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Call to Worship Psalm 7:12-17
Psalm 7:12-17 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
Jesus Paid it All Hymn 273
Blessed Assurance Hymn 67
Praise and Prayer Request Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Receiving of the Offering 2 Cor. 9:5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
Famous Quote: Before I can preach love, mercy, and grace, I must preach sin, Law, and judgment. JOHN WESLEY
Today s Message Prepare Your Hearts! Scripture text: Matthew 24:15-31
We see that when something critical is about to happen in the heavenly realm and upon the earth there is a dramatic silence. Oftentimes, we call this period the calm before the storm and that is what I believe is the year 2019. Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 Now is the time to prepare our hearts and trust the Lord! Humble yourselves before a just and Holy God
Scripture reveals a pattern of silence associated with the recognition of God s holiness and righteous judgment You can see Psalm 76:8-9, Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7, and Zechariah 2:13. In Revelation 8:1-5 the heavens fall silent for half an hour, when all the singing, glorifying, and praising ceases, there will be a deep sense of foreboding. The judgments, every righteous soul knows, must be formidable in the extreme, yet they will shudder in awe at the prospect of having to witness their administration.
Psalm 76:7-9 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. Zechariah 2:13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
We are living in a time of great peril, France is in their 9 th week of protest and the headlines read: Massive Protest & Strong EXPLOSION Rock Paris, France https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/world/massive-protest-strong-explosion-rock-paris-france
2 Corinthians 11:2-4 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
Matthew 24:29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The professing Christians Community has many different belief concerning the coming of Jesus Christ and what will happen before and when He returns. Will there be a rapture? Who will be raptured if there is one? What will we face as followers of Jesus Christ before He calls us home, to be with Him?
As the world moves closer to Christ return, we can know that the condition on earth will become so terrible that men will wonder if any relief will come. This will open the door and create opportunities for false christs to deceive many. Satan is capable of performing lying wonders (2 Thes. 2:9 12; Rev. 13:13 14). The fact that a religious leader performs miracles is no assurance that he has come from God. Many Jews will be deceived, for the Jews require a sign (1 Cor. 1:22). Jesus performed true signs in His Father s name, and the nation rejected Him (John 12:37ff). Satan s miracles they will accept.
Matthew 24:4-8 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Matthew 24:9-13 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Mark 4:16-17 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
The Presbyterian Church in the United States is divided into two camps, the PCA and the USA branches. The Presbyterian Church USA has been 100% pro- LGBTQ for many years now, a complete and total Laodicean trainwreck. But mainline Presbyterians still took some comfort in knowing that the other branch, the Presbyterian Church in America was still standing strong. Well, recent events at two Presbyterian Churches (PCA) in St. Louis are showing that not to be true. https://www.nowtheendbegins.com/presbyterian-church-america-pca-latest-christiandenomination-accept-transgenders-same-sex-revoice/
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Revelation 13:11-14 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Revelation 6:12-14 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Revelation 7:13-17 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Revelation 2:8-11 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. "'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'
Did God not love the Church in Smyrna? Why did God allow the believers to be tested so? Prepare your hearts! Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Matthew 24:14-16 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Daniel 11:30-32 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. If we are the Temple of God and allow that temple to be made desolate, by wanting to be upgraded or enhancement, without God; is this not an abomination?
CRISPR and the eternal sunshine debate After the uproar over the Chinese scientist who claims to have gene-edited babies before their birth, Eilish Grieveson reports on the philosophers who believe it is our ethical duty to use genetic engineering to ease human suffering. In the 2004 movie 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' neuro-technicians employed by a backstreet doctor erase memories of failed relationships to ease the pain of former lovers. Some ethical philosophers believe we should go even further to reduce suffering, arguing we need to move past evolution and use gene-editing technology to create happier, healthier and more co-operative societies. https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/01/02/376541/crispr-and-the-eternal-sunshinedebate
Transhumanism - Transhumanism is an international intellectual movement that aims to transform the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies to greatly enhance human intellect and physiology.
China closes doors of largest underground churches The Chinese communist government continued its crackdown on Christianity by shutting down the nation s largest underground churches. A few of China s prominent churches that were not under the control of the government were recently raided as communist officials seized Bibles, Christian materials and cell phones from church members. Submit to the state first, God second. https://onenewsnow.com/persecution/2018/12/20/china-closes-doorsof-largest-underground-churches
2 Timothy 3:10-13 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra-- which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Isaiah 32:16-18 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
Amazing Grace Hymn 107