Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210063S
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00:28 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:32 My name is John Dinzey. 00:33 And it's a privilege and an honor to be with you. 00:37 We are going to do a study that has the title, 00:40 Wake Up and Sound the Alarm. 00:43 And I want to make sure you understand that 00:45 the title is Wake Up and Sound the Alarm, 00:48 and the title is not Wake Up and Sound the Alarm. 00:54 I encourage you to get something to write with, 00:57 or to copy this so that you can continue this study 01:00 because it is worthy of your 01:02 continued consideration and study. 01:06 Before we begin, I like to invite you to pray. 01:09 I will kneel and I encourage you to 01:10 pray for me and pray for everyone 01:13 that will hear this message Let us pray together. 01:17 Our loving Heavenly Father, 01:20 we come to You in Jesus' name to ask You for the blessing 01:25 we need most urgently. 01:28 Heavenly Father, You know 01:31 how soon Jesus Christ will come back. 01:36 We do not know. 01:38 We know that there is very little time left. 01:41 So we pray that You will help us to understand 01:44 that we need to hear Your words. 01:47 Help us to understand that it is time to become 01:52 serious about following Jesus. 01:55 Lord, I put myself aside and I ask You to bless me 01:58 with Your Holy Spirit. 02:00 We pray that every word will come from 02:01 Your throne of grace. 02:03 And we pray that Your Holy Spirit 02:05 will help Your children 02:07 understand the message You have for them. 02:11 I ask You for these blessings in the holy 02:14 and blessed name of Jesus. 02:17 Amen. 02:18 Amen. 02:21 We study now from the Bible. 02:25 And we go first to 2 Timothy Chapter 3, 02:30 and I will read till verse 5, verses 1 through 5. 02:33 The Bible says, "But know this, 02:35 that in the last days perilous times will come." 02:41 That means dangerous times. 02:43 "For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, 02:47 boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 02:53 unthankful, unholy, unloving, 02:58 unforgiving, slanderers, 03:01 without self-control, brutal, 03:05 despisers of good, traitors, 03:08 headstrong, haughty, 03:10 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 03:15 having a form of godliness 03:19 but denying its power. 03:22 And from such turn away!" 03:26 This scripture, these verses help us 03:28 to understand that the conditions of the world, 03:33 Paul was saying perilous times will come. 03:35 I believe the perilous times are here. 03:38 All these things that 03:40 we have read are happening today. 03:43 We are living in perilous times. 03:45 And we need to understand that 03:47 there is very little time left. 03:49 Jesus Christ is coming soon. 03:51 So it's time to wake up and sound the alarm. 03:56 We don't have time to talk about 03:58 each and every one of the aspects described here. 04:01 But know this also, that the verses we read 04:06 also describe conditions happening in the church. 04:10 Yes, in the church you have people 04:13 that are lovers of pleasure 04:15 more than lovers of God, 04:16 unthankful, unholy, unforgiving. 04:22 And we are living in perilous times. 04:24 It is time to be as close to Jesus 04:26 as you understand you can be, 04:30 for Jesus Christ is coming soon. 04:32 I pointed to a time 04:33 when there were also perilous times. 04:36 I'm reading to you from Matthew Chapter 3. 04:40 And there we read of a man sent by God 04:45 with a special mission, John the Baptist. 04:49 Matthew 3:1-2, "In those days 04:52 John the Baptist came preaching 04:55 in the wilderness of Judea, 04:58 and saying, 'Repent, 05:01 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'" 05:05 Now John the Baptist was preaching about 05:08 that the kingdom of grace was coming at hand, 05:14 not the kingdom that will become Christ's kingdom 05:17 when all things are said and done. 05:18 He was talking about the kingdom of grace. 05:21 And I encourage you to consider that 05:23 the time has come to say, 05:25 "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." 05:30 Please understand that things should not be as they are. 05:36 We shouldn't have in the church, 05:40 people that are lovers of pleasure 05:42 more than lovers of God, 05:43 heady, high-minded and headstrong, hardy. 05:48 We need people dedicated to the Lord, 05:52 holy and blameless and undefiled. 05:54 And only as we come to Jesus, 05:57 can this happen in our lives. 06:01 I move you now to Luke 1:17. 06:05 Luke 1:17. 06:07 And it says, "And he will go on 06:09 before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, 06:14 to turn the hearts of the parents 06:17 to their children, 06:19 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, 06:22 to make ready a people prepared 06:26 for the Lord." 06:28 This was the mission of John the Baptist, 06:32 the mission to turn 06:34 the hearts of the parents to the children, 06:37 and the disobedient to wisdom and righteous, 06:40 and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 06:44 That was the mission of John the Baptist. 06:46 And it is the mission of God's people today, 06:50 to call people to repentance, 06:52 to call people to reconciliation, 06:55 parents and children, 06:57 and to prepare for the soon return 07:00 of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 07:04 So I encourage you, 07:06 it's time to wake up and sound the alarm. 07:12 We are now turning to Matthew Chapter 26. 07:15 Going to read to from 39 to 41. 07:20 Matthew 26:39-41. 07:23 This is what the Bible tells us, 07:25 concerning Jesus just before He was crucified. 07:29 It says, verse 39, "He went a little farther 07:33 and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 07:37 'O My Father, if it is possible, 07:41 let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, 07:45 not as I will, but as You will.' 07:49 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, 07:53 and said to Peter, 'What! 07:56 Could you not watch with Me one hour? 08:00 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. 08:04 The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'" 08:10 Jesus had asked the disciples to pray, 08:13 watch with Him, 08:15 in this crisis hour watch and pray with me. 08:19 He was about to undergo the greatest test 08:22 of His earthly life, 08:24 and He needed the prayer of His disciples. 08:27 But He came to them, 08:28 hoping to find them praying earnestly for Jesus, 08:33 but He found them sleeping in the most critical hour. 08:38 Now, I want to inform you that 08:43 these disciples represent the people of God 08:48 living in the last days. 08:50 I'm reading to you from volume number two 08:53 of Testimonies to the Church, page 205. 08:56 If you don't have it in your home, 08:58 you can find this online very easily. 09:00 Second Testimonies to the Church, 09:02 volume two, page 205, 09:05 "The Son of God went away the second time, and prayed, 09:08 saying: 'O My Father, 09:10 if this cup may not pass away from Me, 09:13 except I drink it, Thy will be done.' 09:16 And again, He came to His disciples 09:18 and found them sleeping. 09:20 Their eyes were heavy. 09:23 By these sleeping disciples is represented a sleeping church, 09:29 when the day of God's visitation is nigh, it's near. 09:34 It is a time of clouds and thick darkness 09:38 when to be found asleep 09:41 is most perilous." 09:45 That's right. 09:46 We are living in a time 09:48 when to be asleep spiritually 09:52 is most perilous, very dangerous. 09:56 And please understand that Satan is as a roaring lion 10:00 seeking whom he may devour, 10:03 and how easy it is for him to destroy 10:08 or capture a prey that is asleep. 10:12 So I encourage you to wake up and sound the alarm. 10:18 In the Book of Genesis Chapter 6 10:22 we have a scripture that describes 10:23 the condition of the world before the flood. 10:27 And in this chapter in this scripture that 10:30 we're about to read, I tell you, 10:32 it seems like a forecast of what is happening today. 10:36 Genesis 6:5, 10:39 this is the message we have there. 10:41 "Then the Lord saw that 10:43 the wickedness of man 10:45 was great in the earth, 10:46 and that every intent or the thoughts of his heart 10:50 was only evil continually." 10:54 That's what the condition was of the people 10:57 before the flood. 10:59 And this is why Noah was sent on a special mission 11:04 to call the people to repentance, 11:06 just like John the Baptist was 11:08 called the people to repentance, 11:09 because destruction was coming. 11:12 And God had told Noah to prepare the ark, 11:16 you know the story, 11:17 preached for 120 years, 11:21 120 years. 11:24 But the people did not repent. 11:27 Why? 11:29 Because they had come to the place of forgetting God. 11:34 They were lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, 11:38 and refused to repent. 11:41 And because of this, they had to be destroyed. 11:44 We are heading towards the same condition. 11:47 There are people 11:48 who are very near to this condition. 11:52 How do we know? 11:53 Well, yes, Satan is working hard 11:55 to lead people. 11:57 So that every thought and every intent of the heart 11:59 is evil continually. 12:02 It doesn't take much these days to get people to go out 12:07 and march in the streets and cause riots. 12:10 Doesn't seem to take much 12:12 to get people to shoot other people, 12:16 harm other people, because the love of people, 12:21 it's waxing cold. 12:23 And I encourage you to understand that 12:25 it is time to wake up 12:27 and preach the message to the world, 12:30 because destruction is coming. 12:33 And God's people need to be awake, 12:36 because the Holy Spirit will be 12:40 poured out upon God's people. 12:43 Which people? 12:44 The people that are ready, the people that are praying, 12:47 like the disciples were on that, 12:49 before the day of Pentecost came, 12:51 they were praying, 12:53 they were out confessing their sins, 12:55 they were repenting. 12:57 They were asking God to cleanse them, 12:59 cleanse them completely, 13:01 so that they could be 13:02 a fit vessel for the Holy Spirit. 13:06 We need to be doing the same thing, praying, 13:10 ask God to cleanse us from all defilement, 13:13 take away from us the love of pleasure, 13:16 the love of the things of the world that corrupt us. 13:20 We need to be ready 13:23 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 13:25 so that we can wake up and sound the alarm 13:28 that needs to be sounded in this day and time 13:31 that we live in. 13:33 I'm going to Isaiah Chapter 60. 13:36 In Isaiah Chapter 60, 13:39 I'm just going to read the first part of the verse. 13:41 And then we will look at some comments concerning this. 13:46 In Isaiah Chapter 60, 13:49 I'm going to read verse 1. 13:52 Isaiah 60:1... 13:59 "Arise, shine, 14:03 for your light has come! 14:07 And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." 14:11 So I read the whole verse, Chapter 1 of... 14:17 Isaiah 60:1, "Arise and shine, for your light has come!" 14:21 See, the light of God's Word is shining. 14:25 But we need to turn to God's Word. 14:27 The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to teach us 14:31 wonderful things that we do not know, 14:34 to lead us in our study so that 14:36 we may understand that 14:37 we are living in perilous times, 14:40 dangerous times, and we need to be 14:42 as close to the Lord as possible. 14:48 You see, in Isaiah 60:2, 14:53 the Bible says, 14:55 "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, 15:00 and deep darkness the people." 15:04 This is what's going to happen. 15:06 Deep darkness will cover the earth. 15:10 Darkness will cover the whole earth 15:12 and the hearts of people. 15:15 But if you wake up and ask the Lord Jesus Christ 15:20 to shine through you, 15:22 you can be part of what happens next. 15:25 It says in the last part of verse 2, 15:27 "But the Lord will arise over you, 15:30 and His glory will be seen upon you." 15:35 And verse 3 says, 15:36 "And Gentiles shall come to your light, 15:39 and kings to the brightness of your rising." 15:41 God is looking for a people 15:44 that are willing to cooperate with Him, 15:47 to warn the world, 15:49 and to lead people to repentance. 15:51 God is not willing that any should perish, 15:54 but that all should come to repentance. 15:57 And by God's grace, you and I need to identify 16:03 with God's desire, 16:05 so that we don't want anyone to perish, 16:10 but come to repentance, and accept everlasting life. 16:15 Question. 16:17 Are all your family members Christians? 16:21 Are all your neighbors 16:22 and your friends following Jesus? 16:25 If your answer is no. 16:27 If your answer is no, what should we do? 16:29 Call them to repentance by the grace of God. 16:32 Ask God to give you the words, 16:35 to give you the way to reach them. 16:38 Because, like I said, great darkness, 16:43 and deep darkness will cover the people 16:46 and they will be lost. 16:49 So I encourage you to understand 16:54 that our time is coming, when we must be awake. 16:58 I read to you from Great Controversy, page 464. 17:02 Great Controversy, 464, 17:05 "Before the final visitation of God's judgments 17:09 upon the earth, 17:11 there will be among the people of the Lord 17:15 such a revival... 17:20 Of primitive godliness, 17:23 as has not been witnessed 17:25 since apostolic times. 17:29 The Spirit and power of God 17:32 will be poured out upon His children." 17:36 Praise the Lord. 17:37 This is before the final visitation of God's judgments. 17:42 God is going to bring 17:45 a revival of primitive godliness. 17:48 Are you ready to be a part of that? 17:52 Examine yourself to see if you're in the truth. 17:56 Question. 17:57 If you examine your life the last seven days, 18:01 are you heading towards the Lord? 18:05 Or are you heading towards the devil and the world? 18:09 Where are you heading? 18:11 If you examine the last seven days, 18:15 where are you heading? 18:17 My friend, if you see yourself 18:20 as you examine the last seven days 18:22 heading towards the devil, instead of towards the Lord, 18:26 wake up and sound the alarm. 18:30 You see, I ask you, where are they? 18:34 Where the Enochs of today? 18:38 Where are they? 18:40 Where are the Moses of today? 18:43 Where are the Jeremiahs? 18:45 Where are the Ruths? 18:48 Where are the Miriams of today? 18:51 It's time to wake up and sound the alarm, 18:55 for what is coming upon the earth 18:57 we must be ready. 18:59 Please understand that Jesus Christ is coming soon. 19:04 So I ask you, where are they? 19:08 There's supposed to be a revival 19:10 of primitive godliness. 19:13 The light of the Lord 19:15 is supposed to shine upon His people. 19:17 But where are those people? 19:19 Where are the Jeremiahs and the Isaiahs, 19:24 the Daniel of today, the Paul, the Peter? 19:29 We need to wake up and sound the alarm. 19:32 God is calling through this message to wake up 19:36 and sound the alarm. 19:38 And you may be one that God will use 19:41 to bring many to repentance, 19:43 but praise be to God and not to yourself. 19:47 I now turn to 1 Peter Chapter 2. 19:50 In 1 Peter Chapter 2, 19:51 there is a message 19:53 there for us that we need to read. 19:57 In 1 Peter Chapter 2, I am going to read verse 9. 20:02 Notice what the Bible says. 20:05 "But you are a chosen generation, 20:09 a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 20:13 his own special people, 20:15 that you may proclaim the praises of Him 20:19 who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 20:24 Notice how it continues in verse 10, 20:27 Who once were not a people 20:30 but are now the people of God, 20:33 who had not obtained mercy 20:35 but now have obtained mercy." 20:39 Verse 11, "Beloved, 20:41 I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, 20:45 abstain from fleshly lusts 20:49 which war against the soul." 20:51 So that's the appeal that God is making to you today, 20:55 you're chosen generation. 20:57 He has called you out of darkness 21:00 into His marvelous light. 21:02 So flee from fleshly lust, abstain from the evil, 21:08 the corruption that is leading you towards the devil, 21:12 instead of towards the Lord. 21:15 It is high time to awake out of sleep. 21:18 And I am talking now to those of you 21:20 that are Seventh-day Adventists. 21:22 There's a message that is very interesting 21:25 and powerful in the book Evangelism, 119. 21:30 Notice this, this is a call to everyone. 21:34 "In a special sense, Seventh-day Adventists 21:38 have been set in the world as watchmen and light-bearers. 21:44 To them has been entrusted 21:46 the last warning for a perishing world. 21:50 On them is shining wonderful light 21:53 from the Word of God. 21:54 They have been given a work of the most solemn import, 22:00 the proclamation of the first, 22:02 second and third angels' messages. 22:05 There is no other work of so great importance. 22:10 They are to allow nothing else 22:13 to absorb their attention." 22:17 Wow! Wait a minute. 22:20 This is a message for Seventh-day Adventists, 22:22 this part that I just heard. 22:23 You have been given the blessing 22:27 and a special work to call the world 22:32 to repentance in this final hour, 22:34 and to everyone that joins 22:39 the three angels' messages. 22:40 If you don't know 22:41 what the three angels' messages, 22:43 they are in the Book of Revelation Chapter 14, 22:46 beginning in verse 6 unto verse 12. 22:49 Study them, ask God to help you understand them. 22:53 Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the understanding 22:56 you need of these messages 22:59 that must be given to the world. 23:01 Notice, I continue in Evangelism, page 120. 23:06 "The most solemn truths 23:09 ever entrusted to mortals 23:12 have been given to us to proclaim to the world. 23:16 The proclamation of these truths 23:19 is to be our work. 23:22 The world is to be warned, and God's people 23:25 are to be true to the trust committed to them. 23:29 Shall we wait until God's judgments 23:33 fall upon the transgressor 23:36 before we tell them how to avoid them? 23:39 Where is our faith in the Word of God? 23:43 Must we see things foretold come to pass 23:46 before we will believe what He has said? 23:52 In clear, distinct rays light has come to us, 23:58 showing us that 23:59 the great day of the Lord is at hand. 24:03 Yeah, the great day of the Lord is near at hand, 24:05 even at the door." 24:09 And that's the message that 24:10 we need to understand, needs to be given to the world. 24:14 What are you doing about this? 24:17 Are you studying the messages? 24:18 Are you getting ready for what is to come upon the earth? 24:20 Are you awake? 24:22 Or do you need to be awakened and sound the alarm? 24:28 Jesus Christ is coming soon. 24:31 And for some people, 24:32 perhaps it takes longer or stronger things 24:36 have to happen to them before they wake up. 24:40 I'm reminded of something that happened to me 24:42 when I was in the army. 24:45 In the army, when you're in basic training, 24:49 you're given half of a tent. 24:53 The idea is that you will join 24:54 your half of the tent 24:56 with somebody else's half of the tent 24:57 and make one tent for two people. 25:01 And we were out in the field camping out. 25:04 And a roster was made for guards 25:08 that will be walking around, watching all the tents. 25:14 And we, I and someone else, I'll call him Jeffrey. 25:18 I don't remember quite his name. 25:20 We were given the task of getting up 25:23 somewhere like a two or three in the morning. 25:26 I think it was two in the morning, 25:27 and we had to watch guard for two hours. 25:30 And so it came, the time came for us 25:34 to do our guard duty. 25:38 And how do we know the time came? 25:40 Because the two people before us came to the tent. 25:45 And they said, "Hey, it's time to wake up. 25:47 It's your turn to do guard duty." 25:51 And so, when they made that call and praise the Lord, 25:55 I'm not a slight sleeper as I was, 25:57 back then I was a light sleeper. 25:58 I woke up right away. 26:01 And so my partner the other guy, Jeffrey, 26:06 he was sound asleep. 26:09 So I started getting ready in that little tent. 26:12 And I said, "Jeffery, it's time to go." 26:14 And he kept on... 26:18 sleeping. 26:19 And so I decided that 26:22 I need to shake this guy so that he can wake up. 26:25 Jeffrey, Jeffrey, and I started shaking him. 26:28 Do you know that I shook this man for a long time. 26:33 "Jeffrey, Jeffrey, it's guard duty, 26:35 wake up, wake up." 26:36 And sleeping through that I could. 26:40 I said I can't believe 26:41 he's sleeping through all this shaking. 26:44 And so I decided to get a little louder 26:46 and shake him more hard, 26:47 shake harder, and Jeffrey, Jeffrey, it's time to wake up. 26:51 It's guard duty. Ah-ah, what? 26:54 Okay, okay. 26:55 But finally, he woke up. 26:58 Now, I don't know 27:00 what it will take to wake you up. 27:04 I don't know what shaking has to be done 27:07 in your life to wake you up. 27:11 But God loves you so much, 27:13 that He may allow something to come into your life, 27:17 some situation, some difficulty, 27:20 so that it will turn you to prayer, 27:22 so that you can wake up 27:23 and understand that God is calling you. 27:26 Please understand that God's love for you is great. 27:32 More than you can imagine. 27:34 I'm reading to you from 1 Peter Chapter 2, 27:36 I'm going to read verse 11 and 12. 27:40 1 Peter 2:11-12. 27:44 We already read this, 27:46 but I want to focus on verse 11. 27:48 "Now, beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, 27:52 abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." 27:56 Now we are pilgrims, sojourners, 28:00 but some of God's people 28:02 seem to be taking root in this world 28:05 as if this was all there is. 28:08 There is no afterlife, 28:10 there is no Christ coming very soon. 28:14 We're living our lives like Jesus is not coming soon. 28:19 He's not coming in my lifetime. 28:21 I just don't care. 28:23 So you see, 28:25 we need to understand that we are supposed to be pilgrims. 28:28 This world is not our final home. 28:32 Notice what is written in 28:34 Testimonies to the Church, volume 9. 28:37 Testimonies to the Church, volume 9, 28:39 verse, page 29, volume 9, page 29. 28:46 "If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, 28:51 if every watchmen on the walls of Zion 28:54 had given the trumpet a certain sound, 28:58 the world might ere this, 29:00 have heard the message of warning, 29:02 but the work is years behind. 29:07 While men have slept, 29:09 Satan has stolen a march upon us." 29:14 That's right. 29:16 While the church members have been sleeping, 29:19 Satan has stolen a march upon us. 29:22 The work is years behind. 29:26 I praise the Lord that 29:27 we hear of people becoming baptized 29:29 over there and over there and over there, 29:32 but it seems like on the horizon, 29:36 people are waking up. 29:38 We hear of large baptisms. 29:41 Praise the Lord. 29:43 Praise the Lord. 29:44 But more people need to get involved. 29:47 This should be happening all over the world, 29:50 all over the world. 29:53 I can tell you that God's people need to wake up. 29:59 Satan is very good at leading people to sleep. 30:04 I read to you 30:08 from a Manuscript, 172, 30:12 from the year 1904, 1904, 30:16 "Many are dying in their sins, 30:21 and the Lord looks upon Seventh-day Adventists 30:25 as a people asleep, 30:28 a people in need of conversion. 30:32 If they would only get 30:34 the peace of Christ in their hearts, 30:37 there would be peace between them 30:40 and their brethren." 30:46 Did you hear that? 30:49 If you get the peace of Christ in your hearts, 30:53 there will be peace between them 30:55 and their brethren. 30:56 In the churches, 30:58 many are fighting back and forth. 31:00 Many seem to think that 31:03 their ministry is to find fault among the other people. 31:07 Some people think that 31:08 they have been given a talent to find a problem 31:11 with sister so and so, 31:13 and brother so and so or the pastor. 31:15 Have you seen what, 31:16 how the pastor lives or how he talks 31:18 or how he dresses? 31:20 This is not a ministry, 31:23 you're cooperating with the devil. 31:25 It is time to give up 31:27 those type of ministries of finding fault 31:30 and criticizing brothers and sisters or creating war 31:33 between the brethren. 31:36 Let us come together and pray. 31:37 If you see a fault on a brother, 31:40 pray for that person. 31:42 And the Bible even says that 31:44 we should exhort one another in love. 31:49 If the peace of Christ would be in our hearts, 31:52 there will be peace between us 31:54 and our brothers and sisters. 31:56 It's time to wake up and call people to repentance. 32:01 It's time to get ready for what is coming upon the earth. 32:04 I'm turning to the Book of Romans Chapter 12. 32:08 Romans Chapter 12. 32:10 And there is a message for us. 32:13 Soon as I begin reading, 32:15 some of you may be able to say, "Oh, I know that verse." 32:20 But listen very carefully. 32:22 I'm going to read verse 1 and 2. 32:25 Romans 12:1-2, 32:26 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, 32:29 by the mercies of God, 32:32 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 32:37 acceptable to God, 32:38 which is your reasonable service." 32:41 How is your eating? How is you... 32:45 Are you taking care of the temple of the Lord? 32:50 Or are you preparing yourself for destruction, 32:53 by the way you eat? 32:56 We are to be examples to the world. 32:58 And it says in verse 2, 32:59 "And be, and do not be 33:02 conformed to this world, 33:05 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind 33:09 that you may prove what is that 33:12 good and acceptable and perfect will of God." 33:17 Marvelous. 33:18 This is what we are being called to do, 33:21 not be conformed to the world. 33:23 Where's the world going? 33:25 They're going into more and more corruption, 33:27 more and more preparation to be destroyed. 33:30 We're not supposed to be conformed to the world, 33:32 lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. 33:36 We are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 33:40 How do we become transformed by the renewing of our minds? 33:46 I point you to God's Holy Word. 33:50 I point you to study the Bible 33:53 to show yourself approved unto God, 33:58 so that you may be found 34:01 with Jesus Christ in your heart. 34:04 Study to show yourself approved unto God. 34:07 Study the Bible. 34:09 It has light, it has, it brings you hope. 34:13 It brings you encouragement. 34:15 It is a lamp to our feet. 34:17 Study God's Word is better than 34:21 whatever the world has to offer. 34:24 It's better than binge watching hours and hours of shows. 34:29 Reading the scriptures will strengthen your mind. 34:32 It will renew your mind and prepare you, 34:37 so that when you go to church, 34:40 when you're there, 34:41 you can worship God in spirit and truth. 34:45 You know that so many people throughout the whole week 34:50 are spending time with the world, 34:53 spending time conforming to the world. 34:57 But when the time comes to church, 35:00 for many people it is the time 35:03 when they open their Bible, 35:05 or they look for that Bible app on their tablet or phone. 35:09 That's the first time they do that. 35:12 Dangerous, dangerous spiritual condition 35:16 that the devil can take advantage of. 35:20 So now we go quickly to Matthew Chapter 25. 35:25 Time is escaping from us. 35:26 We need to move quickly through these scriptures. 35:30 Matthew Chapter 25, 35:32 and we're going to begin reading in verse 1. 35:35 I'm going to Matthew 25:1, 35:38 and read until verse 5, 35:42 "Then the kingdom of heaven 35:44 shall be likened to ten virgins 35:46 who took their lamps 35:48 and went out to meet the bridegroom. 35:50 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 35:54 Those who were foolish took their lamps 35:57 and took no oil with them, 36:00 but the wise took oil in their vessels 36:03 with their lamps. 36:05 But while the bridegroom was delayed, 36:08 they all slumbered and slept." 36:13 Now when we read this scripture, 36:14 this parable that Jesus was telling, 36:17 to help people understand that 36:19 we need to be prepared 36:20 for the coming of the bridegroom 36:22 because the bridegroom Jesus Christ comes 36:25 when He's not expected. 36:27 But it says here, they all slumbered and slept. 36:33 They all slumbered and slept. 36:35 Now it says there that they are virgins. 36:39 This is in the sense, 36:40 a symbol to help us 36:42 understand that these are Christians 36:45 that profess a pure faith. 36:48 But it says that the wise took time to prepare, 36:52 took time to get extra oil in case of an emergency. 36:58 They were prepared for the delay. 37:02 The foolish, they went to the same activity, 37:07 good intentions, but no preparation. 37:11 They were wise professing a pure faith... 37:13 They were virgins professing a pure faith. 37:17 But the time when the sound 37:20 was given that the bridegroom was coming through, 37:23 they found themselves unprepared. 37:28 And they said, of course, 37:29 you know the story as we continue in verse 6. 37:32 Matthew 25:6, "And at midnight, 37:34 a cry was heard, 'Behold, 37:36 the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet Him.' 37:40 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 37:44 And the foolish said to the wise, 37:45 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 37:50 But the wise answered, saying, 37:51 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, 37:57 but go rather to those who sell, 38:00 and buy for yourselves.'" 38:02 Question. 38:03 Did the foolish have 38:05 the same opportunity as the wise? 38:08 Yes, they did. 38:09 All 10 virgins could have prepared 38:13 and taken extra oil to meet the bridegroom. 38:18 But five were foolish. 38:21 Are you among the foolish? 38:23 Or are you among the wise? 38:24 If you at this present time examine yourself, 38:28 if you see yourself conforming to the world, 38:32 not reading the scriptures, 38:34 perhaps not even going to church. 38:36 And perhaps even in your church, 38:37 they announced we're going to have a virtual meeting. 38:41 And you don't even take the time to hoop, 38:44 to get on. 38:45 Or perhaps you turn it on 38:47 and go about your business 38:49 doing something else not really focusing, 38:51 not really paying attention. 38:53 Brothers and sisters, 38:56 take every opportunity to learn of Jesus, 38:59 take every opportunity to get close to the Lord. 39:03 The foolish and the wise had the same opportunity. 39:06 You and I today 39:08 have the same opportunity to be awake 39:11 and to be ready for what is coming upon the world. 39:14 If you're not ready now, please get ready now. 39:17 I urge you in the name of Jesus, 39:19 be reconciled to God 39:22 and be reconciled to your brethren, 39:24 for the time of the Lord is coming. 39:27 The time to get that heavenly oil 39:30 is now the Holy Spirit. 39:32 It is now the time to ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit. 39:36 It is time to ask the Lord to prepare you 39:39 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 39:43 Are you ready? 39:46 Or will you be like the foolish virgin? 39:49 That when things are happening and it's too late, 39:52 you're going to try to get prepared. 39:54 The time will come when it will be too late. 39:58 The time that you have available is now. 40:02 Are you asleep? 40:05 Or are you awake? 40:06 You can make a choice today to be awake. 40:09 Notice what it says in Matthew Chapter 25, 40:13 going to read from verse 11 through 13. 40:16 The Bible says, 40:17 "Afterward the other virgins came also, 40:21 saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'" 40:23 This is after the door was closed. 40:27 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, 40:31 I do not know you. 40:33 Watch therefore, Jesus said.'" 40:35 For those listening to Him, listening to the parable. 40:39 "Watch therefore, for you do not know 40:41 neither the day nor the hour 40:43 in which the Son of Man is coming." 40:46 And I say to you, in the name of Jesus, 40:50 watch therefore, for you do not know the day 40:54 when Jesus Christ is coming. 40:57 You do not know 40:58 when the door of probation will close. 41:01 You and I do not know. 41:03 The best thing we can do is be prepared 41:06 for the soon return 41:08 of our Lord and Savior, 41:10 Jesus Christ. 41:12 Now, I read to you from my favorite book, 41:15 one of my favorite books outside of the Bible, 41:17 one of my favorite books outside of the Bible 41:18 is the book Desire of Ages. 41:20 If you have not read this book, it talks to you about Jesus, 41:25 it draws you close to Jesus. 41:28 Yes, read the Bible, read the Bible, read the Bible. 41:30 Yes. 41:32 I encourage you also to consider reading this book. 41:34 It will draw your close to Jesus, 41:36 and will help you understand 41:39 God's great love for you and the plan of salvation, 41:41 and that you can have 41:42 the righteousness of Christ upon you. 41:44 Desire of Ages, page 636 has these words. 41:48 "The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. 41:53 The sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual round, 41:57 and the heavens still declare the glory of God. 42:00 Men are still eating and drinking, 42:04 planting and building, 42:05 marrying and giving in marriage. 42:07 Merchants are still buying and selling. 42:11 Men are jostling one against another, 42:15 contending for the highest place. 42:18 Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, 42:21 horse races, gambling halls, 42:23 and I'll add dancing halls there. 42:26 The highest excitement prevails, 42:28 yet probation's hour 42:31 is fast closing, 42:35 and every case is about to be eternally decided. 42:40 Satan sees that his time is short. 42:43 He has set all his agencies at work 42:46 that men may be deceived, 42:51 deluded, occupied and entranced, 42:56 until the day of probation shall be ended, 43:00 and the door of mercy 43:03 be forever shut." 43:07 So you see, just as the door of the marriage closed, 43:12 and the foolish virgins cannot enter in, 43:15 just as the door of the ark was closed, 43:19 there will be people that want to knock 43:22 and ask to get in. 43:24 But it will be too late. 43:27 Now is the time to awake out of asleep, 43:31 because evil days are coming. 43:34 Horrible things are coming upon this world, 43:36 and we must be ready. 43:41 I was not going to read this scripture, 43:42 but I think I will. 43:45 In Revelation 7:1, it says that... 43:50 Let me read it. 43:51 "After these things I saw four angels 43:54 standing on the four corners of the earth, 43:57 holding the four winds of the earth, 44:00 that the wind should not blow on the earth, 44:03 on the sea, or on any tree." 44:08 The four angels, praise be to God, 44:12 are holding back the four winds, 44:16 so that they will not blow on the earth, 44:18 this, when they blow on the earth, 44:21 you wouldn't, you will not want to be unprepared. 44:25 God in His mercy is allowing those angels 44:30 to hold back the four winds, 44:32 so that God's people can get ready. 44:34 Matthew 24:42-44. 44:39 This is what Jesus said. 44:41 But know this. 44:44 I'm sorry, verse 42. 44:46 "Watch therefore, 44:47 for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 44:51 But know this, that if the master of the house 44:56 had known what hour the thief would come, 44:58 he would have watched 45:00 and not allowed his house to be broken into. 45:03 Therefore you also be ready, 45:08 for the Son of Man 45:10 is coming at an hour you do not expect." 45:15 The words of Jesus are for you, and they are for me. 45:20 Watch therefore, for you do not know 45:23 the hour when He is coming. 45:26 Unfortunately, we heard recently of a pastor 45:31 and his wife that were traveling on the road. 45:38 And as they were driving, 45:42 they were driving a small car and a suburban, 45:46 a vehicle much larger 45:51 rammed into their car. 45:55 That pastor had no idea that will be his last day 45:59 upon the earth, young pastor. 46:02 He had no idea that was his last day upon the earth. 46:05 I'm not saying this to scare people to repentance. 46:10 We don't know how long we have upon this earth, 46:13 something could happen to us 46:15 that will change our course of life. 46:18 So I encourage you to consider, are you heading 46:21 towards the devil and conforming to the world? 46:25 Are you heading to Christ? 46:26 I repeat this because this is an urgent hour. 46:29 This is a time of great urgency, 46:32 and God's people need to be prepared. 46:35 And I need to ask myself, you need to ask yourself, 46:39 am I prepared for what is coming upon the earth? 46:42 Am I prepared? 46:44 Are you prepared for the latter rain? 46:48 If you don't know what the latter rain is, 46:51 I encourage you to keep watching 3ABN, 46:53 I encourage you to read in the scriptures, 46:55 the latter rain. 46:56 For those that may not know the latter rain is the blessing 47:02 that God will give to His people 47:04 at during the time of the end, the time we're living. 47:08 Just as the early rain fell 47:10 upon the disciples during Pentecost, 47:12 the Holy Spirit was poured out 47:14 upon those that were ready. 47:16 And they went out 47:18 with the power of the Holy Spirit 47:19 to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 47:22 Miracles were performed. 47:24 The latter rain will be more abundant. 47:27 And God will pour out 47:29 His Holy Spirit upon His people. 47:32 And they will preach 47:35 the everlasting gospel with power, 47:38 the power of the Holy Spirit. 47:40 Are you prepared, 47:41 am I prepared for the outpouring 47:45 of the Holy Spirit? 47:48 In Ephesians Chapter 5, 47:51 there's a message for you and for me. 47:53 And I read to you from beginning in verse 11, 47:56 Ephesians 5:11, 47:59 "And have no fellowship 48:01 with the unfruitful works of darkness, 48:05 but rather expose them, 48:08 for it is shameful, 48:10 even to speak of those things 48:11 which are done by them in secret. 48:15 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, 48:20 for whatever makes manifest is light. 48:24 Therefore, he says, 'Awake, 48:27 you who sleep, arise from the dead, 48:31 and Christ will give you light." 48:37 Jesus Christ is calling you to awake. 48:41 I was calling this person Jeffrey to awake, 48:45 I couldn't wake up for him. 48:48 He had to decide to wake up. 48:50 He had to decide to give heed to the shaking. 48:54 Give heed to the voice calling him, 48:58 and wake up and get ready for what he had to do. 49:04 It's time for you and I to wake up 49:06 and get ready 49:07 for what God wants to do through you. 49:11 You have friends, 49:13 you have family that need to hear about Jesus. 49:16 If you choose to wake up, 49:18 the scripture said, 49:20 "Christ will give you light. 49:24 We need that light. 49:27 We need the light of Christ. 49:28 And He's offering us that light now. 49:32 I need to turn to the scripture 49:36 that was the inspiration for this message. 49:40 It is found in the Book of Joel Chapter 2. 49:44 In the Book of Joel Chapter 2, 49:47 the scriptures give us the message. 49:51 I'm going to read it in your hearing. 49:54 It says very clearly, 49:58 "Blow the trumpet in Zion, 50:02 and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! 50:07 Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, 50:11 for the day of the Lord is coming, 50:15 for it is at hand." 50:19 It's time to wake up and sound the alarm, 50:23 because the day of the Lord is coming, 50:25 and it is at hand. 50:27 Terrible things are gonna happen. 50:29 And unless you are with Christ, 50:32 unless you're fully surrendered to the Lord, 50:35 that wicked devil can deceive you, 50:39 and lead you to destruction. 50:41 So what will you do? 50:43 Will you decide to repent 50:46 and give yourself to the Lord? 50:49 To wake up and say to the Lord, here I am, Lord. 50:53 Take me just as I am. 50:55 Perhaps you're one among us, that can say, 50:58 Lord, I don't feel like I deserve Your forgiveness. 51:02 I have done so many wicked things. 51:06 But I tell you, God is not willing that any should perish, 51:10 but that all should come to repentance. 51:12 Jesus is calling us to repentance, 51:15 to not be conformed to the world, 51:18 but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. 51:21 Jesus is making that appeal to you and to me, right now. 51:26 What will you do? 51:28 I read to you from Romans Chapter 13, 51:33 Romans 13, 51:34 beginning in verse 11. 51:36 And this is what the Bible says, 51:39 "And do this, knowing the time, 51:43 that now it is high time 51:46 to awake out of sleep, 51:48 for now our salvation is nearer than 51:53 when we first believed. 51:55 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. 52:00 Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, 52:05 and let us put on the armor of light. 52:08 Let us walk properly, as in the day, 52:11 not in revelry and drunkenness, 52:13 not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 52:18 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, 52:21 and make no provision for the flesh, 52:25 to fulfill its lusts." 52:29 Jesus Christ is calling us 52:33 to awake out of sleep. 52:36 It's time to wake up and sound the alarm. 52:40 Will you accept the call of Jesus? 52:43 Will you repent? 52:45 Will you allow Jesus to forgive you for all your sins? 52:49 Will you put on the Lord Jesus Christ? 52:52 I don't know what is in your life 52:57 that you have to put aside. 52:59 But through the grace of Christ, 53:01 you can put it aside, cast off. 53:03 He says, cast off the works of darkness. 53:06 Doesn't say lay off. 53:08 He says, cast off the works of darkness 53:11 by the power of Jesus Christ. 53:14 I encourage you to ask Jesus to give you 53:18 the power to cast off the works of darkness 53:21 and put on the armor of light. 53:24 I invite you to pray with me right now. 53:27 And ask the Lord to do the work 53:30 that only He can do in your heart. 53:32 Let us pray together. 53:35 Our loving Heavenly Father, 53:39 how great and wonderful is your love for us? 53:44 How marvelous, miraculous your mercy. 53:48 We read in Psalms 103, 53:52 "That your mercy is as high 53:54 as the heaven is from the earth." 53:56 Oh, Lord, we thank You. 53:58 We thank You that it is because of Your mercy 54:02 that we are not consumed. 54:04 We thank You for all of the opportunities 54:07 you have given to us in the past. 54:09 But, Lord, help us by Your grace 54:12 and Your power to cast off the works of darkness 54:16 and put on the armor of light. 54:19 Heavenly Father, I pray now for anyone 54:22 that has joined me in this prayer 54:24 and is confessing his sin, her sins before you. 54:28 I pray, Lord, that Your promise 54:29 will be fulfilled in 1 John 1:9, 54:32 "That if we confess our sins, You are faithful 54:36 and just to forgive us for our sins, 54:39 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 54:43 We pray that it shall be done. 54:45 We ask You that the blood of Jesus Christ 54:47 will cleanse us from all sin, and from all unrighteousness. 54:51 We thank you that your blood 54:54 that the blood of Jesus is power and efficacious 54:57 and can do a thorough work in our lives. 55:00 And we ask You, Lord, for this work to be done 55:02 and help us to accept it and believe it, 55:05 and we ask You for these things 55:06 in the holy and blessed name of Jesus. 55:09 Amen. Amen. 55:12 God is good and merciful to each and every one of us. 55:15 And He's asking us to wake up and sound the alarm. 55:19 It is time to do as we have sung for so many years. 55:24 You know the song, 55:25 lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring. 55:28 Jesus is coming again. 55:32 That's right. 55:34 And He is coming very, very soon. 55:36 You know, the last stanza of that, 55:39 that song says nations are angry by this, 55:42 we do know Jesus is coming again. 55:45 Knowledge increases, 55:46 men run to and fro, Jesus is coming again. 55:50 And perhaps you can take a look around 55:52 and see wickedness and evil things happening 55:55 and calamities falling. 55:57 And I'm telling you, calamities will continue, 56:00 continue to increase, 56:01 because Jesus is, Christ is coming soon. 56:04 I close with Isaiah Chapter 60, beginning in verse 1, 56:09 "Arise, shine, for your light has come! 56:13 And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 56:17 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, 56:20 and deep darkness the people. 56:23 But the Lord will arise over you 56:26 and His glory will be seen upon you." 56:31 This is the opportunity we have. 56:33 We have the opportunity of cooperating with Jesus, 56:37 cooperating with the holy angels, 56:39 cooperating with the Holy Spirit, 56:41 so that the world, the whole world will be 56:44 lightened with the glory of God. 56:47 It's time, brothers and sisters, 56:49 to wake up and sound the alarm. 56:51 It's time to allow the work to do the work 56:54 that needs to be done in our lives, 56:56 so that we will not love the world. 56:58 We will love the Lord Jesus 57:00 above any earthly desire, any earthly pleasure, 57:05 any earthly gain, any position in the world. 57:08 It's time to arise and shine for the Lord, 57:12 because Jesus Christ is coming soon. 57:15 And the world needs to be warned 57:18 that there is a time coming 57:21 when the door of mercy shall close. 57:23 And I hope you decide today 57:26 to wake up and sound the alarm. |
Revised 2021-11-16