Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000184S
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00:38 Hello and welcome once again to Behold the Lamb Presents.
00:42 I'm Chris Shelton, your host, 00:43 and I want to thank you for joining us. 00:46 Today's message is entitled Evidence of Imminent Danger. 00:51 Many are refusing to accept the nearness 00:53 of the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:56 Instead of denying it 00:58 all together as not being true, 01:00 they simply say the Lord delayeth His coming, 01:03 or my grandparents said that He would come soon, 01:06 and He's not here yet, and they've passed away. 01:10 People simply put the coming of the Lord 01:12 way off into the distant future. 01:15 But could this be a dangerous concept 01:18 putting it off? 01:20 And why even the thought of a delay in His coming 01:23 if this be so? 01:25 Are there conditions given with His promise to return? 01:29 In fact, some firmly believe 01:33 through their study of the Word of God, 01:35 that Christ could have come long before now. 01:39 If that be true, who's at fault 01:42 for Him not appearing in the eastern sky 01:45 before now? 01:46 Is it His fault or ours? 01:49 Surrounded by danger on every side, 01:52 what is our duty? 01:54 As God's remnant people, 01:56 should we not be looking for and hastening His coming? 02:00 Please stay tuned today and join Pastor Kenny Shelton 02:04 as he shares evidence of imminent danger. 02:07 But first, let's visit our 3ABN Studio 02:11 and listen to a song that is entitled 02:13 No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus 02:17 as sung by Jeff Pearls. 02:34 I would love to tell you what 02:38 I think of Jesus 02:42 Since I found in Him a friend 02:46 So kind of true 02:49 I would tell you how He changed 02:53 My life completely 02:57 He did something that 02:59 No other friend could do 03:07 No one ever 03:10 Cared for me 03:14 Like Jesus 03:19 There's no other friend 03:24 So kind as He 03:32 No one else 03:35 Could take the sin 03:38 And darkness from me 03:46 O how much He cared 03:51 For me! 03:59 Every day He comes to me 04:03 With new assurance 04:06 More and more I understand 04:09 His words of love 04:13 But I'll never know 04:15 Just why He came to save me 04:20 Till that day I reached 04:23 My blessed home 04:25 Above 04:30 No one ever 04:34 Cared for me 04:38 Like Jesus 04:43 There's no other friend 04:47 So kind as He 04:54 No one else 04:57 Could take the sin 05:01 And darkness from me 05:08 O how much He cared for me! 05:21 O how much He cared 05:27 For me! 05:53 Thank you for joining us once again here 05:54 at Behold the Lamb Ministries. 05:56 We always say and we will continue to say 05:58 that we appreciate you. 05:59 Thank you very much for your cards, 06:01 your letter and your support of Behold the Lamb 06:03 that we may take the message around the world. 06:05 That's what we've been commissioned to do 06:08 by God, right? 06:09 Take this message to the whole world. 06:11 And if we do, then Jesus was going to come. 06:13 So by God's grace, we're getting into places 06:16 that we couldn't ordinarily get into. 06:18 You know, you go into the cities, 06:20 some of you might be surprised, 06:21 but you know, there's a lot of bars on, 06:22 you know, iron bars on the windows and the doors 06:25 and you can't get in, 06:26 signs, big sign, knows, solicitation, 06:28 you can't give away anything. 06:30 But you know what? 06:31 The signals will get into these homes 06:33 and these houses, these apartments, 06:35 and these prisons, we're getting letters, 06:37 you know, from the prisoners. 06:38 And I think it's rare, but what a wonderful thing. 06:42 There are several prisoners who watch Behold the Lamb, 06:46 you know, on TV, 06:47 and they actually, believe it or not, 06:49 they actually send some of their finances, 06:52 which is very, very, 06:53 you know, they get very little while they're there, 06:55 but they actually tithe to Behold the Lamb. 06:58 How wonderful that is, and I praise God for that. 07:01 That's, it's an awesome thing. 07:03 Well, today, we're going to be talking about 07:04 evidence of imminent danger. 07:07 And there is evidence all over the place. 07:10 Let's make sure that we're not, 07:11 have our eyes closed and our ears closed, 07:13 and we're not listening, 07:15 and not preparing for the coming of Jesus. 07:17 But as always, again, we're thankful 07:18 that you joined us. 07:20 What we're going to do as we always do 07:21 before we study the Word of God is we pray again. 07:25 We need to be praying people. 07:27 We need to believe, have faith in God 07:29 that He's going to answer prayers. 07:30 And today, if you're like I am, I'm in need of prayer. 07:33 And so I'm going to kneel up here and pray 07:35 and if you want to, you can sit, 07:36 you can kneel or those who get this, 07:38 you know, DVD or CD later. 07:40 There may be listeners that are going down the road. 07:42 I advise you not to close your eyes, 07:44 but go ahead and you can pray along with me. 07:46 Let's pray, shall we? 07:48 Merciful Father in heaven, thank You for the privilege 07:50 that we have to be able to come together as a people 07:53 to study Your Word. 07:54 What a time that is for us, a time that will not always be. 07:59 I pray that You will impress all of our hearts and our minds 08:01 that every opportunity that we get 08:03 to come together to study, 08:04 we will do that. 08:05 It will be a priority in our heart, in our life. 08:08 There's imminent danger, 08:09 things are happening in the world today, 08:11 and we want to be aware of those 08:12 so that we might be prepared for Your soon coming. 08:15 Thank you for the viewers. 08:16 Thank you each and every one. 08:18 Bless us, we pray with Thy Spirit in Jesus' name, 08:20 amen. 08:22 Again you have your Bible. 08:23 Remember, pencil and paper, jot things down. 08:26 You know, we can't just stand and, 08:28 you know, let a lot of time go by 08:29 in between passage of scripture. 08:31 But we're going to say it 08:32 where you can write them down and go back 08:33 and study to show yourself approved unto God. 08:36 Remember, you don't just believe somebody 08:38 because they stand in the pulpit. 08:40 You don't believe them because they own television 08:42 or they own radio or whatever. 08:43 Bible says, "Try the spirits and see." 08:45 So you try to see what it is. 08:47 And what is being said must match up 08:49 with the Word of God. 08:50 We're going to look in the Book of Ezekiel. 08:52 I love the Book of Ezekiel. 08:53 Man, but there is some warnings in there. 08:55 There's some things that go on in there 08:57 that we need to know about 08:58 because not only did it apply in their day, 09:01 it applies to us today. 09:03 Ezekiel Chapter 12, 09:05 we're going to read verses 27 and 28. 09:07 Ezekiel 12:27-28. 09:10 I love it always, the Bible says, 09:15 it's not somebody said, some ministry said, 09:17 or a minister said, the Bible says, 09:19 God says this from His Word, 09:21 the Son of man talking to Ezekiel here, 09:24 you know, in vision, He's talking to Ezekiel, 09:26 He's getting his attention. 09:27 "Behold, they of the house of Israel say, 09:30 the vision that he seeth is for," what? 09:33 "For many days," notice this, 09:36 "and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. 09:40 Therefore, verse 28, say unto them, 09:43 thus saith the Lord God, 09:44 there shall none of my words be prolonged any more, 09:49 but the word which is I've spoken 09:51 shall be done, 09:52 saith the Lord God." 09:56 You notice how awesome 09:57 that is when you look at those words 09:59 and dissect them just a little bit. 10:02 Many people were saying what? 10:04 Oh, the vision, oh, the coming of Jesus, 10:06 or what was happening was beginning 10:08 to this destruction of Jerusalem. 10:09 This was really talking about here was coming to pass. 10:12 But, it also applies to our day at the coming of Jesus Christ. 10:16 Many say what? 10:18 Well, Jesus is coming. 10:20 Well, why hasn't He come before now? 10:23 You know, and Jesus says right here to them 10:25 through the Spirit says right here, 10:28 none of my promises I've made 10:29 is going to be prolonged anymore. 10:30 It's going to come to pass, 10:32 just like I said it was going to come to pass. 10:34 I want to read a couple of scriptures 10:36 that I believe is very important 10:38 of evidence of imminent danger. 10:40 Now you could go through the Bible, 10:42 and you can read a lot, lot, many, many, many verses. 10:45 But I've just chosen a couple here. 10:46 I'm going to start in New Testament in 2 Peter. 10:49 2 Peter, we're going to look at verse 3. 10:52 2 Peter 3, just read a couple, just a couple of lines here, 10:56 a couple of verses, 3:9-10. 11:01 Are we there? 11:03 2 Peter Chapter 3, 11:05 we're going to read verses 9 and 10. 11:08 Now notice if there's evidences of imminent danger here, 11:11 when we read these passages. 11:13 I think I'm in 1 Peter, so I better go to 2 Peter, 11:15 but if I get there right once. 11:17 Now, if I started reading, and it wasn't right, 11:19 somebody should say that's not right, ain't it? 11:21 So follow along with me. 11:22 Verse 9 and 10 says, the Lord is not what? 11:25 Yeah, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 11:28 as some men count slackness, but He's," what? 11:31 "His longsuffering, praise God, to us-ward, 11:33 not willing that any should perish, 11:35 but that all should come to repentance." 11:37 So we see the word perish, we see the word of repentance. 11:41 And verse 10, notice this, 11:42 "But the day of the Lord will come 11:44 as a thief in the night, 11:46 in which the heavens shall pass away with," what? 11:49 "A great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, 11:54 the earth also," notice, "and the works 11:57 that are therein shall be burned up." 12:00 That should cause a little bit of concern to us to say, 12:02 "Look, this is what's going to happen to this earth. 12:04 Am I so attached to this world 12:06 that I'm going to stay with it and be burned up?" 12:09 My evidence of imminent danger right here. 12:13 Are we making other preparations? 12:15 Make sure that we might not be so attached to this world 12:19 that we can't let loose of it 12:21 and get a hold of the hand of God, 12:22 which we should be doing now. 12:25 2, Peter, again, 2:9, 12:29 notice what the Bible says, 12:31 "The Lord knoweth how to deliver 12:33 the godly out of," what? 12:35 Good, "temptation," good, "and to reserve the unjust 12:39 to the Day of Judgment to be punished. 12:43 Do you notice this what God is saying, right? 12:45 To be what? To be punished. 12:47 So I see that there's evidence of imminent danger here 12:52 because God said, I can take care of you 12:55 in the hour of your temptation, 12:56 I'm there, I'm going to help you, 12:58 I can deliver you. 12:59 But if you're not willing to be delivered, 13:01 there's going to come a time 13:02 the Day of Judgment to be punished. 13:04 We're going to be punished. 13:07 Interesting. 13:08 Well, I'm just saying evidence of imminent danger 13:10 that makes me think, "Oh, my, do we really want that." 13:14 Revelation Chapter 14, let's read another one. 13:17 Revelation Chapter 14, 13:18 we should know these verses well. 13:20 Go through your Bible, read these 13:22 because it's part of the three angels' message, 13:25 isn't that right? 13:26 This is the center of Adventism. 13:30 A message that we are to give to the world 13:32 that no one else is really giving in the whole world, 13:36 because they don't see the importance of it. 13:38 But let me tell you the importance 13:40 as we read in verses 9 and 10 of Revelation 14. 13:43 This should really spark a little bit. 13:45 There's evidence of imminent danger here 13:47 that I may be involved. 13:49 Notice, verse 9, "And the third angel, 13:51 follow them saying with a loud voice, 13:53 if any man worship," what? 13:55 "The beast and his image 13:57 and receive his mark in their forehead, 13:59 or in their hand," notice verse 10, 14:02 "the same shall drink of the wine 14:03 of the wrath of God, 14:06 which is poured out without mixture," 14:08 no grace, no mercy, "in the cup of his indignation, 14:13 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 14:16 in the presence of the holy angels 14:18 and in the presence of," what? 14:21 "Of the Lamb." 14:22 Should that not cause us a little bit of concern here? 14:25 You say, "Oh, well, no, 14:26 'cause that doesn't apply to me." 14:29 Make sure you're calling an election is sure, 14:31 you notice what it says right here. 14:33 Do we really know? 14:34 This is what gets me some time. 14:37 That we read these things that said, 14:38 they're going to drink of the wine 14:39 of the wrath of God here, because why? 14:42 If any man worshiped the beast, we don't know who the beast is. 14:45 Well, why don't we get to study and find out? 14:47 We don't know. 14:48 You know what the image is to the beast. 14:51 We don't know these things, 14:52 who received the mark in his forehead or hand? 14:54 Should we not be so concerned? 14:57 It's dangerous not to know what this is all about, 15:01 because if you don't know 15:03 and don't make the right decision, 15:04 you're going to drink of what? 15:06 Of wine of the wrath of God 15:08 that's poured out without mercy. 15:09 Listen, every judgment that's fallen in this world 15:12 has always been mixed with what? 15:14 Mercy of God. 15:15 The time will come 15:16 when that will not be extended any more. 15:18 Man, let's talk about is going to be just poured out. 15:20 Well, that's kind of imminent danger. 15:23 I don't want to be involved in that. 15:24 Revelation 16:1, notice just another one real quick, 15:27 Revelation 16:1. 15:29 Again, I say, here's what the Bible said. 15:31 "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying 15:34 to the seven angels," 15:36 notice, "go your ways and pour out 15:38 the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." 15:41 What is it talking about here? 15:42 It's talking about pouring out the seven what? 15:45 The seven last plagues on the earth. 15:47 Did you get that? 15:49 Should that be evidence of imminent danger 15:52 to thank God that this is just in the future here? 15:54 We have to be very careful, 15:56 because these are the, notice this, 15:58 these are the seven last plagues. 16:01 And, man, you just need to read about them 16:03 in just whole Chapter 16, 16:04 just read about those plagues 16:06 that's going to be falling 16:07 and what it's going to do to mankind. 16:09 Imminent danger here, we can avoid them 16:12 by being part of the family of God. 16:15 And if we are not, we will be there 16:16 and we will see these things take place. 16:19 It's enough to make us want to think. 16:20 One more passage, Matthew Chapter 24. 16:23 Matthew Chapter 24. 16:26 As we read this, I mean, 16:28 in the Book of Matthew Chapter 24, 16:30 we see all kinds of signs that, you know, the coming of Jesus. 16:34 And this will remind us in Matthew 24:7-9, it says, 16:38 "For nations shall rise against," what? 16:41 "Nation and kingdom against kingdom: 16:43 there shall be famines, and pestilences, 16:45 and earthquakes, in diverse places." 16:47 Notice, "All of these are the," what? 16:50 "The beginning of sorrows." Did you get it? 16:52 What? Beginning. 16:54 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, 16:57 and shall kill you 16:58 and you shall be hated of all nations 17:00 for my name's sake." 17:02 This applies to our day too. 17:05 Did you get it? 17:06 See, everybody reason and say that, Jesus is speaking here. 17:10 He said, you have to realize when you see this thing, 17:12 nations rising against nations, 17:14 you know, each nation raising its ugly head and threatening 17:18 and saying things even nowadays, 17:19 what they might do 17:20 if the other attacks or whatever. 17:22 We need to be very careful, there's going to be plagues 17:24 and famine and earthquakes in diverse places. 17:27 Jesus said this is just the beginning of sorrows. 17:30 We're beginning these things now. 17:33 It behooves us to pay attention by the grace of God. 17:37 In the verses in Ezekiel Chapter 12, 17:39 we want to get to that as quickly 17:40 as we can right now, because I think, 17:43 you know, the warn... 17:44 The Lord is warning His people of those terrible judgments 17:48 that were coming upon Jerusalem, 17:50 and Zedekiah going into captivity. 17:53 So God was trying to warn them here. 17:55 But it also reminds us 17:56 of the things that happen in this country, 17:59 in this world today. 18:01 Notice what the prophet was told to do, Ezekiel. 18:05 Remember what was going on, 18:07 God's people were stiff-necked people. 18:09 They would not listen. 18:11 No matter what was said to them, 18:13 no matter what went on, 18:14 they just would not, they did not want to listen. 18:18 God said, "I've got a plan." 18:19 How good God is to us. 18:21 He has a plan. 18:23 And He's telling His prophet there, 18:25 He's telling His prophet, He's saying, 18:26 "You know what, Ezekiel? 18:27 Here's what I want you to do." 18:29 Now, if He was talking to us one on one, 18:31 He might say, 18:33 "This sounds a little bit goofy, 18:35 this sounds a little bit strange, 18:36 but this is what I want you to do." 18:38 Maybe it will get the attention of the people. 18:41 See what does it take some time 18:42 to get the attention of us? 18:45 It takes more for one than maybe it does the other. 18:47 But notice here, the prophet was told 18:51 to remove his stuff from Jerusalem. 18:54 He was told to move out. 18:56 Interesting, because he was what? 18:59 God was saying, "If the people see the prophet 19:01 is moving his stuff out of the city, 19:04 maybe they will pay attention that destruction is coming." 19:08 And the Bible said, okay, 19:09 that he began to remove his stuff, 19:12 to pack up his belongings, 19:14 and to get out, to move, 19:16 and he was to do it in the daylight hours. 19:18 He was doing so the people could see 19:20 what he was doing, 19:22 because if I seeing some of you moving, I'd say, 19:25 "What are you doing? 19:27 What's going on? I didn't know you were moving." 19:29 These questions would be asked, 19:31 and now, why was it really done this way? 19:35 And God says, "I'm doing it because as a sign. 19:40 This is a sign to the people, the judgments would come." 19:43 Ezekiel 12:3 tells us, you know, why do it like this? 19:49 And then the answer comes back. 19:50 So it may be that they will consider. 19:55 Isn't God good? 19:56 Maybe if you do this as the prophet of God, 20:00 and they take you for what I have called you to do, 20:02 maybe they'll consider it. 20:04 Maybe they'll listen, 20:05 though there is a rebellious house. 20:07 That's what it says in Ezekiel 12:3. 20:10 Interesting. 20:12 You can't take your stuff in and out of the gate. 20:15 You can't just pack up your household goods 20:18 and open the gate and go out and go, blah-blah. 20:20 He's told Ezekiel, he say, "Ezekiel, 20:22 dig a hole in the wall." 20:25 Well, surely you think he was nuts. 20:28 Would you not? 20:29 He's supposed to a prophet of God, 20:30 he's over a corn and dig 20:32 and trying to get a hole through the wall. 20:33 And then he's got a knapsack on his back, 20:35 and He's taken his stuff out that hole. 20:38 It seemed to the extreme, 20:40 but God was trying to get the attention 20:42 of His people to ask questions why. 20:45 Things are going on in the world today, 20:47 we should be asking why? 20:49 What's going on here? 20:52 Are we asked to move? 20:54 Well, God was telling them they were going to move 20:55 because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. 20:58 They were going to go into captivity. 21:00 But, you know, dig that hole in the wall 21:02 so all can see. 21:04 He said, "I have set thee as a sign," 21:06 Ezekiel 12:6. 21:09 Remember, I have set thee, the prophet, as a sign. 21:14 And then sure enough, the people began to look 21:16 as he's digging the hole and going in and out, 21:17 they said, "What are you doing? 21:19 Man, we want to know what you're doing here." 21:22 And God basically says to them, 21:24 whether they ask or whether they don't ask, 21:27 you tell them anyway, once again, 21:29 why you're doing this. 21:31 The prophet had some very strange things to do 21:34 to get the attention of the people. 21:37 Maybe, just maybe 21:38 God may ask you to do something strange, 21:41 may ask you to do something a little bit different 21:44 than it's been done. 21:46 Will you be willing to do it by the grace of God? 21:50 You know what? 21:51 Still yet with all this stuff, the majority still rebelled. 21:55 They still would not listen, even though here in this verse, 22:00 you can see 22:01 that many of the people recognize Ezekiel 22:05 as a real prophet of God. 22:07 So they didn't want to say, "Ezekiel, you're a liar. 22:10 Ezekiel, you're not telling the truth." 22:13 They didn't want to come out and say that, 22:15 because they knew better, 22:16 they'd become acquainted with him, 22:17 they knew God had worked through him. 22:19 But they had to do something, 22:21 so they didn't have to make any decisions 22:23 about moving. 22:25 So instead of telling him, 22:27 "Ezekiel, man, the vision faileth. 22:30 It's not going to take place." 22:32 They decided that they would say, 22:34 instead of doing that, they may have had a meeting, 22:38 may have had a board meeting. 22:40 I've always said sometime 22:41 you have to take the board to the board. 22:43 Hello, is anybody home? 22:45 Right, to get the attention, you know? 22:47 And I think maybe they got together, 22:49 maybe had a board meeting there. 22:51 And they said, "We can't tell the prophet of God 22:53 that the Lord is delaying, 22:55 it's not going to happen. 22:56 But we need to find another answer here. 22:58 So what we're going to say is, rather than his word fails, 23:01 we're going to say, 23:03 'It's going to be a long time off.'" 23:05 Some people are doing that today 23:07 with the coming of Jesus, they're saying, 23:08 "That's going to be a long time off." 23:10 Don't you kid yourself, God knows, 23:12 but I'm telling you, we need to be ready 23:14 in such an hour as you think not 23:15 the Son of man cometh. 23:17 You're here one minute, and you may be gone the next. 23:21 Is it not? 23:22 Doesn't matter about, "Well, I'm young." 23:23 Well, that's nice. I'm glad you are. 23:27 But that doesn't matter about age. 23:29 We are so close to death each and every day, 23:31 just riding in our automobiles. 23:34 People are drinking and driving, 23:36 and drugged up all the time, 23:37 and you're going 60, 70, 80 miles an hour 23:40 down the road, 23:41 and you're about this close to hit on, be lights out. 23:44 We never know, isn't that right? 23:46 When the Son of man shall come as were 23:48 or our life will be put to a close. 23:52 And so they said, "You know what? 23:53 We're going to say that the vision may will take place, 23:56 but it's going to be a long time, 23:57 you know, in the future." 24:01 And again, I say many are doing that today 24:03 about the Second Coming of the Lord. 24:06 And they say it maybe for several reasons. 24:08 Some I think because they're not ready. 24:11 They know that they're not ready. 24:14 Some don't care if they're ready or not. 24:17 That shows they don't know Jesus, 24:18 they don't know much about the Word of God to say, 24:20 "Well, I don't really care." 24:23 Or maybe it's something, I heard somebody say, 24:25 "Well, I don't want the Lord to come right now 24:27 because there's a few things 24:28 I want to accomplish first in life." 24:31 Have you really looked around in this world 24:32 and what is it that makes you want to stay here? 24:37 I mean, really with the way things are going, 24:38 what makes you want to stay here? 24:41 This world is not our home. 24:42 Isn't that right? 24:43 Or some people have told me 24:45 "Hey, I'm happy the way things are. 24:47 I don't want them to change. 24:48 I'm happy we got a good living or when we retire, 24:50 we got enough money to take care of ourselves. 24:52 We're not worried about anything else." 24:53 Oh, my. 24:55 That's a sign of imminent danger. 24:57 There's no doubt about that. 25:02 They may say anything that comes in their mind, 25:06 but their words and their actions say 25:10 something different. 25:11 They tell us what Jesus said in Matthew 24:48. 25:15 He simply said, my God, notice this, 25:18 "My Lord delayeth His coming." 25:21 My Lord delayeth His coming. 25:22 Why? 25:25 And today I've heard people 25:27 pretty much quote the scripture, 25:28 maybe they didn't even know that they were 25:30 in 2 Peter 3:4. 25:32 It says, "Where is the promise of His coming? 25:36 For since the fathers fell asleep," 25:37 you remember this, "asleep, 25:39 all things continue 25:41 as they were from the beginning." 25:45 You had people say that, "Oh, my grandpa said it. 25:47 And my grandpa before him and blah-blah, 25:49 you know, they go way back, 25:51 you know, they all said He was coming in their day, 25:54 but He didn't come and everything is continuing, 25:56 just like it continues on. 25:58 So why should we believe it now?" 26:00 Well, it's something. 26:04 The Lord meets this idea of postponement. 26:08 He doesn't leave it there so we can say, 26:10 "Well, He's not coming, 26:12 He may not ever come in our lifetime, 26:13 we need not worry about it." 26:14 He meets it with the idea of saying, notice this, 26:18 He said, "Nothing I have spoken shall be prolonged." 26:22 There in Ezekiel, and I say, He's saying that today, 26:24 "Nothing that I have spoken will be prolonged. 26:26 There is a time for My coming." 26:31 Are there people that's ready for His coming right now? 26:34 Why hasn't He come? 26:35 I heard lot of times 26:36 He could have come long before now. 26:38 So that's a question 26:39 that maybe we can raise right now. 26:41 Why the apparent delay of the coming of Jesus? 26:45 Apparent delay? 26:48 Maybe it's because, someone says here, 26:49 but maybe because we're not ready. 26:52 Many thought that He would come long before this time. 26:58 But notice, I found a little book 27:00 called Evangelism, 27:01 page 695 says this, 27:03 answers the question, it's simple, it's powerful, 27:06 but yet we can understand it. 27:08 It says this, 27:10 "Has the Word of the Lord failed." 27:12 See this is what wait, remember He said, "I'm coming back." 27:14 Isn't that right? There's a time for everything. 27:17 And so we have to look at and say, 27:18 "Well, why hasn't He come back?" 27:20 They said, people say, 27:21 He's going to be coming for a long time now, 27:22 He's not here yet. 27:24 But has the Word of the Lord failed? 27:27 No, it hasn't failed. 27:30 What the Bible says 27:31 just a couple passages of scripture, 27:32 Malachi 3:6, the Bible said, 27:35 "For I am the Lord and I changed not." 27:38 Don't you like that? 27:39 I am the Lord thy God, I changed not. 27:42 That applies to every part of the Scripture. 27:45 I don't say, "Oh, things have changed now 27:47 or we don't need to worry about keeping law. 27:48 We don't need to be worried about obedient 27:50 because we're under grace and so on." 27:52 Praise God for grace, but there's still obedience. 27:55 God requires us to be obedient to His command. 27:58 I am the Lord and I do what? 28:00 I change not. 28:02 Oh, things have changed right now. 28:04 We can go here on and we can do this and do that, 28:06 God doesn't change. 28:08 Psalms 119:160 says, 28:10 "Thy Word is true from the very beginning." 28:14 His Word is what? 28:16 His Word is true from the very beginning, 28:18 praise God. 28:19 So does His Word failed? 28:21 Never. 28:22 Psalms 117:2, 28:24 "The truth of the Lord endureth forever." 28:27 Passage after passage of Scripture, 28:29 you could give and just go on and on and on 28:31 how sure God's Word is. 28:33 So to say, "Oh, well, He's delayed His coming, 28:36 He's not going to come back maybe in my time. 28:39 I need not worry about that." 28:41 His Word has not failed. 28:43 There must be a reason that He has. 28:47 Remember, the promises 28:49 and the threatenings of God are alike, conditional. 28:53 Did you get it? 28:55 His promises and threatenings alike are conditional. 28:59 And we'll look a couple of passage of Scripture. 29:01 Let me give you a couple here 29:02 and just see if you believe that. 29:05 I find Mark 11:26 is a promise. 29:09 Mark 11:26, again example of conditional. 29:13 "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father 29:18 which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses." 29:22 Now, what do you see about that? 29:23 If you do not forgive what? 29:26 If you don't forgive somebody that's wounded you, 29:28 somebody that's hurt you, I've heard people say, 29:30 "I'll never forgive them. 29:32 I don't care what happens. 29:34 I am not going to forgive them ever. 29:35 They did me wrong. They did me dirty. 29:38 Were unfair to me maybe treated like this." 29:40 You've heard it, "And I'm never going... 29:43 I'm never going to forgive them." 29:45 You realize what the Bible says about that 29:46 and you may have been hurt. 29:48 It may be almost unforgivable, 29:51 and maybe you shouldn't have been treated that way. 29:53 Maybe it's all wrong. 29:54 But Jesus says to us right here, 29:57 if you do not forgive, 29:59 neither will Your father which is in heaven 30:01 forgive you your trespasses. 30:03 I need to be forgiven. 30:04 I don't know about you. 30:07 But unless you see that promise, 30:10 that's a promise. 30:11 It's conditional, that we forgive others, 30:16 then He will be able to forgive us. 30:19 Let's use another one, shall we? 30:20 Matthew 6:31, 30:23 "Therefore take no thought saying, 30:25 "What shall we eat? 30:26 Or, what shall we drink? 30:27 Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?" 30:30 You see, here's a promise, promises that will never fail. 30:35 Take no thought. 30:37 He said, "If you take no thought, saying, 30:38 'What shall we eat or drink?'" 30:40 Why? 30:41 Because He's promised by faith, I'm going to be what? 30:43 I'll give you bread and your water is sure, 30:46 or where you're going to be clothed? 30:49 God has made a promise 30:50 He's going to take care of you 30:52 even though it seems like you don't know 30:54 where your next dollar is coming for, 30:56 I should say, $3.25 for a gallon of gas, maybe. 31:00 You may not know where it's coming from. 31:03 But if you need it, right? 31:05 God's going to supply. 31:06 He says He will. 31:08 Don't ask Him how He's going to do. 31:09 He's got ways you'll never think about 31:10 or I'll never think about. 31:12 Just believe and trust 31:15 that He has something better in store for you. 31:18 It may not seem like it, it may try your faith, 31:20 it may discourage you, 31:22 it may make you a nervous wreck, 31:24 try not to be because He said, 31:26 "Don't take thought for those things 31:29 because I'm doing it for you. 31:30 Let me do it for you. I can do it. 31:32 You can't do it for yourself." 31:34 Let's do another one. Matthew 6:33. 31:38 This is one very familiar I like it. 31:40 It says, "But seek ye first," what? 31:42 "The kingdom of God, and His righteousness," notice, 31:45 "and all these things shall be added unto you." 31:50 We can rely upon Him, can we not? 31:52 But notice how conditional this is. 31:55 Is somebody with me? 31:56 This is still conditional promise, 31:58 I need this. 31:59 Kenny, if you seek Me first. 32:02 If you seek the kingdom of God first. 32:04 See, a lot of people, we have first, second, third, fourth, 32:06 we have, you know, priorities in life. 32:08 But he said, "No, no, I can't come in second, 32:11 I can't come in third, I can't come in fourth. 32:14 But if you put me first in your life, 32:16 then notice this what? 32:18 All these other things will be added unto you." 32:21 What are all these things? 32:24 Anything that you have need of. 32:26 Isn't that right? He can do it. 32:28 All these other things will be added unto you. 32:31 But we have to put Him first. 32:33 Majority of the world is not putting Him first. 32:35 And they can't figure out these promises He's made, 32:38 as He said, put Him first, see what happens. 32:41 He said you what? 32:43 They'll all be added unto you and they will. 32:45 Showing we can really rely upon Him. 32:48 One more, oh, I just love them 'cause Matthew 7:7, 32:51 the Bible says, "Ask and it," what? 32:54 "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall," what? 32:57 "Find," and then what? 32:59 "Knock and it will be opened to you." 33:01 Here is a triple condition. 33:03 Did you get it? 33:04 Not just a single condition. 33:06 This is a triple condition that you ask, 33:09 and then you seek, and then you what? 33:11 You knock. 33:13 When you knock it's going to be opened. 33:14 I love it, you seek and you're going to find. 33:15 Man, this is beautiful. 33:17 Ask and I'm going to give it to you. 33:18 Remember, conditional. 33:20 His promises are conditional upon us 33:23 responding positively to Him. 33:25 Praise God for that. 33:27 We can never realize, 33:29 this where people think they're cheated 33:30 and they give up on Christianity sometime. 33:33 They can't realize 33:34 the fulfillment of God's promises here, 33:37 unless they comply with the conditions. 33:40 We need to say it again. 33:42 They're not realizing the fulfillment. 33:43 They can't see God working marvelous 33:45 in and around and through them 33:47 and fulfilling promises to them 33:48 because they won't meet the condition. 33:50 There is a condition, praise God for that. 33:54 We want answers to our prayers, do we not? 33:58 You know when we pray, 33:59 I believe that God's going to answer 34:01 in some form of fashion, don't you? 34:03 Not going to answer, or He's not going to answer, 34:04 or He going to say "Wait and while, Kenny, 34:06 it's not best for you right now." 34:07 But He's going to do. 34:08 But some people just pray and they're saying, "Man, 34:10 I might as well just pray just, 34:12 my prayers go no higher than the ceiling." 34:14 That's about how big their faith is. 34:17 I think I mentioned one time a lady called me one time, 34:19 she said I want you to pray with me. 34:20 I said, well, she always said at least once a week. 34:24 And I said, "Well, sure, yeah. 34:25 What are we going to pray about today, you know?" 34:27 She said, "Well, I just tell you like this, 34:29 my prayers, I'm telling you, 34:31 they're just not going nowhere." 34:32 I said, "Really? I wonder why not?" 34:34 "Well, my prayers just not go. 34:35 Well, they go up to the ceiling, 34:37 hit the ceiling, they come back down." 34:40 I said, "That's how strong your faith is." 34:42 You keep saying they'll go to the ceiling 34:44 and they go to the ceiling. 34:46 Then you say they come down, 34:47 well, they're going to come on down. 34:49 What you need to do is press it to the very throne room of God, 34:52 isn't that right by faith? 34:54 And God will hear and God will answer. 34:57 "Well, you're going to have to do that." 34:58 I said, "No, not until you're willing." 35:00 I can say that I can pray for you 35:02 till the cows come home, right? 35:04 But you have to be willing, 35:05 we need to pray one for the other. 35:07 Sure. 35:08 But we need to realize our faith needs to extend 35:10 to the very throne room of God, 35:12 and that your faith will move the arm of God 35:14 into action. 35:15 Nothing can stop Him. 35:17 Right? 35:18 Nothing can make twist up His mind 35:19 where you don't understand what's best for you. 35:22 He's got you on His mind. 35:24 That's beautiful when we think about it. 35:27 I like the Testimonies to the Church. 35:29 Second Testimonies 441 says this, 35:32 "Christ followers are required to come out from the world, 35:36 and be separate and touch not the unclean." 35:40 Is somebody listening? 35:42 Notice, watch this, this is tough sometime, 35:45 to really put us in perspective the way God would have it. 35:47 His followers are required to come out from the world 35:51 and be separate and touch. 35:53 You look up that word touch in the Greek, 35:55 it means don't fasten yourself to it. 35:58 Don't fasten yourself to the world. 36:00 Don't, you know, don't seatbelt yourself to it. 36:03 Don't glue yourself to it. 36:07 You got to come out and it implies relationships. 36:12 Are you still with me? 36:14 Sometimes we get in relationships, 36:15 and I'm not talking about bad, 36:17 I'm talking about just friendship of the world, 36:18 and we think more of the friendship 36:20 than we do of God's Word. 36:22 That says, sometimes we have to separate 36:24 from those first so-called friends 36:26 are leading us down the wrong path. 36:28 They may not mean to do it, but they still do it, 36:31 because God is not in their thoughts 36:33 and in their actions and in their deeds. 36:35 And sometimes we are influenced with that. 36:39 Touch not the unclean, 36:42 2 Corinthians 6:17 tells you that, 36:44 if you want to read about that little later. 36:46 And now, notice this, and then, they have a promise. 36:50 Remember, what is it? 36:52 Christ is saying here, come apart from the world, 36:55 separate, don't touch, notice this, and then what? 36:59 Then they have the promise of being sons 37:02 and daughters of the Most High God. 37:06 What more do you want in this life? 37:08 I don't want any more than that. 37:09 But He said, "I have to come apart, 37:11 I have to be careful who my friends are. 37:14 I have to be careful about those who might lead me 37:16 in the wrong direction. 37:17 Those who might be pulling me a little bit, 37:19 they say they love and they're trying to help, 37:21 but they're pulling me in the wrong direction. 37:23 My conscience says, 'No, don't go here.' 37:24 But they want me to go here. 37:26 I'm afraid of wounding them.'" 37:27 Be afraid more about wounding God. 37:30 Make a stand and you might, by the grace of God, win them 37:33 to the cause of Christ. 37:35 Remember, then the promises 37:37 I become the sons and daughters of God. 37:39 So if we have not done that, 37:41 we are not the sons and daughters of God. 37:44 If we've not come apart from the world, 37:46 it stands to reason as you dissect this scripture. 37:48 Is that right? 37:50 That's talking about being members 37:52 of the royal family of God. 37:54 Whoa, I'm royal. 37:56 I wasn't born royal. 37:57 Didn't have very much, very poor. 37:59 Now I'm royal. 38:00 Now my father is rich in houses and lands. 38:04 He hold the wealth of the world in His hands, 38:07 rubies and diamonds, and silver and gold, 38:09 my coffers are full. 38:11 He has riches untold. 38:13 You talk about exciting. 38:14 You don't have to have it in your wallet. 38:16 He's got it in His wallet. 38:18 Is that okay? 38:20 He's got it. 38:22 Whatever you need, He's got it. 38:24 That's good news as far as I'm concerned. 38:28 But what, there's conditions to it. 38:30 Did you get it? 38:31 If you're willing to do these things, 38:33 then you're going to be part of the family of God. 38:35 But let me tell you, if we do not apply ourselves 38:39 to the conditions that He's laid out for us, 38:41 we will never, we cannot, 38:43 we will not realize the fulfillment 38:46 of any of the promises. 38:49 And if you're like me, I need, 38:51 I'm claiming those promises day in and day out. 38:53 How about you? 38:54 These are things that encourage us 38:56 in our Christian walk. 38:57 God has said, God has said, 39:00 and I go to him many times in His Word, 39:02 not being presumptuous, oh, Lord have mercy. 39:05 But He said, Lord, you said in Your Word, 39:07 you promised in Your Word. 39:08 And you quote that promise, whatever it might be. 39:11 I think He says, "Oh, good, well done, 39:13 thou faithful servant." 39:14 Right? That's what He wants you to do. 39:16 God said it, you may claim it, 39:18 and it's yours if you will meet the condition. 39:21 If you don't, it's not going to happen. 39:23 Some people say they're tired. 39:24 Listen to me, church. 39:26 Some people say and I get tired of hearing them say, 39:29 "Is it okay to come back on them?" 39:31 I get tired of hearing them say, 39:32 "You know well, ever, I hear you say all the time, 39:35 time is short. 39:37 I don't want to hear about time is short anymore. 39:39 Time is almost gone." 39:41 You ever heard somebody say that? 39:42 "We don't. We don't believe that. 39:44 We don't want to hear that anymore." 39:45 I don't want to hear 39:47 or it could be very soon and sooner than you think. 39:51 Jesus is going to come quickly, "I don't want to hear that. 39:53 Oh, I don't want to hear it anymore." 39:55 I wonder why they don't want to hear it. 39:58 I need to hear it myself so that I can reexamine myself 40:02 day in and day out. 40:04 I want to consider those words 40:06 and see if it's okay that we use them. 40:09 Okay? 40:11 Let's consider from the Word of God, 40:12 a few statements that the Bible writers used 40:15 to show that they always considered time, 40:19 listen, as very short. 40:21 They always considered time as very short, 40:25 Old Testament and New Testament, 40:27 somebody's listening, let's prove it. 40:29 Because we're looking at evidence of imminent danger. 40:32 We're looking at things, 40:33 weighing the evidences of Scripture 40:35 and see if we have a right by the grace of God to say, 40:38 "Time is short." 40:41 Paul wrote to the Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians 7:29. 40:45 Listen carefully. 40:46 Here's what Paul said, anybody with Paul... 40:48 We say he's a prophet of God. 40:50 Was he good God's man? 40:52 Was he chosen by God to do a specific work? 40:54 Yes. 40:55 God come envisioned, isn't that right? 40:57 I mean, he had a close connection, 40:59 right, with Jesus Christ. 41:01 Man, if there ever was, 41:02 you know, we get to the kingdom by the grace of God 41:05 that may be one of the first people 41:06 I'd like to look up besides Jesus. 41:08 Are you still with me? 41:11 Man, the things that he went through 41:12 and his faith was strong. 41:14 No matter what he faced, 41:16 he relied upon God to take care of his needs. 41:19 Are we really doing that today? 41:20 Are we relying upon ourselves in our own checkbook, 41:23 and what we can do, what we can accomplish? 41:25 Oh, it's nothing. 41:26 That's all going to be taken away. 41:27 If you're relying on that today, 41:29 I guarantee you it will be taken away, 41:31 so you will rely upon God or you're going to fall. 41:34 Okay? 41:35 Don't like to say that, but it's true. 41:37 So he wrote to the Corinthians and he said this, 41:40 "But this I say," Paul said, "this, I say, 41:43 brethren, time is short." 41:48 Oh, Paul said, and we realize there 41:52 and Martin Luther and many of them said, 41:54 that Christ is not going to come in our days, 41:55 it's going to be at least 300 years into the future. 41:57 Remember that? They knew that. 41:58 But he was still saying right here, 41:59 "Oh, time is short." 42:02 Yeah. 42:04 Again, Paul said, Romans 13:12, 42:06 He said, "The night is far spent." 42:08 You remember that? 42:10 He said, "The day is at hand." 42:13 They're always saying we need to be ready, 42:15 look out 'cause this could be, the day is at hand. 42:18 And then John the Revelator, in Revelation, 42:21 penned these words, Revelation 1:3, 42:23 he said, "The time is at hand." 42:26 You would think when you just read those verses 42:27 right then that Jesus is coming tomorrow, 42:30 and the next day, 42:31 but He could as far as our life is closed and finished. 42:36 I think I don't know if it was last night 42:37 or sometime I said just 42:39 before I left for the programs last night, 42:41 or maybe, we did an afternoon program 42:44 at 3ABN from two to three, 42:46 an hour preaching and then singing last night. 42:49 And I said in my office, 42:50 I have a picture of my mother and my stepdad, 42:52 you know, in front of me, and I just happen to walk by 42:54 and I stopped and I looked on this close, 42:56 I'm looking at both of them. 42:58 And it just really, you know, just really hits home. 43:00 I'm saying, you know, their life's record 43:02 is closed for them. 43:05 It's closed, there's nothing can be added, 43:07 there's nothing that can be subtracted. 43:11 The next thing they will know 43:12 and I'll say this right, heaven or hell. 43:16 And we like to think positive, I understand that. 43:20 But the reality of it, 43:22 as you look at those faces that you love, 43:26 life is closed. 43:28 There's nothing more. 43:30 Are we ready? 43:32 John said in Revelation 22:6-7. 43:34 He said, Jesus said, "Behold, I come quickly." 43:38 Behold, I do what? 43:39 I come quickly. 43:41 And, of course, His reward is with Him to give every man 43:43 according as his work shall be. 43:46 Of course, John and Paul saw, 43:48 you know, we're talking about clearly, 43:51 toll of certain events that would take place 43:54 before Jesus would come, you remember that? 43:57 They always told of events. 43:59 Even though here in the church, we may get tired of events. 44:02 We don't want to hear about events anymore. 44:05 People tell me some time, 44:06 "I'm getting tired of the events." 44:08 Well, too bad. 44:10 Is that okay? 44:12 These are things that are left in the Word of God 44:15 that He says we need to share. 44:17 We need to say how important it is. 44:19 It's at hand. 44:20 The Bible writer said, 44:22 God's men said that in the Word of God, 44:24 the time is at hand. 44:25 It's here, we need to be ready. 44:28 And so we look and said, "Oh events." 44:31 I'll give you an example. 44:32 In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, we won't read, 44:36 it's talking about the man of sin. 44:38 Right? I use that a lot. 44:39 And I'm going to continue to use it 44:41 because the man of sin must be revealed 44:43 before Jesus comes. 44:45 The man of sin, most people say, 44:46 "Oh, the man of sin, he's this, he's that." 44:48 Man, just read the Word of God. 44:50 It's very simple to find who the man of sin is. 44:54 Man of Sin, notice this, he would come 44:56 and who's behind the man of sin would be revealed. 44:59 A man that's going to exalt himself above God, 45:02 that tries to sit in God's throne, 45:04 that wants everybody to worship Him, 45:07 a form of the Antichrist, a deadly poison of apostasy, 45:12 a blaspheming power. 45:15 Somebody still with me? 45:17 Blaspheming power 45:18 that nobody really wants to try by, 45:20 trying to show himself as God. 45:23 Now why wouldn't we speak against that as Christians? 45:26 Some imposter trying to show himself as God, 45:29 that He is God, 45:30 and the world is worshiping Him. 45:32 Now remember behind the him is, right? 45:35 It's the devil, it's the enemy, it's Satan, 45:37 and there's no doubt about it. 45:40 Isaiah 14:14 just simply says, 45:42 "I will be like the Most High." 45:46 So that's quite a power, 45:47 I will be like the Most High God, 45:51 claiming the prerogative of God, 45:54 those things that just apply to God, 45:57 prerogatives of God. 46:00 To me, there's evidence 46:02 of imminent danger here. 46:06 I just want to encourage you right now 46:08 it's time to store the Word of God 46:11 in your mind and in your heart 46:13 now while you can still do it. 46:16 Now remember, some of you is not hearing, 46:18 some of you are not understanding 46:19 because spiritual things are spiritually discerned. 46:21 We say that a lot, and it's true. 46:24 But if we're not spiritual minded now 46:25 that we're not longing for something, 46:27 we're not trying to get, 46:28 you know, the knowledge and get Christ 46:30 in our heart and our mind 46:31 and active thinking along this line, 46:34 we're not going to understand. 46:35 We'll say, this is all foolishness. 46:36 Man, don't you see 46:38 there's a battle royale going on? 46:40 The battle between good and evil, right? 46:42 God said, "I've got My people, I'll seal My people, 46:45 My servants in their forehead." 46:48 God said, and the devil says, "You know what? 46:49 I'm going to do the same thing. 46:51 I'm going to have my peoples." 46:52 It's only two banners, 46:53 you stand underneath one or the other, 46:55 under God or under Satan. 46:57 Jesus said, "He who is not with me is what? 46:59 He said, "He's against me." 47:01 Why don't we see it as such? 47:02 Instead of making excuses for everything that we do, 47:04 just simply say, Jesus said, 47:06 "If you're not with Me, you're against Me." 47:08 So if I look at you today, and I said, "Are you with Him?" 47:10 I need to hear it, "Yes, I'm with Him." 47:13 If you're not able to say that, truthfully, 47:15 don't say it to try to please somebody, 47:17 then you are under the banner of the enemy. 47:19 It's time to get out while the getting's good, 47:21 because I guarantee you, 47:23 He's not going to let off for you 47:24 until Jesus comes in and steps in 47:26 between you and the enemy. 47:28 You can't get away from the devil by yourself. 47:30 Somebody still with me today? 47:32 Man alive, you know what I'm talking about here? 47:35 This is frustrating, just we see, 47:36 we think about what the enemy is doing, 47:39 not necessarily with this group here, 47:40 but with many of them that we can't get away. 47:42 He's got us all hanged up. 47:43 Call Jesus into the scene. 47:47 He'll break those bonds, 47:49 those things that the enemy tries to put us to. 47:51 Store in the mind the Word of God. 47:56 I hear a lot about the New Covenant. 47:58 Praise God for the New Covenant. 48:00 People talk about whether there is a Ten Commandment Law, 48:02 the New Covenant is the very same 48:04 as the Old Covenant and the New Testament, 48:06 except God said in Hebrews 8:10, 48:09 He said, I'll write it where? 48:11 "I'll put my laws in their minds 48:13 and in their hearts." 48:15 He wrote them on tables of stone, 48:17 it seemed did not do any good. 48:18 They seen them, right? 48:20 They come down broke them, 48:21 God had to give again and bring them back 48:23 and be reminded all about God's Ten Commandments Law, 48:24 blah-blah. 48:26 God said where they need to be 48:28 is not on tables of stone out here, 48:29 they need to be in your heart and your mind. 48:31 To where you see that $10 bill laying over there, 48:33 and you know it's not yours, leave it alone. 48:37 Does that make sense? 48:38 Because why would you know to leave it alone? 48:40 Man, well, I found $10. 48:42 Hey, what you, and you may outside somewhere, 48:46 you know what I'm talking about. 48:47 But you know that maybe it belongs to someone else, 48:49 and you know who that someone else is. 48:51 You know why? 48:53 You know, because the Bible said, 48:54 the Ten Commandments, thou shall not steal. 48:56 That's how you knew. 48:58 He wants to write it on your heart. 49:00 So immediately, I try by the grace of God, 49:03 I know each one here tries to do, 49:04 if I happen to see something I'm not supposed to be seeing, 49:07 they might catch me at first time. 49:08 But by the grace of God, 49:10 I've tried to turn and go the other way. 49:11 Somebody's still with me now? 49:14 If I take the second look, when I know I shouldn't, 49:17 I'm asking for trouble. 49:19 Is that true? 49:20 It's true. Be honest about it. 49:22 That's the way that it is. 49:24 God said what? 49:26 Because we know that we're not supposed to, right? 49:28 We know this is not right. 49:31 We hide the Word of God in our heart 49:32 so that we might not sin against Him. 49:35 Is that right? 49:36 We hide the Word of God in our heart 49:38 because you know what? 49:39 The time is coming. 49:40 Listen carefully, my church, listen. 49:42 The time will come 49:43 we will not be able to meet like this. 49:44 The time is going to come 49:46 that we're going to be separated 49:47 by whatever comes around here. 49:50 It could be health, it could be COVID, 49:52 it could be a lot of different things, 49:54 or it could just be by the laws of the land, 49:56 we will not be able to meet. 49:57 We're going to be separated, and before Jesus shall come, 50:00 there'll be those who will be taken from us 50:02 and separated. 50:04 I be careful with it, by the government. 50:06 They're going to separate us 50:07 and put us in different places of the world. 50:10 You will wish you had come every week, 50:12 you will wish you had studied the Word of God, 50:14 you would wish you put it in your heart 50:16 and in your mind, 50:17 because that will give you strength 50:19 in the midst of a storm 50:21 when you have nothing else. 50:22 When your bread and water, 50:24 you don't you say, "Oh, I don't know." 50:25 But you say, "Oh, the Word of God said 50:27 my bread and water is sure." 50:28 And you can say, "God, You said it's going to be sure. 50:31 You said you'd provide it for us. 50:32 And I trust you and I believe you." 50:34 And what's quite God does. 50:36 We're going to be separated 50:38 or will not have the privilege of meeting together ever again. 50:43 The old song says if we never meet again, 50:46 this side of heaven as we struggle 50:50 through this world and it strive, right? 50:52 There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven. 50:56 I'll meet you, right? 50:58 Oh, praise God, 51:00 we have to make that commitment. 51:04 People believe that Christ could have come before now. 51:07 And I'm saying yes, I believe He could have come before now. 51:11 But it's the same as it was for Israel of old, 51:13 it's doubt, it's unbelief. 51:15 We've not done what God has asked us to do. 51:18 He's waiting for us. 51:21 He could have come long before now 51:23 to redeem His people. 51:27 And why would I say that? 51:28 We only have a couple minutes left, 51:30 I can't really go into it. 51:31 But you remember, just to give an illustration, 51:33 example, He could have come for Israel. 51:37 Was it God's plan that they wander 51:39 in the wilderness for 40 years? 51:41 No, not at all. 51:43 Straight there, 51:44 just a few miles away as it were. 51:46 Straight there. 51:47 But because of doubt and unbelief, 51:49 and people arguing 51:51 and fussing in the church and carrying on 51:53 because of the color of the carpet, 51:55 or they don't like this, or they don't like that, 51:59 they couldn't go into the Promised Land. 52:01 We've got to get our mind off of that. 52:03 Can I say junk, that kind of junk 52:05 that foolishness is in here, right? 52:07 And let's do what God has asked us to do 52:10 if we want to hasten the coming of Jesus, 52:12 not delay it. 52:14 The reason is delayed, there is a time, 52:16 His cup is almost full. 52:18 I'm assuming reading the Word of God, 52:21 we're cleaning outside the cup, 52:22 and I'm going to encourage you to clean the inside. 52:25 I want to clean the inside of the cup 52:27 that I may be a fit vessel for Him. 52:30 The work can be completed and Christ can come, 52:34 He can redeem us, we can spend eternity with Him. 52:39 But remember, He doesn't come now, 52:42 because His church is not ready. 52:45 If we were ready, He would come. 52:46 But remember that will not always be, 52:48 that mercy will not always be extended. 52:51 Are we clear on that? 52:52 He's extending mercy at this point in time 52:54 as far as I'm concerned when I read. 52:57 But that mercy, yeah, one of these days, 52:59 He's going to stand and say, "That's enough." 53:01 No one else is going to come. 53:03 It's going to close off 53:04 and then my, my, my, where will you stand? 53:06 Where will I stand? 53:08 I want to pray with you, those at home 53:10 and those who are here, 53:11 that you will make that choice and that decision right now 53:14 before it is too late. 53:15 Jesus wants to come back. He's waiting on you. 53:17 He's waiting on me to get ready. 53:19 Shall we pray? 53:21 Merciful Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word. 53:23 Thank You for that You reminding us 53:24 that You are coming back. 53:26 You're coming back to claim Your children, 53:28 to redeem us from this miserable world 53:30 to spend eternity with You. 53:31 Lord, please don't forget any of us, 53:33 we pray, and I know You won't. 53:34 Thank You for those who made that choice 53:36 that decision right now, 53:37 You're claiming them as Your children. 53:39 I thank You for that in Jesus' name. 53:41 Amen. 53:43 God bless each and every one of you. 53:44 Thank you again, for your cards, your letters, 53:46 your support of Behold the Lamb Ministry. 53:48 We look forward to spending our time with you. 53:50 And, you know, we're going to be having another message 53:52 by the grace of God to perished people to meet Him. 53:56 Hello and welcome back. 53:58 Today's message, Evidence of Imminent Danger, 54:01 is a stark reminder of the mercy 54:04 and the love that our God 54:06 has for each and every one of us. 54:08 He is patiently, patiently waiting 54:11 until His image is fully reproduced 54:14 in each of us, 54:16 and that His children are sealed 54:18 for the kingdom of heaven 54:22 before He proclaims 54:23 those solemn words, it is done. 54:28 Let's read this proclamation 54:30 as recorded in the Book of Revelation Chapter 21, 54:33 and we're going to read verses 5 through 7. 54:37 It reads, "And He that sat upon the throne said, 54:41 'Behold, I make all things new.' 54:45 And he said unto me, 'Write: 54:47 for these words are true and faithful.' 54:50 And He said unto me, 'It is done.' 54:56 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 54:59 I will give unto Him 55:01 that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 55:05 He that overcometh shall inherit all things, 55:09 and I will be His God and he shall be My son.'" 55:14 Friends, our duty is to be in that number of the redeemed, 55:20 and to be an overcomer. 55:22 Not to put it off in a future sense, 55:26 but being overcomer right here and right now. 55:30 Oh, how we pray that this is your desire. 55:33 This is the desire of your heart today. 55:36 Don't put it off any longer. 55:38 Just take a good look around you. 55:42 Listen to the news, 55:43 there is truly evidence of imminent danger. 55:47 And you need, I need to get into the ark of safety 55:52 while we still can. 55:54 Friends, if this message has touched your heart, 55:57 or if you feel impressed to call in 56:00 and support the mission of Behold the Lamb Ministries, 56:04 we encourage you to do that right now. 56:08 Don't put it off any longer as well. 56:10 Our phone number here 56:12 in the United States is 618-942-5044. 56:17 And that is in the Central Time Zone. 56:20 And if you so choose to order your very own copy 56:24 of today's message, 56:25 Evidence of Imminent Danger, 56:27 we will be so happy to send you 56:30 that for a love gift of just $8 or more. 56:35 Or, you may also email your request 56:39 to contact@beholdt- helambministries.com 56:43 or you can mail in your request to Behold the Lamb Ministries, 56:46 PO Box 2030, Herrin, Illinois 62948, 56:51 and you may also visit us on our website 56:54 at Beholdthelambministries.com. 56:56 And we encourage you to hit that subscribe button 57:00 on our Behold the Lamb Ministries' 57:02 YouTube channel 57:04 and share, share, share, share timely messages 57:07 that we release on a weekly basis. 57:10 And I don't want to end, 57:11 I don't want to close without saying thank you. 57:14 Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts 57:17 for your prayers and your financial support 57:20 of Behold the Lamb Ministries. 57:22 Until next time, may our precious Lord 57:25 continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2021-12-16