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Two Types of Believers in the Last Days -Part 2
Zac Poonen

Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.
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In this sermon, the speaker warns against the dangers of drifting away from God. He emphasizes that assuming one won't drift away puts them in tremendous danger. The speaker uses the example of Lamech, who killed someone out of anger, to illustrate the result of going away from God. The sermon also highlights the importance of controlling anger and not letting it consume us. Additionally, the speaker discusses the temptation to prioritize material possessions, such as money, over Jesus, and emphasizes that God desires for Jesus to have preeminence in our lives. The sermon concludes by mentioning the increase of false prophets and the potential for love to grow cold in the last days. The speaker encourages believers to follow the example of Jesus and the early apostles, and to seek restoration and grace in the New Covenant.
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Last Sunday, we were thinking about certain things relating to being ready for the coming of the Lord and the dangers of the last days. We looked at Matthew, Chapter 24, and we want to turn there again. We saw that both in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7, at the end of it, and also in Matthew 24, Jesus specifically warned us about false prophets. And that's one of the things we have to be careful about, deception. We're not to swallow everything we see. We must have discernment concerning everything that goes on in Christendom today. I can only warn you. I cannot change your way of thinking. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. But I see that there's so much in Christendom today where the doctrines are right. Where the doctrines are wrong, we're not in danger. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that Jesus Christ is God. I don't think any of us are in danger of going for that, though sometimes I find even people can be deceived by them. Most of us won't be deceived by that. I think our danger is more when we're listening to people whose doctrines are all absolutely right. When a 500 rupee note looks exactly like that, that's where the danger of counterfeit comes. The devil knows that's the place where most of us are not on our guard, because we say that's so wonderful. It's as if the name of Jesus is being exalted. Evangelical Christians, including many in our midst, do not see Jesus. They see a doctrine, and they think that anyone who mentions the name of Jesus, you are number one candidates for deception. Who says we must look at Jesus, not at the name of Jesus? Please remember this. You will never be deceived if you listen to me. Let us run the race, not look at the name of Jesus, despise the shame. Look at Jesus, despise the shame, and then compare every preacher you ever hear with this Jesus, and I guarantee you'll never be deceived. Otherwise, many of us are ripe for deception. Look at the name of Jesus, because I don't look at the name of God, and that's where I want to get to. This Jesus, the Bible warns us that the only way to find out is to compare it with a real one. It's like if you want to check whether a 500 rupee note is genuine, you test the standard given to us in God's word. And it's not only Jesus. I find in God's word there are the apostles, the early apostles. They really followed that real Jesus in their way of life. And it's also said here in Matthew 24, another thing that's going to happen. And then he says, most people's love, how do you feel? It reads like this, 95% of believers, 95% whose love grows cold, and the 5% whose love does not grow cold. What do you feel? If you automatically feel, oh I guarantee you, I can give it in writing. Why is it they didn't know? You've often heard me say, religion is terrible. It's the one who at least knows he's sick, there's some hope for him. So I want to say, my brothers and sisters, if you want to stand, take heed lest you fall. If you want to be holy, consider the possibility there may be sin in your life. If you never want to compromise, consider the possibility that you may be compromising right now in some area. See, if you always put yourself, I'm alright. You know that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians, check yourselves whether you're in the faith or not. Imagine telling believers, listen, just check up whether you fellows are alright. I've had to say that to some people, who assumed they were born again. H-O-L-Y, Holy Spirit, that leaves you defeated by sin. Just gets you all emotionally excited and who are inspired by the devil, who's saying, well, in fact the world today are inspired by Satan. Did you know that Satan has tremendous... Just to protect us from deception. First of all, in Ezekiel, in chapter 28, it's important that we know scripture. We don't want to be deceived in the last days. Ezekiel 28, it speaks about Satan as the one who, in the beginning, had the seal of perfection. Verse 12 onwards, it says, He's the king of all the... Jesus called him the ruler. There's a demon-possessed person in front of me, and the demon speaks to me, and I speak to the demon. Satan was in the kingdom. You were in Eden, the garden of God. It's in the day you were created. It's still there. And here, in ASP, it says you're setting... There's musical ability there. And then I want to show you another verse. Musical ability there. The next thing I want you to see is in Genesis chapter 4. Cain was driven away from the presence... Cain was driven away. Verse 16. Went out from the presence... It's pretty close to hell. Because hell is a place where you're completely... When you go away from the presence... God gave him... He had... And Cain was born... 17, he built a city. God created man to live in a garden. Cain was the first... Any person knows today that city life is... We got to be everywhere. The other thing we see here is... That he, Cain... When we go away from the presence... Who gave Lucifer the ability with music? Who gave Cain's descendants? Singing praises to God? No. We're glorifying God. I see to go away from God... Oh, I won't... I killed a man... Somebody... And a little boy... You get angry. The love of many will grow... Jesus gave us a very... At the end of it, I see... When it says... The love of many will grow cold... It means... They won't feel so more... When Jesus says... The love of many will grow cold... They'll compromise in my... You still love the Lord with all your... That means... What I mean right now is... I'll obey you more and more. I'll obey you more and more. More... How do you know you're growing spiritually? Some area of disobedience in your life... Maybe he's getting 100%... And you see him a couple of years later and he says... Are you getting lighter? And he overcame through the same power of the Holy Spirit... One of the great truths... If you don't see it... I can guarantee... In the great mystery through the ages... Great is the secret of God... Then I realized that what I... Jesus... Not looking into a doctrine... That Christ came in the flesh... I've seen people who look at that... You can say... Yeah, I understood all about it... Stop making all excuses... If you say you abide in Christ... You must walk as Jesus walked... Substandard... Otherwise... Be honest... And scratch out those verses from Scripture... Honest... Hypocrite... If you keep that word in your Bible... But if you are a hypocrite... Hear all this... Satisfied... With their substandard defeated life... I want... Human being can be grieved... The thing serious... That came to him was this... The devil took him... Verse 8... To money... Soul types of things... He didn't sin... He rejected it... Rejected... Rejected it... Which means when a temptation comes to your mind... You reject it... You don't sin... They say... Hey... One thought... Till the end of your life... He was tempted... To... What was he tempted to? Think of this horrible thing... Commit suicide... So he was tempted... Fall down and worship me... And I'll give you all this... Eat a little bit on your tax... Romans... Do you know who was the ruler? Just pay your taxes... There are temptations that come according... You could be... The one... Kill all the male babies... And it says... I tell you... We are living in a day of compromise... It's written... You shall only worship... In anything... In the past... And where you did compromise you... Those are the ones... Who really worship... Sing music so well... They may not be able to get the tune so right... But... They are the ones who... And even if they didn't raise... But sure... I'll help you reach the world for Christ... I know once... Just a few days before the convention... They wrote to me and said... Another place... I was invited to... By a well known... For... Public meetings... Large meetings... And they said... So I knew what they do in these meetings... In the meetings... I'll stay there at my own expense... I don't want any gift... And they never sent me the... Who saw the notice... In that city... That's great... But anyway... I wrote to them... To put you in an awkward situation there... And I said... If you want to preach... The whole counsel of God... If at the end of my... Me made... Were so... Were of such good quality... They could turn... It's all a matter of comfort... You know... In the last verse of Malachi... In Malachi chapter 4... It's the last two... I'm going to send you Elijah... The prophet... Before the coming of the great... And terrible day of the Lord... And he will restore... The last word... In the Old Testament... Christ be with you all... That's how... To the grace... By getting out of the old... Elijah... When... John the Baptist... Was preaching... Jesus said... Concerning... John the Baptist... These amazing words... He's fourteen... John the Baptist... Is this Elijah... Who was to come... If... There's a big... I... He's not... John the... He is Elijah... I... F... If... You fellows... In Israel... Are willing... Did Israel accept John the Baptist? Herod killed him... They didn't accept him... They... You accept this? This is the Elijah? Do you know who this one new man is? That he make... Different... Different groups into one... And make them into... Preparing people... As... No compromise... Come and be a part of our church... It's amazing... All types of people... Are accepted now... As born again... Where... People have life... I want to tell you... My dear brothers and sisters... Do you love me? Human beings are created... I'm very happily married... Have you ever offended your husband? I'm a servant of the Lord... And none of you... Are ever going to... Take the place... That Jesus has in my life... And I will be a useless... Father to you... Tell you the truth... You're wrong... Be afraid... Don't bow the knee to the devil... You're not going to bless your children... By bowing the knee... He forsakes me... I'll still stand true to you... And to your word Lord... God wants you like... John the Baptist was like that... Elijah was like that... All of us must be like that... Do you know that... God wants you to be like that? That's the first question... You're going to have to answer... Is something I created... More important to me? Something God created... Is more important to you... Than Jesus himself? You can pray for a million years... Just for God... Because God has decided that... Jesus Christ must have the... And in the same way... Another created thing is money... That's going to be a big test... Something created like money... Gold... Silver... Are you going to compromise your convictions? When you do... When you go and buy land... And you cheat... The government of duty on it... Follow all the principles of the world... Pay black money and all that... And Jesus says... For the sake of a little bit of money... You bow the knee to Satan... Okay... You got the property... You got a little more money... Left in your bank... But what is the price you paid? You could have been a prophet... You could have been a woman... Who prophesied... Instead of that... You're a third rate... Compromising... Useless Christian... Who just raises your hands... And praises God in the meeting... Created things... More important to you... Than Jesus himself... Statues of gold... And wood... And you say... I'm not an idolater... Do you know the number of Christians today... Who bow down to money... And worship it... Almost every day of their life... Much more than they worship God... God knows me very well... But you know... The devil has a hearty laugh at people... Oh hallelujah... Praise Jesus... They are the ones... Whom the thing created... Being going to be more important... Do you want to please man? Do searching questions... Ask yourself those questions... And you'll never be a compromiser... Sort of new year resolution that I give... When I do that... I let you turn to... 1 Kings... In chapter... 18... You read in 1 Kings chapter 18... About two types of... Believers there... One is Elijah... And 17 verse 1... I stand before... I stand before the... 17... But Obadiah was a man... 1 Kings 18 and verse 3... Ahab called... But it says he feared the Lord greatly... Because he... Here's a man... Who wanted to serve the Lord... And also wanted a big position in Ahab's palace... Why? In this world man... But I'm getting a good salary... And I tell you... I pay my tithes... And I help God's servants... I invite God's servants for meals to my house... And I protect them... And all that... You think God wants that type of person? Elijah and Obadiah... Two types of believers... Who was the one who brought fire from heaven? Stand for the Lord in these days... Fear the Lord... Jehovah and Beal... It's the equivalent of Jehovah and Beal... In the old times... Jehovah is God... As we bow before you... Help us to make the right choice... Live in a day of compromise... Help us Lord... To live as those who want to... Who make our choice... To please you... To choose you above everything that this world can offer...
Two Types of Believers in the Last Days -Part 2
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Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.