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so before we get to our prophecy update
I want to speak directly to our online
church family last week I
received and email from in fact a youtube comment from
an online church member in of all places Hungary
and they were asking about the YouTube capability of closed-captioned
translation which
was a feature that I was unaware was
available especially in terms of
having different languages appear on the
bottom of the screen so a being the
delegator that I'm trying to be actually giving it to somebody else to do instead
of me I had Milton
who uploads our videos to YouTube kinda look into it and what he found was
yes it is possible
and you can click on the icon
there on the YouTube video for close captioning and then
wherever you're out in the world you can select the translation actually had
milton Thursday night show me the Arabic one
which is really interesting but now here's the thing
it took him many many hours to edit the text because
so I guess I'm apologizing in advance for those of you who do it especially in
your native tongue
because sometimes it doesn't convert
just my words to text correctly
and so you know I might say a word and then it
it converts it to something else that may even in fact the inappropriate
and bless Milton's heart was able to go in there and edit it
so what we want to let you know is that now you can do that this is also
something that
can be done for the hearing impaired who are just you know
a unable to and it does convert a speech to text so
that is but please forgive us for
the incorrect a captioning and even translation if for whatever reason
a word pops up on the screen and then don't send me a comment that says I
can't believe you said that
I probably didn't YouTube thought I did so
anyway that's kinda a disclaimer alright well lets get to our prophecy update
we're going to dovetail off of last week's update where
we looked at the last days marker
of the increase up evil morally
so today we're going to look at the decrease
of tolerance for the preaching of the Word
and the sound doctrine in the Word
spiritually just kind of roommate prophecies now
here's why these moral
and spiritual last days signs reinforce
all the other signs as it relates to
the geopolitical landscape especially surrounding
Israel and the reason being is that
Bible prophecy requires us
to factor into the prophetic equation simultaneously
the middle East geopolitically
and the decay both morally
and spiritually in other words these are all
factors in the overall scheme of things
when I see the bigger picture globally
I'll be more apt to conclude
that we're indeed living in the last moments
of world history as we know it
everything factored in might I trouble you to turn with me to 2nd Timothy the
fourth chapter
I'll read verses 1 through 4
you'll forgive me in advance for my
cough and my cough drop here the Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit writing
in Timothy says
in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus
who will judge the living and the dead and in view of his appearing
and his kingdom I give you this charge
verse two preach the
Word be prepared in season and out of season
correct rebuke and encourage with great patience
pardon me and careful instruction
for the time will come verse three listen
when men will not put up with sound doctrine
instead to suit their own desires
they will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching years want to hear
they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside
to miss pardon me
you have to indulge me for just a little bit I wanna
share with you something that I had actually shared about a year ago
I've asked myself why it is that
in the last days people will refuse to put up with sound doctrine
and instead flock to teachers who were willing to say what their
ears were itching to hear so the question
is do they flock to teachers who say what their
itching ears wanna hear or do the teachers teach
what they're itching ears want to hear so people will flock to them
which is it I believe it's both
and sadly it's for this reason that
sound doctrine is fast become the Lost jewel in the church today
in these last days and it's yet another
sign that we are indeed in the last days
I would suggest that this is happening for a number of reasons
not the least of which is that pastors
don't want to offend the people in their church
so they'll come back to their church again its
kinda goes into what we were talking about in our study in 1st Corinthians
a big church is synonymous with a Blessed church
if you're the pastor a big church weill you must be a really good teacher
that's kinda like the acid test and conversely if
you''re not the pastor of a big church then you must not be a very good teacher
or a very good pastorr because certainly you're not able to grow the church
well I got news for you that's not in my job description
and I'm so thankful there's no pressure to grow the church
Jesus will add as many as
should be saved to the church that is
what God does that's not what man does
if I'm just faithful to preach the Word
that's what I it is in my job Description very simple
then God will take care of the rest take it a step further suggest that God
will send people to a church
where they're going to hear the Word preached
where they're going to be fed I mean just
wouldn't you with your children he is our Heavenly Father
will direct his children to a place that is safe
a healthy church where
they will grow I suppose
it should come as no surprise
that the condition of the church in america has
deteriorated so rapidly and
so badly as it now has I'll spare you the
depressing statistics but they're getting worse
I have a study from back in 2007 it's already outdated
and I mean it's just waxing more evil it seems by the day
it was evidenced once again just last week as maybe
some of you had heard by World Vision's
stunning announcement that they would accept gay Christians as employees
Franklin Graham posted a comment in regards to this
how deeply saddened he was by this
now I suppose in all fairness
to their credit World Vision did reverse their decision however
to say the fallout and the backlash from this is telling would be a gross
understatement I'll tell you why it seems that
the financial supporters who are ready to terminate their funding
may have motivated World Vision's quick
reversal at least that's the world's perception
of World Vision as this anti-christian
article by the Huffington Post so viciously
and antagonistically alleges in just the title
which reads World Vision's failed attempt
at justice for gay Christians
bear with me as I read an excerpt from
this grievous article it's gonna be germane to our understanding
of today's update this is a quote
those who forced the policy change base their views
on their supposed commitment to Scripture
but of course we know that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality
and by the way for you who are sharing the Gospel with those
that are in this sinful lifestyle this is the number one
thing that they rub in your nose and by the way I remember when SB1
was when they had the testimony for SB1
this was the thing that they hung their hat on
much to their shame and disgrace I might say
I want to come back to that actually this question of
so that you know and are well equipped to be able to give to every man an
answer
when asked that question well Jesus didn't say anything about homosexuality a sin
I wanna come back to that however
he did say a lot about the poor the marginalized again this is the
Huffington Post those without clothes or food or shelter
the people Christ Himself identified with and the people
who World Vision serves it is a shame
that we can not all serve Christ together doesn't that just sound so
like why can't all get along in the end
however World Vision's waffling is still a victory
listen carefully it shows that there were many people within the organization
that wanted the exclusionary policy
against LGBT people changed
yes they reversed but
the sin of homophobia
the sin of homophobia is pernicious
we have to expect some backsliding
but justice and love
and a full inclusion and dignity of
the LGBT people will prevail in the end
I know that because the Bible tells me so
we'll come back to the article but let's tackle this question by the way the
site here on the screen got questions .org fabulous site
encourage you to write down the URL and go to this site to search
any question you want excellent very excellent
so here's the question if homosexuality is a sin why didn't Jesus ever mentioned
answer many who support same-sex marriage and gay rights argue that
since Jesus has never mentioned homosexuality he did not consider it to be
sinful
after all the argument goes if homosexuality is bad
why did Jesus treat it as a non-issue
it is technically true that Jesus did not specifically address homosexuality
in the Gospel accounts
however Jesus did speak
very clearly about sexuality
in general concerning marriage Jesus stated
at the beginning the career made them male
and female as one has so aptly said
he created them Adam and Eve not
Adam and Steve just saying
I'll just give me some time on that one
he made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father
and mother
and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh
so they are no longer two but one flesh therefore
what God has joined together let no man separate
or pervert
here Jesus clearly referred to Adam and Eve
and affirmed God's intended design
for marriage and sexuality
not going to get into all that we've talked about this in-depth
on many occasions some in our Prophecy updates
a the one time that we devoted to it was we were in Romans chapter 1
going through our study through Romans and I will just refer you
to that teaching let's get back to this article
I believe that this Huffington Post article
strikes at the heart up this last day as prophecy in 2nd Timothy
such that in the last days the world will become increasingly more
ignorant about and intolerant
of God's Word I think it what Isaiah said that in the last days they will
call evil good
and good evil
so we're the ones who are intolerant and unloving
we're the ones who are evil
that's what his Bible tells him the writer of the article says
I we submit that not only is the world today
intolerant of God's Word the're
becoming increasingly more intolerant love those who teach God's Word
and here's how I get there Paul tells Timothy that
to suit their own desires people will flock to teachers who will tell them
what they want to hear that means that they're gonna abandon
even penalize the teachers
who will refused to tell them what their ears
are itching to hear now what's interesting
is that this seems to fit with the prophetic description
of two types in churches in the last days
prior to the Rapture we have them in Revelation chapters 2 and 3
I'm speaking of course about the church in philadelphia
which was the sixth church of 7 and the church
of the laodiceans I said that for a reason
which was the seventh church in time does not permit to get into
the reasons for that I'm not gonna get in-depth
into these two churches but
these two churches are representative of the church
in the last days I do want to point out a
most striking contrast between these two polar opposite churches
the church in philadelphia and the church of the
laodiceans the laodicean church of course is the lukewarm
church but to the church for Philadelphia
Jesus commends them for keeping his word in fact of the seven churches only the
church of Smyrna and the church to Philadelphia
were the only two of the seven that were not rebuked
by Jesus the other five were
so you have on one side of the table
the church in philadelphia being commended for keeping his word
whereas the church of the
laodiceans Jesus rebukes for not only kicking his Word out of the church
but kicking him out of the church and by the way is not Jesus the Word
in the beginning was the Word
that's why Jesus is on the outside knocking
to come back into the church of the laodiceans
they have taken over the church they were
calling the shots which by the way is what the name laodicea means laity
diocese or decide laity rule
Jesus was not ruling they're making all the decisions they were ruling the roost
why it was because they wanted a church that would instead
suit their own desires they wanted a pastor who would tell them
what their ears were itching to hear you're good
you guys are the best lets all have a group hug
and potluck that's it
that's what they were wanting to hear
wanna close by sharing with you a poem
from my archive library I happened upon a number of years ago and I think it
just is so apropos
and how it speaks to this contrast between
a Philadelphia Christian a laodicean Christian
especially as it relates to one's regard
for not only God's Word but the teacher
of God's Word who will stand firm and preach the word and
not tell them what their
ears are itching to hear it's titled improving the pastors preaching
right there you know you're in for a
here's how it goes
Sunday the sermon was sluggish t'was hard
attention to keep the theme was faultily chosen
that almost put me to sleep
monday was blue with sheer boredom
tuesday was carnal by choice
Wednesday my conscious was waken
by pleas from a still small voice
prayer meeting left me uplifted loyalty
lingering long Thursday my heart was responding
Friday his nudging was strong
I came to thorough repentance
the following Saturday I yielded in full surrender
as all on the alter I lay
Sunday the sermon was perfect
superb and quite at its peak
amazing how greatly that Pastor
improved in the space above one week
I think you get the point why don't you all stand
Lord it is truly my privilege as the pastor this wonderful church to
be able to
say that in a way I'm preaching to the choir
Lord you have blessed
this church in such a way that
Your Word is at the center
never to be beseated by
anything or even anyone else Lord I pray that as long as you give me breath
and the grace and the privilege of having these people in this church
that there would without exception
be the preaching of Your
Word Lord thank You for Your Word
in Jesus name Amen