The Midnight Cry

Fire in the Sky

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

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Series Code: TMC

Program Code: TMC000017A


00:15 And we've been delighted to have him as our guest
00:19 this weekend. Please welcome again Roy Drusky.
00:50 I am going
00:53 to a city
00:59 where the streets
01:02 with gold are laid.
01:08 Where the Tree of Life
01:12 is blooming
01:17 and the roses
01:20 never fade.
01:26 Here they bloom
01:29 but for a season.
01:35 Soon their beauty
01:38 is decayed.
01:44 I am going
01:48 to a city
01:53 where the roses
01:57 never fade.
02:11 Loved ones wait to be
02:16 with Jesus.
02:20 They're in
02:22 their robes of white array.
02:29 Soon we'll all go there
02:34 together
02:38 where
02:41 the roses never fade.
02:48 Here they bloom
02:51 but for a season.
02:57 Soon their beauty
03:00 is decayed.
03:06 I am going
03:09 to a city
03:15 where the roses
03:18 never fade.
03:24 Here they bloom
03:27 but for a season.
03:33 Soon their beauty
03:36 is decayed.
03:42 I am going
03:46 to a city
03:51 where
03:53 the roses never fade.
04:08 Very happy to welcome each of you again this evening.
04:11 Appreciate you being here. And for those who are watching
04:14 across the nation and in dif- ferent places around the world
04:17 we welcome you and hope that as you have been studying
04:21 the Word of God from night to night
04:22 that your understanding in the Lord is growing
04:26 and the grace of Jesus Christ is becoming more real to you
04:30 all the time. So tonight's subject is a very
04:33 important one, and we hope it will be a blessing to you
04:36 in a special way.
04:39 One of the marvelous promises is...
04:42 is that you and I will be able to behold Him,
04:47 to see Him. And I want you to listen tonight
04:49 as Ysis EspaƱa sings We Shall Behold Him.
05:12 The sky shall unfold
05:18 preparing
05:22 His entrance.
05:28 The stars shall
05:32 applaud Him
05:38 with thunders of praise.
05:48 The sweet light
05:50 in His eyes
05:57 shall enhance
05:59 those awaiting
06:06 and we shall
06:09 behold Him
06:16 then face to face.
06:25 We shall
06:28 behold Him!
06:34 We shall
06:37 behold Him
06:44 face to face
06:49 in all of
06:51 His glory!
06:58 We shall
07:01 behold Him!
07:07 We shall
07:10 behold Him
07:17 face to face
07:25 our Savior
07:28 and Lord!
07:47 The angels
07:49 shall sound
07:56 the shout of His coming.
08:05 The sleeping
08:08 shall rise from
08:15 their slumbering place.
08:24 And those who remain
08:33 shall be changed in
08:36 a moment...
08:42 and we shall
08:45 behold Him
08:52 then face to face!
09:01 Yes, we shall
09:04 behold Him!
09:11 We shall behold
09:16 Him
09:21 face to face
09:25 in all of
09:27 His glory.
09:35 We shall
09:37 behold Him!
09:44 We shall
09:46 behold Him
09:53 face
09:56 to face
10:02 our Savior
10:05 and Lord...
10:12 we shall
10:14 behold Him
10:21 our Savior
10:25 and Lord!
10:33 Savior
10:35 and Lord!
10:59 Our gracious Father,
11:02 we look forward to that day when we shall behold You.
11:07 We pray tonight that as we
11:10 look at the ways in which
11:14 Your Word has revealed that You're coming
11:17 that You'll give to each one of us insight.
11:21 We pray, Lord, that our hearts may be open,
11:24 the Holy Spirit may have access to our minds,
11:28 and that it will lead us and guide us into the truths
11:31 of Your Word. For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen.
11:44 The Scripture describes the coming of Jesus Christ
11:47 with these words found here in Matthew the 24th chapter
11:52 and verse 27. It says:
12:03 Scripture just simply says: "As lightning
12:05 comes from the east and flashes clear across the sky
12:09 to the west, so will the coming
12:12 of the Son of Man be. "
12:13 As a boy of nine years of age
12:17 my parents moved from Chicago here
12:20 to Oklahoma.
12:22 Moved out on the farm, and for a nine-year-old boy
12:26 who had lived right downtown Chicago
12:29 that was a radical change.
12:31 And my father was very, very fond of hunting and fishing.
12:37 And so we hadn't lived in Oklahoma very long
12:40 until one day he said to me...
12:42 he said: "When you come home from school
12:44 if you'll get all the fishing gear ready
12:48 I'll have your mother fix us a lunch and all
12:51 and when I get home from work
12:52 we'll go out and we'll spend the night on the river fishing. "
12:56 Well of course that was wonder- ful to a nine-year-old boy.
13:00 And so I got everything all ready
13:02 and my father came home. And we put all the fishing gear
13:05 in the car and drove out to the river
13:07 to spend the night on the river.
13:09 And I can remember we went down and stuck our fishing poles
13:13 in the ground there and put out our line
13:16 and hooks and the sinker and everything
13:18 and got ready to try to catch some fish.
13:21 And my father went up on the top of the bank there
13:25 and we have some trees in Oklahoma... they're called
13:29 post oaks. I don't know if you know what they are.
13:31 But they're not a very tall tree.
13:34 And my father took a hatchet and cut down
13:36 some of these post oak runners
13:38 and with that he built a little lean-to.
13:41 And he spread a blanket out under this lean-to
13:43 so that if we got tired or we wanted to go up and take a nap
13:46 we could. And so I went down on the bank and was fishing.
13:50 And the fish weren't biting very much.
13:53 And so I got bored and I went up and sat down on the blanket
13:57 and thought I'd take a nap.
13:59 Hadn't been there too long until off in the distance
14:03 I could see the flash of lightning.
14:07 Didn't think much about it.
14:09 But as the time passed I could begin to hear the thunder.
14:14 And didn't worry too much about it,
14:18 but as time passed the flash of lightning became stronger
14:23 and the sound of thunder became louder.
14:25 And as it got closer to us
14:28 well I guess my father got concerned about me.
14:31 And he came up there where I was and sat down beside me.
14:34 This storm, folks, passed right over where we are.
14:38 Now I don't know how many of you have ever lived in Oklahoma
14:40 but Oklahoma is "tornado alley. "
14:43 You know, they really get storms come through there.
14:46 I to this day have never forgotten that storm.
14:49 I have never seen it lightning like it did
14:53 or the sound of thunder. I mean, the thunder was
14:56 so loud that it would shake the ground.
14:58 And the flash of lightning was so bright, folks,
15:02 that I could shut my eyes and I could still see it.
15:07 You know? Well let me tell you something:
15:09 when it said "as lightning cometh out of the east
15:12 and shineth clear to the west"
15:14 you'd better believe you can SEE THAT!
15:16 There is no question about it
15:19 when it talks about the coming of Jesus Christ
15:21 that it will be something that you and I can see
15:25 without any question of a doubt.
15:27 In fact, the Scripture tells us
15:29 that the coming of Jesus will be very glorious.
15:51 Talks about "the glorious appearing. "
15:54 "As lightning shines from the east even unto the west
15:57 so will the coming of the Son of Man be. "
16:00 Well, the Scripture tells you exactly how glorious
16:04 the coming of Christ is going to be.
16:33 So it says He's going to come back in His own glory;
16:36 He's going to come back in the glory of His Father;
16:38 He's going to come back in the glory of the angels.
16:41 Have you ever looked at that to see what that's like
16:45 when it says He's coming back in His own glory,
16:48 in the glory of the Father, and the glory of the holy angels?
16:52 Well you remember an incident in the Bible
16:55 that illustrates what the glory of the Father is like.
16:59 Moses.
17:01 Moses has gone up on top of Mt. Sinai.
17:06 And while he's up there on top of the mountain
17:08 he says to the Lord, he says: "I'd like to see Your face. "
17:13 And the Lord said "Moses, no one has seen My face and lived.
17:17 But I'll tell you what: I'll put you over here
17:20 in the cleft of the rock, I'll put My hand over it
17:23 and after I've passed by I'll let you see My back. "
17:27 And God put Moses in the hollow of that rock.
17:31 And it says that when God passed by
17:34 Moses saw compassion and love and mercy
17:38 and all the wonderful attributes of God.
17:42 After that was over
17:43 Moses is coming down out of the mountain.
17:47 Has the Ten Commandments with him.
17:50 Watch what happens here:
18:09 I mean, just the reflected glory of God was so bright
18:13 that the children of Israel couldn't stand to look at him.
18:16 They said: "Moses, put a veil over your face...
18:19 we can't stand to look at you. "
18:21 That's the reflected glory of God.
18:24 What must it be like
18:26 when Jesus comes in the glory of His Father?
18:30 Not only says that, it says He's going to come back
18:32 "in His own glory. "
18:35 Christ's own glory.
18:38 You remember? He's taken Peter and James and John
18:44 with Him up on top of the Mount of Transfiguration.
18:48 And while He's up there, all of a sudden He's transfigured
18:52 and Moses and Elijah appear to Him.
18:54 And this is what it says happened:
19:12 I mean, this is the glory of Christ. All of a sudden
19:14 He was transfigured and His glory shone forth
19:17 and His face "shone like the sun. "
19:22 His clothing was "as white as light. "
19:26 And then it also says
19:28 He's going to come back in the glory of the angels.
19:32 Have you ever considered that:
19:34 the glory of the angels... what that must be like?
19:38 You remember at the resurrection
19:41 the Bible says that one angel came to the tomb of Christ.
19:47 And when that angel came
19:49 I want you to see as it pictures what took place there.
20:02 One angel and there was a great earthquake.
20:05 All right?
20:11 Now listen:
20:24 One angel came... sat down.
20:27 His countenance was like lightning. Now folks,
20:29 they'd stationed a centurion - that's a soldier that has
20:34 100 soldiers under him - to guard the tomb of Christ.
20:38 What did these soldiers do?
20:46 One angel!
20:48 Countenance was like lightning.
20:53 Now what's it going to be? What's it going to be like
20:57 when the Scripture says that when Jesus comes
21:00 that all the angels are going to come with Him?
21:04 How many angels are there?
21:20 Do you know what ten thousand times ten thousand is?
21:25 That is 100,000,000!
21:29 Ten thousand times ten thousand.
21:32 You see, the Scripture never numbers angels.
21:35 It has a hundred million and thousands of thousands.
21:39 It'll say "the innumerable company. "
21:42 But all these angels are going to come with Him
21:44 and every one of them's countenance is like lightning.
22:00 So when it says the appearing of Jesus Christ
22:02 is glorious, you'd better believe it's glorious
22:06 like man has never seen.
22:08 I can tell you tonight, dear friend:
22:09 don't let anybody ever tell you that you won't see it.
22:13 Don't let them tell you that you won't know what's going on.
22:16 I can tell you: when HE comes
22:18 EVERYBODY will know something's going on
22:21 'cause it will be a glorious appearing!
22:29 Well, it tells us several things.
22:31 One: it tells you be careful what you hear.
22:37 Be careful what you hear about the coming of Jesus Christ.
22:42 This is the counsel that Jesus Himself gave about His coming.
22:57 Somebody says: "Oh, Christ is over here! "
23:01 And I hear that today. Every once in a while somebody'll say
23:03 that. Don't believe it. Listen... He continues on:
23:13 Somebody goes out here in the middle of the desert
23:17 and they perform signs and wonders
23:20 and they say "Christ is here" what do you do?
23:23 You don't believe it.
23:25 See, dear friends, you can't take signs and miracles
23:30 as a sign. You cannot depend on that.
23:34 You can't build your faith and belief on signs and miracles.
23:38 You can only build your faith and belief on the Word of God!
23:43 You can't build it any other place.
23:45 Don't try. If you do, you're going to be on false ground,
23:50 friends. It won't hold you up.
23:52 You've got to build your belief on the Word of God.
23:54 Listen as He continues:
24:02 It says if possible they will deceive even the elect.
24:20 Don't go!
24:27 The Bible is clear when it comes to the coming of Jesus Christ.
24:31 It's going to be something, friend, that you won't have any
24:35 trouble seeing. It's not going to take place quietly;
24:40 it's not going to take place secretly.
24:42 You're not going to wake up and say: "Where did everybody go? "
24:47 That won't happen.
24:49 Everybody will see and under- stand that Jesus is coming.
24:55 It won't be quietly.
25:03 Everybody will see it.
25:05 You won't have any trouble seeing it.
25:24 It says that He will appear.
25:27 You're going to see Him. How will I know it's Christ?
25:31 Well, the Bible gives you a perfectly clear example
25:35 of what the coming of Jesus Christ will be like
25:39 'cause when His disciples were with Him
25:42 He took them out there on the Mount of Olives.
25:47 And as they stood there
25:49 Jesus Christ was taken into heaven.
25:53 Watch, because it tells you exactly
25:56 how the coming of Jesus Christ will be.
26:12 So it says that as they were standing there
26:15 all of a sudden Jesus began to ascend into heaven
26:18 and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
26:21 Now... continue:
26:39 Now listen... here's His coming:
26:48 Now I want to ask you something:
26:49 did they see Him go into heaven?
26:52 Oh, yes! They stood there and watched Him.
26:55 This very same Jesus that had spent 3-1/2 years
27:00 with them, working with them and teaching...
27:02 that same Jesus they had watched heal the sick...
27:05 that same Jesus they had seen speak to the people...
27:08 that same Jesus that had blessed the little children...
27:11 that same Jesus, listen:
27:24 Does it tell you how He's coming back?
27:27 Absolutely! As the disciples saw Him go into heaven
27:30 so He will come back
27:33 just exactly like He went into heaven.
27:37 They saw Him; you and I will see Him.
27:40 No question. "Behold... " Revelation 1:7:
28:00 Yes they see Him. "Every eye will see Him. "
28:02 Every living soul will see Him and it says the wicked will
28:06 literally mourn. So it's not something's that's gonna be
28:10 done out in the desert.
28:12 It's not going to be off in some hiding place.
28:14 It's going to be something that everybody will see.
28:18 No question about it.
28:20 With the coming of Jesus
28:22 is great, great destructive force.
28:27 I mean the world will be very much aware.
28:32 Now folks, it speaks... and I'm going to read you some texts
28:36 about what happens when Jesus comes.
28:56 This is the end. This is when Jesus is coming.
29:06 That always amuses me a little bit.
29:09 I live in California.
29:11 And you know what they talk about in California?
29:13 They talk about the "big one. "
29:15 When is the big one going to hit?
29:17 Well I can tell them when the big one's going to hit.
29:19 When Jesus comes! That's going to be the big one
29:22 I can assure you. All right?
29:23 'Cause it says there was a great earthquake.
29:31 That's the big one! You understand? OK.
29:41 OK?
29:42 So this is a destructive force that's there at the coming
29:45 of Jesus Christ.
29:47 But dear friend, let me tell you something:
29:50 you don't have to be worried.
29:53 You don't have to be concerned
29:56 'cause Psalm 91 says:
29:58 "A thousand may fall at thy side
30:02 and ten thousand at thy right hand
30:05 but it shall not come nigh thee.
30:08 Only with your eyes
30:10 shall you see and behold the reward of the wicked.
30:13 No plague shall come nigh thy dwelling. "
30:18 See? My safety is in Jesus Christ.
30:22 Sure, there's going to be great destructive force
30:26 at the coming of Jesus Christ.
30:28 It says there will be hail that will fall that will weigh
30:31 57 pounds... what the Scripture says:
30:35 that hail will fall. And earthquakes. It talks about
30:38 all the destructive force that will be there.
30:40 But God's people will be perfectly safe in the hands
30:44 of Jesus Christ. Amen! The coming of Jesus Christ
30:49 won't be silent.
30:51 Not going to be something that will be whispered
30:55 and talked about. It's going to be loud.
31:14 So it says that God's coming it's going to be loud.
31:17 He's not going to keep silent.
31:20 Listen. It says that God is going to be there.
31:23 That He has a controversy with the nations.
31:25 Jeremiah... Jeremiah 25:30.
31:28 "Therefore prophesy against them all these words
31:31 and say to them 'The Lord will ROAR from on high. ' "
31:36 I mean, this is talking about the coming of Jesus.
31:49 By the way, that shout is tremendous.
31:53 That shout is so loud
31:56 that it will roll through this earth like peals of thunder.
32:01 What'll happen.
32:16 So this is not silent, folks.
32:19 When Jesus comes it'll be something that every individual
32:23 will hear. They'll not only hear it
32:24 they're going to see it.
32:27 This is what will happen as Jesus comes back.
32:39 You see, when He comes
32:43 and He shouts
32:45 and His words just roll through this earth
32:48 like peals of thunder
32:49 something happens. Did you know what happens?
32:53 That shout is absolutely so loud
32:57 that the dead in the ground hear it.
33:01 That's what it says.
33:19 They're going to hear it. They're going to come out
33:22 of their graves! So you can put it down:
33:27 the coming of Jesus is very glorious.
33:29 Secondly, it's something that everybody's going to see.
33:33 And thirdly, it's something that everybody will be able to hear.
33:37 Won't be quiet... not at all.
33:41 Then us, those who are here you see, dear friends,
33:44 you may be alive at the coming of Jesus Christ.
33:49 And if you are, like I said He will protect you.
33:54 He'll care for you.
33:55 And He says that all those people that are alive
33:58 that are followers of Jesus, they're going to be caught up
34:01 with the dead that have heard the voice and have come forth
34:04 from the grave to meet the Lord up in the air.
34:18 So it says that they're caught up in the clouds
34:21 to meet the Lord in the air.
34:23 This is a promise that God gives to every one of you here
34:28 tonight I don't care who you are.
34:31 It's a promise that Jesus made and let me tell you something:
34:36 the throne of God... the throne of God
34:40 is staked on the fulfillment of His Word.
34:45 Therefore, if God promised it
34:48 you'd better believe it will happen.
34:50 OK. This is the promise
34:53 that God gives to each one of you tonight:
35:41 So He says: "I'm going to come back
35:42 and I'm going to gather all of you
35:45 and I'm going to take you to be with Me
35:49 in My Father's house. I'm going to take all of you there. "
35:53 Oh, dear friend... what a wonderful promise!
35:57 Marvelous promise
35:58 that God says "I'll take you to be with Me
36:02 where you can enjoy all the wonderful things that God has
36:07 prepared for those that love Him. "
36:10 So coming to Jesus
36:12 is a promise that God gives to you and me. And it says:
36:31 So it says that when Jesus went to heaven
36:33 it says that a cloud "received Him out of their sight. "
36:36 It says when He comes back that He's coming back
36:39 on a what? Cloud.
36:43 A number of years ago -
36:46 you may remember - there was a great lot to do
36:49 about UFOs. Do you remember that?
36:52 And I really got interested in UFOs.
36:55 And I don't know how many books I read about UFOs.
36:59 But you know what I found out?
37:00 There's a religion connected with that.
37:03 You see, they believe that Jesus went to heaven on a UFO.
37:06 And they believe He's coming back on a UFO.
37:09 And there's a whole religion tied with that
37:12 idea of a UFO. That He went to heaven and is coming back
37:16 and so forth. Do you know what those clouds are
37:20 when it says that "a cloud re- ceived Him out of their sight? "
37:23 You know what they are? Listen:
37:38 Hmm. It says that God makes the clouds His chariots.
37:43 Listen carefully 'cause the Bible will tell you
37:46 exactly what's involved here.
38:07 of angels... That's what they are.
38:12 So when it talks about those clouds
38:15 that they're God's chariots that's referring to the angels.
38:19 And it says that ALL the angels are going to come back with Him.
38:27 Did you know that every one of you here tonight
38:31 have an angel? Whether you like it or whether you don't
38:35 you've got one.
38:37 And that angel goes with you throughout your entire life.
38:41 The Bible tells you. In fact, the Bible tells you
38:44 you need to be very very careful
38:47 how you treat children 'cause the Bible says
38:52 that child's angel looks on the face of God.
38:58 That's what it says.
39:00 You remember the time when Peter had been put in prison?
39:04 And because Herod had cut off the head of James
39:09 and that had brought him so much favor
39:11 he decided that he would behead Peter also.
39:14 So he's had Peter put in prison.
39:17 The next day Peter's going to lose his head.
39:21 Do you know what Peter's doing?
39:23 Now what would you be doing?
39:26 Praying? Yeah.
39:28 Peter's sleeping.
39:30 That's what he's doing... he's sleeping.
39:33 And while he's sleeping God sends an angel.
39:37 You know, angels have a key to every prison.
39:40 Did you know that? They have a key to every prison
39:43 and they can just walk through the doors.
39:45 In fact, they had put Peter in solitary confinement.
39:50 And there were about four steel doors
39:53 and then they had chained him between two guards.
39:56 And the angel walked right into the room;
39:59 the chains fell off Peter's arms;
40:03 and the angel said to him: "Peter, get up. "
40:05 And Peter thinks he's having a dream...
40:07 that's what Peter thinks is going on, see.
40:09 And the angel finally had to say: "Peter, get up. "
40:12 And Peter finally got up
40:13 and he's still thinking he's dreaming.
40:15 And finally the angel said: "Peter, put on your shoes. "
40:18 And Peter puts on his shoes.
40:20 And the angel takes him and they walk out of the prison.
40:24 The gates, the doors just open without any trouble.
40:26 And they get outside in the street
40:29 and all of a sudden the angel's gone!
40:32 And Peter realizes he's not dreaming.
40:35 All of a sudden the reality comes that the angel
40:38 has taken him out of prison. And so he goes to the home
40:41 of John Mark.
40:44 You know what they're having?
40:46 They're having a prayer meeting for Peter
40:48 'cause they know he's to lose his head the next day.
40:50 So they're all there praying for him.
40:52 And Peter knocks on the door.
40:54 And a young girl by the name of Rhoda goes to the door
40:57 to see who's there. And she looks out the hole
41:00 and there's Peter. And she gets so excited
41:02 that she doesn't let Peter in.
41:04 She runs back and tells the people. She said:
41:06 "Peter's at the door! Peter's at the door! "
41:08 And they said: "No... Peter's not at the door. "
41:11 Is that the way your prayer meetings are?
41:13 Hmm?
41:16 Said: "No, no... Peter's not at the door. "
41:18 And she said: "Yes! Peter's at the door. "
41:20 And they said: "Rhoda, are you OK? "
41:22 "Are you all right? "
41:24 And she said: "No, no... Peter's at the door. "
41:26 And they said: "It's his angel. "
41:31 You see, each one of us has an angel.
41:34 And when Jesus comes, folks,
41:37 it's going to be that angel that's going to get you.
41:41 I don't know whether you will be coming out of the grave
41:46 or if you are alive when Jesus comes.
41:49 But it's going to be that angel that's going to come and get you
41:52 and take you and present you to Christ.
41:55 An angel that knows more about you than anybody else
41:59 'cause that angel's been with you throughout your entire life.
42:02 They're going to come and gather all of God's people
42:05 from all over the earth
42:07 and they're going to take you and present you to Jesus.
42:10 Marvelous what He'll do for each of us.
42:20 So they're going to gather all of His people
42:22 and bring them to meet Jesus.
42:25 But let me tell you something: there's no second chance.
42:30 No second chance, friends.
42:32 I'm sorry.
42:35 Not some other time... it's now.
42:39 Now is the day of salvation... not some other time.
42:43 Listen to the words of God:
43:01 THIS is your time.
43:04 You're not going to have another life.
43:07 Not another chance. You have this life
43:10 and this is your opportunity to give your heart to Jesus Christ.
43:15 To accept Him. It won't happen again.
43:19 Only this life is all that you have.
43:43 Dear friends, there's no second chance there.
43:45 Are you understanding?
43:46 When He comes it says that person that is righteous
43:50 he'll be righteous still; that person who is filthy
43:52 he's going to be filthy still.
43:54 There will not be another opportunity, and it says:
44:10 No second chance!
44:15 I had an uncle that always said
44:19 "Well, when I get old I'll accept Jesus. "
44:23 Well... he got old and never did.
44:27 See... now is the time.
44:31 Not going to be another opportunity.
44:36 Jeremiah 8:20 says that some people are going to say
44:46 Just think.
44:49 It really concerns me
44:53 that people here in the US
44:56 that have had such a marvelous
44:59 opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
45:02 You have been favored beyond words
45:08 and yet how many of us
45:10 have become gospel hardened.
45:13 Say: "Ah... I've heard that before. "
45:16 "Some other time. "
45:18 "I'll think about it. "
45:22 The Bible says that many of them are going to say:
45:24 "Oh, the harvest is past, the summer is ended;
45:27 we're not saved. " Dear friend, I hope tonight
45:31 that you won't put it off.
45:33 Don't say: "Another time. "
45:36 "At a more convenient season. " No...
45:40 this is the time when you and I need to accept the Lord.
45:52 A great preacher of the past by the name of Charles Finney
45:57 studied to be a lawyer... an attorney.
46:02 Had gone away to school.
46:05 He had been raised in a Christian home.
46:07 Godly mother. And as he got away in school
46:11 he just pretty much forgot God, forgot his Christian upbringing.
46:16 And in his senior year in law school
46:19 one day he was sitting at his desk
46:22 studying when a voice spoke to him and said:
46:25 "Charles Finney, when you finish school
46:28 what are you going to do? "
46:30 "Oh, " he said... "I'm going to practice law. "
46:34 And the voice said: "What then? "
46:38 "Oh, " he said... "when I feel financially secure
46:44 I'll probably get married. "
46:48 And the voice said: "What then? "
46:52 "Oh, " he said... "have a family. "
46:55 "Raise some children... have a family. "
46:59 And the voice said: "What then? "
47:04 "Oh, " he said... "I hope that I'll make a contribution
47:07 to my community and to mankind and the people that are living
47:10 around me. "
47:11 And the voice said: "What then? "
47:16 And he said: "Well I guess I'll retire. "
47:22 And the voice said: "What then? "
47:28 And he said: "Oh, I guess I'll die. "
47:33 And the voice said: "What then? "
47:36 And all of a sudden with absolute clarity
47:39 that scripture came to his mind.
47:42 "And it is appointed to men to die once
47:46 but after this the judgment. "
47:48 And Charles Finney got down on his knees and gave his heart
47:52 to Jesus Christ.
47:54 I would like to ask you tonight "What then? "
47:59 When it's all over, what then?
48:02 What are you going to do?
48:04 Are you going to give you heart to Jesus Christ?
48:07 Accept Him? Open up your life?
48:09 Because, dear friend, this is the only time you have.
48:12 You don't have another time.
48:20 The Scripture says: "Watch out! Be careful
48:23 lest all the cares of this life
48:27 grab your attention and you're so busy
48:29 doing maybe good things
48:32 that you miss eternal life! "
48:40 Oh, dear friends, you and I can't afford to let that happen.
48:44 We have to be watching and waiting... prepared
48:48 for the coming of Jesus Christ.
49:02 So God is inviting you tonight to accept Him.
49:05 "Watch therefore and pray always that you may be accounted worthy
49:11 to accept all these things that will come to pass... "
49:15 He said: "Be careful. " "and to stand before the Son of Man. "
49:19 That's what God's asking you and I
49:23 to do to be prepared.
49:25 A friend of mine was over in the Middle East.
49:31 He was in the country of Jordan.
49:35 Had spent several days there in the country of Jordan.
49:40 And it had come time for him to go back home.
49:45 And so he decided that he would go out to the airport
49:49 early in the morning and would make all the arrangements
49:52 and would... I don't know how many of you have traveled
49:55 but many times it takes quite a long time to go through
49:58 customs and this type of thing.
49:59 So he made arrangements for the hotel that he was staying in
50:03 to take him out to the airport.
50:06 And that morning the airport was running a black Cadillac
50:11 from the hotel to the airport.
50:15 And so my friend got in the black Cadillac
50:19 and it took him out to the airport.
50:22 When he got to the airport he took his luggage and all
50:25 and checked in at customs and went through customs.
50:28 And then he decided that he was just going to find a place
50:31 off in a corner somewhere and sit down and do some reading
50:34 and writing. But as they drove up to the airport
50:38 he noticed that there was police everywhere.
50:41 I mean the whole place was full of police.
50:43 And so after he had gone through customs
50:46 he walked outside the airport
50:48 and he asked one of the police- men why so much security.
50:51 And they said: "Oh, haven't you heard?
50:52 King Hussain's coming in. "
50:54 Said: "He's due to land any time. "
50:57 And my friend thought: "Ah, this is an ideal time
51:01 for me to get some pictures. "
51:02 And so he got his camera out
51:04 and went over and found a place where he thought he could get
51:07 a good shot. And he said: "It wasn't too long
51:10 until he could hear the drone of the engine of a plane
51:12 and it began to circle the airport.
51:15 And he said it came down and landed.
51:18 Taxied up to the airport there; stopped.
51:23 Then he said the people scurried around
51:25 and they rolled out a red carpet all the way out
51:28 to the airplane. And then dignitaries came and lined up
51:31 on both sides of the red carpet.
51:34 And he said after a little bit the door of the plane opened
51:37 and a guard stepped out.
51:40 Looked everything over very carefully.
51:42 Then the guard stepped back into the plane
51:45 and King Hussain came out.
51:48 Went down the stairway and then as they do
51:50 over in the Middle East he began to embrace
51:53 each of the dignitaries along the red carpet.
51:55 My friend was shooting pictures of all this as it was going on.
51:59 And he said they walked through there and he said
52:01 he just happened to turn and look and there outside
52:05 the airport - right in front of the airport -
52:07 were lined up black Cadillacs
52:09 waiting to pick up King Hussain and take him to the palace.
52:13 And he said all of a sudden he had a bright idea.
52:16 Because he said sitting off over there to the side
52:19 was this black Cadillac that had brought him to the airport.
52:23 So he said he got up and he went over to the driver
52:26 of that black Cadillac and he asked him
52:29 how much it would cost him to get him to pull in right behind
52:32 those other black Cadillacs
52:34 and follow King Hussain back into town.
52:36 And the fellow told him and so he just pulled out
52:39 the money and paid him and got in the black Cadillac.
52:41 And he said pretty soon King Hussain came out and got
52:43 in the first one and the other people got in the other ones
52:46 and all. And he said they headed toward town.
52:48 And he said on the way to town he said there were people
52:51 all along the highway there standing, waiting to see
52:55 the king. And he said they were shouting and waving.
52:57 And he said it was so wonderful.
52:59 He said he sat back there in his black Cadillac
53:01 and waved at everybody.
53:03 And said everybody waved at him.
53:05 And he said it was so nice to be part of the king's party...
53:09 to belong to the king's party.
53:10 And he said when they got into town
53:12 he said the sidewalks were four abreast.
53:14 And he said they were throwing confetti
53:16 and they were waving and shouting. And he said
53:19 he just sat back there, waved at everybody.
53:22 Said it was nice to be part of the king's party.
53:25 Said they got down the street a little ways
53:27 and they turned. And he said way up ahead
53:30 he could see the palace.
53:33 And he said as they got closer he could see the gates.
53:37 And he said as they got closer
53:39 he could see guards standing on each side of the gates.
53:44 And he said as they got closer
53:46 he saw that first Cadillac pull up there and stop.
53:50 And he saw those guards bend over
53:53 and look at every person in the car
53:56 and wave them on through.
53:58 And he said he reached up and tapped the driver
54:01 on the shoulder. Said: "Pull over...
54:03 this is as far as we can go. "
54:08 Are you going along for the ride tonight?
54:10 Is that all it is to you?
54:13 Are you part of the King's party?
54:17 Are you a child of the King?
54:19 Or are you going to have to say "this is as far as we can go? "
54:24 Tonight God is inviting you -
54:27 each one of you - to become a child of the King.
54:31 To be prepared for the coming of Jesus
54:34 because He is coming soon.
54:39 In these
54:42 the closing days of time
54:49 what joy
54:52 this glorious hope
54:56 affords!
55:00 And soon
55:03 O wondrous truth
55:07 divine
55:12 He shall reign
55:15 King of kings
55:19 and Lord of lords.
55:28 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.
55:30 Father, we thank you
55:32 for the Lord Jesus Christ.
55:35 Thankful that He's coming back.
55:38 And Lord, from all indications it's soon.
55:41 We pray that each one of us here tonight
55:45 may place our faith in you.
55:48 That we may hang on tightly to Your Word
55:51 and that we each might follow as You lead us.
55:56 For this we pray in Christ's name, Amen.
56:02 Psalm 19 and verse 1 says:
56:04 "The heavens declare the glory of God
56:07 and the firmament shows His handiwork. "
56:10 All around us we see the handiwork of our Creator.
56:14 Every flower displays a palate of color and texture
56:17 beyond the imagination of man.
56:20 Every variety is uniquely designed
56:23 by the Master of creativity.
56:26 But they're not just a thing of beauty.
56:28 Every flower has a function and purpose.
56:31 So does every living creature
56:33 whether it is feathered or finned.
56:35 Each creature was put together by the Author of life.
56:39 Even in a fallen world
56:41 God has placed a desire for life in every creature.
56:45 Without instruction a mother knows how to nurture
56:48 and protect her young reflecting the tenderness
56:52 God feels for each of us.
56:54 No man can observe nature and deny His existence.
56:59 But the God of heaven went far beyond
57:02 by humbling Himself and becoming the Man Jesus.
57:06 He walked the dusty paths of Israel
57:09 and He paid the debt for every man's sin
57:12 so we could have eternal life.
57:15 The Bible says in John 17 verse 3
57:18 "And this is eternal life:
57:20 that they may know You, the only true God,
57:24 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. "
57:27 The evidence of a Creator God is all around us.
57:31 He has revealed details of His character
57:33 in a love letter to you and to me.
57:37 Our desire is to help you understand the Bible
57:40 and receive life... eternal life...
57:43 by getting to know Him intimately.
57:45 Won't you help us bring this message to the world?
57:48 Please consider what you can do about those who still don't
57:51 know about Jesus.
57:53 As the Holy Spirit impresses,
57:54 please send your tax-deductible gifts to:
58:09 Thank you for helping us spread the light of God's Word
58:11 through television and radio.
58:13 Your gifts help bring the Blessed Hope of salvation
58:15 to millions around the world.


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Revised 2019-05-20