Participants: John Carter
Series Code: 16SCM
Program Code: 16SCM000022S
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00:51 Welcome to 3ABN Spring Camp Meeting.
00:54 Christ, Calvary, and the Sanctuary 00:57 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 01:02 All right. 01:04 Praise the Lord and welcome, 01:05 welcome back to our Spring Camp Meeting. 01:09 Apologize about the voice 01:11 but I don't have much to 01:12 and see that I can sit down and do nothing 01:14 or continue to get up and speak, 01:17 so I'm going to do that 01:18 until I have surgery scheduled in a couple of months, 01:20 so bear with me. 01:22 I'm still happy in the Lord, right? 01:24 Whatever is happening so I said 01:25 if I had to I'll learn to use sign language, 01:28 I'm not very good, 01:29 but we got to keep continuing 01:31 to communicate the Gospel to the world, right? 01:33 Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world." 01:35 I don't know about all of you 01:37 but I've been so blessed this weekend, 01:39 the music, the preaching, 01:41 and to see men of honor 01:44 that have given their lives and gifts 01:46 to giving the Three Angels messages 01:49 to a lost and dying world. 01:51 One of those that will be out right after our special music 01:54 is Pastor John Carter. 01:56 And John Carter and I go way back for 25 years now, 02:01 1991 he called me and asked me whether I want to go to Russia. 02:05 I've never been to Russia. 02:07 Long story short, we were able to go. 02:09 We went in '92, held a huge evangelistic campaign, 02:13 saw 2,532 Russians baptized 02:17 right after the fall of communism. 02:19 We began to work together. 02:20 We built the largest protestant facility 02:23 in all the ex-Soviet Union. 02:24 Literally, thousands of people are coming to the Lord. 02:28 Sister Julia Outkina is now general manager of 3ABN Russia 02:33 and we probably have close to 02:34 40 or 50 fulltime Russian workers there. 02:37 The church, we worked together with the church, 02:40 continued Carter, Elder Carter, 02:42 is going back time and time again 02:44 and we are literally seeing the nation of Russia changed 02:48 because of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, 02:51 because of preachers like Brother John Carter. 02:54 I've traveled with him around the world. 02:55 He has an anointing that is amazing. 02:58 I've seen crowds as big as 100,000 a night, 03:01 sometimes more, places like India, New Guinea, 03:05 and so, God has gifted him 03:06 so I sell that not to give credit to John, 03:09 he is a earthly human vessel, 03:12 but he has decided 03:14 that it's important God has called him 03:15 to do something big and he is going to do it. 03:18 And that is to take the gospel of the Kingdom 03:20 and undiluted Three Angels' messages, 03:22 one who would counteract a counterfeit 03:25 into all the world. 03:26 But before he comes out 03:28 we have a special surprise for you. 03:30 Come on out, Mr. Jimmy Rhodes, 03:32 let's everybody make Jimmy Rhodes welcome. 03:33 Yeah! 03:35 And, yeah... 03:41 Jimmy is among friends and he knows that. 03:43 Of course, Jim and Pam have been for many, many years 03:46 and just about two years ago in the last couple of days 03:49 Pam was laid to rest 03:51 and Jim has not been out playing 03:53 and so we've ask him 03:54 and elder Carter has asked him and others 03:56 Jimmy come on and play something for us. 03:58 He has got a tremendous gift to music. 04:01 How many will pray for Jim, 04:02 because those of you 04:04 that's lost their loved one you know what it is like. 04:06 The struggles you go through. 04:07 But we appreciate your love and your support 04:10 and what you do for the Gospel of Christ 04:12 that you've doing for many, many years, 04:15 and the special gift that God has given you. 04:18 What are you going to be playing for us tonight, Jimmy? 04:20 A Good Camp Meeting Medley. 04:21 A Good Camp Meeting Medley, 04:23 all right, looking forward to it. 04:24 We love it. Jimmy Rhodes. 09:14 I've known Jimmy Rhodes for many, many years. 09:17 I also knew his wife Pam. 09:21 The most wonderful people 09:23 you will meet anywhere in the world. 09:24 Amen. Amen. 09:26 They traveled with me on one occasion 09:28 overseas to Ukraine 09:30 and they gave wonderful music. 09:34 But Jimmy and Pam will never, never part from my memory. 09:44 It was two years ago yesterday when Pam passed away. 09:48 I'm just so privileged to have Jimmy here tonight. 09:51 I had never expected Jimmy would be here. 09:54 But tonight I would like to dedicate this message 09:56 in honor of Pam Rhodes. 09:58 Amen. Amen. 09:59 I also want to say Danny and I've been friends 10:03 for so, so long. 10:06 The Carter Report has been on 3ABN now for... 10:11 I think it is 27 years. 10:14 And Danny has been a loyal, and a faithful, 10:18 and a good, and a funny friend. 10:23 It's all right to laugh, you know, folks. 10:26 Okay, let me give you the topic. 10:28 The topic is By Water, By Blood, and By Fire. 10:35 Do you hear it? 10:36 By water, by blood, and by fire, 10:40 that's how the work of God will be completed in glory. 10:45 I want you to take your Bibles firstly 10:47 to the portion on water. 10:49 I want you to come over here to the book of Ezekiel. 10:54 I want you to come over here to Ezekiel chapter 47 10:59 in the Old Testament to the Word of the Living God, 11:02 Ezekiel 47:2 and onwards. 11:08 This is, of course, a symbolic picture. 11:12 He brought me out by the way of the north gate, 11:15 led me around to the outside to the outer gate 11:17 that faces east 11:19 and there was water running out on the right side. 11:23 And when the man went out to the east 11:25 with the line in his hand, he measured 1,000 cubits 11:28 and he brought me through the waters. 11:31 The water came up to my ankles. 11:33 Again he measured 1,000 cubits 11:36 and brought me through the waters. 11:38 The water came up to my knees. 11:41 Again he measured 1,000 and brought me through. 11:44 The water came up to my waist. 11:47 Again, he measured 1,000 11:49 and it was a river that I could not cross 11:51 for the water was too deep, 11:53 water in which one must swim, 11:55 a river that could not be crossed. 11:58 He said to me, 'Son of man, have you seen this?' 12:02 Then he brought me and returned me 12:03 to the bank of the river. 12:05 "When I returned there along the bank of the river, 12:09 were very many trees on one side and the other." 12:13 And if you look, please, at verse 12, 12:16 "Along the bank of the river, 12:18 on this side and that will grow 12:20 all kinds of trees used for food. 12:23 Their leaves will not whither and their fruit will not fail. 12:27 There will be a fruit every month 12:29 because their water flows from the sanctuary. 12:33 Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for medicine". 12:38 Now, my friend, 12:40 this is a picture of the Gospel of Christ. 12:44 Amen. 12:45 Because where the Gospel of Christ goes, 12:49 where the mighty flood of the grace of God goes, 12:53 you've got healing and you have got hope for the people of God. 12:57 Amen. 12:59 Now let me tell you this, what the church needs today, 13:03 you're listening, what the church needs today, 13:06 what America needs today, what the world needs today, 13:10 salvation not from politics. 13:14 Are you listening to me? Amen. 13:16 The politicians have failed America 13:19 and they have failed the world. 13:22 We don't need it from politics 13:24 and we don't need it from manmade religion. 13:28 And we do not need it from the philosophers 13:31 and we don't need it from the human people 13:34 who are talking about their human theories. 13:38 We don't need it from all of these philosophies, 13:41 what we need is the water of life 13:44 which is the Gospel of Christ. 13:47 Amen. 13:48 Now as some of you folks know 13:50 because I talk differently to you, 13:55 I come from Australia, 13:57 but I've lived in this pleasant land 13:58 now for 30 years. 14:02 The outback of Australia is a vast, vast, region. 14:08 It is a desert in many places 14:09 like Death Valley in California. 14:13 In South Australia there is a place 14:15 that is called Lake Eyre, it is a great salt lake. 14:21 It is 144 kilometers by 77 kilometers, 14:25 a 100 miles about by 50 miles. 14:29 It is hot, it is dry. 14:32 They use it for racing motor cars. 14:36 So, it is flat, it is dead, 14:40 and apparently nothing lives in that area. 14:43 It is 50 feet below sea level. 14:47 But then something happens. 14:50 Up in Queensland, more than 1,000 miles to the north, 14:55 almost 2,000 to the north, 14:58 comes the mighty monsoon. 15:02 And it rains and it rains. 15:05 And then the Diamantina, which is almost dried up, 15:08 and Cooper's Creek, they go into flood. 15:12 And those rivers that were just a few yards across 15:15 are now 100 miles across 15:19 and the water starts to flow. 15:21 It takes six to eight weeks 15:23 to flow the thousands of the miles 15:26 down to this barren and desolate place. 15:32 When it gets there, 15:35 it is met by 200,000 pelicans. 15:41 You tell me, how do the pelicans know? 15:45 And hundred even millions of seabirds 15:50 get there as the water arrives 15:52 and you tell me there is no God. 15:56 You see? 15:59 This happens, a really big flood, 16:03 happens every 25 years, 16:05 a smaller flood every 10 years, 16:07 and a lesser flood every 3 years. 16:10 The lake fills up to 20 feet, 100's of miles across 16:14 with literally millions and millions of fish. 16:20 And around it the dessert rejoices 16:23 and blossoms as the rose. 16:25 This is not the work of man this is the work of God 16:30 because water brings life. 16:32 Amen. 16:33 And what the church needs is not the philosophy of man. 16:37 We do not need more politicians telling us 16:41 how to live we need the Gospel of Christ. 16:45 I want you to come to a great prophecy, 16:47 the Prophecy of Joel 2:23 and onwards. 16:51 Joel, 2:23, "Be glad then, you children of Zion, 16:57 and rejoice in the Lord, your God, 16:59 for He's given you the former rain faithfully 17:02 and He will cause the rain to come down for you, 17:05 the former rain," what does it say? 17:07 "And the latter rain in the first month. 17:11 The threshing floors 17:12 shall be full of wheat and the vats 17:15 shall overflow with new wine and oil. 17:19 So I will restore you the years 17:23 that the swarming locust has eaten, 17:25 the crawling locust, the consuming locust, 17:28 and the chewing locust, 17:29 my great army which are set among you, 17:32 you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied 17:35 and praise the name of the Lord, your God, 17:39 who has dealt wondrously with you 17:41 and my people shall never be put to shame, 17:43 then you will know that I'm in the midst of Israel, 17:46 I'm the Lord, your God, and there is no other. 17:49 My people shall never be put to shame". 17:52 Now listen to what He is talking about. 17:54 "And it shall come to pass afterward 17:56 that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. 17:59 Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. 18:02 Your old men shall dream dreams, 18:05 your young men shall see visions. 18:07 And also on my menservants and on my maidservants 18:11 I will pour out my spirit in those days. 18:14 And I will show wonders 18:16 in the heavens and in the earth, 18:18 blood and fire, and pillars of smoke". 18:22 Listen. 18:24 I want you to know something. 18:26 The rain is coming. 18:27 Amen. Mm-hm. 18:29 I want you to know something. 18:30 Nothing can stop it because it is the work of God. 18:34 Pentecost is coming. 18:36 Amen. Yes. 18:37 The early rain was the time of Pentecost 18:40 but the latter rain is going to be greater 18:43 than the days of Pentecost. 18:45 I want you to know this, listen. 18:48 We are living in the time of the latter rain. 18:51 I want to say this in the fear of God tonight, 18:54 I have experienced personally, 18:58 I say carefully, 18:59 I have experienced a foretaste of the latter rain. 19:03 I've seen the glory and I've seen the power of God. 19:08 I'm not an armchair theologian. 19:10 I'm talking about the things 19:12 that I've seen with my own eyes. 19:16 When we went to Papua New Guinea 19:18 not so long ago, 19:19 we started... it's the most dangerous city in the world. 19:23 People would say, 19:24 "Why go to the most dangerous city in the world?" 19:27 Because it has a great need. Yes. 19:32 The need is desperate. 19:34 And there is only one way 19:35 that you can solve the problems in the world. 19:38 The only way you can solve the problems 19:41 and the shootings in the city of Detroit, 19:44 and other cities, 19:46 and Chicago is with the Gospel of Christ. 19:50 Now in PNG we started with a crowd of 70,000 people, 19:54 the next night 80,000, then 90,000, then 100,000, 19:59 then 130,000, then 150,000. 20:04 And some say by the last night 20:06 we had a crowd, Glory be to God, 20:09 can I hear hallelujah coming on? 20:10 Hallelujah. 20:12 Somebody said, "Don't keep it inside 20:14 because it's going to hurt you, let it out." 20:20 On the last night, well, no, it wasn't, 20:25 going back a little bit, about the third last night 20:28 I was preaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 20:32 we put up on these colossal screens, 20:36 the symbol of the Spirit of God which is the dove, 20:40 and after the meeting 20:42 some of the local pastors came to me 20:43 and they said, "Pastor Carter, some of our church members 20:46 have come to us with an amazing story". 20:50 They came out to the university where I was staying 20:53 and they said, 20:54 "The church members came to us with a story, 20:56 they said as you were preaching on the Holy Spirit", 20:59 this is between us and God, this is the truth, they said, 21:04 "A great white dove, a giant white dove 21:07 that doesn't live in that part of the world 21:09 flew over the congregation and our people saw it." 21:13 Amen. 21:14 But wait on. 21:16 We come to the last night and I'm about to preach. 21:20 The soloist was out singing to the crowd, 21:23 I'm standing at the back of this massive, 21:26 massive stage 21:28 and I'm meeting the representatives 21:30 of the government they've come to say, 21:32 "Hallelujah, come and pray for the government." 21:35 That's what they said, "Come and pray 21:37 for the Prime Minister, he needs prayer. 21:39 Come and pray for the minister of justice." 21:42 And as I was standing there, I heard as it is described 21:46 in the Bible, the voice, like the sound of many waters. 21:53 And so I heard the people shouting 21:55 and when I went out every person, 21:58 in a crowd of 150,000 to 200,000 people, 22:02 they were standing, and they we're pointing, 22:05 and they were praising God, 22:08 and as I watched in spellbound fascination, 22:12 a tremendous white dove swooped in over the audience 22:19 and flew over my head and disappeared. 22:23 Amen. Amen. 22:26 You know what the people said? 22:28 I don't know what you're going to say about it, 22:29 but the people said in that part of the world, 22:32 "God has visited His people." 22:37 God sent the Holy Spirit. 22:39 And in the congregation that night 22:41 there were hundreds and hundreds of gang members. 22:46 The toughest people in the world 22:48 and standing to their feet and praising God, hallelujah. 22:53 Amen. Praise the Lord. 22:55 Amen. 22:56 And that day we had a baptism. 23:00 And then, after the final meeting, 23:03 I had an altar call. 23:05 And because God had sent the symbol of the Holy Spirit, 23:11 when I appealed for Christ and I said, 23:16 "God, take over the meeting because I cannot do this." 23:22 And as I appealed in the name of God, 23:26 I would think a crowd of 50,000 people 23:30 came down the front. 23:31 Amen. Amen. 23:33 Have you ever seen a crowd of 50,000 people? 23:37 Fifty thousand people came down the front 23:43 raising their hands and praising God. 23:47 I want you to know we live in the time of the latter rain. 23:52 Amen. 23:54 And I'm not talking like a college professor 23:57 or an armchair theologian. 23:59 Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. 24:04 Amen. 24:05 "He is trampling out the vintage 24:07 where the grapes of wrath are stored." 24:13 When we ran the campaign in El Salvador, 24:17 we hired the football stadium, you know what the people said? 24:21 "The people won't come." 24:23 You have always got people like that in the church, 24:26 the people who've never done anything, 24:29 and have one ambition to stop the work. 24:32 That's right. 24:33 And they're the most pious ones. 24:35 They're the ones who talk the most religion 24:38 because religion is often a cloak that covers sin. 24:45 Did you hear what I said? Yes. 24:48 False religion is often a cloak that covers sin 24:53 and sometimes the people 24:55 who have the greatest pretensions 24:58 for piety have the greatest sins. 25:05 And that is why we are told to come to God 25:08 and repent for our sins. 25:10 In El Salvador, a vast football stadium, 25:15 when the people came the stadium was packed. 25:19 The largest crowd in the history 25:22 of Central America came not to a football match 25:27 but to hear the gospel of Christ. 25:30 Hallelujah. Amen. 25:31 Hallelujah. 25:33 We had to hire 763 busses. 25:37 Praise the Lord. 25:40 Before that occasion I didn't know 25:41 there were 763 busses. 25:44 That's a vast number of buses. 25:49 Now the carnal heart says, 25:51 it cannot happen, it won't happen. 25:54 The problem is not with the world, 25:57 the problem often is with the church, 25:59 lack of faith. 26:02 There are many of us 26:03 who are living in the desert of sin. 26:05 Let me say this to you. 26:07 It's not good to spend precious time with doubters 26:11 who tell you it can't happen because if it doesn't happen 26:15 they are the reason. 26:17 Shouldn't spend time with them. Don't listen to them. 26:20 Come over here to Joel, 2:28. 26:23 "And it shall come to pass afterward 26:26 that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. 26:29 Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. 26:32 Your old men shall dream dreams, 26:35 your young men shall see visions, 26:38 and also on my menservants and on my maidservants, 26:42 I will pour out my spirit in those days." 26:44 Look at verses 15-18 because it is terrific. 26:49 "Blow the trumpet of Zion, consecrate a fast, 26:54 call a solemn assembly, gather the people, 27:00 sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, 27:04 gather the children and nursing babes, 27:07 let the bridegroom go out of his chamber 27:10 and the bride from her dressing room, 27:12 let the priests, who minister to the Lord, 27:15 weep between the porch and the altar, 27:18 let them say, spare your people, O Lord. 27:22 And do not give you a heritage to reproach 27:24 that the nation should rule over them. 27:26 Why should they say among the people, 27:28 where is their God? 27:30 Then the Lord would be zealous for his land 27:34 and pity his people." 27:37 Listen to me. 27:45 There is something I want to be more than anything else. 27:49 I want to be true to God 27:51 and I want to be true to the gospel, 27:53 and I want to be true to the Bible, 27:55 and I want to be true to the truce. 27:58 Amen. Amen. 27:59 I do not want to sell my soul. 28:03 The Spirit of God will manifest himself 28:07 when we repent of our sins 28:10 and believe the Gospel of Christ. 28:15 What is the Gospel? 28:17 People come to me and they say, 28:20 "You make it too easy to be saved." 28:23 I want you to know I don't make it 28:26 too easy to be saved, God did. 28:28 Yes. Amen. 28:30 What's easier than the text "For God so loved the world 28:35 that He gave His son so that whoever believes in Him 28:39 shall not perish but have everlasting life"? 28:43 There is life for a look at the Crucified One, 28:47 there is life at this moment for thee, 28:50 then look, sinner, look and be saved, unto Him 28:54 who was nailed to the tree. 28:56 Any person can look. 29:00 You don't have to be wealthy to look. 29:02 You don't even have to be smart to be look. 29:06 Salvation is easy, salvation is free. 29:10 I want you to come over here 29:11 to the story of Elijah 1 Kings 18. 29:15 1 Kings 18. 29:17 I'm so glad we've got this lady tonight 29:19 who is helping me along. 29:21 That's a big blessing to me, it really is. 29:24 It really is. I'm so glad you're here. 29:28 1 Kings, 18:41 and onwards, notice this text. 29:34 "That Elijah said to Ahab, 'Get up eat and drink. 29:40 For there is the sound of abundance of rain. 29:43 Put it in your mind'. 29:46 So Ahab went up to eat and drink 29:48 and Elijah went up to the top of a Carmel, 29:51 then he bared down on the ground, 29:54 put his face between his knees and said to his servant, 29:58 'Go up now, look toward the sea'. 30:01 So he went up and looked and said 'There is nothing.'" 30:05 That's what people say, "There is nothing". 30:08 "Seven times he said go again, then it came to pass 30:12 the seventh time that he said, 'There is a cloud 30:14 as small as a man's hand rising out of the sea'. 30:19 So he said, 'Go up, say to Ahab, 30:22 prepare your chariot 30:24 and go down before the rain stops you.' 30:30 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became 30:33 black with clouds, and wind, and there was heavy rain. 30:38 So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 30:42 Then the hand of God came upon Elijah 30:45 and he girded up his lions 30:47 and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance to Jezreel." 30:54 Listen to me, look at me, as I need to tell you. 30:58 In spite of the Ahabs and the Jezebels, 31:02 the rain is coming. 31:03 Amen. Amen. 31:05 Hear this? 31:06 In spite of the Ahabs and the Jezebels 31:09 in the political world, in the government, 31:12 and in the church, the rain is coming. 31:15 My message to you is this. 31:17 There is sound of abundance of rain. 31:21 Yes. Amen. 31:23 So it's going to come 31:26 and I've seen a foretaste of the latter rain. 31:30 Amen. 31:32 By water, number two, by blood, 31:37 and listen very carefully to this. 31:39 I won't say anything more important than this. 31:42 By blood, 31:45 John Stott a famous Church of England minister 31:49 wrote in his book, the "Cross of Christ", 31:53 "Unless the cross is the center of our religion, 31:58 it is not the religion of Jesus." 32:02 Lord, have mercy. 32:04 How many Christless sermons are preached 32:07 that don't even talk about the blood? 32:11 "Unless the cross is the center of our religion, 32:17 it's not the religion of Jesus." 32:24 Now, my friend, I know some people will take offence 32:29 when I say this, but I say it in love, 32:31 I say it because it is the truth, 32:34 and our blessed Lord said, "You will know the truth 32:38 and the truth will make you free" 32:41 and a true minister of God is not called to please 32:45 the congregation or the conference. 32:47 Did you hear this? Amen. 32:49 Amen. Are you listening to me? 32:50 A true man of God is not called to preach in such a way 32:55 that will necessarily 32:56 even please the general conference. 32:59 That's right. That's right. 33:00 A man of God is called not to please the people 33:04 but the God who sent him to preach. 33:06 Amen. Amen. 33:09 Now listen, we are saved by becoming members of the church 33:14 though I have baptized tens of thousands 33:17 who become members of the church. 33:20 We are not saved by the act of baptism. 33:25 Baptism simply is an outward indication 33:30 that God has touched my heart and I've been redeemed. 33:34 We're saved in one way, listen my friends, 33:38 let every person know this. 33:41 Let our Roman Catholic friends know this, 33:43 let the Baptists know this, let the Methodists know this, 33:46 let every person know this that we, Adventists, 33:51 in our hearts, at least we, who believe the bible, 33:54 we believe that we are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. 33:58 Amen. Amen. 34:00 Now come over here to Ephesians 1:7 34:04 over in the New Testament, Galatians. 34:07 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, 34:10 Galatians, Ephesians chapter 1. 34:13 I'm glad you have your Bibles. 34:16 Ephesians 1:7. 34:19 Dear hearts and gentle people, it says, Paul says, 34:23 "In Him, in Christ, 34:26 we have redemption through His blood, 34:30 the forgiveness of sins 34:32 according to the riches of his grace". 34:38 Let us read it again. 34:40 "In Him, we have redemption through His blood, 34:44 the forgiveness of sins 34:47 according to the riches of his grace." 34:52 Amen. Listen to this. 34:55 I say this to my fellow ministers, 34:58 I say to the leaders of the church, listen to this. 35:04 There is power in the blood of Jesus 35:08 to awaken the conscience, 35:10 to convict our sin, to stir the emotions, to 35:15 break the controlling power of sin in the life, 35:19 to justify the guilty, 35:22 and to cleanse from all unrighteousness. 35:25 Yes. 35:27 There is mighty power in the blood of Jesus. 35:31 How do I know it? Because I've seen it. 35:34 Praise the Lord. 35:37 Now, as I told you, I think last night, 35:40 God has taken me to Russia and Ukraine 46 times. 35:45 I've not gone because I like vacations. 35:49 It is not a vacation. 35:51 It is hard work. 35:53 Long days. 35:56 When I was there and my dear friend 35:59 Danny Shelton alluded to this 36:00 and Danny has been my friend now 36:02 for 28 years. 36:08 I had a vast audience of atheists 36:11 and members of the KGB. 36:15 I wondered, "How can I reach the hearts of these people? 36:22 This must be 36:23 the most difficult congregation in the world". 36:28 We were running three sessions a day, 36:32 3 o'clock, 5 o'clock, and 7 o'clock, 36:36 each time with about 7,000 people. 36:39 Atheists, unbelievers, men with their hands 36:44 that were stained crimson with the blood of the saints. 36:50 Glory be to God, I say this to His glory. 36:53 I believe I'm the only Protestant minister 36:56 who has ever preached to the KGB on two occasions. 37:01 They sent around their black Limousines 37:04 and took my team and I, took us there, 37:08 took us there 37:10 and asked me to preach the word of God to them. 37:12 Amen. 37:13 I wondered how can I reach the hearts 37:16 of all of these atheists, 37:18 these depressed people, 37:20 these people who had been brainwashed 37:22 by atheistic Marxism, Darwinian ideas, 37:27 the ideas of Nietzsche. 37:32 I had commissioned a great painting. 37:35 It was about 40 feet long and about 30 feet high. 37:40 Now I hung it up at front 37:41 without the great pictorial aids. 37:46 It was a picture of Christ on the cross 37:50 holding on to the nails. 37:54 Christ on the cross, His body lacerated, 38:00 and after preaching on the cross, 38:03 I turned to the Russian people and I said, 38:05 "I want you to look at the cross 38:07 because, Russia, this is your God. 38:13 This is your God. 38:16 This is the God who made you. 38:19 You're not an animal, you're not a machine, 38:22 you're a child of God, 38:24 and the God who made the universe came down 38:29 and was nailed by wicked men and women 38:33 to the cross 38:35 and died in agony bearing the sin of the world." 38:41 Now, I could've gone 38:43 and given splendid talks in psychology 38:46 and every other ideology. 38:50 It would've been so much heartier 38:53 but when I preached on the cross 38:56 and made an altar call in every session, 39:00 I would see 7,000 people 39:03 including the leaders of the KGB, 39:07 not walk down the front but run 39:11 and with their hands raised 39:13 crying to God for mercy. 39:16 Amen. 39:19 Where was the power? 39:22 The power is 39:23 in the blood of Jesus Christ. 39:30 Now I saw it in India, they told me there 39:32 it's absolutely futile. 39:36 The people in the church said to me, 39:37 "Well, firstly they won't come. 39:39 Secondly, if they do come, they won't stay 39:42 and even if they do stay they won't listen. 39:45 Don't spend time with those people. 39:48 They don't have the spirit of God". 39:51 But one night we had a vast crowd 39:53 as far as the eye could see of Hindus and Muslims. 40:00 Amen. 40:01 Hindus and Muslims. 40:03 When I preached on the cross, 40:07 and the spirit of God came upon me. 40:12 I made an altar call 40:15 and virtually the whole audience, 40:17 the Muslims and Hindus, 40:19 the whole audience was moved 40:22 and flooded down like a sea of humanity 40:27 with hands raised worshipping Christ. 40:30 Amen. 40:32 How do you explain that? 40:35 How do you explain it? 40:38 We are talking tonight about "by water." 40:42 That is a flood of water that's coming Holy Spirit. 40:45 Number 2, by blood. 40:50 There is power in the blood of Christ. 40:52 Amen. 40:55 That's what the church needs 40:57 and that's what the world needs. 40:58 Amen. 41:00 And Number 3, by fire. 41:03 The work of God will be finished by water, 41:06 by blood, and by fire. 41:10 I come to Acts, 2:1-3. 41:14 Acts, 2:1-3. 41:19 Dear hearts and gentle people, 41:24 "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, 41:28 they were all with one accord and one place. 41:31 Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven 41:34 as if a rushing mighty wind 41:37 and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 41:40 Then there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire 41:45 and one sat upon each of them". 41:51 Fire is the symbol 41:54 of the spirit of God. 41:58 I want you to notice a text 42:00 which I will illustrate by contrast 42:03 in the Apocalypse Revelation 13:13. 42:09 Revelation 13:13. 42:16 Dear hearts and gentle people, 42:20 and this is a picture of the last days. 42:24 Revelation 13:13. 42:27 "He, the antichrist, performs great signs 42:32 so that he even makes 42:33 fire come down from heaven on the earth 42:35 in the sight of men". 42:37 What is this talking about? 42:40 This is talking about the antichrist. 42:43 The Bible says, in the last days 42:45 he is going to bring fire down from heaven to earth 42:48 in the sight of men. 42:49 This is an obvious allusion to whom? 42:54 Elijah. 42:57 Elijah, the prophet, the true prophet 42:59 brought down fire from heaven to earth in the sight of men. 43:03 The antichrist is going to counterfeit it. 43:10 But the Bible tells me 43:14 that God will answer the great delusion 43:19 of the false Pentecost 43:21 by a mighty outpouring of supernatural divine power 43:28 which will be the fire of God. 43:29 Amen. 43:31 So the Bible says in the last days, 43:34 "The fire, a representative of the spirit of God, 43:39 will come down on the people 43:41 and the Bible says in Revelation, 43:44 I think, it's 18, 43:45 and the earth was lightened with the glory of God. 43:50 The whole earth, and whole of America, 43:53 and the whole wide world 43:55 as far as you can imagine before the end of this world 44:01 is going to be illuminated 44:03 by the fire of the Spirit of God. 44:05 Amen. This is the Word of the Lord. 44:08 Come over here to Matthew chapter 3. 44:10 Now, I give you lots of text 44:12 because I believe in preaching the Bible. 44:14 The authority is the Bible. 44:17 I want you to know this. Don't forget this. 44:19 The authority is the Bible. 44:21 If you can't get it out of the bible, 44:23 then leave it alone. 44:25 This is true. 44:26 I'm talking about theology and doctrine. 44:28 People come to me and they quote this author 44:30 and this author. 44:31 I say, what does the Bible say? 44:33 "Oh, well, we don't really care." 44:34 I do care 44:35 because I believe in the great Protestant principle 44:39 and you should learn it, Solus Christus only Christ, 44:43 Solus Scriptura only scripture, 44:46 Solus Gratia only grace, 44:48 solus fide only faith. 44:50 That is the battle cry of the protestant reformation. 44:54 Amen. 44:55 And I'm a protestant, so I believe only Christ. 45:01 I don't worship or follow any Pope. 45:04 Amen. 45:06 I do not worship or follow any protestant church leader. 45:11 I follow Christ. 45:13 Solus Christus, Solus Scriptura, 45:17 only the Bible, the authority. 45:20 You know Ellen White believed exactly the same. 45:24 At the last General Conference 45:25 she held up a copy of the word of God 45:28 and she said, "I command to you the word of God." 45:35 So solus scriptura, Solus Gratia 45:38 which means only grace, 45:42 only grace. 45:44 Could we be saved in any other way 45:47 when you think what sinners we are? 45:53 Solus Gratia, Solus Fide, only faith. 45:58 So memorize it. 46:00 Take it home from camp. 46:02 Solus Christus, Solus Scriptura, 46:05 Solus Gratia, Solus Fide. 46:09 Now, I'm going to tell you something else 46:11 not to scandalize you, 46:14 but I tell it to you because I hope I'm honest 46:18 and I hope I'm true to God. 46:20 People come to me and they say, 46:22 "What is your religion?" 46:25 Let me tell you what I tell them. 46:28 And this may scandalize some of you. 46:30 If it does, then you have the problem. 46:34 Listen, what is your religion? 46:37 I say first and foremost I'm a Christian. 46:42 I follow Christ. 46:46 Solus Christus. I'm a Christian. 46:49 Secondly, I'm a protestant. 46:53 I do not follow I do not worship 46:56 a church organization. 46:59 I follow the Bible and the Word of God. 47:03 My authority is not the church, it's the Bible. 47:07 Amen. I'm a protestant. 47:10 And thirdly, I'm an Adventist. 47:14 Now if you get those words around the wrong way, 47:17 you'll neither be Adventist-Protestant, 47:20 or Christian. 47:23 And so our authority is the word of the Living God. 47:28 And if you go and read Great Controversy, 47:30 it was the authority of Ellen White. 47:33 Matthew 3:1 and onwards, 'In those days John the Baptist 47:37 came preaching in the wilderness of Judea 47:40 and saying, 47:42 'Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' 47:44 For this is he who is spoken of 47:46 by the prophet Isaiah saying, 47:48 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 47:50 prepare the way for the Lord, make his path straight.'" 47:54 Then come down a little bit further 47:56 and John says in verse 11, 47:59 "I indeed baptize you with water and repentance, 48:03 but He, who is coming after me is mightier than I, 48:06 whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. 48:09 He will baptize you 48:11 with the Holy Spirit and with fire." 48:16 So the Bible tells me 48:18 that Christ is going to baptize these people 48:21 with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 48:24 Amen. 48:25 Fire illuminates. 48:30 If you are in a dark place, fire illuminates. 48:34 In Australia, I have a dear friend 48:37 Dr. John Hammond, 48:40 who told me how he was brought up. 48:42 His parents were missionaries, I believe in Boneo. 48:47 And one night he and his father 48:48 were out in the jungle. 48:51 They'd been out to deliver a little baby. 48:54 His father was a doctor. 48:56 And as they we're coming back, the sun went down like thunder 49:02 and there was blackness. 49:04 And there was a river running along beside the path, 49:08 and as they walked along beside the path 49:11 they could hear a sliding slippery sound 49:15 and then a plop. 49:19 They were the giant king cobras 49:21 coming down from the mountain, 49:23 crossing the grassy path, 49:26 and dropping into the stream. 49:30 Back home, Mrs. Hammond and the rest of the family 49:33 were praying for Dr. Hammond and her boy John. 49:37 "Save him, they're late getting home." 49:41 And as she was praying for them, 49:43 as they were walking along on this path in Boneo, 49:47 all of a sudden there was a blaze of light. 49:53 And John had his leg up like this 49:57 and there on the path beneath his trembling foot 50:01 was a great king cobra. 50:05 And his father said, holding the shotgun, 50:07 "John, don't move, I'll kill it 50:10 but he said not now, I may miss and kill you." 50:15 He said, "My son, stand firm and do not move. 50:20 Keep your foot raised." 50:23 And then all of a sudden out of nowhere 50:25 from a cloudless sky, 50:27 there came a burst of lightening 50:30 and it illuminated the scene, 50:33 and the doctor blew the head of the snake. 50:37 God sent the light when he needed the light. 50:40 Amen. 50:41 And fire, my friend, gives you light 50:44 and what we need is the fire of the spirit of God. 50:49 God's fire warms. 50:53 God's spirit is not like a fake fire 50:58 that looks good but is cold. 51:01 You've seen those fake fires and those fake flames. 51:06 Some people have got a fake fire. 51:12 God's fire warms the soul. 51:15 Let me tell you about a man, the man with the shining face. 51:20 We just had a huge baptism in Russia. 51:24 I was standing beside the road on the street 51:27 watching the crowd go by. 51:29 I was somewhat overwhelmed by what had happened. 51:32 I thought to myself, "Could this all be true? 51:35 Is this right?" 51:36 And then I saw a man coming along out of the crowd. 51:39 He was across the road. 51:41 And then he came and crossed the road to me 51:44 but as he was coming along, he stood out in the crowd 51:48 because his face was on fire. 51:50 His face was shining. 51:53 It was shining with the Spirit of God. 51:59 The Spirit of God illuminates 52:02 and God's fire brings the power upon the church, 52:08 power to live and power to go. 52:12 Many years ago, 52:13 there was an Indian man going through a museum 52:16 and there was a tremendous locomotive. 52:20 It was marvelous. 52:21 It was all shiny. 52:24 It was all greased up. 52:26 It was well oiled. 52:28 And the Indian man looked it over and they said, 52:31 "What do you think about it?" 52:32 He said it's wonderful but no fire inside. 52:38 There was no fire inside. 52:40 There was no fire inside, it was dead. 52:44 Now we're gonna have 52:45 a magnificent church organization, 52:47 it can be polished and it can be shiny 52:50 but what the church needs, my friend, 52:53 is fire inside. 52:55 Amen. 52:56 We need the fire of God. 52:59 Let me give you a testimony. 53:02 In Russia, sometimes I would be weary and frayed 53:07 preaching all day. 53:09 You know, I'm still going and I'm no longer a boy. 53:12 Sometimes in Russia I'd be wearied and frayed 53:15 and all my strength would be gone. 53:18 Let me tell you this. 53:21 This is the truth. 53:22 I know what I'm talking about 53:24 'cause this has happened to me. 53:25 I would be feeling nervously exhausted. 53:28 I would be feeling hungry. 53:30 I would be feeling fatigued. 53:33 And as I would walk out on the stage 53:37 to preach to a vast audience of men and women 53:40 who were dying, 53:42 as I would walk out, 53:45 I would feel 53:48 the mantle of His power come upon me 53:52 and I would have fire inside. 53:54 Amen. 53:55 How would I feel? 53:58 Relaxed. 54:00 I would feel warm. 54:05 I would be based and immersed in love. 54:10 People would say, 54:12 my team would say, "It's happened again. 54:16 He's got fire inside." 54:17 Amen. 54:19 And as I would walk off the stage, 54:21 as I would literally walk off the stage, 54:27 it would lift off me 54:30 and I'd be weak again. 54:36 By water, 54:38 by blood, 54:40 and by fire. 54:41 Amen. 54:43 God's work would be finished by water, 54:48 by blood, and by fire. 54:56 Let me say this to you. 55:00 As an old whitehead preacher of the gospel, 55:04 I've been preaching now fulltime for 54 years. 55:09 Amen. Mm-hm. 55:12 Praise the Lord. 55:15 I've experienced the water, I've experienced the blood, 55:20 and I've experienced the fire. 55:24 How many in this tremendous audience 55:27 here at 3ABN in Southern Illinois 55:30 in the United States of America, 55:32 how many here tonight would say, 55:34 "I want to be covered by the blood of Jesus"? 55:37 Raise your hands. 55:38 Amen. 55:39 I want to be covered Lord by the blood of Jesus. 55:42 When I'm under the blood of Jesus, my friend, 55:45 I'm safe, I'm secure, and I'm saved. 55:50 Amen. 55:51 I want to be covered by the blood 55:53 and, Lord, I want the water of the Spirit of God. 56:00 Put your hands up. 56:01 I want the flood to come down upon Lake Eyre. 56:05 I want the birds to come. 56:08 I want the desert to rejoice and blossom as the roads. 56:13 I want the water. 56:15 And who wants with this old preacher? 56:19 Who wants to have fire inside for Jesus? 56:23 Put both your hands up. 56:25 Lord, I want the blood 56:30 and I want the water, 56:32 and I want fire inside. 56:35 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 56:37 Hallelujah. 56:38 Praise God. Praise God. 56:40 Mine eyes have seen the glory. 56:45 Now... 56:48 I want to bring you to God. 56:50 Please bear your heads. 56:54 My Father, we just thank you. 56:56 We worship you, we bless you, and we praise you. 57:00 We thank you that our needs are met in Christ. 57:03 We thank you for giving us the Holy Bible. 57:06 We thank you 57:08 that we are members of your church. 57:11 Wash us in the blood, 57:14 fill us with the water of the spirit 57:17 and, dear Father, give us fire inside, please, 57:22 for Jesus' sake. 57:24 Amen. Amen. 57:26 Amen. Amen. Amen. 57:28 Praise God. Praise God. 57:30 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. |
Revised 2023-08-01