Lord, that you'd bless now our time together
in the word and Father, that you would
cause us, Lord, to be, as it were,
like soil.
Lord, this morning, that you could break up
the fallow ground, that you could turn over,
Lord, any sense of complacency or anything that
we might be experiencing.
And Father, that we might be renewed by
your spirit.
And Lord, I pray that you would cause
this message that is that is challenging, that
is prophetic regarding the days in which we
live and an update and all that stuff.
But Lord, as it comes together, may it
be challenging to us and may it be,
as it were, a trumpet, a clarion in
warning to us as believers, to us as
a church.
So, Father, bless now, we pray in Jesus
name and all God's people said, Amen.
Listen, this morning, I'm going to ask you
to grab your Bibles and turn, if you
would, to First Thessalonians, chapter four.
Turn in your Bibles to First Thessalonians, chapter
four.
And as I mentioned last week, we are
going to be going through a series of
teachings right now in light of what's taking
place in the Middle East.
And we will be updating you from weekend
to weekend together.
And we will also, though, be taking you
through, I trust, a Bible study and giving
you understanding and knowledge concerning end time prophecy.
And while you're turning there, church, I want
to draw something to your attention that our
media department has put together.
And I'm grateful that they have done this.
First of all, on July 30th, we gave
a very important update prophetically.
If you've missed this, you need to get
it after service.
You can obtain it.
It's called the Prophecy Update Sunday, July 30th.
By the way, I've been told that this
has been now the record setter of tapes
going out since the history of the church.
About or over a thousand of these have
gone out since July 30th.
And you need to get your hands on
this.
We've got people getting these and downloading these
from around the world right now.
And you can get it to add to
your prophetic teaching library.
Then the following week, and we've gotten permission
from Dr. David Hawking to make this available
out of the Israel Bible Prophecy Conference was
last week's message.
Now, you were here last week at first
service.
But I got to tell you, that second
service was the service I intended to deliver.
You guys were abused last Sunday at first
service.
So this one is available today.
What is Mystery Babylon?
And we look into that in greater detail
than what you experienced last week at first
service.
That is part of the prophecy series.
And then today we are looking at the
Middle East crisis and what Christians need to
know.
This is a very important study this morning.
And you can either get these individually or
you can wait until the series is complete
and we'll have a packet of information or
teachings made available.
So this is a very important time together
in church.
One thing I wanted to point out in
looking at and using First Thessalonians chapter four
before we read it.
It's amazing what has happened since last week
in our last time together.
In the world, in fact, listen to this.
I wrote this down when I heard it.
It was, I thought, pretty profound.
And that is in the words of Fox
News's Shepard Smith.
This is what he said this week.
He said, and I quote, it has been
more news this week, big news this week
to report on.
And in one week, there's been such a
announcement of news that he has seen more
in his life.
He says, and it's not even Friday yet.
He gave this announcement like on a Wednesday
or Thursday, and he was announcing that there's
been more news and big news than what
he could remember in his life.
And we have some images that are up
on the screen right now that are very,
very telling, because you've seen news this week
of the Egyptians that are somewhere wandering around.
By the way, you know, we're looking for
them.
So a couple have been arrested, but a
few of them or most of them are
at large that are known to be suspect.
These guys right here.
They are running loose right now in America,
among, by the way, hundreds of others.
But the news of those guys being lost
came early in the week last week.
And then, of course, you saw the news
about the potential bombings.
And boy, are we getting a lot of
information about that terror in the skies, special
edition, a bottle bomb, suicide attack days away.
And I think we have a few more
slides about that showing you things.
Los Angeles Times terror attacks were very near.
British arrest, 24 an alleged plot to bomb
as many as 10 U.S. jets.
And that network of terrorism is expanding as
we speak right now.
Homeland Security advisory system severe as the severe
risk terrorist attacks are present in America.
There is a heightened alarm and alert right
now.
And I'm trusting, please, I hope all of
you are keenly aware of the news that
is going on internationally.
And in our own America right now, there
is important things taking place.
This week has been a week of news
since you and I last met that we
have never seen before.
And it's not just news about airplanes or
news about terrorists.
You guys, it's around the world news.
There are ones that are that are preeminent.
But you remember this time last week we
were talking about the war in Israel.
Now it's not only the war in Israel,
but it's also the jihadist attack against Israeli
and American and British interest around the world.
And it's escalating and it's going to escalate.
If you understand what your enemy has in
store for you, it will not stop.
It's not going to go away.
It may ebb and flow, though some doubt
that, but it will continue for a lot
of reasons.
We believe that this will escalate into global
and national crises.
In Second Corinthians, chapter 11, verse two, I
want you to have this by way of
background.
Second Corinthians 11, verse two.
Paul, the apostle, said, For I am jealous
for you with godly jealousy, for I have
betrothed you or engaged you to one husband
that I may present you as a chaste
virgin.
That is a pre prepared virgin to Christ.
But I fear less somehow as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness.
So your minds may be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ.
And I want to challenge you this morning
before we get into our study regarding the
simplicity of the gospel that is in Jesus
Christ.
That is your foundation, believer.
And this morning I want to jar you,
if that's possible, into really appreciating what the
gospel is and holding on to it like
never before.
And you're going to hear the reasons why
this morning, why I think you are living
in days that you have never experienced before
and why these days I believe or ordained
by God and what it might translate for
us in the future.
Not only the simplicity of Christ, but the
clarity of the scriptures.
More needed than ever before.
Look with me now in First Thessalonians, chapter
four, for what we read now could happen
at any time.
Paul says, but I do not want you,
verse 13, brethren, to be ignorant concerning those
who have died or fallen asleep, lest you
sorrow as those who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so God will bring with
him those who have died in Jesus.
Church, where are those who have died believing
in Jesus?
Will you point to that location right now?
Are you guys deaf or what?
Maybe you don't know.
If somebody dies believing in Jesus, do they
go to hell or do they go to
heaven?
Can you point to heaven?
It's good.
Usher's get the coffee out now.
Apparently they're in heaven here.
The scripture says that Jesus is going to
bring them with him.
Now watch this.
He says, even so God will bring with
him those who have died in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the
word of the Lord.
Paul is saying, thus sayeth the Lord, that
we who are alive and remain until the
coming of the Lord.
There's going to be a moment when Jesus
comes and there will be those believers alive
at that instant.
The issue is some will be living at
his coming and some will have died and
have gone into heaven before his coming.
He goes on to say that they who
have died will by no means precede those
who are asleep.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven.
The place you just pointed at a moment
ago with the shout, with the voice of
the archangel and the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
That is, listen, don't be confused.
Their bodies of those who have died in
Jesus are in the grave right now.
Forest lawn, rose hills.
Take your pick.
Their bodies in the ground, but their spirit
is with the Lord right now.
Are you with me?
When the rapture happens, Jesus will come out
of heaven, bringing with him your loved ones
who have died in Jesus.
My mom, my dad, my sister.
They will come with Jesus and there's going
to be the shout and the trumpet and
the voice.
Their bodies will resurrect out of the ground
and meet their spirit in the air.
That will be freaky.
That will happen.
And then we are alive in a twinkle
of an eye in a millisecond.
We will be caught up at that moment
to meet them.
Look what it says.
Verse 17.
Then we who are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the
Lord.
Verse 18.
Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
Chapter five.
Verse one.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren,
you have no need that I should write
to you.
Church, listen to this.
Get excited.
Will you please?
Chapter five.
Verse one is in relationship.
Chapter four.
Verse 18 and technically versus 13 to 18.
He's saying concerning the rapture and all that
stuff.
When that happens, he says, you have no
need that I should write to you.
He says, because verse two, for you yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord
so comes as a thief in the night.
Listen, be careful.
For when they say peace and safety, then
sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains
upon a woman and they shall not escape.
Verse four.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness so
that this day should overtake you as a
thief.
The Lord is coming like a thief in
the night, but not to you who are
Christians, to those who are not paying attention.
Yes, but not to you.
You are all sons of the light and
sons of the day.
We are not of the night nor of
darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as others do,
but let us watch and be sober for
those who sleep, sleep at night and those
who get drunk, get drunk at night.
That is in the darkness, morality, the darkness,
not necessarily nighttime, but in the darkness and
the evil.
But let us who are of the day
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith
and of love and as a helmet, the
hope of salvation.
For God did not appoint us to wrath.
That is the tribulation period.
But to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Those are great words.
He says concerning the times and the seasons,
you'll have no need that I should write
to you.
Church, listen carefully.
No man knows the what?
The day or the hour of the Lord's
return.
But always read your Bible carefully.
We will not know the day or the
hour.
But concerning the times and the seasons, Paul
with almost a sarcasm says, you'll have no
need that I should write to you.
Why?
Because if you're walking with Jesus, you are
going to be discerning that we are entering
the season, the times in which the Lord
could come.
When we begin to see certain things on
the world's horizon, we need to be responding
to one another.
Be ready.
Get ready.
Be watching.
Keep a light touch on the earth.
It could happen at any time.
You see, Jack, people have been living like
that for years.
Yes.
And keep living like that.
At some point in time, Christ will come.
Isn't that amazing?
You don't believe it.
Well, you're biblical.
I mean, you really are.
The Bible says in the last days, people
will give up on trusting the Lord regarding
this promise and they won't believe in his
return.
So you're biblical if you doubt that.
But to the rest of you who are
watching and ready, we are waiting.
And I want to talk about waiting today.
I want to talk about things that should
lead us to waiting.
And at times like this, Christian, when we
give an update on the Middle East crisis
and the things that are taking place, I
hope I communicate this weekend and next weekend.
Listen, don't miss next weekend.
It is critical.
You need to come.
Bring somebody to.
We are going to be sharing data.
We are going to have clips.
We are going to have interviews with people
out of their own mouths.
You will hear what the agenda is in
the very near future regarding the Middle East
and Israel and America.
You're going to hear them in their own
words.
Be here.
But at a time like this, what is
a Christian to do?
And I want you to know that my
mission this morning is very, very difficult because
predominantly and I quoted to you before the
words of Mikhail Gorbachev before the wall came
down and the Soviet Empire collapsed.
But he was right.
Mikhail Gorbachev said that we need to act
against America.
We need to take advantage of the Americans
who desire to not want to know what's
going on.
That's a strong statement.
We are suckers for being attacked in a
surprise attack.
It happened to us at Pearl Harbor.
It happened to us in New York.
And thank God for the British this week.
Thank you, Jesus, for the British this week
who caught these guys who were going to
attack the United States next Wednesday on August
16th.
Amazing.
We are suckers for falling into that trap
of being asleep, thinking that it's not going
to come near us.
And I want to remind you that the
last two great attacks against America have been
a surprise attacks, haven't they?
And they've caught us off guard and we
haven't learned a lesson.
We haven't learned a thing.
We are just complacent as we were on
September 10th.
And I want to encourage you, church, to
be alert and to be on guard.
I'm going to give you a lot of
information today.
Write small if you would.
And we're going to go fast.
I want to point some things out to
you about why this message this morning is
important.
And I'm not going to comment on.
I'm just going to give them to you.
First thing that comes to mind is the
escalating war in the Middle East.
You say, Jack, but they are they are
retreating right now.
There's going to be a peace tomorrow.
Don't you believe it?
There's an escalating war in the Middle East
just because Kofi Annan and Condoleezza Rice and
whoever draws up some contract doesn't mean there's
going to be peace.
In the Middle East, the rise of the
Islamic nations toward becoming a nuclear state or
a nuclear religion.
I think that's quite terrifying.
I heard on Fox News this week that
a woman said she's by the way, works
for CNN.
I was surprised by her comment.
She was being interviewed.
And she said on Fox News, she said,
you know what?
If the Presbyterian Church was getting their equipment
together to build a nuclear device, we'd shut
the Presbyterian Church down.
But what we see is an Islamic Islamic
state creating a nuclear religion.
And those are the words almost verbatim coming
out of Iran.
And that is escalating.
The brewing of instability, my goodness of all
places.
Look, this last week, the brewing of political
and civil instability in Mexico regarding their last
election.
There are disgruntled people by the millions upset
and angry.
And there's rumors in Mexico City and beyond
of taking over the government because their man
didn't win.
No regard for the electoral process.
Mexico.
Can you imagine if Mexico goes off in
an anarchy?
That's a little close to home, don't you
think?
Mexico.
The nuclear threat of North Korea is constantly
pressing against the free world.
And then China, the Chinese connection with Iran,
the Russian connection with Iran and connection with
trades and arms for oil.
And Russia has signed a one billion dollar
arms and oil deal with Iran.
That's going on right now.
Vladimir Putin has signed a defense agreement for
Iran.
Russia, church, are you listening?
This is very critical.
You may wake up to this someday.
Russia has signed a contract to be Iran's
defense if they ever go to war.
That better wake you up because things are
getting bizarre in the Middle East.
Because don't think for a moment that America
will stand back, at least at this moment,
if that should happen without defending Israel.
On August 16th, I mentioned a moment ago,
on August 16th, next Wednesday, there was to
be an attack against the United States.
And jumbo jets were to be falling out
of the skies.
And make no mistake about it.
The terrorists that were to blow up the
planes specifically were instructed not to blow them
up over the Atlantic.
Not on all broadcasts, but many broadcasts, you
were hearing that these terrorists were going to
blow the planes up over the Atlantic.
That is not true.
They were going to blow the planes up
over American cities near the approach to landing.
Just 30 minutes out before landing to bring
about the most damage.
When was that to happen?
Next Wednesday, August 16th.
They got caught the other day doing the
trial run.
And of course, it's world news right now
that's changing everything.
The FBI has stated this theory, just a
theory, that August 16th was the target date
that very well may put United States in
a defense mode and a cleanup mode and
a shock mode that could leave the Middle
East open against any possible plans of what
you may be reading about.
That is August 22nd.
Have you been reading about it?
Church, please find out what's the significance of
August 22nd in the Iranian and in the
Middle East world.
On August 22nd in history, that was the
day that Mohammed supposedly got on that weird
kind of strange thing, horse thing, and flew
up into heaven on that horse and ascended.
That was August 22nd in the Muslim calendar,
in the Muslim mind.
Secondly, Saladin, their great warrior, the greatest of
all warriors.
You know what else happened on August 22nd
in Muslim history, in Islamic history?
That is when Saladin invaded and conquered Jerusalem
and took possession of it.
The president of Iran said to the UN
and the United States, regarding our nuclear ambitions,
the world will hear from us on August
22nd.
Now, we believe that he's going to just
make a statement, yes or no, we'll comply
or not.
Some people in the world, including Israel, they're
not taking that statement lightly.
The FBI is speculating that it's possible that
the United States was going to be hit
so hard on August 16th, next Wednesday, by
these planes falling out of the sky over
US cities and detonation of thousands and thousands
of localized bombs by cell phone technology.
Have you been following that?
You guys, if you know what I'm talking
about, you've got to respond because I'm assuming
that you guys are in the know.
They are finding terrorists all across America this
week, some of them up to 1,000
cell phones in their vans, with instructions on
how to strap them to bombs, to place
them in places, to call them, to detonate
them, thousands of them across America.
FBI believes that was going to happen on
August 16th.
While there's exploding explosions taking place in stores
and restaurants and churches and wherever.
Planes were going to be falling out of
the sky.
England told us that what was planned would
have made September 11th look like.
Practice, you say, Jack, you're scaring me, just
read your papers, just read the news.
Church Christians should be more educated in these
areas than anybody else on the planet.
These are serious things.
OK, here we go.
Number one, jot this down.
What Christians need to know is that God,
that the God of the Bible is on
his throne.
Can you start right there?
Mark it down.
Is that the God of the Bible, your
God, your Lord and Savior of the Bible
is on his throne.
Don't be troubled.
Don't be afraid.
And so think of this.
Number one, because that's true.
We see from God's perspective, church, don't be
alarmed.
God is on his throne.
That's what a Christian needs to know at
a time like this.
In Psalm chapter two, verse one, the Bible
says, why do the nation's rage and the
nation's plot vain things?
The kings of the earth have set themselves
and their rulers to take counsel against the
Lord and against his anointed.
Let us break their bonds in pieces and
cast them away from us.
They say he who sits in the heavens,
though, shall laugh for the Lord will hold
them in derision.
Then he shall speak to them in his
wrath and distress them in his displeasure.
We need to realize, my friend, that at
times like this, Christian be encouraged.
Our God is on the throne.
What men perpetrate and plan, God is watching
over it.
I personally believe that it's not necessary to
the brilliance of M5 and M6 in England
that caught these guys.
Though they're working very hard and their law,
their law enforcement is much more stronger than
ours.
They're much more desperate to find the bad
guys than we are.
England is.
But I think God exposed it.
I think the Lord's been hearing our prayers.
And it's God who has kept this nation
from being attacked again.
There's no explanation for it.
Our God who reigns from heaven is watching
over.
And we need to keep praying like never
before.
Christian, don't lose heart.
When there's a suicide bomber in Detroit or
in Seattle or when there's a homicidal bomber
in Los Angeles or on Rodeo Drive.
You know what?
Listen.
Know that your God's on the throne.
Don't be afraid.
That's what the enemy wants you to do.
The Bible says perfect love casts out what?
All fear.
When you realize that God loves you, you
don't have to be afraid.
And I don't want you guys.
You don't want to know me.
I mean, here you know me like this.
OK, but this is my logic.
So you don't want to know me.
You don't want to hang out with me.
But if someone's going to blow themselves up,
can you let me know who you are
first so I can run over to you
and give you a hug?
Because you know what?
Don't cripple me.
Don't wound me.
You come and give me a hug.
If you're planning some evil against this church.
Listen, forget these people.
Come and give me a hug and pull
your trigger.
Because listen, you'll go to your place and
I'll go to mine.
Because you know what?
I may be afraid of pain.
Don't wound me.
Just send me straight into the presence of
my Jesus.
Don't be afraid.
And the Lord, as we shall see, has
warned us about times like this.
We must see from God's perspective.
Another thing, because it's true, we know what's
coming up.
Our God, who sits on the throne, wrote
the Bible.
No other group of people in all of
the world has a Bible like you have
a Bible.
A Bible that speaks and tells about the
future.
Amos chapter 3 verse 7 says, Sure to
the Lord does nothing unless he reveals his
secrets to his servants, the prophets.
Isn't that great?
And the Bible speaks about evil days and
the days in which we live.
Jesus said in John 16, 4, But these
things I have told you in advance, that
when they come to pass, you may remember
that I have told you.
Isn't that great?
Our God knows the future.
The scriptures are filled with exhortations to know
the times and the seasons.
Paul said, you will have no need that
I should write to you concerning the rapture.
You'll have no need because you will be
able to discern the times and the seasons.
Church, this is not another glitch of global
events.
This is a time like none other in
all of the world, in all of history.
I've been a Christian almost 30 years and
I have never seen a time like this
on a global scale.
Anarchy about ready to break forth the Islamic
threat around the world.
And all of the stuff that's going on,
suicidal bombings, war, Israel, its enemies.
We could take months in this church and
point the chapter and verse of scriptures to
show you things that you could study regarding
these issues.
To be alert and to be on guard
is what we need to be doing, to
be watching.
And it's interesting to note that what we're
looking at today are age old enemies that
God has warned about in scripture.
Thirdly, under this point, we can rejoice and
trust that the God who sits upon the
throne, our Lord God, is in control.
And that we can understand who we are
in Jesus Christ.
This is something you need to take home
and memorize.
And that is this, that in Jesus Christ,
you belong to Christ, you're owned by him,
you are his property.
And because that's true, you and I need
to live for him like never before.
In Colossians chapter 3, verses 3 and 4.
Colossians 3, verse 3.
The Bible says, for you died and your
life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, will appear,
then you will also appear with him in
glory.
Isn't that great?
Man, when he comes, it's going to be
a glorious moment.
But listen to that.
The Bible says that your life is hidden
in Christ.
Years ago, I did a study and I
happened to bring out some matryoshka dolls.
You know those little stacking dolls we call
them in the West?
They got one image in front of them
and you break them down until there's just
a little tiny guy left.
Think of that.
You are in Christ.
Your life is placed inside and then Christ
is placed over you.
And your life is hidden in Christ.
That's a wonderful thing.
We need to understand and be reminding ourselves
who we are in Christ.
Very important at a time like this.
When things begin to come apart at the
seams.
When we turn on the news some morning
and there's another disaster taking place.
It may not be 3,000 miles from
home as it was on September 11th.
What will you do?
I pray that you'll encourage yourself in the
Lord.
Number two, what Christians need to know is
that we have a real physical enemy.
I want to stress the word physical.
Church, you and I have a real physical
enemy whose doctrine is to kill you and
the Jewish people.
That is written in their doctrine.
It is written in their books.
And if you believe it or not, it
does not faze them at all.
Did you hear what I just said?
If you believe it or not, it means
nothing to them.
I don't believe it.
That's exactly what they want you to think.
But the doctrine is to kill all Jews
and Christians so that this world can be
presented to Allah.
This is Islamic teaching.
And in time, we will show you these
scriptures.
Keep this in mind.
What Christians need to know in an hour
like this is that we have a real
physical enemy.
The reason why I say physical is because
spiritually, there's no battle there.
Satan has been judged at the cross.
And what's going on in the world around
us is the advent of evil.
And so I want to stress physical rather
than spiritual because the Lord, He alone is
God.
And so, a real physical enemy, and we'll
look at it these three ways.
Number one, they want you converted to Islam.
This is the goal.
If America will just convert to Islam, supposedly
all these terrorist attacks will go away.
That's what we're being told by Islamic leaders.
That's what you can read from the sermons
coming out of Saudi Arabia.
By the way, you can read them at
www.memri.com.
Word for word, coming out of Saudi Arabia.
You can read it for yourself.
They want us converted or we die.
In Matthew 24, 11, the Bible says, Jesus
said, And many false prophets shall arise and
deceive many people.
The word in Greek is, not a few.
And that's happening.
The Bible says anyone or anything, by the
way, that teaches and contradicts Scripture is not
of God.
In fact, 1 John 4, 1 John 4,
verse 1 says, Beloved, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are
God or not.
Because many false prophets have gone out into
the world.
By this, you know, the spirit of God,
every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh is of God.
And every spirit that does not confess that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
not of God.
This is the spirit of Antichrist, which you
have heard was coming.
And even now is already in the world.
That's amazing.
Listen, another consideration is that they seek to
change government.
Yours, mine, for one.
It is the Islamic agenda.
It is Islam's duty to get a theocratic
reign over the earth.
This is the teaching.
This is the doctrine.
That's why democracy is so dangerous to the
Islamic nations in the world.
Why?
Because democracy allows freedom among all people.
If you have freedom, then you could become
a Christian if you have freedom.
You could think.
You could choose.
There is a march against democracy.
I don't know how we will fare in
Afghanistan or Iraq.
Only God knows that.
But we know this.
To a people who for millennia have only
known despotic rulers and kings.
Democracy is a radical thought.
Democracy church only works when there is civility
and where the gospel is present.
Did you know that?
It only works.
Go look at your history.
That's a radical thing to say.
If you don't like it or if you're
challenged by it, go study that comment that
I just said.
Where does democracy work?
It first has to have the foundation of
a biblical mindset.
That's how democracy works.
To love and respect others and to give
them the fair shake of everything, even if
we are diametrically opposite to one another in
color, in status, in finances, and in religion.
Christianity allows that.
If you want to be the church of
the first hug a whale, kiss a tree,
you know, something.
Christianity says you do whatever you want to
do.
It's your responsibility.
You go do it.
Did you know that you can't have that
freedom in Islam?
Can't have it.
You must Islam.
The word Islam is submit.
Interesting.
Yes, I'm very aware that I could get
shot for teaching this message.
Isn't that interesting?
To change government.
This week, again, here he goes, Hugo Chavez,
President of Venezuela, said that the world will
have no peace and no rest until Israel,
the United States, and Great Britain is annihilated.
That's the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.
Amazing.
Thirdly, they mean to kill those who believe
differently.
In Matthew chapter 5 verse 10, Jesus said,
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute
you and say all manner of evil against
you for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is
your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Jesus wrote, that's in the Bible.
It could apply to us in the next
year or five years or ten years.
Jesus said in Matthew 24, 8, All these
are the beginning of sorrows.
Then they shall deliver you up to be
afflicted and kill you, and they shall hate
you, or you shall be hated of all
nations for my namesake.
And then shall many be offended, and they
will betray one another, and they shall hate
one another.
Jesus said that concerning the end days.
Number three in our study, what Christians need
to know, is that your prayer life will
be your most powerful source of strength.
Your prayer life.
Now listen church, I gained to win no
friends here this morning, I'm sure with what
I'm about to say, but let me tell
you something right now.
You have no idea what is in my
heart today.
I would be fine today, I would have
been better off today, if I could have
interviewed every one of you coming into the
church this morning, to see if you're visiting
or what you think or what you feel,
because I would much rather have this sermon
right now, this conversation take place over a
cup of coffee, at a table, with no
lights, no microphones, no recordings, and no strangers.
For this one reason.
I want you to hear the truth, even
if it cost me my life.
I want you to hear the truth, even
if it makes you upset.
I want you to hear the truth, even
if it makes us uncomfortable.
Because you know what?
As Christians, when I read my Bible, it's
exactly what I need, and here's the truth.
Listen to this.
Your prayer life will be your power source,
in these last days.
And that right there, you're going to be
convicted, because you and I are not praying
enough.
I say, now is the time to start
praying like never before.
I say, now it's time to turn off
the stupid TV, and unplug your face from
an iPod, or whatever.
Get on your knees, and pray.
Pray now, before bombs are going off.
Pray now, before something happens in one of
our schools.
I'm telling you now.
The things that are being planned against your
neighborhood.
When I am driving in my car, and
I hear a man call into a talk
show, and say that he's here from Pakistan,
living here, and he said, I want to
say that every American needs to wake up,
that Israel must be destroyed.
And the man on the radio, the radio
host, who you know, very famous guy, said,
where are you from?
He said, I told you, Pakistan.
Where do you live?
I live in America.
He said, no, where do you live?
And he said, I live in Chino Hills,
California.
Almost crashed!
Whoever that man is, by the way, his
name is Saeed.
I pray for him right now.
Lord, save Saeed, and show him the truth.
But my friend, if God doesn't move, if
He doesn't respond to our cries, it will
be the first time God doesn't move.
See, God wants to move, but no one's
crying out to Him.
He wants to answer prayer.
Are we praying?
No, no, we're not praying.
It hasn't gotten bad enough yet.
We have prayer meetings all around this church,
scarcely attended.
It'll all change in the next event.
And then in about two weeks, everyone goes
back to normal.
It appears if I were God, I would
just send cataclysmic events every day to keep
people praying.
Aren't you glad I'm not the Lord?
Listen, Christian, you've developed an ear for God.
When you pray, when you pray, you've developed
an ear for the Lord.
When you pray, God speaks.
That's why I always tell you, when you
go to prayer, take a notebook and a
pencil and pray, and God will begin to
speak.
You've developed an ear for the Lord when
He speaks because you're reading your Bible every
day through the Bible.
We read the Bible together in our daily
reading.
That's why your prayer life is increasing.
That's why your ability to hear direction from
the Lord is getting better for all of
us.
That's absolutely essential.
Also, Christian, by now you have learned to
claim or to calm, I should say, yourself.
To calm yourself in the Lord by taking
hold of those promises that you've been reading.
This is what you and I need when
all the things seem to be coming apart
and the sky seems to be falling.
In Colossians chapter 1, verse 10, the Bible
says that you may walk worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God, strengthening with all might according to the
glorious power of all patience among suffering with
joy.
Also, Christian, by now, you are to have
determined to stand.
You've made the determination as a Christian to
stand with the Lord Jesus Christ.
You guys, what we stand for, it's awesome,
and I hope this is true for every
one of us, but what we stand for
is worth dying for.
And I hope you have that which is
worth dying for.
Number four, what Christians need to know is
that your Bible knowledge will be your greatest
asset.
Know the Bible, Christian, in days like these
like never before.
2 Timothy 2.15 says to study to
know the Word of God.
You'll be able to rightly divide the Word
of Truth.
You'll know how to use your Bible.
Don't sit around at a time like this.
Get serious about your faith, Christian.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3.15
to be able to give an answer to
every person that asks of you.
A reason for the hope that you have.
Listen, your Bible knowledge, you'll find three things
happening.
You will find your faith greater for the
moment.
When I say for the moment, I mean
for that event.
When you take in Bible, your faith will
increase.
Romans 10.17 says faith comes by hearing
and hearing the Word of God.
More Bible, more prayer.
Hey, does this sound like a pep talk?
I want it to be.
I'm sharing with you what the Lord is
sharing with me.
Jack, this is what I want you to
do.
Yes, sir.
Our faith will be encouraged and strengthened and
our faith will be enough for the moment.
Number two, we will experience hope that transcends
the things of this life.
Hope.
My goodness, we're seeing great pictures of hope
coming out of Israel and as the believers
in Jesus Christ are starting to really shine
at this critical hour.
And people are wondering why.
What's different about them?
Faith and hope.
And then obviously, as we are in the
Bible more, you will have His love that
keeps you strong unto the end.
The love of God.
Number five, what Christians need to know is
that the world is moving toward a climax
of events.
Never before in the history that I've known
do we have the players lining up like
we do today.
Jot this down if you would.
It's moving towards a global rejection of God
all around the world.
With all that has happened in the world
right now, wouldn't it be amazing that somebody
would come on the scene with God-like
powers and calm everything down and bring an
answer to the dilemma in the Middle East
and bring economic explosion to the world and
peace and all of this stuff.
That's exactly what the Bible says is going
to happen when there will be a global
rejection of the God of the Bible and
there will be an acceptance of the Antichrist
instead of Christ.
The imposter Christ.
Jesus said, I've come in my own name.
You've rejected me.
Another will come in his own name.
The word, by the way, in that teaching
is authority.
Jesus said, I've come in my own name.
My father's authority.
You've rejected me.
Another will come in his own authority.
Him you will receive.
He spoke that to the nation of Israel
in reference to the Antichrist.
I believe that we are in times.
Someone called the church this week and asked,
Jack, what do you believe about the Antichrist?
Do you think he's alive today?
I certainly do think he's alive today.
I don't know who he is, but I
believe is alive today.
I believe that we are living in that
time.
And if we're allowed 20 more years, 30
more years, 40, 50 more, I don't know.
But I believe that person is alive somewhere
on the earth today.
But the world is moving towards a global
rejection of God.
And I mean that biblically.
There is a big spiritual awakening, but not
toward God.
Secondly, it's moving towards a global destabilization.
The nations of the world are becoming unstable
on a global scale.
Afghanistan, obvious.
Iraq, that is obvious.
By the way, we hope we don't see
civil war take place there.
That would be horrible.
The Sunnis and the Shiites and the Kurds,
it would be horrible.
By the way, there's a lot of information
leading to the fact that Hezbollah has got
its fingers in the events that are taking
place in Iraq.
The southern regions of Russia are now, many
of them, terrorist regions.
We mentioned Russia's new friends, Venezuela and Iran.
Globally, it's no longer an asset, by the
way, to be a friend of the United
States.
That is not your political advantage anymore.
America has seen its days.
We've been saying that for a long time.
Europe has a lack of direction.
They can't even come together in agreement on
a constitution.
They had one, but it flopped again.
South and Central America is moving towards unrest
and corruption and terrorism.
Keep your eye, church, listen, just keep your
eye out for Iran's involvement in South and
Central American activities.
You'll be shocked.
By the way, the CIA has listed 25
nations in the world that pose a direct
or indirect threat to democracy and specifically the
United States.
Twenty-five nations.
You can read that off their website.
Luke 21, 25, Jesus said, On the earth
there will be distress of nations with perplexity.
The word in Greek means with no way
out.
The sea and the waves will be roaring
and men's hearts will begin to fill them
for fear because of the expectation of those
things that are coming upon the earth.
Another thing under this point is that there's
a moving towards a greater anti-Semitic action
in the earth.
The Bible says that as we approach the
end time scenario, Israel will be attacked more
and more.
What's amazing about that is there was not
an Israel until May 14th, 1948.
For 2000 years, there was no Israel.
The Jews were all over the world.
But the first time ever in human history
has a nation gone back and become its
own land again, its own country.
But look at world history.
And what do you see?
Regarding the anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish Israeli belief
system.
Isn't it amazing?
Even if you are angry with me right
now, you disagree with me right now, that
doesn't matter.
But you have to agree with this.
There is no people on the face of
the planet that is universally hated and despised
more than the Jewish people.
And when you ask someone why, they start
giving you the stupidest reasons you've ever heard
of.
And I only wrote down a few.
When you look at world history, what do
you see?
You see Israel being attacked and taken captive
and gone into slavery by the Egyptian Empire.
Did they survive that, by the way?
Yes, they did, didn't they?
Israel was attacked later and then taken captive
by the Babylonian Empire.
Did they survive the Babylonian Empire?
Yes, they did.
Israel then later was attacked and taken captive
by the Medo-Persian Empire.
Did they survive the Medo-Persian Empire?
Yes, they did.
By the way, did the Egyptians survive?
Not that empire.
Did the Babylonian Empire survive?
No.
Where is the Medo-Persian Empire today?
No, that's gone.
Israel was later attacked and taken captive by
the Grecian Empire.
Do the Greeks rule the world and do
they rule Israel today?
No.
But is Israel back in the land today?
Yes.
Israel was attacked and then taken under Roman
rule.
Do the Italians rule the world today?
Don't tell them they don't.
But do they?
No.
The Jews in history were singled out.
And I'm only pointing out two.
The Jews were singled out in history and
persecuted by Joseph Stalin by the millions.
Did you know that?
Obviously, they were singled out and persecuted by
Adolf Hitler in the Third Reich.
And I'm leaving a great list out.
No other people group could ever have experienced
that stuff and nor have they.
But, again, the president of Iran says that
it never happened.
That's in print, by the way.
You can read it.
He said it is a myth that has
been generated by the Jew.
That the Holocaust ever happened at all.
So you can say that to a nation
that is kept in ignorance and have no
freedom.
But this time is different than all other
times.
The Jews are now being singled out by
a unified Islamic world.
And the nation of Israel is being targeted
for a nuclear annihilation.
First time ever.
In the name of Allah.
The Iranian president believes that God has called
him to annihilate Israel.
God.
Allah.
I'm just stating to you what is being
printed in the international press.
And in their own country.
We could go on and on.
Number six.
What Christians need to know is that your
Christian fellowship will be your lifeline.
Will be your lifeline.
It is true, I would suppose, that smaller
churches will fare better in times of persecution
and times of attack.
We are at a great handicap, I guess.
We're a larger church.
To combat that, did I not ask you
as a church a year ago, over a
year ago.
To get involved in home run fellowships.
Because we didn't know how long we would
have the freedom to meet publicly.
You say, well we still have the freedom.
What are you talking about, Jack?
You're out of your mind.
Listen.
You can say that now.
But when there's the first suicide attack on
synagogues and churches in America.
Will you be here next Sunday?
No, you'll stay home.
I mean, I'll come.
I'll be here.
If you want to come, come.
I'm not going to stop coming.
But 99% of the people, they'll stay
home.
Look, if you stay home, then go to
your home run group.
Your small group.
I'm not in one.
Get in one.
Because it will be your lifeline.
That's what Christians need to hear.
Get into a small group.
These are critical days.
Be ready now before it comes.
Your Christian fellowship?
All right, hang on to your seats.
Nothing else may have generated some hostilities, but
this will.
Men, husbands, love your wives.
So where did that come from?
You know what?
As I've been just looking at my own
home.
Thinking about, you know what?
I run 95,000 miles an hour.
When I take the time to breathe, I
thank God for my wife.
Now listen, I can say this because she's
not here right now.
She's not perfect.
Who is?
She's perfect for me.
Husbands, love your wives at times like these
and forevermore.
It's that kind of stuff that matters.
It doesn't matter how much money you make.
It doesn't matter the big deal on the
wall.
It doesn't matter the picture with the Pope.
That stuff doesn't matter.
Love your wife like never before.
If you're doing anything to disrupt that relationship,
then break it off.
Love your wife.
Wives, honor your husband.
Oh, Jack.
Honor.
I'm sure.
Okay, ask God to show you something to
honor regarding your husband.
At least this, God has given him to
be your husband.
If you're going to dilly-dally around with
all this stupid argument with self about, well,
you know, we didn't know if we loved
each other when we really met.
And I don't know.
I don't think he said his vows just
right 10 years ago.
Maybe there's a little loophole there.
You know what?
You are playing games with eternity, my friend.
You are messing up.
Obey God and honor your husband.
And then listen, mom or dad or mom
and dad, provide for your family.
Bless them.
With all of your life.
Provide for them.
In 1st Timothy 5, 8, the Bible says,
if anyone refuses to provide for his own
house or for his own, and especially those
of his own household, he has denied the
faith and has become worse than a nonbeliever.
Provide for your home.
It doesn't mean money.
It means create peace and protection, love, spiritual
leadership, caring, concern, a home and protect them
and defend them against evil, against danger, against
those who would harm them.
Mom, dad, protect your family against the evils
of this world and of this life.
Protect your home.
Protect your children.
Number seven, what Christians need to know is
that the Bible has the answers.
So read the following.
Here's your homework.
Get out your pen.
Everybody get ready.
This is your homework until next Sunday.
This is going to be a quick one.
Number seven, read Ezekiel chapter 36, 37, 38
and 39.
A lot of people in the world right
now believe we're heading towards Ezekiel chapter 36,
37, 38 and 39.
I personally believe that Ezekiel 36 to 39
could happen before the rapture ever takes place.
It's possible.
It will certainly happen before or after.
Read Isaiah chapter 17 verses 1 through 4.
Your homework between now and next week, read
Zechariah chapters 12, 13 and 14.
That's your homework.
And finally, read 1 Thessalonians chapters 1, 2,
3, 4 and 5.
That's the book.
1 Thessalonians.
Read the book.
Read those.
That's your homework.
You can read it today and know it.
You can read it this weekend.
You'll be blessed if you do.
You'll have a ton of questions.
Ask God to answer them for you and
he will.
Number eight, what Christians need to know is
that God is waiting to hear from us
in the area of praying, God, bring America
revival.
You know what?
I used to say this.
I haven't said it in years.
You guys used to get a kick out
of it in context.
But it's hope is not completely lost yet.
You guys, I know America is slipping away
and we're losing the edge in all kinds
of areas.
But you know what?
If God's people pray, God will hear from
heaven and he'll heal our land.
Ask God, join with us in prayer.
God send revival to America.
Revival can trump anything.
Lord send revival.
And remember, this is what I used to
say.
It's not over until the fat angel sings.
Remember that?
Oh, there's no hope.
We're lost.
No, no, no.
The angel hasn't sung yet.
Let's sing.
Let's pray.
Let's cry.
Let's look to him.
Let's call out to him.
It's not over yet.
God send revival.
Well, he's waiting to hear from us.
And he has been.
Listen, he has been waiting to hear from
you.
I encourage you, church, to pray like never
before.
In Jeremiah 33, 3, it says, call to
me and I will answer you and show
you great and mighty things which you do
not know of.
Isn't that great?
God is saying, come on, I want to
blow your mind.
That's the California version of that verse.
God is wanting to hear from us.
He's also desiring to answer your cry for
help.
God wants to answer your prayer.
You need to hear this, Christian.
God wants to answer you.
I know we pray with him.
I'll pray, but he's not going to answer
me.
Well, you pray like that.
You're right.
He's not going to answer you because you're
not trusting in him.
Call out to him.
He's desiring to answer.
He's waiting to hear from you.
He's desiring to answer you when you call.
And listen, he will never disappoint you when
you call out to him.
Never.
I have to tell you before.
And if you forget everything else, I want
to make this public.
My Lord God Almighty has never disappointed me
when I've cried out to him.
Never.
Not once.
Never has he failed me.
Not once.
Never.
He never will.
Number nine.
What Christians need to know is that it's
time to prepare for these coming days.
It's time to prepare for the coming days.
We must never place anything before the imminent
return of Jesus Christ in the rapture.
Never.
That could happen today.
But we must be ready.
Keith Green, who's now with Jesus, used to
say, pray for the pre-tribulation rapture, but
prepare for post-tribulation action.
That's pretty interesting because you know what?
I believe Jesus can come back any moment
right now.
But look, I could be persecuted for Jesus
today.
And that's true.
So listen.
Just be wise that at this current rate
of global destabilization and the events that we're
seeing, you and I as a Christian need
to be very careful.
And look at the screen right there.
I want you to look at that for
just a moment.
Because you know what?
Before you get up in an airplane, you've
got to go through a checklist.
Can you imagine going through the checklist on
that baby right there?
The co-pilot or the engineer calls it
out, and they go, flaps, fuel, check, check.
They check everything.
Before they fire up that jet, they go
through a checklist.
Then there's a pre-taxi checklist.
Okay?
Then there's where they pull into position and
hold checklist.
And then there's a checklist before they roll
down the runway.
Why?
They don't want to make a mistake.
Aren't you glad about that the next time
you get on the plane?
I don't want that pilot up there reading,
you know, People magazine.
Get that thing out of there.
I want you to go through your checklist.
Checklist saves lives.
And there's an in-flight checklist.
And then before you descend to land, there's
a series of checklists making sure everything's right.
And because they're talking about physical life, it's
important to them.
And I'm glad for that.
Is it not more important to have a
spiritual checklist like never before?
We're talking about eternity here.
Are you ready?
I'm going to give these to you.
Write them down.
This is your checklist.
This is our checklist.
And here it comes.
Number one, my faith in Jesus Christ and
nothing else.
Is that true?
Check.
Make sure it's right.
If it's right, if you're facing Jesus Christ
only, then you can mark check.
Number two, all known sin removed from my
life.
Check.
If you're messing around with Internet pornography or
bubbles at the office or Rocky at the
health club, break it off.
What are you doing?
Make sure all known sin is separated from
your life.
Run from it.
Stop goofing around with it.
Jesus is coming back.
Be ready.
Then you can say check.
My heart is set on things above.
You should be able to say check.
Taking in Bible more and more, more and
more Bible.
Check.
Sharing my faith in Jesus with other people.
Check.
Helping my church reach the world for God.
Check.
Praying for those who I know.
Check.
You can jot that off your list.
Serving others in Jesus name.
Check that off.
Rehearsing my worship to God.
We should be doing that a lot.
We're going to be doing that soon.
In heaven forever.
So get really good at it.
Check.
Waiting to meet Jesus here, there, or in
the air.
You like that?
Remember that old sticker?
Helping.
Oh, we're behind.
Anyway.
Waiting to meet Jesus here, there, or in
the air.
You can say check to those things.
And you should be able to do that.
In Matthew chapter, listen.
Matthew chapter 25 verse 1.
Matthew 25 verse 1.
Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened
unto ten virgins, who took their lamps and
went to meet the bridegroom.
Now five of them were wise and five
of them were foolish.
Notice they're virgins.
And notice what they have in common.
Those who were foolish took their lamps and
took no oil.
But the wise took in their vessels and
their lamps, extra oil.
But while the bridegroom was delayed, while he
waited, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight a cry was heard.
And Jesus goes on to say, Behold, the
bridegroom is coming.
Go out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their
lamps.
And the foolish said to the wise, Give
us some of your oil.
For our lamps have gone out.
But the wise answered and said, No, lest
we do not have enough for us and
for you.
But go rather to those who sell and
buy for yourselves.
But while they went to go by, the
bridegroom came.
And those who were ready went in with
him to the wedding.
And the door was shut.
Afterward, the other virgins came and said, Lord,
Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said assuredly, I say
to you, I don't know you.
Jesus said, Watch therefore.
For you do not know neither the day
or the hour in which the Son of
Man is coming.
What's the point?
Be ready.
Number 10, we end with this point.
What Christians need to know is that it's
time to be ready like never before.
Christian, in my life, I've said earlier, I've
never seen days like these.
I have found this last couple of weeks
excited to see my Bible coming alive.
And at the same time, I've made doubly
sure as I look to my kids, and
I've asked them this week.
I've asked them again this week.
They probably don't like to be asked this.
But you're looking at one of those parents,
you know, you know when somebody said your
kid threw a rock to my window.
I'm the kind of parent that said, what
did you throw the rock to the window
for?
I've never been one of those parents that
said, not my kid.
Okay, that's insanity.
As though your kids beyond that.
I look at my kids and I say,
and I told Ashley yesterday, you just better
make sure.
And Rebecca, you better make sure you're walking
with Jesus and you checked all your bases
with the Lord.
Because this has nothing to do with me.
Are you right with God?
And I want to say this to you,
this church.
Christian, I've never seen days like these.
And so I want to challenge you.
Are you right with the Lord?
Things are happening on a global scale like
we've never seen before.
And they will intensify.
And Christians, please get your life in order
before the Lord.
If it's not next Sunday, we are going
to be going through a series of teachings
on August 20th.
That will startle you.
Let me say, I hope it doesn't startle
you.
I want you to be so ready to
meet the Lord.
And look, if Jesus doesn't come back in
six months or 60 years.
Are we not told in Scripture to be
ready to meet the Lord anyway?
Have we fallen asleep and become so apathetic
that we think like this?
Well, you know, when it gets really gnarly
and when I see the tanks rolling down
Payton Drive or Chino Hills Parkway, then I'll
get ready.
Are we that Hollywoodized?
Remember this, the Bible teaches something is going
to happen.
And it's going to catch people off guard.
But not those who are walking in the
light.
Man, I want to walk in the light.
Father, I pray in Jesus' name, Lord God,
I ask you.
And Lord, I pray right now, Lord, just
before you, I intercede on behalf of not
only myself, but my home, my wife and
my children.
But Father, for this church, I ask you
in the name of Jesus Christ, Lord, that
you would galvanize us to be ready.
To be ready in every area, to answer
those who ask of us, to go and
tell those who need hope, to have our
ears and eyes wide open to the news
and the events around us and Bible wide
open, discerning, testing, looking to see whether these
things be so.
Father, I pray that we've had this amazing
week of news this week.
Who knows what will become this week?
Maybe nothing at all.
Maybe something so glorious, something so wonderful.
That there'll be a shout, the voice of
the archangel and the trumpet of God.
I pray that's what happens this week.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Hey, bizarre isn't it?