If we have accepted him and, gonna talk to him, and he already knows our name, and he and he and he saved us, many of us, most of us. And if you're not saved, you'll wanna be saved. So what a wonderful wonderful time. I think we've had a wonderful week and looking forward to tonight in the word of God, on prophecy. Then tomorrow night, remember, it's gonna be family night and friend night.

Now how many of you have a family member coming tomorrow who normally doesn't come? Okay. Good. Great. Got your brother, I think, coming, I think, maybe, and maybe a sister.

Alright. We're trying still. Okay? Just tell her if she doesn't come, you'll tell mom every bad thing she ever did to you. Okay?

Alright. Good. And then anybody have friends coming tomorrow that aren't necessarily related family? Okay. Let's do this.

Okay? Let's do this. Let's all work hard to get at least one visitor tomorrow. You guys have succeeded so much, and don't grow weary in well doing. And we've got many good people visiting here tonight.

We're glad you're here. But isn't it exciting when we have so many people coming? And, you visitors are here tonight. I know, I know that, I think it's Bonnie came two times. Your sister Cheryl, Bobby.

Bobby, we do have a rule. If you come three times, have to join the church. We we we let people know. But we do hope that, some of you that are visiting tonight, if you're able to come back, it's encouraging. But I love the word of God and I love the people of God.

And, we just had a great time today. Just, we even got to get together with, up here with Frankie today. And we had a great time. And, I tried to get Frankie to buy, but he wouldn't. So now pastor bought, but we just had a wonderful, wonderful time together.

So anyway, good job everybody. Praise God. Been pretty exciting weekend. Amen. Alright.

Now, tomorrow night I've got some visitors coming from Ocala, Florida. And so be nice to them or or I'll punch you in the nose. Okay? Alright. Let's look at second Peter chapter three and I wanna begin reading at verse one.

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that you may be mindful of the words which are spoken unto you by the holy prophets and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and savior knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? Let's pray. Once again, we ask you heavenly father to speak to our hearts and build us, encourage our hearts, challenge us and change us with the preaching of the word of God. And Lord, if there's anyone here that is not saved, we do ask you to show them they need to be saved and they need to be saved tonight, not wait, because they don't know how long they'll have to get saved. You could come tomorrow and they'd be left behind and they would go through the tribulation and we don't want that and you don't want that and they definitely don't want it.

Only ultimately to be cast into the lake of fire. So if they're not saved and pray God you'll show them they need to be saved tonight. And then Lord, each of us who is saved, that each one of us would understand that this message is something that you put in the Bible to affect us, to dedication and diligence. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Thank you, and you can be seated.

I saw a TV show one time where Hollywood zoomed the camera in on a church sign that said Jesus is coming soon. And it was an old sign and there were people drinking beer and living in sin. The church was dilapidated. People running around the community drinking beer, ignoring God, and acting as if nothing that they was doing was all that bad but then they zoomed the church sign again and then the wind blew, and then a letter from that sign dropped off and fell to the ground because it was so dilapidated, the wind just kinda blew a letter off. Now, obviously, they were making fun of the second coming, and they were saying some preacher put that sign up there so long ago that it's falling apart.

What a joke. Jesus is coming soon. Well, the Bible said that people were going to be scoffers and that they would mock the Lord's return. But the Bible teaches very strongly the second coming of Jesus. And for every one time it said that he'd come in a manger, it says, I think many, at least many, many, many more times, and I won't give you the exact ratio, can't remember, but it's at least three times to one that it says Jesus is coming again the second time.

Now, did he come the first time? Yes. Then will he come the second time? So I'm gonna speak to us about the second coming of Jesus Christ and ask you, do you take it seriously? Now the first thing we're gonna look at is the statement Jesus made.

And then the second thing we'll look at is the support for this and then we'll close by looking at the significance of it. Now the statement he said, I will come again. John fourteen three, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you onto myself that where I am there ye may be also. And that's why second Peter, Peter writes, many people are going to say, well, where is the promise of his coming? You said he's coming back and he's not here.

And that was promised so long ago, he is never gonna come again. What a lie. Well, the first thing I want us to notice about this statement is that it is a promise. Now, if you ever heard Jesus make a promise and not keep it, has God ever given him promise and not kept it? And so this is a promise from Jesus who is God.

So it has a lot of weight behind it and it has something that we can trust. And some people say Jesus never really said he was coming again, but you be the judge. Acts one eleven, which also said, you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? The angels then said, this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. So he went up and he's gonna come again.

Hebrews nine twenty eight. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and under them that look for him shall he appear the second time. And then there's revelation one seven. So it says, behold, he that he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him. Revelation twenty two seven, behold, I come quickly.

Revelation twenty two twelve, and behold I come. And Revelation twenty two twenty, he which testify that these things say, surely I come. And some of the last words of our entire bible are even so come Lord Jesus. Now I used to think Jesus was born in a manger. I can believe that.

That's why we have Christmas. Jesus rose from the dead. I can believe that. That's why we have Easter. Jesus is coming back again, and I used to think well that was so long ago.

How can we be sure it's going to happen? But I finally realized if I was doubting it, I was calling Jesus a liar and I'm not going to do that. I can believe Jesus, we all can. He's going to come back to earth again. It is a promise.

Now the second thing I want to draw our attention to about his statement is he has his return has two programs. The program of it, there are two parts to it. First, there is the rapture and secondly, there is the revelation. Now, the rapture, Jesus does not come all the way down to the earth. He just comes down to the clouds.

First Thessalonians four sixteen and seventeen, for the Lord himself shall not might, not maybe, shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Not might, not maybe, but definitely. My dad died years ago. My brother died a few years ago, and I know this, they are going to arise, and I'm gonna see them again.

And praise God, we have that also as a promise. So the dead in Christ shall, not might, rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, not the earth, to meet the Lord in the air, not the earth. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. So then he goes on and he says, wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Now the comfort has to do with we're gonna see them again, our our loved ones. And the comfort has to do with we're gonna be taken out of this earth before the judgment comes. It goes on the very next chapter. It says, the day of the Lord so cometh to the sea thief in the night, and then the Bible says when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a one with child, and they shall not escape. And so what he's saying is, unsaved people are going to go through the tribulation judgments, but we're going to be taken out before it comes.

It says, we're children of the day and not of the night and he says, ye are not appointed into wrath and that's the wrath of the tribulation period. First Thessalonians chapter five and it is saying, wherefore comfort one another with these words. So, you are not going to go through the tribulation period if you are saved. You'll be taken out But the program is first is the rapture. Then there's a seven year period called the tribulation and that is a time on hell on earth that we'll talk about and you don't want to go through the tribulation period and then the second part of his return is the revelation and the revelation is when Jesus comes all the way down to the earth, Zechariah fourteen four and he goes into Jerusalem and sets up the millennial kingdom.

So first the rapture, the tribulation, then he returns in the earth for the millennial kingdom, and this time he will bodily physically be on the earth. And this is where the wolf will lie with the lamb and the lion will eat straw and there will be peace on earth for a thousand years. And, after the millennial kingdom a few things will take place and will go into eternity. But it is first a promise and his program has two parts, first the rapture and then the revelation and it's separated by a seven year period. Alright.

So number one, there is the statement, I will come again. Now the second thing that I wanna draw our attention to is the support for this. Now there are many people, as I mentioned, who are scoffers. Hollywood is not the only one who scoffs it, but there are self proclaimed Bible scholars who scoff it and they actually are not scoffers if they scoff it. They are actually Bible rejecters, not Bible scoffers.

Because you gotta rip out a whole lot of Bible to say that Jesus is not coming back to earth again. Now, a scoffer can be somebody who mocks it, but a scoffer can be somebody who simply ignores it and is unaffected by it. Now, we're not scoffers like in Newsweek magazine, Bible professors who you could read about if you got that article that they denied Jesus' return, scoffers. But you know you've got churches full of scoffers who are just unaffected by this message. And we don't wanna scoff it and just go on and say, oh, we've got plenty of time to win our loved ones to Jesus because that's ignoring it and being unaffected.

And God says the night cometh when no man could work and so we've gotta be busy serving God. We've gotta be pure and nobody looking for his returns gonna wanna be caught in sin when it comes. So, it's something that we want to not make fun of or mess or even be ignoring it and being unaffected by it. So, that would be scoffing. Now, I'm talking about number one, the statement.

Number two, the support for it and why we believe it's coming very soon. I wanna give us a valid argument and then we'll look at an invincible argument. Alright. Now number one, the valid argument, there will be signs. Now, take your Bibles and let's go ahead and turn to Luke chapter 21, and many people say there are no signs before the Lord returns.

Well, that's not true. But let me explain in a way it is true. But we'll take a look at this. Look at Luke chapter 21 and verse 11. And great earthquake shall be in diverse places and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven.

So there will be signs. Now notice verse 25, Luke 21, and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring. Men's hearts failing them for fear for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and then shall they see the son of man, get it, coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, look up you Jews, lift up your head you Jew, your redemption draweth nigh. Now, the Bible teaches that there will definitely be signs, but there's something to there not being signs.

Now what are we talking about? Remember there are two parts to God's Christ return, first the rapture then the revelation. Remember that? Alright. There are no signs before the rapture.

It will come as a thief in the night without a warning in the twinkle of an eye. It could happen tonight and every one of us would be gone who are believers. And everyone who is not a believer would be left behind, and I'm gonna introduce to you the tribulation period which is prophesied, so it will happen. And so there are no signs before the rapture, but there are many signs that will proceed the second part of his return which is the revelation. Now here is the exciting thing.

Many of the signs that are to proceed the second part of his return are already starting. Now if they're already starting to and they proceed the second part of his return, that necessitates that the first part has to be that much closer. Does that make sense? Now, if I were to be standing in around a corner and I see a shadow of a body come around the corner, I can guess a body is gonna come around that corner. If I see a leg, and I see a hand, and I see a head, and I see a torso, I know pretty soon that body is gonna follow that shadow as it's moving forward.

Now, we are not seeing the Antichrist, but we're seeing his head, so to speak. We're seeing his activities coming and we're seeing the shadow of the Antichrist event. And if the shadow is coming around the corner then that means the Antichrist is right behind the shadow. And so, these are some signs that tell us, hey, we really are in the last days. Now, what is going to happen and what are some of these signs?

Here is the valid argument and then I'll give you the invincible argument. The valid argument are the signs and I'm not going be able to cover all of them but we'll hit some of them. Number one, the Bible teaches that there's going to be a one world government that will come together. Turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 13. Revelation chapter 13.

Now, in Revelation 13, it's talking about the Antichrist and many of the things that he'll be involved in in the the tribulation period and one thing that he's going to do is he's going form a one world government, a one world government and I look at Revelation chapter 13 and verse seven and it was given unto him, the Antichrist, to make war with the saints and overcome them, and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. Now, ALL spells what? And so this is teaching that the Antichrist is going to become a powerful leader who will be in charge of all kindreds, all tongues, and all nations. And that is your one world government. So this has been prophesied now for two thousand years.

The book of Revelation was written in AD ninety six. And way back in AD ninety six, God told John there's going to be in the future a one world government. Now, there are a lot of conspiracy theories. But let me tell you, a lot of them are nuts. But there are some conspiracy theories and some of them are right.

And when somebody talks about while there's gonna be a one rule government, that's not crazy, it's true. And it's been in our Bible for two thousand years that it would happen. Now, there's been a lot developing taking us toward a one world government. I can remember when I was with some friends and sitting down preachers, and one of them said, did you hear what happened last night? I said, what?

He said, there were a 160 nations that sent representatives to a certain location that I'll tell you about in just a minute, and they were going to discuss forming a one world government. I said, you're just looking for preaching material. I'm not gonna believe that until I see it for myself. And I checked into it and sure enough, it had happened. So I found that interesting.

And that group of people decided that we need to have a one world government or else we are going to continue with hunger and war and war crimes and stop genocide and all of that, and they said we need to do it. They voted it. And then they formed a committee that would come up with a constitution, and when they would complete it, they would vote on it. And when they get 65 nations to ratify it, they would consider it world law. Three months later, it would be enforced.

Now, do you know that this group completed their constitution? And I watched on 04/11/2002. It's been a while, but you know things like this with this big of a shift in the world thinking, it takes time but we're moving toward it and here's what happened. They signed it. The sixty fifth nation ratified it.

They only needed 60, excuse me, but the sixty fifth nation, 04/11/2002 And in July 2002, it was considered world law. How many remember that back when president George Bush said that we we need to have a new world order? And how many remember when George w was president and he went into Iraq that the French and the Germans didn't like it, and they said he is not in line with international law. Alright, that is the constitution that they set up 07/01/2002. Now think about this, the Bible not only told us and here's why we need to discern, okay, are we just talking, is this just filler, is this just entertaining, Do you know that the Bible tells us there'll be a one world government but it tells us where it's going to come from.

Now, take your Bibles and keep your finger in Revelation 13 because we'll be back there and go now in Revelation 17. Now, in Revelation 17, it tells us where the one world government is going to come from and the amazing thing I'm going to tell you is an affirmation that there's a sign that we're getting close to the Lord's return. We are at least close to the Lord's return. And now Revelation 17, notice what it says in verse nine. Here is the mind which hath wisdom or discernment that you can recognize what's going on when it happens.

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth. There are seven kings. Five are fallen. One is and one is not yet come. Now, with the seven kings, five are fallen and one is and one is yet to come, that's talking about seven major one world governments.

And at the time, there was Rome that was the one world government. How many ever heard of the Roman Empire? Now that ended and there are soon coming what is called the revived Roman Empire that is one is yet to come. And that is what this is talking about, the one world government that is yet to come in verse nine. The seven heads, that is the one world government of the tribulate of the end times.

Now, it says that the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth. Now, do you know that that is telling us where the one world government is supposed to come in the end days? The seven heads are seven mountains. So it's coming from the place of seven mountains. Now back years ago, January, that's a long time ago, a historian labeled Rome as the city of seven mountains.

Now this was not made up last week. This has been something that has been identified by historians for nearly two thousand years. Rome is the sea of seven mountains. So according to this verse, Rome is gonna be where the one world government comes from and we're gonna move on. But let me tell you this amazing thing.

Not to wow us, but to understand we really are moving rapidly toward Jesus' return. Now, one world government's gonna come together. Where does the Bible say Rome? Do you know where they met 07/17/1998 to discuss forming the one world government of all places in the world, the city of Rome? And do you know what they are calling their constitution?

Not in line with international law. They are calling the constitution. They have named it. You can find it on the Internet. If you just type it in, it'll come right up.

The statutes of Rome. Now, you know what that means, it's later than we think. Now, the second sign that I want to share, though there are others, I want to look at the Bible says back here in Revelation 13 that there'll be a one world religion, a one world religion. Alright, verse eight. Revelation 13.

Revelation 13 and verse eight, and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. ALL spells all and that means all nations, all kindreds, and tongues will be under the control of the Antichrist and then all kindreds and tongues and nations will worship the Antichrist. There's your one world religion. Now, there's a lot that is moving us toward a one world religion. I know that there used to be three divisions in the Lutheran denomination.

Two of the three have joined back to the Catholic church. There was also the Methodist faith and denomination and they no longer call themselves Methodist, much it's United Methodist. There's a lot toward bringing religions together. Pope John Paul the second when he was here and things happened over time, he met with leaders from all the different religions he could get together in San Francisco which has seven hills. And they discussed forming a one world religion.

A lot is happening. How many have ever seen these signs that say coexist? It's every religion just coming together and it sounds good, but it's not good because just being together here isn't gonna be any good if people are together forever in hell. And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life, and not all religions are good. We need to be nice, but we need to stand with the only hope is Jesus.

Amen. Now, there is a whole lot toward going in a one world religion and you're trying to bring all the religions together, and now there also is going to be a one world currency. Let's look back at Revelation 13. Revelation 13, and I want you to see verse 16. And he, the antichrist, causeth all, a l l, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark on their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save you have the mark, or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath the number of the beast, count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and this number is 600 threescore and six or six six six. Now, how many have ever heard of the mark of the beast? Okay. Now, there is a lot I could tell you, barcodes, not all of them, but a lot of them.

They have those numbers, those codes and you look and you don't know what they are. But I went to Walmart and looked at some one day and I found not all of them are doing this, but many of them are doing this. It starts off with these two long bars and their short section, then two more long bars and a short section and two more long bars. Each bar representing a number and do you know what the first two long bars is? The number four, six.

The second one, six. And the third one, six. Now that is not on every barcode, but I'm saying we're moving toward that system. Now then, there's a lot toward a one world currency, a cashless society, and the Bible says that no man's going to be able to buy or sell unless he take the mark of the beast. Now, never will forget when I was in Williamsburg Port Williamsburg, Virginia, and I saw an article that talked about new technology coming out and you could go to it and learn about it if you want to invest in it and also you could just be informed.

And they gave a free buffet to everybody who came. So I thought, hey, you get free food, it's worth it. So I went. And so when I went there, I was getting my food, standing there, minding my own business, and somebody standing next to me saw me there in a suit, he had a suit. He said, so what do you do for a living?

And I said, well, I'm a preacher. He said, you're here to hear about the mark of the beast, aren't you? I said, well, it's interesting. He said, well, I'm a CEO, and I came because I wanna hear about the mark of the beast. I think it's quite quite amazing.

So I went and sure enough, the vice president of the company got up and he held a card in his hand and you guys now have one in your purse or pocket. Now the card he had in his hand, he said, ladies and gentlemen, this looks like a credit card. It's not a credit card. It is a smart card. And he said, if you notice in the bottom corner, there's a little chip here, and this little chip will do all your financial transactions.

He says, this little chip is going to replace paper money and coins. And in short time, nobody will be using money. They will all be using coin no coins, all be using the chip. And so when he talked about this, there were other things that he said, but he never will forget as he opened up the questions, somebody raised their hand and they asked, is it possible for this chip to be implanted in people? And then there was a nervous laughter across the crowd because everybody was kinda thinking about the mark of the beast who was familiar with it.

And he calmed everybody down and he said, to be honest with you, I'm a Southern Baptist deacon, and I know what the Bible says, and I know why you asked that. You're asking if this is the mark of the beast. He said, I'll be honest with you. Yes, it can be implanted in human beings. And he said, that is why I am voting to keep it in a piece of plastic.

But I'm telling you there's a lot that's taking us toward this. There's what's called VeraChip technology. They have the VeraPay system and they can implant a chip in an animal and they are actually implanting a Verochip. I have held one that's the size of a grain of rice. They're implanting that chip in people in their forearm, the back of their hand, and their forehead.

And do you know what they do with that chip? They buy and they sell. And they have the Verapay system in Spain. Dave Kissler, an evangelist friend of mine, has seen people buy and sell by holding out their hand and getting scanned. It is later than we think.

And there's smaller technology called nanotechnology that is so small they can plant a nanochip in the brain of a roach, and that's pretty small. And they can control it by putting a device in a man's hand, he'll shock it and it'll shock the brain of the roach and make it turn right or make it turn left. They can put small devices on the roach and hear enemy plans and take pictures on enemy territory. Now, if they can implant a chip in the brain of a roach, can certainly implant a chip in us as human beings. Now listen carefully.

This is important. The mark of the beast is not going to be revealed till after we're raptured because I'm not taking the mark of the beast because I'm gonna be gone and if you're a believer, you'll be gone. So if you ever have to get a chip in your hand for our financial situation, don't be afraid it's not the mark of the beast. Cause we're going to be gone before that happens. Okay?

But what I'm saying is it's technology toward the mark of the beast. I can remember when I was in Walmart after COVID. And after COVID I can remember seeing this thing that says cash cards only. And over here it said cash. And I said to the lady, why is it that over here we use cash and over here we have to use a card?

And she said, you know, COVID. COVID, you know. And I'm not mocking that it was something that wasn't there. It was. It killed a lot of people.

But I am saying there was something behind that thing. And I'm not just a crazy guy. So I said to him, lady, I said, can I ask you a question? Why would they put in millions and millions and millions of dollars for coming up with new machines that they're only gonna use for six months? And then I said, why is it that here you want them to be safe, but six feet over they can use cash and you want them to live and you don't care if they die?

And she said, I never thought about that. But the fact is they got rid of our coins and they acted like you don't have any coins left. Well, where did they go? Did they disappear? What happened is there's a strategy to shift us from currency to a cashless society.

Now, you could stand up and say, we're not gonna do it. Listen, it's gonna happen. And it's not necessarily bad, but God prophesied it's gonna happen. And all I'm saying is as we see these things happening, we're moving toward the Lord's return. Now there's so many other things we could say, but I wanna move on.

There's the valid argument, but then I want you to look at the invincible argument. Now, let's take our Bibles and look back at second Peter chapter three. Now, if you are here and you are saved, you should not scorn. You should realize we've got the evidence that the time is running out. You should not say I'm gonna live my life for three more years and just live it up, eat, drink, and be merry.

Cause you may only have two years and you never have a chance to do something for God. If you do not know you're born again, you don't have time to wait. Honestly, it's not a trick. It's honestly, you do not have time to wait if you do not know you're going to heaven. Today is the day of salvation because tomorrow may be too late.

We are that close. Now, here is the invincible argument. Number one, there will be signs, but number two, here's the invincible argument, you have God's word on it. We have God's word on it. Alright.

Second Peter chapter three and verse one, it says, be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and savior. So, he's saying, you know that Jesus is coming again because the word of God said he is coming again. And verse four, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? And I want you to notice verse nine, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. The word, the word, and the word it brings up again.

Now verse 14, woe for beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him at peace without spot and blameless, and account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation, get it. Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him hath written unto you as in all his epistles, the word speaking of them. Now, I don't look in the newspaper to say, Jesus is gonna come. I do look in the events on YouTube, on the news to see, wow, he's coming real soon. And even what happened in Gaza in Psalm chapter 85 says that the nations surrounding Israel are going to attack Israel, and it mentions these in the end, Philistia, and then it names a city in Lebanon.

And guess where the attacks came? Hamas in Philistia, which is Gaza, and Lebanon and that particular city, the headquarter of Hamas, of Hezbollah. And there's so much happening that tells us that time is short. Now, number one, there are signs. Number two, there is support and then number three, I'm going to look at the significance.

The significance of his coming. Now, take your Bibles and let's look at first Thessalonians chapter five. God introduces him his tribulation period by describing it as a woman having a baby. Alright. First Thessalonians chapter five and verse three, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

Now, I've never had a baby travail upon a woman, but I have seen three babies born. They call me dad. I was the kind of guy that wanted to be in the room when the kids were being born. And back when I was there and the kids were being born, we had to do Lamaze class if we were going to be in there. So I took the Lamaze class.

So we did all of the breathing exercises. We did the Alright, let's all do that together. Ready? Here we go. There, you're ready to have a baby.

Okay? Now, being in there, I took all that, and when I went into the labor room, I did not have a baby, but I have an idea what labor pains must be like, and I believe that there are three phases to labor pains. Now, you ladies who have had a baby, how many have ever had a baby before, okay? I'm going to explain them and you tell me if I'm right. Now, phase number one of the labor pains.

See how I'm doing? They start bad. How am I doing? Phase number two, they get worse. Am I right?

And then phase number three, they end unbearable and that's when you wanna kill your husband. Okay? Now, the tribulation has three phases. It'll start bad with seven seals, get worse with seven trumpets, and unbearable with seven bowls, and that's how it unfolds. Now, we're going to go through this and we're not gonna hit that all for time, but it'll be an exciting ride.

Take your Bibles and I want you to turn to Revelation chapter six. Now, in Revelation chapter six, the beginning of the labor pains. Revelation chapter six. Now, as we go through this, just imagine in a cartoon, you could do anything in a cartoon, you can make me have muscles. That would have to be a cartoon.

But you could make anything in a cartoon. Imagine there's a book in a cartoon. It's got seven chapters. Each chapter is sealed shut with a bow or a seal. The Lamb of God comes, Jesus, and he breaks that wax seal, ribbon seal, whatever, and opens up that chapter and out shoots a judgment.

The second out shoots a judgment. And the third, fourth, until finally in the cartoon he opens the seventh seal. Now when he opens the seventh, instead of one judgment coming, out shoots seven trumpets in our cartoon. The seventh seal is the seven trumpets. Now, angels blow on them one at a time, out of the bill comes a judgment.

But when the seventh angel blows out of the seventh trumpet in our cartoon, imagine out of that bell shoots seven bulls or vials. Angel number one, pour out your wrath on the world that's rejected my son and a steamy wrath falls from that bull and it hits the earth and one at a time starting back with seven seals, then seven trumpets, then seven bulls, and let's skim through this and hit a few. I look at Revelation chapter six and verse two. This is the beginning of the Antichrist one world government, And this is the first seal that is broken. And I saw and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer.

The world says you can be in charge of the world and fix the mess, and they let him be in charge. Now, right now, there's a president of The United States who's trying to kill the one world government. I personally am thankful that he's slowing it down. But in a moment, it could turn. And in four years, it could quickly turn.

And what I'm saying is we are very close to the world giving somebody power over the entire world, and let me prove it to you. How many remember COVID, how scared everybody was? And whatever Fauci said, they did. I was in Liberia, they did. Romania, they did.

And any country, India, they did. And wherever you go in the world during that COVID situation, it was all Fauci, Fauci, Fauci, Fauci. And I'm telling you, they were ready to give up everything and follow one leader. And we are very close to a one world dictator. Now there'll be a one world dictator, the Antichrist, they give the power unto him, a crown is given unto him, has a bow but not an arrow, so he doesn't do it by military force, we give him power over the world.

Now, promises peace and safety, but it's a short lived peace when number two, there will be a world war. Notice what it says in verse four. Thou went out another horse that was red and power was given him to take peace from the earth that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword. There will be world war and you can see how close we were and still are to that. Now number three, as a result of world war, there'll be a world famine, a world famine during the tribulation period where food and water will be scarce.

Notice verse six, and I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say a measure of wheat for a penny, three measures of barley for a penny, see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Now what's that jargon a measure of wheat for a penny? In Bible days, a penny was a day's wage. But during the tribulation period, it'll be not as valuable. Why?

In Bible days, you could buy a measure of wheat, you could buy eight measures of wheat for 1p. Here, only one. And so if you could buy eight, now you can only buy one, that's 800% more expensive. So 800% inflation. Application.

If you bought groceries this month or this week and you paid $800 for your groceries, tomorrow you go to buy the same amount of groceries and say you paid a $100 for those groceries, it's gonna be $800 for those groceries. Now how many of you could feed your family on an $800 a week grocery bill? How long would that last? And if you bought gasoline, you paid $3 a gallon, it's gonna be $24 a gallon. And we saw very quickly after hurricane Katrina, our gas prices went up 400% with one or with one hurricane.

What will happen in tribulation hurricanes? It's going to be hell on earth. The Bible goes on and it says the fourth will happen where there will be a a wormwood that will contaminate water. The fifth will happen. There'll be more death.

The sixth will happen. Let's look at verse 12. Alright. Revelation 13 and verse 12. It says, and I beheld when he opened the sixth seal and lo, there was a great earthquake.

The sun became black as sackcloth of air, and the moon was darkened. The stars in heaven fell into the earth, verse 13, even as a fig casted their untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Now, it says in verse 13, the stars of heaven are going to fall into the earth. Now, it may be just talking about large meteors. It may be talking literally about stars, but don't make this up.

How many have heard scientists have been talking about stars are going to possibly hit our planet in the near future? Alright? Many. Now one of the first things that's supposed to happen in the tribulation, stars are going to hit the planet. Now flip over to Revelation chapter eight.

In Revelation chapter eight, you move to the second part, the seventh seal which is the seven trumpets. Look at verse one. And when he opened the seventh seal, now we're at the seventh, there was silence in heaven about the space of a half an hour because it started bad and the angels saw it, but now they see what's coming and they can't even speak because they've never seen this much tragedy ever since the existence of the planet. Now the first angel sounds in verse seven, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood and was cast upon the earth and a third part of the trees was burned up and all the green grass was burned up. So it's going to rain fire, blood, and hail.

Now, as it rains fire, it will burn up a third of all trees and of the grass. Time will pass, grass will regrow, trees will not. Oxygen will be cut down with less plants. But then it's raining hail and then it's raining blood. Now, is it possible that the earth could ever experience blood coming from the sky?

God said, let there be light and there was light. God will say, let it rain blood and it'll rain blood. He already turned in the Old Testament the waters into blood when Moses was here. That happened. He will do it again.

It goes on and it tells us other things. I wanna look at the fourth and the fifth, and then we're going to have to begin to tie this up. But I want you to look at the fourth in verse 12. The fourth angel sounded and a third part of the sun was made and a third part of the moon, a third part of the stars. So, as the third part of them was darkened and the day shown not a third part of it and the night likewise.

Alright, there are twenty four hours in every day. Twenty four divided by three, twenty four divided by three is what? Eight. So eight hours of every day, the sun, moon, and stars will be darkened when normally you could see, you won't see a thing. Now darkness is scary.

Anybody feel that way sometimes? But why is God going to make it dark when it's normally light? I believe the fourth and the fifth trumpets go together. Let's look at the fifth trumpet and we'll explain. Look at Revelation nine and verse one.

And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven under the earth and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and get this, and the sun and air were darkened. How? By reason of the smoke of the pit. Now God is going to open up the bottomless pit where the flames of hell are, and I don't know if it's gonna be one hole or if it'll be many holes, but smoke is going to come out of hell and fill the earth.

Now smoke will be so thick that you won't even be able to see anything. And it'll take eight hours for the smoke to dissipate enough that you will be able to see again. Think about that. Now if it's eight hours a day with thick so smoke, so smoke so thick you cannot see it, then you can't see, then I would guess that you can't breathe. And so for eight hours of every day, you've got an eight hours of torment every day.

Now, what comes out of the pit is the frightening thing. I want you to look at the next verse verse three. Revelation nine, and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth and to them was given power as scorpions of the earth have power. So the hell, the bottomless pit is going to vomit up these locusts and as you continue to read, they have a faithful man, hair like a woman, teeth like a lion, iron chest, tail like a scorpion, and they latch on in the tribulation period to people and they sting them. And the pain is the pain sensation of a scorpion sting and it lasts five months.

Every sting. Now think of it, put this together in the darkness you're struggling in every breath because of the smoke, and all of a sudden in the darkness you hear wings. And you know it's one of these demonic beasts, and you can't can't see them, but you know they can smell you. So you turn and you run to get away, but they follow their scent and and out of the darkness they get faster and faster and then all of a sudden you hear and they latch on sting you and they do not let go five months. Think of it.

And the Bible says there'll be many, many more things. Now let's close where we started. Turn in your Bibles back to second Peter chapter three and let's think about how this applies to our lives. Alright. Now second Peter three, the first thing I want you to see the significance of this, I'm showing us all the bad things that the Bible says will happen and somebody says, well, that doesn't sound like God is love.

I'm telling you, the more you look at it, the more you understand God is getting rid of all evil, and then He's going to bring in eternal goodness. And in order to be able to bring in everlasting righteousness, you've got to get rid of some bad guys. And he's here to fix things. And I want you to see he's doing it justly. The world is rejecting him, and the world is doing a lot of bad things.

And justice happens when a man pays for his crime. And did you know you can pronounce judgment on somebody without being happy about it? But you do what has to be done for justice sometimes. But I want you to see why we preach this and why God put it in the Bible. Okay?

Now look at second Peter chapter three and verse nine. If before we read it, you don't know that you're going to go to heaven. I'm going to tell you this, if you don't know you're going to heaven, you are in great danger, okay? If you're not sure your sins are forgiven, you are in great danger And if you're not sure you're going to heaven, I will add this, if you don't know it, you probably aren't. So you want to know this thing and tonight is the day that you need to be saved.

But notice what it teaches here in verse nine about all these judgments and why Jesus hasn't done it yet. Look at verse nine. The Lord is not slack or weak or unable to do what he wants to do. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness. He hasn't come for two thousand years.

He's never gonna come. That's just a bunch of scary tactics, and they scoff it. It says, the Lord is not slack or weak concerning his promise, but is long suffering to us who are not willing or wanting any to perish, but that all should come to what? You know why Jesus hasn't come yet? Because he doesn't wanna judge.

He wants to save. And so he's being patient so he gives more time for you if you're not saved. But one day he's just gotta do it. He's got to do it. And the father knows when it's gonna be.

And he's told us, here's the mind that has wisdom, discernment. When you see a one world government coming together and when you see it coming out of Rome, you better get ready. And with Davos, with the Summit for Change, the great reset, and many, many other things, the clock is about 11:30PM. And we have got to be ready. Now, for the unsaved here, you need to make sure you're going to go to heaven.

You're not dumb, you're not stupid, you just don't know you're going to heaven, and we can help you. Don't take a chance with your soul. But those of us who are saved, we need to be affected by this. I want you to look at verse 14. Wherefore, beloved, those of you that really are born again are called beloved.

Wherefore, beloved, those that are born again, seeing that ye look for such things, be what? Diligent. Diligent. Now, be diligent about the things we need to be diligent. There are three things mentioned that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless and an account that the long suffering of Lord is salvation.

So, here's what he's saying. First thing, be diligent, specifically mention is that you're at peace. Now, is there anybody on this green earth that you are not right with? God says, get right with them. And he's saying when I come back, I don't wanna find that you are bitter with each other.

So get things right with somebody if you're bitter toward them. Number two, be without spot and blameless. You don't want to have beer in your refrigerator when he comes. If you are saved, you would still be saved, but he would be ashamed of that. And you do not want him to find you that way.

You don't wanna be on pornography. You don't. You wanna be without blame. So get clean, get right, and get busy. I want you to notice verse 15, account the long suffering of our Lord is salvation.

And that's basically saying if people say, why hasn't he come yet? Just give an account. It's his long suffering. He's giving you more time to be saved. That's really what it's about.

He loves people and he's trying to hold off his wrath. But the application is also we need to be giving account of Jesus. Now, this week, how many of you have invited at least one person to the meeting? It's been a whole lot. You know what that is?

Accounting of salvation. This week, you've been texting, you've been calling, you've been emailing, you've been going after it. Do it next week. It's not just about an evangelist, it's about the gospel preached by the evangelist. And God has a plan, local church.

He'll set one up in Clearwater. He'll set one up in Spartanburg. He'll light it like we said in Sunday school, and he will say to the people, you are the light of the world. You've got the Holy Spirit in you. Do something and stay diligent at doing those things.

Now I'm hoping there'll be more soul winning efforts after the meeting than before. And this is not a pep talk, this is Bible. And one of my dreams is that one day I could go into church and see people get stirred up, but stay stirred up. I come back in four years that you're still going. I got a feeling you will be.

But that you're still going and that I'm still going, that we're all still going and going after these souls. So be diligent, not slothful, and God's plan is the local church. And I'm telling you, often 90% of the work is done by 10 of the people, and I've heard that. I don't know if we can prove it, but I can say this. I think we need us all to be diligent and say not, well, I don't wanna get stuck.

I think we need to be saying, how can I serve and be diligent about the things of God? Well, let's not look at the clock. Let's bow our heads. And let's have a time where we consider some things. Now, how many of you would say, brother Mike, if Jesus came tonight, I'm not perfect, but I am forgiven, I know I'm saved, and I have no doubt that I would be in heaven.

Would you slip up your hand if you're positive and you've got a Bible reason why? You know, if you don't, don't be embarrassed if you don't know. Okay? Alright. Thank you.

You can put your hands down. But there's evidence that this thing is coming and there's evidence that the Bible is God's word. So here's this, if you don't know that you're going to heaven, you may be a nice woman, you may be a nice man, but if you don't know that you're going to heaven, you're in danger because God wants you to know and you can know. So I wanna ask this, is there anybody here would say I may not understand at all, but I do know there's something to it. And I don't know I'm saved yet, but I wanna be.

If that's you, would you be kind enough? You may be a wonderful person, you just don't know you're going to heaven and you want to. Would you just slip up your hand if you can know I wanna know, pray for me. And I won't call your name, won't say where you're sitting, I will just pray for you. Is there anybody?

And you put it right back down, and I won't force you to do anything you don't wanna do. I invite, I do not force. So is anybody like that? I wanna go to heaven, but I don't know I'm going there. Would you pray for me?

Just lift up the hand if there's anybody like that at all. Anybody. Alright. Now how many of you would say if Jesus Christ came back today, I think I'd be ashamed at some things in my life that I need to get cleaned up, and I wanna get them cleaned. Would you slip up a hand if God's spoken to you as a Christian about some things you wanna clean up in your life before he comes?

Just lift it up, put it right back down. God bless you. God bless you. Is there anybody, I mentioned it briefly, who would say there's someone that I'm bitter toward or they're bitter toward me and I wanna work on that and get that fixed? Would you slip up a hand if there is someone that you're bitter toward you want or they're bitter toward you and you wanna get it fixed?

Good. Good. Good. That's what he asked for. And one other question in general.

How many would say there I talked about it the other night, but there are people I know that still I don't know they're saved, and I wanna be diligent in trying to win them to Christ before it's too late. And we keep reminding us, stay at it. Stay at it. Stay at it. Would you lift up a hand if there's someone like that?

Alright. Let's stand to our feet. Let's stand to our feet. Heavenly father, we do pray now that you'll bless this message and change us. I pray now that you give pastor wisdom as he closes having an invitation or just closing in prayer.

But I do pray, Lord, that you'll help us, Lord, to be at peace with people, make peace with people, that you'll help us as we seek to do this, that you help us, Lord, as we get clean to ask forgiveness, receive it, and then live the way we should. And then, Lord, that we would be very, very diligent about the work of God in our church. Now with their heads bowed and eyes closed, I'm going to ask the pianist to come and pastor, you close as you see fit.