America and Armageddon

Notes: America and Armageddon

Greg Laurie

Book of Revelation 15 & 16

Thursday, October 13, 2016

We are coming up to closing time. The Tribulation period will have a time of peace under the power of the anti-Christ.

When Gods judgement is given it is not haphazardly.

Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV

[11] Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

God has to judge. He is not only gracious and merciful but He is also just.

Romans 1:18 NKJV

[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Romans 1:21 NKJV

[21] because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Antichrist will have 10 nations unified behind him.

Revelation 15:1-4 NKJV

[1] Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. [2] And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. [3] They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! [4] Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."

These are the Tribulation Saints, these would be martyrs.

God takes it very personally when people attack His people.

When someone is persecuting us they are persecuting Jesus.

Water is often a picture of judgement and trials.

Being persecuted for Jesus will get you a blessing from Heaven.

Revelation 15:3 NKJV

[3] They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

The Song of Moses Exodus 15:1-18 and Deuteronomy 32

The premise..."How could a God of Love..." is incorrect. Who is the center of moral judgement?

Worship God in calamity, for the calamity, not just after the calamity.

Revelation 16:1-9 NKJV

[1] Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth." [2] So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. [3] Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. [4] Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. [5] And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. [6] For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due." [7] And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." [8] Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. [9] And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

It's the goodness of God that brings you to repentance.

Hebrews 8:5 NKJV

[5] who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul are just glimpse of Heaven. Those things are to arouse you to the real thing. Everything good on earth is just a glimpse of what is better in Heaven.

Revelation 16:12-16 NKJV

[12] Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. [13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. [14] For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. [15] "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." [16] And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

Armageddon has become part of our everyday language.

Megiddo is a place.

Revelation 12:13 NKJV

[13] Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

Revelation 9:16 NKJV

[16] Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

During the battle of Armageddon, the U.S. is not mentioned.

1. We may have been devastated by nuclear war.

2. We may just decline as a super power.

Isaiah 40:15 NKJV

[15] Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

3. We could have a nation wide revival that when the rapture takes place, as a nation we are gone.

We need a spiritual awakening!

No Forwarding Address

Notes: No Forwarding Address

Pastor Greg Laurie

Series: World Changers

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Hebrews 11, Genesis 12

GPS can get us lost every once in a while. Don't always do what GPS says, it can mislead us.

The Golden Plover from Hawaii has built in GPS. They can fly from one island to the next without ever have been there before.

God has wired us as human beings to seek Heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

[11] He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

One of our World Changers is Abraham.

One third of the verses in Hebrew 11 is about Abraham.

Hebrews 11:8-16 NKJV

[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; [10] for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. [11] By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude-innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. [13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [14] For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. [15] And truly if they had [16] But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

World Changers:

1. Listen to God

Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Abraham lived in a super pagan culture. He probably worshipped pagan gods prior to being called by God.

Genesis 12:1 NKJV

[1] Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.

There are times when God's plans don't make sense. God leads us one step at a time.

You have to respond to the information given to you at the time its given.

Acts 8:26-29 NKJV

[26] Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. [27] So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, [28] was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. [29] Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."

God spoke to Phillip so he got up and went.

The New Testament believer knows far more then the Old Testament believers ever knew, even the prophets. We know Gods plan for the world, they didn't.

2. World Changers obey God.

Psalm 84:11 NKJV

[11] For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

In time we learn that what God tells us to do is for our own good.

What kind of influence is your family having on you?

Yo may not get to pick your family or coworkers but you do get to choose your friends.

Show me your friends and I will show you your future.

Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV

[1] Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. [3] He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.

Are you surrounded by Godly people?

Are you a thermostat or a thermometer?Do you change the world or does it change you?

World Changers are almost always a minority, rarely a majority.

3. World Changers are Heavenly Minded because they are Heavenly Citizens.

The longing we have deep inside of us is for something that earth can never deliver; only Heaven can.

The Bible speaks of Heaven as a real place, a country, a city.

Colossians 3:1 NKJV

[1] If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

You need the explosive power of a new affection!

Abraham lived in a tent.

2 Corinthians 5:1 NKJV

[1] For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Your body is a temporary place to live.

We are all getting older. Hopefully as Christians we are getting more Christ like.

4. World Changers live by faith.

Live on promises not explanations.

Faith enables the believing souls to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.

Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Genesis 12:10-13 NKJV

[10] Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. [11] And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. [12] Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. [13] Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you."

1. Abraham was living a compromised life at this time.

Even the greatest believers mess up.

Isaiah 31:1 NKJV

[1] Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!

Any step away from God is always a step down.

2. Abraham lied to cover up His sin.

3. Abraham lied more to cover up his sins.

Abraham was dragging Sarah down with him.

Your sin will always find you out.

It's always a sad moment when a nonbeliever has to correct a believer.

4. If your sin is exposed, own it.

Has God told you to do something and you are going in the opposite direction?

God can help you get back to where you need to go.