WEBVTT 00:00:03.309 --> 00:00:08.810 Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, Lord, we 00:00:08.810 --> 00:00:14.189 come to you as we are. Imperfect. In need of 00:00:14.189 --> 00:00:19.629 a Savior. In need of transformation. In need 00:00:19.629 --> 00:00:23.949 of a new life with you each day. Lord, we ask 00:00:23.949 --> 00:00:27.129 that your Holy Spirit will be here with us. Fill 00:00:27.129 --> 00:00:31.050 us, O Lord. Help us to understand the times that 00:00:31.050 --> 00:00:33.640 we're living in. Open up our hearts and minds 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:37.259 to listen to your word. We ask this in Jesus' 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:45.820 name. Amen. On a Monday in the year 2000, in 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.859 the month of September, a young man by the name 00:00:48.859 --> 00:00:53.520 of Kevin Hines got into a bus, a bus that was 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:58.640 headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Throughout 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.859 the ride, this young man... had an internal battle. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.560 And the battle began to intensify in his mind. 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:13.379 He had auditory hallucinations. He had thoughts 00:01:13.379 --> 00:01:17.239 that he was worthless. And throughout the ride, 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.599 he said to himself, if there's anyone in the 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:25.959 bus that notices my anguish and my pain, I won't 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:30.040 do it. So he said that to himself. He waited. 00:01:31.310 --> 00:01:35.689 And no one noticed. Here comes the bus approaching 00:01:35.689 --> 00:01:38.709 the Golden Gate Bridge. He gets off the bus. 00:01:39.569 --> 00:01:43.469 Again, the voices are intensifying in his mind. 00:01:43.950 --> 00:01:47.430 He approaches the bridge. And out of the blue, 00:01:47.590 --> 00:01:52.769 someone puts out their hand, a woman. And he 00:01:52.769 --> 00:01:57.370 looks down. She's holding a camera. And he tells 00:01:57.370 --> 00:02:00.590 Kevin Hines, would you kindly take a picture 00:02:00.590 --> 00:02:04.349 of me? He was sobbing and crying. He looked at 00:02:04.349 --> 00:02:09.629 her, and he obliged. He said, sure, I'll take 00:02:09.629 --> 00:02:14.870 your picture. She did not notice his pain. So 00:02:14.870 --> 00:02:17.889 at that moment, he heard a loud voice that told 00:02:17.889 --> 00:02:23.490 him, jump! And he obliged, jumped, and he had 00:02:23.490 --> 00:02:26.449 only about three to four seconds before he hit 00:02:26.449 --> 00:02:29.830 that first splash. So in those three to four 00:02:29.830 --> 00:02:33.569 seconds, In the nick of time, he made a prayer. 00:02:33.969 --> 00:02:39.830 He said, Lord, save me. Forgive me and save me. 00:02:39.969 --> 00:02:43.210 And then he thought, maybe I should turn my body 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:46.689 and put my feet first so I can hit the water 00:02:46.689 --> 00:02:50.310 with my feet. And that's what he did. He got 00:02:50.310 --> 00:02:53.930 in the water, but then another fear creeped in. 00:02:54.590 --> 00:02:58.370 The depth of the sea. He thought, I'm either 00:02:58.370 --> 00:03:01.789 going to drown. Or sharks are going to eat me. 00:03:02.650 --> 00:03:04.770 But at that moment, when he's thinking these 00:03:04.770 --> 00:03:09.129 catastrophic things, obviously he thought he 00:03:09.129 --> 00:03:12.050 was going to die. I mean, that jump, only what, 00:03:12.129 --> 00:03:17.270 97 % of the people that do that die. But out 00:03:17.270 --> 00:03:20.310 of the blue, he feels some kind of sea animal 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:23.729 nudging at him. And he thought, this is a shark 00:03:23.729 --> 00:03:26.909 for sure. So he starts punching the shark that 00:03:26.909 --> 00:03:28.789 he thought it was a shark. And then he realizes, 00:03:28.909 --> 00:03:34.639 oh. He is holding me. It was a sea animal, a 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.759 sea lion, that held him in the water enough time 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:42.020 for the Coast Guard to realize that they need 00:03:42.020 --> 00:03:45.699 to come and rescue Kevin Hines. And they rescued 00:03:45.699 --> 00:03:50.900 him that day. He sustained major injuries. His 00:03:50.900 --> 00:03:54.460 vertebrae fractured. And I had the privilege 00:03:54.460 --> 00:03:57.000 to go to one of his conferences, and he goes 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:01.229 around the world today talking about... suicide, 00:04:01.229 --> 00:04:05.129 and saying that it is not the answer, but the 00:04:05.129 --> 00:04:08.930 problem. And in that nick of time, he remembered 00:04:08.930 --> 00:04:15.210 to ask God to save him. You and I today. What 00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:17.410 kind of problems do we go through? And in the 00:04:17.410 --> 00:04:20.269 nick of time, we need to make that prayer to 00:04:20.269 --> 00:04:23.449 help us align our minds and our hearts in the 00:04:23.449 --> 00:04:27.069 heavenly throne, the direction of the heavenly 00:04:27.069 --> 00:04:30.209 Canaan. That story also reminds me of someone 00:04:30.209 --> 00:04:34.370 who, in another state, also approached a bridge. 00:04:34.850 --> 00:04:38.389 She drove down, and as she thought about doing 00:04:38.389 --> 00:04:40.930 the same thing that Kevin Hines did, out of the 00:04:40.930 --> 00:04:44.509 blue, somebody comes in, grabs her, and takes 00:04:44.509 --> 00:04:50.610 her to a hospital, a psychiatric unit. He helps 00:04:50.610 --> 00:04:54.850 her to check in. She turns around, and he vanishes. 00:04:55.689 --> 00:04:59.470 Gone. So she thought, could this have been an 00:04:59.470 --> 00:05:03.850 angel? We don't know that. Only God knows. But 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:06.910 even angels are working hard at the time of the 00:05:06.910 --> 00:05:10.470 end we're living in to help us take the message 00:05:10.470 --> 00:05:13.829 to the world, to help us carry the message all 00:05:13.829 --> 00:05:18.329 around the U .S. and all around the world. Take 00:05:18.329 --> 00:05:23.470 heed. Understand the depth of a cosmic conflict. 00:05:24.540 --> 00:05:27.740 Revelation 12, 12. Let's read it again. I invite 00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:32.180 you to go there. Revelation 12, 12. Therefore 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:38.620 rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:42.879 But woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:45.920 sea. For the devil has come down to you having 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:50.860 great wrath because he knows that he has a short 00:05:50.860 --> 00:05:55.529 time. Now. to be able to comprehend the depth 00:05:55.529 --> 00:05:59.569 of the cosmic conflict. The Apostle Paul tells 00:05:59.569 --> 00:06:03.870 us that we need a spiritual mindset. Because 00:06:03.870 --> 00:06:07.250 what does he say in 1 Corinthians 2, 12 -14? 00:06:07.769 --> 00:06:13.370 Spiritual things are what? Spiritually discerned. 00:06:13.389 --> 00:06:17.209 And we must compare spiritual things to spiritual 00:06:17.209 --> 00:06:22.810 things. Additionally, Peter talks to us about... 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:28.519 what they have lived. 2 Peter 1 .16, you can 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.160 go there if you want with me, 2 Peter 1 .16. 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:36.819 He says, we did not follow cunningly devised 00:06:36.819 --> 00:06:44.939 fables. What we heard, what we saw, we were eyewitnesses 00:06:44.939 --> 00:06:48.740 of his majesty. Peter is also saying that, look, 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:52.060 we did not package something nice for you to 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:56.889 buy. We did not manufacture a lie. We did not 00:06:56.889 --> 00:06:59.970 do it with second intentions, with a hidden agenda. 00:07:00.769 --> 00:07:05.509 What we saw, what we lived, who we spoke with, 00:07:05.629 --> 00:07:11.649 our Lord Jesus Christ, we saw his majesty. And 00:07:11.649 --> 00:07:16.290 he walked among us 2 ,000 years ago. And he says 00:07:16.290 --> 00:07:22.339 later on in 2 Peter 1 .19, he highlights, But 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:28.459 we have the prophetic word confirmed. The prophetic 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:31.959 word confirmed. Let's read it really quick, real 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:39.079 quick. 2 Peter 1 .19. And so we have the prophetic 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:43.800 word confirmed, which you do well to heed as 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:48.639 a light that shines in a dark place. Thy word 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:52.019 is a lamp unto my feet. and a light unto my path. 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:57.139 The prophetic word is sure, steadfast, strong, 00:07:57.220 --> 00:08:01.259 guiding you and I today. You can trust it, because 00:08:01.259 --> 00:08:06.339 God knows the future. The study of eschatology, 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:10.939 the events in the final times, should not cause 00:08:10.939 --> 00:08:17.939 fear, but hope, because it is what? The revelation 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:23.000 of our Lord. Jesus Christ. We have the prophetic 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:27.860 word confirmed. And look at Matthew 16 .3. Go 00:08:27.860 --> 00:08:34.019 there with me. Matthew 16 .3. Now, Jesus is speaking 00:08:34.019 --> 00:08:37.559 to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they're 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.620 asking him for a sign. At one point he tells 00:08:41.620 --> 00:08:43.399 them, I won't give you any sign. I'll give you 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:49.450 the sign of Jonah. And here he tells them, Matthew 00:08:49.450 --> 00:08:54.850 16, 3. Hypocrites, you know how to discern the 00:08:54.850 --> 00:08:59.230 face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs 00:08:59.230 --> 00:09:05.090 of the times. You can distinguish if it's going 00:09:05.090 --> 00:09:07.889 to rain, if it's going to be a sunny day, but 00:09:07.889 --> 00:09:12.269 you can't distinguish who is among you. The living 00:09:12.269 --> 00:09:16.970 bread come down from heaven. The Messiah among 00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:20.129 you. And you are still following your calculations, 00:09:20.350 --> 00:09:23.889 saying that, well, Elijah needs to come first. 00:09:24.049 --> 00:09:27.549 And what did Jesus say? But Elijah has already 00:09:27.549 --> 00:09:32.789 come. And who was Elijah? John the Baptist. But 00:09:32.789 --> 00:09:35.970 Elijah has already come, and they did to him 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:39.850 whatever they wanted. They missed the signs. 00:09:40.309 --> 00:09:44.889 Will you and I miss the signs of the second coming? 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:48.009 They missed the signs of the first coming of 00:09:48.009 --> 00:09:52.009 Jesus. But now he's coming as a conquering king. 00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:56.590 He came first as a servant. And this is where 00:09:56.590 --> 00:10:01.210 they had a misperception. A misperception. They 00:10:01.210 --> 00:10:04.149 perceived to be the Messiah as a ruler who would 00:10:04.149 --> 00:10:09.230 deliver them from the Roman Empire. But first 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:13.809 he came for all of us to pay the penalty of your 00:10:13.809 --> 00:10:19.230 sin and mine. In that Roman cross. You know how 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:23.070 to discern the face of the sky, but not the signs 00:10:23.070 --> 00:10:27.190 of the times. Discern, what does that mean? There 00:10:27.190 --> 00:10:29.529 are many ways to define the word discernment, 00:10:29.549 --> 00:10:32.610 but I'll go with one definition here. The ability 00:10:32.610 --> 00:10:38.610 to properly fine -tune your perceptions to capture 00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:44.639 something of value. Properly fine -tune your 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:50.740 perceptions to capture something of value. Perceive, 00:10:50.740 --> 00:10:58.139 differentiate, and make sound judgments. Are 00:10:58.139 --> 00:11:02.539 we discerning the times we're in? Or do we fall 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:06.019 into the trap of the enchantment of the success 00:11:06.019 --> 00:11:10.980 of the world, things that we look for? Worldly 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:15.120 aspirations, what about heavenly aspirations? 00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:20.620 Cares for this world, what about caring for your 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:25.980 soul? Guard your heart and your mind. It says 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:30.279 in Proverbs, for out of it flow the things of 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:36.019 life. Are we too focused on problems and obstacles 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:39.799 that get us... and distract us away from the 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:44.799 Word of God? Because in order to have spiritual 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:53.460 perception, we need time perception. Dr. Simbardo 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:56.539 and Dr. Boyd, what do they say? Our scarcest 00:11:56.539 --> 00:12:00.759 resource, time, is actually much more valuable 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:06.899 than money. Time. The most valuable resource, 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.720 yet the most manipulated resource, time. The 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:16.159 most important resource, yet the most untapped 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:19.200 resource. Because we have to divide our day between 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:26.679 60 seconds per minute, 60 minutes per hour, and 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:30.299 24 hours per day. And sometimes we don't get 00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:33.000 to have enough time with the Lord, and the Bible 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.269 says it's there. right in front of you, either 00:12:36.269 --> 00:12:39.129 sitting right next to your lampstand or right 00:12:39.129 --> 00:12:41.830 around the kitchen area or right around where 00:12:41.830 --> 00:12:45.549 the television is. And sometimes we don't engage 00:12:45.549 --> 00:12:50.169 in that battle with a serious comprehension that 00:12:50.169 --> 00:12:58.429 the time is short. The time is short. And God 00:12:58.429 --> 00:13:03.330 is calling you and I today to redeem the time. 00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:08.960 Brothers and sisters, we are, what, six days 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:13.559 out from an evangelistic series, a prophecy series. 00:13:14.179 --> 00:13:18.320 Less than a week out to start off. We need to 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:22.320 pray. You know why? Because we don't know, but 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.799 for some people, for some people, this might 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:31.419 be their last chance. For some folks, this could 00:13:31.419 --> 00:13:35.440 be the last opportunity that they have. To listen 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.879 to present truth. To listen to a prophecy series 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:44.360 that is Bible -based and based in the spirit 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:47.440 of prophecy. This could be the last time also 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:51.279 for people to accept Jesus as their personal 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:54.080 Savior. Because we really don't know what could 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:58.960 happen to them after this series. So let us take 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.039 that seriously and pray for them to open up also 00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:07.269 our minds and hearts to meet their The signs 00:14:07.269 --> 00:14:09.730 of the times are speaking, brothers and sisters. 00:14:11.190 --> 00:14:15.169 They are indeed saying a lot of things. And I'm 00:14:15.169 --> 00:14:17.809 just going to read to you real quick some of 00:14:17.809 --> 00:14:23.070 those facts that really put us at the edge of 00:14:23.070 --> 00:14:27.450 the end of the times. Let's just look at school 00:14:27.450 --> 00:14:31.210 shootings. How many here have kids that go to 00:14:31.210 --> 00:14:37.289 school? How many prefer to do homeschool? Back 00:14:37.289 --> 00:14:40.830 in the day when I used to go to school, that 00:14:40.830 --> 00:14:43.809 was a long time ago, this was not a problem, 00:14:43.870 --> 00:14:47.230 school shootings. Mass school shootings. Sure, 00:14:47.289 --> 00:14:49.110 the problem was maybe there was a fight here 00:14:49.110 --> 00:14:50.750 and there. I went to public schools, by the way, 00:14:50.750 --> 00:14:53.230 for the most part. And you would hear about a 00:14:53.230 --> 00:14:55.909 fight in school, and you'd be kind of excited, 00:14:55.929 --> 00:14:58.750 like, oh, what's going on? We had no selfies, 00:14:58.950 --> 00:15:01.230 no way they're going to take a video of that. 00:15:01.909 --> 00:15:06.100 But nowadays... That's not much of a problem 00:15:06.100 --> 00:15:09.580 now, is it? Of course it is a problem. But now 00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:12.980 the risk of kids dying in school, it's really 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:16.980 concerning. And look what the stats say. From 00:15:16.980 --> 00:15:26.779 1997 to 2022, there were 1 ,453 school shootings, 00:15:26.860 --> 00:15:30.000 with the number of shootings each year increasing 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:34.460 to a maximum of 328 school shootings. between 00:15:34.460 --> 00:15:38.620 the years of 2021 and 2022 in the U .S. alone. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:44.240 What did God say about the end of times? Did 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:46.960 he not say it will be like the times of Noah? 00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:50.419 And in the times of Noah, what did it say in 00:15:50.419 --> 00:15:56.220 Genesis? Violence was out of control. Violence 00:15:56.220 --> 00:15:59.519 was out of control. Now, the research done about 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.679 school shootings also notes that school shootings 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:08.779 have become deadlier. From seven deaths per shooting 00:16:08.779 --> 00:16:16.120 in 1997 to 2012, now we're up to 14 deaths per 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:20.919 shooting from the years 2013 to 2022 when the 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:26.279 research was completed. That's doubling the number 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:30.080 of deaths between those years. So school shootings 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.289 have become more. more of a problem. They are 00:16:33.289 --> 00:16:37.830 deadlier, and we need to pray for our kids. We 00:16:37.830 --> 00:16:42.129 need to pray for our kids. Natural disasters, 00:16:42.409 --> 00:16:46.389 you see it all the time on television and on 00:16:46.389 --> 00:16:48.830 your iPhone, if you have an iPhone or some kind 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:51.110 of smartphone. Now, according to the National 00:16:51.110 --> 00:16:54.769 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2023, 00:16:55.309 --> 00:16:59.470 the U .S. endured the most billion -dollar disasters 00:16:59.470 --> 00:17:03.679 ever. That was only two years ago. 2023 was the 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:10.380 peak year of how much it costed Americans to 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:14.680 pay for these disasters, surpassing the previous 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:19.440 year in 2020. In 2023, there were 28 weather 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:22.740 and climate disasters, including one winter storm 00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:27.460 or cold event, one wildfire event, one drought 00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:31.890 and heat wave event. four flooding events, tornado 00:17:31.890 --> 00:17:36.890 outbreaks, two tropical cyclones, and 17 severe 00:17:36.890 --> 00:17:42.170 weather and hail events across many parts of 00:17:42.170 --> 00:17:45.190 the country. If this is not concerning to you, 00:17:45.329 --> 00:17:47.930 perhaps this could be a little bit more concerning 00:17:47.930 --> 00:17:52.990 to you. This just came out a few days ago. Researchers 00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:57.130 at Virginia Tech, they are sounding the alarm. 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:02.440 about an extraordinary mega tsunami that could 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:05.960 submerge multiple U .S. states. And what is the 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.400 problem there? Where? Well, the problem is, this 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:13.240 is in the West Coast, it's all about the Cascadia 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:17.019 Subduction Zone, one of North America's most 00:18:17.019 --> 00:18:22.039 dangerous fault lines, which stretches about 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:27.579 600 miles from northern Vancouver Island. In 00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:30.559 Canada, all the way down to Cape Mendocino in 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:36.039 California. So, if a powerful earthquake occurs 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:41.119 there, it could trigger a doomsday wave that 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:43.200 could swamp much of the U .S. West Coast, including 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:46.400 Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:49.220 And according to the researchers, there is about 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:53.480 a 15 % chance of a magnitude 8 or stronger quake 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.940 along this line within the next 50 years. Now, 00:18:56.940 --> 00:19:00.259 you might say, well, 15 % chance, eh, I could 00:19:00.259 --> 00:19:03.519 play with those chances. However, they say that 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:10.279 by 2100, an earthquake is almost guaranteed to 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:14.480 hit in that area. And they, according to their 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:19.180 research, they say that it could trigger a 1 00:19:19.180 --> 00:19:24.900 ,000 -foot tsunami capable of killing 5 ,800 00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:29.400 lives. 5 ,800 people, and another 8 ,000 people 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:33.700 resulting from the tsunami effects. If it hits 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:36.700 a magnitude of 8 or 9, and they're saying it's 00:19:36.700 --> 00:19:41.099 pretty much a guarantee by 2 ,100. I'm not trying 00:19:41.099 --> 00:19:44.720 to scare you if you live out in the West. I'm 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.859 just trying to bring some attention to what is 00:19:47.859 --> 00:19:50.319 happening around the world and how do we need 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:56.920 to respond to these events. And what the science 00:19:56.920 --> 00:19:59.640 is saying as well. But look at what the Bible 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:09.220 says. Luke 21, 25. Luke 21, 25. And I'll just 00:20:09.220 --> 00:20:13.700 paraphrase. And on the earth, distress of nations 00:20:13.700 --> 00:20:18.140 with perplexity. And what does it say there? 00:20:18.420 --> 00:20:25.750 The sea and the waves roaring. This is... This 00:20:25.750 --> 00:20:33.109 is real. The Bible predicted these tsunamis over 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:38.130 2 ,000 years ago. And we're seeing the evidence. 00:20:38.789 --> 00:20:43.390 But the question is, how do we respond to that 00:20:43.390 --> 00:20:48.150 evidence and what's going on around us? Do we 00:20:48.150 --> 00:20:50.470 trust in the Lord that he can carry us through 00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:55.440 these final events? Do we spend more time on 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:00.480 our knees and meditating on the Word? Not meditating 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:05.980 on Buddhist mindfulness, because in the Buddhist 00:21:05.980 --> 00:21:09.380 religion, there's no concept of sin, which, by 00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:13.039 the way, Buddhist mindfulness is a big problem 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:16.400 now in the world, because it's turning people 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:20.839 away from the Word and into this particular practice. 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:27.660 Which does not help the people to realize that 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:29.880 we need to pay attention to the final events 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:35.559 that are coming down quickly. Spirit of Prophecy 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:39.420 says, the calamities by land and sea, the unsettled 00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:43.220 state of society, the alarms of war are portentous. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:47.500 They forecast approaching events of the greatest 00:21:47.500 --> 00:21:52.940 magnitude. The agencies of evil, Because they 00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:57.880 know they have a short space, a short time. They're 00:21:57.880 --> 00:22:01.799 combining and consolidating their forces. They're 00:22:01.799 --> 00:22:06.359 strengthening for the last great crisis. And 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:09.779 look at this. It says, Spirit of Prophecy, Great 00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:12.980 changes are soon to take place in our world. 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:16.819 And pay attention to this. And the final movements 00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:23.630 will be rapid ones. God is telling us to wake 00:22:23.630 --> 00:22:28.490 up. Wake up and pay attention to these things. 00:22:29.650 --> 00:22:33.230 Pay attention to these things. The Spirit of 00:22:33.230 --> 00:22:36.369 Prophecy lets us know that we need to be aware, 00:22:36.609 --> 00:22:40.430 not only of our own personal life, but also care 00:22:40.430 --> 00:22:46.029 for others, pray for others, be someone's hands 00:22:46.029 --> 00:22:50.980 when they're in need, and help them. To follow 00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:55.299 Jesus. Now, when we look at the small bracket 00:22:55.299 --> 00:23:00.819 of time that we have, we can conceptualize the 00:23:00.819 --> 00:23:06.400 2300 day or year prophecy in Daniel from 457 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:09.279 B .C., the decree to rebuild Jerusalem according 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:14.460 to Ezra 1, 1 -27, all the way down to 1844, the 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:17.779 start of the pre -advent judgment. That's the 00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:20.559 longest time prophecy has already been fulfilled, 00:23:20.819 --> 00:23:26.099 and we are living on borrowed time. So think 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:29.000 about that for a minute. Think about that for 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:32.519 a minute. Count the number of years from 1844, 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:40.319 pre -heaven judgment, to now, that is 181 years. 00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:44.680 And how many years did God give the antediluvians? 00:23:45.579 --> 00:23:51.799 When he spoke to Noah, 120 years. So we're already 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:55.559 over that, living on borrowed time. Now look 00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:57.700 at it another way. Whichever way you want to 00:23:57.700 --> 00:24:01.480 look at it, perhaps look at it this way. Since 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:04.720 creation of Adam and Eve, and since the fall, 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:08.339 or since creation, all the way down to the flood, 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:12.750 2 ,000 years. From the flood all the way down 00:24:12.750 --> 00:24:15.069 to the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:24:15.329 --> 00:24:18.890 2 ,000 years. And since our Lord Jesus Christ 00:24:18.890 --> 00:24:22.910 came to earth the first time, until today, that's 00:24:22.910 --> 00:24:28.990 2 ,000 years plus 25 more years. So it looks 00:24:28.990 --> 00:24:34.569 like it appears that every approximately 2 ,000 00:24:34.569 --> 00:24:39.170 years, something significant, something pivotal. 00:24:39.769 --> 00:24:43.309 happens in the world shouldn't that wake us up 00:24:43.309 --> 00:24:48.250 a little bit we are definitely living on borrowed 00:24:48.250 --> 00:24:53.529 time now the greek word for short in the verse 00:24:53.529 --> 00:24:56.450 we read in the scripture reading the greek word 00:24:56.450 --> 00:25:02.670 for short is oligos oligos and in that verse 00:25:02.670 --> 00:25:07.170 it is often used in the context of time denoting 00:25:07.170 --> 00:25:10.970 words such as A little time, a little while, 00:25:11.150 --> 00:25:18.609 a short space. So that short space is telling 00:25:18.609 --> 00:25:23.529 us that we need to move forward. Now in Revelation 00:25:23.529 --> 00:25:26.529 12, 12, as we were reading before, it refers 00:25:26.529 --> 00:25:30.349 to the casting out of Satan at the time of the 00:25:30.349 --> 00:25:34.450 crucifixion of Christ to the end of Satan's tyranny 00:25:34.450 --> 00:25:39.000 over the inhabitants of the earth. And Jesus 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:44.420 says this in John 12, 31. Now is the judgment 00:25:44.420 --> 00:25:49.220 of this world. Now the ruler of this world will 00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:53.180 be cast out. And if I am lifted up from the earth, 00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:58.839 will draw all peoples to myself. All peoples 00:25:58.839 --> 00:26:04.960 to myself. Or in Greek, just the word all. Because 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:09.119 not only did the crucifixion draw, the family, 00:26:09.299 --> 00:26:14.240 the human family to Christ, but also it brought 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.400 attention from all the worlds that did not fall 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:22.160 and from the heavenly angels, attention to the 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:25.980 king of kings who paid the penalty of your sin 00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:29.799 and mine and died that second death so that you 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.759 and I today would have a chance, so that you 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:36.269 and I today would have strength. through the 00:26:36.269 --> 00:26:42.509 trials and tribulations that we go through. An 00:26:42.509 --> 00:26:48.210 article back in 2021 polled about 10 ,000 people 00:26:48.210 --> 00:26:51.630 from all the regions of the world between the 00:26:51.630 --> 00:26:54.650 ages of 16 and 25. So young people between the 00:26:54.650 --> 00:26:58.309 ages of 16 and 25. Now, the results were interesting. 00:26:58.930 --> 00:27:04.869 The article says that 75 % perceived that the 00:27:04.869 --> 00:27:09.190 future is frightening. That's three -fourths, 00:27:09.289 --> 00:27:13.029 75%. Most of the people that were polled, they 00:27:13.029 --> 00:27:17.109 think that the future is very scary, very frightening. 00:27:18.369 --> 00:27:22.130 56 % perceived that humanity is coming to an 00:27:22.130 --> 00:27:26.450 end. That's about half. Half think that, okay, 00:27:26.509 --> 00:27:34.460 the end is coming. And about 39 % endorsed that 00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:37.339 they were hesitant to have children because the 00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:43.539 future was so bleak. And what does Luke 21, 26 00:27:43.539 --> 00:27:48.880 say about that? Luke 21, 26. Go there with me 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:53.299 quickly. What does it say? Men's hearts failing 00:27:53.299 --> 00:27:57.000 them from fear and expectation of those things 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:59.859 which are coming on the earth for the powers 00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:04.640 of the heavens will be shaken. will be shaken. 00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:11.420 Men's hearts failing them. Fear, expectation. 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:16.200 But in Christ Jesus, we go through the time of 00:28:16.200 --> 00:28:20.180 trouble with no fear, but assurance that he's 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:23.619 got your back in mind. But assurance that he'll 00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:27.059 guide you all the way through if you trust him. 00:28:27.259 --> 00:28:31.039 And he will transform your heart and mind to 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:35.589 align ourselves. with the heavenly, heavenly 00:28:35.589 --> 00:28:46.410 host. Men's hearts failing them. Now the word 00:28:46.410 --> 00:28:53.329 of God says, and war broke out in heaven. That's 00:28:53.329 --> 00:28:57.069 in Revelation 12. Michael and his angels fought. 00:28:58.809 --> 00:29:01.670 Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. 00:29:02.269 --> 00:29:05.349 and the dragon and his angels fought, but they 00:29:05.349 --> 00:29:11.250 did not prevail. That's key. They did not prevail. 00:29:12.910 --> 00:29:15.849 The controversy is transferred to planet Earth. 00:29:16.450 --> 00:29:20.549 It might seem that sometimes sin and lawlessness 00:29:20.549 --> 00:29:26.269 is prevailing. It might seem that sometimes things 00:29:26.269 --> 00:29:30.589 are going so bad for your family that it's unfair. 00:29:31.369 --> 00:29:34.549 It might seem that sometimes the dangers are 00:29:34.549 --> 00:29:37.710 too much for you and I to bear. It might seem 00:29:37.710 --> 00:29:41.690 that sometimes economic troubles are threatening 00:29:41.690 --> 00:29:45.150 to destabilize your home. It might seem that 00:29:45.150 --> 00:29:46.849 sometimes you're going through something that 00:29:46.849 --> 00:29:52.670 you cannot solve. It might seem that way. But 00:29:52.670 --> 00:29:58.049 hang on. Hold on. Like Kevin Hines, keep praying. 00:29:58.509 --> 00:30:06.420 Because God will. God will save you. But he did 00:30:06.420 --> 00:30:10.299 not prevail. He was cast out. And even though 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:14.180 Adam and Eve opened the door for sin to enter 00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:17.720 into the world, another door opened right away, 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:21.880 life. Because when sin came in, life came in 00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:26.019 with it through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we 00:30:26.019 --> 00:30:28.970 have the power in the Lord. to see it through 00:30:28.970 --> 00:30:32.950 all the way to the end. But it is the Holy Spirit 00:30:32.950 --> 00:30:38.109 who convicts us of sin, of righteousness, and 00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:41.049 of judgment. If you take away the Holy Spirit, 00:30:41.210 --> 00:30:44.430 which is part of the Godhead, you take him away 00:30:44.430 --> 00:30:48.730 from the equation, you are lost, and the fall 00:30:48.730 --> 00:30:52.970 is sure to come quickly. But God is still calling 00:30:52.970 --> 00:30:57.440 you and I today. To come out of anything that 00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:02.339 is obstructing your personal growth with Him. 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:06.680 Take an inventory of your own life. Examine your 00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.619 own life. David did that as well. He said, examine 00:31:10.619 --> 00:31:18.019 me, O Lord. Examine my heart, my mind. The Word 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:22.680 of God is sure able to take us all the way through. 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:27.039 And all the way through, we will prevail. Not 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:30.880 because of our strength, but because God has 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:35.819 the strength and the ability to provide for everyone's 00:31:35.819 --> 00:31:41.299 need. So war broke out in heaven. The controversy 00:31:41.299 --> 00:31:45.900 is still unfolding today. It's still a problem 00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:50.339 today. And what does Revelation say? Look at 00:31:50.339 --> 00:31:54.930 it, Revelation 22. given us the idea that we 00:31:54.930 --> 00:31:57.730 need to pay attention. It says, Revelation 2, 00:31:57.809 --> 00:32:04.109 22, 7, Behold, I am coming quickly. It doesn't 00:32:04.109 --> 00:32:07.869 say, Behold, I am coming maybe sometime in the 00:32:07.869 --> 00:32:11.150 future. Behold, I am coming quickly, swiftly. 00:32:11.910 --> 00:32:15.789 It is the imminent coming of the Lord. Blessed 00:32:15.789 --> 00:32:19.529 is he who keeps the words of this prophecy of 00:32:19.529 --> 00:32:22.630 this book. There's a blessing to those who keep. 00:32:23.529 --> 00:32:28.309 The Word. Earlier, before that, Revelation 1, 00:32:28.430 --> 00:32:32.230 verse 3, what does it say? Right at the outset 00:32:32.230 --> 00:32:37.150 of the opening of the book, it says, Revelation 00:32:37.150 --> 00:32:39.170 1, verse 3, Blessed is he who reads and those 00:32:39.170 --> 00:32:44.390 who hear the words of this prophecy. Hear, read, 00:32:44.450 --> 00:32:49.150 and keep those things which are written in it, 00:32:49.269 --> 00:32:57.099 for the time is near. Hear, read, keep. For faith 00:32:57.099 --> 00:33:00.640 comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:04.440 God. That is the answer, and Revelation opens 00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:08.259 up a beautiful fountain of precious knowledge 00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:11.920 to put us in the context of the end of time, 00:33:11.980 --> 00:33:16.420 Daniel and Revelation, so that we are founded 00:33:16.420 --> 00:33:22.900 on truth. Not on speculation, on truth. not on 00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:25.799 speculation. So the question is, well, then how 00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:30.039 do we engage? You might ask yourself, how do 00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:34.579 we do this? What strategies do we employ so that 00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:38.039 we can awaken our minds? That would be a good 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:41.400 question to start off for the week as we approach 00:33:41.400 --> 00:33:46.059 the prophecy seminar. As we approach the evangelistic 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:49.039 series, it might be good for us to pay close 00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:51.470 attention to... a few things that I will mention 00:33:51.470 --> 00:33:59.029 now. Hebrews 4 .12. What does it say? Hebrews 00:33:59.029 --> 00:34:04.309 4 .12. For the word of God is living and powerful 00:34:04.309 --> 00:34:10.349 and sharper than any two -edged sword, piercing 00:34:10.349 --> 00:34:14.409 even to the division of soul and spirit and of 00:34:14.409 --> 00:34:20.019 joints and marrow, and is a what? and is a discerner 00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:25.000 of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. 00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:32.159 Spiritual discernment vis -a -vis, through the 00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:37.039 Word of God, discerns the intent of the heart. 00:34:37.719 --> 00:34:41.739 Because on the outside, some people might be 00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:45.860 doing something nice or good for society, but 00:34:45.860 --> 00:34:52.340 if they have... selfish intentions. Is that according 00:34:52.340 --> 00:34:57.199 to the will of God? The Word of God discerns 00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:02.900 the intents of the heart. Ephesians 5, 15, and 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:08.619 16. Another aspect of this time perception, this 00:35:08.619 --> 00:35:11.579 short time we have, to be able to stay in the 00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:15.039 Word and in the Spirit, it says, Ephesians 5, 00:35:15.199 --> 00:35:21.880 15, and 16, See then that you walk, see then 00:35:21.880 --> 00:35:27.239 that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but 00:35:27.239 --> 00:35:31.719 as wise. And what does it say, verse 16? Redeeming 00:35:31.719 --> 00:35:39.119 the time because the days are evil. Time redemption. 00:35:39.940 --> 00:35:45.320 In Greek, the word there is exagorazo, which 00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:49.579 means redeem, which means. Rescue from loss. 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:55.880 Have you lost time? Rescue it. Redeem it according 00:35:55.880 --> 00:35:59.219 to the will of the Father, the Son, and the Holy 00:35:59.219 --> 00:36:03.219 Spirit. Have you lost time with too much internet? 00:36:04.139 --> 00:36:06.860 Too many video games? Have you lost time with 00:36:06.860 --> 00:36:10.420 too much concerns about when to get this, that? 00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:12.760 Nothing wrong with buying things, but have you 00:36:12.760 --> 00:36:15.539 lost too much time on the cares of this world? 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:19.360 That has taken you away from the word, and you've 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:23.239 lost your way. You've lost your path. God can 00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:29.199 bring you back, redeem, rescue from loss. And 00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:32.199 it says also, because the days are what? Evil. 00:36:33.820 --> 00:36:36.179 Now, when I think of that, the days are evil, 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:40.860 these final days, I ask myself this question. 00:36:41.860 --> 00:36:46.599 What is your philosophy of evil? It's important 00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:49.659 to ask that question because we're living in 00:36:49.659 --> 00:36:53.019 a day where certain ideologies will tell you 00:36:53.019 --> 00:36:58.320 that what is actually good is evil. Certain ideologies 00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:04.059 will tell you that the word of God is not something 00:37:04.059 --> 00:37:07.800 good for society, something to be taken seriously. 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:13.460 And they downplay the impact of the word of God. 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:16.420 which has been the most translated book around 00:37:16.420 --> 00:37:19.480 the world, the book that has sustained all kinds 00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:23.820 of attacks. Since the French Revolution, it's 00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:29.340 still calling people to come and be blessed by 00:37:29.340 --> 00:37:34.280 God and to change and repent. What is your philosophy 00:37:34.280 --> 00:37:38.820 of evil? Never forget, evil can hide in wrong 00:37:38.820 --> 00:37:44.489 intentions as well. Remember that sin is... Lawlessness. 00:37:46.010 --> 00:37:48.989 Transgression of the law. And the word there 00:37:48.989 --> 00:37:52.929 for sin, some of you might know, is miss the 00:37:52.929 --> 00:37:59.369 mark. Miss the mark. Off target. What is that 00:37:59.369 --> 00:38:03.289 target? The law of God. What is the law of God? 00:38:03.409 --> 00:38:08.269 A transcript of the character of God. What is 00:38:08.269 --> 00:38:10.650 your philosophy of evil? If you have experienced 00:38:10.650 --> 00:38:14.869 evil in your life, whichever way you may have 00:38:14.869 --> 00:38:18.289 experienced it, you know because you lived it, 00:38:18.409 --> 00:38:21.929 and you know that only it is by the will and 00:38:21.929 --> 00:38:25.489 the grace of God that you do not seek revenge. 00:38:26.789 --> 00:38:32.489 What does God say? Revenge is mine. If someone 00:38:32.489 --> 00:38:36.650 has hurt you in some way, come to the Lord, come 00:38:36.650 --> 00:38:40.949 to the throne of grace. God will make you a new 00:38:40.949 --> 00:38:44.659 person. God will bring you back from your despair. 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:51.039 Time redemption. Another point for the end of 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:56.139 times is to consider this in 2 Corinthians 4 00:38:56.139 --> 00:38:59.539 .16. Go there with me a little bit quickly. 2 00:38:59.539 --> 00:39:06.380 Corinthians 4 .16. What does it say? Therefore, 00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:11.119 we do not lose heart. Even though our outward 00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:16.480 man is perishing, yet the inward man is being 00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:23.019 renewed day by day. Inward man or woman, inward 00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:29.960 being. Just maybe two years ago, and I still 00:39:29.960 --> 00:39:32.800 check the news, there's some tech guy who's a 00:39:32.800 --> 00:39:37.139 millionaire, and he's spending $2 million a year. 00:39:38.159 --> 00:39:42.280 Trying to find the answer to eternal youth. He'll 00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:45.219 wear a shirt that says, do not die. He'll put 00:39:45.219 --> 00:39:49.699 up a post that would say, live forever. So he's 00:39:49.699 --> 00:39:53.260 spending $2 million a year to stay young. And 00:39:53.260 --> 00:39:55.780 he has injections going on. He has all these 00:39:55.780 --> 00:40:00.500 kinds of plans and things. But what does the 00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:04.699 word of God say? The soul that sinneth shall 00:40:04.699 --> 00:40:11.519 die. What does the Word of God also say? The 00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:15.820 grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word 00:40:15.820 --> 00:40:21.019 of God stands forever. If you're looking for 00:40:21.019 --> 00:40:24.300 the fountain of youth, it is found in the Word 00:40:24.300 --> 00:40:28.760 of God that stands forever. And we find that 00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:32.360 through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:37.139 your life to renew your inward. Man, the exterior, 00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:40.440 sure, it's fading. You look at a picture of you 00:40:40.440 --> 00:40:43.199 about 30 years ago. Some of you may have not 00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:45.940 existed yet. You look at a picture about you 00:40:45.940 --> 00:40:49.199 30 years ago and you think, goodness, where did 00:40:49.199 --> 00:40:56.360 the time go? But even though the outward is degrading, 00:40:56.380 --> 00:41:01.960 the inward is refreshed. Each and every day, 00:41:02.179 --> 00:41:07.579 God's promises. And they refresh your mind and 00:41:07.579 --> 00:41:11.519 soul to face the final events that we are living 00:41:11.519 --> 00:41:16.980 in right now. Now, scholars say that the inward 00:41:16.980 --> 00:41:21.980 being is the spiritual self and the intellectual 00:41:21.980 --> 00:41:30.199 self. Spiritual self and intellectual self. Mind, 00:41:30.360 --> 00:41:35.980 will, and conscience. Mind, the totality of your 00:41:35.980 --> 00:41:40.440 thoughts, emotions, feelings, your intellectual 00:41:40.440 --> 00:41:43.039 and psychological phenomena that can determine 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:46.739 your decisions. Will, a decision part of your 00:41:46.739 --> 00:41:50.480 brain. The Bible says, choose who you will serve 00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:54.880 this day. Choose. As for me and my house, we 00:41:54.880 --> 00:42:00.099 will serve the Lord. Volition, will, and conscience 00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:05.780 is the moral compass. Some people may not have 00:42:05.780 --> 00:42:08.559 much of a conscience, but we have a conscience, 00:42:08.659 --> 00:42:12.039 and it is defined beautifully in the Old Testament. 00:42:13.239 --> 00:42:17.519 I believe in 2 Kings. When Elijah says, The Lord 00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:22.619 wasn't in the fire. The Lord wasn't in the storm 00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:28.539 or the quake. But then I heard the still, small 00:42:28.539 --> 00:42:34.889 voice. The Holy Spirit. speaking to Prophet Elijah. 00:42:35.289 --> 00:42:39.809 And over two, more than 2 ,000 years ago, it 00:42:39.809 --> 00:42:42.889 was the best definition of conscience. The Lord 00:42:42.889 --> 00:42:45.269 speaking to you through the Holy Spirit. That 00:42:45.269 --> 00:42:49.670 still, small voice that convicts you of sin, 00:42:49.889 --> 00:42:54.909 of righteousness, of judgment. The comforter. 00:42:55.530 --> 00:43:01.710 The other comforter. Inward being. And now Matthew 00:43:01.710 --> 00:43:05.900 7. 13, go there with me quickly. Another aspect 00:43:05.900 --> 00:43:08.119 that we need to take into consideration for the 00:43:08.119 --> 00:43:14.579 end of times is found in Matthew 7, 13. This 00:43:14.579 --> 00:43:17.500 is a challenge for you and I today. It says, 00:43:17.679 --> 00:43:22.940 enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate 00:43:22.940 --> 00:43:25.719 and broad is the way that leads to destruction. 00:43:26.579 --> 00:43:30.599 And there are many who go in by it. Because narrow 00:43:30.599 --> 00:43:34.860 is the gate. And difficult is the way which leads 00:43:34.860 --> 00:43:40.739 to life. And there are a few who find it. God 00:43:40.739 --> 00:43:46.539 is calling you and I today to be a few of the 00:43:46.539 --> 00:43:53.360 few. The remnant. Few find it. But when you find 00:43:53.360 --> 00:43:58.539 it, nothing else matters. Nothing else matters. 00:43:59.400 --> 00:44:01.400 You don't need to worry about the fountain of 00:44:01.400 --> 00:44:08.239 youth. God will give you eternal life. Narrow 00:44:08.239 --> 00:44:15.199 way. Narrow walk. A narrow focus of attention 00:44:15.199 --> 00:44:19.800 for the final times we're living in. Briefly, 00:44:19.800 --> 00:44:23.920 I'll say this. Researchers who study, who do 00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:26.760 vision science, there was one particular researcher 00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:32.090 that interviewed a couple of elite runners, marathon 00:44:32.090 --> 00:44:35.050 runners, short -distance runners, long -distance 00:44:35.050 --> 00:44:38.130 runners. And she thought that the runners, when 00:44:38.130 --> 00:44:42.489 they are running the race, that they are hyper 00:44:42.489 --> 00:44:45.650 -aware of everything in their environment. She 00:44:45.650 --> 00:44:47.349 thought that, okay, well, they're aware of everything 00:44:47.349 --> 00:44:50.090 in their peripheral vision. But when she interviewed 00:44:50.090 --> 00:44:53.309 these elite runners, these very experienced runners, 00:44:53.469 --> 00:44:58.309 she found out that that's a mistake. They told 00:44:58.309 --> 00:45:01.989 her that is a mistake. We do not do that. What 00:45:01.989 --> 00:45:04.929 we do is the following. About halfway through 00:45:04.929 --> 00:45:08.250 the race, we start looking ahead and we pick 00:45:08.250 --> 00:45:12.449 something from our vision that's right in front 00:45:12.449 --> 00:45:14.829 of us. It could be the shorts of the person running 00:45:14.829 --> 00:45:17.429 ahead of us. It could be a landmark. It could 00:45:17.429 --> 00:45:19.889 be a building that's ahead of us. Once we see 00:45:19.889 --> 00:45:23.110 that, what do we do? We focus on that like a 00:45:23.110 --> 00:45:28.840 spotlight placed there. like a spotlight. Once 00:45:28.840 --> 00:45:31.159 we pass that, we go to the next thing and the 00:45:31.159 --> 00:45:35.000 next thing and the next thing. Enter by the narrow 00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:40.400 gate. And God created the brain with these neurotransmitters 00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:43.599 and neuromodulators to help us focus, like acetylcholine, 00:45:43.739 --> 00:45:46.480 dopamine, which has to do with other things. 00:45:46.599 --> 00:45:50.139 God is telling us today, do not focus on absolutely 00:45:50.139 --> 00:45:52.880 everything happening around you. Just wake up, 00:45:52.900 --> 00:45:56.760 focus on the Word of God. Prayer. Seek him first. 00:45:57.179 --> 00:46:01.219 Seek you first. Seek the kingdom of heaven first. 00:46:01.679 --> 00:46:04.300 And all the other things that you're worried 00:46:04.300 --> 00:46:10.280 about will be added unto you. And last but not 00:46:10.280 --> 00:46:17.840 least, Matthew 24, 12 and 13. And because lawlessness 00:46:17.840 --> 00:46:21.800 will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 00:46:23.820 --> 00:46:30.500 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 00:46:31.639 --> 00:46:35.760 Hebrews 12, 1. Therefore we also, since we are 00:46:35.760 --> 00:46:39.699 surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 00:46:40.219 --> 00:46:46.039 let us lay aside every weight and the sin which 00:46:46.039 --> 00:46:51.219 so easily ensnares us, and let us run with what? 00:46:51.780 --> 00:46:57.920 Endurance. The race that is set before us. Let 00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:02.059 aside the weight, the heaviness Christ already 00:47:02.059 --> 00:47:06.239 paid for that weight. That sin that you might 00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:10.400 be struggling with, Christ already paid the penalty. 00:47:11.039 --> 00:47:16.340 Just focus on Him. Put your blinders on and just 00:47:16.340 --> 00:47:21.440 seek upward the grace of God and God will see 00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:26.239 you through the final. Crisis. And when I think 00:47:26.239 --> 00:47:29.079 of the final crisis, and when I think of the 00:47:29.079 --> 00:47:33.340 times we're living in, I can only think of one 00:47:33.340 --> 00:47:41.179 thing that is amazing to me. John 12, 27. Go 00:47:41.179 --> 00:47:52.610 there with me. John 12, 27. What does the Word 00:47:52.610 --> 00:48:00.710 of God say? Now my soul is troubled. And what 00:48:00.710 --> 00:48:05.570 shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. 00:48:06.510 --> 00:48:12.269 But for this purpose, I came to this hour. For 00:48:12.269 --> 00:48:18.369 this cause. For this reason. When Adam and Eve 00:48:18.369 --> 00:48:21.800 fell and sin entered the world, Life and hope 00:48:21.800 --> 00:48:25.920 entered the world. And Jesus walked that narrow 00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:30.179 path all the way to the cross, only thinking 00:48:30.179 --> 00:48:33.659 of one thing, how to rescue you out of your own 00:48:33.659 --> 00:48:36.900 misery, how to rescue me out of my own sin and 00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:40.179 shame and troublesome life, and bringing me back 00:48:40.179 --> 00:48:45.840 to the lost Eden. For this purpose, that hour, 00:48:45.900 --> 00:48:50.019 we will study it forever. That hour where Jesus 00:48:50.019 --> 00:48:53.380 took your sin in mind, we will consume our minds 00:48:53.380 --> 00:48:57.199 with that and new truths, new aspirations will 00:48:57.199 --> 00:49:00.320 come about through the ages because in that hour, 00:49:00.320 --> 00:49:03.599 your family was saved. In that hour, your problem 00:49:03.599 --> 00:49:07.000 was taken to the cross and in the body of Christ, 00:49:07.199 --> 00:49:10.679 finally dealt with. In that hour, Christ thought 00:49:10.679 --> 00:49:13.260 of you and I today. And if you have a family 00:49:13.260 --> 00:49:20.619 member that's gone off the path, In that hour, 00:49:20.659 --> 00:49:23.820 you and I will continue to learn new things. 00:49:24.579 --> 00:49:29.400 It will never cease to amaze us. With a perfect 00:49:29.400 --> 00:49:32.860 mind through the ages, that hour will protect 00:49:32.860 --> 00:49:35.380 us from a second rebellion because there will 00:49:35.380 --> 00:49:38.880 be no second rebellion. This is the only rebellion. 00:49:39.079 --> 00:49:42.099 This is the only part of the universe that is 00:49:42.099 --> 00:49:45.860 a dark place. And God, in that hour, thought 00:49:45.860 --> 00:49:49.409 of rescuing you and I today. God in that hour 00:49:49.409 --> 00:49:56.670 said, it is finished. It is done. Come to the 00:49:56.670 --> 00:49:59.289 throne of grace and I will give you strength 00:49:59.289 --> 00:50:04.090 in time of need. Praise God for that hour. May 00:50:04.090 --> 00:50:06.489 God bless you and your family today.