(Clip) The Danger Of Deception And Fear in the End of the Age

Verse six and rumors of wars, there's plenty of that every day in the newspaper all over. See to it that you're not frightened. So what's the second thing? First of all, don't be deceived. The second thing, don't be frightened. See these are the two great dangers in the last days. The danger of deception and the danger of being frightened with fear. So what should I guard against in the last days? Deception and fear coming into my heart. Make sure you are not frightened because they have to take place. So when I hear of a war, I'm not praying Lord stop all the wars in the world because Jesus said it'll take place. How can I say stop it all? He says these have to take place, they must take place, but it's still not the end. Nation will rise against nation. So shall I pray that there'll be no more wars on the earth? That'll be when Christ comes again. Until that day, countries will fight countries, kingdom will fight kingdoms and there will be famines. I can pray that there'll be no more famines on the earth, but there will be famines, Jesus said. So I don't pray that there should be no more famines, but Jesus said there will be. And I don't pray against what Jesus said. I can help people who are in a time of famine, but I can't say that there should be no more famines because that will take place. And earthquakes, that will also happen. But these are all only the beginning of birth pangs. In John chapter 16 he said, I'll go away and you'll have a time of sorrow, but then I will see you again and you will rejoice like a mother rejoices over the birth of a baby. So Jesus compared his coming, the joy of seeing him, to the joy a mother has who never had a baby for 20 years or 30 years and suddenly she gives birth to a baby. Can you imagine what tremendous joy such a mother has? That's Jesus compared our seeing him in John 16 to that, to a mother's joy in seeing a baby. And how, can you imagine a mother, not a mother, a married woman who's been married 20-25 years. She got married maybe when she was 20. She's 40 years old, not had a single baby till now. And she's been longing, longing every year, longing, longing. Maybe this year I'll have a child. No conception, no conception, no conception. And all of a sudden she conceives when she's 40 years old. And she's so excited. Oh, now the day is nearing. It's not tomorrow, she's just conceived. It's going to take a little time. But she knows it's near. It's something like that. That those who have been longing, longing, longing, longing, who have been praying that prayer, thy kingdom come, oh God, oh God, when will your kingdom come? Like a barren woman praying, praying, praying. I don't know how many people here are waiting for the coming of the Lord. Because many of us, we are living comfortable lives. It doesn't matter if the Lord doesn't come for another 20 years. Maybe you want to grow up and get married and you've got all so many plans for the future, you probably, the coming of the Lord will disturb all those plans. But perhaps some of you are not so keen on the Lord coming before you get married and settle down. But those who are really, have got a right spirit, they're not thinking of all that. They're saying, Lord, come soon. Thy kingdom come. The last prayer in the book of Revelation chapter 22 is, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. And I believe that should be the prayer of all of us. Lord, I make plans, but none of those plans are important. Can you say that? If you come and interrupt all those plans, I'll throw it all in the garbage bin. I'm ready to meet you, Lord. I want to meet you. I'm looking forward to your coming, just like a barren wife is eagerly wanting a baby. How many of us can honestly say that? Lord, I'm really looking for your coming. Not because you'll wipe away my tears or you'll take away my sorrows, but that I'll be able to see you and I will be like you. My greatest longing in life has been to be like you. And that's not being fulfilled in my life. I want to be free from the love of money like you were. It's not being fulfilled. I want to be free from impurity in my thoughts like you were. And Lord, it's such a struggle. Those are the things I'm looking forward to. I'm not worried whether the streets of heaven are made of gold or mud. It makes no difference to me. I'm not worried about the comforts of heaven. It's you, Lord, that I can be with you and I can be like you and be with you. If I can be like you and be with you, I don't care where we go. I told the Lord once, I'm ready to go to hell, Lord, if you are there. If I can be like you and be with you, hell is fine. Comfort is not at all important for me. Is it for you? What are you looking forward to? I tell you, you'll really be satisfied if you're looking forward to Jesus, to be with him and to be like him. And if that is your desire, the proof of it will be that you'll be wanting to be like him even now, cleansing yourself. So wars, famines, earthquakes, you say, well, they'll happen. They are the beginning, verse 8, of birth pains. Now, in relation to, you know, when a woman delivers a baby, before the baby is actually born, she goes through a period of tremendous pain. It's so bad that some mothers have told me that they felt like dying. It's so bad. I don't think any of us men ever know what it is like. It's so terrible that some women never want to have another baby. Imagine, so bad. So much terrific pain. And mothers, I mean women who get married, know about this. They say, you're going to have a time of terrible pain. You still want to have a baby? And they all say yes. It's terrible. It's so bad you'll feel like dying. You still want to have a baby? Yes, I want to have a baby. So you ask a pregnant mother who knows about all these facts of delivery, what are you looking forward to? None of them will say, I'm looking forward to the birth pains, which I'm going to go through. No. They all say, I'm looking forward to have a baby. But don't you know the birth pains come first? Yes, yes, I know, but that will only be for a short period. After that, I'll get a baby. Remember, Jesus said that in relation to the second coming, these are the beginning of birth pains, and then he explains the birth pains. Listen carefully, because this is where 95% of Christians don't agree with us. They will deliver you to tribulation, verse 9. That's the birth pains.