Five Promises of God in Restoring the Earth

We want to welcome those who are joining us by the live webcast. We always appreciate people dropping in from Nevada, Arizona, parts of California, and wherever they might be dropping in from. We want to welcome you. As I bring a message this afternoon, I'd like to give you the overall purpose of the message that I'm going to give you. We're going to go through some tough tidings for a few minutes, but then the purpose of the message really is to fill you with God's joy and God's encouragement of what He not only has in store for each and every one of us that love Him on this day, but an entire world that's going to come to get to know Him and to love Him.

There's an expression that comes down through the centuries. They're not quite sure who to attribute it to. It's sometimes attributed to Emerson, other times to Thoreau, and other times to Oliver Wendell Holmes. But it goes like this. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to that which lies within us. Allow me to repeat it because we're going to be talking a lot about this and building upon it in the course of the minutes ahead.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to that which lies within us. It reads well. We might say right now, it sounds good. A highly lofty ideal, but humanly, being pushed to our human limits every day, it's a challenge to hold on to. And thus, the reason why I'm bringing this message, especially when we look at the world that is around us on this day. You and I live in an anxious world.

I don't think there's any other way to put it. Troubled societies, not only in America but around the world, the world is just basically on an anxious overload. Whether it's ISIS in the Middle East, whether it's homegrown terrorism from shore to shining from sea to shining sea here in America, whether it be in Florida or whether it just be east of us in San Bernardino. Ole, Sajak, in the first message mentioned about the British exit from the European Union. It's created a lot of anxiousness. It's challenged the world order. It's challenged global finances and global governments and different associations. Whether it be the European Union, how that will impact Britain, how that will impact Europe, what Russia will do, how NATO will respond.

There's certainly a lot going on. Beyond that, we have a historical transition affecting employment due to the technological innovations that have come upon us over the last 20 or 30 years.

There is no longer any guarantee of long-term employment. I'm not talking about the dot-com industries or the technological industries. I'm not talking about the Bay Area, but just society as a whole. There was a time, at least when I was growing up as a youngster, and those were the days when steel was made in Birmingham or in Pittsburgh. Glass came from Toledo. Cars came from Detroit. Cows came from the Chicago Stockyard or the Kansas Stockyard. And movies were just made in Hollywood.

And everybody basically worked for a company for 30 to 40 years, and then we're guaranteed some kind of retirement income. Those days are over. I'm not telling you anything new. We all know that. We also recognize that we are in the face right now in California of basically what you might call a 500-year drought. The entire West is running dry. We also recognize that at the same time there's a 500-year flood in the Appalachians in West Virginia that has decimated small villages and towns along the rivers.

We also recognize that you and I, living in Los Angeles, being Angelenos, we recognize how crowded our cities are and the lack of infrastructure we have. If you don't think so, just go out on the 210 freeway on a Saturday afternoon and be in the second lane.

And then you're stuck on the second lane, so you turn on the news and hear about all the bad news I just shared with you, and you go, where is this world headed? Not only that, we are coming up to an election in November. An election in November. And all Americans are looking at the two parties, the two major parties, and they're looking at the candidates. They say to ourselves, where is a Washington? Where is an Adams? Where is a Jefferson? Where is a Lincoln? Where is a Teddy Roosevelt? Or an FDR? Where is a Ronald Reagan? What has America come to? And the choices before us are slim.

And or for some, none. Where did we get here? Where do we go from here? What do the politicians do? We know what politicians do very well, just like the old Broadway song, promises, promises, promises. Politicians are very, very good at giving promises. But the follow-up and the follow-through is extremely lacking. Now, in giving those promises, whether on the left, the right, or in between, they're certainly given, most likely, but the utmost sincerity. But the human beings down here below cannot necessarily keep their promises.

There are too many forces, global forces, national forces, political forces, money forces, personal forces that keep them from fulfilling those promises. The purpose of this message today is to remind all of us who does make promises and who does keep promises. And I believe that each and every one of us are here today because we believe in a God who does keep his promises. But why for a moment is it that human beings cannot keep promises? We want them to. We get excited about certain leaders that come along. But we need to remember what the Scripture says.

Don't put your trust in the sons of men. We want to. It's natural. We hope the best will work out. But why can't they keep their promises? I'd like to just run through some very, very basic Scripture. Some of you have heard it before. Some of you will be hearing it for the very first time. But join me in Isaiah 59 to build a foundation here for us.

In Isaiah 59, to answer the question, why can't our leaders fulfill promises when we need those promises fulfilled the most right now down here below? In Isaiah 59, and picking up the thought if we could, in verse 8, it says simply this, the way of peace they have not known. Other Scriptures say, peace, peace. But there is no peace. And there is no justice in their ways. They have made themselves quick at pass.

Whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Therefore justice is far from us, nor does righteousness overtake us. We look for light. We seek the light. But we walk in darkness. But there is darkness. For brightness, but we walk in blackness. We grope for the walls like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes. And we stumble at noonday as at twilight. We are as dead men in desolate places. People know today that things are not working. There is a challenge. And the leadership at this point has not shown up down here below. There is not that cluster of men and women of great ideal and great character as we had in the early days of the founding of our nation.

But there is a purpose and there is a reason why we don't have that. Join me if you would in Romans 1. Because if there is no peace, for every cause, for every effect, there is a cause. And join me if you would in Romans 1, verse 20. Romans 1, verse 20. I want to build to a point here for a moment before I bring you some very encouraging news.

Romans 1, verse 20. And please listen carefully. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, notice, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. The first message this afternoon, and I commented on the announcements, the founding fathers talked about nature's God. They recognized that there was a beneficent, there was a disposer of events, the creator of this universe that had touched their lives.

But then it says in verse 20, because also they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts. And their foolish hearts were darkened and professing themselves to be wise. They became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man. They went from worshipping a God to worshipping self, and to recognize, even as Mr. Zajac was bringing out in the first message, as religious as America is today compared to the rest of Western society, we are not where we once were.

Oh, we can tout it. Oh, we can engrave it on our coins. We can put in God we trust. But I have a question for you. How often are we staring at our coins, and or how often are we staring at our smartphones to figure out how many people like me, or what I just put on, or what I just created, so that people know that I am alive and well?

Society is changing. Society is different. I want to take you to one more verse. Isaiah 1. Join me if you would there, please. In Isaiah 1, Isaiah 1 has a lot to say about the human condition. You might say, well, I haven't read Isaiah 1 for a while. Well, thank you. Join us here as a congregation. And let's begin in verse 2.

Hear, O heavens, and give, hear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. This is not Robin Weber. This is Holy Scripture. This is God's thoughts. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. It says, The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know my people do not consider. When I lived in Monrovia, I raised chickens for 27 years. There's an old expression, chickens come home to roost. Can I tell you something? They really do. They really do. And the ox knows its owner, the donkey knows its master. Chickens come home to roost. But there's a disconnect between human society and the Creator.

A last sinful nation of people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers. Children who are corruptors, they have forsaken the Lord, and they provoke to anger the Holy One of Israel, and they have turned backward. Then ask a question of us. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. Now I want to center on this. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints from the soil of the foot even to the head. There is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores, and they have been closed or bound up or soothed with ointment.

What am I getting at by reading this to you? Today in America, we have people say, well, look at the choices that are before us. And I say this apolitically. Look at the choices before us. And a lot of people are saying, where has the nation come to? What is with our leaders? But God says it is not just simply the head. The head represents the body. The head also leads the body, but the leaders would not be there if the bodies did not want them to be there.

People say, well, look at our choices. How did that person, how did this person, don't you know about this person, don't you know about that person? Well, America, look at itself. Look at yourself. Look at what we have become. God states that a people that drift apart from Him and the start that He gave them by His grace. The whole body is sick. Now, that's where we're at today, friends. But I told you this was going to be encouraging, and it is. Join me if you would in Isaiah. I just wanted to build the case to allow God now to come into our discussion.

In Isaiah 40, join me if you would there in Isaiah 40. And let's pick up the thought in verse 1. Comfort. Yes, comfort, my people. Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem. Cry out for her. Tell her that her warfare is in it, that her iniquity is pardoned for as she is received from the Lord's hand. Double for all her sins. Then it speaks familiar words to us, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted.

Every mountain and hill brought low. And the crooked place shall be made straight. And the rough place is smooth. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Now the Scriptures say comfort my people, comfort them. This has only been partially fulfilled by the first coming of Jesus of Nazareth. This has not all been fulfilled yet.

Yes, there are more challenging times yet to come. But it speaks to a time when every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked place shall be made straight. The valley shall be exalted. This is not talking about making the earth like a pancake. This is not just about topography. This is about God straightening out this earth, with His kingdom coming to this earth, with one whose promises are true, with one who says that I will do it.

And this world is going to be ultimately straightened out. So I have a question for you. What is the glory of the Lord? What is to be revealed? What is humanity to see? And what has God spoken? What I'm about to give you, brethren, is something that you often hear during the Feast of Trumpets.

It's sometimes what you hear during the Feast of Tabernacles. Sometimes we compartmentalize our mind and say, well, we'll talk about these things in a certain month of the year, or a certain feast of the year. But what I'm about to share with you, and I'm so excited about sharing it with you, is simply this. What I'm going to share with you, God thinks about every day.

He and the Christ think about it every day without hesitation or reservation. It is what they are about. They have made promises, and those promises are going to come about. So we're going to talk about that here in the lazy, hazy days of summer, to encourage you to strengthen your heart, to establish your faith, to make sure that your eye is focused on what is going to help you move forward, and then you put it down deep inside of you.

Just remember, it's not what is behind us, and it's not necessarily what's before us, because it's not going to get better for a while. But it's what we deposit, hold onto, abide in, deep down in our heart, where neither events nor man can touch, because you and God have a relationship. What I want to give you this afternoon is simply this. Are you ready? I'm going to give you five promises made by God of how He is going to restore this earth. Five promises. Promises that you can bet your life on. More than bet, you can give your life, too. And you can live your life as if you believe it.

Point number one. No, actually, yeah, just going to go to point number one. Number one, Christ is going to establish one world government. Christ is going to establish one world government. Now, when I use that phrase, especially in America, and you mention one world government, everybody goes, I'm out of here. That sounds like late night talk radio and block helicopters. That's not what I'm talking about at all.

But Jesus Christ is going to establish one world government. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth, and He's bringing the kingdom of heaven of where He is now, and He's bringing it down on behalf of His Father down to this earth. And He's coming as, yes, the Prince of Peace, but it's paradoxical that He's also coming as the Lamb of God that is actually going to intervene in world history, battle the armies of this earth to create peace.

Join me, if you would, in Revelation 11. In Revelation 11, let's pick up the thought if we could in verse 15. In Revelation 11 verse 15, in dealing with this first promise of God that He's going to establish one world government. How's that going to happen? In Revelation 11 verse 15 it says, Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of this world has become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their face, worshiped God, saying, We give you thanks, O Lord, God Almighty, the one who is, the one who was, and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they shall be judged. And notice what it says, And you shall reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints, those who fear your name, small and great. Brethren, wake up time, remembrance time, Independence Day. Independence Day is coming.

Jesus Christ is bringing it from heaven, and he's going to liberate humanity once and forever, and unite them with ways that work. Join me if you would in Revelation 19, just to build upon this thrust of intervention. In Revelation 19 and verse 11, Now I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. And his eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no one knew except himself.

It speaks about his robe dipped in blood, and it says that his name is called the Word of God, and it says that the armies of heaven that are clothed in fine linen and white and plain follow him on white horses. Here's a thought I'd like to share with you for a moment. Why is it with human nature that so often we look at what is negative, rather than what is positive?

We get stuck on humanity's story rather than the promises of God. Let's always remember, always tuck this away in your heart. There are not four horsemen alone in the book of Revelation. There are five horsemen. Yes, there are what have been come known as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Religious deception, war, pestilence, disease, famine.

Yes, and that's going to become even more magnified. But we've got to look at the end of the book, and we need to recognize that there is a fifth horseman, that God promises that he is going to intervene, that humanity is not going to destroy itself. Terrorists are not going to win. The armies of the East are not going to win. God is going to win. God is going to liberate this earth. How much more can we declare that on this, which is Independence Day weekend? Join me if you would for a moment in Matthew 24, verse 21. In Matthew 24, verse 21, we take a look here in the midst of the Olivet prophecy, where it says this, "'For then there will be great tribulation.'" I don't believe we're in that great tribulation right now.

I do believe that we are in the midst of the first four seals of Revelation, the history of man apart from God and rejecting God. I personally believe that the great tribulation is something that is history on steroids, that we have not yet seen. You say, wow, you've got to be incredible. I remember everything I read about World War II. But there is a spiritual element when you read the books of Revelation that I do not perceive have yet occurred.

It will come. It will be incredible. It will need divine intervention. When it comes, exactly who that person is, I don't know. And you know what? Neither do you. Nobody knows. We know there is a beast. We know that there is a false prophet. We realize that there is a rising up of a power that is going to confront the living Christ. That we know. But beyond that, I could speculate. I could suppose. I could share all sorts of historical data. But I don't know right now. But what I do know is the promise of God in Matthew 24-21.

For then there will be great tribulations. It has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved alive. But notice a promise, a promise. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Brethren, that's what we need to focus on. When we don't keep focus. Are you with me? When we don't get focus, we go tangential. And we start moving away. Ken reminds me of the story of the farmer, the sun, and plowing the field.

There's a farmer out there with a sun teaching him how to plow a field. Well, that sun plowing the field looked like furrows that looked like a bunch of spaghetti noodles going back and forth and back and forth and all over the place. Well, the farmer got exasperated and said, Sonny, I've taught you better than this. Look at this field. We're not going to be able to plant a crop. Now I'm going to give you responsibility. I want this field plowed right.

Just the way that I've taught you, I want straight furrows. And I'll tell you what, to help you see up in the horizon over there, up on the horizon, there's a cow. I just want you to keep your eyes on the cow. Sonny said, yes, I will keep my eyes on the cow. Father leaves, comes back an hour later thinking that everything is just going to be, you know, straight, straight, straight. And he looks back and it looks like double spaghetti.

They're on top of one another. And he says, boy, didn't I tell you to keep your eyes on the cow? He says, yes, dad, I did, but the cow moved. The cow moved. My question that I have for you is the people of God, what are you focusing on? What cow have you made as the object of your vision and your focus and where you are at? Are you looking the way that God is looking? Are you looking at the promises of God that are loud, that are clear?

Oh, yes, there is prophecy that is fascinating and prophecy that will come about, but prophecy that will yet have to be revealed and defined and sometimes only understood after it has occurred. But these are the promises of God that can change your life and make you a survivor in this day and in this age. I want to take you a step further. Join me if you would in Daniel 2 and verse 44. When it says that Jesus is going to intervene, then what's going to happen? In Daniel 2, which is addressing Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

In Daniel 2 and verse 44, where Daniel is interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the kingdoms, kingdoms that would systematically come. But then something occurs here in verse 44. And just let's notice this for a second. And in the days of these kings, speaking of that systematic line of governance, kingdoms, and empires and individuals, that in a sense would be in confrontation to God Almighty. And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.

And the kingdom shall not be left to other people. And it shall break in pieces and consume all of these kingdoms. And it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountains, this stone that destroys these kingdoms, a stone cut out of the mountains without hands, that it broke in pieces, the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God is made known to the king what will come to pass after this.

Now, again, have you ever considered, are you with me? Have you ever considered that Daniel 2, 44 and 45 are direct promises to the people of God? There's going to be an intervention by the divine to save humanity from itself. And not only that, but the one that saves it is this stone that was cut out of a mountain is going to come down and shatter the kingdoms of this earth and intervene once and for all.

When you notice Daniel 2, you notice that there's a series of kingdoms. You go from Babylon to Persia to Macedonia to Rome. It moves systematically. One falls, one rises. One falls, one rises. What this is saying, dear friends, this is dramatic, that there is going to be a complete makeover of history down below. Human history stops. Kingdoms have always come and gone. They've gone basically since the time of Egypt. You went from Egypt to Babylonia to Assyria to Babylon to Persia to Macedonia to Rome to the Byzantines to the Arabs to the Franks to the Mongols. You can go right down the line.

The Turks, the Habsburgs, the French under Louis XIV, the British Empire for 150 years. And right now we are under what we call Pax Americana, or the American Peace. All of these kingdoms basically have a life from ascendancy to fulfillment to decline of about 200 years. And then they are replaced with another kingdom.

And they are replaced with another energetic people that emerge in human history. This is done! Daniel 2 44 says it's over. Human kingdoms are no longer, and it shall not be left to other people. There's going to be an intervention by the divine to save humanity from itself. Not only that, but the one that saves it is this stone that was cut out of a mountain. Cut out of a mountain. Speaking of the divine, not made with human hands. A stone that is mentioned in the book of Psalms as one that is rejected by mankind. And yet the one that is rejected by mankind, that stone, that one known as Jesus of Nazareth, the ascended Christ now, is the one that's going to come down, as it says in Matthew 24, and secure this earth for his Father.

And secure this earth that God's very special creation humanity might live on. Oh, yes, brethren. That's a promise that you not only can bet on, but live for. That is that one world government is going to be established by Jesus Christ. Number two, Jesus Christ is going to establish one world religion. Jesus Christ is going to establish one world religion. You say, boy, I don't know if I'm ready for that. Right now there are some crazy religions out there, and they're wanting to take over the world. I don't know if I'm ready for that. It's a little scary when you have people thinking that God is only whispering, or Allah is only whispering in their ear, and everybody else is tuned out until the bombs drop.

So what does this mean? Join me, if you would, in Isaiah 11. Let's just read one verse here. Get an understanding of what's going to happen. In Isaiah 11, verse 1, it says, There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, And a branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of the knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And his delight is in the fear of the Lord, And he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of his ears.

But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, And decide with equity and or fairness for the meek of the earth. And he'll take on the tough guys, he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. And notice, righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, And faithfulness the belt of his waist. Can I ask you a question, may I?

What human political candidate or leader around this world today fits that description? Fits that description. You fill in the blanks. Now why is this all going to come about? Because for every cause there is an effect. Things don't happen in a vacuum. Notice what it says down here in verse 9. And they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the earth. You know there is, when you look at a globe, there is more water than there is land.

And you know when you're down by the coast, you just look and it goes and it goes, And you say, I can't see beyond the horizon. Yes. But then there is another horizon that you can't see beyond. And then there is another horizon that you can't see beyond. And you know it's not just you and me that do that, but Isaiah must have gone down to the coast. And been an eyewitness to this. Habakkuk must have been an eyewitness and gone down to the ocean and seen this. And then God revealed to that. That one day, God's Word, God's ways, we talk about the Declaration of Independence today.

We think of the Constitution created in 1787 on another day, which stems from the Declaration of Independence. What we call, you know, the Bill of Rights. There's going to be a day when God's righteousness and God's way encapsulated by the Ten Commandments, the ultimate Bill of Righteousness is going to permeate this earth. And there are going to be results that are just literally going to be incredible.

And who's going to teach that way? Join me if you would in Revelation 5 and verse 10 for a moment. Who is going to help Jesus Christ establish this? I want to remind you why you have been called, brethren. It's not just simply to come to Glendale at Venice Academy on a Sabbath. It's not just to show up and meet people and be at a potluck later on.

It's not just simply to show up at special events. God is about His business in you and me. He is creating something in us. He is establishing something. And it says here in Revelation 5 and verse 10, And has made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.

There are other translations that says that He is making a kingdom of priests.

We are priests, the saints of God. Those that have been in the body of Christ for 2,000 years are in training. They become priests to be in the throne room of God. And you cannot teach what you are not. You cannot teach what you have not experienced. We are in training now more than ever. Which leads me to point number 3, another promise of God. God promises that He is going to give humanity a new heart. Just as He has given us a new heart today. Join me if you would for a moment in Ezekiel 36. Join me in Ezekiel 36.

And let's pick up the thought if we could in verse 22. Now this is speaking to Israel, but I believe Israel is but a model to what God wants to do with all of humanity. In Ezekiel 36, and let's pick up the thought if we could in verse 22. Therefore say to the house of Israel, that says the Lord God, I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. You see, Israel also forgot. Are you with me, friends? Israel also forgot in God we trust.

But God is not just simply doing this for their sake, because God made promises to Israel. And God makes promises to the Israel of God today. And God must be true to his word. God cannot lie. That's in the first one or two verses of Titus. He does this to extol his nature, his attributes, that what he says he will do.

He says, therefore, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations, and I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned. And he goes on today, so that they might know that I am the Lord, and that when I am hallowed before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

Now notice verse 25, please. Let's focus. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you. And you shall be clean, and I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all of your idols. And I will give you a new heart. Brethren of Los Angeles, that is a promise that we can live, that we can die for. That no matter what is behind us or before us, it is what is in us. God says, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean.

And I will cleanse you from your filthiness, and from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take that heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and I'm going to cause you to walk in my statutes. And you will keep my judgments and do them. And then you will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be to my people, and I will be your God.

Brethren, the testimony of Scripture is simply this. God promises that He will cleanse us, and the way that He cleanses us is He will give us a new heart, and He will give us a new spirit. Now, in a sense, this speaks of Israel yet in the future. This speaks of humanity yet in the future. But you and I, dear brethren, here in Los Angeles, you and I have an opportunity as the firstfruits of God, the body of Christ.

That which He has called down through the ages now, to live that world tomorrow, today. He's not asking us to wait. He's not asking us simply to read and therefore defer our life and wait. At baptism, He does give us a new heart. At baptism, He does give us a new spirit. At baptism, He does cleanse our lives. And henceforth, after baptism, when we come to Him and say, Father, Lord, You are mine and I am Yours. You have decided to create Your world in me today. Bless me, keep me.

For I know that You have given me a new heart. You have given me a new spirit. I have a question for you. May I? When God says that He's going to give us a new heart, what does that mean? That He's going to give us a stint? Is that what we are operating on? Somehow He's put some kind of a stint in there? Is that what it means to have a new heart?

Does it mean that He... Oh, no, no. I know more than that. No, He's given us a bypass. A bypass from our human nature. Has God said that He's going to give us a bypass? No, He doesn't, brethren. Not now, not then. Not in 2016, not whenever in the future. God says that He is going to give us a new heart. I believe that. I know that.

I live that. I love what God has done for you and for me. See, when God calls us out of this world, He doesn't say, Okay, thank you very much for following my invitation. He said, Well, here I am repairing me. Now, God is not in the repair business. He's in the new creation business. He doesn't say, I'm going to rebuild you. He says, I want your sight. I want your location. And I'm going to do something new with you. It's why we call it in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 5, 17, You are to be a new creation because we have a new heart, we have a new spirit.

And we are learning this lesson now in faith that it's not what is behind us and it's not what is before us that matters. But that which is inside of us, in faith, that God has already landed in our lives. Oh, yes, indeed. Zachariah 14, 4 says He will land on the Mount of Olives. Make no doubt about that. But that as Christians under the new covenant, He has already elected to land into the kingdom of our life for us to surrender our lives voluntarily now that we might learn the lessons now that we can be that kingdom of priests that is talked about later on.

So my question to you, and maybe my challenge to all of us this week, something to kind of tuck in your heart and take home with you, on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, what are you going to be operating on? You operating on a stint? Get rid of it! Do you like that bypass? Get rid of it! God says, because I gave my son, I'm going to give you a new heart. We have that now. God, in the future, is going to resolve all of this craziness that is around us when Jesus Christ comes back, establishes one world government, when He establishes one religion, and then gives us a heart.

Very quickly, point number four, God is going to bring healing among the nations. God is going to bring healing amongst the nations. Brethren, as a pastor, I am in so many hospitals. I am in so many facilities. I deal with so many of our brethren throughout Southern California and Nevada that are just so much in need of healing. Their bodies are wearing down. Their bodies are wearing out. Sometimes, frankly, it's not age. Their bodies have just never worked from birth. Can you imagine a time in the future when there is just going to be a healing amongst the nations, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically?

When Jesus came, we're going through the book of Luke right now, and I really appreciate what our moderators are doing for us. How many healings are mentioned in the book of Luke? You know why they are mentioned? Because the book of Luke is basically written about the people that nobody else wanted to deal with. But they were the first ones that Jesus did deal with. He dealt with the widows. He dealt with the outcasts. He dealt with the Gentiles. He dealt with the lepers. Instead of marching in front of an army and going down to Caesarea, he marched through crowds of lepers and sick people. And women with issues of blood healed them.

And said, to your faith, may it be so. Can you imagine a time when the entire world is going to be healed? Join me if you would in Isaiah 35. Let's just look at one quick scripture here in Isaiah 35. In Isaiah 35, I'm picking up the thought here in verse 5. Isaiah 35 verse 5. Hm. Isaiah 35 and verse 5. First... Ah, there it is. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the years of the deaf shall be unstopped, and then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb, or the mute, will sing.

For water shall burst in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Brethren, as we look at all of this, that is about us in these lazy, hazy days of summer. While we celebrate the American experiment and the American experience over this 4th of July weekend, but seeing it sour and dissipate from what was the original intent of God and the original intent of the Founders, I'm sharing this to encourage you to keep the eye on the big picture, to remember that our God is not only creator, but He creates promises, promises that we can give our life to.

Can you imagine a world without wheelchairs, without hospitals, without convalescent centers, without huge insurance programs? No more crutches, no more hearing aids, no more AIDS, no more Zika, which is coming up from Latin America. No more going into facilities where people are locked in and they're frankly not going to be coming out because of the disabilities that they have. And when you think of all of these points, Christ bringing peace, Christ bringing one world religion, Christ giving people a new heart, you know what's going to dissipate in the wonderful world tomorrow?

Stress! Stress is a killer. How often have we said, oh boy, look at you, you look like you're worrying yourself to death. Imagine when these worries are taken away and humanity can focus on the love of God and develop that love in them, which takes me to point five. Christ creates a world with working solutions.

Christ is bringing a world that works and has working solutions. That's a promise. You know, today we talk about society in America. We worry about being the policeman of the world. We think about over the course of history, not only our history, but world history. Almost 18 to 19 trillion dollars have been spent on armaments because we don't trust one another around this world. And probably when you think about it, it's a good thing because of who's on this world and because of the spirit of Satan. But imagine when there is no more war. Imagine when peace breaks out all over. We talk about so much America right now being the policeman of the world and all of our money going into our defense. And we say there's just a craving need to deal with matters here at home. We talk about the infrastructure that needs to be replenished after 70 or 80 years. We have old pipelines. We have old streets. We have old this. We have old that. And yes, we are still far ahead of the rest of the world. But we have a tremendous infrastructure need. But let's understand something. Making new buildings without God creating new heart and new spirit is going to go nowhere. If we've learned any lesson in America, urban renewal without human renewal goes nowhere. A change of scenery without a change of heart goes nowhere. And that's why these promises that I'm sharing with you this afternoon to encourage you, to allow you to have the focus that God has. Oh yeah, we're going to go through a tough patch of history. There's no doubt. And I can speculate about that. I can give you all my background in history and move it forward to the future and talk about this empire, that empire. And they will do that later. But what I want to think about is the big picture. I want to think about the fifth horseman, and I want you to think about what that fifth horseman on behalf of his father is bringing to this earth. And to recognize and think about what it's going to be like, what cities are going to be like. I just want to turn to one verse to really encourage you. Join me if you would in Zechariah 8. In Zechariah 8, right at the end of the Old Testament, Zechariah, which is Messianic and which speaks of the future. In Zechariah 8, and let's pick up the thought in verse 1.

This is speaking about the world that you and I are preparing for today, brethren.

We are not just simply to sit on the bench. We are not to be passive. There's nowhere in the Bible where God says, Go to your cave now. In fact, he calls people out of caves. He called Elijah out of the cave. He said, Get out there from amongst the bats and the mushrooms. Get out of the dark. There's a life to live. There's a work to be done. There are 7,000 that have not yet been to need a veil. And to recognize, then, that we have to be living these lessons today and believe in them so we can be there helping and assisting Jesus Christ in the future.

In Ezekiel 8, verse 1. Thus says the Lord of hosts, I am zealous for Zion with great zeal, with great fervor, I am zealous for her. Thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. That's a promise. Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts, Old men and old women shall sit, again sit, in the streets of Jerusalem. Each one with his staff in his hand, speaking of a lengthy life, because of great age, and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

And thus says the Lord of hosts, It is marvelous in the eyes of the women of this people, and these days, will it also be marvelous in my eyes, says the eternal host. God is going to be rejoicing as his promises come to fulfillment. This is not talking about today.

Many years ago, I was an insurance inspector, and all of Los Angeles County was my field. I probably have been on about every 20th block of Los Angeles County. I know every neighborhood. I know every district. There are very few places in LA where I would want my children to be playing on the street, like I did growing up in San Diego back in 1959.

Today, we have far too many senior citizens away from their families, not being able to see little children. Little children need to see senior citizens. Senior citizens need little children to see. There needs to be a connection of generations. There needs to be that love cycle of circle of old to young, and young to middle, and middle to old, where the whole human family is together. That's what God designed, because he didn't call us to technology. He called us to relationships, and first and foremost, with him. Yes, brethren, this is a promise. Jesus Christ is coming to this world, a world that's going to work. God's ways are going to work. They're going to work best, and there are going to be working solutions. Now, I've mentioned for a moment here about the promises of God, but I forgot to tell you something at the very beginning. God is already beyond promises. He's made five decisions. He's made five decisions. These are all going to come out in about a minute and a half, lest you worry, because the five promises took a little while. God is very decisive. God doesn't say, promise, hope it happens. No. God is a decision-maker, and he's made five decisions. You might want to jot these down. It's going to go real quickly, but I want to finish up with them. Number one, God has already decided and made man in his image and likeness.

That decision has been made. God is decisive. And that creation is yet in process. It started with dust, but it's going to wind up in spirit. And you and I have an opportunity to be a part of that solution. Number two, man rejected the guidance of God at Eden. Many of us that grew up in the 1960s, we used to talk about doing your own thing.

Doing your own thing did not start in the 1960s. It started at the Garden of Eden. Man also made a decision. God decided to honor man's decision. That's your decision. That's your choice. I will respect your choice, even though I disagree with it. Which leads us to number three, God's decisiveness. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to reopen the door of that which was locked at the Garden of Eden. God is decisive. He knew the one whose heart was true. The one that was tested. The one that was willing. The one that was available. The one that was open, saying, not my will, but your will be done, Father in Heaven. To unlock that door. Number four, God is sending his Son to this earth. That's already been decided. That promise has been made to save humanity from itself.

A lot of these, we might say, are macro issues in the Bible and in history. But God also deals with the micro. Number five, another decision. God intervened in your life. God intervened in my life. And he's called you and he's called me to start living the future that I have talked about to you this afternoon, beginning today. We can't live that if we think our heart is being kept alive by a stent. We cannot do that if we just think that God has given us a bypass. We have to have believing faith that God Almighty, the Divine, has called us, enriched us, instilled us with every heavenly gift to be able to honor Him, to glorify Him, to lock onto these promises, and live them and love them. That we may not worry about that which is past, and not even worry about that which is coming. But to keep these promises down deep inside of us, where neither external events or man can reach, but are given to God for His safekeeping to establish us and allow us, you and me, to have the peace of God, even during these turbulent times. May God be praised. May God be honored. The God who keeps His promises, who says in Isaiah 46, I will do all of my purpose. I will do all of my pleasure. And at the end, He says, I will do it. That's a promise that you can live for, you can breathe for, you can die for. And we die every day daily, that Christ might live in us, that we might be with Him in the wonderful, wonderful world tomorrow.