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Hi everyone, welcome to 2011studies.
This is Matthew 8:16:
"When the even was come,
they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils:
and he cast out the spirits with [his] word,
and healed all that were sick:"
Verse 17: "That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare [our] sicknesses."
The time of Christ's ministry . . .
We are deviating a little bit
this week from the second year of Darius
because I want to address something that I think is very important
amidst all the news of shootings going around in this country.
That is only part of it.
The rest of the world is also experiencing things.
The times we are living
in right now, I believe is the time of Great Tribulation,
mega-tribulation.
There are certain things in God's Word
that allow us to know
that in the last days
there will be perilous times.
I am going to present something in today's study
that hopefully will answer some of these questions.
As I watched the news
of this recent shooting,
it left a lot of people posing the question:
what is going on?
I saw one women who actually said that on the news.
What is happening? What is going on?
I think this world has to understand
and hopefully more and more people will turn to God's Word at this point
and fall on their knees.
I am presenting this Christmas version of "O Holy Night."
The line of lyrics in there is
"Fall on your knees and hear the angels voices."
Well, today we fall on our knees, and we hear God's Word.
That is what is speaking to us
as far as where we are at in history.
This is a more somber 2011studies study
as we present this in December 2012.
The thing about this is
there are answers in the Bible.
We have to know what is going on
in order to protect ourselves
from the, as a friend would say,
the stealth capabilities of Satan
and what he is doing in this world right now.
I am seeing a very similar time
to the time of Christ's ministry of 3 1/2 years.
The reason I am seeing that
is because of the language of back then compared to now.
I want to explore that.
Then again, that fits the whole timeline
because once Christ went to the cross
after that period of His 3 year ministry,
then He prayed that the Father would be glorified
as there was judgment which fell upon Him.
I think this lines up perfectly with the year 2015.
As judgment falls,
God will be glorified upon the houses of God.
The judgment falls on the houses of God,
and there is a similar repeating where God is lifted up.
According to Joel 2, God will do great things
and salvation will continue to go on.
There are good aspects of this too,
like in the book of Daniel where it says,
even in troublous times, the wall is built.
Salvation goes forth
even in troublous times, in perilous times.
This comparison of this demonic activity
back in Christ's day,
I think can absolutely be shown
to be the time that we are living in right now.
It is like a repeating of history.
What is so key to all this
is that when you see things happening around the world,
this type of senseless activity
which just leads to complete destruction,
it makes people pose that question: what is going on?
What is happening
in this world?
So, we have to face this fact
that Christ's Words are true.
He warned against the time when the love of many would wax cold.
That word "wax" is "evaporate."
We are living in that time right now.
I think this little study,
this mini study that I am presenting today,
hopefully will give some answers
and why it is important that we pray.
And, yes, I am aware that people of this world
will mock this idea
that there is a being called Satan,
and his path is a path of destruction.
He wants to destroy,
but I am not going to cease from warning against this
because I know God's Word is true.
I have seen him work through other people
in the attempt to accuse believers in Christ
to bring them down.
So, this type of activity is going on.
There is no doubt about that.
There are a couple of verses that I want to share.
The first one is ". . . the love of many shall wax cold."
We have talked about that a little bit
and how that will be like an evaporation of love.
Number two is ". . . in the last days perilous times shall come."
Now I want to present where in the Bible that Greek word "perilous" is used.
It is found twice.
Let me read this from Matthew 8.
Then I am going to go to 2 Timothy 3.
Keep in mind where "perilous" is used in Matthew 8,
the words "exceedingly fierce" is translated.
That is the English translation,
and in 2 Timothy 3:1 it is "perilous times."
So it is "exceedingly fierce" and "perilous times."
"Fierce" and "perilous" is the same word.
So, let us read this in Matthew 8:28:
"And when he was come to the other side
into the country of the Gergesenes,
there met him two possessed with devils,
coming out of the tombs,
exceeding fierce . . ."
That is perilous.
". . . so that no man might pass by that way."
Verse 29: "And, behold, they cried out, saying,
What have we to do with thee, Jesus,
thou Son of God?
art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"
Verse 30: "And there was a good way off
from them an herd of many swine feeding."
Verse 31: "So the devils besought him, saying,
If thou cast us out,
suffer . . ." (or allow) ". . . us to go away into the herd of swine."
Verse 32: "And he said unto them, Go.
And when they were come out,
they went into the herd of swine:
and, behold, the whole herd of swine:
ran violently down a steep place
into the sea, and perished in the waters."
Verse 33: "And they that kept them fled . . ."
The keepers of the swine fled.
". . . and went their ways into the city,
and told every thing,
and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils."
Verse 34: "And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus:
and when they saw him, they besought [him]
that he would depart out of their coasts."
It was kind of odd that they would request that He leave,
but, then again, the kingdoms of this world are like that
when it comes to Christ healing and offering true life.
Now we are going to look at 2 Timothy 3:1,
and remember that this activity that we just read,
the devils coming out of the tomb,
or the two possessed with devils coming out of the tomb "exceeding fierce
that no man might pass by the way,"
they were possessed.
2 Timothy 3:1: "This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come."
Verse 2: "For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"
Verse 3: "Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good."
Verse 4: "Traitors, heady, high-minded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;"
Verse 5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away."
Now, I just want to cover a few of these
key words in here just to show
this activity.
The proud, this is in the Proverbs
the things that are an abomination to God.
Proverbs 6:16: "These six [things] doth the LORD hate:
yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:"
Verse 17: "A proud look, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,"
Verse 18: "An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
feet that be swift in running to mischief,"
Verse 19: "A false witness [that] speaketh lies,
and he that soweth discord among brethren."
Here we have the covetousness of the religious leaders
found in Luke 16:14:
"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous,
heard all these things: and they derided him."
Verse 15: "And he said unto them,
Ye are they which justify yourselves before men;
but God knoweth your hearts:
for that which is highly esteemed
among men [is] abomination in the sight of God."
This is Romans 1:28:
"And even as they did not like to retain God
God in [their] knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient;"
Verse 29: "Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, ***,
debate, deceit, malignity whisperers,
Verse 30: "Backbiters, haters of God,
despiteful, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things . . ." (thinking evil things)
disobedient to parents,"
Verse 31: "Without understanding, covenantbreakers,
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:"
Verse 32: "Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them."
"Unholy" is one of the words mentioned,
and I want to touch on this in 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:9: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man,
but for the lawless and disobedient,
for the ungodly and for sinners,
for unholy and profane,
for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,"
"False accusers," that is another word.
That is the word "diabolos."
That is the word "devil."
Satan is the accuser of the brethren.
That goes right alongside with those who are possessed
or have devils.
Revelation 12:12: "Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens,
and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea!
for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
The word "incontinent" is "without self-control" and "powerless."
The word "traitors" we looked at previously in other studies
and how Judas was the ultimate traitor.
The verse that backs that up is Luke 6:16:
"And Judas [the brother] of James,
and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."
When Stephen was ***, murderers and traitors were present.
The word "heady" is used; that is "rashly."
This is 2 Timothy 3:12:
"Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
Verse 13: "But evil men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived."
During perilous times,
when Christ prayed the Lord's prayer,
those words are very significant for today,
for example, "deliver us from evil."
It is amazing how those words carry over throughout time,
but especially during times that are perilous, which we are living in right now.
The sound mind, there is something about that too.
The sound mind which Christ gives is peace and blessing.
Those who do not have that sound mind,
by God's Spirit, they are capable of very evil acts.
I think this is all starting to unravel
in this world.
It has happened more than once,
and people come on the news and say, "This is still rare."
It is not rare.
It is happening way too much.
What is going on?
Well, the spirit of anti-Christ, the spirit of "diabolos" . . .
Satan wants to lead people into destruction.
Not only do these occurrences happen where people lives are taken,
but it is also a destruction of themselves.
That goes hand-in-hand.
He wants destruction of human life.
If there is any time in history
that we need to fall on our knees and pray to God
and ask for salvation and for understanding of these things
and the times we are living in . . .
That is so key.
Because no matter what happens,
once we have been secured under Christ's protection . . .
No matter what happens . . .
I have told friends this before,
I will die with a smile on my face
knowing that that is my security.
No matter happens in this world,
I have salvation in Christ.
He has the power to raise me up on the last day.
2 Corinthians 5:8: ". . . to be absent from the body . . ." (is) ". . . to be present with the Lord."
That is a great security
and a great joy that you can walk through this life
and you can have that type of security.
I do not know how people do it.
I really do not.
I do not know how people go without that.
It is one of those things where
we are in a world, like the Bible mentions, where these are perilous times,
the last days of history.
I want to close with this verse
in Mark (I really printed this small) Mark 5:15:
"And they come to Jesus,
and see him that was possessed with the devil,
and had the legion . . ."
This is the one where Christ said what is thy name,
and they responded legion for they were many.
". . . sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind:
and they were afraid."
This is the one that was possessed with the devil
and then when Christ healed him, he was in his right mind.
Unfortunately, there are people who,
during these perilous times, are not in their right mind.
That is something that we have to face
in the upcoming years.
This activity that I am seeing
is very connected to . . .
When Christ cast out, He used the Word of God.
This is the most important thing.
When the devils were cast out,
He used the Word of God
when the evil spirits were cast out.
The Word of God is still as powerful today
as ever.
When people hear the Word of God . . .
It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.
When people hear these words
that Christ is come to set the captives free,
that is all good news.
So, this Word still must go out
even in perilous times.
Like in Daniel when the wall is being built,
it is even in troublous times.
I want to get back into the second year of Darius.
It is very important that we see that
God shaking the heavens and the earth
is very spiritual language
indicating salvation is going forth.
The house that is being built
will have greater glory than the former house.
That is the most significant thing about God shaking the heavens and the earth.
We are going to get back into that in the second year of Darius.
We are going to look at the coming months coming ahead.
We are going to see that there are some things that are very promising
regarding the accuser of the brethren
as Satan goes about accusing.
We are going to see that in the next study.
I am going to upload a couple Christmas songs
if I finish the other one.
One is "O Holy Night"
and the other is "O Come All Ye Faithful," two of my favorite ones.
Last year I did "Silent Night" and "Little Drummer Boy."
This year I decided to just do a couple.
Then, God willing, next Christmas I will do a couple more.
Then it will sort of complete a CD.
So, these are perilous times that we are living in.
Yes, they are,
but we have God's Word,
and we know God's promises and His truth.
It is important that we share the Gospel,
the Good News with people
while there is time
and while we are entering a great time of salvation.
We have to pray continually on this
because it is just an urgent, urgent thing.
That is all for now,
and I will be posting a new study, hopefully this week.
God bless you.