Big Rapids Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Pastor Justin White
2005-09-10
"God is Sick and Tired of Mardi Gras"


[0:00]

Let's take a minute for prayer here,

Dear Father we thank you for these words, that we can read and understand.
Lord we need the understanding that comes through Your Spirit, that our eyes would be spiritually awakened.
Lord I pray that You would bless the message that's been prepared today.
Father I believe that over this week you've been adding more and more to this message until just last night.
And I believe there's still more to this, but I guess time will continue to reveal things.
I pray that you would bless us today,
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

So this morning, maybe I'll tell you that I'm feeling more nervous about this sermon than I normally do, because I'm going to get into some things today that I think are radical, I guess that's the word that I would put on it.  You remember from my last sermon I said that it's time we start to get radical right?  Well, I don't think that we should try to stir up a time of trouble before it comes, but I think that we should be aware if one is coming.  We're talking about water; we're talking obviously about current events, and it says:

        "The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled.
        The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about." (Psalm 77:16-17 NKJV)

We know that arrows are judgment.  We know that thunder is judgment.

        "The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;" (Psalm 77:18 NKJV)

Sounds "hurricanish," if that's a word,

        "The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.
        Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known." (Psalm 77:18-19 NKJV)

[2:18]

I'd like to look at another text that I think is relevant to what we're going to discuss this morning, in Amos 3.  Amos chapter 3 verse 7.  I always like to tell people you'll find Amos right after Joel.  Well where's Joel?  Amos 3:7:

        "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7 NKJV)

This text tells us that God is interested in our knowledge, right?  If something significant is occurring, God wants His people to know.  Maybe so we can warn others, maybe so we can be prepared.

God has given us warnings already in His Word.  He says throughout Matthew 24 what is to come, in different places you can look and see what's coming, just before the end of the world as we know it.  Matthew 24, just before these great times of trouble we should expect to see:

        "nation... against nation... kingdom against kingdom... famines, pestilences... earthquakes in various places" (Matthew 24:7 NKJV)
        "troubles" (Mark 13:8 NKJV)

we're moving into Mark now, some of the same, same place there,

        "troubles," (Mark 13:8 NKJV)
        "fearful sights and great signs from heaven" (Luke 21:11 NKJV)

These are called,

        "the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:8, Mark 13:8, NKJV)

in this text.

[4:16]

It appears that the "beginning of sorrows" are the things that come just prior to the big stuff.  The "big stuff" being, the persecution, the betrayal, false prophets, Sunday law crisis, and the time of Jacob's trouble, the close of probation, you know, the "big stuff."  The "beginning of sorrows" though, I believe we will also be able to identify and see.  We'll know as we're getting close to the "big stuff."  So we need to be watchful for these events, which are the "beginning of sorrows"  Jesus wants us to be aware of them, so that we'll be ready for the final crisis, and so that we'll be active, doing what He's called us to do, right?

To help us better understand what the Bible reveals, you'd probably recognize if you've read from Ellen White's books, that she says you know if we'd really understood the Bible like we should, there would have been be no need for her writings, right?  Which tells us that, we maybe are limited in our understanding of the Bible, so God helps us, He holds our hand, and guides us deeper into it, by sending us further messages.  You can look at the writings of Ellen White, now it looks like they provide for us detail, and color, they bring in current updates, as to the things that are going on.

So this morning, typically I don't inundate you with Ellen White quotes, but this morning I feel like I need to.  Because these are the things that God has been really showing me this week.  And I think they're really important, they're the details, they're the color.  In 9th volume of the Testimonies it says:

        "The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude."  {9T 11.1}

So they are forecasts, right?  It says:

        "The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones." {9T 11.2}

[6:50]

Prophets and Kings, page 278 if you're interested:

        "We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another--fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed." {PK 278.1}

So what are they?

        "fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed." {PK 278.1}

Seen any of those lately?  Maranatha 174:

        "In the last scenes of this earth's history, war will rage. There will be pestilence, plague, and famine. The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries. Property and life will be destroyed by fire and flood. We should be preparing for the  mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for them that love Him." {Mar 174.5}

Maranatha page 220:

        "The great controversy is nearing its end. Every report of calamity by sea or land is a testimony to the fact that the end of all things is at hand. Wars and rumors of wars declare it. Is there a Christian whose pulse does not beat with quickened action as he anticipates the great events opening before us? The Lord is coming. We hear the footsteps of an approaching God."  {Mar 220.1}

[8:20]

Over and over, I just gave you a little sample.  Over and over it's clear that what we are to watch for, we know what we should ge watching for.  These are the signals to us.  Like that last statement said, "we hear the footsteps of an approaching God."  We hear it coming, these are the signals that the final crisis is near.  And specifically what we are to watch for that I've seen are calamities of war, disease, famine, and a variety of natural disasters.

Ellen White's writings clearly detail for us that we're going to see these calamities particularly among the large cities.  A few statements to show that, Country Living page 7:

        "The time is near when the large cities will be visited by the judgments of God. In a little while, these cities will be terribly shaken. No matter how large or how strong their buildings, no matter how many safeguards against fire may have been provided, let God touch these buildings, and in a few minutes or a few hours they are in ruins.
        "The ungodly cities of our world are to be swept away by the besom of destruction. In the calamities that are now befalling immense buildings and large portions of cities, God is showing us what will come upon the whole earth.--Testimonies, vol. 7, pp. 82, 83. (1902)
        "I am bidden to declare the message that cities full of transgression, and sinful in the extreme, will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood. All the world will be warned that there is a God who will display His authority as God. His unseen agencies will cause destruction, devastation, and death. All the accumulated riches will be as nothingness. . . .
        "Calamities will come--calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions will follow one after another...." {CL 7.2-5}

        "The Lord will not suddenly cast off all transgressors, or destroy entire nations; but He will punish cities and places where men have given themselves up to the possession of Satanic agencies. Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God's indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.--Evangelism, p. 27. (1906)"  {CL 8.1}

[11:05]

So God is going to go into the cities, where it looks like the people are possessed by Satanic agencies.  He's going to pour our His judgments on these cities, but he's not going to pour it out in full strength, because there are some who will repent.

        "There are reasons why we should not build in the cities. On these cities, God's judgments are soon to fall.--Letter 158, 1902."  {CL 8.2}

Evangelism says:

        "The time is near when large cities will be swept away, and all should be warned of these coming judgments.--Evangelism, p. 29. (1910)"  {CL 8.3}

Her visions also give us detail, as to how these calamitous judgments, particularly poured out on the major cities will be those things that will lead directly to the final crisis, specifically in regard to the Sabbath issue.  This is Christian Service 155:

        "It is on the law of God that the last great struggle of the controversy between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels will come, and it will be decisive for all the world. . . . Men in responsible positions will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but from the sacred desk will urge upon the people the observance of the first day of the week, pleading tradition and custom in behalf of this man-made institution. They will point to calamities on land and sea--to the storms of wind, the floods, the earthquakes, the destruction by fire--as judgments indicating God's displeasure because Sunday is not sacredly observed." {ChS 155.2}

So we aren't going to be the only ones to see it.  They're going to see it.  They're going to say these are judgments, we're going to say those are judgments.  And they're going to say, it's because Sunday's not being lifted up before the people.  We're going to say it's because of the wickedness and the apostasy.

[13:25]

        "These calamities will increase more and more, one disaster will follow close upon the heels of another; and those who make void the law of God will point to the few who are keeping the Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the ones who are bringing wrath upon the world."  {ChS 155.2}

See, we're going to have two different messages, right?  We're both going to be seeing the same things, but we're going to be at war about why they're happening.  And they're going to be pointing at us and we're going to be pointing at them.

        "This falsehood is Satan's device that he may ensnare the unwary.--Southern Watchman, June 28, 1904."  {ChS 155.2}

It appears though that even though God has provided so much detail about these things, that there will still be many who are unaware of what's going on around them.  These things will be going on and there just will be some who don't recognize them as judgments, who don't recognize that the end is this near.  Maranatha 220:

        There are those who have the blazing light of truth shining all around them, and yet are insensible to it. They are enchanted by the enemy, held under a spell by his bewitching power. They are not preparing for that great day which is soon to come to our world. They seem utterly insensible to religious truth.  {Mar 220.3}

Look around, at the world.  Totally insensible, things are falling in their own neighborhoods, and these people from New Orleans a lot of them are going to go on as if this was just a little disruption to their life and the future is bright.  You know, look at America and how we respond to this.  No problem, we'll rebuild it, right?  It's all okay.  We're oblivious.

This enchantment and insensibility is also a danger though, not just for people outside, but for people, for God's people.  We need to be also aware that it can, that we can be insensible, that we can be asleep to what's happening.  Maranatha 253:

[15:32]

        "The time is not far off when the people of God will be called upon to give their testimony before the rulers of the earth. Not one in twenty has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great crisis in our history. . . . There is no time for vanity, for trifling, for engaging the mind in unimportant matters."  {Mar 253.1}

        "You now have an opportunity to attain to the greatest intellectual power through the study of the Word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail to dig deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for the crisis that is soon to come upon us. O that you would realize that each moment is golden. If you live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, you will not be found unprepared."  {Mar 253.3}

Nobody's going to sit around and wait, and suddenly become interested right at the final minute, because we're given our golden moments right now.  So do you see that significant events are occurring today?  Are we living in usual times?  Are the calamities that are happening in our cities of such proportions that we should take notice?  If so, could we be entering into the beginning of sorrows, which will be a series of rapid events, judgments poured out one after another in quick succession upon the cities.  We all took notice when 9/11 happened, right?  It was big!  This was pretty unusual for us here in America.  Nobody ever messes with us.

I think God is going to let these things be unusual, and I think the things we are seeing are very unusual.  9/11 was unusual, in the fact that these things just don't happen in America, we don't get attacked.  Right in the heart of America?  The tsunami was very unusual in that it was the most destructive earthquake, except for one that they don't really have great historical record of, right?  Way back in like, I think it was, somewhere in the first thousand years they say A.D.  So, you know, this tsunami was huge, it was unusual.  This hurricane is unusual, it's not just another hurricane that's come along.

God doesn't want to leave us guessing as to when the final crisis is to occur.  He's not going to make it obscure.  He says:

[18:21]

        "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
        So you also, when you see... these things" (Matthew 24:32-33 NKJV)

happening, all the signs we're talking about, these things happening,

        "know that it is near--at the doors!" (Matthew 24:33 NKJV)

Ellen White in vision was told by the Lord,

        "In scenes I have represented that which will be..." {11MR 361.2}
        
        "for the day of the Lord is right upon the world when evidence shall be made sure." {11MR 361.2}

Did you get that?  That means that God is interested in making it very clear, He's going to be giving us unusual events, it says the "evidence" will "be made sure."  But even though God will be giving adequately convincing signs, in the same vision He tells Mrs. White that many among His people still will not see them as such.

        "Those who have followed the voices that would turn things upside down will themselves be turned where they cannot see, but will be as blind men." {11MR 361.2}

And you see the same thing in the Bible.  Great things were happening, the Messiah had come, but some were blind.  Some that should have known were blind.  It's amazing to me, already I'm seeing it.  I've been talking to a lot of people already about this stuff.  I've noticed that some seem to see it; some seem to be in denial.  They don't really seem to say that they realize that this could be the crack in the door, just before the final crisis.  I mean this really could be it.  Even some pastors I've talked to don't really seem to be affected.

But you hear it all over the news.  Katrina's being described as "our" tsunami, an "apocalyptic" disaster, a disaster of "biblical proportions," which is the same thing they said about the tsunami.  It's described in one article as "Armageddon," in another as "an unprecedented act of God."  People are seeing it.

Has God given us "sure evidence" in these recent tragedies?  That's what we need to be looking for.  A couple of things I found in the news, I'm not a big news guy but I was trying to find some stuff, to see what they were saying out there.  They said:

        "Andrew struck south of Miami 13 years ago, on Aug. 24, 1992." (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Primetime/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1085386&page=1)

Me and my family were driving out of Miami 2 days before that.

        "It was, until Katrina, the most economically devastating natural disaster in U.S. history." (http://www.abcnews.go.com/Primetime/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1085386&page=1)

Until Katrina.  The government has yet to put an overall price tag on Katrina, but there is general agreement the hurricane will be the most expensive natural disaster in US history.

        "'At first light, the devastation is greater than our worst fears. It's just totally overwhelming,' Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the morning after Katrina howled ashore with winds of 145 mph and engulfed thousands of homes in one of the most punishing storms on record in the United States." (http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/341841p-291881c.html)

That's New York daily news.

        "Bill Lokey, an official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, called Katrina 'the most significant natural disaster to hit the United States.'" (http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/341841p-291881c.html)

200,000 homes destroyed, 480,000 people displaced, 125,000 billion to rebuild, estimated up to 200,000 maybe.  Billion? what's a billion?  Where are we going to get a billion, or, 200 of them?  Yeah!  Just to rebuild this one city.  What if the things that we expect begin to occur, one after another 200 billion dollar judgments.  The US is just going to say, aw, no problem, right? we'll rebuild them all.  It's like the Tower of Babel.

[23:04]

You're probably aware of the wickedness and demonic madness that's been taking place, or that took place during the event.  This article said:

        "The news could not have been more dispiriting: The reports of gunfire at medical-relief helicopters. The stories of pirates capturing rescue boats. The reports of police standing and watching looters--or joining them. The TV images of hundreds and thousands of people, mostly black and poor, trapped in the shadow of the Superdome. And most horrific: the photographs of dead people floating facedown in the sewage or sitting in wheelchairs where they died, some from lack of water. For many across the city and the Gulf Coast, prayer seemed one of their few options. On CNN, Mayor C. Ray Nagin asked the country to 'pray for us,' a plea repeated by survivors who needed that, and much more." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179587/)

I was hearing all kinds of things, you probably heard more than me, you could inform me.  I was hearing about all kinds of rape, people running around raping people and slitting their throats.  People raping little girls in the relief places, drugs, stealing, murders, all kinds of stuff.

Maybe you didn't hear about "Southern Decadence" that was scheduled to be held in New Orleans.  It was obviously canceled by the hurricane.  But "Southern Decadence" was this, I'm not sure if it was annual or what it was, but it was this great gathering of all the homosexuals, tens of thousands of homosexuals coming to New Orleans, to engage in a great festival of homosexual sexual acts in public, in front of police officers as they allowed it to go on.

[25:00]

I wasn't sure if I should title this message, I decided I would, and I called it "God is Sick and Tired of Mardi Gras."  I hope that doesn't paint a bad picture of God, but there does come a time where He rises up in judgment.  Mardi Gras, you know about Mardi Gras, similar kind of party, maybe not so much homosexual, but the same things among heterosexuals.  Out in public, exchanging beads for different acts and things.

God isn't just sick and tired of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, he's sick and tired of it around the world.  That's why He's pouring out His judgments.  Wickedness is rampant and He's coming to display His authority as God.  But He's not yet pouring out His judgment in full measure, because like we read, there's still some who are being awakened by these things.  We know He will pour it out without, it won't be mingled with mercy, at the very last day, but for now it's mingled with mercy.  Because some are being awakened.

The question for us is, are we?  Are we being awakened?  What more can God do to help us realize just how close to the end we really are?  Why don't we let the Bible answer this question for us.  God is interested in helping us, in every way He can.  Turn to Joel chapter 2, right before Amos there, Joel chapter 2.  We're going to look at verses 27-29.  What more will God do to help us realize just how close to the end we are?  Verse 27 of Joel 2 says:

        "Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel" (Joel 2:27 NKJV)

Does God want us to know what's happening?  Yeah!

        "I am the LORD your God  And there is no other.  My people shall never be put to shame.
        And it shall come to pass afterward  That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
        And also on My menservants and on My maidservants  I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:27-29 NKJV)

In those final days, God is going to send more messengers, why?  Because He wants to wake us up, right?  Apparently we need more than just the Scripture.  We even need more than just Mrs. White's writings.  He says He's going to bring more messengers, to help us to realize what's happening.  We need more clarity and updated information so God's going to do that to help us.

Before 9/11, there was a little lady who was preparing for a trip to America, I gave you the story of her testimony back in January.  Her name was Soo, you remember talking about that a little bit?

Well at the time, I didn't really know what to say, not sure I still do.  But I gave you her testimony, because I felt like we should be looking at what's out there, at what is happening to different people.  She was preparing for a trip to America, just the night before she came, she claims that she was visited by an angel.  The angel healed her of her cancer of the liver, kidneys, breast, and skin.  In that very first vision she was healed of all that cancer.  He gave her a list that she was to do, including finding the Adventist church, and beginning to keep the Sabbath.  She was Buddhist, now she's an Adventist Christian.  She was baptized shortly after that.  She since then has translated Steps to Christ into her native language of Lao, she has just spent several months over there distributing half of those, she's distributed 1500 Steps to Christ in her Lao communist country, which is one of the darkest nations on earth.  God is bringing the message to Laos.  She's also... And these books have been translated interestingly by Buddhist monks.  They also translated Desire of Ages, and they're almost done with the Great Controversy.  This was part of the plan God had given her.

It doesn't sound like Satan's plan to me.  Why does God want these books in Laos?  Then He told her to go and work for the war victims, those who were injured, and she's been doing that.  Right now she's in Australia taking more Bible studies.

[30:50]

She said the angel gave her some information, he told her some significant things regarding the future.  He told her, and this is how she described it, in exact words from the interview,

        "When I go to America, there will be a big problem in America."

That's what she says, a "big problem in America"  This is now understood as being fulfilled in the 9/11 tragedy.  Then it says,

        "After that the Gospel will spread out around the world.  In 2005, there will be a big trouble again."

Remember when we talked about that?  And we said, well, if you remember the white estate at the time back then was saying, "we don't know what to say about this person, time will tell, we're going to wait and see."  Michigan Conference was saying the same thing, essentially I was saying the same thing.  But I was saying, "Whether it's true or not, let's start acting like it's true, because we need to anyway."  Well, here we are in 2005, I've kind of had this in the back of my mind all year wondering if maybe something would come along this year.  What do you think?  Is Katrina a "big trouble in America in 2005"?  She says,

        "After the big trouble in 2005, a lot of trouble, and then the Sunday law would come"

That's pretty heavy.  So, maybe we need to consider, could this be another messenger that God is giving us, just to wake us up to what we already know, or should know.

Consider another woman named Pebble.  I don't know if any of you have heard of her.  I have just recently begun to hear about her.  She left the Pentecostal church in 1990 over her Sabbath conviction.  She came into the Sabbath from her own studies, she left the Pentecostal church, she was keeping Sabbath on her own for a year, because she didn't know that there were Sabbath, that there was a Sabbath-keeping church.

She began having dreams in 1996, as a result of these dreams she was led into the Adventist church, a specific one, she was baptized in 2000, and currently works as a Bible worker in California.  In her dreams, she was, she saw people that I personally know.  Listen to a part of the descriptions of a couple of her dreams.  She says,

        "In the dream, the Lord and I went on in time, it was now dark, He showed me a city I'd never been to before.  Something bad had happened in this city, there were people running and crying in the streets.  Some were afraid, and some were stealing from the stores.  The buildings looked as if they were burning and some of the cars as well.  Everyone seemed to be afraid of something.  As we were leaving the area, he took me to the top of a building and we looked down.  From the top of this building, I was able to better see all of the chaos in the city."

To me, that is frighteningly close to what we've just seen.

        "In another dream, I was standing in Washington DC by the Washington Monument which is near the water.  I saw fire come down from overhead.  I then jumped into the water thinking that that would save me"

If you want an interesting study, look up "balls of fire" in the Spirit of Prophecy books.

        "I did not know what that was, except for what Revelation 13:13 states,"

you know "fire came down from heaven,"

        "I am not sure of what happened is real or spiritual. I also do not know if the dream about seeing the fiery rock while standing in my front yard is real.  I do not know if it means an earthquake, or falling rock will come, disturb the water, and kill many people.  However, after the earthquake that happened on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean, I have begun to feel that something really severe is about to happen here in the United States"

Now these, her and Soo are totally unrelated, they didn't know of each other at all.

        "I do not know what, but it will kill many people, and will help bring in the Sunday law.  In enacting the Sunday law, they will think they are doing God service, but they will be killing the people of God because of this law."

[35:55]

I can't make up your mind for you on these things.  I don't know that my mind is fully made up on what I think of these ladies having these dreams.  All I can do is tell you their claims, you have to let the Holy Spirit I believe speak to you personally on that.  All I can tell you is that nobody I know, or have talked to is producing any evidence that these are not credible stories, or that they're not in harmony with Scripture and Ellen White's writings.  Nobody has any information to put them down.  It's just that everybody's kind of standing off not willing to embrace them.

So what's our responsibility then? 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 says:

        "Do not quench the Spirit.
        Do not despise prophecies." (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 NKJV)

It says,

        "Test all things; hold fast what is good.
        Abstain from every form of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NKJV)

You are commanded by the Scriptures to look into these things, right?  If there was ever a time for revival and sober self examination, when do you think that might be?  It says "abstain from every form of evil" I believe it's time to start living like we're truly at the end.  I really really feel that personally.  I believe we're going to see judgments pouring out on more and more cities, faster and faster.  Time's going to tell, but how long do we wait before we finally say, "yeah it's really happening."  Because another city's going to be hit before we warn them, right?  And then maybe another if we wait.  And then another... because we still need more evidence.

Maybe we should start sending out the warning.  I don't know how to do that yet.  I'm praying that God will make it clear for me, you have to pray that he'll make it clear for you.  He's got a ministry for all of us.  1 Thessalonians 5 in closing here, this last text I want to look at, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 3:

        "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
        But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
        You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
        Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
        For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
        But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
        For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
        who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." (1 Thessalonians 5:3-10 NKJV)

[39:15]

Let's pray,

Heavenly Father,
We just want to pray that You would help us to be very clear.
We're living in times that are seemingly very unusual
Lord if any of us are asleep to what's happening I pray that you'd wake us up
Lord I pray that we would be willing to take some risks during this time
I pray that You would show us clearly
We don't want to step out without You
But we want to really make sure that you know that we're willing to go where you'd have us to go
Father this afternoon we've decided that we're going to have a little fire together and we're going to throw things into the fire that we feel like would hinder us
Things that may not be in harmony for a people who are preparing for the very final days, and probably for translation
Lord, I pray that You would send Your Holy Spirit to us
Help us, to not just put the things into this fire, but to continue
We know that as we move further, closer and closer to the Kingdom,
We're going to be shedding off more and more as your Spirit comes down on us more and more completely
From this day forward, we pray that we'd be ready to shed off all the things of the world
Help us to have that spiritual eyesight, help us to have that willingness
Lord we do pray for these cities
We pray that the messengers that you've called, maybe some of them being us, would faithfully carry out the duties that you've called them to
That the cities can be warned
That they won't be able to look back and say "Why didn't you warn us, you knew about these things"
Father, help us to this end,
We pray in Jesus name,
Amen