₦airaland Forum

brain54:
I remember being chased...

And bitten by one dog on my way from school one day on my bum. I was a kid around 8 or so.

Mom quickly rushed me to the hospital to get anti rabies injection and treatment when she saw the bleeding injury.

We weren't sure if it was a bite or a scratch from the dog's paws. But I had to get the injection anyway to prevent rabies or Tatanus.


I avoided that street the rest of my school days. Even though it was the shortest route home.

Funny thing they was another dog adjacent the street that I normally would take to bypass this particular dog's street... That dog also usually chased the hell outta me when I passed his own street. So I had to take a completely different route which is very long home just to avoid the two suckers.

The second dog was quite old... It later died from age related factors .

Years later I went to the street I grew up in and just walked through going to our old house and just relived my growing up experience. It really brought back memories.

Just recently a customer I usually buy provisions from on my street- An elderly woman, told me her dog was 32 years old.

I had to respect that dog because I usually saw it looking frail and distant. Just sitting quietly on her porch in actively staring.

I used to think it was due to hunger and malnourishment. Never knew it was old age. I had a completely different view about the dog from then onwards. I had to respect it.

When I jokingly commented about it, her husband laughed and said the dog has "seen Alot" in life and so nothing moves it anymore.

I gave the dog a pat on the head. I never even knew dogs grew that old!

Dogs growing up to 32 years old are likely those imported from abroad.

I travelled to Sunderland, UK back in 2010 for a masters program and saw all kinds of strange dogs everyday I would go for my classes. There was one I saw one day that was so big that it reached my waist, and I'm quite tall. It just followed its master quietly wherever he led him to. That could have just been a specie that grew so big within maybe five years, or again, maybe 20 years. No one can tell. I do not really like most foreign dog breeds. My sister here in Nigeria has a small foreign dog. I can't exactly remember the specie, but it's all fluffy and doesn't grow too big. She carries her on her laps, climbs the bed sometimes, and does many strange things. But the weirdest thing I noticed is that when you pat its head, it turns upside down, expecting you to rub its stomach. And I'm like what? Ki le lei? Some foreign dogs, not all, but some are truly strange.

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5.

-- “Cease you from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for of what account is he?” Isaiah 2:22.

-- For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal. 1:10

-- In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11.

-- "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. Jeremiah 17:7.

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EXHORTATION
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I. WHAT IS MAN?
1. He is assuredly a very feeble and frail creature.
2. He is a dying creature. His breath is in his “nostrils.”
3. He is a very fickle creature.

Think of the days of Divine wrath and especially of the last dread day of Judgement—and of the dismay which will then seize upon many of the proud and the great! Are you going to make these your confidants? Are you going to give up Christ for the sake of the smile of these who will wail in terror when He comes? Is it so, that for the sake of some young man or woman who loves not God—and one day must quail before the coming Judge—you will let your Lord and Savior go? It is concerning such a temptation as this that the text thunders at you—“Cease you from man, whose breath is in his nostrils,” who will fear and fly and lose his breath in very dread at the appearing of the Lord. Cease to regard these as the fond objects of your love and trust, lest the curse of God should lie upon your soul throughout eternity!

II. WHAT IS TO BE OUR RELATION TO MAN?
1. First, cease to idolize him in your love.
2. Next, cease to idolize him in your trust.
3. Cease to idolize any man by giving him undue honor.
4. Cease from the fear of man.
5. Once more, cease from being worried about men.

Cease you from man because you have come to know the best of men, who is more than man, even the Lord Jesus Christ! And He has so fully become the beloved of your souls, that none can compare with Him. Rest in Christ as to your sins. Rest, also, in the great Father as to your Providential cares—why rest in men when He cares for you? Rest in the Holy Spirit as to your spiritual needs—why do you need to depend on man? Yes, throw yourself wholly and entirely upon the God All-Sufficient—El Shaddai, as Scripture calls Him—The Many-Breasted God, who is able to supply from Himself all the needs of His creatures. “O rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him,” and cease you from man!

III. WHY ARE WE TO CEASE FROM MAN?
1. Because he is nothing to be accounted of.
2. Begin by ceasing from yourselves.

Every man must cease from himself, first, and then he must cease from all men as his hope and his trust because neither ourselves nor others are worthy of such confidence. “For of what account is he?” If his breath is in his nostrils, see how short his life is—“Of what account is he?” If his breath is in his nostrils, see how weak he is—“Of what account is he?” If his breath is in his nostrils, see how
fickle he is—“Of what account is he?”

-- The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

-- How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

-- But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.

Bob Jennings was a pastor at Highway M Chapel in Sedalia, Missouri

You can find his sermons and articles here: https://illbehonest.com/author/bob-jennings

Wetin I wan talk for this one? I suppose most of us know our local hens, who usually run from the rooster that wants to mate her, but she is usually not successful. The rooster almost always wins at the end of the day. When this happens, the hen doesn't take offence. She goes about her day, looking for food.

However, as much as we may think nothing happened, usually she conceives and a few weeks later lays eggs, maybe 4-8, and somehow manages to sit on them until they hatch and behold! - the local hen becomes a mother.

They have a natural design by God to love their children with a love that cannot be described, choosing to lead them to where they will find food, until they are mature enough to hunt for themselves. You may think the local hen isn't dangerous. And you may be right. Probably when she is busy leading them to where they will find food. But if you try to attack or steal her chick, then be ready for a war that I'm sure you will never win. I don't care how fearless you are. Lol.

So please don't despise our local hens. God feeds them every day, even though they don't grow so big. Unfortunately, I don't know the kind of foods they prefer. If you give her rice, she may not eat. She may prefer to dig through sand until she sees an ant, or she may just like to enter the gutter with her chicks to see if there is any food there.

My only advice is don't try to get too close to her with any ulterior motive of stealing one of her chicks.

Thanks for reading.

Hello.

Did I take you aback with my subject? I guess I did.

Nigerian dogs are one of God's blessings to our country.

I remember when I was a child, just going on a random errand for my mum, when I passed two local male dogs and they just started chasing me as if I had stolen their food. I ran with all my strength until the dogs decided to back down and halt their chase.

That was many, many years ago in 3, Mohammed Akije Street, Ejigbo, where we lived at the time.

Our neighbour had a foreign bull dog, which would bark at any slight provocation, and I guess that was good too, but all these foreign security dogs, like German Shepherd, Rottweiler, and Bull dogs, are the exclusive preserve of the rich.

But back to our bingos.

The male local bingos are very dangerous at night. They do not like to sleep in cages and would prefer to roam around in the street until they are tired and rest at night, usually on the owner's gate or so. But they don't sleep oh. Any slight movement or strange creature, usually human, that they notice, they are at full alert, and will bark at you to make you afraid. If you don't use wisdom in dealing with them, all the residents around will wake up and think you are a thief.

Now, are they dangerous during the day? Yes and no, as long as you don't look for their trouble. I said yes because of the incident that happened to me as a child, and no, because as an adult who has lived in a local area that had local dogs patrolling during the day, just mind your business and you should be good.

Now, the female bingo will never attack you. She is either looking for food to feed her children, if she has, or just eating for herself. Most likely than not, if you move towards her during the day, she will run from you. Even at night, she will likely not attack you, unless of course you want to steal her children. It's the males that usually do.

So whener you see a local bingo during the day, please give them food if you can. They eat rice, eba, spag, mostly what we humans eat. They usually don't select food.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

progressb4andno:
What happened to OPAY, PALMPAY & MONIEPOINT

I have an OPAY account, but they bombard me with ads to place football bettings, which I do not do.

I just use them for un-important transactions.

Originakalokalo:
Please, I am a bit confused...Why is the bag of Rice 97,000 and why does it keep increasing?

What is the government doing to arrest this?

Are they aware?

Is this caused by greedy farmers? Low supply? Bad policies?

Rice apart, where is the import duty removal on food?

Why is food becoming a commodity so expensive that a common man cannot afford it?

Please if you have answers, kindly respond...

It's a calculated plot.

Don't think of buying a bag of rice, and your worries will be less.

Live one day at a time, as most common men do. The poor usually don't buy bags of rice. It's the rich who do, when they don't even know if they will live to see tomorrow.

A derica of rice is between 1200 to 1500 in most places.

Hello.

I wish to use this opportunity to warn members of the public to be careful with Access Bank Plc.

I had two accounts with them, one Premier Savings and the other HIDA (High Interest Deposit Account).

I placed two standing orders on the Premier Savings back on their old internet banking portal, which I thought was pretty decent.

However, they upgraded their internet banking platform in order to make it have the same features with their app, Access More, and things went haywire from there. I could no longer find the standing order option on the new internet banking platform, which I thought was important for every bank to have.

They replaced it with "scheduled transfers" and you cannot do a scheduled transfer to another account in another bank when you go totheir branch to do it physically. I requested to cancel the standing orders on my account, but they kept tossing me here and there.

So I decided to close both accounts and went to their Unilag branch to write a letter to that effect, for which they assured me that it'll be treated.

Do you know what they did?

They converted the HIDA account to a Premier Savings account, of which they had told me earlier that I cannot have two Premier Savings accounts when I requested to open another Premier Savings. How they did it must have been a "miracle" on their end since they cannot stay true to their word.

Finally, when I threatened to sue them, they closed the HIDA account, but they left the Premier Savings, the one with two standing orders that, according to them, cannot be removed.

Let me be watching them, but guys be careful.

Sadly, a lot of black market abokis in Sabo, Yaba, use them because of their apparent laxity. Now I'm scared to even go there to change dollar.

PulsingPurple:
Upgrading would definitely make it a bit faster.

But would the price of a 256gb SSD be worth the added speed?
I think NO.

Like you've also said, second gen too.

If it's in your power, you'll be better off with a replacement.

At least a 5th gen i5, 8gb RAM

I still use a Core2Duo with Windows 8.1 that is as solid as a rock.

inikamoze:
I have a HP Probook 5330m Laptop, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD 2nd-gen laptop, will upgrading to 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD make it faster?
Should I just look for money to swap the laptop and upgrade to a higher-spec laptop?

Pls advice

Yes, upgrading will increase the speed and storage since there will be more RAM memory to process applications, and the 256GB SSD will be more space to store more files.

I have a new Kingston 480GB SSD that is open box, but I don't exactly know where I kept it. It's in my room somewhere sha. I can give you for free.

I don't have a DDR3 for now, otherwise I could have given you that as well.

You can chat me on ----

inikamoze:
I want to make payments on AWS and Oracle Cloud websites and I need a very trusted virtual card I can apply for and get to use to make the payments.
I wanted to use Cardify but their chat support is poor and an email I sent to their support email has not been answered for hours now, how then can I trust them with my funds?

Please who knows of any reliable virtual card issuer I can use?

It's even hard to trust any of them.

I had a successful stint with Klasha, but one day their cards just stopped working and they no longer offer virtual card services.

A suggestion would be to go to GTBank and request to open a USD domiciliary account and a standalone Visa or Mastercard dollar card. The card is very secure and not directly linked to the USD domicilliary account. The card has its own account and you can transfer from your main USD Dom account to the card account the dollars you need per time. That way, if the card gets stolen, your Dom acct is still safe
The customer care will explain everything to you. Since they just upgraded their systems, that could be on hold for now, so give it a month or two.

EDIT: Look into Flutterwave Send App. I suppose this is what Klasha does too and anyone else who is genuine. You can send Naira from Nigeria to their bank accounts (AWS, Oracle) in the US. It's only these two I can suggest. You would have to ask for the bank accounts of AWS or Oracle for this to be possible.

However, if the payment is through the old-fashioned way of entering your credit card details, then you would have to get a USD Domiciliary account, with a debit card linked to it.

Funny enough, PayPal and Aliexpress and Netflix and YouTube (Premium or Music) and Spotify and on and on will reject all virtual cards you give them from Nigeria, because it seems the CBN has halted virtual card services due to fraud. Don't let all these companies decieve you.

You could try opening a Dom account in Access Bank as well, but proceed with caution. I and them have some issues that suggest they are not a good bank. I don't know if they can issue a Visa or MasterCard linked to the Dom account, but I suppose they can since they are a "bank". I've seen firsthand their dollar-confirmation process. And if you take fake dollars to them, they will find out. They have a strong system setup in place to detect fraudulent dollars, so probably visit their Branch and open a domiciliary account there, since GTB may not resume their own for a few weeks unless of course you're genuine and they could do it for you even tomorrow.

Then it's to negotiate with Abokis but beware and go with someone trusted because many Abokis are fraudsters and can give you fake dollars or do you "one-chance". Even the genuine ones may accidentally make a mistake, so it's always best you insist they follow you to the bank and wait for you while you deposit the dollars. If they are honest, they will. Don't pay them until the bank has accepted your dollars because a genuine note with a small, near-invisible tear will be rejected by both Access and GTbank.

Hope this helps.

If you need my help, just chat me up and we could do a Teams or Zoom call.

inikamoze:
I want to make payments on AWS and Oracle Cloud websites and I need a very trusted virtual card I can apply for and get to use to make the payments.
I wanted to use Cardify but their chat support is poor and an email I sent to their support email has not been answered for hours now, how then can I trust them with my funds?

Please who knows of any reliable virtual card issuer I can use?

Cardify is dangerous. Beware.

Anything that promotes promo codes is usually suspicious, no matter how high-sounding and "authentic" their video is.

Edit:

Cardtonic is also dangerous. They falsify reviews on Play store and promote betting.

Edied. Edited. Edited. Edied. Edited. Edited. Edied. Edited. Edited. Edied. Edited. Edited.

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Quelme:
Every sane person no this.

The US were just trying to play catch up on the Soviet during the space race. They had to fake the moon landing.

Same people who claim to have landed in the moon since 69, have being finding it difficult till date to replicate same fate.

Well said.

The topic I wish to discuss today may be a very controversial one, especially since there is apparent “pictorial evidence” of the said event and the present development and deployment of spacecrafts into “space” by several world powers.

I am no scientist, nor am I a man of great intellect and wisdom. However, I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I want the truth of my God to be known to the entire world.

In Genesis 1, which describes the beginning of creation, verses 14–18 say, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light (sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (moon) to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.”

Before proceeding, a cursory search of the moon on Google will yield results that the moon is not a light, that it is only a rock that reflects light from the sun, and that this rock formed through a collision with a “Mars-like body” billions of years ago.

This is a cleverly orchestrated lie, first because of the scripture above, and second because if you go out at night during a full moon, you can see it glowing and emitting its own light, while the sun is shining in other countries of the world.

Now, why certain men would come up with and continue to promote this lie is for very dark and evil reasons, just as is the same with evolution. They reject God’s plainly revealed truth in the Scriptures just because they hate Him, are proud of their devilish wisdom, and want to live autonomously without submitting to the Living God as their Creator. The inventors and proponents of this lie know, truly, that the moon is a light created by the Living God, and not a sun-reflecting rock that formed through a cosmic collision billions of years ago as they claim, yet they fabricate and brandish these lies because of their intent to deceive and because they know that if they accept God’s revealed truth, they cannot travel to and land on the moon.

God has revealed all the evidence of His existence and power in creation, as seen in its diverse beauty and complexity, however fallen man has chosen to vehemently reject all the evidence God has given, because of their pride and hatred of Him.

Back to the topic under discussion.

The Lord Jesus Christ said that no man has ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven (John 3:13). That means only Jesus Christ, when He finished His work on earth, was lifted up from the earth, passed through the clouds, and ascended into Heaven, where He presently reigns as King and Lord of all.

This statement alone from the Lord Jesus Christ, whose word is eternal, reveals that no man can or will ever be able to ascend outside the realm of the earth and sky. Yes, man can fly into the sky, but he cannot ascend out of the earth. This makes man’s claims of entering orbit to travel through “space” to get to the moon and other “planets” all lies, no matter what pictures or videos they fabricate with the intent to deceive.

Let’s take our knowledge of time zones and the observation of the sky through the human eye. If we take the macrocosm of the entire world at large in a given day, the sun rises from one end of the heaven and travels to the other end of the heaven, giving light upon every nation on earth, as it is written in Psalms 19:1–6:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shews his handywork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shews knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

Though it rises in the morning and sets in the evening in every country on earth, when it rises from one end of the heaven in any given day, it is always in the sky as God moves it to the other end of the heaven. The same sun that sets in your country around 6:30 pm, either through gradually fading out into disappearance or covered by clouds for the night (as can be observed through the human eye), it is still the same sun shining ever so brightly in other countries of the world at the very same time it sets in yours. This is a miracle that is inexplicable by human wisdom.

The same can be said of the moon. If we take the macrocosm of the entire world, for at least 26 days in a month, it is visible in the sky. The same time it comes out at night in your country, other regions with sunlight don’t see it. And when it appears to leave your country in the morning, the same moon moves to another region and gives them light for the night.

It then begs the question: Is the moon outside of the earth? No. Is the sun outside of the earth? No. Yes, the two lights are in the sky, but they are not outside of the earth. How certain men can claim otherwise and come up with high-sounding but false scientific theories they parade as facts, and continuously purport to travel outside of the earth into “space” and land on the moon, is beyond immoral. It is evil.

Man’s fascination with the heavenly realm and the heaven of heavens, including the sun, moon, and stars, has led him to do all in his power to go there; however, all their efforts to go there have been and will always be futile — even if they develop the most sophisticated “spacecrafts” — because God the Father, and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will never allow anyone to ascend beyond the earth or to land on heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon, or stars.

His promise, however, is that He will reveal Himself to those who believe in the gospel (John 14:21), which is simply that God the Father sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to save miserable, poor sinners who have no hope of ever saving themselves (Romans 1:18–32; 1 Corinth 1:18–29; Hebrews chapters 1 and 11).

The Lord Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Godhead, came down into the world as a man, lived the perfect life none of us could have lived, died on the Cross 2,000 years ago, bearing the penalty of sin for all those who would put their faith in Him, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, where He now commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and believe the gospel (Hebrews 12:25).

In conclusion, the race to “space” by the Soviet Union (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program), Europeans, Chinese, and the USA was a very bitter one, however it seems they are all in unison now, with NASA as their head to promote all the deception and falsehood that is sinking this entire world into darkness and bondage to the devil.

In 1969, it is acclaimed that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left this earth and landed on the moon, where they planted the US flag. It may be very difficult to disprove based on the fact that it is accepted as truth that cannot be faked by the superpowers of the world collectively, but I beg to differ. Man in his hatred of God can do anything with all his might to collectively hide the light of His truth.

Now, like I said, I am no intellectual giant. I would just want you all to carry out a few simple experiments. Go outside at night on a full moon and ask yourself how Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong could have landed on that bright shining light. Use the most powerful telescope in the world on a full moon, and ask yourself, “Where is the US flag on that bright shining light?” If you’re honest, you would say it’s not there.

Based on the eternal truths in the Word of the Living God, and an honest observation of the heavens (sky) through the human eye, all historical and present-day moon-landing claims and missions are all stage-managed and fabricated with one intent: to deceive the entire world.

The Bible says the lesser light (moon) was made for signs and seasons, and to give light at night upon the earth. And so it has been since the beginning of creation.

Thank you for reading.

Just as it was in the days of Noah, when God destroyed the entire earth with a flood (except for eight souls) because it was corrupt and violent, He warns this generation, as seen in 2 Peter 3:3-10, that those who reject His Son will suffer the same fate.

"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? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.' For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

...

...

In this sermon, Paul Washer deals with the Gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation.

The Gospel of Christ is a scandalous message that is missing in many pulpits in Nigeria today. Pastors have watered down the message of the offensive Cross and replaced it with man's inherent goodness, self-realization, works-based salvation, prosperity, and worldly success, thus leaving their members dead in their sins and without any hope of a Savior.

We have no right to water-down the Gospel’s offense or civilize its radical demands in order to make it more appealing to a fallen world or carnal church members. Our churches are filled with strategies to make them more seeker-friendly, by repackaging the Gospel, removing the stumbling block, and taking the edge off the blade so it might be more acceptable to carnal men.

The Gospel is not only scandalous, it’s unbelievable. I want you to know that. It is an unbelievable message. As we have argued, Paul’s flesh had every reason to be ashamed of the Gospel he preached, yet there is still another reason for fleshly shame; the Gospel is an absolutely unbelievable message, a ludicrous word to the wise of the world.

He was born under questionable circumstances to a poor family in one of the most despised regions of the Roman Empire, and yet the Gospel claimed that He was the eternal Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of a virgin. He was a carpenter by trade, an itinerant religious teacher with no official training, and yet the Gospel claims that He surpassed the combined wisdom of the Greek philosophers and the Roman sages of antiquity. He was poor and had no place to lay His head and yet the Gospel claims that for three years He fed thousands by word, healed every manner of illness among men, and even raised the dead!

He was crucified outside of Jerusalem as a blasphemer and an enemy of the state, and yet the Gospel claims that His death was the pivotal event in all of human history and the only means of salvation from sin and reconciliation to God. He was placed in a burial tomb yet the Gospel claims that on the third day He arose from the dead and presented Himself to many of His followers, and forty days later ascended up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high.

Thus the Gospel claims that a poor Jewish carpenter, who was rejected as a lunatic and a blasphemer by His own people, and crucified by the state, is now the Saviour of the world, the LORD of lords and the King of kings, and at His name every knee shall bow including Caesar’s. Do you have any idea how impossible it is for anyone in Paul’s time to believe this message? It is impossible!

To seek to remove the scandal from the message is to make void the Cross of Christ and its saving power. Through the foolishness of the Gospel, God has ordained to destroy the wisdom of the wise, frustrate the intelligence of the greatest minds, and humble the pride of all men.

1 Corinth 1:18-24.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Mwl2JU2Sk

Pastors who are neglecting the spiritual health and feeding of the true flock of God, to serve the unconverted church members what they want to hear, will pay on Judgement Day.

2 Peter 2:1-2, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7CGCXFp5Bs

You remember John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress? Christian, at one point in that story, goes to the house of the Interpreter. You may recall, the Interpreter takes him to a man who had a dream about judgment day. And as that man described judgment day, he said, “I dreamt.” And he said he dreamt that he heard this great sound of a trumpet, and there he saw a Man sitting upon a cloud attended with the thousands of heaven in flaming fire. He said also the heavens were in flaming fire. He said, “I sought to hide but I could not, for the Man that sat upon the cloud still kept His eye upon me. My sins also came into my mind and my conscience did accuse me on every side.” You know what is happening to a world full of people? They are not just innocent people. They are guilty sinners, who when opportunity was laid before them to surrender to His mercy, raised their fist and said, “I don’t want You.” Remember those citizens who would not have Him to rule over them? He said, “Slay them. Slay them all.” Oh they will want mercy then.

You have to recognize the Lamb of God, once His wrath is let loose against you and there is no hope, and that door is shut, that Lamb will become altogether a terror to you. Notice this: Luke 17:31, “On that day,” Let’s stop right there. What day are we talking about? Go back to verse 30, “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Make no mistake about what day we are talking about here in verse 31. “On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.” It may do us well to remember that when Christ is revealed, it will be just as it was in the days of Lot. Just as it was. You know, some people want to come along and say, “Well, people on their housetop not coming down to take their stuff away, is this really speaking about the Second Coming here? Because it’s not like men will even have a chance or an opportunity to do that on that day, will they?” Just make sure you see verse 30. “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

“On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house…” Let me tell you what Jesus is doing here. He is bringing the Second Coming home to how you live now. You’ll see this, but it’s evidenced by what is happening in the hearts of men when He comes. He immediately says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Now you have to remember, He is comparing His coming to what it was like in the day of Lot. He came in the day that Lot went out. Who did Lot go out with? With his wife and his two daughters. But his wife did not make it to the place of safety. Why not? She looked back. She was turned to a pillar of salt. Remember Lot’s wife. You say, “What does this have to do with the Second Coming? What does it have to do with it?” Brethren, there is going to be wailing, there is going to be tremendous fear, but at that very moment when He comes, something is going to happen in the hearts of men concerning their treasures, concerning what they are attached to.

Brethren, the loss, the loss. Do you recognize what that day is? It’s a loss; and the men and the women that are wailing are going to lose their lives. What is a life? A life is all you do. You see, they are going to exist forever. How come they are not rejoicing, “Oh, I am going to exist forever”? Because the life they had is going to be taken away from them. Oh! If you’re living your life where to depart and be with Christ is far better, it’s no loss. But when your heart is set on all the things here, the goods in the house, think, think. Moments before He comes, what’s it going to be like? I mean, if He came an hour from now, in the moments that led up to it, do you ever just drive down the road and look at all the people around you, and think about what they are thinking about? That’s what people are going to be thinking about, right in the moments before Christ comes.

“I bought a new 50-inch LED Television. My favorite show is going to come on, I am going to be able to watch it in High Definition on Thursday night.” Or they are driving along and they are thinking about, “I need to go to the gym, I am starting to get some flab here.” Or they are thinking about, “I really like that new song,” and it’s going through their heads and they are running the music through. Or they are thinking about what they are going to do next Friday. Or they are thinking about, “Is there enough food in the refrigerator?” Or, “My son graduates next year from high school, I really want him to become a doctor.”

You know, when Christ comes, it’s all over. It’s done. “But wait, Lord, I am in my 20s. I expected to live through my 20s and 30s and 40s, and I expected to get a wife and get a home, and live my job, this is too soon!” It’s just gone. Everything is gone. You see, we like to say, “Well, that’s my son; that’s my daughter. I hope to see them grow up and have grand kids.” They are not your children. They belong to Him and He can take them away when He wants. And the wicked, to them that have not, even what they seem to have is going to be stripped. Everything. What He is dealing with here is our hearts.

Brethren, if you’re walking through life and you’re attached, and you’re dug in, and you love the things here, and the cares of this world consume you, that’s bad. There is this hesitation. Can you imagine the moment He comes? Undoubtedly, this thing is going to sequentially play out. There is going to be a moment when He first appears. How it’s all been structured and how it all falls out, I don’t know. But obviously, it’s happening in a sequence of time. Things are happening. And the first impulse in some people’s hearts, “Protect, protect this. Go hide. Keep this life. This can’t be happening! This just messes up everything that I had my heart set on. Everything! My goods!” Can you imagine? The man on his housetop, and there he is. And the things that are going through your mind is, “Oh no! What’s happening? I got family Erlins downstairs. I got pictures, pictures when my grandchildren were babies.”

Listen, if you don’t think people will think like that, all you have to do is watch a person that is in the midst of losing their house to a fire. And suddenly where is their mind going? People lose their lives going back into fires to get stuff. You don’t think it will be the same way? It’s the same people with the same kind of hearts! And you know what? When your heart is set on, “Oh Lord, Lord come. I want you more than anything else.” I’ll tell you brethren, to see some, hopefully even many in this room, to have Him come; and there is not a moment’s hesitation, there is not a looking back like Lot’s wife, “Oh no.” You see, you look back and it’s like, “Oooh, there is something back there that I don’t want to let go of.”

Brethren, I can see many in this place. You’re running across the field, you’re not looking back. You’re reaching out, “Lord.” Scripture says we are going to be caught up, that’s the rapture. It says it’s coming and it’s not secret. We are going to be caught up, probably instantaneously. But if it wasn’t instantaneous, I can see some of us just running, we are running to Him, we are leaving it all behind. This is our hearts desire. This is what we’ve been hoping for. But oh brethren, you can see in verse 33, where your heart is, now, is going to be every bit evident of where your heart is going to be the moment He comes. “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” Our Lord can just so naturally move from His coming, right into the condition of our own hearts. Will we at the heart level be ready for His coming?

Brethren, this is not any dry, dusty doctrine for the bookshelf. The Second Coming of Christ is real. It has to do with us. Some few will be ready and the masses will not be. Are you ready? Well, are you seeking to preserve your life and your stuff now? Are you daily dying now? You know what that means? I daily am surrendering to what He wants for me, not what I want for me. My life is submitted to Him. I am His. To live is Christ. And if to die is gain, the coming of Christ is the same gain. And that’s how the Christian sees it. It is gain. Do you think of His coming and long for His coming? Folks, remember Lot’s wife. If your heart is like hers, it will not go well with you in that day. You see what Jesus is doing? He gave us the story of Lot, and He said My coming is going to be just like that. And by the way, lest you forget one of the aspects of that story, you better remember Lot’s wife because that figures into how Lot and what happened to him is going to be like My coming.

Notice this very quickly, those taken. Luke 17:34, “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken, the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” Verse 36, “Two men will be in the field. One will be taken, the other will be left.” You be honest. This portion of Scripture says nothing about a secret rapture. Nothing. You can see what this is talking about if you’re honest with the text. Nothing about a secret rapture. This has all been about the day in which the Son of Man is revealed. Can I tell you something? The same terminology is used over in Matthew 24. Do you know how Jesus goes forth from those words in Matthew 24? He goes forth telling us a parable about the wise and the foolish virgins. Five enter in and the door is shut; and five are left out. You want to know what being taken and being left is all about? That’s what He says. That’s what He tells us. We are going to look more at that in the weeks ahead.

You know what else He tells? He goes right on to tell another parable about servants. Two different kinds. You got the servants that were faithful, He says enter into the joy of the Lord. The one who is not faithful, He says throw them into outer darkness. You go right into the next. The Shepherd as He divides His sheep from the goats. The sheep, everlasting life. The goats, everlasting punishment. You want to know what it means to be taken? Remember what He is talking about? Noah is taken; put in the ark, the place of safety. Lot is taken from Sodom and Gomorrah to a place of safety. The wise virgins are taken behind the door into the banquet, a place of safety. Those good servants, away to the place of joy and safety. The sheep, taken to safety and eternal life.

This is no secret rapture folks. This is the day the Son of Man appears. And if you get left behind, there is no more chance. There is no 7-year tribulation to figure it out. It’s over, and you are undone. Luke 17:37, “They said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?'” You ask where all this is going to take place? He says “I’ll tell you where it’s going to take place. The things I am describing, I’ll tell you where they are all going to take place. They are going to take place everywhere there is a corpse.” That’s where it’s going to happen. What are these birds, these vultures? They tear the dead to shreds. You know where it’s going to happen? It’s going to happen wherever you have the dead who know nothing about the life of God in the soul of man. You can look at these vultures as the vultures of God’s judgment. I think that very clearly squares with that interpretation. “Where, you ask, are these going to happen?” Just ask yourself where the corpse of the dead humanity, devoid of the life of God. It’s the whole world. It’s the whole lost world. They are not taken. They are left. They are left to be eaten by God’s vultures of judgment.

Brethren, spectacular will be the vengeance, and it says the children of God are going to marvel. They are going to marvel at all of this unfolding. But it is going to be terrible. An awful day when God smites His enemies. Fearful. Glorious. Certain. It’s coming. We are 7 days closer than a week ago when we met and talked about these things. We are closer to that last day. It is coming, brethren, it is coming.

Father, I pray that these folks would be most ready for that day, living in anticipation, without being carried away by the cares of this world, that they would not be found to be Lot’s wife. You would have us to carry out and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Lord, I pray that you would work a real fear and trembling in the hearts of Your people. You are a fearful, fearful God; but glorious and good; saving. Oh, we thank You that You have not just consigned us to wrath, but You have sent us a Savior, a way of deliverance. Thank You, thank You, thank You. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Notice what He says in verse 23, “They will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!'” He says, “Do not go out and follow them.” Why not, what if it is Christ? He says it won’t be. It won’t be Me. Verse 24, “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day.” Now I just want you to stop at those last two words. What does “His day” mean? What is the day of the Son of Man? And again, I would take you back to verse 30. We know what our Lord has in mind: “So will it be on the day”. That is His day. The day when the Son of Man is apokalupto (revealed). That which is veiled is no longer veiled. His day is the day when the Son of Man comes again. He is revealed.

What does this imply? It implies that He is not revealed right now, and that goes hand in hand with what He is expecting. You guys are going to get in difficult times; there is going to be persecution. You guys are going to find yourselves in prison. You guys are going to find this world is not a nice place. Wars and rumors of wars, and affliction. Those who put you to death are going to think that they are doing God a favor. That is what you have to look forward to. It is going to be difficult. Remember He said this to them? He said, “I am telling you these things so that you don’t fall away.”

That’s why He is telling them these things because He is saying, “Look, there is going to come some days, He told them concerning fasting, they don’t fast now, the bridegroom is with them. The day is coming, the bridegroom is going to be taken away, they are going to fast. Those are hard days. There is sorrow, there is longing, there is difficulty. You are going to long for those days. Brethren, if we are living the Christian life right, we ought to be longing for Christ’s coming; longing to see Him; longing to escape. This is what His day [implies]. He is not revealed now, He is out of sight now but He is coming again.

Remember the two angels? When Jesus Christ ascended, His disciples were standing there, they’re watching Him go, He disappears into the clouds, two angels appear right there. They say in Acts chapter 1 verse 9, “As they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.'” You know why it is foolish; it is absolute foolishness to believe when anybody tells you that Jesus Christ has already come? Why is it so foolish? Because when He does come, there is not going to be any doubt in anybody’s mind that it is happening. That is why it’s foolish.

Listen, if there is any kind of event that takes place in this world that you actually have to sit there and contemplate “hmmn, I wonder if He has come,” you can be certain He hasn’t. That is what He is saying here. He says when He comes, it’s not going to be a matter that anybody has to sit down and do calculations or try to figure out. Nobody is going to have to say, “He’s over there!” It is going to be such an event that is going to take place, it is going to be so radical, it is going to be so bright. If you have to analyze whether He’s come or not, He hasn’t. Lightning, brethren, fills the whole sky. It’s like lightning flashing from one end to the other. Everyone knows it, everyone sees it. And so it’s going to be when the Son of Man is revealed. I want you to see this. There is nothing secret about this. It is like lightning that flashes, not secret.

You see, there is this very prevalent idea today that Jesus Christ is coming twice. Or, that His one coming can be broken up into two: the secret coming where He raptures the church, and 7 years later, this open coming where He defeats the Antichrist. Brethren, I’ll just tell you this, and you have to be honest. From this, there’s nothing about a secret coming. This coming right here is open, it’s apparent. Nothing about a two-part coming. There is one coming, very visible; precisely what John tells us. Listen to this: Revelation chapter 1 verse 7, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds.” This is just what the angels told the disciples, there in Acts chapter 1. “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.” You see how public it is? This thing is public, it is spectacular, and it is terrifying. Every eye will see Him. There will be no doubt. You don’t have to wonder, “Oh I wonder if it’s happening.” Every eye will see Him. It’s like the lightning. It’s greater than the lightning. You can imagine lightning flashing.

You know what? It’s the kind of thing that is instantaneous. You think about a bolt of lightning striking at midnight; black sky. A bolt of lightning could strike way over here on this horizon, and you would see it flash at night, probably in the day too. You can see the flash. Lightning is brilliant. It’s instantaneous. And the thing about it, well there are other things that happen instantaneously, maybe an earthquake happens instantaneously; a volcano erupts. But He is speaking about something every single one of us in this room are familiar with. We have all experienced lightning at night. Lightning, at all, we’ve experienced it. It registers with us. If we are all in here at night and a bolt of lightning strikes out there, you know what happened. Every eye is going to see it. You will know when it is happening.

Notice this, just listen to me. John says, “Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.” You know, as a young believer, I wondered at that verse. You get saved and you think, “I want to see the Lord. I have an expectation of seeing the Lord.” And then you read right here, “All the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him.” Do you know what most men [think]? Oh I am sure. You talk to people on the streets, you come with us when we evangelize, you get a real clear picture about what people think. Almost every single person we speak with expects to be received by Jesus Christ. But the picture that our Bible portrays is a world full of wailing. I want you to imagine this. I want you to think about this. At the moment Jesus is revealed, think about what happens. That instantaneous moment. Every eye sees Him. Do you recognize what happens? How many ever billions of people are alive at that moment in time, something is happening to every one of them at the same instant. You know what is happening? You know what is happening. You know exactly.

We are talking people just like us. They have thoughts, they have hearts. A moment before, they were just living their lives. They had hopes, they had ambitions, they were going somewhere. Driving down the road; walking across the kitchen. Responsibilities, lives, hopes. Can you see it? Multitudes upon multitudes, at the very same instant, they are hit with “I am not ready. It is all over. This is not good.” I mean, it is happening to a world full of people spontaneously at the same moment. “I am undone.” Brethren, why would John describe a whole world of wailing? Because, by and large, that is representative. It is only this little flock, just little flock, (the ones who, right now, are counted as fools and fanatics, who loved Christ more than life itself,) who will be the exception. This silly, little, stupid bunch of nobody’s always reading their Bibles and talking about getting saved, who are going to marvel at His coming. Their shame will be turned to joy and gladness.

He says this, Luke 17:25, “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” You see, Jesus needs to say this. Why? Because just like we saw, the Pharisees, “You’re going to set up your kingdom now?” His disciples over in Luke 19, “Lord, is it at this time?” Remember even there when He is getting taken up in Acts chapter 1, “Okay Lord, is it this time? We thought it was when we were headed to Jerusalem but it didn’t happen then. Is it now?” You see, it is the same question over and over. Jesus is trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together for these guys. You notice: “First I must suffer.” They could not yet conceive of the cross. They fully expected Jesus to just come set up His earthly kingdom. But Jesus as He is speaking about His coming in glory, He is careful to mention first His humiliation, His suffering, His sorrow, which must precede His exaltation. Why? So that they don’t fall away. For the sake of their faith. Wasn’t it that way? Two on the road to Emmaus, “We thought it was going to be him. All disappointment now.” What He is doing is He is telling them; He is seeking to teach them so that His disciples wouldn’t be weakened by false expectations and misunderstandings. “Guys, I’ve got to suffer first.”

Now notice this. Two examples. Our Lord is going to give us two Old Testament judgments. Real historical judgments that He is going to liken His Second Coming to. You have to remember this. Whatever glory there may be; how much we ever may marvel, (and there may be a time for worship among us believers,) you have to recognize it is a time of judgment. And when He wants to go back into the Old Testament and pull up two stories that resemble His coming, both are stories of judgment. This should shake us because of what stories they are. They are the two most devastating Old Testament examples of judgment found in our Bibles.

Let’s read Luke 17:26, “Just as it was…” Brethren, I hope you catch those words. He’s not saying, “Well, when I come, it’s going to just basically be a celebration. Yes, there will be a little bit of judgment going on, and a few wicked people cast away.” No. He says, “Just the way it was in the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Just as it was, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came – and notice this – and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot— they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all.” Same words: destroyed them all. Verse 30, “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” It is going to be a day for wailing. When those judgment rains began to fall, you can imagine as those waters rose, the people wailed. I don’t know if anybody was even given a chance to wail in Sodom and Gomorrah. Not in this world. They are wailing now. They were wailing moments afterwards in the place they were.

Two things. Two things I would have us notice about these two stories. True stories. Historical accounts that Jesus likens His own revealing to. One is: I mentioned that God destroys them all. Do you feel the weight of this? I mean, think about it. Of all the stories that He could have brought, He brings one, the first one, eight souls were spared. All the rest died. The second story, four souls escaped Sodom and Gomorrah. All the rest were burned alive. He says in verse 30, “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Just as it was in Noah’s day and in Lot’s day, so will it be. Our Lord said, “Few there be that find it.” Did He not? Our Lord also said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith in the earth?” Oh it is going to be a terrible day. Terrible day. That was the first thing, God destroys them all.

Notice the second thing about these two stories: The unexpectedness. That ought to jump out at you. Just look! Look what He wants us to see. It’s not like you even go back into the Old Testament and find that these things were ever spoken about. These are things Jesus knows were true that He wants you to know were true. These are not things you go back to the Old Testament in the book of Genesis and read about. These are things that Jesus knew were taking place that are so much a parallel to when He comes. Just normal life. Just doing what you always do: eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building, life as usual. It happens when you don’t think it will happen. Notice both in the example of Noah and the example of Lot, they are just going along. And then what He says. He says they are just going along; eating, drinking, marrying, given in marriage, until the day. There’s always a day. There’s the day Noah went into the ark. Or how about with Lot? What’s happening? Eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, but on the day when Lot went out of Sodom. In verse 30, “So will it be on the day…”

Just going along. Most men get caught unaware. Just engaged in other things. They are not expecting this. I mean, look, think about how life is. We just had a wedding yesterday. You folks have plans. Buying and selling. You know, put it right where you live. “Yeah, I’ve got to go to the store.” Or, “this is theology, that’s kind of where I live.” This Book has to do with where we live. You’re going to go to the store. Some of you ladies probably would have thought today, “I’ve got to go to Walmart. I’ve got to go to HEB. I’ve got to go to Costco. I’ve got to go to Sam’s.” Buying and selling. That’s what they are doing, just buying and selling. Marrying and given in marriage; we had a marriage yesterday. David was talking about marriage. Marriage sanctifying or not being married can be sanctifying. Some of you are married, you’re thinking about your marriage. Some of you are not married, you want to be married. This is life. This is just the normal things.

Planting. Well, we don’t do much planting, we go get our food somewhere. Building. It’s just the stuff of life. People thinking of making trip to the store. Business ventures; plans for a new house. Just life as usual, and it’s going to be exactly like this on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Suddenly like a flash of lightning, there it is! And the King in all His glory, Scripture says, He is coming with His angels in flaming fire, and He is going to carry out vengeance on His enemies. And when you figure that by and large, the vast majority of this world is going to be at enmity against Him, even people, Jesus said many religious people are going to say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, we were there. We were in the church and we were doing many mighty works and prophesying and casting out demons. We were the religious folks. We were the ones saying Lord, Lord. We were there. We were singing the songs.” “I never knew you.” And they are going to know. They are going to know the moment that they see Him. They are not ready. He is going to bring vengeance against those who obeyed not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ll tell you what, men’s hearts are going to fail. That’s where the wail comes from. Imagine it. Imagine whatever it is, 10 billion, 15 billion people, or whatever it is, alive on the earth at that time. The vast majority, their hearts will fail in the same moment. It’s all over. It’s all over. My friend, men may count you a fool for following Christ now. Not in that day, they will not. In our day, men’s lips are quick. They are quick to call us whatever they want to call us – “radicals, fanatics.” They want to mock, they want to say their things, they want to ridicule, they want to slander. In that day, no tongue will wag against God’s people. The richest, the most powerful people in this world, will trade everything to be one of the followers of the Lamb. Everything! But it’s too late. The door is shut. Their time of opportunity is gone. Oh, what fools! They were offered a Savior, not like the demons who had no chance. They were offered a Savior, and they said, “Nope.” Oh brethren, we go to people’s doors, you know it, “This Book, it was just written by men. It’s a mirage. It’s a myth. The Bible is just a bunch of stories.” It will not be that. It will be all too real.

Transcript

Luke chapter 17 verse 20. We are in the midst of an ongoing study concerning eschatology — the study of end times. The end of what? End times; the end in relationship to what? Eternity is going to go on forever. Eternity has no end. Why do we talk about the end when there really is no end? Well, there is an end of something. Even though we are all going to exist forever; there are those things that are eternal; there are those things that are everlasting. There are also those things that come to an end. When we speak about end times, we are speaking about something that has closure.

The Bible speaks about the end, the end of the ages, the end of the age. Scripture speaks about the last days and even the last day – singular. There is an end of time. There is an end of this world. Peter tells us very plainly. 2 Peter 3:7, “The heavens and the earth that now exist are stored up for fire.” That’s what we are talking about. We are talking about this world; these heavens and this earth, as we know them now, they are destined for fire. This is all going to come to an end. This is going to be destroyed. The world we see now, has an end. That’s what we are talking about. End times – we’re talking about as we move towards that closure of this age, this world. That’s what we have in mind.

Today and Lord willing in the weeks ahead, we’re going to examine, just like we find right here in Luke chapter 17, we’re going to examine various places in Scripture. In the beginning, not Daniel, not Revelation, not Ezekiel. Again, what I’ve wanted us to do all along, we are going to look at some of the plain teaching. I want to stick to the Gospels for a number of weeks. I want us to see what Jesus said over and over and over again, before we launch off into the craziness of Revelation. I want you to see what comes from Scripture.

Brethren, what we need to strive to do is this: Look at Scripture and exegete it. We need to have the Word speak to us. You know what the problem is? You have too many people that fly off to Daniel and to Revelation. They have been indoctrinated by a system, led to believe certain things, and now they can’t read any of their Bible without reading those things into it. That is not a proper way to approach the Scriptures with you already having assumptions about what it means before you ever get there.

The proper way to approach Scripture is to go to Scripture, let it speak to you, and say, “Does my system fit with that?” And if it doesn’t, what do you do with the system? You throw the Bible out the backdoor and say, “I’m holding to that system nevertheless”? Brethren, that is the easy way to end up going down a path you don’t want to go down. That is a dangerous path. Let’s let Scripture speak to us. And today, it’s going to be out of Luke 17. Now, just for starters here, I want to hit you with this, time and again in the weeks ahead, because I just want you to get a basic framework in your head about what we are talking about.

Premillennial dispensationalism holds to an eschatology, a view of end times, we’re talking about ‘Left Behind’. Most of the fundamentalist churches in this country, John Hagee touts this stuff, John MacArthur. We’re talking about guys, believers, fellowship right up here on the north side of our own city. This is the eschatology they hold to. Let me tell you the timeline; just a basic timeline. Here we are now. Next major event in God’s timeline is what? The rapture. That’s what they are looking for next. Followed by seven years of tribulation, at which time the notorious Antichrist is going to take power. At the end of that seven years of tribulation, Jesus Christ is going to come. The battle of Armageddon; the defeat of the Antichrist; Satan bound. Now a thousand, literal thousand years is ushered in, at the end of which time is a rebellion: Gog and Magog. Devil is defeated, thrown in the lake of fire, the wicked are judged. Now we enter into the eternal realm.

That is a basic timeline. Look, anytime you try to summarize a system, somebody is going to say, “Yeah, but I know so and so who believe such and such.” Yeah I know. This is the basic timeline associated with dispensational premillennialism. I know there is a historic premillennialism, but this dispensationalism is what I really want to go after. Over against what? What I believe the Scriptures teach is: We are in this age. The eternal age is coming. The only thing that separates us is the coming of Christ. All the dead are raised, all are judged, and the eternal kingdom is ushered in. That’s what I believe Scripture says.

What I want you to all do is as we examine Christ’s teaching on these matters, today and in the weeks ahead, I want you to be honest. Honest, not with what your system has taught you, but I want you to be honest with what you read. I am not saying it’s all easy. There are some things I don’t know if I am ever going to figure out in this lifetime. I am striving to. Those places that are really difficult are not the places we want to start. We want to start in the places that are not that difficult.

So, my question is this: Does Luke 17 verse 20 and following indicate a timeline like the dispensationalists hold to or like the one I just described? This age, the age to come, separated by Christ’s coming, the resurrection of the dead, a general judgment, and the ushering in of the new heaven and the new earth. New heavens – plural, and new earth.

Well, let’s read. Luke 17 verse 20, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” KJV, NKJV says within. Now, there’s no difference in the Greek behind different translations here. It can be translated either way. The kingdom of God is in the midst of you or is within you. Both readings are correct.

“He said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot — they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all — so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away. Likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken, the other left. There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken, the other left.” Verse 36 found is some manuscripts, not in others, reads this way, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken, the other will be left.” That is definitely found in Matthew’s Gospel. There’s no debate about it being found there. “They said to him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.'”

Now I just want you to notice verse 30: “So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” That word ‘revealed.’ Sometimes we speak about the Apocalypse. That word ‘revealed.’ That’s it. Apokalupto. That’s where we get the Apocalypse from. The Son of Man is revealed. There’s no question about the meaning of that word. It has to do with making something visible; uncovering. It carries the idea to lay open what has been veiled or covered up. There’s something that is hidden right now; it is going to be revealed. Christ, the Son of Man is going to be revealed. That is what is being spoken about here.

Brethren, we live between two comings of Christ. He came the first time incarnate; robed Himself with humanity. He came into this world to live under the Law. He came into this world to give His life a ransom for many. And He has been taken up. And He is seated at the right hand of the Father. But He is coming again. He is going to be revealed. The faith of the New Testament Church is dominated by this expectation. He came once, He has been taken up – passed through the heavens, ascended, seated at the right hand of majesty where He reigns now. And He will reign until all of His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. And He will come. He will come. That is our expectation.

But now here is the thing. Before we dive into the Second Coming, I want you to see something. Notice verse 20, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come.” Now notice this: you have Pharisees. The Pharisees were by and large not friends of our Lord Jesus Christ. By and large, they did not believe He was the Messiah. But they have a question. Why would they ask Jesus about the coming of the kingdom when they don’t even believe He’s the Messiah? Why take your theological questions to somebody you believe is an imposter? Well, precisely for that reason. Because you do believe He’s an imposter. By your question, you’re trying to expose Him. That’s what they were constantly doing with their questions.

But notice: “When is the kingdom of God coming?” He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!'” — concerning the kingdom. Nobody is going to be able to say, “Look, there it is, being established right over there.” That’s what He says. Nobody is going to say that. Why? Because it is not going to be established that way. “For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (or is within you).” Jesus came and said, “Repent.” He claimed that the kingdom of God had come. From the days of John the Baptist until now, you know what? The kingdom of heaven is taken by violence. You press into it. Unless you become as little children, you don’t enter. Unless you are born again, you don’t enter. Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Brethren, let me tell you: The kingdom is not in food and drink. The kingdom is spiritual. The kingdom has to do with righteousness. You see, when we speak about the kingdom, we are speaking about the realm where a king rules. He rules in men’s hearts. When you submit to Christ, that is where somebody is entering the kingdom. That is what the kingdom is all about. Brethren, most of these Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but you know what? He claimed to be. He said He is. You know what they had an idea about the kingdom? “It’s going to be here, it’s going to be observable, it’s going to be recognizable.” They put Messiah together with a physical, earthly kingdom. And so they said, “You are claiming to be the Messiah, where is your kingdom?” They didn’t believe He was. And this was only confirming to them He wasn’t. Because they expected when Messiah came, He’s going to set up a kingdom. His own disciples believed that. But you know what? We are right to connect Messiah and kingdom, only not in the way they imagined. They thought the coming Messiah meant a physical kingdom on this earth.

In effect, they are saying, “You say you are the Messiah, where is your kingdom?” And you know what? We can tell, by the way our Lord answers their question, that the Pharisees did in fact expect an earthly kingdom. I mean, see how He corrects their thinking: “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed.” You see, obviously these guys are saying, “Where is it?” Well, for Jesus to answer this way and say, “Not in ways that are observed. You’re never going to say ‘Look here it is’ or ‘There.'” Well, you answer this way only if when this is precisely what the Pharisees expected, but when what they expected is a wrong expectation. He is correcting them, “Guys, it’s not like you think. It’s not observable.”

Let me ask you a question, if we are just going to be honest with Scripture. Just honest. Does it sound to you like Jesus is saying, “The kingdom of God is coming in a way that is observable, only after the rapture and after the 7-year tribulation”? Let us be honest. Our Lord interacted with Pilate, you remember that? Pilate, “Are you the King of Israel?” “You say that I am.” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Oh brethren, the kingdom is going to be most observable, but not in this world. His kingdom is not of this world. Nobody here is going to be able to say “It’s over there, It’s over there, it’s observable.”

I said to a dispensational friend of mine. I said, “Brother, Jesus Christ said His kingdom is not of this world.” He said, “Not yet.” You know what the dispensational guys want to tell you? “We are the ones who literally interpret Scripture.” My dispensational friends, would you please literally interpret this: Not observable. Not of this world. I just want us to be honest with Scripture. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Can I tell you this: Our Lord Jesus Christ NEVER, NEVER gave even a single indication that His kingdom would ever be physically set up in this world. Ever. You cannot find it. You have to read it into His words if you are going to come to that conclusion. He never said so. Jesus Christ reigns in men’s hearts.

Brethren, just very quickly before I leave this subject, turn over a page or two in your Bibles to Luke 19. I want you to see something. This was an ongoing issue about His kingdom. Now notice this: Verse 11 of Luke 19, “As they heard these things, He proceeded to tell a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem, and because – notice this – they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.” That’s what everybody, that’s what the Pharisees expected. They expected the Messiah to come in, set up an earthly kingdom, sit Himself back on David’s throne, and take care of all their enemies. That is what they expected. “Is it here now Lord, are you going to set it up now?” You see they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.

Does our Lord say that it is going to appear immediately or anywhere in this world? Notice how He answers. “He said therefore,” Notice in verse 11, He proceeded to tell a parable. Now let’s look at the parable, verse 12: “He said therefore, ‘A nobleman went into a far country.'” Let me just tell you right off, you can look at this more in depth later, the nobleman is Christ. The far country is Him going to heaven. This is a parable. There is a nobleman that represents Christ. He goes into a far country, which means He goes away. He ascended up to His Father. Notice this: It is while He is far away that He receives the kingdom. Brethren make no mistake about that. The kingdom is being received by Christ now. His enemies are being put down now. Every time a sinner falls in repentance before Christ, there is an enemy subdued. And every time one of the wicked dies, there is an enemy subdued. His enemies are being put down now. He went. When He is far away, He is getting for Himself a kingdom. Make sure you see that. That’s all the more I want to do with that right now. If you doubt what I am saying that that has to do with Christ, or that has to do with Him ascending and going away for now, you can look further at that later. I don’t want to spend a lot of time.

But notice this: “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom and then return.” You see, when He comes and returns, it is not to set up a kingdom here. He has already got the kingdom. It is at that point He ushers in eternity. It is at that point the new Jerusalem comes down. The place of His reign is a new heavens and a new earth. But notice that. Because I am going to make a case later on that this thousand-year kingdom of Revelation is now. You see, He is getting the kingdom for Himself now. The kingdom has come now. Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand (Now). It is not a physical kingdom in this world, nor will it ever be a kingdom that is going to be established in this world. This world is going to be destroyed, and then that kingdom is going to be brought here that He has earned and established.

Anyway, back to Luke 17. The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed. I think you all have to admit that just based on those texts, to come up with a thousand-year kingdom in this world before the end of this world, is not found there. You have to put it there. You have to come up with it from somewhere else and bring it here. It’s not here. What Jesus says is, it’s not observable. Okay, let’s keep going. Verse 22, “And He said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.'” What Jesus is anticipating is that His disciples are going to yearn for His presence. Don’t any of you ever find yourself longing for that? He recognized that such days were coming. Such days of sin, rampant wickedness, hardship, affliction, persecution. What do they want? They want His help, they want His presence.

Days are going to come when you want to see one of the days of the Son of Man. That means you want Him there. You want Him with you. He has gone. You want one of the days when He was here with you; or to jump forward to one of the days when He is going to be back with you. You want a deliverer. You want the help. In such times of difficulty, you know what’s going to happen? You’re going to have deceivers jump up and cater to people who are looking for help or for deliverance. In such times, Jesus predicts that men are going to rise pretending to be the messiah. And so, Jesus takes this occasion to caution His disciples against being led astray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPLpNkxmhnA

PDF & MP3 Audio: https://illbehonest.com/the-second-coming-of-jesus-christ-part-5

Series: https://illbehonest.com/series/eschatology-a-study-of-the-end-times

This sermon by Tim Conway presents a detailed study of Luke 17:20-37, focusing on Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God and the end times, or eschatology.

Firstly, Tim critiques the dispensational premillennialism—commonly known as the “Left Behind” viewpoint—and contrasts it with a biblical understanding centered on Jesus’ own words in the Gospels, particularly Luke. He highlights Jesus’ correction of the Pharisees’ misconception that the Messiah’s kingdom would be an immediate, visible, earthly dominion. Tim goes on to explain that the kingdom of God is not a physical, earthly kingdom observable by human eyes during this present age, but a spiritual reign “within” or “in the midst” of believers.

This sermon also explains that the second coming of Christ will be unmistakably visible and public, like lightning flashing across the sky, not secret or hidden as dispensationalism claims with its concept of a secret rapture. His second coming will be a day of judgment, likened to the days of Noah’s flood and God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—sudden, catastrophic, and marked by widespread destruction and loss for the ungodly.

Tim exhorts listeners to be honest with Scripture rather than pre-imposing theological systems on it. He underscores the necessity for believers to live in readiness, detachment from worldly goods (remembering Lot’s wife’s fate), and expectation for Christ’s return. The teaching points out that on the day of the Son of Man’s revelation, some will be “taken” to salvation (as Noah and Lot were saved), while others will be “left” to judgment. This event will be public, definitive, and irreversible, with no secret rapture or second chance.

Ultimately, the message calls for a sober, reverent anticipation of Christ’s return, recognizing it as a day of both glory for the faithful and fearful judgment for the unrepentant.

Highlights

1. Christ’s second coming will be visible and public like lightning flashing across the sky, not secret or hidden.
2. The day of the Son of Man’s revelation will bring sudden judgment, likened to the days of Noah’s flood and God's destruction of Sodom—unexpected and devastating. The present heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire, signaling a definitive end to this world.
3. At Christ’s coming, some will be taken to salvation, others left to judgment; no second chance or secret rapture.

This comprehensive study of Luke 17 offers a biblically grounded, sober, and spiritually rich perspective on the kingdom of God and the last days, challenging popular but unbiblical end-times theories and calling believers to a true understanding rooted in the teachings of Jesus Himself.

Now look at this. It says also that He created thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities. This becomes so clear in the book of Psalms 2. The nations rage like wild animals against God. We can see that every day in our world. It seems that every law that is passed in my country is against the law of God. That men work with all their might to fight against the only One who is true. That everyone does what is right in their own eyes. But the Bible says that God in Heaven laughs. Not simply does He laugh, but He mocks, because God says He has set His King on His holy hill, and no one can change that. And then He advises the greatest men on the planet to kiss the Son; to be reconciled to the Son; to worship the Son. This is what Jesus demands of the world. This is what God demands of the world.

You say, “What right does He have?”

It’s His world. Abraham Kuyper said this a long time ago: “When Jesus Christ returns, He will stretch forth His hand upon the world. And He will say, ‘Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! It was made by Me, and it was made for Me.'” And seated upon His throne, God Himself will see to it that every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. He goes on and he says, “All things have been created through Him and for Him.” This is a powerful summary of what the Apostle Paul has been saying. Everything is about Christ. Absolutely everything.

Now let’s look for a moment, “It was created through Him.” We’ve already talked about this, but let’s talk about it again. Do you realize your absolute dependence upon Christ? Do you realize that the man who calls himself an atheist, and who clenches his fist and shakes it at God, and curses His name with great blasphemy, he can only do so by the power of the very God he curses? And if that God were to take away his life, he would not exist for one tick of the clock. All things were created through Him, and all things were created for Him.

Now again, look for a moment at the mind of God. Let’s say that God is seated in one chair, and you are seated beside Him in another. And all of creation were standing around you, listening. And a great angel walks up to both of you and asks this question to God: “Dear God, what is the reason behind absolutely everything you do?” And God says this: “My Son Jesus Christ. Everything I have ever done, I have done for Him. Everything I will ever do, I will do for Him. For Me, He is absolutely everything. And apart from Him, there is nothing. And if anyone, angelic or human, wants anything to do with Me, they must feel the same way about My Son.” As you hear this answer, you begin to tremble. And then the question is given you: “What is the reason behind everything you’ve ever done?” And you say, “Me. I am the reason.”

Now let me give you something of philosophy here. A rational creature will always have a reason for the thing that they are doing. They will always have an end or a purpose for what they are doing. And it is assumed that a reasonal creature will always choose the greatest end or the greatest purpose for what they’re doing. So what is God’s highest purpose for everything He’s done? What is God’s great good? His Son—whose glory is incomprehensible and whose worth is infinite. And then you, your reason, the thing you’ve lived for, has been you. A speck of dust floating down on a map of the world. Or even worse, you’ve degraded yourself. You don’t even live for you anymore. You live for work. You live for money. You live for your own beauty. You live for the reputation and opinion of others. And then what is most pitiful, you lived to gather things. You gave more time to thinking about the shoes you buy, and the car you drive, and the way your hair is prepared, than you do the Son of God. Tell me that’s not insanity. It is the greatest of all contradictions.

Now it says here that all things were created through Him and for Him. I wish that the Lord, at this moment, would expand my heart. I wish He would increase my intellect. I don’t want to leave this phrase “for Him”. I want to prove to you that if you do not live for Him, you are absolutely, completely insane. 1 John says that this world is passing away. Another way to interpret the Greek there is that it’s being pushed out. Like a huge tractor pushing everything of this world over a cliff. And only the man who does the will of God will remain forever. Are you that man? Do you have the mind of God? Do you see reality the way He sees it? Christ is most precious to Him. Is He most precious to you?

Now we go on. It says in verse 17, “He is before all things.” The primary idea here is His eternity. His eternity. He is not only the Son of God, He is God the Son. Before the mountains were formed, He was there. Before the valleys were cut through the ground, He was there. It was all done by His hand. He is from everlasting to everlasting. When the mountains were born, He had been from everlasting. And when the mountains have eroded to nothing, He will still be toward everlasting. He did not begin with the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary, but He has always been. And know this: He has always been God’s delight. I hear people say sometimes to their children, when their children ask, “Mommy, daddy, why did God make me?” And parents will often say, “Well, He made you because He was lonely.” Know this, that is blasphemy. God has never been lonely. He has always existed in perfect delight. He has never had a need, but He has existed in perfect communion in the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father was the delight of the Son; and the Son, the delight of the Father. They did not create the world because of some need, but they created the world out of their superabundance.

Although the meaning is eternity here in this phrase, it also refers to priority. Priority. And the question is this: Does your priority conform to God’s priority? The priority for God the Father is His Son and His Son’s glory. Is that your priority? The Bible commands us to be very specific in the way that we live. For it says, whether we eat or drink or we do anything else, we are to do it for the glory of God. If someone understands this truth, it will create great conviction in them. Why? If you honestly evaluate your life, you know two things about yourself. And they are this: You have not loved God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength; and you have not glorified God in all things and to a perfect degree.

Now do you see why you need a Savior? You see, many people will say, “Yes, I know I have broken some of the Ten Commandments.” Even in that, you show that you do not understand. You and I have broken all of the Ten Commandments. But there is something far worse; something that is far greater, against God, that we have done: We have not loved Him, and we have not glorified Him. For although we knew God, we did not glorify Him as God, nor give thanks. But we turned from the glory of God, and became lovers of self more than lovers of God, and lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” In a sense, it is a very positive thing when societies and cultures begin to fall apart. Because when they begin to fall apart, it destroys the delusion. People think that they can create societies that will be utopian without God. If you know anything about history, you will understand that the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century was what that was all about. In the late eighteenth century, and then in the nineteenth century, and the twentieth century, those were going to be the centuries when man truly became man. And by his own strength, he was going to create a society where there would be nothing but goodness. And he claimed to be able to do this without God. But everything has fallen apart. As I’ve gone through Holland, I have seen some very beautiful places. When I look in a book of tourism for Holland, I see extremely beautiful places. But that’s not Holland. Take me to the streets where women prostitute themselves; where children are full of drugs and alcohol; where families are falling apart—husbands and wives, in anger, ready almost to kill one another. Immorality rampant in the streets.

Only in Christ do all things hold together. There is no utopia apart from Jesus Christ. And not Jesus Christ as a helper of men, (that will not create a utopia) but Jesus Christ as the King of men. Jesus Christ as the Object of the worship of men. Men living in absolute dependence upon Jesus Christ. And men recognizing this one great divine truth: That Jesus Christ is everything! Is your world falling apart? Good. This may be the very thing that turns you to Christ. Do you look around at your world and see it falling apart? Good. This may be the very thing that turns you to Christ. It is better to wake up now while salvation is still offered, and to be healed by the Son of God, than to sleep until that great and final day when you will be awakened, but it will be too late.

Trust in Christ. Throw yourself upon Christ. You say, “I have religion! I am a religious man. I am a churchman.” Sir, none of that will help you. None of that will give you life. None of that will take away your sins. None of that will fill you with joy unspeakable. It is only Christ. Christ. The Person of Christ. Not the idea. Not the concept. Not merely the doctrine. But the Person of Jesus Christ, crucified for the sins of sinners; raised from the dead by the power of God; ascended to the right hand of Majesty upon high; reigning for ever and ever, and able to save to the uttermost those who come to Him. This is the Jesus of whom I testify. He doeth all things well.

Let’s pray. Father, I come before You in the name of Your Son. The Centerpiece of glory. The highest Mountain among mountains. The One before whom all the universe, everything visible and invisible, bows. O God, at this moment, it’s almost as if I can hear a mighty chorus of angels without number, and saints glorified without number, worshiping the name of Jesus. O God, set our minds, make them correct, pull us in, that we would join that mighty chorus, not only with our words but with our lives. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. At His name, every knee shall bow and tongue confess. Father, we praise you and we worship you and we adore you, for the One whom You adore—Your Son. All praise, honor, glory, riches, and blessing be His. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2008. Paul Washer of HeartCry Missionary Society. All rights reserved. www.heartcrymissionary.com

Preacher: Paul Washer

Sermon Title: A Sermon on Christ for Atheists


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMDz6NRGyQE

Transcript

It is a great privilege for me to be here this evening with you. And in a way, it is a great blessing that you cannot see me, some of you. And it is for this reason: You do not need to see a man, nor do you need to see the movements of a man. You need to see Christ. And we need the power and the movement of the Holy Spirit. When we cannot see much of a man, that does not limit us. But without a vision of Jesus Christ, we are ruined. I’m not here tonight to talk about men, or to talk about church, or religion. For all those things have their failures and flaws. Every one of you can stand up and make accusations against these things. Men are weak and sinful. Religion is sometimes weak and failing. But Christ: there is no one like Christ. He’s the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He’s the Son of God. He is infinite perfection. He is strong. He is mighty. He has never failed, and He has fulfilled every promise He has ever made. You have no argument against Him. For there is no one like Him. He and He alone is the Savior of the world and the Christ of God.

This evening you need Christ. You need a vision of Christ. If you’re here this evening and you consider yourself to be atheist, I know this: One small glimpse of Christ, and your atheism will be destroyed by His power. And if you are a believer here tonight, and you are struggling with sin, and you lack zeal and motivation, one glimpse of Jesus Christ will give you all that you need to live the Christian life. So it’s all about Christ. What do you think of Him? For that is the very basis of God’s judgment of men. While it is true that one day you will stand before God and be judged with regard to your sin, you must understand that the greatest question on that day will be this: What think ye of Jesus Christ? What have you done with Christ?

Now let’s open up our Bibles to the book of Colossians 1:16-22. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” Let’s pray.

Father, I come before You this evening with a great and a heavy burden. Lord, I know that I am taking upon myself a task that I cannot complete. It would be easier for me to count the stars in the heavens or to number these grains of sand on the seashore. But to describe the greatness and the glory and the power of Your Son goes beyond all human invention. No words can express Him. No intellect can grasp Him, whether they be human or angelic. That You have exalted the name of Your Son above all things, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. And it will be for Your good pleasure and Your glory.

Father, we are filled with religion. We are filled with knowledge, and we are filled with apathy and the lack of the fear of the Lord. But Father, one glimpse of Christ, one glimpse of His power and His glory, one glimpse of Your love and His face, will make our sleeping go away and fill us with joy unspeakable. Lord, we need Christ. We don’t need a man. We don’t need a preacher. We need Him. Lord I pray, let me stutter, let me speak as a mule, let me fall from this platform; but O God, that men might catch a glimpse of Jesus Christ. His power. His glory. That they might be humbled by that, and saved by that heavenly vision. O God, rend the heavens and come down. Speak to men. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now look in verse 16. “For by Him all things were created.” It doesn’t matter who you are tonight. You may claim to be atheist and agnostic. You may be a hater of all religion and even a hater of God. The very mention of Christ may set your blood to boiling. You may consider yourself an enemy of the cross. But know this: Jesus Christ created you. And in that, He has a claim upon you. He is your Maker; and by virtue of that, He is also your Possessor, your Owner. And not only does He take ownership, but He is also Lord. You say, “I do not see that. Where is His throne?” Know this, that God has appointed a day in which He will judge every man, through this One who was crucified by wicked men—Jesus Christ. His throne is coming. His judgment is near. And on that day when He judges, everyone will recognize His right to judge because He is judging the very thing He has made.

Do you also realize the absolute arrogance of seeking to live independently from Him? The Bible says He made you. And not only that, but He sustains you. It is the great truth of Christianity that God created the world. But He did not leave it to itself. He sustains the world. In the same way know this: God created you and He sustains you. The next breath you take comes from Christ. Your heart beats in the next few minutes only because of Jesus Christ. Can you see how insane it is to seek to live independently from Him? Imagine a man laying in a hospital. And he’s unconscious, and he is connected to a life support system – several tubes that keep him alive. And every once in a while, the man wakes up, and like a wild animal, he grabs at the tubes and he tries to pull them out of his arm. He tries to destroy the life support system. He must be laid down in the bed once more and tied down because in his fit of insane rage he is going to kill himself. That is the perfect description of man without Christ. Like a wild animal, like an insane man, you seek to live separately from the very One who is the source of life.

But the Bible says, “By Him all things were created.” But not only that, this prepositional phrase “by Him” can also be interpreted “in Him”. That all things were created in Christ. Now what does that mean? Reality is found in Christ alone. Everything outside of the person of Jesus Christ is false. It is wrong. It is without meaning. It has no reason. It is absurd and insane. So is the life lived outside of Christ. It has no meaning. It lives in an unreal world, a delusion. Look around at your world. Look what you see. Everything is a vain delusion. From business to advertising to the media, it is all a delusion. It will all pass away. Yesterday I was born, today I stand here, tomorrow I die. And the same can be said of you. And to chase after any thing except that which is eternal is absolutely insane. To give yourself for those things that will pass away is an absurdity. To live for anyone other than Christ is to set yourself outside of the will and good pleasure of God.

There’s something that you must understand about God the Father. His Son is everything to Him. Every thing the Father has ever done, He has done it for His Son. He created the world in His Son. He reveals Himself to the world through His Son. He redeems the world through His Son. And He judges the world through His Son. And He has done it all for the glory of His Son. God has a correct view of things. For you to consider unimportant what God considers most important, is absolutely insane. I said something the other night, and I will repeat it now. I can tell you who your God is by just asking you one question: What do you think about most? What fills your thoughts the most? Do you see how insane we are? We look in the mirror at our own image more than we look to Christ. We worry about things in this world more than we concern ourselves with Christ. And yet, I can assure you, Christ is foremost in every thought of God. And Christ is foremost in the thoughts of every being that finds its dwelling place in Heaven.

This is proved in the next phrase. It says, “For by Him all things were created, both in Heaven and on earth.” The world is important to God. Men are important to God. But be careful that your heart not be lifted up in arrogance because the world of men is not the only thing that God possesses. It is not even the greatest of His possessions. For all of Heaven belongs to God. And we know from Scripture that there are countless splendid created beings who exist in Heaven for only one purpose: the worship of God. Dr. Tozer, many years ago, said something very important, and we will do well to listen. “If all men on the earth were to suddenly become blind, it would not diminish the glory of the sun, or the moon, or the stars.” In the same way, if all men were to be atheist, it would not diminish the glory of God. If He lost the entire world, if every man turned away, if there was no redemptive plan in the heart of God, He would still be worshiped throughout eternity by an infinite number of created beings more splendid than ourselves.

“By Christ all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible.” In these two words we find one of our greatest problems. We trust our eyes, we trust our senses, more than we trust the Word of God. You live based on what you can see. You live based on what you can feel. And, most importantly, you live based upon what other men tell you. And you do not realize that the invisible world is more a reality than the one you can see. This is not the reality. The reality is that which is set before us in the Word of God. It is what Christ has said, because one day, all of this will pass away like a vapor, like a piece of cloth that will be rolled up and taken away. Like dry wood, it will be burned up. And on that day, you will know what is truly real, and the Word of God will be vindicated. And some of you will rejoice in that. But others of you will realize that you’ve lived for a wrong thing, and you have lost all things.

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