Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ohb2RoO7Qk&feature=youtu.be
When I was a boy, I had what they called the camp meetings. They don’t have a lot of motels or hotels in those days, and there were very few fast foods, there was something they call the Dairy Queen. I’m talking about a long time ago, and they will have what they call camp meetings. We would gather out in the country and they would have camp grounds and the tabernacle was just a tin roof supported by pillars and sawdust on the floor and nothing but boards for seats and they stayed there for camp for two weeks. They live in tents.
There were preachers preach for the coming of the Lord. This was the main message of the church, “The coming of Jesus”.
I was raised on that, my father was a preacher, my great grandfather was a preacher, I came from a line of preachers and they preached on the coming of the Lord. It was one of those camp meetings when I was 8 years old, I Heard about the coming of the Lord. I thought He was coming that night for sure, because people prayed. It didn’t pray all night long, the message would so stir their hearts. People would pray, they would stay in that sawdust kneeling, not a problem in their back. You could hear them praying and crying all night. And that’s the day, in those camp meetings, and hearing about the coming of the Lord, the nearness of Christ. Be prepared and be ready. And the spirit of God came upon me and I went down on that sawdust, I knelt and I pray and the spirit of God came on me. I was there for few hours and that’s when God called me to preach, when I was 8 years old, and I never turned back. That’s all I know and it’s all I have ever wanted in my life. That I was born and raised in this atmosphere that Christ could come in any moment.
So I grew up with nothing to fear, because that’s the hope of the church. (Titus2:13)
The Bible says this message would not produce fear if you are ready to meet Christ. These should be the joy, you should be shouting before I’m finished, because this is something really impresses to your hearts.
Have you heard about the signs of His coming? When I heard messages of the coming of the Lord it was always going over the signs of wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes in diverse places, the restoration of Israel, the United Kingdom of Europe and the coming of the anti-Christ perhaps from the United State, of Europe. We’re very close to all these things. And those are signs, Jesus made that clear.
I want to get down to something we all feel and know, something that cause our hearts to wonder what’s happening to the United States, what’s happening to the world.
We have been travelling all over the world ministering to pastors for past few years. What I see in the United States is all over the world. It is not just in the United States. Europe is even worse. In there, there is an apostasy that you can’t believe. Everything is coming to a world church out of Europe. Right now there is a Pentecostal pastor in Sweden, in jail, because he preached against homosexuality, against the law in Sweden to take the Scripture, especially Romans and speak against homosexuality. This is where we’re headed.
I want to give you 3 things that I see that tell me Jesus is coming very soon. I don’t have to get into theology or doctrine or history. It’s something that’s happening here and now. You see it, and you feel it. Even the most liberal, ungodly atheistic people would say, “Everything is spinning out of control”. It’s incredible what you hear even from the liberal press like the New York Times, one of the most liberal papers in the whole country, and now one article after another. No one knows what has happen, nobody can feel.
When 9.11 struck New York City, and the towers fell. I told this to the pastors in the conference, that suddenly a religious fervor hit New York City, the churches were packed. It Happened on Tuesday and Sunday, churches were jammed and people were crying. They went to church very excited. Most or many of them have never been to church. Some of them had been to church for years. Jews, Gentiles, people of all nationalities flocking to church and all cathedrals and wanting to hear from the man in the pulpit, “What is this? Was this God? Was it an accident? Is God speaking? Was this just happened? Why this terrorism for the first time in our country? They went, and there was not a word.
I preached the message called “The Towers Fallen” and we missed the message. God was speaking to this country, He was warning us, and he was saying “wake up”. Folks it could have been far worse. And we grieve over the lost and we grieve over the suffering and the pain, all of these. But God was speaking to this nation and He is speaking to the whole world, warning us what’s coming ahead. For 3 months it continued.
Six months later New York Times did a survey. It found out they were less people going to church 6 months later that before the 9.11. They ask the people, why did you quit? And it was tragic to read the survey. One said, would in fact in some churches, people getting up a little mess because it doesn’t make sense. They send pastors ministers, they said we want to know what it is all about. But there is no answer. They said there is no one reason why I’d want to go back, it was nothing but death. It was boredom, no one had the answer. There is not one reason, I would never go back, and he had given up on the church. I have given up!
3 Signs that shows His coming is soon
1. Increasing of Mocking of the church and Jesus Christ
I want to talk now about these who have given up on the church. Why? I want to tell you why I believe these things are happening that point us to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, the growing numbers of mockers. The mocking of Jesus Christ, anyone who has called by His name, the mocking of the church of Jesus Christ, but most of all is the mocking of Christ Himself. Nothing in the history have we seen such mocking.
Here in the United States it’s out of control. 300,000 gays marched at the fifth avenue. They marched every year and I think there is 250,000 to 300,000.
It’s the absolute mockery of anyone in politics who says I believe in Jesus Christ, the hatred, the mockery of politicians in Washington or in congress or here in Alabama, or wherever you go. It’s the mockery in some judge here in Alabama that just want to hold on to the 10 Commandments as a witness. The absolute mockery of the name of Jesus Christ and the Bible says “in the last days mockers will come and say, where the sign of His coming”(2Pet.3:4).
Things continued and they are going to be following after another’s own lust. Folks it’s not the constitution it's being broken, it the mockery of the word of God, it’s the word of God that’s being broken and the promise of God and making fun and mocking the word of God and the Christ of the world. In the last days these mockers will come saying where is the promise of the sing of His coming?
I got a letter from a pastor yesterday. His letter was a kind of frightening thing to read. He said, “Dear brother Dave in my denominations general assembly, we’ve voted to support partial birth abortion even though the congress voted "no”. Isn’t that amazing that this major denomination, one of the numerous denomination in the United States had just voted to support partial birth abortion even though the congress voted "No". What a sad thing when the congress is more godly than the church. Our new moderator, who is in service for the next two years, openly supports the ordination of gays and lesbians.
Listen to this. It’s almost as if we are looking for a ways to offend Almighty God.
Folks, does this not cause your heart to burn? Do you not feel the grief of the Holy Spirit, that how the movies or television are mocking Christ? Does it not burn your heart when you hear about this lesbian who came out in her TV program and here’s a new movie that’s coming out, it’s being made right now? It’s about being lesbian.
What do you feel, what do you sense in the Holy Spirit when you look and see these things? I’m not painting a picture worse than this; it’s far worse than anything I could stand and here and tells you. I’m just telling things that you know and that you should be grieved about, and how much more the Lord. We live in Sodom, Sodom. Incredible mockery of the Lord Jesus Christ!
2. Lifting of the restraint against the wickedness
The second reason I believe Jesus is coming soon is the lifting of the restraint against the wickedness. The Bible says the restrainer, who is the Holy Spirit, he restrains wickedness, and He holds back the flood tides.
2Thess2:6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
:7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
The Bible says that in the last days woe to the heaven the earth and the sea. The devils come to you with a great wrath because he knows his time is so short. And the Bible says he’s going to send forth flood out of his mouth against the church of Christ. There is a flood and the flood is coming. The pornography, there are 500,000 pornographic sites on the internet highway, or 500,000 internet porn sites. The whole world is flooded with pornography and filth child molestation.
You see? This is happening. Everything you see hear is happening now. In the United States. It’s happening under restraint, the restrainer is here, the Holy Spirit is still restraining. Could you imagine what it’s going to be like when the Holy Spirit is lifted in the convicting restraining essence of the Holy Spirit? He’s still there to woo and to call those who have a heart toward Him, who and can be raised by the Holy Spirit, those who would not pull up impregnable wall and just push the Holy Ghost out of their life. But you see the Holy Ghost in his restraining power, he’s going to be restrained said the Bible. In scripture it said, the strainer shall be taken out of the way and then shall the wicked one be revealed. And it’s the spirit of anti-Christ.
Tell me what’s it’s going to be like, in theaters, in television, on our street, tell me what it’s going to be like when the restrainers are gone. If now we see what we’re seeing under restrain. See what’s happening right now, you can see little by little the restraining power is leaving and the only thing that keeps the America and the whole world from these chaos is because the strainer is at work and because the church of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit that’s moving in and through individuals who expect to come in a walk, and walk in the Holy Spirit and walking in righteousness before the Lord. Because the Holy Spirit as a restrainer is working through his church and through his body. But what happens when the church falls into backslided condition. Do you think this church denomination is going to have any power against sin? When they become the perpetrators of sin? Oh so many people go to hell throught these churches, and these pastors are held in responsible.
3. Lie that Jesus will not come soon!
The third reason I believe Jesus is coming very soon, there is helly slide that’s sweeping through the church, a lie, and it’s a dilution. I want to talk to Pentecostals, Baptists, and evangelicals or to everyone who says I’m a Christian, I’m a believer. The Bible says there’s going to be a delusion coming on to the church on the last days, it’s going to come upon the world and it’s going to be sweeping to the church. And it’s a lie, Bible says don’t believe a lie. It’s the truth. The Bible says in the last days, there will be those who said in their hearts that the Lord has delayed His coming. And Jesus gives the parable of a man, a servant of His, whom he has left in charge, because he’s going on a journey. And he’s come back and he has given charge and he said, “I want you to be faithful in this charge”. He says this servant of mine, he didn’t say, Jesus or the Christ had delayed His coming. And the context is the coming of the Lord. Jesus said once be ready, for an hour you think not the lord will come, “I’ll come when you least expect me, I’m going to come and theirs going to be those and their His servants and he said this is wickedness, this is a wicked thought. This is what causes man to give themselves to materialism, to get themselves to the things of this world. They didn’t preach it, they didn’t verbally say it, the Bible says, he has said. The Bible said, in His heart the Lord has delayed His coming. It’s a mindset; Jesus is not coming in my time. We’ve heard that all our lifetime, “Jesus is coming”, “Jesus is coming”, but where is He, His not coming in our lifetime. I don’t have to be concerned. And I think that’s the reason there is such a prayerlessness among Christians today. If I may ask you a question how many of you in this building in the last two weeks, how much time have you spent on your knees, how much time have you been going into a room or what they call as secret closet. Have you just gone in there and begin to worship the lord, or tell Him your problems? Did you go to the telephone and talk to your friends. The Bible says, the spirit and the bride say "come".
Rev.22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. NIV
That means if you have the Holy Spirit or you say you’re a spirit filled Christian, I’m a spiritual believer, if you are a spirit filled, the spirit in you is crying even so "come Lord Jesus". If you’re in the spirit of Christ if you’re under the blood of Jesus Christ, there should be a cry. There’s something that the spirit, the bridegroom is coming and the bride begins to answer "even so come, come quickly Lord Jesus". Rev.22:20
When is the last time you prayed about the coming of the lord, the cry, when is the last time you get on your knees and said, “Jesus, come”. And you allowed the Holy Spirit to pray that through you and in praying that is made real to you and suddenly become the fact that He is coming soon and He is the one I love, He’s the one I want to be with. "Lord Jesus Come!"
Have you gotten weary of this world like Paul the apostle who said I would rather go to be with Him?(Phil.1:23) And when people think of dying, they’d say “Oh God don’t take me, I need more time”. Apostle Paul said my heart is with you. Folks, I believe the Christians had seen life and eternity and in between life and eternity there is a tissue paper, it’s just like the tissue paper. And you and I, if we die before the Lord's coming, we should be drawing so close to our beloved ones, we should be so desiring Him and thanking God for your house, for your cars, your clothes, for His blessings. He loves to bless His people. But God help us if we allow this things to take us away from the awareness of His soon return and we live in carelessness. We live just sitting in front of the television set giving him hours and hours, giving the devil time. I’m not going to condemn your TV set or your tapes you're bringing in but how can you watch video-tapes when they curse the name of Jesus and hates the Christ you are about to face. But how could we live focused on making money only? We have to make money, we have to live. God wants you to the best job you can find. God wants you to prosper and bless you. Yes! But these things are taking our hearts away from Him.
Years ago I was in Germany and I was ministering to a place in a certain city, and I was walking with the leaders of the church, groups that I was with. And theirs this beautiful church in a property, and it was in the middle of the day. There were some old cars, very old cars. There is a meeting going on inside and I turned to the leaders of this organization and I said, “You know my heart is leaping, there is something going on in that church, I can feel the tug of the holy spirit,” and they looked at me and said “that’s the discernment of the holy spirit”, these are Russians that have just immigrated to Germany and they are poor, they’ve been displaced, they came with nothing but salamis and they came with some of which is a few bags of clothes. They are in their seeking God. There’s a hunger and the spirit of the Lord is there. I knew it, though I wasn’t even in the building (in the prayer meeting), however the Holy Spirit is baring witness.
20 years later, and 2 years ago we were back my wife and I, same property, same church. It was surrounded with Mercedes’s and BMW’s, same people, same Russians. And I turn to the same leaders and I said, “What is this that I feel is (not spiritual). This lifelessness. They bowed their head and said "Brother Dave, those are the same people, and they got good jobs, they’re in business now, they are rich and (spiritually) “dead”. Is there any life because materialism suck their lives, they were not looking for the coming of Jesus now they were looking to make money. God love them. I’m not condemning them but there was no life, and I see that all over the world, where I travel.
I’m not trying to work you up; I’m not trying to play in your emotions those are not what the coming of Jesus is all about, that there has to be something in our hearts of honesty before the Lord. And when we, the Bible say that 'this servant said in his heart the Lord has delayed his coming, and he’s begun to eat and drink with the drunken.' (Matt.24:48~49) That doesn’t mean just alcohol, that’s the drunkenness of the spirit of this age, that’s the drunkenness of the materialism, the drunkenness of having time for everything and everybody but the Lord, becoming absolutely prayerless.
Lk.21:34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. NIV
Beloved, the church is not on its knees, theirs deadness in the churches. I told the pastors on our mailing list. We have I don’t know the total of between 500-600,000 people on our mailing list and I told this in the ministers conference that the complaint we hear from all the United States. I can’t find a church where there is life; I can’t find a church where I feel the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I know there are many churches, they have not found them but they have to search church after church. They are not church hoppers, they are hungry people, they are people that are yearning for a place where their young people, their teenagers can be moved and convicted for their sins and drawn to the Lord. They want to hear from the pastor’s stand that they know he’s been with the thrown of God. And he’s got a message from heaven and they want their hearts to burn and they want to be awaken, they want to be stirred in their hearts. And you see we can’t find it, pitiful letters of the searching trying to find it.
But I’m wondering how many, how many of those sitting in our churches now are not expecting Jesus to come.
I live expecting Him to come in any moment, I don’t care what theology says, I don’t care what anyone says. I just know what Jesus said, and let me just read it to you. “Wherefore beloved, seeing that we look for such things be diligent that you may be found in Him in peace without spot and blameless. Beloved seeing that you know these things and before, beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, they’re all in the walks, they’re also shall be burned up. Seeing then that all this things will be dissolved, what matter person aren’t you to be in all of Holy conversation and godliness."(2Peter3:10~14) Then you hear the Peter say, “The end of all things is at hand so be sober and watched and prayer”(1Peter4:7) Watch!..
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