Participants:
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000041A
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00:01 Music...
00:26 From wherever you are watching or listening around the world, 00:29 I'd like to give you a very warm welcome 00:31 to the six-part Series entitled: End-Time Love and Loyalty. 00:36 I want to also welcome our audience here today 00:39 it's wonderful to see your happy and smiling faces 00:43 and this is Part 4 in the six-part Series 00:46 and in this particular message, we're going to take a look at 00:49 the all-important subject of, "What happens after death?" 00:53 We're going to look at the truth about death. 00:57 Now they say, "There are two certainties in life, 01:00 one of them is Taxes... the other one is...? 01:02 Death. 01:03 The truth is, you can avoid paying tax 01:07 and many go to great lengths in order to avoid the tax man 01:12 but you cannot avoid death. 01:14 There is no way to avoid death 01:17 and so we need to... 01:19 we need to know what happens to a person 01:22 after they breathe their last 01:23 because there are different views and different theories 01:26 and different belief systems in this all-important subject. 01:29 When it comes to death, I think of this story 01:34 that is a very funny story about a little boy... 01:39 not sure if it's a true story or not 01:41 but it certainly makes the point. 01:42 A little boy that was traveling home after being at school 01:47 and as he's traveling home, 01:48 he's walking through the cemetery, 01:50 and as he's walking through the cemetery, 01:52 he comes across a tombstone 01:55 and on the tombstone is this epitaph 01:57 and I want to read it for you, and it says, 02:01 "As you are now, so once was I, 02:03 as I am now, you soon will be, 02:06 so prepare yourself to follow me. " 02:08 And so, this little boy... as he reads these words, 02:11 he scratches his head and he thinks about the words 02:14 and then he takes a crayon out of his pocket 02:17 and he writes the following words in response. 02:20 "To follow you I'm not content, 02:23 until I know just where you went. " 02:26 So, what happens when a person breathes their last? 02:32 Where do they go? 02:33 That's a very important question 02:35 and that's the question that we seek by God's grace 02:39 the answer in this very presentation. 02:42 There are many that believe that if you're a good person, 02:45 you go to heaven 02:47 and if you haven't been a good person, 02:49 well, you go to the opposite place... 02:51 you go to a place called "Hell. " 02:53 Then there are those that believe 02:55 that if aren't quite good enough for heaven 02:58 and you're not quite bad enough for hell, 03:01 you go to a purifying place called "purgatory" 03:05 where you are prepared and purified 03:08 in order that you may be fit to be part of a happy 03:12 and a holy heaven with everyone else who is there. 03:15 Then there are those that believe in reincarnation. 03:18 Millions and millions of individuals 03:23 in particular in India that has over a billion people 03:27 believe that when you die, 03:30 you... you... you become another person 03:33 or you are transformed into another animal 03:36 and so your soul lives on in another entity. 03:39 Then there are those that believe that you can speak... 03:42 we can speak to our dead loved ones 03:45 through spirit mediums and... and other means 03:48 that we can communicate to our dead loved ones... 03:51 our dead loved ones can share with us 03:52 messages from heaven 03:54 and there are many that believe in this 03:57 and have supposedly communicated with their dead loved ones. 04:01 So, what happens to a person when they die? 04:06 When people pick up their newspapers in Australia, 04:11 they will, at times, come across a front-page headline 04:15 such as the one you have there on the screen 04:18 and this one was from April 4, 2005. 04:21 It was in the wake of Pope John Paul the Second 04:25 and him passing away 04:26 and this was the front-page headline. 04:29 "He changed the world... 04:31 Death of the Pope: a champion of human freedom 04:35 called home to God. " 04:36 And so when Australians read this on their front pages 04:41 of their daily newspapers, 04:44 they once again have the reinforced idea... 04:47 the reinforced belief that when you die, 04:50 you go to heaven. 04:52 Here is another front-page headline, 04:56 from the Sun Herald, April 3, 2005 04:59 same event... 05:00 "Christ is opening the door to the Pope... 05:03 he is already seeing and touching the Lord. " 05:06 And so, these newspaper headlines 05:10 once again reinforce within the thinking... 05:13 within the psyche of Australians and people around the world 05:17 that when you die, 05:18 your soul is immediately transported to heaven... 05:23 and most people are transported to heaven. 05:25 I haven't been to a funeral where the priest or the pastor 05:29 sends someone to hell, have you? 05:31 Everyone seems to go to heaven, 05:32 I'm not quite sure if I want to be in heaven 05:35 with everyone and anyone who will be there. 05:37 We often hear people say when someone has passed away, 05:42 they have gone to a better... what? 05:44 A better place... they've gone to a better place. 05:48 So, this is the view out there today in Society. 05:52 Stephen Hawking who passed away in 2018... 05:59 this is what he had to say 06:02 happens immediately after you breathe your last. 06:06 Notice these words from Stephen Hawking 06:10 the world-renowned Mathematics expert 06:14 and one of the brightest minds since Einstein 06:19 in many people's views, this is what he had to say, 06:22 I believe the simplest explanation is, 06:24 there is no God. 06:25 No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. 06:29 This leads me to a profound realization 06:32 that there probably is no heaven 06:35 and no afterlife either. " 06:37 So, this is what Stephen Hawking has to say 06:41 and there are millions and millions 06:42 that subscribe to his point of view... to his belief system. 06:47 No, I certainly don't... 06:49 so the question is, 06:51 "Does it really matter what you believe?" 06:53 Is that really all that important what you believe 06:56 regarding what happens to you after you die, 06:59 I mean, you're not here any longer, 07:01 who cares? What's the big deal? 07:03 Well, the truth is... 07:05 the truth is that it does matter. 07:08 What you do believe about death 07:10 and what happens when a person dies 07:12 has a profound impact on what happens to you 07:16 in the end-times. 07:18 It is an absolutely important subject 07:21 and we'll discover that as we go along 07:24 for the enemy... Satan himself 07:26 will seek to deceive the entire world 07:29 as we will discover based on a false understanding 07:33 and belief system when it comes to, 07:35 "What happens after death and what the Bible has to say 07:40 regarding that all-important question. " 07:42 So, we need to know the truth, so the question is, 07:45 "What happens after a person breathes their last?" 07:49 That is our question in this presentation 07:52 and I pray that by God's grace and through His strength 07:54 and through His Word, 07:55 we will come to a very clear answer. 07:59 So, let's pray and ask God to bless our time in His Word. 08:03 "Father in heaven, we ask and pray 08:05 that you will bless our time in Your Word. 08:07 We pray that as we open Your Word right now 08:10 and seek an answer for this all-important question 08:13 that affects each and every person, 08:15 we pray that Your Holy Spirit will give us understanding 08:18 so, we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen... amen. " 08:23 Well, for the answer, 08:24 we want to go back to the beginning of time, 08:26 we want to go to the book of Genesis 08:29 where God here gives us the answer 08:32 by enabling us to understand how He created human beings 08:38 from the very outset. 08:39 Notice these words that we read 08:42 in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7, 08:44 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, 08:48 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 08:51 and man became a living being. " 08:54 So, notice here, we have at the very beginning of time, 08:57 God takes the dust 08:59 and He breathes His life-giving breath into Adam, 09:04 and Adam becomes a living being 09:06 or if you have the King James Version, 09:08 it simply says, "a living soul. " 09:09 Living being... living soul... living person 09:13 so, the two elements of dust plus breath 09:17 equals a living human being, is that nice and easy? 09:21 Absolutely. 09:23 So, the question is, "What happens at death?" 09:27 Notice, in Psalm chapter 104 verse 29... 09:32 Psalm 104 verse 29 we read these words, 09:37 "You hide your face, 09:39 they are troubled; 09:40 You take away their breath, they die and return to their.. " 09:45 what? "to their dust. " 09:47 So, the opposite happens at death. 09:51 The person... the physical being... 09:55 they go back into the dust... 09:57 they go back into the soil... 09:59 and that is why we often say at funerals, 10:01 "Ashes to ashes... dust to dust. " 10:04 That's where the saying comes from. 10:06 So the... the physical path of the person 10:10 goes back into the dust from where it came 10:13 and the breath that God gave to that person, 10:16 right at the very beginning of their lives 10:18 when they added that very first breath... 10:21 as they came out of their mother's womb, 10:23 the Bible says, "that goes back to the Life giver Himself 10:27 who gives breath to all His creatures 10:30 and that is God Himself. 10:31 Nice and easy... nice and simple 10:33 it's the reverse of what happened at Creation. 10:36 Well, there are some that say, "But Danny, 10:39 I'm sure I have read one or more Scriptures 10:43 where the Bible says, 10:44 "The spirit goes back to God at death. " 10:49 And that is true, 10:50 let me share that Scripture with you. 10:52 We can read all that in Ecclesiastes chapter 12 10:56 and verse 7, 10:58 "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was... " 11:02 as we have just read... 11:03 "and the spirit will return to God who gave it. " 11:07 So, here the word "spirit" is used 11:10 and when people read the word "spirit" 11:12 they automatically think of soul... 11:15 they automatically think of this... 11:17 this immortal soul that we have 11:20 that is what people believe 11:22 that goes to God... that goes to heaven 11:25 and that is how you continue to live 11:27 through the immortal soul that you have. 11:30 I looked up that word "spirit" in the original 11:34 and noticed the word and what it means. 11:37 The Hebrew word for "spirit" is "ruach" 11:40 and that word simply means breath or wind. 11:43 That's what the word means, breath or wind. 11:46 So, let's put that word "breath" in the place of "spirit" 11:50 and now let's read the text, Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 7, 11:54 "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, 11:57 and the breath will return to God who gave it. " 12:00 Is that in harmony with what we just read 12:03 from Psalm 104 verse 29? 12:05 Yes, indeed it is. 12:07 It's the exact opposite to what happened at Creation. 12:10 Well, it's not just the Old Testament that makes this plain, 12:14 but it's also the New Testament. 12:16 Notice as we go to the words of Jesus hanging on the cross 12:21 In Luke chapter 23 and verse 46, we read, 12:25 "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, 12:28 He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. '" 12:33 There is that word again, 12:35 "Having said this, He breathed His last. " 12:37 Once again, that word "spirit" is used. 12:39 So, once again, I looked up that word in the Greek. 12:44 The New Testament is written in Greek, 12:46 the Old Testament is written in Hebrew 12:49 and I looked up that word in the Greek 12:51 to discover what that word indeed was 12:54 and here is that word, 12:55 the word in the Greek is "pneuma" 12:58 and that word means, "breath... air or breeze" 13:02 so, once again we have the very same message 13:05 that we have in the Old Testament 13:07 where Jesus cries out, 13:09 "Father, into Your hands I commit my breath. " 13:12 My life... God is the Life giver and having said that 13:18 he breathed His last. 13:19 Pneuma... it's the word that in English we get pneumatic... 13:25 pneumatic tools... 13:26 what are pneumatic tools powered by? 13:29 By air... by an air compressor... 13:32 we... we know of pneumonia. 13:35 Pneumonia is a disease that affects what part of the... 13:39 what part of the body? 13:41 The lungs... the breathing apparatus 13:44 and so, the Bible is in harmony 13:47 but the Old and the New Testament 13:50 where God says, "At death the body returns to the dust, 13:54 but the life-giving breath that belongs to God 13:58 that He gives to us as a gift 14:00 that goes back to God who gave it. " 14:03 So, that is what the Bible teaches 14:06 when it comes to what happens to a person 14:10 when they die. 14:11 Notice, the Bible uses the word "soul" some 1,600 times 14:17 and never once does it use it... 14:19 and never once does it use the words... "immortal soul. " 14:23 That's in the King James Version, 14:25 1,600 times... the word "soul" is used... 14:29 and not once... not once in the entire Bible 14:32 from Genesis to Revelation, are the words "immortal soul" 14:36 you won't find it. 14:37 Notice what the Bible says regarding who alone is immortal, 14:43 this is extremely important and extremely critical. 14:46 Notice what we read in 1 Timothy chapter 6 14:50 verses 15 and 16, 14:52 the Apostle Paul writes, 14:54 "... He who is the blessed and only Potentate, 14:58 the King of kings and Lord of lords... " 15:01 notice these next words, "who alone is immortal, 15:05 dwelling in unapproachable light... " 15:08 So, as far as Scripture is concerned, 15:10 God alone is immortal. 15:13 You and I do not have immortality 15:18 as part of who we are in the here and now. 15:22 God alone is immortal. 15:24 We are mortal... we are very mortal... 15:28 so, the question is, "How did the teaching 15:32 of the immortal soul come into the Christian church?" 15:36 If it's not in the Bible... which it isn't... 15:38 how on earth did it come into the Christian church? 15:42 It came into the Christian church 15:45 through Pagan Greek philosophy 15:48 that taught that the soul is immortal. 15:53 Notice what the Philosopher... 15:58 the famous world-renowned Philosopher Plato... had to say 16:03 on this very subject. 16:04 "The soul of man is immortal and imperishable. " 16:09 So, this teaching... this belief system 16:13 that the soul is immortal came into the Christian church 16:18 through pagan Greek philosophy. 16:21 Just like, as we have discovered in a previous presentation, 16:27 the day of worship... from Saturday to Sunday 16:30 came into the Christian church through paganism. 16:34 The pagans worshiped the sun god 16:36 that was their preeminent god that they worshiped 16:39 and so, when the pagans came en masse 16:42 into the Christian church, 16:43 especially during the time of Constantine, 16:46 they brought in their pagan sun-worship practices 16:51 and their day of worship 16:52 and in the same way, when the pagans came 16:54 into the Christian church en masse 16:56 during Constantine's time and afterward... 17:00 they brought in this teaching 17:02 that was very much part and parcel 17:05 of their faith and practice 17:07 that the soul lives on forever and ever and ever 17:11 and guess what? 17:13 Ever since that time, all the major world religions... 17:16 all the major world cultures have adopted and accepted 17:21 this false teaching that we have an immortal soul. 17:25 In fact, we have a magazine here in Australia 17:28 and it's still published today, 17:31 it's an insert in the Sunday Telegraph... 17:34 it comes out every week 17:36 and this is the August 8, 2010 edition, 17:39 and notice the title, "Body and... " what? 17:43 "Soul" 17:45 Body and Soul... 17:46 this comes to us from pagan-Greek philosophy 17:51 where they believed in dualism... 17:52 and what is dualism? 17:54 Dualism is simply that 17:55 that... that we are made up of two separate entities. 17:59 Every human being is made up of the physical being 18:02 which you see... which is mortal... 18:05 and which perishes... 18:07 and which goes into the dirt and goes into the ground 18:09 and becomes dust 18:11 and becomes nothing at the end of the day, 18:12 and you also have your soul, 18:15 and the soul is that which is immortal... that cannot die, 18:19 body and soul... 18:20 and so, this is being passed on to this very day 18:24 in our popular newspapers 18:26 and that is why people have this belief and understanding 18:30 regarding the body and the soul... 18:32 that they are two separate entities 18:34 that the Bible does not teach. 18:37 So, from where did the Greeks 18:42 get their belief that when you die, 18:44 your soul lives on forever... 18:46 that your soul is "immortal and imperishable"? 18:49 Where did they get it from? 18:51 Where did all the other cultures and religious faiths 18:55 before the Greeks get it from? 18:57 The truth is... my dear friends, 18:59 the truth is... that that teaching came 19:04 for the very first time from the Garden of Eden... 19:08 from the Garden of Eden. 19:09 Notice these words from the serpent... the serpent... 19:13 Satan himself... 19:15 "Then the serpent said to the woman... " to Eve, 19:17 "You will... " what's that word? 19:19 "not surely die. " 19:21 God had made it clear to Eve and to Adam 19:25 that the day that they eat of the fruit 19:29 of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 19:31 they will surely die 19:32 because their only hope 19:34 of eternal life 19:36 was to put their faith and trust in God, 19:38 their only hope 19:41 of living forever and ever 19:43 was to be faithful and true to the Word of God... 19:46 to their Creator 19:47 and the serpent comes along and he says, 19:49 "No, you can't believe God, 19:53 you can't trust in the Word of God, 19:55 if you eat the fruit from this tree, 19:58 you'll become just like God, 20:00 just like God... 20:02 that is what the serpent said to the woman 20:05 and who alone is immortal according to Scripture? 20:08 God... 20:09 God alone is immortal. 20:10 So, the serpent was tempting Eve to believe the very first lie 20:17 which was, "You can be just like God... 20:22 you can be immortal. " 20:24 And that belief system... 20:26 that lie has been passed down from generation to generation 20:32 and to generation for the last 6,000 years 20:35 all the way through to our day. 20:37 So, that's where it came from. 20:39 It came from the serpent in the Garden of Eden. 20:44 So, what does the Bible say regarding when and how 20:48 we get immortality? 20:50 Notice these words from the Apostle Paul... 20:53 he writes in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verses 52 to 54, 20:57 and interestingly enough, 21:00 he's writing to the believers in Corinth, 21:02 a major city there influenced by Greek philosophy 21:06 and Greek religion and he writes these words, 21:10 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, 21:13 at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, 21:16 and the dead will be raised incorruptible 21:18 and we shall be changed. 21:20 For this corruptible... " 21:21 he's speaking of... of our bodies 21:23 and the way we are in the here and now, 21:25 "must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on" 21:29 what? "immortality... 21:31 then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 21:34 'Death is swallowed up in victory. '" 21:36 So, when do you and I receive immortality? 21:40 We receive immortality at the second coming of Jesus. 21:44 It's a gift that God gives to us at the second coming of Jesus, 21:49 so until then, we are very much... what? 21:51 mortal... 21:52 we don't have any mortal soul... 21:55 immortality is given to us as a gift when Jesus comes 22:00 and by faith... through the endless ages of eternity 22:05 by partaking of the Tree of Life once a month 22:08 according to Revelation, 22:09 we will continue by faith to enjoy the gift of immortality 22:14 that comes to us from God alone. 22:17 The Apostle Paul also looked forward to meeting Jesus 22:23 and he looked forward to meeting Jesus at the second coming. 22:26 Notice these words from 2nd Timothy chapter 4 22:28 verses 6 to 8, he writes, 22:30 "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, 22:32 and the time of my departure is at hand. 22:35 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 22:37 I have kept the faith. 22:39 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 22:42 which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 22:44 will give to me on that Day... " 22:45 speaking of the 2nd coming, 22:47 "and not to me only but to all who have loved His... " 22:51 "what? "appearing. " 22:53 So, as far as the Apostle Paul was concerned, 22:55 He was looking for the blessed second coming. 22:58 He believed that he would meet Jesus... 23:01 He would be with Jesus when Jesus returned. 23:03 He did not believe... as many today sadly believe 23:08 that when he would die... the very next moment 23:12 that he would be with Jesus, no, he didn't believe that. 23:15 The Apostle Paul was very clear in what he believed. 23:17 He believed, according to Scripture 23:19 that when Jesus would come, 23:22 that is when he would meet his Savior 23:26 and not one moment before. 23:28 So, the Apostle Paul knew what the Bible taught 23:33 on this very important subject. 23:34 So, the question we need to ask now is, 23:38 "If the dead are not in heaven... 23:40 they're not in hell... 23:42 they're not in purgatory... 23:43 where are those who have passed away right now? 23:48 Where are they?" 23:49 Well the... the answer to that is found in Scripture, 23:53 but I want to go to one story, one powerful, well-known story 23:56 by many Christians. 23:57 The story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. 24:00 They were... they were close friends of Jesus 24:04 very close friends of Jesus and on one occasion, 24:07 Mary and Martha sent messengers to Jesus sharing the news 24:11 and you can read about this in John chapter 11, 24:13 sharing the news that their brother was very sick 24:16 and if Jesus could immediately come 24:19 in order to heal their beloved brother, Lazarus. 24:22 And so, we have this story here, 24:25 as it's recorded by John. 24:27 In John chapter 11 verse 11, 24:30 Jesus says to his disciples 24:33 after tarrying for a couple of days 24:35 in the place where He was, He says, 24:37 "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, 24:39 but I go that I may wake him up. " 24:42 And notice the response of the disciples, 24:44 "Then His disciples said, 24:46 'Lord, if he sleeps he will get well. '" 24:48 We all know that if someone is not well, 24:51 and they're getting some good sleep, 24:53 that's a good sign, isn't that right? 24:55 That's an absolutely very good sign. 24:58 But Jesus knew that they misunderstood 25:01 what He meant by, "Lazarus sleeps. " 25:03 So, then He goes and He shares with them what He means 25:07 by Lazarus sleeping. 25:08 Notice what Jesus says, 25:09 "Then Jesus said to them plainly, 25:12 'Lazarus is... '" what? 25:13 "dead. " 25:15 As far as Jesus was concerned, 25:17 death was nothing more and nothing less but a sleep... 25:22 a peaceful sleep. 25:24 In fact, when Jesus spoke with Martha 25:30 regarding when she would see her brother again, 25:34 notice the conversation, "Jesus said to her... " 25:38 He's speaking to Martha, 25:39 "Your brother will rise again, 25:41 and Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again 25:45 in the... '" what? 25:46 "in the resurrection... " 25:48 when? "At the last day. " 25:49 So, as far as Martha was concerned, 25:52 she was very clear 25:53 when she would see her brother again, 25:55 she would see him on resurrection morning. 25:59 She would not see him when she passed away 26:03 and be joined together with him... 26:06 as he was already in heaven... 26:08 no, no, no, no... no, no, no... 26:10 as far as Martha was concerned, 26:12 she knew that she would see her brother again, 26:15 on resurrection morning. 26:18 The Bible is abundantly clear, Jesus was clear, 26:21 His disciples were clear... 26:23 those who were closest to Him were very clear, 26:26 and what does the Bible go on and say? 26:28 the Bible goes on and says that when Jesus came to the tomb 26:33 he asked for the stone to be rolled away 26:35 and he cried out with a mighty voice, 26:38 to Lazarus who had been asleep... 26:40 he had been dead for four days... 26:43 for four days... 26:44 fascinating little point that I discovered not so long ago 26:48 that the Jews believed falsely... 26:52 but they still believed that the person's spirit 26:56 returns to the dead body for three days 27:01 and after three days, 27:03 the dead spirit... sorry, the person's spirit 27:06 returns no more 27:08 and so, Jesus waited until the fourth day 27:11 to come and to raise Lazarus 27:14 to make it, beyond a shadow of a doubt, 27:18 that it wasn't some returning spirit of the person 27:22 that brought Lazarus back to life. 27:24 But anyway, that's just a little something 27:25 and so, Jesus Christ cry's out, "Lazarus come forth... " 27:31 not "Lazarus, come down... " 27:33 but, "Lazarus, come forth... " 27:35 and Lazarus, as the Bible describes, 27:37 he came forth 27:39 and he was reunited with his sisters 27:41 and with all of his loved ones. 27:43 The truth is, Revelation chapter 1, 27:45 tells us that Jesus has the keys to the grave and to death 27:50 and at the second coming, 27:51 Jesus will open all the graves of all of those 27:54 that have put their faith and trust in Him 27:57 and they will be reunited with Christ... 28:00 they will be reunited with their loved ones 28:02 and that would be part of that blessed resurrection morning. 28:07 The Bible describes death as a sleep 28:11 and when you take a look at someone who has passed away, 28:14 they indeed look like they're... what? 28:16 they're asleep. 28:18 They're in a deep, deep sleep... an unconscious sleep... 28:22 waiting for the trumpet to sound... 28:26 waiting for the blessed resurrection 28:29 and reunion morning. 28:31 In fact, the Bible teaches that death is like a sleep, 28:35 that lasts until Christ's Second Coming. 28:37 The Bible writers declare death a sleep... more than 50 times. 28:43 Just a deep sleep... 28:45 notice what the Bible says 28:47 in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse 5, 28:50 "For the living know that they will die; 28:53 but the dead know... " how much? 28:54 "nothing. " 28:56 Nothing... the dead know nothing... 28:57 they're asleep... 28:58 they're in an unconscious state 29:01 unaware of any of their surroundings. 29:05 Notice, we also read in Psalm 115 verse 17, 29:10 "The dead do not praise the Lord, 29:12 nor any who go down into... " what? 29:14 "into silence. " 29:15 The Bible is abundantly clear, The dead know nothing... 29:21 the dead experience silence and silence alone. 29:26 I guess, I don't quite know what it's quite like to be dead, 29:34 I haven't been in that state, 29:36 but probably the closest that I can imagine 29:40 what it would probably be like 29:42 is being put under anesthetic. 29:44 Has anyone here have been put under an anesthetic? 29:46 Okay, a number of you have. 29:48 I have... some 10 or 11 years ago 29:51 when I was operated on my shoulder with... with melanoma, 29:56 and I remember being "under" 29:58 and I remember it was such a deep sleep 30:01 such as I have never experienced before, 30:03 such a deep sleep, 30:05 and I remember when I started to awake, 30:07 I was like, "Where am I?" 30:09 I was totally disoriented... totally confused... 30:13 had no idea where I was, 30:15 anyone experienced that when you were waking up? 30:17 Yeah, it's a... it's a really weird feeling, 30:19 and I guess that's probably the closest 30:22 to what it must be like to be asleep 30:25 as far as... to be there in the grave 30:28 to... to have passed away... 30:29 unconscious of your surroundings in a deep, deep, peaceful sleep. 30:34 Well, there are those that say, "But Danny, what about... 30:39 what about the thief on the cross? 30:40 I mean, didn't Jesus tell him 30:45 that He was going to be with Him in paradise that very day? 30:48 Well, let's take a look at the text, 30:49 it's found there in Luke chapter 23 and verse 43. 30:54 "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, 30:58 today you will be with Me... '" where? 31:00 "in Paradise. " 31:01 And they're like, "There... there you go... 31:04 it says it... 31:05 as clear as the nose on your face, 31:08 "Today, you will be with me in Paradise. " 31:12 That's how I read it... 31:14 that's how most people read it. 31:16 "Danny, what do you say?" 31:18 Well, the truth is, my Friend, 31:20 when the New Testament writers wrote the Scriptures, 31:25 in fact, when the Old Testament writers wrote the Scriptures, 31:29 they didn't use punctuation the way we use punctuation. 31:32 There were no commas... there were no apostrophes... 31:35 there were no talking marks and so on and so forth. 31:39 At a later time, those that copied the Scriptures 31:43 from the Greek into the English 31:45 and into various other languages, 31:46 they added punctuation in order to make it more readable 31:50 and so, without punctuation, it's up to the... 31:55 it's up to the translator to place the comma, in this case, 32:00 wherever they believe it ought to go. 32:03 Now, the "comma" makes a huge difference... 32:06 a huge difference... 32:07 now notice, if we place the comma before... 32:11 or I should say, after the word "today" 32:14 notice how it reads, "And Jesus said to him, 32:17 'Assuredly, I say to you today, comma, 32:19 you will be with Me in Paradise. '" 32:21 The difference is phenomenal. 32:25 In one reading of the text, Jesus is saying to him, 32:30 "today... today you will be with me in Paradise. " 32:34 In the other reading, Jesus is saying, 32:36 "I'm giving you the assurance today... 32:38 today, while I... while I am prostrate here on this 32:44 sorry, while I am... while I am crucified 32:48 and while it seems that there is no hope for Me 32:51 or for anyone else, 32:53 today, you have put your faith and trust in Me... 32:56 today, you have called Me, 'Lord' 32:57 you have called me 'Lord' 32:59 and today, as your Lord, 33:01 I'm giving you the assurance today 33:03 that when I come, you will be with me in Paradise, 33:07 you have the guarantee... you have the assurance today. " 33:10 The thief never went to heaven that day... 33:14 Jesus never went to heaven that day... 33:17 in fact, when Jesus met up with Mary on resurrection morning, 33:21 the Bible tells us... the Bible tells us, 33:25 oh, before that... before that... 33:27 I almost skipped out the importance of... 33:30 the importance of... of grammar. 33:32 Let me illustrate that. 33:34 "A woman without her man is nothing. " 33:38 How many of you ladies believe that to be true? 33:40 "A woman without her man is nothing. " 33:42 Okay, no hands have gone up. 33:44 Laughter. 33:46 I wonder why. 33:47 Well, let's put in some punctuation 33:49 and let's see if that makes a bit of a difference, 33:51 here we go, 33:52 "A woman, without her, man is nothing. " 33:57 How many of you women believe in that statement? 34:00 "A woman, without her, man is nothing. " 34:05 Of course, there's a... 34:08 does punctuation make a difference? 34:11 Yes, indeed, 34:12 punctuation makes all the difference in the world. 34:16 I'm glad I didn't miss out that very interesting 34:20 but very important illustration, you know what I mean? 34:23 Makes the point very clear. 34:25 Now back to the story... back to the story. 34:28 Did Jesus go to paradise that day? 34:31 No He didn't... no He didn't. 34:33 Notice when we read, 34:37 "Jesus said to her... " He's speaking to Mary, 34:40 on resurrection morning, Jesus meets with Mary. 34:43 Mary did not know that it was Jesus... to begin with, 34:45 she thought that it was the gardener 34:49 and then when she realized that it was Jesus, 34:52 Jesus had to say to her, "Do not cling to Me, 34:56 for I have... " what? 34:57 "not yet ascended to My Father. " 35:00 That was on resurrection morning. 35:03 Jesus had not yet ascended to His Father. 35:06 So did Jesus go to Paradise on that Friday afternoon 35:09 to be joined with the thief 35:12 that was on the cross there by His side? 35:14 The answer is "No" according to the words of Jesus, 35:17 He hadn't gone to Paradise yet, 35:20 that is what He clearly shared with Mary. 35:23 So, what did God say 35:29 about communicating with the supposed dead? 35:32 That is a very important part of this message... 35:36 a very important... 35:38 a very critical part of this message, 35:39 This subject has permeated every part of their culture. 35:48 The... the deceptions regarding this all-important truth of God 35:55 have permeated throughout every aspect 35:59 of our way of life... of our culture. 36:02 So, what did God say to the children of Israel? 36:05 What does God say to you and I today 36:08 regarding seeking to communicate with our dead loved ones? 36:12 Seeking to get involved with the supernatural? 36:16 Very important... 36:17 I pray that you will be listening up right now... 36:19 those who are here 36:21 and those who are watching or listening... 36:22 wherever you may be, 36:24 I really pray that you will tune in 36:26 to what we are about to discover from God's Word 36:29 for this is extremely important... 36:31 this has the potential 36:32 to indeed make an eternal difference in your life. 36:35 So, let's take a look at what Scripture has to say. 36:38 In Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 10 to 12, 36:41 this is what we read. 36:43 This is God speaking to the children of Israel 36:46 and He says, "There shall not be among you anyone 36:48 who calls up the... " what? 36:50 "who calls up the dead... 36:51 These things are a... " what to the LORD? 36:54 "an abomination to the LORD." 36:56 Wow! The strongest possible language that God can use 37:00 for something that is not in harmony with His Word... 37:03 something that is not in harmony with His will... 37:06 something that is completely contrary to His character... 37:11 something that has the potential to deceive you and I 37:15 from following the One who is the way the truth and the light, 37:18 and that is Jesus Christ. 37:19 The Bible in the Old Testament and the New Testament 37:23 refers to it as an abomination.. an abomination. 37:27 You don't want to be called an abomination 37:30 and you ought not to go calling people an abomination either, 37:33 it's a very strong term. 37:36 Now why does God feel so strongly 37:40 about those who will seek to communicate 37:43 with the supposed dead 37:46 and we know that you cannot communicate 37:48 with the supposed dead 37:49 because the dead are what? They're asleep... they're dead, 37:53 they know how much? 37:54 They know nothing... 37:56 they go down into what? 37:57 into silence. 37:59 Why is this so dangerous? 38:00 Well, let's keep reading and discovering what God says 38:04 is to be the punishment of those 38:06 who are to communicate in such a way. 38:08 In Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 27, we read, 38:12 "A man or a woman who is a medium, 38:15 or one who has familiar spirits, 38:17 shall surely be put to death; 38:19 they shall stone them with stones. 38:21 Their blood shall be upon them. " 38:23 Wow! an individual who was... 38:26 who was involved in and practicing this form of... 38:33 of... of mediumship 38:36 which is seeking to communicate with the dead 38:39 on behalf of the living, the Bible says... God said... 38:43 they were to be put to death. 38:46 Why such heavy punishment? 38:49 Why such drastic measures? 38:51 Well, notice what the Bible says 38:54 in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14, 38:57 "For Satan himself transforms himself 39:00 into an angel of... "what? 39:02 "into an angel of light. " 39:03 Those who claim to communicate with the dead 39:08 are not communicating with their dead loved ones, 39:12 they are communicating with Satan's demons... 39:15 with Satan's evil demons. 39:17 There is much of this that takes place... 39:21 much of this that takes place. 39:23 I can tell you of one story and I'll be very brief. 39:28 A Pastor friend of mine, 39:30 his name is Pastor David Bertelson 39:32 for those of you who may know him, 39:33 you can verify this story. 39:35 He shared with me the story of a woman 39:39 who was attending meetings such as this 39:42 and she made a decision to be baptized. 39:45 She made a decision to follow Christ. 39:47 She made a decision to keep the seventh-day Sabbath 39:50 and on the day of her baptism... 39:52 this happened in Oakland... 39:54 she's walking up the steps 39:56 of the particular Seventh-day Adventist Church, 39:59 I can't remember the name of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 40:02 but she's walking up the steps, 40:04 and as she's walking up the steps... 40:06 this is a true story... 40:08 she is... she... she is met there by her grandmother 40:13 who has passed away many years before 40:16 and... and her grandmother says to her, 40:19 "My dear child, do not do what you're about to do, 40:23 I have come from God with a message 40:25 to... to encourage you to stop from being baptized 40:29 stop from joining this church, 40:31 stop from being part of this denomination 40:35 I have come with a message from God. " 40:38 This woman remembered what she had heard about the truth 40:43 on this all-important subject 40:44 and... and... and in a moment she cried out, 40:48 "Get behind me Satan... " 40:50 and in that very moment, 40:52 this evil spirit just vanished before her. 40:56 Pause... 40:58 My Friends, this is as real as real can be. 41:00 The enemy wants to deceive us through this false understanding 41:05 that we can communicate with our dead loved ones. 41:09 Notice, spiritualism is founded on two key principles: 41:13 Number one: 41:14 Conscious life exists after death... 41:17 that is the immortality of the soul 41:19 which we have looked at which is ingrained... 41:23 which has permeated every aspect of our world culture. 41:26 In all the world religions... in all the world philosophies, 41:30 by and large, this is what is taught and believed. 41:34 Secondly, that the dead can communicate with the living. 41:38 As I pointed out, all the world's major religions 41:41 they... they teach on this very point 41:46 that you can communicate with the dead loved ones 41:50 that the soul lives on after death... in another form... 41:54 in another state... in another place... 41:57 this is... this is right across the board, 41:59 and I am not surprised 42:01 because the enemy is seeking to set up the entire world 42:04 in order to be deceived at the very end of time 42:07 through this very means. 42:09 The Apostle Paul warned us of what we were to expect 42:14 especially in the last days. 42:16 Notice these words from the Apostle Paul 42:19 in 1st Timothy chapter 4 verse 1, 42:20 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in... " what times? 42:25 "the latter times... " or the last days... 42:27 "some will depart from the faith, giving heed to... " what? 42:31 "deceiving spirits and doctrines of... " what? 42:34 "of demons... " 42:36 This teaching of the immortality of the soul 42:39 that when you die, your soul lives on... 42:43 that is a teaching from the enemy. 42:45 It's a doctrine... a doctrine is a teaching 42:48 it's a teaching from the devil himself. 42:50 What does the Apostle Paul say? 42:53 Notice what he says, in Ephesians chapter 5:11, 42:57 "Have... " how much fellowship? 42:59 "no fellowship with the unfruitful works of... " what? 43:03 "Darkness, but rather do... " what? 43:05 "expose them. " 43:07 So, that is the reason why in this all-important Series, 43:11 End-Time Living... 43:14 love and loyalty... 43:17 we're looking to expose the truth 43:20 regarding what happens to a person when they die 43:24 because this is exposing the works of darkness, 43:28 this is exposing the works of the enemy, 43:30 and Jesus said... and I love what He shares, 43:33 He says in John 8:31 and 32, "If you abide in My Word, 43:38 you will do... " what? 43:40 "you are my disciples indeed 43:42 and you will know the truth and the truth will do... " what? 43:44 "it will set you free. " 43:46 If you and I abide in the Word, 43:48 if we take time each and every day 43:49 to open the Word and find out 43:51 what God's Word has to say on this 43:54 and every other important topic 43:56 when it comes to our eternal salvation, 43:57 we will know the truth 43:59 and we will not be deceived. 44:00 The only way you and I will ever be deceived 44:03 is if we take our eyes off God's Word. 44:05 God's Word must be the foundation for your faith 44:09 and practice in all things 44:11 and the only sure foundation is the Word of God. 44:15 "If they speak not according to this Word... " 44:19 Isaiah chapter 8 verse 20, 44:21 "it is because there is no light in them... " 44:23 instead of light, there is what? 44:25 There is darkness... 44:27 The Book of Revelation... 44:29 the Book of Revelation 44:30 the last book of the Bible 44:32 contains God's truth for the last days 44:34 and exposes Satan's deceptions 44:37 more so than any other book of the Bible. 44:39 It's a book that the enemy did not want to be written 44:44 and here in Revelation chapter 14 verse 8, 44:48 the 2nd Angel's message 44:50 of these three all-important final messages of God's love 44:53 that need to go to all the world, 44:55 we have these words, Revelation 14 verse 8, 44:57 "Babylon is fallen, is fallen... " 45:00 now, what is Babylon? 45:01 We've looked at that in a previous... 45:03 in a previous Series 45:05 when we looked at End-Time Apocalypse. 45:08 You can look at that on another day 45:10 or you can, maybe, order those... 45:13 order those messages from 3ABN 45:15 but Babylon... Babylon is deception... 45:19 Babylon is confusion... 45:20 Babylon is rebellion against God and His Word. 45:24 That's what Babylon is, Babylon seeks to deceive 45:27 and the enemy uses this system called Babylon 45:30 in order to deceive the whole world 45:32 and notice what we read in Revelation chapter 18 45:35 regarding this deceptive power that the enemy uses... 45:40 Revelation chapter 18 and verse 2, 45:43 "And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 45:46 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 45:48 and has become a... '" what? 45:51 "a dwelling place of... " what? 45:53 "of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, 45:56 and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!" 45:59 We don't have time to unpack 46:00 everything in this particular verse here, 46:03 but simply to say that at the end of time, 46:05 the enemy is going to pull out all the stops 46:07 and at the end of time, 46:08 the enemy is going to seek to deceive the entire world 46:11 in many different ways 46:13 but especially through Spiritualism... 46:16 especially through this very important teaching 46:19 that we are taking a look at. 46:20 In fact, in Revelation chapter 18 and verse 23, 46:25 notice what the Bible says, 46:27 "The light of a lamp shall not shine in you... " 46:30 and God here is speaking of Babylon... that's the context, 46:33 "anymore... 46:34 for by your... " what? 46:36 "sorcery... " how many of the nations? 46:38 "all the nations were... " what? 46:41 "deceived by your sorcery... " 46:43 I looked up that word "sorcery" 46:45 and notice what that word is in the Greek... 46:47 it's the word, Pharmacia... 46:49 it's where we get our word "Pharmacy" from in the English 46:54 and also, it means medication, magic, sorcery and witchcraft. 46:59 Wow! this is... 47:01 this is at the very heart of Babylon's final attack 47:05 at the end of the world 47:07 and the Bible is clear that the entire world... 47:10 all the nations will be deceived. 47:11 Now, how much has magic 47:17 and witchcraft 47:18 and sorcery 47:20 permeated our worldwide culture? 47:24 Pause... 47:27 Let me take you to Hollywood... 47:30 not the Hollywood that you may be thinking of, 47:35 but the wood called "Holly" 47:37 from the Holly Tree. 47:39 Notice, Harry Potter... made famous by J.K. Rowling 47:45 in Harry Potter Series 47:47 has a wand made out of Holly Wood. 47:51 Interesting... 47:52 Holly is associated... notice this wood called "Holly" 47:56 it's associated with the cycle of death and rebirth 48:00 and is good for spells that involve sleep or rest. 48:03 Fascinating... 48:05 I looked that up... 48:06 you can go home and you can look at all that up 48:08 it's there... 48:09 and I'm asking the question, 48:11 and I pray that you'll be asking that question too. 48:14 "Are we letting Hollywood put us under a spell 48:17 by putting us to sleep spiritually?" 48:20 Is that possibly taking place? 48:23 And I think the answer is overwhelmingly what? 48:27 "Yes. " 48:28 Hollywood... 48:30 Holly wood... the enemy's final attempt 48:35 to deceive the entire world 48:38 has to be by and large through Hollywood. 48:42 It has to be... 48:44 based on the evidence, 48:45 I mean, just take a look at 48:47 what is on your television screens, 48:49 take a look at what's in the movies, 48:52 take a look at what's in books, in popular books. 48:54 It all started off nice and easy... 48:56 nice and innocent with "I Dream of Jeannie" 48:59 and "Bewitched" 49:00 and... and Walt Disney... 49:02 and it's fascinating... "Walt Disney" 49:04 have you seen how Walt Disney begins or ends? 49:06 With the wand... isn't that right? 49:09 Ding... maybe not quite like that 49:11 but it's the wand... 49:13 the enemy is seeking to put you and I to sleep, 49:17 and in more recent times, we've got... 49:19 we've got movies like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" 49:22 "Star Wars" that epic Series that has captivated millions 49:28 upon millions upon millions around the world. 49:30 "Lord of the Rings" 49:31 and this new Series in the last ten years, 49:35 this Marvel Series... 49:36 where some 21 movies and counting 49:40 have been produced in the line of the supernatural. 49:44 The enemy... he is doing his utmost 49:47 in order to deceive the world, 49:49 he's pulling out all the stops and if you can't see it, 49:52 then you need to go and get some serious help 49:58 from a spiritual doctor. 50:01 Not a physical doctor but a spiritual doctor... 50:05 you and I need to go into the Word. 50:06 We need to go into the Word if we don't see what's going on. 50:09 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12, 50:12 these are the words from the Apostle Paul 50:14 where he writes, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, 50:17 but against the rulers, against the authorities, 50:19 against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, 50:22 against the... " what kind of forces? 50:24 "against the spiritual forces of... " what? 50:27 "of evil in the heavenly places. " 50:29 It's a cosmic battle going on... 50:31 a heavy, cosmic battle that is going on. 50:35 Pause... 50:37 My Friends, I could spend a lot more time 50:39 but we don't have time, but I want to encourage you 50:43 if... if you have been involved in watching or reading 50:47 anything regarding the supernatural, 50:49 it may be fine... it may be enjoyable... 50:51 it may be entertainment... 50:53 but my Friends... my Friends, it's deadly entertainment, 50:57 it's absolutely deadly for your spiritual health and well-being. 51:01 It will lead you to the place ultimately where it led Eve 51:05 who was tempted and lured in by the voice of that serpent 51:09 that said it would be harmless.. it would be harmless 51:12 and in fact, it would be good for her 51:15 to partake of that fruit of the forbidden tree. 51:19 I want to encourage you... 51:21 have nothing to do with the fruits of darkness... 51:24 nothing at all... 51:25 nothing at all. 51:27 Harry Potter books need to go in the bin... 51:29 those movies... do not watch them, 51:31 Ouija boards... 51:32 anything and everything to do with the supernatural... 51:35 turn your back... avoid like the plague... 51:41 don't have anything to do with it. 51:43 I encourage you... I plead with you 51:46 for your salvation. 51:47 Well, let's talk about the Apostle Paul. 51:50 "What is the blessed hope for the follower of Jesus?" 51:53 Notice what the Apostle Paul writes 51:54 in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 13 and 14, 51:57 "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, 51:59 concerning those who have fallen asleep, 52:01 lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 52:03 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 52:06 even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 52:10 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, 52:13 that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord 52:16 will by no means precede those who are asleep. 52:19 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 52:21 with a shout, 52:22 with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 52:25 And the dead in Christ will do... " what? 52:27 "They'll rise first... " and then he goes on, 52:29 "Then we who are alive and remain 52:32 shall be caught up together with them in the clouds 52:34 to meet the Lord in the air. 52:36 And thus we shall always be with the Lord. " 52:40 And he finishes off by saying, "Therefore... " do what? 52:42 "comfort one another with these words... 52:45 comfort one another with these words. " 52:49 What an awesome day that will be! 52:50 What an awesome day that will be when Jesus will come 52:54 and... and... and... and there will be the great resurrection 52:58 and reunion morning when the... the dead in Christ... 53:01 the dead in Christ... 53:03 those that have put their faith and trust in Jesus, 53:05 they will be brought together and reunited 53:09 and they will be lifted up from this earth 53:13 to join those who are alive and together, the Bible says, 53:17 they will meet the Lord in the air, 53:18 what a wonderful day that will be! 53:20 That is the blessed hope of the Christian. 53:23 That is the blessed hope of the follower of Jesus. 53:27 The day when there will be no more wrinkles, 53:29 no more pain... 53:31 no more suffering... 53:32 no more sorrow... 53:34 no more death... 53:35 no more separation... 53:37 are you looking forward to that day? 53:38 I'm so looking forward to that day, 53:40 I want to end by sharing with you a powerful testimony, 53:43 a powerful testimony of this lady here in the center, 53:47 her name is Jayne 53:49 and I had the privilege of baptizing her 53:51 two or three years ago 53:53 and this is Jayne coming up out of the water at her baptism, 53:57 you can see the... you can see the... the smile... 54:00 you can see the joy on her face. 54:03 Jayne was led to... to the Lord 54:06 and to a... to a decision to follow Jesus 54:09 through her good friend there on the left, Liz, 54:12 and I had the privilege of spending some time 54:15 with my friend, Jayne, and baptizing her. 54:17 On the day of her baptism, Jayne shared her testimony... 54:23 she shared how the Lord had transformed her life, 54:27 how He had... how He had completely 54:29 transformed her life from where she was... 54:32 walking in darkness 54:33 to now, walking in the ways of Christ, 54:35 walking in His wonderful light. 54:39 She was 50 at the time and for the majority of her life 54:44 she had walked far away from Jesus. 54:47 She wasn't interested in Jesus but she had a praying mother. 54:50 Praise God for praying mothers, amen. 54:53 She had a praying mother 54:55 who would meet together with her friend 54:56 every single day for 35 years and pray for her daughter 55:01 and pray for others. 55:03 and her mother had the... had the opportunity 55:05 of witnessing Jayne's baptism. 55:07 When Jayne was baptized, 55:10 she had already been diagnosed with cancer... breast cancer 55:14 and these were her words that she shared 55:19 at the end of her testimony 55:21 and I have them up on the screen for you. 55:23 She entitled her testimony: 55:25 Hope, Peace and Prayer... A Story of Redemption 55:30 and these are her words, 55:31 "If you haven't invited Jesus into your own life as yet, 55:35 I can highly recommend the experience. 55:38 It is my belief that our time here on earth 55:40 is very short indeed and that Jesus will soon return, 55:44 just as He has promised, 55:45 to claim His believers 55:47 and destroy Satan and sin forevermore. " 55:50 And what do you say? Amen... 55:51 she goes on, "How I long to see that day. 55:55 I pray that we will all be ready to go home with Him. " 55:59 Amen. 56:01 That was... that was Jayne's testimony, 56:04 that was Jayne's desire 56:05 that together we will be with Jesus forevermore. 56:10 At the end of that year... 56:12 that was at the beginning of the year in February 56:14 when I baptized Jayne, 56:16 at that end of that year, Jayne went to sleep 56:20 in the arms of Jesus. 56:22 She went to sleep in the arms of Jesus 56:25 awaiting the resurrection. 56:27 I'm looking forward to the day when I will see Jayne. 56:30 I'm looking forward to the day when I will see her 56:32 and all those that have put their faith and trust in Jesus. 56:35 What about you my friends? 56:36 Those who are here... those who are watching... 56:39 are you looking forward to being reunited 56:41 with all those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus? 56:43 If that's your desire to be ready when Jesus comes, 56:46 I want to invite you to bow your heads with me 56:49 wherever you may be 56:50 and let us thank Jesus 56:52 and look forward to that precious day, 56:54 "Father in heaven, we want to thank you so much 56:56 for the blessed hope that we have in Jesus 56:59 that one of these days soon, He will come in all His glory... 57:03 with all the heavenly angels 57:05 and He will take with Him 57:07 those that have put their faith and trust in Him, 57:09 those that have passed away 57:12 and have been resting in His safe and secure arms 57:15 along with those that are alive 57:17 and will be caught up together with Him 57:19 to be with the Lord forever. 57:20 This is our prayer, Father, keep us close to Jesus, 57:23 keep us looking unto Him always, 57:25 the Author and Finisher of our faith, 57:28 for this is our prayer in the name of Jesus, 57:30 everybody said, 'Amen... amen. '" |
Revised 2019-11-06