
Second Coming to Jesus.
00:23:28.74\00:23:30.07
And we've seen these
signs actually being fulfilled.
00:23:30.11\00:23:32.34
I don't have time to
go into that right now.
00:23:32.37\00:23:33.98
And then verse 30,
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.34
"Then shall appear
the Son of man in heaven,
00:23:35.38\00:23:37.05
and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn,
00:23:37.08\00:23:39.81
and they shall see the Son
of man coming in the clouds
00:23:39.85\00:23:43.79
of heaven with
power and great glory.
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.15
And he will send his angels
00:23:46.19\00:23:47.66
with a great
sound of the trumpet,
00:23:47.69\00:23:49.19
and shall gather
together his elect
00:23:49.22\00:23:50.69
from the four
corners of the wind,
00:23:50.73\00:23:53.09
from one end of
heaven to the other."
00:23:53.13\00:23:55.80
So here are some more signs.
00:23:55.83\00:23:57.40
All the tribes of the
earth are going to mourn,
00:23:57.43\00:23:59.37
you know, Jesus doesn't come yet
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.34
if all the tribes of the earth
aren't mourning about the scene
00:24:01.37\00:24:04.74
in the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ,
00:24:04.77\00:24:06.11
and then it says, His
angels are going to go out
00:24:06.14\00:24:08.11
and they're going to gather
00:24:08.14\00:24:09.58
from the four corners
of the earth, north, south,
00:24:09.61\00:24:11.41
east, and west, all
directions of the earth.
00:24:11.45\00:24:13.85
God's people are
really gathered up
00:24:13.88\00:24:15.78
to meet Jesus Christ in the air
00:24:15.82\00:24:17.79
as we read in 1
Thessalonians 4:17.
00:24:17.82\00:24:21.69
And then it says in
verse 31 of Matthew Chapter 24,
00:24:21.72\00:24:26.39
or verse 32, "Now learn
a parable of the fig tree.
00:24:26.43\00:24:30.97
When his branch is yet tender,
and puts forth his leaves,
00:24:31.00\00:24:34.54
you know that
the summer is near."
00:24:34.57\00:24:36.97
This is where we need
to be right now, friends,
00:24:37.01\00:24:39.51
we need to recognize
the signs they're indicating
00:24:39.54\00:24:43.41
that the Second
Coming of Christ is near.
00:24:43.45\00:24:45.35
We've got to be
alert to those signs
00:24:45.38\00:24:46.82
that will be taken unawares.
00:24:46.85\00:24:48.62
And so Christ is saying
here in Matthew Chapter 24,
00:24:48.65\00:24:51.95
just like in the springtime
00:24:51.99\00:24:54.12
when the leaves start
budding and coming out,
00:24:54.16\00:24:56.52
you know that summer is near,
00:24:56.56\00:24:58.19
just so you could
know from the signs
00:24:58.23\00:25:00.26
that My coming is
near even at the doors.
00:25:00.30\00:25:03.53
That's what he
says here in verse 33.
00:25:03.57\00:25:06.27
"So likewise ye, when ye
shall see all these things,
00:25:06.30\00:25:09.14
know that it is
near, even at the doors.
00:25:09.17\00:25:12.41
Verily I say
unto you," verse 34,
00:25:12.44\00:25:13.91
"this generation
shall not pass away,
00:25:13.94\00:25:15.94
till all these
things be fulfilled."
00:25:15.98\00:25:18.05
How much time do we have?
00:25:18.08\00:25:19.41
Well, Jesus says,
00:25:19.45\00:25:20.78
"This generation
shall not pass away."
00:25:20.82\00:25:22.15
What generation?
00:25:22.18\00:25:23.52
The generation that sees
the signs being fulfilled,
00:25:23.55\00:25:26.79
just like in the
destruction of Jerusalem
00:25:26.82\00:25:28.52
because remember,
this is a dual prophecy,
00:25:28.56\00:25:31.99
the disciples saw the
signs being fulfilled,
00:25:32.03\00:25:34.83
they saw the gospel
going to all the world,
00:25:34.86\00:25:36.53
they saw wars, rumors of
wars, they saw false prophets,
00:25:36.56\00:25:39.07
they saw Jerusalem
surrounded with armies,
00:25:39.10\00:25:41.27
and they knew
these were the signs
00:25:41.30\00:25:42.64
that Christ had told them about,
00:25:42.67\00:25:44.01
they knew His coming was,
00:25:44.04\00:25:45.37
but the destruction
of Jerusalem was near.
00:25:45.41\00:25:46.74
And they fled the city,
00:25:46.78\00:25:48.34
they got out of the city not
one Christian lost their lives
00:25:48.38\00:25:51.35
in the destruction of Jerusalem.
00:25:51.38\00:25:52.75
And so it is to be
in the end of time,
00:25:52.78\00:25:55.78
we are to know
that Christ is near
00:25:55.82\00:25:58.65
by the signs that
have been fulfilled.
00:25:58.69\00:26:00.42
And it can be scary.
00:26:00.46\00:26:01.79
I mean, I must admit,
00:26:01.82\00:26:03.16
when you look at what is
taking place here in verse 9,
00:26:03.19\00:26:05.69
for example, when
all nations hate you,
00:26:05.73\00:26:08.06
and you're afflicted,
that word means to pressure,
00:26:08.10\00:26:10.67
when you feel pressured,
you're going to get cancelled,
00:26:10.70\00:26:13.50
you're going to lose your job,
00:26:13.54\00:26:14.87
you're not going to be
able to support your family,
00:26:14.90\00:26:16.71
you're not going to be
able to pay your mortgage,
00:26:16.74\00:26:18.14
that pressure
that's coming against you,
00:26:18.17\00:26:20.18
and you're hated of
all nations, you know,
00:26:20.21\00:26:22.41
those of us who are not
compliant or responsible
00:26:22.44\00:26:24.85
for X, Y, and Z
because we're not compliant,
00:26:24.88\00:26:27.28
people hate us
00:26:27.32\00:26:28.78
when we are standing
up for Christ's name,
00:26:28.82\00:26:31.62
for God's name,
for the love of God,
00:26:31.65\00:26:33.36
for the liberty of conscience,
00:26:33.39\00:26:34.72
for the freedom
for the principles,
00:26:34.76\00:26:36.22
the lamb like principles
identified in that beast
00:26:36.26\00:26:38.66
that is now transitioning
into a dragon like voice,
00:26:38.69\00:26:41.60
it's going to be hard for us.
00:26:41.63\00:26:42.96
But we need to
lift up our heads,
00:26:43.00\00:26:44.33
we need to know that
our redemption draws nigh,
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.10
we need to know that
these are the very things
00:26:46.13\00:26:48.80
that tell us that Christ
is near even at the doors.
00:26:48.84\00:26:52.94
So God is calling us now
to understand this parable,
00:26:52.97\00:26:56.24
the parable of the
fig tree to recognize
00:26:56.28\00:26:58.48
that these things are
about to be fulfilled.
00:26:58.51\00:27:01.12
"Verily," He says in
verse 34, "I say unto you,
00:27:01.15\00:27:04.29
This
generational shall not pass,
00:27:04.32\00:27:05.65
till all these
things be fulfilled.
00:27:05.69\00:27:07.22
Heaven and earth
shall pass away," verse 35,
00:27:07.26\00:27:09.66
"but my word
shall not pass away."
00:27:09.69\00:27:11.46
And then He gives us
some more details about
00:27:11.49\00:27:13.43
what's going to be happening
leading up to the end of time.
00:27:13.46\00:27:16.53
And these details
are really significant.
00:27:16.56\00:27:18.43
Okay, he says,
00:27:18.47\00:27:20.90
"But of the day and
hour knoweth no man,
00:27:20.94\00:27:24.34
no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only."
00:27:24.37\00:27:27.11
So one of the details
we need to recognize here
00:27:27.14\00:27:29.71
is we can't set a time
00:27:29.74\00:27:32.05
for the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:27:32.08\00:27:34.22
As soon as someone sets a date,
as soon as someone tells you,
00:27:34.25\00:27:36.82
He's coming in this
month, in this year,
00:27:36.85\00:27:38.65
as soon as you hear that,
let me tell you right now,
00:27:38.69\00:27:41.76
according to the Word of God,
00:27:41.79\00:27:43.12
that that is a false prophecy.
00:27:43.16\00:27:45.29
It's a false
prediction because Jesus says,
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.10
"We cannot know the day
and we cannot know the hour
00:27:47.13\00:27:49.46
of the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ."
00:27:49.50\00:27:51.33
Many goes on, He says this.
00:27:51.37\00:27:52.97
"But as it was in the
days of Noah," verse 37,
00:27:53.00\00:27:56.07
"so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.
00:27:56.10\00:27:59.11
For as in the days of Noah,"
00:27:59.14\00:28:00.48
verse 38, "that
were before the flood
00:28:00.51\00:28:02.61
they were eating and drinking,
00:28:02.64\00:28:04.61
and marrying and
giving in marriage,
00:28:04.65\00:28:06.51
until the day that
Noah entered into the ark."
00:28:06.55\00:28:08.82
Does that sound
like a description
00:28:08.85\00:28:10.39
of what's
happening in our world today?
00:28:10.42\00:28:12.22
As it was in the days of Noah,
00:28:12.25\00:28:13.96
they were eating and
drinking and marrying
00:28:13.99\00:28:16.49
and giving in marriage.
00:28:16.52\00:28:17.99
This is exactly what we
see in our society today,
00:28:18.03\00:28:20.60
in our world today.
00:28:20.63\00:28:22.60
In fact, we find that liberty
of conscience is threatened
00:28:22.63\00:28:25.97
by people who are
more concerned about eating
00:28:26.00\00:28:29.17
and drinking and
marrying and giving in marriage
00:28:29.20\00:28:31.61
about public access,
00:28:31.64\00:28:33.24
about their life
just going on as normal.
00:28:33.27\00:28:35.61
They're more
concerned about that
00:28:35.64\00:28:36.98
than they are
about their liberty,
00:28:37.01\00:28:38.35
about their
liberty of conscience,
00:28:38.38\00:28:39.71
about the freedom,
the principles of freedom
00:28:39.75\00:28:41.52
that make this
world what it is today.
00:28:41.55\00:28:44.75
And so we lose
that we lose everything.
00:28:44.79\00:28:48.02
But according to
Matthew Chapter 24,
00:28:48.06\00:28:50.39
a lot of people are
going to be so consumed
00:28:50.43\00:28:52.66
with eating and
drinking and marrying
00:28:52.69\00:28:54.36
and giving in
marriage, they really don't care
00:28:54.40\00:28:56.50
about the
restrictions that are coming
00:28:56.53\00:28:57.87
about the
affliction, that is coming about
00:28:57.90\00:28:59.23
the pressure that is
coming for God's namesake,
00:28:59.27\00:29:01.94
the principles of
freedom and liberty
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.04
that lay the foundation
of the principle of love,
00:29:04.07\00:29:08.61
which is, of course,
00:29:08.64\00:29:10.08
the revelation
of God's character.
00:29:10.11\00:29:11.81
God is love. 1 John 4:8.
00:29:11.85\00:29:15.28
And that goes on
to say, in verse 39,
00:29:15.32\00:29:18.45
"They eating, drinking,
marrying, giving in marriage.
00:29:18.49\00:29:20.89
And knew not
till the flood came,
00:29:20.92\00:29:22.92
and took them all the way
so also shall be the coming
00:29:22.96\00:29:27.23
of the Son of man."
00:29:27.26\00:29:28.60
So they didn't know,
they didn't understand.
00:29:28.63\00:29:30.00
They weren't aware,
they could have been aware,
00:29:30.03\00:29:31.63
but they were not
aware until the flood came
00:29:31.67\00:29:34.44
and took them all away.
00:29:34.47\00:29:36.20
Then he says, "Two
will be in the field,
00:29:36.24\00:29:38.34
one shall be taken, and
the other left," verse 40.
00:29:38.37\00:29:40.24
Verse 41, "Two women
shall be grinding at the mill,
00:29:40.28\00:29:43.11
one shall be
taken, and the other left.
00:29:43.14\00:29:45.01
Watch therefore, for
you do not know what our,
00:29:45.05\00:29:48.85
your Lord does come.
00:29:48.88\00:29:51.22
But know this, that
the Goodman of the house
00:29:51.25\00:29:54.89
had known in what watch
the thief would have come,
00:29:54.92\00:29:58.79
he would have watched,
00:29:58.83\00:30:00.16
and would not have suffered
his house to be broken up.
00:30:00.20\00:30:03.30
Therefore be also
ready for in such an hour
00:30:03.33\00:30:07.10
as ye think not
the Son of man comes."
00:30:07.14\00:30:10.51
All right, so we
find now the reason
00:30:10.54\00:30:13.17
why Jesus Christ has told us
00:30:13.21\00:30:15.28
that we don't know the day
and we don't know the hour.
00:30:15.31\00:30:17.35
Why?
00:30:17.38\00:30:18.71
Because we will
have a false preparation.
00:30:18.75\00:30:20.52
You know, if you know
what's going to happen,
00:30:20.55\00:30:22.68
you're going to be
ready when it happens,
00:30:22.72\00:30:24.32
or you're going to
pretend to be ready or prepared
00:30:24.35\00:30:26.42
to be ready when you happen,
but you're not going to have
00:30:26.45\00:30:28.32
necessarily a heart readiness
or a heart preparation.
00:30:28.36\00:30:31.99
And so what Jesus is
telling us here's the reason
00:30:32.03\00:30:33.86
why we don't know
the day and the hour
00:30:33.90\00:30:35.23
is because we need
to be always ready.
00:30:35.26\00:30:37.87
We need to be always focused
and connected with Christ.
00:30:37.90\00:30:41.14
We don't want to
fall into the amusements,
00:30:41.17\00:30:44.54
the eating and
drinking and marrying
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.01
and giving in
marriage of the world.
00:30:46.04\00:30:47.38
Now let me just clarify
here. It's great for us to eat.
00:30:47.41\00:30:49.94
It's great for us to
drink, and it's fine for us,
00:30:49.98\00:30:52.18
fine and dandy for us to marry,
but not in abandonment of God
00:30:52.21\00:30:56.32
and the principles of truth
00:30:56.35\00:30:58.35
that lay the foundation
for eating and drinking
00:30:58.39\00:31:00.49
and marrying and
giving in marriage.
00:31:00.52\00:31:01.86
This isn't eating
and drinking and marrying
00:31:01.89\00:31:03.53
and giving in marriage that
is completely out of harmony
00:31:03.56\00:31:06.53
with the Word of God,
00:31:06.56\00:31:07.90
you know what I'm talking
about because we are there,
00:31:07.93\00:31:11.87
we have eating and
drinking and marrying
00:31:11.90\00:31:13.30
and giving in marriage
that are out of harmony
00:31:13.34\00:31:14.94
with the
principles of God's Word.
00:31:14.97\00:31:17.61
That's the society
we're living in today.
00:31:17.64\00:31:19.97
And God is warning us away
from this kind of a society.
00:31:20.01\00:31:23.35
And then He directs us
00:31:23.38\00:31:24.71
to where we need
to be in the context
00:31:24.75\00:31:27.65
of the title of
our message today.
00:31:27.68\00:31:29.02
And the title of
our message today again
00:31:29.05\00:31:30.82
is Faithful Service.
00:31:30.85\00:31:32.22
Here it comes.
00:31:32.25\00:31:33.59
These are the key verses
00:31:33.62\00:31:34.96
that we need to
look at faithful service.
00:31:34.99\00:31:36.32
Then it says in verse
45, "Who then is a faithful
00:31:36.36\00:31:40.30
and wise servant,
00:31:40.33\00:31:42.16
whom his lord has made
ruler over his household,
00:31:42.20\00:31:46.00
to give them meat in due season?
00:31:46.03\00:31:50.04
Blessed is that servant,
whom when his Lord cometh
00:31:50.07\00:31:53.98
will find him so doing.
00:31:54.01\00:31:55.41
Verily I say unto you,
that he will make him ruler
00:31:55.44\00:31:58.68
over all his goods."
00:31:58.71\00:32:01.22
This is where we
need to be right now.
00:32:01.25\00:32:02.95
God is calling us
to be faithful servants
00:32:02.98\00:32:06.22
to be faithful in
our service to God,
00:32:06.25\00:32:09.96
faithful in giving
meat in due season,
00:32:09.99\00:32:12.93
faithful in sharing with
others the truths of God's Word.
00:32:12.96\00:32:17.17
This is talking spiritually now.
00:32:17.20\00:32:18.70
This isn't talking
about literal food,
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.74
this is talking
about spiritual food.
00:32:20.77\00:32:22.77
Pastors, teachers,
preachers, Christians,
00:32:22.80\00:32:26.01
letting their light shine,
standing up for the principles
00:32:26.04\00:32:29.21
of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:32:29.24\00:32:30.85
standing up for
the principles of love,
00:32:30.88\00:32:32.85
standing up for the
principles of liberty
00:32:32.88\00:32:34.78
because with the
Spirit of the Lord
00:32:34.82\00:32:36.69
is there is liberty.
00:32:36.72\00:32:38.25
Freedom of conscience,
that's what this country
00:32:38.29\00:32:40.99
of the United States
of America is all about.
00:32:41.02\00:32:42.72
We are a Christian nation.
00:32:42.76\00:32:45.26
And the reason why
we're a Christian nation
00:32:45.29\00:32:46.93
is not because
we are Christians,
00:32:46.96\00:32:49.03
and no other religion
is allowed in this country.
00:32:49.06\00:32:51.80
The reason why
we're a Christian nation
00:32:51.83\00:32:53.44
is because Christianity
allows freedom of choice
00:32:53.47\00:32:57.21
and freedom of
religion for all other faiths.
00:32:57.24\00:33:00.81
And that's why America
becomes the boiling pot
00:33:00.84\00:33:03.04
because if you're an
American, you can be an atheist,
00:33:03.08\00:33:05.35
if you're an
American, you can be a Muslim,
00:33:05.38\00:33:06.75
if you're an
American, you can be a Hindu,
00:33:06.78\00:33:08.15
if you're an
American, you can be a Buddhist,
00:33:08.18\00:33:09.62
if you're an American,
you can be a Christian,
00:33:09.65\00:33:10.99
if you're an American,
you can be an agnostic.
00:33:11.02\00:33:12.82
That's what Christian principles
00:33:12.85\00:33:14.89
are really all about.
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.49
That's what those two
principles are at least one
00:33:16.52\00:33:18.29
of those two principles,
those lamb like principles
00:33:18.33\00:33:21.00
are really telling us
00:33:21.03\00:33:22.86
religious
liberty for all faiths.
00:33:22.90\00:33:26.13
We don't have to worry
about being in a country
00:33:26.17\00:33:28.80
where if you're a Hindu,
you're persecuted by Muslims.
00:33:28.84\00:33:31.67
If you're a Muslim,
you're persecuted by Hindus,
00:33:31.71\00:33:33.51
or if you're a Christian,
you're persecuted by Muslims,
00:33:33.54\00:33:35.48
or Hindus.
00:33:35.51\00:33:37.81
We live in a country
where there's freedom
00:33:37.85\00:33:40.25
to worship God,
according to the conscience.
00:33:40.28\00:33:42.85
In fact, we live in a country
00:33:42.88\00:33:44.22
where if you're not a Christian,
00:33:44.25\00:33:45.59
you still have the
freedom not to be a Christian.
00:33:45.62\00:33:47.46
And that's the point.
00:33:47.49\00:33:48.82
That is why this
country is a Christian nation.
00:33:48.86\00:33:52.26
It's not because
we have one religion,
00:33:52.29\00:33:53.66
we force upon everyone else.
We're Christians and that's it.
00:33:53.70\00:33:56.60
Christianity in its
Protestant form at least
00:33:56.63\00:34:00.37
allows for that
liberty, that freedom for others
00:34:00.40\00:34:03.71
who may not agree with
your faith or your persuasion,
00:34:03.74\00:34:05.81
or may not
believe in God at all.
00:34:05.84\00:34:07.71
And that's the point.
00:34:07.74\00:34:09.08
And we don't want
to move away from that,
00:34:09.11\00:34:10.45
you know, there are
some people who say,
00:34:10.48\00:34:11.85
"Well, I don't want this to
be a Christian nation at all."
00:34:11.88\00:34:13.98
When you take away
the Christian principle
00:34:14.02\00:34:16.15
of liberty from this
country, and you are restricting
00:34:16.18\00:34:20.19
the freedom for everyone else,
00:34:20.22\00:34:22.32
not just for Christians.
00:34:22.36\00:34:23.73
So true
Christian principles allows
00:34:23.76\00:34:26.23
that freedom of
conscience for all other faiths.
00:34:26.26\00:34:29.86
And we see this in
the context of Matthew 24,
00:34:29.90\00:34:33.13
we're faithful servants,
00:34:33.17\00:34:35.37
we're giving meat in due season,
00:34:35.40\00:34:36.77
we're sharing these
principles of God's love,
00:34:36.81\00:34:38.84
of God's
character, of God's kingdom.
00:34:38.87\00:34:40.98
Jesus Christ came and
He preached the gospel.
00:34:41.01\00:34:42.78
He never forced
anyone to believe.
00:34:42.81\00:34:44.75
He never coerced anyone,
and Jesus Christ and religion
00:34:44.78\00:34:47.92
of Jesus Christ, as
Jimmy Carter once said,
00:34:47.95\00:34:51.02
"Never persecuted anyone."
00:34:51.05\00:34:53.69
And that is the
difference we see right now
00:34:53.72\00:34:55.36
between God's people
and the evil servant.
00:34:55.39\00:34:58.36
Notice what it
says here in Matthew 24
00:34:58.39\00:35:00.43
and going on here in verse 48.
00:35:00.46\00:35:05.20
"But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart,
00:35:05.23\00:35:10.57
My lord delays his coming."
00:35:10.61\00:35:12.77
Notice, he's
saying it in his heart,
00:35:12.81\00:35:14.34
not outwardly,
he's still a servant,
00:35:14.38\00:35:15.94
but he's an evil servant.
00:35:15.98\00:35:17.31
Well, how do we know?
00:35:17.35\00:35:19.38
How to differentiate
between a faithful servant
00:35:19.41\00:35:22.35
and evil servant?
00:35:22.38\00:35:23.72
Well, let's keep reading here.
00:35:23.75\00:35:25.09
"If that evil servant
shall say in his heart,
00:35:25.12\00:35:26.45
My lord delayeth his coming.
00:35:26.49\00:35:27.82
And shall begin to
smite his fellow servants,
00:35:27.86\00:35:29.59
and to eat and
drink with the drunken.
00:35:29.62\00:35:32.79
The lord of that
servant shall come in a day
00:35:32.83\00:35:34.20
when he looks not for him,
and in an hour he is not aware,
00:35:34.23\00:35:36.40
and cut him asunder,
00:35:36.43\00:35:37.77
and appoint him his
portion with the hypocrites,
00:35:37.80\00:35:40.24
there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth."
00:35:40.27\00:35:43.00
That's how we can know.
00:35:43.04\00:35:44.37
The way we can know
that this is an evil servant
00:35:44.41\00:35:46.64
is because he's
not being faithful
00:35:46.68\00:35:48.94
to give meat in due season.
00:35:48.98\00:35:51.01
He's eating and drinking
with drinking with the drunken.
00:35:51.05\00:35:54.08
In fact, there's a
really clear understanding
00:35:54.12\00:35:56.85
of what it means
to be an evil servant
00:35:56.89\00:35:58.29
in the context of
the New Testament.
00:35:58.32\00:36:00.86
1 Timothy 6:10.
00:36:00.89\00:36:04.33
1 Timothy 6:10.
Here's what it says.
00:36:04.36\00:36:08.16
It says, "The love of
money is the root of all evil.
00:36:08.20\00:36:13.94
The love of money is
the root of all evil."
00:36:13.97\00:36:16.34
1 Timothy 6:10.
00:36:16.37\00:36:18.17
So when Jesus
identifies this evil servant,
00:36:18.21\00:36:20.71
He's identifying a servant,
00:36:20.74\00:36:22.94
whose heart has left off
the principles of the gospel,
00:36:22.98\00:36:28.12
the principles of liberty
and freedom of conscience
00:36:28.15\00:36:30.79
because of the love of money.
00:36:30.82\00:36:32.35
Love of money has
replaced the love of the truth.
00:36:32.39\00:36:36.59
Money has become more important
in this evil servant's heart
00:36:36.62\00:36:40.90
than anything else
than liberty of conscience
00:36:40.93\00:36:43.23
than the truths of God's Word.
00:36:43.26\00:36:45.00
They're more
concerned about their job.
00:36:45.03\00:36:46.37
They're more concerned
about their occupation.
00:36:46.40\00:36:47.74
They're more concerned
about their temporal assets
00:36:47.77\00:36:49.94
than they are about
the truth of God's Word.
00:36:49.97\00:36:52.44
God's people have always
had to let go of things earthly.
00:36:52.47\00:36:56.34
Remember what Jesus
said in Matthew 24, He said,
00:36:56.38\00:36:58.58
"Don't go back for your cloak,
don't go back for your cloak.
00:36:58.61\00:37:00.65
Leave it." God's people
have always had to let go
00:37:00.68\00:37:03.59
of things earthly,
00:37:03.62\00:37:04.95
hold them with a loose
grip because if you don't,
00:37:04.99\00:37:08.99
they will possess you
instead of you possessing them.
00:37:09.02\00:37:13.03
They will take
control of your life
00:37:13.06\00:37:15.40
instead of you controlling them.
00:37:15.43\00:37:17.40
Yes, wealth and
riches are from the Lord,
00:37:17.43\00:37:20.10
God gives them to people
to use for the advancement
00:37:20.14\00:37:22.80
of His kingdom to us
as faithful stewards.
00:37:22.84\00:37:25.57
But if they control you,
00:37:25.61\00:37:26.94
and they cause you to
compromise the truths,
00:37:26.98\00:37:30.35
if you're more
afraid of losing your job,
00:37:30.38\00:37:32.21
you're more afraid
of losing your income,
00:37:32.25\00:37:33.58
more afraid of
losing your retirement,
00:37:33.62\00:37:34.95
more afraid of
losing your assets
00:37:34.98\00:37:36.79
than you are of the Lord,
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.55
of fearing the
Lord with a godly fear,
00:37:38.59\00:37:40.19
with a reverential
fearing, following His word,
00:37:40.22\00:37:43.06
then you are going to
become this evil servant.
00:37:43.09\00:37:45.56
And it says here you're going
to smite your fellow servants.
00:37:45.59\00:37:48.76
And that word smite
is really interesting
00:37:48.80\00:37:50.63
because it correlates
00:37:50.67\00:37:52.43
with what we've been
learning here in the context
00:37:52.47\00:37:55.60
of Matthew Chapter 24.
00:37:55.64\00:37:58.11
What we've been
learning here in the context
00:37:58.14\00:37:59.51
of Matthew Chapter
24 is the attitude,
00:37:59.54\00:38:02.54
the spirit that God's
people have versus the spirit
00:38:02.58\00:38:06.35
that the evil servants have.
00:38:06.38\00:38:08.72
And this word here in actually,
00:38:08.75\00:38:12.25
there's a couple of words
here that we want to look at.
00:38:12.29\00:38:13.96
The first one is smite,
it means to thump, to pummel,
00:38:13.99\00:38:18.43
by repeated blows,
00:38:18.46\00:38:19.79
or by implication to punish
00:38:19.83\00:38:21.93
figuratively to
offend the conscience.
00:38:21.96\00:38:26.10
And that is exactly
00:38:26.13\00:38:28.47
how we can differentiate
00:38:28.50\00:38:29.84
between the faithful
and the evil servant.
00:38:29.87\00:38:31.24
The evil servant
is willing to smite
00:38:31.27\00:38:33.61
and pummel with repeated blows,
00:38:33.64\00:38:35.51
is willing to offend
the conscience of others.
00:38:35.54\00:38:38.15
That's what we see
taking place in our world today.
00:38:38.18\00:38:40.62
It's an issue of
religious freedom
00:38:40.65\00:38:43.28
of liberty of conscience,
00:38:43.32\00:38:44.69
and the evil servant
doesn't see it that way.
00:38:44.72\00:38:46.62
Why?
00:38:46.65\00:38:47.99
Because at the core value
of the evil servant is money,
00:38:48.02\00:38:50.09
the love of money,
00:38:50.13\00:38:51.46
there's nothing
wrong with money,
00:38:51.49\00:38:52.83
but the love of money
is the root of all evil.
00:38:52.86\00:38:57.10
You follow the money and
you find the root of all evil,
00:38:57.13\00:38:59.97
the Bible is telling
us in 1 Timothy 6:10.
00:39:00.00\00:39:04.11
And so the evil
servant is not a hypocrite,
00:39:04.14\00:39:07.08
the evil servant
doesn't say outwardly
00:39:07.11\00:39:08.64
My lord delays his coming.
00:39:08.68\00:39:10.01
The evil servant
believes in the second coming,
00:39:10.05\00:39:11.38
he believes in the
advent of Jesus Christ,
00:39:11.41\00:39:12.95
he's an advent
believer, but in his heart,
00:39:12.98\00:39:16.45
by his actions, by his
thoughts, his attitude,
00:39:16.48\00:39:20.29
he believes that the
coming of Jesus Christ
00:39:20.32\00:39:22.29
has been delayed.
00:39:22.32\00:39:23.73
And he reveals this in the way
00:39:23.76\00:39:25.83
that he treats
his fellow servants,
00:39:25.86\00:39:27.30
in the way that he
pummels their conscience,
00:39:27.33\00:39:29.33
in the way he refuses
to recognize and respect
00:39:29.36\00:39:32.93
their conscientious convictions.
00:39:32.97\00:39:34.74
And that's why I
said to you earlier,
00:39:34.77\00:39:36.10
and I want to say it again,
00:39:36.14\00:39:37.47
the issue that we're
facing right now in our world
00:39:37.51\00:39:40.08
is not about being vaccinated
or not being vaccinated.
00:39:40.11\00:39:43.81
I have friends, I have
co-workers that are vaccinated,
00:39:43.85\00:39:45.98
and I have
friends and co-workers
00:39:46.01\00:39:47.35
that aren't vaccinated.
00:39:47.38\00:39:48.72
I support both of those choices.
00:39:48.75\00:39:50.65
The issue is mandates
00:39:50.69\00:39:52.79
and whether you're
vaccinated or not vaccinated,
00:39:52.82\00:39:55.19
we need to stand
together against mandates,
00:39:55.22\00:39:58.09
against coercion,
against the principles
00:39:58.13\00:40:00.76
that undermine
liberty of conscience
00:40:00.80\00:40:03.77
against mandates
and coercion and force
00:40:03.80\00:40:07.40
that undermine the freedom
00:40:07.44\00:40:10.24
to walk according
to your conscience.
00:40:10.27\00:40:12.74
And that's what
we see taking place
00:40:12.77\00:40:14.31
in our world
right now in stage one
00:40:14.34\00:40:16.75
of the three
stages of deception.
00:40:16.78\00:40:18.85
And so it's important
to be faithful servants.
00:40:18.88\00:40:21.05
It's important for us,
00:40:21.08\00:40:22.42
even if we
disagree with somebody,
00:40:22.45\00:40:23.79
even if we don't
see things the same way,
00:40:23.82\00:40:25.85
it's important for us to respect
00:40:25.89\00:40:27.59
their choices to
respect their decisions,
00:40:27.62\00:40:30.26
it's important for us
to give them that freedom
00:40:30.29\00:40:32.73
and not to be an evil servant,
00:40:32.76\00:40:34.26
that because of
the love of money,
00:40:34.30\00:40:36.43
pummels the conscience,
00:40:36.46\00:40:38.57
and the conscientious
convictions of other people,
00:40:38.60\00:40:40.74
you know, cancels them.
00:40:40.77\00:40:42.10
That's this kind of society
we live in today, we cancel,
00:40:42.14\00:40:44.07
we criticize, we blame.
00:40:44.11\00:40:45.64
This is all the
spirit of the dragon
00:40:45.67\00:40:48.78
in Revelation Chapter 12.
00:40:48.81\00:40:50.15
Again, he deceives
a third of the angels,
00:40:50.18\00:40:52.78
verse 3, and then he
deceives the whole world,
00:40:52.81\00:40:55.48
verses 5 and 6.
00:40:55.52\00:40:56.85
And then we have
in Revelation 12:10,
00:40:56.89\00:40:59.55
he's an accuser who accuses
God's people day and night.
00:40:59.59\00:41:03.19
And then we have
in Revelation 12:17,
00:41:03.22\00:41:05.89
he's angry with a woman,
00:41:05.93\00:41:07.26
he wants to goes to
make war with her seed,
00:41:07.30\00:41:09.83
who keep the
commandments of God,
00:41:09.86\00:41:11.33
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:41:11.37\00:41:13.84
So we need to recognize that
the principles of the dragon
00:41:13.87\00:41:17.41
and the principles of the lamb,
00:41:17.44\00:41:18.87
and they're in conflict,
00:41:18.91\00:41:20.24
they've always been in conflict.
00:41:20.28\00:41:21.74
Even among
professed followers of Jesus
00:41:21.78\00:41:23.91
we have this manifestation
of the wrong principles.
00:41:23.95\00:41:27.65
Cain with his brother
Abel professed to worship God.
00:41:27.68\00:41:31.25
He had an altar, just
like Abel had an altar,
00:41:31.29\00:41:33.72
he made a sacrifice just
like Abel made a sacrifice.
00:41:33.76\00:41:36.42
But the sacrifice of
Abel was pointing to the lamb,
00:41:36.46\00:41:40.70
putting his trust in Christ,
00:41:40.73\00:41:42.26
the lamb like
principles of freedom,
00:41:42.30\00:41:43.87
the sacrifice of
Cain were his own works,
00:41:43.90\00:41:46.33
his own
righteousness, I'm good enough,
00:41:46.37\00:41:48.44
I'm righteous
enough, I can earn my way.
00:41:48.47\00:41:50.67
And what Cain did
to Abel is exactly
00:41:50.71\00:41:53.24
what we see taking
place in Matthew Chapter 24
00:41:53.27\00:41:55.84
because Abel stood to,
looking toward the lamb
00:41:55.88\00:41:58.91
trusting the lamb.
00:41:58.95\00:42:00.28
Cain slew his brother.
00:42:00.32\00:42:02.75
He afflicted his
brother, he slew his brother.
00:42:02.78\00:42:04.82
And that's the same
thing we see outlined here
00:42:04.85\00:42:07.16
in Matthew Chapter 24.
00:42:07.19\00:42:08.52
That's how you can know.
00:42:08.56\00:42:09.89
If you're an evil servant,
00:42:09.92\00:42:11.26
or if you're a faithful servant,
00:42:11.29\00:42:12.63
how do you relate to
your fellow servants?
00:42:12.66\00:42:14.93
Do you accuse them?
Do you condemn them?
00:42:14.96\00:42:17.07
Are you seeking to
pummel them again and again,
00:42:17.10\00:42:19.53
to pummel their conscience
or do you respect them?
00:42:19.57\00:42:21.57
And you respect their conscience
00:42:21.60\00:42:22.94
and you respect their choice.
00:42:22.97\00:42:24.44
That is so important
for us in these last days,
00:42:24.47\00:42:27.58
when the Bible has
clearly laid out for us
00:42:27.61\00:42:30.15
in Revelation
Chapter 13, 16, 19, and 20
00:42:30.18\00:42:33.25
and Matthew Chapter 24.
00:42:33.28\00:42:34.78
And then we've got the
Book of Daniel, of course,
00:42:34.82\00:42:36.48
all these little,
you know, snippets,
00:42:36.52\00:42:37.99
like 2 Corinthians Chapter
11 and 2 Peter Chapter 3,
00:42:38.02\00:42:41.02
and Jude, one
chapter there's only
00:42:41.06\00:42:43.39
and 2 Peter 3 and 4,
00:42:43.43\00:42:45.36
God has clearly laid out for us,
00:42:45.39\00:42:47.33
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
00:42:47.36\00:42:49.36
and 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4,
00:42:49.40\00:42:50.93
exactly how it's going to
go down at the end of time.
00:42:50.97\00:42:53.70
And we need to be faithful
to give meat in due season,
00:42:53.74\00:42:57.41
to be studying the Word of
God filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:42:57.44\00:42:59.97
preaching Jesus,
00:43:00.01\00:43:01.34
and preaching the truths
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:43:01.38\00:43:03.95
His
righteousness is our salvation,
00:43:03.98\00:43:06.21
His life, His death,
00:43:06.25\00:43:07.85
everything
accomplished in Christ.
00:43:07.88\00:43:10.02
And because we accept that,
00:43:10.05\00:43:11.39
and because we love
God, we walk in His ways.
00:43:11.42\00:43:14.62
We love Him, and we
keep His commandments
00:43:14.66\00:43:16.39
not to be saved,
but because we are saved
00:43:16.42\00:43:18.93
by the life and
death of Jesus Christ.
00:43:18.96\00:43:20.86
And in the last day,
Satan's going to come
00:43:20.90\00:43:22.30
against those people
with multiple forces,
00:43:22.33\00:43:27.10
deception of every kind,
00:43:27.14\00:43:28.97
you know, you're going
to have civil deception,
00:43:29.00\00:43:30.44
you're going to
have spiritual deception,
00:43:30.47\00:43:32.17
you're going to have families
00:43:32.21\00:43:33.54
and friends are
going to be divided.
00:43:33.58\00:43:35.28
And that's what we see
taking place right now.
00:43:35.31\00:43:37.78
We're moving into this
last stage of deception.
00:43:37.81\00:43:41.98
So Matthew Chapter 24.
00:43:42.02\00:43:43.65
Again, "The evil
servant says in his heart,
00:43:43.69\00:43:46.62
the Lord delays his coming."
00:43:46.65\00:43:47.99
Doesn't say it outwardly,
but he says in his heart,
00:43:48.02\00:43:50.46
and he begins to eat
and drink with the drunken,
00:43:50.49\00:43:55.36
that is to have
social fellowship,
00:43:55.40\00:43:57.17
to have more in
common to work together
00:43:57.20\00:44:00.14
with those people who
are not really in harmony
00:44:00.17\00:44:02.90
with God and with God's
principles and God's Word.
00:44:02.94\00:44:06.21
We see this over and over again,
00:44:06.24\00:44:07.91
this drunkenness
00:44:07.94\00:44:09.28
and there's a
spiritual application to this
00:44:09.31\00:44:11.18
because we're told
in Revelation 17:2,
00:44:11.21\00:44:13.72
that the kings of
the earth are made drunk
00:44:13.75\00:44:16.02
with a woman or a
church in the last days.
00:44:16.05\00:44:18.99
We're told in Revelation 17:6,
00:44:19.02\00:44:22.36
the woman, the church is drunken
00:44:22.39\00:44:24.03
with the blood of the saints.
00:44:24.06\00:44:25.39
So there's the persecution,
then we're told in Revelation,
00:44:25.43\00:44:28.76
or excuse me, in Matthew 25:50,
1 Thessalonians Chapter 5,
00:44:28.80\00:44:34.30
all of these texts
talk about being drunk
00:44:34.34\00:44:36.71
and living in the
night and not in the day,
00:44:36.74\00:44:38.84
and then Matthew 25:51,
00:44:38.87\00:44:40.98
where a portion
with the hypocrites
00:44:41.01\00:44:42.84
because we're just acting,
00:44:42.88\00:44:44.21
and so we're a
portion with the actors,
00:44:44.25\00:44:45.98
we're pretending to be
Christ's faithful servants,
00:44:46.01\00:44:48.22
but are we His
faithful servants?
00:44:48.25\00:44:50.65
This is the question
we need to ask ourselves.
00:44:50.69\00:44:53.12
How can we know if
we're God's faithful servants?
00:44:53.15\00:44:55.42
Well, we need to go back now
00:44:55.46\00:44:56.79
to our verses in
Matthew Chapter 25.
00:44:56.83\00:44:59.29
You know, we're
entering into a New Year.
00:44:59.33\00:45:02.26
And in this New Year, we
can make a new beginning.
00:45:02.30\00:45:05.60
And the new beginning
that God is calling us to make
00:45:05.63\00:45:08.30
is to examine ourselves
00:45:08.34\00:45:09.67
and make sure 2 Corinthians 13:5
00:45:09.70\00:45:11.71
that we are in the faith
that we are faithful servants.
00:45:11.74\00:45:16.11
So how can we know that
we are faithful servants?
00:45:16.14\00:45:19.21
Let's just take a
look at the verses again.
00:45:19.25\00:45:20.98
Matthew 24:45.
00:45:21.02\00:45:25.19
"Who then is a
faithful and wise servant."
00:45:25.22\00:45:28.66
Who is the
faithful and wise servant?
00:45:28.69\00:45:30.03
That's the
question that's being asked.
00:45:30.06\00:45:31.39
Who is this
faithful and wise servant?
00:45:31.43\00:45:32.96
And that's the
answer that we want to find.
00:45:32.99\00:45:34.70
"Who is the
faithful and wise servant,
00:45:34.73\00:45:36.80
whom his lord hath made
ruler over his household,
00:45:36.83\00:45:39.80
to give them meat in due season?
00:45:39.83\00:45:42.50
Blessed is that
servant, whom his Lord
00:45:42.54\00:45:44.87
when he comes
shall find him so doing."
00:45:44.91\00:45:47.34
So we need to ask the question
who is the faithful servant?
00:45:47.38\00:45:49.91
And the context
of this question says
00:45:49.94\00:45:52.38
that this servant has been
made a ruler over his household.
00:45:52.41\00:45:57.45
Now that word
household means attendance,
00:45:57.49\00:46:01.99
especially medical
attendance or medical cure,
00:46:02.02\00:46:05.63
and
figuratively or collectively.
00:46:05.66\00:46:07.66
And it comes from a root word,
00:46:07.70\00:46:09.83
which basically means
to relieve of disease.
00:46:09.86\00:46:12.97
So there are two ways
that we can relieve of disease.
00:46:13.00\00:46:16.10
There's spiritual disease,
and there's physical disease.
00:46:16.14\00:46:19.07
And God is basically saying,
you know, the wise servant,
00:46:19.11\00:46:21.44
the faithful servant
are going to be healing,
00:46:21.48\00:46:24.18
they're going to be relieving
the maladies that curing people
00:46:24.21\00:46:27.68
of their physical diseases
00:46:27.72\00:46:29.05
and of their spiritual diseases.
00:46:29.08\00:46:31.05
That's what we're going
to see in the end of time.
00:46:31.09\00:46:32.82
That's what's
going to differentiate
00:46:32.85\00:46:34.32
God's faithful servants
from the rest of the world.
00:46:34.36\00:46:37.33
We are going to want to learn
00:46:37.36\00:46:40.20
how to help people physically
00:46:40.23\00:46:41.83
and how to help
people spiritually.
00:46:41.86\00:46:44.27
And one of the ways that
we can help people physically,
00:46:44.30\00:46:47.44
one of the ways
that we can help people
00:46:47.47\00:46:48.90
with disease physically
is the basic principles
00:46:48.94\00:46:53.07
of natural health,
the eight laws of health.
00:46:53.11\00:46:56.91
I like the acronym NEWSTART
00:46:56.95\00:46:59.55
because it helps me to remember
these eight basic principles,
00:46:59.58\00:47:02.55
nutrition, exercise,
water, sunshine, temperance,
00:47:02.58\00:47:07.76
air, fresh air, rest,
00:47:07.79\00:47:09.82
and trust in God, NEWSTART.
00:47:09.86\00:47:14.20
These are the principles
that can really help us
00:47:14.23\00:47:17.00
to fight disease,
they help us to build
00:47:17.03\00:47:19.17
a strong immune
system, and our immune system
00:47:19.20\00:47:22.20
is what we need
to fight disease.
00:47:22.24\00:47:24.74
This is a vital part
00:47:24.77\00:47:26.98
of the everlasting
gospel message to the world
00:47:27.01\00:47:29.08
because we're told
in Revelation 14:7,
00:47:29.11\00:47:31.51
"To fear God and
give glory to Him."
00:47:31.55\00:47:33.78
And in 1 Corinthians
10:31, we're told that,
00:47:33.82\00:47:36.65
"Whether we eat or
drink, or whatsoever we do,
00:47:36.69\00:47:39.65
we should do all
to the glory of God."
00:47:39.69\00:47:43.43
So our bodies and not
just our spiritual mindsets
00:47:43.46\00:47:48.30
are to be dedicated to God.
00:47:48.33\00:47:51.80
Romans 12:1,
00:47:51.83\00:47:53.20
"Be not conformed to this world,
00:47:53.23\00:47:54.57
but be transformed by
the renewing of your heart,
00:47:54.60\00:47:56.40
that you may present your
body as a living sacrifice,
00:47:56.44\00:47:59.27
a living sacrifice to God."
00:47:59.31\00:48:01.34
And God has given
us these principles,
00:48:01.38\00:48:03.24
NEWSTART principles
00:48:03.28\00:48:05.25
that can develop a
strong immune system.
00:48:05.28\00:48:06.88
I've been following these
principles now for 37 years,
00:48:06.92\00:48:10.42
and they've really helped
me to stay strong and healthy
00:48:10.45\00:48:13.36
and to overcome disease.
00:48:13.39\00:48:15.89
And I believe that they will
help you to overcome disease.
00:48:15.92\00:48:18.59
In fact, I believe
this is a vital part
00:48:18.63\00:48:20.56
of the three angels' messages,
kind of like the right arm
00:48:20.60\00:48:24.07
to this
everlasting gospel message
00:48:24.10\00:48:25.97
because when you're healthy,
and God wants us to prosper
00:48:26.00\00:48:28.90
and be in good
health, when you're healthy,
00:48:28.94\00:48:31.14
then your mind can discern
and understand much better
00:48:31.17\00:48:34.94
than if you're unhealthy,
00:48:34.98\00:48:36.98
and even many
times more unhealthy,
00:48:37.01\00:48:38.85
we're drummed up
because we want a drug,
00:48:38.88\00:48:40.82
we want a pill to deal with
our pains and our weaknesses.
00:48:40.85\00:48:45.35
And so we take these drugs,
and they affect our minds,
00:48:45.39\00:48:47.62
and we can't see clearly,
we can't understand clearly,
00:48:47.66\00:48:49.89
we can't discern the
Word of God as we ought to.
00:48:49.92\00:48:53.40
So part of this
character recognition
00:48:53.43\00:48:57.70
of faithful
servants in the end of time,
00:48:57.73\00:48:59.67
is that they're
going to be helping people,
00:48:59.70\00:49:02.27
attending to people
medically, and helping them
00:49:02.30\00:49:04.91
with medical cures,
00:49:04.94\00:49:06.88
they're going to
be relieving disease.
00:49:06.91\00:49:09.44
And one of the ways
we do that as individuals
00:49:09.48\00:49:12.25
is through the eight doctors.
00:49:12.28\00:49:14.68
If we would follow
those eight doctors,
00:49:14.72\00:49:16.95
we many times
wouldn't need a medical doctor.
00:49:16.99\00:49:19.65
Now there are going to
be times when we're going
00:49:19.69\00:49:21.02
to need a medical doctor,
I've gone to medical doctor,
00:49:21.06\00:49:22.72
I've been under the
knife, I've had an operation.
00:49:22.76\00:49:26.03
And I've gotten an
arm that was broken fixed.
00:49:26.06\00:49:28.50
There are times
when we're going to need
00:49:28.53\00:49:29.86
the basic medical care
that this world has to offer.
00:49:29.90\00:49:34.14
But then there are other times
00:49:34.17\00:49:35.57
when we really
need lifestyle change.
00:49:35.60\00:49:38.01
And my wife works
00:49:38.04\00:49:39.87
as a registered
dietician nutritionist
00:49:39.91\00:49:44.21
in functional medicine
and helps a lot of people
00:49:44.25\00:49:46.61
with these lifestyle changes
00:49:46.65\00:49:48.35
that can really
strengthen our immune system
00:49:48.38\00:49:50.12
and keep us strong
in the end of time.
00:49:50.15\00:49:52.45
So that's what we
see taking place here
00:49:52.49\00:49:54.39
in Matthew Chapter 24.
00:49:54.42\00:49:55.76
We see a
combination of faithfulness
00:49:55.79\00:50:00.00
to the principles
that God has given us.
00:50:00.03\00:50:03.23
Now this is a New Year.
00:50:03.26\00:50:04.60
And we're, you
know, so used to this idea
00:50:04.63\00:50:06.84
of New Year's resolutions,
00:50:06.87\00:50:09.64
one of the New Year resolutions
that I would like to make
00:50:09.67\00:50:11.67
is I want to get more exercise.
00:50:11.71\00:50:13.27
I feel like I travel so much,
I feel like I'm always sitting
00:50:13.31\00:50:15.81
and I try to walk
when I'm in airports.
00:50:15.84\00:50:17.78
And even when I'm at home,
I try to take a little break
00:50:17.81\00:50:20.45
every 30 minutes or an hour
00:50:20.48\00:50:22.18
and just go for a little
walk around the property,
00:50:22.22\00:50:24.05
whatever, it's really
important that we get exercise,
00:50:24.09\00:50:28.06
it's really important that
we get fresh air and sunshine,
00:50:28.09\00:50:31.33
that the message of health
is not just about what we eat,
00:50:31.36\00:50:35.93
is just one of the principles.
00:50:35.96\00:50:37.30
The message of health is water
and temperance and sunshine
00:50:37.33\00:50:40.07
and fresh air and exercise
and trust in divine power
00:50:40.10\00:50:43.10
to take away that
anxiety because many times
00:50:43.14\00:50:45.04
if you think negatively,
00:50:45.07\00:50:47.28
you're going to be
impacted negatively.
00:50:47.31\00:50:49.28
God wants us to
think positively.
00:50:49.31\00:50:51.05
And He wants us to think
positively about our health.
00:50:51.08\00:50:54.12
So I want to appeal to you now,
00:50:54.15\00:50:55.48
it's really time
for us to take inventory
00:50:55.52\00:51:01.22
of where we are
spiritually and physically.
00:51:01.26\00:51:04.56
In this New Year,
00:51:04.59\00:51:06.63
what about making a decision
to start walking every day,
00:51:06.66\00:51:11.40
just for five minutes,
00:51:11.43\00:51:13.80
make a goal to
walk two miles a day.
00:51:13.84\00:51:16.34
But if you can't
do two miles a day,
00:51:16.37\00:51:17.87
start with 100 yards,
00:51:17.91\00:51:20.34
start with a
walk around the house,
00:51:20.38\00:51:22.54
wherever you are,
whatever your situation is,
00:51:22.58\00:51:24.41
start with just a
little bit of a walk,
00:51:24.45\00:51:26.11
perhaps you can do it
00:51:26.15\00:51:27.48
when you go to
the grocery store,
00:51:27.52\00:51:28.85
you know how it is when
you get into the parking lot
00:51:28.88\00:51:30.35
and you want to park as
close to the store as possible.
00:51:30.39\00:51:32.75
Make it a habit to park
00:51:32.79\00:51:36.83
as far away from the store doors
00:51:36.86\00:51:38.59
as possible, park at
the end of the parking lot.
00:51:38.63\00:51:41.10
And that's going to benefit
you in more than one way,
00:51:41.13\00:51:42.93
it's going to give you a
little bit more exercise.
00:51:42.96\00:51:45.23
And it's going to keep
those dings off your door.
00:51:45.27\00:51:47.24
You know, when other
cars are opening the doors
00:51:47.27\00:51:49.14
and dinging into your,
you're going to be ding free
00:51:49.17\00:51:51.94
and you're going
to be exercising more.
00:51:51.97\00:51:54.71
We need to look for
opportunities to exercise,
00:51:54.74\00:51:58.61
opportunities to
strengthen our health,
00:51:58.65\00:52:00.98
make some decisions about
the things that you're eating,
00:52:01.02\00:52:03.25
make some decisions
about how much fresh air
00:52:03.28\00:52:05.65
and sunshine you get,
00:52:05.69\00:52:07.02
make some decisions
about getting off the couch.
00:52:07.06\00:52:09.82
I have at my house,
I have a standing desk,
00:52:09.86\00:52:12.73
a desk that can
lower and I can sit down
00:52:12.76\00:52:15.46
or can raise up and stand,
they're not very expensive.
00:52:15.50\00:52:18.03
And they are worth it
00:52:18.07\00:52:19.57
because standing
is the new smoking,
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.60
oh, excuse me,
sitting is the new smoking.
00:52:22.64\00:52:24.47
Standing is really good for
us, sitting is not good for us.
00:52:24.51\00:52:27.68
And so think
about these principles,
00:52:27.71\00:52:29.94
these health principles
that you can incorporate
00:52:29.98\00:52:32.51
because we're going to need them
00:52:32.55\00:52:33.88
as we move
toward the end of time.
00:52:33.92\00:52:35.42
I believe that
we're going to need
00:52:35.45\00:52:37.32
to have strong immune systems
00:52:37.35\00:52:39.32
to deal with those things
that are coming down the road.
00:52:39.35\00:52:41.56
Now Matthew Chapter 24
doesn't talk about this,
00:52:41.59\00:52:43.69
but Revelation
Chapters 15 and 16
00:52:43.73\00:52:46.19
does talks about
the seven last plagues,
00:52:46.23\00:52:48.13
it talks about all
kinds of things that are going
00:52:48.16\00:52:50.40
to be taking place
in the end of time.
00:52:50.43\00:52:52.17
I'm sorry, Matthew 24
also talks about them.
00:52:52.20\00:52:54.30
Matthew 24:6-7 talks
about pestilence, famines,
00:52:54.34\00:52:58.97
wars and rumors of war,
00:52:59.01\00:53:00.34
but pestilence is
infectious contagious disease,
00:53:00.38\00:53:02.71
and that's what
we're facing right now.
00:53:02.74\00:53:04.08
So it's in Matthew 24
also, as well as in Revelation.
00:53:04.11\00:53:07.02
We need strong immune systems,
00:53:07.05\00:53:08.95
and God wants to give us
that strong immune system
00:53:08.98\00:53:11.59
so we can stand
in the end of time.
00:53:11.62\00:53:14.62
Daniel also experienced this.
00:53:14.66\00:53:16.22
And we talked
about this earlier,
00:53:16.26\00:53:17.59
Daniel had a powerful
choice to make in relationship
00:53:17.63\00:53:21.66
to the health principles
that God wanted him to follow.
00:53:21.70\00:53:24.73
And when he made
that choice for God,
00:53:24.77\00:53:27.40
God honored that
choice and blessed him.
00:53:27.44\00:53:29.87
And I'm praying
that in this New Year,
00:53:29.90\00:53:31.64
you'll make a choice for God
that God can honor and bless,
00:53:31.67\00:53:34.44
not just a physical choice,
00:53:34.48\00:53:35.98
not just about
these eight natural laws,
00:53:36.01\00:53:38.21
but I want you to consider
making a spiritual choice.
00:53:38.25\00:53:41.02
You know, a lot
of us, me included,
00:53:41.05\00:53:43.22
will spend some time in
the Word of God as believers.
00:53:43.25\00:53:45.92
You know, we read a Bible verse,
00:53:45.95\00:53:47.29
we spend some time in prayer,
00:53:47.32\00:53:48.89
and then we go on
about our business.
00:53:48.92\00:53:50.73
But really, God wants to
dwell with us continually.
00:53:50.76\00:53:53.86
That's that daily
that's taken away.
00:53:53.90\00:53:56.53
Has Satan taken
that away from your life?
00:53:56.56\00:53:58.57
Has he taken
away from your heart?
00:53:58.60\00:54:00.44
Do you spend a little bit
of time in the Word of God
00:54:00.47\00:54:02.07
or just go to
church once a week,
00:54:02.10\00:54:03.71
or once a month, but you
don't really saturate yourself
00:54:03.74\00:54:06.68
with the love of God?
00:54:06.71\00:54:08.04
And maybe that's
why you feel fearful.
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.48
Maybe that's
why you feel anxious
00:54:09.51\00:54:11.21
about what's taking
place in the world today.
00:54:11.25\00:54:13.25
God wants to fill
you up with His love.
00:54:13.28\00:54:15.52
He wants to fill
you up with His Spirit.
00:54:15.55\00:54:17.85
He points us to Bible verses
that direct us to the path
00:54:17.89\00:54:22.72
or route that our
quarterback wants us to take.
00:54:22.76\00:54:25.89
One of those Bible
verses is Revelation 14:4.
00:54:25.93\00:54:29.26
It talks there in the contrast
to the mark of the beast
00:54:29.30\00:54:31.93
being enforced and
no man can buy or sell
00:54:31.97\00:54:34.04
and their lives are threatened.
00:54:34.07\00:54:35.40
It talks there about a
people that are identified
00:54:35.44\00:54:38.57
as with a number, the 144,000.
00:54:38.61\00:54:41.98
That's the number of
the redeemed and it says,
00:54:42.01\00:54:44.01
"These people follow the
Lamb where ever He goes."
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That's Revelation 14:4,
they're just following Jesus.
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You know, the
disciples follow Jesus.
00:54:50.82\00:54:52.89
They follow the
Lamb wherever He goes.
00:54:52.92\00:54:54.86
Revelation Chapter 12
identifies Michael standing up,
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probation
closing, a time of trouble
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such as never was comes.
00:55:01.16\00:55:02.96
And it says everyone
that is written in the book
00:55:03.00\00:55:06.20
is going to be delivered.
00:55:06.23\00:55:07.84
Well, what book is
that? Is that the church book?
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No, those aren't
any kind of human books.
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Those aren't any kind of books
that we have on planet earth.
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That is the heavenly role.
That's the Lamb's Book of Life.
00:55:16.08\00:55:19.55
And we're told
in Malachi 3:15-16
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exactly how it is.
00:55:23.12\00:55:24.69
They're going to have our
names written in that book.
00:55:24.72\00:55:27.42
It says there in
Malachi Chapter 3,
00:55:27.46\00:55:29.42
that, you know, now
we call the proud, happy,
00:55:29.46\00:55:31.23
everything's turned upside down.
00:55:31.26\00:55:33.03
And then it says, "Then
they that feared the Lord
00:55:33.06\00:55:36.80
spoke often one to another,
00:55:36.83\00:55:39.90
and the Lord
hearkened, and heard it,
00:55:39.93\00:55:41.60
and a book of
remembrance was written for them
00:55:41.64\00:55:43.51
that fear the Lord,
and thought upon his name."
00:55:43.54\00:55:47.34
Malachi 3:15, 16, 17, 18
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tell us that we're going
to be His jewels in that day
00:55:50.88\00:55:53.21
that He's going to
deliver us in that day
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because we think
upon the name of the Lord,
00:55:55.05\00:55:57.49
we talk about the
Lord, we behold the Lord.
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And because of that, we're
transformed into His image.
00:56:00.96\00:56:04.16
In Daniel 12:2 it says
00:56:04.19\00:56:06.19
that God's people
are going to shine
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as the stars forever and ever,
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they that lead
many to righteousness.
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Well, Jesus Christ
is our righteousness.
00:56:12.63\00:56:14.30
He's the Lord our righteousness,
00:56:14.34\00:56:15.70
we're told in
Jeremiah Chapter 23.
00:56:15.74\00:56:17.84
And so those who lead
people to righteousness
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are those who
lead people to Jesus.
00:56:20.34\00:56:22.61
When you contemplate
Christ, when you follow Christ,
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when you talk about Christ,
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you're going to be
consumed with Jesus Christ.
00:56:26.21\00:56:30.85
That's what's
going to ooze out of you.
00:56:30.89\00:56:33.59
That's what's going
to overflow from you.
00:56:33.62\00:56:36.19
When you're filled
with the Spirit of God,
00:56:36.22\00:56:37.66
Jesus says, "I'm going
to send My Holy Spirit.
00:56:37.69\00:56:39.73
And when He comes,
He's going to testify of Me.
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He's going to talk about Me."
00:56:41.90\00:56:43.23
And so when we're
filled with that Holy Spirit
00:56:43.26\00:56:45.17
that talks about Jesus,
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guess what we're
going to be doing?
00:56:46.57\00:56:47.90
We're going to be
talking about Jesus.
00:56:47.94\00:56:49.40
We live in tremendous times.
00:56:49.44\00:56:50.81
It's difficult,
it's challenging.
00:56:50.84\00:56:52.51
We have a lot of pressure
coming on us from the world.
00:56:52.54\00:56:55.54
People, politicians,
00:56:55.58\00:56:56.91
leaders think they're
doing the right thing,
00:56:56.95\00:56:58.51
but they're not
necessarily in harmony
00:56:58.55\00:57:00.32
with the Word of God.
00:57:00.35\00:57:01.68
They're not necessarily
following the principles
00:57:01.72\00:57:03.05
of God's Word.
00:57:03.08\00:57:04.42
God needs to give us wisdom,
00:57:04.45\00:57:05.95
tact, He needs us
to be wise as serpents
00:57:05.99\00:57:08.69
and harmless as doves.
00:57:08.72\00:57:10.06
He needs us to stand for
the principles of His Word.
00:57:10.09\00:57:13.86
And He needs us to
encourage others who are down,
00:57:13.90\00:57:15.66
who are struggling,
00:57:15.70\00:57:17.03
who are disheartened to
feed them, to nurture them,
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to share these same
principles with them.
00:57:19.60\00:57:21.34
So my appeal to you
friends is in this New Year,
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let's do just that.
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Let's be among
those faithful servants
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giving meat in due season.
00:57:27.31\00:57:29.14
In Jesus' name, amen.
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