Vigilance and Faith in Challenging Times

Devotional

Day 1: Vigilance in Challenging Times

In these challenging times, it is crucial to remain vigilant and steadfast in our faith. The adversary is busy, and we must be about our Father's business. This means being prayerful, recognizing the signs of the times, and preparing ourselves spiritually for the challenges ahead. We are called to be watchful and to stay grounded in the Word of God, understanding that our spiritual readiness is essential in facing the adversities of the present age. [01:05]

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV): "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to be more vigilant in your spiritual life and stay grounded in your faith?

Day 2: Historical Persecution and Future Repetition

The Bible's symbolism in Revelation 17:15 serves as a reminder of the historical persecution of Christians by the papal power, which lasted 1,260 years. This prophecy warns of a future repetition by another beast, representing a political-religious power that will try to control the world. As believers, we must be aware of these signs and be ready to stand firm in our faith despite potential future persecutions. Understanding the past helps us prepare for what may come, and it calls us to remain steadfast and unwavering in our commitment to God. [06:38]

Revelation 17:15 (ESV): "And the angel said to me, 'The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.'"

Reflection: How can you strengthen your faith today to be prepared for potential future challenges and persecutions?

Day 3: America's Founding Principles Under Threat

America was founded on principles of freedom and equality, but these principles are currently under threat by the rich and powerful who seek to control everything. The Project 2025 aims to dismantle the United States and create an authoritarian society. As citizens and believers, we must be vigilant, informed, and active in protecting our civil rights. This involves understanding the political landscape, being aware of the changes happening around us, and taking action to uphold the values of freedom and equality that our nation was built upon. [10:23]

Isaiah 10:1-2 (ESV): "Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!"

Reflection: What actions can you take today to stay informed and protect the principles of freedom and equality in your community?

Day 4: The Role of Christians in Political Engagement

Ellen White's writings encourage Christians not to sit idly by but to get involved in stopping foolishness and preventing premature persecution. This means voting, being informed, and actively participating in the political process to uphold justice and righteousness. As believers, we have a responsibility to engage in the political sphere, ensuring that our actions reflect our faith and contribute to the common good. By doing so, we can help prevent injustice and promote a society that aligns with God's principles. [31:03]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: How can you actively participate in the political process today to promote justice and righteousness in your community?

Day 5: The Promise of Jesus' Return

Despite the challenges and potential persecutions we may face, we have the promise of Jesus' return. He will come back to take us to heaven, where we will live with Him for eternity. This hope should motivate us to remain faithful, let go of distractions, and focus on our relationship with God. The promise of a better day with Jesus should inspire us to live our lives in a way that reflects His love and prepares us for His return. [58:49]

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV): "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your relationship with God and prepare for Jesus' return?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we are living in challenging times, and the adversary is busy. We must be about our Father's business. Reflecting on the past, I remember the days of evangelistic meetings under tents, which were hot and uncomfortable, but now we are blessed with a sanctuary to worship in. Our focus for the first three weeks is teaching the Word of God, without any fluff, and we call it the Naked Truth Bible Evangelism. On the fourth week, Elder Drake Barber will lead an evangelistic revival, focusing on the love of God and the times we are living in.

We continued our discussion on the lamb-like beast becoming a dragon, as described in Revelation 17:15. The Bible uses symbols to describe the world in its wickedness, and the waters represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Historically, the papal power persecuted Christians for 1,260 years. Another beast, coming out of the earth, will repeat the same persecution. This beast represents a political-religious power that will try to control the world, and we see signs of this happening today.

America was founded on principles of freedom and equality, but there are forces at work trying to dismantle these principles. The rich and powerful are attempting to control everything, and there is a revolution brewing. The Project 2025 aims to dismantle the United States and create an authoritarian society. This is a call to action for us to be vigilant and to vote, as our civil rights are on the line.

The founding fathers wanted a separation of powers to prevent tyranny, but the current political climate is threatening this balance. The rich are setting up a system where they do not have to pay taxes, and they want to dismantle Social Security and Medicare. We must be aware of these changes and fight for our rights.

In the end, we must remember that Jesus is calling us. We may face persecution, but we must remain faithful. Some of us may have to give our lives for the Master, but we have the promise of a better day. Jesus is coming back to take us to heaven, where we will live with Him for eternity. Let us focus on His love and be ready to meet Him.

###

Key Takeaways

1. The Importance of Vigilance in Challenging Times: We are living in times where the adversary is busy, and we must be about our Father's business. This means being vigilant, prayerful, and steadfast in our faith, recognizing the signs of the times and preparing ourselves spiritually for the challenges ahead. [01:05]
2. Historical Persecution and Future Repetition: The Bible's symbolism in Revelation 17:15 reminds us of the historical persecution of Christians by the papal power. This persecution lasted 1,260 years, and the prophecy warns of a future repetition by another beast. This calls for awareness and readiness to stand firm in our faith despite potential future persecutions. [06:38]
3. America's Founding Principles Under Threat: America was founded on principles of freedom and equality, but these principles are under threat by the rich and powerful who seek to control everything. The Project 2025 aims to dismantle the United States and create an authoritarian society. We must be vigilant, informed, and active in protecting our civil rights. [10:23]
4. The Role of Christians in Political Engagement: Ellen White's writings encourage Christians not to sit idly by but to get involved in stopping foolishness and preventing premature persecution. This means voting, being informed, and actively participating in the political process to uphold justice and righteousness. [31:03]
5. The Promise of Jesus' Return: Despite the challenges and potential persecutions, we have the promise of Jesus' return. He will come back to take us to heaven, where we will live with Him for eternity. This hope should motivate us to remain faithful, let go of distractions, and focus on our relationship with God. [58:49]
### [58:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:05] - Reflecting on Evangelistic Meetings
[02:34] - Naked Truth Bible Evangelism
[03:16] - Upcoming Evangelistic Revival
[03:53] - Revelation 17:15 and Symbolism
[06:38] - Historical Persecution by Papal Power
[08:03] - The Beast from the Earth
[10:23] - America's Founding Principles
[12:13] - Pilgrims and Religious Freedom
[14:09] - Revolution and Control by the Rich
[16:15] - Formation of the United States
[18:04] - Project 2025 and Political Threats
[20:29] - The Importance of Voting
[22:29] - Religious Persecution and Freedom
[24:07] - America's Promise of a Better Life
[25:14] - The Courage to Declare and Fight
[27:19] - The Constitution and Equal Rights
[28:57] - January 6th and Political Unrest
[30:35] - Choosing Right Over Wrong
[31:03] - Ellen White's Call to Action
[32:57] - Affirmative Action and Civil Rights
[34:58] - The Importance of Voting Rights
[36:26] - The Lamb-like Beast and Persecution
[37:41] - Christian Nationalists and Control
[39:22] - God's Rules and Human Confusion
[41:57] - Founding Fathers' Vision for America
[43:28] - Project 2025 and Loss of Rights
[45:35] - America's Main Goal and Constitution
[48:53] - Separation of Powers and Preventing Tyranny
[50:19] - The Rich and Social Security
[51:04] - Revelation 13 and the Dragon
[52:15] - Story of the Father and Son
[58:49] - Jesus' Promise and Our Response
[64:01] - The Blessed Hope and Jesus' Return
[67:21] - Closing Prayer and Appeal

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Revelation 17:15 symbolize when it mentions "waters"? ([04:47])
How long did the historical persecution by the papal power last according to the sermon? ([06:38])
What is the significance of the "lamb-like beast" in Revelation 13:11, and how does it change? ([03:53])
What are some of the threats to America's founding principles mentioned in the sermon? ([10:23])

Interpretation Questions

How does the symbolism of "waters" in Revelation 17:15 help us understand the global nature of the end-time events? ([04:47])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the current political climate mirrors the historical persecution described in Revelation? ([06:38])
How does the concept of the "lamb-like beast" becoming a dragon relate to the current state of religious and political freedom in America? ([03:53])
What role does vigilance play in the life of a Christian, especially in the context of the sermon’s message about the end times? ([01:05])

Application Questions

The sermon emphasizes the importance of being vigilant in challenging times. What specific steps can you take this week to be more vigilant in your spiritual life? ([01:05])
Reflecting on the historical persecution of Christians, how can you prepare yourself spiritually and mentally for potential future challenges to your faith? ([06:38])
The sermon discusses the threats to America's founding principles. How can you stay informed and active in protecting your civil rights and the rights of others? ([10:23])
Ellen White encourages Christians to get involved in stopping foolishness and preventing premature persecution. What are some practical ways you can engage in your community or political process to uphold justice and righteousness? ([31:03])
The promise of Jesus' return is a central theme in the sermon. How does this promise influence your daily decisions and priorities? ([58:49])
The sermon mentions the importance of voting and being politically active. How can you ensure that your political actions align with your faith and values? ([20:29])
Considering the distractions mentioned in the sermon, what is one specific distraction in your life that you want to minimize this week to focus more on your relationship with God? ([57:41])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Today, we're living in some challenging times. And the adversary is busy. And we've got to be about our Father's business. It's been a long time since we preached these messages in regards to the beast. I remember in my early years in ministry, during our evangelistic meetings, we would pitch a tent." [01:05] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "And we're looking for precious souls to give their hearts to the Lord. Amen. Amen. And so without any further ado, we're going to piggyback on our message that we spoke on last week, that we talked about the lamb-like beast becomes a dragon. Lamb-like beast becomes a dragon." [03:16] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "This country is composed of the whole world. People had difficulties in their country and they wanted to come to a better land with a better opportunity where they can have equal opportunity and no one would deprive them of worshiping their God but the Bible says what happened in the past will repeat itself and it's coming down the pipe right now." [11:29] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "People wanted to practice their religious belief freely and so many fled to the Netherlands where laws were more flexible watch it now in the 1600s and 1700s Europeans came to North America looking for religious freedom economics opportunity and political liberty." [13:40] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So the excuse me there was a picture but it talked about these 13 colonies as I was studying there was a picture drawn of a venomous snake and this snake was broken up into 13 parts 13 pieces and the caption read and this was talking about it was representing the 13 colonies this caption read join or die." [22:02] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "But it is really hot out there. And so the Lord allowed us to have the sanctuary to come in and to worship. And I want to say to the church family, I want to thank you for your support. I want to thank you for your prayers. What we're doing in the first three weeks, we're teaching the word. What did I say? We're teaching. Amen." [02:00] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "God gave these people a reprieve... when the French general Bethière, moved in and took the Pope and put him in prison the Bible refers to him at that time as having a deadly wound but he says he takes him away now he gives his people a chance to worship without those dictates, without the persecution." [08:03] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "But those individuals the rich and the wealthy they're trying to control these United States of America and actually the whole world and they do not realize who is behind all of this is the devil but he's using a religious political group that is going to usher in some devastating things upon God's people." [12:13] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So there, there comes a time when you see wrong versus right, that even if it's not the person you want there, but he represents right, you need to vote in that direction. Come on, say amen. Don't sit idly by. I'm going to have to quote this to the 70 Adventists that we've been here a long time. I've been, I've been Adventists for almost 60-some years." [30:35] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So the devil is ripping us away from God's word and putting poison in our mind that we are being distracted from what God's real purpose is for us. Now give me these three paragraphs and I'm going to close. What was America's main goal? America had one main goal, this lamb-like beast. The fundamental purpose of the United States is laid down in the preamble to the Constitution to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense." [47:25] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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