End Times Prophecy

1:23 I mean, I don't normally, I think I just heard something about Bethany. and I looked it up online and I go, wow, this is really interesting. How have I not heard of them? And I realized you're in Minnesota. But as we talked on the phone, I mean, the main thing was like, yeah, next time I'm in Minnesota, I'd love to just see what's going on here. And so we were just going to do a quick dinner or something. Okay, I got like half an hour, hour maybe. let me go in and tell me all about the school. And he said, well, you're here, why don't you speak? And I'm like, all right, I guess, you know? And I've been trying really hard to just go where I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me to go. Even this morning before I left San Francisco, I had this sense like, I didn't think I was just a fly home after Minneapolis.

2:22 is, you know, there's this kid in Arkansas that was just put on hospice. I said, I think I'm supposed to fly to Arkansas on Sunday and just go pray for this kid. And I don't know what that means. I just want to go with it, you know? And I'm excited about it. I'm excited about this. I'm saying, okay, why am I here? Where am I? And, but just believe like the Lord as I, as we had dinner beforehand, gosh, in half an hour, I got the rundown of the whole school and just understanding what God's doing here. my sense is that the Lord just brought me here, especially to you students.

3:20 I didn't know the old people were going to be here, but to you students, I felt like the main thing was, I just remember when I was your age and that was a long time. I've got kids older than you. Kids are out of college. I'm a grandfather. But I still have a three-year-old at home too. So I'm like, I have a weird life. But ever being your age and having these thoughts of surrender and just what I would read in the scriptures and I just felt so alone. I just felt like I'd look around and everyone thought a certain way. And then I would read the scriptures and go, I don't think I'm reading anything into this. It really seems like this is very, very serious.

4:17 Like I should just devote everything, do whatever, and have this view of eternity and life on earth. I felt so alone. And I remember even going to a Christian college. And I just, for some reason, And the Lord just put different thoughts in my mind in the rest of the student body. And everyone's heading to the beach. And I'm going, I don't want to go to the beach. I just want to go do something. I remember getting in my car, just driving to downtown L.A. and just talking to homeless people and walking through these alleys. It scared me to death. But it was just, I need, this is where God wants me. And it was just this awkward, weird feeling. and you're always made to feel like you're the crazy one. But the more I read the scripture, I'm going, oh, everyone else is crazy.

5:10 I'm right, I know I am. And when I hear about your school, I'm like, oh, really? This is what the students have signed up for? And this is their mindset? Where was this when I was in college? you know because it probably a lot of you came from places that hear about what you're doing and what you want to give your life to and they just think you're insane and they want you to be more responsible and everything else and i was telling you i've heard it my whole life i'm 51 now and i've heard it my whole life and just last week i told my wife i said you know so next week I'm going to Ethiopia because there's just a crazy crazy situation there I don't have time to get into all the details I think I'm supposed to go but to look at my wife I said honey remember we always said that we didn't want to play it safe as we got older that we want to keep living by faith and that we want to take greater steps of faith because usually Christians do it backwards They do crazy things when they're 18, 22, and then they talk about those glory days for the rest of their lives.

6:32 As it gets easier, as they get more comfortable. And some of it's natural because when you're single, what do you got to lose? It's just you. You know? And you're risking you. But you get married and suddenly you're like, well, I got to look out for my wife. Then you have a kid. Then another kid. Seven kids. and suddenly it's like, whoa, if I risk, I'm risking a family now. I was playing with a guy yesterday. I just love him, just met him. He's got 12 kids and just going, no, God is calling me to live by faith right now. I'm like, right on, you know? And I was telling my wife, I go, look, next week, when I go to Africa, if I believe God wants me to stay there, I'm going to stay there. and if God wants me to call you and say, hey, pack the bags, and we're all gonna move here, we're gonna do it.

7:33 Because this is what we said we've always wanted to do, was just surrender. Whether, you know, okay, you want me to go to Minneapolis? Okay, then you, what do you want? Arkansas? Okay, Ethiopia? Now, do I stay there? Do I stay here? Like, where do I go? I don't care. I just want to be where your spirit is leading me. I want to feel that intimacy. I want to be so close to you at the end of my life. Man, and I'm telling you, it has been so worth it. Don't let people talk you out of this intense devotion to Jesus. Okay? Don't let people talk you out of the sacrifice.

8:17 God is so faithful. man, I remember when we started the church, you know, and I was like in my 20s, and people would say, you need to take more money, your kids, they'll never get to go to college, this isn't fair to your kids, and I was like, well, I just think God's gonna take care of me. And everyone just thought I was nuts. And I go, I don't need the money, let's just give it to the poor, God's gonna take care of me, oh, your kids, your poor kids. And now, 25 years later, I've got colleges asking me if my kids will go there for a full ride. Please, please, bring your kid. And I just want to find those people. And go, see, told you. You know, it is.

9:03 No, God is going to, yeah, how is your life going? You know, how is money you make? It's just like, I, because it's, I'm just telling you, trust in the Lord. Trust him. Go, go on this adventure. And don't slow down. Man, I praise God for a wife that has been with me. It'll be 25 years in January. And, oh yeah. And I just love it more than ever. Our family is just hilarious. And yet seeing my kid, you know, like growing up, going to school, getting married, having kids, and yet they'll go anywhere, anywhere, do anything. And I love it. I love it.

9:55 and if one of them dies as a martyr, I don't know why during worship that thought came to my mind. It was just a joy. Like, gosh, what if one of them gets to go up there before me? Like, that would just make me anxious to be there all the more. You know, like, just longing for the reality of it. So just don't lose what you have. I am so grateful for what I know of this school now. just as much as I can. I've fallen in love with it, you know, in an hour just, oh. I've never been this excited about ministry. Okay, I've been in ministry since right after, you know, high school. I started working in a church when I was 18. So 30-something years, I've never been more excited about ministry than right now, like today.

10:50 like so many things are coming together even in the last few weeks that I'm going okay God something is happening right now this is the season of blessing that's why I this isn't like oh he's talking about us no I'm serious like there there's just just just last week I was in um what was I in Malaysia and uh was that it yeah yeah where's that's in Malaysia okay yeah yeah And, but it was with, okay, it was a group of, it's all the Bible translators. All the different, you know, like Wycliffe and, you know, American Bible Society, Seed Company, all the ones that are getting to that. You know, they're working together now, right? There's like a dozen of them, and they formed this group called Illuminations, and they're just nailing down exactly who's left, you know, sign language in this country to these people. we've got to get the scriptures to everyone.

11:51 We've got to get it to everyone, right? And they're describing the process and now that they're working together, you know, they can actually figure it out. And they're going, no, within 15 years, within the next 15 years, we're going to have the word of God in every language. Haven't we mapped it out? Yeah.

12:14 And you guys think about this. this has never happened in human history. We're alive during this time when there's a plan and there's numbers and there's dates and there's people and it's coming, it's happening. And so you have to pay attention to that. In the next 15 years, and there's not even a, if you take Matthew 24, literally, verse 14, the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. If you take that and say, well, that means the gospel has to get everywhere before he comes, and I know different people interpret that differently, but even if you take it that way, you have to go, whoa, if you take that literally, it's gonna happen in our lifetime.

13:08 All these people for thousands of years, they didn't get this. we looked at it when I was a kid it just seemed like this unreachable thing and what we were talking about is the translation of the scriptures when you talk to the missions agencies and I've been talking to the leaders of different mission agencies lately they're going no it really could happen the gospel being preached in a real way with a tangible church in every nation within the next five years I'm like seriously I'm not getting come into my office, I'll map it out for you. Different guys, come into my office, I'll map it out for you. I'll show you what's left. And sure, there's different numbers everywhere, but no one's denying that in our lifetime, this is going to happen. And how can you not just go, I can't believe I was born during this time. I can't believe I get to be a part of this.

14:04 And I better be a part of this, right? Because you keep reading, you know, in Matthew 24. And it talks about how, you know, as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark. And they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man. In that same chapter, he goes, yeah, when the gospel is preached, all these events are going to come. But then he says, it's going to be like the days of Noah. And he names these things that people were eating and drinking. That's not a bad thing.

14:53 Marrying, giving, and marriage. These aren't bad things. He's naming just, they're just living life. And the flood came. And I was telling my wife, look, I'm not going to be one of those I was like, just going, oh, I can't wait until this daughter gets married. You know what? We've got to be about the kingdom. If he's returning soon, I want to be busy caring for his bride, loving his bride. And while I was flying to Malaysia to speak to all these Bible translators and donors and everything else,

15:29 I thought about, for the first time in my life, I thought, what would it be like? if I didn't have this. I just tried to imagine life without this. I thought, how would I know anything?

15:54 Wouldn't I just go around and ask everyone's opinion about God? Wouldn't I go on Facebook? Let me see what people are saying about God. Like, what do I do without this? Who do you listen to in this room? man I just thought man in this time where everyone's so full of themselves and into their own opinion we have a God who says you know how the heavens are so high above the earth that's the way my thoughts are compared to yours that's where my ways my ways are not like your ways my thoughts aren't like your thoughts they're so far beyond you and everyone's like hey you know what I think hey you don't know I don't care what you think because as high as the heavens, I want to know what he has to say. And so I started thinking, I asked my wife, I go, honey, what if we didn't have this book?

16:51 Who would we listen to? And let's say we didn't have access to this book, and I found out I could have a Bible. What would I pay for this book? I never thought about that before. I thought, I think I would give everything away in exchange for this. Because I go, honey, I don't know, we'll have food tomorrow or whatever, but I gotta know the truth about what happens when we die. I need to know the truth about him. We've gotta sell everything and get this.

17:32 Then my thought was, well, if I was just to love my neighbor, as myself, why am I not more urgent about getting the word of God to the people who have no access to this? I've got to give my life to this. Look at the times. See, when I was your age, we still talked about end time events. But then it just slowly started to die out. Because everyone's like, well, you can't really totally understand Revelation. You can't, you know, so we just, and then it just seemed like there were a few weird people that would try to name the exact date. And then we go, oh yeah, see, because the Bible says right there, Matthew 24, no one knows the day. So we just stopped talking about it.

18:23 And yet Jesus says, yeah, no one knows the day, but you better know the seasons. He reprimands them for not looking at the world and what's going on and looking at the signs and going, it's got to be close. Yeah, when I came back from Malaysia, I went to my staff and I go, you know how in Vegas they bet like an over-under, like with a sports team, like they would say, okay, the Vikings, you know, do you think they'll win more than 10 games? No. You know, no, okay. Really? Come on, this year? Okay, but where it's like, would you bet if 10 games is that number, would you bet over or under?

19:09 Okay, let's just say, how many would bet they'd win more than 10 games this year? Over? How many would think less than 10 games this year? Okay, that's interesting. It's pretty split, so that's probably the number they would pick in Vegas. Okay, it probably is. I don't bet because I believe in the sovereignty of God. And I just think, it's just dumb. I know if I bet, God will make me lose. It's just like, really, Francis? That's what you're going to do? So that is no fun. But I told my staff, I said, hey, the return of Christ, what year would you set for the over-under bet? I think I would set it at 10 years. and I said if it's 10 years what would you bet? would you bet over or under?

20:03 they're like oh man I don't know they're like I guess over you know most of them bet over I think it's going to be more than 10 years I'm like why? they're like I don't know I just would just because it hasn't happened I don't know I go, I think I would bet the under. and the thing is, is if I'm wrong, it's fine. If you're wrong, you're screwed. You're like thinking, oh, you're not coming yet. I go, if I bet the under, and I just really believe within the next 10 years, and I'm living my life like that, like, I don't know. It's hard to imagine the way our world is going. There are just certain things that can't be put back, into where they were. And the Bible says clearly, like in those last days, because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.

21:08 You know, the increase of lawlessness. When you have this increase of lawlessness where everyone says, you can't tell me what's right or wrong. If I feel like I should do it, I'm going to do it. that type of mindset it actually even for those of us who stand on the word of God it can still cause our love to grow cold and we want to guard against that and I'm just saying no I've got to risk it all I've got to keep walking by the spirit and I just want to encourage you to keep doing that I feel like the Lord has given me a task here in America for now Thank you. just for the church. I just have such a heart for the church, such a concern for the bride here in America.

22:04 I've been a pastor, like I said, for 30 years now. and I kind of just did things the way everyone else did them you know I would preach because that's what you do in church I'd get a band to lead worship because that's what everyone was doing at the time and 40 minute sermon because that's the magic number duh child care, youth ministry everything, you know there's just a pattern and set out for you. And it's really been the last 10 years of my life that I've really been seeking the scriptures and going, okay, if I only have the Bible. What would I think God would want created here? and as I looked at the things that mattered most, I'm not talking about obscure little passages here.

23:05 Hey, you ever notice this verb? No, I'm talking about like, it's just speaking about it over and over and over again. And I'm going, these are big, big things that I never even gave a thought to when I started my church. It's just a crazy, crazy thing. But I'm so excited now because I'm seeing it so clearly what the church could be. And I'm really excited about the future of the church right here. And I'm really excited to hear that there's hundreds of you at this school that have said, you know what, yes, the rest of my life I want to be on this trajectory that focuses on getting the scriptures to these unreached people. That's an amazing thing to give your life to.

23:57 I don't know what better thing. I can't think of anything better to give your life towards. And I pray that you work hard at it, diligently at it. And I say, you know, let's keep praying for the church here in the States too because I guess my biggest concern is I don't hear a lot of talk nowadays where people are just talking about Jesus and how much they love him. You know, where it really sounds like they're in love with a person, not some concept out there, but like, I love Jesus. I love him. Like I was with him this morning and it was the best. I didn't want to walk away.

24:50 I loved just being alone with him. And then when I gathered with other people, like last night I met a prayer gathering in my room, in my house, my living room, and I just like, oh, I just love this. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. We're just here. He's here with us. You know, there's no worship leader, you know, or whatever else. It's just, wow, we're just here talking to him. It's the best. You know, I wake up in the morning and I just go in the backyard and just me and him. And I love him. And I don't hear a lot of talk like that. Of people have gone to church, they're, you know, gone to church, whatever that means. That doesn't even make sense biblically. Did anyone go to church? That was their identity. Some of you have heard me say that before. It's just like my friends, I minister with some people that come out of games.

25:44 and I go, that's the way the church was. None of these gangsters go, oh, did you go to gang this week? It's just dumb. Oh no, I miss, you know, my kid has soccer. It's like, that just doesn't make any sense, right? We look at that and go, that is so dumb, those idiots. And yet that's the way the church was supposed to be. And we've reduced it to, did you go to church this week? are you kidding me? We're the bride of Christ. We're this eternal family that would give the shirt off our backs for one another because we're all focused on this mission that is eternal. And we give everything up for one another. And we're striving to get this message of the gospel to everyone on the earth. That's who we are.

26:35 That's not something we visit in a building once a week. See, and I don't hear that type of talk and I hear people go to these services and they come out and I'm hearing them talk. Oh my, did you hear this sermon? Did you hear this podcast? Have you heard this worship song? Have you heard this album? Oh, do you know about this, this, this, this? I hear a lot of talk, but who's just going, oh, I love Jesus. Oh, being with him in his presence. He is everything to me. Who's talking like David anymore? This is, man, I'm in a dry and weary land and all I want is Him. And this is the one thing I just keep praying for is, God, God, I just want to dwell in your house every day. Every day I want this time with you where I just don't lose sight of you and I can just stare at you. That's my one prayer request. That's all I want.

27:29 Who's talking like Paul? Who's saying, oh, life is Christ. Man, living is just me and Jesus. Jesus is on the stage with me right now. He's forgiven me. He loves me. He's right here with me. This is life for me to live is Christ. And I can't wait to die. Oh, God, it's going to be awesome. Because it'll just be more, more Jesus. Everything else is dung. Everything else is rubbish. I just want Him. Can you imagine being formed and standing before your Creator? and you're just looking at yourself going, what am I? Right? I'm breathing I'm thinking and then this being looks at you and says I made you and you're walking in the garden with the maker of everything he says I make everything I alone am immortal there's not an animal here there's not an insect here nothing exists without me I'm walking with you.

28:55 this book is about walking with him it's about how that fellowship was broken but then you have these moments like Moses where they're going, are you serious? you're going to go up that mountain and you're going to be with him you're a human being you don't, oh gosh let's just get away from the mountain and he's going up there, lightning, thunder imagine when he comes back and everyone's like you spoke to him what did he say imagine the shock when he goes he wants us to love him with all of our heart all of our soul all of our mind like every bit he wants love that's his greatest command Thank you.

29:51 and yet we have these religious people talking about so many different things, and I'm just not, maybe I just go to all the wrong churches. I go to a lot of them, though. I don't hear the love. Man, I hope that during your time here, that is something that is so kindled within you, because you're going to be making disciples, and so if you're not a lover of Jesus, gets what your disciples are going to be.

30:25 And honestly, I'm hearing religious leaders, teachers, and I'm just going, gosh, I'm not trying to be judgmental. You just know, like when you hang out with a couple, you're like, wow, he really loves his wife. It's not like you're trying to pick that apart. You can just tell by the way a guy talks to his wife, about his wife, wherever, like, wow, he really likes her. probably likes her too much if that's even possible. You know how you can tell that? And in the same way, I don't know, I'm not trying to be judgmental or anything. It's just like, gosh, I just often don't see the love. Like, are you loved? Are you blown away by what God's done for you?

31:11 And then the love of the family, like what he wanted of us. do you understand what Jesus said this is how they're going to know you're my disciples is the way that you love one another this is the way the world's going to believe that I'm the Messiah is by your unity I just remember looking at the church that I had led and started and now there's thousands of people and I thought would someone walk in here and just be floored by how much we love one another. You know, when Jesus had that first Lord's Supper, what was his command? He goes, I want you to love one another just as I have loved you.

32:06 So you're holding this bread and blood and you're thinking about what Jesus did for you and he says, I want you to love one another that way. You saw how I washed your feet? I want you to wash one another's feet. You see how I love you? I want you to love each other that much.

32:31 See, we don't even consider that. We're happy if the church doesn't split and we can just kind of get along. Right? And Jesus says, you know what in the world's going to believe? When you love each other the way I loved you. And that's what he wanted. and it's been exciting because people are starting to get that and go, let's start over let's start over if we're not producing lovers of Jesus and lovers of each other those are pretty big commands that kind of sums up the Bible and so I start to think can I even think of one church in America that's known for their love for each other is this an obscure verse that I'm pointing to or some weird thought that we've never heard of? And yet it's like, wait a second.

33:26 We're not producing lovers of Jesus. We're not producing lovers of each other. What in the world are we doing? there's a lot of people though they're excited about something and this whole idea of these the mission of getting to the ends of the earth man we're supposed to become like Jesus we're supposed to be servants and yet who walks into a building on a Sunday morning as a servant no we come as consumers some come as consultants You know, let me tell you how you can do the music a little better. Here's what was wrong with your sermon. Here's what I would do.

34:12 Rather than just coming in to wash the feet and believing, there's a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. Man, are we not excited about that anymore? The manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. that everyone was given this power to build up other people. Instead, we all show up and we critique and consume. And I'm saying, you're going to miss out on life. Whatever. what if right now, this can't happen and won't happen, but what if a demon entered into me right now and possessed my body and started speaking? Would you remember that?

35:09 Yeah, probably. That was weird. But you were there the one time Francis Chan was possessed by a demon, you were there. Right? It would be terrifying. It would be shocking. It would be memorable. why is it that when we're possessed by the Holy Spirit We're just not seeing the same, like, shock and power and, like, I believe that's got to happen. I don't know if it's my lack of faith. I'm going, God, I want that. I want that right now. I want this to be your spirit changing people's lives. I want your spirit to just manifest, possess my body with whatever gift you have. that it would bless others and build them up.

36:10 I love to preach because I just go, God, right now, is it happening? Are you manifesting through me? Is this your spirit? I just want that chance of building up the body out of love where it's not me, but it's a spirit speaking these words that go right down into your soul.

36:34 That's what the church was supposed to be. But we're all supposed to experience that. not to watch one person have that experience but all of us manifest these are, I could just go on for hours about what I believe the future of the church has to be here because it's what he wants like if he had it his way what would it look like it's like I said, I've been married almost 25 years when we first got married my wife and I would buy gifts for each other and we didn't say anything to each other but neither of us really liked the other person's gifts. You know? And then after a while it kind of came out. It was one year when I was going to buy her a car.

37:27 I mean it was going to be used but it's still a car. And I was like honey I was going to buy this and then I just thought ah this is too big a risk because it's going to be forever so I got to ask which would you rather I have she goes that's not a gift a car is not a gift like I see the commercials all the time you know there's a big bow just well first of all those are new but secondly she goes it's practical if it's practical it's not a gift and I are you kidding me that's why you give me all these gifts I don't like because I want something I can use. I don't want a trinket. I don't need another shirt. Give me something practical. Give me a power tool that I can... Give me something I can... So we didn't realize that. I was giving her what I would want. It's like, we're going to spend the money anyways. This is a good deal. Now it's called a gift.

38:25 Makes total sense, right? But we're giving to each other what we wanted rather than going, okay, what do you want, honey? You want something worthless? I'm going to buy something. You know? And so, ever since then, all my gifts are worthless things. Totally impractical. You know? And she's giving me good stuff now. It's what I wanted. But I feel like, I really believe that's what we did with the church. We thought, what do I want? What would I like in a church? What would I desire? Rather than going back to the scriptures and going, what did he ask for? well he over and over and over he wants lovers of him no doubt lovers of him not lovers of a pastor a speaker a band a CD a podcast a service lovers of him he wants lovers of each other if God had it his way if we were a church right now he would want so what's your name?

39:37 Paul? He'd want Paul to look at me and go, man, anything that guy needs. He would want Paul on his knees praying for me during the week. God, I love Francis so much. God, would you please manifest through me so that I could build him up somehow this Sunday or this Thursday or this Tuesday or the next time I see him because I love him. And I would be during the week praying for Paul and go, God, are there words? Is there a prophetic word? Is there a healing? Is there anything? Whatever it is. Is it money? I don't care. I just want to be a blessing that builds him up to maturity somehow. And we would all be doing that and people would be like, wait, you hardly know Paul.

40:27 One of my friends, he was taking an older guy to his dialysis one time. You know, this guy hardly knew from the church because the guy had no kidneys. And he's in the waiting room just blown away, like driving this guy at 5 a.m. every week to his appointments until finally he says, Wait, what kind of blood type are you? I've got two kidneys. I'm going to give you one of mine.

41:01 This young guy, a couple of young kids, gave him his kidney. That's the church. That is such an eternal, supernatural, when the world looks on and goes, what kind of people are you? Okay? You give your kidney. You gave your kidney. that's the Holy Spirit.

41:32 We've got to become that. And wherever the Lord calls you, man, I hope this just encourages you to go, no, these thoughts have gone through my, I believe some of these thoughts have gone through your mind before. Just by the fact that you're here at this school where you've thought, I've read this book and it sure seems different from what I've experienced, but I believe this is possible and I'm not going to settle for anything less than this I want to see the miracles I want to see lovers of Jesus, not people that show up to a service when it's convenient and there's good child care and a good speaker and a good band and everything has to be just right I want them to just love gathering to be in the presence of almighty God and to have fellowship with one another and to take that bread and cup and go, this is the greatest honor.

42:27 The fact that I'm a part of Christ's body. All these things I believe are going to happen in the next few years where the church is going to get purified. And I want to be the center of that. I want to be building that and busy with this. Whether it's here, overseas, I'm just pumped. And my prayer is that you don't let anyone talk you out of this vision because this life is way too short. Don't listen to all the opinions. His thoughts are so much higher than all the voices you're going to hear all week from popular Christianity here in America. Look to his word. Read this book. What an honor that we have this book. Study it. Know it and love him. Father I pray I pray for this group of people Lord I believe I was meant to be here tonight I believe you gave me words to say tonight God I I pray for churches to pop up all over this city where people are just enamored with each other and with you.

43:50 Please, Lord, please send these students to the ends of the earth, God, that we can have the honor of telling them how great your son is when they've never heard of him. How holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Thank you. protect these students from the evil one. Protect them from the voices that claim to be Christian but have been deceived. So many false prophets will arise and deceive many because lawlessness will increase. The love of many will grow cold. I pray that that would not be true of these students, that you would protect them, Almighty God, by your Spirit. Give them a clarity to hear your voice and follow your voice only.

44:53 In Jesus' precious name we pray.