In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of preparing for hard times and standing for the truth. He urges the audience to prepare their children for the challenges that lie ahead, particularly in a society that is becoming increasingly hostile towards Christianity. The preacher highlights the significance of knowing and internalizing the Bible, as it may be taken away in the future. He also encourages believers to arm themselves with a mindset of suffering and self-denial, as persecution may come sooner than expected. The sermon draws inspiration from Jeremiah and emphasizes the need to be ready for the spiritual battle ahead.

Welcome to from the pulpit and classic sermons each week We bring you a different message from some of history's greatest speakers in the Christian faith and powerful sermons for modern preachers, too This week we have Denny Canaston with his message the approaching wave of persecution. Oh But they say and all many say multitude say today Relax Don't worry about a thing The Rapture will be our escape. I Don't believe that brothers and sisters the Rapture will not be our escape Yes, it may be our final escape But it will not be our escape from this war that we're talking about here that we read about it will not be our escape In fact, it's allowed by God to be a proving ground to see who loves him I mean, why would God let us escape the war since we're soldiers. Oh Relax, don't worry. The Rapture will be our escape Yeah tell that to the Russian Christians and the Christians in Uganda and the Christians in Rwanda and the Christians are in China. Tell that to the Christians who live in Muslim lands today Don't worry about a thing. The Rapture is going to come and snatch us all out of here. Oh Brothers and sisters we need to recognize that that is not the truth Trouble is coming. I remember the sad story that was given to me I read it somewhere in a book of The fruit the results of wrong teaching that the missionaries gave to the Chinese Christians This kind of teaching that I just talked to you about and the Chinese Christians. They thought hey Before things get tough The Rapture will come and all of a sudden the Boxer Rebellion broke out and after the Boxer Rebellion more trouble and after that trouble more trouble and finally the Cultural Revolution and literally thousands and ten thousands of Christians have been martyred in China and Many of the Christians who believed that this is just gonna all be swept away for us through the Rapture Many of them gave up the thing Because they were different disillusioned all of a sudden trouble is everywhere and they thought we're going to be snatched out of the way as I see it at the time of the end God's people will be persecuted in all parts of the world That's what I see in the Scriptures And I don't think you have to be a great student in order to see that and discern it God's people will be persecuted in all the world Our day is coming this wave of persecution is coming and We need to be awake and we need to be alert to the fact that it's going to come Some have said to me brother Denny. There is a conspiracy here in the United States To bring the people of America into bondage Maybe you've heard those things too There's a conspiracy going on There are men working behind the scenes and their whole goal is to bring all of America into bondage What are we going to do about it? nothing, what is a conspiracy a Conspiracy here's the definition out of the dictionary is people working together secretly to do something that is wrong That's what a conspiracy is They say that the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds and Many other of the world's wealthy elite are the ones that are behind this Conspiracy and they're working in a certain direction To bring about a one-world government that they will rule with a one-world monetary system Which they'll be in charge of and it's a conspiracy. We need to stop it You know when I start thinking that through a little bit I think now wait a minute what do you want to stop? Do you want to stop the very thing that God is going to bring at the time of the end? Which will bring the final battle and bring the Lord Jesus Christ back to this earth and all of those things you want to stop that I Don't want to stop that. I don't know about Rockefeller and Rothschild and all those wealthy elite But this I do know let's just look one step further behind the scenes Satan and all of his demons are in a Conspiracy to do just these things that we see here in the scriptures and they're working behind the scenes Remember these things are determined They are determined just like the crucifixion of Christ was determined Every step that the devil's take closer to their goal Every step that the wealthy elite take closer to their goal is just like the crucifixion It will actually be their final doom Do we want to stop all of that? Do we want to get on some political bandwagon and try to stop all these things? Well, it just depends on which kingdom you're in You know, which kingdom are you in? But do we want to stop all those things in my own heart? I think no, I don't want to stop them I want to get ready for Because they are coming Yeah, there are men working behind the scenes But remember there's a devil behind those men and the devil's working behind the scenes to bring about all the things which will be the final end and The devil usually uses men To get his work done. So it doesn't matter to me if it's Rockefeller Rothschild or some other men You know, it really doesn't matter Let's pull back far enough that we can see this thing from God's perspective The devil is conspiring for a one-world order for a one-world religion for a one-world Monetary system and for a one-world rumor and it's gonna happen Amen You can't stop it. It's gonna happen God's letting it happen. God wants it to happen. The wave is coming brothers and sisters This is not for us to worry about It is for us to prepare Look up Your redemption is drawing nigh But There's gonna be a war before that redemption We need to get ready for the war Because it's coming here and it's coming sooner than you think we have read in the Bible We know that trouble is coming we also know who will win hallelujah and We also know how to win We win by dying We win by dying My plea is that we will believe it that the wave is coming that we will believe it and Prepare and I don't know when the wave is coming Maybe it's four years away My personal opinion, I don't think it's 20 years away. I Think we're going to be shocked Most of God's people are going to be shocked all of a sudden Everything's gonna change in this land and we're going to be shocked but God wants us to be prepared and That's the burden of the message this morning Maybe it's only four years away. Let's just for the sake of Illustration let's just put it in that slot four years and the wave is going to hit This side of the United States. Let's just say it's four years away How should that affect my life? number one How can I prepare I need to learn my Bible I Need to learn my Bible They're going to take my Bible away from me. Is that right? They're going to take it away from me But they cannot take it away from me if it is in my heart. Amen We need to learn our Bible History is clear. One of the first things that they will take away is our Bible. Oh Lord wake us up They're gonna take our Bibles away the evil authorities know That if they cut off the source of our strength the Bible Then they can pretty well keep us in the place that they want us to be in But all brothers and sisters let us get ready now Let us learn our Bibles Let us read it. Let us study it. Let us memorize it. Let us Treasure it the day will come the day will come when a Bible like this will be more valuable than pure solid gold and And if we get a hold of one again We'll hold it in our hands and we'll weep tears of gratitude that we have one that day is coming And we have them all over our house and we read the Lancaster farming You know and we get on the internet and we zoom here and get us this information and that information And the devil's just laughing while we're wasting hours that we could be putting in this book Hiding it in our heart. They're gonna take our Bible away agreed Huh? They'll take it away They're going to take it away They can't take it out of here Hallelujah, they can't take it out of here. No way in fact Testimonies would read that if it's in here and they take this one away from you. It just starts bubbling out He the Holy Ghost the Comforter shall bring to you bring to remembrance all the things you need to know How through his word which we've hidden in our hearts the early and the Baptist spent much time in the Bible And hiding the word in their hearts it's very evident when you read the martyrs mirror, they knew their Bibles inside and out and Remember that was back when you didn't have Bibles like this that you could carry around They had to go out of their way to learn the Bible, but they learned the Bible When they were at work, they had portions of the scripture up there while they were doing whatever their work was working with their hands They kept their minds free so that they could learn the Bible And it became their strength and their shield When the heat was on Brothers and sisters, there are a lot of things in this land that we live in that are a waste of time No, they're not wicked, but they're just a waste of time number two in Preparation let us study persecution Let us become students of persecution now you may think this is a very morbid point But stay with me. Let's go deeper Let's look beyond the natural response and see the spiritual realities of what takes place if we become a student of persecution this will cause you to meditate upon persecution and God wants us to meditate upon persecution the purpose of meditation is mental practice the purpose of meditation is preparation for reality That's one of the purposes of meditation Now let's read this verse in Hebrews. Can we turn over there? Very interesting verse a command by the way that God gives to us people of God Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 3 says these words Hebrews 13 3 Remember them that are in bonds Those that are persecuted and thrown in prison in chains and all other things remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and Them which suffer adversity as being yourself also in the body Now God is asking us to put our mind upon those who are suffering persecution so again when Witnesses come from other lands and share with us and people give us periodicals and we read about it It gives us the opportunity to put ourselves in their shoes That's what this verse is saying Put yourself in the shoes of those that are suffering because you are also in the same body because the body of Christ is one and And Remember those that are in bonds as if you were also bound with them in other words God is saying I want you to get very close in your Identification with those who suffer put yourself there in jail next to them That move a lot of things you'll pray for them more if you do that number two It'll begin to prepare your own heart My day is also coming and see God needs to get us over the hump right now we go. Oh My day is coming Am I gonna be able to handle it all Lord? You know God needs to get us over that hump to where we say Yes My day is also coming Bring it on Lord bring on God needs to get us over that hump See that's we're talking about a war. Amen No soldiers go out to war going oh, I hope I didn't make it move you know no, that's not how a soldier is Remember them that are in bonds as if you were bound with them and those that suffer as if you're also in their body because you are and What does this do? It causes us to think upon them It causes us to put ourselves in their place and it begins to prepare our own hearts and I believe we need to do that He wants us to become students This can be difficult in a prosperous land. We are so easily lulled to sleep Remember the Anabaptists they have their martyrs mirror and there's one in almost every house I'm not sure how many of them are reading it these days, but it's on the shelf there. Maybe you have one on your shelf My personal opinion is it doesn't hurt to let your children read the martyrs mirror And it's good for us to read it also or Fox's Book of Martyrs These are good number three Live for the Lord now Learn to walk in the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Ghost now Nothing will prepare us more than that Some are fearful How will I ever make it? Live for the Lord now brothers and sisters do it with all your heart Some have said how can I know that I will endure when those difficult days come? I want to tell you how God's grace is manifold Many-folded if we walk in his grace today God will give us the grace to suffer persecution tomorrow It works that way God will give us what we need think about it. There is dying grace You don't need dying grace until you're laying on your deathbed But how many of God's people God's faithful people lay on their deathbed and say oh the grace that God has given to me While I'm dying That's the way it works there is Sickness and suffering grace and some of us in this room know what that's all about how the grace of God comes when you're really going through a sick time or a Painful time or or a time of much suffering in your body. It's like the grace of God comes upon you When you lose a loved one there's grace to lose a loved one and how many times we've went to a funeral and talked to those that are still alive and Heard them say I can't believe the grace that God is pouring on me But my friends that grace God is pouring upon the faithful So all you need to do is learn to walk in the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit Day by day when that wave comes we'll be ready We will have that strength. God will shower us with the strength that we need He will just like he does in all those other difficult things that we have faced. He will be But here's the challenge if you can't live for him now You surely won't be able to die for him or suffer for him, which by the way is more difficult than dying for him Real easy to just shoot me in the head and be done but they may stick you in a prison for three months and Torture you before they kill you But if you cannot live for him now You will not be able to die for him. I guarantee it God said these words to Jeremiah. I think it's in chapter 12 Jeremiah was complaining a bit to God about how tough things were and how the people aren't listening to him and all of that and God said these words Jeremiah If the footmen tire you what will you do when the horses come a good word? My frank opinion is we don't even have any footmen There ain't even any footmen around yet. We need to get ready number four moving along here arm yourselves with a mind to suffer and deny yourself Arm yourself with this mind Like it says in first Peter chapter 4 verse 1 and 2 Arm yourselves with the same mind in the way that Christ suffered arm Yourselves with the same mind God says We Americans tend to take the easy way We do it without even thinking That's not going to work We should be rather thinking. I think I'll take the harder way But we tend to take the easy way don't we Hmm. I do Anybody else like that? We just tend to take the easy, you know, here's a couple of options. Oh, I'll take this He's a nice car not so nice. Oh, I'll take this one. We Americans tend to take the easy way We do it without even thinking but we must go a different way if we're going to prepare for this wave That's coming because it's coming Choose the hard way do it on first purpose Suffering is good Learn to bear it patiently Learn learn to endure hardness now as a good soldier of Jesus Christ In prison the testimonies are like this Christians last longer than others in prison Why? They have a mind to suffer They're not afraid to die Fasting is not a problem to them fellowship with God is a reality of them and Christians always last longer than other people who are thrown in prison and put under difficult Circumstances let us prepare our minds These things are going to come upon us number five We need to change our mind about material things We need to change our mind about material things mark this down Persecution and poverty are always sisters is Persecution coming to our land brothers and sisters Poverty will come right along with it Do we know how to live in poverty? Are we prepared at all to live in poverty? Persecution and poverty are twin sisters It is the first thing that the authorities do every time is they take away your money They take away your land. They take away your house It's the first thing that goes Take away all their money, and they can't do anything Are we ready to live in poverty? We must lower our standard of living and learn to be content with it You hear me? We need to lower our standard of living The persecuting government always chases you from your home Finds you large sums of money for whatever you did Refuses you the best jobs seizes your property and Pushes you into a little apartment somewhere, and that's where you live with your five children That's what they do. Are we ready for that and Ultimately and we all know this The market the beast will come and you will not be able to buy or sell without it Which means we're going to be in poverty if not starvation then We need to change our mind about materialism as We prepare for what is coming We should read we should read in Mark chapter 10 If you can turn over there with me in your Bibles Important scripture in light of this subject, and I'd like us to read it It speaks about persecution down toward the end of the this portion of scripture But I'd like us just to just to hold persecution over these verses while we read it in Mark chapter 10 verse 23 and following Jesus looked around about and saith unto his disciples How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God and The disciples were astonished at his words, but Jesus answereth again and saith unto them children How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? Taking it a little deeper there He made this statement now He's giving some of the principles behind this statement if you have lots of money you tend to trust in that money And if you're trusting in the money you cannot enter into the kingdom He goes further it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle Then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God and they were astonished out of measure whoa saying among themselves who then can be saved and Jesus looking upon them saith With men it is impossible But with God, but not with God for with God all things are possible then Peter began to say unto him lo we have left all and have followed thee and Jesus answered and said Verily I send to you there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sister or father or mother or wife or children Or lands for my sake and the Gospels note that for my sake and the Gospels But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come ah Eternal life is there It is a good exercise of the heart and mind to just walk away from your little place where you live It's a good exercise in your heart in your mind to just Pack up a few little things that you have put them in one vehicle put all of your children in there put your dear wife Next to you look at it all look at your house. Look at that shed Look at this look at your tractor Look at all the other vehicles and that nice truck and all those things Pal everybody up in one little car and drive away from it all leaving it behind never to see it again The day will come when many of us will do that It's good to be practicing that one ahead of time because it's coming it's going to come I remember the testimony of Boris that Russian man as he gave Testimony of the Russian Christians and many of these Christians were warned The communist purge is coming and it's going to be against the Christians. They were warned If you're gonna flee now's the time to flee But only a few fled all the rest didn't believe it and Stayed behind, but do you know why they stayed behind? Their houses their land their businesses the money they had in the bank and all these things is the reason why it was hard for them to believe the simple message that the wave of Persecution is approaching and they stayed behind and Suffered much because of it. The Bible is clear. The day is coming when we will not be able to buy or sell. I Think we need to change our mind about material things Number six learn to stand for the truth now Because that's the issue when persecution comes the issue is going to be the truth Let's learn to stand for the truth now As I study church history persecution always comes because of truth Persecutors are always pressing the persecuted to compromise with the truth They don't care if you are a Christian Just be one to yourself at home but don't stand for the truth openly don't preach to others and don't allow the government and Allow the government to guide your children. Can you do those three? Compromise the truth Stop preaching to others and Allow the government to guide your children. Are you ready for that? That is exactly what they will ask us all to do and They will tell you Sitting in an interrogation room. They will tell you look I Don't care if you're a Christian you can go home and be a Christian. I don't care but these three things you must do You need to compromise the truth go to the registered church Number two you need to stop preaching the gospel Number three you let your children come to our schools. If you do that, we'll let you out of jail Are you ready for that? in other words Be a Christian in name only is the bottom line The one world religion of the last days will have many right things in it It will have right ethics in it But it will be false to the core Just to give an example of compromising truth or not The Bible says that Jesus is the only way that you can come to God by his blood and his sacrifice Is the only way to come to God? Now where we live that's a simple one. We all believe that that's not a problem We would all raise our hand and say amen. That's right theology. I believe that but what you may not realize is the climate even in this land where we live is very slowly changing and more and more people are considering you to be a fanatical bigot if you only believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven and The day will come when you will be tempted to not profess that only way to heaven Because of the pressure that is on you I Felt that pressure. Maybe you have too I felt it at times when I've been out witnessing when I'm sitting in a group of five or six people in Washington Square Park and all of a sudden they say you mean to tell me That only Jesus you mean to tell me that the Jews are going to hell you mean to tell me that Muslims are going to Hell and all of you Christians are going to go to heaven And all of a sudden you got six of them scowling at you after they ask you that question Well now what are you going to do? Learn to stand for the truth now It's not going to get easier. I guarantee it. It's not going to get easier The Divorce issue is real to most of us in this room. Let us learn to stand for truth now Distinctive Christianity in the midst of a fashion crazy world is issues Learn to stand now Family reunions can be a real challenge at times Learn to say No And they forget the family reunion that we were at years ago and my aunt and uncle had a big swimming pool in their backyard and they said Can the children go swimming? And I said Yeah, sure If everybody will swim in their clothes in the subject No We don't put on a swimming suit and and go jumping around in the water with a bunch of other people that don't have any clothes on Amen, and the last illustration the boldness to witness for Christ The fear of man is what stops us from witnessing now Think how difficult it will be When your neck is on the line Learn to stand for the truth now Number seven and this is the last point Prepare your children Prepare your children Let's go back to brother Jeff's closing comments If we know that hard times are coming upon our children What a shame to not prepare those children ahead of time back over the points that we gave I've been giving them to us because we need to apply them to us But think about it Think about a generation of children who grew up in soft America Who are growing up? Not learning the Bible When they're gonna take their Bible away from them to Our children need to learn their Bibles. They've got sharp minds It's just a matter of putting it in the schedule. They can memorize two or three verses in the Bible every day They've got sharp minds You know, we have these cassettes, you know, you can put the Bible, you know Play the Bible on cassette the children can go to sleep listening to the Bible It's real difficult. You just walk into the room and go And walk back out But the fact of the matter is if the children grow up listening to the Bible like that, they'll be filled with the Word of God This last trip that we made to Africa we're discussing this subject with my son Daniel And he brought it up. I didn't he said Papa Thank you For making us listen to the Bible every time we went to bed for a nap and every time we went to sleep at night I'm full of the Bible. My mind is filled with theology and I never took a theology course Well, thank you Lord, amen We can do that. It's real real difficult. Just Walk out of the room Day after day after day They can study persecution We can lead them to a clear continual dedication to God Some of our young people are not in that place We can lead them to a clear consistent dedication to God They're gonna need it. I guarantee you they're gonna need it We can guide their lives in such a way that they learn what self-denial and suffering is So that's that's not right. Don't give Johnny a hard thing to do No Give him something hard to do Let him work till he gets blisters on his hand Can I say that? Give him something to do. So he cuts his finger every now and then Give him some work to do This leg smashed his finger with a hammer every now and then Let him work out in the garden when he sweats Teach them self-denial By the way, every general who has a son who wants to see that son on a battlefield someday I guarantee you he doesn't let him grow up in a bed of ease I guarantee it because that general knows what he's gonna face out there on the battlefield Every general who has a son. He says I want my son to be on the battlefield someday He doesn't let him grow up on beds of ease That doesn't make soldiers. Amen It doesn't What about the material issues You know, it's so good for our children to hear us say You know, we don't need that brand-new truck. Let's just get a little older one Or it's good for them to hear us say No, we can't afford that right now No, we can't afford that right now, that's good to hear. Amen girls You're blessed you're blessed If you can't afford it right now That's not a shame. That's not a problem. That's a blessing If you can't afford it right now and lastly teach them also to stand for the truth Teach them They can they'll have opportunities Even in our own church, they'll have opportunities at times Hey, let's go outside No, my father wants me to stay in here Let's go down into that room in the basement. No, my father said we're not supposed to do that Teach them to stand for the truth We believe that that day of persecution is coming. Amen We believe the day is coming when the children will not have a Bible We believe that Daniel chapter 12 in closing the approaching wave of persecution is not all bad There's many beautiful things that will happen in this land of ours when those things come upon us We will become the church beautiful like we've never ever known There are many beautiful things that will come with that wave of persecution If we understand its effect upon the church if we understand how it produces the life of Christ in the believers Since we know that the final victory is ours It will be a time of great opportunity the time of the end Like it says in Daniel chapter 11 and they that do know their God shall do Exploits, I don't believe we're just going to be running around hiding in the last days. I believe we're going to be winning souls You win a soul you get your head cut off, that's right That's what the early Anabaptists did They got their head cut off because they won a soul but guess what two souls in heaven not one They just got their head cut off they were fearless They were not afraid to get their head cut off and go to glory and get a martyrs crown So it's a time of opportunity not just oh a fearful time. Oh, what are we gonna do? Oh, no, it's gonna be a beautiful time of opportunity We need to get ready The early Anabaptists had great troubles and great anguish of heart, but souls were saved Everywhere they went and brother Jeff Just to say it again chapter 9 verse 31 follows all the persecutions from chapter 8 through chapter 9 Chapter 9 verse 31 the one you read to us If that's that concluded the persecutions in Acts all the persecutions all the now that the persecutor Paul is converted and you know all the first persecution stopped and then they Continued in the fear of God and the grace of God and brothers and sisters Persecution brings the fear of God and the comfort of the Holy Ghost down upon his people Chapter 12 verse 1 in closing and at that time Shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and At that time thy people shall be delivered Everyone that should be found written in the book and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting content and They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever Thou O Daniel shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased These are mysterious words, but I believe they're speaking about the day that we're living in We live in the day when many are running to and fro and knowledge is multiplying in such a fast pace that it boggles the mind and I believe God is opening these things up in the last of the last days to prepare his people So that we can stay in the midst of the troubles that are really going to come and stand in such a way That we're not afraid to die And we're not afraid to lose our head and we can reap a mighty harvest in the midst of it all I believe that's God's will May God Add his witness to the word this morning Thank you, thank you brother Danny for sobering message this morning It's good for us to hear that You know when we feed our children, we don't just give them the things that they like Because the steady diet of that isn't isn't healthy This message might be a little harder in some ways than others But it's good for our health our spiritual health. I've heard people say I remember with as a new Christian. I heard a brother Say that He was willing to die for Jesus. I think we saw some kind of movie where they chopped people's heads off, you know He He just shared that with me. I love Jesus. I'm willing to die for But there were some areas of his life that he wasn't willing to die You know, it's easy to put it way far away. Yes, if I go to the chopping block, I would give my life for the Lord What about today? Are We are you and I willing to die today? That hits home pretty close In fact that even gives it gives a little bit more glory to those Deaths that we're called to are we willing to die when somebody's unjustly treating us? Are we willing to just take it and just lay down not defend ourself? are we willing to die when there's a Situation with my husband or my wife There's a misunderstanding. Am I willing to be the one who dies? But I have to have my way do you have to defend your rights or have you lost all your rights? Death is the way to victory in the Christian life Peter first Peter for for as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind For he that had suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God the whole mystery of Romans chapter 6 For you have died with Christ if we're walking in that Then as brother Denny said it won't be hard to take that last step When our head is on the line, so let's see the glory in those daily deaths I'm just getting ready Lord I'm just getting ready. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna lay down my life. Maybe somebody has a testimony this morning how God spoke to you It's one up here So Lord has put something in your heart to share to build up the body. Please do maybe you have a confession Well, I know I've already shared this morning, but I just want to give a little background I know sometimes when I see a man share the word I I want to know what motivated him what the Lord spoke to him during the week that led him to that message I've always wondered that at times when messages really speak to me and This morning. I have to share Brother Aaron asked me to share the opening. I shortly after asked him. Well who's doing the main? Message so I can be praying for my brother and pray that somehow our messages would go together And I heard that brother Denny was teaching and I began praying for him Then I went to my study and I wrote out my lesson in probably five minutes it just came to me and then I put it away and Thought well, thank you Lord. That's nice when that happens But then it's as though God spent the rest of the week saying okay you understand what you're going to Teach intellectually, but you're not experiencing this You're really not Walking in the fear the Lord in the comfort of spirit. You can get up there with some of your theological training and you can give Verses on this Jeff, but I'm going to take you through the school of ministry this week and it lasted right until last night's watching Got it got a couple hours sleep But there was such a burden on me today for what was going to happen And and I realized in America It's so easy to To look at China or or look at the Middle East and say, you know God bless those Christians for their their persecution, but that's not going to affect me And I've been praying Lord. How can I get that? Refining fire that they have and that's that's a dangerous prayer to pray It was just simple things this week and I'll just briefly share in one minute. I I got a tax return and for three years I've been using this computer. I bought for $75. I Ran a writing business with this computer And when I finally had a little money I knew That we as a family if we're ever going to go To the Middle East where we're called to serve as missionaries. We've got to get this language down so I bought a Refurbished computer and a used computer that could run this program the right way but the the time I spent looking into the prices and then programming the computer and then shipping the clunker back that didn't work and Little by little I was being dragged away from the fear of the Lord in the comfort of the spirit Didn't even know I had my lesson down. I'm not gonna stand up there on Sunday unprepared. I've already got written that thing But God was telling me all week long. You're just drifting. You're getting bogged down by the things of this world Jeff And I was so dry last night As a young man, I had an opportunity to take Bibles into Russia and into China I was caught taking them into China and I thought my life was over They lined us all up. The guards are there with guns and I thought well, this is it, but you know Had another opportunity witnessing two men in Reno who took hold of me and walked me down an alley with a gun and Was going to kill me once we got to the end of the alley In both situations a peace came over me as a young Christian. I'm ready to be with you Jesus It really didn't terrify me. You know, what terrifies me is what happened last night If Jesus would have come last night, I wouldn't have been ready. I would have been caught I was so tangled in the things of this world Computers and all that. That's just the testimony I want to share what motivated me what drove me to get ready for this week is I needed to hear that message to me Brother Denny's and my own message and I have to confess I fought brother Denny for the first it was 1115 I kept saying well, I believe in that pre-tribulation rapture. I need to bring some balance to this message Let me say this. I Completely agree with my brother. I may have pre-tribulation theology, but I'm going to live like an Anabaptist a mid-tribulation guy Because I don't want to escape. I want to be counted worthy and in America I do believe there's plenty of persecution to get us ready. It's in our own homes takes time to discipline children Takes emotional energy to stay up late Takes time like brother Denny said I could just go point by point in his concluding remarks about take advantage of the things that are their family reunions speaking out against divorce and remarriage are things that break us and Humble us and make us cry out for the comforter if we'll open our eyes. They're there There is plenty of persecution and fire in America. It's all around us We need to ask for wisdom to have eyes to see it and move toward it So god bless you brother Denny for a balanced message on the Lord's return The other hands get him up I like to thank you Denny for bringing that message God has been speaking some of that to my own heart about persecution and about being prepared but and I appreciate the way you dealt with conspiracy because there's many people have fear in the hearts because of conspiracy and you know what you would do about it or and I could say you know in my own in my own mind. I Have I've went down that road of fear already just you know What about this? What about that? But God doesn't call us to a spirit of fear, but of power and of love of a sound mind And that word I'd like to focus on there is love. I had been praying that God would give me a spirit of love Compassion as Jesus had compassion on other people that I would have compassion on other people and I can say that My level of compassion has been rising, you know, there was a time when I didn't really care about other people But I do care. I do want other people to get saved. I was just talking to my neighbor's son yesterday he's only eight years old and He's driving his four-wheeler around and just his daddy's not home. His daddy's off to the club And he says I just don't understand why he's going off to do his own thing and my heart just went out to him and and God has touched me to you know, I should be speaking to that man Jesus Christ wants to transform that man's life So praise God for the message, you know, one of one other thing that I've thought about that is the preparation even Is that as we I appreciate how you brought out about preparation The things that we do don't worry about the externals, but prepare our hearts Jesus also mentioned one other preparation that we can do is is is Use this money that we have now the mammon of unrighteousness So much to use that wisely so that when it when these things come upon you I don't remember the verse. I'm sorry, but In my mind, it means that we can use this money that we have now give to others do good deeds do good things and At least hopefully our neighbors will have pity on us And it it's Not just for survival, but because we need to prepare our hearts for the worst, but the praise God He will give us grace for whatever comes and we don't have to worry or fear We can stand strong and say God will take care of us in everything in every situation Praise God And God still has ravens too Praise the Lord You've been listening to the from the pulpit and classic sermon series This week you heard Denny Canaston with his message the approaching wave of persecution Tune in next week to hear a W Tozer talk about the voice of the Holy Spirit on from the pulpit and classic sermons