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 --> 00:00:18,720 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,240 All your loved ones, your friends, your neighbors, your 6 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,040 relatives, all the people that scoff at. 7 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:43,880 The message of Jesus. Christ, I don't need them. 8 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,760 Who needs them? It's not real whatever they're 9 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,000 blinded by this Prince of. Darkness, Satan, it says. 10 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000 All of us before we came to Christ. 11 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,680 Also, we're blinded by this one, and it's the one who works in 12 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,520 the sons of disobedience. Anyone who doesn't believe in 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,480 Christ is a son and daughter of disobedience. 14 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,000 You don't have to be taught growing up how to reject God or 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,320 ignore God, do you? You just do it naturally. 16 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,680 If you've ever been around children, it's pretty clear that 17 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,080 we're all rebellious from a young age. 18 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,880 Next time you're with a child, take away something that they 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,760 want but isn't good for them. See just how upset they'll get? 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,440 In today's message, Pastor Clark says we're all rebellious from 21 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,320 the beginning. Our natural instinct is to run 22 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:34,720 away from God. You must remain in Him, allow 23 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,680 Him to lead you, and run back to Jesus when you feel like this 24 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,720 world is tempting you. He loves you and wants to 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,120 protect you at all costs. Now here's Pastor Clark in the 26 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,520 Book of Revelation chapter 13 with today's edition of Living 27 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,400 Waters of Grace, chapter 13, verse one. 28 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,560 If you need a Bible, folks, there's one in front in the Pew. 29 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,160 Feel free to use that. If you don't want to read this, 30 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,160 listen. And it says in verse one I stood 31 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,400 on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the 32 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:11,880 sea having 7 heads and 10 horns, and on his horns 10 crowns, and 33 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:13,840 on his head's a blasphemous name. 34 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,040 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,400 like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. 36 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,600 The dragon gave him power, his throne and great authority. 37 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,680 And I saw one of his heads as it had been mortally wounded and 38 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,080 his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marvelled and 39 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,840 followed the beast. So they worship the dragon who 40 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,200 gave authority to the beast, and they worship the beast, saying 41 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,440 who is like the beast who is able to make war with him. 42 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,360 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and 43 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,200 blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 44 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,280 months. Then he opened his mouth to 45 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,120 blasphemy against God, to blasphemy His name, His 46 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,320 Tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 47 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:58,880 It was granted Him to make war with the Saints and overcome 48 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,320 them, and authority was given to Him over every tribe, tongue, a 49 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,600 nation. All who dwell in the earth will 50 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,080 worship him whose names have not been written in the Book of Life 51 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:10,920 of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. 52 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,400 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 53 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,160 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,760 He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. 55 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,080 Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints. 56 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,160 So we see here in the. Chapter 13. 57 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,040 Verse 1, John's having another vision about what it's going to 58 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,120 be like in the last stage. Keep in mind this was written 59 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,480 over 2000 years ago, give or take a few years. 60 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,920 He's writing about things that in his foggiest intention or his 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,120 mind, he can't actually understand what it is God's 62 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,280 showing him, but he knows he's to write these things down for 63 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,280 what's going to come to pass and the future. 64 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,920 Now here we are 2000 years later, and as we study some of 65 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,360 these things, it's really clear that we can make more sense out 66 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:58,880 of these things as the years have. 67 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,040 Moved on and developed. So we'll make sense of some of 68 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:03,920 this today as we study this together. 69 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,280 So John standing, it says, on the sand of the sea. 70 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:11,160 Most likely looking into the Mediterranean Sea and the sea 71 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,520 always has represented in biblical times the chaos of the 72 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,920 nation's the waves rolling, the sounds of the Thunder and the 73 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,520 sea represent the. The nations, the vessels, the 74 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,040 voices of the sound of many waters, it talks about in 75 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,640 Revelation, the many nations that actually live in this area 76 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,160 at this given time. I looked on the globe as I was 77 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:33,800 studying this, the nations that surround this area and you. 78 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,280 Can see how the. World is in chaos right now 79 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:39,960 through some of these countries, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, 80 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,520 Egypt, Libya, Greece. Spain, Italy, Algeria and Iran. 81 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:48,920 We know Iran's intention to this day is to build nuclear 82 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,720 ballistic missiles to land into Israel and destroy the nation. 83 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,720 That's their hell bent on doing that. 84 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,920 That's our focus every day. But. 85 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,120 We know that God will prevent the nation of Israel from total 86 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,520 destruction, but nonetheless, Israel has many enemies around 87 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,880 the world. Out of this water though, he 88 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,280 sees this crazy creature coming up and and you read this, it 89 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:13,520 seems like science fiction. He sees this new world roller 90 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:18,240 are rising out of the water, and it says that this individual has 91 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,640 seven heads and 10 horns, and on his horns 10 crowns, and on his 92 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,840 heads, head heads, a blasphemous name. 93 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,320 The seven heads. Represent the seven geographical 94 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,800 territories. That will be controlled by the 95 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,320 Antichrist in the last days. So you look at the continents in 96 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,360 the world. There's seven major continents 97 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,840 that will all be influenced and controlled by this world leader, 98 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,400 the Antichrist. Now, right now, there's certain 99 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,920 individuals in our world that have tremendous influence in 100 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,760 certain parts of the world. The ruler of China. 101 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,040 Of course, the president. Of the United States, the ruler 102 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,800 of Russia. You know, the leaders in Iran 103 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,600 and Iraq and Afghanistan. So we have world rulers that 104 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,000 will eventually come together in geographical territories that 105 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,400 will submit to the control the Antichrist. 106 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,160 The 10 horns represented in this first verse represent the 10 107 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,040 kings. These are the leaders that will 108 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,400 support. The agenda and. 109 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,480 Goals of this world ruler, the Antichrist. 110 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,840 What's interesting, and we don't have time to win the book of 111 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:23,280 Daniel, but Daniel is parallel with the Book of Revelation in 112 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:26,840 the sense that it talks about the very same prophecies, yet 113 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,480 thousands and thousands. Of years before this was 114 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,880 written, Daniel's visions compare with many of these 115 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,040 visions and revelations, and they give support to the end 116 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,120 time development of a group of nations that merge together for 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,760 the one world. Government, one day there will 118 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,120 be one world currency. That's the only way there can be 119 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,560 stability in the sense of the financial markets. 120 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,760 And so we're moving toward that a cashless society to every one 121 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,480 of us have debit cards. I, I remember when I first 122 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,960 became a Christian when I was 20 and read how Lindsay's book the 123 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,120 late great Planet Earth. Anybody ever read that book? 124 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:04,040 Amazing book written back in the 70s, still very popular about 125 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,960 end time prophecy. And he talked about this 126 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,280 cashless society, some type of embedded ship that would. 127 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,400 Go in the forehead. Of. 128 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,040 People who pay homage. To this Antichrist world ruler 129 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,440 or. In the side of their forehand. 130 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,400 But now we know because of debit cards. 131 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,040 They have access by numerical codes and you have to have a 132 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,920 code and be approved by a bank in order for your debit card to 133 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,200 be able to work. So you have the ability to buy 134 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,000 right, sell, pull money out of a Mac machine. 135 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,160 If you don't have the right code, the right numbers, your 136 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,160 debit card is not going to work. Well, it won't be too difficult 137 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,440 for a world leader and a world. Government and a world. 138 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,400 Currency system to establish a identification code that 139 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,320 everybody rabbit card will have to have or it won't work. 140 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,520 And we know the number 666 is synonymous with the evil 1, the 141 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,480 devil. It says eventually, as we 142 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,400 studied, that those who don't have this mark will not be able 143 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,000 to buy and sell. And do commerce. 144 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,920 So the difficulties that are on the horizon for those who don't 145 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:04,920 have Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 146 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,520 In verse 2 we see that the piracy to this enemy is actually 147 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,680 Satan himself, the Bible. Describes the devil as the 148 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,440 Prince of the. Power of the Air, who's actually 149 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,520 very much alive. There was another book that 150 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,040 Lindsay wrote. Satan is alive and well. 151 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,200 On planet Earth, we can't see Satan. 152 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,640 We can't physically. Connect. 153 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,080 With his agenda, nonetheless, it's working. 154 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,640 Everyday to keep people in darkness. 155 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,080 The reason people don't believe the message of the gospel and 156 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,720 the reason people reject Christ isn't so much just their own 157 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:43,200 human pride. They've been blinded by the 158 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,760 devil to believe that they. Even have a need of a Savior, it 159 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,920 tells us in Ephesians chapter 2 it says you. 160 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,120 He made. Alive who were dead? 161 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,880 In trespasses and sins. At one time there was someone in 162 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,840 your life working before you became a Christian to keep you 163 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,840 lost. In your sin he keeps you dead in 164 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,600 trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the 165 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,840 course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of 166 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:11,400 the air, the Spirit who now works in. 167 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,680 The sons of disobedience. So all your loved ones, your 168 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:16,880 friends, your neighbors, your relatives, all the people that 169 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:18,720 scoff at. The message of Jesus. 170 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,120 Christ, I don't need them. Who needs them? 171 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,000 It's not real. Whatever they're blinded by this 172 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,360 Prince of. Darkness, Satan, it says. 173 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,320 All of us before we came to Christ. 174 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:33,960 Also, we're blinded by this one, and it's the one who works in 175 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,720 the sons of disobedience. Anyone who doesn't believe in 176 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,680 Christ is a son and daughter of disobedience. 177 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,080 You don't have to be taught growing up how to reject God or 178 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,400 ignore God, do you? You just do it naturally. 179 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,000 I mean, I remember as a kid growing up, the last thing I 180 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,960 wanted to do was sit in church on Sunday and hear this kind of 181 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,320 stuff. I just had a natural propensity. 182 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:55,960 To not be interested. Couldn't wait till it was over. 183 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,400 Matter of fact, my Mama dropped me off for Sunday school. 184 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,480 I take the offering, wait till she goes in to teach and I go up 185 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,080 to the five and nine place to play pinball and get a milkshake 186 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,720 and hamburger for $0.25. It tells you how old I am, you 187 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,720 know, and I come back later on. She know how was Sunday school. 188 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,320 It was great. You know what they talk about. 189 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,000 I don't know. I can't remember, you know, but 190 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,760 you know it was the in my mom and dad. 191 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:19,960 They they both had a faith they they. 192 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,840 Desired to raise their kids up in the Lord, but. 193 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,680 You know, you can't make anybody, anybody be a follower 194 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:27,400 of Christ. You can't make anybody be a 195 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,200 Christian. That has to come by the holy. 196 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:31,840 Spirit's work on a person's heart. 197 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,680 So anyway, this is, this is the agenda, the evil 1 And it says 198 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,120 among whom also we all conducted ourselves in the lusts of the 199 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:42,240 flesh, fulfilling the desires of the fleshing of the mind, and 200 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,560 we're by nature children of wrath, just as others so. 201 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,200 This human fallenness. Shrouded and clotted by. 202 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,840 Satan himself. This caused us to be sinful 203 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,760 people. And and not even really thinking 204 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,840 about it, excuse me or worrying about it. 2nd Corinthians. 205 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,480 Also talks about this. Individual and a. 206 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,840 Lot of people. Will say well you know I believe 207 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,600 in the God of this world you know well who is the God of this 208 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,200 world and this might be interesting for you to consider 209 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:14,760 today but Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3 says but even 210 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,800 if our gospel is veiled today is I'm preaching the. 211 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:22,400 Gospel if it's obscure. If it's hidden, if it's hard to 212 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,320 grasp or you just like, what in the world is this guy talking 213 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:27,640 about? It says it's failed or it's. 214 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,080 Clotting your mind because you're perishing meaning. 215 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,480 You're going to die without. Christ without His. 216 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,520 Mercy, it says. Whose mind's the God of this age 217 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,200 has blinded those who do not believe, lest the light of the 218 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,000 Gospel, the glory of great Christ, who is the image of God, 219 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,040 should shine unto them so even today. 220 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,600 In churches around the world, whenever the message. 221 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,920 Of the word of. God is going forth. 222 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,560 People sit and they don't see. People sit and they don't hear. 223 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,280 There's a there's a disconnect. They just can't. 224 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,840 Can't. Relate and believe me, it's very 225 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,760 clear here. The God of this age, Small G not 226 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:07,560 referring to the God of the universe. 227 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,200 The God that's working in this fallen world. 228 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,840 Blinds those who don't believe. So everybody you know that 229 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,800 doesn't understand or accept what you have accepted in your 230 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,760 life are blind. And we have to pray for them. 231 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,040 We can't judge them. We can't criticize them. 232 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,800 We can't condemn them. We need to pray, Lord, open 233 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,160 their eyes like you opened our eyes to help us. 234 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,080 See the truth, right? We can't get angry. 235 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,160 And judgmental and condemning people. 236 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,360 We need God to turn the light on for people to see. 237 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,760 So in the last days, in this time of tribulation that we're 238 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,000 studying here, Satan will begin to be physically manifest as a 239 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:52,000 human being who will truly be the Antichrist, the world ruler. 240 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:57,280 And verse 3 of Revelation 13 it says, and I saw one of his heads 241 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,520 as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound 242 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,840 was healed, and the world marveled and followed the beast. 243 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,520 This world ruler. Is so successful. 244 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,800 That there's an assassination attempt upon his life. 245 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,800 Some people believe that he was literally killed. 246 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:17,080 In this assassination attempt. But miraculously, he survives 247 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,720 this assassination attempt. And he resurrects basically from 248 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,080 the dead. And so he impacts the world so 249 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,400 much, the people, the world so much that they're like, wow, 250 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,600 man, you know, like, you believe what happened. 251 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,880 I mean, CNN, Fox, every major news, the network's going to 252 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,320 proclaim that this guy's life was taken and he's pronounced 253 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,560 dead and all the sudden he comes alive. 254 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:42,120 It's sort of like John F Kennedy. 255 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,160 Many of us remember the tragedy of what happened in his life 256 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,880 when he was assassinated. It would be like him coming back 257 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,480 to life again. Do you realize the influence the 258 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,480 world would be impacted by his life? 259 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,400 He was an astounding leader. He was a charismatic 260 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,440 personality. I'm not saying he's the 261 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,600 Antichrist, but I'm trying to give you a picture. 262 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,040 It's going to impact world's civilization and culture so much 263 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,800 that they're going to be mesmerized by the the leadership 264 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,800 and the incredible miraculous situation. 265 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,440 That has occurred. And so in verse 4, it talks 266 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,560 about the the the worship this individual who's given authority 267 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,760 to the beast and they worship the beast saying who is like the 268 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,000 beast? Who is like who's able to make 269 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,000 war against him in other? Words. 270 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,640 This world ruler is so astounding, so powerful, so 271 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:34,960 influential, there's no one like him. 272 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:37,920 And that's what we should say about the God of the universe 273 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,040 who is like unto the God of heaven, right? 274 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,600 Matter of fact, the psalmist even uses that. 275 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,760 But people will be declaring. This person as the leader and 276 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,920 this particular given time, I think about the horror of 277 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,360 Hitler, Adolf Hitler. Who would have ever thought that 278 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,920 a group of people in a country could lift someone up to this 279 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:00,400 kind of authority and leadership? 280 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:06,760 The furor and basically claim him as the new world ruler to 281 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,640 exterminate anyone who wasn't of the particular bloodline that he 282 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,040 dictated. Basically to wipe out the Jews. 283 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,040 That was the biggest attack from the evil one in in modern days, 284 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,360 along with Stalin and Lenin and many other dictators. 285 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,560 Who are anti God and living on the face of the earth today but. 286 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,280 People paid homage to Hitler. If you were a kid and you found 287 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,400 out your parents really weren't supportive of his movement, his 288 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,960 agenda, your job for the state was to turn your parents in. 289 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,120 And the Bible says even in the last days that mother will be 290 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,240 against son and father against daughter, and there'll be this 291 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,480 chaos and families because of the. 292 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,080 Blindness of those who don't believe against those who do 293 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:47,960 become believers during this time. 294 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,880 There was a terrible persecution in the country of Romania during 295 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,000 the times of Stalin. I watched the video recently and 296 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,240 the horror of what they did. They took anybody that professed 297 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,200 faith in God who were Christians, and they took them 298 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,080 to a concentration camp and their goal. 299 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,200 They had medical doctors that shot them up with drugs and they 300 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:10,560 had. All this psychological 301 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:13,040 intervention to try to break the will and the spirit of the 302 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:15,400 people. So that they would break their 303 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,040 personality and their temperament. 304 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,200 And they put these people through incredible heartache and 305 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:24,240 tragedy and difficulty for many years until it was brought out 306 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,520 into the rest of the world. And Russia decided at that time 307 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,400 that they would close the prison down and destroy those who the 308 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,800 prison guards and the prison leader and anybody who was 309 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,960 involved, the doctor. So no one had any kind of 310 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,360 knowledge about what had happened. 311 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,720 But there was some testimonies of some Orthodox Christians that 312 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:43,600 came out of this horrible experience. 313 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,400 And they gave their testimony of how God's grace spare them in 314 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,640 the midst of the horror of the persecution and the trials and 315 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,160 the trauma. And it was horrible when you it 316 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,360 broke your heart when you thought about what people go 317 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,800 through in different parts of the world. 318 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,240 And yet God in his mercy is so strong in them that they don't 319 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,800 abandoned their faith. And they give hope to many 320 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:06,839 others. But this Antichrist is going to 321 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:07,720 be. Such a hateful. 322 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,119 And vindictive person. That anybody who's discovered on 323 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,680 the face of the earth during that time, who has become a 324 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:18,520 believer, will be. Persecuted and his goal is to 325 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,800 destroy them. He'll be given tremendous power 326 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,760 and authority. He'll have control over the most 327 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:29,320 powerful of nations, including. Us, this country, he'll speak. 328 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,120 Great things and blasphemies. He'll claim himself to be God. 329 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:35,320 This is also identified in Daniel. 330 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,160 Chapter 7 and 11. Just a little picture of what 331 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,520 this guy's like in Second Thessalonians Chapter 2. 332 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:44,600 It's it's wonderful that God gives us the insights and the 333 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,280 Scriptures so we don't have to be deceived. 334 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,880 But he says in chapter 2, verse one, brother, brethren, 335 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,160 considering the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our 336 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:58,080 gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in 337 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,440 mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter, 338 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,680 as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 339 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,040 Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not 340 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,240 come unless there's a falling away that comes first, and the 341 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:12,840 man of sin is revealed, the Son of. 342 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,720 Perdition. So the good news for Christians, 343 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,760 for believers, we're not going to be here during this time of 344 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,320 great tribulation. We believe in the rapture of the 345 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,640 Church, that Christ will take us out prior to the time of the 346 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,720 Antichrist ruling, and will be taken up into heaven. 347 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:32,120 It tells us in Thessalonians chapter 4 that there'll be a 348 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,240 sound of a trumpet in the voice of the Archangel, and the dead 349 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,320 in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and 350 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,800 remain shall be caught up together with the Lord, to meet 351 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,360 the Lord in the air, and to meet the Lord in the clouds, and so 352 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,280 shall we ever be with the Lord. And, and Paul tells the 353 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,600 Christians at that time comfort one another with these words, 354 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,120 right to comfort each other. But there were people during 355 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:56,640 this time that the Bible is written, they're going around 356 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,000 telling people all the Lord's already come, you've been left 357 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,200 behind, and now. You're going to have to suffer 358 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,840 all this trauma, but this will be the signs of some of the 359 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,240 things that will begin to transpire prior to us being 360 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:08,440 taken out of here. It's. 361 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,720 Quite possible that this world leader will come to a role even 362 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,480 in our time before we're taken out of the rapture. 363 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,120 All hell doesn't really break loose until the 2nd 3 1/2 years 364 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:22,160 of this tribulation. The final 3 1/2 years. 365 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,720 But there will be this also this falling away. 366 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,760 And we're living in a day in an age where churches are dying 367 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,200 around the world. The attention or interest in the 368 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,080 things of God are becoming less and less as we move closer to 369 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,040 the last days. Now those who really know Christ 370 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,760 are getting hotter and hotter, but those who are like fair 371 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,320 weather Christians say, I'll follow Christ as long as life's 372 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,480 good and everything's cool. Follow him. 373 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,000 But soon as things get difficult. 374 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,720 There's a group of people that aren't real believers that 375 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,840 they'll begin to fall away, the Bible says, and they'll actually 376 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:56,680 begin to curse. Him and. 377 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,480 Deny that they've ever even known him. 378 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:03,360 And so we see that this Antichrist, he'll set himself up 379 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,880 above all that is called God, or that is worship, and he sits as 380 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,360 God in the. Rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem The 381 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:14,720 temple that the Jews use will be rebuilt to continue sacrifices 382 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,600 during the Tribulation. Once this thing's rebuilt, 383 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,560 sometime after the 1st 3 1/2 years of this tribulation, this 384 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,560 Antichrist is going to show his true colors and he's going to 385 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:28,320 have the audacity to sit on the throne in the temple and claim 386 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,960 to be God. It says Paul says, do you not 387 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,720 remember that when I was still with you, I told these things, 388 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,000 told you these things, and now you know what is restraining or 389 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,520 what is holding back, that he may be revealed in his own time. 390 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,280 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. 391 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:47,040 Only he who now restrains will do so until he's taken out of 392 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:48,000 the way. And we? 393 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,360 Believe that what restrains us force of evil and helly's 394 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,120 persecution on the earth today is the body of Christ, the 395 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,440 church. Whenever we're taken out of this 396 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,720 world as a group of believers, it doesn't matter what 397 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,720 denomination, as long as you're a true believer in Jesus Christ, 398 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,960 you've been born again. You're trusting in him for your. 399 00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:10,400 Salvation, you'll be taken out. The Holy Spirit's still going to 400 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,200 be working on earth, but. The salt and light that affects 401 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,080 the culture that keeps pushing back the darkness, the people 402 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:23,200 that deal with the government and still try to vote for things 403 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,240 that are for God's Kingdom and his glory and fight against the 404 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,920 lives of abortion and all these other things that are going on 405 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,080 today in our culture that are becoming more and more. 406 00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:36,160 Acceptable, you know. The groups that affect. 407 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,680 That in a positive way and the sense of deterring. 408 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,280 The force of darkness, moving on, is the Christian right. 409 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:45,960 For the most part, it's people who have faith in Christ that 410 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,440 believe in the moral rules of the government of God's Kingdom. 411 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:53,200 And so but whenever. That influence is taken. 412 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,040 Out then this lawless one will be revealed, but it says the 413 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:00,320 Lord will consume him with the breath of his mouth, and destroy 414 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:01,720 him with the brightness of. His coming. 415 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,880 So when Christ comes back at the end of the Tribulation in the 416 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,280 second coming, what a great victory that will be whenever 417 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,080 He. Deals with this evil one once 418 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,200 and for all, but this one will speak great things and he'll 419 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,600 blasphemy. He'll. 420 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:20,040 Curse and he'll hate anything that has to do with the Lord and 421 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,920 His church and his people. In verse 7, it tells us in verse 422 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:29,160 Revelation 13, verse seven, it was granted to him to make war 423 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,400 with the Saints and to overcome them, and the authority was 424 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:35,160 given him over every tribe, nation and tongue. 425 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,200 You know you want. To warn people you love guys, 426 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,440 that they need to receive Christ. 427 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:42,880 Now everybody thinks, well, I got time. 428 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,720 I don't know why in the world we try to push off the greatest 429 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,360 gift that we could ever be given as human beings. 430 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,240 But again, that's the force of darkness deceiving us. 431 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,240 But today's a day of salvation. Why push it off? 432 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,640 I don't know. The rapture could happen 433 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,320 tomorrow. It could happen next week, 434 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,200 within the year, I don't know. But we're sooner and closer than 435 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,840 ever before. Why would someone want to be 436 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,400 left here on Earth? To face these horrible things 437 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:10,960 that are about to come. Upon the earth. 438 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,200 Those who become believers during the Tribulation. 439 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,200 And there will be hope, many people. 440 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,720 That will be on the earth at that time will realize that all 441 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,880 the things you told them when you were living were true and 442 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,440 they're going to say, wow, that that that thing I heard in 443 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,200 church or my friend or my relative or my loved one told me 444 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,520 I needed to get saved. It's really true. 445 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,040 I'm going to follow. I want to believe what they told 446 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,680 me. God is to believe and and the 447 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:38,360 Lord will be merciful. He'll save people during the 448 00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:41,160 tribulation, but it'll be an unbelievable time to have to 449 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,680 live. And those who become believers 450 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,640 during this tribulation will suffer. 451 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:51,440 As I said in the Book of Revelation, Pastor Clark is 452 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:55,200 taking us through all kinds of events and happenings that are 453 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,520 predicted for the future. But for those who believe and 454 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,480 follow Jesus, there's much to look forward to in heaven with 455 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,480 Jesus. However, for those who are here 456 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,720 on earth during the Tribulation, there's all kinds of chaos that 457 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,720 will unfold. The Bible talks about an 458 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:17,520 Antichrist, a false prophet, and of course, that evil enemy, 459 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,000 Satan. Do you see how there are such 460 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:24,240 clever attempts for the enemy to disguise himself as God and even 461 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,320 the Trinity? The true Savior of the world is 462 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:32,000 God and how he comes to rescue through his triune nature God 463 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,520 the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 464 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,920 Just like Satan tried to take over for God in heaven and was 465 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:45,400 cast out, Satan will try to convince people on earth that he 466 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,640 is the Triune God to be worshipped instead of the 467 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,520 legitimate God in heaven. It's an attempt, and although he 468 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:56,600 will capture plenty in his schemes, he will not win. 469 00:24:57,120 --> 00:25:01,320 The true God wins, and Revelation unpacks how that will 470 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:05,560 all happen in detail. Be encouraged because there's a 471 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:09,120 way out for all of this madness that will ensue on this earth. 472 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,920 But you don't want to wait indefinitely to make that 473 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:17,000 decision about Jesus. We don't know when the church 474 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,960 will be raptured, and you want to be ready to be with Jesus. 475 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:26,080 To learn more about this, head over to calvarychapelonline.com. 476 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,880 We're so glad you've been with us today. 477 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,040 And if you'd like to connect further with this ministry, find 478 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,640 us on Facebook or YouTube. You can also download our mobile 479 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:41,200 app at calvarychapelonline.com. Be sure to join us for weekly 480 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:50,320 services at 400 E Pittsburgh St. Ste. 6B in Greensburg, PA 15601. 481 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,600 This has been living waters of grace.