I don't believe it's working, I believe it's working. All right, verse 14, bless them who first go to you. Pretty hard to do, but there are at least, I'm pretty sure that you can come up with at least eight things in these verses that are pretty hard for a Christian to do. Remember we've been talking about change your way of thinking when you become a Christian, you have to change your way of thinking about an awful lot of things. And I was going to get into this this morning and I thought, you know, I really want to get into something else. So if I give you this as a quiz and you can read that and decide to come up with the things yourself that are that's how we begin to change renew the way you think renew your mind got to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and as you renew your mind learn how to think differently it makes a different person out of you and but that's what that's what the Lord wants us to do. Let's go back to Matthew chapter 20 if you will there's a lot of things I really wanted to cover this morning, but last week we covered some things that I've been thinking about if you need to be aware of, but nobody watched John Hagey this morning, right? It's a darn good thing because I was going to talk about that a little bit. Remember we gave you a quiz number two, remember quiz number two, and the question was, and some of you guys turned them in, and I was waiting for the rest of you to turn them but apparently you're not going to do it, so we're just going to, I'm going to go in and take a quick look at that. Matthew chapter 20, the questions were give the primary interpretation, the practical application, and the prophetic one application, and I'm going to give you those briefly. And if you may have come up with your own, but don't feel bad, if yours doesn't agree with me, don't feel bad. But in Matthew chapter 20, in verse 20, Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons worshipping him and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what will thou? She said unto him, grant that these, my two sons, may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on the left in the kingdom. If we stop right there, what is the primary interpretation? The primary interpretation, you don't have to answer me, but think about it. The primary interpretation is this, first of all, she was a typical mother, right? I want the best for my boys. Like a typical mother, she really fell down, because a typical mother will ignore the problems of her children. My children are never doing anything wrong, now dads are a little bit different, as far as dads concern, they do everything wrong. that's life. That's just the way we're made up. Oftentimes a mother will hide her head in the sand. My children never did anything wrong. They're perfect. They're just good little boys and girls and after all. But then when they really do something bad, do you wait until I tell your father? Yeah. It's funny how things work. But being that she was a typical mother and she wanted the best for her children and she thought they deserved it. She wanted them to sit on the left in the right hand of the Lord Jesus Christ where and the kingdom. So guess what she was looking for? The kingdom. That's what I really wanted you to get. She was looking for the kingdom. We have a lot of people today that looking for the kingdom, they talk about the economy of Christ and they talk about this and talk about it, but they ignore so many, many other things. And we're going to get into that a little bit this morning too. I was going to talk about John Hage. I was watching him this morning on television, I thought, boy. I need to teach on that a little bit, but he said that if Jeremiah chapter 50 and 51, Jeremiah solved the, what is that, or they had an Iraq with George Bush number one. The first, yeah, the Gulf War, they had a name for it, but it was called the Gulf War, right? Anyway, John Haley said Jeremiah solved that, and that's what he prophesied about in Jeremiah chapter 50 and 51. So I'm going to ask you a couple of questions but then we'll get back to this. Let me ask you before we go any further. Is John Higgy right or wrong? He's wrong. Good. Making the assumption that the answer you want. So I'm making something that the answer you want, you should know. That's no. Yeah. That's the answer I want. But if you answer the question no, prove it. See, that's my goal as a Bible teacher, to show you how to prove your position. Prove your, is John Higgie right or wrong? What do you say? Yes or no? Prove it. If he's right, then Jeremiah fulfilled prophecy, his prophecy was fulfilled during the Gulf War, during First President Bush. Well, he wasn't right. John Higgie's way off base. It's not right because in Daniel, when Germany and all of them merge together with a big war star, and Iraq and Iran will merge back together and they'll get their original name back as Persian. Well, that's pretty good. Okay, let's go back to Matthew. All the genes will come out of the East. That's pretty good too. There's a lot of points there, but we're going to go back to that shortly if we have enough time. let's go back to Matthew chapter 20 verse 20 and 21. She was looking for the kingdom. That's the primary interpretation. The practical application in that verse is this. As a Christian, the practical application is this. The practical application and the prophetic implication combined is this. Now get it. Mark this down, pay attention, get it. As a Christian, with a Bible, you keep a Bible somewhere handy, I hope, be able to prove the difference between the Church Age, the Kingdom, Israel, and the Church. Be able to do that. Prove your position. As a Christian, You need to know when the kingdom will begin, what it's all about, is any one of the apostles going to sit on the left of the right or anything like that, you need to be able to know that? One of the answers is in chapter 19, verse 28. Jesus Christ said, you shall sit on 12 throes, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So the apostles will not sit on the left of the right or anywhere else. or else they're going to sit on 12 throes, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So the mother of Zebedee's children was way off-bakes. She was a good mother, a typical mother, desiring the best for her children, but she was way off-bakes. And then on down, if you will, verse 25, verse 26, and then we'll get on to something else. Verse 26, but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be be great among you, let him be your minister, and whosoever will be or servant, that you could change that word to servant, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the son of man came, not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. The primary certification is this, doesn't matter who you are, don't exalt yourself. the mother of Zebedee's children was trying to exalt her two sons, and they were letting her get away with it. Therefore, they were exalting their selves. And then the other apostles became indignant. It says so in verse 24. Well, naturally, well, who do you think you are? Your children are going to sit and write and live. Here we are. There's 12 of us here. The primary interpretation is don't exalt yourself. The practical application is don't exalt yourself, humble yourself, be willing to serve, be willing to be the least in the church, be willing to be the least of God's servants, be willing to give yourself, and we have a lot of people in our church that are willing to give, that do things above and beyond the call of duty, that worry about others, think about others, be willing to be a servant, that's a practical application, because if you are willing to be a servant, to be the least, if you're willing to do for others and forget your own basic needs, God will exalt you in one way or another. I don't know how, but He will exalt you. Maybe it won't be in this life. Most of the times it will be, but it may not always be in this life, and maybe when you die go to heaven. God may exalt you somehow. Then my father's house there are many kingdoms, or many mansions, right? Maybe you'll get a bigger mansion. Personally, I don't want a mansion. I'll be happy. Yeah, I want a boat. Yeah, I want a boat on the water with two engines, diesel. I'll never mind. I'm starting to to exalt myself. I know what I'll get. A 10-foot robo. Verse 27, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. So keep that in mind. The primary interpretation is to keep yourself humble and the Lord will exalt you. The practical application, keep yourself humble and the Lord will exalt you. The prophetical implication, maybe not today, maybe when I get dying to heaven or maybe during the kingdom, whatever, but I may not be exalted today. And so I want to get into that. Now I want to get into something that I heard John Haley talk about this morning and I'll take a few minutes to clear this up, something you need to know. Go to Matthew chapter 24, that's what we'll do, being that we're in Matthew already, but I'm going to stop listening to these TV preachers because it just may all work done. Matthew chapter 24, verse 3, if you will, and as he sat upon the Mount of Bollocks, the disciples came unto him privately saying, tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age or world? That's the question. the question for years by the way. And almost all TV preachers are trying to answer that question. You know what? Don't try to answer that question. We have no idea when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back. We have no idea what kind of sign to look for. And we shouldn't even look for. The only sign we need to look at, the only sign anybody who has ever lived needs to look at is the dollar sign. No, no, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Just popped out. These things happen. No, the only sign we need to look at as a human being before and after I get saved is the sign of the cross. That's the only sign. The sign of the cross. Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. He was a literal, historical human being. You can't look at things that are going on in the world and determine when the Lord's coming back or what to look for, how He's coming back, you cannot do it. But the Bible does say to be ready, be prepared. Look forward to it, but don't try to predict it. Matthew chapter 24 and I don't know how many times are John Hegi do it this morning. I don't know how many preachers I've heard do this. They go to Matthew chapter 24 and they use these verses as to try to prove that the things that going on in the world today are being fulfilled in Matthew chapter 24 if you hear a preacher tell you that it's just not true and I'm gonna prove it to you this morning if I may remember something now look at up in this chart you ever see this chart before no you haven't seen it before okay this represents the Old Testament Jesus Christ came down from heaven lived for 33 years and died on across. Those 33 years that Jesus Christ lived are old Testament years. The old Testament prophets could see that. They didn't understand it, but they could see it. They could see the birth of Christ. They could see His life. They could see what He looked like. Isaiah said He's not handsome. He was kind of homely. Thank God I am too. And then he lived for 33 years, Old Testament prophecy. So anything you read in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are Old Testament prophecy. So I cannot go why because the New Covenant, the New Covenant, began at the cross. The New Covenant began at the cross and so did the Church Age. It was a mystery. You know So that Romans chapter 16, it was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets. They could not see the church age. So if they could not see it, then how could they prophesy about it? Look up or the took place in Iraq was not prophesied by Jeremiah because he couldn't see it. If he did, he'd have to look into the church age. He couldn't see it. I don't know how many. And you know why the TV preachers do that to get attention? I got some new prophecy for you. They're wrong. Matthew chapter 24 verse 4. Jesus answered and said now talking about the sign of the coming. Listen what Jesus Christ said. Pay attention. The one louvers. And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man be seen you. this old preacher up here right now. Take heed that I do not receive you. How do you do that? Go to the Bible. Go to the Bible. You know what? It's a funny thing that people don't go to the Bible to understand things that are going on in the world. Instead they go to things that are going on in the world trying to understand the Bible. That's backwards. Absolutely backward. No old Old Testament prophet could see the church age. And Jesus said, let no man deceive you. Then he says, for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many. Verse six, now I want you to get this. Verse six, six through, oh, probably, 14, we're not going to cover the whole thing. But in looking, verse six, you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. that you are, see that you've been not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Mark this in your Bible. The end of what? The tribulation. Very good. So what's he talking about? The seven-year tribulation. For one thing, it's just a statement. They're going to be wars and rumors of wars, but he's talking about the beginning of the seven-year tribulation, verse seven, for nations shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there should be famines and pestilence and earthquakes and in diverse places. You know what? John Hakey said to talking about the tsunami, tsunami that took place. He said, that happened because of an earthquake. He's right. But then he goes right back and quotes this verse and said, see? Are you kidding? He said, the Lord's coming soon. That was an earthquake. The Lord said that the earthquake is going to happen. So the Lord's coming soon because there's tsunami. I don't think so. The Lord might not come for another thousand years. But then John Higgy wants to sell another video. Verse 8. All these are the beginning of sorrows. What's he talking about? The beginning of what? The seven year tribulation. Is that what you said? Yes. I know. It was one of my spirit times. Thank you, but I was wondering what that meant to you told me. I'll tell you one thing. We got people in our church to know the Bible. Why not have a big church? All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted? Deliver who? Israel. Not the church. Israel. They shall deliver you up to be afflicted. Israel? real and shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake is real notice the word nations you shall be hated of all nations is he's talking about the church no is he talking about the apostles no they're part of Israel you shall be hated of all nations is real let's simple enough isn't it you'll be able to stand there let's go back I want to get back to Jeremiah chapter 50 as well. And I want to give you what was said this morning that I heard on TV. And then I want to, I got the verses wrote down here. Jeremiah chapter 50. Now he's right about one thing. I want to get this now. Babylon, Babylon, ancient Babylon, is that Iraq? Partially, Iraq would fit in to ancient Babylon, but ancient Babylon actually took in a little bit more property than Iraq today, but it's still the same place basically. Verses 1 and 2, I germine chapter 50. The word that the Lord spoke against Babylon against the land of the coal deans by Jeremiah the Prophet, well we're doing good so far, we got Babylon. You clear among the nations and publish and set up a standard. Publish and conceal not. Say Babylon is taken. Bell is confounded. Merrotech is broken in pieces. Her idols are confounded. Her images are broken in pieces. Question number one. Is that true today? No. Mary? Merrotech was an ancient an ancient god of the Egyptians, Merrodex. Along with some of the others, Bell was an ancient god also, which goes all the way back to Babylon, which is quite a story. Yeah, yeah, but Bell is one of the spellings, but there are so many gods that originated that Babylon and those are just a couple of them. Now verse three, talking about Babylon, this is what God said, for out of the north or Jeremiah, through God, for out of them out there came up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate and none shall dwell in it, they shall remove themselves, they shall depart both man and beast. Now, if he takes this, he quoted this verse. He said that the Gulf, this is a description of the Gulf War. Well, if that's true, then let me ask you a question. This first says, there come the nation from the North, which shall make her land a desolate and none shall dwell in it. Let me ask you a question. Does anybody dwelling in Iraq today? Sure is. A lot of people over there. And none shall dwell in it. They shall remove themself. They shall depart both man and beast. Has that happened? Has not happened. go up and we'll to let's see here, verse nine. For low. Now he said, now pay attention. John Haguey said this morning that this was the United States of America and her allies. But I want you to get some things here, if you will. And let me tell you this, the reason I'm bringing this up is not because I have everything against John Haguey. But I think you ought to have enough brains to know the difference between real Bible prophecy and the law. You need to be able to go, you need to go to the Bible and know the difference on your own. You don't need to have some preacher tell you. You need to be able to build on your own. And you need to be able on your own to determine when any preacher I don't care if it's me or any other preacher is giving you the truth. You need to be able to do it. You need to be able to do it. Now, then, verse 9, remember what I said, John Hakey said, this is the United States of America, Great Britain, and all her allies during the Gulf War. For low, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon. Now, he calls it Iraq, by the way, and assembly of great nations from the North Country, and They shall set themselves in a ray against her. From there they shall be taken, their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man, none shall return in vain. Let me ask you a question. Is this the United States of America and Great Britain? No, Russia is North of Israel. Yeah, but you're right. That's true. Of course, this is not a picture of Russia yet, not yet, but if that's true, is the United States of America, which was the instrument in initiating the Gulf War from the North. She's absolutely right. The United States of America doesn't even come close to being North of Iraq, does it? Darrell, even if they were talking about it so it's like no one to help us out. That would make sense. Yeah. That would make sense. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was going to go run through that again, sort of, but I can hear it. I've seen, I've seen it because it's an up to come up against Babylon, and it's simply a great nation should know what country we're going to be on that versus the worst. But if we're talking about it, it's said no one's done the same page, and no one really It wants to help us out because it was stuff like toes and ear, and it's good. But it also says something else too. None shall return in vain. That's very important because if this is a description of the Gulf War that took place in Iraq, then that should have been the end of it. Should have been over. How come we're over there today? How come we've lost over 1,000 soldiers over there today? How come Sudan, Saddam Hussein is still ruling up until recently? How come? This has nothing to do. Let me tell you, but where? What is verse 9 fits in? It fits in with the prophecy of Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 2 and chapter 7. Also, a lot of them remember what Daniel said there would be four kingdoms rise up against Babylon, which was the first one by the way. No, no, no, no, no, that's in a different time period, that's a different period. Who? Nido Persia, the Medians and the Persians, remember that? They were the first ones to conquer Babylon, where they come from, the North. Then after them came Greece, they destroyed Medo-Persia, conquered the same land, the Babylonian land. Where did they come from? The North? Then who came after them, the Romans? They took over the whole world. They controlled the world. They conquered them, where they come from, the North. And that prophecy's all been fulfilled already. That's all been fulfilled. Now one other thing you need to know. There are two Babylonians in the Bible. Now you should know this. What are they? Does anybody know? Babylon the ideology, that's one, and Babylon the place, that's two. Two Babylonians in the Bible. You need to know the difference when when the Bible is talking about Babylon the ideology and Babylon the place. What is Babylon the ideology? Babylon the ideology is this. politics and religion mixed together. Politics and religion mixed together. When the founders of the United States government, they didn't call it a separation of church and state, they call it a freedom of religion. Freedom of religion, not separation of church and state, but separation of the church from the state which means you do not have to follow a state organized religion. You have the right to follow your own religion. It doesn't matter who you are. That's what's nice about being a Christian. You should be able to acknowledge the fact that there's a Catholic church, a Baptist church, a Methodist church. You don't have to agree with them, but they have a right to believe what they want. Do they not? I don't agree with them, but they have a perfect right. I don't agree with with the Muslim religion, but they have a right to be Muslim. I don't agree with them, but they have that right. Freedom of religion. But back in these days, Babylon had a political religion. That's why the Bible talks about sale at Merodeck, you see. Those are political religions. Did you know Great Britain has their political religion? If you have a church in Great Britain, you can't call it a church, you have to call it a chapel. Because they have a state church. Did you know that? Great Britain has a state church, and whatever. Let's go back here, if you will. First of all, verse 10. The Caldeans, that's Babylon, shall be a prey or a spoil. All that spoil her shall be satisfied, say, at the Lord. Now, who spoil her? We just told it. The meadow Persians did, the Greeks did, the Romans did. They spoiler and then God tells us why. That's the question. Why? The answer is because you were glad, because you rejoiced or you destroyed or mine heritage. Who's he talking about? Israel. Israel. Because you're a grown fat like the heifer at grass and bellow like bulls and so forth and so forth. So God brought all these things against Babylon to the place. But Babylon, the ideal has not been destroyed yet, and the United States of America is not part of verse 9. It was not the Gulf War. And I like to spend a lot more time on this, but I'm not going to read it, we're out of time, but anyway, let's see, I'm going to read one more verse here. Verse 16, one down here, if you will. Cut off the sewer from Babylon and him that handle it the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword, they shall turn everyone to his own people and they shall flee everyone to his own land and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You know what this is all talking about? If you go to chapter 15 to chapter 51, Babylon has not been destroyed yet. As a matter of fact, Babylon the place is still there, it's called Iraq and various parts of the other kingdoms over there. But that along the ideology will not be destroyed until Revelation chapter 17. And this is most of what Jeremiah is talking about. I'm going to point out one other thing and we'll close. What Jeremiah could see and all the oath it was, everything up to the cross. not see the church aid so how could that possibly? How can he possibly be talking about a war in Iraq unless we're living in the kingdom or something or other? But Jeremiah could see over the church aid in to the seven-year tribulation and from there forward he could see and what Jeremiah is talking talking about is two things. Now get this. When you read the Bible, remember the old testaments could not see the church. So either what Jeremiah is talking about had to take place anywhere up to the cross or anywhere from the rapture on. You understand that? If you can read the Bible and read the Old Testament and figure that out, then you'll get a grip on what the Bible is talking about. Back to Matthew 24 briefly, and then we'll close. He's not having very much time to teach us that, whatever. 24. Okay. Now, one point out a couple other things here, in Matthew 24 and verse 8, we already read this book. All these are the beginning of sorrow, beginning of what? The seven-year tribulation, nothing in Matthew chapter 24 will tell me when, or when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming, just because there's an earthquake somewhere, the Bible isn't written. All these things aren't nothing. This has nothing to do with giving me any indication when Christ is coming back, absolutely none. If you drive home today and there's an earthquake, don't go hide under the bed, though Lord's coming, Lord's coming. It's just an earthquake. It's that simple. A war breaks out somewhere else in the world. Don't get all discouraged and all distressed because John Hagey said something's going to take place. It's just another war. But these are the beginning of sorrows, beginning of what the seven-year tribulation. Look on down to verse 29. Let's look on verse 15. When you're there for us, you'll see the abomination of resolution spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place whose soever readeth let him understand. Notice these words whosesoever readeth let him understand. What is verse 15? The middle of the seven year tribulation. If there's a middle of the seven year tribulation there has to be a beginning, right? Where's that? Verse 8? All these are the beginning of sorrow, seven year tribulation. The abomination of Resolution, verse 15, verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened? What's that talking about? The end of the seven-year tribulation. Matthew chapter 24 has absolutely nothing to do with anything, leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ. That is the rapture of the church. Nothing because Matthew chapter 24 has to do with after the church's rapture. Now, one more thing, and then we're going to close, one more thing, the gospels. Only hint about the church. There's nothing in the gospels and reference to the church. I hear a lot of preachers quote, let me read this to you. But he that it shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. I hear a lot of preachers read that, so you see now. If you stop sinning and you're good enough and you endure unto the end, you'll be saved. if you don't, you'll be lost. That has nothing to do with Christians. Nothing to do with church age whatsoever. Absolutely. You know what that has to do with? If you endure until the end of the seven-year curbulation, you'll be safe and alive to go into the kingdom. That's simple enough, isn't it? You've got to be stupid to follow that up for some are in closing. The only way out of the whole thing is only one way out. And I have no idea what it is, not getting it. The only one way out of the whole thing. Forget Prophecy, forget, forget everything. All of a sudden it comes short of the glory of God, right? That's what the Bible says. I'm a sinner. If this represents my sin, I need to pay for it. Meaning I don't have enough money to pay for my own sin. I have to go to hell to pay for it when I die. Or if this hand represents Christ, I can believe he went to the cross and pay for my sins. All I have to believe it. Christ said very, very, I say any who started believing in me had never lasting life. Isn't that simple? If you want never lasting life, if you want not worry about the tribulation, not worry about when Christ is coming because you won't have to worry about it ever again. All you have to do to have your sin paid for, wiped away clean, is to believe that Christ's paid for him on the cross. That's it. So you have to do, isn't that simple? And then you have eternal life. And then John Haguey can't bother you no more. Now actually John Haguey's a good preacher. I like listening to him, but he sure gets a foul death in my opinion. He sure does. And all these libel, whatever. You want to go to have when you die, believe in Lord Jesus Christ. Your sins are paid. Eternal life has been deal and so many things just wipe the way when you put your faith in Christ. That's the bottom line. Let's have word of prayer and we'll close. Now dear Lord and Heavenly Father, if there's anyone here this morning that don't know they're going to have when they die, they just might just might this morning say, Lord, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and your sins are paid right there automatically, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and now shall be saved. And from that point on, get into the Bible. Learn it, understand it, read it. The Lord says, when you believe in Christ, you have the ability to learn the Bible. He'll teach it to you. And then you can't let some preacher, including this old preacher up here, get you all fouled up, go to the Bible, and prove the truth. It's that simple. And we're just thank you for faith in Christ, in His name, amen.