The Four Horses

2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

There is an actual person who will be the anti Christ who will come. That spirit is already in the world today.

The White Horse: Disruption & Deception

The Red Horse: Fear and Violence

War… violence…

The Black Horse: Economic Collapse

Inflation… highest in decades...

The Pale Horse: Disease & Death

Kil 1/4 of the world population by war and disease.

Jeremiah 12:5 The Message

5 “So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?

If the normal days are wearing you out, you better get ready to run with the Horses.

LW, we went over some of the ET writings. Some of the best is in 1 Thess 4 & 5. Paul is going through a bunch of theology and then in chapter 5 he begins to give specific instructions for living in the last days …

Paul gives us a check list for end time living. If you feel like the season we are in is outrunning you, go to the check list.

Running with the Horses

As much as I would love to change the circumstances of many things going on in the world, I can’t. But what I can do is to give you God’s Word so that you can rise above it. We will make it… we can run with these horses.

You can be in a season of disruption… of disease and death… of fear and violence and economic collapse and you can rise above all of it.

If you want to study the end times read 1 Thess 4 & 5. In chapter 5, there is a break in the description of what’s going to happen at the end. It’s a check list.

One slide

1. Run with Covering

2. Run with Ministry

Greatest antidote to needing ministry is doing ministry

3. Run with Grace

Give people wha they need, not what they deserve

4. Run with joy

Choose to rejoice...

5. Run with prayer

If you want to memorize a verse....

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT

17 Never stop praying.

Why do we pray? If God knows everything, why do we pray. When you ask that question, you are thinking that prayer is getting God to come your way, but Prayer is me moving toward God.

We need to be praying. If you only pray when you are in trouble, you are in trouble.

Mark 1:35 NLT

35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

Get into your morning devotions and your day will go better.

People say alls well that ends well. That’s not true. All’s well that begins well

Try getting up and doing your morning devotionals in the morning and see how much better your day will go because you spent time with the Lord.

Prayer is the difference between the best I can do and the best God can do

It hooks us up to the power source we need to run with the horses.

6. Run with gratitude

There is always something to be thankful for.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Stuff is closed… get to stay home with your family.

Be happy with what we have…

What I have is more than enough

Mama - Mama went through some very difficult times… her mother died in childbirth with mama’s younger sister when she was 2. When her dad died when she was a teen, her step mom put her and her sister out and they had to live with siblings. When her and my dad’s business burned down her and my dad kept giving to the church. She always was grateful for what she had.

When you run with gratitude, you are running… not dragging. Paul said he knew what it was like to have a lot and nothing, but he knew His God would supply all his needs.

7. Run with discernment

I am going to see things differently that it seems like I see things. I don’t take what I see at face value. I am going to discern the meaning of it.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–20 NLT

19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies,

HS is the part of the Godhead that’s living on earth in us.

Prophecies usually tell us things we can’t see, but they are happening. 2 prophetic accelerants.

If you have ever flown, you may know what it’s like to be in the plane and the pilot comes over the speaker system to let you know to buckle tight because there is going to be some rough weather as we take off. When you look out the window, it’s cloudy and rainy and windy… And when he takes off, you find out he was right, but then you break through the clouds and the sun is out and the ride is smooth.

Here is the catch… it was always sunny and smooth up above the clouds.

Discernment says I know I can only see the clouds, but I know there is sunshine up there somewhere. I know that all I see right now are problems, but I also know that God is at work.

We look at the chaos of the last 40 years but listen… 1.6 billion people have come to Christ. Thats more than all the people that came to Christ in the previous 1981 combined. What does this mean? God is at work in the middle of all of this craziness. People are receptive to the Gospel more so than previous years.

Look at what Jesus said,

Luke 21:28 NIV84

28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Things are all bad… You can read them in the previous verses of this chapter. wars… rumors of wars, earthquakes…

He didn’t say to run, he said stand up because he is coming.

Go through life looking up, not around

Look fo rthe Lord.

8. Run with wisdom

Knowledge is knowing something. Wisdom is applying knowledge.

Wisdom is the ability to apply or do the right things in difficult situations.

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 NLT

21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

Hold onto the good… spit out the bones… Stay away from evil...

Slow down and walk in the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10 NIV84

10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

This doesn’t mean to be afraid of God. It’s knowing He has this.

How do you do this… you worship. Worship will change your perspective like nothing else.

“Knowledge is horizontal, but wisdom is vertical… it comes down from above.” Billy Graham

First 15 - 5 min in GW, 5 min prayer… finish it with 5 minutes in worship. You will respond to everything better because you are connected.

9. Run with vision

Vision is about you. I told you to run with ministry and that’s about others… it’s good.

But you also have to have vision for your life. For me, its about the calling I feel. There have been times when I wanted to quit… when others wanted me to quit, but I knew my calling.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NLT

23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

Holy - set apart. God makes you holy.

Blameless - live for an audience of one… God.

God is the one who call us.

We don’t just need something to live on. We need something to live for.

When you run with the vision God gives you for your life… you run with peace.

Altar time

HS has been talking to you today. Some of you are being drawn closer to Jesus. Listen you were designed for a relationship with Jesus and you miss him… even if you have never asked him to come into your life.