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When Abram could not see the way forward for the fulfilment of the plans and purposes of God, the Lord reaffirmed the covenant and taught Abraham that he—the Lord—was his shield of protection and the substance and source of his reward. The promise-making and promise-keeping God is faithful and all-sufficient for his people.

Dr. Stanley tells us how to make our lives available to Christ—no matter what God calls us to. And he reminds us that being committed to Christ requires deliberate action. Your name may be in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but are you still living your own way?

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 2:18-29

The days are growing gloriously dark; the time is ripe for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:18-29 heeds three warnings to us as we near the rapture and Great Tribulation prophesied in the Book of Revelation.

First, we are living in the last days, and we need to be awake.

“Little children, it is the last time....” (v. 18)

Ever since the ascension of Jesus Christ, we have been on the brink of His return. And because the signs of the revelation are here, we know the rapture must be very close.

When He raptures His church, He will come secretly, like a thief in the night; we must be spiritually awake.

Second, the antichrist is coming, and we need to be aware.

“...and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (v. 18)

There is a wicked, malevolent, ungodly person waiting to be revealed after the rapture of the church; he is called the antichrist. We must be aware that he is devilish, divisive, deceptive, and destructive.

Third, our Lord is on His way, and we need to be abiding.

“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye shall also continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (v. 24)

While living in the last days, we need to make ourselves at home in the word of God.

Now more than ever, we need to appreciate, appropriate, and assimilate Scripture.

We must make ourselves at home with the Spirit of God.

Adrian Rogers says, “Anything I can talk you into, somebody else can talk you out of; the one who teaches you is the Holy Spirit of God.”

Finally, we need to make ourselves at home with the very Son of God.

When Jesus comes for us, we shouldn’t have to be formally introduced. Rather, when we see Him face-to-face, it should feel like uniting with someone we’ve known heart-to-heart.

Apply it to your life

The signs of the upcoming revelation are all around us in these last days. Are you ready for Jesus to come? Are you awake and aware — are you abiding in Christ?

The heart is an idol factory, constantly manufacturing gods that promise everything we desire without demanding a change of heart. Dr. John Neufeld begins a series in Isaiah 40-44, contrasting the one true God with the world's countless idols. Isaiah opens with surprising words of comfort to sinful Jerusalem: God promises her warfare will end, her iniquity will be pardoned, and a voice will cry out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.

God and the World's Idols: What are you really worshipping? In this series through Isaiah 40–44, Dr. John Neufeld explores one of Scripture's most powerful confrontations between the living God and the idols humanity creates. Writing to a nation facing exile and questioning whether their God has abandoned them, Isaiah paints a stunning portrait of who God truly is — His wisdom that needs no counsel, His power that never grows weary, His sovereignty over history itself.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "We Get Letters." Enjoy!

Author and Christian financial advisor Russ Crosson has spent more than 45 years guiding individuals and couples in everyday financial situations. Discussing his book, Your Money Made Simple, he offers practical advice for mastering your finances biblically.