Podcast TH160609.mp3

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org. Father, we believe Jesus is coming soon and we want to be ready for his return. But even if he does not come in our lifetime or in the near future. That's really up to you, Lord, we know that life as we know it.

For us on earth.

And then we enter the afterlife, and we want to be ready for that. Every moment of every day. So if that day comes, and you call us home or ready to go. So Lord as we get a glimpse of heaven. Now, as we see things from a i.e. eternal perspective. Help us to see things as you see them help us to be ready for heaven. In every way and we pray that this message will bring encouragement and motivation to us to live godly lives. We ask all of this in Jesus name, amen. While ago we get a crusade up in Los Angeles at dodger Stadium. So I was booked to be on the good morning LA show is Steve Edwards. I did up you ever seen that show on television before, but that when a very nice little interview Tony asked me a lot about the crusade they showed some footage from it was fantastic. So the interview was almost over and Steve Edwards turns to me on live television and said you know Greg you believe that most of the world who are not believing Christians will burn in hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God would ever create such a scenario, then Steve goes on to say is that not like a petty bath that some people have created not understanding God. I had two minutes to answer it and that's not an easy question to answer is a very slanted question with a lot of spin on it really saying that it's not fair that this loving God would send people to hell and he's like a petty boss and so forth. So I did the best I could in the two minutes I was allotted, but when the camera stopped rolling in. The show was over, the conversation continued, I would say everything is the best because it was a private conversation, but I don't think he was now asking questions for himself and his question was, what about the good people the good people out there. Why would God judge that this is a question that is often ask and of course my response was a what is your definition of a good person. We seem to have a sliding scale on what we call good. Basically, we are always on the right side of that scale. No matter how we look at the right no matter how we view the world no matter what were out of life will always one of the good guys in general. But here's the problem with just opining on the subject. One of one person's definition of good is another person's definition of bad that fact is not only do we reject God's absolute truth about right and wrong, but we break our own rules as we fail to live up to our own arbitrary standards. Another words on the people say what I believe and find of a good life. I'll get they have and then you are tempted to find a good life and you find the most cases they don't even live up to their standards, much less God's standards. When it's all said and done I need to break this to you. It doesn't matter what you think.

It doesn't matter what I think you I we are not the moral center of the universe. All that matters is what does God say so what does God say about good people well. Romans 323 10 says there's not one good no not one that does this mean that there are not good carrying kind people out there know it doesn't mean that because there are people like that is. I mean there are not people out there who have engaged in active heroism and sacrifice to our name and necessarily Christians know it is true. They've done and think I'll be honest with you I admit nonbelievers that are nicer than some Christians I know born in talking about being nice enough to get to heaven were talking about being good enough to get to heaven. Some only say there's nobody good or not saying that there are not nice people, pleasant people, sacrificial people, caring people. What were seen as no one is good enough and by good enough we mean no one is good enough to get to heaven on their own merit and that's where Jesus Christ comes because even while we were yet sinners. The Bible says Christ died for us will now we come to a topic that many people choke on. It's the judgment of God and as we see God's judgment coming on planet Earth. Some would say well it's about time and they have no problem whatsoever.

Force was seen God's wrath, following up on a world that has little time for him or his word affect some would feel it's long overdue. Somebody would take a perverse pleasure in that judgment. I think we need to check our heart if we see people that way because this reminds us a little bit of Jonah. You remember him. Jonah the original chicken of the Sea.

He was called called by God to go to preach to Nineveh and he did not want to go. Why because the Ninevites were the avowed enemies of Israel and they were incredibly cruel and barbaric people. So Jonah did not want to go because his fear was God would forgive them of their sin and spare them in Israel would still have that enemy to contend with, but he reason if he did not go and preach to them they would not repent therefore God would judge them.

That would be one less enemy to deal with, so he got on the boat and in the opposite direction will you know the rest of the story swallowed by the great fish bar from the shores of Nineveh. He finally did preach his message and what happens of full-blown revival breaks out. But even at the end of the book of Jonah we find the reluctant prophet, hoping that God will sort of change his mind and still judge these people so sort of pulls up a ringside seat, thinking that maybe fire and brimstone will fall from heaven, the others popcorn out you known as milk is in it is a lawn chair in your skin, hot in the sense of the Lord causes plant to grow, almost like a little palm tree, I give them a little bit initiated. It's called a key board in the King James version and so is under his little tree. You know, waiting for the judgment become excited for the judgment to come. And then what happens.

The Lord sends a worm to eat the plant or the door so Jonah was literally out of his gourd know we hereby Jonah and the whale, we never talk about Joni on the were the worms a part of that story too, by the way the whale Bible never says it was a whale says it was a great fish, literally translated sea monster, so may have been a whale may have been efficient is never existed before God custom-made for Jonah or may have been some bees that no longer surrounded it.

We don't know. It doesn't matter but Jonah and the worm must've been one big gnarly worm.

Eat something of that size. And so what happens Jonah is upset that he lost his plant and then he says to go to just wish I were dead.

The Lord says to my Jonah 410, you know you're so concerned about this plant. You can even make it grow it spring up overnight and died overnight. Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, so this is the I did not think I care. I don't like to judge. And I don't want to judge but I will judge because I'm righteous and holy. But I am reluctant to judge because I'm loving and I'm kind but there comes a point when enough is enough. Listen, it is the nature of God to love and forgive not the judge and condemn God loves us. God wants us to know him and he does not want to rain judgment on the world that he is made, so why does God judge now you might be surprised by my answer. But I think this is biblical and certainly true for us.

God judges because he is loving will that doesn't make sense will actually it does, you know, we can pick and choose the attributes of God. We live life.

I like a loving God. I like a forgiving God. But I'm not so into a righteous and holy God will you know. Sorry it's a package thing here, God is God and we accept them on his terms and God is righteous in God is holy, that the Scripture repeats this fact.

Many times we already read of the Angels up in heaven. In Revelation 4 that are seen in chapter 4 verse 84 angelic beings have six wings and there full of eyes around and within. Then no rest day or night and they say, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was who is and who was to come.

Notice I don't say eternal, eternal, eternal, or faithful faithful faithful or mighty mighty mighty they say, holy, holy, holy, reminding us God is holy because God is holy God hates sin. Habakkuk 113 says of God, your eyes are too pure to look on evil. You cannot tolerate and that is why the death of Jesus Christ was necessary, it is believed by many that when the father put the sin of the world on the sun and Christ cried out. Eli Eli Lammas of botany, which is translated by God, my God, why have you forsaken me that that was the moment the sin of the world was placed on Christ. We don't know. That is exactly the moment but it probably was. And therefore, when Jesus said, my God, my God web you forsaken me. He was speaking of what was happening.

The father turned just days away, puts his judgment on the sun.

Do you think that God would've caused his own son to suffer and die if there was any other way for us to be forgiven of arson judgment has its place here just a few things you should consider that are positive about judgment number one God's judgment should frighten us God's judgment should frighten us in supposed to scare the hell out of us and I mean it exactly as I said it scared the hell out of you. So when you want somebody you goes out and flagrantly breaks God's laws and they face repercussions. Let that be a warning that could be you know what we talked about during God. There's a place for reverence of God in respect of God, so it should scare us. Number two. It should sober us sober us up. It forces us to reassess the way were living. Maybe cause us to change our priorities. CS Lewis said pain is God's megaphone to reach a deaf world and sometimes were sort of an altered state of reality were under the intoxicating effect of sin know this about sin.

Sin makes us stupid people do stupid things under the power of sin look at Samson this key man with the sheet weakness this man that could kill philistines on a whim on the battlefield, but yet succumb to the allure and temptations of a beautiful woman named Delilah in a bedroom, but she thought it was a jokey thing. Samson told me the secret of your great strength that I may afflict you, you know you're in a messed up relationship with someone and appeared like you're going out with some guy or girl only asked to know the secret of your string so they may afflict you, maybe terminate the relationship. Just a thought sentence if you afflict me by the way the war Delilah means delicate chew Delilah up on the Samson so he joked around with her any got closer to the truth and one day he finally gave in and told her the secret of his strength, which was his commitment to God, symbolized by his long hair, which was never cut so question what happened.

She had his hair and the Philistines came in the apprehended him and everything fell apart. But she he was under the intoxicating effect of sin. He didn't realize that so sin should does destroy essence only see God judge it. It should sober us up number three God's judgment humbles us humbles us that strips away our self-righteousness reminds us of how sinful we are in reminds us that we really are not in control of our own lives and how desperately we need God and then finally God's judgment reassures us is a reassures that yes and reassures us that there is justice in the universe as a final Court of arbitration for me back my conversation with Steve Edwards on good morning LA I told him that there is a place for judgment because we all want final justice. I will look at the Adolf Hitler's of the world the Osama bin Laden's of the world or this group that called himself Isis and the horrific barbaric things they do to people and you say one day they're going to face the judgment of God.

Their people to commit crimes in this life, and we say they're gonna face consequences. One day so you we want judgment for certain people. But when we come to the subject for ourselves.

It would become very uncomfortable and people usually want to change the subject. That reminds you of when Paul was standing before Felix.

Not the cat. The roof, the Roman governor in Dianetics 24 we read that Paul reasoned with Felix about righteous is self-control. Listen, and the judgment to come and Felix was terrified and said go away for now. That's a lot of people say you can talk all day about God's love and God's forgiveness and God's wonderful plan for a person's life and and then they may ask you will what if I don't believe in Jesus will then you should say you'll face the judgment.

Why want to talk about that makes people uncomfortable, but we need to talk about it. Some will say well I believe in a God who is not judgmental, you're effectively saying you believe in a God who does not care about right and wrong.

If your God is not judgmental your God doesn't care about right and wrong and to be more blunt when you say I believe in a God that is loving but never judges. Here's what you're really saying a I'm an idiot and be I believe in a God. I made up in my own head okay because you cannot go to the God of the Bible and edited him. I know you can go to Instagram and you can do all this airbrushing stop and make yourself look thinner than you really are in, you can't do that with God, you can edit God. God is God and so we need to understand that in yes there is judgment because he loves us.

Know this is going to be no one in heaven who deserves to be there nor will there be anyone in hell who does not deserve to be there. Let me say that again there will be no one in heaven who deserves to be there and there will be no one in hell who does not deserve to be there. There will be no one in heaven who went there unwillingly and will be no one in hell who did not go there willingly. In the end God will be shown as the righteous supreme being here is JI Packer put it this way and I quote Scripture sees hell as self chosen hell appears as God's gesture of respect for human choice. All receive what they actually chose either to be with God forever worshiping him or without God forever worshiping themselves is all I gotta say you're going to heaven you're going to help. By the way, some believe in God predestined people to help double predestination which means not only did he choose you for not usual for heaven. He chose you for house like you're going to heaven heaven help hell hell haven't had I completely reject that by the way, God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He wants everyone to believe he is not predestined and chosen a person to go to hell without them wanting to go to that place. He just giving them what they wanted all along. So now we come to Revelation 8 that was all. The ramp-up is we see God's judgment is beginning to fall on planet Earth. A quick recap of what we seen in Revelation up to this point. Chapter 1 gave us a vision of Jesus Christ in his glory. He is the center of the book.

Remember Revelation 11 says this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants and the things that must take place swiftly and the idea that is not that the things John was referring to reckoning happen immediately, as in close proximity to the moment he wrote these words, but when it says they will happen.

Swiftly he means. Once the first domino falls, the others will fall in rapid succession. So once Antichrist appears in the tribulation period is officially inaugurated and all the events that follow other going to happen in rapid fashion.

So we have Christ is the center of the book of Revelation 1 chapters 2 and three describe church history of God's thought, starting with the early church. Chapters 4 and five show the church mean rapture to children's worshiping in heaven. And then you don't hear of the church again until his return until it they return or we return, I should say with Jesus in Revelation 19. Then from Revelation 6 to 19 we have a description of the great tribulation. So that's where we are now reminding us of the simple fact we as believers will not go through the great tribulation. It will wanting to say that because first Thessalonians 59 says of believers. God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ to the lusty church in Philadelphia.

Jesus says in Revelation 323 10 because you've kept my command to persevere, I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those that dwell on the year someone will say what Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation. I understand that there's a difference between personal tribulation and the great tribulation. As Christians, God will allow us go through trials and hardships and tribulation wife because the Bible says tribulation produces endurance.

So it makes us tougher.

It makes us stronger to going to the gym to build up muscle by effectively tearing it down and that's how you get stronger. And that's how we get stronger spiritually as well. But there's a big difference between that and the great tribulation. When God's wrath is poured out upon the planet and you cannot show me an instance where when God was judging him believers. Believers were judged with them when God decided to destroy the earth with water. What he do he got Noah and his family safely in the ark, and as the rain came down are going up, and before God judge Sodom and Gomorrah.

He got Lot and his family safely out of the city and then the judgment came in.

I believe in the same way before or the tribulation will begin the church will be removed. In fact, I even believed before. Antichrist will even be repealed. The church will be removed. So don't sit around and try to figure out who the antichrist is just a waste of your time. The Bible does not tell us to be looking for antichrist that tells us to be looking for Jesus Christ. That's all for now to be our focus bullet if you want to go through the tribulation. God bless you. Have fun. I'll see you later on to be in heaven worshiping God and I think you'll be there to.

If you trust him now to know as we come to chapter rate is a sudden change, it would be like if you're watching a movie. It's one of those disaster films on the edge of your seat you seen the destruction of Revelation 6, including war, famine and plague, and then suddenly it's like everything goes in-depth freeze-frame hello are looking at now is the calm before the storm. Revelation they were gonna read quite a few versus a read along with me in reading from the new King James version. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about 1/2 hour and I saw the seven angels who stand before God and of them were given seven trumpets and another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints you might underline that were going to come back upon the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the center filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth and there were noises and thunderings and lightnings in an earthquake. So the seven angels of the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first angel sounded, and hail and fire followed, mingled with blood. They were thrown to the earth in the third of the trees were burned up in the green grass was burned up. Verse eight. Then the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and 1/3 of the sea became blood. And 1/3 of the living creatures in the sea died in 1/3 of the ships were destroyed. Then the third ship sounded in the great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is wormwood.

1/3 of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. Then the fourth angel sounded, and the third of the sun was struck, 1/3 of the moon. 1/3 of the stars, so 1/3 of them were darkened, and the third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. Though Mr. 13 and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice will well wallow to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels are about to sound stop there. She read all this and you see well what is all this mean well it been scary times are coming for planet Earth. Revelation 88 opens was silence in heaven for half an hour, which is caused some to wonder, will there be women in heaven need some and they're all sitting in the front row tease been right here Jesse will be women in heaven guys, sorry, just can avoid that. No, really. This silence is very serious. It's like this silence of an anticipation of the judgments. God is about to unleash it so quiet in heaven. You can hear a pin drop into restaurant that gets louder and louder as a certain restaurant would like to go to we get there early you know when you're old you eat early. Did you know that earlybird specials were made for Russian so you sit there and you like it really quiet and then you know someone was in the table next in their kind and noisy and someone else comes in that the other table then pretty soon all the tables are filled and the restaurant is filled in and they got the background music playing in all that and that and the noise just begins to elevate you don't realize how loud it is.

You can barely understand each other.

But then when you get out of the restaurant. You realize how loud it was because it's so quiet outside.

It's almost like this silence is deafening. So to put this in perspective. Heaven is not generally a quiet place heaven overall is a it's a happening place. It's hopping up and have a man were busy were up there worshiping were rejoicing were serving the Lord Raven meals together party worship service and activity all happening simultaneously.

It's exciting. So if you're one of those people that like stuff going on you to love heaven. It's not the caricatured version of sitting around in a cloud plucking a harp or some fat baby angel hovering above you with little wings you know I conquered those little wings hold you up. You're so fat little baby angel that's on heaven. That's just basically cartoons in some religious paintings.

Heaven is happy, busy place. Another silence, wiser silence and by the way, this is the only time we read of silence in heaven wiser silence because God's going to judge the earth. Nobody's happy about including God. Zephaniah 17 to stand in silence in the presence of the sovereign Lord for the awesome day of the Lord's judgment has come.

It's like this silence in the courtroom as you await the jury foreman to speak, stand up and say we, the members of the jury do fine in their science. What what is the verdict going to be the fact that this last for a half-hour reminds us that God is not in a hurry to do it to God's not in a rush to judgment. I can hardly wait. No, the very opposite, and I don't do this, I take no pleasure in this so you can see that that even God is reluctant to bring it because he knows is going to bring a domino effect. By the way there's some high ranking every doodle duty angels overseeing this operation like a revelation made to I saw the seven angels who stand before God and of them were given seven trumpets want you to notice. John says the seven it doesn't just say seven angels.

He says the seven angels I don't know who they were sort of reminds us of their like the magnificent seven. Their high ranking angels there are important angels really know of two high ranking angels in the Bible we know there are thousands and thousands of angels, but we know that there are two that are high in the rank and that would be Michael and Gabriel. Michael is uniquely called the Archangel, only he's called that that could even says of the rapture with the trump of God. The voice of the archangel, so he's a major angel then there's Gabriel.

He's a major angel to I he has a special role that we see in Scripture. This is illustrated in the story of Daniel praying in Daniel chapter 10 the prophet shot up early heaven and an angel was sent with the answer, but apparently this angel that was sent was like Pfc. or something because he was outranked by powerful demon so we know that there are rankings of holy angels and there are rankings of demons of fees in six talks about principalities and powers in spiritual might in high places so just like in the military. We have a five star general and we have a Pfc. so in the heavenly realm. We have general angels and we have Lieut. angels and we have entry-level angels and is all powerful, but there are rankings so apparently not a high ranking angel was dispatched to Daniel with the prayer he's overcome. So the Lord sends higher ranking angel Michael the Archangel, and he frees up the other angel to bring the answer to Daniel and Dotson, who knows when were praying sometimes in our prayers are not answered as quickly as we would like, what's going on in the spiritual world is a lot going on there. Also, I would mention that Gabriel was dispatched to deliver the news to the aged. Zechariah that he would be the father of the forerunner of the Messiah that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth would be the parents of the greatest profit who ever lived. John the Baptist and when he appears to Zechariah the prophet is not sure if these totally legit. I love how the angel says I'm Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God like Buddy hello, I'm Gabriel. I stand by God. I did send by God in this vision and it was also Gabriel. There was sent to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. So here we have the seven angels probably including Michael and Gabriel. The seventh trumpet appears to usher in what Jesus calls the great tribulation in the Olivet discourse Matthew 24 we were just in Israel and we stood on the Mount of olives were.

He gave all of the discourse. Matthew 24 and that there he said there will be great distress or tribulation unequaled from the beginning of the world until now, never to be equaled again in the seventh seal is the seven trumpet judgments in the seven trumpet judgments. Progress in the seven bowl judgments and the seven trumpet judgments can be divided into two groups.

The first four are directed by God against the environment against the environment and the reminiscent of what happened to Pharaoh in Egypt when he was not listening to God and God sent a series of legs on the land plagues of lies plagues of frogs turn in the Nile River and the blood they were plagues or judgments on their environment and then finally the final three are falling on humanity in the next three chapters. So one thing we can safely assume global warming this coming the first trumpet blast targets the earth's vegetation number seven crops and forests are decimated filling the sky with smoke and ash. This will affect the food supply, and no doubt the global economy. The second trumpet blasts the oceans. Verse eight we read something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. Now we wonder what is John saying, don't forget John lives in the first century is banished to the island of Patmos. He's using his language and his understanding of what he knows to describe what Jesus Christ is showing them it's almost as though Jesus put John in front of the spiritual Time Machine.

Probably not a DeLorean and it catapulted him into the future and showing them all this phenomena. So John with first century language. It week.

I was like going to keyboard in every keyboard is writing it down furiously trying to get this so what is John describing is this a huge meteor or an asteroid could be. I get up and I can bring this about you verdict Krakatoa the volcanic island in the South Pacific interrupted and blew apart in the oceans were rushing into the traders exploded. It created a mighty convulsion that explosion was heard. 2000 years 2000 miles away and the island was obliterated. It literally disappear in history tells us that sunsets around the world were colored by just two years from the first explosion, so maybe it's sort of like a Krakatoa blowing up. Think of Mount Saint Helens, or maybe it was like just a meteor coming in kidding this place we don't know exactly but we know verse eight. One third of the sea became blood now.

I don't think this literally means blood necessarily. It could be red tides caused by billions of dead microorganisms poisoning the water in this case a result of the meteors explosion.

Then again, maybe John in first century verbiage that describing a nuclear explosion. You know it's interesting when you look at what happens in the aftermath of a nuclear weapons being detonated it actually parallels what we just read. I read an article in the extent a San Francisco Examiner describing a nuclear winter. We often think the worst thing about a nuclear blast is the explosion and is horrific is that is the things that follow are often far worse than nuclear winter, described as follows from a scientist. Quote within a few weeks of it all on nuclear word devastating freeze would settle in the northern hemisphere massive amounts of soot from burning cities and forests with diffuse of the atmosphere, blotting out the sun high noon would look like the dead of night. The average temperature would drop as much as 72° so maybe John's describing a nuclear box is great. You're freaking me out.

Flashback were not going to be here for this organ to be in heaven. So just be sure look of this, even as this is coming down. God sends an angel. Verse 13 with a divine warning I saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice whoa whoa whoa to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels that are about to sound others a succession of judgments upon the book but why does he send the Angels can't still warning people using I don't want to do this but I'm going to do it because I'm righteous and I'm holy and there must be repercussion for sin. However, you can still repentance might say well this is pretty crazy stuff. Well, maybe this is a wake-up call because I do believe is going to come a moment organ to be caught up to meet the Lord's coming happened so fast it you want to be able to market in time and I don't want you to miss that moment, I want you to be ready when the Lord comes back for his people, so maybe he's speaking to you right now you might say, well, you know, I don't really agree with what you're saying. Sorry it's the Bible and the Bible is true and the Bible says let God be true and every man a liar.

So this is going to come down that a person might say well I'm kind of excited about this.

I can't wait.

You're weird okay you need an attitude adjustment. This should break our heart. This is it breaks God's heart. Alyssa could something little bit different.

Listen to what happens to our prayers. Look at verse three. Revelation 8 another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar.

He was given much incense and he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. So what happens to our prayers when they're offered to God that all depends not a prayer of course is offered to God. Did you know it's entirely possible to pray even a very long prayer and not have your prayer heard by God's it will have a deputy what Jesus told the story of a Pharisee that prayed thus with himself next to a publican who was a sinner tax collector, and so the sinner just said God be merciful to me a sinner wouldn't even look up the government. Meanwhile the Pharisee prayed this eloquent beautiful prayer and Jesus said, who's pretty thing daughter. The conventional wisdom would be, will the religious guy the spiritual guy you know would be like saying Billy Graham and Howard Stern went to pray whose prayer got her will. Billy Graham and I will and I'm not seeing milligrams, a Pharisee, obviously, but I am seeing Howard Stern's a center okay let's click okay. But here's my point. But I'm a sinner is what we all are, but my point is simply this conventional wisdom would signal the religious guy is prayer gets hurt, not the sinner guided in this case, Jesus is seen actually the center was heard because he was humble before God and acknowledges true condition and the religious guy was so filled with pride is prayer was not heard.

In fact, Pharisee started his prayer with. I think you that I'm not like other men, especially Kim. If you ever start a prayer like that your messed up okay and so here's my point.

It's possible to pray and not have your prayers heard. I mean technically gather curd with her not to be answered in the affirmative, because that simple and I will separate you from God. But what about those prayers that we offer to heaven that are never answered.

Holy mean answer me and answered in the affirmative, is sometimes also my prayers are not answered well maybe God said no and you just didn't like the answer no is as much of an answer is yes is right, God answers prayer. Three ways yes no and wait wait and sometimes those weight answers are the hardest of all. But that doesn't mean no it doesn't mean no, it just means God has his timing and so sometimes we pray our prayers and we wonder is God aware. Yes, God is aware. He's aware of each and every request made for his glory and in his will is a will that's easy for you to say but I don't know the God assert all my prayers will. Here's what the Bible says that there Than this bowl in heaven and we have the cloud we put all the stuff in the cloud right to the cloud as a cloud we don't know what it's in the cloud. God is a bowl of cloud if you will of it makes it easier for you to understand a storage space if you want to call it that, in your prayers are not forgotten your prayers are not ignored. Your prayers are duly noted and God will answer them as he chooses to answer them in his perfect timing going back to the story of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist see the reason he was surprised when Gabriel came and told him he was going to be a dad, was because he was a really old dude at this point really old and by the way he'd been praying for this for 30 years and so him and his wife Elizabeth. You know they're going out to dinner at 5 o'clock in the evening okay that there thinking I got the whole answer to the prayer to have children. Obviously that's not going to happen in all the Lord comes.

This is all you by the way, to give you a son, but I'm not going to give you just any son I'm in a give you a super son I'm in a give you the greatest profit ever live so sometimes God doesn't answer our prayer as quickly as we would like because he wants to do something even better because the Bible says God is able to do exceedingly above and be on that what we can ask or think some of you are young. Some of you think you are young, but let me address those who are young you know you fall in love with a girl or a guy, this is the one you see the Lord. By the way I did that all the time. I think I was in love with love and I was a young kid I I wanted to get married in the worst way. I was getting really old.

It was 18 you know when is this going to happen and I fell in love. Or so I thought with a couple girls and I told God that someone in God ignored me. Hallelujah is in the right girl waiting for me and me, waiting for her. Kathy and I met later. And then you know this is in the nice thing to say son Hunter said how many of you want me to say it anyway.

See what is wrong with you.

Okay is can it in the nicest way say recently, I ran into one of the girls I thought it was in love with him to say is a very nice person but I looked at her and I look to my wife visit. Hallelujah, that's a silly girls here. I'm really sorry so right now God says no.

Maybe it's for your own good. Maybe God says way way way way you would tell a child the weight they hate waiting. They want everything now no just way it'll be worth it. You'll see how does that to.

So here's my point. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed something for 30 years and God didn't say yes and then boom out of the blue. The answer came. Maybe you been praying for something for 30 years. Maybe the salvation of a husband of the wife of a mother of a father of a child we are praying for something else. 30 years giving will 30 years that forget it, talking to happen after 30 years. How do you know here's something to consider. I hope you will find this depressing but the person you're praying for to come to Christ may come to Christ at your funeral service that maybe would promise it and you'll rejoice in heaven. When you see them later. We need a bigger picture is a great theologian Buzz light year. One said to infinity and beyond.

Try to get a bigger picture. Don't give up on your prayer wanted a notice that this powerful angel mention here brings the prayers to God's attention.

Verse three. Another regional having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar. Lord hears those prayers.

Here they are working. I know so it's duly noted and I think sometimes we think we pray with certain people your person to be answered more quickly. Had the occasion to bring a few times the Billy Graham I member every 10 thinking this prayer is so forward in heaven.

I mean, Billy Granholm, come on site. Intelligent people are very milligrams friend nominalism of this particular but you know is wonderful as Billy Graham. As I've invoked him a couple times in this message. I he doesn't have any greater access to heaven than you have. He and his prayers are not heard more quickly than yours are because Billy just like you just like me just like all of us come to the father through Jesus Christ. And that's where prayers are heard in heaven but this prayer is brought before the Lord. So let's rock this message up and in just bring a few closing points number one.

Never underestimate the power of prayer. Never underestimate the power of prayer listen when you're praying according to God's will.

Your prayers are unstoppable. First John 514 says this is the confidence that we have in him. If we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

And we know that if he hears us, whatever we ask, we will have the petitions we passed him. That's the key to successful prayer.

That's the key to seeing your prayers answered in the affirmative. Get your will and alignment with God's will. The objective is not to wrestle God my way to get God to do what I want know the objective of prayer is to align myself with the will of the father and Ray, if I my my little boat. I see the doctor and I throw the rope on the dot and I pull myself, my pulling the dock to me. My pulling my cell for my little boat to the dock. So when I'm afraid I'm throwing my rope up and I'm trying to pull myself to the Lord, Lord, what do you want me to pray.

How do you want me to see this. How can I get in sync with your will, you still great how do you know the will of God. While start by just immersing yourself in Scripture and you'll start seeing the mind of God. The heart of God the desires of God and then you'll start praying the way he wants you to pray. Jesus said if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will and it shall be done unto you a better translation would put it this way, Jesus speaking. If you maintain the living communion with me. My word is at home and you you can ask at once for yourself. Whatever your heart desires and it's yours will immediately gravitate for the latter part of what I went over my heart desires.

Yeah, whatever you want to get to immediately think of all those stories of Jeannie's granting wishes and just tell God what we want will wait. Don't miss the first part is a conditional promise.

The promise visualized at once for yourself. Whatever your heart desires and will be yours. But that condition is Jesus speaking. If you maintain a living communion with me and my word is at home and you guess what, when you're spending time in the presence of God in understanding his will you not going to pray for stupid stuff anymore. You start praying for things that God wants.

And so that's why your prayers will be answered more often in the affirmative. So don't give up or don't back down.

You know I think when you're praying for the salvation of a loved one, don't ever give up.

Pray as long as you live. Never give up uncovered takes 30 years 40 is never give up were praying for a revival in America.

Don't give up. Don't give up keep praying that God would send it number two God's timing is not always our timing.

This is about prayer.

God's timing is not always our timing in Revelation 6 we read of the martyrs in heaven crying to God asking him to bring judgment saying how long will Lord, holy and true, until you avenge our blood and God's response is wait a little longer I'm in a take care, but just wait a little longer. Sometimes what you know like the kids in the long car ride same to her parents are we there yet are we there yet. The Lords is just just a little bit longer, almost forgetting close. Remember God's delays are not necessarily his denials so keep praying. Don't give up. Yeah you know what judgment is coming to this world, and when I first domino falls and excellence in the fall and the next is going to fall and it's going to be scary but I'm so thankful that that I have hope that I will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. I want to close this message by asking you the question if Jesus Christ were to come back tonight. Would you be ready.

I mean, are you sure you would be ready.

You know when you're right with God. You will be excited by the fact that Christ could come back but if you're not right with God.

You will be very reluctant to embrace this idea certified to be did something wrong and your mom give you that ominous warning, just wait until your father gets home, so you dreaded your dad's arrival normally had run out to greet them. Throw your arms around him, but now you know you're in trouble and car pulls up in the driveway and you slowly walk out if you walk out of all that's all some people greet the return of Christ. All men I messed up and not living in a way that I should will then change your ways stop doing the thing that you're doing and little in the way that you can say, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus, your reaction to the imminent or the soon return of Jesus is really a spiritual barometer of where you are at. If you embrace this idea. If your heart jumps a little with excitement and anticipation that would indicate to me you're right with God. If your heart sinks a little in your filled with dread and even fear that would indicate to me not right with God to look at that fix you can get right with God. Exhibit how to say, I know I'm a sinner and I'm sorry and I need Jesus in Jesus Christ will come and forgive you of everything you ever committed in an instant. It doesn't take years.

It doesn't take months.

It doesn't take hours to get to it in a nano second. Just like that because his death on the cross satisfied the righteous demands of the father. Jesus please God's judgment so you don't have to face God's judgment, but if you reject him, the very son of God, then when you face judgment in that final day, you'll have no one to blame but yourself. As I pointed out that you know there will be no one in the hell who did not go there willingly. You know that you made that choice.

You charting your course God doesn't want that for you.

He's waiting for you to believe and there might be a few of you that need to ask Christ to forgive you of your sin right now and I want to give you an opportunity to do that there might be a few of you that well you're sort of living in two worlds. You know you you know it's right but you're doing things that you shouldn't be doing as a follower of Jesus and and maybe this is a warning from God tonight to you using don't do that anymore.

Warning, just like you worn these people in Revelation. Just like there was a pause in the silence in heaven and the angel said whoa whoa whoa man, don't go there.

Don't do this God is giving you worn using one of your witnesses will do. It went okay in the face consequences going to be pretty constant.

Come to me now be forgiven and we do the father we hear your word.

Now we want to respond and I prefer anybody here anybody is listening to this message wherever they are. If they don't know for sure that Jesus is living in their heart that they will go to heaven when they die.

Help them to come to you and believe in you right now, no one has about their eyes are closed and were praying together. How many of you would say tonight Greg I want Jesus in my life.

I want my sins forgiven. I don't want to please God's judgment in this world or in the world would come.

I want to be forgiven of my sin right now. So pray for me if you want Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven one day.

If you don't want to face God's judgment wherever you are.

Raise her hand up and let me pray for you. You want Christ in your life. God bless you lift your hand a pregnancy. God bless you. Anybody else with your hand.

Apply please you want is forgiveness, bless you and God bless you anybody else's. Raise your hand and we pray for you, plus maybe you haven't lifted her hand yet, but you need to make this commitment did Jesus do it now, but she was well anybody else raise your hand.

You want Jesus to come in your life you want to go to heaven when you die you want to be ready for the Lord's return.

If you haven't raise your hand yet raise it now.

I'll pray for you wherever you are sitting raise your hand up when we pray for you.

Anybody else, bless you wellheads are still about maybe some of you would say I'm living in compromise life and I know it and I don't want to live this way anymore. I want to turn from the sin that God is convicted me off and I want to start walking closely with Jesus so I can say, come quickly, Lord Jesus, affect your desire raise your hand up wherever you are and we pray for you right, you need to make that recommitment to Christ, bless anybody else raise your hand. I would ask every one of you if you would please add raise your hand to stand your feet, lead you in a prayer right when you argue that raise your hand saying that you want Christ to come in your life or you want to make that recommitment stand up that you heard me right. Stand your feet, lead you in a prayer by the way, others are standing you're not alone. Others are standing to stand up. You want to make this commitment a recommitment to Jesus Christ maybe did not raise your hand but you want to make this commitment stand up, I'll get a pray together, bless you. Anybody else stand your feet get this resolved a bless you. You will not regret this.

You be glad you did it. Anybody also went one more moment. You want God's forgiveness, bless you need to make a recommitment to Christ, you want to be ready for his return. Stand your feet and we pray for you and with you, bless you. Anybody else stand now.

Anybody else I will pray together right now you that are standing on the lead you in a simple prayer and I want you to print out loud after me right where you stand again as I pray pray this prayer out loud after me right where you are. Pray this now, Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Jesus forgive me of my sin. I turn from it now. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray.

Amen. God bless you guys afraid that prayer