I think we're ready to begin. We're continuing our studies of receivers of messages. This is the 16th one. It's hard to believe that it's gone by that fast, but this is the 16th message I have brought on end-time Bible prophecy, primarily focusing on Ezekiel 38 and 39. Well, 37, 38, and 39. For those that have been here to this church for a number of years, you know that we spent about seven years here in Sunday School studying the book of the Revelation. That's a long time to study the book of the Revelation. And one of the reasons it's been that way is because for a long time, I've been impressed with a certain way of thinking about life and about the future. How can you live without thinking about the future? And so in thinking about these things, one of the Major points that I discovered in studying the Bible is we know nothing about the future. And that's the message of this book from cover to cover. We have no idea what a day is going to bring forth. The other thing that has been impressed on me is 2 Peter 1, which teaches us that there's only one in the universe that knows the future, and that's God. And this is what the whole Bible is about. It's about the revelation from heaven about what's going to happen and when it's going to happen. In the course of all of these studies, I began to realize that Bible prophecy is really the greatest proof available to the human mind that God wrote this book. It's more sure than having been there 2,000 years ago to see him with our eyes. even to be with Peter, James, and John when they went up on the holy mount and saw him transfigured. And this was Peter's point. God is indeed no respecter of persons. And so he was making it perfectly clear to future generations that they did not have some special advantage over other people because they were there when the Creator God came into the world. They were not at an advantage concerning us when it comes to what they saw when the Lord was transfigured and proved before their eyes that he was one with the Father. He was actually the Creator God. And of course, for 33 and a half years, the entire life of Christ was for the purpose of proving his identity, that he is God, because no one but God could do what he did in the 33 and a half years he lived on this planet. And so Peter says, this is what it is. Okay. I just studied the Bible. And I try the best I know how to teach you what I learned in studying the Bible. And I can assure you that what you hear in this room, these are not my thoughts. These are right here out of the book. And anyone that ever questions what is said in this room from this pulpit by me, all I will do is encourage you to read the book. and follow along behind the verses that led me eventually to say the things that I have said about Bible prophecy. And I think you'll find that it's in the book. And so one of the things that so stood out to me when I was spending all of those years study in the book of the Revelation, is especially Revelation chapter 17 and 18. And I do not know how many years ago it was, but quite a number of years ago, back when Kent was pastor of the church, he gave me a little book by Frank Logsdon. The name of the book was America in Bible Prophecy. And one of the things I think that prompted Kent to give me that book is I was talking to him about Revelation 18, trying to figure out who in the world that could be referring to because everybody that I had associated with said America is not in the Bible. It's not in Bible prophecy. And it was hard for me to accept that. I couldn't understand how, with the way history has unfolded, with what little I understand about such things, America would not be foremost in God's mind when it comes to what he had to say in his closing revelation. When it comes to the signs of the times of his return, because this is very important in the mind of God. And the reason because he's excited about coming back. There's no little matter with him. He's very excited about it because it's going to be the ultimate fulfillment of everything that he had planned when he created the heavens and the earth. And that is to be one with you and me. with nothing in between. I'm telling you, if we can't get a handle on the emotions of Jesus Christ, when it comes to the words of this book, we're missing everything. Second coming of Jesus Christ, not just from our perspective, it's from his. And he loves us more than we could ever begin to comprehend. And his death on the cross was just a part of knowing God. You have to think about what his ultimate plan was. And it was a union with you and me. With absolutely nothing in between. Have you ever had a relationship with anybody on earth and it would go along so great for so long And then all of a sudden something would happen. Usually it'd be one thing. And all of a sudden you found yourself drifting apart and looking for other friends. That's happened to so many people. It's happened to me. And it's sad to look back on it because I can remember a lot of the people that I grew up with, I was very, very close to, and then eventually something would happen and then we would not be as close anymore. And it's sort of a sad reflection when you think about it. But wouldn't it be wonderful to come to know people and that would never happen, anything, not one thing that would ever separate you from that closeness Well, that's the vision and God presenting to us the ultimate symbol of what it means to be saved. And it's marriage. I mean, could you imagine one day getting married and there never being anything in between? Never. And the closeness of that relationship, listen, this is what the Bible is all about. If you want to know something about God, you want to know something about his heart, he's looking for a marriage where there is nothing in between, nothing, and never will be for all eternity to come. We're talking about a closeness that is beyond words when it comes to joy. The joy of God in the message of this book. And so here we are, we're studying Bible prophecy and we're trying to look at it not just from an academic standpoint because that's a huge mistake. Academics is not what this room is all about. This room is about us coming to know God. It's about coming to understand God, to really understand how he thinks. That's so important, so precious. And so one of the reasons I come up here, and over and over I keep trying to get into Ezekiel 38 and 39, and go down through the verses like many people do and just expound verse by verse so that you've got the mechanics, what you might say, of what is being said understood. I want to go into something beyond the mechanics of understanding what certain things might mean in this chapter. And I want us to, as it were, lay our head on the bosom of the Lord Jesus, like the Apostle John in John chapter 13, and really get close to him to know his heart. If you ever study Jeremiah chapter 23, we talked about this a little bit in college prayer meeting the other night. And I was pointing out something about God's temperament toward false pastors. And the key word in that whole chapter, Jeremiah chapter 23, you can study it sometime on your own, is the word burden, burden. But when it comes to closeness with another person, that's when that word begins to take on meaning. Because what happens when you're really close to somebody is they'll begin to tell you things that they would never tell anybody else. They'll tell you about things that are real deep inside, how they feel about certain things. We'll call them secrets, secrets. We're supposed to be people that are so close to God, that's what we know about him. When your head is on the bosom of Jesus Christ, when you're that close. He tells you stuff that he would never tell anybody else. The Apostle Peter illustrates that in John's gospel where he's getting ready to go to the cross. The Lord has made it known that there's going to be one of the 12 that's gonna betray him. And all of them are doubtful of their own relationship with him in this. And so every one of them actually says, is it I? All of them do. Not just Judas, all of the disciples, is it I? And Peter leans over and tells John, because of his proximity to Christ. He was the one that was leaning on his bosom. I mean, he was right there. He's just so close to the Lord. He was the disciple that Christ loved. It tells us that. And so because of that proximity of John to Jesus Christ, Peter leans over to John and says, ask him. Ask him who it is that's gonna betray you. And so John does. And the Lord Jesus whispers back to him, it's the one that I give the sop to after I've dipped it. And immediately he handed it to Judas. The only person at that table that knew who the traitor was was John. And Peter still didn't know, because John didn't tell him. It was only John that knew. I mean, think about it. When everybody thought, and I think maybe even including John, that he was the one that was going to betray the Lord, Think about what that did to him when the Lord said, the one that I give the sop to after I've dipped it, that's the one that's gonna betray me. And he immediately hands it to Judas. Well, John immediately knew it was not him. Wouldn't that be a wonderful way to live? As we gather here in this church knowing that God knows the future and he revealed it to John that he would not be the one that would betray him. That's what studying this book should be like. We need to get so close to the Lord in his word that we Know his burden. What's his emotions. What's his passion. What's his burden in these last days. And so in Jeremiah chapter 23 the Lord said concerning he told Jeremiah said not concerning these pastors these prophets. I want you to go tell them that I said to you to tell them not to use that word. ever again, do not go out there to my people and say the burden of the Lord, because you're not close enough to know my burden. You don't know me. And so, when you begin to understand these things, as you study the Bible, and I study the Bible, when I come in here, I feel like the biggest crime that I could ever commit is not relating these kinds of thoughts to us all so that we can all profit from these kinds of thoughts because I believe that these kinds of thoughts right here is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to what going to church is all about. That's why I plead for people to come. Come to the meetings. Come to Sunday school. Let's study together. Let's join the Apostle John into this confidence, this full assurance of salvation, this assurance of our relationship with him. Is our church going just academic? Is it just denominational? I mean, it's one thing to be a Bible thumper about the King James Version, but folks, that's just on the surface of what the King James Version is all about. We've got to understand that the King James Version is as close to what he said as you can get. It's as close to what he said. And wasn't that what Peter wanted when he said to John, ask him. Ask him who it is that's gonna betray you. And Jesus said to John, it's the one that I give the sop to after I've dipped it. Folks, let me tell you something. When you read the Bible and you begin to see these things and you begin to see what the burden of the Lord is really all about, It's about the difference between those that are truly close to God and want to be and those that are not and never will be. We don't want to live that way. And here we are, we've got a marriage fixing to take place, Jesus Christ fixing to come. And I keep telling everybody that'll listen, he's on his way. If you don't think the midnight cry has been made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, then you're not close enough to the Lord. So what is the midnight cry? Well, I think it's the Lord stirring up his people to tell them, I'm coming. I'm on my way. And I'm gonna tell you when. That's sort of like Peter asking John the question, who's gonna betray me? When is he gonna do it? The Lord not only identified who the betrayer was, he showed John right then when. when I have given the sop that I dip in the dish, when I give it to him. That's when you'll know. And so the Bible is a prophetic book, that book that is telling us times and seasons in terms of when, and it's also telling us days and hours. The Lord makes a big deal over this in the scriptures. These are some of the things that we want to consider this morning. I told you in the books of the New Testament that teach the second coming of Christ as it relates to when is Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. And also in John's gospel, but in a form that is not in any way outwardly similar to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. because the second coming had to do with Pentecost. But the disciples had asked him the same question. When he coming back, he said, I go to prepare a place for you, but when I go to prepare that place for you, I will come again and I will receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also. And in that same chapter, John chapter 14, he says, I will come to you. but he explains the manner in which he's gonna do it. And it's in the person of the Holy Spirit, which is the spirit of Jesus Christ. But he identified with the Holy Spirit the same way that he identified with the Father, when he said, I and the Father are one. Well, in John chapter 14, he was saying, I and the Holy Spirit are one. Because the one that was coming was the Holy Spirit. And it would be at Pentecost, it would be 50 days after the resurrection, 50 days. Or actually, after the passion or the crucifixion, technically. And so on the 50th day of Pentecost, The Holy Spirit which is one with Jesus Christ because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came. And in the first chapter of Acts, he explains the power that is now available to those who have his Holy Spirit to know the answer to the question that they were asking in Acts chapter one. When are you coming back? And the Lord said, well, it's not for you to know the times and the seasons that the Father has said in his own power. But then he said, but you shall receive power. After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And so here we are, 2,000 years later. We've been studying the Bible. And if any man has not the spirit of Jesus Christ, he's none of his. That's what it tells us. And so we are likewise with the apostles, the beneficiaries of the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he dwells in our hearts. He's in us. He said, I will be with you and I will be in you. And if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he's none of his. So here we are, we gathered in Sunday school and we have the God given ability to know when he's coming back. And so in 2016, In a Sunday school class taught right back here in this building, where Laurie Creech teaches her class, was in that very room, this church was being refurbished by Mark and Pat. And so we eventually started having a lot of our services over at the Days Inn, which is whatever it's called now, I'm not sure. It might be the same thing. It was Holiday Inn, the Days Inn, whatever. We started having church services over there. But we continued to have Sunday school. And I recorded them on my GoPro. And so all those messages are on GoPro and their own sermon audio. And supposedly still there. I tried to find the one this morning where I announced what I'm fixing to say. But we were studying the book of the Revelation in that long period of time that we were studying. And I was convinced because of some thoughts given by Frank Logsdon, America and Bible Prophecy is the name of his book. I was convinced that Revelation 17 and 18 was really about the United States of America. And as I would study the commentaries and different things, I found out that I was sort of out there pretty much alone with that viewpoint. And different people were presenting it different ways. I don't follow any of that. I learned something out of all of them as I tried to figure out what is the Lord actually saying to us here? Because he's got to be speaking to us. And one of the reasons I believe that was because God, who's the author of languages, had to know that the global language of the 20th, 21st century would be the English language. When you study what history is available to us concerning England and pilgrims coming over, settling America, Declaration of Independence from England, the fact that the King James Translation took place in 1611 in England, and how those pilgrims came over here with the Bible, the King James Bible, and established a nation on the King James Bible, where it would be the bedrock of everything that our Constitution is. Everything that is in our form of government came out of this book, every bit of it. First and Second Amendment, right out of this book. The laws of what is right and what is wrong came right out of this book. And for me to understand that and read the Bible and not see the United States to me was unthinkable. I couldn't see how that'd be possible. How would an all-knowing God not reveal many things and primarily to those who loved his word like the people in America? that founded their entire government on the Bible. And that nation not be in Bible prophecy, that was unthinkable to me. And I still believe it is. And that's why I was absolutely convinced that Donald Trump was gonna win in 2016, and I taught it in that classroom right back there. I said, he's gonna win. He'll win it. And I explain why. It's because of Revelation 18. It teaches that America is, well, it teaches that Babylon the Great is gonna have global influence. Global financial impact. so much so that the merchants of the earth would weep over the sudden destruction of Babylon the Great. And as I looked at the world and things that are going on in the world and realized that Bible prophecy has to do with those specific things, Listen, the Word of God is not disassociated from physical reality and events that we see taking place in front of our eyes every day. God is prophesying concerning those events, not on some other planet, on Earth. And his primary focus of everything is Israel. And how the nations are going to come together and somehow or other influence Bible prophecy as it relates to Israel. And so here the primary Proclaimer of the gospel in the whole world was the United States of America. And we were publishing Bibles by the thousands and millions of copies. Wycliffe Bible translators. There's so many different sources that the Bible was being placed in the whole world. It was through the United States of America. Wasn't China. Wasn't Japan. It wasn't Israel. It wasn't Africa. It wasn't South America. It wasn't Canada. I mean, how bright do you have to see something that's obvious? The United States is the major player. And God is telling us that without saying it. But he's telling us. But you have to study it to see it. And that's what we're doing in studying Bible prophecy. And in that classroom, back there, that Sunday school classroom, in 2016, I said, Donald Trump's gonna win. And the reason is because America was gonna go apostate. and worship what he said they would worship in Matthew chapter six. Mammon. And the God of America is money. And that's what this election that we've just gone through is really all about. It's not about America turning back to God. It'll never happen. Why do I say that? Because it's in the book. God's going to destroy this country. Will it become great? You better believe it. Because God himself said it eight times in Revelation chapter 18. Babylon the great. That's Trump's favorite word. Now I'm not trying to speak disparagingly of Trump and what he said and how God is using him, but I'm telling you this. Anybody that does not understand the supernatural character, the supernatural aspects of that man's role in America today is not paying attention. This is not human. This is from heaven. And God has raised that man up to fulfill his word, and we better understand that. And nothing can stop it in terms of what God is gonna use him to do. Now the good thing that's gonna take place as a result of, because of this election, is churches like ours are gonna be protected. Because God promised the gates of hell shall not prevail against church. Do we believe that? I do. Do we believe that God would raise up Donald Trump to fulfill his own word and promise? You better believe it. He sure will. And that's exactly what he's doing. The gates of hell shall not prevail against church. Now we're gonna see attacks against the church. We're gonna see attacks against Donald Trump. Because the war is ultimately against God because he's as despised, as a matter of fact, more so than he was when man at his best state brutalized the creator God when he came and crucified him on the cross of Calvary. The Lord said, if they hate me, they'll hate you. And we're going to experience that hatred. We sure are. We're going to experience it and we're going to experience it intensified. But the thing that people are leaving out of their thoughts about it is God Almighty and nothing can prevent his will being done nothing because the Bible is prophecy and nothing can interfere with the fixity and the certainty of what he said was going to happen and when and when it would happen. He tells us when. And so Bible prophecy has to do with that key word. It's so important and so this is why I keep stressing this because I think if I do, we might all go home and as we're studying the Bible, that word might stick in our minds and we'll see the profound significance of it because I'm telling you that Bible prophecy loses its power, it loses its influence, its ability to affect people if you do not tell them when it's going to happen. This is why the Lord rebuked his mother at the wedding in Cana, John's Gospel, Chapter 2. When she said to her son, her presumed son, that was really born of the Holy Ghost, she said to him, they have no wine. And he said, woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour hath not yet come. Why did he say that? Because Bible prophecy is that precise. And he was referring to the hour of his crucifixion when he would be hung upon the cross and massacred by this world. because he claimed to be the truth. And the time would come that his ultimate humiliation would be that they would crucify the creator God. And he told the world the hour that it would take place. And it did. The hour. So when it comes to Bible prophecy, there's times and seasons. That's a little broader presentation of when, but then he says, days and hours. And so when you studied the book of the Revelation, you find out that it's divided into 42 months, 1,260 days, and a time, times, and halftime. and it's precise. It tells us exactly when things are gonna happen. And so, oh, we got about 15 minutes, I think. That's wonderful. I'd like for you to turn to Luke chapter 21 real quick. We're gonna start reading at verse 28. I'll tell you what, look at verse seven, first of all. Let's just get this, we'll do it quickly. Verse seven, Luke 21. And when they ask him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? Look at verse nine. But when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. Then look at verse 20. And when ye shall see Jerusalem come past with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then look at verse 28. And when these things begin to come to pass, Then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws nigh. And he spake to them a parable. Behold the fig tree and all the trees. Now right there, it's important for you to remember this. The fig tree is a symbol of Israel. We haven't got time to prove that right now, but you'll find it in Joel 1 and verse 7. Hosea 9 and verse 10, it tells you. All the trees are all the other nations. So if the fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel, then all the trees have to do with all the other nations in the world. Why does it say that? Because the Lord has taken us to the last days. and is showing us a global insight into everything that's happening with all the nations. And so this is how we need to study this book. We need to look at all the nations and what the nations are doing. Ezekiel 38 and 39 is focusing on several of those nations and primarily Russia. And God is telling us, better keep your eyes on Russia. Better keep your eyes on Israel. Keep your eyes on America. Keep your eyes on all of these other nations as they're related to the ones that I've spoken of, Israel, America, and Russia. Better pay attention to these, because I'm going to show you when. I'm going to show you when it's going to happen. And so here we are at Calvary Memorial Church. We turn on our televisions and we look at the news, all the networks. And all of a sudden, right there in front of our eyes, what is the major nation that is in the news all the time? Well, it's Israel and Russia. Why is that? Because the Lord is telling us when. And here we got a president, we had a president, and a political party that was sending all kinds of money over to Ukraine. Trump now being the winner of the election has already put them on notice. He's already called up Shelensky and put him on notice. Money's not gonna keep coming. That's done. We're gonna take all that money and we're gonna start fixing up the problems in America. He called Iran. He's already put them on notice. I don't know if he's talked to Putin yet. I have no idea what's going on there. But I do know that this book says that Russia, even with Trump as the president, is gonna invade. Now, I can stand up here and I can tell you what I think is gonna happen and that I'm gonna do with what time I have today and maybe again next week. I wanna tell you what I believe the Bible is teaching. And then you're gonna have to look it up on your own and pray to God for the correct conclusion about all of these things. I'm not trying to set myself forth as somebody that knows anything. All I know how to do is look in the book and say, this is what it says. What do you think? Okay. That's what we're doing. Last Sunday, which was the third, I think that's right. November the third. I stood in this pulpit and I told you I thought that Donald Trump was going to win. I sure did. It's on sermon audio. That's not because I'm special. It's because this book is special. And I believed he was going to win because I believe that America is in Bible prophecy. And this is a conclusion based on the Bible. It's not based on what I, what do I know? I don't know what's going to happen five minutes from now. I don't know. But when I studied the scriptures, it seems to be as clear as it can be. America is going to be great again. And God is going to use Donald Trump to do it. He doesn't need a saved man to make that happen. And historically, the way God works, he does not always work through saved people. He simply does not. But what he does do is he manifests and proves that he's the sovereign God. And he can even take people that hate him and despise him And turn what they choose to do into something that will bring glory and praise to his prophetic word. And that's what he's doing. Now, I don't know what the deal is with Donald Trump. I don't know if he's a saved man or not. That's not my point is to teach this aspect of him personally. I've never talked to him personally, but I have talked to some people. that have talked to him personally and witnessed to him personally. And I know that he has heard the truth explained perfectly. He sure has. And I know that it's had an impact on his life in a lot of ways that I'm not familiar with completely. But I'll tell you one thing. That man is saying things that are very encouraging to me. in terms of my prayers for him, that he come to know the Lord Jesus Christ the way the Lord so graciously allowed me to come to know him many years ago. And he could still do that. But here in this passage, Luke 21, he says in verse 29, And he spoke to them a parable, behold the fig tree and all the trees, when they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer, keyword, summer, is now night hand. So likewise, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. And then he says this, key verse, verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. This generation that sees this shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. I have no hesitation to tell the people at Calvary Memorial Church and my friends and anybody else I can see that Jesus Christ is on his way. If you want to know what the midnight cry is, you're hearing it. Behold, the bridegroom cometh. The bridegroom cometh. And the reason you can do that is because the spirit and the bride say, come. What does that mean? Pentecost. That's when God gave his Holy Spirit to dwell in his people, the church, the bride of Christ. And we come here to Calvary Memorial Church not to play religion. This is the truth. This is real. God is real. We are real. But how do you give what we know to be the facts, how do you give it meaning? How do you give it purpose? You can't until you go to the one who created it. And he'll give you the meaning of everything. He'll give you the purpose of everything. And here we are, we all have come to Calvary Memorial Church. How did that happen? Well, for a lot of us, maybe we haven't really even thought about it that carefully. But I'll tell you this, everybody that's in this room right now, I guarantee you, if you had an opportunity to come up here and give your testimony, you could explain amazing things as to how you ended up being here. And here we are today. Sunday school, Calvary Memorial Church. And Jesus Christ is on his way. He's coming. And the issue is, is there something else going on in life that's becoming a distraction from that one thing? That would cause us to be more concerned about something else than we would be that. the coming of Christ. And this is what he's talking about in this passage. Look with me. Verse 33, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest any of you or your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting. Surfeiting. What does that mean? Surfeiting. Well, it means overindulgence. If you look it up, that's what it means. It means overindulgence. We can become overly, listen, we're living in a nation that lives delicately. That's what Revelation 18 says. We've got everything imaginable to make life comfortable. Air conditioning, climate control, we've got cars. Most people have two or three cars. We never miss a meal. We're overweight. We're living deliciously. That's what Revelation 18 says. And there are bars all up and down the highway that are attended to by churchgoers all over this town. Lest your hearts be overcharged with serviting and drunkenness. and cares of this life. And so that day come upon you unawares, for as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Do you know that can happen right here at Calvary Memorial Church? We've all got our little program, we've got our occupations, we've got our little debts, we've got things we plan to do next week and all that. He's warning us about this stuff. Right here. And he's saying, if you're not careful, you're gonna get distracted from the main thing you need to be thinking about. I'm coming. And the question is, are you saved? Do you know it? Is this the singular most important thing in your life? And that is to go to be with him. Forget it, forget this world and everything in it is a singular most important thing. Knowing him. It's a singular most important thing in his mind concerning you and me. It's not all this other stuff. So, our time is gone. I wish I could stand up here and talk about these things for another three or four hours. But, our time is gone. Let's see, Mark, dismiss us brother, if you will. Dear Lord, we thank you for another opportunity to come to your house, to be with you, and to learn about your word, Lord. We thank you for raising Donald Trump up in the election, and we pray that him and all the other representatives we send to Washington and his cabinet and his appointees, Lord, that they'll govern this country, Lord, and try to get us at least heading back towards your direction, though, to do their jobs and make decisions that are in your will, Lord, and not get caught up in Washington politics and keep doing everything the same way and keep us further and further away from you, Lord. I thank you for getting me here to this church, having the long-suffering to get me here, as Brother Dwight just talked about. Thank you for this message. I ask that you bless Pastor Charles as he prepares our next message. Thank you for this church. Pray for me today.