Our Our FoundationFoundation Our Our FutureFuture

DetermineDetermine - Our - Our FocusFocus

“and to wait for His Son…”

8th & 15th July 2012

• The PLACE for Prophecy.The PLACE for Prophecy.

• The POWER of PROPHECY.The POWER of PROPHECY.

• The PEOPLE of Prophecy.The PEOPLE of Prophecy.

• The PASSION for Prophecy.The PASSION for Prophecy.

Good Contenders!

• “You have become a sort of sounding-board from which the Word of the Lord has rung out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but everywhere where the story of your faith in God has become known. We find we don’t have to tell people about it. They tell us the story of our coming to you: how you turned from idols to serve the true living God, and how your whole lives now look forward to the coming of his Son from heaven—the Son Jesus, whom God raised from the dead……”

Power over vast time periods!Power over vast time periods!

• Genesis 6:5 (AMP)

• The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.

2 Timothy 3• 3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the 3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the

last days there will be very difficult times. 2 last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people For people will love only themselveswill love only themselves and their money. They will be and their money. They will be boastful and proud, boastful and proud, scoffing at Godscoffing at God, disobedient to their , disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing They will consider nothing sacred.sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have will slander others and have no self-control.no self-control. They will They will be be cruel and hate what is good.cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love love pleasure rather than God.pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, 5 They will act religious, but but they will reject the power that could make them godly.they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!Stay away from people like that!

• 8 8 These teachers oppose the truthThese teachers oppose the truth…………they have …………they have depraved minds and a depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.counterfeit faith.

Believing – Powerful Witness!!

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Inferior power

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BATTLEBATTLE: 2 Crucial Books!: 2 Crucial Books!• 1 - Genesis - The book of the beginning. 1 - Genesis - The book of the beginning. Revelation - The book of the end.Revelation - The book of the end.• 2 - Genesis - The Earth created (1:1). 2 - Genesis - The Earth created (1:1). Revelation - The Earth passed away (21:1).Revelation - The Earth passed away (21:1).• 3 - Genesis 3 - Satan's first rebellion. 3 - Genesis 3 - Satan's first rebellion. Revelation - Satan's final rebellion (20:3, 7-10).Revelation - Satan's final rebellion (20:3, 7-10).• 4 - Sun to govern the day (1:16). 4 - Sun to govern the day (1:16). Revelation - No need of the sun (21:23) **Revelation - No need of the sun (21:23) **• 5 - Darkness called night (1:5). 5 - Darkness called night (1:5). Revelation - "No night there" (22:5).Revelation - "No night there" (22:5).• 6 - Waters called seas (1:10). 6 - Waters called seas (1:10). Revelation - "No more sea" (21:1).Revelation - "No more sea" (21:1).• 7 - Man in God's image (1:26). 7 - Man in God's image (1:26). Revelation - Man headed by one in Satan's image (13).Revelation - Man headed by one in Satan's image (13).• 8 - Entrance of sin (Gen 3). 8 - Entrance of sin (Gen 3). Revelation - Development and end of sin (21, 22).Revelation - Development and end of sin (21, 22).• 9 - Curse pronounced (3:14, 17). 9 - Curse pronounced (3:14, 17). Revelation - "No more curse" (22:3) **Revelation - "No more curse" (22:3) **• 10 - Death entered (3:19). 10 - Death entered (3:19). Revelation - "No more death" (21:4) **Revelation - "No more death" (21:4) **• 11 - Man driven out from Eden (3:24). 11 - Man driven out from Eden (3:24). Revelation - Man restored (22).Revelation - Man restored (22).• 12 - Tree of life guarded (3:24). 12 - Tree of life guarded (3:24). Revelation - "Right to the Tree of Life" (22:14) *3*Revelation - "Right to the Tree of Life" (22:14) *3*• 13 - Sorrow and suffering enter (3:17). 13 - Sorrow and suffering enter (3:17). Revelation - No more sorrow (21:4).Revelation - No more sorrow (21:4).• 14 - Marriage of first Adam (2:18-23). 14 - Marriage of first Adam (2:18-23). Revelation - Marriage of last Adam (19).Revelation - Marriage of last Adam (19).• 15 - A bride sought for Abraham's son (Isaac) and found (Gen 24) -15 - A bride sought for Abraham's son (Isaac) and found (Gen 24) -• - Revelation - Bride made ready & brought to Abraham's Son (Rev 19:9). See Matt. 1:1.- Revelation - Bride made ready & brought to Abraham's Son (Rev 19:9). See Matt. 1:1.• 16 - Man's dominion ceased and Satan's begun (Gen 3:24) -16 - Man's dominion ceased and Satan's begun (Gen 3:24) -• - Satan's dominion ended, and man's restored (Revelation 22).- Satan's dominion ended, and man's restored (Revelation 22).• 17 - The doom of the old serpent pronounced (Gen 3:15) -17 - The doom of the old serpent pronounced (Gen 3:15) -• - The doom on the old serpent executed (Revelation 20:10).- The doom on the old serpent executed (Revelation 20:10).

Genesis - Revelation

• 4 - Sun to govern the day (1:16). 4 - Sun to govern the day (1:16). Revelation - No need of the sun (21:23) Revelation - No need of the sun (21:23)

• Creation: Earth first/ Day 4/ 2 Peter 3 Creation: Earth first/ Day 4/ 2 Peter 3 explains general attitude**explains general attitude**

• 5 - Darkness called night (1:5). 5 - Darkness called night (1:5).

Revelation - "No night there" (22:5).Revelation - "No night there" (22:5).

• Children of the Day! – We don’t desire Children of the Day! – We don’t desire any other light, ever!any other light, ever!

The LORD determines the POWER required:-The LORD determines the POWER required:-

Powerfully Important

• Bible - 28% deals with this subjectBible - 28% deals with this subject

• New Testament mentioned New Testament mentioned 318318 times! times!

• EVERYEVERY New Testament Writer writes… New Testament Writer writes…

• You may already know the Old You may already know the Old Testament predicted Christ's first Testament predicted Christ's first coming (about 100 prophecies). coming (about 100 prophecies). But did you know there are But did you know there are FIVE TIMESFIVE TIMES as many prophecies concerning his as many prophecies concerning his second coming?second coming?

The POWER of ProphecyThe POWER of Prophecy A Certain Future – Hope • “You have become a sort of sounding-board

from which the Word of the Lord has rung out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but everywhere where the story of your faith in God has become known. We find we don’t have to tell people about it. They tell us the story of our coming to you: how you turned from idols to serve the true living God, and how your whole lives now look forward to the coming of his Son from heaven—the Son Jesus, whom God raised from the dead……”

Recognize which Power

2…….Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the fleshis come in the flesh is of God:

  3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the fleshis come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the World.now already is it in the World.

The POWER of His RETURN?

• REVELATION 1:• 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”

   and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”;    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”

     So shall it be! Amen.•  8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says

the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

He He ISIS Coming again! Coming again!

• Many People & Teachings attack this Truth.Many People & Teachings attack this Truth.

• Society with No Hope Church with no urgency

• Even Governmental policies – China!

• Cults - return from AD70 >1914/75 to ‘2012’!

• To remove Urgency from Mankind/ Church

• A Known Church: Thessalonica 1st Century.

• A Sleeping Church: 21st Century?

• Changes: 9/11, Recession, Suicide > Reality!

‘Fight for the Faith’

• Keeping the Main ThingMain Thing the Main Thing!Main Thing!• REFOCUSED & REACTIVEREFOCUSED & REACTIVE• 1 Peter 3:15-16:-1 Peter 3:15-16:- simply concentrate on being completely simply concentrate on being completely devoted

to Christ in your hearts. in your hearts. Be ready at any time at any time to give a quiet and reverent answer to any man to any man who wants a reason for who wants a reason for the hope that you have the hope that you have within you.within you. Make sure that your conscience is Make sure that your conscience is perfectly clear, so that if men should speak perfectly clear, so that if men should speak slanderously of you as rogues they may come to slanderously of you as rogues they may come to feel ashamed of themselves for libelling your feel ashamed of themselves for libelling your good good Christian behaviour.

Power under attack!

• ‘‘Cunningly Devised Fables’ Cunningly Devised Fables’ concerning foundational concerning foundational doctrines:-doctrines:-

• Who the Lord Jesus isWho the Lord Jesus is

• Why He cameWhy He came

• The fact of the ResurrectionThe fact of the Resurrection

• He is Coming again!He is Coming again!

Almighty Power (NB)

• REVELATION 1:• 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”

   and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”;    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”

     So shall it be! Amen.•  8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says

the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

From outside time

• Joshua prophesied that Jericho would be rebuilt by one man. He also said that the man's eldest son would die when the reconstruction began and that his youngest son would die when the work reached completion (Joshua 6:26). About five centuries later this prophecy found its fulfillment in the life and family of a man named Hiel (1 Kings 16:33-34).

From outside time (2)

• Some 400 years before crucifixion was invented, Some 400 years before crucifixion was invented, both Israel's King David and the prophet Zechariah both Israel's King David and the prophet Zechariah described the Messiah's death in words that described the Messiah's death in words that perfectly depict that mode of execution. Further, perfectly depict that mode of execution. Further, they said that the body would be pierced and that they said that the body would be pierced and that none of the bones would be broken, contrary to none of the bones would be broken, contrary to customary procedure in cases of crucifixion customary procedure in cases of crucifixion (Psalm 22 and 34:20; Zechariah 12:10). Again, (Psalm 22 and 34:20; Zechariah 12:10). Again, historians and New Testament writers confirm the historians and New Testament writers confirm the fulfilment: Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman fulfilment: Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross, and his extraordinarily quick death cross, and his extraordinarily quick death eliminated the need for the usual breaking of eliminated the need for the usual breaking of bones. A spear was thrust into his side to verify bones. A spear was thrust into his side to verify that he was, indeed, dead.that he was, indeed, dead. (POWER Unrivalled!) (POWER Unrivalled!)

Contend …….always be Contend …….always be prepared... The Word!prepared... The Word!