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Series Code: AFNB
Program Code: AFNB002227S
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00:02 male announcer: This presentation is
00:03 brought to you by the friends of the Amazing Facts ministry. 00:06 ♪♪♪ 00:08 Doug Batchelor: The Christians of the Ancient Mediterranean 00:11 world used catacombs, a network of subterranean chambers 00:14 and galleries for burial, but during times of persecution, 00:17 the catacombs became places of refuge because burial grounds 00:21 were guarded or sacrosanct by Roman law. 00:25 When churches above ground were destroyed by imperial order, 00:28 worshipers met in catacomb chapels. 00:31 By A.D. 200, Christians had carved 00:34 some 600 miles of tombs in the volcanic rock 00:37 in and around Rome. 00:40 Eventually, the catacombs expanded into honeycombs 00:43 of galleries with staircases and multiple levels. 00:47 Romans preferred cremation, but Christians followed 00:49 the practice of interring the dead in catacombs, 00:52 which they called "coemeteria" or "sleeping places," 00:56 to suggest that, for a Christian, 00:58 death is merely a sleep before the Resurrection. 01:02 Did you know that Jesus plainly taught that death is a sleep? 01:07 In fact, all of Scripture confirms that it is 01:10 an unconscious sleep until the resurrection of Christ's return. 01:14 So why is there so much confusion, 01:16 even among Christians, over what happens when we die? 01:20 And how can you protect yourself against some of the potentially 01:23 dangerous delusions about death in the last days? 01:27 ♪♪♪ 01:31 Doug: Tonight's presentation is very important, and it's-- 01:34 our story, we always begin with, kind of, a storacle, 01:37 an allegorical, metaphorical Bible story that helps teach 01:40 these theology points. 01:43 It comes to us from 1 Samuel 28, 01:47 and just give you a little background here, 01:49 the first king of Israel was King Saul. 01:53 He was anointed by Samuel the prophet. 01:57 Got two books in the Bible, 1 and 2 Samuel. 02:00 And when Saul was first chosen, he was a good man, 02:03 had a good heart, had a humble attitude, 02:05 but after he was chosen to be king, 02:07 you've heard that expression, "Power corrupts," 02:10 "Absolute power corrupts"? 02:12 Absolutely. 02:13 And after he met with some success and he gained some 02:16 wealth and reputation, over the years, he became proud, 02:19 and finally he sort of cast off God and began to grieve away 02:24 the Holy Spirit, started brooding. 02:27 Bible says an evil spirit began to torment him, 02:30 and he gets so mad that he'd throw a spear at David, 02:34 who's a musician, or even his own son, Jonathan. 02:37 He killed a number of the priests of God in a fit of 02:41 jealousy and fear, and finally, near the end of his life, 02:47 he was facing a very big battle against the Philistines. 02:50 At this point, Samuel the prophet, 02:53 who had always guided him earlier in his life 02:55 had died off, and so he was looking for some counsel, 03:00 and the Bible said God did not speak to him 03:02 through the priests nor through a prophet, and in desperation, 03:07 looking for some guidance, going against this massive 03:09 Philistine army, he said, "Well, find me a witch." 03:15 He says, "Find me a woman who is a medium, 03:18 that I might go to her and inquire of her." 03:21 Now, that was absolutely forbidden in the Bible. 03:25 Well, his servants happened to know there was still somebody 03:28 in the area of En Dor, not too far away, 03:30 that had the reputation of being a medium 03:33 that can consult and conjure up dead spirits, and so he went. 03:40 He disguised himself because, if she knew he was the king, 03:43 she'd probably be afraid to give him any information, 03:46 and she went through her incantations and whatever 03:49 it was that she did through gunpowder 03:51 and the fire or something. 03:53 It went "poof," and then this apparition appeared that claimed 03:58 to be Samuel the prophet come back from the dead, and he gave 04:02 an absolutely discouraging message to Saul, saying, 04:07 "You're going to die, and you'll be with me tomorrow, 04:09 and Israel's going to die, and they're going to be 04:12 defeated in battle." 04:15 Saul just went to pieces. 04:17 He just lost all his courage, and, you know, 04:19 the Bible tells us that one of the most important things 04:22 in battle is to have courage. 04:23 You can read about that in the book of Joshua. 04:26 And the Bible tells us in Leviticus 19, verse 31, 04:29 and chapter 20, verse 27, they were never 04:33 to consult a witch or a medium. 04:36 In absolute disregard of that, that's what he did. 04:38 The next day in battle, the Philistines did overwhelm 04:41 the discouraged soldiers, and you've heard the expression 04:44 "Fall on your sword"? 04:46 That's what Saul did. 04:48 When he realized he had been wounded by the archers, 04:51 he didn't want to be captured and tortured by the Philistines. 04:54 He literally fell on his sword, and his armor bearer fell 04:57 on his sword, and Saul and his three sons died 05:01 that same day together. 05:04 Soon, David followed as king. 05:07 But the big question people want to know, 05:09 "Was the form that Saul saw actually Samuel the prophet?" 05:14 I'm going to read you a verse that is not in our study guide, 05:19 and this comes to us from 1 Chronicles chapter 10. 05:22 You not only find this story in 1 Samuel. 05:26 You find it in 1 Chronicles chapter 10. 05:28 They often cover some of the same history. 05:31 "So Saul died for his unfaithfulness 05:33 which he committed against the Lord, because he did not 05:36 keep the word of the Lord, and because he consulted 05:39 a medium for guidance. 05:41 But he did not inquire of the Lord, therefore, 05:45 the Lord killed him." 05:47 So when he inquired of Samuel the prophet, the Bible says, 05:49 "He did not inquire of the Lord." 05:51 That was not Samuel the prophet. 05:52 That was not the Lord's counsel or the Lord's message to him. 05:55 It says that this was an apparition, 05:57 a spirit that was conjured up by a witch. 06:01 You read in 1 Kings chapter 22, verse 22, "The Lord said to him, 06:06 'In what way?' 06:08 So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit 06:11 in the mouth of all of his prophets.'" 06:13 This is when Micaiah the prophet was talking to Ahab 06:16 and Jehoshaphat, and he said there are lying spirits. 06:20 Look also again what we just read in Revelation 16, verse 14, 06:24 "For they are the spirits of demons performing signs," 06:27 and you can read in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, 06:30 "For Satan himself is transformed 06:32 into an angel of light." 06:35 Satan can create illusions, and we need to understand 06:39 what does the Bible say happens when a person dies. 06:43 All right, question number two, 06:46 "Do dead people come back to converse with 06:48 or to haunt the living?" 06:50 Listen to what the Bible says. 06:52 We believe the Bible, amen? 06:53 So let's find out what the Bible says. 06:55 Ecclesiastes 9, verse 5, Solomon wrote, 06:58 "For the living know that they will die, but the dead--" 07:01 what's that say up there?-- 07:03 "know nothing, and they have no more reward," 07:07 meaning of in this life, "for the memory of them is forgotten. 07:10 Also, their love, their hatred--" 07:12 they're not loving or hating anybody. 07:14 You don't have to worry about ghosts haunting you 07:15 because they're mad at you-- "their envy has now perished. 07:19 Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun, 07:23 meaning in this life." 07:25 They don't come back to this life. 07:26 The Bible's clear it's appointed unto man once to die; 07:29 after that the judgment." 07:30 You don't keep coming back and haunting people 07:31 and meddling with what's going on down here. 07:34 You're asleep until the resurrection. 07:36 Psalm 115, verse 17, "The dead do not praise the Lord." 07:40 That's pretty clear. 07:41 First thing I'd do if I died and I went to heaven, 07:43 what would I do? 07:45 I'd say, "Praise the Lord, I'm here," right? 07:48 So the Bible says, "The dead do not praise the Lord." 07:50 Then you can read in Psalm 6, verse 5, 07:52 "In death there is no remembrance of Thee." 07:56 People who die, they're not thinking of the Lord. 07:59 Job 7, verse 10, it says, again, speaking of the dead, 08:02 "He will never return to his house." 08:04 He's not going anywhere to haunt anybody at that time. 08:09 And, again, another verse in Isaiah 38, when Hezekiah was 08:11 told by Isaiah the prophet, he said, "Put your house in order, 08:15 " "You're going to die," Hezekiah began to pray and cry, 08:17 and he said, "Death cannot praise You." 08:22 He says, "I'm going to praise You. 08:23 If I'm dead, I can't do that." 08:25 So the idea that, as soon as you die, you're leaping up 08:28 and down in the presence of the Lord, praising God, 08:30 you don't find that in the Bible. 08:33 Psalm 146, verse 6, "Put not your trust in princes, 08:37 neither in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 08:40 His breath goes forth. 08:42 In that very day, his thoughts perish. 08:44 His plans perish." 08:46 He's not thinking or planning anything--what it says. 08:49 "Where do the dead people go when they die?" 08:53 It says here in Job 21:32, "He is brought to the grave. 08:56 He remains in the tomb. 08:57 All who are in their graves--" when Jesus comes-- 09:00 this is John chapter 5, verse 28 and 29. 09:03 "All who are in their graves will hear His voice." 09:06 How can they hear His voice in the graves 09:07 if they're already in heaven? 09:09 Does that make sense? 09:11 These are the words of Jesus. 09:12 It's all through the New Testament. 09:14 "The Bible makes it plain that King David will be saved." 09:17 Everyone knows good King David killed Goliath. 09:20 Man after God's own heart. 09:23 He will be in heaven. 09:24 When he died, the Bible says, "He slept with his fathers." 09:28 "Is he in heaven now?" 09:31 Some people say, "Well, no one really went to heaven 09:32 till Jesus died on the cross, and then they went to heaven 09:34 when Jesus raised." 09:36 Well, you read in the book of Acts, 09:39 40 days after Jesus has gone to heaven, 09:43 you can read, Peter, where he says 09:44 in Acts chapter 2, verse 29, "Men and brethren--" 09:47 this was during his public sermon-- 09:49 "let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David, 09:51 that he is dead and buried, and his tomb is with us 09:56 to this day." 09:57 David's tomb is still, to this day, in Jerusalem. 09:59 And then he goes on. 10:01 He says, in verse 34, "For David did not ascend 10:03 into the heavens." 10:04 Now, I don't know how more clear it can be. 10:06 This is not complicated. 10:07 He says, good King David, someone saved, he is dead, 10:10 he is buried, he's not in heaven, and this is a long time 10:13 after the Resurrection. 10:15 And you can read in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, 10:18 verse 22, "For in Adam all die--" 10:21 because of the sin of Adam, we all struggle with death-- 10:24 "even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 10:26 But each one in its own order. 10:29 Here's the order: Christ the firstfruits, 10:31 afterward those who are Christ's at His coming." 10:36 When are they raised? 10:38 "At His coming." 10:39 The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, 10:41 the voice of the archangel, the trump of God. 10:43 The dead in Christ will rise." 10:45 They are resting in peace. 10:47 Even Martin Luther understood that. 10:48 The great reformer, he said, "God, Jesus will come, 10:51 and when He comes, He'll knock on the grave and say, 10:52 'Dr. Martin, wake up,'" because they're sleeping. 10:56 "But isn't it true that the soul is immortal 10:59 and that only the body dies?" 11:02 What's the Bible say? 11:03 "The soul who sins--" Ezekiel 18, verse 4-- 11:07 "will die." 11:09 Job 4:17, "Can mortal man be more righteous than God?" 11:14 We don't have immortality yet. 11:17 That's why God chased Adam and Eve out of the garden 11:19 that they might not eat from the tree of life, 11:21 and they were going to die. 11:23 Says, "In the day that you eat thereof, you will surely die." 11:25 Look at 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 15 and 16, 11:28 "The King of kings, the Lord of lords, 11:31 who alone has immortality." 11:35 If that's clear, say, "Amen." 11:37 So, when people say, "You've got an immortal soul" 11:41 and that you're destined to live through eternity, well, 11:45 Jesus said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, 11:49 He gave His only begotten 11:50 Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish, 11:54 but have everlasting life." 11:56 Immortality is conditional unbelief in Christ. 12:00 Isn't this what the Bible is telling us? 12:03 "When will the righteous receive immortality?" 12:07 "We will all be changed in a moment, 12:11 in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." 12:15 Goes on and says, "For the trumpet will sound, 12:18 and the dead will be raised incorruptible, 12:20 and this mortal must put on immortality. 12:23 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 12:27 with a shout," and I quoted this to you a moment ago, 12:29 1 Thessalonians 4:16. 12:31 "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, 12:34 with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. 12:37 And the dead in Christ will rise first." 12:41 So there's resurrection of the dead, 12:43 and this is our first resurrection. 12:45 It happens when the Lord comes back. 12:48 And so, "But Pastor Doug, we've just heard so many people 12:51 say that you die, and you immediately go to the Lord," 12:54 and they talk about so-and-so: "They're in heaven now." 12:57 And we know they mean well because they're thinking, 12:59 you know, based upon the time they'll experience, 13:01 but it hasn't happened yet, and the reason I keep pressing 13:04 it's important to understand that-- 13:06 you remember our opening story? 13:09 King Saul was deceived and discouraged by an evil spirit 13:13 posing as Samuel the prophet. 13:16 And remember what I just read there in Revelation? 13:19 These unclean spirits go out to the leaders of the world to 13:21 gather them together to battle, to deceive them with lying signs 13:26 and lying wonders, and the Bible talks about lying spirits, 13:29 and Satan can create illusions. 13:32 Just up the street here from where we're having this meeting, 13:36 there's a little establishment where you could pay them 13:38 a price, I suppose-- I've not been there-- 13:40 and they will give you a reading. 13:43 They'll try and contact your departed loved ones. 13:46 A lot of them are charlatans. 13:47 Some of them may be in cahoots with the enemy. 13:50 I don't know--not going to find out. 13:52 Or they'll read your tarot cards and Ouija boards. 13:56 And, you know, friends, I'm talking about something 13:58 I know a little bit about because I grew up as a pagan. 14:01 My mother used to write horoscopes. 14:04 She actually has an album. 14:06 You can even see it on the internet. 14:07 She wrote horoscope songs. 14:09 She wrote 12 songs, one for each of the horoscopes, and I said, 14:12 "Mom, you believe that stuff?" 14:14 She said, "No," but it pays. 14:18 But we had a lot of friends. 14:19 They were all into seances, and we were part of seances 14:22 and the Ouija boards, and I don't know if anyone's 14:27 old enough to remember. 14:28 They used to have a national television program. 14:30 It was actually a soap opera called "Dark Shadows." 14:34 Some of you guys, you remember that. 14:36 Two of the actors, the principal actors in that were friends 14:39 of ours, and they'd come to our house, and we'd go to theirs, 14:41 and those people were into some really weird, dark stuff. 14:46 It happens more than you think. 14:48 There are some people in high places who think that 14:50 they're consulting with the dead or getting some spiritual advice 14:53 like that, and what if-- if the devil can come down 14:59 and impersonate Christ, can his fallen demons look 15:02 like departed Bible characters? 15:05 ♪♪♪ 15:07 Doug: Don't go anywhere, friends. 15:08 We'll be back in just a moment with the rest 15:10 of today's presentation. 15:11 One of the most confusing subjects in our world today is 15:15 the big question "What happens when we die?" 15:19 Seems like everywhere you turn, someone out there has 15:21 a different opinion about the afterlife, whether heaven, 15:24 hell, purgatory, limbo, or eternal nonexistence. 15:28 Well, are you tired of all the contradictory 15:31 and confusing messages? 15:33 Wouldn't you like to know what the Bible really says 15:35 once and for all? 15:37 To help answer all of your questions, 15:39 Amazing Facts would like to send you a very special free gift. 15:43 It's called "The Afterlife Mystery." 15:46 This attractive, full-color magazine provides simple 15:49 but vital biblical facts to help you decode death, hell, 15:53 and eternal life, amid all of the confusing deceptions today. 15:57 In a captivating, contemporary way, 16:00 it presents powerful lessons about what happens 16:02 when we die and, more importantly, 16:05 how you can be ready for eternity. 16:07 To get your free copy, call the phone number on the screen 16:09 and ask for Offer Number 839, or visit the web address, 16:14 and after you read this incredible resource, 16:16 be sure and share it with a friend. 16:19 Let's return now to today's presentation 16:21 and learn some more amazing facts from the Word of God. 16:24 ♪♪♪ 16:26 Doug: I remember hearing this story, 16:27 and this an anecdotal story. 16:29 I can't prove it, but someone told me that they knew a lady 16:33 that was in San Francisco--this was during the Vietnam War-- 16:36 and that she was a Christian. 16:39 Her belief was always that you die, 16:41 and you sleep until the resurrection, 16:43 and she got one of those terrible notices from the army, 16:47 and it said, "We regret to inform you 16:50 that your son is missing in action and presumed dead." 16:53 And, of course, she was devastated, and she was alone. 16:57 She had no husband, and she was grieving in her apartment 16:59 building there in San Francisco for weeks, and one day, 17:03 she woke up at night, and there was her son standing at the foot 17:09 of her bed, and she was terrified. 17:12 He says, "Mother, don't worry. 17:13 I'm fine." 17:14 And she was wondering because he made no profession 17:16 of being a Christian. 17:17 He was living a pretty wild life the last she heard from him. 17:20 And he said, "Oh, everyone goes to heaven. 17:23 Don't worry. 17:24 God just puts these things about the lake of fire in the Bible 17:26 to scare people into being good," and giving all these 17:30 very strange interpretations, but it made her feel so good 17:33 because it looked just like her son, sounded just like her son, 17:36 knew things only her son would know, 17:38 and this happened several times, and then, one day, there was a-- 17:41 door rang, her apartment. 17:44 She opened up the door, and there's her son again 17:47 except now he's in uniform, and his arm is in a sling. 17:50 And she said, "Why are you meeting me out here 17:52 in the hall?" 17:53 He said, "What are you talking about?" 17:54 She reached out. It was really her son. 17:56 She touched him. 17:57 And evidently, he said, "No, I was wounded, 18:00 but I'm not dead. 18:01 They, just, they gave you some bad paperwork. 18:03 I'm so sorry that you thought that I was dead." 18:04 You know, that's happened before. 18:06 Parents get the message that their kids are presumed dead, 18:08 and then they're not. 18:10 Well, what was appearing to that woman, claiming to be her son? 18:13 And you wonder if the demons had a computer breakdown. 18:16 They didn't get their stories straight. 18:18 But you could see how easily people, when they're missing 18:20 a loved one--now, someone else is thinking, 18:22 "Pastor Doug, I'm having problems 18:24 with what you're saying right now because my loved one, 18:27 my spouse," or somebody, "died, and I've sensed them 18:31 with me, I've heard them guide me, and I just know 18:34 they're--I felt their spirit, and, you know, 18:37 I'm not denying that you've had these sensations, friends, 18:40 and it's not always diabolical. 18:42 My brother died of cystic fibrosis when he was 35. 18:46 He's my older brother. 18:48 From the time I was born until he died, he was always there 18:51 my whole life, and even after he died, I'd reach for the phone 18:55 to call him because I used to call him all the time, 18:57 and I remember reaching for the phone to call him. 19:00 I just felt his presence, and then I realized he was dead. 19:03 I'd forgotten. 19:05 I've talked to widows, who, after their spouse dies-- 19:07 and they say, you know, "A few weeks later, I get up, 19:11 and I call down the hall and say, "Jack, can you come here?" 19:14 And then they remember that their husband's gone. 19:16 And your mind is filled with the memories of people you love. 19:21 It's very normal to have those sensations and memories, 19:24 and you might even have a dream where God gives you some comfort 19:26 in a dream. 19:28 That's between you and God. 19:29 It doesn't give us our basis for truth. 19:32 You know what I'm saying? 19:33 The Bible truth is very clear: They are sleeping a painless, 19:37 dreamless sleep until the resurrection. 19:41 "How does the Bible repeatedly refer to death?" 19:46 John 11:11 and verse 14, Jesus, speaking of Lazarus, he said, 19:51 "Our friend Lazarus sleeps," and the disciples said, 19:54 "It's good that he's asleep. 19:56 He's sick. 19:57 You know, if he sleeps, maybe the fever will break, 19:58 and he'll be better." 20:00 Jesus said, "No, no, Lazarus is dead." 20:01 Jesus actually used the term "sleep," and He had to say, 20:04 "You don't understand what I mean by 'sleep.' 20:05 I mean, he's dead." 20:08 Then later, He said, "I'm going that I might wake him." 20:10 Jesus goes down to Bethany where Lazarus is buried. 20:13 It takes a few days to get there, 20:15 and when He tells Martha to roll away the stone from the grave, 20:18 she says, "Lord, by this time, 20:20 there's a bad odor because the decomposition has begun. 20:24 He's been dead for several days." 20:26 He said, "'Trust me. Roll away the stone.' 20:28 And when Jesus said these things, 20:30 He cried out with a loud voice," John 11:43, 20:34 "'Lazarus, come forth.' 20:36 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot 20:39 with graveclothes" that had been embalmed 20:41 and soaked in ointments. 20:43 Now, think for a minute: If Lazarus had been dead 20:49 for several days and if you go right to heaven when you die, 20:53 and if he's a good friend of Jesus, 20:54 he probably went to heaven, right? 20:57 If you're Lazarus and you die and you're in heaven, 21:00 and you're up there, and you're hearing angelic music, 21:03 and you're, you know-- got this glorified body, 21:06 and you're in the presence of God, and you see 21:08 there's golden streets and all these wonders of heaven, 21:11 and you're just reaching out for the tree of life, 21:13 and all of a sudden, "poof," you're back on earth, 21:16 and you're wrapped up in graveclothes, 21:18 would you think that was a nice thing that Jesus did for you? 21:22 Oh, that wouldn't be very nice. 21:24 You know, there are about a dozen resurrections 21:28 in the Bible, and the reason I say, "about," is because, 21:31 when Paul was stoned, some believe that Paul actually 21:35 was raised by the Lord. 21:37 He had been stoned to death, but God raised him back up again 21:38 because everyone who walked away thought he was dead, 21:41 and when Eutychus fell out the window, everyone said, 21:45 "He's dead," and the pulse, you know, his life was still in him. 21:48 They wondered, "Was that a resurrection?" 21:49 So it's hard sometimes to count a few of them, 21:51 but there are at least 12 resurrections in the Bible. 21:53 Do you realize that in all of these resurrections, 21:57 not one of the people involved ever comments 22:00 and says anything about what they experienced in death? 22:04 Now, if Lazarus was alive today and he had been dead 22:08 for four days, and somebody came back from the dead, 22:13 every news station in the world would have representatives 22:16 that would be there. 22:18 They would push a microphone up into Lazarus's face, 22:20 and they'd say, "What was it like? 22:22 What did you experience? What happened?" 22:25 But none of the Jews anywhere in the Bible comment 22:27 on any of these resurrections, saying, 22:29 "What did you experience in death?" 22:31 Because they all knew that death was like a--" what? 22:33 "Sleep." 22:35 It is a dreamless sleep. 22:36 They didn't know anything. 22:38 Solomon said, "The dead know--" how much? 22:39 "Nothing." 22:41 That, to me, I think, is pretty strong evidence. 22:44 The Bible tells us that none of the resurrection 22:47 has ever commented on what they experienced. 22:50 "Why does Satan want us to believe that the spirits 22:53 of the dead are actually alive?" 22:57 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show 23:00 great signs and wonders," Bible tells us, if it were possible, 23:04 "to deceive, even if possible, the elect." 23:08 Jesus says, "See, I'm telling you beforehand, 23:11 do not be deceived by these evil spirits." 23:15 Three unclean frogs, and they're going to claim to be 23:19 the spirits of the departed. 23:20 They're going to deceive leaders of the world. 23:22 "How effective will Satan's use of these evil spirits be 23:26 in the last days?" 23:27 Answer? 23:29 "By your sorceries, all the nations were deceived." 23:34 I just told you that, in North America, 23:36 50%, roughly 50%, 45% of the people believe in ghosts, 23:43 and about 20% believe you can communicate with the dead. 23:46 That's frightening when you think about it how easily 23:49 so many people will be deceived by that. 23:52 Some will start believing in it but don't believe in 23:54 it now when the devil begins to perform these signs and wonders. 23:56 Revelation 18, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 24:01 has become the dwelling place of demons, 24:03 a prison for every foul--" 24:06 the word "foul" there means "evil spirit." 24:09 Paul says, "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood 24:11 but principalities and powers and rulers of wickedness 24:13 in high places." 24:16 Well, there are evil spirits that are out there that want 24:18 to deceive, and they're going to use the belief that 24:21 the dead aren't really dead to deceive people. 24:24 The Bible says in Revelation 12:9, "That serpent of old, 24:28 called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world." 24:32 What was the first deception that Satan made? 24:39 God said, "You disobey, you will die." 24:41 What did the devil say? 24:43 "You will not really die." 24:45 And what does most of the world believe? 24:48 That you don't really die. 24:50 Even in churches, pastors are saying, "You don't really die. 24:53 You live forever. 24:55 Somewhere, you just can't die. 24:57 You're immortal." 24:58 The Bible says, you're going to sleep until the resurrection. 25:02 "How does God regard these miracles by evil angels?" 25:05 "A man or a woman who is a medium shall surely be put 25:09 to death." 25:10 Now, I'm not expecting you to go on a rampage 25:12 through the community and fulfill that. 25:14 Just telling you that, when they lived under a theocracy, 25:16 it was the most severe penalty for mediums. 25:21 I'm not suggesting we revive the Salem witch trials. 25:23 Everyone clear on that? 25:26 But there was a pretty severe punishment. 25:29 Some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits 25:33 and doctrines of devils." 25:35 And, again, "having no fellowship 25:37 with the unfruitful works of darkness." 25:40 Someone asked last night how I felt about Halloween, 25:43 and I said, "I don't want to have any fellowship 25:44 with the unfruitful works of darkness," 25:47 Ephesians 5, verse 11. 25:49 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, 25:52 fornication, uncleanness, lewdness," and notice, 25:55 "not only idolatry, sorcery." 25:59 "By her sorceries, all nations are deceived," 26:02 it says, regarding Babylon the great, 26:04 and then it fills out that verse in Galatians chapter 5, 26:07 "Sorcerers will have their part in the lake that burns with fire 26:10 and brimstone, which is the second death." 26:13 It's a pretty severe thing, and, yet there are Christians 26:16 that are promoting sorceries, saying that you can talk 26:18 to the dead. 26:20 "What glorious power does God offer to His people 26:23 in the last days?" 26:25 The power that he's offering us as a gift is the power 26:28 of His resurrection, "That I might know Him 26:31 and the power of His Resurrection." 26:33 Friends, I want to get that new glorified body, don't you? 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Revised 2024-03-30