Participants: John Stanton & C. A. Murray
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL110007
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00:01 Hello, friends.
00:03 Grab your Bible and a friend and sit back 00:04 as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of House Calls. 00:22 Welcome to House Calls, 00:24 it's good to have you here with us today. 00:25 We're so glad to be in the studio 00:27 and in your living room as we explore God's word. 00:30 Opening up and allow Him to lead us during this hour. 00:33 With me in the studio is Pastor C. A. Murray. 00:36 Pastor, great to have you with us again. 00:38 Good to be with you, don't often get to share 00:40 these chairs with you. 00:41 But I always enjoy it when we have a time to do. 00:43 Yeah, we got a topic here we're gonna cover today 00:46 and some other things and questions 00:49 which we really appreciate come from you. 00:52 From email either or snail mail, 00:55 we're still accepting snail mail, 00:56 so if you wanna give a handwritten letter out, 00:58 to write to us your question please do so. 01:00 If you're sending email, you can send it to us on 01:03 housecalls@3abn.org. That's housecalls@3abn.org. 01:09 We'll get your email question and hopefully cover that 01:12 and one of the programs coming up here. 01:15 So, we look forward to you sending and participating 01:18 in the program's going forward. 01:20 C.A., you know, we always want to start with prayer, 01:22 so why don't I just ask you to go ahead 01:24 and lead us in a word of prayer. 01:25 Be glad to do so, shall we pray. 01:27 Father God, we do praise you and thank you for this 01:29 another opportunity to talk about the things of God. 01:33 To talk about the work that you have give to us, 01:35 to talk about how we can better serve you, 01:37 how we can learn your will for your lives. 01:39 And then do that will so that we may be truly your children 01:45 and have the blessings of your power 01:47 and your spirit in our lives. 01:48 Bless this particular program, Lord, 01:50 as we lift up the name of Jesus 01:52 and discuss some of these subjects 01:54 that pertain to Christian living and we thank you 01:57 for your presence and power, in Jesus name, amen. 02:00 Amen, amen. Well we've questions, 02:05 now I know several good ones that have come in. 02:07 And C.A., I think you've got a couple of them 02:09 I've got a couple lets go ahead 02:11 and dive right in and see what our viewers, 02:13 our listeners are asking today. 02:16 Already I've got a question, we always see the Holy Spirit 02:21 as a force, we never read the Holy Spirit 02:25 as having a body or making decisions or ruling, 02:28 or doing all the things Jesus and God do 02:34 in their sovereignty. 02:36 We read that the Holy Spirit executes the demands 02:39 that is put it by God, thus how can we say 02:43 the Holy Spirit is really a person and not a force, 02:47 sounds like a force to me. 02:50 And we've had this question from time to time. 02:53 And when we think about that the book that comes 02:58 to my mind first of all is John. 03:00 And a couple of things I want to run 03:03 to in the book of John, First John 16:13. 03:07 Sixteen, yeah we'll start at verse 13, 03:11 John's gospel Chapter 16 verse 13, 03:14 lets look at the language that is used. 03:16 Because this person's assertion is that 03:18 the Holy Spirit is a force and when I think of a force, 03:20 John, I'm thinking of an impersonal thing that doesn't 03:26 have personality, doesn't have will, doesn't have volition, 03:29 but more a force like wind. 03:31 Sort of an inanimate kind of a thing 03:33 that just pushes us along. 03:34 But lets look at Christ's words here in John 16:13, 03:36 however when, here is the word. 03:38 He, the Spirit of truth has come, 03:41 He will guide you into all truth; 03:43 for He will not speak of on His own authority, 03:47 but whatever He hears He will speak; 03:50 and He will tell you things to come. 03:52 Verse 14, John 16:14, He will glorify Me, 03:56 for He will tell you what is Mine and declare it to you. 03:59 So, we see here first of all, that the spirit is always 04:04 referred to as He. Not it, but He 04:10 and then secondly we see that His office, 04:13 his job here is to declare and to glory Christ. 04:17 So, the God head is working together. 04:19 It is the spirit's job to give unction, 04:23 to give impression, to give validity, 04:25 to give certainty to the words of Christ, 04:27 to recall the things of Christ, 04:29 to impress the things of Christ on the mind and heart. 04:32 So he is working with Christ in the salvation 04:35 of men and women. 04:37 Now there's something else I just noticed in this question, 04:41 the person is having a little trouble 04:43 with the spirit being God, the whole Trinitarian idea 04:48 has been banded around as you well know, since forever. 04:52 So, lets go to John 14 and verse 16, 04:56 again if you have a red letter Bible, 04:58 your Bible is a wash in red through here because 05:01 these are words of Christ, 14:16, 05:07 And I will pray the Father, 05:09 and He will send you another Helper, 05:11 that He may abide with you forever. 05:14 And of course being a student of it, 05:15 you know that the other helper is an allos helper 05:19 as opposed to a hetoros helper. 05:20 Allos being another of the same kind. 05:24 So Christ is saying I'm not gonna be here, 05:26 I'm not gonna be able to comfort you, 05:27 but I'm not gonna leave you orphans, 05:28 he says a little bit later. 05:30 I'm going to send you someone of the same kind as me, 05:33 who is going to able to be with you and give you 05:35 the kind of comfort and support that I've give you. 05:37 So, Christ is certainly alluding to the fact that this 05:41 new comforter is the same as he. 05:44 Same in propose, same in office, 05:47 certainly same in goal and function as he. 05:50 So we see this throughout the Bible, 05:52 in the beginning was the word, the word's with God 05:54 and the word was God. So this theme run throughout 05:58 the book of John that there are three equal persons, 06:02 they function together. 06:05 John 10:30, I and My Father are one, 06:07 here again we get this idea of the spirit of God 06:12 fulfilling a role after the departure of Jesus 06:15 to affirm those things that Jesus 06:17 has said and brought to us. 06:18 Yeah, if you look at Chapter four, same gospel. 06:24 You will notice here and see verses 23 and 24 06:29 speaking of God and spirit, the issue here. 06:32 And it's the same kind of language. 06:34 But the hour is coming, and now is when the true 06:36 worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; 06:40 for this Father is seeking such to worship Him. 06:42 Yes. God is what? Spirit. 06:45 So are we to say just because God is spoken 06:47 of his being a spirit that Jesus isn't a person 06:51 or God the Father isn't a person, 06:53 but they're all just spirits or forces. 06:55 See so, just arguing that because the Holy Spirit 07:00 isn't identified as having a separate identity or name, 07:05 doesn't mean that it isn't a person of the Godhead, 07:08 doesn't work. Yes. 07:09 Because the whole Godhead is spirit. 07:12 Yes, yes, very true. 07:13 I think some of these things, you know, 07:14 they are some aspects of this idea 07:19 of three co-equal persons, three in one, one in three, 07:22 that the human mind really cannot 07:24 totally wrap its mind around. 07:26 I suspect that will be one of the studies that 07:28 we will sort of entertain throughout eternity. 07:30 How does that function, how does that actually work. 07:34 Some of these things we accept by faith, 07:36 that there is a spirit that knows all 07:38 and his job is not to speak of himself, 07:41 not to edify himself, not to glory himself. 07:44 His work is to glorify Jesus, to speak about Jesus. 07:49 Which says a lot about those religions 07:51 and then those who try to make the spirit the end, 07:55 I got to give the spirit. 07:56 Well the Spirit's job really is to make you 07:58 a more effective witness, to make you walk 08:00 and do the things of the Lord. 08:01 To bring to your mind those things that Christ spoke 08:05 about when he was here, and then to enable you to do 08:08 those things so that you can be an successful Christian. 08:10 You know, there is an also a back door argument here, 08:13 there is a counter argument, if you look at 08:14 Revelation Chapter 16 and this just comes to mind. 08:17 I'll throw this out here, you know, whenever you think 08:20 about what God does, his purposes in this universe, 08:24 his purposes with this world are creation 08:26 and everything he does with his truth and aspects of it. 08:30 When he moves in a certain way, 08:32 the devil always seems to try to counterfeit. 08:35 Yes. What he does. 08:36 So where there is a move by God, 08:38 there is a counterfeit to Satan's action. 08:41 And we find here in Revelation 16 08:45 in regard to spiritual warfare, 08:47 in verse 13 it says, I saw three unclean spirits 08:51 like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, 08:54 out of the mouth of the beast, 08:55 and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 08:58 For they are spirits of demons, 09:01 now notice here, all three are spirits of what? 09:04 Demons. Demons, 09:06 their spiritual warfare, it's a spiritualism approach 09:09 that Satan is using, but he has two cohorts with him. 09:14 He is mimicking the trinity, 09:16 he is developing a false trinity. Yes. 09:18 So in fact he by his counterfeit 09:21 can also give credence to the fact that God 09:23 himself is three in one and God is spirit in all three, 09:28 just as He uses these three together to work spiritualism. 09:33 See so, in a way even Satan is kind of affirming here 09:37 by his counterfeit that he is attacking three not two. 09:39 Yeah, the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. 09:44 And so he is imitating God and that's a very point, John, 09:48 and sort of a modern day manifestation of an age, 09:52 old problem. An age old warfare 09:54 that we see played out in these last days, 09:56 really, really good. 09:57 So we're talking about an entity that has volition, 10:01 that is real, that thinks, that moves, 10:04 that is God and not just a force, 10:07 we don't want to reduce the Holy Spirit 10:09 to just a force like a wind pushing your hand, 10:12 pushing you in your back, it leads from within, 10:15 it comes in, inhabits, possesses and controls 10:18 and constrains you from within, yeah. 10:20 Very good. I have a question here, 10:23 it's coming from Mezilla and she is asking, lets see here. 10:30 Dear pastors, greetings in Jesus name. 10:33 For some time now, this issue has been bothering me. 10:36 In our church there is a very genuine, 10:40 and generous and well liked member, 10:43 who saw a statue of a lion and a lamb in its arms. 10:47 And she brought it into the church and put in the foyer. 10:50 And sometimes there is a seminar 10:52 and it's brought back of into sanctuary, 10:54 to kind to show the lion and the lamb. 10:56 Of course that picture we find in the scriptures as well. 11:00 Most of the members don't see anything wrong with this, 11:02 but I just want to see is there a problem with this, 11:05 with regard to images that shouldn't be worshiped. 11:09 And so anyway, that's the essence of the question. 11:12 First of all, I like to read 11:14 Exodus chapter 20 verses 3 through 6, 11:17 because that is the command per say, 11:20 the second commandment that talks about 11:24 not making graven images. 11:27 It says here in verse 4, 11:30 You shall not make for yourself a carved image, 11:33 and I'm reading from the New King James Version. 11:35 Any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, 11:39 or that is in the earth beneath, 11:40 or that is in the water under the earth; 11:43 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. 11:45 For I, the Lord your God am a jealous God, 11:48 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 11:51 to the third and fourth generations of those 11:53 who hate Me, but showing mercy 11:55 to thousands to those who love Me 11:57 and keep My commandments. 11:59 So you have here within the second commandment, 12:03 this command by God says, don't make any graven image, 12:07 don't bow down to it. 12:09 Because I'm a jealous God, 12:10 I don't want you worshiping other Gods, 12:12 I'm the only God that should be worshiped. 12:13 Yes. Okay, now there are two aspects to this, 12:16 it's not just the creating of the graven image 12:19 or the creating of the image, it's the bowing down to it. 12:22 God isn't as concerned I think... 12:25 or may be the point of the concern is that, 12:28 that we not worship these images. Yes. 12:30 Not that they're not be a likeness or something 12:32 that looks like Jesus. 12:35 We see in studios and pictures, Christ, 12:38 you know, holding out his hands 12:39 or touching a life or something there, 12:41 and we don't consider that a graven image 12:45 or something that shouldn't, that is apposed 12:47 to the second commandment, because people 12:48 aren't bowing down to worship it. 12:50 And I think probably one of the examples of this, 12:52 it's always good to provide an example from scripture. 12:54 But one example is, the serpent that God asked Moses 12:58 to put in the wilderness, to put upon a stake, 13:02 that when anyone looked at it, they would live. 13:04 They were being bitten by serpents, 13:05 they were dying in droves. 13:07 Any he said, if you look upon the serpent 13:09 on this stake, yeah, then you will live. 13:13 And we find that God himself instructed to make 13:16 this bronze serpent. 13:18 So the image wasn't a problem for God, yeah, 13:21 the question was what were the people 13:23 doing with that image. 13:25 Now turn with me to Second Kings 18 verse 4, 13:30 this is kind of interesting, Second Kings 18 verse 4, 13:37 years later after the bronze serpent 13:41 experience in the wilderness. 13:44 We find this statement here and it's during Hezekiah, 13:47 King Hezekiah's days, it says in verse 4 of Second Kings 18, 13:51 that He removed the high places 13:53 and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image 13:57 and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; 14:01 for until those days the children of Israel 14:03 burned incense to it and called it Nehushtan. 14:07 So what they had begun to do with the serpent 14:09 was instead of looking and living because of what God 14:13 was going to do for them, of course, 14:15 they point it to Jesus on the cross right, 14:17 instead of understanding that, they started to worship it 14:20 as a some special power that it had. 14:22 Right, some sort of talisman. 14:24 And so he had to then take it and break it down, 14:27 because it became a image that was worshiped. 14:29 And I think this is kind of the central key here too, 14:31 is that, you know, what are we doing 14:33 with an image that comes in. 14:35 Which is a danger, John, 14:36 of always that we have with iconography. 14:40 You know, the idea that something 14:42 that is a representation of heaven becomes 14:44 the symbol of heaven, and you begin to pray to that, 14:47 as opposed to letting that be a representation 14:49 of something you cannot see. 14:50 And that's always a danger you have, 14:52 when you have images and I think you make a good point, 14:56 it's not the image per say, it's what it's being used for. 15:01 And you have this throughout the Bible. 15:03 You have something that is prohibited, 15:06 but you got to look at why, why is it being brought here, 15:09 because of our predilection, our nature that wants to turn 15:14 something that should be just a symbol 15:16 into the actual thing itself. 15:17 And we have that throughout the, the word of God. 15:19 Yeah, and there is everything that we trust 15:22 that we hold on to, it is should be as Christians, 15:27 should be ascribed to God. 15:28 God directly working in us, through us. 15:31 And whenever we ascribe to an image 15:33 as having some power that's supposed to come from God, 15:36 yes, yes. Then there becomes 15:38 a problem and it becomes a God in and of itself. 15:41 And this is the essence of idol worship, yes. 15:44 And that is making something or allowing something 15:47 to have the adoration or have our love 15:51 and consideration that rises to the level of being 15:54 either with God or even above God. 15:57 And in that respect to, you know, 15:58 just talking about images, and I know this isn't exactly 16:02 what this writer is saying. 16:03 But when we get so caught up in our houses, 16:06 in our cars and other things like that. 16:08 Those can become idols, because our affections, 16:11 yes for those things become higher 16:14 than our affection for God, and it draws our heart away, 16:17 yes. And so, that of course, 16:20 I mention that because that's where 16:21 secularism has gone today. 16:22 That's what our society is like today, 16:24 at least in America, yes. 16:26 But that's not the intent I believe to have the command, 16:31 the second command governing issues such as this, 16:34 you know, a lion and the lamb. 16:35 Now I would really be concerned if they were writing 16:37 and saying, people were coming and touching it, 16:40 or scribing some kind of power to it. 16:42 Then I'd say, problem, but I don't know that 16:46 and I don't think that's probably 16:48 what is being said here. 16:49 So I don't really have a problem 16:50 with what you are sharing here with me 16:53 with this never coming in. 16:54 Also remember, we've got to be very careful 16:56 about not judging someone's intentions. 16:59 Yes, you know, their motives. 17:00 So talk with him, let him know that 17:02 maybe this could be a concern to some. 17:03 But, you know, if there is still a real desire 17:06 to have that and you don't see any problem with that, 17:08 I really don't have anything to say really against it, so. 17:12 All right, you have another question there for us? 17:15 How can you tell, this is from Kathryn, 17:18 how can you tell when something or someone is God 17:21 sent or just seems right. 17:27 And they want us to email back. 17:30 A couple of things that pop up in my mind. 17:35 First of all, I think, John, 17:38 we ought to pray about everything. 17:40 When, we have a course of action in our mind. 17:45 For of all we need to ask God, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 17:49 comes to mind, that says, we are created, 17:52 we're his workmanship created for good works. 17:55 I think one of things we ought to look at, 17:57 but if it's a course of action, 18:00 is the goal selfish? 18:04 Does it make me a better person? 18:06 Will it make me a better tool in the hand of God? 18:09 Can I dedicate it to the Lord, 18:12 can I pray about this activity, 18:14 if Christ were with me could I engage in this activity. 18:19 Romans, oh goodness 14:23 that which is not a faith is sin. 18:25 So all of our actions ought to be faith based, 18:29 prayer based. Even you know who you date? 18:34 Who you marry? What kind of car you buy? 18:37 What you do with your money? What you do with leisure time? 18:40 Where do you go for entertainment? 18:41 That kinds of things you involve yourself 18:43 in for entertainment. 18:45 Those ought to be filtered through the lens, 18:48 using mixed metaphors here. 18:51 Filter through the lens of the Holy Spirit. 18:54 Ask God, can you bless this, can you bless this activity? 18:59 Will it make me a better person, 19:01 will engaging in this activity take me away from God. 19:04 You could do some good things to excess. 19:07 You can spend too much time on your computer now. 19:09 We got a computer sitting here. 19:11 This is not a bad thing, right. 19:12 But, if you spent all day on this thing doing video games 19:15 and listening to music or downloading things, 19:17 it could become a determent to your spiritual growth. 19:20 So what other things you need to ask 19:22 is will this make me a better Christian? 19:24 Will this make me a sharper tool in the hand of God, 19:26 will this fulfill the statement 19:29 of God in Ephesians that I'm a workman for God, 19:33 but I'm also the workmanship of God. 19:36 And my life ought to give glory to God 19:39 and if you can answer those questions in the affirmative, 19:41 then you can get a pretty good idea 19:43 that this thing is from the Lord, 19:44 but if anything takes you away from God, 19:46 pulls you from God, makes you secretive, 19:49 if you don't feel Christ can be with you 19:51 then you really ought to take a look it, 19:53 because it's probably something 19:54 that you ought not involve yourself in. 19:56 Yeah, and I think probably an association with prayer, 20:00 you probably add to that Bible study. 20:02 Oh yes, very much so. Because anything you feel 20:04 impressed by from the Lord should be gauged at least 20:08 or wade in light of scripture. 20:10 You know, is what I feel I'm in being impressed with, 20:13 does it harmonize with God's word. 20:15 You know, would God, does God's word support 20:18 what I'm receiving, 'cause I, you know... Pastor, 20:21 you and I've been, you've been pastoring 20:24 a lot longer than I have, but I'm sure 20:25 you've heard numerous times as you engage in 20:27 Bible study with people. 20:29 And, for the first time they're hearing 20:31 some new things, some who resist might 20:34 give you the answer. 20:37 Well I just don't feel it, I don't feel like God 20:41 is convicting me of that at this point. 20:44 And of course you're reading scripture, 20:45 you're going through the text, you're showing them 20:47 what God's word says and yet the feeling just isn't there, 20:50 I don't feel that burning that this is the truth. 20:53 And so sometimes in many respects, 20:57 it's not just what are we being impressed with, 20:59 but sometimes are we resisting what God's impressing us with. 21:03 And so sometimes when we go to scripture all the time, 21:06 I would ask, we go to scripture 21:07 and find out and what I, am I hearing something 21:11 from God that I'm resisting initially, 21:14 that I think didn't belong to Him, 21:16 does it belong Him. 21:17 Then also, there is this always 21:19 should be a communication between us and the Lord 21:22 with the word open. 21:24 And I think too many Christians today are listening 21:27 to their pastors or teachers or, 21:30 you know, school instructors or whenever it be, 21:33 and they're just kind of going with it. 21:34 Yeah. Because it fits their lifestyle, it feels okay, 21:38 but feeling got to be careful with feeling. 21:40 Feeling doesn't mean it's necessarily right or wrong, 21:42 feelings are neutral in many respects. 21:44 It's what does the word say, with regard to truth. 21:47 Yeah, once you filter it through the word, 21:51 you can be, if you're honest with yourself, 21:53 take it to the word of God and if the word of God 21:56 crosses your path of it. 21:58 If it cuts across where you want to go 22:00 then you've got follow the word, you know. 22:03 Quickly a text that we use very often, 22:05 in Romans chapter 12, verse 1 and 2. 22:07 I beseech you therefore brethren, 22:08 by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies 22:09 a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, 22:12 which is your reasonable service. 22:14 And do not be conformed to this world, 22:16 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, 22:18 and that you may do that which is the perfect will of God. 22:21 One of the things you have to ask yourself 22:23 is does this activity, does what I'm proposing to do, 22:29 will it transform me, will it bring me closer to God 22:32 or does it conform me to the word. 22:36 You follow what I'm going through. Yeah. 22:38 Does it make me a better Christian, 22:39 a better servant, a better person to serve the Lord, 22:43 or does it sort of push me back 22:45 into the mold of the world. 22:46 And you've got to really be honest with yourself, 22:48 be very, very honest with yourself 22:51 and if the word cuts across what you want to do, 22:54 then you've got to stick with the word, 22:55 because your safety is in following the word of God. 22:58 That's right, I've said a couple times, 23:01 on judgment day, yes, you stand before Christ. 23:05 You know, and this isn't all theologically correct, 23:07 I'm giving you kind of a parable here, 23:08 but on judgment day we're gonna stand before Christ 23:10 and if we're on the wrong side, 23:13 we're among the devils, will the answer, 23:17 well my pastor said, yes, or well I thought, 23:21 but it didn't feel. 23:22 I mean, will that suffice or let's say suppose you 23:26 are on the wrong side, what better argument 23:28 would there be, but I read your word 23:32 and I followed it the best I could. 23:34 Now we know that one side is chosen, 23:36 obviously there's no switching at sides, 23:37 but I want to be able to give the answer, 23:38 regardless that I read your word, 23:41 and I followed what it said, even though I maybe wrong 23:44 in some aspects. I'm committed, 23:46 I'm a follower of Christ, I'm a follower of your word 23:48 and that is the answer we are in our lives need 23:51 to be giving everything we believe. 23:52 Yeah, yeah, I read it, I saw it in the word 23:55 and I try to line myself up with the word as it says, 23:58 well my grandmother did that, and my grandfather did that, 24:01 I figured it was okay, right, I never checked the word. 24:03 But if you check the word, 24:04 then at least, you know, you're on safe ground. 24:06 I've, recently two persons said, 24:10 oh, you know, I see these trues, 24:13 but you know what, I've been a Lutheran 24:16 or Pentecostal or Presbyterian or, 24:18 you know, Baptist, whatever you may. 24:20 All my life, my family's always been that, 24:22 I will always be that, yeah, and I'm thinking, you know, 24:26 I'm a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, 24:28 but I will not say that I've always been a 24:31 Seventh-day Adventist so then I will be 24:33 a Seventh-day Adventist. I cant say that, 24:35 even in my own faith, I've got say I'm gonna follow 24:37 the word. God's word led me to 24:39 affirm my faith in the Seventh-day Adventist church, 24:42 that God is leading this church and its truth. 24:45 But, I still must follow the word, 24:47 I can't just because of the name, 24:49 because of what I was raised, follow this or that. 24:52 You know, this specific faith or doctrine, 24:55 I've got to follow the word. 24:56 So, I just wanted to throw that out there, 24:57 because so many times today we're finding out there and, 25:00 you maybe seeing this among your friends 25:02 or those that you study with or when you open the word. 25:05 That there is this affinity to what they already know, 25:08 what they're already comfortable with. 25:10 Where we need to be elevating the word 25:12 and following word of God and that's our own safeguard 25:15 for these last days, I believe it's very, very important. 25:17 You know, John, if I can to put something in 25:18 because I was talking with someone just yesterday, 25:20 she is a mother, her grown son 25:23 is now not following the Lord, he is out of the church. 25:26 He evidently committed an act many years ago 25:30 and she handled it, her response was unchristian. 25:33 She may have just blown it out of proportion, 25:36 it was a particular affront to her and she handled it badly. 25:39 He chose that as reason and rational to leave the church. 25:43 And now many years later 25:45 she has apologized to him profusely, 25:47 she said, I'm really, really sorry and he is saying, 25:50 well, I can't get over, I can't get by it. 25:53 It's just tough for you and she is trying to say, 25:56 no it's tough for you, because you've left Jesus 25:58 and you've let this one act turn you against the Lord. 26:04 And I was saying to her yesterday, 26:05 see come judgment day, using that same scenario, 26:08 he cannot say well back 30 years ago, 26:11 my mom did this, and so I turned my back on you Jesus, 26:14 because of something she did. 26:16 You know, so we got to follow the Lord for our self 26:19 and we can't let and we can't put anyone 26:21 in the place of God. 26:23 I shouldn't turn my back on Jesus, 26:25 because John Stanton said something mean to me. 26:29 You know, that's not gonna fly when Christ comes. 26:32 Well, John says, I'm mean to you, 26:34 so I give up on you Christ, because of John Stanton, yeah. 26:36 Or I give up on you Christ because 26:37 my mom did something 40 years ago. 26:39 We've got to check our lives everyday by the word 26:44 and make sure that we're traveling in the right path. 26:46 Yeah. Yeah and so many people are hurt today in the church, 26:48 we recognize that, we know maybe 26:50 some of you have been hurt by members of the church, 26:52 but know that God doesn't want you to turn your back 26:55 on Him because of what someone else does. 26:56 Precisely. He wants you to maintain that, 26:58 you know, to turn to Him, 27:00 come back to his church, find your church family 27:04 who will love and support you in the right way, 27:05 even though maybe someone else has hurt you. 27:08 That's God's will for your life. 27:10 Just a quick question here, 27:11 I think it's gonna be fairly quick. 27:14 In the Bible Solomon is a wise man, 27:16 but in this age my wisdom is greater than his own, 27:19 do you think that's possible? 27:22 Now I know what they're saying, 27:23 is that, you know, in essence, for Solomon's day, 27:29 wisdom, you know, had a context of time. 27:32 You know, I mean, they didn't have jets that they flew, 27:34 you know, they didn't have all the things we have today 27:37 in the information, in the industrial, in this age, yeah. 27:42 And I think in many respects what this person is talking 27:46 about is knowledge. Thank you, yeah. 27:48 Not wisdom. Precisely, yeah. 27:50 So, you know, when you look, 27:52 in fact if you look at scripture, 27:54 there is a verse in Daniel 12 verse 4 27:58 that talks about knowledge will increase in the last days 28:03 and so it shouldn't surprise us as we talk about this being 28:06 the last days that knowledge is increasing today. 28:09 Knowledge about just about everything. 28:11 The things we see, the things we have today, 28:13 the inventions we possess that make our lives 28:15 more comfortable that's the result C.A, 28:18 of knowledge increasing. 28:20 But it doesn't mean that we are wiser. 28:23 In fact knowledge can be an exact opposite of wisdom, 28:26 you could actually put them at polar opposites 28:28 in some respect. Because today, 28:31 science is moving away from God. 28:34 And the Bible says that wisdom comes from God. 28:38 So if you put, if you had a triangle 28:39 and you started off that was reverse, 28:41 the triangle was upside down and you were at the bottom 28:44 and the knowledge on one side and wisdom at the other side. 28:47 You can say that in many respects when you go up, 28:49 these are getting further apart. 28:50 Yes, yes, yes, yes. 28:52 And, you know, was it James 1:5, 28:56 If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, 28:59 who gives liberally to anybody who asks. 29:00 And so from God comes wisdom, but if we exclude God 29:07 from that equation, we don't become wiser, 29:09 we become more foolish. Precisely. 29:11 But we can be knowledgeable, yes, 29:13 because of the blessings we have of this day. 29:16 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 29:19 And the fool that said in his heart, 29:21 there is no God. 29:22 And if you just oppose the two, 29:25 we have more knowledge, but you have more people 29:27 who don't believe in God than ever today, 29:29 so how wise are we? 29:32 The evidences of the Lord are all around 29:35 and yet there are those who choose to the negate 29:38 those evidences and say, God does not exist. 29:41 So, we have more knowledge than ever before, 29:43 but I don't know if we're wiser than we've ever been. 29:45 No, the word wisdom comes up in Daniel 12, yeah. 29:49 You know, that knowledge shall increase, 29:51 we find that in verse 4 of Daniel 12, 29:55 but look at verse 10, verse 10 says, 29:58 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, 30:02 but the wicked shall do wickedly; 30:05 and none of the wicked shall do what? 30:07 Understand, Understand, 30:08 yeah, but the wise shall understand. 30:10 Shall understand, yeah. 30:12 So, the wicked who claim knowledge and inspiration 30:15 and incredible things through science that they come to know 30:19 still aren't wise because they don't put their trust in God 30:23 who is the source of wisdom. 30:25 So, anyway I would say that it is very possible 30:29 that you have more knowledge in certain aspects 30:31 then Solomon. But Solomon got his wisdom 30:33 from God and if you ask of God for wisdom 30:36 then you will receive some of what 30:37 Solomon also received, so. 30:39 You can have this mass John of knowledge, 30:42 but I think of wisdom asv 30:43 the correct application of knowledge. Application. 30:46 You have this a mass of facts, but when and where to apply 30:51 a particular fact to a particular case, 30:53 that's true wisdom. 30:54 And they are a lot of very wise people 30:56 who never went to college, don't have Ph.D. 30:58 They are very, very, very wise 31:01 and we see that even in our day. 31:02 Amen, well that's our questions for today 31:05 and we appreciate you sending those in. 31:07 Again if you like to email questions, 31:08 you can email them to housecalls@3abn.org 31:12 that's housecalls@3abn.org. 31:16 And we thank you for sending those in once again. 31:19 Our topic today, is just a one program topic 31:24 and we're gonna move through these things fairly quickly. 31:26 But the study today is the Biblical test of a prophet. 31:31 You know, C.A., as we look around this world 31:34 and we've been seeing over, you know, many decades 31:36 and of course Jesus predicted this, 31:38 Matthew 24, that many false prophets or false Christs, 31:42 he also uses here, will arise to deceive many. 31:46 Many who claim to be inspired by God, 31:49 or calm to be prophets in their own right 31:51 are leading people away. 31:54 And the question then goes well with all these people 31:57 who are professing to have knowledge and wisdom, 31:59 we just talked about that. 32:00 How do we know if they truly are called by God 32:03 to be his spokesperson, yes, you know, how are they, 32:07 are they a true prophet or prophetess 32:10 or are they a false prophet or prophetess. 32:12 And so, I believe the Bible does give us a specific tests 32:18 or at least a test of what a true prophet is. 32:22 And I've just noted 12 of them here 32:25 and we're gonna try and move through this 32:27 and just see if we can pick out a few things 32:28 to give to our listeners, our viewers, 32:32 how to confirm whether or not someone who professes 32:35 to be a prophet is truly of God. 32:37 Number one, a true prophet does not lie. 32:42 What he or she predicts is always fulfilled, 32:44 unless the prophecy is conditional. 32:48 And there are many conditional prophecies here. 32:50 So we have to make sure that we put that caveat in there. 32:53 But what is predicted unless it's conditional 32:57 will come to pass. And if the condition has been met, 33:01 then it will come to pass, if it hasn't been met then 33:03 it won't come to pass. 33:05 So let's take a look at a few texts here, 33:06 do you have one there for me, the first one. 33:08 Jeremiah 28:9, a great text 33:11 as for the prophet who prophesies peace, 33:14 when the word of the prophet come to pass, 33:17 the prophet will be known as 33:18 one who the Lord has truly sent. 33:21 Very plain, if he says it's gonna happen, 33:25 it's got to happen. 33:26 And it's got to happen in the way that he says 33:28 is going to happen because he is speaking for God. 33:31 And if he is speaking for God, who knows all and sees all, 33:34 and understands all, then he knows what's going to happen 33:37 and it should happen precisely that way. 33:39 Conversely if it does not happen, 33:42 then well we got a problem. 33:44 We got a problem. Yeah, we got an issue here. 33:46 And especially, and we're talking about 33:48 one that is not conditional, yes, 33:50 evidently this is not a conditional prophecy here, 33:52 the Lord said, it is going to be this, 33:54 the prophet says it and it happens. Precisely. 33:56 But, when there is a condition, 33:58 then it's a little different scenario. 34:00 Because sometimes God will say, 34:01 if you do not repent, I will do this. 34:05 And if his people repent it doesn't happen, 34:08 but just because the prophet prophesied of that, 34:10 we can think of a most famous prophet of this, 34:12 which is Jonah in Nineveh, he said that this city 34:15 would be destroyed, right. 34:16 But, it didn't happen, did that make him a false prophet? 34:18 No, there was a condition attached to that prophecy, 34:21 that this one here is not conditional 34:24 and it's not speaking about additional prophecies... 34:27 If clauses that it got to happen and John, 34:29 as you will know, 100 percent accuracy, 34:32 there's no batting average when you live with a prophet. 34:35 It's got to be accurate all the time, 34:37 100 percent of the time, not 50 not 75, 34:40 not he or she is batting about 390, 34:42 no, gotta be 100 percent of time. 34:44 Talking about that for a minute, 34:45 I mean, don't we see that as a test today 34:47 as to someone's wisdom. 34:49 I mean, you see on, you see like in the History Channel, 34:52 I watch that once in a while, 34:53 it's enjoyable channel with some of the programs. 34:55 But some will come on there saying, you know, 34:59 success rates on prophecies from these individuals. 35:02 Well, one that appears most successful is... 35:04 and they're batting around 30, 40, 50 percent. 35:07 You wondering what makes that so good. 35:09 The biblical standard is 100 percent. 35:11 One hundred percent, yeah, 35:12 yeah if a guy is batting 50 percent, 35:16 he is wrong half the time. You can forget about that guy. 35:22 He is wrong half the time, 35:24 you don't wanna base your life, 35:26 your future, your hopes, your eternity on a guy 35:28 who is only batting 50 percent. 35:30 You might as well walk up to black or red 35:32 and throw down your life savings on it. 35:33 Precisely, yeah. I mean, it doesn't work that way. 35:35 It just, it makes no sense. 35:37 So we're talking about a person 35:38 who is speaking for God, 35:39 and have got to be right 100 percent all the time. 35:42 And that's very, very important. 35:44 Yeah, it really is, look at the next verse here 35:46 from Deuteronomy 18 verse 21 and 22. 35:50 And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word 35:53 which the Lord has not spoken?" 35:56 When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, 35:58 if the thing does not happen or come to pass, 36:01 that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, 36:05 the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, 36:07 you shall not be afraid of him. 36:09 Yes, yes, that's the other side of the coin. 36:11 Yes. So, if he is hurling out in activities 36:14 and you're gonna wither away and it doesn't happen, 36:16 well it didn't come from God. Yeah, that's right. 36:18 That's his own, he is, maybe got a little upset, 36:20 had a bad day. So he is spotting off 36:22 some stuff, but it didn't come from the Lord. 36:24 That's right, that's right. Another one there. 36:28 First Samuel 9:6, And he said to him, 36:31 "Look now, there is in this city a man of God, 36:35 "and he is an honorable man, 36:38 "all that he says surely comes to pass. 36:41 "So let us go there, perhaps he can show us 36:43 the way that we should go." 36:46 All right so all that he says surely comes to pass. 36:50 But it's not half of what he says comes to pass, 36:52 lets go try them out, 36:53 it's everything he says comes to pass. 36:56 These, these, these, we're begging the point here 37:00 of 100 percent accuracy. 37:02 And it's an important point to sort of lay on a little bit. 37:05 Because there are many people who gives predictions today 37:08 and they've got a batting average 37:10 and once you begin to talk about averages, 37:11 you're not talking about God. 37:13 So, if you're listening to someone, 37:15 if you're gonna put your, you know, 37:17 someone made a prediction sometime ago 37:19 and there was a fellow in New York, 37:20 who's sort of banked his whole fortune on that. 37:25 And lost all of his money, and he said well, 37:27 what do I do now. You know, 37:29 I sort of gave all my money away to this cause 37:32 because I believed this person. 37:34 And now I don't have anything, 37:36 and what he said didn't come true, 37:37 what do I do now? 37:38 And no one had answer for him because you went with a person 37:42 who had a track record, it missed sometimes on, 37:45 sometimes off, this time he was way off 37:48 and you banked on that and now you have nothing. 37:50 So, 100 percent accuracy if it's coming from the Lord. 37:53 That's right, now the other thing to remember in this, 37:56 I don't want to blabber that point too much. 37:58 But, we're not talking about the life 38:00 of the individual necessary, God works 38:02 through frail human beings, he does. 38:05 So, it doesn't mean 100 percent perfection 38:08 in the life of the prophet. 38:09 Because sometimes people look at the prophet and they say, 38:11 well, you know, he made a mistake here and there. 38:14 Not in the predictions, but I'm talking about, 38:15 he made a mistake in his life, you know, 38:17 or something he didn't choose to do, 38:19 it wasn't exactly right. 38:20 It doesn't mean that a prophet goes 38:23 throughout his or her day, hearing from God, 38:26 turn the doorknob, yeah. 38:28 Now walk through this hallway. Yeah. 38:30 Now go step over to here and talk to... 38:31 That's not, that's not what a prophet does. 38:35 So we can't say, well because their life 38:37 isn't an 100 percent perfect that they're not of God, 38:40 and if you think of someone like Jonah, 38:42 who was literally running away from God 38:44 right, and God still used him 38:46 and brought him back to speak for him. 38:48 Then we know that the requirement isn't 38:51 the 100 percent sinless life of the prophet, 38:53 but the 100 percent accuracy of the message. 38:55 Of the message, very true, very true, and a good point. 38:58 All right, look at number two here, 38:59 the second test, a true prophets speaks 39:02 in behalf of God, 39:06 and it shall be that whoever will not hear my words, 39:10 which he speaks in my name, I will require it of Him. 39:14 So, notice here, those who do not hear, 39:17 God says my words. Yes. 39:20 So when the prophets speaks, 39:21 he is speaking the words of God. 39:24 Yeah, and we're gonna touch on this in a little bit 39:26 I think, but he is not coming out of his own bag, 39:29 dare I say. He is speaking for God, 39:32 so then his words carry the import, 39:34 the weight of divinity, because he is but 39:36 the mouthpiece for a message that comes from God. 39:39 Right, and the next text, 39:41 why don't you go ahead and read that one, Amos. 39:42 Amos chapter 3 verse 7, remember this text from school 39:44 Surely the Lord God does nothing, 39:47 unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the prophets. 39:50 Of course then nothing means those kinds of things 39:52 that affect mankind's eternal well being. 39:56 If God's going to do something big 39:58 for to with through planet earth, 40:00 he is gonna warn you about it. 40:01 God's not trying to sneak anything in on us, right. 40:04 He is gonna warn us about it and give us, 40:05 dare we say in modern language the heads up, yeah. 40:08 So that we know what is coming, 40:11 so that we can be prepared. 40:12 You know, Jesus himself said, 40:14 I tell you these things that you may know be forehand. 40:17 Precisely, yeah, yeah. 40:18 So, he wants us to know in advance, 40:19 he does that through prophets. 40:22 We find here also in Revelation 10:7 40:24 an illusion to, or working out of that. 40:27 It says, but in the days of the sounding 40:28 of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, 40:30 the mystery of God would be finished, 40:32 as He declared to His servants, the prophets. 40:35 So he reveals his secrets to the prophets 40:37 and in the last days and the context of the message 40:39 going to the world, he is going to send that 40:43 through his prophets who prophesy again 40:46 the mystery of God, 40:47 in fact so much so that it will finish it. 40:50 Yes, yes. And so we will see that happen 40:52 even in these last days as God uses his servants 40:56 the prophets. All right, number three, 40:59 a true prophet's words will be in harmony 41:02 with those spoken by prophets before him or her. 41:05 Oh yes, yes, Isaiah 8:20, 41:07 To the law and to the testimony! 41:09 If they speak not according to his word, 41:11 to this word, is because there is no light in them. 41:14 John, we've got two words law and to the testimony 41:16 walk us through what that is if you will. 41:18 Well, the law often referred to in 41:21 the Bible points back to the writings of Moses. Precisely. 41:23 Okay, the five first books of the Bible. 41:25 The testimony points to the prophets, 41:28 both major and minor prophets so. 41:30 This is comprising scripture, yes, 41:34 so when it says to the law and to the testimony 41:35 it's saying others what they have written before, 41:38 if they don't speak according to that, 41:39 that they're not in harmony with that, 41:41 yeah they're not a true prophet. 41:42 Thy comes along and he is pooh-poohing or 41:44 discounting the word of God, then he is to be rejected. 41:48 Yeah. Because, one of the test says 41:50 he is got to agree with the manner of scripture. 41:52 Right. The law and the testimony. 41:54 That's right, this is an important point, 41:56 because a lot of people think that, 41:57 and they will come to you and say, 41:58 you know, I have further light. 42:01 I mean, dare we say that there's a whole book written, 42:04 that is elevated to the standard of scripture 42:06 that claims to have light beyond scripture, 42:09 that doesn't harmonize with scripture. Scripture right. 42:11 We've got be very careful when someone comes to us and says, 42:14 here I've something that gives you additional light, 42:16 that goes beyond God's word 42:18 and yet that what they are giving you 42:20 doesn't even harmonize with it. 42:21 And God is not schizophrenic, you know, 42:23 why would he bring after so many years of this word 42:28 and the power of this word, then someone comes along 42:30 and says I've got a whole new word, 42:32 just forget about this, this is a whole new deal, 42:33 and it's from God. That would make God 42:35 a little psychotic and, you know, 42:37 it doesn't really add up. 42:38 They've got to line up with the word of God 42:41 that has carried us through for so many. 42:42 And even to say, well that old word that was given, 42:45 well man corrupted it so much that 42:48 I had to given a new word, yeah. 42:49 It's almost like God is incapable of supporting, 42:52 sustaining, and caring for his word. 42:56 I trust that the Lord, the Lord has gotten this Bible 42:59 all the way through time. 43:02 To me in exactly how he intended to get 43:04 to me when it got me, yeah. 43:06 In other words, I can read it with confidence with trust, 43:08 that it hasn't been tainted or so corrupted and destroyed 43:12 by mankind that it can't save me. 43:15 I've got to be able to say I read, 43:17 I understand and I follow not to think, 43:21 oh I don't know, I can't trust it, really. 43:25 There is this always underlying current 43:27 of some of these movements, that you cant trust 43:29 the word as it's written. 43:31 You got to listen to this new word. 43:33 Yeah it's interesting and God providing such empirical proof 43:36 that back in 1947 when they found the dead sea scrolls 43:38 and they found kin going through them that they were 43:41 I think the accuracy is like 98 point something, something, 43:43 something, you know, we care up to decimals of accurate 43:46 to the word as we have it today. 43:49 So God has preserved his word down through all this scribes 43:52 and all the copying and all the changes and even appointing 43:56 and adding in the verses and chapters, 43:58 he is preserved his word, that is God's legacy to us 44:03 to give us a pure word that we can trust 44:04 and we can relay on. 44:06 The point you make is so important because, 44:09 people really harp on that issue, 44:10 you know, how did we know that the word of God is true, 44:12 Dead Sea scrolls established that, 44:14 and the other interesting thing about the two percent 44:16 of whatever it is that is not exactly perfect, yeah. 44:19 Is non substantive. Precisely, yeah. 44:22 It doesn't even matter, the part that isn't accurate. 44:25 Yeah. So it's not like oh that's the big part, 44:27 it's missing a big section it's not true at all, 44:30 it's minor differences in transcribing from one maybe 44:36 to the next down through time, 44:37 these differences are not substantive. 44:39 They don't have anything to do with you, 44:40 your salvation what you need to be saved. 44:42 Yeah, yeah someone said well John is a good guy, 44:46 and someone wrote John is a great guy. 44:48 Well, it's still the same thing. 44:50 Well, he slipped out of his house 44:51 the other day and he fell. 44:54 I saw him go straight down, well he's a clumsy guy. 44:58 So doctrinally, theologically it's pure, 45:01 its as God wants us to have it. 45:03 And very important, I wanna encourage you here, 45:05 because so many want to say that 45:07 this word isn't exactly as God intended it, 45:09 but it is in every aspect. Okay, number four, 45:14 A true prophet will not give his or her own interpretation. 45:19 And our scripture there is Second Peter 1:20, 45:21 knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture 45:24 is of any private interpretation, right. 45:27 In other words, the interpretation of a scripture 45:29 cannot be given privately by opinion. 45:32 Well I think, or boy looks like it's 45:34 going to or, you know, we see that a lot today. 45:37 I'm really concerned pastor that today we have people out 45:42 there that are just kind of watching the newspaper, 45:44 to see how maybe some of the prophets 45:47 of the Bible might fit into what's happening, yeah. 45:50 And we've done this now for the last hundred years, 45:53 the Bible does say that prophecies opened up again, 45:57 it will open up in the last days it was sealed it 45:59 is now become unsealed. So it's understandable 46:02 so there is a heightened awareness or desire for people 46:04 to understand prophecy. 46:05 But, with it also comes a lot of private interpretation. 46:08 Yes, yes, yes. You know, 46:09 will this I think is this and people develop 46:12 entire ministries to teach their brand 46:16 of interpretation of prophecy, but the Bible is clear, 46:20 it's not a private interpretation. 46:21 No, no, the Bible it's own best expositor 46:25 and when we have a question with the word, 46:28 the best place to go to get understanding 46:31 is back to that same word. 46:33 And to dig into the word until the answer comes. 46:36 As opposed to developing some sort of fan thought 46:39 interpretation that seems to titillate the senses, 46:41 but it's not biblically based. 46:42 Yeah, yeah, very important to remember. 46:44 I guess also I'll add to that what it means is 46:46 if there is symbol in prophecy, 46:49 a specific thing mentioned there, 46:50 the Bible will explain what that symbol means. 46:53 So, it doesn't become any longer 46:55 or private interpretation it becomes 46:56 an interpretation by the Bible itself. 46:59 The Bible defines and explains the symbols within prophecy, 47:02 very true. If you know that 47:03 you're on safe ground. All right number five, 47:06 A true prophet speaks only under the prompting 47:08 of the Holy Spirit according to the will of God. 47:12 By the very next verse in Second Peter, 47:14 you wanna read that one? 47:15 For prophecy never came by the will of man, 47:18 but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by 47:21 the Holy Spirit. So, they're not speaking 47:23 of themselves or for themselves, John, 47:26 they're speaking under the impress of the Spirit of God. 47:30 Okay, good 2 chronicles 20:14 and 15, 47:33 then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, 47:36 the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, 47:38 the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, 47:41 I should go on all those. 47:42 But he said "Listen, all you of Judah 47:45 and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, 47:47 and you, King Jehoshaphat! 47:49 Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid nor be 47:51 dismayed because of this great multitude, 47:53 for the battle is not yours, but God's. 47:57 So, anything prophesied, 47:59 anything that's going to happen, 48:00 God steps in and he speaks through the prophet 48:02 but he is the one that makes it happen, 48:04 it's his will that drives it. 48:06 All right, number six, a true path can point out 48:10 the sins of God's people. 48:13 He calls them back to obedience, 48:15 now that doesn't mean we're in the...the pew next to us. 48:19 And people that are saying, oh so and so is not right, 48:21 if they are prophet, that's not we were 48:23 talking about here. But sometimes prophets 48:25 are sent to God's people to help get them back 48:28 on the right track. You know, Isaiah 58 48:32 when Cry aloud, spare not, 48:33 Lift up your voice like a trumpet, 48:34 Tell My people their transgression, 48:36 And the house of Jacob, their sins. 48:37 When we think of prophet and this comes back 48:40 again and again we think so much of prophesying 48:43 the future, prophesying the future 48:44 but a lot of the work of a prophet was messages 48:47 given by God to his people for their current living, 48:53 for that particular time. 48:54 So there was a lot of forth telling 48:57 as in addition to foretelling. 49:00 Sort of straightening out problems 49:02 or dealing with issues or giving God's word 49:05 or God's answer or God's direction 49:06 for their lives at that time. 49:09 Yeah, really important to remember. 49:10 Because God doesn't want to see anybody get so off track 49:14 that, you know, it becomes difficult or challenging 49:17 to get them back and we can guide them along 49:20 early on to understand the error of their way, 49:23 where they're heading, the Lord often can use 49:25 a prophet to do that, yes. 49:26 And the Bible clearly tells us that from Isaiah 58:1, 49:30 Daniel 9:10 says, We have not obeyed 49:33 the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, 49:35 which He set before us by His servants, the prophets. 49:39 So, a lot of what the prophets speak are to help guide us 49:43 and to keep us on the narrow path, from straying. 49:46 And so that's also an aspect of keeping us on that 49:50 straight path and keeping away from sin 49:53 that the devil is always looking to ensnare us with. 49:55 Very true. Number seven, 49:57 a true prophet edifies the church. 50:01 First Corinthians 14:3 and 4, But he who prophesies speaks 50:05 edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 50:08 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, 50:12 but he who prophesies edifies the church. 50:15 Which is one of the reasons Paul elevated prophecy 50:19 to a very high level. And all of his lists of gifts 50:25 given by the spirit to the church, 50:27 prophecy appears in all four of those list, 50:30 and not only that but his desire is that 50:32 they would all prophesied. 50:33 And because he desired that because it would keep 50:36 the church on track, it would keep it focused 50:39 and headed the right direction, 50:40 and that is truly the message or the reason for the prophet. 50:46 Number eight, a true prophet provides 50:48 evidence of spiritual conversion 50:49 in their life and works. 50:52 You will know them by their fruits it says in 50:54 Matthew 7 verse 16 I won't read the rest of that, 50:57 but the fruit of the light, it bears witness that 51:01 they're a follower of Jesus, they obey him now 51:03 they may not be perfect in every way, 51:05 but the trend of there life is upward and following. 51:09 That's a great statement, the trend of their life, 51:12 because they're not superhuman they are human 51:14 and sometimes humans make mistake. 51:17 Maybe they got a little upset 51:18 when they should have been calm, 51:19 or you know, those kinds of things like that. 51:21 It doesn't mean that they're not speaking for the Lord, 51:25 it means that sometimes they're human, 51:27 humanity comes through. 51:29 Ellen White, the great prophetic voice of 51:31 Seventh-day Adventist church said many times, 51:33 don't pattern your life after me. 51:37 Keep your eyes focused on God, right. 51:39 And I'm doing the same thing, 51:41 I'm keeping my eyes focused on God. 51:43 So as you focus on God, and not me, 51:45 your eyes are in the correct place. 51:46 Yes, as soon as we start looking at what 51:47 the prophet does, yes, we get in trouble, 51:50 because she is or he is not the standard, right. 51:53 All right. Number nine, 51:54 a true prophet hears from God in visions and dreams. 51:57 Numbers 12:6, Then He said, 52:00 "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, 52:02 "I the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision, 52:05 I speak to him in a dream." 52:08 So in supernatural ways, God speaks to his prophets. 52:11 Numbers 10, a true prophet will manifest 52:15 physical evidence that is supernatural, 52:17 Numbers 24:4, The utterance of him 52:20 who hears the words of God, 52:22 who sees the vision of the Almighty, 52:24 who falls down with eyes wide open. 52:27 And so we talk about that for just a minute, 52:29 because we often know think that there is a 52:31 supernatural element to prophecy 52:34 or to a prophet receiving a vision or dream from God. 52:36 Yes, who falls down with eyes wide open, 52:40 there are some supernatural things going on 52:44 while a prophet is in vision. 52:46 Of course, we've had this in modern times, 52:50 modern times also, but God sustains them during 52:54 these times when they are in direct contact with him, 52:58 receiving messages from Lord to be given to His people. 53:00 Yeah, and the times that we often see this 53:02 in some of the charismatic movements of day. 53:05 It's not really supernatural, we're seeing a little bit of 53:09 stuff going on that's appears to be, 53:11 but when we're talking about supernatural, 53:13 we're talking about God who provides, 53:15 he almost becomes the life preserver of that individual 53:18 while they are in vision, yes. 53:19 In other words, you can't, breathing stops, 53:22 you know, other things it is fails to function, 53:24 but God is sustaining that individual supernaturally. 53:27 And that's what its speaking of here. 53:29 And John, I think we need to mention 53:30 when we're trying to access if a person 53:33 is a prophetic voice of God, 53:36 we need put all of these things into the pot. Right. 53:39 Not every one or two, because they may pass 53:42 one or two tests, but you need to, 53:44 it's the stew dare I say of all of these things, 53:48 when cook together, then we can say that 53:51 this person has a prophetic message from the Lord. 53:54 And that's why we actually say this is an a biblical tests, 53:58 they're a biblical test. All of them together. 54:01 Precisely. Comprised this. 54:02 Lets give you a couple others ones, 54:04 we're getting close to the end of the program here. 54:06 Number 11, a true prophet recognizes the incarnation 54:09 of Jesus Christ and the nature of his mission. 54:11 We find that in First John 4 verses one through three. 54:16 Beloved do not believe every spirit, 54:18 but test the spirits, whether they are of God. 54:20 Because many false prophet have gone out into the world, 54:22 but this you know of Spirit of God, 54:25 Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ 54:27 has come in the flesh is of God, 54:29 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ 54:32 has come in the flesh is not of God. 54:34 And this is a spirit of the Anti-Christ, 54:36 which we've heard from, heard was coming, 54:38 and it's already in the world. 54:39 They are many false prophet out there, 54:40 there are those who claim to know things. 54:42 Yes, they don't profess Christ at all. 54:44 Yeah, yeah that a key, that's a big red letter, 54:48 red flag, red check say, red underline, 54:51 however you want to do it, but they've got 54:53 to profess Christ. They've got to believe 54:56 in Christ, they've got to follow Christ. 54:58 Amen, yeah and then the last one here, 55:00 number 12, a true prophet warns 55:02 the world of God's judgment. 55:03 And that's one of the reasons why 55:06 the Seventh-day Adventist church 55:07 in fact today calls or refers to itself sometimes 55:09 as a prophetic movement. 55:11 In that we are proclaiming the Three Angels Messages 55:15 as depicted in Revelation chapter 14. 55:17 And that message is a message that begins with judgment. 55:21 Judgment is coming, not only is it here, 55:23 but it's also coming. 55:24 We're living in the last days where we are in 55:27 what's known as a pre-advent judgment, 55:28 where Christ is investigating and inspecting the lives 55:33 of those who profess to follow him, 55:35 and of times when judgments are beginning 55:39 to fall on the earth. Culminating or climaxing 55:42 with a very last day judgment, 55:45 a time of trouble that brings end to the world. 55:48 This harkens back to Amos chapter 3 verse 7, 55:51 surely the Lord will do nothing, 55:53 but then reveal it to a service, 55:54 the prophets, well God is about to end this world. 55:57 He is about to judge this world. 55:58 He is about to change this dispensation. 56:01 This age is about to come to its end followed by a new age. 56:05 That's a big thing. Do you think, 56:06 God would not want to warn his people to get them ready 56:09 for that time. Of course he would, 56:11 and of course that message with 56:12 come through a prophetic voice. 56:14 You know, it really is a key, 56:15 because if you look at the way Revelation is structured. 56:18 You kind of get to a climatic point at chapter 12, 56:21 you know, this controversy between good and evil. 56:23 Yes, and then from there you can a springboard 56:26 into the response to that controversy, 56:28 which is Satan's attempt to destroy the church on earth. 56:31 Yes. That is God beloved, 56:33 but then God's people rising to the level to meet 56:36 that in fourteen with the 144,000 described 56:39 as being without no fault, they're without any guile, 56:43 they're pure, their message is pure 56:45 and then they have the Three Angels messages 56:46 that go to the world. 56:47 Precisely, yeah. 56:48 So, yeah, an amazing part of Revelation 56:53 to take a look at when you talk about the prophets. 56:56 And as you look and study. 56:58 In fact when you hear ever of someone that 57:00 claims to be a prophet the best place to go, 57:01 as we've always said, is to the word, to the word. 57:04 And we hope that today we shared with you a test, 57:08 not test, but a test of what it means 57:12 to be a true prophet of God. 57:15 And that those things in number, 57:17 1 to 12 that will give you, will help you to understand 57:20 as you apply them to any individual 57:21 that claims to be one, whether or not they truly 57:24 are of God or not. 57:25 I pray that God will speak to your life, 57:27 each and everyday and I hope he has through this program 57:29 and those in the future. 57:30 May God bless you and keep you. |
Revised 2014-12-17