Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210050S
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00:28 Hello, friends.
00:29 Welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour. 00:31 I'm Pastor John Lomacang. 00:33 And I want to thank you for taking the time to join us 00:35 this Sabbath morning for a very potent and powerful, 00:40 relevant message entitled the direction of the storm. 00:45 Before we open God's Word and before we allow the Lord 00:48 through His Holy Spirit to unpack this message, 00:51 let us go to the Lord in prayer. 00:54 Gracious Father in heaven, what a blessing it is, 00:57 what a privilege it is, 00:59 and what a responsibility to speak for heaven. 01:04 And I pray, Lord, that you will anoint my mind and my lips 01:08 that what you have given to me 01:11 will find that willing mind, that fertile heart, 01:15 that life looking for answers 01:18 in a world filled with confusion. 01:21 We pray that you'll not only enlighten the intellect 01:25 but that you will empower the bones, the mind, the heart 01:29 to move in harmony 01:31 with what your spirit reveals through your word today, 01:35 may all the glory and honor go only to you 01:39 in Jesus' name I pray. 01:41 Amen. 01:44 The direction of the storm. 01:49 I think about our world 01:50 and I think about 01:51 what's happening in our society. 01:54 And not too long ago 01:55 as I was having morning devotions 01:57 with my wife, in my devotions, 02:00 the Lord opened my mind 02:02 to something more than just saying, 02:04 "Let us get ready for the storm." 02:07 But He gave me an insight into something 02:09 even a little deeper than that. 02:11 Because we've talked about storms of life, 02:13 storms of finances, 02:14 storms of difficulty 02:16 but something came to my mind 02:18 after returning home from vacation 02:21 in the Virgin Islands, 02:22 as I was visiting with my brother, 02:24 he's a fisherman. 02:26 And we were on the ocean quite often, 02:28 we were enjoying the water 02:30 and the wind was blowing in various directions. 02:32 And the thought came to my mind, 02:34 coupled with God's leading in my devotion 02:37 that it's not just important to know about the storm, 02:41 but it is even more important 02:44 to understand the direction of the storm. 02:48 And the Apostle Paul joins in that very ideology 02:51 when he talks about the fact 02:53 that the Bible 02:55 through the Apostle Paul has diagnosed 02:58 a condition that where rest the Christian world 03:01 in the last days, 03:03 he is saying there is going to be a storm 03:05 brewing in the Christian world 03:08 that will catch many Christians by surprise. 03:12 And I feel sad to say this, 03:14 but it does not exclude any denomination. 03:18 Because too often, when we read the Bible, 03:20 we applied passages about turning away 03:22 from the truth, turning away from light. 03:24 We often apply those passages 03:27 to those who openly reject the truth. 03:30 But I'm finding, as I get older, 03:31 and as I begin to look at 03:33 what's happening on the horizon, 03:35 that it is also becoming prevalent 03:37 among those professing to believe the truth. 03:42 Listen to the scripture that we often apply outside. 03:45 But the Apostle Paul says this applies to every Christian 03:50 in the last days. 03:51 2 Timothy 4:3-4. 03:56 And he wrote, "For the time will come 03:59 when they will not endure sound doctrine 04:03 but according to their own desires or lusts," 04:06 as the King James version says, 04:08 "because they have itching ears," 04:12 I'll come back to that, 04:14 "they will heap up for themselves teachers." 04:18 And verse four says, 04:20 "And they will turn their ears away from the truth 04:25 and be turned aside to fables itching, ears." 04:29 What did you say? 04:30 What did God's Word say? 04:32 I don't believe that any longer. 04:34 What does that, what does that I'm hearing? 04:36 We are living in the day and age 04:38 where the winds of doctrine are blowing so intensely 04:43 that those that you may have thought 04:45 are founded or have been founded 04:48 or were established firmly on God's Word. 04:52 We are beginning to see shifts take place in all directions. 04:56 Even within the Seventh-day Adventist church. 05:00 People that we thought would hang in there 05:02 through difficult times 05:04 are beginning to succumb to the pressures of life. 05:07 Some are so coming to ideologies and theologies 05:11 that are not supported by scripture. 05:13 Others are choosing teachers 05:15 because what they formerly believed, 05:17 they no longer believe. 05:19 And they are denying the very Word of God 05:22 that has been established unmovable 05:24 on the truths of God's Word. 05:27 God's Word like God is the same yesterday, 05:31 today, and forever, it doesn't change. 05:34 But this modern thirst, this shifting society, 05:38 this metamorphosizing atmosphere 05:41 when people are saying, "Well, 05:43 do we still have to believe those old doctrines? 05:47 Do we still have to hold 05:48 to those old ways of doing life? 05:51 And those old ways of living in society." 05:54 And people are now saying, "Let's look for something new. 05:57 Let us change those old ideas. 05:59 Let us embrace the modern vernacular 06:02 of the way that the world does life." 06:05 But the danger there is the Prophet Jeremiah said, 06:09 "Ask for the old path where righteousness dwells." 06:13 In other words, if you're lost in a forest 06:16 and you cannot find your way, 06:17 I would strongly suggest 06:19 if you see a grooved worn in the ground with footsteps, 06:22 follow that path, 06:24 it will be a lot more reliable than the very smooth grounds 06:27 that surround you. 06:28 The Apostle Paul is saying 06:30 that we must become acutely aware 06:32 that this syndrome that is beginning 06:34 to grapple people happens among those 06:38 that are not really openly considering themselves 06:41 to be abandoning truths. 06:44 And seduction is amazing. 06:45 The way that people drift away 06:47 is all they've got to do is lift their anchor slightly. 06:52 They don't even have to pull the anchor 06:54 completely in the boat. 06:55 As long as the anchor is no longer connected 06:58 to the ground over which they are hovering, 07:00 they can begin to drift. 07:02 And some people are saying, 07:04 "Well, my anchor is not pulled up completely." 07:06 But they pull their anchor slightly enough 07:09 to begin to drift, 07:10 they are being pulled in 07:13 by the unpredictable elements 07:16 of a society gone mad. 07:20 Well, I think about that friends. 07:22 You don't have to go very far to look at our society today 07:25 and say, "Our world is crazy off the chain, gone mad." 07:29 They have lost their minds in some particulars. 07:33 And the sad reality is at a time 07:35 when Christians should be trusting 07:37 what God has revealed to them 07:39 over the course of their growth. 07:40 As Christians, over the course of Bible study, 07:43 they are beginning to succumb to the unpredictable elements 07:47 of a world gone mad. 07:50 The Apostle Paul in Romans 16:18, 07:52 he describes one of Satan's most effective tools. 07:55 And he wrote in this verse, Romans 16:18, he says, 08:01 "By smooth words and flattering speech, 08:06 they deceive the hearts of the simple." 08:09 Listen to that, smooth words and flattering speech. 08:14 You're going to find somebody smooth 08:15 that the devil is smooth. 08:17 He can study the way you think, 08:19 he can watch your body movements. 08:21 He can even see your reactions 08:23 while a sermon is being preached. 08:25 He can look at your mind. 08:27 He could see your eye flicker. 08:29 He can see the expression on your face 08:30 when you hear something proclaimed from God's Word. 08:33 And he will note, "Ah, they didn't accept 08:37 that will be a good person to work on." 08:40 But I suggest to you 08:42 that the reason why many Christians 08:44 are being drawn in 08:46 is because they don't see the direction of the storm. 08:52 I pointed out, I was visiting with my brother and family 08:55 in the Virgin Islands, my wife and I were there together. 08:58 And as I was sitting down and talking with him 09:00 as we were on a catamaran 09:02 floating there in the wonderful Caribbean ocean, 09:05 I asked about the various hurricanes, 09:08 but he pointed me back to one of the hurricanes 09:10 that was not Marilyn or Irma or Maria. 09:15 He pointed me way back to a hurricane 09:17 that took place in the late 1980s, 09:22 Hurricane Hugo. 09:24 He said Hurricane Hugo was one of the strongest hurricanes 09:27 that ever hit the Virgin Islands. 09:29 Meteorologist said it was the strongest hurricane 09:31 that ever hit in South Carolina's history. 09:35 And they said at that time, 09:37 it was the strongest and costliest hurricane 09:39 in the Atlantic for 15 days, 09:42 Hurricane Hugo devastated 09:44 everything in its path and meteorologists say 09:47 at its height, it was a category five. 09:50 But my interest in the impact of Hugo came 09:54 when my brother began to explain something 09:56 that really fascinated me. 09:58 He said, Hurricane Hugo 10:01 was 130 miles south of St. Thomas. 10:07 He said it was 90 miles south of St. Croix. 10:12 And I asked myself the question, 10:13 "How could a hurricane 130 miles away 10:18 do so much damage?" 10:20 Well, I went to weather.gov 10:23 to find out some of the facts about Hurricane Hugo. 10:25 And I'll share that with you as I read. 10:28 It says Hurricane Hugo's eye crossed St. Croix 10:30 in the United States, Virgin Islands, 10:32 early in the morning of September 18th, 10:36 then just six hours later 10:39 struck the island of Vieques 10:41 along the east coast of Puerto Rico 10:42 with winds estimated near 10:45 125 miles per hour. 10:49 And anemometer on the ship called the Night Cap 10:52 in the Harbor of Culebra measured the winds 10:55 at gusts of 170 miles an hour. 11:00 And when I asked about 11:01 the greatest impact of the hurricane, 11:03 I was told 11:04 that the greatest impact of the hurricane 11:07 comes from the Northeast side of the hurricane. 11:11 Pause and think about that for a moment. 11:12 The Northeast side, 11:15 according to geological surveys 11:17 and according to those that follow the weather, 11:19 they said, hurricanes rotate around the eye, 11:22 which is the lowest pressure point 11:24 of the hurricane. 11:26 They also point out that the Northeast quadrant 11:29 is always rotating in the area 11:33 the storm is approaching. 11:35 And they point out that all the major rain bands 11:38 are coming in from that side. 11:41 And especially when it hits landfall, 11:44 making it the most powerful part of the storm, 11:47 they also point out 11:48 the other side of the hurricane, 11:50 the Northwest or the Northeast, 11:52 the west and the Southwest sides 11:54 are drier than the North Eastern side of the storm. 12:00 Let me break that down. 12:02 To a great degree, 12:03 hurricanes are unpredictable 12:05 because until the Northeast quadrant 12:08 of the storm makes landfall, 12:10 the damage prediction 12:14 is at best speculation. 12:17 In simple English, 12:18 you don't know what's going to happen 12:20 until the Northeast part of the storm hits. 12:24 Meteorologists are predicting that this year, 12:26 I don't want to give the date of the year, 12:28 could be one of the most active hurricane seasons in decades. 12:32 And with back to back category fives 12:35 that hit the Virgin Islands, Irma and Maria, 12:37 some of the Virgin Islanders are making preparation already. 12:41 And here's why, my brother said, 12:43 they don't take soft winds for granted anymore. 12:49 When they see the winds beginning to pick up, 12:51 people become concerned 12:53 and they begin to stock bottles of water, 12:55 batteries, flashlights, all the things necessary, 12:59 extra food supplies because they know 13:01 that this could be an indication 13:03 that a storm is on the way. 13:05 Well, the Apostle Paul gives us 13:08 a glimpse into how storms are formed 13:10 and what happens when we ignore 13:13 the soft blowing winds of the south, 13:16 the leading edge of the storm. 13:18 Acts 27:13-14. 13:21 Listen to what he says. 13:23 He says, "When the south wind blew softly, 13:27 supposing that they had obtained their desire. 13:31 Putting out to see that as setting sail, 13:33 they sailed close to Crete." 13:36 And verse 14, "But not long after 13:39 a tempestuous head wind arose called Euroclydon." 13:45 Now you and I know that whenever you name a storm, 13:47 it's a hurricane. 13:49 It's a typhoon, 13:50 it's beyond the regular mundane storms 13:52 that blow things around lightly. 13:54 It's a storm that we have to take seriously. 13:57 Well, my friends, we are living in a world 13:59 that is changing rapidly. 14:02 The storms of the future are unpredictable to many. 14:04 And people are building their hopes 14:07 on the shifting winds of uncertainty. 14:10 The world is shackled together by unstable promises. 14:15 They trust politicians. 14:16 They trust the news. 14:18 They trust the stock market. 14:20 They trust those who were saying, 14:22 "Well, the stock is going to go up. 14:23 It's going to go down. 14:24 This is the time to invest. 14:26 This is the time to pull your money out." 14:28 They are trusting the predictions of men 14:31 when they should be trusting the predictions of God's Word. 14:36 But the sad part of the storms that are coming, 14:38 the sad part of the south leading storms 14:40 that turn ferocious when the north wind hits 14:43 is many that claim to know the truth. 14:46 And I'm going to say this again, 14:48 many that claim to believe the remnant message 14:51 are beginning to embrace superficial speculation. 14:56 Can I expand on that for a moment? 14:58 Thank you for saying yes. 14:59 Superficial speculation, replaces certainty, 15:05 and when you do that, 15:06 it leads you to dial back your urgency. 15:09 What's happening? 15:11 What's happening to the church? 15:12 What is happening to the remnant church 15:14 that claims to believe 15:15 the prophecies of Daniel in Revelation? 15:17 What's happening to those that claim to believe the truth 15:20 that they have understood and have stood by for many, 15:22 many decades? 15:23 What is happening? 15:25 They are having itching ears. 15:27 And they're beginning to listen to voices outside 15:30 of the church, politicians, favorite news networks, 15:35 conspiracy theories. 15:37 And they're going down these rabbit holes and before long, 15:41 we can't even identify those individuals any longer 15:44 because they have lost their minds. 15:47 They have embraced speculation, superficial speculation, 15:51 and they have dialed back their urgency, a sad reality. 15:56 So the question is when the storm comes, 16:00 will they endure? 16:01 When the most intense storms of the future 16:03 really hit the church, will they be left? 16:06 Let me make an application. 16:08 The devil knows that this is the remnant church. 16:11 He also knows that when you proclaim 16:13 the three angels' messages, 16:15 you are proclaiming a remnant message. 16:18 But he knows even more than that, 16:20 he knows that he can't change the remnant church 16:23 Revelation 12:17. 16:25 He knows he can't change the remnant message, 16:27 the three angels' messages. 16:28 So he aims at the remnant people. 16:30 He's seeking to shake their faith 16:33 so that when the shaking is done, 16:35 their anchors would have been removed, 16:38 and they would have drifted away 16:39 from the shore promises of God's Word. 16:42 What an hour that we should be sure 16:44 about God's Word, 16:46 never replace certainty with speculation, 16:49 and don't allow speculation to dial back your urgency. 16:54 And here's the reason why 1 Thessalonians 5:3, 17:00 the Apostle Paul warns us 17:03 about changing those certain things 17:07 when we are unsure about where the future leads. 17:10 He says, "For when they shall say, 17:13 peace and safety, 17:15 then sudden destruction comes upon them, 17:18 as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, 17:22 and they shall not escape." 17:26 Think about it. 17:27 Would you want to be caught in the world winds of a storm 17:30 in a small rubber dinky 17:32 or would you want to be standing 17:35 on the shore foundation 17:37 of the unmovable rock Christ Jesus, 17:40 the unmovable promises of His Word. 17:43 So that as he said in the Word, the winds will come, 17:45 the rains will come, 17:47 and they will beat with ferocity, 17:49 but you will stand 17:50 because you have based your life 17:52 on the stability of God's Word, 17:54 on the certainty of God's promise, 17:56 on the surety of the prophecies of God's Word. 18:00 What happens, 18:01 sudden destruction will shock those 18:03 who are focusing in the wrong direction. 18:05 That's why in these closing hours of verse history, 18:08 I want to say it with urgency. 18:10 It is critical to pay attention to the direction of the storm. 18:15 Why has this stirred my heart as a pastor? 18:18 Because I am amazed, 18:21 I am amazed 18:23 how Christians exposed to the unlimited knowledge 18:28 of the scriptures would consciously unplug 18:32 and disable their reasoning capacity. 18:35 Why am I saying that? 18:37 I'm hearing stuff in my church 18:38 that I never thought I would hear. 18:41 I'm hearing people that I thought had clear minds 18:43 and stable intellect, speakers though, 18:46 that they have unplugged their reasoning capacity. 18:49 They have disabled their ability to see 18:51 between light and darkness, truth and era, 18:55 speculation and evidence of God's Word. 18:59 And people are going down this, 19:01 "Oh, Lord, give me help." 19:03 People are going down this conspiratorial path 19:06 and speaking things that just don't make any sense. 19:11 And they don't understand that there's a storm 19:13 gathering on the horizon. 19:15 People are succumbing to the polarization 19:17 of nonsense. 19:19 The devil is having a party over distracted Christians. 19:24 The argument, 19:25 which was once the blue state 19:27 versus the red state is now being shifted. 19:31 And the controversy over mass squaring 19:34 has finally replaced the controversy over 19:37 who you're going to vote for. 19:39 Now I want to tell you, I'm speaking clearly, 19:42 I'm speaking directly as vividly as I can, 19:45 the contention over vaccines 19:47 has replaced the argument and debate over patriotism. 19:51 And I've asked myself the question, 19:52 and I'm putting this question to you, 19:54 what on earth does a vaccine have to do with your salvation? 19:59 What on earth does a vaccine have to do 20:02 with the truth of God's Word? 20:04 But there are some that are so sidetracked. 20:07 They're contending that the vaccine 20:09 will somehow lead to the mark of the beast. 20:12 Lord, wake them up before it is too late. 20:15 The hour is too late to allow speculation 20:19 to replace spiritual scriptural stability. 20:24 There are those that will hear this message 20:26 and they'll say, "Well, I have a video 20:29 or I got this email from somebody. 20:30 Well, I found this on Facebook 20:32 and you got to watch this pastor. 20:34 I can tell you if I can tell you 20:35 how many times 20:36 people have sent me links to videos. 20:38 And I've said to them, don't send me any video. 20:40 I'm going to keep my mind fixed on God's Word 20:43 because the Bible says the Lord declares 20:44 the end from the beginning. 20:46 I'm going down any man's rabbit hole. 20:49 I'm not following somebody who claims to have 20:51 some kind of a hidden secret that nobody else knows. 20:55 And if you listen to my videos, somehow, you'll be secure. 20:58 The only way that you're going to be secure 21:00 is if you stand firmly on the unmovable Word of God, 21:04 not a video, not Facebook, not a Twitter link, 21:07 or a YouTube link, 21:09 stand on the unchanging Word of God. 21:12 That's why Peter, the apostle makes it so clear. 21:15 In 2 Peter 1:19, in the king James version, 21:18 he said these words, "We have," 21:21 and I'm going to repeat those words, 21:23 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy," 21:30 not a video, 21:31 not a YouTube link, not a Facebook post. 21:34 He says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, 21:39 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 21:44 as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, 21:48 until the day dawn, 21:49 and the day star arise in your hearts." 21:53 What is Peter saying? 21:54 Peter saying, "I know 21:56 what it's like to be in darkness. 21:57 I was there once myself. 21:59 I was at the place where I said, 22:00 I will never deny the Lord." 22:02 And given a change in circumstances, 22:04 Peter saying, "I denied Him 22:05 before the rooster crowed three times. 22:07 I understand what it's like to be in a dark place." 22:09 Peter is saying, 22:11 "I deny the sure words of Jesus." 22:12 And I'm telling you from his experience, 22:14 Peter is saying, "Don't deny the sure words of God's Word." 22:20 Don't deny the stability of the promises 22:23 that Jesus has established for us to remain safe 22:26 in this storm-driven society, in this media tossed society, 22:31 in this speculative generation, 22:33 do not give up those things that are true, 22:36 for those things that have actually no aim 22:40 but to keep you following in the footsteps of insanity. 22:45 One of my favorite writers, 22:48 Oswald Chambers pointed out the impact 22:51 of what happens when you follow things that are uncertain 22:55 in one of his devotions entitled, 22:57 be aware of the least likely temptation. 23:00 Oswald Chambers cited one of our Bible characters 23:05 by the name of Joab. 23:06 And I'm going to read a quote from this 23:08 Oswald Chambers devotional. 23:09 He said this about Joab. 23:12 He said, "Joab withstood the greatest test of his life 23:17 remaining absolutely loyal to David 23:20 by not turning to follow after the fascinations 23:24 and ambitions of Absalom." 23:26 But here was the caution. 23:28 He said, "Yet toward the end of his life," 23:30 speaking about Joab, 23:32 "he turned to follow after the weak 23:36 and cowardly Adonijah." 23:38 You got to read that story, it's in first Kings 2. 23:41 It's an amazing story. 23:42 A man that was a strong military leader, 23:45 remaining stable 23:48 focused on standing behind King David. 23:52 But as his life went on, something happened, 23:56 the winds began to push him out of center. 23:59 He began to get off kilter and somewhere along the way, 24:02 he lost his bearing like a boat without an anchor, 24:04 somewhere along the way, 24:06 he ended up into the port 24:07 of abandonment rather than into the port of security. 24:12 And 1 Kings 2:28, says it this way, 24:15 a very amazing passage that shows how, 24:18 when you fail to understand 24:20 the safety of your walk with Christ, 24:22 somewhere along the way, the place that people failed, 24:26 you might fail in the same place. 24:29 The Bible says in 1 Kings 2:28, 24:32 "The news came to Joab, 24:35 for Joab had defected to Adonijah. 24:40 Though he had not defected to Absalom." 24:44 And then the Bible says, "So Joab fled to the tabernacle 24:47 of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar." 24:50 Now what is the Bible saying? 24:52 When they heard that Joab had defected to Adonijah, 24:57 they realized that, wait a minute, 24:59 they began to trace Joab's defection and realized 25:01 that his hands were stained 25:04 with the lives of two individuals. 25:06 He had killed two individuals and he thought after his crime, 25:11 that by holding onto the altar of the Lord, he will be safe. 25:14 Although he had not repented, 25:16 although he had not asked for forgiveness. 25:18 And the sad reality of Joab's life, 25:20 he lost his life in the temple. 25:23 He lost his life in the sanctuary. 25:25 They killed him 25:26 at the place where he thought he found security. 25:29 What happened to Joab? 25:31 He abandoned his security. 25:33 The observation of the text 25:35 is because Joab did not follow Absalom. 25:37 It was unthinkable that later 25:39 he would later on follow Adonijah. 25:42 What happened? 25:43 Listen carefully, as we analyze Joab's life. 25:46 The victory of his past. 25:49 I'm going to say that one more time. 25:51 The victory of his past failed to be a barrier 25:56 to the failure of his future. 25:59 He turned his eyes away 26:00 from the place where he was victorious. 26:03 And when he turned his eyes away 26:04 from the place of his victories, 26:06 he turned his eyes toward the place of his failure 26:09 toward his defeat. 26:11 Joab failed because he was unaware 26:15 of the direction of the storm. 26:17 He did not understand 26:19 where his greatest test would come from. 26:21 Joab did not prepare himself spiritually. 26:24 So when the storm came from an unexpected direction, 26:29 Joab failed. 26:31 I've got to pause and ask you the question today. 26:33 Where are the storms blowing in your life? 26:36 Where are you finding the greatest challenges 26:38 in your walk? 26:39 Is it in your marriage, in your worship, 26:41 in your devotional life? 26:43 Is it with your spouse? 26:44 Is it with your children? 26:46 Is it the tough, 26:48 forceful battle on Sabbath morning 26:51 to get up and go to church? 26:52 Where is the storm blowing in your life? 26:55 Are you taking the soft winds of this commonly 26:58 calm society and saying, well, 27:00 the world is just like, it's always been, 27:01 I know the news has bad things 27:03 but there's nothing really to be cautious about. 27:06 I know there have been wars in the Middle East 27:08 and they've been earthquakes and fires 27:10 and floods and all kinds of things. 27:11 So it's been happening. 27:13 I'm not concerned about that. 27:14 Well, don't fall into the Joab trap 27:17 and fail to observe the direction of the storm. 27:21 The example of Joab is as Oswald Chambers says, 27:25 he says, "Always remain alert to the fact 27:29 that where one person has turned back 27:32 is exactly where anyone may be tempted to turn back." 27:37 And I'm seeing that in our church. 27:39 I'm seeing people in our church, 27:44 a church that proclaims the remnant message. 27:47 I am seeing people that I thought 27:49 had solid footing. 27:51 I'm seeing people that I heard 27:52 proclaimed without a bone of fear, 27:56 the surety and the stability of the three angels' messages, 28:00 I'm seeing them lose their job. 28:02 I'm seeing them walk away to follow these 28:04 offshoot movements. 28:05 I'm wondering to myself what's happening, 28:07 "Well, like Joab they fail to realize 28:09 that the victories of their past 28:12 was pointing them to the foundation 28:14 of this security. 28:15 And they turned their eyes in the wrong direction 28:18 and they lost their footing. 28:21 They failed to realize the victories of their past 28:25 pointed them to the security of their future. 28:29 What's amazing to me is the most sobering time 28:33 is the time in which we're living. 28:34 The most sobering time in your life is after 28:38 you think you have gone through the greatest test. 28:41 I'm going to repeat that one more time. 28:43 You know, some people say, "Man, 28:45 I never thought I'd survive that. 28:47 Ooh, the worst is behind me." 28:48 Don't fool yourself. 28:50 If you think the worst is behind you, 28:53 you don't know the devil. 28:54 If you think you have faced 28:56 the worst challenge of your life, 28:57 you are not on your knees as regularly as you should be. 29:00 Well, you're not in God's Word 29:01 because the worst is ahead of us. 29:03 The Bible talks about a time of trouble, 29:05 such as never was. 29:06 The Bible talks about those things 29:08 that will not be shaken will remain. 29:11 The Bible says that God is not just going to shake the earth, 29:13 but he's gonna shake the heavens also. 29:15 And when that heavens are shaking men's hearts, 29:18 men's hearts are going to fail them for fear 29:21 because they thought that the worst was behind them. 29:24 You ain't seen nothing yet. 29:26 The world hasn't seen the best that Satan has unfurled yet. 29:30 The church has not yet been hit 29:34 by Satan's shoulder missiles, shoulder-mounted missiles. 29:39 They haven't seen Satan's arsenal yet. 29:42 And, friends, if ever there was a time 29:44 that we need to keep praying, these are the hours. 29:47 The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12 29:50 says these words to those 29:51 who think the storms are behind them. 29:52 He says, "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, 29:58 take heed, lest he fall." 30:02 You think you're standing, 30:04 you better allow the Lord to retrofit you. 30:06 I'm mindful of 30:08 what happened there in California. 30:09 Many years ago, 30:10 when the Embarcadero Freeway buckled 30:13 as an unpredictable earthquake hit the bay area, 30:16 it buckled like it was made of wafers. 30:19 It buckled like it was made of little balsa wood. 30:23 It was not retrofitted in an area where earthquakes 30:26 of intensity could happen at any moment. 30:29 I'm saying to you, Christian, retrofit your life by prayer, 30:32 retrofit your life by studying God's Word. 30:35 Retrofit, what does that mean? 30:38 You might say, what does that mean? 30:39 Well, after they built the Embarcadero Freeway back, 30:44 they built metal bands around the concrete columns. 30:49 They wrapped the concrete columns 30:51 in metal retrofits. 30:54 That means if the concrete crumbles, 30:57 the metal will hold. 30:59 Many years ago when I broke my tibia bone in my leg 31:03 and I had a cast. 31:04 The doctor told me afterward he says, 31:06 "When the cast comes off, 31:08 take your time to develop your strength again." 31:10 But then he said something that really shocked me 31:12 and brought me to this very point. 31:14 He says, "That bone that broke 31:17 is stronger than the one that didn't break." 31:18 And I said, "Well, how's that?" 31:20 He said, "Because your body builds 31:23 a calcified retrofitting around the bone 31:26 that was once broken so that it could secure it, 31:30 that it will not break as easily the second time. 31:34 You may have found broken places in your life. 31:37 And I'm saying, if there's a place in your life 31:39 where you broke in the past, 31:41 pray and study and prepare your life to be retrofitted, 31:47 don't take those fragile places for granted, 31:50 which brings me to my first point. 31:52 I only have two. 31:54 Don't attempt to predict where the test will come from. 31:57 It is often the least likely thing 31:59 that presents the greatest danger. 32:03 You might say, "That'll never happen to me." 32:06 If you're not praying and committing your life 32:08 to Christ on a day by day basis, 32:10 don't think that your boxing gloves 32:11 are sufficient for the devil 32:13 because you can't even fight an enemy 32:15 that you cannot see but only by trusting God's Word 32:17 and reading the promises every day 32:19 will you be able to be prepared for the battle when it comes. 32:22 Don't attempt to predict 32:24 where the test is going to come from. 32:25 Well, who better to remind us of that statement than 32:28 the example of false security 32:30 that Peter allowed himself to be a victim of. 32:34 In Matthew 26:31, 32:37 there is an example 32:39 in the life of Peter that we should take note of. 32:42 And these things, as Paul the apostle says, 32:44 what happened was written for our examples 32:47 upon whom the end of the world is coming. 32:50 Kind of look back on the Bible. 32:51 You got to look at all those people 32:53 that failed and find out where they failed 32:55 and why they failed 32:56 and then begin to prepare for the storms of the future. 33:01 Matthew 26:31-33 points us 33:05 to a man who didn't understand his own weaknesses. 33:11 Matthew 26:31. 33:12 The Bible said, "Then Jesus said to them," 33:15 that is to his disciples, 33:17 "All of you will be made to stumble 33:20 because of Me this night for it is written. 33:24 I will strike the shepherd 33:26 and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." 33:29 Look at verse 32 of Matthew 26. 33:33 "But after I have been raised, 33:36 I will go before you to Galilee." 33:40 Verse 33, Peter couldn't keep his mouth shut. 33:43 "Peter answered and said to Him," 33:45 that is to Jesus, 33:47 "Even if all are made to stumble because of you, 33:51 I will never be made to stumble." 33:55 I would put that in the category 33:56 of famous last words. 33:58 I will never... 34:00 Don't ever say never 34:01 if you're not trusting in God's Word. 34:02 Don't ever say never if you're not praying every day 34:05 because the frailty of humanity 34:08 is the alter on which many of us have failed. 34:11 Peter said, "Even if everybody leaves you, 34:14 I'm not going anywhere." 34:16 Well, no one is more fragile 34:18 than when he is unaware of his weakness. 34:22 Peter had two blind spots. 34:24 The first blind spot was, he was unaware of himself. 34:28 How well do you know yourself? 34:30 Sometimes you need to sit down 34:31 or maybe stand in front of a mirror, 34:33 make sure nobody's around 34:34 because this could look pretty off the chain. 34:36 You could look like you're out of your mind. 34:38 If somebody walks in the house 34:39 and you're talking out loud to yourself, 34:41 but you need to have a conversation with yourself 34:43 to find out where you stand. 34:46 You need to say to yourself, did I really do that? 34:48 Lord give me strength and not to do that again. 34:50 Peter was unaware of himself. 34:52 Look at Matthew 26:34-35. 34:58 The Bible said, "Jesus said to him," 35:02 that is to Peter, 35:03 "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, 35:07 before the rooster crows, 35:09 you Peter, will deny me three times." 35:14 The Lord said that to Peter. 35:15 And Peter's response was as though Jesus didn't know 35:18 what he was talking about. 35:19 Let me say something to your, friends. 35:21 Don't ever read God's Word and say, 35:23 "He doesn't know what He's talking about. 35:24 It doesn't apply to me. 35:26 I'm above that. 35:27 I'm not like that. 35:28 It won't happen to me." 35:30 If you're not trusting in God's Word 35:31 and taking God's Word seriously, 35:33 then you are unprepared, 35:34 you are unaware of yourself 35:36 because Peter's response is evidence 35:38 that he was unaware of himself. 35:41 Look at verse 35. 35:43 "Peter said to Him," given Jesus' advice now, 35:46 "Even if I have to die with You, 35:49 I will not deny You." 35:53 And so said all the disciples. 35:58 The amazing thing as the Lord was focusing on Peter. 36:01 Sometimes the Lord will pull you out of the crowd. 36:04 Sometimes the Lord will say to you, 36:06 "I'm not worried about the crowd. 36:07 I'm worried about you." 36:09 Don't get focused on the crowd 36:11 when the most important focus ought to be yourself, 36:13 examine yourself, test yourself, 36:16 to see whether or not you're in the faith. 36:18 Try yourself. 36:20 Look at your own study life. 36:21 How much time do you spend reading the Word of God? 36:24 How much time do you pray? 36:26 How much time do you get on your knees 36:28 when the temptations are coming at you 36:30 like winds out of a gun that has no empty barrels. 36:34 How much do you say, "Father, I'm weak, 36:37 give me strength at this very moment." 36:39 Well, friends, I tell you. 36:41 Peter didn't understand. 36:42 Peter did not understand. 36:44 His first blind spot was he was unaware of himself 36:47 that there was a second blind spot. 36:49 That maybe you could learn something from, 36:52 Peter was also unaware of his adversary. 36:56 He was unaware of what Satan was about to do. 37:00 You see Satan had studied Peter. 37:02 Peter was a loud mouth. 37:04 He always was talking. 37:05 His mouth was in fifth gear. 37:07 His mind was in first. 37:08 He was saying things so fast. 37:10 He didn't even hear himself speaking. 37:12 He just had to say something. 37:13 He's that person that just can't keep 37:15 his or her mouth shut. 37:17 And what they're trying to give people advice on, 37:20 they need to take that advice themselves. 37:22 Peter was that kind of individual. 37:24 He was unaware of himself. 37:26 And secondly, he was unaware of his adversary. 37:29 Look at Luke 22:31-33. 37:32 And I'm reading in the King James Version 37:34 for these passages. 37:36 "The Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, 37:41 behold, Satan hath desired to have you, 37:46 that he may sift you as wheat. 37:51 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. 37:55 And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.'" 38:01 In verse 33, "And he said unto him, 'Lord, 38:04 I'm ready to go with thee, 38:06 both into prison and to death." 38:08 Peter, couldn't just keep his mouth shut. 38:10 And instead of saying, "Okay, Lord, I hear you. 38:12 I hear you. 38:14 I hear you. 38:15 The devil is coming after me. 38:17 Thank you for praying for me." 38:19 What amazes me about this passage 38:21 is the Lord did not stop the devil 38:23 from coming after Peter. 38:25 And why was that? 38:26 Sometimes the Lord will allow the devil to shake your faith, 38:30 to show you that you are unaware of yourself 38:33 and you are unaware of your adversary. 38:35 Sometimes the Lord will allow the devil to give you an upper, 38:38 upper cut or left hook or knock the wind out of you. 38:42 So your self-confidence will become confidence 38:45 only in Christ. 38:47 That's what the Lord had to do with Peter. 38:48 He had to break him where he thought he was strong. 38:51 He had to open his eyes 38:52 where he thought he was not frail. 38:54 Lord says, "I'm going to let the devil hit you, 38:56 but I'm going to pray that your faith won't fail." 38:58 And I love what the Lord said. 39:00 And when you are converted, 39:01 meaning you are going to be converted. 39:03 This is going to open your eyes. 39:04 You're not going to be the same, Peter. 39:06 And when you study the Bible, what you're going to see is 39:09 that the Lord had planned for Peter to be the preacher 39:12 on the day of Pentecost, 39:13 but he was not going to allow shaky Peter 39:16 to preach for Him at all. 39:18 He had to get Peter's life right 39:20 before he could put Peter in the pulpit 39:23 on the day of Pentecost. 39:24 Say that three times, 39:26 the Lord had Peter said 39:27 to be the speaker on the day of Pentecost. 39:29 And on the day of Pentecost, when it came, 39:31 Peter preached with fervency, repent, 39:34 and be converted 39:36 because he finally understood that conversion often comes 39:40 on the heels of your greatest defeat. 39:43 He realized he was unaware of himself 39:46 and he was unaware of the enemy. 39:48 The Bible shows you how unaware he was. 39:52 Peter was unaware of the direction of the storm. 39:55 Look at Luke 22:56-57. 39:59 Now Jesus is arrested. 40:01 Jesus is arrested. 40:03 He's being questioned by pilot, 40:06 being questioned by the religious priests. 40:08 He's being questioned. 40:09 He's being scourged, he's being spat upon. 40:12 And Peter now seeing the condition 40:14 that Jesus has going through thinks, "Wait a minute, 40:18 if they identify me with Him, 40:19 I might go through the very same thing." 40:21 And look what happens in Luke 22:56-57. 40:25 And the Bible says, "And a certain servant girl 40:28 seeing him as he sat by the fire, 40:31 looking intently at him," 40:34 because the fire up lit him up, 40:36 said, "This man was also with Him." 40:41 She pointed to Peter said, "This man was also with Him. 40:44 This man was also with the Jesus." 40:46 Peter realizing what Jesus is going through. 40:48 The Bible says in verse 57, "But he denied it, saying, 40:53 "Woman, I do not know Him." 40:56 He said to the girl that identified him 40:58 as being with Jesus. 40:59 He said, "I don't know Him." 41:01 Let me make a powerful point. 41:02 Peter was right. 41:04 He didn't know Him. 41:06 You see if you really know the Lord, 41:07 you wouldn't deny Him. 41:09 If you know how much He loved you, 41:10 you wouldn't deny Him. 41:11 If you know how much strength He makes available 41:13 to you at the weak points of your life, 41:15 you wouldn't deny Him. 41:16 Peter was right, he didn't know Him. 41:19 And when you don't know the Lord, anything is possible. 41:22 When you don't have a relationship with God 41:24 beyond what He has said and what He has provided 41:27 you are fit to be just like the Apostle Peter. 41:30 You could blurt out in the critical moments 41:32 of your life, "I don't know Him." 41:35 Well, friends, he didn't know Him. 41:36 You know why he didn't know Him because the storm did not come 41:40 from being with Jesus, 41:42 the storm did not come from just being with Jesus, 41:45 it came from whether or not he knew Jesus. 41:49 Some people think because they go to church, 41:51 they're safe. 41:53 Some people think because they go 41:54 to Sabbath school, they're safe. 41:55 Oh, you go to Sabbath school all your life, 41:57 you can go to church every weekend 41:59 whether you go on Sabbath or Sunday, 42:01 that's not the point, 42:02 the point is God has established a Sabbath. 42:04 We know that but some people find security 42:06 and just going to church. 42:08 That's the point I'm making. 42:10 And they think as long as I go to church, 42:11 I'm just fine. 42:13 Well, friends, being religious and knowing Jesus 42:17 is not the same thing. 42:19 Eternal life is not knowing about Jesus. 42:22 Eternal life is not just walking with Jesus 42:24 because as you see in the Bible, 42:27 after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, 42:30 Cleopas and the other disciple was on the road 42:32 to Emmaus and Jesus is walking with them 42:34 from Jerusalem all the way down to Emmaus. 42:37 And they didn't even know that He was there. 42:39 So it's possible to walk with Jesus 42:41 and not even know He's with you. 42:45 That's what the Bible says. 42:46 What's the difference between knowing Jesus 42:49 and just being with Jesus. 42:51 Here's what John 17:3, 42:55 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, 42:59 the only true God and Jesus Christ 43:03 whom you have sent. 43:05 Salvation is knowing Jesus. 43:07 Salvation is having the connection with God, 43:10 through His Son, Christ Jesus. 43:12 If you don't know God, if you don't know Jesus, 43:15 if all you know are the 28 fundamentals, 43:18 even if you know the prophecies backward and forward, 43:20 if you don't know Jesus, you're just like Peter. 43:23 You're eating with Jesus, you're watching Jesus 43:25 perform miracles and change people's lives, 43:28 but you are on the cusp of the failure of your journey 43:31 because you are denying the very fact. 43:34 And you don't know yourself 43:36 and you don't know your adversary. 43:37 You are denying the very analysis 43:40 and diagnosis that Jesus has about you. 43:44 The devil is going to try to sift you, Christian, 43:47 the devil is going to try to sift you, husband, wife, 43:50 young lady, young man. 43:51 The devil is going to try to sift you. 43:53 He's going to try to hit you with the best he has. 43:58 But if you're not aware, you're going to succumb, 44:00 you're going to crumble. 44:02 That's why I look at Peter's life 44:03 before and Peter's life after. 44:06 And you'll find that after Peter's conversion, 44:08 he revealed the key to spiritual security. 44:12 He now knowing that he had failed, 44:15 his eyes were open clearly. 44:17 And he was able now by his new commitment, 44:20 not to the things that Jesus gave him 44:22 but to the man himself, 44:23 he was able to discover the keys 44:25 that the Lord gave him. 44:27 2 Peter 1:4 in the New King James Version, 44:31 we read these words. 44:33 Listen to what he says. 44:35 "By which have been given to us 44:38 exceedingly great and precious promises, 44:41 in God's Word, 44:42 that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, 44:47 having escaped the corruption 44:48 that is in the world through lust." 44:51 Peter said, "Wait a minute, 44:52 I am now a recipient of a divine nature." 44:55 Only by having this divine nature, 44:58 allowing Christ to live in me, 45:00 that's the only way that I can find security. 45:02 So now Peter wasn't concerned about the storms 45:05 because he had his eyes fixed on Christ. 45:07 He had his hands in the hands of Christ. 45:09 He was not walking with Christ. 45:11 Christ was walking in him. 45:12 He was walking in Christ. 45:14 Christ in us as the hope of glory, 45:16 us in Christ is where our security is found. 45:19 After his conversion and deliverance, 45:21 Peter then unfolded God's blueprint 45:24 to failure prevention. 45:26 The blueprint to failure prevention. 45:29 Listen to the Apostle Peter, this converted man, 45:32 listen to the place that he finds security. 45:35 2 Peter 1:5-10. 45:38 The Bible says, 45:40 "But also for this very reason," 45:42 now he begins to unfold the blueprint to security, 45:45 "giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, 45:49 to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, 45:53 to self-control perseverance," hang in there, 45:56 "to perseverance to perseverance godliness," 45:59 look at the kind of life you live, 46:01 "to godliness brotherly kindness." 46:05 How are you with your family, with your children, 46:07 with those you worship with? 46:09 He says, "And to brotherly kindness love." 46:12 Not because people are lovely 46:14 but because you are allowing Jesus 46:17 to love them in spite of who they are. 46:19 And then he says in verse 8 of 2 Peter 1, 46:23 "For if these things are yours and abound, 46:26 you will be neither barren nor unfruitful 46:29 in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 46:32 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted." 46:36 Unaware of himself, unaware of his adversary. 46:39 "Shortsighted, even to blindness, 46:42 and has forgotten that he was cleansed 46:44 from his old sins." 46:45 And then he ends in verse 10 of 2 Peter 1, 46:48 "Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent 46:52 to make your call and election sure," 46:56 and I love this, only Peter can say this, 46:59 "for if you do these things, you will never stumble." 47:03 Think about that. 47:04 A man that stumbled can say, 47:05 "If you do this, you'll never stumble." 47:07 You know what? 47:09 Sometimes, you don't know 47:10 how weak you are until you fail. 47:12 And sometimes you don't know how strong you could be 47:15 until Christ shows you the source of your strength. 47:19 Peter, I love the fact that the rest of his life, 47:22 there is no evidence that Peter failed ever again. 47:25 Why? 47:27 Because Peter realized I got to do these things 47:30 so that I will never stumble again. 47:33 You know, when people in a hurricane 47:35 and typhoon prone areas 47:37 know that the storm is coming, 47:38 they begin to do something that we should begin to do 47:41 as we're looking toward the last days. 47:43 They begin to stock up on supplies for survival. 47:46 Now I'm not saying start canning fruits 47:48 and doing preserves and buying unlimited water supplies 47:53 and, you know, go nuts and buy dried foods and saying, well, 47:57 I'm going to have all the food I can because I tell you what, 47:59 when the time of trouble comes, 48:01 you're not going to be running with a backpack of dried fruits 48:05 and preserves and peaches 48:07 that you have preserved in your pantry. 48:10 The only thing that we're going to be able 48:11 to run on is the promises of God's Word. 48:14 But people that are stocking up, 48:16 they understand that we've got to have preparation. 48:18 The Apostle Paul tells us 48:20 that this generation is not prepared, 48:23 but he's saying to you, brother, to you, sister, 48:25 to you, Christian, 48:27 this is the generation to get prepared. 48:29 And if you're not a Christian, he is saying, you can be one, 48:32 and you also can prepare. 48:33 You also can give your life to Christ 48:36 because the storm is coming 48:37 whether you want it to come or not. 48:39 The storm is on its way 48:40 whether you are in denial about it or not. 48:44 The Apostle Paul says in Romans 13:11-12, 48:47 in the king James Version, he says, 48:49 "And that, knowing the time," 48:51 see what time it is in the world, 48:53 "knowing the time, that now it is high time 48:58 to awake out of sleep." 49:00 Wake up, look at the news, 49:02 look at what's happening in the world. 49:03 Look at the crumbling society. 49:05 Look at the demoralizing atmosphere 49:08 that's sucking in the minds of your children. 49:11 It's time to awake out of sleep, pastor, 49:14 church member, 49:16 people that are just complacent Christians, 49:18 it's time to awake out of sleep. 49:20 Why? 49:21 The apostle Paul says, "For now is our salvation 49:23 nearer than when we believe." 49:25 You thought Jesus is coming in 1980, 1990, or 2000, 49:29 and now you're in 2021 and he hasn't come yet? 49:32 Don't fool yourself. 49:33 We're on the toes of the major prophecies. 49:35 And the last movements are going to be rapid. 49:39 That's why Romans 13:12 says this, 49:43 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand, 49:47 let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, 49:49 and let us put on the armor of light." 49:52 You got to have on the light. 49:53 And I'll tell you why. 49:55 Because the most valuable commodity during a storm 49:57 are batteries and a generator. 50:01 When the storm hit the Virgin Islands, 50:02 my wife stocked upon batteries, 50:04 my wife and I have stocked up on batteries. 50:06 And our church members got together 50:08 and helped raise funds 50:09 to get generators to my family in that hurricane torn region 50:14 down in the Caribbean. 50:16 When we got down there with batteries and generators, 50:19 it was more valuable than gold. 50:22 They said, "Finally, we can have the lights. 50:24 Finally, we can have power." 50:26 And I'll tell you friends 50:27 in the closing moments of our history, 50:29 there's nothing more distressing 50:31 than having no power and no light in your life. 50:35 Nothing more debilitating and realizing you're in a storm 50:40 and you can't do a thing about it. 50:42 This is the hour to get ready. 50:44 The storm is coming. 50:45 Revelation reveals that the most intense storm 50:48 is just before us. 50:50 Revelation 7:1-3 50:53 in the New King James Version, 50:55 John, the Apostle says, 50:57 "After these things I saw four angels standing 51:00 at the four corners of the earth, 51:01 holding the four winds of the earth, 51:04 that the wind should not blow on them earth, 51:07 on the sea, or on any tree." 51:11 Then verse two. 51:12 "Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, 51:15 having the seal of the living God. 51:18 And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels 51:21 to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea." 51:25 And listen to what he said. 51:27 "Saying," In verse three, 51:30 "Do not harm the earth, the sea, 51:34 or the trees till we have sealed 51:37 the servants of our God in their foreheads." 51:42 He said, "Don't harm it until I've sealed 51:45 the people of God in their foreheads." 51:48 What is he saying? 51:50 Until the truth has settled in our minds, 51:52 until our minds cannot be bought or sold, 51:55 until we have established a concrete position 52:00 on the truth of God's Word, unmovable, 52:03 totally convicted, totally converted, 52:05 until we get to that place 52:07 where we are so firmly established 52:09 on the truth of God's Word, we've got batteries, 52:13 we've got power, we've got light. 52:16 God's Holy Spirit is working in us 52:17 until we get to that place, we're not ready for the storm. 52:21 In the book Education page 179 and paragraph 6. 52:25 My favorite writer, Ellen White says, she says, 52:27 "Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, 52:32 that they may not blow until the world 52:34 shall be warned of its coming doom, 52:37 but a storm is gathering, 52:39 ready to burst upon the earth, 52:41 and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, 52:45 there will be such a scene of strife 52:49 as no pen can picture." 52:52 Wow, amazing. 52:55 There's a storm coming. 52:57 There's a storm coming. 52:59 And when that storm hits, 53:01 it's not going to be a category five. 53:03 I want to tell you, 53:04 according to man's measurement of a storm 53:07 it's going to be a storm that humanity has never, 53:10 ever anticipated, 53:12 a storm that will blow you 53:14 into the kingdom 53:15 or farther away from the kingdom. 53:18 A storm that will say everything you've trusted in 53:21 has failed you or a storm that will say on Christ, 53:24 the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, 53:28 a storm that will remind you, 53:30 I am so glad, I trusted God's Word. 53:33 I am so glad that I determined to be in church 53:36 when church is open, 53:38 to be there on Sabbath when the sermons are preaching, 53:40 to be there when Bible studies are given, 53:42 I'm so glad that the tests 53:45 have come to my doctrinal beliefs 53:47 and I could endure the test came to the things 53:51 that I thought didn't matter. 53:53 And I now see that they matter. 53:55 Friends, not only be aware of what's happening around you 53:58 but my last point be aware of your strengths. 54:02 You see, this is a powerful point. 54:04 You might say, "Wait, not my weakness?" 54:05 No, your strengths 54:07 because when you study the Bible, 54:09 Joab was one example and Samson was another. 54:12 When you study the scriptures, 54:14 you find that the Bible characters 54:17 did not fall on their weak points, 54:20 they failed at their strong points. 54:23 Satan study their strengths to bring them down 54:27 because the devil knew 54:29 if I could break the strongest man, 54:31 all the other men are weak, 54:33 they would not even be a point of contention. 54:35 Be aware of your strengths. 54:38 If your strength is studying the Bible, 54:40 don't take it for granted. 54:41 If your strength is prayer, don't stop praying. 54:44 If your strength is attending church, 54:46 don't stop attending. 54:48 If your strength is being faithful in your marriage, 54:50 don't stop being faithful. 54:52 If your strength is listening to your parents, 54:55 don't take your parents' advice for granted. 54:57 If your strength is standing firm 55:00 in a world that's shaky, 55:01 don't stop standing firm 55:04 because the world is going to be become more shaky. 55:06 Samson failed at his strong point, 55:10 Judges 16:5, listen to this. 55:13 And the Bible says, 55:14 "And the Lords of the Philistines 55:16 came up to her," 55:17 that is to Jezebel, not to Jezebel, but to Delilah. 55:21 "The Lord of the Philistines came up to Delilah 55:23 and said to her," they said to her, 55:25 "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, 55:31 and by what means we may overpower him, 55:35 that we may bind him to afflict him." 55:41 Friends, the devil wants to bind you. 55:43 He wants to afflict you. 55:45 He wants to break you 55:46 at the strongest point in your life. 55:49 He wants to study you like a scientist 55:52 studying a bit latest germ. 55:54 He wants to find an opening into your heart, 55:57 an opening into your home, an opening into your marriage, 56:00 an opening into your relationship 56:02 with your spouse, with your children, 56:04 an opening into the relationship 56:05 you have with your Lord. 56:07 And when you look at those who endured 56:09 in the difficult avenues of life, 56:11 you find something consistent. 56:13 The three Hebrews remained loyal. 56:15 Even if it meant the furnace of fire, they said, 56:18 "We're not bowing to Babylon's images." 56:21 Daniel kept praying three times a day, 56:24 even if it meant the lion's den. 56:28 Joseph refuse part of his wife's advances, 56:31 even if it meant I'm going to go to jail. 56:34 Job refused to deny God, 56:36 even if it caused conflict in his marriage with his wife. 56:40 She said, "Curse God and die." 56:42 He said, "No, I rather be afflicted 56:45 and remain faithful." 56:46 Peter was thrown in prison for refusing 56:48 to stop preaching Jesus, 56:50 and Paul and Silas chose faithfulness, 56:52 instead of incarceration. 56:54 They said, "I don't care if I go to jail, 56:55 I'll just sing at midnight when I go to jail." 56:58 Friends, they were prepared for the storm 57:00 because their minds are fixed on Jesus. 57:03 Isaiah 26:3 says, 57:05 "You will keep him in perfect peace, 57:08 whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you." 57:12 Friends, a storm is coming. 57:14 Do you know what the direction of the storm? 57:16 I say today, you don't have to worry 57:18 about the direction if your mind is on Christ. 57:20 If your mind is on Jesus, you are safe. 57:22 If your mind is on Jesus, you are secure. 57:25 If ever there was a time to prepare for the direction 57:28 of the storm, the time is now. 57:30 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-06-03