Hello, this is Brother Denny.
Welcome to Charity Gospel Tape Ministry.
Our desire is that your life would be
blessed and changed by this tape.
This message is not copyrighted and is not
to be bought or sold.
You're welcome to make copies for your friends
and neighbors.
If you would like additional cassettes or a
catalog of other tapes, call 1-800-227
-7902 or write to Charity Gospel Tape Ministries,
59 South Groffdale Road, Riola, Pennsylvania, 17540.
These tapes are offered to all without charge
by the freewill offerings of God's people.
A special thank you to all who support
this ministry.
Thank you.
Thank you for the lovely hymns.
Nearer, still nearer, oh, I love that hymn.
Draw me, my Savior, so precious Thou art.
Isn't that wonderful?
I do bless God for the lovely hymns
of our faith.
I cannot thank you enough for the way
you sing.
I cannot tell you the grief that comes
into me in when I witness that there
are churches that sing modern hymns and modern
things.
I know they are, they mean well, but
I feel we bury our inheritance that we
have inherited from Revival when blood flowed.
Those hymns of the faith, brethren, that we
sing, and the way you sing it, oh,
it's beautiful.
Don't ever, ever, ever, ever leave them.
So nice to start, you know, the next
thing you're swallowed up with modern, shallow, emotional
words that are so superficial without the depth
of the old hymns.
Oh, I bless God you're holding on.
Don't let go now.
Don't follow the rest of the church.
One man will grieve.
In my old age, I'm looking for something,
not to sing now, to sing at the
end.
I was supposed to do this, but I
want to see if it's in here.
Yes, I thought of doing this down there,
but I didn't have a hymn book.
Remind me, brethren, there's a hymn to sing,
in case I forget about that at the
end.
Terrible word in our language.
I'll let you Germans work out that what
means, what that means.
This is a little newsletter my wife sends
out.
She does so much for me.
Without my wife, I would just think, I
would just roll up in a little ball
and die.
Trust me, that's not exaggeration.
I don't know, brother, if you can survive
without your wife, but there's no hope for
this man without my wife.
I'm half a man without her.
I don't think people realize that, but I
am totally half a man without Jenny beside
me.
But she does this also, plus every other
thing, apart from the preaching.
And believe me, she's got quite a time.
But this little letter she sends out, I
think a lot of you do get it,
and I thank you for that.
I thank you for the consciousness I have
of prayer being lifted up all over America.
When I come here and even overseas, back
in our country, I just sense God has
got people praying.
You just sense God sweeping into circumstances, and
I know people are praying.
Please don't stop to pray for this poor
man.
Trust me, there is no preacher on earth
that needs prayer as much as this poor
man.
Trust me, I so need it.
You could do no singular favor to me
more than to just pray for my children,
for my darling wife.
Don't let her ever get discouraged, God, and
please don't let the boys ever be hurt
by the devil.
Rebuke him away.
Let Noel, Roy, Samuel love Christ, even though
most of their lives they didn't have a
father.
Won't you just pray, please, for my boys?
I shall die if the devil gets hold
of my boys.
Trust me about that.
I am not strong enough to survive that.
Please pray for it, that God protects them.
So now, if you don't receive the newsletter
to know just how to pray soberly, and
you really are a prayer warrior, please don't
just put your name and address down for
a piece of paper.
It'll just become junk mail.
But if you agonize on your knees for
souls, and you grieve and groan before God
for America to come to revival, and you
don't do that in a prayer meeting, you
do it alone, when no one but God's
watching, please, you are the one I would
be so grateful for the privilege of having
your name, your prayers.
Please put your name and address down on
a piece of paper.
Somehow get it to me.
It won't be difficult, and if you'd like
to just take a copy to see what
Jenny puts out, just how to pray, please
do.
I'm going to leave it somewhere where you
won't forget.
There you are.
There's only about a hundred, but I think
most of you get it, so it's just
to those who don't, forgive me for coughing.
Thank you for letting me come to charity
and to the other church, this morning.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for the lovely fellowship
I have had in Brother Denny and Sister
Jackie's home.
Precious fellowship yesterday with Jerry, J-A-Y,
not J-A-Y-E, wonderful testimony.
A God took him out of the military
air force, deeply spoken to by God, and
how he came and joined up with you,
somehow God linking him up to find this
place and home.
Lovely to find a home, Jay.
I wish I was as privileged as you
to just be able to be here as
part of this lovely family.
I bless you for it, for your lovely
testimony, your lovely testimony, Jerry, which you went
through, and I think a lot of Hederites.
How does a man from the jungle say
the right word?
Nonetheless, I think your testimony was precious.
Both of you, brothers, Jerry and Jay, you
have two amazing testimonies there, two amazing men
of God in the making.
They're going to shake the powers of hell
if you pray them through, but the devil
will try and destroy them.
Trust me, so you better pray them through,
brethren.
They need you.
They're too precious for Satan not to come
in total onslaught to try and hurt.
Thank you for the lovely fellowship I received
in the home with Brother Denny.
There are no words to tell you of
my esteem of this dear man and his
godly wife and the fruit of their godly
marriage, so I'm not going to try.
I just thank you for them, and thank
you that I could have been in your
home once again, spared by God again to
come.
Thank you for the way you trust me,
dear brother.
Don't ever throw me away, okay?
I might not have a beard.
I wish I did.
Imagine not saving.
Oh, it would be lovely to be part
of you.
I hate saving.
And it's true, it wasn't meant.
The world's become so strange, but I just
happen to live in the part of the
world, if you do have a beard, you're
in trouble.
Forgive me, I won't explain that, but trust
me.
And not to wear a tie.
Oh, I hate a tie.
I loathe each time I put it on.
Oh, why did they ever do it, you
know?
But some pulpits won't let you in unless
you've got it on, and if you haven't,
most people would get up and walk out.
They think that there's such a different culture
in the world.
Forgive me, but don't throw me out because
I'm learning, okay?
Have patience, have patience.
Don't close up to others who might not
be 100% in line in every aspect.
The day you close your doors, brothers, to
every single one out there, you will think
of what God is doing.
I'm warning you out of love.
Don't allow heresy, don't allow compromise, but don't
judge a man if he hasn't had your
privileges and your background and this atmosphere to
thrive in.
Love them, and especially this poor, weak, base
man who cannot tell you how much it
means to him to come to the home
of this brother.
Other homes to embrace your fellowship and be
trusted by you and prayed for by you.
I do so respect what God is doing
among you and have become conscious that you
have become not raised up to reach the
Mennonite, Amish, Hittite.
You think you are, you know, but you
know God raised you up to become the
conscience of the church of this land.
You don't know it yet, but you already
are, and as you grow, God knows what's
going to happen.
Don't ever compromise, don't ever compromise doctrinally or
outwardly to the life you've been given, but
don't ever close your heart filled with compassion
to those who haven't had your privileges or
nothing the like you've got, okay?
Don't do it.
You miss what God is really raising you
up for in case you think it's just
the Mennonite at a right.
People are watching, now be Christ-like with
the standard or you're going to fail God,
and Jesus looked past so much to all
men.
Oh, forgive me as an outsider coming in
here and saying such things.
I just covet God to do what I
know he wants to do through you if
you just stay pure and lowly and look
at everyone who differs with you with compassion,
not with hatred.
And thank you also that I could have
had that lovely meal in that lovely home
today.
Dean, lovely wife, lovely children, and the lovely
people in that home too.
We had precious, precious time together.
Thank you.
Thank you also for those in Denny's home
that ironed my shirt.
Isn't that wonderful to have an ironed shirt?
You won't know what that means.
One day I'll explain to you if you
ask me.
But it does look nice, doesn't it?
Not just out of the tumble dryer, but
bless the Lord for the lovely home.
I have marveled at the children in that
home and right now I'm looking at little
Hannah and Esther and even the other little
ones, David and John.
Aren't they lovely?
Oh, bless God for these wonderful, wonderful fruit
of this home.
Thank you for all you did to make
my stay so wonderful.
And the lovely way Denny and Jackie and
Hannah and Esther have organized this whole tour
for me through America for eight weeks.
Bless them.
Bless you and all your lovely people across
the land that come to hear this poor
man as different as I am.
I am so privileged and I am so
grateful and I don't know how much I
will weep if I ever lose your trust
and your love.
Now can we bow in prayer?
And I hope this is loud enough.
I'd like it to be just that loud.
Not to hear my voice, but somehow to
be able to concentrate about every other thing.
So there's a lot of reasons I glare
at you, brother.
When it goes down slightly, you're in trouble.
And in case you don't know it, this
is a glare.
It's not that I need glasses, it's a
glare.
Let's pray, please.
Can we just bow before God in the
silence of our hearts?
Our wonderful Father, thank thee for these three
nights that I could have been with thy
people here and this morning at the new
church.
Thank thee, God, for the privilege of being
in this land that is not my land,
but I feel as much burden and love
for it as I do for my own
country.
Thank thee for giving me that love for
this land and bringing me here.
I am so grateful, God.
Bless and honor those who have had in
their hearts and made such sacrifices to make
me able to come to this land again
and again and again and again.
To so much of America already, I am
overwhelmed, Lord, and I thank thee for it.
Bless and honor dear brother Denny and sister
Jackie, and thank you for what they do
that I can preach.
God, I don't know how to do anything
else, but thank thee others organize and get
things done where I wouldn't know how to
take the first step or say the first
word to get it done.
Bless thee, Lord, for such people.
Oh, protect this work that has begun in
America.
I have come to love them and respect
them and revere them and treasure what they've
got, and I ask thee to protect it
all under the blood of Jesus.
The devil would do anything to divide them.
The devil would do anything to divert them,
to trip them up that they could be
branded as a sect, and that men and
women might even have true just cause to
do that.
Don't let it happen, God.
Don't let them trip up in their zeal.
Give them wisdom, lowliness, and carefulness before they
speak to each other, let alone to the
outside world.
Oh, God, give them wisdom that they have
prayed through words that could turn the course
of this whole movement in one moment backwards,
even if they're zealous doing it.
God, reach out to bring such wisdom, such
compassion, and yet never compromise.
And there's an ability to do that, God.
Give them that ability, please, to protect them
and to honor them and to use them
in such a way that the world will
tremble through them.
I covet that revival may come to this
land through them, for without preaching, the message
is cried out, the standard is being cried
out, and men are not being offended as
much as they are, just crumbling in their
hearts as they cannot argue, this is what
I want too.
God, please keep that testimony, that doctrines will
not be thrown against them, but their lies
will just make men's words swallow it up
and disappear, that all criticism and condemning will
just disappear as words will just fade out,
for there's nothing behind them.
God, please, please protect them, and the fruit
of their ministry, the fruit of their ministers,
the fruit of those who preach, who are
the fruit already of this movement, they have
men that other denominations haven't seen to that
degree and so many in a hundred years.
Don't let them lose one of them, don't
let them destroy or condemn or forget to
encourage in case they lose one of these
great men that was given them, and woman
equally, for no man is a man of
God that doesn't somehow, normally Lord, have a
godly woman carrying him.
You never make it, thank you for the
woman, their willingness to submit and to be
just a compliment to the whole message their
husband preaches, a proof, an evidence, as the
world sees the wife's joy and the children's
joy, they must know this man is real.
Oh God, please bless the children, the wives,
the godly preachers, the godly teachers, the godly
examples.
Don't let us lose them, keep them from
diverting from truth.
God, keep them from dividing.
Keep them from contentious spirit.
Keep them from those who would cause splits.
God, keep them one.
Ability to submit and to submit to the
elders, to submit and submit and submit as
younger.
To all be subject one to another, be
clothed with humility, for God resists the proud,
but gives grace unto the humble.
God, give them that grace to be a
submitting people, to authority, to those that have
care over them as elders and must be
giving account of them one day as shepherds
over the flock.
Don't let those shepherds be hard and tyrannical,
but Christlike and lowly and patient and yet
holy.
Oh God, if ever America needed a people
that were living the standard of this book
and growing and blossoming, filled with compassion for
all souls, it's now, and who knows, perhaps
for this moment, thou hast been raised up.
Oh remnant, oh
God, come in mercy now and hallow thy
word, thy sacred word, by anointing it, by
anointing this poor man and washing me in
the blood of Jesus, by anointing our hearts
and our minds and quietening us into sacred
ground.
Come protect us so under the blood of
Jesus, cleanse the atmosphere with the blood of
Jesus, make this holy, holy ground.
Oh fill me with the Holy Spirit and
stand beside me, oh God, and use me
as a mouthpiece through which thy voice can
be heard.
In Jesus Christ's name, in Jesus the Christ's
name, in Jesus Christ's name, we all unitedly
agree asking these things of our God, our
Father in heaven.
Amen.
I would like, I would like for us
tonight to look at three words in the
Bible, persecution, affliction
and tribulation.
What is the difference, you may ask, between
persecution, affliction and tribulation?
Well, let's look at the scriptures, let's look
at the scriptures, at what God says concerning
these three things.
Firstly, firstly, persecution.
All, all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution.
All, all, all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
These staggering words are found in 2 Timothy
3 verse 12.
Isaiah, Isaiah prophesied in chapter 59 verse 15
that a time would come, a time would
come when he that departeth from evil maketh
himself a prey.
In its context, in its context, Isaiah is
prophesying about the gospel dispensation.
He that departeth from evil maketh himself a
prey.
The margin says would be accounted as mad.
I would say that the most accurate interpretation
of this verse would read like this, that
a time will come in the gospel dispensation,
and as a result of the gospel that
he that turns from evil, from a life
of evil to a life of godliness, he
that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey,
would be persecuted.
A time would come in the gospel dispensation
that as a result of the gospel he
that turns from a life of evil to
a life of godliness would not only be
accounted and treated as mad, he will be
hunted, sought out to persecute.
Thirty years ago, as a young Christian, I
don't think that I would have accepted or
identified with this verse as being relevant to
this age that you and I are living
on, to the church.
But, beloved, in the last 30 years, something
has happened in this world that has staggered
me deeply.
The avalanche, the avalanche of moral decadence and
evil that has swept across the world, affecting
and swaying and conditioning the minds of the
masses.
The avalanche of moral decadence and evil that
has swept across this world, affecting and swaying
and conditioning the minds of the masses to
hate, to hate the good and love the
evil.
I have become deeply and fearfully aware that
the stage has been set to usher in
an era of unprecedented global persecution against all
who will live godly in Christ Jesus.
I have become deeply and fearfully aware that
the stage has been set to usher in
an era of unprecedented global persecution against all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus, not
against all that will profess to know Christ
Jesus, but all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus.
There's a great difference.
I want us to carefully look before going
on at these verses of Isaiah 59, verse
15, of what God is saying, of
what God is saying.
Let's look broader at its context.
Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from
evil maketh himself a prey, would be accounted
as mad, would be treated as mad.
Yea, truth faileth.
There's coming a time when there will be
a famine of the true word of God.
There will be a compromise in the true
word of God, in the pulpits worldwide, in
the gospel dispensation, where liberal theology, liberal theology
will so be affecting even the evangelical church
that truth will become failing.
Truth faileth.
It's there as being preached, but you're failing
and you're deliberately of it.
You're taking the cutting edge away.
You're scared of offending, so you're compromising.
Truth faileth in this time that will usher
in, and as a result of truth failing
from the pulpits in the evangelical church, this
era of unprecedented global persecution will be ushered
in as a result of truth failing.
It will usher in an era of unprecedented
global persecution against all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus.
But there's something staggering about the context of
this verse that I hope I'm not going
to offend you in America, but I cannot
deny it of what this is saying about
the gospel dispensation.
A moment will come in this dispensation when
because truth fails from the pulpits in the
liberal church, where liberal theology will be embraced
and affect more and more what we preach,
undermining and failing to preach what God intended
us to preach, the standard God, because of
this, he that departs from evil maketh himself
a prey.
Something has been implied here.
It's been implied that the persecution will begin
in the church against those who would depart
from evil to a life of godliness.
Something has been ostracized within the true church.
When a man, a woman departs from evil,
we're coming to a circumstance in the world
in the church, you'll be looked upon as
mad, ostracized and persecuted, let alone what the
world's going to do to you.
To Timothy 3, verse 12, yea, yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution.
The next verse, verse 13, says, but evil
men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.
Evil men in this moment, when there is
such persecution upon all that will live godly,
evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse, seducing and being seduced.
Oh, being deceived and deceiving, deceiving and being
deceived.
Isn't that terrible?
Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse.
You know what the word seducers means?
Impostors.
People who say they're Christians who are not
Christians.
They profess to know Christ, but they deny
the power thereof.
There's something of a denial of all that
God demands of true salvation.
But they imply they're born of God.
They imply they're true Christians.
Evil men and seducers, impostors shall wax worse
and worse.
In this moment that will usher in, where
all, all beloved in revival, when God sweeps
through lands, through Wesley's, through Whitfield's, through Jonathan
Edwards's, through Charles Finney's, and nations seek God,
when the seek God and turn to Christ
with lands.
All who will live godly in Christ's are
not suffering.
They do not suffer in the times of
revival.
They're esteemed by the masses.
They're esteemed and treasured.
They walk with God.
Their teaching, their standard is treasured and respected
in times of revival.
But there's a time coming when truth faileth,
that all that will dare to live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But Jesus, Jesus said in Matthew 5 verse
10, Blessed, blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness' sake.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness'
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed be ye when men shall revile you
and shall persecute you and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad for greatest your
reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the
prophets which are before you.
But beloved, we must be careful here.
We must be so careful here.
Jesus goes on.
He goes on to warn us in verse
38.
You have heard that it has been said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth.
But I say unto you that ye resist
not evil.
I say unto you that ye resist not
evil, but whoso is so smite thee on
thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also.
Verse 43.
You have heard that it has been said,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine
enemy.
But I say unto you, love your enemies.
Bless them that curse you.
Do good to them that hate you.
Pray for them which despitefully use you and
persecute you.
1 Peter 2, verse 19, For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God
endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it when you be
buffeted for your faults?
You should take it patiently.
But if when you do well and suffer
for it, you take it patiently.
This is acceptable with God for even here
unto where ye called, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example that you
should follow his step, who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth, who
when he was reviled, reviled not again.
When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed
himself to him that judges righteously.
1 Peter 4, verse 12, Beloved, think it
not strange concerning this fiery trial, which is
to try you as though some strange thing
happened unto you, but rejoice inasmuch as ye
are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.
If ye be approached for the name of
Christ, happier ye, for the spirit of glory
and of God rests upon you.
On their part he is evil spoken of,
but in your part he is glorified.
But let none of you suffer.
Let none of you suffer as a murderer,
or as a thief, or as an evildoer,
or as a busybody in other men's matters.
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him
glorify God on his behalf.
Philippians 1, verse 29, Philippians 1, verse 29,
For unto you it is given on the
behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for his sake.
Unto you it is given on the behalf
of Christ not only to believe on him,
but also to suffer for his sake.
But I would like for us, I would
like for us tonight to look at three
words in the Bible.
Persecution, affliction, and tribulation.
What is the difference, you may ask, between
persecution and affliction?
Well, let's look at the scriptures at what
God says concerning affliction.
In Psalm 34, verse 19, we read, Many
are the afflictions of the righteous.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
the Lord delivers him out of them all.
I'm not a Pentecostal, you know, but I
feel like shouting hallelujah to that.
Many are the afflictions.
Don't hide away from it.
It's not heaven yet, brother, you're on earth.
In heaven's coming, there'll be no tears, no
trials, no hurt.
But if you're righteous in this world, many,
God tells you, are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of
them all.
James, James says to us in chapter 5,
verse 10, Take my brethren the prophets who
have spoken in the name of the Lord
for an example of suffering, affliction, and of
patience.
Behold, we count them happy which endure.
You have heard of the patience of Job.
You've heard of the patience of Job and
have seen the end of the Lord.
And the Lord is very pitiful and of
tender mercy.
Job is the only man that James refers
to as an example of someone who suffered
affliction in the Bible.
Job is the only man that James refers
to as an example of someone who suffered
affliction in the Bible.
So, beloved, let's look at Job.
Let's look carefully at the life of Job.
Let's look at the many afflictions of this
righteous man, Job.
There was a man in the land of
Uz whose name was Job.
And that man was perfect and upright and
one that feared God and eschewed evil.
And they were born unto him seven sons
and three daughters.
His substance also was seven thousand sheep and
three thousand camels and five hundred yoke of
oxen and five hundred sea asses and a
very great household, so that this man was
the greatest of all the men of the
east.
And his sons went and feasted in their
houses every one his day, every one on
his birthday, and sent and called for their
three sisters to eat and to drink with
them.
And it was so in the days of
their feasting were gone about that Job sent
and sanctified them.
And rose up early in the morning and
offered burnt offerings according to the number of
them all.
For Job said, it may be, it may
be that my sons have sinned and cursed
God in their hearts.
Thus did Job continually.
Now there was a day when the sons
of God, the angels, came to present themselves
before the Lord and Satan came also among
them.
Satan came also among them.
And the Lord, the Lord said unto Satan,
whence comest thou?
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, from
going to and fro in the earth and
from walking up and down in it.
The Lord said unto Satan, hast thou, hast
thou considered my servant Job, that there is
none like him in the earth, a perfect
and an upright man, one that feareth God
and escheweth evil?
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, doth
Job fear God for naught?
Hast not thou made in heads about him
and about his house and about all that
he hath on every side?
Thou hast blessed the work of his hands,
and his substance is increased in the land.
But put forth thine hand now and touch
all that he hath, and he will curse
thee to thy face.
And the Lord said unto Satan, behold,
all that he hath is in thy power.
Only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
So Satan, from the presence of the Lord,
and there was a day when his sons
and his daughters were eating and drinking wine
in their eldest brother's house, and there came
a messenger unto Job and said, the oxen
were ploughing and the asses feeding beside them,
and the Sabians fell upon them and took
them away.
Yea, they have slain the servants with the
edge of the sword, and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, while he was
yet speaking, there came also another and said,
the fire of God, the fire of God
has fallen from heaven and burned up the
sheep and the servants and consumed them, and
I only, I only am escaped alone to
tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, while he was
yet speaking, there came also another and said,
the Chaldeans, the Chaldeans made out three bands
and fell upon the camels and have carried
them away.
Yea, they have slain the servants with the
edge of the sword, and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, while he was
yet speaking, there came also another and said,
thy sons and thy daughters were eating and
drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, and
behold, there came a great wind from the
wilderness and smote the four corners of the
house and it fell upon the young men
and they are dead, and I only am
escaped alone to tell thee.
Then Zorba rose and rent his mantle, he
tore his garment and saved his head and
fell down upon the ground and worshipped and
worshipped, saying, naked, naked came I out of
my mother's womb and naked shall I return
thither.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken
away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
In all this, in all this Job sinned
not, nor charged God foolishly.
In all this, in all this Job sinned
not, nor charged God foolishly.
Again there was a day when the sons
of God, the angels, came to present themselves
before the Lord, and Satan came also among
them to present himself before the Lord, and
the Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou?
And Satan answered the Lord and said, from
going to and fro in the earth and
from walking up and down in it.
And the Lord said unto Satan, hast thou
considered my servant Job, that there is none
like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God and
escheweth evil, and still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movest me against him to
destroy him without cause?
And Satan, Satan answered the Lord and said,
skin for skin.
Yea, all that a man hath will he
give for his life, but put forth thine
hand now and touch his bone and his
flesh, and he will curse thee, he will
curse thee, he will curse thee.
And the Lord said unto Satan, behold,
he is in thine hand, but save his
life.
So went Satan forth from the presence of
the Lord and smoked Job with sore boils
from the soul of his foot unto his
crown, and he took him a portion, a
piece of broken pottery, to scrape himself withal.
And he sat down among the ashes, then
said his wife unto him, dost thou still
retain thine integrity?
Curse God, curse God, curse God, and die,
do you still profess to be righteous?
Curse God and die.
But he said unto her, thou speakest as
one of the foolish women speaketh.
What shall we receive good?
Shall we receive good at the hand of
God and shall we not receive evil?
Shall we only love God and trust Him
and serve Him if everything goes right, and
cease to love Him and serve Him and
trust Him if things go wrong?
Shall we receive good at the hand of
God, shall we not receive evil?
In all this, in all this, did not
Job sin with his lips?
O beloved, 1 Peter 5, verse 8, be
sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil
is a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom
he may devour, whom resists, steadfast in the
faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished
in your brethren that are in the world,
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in
your brethren that are in the world.
O beloved, Job was not the only man,
Job was not the only man that lost
all his material possessions in one moment, Job
was not the only man that lost every
single thing he had in life in one
moment.
I have stood with so many men who
were millionaires, who had wealth, and in one
moment they lost everything, they had nothing in
life in one moment, and I have looked
at these men with a heart sunk in
grief for them, for they loved God.
But I staggered as I saw those men
lift their hands up to heaven, and from
their heart, with tears coming down their face,
crying out, the Lord gave, the Lord has
taken away, blessed be the name of the
Lord.
I saw men in all these things, to
not, nor charge God foolishly when they lost
everything and were suddenly in poverty.
Job is not the only man, beloved, that
lost all his children.
I cannot tell you how many homes I've
been in where suddenly all of them were
gone, wiped out, bullets flying through young 20
-year-olds.
Oh, I have seen homes upon homes where
suddenly men and women were robbed of their
children, godly men and women.
I watched them as I wept, and oh,
they wept, I admit it, but the resignation
staggered me as they cried out the words
of Job from their heart, the Lord gave,
the Lord has taken away, blessed be the
name of the Lord.
I saw in all these things, they sinned
not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job was not the only one, beloved, to
suffer these afflictions that are accomplished in your
brethren that are in the world.
I've seen many men lose their health who
were strapping and strong and capable, suddenly dependent
and crippled in life as sickness riddled their
bodies and pain so excruciating.
I watched them in their sufferings, these godly
men, crying out from their heart, though he
slay me, yet will I trust him.
Oh, Job in the midst of all his
sufferings cried out, when he hath tried me,
when he hath tried me, I shall come
forth as gold from the fire.
1 Peter 1 verse 6, wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need
be, oh, I love those words, if need
be, oh, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, ye are
in heaviness through manifold temptations, sufferings, trials.
If need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith
be much more precious than of gold, that
perishes, though it be tried with fire, my
defoundment of praise and honor and glory at
the appearing of Christ.
James says to us in chapter 1 verse
2, my brethren, my brethren, count it all
joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, sufferings,
trials, afflictions, my brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience,
but let patience have her perfect work, that
ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
And James goes on, he goes on to
cry out, to ask us compassionately in chapter
5 verse 13, is any among you afflicted?
Is any among you afflicted?
He asks compassionately.
And then he says three words, let him
pray, not volumes about afflictions, what to do.
Is any among you afflicted?
Then just three words and he drops the
whole, the whole subject, let him pray.
You see, beloved, afflictions more than anything else
drive us into a life of ceaseless prayer,
into the university level of the school of
God, which you will never reach if everything's
well with you.
If everything's heaven on earth, God would never
have his way on your life.
We are led into a life consumed in
prayer, consumed in prayer, into the university level
in the school of God, where we pray
without ceasing.
You would never ever know anything this side
of heaven, of that life, of that university
level in the school of God, if it
wasn't for the afflictions.
They drive us to the university, in the
whole school of God, till you stand out
like a sore thumb.
You are so refined and godly and Christlike,
that your every step does damage to Satan's
kingdom.
If you let God have his way and
his will in what he allows the devil
to do, brother, you will be such a
rebuke to the devil, he'll be sorry he
started.
But I would like for us tonight to
look at three words in the Bible, three
words in the Bible, persecution, affliction, and tribulation.
Persecution.
What is the difference, you may ask, between
persecution, affliction, and tribulation?
Well, persecution is the devil working through people
to hurt us.
Affliction is the devil working through circumstances to
hurt us.
And tribulation is the devil coming against us
in total onslaught.
Persecution is the devil working through people to
hurt us.
Affliction is the devil working through circumstances to
hurt us.
And tribulation is the devil coming against us
in total onslaught, as Satan in despair looks
and sees God's grace given to us, given
to you and me, to take us through
triumphantly, through any persecution he brings upon us,
through any affliction he brings us in anger
and desperation, he comes against us in total
onslaught, in great tribulation.
The only time Paul ever spoke of tribulation
in his life personally, he said, we despaired
of life itself.
Oh, we're not truthful preachers when we stand
and say that Paul, in his darkest moments,
just sang praises.
You know, they put him in prison, and
at midnight they sang praises, and the prisoners
listened.
Oh, we leave that as the norm.
Beloved, let me tell you, we're leaving something
else.
There was a moment Paul didn't sing praises.
He despaired of life itself.
And beloved, if Paul despaired of life, you're
not such a failure if you've ever despaired
of life.
Let's look at the scriptures and what God
says concerning tribulation.
John 16, verse 33, in the world, Jesus
said, ye shall have tribulation, but be of
good cheer, I have overcome the world.
What is Christ saying to us?
In the world, ye shall have tribulation.
It's true, you're going to come to a
place with this terrible enemy, in the war
between God and Satan, and all that he
will be allowed to do in this war
to prove you.
It's true, in this world, you shall have
tribulation.
There will be times you will be driven
to despairing of life, though you're my child.
But be of good cheer, don't give up
hope, is what Jesus is saying.
Don't you give up hope, don't lose hope
now, I have overcome the world.
You see, greater is he that is in
you than he that is in the world.
You think he's lost control?
When you're despairing of life, you think he's
let you down, he's gone.
I will never leave you, nor forsake you,
though I am with you.
I am with you even to the end
of the world.
I will never suffer you to be tempted,
trusted, tried above that you're able to.
We have so many promises, beloved.
In the world, you shall have tribulation.
It's going to happen, but be of good
cheer, don't you dare lose faith, child, in
me.
I have overcome the world.
I overcome the world that I've left you
in, but I haven't left you orphans.
Who knows how to comfort us in all
our tribulation?
Paul said, who comforted us with a comfort
where we may be able to comfort everyone
who goes through the same things.
What you go through is for one reason.
If you go through triumphantly, it's to make
sure the one behind you is going to
go through with what you can comfort him
that God comforted you in, and he'll never
fail to comfort you to send Titus in
the midst of it all, for God knows
how to comfort them in tribulation, Paul says.
He knows just what to do to send
you away, and he'll never fail you.
Oh my, you think I'm the Pentecostal, I'm
going to shout it again, hallelujah.
I'm not Pentecostal, Denny.
I just believe the word, and it thrills
me that the assurances God gave, Romans 12,
verse 12.
No, Acts 16, verse 33.
Acts 14, verse 22.
We must, through much tribulation, enter into the
kingdom, Paul said.
We must, through much tribulation, enter into the
kingdom.
That's just telling you as it is.
He's not going to give you false hopes
about you're going to have heaven on earth,
so he's telling you now.
Romans 12, verse 12.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant
in prayer.
I like that.
Three points for a lovely sermon.
I'm going to try it one day.
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant
in prayer.
Oh, don't give up hope now.
Hope maketh not ashamed.
Remember the word unto thy servant upon which
thou hast caused me to hope.
We have so many promises from God, beloved,
that the hope of these promises, we will
not be ashamed no matter what God allows
us to go through.
With these promises that He's told us concerning
what He's allowing us to go and saying,
don't you despair?
Don't think I've forsaken you?
Don't think you're in the failing end of
the war?
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, persevering in
tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, devoted to prayer.
Oh, just like afflictions, though tribulations lead us
to one thing, a university in the school
of God, to a life consumed in prayer,
which you and I would never ever find
in our human ability with all the diversions
there is in life unless God just allowed
all these things.
And He knows just if need be, if
need be.
He knows how to bring you to the
university level in the school of God, beloved.
He hasn't lost control.
He's in control, not the devil.
He stands back and allows the devil to
do only that which will be for your
good, so long as you don't lose sight
of Jesus and His promises, where faith comes
from the Word of God.
Don't lose sight of the Word of Christ's
promises, or you will be ashamed.
Don't lose sight, don't lose sight, don't ever
leave the book closed.
And you will have hope daily, no matter
what the devil brings on your way, rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in
prayer.
Oh, beloved, Jesus warns us, He tells us
that a time will come in this earth
when men's hearts will fail them for fear
of things that will come upon the world.
Men's hearts will fail them for fear of
things that will come upon this earth.
I don't think He means that we as
children's hearts would just fail them.
Not with this book, not with this God,
not with all He's said to us, but
a time will come.
Don't doubt it.
And I think we're just at the step
when men's hearts will fail them for fear
already.
Look at the world.
Is there anybody left whose heart isn't failing
them for fear of things that are coming
in the world?
Don't go to the newspaper to read the
most up-to-date news.
Just go to the Bible.
Men's hearts are failing them right now for
fear of the moment you and I are
stepping in, that we're in, of things that
will come upon the earth.
Matthew 24, verse 21, For then shall be
great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world, to this time no
more ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there
should no flesh be saved.
But for the elect's sake, those days shall
be shortened.
Hallelujah!
That's not to put fear in your heart.
That's just to say, I won't forsake you.
Daniel confirms that.
Daniel confirms it in chapter 12, verse 1.
There shall be a time of trouble such
as never was since there was a nation,
even to the same time.
And at that time, thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written
in the book of life.
For the elect's sake, those days shall be
shortened.
I'm not going to let you be devoured
in your faith and forsake you.
I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Oh, beloved, you might think I'm a Calvinist.
Don't worry, I'm not.
But I think some Calvinists would be ashamed
at my trust in God, that they don't
have so much trust in his keeping power,
in his faithfulness, in his promises that cannot
fail, that aren't held out to deny us
his heart, that aren't held out to confuse
us or make us look upon him as
someone who fails us.
Promises that are held out to make you
know that God has a holy obligation to
these words now for you.
In his perfect integrity, he cannot fail.
Oh, I love the Bible.
I wish I could start another sermon tonight,
but I'll end with a verse that I'm
going to start off in some other town,
another sermon.
One of my most favorite, favorite, favorite, lovely,
precious promises from my God to me.
I'm sure it's yours.
Think about it.
Romans 8, verse 35.
Well, who shall separate us?
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?
Shall tribulation—I want you to listen carefully, God's
actually saying, do you honestly think that the
great tribulation is going to make you have
to fall away with those who have no
real reality?
Who shall separate us from the love of
God?
Shall tribulation or distress or persecution?
God's actually looking at you and me and
saying, can you consider that I will leave
you, that I will leave you orphans, that
you can be full of fear, you know,
if not to see the spirit of fear,
the power of love, of a sound mind.
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?
Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine
or nakedness?
Circumstances the devil might create.
Famine, nakedness or peril or sword, as it
is written, for thy sake we are killed
all the day long.
We are a lost countenance sheep for the
slaughter.
Oh, sixty million died for Christ's sake just
through Rome.
They cried out those words, we are slaughtered,
we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors, Paul said.
In all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be
able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I don't have to be a Calvinist to
believe that.
I believe it with all my heart.
I am persuaded, I have no shadow of
a doubt, literal translation to our English language,
I have no shadow of a doubt, I
am persuaded that neither death, if I have
to face it, if I have to face
death, because I'm a Christian, I am persuaded
that neither death nor life, if I have
to live it, I wonder what's better with
the world and the state it's coming, to
face death or life.
Life is so fearful, I don't know if
you'll face it.
What's coming?
If I have to, I'm persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, America, nor things to
come, America, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us,
children of Christ in America, the washed, blood
-bought family of God, nothing of what the
devil is going to bring on this world
is going to separate me from the love
of God.
I am persuaded, I know whom I have
believed, and I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto
him against that day.
There's a time, beloved, to preach in a
way that man knows his responsibility, and I
preach it without any fear of being branded
as some doctrinal stand-you-because-it-isn't
-about-it.
There's a time that we have to preach
God's responsibility, and I preach it tonight, because
he's told me, many are the afflictions of
the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out
of them all.
In this world you shall have tribulation, but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world.
If you're not saved, oh, these words have
no comfort for you.
How can you open the door anymore in
this world and walk out there without God?
I don't know how it's possible to
say.
Great tribulation.
Then, sir, there'll be great tribulation such as
never was, but for the elect's sake, those
days shall be shortened.
Now, beloved, that means, according to my simple
mind, we're going to face some of that
tribulation.
Oh, some Christians say, no, we'll be taken
away, you know.
I don't, well, for the elect's sake, those
days will have to be shortened, and then
no flesh will be saved upon the earth
unless those days should be shortened.
Those days have to be shortened for the
elect's sake.
That means we're going to face some things,
but don't face them with fear.
Beloved, you have one responsibility.
Be absolutely surrendered to God when you're saved,
walking with God in the light you've been
given, in holiness of life.
No compromise, whether you stand in the pulpit
or whether you walk through the world, and
that is a result of loving God.
This is the love of God that we
keep as commandments.
You'll never live that standard unless it's out
of love for God, not for men, not
out of fear for men.
To be absolutely surrendered, as I've cried out,
to be saved.
You're safe.
Don't you dare say he's Calvinistic for quoting
the scriptures.
It feels safe when I quote all the
other scriptures that make me a Wesleyan or
a Minnius.
I just happen to love confusing the world,
but don't you brand me now.
Oh, beloved, beloved, beloved, whatever God put in
this book, you need it, no matter what
side of the fence you are.
And so do I, without being layering my
colors to some mask, you know, that I
can't be acceptable in any circles from then
on with, what are you, a man said
to me.
I said, I'm glad you don't know.
And they left me back in your country,
brother.
I will never be ever, ever, ever, ever
deprived of the right to preach every verse
in this book for your good, when it's
needed, in its context.
And both sides have great texts, brother and
sister.
And right now, with what we're about to
face, what I believe is coming, an era,
unprecedented.
We're standing on a threshold, no matter what
you say, of ushering in an era of
unprecedented global persecution against all who would live
godly in Christ Jesus.
And that's why I cry out to you
to take confidence, to have faith, but be
right with God, or I pity you.
There's the old Wesleyan coming back.
You can have such assurance, but it's all
who will live godly, God speaking about.
The afflictions of righteous, God speaking about.
No matter what the devil brings, circumstantially, through
people, through tribulation, in the last times when
it's total onslaught, because his time is soaked,
and he's a terrible foe, whatever he's got,
you don't lose any faith.
You don't live in any fear, and you
won't.
The peace of God that passes all understanding
will be in your eyes, as other people
walk with torment in their eyes.
They look at God's people.
Don't you have torment in your eyes?
For goodness sake, have peace that passes all
understanding.
Get alone with God every day when you're
right with God, and don't get up from
your knees until all the hurry and the
worry is gone, until all the fear is
gone, until God's peace is flooding your heart.
And it will, if you don't read the
newspaper as much as you read the Bible.
Oh, one headline's enough to make you sick
from fear.
One page here just floods you with peace,
and it's more up to date.
We have a wonderful God, brethren.
I believe you will face whatever comes if
you are totally surrendered to God, and filled
with the Holy Spirit, and living in a
consistent daily walk with God, where you never
neglect the quiet time for anything or anyone.
You consume your life in prayer.
You consume yourself in the word of God
as your greatest love in life.
Blessed is the man whose delight is in
the law of the Lord.
Nothing shall offend him whatever comes.
You'll be offended if this isn't your delight.
Not a delight.
The delight is delight.
If God is first, if God is foremost,
if God is everything, you don't neglect the
other things that have to be done.
You do them well, far better than a
man who is so busy trying to do
things he hasn't got time for God.
If you give God the rightful place in
your life, you're absolutely doing it.
There's no compromise.
You've given over.
You're filled with the Spirit, controlled by the
Spirit.
You walk with God.
You soak yourself in the word.
You soak yourself in prayer.
And God knows how to drive you there
if you're righteous.
It's the righteous that these things come upon
that bring out Christ.
And you will have peace that passes all
understanding while this world crumbles.
And thank God the world will still be
able to look before God, take us and
say, I want what you've got.
But you need to be absolutely surrendered.
A woman walked up to me when I
preached the sermon in South Africa.
And she said at the door, so you
don't believe in the possibility of revival.
I was so shaken.
I just walked away from her.
After all I've preached that she threw out
that, oh yes, I believe in revival.
But I'm going to stop you now, Christians
of America.
I believe revival will come, not about considering
it's time to now seek God, but through
persecution, through tribulation.
There's going to be coming a purifying of
God's people, a seeking by God's people for
vital reality to survive what's coming.
And as a result, while the Holy Spirit
is still in this world working through us
in our godliness and through our prayers, there's
going to be awakenings, not worldwide as some
people throw out.
I'd love to believe that.
But wherever God's people get right, the effect,
the awakening, the masses.
Beloved, how to put us in line and
be balanced about what can come with all
that God says will come just before he
comes, the terrible things and what God will
do to his people and to his people
when revival comes through persecution, through the refining
that are somehow attached to whatever God allows
of sufferings.
There's something in the heart of God if
it's needed.
And oh, it's needed right now for the
church.
And when it comes, it won't be God
making a mistake or losing control.
It'll be just that amount of time that's
needed to send revival to get us right
with God.
You're praying for revival.
I believe it's coming, yes.
But in a way, you and I perhaps
aren't used to to the Jonathan Edwardses that
pray through until God swept down.
Maybe there's no one left that will unless
God comes.
I mean, be honest.
How many of you started praying for the
world, for the Muslim world, only since your
skin was at stake and you realize we've
got trouble to them?
How does God get us to really be
all we ought to be, even in our
prayers?
Are you reading books on revival anymore?
No, beloved.
Oh, America, revival will come, and it has
to begin at God's people.
But I believe it's coming through unprecedented global
persecution, and we're right on the door.
You talk about this has to happen, that
has to happen.
You're probably right, brother.
I'm just not sure about all those other
things that we say has to happen, you
know, in order.
I do know one thing.
I'll be burying my head in the sand
if I don't know right now we're stepping
right into unprecedented global persecution.
If God's going to allow it, revival's going
to come to his people who are real,
who want reality.
There's going to come a finding, a seeking,
a willing for anything, even death.
It's going to become a building up of
faith and solidness, braveness and courageousness we don't
have yet, but it's going to come watch
how it just flares when God comes.
And we're not going to walk out there
in fear, but in godliness, in holiness of
life.
Hunted, yes.
In circumstances, perhaps beginning in so-called churches,
yes, but the true children of God, revived.
Oh, beloved, this isn't to put fear in
your heart.
This is to put fear in your heart
for one thing, that I'm not right with
God.
You're safe if you're right with God.
Are you?
You've all got hymn books.
Turn slowly, carefully, without speaking to each other,
please.
In a sacred moment, 835.