AS I LOOK AROUND AND I LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT SIGNS OF THE TIME, IT SURE SEEMS TO ME THAT HE'S GETTING READY TO COME. AND WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE BIBLE, THAT WHEN HE COMES, HE'S COMING AFTER HIS CHURCH, HE'S COMING AFTER HIS PEOPLE. AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GO IN THAT CROWD IS YOU'VE GOT TO COME BY WAY OF THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS. SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HOW DOES A PERSON GET SAVED. IT'S SIMPLE, PRAY THE SINNERS PRAYER. WHAT'S THE SINNERS PRAYER? IT'S A PRAYER OF ASKING GOD TO FORGIVE OF OUR SINS YOU SEE, TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS A PERSON HAS TO CONFESS THAT THEY ARE A SINNER. YOU CONFESS YOU'RE A SINNER BECAUSE YOU REALIZE THERE ARE SINS IN YOUR LIFE. YOU HAVE FAILED, YOU HAVE MADE MISTAKES, YOU'VE DONE THINGS THAT YOU REGRET DOING. THERE ARE, WELL, THE BIGGEST THING IS, YOU'RE WITHOUT GOD. IF YOU'VE NEVER ASKED THE LORD INTO YOUR HEART, YOU DON'T HAVE HIM IN YOUR HEART. BECAUSE HE ONLY COMES BY INVITATION. SO TODAY, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET READY FOR HEAVEN AND HOW TO BE SAVED, THE FIRST THING YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS JUST PRAY. IF YOU'VE NEVER PRAYED IT'S SIMPLE, IT'S JUST LIKE TALKING TO YOUR FRIEND. JUST BEGIN TO TALK TO GOD AND SAY, "GOD, I'M A SINNER, PLEASE, FORGIVE ME. PLEASE, BRING ME INTO YOUR FOLD, THE FAMILY OF GOD. PLEASE LIVE WITHIN MY HEART." AND IF YOU'LL PRAY THAT SIMPLE LITTLE PRAYER, GOD WILL HELP YOU WITH ALL THE REST. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, THAT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO FIND A LOCAL CHURCH, TO HELP YOU TO LIVE THAT LIFE THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE. IF YOU CAN'T, THEN GET INTO THIS BOOK, BECAUSE AS YOU ENTER INTO THE WORD OF GOD, THE WORD OF GOD WILL SHOW YOU ALL THINGS. AND WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW, HOW YOU OUGHT TO LIVE FOR HIM UNTIL HE COMES. HE'S ON HIS WAY TODAY. NOW, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, I NEED TO SAY THIS. WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AT THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, AND YOU SEE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE COMING UPON THE EARTH, AS WE REFERRED TO THE VERSE A FEW MOMENTS AGO, PAUL THE APOSTLE HELPS US TO KNOW, IN 2ND TIMOTHY, CHAPTER 3. "THAT IN THE LAST DAYS, EVIL MEN WILL WAX WORSE AND WORSE." NOW WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF SIGNS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE NATURAL WORLD. JUST THINK OF HOW MANY NATURAL CATASTROPHE'S WE HAVE WITNESSED OF LATE. SO MANY EARTHQUAKES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE. AND HERE WE ARE GETTING INTO A SEASON OF TORNADOES AND HURRICANES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS OF THAT NATURE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS TELL US, HE'S GETTING READY TO COME. BUT WHEN WE LOOK TO THE AFFAIRS OF MEN, WE REALIZE TODAY, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DEALT WITH. IF WE WILL TURN TO GOD AND LET GOD MOVE WITHIN OUR LIVES, I BELIEVE WE CAN CHANGE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN. TO SHOW THAT TODAY, I WANT YOU TO TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF 2ND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 7, VERSE 14. WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THE WORDS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TO HEAR WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO A NEW TESTAMENT WORLD. I BELIEVE TODAY WHAT GOD IS SPEAKING HERE STILL RINGS TRUE TO OUR LIVES EVEN TODAY IN 2010. IN 2ND CHRONICLES, CHAPTER 7, VERSE 14, IT SIMPLY SAYS THIS, "IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND." NOW IN THAT ONE VERSE IS THE ANSWER TO WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TODAY. I THINK THAT GOD VERY CONCISELY SAYS WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR. AND HE BEGINS WITH ONE VERY IMPORTANT WORD, ALBEIT, IT IS A VERY SMALL WORD. TWO LETTERS, IF. IF, THAT'S A BIG QUESTION TODAY. IF MY PEOPLE. NOW, WE NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THE IF AND COME TO A CERTAIN ASSURANCE. IT CAN'T BE LEFT TO CHANCE. WE MUST MAKE A DETERMINED EFFORT THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WHAT GOD HAS COMMANDED US TO DO, SO THAT GOD CAN DO HIS WORK. YOU SEE, EVERY PROMISE THAT GOD GIVES TO US HAS A CONTINGENCY TO IT. YOU LOOK IN THE WORD OF GOD, GOD MAKES SOME ASTOUNDING PROMISES, HE PROMISES US SOME WONDERFUL THINGS. BUT THERE IS AN EXPECTATION ON GOD'S PART, THAT WE WILL DO OUR PART. AND IN THIS PROMISE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US, BEFORE HE WILL HEAR OUR PRAYER AND BEFORE HE WILL BRING HEALING TO OUR LAND, HE'S EXPECTING US TO DO SOMETHING. WHAT'S HE EXPECTING US TO DO? HE'S EXPECTING US TO HUMBLE OURSELVES, FIRST OF ALL. NOW, GOD IS SPEAKING TO THE CHURCH HERE FIRST. I KNOW WE CAN TAKE THIS AND PUSH IT OUTWARD AND SPEAK TO ALL OF MANKIND. BUT IT BEGINS HERE FIRST IN THE FAMILY OF GOD. I, AND SOME FOLK AREN'T GOING TO LIKE THIS, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ACCEPT THE BLAME FOR THIS, WE'D RATHER JUST MAKE IT THE DEVIL'S WORK AND NOT BLAME ANYTHING ON THE CHURCH. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THE CHURCH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TODAY. WE HAVE NOT STOOD ON THIS WORD. NOW THAT'S PAINFUL TO HEAR, IT'S OFFENSIVE TO SOME AND SOME WON'T LIKE WHAT I'M SAYING. BUT I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THAT IF WE HAD REMAINED ON THIS BOOK, MANY THINGS THAT HAVE BROUGHT PAIN AND HARDSHIP TO OUR LIFE, THINGS THAT HAVE ROBBED US OF PEACE AND COMFORT, THINGS THAT HAVE BROUGHT GREAT SORROW TO OUR LIVES, NEVER WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF WE HAD STAYED ON THIS BOOK. IF WE'D OF STAYED WITHIN THE COVERS AND LIVED ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD, WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED A LOT OF THE TROUBLE THAT'S AROUND US TODAY. BUT WE LEFT GOD'S WORD, WE REACHED OUT TO SOMETHING ELSE. AND AS WE DID, WE BROUGHT THINGS INTO OUR LIVES. SO I HAVE TO STOP FIRST AT THE CHURCH AND SAY, "CHURCH, WE BEAR SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, THAT WE HAVE FAILED, WE HAVE MISSED IT. WE HAVE DROPPED THE BALL, IF YOU WANT TO USE A MODERN DAY PHRASE. WE HAVE MISSED IT ALONG THE WAY AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE OWE THIS WORLD AN APOLOGY. IF WE'D HAVE DONE WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE, MANY THINGS WOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THROUGH TO MANKIND THEN THEY DID. IT IS AMAZING TO ME, HOW THAT WHEN WE LEFT GOD'S WORD, WE OPENED THE DOOR WIDE AND INVITED EVERYTHING TO COME IN. AND YOU GOT TO KNOW, THAT DEVIL WAS READY TO BRING IT. HE WAS READY TO DELIVER IT. HE WAS READY TO SEND IT INTO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE. BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT IF HE COULD CREATE WEAKNESSES WITHIN HUMANKIND, THAT HE COULD HOLD ON TO US AND GET A GRIP ON US THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO BREAK. SO THE FIRST STEP WE HAVE TO TAKE IS AS THE BODY OF CHRIST, WE HAVE TO HUMBLE OURSELVES AND IF CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL, IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS. AS WE HUMBLE OURSELVES AND WE TURN TO GOD THE FIRST THING WE'VE GOT TO DO IS APOLOGIZE TO GOD FOR OUR SINFULNESS. WHEN WE CAN TURN TO GOD AND SAY, "GOD I'M SORRY." AND RE-ESTABLISH THAT CONNECTION. RE-ESTABLISH THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, WHERE GOD CAN SPEAK TO US. THEN THE CHURCH CAN RETURN TO A POSITION WHERE IT IS AFFECTING THE WORLD AROUND THE CHURCH. I BELIEVE TODAY, THAT THE CHURCH IS THE WORLD'S ANSWER. WHY, BECAUSE IN THE CHURCH, GOD DWELLS. AND WHEN WE LET GOD DO, WHAT GOD CAN DO, HE'S GOING TO TRANSFORM AND CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN COMBAT AGAINST SIN IS TO LET THE PRESENCE OF GOD RISE UP. AND WHEN THE PRESENCE OF GOD RISES UP, IT'LL CAUSE SIN TO FLEE. OH, I LOVE THAT TODAY. BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED IT WORK IN SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES. THEY WERE BOUND BY SO MANY THINGS. THERE WERE BONDAGE'S THAT THEY COULD NOT BREAK FREE FROM. THERE WERE CHAINS, THEY WERE INVISIBLE, THEY COULDN'T BE SEEN, THEY COULDN'T BE FELT BY OTHERS, BUT IT WAS AS IF THAT LIFE WAS WRAPPED UP IN A CHAIN THAT HAD THEM WEIGHED DOWN AND THEY WERE SO BOUND THAT THEY COULDN'T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING. YET, WHEN GOD CAME TO THEIR LIVES AND WHEN GOD REACHED OUT TO THEM, HE BROKE THOSE CHAINS AND HE SET THAT LIFE FREE. AND NOW THAT LIFE IS NO LONGER BOUND BY THE SIN AND NO LONGER BOUND BY DEVICES OF SIN. NOW THEY ARE LIVING A LIFE OF FREEDOM. BECAUSE GOD LIVES WITHIN THEM AND IN THE MIDST OF HIS PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY. THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE ENTANGLED WITH THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTS OF THIS SINFUL WORLD ANY LONGER. THEY FOUND SOMETHING MUCH GREATER. BUT HERE'S THE KEY, HERE'S THE SECRET, HERE'S THE FIRST STEP, WE'VE GOT TO HUMBLE OURSELVES. I KNOW THAT'S HARD.  MAN'S PRIDE MAKES THAT A DIFFICULT THING TO DO SOMETIMES. THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND AS BEING A HARD THING, IS WE HAVE TO ADMIT WE'VE MADE SOME MISTAKES. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO DO THAT. AND I'M ONE OF THEM, I DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I'VE MADE A MISTAKE. BUT I'VE FOUND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CORRECT SOMETHING IS, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT REALITY. YOU HAVE TO ADMIT YOU'VE MADE A MISTAKE. YOU CAN GO BACK AND BEGIN TO UNDO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE. BECAUSE YOU REALIZE YOU WERE WRONG. I WAS WRONG, THEREFORE I CAN NOW ALLOW HEALING TO COME IN MY BROKENNESS. I WAS WRONG GOD, NOW LORD, YOU CAN COME AND HELP ME. YOU SEE, UNTIL A MAN ACCEPTS THAT, IT'S REALLY VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE LORD TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP THEM. IF WE LIVE IN THAT STATE OF DENIAL AND I KNOW WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THIS, BUT IF WE LIVE IN THAT STATE OF DENIAL THAT KEEPS US FROM REACHING OUT FOR HELP. IF WE DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM, THEN IN OUR MINDS, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. THEREFORE WE DON'T NEED HELP. LOOK AROUND YOU TODAY, THIS WORLD'S GOT A PROBLEM AND IT'S A BIG PROBLEM. AND WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SEARCH OUT WHAT WENT WRONG, YOU'LL ALWAYS COME BACK TO THIS CENTER POINT. AND THAT POINT IS, THAT SIN CAME. AND WHEN SIN ENTERED MAN'S LIFE, IT BEGAN TO UNDO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT GOD DID. IT BEGAN TO ROB BLESSING AFTER BLESSING. IT BEGAN TO TARNISH ALL OF GOD'S BEAUTIFUL CREATION AND IT MARRED AND RUINED EVERYTHING ITS EVER TOUCHED. SO THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS COME TO GOD AND CONFESS. THAT REQUIRES SOME HUMILITY. AND THEN HE SAID PRAY. PRAY, WHAT IS PRAYER? IN THE MOMENT THAT I'VE GOT LEFT I HAVE TO TELL YOU. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS, THAT HAS CAUSED US TO GROW WEAK. PRAYER IS TALKING TO GOD. WHEN WE DON'T TALK TO GOD, WE ROB OURSELVES OF STRENGTH THAT COMES AS A RESULT OF OUR TALKING WITH THE HEAVENLY FATHER. IT'S SIMPLE, DON'T OVER COMPLICATE THIS. DON'T SHIFT THE BLAME TO SOMETHING THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. OUR WEAKNESS CAN OFTEN BE EXPLAINED BY OUR LACK OF DOING THE THINGS THAT WE OUGHT TO DO, TO MAKE US STRONG. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I CAN THINK OF TODAY IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT BREAKS DOWN AS A RESULT OF OUR NOT TALKING TO HIM. THIS IS SO SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND. TODAY, IF YOU'RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. I'M TALKING TO HUSBANDS AND WIVES, I'M TALKING WITH PARENTS AND CHILDREN, I'M TALKING WITH SIBLINGS, I'M TALKING WITH PEOPLE THAT JUST HAVE FRIENDS. IF WE NEVER CONVERSE WITH ONE ANOTHER, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT RELATIONSHIP? IT BREAKS DOWN, IT BEGINS TO DISSOLVE, WE BEGIN TO GROW DISTANT, WE SEVER THE RELATIONSHIP. THAT'S SIMPLE. THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND ISN'T IT? IF IT HAPPENS IN OUR NATURAL LIVES, HOW MUCH MORE DOES IT HAPPEN IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES. WHEN WE TALK TO GOD, WE ARE ESTABLISHING, WE'RE MAINTAINING, WE'RE KEEPING INTACT, THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH HIM. AND IF WE NO LONGER HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, HOW IS HE GOING TO HELP US? BECAUSE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HE HELPS US WITH COME AS A RESULT OF OUR SPENDING TIME WITH HIM. SO HERE'S THE THREE POINTS THAT I WANT TO MAKE FOR THIS MESSAGE TODAY, VERY QUICKLY. AND MAYBE I'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO SHARE SOME MORE WITH YOU. BUT FIRST OF ALL, IF. DON'T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. MAKE THE DETERMINATION. YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT YOU FIND YOURSELF IN. SECONDLY, HUMBLE YOURSELF. DON'T LET YOUR PRIDE ROB YOU OF THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO POUR OUT UPON YOU. SO FIRST OF ALL, HUMBLE YOURSELF AND CONFESS YOUR SIN TO THE HEAVENLY FATHER. THIRDLY, PRAY. AND NOT JUST THAT INITIAL PRAYER OF ASKING HIM TO COME. BUT PRAY CONTINUALLY AS THE BIBLE TELLS US TO DO, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. MAINTAIN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND YOU'LL FIND A MAINTENANCE OF STRENGTH. YOU'LL FIND THAT GOD WILL DO THOSE THINGS FOR YOU THAT YOU NEED HIM TO DO. I WANT TO QUICKLY CLOSE IN A WORD OF PRAYER. HEAVENLY FATHER, I KNOW TODAY WITHOUT DOUBT, THAT YOU'RE REACHING OUT TO LIVES. SO GOD I PRAY, THAT AFTER WE CLOSE THIS SERVICE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE UPON THOSE, THAT YOU ARE REACHING OUT TO. HELP THEM TODAY I PRAY, BRING THEM TO YOU, SHARE YOURSELF WITH THEM. IN JESUS' NAME I ASK IT, AMEN.