[0:00] He counts the stars one and all, knows how much sand is on the shores, sees every sparrow that falls.
[0:18] He's in control of everything, of all creatures great and small, and He knows my name.
[0:35] Every step that I take, every move that I make, every tear that I cry, and He knows my name.
[0:50] When overwhelmed by the pain, can't see the light of day, I know I'll be just fine, cause He knows my name.
[1:05] Don't know what tomorrow will bring, I can't tell you what's in store, I don't know a lot of things.
[1:20] Don't have all the answers to the questions of life, but I know whom I have believed, and He knows my name.
[1:34] Every step that I take, every move that I make, every tear that I cry, and He knows my name.
[1:48] When overwhelmed by the pain, can't see the light of day, I know I'll be just fine, cause He knows my name.
[2:02] Every step that I take, every move that I make, every tear that I cry, and He knows my name.
[2:16] That's a blessing. Yes, He does. A lot of people know His name. A lot of people take it in vain on a regular basis. But boy, I tell you what, when you get born again into the family of God, He knows you, man.
[2:31] He knows your name. He wrote it in His book. Amen. I'm glad about that. I'm real happy about that. All right? Now, we're really going to redefine special.
[2:45] I'm going to sit out here, cause I want to hear it. I would like to give a testimony first. You know, even when you're in the ministry sometimes, you kind of, there's times where you want to back up on the Lord and maybe not do the things you're supposed to do.
[3:01] And we were supposed to go to New York and I was afraid of getting COVID. I just got a spirit of fear. And all of a sudden, I didn't want to go to one of my favorite places that I always want to go.
[3:13] And I started, I said, Lord, I've never had this feeling in my heart before that I just didn't want to do something that you wanted me to do. And I started talking to the Lord about it. And He used this song.
[3:24] He just brought it to my remembrance from way back from whenever. And it just gave me the go ahead to just go ahead and do it and not be afraid.
[3:37] Amen? So. Oh, that was great. I'll say yes, Lord, yes.
[3:53] Do your will and to your way. I'll say yes, Lord, yes. I will trust you and obey.
[4:04] When your spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart, I'll agree. And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.
[4:19] Lord, I give you all the glory for what you've given me. You have filled my life until I overflow.
[4:33] All I have is yours to use, just any way you choose. You're the Lord of Lords. So how can I say no?
[4:46] And I'll say yes, Lord, yes. To your will and to your way. I'll say yes, Lord, yes.
[4:58] I will trust you and obey. When your spirit speaks to me with my whole heart, I'll agree.
[5:09] And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes. If I never knew the fullness of living in your will.
[5:22] I would never know how rich my life could be. Lord, my willingness to serve is the least that you deserve.
[5:36] For the blessings you have showered over me. And I'll say yes, Lord, yes.
[5:46] To your will and to your way. I'll say yes, Lord, yes. I will trust you and obey.
[5:57] When your spirit speaks to me with my whole heart, I'll agree. And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.
[6:13] Amen. That was last September.
[6:24] Schedules were all discombobulated, whatever that means. But we got a chance to go over there. And we had to sneak in because the governor had put Ohio on the no-fly list, no-drive list.
[6:39] The mayor set up, de Blasio set up roadblocks at the bridges and the tunnels. He goes, that's the way I think about New York.
[6:50] Everything's bridges and tunnels. And we, you know, we kind of snuck in. New York firefighter gave us a Mustang GT with New York plates, and we crossed the bridge and that.
[7:04] So it was fun. Had a good meeting. And she left out the part where, when you give that testimony, you left out the part where you told me you were a little apprehensive.
[7:17] You remember? No. You don't remember? What did I say to you? Where is what?
[7:29] Tell them. Where is your faith? Mr. Comforter, that's me. I'm worried. I said, where's your faith? You know? Amen. Well, that was another story.
[7:44] We did go back in April, and both were sicker than a dog. Boy, we did get it. But it wasn't scary. We're laying in bed. We're laying in bed about halfway through it. Both were sick.
[7:57] And we got home. We got home. And we didn't spend 16 days of COVID in that. We would have killed each other. And so we were at home. And I'm laying in bed one night.
[8:11] And I looked over at her. And I said, it's a good thing me and you like each other. Because we would have killed each other. Amen. Amen. God gets us through stuff, doesn't he?
[8:22] Take your Bible tonight. Go to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3.
[8:35] And verse 1. Paul's writing to Timothy, obviously.
[8:46] And he says in verse 1, This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. Mark it down. Take it to the bank.
[8:59] Paul has written a lot to Timothy already. He wrote a lot in the first epistle. And then we're halfway through the second letter. And he says, this know also.
[9:11] Like, you know, I know I'm loading you up here. But this is important too. And he says perilous times shall come. And, you know, this is future 1,900 years ago.
[9:26] We are definitely there. We've been there for a while. The rest of that, the next verses that we're going to read, is like the State of the Union message. Amen.
[9:37] For the world. But perilous times shall come. What comes to mind is the rules of engagement for the military.
[9:47] I mean, our son did three tours in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne. And the rules that they had for you to be able to return fire without fear of prosecution almost was like the guy next to you has almost got to get shot before you can return fire without question.
[10:08] I read a book called Operation Red Wing about that SEAL team that Marcus Luttrell wrote the book Lone Survivor. The survivor off of her four SEALs were inserted in Afghanistan to track down a Taliban commander that was responsible for a lot of deaths, and Americans too.
[10:28] And they ended up crossing paths with some Afghan shepherds, and they had a decision to make. And there was a point in time when, for the sake of the mission, they would have just executed them.
[10:42] That's what war is. But not this war, not this day and age. And they had a conversation about, if we kill these guys and possibly save hundreds of lives by getting their target, and the American news media hears of it, gets wind of it, and if the Taliban discovers their bodies, that's who they're going to call, the American news media.
[11:13] Then these guys, I mean, one guy got the Medal of Honor over this thing, a Lieutenant Murphy, over Operation Red Wing. But he died, and one guy survived that thing.
[11:24] What a thing a soldier in combat, he already risked in his life to try to fulfill a mission, and then he's going to have to figure out too whether or not he's going to be in danger of being prosecuted for murder if he completes his mission.
[11:37] I'm just saying this is peculiar times. This is perilous times. As far as I can tell, the Border Patrol is facing something real similar. They trained these guys, they armed these guys, they put them in a place where their life is at risk, and then they make them jump through so many hoops to determine whether or not they can do their job.
[12:02] Amen. I tell you, just to be honest, I'm a former criminal. I was an outlaw. Amen. Big old, capital old, not the little old.
[12:12] And I never dreamed we'd ever come to a day and age or place in this country where we'd see law enforcement targeted, ambushed for execution.
[12:25] Cop is the easiest person in the world to ambush. All you got to do, you set up your kill zone and call them. They'll come right to you. Personally, my opinion, ambushing a police officer to execute him should be a capital offense, federal offense, executionable offense.
[12:48] That's my opinion. Amen. You might disagree, but you need to get saved because I'm right. Amen. I mean, let's think about it.
[12:59] Why would there be any incentive to have a military career or a border patrol or a police career knowing that you could be prosecuted for doing the very job that they trained you to do in light of you already putting your life on the line?
[13:16] It's amazing. Paul said it like this. This and also in the last days perilous times shall come. Beloved, we're there. You know we're there. You guys are kind of on the cutting edge of there.
[13:28] The things that start in New York and California are working inward, and it's always been that way. Amen. So we're going to look at and see what the Bible says about this.
[13:39] I want to try to encourage you a little bit, but I'm getting depressed myself already, so I don't know if I'll be able to do it. Let's pray. Father, I love you tonight. Thank you for grace. Thank you for these folks that have come out tonight, some of them faithfully every night.
[13:52] I pray, God, that you bless Bible Baptist Church here in Sylmar, the Walski family, God, for making the sacrifice to come out here and try to minister to them. Father, I pray that you'd let me say something that would please you, make a difference to these folks, and if that could happen, we'll sure thank you for it.
[14:11] In Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Verse number two. And it goes on, it says, For men shall be lovers of their own selves. Well, I guess the capital for that is what?
[14:25] Right down the road. How far is Hollywood from here? Not very far, but boy, what better describes that whole industry that people are lovers of their own selves.
[14:38] They love themselves so much that they think that they can be Spider-Man or Captain America in a movie, and then when election comes around, we care at all what their opinion is.
[14:51] Those people are deceived. Hey, Jack, you're an actor. You're not Captain America. Yeah. And then it goes on, it says, Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents.
[15:12] Are you kids, you reading along, are you listening to this? And then it says, Unthankful, unholy, right there with covetous, both blasphemers, what does that mean? People that take the Lord's name in vain.
[15:24] Right there in the unthankful, unholy, right in the middle of that list, it says disobedient to parents. Wow. Can I tell you, young people, that's a big deal to God.
[15:38] Not a big deal to us. I mean, even us old people that wish the young people were more obedient, we were young people once too, and we struggled with it.
[15:50] We all struggle with it, and so the Bible gives us some insight as to God's thoughts on the thing. And he rates it right up there with all, I don't know, bad crowd.
[16:01] It says in Romans chapter 1 and verse 30, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.
[16:14] You read that list a few verses before, a few verses after, you're finding perverts, and sodomites, and murderers, and right there in that list of things that anybody that's thinking remotely clearly would see is not good.
[16:31] It says disobedient to parents. He takes it real serious. This is how serious. It says over there in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
[16:50] Honor thy father and thy mother. Then it says this, For this is the first commandment with promise. And then it gives the promise, that it may be well with thee. Number one.
[17:03] And thy days may be long on the earth. That's a two-fold promise, and it hinges on, if you're in your parents' home, it just hinges on obeying your mom and dad.
[17:15] Could I tell you that to be in the perfect will of God will never be that easy again? Once you get out on your own, then you have to discern. You have to, yeah, discern's a good word, discern the will of God for you.
[17:30] Amen. According to the parameters, according to the Bible. But when you're young, all you gotta do is do what you're told. Amen. I read an article on a 14-year-old kid.
[17:42] It was in Phoenix. 14-year-old kid. His father was concerned that he was spending so much time on social media, so his father eliminated his ability to get on social media for a while.
[17:56] Well, I'm surprised the kid just didn't call a lawyer and sue him. Well, he didn't. He took a pistol and killed him. Killed his father over social media.
[18:07] Yeah. You know, if I'm reading my Bible right, it is not gonna be well with that young man. Verse 3.
[18:18] Without natural affection. Amen. Would somebody tell me how they, whoever they are, hacked our rainbow? Wasn't a rainbow given to the children of God as a sign that God would not flood the earth again?
[18:34] Now you don't dare wave a rainbow flag. It'll mean something completely different. Wow. I got one little kind of amen there.
[18:45] Amen. Without natural affection. I mean, maybe the first thing you think about, the first thing I think about is the relationship between husband and wife, man and woman. How God set it up. But we live in a day and age where, I mean, abortion's off the chart, but not just abortion.
[19:00] I read an article on a girl from Montana, came to California to go to school, excelled in sports, excelled in academics, in her high school up there in Montana, came down to USC, had a baby in her apartment, carried that thing out and put it in a dumpster on the side of the street and was caught and was prosecuted, found guilty of murder.
[19:31] I mean, there's some mothers in here. Don't you kind of like love your kids? Sometimes you might feel like, well, I won't say that, but that's, we live in a day and age without natural affection where mothers and fathers are, a baby is like, well, that's going to like cramp my lifestyle.
[19:53] Maybe you should have thought of that. Amen. Amen. So, and then that verse, verse 3 goes on and says, truth breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
[20:15] Now listen, when I was, before I was saved, I was not good. I was a bad guy. I worked at being a bad guy. Amen. I wasn't a closet bad guy.
[20:26] I worked colors. I got tattooed. I wanted people to know who I was. I wasn't ashamed of it. And I remember being downtown in Ohio one time, one of the cities, and, and, here we are.
[20:41] If we're downtown in the daytime, it means somebody's in court. That's what that means. So, a couple of us were on the sidewalk crossing the court out probably smoking. And, and I remember seeing a lady's coming up the next block, coming down the sidewalk on our side of the street.
[20:56] And she sees about three of them. And I mean, we looked pretty rough and probably smelled worse and, and everything. But, she took a look at us and she crossed the street, went up the other block, the other side of the street, up the block, crossed back on to where the side of the street we were on, went all that way rather than go, walk by us.
[21:19] Like, what were we going to do? We weren't going to do nothing to her. But we, we thought that's funny. I laughed at that. Amen. Until like 10 years later I'm on the street in downtown Dayton, Ohio handing out gospel tracts.
[21:33] Amen. Just like a man. And, and here comes some lady with a couple kids and she sees us down there. You must be born again. And she crosses the street and went up and did the exact same thing.
[21:47] I said, wait a minute, wait a minute. When we were bad guys we knew we were bad. And then I got saved and now I'm trying to be good. And now, how'd we get to be the bad guys again? But that's what they're trying to do is make the Christians the bad guys because we're not tolerant.
[22:04] That's an indication of the day and age and the time in which we live. This know also that in the last days perilous times have come and one of the things is despisers of that which is good.
[22:16] See what do we do, brothers and sisters? Be good anyway. Verse 4. Traitors. You know, there's a couple guys that come to mind you know, just late, you know, last, I don't know, decade or so.
[22:32] There's a guy named Bergdahl. That guy left his post in Afghanistan and went, I guess he got captured for, you know, they say he got captured and Obama traded people for him and all that.
[22:46] That guy's a traitor. I wish somebody would have called me. He walked off his post. He went and surrendered to the Taliban. I wish somebody would have called me.
[22:56] Brother Bergen, what do you think we ought to do with that guy? Listen, when I was in the military, a desertion in time of war was an executionable offense. Amen.
[23:09] And then that other one, Manning. Manning. I don't know what her first name, his first name, I don't know. I can't even keep up with it. But sold a bunch of, they're traitors.
[23:20] Now there was a time when traitors were dealt with severely in time of war executed. If not now, I mean, there's a prison, there's a nice little military prison in Kansas that's called Fort Leavenworth.
[23:32] It's full of some people that are in there for being traitors. But now, Hollywood promotes them. Politics promotes them. We make celebrities out of them.
[23:42] That just tells me that we're in the last days. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[23:53] Amen. Heady. High-minded. You know, Paul warns us about thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. A couple times. Amen.
[24:04] Pride, boy. It's a killer. Kill your testimony. Amen. Kill your marriage. Kill your church. It'll kill you. Bible says the wage of sin is death.
[24:16] Amen. I don't know where I heard death, but I thought it was real good. We were just up by Santa Cruz.
[24:26] We were preaching for Brother Kim up there in San Jose, and we were in a campground in between, and the trees are very large up there. I mean, I'm talking about redwood.
[24:39] And I was reminded as my little dog went over, I was walking, my little Jack Russell terrorist walked over, did its number on a thousand-year-old redwood.
[24:53] I was reminded of something I said one time I heard, there is no tree so tall that a short dog can't lift its leg on it.
[25:04] That is so profound. I'll tell you what, you don't want to get too big for your britches. Amen. I'm not talking about fellowship every night.
[25:14] Thank you so much, ladies. Thank you for bringing some fruit for guys like me. Guys are having a hard time keeping up, aren't you? That's right, all right. Must have been a long day.
[25:26] Then it says this, lovers of pleasure is more than lovers of God. And these are indicators of the last days, and that's where we are. 2001, right after 9-11, I'm in a church preaching in, right outside of Fort Benning, Georgia, and I got a newspaper.
[25:43] We had already sent the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group to Afghanistan and began the assault dropping bunker busters and cluster bombs.
[25:56] I was an infantryman. I don't know who dreams up that stuff, but I like the sound of it. Hey, man, and I want to, you know, read about something. We're on the road.
[26:06] We don't have TV. We don't have radio most of the time. And I got a newspaper from Atlanta. The Atlanta, it's called Atlanta Constipation Journal. I think that's something like that.
[26:20] They are still alive, honey, a couple of them. And I want to read on, you know, what's, and the front page, I think, was football, and the next page was the country music awards, and the next page had, you know, I'm figuratively, a Hollywood, and then baseball.
[26:40] It was October. And I mean, I got all the way to like page 18 to find a little article on the assault. There was a time in this country where sending a strike force into a country to avenge what had happened a month before at 9-11 would have been headlines, front page news.
[27:00] But not in these last days, boy, because men shall become lovers of pleasures. And we are pleasure oriented.
[27:12] I go to preach at churches, God's got little outposts, that's what I call this, an outpost. A Bible-believing church in the midst of, well, here, millions and millions of people.
[27:28] And people that'll say they're saved, I don't have any reason to doubt them, and then they know somewhere along the way they got directed toward the inspired, inerrant word of God, and they'll come to one of these little outposts and know they're in the right place, but then end up leaving because there's not enough activities for the children.
[27:53] I think you're going to sacrifice the spiritual growth of your family over, over what? Youth group activities?
[28:05] But we live in a day and age, and I mean, look, this is the state of the union for the country. This, this stuff has infected Christianity. And it's too bad.
[28:17] So that's the way it is. This, also in the last days, perilous, time shall come. You know, if you think about it, this is kind of a gloomy way to end the revival, isn't it?
[28:32] Isn't it? Man. Okay. I know. I get it. I get it. I don't get it, but I get it. All right. So let's, I want to give you some things.
[28:44] I want to give you some encouragement. I want to give you some things to do, things that we can do in spite of it. All right. So number one, take your Bible, go to Psalm chapter five. I'm done telling stories.
[28:56] You didn't listen anyway. Psalm chapter five, verse number eight. Bible says this. Psalm chapter five, verse number eight.
[29:07] Bible says this. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies. Make thy way straight before my face.
[29:18] You know, in times like these, you know what we need to do? We need to let God lead. Let, he won't, he won't, he won't make you.
[29:30] You got to let him lead. You got to turn the reins over to him. I'm trying to give you some good advice to help you. We need to let God lead. Too many, too many, I'm talking about people that claim to be King James Bible believers.
[29:44] Too many aren't about to be led anywhere. their battle cries, don't preach to me. Or, who does he think he's talking to?
[29:55] Let me help you. You. Talking to you. You know what? Now I grew up in the 60s and the 70s, and a great rebellion swept America that it certainly never recovered from.
[30:08] And then, I've noticed that people that were great rebels before they got saved, they end up getting saved, and guess what? They're still rebels. rebels. That never shows up okay in your Bible.
[30:21] That book says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, 1 Samuel 15, 23. Amen?
[30:33] I mean, we live in a day and age where people don't want to be told what to do by anybody. And the Bible says in Psalm 37 and verse 23, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
[30:47] I'm trying to encourage you to let God lead. He will direct thy path if you'll acknowledge him in all your ways.
[30:57] Isn't that in there somewhere? I'm thinking Proverbs 3, 6. Here's what happens when you don't. And it doesn't mean you don't love Jesus.
[31:07] You know, you got to throw disclaimers out these days all the time because people are so easily offended. Amen? When you don't let him lead, whether it's a church or a family or your own life or how about our country, amen, I mean, you're going to get bogged down with unnecessary struggles that keep sinners from being converted like they could be.
[31:40] And God didn't put this church here to be a social club. And I like going to church and I have fun being around God's people and like-minded people gathering.
[31:51] The devil's got a million invitations for it. And I'm glad we get to get in on it. Amen, brothers and sisters. But the purpose of the church of Jesus Christ is to point people to him.
[32:03] Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. That's what our goal is. And man, I've been in churches where they haven't been shooting for that for a long time.
[32:19] Because God's not on the throne. Yeah, we love you, God. Now, let's have a vote. We need to submit to God. We need to let God live. I wonder what would happen if we just purposed in our heart, God, what do you think about that?
[32:35] But you know why we don't as often as we should? Because we got too many ideas of our own. we got too many opinions. These are perilous times. In times like these, it's more important than ever to let God lead.
[32:50] Wouldn't you agree? all right, I'll read the verses for you. I'll quote them. It says in Proverbs 3, 5, trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
[33:01] And then it says what? Lean not unto thine own understanding. Why would that be in there? Why would it have to say that? Because that's what we'll do. That's the tendency.
[33:13] In our own understanding as Christians, as Bible believers, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we've been around, we've seen some things, we've got some experience, and we put all that into play, amen, to form our opinion or even our direction.
[33:31] When the next verse says in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. We need the Lord to lead. And you might be smart and you might be experienced and you might have the best of intentions and you might do a pretty good job.
[33:47] But wouldn't it be better if God, I mean, wouldn't God still do a better job than you? That just makes sense to me. I'm not the deep guy.
[33:58] I like things simple and that seems pretty realistic. All right, number one, let God lead. Number two, I mean, we're talking about, in perilous times, times like these.
[34:16] Number two, he's learned the Bible. He's learned the Bible. I'll tell you why. I was going to a checkout at a pharmacy. This has been, oh my, 06.
[34:30] This is good though. I had to buy a Time magazine. That's the only one I ever bought and I didn't buy it because I wanted it enlightened. I bought it because of the picture on the cover right there by the checkout.
[34:44] Here we go. I'll walk this around a little bit and there you go. Can you see that? Can you see that? Can you see that? All right, that's a kid, a baby, and a chimpanzee.
[34:59] And there they are, side by side. Amen. And the caption is, how we became human. one. And there I'm going to check out, I said, wow, I always wondered about that.
[35:16] So I bought it. I bought the article. And I confess to you right now, I did not read the article. I'm the picture guy. I mean, I need, I just look at the pictures.
[35:28] But here's the picture on the article itself. Can you see that? So there's a guy, he's half monkey, half man, amen.
[35:41] And the caption says, what makes us different? I could answer that in no uncertain terms. And so I, listen, we live in a day and age because people don't have the Bible, because they don't know the Bible, and Christians don't even, don't even carry the Bible.
[36:03] If I ever get a church where waving the answer back is your cell phone, I'm going to blow a gasket. Amen? I was at a church in Indianapolis one time, and these two people just started coming.
[36:16] They were husband and wife. They were police officers, and I have the utmost respect for police. I know what kind of idiots they deal with. And I'm preaching, and they're new, and they're both looking at their phone the whole time.
[36:33] And I'm up there, you know, Mr. Grace, and I said, you know, you guys would get a little more out of the service if you put your phone down and open your Bible. That was their Bible.
[36:47] I've seen that since more, but that was the first time I realized that people sit in church. I think that's great, because I think more people are sitting there looking at stinking Facebook than they are their Bible.
[37:00] To be honest, I don't have any proof. Without the Bible, people go through the checkout, and they read, oh, a little condensed version of the evolutionary theory, and they'll buy it, and read it, and believe it.
[37:17] I know Gal, I know Gal, I talked to a gal one time, and the subject about creation came up. Of course, I'm a Bible guy, and you know what she said, and she was nice, and it wasn't adversarial or controversial at all.
[37:33] She goes, oh, Brother Spurgeon, there's a new study out. I saw a special discovery channel, and she's going to explain to me the correct theory of creation based on something she saw on television, and she's putting it up against the Bible.
[37:55] Just know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. That's where we live, folks. Amen? We need to learn the Bible. It says this in Isaiah chapter 5.
[38:08] You can turn there if you want. One verse in Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 20, and there's I think five woe unto them in Isaiah chapter 5.
[38:24] But Isaiah chapter 5 in verse 20 of the Bible says, woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
[38:41] Woe unto them, it says, woe in the context is a curse. Amen? Go to Hebrews 5. Hebrews chapter 5.
[38:53] I'm telling you, it's important to learn the Bible. They say, well, it's a big book and it's deep and there's a lot of stuff. Hey, tell me. Amen. I started out, I didn't know anything.
[39:07] And I've been reading a long time and there's still a lot I don't know. But by chipping away at it, little by little, getting under preaching and teaching and studying it, I know more than I did 20 years ago, know more than I did 10 years ago.
[39:24] Amen? Don't worry, you're never going to master it anyway. If you get something to get to something you don't, just don't understand, just keep moving. There's plenty that you will get and then that'll give you light the next time you go through it, you'll be like, oh, I see it.
[39:43] And that's when you realize, oh boy, whoever wrote this wasn't a normal person. Amen?
[39:54] That book is beyond comprehension. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 13, now remember it said in Isaiah 5 that one of them to call evil good and good evil. Verse 13, Hebrews chapter 5 said this, for everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe.
[40:18] So he's giving us a comparison here. Everybody understands that babies drink milk, right? You don't take a baby, that In-N-Out burger, do you?
[40:29] Who knows, you know. But that's the thing, it's unskillful in the word of righteousness. There's the context. The next verse says, but strongly belongeth to them that are full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
[40:51] Well, what's the context? Reason of use. The context is the word of righteousness. Spending some time in your Bible, learning your Bible, submitting yourself to Bible preaching will give you the ability to discern.
[41:08] What does that mean? That is the ability to determine appropriateness. You can discern right and wrong. That means you won't fall for the slickest con man that comes along on the television or the internet.
[41:23] You just run everything to the filter of the Bible. And it says it clearly. You have your senses exercised that you may discern both good and evil.
[41:33] We're talking about perilous times. In times like these, it's more important than ever to discern good and evil. Beloved, I'm telling you, in times like these, we need to learn the Bible.
[41:46] Psalm 119, verse 9, says this, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? We're sinners. We're sinners by nature. We have a carnal nature.
[41:56] The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. They're contrary to one or the other. And let's face it, sometimes we blow it. What do we do?
[42:09] It says there, verse 9, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way works for ladies too, by taking heed there to according to thy word. And then verse 11 says, Thy word have I hid mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
[42:27] People say, well, Brother Bergen, what do you think the reason is for so much sin amongst professing Bible believers? Well, it might have something to do with lack of relationship with your Bible.
[42:37] If it says, Thy word have I hid mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Evidently, there's more to this thing than carrying it under your arm. Better move it over a little bit. Or you'll just be easy prey.
[42:51] Amen. Listen, devil don't care if you're saved. Devil don't care where you go to church. Devil don't care if you was raised in a Christian home. Devil doesn't care how many times you went to youth game.
[43:02] You don't care about that stuff. Amen? Next time we're going to have a class on amening. He said there ain't going to be a next time.
[43:16] That's too bad for you. Because if you don't want, if you don't want Bible preaching, if you don't want Bible teaching, shame on you. Amen.
[43:27] It says this, this also in the last days perilous times shall come. In a time like these you need to learn the Bible. And could I say, you don't have to pack up and move across the country and go to Bible school to learn the Bible.
[43:43] That's not for everyone. It wasn't for me. I was on federal probation. I wanted to. But I tell you, you might not have to go, and I'm not against it either. Many of my friends have gone to Bible school.
[43:57] I didn't say schools. Because there isn't schools. But there's a couple. But you might not need to go to Bible school. But I'm going to tell you what you do need to do.
[44:09] You need to go to Sunday school. You need to go to Bible study. You need to go to everything you can. I mean, I figured, man, after 30 years of sleep until 1 o'clock on Sundays because I didn't get home until 6 a.m., if I've got to rearrange my life and get up and be in church by 10.30, I might as well go at 9.30.
[44:33] And what I found out was that Christians that will submit themselves to the teaching of the Word of God by somebody that puts time in it and studies it and commits unto faithful men, I've noticed that there's folks in our crowd that know more Bible in a year.
[44:50] than some people that have been going to church 30 years. And it's all just fluff and Sunday morning and Jesus loves you. And I'm glad he does.
[45:03] But in perilous times like this, you can't float anymore. You need to learn the Bible. You need to let God lead. You need to learn the Bible. All right.
[45:14] What else? You know, we got a major crisis at the border, don't we? We got a major immigration problem.
[45:28] And you know what I just want to say? I've been out of the country. I understand why everybody wants to come to America.
[45:38] America. Amen. With all the problems that we got, and we got some, it's still, in my opinion, the greatest nation in the world. We got more freedom than anybody else.
[45:49] Amen. You know what they call, used to call, maybe do, I don't know, they used to call America the land of opportunity. And what that used to mean was if you set your sights on something and you're willing to work for it, you can succeed.
[46:05] You can get it, no matter where you came from. My folks came, not parents, but grandparents came from Ireland. They came with nothing. Amen. Americans are from all over this world, and many have come and prospered.
[46:21] Amen. Of course, we got a little conflict going. Now we want to throw the doors open and give people stuff, everything that, that's not going to sustain, we can't sustain that forever.
[46:34] But when I say that in America, if you're willing to work for something, you can accomplish something, I'm saying to you, church, that it's time that we got back more, more than ever, perilous time to laboring for souls.
[46:55] We need to get soul conscious. The Lord said this in Luke 19, verse 13, and he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
[47:12] That word occupy, I guess it's all in the same root as, or the root of that, or who knows. Occupation. Usually has to do with what?
[47:23] Work. It doesn't mean the Lord wasn't telling him to occupy a lazy boy in front of a giant flat screen, like a lot of Christians are these days.
[47:37] He wasn't talking about occupying a desk chair in front of the internet. And a lot of Christians are spending more time on the internet than they are their Bible.
[47:48] A lot of Christians are spending more time on the internet than they are in church. And let's face it, what do you got? Sunday school, Sunday morning, you got Wednesday night?
[48:00] You don't have Sunday night right now, right? So that's basically one, two, three hours a week. Right? And people struggle.
[48:12] I bet you there's people in this room spend over that much a day not working.
[48:23] Amen? We need to get our focus back. We need to get back to laboring for souls. We need to get back to saying, Pastor Walski, what can I do?
[48:36] You need people to go put door hangers out. You need people to go hand out tracts. You need, how can I help? Instead of sliding in, being scared to death, he's going to ask for volunteers and you're going to have to come up with some lie as to why you can't participate.
[48:56] That's where the church is these days. And it shouldn't be so. And I don't care what everybody else does. But we're not supposed to be that way. Amen? We need to get back to laboring for souls.
[49:09] Let me tell you something enough. When the Lord said occupied till I come, he wasn't talking about a pew either. People act like they've done God a favor. Okay, church, I'll go.
[49:21] You can tell by how much thought they put in that. Amen? I'm going to leave that right there. It's time, beloved, for the church of Jesus Christ to get busy.
[49:34] You know, if the Lord's not willing that any should perish, right? 2 Timothy 3. 2 Peter 3, sorry.
[49:46] If he's not willing that any should perish, maybe we should try to grasp his mind on this thing. And at least make more of an effort than we are to get the, to get what they need into their hands so that at least they can make a decision with facts instead of falling for the baloney the world's throwing at them.
[50:13] Times like these, we need to labor for souls. We need to let God lead. We need to learn the Bible. We need to look for Jesus. Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2.
[50:34] Paul wrote this. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despised him in shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
[50:48] You know what we need to do? We're talking about perilous times. We're talking about this snow also on the last stage. Perilous times have come. Beloved, we need to look for Jesus.
[51:00] Amen. We need to give that some thought. We need to conduct our lives as if he might really come back any day. If you knew, let's put it like this. If you knew, okay, we got a, we got a direct line from God.
[51:13] And we find out, we find out here in this church that the Lord's coming back next Saturday morning, 10 o'clock. I don't know what you got planned between now and next Saturday morning, 10 o'clock.
[51:27] But if you got that kind of communique, would that change any of your plans? Would you start thinking, wow, there's a phone call I need to make. There's a visit I need to make.
[51:38] There's somebody I need to talk to. Wouldn't that change everything if we lived like we really believed he was coming back? Seems like it.
[51:48] M.R. DeHaan, Dr. M.R. DeHaan was a preacher back in the 60s and a medical doctor too up in Michigan. And in his office at his church, he had a desk, you know, a lot of times preachers will have a little triangular piece of wood with a plaque and it'll have their name, doctor so-and-so, you know.
[52:09] And then the people that they're counseling can be intimidated by their fancy stuff. And M.R. DeHaan, who did have a medical degree and a theological degree, on his it says, perhaps today.
[52:25] He said, why was that? Because when he walked in, it wasn't just for the people he might have been counseling. When he walked in to his own office every morning before he even went around and sat down behind his desk and started looking at whatever he had to do, it was a reminder to him that this could be the day the Lord comes back.
[52:48] Well, we need to get back to remembering that. Amen? We've been lulled to sleep. Amen? We need to look for Jesus.
[53:00] Are you? Are you looking for him? Or, be honest, not by raising your hand, none of that, but within your own spirit, would it be just great if the trumpet blew right now?
[53:17] Or in the morning? Wouldn't that be great? I mean, I get it. We got the judgment seat of Christ. I mean, with a fourth day in church, Lord willing, I mean, not at the altar for sure, but Lord willing, perhaps in your seat, you've made some necessary adjustments to make you more prepared for the judgment seat of Christ.
[53:35] Just by chance, if the Holy Spirit might have directed me to say something that was helpful. I mean, we got the judgment seat out ahead, but I'm going to tell you what, that's going to pass.
[53:46] Tears will be wiped away after the great white throne, and eternity's going to be perfect. Are you looking forward to that? Be honest. You know that's going to come.
[53:57] You're confident in that. You're happy about that. But let's face it. I mean, how much thought are you giving to it? Here's what I mean. Would that mess up any of your plans? Like your retirement, or your next new car, or some vacation?
[54:13] Because peep Christians, we're so carnally minded that we're thinking about our next whatever, promotion, baby. The list could be long.
[54:25] And all that stuff's fine. But hey, we need to look for, the Bible says, look for Jesus. Amen. Looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He started it. He finished it.
[54:36] We got in on it. We need to acknowledge it. I preached one time somewhere, and I said, wouldn't it be great? Had a couple right here. Had a couple, young couple. And boyfriend, girlfriend type of thing, and I'd known them for years.
[54:48] And I knew they were saved. I mean, I guess, if you can know. And I looked at them right at them with a book, and I said, wouldn't it be great if the Lord came back right now? And they kind of looked at each other real nervously.
[55:02] And I'm preaching, and I thought, well, that's interesting. I mean, these kids, I know these kids. They're saved. And I didn't think much about it until afterwards, I found out they were, like, engaged, and the marriage was two weeks away.
[55:17] And they weren't thinking about the Lord coming back. They were thinking about getting married. Let me tell you something. I understand that. People have been in church 20 and 30 years that never give it a thought, that have made their plans that don't include the Lord coming back.
[55:36] I don't want to be that guy. What do we do? We're at perilous times. You know what we ought to do? We need to look for Jesus. Amen.
[55:47] I'm not talking about staying out on the two ten and throw tracks at cards. I'm not talking about foolishness. But if we would acknowledge that you're going to cross paths with people daily that have no hope, and like, before you leave home, get some tracks or what, and say, God, if you'll open a door and give me the whatever courage to witness or invite or hand out a track, Lord, have you pray.
[56:19] We have lots of tracks. We're not even trying. It's just part of it. Should be part of it for you. Why?
[56:30] Because the Lord's coming back. We got in on it. A lot of people have it. A lot of people aren't going to. I don't want it to be in my fault any more than necessary.
[56:43] Amen. You better be looking for him because it won't be long. I believe. I don't care what Fox News said. I don't care what they're doing in Washington. That's not where I, you know, get my spiritual temperature.
[56:57] When that guy in Iran, Ahmadinejad, remember him? Ahmadinejad. I used to call him the aqua velvet man because I didn't believe I'd ever learn to say his name.
[57:08] And he was in place long enough that I did. And I think I said it right. Gary will correct me because he likes to. But that guy, that guy would stand before the United Nations one day and say, we are developing nuclear energy for, you know, energy purposes when they got all the oil in the world.
[57:27] And the United Nations would go, yeah, see, they don't want to build a bomb. And then the next day he'd be on the, on the, on the, on the news over there broadcasting, we will destroy Israel.
[57:42] We will eliminate the Jews. And I'm going like, nobody's connecting these dots. Are you kidding? You know, they've been saying that a long time over there that they're going to destroy Israel.
[57:54] So I thought, well, okay, really? I mean, if they develop nuclear power, they definitely would have the capability to put a hurt in. So I just, you know, I didn't Google it and read some stuff that I don't even know who wrote it.
[58:11] Some of us have so much information, whether it's COVID or conspiracy, we got so much information and we don't have a stinking clue who wrote it. And we swallow it hook, line, and sink.
[58:23] I'm worried about that kind of thing. I mean, for me. Amen? But what did you do, Brother Spurgeon, when you considered whether or not old Ahmadinejad was telling the truth?
[58:35] I, I, I, I, I will admit, I'll confess, I, I cheated. I went to the end. And I started reading into how this thing's going to turn out. And they're not.
[58:47] They're not going to destroy Israel. I don't care what they say. I don't care what they get. I don't care who lines up against them. And I'll be sad if America dumps them.
[58:58] And they may. And I'm really sad about that. But I know who wins. Amen? Amen? Amen. But I know this, too. When, when the pieces on the global chessboard are moving into place like they are, I know what it means.
[59:18] It means the Lord's coming back. First thing he's going to do is take church out of here. And I am so, I am so looking forward to that. These tattoos, all these tattoos, I hope I have the presence of mind to look over my shoulder when I'm on my way up to meet the Lord in the air and see them in a pile on the ground.
[59:40] They can make a lampshade out of them in the trip. I don't care. Only now there's going to be a pile of titanium with them. Amen. That's going to be exciting.
[59:52] But I'll tell you this. What's going to happen down here after the church goes out is going to make any and every perilous time up until that moment, whether it was the flood, it's going to pale in comparison to what this world is going to go through when Antichrist takes over.
[60:12] And I'm glad I'm not going to be here. And the Lord's going to take me out of here one way or another. How about you? Amen. All right. So we need to look for Jesus.
[60:24] Some people are already done. I'm almost done. Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20 says this. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.
[60:38] Let me say, you may be saved in there tonight, but just honestly, does it ever seem like he's on the outside? I mean, we're singing or there's preaching and some people are excited.
[60:52] Some people are excited. Maybe. Someday. And you're like, I don't even get it anymore. You're so caught up with the cares of this life.
[61:04] And again, they're real. I get it. If it seems like he's on the outside knocking. Listen, just let him in.
[61:15] Just let him in. He says in the passage, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him. And he with me. Amen. How do I do that?
[61:26] How do I do that? If I've lost my joy, I've lost my fellowship. This is, what are you doing when you lose your keys? I don't know about you, but if I lose my keys, if I misplace my keys, I mean, I freeze.
[61:39] Because I'm all over the country. I don't know. I mean, right then, right there, I start retracing my steps. Where I was, where I sat, what coat I had on, what pants.
[61:51] You follow me? And I, you know, and I got an incredible success rate. Amen. But finding, finding. Listen, when I was lost, when I was a dope head, if I lost something, that was it.
[62:03] It was over. I didn't even try to find it. That thing about transformed by the renewing of your mind, God gave me my mind back. Say, well, you don't look that smart.
[62:13] You should have seen me before. Amen. Amen. But that's the way it is. When you lose your joy, when you lose your peace, when you lose your fellowship, I'm challenging you. Now, if you'll stop what you're doing, if you'll retrench your steps, you'll probably find exactly where you left him.
[62:31] Because he'll not leave you. And you'll find out what sin or what little whatever. What it was that got you off track. And you know when you get there?
[62:42] When you figure it out? When you find it? Well, I don't have a joy I once had. Yeah, well, you're lying on the internet. You're talking bad about people. You're sneaking around behind people's back.
[62:53] You can't figure out why you don't have any joy anymore. Why the joy of the Lord is not your strength. Can't figure that out? It ain't rocket science.
[63:06] You need to get on your faith and treat your steps. You'll figure it out. Then what do you do? If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[63:20] You ain't going to find a better deal than that. Just let him in. You drove him out. Let him back in. Get honest. Amen.
[63:33] That'll open the door. I guarantee it. I've been there. So tonight, perilous times. In times like these, that's the official title. Wake that guy up, that sound guy.
[63:44] Okay. Can't see. I feel like a 747's coming in on me. Times like these, perilous times, wicked times. Let me just say this. Who's leading in your life?
[63:56] Let me be honest. Who's really on the throne? You or God? All right? How's your relationship with that book?
[64:08] That 500 years ago, people were being burned at the stake to get assembled and printed the first time in 1611. And we got one in a glove box and we save our seat with one and we got one on the coffee table.
[64:22] And every once in a while, we blow the dust off. How's your relationship with that book? Because, hey, who knows? Who knows?
[64:34] I don't know. Are they going to take them? Are they going to put us in a place where we won't have one? I don't know. You better get it in there while you can. What are you laboring at?
[64:46] To get people saved. Even prayer. Amen? I mean, we'll pray, oh, a relative or a person.
[64:57] But what about, what about, man, this church, there's people driving around here. We had a bunch of visitors on Sunday. Man, we need to be praying for them. Amen.
[65:10] And just let me say, does it ever occur to you the Lord could come today? He said, well, he's going to come in a cloud. You think he can't get a cloud up there if he needs one? Quit playing games with yourself.
[65:24] Amen? The Lord could come back any time he wants. You know that thing, hide and seek, you know? Ready or not, here I come.
[65:34] Remember that? Remember that? The Lord's the one that said that, and he ain't playing games. That book teaches us that he's coming back.
[65:45] And whether you're ready or not, you better be ready. And if he's on the outside knocking, let him in.
[65:58] Let him back in. Open the door. You'll be so glad you did. Listen also, in the last days, perilous times shall come. To me, these are exciting times.
[66:11] God knew when to put us on the planet. Oh, I wish it was 100 years ago. Most people wouldn't have done nothing then either. You need to fix. God put us. I was a paratrooper in the army.
[66:22] We were like, drop them behind enemy lines. That's what we were trained for. We're like special operations soldiers. God has called on us and put us in this place, in this laity and age to make a difference.
[66:35] We ought to look at it like an honor. We're not supposed to be hanging on until Jesus comes. No, we're supposed to be busy about the Father's business. And I'll say this and I'll be done.
[66:45] If you're near tonight and you're not saved, you need to get saved. You need to get saved. Same way as getting right with God for a Christian. Let him in.
[66:56] Let him in. Confess to him something you and him both already know. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[67:08] He didn't make it complicated. I remember the day I let him in. November 30th, 1990. I got a lot of regrets in my life. I've done a lot of things wrong. And never one time have I regretted letting him in.
[67:24] I've never regretted getting my sins forgiven. And I'll guarantee you won't be either. Let's all stand. Let's all stand.
[67:36] And, you know, we're just about done. And I've been through a lot of things and I'm not going to go through them again. Now, we've got an altar here. And believe me, it's fresh because there ain't been three people at it all week.
[67:50] Now, that's cultural. I don't know what you want to call that. But I'm a fan of the old-fashioned altar call. I believe people ought to be praying for the church. I believe people ought to be praying for souls.
[68:03] And, yeah, I know you can do that in your seat. But are you? Let's face it. Well, I pray at home. As soon as you get in that car and turn on that radio, whether you're listening to a Christian, the message goes, the Holy Spirit wants to deal with you while the iron's hot.
[68:25] You know, is that okay to say? And the issues at hand tonight were letting God lead. Maybe somebody needs to turn the reins over. It's getting back in your Bible.
[68:37] And maybe you know a lot of Bible. Maybe you know more Bible than anybody around. And you don't have it mastered. You can use that to help somebody. Amen?
[68:49] We've knocked every door in Sylmar, and it didn't account for nothing, and nobody came. When was that? Fifteen years ago? I've been there. I've been there.
[69:00] Our little community, where our church was, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, and a very Catholic place. And my wife was there years before me.
[69:11] And they'll tell you, we knocked every door. Not one person came from all that effort. But here a family came from the east side of Dayton.
[69:21] And here a family came from the other side. Other side of the county. And here a family. And next thing you know, we had a church man, a hundred people. And none of them were a direct result of our sowing.
[69:38] But it just seemed like God honored our efforts. And whether those people came or not, he brought us people from other places.
[69:48] This isn't a business. You don't work this out on a tablet. Well, if we do this, then this will happen. No. You follow God's direction and buckle up.
[70:00] You'll be amazed at what might happen. I appreciate people coming to church, been faithful. But if you're dealing with a sin, and who doesn't from time to time?
[70:14] Let's get it taken care of. Say, well, some things are harder than others. Trust me, I know. But the place to start is on your face before God and say, God, you and me both know I need your help.
[70:28] And your pride and your stubbornness is what keeps you from availing yourself to a merciful, gracious, heavenly Father that is not against you.
[70:43] He wants to help you. He's just waiting for you to make that move. And I would encourage you to make that move. Amen? If you're in here and you're not saved, that Bible says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
[71:00] Now, help me out. Whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Whosoever. You're prequalified. But Romans chapter 10 and verse 13 says, help me out.
[71:16] Whosoever. Come on. Whosoever shall. What? Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. There you go. Revelation 20 and verse 15 says this.
[71:30] For whosoever. Third time. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life. It's cast in the lake of fire. Whosoever. Which whosoever are you tonight.
[71:44] Have you called upon the Lord? Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and what the Lord, what God sent his only begotten son down here to do? Or is it just a bunch of head knowledge, a bunch of religion in here?
[71:56] Are you sitting out there more? Well, if I get right, if I sell out, then that'll affect my fun. You might have more fun than you ever had before. It feels good to be right with God.
[72:08] Maybe somebody in here should try it. Maybe it's been a while. I'm just trying to encourage you tonight. If you're not saved, it'd be a privilege to open a Bible and answer any question you've got.
[72:19] But truth of the matter is, you don't need me. You don't need my help. You need to be honest with yourself. Jesus Christ went to the cross to make a way for you to be forgiven. The Bible says that if you'll believe that in your heart, you get a hold of that in your heart, and ask him, he'll save you.
[72:36] It works. I was alone in a cell. Head bowed and eyes closed. Just for another moment, please. You don't go home. You guys stay here until 9 o'clock anyway.
[72:48] If there's food, you're in no hurry. Don't try to guilt trip me. You're in here tonight, and you say, Brother Spurgeon, I would sure appreciate prayer. I am dealing with some things.
[72:58] I'm struggling with some things. And I would just appreciate your prayer with every head bowed and every eyes closed. Nobody's looking around. If that be you, I'll just include you corporately.
[73:09] If you'd like prayer, it'd be good. God would probably appreciate you acknowledging you need a little help because you and him both know you need help. Anybody like that? Slip your hand up.
[73:21] Slip your hand up. All right. Put your hand down. I'll pray for you when I wrap it up. Anybody?
[73:32] Head bowed and eyes closed. Anybody in there say, Brother Spurgeon, I do not know. I do not have the confidence that you're talking about. I do not know where I will spend eternity.
[73:45] I do not know that if the Lord came back for his church tonight that I'd go. I do not know. I do not know. I do not want to get left behind. I sure do not want to go to hell.
[73:56] But I would like you to pray for me, Brother Spurgeon, because as of this day, this hour, I do not know. If you slip your hand up, I will make a point to pray for you this night and the days that come.
[74:08] Anybody like that? Anybody here say, I am not saved. Brother Spurgeon, would you just please pray for me? And I'll pray for you. All right. You can look up here.
[74:21] Now, I'm giving you some things to think about. That doesn't end with an amen. A revival meeting is something we put on a flyer. Revival is something the Lord does in the hearts of his people.
[74:35] And God forbid that end with an amen. Because if it did, we missed the mark. And what kind of hope does this world have when Bible people like us can't get stirred up for Jesus Christ anymore?
[74:59] Preacher, come on.