Participants:
Series Code: AVGC
Program Code: AVGC210008S
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00:01 Music...
00:05 Hello Friends, 00:07 welcome to the Adventist Virtual Global Camp Meeting. 00:09 I'm Pastor John Lomacang 00:11 and I welcome you to this message entitled: The Remnant. 00:14 Let us seek the Lord in prayer. 00:15 "Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word... 00:19 for the integrity and unwavering value of Your Word. 00:23 We pray now that You will calibrate our hearts and minds 00:27 to hear what the Spirit says to the Churches 00:30 and to Your people. 00:32 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. " 00:35 The title of this message is: The Remnant. 00:39 Subtitle: The Coalition of Deliverance. 00:43 You know, Friends, Revelation introduces God's Remnant 00:47 in the unfolding scenario of last-day events. 00:52 Revelation chapter 12 walks us 00:54 through the development of this Movement 00:58 as we look together at verse 17 01:01 and I'm reading from the King James Version. 01:04 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17, we read, 01:06 verse on screen. 01:20 I've always asked the question, "What is it about the Remnant 01:25 that makes the devil so angry?" 01:28 We'll discover in eight points today what that is 01:32 but come with me to the last act 01:34 in the controversy of the ages. 01:37 Come with me to the Presentation 01:40 of the fellowship of the unashamed. 01:43 Come with me to the introduction of those 01:46 who stand in these last days 01:50 on uncompromising truth. 01:53 You see, Friends, Revelation introduces the Remnant 01:56 that had been in production for more than 6,000 years 02:01 and the closer we get to the end, 02:03 the more furious and angry Satan becomes 02:07 with this group that are determined to follow 02:11 the unflinching Word of God. 02:13 Let's look at the first point about the Remnant. 02:16 Point Number One: 02:17 The Remnant remain Focused amidst Distractions. 02:22 That's a powerful point 02:24 because we live in a world today that's filled with distractions. 02:28 Distractions on the right hand 02:30 and distractions on the left hand 02:33 but the Remnant are convinced 02:34 that through the fulfillment of Bible prophecy 02:38 that the time has come for the proclamation 02:41 of the final message 02:42 and so, they remain focused amid the distractions. 02:46 The Remnant... 02:47 unlike the climate that has gripped the world recently... 02:51 the Remnant are not politically sidetracked 02:55 by the agenda of a divided nation 02:57 or the agendas of a divided world. 03:00 The Remnant are divorced from worldly alliances 03:04 and worldly political movements. 03:06 Listen to the words of Jesus, 03:08 He said it very clearly in John chapter 18 verse 36. 03:12 "My kingdom is not of this world. 03:15 If My kingdom were of this world, 03:18 My disciples would fight. " 03:20 I've been looking at what's been happening 03:23 in the Christian world 03:25 and more specifically in the Christian churches. 03:28 How could Christian churches be divided 03:29 when Christians fail to focus on God's Word? 03:32 When they fail to take God's Word as the foundation 03:35 of their guidance... they will be sidetracked 03:39 and they will be divided. 03:41 When they listen to the voice of political leaders 03:43 rather than... to the voice of Jesus and His Word... 03:45 when they listen to the meanderings 03:47 and the musings of those 03:49 that seek to find allegiance to one side or the other... 03:53 they fail to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches 03:56 and then they become so sidetracked 03:59 that they fight amongst themselves 04:01 with terms like: Conservative and Liberal 04:04 and you find those words are not in Scripture anywhere 04:07 but in the book: Counsels for the Church 04:09 page 344 and paragraph 4, we read these words 04:14 as a description as to why Satan seeks to distract the Remnant. 04:19 We are told... 04:20 Words on screen. 04:39 Look at that... "More determined 04:41 and more decisive in his efforts to overthrow them. 04:45 Like a football team trying to get to the goal line, 04:48 they are decisive and determined not to allow the opposing team 04:53 to prevent them from getting to the goal 04:55 but the opposing team is decisive and determined 04:59 to try to do everything in their strategic notebook 05:04 to keep those on the other side from getting to the goal 05:08 and I've discovered something very significant. 05:11 When you study the Bible, you begin to see how Satan works. 05:14 You begin to see the tactics that he uses 05:17 and he goes back to them time and time again 05:20 because the same tactic that Satan used 05:22 to discourage the people of God in the Old Testament, 05:26 he is using the same tactics 05:28 to try to discourage the people of God in these last days. 05:32 Look at one of those tactics in Nehemiah chapter 1 and verse 3. 05:35 The Bible says... speaking about the Israelites 05:39 when they came back to their province, it says, 05:41 "And they said unto me... " that is: unto Nehemiah... 05:45 verse on screen. 06:02 What a significant description! 06:04 The walls are broken down... 06:06 the gates are burned with fire... 06:08 the people are in great affliction and reproach... 06:11 they are in distress. 06:13 Something is happening to the church today... 06:16 Satan is seeking to break down the walls. 06:19 Why does he want to demolish the walls? 06:21 The walls keep us in and the walls keep him out. 06:26 Satan is chiseling at the wall of the church today 06:30 by introducing political controversy 06:34 to distract us from the message of the hour. 06:37 Let me encourage you. 06:38 When you hear one politician fighting with the other, 06:42 close your ears to the voice of the politician 06:44 and open your ears to the voice of Jesus and His Word. 06:48 Satan is also using terms like Conservative and Liberal 06:52 to label us and to put us in a false sense of security. 06:56 You know Friends, 06:57 I'm not secured by my political persuasion, 07:00 I am secured by the blood of the Lamb. 07:02 I am secure by the righteousness of Jesus... 07:06 I am not secure by any political agenda 07:09 or any financial plan... 07:11 I am secure by the righteousness and the Word and the power 07:15 of God's un-moveable Word. 07:18 Also, Satan seeks to introduce disputes over issues 07:22 that have no relevance with eternity... 07:25 he does that... 07:26 he does that by trying to incarcerate us into inactivity 07:31 while Jesus is saying to the Christian, 07:33 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... " 07:37 We stay hovered into our locked-in positions on politics 07:41 and we fight one with the other 07:43 incarcerated in an inactivity while Jesus is saying, 07:48 "Go and turn the world upside down... " 07:51 which brings me to my second point. 07:53 The Remnant Preserve their Alliance with Jesus... 07:57 The Remnant Preserve their Alliance with Jesus. 08:01 You know, Jesus illustrates a striking separation 08:05 between religion and politics. 08:08 Look at Matthew chapter 22 and verse 21... 08:12 the words of Christ... 08:13 He says, "Render therefore to Caesar 08:17 the things that are Caesar's 08:19 and to God the things that are God's. " 08:24 Now let's... let's allow that to sink in for a moment. 08:26 You know, it's amazing to me 08:28 how Christians become so agitated over issues 08:32 that have nothing to do with eternity. 08:34 Fighting... listen... 08:36 over whether to take the COVID Vaccine 08:39 or whether to ignore the COVID Vaccine. 08:41 Some Christians that you thought 08:43 believe the everlasting gospel 08:45 are saying, "Maybe there's... 08:46 maybe this is the Mark of the Beast. " 08:48 How foolish 08:49 and how far away from Scriptural support 08:52 and integrity those ideologies are. 08:54 And some people say, "Wear a mask 08:56 or not wear a mask... " 08:58 and some have been so saturated by this ideology 09:02 that they weave it into their sermons 09:04 trying to convince their congregation 09:06 to follow their own convictions. 09:07 Friend, the only conviction that you should follow 09:10 is a "thus saith the Lord... " 09:11 and by the way, the vaccine and the mask 09:14 are not associated with the Mark of the Beast. 09:17 I'll say "Amen" myself. 09:19 But the Bible is making it very clear, 09:21 "Give to Caesar what's his 09:23 and give to God what belongs to Him. " 09:25 We find the reason for this destruction and confusion 09:29 in the book: Counsels on Stewardship 09:31 page 154 and paragraph 1, listen to these words. 09:35 On screen. 10:16 Did you notice that? 10:17 They're getting ready for the second coming of Christ 10:20 and their desire is to keep all the commandments of God 10:23 and Satan says, "Those are the ones I'm concerned about. " 10:26 He said, "Popular churches. " 10:28 Popular churches are lulled to sleep by speculation 10:33 in reference to their own ideologies. 10:37 They choose speculation over Scriptural integrity. 10:40 They choose tradition in place of truth. 10:44 The choose the "Prosperity Gospel" 10:47 in place of the Prophetic Gospel. 10:50 They are distracted... 10:51 they are lulled to sleep 10:53 and Satan says, "Remain asleep 10:55 while I try my best to work on the Remnant 10:58 to get them on their side. " 10:59 But let me encourage you, 11:01 Scriptural integrity must be the guiding light 11:05 for the Christian. 11:07 Look at the words in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 19, 11:09 "Scriptural integrity must be the guiding light 11:12 of the Christian. " 11:14 Here's what Peter the Apostle says... He says: 11:16 verse on screen. 11:33 He said, "Pay attention... 11:35 the Bible is reliable... 11:37 prophecy is reliable... 11:38 it will never lead you astray. 11:40 Scripture is reliable... 11:42 take heed to the light... 11:44 don't allow yourself to walk in darkness... 11:48 use God's Word as your own guiding light... " 11:50 which brings me to my third point. 11:52 The Remnant will not Abandon the Truth... 11:55 The Remnant will not Abandon the Truth of the Word... 12:00 that's my third point. 12:02 The Remnant will not Abandon the Truth of the Word. 12:06 You know Friends, when you think about it, 12:09 truth has always been the measure 12:11 of those following Jesus... 12:12 it's always been the measure. 12:14 Teachings that veer away from the truth of God's Word 12:17 always leads to deception. 12:20 That's why Paul told his understudy, Timothy, these words 12:24 and we find it in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 3 and 4, 12:28 listen carefully. 12:30 He says, "For the time will come 12:32 when they will not endure sound doctrine, 12:34 but according to their own desires... " 12:37 a powerful word... their own desires... 12:39 "because they have itching ears, 12:43 they will heap up for themselves teachers: 12:47 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, 12:50 and be turned aside to fables. " 12:52 Now, I'm always amazed when I read that Scripture 12:54 because it's saying that there'll be Christians 12:57 who are so turned off from sound doctrine 13:01 that they'll look for preachers and teachers 13:05 that tell them what they want to hear 13:08 and like a very comfortable Q- tip... 13:10 those teachers will tickle their ears 13:12 and they'll find themselves 13:14 under the altar of deceptive teachings. 13:16 That's the age in which we are living today. 13:19 Don't fool yourself... 13:20 don't follow emotion and ideology... 13:23 allow the Word of God to be your own guide 13:26 because the remnant will not abandon the truth of God's Word. 13:30 But Satan's agenda is to persuade Christians 13:34 that religious activity 13:36 is more relevant and valued and pertinent 13:40 than the truth of God's Word 13:42 and nothing is further from the lie. 13:45 There are people that are preaching in His name... 13:47 casting out demons in His name... 13:49 that is the name of Jesus... 13:51 doing many wonderful works 13:52 but Matthew 7:21 to 23 says that He'll say to them, 13:56 "If activity is more important than truth, 13:59 I never knew you... " 14:00 and I'm going to tell you today, 14:02 you don't want to be in that crowd 14:03 which brings me to my fourth point: 14:05 The Remnant Preserve Doctrinal Integrity... 14:10 The Remnant will Preserve Doctrinal Integrity... 14:14 a powerful point. 14:16 Doctrinal integrity. 14:17 When doctrinal controversies arise among those of like faith, 14:22 Satan is behind it. 14:24 I've been a Pastor for more than 33... 34 years 14:28 and I have seen amongst those who claim to believe 14:32 the three angels' messages, 14:33 all kinds of doctrinal controversies arising among them 14:37 and I can tell you, Satan is behind it. 14:40 That's why they are controversies over the teachings 14:43 that we have studied for decades 14:45 and are solidified on the framework 14:47 of a "Thus saith the Lord... " 14:49 but Satan is saying, 14:51 "Let me try to put something in your tea... 14:53 let me try to put something in your word... 14:56 let me try to guide your mind in a dark and deceptive direction" 14:59 and so, what does he do? 15:02 He... he causes them to argue 15:04 over this... the truth of the sanctuary. 15:05 He tries to introduce things like: New Generation Theology 15:09 meaning somehow that Jesus has changed His ideology 15:13 in the everlasting gospel. 15:15 He questions us 15:17 on the avenue of the validity of the Holy Spirit. 15:20 Is He just a force? 15:22 Is He really a part of the Godhead? 15:24 That's doctrinal controversy and Satan is behind it. 15:27 Then he leads some to go to date setting... 15:29 Jesus is coming on this date or that date 15:32 or in five years or ten years... 15:34 Satan is behind it 15:35 and then he tries to predict the close of probation 15:38 which no one knows when Jesus will wrap up His work. 15:41 You just have to be ready at any moment. 15:43 And finally he gets those to try to re-interpret prophecies 15:47 that have stood the test of time for decades and for centuries... 15:50 re-interpreting the 1260 years of Revelation 15:54 and lastly... and more diabolical... 15:58 he is trying to get us to question the divinity of Jesus 16:01 "Is He really, in fact, equal with God 16:04 or is He just a God?" 16:07 Friends, the devil is behind 16:09 the destruction of doctrinal integrity 16:13 and as with ancient Israel, 16:15 Satan is seeking to burn our gates. 16:19 But Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 13 tells us that 16:23 unity is the catalyst of Christ being formed within 16:27 and the foundation of those who are unified 16:30 on Scriptural integrity. 16:32 Look at Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 13, 16:34 the words of the Apostle Paul says, 16:36 "Till we all come to the unity of the faith... " 16:40 notice what? "the unity of the faith 16:42 and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 16:45 to a perfect... " or mature man... 16:47 "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. " 16:53 That's the aim of Christ. 16:55 He wants us to grow up... not to blow up... 16:58 not to fight amongst ourselves... 17:00 He wants us to come to the measure 17:03 of the stature of the fullness of Christ 17:05 and that is done by faith 17:08 in the knowledge of the Son of God 17:11 so, Satan seeks to challenge the knowledge of the Son of God 17:14 because he knows that when we know who Jesus is, 17:17 we'll finally find out who we are. 17:20 The Remnant practice and preserve unity of faith 17:24 in doctrinal integrity and fellowship. 17:26 Point number 5: 17:28 The Remnant remain United in the Mission of Jesus... 17:33 The Remnant remain United in the Mission of Jesus. 17:38 That's why Satan is so angry. 17:40 He is angry with those who are unified in the mission of Jesus. 17:43 Satan is angry because we don't just proclaim the message 17:48 but we live the message. 17:50 We are on the same page when it comes to the mission of Jesus. 17:56 We are not on opposite sides of Christ... 17:59 we are not just using His name 18:01 to say that all we want is Your Name... 18:03 we will have our own teachings and our own ideology 18:06 and our own righteousness... 18:08 they are on the same page of salvation 18:11 with the mission of Christ. 18:13 And look at how Isaiah the prophet outlines 18:15 the beautiful mission of Jesus 18:17 and how we must be on the same page 18:20 in every one of these categories. 18:22 Isaiah chapter 61 verses 1 to 3. 18:25 These are the words that Isaiah the prophet predicted 18:27 about the mission of Christ. 18:28 He says: 18:30 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, 18:32 because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings 18:36 to the poor; 18:37 He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 18:41 to proclaim liberty to the captives, 18:44 and the opening of the prison to those who are bound... " 18:49 verse 2, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, 18:52 and the day of vengeance of our God; 18:54 to comfort all who mourn 18:57 to console those who mourn in Zion... 19:00 to give them beauty for ashes, 19:02 the oil of joy for mourning, 19:05 the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 19:09 that they may be called trees of righteousness, 19:13 the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. " 19:17 What an amazing mission! 19:20 What an amazing mission. 19:21 If the remnant... the children of God 19:25 can embrace that mission, 19:28 captives will be freed... 19:30 the brokenhearted will be healed... 19:32 those who are bound will find freedom... 19:34 those who mourn will be comforted... 19:37 those who are in a spirit of heaviness 19:39 will find reasons to rejoice 19:42 and those who are looking for the garment of praise 19:46 will be glad to embrace it 19:48 rather than walking around in the darkness of mourning 19:51 and heaviness. 19:53 You see Friends, the Remnant... the children of God 19:57 embrace the same mission that Jesus has... 20:00 praise God for that... 20:02 which brings me to point number 6: 20:04 The Remnant will Reflect the character of Jesus. 20:10 Now, this is powerful. 20:11 You see if all you have is doctrinal integrity 20:14 but you don't have the character of Christ, 20:16 you can keep the Sabbath and still be lost. 20:18 You can believe in the right day of worship... 20:21 the right diet... 20:22 you can believe the truth about every doctrine 20:24 you have ever embraced 20:25 but if the character of Christ is not present in your life, 20:28 you can be just a good thinker 20:30 but there's no evidence in your life 20:32 of the presence of Christ... 20:34 that's why Galatians 5 and verse 22 and 23 tells us: 20:37 The kind of character that Jesus is looking for to be reflected 20:42 in the lives of His children... 20:44 here are the words of the Apostle Paul: 20:46 he says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 20:50 peace, longsuffering, 20:53 kindness, goodness, faithfulness... " 20:57 listen... the list goes on verse 23... 21:01 "gentleness, self-control... " 21:04 and then he ends by saying... 21:06 "Against such there is no law. " 21:09 What does he mean? 21:10 He says, there's no law that says you can't be kind. 21:13 Can you imagine somebody going to jail for being too kind 21:16 or being too gentle... 21:18 or being too good... or being too longsuffering? 21:20 He's saying... there is no violation of any law 21:22 against a kind person... 21:24 be as kind as Jesus was and you'll never be arrested. 21:27 But why does Satan seek to break down our character? 21:31 Listen to this quotation from the Review and Herald. 21:34 It was written February 9, 1892 21:38 but it's as relevant as it is today... listen carefully. 21:41 "Men may speak fluently upon doctrines, 21:44 and may express strong faith in theories, 21:48 but do they possess Christlike meekness and love?" 21:53 Is the question... 21:54 "If they reveal a harsh, critical spirit, 21:59 they are denying Christ. 22:02 If they are not kind, tenderhearted, long-suffering, 22:08 they are not like Jesus, 22:10 they are deceiving their own souls. 22:13 A spirit contrary to the love, humility, 22:18 meekness, and gentleness of Christ, 22:20 denies Him, 22:22 whatever may be the profession. " 22:25 So, somebody might say, "Hey, I believe in the Sabbath" 22:28 but you're as mean as an angry dog 22:30 that hasn't eaten for a week. 22:32 It makes no difference in what you believe... 22:34 the Lord is looking for your beliefs 22:36 to line up with your life. 22:37 If you say you believe the truth, 22:39 the truth should have an impact on your life. 22:42 We can be doctrinally sound on one side 22:45 and spiritually corrupt and dry on the other. 22:47 If the truth has not affected your character, 22:50 it means absolutely nothing 22:53 which brings me to point number 7: 22:56 The Remnant Understand the Times... 22:59 The Remnant understand the times. 23:02 Romans chapter 13 verses 11 and 12, 23:04 the Remnant understand the times. 23:06 He says to the Remnant: 23:08 verse on screen. 23:33 Paul is saying, "You should understand by the wars 23:36 and rumors of war... 23:37 by nations rising against nations... 23:40 by strife and political division... 23:43 racial division... 23:44 unrest... 23:46 anarchy among the nations... 23:48 deceptive political practices... 23:50 you should understand by what you see... 23:53 earthquakes... the weather out of control... 23:56 you should understand more than anybody else 23:59 that we're living in the closing hours of earth's history 24:02 and I shouldn't be telling you that the time is now... 24:05 he says, "You should know the time. " 24:07 You see with the fulfillment of end-time prophecies, 24:09 the Remnant know 24:11 that they cannot abandon the end-time message. 24:16 Why? 24:17 Because the Remnant calibrate their lives 24:20 to the understanding of the times. 24:23 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 1 to 4, 24:26 Paul's words once again... 24:27 here's what he says to you today: 24:29 on screen... 24:42 "for when they say... " listen to this, 24:45 'Peace and safety!' 24:47 then sudden destruction comes upon them 24:50 as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. 24:53 And they shall not escape. 24:55 But you brethren... " I love the way he says it: 24:57 "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, 25:01 so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. " 25:05 That's right, if you claim to be a part of the Remnant Church, 25:09 you are not in dark... 25:10 you can only be in the dark if you're not studying and praying. 25:13 You can only be in the dark if somehow along the way 25:16 you have found a false sense of security 25:18 in believing that since you know the truth, 25:21 there's no need to advance. 25:22 Friends, don't let the days of the coming of Christ 25:26 catch you unprepared. 25:28 This message that the Remnant has been given 25:31 must not be forgotten. 25:33 Do not ignore the signs 25:35 of the imminence of the return of Jesus 25:38 which brings me to my last point: 25:41 The Remnant will have on the Whole Armor of God... 25:46 The Remnant will have on the Whole Armor of God. 25:51 Yes, they do... 25:52 you see the final conflict 25:54 is going to require total preparation 25:57 and if you don't have on the whole armor, 26:01 you can be an unprepared soldier. 26:02 The devil will find a weakness in your character. 26:05 He'll find a weakness in your armor. 26:07 You may be fully armored but no helmet... you're in trouble. 26:09 Satan's final onslaught is going to be so intense 26:13 that it's not just for church members... 26:15 it's going to be for soldiers of the cross. 26:17 If you're just a church member and you're content to be there, 26:20 you're not ready. 26:21 The last battle is going to be too fierce 26:23 for those who are spiritually complacent... 26:26 you got to have on the whole armor of God. 26:28 And having faced every weapon of Satan's arsenal, 26:31 Jesus tells us these following words, 26:34 Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 and 11, 26:37 listen to how He speaks through the Apostle Paul, he says, 26:41 on screen... 26:59 What makes the devil angry? 27:01 The Remnant are awake... 27:03 they are not leaning back on the comfort of complacency... 27:07 they are leaning for on the promise of God's prophetic word. 27:10 They are not a people that are just content with entertainment, 27:14 they are not content until they make it to the kingdom. 27:17 They are living the life proclaiming the message 27:21 and the remnant stand in the full armor of Jesus 27:25 but the Remnant kneel as they fight in prayer on their knees. 27:29 Friends, are you a part of the Remnant 27:31 or do you want to be a part of the Remnant? 27:33 The Remnant are meek... not weak 27:35 and they won't give up until the battle is won. 27:40 But make no mistake about it Friends, 27:42 it's not going to be easy. 27:44 That's why Jesus says these words... 27:47 as I close, listen to what He says, 27:49 in Matthew 24 and verse 13, 27:51 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved. " 27:57 Throw that doctrine of "Once saved... always saved" 28:02 out the window... 28:03 you haven't seen the best of the enemy yet. 28:07 You haven't been punched and slapped and kicked 28:10 like he wants to... 28:12 you got to hold on... 28:13 you got to covered with the whole armor... 28:15 you got to be dedicated. 28:16 And Friends, today, Jesus is calling you 28:18 to make that eternal decision 28:19 to be a citizen of that Remnant Kingdom. 28:22 He's calling you to join the Coalition of Deliverance 28:26 because the Coalition of Destruction is being formed. 28:30 Why are you waiting for a later date 28:34 before you make a decision 28:35 to join the Coalition of Deliverance? 28:38 And who are they? The Remnant. 28:40 Friends, I pray that when Jesus calls, you will say, 28:43 "I want to be in that Remnant... 28:45 I'm going to be in that Remnant number 28:46 so that when Jesus comes, He will come for me. " 28:50 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-09-13