Simple Faith

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry, coming to you from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today, we bring you Pastor Bill's weekly prophecy update. He'll be taking a look at current events and he's going to share how they relate to end times prophecy we read in the Bible. Obviously, there's a lot going on in the world, so let's get right to it. Here's Pastor Bill.

Bill Henry: Well, hello once again and welcome to Stay Awake Radio. This is Pastor Bill Henry with Simple Faith Calvary Chapel here in Vancouver, Washington. What a blessing it is to be here with you once again. We always like to take this Friday of every week and come in for our pre-recorded thing. This is recorded a few days before, but just to address things that are happening within the world.

There are so many things. As I've told you before, we used to do a prophecy update every week. There were all these different things happening, and we tried to put them in light of the scriptures. Is this really what the Bible is saying? Are these prophecies being fulfilled before our eyes? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Yet, we do not do it in a sensationalist manner to try to get clicks or to get you to listen to us. We want to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, to be real, to give people God's word, and to teach saints to stand upon the word of God, even in the days that we're living in. That's my heart again today.

I look around and we could talk about all the different anti-semitism that continues to grow. I just read an article today that the governor of New York isn't going to attend a Jewish parade which is normally attended by the mayor. So many things are happening in the Middle East, and so many things are happening with the church as it continues to fall away. You don't have to be hypersensationalist to see these things. I think you have to be blind not to, whether it's spiritually blind or purposely blind because we're just so tired of it all.

But that's kind of my point. We've come to the point where the Titanic has hit the ice, it is going down, and we see the signs. When Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948, we saw this outpouring of all these other prophetic things that are in the midst of being fulfilled. We see right now all the data centers. I just read an article the other day and shared it with the church. I think it was 4,500 data centers are planned for around the United States. There's already 2,400. These huge things are the size of a shopping mall. It's all just computers for AI.

It's interesting because it used to be when people would read Revelation 13, they would say this could never happen or that you can't take this literally. Well, when you look at it and you see that the Antichrist is going to rule and they're not going to be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast. For the first time, especially when COVID came, you saw people putting these restrictions. Well, to get on the train in New Zealand, you had to have this app and it would let you enter or not. The same happened with some other countries as they were bearing down. All of a sudden, you saw they can start to control more of who can sell and who can't.

With AI coming in and artificial intelligence, that's why they say they're building all these data centers. By the way, one of these data centers uses the same electrical wattage as a small town of thousands of people. We're already in a power shortage, supposedly. You see that there's more going on here. I read another article today about global warming and how the government in England is telling them they need to cut back even more. We're going to see these crazy hot weather days. I'm not even saying that's not happening in certain areas, but nothing like they're saying.

England produces less than one percent of the world's pollution and uses less than one percent of the world's energy. So, even if they stopped using any energy at all and they emitted no pollution at all, it wouldn't affect anything one iota. Again, you see all the deceivers that are out there. We see that happening, and Jesus said that was going to happen. Paul said it, and John and Peter said it. All this deceit comes. People will be laughing at you for believing these are the last days. Even Christians will be mocking other Christians because we actually take prophecy seriously and take it literally.

It's sad, but you see these prophecies being fulfilled before our eyes. The great falling away of the church is probably the second largest prophecy that we see being fulfilled, with Israel being number one. But here's the thing. I was talking with a fellow on his podcast yesterday, Don, a really sweet man who loves the Lord. It was interesting because we were talking about what's one area in our country that's just really dark. It is so dark that we can all agree, no matter what our beliefs are, even if you're not a Christian, that it's a very dark area. What would you say that is?

I think across the board, people might say the entertainment industry or Hollywood. Those are very dark, and I would agree with you. But I think probably the darkest area right now in the United States would be the political realm. It's such a dark area that over 55 percent of Christians will not vote. They just don't vote. I wanted to address that a little bit today. Look, I'm not saying to make politics your god. People go the opposite way. I've hardly met anybody where politics is their god. I've met a few where they seemingly replace Christianity with politics. I get that, but that's very few.

But anybody who actually speaks up, like I'll speak up, or other guys like Jack Hibbs, Barry Stagner, and other guys that I love, all of a sudden they're called extremists. No, they're not extremists. They say politics is their god. No, it's not a god. But it is something that we should be responsible with in our country because we live in a constitutional republic. We do not live in a democracy. Please do not believe that lie. That's been a lie that's been taught in the schools for the last 30 or 40 years to try to change people's view.

You turn on CNN and these people who have multiple degrees in different subjects and doctorates will say it's a democracy. That's an idiotic thing to say, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. I just mean that in a very matter-of-fact way. We are not a democracy. France is a democracy. Other countries are a democracy. We are a constitutional republic. We are ruled by a constitution. Whenever somebody takes the oath of office, it's always to the Constitution.

So my point is, we have been born into this or maybe you've become a citizen. Yes, it's a dark area, but what a greater place to bring the light of Jesus Christ? We can all agree it's a dark area, so why leave it that way? Come and vote, come and be involved politically. Again, don't make it your life. Just make it like I was talking yesterday. You don't have to have a spiritual gifting to come to church and empty trash cans. You don't have to be spiritually gifted to come to church and vacuum the floors and help set chairs up.

You don't have to have a spiritual calling when you're at home to clean up after yourself and not make your wife do it, or your husband, or your mom and dad. There are things that just have to be done as part of being a Christian. We have to set the chairs up if we're going to meet on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday night. We have to clean up. It doesn't require spiritual gifting. It just requires me being a servant of Jesus Christ and using what I have for his glory.

Bringing this back to being involved even in politics, I just want to encourage us. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out or trampled under people's feet." This is in Matthew chapter 5, verse 13. So, we are the salt of the earth. Verse 14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand." We need to stand up and be the church of Jesus Christ.

We need to stand up and be the salt and light that we are. This world needs it. The world of politics here in the United States needs it. Run for political office. Pray about it, but do what God puts on your heart. Run whether it's in the city, the school council, the county, the state, or the federal. Run, do it. Vote and use your votes. Imagine if those 55 percent, we're talking probably 60 million, 80 million, or more people who won't vote because they say it's all fake and it's all corrupt. If everybody did vote, they couldn't make enough fake votes to override that.

That's kind of what I'm trying to say. If we're involved, that's part of just being the salt and being the light of the world. Imagine if people in China, under this huge persecution every day, the real Christians in China, all of a sudden they could have a vote. If they all got out and voted and their vote was honored, they would have freedom to practice their religion. They'd no longer be thrown in prison. They'd no longer be killed or separated from families. I think every one of them to a person would go out 100 percent.

Yet, we have over 55 percent of professing Christians who don't vote. I use the word professing because I don't understand what they're doing. It's like the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25. This is one of the gifts that God has given us here in the United States to use for his glory. I remember having arguments with people or discussions about this in the elections that have gone by. Some people say my vote doesn't make a difference, or I don't like this guy, he's not Christian.

We're not voting for a pope. We're not voting for a pastor. We're not voting even for someone for a Christian. We're voting for someone who is going to reflect our views and our morality a bit better than anyone else in the election. If we take those steps, and I like how Don was saying in our interview yesterday, if we take those steps instead of thinking I need to get a touchdown every time. If I just get a few yards every play, next thing I know, I'm getting first downs and further and further.

If my going out and voting can stop one abortion. I remember when Hillary Clinton was running against Donald Trump. No matter how you feel about Donald Trump, I didn't vote for Donald Trump in the original primaries when he was first running. I don't think he was conservative enough for me. Even though they put the label of conservative on him now, I'm very thankful for him now as president. I wish and I pray that he would be more united. I think he should still stand strong, but also be a lot more kind in his words.

There are some of his political things I disagree with. But Hillary Clinton was saying at the time that she was going to not only increase abortion here in the United States, but also continue to export it to the world. That was part of her platform that she was running on. Donald Trump said he wasn't going to do that. So, if my vote in just that one issue, and there are so many other issues, if my vote could stop even one child in another country, in Zimbabwe, from being aborted and murdered in the womb, then my vote was worth it.

But if I take that vote and I bury it, then the Lord's going to hold us accountable for that. If that's you, you're going to be held accountable for that. Jesus said this about that person who takes and buries those gifts. The Lord answered him in Matthew chapter 25, verse 26, "You wicked and lazy servant. You know that where I reap I have not sown and gather where I have not gathered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with bankers that at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, give it to him who has 10 talents."

It goes on to say to cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. The Bible is very clear that we need to be engaged. We need to be using whatever gifts we've been given by God for his glory. This includes voting. Now, if somebody else comes, it's almost like giving. When Jesus said, "Give to the poor, feed the needy," a lot of times we'll say, "That guy's just going to take the money and use it on drugs." Well, be wise then how you give, but we're still supposed to give.

Jesus didn't say not to give to those who are going to take your money and waste it, or take your food and sell it and get drugs. He said to do these things, to go visit the poor, to go visit those in prison. We're to use all of our gifts for his glory. Again, people say their vote's not going to be counted. Well, that's between them and God. Between us and God, we need to be responsible with what God has given to us and put before us.

In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of the household? Therefore, do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be known."

Jesus is saying here they called him the devil, and how much more are they going to call us, those of his household, the devil? That's what we see happening today. You're so mean if you stand against this. You're so mean if you stand up for righteousness. That's not very kind or very tolerant. Well, as I've said many times before, we're not called to be jerks for Jesus. We don't go out and purposely offend people. We don't go out and call homosexuals names and put them down. By the way, if you're doing that, shame on you. I would even question your Christianity.

Just because we're going to stand up against these things, that doesn't mean we hate the people doing these things. That's not in our realm biblically speaking. We're to love them because they're lost in their sin, just like you and I were lost in our sin, whether it's the same sin or other sins. We were all going to hell, just like them. So, we're not to be jerks for Jesus, but we need to stand up for the righteousness of God and profess the good news of Jesus Christ.

This is what God calls sin, and the wages of that sin is death and eternal separation from God forever, to be thrown in the lake of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth forever. It's not where you cease to be. Today from pulpits they say that doesn't seem very fair of God. Well, I don't care what seems fair to you or me. We're not God. How dare we judge God? If you want a little more exhortation on that, read the last five to 10 chapters of the Book of Job where Job finally does start questioning God. God says, "Who are you? Were you there when I created this? Were you there when I did this?" Job says, "No, I wasn't there. I'm nobody."

Sadly, too many of us, even as Christians, we get too full of ourselves. Well, what does God's word say? That's where we get what we believe from, not what we feel. So, even if they tell us, don't fear them. Jesus is saying in Matthew chapter 10, "Therefore, do not fear them, for nothing covered will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark," Jesus goes on to say, "speak in the light. What you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Jesus is telling us not to fear people. I think that's a reason a lot of people don't vote. I think that's a reason a lot of people that profess to be Christians don't stand up. They're afraid and they're walking in that fear. Jesus is saying don't fear those who can destroy the body. A lot of pastors won't preach the word of God fully, the full counsel of God, because they're afraid. I might lose people, I might lose givers, I might lose donors. What if I lose my 501(c)(3)? Who cares?

As long as we're preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, as long as we're preaching the word of God, let them throw us in prison. Who cares? Take away our tax-exempt status. I don't care, and none of us should care. I'm going to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the pure unadulterated word of God. We cannot fear. Let's fear him who can destroy both the body and soul in hell.

It goes on to say, "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will. But the very hairs on your head are numbered. Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than sparrows. Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Remember that, beloved. Whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

He who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life will find it for my sake. Look, we need to stop living for ourselves, stop living in fear of others. What will my parents think? What will my kids think? What will my husband or wife think? What will my friends think? What will the church think? What will my coworkers think? Who cares?

We're not to live in that fear. We will be hated, even if we are kind. Jesus was the kindest person who ever lived, the most loving, and he never sinned. Yet, he was crucified. He was spit upon, he was mocked. One of the things that we've been promised in our lives as Christians is we will be persecuted. If we love Jesus and we're standing up for him, we will be persecuted. That is a promise. So if you're not being persecuted, you're likely not standing up really for Jesus Christ, the God of the word, not just the God that we've made up in our own minds.

As we're coming to the close, I want to remind you of 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 7. "For God has given us a spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Many of us are afraid to share the gospel. We're afraid if we say something, people are going to hate us. We're afraid we'll get unfriended. That's not the fear that God has given us. We're afraid we're going to get COVID. God has not given us that spirit.

His spirit in us is of power and love and of self-control, a sound mind. Let's stop living by fear and let's start living in power of the Holy Spirit of God, being filled continually with the spirit of God, living in accordance with his word, and living by the examples we find within the scriptures. The word of God doesn't change. May the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you. As we always like to say, we'll see you here, there, or in the air. God bless you.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today, we brought you Pastor Bill's prophecy update. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. If you'd like to hear today's message again, go to oneplace.com and search for Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry. We also have a large number of Pastor Bill's Sunday and Wednesday messages archived at simplefaith.org.

That's our website. Just go there and click the media tab and you'll find a huge archive of Pastor Bill's past messages. And if you'd like to contact us, just click the contact tab at our website at simplefaith.org. There's a tab at the top of the homepage where you can also send in a prayer request. And if you'd like to call us, our phone number is area code 833-BY-GRACE. That's 833-294-7223.

And if you'd like to write us, we love hearing from you that way as well. Our mailing address is Post Office Box 55, Battleground, Washington, 98604. Here at Simple Faith Calvary Chapel, we have three services on Sunday morning at 8:00, 9:45, and 11:30. We also have a great time of studying God's word on Wednesday night at 7:00. For more information and directions, go to simplefaith.org. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for joining us today, be sure to join us next time here on Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry brought to you by Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington.