Where are the Sons of Issachar - Part 1

When a man can introduce me and pray like that, I'm at home. I'm at home. I really mean that, saints of God. It's wonderful to be here and to be with all of you. Some of you are very old friends, others are brand new friends, and as has already been said, some good things have come out of this crisis. Friends, I have to tell you, it's going to get a lot worse. I'm sorry to tell you that. I hope you already realize it. It's not going to get better. It's going to get worse. There is worse to come, but be not afraid. Don't be disturbed in this hour, because you know what? God is going to birth something out of this hour, and you know what? The friends I've made in this room over the past year, meeting them face to face for the first time, it is remarkable what God is doing in this hour. It is utterly remarkable, and we are at the beginning of one of the most vital hours in world history. You have been chosen. I'd better be careful I preach before I open my text here, but my heart is so full just being with you. I want to thank Sally Richardson, so wonderful. We know what it's like behind the scenes, organizing, planning. We've done it many times over the years, and I can assure you we fully understand. So, our sister, I'm not sure where you are here, but we do appreciate you very much in the Lord. Thank you for the invitation, Pastor Charles, for having us here. You know, we are great believers in the local church. Very hard to find a real church, and if you ever find a real church, pray for that preacher. If he's a preacher, you pray. You stick it out. You fast. You break through. So, God bless you, Pastor. Fight the good fight of faith, and all of you here, I pray that just for a few moments, I can encourage you. Strengthen your hands since we're at war. We're at war. I do not believe that you'd be here if you didn't realize the hour that it is. That's why we are gathered here, and it's such a remarkable hour. We've never been here before. We may never be back here quite like this again, and you know what? I've got a word from the Lord. It's a miracle we're here, and I can't go into all of that, but Tuesday night, I said it's impossible for Candice and me to be here, but I went, by your grace, Lord, we are here by the grace of God, and I do have a message for you, and also all those online. Some of them, they're on a different time zone, and they'll soon be going to bed. I hope I can so stir them and challenge them. They won't want to go to bed tonight, so there's people joining us from different countries, but you know what? We're here with one agenda, not the agenda of religion, but as I say to our folk back in Limerick, I said, let me let you in on a secret. I'm going to let you in on it, and please don't tell anyone. Like Jesus said, don't you tell about this miracle that just happened. They couldn't help themselves. I want to, just before I turn to my text, tell you something. I don't want you to share it with anyone. I'm a conspiracist, and I am part of the greatest conspiracy in world history, and you know what? I'm looking to take over every town, every village, every city, every nation. The Lord Jesus Christ is literally going to come back, physically come back, and he's going to reign upon the earth once again, and I'm telling you, if you're born again, you are caught up in the most wonderful conspiracy in all of history, so please, as we turn to our text, please don't share that with anyone. Don't let out. Don't tell anyone you're at a conspiracist meeting here, or we might get arrested in the days ahead, but you know what? I'm so happy and overflowing that in the midst of the darkest of hours, when we don't know what's going to happen, I do know what's happening here. I know what's going on, and your hearts can rest here. You may have many worries and fears walking in here, but I'm telling you, be not afraid in this hour. We are part of something glorious, and it's only just beginning. I've got new friends in this meeting I've never met before. You're my brother. You're my sister. We're family. Praise God. Please turn with me here to 1 Chronicles chapter 12, turning to the Old Testament. You can also turn to Matthew 24 in the New Testament and keep your finger there for a few moments. Someone's going to have to watch my time, put a finger up, point at me, stop me at some point, I assure you, because time will go out the window in these few moments. I'm going to make full use of this time here this morning, if you'll allow me. 1 Chronicles chapter 12, and I'm going to read three scriptures from this chapter. My message this morning, part one and part two, that I'm going to preach to you, where are the sons of Issachar? Where are the sons of Issachar? 1 Chronicles chapter 12, verse 22, for at that time, a specific time, at that time day by day there came to David to help him until it was a great host like the host of God. Then verse 32, and of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were 200, and all their brethren were at their commandment. Then one last verse, verse 38, all these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel, and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. Let's pray again here before we start. Father, I do thank you for my new friends and brothers and sisters. We are part of an extraordinary event taking place in the earth. Lord God, we want to be those that discern the hour that we live in. Lord God, to know what to do in this hour. Father, I pray for your grace, your anointing, your blessing upon us that not one person would leave here without knowing that the Lord has spoken to them. Lord God, lay your hand on individuals, both here that listen online now, and Lord God, those that will listen afterwards. We pray, send your word and accomplish your will and purpose that your son, Jesus Christ, might receive all of the glory and the honor and the praise in Jesus' mighty name. Where are the sons of Issachar? After the past year and a half, that's my question. Where are the sons of Issachar? I know where the Christians are. I know where all the churches are. I know where the denominations are, but there is an utter silence. In fact, I am utterly persuaded the denominations and churches of Britain do not know, and I authoritatively say this without any confusion, the churches and the leadership of the church in our nation do not know what hour it is, neither do they know what to do. I know there's others who do, but I'm talking about the main influences, no prophetic voice in the nation. You see, I am tired, and I, from a child, I got saved at four and a half. From a child, I have watched and I have looked at the signs of the times. I have walked with the Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart, and I want to tell you, I've watched carefully the prophetic events of the Bible. I've listened men who taught this from a child. My mom taught me these things about Israel and God's purpose in Israel and what he would do from a child, and I've never had to move away from those convictions. But I want to tell you, I am tired of teaching on blood moons. I am tired of Christians talking about the Virgo Star Consolation and Revelation 12. I'm actually weary of it. I'm tired of people saying the tribulation has already started. Then they don't know their Bible or anything about reality. Those that say the rapture's going to happen in September or November are at trumpets. All genuine believers, all genuine teachings with much truth in it, and yet year after year after year, all of this comes through the church, and yet you can hardly find a real local church in Britain today. What has happened? You see, those that talk about hidden messages in Scripture. I'm tired of the stargazers. I'm tired of the moongazers, the date-setters. All of this has tired me out, and here in Matthew 24, in my lifetime, I've rarely heard pastors, teachers, preachers, Bible teachers expound Matthew 24. Very, very rare that you'll find a church that is well taught on the signs of Matthew 24. They go looking for the latest book, the latest preacher, unusual things that you can't find in your Bible. Oh, it's clear what's in the Bible, but we want to know about things moving out there in the constellations. Are you tired? Do you not want to come back and just see the pure, undiluted teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ? In Matthew 24, Jesus gives His longest sermon in the entire Bible. After the Sermon on the Mount, the second longest teaching that Christ gives is on Bible prophecy and the signs of the times. Here in this first message on where are the sons of Issachar, and I'm looking for them. I'm searching. I'm after Issachar here this morning. I've got three points in this first message. First of all, the signs of the times. In Matthew 24 and verse 3, it says there, and as He, Jesus, sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately saying, now notice He's on the Mount of Olives with the disciples. That's where they come and ask these questions. Look at the context of it. They say, tell us when shall these things be? They wanted to know about timing. When are these things going to happen? What things was He talking about? Well, look at verse 1, and Jesus went out and departed from the temple and His disciples came unto Him for to show Him the buildings of the temple. What had happened just before this entire message? He'd been in the temple and He came out of the temple. He was down in the city of Jerusalem and the disciples come and they begin to say, look at these wonderful stones of the temple. What a text to preach of. So Christ takes that and He preaches His greatest message on Bible prophecy. It's the same teaching in Mark and chapter Luke. In fact, in those two gospels, it said they admired the stones of the temple. And they're saying, Lord, look at the stones of the temple. They were admiring the temple in Jerusalem. Herod's temple was utterly remarkable. Do you realize those stones were gleaming white marble stones? They had pure gold decorations on all of those large stones. And they were literally visible for miles when the sun shone on that temple. In fact, in the Roman Empire, it was called one of the most spectacular buildings in the entire Roman Empire. It was marvelous. Josephus says that certain, several of the stones of the temple were 45 cubits in length, five cubits height, and six in breadth. Or in other words, they were 70 feet long, one stone, 70 feet long, 10 feet wide, and eight feet high, one single stone. And several of these stones in the temple were like that. And the disciples are here near the end of Christ's ministry. And they're saying, look, Master, isn't it amazing? Beautiful, painted, spectacular with the reputation. And this is where Christ begins to teach onto them. It is a remarkable thing that out of this, he begins to teach about the temple. And you know what he prophesied? Not one stone is going to be left. It is of no interest to me. You know what? This temple that you are admiring, it's going to be utterly destroyed. It is a prophecy Christ gave to them. This temple will be utterly annihilated. Not one stone is going to be left, not one single stone. The Weyland Wall isn't a part of that. Do you realize that? That is not a part of the ancient temple or else Christ's prophecy wasn't true. It was utterly annihilated. They are not meeting at the ancient wall of that temple at all. So if you're in awe of that wall, God helped you here. You need to go back and read Matthew 24. And we know that prophecy came to pass in AD 70. You know the church in Jerusalem just two years before the destruction of Jerusalem, they knew Matthew 24. They knew Luke. They knew Mark. They knew what the Bible taught. And as the Roman army came up against Jerusalem, we're told they attacked Jerusalem twice. And for some unknown reason, the armies were totally withdrawn. And Simon, the cousin of Lord Jesus Christ, we're told in our history books that he actually received a prophecy from the Lord saying, flee the city and go over into Jordan to a place called Pella. And so the church could discern the hour it was living in. Can you imagine the church being caught in Jerusalem when it was annihilated and destroyed? But two years before they fled the city saying, this is the hour that the Lord is going to allow Jerusalem to be destroyed. And so this is the context here. Notice what the disciples asked him saying, when shall be the sign of thy coming? So first of all, they say, tell us when these things will be. When's Jerusalem going to be destroyed? But he goes further. He says, and what shall be the sign, singular, of thy coming and of the end of the world? The end of the world is the end of the age, the end of the era, the end of the church age. When you reach the last generation, when you're the last people on the face of the earth and you're at the end of the age and all of history is behind you and you've got that time where Jesus is about to come. They're asking a question here. What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? The final judgment. When all the Bible prophecy comes to a consummation, when it is all finished, when it's all over, they're looking for signs. We've got Bible teachers all through the church saying don't look for signs. You're not meant to look for signs. Why did he teach this? They say, oh, you don't have any signs. There's no indicators. There's no warnings that we're the last generation. Oh, you just, you don't know. I utterly reject that. You see, I believe you and I at the end of the age are given more signs, more indicators than any generation for 1900 years. Do you realize that? Do you realize the responsibility of you in this room that you've been given more signs, more pointers, more indicators than any other people for 1900 years since the first generation? Why do you think that Jesus gave such clear information? You see, you have Christ teaching in Matthew 24, in Mark 13, and in Luke 21. You have intensive, clear teaching and not one sign given. You're given many signs of the approaching of the end, of the end of the age. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 16 and 2, talking to the Pharisees. You know what they'd ask them? Master, give us a sign from heaven. Why don't you do a miracle? Why don't you do a wonder? Why don't you do a sign? You know, he said, you hypocrites. And then he says, you cannot discern the hour. He says in verse 2, ye can discern the face of the sky. When you see it red at night, you go, we're in for a good day tomorrow. When you see it red in the morning, you know, whether it's a sailor or a shepherd or whether it's Christ telling the Pharisees, you Pharisees know how to look at these little signs. And you go, hey, honey, it's going to be warm tomorrow. Pack the picnic. We'll go out to the beach. They know how to do that. He said, you hypocrites. You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. And this is what I'm coming to hear in these two messages, discerning the signs of the times. Christ said all of those with all of their scrolls and all of their teaching, men who knew the Old Testament inside out from children. They knew the prophecies. They knew all the indicators. They read these chapters. They're so familiar. They could quote them, pray about them, preach them, teach them. They could have an all night argument with you about them. And yet Jesus points the finger at him and he says, you cannot discern the signs of the times. You have all the knowledge. You've had all the Bible prophecy teaching and yet practically in your hour, you can't even say this is the hour. You don't have the ability to discern the signs of the times. To discern means you scrutinize, you study, you search, you look. What an hour we have in Britain. The church has its eyes closed. It has its ears closed. It has its heart closed. And it can't even discern the hour. You know, most churches, I mean evangelical born again Christians. The church I was born again in as a child, which was filled with preachers, 500 churches in this nation. And yet today I'm listening to the leaders and I go, do they even believe in Bible prophecy today? I don't think they do. Do they have a Bible? They're utterly silent right across the nation. I feel like pulling my hair out and go, is this really the church I was born again in? Is this the church I arose in and that taught me the word of God? What is wrong? You cannot discern the signs of the times. I got to the end of last year and I'm like a little kid. I've heard this, knew this all my days. And I go, this is the hour. Things will never be the same again in Britain. Our world has changed. Saints, I want to tell you, it's all over. It's all over. We are right at the end in a remarkable way. No generation in history has been given the signs that you've been given. Let me prove it. In Matthew 24 from verse 4 to verse 14 deals with general signs. In fact, 10 specific general signs. Then from verse 15 to verse 16, we have six specific signs. Very, very specific signs. Now I want to deal with those general signs, the first 10. I'm not going to teach on them. I've done that elsewhere. You can go look online. I'm not going to deal. I'm referring to those 10 clear signs. This should be taught in every church thoroughly. Every Christian should know that. In this hour, more than any generation previously. Listen to what Jesus says. It's Christ teaching this. Do you see why I'm tired of all the books that come out of America? And I'm tired of all the ministries online. And I'm tired of the latest revelation. And guess what? Buy my book because you can't read this anywhere else. Then I don't want it. Why hasn't the church grown up yet? Since we're actually here. We are here at this point. And you know what? They put all these speakers on the popular pulpits of the nation in Britain, but they don't want to hear what I'm saying this morning. I want to tell you. Look at these general signs. What does Jesus say about them? Verse 8, all these are the beginning. Underline that word beginning. They are the beginning of sorrows. Remember, Jesus is going to tell us about the end. How do you know it's the end? How do you know you've come to the last, very final point in time? Well, he says there's a beginning and there's an end. And you need to learn these two points. The beginning of sorrows, the commencement of sorrows. You know, I'm sure that the word sorrows there is birth pangs. It's the Greek word for a woman who's going into labor to have a child. It's not talking about nine months of pregnancy. You can have a woman heavily pregnant. It appears you can see it. It's obvious. Boy, you're pregnant. I'm always careful what I say to a lady in case I make a mistake. But I go, you could be pregnant, and yet you haven't entered into birth pangs as yet. You see, birth pangs comes at the end of pregnancy. It comes to a certain point. And you ladies that have gone through this, you know, you go through all of those months, and then you reach a point, you go, uh-oh, where's my husband? And the husband gets terrified. He doesn't know. That lady has been well-touched, goes, it's okay. It's only the beginning of birth pangs. We've got a little process. The husband's going, well, we'll jump in the car. No, no, no, no. Put the bag down. Put the keys down. It's only the beginning of sorrows. But the end's coming. The beginning of sorrows means the end is inside. It's very close. There's now a very rapid period of time that builds into the birth and the pregnancy. And so we see that this comes at the end of the pregnancy period. There is pain before birth. Once those beginning of sorrows, those birth pangs begin, you say, I believe something has happened in our world. I warned three years ago, and you can go listen to messages. Three years ago, I taught our church, and I said something is about to happen to initiate the beginning of sorrows. I said, if we're not already in it, it's just about to happen. That's how close we are. And saints, I want to tell you, if you preach the Word of God, you'll become a prophet. You preachers in the midst, stop your silly stories. Cast away. This is an urgent hour. We need the Word of God. Expound the Word. Preach the Word. Preach the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't need entertainment. We need the Word of God brought to us in a very clear manner. You know why? Because I believe we are in this period of the beginning. It's not the end. It's the beginning. But it shows how close the end is. It's at the door. It's at hand. It's so close you can see it just around the corner. The beginning of sorrows brings an urgency, a carefulness. You begin to say, this is it. Ask my wife. Married 15 years. Only last year I said, this is it. This is it. First time in my entire life. I've been very careful. I've preached for 30 plus years. I've never said that once. Last year I said, this is it, saints of God. We have turned a corner. We'll never come back from this point. When sorrows begin, the beginning of sorrows, you'll never go back to that pre-beginning of birth pangs. You can never. Once birth pangs begin, they become closer together. They become more intensive, more obvious, more so explicit you can't ignore them. If you're sitting in a room with a woman going through birth pangs, you go, she is in the pang. She'll pang. You go, what is it? What is it? You know the time is coming. We are now in a period where it's going to get intensive, intensive, intensive. You know what? It's a sign of the hour we're in. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5, he talks about an hour. Listen to what it says in verse 1. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. You should know these things about times and seasons. Do I have a need this morning to teach you because you don't know what times and seasons are? Paul says to the Thessalonians, save two years, save two years. I don't even need to write unto you about the times and seasons because you already understand these things. It's basic, it's elementary, but not in the church of this hour. Verse 3, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Notice in these verses of Jesus teaching that they ask him, when is the end going to be? In verse 6 he says, the end is not yet. When you see these 10 signs coming fast and they begin to speed up and intensify, and birth pangs is here, we're never going back to things again. This is it. We're going to fast move. Do you know that Klaus Schwab, if any of you have watched the videos and all, Klaus Schwab's all the top companies in the world, 2018, they put out that information saying by 2025 that chip in your mobile will be in your body. All the big money men, all the politicians, all of these, I'm not saying it, no one has ever said that in world history, but they are saying 2025. Now I'm just quoting them, I'm not prophesying. They're saying 2025 we're going to put your mobile chip. Do you doubt it now? Maybe a year and a half ago you would have doubted it, but you don't doubt it now. All of these things are lining up. Saints, do you realize how close we are? Do you realize that this hour in Britain the church ought to be absolutely standing on tiptoes saying, come Lord Jesus, we ought to be evangelizing, we ought to be preaching, we ought to be praying and fasting, and I see a church sleeping saying, you know what, be careful and let's just ride this out and let's respect law, let's respect the government, and I believe in all those things. But do you know what, they do not discern the hour they're living in. Jesus said in verse 6, the end is not yet. In verse 13 he says, endure until the end. Verse 14, then shall the end come. The end is when the abomination of desolation gets put in the temple in Jerusalem. The end is when the great tribulation begins. The end is when Antichrist rises up. But I'm talking about the birth pangs that go before all of that. I'm not talking about the end. The end we know all about, but very few are aware of birth pangs, or this birthing forth, all of the signs that say, this is it. This is it. We're never drawn back. Once birth pangs come, you never go back to being pre-birth pangs. You cannot do that. It's utterly impossible. I'm just laying a foundation, and then we go to 1 Chronicles chapter 12, 32 that we open with, and this is our main text, and of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. My second point, the birthing of a people. The birthing of a people. We've seen the signs of the times, but secondly, the birthing of a people. I believe Issachar has been given us as a type from the Old Testament of the people who discern the hour. They know how to tell the signs. They know how to look at their watch and say, this is the hour. This is the time. I know people, they're saturated in Bible teaching, and they don't know what's happened the past year. They're utterly ignorant. They cannot tell that the mark of the beast is around the corner. They're actually locked into things saying, life is normal. Things will get back to normal. Oh yes, we believe in Bible prophecy. We teach all these things. We understand all these things, but you know what? Don't worry. That's way in the future. It's here now, and the church in Britain, the cover has come up, and you're exposed. Where have you been living the past five years? Where have you been the past 10 years? You weren't even ready for this. Since there's going to be a people prepared for this, I see them. I am more encouraged this morning than I was a year and a half ago, because I see right across the world a people beginning to stand up. I am ecstatically encouraged about the church. I was so discouraged a year and a half ago. I went, where's the preachers? Where's the believers? Where's the courage? Where's the stand? Now I see people all over the world, I mean all over the world, begin to stand. They discern the hour, and they say, this is it. Get ready. Jesus is coming, and they're going to play the man. Do you realize people burnt in London? Those two old bishops turning to his friend, saying, brother, readily play the man. This day, we're going to light a fire in England. They'll never go out until Jesus comes back. Well, I still remember them. From a child, I heard of those two old Anglicans. Give us some Anglicans like that again. You know, I don't care about denomination. I'm a Pentecostal, you know, but I tell you, if I got an old Anglican like that, I'd be praying with them. I'd be listening and preaching. I'd say, man of God, you preach to me. Light a fire in this hour. It's going to burn in Britain again. Saints, the end is near, but it's not yet. It's not yet. This is your last time. If you don't do something when you leave this meeting, you don't believe Jesus is coming. You don't discern the signs of time. If you don't know what to do in this hour, you're just sitting there saying, I'm getting out of here. Don't worry about Britain. That's fine. It's all over. Come Lord Jesus. I'd greatly worry about your convictions in life. I'd be disturbed over you because I've watched that all my life. Believers, 30, 40, 50 years saved and they're sitting there in this hour and going, there's no more missions, no more revival, no more move of God, no more souls to preach. It's all over. It's Laodicea, the birthing of the people. Can we have five sessions this morning? I'm going to struggle here. I'm so sorry. But my second point, the birthing of the people. In Genesis chapter 30, you actually have a people that are being birthed. Verse 4, and yet what a terrible situation. You actually see Issachar born as a child to the first wife of Jacob. This is Leah who Jacob didn't love. He didn't want her. He didn't desire to marry her. He didn't plan. He didn't choose her. And yet through the connivance of man, religious connivance are terrible. And through all of this, he found himself having to marry Leah before marrying Rachel who he really loved. And we read that his first wife, Leah, who he didn't love, her fifth son and Jacob's ninth son was Issachar. This is where we find Issachar, a man that's given to you in the Bible by the Holy Spirit as the embodiment of a people who discern the hour and they know what to do. They understand the hour they're living in. They have a full concept. This man, this is where he was birthed out of. Do you remember the story of how Leah, this unloved, neglected woman, despised, set aside, had to purchase that night her husband to be in her bed? And out of that night, out of buying love and affection and buying companionship, she actually gave birth to Issachar. Do you realize God had a plan to birth forth Issachar in a loveless, cold marriage? A very hard environment. You may say, you don't know what I'm facing in my church and you don't know what I'm facing in my family and you don't know what I'm walking through. I'm going to tell you it's time for Issachar to arise. It's in this realm, Issachar comes forth and people who can discern the hour and understand what they're to do in this hour. God always starts with one man. He always begins with a man and he puts a message in that man and a vision and a gifting and a calling and out of that man, he makes a family and out of that family, he raises up a tribe and a people. God does raise up individuals to speak clearly. He spends decades. That's why it's too late for a lot of preachers to get ready. You know what? This past year and a half, they've got nothing to say. Before this crisis, they had everything to say. They're popular, they're famous, they've got the crowds. Let the crisis come. They have nothing to help us in this hour. The prosperity movement has nothing to say to us in this hour. What are they going to go and say in this hour? They're bankrupt. They're spiritually bankrupt. But you know what? God prepares Issachar as a man. Notice out of this man, at the first census ever taken of the entire nation of Israel by Moses, there was 54,000 men of war in Issachar. What a remarkable thing going from one man out of a loveless marriage and when God begins to count the people, 54,000. You know, I'm encouraged that I'm looking across the nations. You know, the past year, I'm getting emails from new agers, saved, 30 years, radical new age. They hated God. They hated Christ. You know, when they've seen all the signs, they got born again. They've become Bible-believing Christians and they go, I know they are it is. And all the sleepy pastors and all the old Christians sitting there going, oh sure, we know all of this. God help us, church. We need an awakening of the Spirit of God. Then that was Numbers chapter 1. Then in Numbers 26, a second census, 64,000. Then David holds another one in 1 Chronicles 7, 87,000. There is a growth of Issachar. In other words, Issachar is passing on to the next generation. They're teaching their people, their children, their families. They're saying, this is how you discern the hour. Issachar, you have a special calling. Issachar, you need to know the Word of God. Issachar, you're born for certain times and seasons. Oh, nothing happens for years, but there's going to be an hour. You need to make yourself ready. There's going to be a one-time event coming, your generation. And if you miss that, if you're asleep, you've missed a divine visitation of God. Prepare yourself, church. This is a unique hour. It'll never be here again. It's never been here before. And yet we're living in this time. We need to propagate the reality of the hour that we live in. Issachar taught the next generation. They spread the knowledge of these things. And let me tell you about a person of the people. Three things that mark Issachar that I'm going to show you. They were servants, they were soldiers, and they were scholars. Lots of people are fascinated with Bible study or with Bible prophecy. They love to hear it. They love to listen to it. They love to speak about it. They have the books on it. They love to share about these things. My question are, are you a servant? Are you a soldier? Are you a scholar? That's my question. Where are the sons of Issachar in this hour? Britain, where are the sons of Issachar in the church? I know they're there, but there ought to have been a lot more than there is in this hour. You know, in the 80s, the church in Britain and Ireland was saturated in good teaching. The 90s into the 2000s. And then I go, where's it all gone to? The churches that were well taught, they're fast asleep. And they're going, batten down. Keep your head low. It'll all pass over. Listen carefully to the government. Don't be disturbed. They know best. That medical system, that will destroy a baby in the womb. We need to trust them. You've got to blindly trust. God help us. What hour have we come to in the church? First of all, in birth and forth of people, they were servants. In Genesis 49 and verse 1, Jacob gathers his 12 sons. He's about to die. And he prophesies over each one of them. Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days. That's talking right at the end time. And you know what, I believe it's for the church in this hour. Each of the prophecies given to the 12 tribes was of something that was going to happen right at the very end. What Issachar is in this prophecy is what the church needs to be at the end, at the last day. And so he begins to prophesy for each of the tribes, including Issachar. In verse 28, three times he said, this is a blessing. I'm blessing you. I'm prophesying over you. I'm revealing what is going to happen in the last days. Listen to what he prophesies over Issachar in verse 14. Issachar is a strong ass. Do you know an ass or a donkey is a strong, hard working animal? Oh, I want to stick with Bible prophecy. Do you? Do you want to discern the hour that we live in? Do you think that you're of Issachar? Where are the sons of Issachar? Well, let's get it straight. Let's lay the foundation in so that you can discern the hour and say, this is the hour and I know what to do. Let's get the foundation in. So first of all, you're going to be an ass. Okay. Let's get this very clear. Issachar is marked by being a servant, a strong ass, a strong working animal, couching down. I'm not bending. Then you're excluded from this. I'm not going to submit to anyone. Then you don't know your Bible. I don't need a submitter being a church. Then you're not in this. Oh, I'm an expert. No, you're not. No, you're not. Issachar bows down couches between two great burdens. He's willing to work, to labor, to be a servant, to toil. I thought this was all about discerning an Antichrist. I think it's, I think it's Obama still. God help us. God help us. And he, Issachar, saw the rest that was good. If you don't labor like this, you don't have true rest. Do you know why there's so little rest and satisfaction in the church? You've never labored. You've never stayed up in the middle of the night saying, I'm praying, trying to meet God. You don't know what it is on a Saturday night to pray through for your preacher. Oh, I'm going to bed. I can have parties on a Saturday night. Preacher, bring a word of God Sunday morning. How about you staying up and laboring? Oh, I discern. Pastor, don't you know about who the Antichrist is? Pastor, don't you know? God help us. Us preachers get some questions, I want to assure you. We really do. You know what? Now, all that pastor's saying is, I wish I had a good donkey in this church. Don't tell me who the Antichrist is. I don't want to know. I don't want to know. Are you a donkey ready to labor? And if you're not, you don't know what true rest is in the body of Christ. And it says the land is pleasant. You're not even enjoying what's going on. Can you tell I'm happy this morning? It's a dark hour, an evil hour, much to be scared of. But I feel like dancing this morning. I'm so happy. You know why? We've been laboring, serving, preaching, praying. It's been hard graft. It's been a heavy task. We worked hard in the things of God, but I enjoy the pleasant land. I love being in church. No one's ever had to beg me to go to church. From a child, I slept under every seat. I slept on the seat, under the seat, over the seat, you name it. I love the house of God. I've never had to be begged to go to God's house. I love being there. And it says that he bowed his shoulder to bear the burden and became a servant on the tribute. This is the first great mark of Issachar, that they labor like an ass. The readiness to work hard in quietness, to submit even to forced labor, to the necessities of life. Issachar was known for their ability and readiness to work hard, even under undesirable conditions. He had the character of a servant. He was a born servant. He was born to serve. Oh no, we've moved to being in the Spirit, rest in the Spirit. Born to serve? We don't believe in that anymore. We're in grace. We don't believe you have. Let me get this straight. Jesus Christ commended the churches in Revelation. I commend you that you've labored. Look at the Greek. You've labored to the point of exhaustion. Preacher, if you get tired, it means you're in the flesh. Rubbish. Rubbish. They don't know their Bible. Christ commends people even in the church. And you know, I believe in rest. And I give my wife rests. And I'm not very good at it always, but we do take rests. But do you know what? There is a laboring to the point where God commends it. You're tired and weary in the ministry. What was it Whitfield said in this great city? I'm not tired of the fight. Sorry, I'm tired in the fight, but not tired of the fight. I get tired at times. Don't you as Christians get tired at times? But you know what? I'm not tired of the fight. Oh boy, we're going to stand and fight the battle of the Lord. And so Issachar is a servant. Do you want to discern that? Then you're going to be a servant. Secondly, a soldier. In Numbers 1:28, all that were able to go forth to war. Do you see what type of people is here? Issachar was not only a servant, but a soldier. Oh, I'm just discerning the hour. I don't have to be in the fight. I don't need to fight the battles or be against the enemy or contend for the faith. In 1 Chronicles 7 and 5, it says, all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might. The word valiant means a soldier, a warrior, a fighter, a man with a sword in his hand who's going to go out to fight the enemy. He is in the front line of the battle. And so you see Issachar, they're not only servants, they're fighters. I am against those things that come into the church. I'm against the prosperity gospel. I'm against all the social drinking. I'm against all the sleeping around and immorality in the church. And people say, you don't know what you're talking about. Yes, I do. I'm a soldier. I'm a soldier. I was in the first Gulf War, driving through in a tank, the Russian tanks that the Iraqis were using, burning either side as we went in, and then we got the command to go to Baghdad. And then the politician stepped in. I know what war is. I know what it is to be in the front line watching your mate 17 years old with earphones in their ears being carried up because they've just been killed. Since war is a very, very real thing, a very tragic thing. Issachar is not playing games of Bible prophecy. They haven't spent years debating, joking, laboring, causing problems over this. You know what? Because they knew the art, they're soldiers. This is a real fight for the church of Jesus Christ in this hour. And notice as soldiers, it says in 1 Chronicles 12, that they are men of war that can keep rank. You in the church, do you know how to keep rank? If you're in the army, I assure you, they teach you. You know, you're marching round, they spend all those weeks training you. March, fall in, fall out, attention, all the rest, weeks and you're going, what's this got to do with war? Everything. Do you know how to keep rank? You'll never fight the enemy if you don't know how to take orders in the church of God. And the church is filled with this. I don't listen to anyone. Then you're a problem. You're a real problem. Don't listen to false prophets. But if you don't listen to the word of God, you're a problem in the church of God. I don't listen to anyone. What a disaster. Where are the soldiers who say, I know how to keep rank, to stand in line, to keep my place, find my position, to be faithful, to move with a body of men into the battle. You know that in Jude verse 3, it says, contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered in the saints. Where is that fight in the church? Are you fighting for the blood of Jesus to be taught in the church? I'm tired of all the games. We went on a holiday to Spain once and as is our custom, we found a local church. I won't tell you where in case you knew them. But we went there, found the church. It was very hard. And as we come in, as we come into that place, we walked in and that pastor, he says, you know what? Me and my wife always make sure we get a break that night before. And I'm not going to let anything disturb my date night with my wife. And I knew that after I heard him preach, he started talking about his cats, never opened his Bible, never got onto Jesus. And I'm sitting there going, I'm in an evangelical born again church. They're all ready for heaven. They're living in a Spanish speaking country, enjoying the sun. And he's going to preach to me here this morning. I looked at him and said, I'm so sorry for bringing you into this place of death. Do you realize men like that are standing saying, I'm preaching the word of God, away with the sham. We need a fight again for the church. Preach the blood, preach repentance, deal with sin. Jesus is coming. A servant, a soldier, and a student and scholar. In Deuteronomy chapter 3, it says in verse 18, rejoice Zebulun in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents. It's saying here that Zebulun, when Zebulun went out on the sea, went out to labor, went out to trade. Do you know what Issachar done? At that same time, Issachar stayed behind at home and stayed in their tent. This is talking about staying home and studying. It's talking about diligence behind closed walls. You're a servant, you're a soldier, but are you a student and a scholar of the Bible? You might be able to tell me all about Bible prophecy. What about imputation of the righteousness of Christ? What about the doctrine of sanctification? Oh, I don't study that. Then you're not studying. You're not a scholar. You see, this has got to be kept in its right perspective. This is one of the great marks of Issachar. They are students of the Bible. Today's church aren't. Prophecies, visions, dreams don't come to much. Special revelations about what is happening in the cosmos. What about your Bible? You know, Churchill read his Bible through completely, cover to cover, 16 times, 16 times. I go to preachers. There's a guy come into our church once. He wanted to take over the Bible study. He told me, save 40 years. He said, when are we going to do a real Bible study here in this church? I was shocked. He waited until Candace was out of the room. He's a wise man. Then he said, now when are we going to have a real Bible study? I said, well, what I've just taught here, 15 messages on how to judge biblically. I said, have you ever heard that before? No, never. Not in 40 years. I said, the Wednesday night Bible study, do you ever hear any of that before? No, never. I go, this guy's having me on. Do you know the guy in 40 years had read his Bible once? And I said, well, what do you suggest? He says, well, I thought we could all sit around a table and all share. In fact, I just happened to have a whole course I could teach to your people. I don't want those sorts of scholars. Do you realize Issachar was in his tent studying, laboring? Do you know I work as hard as any man digging a ditch? And I've dug ditches in the army before. Son, you're going to dig that trench all the way through the night until you get through that stone. I know what it is to dig trenches. And you know what? That was easy compared to preparing messages. Laboring, preparing, searching, seeking, knowing the word of God. It's a high calling. There's a lot of people in ministry need to get out of ministry. And there's some people who are scared of ministry need to get into ministry. Do you hear me? Issachar was such, he was a student. And in Numbers 2 it says, after Judah, as soon as Israel, the 12 tribes marched on, Judah was in the front leading them on the march. Do you know who was in behind them? Issachar. Do you know why Issachar was second on the march? Because they say, stop. We know it's an hour to stop. It's a time to move. It's a time to change direction. It's a time to eat. It's a time to discern the signs. And so Issachar become the very counselors of Judah in a very unique hour. And so we see here, if you, if you are looking to be a son of Issachar, are you a soldier? Are you a servant? Are you a scholar of scripture? Oh, I'm not a preacher. I'm just a Christian. And? And? Do you know we've got sinners in our church. Sinners who used to sell drugs on the high street. And they never worked a day in their life. And they owned a four-bedroomed house. And I actually believe they knew more about Bible and what, how a church should function than most pastors I've ever met in my entire lifetime. I'm not doubting pastors. Don't you think that? I've got a very high regard. But I, I'm very angry. You're not allowed to get angry in this hour, are you? Jesus did. There is a time to get angry. I'm very angry over what's happened to the church. See, from a boy, I grew up in this. I lived in England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and Germany and Switzerland. But I grew up in these countries. And I'm very angry. Let me finish this first message. I have a couple of minutes. And then I'll finish and we'll have our break here. Third and finally in this. Again, it says in 1 Chronicles 12, 32. And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. The heads of them were 200 and all their brethren were at their commandment. Notice this statement here. And we're going to deal more with this in part two. Understanding the times. Issachar understood the times. Jesus said you need to discern the times. What does all of this mean? It means, first of all, to use your mind. I'm not of those. I never liked it. All those that said set your mind aside. Don't think just plunge in both feet to this revival or this movement. I never liked that from a kid. You see, we're told to understand the times. Use your mind. The word understand means to separate mentally, to distinguish, to study, to discern, to make a difference between things. It means to consider. Give time to it. It means to use your intelligence or to have intelligence and insight. Notice three things here. I know I give you a lot, but I told you I'm using this time and then I'm going to run, leave you as high and dry, and leave men like Pastor Charles to pick up all the bits after me. You pastors carry on. I'll just run for the hills. But you know what? It says they're people of understanding. You can't have understand without facts or without knowledge. If you study this, you find first comes knowledge. You need knowledge. What's knowledge? It's facts. It's information. Just all gathered. Facts. Proverbs teaches until you have knowledge, you cannot have understanding. Isaacar had understanding of the times. So, you need to gather all of the facts. And without gathering all the right facts. See, lots of people think they have understand. There's a lot they don't have. They miss a lot of scriptures. They say, oh, but it says here. But it also says here. You need to be a scholar of the Word of God or you'll have no understanding of the times. Well, I think it's Obama. You don't know your Bible. God help us. No, I think it's Trump. Why do they never pick a British or Irish minister? I just don't know. But you have to gather the facts. And to understand something is you begin fitting it together like a jigsaw. Have you ever had all the bits of a jigsaw and then you put it together and you start to see the picture? That is understanding. The word understand means to put all the facts together in the right place at the right time. No shoving in the little bits. Don't you dare. Don't shove it in or you get a problem. Put it in its right place and you stand back and go, no, I understand. Issachar had understanding of the times. Everything was in its place. Notice it says understanding of the times. What does times mean? The beginning, the ending of times. When things would start, happen, finish. And what was to be done? Times of events, occurrences, occasions. They could recognise this is a certain hour. This is a certain hour prophesied. And there's something we're to do in this hour. If you do not have the ability to do that, you're not a son of Issachar. You're really not. Go with me just before we finish. Daniel chapter 2 verse 21. And it says, he that is God changes the times and the seasons. This is something most people don't realise. What are the times? It is God alone who changes the times and seasons. Two things. What does that mean? He removeth kings. To understand the times or to change the times. If God is going to change the times, you know what it means? He removes kings or he raises kings up. That's what the Bible actually teaches. There's no other definition for understanding, changing the times. He giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge unto them that have understanding. And so we see in the book of Daniel, God raising up Nebuchadnezzar. Then bringing in Cyrus the Great. Then Alexander the Great prophesying about him coming. The kingdom's rising, falling, government's changing. God alone changes the times. What are the times? New kings, new movements, new things happening in history. If you're going to discern the times, you need to know what's happening in this hour, 2021. If you don't know what's happening, the times are marked by the political, social situation in the nation. And if you can discern that, you know what to do in that hour. A little bit further, it says in Daniel 7:25, a verse that's most often misinterpreted. The Antichrist seeks to change times. You and I mostly were taught growing up, he's going to change the calendar. Weren't you taught that? I was taught that. Then looking at this, I suddenly put this together. It doesn't mean that. And he, that is the little horn, shall speak great words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws. When the Antichrist comes, he is going to take over God's job or desire to change times. I'm going to change governments. I'm going to change power structure. I'm going to change society. Don't we already see the foundation of this, where there's a spirit coming in. It's taken over. Saints, our governments are no longer sovereign. If you don't realize that, you don't know the hour you're living in. We have passed by the point of national sovereign governments. And you know what? It's making ready for Antichrist. He's going to come in and say, I'm sovereign. I'm going to uproot those three kings. I'll remove them if they stand in my way. And those seven, you're not going to hear from them. And so Antichrist is going to seek to change the times. You and I as sons of Issachar are called to discern the times. That's what Issachar could do at every stage in history. And we're going to look at it shortly in the second message. Issachar had the ability to discern the times, times of crisis, times of revival, times of significance, times of confusion, times when new movements begin, the rise of powers and the falls of powers, the new dealings of God and what we're to do. Father, we do pray for your blessing. Lord God, hide these things in our heart. We've got so much to say, such a short time to say, but Father, I pray hide these things in our heart and Lord God, speak to us by the Holy Spirit of God. Father, this is a unique hour and we want to be like Issachar that can discern the hour, that understand what is happening politically and socially and economically. And in one moment of time that we as a people scattered across the world, we're going to act in order with one mind, one heart, one spirit to see your name glorified one last time in Jesus' mighty name.