09/02/26 Pastor Doug Daniels

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GOOD EVENING, LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH.

I SAID GOOD EVENING, LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS

EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED. SOME OF YOU CAME IN HERE WITH SOME

BURDENS THAT YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO CARRY. SOME OF YOU CAME IN

HERE WITH SOME UNEXPECTED THINGS THAT YOU WEREN'T READY FOR. BUT

KNOW THIS, GOD HAS ALREADY ANSWERED YOUR PRAYER 'CAUSE IT

SAYS IN HIS WORD THAT HE HAS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR EVERY

SINGLE THING THAT YOU HAVE NEED OF. BUT THERE IS A REQUEST.

ENTER IN TO PRAISE. LET GOD ALMIGHTY INHABIT YOUR PRAISE.

LET GOD ALMIGHTY INHABIT YOUR PRAISE AND WATCH THE

BREAKTHROUGH COME. ARE YOU READY TO ENTER IN TONIGHT? LET'S GO.

COME ON.

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OH, WE WORSHIP YOU, LORD.

WE WORSHIP YOU IN THIS PLACE. THERE'S NO NAME LIKE JESUS.

THERE'S NO NAME LIKE JESUS.

THERE'S NO NAME UNDER HEAVEN OR EARTH LIKE JESUS. JESUS, WE

WORSHIP YOU TONIGHT IN THIS PLACE. WE MAGNIFY YOUR HOLY

NAME. WE THANK YOU, LORD, FOR ALL YOUR GOODNESS, YOUR GRACE,

YOUR MERCY. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR US. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR

US. THANK YOU, JESUS. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR

PRAISE TONIGHT TO YOU. THANK YOU, LORD. YOU GIVE US LIFE. YOU

GIVE US BREATH. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. THANK YOU, JESUS.

HALLELUJAH. WE WORSHIP YOU IN THIS PLACE. WE MAGNIFY YOUR

NAME. WE'RE SO THANKFUL TONIGHT, LORD. WE HAVE A HEART OF

THANKSGIVING TOWARDS YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR US. WE

ANTICIPATE THE DAYS AHEAD AND SEEING A MIGHTY HARVEST COMING

FOR YOU. THE GREATEST HARVEST THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. AND WE

GIVE YOU GLORY. WE GIVE YOU GLORY TONIGHT, LORD. YOU'RE

AMAZING AND AWESOME. WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS. THANK YOU, LORD.

JUST PRAY IN THE SPIRIT TONIGHT FOR A MOMENT.

[PRAYING IN TONGUES]

HALLELUJAH. WE WORSHIP YOU, LORD. WE MAGNIFY YOUR NAME.

THANK YOU, LORD. THANK YOU, LORD. THE LORD SHOWED ME THREE

THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT QUICKLY BEFORE WE MOVE ON

TONIGHT. NUMBER ONE, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE, MAYBE YOU'RE

WATCHING ONLINE, AND YOU ESPECIALLY HAVE A DESIRE AND A

PASSION TO WORK WITH YOUR HANDS IN CRAFTS. AND WHEN I SAY

CRAFTS, I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE, HOBBY LOBBY AND MICHAELS WOULD

BE YOUR FAVORITE STORE. YOU LOVE TO WORK WITH CRAFTS. IS THERE

SOMEONE HERE THAT LIKES THAT? MAYBE I'M TALKING TO, OH, IT'S

YOU? COME ON UP HERE. ANYONE ELSE? COME ON UP HERE. IT MIGHT

BE MORE THAN ONE. IT COULD BE SOMEONE ONLINE TONIGHT. I DON'T

KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY MEN THAT LOVE TO WORK WITH THAT TYPE OF

CRAFTS. PASTOR KEITH, DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT HOBBY LOBBY WAS

YOUR FAVORITE STORE? NO, OKAY. I GUESS I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT.

HERE'S, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY GOD CALLED YOU OUT, BUT THIS IS

WHAT I'M FEELING IN MY HEART, IS THAT YOUR PENCHANT AND DESIRE

AND YOUR SKILL AND YOUR ABILITY FOR WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS,

DOING CRAFTS, IS GONNA RELATE TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAT GOD HAS

FOR YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS. IT'S INDIVIDUAL FOR

EACH OF YOU. MAYBE IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT YOU MAKE SOMETHING AND

YOU TAKE IT TO A NEIGHBOR AND GIVE IT TO HIM AS A GIFT AND IT

OPENS THE DOOR FOR YOU TO SHARE THE GOSPEL. I DON'T KNOW. IT

COULD BE MANY THINGS OR MAYBE IT'S A BUSINESS THAT GOD HAS FOR

YOU. I DON'T KNOW. YOU KNOW, JESUS WAS A CRAFTSMAN. THE BIBLE

TELLS US HE WAS AN EXCELLENT CARPENTER. HE KNEW HOW TO WORK

WITH HIS HANDS, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT

THAT. IT'S A WONDERFUL GIFT IF YOU CAN DO IT. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT

AN ARTIST AT ALL. I COULDN'T HARDLY DRAW A STICK MAN, BUT YOU

HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SKILL TO DO SOME THINGS. AND SO I JUST WANT

TO PRAY OVER YOU TONIGHT, A BLESSING, AND I SAY, AND JUST

STRETCH YOUR HANDS TOWARDS THESE. AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING

ONLINE TONIGHT AND THAT'S YOU, YOU JUST RECEIVE IT RIGHT WHERE

YOU'RE AT. FATHER, I PRAY A BLESSING OVER THESE THAT COME UP

HERE TONIGHT. I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU HAVE CALLED THEM OUT EXCEPT

THAT YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW THEY'RE APPRECIATED, THEY'RE

LOVED BY YOU. YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM THE SKILLS AND THE

ABILITIES THAT THEY HAVE. YOU GIVE US THE DESIRES OF OUR

HEART. AND I THANK YOU, LORD, THAT YOU'VE CALLED THEM TO THIS

TYPE OF WORK. AND I DECLARE WISDOM, GUIDANCE, AND DIRECTION

BE IMPARTED TO THEM TONIGHT SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE AND MOVE

FORWARD WITH THE GIFT THAT YOU HAVE FOR THEM IN THE MIGHTY NAME

OF JESUS, THAT THEY DO GREAT EXPLOITS WITH THIS IN THE MIGHTY

NAME OF JESUS. WE DECLARE AND BELIEVE IT. AMEN, AMEN. YOU CAN

RETURN TO YOUR SEATS 'CAUSE I HAVE TWO OTHER THINGS THAT THE

LORD GAVE ME TONIGHT. ONE OF THEM IS, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE

AND YOU'RE UNEMPLOYED OR YOU REALLY, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T

WANNA COME UP HERE FOR THIS, BUT YOU'RE UNEMPLOYED OR YOU, I'LL

PUT IT THIS WAY, YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR JOB POSITION AND

YOU NEED A CHANGE. IF THAT'S YOU, RUN UP HERE. I BELIEVE GOD

HAS, AND PASTOR KEITH, WOULD YOU COME UP HERE FOR A MOMENT? I'M

GONNA HAVE YOU PRAY. SOMEONE GET HIM A MIC IF YOU WOULD. I WANT

PASTOR KEITH TO PRAY FOR ANYONE ONLINE THAT COULD BE IN THAT

SITUATION. THEY NEED A JOB CHANGE, OR MAYBE THEY'RE

UNEMPLOYED RIGHT NOW. I JUST FEEL LIKE THE LORD WANTS TO

BLESS YOU WITH THAT. AND I'M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU TOO. IF

THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT COMES UP HERE, I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE

TO COME ON UP. GOD HAS THE PERFECT THING FOR YOU. AND I

BELIEVE THAT TONIGHT WILL BE AN OPEN DOOR TO MOVE OUT. SO HERE'S

WHAT I'M GONNA TELL YOU. I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSTRUCTION.

YOU PRAY, BELIEVE GOD, ASK FOR FAVOR, AND THEN YOU STEP OUT AND

DO. THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THE SUPERNATURAL. THERE'S THE SUPER

THAT GOD DOES, GIVING YOU FAVOR, GIVING YOU WISDOM, GIVING YOU

DIRECTION. AND THEN THERE'S THE SECOND PART OF THE SUPERNATURAL,

AND THAT'S THE NATURAL, WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HAND TO IT. HE

PROBABLY WON'T JUST MAKE YOUR PHONE RING AND IT'LL BE SOME

EMPLOYER SAYING, "I HEARD YOU NEED A JOB." THAT COULD HAPPEN,

BUT IT PROBABLY WON'T BE THAT. IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU'VE PUT

A RESUME TOGETHER, YOU'VE DONE YOUR DILIGENCE, YOU'VE BEEN OUT

SEARCHING, YOU'VE BEEN APPLYING, YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO YOUR

BEST. YOU DO YOUR PART, GOD DOES HIS PART. WHEN WE TAKE A STEP,

GOD TAKES A STEP. I'M GOING TO COME DOWN AND PRAY FOR YOU.

PASTOR KEITH, YOU PRAY FOR THE ONLINE. FATHER, AS WE STRETCH

OUT OUR HAND AND WE BELIEVE, FATHER GOD, THAT YOU KNOW THE

PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THROUGHOUT TIME AND YOU KNOW THE

SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW. AND I SPEAK

INTO THEIR LIVES, YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR PRESENCE TO SHOW THEM

DIRECTION, YOUR PRESENCE TO MAKE A WAY WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO

WAY. BUT FATHER GOD, WE SPEAK INTO THEIR LIVES, YOUR PLAN,

YOUR PURPOSE, AND YOUR POWER IN EVERY WAY TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR

WILL THROUGH THE POWER OF YOUR SON AND IN HIS NAME. AMEN. AMEN.

STAY RIGHT HERE, PASTOR KEITH. WE HAVE ONE MORE THING TO DO. I

HAD THREE THINGS THAT THE LORD DROPPED IN MY HEART TONIGHT. THE

THIRD ONE WAS, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE AND YOU'VE LOST YOUR SPOUSE

RECENTLY, OR YOU'VE LOST A BROTHER OR A SISTER, SOME

IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER? YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A TIME PERIOD OF

GRIEF. MAYBE THERE AGAIN, THAT'S SOMEONE ONLINE. IS THERE SOMEONE

HERE AND YOU'VE ACTUALLY LOST SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU AND YOUR

FAMILY? OKAY, COME ON UP HERE. I BELIEVE THE LORD WANTS TO JUST

HELP YOU DURING THIS TIME OF LOSS TO RECEIVE HIS COMFORT AND

HIS PEACE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE

YOU'RE AT AND HE'S A FATHER WHEN WE NEED A FATHER. HE CAN BE A

MOTHER WHEN WE NEED A MOTHER. THAT'S OUR GOD, AND HE'LL TAKE

AWAY THE DESPAIR, THE LONELINESS, THE EMOTION THAT

YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. HEY, IT'S NATURAL TO HAVE GRIEF. THAT'S

OKAY. BUT OUR JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE GO

THROUGH IN THIS LIFE, AND WE CAN JUST RECEIVE COMFORT FROM HIM IN

THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS. PASTOR KEITH, YOU PRAY FOR THOSE ONLINE

THAT MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH THAT LOSS. FATHER, THANK YOU THAT AS

YOU REACH YOUR HAND TOWARDS THOSE WHO ARE SORROWING AND ARE

IN NEED OF HEALING RIGHT NOW, YOU BRING A POWER OF

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PRESENCE AND BEING IN YOUR PRESENCE. LET THE

WORD OF GOD RISE UP IN THEIR HEARTS AND THEIR MINDS TO SPEAK

YOUR TRUTH OF COMFORT, PEACE, AND UNDERSTANDING. MAY THE POWER

OF YOUR SPIRIT REMOVE THE BARRIERS AND THE BURDENS AND MAY

THE POWER OF YOUR ANOINTING AND YOUR GRACE GIVE THEM KNOWLEDGE

OF YOUR WILL OF GOOD. AND FATHER GOD, THEY MIGHT KNOW YOU ARE

PRESENT EVEN IN THEIR SORROW AND YOU ARE PRESENT TO HEAL AND TO

RESTORE THAT THE OPPRESSOR CANNOT OPPRESS, BUT DELIVER AND

WE DECLARE IT IN THE NAME OF JESUS. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU,

PASTOR KEITH. I APPRECIATE THAT MUCH. HALLELUJAH. PRAISE GOD.

THANK YOU, JESUS. HALLELUJAH. WE'VE TAKEN A LITTLE TIME

TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S OKAY. PRAISE GOD. WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT THE

LORD DIRECTS. IF I DON'T EVEN GET TO MY MESSAGE, THAT'S OKAY.

HALLELUJAH. WELL, LET'S DO THIS. I THINK WE'RE DONE HERE. WHY

DON'T YOU SHAKE HANDS AND SAY, IT'S GOOD

TO BE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

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WELL WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD TONIGHT.

ISN'T IT AMAZING WHEN JESUS

SHOWS UP AND MEETS EVERY NEED? I JUST LOVE IT. HOW RANDOM IS

GRAPHICS? THAT'S JUST AWESOME. GOD JUST KNOWS WHAT'S IN YOUR

HEART. HE KNOWS WHAT'S IN OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR MINDS. HE'S

GOING TO MEET US WHERE WE ARE. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND SHARE

WITH YOU SOMETHING THAT HELPED ME LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT

WHAT IT MEANS TO WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY

PETRA FANS OUT THERE? RIGHT, I GOT A LITTLE LYRIC IN THERE.

WELL, IT'S OFFERING TIME AND ALLOW ME JUST A MINUTE TO SHARE

PROVERBS 3, 5 AND 6 ARE SCRIPTURES THAT AREN'T TYPICALLY

ASSOCIATED WITH GIVING OR EXPLAINING HOW KINGDOM FINANCES

WORK. BUT THEY REALLY HELPED ME GO BEYOND MY OWN THINKING TO

ACHIEVE A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD AND A MORE FULFILLING CHRISTIAN

LIFE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU'VE TURNED

IN TUNED IN, EXCUSE ME. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY ALL OF US ARE

HERE TO GO A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO GOD AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT

MORE ABOUT OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. PROVERBS 3:5 AND 6 IS UP ON THE

Proverbs 3:5

BOARD. PROVERBS 3 SAYS, "TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

DO NOT DEPEND ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING." AND VERSE 6

SAYS, "SEEK HIS WILL AND ALL YOU DO, AND HE WILL SHOW YOU WHICH

PATH TO TAKE." I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT AND REREAD

THOSE. "TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART. DO NOT DEPEND ON

YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. SEEK HIS WILL AND ALL YOU DO, AND HE WILL

SHOW YOU WHICH PATH TO TAKE." PLEASE KEEP THAT SCRIPTURE UP.

THESE ARE FANTASTIC VERSES FROM A LIFE-CHANGING CHAPTER IN THE

BIBLE, PROVERBS 3. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THAT ON A

FREQUENT BASIS. BUT WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WITH TITHES AND

OFFERINGS? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED. BACK IN 1990, AFTER TASHA AND I

GOT MARRIED, WE WERE, AND STILL ARE, MADLY IN LOVE. MY WIFE READ

MY NOTES. SHE TOLD ME NOT TO SAY THAT LOUDLY. WE WERE MADLY IN

LOVE WITH EACH OTHER. WE WERE MADLY IN LOVE WITH GOD TOO. WHAT

WAS REALLY COOL IS WE WERE CONNECTED TO THESE TWO AMAZING

PEOPLE, HANK AND BRENDA KUNNEMAN, LONG BEFORE THEY WERE

ORDAINED AS PASTORS AND BEFORE THEY STARTED LORD OF HOSTS

CHURCH. WE WERE LEARNING MORE EVERY DAY ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO

LIVE FOR GOD. BACK THEN WHEN I WAS REASONABLY NEW IN THE FAITH,

IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO LEAN ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. I'M A

THINKER, I'M A PROCESSOR. SO GOD HAD TO MAKE SENSE TO ME. AND

SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT MADE NO SENSE AT ALL. AND I WANT TO

SHARE IT WITH YOU JUST FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. THE REALITY THAT I

LIVED IN BACK THEN MAY BE THE SAME REALITY THAT SOME OF US IN

HERE OR SOME OF YOU ONLINE LIVE IN, WHERE WE LEAN ON OUR OWN

UNDERSTANDING. WELL, AT THAT TIME, MY WIFE AND I, WE WERE

FLAT BROKE. WE HAD NO MONEY. NOTHING IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT. AND

WE HAD TO KEEP DRIVING ABOUT SEVEN MILES EACH WAY EACH DAY TO

GO TO WORK, SO WE COULD MAKE MORE MONEY TO PUT INTO OUR BANK

ACCOUNT THAT DIDN'T REALLY GROW ALL THAT MUCH. WE WERE IN PRETTY

ROUGH SHAPE. IN MY SLEEK, BROWN, STICK SHIFT NISSAN SENTRA,

(CONGREGATION LAUGHING)

THAT VEHICLE WAS ON EMPTY. AND I DON'T MEAN LIKE AT THE BEGINNING

OF THE E PART ON THE EMPTY. THE EMPTY WAS PEGGED. I LITERALLY

HAD NO GAS. AND I DROVE THAT VEHICLE FOR ALMOST AN ENTIRE

WEEK AFTER WE LAID HANDS ON IT AND PRAYED. WE JUST LAID HANDS

ON IT AND PRAYED. WE THANKED GOD FOR THE PROVISION. WE HAD NO

MONEY. WE COULDN'T EVEN GO INTO DEBT ON A CREDIT CARD TO PUT

MONEY IN THE GAS TANK, TO PUT GAS IN THE GAS TANK. BUT THAT'S

HOW GOD WORKED. HE CAME THROUGH. MY OWN UNDERSTANDING SAW A

PEGGED GAS GAUGE AND IT MADE NO SENSE AT ALL TO ME HOW WE WERE

ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR LIVES IN THAT VEHICLE. I COULDN'T

COMPREHEND IT. AS THAT EXPERIENCE HAPPENED AND AFTER, I

LEARNED THAT GOD HONORS HIS WORD. AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO

CONNECT THIS TO OUR GIVING. WE WERE TRUSTING GOD WITH OUR

FINANCES AT THAT TIME. AND WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT TITHING, AT

LEAST I WAS LEARNING ABOUT TITHING. WE CHOSE TO TITHE, WE

CHOSE TO GIVE OFFERINGS WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE

HAD, AND GOD MIRACULOUSLY HONORED THAT. SO THAT'S MY

STORY. AND I'LL BET YOU ONLINE, AND THERE'S MANY PEOPLE IN THIS

ROOM THAT HAVE A SIMILAR STORY, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT AT THAT POINT

IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO FULLY TRUST GOD WITH YOUR

FINANCES FOR HIS PROVISION, I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO

RECONSIDER THAT AND LISTEN TO HIS WORD. LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN

UNDERSTANDING AND HE WILL DIRECT ALL YOUR PATHS. IF WE COULD PUT

THE OFFERING SLIDES UP, PLEASE. THERE'S WAYS TO GIVE TO OUR

MINISTRY. WHEN YOU GIVE TO OUR MINISTRY, YOU'RE GIVING DIRECTLY

TO THE LORD. WE PUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE DOLLARS TO GOOD USE TO

ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM. THERE'S MANY WAYS TO GIVE. THERE'S

USHERS IN THE AISLE. IF YOU NEED AN OFFERING ENVELOPE, THEY'LL BE

HAPPY TO GIVE YOU ONE. SOMETIMES KINGDOM FINANCES ARE JUST HARD

TO UNDERSTAND. AND SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO TRUST IN THE

LORD WHEN OUR SITUATIONS ARE DIFFICULT OR LOOK BLEAK. BUT

TAKE IT FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, MY SILLY STORY, THAT'S SUPER

MEANINGFUL TO US ABOUT A DEAD VEHICLE THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE

GONE AN INCH. WE DROVE IT FOR ALMOST A WEEK. LET THAT SINK IN

FOR A MOMENT. AND WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO STEP OVER INTO

FOLLOWING GOD'S WORD WITH YOUR TITHES AND WITH YOUR OFFERINGS,

HE'S GOING TO DO MIRACULOUS THINGS FOR YOU. HE'LL DIRECT

YOUR PATH AND LIKE OURS, HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU.

GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU GIVE AND YOU LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN

UNDERSTANDING. I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY. HEAVENLY

FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR EVERY HEART THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE

RIGHT NOW. WHETHER IT'S LIVE OR WHETHER IT'S IN THE FUTURE,

LORD, TOUCH HEARTS AND MINDS WITH YOUR WORD. LORD, GIVE

PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IN YOU AND GROW IN THEIR

UNDERSTANDING. HOLY SPIRIT, MOVE AMONGST THE PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM

AN OPPORTUNITY, LORD, TO PUT YOU TO THE TEST BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU

ARE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE THE WORK THAT YOU BEGAN, LORD. LORD,

I ASK THAT YOU WOULD MULTIPLY EVERY DOLLAR, EVERY PENNY, BACK

TO THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO SOW INTO THIS MINISTRY. LORD, AND

PROSPER THIS MINISTRY AND MULTIPLY THOSE DOLLARS TO

ACHIEVE THE VISION THAT YOU HAVE FOR LORD OF HOSTS, THAT YOU HAVE

FOR PASTOR HANK AND BRENDA. WE GIVE IT ALL TO YOU NOW IN JESUS'

MIGHTY NAME, AMEN. AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO PASTOR DOUG.

HALLELUJAH. OH, BEFORE I START TONIGHT, I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE A

DEAR FRIEND OF MINE, PASTOR DAVE LEGGETT IS HERE. RAISE YOUR

HAND, AND WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR OVER 40 YEARS NOW. AND MY

WIFE AND I CELEBRATED OUR 39TH ANNIVERSARY. I HOPE THAT'S

RIGHT. I THINK THAT BACK. IF SHE'S WATCHING, I DON'T KNOW,

SHE COULDN'T BE HERE. SHE HAD SOMETHING ELSE COME UP. BUT IF

SHE'S WATCHING AND I GOT IT WRONG, I'LL BE IN TROUBLE. BUT I

THINK IT WAS 39 YEARS IN APRIL. SOUNDS RIGHT. ANYWAY, PASTOR

DAVE WAS- YOU LAUGH, PASTOR ANTHONY. BUT AS THESE YEARS GO

BY, THEY JUST FLY SO QUICKLY THAT IT'S LIKE SOMETIMES HARD TO

KEEP TRACK. BUT PASTOR DAVE WAS INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER PASTOR IN

OUR WEDDING 39 YEARS AGO. SO, AND THEN I HAD KNOWN HIM A FEW

YEARS BEFORE THAT. SO WE GO BACK A WAYS. AND WHAT I DON'T

UNDERSTAND IS HOW HE'S ONLY 45 YEARS OLD AND THAT ALL HAPPENED.

BUT YOU KNOW, MIRACLES HAPPEN IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. ANYWAY, OH,

BY THE WAY, I NEED TO SHOW YOU A QUICK VIDEO CONCERNING

FLASHPOINT THAT'S COMING SEPTEMBER 10TH. IS THAT RIGHT?

AM I RIGHT ON THE DATE? SEPTEMBER 10TH,

LET'S ROLL THAT, GUYS.

I'M LORD OF HOSTS, GENE BAILEY HERE. TERI AND I ARE EXCITED. WE

ARE COMING TO OMAHA NEXT WEEK, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS GOING

ON IN OMAHA? WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? WE ARE GOING TO BE

CONNECTING LIVE ON FLASHPOINT THAT NIGHT. WE'LL BE CONNECTING

LIVE BACK HERE TO DALLAS AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.

THE FIRST TIME EVER THERE'S BEEN A MIDTERM. WE'RE GONNA CONNECT.

FLASHPOINT HAS A BOOTH THERE. WE'RE THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE.

WE'RE GONNA FLY IN THAT DAY TO BE THERE WITH YOU THAT NIGHT.

BUT DURING THE EVENING, WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT BACK TO DALLAS.

WE'LL BE CONNECTING LIVE, GOING BACK AND FORTH. SO IT'S GONNA BE

EXCITING TIME, A FIRST EVER THERE, AND I THINK THERE'S NO

BETTER PLACE THAN TO DO IT AT LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH IN OMAHA.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR WATCHING FLASHPOINT. YOU'RE OUR FAMILY.

NOW MAKE SURE YOU SHOW UP AT THE LORD OF HOSTS CHURCH FOR OPENING

THE HEAVENS COMING UP NEXT WEEK. IT'S GONNA BE AMAZING. I'M

TELLING YOU, YOU NEED TO BE THERE OR HANK WILL DRESS UP

FUNNY. AMEN. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE PLANNING ON COMING? OKAY, WE'LL

HAVE SEATING FOR YOU. IT'LL BE GREAT. I THINK IT'LL BE GREAT TO

HAVE IT HERE. AND PASTOR DAVE'S FROM COUNCIL BLUFFS. I'M SORRY,

PASTOR DAVE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SO CLOSE TO YOU THIS YEAR, BUT

WE'RE STILL GOING FORWARD. HALLELUJAH. WELL, TONIGHT AS WE

START, I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR WE'RE GONNA GET ON THIS. I WON'T

KEEP YOU LATE. I MEAN, I'M GONNA TRY AND GET YOU OUT OF HERE

BEFORE MIDNIGHT, BUT I KNOW IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT. SO, IT'S HARD TO

BELIEVE SCHOOL STARTED ALREADY, BUT WE'RE INTO SEPTEMBER AND I

WON'T KEEP YOU TOO LATE. I JUST FELT AS WE WOULD BEGIN TONIGHT

THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF REHEARSE THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING BIBLE

PROPHECY OR WHAT THEOLOGIANS WOULD CALL ESCHATOLOGY.

ESCHATOLOGY REALLY MEANS JUST THE STUDY OF THE LAST THINGS.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STUDY OF ESCHATOLOGY IN THE BIBLE, WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT THOSE EVENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS WE'VE GONE

THROUGH THE BOOK OF REVELATION SO FAR. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE

RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TRIBULATION

PERIOD, THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST, WHICH IS A

SEPARATE EVENT FROM THE RAPTURE, THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. WE

SPENT TIME ON THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT, AND THEN

TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE CREATION OF THE NEW

HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH. AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT LET ME

JUST SUMMARIZE FOUR BENEFITS OF BIBLE PROPHECY BEFORE WE DO

THAT. IF YOU'LL PUT THAT SCREEN UP, I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT

FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

TO LOOK AT REVELATION?" WELL, ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU, IT'S

NOT EVEN UP THERE ON THE SCREEN, BECAUSE IF YOU WERE WITH US IN

THE BEGINNING, WE LOOKED AT REVELATION CHAPTER ONE, AND THAT

IS THE EXPLANATION THAT IT'S THE ONLY BOOK IN THE BIBLE THAT

TELLS US THERE'S A BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO READ AND KEEP AND OBEY

THAT BOOK. SO IF THERE WASN'T ANY OTHER REASON, THAT'S ONE

GOOD REASON. IT'S A BLESSING TO DO IT, AND GOD IS A SPECIAL

BLESSING IN STORE IF YOU READ, KEEP, AND OBEY THOSE WORDS. SO

THAT'S WHY WE'RE TAKING TIME TO LOOK AT THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

BUT LET'S PUT THAT SCREEN UP THERE IF YOU COULD. REASONS TO

STUDY BIBLE PROPHECY. NUMBER ONE, IT GIVES HOPE AND COMFORT.

KNOWING GOD'S PLAN FOR MANKIND BRINGS PEACE AND ENCOURAGEMENT

CONCERNING OUR FUTURE. WE ALL LIKE TO KNOW THINGS ABOUT OUR

FUTURE. JOHN 14, VERSES 1-3, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS VERSE.

John 14:1–3

IT'S USED A LOT OF TIMES AT CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE OR

FUNERALS. IT SAYS, "LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED, BUT BELIEVE

IN GOD. BELIEVE ALSO IN ME. IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY

MANSIONS." AND IT'S A PROMISE THAT HE WENT TO PREPARE A PLACE

FOR US AND WE HAVE A FUTURE HOME WITH HIM, AMEN? SO THAT'S A

COMFORT, THAT'S AN ENCOURAGEMENT. LET'S PUT THAT

SCREEN BACK UP THERE. YOU CAN JUST KEEP THAT ONE UP THERE IF

YOU WOULD. AND NUMBER TWO, PROPHECY IS PROMINENT. AND IT

TAKES A BIG PORTION OF SCRIPTURE TO TALK ABOUT PROPHECY. THERE

ARE 216 CHAPTERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. AND IN THOSE 216

CHAPTERS, YOU WILL FIND 318 REFERENCES TO THE SECOND COMING

OF CHRIST. THAT'S OVER ONE REFERENCE ABOUT THE SECOND

COMING FOR EVERY CHAPTER. IT'S ALMOST ONE AND A THIRD. THAT'S A

LOT. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO GOD. WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO GOD SHOULD

BE IMPORTANT TO US, AMEN? AND OUT OF THE TOTAL 2,500

PROPHECIES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE THAT I'M

HOLDING, THEOLOGIANS TELL US APPROXIMATELY 2,000 HAVE ALREADY

COME TO PASS. THAT'S 80% OF THE PROPHECIES THAT ARE DETAILED IN

THIS BOOK HAVE COME TO PASS IN PERFECTION. THAT LEAVES ABOUT

500 TO GO. BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK WE HAVE ASSURANCE THAT

THOSE OTHER 500 PROPHECIES ARE GOING TO COME TO PASS. AMEN? WE

HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD WITH GOD. ONE PROPHECY TO BE

FULFILLED YET IS PHILIPPIANS 2, VERSES 10 THROUGH 11. IT SAYS,

Philippians 2:10–11

"AT THE NAME OF JESUS, EVERY KNEE WILL BOW "AND EVERY TONGUE

WILL CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD." THAT'S A PROPHETIC

SCRIPTURE. SO THAT MEANS THAT EVERY PERSON THAT EVER LIVED ON

THIS EARTH WILL HAVE TO SOMEDAY BOW THEIR KNEE AND CONFESS THAT

JESUS IS LORD. IF THEY DIDN'T DO IT ON EARTH, THEY WILL DO IT AT

JUDGMENT TIME. HMM. IT'S A SOBERING THOUGHT. AND OF COURSE

WE KNOW THAT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS STILL IN OPERATION

TODAY. AND GOD IS STILL SPEAKING PROPHETICALLY AS LONG AS THE

CHURCH IS HERE ON THIS EARTH. AND THEN NUMBER THREE,

UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY, PUT THAT SLIDE BACK UP. IF YOU WOULD,

SHOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LIVE WHOLLY, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE

FUTURE EVENTS AND ETERNITY SHOULD HELP US TO CHOOSE TO LIVE

A GODLY LIFE. WE WANT TO STAY ON TRACK WITH GOD, AMEN? AND ALSO

IT SHOULD HELP US TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THOSE THAT ARE

WITHOUT GOD. SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING, ROMANS 12:1,

Romans 12:1

JUST GIVE YOU A SCRIPTURE TO GO WITH IT. I BESEECH YOU

THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD THAT YOU PRESENT

YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WHICH IS

YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE. WE WANT TO DO THAT. DO NOT BE CONFORMED

TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF

YOUR MIND. AMEN. SO WE NEED TO BE MOTIVATED BY UNDERSTANDING

PROPHECY. AND THEN FINALLY, NUMBER FOUR, UNDERSTANDING BIBLE

PROPHECY IS A PROTECTION AGAINST FALSE TEACHING. IT'S IMPORTANT

TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND BIBLICAL TRUTH. AND WITH SO MUCH OF THE

BIBLE BEING PROPHECY, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT. SOME CHURCHES

JUST STAY AWAY FROM IT ALTOGETHER. THEY, FOR WHATEVER

REASON, DON'T WANT TO TEACH IT. BUT 2 PETER 2:1, I'M GOING TO

2 Peter 2:1

READ OUT OF THE NEW LIVING, WHICH IS PASTOR ANTHONY'S

FAVORITE TRANSLATION. 2 PETER 2:1 SAYS, "BUT THERE WERE ALSO

2 Peter 2:1

FALSE PROPHETS "IN ISRAEL, JUST AS THERE WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS

AMONG YOU." THAT SAYS THERE'S GONNA BE FALSE TEACHERS IN THIS

DAY, IN THE CHURCH AGE. THE BIBLE SAYS, 2 PETER HERE,

PETER'S SAYING, "THEY WILL CLEVERLY TEACH DESTRUCTIVE

HERESIES." THAT'S UNTRUTHS, THAT'S FALSEHOODS. "AND THEY

EVEN DENY THE MASTER WHO BOUGHT THEM. "AND IN THIS WAY, THEY

BRING SUDDEN DESTRUCTION ON THEMSELVES." THERE'S FALSE

TEACHERS RIGHT HERE IN THIS CITY. THEY'LL TELL YOU FROM THE

PULPITS THAT THERE IS NO HELL. THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN

LIVE ANY WAY YOU WANT AND BECAUSE OF GRACE, YOU CAN MAKE

IT TO HEAVEN. THEY WON'T MENTION THAT THERE'S A HELL. THEY TWIST

AND MANIPULATE SCRIPTURE TO THEIR OWN LIKING. THEY ADVERTISE

ON THEIR CHURCH WEBSITES THAT THEY ARE A DIVERSE CHURCH THAT

WILL GLADLY MARRY A MAN WITH ANOTHER MAN OR A WOMAN WITH

ANOTHER WOMAN, GOING COMPLETELY AGAINST SCRIPTURE. THEY PROMOTE

ABORTION AS THE RIGHT THAT EVERY WOMAN HAS AN OPTION TO CHOOSE

WHAT SHE DOES WITH HER BODY, NOT CONSIDERING THE BABY. IT'S A

SHAMEFUL THING THAT THEY'RE CALLED CHRISTIAN PASTORS. IT

REALLY IS. BUT THOSE ARE THE TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING IN, AND

IT'S NOT ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE TIMES THAT PETER WAS TALKING

ABOUT THERE. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN FALSE TEACHERS, AND THAT'S WHY

ACTUALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE FIRST SEVEN LETTERS TO THE

CHURCHES THAT WERE WRITTEN AND PENNED BY THE APOSTLE JOHN, HE

TALKS A LOT IN THERE ABOUT BEING WARNED ABOUT FALSE TEACHING THAT

CAN CREEP INTO THE CHURCH. AND MUCH OTHER OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

TALKS ABOUT THAT. WELL, ANYWAY, WE'RE ON REVELATION CHAPTER ONE

TONIGHT, SO WE'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD. I WANNA START WITH OUR

TIMELINE THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT EVERY TIME WE'VE BEEN

TALKING, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE KIND OF BEEN JUST GOING THROUGH THIS,

I WANNA SAY A LITTLE IRREGULARLY, JUST AS WE HAVE

TIME AND I'M ABLE TO TEACH, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO JUST GO

BACK AND REVIEW WHERE WE'RE AT ON THE TIMELINE. SO HERE'S THE

TIMELINE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE

CHURCH AGE, REVELATION 1-3, THE SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN

CHURCHES THAT ACTUALLY APPLY TO THE CHURCH AGE THAT WE'RE LIVING

IN NOW. AND THEN REVELATION 4 AND 5 MOVES INTO THE RAPTURE OF

THE CHURCH. WE TALKED ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE THAT SO MANY TIMES IS

USED TO DESCRIBE THE RAPTURE. FIRST THESSALONIANS 4:16, "THE

1 Thessalonians 4:16

LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE

VOICE OF AN ARCHANGEL, THE TRUMPET OF GOD, AND THE DEAD IN

CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. AND THEN THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN

WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THE LORD TO MEET HIM IN THE

CLOUDS, IN THE AIR. AND SO THAT'S THE TIME WHEN IF YOU ARE

A BELIEVER AND YOU'RE ALIVE AT THAT TIME, THE DEAD WILL GO

FIRST, THEIR BODIES WILL COME BACK TOGETHER. I DON'T KNOW, I

CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT, HOW SUPERNATURALLY THAT WORKS, THOSE

ASHES, WHEREVER THEIR BODIES ARE BURIED, WHEREVER THEY'RE AT, GOD

BRINGS THAT BACK TOGETHER. BUT IF HE COULD FORM A BABY IN A

MOTHER'S WOMB, HE CAN FORM US AGAIN WHEN WE COME BACK OUT OF

THE GRAVE. BUT ANYWAY, HOWEVER THAT HAPPENS, SUPERNATURALLY GOD

DOES THAT. THE DEAD GO FIRST, THEN THOSE OF US THAT ARE ALIVE

AND REMAIN WILL GO TO BE WITH JESUS AT THAT TIME. AND OUR

SPIRIT MAN, IF WE'VE ALREADY PASSED, IS ALREADY IN HEAVEN. SO

AT THAT POINT, THE BODY THAT COMES OUT OF THE GRAVE, FOR

THOSE THAT ARE DEAD, ARE REUNITED WITH THOSE SPIRITS THAT

ARE ALREADY IN HEAVEN. SO JUST TO KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT. AND WE

TALKED ABOUT IN DETAIL ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TEACHINGS OF

PRE-TRIBULATION AND MID-TRIBULATION AND

POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURES. THERE'S DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ON

THAT. I BELIEVE IN THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE. THIS

CHURCH TEACHES THAT. WE COULD GO INTO A REAL DETAILED STUDY ON

THAT, BUT I'VE ALREADY TAUGHT ON IT, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO

THAT IN DETAIL TONIGHT. BUT THEN WE MOVE INTO REVELATIONS CHAPTER

Revelation 6 · chapter mention

6-18. THE MAJORITY OF REVELATION IS SPENT TALKING ABOUT THE

SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION. THE CHURCH REMAINS IN HEAVEN DURING

THAT TIME. DURING THAT TIME, THE ANTICHRIST COMES ON THE SCENE

AND HE MAKES A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH ISRAEL. AND THE FIRST THREE

AND A HALF YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS RELATIVELY

CALM AND EVERYTHING IS GOING ALONG FAIRLY GOOD. THERE'S SOME

DESTRUCTION THAT HAPPENS, BUT WHEN WE GET TO THE SECOND THREE

AND A HALF YEAR PERIOD, THERE IS A PERIOD OF TIME CALLED THE

GREAT TRIBULATION. AND THAT'S WHEN THE ANTICHRIST BREAKS THE

COVENANT WITH ISRAEL AND THE REBUILT TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM IS

OCCUPIED BY THE ANTICHRIST AND HE DEMANDS WORSHIP AT THAT

POINT. AND THAT PERIOD BRINGS THE MOST SEVERE JUDGMENTS ON THE

EARTH. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN DETAIL. THE SEALS, THE TRUMPETS,

AND THE BOWLS HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME. BUT WE ALSO SAID IT'S

AMAZING THAT GOD OFFERS SUCH A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR

SALVATION DURING THAT TIME. THERE'S ALSO 144,000 JEWISH

WITNESSES THAT ARE ON THIS EARTH DURING THAT TIME WITNESSING OF

GOD'S LOVE AND GRACE AND MERCY. 144,000 BILLY GRAHAM'S ARE GONNA

BE CIRCULATING THE EARTH DURING THAT TIME. AND PEOPLE THAT ARE

ALIVE ON THE EARTH AT THAT TIME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE

JESUS. THERE'S ALSO TWO WITNESSES THAT ARE

SUPERNATURALLY BROUGHT TO BEAR IN JERUSALEM DURING THAT TIME,

AND FOR 1260 DAYS THEY DO SUPERNATURAL MIRACLES. THEY'RE

FINALLY KILLED, BUT HERE'S WHAT'S AMAZING IS THE BIBLE SAYS

THAT, OR JOHN SAID IN THE BIBLE, THAT THESE WITNESSES WILL BE

APPARENT TO THE WORLD, THEIR DEATH, AND THEN THEY'LL BE

RESURRECTED AFTER THREE DAYS. THE WORLD WILL SEE IT. THAT

WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO EVEN HAPPEN HAD WE NOT BEEN IN

THIS TIMELINE, IN THIS GENERATION. I MEAN, IT JUST

COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I MEAN, WE HAD THE ABILITY TO SEE THE

WORLD ON TELEVISION BACK IN THE '70S AND '80S. WE COULD SEE

THINGS HAPPEN IN REAL TIME. BUT NOW WITH THE INTERNET, THE WORLD

CAN SEE THESE THINGS IN REAL TIME. SO IT'S AN AMAZING TIME

THAT WE LIVE IN. AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT HAPPENS, GOD

WILL SEND AN ANGEL TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL DURING THAT TIME AND

HE'LL GO AROUND THE WORLD PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL. SO

PEOPLE HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR, EVEN DURING THE TRIBULATION,

EVEN IF THEY SHOOK THEIR FIST AT GOD BEFORE THE TRIBULATION BEGAN

AND THEY DIDN'T GO ON THE RAPTURE, THEY'LL STILL HAVE A

SECOND CHANCE THERE. THEY CAN ASK GOD TO FORGIVE THEM, RECEIVE

JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR, AND THEY MIGHT BE A MARTYR, THEY

MIGHT LOSE THEIR LIFE, BUT THEY'LL BE IN HEAVEN FOR

ETERNITY, AMEN. SO WHAT A TREMENDOUS GOD WE HAVE THAT HE

WOULD GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND THEN AS WE MOVE ON, WE SEE THE

THOUSAND YEAR MILLENNIAL REIGN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WHEN JESUS,

OH, I FORGOT THE SECOND COMING. I'M GETTING SO EXCITED ABOUT THE

END OF THE TRIBULATION, I FORGOT THE SECOND COMING. BUT

REVELATION CHAPTER 19 IS WHEN JESUS COMES BACK. NOW REMEMBER,

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

WHILE WE'RE IN HEAVEN, WE ENJOY THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB,

AND WE ALSO HAVE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST THAT HAPPENS

THERE, WHERE WE'RE JUDGED FOR OUR WORKS THAT WE HAVE DONE ON

THIS EARTH, NOT JUDGING WHETHER OR NOT WE GET TO HEAVEN. IF WE

GO ON THE RAPTURE, WE'RE ALREADY IN HEAVEN. IT'S JUST A JUDGMENT

OF OUR WORKS WITH REWARDS FOR THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, THAT

WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED FOR GOD DURING THAT TIME, AND DID WE

FOLLOW HIS PLAN? SO THAT HAPPENS DURING THAT SEVEN-YEAR

TRIBULATION WHILE WE'RE IN HEAVEN, AND THEN WE COME BACK

WITH JESUS, REVELATION CHAPTER 19, THAT'S WHEN HE'S RIDING A

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

WHITE HORSE, WE'RE FOLLOWING HIM ON OUR WHITE HORSES, WE TALKED

ABOUT THAT. EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER RIDDEN A HORSE BEFORE, YOU'LL BE

ABLE TO RIDE A HORSE ON THAT DAY AND BE SUCCESSFUL ON IT. YOU'LL

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE COMING BACK WITH JESUS, AND WITH

FIRE IN HIS MOUTH, HE WILL DESTROY THE ARMIES THAT HAVE

BEEN ASSEMBLED AT THE MOUNT OF MEGIDDO TO COME AGAINST JESUS,

BUT THEY WON'T PREVAIL. JESUS WILL PREVAIL. HE'LL SET UP A

MILLENNIAL REIGN ON THE EARTH FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. IT'S A

THEOCRACY. IT'LL BE A TIME OF PEACE. HE WILL PUT DOWN ANY EVIL

THAT HAPPENS DURING THAT TIME. WE WON'T HAVE ANY MORE POLITICAL

SYSTEMS. IT WILL BE JESUS IN CONTROL, RULING AND REIGNING

FROM THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. AMEN. SO IT'LL BE A WONDERFUL

TIME OF A THOUSAND-YEAR MILLENNIAL REIGN. THEN AT THE

END OF THAT PERIOD, REVELATION 20 TALKS ABOUT THE GREAT WHITE

THRONE JUDGMENT. THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE A RESURRECTION OF THE

WICKED DEAD AND EVERYONE THAT EVER LIVED THAT DID NOT ACCEPT

JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER. EVERY

KNEE WILL BOW, EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS, AND THEY HAVE AN

OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DID NOT MAKE IT INTO

HEAVEN, BECAUSE THEY REJECTED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR.

AND AT THAT POINT, THE ANTICHRIST AND SATAN HIMSELF

WILL BE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE ALONG WITH THE WICKED DEAD.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT NOW. WE'RE PAST ALL THAT AND WE'RE

MOVING INTO THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH, WHICH IS

REVELATION, ACTUALLY 21, THAT WE'RE IN ON TONIGHT. SO I'M

SORRY TO TAKE THAT TIME, BUT I JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO DO

THAT QUICK REVIEW BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'D BEEN

TOGETHER AND HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS TO JUST BRING YOU UP TO

DATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT. SO WE'LL GO AS FAR AS WE CAN ON CHAPTER

21 TONIGHT. THE GOOD NEWS IS, AFTER TALKING ABOUT ALL THE

JUDGMENT AND THOSE ISSUES, IT'S FUN TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW HEAVEN

AND THE NEW EARTH BECAUSE IT'S AN EXCITING TIME. IT'S OUR

FUTURE. AND IT'S NOT THE PRESENT HEAVEN. IT'S NOT THE PRESENT

EARTH. IT'S A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH. AND I WANT TO JUST START

BY READING THE FIRST EIGHT VERSES OF REVELATION CHAPTER 21.

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

IF YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ WITH ME, I'M READING

OUT OF THE NEW KING JAMES TONIGHT. IT SAYS, "NOW I SAW A

NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, "FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST

EARTH HAD PASSED AWAY, "AND THERE WAS NO MORE SEA. "THEN I,

JOHN, SAW THE HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM, "COMING DOWN OUT OF

HEAVEN FROM GOD, PREPARED AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND.

AND I HEARD A LOUD VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING, BEHOLD, THE

TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN, AND HE WILL DWELL WITH THEM, AND

THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE. GOD HIMSELF WILL BE WITH THEM, AND

THEIR GOD. AND GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES.

THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, NO MORE SORROW, NO MORE CRYING.

THERE SHALL BE NO MORE PAIN, FOR THE FORMER THINGS HAVE PASSED

AWAY. THEN HE WHO SAT ON THE THRONE SAID, "BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL

THINGS NEW." AND HE SAID TO ME, "WRITE, FOR THESE WORDS ARE TRUE

AND FAITHFUL." AND HE SAID TO ME, "IT IS DONE. I AM THE ALPHA

AND THE OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. I WILL GIVE THE

FOUNTAIN OF THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY TO HIM WHO THIRSTS. HE

WHO OVERCOMES SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS, AND I WILL BE HIS GOD,

AND HE SHALL BE MY SON. BUT THE COWARDLY, THE UNBELIEVING, THE

ABOMINABLE, THE MURDERERS, SEXUALLY IMMORAL, SORCERERS,

IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE

WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS THE SECOND

DEATH. AND THAT'S THE LAKE OF FIRE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

LET'S PUT UP THIS SCREEN. THERE'S FIVE POINTS THAT I WANT

TO START WITH TONIGHT ABOUT THE NEW JERUSALEM. AND I JUST WANT

TO REVIEW THOSE BEFORE WE GO INTO THEM IN DETAIL. NUMBER ONE,

GOD WILL BE PRESENT WITH US. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT,

REVELATION 21:3. WE JUST READ THAT, BUT I WANT TO EXPLAIN IT A

Revelation 21:3

LITTLE MORE. REVELATION 21:4, DEATH, PAIN, AND ALL OF OUR

Revelation 21:4

SORROW WILL BE ABSENT. AND THEN REVELATION 21:5, ALL THINGS WILL

Revelation 21:5

BE NEW. VERSE 7, BELIEVERS WILL BE PRESENT. AND THEN, OF COURSE,

WE JUST READ THAT UNBELIEVERS WILL BE ABSENT BECAUSE WE KNOW

WHERE THEY'RE AT. THEY'RE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE, UNFORTUNATELY,

BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS THAT THEY MADE. THAT WAS THEIR

CHOICE. GOD DOES NOT PUT ANYONE TO HELL. THEY PUT THEMSELVES

THERE BY MAKING THEIR CHOICES THAT THEY DO. WE'RE TOLD TO

CHOOSE LIFE. WE HAVE BEFORE US LIFE AND DEATH AND WE NEED TO

CHOOSE LIFE. AMEN. IT'S OUR CHOICE. JESUS, WELL, LET'S JUST

REREAD VERSE REVELATION 21 ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE WE'VE COVERED

A LITTLE SCRIPTURE THERE. IT SAYS, "NOW I SAW A NEW HEAVEN

AND A NEW EARTH FOR THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH HAD

PASSED AWAY AND THERE WAS NO MORE SEA." JESUS SAID SOMETHING

VERY SIMILAR TO THAT IN MATTHEW 24, VERSE 35, HE SAID, "HEAVEN

Matthew 24:35

AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY, BUT MY WORDS WILL BY NO MEANS PASS

AWAY." SO HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT WAS QUOTED IN REVELATION

21, HE SAID, "HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY, BUT WE KNOW THE

WORD OF GOD IS ETERNAL, IT WILL NEVER PASS AWAY." AMEN? WHEN

JESUS MADE THE STATEMENT, HE WAS LOOKING TO THAT DAY THAT WE READ

ABOUT IN REVELATION 21, IT'S A FUTURE TIME WHEN THERE'LL BE A

NEW HEAVEN, A NEW EARTH. THE PRESENT EARTH THAT WE'RE LIVING

IN TODAY WILL BE DESTROYED. THE CURRENT HEAVEN WHERE SOME OF YOU

HAVE RELATIVES LIVING RIGHT NOW, THAT WILL BE RENOVATED OR

DESTROYED. THOSE THINGS WILL PASS AWAY. GOD'S BRINGING ABOUT

A TOTALLY NEW THING AT THIS POINT. IT'S A NEW EARTH, A NEW

HEAVEN, AND A NEW CITY ON THAT EARTH, WHICH IS REFERRED TO HERE

IN CHAPTER 21 AS THE NEW JERUSALEM. JESUS SPOKE OF IT AND

THE PROPHET ISAIAH SPOKE OF IT AS WELL. I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT

JUST FOR PROOF HERE. ISAIAH 65:17-19 SAYS FOR, THIS IS

Isaiah 65:17–19

ISAIAH, "FOR BEHOLD, I CREATE NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, AND

THE FORMER SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED OR COME TO MIND. BUT

BE GLAD AND REJOICE FOREVER IN WHAT I CREATE. FOR BEHOLD, I

CREATE JERUSALEM AS A REJOICING AND HER PEOPLE A JOY. I WILL

REJOICE IN JERUSALEM AND JOY IN MY PEOPLE. THE VOICE OF WEEPING

SHALL NO LONGER BE HEARD IN HER, NOR THE VOICE OF CRYING. NOTICE

WHAT WE'VE READ IN REVELATION 21. IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME THING.

THE PROPHET ISAIAH 700 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST IS PREDICTING THIS

NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH AND THE NEW JERUSALEM THAT WE SAW JOHN

JUST DESCRIBE IN REVELATION 21. GOD PROPHETICALLY SHOWED HIM

THIS AND HE WRITES ABOUT IT THERE. ALSO, THE APOSTLE PETER

WROTE ABOUT THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH. LET'S LOOK AT

THAT SCRIPTURE, 2 PETER 3:10. BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL

2 Peter 3:10

COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, WHICH THE HEAVENS WILL PASS AWAY

WITH A GREAT NOISE, AND THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT

HEAT, AND BOTH THE EARTH AND THE WORKS THAT ARE IN IT WILL BE

BURNED UP. THEREFORE, SINCE ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE DISSOLVED,

WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YOU BE IN HOLY ONDUCT AND GODLINESS?

LOOKING FOR AND HASTENING THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD,

BECAUSE OF WHICH THE HEAVENS WILL BE DISSOLVED, BEING ON

FIRE, AND THE ELEMENTS WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT. NEVERTHELESS,

WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW

EARTH IN WHICH RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS. AMEN. SO THE NEW HEAVEN,

THE NEW EARTH IS WHAT'S COMING IN OUR FUTURE. AND EVERYONE

WHOSE NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WILL ENJOY THIS FOR

ETERNITY. NOW, LOOK AGAIN HOW JOHN DESCRIBES THIS EVENT IN

CHAPTER 21, VERSE 1. I'M GOING TO READ IT OVER AGAIN FOR A

PURPOSE. "NOW I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, FOR THE FIRST

HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH HAD PASSED AWAY, AND THERE WAS NO

MORE SEA." JOHN SAYS, "THE FIRST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH PASS

AWAY." IN YOUR MIND, TRY TO IMAGINE THIS NEW HEAVEN. I WANT

YOU TO IMAGINE AS WE'RE READING THROUGH CHAPTER 21, HEAVEN WILL

BE A PLACE THAT THERE'LL BE NO MORE SORROW ABOUT ANYTHING.

THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE ANOTHER BAD DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR

EXISTENCE. AND AT THIS POINT OF TIME, WE'RE WAY PAST THAT

MILLENNIAL PERIOD THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE THOUSAND YEAR

MILLENNIUM. SATAN, THE FALSE PROPHET, THE ANTICHRIST, THEY'RE

ALL IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. EVERY UNRIGHTEOUS PERSON WHO'S DENIED

CHRIST IS NOW IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. EVERYTHING'S BRAND NEW AT

THIS POINT. THERE'S A NEW HEAVEN, A NEW EARTH. THERE'S NO

MORE DEATH, NO MORE CRYING, NO MORE SUFFERING, NO MORE PRESENCE

OF EVIL, NO MORE TEMPTATION, NO MORE FEAR. NOTHING BAD. EVERY

PERSON YOU MEET, PASTOR KEITH, WILL BE HONEST, LOVING, SINCERE,

LIKABLE, AND TRUTHFUL, INCLUDING YOURSELF. SOME PEOPLE CAN'T

BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA BE SO LIKABLE. WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT

YOUR NEIGHBOR TONIGHT AND SAY, "I'M GOING TO BE LIKABLE." IF

YOU'RE NOT LIKABLE NOW, YOU WILL BE THEN. YOU'LL HAVE NO REASON

TO HAVE A BAD DAY OR HAVE A BAD ATTITUDE THERE. HALLELUJAH.

FOREVER, YOU AND I WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE A PERFECT, LOVING,

SAFE, JOYFUL EXISTENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. IT'S

WONDERFUL TO IMAGINE, BUT IT IS SOMETIMES HARD TO GRASP BECAUSE

WE'RE USED TO EARTHLY THINGS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY PAUL WOULD

WRITE TO THE CORINTHIANS, 1 CORINTHIANS 2, VERSES NINE AND

10, HE SAID, "THAT IS WHAT THE SCRIPTURES MEAN WHEN THEY SAY,

"NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, "NO MIND HAS IMAGINED

WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED "FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM." BUT IT WAS TO US

THAT GOD REVEALED THESE THINGS BY HIS SPIRIT, FOR HIS SPIRIT

SEARCHES OUT EVERYTHING AND SHOWS US GOD'S DEEP SECRETS.

NONE OF US CAN REALLY IMAGINE WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US IN

THIS WONDERFUL NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH, BUT VERSE 10 TELLS US

THAT HE'S REVEALED IT TO US BY HIS SPIRIT. GOD REVEALS US AND

SHOWS US DEEP SECRETS BY HIS SPIRIT. THANK GOD FOR THE HOLY

SPIRIT. SO WE HAVE TO GRASP IT BY OUR SPIRIT BECAUSE MENTALLY

IT'S ALMOST BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION. IT'S SO INCREDIBLE

THE THINGS THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS CHAPTER. ANOTHER ASPECT

THAT WE LOOK AT IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, THIS IS A FUTURE

HOME FOR ALL THE SAINTS. IT'S A BRILLIANT, MULTICOLORED CITY

WITH STREETS OF GOLD AND GATES OF PEARL. IN FACT, IN JOHN,

EXCUSE ME, IN 2 JOHN, WHERE DID I GET THIS? I GOT THE WRONG

SCRIPTURE HERE. WELL, WE'LL JUST GO ON. REVELATION 21:2. JOHN

Revelation 21:2

SPEAKS ABOUT, HE SAYS, "I SAW THE HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM,

"COMING DOWN TO HEAVEN, OUT OF HEAVEN, "FROM GOD, PREPARED AS A

BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND." AND THERE'S SIGNIFICANCE IN

THAT. THINK ABOUT A WEDDING DAY AND HOW A BRIDE PREPARES HERSELF

FOR HER HUSBAND. IT'S A DESCRIPTION THAT JOHN GIVES

REGARDING THIS NEW CITY THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. IN THE SAME

ANTICIPATION OF HOW A BRIDE GETS ALL PREPPED AND READY FOR HER

WEDDING DAY, IT'S A DESCRIPTION, IT'S A PICTURE THAT WE CAN SEE

GOD'S PREPARING SOMETHING VERY BEAUTIFUL FOR US, HIS BRIDE.

JUST LIKE AN EARTHLY MAN SO EXCITED TO PROVIDE FOR HIS

BRIDE, JOHN IS DELIBERATELY USING THE LANGUAGE OF MARRIAGE,

A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS

IS BUILDING FOR US IN HEAVEN. IT'S A PICTURE THAT SYMBOLIZES

WHAT GOD'S PREPARED TO REWARD US WITH, AMEN? SOMETHING SO

INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, AND BEAUTIFUL FOR ETERNITY. LET'S

CONTINUE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE SEE IN REVELATION 21

IS THAT GOD WILL BE PRESENT BECAUSE HE TELLS US THAT IN

VERSE 3. LET'S LOOK AT THAT AGAIN. REVELATION 21:3, "AND I

Revelation 21:3

HEARD A LOUD VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING, 'BEHOLD, THE TABERNACLE

OF GOD IS WITH MEN, AND HE WILL DWELL WITH THEM.'" THAT'S

SPEAKING OF GOD. "AND THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE. "GOD HIMSELF WILL

BE WITH THEM AND BE THEIR GOD." DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD THE FATHER

WILL BECOME AN EARTH DWELLER AT THAT POINT IN TIME? WHEN THE NEW

JERUSALEM COMES DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH, GOD THE FATHER WILL BE

AN EARTH DWELLER. HALLELUJAH. FATHER GOD WILL BE AMONG MEN

FOREVER AND EVER FROM THIS TIME FORWARD. AND THERE'S OTHER

SCRIPTURES WE COULD LOOK AT, I'M JUST KIND OF GOING FAST TONIGHT,

THAT WOULD BACK THAT UP. BUT JUMP AHEAD WITH ME, WE'RE GONNA

JUST QUICKLY LOOK AT REVELATION 22, ONE THROUGH FIVE, AND WE'LL

SEE ANOTHER VERIFICATION THAT FATHER GOD WILL BE WITH US.

REVELATION 22, VERSES 1-5, SAYS, "THEN THE ANGEL SHOWED ME A

Revelation 22:1–5

RIVER "WITH THE WATER OF LIFE CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, "FLOWING FROM

THE THRONE OF GOD AND FROM THE LAMB. IT FLOWED DOWN FROM THE

CENTER OF THE MAIN STREET. ON EACH SIDE OF THE RIVER GREW A

TREE OF LIFE, BEARING 12 CROPS OF FRUIT WITH A FRESH CROP EACH

MONTH. THE LEAVES WERE USED FOR MEDICINE TO HEAL THE NATIONS. NO

LONGER WILL THERE BE A CURSE UPON ANYTHING, FOR THE THRONE OF

GOD, THE THRONE OF GOD, AND OF THE LAMB." THE THRONE OF GOD IS

TALKING ABOUT THE FATHER GOD. WHO'S THE LAMB? JESUS. SO THE

THRONE OF FATHER GOD AND OF JESUS WILL BE THERE AND HIS

SERVANTS WILL WORSHIP HIM. AND THEY WILL SEE HIS FACE AND HIS

NAME WILL BE WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEADS. AND THERE'LL BE NO

NIGHT THERE, NO NEED FOR LAMPS OR SUN, FOR THE LORD GOD WILL

SHINE IN THEM AND THEY WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER.

HALLELUJAH. PRAISE GOD. THE LORD'S JUST GOING TO BE DWELLING

WITH US, LIVING AMONG US, AND WALKING AMONG US. IN VERSE 4, WE

READ THAT IN THIS PLACE, DEATH, PAIN, AND ALL OUR SORROWS WILL

BE ABSENT. LET'S LOOK AT REVELATION 21:4. I'M JUST KIND

Revelation 21:4

OF GOING THROUGH THOSE SAME VERSES THAT WE READ EARLIER AND

DOING IT INDIVIDUALLY HERE. "AND GOD WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR

FROM THEIR EYES. THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, NO SORROW, NOR

CRYING. THERE SHALL BE NO MORE PAIN, FOR THE FORMER THINGS HAVE

PASSED AWAY." YOU KNOW, EILEEN AND I LOVE BEING GRANDPARENTS.

AND WHEN OUR GRANDSON, FINN, WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD, HE CAME TO

STAY WITH US A FEW DAYS. AND AFTER BEING WITH US FOR TWO

NIGHTS, HE STARTED TO MISS HIS PARENTS, AND HIS CHIN QUIVERED,

TEARS CAME, AND WE KNEW IT WAS TIME FOR A PHONE CALL HOME. AND

ONCE FENN HEARD HIS PARENTS' VOICE, HE WAS REASSURED THAT

EVERYTHING WOULD BE ALL RIGHT AND HE WAS ABLE TO FINALLY

SNUGGLE IN AND GO TO SLEEP. IT'S A NORMAL THING FOR A CHILD TO

MISS THEIR ROUTINE AND WANT TO BE AT HOME. YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN

OLD GOSPEL HYMN, "THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME. I'M JUST PASSING

THROUGH. MY TREASURES ARE LAID UP SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE BLUE.

THE ANGELS BECKON ME FROM HEAVEN'S OPEN DOOR, AND I CAN'T

FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE." WELL, THE BIBLE'S

DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A PHOTOGRAPH THAT REMINDS US WHY

WE WOULD WANT TO GO HOME. IT'S EVERY CHRISTIAN'S DESIRE TO BE

IN HEAVEN AT SOME POINT IN TIME. WE CAN GET ATTACHED TO THIS

WORLD, BUT THERE'S A LONGING IN EVERY CHRISTIAN'S HEART TO BE IN

HEAVEN WITH JESUS WHEN OUR ASSIGNMENT HERE IS FINISHED.

UNDERSTAND, THERE'S NO OTHER TIME THAT I'D RATHER BE ALIVE

THAN TODAY. THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME TO LIVE, AND I DON'T WANNA

GO HOME UNTIL MY ASSIGNMENT'S FINISHED HERE, AND YOU SHOULDN'T

EITHER. I BELIEVE THIS GENERATION WILL WITNESS THE

GREATEST END-TIME HARVEST THAT ANY GENERATION HAS EVER SEEN.

SOME OF YOU ARE EXCITED THAT WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN, YOU CAN

ASK PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO LIVE DURING

THE TIME OF JESUS AND WALK WITH JESUS AND SEE HIM DO MIRACLES

AND JUST TO BE WITH HIM? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? YOU WANNA KNOW.

BUT DID YOU EVER THINK THAT MAYBE PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN MAY

COME UP TO YOU SOMEDAY AND SAY, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO LIVE DURING

THE GREATEST HARVEST SEASON ON EARTH WHEN BILLIONS OF SOULS

CAME TO JESUS? AMEN. WE HAVE A PART TO PLAY, AND WE HAVE TO

FULFILL EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US, OUR ASSIGNMENT.

WE HAVE TO FULFILL THOSE BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS EARTH. DON'T LET

THE DEVIL TAKE YOU OUT EARLY. FULFILL YOUR PLAN. I SHOULD SAY,

FOR YOUR LIFE. BUT IT IS FINE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT OUR FUTURE IN

HEAVEN. OTHERWISE, GOD WOULDN'T HAVE SHOWED US ALL THIS. IF HE

DIDN'T WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND BE EXCITED ABOUT IT, IT

WOULDN'T EVEN BE IN THE BIBLE, AMEN? BUT IN HEAVEN, THERE'LL BE

NO MORE CANCER, NO MORE DIVORCE, NO MORE REJECTION OR LONELINESS,

NO MORE DEPRESSION, NO MORE WHEELCHAIRS OR PACEMAKERS, NO

MORE RADIATION OR CHEMOTHERAPY, NO MORE CROSSES ALONGSIDE THE

ROAD, NO MORE CHILD ABUSE, NO MORE RAPE, NO MORE FUNERAL HOMES

OR ORPHANAGES, NO MORE NURSING HOMES, NO MORE TREATMENT

CENTERS. THANK GOD THERE'LL BE NO MORE PINK SLIPS, THERE'LL BE

NO MORE FORECLOSURES. HALLELUJAH. THE END OF VERSE

FOUR TELLS US "THE FORMER THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY, IT'S DONE.

"BEHOLD, HE MAKES ALL THINGS NEW." LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 5,

21:5. IT SAYS, "THEN HE WHO SAT ON THE THRONE SAID, "BEHOLD, I

MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. "HE SAID TO ME, WRITE, FOR THESE WORDS ARE

TRUE AND FAITHFUL." SO EVERYTHING'S BRAND NEW. THIS IS

NOT A MAKEOVER. IT'S NOT A FIXER UPPER. SOME OF YOU HAVE MAYBE

WATCHED THAT SHOW. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN ON OR IF

IT EVEN IS ON ANYMORE. IT WAS CALLED "EXTREME MAKEOVER." AND

THE IDEA, THEY WOULD TAKE A HOME THAT WAS FACING-- YOU KNOW, IT

WAS IN BAD SHAPE, A DILAPIDATED HOME, AND THEY WOULD GIVE IT A

RADICAL MAKEOVER FOR A FAMILY THAT COULDN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT

UP THEMSELVES. THE HOUSE WAS IN SAD SHAPE, BUT BY THE TIME THE

TEAM THAT HAD COME IN TO DO THE RENOVATION HAD FINISHED, THE

FAMILY WAS THRILLED WITH IT BECAUSE IT WAS NEW AND REDONE.

IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT. BUT EVEN AFTER THE HOME RECEIVED THE

EXTREME MAKEOVER, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS BUILDING A NEW HOME WITH

THE EXACT DESIGN THAT WE ALL DESIRE SOMETIMES. REMODELING HAS

ITS LIMITATIONS. REVELATION 21 TELLS US THIS IS A NEW HEAVEN

AND A NEW EARTH, AND GOD'S GONNA MAKE IT PERFECT FOR WHAT WE

NEED. AND BOY, WHEN YOU SEE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE

TONIGHT, BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW

JERUSALEM, THE SIZE OF IT, AND HOW WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED IN THE

NEW JERUSALEM COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN, THERE'S A GOOD

DESCRIPTION IN THE REMAINDER OF, THE ENDING OF CHAPTER 21 AND

PART OF CHAPTER 22 OF REVELATION GIVES A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF

THAT. WE'LL LOOK AT THAT LATER. BUT IT'S DESIGNED BY GOD

PERFECTLY. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DECIDED TO EXPAND OUR

CONSTRUCTION AND BUILD THIS AUDITORIUM, AT THE TIME WE WERE

MEETING UP AT THE SOUTH END IN WHAT WE CALL THE OLD SOUTH

AUDITORIUM, IT WAS A ROOM THAT WOULD BARELY SEAT 450 PEOPLE.

SEATING WAS REALLY TIGHT THERE ON SUNDAYS. I CALLED IT AIRLINE

SEATING BECAUSE WE WERE JUST LIKE PACKED IN THERE LIKE

SARDINES. I THINK WE LIMITED, I DON'T KNOW, IF THE FIRE CHIEF

HAD EVER COME IN, HE'D PROBABLY SAID YOUR PAST CAPACITY, BUT WE

WERE TIGHT. BUT WE MET WITH THE ARCHITECT AND WE WERE DRAWING UP

PLANS TO RENOVATE THE EXISTING END DOWN HERE THAT WAS, WELL

PART OF IT WAS USED BY HEARTLAND HOPE MISSION AND PART OF IT WAS

AN OLD PET WORLD AREA WHEN THEY HAD A PET STORE HERE YEARS AGO.

BUT HEARTLAND HOPE WAS USING IT FOR CLOTHING AND A FOOD PANTRY.

AND WE'VE GOT A PICTURE HERE, BECAUSE SOME OF YOU DON'T

REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE COME, YOU'VE BEEN HERE SINCE

THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE BUILDING LOOKED

LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO. THAT'S WHAT

IT LOOKED LIKE. IT LOOKED LIKE, WELL, THAT AMAZING PIZZA MACHINE

BUILDING THAT YOU SEE OVER THERE NOW. THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS

BUILDING LOOKED LIKE AT THE TIME. SO WE DECIDED THAT

BUILDING FROM SCRATCH, WHAT WE NEEDED WAS A LOT BETTER IN THE

LONG RUN THAN TRYING TO RENOVATE IT. AND YOU CAN SEE WE STARTED

THE RENOVATION THERE. THEY WERE STARTING TO TEAR DOWN THE

BUILDING, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CONSTRUCTION FENCE UP

AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO START THE

DEMOLITION THERE. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THAT. THE MORE WE

DISCUSSED AND ANALYZED, WE REALIZED THERE WAS NO WAY WE

COULD REALLY GET WHAT WE NEEDED BY RENOVATING THAT OLD BUILDING.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE CEILING HEIGHT AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD

THE STADIUM SEATING AND THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE REALLY

NEEDED FOR THE CAPACITY. AND IT DEFINITELY COSTS MORE TO TEAR IT

DOWN AND REBUILD, BUT IT'S BEEN WORTH IT IN THE END BECAUSE WE

GOT WHAT WE NEEDED. SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO JUST PAY THE PRICE.

AND YOU CAN'T ALWAYS MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW'S EAR. THAT'S

THE OLD, MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE. THAT REALLY GOES, THAT

TAKES US BACK, DOESN'T IT? (LAUGHING) BUT ANYWAY, LOOK WHAT

GOD HAS DONE. SO, THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH WILL BE

COMPLETELY BRAND NEW. THIS OLD EARTH IS GONNA BE RENOVATED BY

FIRE. EVERYTHING THAT MANKIND BUILT AND DESIGNED, MUCH OF IT

WAS TAINTED BY SIN. THAT'LL ALL BE GONE. "IT'S A NEW HEAVEN, A

NEW EARTH, A NEW BEAUTIFUL CITY, "THE NEW JERUSALEM COMING DOWN

OUT OF HEAVEN, "PREPARED AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND."

AND JOHN, OF COURSE, TELLS US THAT BELIEVERS WILL BE PRESENT

IN THIS PLACE. LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 21, VERSES, I'M SORRY,

CHAPTER 21, VERSES SIX AND SEVEN. IT SAYS, "AND HE SAID TO

ME, 'IT IS DONE. "'I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE

BEGINNING AND THE END. "'I WILL GIVE OF THE FOUNTAIN OF THE

WATER OF LIFE FREELY TO HIM WHO THIRSTS. HE WHO OVERCOMES SHALL

INHERIT ALL THINGS, AND I WILL BE HIS GOD, AND HE SHALL BE MY

SON. HE WHO OVERCOMES SHALL INHERIT ALL THINGS, AND I WILL

BE HIS GOD, AND HE SHALL BE MY SON.'" SO IT'S TELLING US RIGHT

THERE, THOSE THAT ARE OVERCOMERS, THE CHRISTIANS THAT

ARE FAITHFUL THAT HAVE MADE IT, WILL INHERIT THIS NEW KINGDOM,

THE NEW HEAVEN, THE NEW EARTH, AND THE NEW JERUSALEM. HE WHO

OVERCOMES WILL INHERIT ALL THINGS. I WILL BE HIS GOD AND HE

SHALL BE MY SON. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS BELIEVERS WILL BE

PRESENT IN HEAVEN. THE SAD NEWS IS BASED ON THEIR CHOICES THAT

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UNBELIEVERS WILL BE ABSENT. AND WE TALKED

ABOUT THAT WHEN I READ VERSE EIGHT, THE COWARDLY,

UNBELIEVING, ABOMINABLE, MURDERERS, SEXUALLY IMMORAL,

SORCERERS, IDOLATERS, ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE

LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE. THAT'S THE SECOND

DEATH. NOW IF WE JUMP AHEAD AND TAKE NOTE OF THE LAST VERSE OF

THIS CHAPTER, VERSE 27, REVELATION 21:27, IT SAYS, "BUT

Revelation 21:27

THERE SHALL BE BY NO MEANS ENTER IN ANYTHING THAT DEFILES OR

CAUSES AN ABOMINATION OR A LIE, BUT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE WRITTEN

IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE." SO IF YOUR NAME'S WRITTEN IN THE

LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE, YOU HAVE ENTRANCE INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL

KINGDOM. HALLELUJAH. IT'S A REMINDER TO US THAT BELIEVERS

WILL BE PRESENT, BUT UNBELIEVERS WILL BE ABSENT. NOW, LET'S LOOK

AT THE FINAL POINTS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY WIND UP

HERE TONIGHT. I WANT TO LOOK AT THREE MORE POINTS TONIGHT

CONCERNING THE NEW JERUSALEM, AND THAT'S REVELATION 21:11 AND

Revelation 21:11

23, "THERE'S NO SUN, NO MOON, BUT THE LIGHT WILL BE BRIGHT

WITH GOD'S GLORY." AND THEN REVELATION 21, VERSES 12:17,

AND 21, "THE WALL WILL BE HIGH AND WIDE WITH GATES OF PEARL."

AND THEN FINALLY, VERSE 14, "THE FOUNDATION WILL BE DEEP WITH 12

LAYERS." REVELATION 21, VERSES 9 THROUGH 14. I WANT TO READ THAT,

Revelation 21:9–14

AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THOSE POINTS. "THEN ONE OF THE

SEVEN ANGELS, WHO HAD THE SEVEN BOWLS FILLED WITH THE SEVEN LAST

PLAGUES, CAME TO ME AND TALKED WITH ME, SAYING, "COME, I WILL

SHOW YOU THE BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE." AND HE CARRIED ME AWAY IN

THE SPIRIT TO A GREAT AND HIGH MOUNTAIN, AND SHOWED ME THE

GREAT CITY, THE HOLY JERUSALEM, DESCENDING OUT OF HEAVEN FROM

GOD. HAVING THE GLORY OF GOD, HER LIGHT WAS LIKE A MOST

PRECIOUS STONE, LIKE A JASPER STONE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL. AND SHE

HAD A GREAT AND HIGH WALL WITH TWELVE GATES AND TWELVE ANGELS

AT THE GATES, AND THE NAMES WRITTEN ON THEM, WHICH ARE THE

NAMES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. THREE

GATES ON THE EAST, THREE GATES ON THE NORTH, THREE GATES ON THE

SOUTH, AND THREE GATES ON THE WEST. NOW THE WALL OF THE CITY

HAD TWELVE FOUNDATIONS, AND ON THEM WERE THE NAMES OF THE

TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB. HALLELUJAH. SO, VERSE 11 SAYS,

"HAVING THE GLORY OF GOD, HER LIGHT WAS LIKE A MOST PRECIOUS

STONE, LIKE A JASPER STONE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL." THE CITY WILL

HAVE A VERY BRILLIANT LIGHT. VERSE 23 OF REVELATION 21 SAYS,

"AND THE CITY HAD NO NEED OF SUN, NEITHER OF THE MOON TO

SHINE IN IT, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD DID LIGHTEN IT, AND THE LAMB

IS THE LIGHT THEREOF." THERE'S NO SUN PRESENT. THERE'S NO MOON

PRESENT. THERE'S NO NEED FOR A SUN OR MOON IN THIS NEW EARTH

AND NEW HEAVEN. THE LIGHT'S GOING TO COME FROM GOD'S GLORY.

THE BRILLIANCE OF THE LORD'S GLORY WILL ILLUMINATE THE WHOLE

CITY. NOW CONSIDER WHAT THIS MEANS. THAT MEANS THERE'S NO

NIGHTTIME. WE THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS ROUTINE OF 24-HOUR DAY

CYCLES OR 24-HOUR CYCLES IN OUR LIFE, YOU KNOW, WE GET UP IN THE

MORNING, WE GO TO BED AT NIGHT. IMAGINE NOW THERE'S NO

NIGHTTIME. THERE'S NO NEED FOR NIGHTTIME BECAUSE YOU WON'T NEED

TO GO TO BED. YOU WON'T NEED TO SLEEP ANYMORE. YOU WON'T NEED TO

SLEEP. SOME OF YOU ARE GASPING RIGHT NOW AND SAY, BUT PASTOR

DOUG, IF I NEVER GET ANY SLEEP, I'M REALLY GONNA BE CRANKY. BUT

THERE'LL BE NO SLEEPING IN. THE REASON WE NEED TO SLEEP IN NOW

IS BECAUSE OUR BODY NEEDS TO REJUVENATE. AND SLEEP'S A

WONDERFUL HEALING PROCESS. BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE PRESENCE OF

THE LORD, THERE'S NO NIGHT, YOU HAVE A GLORIFIED BODY, YOU WON'T

NEED TO GO TO BED. YOU DON'T NEED TO REJUVENATE YOURSELF.

IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT THINGS

WILL BE. BEAUTIFULLY DIFFERENT, MARVELOUSLY DIFFERENT. YOU'LL

NEVER HAVE TO SAY AGAIN, "I DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT."

YOU'LL NEVER EXPERIENCE SLEEP DEPRIVATION. THE PHRASE, "THE

CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS," WAS FIRST APPLIED TO NEW YORK IN A

1912 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, AND IT WAS POPULARIZED BY FRANK

SINATRA'S ANTHEM, "THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK." YOU KNOW,

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MY NIECE KIM LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY, AND I

HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO OFFICIATE AT HER WEDDING. IT WAS FUNNY

BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS LICENSED IN IOWA, AND I WENT OUT TO NEW

YORK CITY AND DID THE WEDDING, AND THEN ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I

GOT THIS NOTICE IN THE MAIL THAT SAID, "THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY

MARRIED BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T LICENSED WITH AND FORTUNATELY I

HAD FAVOR AND I SAID, "CAN I APPLY FOR IT NOW?" AND I DON'T

KNOW WHY THEY LET ME, BUT THEY DID. SO THEY DIDN'T LIVE IN SIN

THAT MONTH. I GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF. BUT ANYWAY, WAS IT THAT

FUNNY? OKAY. BUT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME

FOR OUR FAMILY TO EVER GO TO NEW YORK CITY, AND WE STAYED A

COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY. AFTER THE WEDDING, WE WANTED TO STAY THERE

FOR A LITTLE BIT AND DO A LITTLE BIT OF SIGHTSEEING. AND IT WAS

OUR FIRST TIME, LIKE I SAID, AND WE STAYED A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY

FROM TIMES SQUARE. AND YOU REALLY REALIZE, AND YOU KNOW, I

MEAN, THAT WAS WAY BEFORE COVID. THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO. THAT

SONG WAS REALLY ACCURATE. THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS. I MEAN, THE

STORES ARE OPEN ALL NIGHT LONG. YOU GO DOWN AT THREE IN THE

MORNING AND THE STORES ARE OPEN. IT JUST WAS AMAZING. EVERYTHING

WAS GOING ALL NIGHT LONG. AND RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN 24 HOURS A

DAY. I MEAN, THEN AFTER COVID, SOME OF THAT ALL CHANGED ON US.

I REMEMBER WALMART USED TO BE OPEN 24 HOURS AROUND HERE,

DIDN'T THEY? I DON'T THINK THEY ARE ANYMORE, ARE THEY? BUT, HEY,

THINGS CHANGE. BUT IT'S REALLY GONNA BE CHANGED IN THE NEW

HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH. YOU'RE NOT GONNA SLEEP ANYMORE. THE NEW

JERUSALEM IS GONNA BE THE REAL CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS. THERE'S

NO NIGHTTIME. AND I'M GUESSING AT THAT POINT, THERE'LL MOST

LIKELY BE A CONSTANT REGULATED TEMPERATURE. "THE SUN BRINGS

LIGHT AND HEAT TO OUR EARTH PRESENTLY. "WITHOUT THE SUN, I

ASSUME THAT GOD WILL GIVE US "PERFECT TEMPERATURE

REGULATION." WOULDN'T THAT BE WONDERFUL? "NO MORE DISCUSSIONS

BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES "OVER THE SETTING OF THE THERMOSTAT.

"TURN IT UP, NO I WANT IT DOWN. "TURN IT UP, NO I WANT IT DOWN."

SOMEONE SAID, "THERMOSTATS CAUSE MORE ARGUMENTS THAN POLITICS."

THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY OF THAT IN THE NEW JERUSALEM. JESUS

IS GOING TO HAVE HIS HAND ON THE THERMOSTAT, AND EVERYONE'S GOING

TO BE HAPPY. YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT THE MOON'S EFFECT ON THE

EARTH. YOU KNOW, THE PART OF MOON'S GRAVITATIONAL PULL

REGULATES THE OCEAN TIDES. BUT IT'S NO PROBLEM NOT HAVING A

MOON ANYMORE BECAUSE IT TELLS US IN THE VERSE WE JUST READ THAT

THERE'S NO SEA ANYMORE. THERE WILL BE A RIVER, WE'RE GONNA

READ ABOUT THAT IN CHAPTER 22, BUT THERE'S NO SEA ON THIS

EARTH. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE IS ABOUT 71%

WATER. BUT THE NEW EARTH, THERE'LL BE NO SEA. BUT WE'LL

SEE THAT IN CHAPTER 22. BY THE WAY, THERE'S NO SEA FOR YOU

BEACH LOVERS, SO IF YOU'RE GONNA MISS THE BEACH, I'M SORRY. BUT

AGAIN, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT EVEN GONNA CARE. IN REALITY,

EVERYTHING THAT YOU LOVE NOW WILL BE MUCH BETTER THAN THERE.

OR HERE. MUCH BETTER HERE. MUCH BETTER THERE THAN HERE, THAT'S

WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. YOU GOT IT, YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT I MEAN.

YOUR DESIRE WILL BE TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE LORD AND THE

THINGS IN THIS NEW HEAVEN, WHICH IS LITERALLY ON EARTH. GOD WILL

GIVE US ASSIGNMENTS. WE'RE GONNA BE RULING AND REIGNING WITH HIM.

IT'S GONNA BE SO NEW AND SO INCREDIBLE. IT'S GONNA BE FAR

ABOVE ANYTHING THAT WE EXPERIENCE NOW. WE CAN'T IMAGINE

IT REALLY. VERSE 12 TELLS US THAT THE WALLS OF THIS CITY WILL

BE HIGH AND WIDE WITH 12 GATES, REVELATION 21:12. ALSO, SHE HAD

Revelation 21:12

A GREAT AND HIGH WALL WITH 12 GATES, 12 ANGELS AT THE GATES,

AND THE NAMES WRITTEN ON THEM, WHICH ARE THE NAMES OF THE 12

TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. IT'S INTERESTING, VERSE

13 DESCRIBES THE SPECIFIC LAYOUT OF THESE GATES. IT SAYS THERE'S

THREE GATES ON THE EAST, THREE GATES ON THE NORTH, THREE GATES

ON THE SOUTH, AND THREE GATES ON THE WEST. AND WHEN YOU LOOK INTO

THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS, YOU'LL SEE THE

CONFIGURATION OF THE ENCAMPMENT OF ISRAEL. AND THIS IS WHERE, AT

THE TIME THEY WERE MOVING OUT OF SLAVERY IN EGYPT INTO THE

PROMISED LAND. NUMBERS 2 AND 3 LAYS OUT THE CONFIGURATION OF

THE DIFFERENT TRIBES. AND JUST SO THAT YOU COULD SEE IT FOR

FUN, I WANTED YOU TO SEE A PICTURE OF THAT. AND HERE IS

WHAT COULD BE THE SAME NAMES THAT ARE ON THE GATES THAT ARE

REFERRED TO IN THIS CHAPTER 21 OF REVELATION. THIS WAS

SPECIFICALLY LAID OUT BY GOD'S INSTRUCTION FOR ISRAEL. LIKE I

SAID, IT'S OUT OF NUMBERS CHAPTER 2 AND CHAPTER 3. BUT

Numbers 2 · chapter mention

BIBLE SCHOLARS BELIEVE THESE GATES MIGHT HAVE THE SAME NAMES

OF THE TRIBES THAT ARE IDENTICAL TO THIS ENCAMPMENT

CONFIGURATION. VERSE 13 TELLS US SPECIFICALLY IN THE TEXT THAT

THERE WERE THREE GATES. GO AHEAD AND LEAVE THAT UP FOR A MINUTE.

THREE GATES ON THE EAST. WE HAVE THREE GATES. WE HAVE JUDAH,

ISSACHAR, AND ZEBULUN HERE. THREE GATES ON THE SOUTH, GAD,

SIMEON, REUBEN. THREE GATES OVER HERE ON THE WEST, BENJAMIN,

MANASSEH, AND EPHRAIM. AND THEN WE HAVE THREE GATES ON THE

NORTH, DAN, ASHER, AND NAPHTALI. SO THAT COULD BE, WE DON'T KNOW

FOR SURE, THAT COULD BE THE SAME CONFIGURATION THAT IS USED IN

THE HOLY CITY. 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL ON THE GATES. IT WOULD BE

INTERESTING IF THE NEW JERUSALEM IS CONSISTENT WITH THIS

ENCAMPMENT UP HERE. EDDIE, YOU CAN COME BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT

READY TO CLOSE HERE. REVELATION 21:14 SAYS, "NOW THE WALL OF THE

Revelation 21:14

CITY HAD 12 FOUNDATIONS, AND ON THEM WERE THE NAMES OF THE 12

APOSTLES OF THE LAMB." SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING THING, TOO. THE

LAMB IS A TITLE THAT'S USED, OF COURSE, TO DESCRIBE JESUS. IT'S

USED MORE THAN ANY OTHER TITLE IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. IT'S

USED 26 TIMES. IT'S A REFERENCE TO JESUS. HE IS THE LAMB. AND IT

SAYS, "THE CITY HAD 12 FOUNDATIONS, "AND ON THEM WERE

THE NAMES OF THE 12 APOSTLES "OF JESUS," OR THE LAMB. WHO ARE THE

12 APOSTLES? WELL, WE KNOW THAT JUDAS PROBABLY IS NOT INCLUDED

IN THAT LIST. SO, WE HAVE 11 APOSTLES. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT

ACTS 1:26, IT SAYS, "THEY CAST THEIR LOTS, AND THE LOT FELL ON

Acts 1:26

MATTHIAS, AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN APOSTLES." SO

ACCORDING TO THE WORD, THEY CAST LOTS AND MATTHIAS WAS PICKED AS

THE TWELFTH APOSTLE. NOW SOME THEOLOGIANS BELIEVE IT'S GOING

TO BE THE APOSTLE PAUL. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY. I HAVEN'T

REALLY STUDIED THAT OUT. ALL I'M GOING BY IS WHAT THE WORD SAYS,

ACTS 1:26. IT SAYS THAT MATTHIAS WAS IT. SO WE'LL GO WITH THAT.

Acts 1:26

AND I DID HAVE A PICTURE OUT HERE SO YOU COULD SEE THE TWELVE

APOSTLES. AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE TIME TO NAME THOSE. BUT

IT'S JUST ONE MORE PROOF TO ME THAT GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH

JEWISH HISTORY. VERSE 12 TELLS US THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL HAVE

THEIR NAMES WRITTEN ON THE GATES OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. AND THEN

VERSE 14 EXPLAINS THE WALLS OF THE CITY HAVE 12 FOUNDATIONS

WITH THE 12 APOSTLES' NAMES WRITTEN ON THEM. AND IT APPEARS

TO ME THAT THERE'S STILL A SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT JEWISH

HISTORY PLAYS IN OUR PROPHETIC FUTURE. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR PEOPLE

SAY TODAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, GOD'S DONE WITH ISRAEL. AND THE JEWISH

PEOPLE HAD THEIR CHANCE. THAT IS NOT ACCURATE AND IT IS NOT TRUE.

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND GOD'S NOT DONE WITH

THE NATION OF ISRAEL. MUCH OF FUTURE BIBLE PROPHECY IS HINGED

TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL. WE LOOKED PREVIOUSLY AT SEVERAL

SCRIPTURES CONCERNING THE REBIRTH OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE MAY 14TH, 1948 HEADLINE IN THE PALESTINE

POST THAT SAID, THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS BORN. AND THEN WE

LOOKED AT SCRIPTURES, ONE OF THEM EZEKIEL 38, VERSES 11

Ezekiel 38:11–14

THROUGH 14, IT SAID THERE THAT EZEKIEL PROPHESIED THE

REFORMATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE REGATHERING OF THE

JEWISH PEOPLE. HE DID THAT 2,600 YEARS BEFORE IT HAPPENED. AND

ISAIAH ALSO PROPHESIED THAT ISRAEL WOULD COME BACK AGAIN TO

A NATION IN ISAIAH 11:11. AND I THINK IT JUST BOLSTERS OUR FAITH

Isaiah 11:11

TO REALIZE THAT PROPHECIES THAT ARE OVER 2,000 YEARS OLD WERE

JUST FULFILLED IN 1948. AND THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IN THE

BOOK OF REVELATION COULD NOT COME TO PASS IN THE WAY THAT

THEY'RE PROPHESIED IF ISRAEL HAD NOT BEEN A NATION AGAIN.

HALLELUJAH. IT'S AMAZING. WHAT AN ASSURANCE TO US THAT

PROPHETIC EVENTS, IT'S GETTING DARK IN HERE. MEANS IT'S TIME TO

CLOSE, I GUESS THEY WANT ME OUT OF HERE, PASTOR DAVE. IT'S AN

ASSURANCE THAT THE PROPHETIC EVENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN

THE BOOK OF REVELATION WILL INEVITABLY COME TO PASS, AMEN.

IT'S IN THEIR FUTURE. GOD IS KEEPING HIS HISTORY WITH THE

JEWISH PEOPLE INTACT AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE FUTURE. AND AS WE

CONCLUDE, I AGAIN WANT YOU TO IMAGINE THAT BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT

WE CAN'T EVEN FATHOM. IT'S OUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE LIVE, OUR

PRAYER IS THAT WE WOULD INFLUENCE OTHERS TO COME TO

CHRIST SO THAT THEY TOO COULD ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THIS

BEAUTIFUL CITY. WHAT AN AWESOME FUTURE GOD'S PREPARED FOR US.

MAY WE BE MOTIVATED MORE THAN EVER TO REACH PEOPLE FOR THE

GOSPEL, FOR CHRIST. GOD'S GIVING US MORE TIME. HE'S GIVEN US MORE

TIME. WELL, NEXT TIME, WE'RE GOING TO FINISH WITH VERSES 15

THROUGH 27, AND THEN WE'LL HOPEFULLY GET THROUGH THE FINAL

CHAPTER OF REVELATION, CHAPTER 22. BUT IN CLOSING TONIGHT, I

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

ASKED EDDIE TO COME BACK AND SING AGAIN FOR US, "I CAN ONLY

IMAGINE." BECAUSE IT'S SO FITTING FOR WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

TONIGHT, THE NEW HEAVEN, THE NEW EARTH, THE NEW JERUSALEM. I CAN

ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE WHEN I WALK BY YOUR SIDE. I

CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT MY EYES WOULD SEE WHEN YOUR FACE IS

BEFORE ME. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. EDDIE, I'M GONNA GET YOU TO GO

AHEAD AND LEAD US. WHY DON'T YOU STAND WITH ME TONIGHT AND JUST

WORSHIP THE LORD AS YOU SING WITH EDDIE.

(MUSIC)

OH, HALLELUJAH. WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE

LIKE TO BE WITH YOU, LORD. WE WORSHIP YOU IN THIS PLACE

TONIGHT, LORD. I PRAY A BLESSING ON THOSE THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT,

LORD. LORD, THAT YOU WOULD DIRECT US, GUIDE US, AND USE US

FOR YOUR GLORY TO ACHIEVE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN YOUR HEART

FOR US TO DO. MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

CONCERNING OUR LIVES. I PRAY PROTECTION, BLESSING, HEALTH,

AND PROVISION OVER EVERY PERSON HERE AND THOSE WATCHING ONLINE.

LET'S DO THIS. I FEEL THIS IN MY HEART. LET'S PUT THE NUMBER UP

FOR THE PRAYER LINE. IF YOU'RE WATCHING TONIGHT OR YOU'RE

WATCHING THE ARCHIVES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S OUT THERE SO

THAT YOU CAN CALL TONIGHT. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, YOU NEED

PRAYER, WE'LL PUT THAT UP THERE FOR YOU. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR

COMING. GOD BLESS YOU. HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT. SEE YOU BACK IN

THE HOUSE ON SUNDAY. HALLELUJAH. THANK YOU.