Participants:
Series Code: TCM
Program Code: TCM200013S
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00:41 Welcome back! This is the final session
00:45 in our series titled: Three Cosmic Messages 00:50 This entire series has been based on the book of Revelation. 00:53 Specifically Revelation chapter 14 00:56 verses 6 to 12. 00:58 These 3 messages are eternal. 01:01 They're urgent and they are universal. 01:04 They're messages that God has given to prepare a people 01:08 for His soon return. 01:11 Each of these messages focuses on the second coming of Christ. 01:15 Each message rings with hope. 01:19 In this presentation we'll be discussing 01:22 God's final move: earth, a world ablaze 01:28 with the glory of God. 01:29 It is time to lift up the trumpet 01:32 and loud let it ring 01:34 for Jesus is coming again. Listen as Charles sings. 01:44 Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring! 01:49 Jesus is coming again! 01:53 Cheer up, ye pilgrims... 01:56 be joyful and sing: 02:00 Jesus is coming again! 02:04 He's coming again! 02:07 Coming again! 02:09 Jesus is coming again! 02:14 Now echo it hilltops, 02:16 proclaim it, ye plains: 02:19 Jesus is coming again! 02:23 He's coming in glory 02:26 the Lamb that was slain... 02:30 Jesus is coming again! 02:35 He's coming again! 02:38 Coming again! 02:40 Jesus is coming again! 02:44 Heaving's of earth tell the vast wond'ring throng: 02:50 Jesus is coming again. 02:54 Tempests and whirlwinds 02:56 the anthem prolong: 03:01 Jesus is coming again! 03:06 Coming again! 03:08 Coming again! 03:11 Jesus is coming again! 03:15 The nations are angry... 03:17 by this we do know: 03:20 Jesus is coming again. 03:24 Knowledge increases, 03:26 men run to and fro: 03:32 Jesus is coming again! 03:37 Coming again! 03:39 Coming again! 03:42 Jesus is 03:45 coming again! 03:53 Amen, Charles. 03:55 And that is the hope of our world: 04:00 Jesus IS coming again. 04:04 During this presentation 04:07 I'd like to invite you to bow your heads to pray. 04:10 And as we pray let us have our hearts ring 04:15 with the hope of Christ's soon return. 04:18 Father in heaven, we thank you 04:20 that Jesus is coming again. 04:22 We thank you for three cosmic messages: 04:26 three messages of eternal hope 04:30 that in spite of what we see around us 04:32 with famine and earthquake, with pestilences, 04:37 with these strange viruses, 04:40 with the threat of nuclear war, 04:42 with economic disaster pending, 04:45 with the chaos and calamity in society and among nations, 04:49 no matter... whatever we see around us 04:51 and even the challenges in our own personal life 04:54 and in our families, our health, 04:56 we have the hope of the coming of Christ. 04:59 And so gear into us that deeper hope, 05:03 that broader hope, that brighter hope 05:07 that greater hope as we study together in this presentation. 05:11 In Christ's name, Amen. 05:14 My topic is: 05:20 One day soon the earth will be ablaze with the glory of God. 05:25 That is the message of the book of Revelation. 05:29 One of the more significant events 05:32 in the first World War was the sinking of the RMS Lusitania 05:39 by German submarines. 05:41 That sinking brought into the war 05:46 the United States and many of the other allied nations. 05:52 The Lusitania was sunk on Friday, May 7, 1915. 05:58 It was a tragic event. 06:01 The vessel went down 11 miles off Hinsdale, Ireland. 06:07 It killed... As this boat was torpedoed 06:11 and sunk there were 1,198 people killed 06:16 and 761 survivors. 06:20 There is a fascinating story 06:23 that comes out of the sinking of the Lusitania. 06:27 In fact, when the Lusitania was sunk 06:32 many pamphlets were published 06:34 like Take Up the Sword of Justice. 06:37 Enlist in the Fight of the War. 06:39 It brought many soldiers to enlist... 06:43 many enlistees into that war. 06:46 Joseph Duveen was an art dealer, 06:49 and he had bought a ticket for one of his young art 06:55 experts... an expert in pottery... 06:57 to travel on the Lusitania to Europe 07:00 to look at and examine some very exotic, very 07:05 rare pieces of pottery. 07:07 When Joseph Duveen saw the warnings regarding 07:12 war he said to this young protégée, 07:16 this young pottery expert: 07:18 "I don't think you should go. 07:20 We've had warnings. " This is a photograph 07:24 of the actual warning that the Germans put out. 07:54 The German Embassy issued a warning that the ocean liner 07:58 might be torpedoed and destroyed. 08:01 So Duveen said to this young art expert: 08:04 "I don't think you should go. " 08:06 "I don't want to risk your life. " 08:09 The young man said: "Look, sir, 08:11 when I read what was happening in the Atlantic I began to 08:15 harden myself. At first I would sit 08:18 in a tub of ice-cold water for 30 minutes. 08:24 But this morning I sat in that ice-cold tub 08:28 for two hours. Sir, don't think I would leave 08:32 preparation of such an important event 08:34 to the last minute. I am prepared; I will go. " 08:38 The young man went. The Lusitania was torpedoed 08:43 and amazingly enough this young man survived 08:47 in the chilly, freezing waters for five hours 08:52 and he was rescued. 08:54 He did not leave preparation until the last minute. 08:59 The book of Revelation 09:01 urges us, the book of Revelation invites us 09:05 not to leave preparation for the second coming of Christ 09:09 to the last minute. 09:10 That's what the message of the three angels is all about. 09:14 That's the purpose of these three cosmic messages: 09:17 to prepare a people for the coming of Jesus. 09:21 These are messages of hope; they are messages of encouragement. 09:25 They are messages that have been given to us 09:28 by a God of enormous love who wants us prepared. 09:32 The apostle Paul echoes the words of these end-time messages 09:38 that are heaven's last appeal to a dying planet. 09:41 We ignore Paul's words and we ignore these messages 09:45 at our own peril. 09:47 The apostle Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:4,6: 10:15 This is a time to be fully aware of what's taking place 10:20 in earth's history. This is a time 10:23 living at the heartbeat of eternity... the knife-edge 10:27 of eternity... this is a time to know 10:30 that there's nothing between us and Christ. 10:32 That our hearts are fully, totally, absolutely 10:36 committed to Him. This is a time to understand 10:39 the prophecies of this last prophetic book of the Bible: 10:43 Revelation. This is a time to be sure 10:47 that everything in our life not in harmony with Christ 10:52 is surrendered to Him. 10:55 In the book Testimonies volume 8 10:58 Ellen White writes with divine prophetic insight 11:01 on pages 27 and 28: 11:16 Did Paul in the book of Thessalonians 11:20 say that Christ "was coming as a thief? " 11:23 Quickly, rapidly, unexpectedly to the world? 11:26 He did. And here this statement 11:29 points out that there will be to the world's inhabitants 11:33 an overwhelming surprise. 11:36 But we need not be surprised. 11:38 We need not be caught unaware. 11:41 As one early Adventist writer wrote 11:45 preparing for the second coming he said: 11:49 "The only way to be ready is to get ready and to stay ready. " 11:53 You see, putting off the second coming of Christ 11:56 till tomorrow, putting off preparation 11:59 for His coming until another time 12:02 means that we often will put it off until it's too late. 12:08 These three cosmic messages speak to our hearts. 12:13 They speak to our hearts to be ready today. 12:16 Every generation from the first coming of Christ 12:22 when Jesus said: "Let not your heart be troubled. 12:25 You believe in God... believe also in Me. 12:27 In My Father's house are many mansions. 12:29 If it were not so I would have told you. 12:31 I go to prepare a place for you 12:32 and if I go... I WILL COME AGAIN. " 12:35 Every generation for the last 2,000 years 12:38 has heard those words echo in their ears. 12:40 And it's God's intent that every generation 12:43 live in preparation for His coming. 12:46 Live ready for His coming. 12:48 But in THIS generation the signs have coalesced. 12:52 The things that Christ has said would take place 12:55 are taking place. We have more evidence 12:58 today than we've ever had. 13:01 Somebody said to me: "Well, Pastor Mark, you 13:03 as an evangelist have been preaching about the 2nd coming 13:06 of Christ for 50 years and telling people it's soon. " 13:09 I said: "Oh, yeah. If we preached it 50 years ago, 13:12 it's a lot sooner today than it was then. " 13:14 I would rather prepare for the coming of Christ 13:17 in my lifetime and have Him not come 13:20 but be ready for His coming 13:22 than not prepare and have Him come and not be ready. " 13:25 There is no hesitation 13:28 with the people of God. 13:29 Christ calls us to be ready for His soon return 13:33 and I repeat: the only way to be ready 13:36 is to get ready and to stay ready. 13:38 God has given us divine insight 13:40 in the prophecies of the book of Revelation. 13:44 These prophecies point forward 13:46 to the divine climax of history. 13:59 In the book Evangelism page 119 I read: 14:34 This is our hour. 14:36 THIS is the hour for the people of God. 14:39 The sands in the hourglass of time are running out 14:43 and Jesus Christ has given us a message... 14:45 a message outlined as being carried by three angels 14:49 in mid heaven. This is the time for Christian believers 14:53 in general - Adventists in specific - 14:56 to take the message of the three angels, 14:58 the message of these three cos- mic beings flying in mid heaven, 15:03 in earth's final conflict to the ends of the earth. 15:05 This is no time for religious complacency. 15:08 This is no time for religious mediocrity. 15:11 This is OUR HOUR to take God's last-day message. 15:14 What are those messages again? In summary: 15:31 Here is a message of love, 15:34 a message of grace, a message to go to the ends of the earth 15:38 leading people to be so enamored with Christ, 15:42 so transformed by the grace of Christ 15:44 to live godly obedient lives. 15:47 Here is a message of the judgment hour calling men 15:50 and women to obey God. 15:52 But because the majority of the world turns their back 15:56 on this message the second angel flies. 15:59 in Revelation 14 verse 8. He says: 16:11 As we've studied in this series: 16:23 And so here the second angel's message 16:26 is calling us from all man-made traditions. 16:32 It's calling us from making self the center. 16:36 It's calling us from the humanism of our day. 16:39 It's calling us back to Jesus and making Jesus a priority. 16:43 It's calling us back to the truths of God's Word. 16:54 But the message of the angels flying in mid heaven 16:59 calls us back to the supremacy of Christ. 17:02 Babylon misunderstands the state of human beings in death 17:07 so it teaches the immortality of the soul. 17:10 It revives ancient sun worship rather than accepting 17:15 the Bible Sabbath. 17:16 So the messages of these angels, these three cosmic messages, 17:20 call us back to worshiping the Creator 17:24 rather than the sun worship of the pagan philosophy & cultures. 17:40 So God has an end-time message... 17:44 an end-time message calling us back to giving glory 17:47 in what we eat and what we drink. 17:50 Glory in how we live to praise Him 17:53 in every area and aspect of our lives. 18:02 The message of the 3 angels - 18:04 these three cosmic messages - call us back 18:07 to the Word to be set apart, to be sanctified, to be hallowed 18:12 by the very truth of God. 18:18 Some people have this idea that you can never know the truth. 18:21 But Jesus says: 18:25 The truth frees us; the truth liberates us 18:28 from error and falsehood and apostasy. 18:32 The third angel flies. Revelation 14:9-11. 18:39 It is a warning against accepting 18:43 a church/state political union 18:47 to bring security and peace on earth. 18:50 The vehicle of that union, of course, 18:53 is that false sign of sun worship in opposition 18:57 to Sabbath worship. 19:06 So the mark of the beast 19:08 represents the sign of authority 19:11 of a religious political power 19:14 that attempts to bring the world together 19:16 in a world unity movement. 19:19 The beast of Revelation 13 and 14 19:22 rises out of Rome 19:24 as we've studied as a world-wide system of worship. 19:29 History will repeat itself. 19:32 In the days of the early Roman Empire 19:34 church and state united. 19:37 At a time when the Empire was falling apart 19:39 Constantine, the pagan Roman emperor, 19:42 in an attempt to unite his empire 19:45 used Sunday as a vehicle 19:47 in which the workshops closed, what was a common social day. 19:52 Church leaders united with the Roman state 19:57 passed decrees in church councils 19:59 to sanctify Sunday contrary to the very Word of God. 20:04 This indeed will happen again. 20:08 Great Controversy page 588 says: 20:49 What's the three-fold union? 20:51 Spiritualism, Catholicism, and Apostate Protestantism 20:56 that has left its true lover, Jesus, to accept 21:00 the counterfeit teachings of the world 21:03 and the counterfeit teachings of Babylon. 21:13 How will that indeed take place? 21:16 In a time of immense crisis. 21:19 In a time when it appears 21:21 that this world is falling apart and crumbling. 21:26 At a time of uncertainty. 21:29 At that period of time church and state will unite. 21:34 The devil will work false miracles 21:37 to bring together under the auspices of the vehicle 21:40 Sunday worship a common day of worship. 21:45 Those that don't go along will eventually be persecuted. 21:48 Unable to buy or sell is what Revelation 13 says. 21:51 And eventually there will be a death decree. 22:03 So the spirits of demons work miracles 22:06 to get this false unity movement united. 22:32 In the Bible fire is a symbol of the presence of God. 22:35 The fiery sword there at the entrance of the Garden of Eden. 22:41 The presence of God keeping Adam & Eve from going back in. 22:44 The fiery presence leading the children of Israel 22:48 with a pillar of fire by night. 22:50 That was the representation... the presence of God. 22:53 Elijah... the fire comes down. The presence of God. 22:56 In the New Testament fire represents the presence 23:00 of God manifest in the Holy Spirit. 23:02 Tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost: 23:04 the fire of God's presence. 23:06 But this is FALSE fire so this is a false presence of God... 23:11 a false Holy Ghost movement under the beast. 23:30 So here are false miracles that indeed occur. 23:35 Revelation 16:14 tells the source, the origin 23:40 of these false miracles: 23:55 So... summarizing: 23:58 Revelation chapter 13 talks about the rise 24:01 of the papal power. Talks about its influence in the world. 24:06 It talks about a vehicle under the auspices of the beast power 24:11 to unite the whole world just before the coming of Jesus. 24:15 And Satan then unleashes the mighty powers 24:19 of hell to work false or counterfeit miracles 24:23 to convince the kings of the earth 24:26 who often have this humanistic viewpoint 24:29 these political leaders and the idea "seeing is believing. " 24:33 So these false miracles convince them. 24:35 Spiritualism, Protestantism, Catholicism, 24:39 the nations of the world, the various religions of the world 24:43 unite in an attempt to bring the world together 24:47 in that unity. 24:49 In the book Great Controversy page 588 I continue to read: 25:05 So there's this false religious revival that occurs. 25:10 But God is not caught off-guard. 25:13 He is preparing for the earth to be lightened with the glory 25:17 of God and a true religious revival will come. 25:34 But the people of God have been warned. 25:37 Three cosmic messages - three angels' messages - 25:41 have given them the alert, have opened their eyes, 25:45 have prepared them for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 25:56 The Reformation at end-time will be completed. 26:00 Satan will not take the field alone. 26:03 God will move through His end-time people, 26:07 His last-day people, to restore the truth of His Word. 26:11 Honest-hearted men and women will have their hearts 26:15 illuminated with the glory of God. 26:17 With the truth of God, the light of God's truth will shine. 26:21 And as it shines ever so brightly 26:23 thousands and tens of thousands will respond 26:26 to that truth, accept it, and be prepared for the coming 26:30 of Jesus. It will be written... As is stated 26:34 in Revelation 14 verse 12 it will be written of them: 26:48 Jesus will have an end-time people... 26:52 a people that are obedient to Him. 26:55 A people that have the quality of Christ's faith 26:58 living in their hearts. 27:00 A people that have trust in Jesus at end-time. 27:05 Through that people God will reveal His will. 27:21 This earth will be lightened with the glory of God. 27:25 The Reformation that began in the 13th century 27:30 and continued on through the 14th, 15th, 16th century... 27:34 that Reformation, that return to the Bible, 27:38 that return to the centrality of Christ, 27:41 that return to grace as the only means of salvation, 27:44 that return to obedience to God as our model, 27:48 that Reformation will be completed. 27:50 That Reformation will come to a climax 27:53 in a last-day Adventist people 27:56 who are a movement of destiny raised up by God 28:00 to proclaim His last-day message to the ends of the earth. 28:03 It will be the birth of a movement at end-time. 28:08 That movement has already begun. 28:10 That movement is already echoing God's truth around the world. 28:15 But there will be at end-time a final movement of God, 28:21 a final move of God. Revelation 14 verse 7 says: 28:34 "Fear God" - respect Him, obey Him. 28:38 A message to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 28:40 Give glory to Him in your lifestyle. 28:43 A message for the world: 28:45 "For the hour of His judgment is come. " 28:47 A message for every man, woman, and child on planet earth. 28:50 Worship the Creator rather than worshiping the ones who made 28:56 and the works of our hands. 28:58 The devil has tried to undermine creation in an age of evolution. 29:03 But the call at end-time, the call in the last days, 29:07 the call of these three angels is a call to worship 29:11 the Creator, and enshrined in the Sabbath 29:15 commandment is that call to worship the Creator. 29:20 John in Revelation chapter 18 verse 1 talks about this final 29:26 move of God. He talks about 29:28 this last-day movement and he says: 29:40 The devil will not enshroud this world in darkness. 29:45 The devil will not triumph in the end. 29:48 JESUS will triumph in the end! 29:50 The devil will not be victorious in the end. 29:53 JESUS will be victorious in the end! 29:55 The earth will be lightened with the glory of God. 29:59 Now did you notice our text? 30:07 Now this expression great authority is a very amazing 30:12 expression. The NT is written in the Greek language, 30:15 and the word for great authority is exousia. 30:18 Now exousia means authority but it means more than authority. 30:23 Exousia means power but it means more than power. 30:26 Exousia is a very hard word to translate into the English 30:31 language or other languages. 30:33 You don't really see the nuance on it. 30:36 But the word exousia has to do with victory 30:40 and triumph and power and authority. 30:43 It has to do with Christ's authority over the 30:45 principalities and powers of hell. 30:48 So what Rev. 18 is saying is 30:51 that God will have an end-time people 30:54 through whom He will triumph 30:56 in the most crucial time of earth's history, 30:59 at the greatest crisis of earth's history. 31:01 And His people will triumph by His grace and through His power 31:05 over the principalities and powers of hell 31:08 and the earth will be lighted with His glory. 31:10 Now I'd like to look with you at some other ways 31:13 in the New Testament that this verb exousia, 31:17 or this phrase exousia rather is described: great authority. 31:22 Here we have it in Matthew 10 verse 1. 31:24 When Jesus... He had called his twelve disciples 31:29 He gave them power. 31:31 Now notice the word for power is exousia. 31:33 Over what? 31:39 So in the last days of earth's history 31:42 when Satan works false miracles 31:44 God at end-time will manifest His power. 31:48 Unusual power from beneath 31:51 calls for supernatural power from above. 31:54 And God will once again through His church 31:57 bless it with supernatural power. 32:00 We will see miracles worked. 32:02 The sick will be healed. 32:04 Undeniable wonders will be performed by the people of God 32:09 because they are totally absolutely committed to Christ. 32:13 They will not be performing those miracles; they will be 32:16 the vehicle that Christ uses to perform those miracles. 32:20 But we are going to see the miracle-working power of God 32:24 at end-time. Will there be false miracles? Yes. 32:26 Will many people be deceived by those false miracles? 32:29 Certainly. What's the difference 32:31 between the false and true miracles? 32:32 We shared that in another presentation, 32:35 but to summarize it in case you missed that: 32:37 false miracles lead you to be content in yourself 32:42 separate from obedience to God. 32:45 False miracles have nothing to do with obedience. 32:48 But genuine authentic miracles always lead us back to obedience 32:53 to God's natural law, God's moral law. 32:56 Genuine miracles always lead us to heartfelt confession 33:01 and repentance. And so this word exousia 33:05 is a word of power and triumph. 33:08 Here it's used again in Matthew 28 verse 18. 33:21 That word authority again is exousia. 33:29 How did they do that? In the power of Christ. 33:32 How did they do that? In the power of the Holy Spirit. 33:35 So in end-time when it looks like everything in the world 33:39 is falling apart, when there's a union of church and state, 33:43 when the people of God are oppressed, 33:45 the Latter Rain power of the Holy Spirit 33:48 is poured out upon them. 33:50 And the church rises as glorious as the sun, 33:55 as fair as the moon, 33:57 as strong as an army accord- ing to Ephesians chapter 5. 34:02 And the earth is lightened with the glory of God 34:05 because God's church has risen to the occasion 34:09 and God has a people totally absolutely committed to Him. 34:14 Upon that people He pours out His Holy Spirit at end time. 34:18 The Holy Spirit will be poured out in unprecedented power. 34:22 The gospel will rapidly spread to the ends of the earth. 34:26 "This gospel of the kingdom... " Matthew 24:14 34:30 "shall be preached to all the world 34:32 as a witness to all nations 34:34 then the end will come. " 34:36 This is Christ's promise. 34:38 This is Christ's appeal to you and me: 34:42 "Be part of something big. Be part of something grand. 34:46 Be part of something glorious. " 34:48 Do not play church. Do not fiddle around on the peripheries 34:53 of faith. THIS is a time to share Christ. 34:58 This is a time to share the hope of His soon coming. 35:01 THIS is the time of urgency 35:05 to share the beauty of His last-day message 35:10 with the world. This is a time 35:12 to share the 3 angels' messages, these three cosmic messages 35:17 in earth's final conflict with your friends & your neighbors. 35:36 What does it mean the earth was illuminated with the glory 35:39 of God? In the book of Revelation 35:42 there are three things that are linked: 35:45 God's glory; God's honor; and God's power. 35:50 When Satan challenged the government of God 35:54 in the great controversy between good and evil 35:58 millenniums ago in heaven 36:00 he challenged God's glory. Lucifer wanted God's glory. 36:04 He challenged God's honor. Lucifer wanted God's honor. 36:08 And he challenged God's power. 36:10 God will raise up an end-time people 36:13 who have only one interest: God's glory. 36:17 Not their own glory. Not self-centered egotism. 36:21 God's honor... not their reputation. 36:24 God's power... not their power. Not on some ego trip for power. 36:29 But I want you to notice how these three things are linked 36:33 as the ultimate solution to the great controversy 36:36 in the book of Revelation. 36:49 So God as Creator 36:52 is worthy of glory, honor, and power. 36:54 That's the real issue in the great controversy. 36:56 That's the issue in this inter- galactic struggle between 37:00 Christ and Satan: who is worthy of glory, honor, and power? 37:03 Notice Revelation 5:12. You have the same expression. 37:08 A little different order but the same. 37:19 Why is Jesus worthy of our honor? 37:21 Why is Jesus worthy of our glory? 37:24 Why is Jesus worthy of being the One who has the power 37:28 of the whole universe? Because first: He created us. 37:32 Revelation 4:11. Second: He redeemed us 37:35 Revelation 5 there and verse 12. 37:38 But notice the linkage of power, honor, and glory. 37:42 Notice Revelation 19 verse 1: 37:44 The redeemed... the redeemed standing in heaven with Christ 37:50 when sin and suffering and sickness are no more. 37:54 When heartache is no more. 37:56 When pain is over; when evil is destroyed. 38:00 When sin has been crushed by Christ. 38:03 When the victory is Christ's we stand there with Jesus 38:06 and we say what? 38:12 The controversy is ended! 38:15 One pulse of harmony and gladness beats throughout 38:18 the vast creation. Sin and sinners are no more. 38:21 And in the numberless worlds cherubim and seraphim 38:26 sing: "Glory and honor and power to Him. " 38:37 We, clothed with the glory of Christ; 38:39 we, filled with one desire to honor Christ 38:42 enter in to that holy city. 38:44 Satan, the evil serpent that deceived Eve, 38:47 is crushed and gone forever. 38:49 That evil angel, the being of dazzling brightness that 38:52 rebelled against God one day will be destroyed... 38:55 burned up, consumed. 38:56 All of those earthy powers that wanted their glory: 39:00 beasts rise and fall; Babylon rises and falls. 39:03 Medo-Persia rises and falls. 39:05 Greece rises and falls. 39:07 Rome rises and falls. 39:08 Rome is broken up. There is this amalgamation 39:12 union of church and state - Dark Ages. 39:14 End-time political union of church and state. 39:16 But all of these powers that have risen and fallen 39:20 seeking their honor, seeking their glory 39:23 they are now faded into insignificance. 39:26 Here is the good news: there is one thing that will last. 39:30 There is one thing that will endure. 39:32 There is one thing that will go 39:34 through the ceaseless ages of eternity. 39:37 We'll be singing "glory. " "We'll be singing "honor. " 39:40 We'll be singing "power" to Christ. 39:42 The great controversy will be ended! 39:45 Jesus earned that right when He created us. 39:49 Jesus earned that right on the cross of Calvary 39:53 when He bore our sins and guilt. 39:55 Jesus resurrected from the dead 39:58 intercedes for us and He is the One 40:01 that is worthy of glory, honor, and power. 40:22 Because an end-time people 40:25 who want nothing else but what He wants, 40:28 who desire nothing else but to please Him, 40:30 who are concerned about His glory, His honor, 40:34 who are concerned about His reputation in the universe... 40:38 That end-time people go out and proclaim the message 40:42 of His love, the message of His grace, 40:45 the message of His mercy, 40:47 the message of His incredible power. 40:50 The messages of His everlasting strength 40:52 and the message of His soon return and the hope 40:55 of His soon return. What is the glory of Christ? 40:58 Exodus 33:18-19: Moses said: "Show me Your glory" 41:04 and God said: 41:11 The earth is filled with the glory of God. 41:14 If God's goodness is poured out through God's people 41:18 as they reveal His character, the earth will be filled 41:22 with the glory, the goodness, the grace of God. 41:25 As an end-time people go out and proclaim that grace 41:29 I John 3:1-2 says: 41:42 Coming to Christ right now 41:45 you are a child of God. 41:48 You are a son of God, a daughter of God. 41:52 But you remember what the Bible says: 41:58 When are we children of God? Right now. 42:15 God is doing something in your life today 42:19 but God wants to do much more. 42:22 According to Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 42:25 Jesus is the author of our faith 42:29 but He's also the finisher of it. 42:31 Christ has begun to do something in your life. 42:35 Philippians 1 verses 6 and 7 42:38 says: "This is the confidence I have in Him: 42:41 that He that has begun a good work in me will finish it. " 42:44 God wants to do much more for you. 42:47 However much you know Christ 42:50 He wants to fill you fuller with His grace. 42:55 However close you are to Him 42:57 He wants to bring you closer. 43:00 He wants you to know Him and to know Him intimately. 43:05 He wants to fill your heart with a sense of His presence... 43:11 a sense of His love, 43:14 a sense of His grace. "Beloved... " John says... 43:19 The John that wrote the book of Revelation: "Beloved, 43:22 NOW are we the sons of God. 43:25 Yet it doth not yet appear what we shall be 43:29 for when He shall appear 43:31 we shall see Him as He is 43:36 and we shall be like Him. " 43:38 Is the great desire of your heart to be like Christ? 43:42 Ellen White, writing to the General Conference of SDA's 43:48 in the Daily Bulletin of January 28, 1893, says this: 44:06 The message of Christ's righteousness... what is that? 44:09 That I am unworthy but He is worthy. 44:12 I am unrighteous but He is righteous. 44:14 I am filthy but He is clean. 44:17 I am impure but He is pure. 44:19 I am weak but He is strong. 44:22 The message of Christ's righteousness is to go from 44:24 one end of the earth to the other. 44:26 What is the message, the summary of the message of the 3 angels? 44:29 It is that Christ is all in all. 44:31 We come to Christ; we forsake all 44:36 of our own righteousness. 44:38 His righteousness lives in our hearts. 44:40 The beast power focuses attention upon himself 44:43 and some political religious unity to solve the problems 44:48 of the world. What is the righteousness of Christ? 44:50 It's only Christ can solve the problems of the world. 44:52 He can solve the problems of our own personal life. 44:54 He can solve the problems internationally of the world. 44:58 The Christ that created us, the Christ that died for us, 45:02 the Christ that intercedes for us, 45:04 the Christ that's coming again for us. 45:06 This Christ who is all righteous 45:09 is our only Savior and Redeemer. 45:46 These false religions neces- sitate coming with offerings and 45:51 flagellation and coming to make myself righteous before God 45:56 but genuine Christianity speaks of the cross! 46:00 It speaks of what Christ has done for me 46:03 and in light of His matchless charm I am drawn to Him. 46:19 Genuine Christianity is anchored not in man's opinion. 46:23 Not in human ideas. Not in some cultural approach 46:26 that shapes the Bible according to my opinion. 46:29 But it is anchored in Jesus and His Word. 46:42 The Bible says 46:44 in the essence of these messages of the 3 angels, 46:48 these 3 cosmic messages, the Bible says: "Fear God... 46:50 respect Him. Give glory to Him. " 46:54 In Testimonies to Ministers Ellen White writes to ministers 46:58 page 453: 47:12 We come to Jesus and we say: "Jesus, 47:16 there is no way I can save myself. 47:18 Jesus, take my life 47:21 my sinful self and Jesus, save me. 47:24 And Jesus, when You save me You save me not for a life of 47:28 disobedience. You save me for a life of obedience. " 47:32 The angel cries mightily in Revelation 18:2-4. 47:45 Babylon, a false religion that depends on human opinions, 47:50 is deceived by demons. 47:52 The nations of the world drink the wine. They become drunk 47:56 with her false doctrine. 47:59 The kings of the earth unite with that false system. 48:02 They commit fornication with her. 48:04 The merchants of the earth, that is the economic powers, 48:07 the moneyed men of the earth be- come rich through the abundance 48:10 of her delicacy. Here there is another 3-fold union. 48:15 Apostate or false religions unite on their perceived 48:21 idea of truth, their human opinion of truth, 48:24 their human traditions. 48:25 Political powers join them to bring the world together. 48:28 The nations of the world unite governments. 48:32 The financial institutions or economic powers unite. 48:35 But in Revelation 18:4 there is a clarion call. 48:47 God makes His final appeal. 48:49 That final appeal is going out to the world right now. 48:53 Jesus is appealing to His people in a message of love: 48:57 "Come... be part of My last-day movement. " 49:00 "Come... be part of this move- ment, this divine movement of 49:03 destiny. " "Come and share the glory 49:06 of My truth to the world. " "Come and reveal My honor. " 49:10 "Come and reveal My glory. " 49:12 "Come... and be empowered by My Spirit. " 49:14 "Come... and unite your life with Me 49:18 and be participant in that final movement to the world. " 49:22 The Bible says it is time to make a decision for Christ. 49:25 Babylon, described in Revelation 18 verse 5: 49:33 It is time! When Jesus says: "Enough! 49:36 Enough sin! " In the days of Noah 49:40 sin reached its final point. 49:43 In the days of Noah the cup of iniquity was filled. 49:48 In the days of Sodom and Gomorrah 49:50 the cup of iniquity was filled and God said: "Enough! " 49:53 At end time Jesus says: "Enough! " 49:58 Enough suffering; enough heartache; enough sorrow; 50:01 enough rebellion; enough sin. 50:03 And Jesus says: "It is time, gentlemen, ladies. It's closing 50:07 time. " Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, page 208 reads: 50:28 Probation will close when that takes place. 50:31 Notice what it says: 50:39 The message of Christ is going out now. 50:42 Every human being will have the opportunity 50:45 to make their irrevocable decision. 50:48 Probation does not close arbitrarily by God 50:53 but it closes as a signal that everybody has already 50:57 made up their mind. 50:58 This is decision time. 51:17 As Paul said: "For me to live is Christ. " 51:21 This is the time in the light of the second coming of Christ 51:26 to make our final decision for Christ. 51:29 This is the time to get off the fence. 51:32 Some time ago Lord Cecil, 51:36 one of the royal line, princes of England, 51:40 was in Canada for a short period of time 51:43 and he was on his way to a church service. 51:48 And as he was he looked out and saw 51:51 a man who he recognized that had been to church 51:55 before but who had drifted away from Christ. 51:58 And this man was out working splitting lumber. 52:02 And all Cecil said was: "Brother, the Lord is coming! " 52:08 and kept walking. 52:10 That lumberjack began thinking. 52:12 The Lord is coming... the Lord is coming! 52:16 The Lord is coming... am I ready for His return? 52:22 Am I ready for that day that Jesus will stream down 52:26 the corridor of the sky? Am I ready for that day 52:30 that the earth will be alight with the glory of God? 52:34 Have I made a full, complete, total surrender to Christ? 52:39 This world is on collision course 52:43 and there is only one hope: the hope of the coming of Jesus. 52:47 I love that song: We have this hope 52:49 that burns within our hearts. 52:52 Listen as Charles sings. 53:00 We have this hope that 53:04 burns within our hearts: 53:08 hope in the coming of our Lord! 53:15 We have this faith that 53:19 Christ alone imparts: 53:23 faith in the promise 53:26 of His Word. 53:30 We believe the time is here 53:34 when the nations far and near 53:37 shall awake and shout and sing: 53:41 "Hallelujah! Christ is King! " 53:50 We have this hope 53:54 that burns within our hearts: 53:58 hope in the coming 54:02 of the Lord! 54:07 We are united 54:11 in Jesus Christ our Lord. 54:15 We are united 54:18 in His love. 54:22 Love for the waiting 54:26 people of our world, 54:30 people who need our Savior's love. 54:36 Soon the heavens will open wide, 54:41 Christ will come to claim His bride. 54:45 All the universe will sing: 54:49 "Hallelujah! 54:51 Christ is King! " 54:58 We have this hope, 55:01 this faith, and God's great love. 55:06 We are united 55:09 in Christ. 55:14 We have this hope 55:17 that burns within our hearts: 55:22 hope in the coming of our Lord. 55:29 We have this faith that 55:33 Christ alone imparts: 55:37 faith in the promise 55:40 of His Word. 55:44 Now we believe the time is here 55:48 when the nations far and near 55:52 shall awake and shout and sing: 55:56 "Hallelujah! 55:59 Christ is King! " 56:06 We have this hope that 56:10 burns within our hearts: 56:15 hope in the 56:17 coming of the Lord! 56:26 That is our hope, friend: hope in the coming of Christ. 56:32 If we do not have that hope, what hope do we have? 56:36 Is death the dark hole in the ground? 56:39 A long night without a morning? 56:42 We have a hope... a hope that pierces our darkness. 56:46 Reach out and grasp that hope. 56:49 Reach out and embrace that hope. 56:51 Reach out and cherish that hope. 56:54 Christ is coming again! 56:56 Let's pray together. 56:57 Father in heaven, thank you for the hope. 56:59 We choose to allow Jesus to live in our lives 57:04 and fill our lives with His grace and love 57:08 so we can proclaim that hope to the ends of the earth. 57:11 In Christ's name, Amen. 57:14 God bless you, my friend. |
Revised 2020-07-30