Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Wintley Phipps
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000170A
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00:11 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:14 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:23 Hello friends, welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center 00:26 where we are capping off a five part series 00:29 here at our Anchors Of Truth. 00:32 Pastor Wintley Phipps has, for some reason, 00:36 I know that it was not human, it was divine, 00:39 to be able to communicate four powerful messages now, 00:43 and to cap it off with a wonderful entitled, 00:46 The Second Coming of Jesus. 00:48 Very, very regular in the title, but I can guarantee you 00:53 this message is going to be anything but regular. 00:56 Can we say amen to that? 00:57 We have been blessed this morning. 00:59 And I know that this afternoon the Lord is not going to 01:01 withhold His blessings from us. 01:04 Wherever you're joining us from, thank you for tuning in 01:06 to this network that believes in going and growing, 01:10 preparing the world for the soon coming of Jesus. 01:13 So how fitting this message that will be brought to us 01:16 by Elder Wintley Phipps. 01:18 He is world renowned for so many things. 01:21 Not only is he a dynamic speaker, but he is a musician, 01:25 a minister of music with about 25 recordings. 01:29 He has been around the world. 01:30 He also is the CEO and founder of the U.S. Dream Academy. 01:34 He once pastored on Capitol Hill, 01:36 the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Washington D.C. 01:39 And that also has allowed him, by God's grace, to be involved 01:42 with the last six Presidents of the United States. 01:46 And still today he has influenced in lives 01:49 of individuals that we only see and only meet. 01:52 But to God be the glory. 01:54 The Lord never puts you where He does not plan to use you. 01:57 And we know that it's not by his influence, 02:00 but by God's divine plan that this man has been anointed 02:03 to touch so many lives. 02:06 He is a wonderful singer. 02:08 And we have been blessed by that. 02:10 But more than the persons he knows is the Person 02:14 that knows him; and that is Jesus Christ. 02:16 He has been speaking about revealing, reflecting, 02:20 and also knowing Jesus. 02:23 Having the character of Christ is the most important 02:26 preparation that anyone can make 02:29 as we look forward to the second coming of Jesus. 02:31 The signs are important, but the signs will do nothing but 02:35 frighten you if you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 02:40 And so we're going to be blessed by music. 02:42 Two of my favorite songs; Jesus is Coming Again, 02:46 and one that I had the privilege of recording also; 02:48 Until Then. 02:50 And I cannot wait to hear that. 02:52 So to give him all the time that he is going to need, 02:54 let's invite the presence of God to continue with us. 02:57 And after the word of prayer, the next voice that 02:59 you will hear will be that of Elder Wintley Phipps. 03:03 Let's pray together. 03:05 Gracious Father in heaven, what a blessing it is 03:07 to know that You not only call us, but You qualify us. 03:13 And Your manservant has done what You've called him to do; 03:17 to speak to him, through him, and for him. 03:21 Anoint him once again, Father, as he brings to us the message 03:25 that You delivered from Your table of grace. 03:28 And may Your children, Your servants, and even those 03:31 looking for Jesus, find in this message 03:34 the joy of having a one to one relationship with You 03:38 that we may be ready; for the signs foretell 03:42 that the coming of our Lord is not far distant. 03:44 So use him today, Father, to urge us to preparation. 03:48 We pray in Jesus' name and for His sake, amen. 03:52 In our local audience, can you welcome Elder Wintley Phipps 03:55 with a hearty amen. 04:34 Why stand ye gazing there 04:39 up into the sky? 04:46 Be not discouraged, for we have brought good news. 04:57 This same Jesus, whom we do magnify, 05:08 soon He will come again for all to glorify. 05:21 He is coming again, 05:27 He is coming again. 05:35 Son of the Father, He is coming again. 05:46 On Calvary He claimed my destiny. 05:52 Lord, I humble myself 06:02 to Thee. 06:13 Lord, I want to see Your face; 06:17 just help me be strong. 06:24 I know You will return; 06:30 I know it won't be long. 06:37 He is coming again, 06:43 He is coming again. 06:50 Son of the Father, He is coming again. 07:01 On Calvary He claimed my destiny. 07:06 Lord, I humble myself 07:18 to Thee. 07:22 Lift up the trumpet, and loud let it ring; 07:27 Jesus is coming again. 07:32 Cheer up, ye pilgrims, be joyful and sing; 07:37 Jesus is coming again. 07:42 Coming again, coming again; 07:47 Jesus is coming again. 07:53 Coming again, coming again; 07:58 Jesus is coming again. 08:16 Let us pray. 08:19 Father, as we open Your Holy Word, 08:22 I ask that You would cleanse me of all unrighteousness. 08:27 Fill my life with Your Holy Spirit's presence and power. 08:32 Speak to me, through me, and for me. 08:36 And I promise You, Lord, I will always give You the honor, 08:42 the glory, and the praise. 08:44 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 08:50 Praise the Lord. 08:53 If you have your Bible's with you, 08:56 you can join me by turning to the book of Matthew. 09:00 And we'll read beginning with verse 1. 09:05 The book of Matthew chapter 25, beginning with verse 1. 09:13 The Word of God says... 11:18 May God add a blessing to every reading of His Word. 11:24 These ten young virgins, said Jesus, clothed in white linen 11:31 were waiting anxiously for a wedding procession. 11:38 Each held in their hands a lamp, a lamp that was lit. 11:46 All of them had lamps that were lit. 11:51 At their side, however, they carried flasks, little vessels, 11:59 that held extra oil. 12:03 As the hours passed, those waiting to celebrate the wedding 12:07 became impatient because of the delay. 12:12 And we are told that everyone fell asleep, 12:16 unaware that their lamps had begun to flicker and go out. 12:24 But suddenly at midnight, 12:28 in the deepest, darkest hour of the night; 12:32 midnight, when every heart had faltered 12:36 and every soul was asleep; 12:39 midnight, that fabled hour of crisis and trial; 12:45 midnight, that hour that is every parent's nightmare; 12:52 midnight... 12:54 The Bible says that at midnight a cry was made 12:59 rousing the resting maidens from their sleep, 13:02 "The bridegroom has arrived. 13:05 Let us go out to meet him." 13:08 All ten maidens spring to their feet in time to hear 13:12 the happy couple singing their song of love and promise. 13:17 They leap to their feet intending to join 13:21 the triumphant procession as it passes by. 13:25 Instinctively and carefully, they begin to fill their lamps 13:32 with oil. 13:34 The Bible says that all of the virgins rose 13:38 and trimmed their lamps. 13:39 Which means they all adjusted their lamps 13:43 and made ready to light them. 13:47 But five of the virgins realized their flasks, which were 13:53 suppose to have that extra oil, in fact have no oil in them. 14:00 You see, they had not made preparation 14:04 for an emergency of this nature. 14:08 They did not anticipate such a lengthy delay. 14:13 And so in the dark of night, their failure is made apparent 14:18 and their lack of judgment is exposed. 14:22 The bridegroom has returned, and they are unready. 14:28 Those five foolish virgins, they had time and extended 14:38 probationary opportunity, but they were living 14:42 with a presumption of readiness. 14:46 As they realized the folly of their ways, 14:49 they began to partition their companions to 14:53 share a little bit of their oil with them. 14:55 "We cannot," said their friends. 14:57 "We cannot share any of our oil with you. 15:00 We have already filled our lamps. 15:04 We have already used the extra oil we had prepared 15:08 and set aside. 15:10 And there is no more oil left in our flasks. 15:13 Hurry," they said, "perhaps you can go and try and buy 15:17 some from those who might sell." 15:20 Seven Eleven, perhaps. 15:22 Wal-Mart, maybe. 15:25 As politely as they could, the five wise virgins 15:31 were saying to the five foolish virgins, 15:35 "Our preparation is not transferrable." 15:43 "Hurry," said the five virgins to their friends, 15:46 "run and try to buy some oil, 15:50 and meet us back at the bridegroom's house." 15:53 And so they went, said Jesus, to buy their oil. 15:58 You know, brothers and sisters, I have a special respect 16:03 for people who have to stay ready. 16:07 I have a special respect for firemen, for first responders. 16:14 Because more than anyone I know, these are people 16:17 who have to live in a state of readiness. 16:22 When they sleep, you might as well say they sleep 16:25 with one eye one. 16:27 When they lay down, their clothes are laid out, 16:30 their equipment primed and ready. 16:32 If they grab a bite to eat, their radios are in their hands. 16:38 They are always ready to go. 16:41 Now from the reading of the text, it seems to me 16:44 that the five foolish virgins could not find any oil 16:49 at that hour of the night. 16:51 So they decided that they would show up at the wedding anyway. 16:57 But by the time they reached the bridegroom's house, 17:00 they found that the door was shut, 17:03 the windows were shuttered, their probation had closed. 17:08 They knocked and pleaded with the celebrants inside 17:12 to open the door and let them in. 17:15 Instead, they heard the voice of the bridegroom saying to them, 17:20 "Who are you? 17:23 And from whence have you come? 17:26 I cannot open the door to you, 17:29 for I know you not." 17:33 Now brothers and sisters, on the surface this may seem like 17:39 just another sad parable about five virgins 17:44 left out in the cold, 17:45 five virgins standing alone in the dark. 17:49 Just another depressing story about five foolish virgins 17:54 dressed up with no place to go. 17:57 And yes, it is true, this narrative told by Jesus 18:02 is one of the most serious warnings in all of Scripture. 18:08 It is true, it is a warning directed, not at the world, 18:15 but at those who claim to have surrendered to the 18:19 lordship of Christ. 18:21 It is a warning directed to all who see themselves 18:26 as candidates for the kingdom, 18:29 and all who serve the church in ministry. 18:34 It is a solemn warning that an inordinate number of us 18:39 who call Him Lord, who teach Sabbath school, 18:44 who usher, who deacon, 18:47 who are well-meaning and well-intentioned, 18:50 that when the accounts are tallied and every case 18:54 is settled, that many will be lost. 18:58 Many will be turned away because they didn't have 19:02 what they were suppose to have. 19:06 Now, they knew what they were suppose to know. 19:13 But they didn't have what they were suppose to have. 19:18 They were praying people. 19:21 They were church going, choir singing, 19:24 praise and worship leading people. 19:27 They said, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name and 19:32 cast out devils in Thy name? 19:34 Done many wonderful works?" 19:37 "But who are you?" said Jesus. 19:40 "I never knew you. 19:42 You claim to know Me. 19:46 You even told others we were close. 19:50 You carried on like you knew Me, but you didn't know Me. 19:56 At the church board meetings, the way you acted; 20:02 you didn't know Me. 20:05 You acted like a spoiled child instead of a mature Christian." 20:11 Oh, I didn't plan to tell this story, but I'll tell you. 20:13 It's a true story. 20:14 A friend of mine is a pastor. 20:16 And one of the church members, board members, 20:20 make a mistake of bringing to the board to have a 20:25 fundraiser a fish fry. 20:29 Now you know that wasn't going over very well. 20:32 But the way they were going at each other was cantankerous, 20:37 it was bitter. 20:38 And finally, my friend who was the pastor, said 20:41 to one of the sisters, "Sister, please, please. 20:43 Calm down. 20:45 Jesus ate fish." 20:49 And she came back and said, 20:50 "Yes, Yes, but that doesn't make it right." 20:56 The way we acted, "You didn't know Me." 21:00 I once read of a lady who was arrested on 21:05 suspicion of car theft. 21:07 And she was taken down to the station. 21:11 After being questioned by the captain, she was let go. 21:14 But she was furious and wanted to know what did she do 21:19 to warrant being picked up and arrested. 21:22 The arresting officer said, "Well, ma'am, I observed you 21:26 at the traffic light. 21:27 And when it changed, the person ahead of you didn't move, 21:31 and you started honking and screaming and cursing. 21:35 And then I saw the bumper sticker on your car saying, 21:38 'Follow me to Sabbath school.' 21:41 And I assumed the car was stolen." 21:46 Jesus said to those virgins, "Who are you? 21:51 I didn't know you. 21:52 I don't know you. 21:55 Mean. I don't know you. 21:58 Ornery, cantankerous, vindictive, spiteful, 22:04 cruel, malicious, nasty. 22:09 I don't know you. 22:11 Hurtful, unkind. I don't know you. 22:16 I sought your companionship at the breaking of every dawn. 22:21 You seldom came. 22:23 I waited for you in the cool of the day. 22:27 You never came. 22:28 When trials came to your life, I thought for sure 22:31 you'd call on Me, but you went elsewhere in search of 22:34 your blessing and your comfort. 22:36 You called up earthly friends and told them your problems 22:39 and your needs. 22:41 I hoped someday you'd see the light and walk by faith 22:44 and not by sight. 22:45 But you went it alone. 22:47 And in the shadows, I wept for you. 22:52 I never knew you." 22:55 Yes it is true, brothers and sisters, this is a parable 22:59 about astounding complacency. 23:02 It is about inexcusable negligence. 23:07 It's about gamblers in the church. 23:11 Gambling that their superficial will pass for substance. 23:17 They're gambling that pretense will pass for power. 23:22 They are gambling that barren branches 23:25 will somehow bear fruit. 23:28 But those five foolish virgins had miscalculated. 23:31 And just when they needed their vessels trimmed and burning, 23:36 they are left behind because their flasks have 23:41 no oil in them. 23:43 Now notice, the bridegroom does not rebuke them 23:47 for their evil deeds. 23:49 And I'm sure there were many. 23:51 He does not reprove them for sins they forgot to confess. 23:56 And I'm sure there were many of those. 23:59 They just weren't ready. 24:03 He does not say, "My house is crowded," 24:05 or, "The banquet house is full." 24:07 All he says is, "I never knew you." 24:13 Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the Bridegroom who is 24:18 about to return for His bride. 24:22 He is coming for His church. 24:24 And everyone who is under the sound of my voice today 24:28 will fall into one of those two categories. 24:33 We are either wise virgins or we are foolish virgins. 24:39 For the next few moments, let me tell you what it means 24:44 to be a wise virgin. 24:47 First of all, wise virgins understand that to know Him 24:52 is to be ready. 24:54 For this is life eternal; to know Him. 24:58 Wise virgins understand that the coming of the Bridegroom 25:02 does not change foolish virgins into wise ones. 25:08 Oh, you didn't hear me today. 25:10 The coming of the Bridegroom does not change 25:13 foolish virgins into wise ones. 25:16 But most important, wise virgins understand 25:21 that the oil in their lamps represents the work 25:27 of the Holy Spirit in the development of character 25:31 that looks like the character of Jesus. 25:35 That is the oil. 25:38 Character that looks like the character of Jesus. 25:44 Oh, praise the Lord. 25:46 You see, these five foolish virgins, 25:49 they kept the Sabbath too. 25:52 They believed in the Scriptures. 25:53 "Verily, verily, My Sabbaths ye shall keep." 25:56 It is a sign. They believed in the sign. 25:59 What they didn't know was that the Sabbath, 26:01 as we spoke about earlier, was a sign of 26:04 and is suppose to be a sign of sanctification. 26:09 The five foolish virgins kept the Sabbath. 26:14 Did you hear me today? 26:16 But they didn't know that Sabbath is suppose to be a 26:20 sign of sanctification. 26:23 Brothers and sisters, if you keep the Sabbath 26:25 and don't have His character, you are a foolish virgin. 26:32 Can I say that one more time? 26:34 If you keep the Sabbath and don't have His character, 26:40 you are a foolish virgin, not a wise one. 26:45 When Jesus comes, those whose lives were made holy 26:48 by the truth they knew will make it. 26:52 Those whose lives were not made holy by the truth they knew 26:57 will be shut out. 26:59 They don't have the oil of Holy Ghost filled 27:03 transformed character. 27:05 Did you know that the servant of the Lord tells us 27:07 that the oil in the lamp is Holy Ghost Spirit filled 27:12 transformed character? 27:16 Praise God. 27:17 Those who plan to be saints must be first saints on earth. 27:24 When we leave this earth and join the Bridegroom, 27:26 the oil in our lamp, 27:28 I said, the oil in our lamp will be our 27:32 Holy Ghost filled character. 27:35 Praise God. 27:36 That's all you're going to heaven with, by the way. 27:41 I read the other day where Steve Jobs, the owner and 27:46 developer of Apple, said, "I have no interest in 27:49 being the richest man in the graveyard." 27:53 The reason the five wise virgins could not share their oil 27:59 is because Holy Ghost character is not transferrable. 28:07 Do you see it? 28:08 Even if someone wanted to give you some of their oil, 28:12 character is not transferrable. 28:17 You got it? 28:18 Even if someone were willing to make the sacrifice, 28:23 it is not transferrable. 28:25 Everybody has to work out their own salvation 28:29 with fear and trembling. 28:31 Listen to what the servant of the Lord says. 28:51 The wise virgins know you don't retaliate 28:54 when somebody is coming at you. 29:17 Oh, if we could have more of that in our homes. 29:21 Amen? We would have happier homes. 29:23 When someone is coming at you, your husband, your wife, 29:26 your children, don't retaliate. 29:28 Instead, reveal Christ. 29:32 Amen. You know how much pain would be avoided 29:35 if we learned that lesson? 29:37 Don't retaliate. 29:39 Reveal Christ. 29:41 When you're under attack, reveal Christ. 29:44 She also says... 30:01 Friends, when Jesus, the Bridegroom, comes again 30:03 for His bride, there are going to be church members 30:07 who are going to say to Jesus, "What do you mean 30:10 I can't go to heaven? 30:12 And what does my character have to do with 30:15 going to heaven anyway?" 30:18 It has everything... 30:21 Did you hear me today? 30:22 It has everything to do with going to heaven. 30:25 Now I'm going to give you some quotations from 30:28 the spirit of prophecy. 30:30 I want you to be ready for this. 30:31 Look at it now, the first one. 30:34 You're not going to believe this. 30:52 Look at the next one. 31:14 Look at the next one. 31:52 Whoa! My, my, my. 31:54 Look at the next one. 32:17 You know, I've got to read that one again. 32:20 I said, I have to read that one again. 32:22 "If in this life we are like Him in character..." 32:44 I've got a couple more. 32:46 Listen to this. 32:48 "Those who enter heaven must be..." 33:06 If we don't have His character, we will spoil heaven. 33:13 And I'm sure God is saying, "I've been through this before. 33:18 And I'm not going to go through it again." 33:21 Oh my. 33:22 And look at this final one. 33:24 Well, I've got a couple more. 34:09 And I have this final one for you. 34:30 Can it be more clear? 34:33 The history of Christianity, however, is replete with 34:36 evidence that even those who bear the name of Christ 34:42 can be very cruel. 34:44 I often wonder, when the world sees how we, as Christians, 34:48 treat one another, what does that say to the world 34:53 about Christ? 34:55 I look at politicians who claim they are Christians, 34:58 and how they are attacking and maiming and hurting each other, 35:03 and I say to myself, "What does that say 35:06 about the Christ they profess to serve?" 35:11 Christians who cannot rise above pettiness and meanness 35:16 are bad advertising for Jesus. 35:20 If we are not examples of kindness and courtesy and 35:24 civility and decency, we compromise our witness. 35:29 And the world will listen to very little 35:31 of what we have to say. 35:34 No amount of preaching can overcome a church member's 35:39 witness of a poor unChrist-like character. 35:44 Oh, I know what I'm tell you. 35:45 No amount of Bible reading can counteract 35:49 a Christian with a bad attitude. 35:53 People don't care about what you know until they know 35:56 that you care about your relationship with Christ. 36:00 One writer said, "I would rather see a sermon 36:03 than hear one any day." 36:06 And that's why it's so important that leaders 36:09 in our local churches try to live so that their characters 36:15 have the stamp and the blessing of heaven. 36:19 A knowledge of Christ avails us nothing unless we become 36:23 like Him in character, unless we bear His likeness. 36:28 Somebody ought to look at you and say, "Did I just see Jesus?" 36:34 The five wise virgins went home with the bridegroom 36:38 because they had their oil. 36:40 And remember, the oil represents the work of the Holy Spirit 36:47 in your life and the development of character 36:51 that looks like Jesus. 36:53 That's why the oil is not transferrable. 36:58 These five wise virgins knew the Lord. 37:01 They knew Him intimately, they knew Him passionately. 37:04 They knew the Lord. 37:05 Their relationship with Jesus was not 37:07 peripheral or superficial. 37:08 It was at the core and essence of who they were. 37:11 They knew the Lord so well that in their character 37:14 they resembled, reflected, and revealed the character of Jesus. 37:19 In the theatre of their struggle with sin in the world, 37:22 their relationship with Jesus was center stage. 37:26 And they knew it. 37:28 They weren't distracted by foolishness or sidetracked 37:32 by trifling stuff. 37:34 Oh, I want you to know, I have been learning 37:37 more and more in my life that the default consciousness 37:42 of our lives ought to be communication 37:46 and communing with God. 37:49 Your default stream of consciousness ought to be 37:54 prayer and communication and communing with God. 37:59 And anything else that happens, you ought to see it 38:02 as a distraction. 38:05 And when the distraction is over, go back to your default 38:09 stream of consciousness; 38:12 communing with God. 38:15 Those five wise virgins, every day they found comfort 38:18 in His companionship. 38:20 They rehearsed His promises. 38:22 They were uplifted by the chronicle of His miracles, 38:25 His testament, His mighty deeds. 38:27 They knew Him. 38:29 And one day, I want you to know, the Lord says that 38:32 every day, by the way, you become more and more 38:36 like Him in character. 38:37 If you live for that goal, it will be your experience. 38:42 I am praying with all my heart... 38:45 This next anniversary, I'll be married 40 years. 38:48 I am praying with all my heart that each passing year 38:52 my wife lives with a husband who looks more like Jesus. 38:59 That's my prayer. 39:02 Because I know I live with a wife who, every year, 39:06 looks more like Jesus to me. 39:09 Some people act like getting into heaven will happen 39:14 by obtaining a passing grade on God's multiple choice exam. 39:20 It reminds me of the little boy who visited his friend's 39:23 grandmother's house on the way to school. 39:25 They always stopped and checked in on his friend's grandma. 39:28 On the way back, they would stop in and check with her. 39:31 And every time they went by, they found grandma sitting 39:35 reading the Bible, just reading the Bible. 39:37 On the way to school, they would stop in and 39:39 she would be reading the Bible. 39:40 On the way back, they would stop in and she would be 39:43 reading the Bible. 39:44 And one day his friend said to the other friend, he said, 39:47 "Why do you suppose that your grandmother 39:51 reads the Bible so much?" 39:53 And the other little boy said, "I don't know. 39:55 Maybe it's because she's cramming for her finals." 40:01 Getting into heaven is not a test entrance to heaven. 40:06 Rather, it's not a test of knowledge. 40:09 It is a test of character. 40:13 Oh, did you hear me today? 40:16 Peter is not going to stop you at the gates and say, 40:18 "Oh by the way, what does 2 John 1:9 say?" 40:23 Getting into heaven is not a test of knowledge. 40:26 It is a test of character. 40:28 And if you truly know the Lord, you will every day 40:31 become more like Him in character. 40:34 It is the greatest privilege of my life 40:38 to grow every day to be like God in character. 40:43 I strive every day to be like Him. 40:46 And I do it, not out of fear. 40:49 And this has been a wonderful quantum leap for me. 40:52 I strive to be like Christ, not out of fear of being lost. 40:58 I strive to be more like Christ every day 41:01 because nothing makes me happier than to see 41:08 spiritual growth in my own character. 41:12 It makes me happy to grow more every day to be like Christ. 41:19 And I know that nothing makes the heart of God 41:23 more happy than to see me growing to be more like His Son. 41:29 You know, I was born in Trinidad. 41:31 And I remember I use to get away from my parent's troubles. 41:36 I had a little red tricycle and I'd go in the back yard of 41:41 my house and turn the tricycle on its side 41:44 and use one of the backside wheels as a steering wheel. 41:48 And I would sit there for hours and I would dream that I was 41:51 flying all over the world and meeting important people. 41:55 When we moved to Montreal, Canada where I grew up, 41:57 my father use to take us to the airport 42:00 to say goodbye to people. 42:01 Remember when going to the airport was a big deal? 42:04 You use to pack a lunch and it was serious, you know. 42:07 And my father would take us there, and before leaving 42:09 the airport, I'd look around to see if anybody was looking, 42:11 and I would grab a handful of the luggage tags 42:15 and stuff them in my pocket. 42:17 And I'd go home and close the door, get a pencil, 42:20 print my name, "Wintley Phipps, flight 393, London." 42:24 "Flight 676, Paris." 42:27 And I had those dreams. 42:28 But I tell you, at 16 I gave my life to Jesus Christ. 42:34 And ever since then, my life has been filled with moments 42:38 of destiny, I call them. 42:40 Have you ever shown up somewhere and you had a great blessing, 42:43 and you realize, five minutes earlier you would have 42:46 missed your blessing, and five minutes later 42:48 your blessing would have missed you? 42:51 I remember, almost 30 years ago, I'm on a train, 42:55 an Amtrak train, going from Baltimore to Philadelphia. 42:59 And on Amtrak, when you don't want somebody 43:01 to sit next to you, you learn how to camp out. 43:04 And you put your papers all around you, 43:07 and your food around you, and you send a message, 43:10 "Please find some place else to sit." 43:12 Well this man had camped out, but he looked really 43:16 discouraged to me. 43:17 He looked like he needed Jesus. 43:19 And there were other seats available. 43:21 So I walked up to him and I said, "Excuse me. 43:23 Is anybody sitting next to you?" 43:25 He said, "No." 43:27 And he smiled and he pulled up his papers. 43:29 And his name was Chuck Colson of Watergate fame 43:34 who went to prison for the Watergate scandal. 43:37 And he came out and started what has become the largest 43:40 prison ministry in the world. 43:44 He began taking me into the prisons with him. 43:47 And he would speak and I would sing. 43:49 And that's when I realized God had called me 43:52 to a ministry to bring help, tutoring and mentoring, 43:57 to children whose parents are in prison. 44:00 And that's what I've done with my life for over 20 years. 44:03 I've given leadership and raised funds to help children 44:08 whose parents are in prison. 44:09 Because 70% of the children who go to prison 44:14 come from the children whose parents are in prison. 44:19 But God has shown me, even that was a moment of destiny 44:23 for which I was created. 44:24 But more important, we have to grow every day to be 44:29 more like the character of Christ. 44:32 And that is the greatest destiny I will ever know. 44:37 Praise His name. 44:38 Brothers and sisters, the Bridegroom is coming. 44:42 And this is the oil in our lamps; 44:45 that every day the Holy Ghost in your life 44:49 will give you the mind of Christ. 44:52 Every day you will be developing into the character of Jesus. 44:57 The Bridegroom is coming. 44:58 And that is all that matters. 45:04 Are you resembling, reflecting, and revealing Christ. 45:10 Remember I shared, the name, Seventh-day Adventist, 45:13 is a name that tells the world that we are looking for the 45:17 personal appearing of Jesus, 45:20 the inauguration of His eternal reign on the earth. 45:23 But that name should also tell the world 45:26 that our desire to be ready is the primary goal of our lives. 45:32 Amen, amen. 45:34 We make it seem like that name, Seventh-day Adventist, 45:38 is just so that we can let everybody know 45:41 that Jesus is coming. 45:43 That is important, but for you, my brother, for you, my sister, 45:47 the most important thing is that you, in your character, 45:52 that you are ready. 45:54 What does it matter if the door of eternity swings wide open 45:59 and you are not ready to walk through it? 46:03 What does that matter if the door of opportunity, 46:07 the door of eternity, swings open and you're not ready 46:12 to walk through it? 46:13 We are living in the time that corresponds exactly 46:18 with God's prophetic program. 46:21 It is a plan outlined in His Word long ago. 46:24 And according to God's program, we are living in the closing 46:29 days of earth's history. 46:32 You know, it is an awesome realization that the very 46:36 next event on God's blueprint, His calendar, is the 46:41 second coming of His Son to this earth. 46:45 When we consider all that He has predicted has already happened, 46:50 how can we not conclude that the coming of Jesus 46:56 is even at the door. 46:57 Just what He said will happen has happened, is happening. 47:02 And we rejoice today that everything is coming along 47:07 right, and just as God planned it. 47:10 This world cannot go on this way much longer. 47:15 Now Peter said, "Seeing then that all these things 47:20 shall be dissolved..." 47:24 Look at this scripture. 47:26 This is an amazing scripture. 47:27 2 Peter 3:10 47:31 Look at it if you have your Bibles. 47:32 2 Peter 3:10, "But the day of the Lord will come 47:36 as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens 47:40 shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements 47:46 shall melt with fervent heat..." 47:47 Oh my, my. 47:49 The day of the Lord is on its way, brothers and sisters. 47:51 Somebody say amen. 47:52 "...the heavens will pass away with a great noise, 47:56 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, 47:59 the earth also and the works that are therein 48:02 shall be burned up." 48:04 And then look at this next scripture, 2 Peter 3:11. 48:09 "Seeing," that we know, "that these things shall be dissolved, 48:16 what manner of persons ought we not to be..." 48:22 We ought to be persons of holy conversation 48:26 and godliness. 48:31 And then it says, "...looking for and hasting unto the 48:34 coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens 48:37 being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements 48:40 shall melt with fervent heat? 48:41 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, 48:44 look for new heavens and a new earth, 48:46 wherein dwelleth righteousness." 48:48 Brothers and sisters, I believe without a doubt that Jesus 48:52 is coming again soon. 48:55 And more important, get this, more important than knowing 49:00 the day or the hour is doing what we must do 49:05 to make sure we've got oil in our lamps. 49:09 Amen? 49:10 What does it matter if we know the details of prophecy 49:14 but we are not prepared in our characters 49:17 for the fulfillment of prophecy? 49:21 We must be prepared. 49:22 The longer I live the more convinced I am 49:25 that the time has come for us to start looking 49:29 for a new heaven and a new earth. 49:31 The time has come for us to start turning our faces 49:35 to the eastern sky. 49:37 The time has come for us to sanctify the Lord God 49:40 in our hearts, to make God the object of all our worship 49:44 and our praise, the object of our supreme regard. 49:48 And just as a farmer looks forward to the harvest, 49:52 just as a prisoner looks forward to the day he will be set free, 49:57 just as a king looks forward to the day he will be crowned, 50:00 and a bride looks forward to the day of her wedding, 50:04 we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth. 50:09 We are looking for the second coming of Jesus. 50:13 "Marvel not of this, for the hour is coming in the which 50:17 all that are in the graves shall hear His voice 50:20 and shall come forth." 50:22 Somebody, I'm getting excited all by myself. 50:25 No one has ever lost a loved one who has died in Christ 50:29 who has need to fear, because we will see them again. 50:34 The second coming of Jesus will raise the dead, 50:38 will reunite families. 50:40 He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. 50:44 He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, 50:46 yet shall he live." 50:48 "I am He that liveth and was dead. 50:50 Behold, I am alive forevermore." 50:53 He said amen. 50:54 We ought to say amen. 50:57 I believe He is coming. 50:58 And He has promised that all who put their trust in Jesus 51:03 will put on immortality. 51:06 But we must be ready. 51:10 And to be ready, we must have His character. 51:15 His character is the oil in our lamps. 51:21 Hallelujah. 51:25 Listen to the message in this song that inspires us 51:29 and calls us to be ready for the second coming of Christ. 51:49 My heart can sing when I pause to remember 52:00 a heartache here is but a stepping stone 52:10 along a trail that's winding always upward. 52:20 This troubled world is not my final home. 52:31 But until then my heart will go on singing, 52:41 until then with joy I'll carry on, 52:52 until the day my eyes behold the city, 53:02 until the day God calls me home. 53:18 The things of earth will dim and lose their value 53:29 as we recall they're borrowed for awhile. 53:39 And things of earth that cause the heart to tremble, 53:50 remembered there will only bring a smile. 54:00 This weary world with all its toil and struggle 54:11 may take its toll of misery and strife. 54:21 The spirit of man is like a waiting falcon; 54:32 when it's released, it's destined for the sky. 54:43 But until then my heart will go on singing, 54:53 until then with joy I'll carry on, 55:04 until the day our eyes behold King Jesus, 55:14 until the day God calls me home. 55:29 Until the day God calls 55:38 me home. 55:49 God calls me home. 56:05 Let us pray. 56:08 Lord, we are living in perilous times. 56:14 Men are lovers of themselves, 56:18 covetous, and proud, and unthankful, unholy; 56:25 everything You've said would be the condition of this world 56:30 before You returned. 56:33 We are looking at it. 56:36 Truce-breakers, false accusers, despisers of what is good, 56:43 lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. 56:48 And then as we look at the church, we see too many 56:53 who have a form of godliness, but not the power. 57:00 We see evil men and seducers waxing worse and worse. 57:06 But we know that the day of the Lord is near. 57:11 We know that when they say peace and safety, 57:14 that sudden destruction will come. 57:16 We know that the coming of the Lord is near. 57:20 Help us to be ready in our characters, 57:24 with our oil, to meet the Bridegroom. 57:26 We pray in Your name, amen and amen. |
Revised 2016-03-23