Participants:
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000037A
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00:27 I like to welcome you to Focus on God's Word,
00:31 where we at the end of this six part series, 00:35 as we discover God's wonderful truth 00:38 for these last days. 00:40 As I've shared earlier, I've entitled this series, 00:43 "End-time Apocalypse" 00:45 as we take a look at the very heart 00:47 of the Book of Revelation, 00:49 Revelation 12, 13 and 14, where we have been journeying 00:53 over these past five sessions, 00:54 and this is our final session together, 00:57 and if you have missed any of the previous session, 01:00 I'd encourage you to catch up 01:01 in order to see where we are in this particular session. 01:05 So I want to welcome you all here at the 3ABN studio 01:09 here in Morisset, New South Wales, Australia. 01:12 All those who are watching in Australia 01:14 or wherever you may be, a warm welcome to you 01:17 as well as to those who are watching 01:19 around the world via the Internet, 01:21 or on your TV screens, 01:22 or you may be listening on radio, 01:24 wherever you are, may God bless you 01:27 as we journey through God's Word together. 01:30 I'm excited about this journey that we have been in 01:32 as we have taken a look at this all important message 01:36 from the Book of Revelation, 01:37 the heart of the Book of Revelation 01:39 where God unwraps for us His final message of love 01:43 in those three angels' messages 01:45 that we have gone through time and time again. 01:49 So before we begin, as always, what do we need to do? 01:52 We need to pray, 01:53 we need to pray that the Holy Spirit 01:54 that inspired the prophets of scripture 01:57 will impress and inspire us here together 02:00 as we journey through His Word. 02:01 So let's pray, Father in heaven, 02:03 we ask and pray that as we open Your Holy Word, 02:07 and once again look at the Book of Revelation, 02:10 once again go to the very heart of the Book of Revelation, 02:14 we ask and pray that Your Holy Spirit 02:16 will lead and guide us. 02:18 By Your Holy Spirit, give me the words to share 02:21 that You would have me share 02:22 and may our ears and especially our hearts 02:26 be opened to receive Your Word, 02:28 for this is our earnest prayer in Jesus' name, amen. 02:32 In the last program, 02:34 we discovered that God in a very beautiful way 02:37 describes His end time church in the Book of Revelation, 02:40 in particular, in Revelation 12, 02:44 and we discovered 02:45 a number of key identification marks 02:49 that God has given to us in the Book of Revelation 02:51 to help us understand the church or the movement 02:55 that He has raised up at the end of time 02:57 to proclaim the gospel or the everlasting gospel 03:00 to the entire world. 03:03 We discovered that God has raised up 03:05 indeed a people, He's raised up a church 03:08 at the end of time to share His final message of love, 03:12 and that church is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 03:16 Now does that mean 03:17 the Seventh-day Adventist Church is perfect? 03:19 Far from it 03:20 because the Seventh-day Adventist Church 03:22 is made up of individuals who are less than perfect. 03:25 However this is a church 03:26 that God can point to at the end of time 03:29 based on the Book of Revelation 03:31 that we have discovered together 03:32 and say, "This is my church. 03:35 This is my movement. 03:36 This is the message that I have ordained 03:39 for this group of people to preach." 03:42 So we looked at that in our last presentation. 03:45 Now we looked at seven identification marks 03:47 that I briefly want to go through 03:48 once again with you as we plunge into. 03:51 An identification mark that we have not... 03:54 Had the opportunity to examine that we will be doing 03:56 in this presentation. 03:58 We discovered that God's end-time church 04:00 that Revelation identifies, it's called the remnant, 04:04 that is it stands on God's Word alone. 04:06 It keeps all of God's Ten Commandments 04:09 including the Fourth Commandment. 04:12 It will have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 04:14 Now that is our subject for today. 04:17 It has the patience of Jesus. 04:19 It has the faith of Jesus, faith in Jesus. 04:23 It will arise after 1798, 04:26 that is after the 1260 year prophecy 04:29 in the United States of America. 04:31 And finally, it will be a worldwide movement 04:34 that will preach the everlasting gospel, 04:36 God's final message of love to the world. 04:39 Now we have discovered that this is none other 04:41 than the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 04:43 the only church in the entire world 04:45 that fulfills each and every one 04:48 of the seven identification marks 04:50 that God has given in the Book of Revelation. 04:52 Now we need to take a look at this third all important 04:56 identification mark that clearly identifies 04:59 the Seventh-day Adventist Church 05:01 as God's end time church. 05:03 And so together we want to take a look 05:04 at the testimony of Jesus Christ. 05:07 God's church will have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 05:11 Now as we go to the Book of Revelation, 05:13 we go to Revelation 12:17, 05:16 and there we have a description of God's end-time people. 05:20 Notice these words. 05:21 "And the dragon..." 05:23 And who is the dragon? That's the devil and Satan. 05:26 "Was enrage with the woman..." 05:27 And who is the woman? 05:29 It's the church. We've identified that already. 05:32 "And he went to make war with the rest or the remnant 05:34 of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God 05:38 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 05:41 Now in Revelation 19:10, there we have a definition 05:46 for what the testimony of Jesus Christ is. 05:48 Notice these words from Revelation 19:10. 05:52 John writes, "And I fell at his feet..." 05:55 That is at the feet of the angel 05:57 that is about to give him this message to worship him. 06:00 "But he said to me, 'See that you do not do that! 06:03 I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren 06:05 who have the testimony of Jesus. 06:08 Worship God! 06:09 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'" 06:14 So John was clearly told by the angel 06:17 that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy 06:22 or the prophetic gift. 06:24 Now the angel here shares 06:25 that he is also one of the brethren. 06:30 The brethren according to Revelation 22:8, 9, 06:34 are the prophets, God's mouthpiece, 06:38 that God has used in order to communicate 06:40 His truth with His people, and ultimately with the world. 06:44 In Revelation 1, right at the very outset, 06:47 there the Bible tells us 06:49 that John received the testimony of Jesus. 06:52 So a prophet is someone who shares 06:54 the testimony of Jesus Christ. 06:57 Now we have just read in Revelation 12:17 07:01 that the dragon is angry 07:04 with those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ, 07:06 with those who have the prophetic gift. 07:10 We know that 07:11 because in the very first chapter of Revelation, 07:14 notice what John says regarding why he was imprisoned 07:19 on the Island of Patmos. 07:21 Notice these words in Revelation 1:9. 07:24 John writes, "I, John, both your brother and companion 07:27 in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ 07:31 was on the island that is called Patmos 07:33 for the word of God and..." 07:35 For the what? 07:36 "For the testimony of Jesus Christ." 07:40 John was imprisoned 07:42 because of his faithfulness and commitment 07:45 to the Word of God 07:47 as well as to the testimony of Jesus Christ 07:50 being faithful to God in the message 07:53 that God had entrusted to him as a prophet of God 07:57 to share with the seven churches, 07:59 ultimately to share with the entire world 08:02 and especially prepare the people of God 08:04 for the second coming of Jesus. 08:06 Now as we discover in scripture, 08:08 we discover that prophets were not God's original plan 08:14 for communicating His message with us. 08:17 God's original plan was to speak with us 08:20 face-to-face, isn't that right? 08:23 To Adam and Eve, God spoke face-to-face. 08:26 However after sin entered the world, 08:30 God now had to speak through His prophets 08:33 because He could no longer communicate face-to-face 08:36 with Adam and Eve because they were now sinners. 08:39 And a sinner cannot communicate face-to-face with God. 08:44 It's what sin does, it separates us from God. 08:47 So in order to communicate with us, 08:50 God needed to send prophets. 08:53 Prophets are God's mouthpieces for communicating with us. 08:57 The Old and the New Testament 08:59 records the names of men and women 09:02 who were used by God as His prophets 09:04 and prophetesses. 09:06 All the way through Scripture, God used His prophets 09:10 in order to communicate His truth, 09:13 His love with His people. 09:15 In fact the truth is that without the prophetic voice, 09:19 God's people would not have survived the devil's attacks. 09:22 Prophets kept God's people on track 09:25 through their council and their prophecies. 09:28 Notice what we read in 2 Chronicles 24:19. 09:33 "He," that is, "God sent prophets to them." 09:36 That is to His people. 09:38 "To bring them," what? "Back to," who? 09:41 "Back to the Lord, 09:42 and they testified against them," 09:44 but sadly the rest of the verse goes on and says, 09:47 "But they would not listen." 09:49 God sent prophet after prophet to His people, 09:52 and the sad history as we read the Bible 09:56 is that on most occasions, 09:58 God's people did not listen to the prophet 10:02 that God sent to them, 10:03 which was the message that God had for them. 10:06 Now what was God's primary manner 10:10 of communicating with His prophets? 10:12 Notice what we read in Numbers 12:6, 10:16 the Bible says, 10:17 "If there is a prophet among you, 10:19 I, the Lord make myself known to him in a," what? 10:23 "In a vision, I speak to him in a dream." 10:26 So God's primary method of communication 10:29 through His prophets was to give them 10:31 visions and dreams. 10:33 He shared His message in this way. 10:36 There are times in Scripture when God speaks face-to-face. 10:40 And we have that in the case of Moses. 10:43 God veiled His glory. 10:45 Obviously, otherwise no human, no mortal can exist and survive 10:51 in the very presence of God as a sinner. 10:54 But God spoke to Moses face-to-face, 10:56 the Bible says to Abraham also. 10:58 We have one of the angels 11:00 who we know was Jesus Christ Himself, 11:04 the pre-incarnate Christ spoke with Abraham. 11:07 God also sent angels at different times 11:10 to communicate His message. 11:11 But visions and dreams was the primary method 11:15 that God used in order to communicate 11:17 His message to His servants, the prophets. 11:21 The devil knows how important the gift of prophecy is 11:26 to God's people and to the world. 11:28 He understands how vital prophets are to God's cause, 11:32 and He seeks to derail God's purposes 11:35 by sending many false prophets. 11:38 That's just how the enemy works. 11:41 He wants to derail the plans of God 11:44 and the purposes of God. 11:45 He ultimately does not want us to understand 11:50 what God's truth is, 11:51 us to accept and experience the truth 11:54 as God's prophets and God's servants would share. 11:59 Jesus in fact in Matthew 7 made that abundantly clear. 12:04 Notice the words of Jesus 12:05 that we find in Matthew 7:21-23. 12:09 Jesus speaking, 12:10 "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord,' 12:12 shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 12:13 but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.'" 12:16 Verse 22, "Many will say to Me in that day, 12:20 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied 12:22 in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, 12:24 and done many wonders in Your name?' 12:27 And then I will declare to them, 12:29 'I never knew you, depart from Me, 12:31 you who practice lawlessness!'" 12:34 Notice Jesus said, 12:35 there will be many false prophets 12:39 that the enemy will raise up 12:41 who will prophesy in the name of Jesus, 12:44 but yet they are not prophesying 12:46 in the name of Jesus. 12:47 They haven't been sent by Jesus, 12:49 they've been sent by the enemy, 12:50 but they are claiming they have been sent by Jesus. 12:53 They are claiming that they are mouthpiece of God, 12:57 when in actual fact they are not. 12:59 Jesus said, "Watch out, 13:01 there will be many false prophets." 13:04 But notice what Jesus didn't say, 13:06 "Jesus didn't say beware of everyone and anyone 13:10 who claims to be a prophet." 13:12 Jesus never said that. 13:14 And we know in the New Testament 13:16 after Jesus went to heaven, we know that God sent prophets 13:20 to His New Testament Church, 13:21 both men and women in order to lead, and guide, 13:25 and direct the people of God 13:27 that they may be effective in reaching out 13:31 to the people of this world in sharing the gospel. 13:34 So the question is, how can we determine 13:38 whether a person is a true or a false prophet? 13:42 Let me tell you a story. 13:44 I don't know if you're aware of this, 13:46 but at the moment in Australia, there are countless, 13:51 thousands upon thousands upon thousands, 13:53 tens of thousands of counterfeit 13:57 $5, $10, $20, $50, and even $100 notes circulating. 14:03 How many of you are aware of that? 14:04 Okay. If you're not, I have just made you aware. 14:07 So be aware. 14:10 The most commonly counterfeited note 14:15 here in Australia at the moment is the $50 bill. 14:20 And there was a news report in The New Castle Herald, 14:23 not so long ago, 14:24 where the headline read, "Fake $50 bills so good, 14:30 they even fool the banks." 14:33 Very, very, very good counterfeits. 14:36 Now on this particular Saturday night back in 2004, 14:40 I'm having a discussion with my mother, 14:43 who at the time, my mother and father 14:45 were living in a little country town 14:47 in Victoria called Pyalong. 14:49 How many of you have heard of Pyalong? 14:51 One of you have because you have been there, 14:53 the rest of you haven't but now you have little Pyalong 14:56 in the middle of nowhere, 14:58 about an hour and a half out of Melbourne. 15:00 Anyway my mum and dad were there, 15:02 and I'm chatting to my mum on a Saturday night 15:04 just asking how's life, 15:05 anything new happened this week. 15:07 And usually the answer is what? Nothing new has happened. 15:11 Everything is the same as it was 15:12 when I spoke to you last. 15:14 But this time my mum says to me, 15:16 "Yes, there is something new." 15:18 I think, I'm in the possession of counterfeit $50 notes." 15:23 And I'm like, "Really? 15:24 How on earth did you get hold of counterfeit $50 notes?" 15:28 And she says, "Well, I read about it 15:30 in my local paper, there's a number of counterfeit 15:32 $50 notes circulating in the area. 15:34 And I think I've got several of them." 15:37 And I'm like, "Really?" And she's like, "Really! 15:40 Maybe you do too, Danny." 15:41 And I'm like, "Well, I'm not sure but anyway, 15:44 how do you know they are counterfeit?" 15:45 So my mom said, "Go and find all the $50 notes 15:49 you can find in the house." 15:50 So first of all, I went to my wallet 15:52 and discovered how many were there 15:54 in my wallet, none, zero. 15:56 Guess where they all were? In my wife's wallet. 15:59 Yes, so I went to my wife's wallet, 16:02 and lo and behold, all the $50 notes were there. 16:06 And anyway, so I pulled out all these $50 notes, 16:09 I get back on the phone, and I'm chatting to my mother, 16:12 and I'm like, "How do you know whether it's a fake $50 note, 16:16 and how do you know whether it's the real deal?" 16:18 So here's a couple of $50 notes. 16:20 And she said, "One of these, as I went through them," 16:23 she says, "One of these was fake." 16:25 Now which one was the fake one? 16:26 Let me put them up on the screen for you. 16:29 The top one there is a fake, a counterfeit. 16:33 The bottom one is the real deal, 16:35 according to what my mom said. 16:37 Now why is that? 16:39 At the bottom here of the $50 note, 16:42 the one at the bottom, 16:44 notice there is the name of the person 16:47 whose portrait appears in the $50 note, 16:48 can you see that? 16:50 Edith Cowan, can you see it on the top one? 16:52 No, you can't. 16:53 Let's go to the next slide. 16:56 On the backside, notice the bottom one 17:00 has the name, that's the real deal. 17:02 The top one is the counterfeit, 17:04 it doesn't have the name according to what my mom said. 17:07 And I'm like, "Well, I've got one of those." 17:10 So what do you do 17:11 when you have a counterfeit note 17:12 or you think you have a counterfeit note? 17:14 What are you supposed to do? 17:15 Well, you're supposed to take it back to the bank 17:17 or to the police station. 17:19 Now there's good news and there's bad news. 17:21 Which one would you rather, the good news or the bad news? 17:24 The good news is... 17:25 I'll start off with the good news. 17:27 The good news is, if it's not a counterfeit $50 note, 17:31 the bank or the police station give that money back to you. 17:35 The bad news is, if it is a counterfeit $50 note, 17:38 they keep it and you don't get it back. 17:40 So I'm like, "What are we going to do, mom?" 17:43 And she's like, "Well, if I give it 17:44 and it's a counterfeit note, I've lost $50. 17:47 If I pass it on to someone else, 17:48 they won't know, and I'll be okay." 17:50 But I'm like, "That's wrong, mom, 17:52 we can't do that." 17:53 So either we go to jail and do the wrong thing 17:56 or we do the wrong thing in God's eyes, 17:58 so what is my mom and I supposed to do? 18:00 Now as I'm talking to my mom, 18:02 I decided, "Hang on a minute, let me check this out, 18:06 let me check out what my mother has been taught to believe 18:10 is a counterfeit $50 note, 18:11 whether this is really true or not?" 18:14 So while I'm talking to my mom, 18:16 my mom didn't have the internet at that time 18:17 but I certainly did. 18:19 So I go online and I decide to go to the Reserve Bank 18:22 of Australia website. 18:24 So I go to the Reserve Bank of Australia website, 18:28 and there on the website, as you can see, 18:31 get to know your bank notes, 18:32 and there is a section there that deals with counterfeits. 18:35 So I clicked on counterfeit and noticed what I discovered. 18:39 Common myths about banknotes. 18:42 Notice, myth. 18:44 Bank notes without the printed name 18:46 below the portrait are counterfeit, that's a myth. 18:50 The truth, the fact, 18:52 a bank note without the name of the person 18:53 below the portrait is not necessarily counterfeit. 18:56 Printed names were added to Australian bank notes 18:59 from 2002. 19:00 This was done to help the public 19:02 identify the people that our bank notes feature. 19:05 I was like, "Mom, good news, 19:07 you're not going to lose your $50, 19:09 you don't have counterfeit $50 notes. 19:12 You're all good, you're all in the clear." 19:15 Now do you know your $50 bank note? 19:18 Do you know whether it's a counterfeit 19:20 or a genuine? 19:21 Well, you can go to the website there and you'll discover 19:24 how you can spot a counterfeit bank note. 19:26 There are eight different points there 19:28 to help you know whether it's the real deal 19:31 or whether it's not the real deal. 19:34 The message from the Reserve Bank of Australia 19:37 was get to know your bank notes. 19:41 I have a message for you, I have a message for all of us, 19:44 get to know your Bible. 19:47 Get to know your Bible. 19:49 If you and I know what this book teaches, 19:53 you and I will never ever be deceived. 19:56 The only way to remain undeceived 19:58 is to get to know your Bible. 20:01 How did I know the truth whether my mom, and whether I 20:05 was in the possession of a counterfeit $50 note? 20:08 I had to go to the Reserve Bank of Australia, 20:11 I went to the official source. 20:13 The official source for the Christian, my friend, 20:15 is the Bible. 20:16 Get to know your Bible. 20:18 The only way to remain undeceived in the end 20:22 is to know the scriptures. 20:24 So how are we going to test 20:26 whether someone is a true prophet of God? 20:29 How are we going to do that? 20:31 Through the Bible, through the Bible. 20:33 Does the Bible give us tests that we can conduct 20:37 to ascertain whether a woman or a man 20:41 is a genuine prophet of God or not? 20:44 Indeed, the Bible does. 20:45 Notice what we read in 1 John 4:1, 20:49 we read these words. 20:50 John writes, "Beloved..." 20:52 The same John that wrote the Book of Revelation. 20:54 "Do not believe every spirit, but..." 20:56 Do what? 20:57 "Test the spirits, whether they are of God, 20:59 because many false prophets have gone into the world." 21:02 So we need to test the spirits. 21:04 Now there are a number of tests given in the Bible 21:07 whereby we can test 21:09 whether someone is a genuine prophet of God or not. 21:12 There's at least half a dozen or more. 21:14 Today, we are going to look at the three primary tests 21:19 of how we can test whether a person 21:21 is a true prophet of God or not. 21:23 Test number one, 21:26 biblical test of a true prophet. 21:28 The prophet must teach in harmony with the Bible. 21:31 There must be biblical faithfulness. 21:34 How important do you think that is? 21:35 Absolutely important. 21:37 Who is the ultimate author of the scriptures? 21:40 It's God, through His Holy Spirit 21:42 inspired and impressed men to write the scriptures, 21:46 to write the Word of God. 21:47 So a true prophet of God 21:49 must teach in harmony with the Bible. 21:51 If they do not, they get the gong 21:54 or they get the whammy, and it's all over. 21:57 You can dismiss them as a false prophet 21:59 if they do not teach in harmony with the scriptures. 22:03 That's test number one. 22:04 Notice what we read in Isaiah 8:20, 22:07 "To the law and to the testimony! 22:08 If they do not speak according to this word, 22:10 it is because there is..." 22:12 How much light in them? 22:13 "There is no light." 22:14 The law and the testimony 22:16 is a reference for all of Scripture. 22:17 The law being the first five books of Moses, 22:19 the testimony being the prophetic books 22:23 of the Old Testament 22:24 that continue on all the way to the very end. 22:28 Let's have a look at test number two. 22:30 There must be prophetic accuracy. 22:32 Notice what we read in Jeremiah 28:9, 22:36 "As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, 22:40 when the word of the prophet comes to pass, 22:42 the prophet will be known 22:43 as one whom the Lord has truly sent." 22:46 So when the word of the prophet comes to pass, 22:49 you and I will know that 22:50 that prophet has truly been sent by God. 22:53 Now why does Jeremiah here 22:54 speak of for the prophet that prophesies peace? 22:57 You see in his day, 22:59 Jeremiah was saying very clearly, 23:01 "God has told me, unless we repent, 23:03 unless we turn back to God, 23:05 the Babylonians are going to come, 23:07 they're going to besiege our city, 23:08 they're going to destroy our temple, 23:10 they're going to take us away captive to Babylon." 23:14 But Satan raised up false prophets 23:16 who said, "No, no, no, no, no, no, 23:18 don't listen to Jeremiah, 23:20 he doesn't know what he is talking about." 23:22 There will be peace, there will be safety, 23:25 all is well. 23:26 And that's why Jeremiah says, 23:29 "If the prophet prophesies peace and it happens, 23:32 well, then it's from God." 23:34 But if there is no peace, then it's not from God. 23:37 And most of the time, if you read Scripture, 23:39 you'll discover the prophets did not prophesied peace 23:44 because God's people weren't on the right track, 23:46 God's people were on the wrong track 23:48 and God was seeking through His prophets 23:51 to bring them back on the right track. 23:54 Let's take a look at number three. 23:57 The third test that the Bible gives us 23:59 as to whether a person is a true prophet of God or not 24:04 is spiritual fruitage. 24:06 Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, 16. 24:11 "Beware of false prophets, 24:13 who come to you in sheep's clothing, 24:15 but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 24:17 You will know them by their fruits. 24:20 Do men gather grapes from thornbushes 24:22 or figs from thistles?" 24:23 Jesus said, "You and I will know 24:26 whether a person is a true prophet of God or not 24:29 by the fruit." 24:30 Now what fruit was Jesus referring to 24:32 in particular? 24:34 It's the fruit that we find Paul speaking of 24:36 in Galatians 5. 24:38 Notice these words from the Apostle Paul. 24:40 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 24:45 longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 24:48 gentleness, and self-control." 24:51 As I take a look at these characteristics, 24:54 these are the exact characteristics 24:56 that Jesus had in His life. 24:57 Isn't that right? 24:58 Jesus had all these qualities. 25:00 These were beautiful character traits that Jesus had. 25:04 And so what God is saying, what Jesus is saying, 25:08 you will know them by their fruits. 25:10 Are they reflecting My character? 25:13 Are they Christ like in how they live their lives? 25:17 It's one thing for a prophet 25:18 to say this or that or the other, 25:21 it's another thing to take a look 25:22 at how they live their lives. 25:24 A very, very important test. The test of spiritual fruitage. 25:29 So the question is, 25:31 "How should we relate to those who pass all the biblical tests 25:36 of a true prophet of God?" 25:37 Notice what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. 25:43 The Apostle Paul writes, 25:44 "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. 25:47 Test all things which we have done 25:50 and hold fast to what is..." 25:51 What? "Good." 25:53 So we are to test all things. 25:57 Do not despise prophecy and hold fast what is good. 26:01 So when you and I come across a true prophet of God 26:05 that passes all of the tests of a true prophet, 26:09 we are to embrace the message of that prophet. 26:13 Because that prophet is speaking to us 26:15 on behalf of who? 26:17 On behalf of God. 26:18 So by embracing the message of the prophet, 26:21 we are embracing the message of God Himself. 26:25 For God Himself is communicating to His people 26:28 and to the world through a prophet. 26:31 Now were all prophet... 26:32 Were prophets perfect individuals? 26:34 Absolutely not, prophets were sinners. 26:36 The Bible says, "All have sinned 26:38 and fallen short of God's glory." 26:40 But the message that the prophet of God shared 26:44 was from God, and needed to be heeded 26:48 for those who are concerned about their eternal wellbeing. 26:52 Now there are two ways. 26:53 There are probably more, 26:54 but there are two important ways 26:56 that you and I are not to test whether a person 27:00 is a true prophet of God or not. 27:02 And the first one is miracles. Notice what Jesus had to say. 27:07 In Matthew 24:24, Jesus said, 27:09 "For false christs and false prophets 27:11 will rise and show..." 27:12 What? 27:14 "Great signs and wonders to deceive, 27:15 if possible, even..." 27:16 Who? "The elect." 27:18 So the devil will raise up false prophets 27:23 that will perform great signs and miracles 27:26 in order to deceive if possible even the very elect. 27:30 The Bible tells us that the devil has the power 27:33 to perform miracles, great miracles, 27:36 beyond what you and I can even begin to imagine. 27:39 He has the ability that God has given him 27:43 to transform himself into an angel of light. 27:47 So just because a prophet is performing miracles, 27:51 that does not mean 27:52 that they have been sent from God. 27:54 Jesus was abundantly clear in what He had to say. 27:59 Here is the second way 28:00 we are not to test a true prophet of God, 28:04 and that is popularity. 28:06 Will the true prophet of God be popular? 28:09 Notice what Jesus said once again in Matthew 23:37, 28:13 he's speaking to the religious leaders, 28:15 and this is what Jesus says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem..." 28:18 He is speaking to His people. 28:21 "The one who does..." 28:22 What? 28:23 "Kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!" 28:27 Sadly down through history, 28:29 the Bible is filled with one prophet after another 28:34 being persecuted for the simple reason 28:37 that their message was not popular. 28:40 Just because a message is popular 28:42 does not mean that message has been sent by God. 28:45 In fact, if I read my Bible correctly 28:47 and I believe I do, 28:50 the majority of God's prophets 28:53 were not received by the people of God. 28:56 That is because what is popular 29:00 is not necessarily what God's truth is 29:03 and vice versa. 29:05 You see that which is popular, we love, we enjoy, 29:10 but that's not always in our best eternal interest, 29:13 isn't that right? 29:14 So God sends prophets not that they may be popular, 29:19 but that God's people through them might be saved, 29:22 that they may be turn back onto the right path. 29:25 As we discovered early in that scripture that we read, 29:28 "God sent them prophet after prophet." 29:30 But sadly, in most cases, 29:33 they ignored the prophet's warning 29:35 or as Jesus pointed out, 29:37 they stoned and they killed the prophets. 29:38 In fact, in fact, let's not go beyond John the Baptist. 29:42 John the Baptist, whom Jesus labeled 29:45 as the greatest of all the prophets. 29:48 What happened to him? He was beheaded. 29:50 His life, his life came to an end. 29:53 Did the religious establishment by and large 29:55 accept the message of John the Baptist? 29:57 No, they didn't. 29:59 So we are not to test 30:01 whether a person is a true prophet of God or not 30:03 based on popularity. 30:06 "Before any major event took place, 30:09 God raised up a prophet 30:10 to foretell and warn the inhabitants. 30:12 An invitation to follow God and be saved was given." 30:16 Let me give you just a few examples. 30:18 Before I do, notice what Amos 3:7 says, 30:22 God says, "Surely the Lord God does..." 30:25 How much? 30:26 "Nothing, unless He reveals His secret 30:29 to His servants the prophets." 30:30 We have looked at this scripture in the past, 30:33 and this scripture simply tells us 30:35 that everything and anything that is of eternal value, 30:39 God will not allow to come across our path 30:42 without first and foremost God raising up a prophet 30:46 in order to warn the inhabitants of the world, 30:49 in order to warn His people, in order to prepare His people 30:53 for what is about to come. 30:55 Notice some examples that we have in Scripture. 30:59 We have Noah, God raised up Noah. 31:03 He was His prophet 31:05 to prepare the world for the flood, 31:07 isn't that right? 31:09 God also raised up Moses 31:11 to prepare the children of Israel to leave Egypt, 31:15 and to move into the Promised Land. 31:18 A little later on, 31:19 God raised up Jeremiah and other prophets 31:22 in order to warn His people that destruction was imminent 31:27 if they would continue to turn their backs on God, 31:30 and continue to allow the enemy 31:33 to lead and to guide the nation. 31:36 We do not need to go 31:38 any further into the New Testament 31:40 as we read this first few pages of the New Testament 31:43 where we discover that God sent another prophet. 31:45 This time God sent who? 31:48 John the Baptist. 31:49 God sent John the Baptist to prepare His people, 31:53 to prepare the world to receive the Messiah 31:56 at His first advent. 31:59 Before any and every major event in human history, 32:03 God has always raised up a prophet 32:07 in order to prepare the people of God, 32:10 and to invite the people of God to follow God 32:13 to be ready and to be prepared for Him. 32:17 We are now on the verge, 32:19 we are now on the edge of eternity. 32:23 We are now at a point where Jesus is about to come. 32:27 If God in the past has raised up a prophet 32:30 before a major event 32:32 each and every time as we go through Scripture, 32:37 can we be certain 32:40 that God will once again raise up a prophet 32:42 at the end of time to prepare the world 32:45 for the greatest event in all of human history, 32:47 the second coming of Jesus? 32:49 I believe we can. 32:50 For this is exactly how God has worked in the past. 32:55 Now will God raise up a prophet in the last days? 32:59 What does Revelation 12:17 make absolutely abundantly clear. 33:04 It says, "The dragon was enraged with the woman, 33:06 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 33:09 who keep the commandments of God 33:11 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 33:15 Revelation makes it abundantly clear 33:18 that in God's end-time church, 33:20 in this end-time prophetic movement, 33:23 as we discovered in our previous presentation 33:25 that God has raised up. 33:27 God will raise up the testimony of Jesus Christ 33:30 that we have discovered based on Revelation 19:10 33:34 is the spirit of what? 33:36 The spirit of prophecy or the prophetic gift. 33:38 So we are to expect God to raise up a prophet 33:43 at the end of time to prepare the people of God, 33:46 to prepare the entire world for the second coming of Jesus. 33:51 We are to expect that 33:52 based on what God has shared with us in Revelation 12:17. 33:58 So let's ask the all important $1 million question. 34:02 Has God blessed the Seventh-day Adventist Church 34:05 with the gift of prophecy? 34:07 God's end-time remnant church, 34:10 God's end-time remnant movement, 34:12 and the answer is yes. 34:14 Right on time, God raised up a prophet 34:18 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 34:20 and her name was Ellen G. White. 34:25 At the age of 17, in 1844, 34:29 December 1844, 34:31 God raised up this 17 year old weak teenager 34:36 with a third grade education, 34:38 and He invited her to be His mouthpiece. 34:42 And over a period of 70 years, 34:45 Ellen White ministered as a prophet of God 34:48 on behalf of God to His people, 34:50 and as we'll discover to the entire world. 34:53 I find it fascinating 34:54 that the very first vision that God gave Ellen White. 34:58 And He gave her some 2,000 visions and dreams 35:01 in the course of those seven decades 35:03 that she ministered. 35:04 The very first vision that God gave her 35:07 when He invited her to be a prophet 35:09 was a vision of God's people 35:13 walkin along this narrow path that led to the New Jerusalem 35:18 with Jesus right there 35:21 at the entrance of the New Jerusalem, 35:23 and as long as God's people kept their eyes firmly on Jesus 35:28 and continued to walk on this narrow path 35:31 that led upward, 35:33 that would be safe and secure for all eternity 35:35 in the nail scarred hands of Jesus. 35:38 Now I find it fascinating that the very first vision 35:42 that God gave Ellen White when He invited her 35:45 to the prophetic ministry was to invite God's people 35:48 to remain on that narrow path that Jesus said, 35:51 "We need to remain on that narrow path," 35:53 in Matthew 7, 35:55 "and to keep our eyes firmly on Jesus." 35:58 Isn't that the message that God's people 36:01 need at the end of time? 36:02 Isn't that the message that the world needs 36:04 at the end of time? 36:05 During the darkest phase in earth's history, 36:09 just before the coming of Jesus, 36:10 we need to keep our eyes firmly placed on Jesus Christ, 36:16 our Lord, and our Savior. 36:18 There are two key principles 36:22 that Ellen White's writings fall into, 36:25 two overall foundations, and here they are. 36:29 Ellen White's messages can be summed up 36:32 in these two statements. 36:33 Number one, they are saturated with the Word of God, 36:35 and number two, 36:37 they continually point to Jesus. 36:39 Ellen White's writings filled with the Word of God 36:43 as we would expect from a true prophet of God, 36:46 and pointing people continually to who? 36:49 To Jesus. 36:51 Doesn't that remind us of John the Baptist 36:54 who continually cried out, "Behold!" 36:56 Who? 36:57 "The Lamb of God that takes away 36:59 the sins of the world." 37:00 Notice these interesting facts regarding Ellen White 37:02 and her ministry. 37:04 She ministered, as I pointed out, 37:06 over a period of 70 years. 37:07 She received approximately 2,000 visions and dreams. 37:11 She wrote 40 books and 5,000 periodical articles, 37:15 a total of 50,000 pages. 37:18 She is the most translated woman author of all time. 37:22 She wrote concerning religion, education, family, 37:25 and social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, 37:28 publishing, nutrition, and many other topics. 37:31 And she lectured on three different continents. 37:33 This is a woman with a third grade education. 37:37 How many years of schooling did she have? 37:39 Only three years, only three years, 37:42 and yet she wrote on this vast array of topics. 37:47 And it's interesting what she wrote, 37:49 as we'll discover in just a moment. 37:51 But before we do that, we need to ask the question, 37:54 "How are we to test Ellen White? 37:56 Do we go to Google 37:59 to find out whether Ellen White is a true prophet of God? 38:02 Yes or no? No. 38:05 I put in a search in Google just the other day, 38:08 I just typed in Ellen G. White 38:11 and I came up with some 30 million websites 38:14 that have something to say about Ellen White. 38:17 Now sadly, a great many, 38:20 I don't know whether it's the majority or the minority, 38:22 but a great many of those websites 38:25 say all sorts of untruths 38:27 about Ellen White and her ministry, 38:29 twisting her words, and twisting her statements 38:32 out of context and so on and so forth. 38:35 Now that doesn't surprise me. 38:36 That does not surprise me one little bit 38:39 because if God was to raise up a true prophet, 38:43 the enemy would be just as quick 38:47 in order to seek to find a way 38:52 to disown this individual as a true prophet of God, 38:57 to discount this person as a true prophet of God. 39:00 So are we to test whether Ellen White 39:02 is the real deal or not? 39:03 Where are we to go, to Google? No. 39:06 We have to go to God's Word. 39:08 We have to go to the Bible and test 39:10 whether she is a true prophet of God. 39:13 So let's do that. 39:14 Let's go to the Bible and discover 39:16 whether Ellen White passes these three tests 39:20 of a true prophet of God that we have established. 39:22 Firstly, biblical faithfulness. 39:24 Was she faithful to the Bible? 39:25 Notice what she writes, 39:27 "In our time there is a wide departure 39:28 from their..." 39:29 She is speaking of the reformers... 39:31 "Doctrines and precepts, and there is a need of a return 39:35 to the great Protestant principle, the Bible, 39:37 and the Bible only as the rule of faith and duty." 39:41 That's from the book Great Controversy. 39:42 Notice another statement, 39:44 "The Lord has sent His people much instruction, 39:47 line upon line, precept upon precept, 39:49 here a little, and there a little. 39:50 Little heed is given to the Bible, 39:52 and the Lord has given a lesser light..." 39:54 She's speaking of her writings and her ministry. 39:57 "To lead men and women to the greater light." 39:59 Now what do you think the greater light is here 40:01 that she is referring to? 40:03 To the Bible. 40:04 "Oh, how much good would be accomplished 40:06 if the books containing this light 40:08 were read with a determination 40:10 to carry out the principles they contain!" 40:14 You see, 40:15 if God's people would simply heed the Word of God, 40:18 there was no need for God to send a prophet. 40:21 If God's people would simply have heeded the Word of God. 40:25 Let's take a look at two... 40:29 At these books. 40:31 These books here that I have up there on the screen 40:33 are filled with the scriptures. 40:35 There are two books in particular that I treasure. 40:39 The book, Steps to Christ, and the book, Desire of Ages. 40:43 These two books are absolutely precious, 40:46 and they tell you all about Jesus. 40:50 You and I today have the opportunity 40:52 to read these books 40:54 and to ask whether they passed that test 40:56 of biblical faithfulness or not. 40:59 I like to refer to Ellen White's ministry 41:01 as a magnifying glass. 41:05 You're familiar with a magnifying glass? 41:07 What does a magnifying glass do? 41:10 A magnifying glass simply magnifies 41:13 what's already on the page, isn't that right? 41:17 A magnifying glass is not designed 41:19 to bring out something new, 41:21 something that's not on the page, isn't that right? 41:24 Ellen White's writings, 41:26 Ellen White's ministry was simply aimed by God 41:31 to magnify what is already in His Word, 41:35 not to add from, not to add to His Word, 41:38 not to subtract from His Word, 41:40 but to simply make it abundantly crystal clear 41:44 to the people of God and to the world 41:47 as to what God had instructed in His Word. 41:50 Ellen White is that magnifying glass 41:54 through whom you and I can understand the will 41:57 and the ways of God through His Word 41:59 in a more clear way. 42:01 Does that make sense? Yes or no? 42:03 I hope you will remember that. 42:05 God's Word is to be trusted 42:08 above and beyond everything and anything else. 42:12 Let's take a look at this second test. 42:14 Did God through Ellen White 42:18 bring about prophetic accuracy? 42:21 Are her writing's prophetically accurate? 42:23 Well, let's take a look at some statements 42:26 that she made regarding health. 42:27 There is some much we can share, 42:29 but we don't have time. 42:30 But I just want to take a look at just a couple of statements. 42:33 Notice what she wrote back in 1864, 42:35 "Tobacco is a poison of the most deceitful 42:38 and malignant kind. 42:39 It is all the more dangerous 42:41 because its effects upon the system 42:42 a slow, and scarcely perceivable." 42:45 Now how many of you believe that to be true? 42:48 Absolutely, we know that to be true, 42:50 that's a no-brainer. 42:52 However, the amazing thing 42:55 is that Ellen White is writing this in 1864 42:59 when doctors were prescribing cigarettes and cigars 43:05 for those who suffered from emphysema, 43:08 had asthma or other lung ailments as you do. 43:12 You prescribe smoking to someone 43:14 who's got problems breathing, don't you? 43:16 No, you don't, but that's what doctors were prescribing 43:19 back in 1864 when she wrote this. 43:22 No one had any idea back then that smoking causes cancer, 43:27 that it is just as she said, 43:32 "A dangerous and malignant evil poison" 43:36 is the word that she uses, 43:38 "and its effect upon the system a slow 43:40 and scarcely perceivable." 43:42 Notice it was in 1957, it wasn't until 1957, 43:47 almost one century later 43:50 that the American Heart Association 43:51 concluded that smoking was a causative factor 43:54 in the lung cancer. 43:56 She was one hundred years ahead of her time. 43:59 This was the front cover of National Geographic magazine 44:03 back in November of 2005, The Secrets of Living Longer. 44:08 And in this particular edition of National Geographic, 44:12 they looked at places around the world 44:15 where people live the longest and they lived the healthiest, 44:20 and they discovered that there is a group of people 44:25 in a little place there in the United States of America 44:29 that are part of the longevity all stars. 44:33 That place being Loma Linda there in California. 44:37 And they live longer than any other American citizen 44:42 by average 7 to 10 years longer 44:45 because of the health and the lifestyle 44:48 that they have adopted. 44:49 Now this same study came out just recently 44:54 in this Time magazine which I subscribe to, 44:58 and the title on the front cover was 45:00 "How to Live Longer Better?" 45:03 If we go to the next slide, you'll discover 45:05 that there are five zones in the world, 45:08 they call them the blue zones where people live the longest 45:13 and they are the healthiest. 45:15 There is one in Sardinia, Italy, 45:17 there's another one in Okinawa in Japan, 45:20 there's another one in Nicoya, Costa Rica, 45:22 there's another one in Icaria in Greece, 45:26 and then as I pointed out, there is another blue zone 45:29 in Loma Linda, California. 45:31 Now what is fascinating about this study 45:34 is that there's other four zones 45:36 are specifically dealing with regions, 45:39 are dealing with a section of the population 45:43 in that particular country based on where it lives, 45:46 based on the environment, based on their food 45:49 and their diet they are living longer 45:51 than those citizens of the country. 45:54 However, what they are discovering 45:57 is that Seventh-day Adventist Christians in Loma Linda 46:01 are experiencing the same blessings 46:04 as those in Sydney, and those in Melbourne, 46:07 those wherever around the world 46:10 who have adopted the same diet also. 46:13 It doesn't matter where you live. 46:14 You don't need to live in Loma Linda, 46:16 you can experience the same blessings. 46:21 How did the church come about the health message? 46:23 God through the gift of prophecy 46:25 gave this wonderful message. 46:27 Notice this statement by Dr. Clive McCay, 46:31 former professor of nutrition at Cornell University, 46:33 this is what he wrote, 46:35 "In spite of the fact that the works of Mrs. White 46:37 were written long before the advent 46:39 of modern scientific nutrition, 46:41 there is no better overall guide today." 46:45 No better overall guide today. 46:49 Notice what else we read. 46:51 From Dr. James Dobson, 46:53 the founder and the president of Focus on the Family. 46:58 This is what he wrote, 46:59 "Her books on the family are 'excellent.'" 47:01 They are his words. 47:03 "And if she were alive today 47:04 we would be 'of a kindred spirit.'" 47:07 How could this woman with a third grade education 47:11 write so prolifically and so accurately 47:14 on so many subjects from health to family 47:18 to Bible prophecy? 47:19 It is because God inspired her through His Holy Spirit. 47:23 It was God that gave her the messages, 47:26 and not messages that she came up with herself. 47:29 Let's take a look at this second test. 47:32 Third test I should say. 47:34 Apply this prophetic test to Ellen White, 47:37 we need to apply the test of spiritual fruitage. 47:41 What did Jesus say? 47:43 "By their fruits you will..." 47:44 What? 47:45 "By their fruits you will know them." 47:47 Are they exhibiting the character of Jesus Christ? 47:51 Is the character of Jesus Christ evident 47:54 in their lives in their day-to-day work? 47:57 Notice what was written regarding Ellen White 48:00 at the end of her life, after she had passed away 48:03 by the newspaper there in St. Helena, California. 48:08 July, 1915. 48:09 These are the words not by a Seventh-day Adventist, 48:11 but by a newspaper 48:13 that is reflecting on the life of Ellen White. 48:17 Notice these words. 48:19 "The life of Mrs. White 48:20 is an example worthy of emulation by..." 48:23 How many? 48:24 "By all. 48:25 She was a humble, devout disciple of Christ, 48:28 and ever went about doing good. 48:30 She was honored and respected by all 48:32 who appreciate noble womanhood consecrated to unselfish labor 48:37 for the uplifting and betterment of mankind. 48:40 Her death marks the calling of another noted leader 48:43 of religious thought 48:44 and one whose almost 90 years were full 48:47 to overflowing with..." 48:49 What? 48:50 "Good deeds, kind words, and... 48:52 What? 48:53 "Earnest prayers for..." 48:54 How much of mankind? 48:56 "All mankind." 48:57 Ellen White passed this third, 49:00 all important test of a true prophet of God. 49:03 Her life was one that emulated the life, 49:06 and the ministry, and the love of Jesus Christ. 49:10 As the newspaper so well put it, 49:12 she went about doing good deeds, 49:15 sharing kind words, and praying earnestly for all, 49:20 not just for Seventh-day Adventists, but for all. 49:24 God blessed this woman in every sense of the word, 49:29 including the character of Jesus Christ, 49:32 which she received as she accepted 49:36 the role of following in the footsteps of Jesus. 49:40 Did she make mistakes? Absolutely. 49:42 Was she a sinner? Yes. 49:43 Did God use her as a mouthpiece? 49:46 Indeed the answer is yes. 49:50 Notice what the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:20, 49:54 we read, "Believe in the Lord your God, 49:56 and you shall be..." 49:58 What? 49:59 "Established, believe in His prophets, 50:00 and you shall..." 50:02 Do what? 50:03 "You shall be prospering." 50:05 You shall prosper. 50:07 God says, "Believe in the prophets 50:10 and you will be established, and you will prosper. 50:14 God has, in a beautiful way, through the gift of prophecy, 50:19 not only blessed 50:20 the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 50:22 but He has also blessed the world 50:25 through this prophetic gift. 50:26 Notice the Seventh-day Adventist Church 50:28 today around the world 50:31 has more than 7,000 schools 50:33 from primary all the way to university level. 50:36 Hospitals and clinics number 600 plus, 50:40 publishing houses more than 60, sanitariums, 29, 50:44 ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, 50:47 present helping humanity in more than 130 countries, 50:51 media ministry, retirement villages, 50:54 nursing homes, and the list could go on and on and on. 50:58 God has blessed 51:00 not only the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 51:02 but God has blessed the entire world 51:05 through the gift of prophecy. 51:08 Do you eat Weetabix? 51:09 Weetabix is produced by guess who? 51:12 Sanitarium which is owned and operated 51:15 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 51:18 The Seventh-day Adventist Church leads the world 51:21 in health and wellbeing. 51:23 And it's not because Seventh-day Adventists 51:26 are brighter and smarter 51:28 than the rest of the world population, 51:30 than the rest of the Christian churches out there, 51:32 no, no, no, no. 51:34 The reason why the Seventh-day Adventist Church 51:36 has been blessed more than any other Protestant church 51:40 in the last 150 years 51:43 is because God has placed His gift of prophecy 51:47 in the church. 51:48 It is as if... 51:50 Well, it's not as if, 51:51 God has Himself 51:52 through the gift of Ellen White, 51:54 through the gift of prophecy I should say, 51:56 through Ellen White, God has been giving clear 51:59 and direct instructions to the people of God 52:03 to share with the world on how they can not only live 52:07 better in this world, 52:09 but how they can more importantly 52:10 prepare for the world to come. 52:12 Amen? 52:13 God raised up Ellen White to prepare a people, 52:17 who will prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus, 52:20 the greatest event in all of human history. 52:25 That is why God gave the gift of prophecy. 52:29 That is the sole reason. 52:31 It was to prepare God's people to prepare the world 52:33 for the second coming of Jesus. 52:36 Before God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, 52:39 into the world the first time, 52:41 God raised up a prophet by the name of who? 52:44 John the Baptist, to prepare the world, 52:46 to prepare the people of God for the first coming of Jesus. 52:49 And Revelation 12:17 tells us 52:52 that before the second coming of Jesus 52:54 that God would once again raise up a prophet 52:57 to prepare the people of God, to prepare the world 53:01 for the second coming of Jesus. 53:02 Can you say amen? 53:03 Can you see how God is working in an identical manner 53:08 as He did some 2,000 years ago at the first advent of Jesus. 53:12 It's so, so clear. 53:15 I'm so looking forward 53:16 to the coming of Jesus, my friend. 53:18 I don't know about you, but I'm so looking forward 53:20 to the coming of Jesus. 53:21 Are you looking forward to the coming of Jesus? 53:23 Wouldn't that be a great and awesome day? 53:27 When we kneel, 53:29 not stand but when we kneel at the feet of Jesus, 53:32 and forever thank Him for His wonderful sacrifice, 53:35 for His wonderful gift of salvation 53:38 that He has so beautifully bestowed upon all of us 53:42 because of His wonderful sacrifice at Calvary. 53:46 What does the Apostle Paul say 53:48 regarding genuine prophets of God? 53:51 Notice what we read, in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, 53:56 these words again, 53:58 "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise..." 54:01 What? 54:03 "Prophecies. Test all things, and hold fast to what is..." 54:06 What? "Good." 54:07 Hold fast to what is good. Hold fast to what is good. 54:12 Test it and hold fast to what is good. 54:16 I want to encourage you to test the gift of prophecy. 54:19 I have tested and tasted as the Bible says 54:23 and seen that the Lord is good. 54:25 There are two books that I especially love, 54:29 that I especially cherish, 54:31 and they are the two books that she has written, 54:34 two of her most popular books, Steps to Christ, 54:39 translated in more than 100 languages, 54:41 and The Desire of Ages, 54:44 a book on the life of Jesus Christ, 54:47 a beautiful book on the life of Jesus Christ. 54:50 I want to invite you to do two things. 54:54 I want to invite you to read one or both of these books, 55:00 and I want you to ask yourself the question, two questions. 55:05 And those two questions are, "What I am reading, 55:09 is it in harmony with God's Word?" 55:12 Is what I am reading in these two books 55:15 in harmony with what God says? 55:18 Is it true to the Bible? 55:20 Number two, 55:22 "Do these books point me to Jesus?" 55:25 Do these books point me to Jesus? 55:27 And if the answer is yes to both of those questions, 55:30 I encourage you to hold fast, hold fast, cherish, and enjoy, 55:34 and be blessed through the gift of prophecy. 55:39 I want to pray that God will bless us 55:43 as we test all things and hold fast to what is good. 55:47 Let's pray together. 55:49 Father in heaven, we want to thank You so much 55:51 for all of Your gifts that You have given to us 55:53 including the gift of prophecy. 55:56 Father, as we test the things 55:59 that have been written in these beautiful books 56:02 for our admonition 56:04 to prepare us for Your soon return. 56:07 Father, may we treasure these writings 56:09 and be blessed by them 56:10 and share them far and wide to prepare not only ourselves, 56:14 but to prepare many others for Your soon return, 56:17 for this is our prayer in Jesus' name. 56:18 And everybody said, amen and amen. |
Revised 2018-08-29