Travailing Through The Tribulation

Travailing through the tribulation. Travailing through the tribulation. I want to say this up front because I think it's important. There are different views on the tribulation as far as if it's already happened during AD 70. I talked about preterism, partial preterism, all millennialism, predispensationalism, post-trip, pre-trip. I mean there's there's different views there and we have people that attend that are lined up with all those different views and I shared many times before and it's important on this topic that I'm kind of you know just I'm trusting that God is gonna be there when we need him. I'm hoping we're out of here but I'm also preparing for people in case we're not and I think that's my approach is hey are you ready? Are you ready? And regardless if we're out of here before the Great Tribulation or not, it's crystal clear that Christians are going to be persecuted. And so on this whole topic of tribulation, who knows somebody might hear this later, who is not a believer but they become a believer during this period. I think you two might still be around and rumble. You never know. And of course it will, but so this message is not maybe just relevant for us, it could be relevant for the future as well. And if we go through that period known as the tribulation, a couple thoughts and here's where I over the years I've kind of landed is people say well look it we're not we're not appointed to God's wrath so we'll be out of here when God pours out his wrath. Totally agree with that. Who does, who else agrees? Probably everybody right? We're not we're not gonna receive God's wrath. However that scripture if you look at in context is dealing with the final judgment. When God's wrath is finally poured out and the wheat is divided, the sheep and the goat, and I do believe if people go through the tribulation that God can hold on to them and he can keep them safe and secure. We're gonna see 144,000 that go through the tribulation. There's tribulation saints so we know that tribulation saints are there during the tribulation. And there's a teaching, one of the teachings is that we are raptured before the tribulation comes. I've kind of touched base on all of those over the last few months and I try to respect all the different views because I cannot come up here and say hey here's exactly how it's gonna pan out. Here's what Daniel means it ties in with Ezekiel. Let's look at Matthew. Jesus is the final days and here's how it's all gonna pan out perfectly. I can't do that. I don't think anybody can and so I'm a little skeptical when people are so solid that you know that they think here's exactly how it's going to pan out. Now you can have opinions and you can feel strongly about something. I think that's good. But what I want to do though is help those who might be here during that period and if even if you're not, how to get through tribulation. Isn't that important right now? Because we are truly living in a time of great, great deception. Isn't it everywhere? Nobody knows what to believe or when to believe it or everything is there's nuances and there's there's deception and that's why it's so important to know the Word of God and I just see it I mean I see it everywhere. Of course with the media, what they're trying to portray, just even in all types of industries and even you know with the background of health and fitness I see how it's it's very deceptive in that area as well and there's this big push many of you've seen all the clips on longevity. Have you seen all those longevity clips are out there all these guys you know jump in a cold ice bath for three minutes and and then what's going to do it's going to spark the immune system and I tried that in my pool and I'm just not that type of person. I mean that's that's not easy. That's not easy. It's like I don't look forward to that. You know just put your shower all the way on cold for three minutes and you're like what and I understand the benefits and things like that but the big one right now ozempic. Have you guys heard of that? Ozempic, Oprah's talking about it. It's everywhere. It's actually it's funny even that is a deception. What they call that is a GLP-1. I'm going somewhere. Glucagon-like peptide and what it does is it tricks your body. Glucagon is the hormone that makes you feel satisfied and full. So it tricks your body. It binds to a receptor. It tells your body, hey you're not hungry. It's deceiving your body and so I mean some of these things I'm not against medication per se. You have to study it, research it. You know they are coming out with a lot of different side effects from it because of how it works in the pancreas and the insulin and and what it does to the body. So you have to be careful with all these things and that's why you have to take them for life because if you start to go you stop tricking your body, now you're gonna be hungry a lot again and so but we see isn't that interesting how it deceives the body. It tricks the body. Glucagon. You're not hungry and so it raises that loved one and again all these different areas that there's there's so much deception out there and we get focused on the deception and even especially this year we just have to be really careful to say things. I hope a lot of us learned our lesson from 2020. Not everything is a conspiracy theory. Right as soon as AT&T went out 55,000 customers and you see all this stuff and it's just the test for the real thing and the power grids and yeah I have some I have some questions. I have some concerns but we're not supposed to live in that state of fear and all these predictions and what's gonna happen. Sometimes things just happen. We don't there's no conspiracy behind it. However we know I've talked about the great reset and things like that how we do know that that there is a lot going to be going on behind the scenes and so we need to be more how do you how do you not be deceived by all this and what I mentioned last week the God's Word is very clear. God if you can give me one area of deception I can show you the principle from Scripture that will help you not be deceived. Well how do I how do I know and I this is coming in a lot right now people asking how do I know Shane if I you know the mark of the beast I mean I recently got a tattoo and what be this and I gave a digital implant into my dog and what about if I put it my child to find them for GPS it's the Bible you're gonna know you're gonna know that you're rejecting God. Well how do I know if I'm rejecting God well it's it's pretty clear in Scripture. So all these things are outlined in Scripture to so to really this is a time to really know the Word of God not only do we know it practically speaking but I believe that the more you internalize it the more it actually changes your heart and your mind to think more like God. So it's not just wisdom oh this is a good principle let me apply it. You actually now are led more by the Holy Spirit because you're putting in the things of God. Man a person is not neutral right as a man thinketh so is he. On that note you see all the biohacks right neuroscientists and and all this this the mind is so powerful and changing your your thinking and again it's it's are we putting biblical things into our mind. So Revelation 14 is a very interesting passage as well it says this let me begin with verse 1 then I looked again John writing the book of Revelation I looked and behold there is a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000 having his father's name written on their foreheads and I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters and like the voice of a loud thunder when God speaks you know it and I heard the sound of a harpist playing their harps. Well I guess it's okay to have worship music and instrumentals right I mean there are churches out there it's just no instruments I remember I didn't know this I learned that lesson the hard way when we first started people come and they said why are there's instruments don't you know that's not biblical I'm like what's not biblical what I can show you verses that say it is biblical but just funny I don't know that's a side note all the things people divide over and so they were playing their harps and they sang they actually sang a song as it were it's a new song before the throne before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty four thousands who were hundred four thousand who not thousands thousand who were redeemed from the earth so these people represent those who were redeemed from the earth and I have to again tell you one of the hard parts about Revelation is no matter what commentary you look at there's a different views and so I don't like spending a lot of time speculating if that makes sense well this person says this and this person says this and this person says this and it could mean this it's good to get to practical application as well but I do want to read from from the blue letter Bible very important on these points these forty these hundred forty four thousand were last seen in Revelation 7 you remember I talked about that months ago and they were identified as a group of Jewish believers who ministered during the Great Tribulation and are given a seal of protection throughout that period is interesting they're sealed as well so when the Antichrist or this one world leader there's a mark you're sealed your fate is sealed by the mark you receive by the by the Antichrist or God even seals us as well the Bible says that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit how many of you knew that not everyone's being honest sounds familiar right so the Bible says as a believer you are sealed with the Holy Spirit the last time I checked it's not an actual seal that's what's right here right so the Bible use language like this for those who are gods and those who are the enemies and since they stand on Mount Zion with the lamb it shows that they have emerged victorious from the Great Tribulation and Revelation 7 144,000 are seen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation but in Revelation 14 it shows them triumphant at the end of the Tribulation is that interesting so first show them going into the Tribulation they're going to have a difficult season there and now it shows them with the Lamb of God which is Christ the hundred forty four thousand are like the young Jewish men who survived the fiery furnace and Daniel three they prove God's ability to preserve his people that's the key we have to remember God will preserve his people having his father's name written on their foreheads and the voice of many waters is like the voice of loud thunder this is the voice of God perhaps God spoke here to proclaim his approval of these hundred forty four thousand as in the spirit of Matthew 25 well done now good and faithful servants I like what Spurgeon said heaven is not the place to learn that song that new song they learn it must be learned here on earth you must learn to hear the notes of free grace and dying love and when you have mastered their melody you'll be able to offer the Lord the tribute of a grateful heart even in heaven and blend it with the harmonies that are eternal so we go now into Revelation 14 not tons of practical application there because it could mean a few different things obviously the big practical application would be you want to make sure you're on the right side of this battle correct you want to make sure you're going to be in heaven with God and it's such an important topic in the church in America and I'm going to talk about that next week I don't know if I wrote down the title of the message for next week but it's it's it's actually when God's wrath is being poured out and it's such an important time because so many people think they're Christians do you ever run into that everyone from Taylor Swift to famous podcasters they'll say you know they're cussing and they're doing this and they're and they're and they're that doesn't mean Christian doesn't struggle with cursing amen right I didn't think good thoughts when I was a soft flat tire this morning I didn't say anything was like oh gotta lighten it up a little bit but those who keep the course and that's what I'm talking about more next week they keep the course they don't their works don't save them but they keep the course like a ship's captain who navigates the water it doesn't mean it's not blown off course and the compass is reading a little bit different but it gets it back on course it keeps the course and did you know that they're actually genuine indicators it's not real hard to know if a person is truly saved is their fruit now somebody's fruit might not be like somebody else's fruit but there should be is there at least a love for God and his word and what I love to see in people not necessarily they made mistakes but what do they do with that mistake that's why I like when you're when our kids or your kids or my kids make it make a mistake or they do something wrong from lying to stealing to whatever I like to see that repentant heart I can deal with that I'm sorry I know this is wrong I was convicted that's a thing versus trying to get away with things and and making excuses and pride comes in there and if you use a John MacArthur study Bible even has eight fruits of what it looks like to be genuinely say one of those is a true love for God a true love for his word genuine repentance humility love you want I mean it's it's pretty clear so if these people are saying yeah I'm a Christian but they're living they want heaven but they're living like hell there's no fruit they're actually excusing bad behavior there's no there's no hint of humility and genuine love see it's you know I'm saying right there's if you're saved you have you got the Holy Spirit in you man there's nothing you can do but I sound like sound like Biden just now right man come on man wake up but so it's him woke you up but there's right if you have the Holy Spirit in you you might be quenching and grieving which the Bible says you're the Holy Spirit's sad or the fires went out but there's there's still that that conviction that's drawing it saying I know that's wrong I know I've got to get back on track so when when believers supposed believers are out just living however they want I mean I've talked to men caught in adultery and they just had seen nothing wrong with it or women caught they just see nothing wrong with it there's no conviction that party lifestyle there's no conviction they just they're kind of dead to the things of God but they call themselves a Christian the Bible's clear that there is fruit and for example it's hard to be a prodigal like the man I think it's Luke's 13 caught in in prodigal living remember that he went and he was feeding the pigs end up eating the pigs food you know it's pretty bad when that happens but it's it's very hard for a Christian to live in that prodigal state their whole life that it's just miserable because you're you're you're you're living like the prodigal what he was doing he was what that today what that would look like is hey mom and dad give me my money now you have a quarter million dollar save for me give it to me now he heads to Las Vegas and you know what happens in Las Vegas doesn't stay in Las Vegas especially with the internet and it's all gone and now he's miserable he's living on the street it's gonna be hardest to live like that as a believer unbelievers can do that because they just get mad they get bitter there's no God how can you love and they just keep caving into that addiction came into that lifestyle and they die that way a believer is broken hearted they are they are lost in their sin but not lost under God's grace with the work of the Holy Spirit in their life that makes sense that's why I use that analogy a lot and I don't remember where I heard it probably 25 years ago now there is mud that is sin there's a big difference when the pig goes in the mud and when a lamb goes in the mud have you ever noticed that pigs wallow in it and enjoy it ah just their backs in it and they're just oink oink oink my five-year-old would love me to make that noise right now but I'm not gonna do that okay I can embarrass myself but we play games like right and so the pig loves that mud but the lamb when it's caught in the mud it hates its condition it wants to get out I need to get out I need to get clean but walking by on the street you would see both of them in the mud so be careful judgmental Jerry's and one reason me my wife we truly believe that God has brought us through so much anybody can relate that you're not quick to judge I I've heard it all oh I can't tell pastor he's gonna think less of me I probably won't I'll probably respect you for coming clean because I know all kinds of wickedness and evil dwells within the human heart do we act upon it do we repent do we try to stand that that narrow path I I worry about the self-righteous who come in and you know that look don't you I can't believe it I can't believe it you know that that that self-righteousness and I've had it before you know all of us can struggle with it especially if we love the truth because we what happens is we read the truth hmm they're not living up to this truth here I'm reading I need to point this out to them boy I'm gonna really let him have TV and we quote scripture and we do this we try to work around it and it's good iron sharpens iron we need to you know confront each other and we need to lovingly say things that are hard to each other and that that's so important there is a Russian many of us to jump to conclusions and form opinions and to circle back what I just began 10 minutes ago was the it's hard to stay in that prodigal state it's hard to say there and you can see in your own heart did you know in your own heart and all of our hearts there is a wickedness there if we gave it free reign it's very ugly and we can't all experience we don't all struggle with the same things but in some of you I don't know but there's a tremendous anger to be a nice sweet little woman sitting back in the back in the quiet but boy let you let you let your tongue loose man you'll bring down the Titanic with that anger and that slander and that gossip and that discord and that disunity that's just as ugly and so my point was it when you realize just where God has brought you from and then how easily you can fall you're more apt to help people and encourage people and get that I often wonder what people would people do to the prodigal would they be the father or the older brother and sometimes older brother gets a lot of heat right but I don't I don't I don't really I don't preach against the older brother before because maybe that's a normal feeling feeling father how could you give me I'm working hard for you look what he did I mean that's just a normal how do we know he didn't repent later love his brother so we will use the Bible stories to to really get a point across if we like a certain point but we forget about all the other points that the scripture talks about so that was just kind of a side note I don't know how it's gonna fit in here but I'll let you worry about that on the genuine fruit of salvation and not being quick to judge I think that that's that's key isn't it not being quick to judge I know other things came out on social media I took pictures with some people that some people disagree with I guess and I'm like why do two and how do you know I didn't ask them some hard questions how do you how do you how do you know what's going on behind the scenes a thousand miles away from a picture it's just I just see so much judgmentalism in the church as well and not a lot of grace and humility again nothing wrong with asking questions or having discernment or or calling people out in love but you have to really make sure we follow what Jesus said to remove the what isn't this this is this always is so interesting I'd love to ask Jesus this question why do I have a plank and the only other person has a little speck isn't that I mean there's something to that he didn't just kind of say that he said before you go after the person's speck in their eye make sure you remove the whole plank out of yours that's that's deep that's deep that could be a whole sermon someday I'm gonna start taking notes now one one quick thing on that as I think personally that we think we have the speck and they have the plank and so before I go to someone to criticize him it's very easy for me to remove the speck I followed scripture now I can go after you I think it's a process of getting that plank out of your eye I think it shows the gravity of what and how we need to get our hearts right before the Lord so let's get Revelation 14 for now these are the ones who are not defiled with women so the hundred forty four thousand are those who are not defiled with women and you might wonder okay these guys are virgins the work you virgin that they use here I didn't have time to break down the Greek word but it could be used for a male virgin version a version a male version of the Virgin so yes men can be virgins as well they are virgins they are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes these were the ones who were redeemed from among men being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb and in their mouth was found no deceit for they are without fault before the throne of God and I think it's important to point out I don't think these people were perfect people there's no believer nobody did you know there's nobody that's perfect except Jesus no there's nobody that's perfect and I saw some commentators talking about this I'm thinking we can't read things into the text that we know aren't true because we know throughout the totality of Scripture if these are common people they were not perfect so how is there found in their mouth there's no deceit they were without fault what how are they without deceit and without fault well the scriptures clear they were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and this is this is interesting I don't I don't want to go in the long direction on this because it would take some time to unpack but do you know you stand before God as a clean person you don't stand before God well you didn't deal with this you didn't take Jesus clean some of this it's a very interesting theological truth that we stand before God as righteous as if we're didn't sin wait Shane wait a minute the Bible talks about the imputed righteousness of Christ being put on to the believer any any theologian that is solid will tell you this we don't stand we don't go before God with some sin a little bit didn't deal with this and you know he didn't clean me up with this we go that's why you can go boldly into the throne room of grace it's beautiful what Jesus has cleansed us up that's why you don't the enemy wants you to carry shame and guilt but it's not biblical it's not biblical that I should come up here or you should leave here and go I know Jesus clean cleansed me and I'm but man I'm carrying around the shame and the guilt my past of the if you knew about my past if you knew and you you're not we're not supposed to we learn from it we don't repeat it but who the Sun sets free is free indeed and who is clean is clean indeed there's not a partial cleansing so when the Bible talks about there was no one as righteous as this person or there's no deceit in them it's almost there's no fault at all they're without fault well yes but look at before the throne of God so they're also in heaven don't worry that happened Saturday as well we've got all kinds of gremlins in the system that just means the service is going to be really good we've learned our lessons over the years me and Luke we were talking about that he's been coming for a long time and anytime this happens you just got to go with the flow and trust God because the enemy will try to sidetrack you or distract you any way he can so anyway let's get back to this these were the redeemed one these hundred and forty four thousand again back to the Blue Letter Bible because it is important many take the virginity of the hundred forty four thousand as simply a symbol of their genuine general purity now again there's different views I would probably if you're just asked me reading Revelation 7 reading this looking at other contexts looking at the whole scriptural support to me it would seem that they are our virgins again opinion doesn't matter and that in the sense of me matters of course but we're not going to fight over who's right and who's wrong some say it's a general general sense of purity they're not really pure there they have been married maybe possibly but nevertheless Paul did recommend celibacy in distressing times how many of you knew that Paul in 1st Corinthians 7 said it's better for you to remain single maybe that's a good word for someone out there because especially the time they were living in I mean he'll go on to say if someone wants to marry it's not bad but have you ever tried we can't really picture this but when in ISIS when they took over in the Middle East and even we pull out Afghanistan and you read the horror stories it's it's it's much easier to get through things like that by yourself right take my life but if you have to watch like what happened Israel also in October what what they what what happens to your family I mean that just adds a whole new dimension to to tribulation and what you have to go that's actually harder I think that's actually harder somebody could take me out not as hard as watching them do things to your family and that's why he said here Paul even recommended hey it's better to remain single also if you want to avoid a lot of stress in the future right most married people would say yeah it's it's challenging so as God called you to be because that question comes in well how do I know if God's called me to be celibate or single what you number one you'll you'll kind of know I mean if you have a desire for marriage and family and kids it's probably not that gift because when God gives you that gift you want to walk in that gift and there's been people here over the years that I've known usually on the mission field that are have the gift of singleness and they love it they have no desire for that and so don't beat yourself up don't beat yourself up if you don't have a desire to be married that can be a good thing and don't beat yourself up if you know if for some reason God hasn't given you the gift of children as well don't beat yourself up we don't know what God is doing we don't we it's hard to trust us and I have met people that they're a couple and they'll say we don't feel called to have children and that's totally up to them between them and God it could be for a reason going I mean I've read again back to the missionaries reading their books at my Hudson Hudson Taylor but many of these people buried their family on the mission fields can you imagine your child three-year-old has malaria and there you dig a grave in the dirt of Africa and so God knows and often he will give us the desires of our heart that align with his calling and Jesus spoke about the woes upon those with children and families in that day Matthew 24 it isn't hard to see that God would call these 144,000 to a literal celibacy as well for the kingdom of God's sake during the Great Tribulation if the term virgin is a picture of purity in general it reinforces the connection of 144,000 with Israel why because Israel is referred frequently in the Bible as the virgin daughter of Zion also is the virgin daughter of Zion and lamentation second Kings Isaiah and is the Virgin of Israel Jeremiah Amos all their different passages now not to get into this topic either too much there's lots of topics here isn't there but the Virgin of Israel the daughter of Zion the virgin daughter obviously the children of Israel weren't virgins so what that term means is there's something it's if you if you flesh it out you look at systematic theology you can look at different topics in that that talks about spiritual adultery did you know it's possible to commit spiritual adultery because what a person doesn't God would say that throughout mainly you know look at Amos I believe it possibly Joel some of those hard-hitting minor profits were not minor in their message they would talk about how they've given their love their affections that they once held for God Yahweh now they've given it to Bell or Astaroth or these other gods now they're worshiping these other gods and they're committing spiritual adultery adultery in the relationship and that's why they were the virgin the daughters of Zion the virgins of Israel for this reason they were gods these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes you want a dating tip that I remember I got before I met Morgan she probably remembers it too we were at a Sunday night service at Central Christian Church remember that one going way back the pastor said for those who are single follow Christ wholeheartedly and see who keeps up that stuck isn't that true because what normally happens we're following Christ 100% and we meet someone no longer following him wholeheartedly I'm compromising I'm compromised and we're living a sinful lifestyle and I've given up my pursuit of Christ I'm kind of miserable but I'm in love no you're in lust let's be honest and so how many times that normally I would say I hate to give numbers but a huge percentage of dating relationships pull the person away from the pursuit of Christ so as you're following him as you're following Christ make sure they're keeping up and if for some reason they never went to church but now they're going because you are ding ding ding ding fire alarm bell you can see there's red flags whatever you want to do whatever and they just say the right things but then they're trying to pull you away from that pursuit is that happen a lot and then we get stuck I might as well get married now or I might as well and and we we live in this compromised area and that's why many marriages are so tough because they have to have the pursuit of Jesus at the forefront even later into it I pray every day Oh God please have my wife love you more than me because when you do that then you can love me better and vice versa I don't think Morgan wants me to love her more than my pursuit of God it's so it's so important for young adults because don't you see this a lot I mean it destroys them because they're in a hurry or they like they like how the person looks or makes them feel and they begin to compromise on that relationship with Christ and it pulls them down I mean it's a very simple analogy I give it a lot it would actually I could take a smaller person and it'd be easier for them to pull me down than me pull them up correct I mean it's gonna be harder for me to pull them up versus them pull me down and that's what many times this will happen they'll pull you down so Revelation 14 6 then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth so during this time they're gonna preach the everlasting gospel to those who dwell on the earth to every nation tribe tongue of people saying with the loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth the sea and the springs of water so these angels go out and they fly and they give this message and that's that's one of the things I've always had a problem with and what will in the future we might look at Thessalonians and now it talks about when that which is restrained is removed so a lot of people say the Holy Spirit is removed but I see the Holy Spirit still working during the tribulation so it's another kind of hard one for me to to get my hands around and so there's different that we just know that there's gonna be a message that goes out and it looks like people have an opportunity correct now I don't want to get in trouble here because John MacArthur did many years ago and I'm trying to learn my lesson but he actually said if you listen the whole thing that after a person takes the mark they can still repent and just just saying that kind of sounds weird that's why I don't but if you follow it through can a person who whose mark they're following the Antichrist can they then repent later when they hear the gospel and they're convicted you know that that's something look into it it's it's more it's more than you think is the Bible doesn't say we go back to what I talked about a couple weeks ago if you take the mark there's no help no redemption never ever ever again can you repent but that's what we assume right I'm assuming it looks like you know you take this mark that you've made your decision and that's why I don't say it that's why I don't teach that because I don't want to be put in that position of oh yeah sure you can you can you can repent later even if you take the mark but if you listen to the whole way it's explained because people are coming to faith in Christ during this period there's no there's no doubt about that at all or did some of these people have the mark and some didn't because it's also clear that all of those will take the mark who bow to Satan and those who don't will be killed beheaded and so just just something interesting there this message goes out to calling people to repentance so it appears that the Holy Spirit is still actively convicting and saving and it says here the everlasting gospel the everlasting gospel is eternal it has eternal weight and then another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen this text right here I could make a whole hour and a half sermon out of so this was tough this is really tough another angel followed saying so after this angel proclaims repentance the timing is interesting because now there's another angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication so again is this figurative is this a literal I mean we know that Babylon is a literal place it's over in the Middle East I remember I saw this verse all the time I don't know how many of you remember as well when it when 9-11 happened I mean I was getting you know people are emailing me I think email just came out right a couple years before that maybe and just emailing and people are saying it you know because the United States it looked like the great Babylon and it's just again dangerous to say exactly this is what's going to happen and it looks like if you look at the prophetic map in other words eschatology the study of end times you'll see it's mainly surrender surrounded the whole attacks and different things that are in the Middle East you know you don't see them talking about Australia too much but you can find that for me I actually don't hear them talking about America South America North America you don't you don't hear that it's all centered along the Middle East and that's one reason also people when they say we'll see America must be gone because there's no longer mentioned in scripture I'm like well that's an argument from silence how do you know Australia's not mentioned Mexico's not not mentioned so many places are not mentioned throughout scripture so we just don't know so this this angel those Babylon has fallen so somehow this great system could it be the good the system the world system has fallen could it be a nation that great city it's pretty explicit that it could be a location because what has she done she had made she has made all the nation's drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication very bad thing by the way and did you know that this is one of the reasons why we are called the great Satan did you know you're called the great Satan how many of you knew that half the room half not you didn't know you're called the great Satan by the ayatollah committee ayatollahs and the imams and the in Iraq and Iran they death death to the great Satan death to the great Satan who's the little Satan Israel it's all they they burn the flag they you they would destroy us in the blink of an eye if they could they would wipe Israel completely off the map so when you understand the geopolitical meaning geography the whole landscape of all the nation's that's why they cannot allow Iran nuclear capabilities because these guys think it's their job to usher in the Iman the what they're looking for is what she painted in the in the Bible's the Antichrist they're looking for is their Messiah so they have to usher him in by warfare and destruction it just let that sink in for a minute what we think is totally bad totally wrong actually need to do that to usher in their end time scenario so everything is still under God's sovereignty but that's why all the talk of not letting them have can you imagine if they you know detonate something in Tel Aviv and and wanted New York I mean that it's not beyond the scope of probability nowadays folks but the reason we are the great Satan any reasons why we are the number one pusher of pornography in the world the loose moral morals of our women the the acceptance of LGBTQ homosex all these things they know we're wrong they look at us as pushing and proper which is true there's some truth to that what they don't know is there's a millions of the remnant of people who hate this don't call me the big Satan I don't like this stuff either but that's why we are they see now there's more to it because that is a demonic regime I believe so without a shadow of a doubt absolutely the pit of hell in that area they're so gung-ho and so evil but because of our influence and also going in and God has granted America the gift of there's of course we've we've blown it there's there's corrupt politicians there there's a lot of things but overall God has used us to be that tear to evil throughout the world and if we had time we could spend a lot of time there even in the 1800s when we first the the militia and the Navy and and and down in southern America South America and then throughout time you know sending our Marines into who I mean who's who's who's navigating the world system a lot of times or who's who's keeping control on the the the pirates and Somalia and the different things I remember that document I remember who was but I think it was somewhere don't I'm not even say the place I don't know but they captured like an American nurse or something and she was there and they sent in still team six I mean they didn't mess around and they took out all these guys at night and brought her home and other stories after stories after stories now of course there's there's evil there's misguided priorities there's things that aren't right there's collateral damage or civilian casualties but in the midst of all of that God has often used America to be that tear to those who do evil have you ever thought why don't they just why don't they just take over all the oil refineries and in the oil ships there the Persian Gulf why don't they just go and do it because they know they're gonna have f-16s and stealth bombers and everything all over that area it's a restraining force and as soon as that goes then I believe all a lot more evil can break break free break break free so I'm not convinced I know what this great Babylon is whether it's a literal place whether it's a system but it looks like this cataclysmic event you see how everything's building up right the call to salvation now this great city Babylon has fallen some say it could be a figurative expression of the great powers of ancient Rome possibly a figure of speech for evil nations in general a revived and rebuilt Babylon possibly as well I think isn't that the actual location in Iraq the actual isn't that cool you could go to Iraq and see the actual Babylon from the biblical times as an evil world system based in Babylon controlled by the Antichrist so we just we don't know exactly what it is but then he says then I heard a third angel okay here's another angel one two three here we go then a third angel followed them saying with a loud voice if anyone worships a beast and his image and receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation so based on what I just said earlier this could be a point where there still are people obviously deciding on whether I get the mark or not whether what do I finally get this mark and that's why he said here do not receive the mark and I talked about that last week so I don't want to go into what that could be you can listen to that but there's whether it's a physical mark or something there is something that aligns you with the wrong side or the right side okay you're paying attention I'm gonna walk around and shake those who are sleeping right now or I'll have you do jumping jacks we should try that sometime for those who can just five minute five five jumping jacks get get woken up a little bit wake up so they receive this mark and you they either receive the gospel or receive the mark those are the choices the full strength of his wrath is poured out drink of means they partake in they consume they internalize what it's all internal what's going on drink of the wrath of God's indignation and and he shall torment with fire and brimstones in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark in his name and so this would be another reason why we would why the other side of it what I mentioned about MacArthur but the other side of it says it appears that if you get this mark you've kind of made your you've made your mark right you've made your decision and so personally I I'm not at a point where I can say there would be an opportunity later so here's two key takeaways I'll let you go number one are you on the right side what side are you on are you on the right side and number two God wants us to fight not flee fight in the spiritual battle and so I'm gonna I'm gonna give you these keys about getting through tribulation I don't want to take me this long but it did and I'm gonna don't judge me for this but I'm gonna quote from the NLT it has a good translation it's a new living translation when you come to Bible translations you have dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence formal equivalence is word for word translation dynamic equivalence it's thought for thought this is what the writers were thinking gotta be a little more careful with that because you know I don't use these as study Bibles but sometimes it really gets the point across well for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against what the rulers against authorities against the cosmic powers of darkness against evil spiritual forces in the heavens that is where your battle is now and that is where your battle is going to be in the future God literally fights the battle for you while you hold the line that's why I said we're not called to flee flee is a form of cowardliness cowardliness it doesn't mean you won't become fearful doesn't mean sometimes you won't go the wrong direction I've all been there we've all been there I've been there myself but it means you'll get back up and you'll fight again for this reason take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand or resist in the evil day and having prepared everything to take your stand stand therefore with truth like truth like a belt around your waist like a belt it means to hold up but it also means to secure something so the first thing guys you've got to get in your mind is the belt of truth it secures you that's what holds you together the only thing that holds me together is it YouTube videos is it this podcast what this person says and what that person says what's going to go on and not so many Christians are filling our mind with things that are not of God we've got to put that that belt of truth actually that he used the word stand three times throughout this passage and then righteousness like an armor on your chest and like armor it protects from swords and spears and arrows it's going to it's going to protect the righteousness of Christ having that right relationship building that relationship with him is going to protect you from the fiery darts of the enemy and put your feet on the ground on solid ground with the readiness for the gospel we put shoes on when we are going somewhere don't we so leave with peace not anger this morning or throughout the week leave with peace I can even say lead with peace not anger always be prepared always be prepared it's not a forced or angry gospel it's the gospel of peace and in every situation take up the shield of faith which extinguishes the flames flaming arrows that are thrown out you faith is the opposite of fear it pushes out doubt and defeats depression and of course as we all know the helmet of salvation which is a sword the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit and it's interesting the sword is the only offensive weapon in this whole thing everything else is defensive so the sword I guess you could defend but often the sword is a offensive weapon it means you did you know you are to attack spiritual wickedness did you know you are to expose the unfruitful works of darkness you might be out not be able to do what I do but you can walk around your home and pray for your kids and pray for your family you can go into your workplace fill with the Spirit of God you can start a little prayer meeting or a little zoom thing or posting things and start to contend against the powers of darkness that's what we're called to do it doesn't matter see we often we want a platform before we do anything God says do something then I might give you a platform and talking about the word here the word of God it's it's already would have been communicated through his word and that says pray at all times I'm coming to an end here get ready pray at all times in the spirit with every prayer request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the Saints if you cannot move earth by your speech you may move heaven by it get back to the prayer closet when pain is deep go deeper in prayer when pain is deep go deeper in prayer so I know I've been mainly talking to believers right now and I'll just close with this point to unbelievers I actually just read this this morning two interesting things acts number acts chapter 2 it says when they were cut to the heart and acts chapter 7 it says when they were cut to the heart you know there's a big difference and acts chapter 2 they were cut to the heart and they repented at the preaching of Peter and acts 7 I believe it was possibly 6 and acts 7 they were cut to the heart and instead they killed the messenger both times they were cut to the heart by their words so we cannot let pride control us anymore let the pain of sin draws to the cross you cannot be angry at God anymore humble yourself and many unbelievers are bombastic but you need to be broken big difference and so that's the final call this morning as you hear everything in revelation as you hear what could be coming what is coming out absolutely I take God's Word at face value always you need to make sure when you're cut to the heart because when this goes out it cuts people to the heart doesn't it can you imagine telling some people about this that you know about the wrath of God in which they're going to be cut to the heart and they'll either welcome it or they'll push you away and if you're hearing that this morning make sure you make the right choice repent and believe the Bible says repent and believe in the gospel repent and believe