You know anymore a lot happens  it seems from day to day  and it's been only two weeks since I’ve  been here but a lot has happened in the  world  since I was here last you probably have  been listening to the news much more  than I have over the last couple weeks  as as I haven't had access to news you  know every every single evening but I  hear enough to know what's going on and  as usual some momentous things have  happened we do live in a time where  things rapidly change we do live in a  time that's unique and different than  all the times  you know that we have lived before and  while there's times where I think I  would like to give a different sermon I  feel like I would be remiss if I don't  call our attention to what is going on  in the world and what it portends for  the world and for us and what we need to  do about it so let me just talk about  two of the notable things that have  happened in the last two weeks I’ve been  I’ve been gone one of them is is  something that we've become very  familiar with over the last year and a  half and that's this coronavirus  you know it has it has dominated our  lives it has dominated our news  sometimes dominates our conversations  and and our behavior what is going on  and we've seen it go from one thing last  winter to bring us into lockdowns and  face masks and all the controversies  that can come that have have arisen from  that we've gone from one to now a delta  variant and we've seen very many changes  in our in our society we have something  that I’m not going to call the v word  I’m going to call it an injection you  know what I’m talking about  um you know that has also  befallen us and there's been a lot of  controversy  and discussion over that in the news  media and among among people  it has it has you know some say it's the  absolute savior for mankind others are  very leery and very much  against it I won't comment either way  there are studies that are out there as  I mentioned in a in a sermon not too  long ago we can find a study to support  anything we want these days it is us  that needs to be led by God and directed  by him so that we're doing his will  but we can see that what's going on you  know with that we can see some of the  government controls that have been put  in place as a result of that  and we you know here as as we look at  statistics hear stories read the things  that are going on around the world that  now there may be a third shot that has  to be done  that begs a lot of questions and a lot  of things that needs to happen  on how effective how necessary  you know as I’ve been listening the last  couple weeks and even before I left I  keep my ears open for the next variant  because this coronavirus is something  that may well be with us for the rest  for us of time  it just seems to have life of its own  and it is ever it's ever changing and  ever  reinventing itself mutating as they  would say  before I left I heard about this one new  variant called the lambda variant  there's a couple others out there but  this lambda variant  is out there  and as I checked into it yesterday and  heard something about it out of a  Florida report on our way home I looked  at it and see that you know in south  America and Latin America this lambda  variant seems to be flourishing  just two days ago it was posted that in  Miami Florida the lamb the variant is  now nine percent of the cases that have  been reported in Miami it's also in  California and Texas and other states  and as just like the delta variant you  know when we heard about it and how  widespread would it be  you know the slam the variant seems to  be  and the who and the CDC has caused cause  uh called it a variant of concern  you know the land of the variant is  different there's a few doctors who have  posted about it about the experience  that they've had in Peru where it seems  to be very prevalent and in Latin  America and they say as opposed to the  delta variant it's more contagious  more deadly  and the thing that they're finding is  that the vaccine likely does not prevent  the lambda variant  so other vaccines are in the work works  you know we hear all these things and we  wonder all these things we hear about  variant upon variant we hear about  variants and rumors of variants and if  you keep your ears open  and watch what the news is and look at  it you see a world that is in total  chaos total confusion one thing  happening or another and there is no  answer they want to say there is an  answer this is the answer if you don't  take it you're the fault  we need to be listening to what's going  on and we need to be watching on what's  going on you know as i just watch what's  going on not making a judgment on one  way or the other what's going on with  these variants reminds me of something  that God wrote back in Deuteronomy 28  let's go back there  in the book of Deuteronomy sometimes we  don't turn back to Deuteronomy in the  books of Moses for prophecy but there is  prophecy  back here in in Leviticus and  Deuteronomy in Deuteronomy 28  God inspired Moses to write a very  lengthy prophecy about what would happen  to the physical nation of Israel if they  would follow his commandments if they  would yield to him if they would follow  his principles and trust in him and  completely  yield to him  that he would have them ride the high  heels of the earth he would bless them  they would always be prosperous he would  protect them from all the things that  could harm them but he tells them in  verse 28 if we look at  at um  well let's see what verse we want to go  to here verse 14 Deuteronomy 28  says if you so you shall not turn aside  from any of the words which i command  you to the right or to the left to go  after other gods to serve them but it  shall come to pass if you don't obey the  voice of the lord your God to observe  carefully all his commandments and his  statutes which i command you today  all these curses will come upon you and  overtake you  if we drop down to verse 20 the lord  when we depart from God when we do  things our own way the lord will send on  you cursing  confusion  and rebuke in all that you set your hand  to do  until you are destroyed and until you  perish quickly because of the wickedness  of your doings in which you have  forsaken me  the lord will make the plague clean to  you until he has consumed you from the  land you are going to possess  he will strike you with consumption with  fever with inflammation with severe  burning fever with the sword with  scorching and with mildew they shall  pursue you  until you  perish  all these things that God says will come  upon  his people if they turn from him if they  forsake him if they leave him behind and  turn after other Gods and serve them  rather than him  now remember as we  read  in prophecy about physical Israel we do  know that physical Israel went into  captivity and we have records of how  Israel went into captivity and some of  the things we've read about we don't see  happening to Israel at that time when  they went into their first captivity  we know where physical Israel is today  we know that God is still aware of  physical Israel and there are prophecies  that says when Jesus Christ returns he  will bring physical Israel back from the  places that they are scattered around  the world he still loves the descendants  of Abraham even though they have  departed from him  so there's physical Israel  and you and I live in a part of physical  Israel we know that we know that we know  where the descendants of Abraham are  today so as we live in a land that we  see as departing more and more actually  has departed more and more from God over  the last several decades when Moses  recorded this prophecy about what will  happen if you depart from God we can see  those words coming  to life  around us exactly what God said  we can begin seeing if we drop down even  further in verse 28  it says the lord the eternal will strike  you with madness  you know that's mental instability he  will strike you with madness and  blindness and confusion of heart and I  heard some commentator as we were  driving yesterday and he made the  comment that the world is just a  confused place anymore he wasn't a right  wing or a left wing actually I don't  know what wing he was but it's just the  world that's just confused  you don't know which way to turn  you know God is not the author of  confusion  when we're following God we know exactly  the way to do and when you see confusion  you know it's not the way of God  we know we've said this  you know before in sermons this is a  world that's not under the sway of God  this is a world that is under the sway  of Satan  and trusting in the world and its  comments and in its ways and in its  verdicts and edicts  maybe something we want to think about  and discern as we talked about a few  weeks ago what is good  what is right what is God's way and what  is not  God's way that's for all of us  individually to work with him on but  here he tells us  you know there's going to be a time when  you depart from God there's going to be  confusion there's going to be strife  there's going to be madness there's  going to be mental instability  all these things are going to come upon  a nation all these diseases that are  going to be there all these  traumas that are going to be there all  these things and we look around our  world today and we know  we know that we have all sorts of  medicines for all sorts of these  ailments that befall everyone  mental  physical emotional you name it confusion  which way do I turn what do I do who do  I believe  it's all there  exactly what God said would happen we  don't have record of that happening in  ancient Israel they went into captivity  as Assyria captured them but as we'll  see  these prophecies that Moses recorded are  for the latter days are for the latter  days as well as for Israel um as they  would go into captivity  so we see these things around us  you know and  we we can look at  we can look at Deuteronomy and see some  things in there that kind of point us to  where we are today but let's go back to  the book of Amos as well Amos is of  course  a prophecy that was fulfilled when  ancient Israel  was taken into captivity but there are  elements elements of it that show it is  a prophecy for the end time as well it's  crystal clear that it's a latter days  prophecy when we look at Amos  5 and verse 18 we see  God  turn to Amos 5 Amos 5 and verse 18  God  gives Israel kind of a puzzle if you  will  they are searching for something they're  trying to grasp for something here's the  answer I’ve been looking for  now if the answer is from God it's a  sure thing  if the answer is not from God he kind of  highlights it here in these verses Amos  5 18 he says woe to you who desire the  day of the lord that are looking for the  return of Jesus Christ for what good is  the day of the lord to you it'll be  darkness and not light it will be as  though a man fled from a lion  and a bear met him he's going to think I  got away from that one I clamped onto  that but oh I turned the corner and  there it is I was caught anyway  I didn't have the answer I didn't have  the answer I didn't flee from what I was  running from  but here's his bear that met me or zoe  went into the house leaned his hand on  the wall and a serpent bit him  no safety  no surety  no certainty in the world when we look  to the world there is no certainty there  is only confusion  the only certainty in life  is God  and as we look at the coronavirus and  the various rumors about the various  variants that are out there what happens  as soon as one may get under control  another one is there and as we watch the  world around us and hear the things  around us because this is the first time  in our lifetimes there's been a global  occurrence of this this is not just an  isolated thing this is something that's  happening through the whole thing there  is only one answer and you and I God's  people need to know what that answer is  we find it in second chronicles second  chronicles seven  second chronicles 7  and verse 14.  now Solomon  has completed the house for God God is  dwelling in that house  God is moved by the prayer  of sincerity  that Solomon has prayed to him  God says this  now remember God dwells with us today  he's here he dwells in us we're his  temple individually we're his temple  collectively if my people who are called  by my name will humble themselves and  pray  and seek my face  and turn from their wicked ways  then I will hear from heaven  then I will forgive their sin  and heal  their land  only one way  plagues can stop only one way  pestilences can stop  and that's by turning to God  it's the one thing the world will not do  it's the one thing you and I should do  and keep in mind  if my people you know there's a key in  healing there as well not just from the  variants that are out there but even our  illnesses if my people who know my name  will turn from their way if they will  seek my face if they will do what I  command them to do  then  I will forgive then  I will heal  sometimes we  think I think we might think oh we'll  just ask God to heal and he should just  automatically heal us but there is  something we learn  as we ask for God's healing and  something that he wants us to do he will  be faithful to heal  but just like we heard in the sermonette  when we're doing God's will  when we are committed his his will and  doing his will fully  he'll hear  he'll answer prayers  and he will he will heal us he will heal  our  land and he will give us the direction  that we need  well one of the things out of this  pandemic that we've experienced  has been  you know the government control that's  been imposed and we've talked about that  you know we had a lockdown  several months ago a year ago we have  all these mandates from the government  and I know as I as I was away you know  there's certain cities that have begun  to put some teeth behind the injection  and the medicine that they  they want you to take as they tout it as  the savior the savior that'll save us  from this  this uh time that we're in  and that if you don't do it if you don't  take it you're not going to be able to  go to restaurants you're not going to be  able to go to the entertainment places  you're not going to be able to do any of  those things that that we've been  accustomed to do  again it's the first time in our  lifetimes we've seen anything like that  happen  and as we're looking at what is going on  and what is happening in our society we  as God's people should have a foresight  we should be able to see the end from  the beginning  because things happen  just not  overnight  but little by little  things enter into society little by  little things come about that will  change our thinking that will try to get  us to yield to something other  than God  all these things we hear about going on  you know  airline trail all the things that we  might not be able to do right now is  talked about because there's pushback by  it  I personally don't think that talk will  end  I think that those things will continue  to increase because the bible talks  about a time when that type of  governmental authority is extant upon  the earth let's go to revelation 13  revelation 13  and you know exactly  what goes on in revelation 13 is it  talks about the beast's power  and the little beast that rides  the beast in verse 15  talks about the  beast that will  have people bow down to the beast verse  15  he was granted power to give breath to  the image of the beast that the image of  the beast should both speak  and cause as many as would not worship  the image of the beast  to be killed  bow down to him  if you don't bow down to him  you could be killed  he causes all verse 16 both small and  great rich and poor free and slave to  receive a mark on their right hand or on  their foreheads that no one may buy or  sell  except one who has the mark or the name  of the beast or the number of his name  well that kind sounds familiar now right  well you're not going to be able to buy  you're not going to be able to go here  you can't go to this restaurant you  can't go to this museum you can't do  this you can't do that unless  unless  you take a shot  here's wisdom  let him who is understanding calculate  the number of the beast versus the  number of a man  his number is 666. so we know there's a  time coming we've known it ever since  we've been in the church that there will  be a time of governmental authority  where this will happen it has to start  somewhere it has to start some way  society has to become conditioned to it  and society has to has to move in that  direction  as we look at the world around us and we  discern the times as we see the buds as  on the trees beginning to bloom  what is the time that we're in where is  it leading to where should the people of  God  be having their attention  and paying attention to what's going on  you know some people don't like to hear  prophecy  some people don't want to hear those  things and they are can be difficult  difficult  to hear some of the things that the  bible says that Jesus Christ himself  says but that all the the prophets  have spoken of  but God didn't give prophecy to us just  to scare us  he gave us prophecy to motivate us  he gave us prophecy so that we are aware  of the times that's coming what we need  to do that we need to become closer to  him more zealous toward him putting our  trust more in him putting our faith more  in him not going the opposite way but  going toward him as we see the day  approaching not running from him not  counting more on the world than God but  putting our faith in him  examining ourselves catching ourselves  thinking about what we're doing and  seeing where God's will is as he leads  us through his holy spirit  if we drop down to chapter 14  and verse 9  we see that this mark of the beast that  will be there at the end time says the  third angel followed them saying with a  loud voice if anyone worships the beast  and his image and receives his mark on  his forehead or on his hand  he himself will drink of the wine of the  wrath of God which has poured out full  strength into the cup of his indignation  he shall be tormented with fire and  brimstone in the presence of the holy  angels and in the presence of the lamb  and the spoke of their torment ascends  forever and ever  and notice they have no rest  they are night who worship the beast in  his image and whoever receives  the mark of his  name God's warning  this is a time that will come  we are going to be faced with that we  are going to have to say no to that no  matter what the personal cost to us is  that's what God says of his people  remember whose world it is what does  Satan want he wants to destroy you he  wants to destroy me he wants to destroy  the plan of God he will do whatever he  can and use whatever means he can to  separate us from God your not your and  my job is to stay close to God be led by  his holy spirit that no matter what  happens  we would follow God  we need to take the opportunities to be  building that faith take the  opportunities to be building that trust  and looking at him squarely in the eye  and asking him to give us the strength  as that day  comes  revelation 15 verse 2.  talking as we go through chapter 14  talking about the first fruits I saw  something like a sea of glass mingled  with fire and those who have the victory  over the beast  over him his image and over his mark and  over the number of his name  the victory over his image  over his mark  over the number of his name  standing on the sea of glass having  harps of God  those will be the ones who will be there  the ones who resist  the ones who resist  the bark  and are able to discern between  what is of God  and what is of  man  and learning to choose  man's way  looking to God as savior  and not the world as savior  because God and Jesus Christ are our  saviors they are our deliverers they  shield they protect they guide and as we  follow them  and their whole the holy spirit that God  puts in us  that's the way to the kingdom of God  so we can look at all this that's going  on around us and likely to heat up even  more in the weeks and months ahead as a  new variant occurs and new things happen  in the world and we're told this and  that and what we need to do and here's  how you do that or whatever it is  pay attention to it pay attention to it  and remember what the bible says  let God let God lead you  you know I have a note here  you know as um I have a note here that  Shadrach Meshach and Abednego  lived in times that we were  that we are headed toward right  they lived in similar times  they didn't worry about their heads  being cut off or thrown or Daniel thrown  into a  lion's pit or the fire burning them  they learn to trust  God  well that's one thing  the other thing  you know that that happened that was of  note just this past week is  what happened in Afghanistan  you know there are watershed moments in  history and the united states and  America and and really the world has had  a number of watershed moments in the  last couple years things that will  change  life forever for all of us and for  everyone around the world we've talked  about a couple of them I mean we had the  pandemic happen in 2020 it's continuing  into 2021  but Afghanistan and what happened there  is another watershed moment in history  you've probably well you haven't you  haven't been paying attention you  haven't been awake if you haven't seen  the pictures of what went on in  Afghanistan and and pictures that will  be in our minds of of jets and these  huge airbuses rolling as people are  clinging to it and wanting to get out of  a situation that has developed so  tremendously  quickly  it was an embarrassment for the united  states if there's been one thing in the  last two or three or four or five years  that the media seems to agree on is  what happened in Afghanistan was a  debacle  and it changes things forever  it changes things forever a couple of  things happened happened to that time  one of them we can  you know we can go back to Leviticus 26  another prophecy for the end time  that God talks about foreign nation on  the people who depart from him  another one given to Moses that's  recorded here  and it has a  fairly accurate I guess accurate we'll  see as time goes on timeline but in  Leviticus 26 it's another blessings and  cursing’s chapter  God talks as he introduces the chapter  if you obey me this is what's going to  happen but if you turn from me  this is what will happen Israel this is  this is the  this is the price for turning from me  let's pick it up in chapter where I mean  verse 26 and verse 14.  if you don't obey me  if you don't observe these commandments  if you despise my statutes or if your  soul abhors my judgments so that you  don't perform all my commandments but  break my covenant I will do this to you  I  will even appoint terror  over you  now one of the spectacles of Afghanistan  is the Taliban  I mean it was kind of amazing the power  that the Taliban had as the united  states was still there in Afghanistan  and they were able to march through that  country and basically without any kind  of  resistance at all just take over that  country  you look at the Taliban you look at them  they just look  like they're not the people you want  having living next door to you right I  mean as you see the people their  reaction in Afghanistan  I think they know what the Taliban is  about this is not a you know remade  kinder gentler Taliban as I’ve heard  some commentators say this is the same  old Taliban that Russia fought against  that the united states has spent 20  years trying to hold off and literally  in a matter of a week and a  week in a few days they've taken over a  country  and in a fashion that no one could have  foreseen coming and there's already  reports of what they're doing as they go  as they go door to door  terror has made a comeback in the world  for the last few years there has not  been much  talk about outside international terror  terror is back and it's back with the  vengeance  so you know God says when you depart  from me Israel I will appoint terror  over you  already there's talk about you know the  people that have been set free the  masterminds behind that takeover and  what it means for the world even type  generals  this morning are making the comment that  yes Afghanistan could well be the new  terror bed of the world  and it happened on our watch  the world is not a the world is a much  more dangerous place today  as a result of what we didn't do  so in verse 16 God says if you do this  I’ll appoint terror over you and I’ll  appoint wasting disease and fever going on  in verse 16 which will consume the eyes  and cause sorrow of heart you will sow  your seed in vain for your enemies shall  eat it I will set my face against you  you'll be defeated by your enemies  those who hate you  shall reign over you and you shall flee  when no one perceives you  and after all this if you don't owe me  I’ll punish you seven times more for  your sins verse 19  I will break the pride of your power  America's power and the pride in it  fell apart last week  no longer will the world look at us in  the same way  that they did before  as they washed and as we all washed what  unfolded on tv and as we saw what  happened  the America that we have come to know  and the mystique of America that has  kept people at bay  for decades since world war ii melted  melted it disappeared  in that last week  God  God said what would happen  and we're beginning  to see that  just the beginning  just the beginning of things  that God said would come  that he said through Moses that he said  through the other prophets as well  that we'll talk about a little later if  we go back to Deuteronomy 28 or forward  to Deuteronomy 28 where we were before  you know one of the things that struck  me as you know as was pointed out on the  news  briefs that I saw was you know not only  did we flee and leave all these people  behind and just kind of abandon abandon  uh everything we also left a good number  of high-priced weaponry behind  that was intended for the Afghan army  but not armory but now is in the hands  of the enemy  and so what our intentions were is that  we would have all this armament there to  safeguard that land  didn't see this coming  and now someone else has what we  intended for us  and there's really no way we're going to  get it back Deuteronomy 28 talks about  this whole way of things that that  happen when we might do one things and  then someone else  takes over and and what we  what we might plan  we never see the benefit of Deuteronomy  28 first thought verse 30  talks about taking a wife  okay  now  let's just read through verses 30 and 31  you shall betroth the wife  but another man shall lie with her  you'll build a house  but you won't dwell in it  you'll plant a vineyard but shall not  gather its grapes  your ox will be slaughtered before your  eyes you shall not eat of it your donkey  shall be violently taken away from  before you and shall not be restored to  you your sheep shall be given to your  enemies and you shall have no one to  rescue  them  well that's wives  and livestock and all our  material things  and those would be awful enough but it's  the concept you will do these things but  someone else will use them  and that's what we see happening over  there  all  this  all these things all this weaponry that  were designed for one use  but now the enemy  has his hands on it  over and over again as you keep your  eyes open to the world you see what God  said would happen to a nation that  departs from him  what happened  I make no mistake we can look at  America's history and we can see that  they have continually and constantly  departed from God  we all know unless we've had our eyes  closed that America was founded on a  belief in God and a belief in the bible  as God allowed they them  our founding fathers to understand the  bible  they paid attention to it they  understood the moral laws as God opened  them to do and they believed in God and  the constitution that we have was built  on that we have presidents who are  making who made comments down through  the through the ages that we repeat  often as we come to thanksgiving and  other times that shows a faith in God  and they know this land was richly  blessed  in  1945 there's books written on it secular  books not just by the church  that talk about God's blessing that came  and how the world the united states  became the zenith of power as a result  that went on in world war ii as God's  hand was clearly involved in the events  that led to the victory in that war and  God blessed the nation  tremendously continues to bless it that  even today we are still the richest  nation on earth there is no one that  compares no nation ever that is compared  to America  God did all those blessings but slowly  but surely America has turned away from  God just as God warned them not to  you know go back to 1962 what they what  the supreme court did it says no longer  is there school sanctioned prayer  take God out of that it was followed up  but we don't want any more displays of  the ten commandments anywhere get God  out of our lives in 1972 abortion was  legalized  legal killing  was was was  there a departure from God and all that  he stands for  you go through the 70s and 80s and you  see just moral depravity and a sexual  revolution that led the people to become  a totally different people all  restraints were taken off  and society became totally different  than it was in the 60s and 70s not that  it was perfect back then and before the  60s but the revolution changed the way  we think changed the way we look at  things forever today we don't even blink  an eye when we hear that  a man and woman are living together  before they're married in the 60s and  70s we would have shaken our head and  thought whoa that's really bold that's a  step against God today it's commonplace  and other things that I won't even  mention that today are commonplace  as we have we have become accustomed to  them  you come down through 2015 and you see  the supreme court  legalizing same-sex marriage an  abomination to God one of those  abominations you know over in  Deuteronomy or Deuteronomy 28 over in  Deuteronomy 32  and verse  16.  know as Israel  as Israel  departs from God and God watches them  and God is patient and God gives plenty  of time to turn back to him both for  physical Israel and for you and me  because his will is that no one would  perish but that we would turn back to  him and third Deuteronomy 32 verse 16 it  says they  Israel provoked God to jealousy with  foreign Gods with abominations  they provoked him to anger  abominations is a strong word  we've talked about abominations before  and it would bear a refresher study on  your part if you  think of abominations as being this  horrific horrific thing that defies the  imagination because the world around us  is filled with the abominations that God  himself calls abominations  in Leviticus 11  he gives  he gives the instruction on clean and  unclean meats  he said that those who eat unclean meats  are an abomination to him  does that surprise you  that's an abomination to God that we  would defy his health laws  and go against what he had to say  as you look into Leviticus 18 God talks  about people who are worshiping other  Gods bowing down to them whatever they  say to do we will do looking at the  nations around them  and doing and following that rather than  looking to him  for guidance rather than seeking his  will  following what he wants to do  you can go to the book of proverbs  20 different verses in proverbs talk  about abominations we'd bear be worth  your study to go back and look at that  in proverbs 6 16  alone seven abominations  might surprise you what those  abominations are  included in them is is perversity  perverted actions  turning from God  taking what he set for humanity and  doing their own things  again you'd have to have your head  buried in the sand  you'd have to be soundly asleep  if you didn't know that the world today  is so far away from God and so much  farther away from God than it was even  10 or 15 years ago and even five and six  years ago as God watches a nation that  continually moves further and further in  him legalizing and really even  encouraging  things that are the antithesis of what  God has given us to do  that's the land we live in 2015 was  there we can go on and look at you know  2020 we talked about besides the  pandemic in 2020 we had what do we have  in the summer that year we had race  riots we had a talk of lawlessness  people saying we don't want anyone doing  this or that we don't want anyone  supervising us get away with all the  laws and we have violence that we have  not seen in this country before  and it  continues and it is continuing around  the world with that  society changed forever the thoughts the  ideas  that make no sense  that have no logic that came out of that  time  changed this country forever  it divided people it was a political  divide that was never foreseen we've  seen the government controls we see a  disparate country that is confused and  divided so hopelessly it cannot be put  together again by man it would only take  the return of Jesus Christ to ever bring  people back to the unity that he wants  us to have  and then in 2021 we have Afghanistan and  the power  the power of America broken  when Jesus Christ said wars and rumors  of wars and those would increase as time  goes on  what  is in the future  for America  what are our enemies thinking today  what when you look at Daniel 11  what about those powers that the bible  clearly talks about will be extant at  the time of the end what are they  thinking  as they watch and have played out for  them  an America they never saw coming  at least not this quickly at least not  this quickly when God acts  he acts  he acts quickly  well there are  amazing prophecies about Israel and as  we live in a time where we see some of  those things coming about  it does us well to rehearse what is  going on because  if we're not asleep I remember Christ  warned us  don't sleep  stay awake  how do you stay awake  you look what's going on in the world  you compare it to bible prophecy you  don't lull yourself to sleep thinking  things are going to go on as they always  have it's going to go back to the way it  was this can't be the end time this  can't be the beginning of sorrows that  Jesus Christ talked about that puts you  totally asleep  be aware of what's going on only God  knows when the time comes  but when we look at times when we see  what the bible says  it is time for us to wake up it is time  for us to grow closer to God it is time  to examine ourselves and to not run  toward the world but to run toward him  and more carefully diligently and  earnestly  obey him  so you know we we read prophecies  throughout the bible oftentimes we'll  turn to Isaiah Isaiah says a lot about  the end time Jeremiah says a lot about  the end time  Ezekiel and Daniel say a lot about the  end time Jesus Christ himself  said a lot about the end time and  certainly in revelation  inspired by God and Jesus Christ tells  us a lot about the end time as we go  through the bible we see that God lets  us know  let's us know what is going to happen if  we're awake  if we're paying attention if we're using  prophecy not to scare us and  and to  render us inactive but we're using  prophecy as a stimulus to grow closer to  God understanding that his will is that  we live into his kingdom that his will  is that we survive that his will is that  we use the holy spirit follow the holy  spirit to become who he wants to be he  wants to be  and have our vision on that time when  Christ returns and the time when the  earth  will again flourish  will again be whole  will again have the peace and safety it  can never achieve  apart from Jesus Christ  one of those prophets  one of those prophets  is Moses let's turn to  Deuteronomy 34.  Deuteronomy 34.  we know as as Moses  wrote and spoke  what we know is the book of Deuteronomy  he recounted for physical Israel what  God had done for them he encouraged them  follow God don't turn from him  but God also told him what was going to  happen to Israel and he knew  some of what that was in Deuteronomy 34  and verse 10  as God is telling Moses you know he's  not going to live and he's going to be  taken he's going to die in verse 10  God says this  as part of Moses's epitaph he's a friend  as we heard in the sermonette but since  then there has not arisen in Israel  a prophet like Moses  whom the lord knew  face to face  now a prophet is one who teaches God's  way  instructs in God's way but also God will  show what the future will be  Jesus Christ was the foremost prophet  he taught God's way he told us you  command all people to teach or teach all  people to observe the things I commanded  to you but he also gave us prophecy he  told us in the Olivet prophecy exactly  the order of the things that would  happen leading from leading to his  return  we we read that more in revelation we  can go back to the old testament and see  the prophets of old all were focused on  the same thing the kingdom of God and  how it would come about as you look at  those prophecies they all match up  Moses was a prophet just like Isaiah  just like Jeremiah just like Ezekiel  just like john the baptist  not a prophet like him God said  since this time  and Moses wrote some amazing things if  we go back one chapter in chapter 33  we see  some of the things that Moses wrote and  indeed as you look in the last five or  six from chapter 28 through 34 of  Deuteronomy you see it is a prophecy  that is God is giving for the physical  nation of Israel and a lot of what is  happening today is there in those  prophecies and later we're not going to  have time to get to it today we will see  the other prophets  fill in the blanks if you will for what  Moses wrote in here and we'll see a  clear picture of where  life is going or a clearer picture as  clear a picture as God wants us to have  today in chapter 33  chapter 33 in verse 1 says this is the  blessing with which Moses the man of God  blessed the children of Israel before  his death  and he said the eternal came from Sinai  and dawned on them from seer  he shone forth from mount peran and he  came with ten thousands  of saints  but when does that happen  that happens when Jesus Christ returns  it hasn't happened already it's the same  thing that Jesus Christ talked about  it's the same thing that Daniel talked  about it's the same thing that we read  in revelation so when we read through  chapter 33 and we compare it to genesis  49 we see that this is a prophecy of  what the nations of Israel will be like  in the end time  yes let me see he's shown forth from  mount and he came with ten thousands of  his saints from his right hand came a  fiery law for them  yes he loves the people all his saints  are in your hand they sit down at your  feet everyone receives your words  Moses commanded a law for us a heritage  of the congregation of Jacob and he was  king  in Jeshurun when the leaders of the  people were gathered all the tribes of  Israel together  and so you can go down through  the children of Israel  and see the prophecies for them if we  drop down to joseph  in verse 26  and you can see that  God used the word gesherin which is kind  of a name for Israel he uses it again  here in verse 26 it's the descendants of  of joseph  says there is no one like the God of  Jeshurun  who rides the heavens to help you and in  his excellency on the clouds  the eternal God is your refuge and  underneath are the everlasting arms he  will thrust out the enemy before you and  will say destroy  then Israel will dwell in safety the  fountain of Jacob alone in a land of  grain and new wine  the heavens shall also drop through  happy are you o Israel who is like you a  people saved by the lord the shield of  your help and the sword of your majesty  your enemies shall submit to you  and you shall tread down their high  places  you can compare that to genesis 49 when  Jacob said this is a prophecy for you my  children in the latter days  joseph would be a fruitful vine joseph  would ride the high hills of the earth  Jeshurun  would be very well taken care of and  blessed by God  until  and unless they departed from God and  then God said this is what happens  if you depart from me  and as we are on the other side of  history getting closer and closer to the  return of Jesus Christ we can see some  of those things  those things happening  now I mentioned that Moses was a prophet  you don't have to turn to Deuteronomy 18  verses 15 and 18. God called Moses a  prophet back then he said you know there  will be eyes another prophet like you  Moses speaking of Jesus Christ  another one who will teach the law of  God the one the one who will encourage  obedience to God staying close to him  clinging to him  trusting in him  and not turning from him  and indeed God did raise up Jesus Christ  who was a prophet in the order I guess  your willer on as as Moses was who  who  fiercely was loyal to God made a mistake  at the end  as he is human and we are human  as well  let's go back to Deuteronomy 31  31  and reverse 24. I mentioned that  chapters 28 through 34  are more prophetic in nature  telling what would be what would be  happening at the end of time 31 24 Moses  writes this so it was  well an account so it was when Moses did  completing the writings  and  so it was when Moses had completed  writing the words of this law in a book  when they were finished that Moses  commanded the Levites who bore the ark  of the covenant of the eternal saying  take this book of the law  and put it beside the ark of the  covenant of the eternal your God that it  may be there as a witness against you  for I know your rebellion and your stiff  neck  if today while I’m yet alive with you  you have been rebellious against God  then how much more after my death  you know Israel was rebellious in face  of everything that God had done for them  they always turned from God  you know stubbornness God we'll talk  about the stubbornness of the stiff neck  of Israel  and we might not look at ourselves do we  have a stiff neck when we hear things do  we just think not me  not me I’m okay I don't have to do  anything I’m just going to continue  doing things my way even though my way  doesn't seem to pan out  even though it keeps leading to the same  problem  or do we finally yield to God do we  finally trust in him and do things the  way he says  Moses said these you know I know you I  know you Israel  if I’m alive what's going to happen if  I’ve you've done this while I’ve been  alive talking to you every day what are  you going to do when I’m done gather to  me verse 28 all the elders of your  tribes and your officers that I may  speak these words in their hearing and  call heaven and earth to witness against  them for I know that after my death you  will become utterly corrupt and turn  aside from the way which I have  commanded you  and evil will befall you  in the latter days  wonder the latter days  we know when the latter days are  evil will befall you in the latter days  because you will do evil in the sight of  the eternal to provoke him to anger  through the work of your hands  that's the title of the sermon  what will befall  you in the latter days  God tells us what will  God can God will show us  now we don't have time to go on today  but there's much more in the last six  chapters of Deuteronomy that we can talk  about and we'll continue that the next  time  I’m here but let me close  with a couple verses  one you don't need to turn to Amos 3 7  says surely the lord God does nothing  unless he reveals his secrets  to his servants the prophets  we all know that  we may not know what it is ahead of time  but God will show  us what is happening we will see God's  hand we will see that what he recorded  is exactly what is going to happen  Moses says the same thing here in  Deuteronomy if we turn to Deuteronomy  29  and verse 29  the secret things Moses writes  the secret things belong to the eternal  our God but those things which are  revealed  belong to us  and to our children forever  that we may do all the words  of this law  so next time we'll continue  with this and through the book but until  then think think about these things and  let's begin committing in our hearts  even more fully to do all the things  that God has called us to do