Transcript The signs of the times [signs and wonders]

The signs of the times (3)
[Sodom and Gomorrah]
Yoshinobu Namihria, MD , FACG
3000 halls ferry road
Vicksburg MS 39180
Phone: 601 638 9800 ; fax 601638 9808
E mail: [email protected]
Sermon detail
• Opening hymn: 570 not I but christ
• Scripture reading: Genesis 19:2324
• Special music: the namihira’s
• Sermon: the signs of the times (3)
[sodom and gomorrah]
• Closing hymn: 632 until then
Genesis 19:23-24
• The sun has risen upon the earth when lot
entered zoar .
the lord rained
brimstone and fire on
sodom and Gomorrah from
the lord out of the heavens.
• Then
•Knowledge
shall increase
• (Text: Daniel 12:4) Daniel was told by the angel
shut up
•the words, and seal the
book until the time of
the end;
to “...
•many shall run to and
fro, and knowledge
shall increase.”
•Daniel 12:4.
• (Video: 15 sec) Knowledge of all kinds has
increased radically
• as computers and other amazing inventions
have flooded the
• market.
• Textbooks are obsolete even before they are
printed!
• Breakthroughs in medicine and in
extending lifespan cannot
• be revealed fast enough!
• Many students of the Bible believe
• that this prophecy specifically predicts increase of
knowledge
• and understanding of the prophecies of the
Book of Daniel.
• There can be no doubt that this explosion in
knowledge has
• happened.
• In the last 100 years, knowledge
fields of science
• and industry has multiplied.
in all of the
• (Video: 7 sec) Think of what is happening today right
here in
• this meeting.
• Without the computer and the projector, we
would be unable
• to bring you these programs that we have been
presenting
• from night to night.
• And because we have this equipment and have been
able to
• present these messages, your knowledge about the
God of creation
• and the plan of salvation has been increased.
• (Video: 15 sec) Think of our ability to be here and to
speak to
• you and teach you these wonderful things we are
studying
• from the Word of God! In many parts of the world,
things like
• telephones and televisions and electric
appliances are just
• taken for granted.
computers
• And
have revolutionized our world
and affected
• every country on earth!
•People run
to and fro
• (Video: 15 sec) Thousands and thousands of people are boarding
• planes every day and flying to far away places.
• Now we break the sound barrier and span the globe in
everything
• from the Concorde to
to other planets!
the space shuttles, to missions
• Horse and buggy days are over! It’s a new ball game
now, so to speak! We are a mobile
generation! In many
parts of the world, people even have more than one car.
• We have buses and trains and vans and pickups and
every conceivable means of transportation.
•Moral conditions
at the end of time
The last days and sodom /Gomorrah
• (Text: Luke 17:28) Jesus compared conditions
on earth in the last days to the early biblical
days of Sodom and Gomorrah,
• two of the most sinful cities that ever existed.
• God finally destroyed them with fire from
heaven.
• “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ...”
The day when son of man is revealed
Text: Luke 17:30) “Even
thus shall it be in the day
when the
•Son of man is revealed.”
Luke 17:28, 30.
• (
What was wrong with
sodom/Gomorrah?
• (Text: Jude 7) Jude wrote, “...Sodom and
Gomorrah and the
• cities around them...having given themselves
sexual
•immorality...
over to
• are set forth as an example
•Paul, speaking of the
moral conditions that
characterized these
•cities, said,
• (Text: Romans 1:26,27)
“...Even their women
exchanged natural
• relations for unnatural
ones.
• In the same way the men
also abandoned natural
relations
• with women and were
inflamed with lust for one
another.
•Men committed
indecent acts with
other men...”
Romans 1:27,
What is the issue?
• Relationship between
• Woman and woman =
lesbian
• Man and man =
homosexual
• (Text: 2 Timothy 3:2-5) “People
will be lovers of themselves,
• lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to
their
• parents, ungrateful, unholy,
Love= other centered mindset
Without love
with love
Lovers of themselves
{ self center }
other centered mind set
{ other center }
Lover of money
lover of mercy and charity
Boastful
Humble
Proud
low key
Abusive
kind
Disobedient to parents
Obedient to parents
Ungrateful
Grateful
Unholy
Holy
• without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without selfcontrol,
• brutal, not lovers of the
good,
Love = self control
Without love
Unforgiving
Slanderous
with love
forgiving
respectful
Without self control
brutal
Not lover of the good
Lover of the evil
with self control
kind
lover of the good
hate evil
•treacherous, rash,
lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of
God-
Without love
with love
Treacherous
safe to be
around
Rash { act and
think}
careful , and
meticulous
{think-Act}
Conceited
humble
Lover of pleasure lover of God
•having a form of
godliness but denying
its power...”
•2 Timothy 3:2-5.
Love = believing/trusting
without love
with love
Forms of Godliness
Godliness with substance
external {outside –inside}
internal {inside-outside}
Denying God’s power
accepting God’s power
Evil men
good men / women
Imposters {trickery, fraud,
cheating }
truthfulness { honesty,
integrity }
From bad to worse
from good to better
Deceiving
believing / trusting
Being deceived
do not worry about
deception
• (Text: 2 Timothy 3:13)
“...Evil men and impostors
will go from
• bad to worse, deceiving
and being deceived.” Verse
13.
What is love and sin ?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Love is
Trusting
Trustworthiness
Believing
Self control
Others first / me last
mindset
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sin is
Breach of trust
Broken relationship
Broken trustworthiness
Loss of self control
Me first / others last
mindset
•Sodom and Gomorrah
•Historical information
•Geography
•Archeology
Genesis 13:7-12
• There was strife between the herdsmen of
Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s
livestock. The Canaanites and Perizzites then
dwelt in the land.
• So Abram said Lot, “ please let there be no strife
between you and me, and between my
herdsmen and your herdsmen.
• Is not the whole land before you? Please
separate from me . If you take the left, then I
will go to the right. : or , if you go to the right ,
then I will go to the left.”
Genesis 13:7-12
• And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of
jordan. That it was well watered everywhere (
before the Lord destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah ) like the garden of Lord, like the land
of Egypt , as you go toward Zoar.
• Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of
Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they
separated from each other.
• Abram dwelt in the plain of Canaan, and Lot
dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his
tent even as far as Sodom.
Two diverse tracts
•Abraham ---one way
( canaan)
•Lot ---- the other way
( zoar , sodom )
The sanctuary of Lot near Zoar
Sanctuary of Lot above Zoar
Sodom
gomorrah
sodom
Meeting place of
Abraham and
Melchizedek
Lot’s tent
Genesis 14 1:16 war between two sides
•
•
•
•
Amaraphrel ;shinar
Arioch ; Eliasar
Chedoulaomer; Elam
Tidal ; nation
• They conquered
• They took Lot from
sodom
• Bera; sodom
• Birsha; gomorrah
• Shinab; admah
• Shemeber; zeboiim
•
bela ;
zoar
Genesis 14:14-16
• When abram heard that his brother lot was
taken captive, he armed his 318 trained servants
who were born in his house,and went in pursuit
as far as Dan.
• He divided his forces against them by night ,and
he and his servants attacked them and pursued
them as far as Hobah, which is north of
Damascus.
• He brought back all the goods and also brought
back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as
women and the people.
Genesis 14:18
• The king of sodom went out to meet abram at
the valley of shaveh ( that is , the king’s valley)
after his return from the defeat of
chedorlaomer and the kings who were with
him.
• Then, Melchizedek king of salem brought out
bread and wine : he was the priest of God most
high. And he blessed him and said: “ blessed be
abram of God most high. Possessor of heaven
and earth. And blessed be God most high ,who
has delivered your enemies into your hand”
Meeting place of
Abraham and
Melchizedek
Lot’s tent
Genesis 19:23-24
• The sun has risen upon the earth when lot
entered zoar .
the lord rained
brimstone and fire on
sodom and Gomorrah from
the lord out of the heavens.
• Then
The burn layer – fiery destruction
Genesis 14 1:16
•
•
•
•
Amaraphrel ;shinar
Arioch ; Eliasar
Chedoulaomer; Elam
Tidal ; nation
• They conquered
• The took Lot from
sodom
•
•
•
•
•
Bera; sodom
Birsha; gomorrah
Shinab; admah
Shemeber; zeboiim
bela ; zoar
Genesis 13:7-12
• There was strife between the herdsmen of
Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s
livestock. The Canaanites and Perizzites then
dwelt in the land.
• So Abram said Lot, “ please let there be no strife
between you and me, and between my
herdsmen and your herdsmen.
• Is not the whole land before you? Please
separate from me . If you take the left, then I
will go to the right. : or , if you go to the right ,
then I will go to the left.”
Disobedient Children a Sign of the Last Days
• Disobedient Children a Sign of the Last Days.-- One of the
signs of the "last days" is the disobedience of children to
their parents. And do parents realize their responsibility?
Many seem to lose sight of the watch care they should
ever have over their children, and suffer them to indulge in
evil passions and to disobey them. {CG 229.1}
•
Children are the heritage of the Lord, and unless
parents give them such a training as will enable them to
keep the way of the Lord, they neglect solemn duty. It is
not the will or purpose of God that children shall become
coarse, rough, uncourteous, disobedient, unthankful,
unholy, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God. The Scriptures state that this condition
of society shall be a sign of the last days. CG p.230
Perfect order, concord, agreement in heaven
• Indulgent Parents Disqualify for Heaven's Order.-- There is
perfect order in heaven, perfect concord and agreement. If
parents so neglect to bring their children under proper
authority here, how can they hope that they will be considered
fit companions for the holy angels in a world of peace and
harmony? {CG 229.3}
•
Those who have had no respect for order or discipline in
this life would have no respect for the order which is
observed in heaven. They can never be admitted into heaven,
for all worthy of an entrance there will love order and respect
discipline. The characters formed in this life will determine
the future destiny. When Christ shall come, He will not
change the character of any individual. . . . Parents should
neglect no duty on their part to benefit their children. They
should so train them
• that they may be a blessing to society here and may reap the
reward of eternal life hereafter. CG p.230
God’s abiding presence and sustaining grace
• These examples of human steadfastness bear witness to the
faithfulness of God's promises--of His abiding presence and
sustaining grace. They testify to the power of faith to withstand
the powers of the world. It is the work of faith to rest in God in
the darkest hour, to feel, however sorely tried and tempesttossed, that our Father is at the helm. The eye of faith alone
can look beyond the things of time to estimate aright the
worth of the eternal riches. {AA 575.2}
•
Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of
attaining earthly glory and riches, of living a life free from
trial. Instead He calls upon them to follow Him in the path of
self-denial and reproach. He who came to redeem the world
was opposed by the united forces of evil. In an unpitying
confederacy, evil men and evil angels arrayed themselves
against the Prince of Peace. His every word and act revealed
divine compassion, and His unlikeness to the world provoked
the bitterest hostility. AA p.577
Be educated in the school of Christ
• So it will be with all who will live godly in Christ Jesus. Persecution and reproach
await all who are imbued with the Spirit of Christ. The character of the
persecution changes with the times, but the principle--the spirit that
underlies it--is the same that has slain the chosen of the Lord ever since the
days of Abel. {AA 576.2}
•
In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them
and put them to death, but in dying they became conquerors. They bore
witness to the power of One mightier than Satan. Wicked men may torture and
kill the body, but they cannot touch the life that is hid with Christ in God. They
can incarcerate men and women in prison walls, but they cannot bind the spirit.
{AA 576.3}
•
Through trial and persecution the glory--the character--of God is revealed
in His chosen ones. The believers in Christ, hated and persecuted by
the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ.
On earth they walk in narrow paths; they are purified in the furnace of
affliction.
• They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial and
experience bitter disappointments; but thus they learn the guilt and woe of sin,
and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ's sufferings,
they can look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying, "I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. AA p.577
Satan’s effort to divide God’s people
•
Satan's Efforts to Divide God's People.--Christ foretold that the going forth of
deceivers would be accompanied with more danger to His disciples than would
persecution. {Ev 359.2}
•
This warning is repeated several times. Seducers, with their scientific
problems, were to be guarded against more carefully than any other peril that
they would meet; for the entrance of these seductive spirits meant the entrance
of the specious errors that Satan has ingeniously prepared to dim the spiritual
perceptions of those who have had but little experience in the workings of the
Holy Spirit, and of those who remain satisfied with a very limited spiritual
knowledge. The effort of seducers has been to undermine confidence in the
truth of God and to make it impossible to distinguish truth from error.
Wonderfully pleasing, fanciful, scientific problems are introduced and urged
upon the attention of the unwary; and unless believers are on their guard, the
enemy, disguised as an angel of light, will lead them into false paths.... {Ev
359.3}
•
Satan can skilfully play the game of life with many souls, and he acts in a most
underhanded, deceptive manner to spoil the faith of the people of God and to
discourage them. . . . He works today as he worked in heaven, to divide the
people of God in the very last stage of this earth's history. He seeks to
create dissension, and to arouse contention and discussion, and to remove
if possible the old landmarks of truth EV p 360
Open mindedness in bible study
•
•
Open-Mindedness
In your study of the word, lay at the door of investigation your
preconceived opinions and your hereditary and cultivated ideas. You
will never reach the truth if you study the Scriptures to vindicate your
own ideas. Leave these at the door, and with a contrite heart go in to
hear what the Lord has to say to you. As the humble seeker for truth
sits at Christ's feet, and learns of Him, the word gives him
understanding. To those who are too wise in their own conceit to study
the Bible, Christ says, You must become meek and lowly in heart if you
desire to become wise unto salvation. {MYP 260.1}
•
Do not read the word in the light of former opinions; but, with a
mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you
read, conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are
not in harmony with the word, do not try to make the word fit these
opinions. Make your opinions fit the word. Do not allow
what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your
understanding. Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous things
out of the law. Find out what is written, and then plant your feet on the
eternal Rock. MYP p.261
Your relationship to God and His will concerning you
• The Knowledge of God's Will
•
Our salvation depends upon our knowledge of God's
will as it is contained in His word. Never cease asking and
searching for Truth. You need to know your duty. You need
to know what you must do to be saved .
And it is God's will that you shall know what He has said to
you. But you must exercise faith. As you search the
Scriptures, you must believe that God is, and that He
rewards those who diligently seek Him. {MYP 260.3}
•
O search the Bible with a heart hungry for spiritual
food! Dig into the word as a miner digs into the earth to
find the veins of gold. Do not give up your search till you
have learned your relation to God and His will
concerning you.--The Youth's Instructor, July 24, 1902.
Conclusions 1
• many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall increase.”
• increase of knowledge
• and understanding of the prophecies of the
Book of Daniel.
• In the last 100 years, knowledge in all of the
fields of science
• and industry has multiplied.
Conclusions 2
• your knowledge about the God of creation
• and the plan of salvation has been increased.
• computers have revolutionized our world
and affected
• every country on earth!
• We are a mobile generation!
• Luke 17:28) Jesus compared conditions on earth
in the last days to the early biblical days of
Sodom and Gomorrah
Conclusions 3
• Even thus shall it be in the day when the
• Son of man is revealed.” Luke 17:28, 30.
• So Abram said Lot, “ please let there be no
strife between you and me, and between my
herdsmen and your herdsmen.
• Abram dwelt in the plain of Canaan, and Lot
dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his
tent even as far as Sodom.
Conclusions 4
• When abram heard that his brother lot was
taken captive, he armed his 318 trained
servants who were born in his house,and went
in pursuit as far as Dan.
• Melchizedek king of salem brought out bread
and wine : he was the priest of God most high.
And he blessed him and said: “ blessed be
abram of God most high. Possessor of heaven
and earth. And blessed be God most high ,who
has delivered your enemies into your hand”
Conclusions 5
• Then the lord rained brimstone and fire on
sodom and Gomorrah from the lord out of
the heavens.
• Disobedient Children a Sign of the Last Days
• Perfect order, concord, agreement in heaven
• The characters formed in this life will
determine the future destiny. When Christ
shall come, He will not change the character
of any individual. .
Conclusions 6
• God’s abiding presence and sustaining grace
• The eye of faith alone can look beyond the
things of time to estimate aright the worth of
the eternal riches.
• Jesus does not present to His followers the
hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, of
living a life free from trial.
• Be educated in the school of Christ
Conclusions 7
• Satan’s effort to divide God’s people
• The effort of seducers has been to undermine
confidence in the truth of God and to make it
impossible to distinguish truth from error.
• Open mindedness in bible study
• You will never reach the truth if you study
the Scriptures to vindicate your own ideas.
• Make your opinions fit the word.
Conclusions 8
• Do not allow what you have believed or
practiced in the past to control your
understanding
• Our salvation depends upon our knowledge
of God's will as it is contained in His word.
• Dig into the word as a miner digs into the
earth to find the veins of gold. Do not give up
your search till you have learned your
relation to God and His will concerning you.
What is love and sin ?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Love is
Trusting
Trustworthiness
Believing
Self control
Others first / me last
mindset
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sin is
Breach of trust
Broken relationship
Broken trustworthiness
Loss of self control
Me first / others last
mindset
•The END
•Thank you for
coming!
Sermon detail
• Opening hymn: 570 not I but christ
• Scripture reading: Genesis 20:2324
• Special music: the namihira’s
• Sermon: the signs of the times (3)
[sodom and gomorrah]
• Closing hymn: 632 until then
Place of visit
• 9-3-2011 vicksburg sda church
•False Christs and
false prophets
• (Text: Matthew 24:23,24,26) Christ warned
about the
false
• Christs and false prophets who would
appear to deceive His
• people: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look,
here is Christ,’ or
• ‘There,’ do
not believe it.
Take home point
• For false Christs and false
prophets will rise and show
great
•signs and
wonders to deceive
Questions
•Signs and wonders
•Miracles
•Is it safe to follow signs
and wonders?
The bottom line
•
•
•
•
•
•
If you totally (100 % ) put your trust in
Signs and wonders
Miracles,
You can be easily deceived.
Why ?
Jesus performed miracles , showed signs and
wonders.
• Satan also can perform signs , wonders,
miracles.
Watch out for miracles
• In the Exodus story, the Pharaoh's magicians
were able-to a point-to counterfeit the power
and miracles of God (Exodus 7:10-12). Likewise,
Satan is most dangerous and
effective when he is imitating
God's miracles and messengers.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light" (2
Corinthians 11:14).