Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV)

Transcription

1 Storm Warnings Matthew 24:37-39 (NKJV) But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Three primary factors came together during Noah s day to create the Perfect Storm. The Spoken Word from the Lord, The Spokes Person, and the Signs of the coming storm. In late October, 1991, a series of weather events all converged on the East Coast of North America to create an intensely powerful storm. The Halloween Nor easter of 1991 which was eventually immortalized as The Perfect Storm in the book and subsequent film of the same name by journalist Sebastian Junger produced 100-foot rogue waves, with waves of up to 35-feet near the coast, and winds of up to 85 mph in coastal Massachusetts. The storm did more than $200 million in damage to coastal towns and homes including to the Kennebunkport, Maine, home of President George H.W. Bush and claimed 12 lives. Included among those deaths was the six-man the crew of the Andrea Gail, a Massachusetts-based sword fishing vessel that sank more than 500 miles out to sea. So what made this storm so perfect? Junger got the phrase perfect storm from retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist Robert Case, who explained that the storm s intensity had been caused by a perfect alignment of several factors. Such a convergence of weather conditions, explained Case, occurs only once every 50 to 100 years. The storm started on October 26, with the formation of Hurricane Grace, a Category 2 tropical storm that originated south of Bermuda. Grace moved up the East Coast of the United States, losing power along the way, and on October 29, she collided with a cyclone moving down the coast from Nova

2 Scotia. The cyclone, formed by a low-pressure front moving in from the Midwestern United States into a high-pressure front moving down from Northern Canada, absorbed the power of Hurricane Grace, increasing in intensity. As if this unusual three-prong storm wasn t bad enough, a second hurricane formed at the heart of the nor easter, further fanning the storm s fury. This new hurricane was never named, because meteorologists feared it would create too much confusion. For this reason, many people along the East Coast refer to the nor easter as the No Name Storm. Had the second hurricane been named, the next name in the rotation would have been Hurricane Henri. Eventually, the storm broke up over Nova Scotia, on Nov. 2, exactly one week after the formation of Hurricane Grace. The storm reached its peak on Oct. 30, along the Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England coast, with the most damage occurring in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Since the publication of Junger s book in 1997, the phrase perfect storm has become slang for any situation that is caused by an unusual combination of coincidental events. 1. The Undefiled Scripture Genesis 6:13 (NKJV) And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NKJV) But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. God, through His word, has given plenty of warning concerning this time.

3 Matthew 24:3 (NKJV) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" 2 Peter 3:10-13 (NKJV) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:14-16 (NKJV) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. The Scripture is very clear about a coming Doomsday. Acts 2:16-21 (NKJV) But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.'

4 The Scripture reveal the events leading up to Doomsday Rapture 7 year Tribulation on Earth The Return of Christ to reign for 1000 years on earth and Satan is bound. Satan released and rebellion and the final war. Great White Throne Judgment New Heaven and New Earth New Jerusalem 2. The Undaunted Spokes Persons 2 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; The irony of the Chick-Fil-A show of support is that a chicken has again indicted and awakened the Church We talked about the false prophets in the first sermon in this series. Is there not a prophet? God has given the Church the gift of the Prophet. They are servants given to warning. Forewarning by the Holy Spirit to David Wilkerson s staff before 911. Six weeks prior to the disaster, the Holy Spirit forewarned our pastoral staff that a calamity was coming. We had scheduled several major events for the weeks ahead, including our Missions Conference and Youth Convention. But God's Spirit prompted us to cancel them all. Instead, we felt stirred to call our congregation to prayer.

5 We decided to hold prayer meetings four nights a week. From the very beginning, each meeting was marked by an awesome stillness that settled over the congregation. We sat quietly in the Lord's presence, often without a sound, for up to an hour, followed by soft weeping and heartrending repentance. In one meeting, I had to steady my knees with my hands, to keep them from trembling in God's awesome presence. During this visitation from the Lord, the Holy Ghost revealed there was a reason for the weeping in our hearts. We were being so moved because a tragedy was coming. A severe calamity was coming to the nation. And even though we didn't know what it was, our hearts were stirred to intercede concerning it. Then suddenly, the calamity struck. And it hit not only our city, but the nation's capital. One network anchor declared, "Think of it, our two symbols of power and prosperity have been smitten in one hour." Little did he know, he was quoting Revelation 18:10: "Alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come." Deep in my spirit, I hear the Lord saying, "I've prospered you above all nations. Yet, for years you've persisted in worshipping idols of gold and silver. I've endured your shameless sensuality, your mockery of holy things, your shedding of innocent blood, your tireless efforts to remove me from your society. Now time is running out for you. "I've sent you prophet after prophet, watchman after watchman. You've been warned again and again. Yet still you won't open your eyes to your wicked ways. Now I've stricken you, in hopes of saving you. I want to heal your land, to destroy your enemies, to bring you back into my blessing. But you don't have eyes to see it." If God wouldn't spare other nations that have outlawed him, why would he spare America? He'll judge us even as he judged Sodom, Rome, Greece and every other culture that has turned its back on him.

6 Devouring fires will rise to the heavens. Darkness will cover the land. The economy will be hit with a staggering blow. And there will be disunity in the nation, in communities, in neighborhoods, in families. People will look out only for themselves, in a desperate fight to survive. And God help you if you come near them. I was given a prophetic message nine years ago, and I delivered it at Times Square Church on September 7, Let me share it with you now: "This warning is not meant to scare you. It's meant only for you to take to the Lord and pray. This is what I believe God has shown me": "Thirty days of chastisement will fall on New York City such as the world has never seen. God is going to let down the walls. There will be unimaginable violence and looting. The violence will be so ferocious, it will shock the whole world. Our streets will be lined not just with the National Guard but with militia". "A thousand fires will burn at the same time throughout the city. The Los Angeles fires were confined to a few sections of that city, but New York will be ablaze in all its boroughs. Times Square will be ablaze, and the flames will ascend into heaven and be seen for miles. Fire trucks will not be able to handle it all". "Trains and buses will be shut down. Billions of dollars will be lost. Broadway shows will stop completely. Businesses will flee the city in an unstoppable hemorrhage. Such things are expected in Third World countries, but not in a civilized nation like the United States. Yet, in not too long a time afterward, New York City will go completely bankrupt. The Queen City will be cast into the dirt, becoming a city of poverty". "You may ask, when will all this happen? All I can say is, I believe I will be here when it happens. Yet, when it does, God's people are not to panic or fear." Calls and messages have flooded our ministry offices, asking, "Was the terrorist attack on September 11 the calamity you were prophesying back in 1992?" No, not at all. What I saw coming will be much more severe.

7 Indeed, if America rejects God's call to turn back to him, we'll face the same judgments Israel faced. And they will hit not only New York but every region in the country. Even the heartland won't be spared. The nation's economy will collapse, and violence will erupt. Fires will consume our cities, and tanks will rumble through the streets. July 24 th 2012 letter from Billy Graham Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, If God doesn t punish America, He ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. Now this was the sin of... Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen (Ezekiel 16:49 50, NIV). I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent policesponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed the being in the room. Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any

8 possibility of offending anyone except God. Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control. My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah s day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God s warning, people heard and repented. 1 Kings 22:7-8 (NKJV) And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of Him?" 8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!" 1 Kings 22:17 (NKJV) 17 Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.' " 3. The Undeniable Signs Matt. 24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, We have addressed many signs already in this series, but I want to focus on a portion of scripture that has received much attention since 911 and particularly brought to light by Rabbi Jonathan Cohen in his book, The Harbinger. Harbinger: a sign or indication of future events; to foreshadow or announce something coming in the future

9 Isaiah 9:9-10 (NKJV) All the people will know-- Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria-- Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 "The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars." The Sycamore Rabbi Jonathan Cahn reveals the significance of the harbinger of the sycamore: The Bible records the sycamore tree as being a sign of judgment. It even says in Egypt the sycamore tree was struck down as a sign of judgment. On September 11th, a freak event happened in the devastation: a steel beam from the North Tower was hurled from the sky. As the Tower fell, it went through the air and struck down an object: it was a tree. The next day [when] the people returned to ground zero, they found a tree lying on the ground, pierced by the beam of a falling Tower. There, at Ground Zero was a sycamore tree struck down after the tree of Isaiah 9 a harbinger of judgment the sycamore has fallen and strange, eerily, the people made a display of it, not realizing what it was in the Bible and put it on display, its roots exposed not realizing, as if to draw more attention to the sign. And a sculptor was commissioned to make a cast of it. He poured metal into the cast: he cast in into bronze, the Biblical metal of judgment an image of the fallen sycamore to be displayed on Wall Street. The significance of the bronze sycamore root sculpture is chilling. In May, 1792, twenty-four stock brokers met underneath a buttonwood tree, along Wall Street in New York City. The Buttonwood 8 Agreement would be birthed as the golden calf of commerce, the bull of the New York Stock Exchange, but would be delivered, uprooted and cast in bronze. The buttonwood tree is more familiar as the American sycamore. This memorial on Wall Street would come to represent the riches of a nation uprooted, overturned, judged and displayed in bronze: and yet another idol. The Cedar

10 Rabbi Cahn continues: On the same Ground Zero, you had three [physical SIGNS] of the harbingers. But there s one more, there is the cedar tree, the seventh harbinger is the cedar tree, the arez tree. the sycamores are fallen but we will put cedars in their place... Two years after September 11th a strange site was seen on Ground Zero, a crane, a different crane, was lowering a different object the object was being lowered to a place where there had been a hole in the ground, it was being laid over the place where the fallen sycamore tree had been struck down...it would have been natural to replace the sycamore tree with a sycamore tree, but the Scripture says we will replace it with an arez [cedar] tree The object lowered was an arez tree, a conifer tree, the same as the cedar of Lebanon Cedar, St. Paul's Chapel, crane He pauses at this point: Now that would be enough, but there s actually more: In Hebrew parallelism a verse is often matched with a verse that rhymes in thought and so it matches the fallen bricks and the fallen sycamore together and they were both found the day after 911 in the ruins. And then there are the two others, which are the cedar tree and the hewn stone. They are together because they both are lowered by cranes, they both had a ceremony surrounding them they both labeled these icons: one was called the Tree of Freedom, the other was The Tree of Hope. [At] the ceremony as the tree was coming down to where the sycamore was, there was a clergyman there.he said: We are gathered here today on holy ground. Ground hallowed by its witness to the dust, and death and destruction of September 11th. The ground is sanctified by our presence here as we dedicate this Tree of Hope in witness the divine within each of us. It replaces a sycamore tree destroyed on September 11th 2001 by the collapsing Towers. Our prayer is that this Ground Zero Tree of Hope will be a sign: a sign of the indomitable nature of human hope. As we walk this hallowed ground, may this Tree be an icon of hope, a symbol. The ceremonial planting of the cedar Tree of Hope took place on November 22, The inaugural lighting ceremony was held the following week.

11 The Hewn Stone Rabbi Cahn continues: At the end of November of 2003, the tree came down to replace the sycamore. Seven months later, the quarried stone came down on the ruins of Ground Zero..two months after that was complete, there was a Presidential election and the Democratic candidate for Vice President was John Edwards. He was speaking in Washington DC at a gathering, it was September 11th, the third anniversary of the devastation. And since it was a prayer breakfast he chose a Scripture which he linked to the events of September 11th. These now are his words on September 11th [of 2004]. Listen: Washington DC. Good morning. Today on this day of remembrance and mourning, we have the Lord s Word: [Listen] The bricks have fallen, but we will build - with dressed stones: the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place. Of all the thousands of Scriptures he could have chosen, he chose this one obscure verse from Isaiah, which even most Believers don t know, not realizing what he was saying: it was a Scripture of judgment marking it, he linked it to September 11th and said that it was the Lord s Word to us. not knowing this, [he] then he based the whole speech on this scripture. He goes on to say: Let me show you how we are building and putting cedars in those three hallowed places, the Towers, the Pentagon and the Field. Walk with me through this day and you will see that while those bricks fell and the sycamores cut down, our people are making those cedars rise. And he closed with, Each time that bell tolls it calls us to a greater purpose. To never forget: it calls us to always remember that when we walk together this day that the cedars will rise and the stones will go up. Conclusion: Repentance Is there any hope for America and the World?

12 Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, but destruction came. Jonah went and preached to the 200,000 in the Capital city of Assyria and they repented and God spared the city. God is merciful but at some point the rebellion will bring on the Judgment written. Israel didn t get it and neither are we. 2 Peter 3:9-13 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.