And then if you have your Bibles, turn back to Luke chapter 21. I didn't quite get finished last week. I was a little long-winded and I was having to jet out of here and go to Boise.
So I just kind of wanted to wrap this up. This will be a little bit shorter possibly, but we got to about verse 28, I think, and then I jumped down.
But we'll do verses 29 through 36. That's what I'm going to read this morning.
And it starts with the whole deal with the fig tree.
So Jesus said, let me...
Let me share a parable of the fig tree with you.
So let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word that is alive with truth that was true 2,000 years ago.
And it almost seems to be more true now. I know that's probably not possible and that's probably off, but it is truly alive.
And you are doing things even as we speak.
And you won't quit until you come, Lord.
And it's mainly drawn...
Drawing men and women's hearts to yourself.
You said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.
And so we want to lift you up, Lord.
We want to lift up the name of Jesus.
We want to lift up the gospel, that good news, Lord.
We want to share the bad news of those who are not receiving the gospel, Lord, who are under the law.
And it is a horrific thing to be under the judgment and the wrath of God.
And I pray for those who, even in this Pride Week, that would think about...
I pray for those who think about stepping up in pride.
I pray that you would, Lord, just speak to their hearts and let them know that they need to humble themselves before you.
And that you love a broken and a contrite heart.
And, Lord, you won't despise it, but you'll accept and receive those who humble themselves before you, Lord.
And so we humbly come now as we look at your word and know that it is full of so much more than what we see.
It face value, Lord.
And so I just pray that we can...
And glean some truths from these things, Lord.
That we would be inspired this morning to truly watch and pray for your coming is nigh at hand, Lord.
So we worship you and invite you to be our unseen guest here, Lord.
And, Lord, have your way in all of us, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Okay.
Verse 29.
In Luke chapter 21.
Last week we looked at...
A lot of the signs that are happening around the world that Jesus talked about.
And he kind of broke it down into a time when Israel would have to go run and hide.
Many believe that that's during that second half of the seven-year tribulation period.
They'll be actually hidden.
Think about it.
Can you hide anywhere in the world today?
Everything's surveilled.
It's like there's heat-seeking cameras that see your warm clothes.
Even walking underground.
It's wild.
And yet God is going to interfere with their radar, so to speak.
He's going to protect Israel.
He loves Israel.
And that's been obvious in what we've been seeing here with them taking Gaza and getting their hostages back a couple days ago.
And please note, when people say the hostages were released, they were not released.
Okay?
They invaded.
They were rescued.
There's a difference.
And so, praise God.
It's wild.
I don't even know if I'd want to sit down with one of them and have them tell me what their last 245 days was like.
Because it was probably so horrific.
But praise God, they're out of there.
And so, just a lot of stuff happening, man.
I mean, you can't even keep up with all of it.
It's so rampant.
And it seems to be everywhere on every continent that things are happening.
And the enemy is firing on all cylinders, it seems.
But praise be to God.
Right?
Because he's sovereign.
And he's in control.
And he's not going to be thwarted by anything or anyone.
And it just makes me giddy.
Right?
When I think about that.
Lord, you got this.
You know?
Probably like Paul said, if you live, live to the Lord.
If you die, die to the Lord.
If you live or you die, you're the Lord's.
Woo-hoo!
We win!
Right?
No prob.
Whatever.
Doesn't matter.
What comes our way.
And so, he kind of throws a parable in the middle of this dialogue that he's having with his apostles about the end of times.
And he goes,
I'm...
Let me share a parable with you.
And he says this in verse 29.
It says,
Then he spoke to them a parable.
Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.
So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away.
Till all things take place.
Heaven and earth will pass away.
But my words will by no means pass away.
So what Jesus said here is not going to pass away.
So, what's the fig tree?
So, it's interesting that as you go through the scriptures, it's the number one thing when you read through the Bible.
Does anyone read through the Bible?
If you read through the Bible, raise your hand.
Okay, good.
As you're reading through the Bible, please read through the Bible.
Please do it every day.
Right?
The more, the better.
And as you read through the Bible, there is a common thread.
We looked at it a few weeks back when the midwife tied the scarlet cord around the baby's wrist.
Right?
And it's known as the scarlet thread that goes throughout.
And it points to Jesus.
And that Jesus is truly on every page.
Christ is so much bigger than what we give him credit for.
And I think we're going to be overwhelmed when we finally see him face to face.
But Jesus is truly on every page of the scripture as you look.
Now, sometimes you have to dig and find him, but he's there.
And so, a lot of...
A lot of this is true with Israel.
Israel is very important.
Right?
That's where Christ came from.
He is a descendant of Israel slash Jacob.
Right?
Israel is Jacob.
And Israel throughout scripture is compared to three different plants.
Three.
The first one is the vine.
And the vine is a symbol, commentators say, of Israel's...
Israel's spiritual privilege.
Right?
That God is spirit.
And those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
That God is drawn to the people of Israel.
Eternally.
I don't totally get that.
Because you see a lot of people in Israel.
And they actually hate God.
And yet, he's drawn to them.
And he gives them opportunity.
And he protects them.
You can look these scriptures up.
You might want to write them down.
I'm not going to go over them.
I'm just going to kind of go through this fairly quickly.
But Psalm 80, Isaiah 5, Jeremiah 2 all talk about Israel being the vine.
That would be Psalm 80, Isaiah 5, and Jeremiah 2.
And in other places in scripture, Israel is talked about as the fig tree.
Now, most scholars say that...
I'm not smart enough to figure this out.
Other than here in the Bible.
And then the cross references are telling, obviously.
But the fig tree is a symbol of Israel's national privileges.
Now, check this out.
Israel's national privileges.
Hosea 14, Isaiah 17, Isaiah 24.
Psalm 52.
Psalm 128.
And Romans 11.
And so, the fig tree is a symbol.
So, when Jesus says...
He says, look at the fig tree and all the trees.
When they are already budding, you see and know that for yourselves that summer is near.
Right?
And it's not that you guess.
You know.
You know in the time of year when a tree buds and begins to produce.
Produce leaves.
You know.
It's not something that you have to guess.
And so, that's their...
Israel as a nation.
And so, he says here...
Well, let me not get ahead of myself.
One more.
The other one.
The other plant that is connected to Israel is the olive tree.
Right?
And it is a symbol of Israel's religious privileges.
So...
Oh, I messed up big time.
I just gave you the scriptures on the religious privileges.
The scripture on the national privileges was Hosea 9, Jeremiah 24, Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.
And for the religious privileges is Hosea 14, Isaiah 17, 24, Psalm 52, Psalm 128, and Romans 11.
And you remember in Romans...
Romans 11.
Right?
It talks about branches that are cut off.
Right?
There's part of Israel that have been cut off.
And then God puts these wild olive branches and grafts them in to the olive tree.
That would be moi.
Right?
That would be us.
That we're...
The Bible says we are grafted in...
Whoa.
Did I do that?
Okay.
They don't like what I'm preaching.
They just mute me.
So, interesting stuff.
Now, olive produces the oil that is symbolic also of the Holy Spirit.
So, I don't know about you, but I know that...
I need all that I can get.
And the Lord tells the parable of the ten virgins.
Right?
Some had the oil.
Some didn't.
And some were locked out.
And I'm wondering how many people...
Right?
Are really locked out.
They don't want the Holy Spirit.
Because they believe that if they honestly...
Unashamedly, with a pure heart...
Ask God...
For the Holy Spirit...
He will make them do something they don't want to do.
Do you know God ain't like that?
He's not like that.
God's not like that at all.
In fact, that passage in the psalm, right?
Delight yourself in the Lord.
He will give you the desires of your heart.
Are you delighting yourself in the Lord?
Because I'm convinced when you delight yourself in the Lord...
He...
He puts the desires of your heart all together.
And He...
Causes you to...
To want to do something so bad that you can't not do it.
That's how God works.
He's not the other way around.
Hold again to your head.
All right.
Go to Africa.
Right?
I went to Africa.
It was a great experience.
When I got to JFK, I wanted to kiss the ground.
I was so glad to be home.
I don't know if I'll ever go back.
But it was incredible.
I had a desire to go then.
I went.
That desire was fulfilled.
And I have not had a passionate desire to go back to Africa.
But God will give me that desire if it's to be.
And so it is with you.
God is so cool.
He's just...
He's chill.
You know, God don't need you.
Some people think that God looks down at our lives and goes,
Man, that would be a great catch if I got them.
Are you freaking kidding me?
We are freaks.
Who would want us?
But God can work with anything.
And so these plants refer to Israel.
And then talk about us being grafted in.
But the fig tree...
It says when you see the fig tree, when it's budding...
Believe that this happened in 1948.
When Israel became a nation.
And that that's the beginning of the ending.
That God so loves this people that it's like they've been non-existent for 2,500 years.
And they just burst back on the scene.
In fact, in Ezekiel chapter 36.
In verse...
It says,
But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel.
For they are about to come.
This is chapter 36 in Ezekiel.
Have you ever read chapter 37?
The dry bones?
Chapter where the ankle bone is connected to the leg bone.
And the leg bone, them bones, them bones.
Who remembers that song?
Them bones.
That's what it's about.
It's about Ezekiel 37.
Them bones is.
And them bones come back to life.
And in 1948, Israel, who would cease to exist for 2,500 years, they came back to life.
Netanyahu, a couple years ago on Fox News, said Ezekiel 37 has been fulfilled.
Well, if Ezekiel 37 has been fulfilled, obviously this is in 36 was prior to 37.
The Jews had this two powerful things begin to happen back then in the 30s and 40s.
Anti-Semitism was going through the roof, right?
The persecution in Europe and Russia and Jews began to come back into the land when they were established on May 14th, 1948.
They were Moroccan Jews and Spanish Jews and Asian Jews and African Jews.
You say, well, how are they going to communicate?
They all started to learn Hebrew.
God brought the language back.
It's a miracle, people.
You don't need to see anything else.
In my reading this morning, I'm sitting there and I'm reading and I'm going, Lord, you are like so cool.
And this morning, I was reading in Isaiah chapter 43 and it says this.
Oh, Jacob.
Who's Jacob?
Okay.
Created you, oh, Jacob, and he who formed you, oh, Israel.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by your name.
You are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
Though the rivers, though the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
And when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt to your ransom, Ethiopia and Saba in your place.
Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored and I have loved you.
Therefore, I will give you men.
I will give men for you and people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you.
I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west and will say to the north,
give them up and to the south, do not keep them back.
From the four corners.
From the four corners of the earth.
This fig tree has budded.
And it is a fulfillment very specifically of God's word.
How can people read these things and not recognize that Yahweh, Yehovah,
Steve mentioned El Shaddai, is the God of the Jews.
And if you have received Christ, you're grafted in and you are in that number.
He loves you.
And he has a plan for all of our lives as we submit ourselves to him.
It's just that Israel was so stiff-necked and hard-hearted.
They rejected that.
I don't know about you.
When you recognize how much God loves you, what does that do in your heart?
Right?
Does that, do you well up with thanksgiving and just overwhelmed?
He loves me.
He knows all this, all my dirty laundry.
He knows it all.
Every stain.
Every word you've ever spoken.
Think about that one.
Oh, yuck.
When Jesus tells the disciples that, right?
He says, on the day of judgment, man will give an account for every single word.
He's ever spoken.
If that does not strike fear in your heart, you're stupid.
You have to give an account for that.
Think about it.
That's a, oh Lord, could your blood just cover it all, please?
And he will.
Isn't that cool?
That's so cool about the Lord.
Right?
So, all of this anti-Semitism that just seems to be gaining ground.
You know, because the Arab, the Muslim, the Muslim will say, well, we serve the same
God as the Jews, the God of Abraham.
Well, what you have to ask him is, well, is he the God of Isaac and Jacob too?
Because that's the same God.
It's not the same God.
Because they believe it's the God of Abraham and Ishmael.
No, no.
That don't work.
It's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Because those were.
The promised sons.
Right?
And those were the ones that the promises of God came to.
And it doesn't say it in Luke 21, but it does say it in Matthew 14 and Luke 29.
It says that these things will come, or that the things that you see, that this generation will not pass away.
Because the budding of.
The fig tree is nigh.
It is even at the door.
I better read it.
Surely I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things come and take place.
And Luke in Matthew and in Mark, it says, and are even at the door.
It's like Jesus is reaching for the door to turn the knob to the rapture.
That's the next event.
So it's going to happen.
It's coming.
You ready?
If you're not, please get ready.
Right?
The time of the Gentiles being fulfilled.
Many believe it's that last Gentile that's going to get saved.
So is that you?
Please do it.
Get us out of here.
But Jesus told them he got after the Jews.
You remember?
Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem.
You can discern.
You can discern the face of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the time.
If you would have known, I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks.
My wife's got these hens that are raising chicks.
And they look like 1990s punk rockers.
They've got these little tufts of hair and they almost don't got feathers.
It's almost fuzz.
But I mean, they are ferocious mothers.
And it's been amazing to watch them.
So what she'll do is she'll, if they start getting broody, she'll hatch some chicks and
then she'll sneak in, pull the eggs out at night and put the chicks under them.
And they, oh, that's my baby.
Right?
And I mean, they'll swell up.
They're little bitty chickens, but they swell up great big and you'll see a little head
sticking out here and one will be up on her back and she'll have a little head sticking
out here.
And you don't get close.
These little hens, they're ferocious.
They'll tear your head off.
And I just thought, wow, this is, watching them has just been incredible.
And then when it's time to gather her chicks, she makes this little sound and they run.
I mean, all out, as fast as those two little legs can go, they run to that hen.
It's like, that is just wild when they, mainly when she feeds them.
But when she does that little noise.
They just fly to her.
And, and she's just, she's gets them all covered up.
And that's what Jesus is talking about.
If you would have known, man, you would have been under my wings, under the shelter of
my wings.
I gotcha.
Why are you ignoring me?
Why are you ignoring the signs of the time?
That fascinates me about people.
When you start talking to them, what's going on in the world?
Aren't you paying attention?
Are people so self-consumed?
That they can't see what's going on.
They can't see what's going on.
What's going on out here?
It's so crazy.
Like I said earlier, you, you, it's almost like you can't keep up with this stuff.
So verses 34 through 36, it says, but take heed to yourselves.
Let your hearts be weighed down with carousing drunkenness and the cares of this life.
And the day come up on you unexpectedly for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell
on the face of the whole earth.
Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things
that will come to pass and to stand before the son of man.
Jesus said, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
People have been talking about, well, there's going to be a great revival before Jesus comes.
I don't know.
With the lethargy and the, and the attitude of humanity that I've seen, I don't see that.
Now, do I believe God?
Can you do it?
Sure.
I do.
I was listening to Ann Graham Lotz.
I love that woman.
I'd like to meet her someday.
She is so bold for Jesus, but she was saying she's a daughter of Billy Graham, but she
was saying she don't think so.
She believes America's under judgment right now.
And rightly so.
We deserve it.
We deserve, we deserve the judgment of God.
And, um, there, you know, some Christians may get up and say, well, I don't know.
up in the process. And that's okay because he can just take them home. But what Anne said she
believed is that after the rapture there's going to be a great revival. Because a lot of people
that are messing around, if you're messing around today, knock it off. Right? A lot of people are
messing around. They're just playing games. You find yourself here after the bride is taken out
and the Holy Spirit influence in believers around you is gone. You don't want to be here. I promise
you, you don't want to be here. And so notice he says carousing. That's just being stupid. Right?
People think the Lord delays his coming. In fact, it's a wicked thing to say the Lord delays his
coming. Because they start carousing, start being stupid, start being drunk. Notice the care
is not the only thing that's going on. It's the care of the Lord. It's the care of the people.
It's the care of the believers of this life. They're not concerned about what's right and wrong.
They're just concerned about themselves. I was talking to my buddy who has been in the stock
market for some time and helped a lot of people. But he says all people want is they just want more
money. What can money do for you? What can money do for you the day you take your last breath?
Absolutely nothing other than afford your, allow your family to buy a nice casket. Right? It's funny.
When we worked at the cemetery, I always looked because they would always, people would spend
like an extra 10 grand for this bar, this bar that they would put on the bottom part of the casket.
Right? This bar. I go, what is it? They said it's some kind of an alloy or some kind of really
expensive metal that will keep the casket. And I said, what is it? And they said, it's some kind of
this casket from rotting. And I'm just like, like they really care?
And you're dumping like 10 grand on this thing. So I'd always, I'd get down there and look. Yep,
they got one. Sure. You're going to be happy about that, ain't he?
You are only ready if you're watching, right? Because he says it's going to, it's going to,
it's going to come unexpectedly. People aren't going to be expecting it. A lot of people don't
want to expect it. In fact, you want it, you start to try to talk to him about it. La, la, la, la, la.
I don't want to hear it. You fool. Why don't you want to hear it? Why don't you recognize the signs
of the time? Look, watch, pray, pray that you be counted worthy to escape these things coming on
upon the earth. Right? Last week, I had mentioned, right, that I had mentioned the whole,
uh, you know, one world stuff that we see going on. Um, in fact, the, the one video that,
I watched with Ann, she was having a conversation with Joel Rosenberg, who lives in Israel,
and he's in there talking about one world health, one world economy, one world leadership,
one world environmental, um, people. And it's, it's all morphing and coming to a head, it seems
like. Um, so watching all these things, the, these one world systems, we know,
that that's what it's going to be like when the antichrist, uh, comes on the scene. And, um,
you know, the one world healthcare system, that's, that's, uh, some think that the, the who,
right, the world health organization is going to, um, you know, there's been talk that
countries will be handing over their sovereignty to the who.
Well, I don't want no who, right? And I think our constitution says,
when these things, it has to be by the consent of the governed, that'd be you and I.
And, uh, and I don't want it. It seems like they're kind of keeping it at bay
for the time being. Uh, like last week I'd mentioned, they're kind of keeping the,
the central digital banks at, at bay for a little while. Um, but it's coming. We know it's coming
and we're watching. That's why we need to be looking up this next, uh, world health deal.
They're talking about the bird flu, right? It's going to be a worst plan-demic,
uh, catch the pun. Just then the last one, right. And be able to control people,
the one world economics, uh, system. Uh, I mean, every, every election in my lifetime,
it was James Carville's quote, right? It's the economy, stupid.
Right. That's what everybody's worried about. The economy. And I got to say, it's really not that
fun right now. It's, it's everything. I mean, a bowl, a stinking bowl of cereal. I don't know.
I haven't done the math on it, but I'm going, is this Raisin Bran even worth it? You know,
maybe I should go kill one of them chickens.
This is why I mentioned last week about watching the, uh, you know, watching the world currencies
because, um, you know, you know, that, that some, some powerhouse countries,
they would love to get rid of the dollar and put America in their place. Um, you know,
you got gold and Bitcoin and, um, you got the bricks, right? Bricks is, uh, who's heard of
bricks? You've heard of the bricks currency, right? It's, um, Brazil, Russia, India, China,
Africa, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates have, have, are dabbling with it as
well. Um, that's kind of interesting that, uh, they would come up with their own currency. Um,
what's really interesting is four days from right now, four days from right now is the G7 meeting,
uh, in Italy and the G7, right? This, the, the, the players in the G7
it, uh, well, here's a little description of it. The G7 is an informal block of industrialized
democracies, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the United Kingdom
that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security,
and most recently artificial intelligence. Proponents say the forum's small, um,
excuse me, small and relatively homogenous membership promotes collective decision-making,
but critics note that it often lacks follow-through and excludes emerging powers,
right? So they kind of got their own little club here. And I seen a picture of all the leaders,
you know, uh, walking, uh, last year at the G7, you know, and you have Biden, Trudeau,
Macron, Scholz from Germany, Malani from Italy. She's the only one I think that has any kind of
rationale. And then the UK's, uh, prime minister is the first Muslim prime minister that they've
had. And then, um, Kushida from Japan. And there's, there's some stuff going on right now
of some things that might happen there. And, uh, it,
it would be interesting because when Russia invaded Ukraine, the U S froze 300 billion
in Russian assets, froze it right. And now Russia needs no financial hiccups. Cause I
don't think they're doing that well as it is, but they froze it. And, um,
Putin's probably not very, uh, happy about that, but now,
now there's, they're, um, they're talking about at the G7, that some of these Western countries
are actually going to seize the assets, actually just take them. And, um, what's interesting is,
is so much of it is still in the European area and in a company called Euroclear, uh, about 200,
uh, billion of it. And Putin has, uh,
threatened to retaliate. And, uh, so there was an article in, in, uh, bitcoin.com news. I, I had
listened to actually a, a live interview with this guy's name is Jim Richard records. And records was
the guy who really pioneered the, the, um, follow the money and find the terrorist thing that he
thwarted all kinds of terrorist activity simply by following the money. And, uh, pretty brilliant
guy when you listen to him talk and economist, but, uh, Rick,
Rickards and economist and author of the currency wars, bestselling book has alerted about the
possible consequences of the seizure of Russian assets on the global, on the global clearance
system. And a recent interview, Rickards explained that Russia could retaliate in two different ways
in the Western coalition of the U S and the European union finally decide to seize the 300
billion in treasuries and assets. The first one,
more than 300 billion in assets of Western countries in Russia, Putin could also, uh,
expro expro appropriate and the assets of Western oil energy and natural gas and give it to the
Russian oil giants making a profit from these and settlement services in Europe and the world
Rickards assessed that out of the 300 billion in Russia assets abroad, 200 million were held by EuroClear
prompting legal action by the rest of Russian Federation. If these get delivered to third parties
for seizure of EuroClear has offices, even in Hong Kong and Richard stretch Richards.
Rickards stresses that these offices would be liable for these seizure actions,
potentially causing a block on EuroClear services across Europe. This would be even worse than the
collapse of the U S treasury market derived from these seizure actions.
Given that it would affect trillions in assets directly while the treasury market could take years to collapse due to these measures.
And so it was interesting that last year in 2023 EuroClear had over $37 trillion in assets and, uh,
and Putin would go after them. So it could drastically affect our economy.
And, um, some think that Trump can get in there and do some things. I think he would.
I do. Um, but Donald Trump's not my savior. Jesus is. And so that's, that's why I can smile and keep
rowing, right? Is, is because the Lord, but, but to watch these things and to know that yes,
things could happen. It could get even crazier than it seems right now that we could have a
crash here in America. I mean, we can't have Lord knows how much debt we have right now and how fast
you can't continue that way. It has to come to a screeching halt and it is going to affect, uh,
people drastically. And, uh, you know, it's funny, this little well thing, this little,
uh, restriction they're putting on the groundwater here in Eastern Idaho,
it's actually going to devastate some people financially. It will devastate them. And, um,
and, and maybe that's just a small taste of what could happen globally. If some of this stuff
goes awry and, and we know that, um, uh, nobody's going to hold America's hand, that's for sure,
or Israel, either one. So, um, and the reason I had talked about the money thing that I was
going to go into last week and I didn't was because of, uh, the revelation verses 16 and 17.
Now I ain't going there quite yet, but, um, I thought, no, let's go back and, and start,
uh, at, uh, verse 11, revelation chapter 13. If you have a Bible, please turn there.
Revelation 13. And I'm sorry, I'm, I'm, I'm a little bit long here. I'm going to go quick.
Check out what it says. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth that had two horns
like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast
in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose
deadly wound was healed. He performs a miracle in the presence of the first beast, whose deadly wound
was healed. He performs great signs so that even that he even makes fire come down from heaven on
the earth and the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs,
which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give
breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many
as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
And he causes, then he causes, verse 16,
all both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on
their foreheads, and that no one may be able to buy or sell except one who has the mark or the
name of the beast or the number of his name. That's why we watch the financial market. Are we getting
close to that? We are. This tap thing is kind of
freaking me out. Right? The tap thing, they go, do you got tap on your card? And my card was so
wore out, they couldn't even read the numbers on it. And I tried, it didn't work. Right? And they
go, you need a new card. I got a new card. And I tapped that thing. I mean, it was shocking how
fast it made a transaction. I'm going, wow. You don't want to get your hip pocket too close to
anything. It might, right? Charge your account. I'm serious.
Are we there yet or what? In your right hand or your forehead? A chip. I don't know about doing
this, but the tap thing, maybe the forehead's just for those who don't have a right hand. I don't know.
But it's here, folks. It's even at the door. Right? It's at the door.
If you're not crazy about Jesus right now, you need to be. Right? Is he the preeminent one in
your life? I think I have to ask myself that like every single morning. Lord, you've got to be the
preeminent one in my life today. Because I know I can get distracted and I can start going down
rabbit holes and chasing things I shouldn't be chasing. Because he's coming. It says in the
Bible, I'm going to be the preeminent one in my life. I'm going to be the preeminent one in my life.
Right? And like I say, you might be that last Gentile. Get ready. Because like that hen
clucking to her chicks, there's going to be a trumpet sound. There's going to be a shout
with the voice of the archangel. There's going to be a noise that we're going to be gathered to.
And I mean in a hurry. Right? Even at the door.
In this chapter of chapter 13 of Revelation, it says authority five times. Five times that this
beast has this authority to do the signs and the wonders. And this other beast has authority
over the nations, every tribe, every nation, every tongue to take this mark. Where's this authority
come from? It comes from God. Why would God give the beast authority to do the signs and the wonders
and the beast and Satan and the false prophet authority? Because the world don't want him.
That's why. God goes, you want it? You got it. Right? And that's what it says in Romans chapter
one. It says, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over
to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness,
evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossip, slanders, haters of God,
insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, kids. Did you hear that?
Without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and although they know the ordinances
of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death. They not only do the same,
they give hearty approval to those who practice them. They don't want God. So he'll give the enemy
authority over them. You want it? You got it. Here's your reprobate mind. It's like you're sealed
in that condition. The people who dwell on the earth in the book of Revelation, it's almost like
they can't. They can't turn to Jesus because they have given themselves to this and God says, you want it?
Have it. Pastor Gordon, I love it. I learned this quote from him. You want it bad, you get it bad.
So put the oil in your lamp, have it burning, burning, burning. Let the oil in your lamp burn
all day, right? Get the oil in your lamp. That'd be the Holy Spirit. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for
this morning. Thank you for
all the stuff going on in the world, Lord, that we get to see. And you allow us to see it,
that you might turn our hearts completely and totally to you. And so I just want to yield my
own heart to you, Lord, because I know I am saved by grace and I have this desperately wicked heart
that I have to ride herd on all the time. And I know such is the case with all of us in this room.
So we pray right now,
Holy Spirit, that you would come, that you would fill us up, that we would be on fire in these last
days, that we would be willing to speak truth, that we would recognize the things going on in
the geopolitical world, the financial world, the world health organization world, all around the
world, Lord, the leaderships of the world, knowing that these kings of the earth are
pawns in your hand and you can do with them whatever you will. And Lord, we yield to you. We
humbly come before you, knowing that you're going to do with us whatever you will. So have your way,
Lord, as we surrender to you. And I know there may be some right now that have yet to do that,
totally surrender to you. Lord, as the prayer team comes up, I pray that they would be encouraged.
Come and be prayed for. Have hands laid upon you. If any of you are sick, come and be anointed with
oil. If any of you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, come and ask. If anyone needs to be saved
and experience that repentance and turning
fully and completely to Jesus, don't let today pass, but come forward as the prayer team comes
to my right and to your left. Lord, we know that the time is at the door. Lord, help us to
keep looking up, lifting our eyes, and turning our hearts to you.
Inhabit our praise, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's all stand and worship.