Participants: John Lomacang, John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL110001
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00:01 Hello, friends.
00:03 Grab your Bible and a friend 00:04 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:06 on this edition of House Calls. 00:22 Thank you so much for joining us 00:23 on House Calls again today. 00:25 It's always a privilege to come into your home 00:28 and into your heart to share God's word. 00:30 And I'm always glad that I'm not by myself, 00:33 I have my photocopy with me, can't you tell? 00:36 His name is John and so as mine, 00:38 good to have you here John. 00:39 God to be here John as usual. I tell you. 00:41 Looking forward to this new topic. 00:42 That's right, it's really, really interesting topic. 00:45 It's one that you may have heard before, 00:47 but from a completely different perspective 00:50 using some of the same scriptures. 00:52 We are gonna be talking about the topic of death 00:54 from the perspective of spiritualism 00:56 and why it's so important in light of the last days. 01:01 That's really the most important part about it. 01:03 And so get your Bibles, get your pens, 01:07 hit the record button 01:08 if you want to share this program 01:09 and wait for the Lord to really pour into your life. 01:12 But as you know, before we do anything, 01:14 we always have prayer. 01:15 Would you pray for us, John? Let's do that. 01:17 Gracious Father, You are so good to us 01:19 and we just thank you once again 01:21 that we can come before you, 01:23 appealing to Your Holy Spirit to guide us 01:25 through Your word. 01:26 And so as we open that word here today, 01:28 we just look for Your leading, 01:30 for Your hand in all that we do, 01:32 all that we say and may You be glorified 01:34 in Jesus name, amen. 01:36 Amen. Thank you, John. 01:38 You also know that a large part of this program 01:41 is your Bible questions. 01:42 We like Bible questions. 01:44 And some of you have been so faithful. 01:46 We commented as we look through our list of emails 01:50 that there are some that send us Bible questions John 01:52 almost everyday. That's right. 01:53 And we do appreciate that. 01:55 So keep sending them, 01:56 but as we encourage you to do that, 01:58 try to make them concise into the point, 02:00 because some of you really, really like to send us 02:04 five pages of your doctoral dissertation 02:07 and then the question. 02:08 And some of you are still sending by mail. 02:11 If you don't have email, that's acceptable. 02:13 Send them to P.O. Box 220, 02:16 West Frankfort, Illinois, 62896. 02:18 But we do have Bible questions 02:20 from the Internet today and we thank you for that. 02:22 And if you have any other questions, 02:24 you can send those to housecalls@3abn.org, 02:28 that's housecalls@3abn.org. 02:32 What do you have for us today, John? 02:34 Well, we've got several questions 02:35 that are really good 02:36 and I was reading through them 02:38 and trying to select a couple for our program. All right. 02:41 It seems a very short question, 02:42 but you know, it's fairly profound. 02:43 We are talking, 02:44 we are gonna get into the context of the last days 02:46 and of course spiritualism. 02:48 But there's something else that happens in the last days 02:51 that I think is important for us to recognize 02:53 that we see all around us happening. 02:55 And this question really gets to the heart of the issue 02:58 of what's going on in the hearts 03:00 and minds of people today. 03:02 And so this question is, 03:05 well, it doesn't actually give a first time, 03:07 it looks like maybe it is Ronda. 03:09 Ronda, thank you for sending in this question. 03:11 Why do people always seem to fight you down, 03:15 you know, to keep you down in life 03:17 when you are trying to make it? 03:20 And so I don't know, Ronda, 03:22 what you are going through at this moment and time? 03:24 What is the experience that you are having, 03:26 if someone pushing you down 03:27 when you are just trying to barely make it 03:29 to get by each day in life. 03:31 But let me tell you the Bible is very clear 03:33 that this is the kind of thing that happens 03:35 in a world full of sin. 03:37 And that would be easy for me to stop there and say, 03:40 well, this world is a world full of sin 03:42 and we should expect that the enemy is alive 03:46 and well and working in the hearts of many 03:49 who have not followed Christ 03:51 and have not been transformed spiritually 03:53 into a new birth experience, 03:55 and are looking to put those ways behind them, 03:59 but it's not just stopping there. 04:02 Let's look what Matthew 24 says, 04:04 in regard to specifically the last days 04:07 and what happens in the hearts of men 04:09 that are alive then. 04:11 And I'm reading from Matthew 24 verse 12. 04:19 It says, and I'll read verse 13 as well. 04:23 "And because lawlessness will abound, 04:26 the love of many will grow cold. 04:30 But he who endures to the end shall be saved." 04:34 And I like the context here because, 04:35 if you just take these two passage, 04:37 you can see that one of the most challenging things 04:40 about living to the end, 04:41 and making it through is enduring those who have 04:45 grown cold to not only the Gospel, 04:47 but to God spirit. 04:49 And there are many alive today 04:50 who are just looking to basically keep you down. 04:53 They love to do what is wrong. 04:55 They love to act at the impulses of the devil 05:00 and the enemy working in them. Right. 05:02 And so as this, as their spirit grows 05:04 cold to the ruling power of the Holy Spirit 05:07 to bring love back into the heart. 05:09 We find everyday that as we go around, 05:11 you see this with gangs, 05:13 the wars that are going on the streets and other places. 05:16 But even in the lives of individuals 05:19 as you meet people at work, 05:20 as you meet people even sometimes in church, 05:22 forbid, but it's there that people 05:25 just like to see others fail. 05:28 They want to keep you down 05:29 and that is the love growing cold in their heart. 05:32 And you know, there is a point 05:33 where candle gets so dim and it starts to flicker 05:38 and it goes out. Okay. 05:39 And I think that we are close 05:41 to this point at this time. 05:43 So endure my, my encouragement for you 05:45 would be endure to the end. Stay close to God. 05:47 Let Him be your strength. 05:49 Let Him provide the comfort you need through His spirit 05:52 and understand that it's not the individual 05:54 that you are concerned, 05:55 well, you shouldn't be concerned about, 05:56 but there is nothing individual 05:57 actually doing this, enemy is working through many to try 06:00 and discourage you, 06:01 but stay close to God and trust Him. 06:04 To add to that 06:05 there are number of scriptures in the Bible, 06:07 one of the things that is a part of this life. 06:12 If we could really have it our way, 06:14 we would have no windy days, no sandstorms, 06:19 no freezing cold weather, 06:23 but the problem with that 06:24 as we wouldn't really be able to appreciate clear skies, 06:27 if we didn't have storms. Yeah. 06:29 And we would not be able to appreciate warm weather, 06:32 if we didn't have cold. 06:33 Now there are some people that live 06:35 in those wonderful places like the Caribbean, 06:37 who really don't want any cold whether. 06:39 I'm not necessarily talking about 06:40 your physical situation. 06:42 In life trials come our way 06:44 and they come in many, many forms. 06:47 Well, one of the things that are significant 06:49 about the trials that come our way. 06:52 Acts 14 verse 22 tells us that 06:55 "We through many tribulations 06:58 will enter the kingdom of God." 07:00 Now John, I think of this in the sense of working on 07:05 and I'm not a sculpture 07:07 and by no means do I have all the language down path, 07:09 but let's just use a very expensive piece 07:13 a wooden furniture, a teakwood 07:16 or whatever the case maybe. 07:17 I've traveled and I've been to countries 07:18 where they have shown me teakwood trees. 07:22 And I look at those trees and they look just so dingy 07:25 and so saturated with water. 07:28 And then I also heard a story 07:29 about the Stradivarius Violin. 07:31 And good friend of ours, 07:33 Jaime Jorge plays violin very, very well. 07:36 And when I looked into that I discover that 07:38 the wood comes from trees that are very, very old 07:43 and chances are the person who cuts the wood, 07:47 and shapes the wood won't be 07:49 alive long enough to make the violin 07:52 because it has to go through such drying out process, 07:56 in order for it to be able to produce the kinds of 07:58 tones that are worthy to be called a Stradivarius. 08:02 But that tree, when you look at the beginning process, 08:05 you will never think that small little maybe two pounds 08:09 or five pounds of wood will one day be worth 08:11 probably almost a million dollars, 08:14 but it goes through a lot of tribulation. 08:16 Now if the tree can talk about it, 08:17 why are you cutting me down? 08:20 Why are you cutting me into small pieces? 08:22 Why are you filing me? 08:23 Why are you bending me so unnecessarily? 08:27 What God allows us 08:28 to go through processes in our live, 08:30 sometimes to bring out our greater worth? 08:32 And that's why in the Bible also in Revelation, 08:34 it talks about gold being tried in the fire. 08:37 Well, I've not had the privilege of seeing gold 08:40 in its raw, raw that sound like New York, 08:44 New York, yeah, raw. 08:46 How do you say in California? 08:47 Raw! Raw! Yeah. Okay. 08:49 Like a raw. A raw. 08:52 I haven't seen gold in its original form, 08:57 but I do know that when its pure gold, 08:59 it's gone through some trials, 09:01 it's gone through some processes. 09:03 God will not allow you to go through processes, 09:06 and as one very wise deacon as said 09:08 in one of the churches that I passed, 09:10 where she says, God never makes junk 09:13 and we will never know how beautiful 09:16 the end result is going to be unless 09:18 we allow God to send us through those trials, 09:21 so that we can come out like pure gold. 09:24 So remember the tribulations are allowed by God, 09:27 not necessarily sent by God. 09:28 Here's another text that you may enjoy. 09:31 Now go with me to the Book of James, 09:33 James Chapter 1, James Chapter 1. 09:37 And I want you to find that one also in 1 Peter, 09:40 where it says, 09:41 "Don't think it's strange concerning the fiery trials." 09:46 I was going to Revelation 3 as well. 09:48 Okay, we will... Let see it. 09:49 But let's go, let start with the Book of James, 09:50 James Chapter 1. 09:52 And many times we read this verse 09:55 beginning with verse 3, 09:56 we are gonna go down to verse 6. 09:57 We read that verse and we say, 09:59 there is no way that I'm at that place 10:03 where I could do what James just suggested. 10:07 My brethren, 10:08 he says in verse 2 of James Chapter 1, 10:11 "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials." 10:18 I've never been to a trial party. 10:23 I've never been to a trial celebration, 10:25 accept after the verdict 10:27 and the person was vindicated, 10:28 but not at the beginning of a trial. 10:30 Look at what it says though in verse 3. 10:33 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 10:39 Verse 4, "But let patience have its perfect work." 10:46 And here's the reason why. 10:47 This is something you don't see that you need, 10:49 but God knows. 10:51 "Let patience have its perfect work, 10:54 that you may be complete, 10:56 that is the word mature, lacking nothing. 11:02 And then going down to the verses right after that, 11:06 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, 11:08 let him ask of God, who gives all liberally 11:10 and without reproach, and it will be given." 11:13 So what's being said here, 11:14 is there are those of us that need patience? 11:17 I heard the story about a guy who went to doctor, 11:20 and he says, okay, doctor, 11:22 I really, psychiatrist actually. 11:24 Doctor, I really, really need patience. 11:26 He said, okay, I'm gonna pray that you have trials. 11:28 He said, no, I don't want trials, I want patience. 11:30 He says, well, don't, you know, that the trials 11:33 that you face produces patience. 11:35 He said, I just want patience without the trials. 11:37 Well, sometimes you will come to the conclusion 11:39 there is no way. 11:40 And I heard, somebody one said, 11:42 oh I don't' have a temper anymore. 11:44 Until one day I saw them 11:45 doing all they can not to chew 11:47 their own teeth out of their mouths. 11:48 And he said, 11:49 oh that person really gets on my final nerve. 11:51 And I said, you will never know that, 11:53 unless you have that trial. 11:55 So allow the Lord to take you through 11:56 and then one other thing I want to add to that is, 11:59 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13, No temptation, 12:02 and let me also add the word there 12:03 because with trials come temptations. 12:05 "No temptation has overtaken you, 12:07 but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, 12:11 who will not allow you to be tempted, 12:14 that is to go through a trial beyond what you are able, 12:17 but with that temptation also make a way of escape, 12:21 that you may be able to bear it." 12:23 So there is nothing coming your way that you can't bear, 12:25 but the problem is, we don't want it to come our way, 12:27 but God knows best. 12:28 So I was gonna read 12:29 from Revelation 3 on that very point, 12:32 because it seems to imply in verse 18, 12:35 that God is asking us to buy from him a fiery trial, 12:40 which is to make us white, 12:42 which is to make us shine like gold. Okay. 12:46 And so, it's almost, it's almost implied there 12:49 that we should be open to trials knowing that 12:53 it's going to produce in us patience. 12:56 Right, okay. 12:57 And so Laodicea likes the lay back, 12:59 doesn't want the trial, yet God is saying, 13:02 you need the trial to prepare you for what is to come. 13:06 So open yourself to it. 13:08 And so there is this understanding 13:09 and Peter also because you mentioned 13:11 Peter with the strange trial. Okay. 13:13 Or don't consider it strange, 13:14 the fiery trial is to try you. 13:16 It's 1 Peter 4:12. Yeah. 13:18 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning 13:20 the fiery trial which is to try you, 13:22 as though some strange thing happened to you, 13:25 but rejoice to the extent 13:27 that you partake of Christ's sufferings, 13:30 that when His glory is revealed, 13:32 that you may be glad with exceeding joy. 13:35 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, 13:38 blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory 13:41 and of God rests upon you. 13:43 On their part He is blasphemed, 13:44 but on your part He is glorified." 13:47 So there is this idea here 13:48 at least the Bible is teaching us 13:51 that we can gladly experience 13:55 or accept trials knowing that 13:57 God's glory can be seen in us through those trials. 14:01 I can remember and not to belabor this too long, 14:04 but I can remember one of my favorite sermons 14:06 ever was by Morris Venden 14:10 and he preached about this young man 14:13 who went through the trial of having cancer 14:14 and he experienced this 14:16 in the sight of his friends going to school. 14:21 And when he finally passed away, 14:22 they could talk nothing about the dignity 14:25 and the steadfastness enduring the trial, 14:28 how God's glory was seen through his life. 14:32 And I'll tell you, you could hear pin drop in that room, 14:34 everybody was just moved. 14:36 There is something about someone going through 14:38 a trial like that and enduring it 14:40 for the sake of Christ with integrity, 14:43 dignity and integrity, 14:45 people are moved by that. 14:48 And so, if you are facing something that's difficult, 14:53 here's another encouraging point 14:54 and I've learned this because as pastors, 14:58 we are on the frontline of Satan's firing squad. 15:04 You know, he wants to bring discouragement to those 15:06 who are in leadership positions. 15:08 But let me also tell you this, 15:09 no matter, what the trial is, 15:11 it's not going to last always. 15:13 So endure through it. 15:15 One person once said, 15:16 the tunnel maybe very, very long, 15:18 but it has an opening on both ends. 15:21 So go through it patiently, 15:23 and when you come out on the other side, 15:24 at least, you will be able to have an experience 15:26 that somebody in your future is gonna be able 15:29 to be strengthened by because of your experience. 15:32 So trials don't last always. Yeah. 15:34 There is a text in the Bible, 15:36 it says, "After This," 15:38 in the story of Job, the very last Chapter of Job, 15:41 you find these two words. 15:42 You get a chance to look at Job Chapter 42, 15:44 just before the very last verse 15:46 you find these two words, 'After This." 15:49 Even in Job's life, his hard blow as it was, 15:52 there was and "After This". 15:55 We have another question, and this came from, 15:58 I call the original email or I call this kneemail, 16:04 they get here on their knees 16:07 rather than through the internet. 16:10 Why do we baptize? 16:12 Why do we baptize in the name of the Father, 16:15 Son and Holy Spirit, instead of baptizing 16:18 in the name of Jesus only? 16:21 Well, let me first point out the text. 16:22 And if you have your Bibles go with us 16:23 to Acts Chapter 2 verse 38. 16:25 You want to write this down to, 16:26 if you don't have a Bible. 16:27 If you are driving in your car, 16:28 just listen, don't pull over, 16:30 I mean, you could pull over, 16:32 but don't turn or try to find the Bible text 16:35 on your electronic device. 16:38 Acts 2 and verse 38, 16:39 this is the text that people often refer to, 16:42 and John, you know, what's amazing about this? 16:43 They build an entire doctrine 16:45 around this one verse, one verse. 16:47 One of the things you don't want to do is build 16:50 a doctrine around one verse 16:52 because what happens it that takes into account, 16:56 well that does not take into account 16:57 the other many verses that say something 17:00 that can help you be directed in the proper direction. 17:03 Acts 2 and verse 38, it read as follows. 17:06 Then Peter said to them. 17:09 This is on the Day of Pentecost. 17:11 "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized 17:15 in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, 17:21 and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 17:24 Well, was Peter not being honest? 17:26 Well, Peter was being not only honest, 17:28 he was being accurate. 17:30 He did exactly, what he was told to do. 17:33 But now where did the commission come from? 17:35 Look at Matthew Chapter 28 verse 18 to verse 20. 17:40 Matthew 28 verse 18 to 20. 17:43 Jesus gave the commission. 17:45 This is the one that people like to refer to, 17:47 and as Danny Shelton, 17:49 he always talk about the blessings on the go. 17:51 Well, the go is, this is the go he's talking about." 17:54 And Jesus came and spoke to them saying 17:57 'All authority has been given to Me 17:59 in heaven and on earth.' 18:02 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 18:05 baptizing them in the name of the Father 18:07 and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, 18:13 teaching them to observe all things 18:14 that I have commanded you, 18:17 and lo, I am with you always, 18:19 even to the end of the age." 18:22 Now I want you to notice something. 18:24 When the Bible says, in the name of the word 18:27 there in the Greek name is the same word 18:30 in the authority of. 18:33 So if I say to you, 18:35 I come to you in the name of Jesus. 18:37 I come to you in the power, 18:38 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 18:40 I come to you through the Father. 18:42 There is no division in the authority, 18:46 but what Peter was talking about 18:48 in Acts Chapter 2 was what the, 18:51 what those on the Day of Pentecost first needed? 18:54 You see, on the day of Day of Pentecost, 18:57 there were Jews devout men, 18:59 Jews out of every nation unto heaven gathered there. 19:02 And the reason why he said be baptize 19:05 in the name of Jesus. 19:06 And I looked into this even further, 19:08 it was not because he was leaving out the Father 19:10 and the Son, but they had no problem with the Father. 19:13 As Jews, they already accepted God, 19:16 but remember, he even went further, 19:19 there is no other name given among men, 19:21 whereby must be saved. 19:23 What is the name? The name is Jesus. 19:25 So he was saying to them. 19:26 The very one that you have a hard time receiving, 19:29 the very one that you have been rejecting. 19:31 This is the one you need to accept, 19:33 so that your sins can be forgiven. 19:36 He wasn't just saying, 19:37 baptize in the name of Jesus only. 19:38 He was talking to Jews. 19:40 And so, since the apostles 19:41 and disciples have been empowered by the Holy Spirit 19:44 to take the Gospel first to Jerusalem, 19:46 they were at that great Pentecost feast. 19:50 So he said to the Jews, okay. 19:51 You want your sins to be forgiven? 19:52 You have to accept Jesus, 19:54 that's what he was in essence saying. 19:55 Not leaving the Father out 19:57 not saying the Holy Spirit doesn't really matter. 19:59 But if you will read the rest of the text, 20:00 he says, if you are baptized in the name of Jesus, 20:03 you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 20:07 The reason why he didn't mention the Father, 20:09 he is talking to Jews, 20:11 who had no problem with God, the Father. 20:13 They had already looked at him, 20:15 and they had already committed themselves to Him 20:17 as the sole authority in their lives. 20:19 But remember, Jesus said, 20:22 there's only one mediator between me and you, 20:26 between me and the Father, 20:28 sorry, there's only one mediator 20:30 between you and the Father and that's me. 20:32 So no one is going to get to the Father 20:34 except they get through me. That's right. 20:36 And that's what Peter was saying, 20:37 you've got to go through Jesus. 20:38 You want your sins forgiven, you got to go through Jesus, 20:41 that's what he meant on that day. 20:43 So now let me illustrate that. 20:45 Go with me to Acts, 20:46 go with me to Acts Chapter 8 verse 14 to 17. 20:50 I've got a oil on my lips today John, 20:51 I'm sliding, go with me. 20:53 The word raw, I had a difficult time with that, 20:55 I got it now by the way. 20:58 Why don't you read that for us? 20:59 Acts 40, Acts 8 verse 14 to 17. 21:02 This is the beautiful illustration 21:04 of how the principle that I just emphasized 21:08 about the Father, Son, 21:09 and the Holy Spirit is talked about 21:10 in this particular text. 21:12 It says in verse 14 of Acts 8. 21:16 "Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem 21:18 heard that Samaria had received the word of God, 21:22 they sent Peter and John to them, 21:24 Who, when they had come down, prayed for them, 21:26 that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 21:29 For as yet he had fallen upon none of them, 21:32 they had only been baptized 21:34 in the name of the Lord Jesus." 21:35 They had only been baptized 21:37 in the name of the Lord Jesus. That's right. 21:39 Now get this before you read the next verse. 21:41 So they got to that point. 21:42 So in essence, they always 21:45 had the Father in their lives. 21:47 God has always been a part of the Jewish mindset. 21:51 Now they accepted Jesus. 21:53 But, what were they still needing? 21:55 They needed the power to go forward. 21:58 Go to the next verse. 22:00 "Then they laid hands on them, 22:02 and they received the Holy Spirit." 22:04 Okay, "They laid hands on them, 22:07 and they received the Holy Spirit." 22:10 That's exactly what Peter said will happen, 22:13 if you accept Jesus. 22:14 The other thing too here is, when we are baptized, 22:16 it's not just about believing in Jesus as our intercessor, 22:21 as our Savior. 22:23 It's about accepting God as our Father. 22:25 That's right. 22:26 It's about accepting the work of the Holy Spirit 22:28 in our lives to transform our character, 22:31 and it's about getting all those things, 22:33 receiving all those things at the time of baptism. 22:36 So we can't just narrow down our faith 22:39 to just our experience with Jesus. Right. 22:41 And I think some of this comes from, 22:43 you know, words and language such as, 22:45 well I'm a New Testament Christian, 22:47 I believe in the words of Jesus only in His teachings. 22:50 As if they don't understand and they don't probably, 22:53 Jesus is the one who wrote, 22:55 help to inspire the Old Testament. 22:57 He was the one alive 22:58 and leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. 23:01 And so, Jesus is throughout. Right. 23:05 And we can't just isolate Him from His Father 23:09 from the work of the Holy Spirit 23:10 in our Christian experience 23:12 and part of being baptized is accepting 23:16 that understanding of the God had 23:18 and all of their roles as part of our daily life. 23:21 That's right, and matter of fact, 23:22 the words used in the Old Testament 23:24 to indicate that Jesus was, 23:27 they didn't used the name Jesus, per say, 23:29 because when He was being born, 23:31 the injunction was given call His name Jesus, 23:33 "For He shall save His people from their sins." 23:34 But He was called the Redeemer, 23:36 the Rock, he was called God. 23:39 And so all throughout 23:41 the Bible very, very good point, 23:43 Jesus was always the leading agent 23:45 between the Father and us. That's right. 23:48 So but in a nutshell to be baptized in the name of Jesus 23:53 only is not receiving the power 23:56 that comes as we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. 24:00 And so, if you preferred only Jesus, 24:03 you can't reject the Father and you cannot do anything 24:06 without the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. 24:08 Anything more we have before? 24:09 You know, my next question is little longer. 24:11 I notice that I don't want to take our time too long, 24:13 do you have a shorter question there? 24:14 I have a very short one right here, yeah. 24:17 Can we learn obedience without suffering? 24:19 It was a good question somebody raised. 24:22 Evidently they are going through suffering, 24:24 and we had two of those along that line today. 24:26 And I know that lot of people watch the program, 24:28 they want to get encouragement, 24:29 so we try to do that. 24:31 But let me just tell you what they were talking about. 24:33 The context of their question said, 24:35 Jesus went through suffering and became obedient. 24:40 Can we become obedient 24:41 without going through suffering? 24:44 What I want to emphasize is, 24:45 Jesus didn't become obedient by going through trial, 24:49 by going through suffering. 24:51 His suffering showed 24:53 the veracity of His obedience. 24:56 Meaning, he was always obedient 24:58 and suffering came to see, 24:59 if that obedience can be relinquished. 25:03 In other words, I'm not going through that, 25:04 I'm not that obedient. 25:06 And there are some individuals they think that 25:07 self-obedience or suffering produces obedience, 25:11 but suffering reveals obedience. 25:12 That's right. Well, give quickly as you continue on, 25:15 the opposite of obedience is rebellion. 25:19 I mean, that's the direct antithesis, 25:20 that's the opposite. Right. 25:22 So either you are obedient or you are rebellious. 25:24 That's right. So really the devil is using trials 25:29 to turn you into being rebellious 25:31 rather than being obedient. And in Christ case, 25:34 he remained obedient in trials 25:36 and that's what you are saying. 25:37 That is exactly the point. He didn't become obedient, 25:40 He remained obedient. 25:42 He did everything the Father had asked Him to do. 25:44 Everything the Father sent Him to do, 25:46 He became obedient and how far did his obedience go 25:50 even to the death of the cross. 25:51 Here's the text, Philippians Chapter 2 verse 8. 25:55 I'll read this for you. Yep. 25:57 And "Being found in appearance as a man," 26:00 that in itself is a symbol of obedience. 26:03 How, I mean, how do you, John there is a, 26:07 and maybe some of you have heard about this, 26:09 there is program on television? 26:12 You know, we are so busy sometimes, 26:13 you don't watch it, but one of the ones my wife 26:14 like to watch is where the boss goes undercover 26:19 and lives among the employees. 26:21 I forgot what's the name. 26:22 Simpson, advertisements for that. 26:23 I forgot what it is called. That's interesting, yeah. 26:25 Very, very interesting, and it reminded me in some sense 26:27 of what Jesus did. He is the boss, 26:29 but He came an undercover. And that's what this says. 26:31 and being found in appearance as a man, 26:34 and don't use that sermon title, okay. Yes. 26:37 You know, it's called the boss of, He comes in under, 26:41 He changes His position, walks with us, 26:45 does everything that we must do, 26:48 faces all the trials that we do on a day-by-day basis, 26:51 and then reveals Himself later on. 26:53 And so that's what Jesus did. 26:55 "And being found in appearance as a man, 26:59 He humbled Himself and became obedient 27:02 to the point of death, even the death of the cross." 27:07 And John there's another text I'd like you to read for us, 27:09 if you go there Isaiah 1. This text really shows, 27:12 John, you made a point a moment ago 27:14 about there are only two sides, 27:16 and I'll let you emphasize that again 27:17 after you read this text. So if you are having 27:20 a difficulty with obedience then the suffering 27:23 will reveal the level of your obedience, 27:28 the level of your willingness to be obedient. 27:30 Read those verses, Acts, Isaiah 1 verse 19 and 20. 27:36 "If you are willing and obedient, 27:37 you shall eat of the good of the land, 27:39 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured 27:43 by the sword for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." 27:46 So clear there are two opposites. 27:47 And what are they again? 27:49 Either you, or obey, you are willing and obedient 27:53 or you refuse and rebel. 27:55 Isn't that amazing? 27:56 So you are willingly or you refuse, 27:57 you are obedient or you rebel. 27:59 Isn't that amazing? Two categories. 28:02 You can see that when sermons are preached, 28:04 we can often tell who is willing? 28:06 We can often tell who refuses? 28:09 Those who are willing are those who will become 28:11 obedient and follow Christ? Those who are refusing 28:14 to hear what God has to say, they will be led to rebellion. 28:17 So the category is simple, but it's never right 28:22 to obedience that always starts with willingness. 28:25 And let me end with the text in Second Corinthians. 28:30 This has become, do you have another one for us? 28:33 Yeah, I have got to read this as you are transitioning there 28:35 go for it, it's from Acts Chapter 13. 28:38 And this here is on the Sabbath, 28:43 Paul and Barnabas got together to preach 28:46 and the Jews showed up to listen. 28:50 And here's what they said, verse 45. 28:54 "But when the Jews saw the multitudes, 28:56 they were filled with envy, 28:57 and contradicting and blasphemy, 28:59 they opposed the things spoken by Paul." 29:01 In other words, they weren't willing and obedient, 29:03 they refused and rebelled. 29:07 And notice here verse 46, 29:08 "Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold, and said, 29:11 it was necessary that the word of God 29:13 should be spoken to you first but since you rejected 29:17 and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, 29:20 behold, we turn to the Gentiles." The whole reason, 29:23 why the Gospel was given to the Gentiles, 29:24 the church to preach was because the Jews as a nation 29:29 refused and rebelled. They would not do, 29:33 they would not follow through with proving their obedience 29:37 and it will become a legalistic thing, 29:38 it will become a system of man's obligation 29:42 rather than what God has asked them 29:44 to do through His Son Jesus Christ. 29:46 So you notice also again I think what you just emphasizes 29:49 that the key to blessings is willingness to be obedient. 29:55 The key to the door that, the key that opens the door 29:57 of blessings is that attitude of willing obedience. 30:02 And here's the last text I have on this, 30:04 but John may have one more. Second Corinthians 8 verse 12, 30:08 this is a very encouraging text. 30:11 Second Corinthians 8 verse 12 and I read this because 30:13 a lot of times we are not always where we are going 30:17 to eventually be, but there is a first and everything. 30:21 Look at this. "For if there is first a willing mind, 30:29 it is accepted according to what one has, 30:32 and not according to what he does not have." 30:35 Sometimes we see things that people don't have and we say, 30:37 but they are not obedient, they are not willing, 30:41 but the Lord looks at each of us what we have 30:43 and what we don't have. 30:45 So what we have to do is, 30:46 if we are willing the things we don't have, 30:49 the Lord will supply, but what we have 30:52 is where God wants us to begin. What do you have? 30:54 Let's start right there, what you have. 30:56 If you are willing, if the mind is willing, 30:59 you are accepted according to what you have 31:02 and not according to what you do not have. 31:04 So start with what you have, and then you will have more 31:08 as God blesses your willing mind and your willing heart. 31:12 And my last comment on that would be the Burrians, 31:15 you know, we see how the word is so important 31:18 as we read the word, as we study the word 31:20 that we are ready, we stand ready to obey the word. 31:23 And we emphasize the last part of the scripture, 31:26 but there is something right at the heart of it, 31:27 that is the key from Acts 17:11, it says, 31:30 "These were more fair minded than those in Thessalonica 31:34 in that they received the word with all readiness 31:39 and searched the scriptures daily 31:40 to find out whether these things were so." 31:42 We say, oh, they searched the scriptures to find out 31:44 what was being said is true, yes, but when they did it, 31:47 they were, they have the word, 31:49 they received the word with readiness of mind. 31:51 That's right. And eagerness to obey, 31:53 to follow and so, that is really the key. 31:57 That's a very good point, readiness of mind. 32:01 Wouldn't it be wonderful if everybody 32:02 who sat in front of the sermon was ready... Yeah. 32:07 To receive, they were ready to receive it, anyhow... 32:10 That's why at the end we say, 32:12 we have a little section that says, 32:14 hymn of response. Okay. 32:16 Or the congregation response. 32:19 So the preacher preaches the message. 32:21 How does the congregation respond hopefully 32:23 with readiness to do what they have heard in the message? 32:27 That changes the approach of our appeal. 32:29 Thank you very much. Are you ready to do it? 32:31 what God wants you to do? Yes. 32:33 That's the key. Only the Lord can make us ready. 32:35 But thank you for your questions and comments, 32:37 hopefully today we've made some sense. 32:39 And if we've opened anymore doors 32:41 or if there is a question in your mind 32:42 lingering around here is the address 32:44 that you need to send it to us. 32:45 Send it to housecalls@3abn.org that's housecalls@3abn.org. 32:51 And I learned that we have a new mail system, 32:53 now but the same address. 32:54 This way we can get to your questions lot better 32:56 as we are now able to filter out all the spam 32:59 that really becomes a part of e-mail traffic. 33:01 But send those questions and we do appreciate 33:03 all of your participation. 33:05 Today, we talked about having the topic of death 33:09 in the context of spiritualism and why it's so relevant 33:12 in the last days to understand what the Bible says 33:15 about death. And you know, John, 33:19 this topic is just a phenomenal one in that. 33:24 There is such a push by Satan, 33:26 and I just want to be very candid 33:28 about where it came from or where it comes from. 33:31 There is such a push by the forces of darkness 33:34 to prepare people's minds for the ultimate 33:38 deception of the ages. And this topic about understanding 33:42 what happens when a person dies, 33:44 is usually the first line of defense 33:47 against being deceived. That's right. 33:49 First and best line of defense against being deceived. 33:53 I've done so much talking knowledge 33:55 you lead us into the topic today. 33:57 Well, I'm on this springboard of what you are saying here 33:59 because talking about first line of defense unless 34:03 your mind knows what to look for. Right. 34:06 Then you are going to be open to anything. 34:08 And one of the major problems with the new age movement 34:12 and the movement, to the reemergence of Paganism 34:17 and Wicca and other things surrounding the spirit world 34:21 is that the individuals that are getting involved in this, 34:24 don't know what lies in the spirit world. 34:27 To them, it is the dead who have passed on 34:31 who are now alive, they died and they are now alive 34:33 in the spirit world and they are good spirits. 34:36 That's what's being said. That's what's being said. 34:38 Right. And so, 34:39 when you accept that and engaging trying to communicate 34:43 with them, but don't realize that 34:46 instead the Bible paints a far different picture. 34:48 That's right. That the only spirit world 34:50 you will connect with is Satan and his demon host, 34:54 pretending to be good spirits then you are in trouble. 34:58 And so, I just, as you and I talked, we said, you know, 35:01 we haven't done a study in probably the last few years 35:06 on what happens when you die? 35:09 But especially in the context of spiritualism 35:11 last day moments. That's right. 35:13 And so this is what we are going to do here 35:15 and we will lay some ground work by telling you 35:17 what the Bible does say about what happens upon death? 35:20 What our nature is, that we are not immortal, 35:24 any part of us is immortal, but that we will receive 35:28 immortality only at the resurrection. 35:31 And so we will share some of those things with you here 35:33 and then we will get into that in the context 35:35 of what Satan is trying to do today to win hearts 35:38 and minds to his cause. I'm gonna read a text 35:41 that I wouldn't normally read, John. 35:43 Okay, I'm... It's a springboard 35:44 and it's a text that is often commonly misunderstood. 35:49 Right. And I'm going to Revelation 16 verse... 35:55 Thirteen. Verse 16. Okay. 35:58 I'm not gonna cover 13 yet. Okay. 36:00 Got you. You got me. Verse 16. 36:03 I'm trying to figure you out. Yeah, that's not too hard. 36:08 There you go. All right, here we go, 36:10 Revelation 16:16, "And they gather them together 36:14 to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon." 36:20 Now the question in this whole, in this passage, 36:24 in this text. Who is the way? 36:28 Oh! That's sounds, it's a very good one. 36:30 "Who is the way that are gathering them together 36:33 in the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon." 36:35 Because we commonly just use this term, 36:38 the battle of Armageddon, but the term itself 36:42 does not appear in the scriptures. Right. 36:46 The place called Armageddon appears in the scriptures. 36:50 There is a spiritual battle going on in this place 36:53 called Armageddon, but there is no purely battle of 36:57 Armageddon, phraseology here within the scriptures. True. 37:00 So we have to ask, 37:02 who is gathering in Armageddon? 37:05 And so now let's back up and see that in verse 13, 37:10 "John saw three unclean spirits like frogs 37:14 coming out of the mouth of the dragon, 37:17 the mouth of the beast, 37:19 and the mouth of the false prophet. 37:21 For they are spirits of demons performing signs, 37:24 which go out to the Kings of the Earth 37:26 and of the whole world to gather them to the battle 37:29 of that Great Day of God Almighty." 37:32 Then Jesus inserts His verse there, 37:34 "Behold, I'm coming quickly." 37:36 But notice then it returns to verse 16 and they, 37:39 that is the beast or the dragon, 37:42 the beast and the false prophet, 37:44 they gather them together to a place in Hebrew 37:46 called Armageddon. 37:49 So, who is gathering its forces in Armageddon? 37:53 The dragon. The enemy. 37:55 The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, 37:56 that is who are, is gathering right now. 37:58 So while Christ is gathering His people, 38:02 the enemy is gathering his people, 38:05 and they are gathering in Armageddon. 38:07 Now some associate Armageddon which is Har Megiddo, 38:11 so most connecting the place of Megiddo 38:16 and the mount near Megiddo which is Carmel 38:19 where Elijah had the battle versus 38:21 the false prophets of Baal. 38:23 So we see that connection there, 38:24 but let me share something kind of interesting 38:26 as I did some study on this. 38:29 A geographically, Megiddo is to the north of Jerusalem 38:35 way up valley. Jerusalem obviously then itself, 38:40 but if you come out of Jerusalem, 38:41 you find in this valley as you are heading up 38:43 toward Megiddo, the valley known as Jehoshaphat. Right. 38:48 And Joel's speaks of when the nations 38:51 get together to battle and they make their decisions, 38:54 the multitudes, multitudes gathering in the valley 38:56 of decision also called the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 39:00 We find a in between spot between Megiddo, 39:05 Armageddon to the north and Jerusalem 39:08 just here to the southwest. 39:11 So God's forces are coming out into the valley, 39:15 Armageddon is coming down to march and spiritually. 39:18 Now I'm saying little, little battle here, 39:19 but spiritually we are finding a meeting point 39:22 where decisions of all are going to take place, 39:26 so I want to be sure. And I want our viewers 39:28 to be sure, our listeners to be sure that 39:31 they know what voices are gathering them, 39:35 and who they want to side with. 39:38 Let's start with these voices. 39:39 I think that when we talk 39:40 about these three unclean spirits. 39:43 A mouth. Okay. Yeah, I know, yeah... 39:46 Coming out of the mouth. 39:47 Let's see the first act of the mouth. 39:50 Go with me to the Book of Genesis. Let's see... 39:54 A good segue. The mouth... 39:56 I'm feeling it. The mouth. Okay. 40:02 Genesis Chapter 3. 40:04 And you go here by the way because 40:06 we are talking about the dragon. 40:07 There we go. Who is the dragon? 40:09 Who is also connected with his coalition? 40:12 Who is the beast and the false prophet? 40:13 And we will tell you who they are? 40:14 Well, let's look at the dragon 40:15 and what he's talking about. Start with him. 40:18 Genesis Chapter 3 and verse 1. 40:23 "Now the serpent." Now stop there, 40:27 let's show you how we got that definition 40:30 because the dragon, remember that? 40:32 The dragon, go to Revelation very quickly. 40:35 Revelation Chapter 12 because a lot of times 40:39 you will see the Revelation has some key elements in it 40:44 that will make it really clear for us 40:46 about the dragon, okay. The dragon there, 40:50 we just read now the serpent 40:51 in Genesis Chapter 3 and verse 1. 40:54 We are gonna go back to Genesis, 40:55 but let's look at this here quickly. 40:57 And Revelation Chapter 12 and verse 9, 41:03 "Now the great dragon was cast out, 41:07 that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan 41:12 who deceives the whole world he was cast to the earth, 41:17 and his angels were cast out with him." 41:19 Now notice this, when they, when John writes the word 41:23 or the phrase great dragon, he says, 41:26 remember that serpent of old, let's meet the serpent of old. 41:31 There we go. 41:32 This is the one who has first started talking 41:34 about stuff that has to do with deception. 41:38 This is the context of this program, 41:39 not just about what happens when you die, 41:41 but we are in an atmosphere today of intense deception. 41:45 And it's, if it's anything about deception, 41:48 who is saying it? Where is it coming from? 41:50 And mainly all those shows that are popping up 41:52 about vampires and you know, six feet under and, 41:58 I don't even watch those spiritualistic shows, 42:00 but there are so many shows that have 42:01 to do the people dying and coming back 42:03 or communicating with the dead or aliens coming down 42:06 and all of that stuff is just really, 42:09 there is somebody talking to humanity 42:12 and we've got to see what he is saying, 42:14 if it has to do with the topic of death. 42:16 Genesis 3 verse 1. Let's go in here real quick. 42:18 Okay, that I hit you on a quote. 42:20 All right, John 8:44 because we are defining 42:23 who this dragon is? What his MO is? 42:25 Okay, what's his MO, okay? 42:27 John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, 42:30 and the desires of your father, 42:32 you want to do. He was a murderer 42:33 from the beginning, and does not standing the truth, 42:36 because there is no truth in him. 42:38 When he speaks a lie, he is a, 42:39 he speaks from his own resources 42:41 for he is a liar, and the father of it." 42:45 Okay. He originates the lie. 42:47 So, what is the original lie in the Garden of Eden 42:51 that brought down our race? That's right. 42:53 And it is the very foundation 42:56 on which spiritualism and deception is built. 42:58 That's right. Okay, here it is. 43:00 Genesis 3 and verse 1, 43:01 "Now the serpent was more cunning." 43:03 And this is what's amazing about this atmosphere 43:06 in which we are living in last day, John, its cunning. 43:08 Another word for cunning 43:09 as the King James Version has subtle. 43:13 There is a calm before a storm. 43:17 Storm is coming, my wife and I were walking yesterday 43:20 after we were sitting down so much during the weekend 43:22 we had a wonderful Bible gathering 43:25 being vague about it. 43:27 And after sittings for 12 hours a day, 43:30 three days in a row almost. 43:32 We just head to walking, so my wife took me by the church 43:35 and we were walking and walking and walking 43:37 and it was such beautiful weather, 43:39 but then the winds started picking up, 43:41 and I just joking around with her, 43:43 I said, honey, a tornado is coming, 43:44 this is terrible weather, you are gonna, 43:46 as we are getting exercise you are gonna get me 43:47 blown away and we were laughing about that. 43:50 And I thought to myself, well that maybe a light point, 43:53 but many storms begin suddenly. 43:56 They began calmness and some people have said, 44:00 be careful when the atmosphere gets extremely still 44:04 and it's grey and green and ominous, 44:09 and that's what's happening here. 44:10 The atmosphere that we live in today is grey 44:13 and green and ominous, because it's being formed 44:16 in the subtle mouth of a beast 44:19 who wants to just deceive us. 44:21 Look what it says, 44:22 "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast 44:27 of the field which the Lord God had made." 44:30 And here's the mouth. "And he said to the woman." 44:34 Notice the first thing he did. 44:36 "Has God indeed said?" Now first, my first warning, 44:40 John, is to Christians. 44:42 And I'm gonna hold my Bible here. 44:43 If you don't know what God had said in His word 44:46 and He's only said for pulpits or from preaches 44:50 or from books that talk about the after life 44:52 without giving you substantial support 44:54 for the things that they are advancing, 44:56 then you are being setup because 44:58 they are getting you to question what God had said, 45:00 and that's the first thing that Satan 45:03 does to be able to plant an idea. 45:06 Has God said that? Has God indeed said? 45:10 And going through the story little, 45:13 I want you to continue in that vein here in, 45:16 "Has God indeed said, 45:17 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 45:20 Notice what He has saying, 45:21 He's setting Eve up to try to get her to accept 45:25 what God hasn't given to her. 45:27 And we will see what that's gonna end. 45:29 You had gotten the next verse John. 45:30 And verse 2, "The woman said to the serpent, 45:34 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden. 45:37 But of the fruit of the tree 45:38 which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 45:41 You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, 45:44 lest you die.'" 45:45 Okay, so what He wants to do? 45:47 He wants to deceive her, but also He wants... 45:50 Let me tell you, 45:51 the end result of deception is always death. 45:53 Look what He says in the next verse, John, 45:54 walk through that slowly. 45:55 It's a very short verse, but milk it. 45:57 "Then the serpent said." By the way with his mouth. 46:01 Okay. "To the woman, 46:03 You shall not surely die." 46:08 In other words, God says, you will die. That's right. 46:11 But you won't really die that word surely 46:15 seems to be a word that doesn't need to be there 46:18 unless he's trying to establish a point. 46:21 Now let's see, if he was telling the truth, 46:23 because, in order for us to go past this point, 46:25 he says, you will not, and notice he used, 46:28 you will not surely die. Now go to Genesis Chapter 2 46:32 and look at verse 17. 46:34 Let's see if he was telling the truth. 46:36 Now we know, he wasn't, but let's just go ahead 46:37 and let the Bible speak for itself. 46:40 Genesis 2 and verse 17, this is God talking, 46:44 "But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 46:46 you shall not eat for in the day that 46:50 you eat of it, you shall surely die." See. Guaranteed! 46:58 Now what's being said today, 46:59 and this is on the topic of death. 47:02 He is dead, but because he is not really dead all the way, 47:06 I mean, his body is dead, but he is not surely dead, 47:10 I mean, I know my mom is now an angel looking down on me, 47:15 so she is not really dead, you know, 47:19 I know her body is right there in coffin in front of us, 47:21 but she is not surely dead, 47:24 that's what being taught in churches nowadays. 47:26 The person is dead, but not they haven't surely died. 47:31 So if they haven't surely died, 47:33 it opens up the door to spiritualism 47:36 and accepting what God really hasn't said. 47:38 So now we look at this category here 47:42 is there surely death or is there death, 47:45 but not surely. What are you looking at, John? 47:49 Well, I'm looking at the wording here, 47:50 the Hebrew wording here and it's a, 47:54 it seems to occur a finality here. Surely die. 47:59 Surely is added to this because he's not just talking 48:01 will you die, you will, 48:02 there will be finality in your death. And that's what... 48:07 There's no element that you have now 48:09 that will exist going forward, that's what God is saying 48:12 when He said, surely die. It'll be over, it's done. 48:14 That's right, and so what, why that so important, John? 48:16 And I appreciate you bring that up 48:18 because a lot of people look at this text and say, 48:19 well what happened when Eve ate the tree? 48:21 She didn't die. That's not what the text is saying. 48:24 It didn't say you will drop dead, 48:26 it says you will surely die. 48:28 It didn't say at the moment you, the moment you eat it, 48:31 you are gonna drop dead. 48:32 It says the moment you eat, you will die. 48:36 There will be a finality that will end your life. 48:40 Jesus uses the term in John 3:16, "Perish." 48:43 That's right. Perish means over, 48:45 done whether you want to talk about 48:48 and we will get into this body, spirit, whatever it is, 48:51 every essence of your being is dead and gone when it, 48:55 when God says, surely die. 48:57 And let's look at that in the context 48:59 of what's happening in our world today, John? 49:01 We are gonna talk about the topic of death. 49:03 And we are talking about the topic of death, 49:04 but there are so many other areas in which this happens. 49:07 Ooh! Ooh! It just came to me? 49:11 I'll go into in the Book of James. 49:12 But let me set it up here. 49:14 Go with that text where it talks about, 49:15 when sin is conceived, you know, that one. Yeah. 49:17 Okay, go with that one. Now here's what we talk about. 49:20 When a person first tries... And I'm gonna use the term, 49:26 that's often used in the street, 49:27 I used to be in New York City I've never tried drugs 49:31 that is all these experimental drugs, 49:37 but let's go ahead and walk down that path. 49:39 When at first, when a person first tries cocaine, 49:45 first as they used a street term hit. 49:49 In many and I haven't heard of any instances 49:53 where on the first try that the person dies, 49:56 but I have heard where cocaine users end up dead. 50:02 I haven't heard of anybody who have first 50:03 tried marijuana, except in the case, it was poisoned. 50:06 And sometimes you run to people that do that, 50:08 but eventually, I've heard of people dying of cancer 50:10 because of the use of marijuana. 50:13 I haven't heard people drinking 50:14 their first drink of alcohol and die, 50:17 but I've heard a people that die of liver toxicity 50:19 from the continue use of alcohol. 50:21 What I'm emphasizing is, John says, 50:23 eventually you are gonna die 50:24 and the finalities are gonna come. 50:25 The results of what you have just entered into, 50:29 you are surely going to be death. 50:30 And the passage we just read, you can book in this passage 50:34 with it because this is what 50:36 Satan was seeking to do with Eve. 50:38 In James 1 verses 14 and 15, 50:42 "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away from, 50:46 by his own desires and enticed. 50:48 " Which Eve was be enticed. That's right. 50:52 "Then, when desire has conceived, 50:53 it gives birth to sin." Eve sinned, 50:56 she touched of the fruit and she ate. 51:00 "And sin, when it is full-grown, 51:02 brings forth death." And in God's terminology, 51:06 in the language of Genesis, it brings forth sure dead. 51:11 That's right. Complete death. 51:13 And then notice verse 16. 51:16 It's almost like James is saying so. 51:18 "Do not be deceived, my brother, 51:21 my brethren." There it is. 51:22 Do not be deceived. 51:24 And Eve was being deceived in Genesis. 51:30 Her desires let her away, she became enticed, 51:32 she ate of the fruit, and she began to die 51:36 the moment sin took over. And so as we go, 51:40 as we take it from, here's, 51:41 we begin to look at this progression 51:44 of sin in its work. We then can booked in this 51:49 and we have not much time left in this program, 51:52 we will advance this further in the next, 51:54 but we can book index with God's steps in where sin, 52:00 where man committed sin. Jesus became the second Adam, 52:04 redeeming man from his sin. 52:07 And he guaranteed them a resurrection. 52:13 And the resurrection is the only means by which man 52:17 who has died can be rise, raise took back to life. 52:21 That's right. That's a very powerful point, 52:24 but I want to build on what you said about, 52:26 do not be deceived, because at the very 52:27 end of that where sin eventually leads to death. 52:31 The very next passage is do not be deceived. 52:33 And what happened when God came to Eve 52:36 and spoke to her. The first thing she said 52:39 in Genesis 3 and verse 13. The woman said, 52:43 now get this. First the serpent said. 52:46 Now, it's the woman chance to speak up. 52:49 The woman said, "The serpent deceived me." 52:54 Deception often leads eventually to death. 52:58 And Paul through Timothy, Timothy writes to us. 53:04 In 1st Timothy 2 and verse 14, 53:07 "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, 53:12 fell into transgression." So what the devil did there, 53:15 and what we want you to get? What was the deception 53:18 that he saw right in them? We are gonna build this up 53:20 in our next upcoming program, but we are laying foundation 53:23 because what we are saying here is in the last day 53:25 context of that the dragon right there 53:31 in Revelation Chapter 16, also Revelation Chapter 12. 53:35 This dragon is all about deception. 53:39 And what will that deception eventually result in. 53:42 It's gonna result in death. The Lord says, 53:45 you will surely die. Satan said 53:47 here was the deception. 53:48 This is why Eve thought it safe to go ahead and try it, 53:51 because she ignored God's word. 53:54 First line of deception, ignoring God's word. 53:56 Second line, following the suggestions of the enemy. 54:00 He said to her in Genesis 3 and verse 4. 54:03 "You will not surely die." And then he says, 54:05 if you disobey God, there are some benefits to it. 54:08 God knows your eyes will be open, you will be like God, 54:11 you will know good and evil. 54:12 Well, you don't have to know evil 54:14 in order to appreciate good, 54:15 and that's what happened here today. 54:17 And there are a lot of programs nowadays, John. 54:19 I'm dedicating myself to making that clear in a series 54:24 that he's gonna talk about of these deceptions 54:27 onto the title unclean spirits. 54:29 So when we talk about this, this deaths topics 54:33 that existing in our world today, 54:34 once again through a lot of television programming. 54:37 I remember years ago, when I heard about this, 54:40 everybody was talking about this movie called "Ghost." 54:43 And I didn't go to the movie to see, 54:45 but when it came on television, 54:46 it was Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg. 54:50 And I think he was the one that died 54:53 and she's the one that had the responsibility 54:55 of channeling, trying to contact the dead. 54:58 In our world today now, you can change the channels, 55:03 switch the channels, no matter, what network, 55:05 the movies, the movie theaters, 55:07 it seems that there is not seems. 55:08 But there is an abundance of movies that all saying 55:11 to you that Satan was telling the truth, 55:14 you will not surely die, but we know, he was lying. 55:17 Yeah. The man doesn't want to die. 55:20 We don't want to die, that's not built within us, 55:23 within our psyche to want to die. 55:25 We want to live forever. 55:26 And so, when sin entered the picture and sin itself 55:30 is very deceptive, I mean you don't even 55:32 need the devil to tempt you sometimes. 55:34 Sin itself will bring about deception, 55:37 because part of it, remember, Jeremiah, 55:40 what was it, it's not coming to me 55:43 very quickly here, but 17:9... 55:46 Seventeen twenty-three. Seventeen, well. 55:47 Well, 17:9, you are right. 55:48 Seventeen nine, "And the heart is deceitful 55:51 above all things, and desperately wicked 55:54 who can know it?" In other words, 55:55 we don't even know, 55:56 we cannot even comprehend in hell. 55:58 How deceitful our heart can be to us? That's right. 56:02 The only thing we have is the word to tell us, 56:04 what is right and what's wrong? 56:05 What's true and what's false? 56:07 So as man doesn't want to die, 56:10 the heart can invent philosophies that say, 56:12 well you will live forever. And we've invent, 56:15 we've invented reincarnation, 56:17 we've invented this spirit world that is good, 56:22 we've reinvented all kinds of... Transmigration. 56:25 Conditions and we've invented, 56:28 we've made the soul become a self-sustaining entity, 56:32 which the Bible does not support, 56:33 any soul apart from the body. So all these things, 56:37 we are gonna get to this. Yeah, that's right. 56:39 I know I'm introducing a few things, 56:40 but this is all part of the grand deception 56:43 that Satan has for the end, whereby, 56:45 he can open the door into spirit world 56:48 and speak to those who aren't having their guard up 56:52 to gather them to the great day 56:54 and the great battle of God Almighty. 56:57 That's why when you read the Bible 56:58 in 1st Corinthians 15 verse 22, 57:00 the Bible says, "For as in Adam all die." 57:03 Don't go down the same path that Adam and Eve went down. 57:06 But it continues, "Even so in Christ 57:08 shall all be made alive." In the context of the study, 57:12 John, we are also gonna 57:13 cover the topic of the resurrection, 57:15 that has been just completely 57:17 omitted from the treasures of today. 57:19 People don't teach the resurrection. 57:20 They think, direct route. 57:22 car accidents, straight to heaven. 57:24 So stay tuned because House Calls 57:26 wants to make it very clear. 57:28 One day God is gonna make a House Call on your life, 57:30 and it's our desire that you will be ready until that day, 57:33 may God bless you and have a wonderful day in Christ. |
Revised 2014-12-17