Welcome to from the pulpit and classic sermons
each week We bring you a different message
from some of history's greatest speakers in the
Christian faith and powerful sermons for modern preachers,
too This week we have Denny Canaston with
his message the approaching wave of persecution.
Oh But they say and all many say
multitude say today Relax Don't worry about a
thing The Rapture will be our escape.
I Don't believe that brothers and sisters the
Rapture will not be our escape Yes, it
may be our final escape But it will
not be our escape from this war that
we're talking about here that we read about
it will not be our escape In fact,
it's allowed by God to be a proving
ground to see who loves him I mean,
why would God let us escape the war
since we're soldiers.
Oh Relax, don't worry.
The Rapture will be our escape Yeah tell
that to the Russian Christians and the Christians
in Uganda and the Christians in Rwanda and
the Christians are in China.
Tell that to the Christians who live in
Muslim lands today Don't worry about a thing.
The Rapture is going to come and snatch
us all out of here.
Oh Brothers and sisters we need to recognize
that that is not the truth Trouble is
coming.
I remember the sad story that was given
to me I read it somewhere in a
book of The fruit the results of wrong
teaching that the missionaries gave to the Chinese
Christians This kind of teaching that I just
talked to you about and the Chinese Christians.
They thought hey Before things get tough The
Rapture will come and all of a sudden
the Boxer Rebellion broke out and after the
Boxer Rebellion more trouble and after that trouble
more trouble and finally the Cultural Revolution and
literally thousands and ten thousands of Christians have
been martyred in China and Many of the
Christians who believed that this is just gonna
all be swept away for us through the
Rapture Many of them gave up the thing
Because they were different disillusioned all of a
sudden trouble is everywhere and they thought we're
going to be snatched out of the way
as I see it at the time of
the end God's people will be persecuted in
all parts of the world That's what I
see in the Scriptures And I don't think
you have to be a great student in
order to see that and discern it God's
people will be persecuted in all the world
Our day is coming this wave of persecution
is coming and We need to be awake
and we need to be alert to the
fact that it's going to come Some have
said to me brother Denny.
There is a conspiracy here in the United
States To bring the people of America into
bondage Maybe you've heard those things too There's
a conspiracy going on There are men working
behind the scenes and their whole goal is
to bring all of America into bondage What
are we going to do about it?
nothing, what is a conspiracy a Conspiracy here's
the definition out of the dictionary is people
working together secretly to do something that is
wrong That's what a conspiracy is They say
that the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds and Many
other of the world's wealthy elite are the
ones that are behind this Conspiracy and they're
working in a certain direction To bring about
a one-world government that they will rule
with a one-world monetary system Which they'll
be in charge of and it's a conspiracy.
We need to stop it You know when
I start thinking that through a little bit
I think now wait a minute what do
you want to stop?
Do you want to stop the very thing
that God is going to bring at the
time of the end?
Which will bring the final battle and bring
the Lord Jesus Christ back to this earth
and all of those things you want to
stop that I Don't want to stop that.
I don't know about Rockefeller and Rothschild and
all those wealthy elite But this I do
know let's just look one step further behind
the scenes Satan and all of his demons
are in a Conspiracy to do just these
things that we see here in the scriptures
and they're working behind the scenes Remember these
things are determined They are determined just like
the crucifixion of Christ was determined Every step
that the devil's take closer to their goal
Every step that the wealthy elite take closer
to their goal is just like the crucifixion
It will actually be their final doom Do
we want to stop all of that?
Do we want to get on some political
bandwagon and try to stop all these things?
Well, it just depends on which kingdom you're
in You know, which kingdom are you in?
But do we want to stop all those
things in my own heart?
I think no, I don't want to stop
them I want to get ready for Because
they are coming Yeah, there are men working
behind the scenes But remember there's a devil
behind those men and the devil's working behind
the scenes to bring about all the things
which will be the final end and The
devil usually uses men To get his work
done.
So it doesn't matter to me if it's
Rockefeller Rothschild or some other men You know,
it really doesn't matter Let's pull back far
enough that we can see this thing from
God's perspective The devil is conspiring for a
one-world order for a one-world religion
for a one-world Monetary system and for
a one-world rumor and it's gonna happen
Amen You can't stop it.
It's gonna happen God's letting it happen.
God wants it to happen.
The wave is coming brothers and sisters This
is not for us to worry about It
is for us to prepare Look up
Your redemption is drawing nigh But There's gonna
be a war before that redemption We need
to get ready for the war Because it's
coming here and it's coming sooner than you
think we have read in the Bible We
know that trouble is coming we also know
who will win hallelujah and We also know
how to win We win by dying We
win by dying My plea is that we
will believe it that the wave is coming
that we will believe it and Prepare and
I don't know when the wave is coming
Maybe it's four years away My personal opinion,
I don't think it's 20 years away.
I Think we're going to be shocked Most
of God's people are going to be shocked
all of a sudden Everything's gonna change in
this land and we're going to be shocked
but God wants us to be prepared and
That's the burden of the message this morning
Maybe it's only four years away.
Let's just for the sake of Illustration let's
just put it in that slot four years
and the wave is going to hit This
side of the United States.
Let's just say it's four years away How
should that affect my life?
number one How can I prepare I need
to learn my Bible I Need to learn
my Bible They're going to take my Bible
away from me.
Is that right?
They're going to take it away from me
But they cannot take it away from me
if it is in my heart.
Amen We need to learn our Bible History
is clear.
One of the first things that they will
take away is our Bible.
Oh Lord wake us up They're gonna take
our Bibles away the evil authorities know That
if they cut off the source of our
strength the Bible Then they can pretty well
keep us in the place that they want
us to be in But all brothers and
sisters let us get ready now Let us
learn our Bibles Let us read it.
Let us study it.
Let us memorize it.
Let us Treasure it the day will come
the day will come when a Bible like
this will be more valuable than pure solid
gold and And if we get a hold
of one again We'll hold it in our
hands and we'll weep tears of gratitude that
we have one that day is coming And
we have them all over our house and
we read the Lancaster farming You know and
we get on the internet and we zoom
here and get us this information and that
information And the devil's just laughing while we're
wasting hours that we could be putting in
this book Hiding it in our heart.
They're gonna take our Bible away agreed Huh?
They'll take it away They're going to take
it away They can't take it out of
here Hallelujah, they can't take it out of
here.
No way in fact Testimonies would read that
if it's in here and they take this
one away from you.
It just starts bubbling out He the Holy
Ghost the Comforter shall bring to you bring
to remembrance all the things you need to
know How through his word which we've hidden
in our hearts the early and the Baptist
spent much time in the Bible And hiding
the word in their hearts it's very evident
when you read the martyrs mirror, they knew
their Bibles inside and out and Remember that
was back when you didn't have Bibles like
this that you could carry around They had
to go out of their way to learn
the Bible, but they learned the Bible When
they were at work, they had portions of
the scripture up there while they were doing
whatever their work was working with their hands
They kept their minds free so that they
could learn the Bible And it became their
strength and their shield When the heat was
on Brothers and sisters, there are a lot
of things in this land that we live
in that are a waste of time No,
they're not wicked, but they're just a waste
of time number two in Preparation let us
study persecution Let us become students of persecution
now you may think this is a very
morbid point But stay with me.
Let's go deeper Let's look beyond the natural
response and see the spiritual realities of what
takes place if we become a student of
persecution this will cause you to meditate upon
persecution and God wants us to meditate upon
persecution the purpose of meditation is mental practice
the purpose of meditation is preparation for reality
That's one of the purposes of meditation Now
let's read this verse in Hebrews.
Can we turn over there?
Very interesting verse a command by the way
that God gives to us people of God
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 3 says these
words Hebrews 13 3 Remember them that are
in bonds Those that are persecuted and thrown
in prison in chains and all other things
remember them that are in bonds as bound
with them and Them which suffer adversity as
being yourself also in the body Now God
is asking us to put our mind upon
those who are suffering persecution so again when
Witnesses come from other lands and share with
us and people give us periodicals and we
read about it It gives us the opportunity
to put ourselves in their shoes That's what
this verse is saying Put yourself in the
shoes of those that are suffering because you
are also in the same body because the
body of Christ is one and And Remember
those that are in bonds as if you
were also bound with them in other words
God is saying I want you to get
very close in your Identification with those who
suffer put yourself there in jail next to
them That move a lot of things you'll
pray for them more if you do that
number two It'll begin to prepare your own
heart My day is also coming and see
God needs to get us over the hump
right now we go.
Oh My day is coming Am I gonna
be able to handle it all Lord?
You know God needs to get us over
that hump to where we say Yes My
day is also coming Bring it on Lord
bring on God needs to get us over
that hump See that's we're talking about a
war.
Amen No soldiers go out to war going
oh, I hope I didn't make it move
you know no, that's not how a soldier
is Remember them that are in bonds as
if you were bound with them and those
that suffer as if you're also in their
body because you are and What does this
do?
It causes us to think upon them It
causes us to put ourselves in their place
and it begins to prepare our own hearts
and I believe we need to do that
He wants us to become students This can
be difficult in a prosperous land.
We are so easily lulled to sleep Remember
the Anabaptists they have their martyrs mirror and
there's one in almost every house I'm not
sure how many of them are reading it
these days, but it's on the shelf there.
Maybe you have one on your shelf My
personal opinion is it doesn't hurt to let
your children read the martyrs mirror And it's
good for us to read it also or
Fox's Book of Martyrs These are good number
three Live for the Lord now Learn to
walk in the fear of God and the
comfort of the Holy Ghost now Nothing will
prepare us more than that Some are fearful
How will I ever make it?
Live for the Lord now brothers and sisters
do it with all your heart Some have
said how can I know that I will
endure when those difficult days come?
I want to tell you how God's grace
is manifold Many-folded if we walk in
his grace today God will give us the
grace to suffer persecution tomorrow It works that
way God will give us what we need
think about it.
There is dying grace You don't need dying
grace until you're laying on your deathbed But
how many of God's people God's faithful people
lay on their deathbed and say oh the
grace that God has given to me While
I'm dying That's the way it works there
is Sickness and suffering grace and some of
us in this room know what that's all
about how the grace of God comes when
you're really going through a sick time or
a Painful time or or a time of
much suffering in your body.
It's like the grace of God comes upon
you When you lose a loved one there's
grace to lose a loved one and how
many times we've went to a funeral and
talked to those that are still alive and
Heard them say I can't believe the grace
that God is pouring on me But my
friends that grace God is pouring upon the
faithful So all you need to do is
learn to walk in the fear of God
and the comfort of the Holy Spirit Day
by day when that wave comes we'll be
ready We will have that strength.
God will shower us with the strength that
we need He will just like he does
in all those other difficult things that we
have faced.
He will be But here's the challenge if
you can't live for him now You surely
won't be able to die for him or
suffer for him, which by the way is
more difficult than dying for him Real easy
to just shoot me in the head and
be done but they may stick you in
a prison for three months and Torture you
before they kill you But if you cannot
live for him now You will not be
able to die for him.
I guarantee it God said these words to
Jeremiah.
I think it's in chapter 12 Jeremiah was
complaining a bit to God about how tough
things were and how the people aren't listening
to him and all of that and God
said these words Jeremiah If the footmen tire
you what will you do when the horses
come a good word?
My frank opinion is we don't even have
any footmen There ain't even any footmen around
yet.
We need to get ready number four moving
along here arm yourselves with a mind to
suffer and deny yourself Arm yourself with this
mind Like it says in first Peter chapter
4 verse 1 and 2 Arm yourselves with
the same mind in the way that Christ
suffered arm Yourselves with the same mind God
says We Americans tend to take the easy
way We do it without even thinking That's
not going to work We should be rather
thinking.
I think I'll take the harder way But
we tend to take the easy way don't
we Hmm.
I do Anybody else like that?
We just tend to take the easy, you
know, here's a couple of options.
Oh, I'll take this He's a nice car
not so nice.
Oh, I'll take this one.
We Americans tend to take the easy way
We do it without even thinking but we
must go a different way if we're going
to prepare for this wave That's coming because
it's coming Choose the hard way do it
on first purpose Suffering is good Learn to
bear it patiently Learn learn to endure hardness
now as a good soldier of Jesus Christ
In prison the testimonies are like this Christians
last longer than others in prison Why?
They have a mind to suffer They're not
afraid to die Fasting is not a problem
to them fellowship with God is a reality
of them and Christians always last longer than
other people who are thrown in prison and
put under difficult Circumstances let us prepare our
minds These things are going to come upon
us number five We need to change our
mind about material things We need to change
our mind about material things mark this down
Persecution and poverty are always sisters is Persecution
coming to our land brothers and sisters Poverty
will come right along with it Do we
know how to live in poverty?
Are we prepared at all to live in
poverty?
Persecution and poverty are twin sisters It is
the first thing that the authorities do every
time is they take away your money They
take away your land.
They take away your house It's the first
thing that goes Take away all their money,
and they can't do anything Are we ready
to live in poverty?
We must lower our standard of living and
learn to be content with it You hear
me?
We need to lower our standard of living
The persecuting government always chases you from your
home Finds you large sums of money for
whatever you did Refuses you the best jobs
seizes your property and Pushes you into a
little apartment somewhere, and that's where you live
with your five children That's what they do.
Are we ready for that and Ultimately and
we all know this The market the beast
will come and you will not be able
to buy or sell without it Which means
we're going to be in poverty if not
starvation then We need to change our mind
about materialism as We prepare for what is
coming We should read we should read in
Mark chapter 10 If you can turn over
there with me in your Bibles Important scripture
in light of this subject, and I'd like
us to read it It speaks about persecution
down toward the end of the this portion
of scripture But I'd like us just to
just to hold persecution over these verses while
we read it in Mark chapter 10 verse
23 and following Jesus looked around about and
saith unto his disciples How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom of
God and The disciples were astonished at his
words, but Jesus answereth again and saith unto
them children How hard it is for them
that trust in riches to enter into the
kingdom of God?
Taking it a little deeper there He made
this statement now He's giving some of the
principles behind this statement if you have lots
of money you tend to trust in that
money And if you're trusting in the money
you cannot enter into the kingdom He goes
further it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle Then
for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God and they were astonished out
of measure whoa saying among themselves who then
can be saved and Jesus looking upon them
saith With men it is impossible But with
God, but not with God for with God
all things are possible then Peter began to
say unto him lo we have left all
and have followed thee and Jesus answered and
said Verily I send to you there is
no man that hath left house or brethren
or sister or father or mother or wife
or children Or lands for my sake and
the Gospels note that for my sake and
the Gospels But he shall receive an hundredfold
now in this time houses and brethren and
sisters and mothers and children and lands with
persecutions and in the world to come ah
Eternal life is there It is a good
exercise of the heart and mind to just
walk away from your little place where you
live It's a good exercise in your heart
in your mind to just Pack up a
few little things that you have put them
in one vehicle put all of your children
in there put your dear wife Next to
you look at it all look at your
house.
Look at that shed Look at this look
at your tractor Look at all the other
vehicles and that nice truck and all those
things Pal everybody up in one little car
and drive away from it all leaving it
behind never to see it again The day
will come when many of us will do
that It's good to be practicing that one
ahead of time because it's coming it's going
to come I remember the testimony of Boris
that Russian man as he gave Testimony of
the Russian Christians and many of these Christians
were warned The communist purge is coming and
it's going to be against the Christians.
They were warned If you're gonna flee now's
the time to flee But only a few
fled all the rest didn't believe it and
Stayed behind, but do you know why they
stayed behind?
Their houses their land their businesses the money
they had in the bank and all these
things is the reason why it was hard
for them to believe the simple message that
the wave of Persecution is approaching and they
stayed behind and Suffered much because of it.
The Bible is clear.
The day is coming when we will not
be able to buy or sell.
I Think we need to change our mind
about material things Number six learn to stand
for the truth now Because that's the issue
when persecution comes the issue is going to
be the truth Let's learn to stand for
the truth now As I study church history
persecution always comes because of truth Persecutors are
always pressing the persecuted to compromise with the
truth They don't care if you are a
Christian Just be one to yourself at home
but don't stand for the truth openly don't
preach to others and don't allow the government
and Allow the government to guide your children.
Can you do those three?
Compromise the truth Stop preaching to others and
Allow the government to guide your children.
Are you ready for that?
That is exactly what they will ask us
all to do and They will tell you
Sitting in an interrogation room.
They will tell you look I Don't care
if you're a Christian you can go home
and be a Christian.
I don't care but these three things you
must do You need to compromise the truth
go to the registered church Number two you
need to stop preaching the gospel Number three
you let your children come to our schools.
If you do that, we'll let you out
of jail Are you ready for that?
in other words Be a Christian in name
only is the bottom line The one world
religion of the last days will have many
right things in it It will have right
ethics in it But it will be false
to the core Just to give an example
of compromising truth or not The Bible says
that Jesus is the only way that you
can come to God by his blood and
his sacrifice Is the only way to come
to God?
Now where we live that's a simple one.
We all believe that that's not a problem
We would all raise our hand and say
amen.
That's right theology.
I believe that but what you may not
realize is the climate even in this land
where we live is very slowly changing and
more and more people are considering you to
be a fanatical bigot if you only believe
that Jesus is the only way to heaven
and The day will come when you will
be tempted to not profess that only way
to heaven Because of the pressure that is
on you I Felt that pressure.
Maybe you have too I felt it at
times when I've been out witnessing when I'm
sitting in a group of five or six
people in Washington Square Park and all of
a sudden they say you mean to tell
me That only Jesus you mean to tell
me that the Jews are going to hell
you mean to tell me that Muslims are
going to Hell and all of you Christians
are going to go to heaven And all
of a sudden you got six of them
scowling at you after they ask you that
question Well now what are you going to
do?
Learn to stand for the truth now It's
not going to get easier.
I guarantee it.
It's not going to get easier The Divorce
issue is real to most of us in
this room.
Let us learn to stand for truth now
Distinctive Christianity in the midst of a fashion
crazy world is issues Learn to stand now
Family reunions can be a real challenge at
times Learn to say No And they forget
the family reunion that we were at years
ago and my aunt and uncle had a
big swimming pool in their backyard and they
said Can the children go swimming?
And I said Yeah, sure If everybody will
swim in their clothes in the subject No
We don't put on a swimming suit and
and go jumping around in the water with
a bunch of other people that don't have
any clothes on Amen, and the last illustration
the boldness to witness for Christ The fear
of man is what stops us from witnessing
now Think how difficult it will be When
your neck is on the line Learn to
stand for the truth now Number seven and
this is the last point Prepare your children
Prepare your children Let's go back to brother
Jeff's closing comments If we know that hard
times are coming upon our children What a
shame to not prepare those children ahead of
time back over the points that we gave
I've been giving them to us because we
need to apply them to us But think
about it Think about a generation of children
who grew up in soft America Who are
growing up?
Not learning the Bible When they're gonna take
their Bible away from them to Our children
need to learn their Bibles.
They've got sharp minds It's just a matter
of putting it in the schedule.
They can memorize two or three verses in
the Bible every day They've got sharp minds
You know, we have these cassettes, you know,
you can put the Bible, you know Play
the Bible on cassette the children can go
to sleep listening to the Bible It's real
difficult.
You just walk into the room and go
And walk back out But the fact of
the matter is if the children grow up
listening to the Bible like that, they'll be
filled with the Word of God This last
trip that we made to Africa we're discussing
this subject with my son Daniel And he
brought it up.
I didn't he said Papa Thank you For
making us listen to the Bible every time
we went to bed for a nap and
every time we went to sleep at night
I'm full of the Bible.
My mind is filled with theology and I
never took a theology course Well, thank you
Lord, amen We can do that.
It's real real difficult.
Just Walk out of the room Day after
day after day They can study persecution We
can lead them to a clear continual dedication
to God Some of our young people are
not in that place We can lead them
to a clear consistent dedication to God They're
gonna need it.
I guarantee you they're gonna need it We
can guide their lives in such a way
that they learn what self-denial and suffering
is So that's that's not right.
Don't give Johnny a hard thing to do
No Give him something hard to do Let
him work till he gets blisters on his
hand Can I say that?
Give him something to do.
So he cuts his finger every now and
then Give him some work to do This
leg smashed his finger with a hammer every
now and then Let him work out in
the garden when he sweats Teach them self
-denial By the way, every general who has
a son who wants to see that son
on a battlefield someday I guarantee you he
doesn't let him grow up in a bed
of ease I guarantee it because that general
knows what he's gonna face out there on
the battlefield Every general who has a son.
He says I want my son to be
on the battlefield someday He doesn't let him
grow up on beds of ease That doesn't
make soldiers.
Amen It doesn't What about the material issues
You know, it's so good for our children
to hear us say You know, we don't
need that brand-new truck.
Let's just get a little older one Or
it's good for them to hear us say
No, we can't afford that right now No,
we can't afford that right now, that's good
to hear.
Amen girls You're blessed you're blessed If you
can't afford it right now That's not a
shame.
That's not a problem.
That's a blessing If you can't afford it
right now and lastly teach them also to
stand for the truth Teach them They can
they'll have opportunities Even in our own church,
they'll have opportunities at times Hey, let's go
outside No, my father wants me to stay
in here Let's go down into that room
in the basement.
No, my father said we're not supposed to
do that Teach them to stand for the
truth We believe that that day of persecution
is coming.
Amen We believe the day is coming when
the children will not have a Bible We
believe that Daniel chapter 12 in closing the
approaching wave of persecution is not all bad
There's many beautiful things that will happen in
this land of ours when those things come
upon us We will become the church beautiful
like we've never ever known There are many
beautiful things that will come with that wave
of persecution If we understand its effect upon
the church if we understand how it produces
the life of Christ in the believers Since
we know that the final victory is ours
It will be a time of great opportunity
the time of the end Like it says
in Daniel chapter 11 and they that do
know their God shall do Exploits, I don't
believe we're just going to be running around
hiding in the last days.
I believe we're going to be winning souls
You win a soul you get your head
cut off, that's right That's what the early
Anabaptists did They got their head cut off
because they won a soul but guess what
two souls in heaven not one They just
got their head cut off they were fearless
They were not afraid to get their head
cut off and go to glory and get
a martyrs crown So it's a time of
opportunity not just oh a fearful time.
Oh, what are we gonna do?
Oh, no, it's gonna be a beautiful time
of opportunity We need to get ready The
early Anabaptists had great troubles and great anguish
of heart, but souls were saved Everywhere they
went and brother Jeff Just to say it
again chapter 9 verse 31 follows all the
persecutions from chapter 8 through chapter 9 Chapter
9 verse 31 the one you read to
us If that's that concluded the persecutions in
Acts all the persecutions all the now that
the persecutor Paul is converted and you know
all the first persecution stopped and then they
Continued in the fear of God and the
grace of God and brothers and sisters Persecution
brings the fear of God and the comfort
of the Holy Ghost down upon his people
Chapter 12 verse 1 in closing and at
that time Shall Michael stand up the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy
people and there shall be a time of
trouble such as never was since there was
a nation even to that same time and
At that time thy people shall be delivered
Everyone that should be found written in the
book and many of them that sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake some
to everlasting life and some to shame and
everlasting content and They that be wise shall
shine as the brightness of the firmament and
they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars forever and ever Thou O Daniel shut
up the words and seal the book even
to the time of the end Many shall
run to and fro and knowledge shall be
increased These are mysterious words, but I believe
they're speaking about the day that we're living
in We live in the day when many
are running to and fro and knowledge is
multiplying in such a fast pace that it
boggles the mind and I believe God is
opening these things up in the last of
the last days to prepare his people So
that we can stay in the midst of
the troubles that are really going to come
and stand in such a way That we're
not afraid to die And we're not afraid
to lose our head and we can reap
a mighty harvest in the midst of it
all I believe that's God's will May God
Add his witness to the word this morning
Thank you, thank
you brother Danny for sobering message this morning
It's good for us to hear that You
know when we feed our children, we don't
just give them the things that they like
Because the steady diet of that isn't isn't
healthy This message might be a little harder
in some ways than others But it's good
for our health our spiritual health.
I've heard people say I remember with as
a new Christian.
I heard a brother Say that He was
willing to die for Jesus.
I think we saw some kind of movie
where they chopped people's heads off, you know
He He just shared that with me.
I love Jesus.
I'm willing to die for But there were
some areas of his life that he wasn't
willing to die You know, it's easy to
put it way far away.
Yes, if I go to the chopping block,
I would give my life for the Lord
What about today?
Are We are you and I willing to
die today?
That hits home pretty close In fact that
even gives it gives a little bit more
glory to those Deaths that we're called to
are we willing to die when somebody's unjustly
treating us?
Are we willing to just take it and
just lay down not defend ourself?
are we willing to die when there's a
Situation with my husband or my wife There's
a misunderstanding.
Am I willing to be the one who
dies?
But I have to have my way do
you have to defend your rights or have
you lost all your rights?
Death is the way to victory in the
Christian life Peter first Peter for for as
much then as Christ has suffered for us
in the flesh Arm yourselves likewise with the
same mind For he that had suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin That he
no longer should live the rest of his
time in the flesh to the lusts of
men, but to the will of God the
whole mystery of Romans chapter 6 For you
have died with Christ if we're walking in
that Then as brother Denny said it won't
be hard to take that last step When
our head is on the line, so let's
see the glory in those daily deaths I'm
just getting ready Lord I'm just getting ready.
I'm gonna die.
I'm gonna lay down my life.
Maybe somebody has a testimony this morning how
God spoke to you It's one up here
So Lord has put something in your heart
to share to build up the body.
Please do maybe you have a confession Well,
I know I've already shared this morning, but
I just want to give a little background
I know sometimes when I see a man
share the word I I want to know
what motivated him what the Lord spoke to
him during the week that led him to
that message I've always wondered that at times
when messages really speak to me and This
morning.
I have to share Brother Aaron asked me
to share the opening.
I shortly after asked him.
Well who's doing the main?
Message so I can be praying for my
brother and pray that somehow our messages would
go together And I heard that brother Denny
was teaching and I began praying for him
Then I went to my study and I
wrote out my lesson in probably five minutes
it just came to me and then I
put it away and Thought well, thank you
Lord.
That's nice when that happens But then it's
as though God spent the rest of the
week saying okay you understand what you're going
to Teach intellectually, but you're not experiencing this
You're really not Walking in the fear the
Lord in the comfort of spirit.
You can get up there with some of
your theological training and you can give Verses
on this Jeff, but I'm going to take
you through the school of ministry this week
and it lasted right until last night's watching
Got it got a couple hours sleep But
there was such a burden on me today
for what was going to happen And and
I realized in America It's so easy to
To look at China or or look at
the Middle East and say, you know God
bless those Christians for their their persecution, but
that's not going to affect me And I've
been praying Lord.
How can I get that?
Refining fire that they have and that's that's
a dangerous prayer to pray It was just
simple things this week and I'll just briefly
share in one minute.
I I got a tax return and for
three years I've been using this computer.
I bought for $75.
I Ran a writing business with this computer
And when I finally had a little money
I knew That we as a family if
we're ever going to go To the Middle
East where we're called to serve as missionaries.
We've got to get this language down so
I bought a Refurbished computer and a used
computer that could run this program the right
way but the the time I spent looking
into the prices and then programming the computer
and then shipping the clunker back that didn't
work and Little by little I was being
dragged away from the fear of the Lord
in the comfort of the spirit Didn't even
know I had my lesson down.
I'm not gonna stand up there on Sunday
unprepared.
I've already got written that thing But God
was telling me all week long.
You're just drifting.
You're getting bogged down by the things of
this world Jeff And I was so dry
last night As a young man, I had
an opportunity to take Bibles into Russia and
into China I was caught taking them into
China and I thought my life was over
They lined us all up.
The guards are there with guns and I
thought well, this is it, but you know
Had another opportunity witnessing two men in Reno
who took hold of me and walked me
down an alley with a gun and Was
going to kill me once we got to
the end of the alley In both situations
a peace came over me as a young
Christian.
I'm ready to be with you Jesus It
really didn't terrify me.
You know, what terrifies me is what happened
last night If Jesus would have come last
night, I wouldn't have been ready.
I would have been caught I was so
tangled in the things of this world Computers
and all that.
That's just the testimony I want to share
what motivated me what drove me to get
ready for this week is I needed to
hear that message to me Brother Denny's and
my own message and I have to confess
I fought brother Denny for the first it
was 1115 I kept saying well, I believe
in that pre-tribulation rapture.
I need to bring some balance to this
message Let me say this.
I Completely agree with my brother.
I may have pre-tribulation theology, but I'm
going to live like an Anabaptist a mid
-tribulation guy Because I don't want to escape.
I want to be counted worthy and in
America I do believe there's plenty of persecution
to get us ready.
It's in our own homes takes time to
discipline children Takes emotional energy to stay up
late Takes time like brother Denny said I
could just go point by point in his
concluding remarks about take advantage of the things
that are their family reunions speaking out against
divorce and remarriage are things that break us
and Humble us and make us cry out
for the comforter if we'll open our eyes.
They're there There is plenty of persecution and
fire in America.
It's all around us We need to ask
for wisdom to have eyes to see it
and move toward it So god bless you
brother Denny for a balanced message on the
Lord's return The other hands get him up
I like to thank you Denny for bringing
that message God has been speaking some of
that to my own heart about persecution and
about being prepared but and I appreciate the
way you dealt with conspiracy because there's many
people have fear in the hearts because of
conspiracy and you know what you would do
about it or and I could say you
know in my own in my own mind.
I Have I've went down that road of
fear already just you know What about this?
What about that?
But God doesn't call us to a spirit
of fear, but of power and of love
of a sound mind And that word I'd
like to focus on there is love.
I had been praying that God would give
me a spirit of love Compassion as Jesus
had compassion on other people that I would
have compassion on other people and I can
say that My level of compassion has been
rising, you know, there was a time when
I didn't really care about other people But
I do care.
I do want other people to get saved.
I was just talking to my neighbor's son
yesterday he's only eight years old and He's
driving his four-wheeler around and just his
daddy's not home.
His daddy's off to the club And he
says I just don't understand why he's going
off to do his own thing and my
heart just went out to him and and
God has touched me to you know, I
should be speaking to that man Jesus Christ
wants to transform that man's life So praise
God for the message, you know, one of
one other thing that I've thought about that
is the preparation even Is that as we
I appreciate how you brought out about preparation
The things that we do don't worry about
the externals, but prepare our hearts Jesus also
mentioned one other preparation that we can do
is is is Use this money that we
have now the mammon of unrighteousness So much
to use that wisely so that when it
when these things come upon you I don't
remember the verse.
I'm sorry, but In my mind, it means
that we can use this money that we
have now give to others do good deeds
do good things and At least hopefully our
neighbors will have pity on us And it
it's Not just for survival, but because we
need to prepare our hearts for the worst,
but the praise God He will give us
grace for whatever comes and we don't have
to worry or fear We can stand strong
and say God will take care of us
in everything in every situation Praise God And
God still has ravens too Praise the Lord
You've been listening to the from the pulpit
and classic sermon series This week you heard
Denny Canaston with his message the approaching wave
of persecution Tune in next week to hear
a W Tozer talk about the voice of
the Holy Spirit on from the pulpit and
classic sermons