Do You Know Where Calvary Is?

There is some confusion in the city of Jerusalem as to where Calvary is.
Some say at the church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Some say the Garden Tomb, or “Gordon’s Calvary.”
The most important question is not geographical nor physical.
It is spiritual. There is a place you can go to take your guilt and sin.

Guilt and Regret

“I counseled a young woman who had an affair, then had a baby, and adopted it out - and has ever since had a compulsive habit of looking into mothers’ strollers and later into the faces of other children - to see if she could recognize the child she gave away. The guilt drove her to attempt suicide several times…”

“Another woman - a missionary - flew from another country to talk about something she’d done - a sexual adventure - before she married. She’s told the story publicly since, but I’ll spare you the details. The terrible guilt caused her to have several ‘nervous breakdowns’. But in our therapy she decided to ‘come clean’. She wrote it down - plus lots of other junk in her life, read it aloud through her tears, then we burned it up and flushed it down the toilet, while hearing God’s word about casting our sins into the depths of the sea!”

I John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

1. Guilt is the collision between transgression and a prepared conscience at the intersection of temptation.

• Conscience: A knowledge of right and wrong ingrained within the mind.
• Morals: Standards of proper human behavior which respect man’s dignity.
• Sin: The violation of the laws of God.
• Condemnation: The judgement of God upon the offender. (The offender is married to the offense. The act cannot be separated from the perpetrator.)
• Retribution: Punishment that God gives the offender.
• Guilt: Punishment the offender gives himself.

Romans 1:21-32  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Romans 3:9-20.

• Guilt is the full awareness that sin has been committed—-actually, physically, unalterably—-and it has been entered into the eternal record.
• Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
• Modern thinking has forbidden (repressed, illegitimized, debunked) guilt feelings. In so doing, it has neutered the act of transgression and scorned the prepared conscience.
• We now have a guiltless society in which people are no longer responsible for their actions.
• “Guilt occurs when a person’s actions clash with their value systems;

Value of Guilt

• Without guilt, there is no conviction of sin.
• Without conviction, there is no repentance.
• Without repentance, there is no salvation.

This is where the Acts 2:38 message is so powerful. (Romans 1:16)

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The best and healthiest statement a sinner will ever make is, “I am guilty!”

(Psalm 51:3)

The “disease” model of sin means

• “I have committed no wrong.”
• “I am being unjustly criticized.”
• “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. (Bondage of fear.)

The word “disease” means simply “not at ease.” This leads people to believe that they just need whatever will stop their pain, even for awhile.

• Blame shift : “I did it, but they made me do it.”
• Rationalize : “I did it, but it wasn’t what you think.”
• Sanctify it : “I did it, but God understands and knows I couldn’t really help myself.”
• Deny it : “It’s so horrible it must not have happened.”
• Grade themselves on the curve : “I did it, but everyone else did too.”

Then, there are active and sometimes violent ways that people try to rid themselves of guilt. Alcohol, drugs, suicide, nervous breakdowns. That’s why this has been called the prozac society. I believe it is because people are trying to handle the problem of guilt without the cross of Jesus Christ.

• It leads to depression. (Emotional state marked by great sadness and apprehension, feelings of worthlessness and guilt; withdrawal from others, loss of sleep, appetite, or interest and pleasure in usual activities; and either lethargy or agitation.)
• It leads to confusion. Rejection of truth; tampering with the mind.)
• It leads to blaming others.

Take your guilt by the hand and lead it to Calvary.

Isa 53:1-10 from the NIV Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. (NIV)

The most significant phrase in this passage is “guilt offering.” When we say that Jesus died for our sins, we cite the legal, moral and theological positions, but not the emotional one. We must also understand that Jesus was our “guilt offering” as well.

This is extremely important to us today. Converts today come from guilt-laden backgrounds. They carry the baggage of abortion, adopting out children, self-induced damage from alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, negligent or abusive parenting and other interpersonal relationship dysfunctions. Many of them linger in the shadows of their wrongdoing long after conversion. They must see Jesus as the sacrifice who absorbs their guilt feelings as well as their literal transgressions.

Understand it. Accept it. Believe it. Claim it. Rejoice in it. Profess it.

Go forward from Calvary.
The Cross is not a wall that we should stop and turn back.
The Cross is a gateway through which we pass to new freedoms!

Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fight!

1 Sam 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

It is important for us to realize that God has placed a valley between the world and the church.
The church is a city, set on a hill.
The only way for you to ascend to the position of the world is to leave the mountain of God and go down into a valley.
Can we forget about the oneness of God?
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.”
Can we forget about the new birth experience?
“Except a man is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter…”
Can we forget about the name of Jesus?
“Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name…”
Can we forget about living a holy life?
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see…”

4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

The devil always has his champion.
Don’t mistake prominence for success. Champions of the world, or even of false doctrine, are not blessed by God.
Some people look at the size and armor of Goliath and judge him a success.
Don’t look at the world and envy their supposed success.
It is unthinkable how much people are prone to set doctrine and common sense aside when they fall under the spell of a champion.
Your flesh needs the guidance of the Holy Ghost to keep in on the straight and narrow.

8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Not Goliath. He will always be there in one form or another.
Not the fight. We will always have to fight for principles.
Not the taunting for a man. Someone will always have to step out on faith.
The problem was that Israel let Goliath frame the debate!
“If he kill me, we will serve you…”
“If I kill him, you will serve us…”
This happened in Genesis. God said, “If you eat, you will die.”
The serpent said, “You will not surely die.”

Ever listen to talk radio? Ever hear people yelling at each other?
Ever wonder why the guest just doesn’t answer the question?
The SECRET: If I answer your question, I accept your premise.
I’m not going to accept your premise, so I won’t answer your question.
The well-known example of this is “Have you stopped beating your wife?”

Goliath was trying to frame the debate with false claims.
The Philistines would never have served the Israelites, even with Goliath dead.
Israel would never have served the Philistines. They would have been slaughtered.
Don’t think you can play the devil’s game and win. He stacks the deck!
It’s a Chinese finger puzzle. Easy to get into it, impossible to get out!

11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

Fear is the devil’s greatest weapon.
Israel didn’t have to feel Goliath’s spear; they feared Goliath’s voice.
I am amazed at the level of fear that exists in the people of God.
People are afraid they will lose husband, wife, family, friends, job…
The phrase “Fear not” appears 63 times in the Bible.
Fear is a spirit. “God hath not give us the spirit of fear…”

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; 18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

This is the only place where I questioned the Bible. The men of Israel were not really fighting with the Philistines. They were arrayed in battle and looked like they were fighting.

Too many of us are not really fighting the devil.
We are engaged in a staring match or a shouting match, but not much is done.
If we were truly fighting the enemy, we would be seeing a lot more victory!

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

This is one of the saddest scenes in the Bible.
It depicts one brother berating another brother.
The strange fact is that Eliab thought he knew what was going on, but he was wrong! He judged David on outward appearances.
The worst thing in the world is for the church to criticize its own.
Back-biting, gossiping, rumor-mongering, believing false reports…it should not happen in the church!

1 John 4:16-21 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?  

This is where David stands head and shoulders above Eliab or the rest.
Eliab saw a single battle on a single day.
David saw a symbolic struggle that would decide the fate of a nation.
David would not allow his feelings to get hurt in a petty quarrel.
He kept his head and heart right because the stakes were too big.
He saw the cause.

Some people look at the First Apostolic Church and think we are making a difference over nothing. They say they are living according to standards “just because.” (Just because they are supposed to, just because they don’t want to make trouble…)

Don’t serve God just because…Serve God because you know there is a cause!

Yes, David, there is a cause!
The cause of righteousness.
The cause of worship.
The cause of truth.
The cause of the rapture.
The cause of future generations.

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

You are a match for the devil!
Even if you are young and inexperienced, you can win.
Why the bear and the lion? Just for Jesse’s sheep? No. There is a bigger fight than just the day-to-day struggles we experience.

Two Keys:

• David still fought the lion and the bear.
• David gave credit to God for deliverance.

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

We have always thought that the armor was too big for David.
David doesn’t say that. David says that he had not proved the armor.
He knew he still had something to prove.

Young people, we love you, but we want to know if you will get in the fight.
You do need to prove that you are as much in love with God as the older generation.

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Why five stones?
Five chances in case of four misses?
J-E-S-U-S?

• Prayer
• Word
• Faith
• Courage
• Name of the Lord

Goliath and his four brothers.
I just think it means that you can never get enough.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

Satan’s weaponry always looks twice as big and twice as numerous.
But we have the name of the Lord!
A name is a label sets one person apart from another. But in the Bible a name is much more than that. Names were formed from words that had their own meaning. People in the Bible were very conscious of the meaning of names. They believed there was a vital connection between the name and the person it identified. A name somehow represented the nature of the person.

This means that the naming of a baby was very important in the Bible. In choosing a name, the parents could reflect the circumstances of the child’s birth, their own feelings, their gratitude to God, their hopes and prayers for the child, and their commitment of the child to God.

MaKinzie Manning Jordan (meaning of my granddaughter’s name)

The name of Jesus is the number one identity of the Church!
Disease recognizes it. Satan respects it. Sin retreats from it. Angels revere it.

There is no other name. No better name. No stronger name. No greater name.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

I like that word, slang. David slang the stone.
Some of us keep our ammunition in the bag. We are good at setting up.
It’s like someone told me about golf…I’ve got a great practice swing.
We’re good at practicing on Sunday night.
We’re good at practicing at conferences, youth camps and camp meetings.
Now it is time to get out on the battle field.
I think what Bro. Buford was preaching about last Sunday was getting out on the battle field and getting into the fight. Praying through is getting into the fight.

Don’t forfeit the fight at home.
Don’t forfeit the fight at school.
Don’t forfeit the fight at college.
Don’t forfeit the fight when temptation comes knocking.

1 Tim 6:11-12 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Tim 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

• You need to fight to come to church.
• You need to fight to pray.
• You need to fight to read the Bible.
• You need to fight to live the holiness lifestyle.
• You need to fight to worship.
• You need to fight to witness.
• You need to fight to do good works.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Mark Horne writes, “When I was a young boy, I lived in Liberia , West Africa , where my parents were missionaries. Now, in the whole continent of Africa , I was told, there are three species of snake, in which deadly poison is lacking. Only one of those species was known to inhabit the regions of Liberia . So the reigning philosophy was hit it with a big stick first and ask questions later. I had the pleasure of seeing several serpent slayings. One thing I remember is that the fight almost always lasted longer than the life of the snake. People would stand there whacking for all they were worth at the head of the thing with a shovel or branch or cutlass or anything else that was long enough, and when they smashed it, they would keep whacking at it all the more. You see, once the head was crushed the creature would go into death throes and start violently twisting and convulsing. It’s possible it could even still strike. So the brave serpent slayer, under the influence, I think, of a great deal of adrenaline, would just keep raising the shovel over his head, and coming down on the snakes head over and over again—all the while, of course, standing on the balls of his feet and stretching as far as he could to keep himself out of reach. And even after it was obvious that the snake was no longer a threat, he might still smash it a few more times just for good measure. Overkill was not a problem with a snake.”

Let’s fight.
You can’t win the victory if you’re too afraid to fight.
We fight. God gives the victory.

The Spirit of the Seven Vials

The book of Revelation is an awesome book.

You can take the subtle of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the confusion at Babel, Noah’s flood, Sodom and Gomorrah’s firestorm, Egypt’s plagues, Babylon’s carnage, the sacking and burning of Jerusalem and the mournful lamentations of Jeremiah and put them all together, and you would still not have a fraction of the catastrophes described in Revelation.

You can also take the covenant grants of Abraham, the power of Joseph, the glory of David, the staggering wealth of Solomon and the miracle ministries of the prophets like Elijah and Elisha, and you would still not begin to approach the fabulous displays of God’s legacy for the church at the end of time.

Let us now look at the 16^th chapter of this book. It is a prediction of the plagues as the series of plagues upon Egypt. What we see in Revelation are the two sides of God’s nature. Paul refers to this in Romans 11:22, “Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God.”

Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

The family of man has enjoyed God’s goodness. Man must also know his severity. In this terrible chapter, God’s wrath exonerates God’s love. His moral indignation rises against those who persistently trample upon the principles of spiritual order.

Man’s ultimate act of treachery is to choose openly and shamelessly the Beast instead of the Lamb. Man always seems to shower glory and worship on the worst rather than bowing before the best.

So, the question must be brought before the highest tribunal and resolved, “To whom does mankind owe supreme allegiance?” Is it to God, the source of all that is good, or to the Antichrist, the man of sin?

This is the most fearful stage of the Great Tribulation

The purpose of this chapter is not repentance. That door has closed at this point. There has been ample time and abundant opportunity. For the first time on record, God’s wrath is untempered by mercy. During this holocaust of judgment, man stands without an Intercessor in the courts of heaven. The Bible says that no man was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues were fulfilled. (Revelation 15:8)

What is the purpose of God’s wrath? To bring man to a point of understanding and confession of God’s justice.

Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Mankind has to learn, the easy way or the hard way, that it is futile to evade God’s claims upon creation. Chapter 16 is the hard way.

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

The Great Voice that speaks is of God Himself.
The seven angels are the seven messengers of God.
To “pour out” means an indiscriminate dispensation of fiery wrath. No one who is not sealed or raptured will escape the plagues to come.

First Vial: The grievous sore.

2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Noisome, from the Greek “kakos”, meaning “evil;” Grievous, from “poneros”, meaning “painful;” Sore, from “helkos”, meaning “ulcer” or “wound.”

This corresponds to the sixth plague on Egypt when Moses came to deliver Israel.

…Upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

God has special vengeance upon those who have taken the mark of the Beast.

This first vial deals with man’s reluctance to part with the comforts of life. Society chooses the mark of the beast rather than the cross of Christ. Why. They think they will avoid persecution and personal sacrifice. They turn from loyalty to God and opt for material comfort. It’s the “me first” generation. But they will discover that nothing material matters when it is impossible to enjoy it physically. Hell’s worst joke is persuading men to give up eternal life for a season of pleasure.

Second Vial: Sea becomes as blood.

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

This bears similarity to the second trumpet in Revelation 8:8-9.

Revelation 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Some believe that this represents a huge naval battle that will rage in the Great Tribulation.
The sea will become so toxic that it will not sustain life. Every living soul will die. This makes it three times worse than the sounding of the trumpet.
This second plague strikes at profit and power. Those who use economic pressure to coerce the conscience of man will see that power turn to blood and distress.
The sea equals the avenue of commerce.
The Antichrist governs all buying and selling.
The shipping lanes that are the lifeblood of international trade will be as the blood of a dead man.
Later in the book of Revelation, we see the union of economic and religious power. Everything the world church stands for falls before the power of money. But God will see to it that we do not tie the soul of man to the appetite of man. Selling out to wealth handcuffs man’s conscience.

Third Vial: Rivers and fountains become as blood.

4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.  6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

This seems to duplicate the first plague that fell on Egypt.

Exodus 7:17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

This vial poisons the rivers and fountains, the direct source of life for the population.
The Angel of the Waters sees justice in this plague because the Beast shed the blood of the saints and prophets. They are now forced to drink blood for the bloodshed of all the martyrs.

Another out of the altar. This refers to the saints under the altar who are now avenged for the great wrongs done to them by the beast.

Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Reckoning day will come. Trust that God will avenge the righteous some day, and that everything of his that was lost will be retrieved and restored.

The Fourth Vial: Fire and great heat.

8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Once again, the plague involves signs in the heavens and burning with intense heat. This confirms many references to this in preceding scriptures.

Isaiah 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

Isaiah 42:25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

They repented not. Their lack of repentance demonstrates the depth of their depravity, and therefore, that God’s judgment is righteous.

We need to take special note here.
We live in a generation of sun worshippers.
The ancient pagans worshipped the sun as a god.
Anything other than God that you worship will turn into a curse for you.

The Fifth Vial: Darkness.

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

The plagues of Egypt included great darkness.

Exodus 10:21-22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

Darkness was prophesied to come upon the world.

Joel 2:1-2 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion , and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness…

Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Zephaniah 1:15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

The pain causes anguish and writhing in pain. It is documented that raw, untreated pain, without the comfort of morphine or other drugs, causes such agony that people will chew their tongues off. This will happen under the fifth vial, yet people will not repent.

Only the light can deliver. Jesus is the light of the world. Satan is the prince and power of darkness. To live your life without Christ is to constantly surround yourself with darkness. You literally cannot see even the next step you take.

“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:14

The Sixth Vial: Euphrates dried up.

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The Euphrates River is mentioned over 25 times, from Genesis to Revelation. Today, it again shows up in the news of the war in Iraq. The Euphrates stretches for 1800 miles and is considered a border between east and west. It was the eastern border of the Roman Empire.

The significance of the Euphrates drying up is that it effectively erases that border, allowing the armies of the east to stream across into Israel unabated. Tamerlane and Genghis Khan both led armies over the Euphrates in the past. This could possibly be the course that the Kings of the East, (China? N. Korea?) may take.

The Gathering to Armageddon

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Three unclean spirits like frogs. Frogs hide in the grassy edges of the swamp. They become active at evening time. They croak incessantly. So the unclean spirits rarely come out into the open, and they work under cover of darkness. They represent those who keep up a steady stream of propaganda and deception.

Out of the mouth of the dragon, beast and false prophet. This unholy trinity represents the antichrist and his one-world government as described in Revelation 12. It demonstrates that the essence of the antichrist is evil and rebellion against God.

Gathered them together in…Armageddon. This is the only place where the word “Armageddon” is used.
The nations of the world will gather together against Israel to fight against God.
Armageddon shatters a world system. As David prophesied, It is a rod of iron that breaks in pieces.
This sixth plague brings to a head a gigantic spiritual conflict in which the ruling powers of earth array themselves against God. Take a guess whose side I want to be on when the world arrays itself in battle against God.

“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.” 1 Chron 29:11

The Seventh Vial: Natural disasters.

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.  18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

The scriptures often associate natural disasters with the judgment of the endtimes.

Isaiah 29:6-7 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. 7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

Luke 21:11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

The Los Angeles earthquake in 1994 was the third very destructive earthquake to occur in California in the last 23 years. The first was the Mw 6.6 San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake, affecting the same area in 1971; the second was the Mw 6.9 (Richter magnitude 7.1), 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake south of San Francisco . The 1994 event is the most damaging earthquake to strike the United States since the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. In terms of financial loss, the earthquake is also one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, comparable to Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Babylon is the symbol for the whole social order of the world. The power, wealth and dominion it has over the world will meet a tragic end. Destruction and chaos, both physically and spiritually will devastate the entire earth on a magnitude never seen in history. Revelation 16 epitomizes God’s unrestrained wrath on Satan and all those who align themselves with him. The great Babylon—-the intricate, technical interconnected marvel of the 21^st century—-will collapse.

The spirits that the vials address crowd us with their evidence today.
The obsession with the comforts of life.
Men drunk on profits and power.
The crucifixion of the message of Christianity in the public square.
The religious world enthroning the symbols of power and denying the real power.

The envelopment of the world in moral darkness.
War against God.
The age of total technology.
Your world, sir, ma’am is not as secure as you think it is.
The forces that move and shake mankind today will be called into question.
You can make your calling and election sure.
You can enter into the tower of strength, the rock of refuge, the old ship of Zion that will weather the storm.
You’re no match for the storm.
You need the one who stood on the bow of the ship and said, “Peace, be still!”

Oh, How He Loves You and Me

Romans 5:6-8  “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  KJV

Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.

Jesus to Calv’ry did go,
His love for mankind to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair.
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh how He loves you and me.

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 16 — An outburst of gunfire at a Virginia Tech dormitory, followed two hours later by a ruthless string of attacks at a classroom building, killed 32 students, faculty and staff and left about 30 others injured yesterday in the deadliest shooting rampage in the nation’s history.

The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, wore bluejeans, a blue jacket and a vest holding ammunition, witnesses said. He carried a 9mm semiautomatic and a .22-caliber handgun, both with the serial numbers obliterated, federal law enforcement officials said. Witnesses described the shooter as a young man of Asian descent — a silent killer who was calm and showed no expression as he pursued and shot his victims. He killed himself as police closed in.

He had left two dead at the dormitory and 30 more at a science and engineering building, where he executed people taking and teaching classes after chaining some doors shut behind him. At one point, he shot at a custodian who was helping a victim. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and grief, with students jumping from second-story windows to escape gunfire and others blocking their classroom doors to keep the gunman away.

What causes a shocking, grisly scene like this to take place in the USA, or the world?
What causes a Jim Jones or a David Koresh to induce hundreds of followers to commit suicide or die with him in a fiery inferno?
Why does every day bring us news of homicide bombers or car bombers who blow themselves up along with hundreds of innocent victims?
Why does riot, burning and looting crop up every time a disaster strikes somewhere?
Why do the headlines and the newscasts constantly blare out the theme of murder, mayhem, abuse, rape, kidnapping and rebellion?

Hatred, bitterness, rejection, anger, jealousy, loneliness and lack of self-esteem seethe like a witches brew in the cauldron of society. We have expelled God, the Bible, and judgment from our society. In their place, we have enthroned man, his rights, his self-determination and his opinions. It should be no wonder that we are reaping the harvest of crop that we have so wantonly planted.

Paul writes, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21  “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  NIV

We live in a ruined paradise, wrecked by sin.

We live in a world of guilt-ridden, self-hating, angry people. Some people are angry because their parents tore their home apart. Some because they were abandoned, used and abused. People are so confused and hurt that they cannot believe in the simple gospel. They cannot believe in a God who loves them, a God who is trustworthy, and a God who is not going to hurt them in the end.

• When Jesus says, I love you, they say, “I don’t believe you.”
• When trials come, they use it as evidence that the Gospel doesn’t work.
• When the church reaches out, they reject it as a phony ploy.
• When God’s truth penetrates their hearts, they harden their hearts so they won’t be hurt again.
• But that’s why there is a place called First Apostolic Church.
• That’s why there is a 5701 Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH.
• That’s why there is a pastor who keeps preaching behind the pulpit.
• It’s because there is a message that won’t go away.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

But the question is not just IF God loves you.
The question is, How much does God love you?
One of the most striking statements in the bible is found in our text.

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.”

Here we have more than a simple declarative statement.
We have a baseline given; a frame of reference; a context in which we can see a depth of field to gauge the statement.

“…as Christ loved the church.” You can’t know the answer to the first question until you know the answer to the second. Once you know how much Christ loved the church, then you can know how much he loves you.

So? How much did he love the church?

“…and gave himself for it.”

He loved the church enough to give himself for it.
He turned down the kingdoms of the world to save the church.
He turned down the leadership of a rebellion against Rome to save the church.
He turned down a place of prominence among the Jewish hierarchy to save the church.

In fact, the real story is found in Philippians 2:5-8. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” KJV

Jesus loves you, that’s true. But, how much? He loves you more than fame, fortune, kingdoms, or even his own life. He loves you more than the acclaim of the Devil, more than the political ambitions of Judas Iscariot, more than the approval of the hypocrites. You, your love, your life make up his sole driving force in the universe.

First, God loved you enough to find you.

Did you ever search for something and when you found it, it disappointed you, even disgusted you? You know, you ransacked the closet for that sweater you knew you had, and when you found it and put it on, you saw that hole right there in front. Or you rummaged around in the refrigerator for that leftover lunch only to be greeted by the pungent odor of green mold growing on the meat?

I remember hearing the heart-wrenching story of a man who was abandoned as a little boy. His lifelong dream was to locate his mother. He searched arduously until he found her. Imagine his reaction when he saw her, in the back of a dumpy tavern, drunken and filthy. He slowly backed away from her, turned around and never went back.

I want you to understand tonight that Jesus came to this planet on the same kind of mission. I wonder what his reaction was when he actually found you and me?

Ephesians 2:1-8 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: KJV

He never gave up. He never abandoned the search. He never called off his angels.
He searched until he found us.
When he found us, and saw our pitiful condition, he didn’t back away and leave us in our sins.

Jesus is the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:33-34 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. KJV

Second, God loves you enough to make you over again.

• God may have found you in sin, but he’s not going to leave you that way.
• The healer is not going to leave you in your suffering and pain.
• The Savior is not going to let you slip into eternity lost and undone.
• God has taken us on as his labor of love, the piece of clay that was marred…so the Master Potter makes it over again.

Hebrews 12:5-11  “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?. … 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

If God’s grace saves a man, God’s grace also makes a man!

Finally, God loves you enough to place you into the body of Christ.

Do you feel like a misfit? Odd man out? Fifth wheel? Loner? Afterthought? Square pet in a round hole? Fish out of water? Unwanted?
Your feelings—if you allow them—will dictate your doctrine to you. Your feelings will try to undermine Christ’s gospel. Your feelings will try to discredit the Word of God!  If you choose to believe your feelings instead of the Word of God, you may as well reach up and pull the world in on top of you.
Let me give you a partial list of the kind of people Jesus reached out to a brought into his fold:

• Unlearned, uneducated disciples.
• Common, ordinary blue-collar working people.
• Zaccheus, a scheming, fraudulent thief.
• Matthew, a tax-collector.
• Mary Magdalene, a prostitute.
• The woman at the well, an adultress.
• A woman taken in the very act of adultery.
• Bartimaeus, a blind beggar.
• Lepers, ostracized from society.
• Simon, a known sinner.
• A Syrophoenician woman, societal outcast.
• Another thief on the cross.
• Luke, a Physician.
• Joseph of Arimithea, a wealthy man.
• Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling class.

Whosoever will may come.

You belong. Here is his name. Here is his blood. Here is his Spirit. Here is his Word.

John 14:1-3  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” KJV

• God wants you to be a member of his family.
• God wants you name to be written down in the family album, the Lamb’s book of life.
• This is how much he loves you.
• Tonight, he sees you from the cross. He sees you from the throne. He sees you from eternity.

O Love of God!

The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.

When years of time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure The saints’ and angels’ song.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Luke 15:11-24

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

The parables of Christ serve multiple purposes. This parable applies to individuals who lose their way. It also describes the attitudes of the Pharisees of Christ’s day. But beyond that, this parable embraces the whole of man’s spiritual history.

The Road Out

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

The Agitation that Angered Him

At some point in Junior’s life, discontentment boiled up. Curfew, can’t play the new music, can’t wear my hair like I want—-who knows what the conflict was? It all comes down to a clash of wills.

Adam and Eve lived in paradise, suffered no pain or discomfort, saw no evil—-everything was perfect. Yet, Satan stirred up rebellion in their hearts against God.

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.  4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:1-5

One of the most interesting and insidious words in the Bible is the word, “implacable.” It means “impossible to pacify or appease.” Man gets into most of his trouble because he will not accept the unfailing word of an all-knowing, all-powerful God.

The Allurement that Enticed Him

Have you ever looked in awe at the skyline of Manhattan Island? Tall and sleek, the glass and marble towers stir up fascination and curiosity in the viewer from a distance. It’s only when you walk the neighborhoods of the lower east side or parts of Harlem, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens that you see the seamier side of the glittering jewel of the Big Apple. While we were eating five inch high corn beef sandwiches and New York style cheese cake at Junior’s in Brooklyn, a guy had broken into our van and was running down the street with our car phone.

The “far country” for the Prodigal was too far away for him to notice the slums, the addictions, the pain and breakdowns.

The glitter and glamour of Madison Avenue bombards us with false pictures of happiness and fulfillment. We never seem to learn our lesson. Knowing full well that that Thigh-Master is not going to take .5 pounds of ugly fat of our bodies, we still melt the plastic to buy a that beautiful piece of junk and set it up in our family rooms or basements. By the way, we are now soliciting merchandise for next year’s flea market, and those exercise contraptions will be hot items. Some of them have made their rounds to other flea markets and garage sales as well.

The point is that somebody or something will always be around to tempt you. The muscular physique, the sensuous figure, the luxurious ride, the sporty look, the oohs and ahhs of envious stares—-all of these images pull us toward the far country.

The Action that Sent Him

In spite of all the attempts to stop him from heading out on the road to certain downfall, the young man did it anyway. Why?  Why did he turn his back on his father?  Why did he turn a deaf ear to all the warnings?  Why did he think he knew what he was doing?  Who knows?

How many people have awakened about halfway through their lives, sat up, looked around and said, “How on earth did I get here?” Actually, it’s pretty easy. Just do nothing, get preoccupied with trivia, major on minors and pay no attention to the weightier matters of the soul and spirit. Eventually, you’ll be like the man who asked, “Where am I going and why am I in this handbasket?”

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:9-10

For human history, the road out away from God has always been a downward spiral leading away from truth to falsehood, from peace to strife, from good to bad, from life to death.

The Road End

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

He Lost His Resources

I am speaking to some people in this audience today who have been spoon-fed politically correct pluralism. Language has been turned inside out and life has been gutted of truth. In the minds of the humanistic elite, the very word, “sin” has been discredited.  But the fact is, sin always strips a person bare. Call it what you will, sin will always have an impoverishing effect. There is a familiar mantra to sin—-lose, lose, lose.

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:14-15

He Lost His Respectability

The fact that the Prodigal lost all his money was not the worst blow. It was much worse to lose his dignity and respect. Here he was, this rich boy from a solid, stable family, not only feeding the pigs, but trying to eat some of their food.

Sin never leaves anyone in a neutral position. The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” It takes clean and makes it dirty. It takes well and makes it sick. It takes good and makes it bad. It never leaves you better off. When the pleasures of sin that only last for a season run their course, man is left humiliated, disillusioned and empty.

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars.” Jeremiah 17:1

He Lost His Reason for Living

At the end of the road, despair finally overwhelmed the Prodigal. He had barreled headlong into a huge, yellow, diamond-shaped sign that said, “Dead End.” His money was gone, his friends were gone, his dreams were gone, and with it all went meaning and hope.

Something happens at the lowest point of sin. You look around and say, “\What’s the use? What’s the purpose? Nothing makes any sense.” This is where much of the world we live in is at the present. It’s called nihilism. Nihilism holds that life is pointless and human values are worthless. It rejects all religion and morality.

Sin is a fantastic lie. Satan said it would make man wise, happy and God-like. Instead, it turned him into a fool, filled him with infinite sadness and made him into a child of the devil.

The Road Back

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Reality Check

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Repentance: Stop lying to yourself.

Return: Go back to the truths you have forsaken.

Rejoicing: If you stay where you are, you will never hear or never know rejoicing.

Rejoicing is back home.