His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt says, a careful look around really confirms that what the Bible says is true.

Matt VanderVen: It's not something that we're exaggerating we say we're in the last last days. If you study the science and you look at the things that are happening, the frequencies of earthquakes, the frequencies of fires and destruction, all of these things, Jesus allowed us to see these things. He said these things needs to be this was coming. He even talked about it in Matthew 24 labor pains. If we just slow down and we look up and we look at the data, it's not in our imagination.

Guest (Male): You know, we take a lot for granted like food, water, and shelter. But imagine a water crisis that was so severe that you no longer had access to drinkable water. We're told in Revelation chapter 8 this will actually happen to a third of the world's freshwater supply. And it won't take long for many to die as a result. Today on His Perfect Love we'll draw your attention to the third trumpet judgment and the seriousness of it. Here's Pastor Matt Vanderven with a message first delivered at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Matt VanderVen: So again, in Revelation wormwood is the star. He calls it by name. It falls. It's turning a third of the water's bitter and causing many dress. So what is he trying to communicate through this? That this is expressed judgment and he's trying to describe the severity of it. Because anybody that knows anything about the world's water supply, especially the freshwater supply, to take a third of that off of the earth or to dry it up or to contaminate it, millions and millions, if not billions of people, will perish very quickly. And he's trying to open eyes and say, do you realize this is what is coming?

He says, I'm not keeping it secret from you. You need a savior because the consequences of sin is severe. It's very severe and there's not a single human being alive that can stand before a holy God and say, I have not sinned. And he's just trying to get our attention to say, you know what, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Call out to Jesus Christ and receive my son, the Father would say, my son Jesus as your Lord and savior. And when you do that, you can have the assurance and and knowing that the inheritance as a heir and co-heir of Jesus Christ that you are fit for the kingdom of God by His shed blood.

But if you don't do that, let's use that Hebrew modality of comparison and contrasting, then the severity of the judgment because the severity, let's say it this way, the enormity of the gift of salvation, the rejection of the enormity of that must meet the severity of the rejection. Is that make sense if I say it like that? The gift of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgiveness from sin is monumental and enormous beyond anything we can understand. It was desired from Him before the foundations of the world, says in scripture.

Just as that is enormous and marvelous and magnificent and all to the glory of God, conversely, the opposite of that extreme is to reject that. And there's an enormity to that and that is expressed through this severity of the judgment that is coming to those that reject Christ. Is is everybody with me in understanding what he's communicating, why it was wormwood and bitterness and destruction and why a third that way? He didn't say all because he's still giving time for people to do what? To repent and receive Christ. But it's going to be so quick here because again we'll we'll we're going to get into it.

But a third of the earth's fresh waters, they're going to become polluted, bitter, right? Unusable for its intended purpose and as a result, again many people are going to die. It's a spiritual model and example for us today. It's an application. We all were created as well with a purpose and a plan. And we too when we sow or we turn around and walk and and camp out in bitterness, wormwood, we too become what? Unusable. We become destroyed. There's a spiritual application even for the Christian, right? And for the the unbeliever. It's what happens, right?

And ultimately we face death because we don't we don't live to our potential. We don't live to the possibility of what God can do through a willing vessel, right? I I think back to Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah was so aware of his inadequacy that he literally came to God in the throne room of God and he right before he says, here I am use me, right? He recognizes that he's inadequate and he says, look I'm a man of unclean lips. He doesn't pretend Isaiah. He's a prophet. He's a I don't pretend. I'm a man of unclean lips and I'm surrounded by a nation, a people group of unclean lips.

And the angel takes the coal from the throne, the altar, and he goes and he puts it on to his lips. And what does he do? He sears them and he I'm dying. I'm dying. What a world. What a world. No, he doesn't do that, right? He doesn't freak out that way, melt like wax. No, what's he do? He doesn't utter a single word. Because God's refinement, God's cleansing, God's healing, when he does that, it far outweighs any pain in the temporal. And so Isaiah is made holy and whole. Look look back in that in Isaiah you won't see Him once say but yet every one of us understand if I was to take fire and touch it too, especially the lips, which is very sensitive, a lot of nerve endings, I should be screaming.

Never once do you read that in context of anything like that. He was cleansing the lips that Isaiah was saying are unclean. And it came from the altar. You and I have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. You you see the parallel? You see how beautiful it is? A spring, because he's talking about this freshwater. We we got to dig into this little bit here. Many of us may not understand the spring and and the water and when he says, oh a third of the fresh water is going to be, you know, made unusable.

Oh, that's okay. I have a well. A spring, what is a spring, friends? It's a natural exit in which groundwater emerges. I don't I don't have a better way of saying it. It's an exit point for the groundwater that is from what? What do we starts with an A? There's underground. They have them all over and they're filled and it's where the well produces or gets its water from. We call them aquifers, right? We have aquifers, right? So please understand what he is saying that's also going to be contaminated. He didn't say the surface only of the water.

A third of the aquifers will be contaminated as well. And how do we know that? Because if the spring water is nothing more than the exit point and the exit point comes out bitter, where did the bitterness start? It had to start at the source, which would be the aquifer. Now, do all aquifers in some capacity or another in regions connect? Are they bodies of water that somehow Interesting what he's telling us here. Even though that there's bodies only a third that will be touched, is it possible the other two thirds are still going to have some capacity of contamination?

Interesting. And is that going He's going to build upon that, but he's still giving time. So it 's going to flow across the the ground surface, the surface water, okay? So you're going to have contaminated aquifers. Reality check, right? It's a component of the hydrosphere, right? It's part of what we know anybody who's studied this in science, you know it is the water cycle, right? So springs have long been important to humans as a source of fresh water. Again, thinking with the Hebrew mind, especially in arid regions where there is very little or relatively little rainfall, very little rainfall.

So think about this. Someone that is living over in an arid climate, a desert or anywhere like this, you're reading this, you're already struggling with what? It's a death sentence. Yes. That's the point. Can you save yourself from that? I cannot nor can any other human being. But we know one who can. You see how that that is meant to bring us sobriety? It's a it's a simple sobriety. So I know a lot of people well, you know, the public water supply, I knew that would be hit and tainted. But I had my well cuz I just bought 50 acres in a mountain somewhere that, you know, nobody can find.

I 'm off grid. Friends, your well could potentially be 1/3 and your well is going to be contaminated. You're not There is no escaping this. And that's why I I'm only saying this and making such a point because I have heard people walking around going, yes that may affect mainstream and that's why I'm going off grid because then I won't be a part of it. Surprise. Surprise. You're not no human being is in the great tribulation is going to escape this. We need to be realists in this moment, not play in an imaginary fictitious world.

This is going to happen. Jesus Christ has been right 100% of the time biblically. This is not a time where you want to bet against the odds of the living God. What are you waiting for? Today is the day of salvation. So it's going to impact these aquifers that feed the natural springs. Again, that's going to be contaminated. So anyone who has a well potentially you're not going to escape this. Now, interesting as I mentioned earlier, 97% of the waters on the earth are salt water, right? Some say 96 97. Okay. What does that mean really quick then?

How much of the the seas I said 97%. So how much fresh water is left then on the entire earth? Tell me. If 97% is salt or seas being out of the total concentration of 100%, what is left that would make up the difference of fresh water that would be part of that number? It would be 3% right? Last time I went to school. 3% right? 3% of the earth's water supply. Now, let's get more specific cuz I know you guys are Bereans and you're going, but wait a minute. Is all 3% available? And you would be right, no it's not.

How much is actually readily available today? And I think we're going to get the point here. Only 1%. Did you realize that? Where is the other 2%? Well, the rest is tied up in ice, icebergs, glaciers, and snow caps. Okay? So it's already limited. Did you know that a human cannot survive, again on average, more than 3 days without water? So I just want us all to take this in for a minute. When we're telling our friends or prodigals or people we know that that that don't know Jesus and we're giving them severity of this, you might say, did you did you know how long the human body can can work function without usable water or water that you can drink?

Do you do you know how long? Um maybe say I don't know. 3 days. So you mean to tell me that when the third trumpet happens that within 4 days you're going to have great portions of the population that are going to die because of dehydration because they're not going to have enough water. That That's right. That's what we're saying physiologically, the function, right? That that's what's going to happen here. And yes, I know there's somebody else here that 's going to go, but wait a minute. I watched how things can work on the whatever channel and I know there's this innovation.

I know we have drip irrigation and I know we have uh desalination or, you know, taking the salt water and converting it. But by the way, did we forget already that second trumpet uh that preceded struck a third of the seas and that there's deadness all through that with bacteria and everything else? It's no good for us. Our little bellies aren't meant for this. I remember when um I was in school in college, I had a friend, his name doesn't matter what his name. He was from Africa, Morocco specifically, and he came to the States to study.

So bear with me here a moment. And I remember talking to him because there's a lot of certainly we don't know. We just take for granted. He described to me um the meats here. And he says, when I eat the meats it doesn't taste right. And I said, what do you mean? I said, you know, you don't have a good flame and you I come on everybody like He says, no, And I said, what do you do? And he says, well we go to the market every day or every two days. I said, what? He says, yeah.

And I said, like you're in Northern Africa, I mean that's really hot. How do you He says, no, we salt the meat. Oh, just like the Bible talks about salt isn't good if it's it's a preservative. Okay. I'm I'm Wow. Okay. Wow. There's a lot of You mean there's a lot of the world that still operates and it's funny cuz I also knew somebody that lived in the UK. A general actually went to the Army War College and was over the house. We were talking. He says, it's interesting when I'm in England doing um some some work there.

And uh when when I go shopping he goes, you know, we go to the market every few days. He says, it's not like here. We don't have these in the flats that 's like their version of apartment. We don't have these big refrigerators like you have in the States or America. We go in these little micro fridges and we'll buy eggs. That's a big deal right now, right? Eggs are skyrocket. He says, we'll get six of them, six eggs, half a dozen. And he says, that will last a few days and that's for the family.

And I'm like, really? Two They have two boys and him and his wife. I'm like, really? And he says, yeah. And and he says, then we go back and buy more eggs. Like this is how the most of the world works actually. They don't have these large refrigerators and freezers for freezers and refrigerators for refrigerators and and I was like, no kidding. And he started talking. He says, do you know Do you ever notice your bread? He says, it's so amazing to me. He says, I have seen your bread last a week or two. He says, that wonder bread really is wonder wonder It's a wonder.

How does that work? And he starts talking like that. I said, what do you mean? And then Lisa started making fresh bread and I realized that after three or four days when you make fresh bread at home, you know what starts happening? It molds. You're not supposed to eat that. That's not food coloring right? That's not a decoration. I know this now. So so a third of the seas here are going to be contaminated. That means you only have two thirds left. But the point of what I was getting is when you look at the food supply, we start thinking about all these things.

We start going, wow Lord, what are Oh my, all the things you're revealing to us that it's been contaminated, the water. And so what does that mean? Has this already begun? And then I started thinking about that. I really did. I started thinking about that and I started thinking because again the way we do things, we buy in such bulk and then you know I know we don't call it that but but compared to the rest of the world and I I started thinking well, have we already seen some effects of this? And I started thinking well, and this is really important because if if if right now there's already a problem with water and what's this going to mean in the future?

The United Nations right now in our current present state says that we have a water crisis. Uh for some people the issue isn't really a lack of water, but it's a lack of clean water. Did you notice that millions of people die each year from preventable disease after drinking water from an unsanitary source? I just talked to somebody this morning. They were getting ready to head to Mexico here on a vacation. I said to when you go to Mexico, don't drink the water. You all knew. Yeah, like I You What are you supposed to drink?

Like bottled water or something else. Why? Is it Well, how can the people in Mexico drink the water and they're fine? Is it cuz they have better bellies? No, it's because we have become so What's the word? Hygienic. We have become so clean. Do you know that 70% of your immune system is in your gut? Do you know you have a microbiome? Did you know you have actually multiple microbiomes? It's not just in your gut, but you have microbiome in your mouth as well. It's with balance is good and bad bacteria out. It's the same thing.

So here I am looking at this and they're saying very clearly that we're having a water crisis and millions of people are dying disease and I can I can attribute to that. If you've ever gone to another country or you've ever had uh India, wonderful place to visit, many times going on mission trips. One of the things that missionaries are told when you go to India is be careful of the fruit. If you're going to eat the fruit, make sure you eat the fruit that has a wrapper like an orange or a banana. But often because of the contamination and the different things from the water supply and certain of the remote areas, don't eat the grapes that might be out.

Don't eat salads. Don't eat these things that we would normally think because they've either been washed in the water supply which now has the bacteria on there and I'm just really hungry for lunch now, right? And and what what we'll do, it can make you so sick. It can cause disease. You can get parasites. You can be very very sick. You Are you with me? And so just think about that. That's from a water supply that's contaminated. So he's he's you know he's giving us something that we already have science and we have data. We can see this.

And in other regions we know that even today in arid climates that water is simply scarce, right? So what's it going to be like when a third of the seas and the fresh water become unusable? Well, that means that really in the great tribulation water is going to become one of the most precious commodities during the great tribulation. Nobody your gold and silver. Water, people, what they will do to barter, to get water, just drinkable water. And without the mark of the beast, you will not have access to buy, sell and trade. You will not have that which is why I also have said even though in Revelation it says that many will get saved, but unless they and they are not going to take that mark or if they took the mark they're going to reject it, they're going to die certainly after because again they're not going to get access to what?

Water. Now are we starting to get the bigger picture of of of how this is going to work, okay? So without continuous link to groundwater also that sustains rivers, what else does that do? Well, the land's going to dry up, right? Parts of land we're going to see is going to dryer and then that's going to make everything on the earth hotter, right? Springs are also home to a wide array of species, specialized species as well. Some that spend their nights above ground and their days in the darkness of this groundwater. So it's even going to impact the animal kingdom, insects.

I know some of you are like, yeah take the insect. But it's all part of the circle of life and it's important. I want to share this with you. In 2024 scientists analyzed over 40 years of data. It's about 6 months ago this this report came out. And it was from 170,000 monitoring wells. And they also looked at 1,693 aquifers. So it's a really really large study around the world. You know what they found? Rapid and widespread groundwater level declines in many regions. Some these areas that they saw and were testing, they experienced drops up to 50 cm that to you and I is about 1.64 ft.

Let me just say that another way. You went to your well last year. Your line to your well is here. You go 1 year later, the line to your well is now a foot 1.6 more than a foot and a half down. Did you realize that the labor pains have already begun? It's not something that we're exaggerating we say we're in the last last days. If you study the science and you look at the things that are happening, the frequencies of earthquakes, the frequencies of fires and destruction, all of these things, Jesus allowed us to see these things.

He said these things needs to be this was coming. He even talked about it in Matthew 24 labor pains. If we just slow down and we look up and we look at the data, it's not in our imagination. You know, on my day off I go and do codes and force codes and I can tell you even amongst unbelievers, people are walking around saying something's off and something's very strange. You and I have been illuminated. That's the term in the scriptures that we read in the New Testament, illumination. The scales have fallen from our eyes.

We know we're in the last days. I don't think I'm convincing anybody here. As a matter of fact, when 1 Thessalonians written by Paul to the church in Thessalonica inspired by the Holy Spirit, what's one of the first things he says in chapter 4? He says, listen, I know I don't need to say this to you because you are what? Aware of the times and signs. I know I don't need to tell you that. He'd only been there 3 weeks by the way at that point when he was planting that church. But the word had gone forward.

So they were very biblically aware cuz they were looking through the lens of scripture at the present world before them. He says, you know that your it's begun even then and those were at the beginning. We are in the last of the last days. When you are starting to already see God dry up these springs, the severity's even more intense because then whatever's left it's only 2/3 of that remaining less than 1% that remains, okay?

Guest (Male): That is Pastor Matt Vanderven on His Perfect Love. We're going through Revelation at the present time and I'll remind you that you can hear the program again when you visit His Perfect Love dot org. That's His Perfect Love dot org. We're also at one place dot com and look for us wherever you get your podcasts. We also offer a mobile app. This is a great way to take Pastor Matt's teachings with you on the go. You can learn more about the mobile app and start your download when you visit our website His Perfect Love dot org.

We can't thank you enough for your prayers for this ministry. Please pray that as God's word goes forth, that lives will be greatly impacted for the glory of God and people would grow by His grace and love or even enter into a relationship with Him. And if you have a prayer request, please send that our way. You can email that to us through our website at His Perfect Love dot org. If you live in the Mechanicsburg PA area, we hope you'll stop by for a visit just like you hear on the radio. Pastor Matt teaches verse by verse through the Bible here at Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Sunday morning services begin at 8:30 and 10:30. We have a midweek gathering on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. We're located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg PA. Go to cc harrisburg dot org for more information. Are you looking for a Christian school that offers a quality education and a nurturing environment for your children? If so, you might be interested in Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore. Calvary Chapel Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian school that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The academy's mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that equips students to love God, love others, and serve the world.

The academy offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a caring and supportive staff. The academy is located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg PA. For more information, please visit our website at cc harrisburg dot org slash Academy. That's cc harrisburg dot org slash Academy. And then join us next time when Pastor Matt will pick up where we left off in Revelation here on His Perfect Love.

Matt VanderVen: His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Guest (Female): Let the word go out. The perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout. I am my beloved's and He is mine. Every heart is in His hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His perfect love. The world goes on. This is what real love looks like. This is His perfect love.