1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,760 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:42,560 We either by faith repent and turn from our sins to Christ. 6 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:49,000 We pay for our sins on the cross and be forgiven and enjoy Him in 7 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,840 heaven forever, or we just stay in our unbelief and we follow 8 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:58,280 Satan, preparing to follow the Antichrist and worship Him. 9 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,080 And we perish in our sin, and we're tormented for all 10 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,000 eternity. All eternity. 11 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,280 You just don't die and that's it. 12 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,320 Last time I checked, the statistics of those who will die 13 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:15,920 are still 100%. So what does that mean? 14 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,880 Death. Do we simply cease to exist? 15 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,960 Do we all go into an afterlife of bliss? 16 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,720 Do we get a second chance at life in this world in another 17 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,680 form? Well, Pastor Clark makes it very 18 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,800 clear in today's message that when you die, you will either 19 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,680 spend eternity in heaven or hell. 20 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,680 The choice is yours. The way to spend eternity with 21 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,200 God in heaven only comes through personal faith and trust in 22 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:45,680 Jesus Christ. Now here's Pastor Clark in the 23 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,640 Book of First John, Chapter 5 with today's edition of Living 24 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,600 Waters of Grace. It's through the power of God's 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:54,280 Spirit. And if God's Spirit lives in us, 26 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,360 He's the one that enables us to live the Christian life. 27 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,440 Amen. It's God's Spirit, and that's 28 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,000 good news because you can't fake it. 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,280 And if you've been faking it, get the pressure off yourself 30 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,480 and just finally say, God, I can't do this. 31 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,639 I need you to be my savior. I need your Holy Spirit to live 32 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,480 in me to enable me to keep these commandments that I continually 33 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,320 have a tendency to break. For this in verse three of first 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,720 John 5 is a love of God that we keep His commandments and His 35 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:30,680 commandments are not burdensome. They're what enables us to 36 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,200 overcome sin. They live in victory as 37 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,600 Christians. They have an overcoming life. 38 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,440 It's the work of God's Spirit in us. 39 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,400 So you look at the commandments of God. 40 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,400 There might have been a time that you looked at in this way. 41 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,920 I know I did, man. There's 10 commandments. 42 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,920 That's just part of it, you know, and, and I, I break them 43 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:50,320 all, you know, and I, what am I going to do? 44 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,800 These are impossible. Did you ever look at those 45 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,840 things and be honest with yourself and say these are 46 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,520 impossible to follow? Even on your best day, you're 47 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,480 not going to get 10 out of 10. You're going to break some of 48 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,120 them. Even you and me as Christians, 49 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,080 we break them. We break his commandments every 50 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,240 day. If we don't have him above every 51 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,400 other God, we're committing idolatry. 52 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,760 And how often do we allow the things of this world to get in 53 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,000 the way of our relationship with God and we've become idolaters. 54 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,520 We have to be serious and say, Lord, work on my heart by the 55 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,440 power of your spirit that I will not sin against you. 56 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,200 You're worried if I hid in my heart that I will not sin 57 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,720 against you. And it's awesome when the Holy 58 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,120 Spirit works in our lives because we find ourselves like 59 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,360 sort of floating in the sense of that we're overcoming things 60 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,240 that in the past we never were able to overcome before. 61 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:46,400 And you might have a life besetting sin. 62 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,320 I know Christians that still struggle with life besetting 63 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,520 sins. The book of Hebrews say, says we 64 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,680 all have them a sin that so easily besets us. 65 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,480 But that doesn't mean just because it's a weakness that God 66 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,160 isn't able to cause us to overcome that sin if we follow 67 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,960 Him and obey his word. And so we ask for his mercy and 68 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,080 his help. And God is the one who's able, 69 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,280 as it says in Jude, to keep us from falling and present us 70 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,960 faultless before his glory with exceeding joy. 71 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,279 It tells us in verse 15 of Revelation 16 that Jesus is 72 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,120 going to come as a thief. A sudden surprising event. 73 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,880 It's unexpected. It's an unannounced appearance. 74 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,800 Many years ago when Cindy and I were first married, we didn't 75 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,000 have two cents to rub together, but we had paychecks and Spencer 76 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,120 gifts that that week. And so we were so tired and we 77 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,040 worked so hard. We were in this like motel room 78 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,320 in the winter. They run out and you know, 79 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,640 you're right on the beach. And and so we, we loved it and 80 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,160 we that's all we had. We, they had, it was furnished 81 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,160 and all we have is like a couple duffel bags with some clothes in 82 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,040 and we had money that week to actually buy some groceries, you 83 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,640 know, so we go to bed and we're tired. 84 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,920 Had one of those Polaroid instant cameras. 85 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:02,640 Remember those old cameras? You take the picture, you put 86 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,000 the film in and then you peel it back and then and the picture 87 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,320 comes alive. And you know, it was like, wow, 88 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,680 this is, I think it was one of the first things we got after we 89 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,520 got married. But, but anyway, we're asleep 90 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,160 and we're tired And for some reason that night, I, I, I don't 91 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,000 remember putting the chain on the door. 92 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,520 It was weird. I just turned the lock on the 93 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,040 door. So we're sound asleep all of the 94 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,680 sudden in the room, I felt God woke me up, the Holy Spirit woke 95 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:28,760 me up and I felt this darkness in the room and, and I and I 96 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,080 opened my eyes and I sat up and I saw this guy Crouch down the 97 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:33,920 bottom of my bed. It freaked me out. 98 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,640 I mean, just having someone in your room that you weren't 99 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,800 expecting to be there, an unannounced guest and someone 100 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,600 who's visiting, you know, and you weren't inviting them. 101 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,560 And our hearts are pounding and all I know is that I started 102 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:46,760 getting up. I yelled something. 103 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,160 I just started getting up. Guy could have had a knife and 104 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,200 killed me and raped my wife or whatever, and it could have been 105 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:55,040 horrible. But by the grace of God, that 106 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,880 guy took off and I went outside to see where which way he went 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,800 and he was completely gone. And I'll tell you, that night 108 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,680 was so difficult to go back to sleep because every time we fell 109 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,400 back to sleep, we'd wake up, we'd be stirred thinking he's 110 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,240 here again, he's here again, he's in the room, he's here. 111 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,240 And that's sort of how we have to think about the presence of 112 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,480 God. He's here, He's here again, He's 113 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,600 in this room, He's with us, He's watching us, He sees us. 114 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,560 We have time, guys, to deal with our hearts. 115 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:26,600 We have time to have our lives change. 116 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,000 We have time to forsake sin. He's going to come as a thief in 117 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,840 the night. Sudden, surprising, unexpected. 118 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:40,280 And so this is endorsement by God's word that you would keep 119 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:46,400 your heart clean, that you would keep your garments clean through 120 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,080 holiness and repentance. You would be living for God and 121 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:55,040 not living for sin. And when he comes back, we 122 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:59,000 wouldn't be ashamed at what he might find us living for, right? 123 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:05,160 That he would come back and we could smile and say, man, I'm 124 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,000 glad you came today because the day's a good day with you, Lord, 125 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,360 I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. 126 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,560 I'm in the place that I'm supposed to be. 127 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,080 I'm I had a good devotional day and I had a, a day of maybe I 128 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,760 shared my faith or I honored my boss or I love my wife or I love 129 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,960 my kids the way the Bible teaches me, or I'm, I'm seeking 130 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,880 the things which are above and not the things which are below. 131 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,000 And, and, and how awesome will it be when the Lord comes for us 132 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,840 in the rapture and for those he comes forth the second coming 133 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,000 that have gotten saved in that tribulation period, that he, he 134 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,000 finds us doing the things that he told us to do versus finding 135 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,240 us doing things that we shouldn't be doing. 136 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,440 I mean, if we're saved by God's grace, we're still going to be 137 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,920 saved. But I want to be ready, don't 138 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:58,280 you, that He, the Master, finds me doing as a Scripture, say 139 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,040 what he told me to do. And so just as the first coming 140 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,520 of Christ involved many phases over a 33 year period of 141 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,760 Christ's life, from the Annunciation to the Ascension of 142 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,600 Christ, the second coming of Christ encompasses phases that 143 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:17,240 take place before, during, and beyond the seven-year 144 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,720 tribulation. We covered phase one several 145 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,440 times in the Book of Revelation and Thessalonians where Christ 146 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,360 comes from the church at the rapture. 147 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,480 First Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 13 and 18. 148 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,440 You can review that and look at that again later. 149 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,080 Phase two of this movement of God in these last days was when 150 00:08:36,159 --> 00:08:39,919 when Christ comes to judge the rebellious nations remaining on 151 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:41,440 the earth during the Tribulation. 152 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,200 And he does that through the seal judgment, through the 153 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,360 trumpet judgments and the and the bold plagues from Revelation 154 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,680 chapter 6 through Revelation chapter 18. 155 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,840 Phase 3 is when Christ comes to destroy the Antichrist and his 156 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,400 massive armies at Armageddon. And we'll get into that 157 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:01,280 Revelation chapter 1911 in phase 4. 158 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,280 The final phase is when Christ comes and establishes on earth 159 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,640 the prophesized millennial Kingdom of God. 160 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,080 And we read about in Matthew 25 and Daniel chapter 2. 161 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,880 So we see in verse 15 for all of those who are awaiting this 162 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,880 event, whether those of us right now who are waiting for the 163 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,720 rapture of the church or those who are living in the time of 164 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,720 the tribulation to become Christians that will go through 165 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,960 this battle of Armageddon at the end of the tribulation. 166 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,560 Verse 16 through 18. And they gathered them together 167 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,600 to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. 168 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,520 And the 7th Angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud 169 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,120 voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying it 170 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,880 is done. And here we have described 171 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,800 what's spoken about in the book of Joel chapter 3. 172 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:52,120 The armies of the antichrists are ascending down to Armageddon 173 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:57,680 and in the valley plain of Jordan and that this huge piece 174 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:04,120 of real estate approximately 10 by 40 miles from northwest to 175 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:05,960 southeast, the gateway to Jerusalem. 176 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,760 This is where this battle will occur. 177 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,720 And we know from Revelation chapter 14, verse 19, it talks 178 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,080 about the great winepress of the wrath of God. 179 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:16,360 This is where this is going to happen. 180 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:20,120 This would be the most cataclysmic battle in human 181 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,560 history on the face of the earth 17 to 21. 182 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:28,280 It speaks now about the 7th Angel pouring out this final 183 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,680 bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple of 184 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:34,080 Heaven from the throne room saying it is done. 185 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:38,840 So this is the last major horrendous judgement that's 186 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,240 coming out from the the throne of God prior to this great 187 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,280 battle of Armageddon. He says it is done just like 188 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,520 Jesus said it is finished when he's on the cross. 189 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,960 No more wrath of God to be poured out on those who come to 190 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,160 Christ. The wrath of God is only to be 191 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,520 poured out on those who reject Jesus Christ. 192 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,240 And we see here the 7th bowl is concluding with these 193 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,880 cataclysmic events here. It speaks about this in verse 194 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:04,600 18. Noises and thunderings and 195 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,480 lightnings and great earthquakes. 196 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,000 Such a mighty and great earthquake has had not occurred 197 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,880 since men were on the face of the earth. 198 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,320 Now the great city was divided into 3 parts, and the cities of 199 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,800 the nation fell, and great Babylon was remembered before 200 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,200 God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His 201 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,200 wrath. Again speaking about this this 202 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,680 judgement of God's wine press. Every island fled away, and the 203 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:31,720 mountains were not found, and great hail from heaven fell upon 204 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,680 men. Each hailstone about the weight 205 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:35,960 of a talent, approximately 90 lbs. 206 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,800 Men blasphemy God because of the plague of the hail, since the 207 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:45,720 plague was exceeding great. And so we see this gigantic 208 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:51,000 hail, worldwide earthquakes, destruction of the Antichrist, 209 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,440 his reign and his role. These lightnings and thunders 210 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,120 that are spoken about in verse 18 remind us of what we read 211 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,960 about in Exodus chapter 19 as Moses began to come down off the 212 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,440 mountain and it says the people trembled because of the sound of 213 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,680 their Thunder and the brightness of the lightning. 214 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:10,680 People were aware this was not a normal weather pattern. 215 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,280 This was the holiness of God shaking the foundations of the 216 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,360 earth. And this great earthquakes. 217 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,360 All these great scientists in the face of the earth, they're 218 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,040 bright, they're brilliant, they study, they know certain things. 219 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,840 Unfortunately, many of them aren't understanding the signs 220 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,880 of the times of the seasons. They don't believe that the 221 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,560 Bible is real and they don't believe that Jesus Christ is 222 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:33,800 God. And, and they got a lot of a lot 223 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,840 of problems, but nonetheless, this is one thing that many of 224 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,680 them agree on. There's this geologic fault line 225 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,320 and it's amazing how far this thing extends. 226 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:47,160 It extends through Palestine, Jordan Valley, down into Africa 227 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,000 and through the California coast. 228 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,280 I pity people who are moving to California. 229 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,440 I'm glad for people who are moving away from California. 230 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,280 I'm just kid Randy's here going to California. 231 00:12:57,880 --> 00:12:59,680 Gary and Cather are moving from California. 232 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:02,120 You need to talk to us brother about the prophecies that are 233 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,760 coming up. But Calvary Chapel is all 234 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,280 through Southern California and we'll be we'll be take we'll be 235 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,520 taken out before these things are occurring. 236 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,960 Praise God. But the move of God that will 237 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,920 give way of what sinners have believed supported them all the 238 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:18,720 all the people on their face of the earth right now. 239 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,120 They they ignore God for the most part. 240 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,280 They walk around the world like it's their own. 241 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,480 They don't understand or acknowledge a creator. 242 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,400 They could care less even if there was 1. 243 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,360 They're not going to pay attention to them or listen to 244 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,000 them. And they're standing on this 245 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,920 ground saying this is stable. This I got control. 246 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:39,760 I have, I have energy, I have wealth, I have materialism, I 247 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,080 have great gain. I'm the master of my domain. 248 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,840 I'm the king of my household and nothing's going to change that. 249 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,000 I'm in charge when this earthquake begins to occur, the 250 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,400 massive earthquake like the world has never known. 251 00:13:52,680 --> 00:13:54,400 And I haven't ever been through an earthquake. 252 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,000 But people that have been, they tell you it's like a horror, 253 00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,560 that you don't want to go through it. 254 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:03,800 It's extremely frightening. Your whole world begins to fall 255 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:08,360 out from under you, literally. Those who ignore this at this 256 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,280 time will be the ones that will realize that they laughed at us 257 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,360 because we have a crutch. They call our faith in Jesus 258 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:16,640 Christ. You guys need it because you're 259 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:18,320 weak. You need a crutch. 260 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,160 They're going to wish they could find a crutch during that time 261 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,400 of the earthquake because there'll be nothing that will be 262 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,480 able to hold them up but the mercy of God. 263 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,640 And it seems that the majority of people will Still, as we read 264 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,720 last week at the end of verse 11, they did not repent of their 265 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,520 deeds. So this great city's divided, it 266 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,360 says into three parts, Babylon. Some people think Babylon's an 267 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,400 ancient Rome, the revived Roman Empire. 268 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:49,080 Some people think it's Baghdad. You know, it doesn't really 269 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,240 matter where it is or what it is. 270 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,840 It is a literal place and it'll be revealed in the in the last 271 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,840 days. But it it it's also symbolic of 272 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,840 the corrupt world system led by the Antichrist. 273 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,280 And this earthquake is going to split this city in three parts. 274 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,440 And we'll get into that in more detail next week in chapter 17 275 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,360 and 18. In verse 20, it talks about 276 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,360 these islands and mountains that are affected by this earthquake. 277 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,080 Some people think that this will occur when Jesus comes back and 278 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,360 lands literally on earth and his feet touch the Mount of Olives 279 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:26,280 and this the holiness of God touching this wicked world. 280 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,240 That's when everything will begin to just break apart and 281 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,120 his Messiah's triumphant millennial reign. 282 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,880 It will eventually be set up as we read in Psalm chapter 2, the 283 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:42,320 weight of this stone, these hailstones coming out of heaven 284 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:47,600 that says uses this word talent, which is parallel to the weight 285 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,120 measure 95 lbs. So you can imagine something 95 286 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,640 lbs coming down out of the heavens. 287 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,960 The damage and the death it'll cause will be incalculable. 288 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,040 I, I don't want to be there and I won't be there. 289 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:03,240 And I pray if you're here today and you're still on the fence 290 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,400 about your need of a Savior and salvation, you don't stick 291 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,600 around for this. I really believe that these 292 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,200 things are sooner than later just because of what's going on 293 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,120 in the world. I mean, there's never, you know, 294 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:17,040 people talk about the stars being lined up when when Christ 295 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,160 comes back, it seems like everything is just falling into 296 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:25,080 place and the prophecies. It says in the last days people 297 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,480 will be lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God. 298 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,160 It's apparent everywhere. People will go to churches to 299 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:32,920 have their ears tickled. You know, they want to have 300 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,480 things that will tell them how the wonderful they are, make 301 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:39,160 them feel good and know what they would perceive as 302 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,960 negativity or, and no down or a message. 303 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,160 You know, just make, tell me how great I am and, and make me feel 304 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,800 good and comfortable in my sin and what I want to do. 305 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,600 And then don't bother me. Don't don't say anything that 306 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,080 would cause me to be convicted or something. 307 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,280 But God, God, you know, he's so patient and so merciful. 308 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,560 It's a wonder he hasn't done this already to everybody. 309 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:07,200 But in his mercy he has a body, a bride, a group of people, the 310 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:09,640 elect that he loves and he cherishes. 311 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:14,160 And and he's come to this world that has not received him and 312 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,359 rejected him. And he came to his own and his 313 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,200 own received him not. And yet he comes with love to 314 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,800 save the world from their sin. And very few people and the 315 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,599 populace from the beginning of time to the end of time come to 316 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:28,000 him. It's, it's a mystery. 317 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,680 And so these people, when all this is happening, Can you 318 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,120 imagine this weight of these hailstones coming down? 319 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:35,840 There's no place to go, no place to run, no place to hide. 320 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:40,240 And they're still cursing God, They're blaspheming him. 321 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,680 And as these results, these, these prophecies and these 322 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:49,760 events about this Antichrist coming to pass, it's if you 323 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:56,680 think about the the rocks coming down upon the earth, think about 324 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,800 the Rocky Mountains. Some of you guys are on a 325 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,640 hunting trip recently out that way. 326 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,880 And they're huge. I mean, if you fly from here 327 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,920 over to the West Coast, it just seems like forever you're flying 328 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,280 over the Rockies. I mean, it's, it's a fascinating 329 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,920 part of God's creation to see the Rocky Mountains completely 330 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,920 decimated and flattened during this time. 331 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:25,280 You see Mount Everest, as big as it is, completely flattened by 332 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:30,160 the anger and the wrath of God, The buildings in the world, the 333 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:35,360 the largest building, completely crumbling like they're toys. 334 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,080 And as I was studying this, I couldn't help to think about the 335 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,120 World Trade Tower. We all saw that on TV. 336 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,960 It was almost like something out of a sci-fi movie, wasn't it? 337 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,400 And they were just planes with some, you know, gasoline that 338 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:51,960 exploded in their bombs, whatever. 339 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,040 And look what it did. It's nothing compared to the 340 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,440 hand of God. When you looked at those towers 341 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,040 and the flames, people were saying, yeah, I wonder how to 342 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,440 put that fire on, you know, eventually to go out or 343 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,600 whatever. I mean, I, in my wildest dreams 344 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,400 didn't believe. I literally see those things 345 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:08,160 crumble. Did you? 346 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,600 I was in shock when I saw that. My mouth was wide open. 347 00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,760 You didn't know how to describe what you were seeing. 348 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,840 It just crumbled, like it didn't exists, like it had no support 349 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:22,840 and it went completely to the ground. 350 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:27,000 Both those towers. I think about all these church 351 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,200 buildings in the world and so many of them now are apostate. 352 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,160 So many of them don't preach the gospel anymore. 353 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,760 The great churches that were built in Europe during the time 354 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,800 of the Reformation are now empty. 355 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,800 Very few people go to the churches. 356 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,240 The real estate, though, the churches from all around the 357 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,800 world right now is approximately $120 billion, are tied up in 358 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,120 buildings and real estate for churches. 359 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:55,600 It's all going to be wiped out. So there's one of two choices 360 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,600 for us in the midst of all this. There's only two choices. 361 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:08,000 We either by faith repent and turn from our sins to Christ who 362 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,600 paid for our sins on the cross. And be forgiven and enjoy him in 363 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,320 heaven forever. Or we just stay in our unbelief. 364 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:20,920 And we follow Satan, preparing to follow the Antichrist and 365 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,120 worship him. And we perish in our sin and 366 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,120 we're tormented for all eternity, all eternity. 367 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:31,240 You just don't die and that's it. 368 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,560 And go to sleep in a grave and there's nothing else. 369 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:39,120 You live forever. You'll leave this body and the 370 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,240 Christian gets a new body one day and they'll live in heaven 371 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:47,320 forever and joy and bliss and beauty and perfection with the 372 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,920 Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all those who have gone before 373 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,120 us who love the Lord and are his. 374 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,560 And it's going to be amazing. So amazing that the Bible says I 375 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,040 have not seen nor ear heard nor entered into the heart of man. 376 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,040 The things that God has prepared for those who love Him. 377 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,280 On your bad, on your worst day, guys and gals, when you're 378 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,240 really struggling and you think life is just a drag and you're 379 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,280 upset at everything and you're discouraged and nothing's going 380 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:16,040 right, and you wonder sometimes where the Lord is in the midst 381 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,120 of what you're going through. Be encouraged. 382 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:20,120 This is nothing. The best is yet to come. 383 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,320 I hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of 384 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,320 man the things that God hath prepared for those who love Him. 385 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:29,560 And so today I love him, and I know many of you love him. 386 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,480 So that's an exciting thing to anticipate, isn't it? 387 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:34,240 The things that He's prepared for us. 388 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,320 We can't even begin to imagine how great it is, but it's 389 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,560 waiting for us. And then if you're here today 390 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,400 and you don't have the Lord in your life and you're following 391 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,400 sin and you're living in sin and you're dying in your own sin, 392 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,560 what you have to look forward to is nothing but torment and all 393 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:58,400 eternity forever. It says with a worm dieth not 394 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,880 where the fire isn't quenched, where the fires of hell burn and 395 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:03,720 torment you and they don't burn you up. 396 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,640 You're just the heat is so intense. 397 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,680 Some people say it's the heat of God's holiness. 398 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,720 It's continually in your face throughout all eternity. 399 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,640 And you know you made the wrong decision and you have to face 400 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,240 the brightness of that light and the glory of His Majesty. 401 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,080 And it's just galling you. It's, it's infuriating you. 402 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:22,360 And there's nothing you can do to change it or get away from 403 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:24,440 it. All you know your whole life is 404 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,360 that you hate God and you'll live with that hatred throughout 405 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,520 all eternity, being miserable and tormented and tortured. 406 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,760 And you'll be by yourself. You won't be with your friends 407 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,600 and your buddies like some people say, Oh, hell would be 408 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:35,960 great. I'll be down there with my 409 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,000 drinking buddies. No, Hell is a separate place for 410 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,960 every individual that's there. They have no communication with 411 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,920 any other living creature except their own torment inside, 412 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:51,560 forever and ever and ever. So I would think that it would 413 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,600 make sense, but it isn't common sense. 414 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,880 It brings us to Christ. It's the work of God's Spirit 415 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,360 that brings us to Christ. Jesus says that no man can come 416 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:02,200 to me except the Father draw him. 417 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,600 But I believe in any time the gospel goes out and when it's 418 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,000 preached that the Holy Spirit is convicting people and drawing 419 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,880 them to himself, he's speaking in the quietness of your heart, 420 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,000 saying today is a day of salvation. 421 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:16,920 You know, the day you need a Savior. 422 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,120 You don't want to face this stuff. 423 00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:19,600 This stuff's real. It's true. 424 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:24,240 It's going to happen just like Christ's first coming, his 425 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:29,040 birth, his life, his crucifixion, his resurrection, 426 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,200 his ascension occurred. His second coming is going to 427 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,080 occur. And if you wait, it could be too 428 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,000 late. So I just as Paul said, I 429 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:47,280 beseech you, I exhort you, today is the day of salvation. 430 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,840 We are digging into the Book of Revelation here on Living Waters 431 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,600 of Grace. Pastor Clark is tackling this 432 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,520 challenging book as we try to discern the messages that are 433 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,120 within its pages. There's so much imagery and at 434 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:06,600 times you're not always sure what's literal and what's 435 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,440 metaphorical. At one point there's a reference 436 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,760 to an adulterous woman riding on a beast. 437 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,160 And as someone else mentioned, at one point it almost sounds 438 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,640 like a rodeo from hell. And in actuality it kind of is. 439 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,000 You learn about the downfall and demise of a sinful and 440 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,280 rebellious world, falling down in worship to someone who is the 441 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:36,200 anti hero, the enemy, Satan working his insidious ways into 442 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,880 the minds of fallen people. It's sad and it's heartbreaking, 443 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,600 but it's a classic story of good versus evil. 444 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,080 Thankfully, we know how this story ends. 445 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:55,320 Jesus wins, Jesus reigns, and evil is conquered once and for 446 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,880 all. We pray and trust you've 447 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,880 received Jesus as your Savior. But if you haven't, don't wait 448 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,160 until the events in Revelation become what's happening on the 449 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,640 streets. None of us wants you to be there 450 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,960 at that time. Instead, we'd love for you to be 451 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,760 with us in heaven as we celebrate the marriage supper 452 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:23,240 with Jesus as his bridegroom. To get a better understanding of 453 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,400 where we are in the Book of Revelation, to listen to any 454 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:31,080 messages before or after this one, you can find them at our 455 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,680 website, calvarychapelonline.com. 456 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,360 That's it for today's edition, but we hope you'll want to hear 457 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,880 Pastor Clark teach more from the Book of Revelation. 458 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,240 It can be exciting to think about the future for believers, 459 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,360 but it can feel a bit harrowing for those who don't believe. 460 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,440 Come hear more next time on Living Waters of Grace.