Participants: John Lomacang, John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL130022
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00:01 Hello, friends, grab your Bible and a friend and sit back
00:03 as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of "House Calls." 00:22 Welcome, to the place. This is the place, that's right. 00:26 We have a Bible and you have questions, this is the place. 00:29 And my name is John 00:31 and to my right is another derivative of me. 00:34 His name is also John. 00:35 He is borrowing this name for the program. 00:38 Not actually, how are you doing, John Stanton? 00:41 Yeah, I'm doing good. You're doing good? 00:43 I'm doing good. 00:44 You're relaxing in the Pacific Northwest? 00:46 Yes, yes, we're doing very good up there 00:48 and enjoying how God is using us. Good. 00:51 As we all should be enjoying how God is using us. 00:54 That's right. And it's a blessing everyday. 00:56 And it's especially fun to have this time to get away 00:58 and to do this program. 00:59 That's right. It is truly enjoyable. 01:02 This is what happens 01:03 when New York and California comes together. 01:05 We both have the same beginnings, 01:07 we both start of the same name, 01:09 and here we are on the same program 01:11 for the glory of the Lord. 01:13 You know what you need to do? 01:14 You need certain equipment for this program. 01:15 A Bible, a pen, a family and a friend 01:20 and we'll tell you what else you need. 01:22 But for the next hour we're going to really enjoy 01:24 walking through the Bible together. 01:26 Thank you, for tuning in. 01:27 If you're joining us from the church, 01:29 praise the Lord that you've got into together in a group. 01:31 If you buy yourself recorded because later on 01:34 you're gonna want to share with someone 01:36 what we talk about on this program. 01:37 Bible questions as well as the Bible topic. 01:40 Before we do anything though we always like to pray 01:42 and I know that you know who is gonna pray. 01:46 Let's go, let's go and pray. 01:48 Father in heaven, we come before You again 01:49 asking for a special blessing today. 01:53 A blessing upon this program, upon all that we, we say and do. 01:57 And as we study Your word, 01:58 Lord we know it brings a blessing. 02:00 That's right. 02:01 But we, we are confident that You will send Your spirit Lord 02:04 to make sure that You rightly divide the word of truth 02:07 and that, it may be powerful and strengthening 02:10 to the lives of those who hear. 02:12 In Jesus name we pray, amen. 02:14 Amen. You know you have questions, 02:17 I have a question, many of you have questions. 02:21 I get all kinds of questions. 02:23 But if you have anything that's going around in your head 02:25 and you want to go ahead and send that to us. 02:28 If you're driving in your car please, 02:30 don't try to send us a question right now. 02:32 But if you have an email that you like to sent to us 02:34 send it to this following addressing, 02:36 housecalls@3abn.org. That's housecalls@3abn.org, 02:40 that's the portal to sending us questions 02:44 and we've got questions I tell you, 02:46 we have to go through that list 02:48 and periodically sort through it. 02:50 And John, you know what even the advertisers 02:53 have now found our email. Yes. 02:55 And we're starting to filter through that too. 02:57 So try to be concise into the point 03:00 and we surely do appreciate everything you do. 03:03 But John tends to get the chance to start out with the question. 03:06 And today we're not gonna break the trend. 03:08 So John, what do you have for us? 03:10 We have got a question here from Charlie, from Charlie. 03:14 Looks like that he writes from Pennsylvania 03:17 and he has a question. 03:18 He says-- first of all he thoroughly 03:22 enjoys our program. 03:23 And then we need to increase it to two times per week. 03:26 And we'll thank you for supporting the program. 03:30 We appreciate all of that. And especially, your prayers. 03:34 And anyway so he wants some, 03:36 some help with something that he is being doing. 03:38 He said, he recently went online to a Catholic forum to enquire 03:41 why they follow certain practices. 03:44 And so anyway they asked that he when he asked questions 03:47 he connects it into their catechism 03:50 and so he tries to do that. 03:52 But he is asking us and asking us for answers 03:56 from the Bible to a couple of issues. 03:58 And he says here, I wanted to know 04:01 why they have statues of Mary, Paul, Peter et cetera 04:05 when it goes against the Ten Commandments. 04:07 No graven images. 04:09 They say they do not worship the statues 04:12 but they're there to help us 04:14 to get closer to God and remind us. 04:18 Also, they insist the second commandment 04:20 is kept in their list of commandments. 04:22 I thought they were eliminated. They had eliminated the second. 04:25 By the way it's the old translation 04:28 that they use to use they eliminated 04:29 the second commandment. 04:30 When you look at the Bible that they have currently 04:33 that they use most often it is as written saying 04:36 and in one of the modern translations or even King James, 04:39 New King James version. 04:40 So, it is not eliminated from those, 04:43 from that new one or at least the one they've used 04:46 most prevalently here over the few years. 04:50 I wanted to know, and this is their part. 04:52 I wanted to know why they pray to the saints, 04:55 Mary and Paul, et cetera. 04:58 They told me that prayer is not worship 05:00 and that they're simply asking the saints 05:02 to intercede for them only. 05:07 I see further they want me to prove to them 05:11 their prayer equals worship because they dispute that. 05:15 So this is on the forum that this, that Charlie is on. 05:19 So he needs our help and so hopefully 05:21 we can provide a few passages-- if you--things 05:25 from the word of God in regard to that. 05:27 You know, the first issue he mentioned here 05:29 was the issue of graven images. 05:31 So why not we go there to the second commandment 05:35 and we'll find that in Exodus Chapter 20. 05:40 Okay. 05:41 Exodus Chapter 20 and I'm gonna 05:42 read verse 4 through 6. 05:50 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, 05:54 any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, 05:57 or that is in the earth beneath, 06:00 or that is in the water under the earth. 06:03 You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, 06:06 for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, 06:09 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 06:12 to the third and the fourth generation of those 06:14 who hate me but showing mercy to thousands to those 06:18 who love me and keep my commandments." 06:21 All right. So the issue here 06:23 that the commandments specifically says, 06:25 "You shall not make" number one 06:27 "make yourself a carved image or graven image. 06:32 Any likeness of anything that is in heaven above 06:34 or that is in the earth beneath." 06:36 And the second thing is the qualifier here. 06:39 It says "You shall not bow down to them or serve them." 06:43 This translation, this is specifically say, 06:45 "You shall not bow down and worship them." 06:47 But I know that some translations 06:48 I believe do use the word 'worship' there. 06:52 But the question then is, is it okay to allow 06:58 a carved or graven image to be used for-- 07:01 for religious purposes. 07:06 And secondly is it okay to bow down 07:08 before those graven images. 07:10 And according to this commandment 07:12 from what I understand little reading here, it is not. 07:14 Right its not. 07:16 To make a carved image that represents anything 07:19 and then to bow down 07:21 before even outside of the active worship. 07:22 But to bow down before and pray before it 07:25 and even use anything carved or graven 07:28 in the active prayer is contradictory, 07:31 contradictory to the command here in God's word 07:36 the second commandment. 07:37 And so I don't know they may, it may be that they want 07:41 to talk a little around that to try and say 07:43 that they don't do it 07:44 but in fact, this is exactly what happens. 07:48 And I don't know the form nature on Charlie 07:51 is going to obviously be 07:52 defensive of the practices of the Catholic Church. 07:56 And that is reasonable to assume and reasonable to expect 08:00 because obviously they establish that form. 08:03 And they're gonna answer that question 08:04 in the best way they know. 08:05 They're not going to say well, you got us. 08:09 We're doing it oops. 08:10 They're gonna explain that and we all, 08:13 you know, in every area of our lives 08:16 we can tend to rationalize things 08:17 that we want to do rather than 08:19 just following the word of God. 08:20 But God does call for us as Disciples of Christ 08:23 to follow His word and reading of His word 08:26 the second commandment specifically says 08:27 "don't make a carved image and don't bow down before it." 08:31 And that's exactly what happens there. 08:33 So anyway I know, you know, if you have anything way 08:36 in on that specifically, John. Go ahead. 08:40 Well, I'm looking actually 08:43 at the Convert's Catechism of the Catholic, 08:45 of the Catholic Church, the 1995 edition commissioned 08:48 by Pope John Paul II. 08:51 And lot of times we are in desires of making a statement 08:58 but sometimes it's always good to find out 09:01 from the actual writing themselves, 09:04 what the approach is. 09:07 Well, first of all, one of the things 09:08 we do know from the practicing 09:10 and I just want to say this for the record. 09:12 Majority of my family is catholic, 09:14 99% of them are catholic. 09:18 And Catholicism is replete with saints, with images. 09:25 You know, at the entrance of many Catholic Churches 09:28 is the statue of Mary and in her hand a replica 09:32 or as it is said "Baby Jesus." 09:37 And I have pictures of priests and popes 09:43 and usually when people traditionally or entering 09:47 a Catholic Church did stop at the statue. 09:50 They don't call it worshipping, they call it venerating. 09:56 And when you look at this term venerating to me 09:59 as I looked at and read through the definitions 10:03 that are often put here. 10:06 Let me go ahead and read, read this here. 10:12 I want to go ahead just hit it on the here. 10:13 Okay, it says, "The divine injection included 10:19 the prohibition of every representation of God 10:23 by the hand of man. 10:24 Since you saw no form and the day of Lord spoke to you." 10:28 It says, "It is absolutely transcendent the God 10:33 who reveals Himself to Israel. 10:35 'He is in all' but at the same time 10:37 he is greater than all his works. 10:38 Nevertheless, already the Old Testament, 10:40 God ordained or permitted the making of images 10:43 that pointed symbolically towards salvation 10:46 by the incarnate word." 10:48 So it was with the bronze serpent 10:49 in the Ark of the Covenant the cherubim. 10:51 And so what is, what is being done here is, 10:54 there seems to be an attempt to justify sins. 10:57 The Lord says, look at the bronze serpent and live. 11:01 The Ark of the Covenant, 11:03 the cherubim's that were on the mercy seat 11:06 these weren't images of worship, 11:09 that's what this commandment prohibits the images of worship 11:12 bowing down to them or even use the word venerating. 11:17 And so I would say clearly one of the reasons 11:21 why this commandment is often minimized 11:23 is when you have a religion that replete with images. 11:28 Then there will be some, 11:29 there would some justification as to, 11:32 yes we do have permission to bow down to these images. 11:35 Yes we do have permission to worship to these images. 11:38 But as far beyond just bowing down to these images 11:41 is acknowledging that these images have power. 11:46 Let me give you an example and once again use this 11:49 in the context of my family being Catholic. 11:51 When we bow down, when they bow down 11:53 to Mary or pray to Mary, that's the very thing 11:56 that is being prohibited by these commandments. 11:59 You know, when you say, "Holy Mary mother of God. 12:01 Pray for sinners now and at the hour of their death." 12:04 Well, who you are praying to. 12:06 A person that doesn't exist. 12:08 But the, but the suggestion is being made 12:10 that she does exist through the replication of this image. 12:15 So that's being prohibited by God's word. 12:18 That is prohibited in the second commandment. 12:21 Not making any graven images. Not bowing down to them. 12:25 Not serving them and not even venerating them. 12:29 From what I understand too in the word of God 12:31 I can't remember what they exactly they call it 12:33 but they destroyed an image that was used 12:35 before was that the bronze serpent 12:37 that was used before. 12:39 They destroyed it because later on people started 12:41 to venerate it in the scriptures Israel. 12:44 And so they specifically went after that image 12:47 to destroy--what's it? It starts with 'N'. 12:50 May be I should not bother about that. 12:51 But anyway there is a specific thing that was, 12:53 that was part of the experience of the Israelites 12:58 in the wilderness. 12:59 But as it went forward it was destroyed 13:02 because the people in the temple services later on started 13:04 to treat it as Holy and to "venerate that thing". 13:09 So, even the Bible has said to eliminate that, 13:12 eliminated that because the practice led to false worship. 13:16 And something that should not have been 13:19 part of the worship experience. And anyway-- 13:24 And one of the things that was really 13:27 prohibited by the Lord and Isaiah the prophet 13:29 just really spoke against it. He spoke about 13:34 images having eyes but they cannot see, 13:36 having ears but they cannot hear, 13:38 having hands but they cannot touch. 13:42 This was strictly prohibited in the Bible. 13:44 So when the Bible says "not to make any graven images 13:48 or any likeness of anything in the heaven above 13:50 for that is in the earth beneath." 13:51 The Bible really does mean that. 13:54 We have to prohibit ourselves from walking in that path 13:58 and participating in these kinds of practices. 14:02 I want to put another word in here 14:05 and see what I come up with. We have a question, 14:07 that's very interesting question. 14:08 You know, what's happen nowadays, 14:10 this is so indicative of where we are headed 14:12 as world is concerned. What about the use of herbs? 14:18 Right now John we know in the State of California, 14:21 in the State of Colorado and I think some other states 14:25 in our nation are legalizing the use of marijuana. 14:31 And all kinds of justifications are being added to that. 14:35 But the question is, if God says 14:38 that we can use seed bearing plants. 14:40 What about marijuana and cocaine 14:43 they are both seed bearing or derived 14:45 from a seed bearing plant? 14:47 Both have medicinal use, both have medicinal uses too. 14:51 Can you give me the Bibles stance? 14:55 Well, let me show you where the Bible 14:56 talked about these herbs bearing seeds 14:58 and put in the context of exactly 15:01 what the Lord suggested these were to be used for. 15:04 One of the first places we find in Geneis Chapter 1 15:08 and I'm gonna look at two particular places, 15:10 Genesis 1:11 and then Genesis 1:29, 30. 15:17 Genesis 1:11, 12 and Genesis 1:29, 30. 15:23 Here's Genesis 1:11. "Then God said, 15:27 'Let the earth bring forth grass, 15:30 the herb that yields seed, 15:34 and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, 15:37 whose seed is in itself, on the earth,' and it was so. 15:40 And the earth brought forth grass, 15:42 the herb that yields seed according to its kind, 15:46 and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself 15:50 according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." 15:53 But then question was, what did God design 15:57 these herbs to be used for? Let's look at here. 16:01 Verse 29 "And God said, 16:03 See, I have given you every herb that yields seed 16:08 which is on the face of all the earth, 16:10 and every tree whose fruit yields seed, 16:13 to you it shall be for food." 16:17 When you look at the original diet 16:18 and lot of times and this is also illustrates. 16:21 Let me read verse 30 and just expand even further. 16:24 "Also, to every beast of the earth, 16:26 to every bird of the air, and to everything 16:28 that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, 16:31 I have given every green herb for food and it was so." 16:37 So you have the fruit, 16:39 you have the grains you have the nuts. 16:43 These categorizations were in Genesis 1:29, 30. 16:47 These categorizations were for food. 16:50 But now when you look at this 16:51 and let me use it great example. 16:55 I'm partly away from marijuana and cocaine 16:57 for a brief moment. 16:58 Because I know growing up in the generation 17:00 that I grew up in the 80s generation, 17:02 80s early 90s generation like be the little younger than 17:06 I am really actually. 17:08 But I remember the early generations 17:11 when marijuana was something that 17:13 you get thrown in jail instantly for. 17:15 Now marijuana is seen as medicinal 17:17 in some of its respects and truly it does have 17:19 some medicinal qualities. 17:21 But for the most part the use of marijuana 17:24 never came into existence for medicinal purposes 17:27 but for the purpose of another way of gaining 17:31 a high the way that was use back in, 17:33 back in the day. 17:34 I don't know-- had you ever used marijuana? 17:36 I think you'd mentioned something like that growing up. 17:37 Yep, growing up. 17:38 The Lord delivered you from that. 17:40 Now I never used it but I was in a condition 17:43 once I down in the south I was invited to go down there. 17:47 There were some friends 17:49 and I was sitting in the car in South Carolina 17:51 and the windows were closed on the car. 17:54 And all of my friends were smoking marijuana 17:56 and they were trying to get me to smoke it. 17:58 And here I'm sitting in a smoke filled car, 18:02 smoke filled car and I'm saying I'm not, 18:08 I'm not going to, I refused. I'm not gonna take a puff. 18:13 I refused and I'm sitting in a cloud of marijuana. 18:17 And so as I, as I fast forward today, 18:21 I was being inundated by of second hand 18:24 smoke of the marijuana. 18:26 I was not necessarily smoking it directly as pulling it in. 18:29 But if you're in a cloud and you're breathing 18:32 which I was for that 20 minutes we were in that car 18:35 I was surely inhaling all of that. 18:38 When God spoke about the herbs that are being used 18:42 they're medicinal uses for these things 18:44 but not in the way that is being used today. 18:48 Cocaine they're certain drugs that have 18:53 some of these medicinal qualities in it 18:55 but it's not being used to injecting in a persons vein 18:59 or to snort out of a person's nose the way 19:01 that it's being used in our society today. 19:03 So as, as we look at the way it's used in society today 19:06 this is not the prescription that God has given to it 19:09 anymore than he is caused people to use hops or barley 19:16 for the purpose of making beer and intoxicating a person. 19:20 So what I'm saying here? 19:21 The very thing that God has created 19:23 for the purpose of strength and using medicinal purposes 19:26 is being distorted by humanity to be made, 19:29 to give a person a high and intoxication or to, 19:32 or to inebriate an individual there by 19:36 the misuse of the of the seeds that bear herbs of the, 19:40 of the plants that produce barley and hops that are, 19:44 that have a good quality. 19:46 If I had barley bread that's a good thing 19:48 but if I'm using barley to make beer 19:50 which is used very much today that's the inappropriate use 19:53 of what God is created for medicinal purposes 19:56 and for healthy reasons. 19:58 So, I don't see that God is putting is His stamp 20:01 or support on the use of marijuana or cocaine 20:05 the way that is being used in society today. 20:08 Because, in fact, not only, is it, not only is it, 20:11 breaking down the strength of the human body 20:13 but its used for the purpose of intoxication 20:16 and the regardless of how many individuals says that, 20:21 hey I use this for medicinal purposes. 20:23 So I don't know, do you have thoughts on that, John? 20:25 Well the other thing, the other thing that's done 20:27 as it's just broken down and boiled down 20:29 or whatever cooked down a very condensed form. 20:31 All right. 20:32 And we understand the Bible always says, 20:35 especially when you're used to-- use of good things 20:38 they should be in moderation. 20:40 I mean, you can't break something down 20:42 to its condensed form beyond even these drugs. 20:44 Anything that is innately healthy to make it 20:49 have a negative effect on the body. 20:52 And in many respects when you start smoking 20:53 and putting in things that are very condensed 20:56 it goes beyond medicinal to a high that affects the brain 20:59 and begins to destroy cells. 21:02 And that is in essence not taking care of the body. 21:05 And we call the treat of body 21:07 is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 21:09 And that altering of the mind doesn't allow us, 21:12 doesn't allow the spirit to take control of the mind and to use. 21:16 And for us to be able to, to commune with him 21:19 and to function in our life the way 21:21 that he would have us to. 21:23 Now Daniel the prophet used this the way the God intended. 21:25 When Daniel was in the province of Babylon 21:28 he asked for fruits, grains, and nuts. 21:30 He used the herb bearing plants. 21:33 He used that for food and it made him wiser and healthier 21:37 and his mind was clear. 21:38 But he did not use it in the context of today 21:40 or where it was used as marijuana or cocaine. 21:43 He did not use that to depreciate the quality 21:46 and the strength of the human body 21:47 the body that God said that we should not defile. 21:50 That's were modern society today has taken it off 21:53 into a different tangent all together rather than 21:56 barley bread they use to make beer 21:59 and rather than grape juice it's used to make, 22:03 it's used to ferment and cause that to be 22:06 a large industry of alcohol and list goes on and on. 22:11 You know, you lived in Upper Valley didn't you? 22:12 You lived in above an Upper Valley. 22:13 That's where I grew up. Yeah. 22:15 You lived right there in England right above in Upper Valley 22:17 and we lived in Fairfield closed not too far from Napa. 22:20 A complete wine industry there. 22:23 I will tell you one example that illustrates 22:25 the difference between the way the God intends 22:27 what to be used and the way the man has used it. 22:29 My wife and I had some family members we took, 22:33 they wanted to go to the Napa Valley 22:35 and look at the all the wineries. 22:36 I was the designated drivers because I don't drink alcohol. 22:39 We went to one of the wineries and, 22:42 you know, we drink Martinelli's 22:43 which is grape juice, sparkling cider. 22:46 No, 'zero alcohol' in it. 22:49 And one of the winery said, "Hey we have nonalcoholic wines. 22:55 We have nonalcoholic beverages. 22:57 So you could try something too. 23:00 We have peach and we have grape. 23:02 And we said, oh, nonalcoholic it must be like Martinelli. 23:08 It wasn't. It wasn't. 23:10 It was five percent alcohol. 23:12 No, point five percent. Point five percent. Yeah. 23:16 Was this anyway, anyway I want the way home. 23:18 Anything lesser than the percent they can take, 23:19 they can call nonalcoholic. 23:21 Anyway on the way home I'm driving home 23:25 and I'm just I'm thought and to feel like. 23:29 Okay, I you know and we bought a bottle 23:32 to take home with us because wow! 23:35 Peach nonalcoholic. 23:37 And I said honey, did you check that label? 23:40 And we checked it. And it does have alcohol in it. 23:43 And I thought I could tell right away. 23:45 It began alter the way my body felt. 23:49 Alter my and my body was just totally-- 23:52 we don't, you know we don't drink alcohol 23:54 and we don't smoke anything like that. 23:56 So the, so the introduction evident to my system. 23:58 The body is hypersensitive to it. 23:59 Immediately impact to the way my mortar skills operate. 24:02 I said let's go to-- what's that little restaurant 24:06 down there they have burgers and all? 24:09 They sell root beer. Any way. You mean in Fairfield? 24:12 No down in the Napa Valley area. 24:14 Anyway we stopped over there until 24:17 the flex--kind of wore off. Yeah. 24:19 And so we could drive home safely. 24:21 Anything that alters the way the body functions 24:23 outside of the natural use that God intended 24:26 should not be introduced into the body. 24:27 And I think that's the safest way to determine 24:30 whether or not God intends for those things 24:32 that are created on the earth to be-- 24:35 Another way tobacco is another thing. 24:37 People will say, well what's the purpose of the tobacco? 24:38 Somebody will say we're obviously 24:40 God intended for us to smoke it. 24:42 God did not intend for us to smoke tobacco 24:45 which is the leading cause of cancer 24:47 in the at least in this nation. 24:49 The leading cause of lung cancer. 24:51 The smoking and the introduction 24:53 into our bodies of that poisonous herb. 24:55 So the body is the temple of the Lord no matter 24:58 how you look at that. 25:00 John, I have one question, it's a little quicker one. 25:02 Sure. But before I do on the first remember 25:05 I mentioned that there was something 25:06 that they had to destroy the bronze serpent. 25:07 I found the text. So I want to give that. 25:10 It's 2 Kings 18:4. 25:13 Speaking of, you know, the destroying by Hezekiah 25:19 destroying in impersonated temple 25:20 from these idol kinds of things. 25:22 And it says in verse 4 "He removed the high places 25:25 and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden images 25:28 and broke in pieces the bronze serpent 25:31 that Moses had made, for until those days 25:34 the children of Israel burned incense to it, 25:36 and called it Nehushtan." Wow. 25:39 So they took the bronze serpent 25:41 and they began to burn incense to it 25:43 and called it Nehushtan. 25:45 They began to although they wouldn't say it 25:48 was worship they would disagree-- 25:50 we're not worshipping but they were doing things 25:52 to venerate that serpent which definitely was against 25:56 the second commandment because, the king had it destroyed it. 25:58 That's right. 26:00 So anyway that will provide at least some of the source 26:02 where well, I was well, I was trying to go before it 26:04 but I couldn't come up with the text by the way. 26:06 Okay, the last, last question we have here is from Am, 26:10 and she says "Dear John and John, 26:12 my husband and I don't see anything wrong 26:13 with eating good chicken or fish. 26:16 Even Jesus hate fish and lab. 26:18 Is it necessary to only eat vegan style to church 26:22 or only to eat vegan style 26:24 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 26:26 The word of God makes it pretty clear 26:28 that these foods are okay. 26:30 Please comment on this thank you." 26:33 And from Long Island. Long Island. 26:37 Yeah, just a brief comment on this. 26:40 Eating meat from clean animals is not a sin. 26:43 That's right. 26:44 But the Bible doesn't-- in no where calls that sinful. 26:48 The Bible does counsel us to eat a healthful diet. 26:53 And what you found through our histories 26:55 especially going back to Israel's times 26:58 that diet was not heavily based on meat. 27:01 Their animals were their livelihood. 27:03 It was their income. It was their source of wealth. 27:06 And they didn't just eat animals all the time. 27:08 They ate fruits, nuts and grains and other things 27:11 that came from the earth. 27:13 And so what we are saying is with the society 27:15 there is gone so far into meat eating 27:18 and dependence upon meat 27:19 we need to bring it back to balance to God's plan 27:22 from His word which is primarily a plant based diet. 27:26 Fruits, nuts, grains, herbs vegetables things like that. 27:30 That is healthy. 27:32 But it doesn't mean that we go to extremes to say 27:36 that its sin beyond those things 27:38 to eat meat from clean animals. 27:40 And so that is something that isn't found in God's word 27:43 which I think sometimes people go to extremes 27:46 and imply that in fact, it is. 27:49 And they do it disservice I think to the health message 27:52 and the truth behind that health message 27:54 which is brining us back from heavy meat based 27:58 into a diet that is, that is balanced 28:03 and for the most part is centered on fruits, 28:06 nuts, grains plant based to provide the health 28:09 and nourishment for the body. 28:11 And the common sense thing is, 28:13 you know, why eat primarily foods from animals 28:17 that are eating the stuff to get the nutrition. 28:20 Why not go to the stuff the actual fruits, nuts, grains 28:23 and plant based stuff to get the nutrition ourselves 28:26 it makes sense to do that. 28:28 And so primarily we do. 28:30 Interesting in regard to Seventh-day Adventist Church 28:33 and I'm gonna make this statement 28:34 because in some respects 28:36 I think some go to extremes in this area 28:38 and do like I said a disservice to our health message. 28:41 I already made a comment to somebody 28:43 that wrote in a letter and she was writing about 28:45 Seventh-day Adventist and vegetarianism 28:47 and she says this. And I'm quoting actually. 28:49 She says, "All adventurous are vegetarian." 28:54 But then she said these words. 28:57 "Some abstain from eating flesh," 29:00 from eating meat of any kind 29:03 "others eat it only on rare occasions." 29:06 So she qualified even Adventist 29:08 that once in a while ate meat as vegetarians. 29:12 So we need to be careful as we approach this subject. 29:16 There is to be a balance creating an environment 29:20 around diet that creates division in the church 29:22 and hard feelings and other things only divides the church. 29:26 We need to give latitude for some that may include 29:29 clean animals and meat in their diet 29:33 and leave God as the arbiter the one to dictate 29:37 conscience to those. 29:39 And they're of course those that are feeling like 29:41 vegan is strict-- vegan is the way to go 29:43 I respect that and in fact that mostly practice that. 29:48 But we need to leave it up to God with them 29:50 and even for their own conscience 29:51 and it's something that we need to love 29:53 and respect each other about. 29:54 You know, being predominantly vegetarian 29:58 and I'll say that because nowadays 29:59 we have this vegan and vegetarian, 30:01 two categorizations. 30:03 We're more vegan now than vegetarian 30:05 because my wife has learned 30:07 we have omitted many things from our diet. 30:10 Like, cheese and we don't drink milk. 30:12 We use butter still. 30:14 We rather, use butter than margarine, 30:15 you know for the obvious reasons. 30:17 We rather use real sweeteners rather than fake sweeteners. 30:22 But what one of the things here and this is the things-- 30:25 years ago this came to my attention 30:28 and really opened my eyes to a reality about diet. 30:32 You see and when you look at the sanctuary 30:33 the sanctuary is a beautiful. 30:35 The beautiful object lesson 30:39 of which direction our lives are moving. 30:42 You have the most holy place at one end 30:44 then you'll go away from the most holy place- 30:46 if the Holy place then you have the courtyard, 30:49 then you have the altar of burnt offerings. 30:53 If you were to, if you were to encapsulate 30:56 the whole sanctuary services. 30:58 Let's go to the outer court 31:00 you have all five food groups represented there. 31:05 You have the altar burn offerings 31:06 which includes the meats. 31:07 You have fruits, grains, vegetable, nuts and meat. 31:11 But when you leave the outer court 31:13 and go to the holy place. 31:14 You'll only have fruits, grains, vegetables and nuts. 31:18 But when you leave the holy place 31:19 and go into the most holy place. 31:20 There are no more vegetables. 31:22 You just have fruits, grains and nuts. 31:24 And I thought to myself. 31:25 Wow, how amazingly interesting that is. 31:29 It is said, and it's said to me that one of the reasons 31:30 why being mindful of what is in my diet 31:35 is it tells me which way I'm going. 31:36 I'm going more toward the most holy diet 31:39 which in fact, is the optimum diet. 31:41 If you thought of yourself as a car 31:45 they will put in that manual one of the reasons 31:47 why we chose not to buy a high end vehicles 31:50 because they required, you know-- High octane. 31:52 High octane but if a person bought a Mercedes 31:55 or person bought an Infinity they required that, 31:58 that's what they would put. 31:59 They would not put low grade. 32:02 And there's some cars that require mid grade. 32:04 I think you were talking about that. 32:05 Cars are required mid grade you put that. 32:07 It's amazing how we are more interested 32:10 in the smooth running of our vehicles. 32:14 And a question was asked in news about over two months ago 32:17 on the commercial and my wife said 32:18 "see John you've just talked about that." 32:20 They said, "Okay you're car or your health 32:23 which one is better?" 32:25 And most of the people said 32:26 "my car runs better than my body does." 32:29 So here it is. 32:30 If God has given us the optimum health 32:32 and it's amazing that a couple of things came up 32:34 in our program today about health. 32:36 You know, herbs, marijuana, cocaine, 32:39 vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts, meat, shell fish. 32:43 All these things came into our plethora of questions today. 32:47 If you really want to be optimum in health 32:49 I'm optimum in health I believe 32:53 don't take any medication neither John. 32:56 He looks great for 70, he doesn't he? 32:59 Actually he is not 70. I just said that. 33:02 I'm only 65. No, he is not 65 either. 33:06 But the point is God wants us all to be healthy. 33:10 And He wants our minds to be clear. 33:12 He wants our bodies to be fit. 33:13 And if we're going to busy with the gospel, 33:16 carrying the gospel how can you not look the part of a gospel. 33:21 You got to look the part of the gospel 33:23 if the gospel is going to be received 33:25 from others when you proclaim it. 33:27 You have to be an advertisement 33:30 of what you're proclaiming. That's right. 33:31 And I think the healthiest 33:33 the healthiest lifestyle you choose will give Glory to God. 33:36 1 Corinthians 10:31 is I think is beautiful. 33:39 And it encapsulates all these things 33:40 about what goes in the body. 33:42 Whether you eat, whether you aware for eat 33:45 or drink or whatever do, do all to the glory of God 33:49 and that's the principle that we like to wind 33:50 in this part of the program upon. 33:53 Thank you for your questions and your comments. 33:54 We spent a little extra time today 33:56 because it was necessary to do so. 33:59 But if you have anymore questions or comments 34:00 you like to send to us, you can send those 34:02 to this following email to housecalls@3abn.org. 34:06 That's housecalls@3abn.org. 34:10 And if you don't have a computer, send us a letter. 34:13 You can send those to P.O. Box 220, 34:17 West Frankfort Illinois 62896. 34:22 That's where those letters will be sent. 34:25 And we appreciate it very much what you do for the program. 34:28 John, take us back into our topic 34:29 as we close that on something that was really important. 34:33 Go ahead and introduce it to us. 34:34 Oh, we were talking about 34:35 the different components of revival, 34:37 true revival in a church. 34:40 We have been praying as a church 34:42 for revival and reformation. 34:44 And if our church wants to experience that 34:46 there are certain things that revival and reformation 34:49 what it looks like 34:50 when the Holy Spirit comes upon His people. 34:52 And I think to talk about some of these things 34:55 that we're going on during shortly after Pentecost 34:58 and comparing them with 34:59 what will happen with the church in the last days 35:02 during the outpouring of the latter rain 35:03 I think it provides us some keys to what it look for us 35:06 to whether or not revivals happening in our church 35:08 and our own lives. Okay. 35:09 And so we've gone through already 35:11 I think about five points that we've covered 35:15 and just a quick review of those five points. 35:18 And number one, revival began in the church. 35:21 When God is about to bestow 35:23 spiritual blessing upon the people. 35:25 It says method first to awake, 35:27 awaken the people out of their spiritual slumber 35:29 to recognize their need. That's right. 35:31 Number two, there is no emphasis on dreams, 35:33 visions, emotions, hearing voices, 35:35 signs, nothing like that. 35:38 It was, it was as much about the intellect 35:40 and the connection with God. 35:42 The way we read his word and study as it is 35:47 that's what the emphasis lies not just on the emotions. 35:50 Number three, it began with an emphasis 35:52 on the grace of God 35:53 as bestowed by the work of the Holy Spirit 35:55 and dependence upon that grace. 35:57 Number four, it was the work of God. 36:00 Now there was a marked change in the lives of the people 36:03 both their pursuits and their appearance. That's right. 36:06 And then number five, prayer became precious to them. 36:09 To every revival prayer is a key component 36:12 and the people desire to come before the Lord. 36:15 Not just individually but corporate prayer is essential 36:18 to move upon the heart of God and allow him. 36:21 You know, moving upon Him 36:22 to pour out His spirit on His people. 36:25 So we have another seven and the 12 to cover here. 36:28 And hopefully we can get that done in the next 20 minutes. 36:30 Okay, I think we can do that. 36:32 So the next one then which is number six, 36:36 is obedience to God's commandments was important 36:39 or became very important 36:41 to those that were seeking revival. 36:43 And in the last days there will be new discoveries 36:46 not only in these commandments 36:47 but in the true meaning of the Sabbath I believe. 36:51 And what it means to our relationship with the Lord 36:53 it will be honored as a people as they begin to rest in Jesus 36:58 and His finished work 37:00 as well as those work of recreation. Okay. 37:03 Now one of the interesting things you'll find 37:05 and one of the texts I brought up here 37:07 for this one is Deuteronomy Chapter 5. 37:11 And if you, if you read this passage 37:15 which again as I repeating-- actually Deuteronomy 6 37:18 is a repeating of the-- no, I'm sorry, 37:20 it's chapter 5, repeating of the Ten Commandments. 37:23 Look at the fourth commandment 37:25 and it reads a little different that it does in Exodus. 37:28 And notice what the emphasis is on 37:30 for the fourth commandment 37:31 and we'll start with Deuteronomy 5:15. 37:35 "And remember" well, let's see 37:37 first of all it says "Observe the Sabbath day." 37:39 Which is verse 12, "to keep it Holy, 37:41 as the Lord your God commanded you." 37:44 And then reads very similarly 37:45 to the passage in the book of Exodus. 37:48 But look at verse 15, "And remember 37:52 that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, 37:55 and the Lord your God brought you out from there 37:58 by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm, 38:01 therefore the Lord your God 38:03 commanded you to keep the Sabbath day." 38:06 Jesus is connecting here the Sabbath 38:12 with deliverance and recreation. 38:17 In other words his work of redemption. 38:20 So the Sabbath isn't just about creation 38:23 originally it's a more a memorial creation 38:25 we know that it is. Right. 38:26 But it's not alone about that, it is also about our trust 38:30 and confidence in the God our re-creator. 38:34 Recreating us into His image. 38:36 So as we look for revival and reformation 38:40 becoming a new creation in Christ 38:42 the Sabbath becomes meaningful in that capacity 38:45 in the fact that on this day 38:47 He can commune with us regenerate our hearts 38:50 and make us more like Him. Okay I got it. 38:54 So in that way there is a new insight. 38:57 And this is just for some recent studies 38:59 that I have been doing always wondering 39:00 why this edition was in Deuteronomy 39:03 to the fourth commandment. 39:04 I believe He is connecting this with this work of regeneration. 39:08 Recreation, of His image in the lives of His people. 39:13 You can't disconnect that from that 39:14 because when you are regenerated, 39:17 when the commandments of God are 39:19 taking center stage in your life 39:21 you can't say that commandments of God 39:23 are taking center stage in my life 39:25 but the Sabbath is omitted from that. 39:27 I like the way that David, the Psalmist, 39:30 Psalm 40:8 I like the way that David wrote it here. 39:33 It says, "I delight to do Your will, O my God, 39:37 And Your law is within my heart." 39:40 Your law is within my heart. 39:42 When we have a delight to do God's will 39:44 His law finds a place in our practice. 39:47 And we don't, we don't edit the law of God to say, 39:52 "I delight to do a will, your law is within my heart 39:55 but these are the ones that I put there, 39:57 these are the ones that I omitted." 39:59 You'll find in the continual revival of the people of God, 40:03 Old Testament and New Testament 40:05 the law of God was at the center. 40:07 David, I mean not the David the Paul the apostle 40:09 if you go to Romans 7:7. 40:11 Romans, Paul brings this out very carefully. 40:15 He says in Romans Chapter 7 here it is. 40:18 He talks about how beautiful 40:21 the commandments of God really are. 40:23 He says again Romans 7. 40:27 It sounds just like David-- in Roman in Psalms 40:8. 40:31 David said "I delight to deal will 40:33 your law is within my heart." 40:35 Paul says in Romans 7:22. 40:37 "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." 40:42 See so the delight is there. 40:43 Delight, delight, it's a delightful thing to me. 40:46 It amazes me when Christian say, 40:48 "hey we just had a revival and reformation." 40:50 I remember in my younger days I use to-- 40:55 there was church across the street 40:56 of my house in New York City 40:58 and whenever they gathered in that church 41:00 I'd become a missionary. 41:02 I know some people might just not like this idea 41:06 but I would make that my particular day. 41:09 And I go put fliers on all the cars right under there, 41:13 under there windshield wipers. 41:15 And one day I was really encouraged 41:18 because I saw the title of the sermon 41:20 that was preached that day was the Ten Commandments. 41:23 So I didn't have to wrestle over 41:26 which flier to put on the window. 41:28 So I put on there, you know, 41:30 one that included the Sabbath in that. 41:33 And one as I sat on my steps 41:36 we call it stoops in New York City. 41:37 I sat out side of the house and waited to see 41:41 and what the reaction was going to be. 41:43 And all of these came outside, 41:44 they were all taken off these fliers 41:46 and looking at them and kind of one, 41:48 did you get one that I got. 41:49 Yeah, I got one. 41:50 And it was amazing to me 41:51 how they all just looked at this in the very real way. 41:55 And then I had a chance about a week later 41:58 to meet the pastor because he found out about it. 42:01 And I sat in his office and I was surprised, 42:04 he said well, tell me what's behind you 42:07 putting these fliers on the cars? 42:08 I said, well, I think that Christians-- 42:10 I noticed you sermon was about the Ten Commandments 42:13 so therefore I thought was perfect. 42:14 He is preaching about the Ten Commandments. 42:16 Surely, he will be very supportive 42:18 of the Sabbath command and but he wasn't. 42:21 And I thought you have a revival series going on, 42:25 one of those sermons is about the Ten Commandments 42:27 but you don't favor the Sabbath go figure. 42:30 And I thought this doesn't match. 42:33 David and Paul wouldn't fit into his arena 42:35 because they said they delight according to the law of God. 42:40 But not everybody delights. 42:41 So the point that John made here 42:43 obedience to God's commandments 42:44 will take center stage 42:46 if that is a part of revival and reformation. 42:48 You cannot exclude that and say you're being revived. 42:52 Yeah. It's not possible. 42:53 Yeah, yeah. You can't do it. 42:56 All right number seven. 42:59 Number seven, people studied 43:02 and cherished the Bible with a new found love. 43:06 Every opportunity for religious instruction was prized 43:09 and fellowship with the people of God 43:11 involved serious conversation. 43:13 They came together for serious Bible study. 43:16 In fact, I think the commentary in regard 43:20 to the Berean's is very kind of the key here. 43:23 Where it says that they were more noble 43:26 in that they studied the word of God how often? 43:29 Everyday. 43:30 Everyday to see if the things they were hearing were true. 43:33 That's what in Acts 17:11. 43:35 And so that's a key part of revival 43:38 and that there is a renewed desire 43:40 and hunger for the word of God 43:42 coming together and in seriousness, 43:44 studying it and applying to their lives. 43:47 And they did this daily, you know, Acts 2:46, 43:50 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 43:54 and breaking bread from house to house, 43:56 they ate their food with gladness 43:59 and simplicity of heart." 44:01 Whenever revival takes place the word of God 44:04 has to be a part of that revival. 44:06 You cannot sustain a revival on music. 44:08 I love music. I'm musician. 44:10 I love to sing. I like to do concerts. 44:12 But you cannot sustain the revival on music. 44:15 It won't last. It won't last. 44:18 Because it maintains a particular curve 44:20 but you'll notice what the world does. 44:23 The world has a revival, 44:25 the world gets revival meetings. Yeah. 44:28 But it is all musical based. 44:30 Concerts you know music on the radio, 44:33 music on television, music videos, 44:35 you just-- we're inundated by music. 44:39 But Paul did not give the injection to sing the word, 44:42 Paul was, was given as the injection to preach the word. 44:47 So the word has to be a center part 44:49 of our serious conversion and step in revival. 44:55 If the word is excluded, 44:57 it cannot truly represent the revival of the word. 45:00 It has to include the word of God. 45:02 Isn't that right John? Absolutely. 45:04 Okay. Absolutely. 45:05 What else you have there? All right the next-- 45:06 Anything else on this one? No nothing on this one. 45:09 I think it's pretty much self explanatory almost. All right. 45:13 The next one is there is unity in the church. 45:15 Differences of opinion are laid aside 45:17 for the sake of the mission of God's church. Okay. 45:21 Here's that passage from Philippians 2:1-3. 45:26 "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, 45:29 if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, 45:34 if any affection and mercy, 45:36 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, 45:40 having the same love, 45:41 being of one accord and one mind. 45:45 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, 45:47 but in lowliness of mind let each 45:49 esteem others better than themselves." 45:53 So this is coming to together and being like minded. 45:55 Now that it doesn't mean to be same minded 45:57 in every single thought or opinion. Duplicate. 46:01 But it meant on the key issues that we are one. 46:05 And there are issues where we have 46:06 some differences of opinion. 46:08 That will lead us aside for the unity of the church 46:10 and the mission of spreading the gospel 46:13 of the kingdom of God. 46:15 When the lord blessed the church Ephesians 4. 46:18 This was a key element. 46:20 The unity, I'm always, 46:23 I'm always offset by the statement 46:26 when people say I don't like organized religion. Yeah. 46:31 Then I thought okay then 46:32 what's the opposite of organized religion? 46:36 Disorganized religion. 46:39 You don't get reports saying 46:41 this month's disorganization report. 46:43 No this month's organization report. 46:46 You know, we wanted organized government right now. 46:49 We're upset that there are government 46:50 appears to be disorganized. 46:52 Everything that is organized has an element of strength to it. 46:56 There is no such thing as being disunity and strength. 47:01 Just a match. That's right. 47:02 So when the Lord talks about the unity 47:05 of the strength of the New Testament church 47:06 Paul emphasizes clearly Ephesians 4. 47:09 Look at what all the components that God gave 47:12 and when John talks about-- 47:13 we're talking about revival here. 47:15 What I see in this passage I'm going to read 47:17 is everybody that has a call on his or her life 47:22 must be involved in the unity of the movement of the church. 47:26 Everybody called to hold the position 47:29 to occupy a position. 47:31 He must occupy that position 47:33 with one particular primary goal in mind 47:35 maintaining unity. 47:37 Because if each person pushes his or her agenda 47:40 then the unity is lost 47:41 and the primary goal of the church falls apart. 47:44 That's right. But look at verse 11. 47:46 Do you have it, John? Yes. 47:48 Okay, start with verse 11 for us. 47:50 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, 47:52 some prophets, some evangelists, 47:54 and some pastors and teachers," 47:55 Okay now just before we go pass that. 47:57 Look at all the people that are involved in revival. 47:59 This is the apostles today we'll call those people 48:03 that go door to door carrying the message 48:05 or specifically that they're canvassing the neighborhood. 48:08 They have got the message to get to the community. 48:10 The other one, prophet's, evangelists, pastors, teachers. 48:14 And what are they doing? 48:15 "For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, 48:18 for the edifying of the body of Christ, 48:20 till we all come to the unity of the faith 48:23 and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 48:25 to a perfect man, 48:26 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 48:29 Right, and then what does it prevent? 48:31 This is something that you talked about. 48:33 What does, what is the proper function 48:35 of all these offices and the church prevent 48:39 from happening in the church? Verse 14. 48:43 "That we should no longer be children, 48:44 tossed to and fro and carried about 48:46 with every wind of doctrine, but the trickery of men, 48:49 in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 48:52 but, speaking the truth in love, 48:54 may grow up in all things into Him 48:56 who is the head Christ". That's right. 48:58 So what it also does when it comes to revival, 49:00 what you want to do. 49:01 The reason why it's so important to be unified 49:03 is because you prevent fraction. 49:06 You prevent fracturing that we should no longer be children. 49:11 People start to grow up. 49:12 We say to some individuals 49:15 how long have you been in Christian 49:16 and you're behaving so childish. 49:21 What's that word, childish? 49:23 You're behaving childish. 49:24 You're holding on to attitudes. 49:26 And well, you know I want to have my way. 49:28 We lay aside childish things. 49:31 We should no longer be children. 49:33 If we're no longer children we're not tossed back and forth 49:36 and carried about with every wind of doctrine. 49:38 We've got a stable foundation 49:40 and for there to be unity 49:41 there will be a stable foundation 49:43 and then man can't deceive us. 49:45 But the truth goes forth in love 49:46 and we grow up and finally one day we attain 49:50 to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ. 49:53 That is we aim and our goal is to be more or like Jesus. 49:58 And revival does that. 49:59 Brings about the unity, lays aside the differences 50:02 that all of us are--harping on and brings about a formula 50:07 where we don't fall apart, we're no longer children, 50:10 we're unified in our teachings and we're all growing. 50:13 John, there're messages today 50:14 and people today who are championing a message 50:17 that is slightly different 50:19 than what's some of us may have heard before. 50:22 And it's dividing a church. 50:25 And they call it for instance, 50:27 they will call it the shaking. 50:31 And if you don't accept their message 50:32 their brand of truth you're being shaken out. Yeah. 50:36 And it's a message of disunity. They don't see it that way. 50:39 But what is happening is disunifying the church. 50:42 And it's not a message from the Lord. 50:44 True revival always centers around bringing people together. 50:48 You know, it may include some being revived 50:50 and others not being revived but they doesn't--it's not a, 50:54 it's not a separation or division 50:56 of the message itself. Right. 50:58 Okay. So anyway keep going. 51:02 All right, I like this next one. 51:03 Go ahead read the next one. 51:05 Okay there was a focus on the need for regeneration 51:08 that's being born again. 51:10 Along with it, there was additional emphasis 51:15 on the need for a life changing 51:18 or life changes specifically reformation. 51:21 Wow, Ezekiel 37 was the one that I want to. Okay. 51:25 Ezekiel 37 and one of my favorite's stories. 51:29 I did a sermon number of years ago entitled 51:32 "I have got a bone to pick with you." 51:34 And it fits right into the story here 51:36 because the valley of dry bones. 51:38 You see this needs the light the emphasis 51:40 for a life changing and reformation 51:42 and regeneration and being born again. 51:44 All of the components are found in this story of Ezekiel 37. 51:50 Start John, are you turning there. I'm there. 51:52 Start by reading verse 1 to 3 51:54 and I'm going to go ahead and turn it there. 51:55 "The hand of the Lord came upon me 51:57 and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, 51:59 and set me down in the midst of the valley, 52:01 and it was full of bones. 52:03 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, 52:06 and behold, there was very many in the open valley, 52:09 and indeed they were very dry. 52:13 And He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' 52:17 So I answered 'Oh, Lord God you know.'" 52:21 Sometimes pastors-- look at the congregation 52:23 Lord says can they revive. 52:25 And we say, oh, Lord only you know. 52:28 That was the wisest evangelistic response ever. 52:31 He did not say I know they could live. 52:33 He said Lord, you know because only God knows 52:35 the internal condition of the hearts. 52:37 But look what God promised to do. 52:38 Look what the covenant that God made with Ezekiel here 52:42 as he called as he responded over God called to him to do. 52:45 He said "Again He said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, 52:50 and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!" 52:54 In other words, no matter how dry the congregation may appear 52:58 we got to keep preaching the gospel 52:59 isn't' that right, John. That's right. 53:00 And you're involved in personal ministries 53:02 and evangelism in my your conference, 53:03 isn't that correct. Yeah. 53:04 So you go and you'll say to the pastors 53:06 I know it may appears though its hopeless 53:09 I know what you're saying about how 53:11 evangelistic series don't happen very well. 53:13 But just keep on preaching the word. 53:15 Isn't that right? That's right. 53:17 But look at the next verses. Read that for us. 53:18 Look at that what God promises to do. 53:20 Start with verse 5. 53:21 "Thus says the Lord God to these bones, 53:24 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, 53:27 and you shall live. 53:29 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, 53:33 cover you with skin and put breath in you; 53:36 and you shall live. 53:37 Then you shall know that I am the Lord.'" 53:40 Okay I will. I will. 53:41 God makes a covenant there again. 53:43 When we involve ourselves in preaching the word. 53:46 God says "Okay I may do my part. 53:48 You preach to these dry bones 53:49 and here is what I'm going to do. 53:50 I will allow breath to come into them. 53:53 I will give them new skin 53:55 and when you break down the sinew." 53:57 Sinew is muscle it restores the strength of the church. 54:00 Revival strengthens the church. 54:03 The other thing I'll cover you with skin. 54:06 A new righteousness. 54:07 Skin the covering is always an indication 54:09 of the righteousness of Christ. 54:11 The other one is, breathe. 54:13 Well, the breath is always indicative of the Holy Spirit. 54:15 Breathing into us. 54:16 He breathes down on them and said 54:18 receive you the Holy Spirit 54:19 that's what Jesus did to His disciples. 54:21 The Holy Spirit now is infused in our lives. 54:23 And then what happens in only then shall you live. 54:27 Notice the context the components there. 54:30 What should we put on that? The Lord did it. 54:33 The Lord initiated this revival and they responded 54:37 and these thing took place in their lives. 54:40 Life changes that took place were generated 54:43 were initiated by God and came from the Lord. 54:45 We cannot just conjure up 54:49 a renewed love for God and for His work. 54:52 He has to put that in us. 54:53 That's why verse 12 and then verse 14, 54:56 notice what it says. 54:58 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 54:59 'Thus says the Lord God, Behold, O My people, 55:02 I will open your graves 55:03 and cause you to come up from your graves, 55:06 and bring you into the land of Israel. 55:08 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, 55:11 when I have opened your graves, O My people, 55:14 and brought you up from your graves.'" 55:16 And then the final promise. 55:17 "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, 55:21 and I will place you in your own land. 55:24 Then you shall know that I, the Lord, 55:27 have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord.'" 55:30 Look at that God promises to do. Yeah. 55:32 This is a powerful story of revival and reformation. 55:35 The focus on regeneration being born again, 55:37 change lives and, and reformation. 55:41 That's what I said. 55:42 Regeneration reformation born again and change lives. 55:45 Amen. All included there. 55:47 We have a minute to do three. 55:50 Go for it. Here we go. 55:51 Revival also preceded, provided a death wound to sin. 55:56 The desire to please self when amusement disappeared 55:59 the youth especially 56:00 were transformed by the love of Jesus. 56:04 Number 11, the fruit of the spirit 56:06 was seen in the lives of the believers, 56:08 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, 56:10 faithfulness, gentleness and self control. 56:13 And then number 12, the most important evidence 56:15 of true revival was a new felt love for lost people. 56:19 And a desire to share the gospel with others 56:21 both personally and corporately. 56:23 Now I want to end on that one. 56:25 Because, here is, I think this is the litmus test 56:28 for whether or not revival has truly occurred. 56:31 And that is our desire and our new found love for last people. 56:36 If we don't have our love, that moves us to reach out 56:39 and to save other people who are lost. 56:42 Then there is no revival that is taking place of the heart. 56:46 I love Romans 5:5. 56:48 The Holy Spirit was poured into our heart 56:50 and it says He brought love. 56:52 He brings love is poured into our heart 56:53 through the Holy Spirit. 56:55 So if you don't have love for lost people 56:57 you need to pray for the Holy Spirit 56:58 to revive your soul 57:00 and then be confident that when that love comes 57:03 you must respond to that love get out there 57:04 and work for their salvation. Wow. 57:07 Sin shall not have dominion over us 57:10 and be as a reviving in every particular even-- 57:13 well we go to get away from our own self love 57:16 and begin to love those that may have strayed away, 57:19 that may have walked away, that may have turned away, 57:20 that may be discouraged. 57:22 When revival happens it doesn't happen 57:24 just for the sake of the local body 57:26 but for all of those connected to their family. 57:28 May the Lord revive you and bring you 57:30 to that relationship with Him and may that happen today. 57:33 God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17