The Writing Is On The Wall

Father, we know you're in this place.

We know that there are lives you want to speak to people that are here people that are listening on radio people that are watching on the Internet. Your word is true, let it resonate let it connect like people finding answers to the questions they have denied the biggest questions of all speak to us. We ask in Jesus name, amen.

The title of my message is the writing is on the wall. My conversation I had a few moments ago with Nick. He already raised the big questions of life in every thinking person gets around to asking like what is the meaning of my life. What is the purpose of my existence that you know that Paul was recently done. The revealed that 61% of Americans said the main purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment is not true. And here's the biggest question of all. What can I happened to us when we die. These are things that we all need to grapple with.

We need to consider were celebrating 20 years of crusade evangelism tonight. We started back in 1990. Time is passing by were all getting a little bit closer to eternity. In fact, one person describe the passing of time.

This way like to be summed up in four stages states number one you believe in Santa Claus states number two you don't believe in Santa Claus states number three you become Santa Claus and states number four look like Santa Claus out.

That's where I'm at when I started these Crusades I was 36 years old.

Now I'm obviously $56. There's more of me than there used to be. You know I was a little lighter when I first started out I put on a few pounds but I want to know that I am working out all the time. In fact, I do 100 crunches every day. This lease crunches you should try them, the very good 20 years ago we were at the Pacific amphitheater and on the last night they broke all attendance records. I gave a message with the title, the writing is on the wall and you know what I said.

I said Jesus Christ is coming back. You might feel good and I was 20 years ago.

He didn't come back.

That's true. Check it out for 20 years, closer than I we've never been closer to the return of the Lord whom we are right now. Listen Fred. The writing is still on the wall. Back then it was a headline now it's mega time NEWSPAPERS. They have a certain kind of type they use for big event like when Pearl Harbor was attacked or when Pres. Kennedy was assessed dated or 9/11 took place. Big bold type. They call it. Second, Cummings high. Interestingly, one day they're gonna pull out the second coming five and use it for what it was designed for Jesus Christ returns for his people. He is coming back again.

The writing is on the wall. Listen, the writing isn't just on the wall in the front pages of our newspapers and on the websites and on television on the radio. The writing may be on the wall for you personally. Something has got your attention recently. That's one of the reasons you're here maybe had a close brush with death may be someone close to you die. Maybe you just got bad news from the doctor and you're beginning to realize that you are a person that does not get a live forever to become more aware of your mortality. Maybe something painful is happened to wake you up. CS Lewis in his book the problem of pain makes a statement God whispers to us in our pleasures.

He speaks to us in our content but he shouts to us in our pain. Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Maybe something painful is happened you face the consequences of something stupid. You did something else that caught your attention, you would try to avoid pain at all costs. I've noticed a lot of dentists have the slogan of pain free dentistry is that even possible.

Every time I've gone to the dentist in her face when they get that drill out you all now. Instead I heard Timmy pain free dentistry is what you would call an oxymoron unit oxymoron. And it's something that really seems self-contradictory, like there's a good oxymoron jumbo shrimp in jumbo shrimp or how about this one freezer burn. That's an oxymoron. Here's another one airline food that is really an oxymoron.

Here's one more female driver not telling the other.

All the guys try politics are we don't like you anymore.

Just wanted to see what you're listening listen to can use a page you can live a pain-free life. Maybe God is allowed to remain alive to get your attention. Why because, listen to me there's nothing more important than eternity.

I know we want fulfillment.

I know we want purpose, to talk about that a little bit but the bottom line is this what is going to happen to you when you die because one day your number will be one day life, and you know it will come to an end. Here's a story now in the Bible of a young man. He was the king of Babylon. His name was Belshazzar. He ruled pretty much most of the world at this particular time he had at his disposal.

The treasures of the world. Thousands of slaves to do his bidding, day and night.

The magnificent incredible walls of Babylon that were 350 feet high and 87 feet wide and one of the ancient wonders of the world.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world rather than hanging Gardens of Babylon.

That all belongs to the grandfather of Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar. One day Nebuchadnezzar was checking out all of us stop in the great kingdom that he interacted and he said look at the great kingdom and I have built is an expression of my royal splendor effectively. Nebuchadnezzar the king of the world. Some days we feel that way the bills are paid. All those good skies are blue we start taking personal credit watch out. Listen to me everything that you have is a gift to you from God. I don't care if you're Christian or a non-Christian if you're a believer if you're an atheist.

It doesn't matter your life is a gift to you from God your existence as a gift to you from God the breadth your drawing in your lungs right now is a gift to you from God that beat of your heart is a gift to you from God. Nebuchadnezzar said I don't need God. And so God allowed some kind of mental illness to take them over and he was humbled, and he came to his senses and he believed he turned to the true and living God will he's died. At this point, any time. Please choose on to his bratty little grandson Belshazzar within. Listen to what Graham said to say to know Belshazzar is running the whole shooting match even charge of the whole kingdom and he decided he wants to go out of his way to mock God not to just fail to believe he says under the amount.I'm in a make fun of God, can I just make a suggestion.

That's a really bad idea.

Member that old song you don't talk on Superman's Kate you don't spit into the wind.

You don't pull on the mask of the old Lone Ranger and you go mess around with Jim and I had one more thing, you don't mock God. Okay, because the Bible says don't be deceived, God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

You think this is a joke I used to laugh at Christians.

I thought they were all one taco sort of combination plate you know if you clown short of a circus collectively crazy. I used to laugh at them think they believe in fairytales. I would want him sitting around having the Bible study singing their weird songs about God that I got to get these pathetic Christian with a stupid smile pasted on their faces. Too bad they can't be cynical and hard and miserable like me. Then I tried a new thought on first thought, I thought what if course it's not true but what if the Christians are right. What if God is real, what if there really is a heaven and there really is a hell of Jesus Christ really can change a lever that one of my thinking. Of course he cannot do that. That can't be true there's no way.

But then again I thought what if it's true, and so I took a little step of faith. And I said gone up your real, make yourself known to me and I prayed a little prayer in Christ came into my life, and asked some of you to take a little step of faith denied. I believe that I believe he will change your life as well give you an opportunity to do that in just a moment to hear his old team.

Belshazzar went out of his way to mock God disregarding what his grandfather said, thinking he knew everything there is what the Bible says in Daniel five, King Belshazzar at a great feast for 1000 of his nobles.

The wine flowed freely. Belshazzar heading with the wine reported that the gold and silver chalices. His father, Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from God's Temple of Jerusalem. We brought in so that he and his wives and his concubine could shrink from them.

They drank the wine and drunkenly praise our God of gold and silver.

Ellison, of this I love this part at that very moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and began riding on the lamp illuminated whitewashed wall of the palace.

When the king saw the disembodied handwriting away, he went as white as a ghost, scared out of his wits's legs went limb and his knees knocked. This is such a great scene they're all drinking having a great old time party and away and all of a sudden they see a hand by hand writing on the wall and he starts shaking George's why as a ghost you thinking something's up in that hand was God's hand writing a message to Belshazzar and all the people that were there no regionalism a lot of times kids don't listen to people who are older every generation thinks they discovered sex drugs and rock 'n' roll every generation thinks they're getting it for the first time in the older generation doesn't know what they're talking about and so this is the way things are only limited time now or even older people, you know want to be younger.

They don't want to acknowledge the passing of time. You know you shop at the store called forever 21, but the problem is your 76 is just not cool is, where not the store you people spent all this money trying to turn back the hands of time. $13 billion worth of antiaging cosmetics are sold annually and then there are those people according get plastic surgery. I'm not knocking that I'm sure some of you. How many of you know I don't already know what whatever I don't either. You know me.

My feeling is you know potential wrinkle against credited of the house needs cleaning, paint whatever you want to do, but I just gotta tell you, sometimes it's kind of scary.

What happened look at some people in your life did you actually want your face to look like that. And then there's Botox. What's with that, you know, people of this proposal look on their faces. This there to tell you what they're feeling right now I'm really mad but I can show it because I'm full of Botox.

My lips don't move because our pump. Two other know what's going on think some of it seeped into my brain, all we just wanted to attend were young still enemy at the first sign of gray. We want to wash it out or the first sign of losing your hair begin a really ugly hairpieces can assist like that. Getting now. Nobody knows I have a hairpieces is a good one. We all know we don't want to accept the fact that were aging. Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson.

He passed it on to his grandson Belshazzar. Belshazzar blown off Ellison. It is here. They are having a drunken feast, worshiping false gods taking the special chalices that were used for the worship of the Lord in the temple and praising their false gods to go out of the where to install the Lord in what's happening but right out side of the city, Cyrus and the Medo Persian forces were about to strike and take over the mighty kingdom of Babylon. Was really amazing. This was prophesied in the Scripture what I'm saying is the prophet Isaiah had revealed that Babylon would fall and it would happen during the reign of the son of the sun of Nebuchadnezzar. Not only that, but Daniel hundreds of years before the men was even born. Name the man who would lead the invading forces against Babylon. He said his name is Cyrus. Not only that, but excuse me not getting what Isaiah prophesied that this would happen when the gates were left open so you thought that some of what is said hey I is there some prophecy about an army that's going to take us over who is an army outside of the walls right now.

That's a Medo Persian Empire right who's the guy leading the Army that would be Cyrus right and didn't someone say the gate should be left open label we are to shut the gate. Here's my point.

The writing was on the wall and they were paying attention. In the same way all around us are reminders that Jesus Christ is coming back. Did you know that the Bible predicts that one day there will come the complete collapse of the world economy will watch our economy unravel chlorides. One expert said, quote amidst the global economic crisis in which upwards of 45% of the world's wealth is been lost in the last 18 months.

Talk of radically restructuring the global economic system is growing in recent weeks, leaders in Europe, Africa and the Middle East have been talking about scrapping the current economic order in going to a single common currency. Listen, I'll take it a step further Oglala limb because the Bible says it, there's coming a day when we will have a cashless society. There's coming a day when a charismatic leader will emerge on the world scene identified in the Bible is the antichrist and no one will be able to do any kind of financial transaction unless they have a smart on his right hand or their forehead is a Greg Jordan not my 200 years ago that would've been dismissed as foolishness. When we traded primarily with silver and gold, but now with our modern technology were already moving toward a cashless society.

We have our credit cards or debit cards are best passed MasterCard.

We have our keyless ignition in cars.

We can even go into a store and if you don't want to pay the price of the store. You can take a little barcode and you can scan it on your phone and check it out on the Internet and see if you can find a better deal on it somewhere else. We have all this tracking technology were just a step away from coming to the point where we can have this very sign fulfilled in our lifetime.

So here's my point.

This is what the antichrist is going to do so. Listen, if the antichrist is closed.

Listen, Jesus Christ is even closer coming again.

A super sign of the last days is the nation Israel. God said that that nation would return again to their homeland, and against all odds. After the horrific Holocaust took place on May 14, 1948 the nation Israel began to exist. Again, the Bible says that she would come back to our land and the nations of the world would show hostility toward her. Why is it that this tiny little nation with less than 6 million people in it has become the geopolitical center of the world.

Why is it that a fledgling country with the total land space hardly larger than New Jersey is mentioned in the nightly news more than any other nation except the United States because God said it would be that way.

He said Israel would be regathered the nation for turn against her and God said that the final battle of all mankind would take place in the Middle East. Today we hear the president of Iran building up nuclear weaponry and threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the map just as the Bible is said or seen it happen before our eyes, listen friend the writing is on the wall for everybody to see Jesus Christ is coming back again. Are you ready he could come tonight. Maybe the writings on the wall your heart right now the finger of God wrote a message on the wall for Belshazzar and everyone else to see if that same finger that Edsall's commandments and stone given to Moses as he descended from Mount Sinai and said same finger of God the road in the sand when Jesus walked this earth and a woman was caught in the act of adultery and she was thrown in front of them and someone said the law says we should stoner what you say in the Bible says Jesus started writing in the sand doesn't tell us what he wrote that I like to know what he wrote. But the Bible also says they left from the oldest to the youngest, so whatever he wrote and make them real uncomfortable. Maybe he wrote the first name and the sins they were committing any clear the room was left with him and that woman he says he woman, where are your accusers, Jesus, Lord, I don't have any says neither do I accuse you know, and sin no more. God finger wrote in the sand and he's offering you forgiveness and either succumb to him believe in him. So Belshazzar he starts freaking out what was going on when writing on the wall so he calls in the astrologer and the astronomer what's going on this and we don't know it's going on and then his grandmother comes in. Presumably, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar.

She says Sonny boy, there was a prophet around when your grandpa was running this country's name was Daniel. He can interpret things like this daughter called Daniel and see what he is a safe dose others. I shall bring him in incomes. The 90-year-old Daniel, he's old now… Belshazzar right in the eye and he says here's the bottom line you been proud and you been arrogant and you will not glorified the God that gives you life and controls your destiny.

That brings me back to a question I raised earlier. Why am I here in this earth. My care for personal enjoyment and fulfillment. No, I am here in the desert to know the God who created me and to bring him glory.

That's what Nick is doing with his life. Despite his hardships, Nick is taken disability and he started into an ability though he doesn't have arms or legs. He's been God's hand reaching out to others, offering words of hope, wanting to honor God, glorify God with his life.

That's why you are here. Don't waste your life and find this stuff out the hard way. Don't put off getting right with God like Belshazzar did. You might say, Greg. One of these days I'm going to get right with God, then your passes. One of these days I'm in a get right with God. 10 years past. One of these days I want to get right with God. 20 more years past.

One of these days am going to get right with God.

Another 10 years rather one of these was I talking about again. No, put it off your right with them now is salmon. I wish I had the power of Belshazzar was to have his money, this reviewer one of the most successful actors of your generation, like Shiloh buff I don't even know if you know who that is, Shiloh buff played the sound of Indiana Jones and the latest film and that franchise and more recently he has starring in transformers revenge of the fallen that's expected to push the total of his film grosses over $3 billion but he doesn't think much about actors acting listening his statement in an interview. He says actors live dependent on being validated by other people's opinion. I don't understand what I do, that people want. I don't know what an actor does. I have no credentials. I don't even know what I'm doing.

Despite his fame about this insecure NMT dimensions affect him when he's feeling insecure. Sometimes he stops his bike in the side of the road on a busy road to see if people recognize him because he scared they won't above. Since I don't handle fame well because most actors on most days. Don't think they're worthy I have no idea where this insecurity comes from but it's a God sized hole. If I knew I'd fill it and I'd be on my way." That's right he is a God sized hole in his life knew about God sized hole in yours to guess what's going to fill it. God a relationship with Jesus Christ.

You were created to know God. That's why you're here so the writings on the wall there are the words many many parts. Whatever those words mean. Daniel interpreted them for the boy king. He says many means number God is number your days.

Belshazzar the party is over technical means way you been waiting God balances you been found lacking and finally parts and means divided your kingdom is been divided and it is given to the needs and perversions loose paraphrase your number is up, there's going to come a day when your number is out there can accommodate when my number is up is going to come a day when life will lead you see, God doesn't look at things the way we do when we get on a scale. We hope we have way less. But when you get on God's sales. He want you way more.

By that I mean he want your life Weight and substance in one of the hardest things about summer is putting a bathing suit on.

You know man you not put on some weight in the winter and you know so you go out the first day at the beach either an organic trunk to where I were board shorts, how many of you were Speedo's raise your hand up, not get out now content, but you know you see the telltale signs. If you think of yourself. Maybe it's time to go on a diet. Maybe away a little bit too much. Listen, you know it's time to go on a diet when you go to the zoo and the elephants no peanuts at you. That's a bad that's fine. You know it's time to go on a diet when you're a runway model at the airport. That's not good. No time to go on a diet when your drivers license as pictured continued. On the other side so I go on, you will more no time to go on a diet when your lawn chair is a lot okay that's bad. Okay, enough of will want lose a little weight, but in God scales you want to gain a little God scales you want to have substance and death and purpose. That's the problem, says are fed no weight in his life when they were going to be waiting. God scales and guess what he's gonna want to know what we did with Jesus Christ you think I'm living the good life and I believe that my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds and I'm in a just eat keeping good and ultimately I'll get it all sorted out. But here's the problem.

It's not true. If you really stopped on the lookout and honestly your good deeds do not outweigh your bad deeds you've done letting out bad things and that's where Jesus comes in because there's no way you can meet the righteous demands of God, so God loves you so much that he sent his son Jesus to this earth to be born in that manger and live the perfect life and then go to the cross plan voluntarily died in your place and pay the price for your said and rise again from the dead. So you would be made a comfortable God. Belshazzar was too late for him is in a Daniel is amenable to gold chain around her neck and purple capably given your yard that's okay bills set bills as a I don't really need your blinking your cave. It's not gonna do much for me now in the Bible says that very night Belshazzar. The Babylonian king was killed was in.

There's going to be a last night for every nation, for every person a last meal. The last statement. Alas, breath, and then eternity a while back there was a plane crash of a Learjet carrying DJ a.m. and Travis Barker, drummer for blink 182. Two of the friends of these guys were tragically killed along with the two pilot's amazing they survive this plane crash. Quite frankly, in an interview, Travis Barker, drummer for blink 182 totaling so magazine quote. My class happened and all that ended all my parting ended. I don't go out since my class, I don't have the crazy drug problems anymore.

I'm not making out with socialite.

I focus on my kids and my music when I have fun. I try to keep it private. Is he a close brush with death as a way of making you reevaluate your priorities, Barker says, quote I just stopped working up jet fuel three months ago. I feel like Doug's way over there and every day I'm running away from it." Every one of us is running away from death were just a step away.

You never know when it can happen. Death is no respecter of person doesn't matter if you're a movie star or popstar this year on the same day two icons died.

Farrah Fawcett was one of them regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the world in her day, her poster adorned many a young boy's wall, but she had a long fight with cancer and sadly she lost that fight and now Sarah Fossett is passed into eternity on the same day, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of pop. Also, thy is one of the most successful artists in music history 113 Grammys and sold 750 million records worldwide. I'm sure many more of sold no since his death he was only 50 years old and he died of cardiac arrest and listen… Every dark doesn't matter if you're Farrah Fawcett or Michael Jackson no matter who you are.

Everyone he has to face eternity and the reality is a lot of young people today think they're gonna die young survey just revealed a surprising number of teenagers nearly 15% think they will die young, leading many to drug use, suicide attempt, and other unsafe behavior that how you feel are probably going to die young. Listen when I talk to you tonight about that I'm speaking from the reality of it as I faced it with our own son died in an automobile accident just a little bit over one year ago.

It was the hardest day of our life. And Christopher left this world for heaven. Our hearts were still our broken because we miss him and we love him and frankly there's a hole in our life are key once was. I weep for him every day.

Let me restate that. I guess I weep for me. I don't weep for him, or he is is far better than where I am because he's in heaven but I miss him I miss him, but I am hoping because I know death for the Christian is not the end.

I know that my son is not only a part of my past is also part of my future will be reunited with Jim one day soon, along with my mother and along with my father who adopted me all talk about that more tomorrow night down to talk about heaven listen when a believer dies they go home. It's been said, quote heaven is our native land and home to us. Death is not the dying hour, but the birth hour, and it may be sooner than you think. Coming back to what I stated earlier. Death is not the only way to get the heaven. The Bible promises. There is coming a day when a generation will not base that but they will be caught up together in the air to meet the Lord in the air in the twinkling of an eye tonight and I the Bible says the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of the call of the archangel of the trumpet call of God in Christian to have died will rise from their graves and together with them. We who are still alive and remaining will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air to remain with him forever. Listen to me. The writing is on the wall. Jesus is coming. Eternity is real life on earth is not all there is what's gonna happen to you when you die, it's going to happen.

Everyone has to face it, the king of raw Elvis Presley's dad, the King of Saul James Brown is dead. The king of Grimes Kurt Cobain is dead and now the King of pop Michael Jackson is dead, but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. When the nonbeliever dies they go to hell.

I know you don't hear the word much these days.

We choke on that word but it's a real place for real people. The last thing that I got of love wants is for any man or woman to spend eternity separated from him.

And hell, and that is why he said Jesus to pay the price on the cross be tortured and beaten and murdered in cold blood so you don't have to face this judgment. But if you refuse the offer of Jesus to forgive you and end up tell that up in hell. No one to blame. In that final day, but your cell God wants you to go to heaven. God wants you to know the meaning and purpose of life God wants to forgive you of all of your sin tonight. That's right, you can be forgiven. How you set how can they be forgiven. How can I have a fresh start. How can I come into this relationship with God. How can I know that I'll go to heaven when I die, listen number one need to admit you're a sinner. The Bible says all of the sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us have broken God's commandments everyone of us have fallen short of God's standards. Every one of us have sin number two recognize that Jesus Christ, the son of God died on the cross for your sin for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son. And whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. No one took the life of Jesus from him elated down of his own accord nails did not hold under that cross 2000 years ago, love did for you and for me to realize Jesus died for you and then you must turn from your sin. The Bible says you must repent what is.

I mean, need to change your direction you been going away from God doing wrong things like Belshazzar so turn toward God be sorry for your sin. Turn your back on sin go toward clients and then you must receive Christ in your life as Savior and Lord. Being a Christian is not merely following a set of rules or believing a creed.

It's more than that being a Christian is having Jesus Christ. The living Savior in your heart, and he can come in forgive you tonight. Jesus says behold I stand at the door knock.

If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in from the moment you came here or from the moment you started hearing this message or the moment you started viewing this you've sent something going on deep down inside I believe that the work of the Holy Spirit saying tonight you're not, you need Jesus you need to receive him into your life. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God, then you must do it publicly. That is why in a moment and ask you to do it almost 3000 people did last night, ask you to get up out of your seat and come down to this field and make a public stand for Jesus Christ because Jesus said that he will acknowledge me before people technology before my father in the angels in heaven, but yet it if you deny me before people will deny you before the father and the angel I'll ask you to make a public stand coming down this field will not make you a Christian believing in Jesus will but this will be a public way to show it. And finally, you must do it now. Now tonight.

Don't put it off. The Bible says today is the day of salvation tonight is your night. This is your moment to get right with God. No more excuses.

It's time to respond to his loving call and be forgiven of all of your sin and have your eternal address change from a place called hell they heaven, because you will put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

So what in the fray within the fray and I'm in no extend an invitation for you to come the crimes or if you fallen away from the Lord. An invitation for you to come back to We might have some prodigal sons and daughters out there tonight. You come back home to the Lord.

So let's pray now father I pray for every person hearing this message especially for those that may not yet know you help them to see Lord's words are true. The gospel truth. Help them to come to you and find forgiveness this night we pray, Jesus name, amen