In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of preparing oneself to face persecution and potential martyrdom for the sake of their faith in God. He urges the audience to cleanse their hearts from sin and be filled with the power of God. The speaker highlights the need to love and serve God wholeheartedly every day, not just in times of crisis. He encourages the audience to change their lifestyle if necessary to prioritize their relationship with God. The sermon concludes with a reminder that there is no other God beside the Lord, and that seeking Him with all one's heart and strength is the best preparation for whatever challenges may come.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, EFRA PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Let's pray together. God and Father, that's our prayer. We bring it to you this evening in Jesus' name. We have a meeting, Lord. Prepare us, Father. We do not see the future, Lord. We so easily get complacent in this land of ours, Father. Oh, my Lord, prepare our souls for that great day, God. We open our hearts to you this evening. We thank you, Lord, for the privilege to be here tonight, God. We thank you for the joy that you put in our hearts, Lord. We look forward to this meeting, God. We want to be challenged, Father. We want that, dear God. Truly, prepare our souls for that great day, oh, God. We open our hearts up to you this evening, Father. Thank you for a beautiful day, oh, Lord. You have put so many blessings into it already. Oh, God, we look unto Thee this evening. Oh, Father, as the eyes of a servant look unto the hand of the master, so our eyes wait upon the Lord, our God, again this evening. Pour out your Spirit upon us, Father. Wash us in the blood of the Lamb, even now, Lord, as we are standing here before you. God, you know how it can be. A little attitude, a word on the way to church. Father, something someone said when we walked through the door. Oh, just cleanse us, Lord, from all of those things in the blood of the Lamb. And fill us with the Holy Ghost, Lord. Oh, let us hear what the Spirit of God is saying unto the churches in these last days, Father. We commit this meeting into your hands. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, rebuke thou Satan away from us. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus this evening. It's kind of nice to be all muscled back in here again, isn't it? Kind of crowded together and brings back some good memories. Praise the Lord. There's nothing like five or six hundred people crowded into an auditorium singing with all their hearts. Well, we've had a blessed day already and we look forward to more this evening. See what God the Lord will say to our hearts. My testimony this evening is this. I love the Lord Jesus. I love Him with all my heart. I want to please Him in everything that I do. I don't always. But I want to please Him in everything that I do. So we're gathered together here this evening to prepare for persecution. Maybe that'd be a good way to say it, huh? We're gathered together to prepare our hearts and our lives for persecution. Wherever we are in all of our theology about the book of Revelation, I surely hope we all understand that the deluge of persecution that is on the other side of the ocean, it shall surely come here some day. And it's good for us to be thinking about ahead of time and prepare our hearts for an onslaught from the enemy of our souls. And oh my Lord, prepare. Prepare our hearts for that. That we can face the enemy with a fearless heart. And a heart that is filled with grace for whatever he brings our way. I know that's how God wants us to face the enemy. I know that. I know it is not God's will that God's people be shuddering and shivering and fearful as we think about facing the enemy in the last days. I know it. Oh my Lord, prepare my heart to face the enemy with fearlessness, even if they're going to cut my head off. That's my prayer. As we came to the end of our last session on the book of Revelation, we saw that a narrowing process will be taking place, a dividing of true and false, of bride and whore, and all the other twos that we've been looking at. As I pondered these twos, I was thinking about it this afternoon and yesterday, you know, it couldn't be anything but twos. Do you know why? When you bring God into any equation, you immediately have only two choices. That's it. Whenever we bring God into the equation, there's only two choices. Only two. Because He's God, and beside Him there is no else. So, it seems only fitting that as we bring God into the equation of the book of Revelation, that there would be lots of choices presented to us, choices that every one of us have to make, choices that none of us will get away from. It's so clear to me. God only gives two. There is not three. There is no middle ground. No, you may be in a place of middle ground this evening, but as God begins to narrow the things down, He will bring every single one of us to the choice of one or the other. There will be no middle ground. You know, sometimes, and I know you do too, sometimes we long for some of that, don't we? Oh, Father, would You just come and get rid of the gray? And I know we think about the gray, we look outside here, you know, we think of the gray in other places, but, oh God, deliver us from the gray. Amen? Deliver us from the gray. When you put God into the equation, it always ends up with only two choices, Him or anything else but Him. Hallelujah! Him! Not it, not some doctrines, not a way of life, but Him. That will be where the lines are drawn. He says in His Word, I am the Lord, that is my name, I will not give my glory to another. I'm glad for that this evening, brothers and sisters. He's the Lord. In Revelation, as we press into the end of the age, what else could there be but a choice between God and whatever else? God brings the peoples, the nations, and the tongues of all to a clear, unquestionable choice in the book of Revelation. Revelation is full of twos because God is, and beside Him there is no one else. That's it. Some have felt at times that the words of the Lord Jesus were a bit too radical. But, no, they are not too radical if you remember that Jesus is God. When you remember that the Lord Jesus was God in the flesh, every radical word that He said does not seem radical anymore. Why shouldn't God say to man? Why shouldn't God, who made man, say to man, except ye hate your father and your mother and your brother and your sister, yea, your own life also, ye cannot be my disciple. What else could God say to His people than words, radical words like that? And brothers and sisters, we need to come to grips with those radical words. There is no other way to relate to God. It's all or nothing. That's the only way that God relates to anything. It's all or nothing. You know, I thought about it this afternoon. Maybe in our own minds, there's these middle grounds. Maybe in our own minds, there is grey, and it's God, or it's nothing, and there are some things in the middle. But that's only in our own minds, brothers and sisters. If we come to grips and bring everything down to the bottom line, it is God or nothing. God wants everything, or you have nothing. That's the bottom line. And it's good for us to ponder that again this evening as we begin to look into the book of Revelation, because there are many very clear choices that God is calling us to. And we may be tempted to think that it's a bit radical. You may be tempted to think that I'm being a bit radical in saying some of the things that I'm saying. But really, I'm not. I'm not. Because we're talking about God. That settles it. I want to also remind us this evening that the whole book of Revelation was originally written to the seven churches in Asia. And God pressed the whole book of Revelation upon those seven churches. You can see it in the beginning of the book. And you find it again repeated at the end of the book. God wrote the book of Revelation to the seven churches of Asia. God had in mind that that book would have a sanctifying effect upon those seven churches. And here we are 2,000 years later, and still everything has not come to pass yet. Yet God wrote that book to press the truths, the practical truths of the book of Revelation upon the seven churches of Asia. So, God has also written the book of Revelation to us to bring us to the same place where He was going with the seven churches of Asia. Same place. God was calling each one of them to the choices laid out in this book. And He's calling us to the same. Even if this reality is still 200 years away. Think about it, brothers and sisters. Even if all the reality of the book of Revelation is yet 200 years away, as soon as we die, all the radical statements, all the challenges, all the choices will all make sense the moment we die. So, it's only another way for God to come around the other side of our hearts and say, I am God and beside Me there is no God. Love Me with all of your heart. Put Me first. Don't let anything else in the way. My little children, keep yourselves from idols. I am the Lord God and beside Me there is no other God. Live for Me. Serve Me. Walk with Me all your days. Make Me the apple of your eye. Do not let anything else get in the way. I am God and there is no other God beside Me. It's just another way for God to get around to our own hearts and bring us to that place where we're totally yielded and given up to Him and we want to be nowhere else all of our days. Amen? I hope that's where all of us are this evening. Yielded, given up to God, everything on the altar, sacrifice laid, loving God with all of our heart. In one sense, God is being very gracious to us if He allows this kind of purifying to come upon us. In a sense, He's being very gracious. You know, we might look at it and say, Oh Lord, these things rule. I mean, they cut your head off in the book of Revelation. These are they that were beheaded. Oh Lord, such strong words. Well, that may be one way to look at it, but I'm telling you, if God allows us to go through some of those kind of things, He's being very gracious to us because it will purify us. It will shake off all the dross. It will shake everything that can be shaken so that only those things which cannot be shaken will remain. Yet, once more, an eye will shake the earth, says God. One more time, I'll shake the earth. Phew! Yeah. But in it all, He purifies His people. And then, when we stand before Him, we can pick up one of those palms in our hands and wave it before Him. Praise the Lord. Alright, let's move on into our teachings this evening. Give a little introduction there. I want to tie these messages together. I want to bring you all back where we were, I don't know, what, three weeks ago? We're looking at the twos in the book of Revelation, and the first one we want to look at this evening is two kingdoms. Two kingdoms in the book of Revelation. Only two. There is the kingdom of God, and there is the kingdom of Antichrist. Very interesting to me as I was studying this in the book of Revelation, God opened my eyes to some stark realities that I never considered before. But as I was studying, I went to the Old Testament, looked up the word kingdom, went to the New Testament, looked up the word kingdom. Do you know what I found? In the Old Testament, when the word kingdom is used in the Old Testament, it is talking about kingdoms on this earth. Except for one place. In the book of Daniel, the book of Daniel, you will find the word used in two different ways. It speaks about the kingdoms of this world, and it speaks about the kingdom of God. And isn't that interesting, because the book of Daniel is one of those narrowing, dividing books where God is helping us to see that there is going to be a great conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of our God. Then, when you drop over in the New Testament, the word kingdom again is only used about the kingdom of God. See, the Lord Jesus came on the scene, and now the kingdom of God has come unto you. And all the way down through the New Testament, it speaks about the kingdom of God. Then you get into the book of Revelation. Two kingdoms again. Oh, what a revelation that is, brothers and sisters! Which kingdom are we in? Which one are we loyal to? Which one are we patriots? Are we heavenly patriots? Or are we earthly patriots? It seems to me, as I see the clear revelation of the New Testament, that we are to be all wrapped up in the kingdom of our God. Though we live in all kinds of different places, like we heard this morning, we are resident aliens. That's all. Bless God! We are resident aliens. Two kingdoms. Matthew. We're going to read there to begin. Matthew 4. Now, let's read Luke 4. I'm sorry. It is found in both places, but I think it will be clearer. In Luke 4, we're talking about two kingdoms here. We're talking about God drawing the lines very clearly between these two kingdoms in the book of Revelation. And may I say, between these two kingdoms as He draws unto the end. Luke 4. Verse 5-7. This is in the middle of the discourse about the temptations of Christ when He was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Verse 5. And the devil taking Him up into a high mountain showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. That must have been quite a revelation. And the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine. Did you get that, brothers and sisters? Which kingdom are we of? The kingdoms of this world. Amen! Praise God for anybody who tries to sanctify this world around them. But, the kingdoms of this earth, according to those verses, they are given unto Him. And sometimes it's a little hard to see that, but as we draw nigh to the end, as we see in the book of Revelation, it becomes very clear who owns the kingdoms of this world. Amen? It becomes very clear. Here, Satan knows that all these kingdoms are his. And he tries to give them to Christ as a temptation. Christ knew that there's a kingdom coming that will be His. So much more glorious than that which the devil showed Him. And He disdained the whole thing and rebuked the enemy one more time. Oh, I hope we'll do the same thing. It's awesome to me when you consider the principle of two kingdoms in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. Think about it. The Bible says, in the time of the end, kingdoms shall rise up against kingdoms. Are we supposed to be in that, brothers and sisters? Their kingdoms are going to rise up against kingdoms. Are we supposed to be in that? The devil is aligning the kingdom. Are we supposed to be in that? Think about it. The devil is aligning the kingdoms for his last shot at a one-world kingdom. Are we supposed to be in that? I don't think so. I don't think so. These kingdoms, the kingdoms of this world, these kingdoms slowly turn against God's people and begin to persecute. And eventually, they unify on persecuting the people of God. Do I want to be in that? I don't think so. We see in the book of Revelation that God has a hook in their nose, leading them all to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Do you want to be part of that? God's going to put a hook in the nose of the kingdoms of this world and gather them together one by one. He's going to gather them together to a battle, the battle of the great day of God Almighty. I don't want to have anything to do with those kingdoms. Bless God. These kingdoms... Ah, we must read this. These kingdoms are moving together, brothers and sisters. They are unifying themselves so that they can do that which is described in Psalm chapter 2, verse 1 through 4. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, and they say to the people, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. But, he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. I don't think I want to be part of that. What do you think? I want nothing to do with the kingdoms of this world, brothers and sisters. They are a sinking ship. When do you want to jump off? And I know I don't say that to you that are sitting in this room, but I say it to whoever may be listening to this tape someday. When do you jump off? Do you wait for the last lifeboat just before the thing sinks to jump off and get into the other kingdom? I don't think so. If we already know it's a sinking ship, why would we put our allegiances there? Why would we pour our time into it? Why would we pour out all our energies into it when it's a sinking ship and we know it's going down already? I don't think I want to have anything to do with that. And I thought about it as I was meditating, and please bear with me, I'm not being dogmatic this evening, but you know, if you put that rapture over there in Revelation chapter 4 before everything gets tough, then you don't have to worry about any of this. You don't have to worry about it. You can build the kingdoms of this world. You can be a politician. You can pour your life and your time and your money into politics and try to save America by making laws and all those things. You can do all those things because you won't have to face the end of Christ, they say. You won't have to face the unity of the kingdoms of this world that set themselves to destroy the people of God. You'll just get raptured out. But what if we're wrong on that point? What if we will face that end of Christ eyeball to eyeball? Even if we don't, I don't want to be on that ship. I don't want to be on that ship. I'm bailing off. How about you? I'll take the lifeboat. Hallelujah! The Lord Jesus, He's the lifeboat. We need to align ourselves clearly. Since we see a clear distinction is coming, why wait? Give your allegiance to the King. Kiss the Son now, brothers and sisters. Give your allegiance to Him. I thought about this too. And some of this, hey, it's a revelation to me as I've been meditating upon it. Think about it. In the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, dead religion united with the state. And the two of them together crucified the Lord Jesus and persecuted the early church. So shall it also be in the end, my brothers and sisters. Dead religion will unify themselves with the state. And together they will crucify the Christ that walks upon the earth. And that's us. We are the Christ, the body of Christ, the anointed One. Dead religion and the state will unify with vehement desire to crucify the Christ who walks upon this earth. I don't think I want to have anything to do with dead religion either. How about you? I don't care what kind you want to call it. You can call it dead Mennonite religion. You can call it dead Baptist religion. You can call it dead Protestantism. You can call it dead Catholicism. You can call it dead Hinduism or dead Islam. Dead religion that does not have Christ in it is antichrist. Can I say that? Is antichrist. I think I'd be bailing out of that too if I were you. I like what John D. Martin said years ago that he taught the young people in Bible school teaching out of the Sermon on the Mount. He taught them this. God's kingdom now. God's kingdom now. And that's it, brothers and sisters. It's God's kingdom now. We don't need to wait. Yes, there will be a glorious manifestation of His kingdom like we haven't seen. But brothers and sisters, it's God's kingdom now. Kingdom life now. Kingdom building now. King worship now. And dear brothers and sisters, it is not enough to make this a doctrine. May I say that? It's not enough to make this a doctrine. You choose that because of your doctrine you will not serve in an earthly kingdom. You won't campaign. You won't vote. You won't follow politics. But I'm telling you, that's not good enough. If you are not involved in the kingdom, if you're not worshiping the King, your doctrine won't do you any good. No soul winning, no prayer meetings, no vibrant life of service for the King. It's not enough just to make a doctrine. Oh, we believe in the two kingdoms. Let's move on to the second one. Two marks in the book of Revelation. The seal of the living God and the mark of the beast. The seal of the living God and the mark of the beast. Now these seals, these marks, brothers and sisters, they are more than a mark on your forehead. They are more than a mark on your forehead. Let's look in Revelation chapter 7 and also you can grab Ezekiel chapter 9 while you're at it there. Revelation chapter 7 and Ezekiel chapter 9. In Revelation chapter 7 we find this phrase, the seal of the living God. It is a precious little phrase in the Bible. The seal of the living God. You know what the word seal there means? It is the word signature. God's signature written on my forehead Is God's signature written on your forehead tonight? Chapter 7 verse 2, And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Beautiful. Beautiful verse. Ezekiel chapter 9 God takes Ezekiel in the Spirit, in the visions of God, back to the city of Jerusalem because Ezekiel is a bit puzzled and he is pondering and he wonders why he is sitting by the river Kibar and there is a bit of a question why he is sitting there in his mind. So God takes Ezekiel in the visions of God back to the city of Jerusalem to show him the abominations that are being done there in Jerusalem. And in the midst of it, he also gets this vision. We are going to break in in chapter 9 and start reading in verse 3 because we just want to look at these marks and these seals. And the glory of God, the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's incorn by his side. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the forehead of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Now, that's very interesting. These verses clearly show us that these marks are more than just a mark. They are the mark that is written across the heart. They are the signature which is written across the life. And God says to this angel with an incorn, I want you to go through the city of Jerusalem and I want you to put a mark on every man that is sighing and crying for the abominations that are going on in Jerusalem. I wonder, I wonder how we would fare if an angel came through this place tonight. I wonder how we would fare if he came looking for those that are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done even in this our land where we live. I wonder who would get a mark tonight. It's a good question, isn't it? Pretty nice land we live in, this America. It's a blessing. It's fun to live here. Things are going real well. It's real nice. Lots of food to eat. Plenty of things to do. We've all got our cars. We have a house to live in. It's pretty nice around here. We're hiding ourselves over here in Lancaster County. We don't know about all the evil. It doesn't vex our righteous soul every day. I wonder if we sigh. These seals, these marks, they are more than a mark. Though it seems to me that the mark of the beast is a literal mark, it isn't just a literal mark. It is a mark that is written across the heart. And because the mark is written across the heart, the mark will go on the head. You can be sure of that. Revelation again, chapter 13. We see this so beautifully contrast in chapter 13, the last part, and in chapter 14, the first part. Now we have to read a little Scripture here in order to see all this unfold before us. Revelation 13. And we're going to start reading in verse 8. We just received a description of the Antichrist, the beast. And we've been told what he's going to do. He's going to make war with the saints. He's going to overcome them. He's going to kill many of them. We're told this in the first part of Revelation chapter 13. Breaking in in verse 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, all whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with a sword must be killed with a sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Now, that's a good word. This is a little side point, but that's a good word for us. For us who may live in the last days. Put up your sword, brother, sister. Put away your gun. It's not time to get your gun out. Amen? Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Patience is patient endurance. They're going to cut my wife's head off. Don't you go get a gun and shoot at them. Herein is the patience and faith of the saints. They're going to cut off my wife's head. Keep your eyes upon Jesus, my friend. Your wife is going to go to glory and get a special place in heaven because they cut off your wife's head. Don't you go get your gun. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. And some say this is Islam and they've got some pretty good points on it. Another beast. I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb. And he's big as a dragon. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him and causes the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders so that he may fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. That they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. And he had power to give life under the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bound to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom that him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred three score and six. And I looked and lo! A lamb stood on Mount Zion and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand having their father's name written in their foreheads. Now, do they just have their father's name written in their foreheads? Or is their father's name written across their heart? And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and before the elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These are they that were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God. Do they have the father's name written across their forehead? Or is it written across their hearts? It is written across their hearts. Some people say, Ooh, this Mark thing, that troubles me. What if I'm tricked into taking it? My dear friend, you will not be tricked into taking it. You will not be tricked into taking it. You will have the Mark written across your heart and you will take it. That is the way it will happen. You will not be tricked into taking it. You don't need to be sitting here tonight and thinking, Oh, I don't want to take the Mark of the Beast. Oh, I don't want to do that. Lord, how will I know if I am or am I not? You have your Father's name written across your heart and you will not take that Mark, I guarantee it. You will not take a Mark. If your Father's name is written across your heart, if the seal of the living God is upon your forehead, you will not take no Mark. You will not be tricked into doing something that you don't know what you're doing. It's very interesting to me and it's good for us to note that this Mark has to do with money. This Mark has to do with materialism. This Mark has to do with buying and selling. And the kingdom that forced this Mark upon all the people had to do with lots of money and buying and selling and luxury and pomp and jewelry and all kinds of luxuries and dainties and delicacies. That's all the things that are associated with the kingdom that forces this Mark. It's good for us to note. Amen? Check, double check and triple check your heart on materialism. Check your heart. It's very evident that materialism, luxury and money will be a dividing issue in the last of the last days. Amen? Everyone agree on that? It is going to be that way. I was listening to a preacher preaching here recently. He ministers in Sudan. That's not a very good place to minister, some would say. It's kind of dangerous. You could lose your life there. You could easily lose your head. They cut off heads all the time in Sudan. This man said in one of the sermons that I listened to, he said, many, many people in Sudan have lost their lives because they were holding on to their things. It's hard to imagine that we would hold on to our things so tightly that when the warning is given to run or flee to the next city because of our things and our house and our property that we don't want to lose, we take a chance that maybe it won't come our way. And off goes their heads, one by one. Even worldly people, even worldly people, they lost their lives, thousands of them, because they were holding on to their things. May the Lord help us. May the Lord help us. We want to read yet in 2 Thessalonians just to kind of bring this point home. And then we'll move on to the last point. 2 Thessalonians, very sobering verses for us. Again, we're going to break into the middle of a teaching about the Antichrist and start reading in verse 9 for the sake of time. Chapter 2, 2 Thessalonians, verse 9, Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause, because they receive not the love of the truth, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound, brothers and sisters, to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle." Good words from the Apostle Paul. Good words of exhortation and encouragement to us. You've been born again. You've been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Hey! You don't have to go there. You don't have to worry about that. Just walk with God. You have nothing to worry about. And lastly, two types of Christians in the book of Revelation. The overcomers and the overcome. Revelation 21, verse 7 says these beautiful words of encouragement to each and every one of us. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son. He that overcometh shall inherit all things. But, the next verse says, the fearful and the unbelieving and then it gives a big long list of other things. But, just to ponder for a moment the fearful and the unbelieving. As God draws every man on the face of the earth right down to a choice of which way they're going to go, there will be those who will choose because they're fearful. And there will be those who choose because they're unbelieving. Unbelieving. Two types of Christians in the book of Revelation. The overcomers and the overcome. And I draw these two words out of Revelation chapter 2 and 3 where God says seven times these words. To him that overcometh. To him that overcometh. God says this seven times. I think it's right for us to say this evening that the opposite is also true. As God gives promises to him that overcometh, we also know that him that does not overcome will not receive the promise. Is that right thinking? Will not receive the promise. God brings specific needs to these seven churches. He speaks to them about worldly mixture in them. He speaks to them about dead religion that is in them. He speaks to them about the fact that they've lost their first love. And He speaks to them about being lukewarm and being full of pride. And each time He brings their personal needs to them, He tells them, to him that overcometh. And then He says a beautiful thing after that. If you overcome, He describes different aspects of the glorious kingdom of God in eternity to them. And says, to you I will make a pillar in my God. To you I will grant to sit on a throne in my kingdom. To you I will grant the hidden manna. To you I will grant to drink water out of the river of life that flows from the throne of God. And on and on He says many, many beautiful things. To him that overcometh. So, we have overcomers. And God admonishes us to be overcomers. But I think we all have to come to grips with the fact that there will be some who will not overcome. To him that overcometh. But to him who does not overcome, I think it's right for us to say, they were overcome. Overcome with their deadness. Overcome with the pride of their heart. Overcome with their loss of first love. Overcome with the mixture that is in the church. Overcome with a need in their life that they were not willing to deal with. Overcome by some overwhelming bondage that they did not seek God about. Overcome. There are overcomers. There are the overcome. And as we see this whole thing in the book of Revelation, it's a bit deeper than just overcoming a need in your life. It goes right down to overcoming the sword. Overcoming death. Overcoming the fear of facing the authorities when they have your head on the chopping block. To him that overcometh. But, to him who is overcome, there's only two choices. Only two choices. The overcomers, all those beautiful aspects of the glorious kingdom of God. To those that are overcome, all the things that are written in this book. That's the only two choices that I see as I read through the book of Revelation. Now, that's sobering. Very sobering. If you are not an overcomer, then you have been overcome by your need, by the enemy, and by the circumstances that were around you. Now, the best preparation that I know of now to prepare yourself to face the chopping block, the best preparation I know for now is that you overcome the needs that are in your life as you sit here tonight, as you walk through your days. You know where life is really at. You know where you went after the meetings were over and everything settled back down to norm. You know where you went. The best preparation that I can give you this evening to prepare for that day when they may cut your head off, the best preparation is overcome now. Brothers and sisters, reason with me. If you are facing the chopping block and you do not want to deny your Lord, what will you do to keep from denying your Lord? What will you do? You will cry out to God. That's what you will do. You will cleanse your heart from every sin. That's what you will do. You will make sure that your heart is charged with the mighty power of God in the name of the Lord Jesus. These are the things that you will do when you are facing the chopping block. Maybe they throw you in the prison cell and they tell you, you've got three days. You make your choice in three days. It's the mark or it's your head. You have three days. What are you going to do with those three days? What are you going to do? You're going to dream about that new car you bought? That's silly, isn't it? You're going to sit there and dream about the day when you can ride in your car again. Oh, it will be nice. I hope I can get out of this place so I can drive my car again. That's not what you're going to do. We all know what you're going to do in that cell for those three days. Bless God. You are going to seek God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. That's what you're going to do. I know that. That's what I'm going to do, bless God. I'm going to make sure everything is clear. I'm going to make sure every relationship is clear. I'm going to make sure there's nothing hiding in my heart. I'm going to make sure all the grace and power of God that is available to a man who is going to lose his head tomorrow is available to me. So, what are you waiting for? Bless God! What are we waiting for? God is able, even tonight, He is well able to deliver you from whatever the need is that you have in your life. If God can deliver you into that chopping block with joy, then surely He can deliver you of that need that you have in your life. Let's read in 2 Peter. 2 Peter 2, 19 and 20. I was just looking down through the concordance at the word overcome. I found very interesting two verses. Speaking about false prophets. Speaking about false prophets. Chapter 2. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. Overcomers and the overcome. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! If they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Overcomers or the overcome? Which is? Which will it be? Are you in bondage tonight, my friend? Have you been overcome and therefore brought into bondage? You know, you can be delivered from that bondage. You don't have to stay there. Jesus said these words in John 16 and 33. I have overcome the world. That's what Jesus said. I have overcome the world. John, speaking to his children in the book of 1 John, he says, I write unto you little children, because you have overcome the wicked one. Now that's what we need to do. Before that day, before we look into His face, before we look at His flashing eyes, before we look at that wicked spirit delighting to cut off our head, we need to overcome the wicked one. Then we'll be able to look Him right in the eye and not be afraid. I write unto you little children, because ye have overcome the wicked one. John says again in 1 John 4, 4. I'm going to read it. I'm close enough here. He says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Them? Wicked spirits and false prophets. That's the context. Chapter 4, verse 1 through 4. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, John said. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. You know what that says to me this evening, brothers and sisters? It doesn't say to me it's already done. It says to me, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. What are you waiting for? What do you let Him kick you around for? What do you let Him beat you like that for? Don't you know greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world? What do you let Him keep you in bondage like that day after day, week after week, month after month? What do you let Him kick you around like that for? Remember the book of Isaiah? On judgment day, we'll look at that creepy, crawling creature and say, is this the man? Is this Him who troubled the nations? Is this Him? Brothers and sisters, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. What are you letting Him push you around for? You don't have to live down there anymore. Let's be done with all that low living. Bless God! We need to overcome the wicked one. Someday we're going to face Him eye to eye. And I'm afraid I'm afraid some will quail in fear. But God is telling us, get ready. Get ready! Ye have overcome the wicked one when you have wrestled. See? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, brothers and sisters, but we wrestle. We do wrestle against principalities and powers, against wicked spirits in high places. That's what Paul said. Ye have overcome the wicked one because you wrestled and you won. I like this verse. 1 John 5.18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Look at that verse. Glory! He that is born of God keepeth himself. Why? Because he's somebody? No. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. And that wicked one toucheth him not. Beautiful verse. Brothers and sisters, we have a Deliverer come out of Zion and you do not have to live there anymore. We need to avail ourselves of the Deliverer now. Isaiah 63 verse 1 says this, Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Basra, this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. That's who it is. Who is this? Who is this riding on a white horse with his vesture dipped in blood? I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, in thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me. For I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiments. That's the Lord Jesus speaking about what He's going to do when He finishes the whole battle in the end. That's the Lord Jesus. But He is He who speaks in righteousness mighty to save. He is mighty to save tonight. He's not mighty to save then. He's mighty to save now. God's kingdom now, brothers and sisters. God's kingdom now. Well, let's turn to Revelation 22. I'm going to get finished here real quick. Revelation 22 and verse 7. We're coming down to the concluding statements of the book of Revelation. We're not going to read them all, but a couple of them that are significant that will be good for us. Verse 7 says, and this is the Lord Jesus speaking to our hearts, even tonight, He says these words to us, Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is He that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Now, you know, when I was a young Christian, I wasn't sure what He meant by that. I wasn't sure what He meant by that. When I was a young Christian, I saw this whole thing is happening to somebody else. I couldn't figure out what a verse like that was for. I thought about all the interpretations, you know, seven of these, seven of these. I thought, keep those sayings? That doesn't make sense. What does He mean, keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book? But tonight, brothers and sisters, it's very clear to me what God means when He says to keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book. What He's saying to us is, I want you to make all the choices that you've been considering in this book. I want you to make those choices. As you make those choices on the right side, you are keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And blessed is He that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. So, that kind of just sums the whole book up, doesn't it? Verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Brothers and sisters, what God is saying to us, as we gaze into this book, He's saying what we already know. But He is warning us, Love Me with all your heart. Give Me first place in your life. Not just tonight, because it's the right thing to do. Not just tonight, because an appeal is made, and it's the right things to say at an altar. But God is saying, Love Me with all your heart. Every day, walk with Me with all your heart. Every day, God is saying to us, Change your lifestyle, if you need to, to love Me and walk with Me every day. Because someday, you're going to have to choose whether you're really going to serve Me or not. The best thing that I can say to every one of us, in preparation for who knows what is going to come, is simply that. Love the Lord God. There is no other God beside Him. He is Creator of Heaven and Earth. He is the Lord God Omnipotent. And beside Him, there is no other God. He, in His grace and mercy, has revealed to us, in this book, who He is. Love the Lord with all your heart. Let Him be your all in all. If there is anything in your life that you are holding on to, that your heart says, this is mine, that your heart says, this I will do, that your heart says, I'm keeping this for later, lay it on the altar. Lay it on the altar. Let there be nothing between your soul and the Savior. Nothing at all. And then, just keep it that way. Just keep it that way. I wonder what you do, if next Sunday, your minister got a call, and someone said, we're going to be shooting people at church, on Sunday. We're going to be shooting people at church. I wonder how many would come, that Sunday morning. Hmm? Can that man shoot you, without asking God? Hmm? He can't do it. I'm going to be shooting people at church on Sunday. I wonder how many people would be here. Good question, isn't it? Someday, somebody's going to be shooting people at church. I hope we're ready. I sure hope we don't stay home. Because that man can't pull a trigger, and do one thing to any one of us, without asking God. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes. We're going to open up the altar this evening, because of the nature of the message, because there are probably some needs among us, because there are some sincere people, who have been pleading, and praying, and interceding, that God will continue to work in our midst, that God would not stop, that God would take us on, that God would continue to prepare us, because of all these reasons. We're going to open up an altar this evening, sing a song of invitation, and just give you an opportunity, anybody who is here this evening, to come to the front, and do business with God. We're going to open up the altar. Father, God our Father, we bow down to you this evening. We want to thank you for the book of Revelation. We don't understand it all, Father. It is a book of mysteries. But there's enough in there, Lord, that makes our hearts to stir, that we thank you, Father, for the warnings, the reminders, the preparation we find in it. Now, Father, tonight, oh, I pray, God, you'll move upon the hearts of any who need to get prepared, who need to get prepared, Father. I just give the invitation to you, oh, Spirit of the Living God, settle down upon each and every heart in this room. God, I pray, deliver those that are bound. Oh, Father, I commit all of that into your care. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen.