Anchors of Truth

The Second Coming of Jesus

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Wintley Phipps

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Series Code: AOT

Program Code: AOT000170A


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.


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Revised 2016-03-23