Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210035S
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00:28 Hello, friends, welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:31 I am Pastor John Lomacang. 00:33 Thank you once again for taking the time to join us, 00:36 as we attempt to keep you prepared 00:38 for the soon return of Jesus. 00:41 Today's message is entitled "Unprecedented Crisis." 00:46 You heard it correctly, Unprecedented Crisis. 00:49 And we are going to need 00:51 the guidance of God's Holy Spirit 00:53 to war your understanding and to guide my mind, 00:56 so let us pray together. 00:58 Loving Father in heaven, we thank You for the privilege. 01:01 Yet a great responsibility 01:03 to communicate in behalf of Your kingdom. 01:07 We ask for Your Holy Spirit now, Lord, 01:08 to go through the airways, 01:10 whether by television or by radio or by computer, 01:14 whatever the means of communication 01:16 and reach into the hearts and minds of those 01:18 who will be listening to this message 01:22 to affect a change in their lives 01:24 in these unprecedented times. 01:26 In Jesus name, I pray. 01:29 Amen. 01:31 It is a very, very short passage 01:33 in the Book of Matthew. 01:35 It's Matthew 24:25, very short, but very profound, 01:41 when we see what's taking place in our world today. 01:44 Let's begin by listening to the words of Christ. 01:47 He says in Matthew 24:25. 01:50 "See, I have told you beforehand." 01:54 In other words, 01:56 nothing is happening that is catching Jesus 01:58 or heaven by surprise. 02:00 We look at our world unfolding the way it is. 02:03 And in the estimation of many, 02:06 the world seems to be suddenly changing. 02:09 But in the mind of heaven, 02:11 we are seeing the world 02:12 in the way that God has always known it would be. 02:16 That's why I chose the word unprecedented. 02:19 I did some research 02:21 and I found out at dictionary.com, 02:23 that second only to the word pandemic 02:25 is the word unprecedented. 02:28 It was voted by the people's choice 02:29 as the most used word in 2020, 02:33 second only to the word pandemic. 02:36 Friends, we are living in unprecedented times. 02:39 We are seeing things unfold in our world 02:41 that the imagination could not even conceive, 02:45 let alone the eyes begin to view. 02:48 These times help us understand more deeply 02:51 what Noah went through in his day. 02:53 You see God told Noah to build the ark 02:56 because the flood was coming. 02:58 Yet Noah faced unbelief and resistance, 03:02 but it did not discouraged Noah 03:03 from continuing to build the ark. 03:06 On the same note, 03:07 God is urging His servants today 03:09 to keep on preaching 03:11 and not to allow the unbelief of this generation 03:14 to deter us from proclaiming the fact 03:16 that Jesus is coming soon, 03:18 because this generation is now paralleled 03:22 to the generation of Noah's day. 03:25 Listen to the words of Christ. 03:26 Once again, in the Book of Luke 17:27, 03:30 he says the words as they follow. 03:33 Notice what he says, 03:34 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, 03:38 they were given in marriage 03:40 until the day that Noah entered the ark, 03:43 and the flood came and destroyed them all." 03:48 You see, friends, we have undeniable evidence 03:50 based on the words of Christ 03:52 that this unprecedented crisis is leading us 03:56 to the sure and second return of Jesus Christ. 04:00 Now in the midst of bad news, the good news is, 04:03 Jesus is in fact coming again. 04:05 The Bible doesn't stop there though. 04:07 It describes another parallel similar to our times 04:12 that was prevalent in the days of Noah. 04:14 We find this in the Book of Genesis 6:11, 04:18 listen to the word of God once again. 04:21 The Bible says, 04:23 "The earth also was corrupt before God, 04:26 and the earth was filled with violence." 04:31 Notice the Bible says filled with violence, 04:34 not just had some pockets of violence. 04:37 Now we may see in the climate of today, 04:40 specifically in America, violence is on the increase, 04:44 violence in places 04:46 that we never thought it would even occur. 04:49 Our nation's capital, unprecedented amazing crisis. 04:54 The nation's capital 04:56 under crisis, under violence, unimaginable. 05:00 But Ellen White, the servant of the Lord, 05:02 I praise God for her insight. 05:04 The insight of God, 05:05 giving her understandings of the times to warn us, 05:09 to let us know that 05:10 what is taking place in our world today, 05:12 once again did not catch heaven by surprise. 05:15 In the book Letters and Manuscripts, 05:17 volume 18, and paragraph 11, 05:20 inspiration tells us these following words 05:23 about Noah's day. 05:24 "In the days of Noah, violence filled the land, 05:28 and thus Christ has told us that 05:30 it will be in the last days. 05:33 The history of the old world is to be repeated. 05:36 The perversity and cruelty of men 05:39 will reach such a height 05:41 that God will reveal Himself in His majesty." 05:45 And then she says, 05:47 "Very soon the wickedness of the world 05:50 will have reached its limits, 05:53 and as in the days of Noah, 05:55 God will pour out His judgments." 05:59 Amazing, friends. 06:01 As in the days of Noah, 06:03 God is gonna pour out his judgment. 06:07 Now I feel beyond a reasonable doubt 06:09 that the judgments of God are on the horizon 06:12 because our world is just like it was in the days of Noah. 06:16 Violence is sold in video games 06:18 and on television and in movies. 06:20 But violence is now brimming over 06:22 from places we never thought that it would come. 06:26 And so, friends, 06:27 welcome to the preview of the final movements 06:30 in the battle of the ages, 06:32 the forces of light and darkness 06:34 are preparing for Armageddon's showdown. 06:37 Every heaven opposing entity 06:40 is amalgamating for the last great assault. 06:44 And 2020 has forced us 06:47 to acknowledge that overnight the world can collapse, 06:51 overnight the world can change. 06:54 2020 also lifted the curtain on the toxic merger 07:00 between religion and politics. 07:04 And what we're seeing in our world today 07:05 in religious circles 07:07 does not by any means identify with the Christ of the Bible 07:12 does not by any means 07:14 come from the inspiration of God 07:17 and the hearts of human men, 07:18 because God is not the author of confusion. 07:22 He is the author of peace. 07:24 But when you study the Bible, 07:26 you begin to see that front and center 07:28 in the amplification of the fire movements, 07:31 Revelation reveals the future of America 07:35 and Revelation also reveals the future of the entire world. 07:40 Look at Revelation 13:11, let's begin with America. 07:43 The Bible tells us what's going to happen. 07:46 And it says, 07:47 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 07:52 and he had two horns like a lamb 07:54 and he spoke like a dragon." 07:57 The Bible is describing the power of the United States. 08:00 Two horns like a lamb. 08:02 One horn is the horn of a Republic, 08:06 by the people for the people. 08:08 The other horn represents our infancy 08:11 as a nation that was Protestant from its birth. 08:14 Now that's very important, remember that. 08:16 A nation that was Protestant from its birth, 08:19 but when you study the Bible, 08:21 you begin to see the following realities. 08:23 The political liberties 08:25 that we have been taking for granted 08:28 are slowly coming to an end in America. 08:31 The constitutional freedoms 08:33 that we have taken for granted are ceasing around us. 08:36 We are looking at a nation fragile 08:39 on the brink of collapse, 08:41 both politically, as well as religiously. 08:44 The Bible describes the United States as a nation 08:48 that will fulfill the forecast of God. 08:51 God said it, and we can believe it. 08:53 The role that God predicted concerning America 08:56 will be fulfilled. 08:57 The religious and political merger 09:00 that has been forecast in Scripture 09:03 is being fulfilled before our eyes. 09:05 Are we seeing it? 09:07 And the consolidation of Protestant America 09:10 and papal Rome 09:12 is being fulfilled with blazing and amazing accuracy. 09:17 Now, what are the dangers there? 09:19 When you roll back the pages of history, 09:21 you'll find that the tyranny and unrest 09:24 that existed in the Dark Ages 09:26 are beginning to surface in America. 09:29 Have you watched the news lately? 09:30 No matter where you are in the world, 09:32 it is almost impossible to miss what's taking place in America, 09:36 but God's Word does not label 09:39 any political party as innocent. 09:41 It doesn't matter whether we are on the right. 09:44 It doesn't matter if we are on the left. 09:46 It doesn't matter even if we're in the center, 09:48 God's Word does not call political parties innocent 09:52 in the promulgation of events taking place in our world. 09:57 And when we think about it, 09:58 the entire world is on an irreversible conveyor belt 10:02 to prophetic fulfillment. 10:05 That's why, friends, this is the best time 10:07 to begin to trust God's Word. 10:09 This is the best time to say God's Word said it 10:12 and I believe it. 10:13 This is the time 10:15 to open the books of Daniel and Revelation 10:17 and begin to remind yourself of the prophetic scenarios 10:20 because so many Christians. 10:22 And I would even add to that, 10:23 so many Seventh-day Adventist Christians 10:26 are forgetting what God's Word has predicted. 10:29 And they're listening to the rhetoric of people 10:32 whose minds are not guided by God's Word. 10:35 And then we see the outgrowth in society. 10:38 We see the imbalance, we see the arguments, 10:40 we see fighting and fussing even among those 10:43 who claim to have the same doctrinal beliefs. 10:47 And that can only continue, 10:49 if we fail to look at God's Word 10:51 and look only, and listen only to the rhetoric of humanity, 10:55 but 2021 behind us with 2020 behind us, 11:00 2021 is not painting a picture, 11:03 that's going to look like it's getting better. 11:05 As a matter of fact, the world is getting worse. 11:08 As a matter of fact, it's gone from bad to worse. 11:13 We are just beginning to see 11:15 that this year 2021 is refusing 11:19 to give us permission to exhale. 11:23 But once again, I go to words of inspiration 11:25 in the book Councils for the Church, 11:27 page 337 in paragraph 1. 11:31 This is an amazing quotation, listen. 11:34 Ellen White says, 11:35 "Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations, 11:41 trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes." 11:46 And she continues, 11:47 "As never before we need to press together." 11:51 Doing what? 11:52 "Serving Him, who has prepared His throne in the heavens 11:57 and whose kingdom ruleth over all." 12:00 And I love the way it ends. 12:01 "God has not forsaken His people, 12:05 and our strength lies and not forsaking Him." 12:11 Now, let me say something. 12:12 If I preach this sermon before the elections in 2020, 12:16 some might suggest 12:18 that the purpose of my message is to influence voting, 12:21 but let me make it clear. 12:22 This message is not about any political platform 12:25 or any politician. 12:27 It is not about their rhetoric, their slogans. 12:30 It is not even about the results of the election, 12:34 whether we believe them or not. 12:37 And so, Christians, 12:39 allow me to shock your sense of abilities 12:42 as I rip the band-aid off of your political scars. 12:46 What am I saying? 12:47 Have you forgotten 12:49 what Christ has shown us in His Word? 12:52 What we are seeing in the world in Christianity 12:56 is almost an abandonment of the reason 12:59 why Jesus had to go to the cross. 13:02 We are blaming those on the right 13:04 and those on the right are blaming those on the left. 13:06 But let's focus for a brief moment 13:08 to the man in the middle. 13:10 Look at Isaiah 53:5. 13:13 Why are we going through what we are going through? 13:16 The Bible makes it clear. 13:18 "He was wounded for our transgressions, 13:21 He was bruised for our iniquities, 13:25 the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, 13:30 and by his stripes we are healed." 13:33 We are not healed. 13:35 I got to say this again. 13:37 We are not healed, 13:38 nor are we rescued by political rhetoric. 13:44 We are only healed and rescued by the shed blood of Jesus 13:49 brought up by the broken body of our Savior. 13:52 Today, I can rejoice that the tomb is empty. 13:54 That the Resurrected Lord is not sitting somewhere 13:58 wondering 13:59 what is going to happen in politics next. 14:02 Friends, let me say, 14:03 the only answer for a dying world 14:06 is the exaltation of Jesus. 14:09 The only remedy for a world gone mad 14:13 and a world under lockdown is Jesus. 14:16 The only hope for a divided church 14:21 and a division in Christianity is the person of Jesus. 14:26 Listen to the words of Christ Himself 14:28 in the book of John 12:32, 14:31 He buttresses what I just said with these following words. 14:34 And he says, 14:36 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, 14:40 will draw all people to Myself." 14:45 If Christ is being lifted up, 14:47 not if politicians are being lifted up. 14:49 It is amazing to me, 14:51 as I've lived through a number of presidents. 14:53 I have not been around for 20 presidents, 14:56 but I've seen quite a few presidents 14:57 come and go. 14:58 And what I've learned is that 15:00 one president makes a promise 15:02 and another president makes a promise 15:04 and another president makes a promise 15:05 and we go in and out of political campaigns, 15:09 we go from one man to the next, to the next, to the next. 15:12 And we discover that 15:13 not a single one can keep all of his promises. 15:16 And I now add even her promises 15:19 as we now see what's taking place in America. 15:23 So what's the focus of this message today? 15:26 Two questions are going to be answered today. 15:29 Who are we? 15:30 And where do we go from here? 15:33 I'm also going to include many quotations 15:35 from pastors of different denominations, 15:38 evangelical leaders. 15:40 Because what I'm noticing is not something exclusive 15:44 to Seventh-day Adventist pastors, 15:46 the churches in Christianity 15:48 are all going through the very same strife 15:50 as pastors of different denominations 15:52 are struggling with 15:54 how they are going to recover their congregations. 15:57 How are they going to recalibrate 15:59 the minds of their people 16:00 after what we have seen, 16:02 and after what we are continuing 16:04 to see in America? 16:05 Because this is the generation 16:07 where Christians are compromising 16:09 with the world, 16:11 but let me make it very clear. 16:12 We cannot trade the message of divinity 16:14 for the rhetoric of humanity. 16:17 We got to trust God's Word. 16:19 There's no word that we can trust other 16:22 and above God's Word. 16:23 We talk about people 16:24 that are going to be in one position or the other. 16:26 Let me make it very clear, friends. 16:28 Everybody that has walked this earth 16:30 is only alive 16:31 because God has allowed their heart 16:32 to beat another day. 16:34 God has given them breath in their lungs for another day, 16:37 but the wise men made it very clear. 16:39 And James the Apostle also second step by saying, 16:42 our lives are like a vapor. 16:44 We appear and then we vanish away. 16:46 So, why would Christians put such anger 16:51 and such force of hatred and such political intensity? 16:55 Why would they argue one with another 16:58 when they both are hoping 16:59 to keep their minds focused on nobody but Christ? 17:04 We are living in a society of hatred 17:08 skewed by political and cultural bias. 17:12 And the world is reminding us 17:14 that we are facing an ominous future. 17:18 In the book Christian Service, page 53, paragraph 3, 17:23 it describes almost with blazing accuracy 17:26 what we just recently saw. 17:28 Listen to this, 17:29 "The spirit of anarchy is permeating all nations, 17:36 and the outbreaks 17:37 that from time to time excite the horror of a world 17:41 are but indications of the pent-up fires of passion 17:46 and lawlessness 17:48 that, having once escaped control, 17:50 will fill the earth with woe and desolation." 17:54 But listen to this, 17:56 "The picture 17:57 which Inspiration has given of the antediluvian world, 18:01 represents too truly 18:03 the condition to which modern society 18:07 is fast hastening." 18:09 Our world, friends, 18:10 is becoming like the world in Noah's day. 18:13 What an amazing description? 18:14 Anarchy, outbreaks, 18:17 hearts are losing the ability to control themselves, 18:20 people argue in airports, 18:22 almost coming fist to cuffs, 18:24 profanity flowing from the mouths of those 18:27 who claimed to know the person of Christ. 18:29 And then we all are saying that Jesus is behind this. 18:33 No greater lie has existed in the history of humanity. 18:37 God does not gain ascendancy by violence. 18:41 He already gained ascendancy by resurrecting from the tomb 18:45 and being declared victorious. 18:46 There is no need to fight to get Jesus on the throne. 18:50 He is sitting in a seat 18:51 that nobody can ever topple Him from. 18:54 Praise God for that. 18:57 What's happening in our world? 18:59 Let me make it clear. 19:00 Spiritual darkness is invading the church 19:03 and it is flowing in from the world. 19:04 Scriptural ignorance 19:06 has led Christians to abandon the seat of true power. 19:11 Professed Christians 19:12 are being converted to an agenda 19:15 that is being guided by men whose minds are finite. 19:19 And the Bible is being set aside 19:20 in favor of human theories and speculations. 19:24 It amazes me 19:25 how many things that people believe in the Bible 19:27 that's not really there. 19:28 So when we look at 19:30 what's been happening for centuries, 19:31 we begin to understand more clearly 19:33 why people today cannot believe the truth? 19:37 It's not new. 19:39 For thousands of years, 19:40 people did not believe in Sabbath, 19:41 although it's in God's Word. 19:43 Any surprise 19:44 that people can be lied to today 19:46 and believe it? 19:47 People still don't believe that you die and go to the grave. 19:50 Pastors today are teaching, you die and go to heaven. 19:52 Is it easy then 19:54 when you live your Christianity on a lie 19:56 that the devil can come in and insert another lie? 19:59 It's an easy thing. 20:00 When we don't receive a love of the truth 20:03 and a lie becomes the darling thing of our walk, 20:06 then the devil has a platform on which to work, 20:09 that's what's happening in America. 20:12 Men claiming to know God reject the Bible 20:16 in favor of fables. 20:18 And thus today, 20:19 our society fables are flying left and right, 20:23 but there's one other thing 20:25 that shows how close we are to the coming of Christ. 20:28 As the Jewish leaders formed an alliance 20:32 with ancient papal Rome, 20:35 Christianity today 20:36 is forming an alliance with papal Rome. 20:40 The Jews formed an alliance with pagan Rome 20:44 and Christianity today, 20:46 apostate Protestantism is forming an alliance 20:50 with papal Rome. 20:53 But as it was in the days of Jesus. 20:56 As it was in the days of Jesus. 20:58 Let me tell you something, friends, 20:59 the more things change, the more they stay the same 21:03 because in the days of Jesus, 21:05 politicians were more concerned 21:07 about appealing to the desires of the crowd. 21:10 Nothing has changed. 21:12 Look at Mark 15:15. 21:14 This is amazing parallel to help us see where we are 21:17 in the unfolding of the times. 21:20 We read, 21:21 "So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, 21:25 released to Barabbas to them, and he delivered Jesus, 21:29 after he had scourged Him, to be crucified." 21:34 Pilate, a political leader delivered Jesus, 21:37 the Christ to be scourged. 21:40 Friends, it's amazing to me, 21:41 it's amazing to me, 21:42 that people claiming to have possession of Christ. 21:46 People claiming 21:48 that somehow their religion 21:49 and their politics are mixed together 21:51 are once again crucifying Jesus afresh. 21:54 What's more amazing than the statement that I just read 21:57 is the diabolical nature of the actions of Pilate 22:00 is the fact that 22:01 those to whom he delivered Jesus, 22:04 hear me carefully, 22:06 for those who claimed to be religious. 22:11 Look at their reaction in Luke 23:20-21. 22:17 It revealed the alliance 22:18 that Christians had in that day. 22:21 "Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, 22:24 again called out to them." 22:26 That is to the Jewish leaders 22:27 that have the truth of God's Word 22:29 for thousands of years, as it were. 22:32 What did they say? 22:33 What did religious people respond by saying? 22:35 "But they shouted, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify him!' " 22:41 Wow. 22:42 Let me ask you the question. 22:43 Is Jesus being crucified again in Christian circles? 22:47 Is the behavior that we see in our world around us today 22:52 in the lives of those 22:53 that claim to be connected to Christ, 22:55 something that Jesus is connected to? 22:57 You know, the answer is no. 22:59 But what is amazing to me 23:00 is that people that claim to know Christ, 23:03 people that said 23:05 that somehow their religion is based on God's Word 23:08 are somehow either missing the point 23:11 or being misguided by some other force 23:14 other than the Word of God, Jesus Christ. 23:18 I would say to you, friends, 23:19 is being crucified all over again. 23:22 And those claiming to know God 23:23 are once again by their behavior 23:26 crucifying the Son of God afresh. 23:29 But it's not just being noticed 23:31 by Seventh-day Adventist pastors, 23:33 many pastors in the evangelical world 23:35 are noticing it in their congregations. 23:38 I begin by sharing 23:39 a pastor by the name of Timothy Dalrymple. 23:42 He is the president and CEO of Christianity Today. 23:46 In November, 2020, 23:49 the issue of November, 2020 on page nine. 23:52 This is the editorial that 23:54 the president and CEO of Christianity Today wrote. 23:57 He said, 23:58 "Americans will remember 2020 24:01 as a year in which our union of states fell 24:06 far more fragile than we had imagined it to be. 24:10 In one recent survey, 24:12 80% of American voters said 24:15 the country is 24:17 "out of control." 24:18 And he said, 24:19 "The once-rich fabric 24:21 that weaves us together is now thin, strained, 24:25 and splitting." 24:27 That was said in November, 2020. 24:31 Look at where we are in 2021. 24:34 If it was splitting then or fragmented then 24:38 or strained then, 24:40 what identity do we give it today? 24:42 He pointed out also in the article 24:44 that temporary things are eclipsing the permanent. 24:48 And the more critical observation once again is, 24:50 he's not saying this about the world. 24:53 He is saying this about the Christian Church, 24:56 Christianity today, but He's not alone. 24:59 Another pastor Daniel Silliman 25:03 in the same magazine Christianity Today, 25:05 November, 2020, that issue page 14 25:09 in an article entitled, when the pews are polarized. 25:12 Listen to what he wrote. 25:14 Listen carefully. 25:15 He said, 25:17 "The problem is not that 25:18 people in the church disagree about who to vote for. 25:21 The problem is not that people get angry, 25:23 shoot fiery emails to the pastor, 25:26 and get into bruising fights 25:27 with other church members on Facebook. 25:29 (Though that does happen.) 25:32 And really, the problem is not even that some things 25:35 are suddenly intensely political." 25:38 He says, "The problem of polarization, 25:40 according to the pastor of purple churches, 25:43 struggling to minister to red Republicans 25:47 and blue Democrats 25:48 during another divisive election, 25:50 is that people stop fighting. 25:53 They part ways. 25:55 And they sort themselves by political preference. 25:58 Polarization makes it seem like 26:00 unity in Christ can only come after political unity." 26:05 And then he ends by saying, 26:06 "Polarization makes it seem like partisanship 26:10 is stronger than the gospel." 26:14 Well, let me make it very clear today, Friends. 26:16 You could be on the left or on the right, 26:18 but when you study the setting of the cross. 26:20 On the left was a criminal 26:22 and on the right was a criminal. 26:24 They both were thieves. 26:26 The one that we need to be focusing on today, 26:28 my church friends, 26:30 my friends in the society of this age in this world 26:33 and this nation and around the world, 26:35 we need our attention. 26:37 Let me say that emphatically. 26:39 We must focus our attention on the man in the middle 26:45 because neither criminal has the answers for tomorrow. 26:48 Neither criminal on that cross 26:51 had the power to bring himself down, 26:54 but at least one of them was smart enough to ask Jesus 26:56 to remember him when he comes in the kingdom, 26:58 and the Bible doesn't say 27:00 whether he was Republican or Democrat, 27:02 just to add some fuel to the fire. 27:05 For instance, not the left or right. 27:06 It's the man in the middle. 27:08 It's the Christ. 27:09 He is the answer for our world today. 27:15 And the gospel of Jesus is one of unity 27:19 and not division, 27:21 but division, irritation and anger 27:25 are pouring from those claiming a connection to Christ. 27:31 Another Pastor Bonnie Kristian in Christianity Today, 27:37 October 30th, 2020 27:39 in an article entitled the Civil War of the Heart, 27:42 wrote an editorial 27:44 and then a Christian reader responded to her editorial. 27:48 And the question was what motivated you to vote? 27:51 And here's the response on the screen. 27:53 "His reason for voting for his preferred candidate 27:57 has nothing to do with the policy considerations." 28:00 This is sad from a Christian. 28:02 "He responded, 28:04 'he'll stick with his pick 28:05 to 'cause irritation and anger' for voters on the other side.' 28:10 " And let me remind you that, 28:12 that editorial that you just read or just saw 28:15 was something written by a Christian. 28:19 His aim was to irritate those on the other side, 28:22 not to support his candidate, 28:24 but to irritate those on the other side, 28:27 to anger those on the other side. 28:30 I have to ask the question. 28:32 Is that the fruit of the spirit? 28:33 Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, 28:38 meekness, patience. 28:39 Is that what Jesus said about the disciples 28:42 that you will know that 28:43 they are my disciples by their love for one another? 28:45 Can I say that 28:47 Christianity today 28:48 is not Christianity from Christ? 28:50 In many cases, 28:52 innocent Christians 28:53 who are not participating in such cancerous behavior 28:57 are being labeled by the world as just like them all. 29:01 That's the sad reality, 29:03 because people that are not Christians 29:04 are looking at Christianity and saying, 29:07 "Why would I want to become a part of that 29:09 when those claiming to be connected to Christ 29:12 don't behave any better 29:13 than the people that I drink in the bars with, 29:15 or the people that I smoke my marijuana with, 29:17 or the people that I hang out and party with? 29:20 There ought to be a difference. 29:22 There ought to be a difference, a marked difference 29:25 between those of the world 29:27 and those claiming to be connected to Christ. 29:30 The same pastor Bonnie Kristian in the same magazine. 29:34 She further wrote about the article, 29:35 The Civil War of the Heart. 29:37 She says, listen to this, a very short, 29:38 very short sentence. 29:40 She says, "The church has been seduced 29:43 into abandoning the greater kingdom 29:46 for the lesser kingdom." 29:49 They're giving up the kingdom of heaven 29:51 for this temporary brick and mortar 29:54 made by the hands of man. 29:56 Let me make it very clear today. 29:58 I'm not worried about the White House, 29:59 I've said this before. 30:00 My mind is on the right house. 30:02 I'm not looking for that, 30:03 which was painted and built by men. 30:05 I'm like Abraham, I'm looking for a city 30:07 who has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 30:11 And I'm gonna tell you today, 30:12 wherever you are in the world, 30:14 you are affected in one way or another 30:16 by what's taking place here in America. 30:18 Because when America sneezes, 30:20 the rest of the world is gonna catch a cold. 30:23 I can guarantee you that. 30:24 There are some countries 30:26 where they are locking people out 30:27 because they don't have a COVID vaccine. 30:29 And the world is divided. 30:30 The world is quarantined from itself, 30:34 and there's a general sense of fear. 30:37 And in trepidation 30:39 and uncertainty all around the world, 30:43 and crime and violence 30:45 is hopping from community to community, 30:48 from pulpit to pulpit, 30:51 from one heart to the other. 30:53 Friends, we ought to be a part of the solution 30:55 and not a part of the problem 30:57 because I asked the question, 30:58 how can Christian values and hatred 31:01 be a part of the same platform? 31:04 Somewhere along the road, 31:05 the words of Jesus have been intentionally overlooked, 31:10 somewhere on the Christian journey road, 31:13 the words of Jesus has been overlooked, 31:15 and listen to what he said? 31:17 John 18:36, profound, short, but profound. 31:21 "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom." 31:23 I'll say that again. 31:24 "My kingdom is not of this world. 31:29 If My kingdom were of this world, 31:32 My servants would fight." 31:35 Well. Well, God asked the question. 31:37 So, if there are people on both sides fighting, 31:41 what kingdom are they fighting over 31:42 when the Lord's kingdom is not on this planet, 31:45 it's not on this earth. 31:46 It's not in Washington. It's not in Australia. 31:49 It's not in New Zealand. It's not in Asia. 31:51 It's not in Europe. It's not in Jerusalem. 31:53 It's not in this world. 31:54 Jesus has gone to prepare a New Jerusalem, a holy city. 32:01 And any city that keeps Jesus out of the mix. 32:05 Although we don't push Jesus into the political mix, 32:08 but those that buy their rights as citizens 32:11 participate in the political process, 32:14 which they have the right to do. 32:15 Should never allow political rhetoric 32:19 to damage and demolish the fruit of the spirit 32:22 that should be seen in the lives of those 32:25 claiming to be citizens of a kingdom 32:28 that is not down here? 32:29 My kingdom is not of this world, is yours? 32:32 Are you fighting over something that's gonna fade away? 32:34 Are you fighting for something that's gonna go up in flames? 32:38 Are you fighting for something 32:39 that's gonna be ashes under the soles of your feet? 32:43 Not me, my friends. 32:44 I'm looking for a city that has golden walls 32:47 and gates made of pearls 32:48 and foundations of 12 precious stones. 32:52 I'm looking for a city 32:54 where the light will never grow dim, 32:55 where the gates won't have to be closed 32:58 day nor night for sin and sorrow 33:00 and suffering will have all forever been obliterated, 33:04 and nothing that defiles will ever enter into it 33:09 because it will never exist again. 33:11 But this is what 33:12 pastors of other denominations are noticing. 33:14 Let's do another pastor, 33:16 Donald McGavran 33:18 of the Fuller Theological Seminary. 33:20 Notice what he said 33:22 as he begins to analyze 33:23 what we are seeing taking place in America. 33:25 He said, 33:26 "People should be able to convert to Christianity 33:30 and join a church 33:32 without having to cross 33:33 too many barriers of race, class, caste, 33:38 language, or even politics. 33:43 These are pastors of other denominations. 33:46 They're all noticing it. 33:47 As clergy, we are all noticing that something is happening 33:50 in our congregations. 33:52 And I'm pleading with those of you 33:53 that understand the everlasting gospel. 33:55 I'm pleading with those of you 33:56 to whom the responsibility has been given 33:59 to proclaim the three angels' message 34:00 enough already. 34:02 Cut it out, 34:03 get back to proclaiming the light 34:05 that will bring us together, 34:07 not the light that will push us apart. 34:09 For the writer of the Book of Acts, 34:11 Dr. Luke says in Acts 17:26. 34:14 He says this, speaking of God, 34:16 "And He has made from one blood..." 34:19 Look at the scripture. 34:20 "And he has made from one blood, 34:23 every nation of men, 34:25 every nation to dwell on all the face of the earth 34:29 and has determined their preappointed times 34:32 and the boundaries of their dwellings." 34:36 This planet doesn't belong to any one particular person. 34:40 The city doesn't belong to any one particular person, 34:43 race, class, creed, ethnic diversity, 34:45 or religious beliefs. 34:47 This nation is one nation under God 34:50 or so it claimed to be. 34:53 America is not a nation with one nationality 34:56 or one religion or one race 34:58 or one ethnic or financial category. 35:00 We are a melting pot of nations. 35:03 And any moment, 35:04 you think that this country belongs to you alone, 35:06 you have become a part of its destruction 35:09 and not a part of this unity. 35:10 The everlasting gospel is not a partisan message. 35:14 It is a bipartisan message. It is for everyone. 35:16 Look at Revelation 14:6. 35:19 The message that we must proclaim 35:21 is for everybody, not just somebody. 35:25 John, the Revelator says these words. 35:28 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 35:32 having the everlasting gospel 35:36 to preach to those who dwell on the earth." 35:39 To who? 35:41 "To every nation, tribe, tongue, and people." 35:46 To everybody, 35:47 regardless of where you came from, 35:49 He is saying the gospel can allow all of us 35:52 to be aimed in the right direction. 35:54 It doesn't matter if you come from India 35:55 or Australia or from Poland or from Russia 35:58 or from the Caribbean or from Jamaica or from Cuba, 36:01 it doesn't matter where you come from. 36:03 In Christ, we can all be moving in the same direction. 36:07 We can all be on the same road to an eternal kingdom. 36:11 So why do you think that devil is going to allow 36:13 that eternal kingdom to come without any resistance? 36:17 And he's gonna do it in the country 36:20 that has specifically been pointed out 36:22 as a key player in end time Bible prophecy, 36:27 America, this country. 36:29 This is the country 36:30 where Protestants are going to reach over 36:32 and clasp the hands of Romanism. 36:35 This is the country where spiritualism, 36:38 evil spirits will stir up the hearts of politicians 36:42 and economists together 36:43 to unite people 36:45 for the great battle of Armageddon. 36:48 Why should the people of God be sleeping 36:50 at such a critical hour? 36:51 This is the hour 36:53 that every one of us must be awake 36:56 to the coming crisis 36:57 because it's not getting better. 36:59 It's going to get worse before it's better permanently. 37:02 Another pastor by the name of Pastor Jeff Schultz. 37:05 He's pastor of the Evangelical Free Congregation. 37:09 And he also chimed into the article 37:11 in Christianity Today, 37:13 November, 2020. 37:14 Notice what he said, a very short sentence. 37:16 He says, 37:17 "Our identity should be in Jesus, 37:21 not in anything else, 37:25 our political persuasion 37:27 should not be our primary identity. 37:31 Our political persuasion 37:34 should not be our primary identity." 37:38 What's happening in our world today? 37:40 Is a shame, it's a crime, it's sad, 37:43 and heaven is calling for there to be a change of heart 37:47 among those who are claiming a connection with Christ. 37:50 You see, the gospel of Jesus 37:53 is becoming less attractive to the world 37:56 because it has been labeled 37:58 to attract only a certain segment of society. 38:02 But Jesus is saying, 38:03 go into the highways and hedges 38:04 and compel all men. 38:06 How could I compel somebody 38:08 to come and be a part of something 38:09 that hasn't done anything for me? 38:11 How can I say to my neighbor 38:13 who may be of different race or a class 38:15 or creed or social category 38:18 or some other difference from me? 38:20 How can I say to him or her to follow the Christ 38:23 when they see in my life 38:25 nothing that even connects them to a change? 38:28 Nothing that says that I am different 38:30 and that they are in need of the Christ 38:33 that lives in my life. 38:35 But when you read the Bible, 38:37 you find out very clearly 38:39 that the Lord that came to this earth 38:42 didn't come seeking any particular individual. 38:47 He came seeking every individual 38:49 because every one of us 38:52 was at some degree affected by sin. 38:55 Luke 19:10, 38:56 a passage that my wife and I shared with our niece 38:59 when she lived with us growing up in California. 39:01 Look at Luke 19:10. 39:03 The Bible says, 39:05 "For the Son of Man 39:07 has come to seek 39:09 and to save that which was lost." 39:14 So can I ask the question. 39:16 Who's lost? 39:18 Every one of us without Jesus is lost. 39:20 Every one of us without Jesus will be condemned. 39:23 Every one of us born 39:26 on this temporary ball of confusion 39:29 will have no hope 39:30 had it not been for the victory, 39:32 for the victory of Christ over the grave. 39:34 Every one of us would go to an endless Christless grave, 39:39 but now we don't have to. 39:41 We can go on to an endless hope and a hope beyond the grave 39:45 that one day we will come forth 39:47 to enjoy the blessings of a kingdom 39:50 that shall never be destroyed. 39:53 You see message, the message of the cross is one 39:56 that includes everybody. 39:58 Revelation 22:17, 40:00 once again focuses on that message. 40:02 Notice what John the Revelator says. 40:04 What about the invitation? 40:05 Who is he calling? 40:07 "And the spirit and the bride says, 'Come!" 40:10 And let him who hears say, 'Come!' 40:12 And let him who thirsts come.' " 40:14 And watch this, 40:16 "Whoever desires, 40:19 let him take the water of life freely." 40:22 Friends, today, I keep right next to me, 40:25 a little bottle of water, 40:27 but the Lord is saying, 40:29 there's an endless supply of water. 40:30 The grace of God, 40:32 He gave it to the woman at the well 40:33 and she never thirst it again. 40:35 Friends, today, the Lord is saying, 40:36 if you hunger and thirst for that which is righteous, 40:40 you will be filled, 40:41 but the devil is trying to change our hunger 40:43 and change our thirst 40:45 so that Christians could go on to starvation 40:47 and dehydration. 40:49 If I could only gauge how dehydrated spiritually 40:54 and how malnourished 40:55 spiritually that Christians are, 40:57 we might be amazed. 41:00 But today the Bible is saying, whosoever will, let him come. 41:04 And we have been given the highest privilege 41:07 to share the gospel with people 41:09 that are opposite from us in every category. 41:12 Our message must appeal to those on both sides. 41:16 Matter of fact, those on every side, 41:19 and that's why the Seventh-day Adventist Church 41:22 is a worldwide movement. 41:23 The sun never sets 41:25 on the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 41:27 We are on more than 200 languages. 41:29 We are all over the globe. Why? 41:30 Because God has called us 41:32 to proclaim the message to every nation, 41:34 every kindred, every tongue, every people. 41:37 And we've got to be a part of the solution 41:39 and not a part of the problem. 41:42 Therefore, we cannot accomplish a divine mission 41:46 and replace it with a carnal one. 41:49 Why am I saying this with such passion? 41:51 You know why? 41:53 Because the adversary is seeking to do among us, 41:56 what he did among the Jews in the past, 41:58 those that rejected Christ. 42:01 And the amazing thing is this, deception is never overt. 42:05 That means it's never blatant. 42:07 Deception is always covert. 42:09 That means it's always concealed. 42:11 We don't know 42:12 how the devil is going to attack, 42:14 but be sure he's trying to figure out another way 42:17 to distract Christians 42:19 from the eternal things of heavenly import, 42:22 and Satan never informs of his intentions. 42:25 He seeps into the church 42:27 like water through a window on a rainy day. 42:31 He comes in and Ellen White says, 42:33 "His footsteps are noiseless." 42:36 As the Jews betrayed Jesus for alliance 42:39 with political Rome, 42:41 Satan is seeking to do what he did among them. 42:44 And when we follow the pages of prophecy, 42:46 in the pages of history. 42:47 During the Dark Ages, 42:49 religion and politics merged together 42:51 to be one of the most powerful persecuting weapons 42:54 in the then known history of the world. 42:57 More than 50 million Christians lives, why? 42:59 More than 50 million Christians die, why? 43:02 Because politics polluted religion, 43:05 and religion compromised with politics. 43:08 And the Bible is informing us 43:10 that Satan is seeking to do the very same thing again. 43:14 You see, Satan is duplicitous. 43:17 Meaning he'll change 43:18 into whatever disguise he need to, 43:20 to gain access to those minds 43:23 who are unsuspecting and unprepared 43:25 by God's Word for his attacks. 43:29 One of my favorite quotations 43:30 that really brings this front and center 43:32 is in the book Darkness before Dawn, 43:34 page 33 in paragraph 1, 43:37 once again listen to words under God's inspiration. 43:41 Ellen White says, 43:43 "As spiritualism more closely imitates 43:46 the nominal Christianity of the day, 43:49 it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. 43:52 Satan himself is converted 43:55 after the modern order of things. 43:59 He will appear in the character of an angel of light." 44:04 And she goes on to say, 44:05 "And as the spirits will profess 44:07 faith in the Bible 44:08 and manifest respect 44:10 for the institutions of the church, 44:12 their work will be accepted 44:14 as a manifestation of divine power." 44:17 What is she saying? 44:18 She is saying that 44:20 Satan is gonna take on a religious exterior. 44:23 He's gonna even say, I believe the Bible, 44:25 for the Bible says in the Book of James, 44:27 the devil believe, the demons believe 44:29 and they tremble. 44:30 So to believe in God means absolutely nothing. 44:33 It doesn't make a change at all in our lives, 44:36 but to dedicate our hearts and minds to Christ 44:38 is where the change comes. 44:40 So the question is, who are we? 44:42 Who are you, my brother and sister? 44:44 Who are we in the eyes of the cross? 44:46 Who are we 44:47 in the eyes of heaven's estimation? 44:50 Let's go to 1 Peter 2:9, 44:52 because I believe 44:53 that with the behavior that I've seen, 44:55 Christians have forgotten who they are. 44:58 Let us listen to the words of the Apostle Peter, 45:00 1 Peter 2:9. 45:01 He says, this is who we are, 45:03 "But you are a chosen generation, 45:06 a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 45:11 His own special people." 45:13 And don't forget your mission, 45:15 "that you may proclaim the praises of Him 45:19 who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 45:24 Friends, listen to that, marvelous light. 45:27 What we are seeing in the world today 45:30 that people are saying are being done by Christians. 45:32 It's not marvelous light, 45:34 it's expedient darkness 45:36 becoming darker and darker by the moment. 45:39 But that is the plan of the enemy. 45:42 And so many of us, and I would sadly say, 45:45 even in the Seventh-day Adventist movement 45:48 are selling out, 45:50 and I don't understand why. 45:52 Political expediency that cannot be it alone. 45:55 Has pride so deeply ingrained itself 45:57 that we cannot call sin, sin? 46:00 Has our minds become so darkened 46:02 to Satan's sophistry 46:03 that we fail to see 46:05 how diabolical in nature he is working 46:08 to corrupt the hearts of men and women 46:10 in leadership in our world? 46:12 Brethren, it's time to wake up. 46:16 We should only participate with those things 46:21 that will remind us 46:22 that we are walking in a marvelous light. 46:25 That's right. 46:27 Not just the light 46:28 as the world gets darker and darker, 46:30 Isaiah, the prophet says, 46:31 "Arise and shine, for your light has come." 46:34 Has your light come? 46:36 Are you letting your light shine? 46:38 As Jesus has said, 46:39 "Let your light so shine." 46:41 The devil says, 46:42 "No, I'm gonna pour water on that light. 46:44 I'm gonna make Christians a laughing stock 46:46 in the eyes of the world." 46:47 Why were the drunkard, the alcoholic, the profligate, 46:50 why would the prostitute and those who are unfaithful, 46:53 why would they wanna take on 46:56 what they see is affecting Christians today? 46:59 Why would they wanna stop cursing 47:01 when Christians are cursing? 47:02 Why would they wanna stop fighting 47:04 when Christians are fighting? 47:06 The devil is seeking to break us down. 47:08 Rather Christ is trying to build us up. 47:11 We find we cannot surrender our identity 47:14 to anything that will hinder anyone 47:16 from receiving the grace of Christ. 47:19 So what should we do? 47:20 Here's the first thing I suggest. 47:22 Change our focus. 47:25 Change our focus. 47:27 Where should we look? 47:29 Hebrews 12:2, 47:31 "Looking unto Jesus, 47:33 the author and finisher of our faith." 47:36 Stop looking at finite men 47:39 that are just a breath away from eternity, 47:42 "Looking unto Jesus, 47:43 the author and finisher of our faith, 47:45 who for the joy that was set before Him 47:48 endured the cross, despising the shame, 47:52 and has sat down 47:53 at the right hand of the throne of God." 47:56 That's where your focus should be. 47:59 And so, friends, 48:01 when your agenda becomes more important 48:03 than the salvation of someone else 48:05 and the witness of the cross, 48:07 your agenda ceases to be heaven's agenda. 48:10 Look unto Jesus, 48:11 stop looking at temporary things. 48:13 That's why when we argue, 48:15 it's better to lose an argument than to lose a soul. 48:18 And if this election has taught us anything, 48:20 is that Christians have argued more over finite things 48:24 than in behalf of the cross of Christ. 48:27 So the question is, friends, 48:28 what should we be doing in these crisis hours? 48:31 Point number two. 48:32 2 Peter 1:10, 48:34 "Cast your vote on the side of Christ." 48:37 Who better knows that than the Apostle Peter. 48:39 At one point, 48:41 he cast his vote against Christ, 48:42 but listen to the words of a converted fighter 48:44 for the cross. 48:45 He said, "Therefore, brethren, 48:47 be even more diligent to make your call 48:50 and election sure, 48:53 for if you do these things, you will never stumble." 48:58 God is looking for Christians that are tired of stumbling 49:01 through the quagmire of a corrupt world, 49:04 Christians that are looking for certainty, 49:07 accuracy and blessed assurance. 49:09 And that's not what the world is offering today, friends. 49:12 We have to keep our minds in the avenue 49:14 where when we are called to vote, 49:16 we say, "I'm voting in favor of Christ." 49:18 That eternal King, the King that will never be outvoted, 49:21 the kingdom that will never be destroyed. 49:24 And then point number three. 49:26 It's all about trust, friends. 49:28 It's all about trust. 49:30 Trust has been broken in our world today, 49:33 politically, economically, socially, and religiously. 49:36 Every place, it's hard to trust what we hear anymore. 49:39 It's hard to trust political rhetoric. 49:41 It's hard to trust in a fragile society, 49:44 but, friends, on the words of Christ, 49:46 I encourage you, trust the Lord exclusively. 49:51 Proverbs, you know the passage, Proverbs 3:5-6. 49:55 Listen to these words as Tim begins to play softly. 49:58 He says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart 50:04 and lean not on your own understanding, 50:09 in all your ways acknowledge Him, 50:13 and He shall direct your paths." 50:17 See, friends, as Tim plays. 50:20 If we trust God's path, 50:23 if we trust the blessed assurance 50:26 that we find in God's Word, 50:29 if we can embrace 50:30 the words coming from this script, 50:33 not from the scripts written by finite men, 50:36 we'll find out that it's so sweet 50:39 to trust in Jesus. 50:41 It is so sweet to take Him at His Word. 50:45 As Tim plays this song, 50:46 I want you to think about 50:48 what 2021 is going to be in your life 50:50 and in your walk with Christ. 50:52 Listen carefully. 50:53 Christ is calling you to trust Him. 50:59 Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus 51:07 Just to take Him at His Word 51:15 Just to rest upon His promise 51:23 Just to know, Thus saith the Lord 51:33 I'm so glad 51:37 I learned to trust Him 51:40 Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend 51:47 And I know that He is with me 51:55 And He will be with me 52:00 Till the end 52:04 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him 52:12 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er 52:21 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus 52:31 Oh, for grace to trust Him more 52:52 As we listen to the music in the background, 52:54 let me ask you the question today, 52:57 is your trust shaken? 53:00 Are you one of those 53:01 that feel your vote wasn't counted 53:04 or that your vote did count? 53:07 Let me recalibrate your thoughts today, 53:08 my friends. 53:10 If we trust God's path, 53:13 we don't have to worry about the paths of finite men. 53:18 I was listening recently to a statistic, 53:19 and somebody said, 53:21 you realize that 53:22 more than 144 million votes were cast in America. 53:29 But I wanna say to you, friends, 53:31 it only took one vote to put Jesus on the cross. 53:34 It only took one sin to send a savior to this earth. 53:39 It only took one transgression 53:42 to plunge humanity 53:44 into millennia of pain and suffering, 53:48 and heartache and death, and disappointment. 53:50 And in these critical crumbling hours 53:52 that just are before us, 53:55 as the sands of time 53:56 are pouring out of that glass of human probation, 54:00 heaven is saying to the church, 54:02 arise and shine, 54:04 cast off the rhetoric of frail humanity 54:09 and pick up the unchanging Word of God. 54:11 Trust in a path 54:13 that will never give you a detour 54:15 or a yield to any of the powers of darkness, 54:18 but trust in the path that never grows dim. 54:22 I realized it only took one vote. 54:24 Only one vote. 54:26 The Father voted in the Son together to come and save us. 54:29 And I'm so thankful today 54:31 that Jesus came and He saved us. 54:33 He broke out of those walls called the tomb 54:35 that the imps of darkness sought to hold Him, 54:38 but he broke out 54:40 claiming all power is given to me. 54:42 Have you forgotten where true power lies? 54:46 144 million votes in the world is still split. 54:48 America is still in crisis. 54:50 But one vote, 54:52 and we have hope for the future. 54:54 When we keep our focus on Jesus, 54:56 our eyes will be redirected. 54:59 We will begin to see things that matter. 55:02 We will begin to see people that disagree with us 55:04 as our brothers and sisters. 55:06 We will see people from every class, 55:09 whether from Europe or from Mexico 55:11 or from the Muslim countries or from Asia, 55:13 wherever they come from, 55:15 we'll say they are candidates of the kingdom of eternity, 55:19 and my life as a Christian 55:20 can get that person ready for the coming of the Lord. 55:24 If we focus on Jesus, our hopes will be revived. 55:28 Our eyes redirected, our hopes revived, 55:30 no longer flailing in the seeping out waters 55:36 where men can no longer swim to the shores of safety. 55:39 That's the kind of world that we see 55:41 and it's going to get worse. 55:44 We're just getting glimpses 55:45 of a world that's going to implode on itself. 55:48 If we focus on Jesus, 55:49 our walk as Christians will be renewed. 55:52 I won't have to wake up tomorrow and wonder 55:54 what CNN or ABC or Fox 55:56 or whatever other affiliate station says. 55:58 I won't worry about 56:00 what's going to happen in Australia next 56:01 or New Zealand? 56:02 Is COVID going to come back or are we going to remain safe? 56:05 I won't have to worry about nuclear proliferation, 56:08 because my mind is set on Christ. 56:11 My walk will be renewed. 56:13 If we focus on Jesus, 56:14 our passion to serve Christ will be restored. 56:18 Have you lost your desire to talk about Jesus, 56:22 to share with somebody the Christ 56:24 who wants to save them and transform their lives? 56:26 If we focus on Jesus, 56:28 our longing to hasten the coming of Christ 56:31 will be regenerated. 56:33 Our eyes redirected, our hopes revived, 56:36 our walk renewed, our passions restored 56:38 and our longings to get ready 56:40 for the coming of Jesus regenerated. 56:43 I say as the young man 56:45 who was about to give his life for the cross, 56:47 he said, my pace is set. 56:48 My gate is fast. 56:50 My hope is heaven. My road is narrow. 56:52 My journey may be rough. 56:54 My companions may be few. 56:56 My mission is clear though and my God is reliable. 57:00 Friends, when we place our trust in God 57:05 and His Word, 57:08 we will abandon 57:10 and no longer be fearful 57:11 by the unprecedented crisis. 57:14 But finally, we will embrace the unprecedented Christ. 57:19 May God embrace you. 57:21 And you may embrace Him again until we see you. 57:25 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-02-11