Sermon – Guest Speaker Bishop Gary Trail

sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” 11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Their Lord we pray that you would be with all those who are joining us from beyond these four cozy walls blessed with strength and power and whatever their needs are today Lord make them if they need salvation. We know you offered free and clear through the power of Jesus’ blood. If they need healing we know that you are the God who heals. If they need financial help if they need help in the material world bless them supply all their needs not just according to the riches of human people of the of human beings but according to your riches in glory and Lord we look to you that you might give us your word and your joy your supernatural joy in Jesus name Amen. Now I have actually three scriptures this morning. The first is from First Kings in one thousand nine hundred fourteen and I believe this is the it might go along with the one of the things that challenge might go along with that so I’m going to read that one and I’m going to add a couple more then. First Kings in one thousand nine hundred fourteen. Now this is right after there has been this big spiritual battle on Mount Carmel. I’ve been in that area. I’m not sure I don’t think I’ve been exactly on that mount but I think I’ve been within sight of where the largest stood alone against all the prophets of bail and they could. When get bail to light the sacrifice and Elijah goes and poured water on it and then he prays. And when you praise there’s fire comes down from heaven and a sacrifice burns and you know that God is God that yeah way is the Lord just Hova is God Well. Ahab tells on. When I was on him so I He was a prophet. Yes OK This is where we begin and the lodger told Jess about all the little lad you had done and also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jessa Bell sent a messenger to lie just saying so that the god do to me and more also if I do not make your life as a life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw all that he arose and ran for his life and went to Beersheba which belongs to Judah and left his servant there so he goes all the way to the south as far south as he dare go and still be within the Holy Land and they leave his servant there but he himself when a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree and he prayed that he might die and said it’s enough now Lord take my wife I’m no better than my father’s. After this great victory comes fear and he’s running for his life. Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree suddenly an angel touched him and said to him Arise and eat. Then he looked and there by his head was a cake baked on coals and a jar of water so he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel the Lord came back the second time and touched him and said Rosny because a journey is too great for you so he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food. Forty days and forty nights. As far as horrible the Mountain of God and there he went into a cave and spent the night in that place and behold the word of the Lord came to him and he sent him. What are you doing here Alija. So I said I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hoes for the children of Israel have forsaken your cabinet torn down your elders and killed your prophets with the sword. I load him left and they seek to take my life. Then he said Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord and behold the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind an earthquake but though it was not the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice. So it was with a lodger heard it heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave and suddenly a voice came to him and said What are you doing here a lodger. And he said I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hoes because the children of Israel have a stake in your covenant torn down your elders and killed your prophets with the sword alone and left and they seek to take my life. You know that it is the scripture reading but I’ll let you have a hand if you want to read on further you might find it the Lord gives him a word. That tells him that his perception of reality is flawed. And sometimes when we are on the run from evil our perception gets flaw. But God is going to tell him the truth and you might want to read the rest of that. Following that Scripture then I’m going to turn to the one that I’m going to kind of elaborate on today. That was scripture was first Kings nineteen one hundred fourteen. You might want to read before that and read about the battle on Mount Carmel. Which Elijah wins with the help of the Lord the Lord wins that battle actually the Lord wins all the battles. All right second Thessalonians No I can’t say Thessalonians. So to the people of us of a like a the Greek city of the Thessalonica the second a pencil. The first chapter I’m going to read the whole first chapter you going to get a lot of scripture today. That doesn’t mean it’s a sermon to be shorter. So don’t get your hopes up. Paul also venison Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you brother and as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all a bounds toward each other so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God. You also suffer since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you and to give you you are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the way that’s all one sentence from Verse three through verse eight. And I didn’t have a deep enough breath to read it all in one breath so forgive me. They shall be punished with everlasting destruction for the presence of the Lord and for the glory of His power when he comes in that day to be glorified to the saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed therefore we also pray for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power. That’s the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you and him. According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ here Ians the reading from the pistol and now we need a word from Jesus. From Matthew’s Gospel chapter twenty four and I’m going to begin. Let’s see where will I begin this. I guess I’ll begin with the verse first verse but I won’t read the whole chapter just most of it. The sad thing is we are in the last days of Jesus on earth and he’s been teaching in the temple and the conflict between him and the religious leaders. As intensify. Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple and his disciples came to him to show Him the buildings of the temple and Jesus said to them Do you not see all these things assuredly I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives and from the Mount of Olives you can see the Temple of a beautiful picture where the temple stood for the Mount of Olives. Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to Him privately saying Tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the wood. We like to know. And Jesus answered said to them take heed that no one deceive you format for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not troubled for all these things must come to past but the end is not yet for a nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake and then many will be offended who will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up in the sea many and because lawlessness will be found the love of many will grow cold. But he’ll in-doors to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will. He preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come. Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place. Whoever reads this let him understand it. Then let those who are injured be afraid of the mountains. Let him who is on the house top not come down to take anything out of his house and let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those with nursing babies in those days and pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath because you can only go a Sabbath day’s journey to get away for them there will be great tribulation such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elect sake these days will be shortened. Then if any one asked says to you Look here is the Christ or there do not believe it for false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders so as to deceive you possible even the elect see have told you beforehand. Therefore they say to you Look here isn’t a desert did not go away or look here he is in the inner rooms do not believe it for as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so also will be the coming of the Son of Man for wherever the carcass is there the eagles will be gathered together immediately when the tribulation of those days the sun will be dark after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. George will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from the end of the heaven to the other and they go to skip down past the fig tree there and go back to thirty of the thirty six. The parable the fig tree is just restating of that. But if that day an hour no one knows no not even the angels of heaven but my Father only. But as the days of nowhere and so also will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark and did not know until the flood came and took them all away so also will be the coming of the Son of Man then two men will be in the field one will be taken the other left two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken the other left. Watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not showed his has to be or not allowed his has to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. Here is this reading of the Gospels. Let us pray Lord open by law all to us. Open further the words of Christ and His servant Paul. Let your servant dear Lord preach what you want preach this morning and Lord help me to preach as if this is my last sermon. In Jesus’ name amen. This is the most dangerous time in my life and I have my a lot of threescore and ten plus. I remember back when we had bomb shelters and it was possible for us to be sent airplanes with atomic bombs over this nation from another nation. In fact in one thousand sixty eight I went to a church in Preston Maryland Bethesda United Methodist Church which also doubled as a bomb shelter people from the government came by and made sure that we had adequate supplies so that several people could survive with the liquid in the tasty food that they are provided plus other necessities of life. I remember that and then communism crumbled and the window of opportunity came to us and except for the dedicated missionaries in those who were dedicated enough to support those missionaries with prayer and money. Many people are blessed. Matthew twenty six I’m sorry Matthew twenty six thirty seven to thirty nine. I have read correctly twenty six I think I wrote down the wrong chapter here thirty seven through thirty nine. I guess I made a mistake so when have those scriptures but anyway we had a window of opportunity I think for perhaps twenty five years twenty five years we’ve had an opportunity. But yet I believe that window of opportunity is closing because we have moved into a new time where the powers of evil are raising their ugly heads where people of faith are treated more awfully than ever before in many places on this planet. Christians are being persecuted. I think of Denise that I met at a missions conference a couple years ago and God told me to put her on my prayer list. She was going back to Kenya as a missionary her family was there and then I learned about a year ago that at the very model where her family frequented they were the mall was attacked and fortunately her family was not there know whether it was through my prayers and prayers of others they weren’t there. I don’t know. No but I believe prayer is part of the solution rather than part of the problem. I also learned several months ago that some of the people that she ministers to were attacked with machetes they were not killed but they were threatened that they needed to renounce Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They refused they said we would will we will die before we will do that. My question is you and I faced with the same thing how would we stand. Are you ready are you ready for whatever happens. I pray every day that the members of my family and many others are ready and they are going to be ready if they know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If they have eternal life right now we’re supposed to have eternal life right now because Jesus prayed in John seventeen. This is eternal life that they may know You the One True God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Do you know Jesus. Do you know the true God and does Jesus know you in the pardon and forgiveness of sins. Have all of your sins been taken away and have you kept that updated Yes. Jesus forgives past sins we might have some today but Jesus takes care of those too. If you believe and I ask he’s the savior of the world are you ready. Are you ready if he comes. I remember being at an evangelist conference about twenty years ago and we had a great Bible teacher Denis Khin vol professor of Asbury seminary. And after he had spoken something clicked in my head and I thought I need to ask a question and I’m a little timid because I’m in the midst of about fifty ministers and they’re intimidating sometimes. But I’ve bravely raised my hand as a doctor Kinlaw I have observed that in those countries where there is great faith and where there is great reliance on the Bible and suffering there is great growth in number. In America could we have a great growth in Christianity without the suffering. You know what he answered. Two words it’s common it’s common and it is closer than it’s ever been. Do you not think that we are immune because we are citizens of the United States. There is no guarantee there. We just do not know. But Paul Paul had words for people that he was he was dealing with as his parishioners I would call him his parishioners in the city of Thessalonica Greece which I think is probably more in Macedonia than it is in Cairo or Greece proper. But in Paul we find words to show us how to be ready because the people in Thessalonica as Christians were under persecution. Are you ready for persecution. Are you ready for Jesus if he comes. Are you ready for whatever comes. I honestly believe because I have lived all these years that if I have Jesus whatever comes and I don’t know what it will be I don’t know what horrific thing it will be but whatever comes I believe he will help me to get through it. I don’t know I don’t know the future. I know some of the future as outlined by Jesus. In Matthew twenty four we know the trouble is coming. It already came to the vessel and lichens. But here’s what he does he says I give thanks to God This is a formula for survival and for overcoming to give thanks to God Did you give thanks this morning. You know I’ve been in third world countries and we do not have all the gadgets and all the things that the niceties of amenities that we have here. I thank God for toilet paper this morning because if you run it what does that mean. And a pretty. But you see toilet paper was invented to about eight hundred fifty. What if people do that. You see. Do we give thanks to God I give Paul gives thanks for people and they give thanks for people who are persecuted and are standing strong in the Lord and they are ready and he stand in solidarity with them through prayer and through encouragement and he is suffering himself while he writes these words it is a fellowship of suffering and yet under all of this there is an abiding joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and the only way you’ll ever understand that is if you experience it how to have joy in the midst of the rough things of life. Supernatural joy supernatural peace. All these things promised by Jesus Christ because he is supernatural love love bears all things believes all things hopes all things indoors all things. And then he prays for them and he doesn’t pray that they will have troubles but he prays that they will be overcomers and be able to go through the be survivors and overcomers through whatever they have to go through. Do you know how the relationship to God and thank God for people and for persecuted people that you can have solidarity with people in Burundi for example that we mention is warning you thank God for them that they are holding up in the faith even in the midst of it some are thirsty. Some are hungry. Some are without shelter and they’re of all places. I can’t think of the country now but it can’t be very nice. Do you know God enough to be thankful. Because if you know God enough to be thankful you ought to be thankful because you have eternal life because you know Jesus. We ought to be thankful but be careful. Even though we may be fine for all the amenities of life I have. I could go over a whole list of things from the bathroom to the kitchen to electricity to light bulbs that work. Think of all the amenities that we have are we thankful for. If you’re not thankful for him or you readily let go of it and go to some place where you don’t have them for Jesus’ sake. Are you ready. But be careful. Not to concentrate too much on the amenities of right because they can detract from your relationship to Christ in Matthew thirteen Jesus gives the parable of the sour and you know some of the seeds are choked by thorns and then he gives an explanation. In the twenty second and twenty third verse. Now he who receive seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceit fullness of riches choke the word and he becomes fruitful. You did not choose me Jesus said but I chose you and I were deigned you that you should bear fruit and that your friend should remain in abide and stay so that has eternal consequences. Are you a fruitful person. Do you really love God. Do you really love people. You know people people can get on another sometimes. Are you thankful for people. What is a Charlie Brown says. I love mankind it’s people I can’t stand. And let’s tell the truth this morning. You know one of the things that I stand behind the pope and I’m supposed to tell the truth and the truth is that sometimes some people we love the most get on our nerves. But your level many way don’t you. Sometimes we pray Lord Jesus I need help love them today cause they’re not easy to love today but that’s honest. Jesus can hear an honest prayer. Be Honest To God Be honest with yourself. You know I don’t sell Be Tryna Chill follow the Knight today thou canst not be false with any man. I didn’t make that up I think Shakespeare did. But thank God for people and people who are persecuted that you can stand in solidarity with them when you can pray for them daily. And when you can you support them with money until the window of opportunity ends and persecution comes here. It’s coming. Be ready. Are you ready. Just be ready just like the first one and I can. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling us verse eleven of the first chapter that I read from Thessalonians and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power. I’ll tell you the truth another truth which pains me to say but there comes a family I tend to be too soft. I don’t want them to have to go through everything I went through. I don’t want them to have to hole a real corner was a mile long and helpful always. I don’t want to have to do that. I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think I’m right in being that way. I should pray that my kids or my grandkids are strong enough to take whatever comes and will rely on Jesus to do that because we must prepare them for what’s coming that they will know Jesus. I wish it weren’t coming but it’s coming from a prayer I believe is the first thing the second thing and the third thing because prayer is our direct connection with. God through Jesus Christ. We can talk to me anytime anywhere anyplace. We can make specific times when we arrive early like he did and went out with the father. We can we can make times even and even when we’re driving all that we should keep our eyes open when we pray and we can make time where we can make times even standing and waiting in that long line at the supermarket. I believe that we need to mean business with God and mean business in our prayer life. Are you ready. Are you ready. Let me give you a test. As I close this do you believe Jesus will come at the end of the sermon. I’m not going to ask for any hints here just what you think about it. Do you think Jesus will come tonight. If so are you ready. But here’s the closing note from Jesus himself. Matthew twenty four. If I have written down the right thing forty four twenty thirty twenty four forty four Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. If you don’t expect him after the sermon you don’t expect him tonight. That might be when he comes. Are you ready. Are you ready. Are you ready. Do you mean business with God. Do you mean business with prayer.