End Times                        Sermon by Doug Davis

                                                March 6, 2009

            

Over the last 6 weeks, or so, I've been very upset at what has been going on in Washington, and in our government.

It seems like every day there is some new trick the administration is trying to pull off on the American people.

I have been shocked at the speed, and ruthlessness that our President, and his cronies have been doing these things.

I have run the gambit of emotions, from anger, to fear, to depression.

However, it hit me this afternoon.

We should be excited.

God is moving, and the end times are certainly approaching.

I don't think President Obama is the Anti Christ, but I do believe that he is a warm up for him.

I believe that he is acting in the spirit of the Anti Christ, and being manipulated by that same demon.

We do need to pray for him, and that group, for their salvation.

I said we should be excited, because as the end approaches, we will be used in mighty things.

Things I don't think we can even imagine.

JOHN 14:12  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

We've all read this verse, and wondered why we don't see it.

At least I sure have!

Of course, there are many correct answers, and even more ideas, but I'd like to submit one to you tonight.

I am not saying it is the perfect word of God, but it is something I was thinking about today, and I believe that the Lord was speaking to me.

When the church, the real church of Christ, is persecuted, it grows, and miracles happen exponentially.

That's why so many wonderful things are happening in China, and places like that.

We've had it easy here, and I am extremely thankful for that!

However, that comfortable time is drawing to an end.

I don't know when, of course I don't, but I know that things have been happening that I never thought I'd ever see in my lifetime, and they are happening right now.

The gays are attacking churches in San Francisco, actually breaking into Catholic churches, during their services, and threatening the people, and destroying things.

Nothing is done about it either.

It is not even called a hate crime.

But rather than being scared, worried, or upset, we should be getting ready for the work of the Lord.

I want to be used by Him, don't you?

But, there are some stipulations that we have to know, and understand, before we can really be used in awesome things for God.

REVELATION 12:11  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

We need to apply the blood of Jesus to ourselves, have a good testimony, but the big thing, the thing I choke on is, they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Hold on, I don't like the sound of that.

Last week, we talked about how David was prepared for a long time, to face Goliath.

We too must be preparing ourselves for facing Goliaths, and all sorts of enemies.

Don't think that one day, you will get up, and start doing all these cool things we have been hearing about tonight.

We have to let the Lord prepare us.

Toughen us up.

Get us ready.

David didn't sit around worrying about whether he would ever be able to do cool stuff for the Lord.

Well, maybe he did, but God was working on him, and getting him ready, and he didn't even know it.

LUKE 10:19  "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Cool, I like it.

But I have to put myself in the position to do these things.

Faith, courage, and a total commitment, even to death.

Easy to say, hard to do.

MATTHEW 16:19  "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

What authority that is.

I can't even get my head around that, not really.

But Jesus said it, so it has to be true.

The Disciples took off in the book of Acts, and operated in this kind of power, and authority.

Those times are coming here in America as well, probably sooner than we think.

It is up to us to make sure that we are ready, listening, obeying in small things, and believing completely in the Lord.

That's the only way we are going to be able to do these amazing things.

Sell out to the Lord, even if it means you die in His service.

Let's pray.