10.Faith That Overcomes Fear - Zac Poonen

God gives us his word to prepare us for the future that is the meaning of prophecy in the Old Testament prophecy was meant to direct people even a king would have to go to a prophet and ask him shall I go to battle or will I get healed from the sickness and the Prophet would say I will tell you out for a couple of days and he'd wait on the Lord there was a time we read when Jeremiah was locked up in a prison by the king because he wanted to please the false prophets who accused Jeremiah but the king went down to the dungeon and talked to Jeremiah and said tell me is there a word from the Lord he knew that there was one man who had a word from the Lord so that was how it was in the Old Testament direction this is what he gotta do this is what you gotta do but in the New Testament the Bible says under the New Covenant they shall not teach every man his neighbor saying no the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest the Old Testament they didn't have the Holy Spirit only the Prophet had the Holy Spirit so they had to go to him but now every child of God can have the Holy Spirit you can have the Holy Spirit directing him but there is still prophecy in the New Testament but prophecy in the New Testament is not to direct people don't you believe any prophet who comes and tells you this is what you got to do this is what you did not got to do this is whom you got to marry this is what you got to go those are all false prophets or people who are speaking from their own spirit and the New Testament prophecy is only stating something that can happen in the future like a Gerber's did twice in the Acts of the Apostles to prepare us like a percent there'll be a famine but you never told anybody what to do Maggie was told Paul if you go to Jerusalem you'll be caught by the people there and in prison but you never told Paul whether to go and to go so prophecy in the New Testament is never to tell a person it's never directed but it prepares us for the future and the Bible says that in a real New Testament church there should always be a spirit of prophecy if you read 1 Corinthians 14 it says there when there's prophecy the secrets of a person's heart are made manifest and it prepares us for the days to come you know if you listen if there is a church where there's a word from the Lord a prophetic word that word will prepare you for the immediate future what you're going to face in a cabooses day it was a famine and in when he spoke to Paul it was an imprisonment and in your case it may be some trial or temptation that you're going to face in the coming days or months and if you listen to the prophetic word if it is a prophetic word it will prepare you for it and that's how it should be in every church meeting a prophetic word which prepares us for the future and if we listen to it but the Bible says that when we listen we must judge every prophecy to see how whether it's really from the Lord is really for us because there's a human element in immature people when they attempt to prophesy it's very important for us to understand this in the last days because just like in the days of the Old Testament there were true prophets and there were false prophets and the proportion was about one to a hundred there'd be one true prophet to every false prophet the false prophets came out of the school of the prophets they had Bible schools in those days you read about them in second Kings and all about the school of the prophets and this is called the sons of the prophets they were the Bible school students those fellas got their Bible school degrees and Collins's prophets but they were all false prophets there was never in the history of the human race has never been a true prophet let's come out of a Bible School you never read it from Genesis to Revelation they came out of lonely walked with God it's how every profit game Christianity has gone astray today because of a lot of false prophets false prophets who believe the whole Bible will preach the right doctrine but were not in touch with God the word of the Lord was rare in the days of Samuel it says doesn't mean they didn't have the Bible but they didn't have people who were listening to what God was saying people are too hurt too much in a hurry to do things for God but they were not didn't have time like Mary to sit at Jesus feet and listen so when we hear God's Word in connection with the last days remember is to prepare us for the future and there are many things that jesus said which prepares us for the future we must beware of false prophecies very often I'll tell you it's amazing how much Christians all over the world have been influenced by the influenced in the their understanding of the meaning of the word prophecy by a lot of teaching that has come particularly from the United States and from charismatic circles which have got absolutely zero foundation in Scripture many people think prophecy is where a man closed his eyes and speaks in a funny voice or proudly raise his hand and speaks for two or three minutes and says something that's prophecy it's a lot of garbage you read 1 Corinthians 14 verse 3 go by scripture the devil knows that in the last days Christians will be more familiar with the books that other Christians have written than the scriptures and that's why he's got a field day to deceive Christians 1 Corinthians 14:3 is the clearest definition of prophecy in the entire New Testament prophecies that which speaks to men to exhortation to edification and comfort and you don't have to speak in a funny voice you don't have to close your hands close your eyes you don't have to raise your hands and you don't have to speak for three minutes you can speak for one hour let's get all these false ideas of prophecy out of our head you get it all out of your head if you stop reading Christian books and start reading the Bible very simple so prophecy in relation to the last days prepare us for the coming days one of the things that Jesus said we looked at a number of things so far now I want you to consider what Jesus said look to anyone to prepare us for the days to come Luke 21 and Jesus said in the last days men are verse 26 Luke 21:26 men are going to faint from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world for the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then after that they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory but when these things not after these take place begin to take place straighten up lift up your heads that's the opposite of fear a man who is afraid doesn't straighten up and lift up his head that two groups of people going to be on the earth in the last days one who gripped by fear when they think of what's gonna happen the cost of living is going out the value of currencies going down the economies of all countries are going to be shattered I might as well tell you that's going to happen because there's a verse in Hebrews chapter 12 which says that God is going to shake everything that's going to be shaken it's in the last few verses of Hebrews 12 so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain please remember that we are approaching if you like keep a finger here and turn to that verse in Hebrews chapter 12 if you're not familiar with it because this is we're gonna see it in the coming days be prepared for what fulfillment of this verse verse 27 Hebrews 12 27 and this expression yet once more denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain whatever people place their confidence in other than God we'll be shaken you place your confidence in money in the stock market in trading in real estate and land and banks and deposits and whatever it is if it's a created thing I can tell you right now in Jesus name it's going to be shaken and if you're standing on that you're gonna be shaken to the things that cannot be shaken will remain it's very important to have our feet firmly founded on the rock in these days a lot of things are gonna shake around us who are the ones who are going to find themselves unshaken those who've got their feet on the rock and when things are failing around us who are the ones who are gonna lift up their heads and not faint in fear I'll tell you those who have spent their life seeking the kingdom of God first that doesn't mean full-time workers every child of God and 99.9% of children of God are not full-time workers every child of God must seek God's kingdom first in other words the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Romans 14:17 that must be primary in their life seeking the kingdom of God does not mean here's another wrong understanding does not mean missionary were seeking the spread of the gospel no Romans 14:17 the kingdom of God is a righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit pursue righteousness joy in the holy spirit peace and joy in the Holy Spirit and you will be pursuing the kingdom of God first and if you're all aim in life is to be filled with the righteousness of Christ the character of Christ the joy of the Lord at all times and to be a peace with God and peace with all men yes he can God's kingdom first and I guarantee you on the basis of the greatest guarantee that you can ever have God's word all the things that you need for your earthly life will be at - you can be sure and the people have placed their confidence in money and resources and savings and this that you just wait and see what's gonna happen they're gonna be shaken so people's people are gonna faint for fear two groups those who faint for fear and those who stand upright so I want to say a few things about this matter of fear because very often Jesus came to his disciples I don't want to show you all the references but he would often say fear not or don't be afraid don't be afraid even after his resurrection turn to John's Gospel chapter 20 you read in John 20 it says here in verse 19 the disciples John 20:19 the disciples were inside a locked room shut there for fear of the Jews even though they had heard preaching from the greatest preacher that ever walked this world Jesus Christ for three and a half years you would think that if you had heard Jesus himself speaking to you and walking with you for three and a half years you'd never have any fear left in you no sir you know not better than Peter James and John don't be conceited these people walked with Jesus heard him touched him ate with him and listened to the him the greatest preacher that walk lonely of the most anointed preacher for three and half years at the end of it what were the doing they were sitting in a room locked up for fear and Jesus came into the midst you say ah now at least the fear will go because they have seen they saw Jesus crucified and they see him risen from the dead and him speaking peace be with you the father sent me I send you verse 21 and he breathes on them something happened receive the Holy Spirit boy now you'd think the fear is gone no sir hasn't gone yet eight days later verse 26 again the disciples are inside with the door shut they were still sitting inside with the door shut for fear what do we learn from that you can walk with the greatest with the Lord Jesus himself personally for three and a half years listen to him and be full of fear you can see him actually physically coming and touch him and still have fear you can have him breathe on you and say receive the Holy Spirit and still have fear when did that fear disappear when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that is why I keep telling born-again Christians you know what you need you need the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire you don't need to be just immersed in water you need to be immersed by Jesus in the Holy Spirit and fire then it's written the day of Pentecost suddenly they opened the doors and they could come out what could not be accomplished by three and a half years of walking with Jesus listening to him seeing him a resurrected from the dead his breathing on them I think they were born again there perhaps they need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the day of Pentecost then the fear disappeared so what is the word for the last days it men's hearts are gonna faint for fear and some people are gonna stand upright with their heads lifted up be filled with the Holy Spirit not once but continuously Ephesians 5:18 says be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit that is the greatest need to be prepared for the last days because that's the only thing that helped those apostles to be free from here you can listen to a message like this right now and I can tell you a number of things that will Eddy create educate you so that you don't have to be afraid of anything in the last days but do you think I'm a better preacher than Jesus now you can listen to the most anointed sermon against fear and in the time of crisis you'll be afraid the disciples are an example for a moment you know at the end of the sermon you say boy I'm really free from fear now but this is not the first time we have preached against fear in this pulpit we're stirred in a moment but it disappears it evaporates and that's true of many many other things we get convicted about something in an in a meeting and about it evaporates after some time the only way to hold it in any truth that we hear in the meeting is to let the Holy Spirit set it on fire and then it will remain there forever otherwise even the Word of God can become stale you think that's blasphemous you know in the Old Testament they got manna it was completely untouched by man miraculous food from heaven no human beings ever tasted food that dropped from heaven except them everyday manna bread from heaven and the Bible says in Deuteronomy 8:3 that God gave you the manna every day to teach you that everyday you need to live by the word that proceeds from God's mouth so the manna was a picture of the Word of God but you know what you have what happened to that manner if you kept it for 24 hours just 24 hours by the next morning the Bible says it began to stink it was stale you hear a message and in 24 hours it can become stale for you but God told Moses take that manner and put it inside the Ark of the Covenant and the Moses put a little bit of manner in a pot inside the Ark of the Covenant and that manner didn't get still for 40 years when they carried the Drowned for 40 years in the wilderness it never got stale what is the secret was it some different type of man and no it is exactly the same manner but the difference was this was kept in the most holy place where the fire of God was burning all the time the living presence of God was there and then in the presence of God the manner never becomes stale so we live in a day when many people go for experiences they ask people are you baptized in the Holy Spirit have you heard this expression are you a spirit-filled Christian do you know that 99.99% or nine nine nine nine percent of Pentecostal charismatic people when they ask that question what they mean is are you baptized in the Holy Spirit in do you speak in tongues but when the Bible spoke about Stephen being full of the Spirit or somebody else being full of the Spirit when they wanted to distribute food to the widows they said select seven men full of the Holy Spirit they were not asking them to check up whether they were baptized in the Holy Spirit because those days everybody was baptized in the Holy Spirit what do they mean by saying select seven men full of the Holy Spirit when everybody's baptized in the Holy Spirit to be spirit filled does not mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit you learn a lot of things from me from scripture which go contrary to all the rubbish that's being taught in Christendom today for people who don't know the Bible to be full of the Spirit according to scripture is to be continuously filled of the Spirit it's not that 30 years away I got baptized in the spirit and so I call myself spirit fill a lot of people who were baptized the Holy Spirit thirty years ago are not only not baptized in the spirit today they have lost their salvation they're not children of God the backslidden so it's so important to be spirit-filled Christian which means right now it's like a water tank being full right now not that it was filled three years ago it's like your petrol tank in your car being full right now not that you fill it up at the gas station three months ago or something I know filled with a spirit spirit filled so that's how we are to be continuously if we are to be fresh so please keep that in mind what is to be our attitude in relation to you know I told you how Jesus often said fear not fear not fear not it was one of the main things he told people just like he told people sin not sin not go and sin no more Jesus was as much against fear as he was against sin now many of us know that sin is wrong I don't think there's a single person sitting here who would you may fall into sin but you don't condone it I mean if you've heard the preaching in this church you will never condone sin in your life even if you fall you'll recognize that you're wrong but the danger is that many of us sitting here when you get afraid you don't think that's wrong you think that's maybe that's just a weakness oh that's normal human reaction so we take one command of Jesus seriously sin not and we realize that that we need to obey that but the other command of Jesus fear not we don't take so seriously you know Christians have the habit of picking and choosing favorite verses in the Bible sin not is important fear not is not so important do not commit murder is important do not be anxious for anything well we'll try if the Word of God says don't commit adultery if you say I'll try what do you say oh yeah I want to take that seriously what about when the Word of God says don't be anxious for anything but in the Word of God says put away all anger we are selected so I want to say to you remember this the same Lord Jesus who said sin not said fear not that means if he has made provision for us through the grace of God to be free from the power of sin in our life he has also made provision by the grace of God to free us from fear totally let me ask you think of these two things sin and fear how much sin does Jesus condone in your life two or three I mean if you got only two or three simple habits will the Lord say well that's that's okay I mean two or three is okay you know you used to have about 100 now you've got only two or three praise the Lord and those you'll have to keep is it any worse like that in Scripture I mean you may condone it because you're not wholehearted but jesus never condones it tell me any verse in scripture where Jesus condones one scene we saw how Timothy had frequent stomach infirmities that okay the Lord said O'Kane that'll help you Paul had some type of sickness which he called a thorn in the flesh the Lord permitted it but sin can imagine Timothy having a sin and the Lord saying okay that's okay keep it or Paul saying that's okay no sin is serious fear is just as bad do you hate sickness good I hate sickness - what about fear do you hate it you say Lord you never told me never get sick you know there's no verse in the Bible which says don't get sick there's no verse in the Bible who says that there are sisters who say don't sin but we're so careful not to get sick why not have that same eagerness not to have fear because there are verses do not fear I mean there is no verse which says don't get sick but we don't want to get sick but there are plenty of verses which don't fear and we don't take it seriously when I was in the military we were taught that the more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war the more you sweat in peace the more the less you bleed in war meaning it was a proverb that the harder you were to prepare yourself for war time against your enemy when the enemy comes there's more chance of your conquering him instead of being dead yourself but the great danger is that when there's peace we can relax that's what happened on the India China border in 1962 I remember I was in the Navy those days India said oh well Chinese in China and India we're good friends and so the Indian soldiers relaxed and China occupied such a lot of property India's territory in Kashmir in in her natural Pradesh they've still got it they've got it permanently you know why because they took it easy the time of war they were not ready they didn't even have warm clothes for those cold climates Indian soldiers they didn't have a weapons now something like that you know and then after the you know like you can bolt the stable after the horses run away it's no use so after the property was lost then they got the Indian soldiers all with warm clothes and guns and all Android is too late now something like that can happen to believers where we try to get ready after the trials come or after the persecution comes I'll try to overcome fear in the middle of the war no the time to overcome it is now in little little little things you see overcoming fear is something like going to school when you go to school you don't I mean a four year old five year old child who goes to school doesn't start learning geometry and trigonometry and all in the first class knows a bee see 1 2 3 etc and then gradually progresses in school the same way we progress in our freedom from fear from little things to big things it's not the big things the big things will come later but little things you know worries and anxieties that plague our mind the devil is a great master by telling you what will happen to you if certain such a thing happens what will happen to you if your husband dies and you have no income left what will happen to you if you don't have a house of your own just always a rented house you don't have enough money things are going costly do you know that more than 90% of the things that we are afraid of never happen look back in your past life and see if it's not true this is the devil's work putting all types of fear about what will happen if this what will happen if this what will happen if that happens what happened know those little things let's conquer now be anxious for nothing Philippians 4:6 how to overcome it in everything by prayer and supplication I'm just quoting Philippians 4:6 suffocation means specific requests prayers general Lord please deliver me from anxiety supplication is Lord this particular thing is what I'm anxious about I want to be free from it and the third thing is with Thanksgiving Lord thank you you've heard my prayer it's like in the government offices you know a little Clarke gets a file on his table some complicated matter and he forwards it up to the higher office saying sir this is not in my department there's too much for me you handle it the file is gone from his table have you put all the files away from your mind send it up to heaven and say Lord this is too much for me to handle I can't analyst it's for you to take care of Thanksgiving means Lord I believe it's arrived on your table now it's your business you see that clerk in the government office is not worried about that file once his senior officer has received it but we Christians we pray we believe that God's heard it and then we still keep worrying as if the file is still on our table no it says the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus these little little things that happen today if you say Lord I want to be free from anxiety you'll be prepared for the days to come when men faint for fear yeah that's the way to do it we don't suddenly jump into the twelve standard in one year we progress but if you keep failing in the first standard you can sit 20 years in the same class so my brothers and sisters I want to challenge you to take this seriously from now on to prepare for the days to come do not fear do not be anxious there are many many things that can cause us anxiety on this earth God has made this world a very uncomfortable place so that people realize sin is a terrible thing every all the chaos and sickness and problems in the earth are the result of sin and God is ensures that life on Earth will never be easy and relaxed and comfortable any part of the face any part of the earth there's no place on earth which is safe I'll tell you that you've got any country you think you're going to be safe there now you can go to the safest country on earth you may not be killed by a terrorist but you can be killed by a drunken driver on the road no matter how carefully you drive which country in the world you're gonna escape that so we have to be free from anxiety which prepares us to be free from all fear and the reason for this is because if you have committed our life to the Lord he takes care of us he says I will never leave you nor forsake you I want you to turn to Hebrews in chapter 13 Hebrews 13 says in the last part he's particularly talking about you know being worried that we won't have enough money to live on this earth in the future days I need a lot of poor people maybe the rich people don't have that fear but a lot of poor people do have that fear and most of God's Saints are poor most of God Saints are poor God has chosen the poor of the world rich in faith and I've seen poor people like that who have failed much more faith than rich people rich people have faith in their money the appropriate poor people don't have any money to have faith in so they have their faith in God and you will discover in the final day who is more prepared for the final day we have to learn to free ourselves from putting our faith in our money or putting our faith in people and learn to put our faith in God even if you have plenty of money even if you have a very secure surroundings even if you are living in a very safe country we must discipline ourselves to say lord I will not put my trust in man I will not put my trust in my earthly resources I put my trust only in you so Hebrews 13 says verse 5 let your character be free from the love of money being content with what you have it's a wonderful I think there's a close connection being with being content with what you have and being free from fear you'll see that in a moment be content with what you have if you are not going to be content with what you have what God's given you you'll have a tremendous problem being free from anxiety and fear be content with what you have don't compare your lot with somebody else's don't say I want to have what he has that's how a lot of people get into debt be very careful that's how we buy things on credit all my life I have urged people never to buy things on credit try your best to live within your income and don't borrow it unless you're in an emergency and if you have borrowed return it as soon as possible but don't borrow to satisfy your covetousness never never you won't grow spiritually I can prophesy that I've seen that many many people be content with what you have because God himself has said I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you and somewhere I read that in that translation it comes three times I'll never never never as if the whole trinity is promising I will never never never leave you or forsake you that is our confidence my confidence is not my bank account though I may have one it's not in my house though I may have one it's in God it's in God you know in India a lot of people place their confidence in everywhere they place their confidence money but in particularly in India they place their confidence in in my old age my children will take care of me in Western countries where particularly socialist countries like in Europe Australia and all they place that confidence in the Social Security system of the government which says well when you're old we'll give you a pension you'll never be in need many India of course doesn't have such a thing but what should we place our confidence in when you're all who's supposed to take care of you a lot of people who never want their children to go away from them because they say who'll take care of me when I'm old I brought you up to take care of me when I'm old dear me then you're not a good father if you brought up your children just to take care of you and you're old you know what God says he says in Isaiah 46 verse 4 even to your old age I am the same what a world this is only for those who have faith in God even to your old age I shall be the same even to your grain years I shall bear you I brought you into the world and I shall bear you and I shall deliver you I have made you I shall carry you I shall bear you I shall deliver you our confidence is in him it's not in our money not in our children not in a good church some people their confidence is in a good church oh we got a good church if I man any need all the brothers and sisters will rally around me and help me ha ha I feel sorry for your brother I really feel sorry for you you're gonna have a tough time in the last days do you know how many people their confidence is in something earthly some human being some earthly resource shake it off and say Lord I'm gonna trust you I'm gonna like Peter stepped out of that security of that boat and Jesus said come and he stepped out in the insecurity of that roaring sea and he walked yeah that was quite an experience you can have that experience if you trust the Lord because he said I'll never leave you I'll never forsake you Hebrews 13 6 the next verse it says therefore we can boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not be afraid what man can do to me you need this in the days to come because the Bible says that we're going to have a lot of think calamities that are going to take place on the earth let's turn back to Matthew 24 Matthew 24 there'll be Wars 4 6 rumors of wars there are going to be famines Earthquakes verse seven famines earthquakes war rumors of war I'm gonna take place in the last days what shall I pray shall I pray Lord don't let there ever be a war shall I pray Lord don't let there ever be a famine don't let there ever be an earthquake you're praying against the Word of God I never pray such prayers you know that a lot of prayers I don't pray I never pray Lord let the whole of India get converted it sounds very spiritual now if you pray like that no I don't pray it you know what I pray Lord you said there are a few the way to life is narrow and few there be that find it Lord bring me in touch with those of you I want to build your church with them that's what I pray I pray according to Scripture not according to the super spiritual garbage that a lot of people pray dear brothers and sisters think whether lot of your Christianity has come from super spiritual garbage that you've heard from other Christians not from the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles that's why your life is so shaky your life won't be shaky your life will be firm in the last days if you spend your time studying Scripture and base everything on scripture and refuse to believe what anybody teaches if it's not in Scripture this is the Word of God meant to give us light in the darkness of this world study it is the only book written by God it's the only book in the world that tells us how we should live yeah I spent nearly 50 years studying it and it's changed my life and it saved me from all the deception going on in evangelical and charismatic Christianity today I'm not shaken by it one I can discern straight through and see through the hollowness and emptiness and unscriptural things going on all around can you see it or are you deceived by what you see I'll tell you why you are to see because you don't know the Scriptures and if you start and don't study the Scriptures you're not going to be bold in the days to come when Satan comes against you what weapon did Jesus use he said it's written Satan came a second time he said it's written third time he came against Satan Satan came against Jesus Jesus said it's written that's all no discussion with you Satan it's written that's it and Satan went away I wish Satan would find more believers like that today who when he comes against them with his deceptions and his fears and his persecution you say it is written Satan can you say that can you know what's written let me tell you some things that are written here it says there'll be Wars there gonna be earthquakes famines all types of things which can produce a lot of fear and then that is fear because of the circumstances that are going to happen on the earth that terrorism the wars the insecurities and one more thing that can cause insecurity we read in Revelation and chapter 6 speaking about the last days listen to this and see what you can understand from this verse 5 revelation 6 verse 5 speaking about the last days he broke the third seal and the third living creature said come and I looked and behold a black horse is a picture of famine and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand that's a picture of you know selling food and I heard as it were a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying a quart of wheat for a Denarius a Denarius is one full day's wage for one full whatever you you know what you're one day's salary is with that one day's salary you can get a quart of wheat a little bit of wheat and three quarts of barley also for one day's wages but don't harm the oil in the wine the oil and the wine referred to that you know wheat and barley are the things which we all need for food oil and wine are for the rich and what I get from that verse is that it looks as if in the last days the poor will suffer a lot more than the rich we see that in India you know we see how if I were to paraphrase that the rich are going to get richer and the poor are gonna struggle in the last days do we see that happening around you I see it happening in India I mean I never drank 20 years ago or even 10 years ago that three Indians would be among the ten richest people in the whole world did you have a dream of that is in India supposed to be a poor country it's true there are three Indians in the top ten richest people in the whole world but go down to the villages and see the condition of the poor that's what that verse says go to africa and see the condition of the poor it's going to be terrible in the last days gonna happen it doesn't mean that those poor will go to hell I think God has mercy on them many of them are getting saved but what I mean is there's gonna be a lot of fear and insecurity because cost of living is going up we're not all millionaires cost of laying is going to go up is going to affect all of us that's one type of fear and the other type of fear can come from matthew 24:9 then they will deliver you to tribulation men will persecute you they will kill you you will be hated by all nations because of the name of Jesus Christ because you take the name of Jesus Christ you will be hated by every nation in it and time is going to come and at that time many will fall away they will deliver up one another and hate one another another place jesus said your brother will deliver you up to betray you and they'll persecute you so Christians are going to face persecution in the last days just like in the first century can't God protect us from being persecuted sure he could have prevented Jesus from being killed he could have prevented James the Apostle from being beheaded he could have prevented Paul from being beheaded at the age of 67 by Nero why not he could have prevented Thomas from being speared to death in Chennai 1,900 years ago he could have prevented all the apostles from being killed but he didn't could God have prevented all those wonderful martyrs who were burnt at the stake and thrown to the Lions of course he could have he who shut the mouth of the Lions in Daniels tankers shut the mouths of all those lines in the Roman amphitheaters when Christians were thrown to the Lions but those were Old Covenant people these were new covenant Christians he could have let the people the martyrs at the stake escaped the fire just like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the Old Testament they were Old Covenant and the Old Covenant they glorified God by escaping the fire by escaping the teeth of the Lions in the New Covenant they glorified God by being burnt in the fire and by being eaten up by the Lions God is as God a people on earth whom he can point out to Satan and say Satan you can do whatever you like to them they will not deny me they will not give up on me he didn't have many people like that in the old testament the old way because the Old Testament people didn't have the part of the Holy Spirit nobody in the Old Testament was baptized in the Holy Spirit this is the this is the whole thing you remove the baptism the Holy Spirit we are like Old Covenant people and I've seen a lot of Christians today who don't value the baptism knowledge but they are like Old Covenant people yeah so in the Old Covenant because they didn't have the part of the Holy Spirit a few of them had you know I think of people like Enoch let me just mention this about there were two people who were raptured in the Old Testament that means taken up a life to heaven a picture of how we will be taken up when Jesus comes again God's given us a glimpse of that in the Old Testament two people who didn't die I say I tell you honestly I'm not planning to die I expect to live when Jesus comes I hope you do - I'm looking forward to that the Christ will come and I will be taken up alive to meet him in the air and I believe that we should all have that goal I think I'll have that goal even if I'm a hundred years old the sky not the grave is our goal you remember that song we sing it is well with my skull well with my soul it is well it is well with my soul and one line up it says the sky not the grave is our goal I'm not like those some even some believers old people say oh I want to die I want to go I don't want to die I'll tell you that I'm not gonna say that even when I'm 90 years old I'm waiting for Jesus to come I'm waiting for not because I love this rotten old world but because a lot of people on this earth who need to hear about Jesus a lot of Christians who need to live an overcoming life for their sake I want to live I hope you want to live for that sake - not for any other reason so the sky is our goal but think of two examples God's given us in the Old Testament of Enoch and Elijah and there's something we can learn from him how to be ready for the rapture we believe that the trumpet will sound and the skies will open Jesus will descend from heaven with multitudes of angels and the graves will be opened and all those who died there trusting in him will rise with the resurrection bodies and we who are alive it's gonna be a wonderful day and it'll be like lightning the whole earth will see it I'll be taken up straight up immediately this rotten old body will be transformed into a body just like his and brothers and sisters you're not gonna be taken out and God's given us an example of two men in the Old Testament who were taken up learn from them to be ready to be taken out let's look at Enoch first it says about Enoch in Genesis chapter 5 that for 65 years he lived a wayward life he didn't care for God Enoch verse 21 he lived for 65 years and then he had a child called Methuselah I want to tell you something that happened at the birth of Methuselah which is not written in Scripture but which I derived from what I see here we're supposed to meditate on Scripture the word Methuselah means at his depth it will come that is the judgment that means when Enoch was 65 years old he got the Lord when his child was born he never had me children for 65 years and the child was born he got some revelation from God when this child dies I'm gonna judge the world that shook up Enoch I hope it shakes you and me up when I when God says this world is going to be judged do you believe the world's gonna be judged I believe it the rotten sin that there is going on in the world was there any Knox time - and so he began to take it seriously and it says from that day he walked with God for 300 years next verse and then one day he walked with God and he he lived a normal life he didn't become a hermit it says here he lived a normal family life he had sons and daughters after that he lived with his wife we had children he was a good father he brought up his children well and then one day worse twenty four he just went up to heaven God took him he walked with God and God took him but before God took him Hebrews 11 verse 6 tells us Hebrews 11 verse 6 verse 5 sorry Enoch was taken up by faith how did he get raptured I faith Lord I trust you he was taken up and he had this testimony that he pleased God before he was taken up and that's the testimony that you and I need to have that you have pleased God in this earthly life that's what we got to learn from Enoch and what did he not preach 1 John Jude book of Jude and verse 14 and 15 Enoch was a preacher he was the first preacher mentioned in the Bible what did he preach he prejudgment he says I see the Lord coming with 10 thousands of Holy Ones he's speaking about the second coming of the Lord before the first coming of Christ imagine a man who prophesied the second coming of Christ before Christ had come even once that was Enoch he's I see the Lord came with many thousands of His Holy Ones to execute judgment upon all to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly which they have done their ungodly ways the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken the priests it wasn't a comfortable thing listening to Enoch preaching he walked with God and I tell you a man who walks with God will preach against sin he'll free judgment on sinners he's not gonna be like these preachers who study psychology and make people comfortable in their sin so that's the first type of person do you want to be like that preaching against sin and pleasing God the second person was Elijah and the Bible says in the last verse of Malachi Malachi chapter 4 it says in verse 5 I'm going to send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord and when John the Baptist came they asked Jesus is this the Elijah they knew it was not literally Elijah but someone was coming in the spirit of Elijah in fact it was prophesied of John that he would come the spirit of Elijah and he did jesus said if you accept him if you Jews accept him and his message then he is Elijah but they didn't accept him so listen in the last days there's going to be God is going to send the prophetís people of the spirit of the prophet Elijah and that is the New Testament church it's not a person now it's not one individual like Old Covenant it's a body of people that's Elijah the last days Elijah is a body of people who come with the spirit of John the Baptist saying prepare the way of the Lord turn from sin make the crooked things in your life straight who come with the spirit of Elijah who stood on Mount Carmel and said if Jonah is God worse worship Him if BL is God worship Him but don't be wishy-washy and the body of Christ in the last days the spirit of Elijah will say if Christ is God follow him if money is God serve that but don't try and mix the two if you're gonna live for God live for God if you kind of live for the world live for the world but God is no place for lukewarm people because you're lukewarm I'll spit you out of my mouth be cold or be hot that's the spirit of Elijah would stand before kings and not be afraid that's what we learned from Elijah the two people who were raptured Paul told Timothy we saw that once before he spoke about the confession that Jesus made before Pontius Pilate we looked at one of those confessions in a previous study where Jesus said My Kingdom is not of this world he made another confession before Pontius Pilate and that is John 19 verse 11 and that's something we need to learn in relation to the last days to be prepared for the confession Jesus made when Pontius Pilate threatened him like people may one day threaten you'll please listen to this carefully Pilate said to him Pilate was the greatest Authority there in that land he saw Jesus all beaten up hammered insulted humiliated standing helpless there before him but standing upright I don't believe Jesus was standing there saying well it means a mercy on me don't you ever stand like that before somebody who persecutes you know stand like Jesus I say Lord give me grace to stand like Jesus and the day I'm persecuted good prayer to pray his blood was flowing down is when he stood there and Pilate was the one who was afraid of what do people say I better wash my hands I'm not responsible okay kill him he was the one who was scared Jesus wasn't scared Pilate said you know I have power to kill you John 19:10 or release you and here's Jesus not worried he does you please please please don't let don't kill me he says you have no authority over me Pilate unless my father in heaven gives it to you I'm sorry I'm under my father's authority you can't touch a hair on my head without my father's permission and you know that the promise is given to us not a hair on your head you're a more value than many sparrows the hairs on your head aren't numbered all things work together for good to those who love God and were called according to his purpose wonderful promises all in the New Testament and here's an amazing one let me close with this Isaiah 54 in verse 17 Isaiah 54 verse 17 says no weapon that is formed against you will prosper we are to be fearless I remember hearing of a European lady missionary you went to China and the early part of the 20th century in the 1900s as a missionary and she was traveling in a little ship across from one part of China to the other and it was occupied by pirates who boarded the ship and went around with guns and came into a room and pointed a gun at her this is lady this lady said no weapon formed against me will prosper put down that gun the Pirates had never met a woman like this in their life they put the gun down and treat it over the respect for the rest of the time on that ship till she till the ship finally came to shore and the Pirates left them alone imagine a woman I remember one of our brothers one of our elder brothers from Tamil Nadu he told me how he went to Bangladesh once he had to go on some official duty there and he landed up in the airport very early in the morning 3:30 in the morning or something like that and he had to take a auto rickshaw you know these people who pulled rickshaws in a cycle or something to the place where yet the course early morning dark and we came somewhere they stopped direction on two people came up to him and tried to confront him you know muggers people who wanted to just mug him and they confronted him and he just started speaking in tongues and started praying to God and they all got scared and ran away this is true this is true and you know that brother dear brothers and sisters we're on the victory side Satan was defeated 2,000 years ago we don't have to fear God is on our side keep a clear conscience humble yourself keep your conscience clear before God and before men God is preparing us for a land which is a place that he's prepared for us keep that in mind all the time we are getting nearer and nearer to that day live with eternity in view make full use of the few days that are left before Christ comes again don't have any regret in that day that you didn't live for him that after all the messages you heard was just information in your head not a challenge in your heart to live for him if Christ is God live for him he moved the world and money are more important live for that but don't be lukewarm he was yours to hear let him hear let's pray while a heads about in prayer I want to ask you my brothers and sisters in the light of all that you've heard what's your response gonna be say Lord I don't want a response it's only temporary I want with all my heart to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire to live in the fire of God every day of my life I want to live for the things that are eternal I want to live for Jesus Christ help me Lord help each one of us help us to be the church that you want us to be in these last days we pray in Jesus name

Channel: CFC India

Views: 42,451

Rating: 4.8543415 out of 5

Keywords: zac poonen, cfc, Christian Fellowship Church, Church, Fellowship, Christian, Zac, Poonen

Id: xgV25qFhkZs

Length: 59min 22sec (3562 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 21 2014