Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000161S
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00:38 Hello and welcome to Behold The Lamb presents.
00:40 I'm Chris Shelton. 00:42 I'm so thankful as always that 00:44 you have chosen to tune in with us, 00:46 whether it be through the TV stations 00:48 or whether it's on Internet or radio. 00:52 We thank God for all of those means that 00:54 we can come to you into your home 00:56 or into your car wherever you may be. 00:58 And I'm glad that you're with us today. 01:00 We are so excited here at Behold The Lamb Ministries 01:03 because we feel like 01:04 we have one of our family members, 01:07 it's evangelist Dakota Day 01:09 from Amazing Facts Ministries, 01:12 and he is going to give us a message today 01:14 that is entitled the Image of God. 01:17 And before he comes up, 01:18 I get to tell you a little bit about brother Dakota. 01:21 As a young man, 01:23 Dakota was searching for a purpose. 01:25 You know, most young men and women are, right? 01:27 But a lot of times 01:29 they don't search in the right place. 01:30 So he became unsatisfied 01:32 with the things that this world had to offer him. 01:36 And ultimately his search led him to the Bible. 01:39 Can we, as a church, say, amen. 01:41 Amen to that. 01:43 Dakota came to know Jesus as his personal savior. 01:47 And I hope and pray those of you at home 01:50 or wherever you may be and those of you here 01:52 in the sanctuary that you are learning to have Jesus 01:55 as your personal Lord and Savior as well. 01:58 And he has dedicated his life 02:00 and service to the God and to others, his children. 02:04 Dakota responded 02:05 to the Lord's calling upon his life 02:07 and he began attending AFCOE, 02:10 Amazing Facts Center Of Evangelism. 02:14 And I hear a lot of things, 02:15 a lot of good things about AFCOE. 02:18 After graduating AFCOE, 02:20 Dakota spent three years as a Bible worker 02:24 training and equipping churches 02:27 with the skills to reach their community 02:29 with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 02:32 And we need to be tuning our skills up 02:34 no matter where we are, 02:36 we may be behind a desk, we may be in our home. 02:39 You know, we've got telephone. 02:41 Most of us can use a telephone, 02:42 but we need to be praying for God to open up 02:44 those avenues so that we can witness to others. 02:47 It was after this that 02:49 God opened the door for Dakota 02:51 to join the evangelism team at Amazing Facts. 02:55 For over five years Dakota, and his lovely wife Anna... 02:59 Let me tell you something, you know, 03:01 we've often heard that for every good man, 03:03 there's a good woman, 03:05 especially, especially in ministry, 03:08 that's never just one, it's always two. 03:10 I can tell you, it's always two. 03:12 And, Anna, I know 03:14 you're a big part of that ministry. 03:16 They have been traveling 03:18 and conducting public evangelistic series 03:20 and helping thousands, thousands to be prepared 03:24 for Christ soon return. 03:25 And we're so excited that 03:27 they are on Behold The Lamb Presents today, 03:30 and that many more thousands 03:32 will hear this message entitled once again, the Image of God. 03:36 But before Brother Dakota comes up, 03:38 we're going to visit 3ABN, 03:40 we're going to listen to a song 03:41 that is entitled, He knows my name. 03:44 Does He know your name? 03:46 He knows my name as sang by Hope Vasquez. 04:04 I Have a Maker 04:11 He formed my heart 04:18 Before even time began 04:23 My life was in his hands 04:32 He knows my name 04:39 He knows my every thought 04:46 And He sees each tear that falls 04:52 And He hears me when I call 05:04 I have a Father 05:11 He calls me His own 05:17 And He'll never leave me 05:23 No matter where I go 05:32 He knows my name 05:39 He knows my every thought 05:46 And He sees each tear that falls 05:52 And He hears me when I call 06:00 He knows my name 06:08 He knows my every thought 06:14 And He sees each tear that falls 06:21 And He hears me when I call 06:28 Yes, He hears me when I call 06:45 Well, friends, welcome to Behold The Lamb. 06:47 And I tell you, I love the name of this ministry. 06:49 Can somebody say, Amen? 06:51 I really love the name of this ministry 06:53 because everywhere I go, when I preach 06:55 with the ministry of Amazing Facts, 06:56 that's what I keep telling people to do, 06:58 Behold The lamb of God, 07:00 which takes away the sin of the world. 07:01 Brother Kenny, I know the Lord gave you that name. 07:03 Amen. We get what we need to do. 07:05 Amen? We all need to behold the lamb. 07:07 And this presentation 07:09 we're going to be studying tonight, 07:12 today, wherever you may be, 07:13 and whenever you may be listening to this presentation 07:15 is titled the Image of God, the Image of God. 07:18 And so this is a presentation. 07:20 I'm going to tell you guys, it's going to challenge us, 07:22 but it's also going to be 07:24 one that's going to help us to be better prepared 07:26 for the last days that 07:27 we're living in now and to be better prepared 07:29 for the soon coming of Jesus. 07:30 What do you say? Amen. 07:32 You guys excited? I know I'm excited. 07:34 So I just want to give a thank you 07:36 to brother Kenny and Miss Chris 07:39 for inviting us here to come and share God's Word. 07:41 We're so excited to be here, 07:43 and I'm even more excited to be able to share God's Word 07:44 and this specific message with you. 07:46 As I believe, it's a very timely message. 07:48 So before we get started, 07:49 it is always my custom to go to God in prayer. 07:52 So wherever you are, I'd like to invite you 07:54 to bow your heads as we go to God and prayer 07:56 and ask for the Holy Spirit to be with us now. 07:58 Let us pray. 07:59 Father in heaven, Lord, 08:01 we just want to thank You so much 08:02 for all that You do, all that You have done, 08:05 and all that You will do. 08:06 We ask for Your Holy Spirit to be present with us now, 08:09 Lord, as we study about Your image, the image of God. 08:12 Lord, we know that 08:13 that is the image that we are to reflect. 08:15 And we pray, Lord, you would give us 08:17 Your Holy Spirit now that 08:18 we would see the profundity of this message. 08:21 And that, Lord, we would be ready 08:23 before Your coming and that we would be 08:26 reflecting Your image to this dying world, 08:28 that we would be vindicating Your character, Lord. 08:30 So please give us Your Spirit now 08:33 that we may reflect Your image 08:35 and, Lord, that we may understand 08:36 this word as we study it now. 08:38 We ask this all in Jesus' name we pray. 08:41 Amen. Amen. 08:43 All right, the Image of God, are you guys ready? 08:47 Amen. Here we go. 08:48 This is going to be an exciting study. 08:49 So let's go through it. 08:51 So from the very beginning, God made man in His image. 08:53 Can somebody say, Amen? 08:55 But what does that really mean that God made man in His image? 08:58 Oftentimes, it is the understanding 09:01 that God made man in His physical form. 09:03 And that's how most people really understand that 09:06 God made man in His image. 09:07 They focus on the physical part of it that 09:09 we would physically be made in the image of God. 09:12 Well, my friends, I want to submit to you that 09:14 this message goes much deeper than 09:15 just a physical form. 09:16 Can somebody say amen? Amen. 09:18 So notice what the Bible says. 09:19 We're in Genesis 1 and we're going to read 09:21 verses 26 through 27. 09:24 And it says, "And God said, 09:25 let us make man in our image, after our likeness." 09:30 Now notice what it says there after our, what, likeness. 09:34 "And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea." 09:36 Don't miss this. 09:37 We're going to come back to all of this 09:39 because this is very paramount in our study. 09:41 "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 09:43 over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, 09:46 and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing 09:48 that creepeth upon the earth." 09:49 So God created man in his own image 09:52 and the image of God created male and female 09:56 created he them. 09:57 So the Word of God says that 09:59 God has made us in His image but we love it. 10:01 I want you to submit to you that, again, 10:02 the image of God being made in the image of God 10:05 goes much deeper than 10:06 just some outward physical appearance. 10:08 God made us, made humanity, made Adam and Eve 10:11 from the very beginning in perfection. 10:14 Can someone say amen? They had perfect characters. 10:17 They were without sin. They were without spot. 10:19 They were without blemish. 10:20 And this is what God is trying to restore 10:23 you and I to the image or even the character of God. 10:26 Can somebody say, amen? Amen. 10:28 This is what we need to understand 10:30 about this message. 10:31 And as we go through this, you're going to understand that 10:33 the devil is doing all that he can. 10:35 We're going to go through a trip down memory lane 10:37 and he's doing all that he can to distort 10:39 and corrupt the image of God in men. 10:42 So let's take a look at it. 10:43 Remember, in heaven, 10:45 Satan had basically a war that broke out. 10:48 We read about that in Revelation 12, 10:49 it says there was war in heaven, 10:51 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, 10:52 and the dragon fought and his angels. 10:54 Right? 10:55 Well, what's interesting about that word war is that 10:57 the word war in the original Greek 10:59 actually translates to the word polemos, polemos. 11:02 Now that word actually in our language today would be 11:06 what we refer to as politics. 11:08 Are we together? 11:10 How many of you like you some good old politics? 11:12 I don't know about, but I don't like politics. 11:15 I like to stay away from politics. 11:16 And we'll talk a little bit more 11:17 about that as we go through this message. 11:19 But basically what broke out in heaven 11:21 was this political idea, 11:23 this political war, a war of ideas 11:26 and Satan began to say 11:28 all kinds of accusations against God. 11:30 We read that in Revelation 12, 11:31 he became the accuser of the brethren, 11:33 the accuser of God. 11:34 And he was ultimately telling everyone in heaven 11:36 that he could be worshiped too. 11:39 That we, we as angels, 11:40 he was saying, "We can be worshiped too. 11:42 Why does God have to be the only one to be worshiped?" 11:45 And what eventually led to, 11:46 what it eventually all led to was that Satan, 11:49 my friends, was ultimately making the accusation. 11:51 But by saying that can be worshiped, 11:54 he was ultimately saying that 11:55 God is unworthy to be worshiped. 11:57 Can we say amen? 11:58 And so he was thus corrupting the image 12:01 or the character of God in heaven 12:03 and taking the attention off of Jesus and onto himself. 12:08 What's the middle letter in the word sin? 12:10 I. Right? 12:12 What's the middle letter in the word pride? 12:13 I. 12:14 The very center of sin and the very center of pride 12:17 is all about I, right? 12:18 In this generation, we have today, 12:20 we have iPods iPad, and iPhones, right? 12:26 It's all about ourselves in lots of ways. 12:28 And so, my friends, Satan wants to take 12:30 the attention off of God 12:31 and His image off of His character. 12:33 And he wants to put it on who? 12:35 Anything and everything, but God and his character. 12:37 Are we together? 12:38 Anything that gets you to look away from God. 12:41 And what's the title, 12:43 what's the name of this ministry? 12:44 Behold The, what? 12:45 Behold The Lamb. Amen. 12:47 And so that's what we need to be 12:48 doing in these last days. 12:49 We need to behold the lamb of God. 12:51 So it was Satan's plan to corrupt 12:53 and distort the image of God from the very beginning. 12:55 So he began in heaven and then this warfare, 12:59 this cosmic conflict that broke out in heaven, 13:01 then transitioned down to planet earth. 13:03 Are we together so far? 13:05 Transitioned down to planet earth and this idea, 13:08 this warfare that we have that broke out in heaven, 13:10 this war of ideas now 13:12 it's transitioned to planet earth. 13:13 And now Satan presents this idea 13:15 of God's character, 13:17 really not being worthy to be worshiped 13:19 and really saying that God is not worthy to be 13:22 even obedient to now come to planet earth. 13:25 And so in the garden, 13:26 Satan tried to corrupt the image of God 13:28 in the Garden of Eden. 13:29 And how did he do that by the way? 13:33 Think about it, my friends, we're going to talk about that. 13:37 How did Satan distort and corrupt the image of God 13:40 from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden? 13:42 We're going to talk about it. 13:43 You see, this is why Jesus Christ 13:46 came to live as a man and to die as a man. 13:49 Are we together? 13:50 One of the most magnificent ideas 13:52 that you could ever ponder is that the Son of God 13:55 became the son of man. 13:57 Come on somebody say amen. 13:58 One of the most magnificent things 14:00 you could ever ponder is that the Son of God 14:01 became the son of man. 14:02 And the fact that, in other words, 14:04 when Jesus made the sacrificial, 14:07 I guess you can say, the sacrificial 14:10 transition to go from the Son of God 14:12 and all of his attributes and all of his glory, 14:15 right, from his omniscience, 14:17 which his all knowingness, his omnipotence, 14:20 his all-powerfulness, and his omnipresence 14:22 to being everywhere at the same time, 14:24 he gave up all of his attributes 14:25 that he might become man. 14:27 Are we together, beloved? 14:29 The sacrifice that Jesus made was so amazing. 14:32 And so now Jesus is giving up everything that 14:34 He might restore the image, 14:37 that is the character of God in man, in this world. 14:41 Are we together? 14:42 Because when Adam and Eve committed sin 14:44 and they disobeyed God, they took the character of God. 14:47 They basically lost the image of God. 14:49 They lost the character of God. 14:51 And ever since then, 14:52 God has been trying to restore His image in mankind. 14:57 So as we see through scripture, there this ongoing battle, 15:01 all the way through from Genesis, 15:03 all the way down to Revelation of God 15:05 trying to restore His character in mankind, 15:08 all the way down through history. 15:10 So why did God destroy the antediluvian world? 15:13 Let's talk about that for a moment. 15:15 You had the antediluvian world, the pre-flood world, right? 15:18 These people live to be 600, 800, 900 years old. 15:22 Can you imagine living that long? 15:24 Have mercy, these people live... 15:26 Imagine you being 900 years old. 15:27 Imagine how many children 15:29 you could have at 900 years old. 15:31 How many great, great, great, 15:33 great, great grandchildren you could have 15:35 at 900 years old, right? 15:36 I mean, these people 15:38 were very intellectually brilliant, 15:39 they were smart, 15:41 but Satan had run amuck in the world. 15:43 He had taken over the minds of God's people. 15:46 They were God's people, but they became changed. 15:49 Are we together? 15:50 And so what eventually it led to was that 15:53 God saw the condition of the earth, 15:55 he saw the condition of the hearts of man 15:58 and that the imagination of their thoughts 15:59 were evil continue. 16:01 Let's read that we're in Genesis 6:5. 16:03 Notice what the Word of God says here. 16:04 Genesis 6:5. 16:06 "And God saw that 16:07 the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 16:09 and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart 16:13 was only evil," how often? 16:15 "Continually." 16:16 Now, beloved, listen to me, 16:17 what's the root word of imagination? 16:20 It says the imagination of the thoughts of his heart 16:22 was only evil, how often, continually. 16:24 What's the root word of imagination? 16:27 Image. 16:28 So the image of man, right, was marred and it was evil, 16:34 how often, continually. 16:37 The image of God had been so marred by Satan 16:40 and his working upon heart, 16:42 the hearts and minds of God's people. 16:44 Then now God is looking upon all of the planet earth, 16:46 and he's saying, 16:47 "If I'm going to have a chance to save humanity..." 16:51 'Cause what happened in the Garden of Eden? 16:53 Soon as Adam and Eve had sin, 16:55 did God have a plan of salvation for them? 16:57 You better believe it. 16:58 You know why Adam and Eve didn't die that day? 17:00 Listen to me, beloved. This is powerful. 17:02 The reason why Adam and Eve didn't die that day was 17:05 because something else died in their place. 17:08 Come on, guys, come on. 17:10 Something else died in their place. 17:11 What died in their place? 17:13 You see a lot of people say, 17:15 well, the reason why Adam and Eve 17:16 didn't die that day is because the Bible says 17:18 in Peter that David, the Lord 17:21 is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day. 17:23 And no man lived to be a thousand years old. 17:25 Well, while that is true, 17:26 and I believe that does have a significance 17:28 and a correlation there. 17:30 I want to submit to you this. 17:32 The reason why man didn't die that day, 17:34 reason why Adam and he didn't die the very day 17:36 that they aided the forbidden tree 17:38 was because something else died for them. 17:41 It was the lamb. 17:42 What are we supposed to behold, Brother Kenny? 17:44 Behold the lamb. Amen. 17:46 And so God now He's coming in to the garden. 17:49 He's presenting to Adam and Eve, 17:50 what, He's presenting to them good news. 17:52 And the news is, "Hey, listen, 17:54 I am going to cover your nakedness." 17:56 Because what did Adam and Eve do 17:57 when they came to the Garden of Eden, 17:59 what did they do? 18:00 They tried sewing fig leaves together 18:02 to cover their own nakedness, right? 18:04 And by the way, this is man's approach 18:06 to what righteousness. 18:07 This is man's approach to fixing their own problems. 18:10 Soon as they realized they had sinned, 18:12 they did something wrong, they're like, "Man, 18:14 I got to fix this, I got to do better. 18:16 I got to cover up what I've done." 18:18 Right? Because they were stark naked. 18:20 So they go and get these fig leaves, 18:22 they sew them together. 18:24 God shows up in the scene of the Garden of Eden. 18:25 And what does He say? 18:27 He says, "Guys, listen, those fig leaves 18:30 they're showing too much cleavage." 18:32 Can somebody say amen? 18:33 There's still nakedness being showed there. 18:35 And God says, "Listen, I got something for you. 18:39 A better garment for you. 18:41 This is going to cover all of your nakedness." 18:43 And what did He put on them? You read Genesis 3:21. 18:46 What does it say? 18:47 And the Lord, God made coats of skins 18:51 and He clothed them. 18:52 Now listen to me, beloved, don't miss this. 18:54 This is the first thing that God ever made after creation. 18:59 God had just created everything in the world 19:00 and what does he do? 19:02 He made something else right after creation. 19:04 What did he make? 19:05 Coats of skins and He clothed them. 19:11 Are we together? 19:14 How do you make coats of skins? Something has to die. 19:20 Well, what animal do you think 19:22 God had to kill in order to clothe them? 19:25 It was a lamb. 19:27 But how can we prove that from scripture? 19:28 How can we prove that from scripture? 19:30 Well, when you go to Revelation 13:8. 19:32 What is it called? Jesus. 19:34 It says that He is the lamb that was slain, 19:37 from when, from the foundation of the world. 19:41 Are together, saints? 19:43 So when you go to the foundation of the world, 19:44 you go back to Genesis 19:46 and there was a lamb that was slain. 19:47 Jesus took the coats of skins and He clothed them. 19:51 Come on somebody. He clothed them. 19:53 Now let me ask you a question. 19:55 What's another name for animal skin? 19:59 Hide. 20:01 Listen, listen, Jesus hid Adam and Eve. 20:05 Can we say amen? 20:07 So that they would not be seen but so that the lamb skin 20:10 would be seen. 20:12 Come on somebody. Isn't that beautiful? 20:13 Amen. 20:15 And so what we see here is that all the way through the Bible, 20:18 all the way through leading up to this antediluvian world, 20:21 God had been trying to save mankind 20:23 from this situation of what the devil had caused. 20:26 To mar His character, 20:27 to mar His image and the heart of man. 20:30 And so now you get to Genesis 6:5, 20:33 and God's looking at how the situation has changed. 20:37 And now Satan has run amuck in the world 20:40 and Jesus needs a righteous seed, 20:42 a righteous lineage to come through. 20:45 The lamb that was slain 20:47 from the foundation of the world, 20:48 wasn't literally Jesus, but it was to represent 20:51 what Jesus would do in the future. 20:52 Are we together? 20:54 And so now Jesus is looking 20:56 at the condition of planet earth 20:57 and antediluvian world and He's saying, 20:59 "Listen, if I don't bring an end to this soon," 21:02 what does the Bible say in Matthew 24? 21:04 It says, "Unless the day should be shortened, 21:06 there should be no flesh to be saved." 21:09 Are we together, beloved? 21:10 God had to shorten those antediluvian worlds. 21:12 He had to shorten it. And He said, "That's it. 21:14 If I don't put a stop to this now, 21:17 I will not have a righteous lineage 21:19 to come through. 21:20 I will not have a righteous sea to come through." 21:22 And thus the flood happened. 21:25 But what brought it on? 21:27 Notice what Genesis 6:5 said, 21:30 it says, "That every imagination 21:32 of the thoughts of his heart 21:33 was only evil continually." 21:35 Listen to me, beloved. 21:36 These people were so wicked, 21:38 they couldn't think of good things. 21:41 Are we together? 21:42 Are we seeing our society 21:44 to become more and more and more like that? 21:46 You better believe it. We're seeing that. 21:48 You just go on social media and just scroll. 21:52 Are we together? 21:53 And you'll just see all of the mass 21:56 and the array of absolute filthiness 21:59 and absolute everything that is against the image 22:02 and the character of God. 22:04 So, my friends, I'm telling you, 22:06 we're living in the last days 22:08 where the image of God needs to be restored 22:11 in the hearts of men. 22:13 And we're going to talk about it. 22:15 We're going to talk about how we can make that happen, 22:16 but you know, it's interesting. 22:18 I was reading in the Spirit of Prophecy, 22:19 the book, the Spirit of Prophecy volume one. 22:22 Wonderful book. 22:23 If you haven't read the book, 22:25 the Spirit of Prophecy volume one, 22:26 I encourage you to read it, 22:28 read all the volumes, but volume one 22:29 was specifically special to me, 22:31 especially the first four chapters. 22:32 If you haven't read that, go read it. 22:34 It's powerful. 22:35 But I was reading in the Spirit of Prophecy 22:36 volume one, page 69, 22:39 and the author says something very interesting here. 22:41 Notice what was stated. 22:43 She says, "But if there was one sin 22:46 above another which called 22:48 for the destruction of the race." 22:50 Now this is a very highly debated 22:52 and highly controversial quote 22:55 that I'm about to read you hear from this book. 22:57 But I'm going to make sense of it for you. 22:58 Are you ready? 23:00 "If there was one sin above another 23:01 which called for the destruction 23:02 of the race by the flood, 23:04 it was the base crime of amalgamation 23:06 of man and beast 23:08 which defaced, defaced what, the image of God, 23:13 and caused confusion everywhere," 23:17 she says. 23:18 Now hold on a second, beloved. What is confusion? 23:21 There is a word for that in biblical terms, 23:23 what do we call it? 23:24 It's one word. It's actually a city too. 23:26 What do we call it? Babylon. 23:28 Babylon itself to babble or to be in Babylon means 23:31 to be in confusion. 23:32 Can somebody say amen? 23:34 This is why God's calling His people in revelation 23:35 out of Babylon, that is out of confusion. 23:38 Come on somebody. 23:39 And so what we see here is that God is saying, 23:41 "Listen, I'm calling my people out of Babylon." 23:44 But the people in that day had become so wicked. 23:49 So their imagination, 23:50 their image of God had become so corrupted that confusion 23:53 or Babylon was everywhere. 23:55 And how did this happen? 23:56 She says, the author says here, 23:58 "It was the base crime 23:59 of amalgamation of man and beast." 24:03 Now what does she mean by this? 24:04 She's not talking about literally mankind 24:07 and beast having sexual relations, not at all. 24:10 She's talking about the uniting of the, 24:13 listen, of the animalistic nature. 24:15 Are we together? 24:16 The animalistic nature with mankind. 24:20 You see, beloved, are we born into this world 24:22 with a wicked nature? 24:24 A nature that is against the character of God? 24:27 Sure we are. 24:28 This is why Jesus said to Nicodemus, 24:29 "We must be born, what, again." 24:31 Right? 24:32 And so we must be partakers of the divine nature. 24:35 Come on somebody say amen. 24:37 And so this is restoring us to the image of God. 24:39 And so what's interesting here is that 24:41 it was the base crime the amalgamation 24:45 of the animalistic character, 24:47 the animalistic nature with mankind, 24:49 where we do not have temperance. 24:53 Can somebody say amen? 24:54 What we do not allow the Spirit of God to lead us, 24:57 but we live as how we want and do as what we want. 25:01 You see, it has been Satan's tactics to unite men 25:04 with beast to commit man 25:06 unto the animalistic nature that the character of God 25:09 might be marred in men. 25:12 So check this out. 25:14 How does Satan try to distort the image of God for man 25:17 in the Garden of Eden? 25:19 How did Satan try to distort the image of God 25:22 from man in the Garden of Eden? 25:24 What did he use? 25:26 Ooh, you guys are on it. 25:27 He used a beast. Did he not? 25:30 Listen very closely to the terminology I'm using? 25:32 He used a what? A beast. 25:34 So Satan used a beast as a medium 25:40 by which he might deceive or distort the image of God 25:44 from man in the beginning. 25:46 Are we together, saints? 25:47 Don't miss this. This is powerful. 25:49 So he used a beast. 25:50 So we can say, get this, don't miss this. 25:53 So we can say Satan used an image to a beast 25:58 to distort the character of God for man in the beginning. 26:02 He used, a what, an image to a beast 26:07 to distort the character of God for man in the beginning. 26:10 Are we together? All right. 26:12 So has Satan's tactics changed? No. 26:16 If you know revelation and you know Bible prophecy, 26:18 you know, when we get to Revelation, chapter 13, 26:20 what is Satan using to deceive all of mankind, 26:23 he's using a beast and he's using the image 26:26 to a beast that he might deceive the masses. 26:30 Are we together so far? 26:32 Making sense? Amen. 26:33 So notice he is puppeteering, 26:37 he s puppeteering 26:38 just like he puppeteered the animal 26:40 that the beast and the Garden of Eden, 26:42 the snake, the serpent, 26:44 he is also puppeteering nations and people in the last days 26:47 that he might achieve his purpose 26:49 of deceiving the masses. 26:51 So the beast, what the beast do in the Garden of Eden, 26:54 it tried to get humanity to disobeyed God by doing that, 26:57 which is, what, unlawful. 27:00 By breaking the law of God, 27:02 such as Satan's tactics in the last days. 27:05 He is using a beast that he might get mankind 27:09 to not adhere and to disobey the law of God. 27:13 Are we together. 27:15 And so the law of God in scripture 27:17 is actually called the character of God. 27:19 In fact, when you go and read all the way through the Bible 27:21 and you study about God and His law, 27:23 you put them side by side, 27:24 and you see they're one and the same. 27:26 And that the law of God, 27:27 the Bible says that his law is a light. 27:30 The Bible says, God is light. 27:32 The Bible says his law is pure and holy. 27:34 The Bible also says God's law is pure and holy. 27:37 It says that God is truth. 27:38 And it says, His law is truth. 27:40 It says that God endures forever. 27:42 It says His law endures forever. 27:44 You can just go all the way through scripture 27:45 and see that God and His law are synonymous. 27:47 They are one and the same. 27:49 It is the character of God when you behold the law of God. 27:52 Amen. 27:54 Satan is doing all that he can, 27:55 that he might distort the law of God in humanity, 27:59 especially in these last days, he's working overtime. 28:02 And how was he doing it? 28:03 He's using a beast and an image to a beast. 28:06 Are we together? 28:08 That he might achieve his means. 28:11 Now in the Old Testament, when good kings would show up 28:14 because you remember in the Old Testament, 28:16 the children of Israel had 28:17 like this high school relationship 28:19 going on with God, right? 28:20 How many of you remember a high school? 28:22 You guys went to high school? 28:23 You remember those high school, 28:24 puppy love relationships it seemed like, 28:26 and maybe they were even some serious at times, 28:27 but I'll never forget in high school, 28:29 I was so irritated 28:30 with how high school relationships 28:32 would work because you would see, 28:34 you know, a couple would get together 28:35 and they would be all about each other for, 28:37 you know, a few months or whatever 28:38 and then they would break up, right? 28:41 And everybody be talking about 28:42 how Jack and Jill broke up at school. 28:43 Like, "Oh, my goodness, 28:45 did you know that Jack and Jill busted up?" 28:47 And then Jack would start dating another chick. 28:49 And then Jill would start dating 28:50 another guy from another school. 28:52 And then all of a sudden what would happen, 28:55 few months later, 28:56 Jack and Jill's back together again. 28:58 And everybody's happy about Jack and Jill. 28:59 And it's Jack and Jill and Jack and Jill. 29:01 Right? 29:02 Well, let me tell you something, beloved. 29:04 Israel was like that with God 29:06 all the way through the Old Testament, 29:08 they were like this high school, 29:10 like God was faithful, 29:12 but Israel was like a high school 29:13 girl or boy that couldn't make up their mind 29:14 what they wanted. 29:16 Are we together? 29:17 And they would have some good kings 29:19 that would come along 29:20 that would establish God's truth 29:21 and establish God's character and would tear down, 29:24 get this, they would tear down the images to false beasts, 29:28 the images to idols. 29:30 And with all these images of groves and idols 29:32 all over the place 29:33 and they would tear those images down. 29:36 Are we together? They would tear them all down. 29:38 So some examples of this in scripture, 29:40 you would have the bad kings 29:41 that would erect the images, the good kings would come like 29:43 Josiah and Isaiah Hezekiah. 29:45 And what would they do? 29:46 The first work that they did was that 29:48 they would go down and tear down 29:50 all of the false images, 29:51 all of the false things that was corrupting society 29:54 and turning people's minds away from the image of God. 29:58 Are we together? 30:00 They would get those things out of their life. 30:02 We see this all the way through scripture now. 30:05 Does the world have lots of false images out there? 30:09 Is there a lots of false idols and images being worshiped 30:13 that's taking our minds as God's people away from God. 30:17 You better believe it, beloved. You better believe it. 30:19 As I travel around, as I go around, 30:21 I see people even have mercy in the church 30:23 that struggling really bad with 30:27 having false images in their life 30:29 that they're struggling, getting out of their lives. 30:31 Are we together? 30:32 And so we're living in a warfare, 30:34 no doubt about it, but you know something, 30:35 we can overcome as long as we do, 30:37 what, behold the lamb. 30:39 Can we say amen? Oh, wow. I love it. 30:41 Just as Peter overcame and did the impossible 30:45 by walking on water, remember that? 30:48 You go read Matthew 14. 30:50 I love that story. Peter... 30:51 Jesus was doing the impossible and Peter was an opportunist. 30:56 Peter was like, "Hey, hey, I wonder if I can do 30:59 what my Lord's doing." 31:01 Come on somebody give us 31:02 some people with faith like that, 31:04 who looked at Jesus and say, "I wonder if I can do that." 31:09 Too many times we have people in the church, 31:10 they looked at Jesus, and they go, "I can't do that." 31:13 Are we together beloved? 31:14 "I can't be Jesus." 31:16 But when we understand Jesus 31:17 laid aside all of His attributes 31:18 and He lived, listen, 31:20 the Son of God became the son of man. 31:22 Amen. 31:23 He laid us out all of His attributes 31:24 that He might live like you and me. 31:27 That's powerful. 31:29 And so Peter's looking at Jesus, 31:30 and he goes, 31:31 "I wonder if I can do what Jesus does." 31:34 And he looks out there and he sees Jesus, 31:35 he says, "Lord, if it's you command to that, 31:38 I might walk out on the water with you." 31:40 In other words, what Peter was saying is that, 31:41 "Lord, if that's you, let me do what you're doing, 31:44 which is the impossible." 31:46 Come on, somebody. Now check this out. 31:48 Jesus doesn't say, 31:50 Jesus doesn't say, "Peter, I'm Jesus. 31:54 I mean, I'm God, you can't do what I do." 31:57 That's not what Jesus said. Did He? 31:59 What did He say, beloved? 32:00 He said one word. He said one word. 32:02 He said come. And check this out. 32:04 I want you to understand. This is powerful. 32:07 Peter's up there now. And what is he doing? 32:10 He didn't just say from the boat, 32:11 "I believe you, Jesus, I'll stay right here. 32:13 I'm good." What did he do? 32:16 He stepped out, beloved, and he had to have faith. 32:17 Let me tell something. 32:19 You got to have faith to go on one foot, 32:21 and take your other foot and step out on water. 32:23 How many of you know that 32:25 takes an abundance amount of faith? 32:26 But you see, he believed that 32:28 the word Jesus would give him the power to do 32:31 what he could not do on his own. 32:34 Amen. 32:35 And he stepped out in faith and he did the impossible. 32:37 And as long as he beheld the lamb, 32:40 he did the impossible. 32:43 So, likewise, you and I, 32:44 no matter what the devil throws in our lives, 32:46 no matter what he will throw your way, 32:48 no matter what tribulation, trial, 32:50 or trouble you are going through, 32:51 Jesus will give you the victory as long as you behold the lamb. 32:54 Amen. Amen. Check this out. 32:57 So when the good kings arrived, 32:59 they would cut down the false images 33:00 and the false things in society. 33:03 You know what we are? 33:04 We are the kings of the earth. Did you guys know that? 33:08 We, listen to me, you and I 33:11 are called the kings of the earth in the Bible, 33:12 in the New Testament. 33:13 Let's take a look at it. 33:15 We're in Revelation 1, 33:16 we're going to go to verses 5 and 6. 33:18 Revelation 1. 33:19 I encourage you to open your Bible 33:21 and we're going to go to Revelation 1:5-6. 33:22 Notice what the Word of God says here, 33:24 "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, 33:27 and the first begotten of the dead, 33:29 and the prince of the kings of the, what, 33:33 of the earth unto him that loved us, 33:35 and washed us from our sins in His own blood." 33:37 Notice verse six, "And hath maid, who, 33:41 us kings and priests unto God." 33:43 So beloved notice 33:44 what Jesus is saying here in scripture, 33:46 He's making it clear that He has made us. 33:49 That is the church that's who's John, 33:50 John is writing to here. 33:52 He has made us kings and priests. 33:55 So what are you and I need to do in this day and age? 33:58 What did the kings do in the Old Testament, beloved? 34:00 They tore down the false images. 34:03 Come on somebody. 34:04 All the false images that is in your life, 34:06 all the false images that is around, 34:07 all the corrupt images that 34:09 is going to turn God's people away from the image of God, 34:13 we are to tear them down. 34:15 We are to tear them down. 34:17 Beloved, there's not enough people doing that. 34:21 Why do you think Jesus hasn't come back yet? 34:24 There's too many false images that's taking away 34:28 the people's attention from God. 34:32 When I reach out to young people 34:33 and I reach out to people today, 34:35 whether they're young or old or middle-aged, doesn't matter. 34:37 It seems like everybody's got something distracting them, 34:39 nowadays, something stealing their attention. 34:42 Are we together? 34:43 Something that's defacing 34:45 the image of God in their characters. 34:46 And God is saying, "Listen, I want to tear that down 34:49 out of your life, but you have to be willing." 34:51 Amen. 34:52 But we need ministers to do, what, 34:55 give the trumpet a certain sound. 34:58 Amen. Sound the battle cry. 35:00 Come on somebody. 35:01 Give the trumpet a certain sound 35:03 and let people know, 35:04 let the house of Jacob be aware of their sins. 35:07 We have to with boldness, but with love, 35:11 declare the truth of God, amen, in these last days. 35:15 You see there is one false image 35:17 we should be tearing down in these last days. 35:20 We should be tearing down the image to the beast. 35:24 What is that though? What is the image to the beast? 35:26 Let's read about it. We're in Revelation 13. 35:28 Revelation 13. 35:30 We're going to begin reading at verse 11 through 14. 35:33 Notice what the Word of God says. 35:34 Actually, we're going to go to verse 15. 35:37 Revelation 13, beginning in verse 11. 35:40 It says, "And I beheld another beast 35:41 coming up out of the, what, out of the earth, 35:44 and he had two horns like a lamb, 35:46 and he spoke as a dragon. 35:48 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast 35:51 who was before him, and he causeth the earth 35:54 and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, 35:57 whose deadly wound was healed." 35:58 Right? 35:59 And so for those of you that 36:01 have already studied this Bible prophecy, 36:02 you know that the first beast is who, 36:04 it's the Roman papal church state system. 36:06 Are we together, beloved? It's the papacy. 36:08 No doubt about it. 36:09 And so the papacy now, 36:11 who gave the papacy its seat and authority and its power? 36:15 Satan, which is the dragon, we're told in Revelation 12:9 36:18 in Revelation 20:2, 36:20 that the dragon is the devil and Satan. 36:23 So you have this earth beast, right? 36:27 And you have this sea beast. 36:29 And then you have this dragon, 36:30 these three-fold union in Revelation 13. 36:33 And notice what happens, 36:34 the dragon, Satan, gives the papacy, 36:36 the first beast its power, its seat, and its authority. 36:40 But it says that the deadly wound 36:41 was going to be, what, healed. 36:44 And we're not going to go into all the history of that. 36:45 But in other words, the papacy would continue. 36:47 Although they would have a wound given to them, 36:50 they would continue to have encouragement 36:52 and influence pertaining even to other beasts. 36:55 By the way, beast and Bible prophecy 36:56 represents nations 36:57 or kingdoms you read that in Daniel 7:23. 37:00 Are we together? So check this out. 37:03 And he do great wonders so that he make a fire 37:06 come down from heaven in the sight of the earth 37:08 and the sight of men. 37:09 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth 37:12 by the means of those miracles 37:13 which he had power to do in the sight of the beast." 37:15 So notice, notice, notice what the second beast, 37:18 the second beast, by the way, 37:20 the beast that comes up out of the earth, 37:22 the first beast, the sea beast represents the papacy. 37:25 The second beast represents which nation, 37:28 the United States of America. 37:29 This is not, this is not, you know, 37:32 I guess you can say unique amongst our thinking. 37:34 We already know that we've studied this 37:36 in the past many times, 37:37 Brother Kenny has taken you guys through 37:38 many studies on this. 37:40 And so let's understand what's being said here. 37:42 So it says that the second beast 37:44 would be basically encouraging all of the world 37:48 to worship the first beast. 37:50 So the second beast being the United States 37:53 would be causing all of the world 37:54 to worshiping the first beast, 37:56 which would be the papacy. 37:57 Are we together? 37:58 So we're talking about Protestantism and Catholicism 38:01 coming together and amalgamating. 38:04 Are we together? 38:05 This goes deep, friends. Don't miss this. 38:07 Protestantism and Catholicism coming together. 38:10 And then notice this, by the way, 38:12 what is Catholicism called? 38:14 She is called the mother church, 38:17 the mother church. 38:18 That's what she's called the mother church. 38:20 Well, a mother has many, what, children. 38:24 And the Bible says in Revelation 17 38:25 about this mother church, 38:27 that she has many harlot daughters. 38:30 This is talking about apostate Protestantism 38:32 that exists primarily the Protestants 38:34 that came to the new world, 38:36 the new land and the Protestant reformation. 38:38 And as you see in Revelation 12, 38:40 the earth swallowed up the flood, 38:43 the flood being the persecution. 38:44 Are we together? 38:46 The flood came out during the dark ages, 38:47 like a whirlwind, 38:49 and it was about to swallow up all of God's people, 38:51 but then God did, what, 38:53 God opened up a new world, a new land. 38:55 It was discovered. 38:56 And the earth, the United States of America 38:58 swallows up the flood 38:59 so that the waves of persecution 39:01 doesn't kill all of God's people. 39:02 Are we together? 39:04 So then the Protestantism begins its ranks 39:07 and begins its growing in America. 39:09 Now check this out. 39:12 "He doeth great wonders." 39:13 We're in verse 13, 39:15 this is the United States of America 39:16 speaking of apostate Protestantism, 39:18 those harlot daughters. 39:19 "So that he maketh fire come down 39:21 from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." 39:26 Where did that happen before in history in the Bible? 39:32 Where did fire come down 39:34 from out of heaven to perform a miracle? 39:36 Elijah, remember we are told in the Book of Malachi, 39:40 we're going to read it, 39:41 that the spirit and power of Elijah 39:43 will come upon God's people in the last days. 39:44 Are we together? 39:46 So now this is a false revival. 39:49 This is a false system of worship. 39:51 Again, this is a false image 39:54 that's being erected, a false image, 39:57 a false characteristic of who God is 39:59 that's being projected and Satan 40:02 is just puppeteering the masses to deceive 40:04 all of God's people to go away 40:06 from the image of God. 40:07 So check this out, check this out. 40:08 "He doeth great wonders, 40:10 so that he maketh fire come down from heaven 40:11 on the earth in the sight of men. 40:13 In Elijah's day when that happened, 40:15 when God did that, 40:16 everyone got on their knees and was like confessed 40:19 to the true God was. 40:21 Are we together? 40:23 So likewise, Satan's going to try to use 40:25 those same tactics in the last days, 40:26 performing miracles. 40:28 What did Revelation 16:14 say? 40:30 "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles." 40:33 Beloved, the devils 40:34 are going to be working miracles 40:36 in the last days to deceive all of God's people 40:38 to try to deceive the very elect the Bible says. 40:40 Are we together? 40:42 We need to take heed lest he fall. 40:43 Amen. And then notice verse 14. 40:45 "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth 40:48 by the means of those miracles, 40:50 there it is, which he had power 40:51 to do in the sight of the beast, 40:53 saying to them that dwell on the earth, 40:54 that they should make an image to the, what, 40:58 beast," there's that image. 41:00 We got to tear down those what? Those images. 41:03 "That they should make an image to the beast, 41:05 which had a wound by a sword, and did live. 41:07 And he had power to give a life unto the image of the beast." 41:10 Speaking of America, 41:11 America has so much influence, don't we? 41:14 Someone once said United States sneezes, 41:16 the whole world catches a, what, a cold. 41:19 Are we together, beloved? 41:21 You see the United States 41:22 is the most influential nation of the planet. 41:24 And so when we begin to walk, when we begin to talk, 41:26 when we begin to make moves, 41:28 we affect all the other nations around the world. 41:30 Are we together? 41:31 And so notice, "These miracles, 41:34 which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, 41:36 saying to them that dwell in the earth." 41:37 So now the second beast is speaking, 41:39 that's the United States of America. 41:41 "Saying to them that dwell on the earth, 41:43 that they should make an image to the beast." 41:44 That's the first beast, the papacy, 41:46 "Which had a wound by a sword, and did live. 41:48 And he had power to give a life unto the image of the beast, 41:51 that the image of the beast should both speak and cause," 41:55 that word is force, 41:56 "that as many as would not worship the, what, 41:59 the image of the beast should be, what, killed." 42:04 Now what does it mean to worship the image of the beast? 42:06 What is this image of the beast? 42:08 Let's talk about it. 42:09 Number one, I'm going to break it down 42:10 as fast as I can. 42:12 Number one, the image of the beast 42:13 represents the amalgamation of church and state. 42:15 Are we together? 42:16 When you go read in the spirit of prophecy, 42:18 you will discover that it is very clearly stated that 42:21 the one thing that said, 42:23 the papacy apart from all of the other nations 42:26 that were before it, 42:27 when it was the very first ever church and state amalgamation. 42:30 Are we together? 42:31 It's the very first ever church and state amalgamation. 42:34 When that took place, the church, right, 42:37 became the head of everything. 42:40 And thus forced worship was instituted, 42:44 but it was forced false worship. 42:46 Are we together? And so check this out. 42:48 So the image of the beast 42:50 takes on a two-fold meaning here. 42:52 What I just described, 42:53 the church and state amalgamation, 42:54 it is to take on the mindset also of Satan 42:57 and to worship the lightness of Satan. 43:00 Are we together? 43:02 Does God force us to do anything? 43:03 No. 43:04 He gives us our freewill choice. 43:06 Amen. 43:07 Are we starting to see that being taken from us? 43:09 Beloved, I can't even hardly post 43:11 what I feel is correct even according 43:14 to my own religious conscious on social media anymore 43:17 because it'll offend somebody. 43:18 Have mercy. 43:20 Are we together? And so what happens? 43:23 They silence you, they sensor you, 43:25 and they say, "We have independent fact checkers 43:27 that have determined your post to be false." 43:31 Are we together? 43:32 But you know what we got to do? 43:34 We got to tear down those false images. 43:36 If we stop proclaiming the message 43:37 because somebody tells us 43:39 to stop proclaiming the message, 43:40 have mercy, the message will never be proclaimed. 43:42 As an evangelist right now, 43:44 it is like pulling teeth from a horse, 43:46 trying to get evangelistic meetings. 43:49 It is. 43:50 And it's sad to say that, but it is. 43:52 You know why? 43:53 Because churches are concerned, 43:55 they're more concerned about what the government might do 43:59 and shutting down their church 44:00 than they are about preaching the gospel. 44:03 Are we together? 44:04 I just want say this for the camera. 44:06 Listen, if your church isn't doing 44:07 evangelism this year, close the doors. 44:12 Amen. 44:13 Beloved, listen to me, listen to me. 44:14 This is a powerful message not because I'm here 44:16 because I'm telling you, this is... 44:18 If you're not going to do evangelism to reach the public, 44:20 you're a club. 44:22 Are we together? 44:23 We have got to start getting back 44:25 to preaching God's Word, 44:27 uplifting the banner, letting our light shine. 44:31 I feel like in this day and age, 44:32 things are getting darker and darker and darker. 44:34 And that's when the light's supposed to shine brighter 44:36 and brighter and brighter. 44:37 And it seems like we're shut up in 44:39 between four walls 44:40 and we're not telling people the message. 44:41 Amen. 44:43 We got to start preaching the word. 44:44 So notice what it says. I got a lot a... 44:46 Pray for that clock. Amen. 44:48 I got a lot to cover. So here we go. 44:50 Check this out. 44:51 So how was Satan or how was Satan 44:55 able to deceive the church to kill Jesus? 44:58 Let me just ask this. How was Jesus killed? 45:02 Listen, listen, the church 45:05 united with the state of Rome, 45:10 they united with the state of Rome 45:11 that they might put an end to this man 45:14 who was disturbing their thoughts, 45:16 who was disturbing their society, 45:18 they had to unite with a state. 45:20 It'll be the same in the last days. 45:21 Can we say amen? 45:23 I just want to say this for the record. 45:24 Listen, politics needs to get out of the church 45:27 and church needs to get out of politics. 45:30 Amen. Amen. 45:33 God has given us dominion over the beast though. 45:36 He's given us what? 45:38 God has given us dominion over the beast. 45:40 What did we just read? 45:41 What was our opening scripture reading? 45:43 It was Genesis, right? 45:45 God has given us dominion over the beast. 45:46 In Revelation 13, we see how many beasts? 45:51 Three beasts. 45:53 You see a sea beast, which is the papacy. 45:57 You see a earth beast, 45:58 which is the United States of America. 46:00 And then you see another beast that's flying around, 46:03 the beast of the air. 46:06 The dragon. Are we together beloved? 46:09 Now check this out, check this out. 46:10 Notice what Genesis said in the very beginning 46:13 when we read our scripture reading. 46:15 Notice what it says. 46:16 It says in Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them, 46:20 and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, 46:22 and replenish the earth, subdue it, 46:25 and have dominion, over the what, 46:30 over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, 46:35 and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth." 46:38 Listen, beloved, God has given us dominion 46:41 over the beast of the sea. 46:44 He's given us dominion 46:46 over the beast of the air, the dragon. 46:48 And he's given us dominion over the beast of the earth. 46:51 Can somebody say, Amen? 46:52 We're living in the last days. 46:54 But we have nothing to fear because God has given us 46:57 his people dominion over these beasts. 47:00 And He's given us dominion over the image of the beast. 47:03 Amen. All right. 47:06 I just want break this down. 47:07 John the Baptist is a perfect example of the image of God. 47:10 John the Baptist 47:12 actually his whole life portrays, 47:13 what's going to happen in the last days. 47:14 Did you know that to God's people? 47:16 John the Baptist life is connected 47:18 with another man's life, life of Elijah. 47:20 Remember John came into spirit and power of Elijah. 47:23 I'm skipping over a lot of scriptures 47:24 that I had prepared to give 47:25 because I'm starting to run low on time, 47:27 but I want you guys to understand something. 47:28 Spirit of Elijah, the spirit of John, 47:30 it's the same spirit. 47:32 One of them was directly translated 47:33 and did not see death. 47:35 The other one had to see death. 47:37 It's going to be the same for God's people in the last days. 47:39 Did you hear me? 47:41 It's going to be the same for God's people in the last days. 47:42 As many as would not worship 47:44 the image of the beast should be, what, killed. 47:46 And then there are those who will be directly translated 47:48 just as Elijah was. 47:50 Listen to me. 47:51 John was commanded in Luke 1, 47:53 that he would drink neither wine 47:55 nor strong drink beloved. 47:57 He ain't supposed to be drinking that wine. 47:59 Come on somebody say amen. 48:00 While the world is sipping back on grandma's cough medicine, 48:03 right? 48:04 Getting tipsy on the wine of Babylon, 48:06 John is saying, "Listen, I'm not going to drink 48:08 no wine nor strong drink." 48:09 Number two, his ministry began in the wilderness. 48:12 Come on somebody. 48:13 God's last day church, where did their ministry begin? 48:17 You go, you better believe in Revelation 12, 48:18 they began in the wilderness. 48:20 Amen. 48:21 And the number three, notice, 48:23 John was to preach the knowledge of salvation 48:24 to God's people. 48:26 To point them to the Savior 48:27 who would come, to prepare the way of the Lord. 48:32 Is that what we're supposed to do in the last days? 48:33 You better believe it. 48:35 He came in the spirit and power of Elijah. 48:36 Now let me share something with you about John. 48:40 How was John able to be killed? 48:43 What got John in trouble? Let's talk about it. 48:45 What got John in trouble? Listen to me. 48:47 John had so much boldness. 48:49 He was full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus called him. 48:51 Listen, he had a six-month ministry 48:52 and in a six-month ministry, 48:55 Jesus called him the greatest of all the prophets. 48:57 Wow. 48:59 Listen to me. Listen to me. 49:00 Listen, John, he got in trouble 49:03 because he was rebuking an unlawful relationship 49:06 between, listen, Herod of Antipas 49:10 the tetrarch of Galilee, the leader of the state. 49:17 Listen, he rebuked an unlawful relationship 49:21 between the leader of the state Herod 49:24 and a woman named Herodias. 49:26 Now what does a woman represent in Bible prophecy, a church. 49:29 Herodias being an unlawful woman 49:31 who doesn't want to follow the law of God. 49:33 Are we together? 49:34 Committing fornication, 49:35 she was supposed to be with Phillip, Herod's brother, 49:37 but she wanted to be with Herod. 49:40 John comes along, He's like, "Listen, this ought not be." 49:42 He was rebuking this unlawful relationship 49:44 between a woman, a church, 49:46 and the leader of a state, the tetrarch of Galilee. 49:49 Are we together? They didn't like it. 49:51 So what'd they do? 49:52 Herodias, the woman, gets mad 49:55 and she conspires by how she might get rid of John. 49:57 So what does she do? 49:59 So what does she do? 50:01 She has a daughter. Woo boy. 50:05 She has a daughter. Right? 50:06 And what does she have her daughter to do? 50:08 She has her daughter to go on a night 50:10 when everybody's drinking and she dances 50:14 her little sleazy dance. 50:15 Right? 50:16 And she pleases the state, the daughter represents, who, 50:21 apostate Protestantism, 50:23 Herodias would represent Catholicism, my friends. 50:26 You're now trying to get unite with the state, 50:28 the daughter, apostate Protestantism, 50:30 she goes and dances her dance, 50:32 pleases the tetrarch of Galilee, 50:34 pleases the leader of the state. 50:36 And then what happens? 50:38 The state says, "Listen, 50:40 I'll give you whatever you want, 50:41 even half of my kingdom." 50:43 And then she does it... 50:44 But look, the daughter, doesn't just say, 50:46 "Oh, well, I'll take this or that." 50:48 No, no, no. You know what she does. 50:49 She goes and confines in mama. 50:51 She goes back to mama. 50:52 She goes, "What should we ask for?" 50:54 And then what happens? 50:57 She says the head of John the Baptist on a charger. 51:00 And so, beloved, you see in the last days 51:03 we're going to be a part of one or two groups. 51:04 You either going to have to be willing to die for Jesus, 51:07 just as all the apostles did 51:10 or you're going to be one of those faithful 51:12 that live to see Jesus come all the way back. 51:14 Are we together? 51:15 Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, 51:17 they will persecute you." 51:19 Amen. 51:20 Are you willing to die for Jesus? 51:23 We have to be willing to restore the image of God, 51:25 come on somebody say amen, in our society. 51:29 You know, in Revelation 15:2 51:32 notice what the Word of God says. 51:34 "And I saw as it were 51:35 a sea of glass mingled with fire, 51:38 and them that had gotten the victory 51:40 over the beast, and over his, what, 51:43 over his image, and over his mark, 51:46 and over the number of his name, 51:48 stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." 51:52 It's those who overcome, the what, the image, beloved. 51:56 You see, God is wanting to restore you to His image. 51:59 But Satan is wanting to 52:01 mar your character into His image. 52:04 Revelation 24, notice what the Bible says. 52:06 "And I saw thrones, and they set up on them." 52:09 Who is that? They, as God's people. 52:11 Can we say amen? 52:13 "And judgment was given unto them, 52:14 and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded 52:16 for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, 52:18 which had not worshiped the beast, 52:21 neither his what image, 52:23 neither had received his mark upon their foreheads 52:25 or in their hands, 52:27 and they lived in reigned with Christ, how long, 52:29 a thousand years." 52:31 You see, beloved, it's only those who 52:34 have God's image in them 52:36 who overcome the image of the beasts. 52:38 Amen. 52:40 So, my friends, I would like to invite brother Ben, come on up. 52:44 You see we're living in the last days 52:45 where we must get serious about our faith. 52:48 We must get very serious about our faith. 52:49 We must get very serious about 52:51 restoring the character of God in our lives. 52:54 And the only way we can do that is by doing what? 52:56 What, Brother Kenny? 52:57 Behold the lamb. Amen. 53:00 We must behold the lamb of God. 53:03 And as we behold the lamb, what will take place? 53:08 We will be changed. 53:10 By beholding the lamb, 53:11 we become changed like the lamb. 53:16 I was reminded of a story of a stonemason, 53:20 who was invited by his neighbor, a shepherd. 53:24 The shepherd calls up his neighbor, 53:25 the stonemason, and he says, "Listen, I got a bad problem. 53:29 One of my goats have climbed up 53:32 the side of the rock mountain 53:35 and it's so scared, it's inexperienced. 53:37 It doesn't feel like it could get down. 53:39 And I love my goat." 53:41 Does the shepherd love his sheep, beloved? 53:43 You better believe. He says, "I love my sheep. 53:45 It's up there crying to me, it's been crying for hours, 53:47 and it can't get down." 53:50 He said, "You're a stonemason, 53:51 you know more about rocks than me. 53:53 I don't know how to climb this rock." 53:55 He says, "If I did, I would certainly do it 53:58 but would you please go for me 54:00 and get my sheep?" 54:06 So the stonemason said, "Yeah, I'll go. 54:08 I'll do it." 54:10 And as he began watching very carefully, 54:12 which rocks, he put his hands on 54:14 and which rocks he placed his feet on 54:15 as he climbed up the mountain, 54:18 he got all the way up to the sheep, 54:21 and he was able to grab it. 54:23 But then he lost his footing. 54:26 He fell nearly 30 to 40 feet. 54:31 And as he fell, he thought all of this to save a sheep, 54:36 thinking that he was going to breathe 54:37 his last moment. 54:40 And then he hits something very soft. 54:43 And as he landed, he heard a cry and a whimper. 54:47 And then he heard a gasp of breath. 54:50 He looked to his right 54:52 as his shoulders were on the ground. 54:54 And he saw the head of a lamb. 54:57 And it was before the shearing season. 55:00 So they had big poofy furs. 55:04 The lamb had broke, the stonemasons fall. 55:10 The shepherd was crying. 55:12 He was so happy to have his other sheep back, 55:14 but he was so devastated that he lost a sheep. 55:20 And he cried, the stonemason then said, 55:23 "I can't believe I should have died 55:29 but this lamb broke my fall, 55:34 broke my fall." 55:37 And so him being a stonemason, 55:40 he remembered that 55:41 there was another lamb, the lamb of God 55:46 who would take away all the sin of the world, 55:47 who has broke all of mankind's fall, 55:51 who has caught man, 55:52 when they were on their way to destruction. 55:56 And so the stonemason went into his shop 55:59 and he built the most beautiful image 56:02 of this beautiful lamb that had broke his fall. 56:06 And he put there on the base of it, 56:09 behold the lamb, 56:13 behold the lamb who broke my fall. 56:18 You see, beloved. 56:20 I don't know what you've been going through. 56:21 I don't know what you've been experiencing, 56:24 but you have good news this morning. 56:25 Amen. 56:27 Jesus has broke all of our fall. 56:32 He is the Lamb of God. 56:34 He loves us more than anything. 56:36 And I want to encourage you wherever you are right now, 56:38 wherever you may be watching online, 56:41 give your life to Jesus. 56:43 Amen. 56:45 And know that the Lamb of God has broke your fall. 56:48 And that that lamb is coming again. 56:53 But He's not coming this next time, 56:56 dead and bruised, He's coming this next time 56:59 and all of His power and all of His glory. 57:01 And He's coming back 57:03 for those who have the image of God. 57:07 Can somebody say amen? Amen. 57:10 If that's your desire, driving down the road, 57:12 you're listening at home, 57:13 you're listening now in here personally, 57:16 I want to invite you to bow your heads 57:18 as we close in prayer 57:20 and thank Jesus for breaking our fall. 57:23 Father in Heaven, we're so thankful 57:26 and grateful for You breaking our fall 57:28 by sending your Son Jesus, 57:30 to be the lamb that we could fall on. 57:35 Lord, we ask for Your Holy Spirit 57:36 to continue to lead and guide us. 57:38 And, Lord, that you would restore 57:40 Your image in us, 57:43 that we will be ready to see and behold the lamb 57:46 when you come back the second time. 57:48 We ask in Jesus' name, we pray. 57:50 Amen. |
Revised 2021-06-03