Participants:
Series Code: PTL
Program Code: PTL000009A
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00:50 The Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:52 is delighted to welcome our 3ABN and Good News television 00:57 audience here to Phoenix, Arizona to the fifteen message 01:05 presentations on, Pathways to Life. 01:10 And it is our hope and prayer that each one 01:12 receives a blessing tonight. 01:14 It is meeting number nine, so we are actually 01:16 in the second half of the series. 01:21 3ABN has been here, Pastor Lomacang has been speaking 01:26 meeting after meeting after meeting, 01:28 giving just tremendous presentations 01:30 from the Word of God. 01:32 Which we're certain will be happening again 01:34 in this meeting number nine. 01:37 In each of the last eight presentations he has 01:41 brought some friends along, some musical friends along. 01:44 And he has done that again tonight as well. 01:45 We are glad that you, we are proud that you 01:50 will have a treat. 01:52 Pastor Lomacang will be singing with Stephanie Dawn 01:55 from Dawn of Hope ministries with Dan Thornton at the piano. 02:01 They will be singing a song together, and then 02:05 the pastor will be leading us in our presentation. 02:08 Before we ask them to come out and to begin the program, 02:11 let's begin with a word of prayer, shall we. 02:13 Heavenly Father, thank You again for a blessed day, 02:19 for another day of life, 02:21 for the privilege of being able to come together and 02:23 enjoy beautiful music, and then to be able to 02:28 think from the Word of God. 02:31 We pray that You bless us now as we 02:33 deal with another topic tonight. 02:37 And we thank You, for we've asked it in Jesus' name. 02:40 Amen. 02:55 Wonderful, merciful Savior, 03:01 precious Redeemer and Friend; 03:07 Who would have thought that a Lamb could 03:13 rescue the souls of men? 03:18 Oh, You rescue the souls of men. 03:29 Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, 03:34 Spirit we long to embrace; 03:40 You offer hope when our hearts have 03:46 hopelessly lost our way. 03:51 Oh, we've hopelessly lost our way. 03:58 You are the One that we praise, 04:04 You are the One we adore. 04:10 You give the healing and grace our 04:16 hearts always hunger for. 04:20 Oh, our hearts always hunger for. 04:31 Almighty, infinite Father, 04:37 faithfully loving Your own. 04:42 Here in our weakness You find us 04:48 falling before Your throne. 04:52 Oh, we're falling before Your throne. 05:00 You are the One that we praise, 05:05 You are the One we adore. 05:11 You give the healing and grace our 05:17 hearts always hunger for. 05:21 Oh, our hearts always hunger for. 05:29 You are the One that we praise, 05:34 You are the One we adore. 05:40 You give the healing and grace our 05:46 hearts always hunger for. 05:50 Oh, our hearts always hunger for. 06:12 - Can we say amen again? ~ Amen. 06:15 Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you, Dan. 06:19 Wonderful, merciful Savior. 06:21 Aren't you glad we serve a wonderful, merciful Savior? 06:27 Each night we have made an attempt each meeting 06:30 to present Jesus as wonderful, merciful Savior. 06:34 And tonight's topic, Hope Beyond the Grave, 06:38 is a topic that definitely needs to have Jesus 06:42 weaved all through it. 06:45 So tonight let's go to the Lord in prayer. 06:51 Our wonderful, merciful Savior, tonight as we 06:54 open Your Word, we pray that You will open our hearts. 06:59 Speak not only from Your Word, but Father, find us 07:04 at the intersection of our belief 07:07 and what Your Word teaches. 07:09 May it be clear, may the truth be seen, 07:13 may Jesus be revealed, may we embrace what You say. 07:20 But even more than what You say, 07:23 may we accept You as our Lord and our Savior. 07:26 In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. 07:32 Recently Billy Graham passed away. 07:36 A giant in the Christian world. 07:40 Generations have been blessed by his ministry. 07:44 And Billy Graham was able to do, at the time of his ministry... 07:47 What a man of God. 07:49 A man that did not hesitate to uplift Jesus. 07:53 Growing up I remember so many of the times when he preached 07:56 they would preempt the regular broadcast 07:58 when Billy Graham had his crusades. 08:01 And he and Beverly Shea would always sing 08:04 that song, I'd Rather Have Jesus. 08:06 And what a man he was. 08:09 Throughout the years thousands, and probably millions, 08:12 have come to know Christ because of his ministry. 08:16 President after president, after president, 08:18 dignitaries, have been in the presence of Billy Graham. 08:22 And they have all said, "What a godly man." 08:25 I couldn't help but to watch the news very recently. 08:28 But the one thing that disturbed me, not about Billy Graham, 08:31 but about after he passed away is, so many people said, 08:35 "Billy Graham is in heaven now. 08:37 He's with his wife." 08:39 And although Billy Graham led so many people to accept Jesus, 08:42 I do believe this evening that Billy Graham 08:46 is going to be in the kingdom. 08:48 That's my firm conviction. 08:50 But I'm not the judge. I don't decide that. 08:52 But I do believe, based on the kind of life he lived, 08:54 that he had a relationship with Jesus Christ. 08:57 But I don't believe that he understood as clearly 09:00 as he should have the topic on what the Bible 09:03 teaches about death. 09:05 Notice his words. 09:06 This is a quotation from Billy Graham. 09:08 This is after his wife passed away, he said... 09:30 Now I believe he's going to see his wife, 09:32 but she's not in heaven, and neither is he. 09:35 According to the Word of God, 09:36 they are both resting until Jesus comes. 09:41 Let's go right to the Word of God and see the Bible verses. 09:44 It's important that we establish our foundation 09:46 on what the Word of God says, not on what society says, 09:51 not on what the television says. 09:53 You'll notice that sometimes you'll see on the news 09:56 as soon as someone famous dies, when Michael Jackson died 09:59 they said, "He's in heaven." 10:00 When Liberace died they said, "He's in heaven." 10:03 When Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra died, 10:07 "He's in heaven." 10:12 The righteous will eventually be in heaven. 10:15 But they will not be in heaven until Jesus comes. 10:19 Notice the Word of God, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. 10:28 That's the only place our foundation should be established 10:30 in our beliefs: by the word of the Lord. 10:41 That means, "asleep," that means nobody is going 10:44 before those who are in the grave. 10:46 If we're alive, we're not going before them. 10:48 The Bible continues. 11:12 Let me not run past this verse. 11:14 My mother who is resting in Jesus, 11:16 and my mother who gave me life who is resting in Jesus, 11:19 we are both going to meet the Lord together. 11:23 Caught up how? Together. 11:25 Say that. Caught up how? Together. 11:27 That's what the Bible says. 11:29 They're not going before me, and I'm not going before them. 11:32 We're going to be caught up together to meet the Lord. 11:34 Which means we haven't met Him yet. 11:36 They haven't met Him at death, 11:39 and we haven't met Him yet because we are still waiting 11:41 for the coming of the Lord. 11:42 And then the Bible says, "...with them in the clouds 11:44 to meet the Lord in the air." 11:58 When we tell people that their loved ones are not 12:02 in heaven now, it amazes me that so many people get upset. 12:06 And we're not saying they're not going to be in heaven, 12:09 we are saying they will be when Jesus comes back. 12:16 That's the only foundation we can establish this belief on. 12:20 When you think about it tonight, a lie told 6,000 years ago 12:24 is still believed today. 12:26 People believe that their dead relatives 12:28 can still contact them. 12:30 The danger with that is, when you open that door 12:32 you open the door to spiritualism, to demons. 12:37 They call them ghosts. 12:39 You have these people that are being paid professionally. 12:41 When I was growing up I was raised in the era 12:45 that spiritualists looked very creepy and weird. 12:49 But nowadays they look just as sharp as 12:51 anybody that's professional. 12:53 They say the Long Island medium, or whether man or woman, 12:58 they dress in such a way they make themselves look legitimate. 13:01 The only that way you can determine whether or not 13:03 somebody is legitimate is based on the Word of God. 13:05 Am I right? 13:06 Others believe that their dead relatives 13:08 are now their guardian angels. 13:10 My family, sometimes I look at Facebook and, 13:13 you know, my family are predominately Catholic, 13:16 they'll say, "Well, you know, mama is watching over me now." 13:19 No, the only one that can watch over us 13:21 is our holy angel or the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. 13:26 People don't die and become angels. 13:28 Some ask the dead for advice and believe that 13:31 the dead periodically visit. 13:33 Dangerous. 13:34 I've heard about people that said, "Well..." 13:36 A young man called me once from Florida, he said, 13:38 "My mother kept visiting me, but I'm afraid." 13:42 And I said, "Well is your mother... 13:44 Why are you afraid of your mother?" 13:45 He said, "She died." 13:47 And I told him what to do when he had that next visit. 13:49 He did it, and she never, ever... 13:50 That apparition, by the way. 13:52 It's not her. 13:54 But the Bible talks about familiar spirits. 13:57 Familiar, from which we get the word, family. 13:59 So the devil... 14:01 And then people say, "Well how can that not be my mother? 14:04 They know things that only my mother knows." 14:07 Come on, let's get real here. 14:09 The devil and his angels have been around since Satan 14:12 and his angels have been cast out of heaven. 14:15 And until we accept the fact that there is good 14:18 and there is evil, we will be setting ourselves 14:21 up for deception. 14:22 Others talk openly to their dead, waiting for answers. 14:25 Some people go to the graveside and they talk to the tombstones. 14:28 I am glad they're not getting answers. 14:34 But some of them say they are. 14:36 Some of them say they embraced their daughter. 14:40 A lady talked about the fact that her dead daughter 14:42 walked into the room and sat in her lap, 14:45 and they talked for hours. 14:47 A good friend of mine said, "I had a 45 minute 14:49 conversation with my mother." 14:51 And it was on Facebook. And I sent her a text. 14:53 You know, when I see opportunities like that, 14:55 I cannot hesitate to let people know what God's Word says. 14:57 Amen, somebody. 14:59 We should not be afraid to tell somebody who is being deceived 15:03 the beautiful truth of God's Word. 15:06 And so often we say, "Well, we don't want to offend them." 15:10 "Well..." 15:11 Now I'm not saying go to a funeral and pass out fliers 15:14 about what happens when you die. 15:16 Don't be insensitive. 15:17 But I'm saying, when we know that somebody is not 15:19 believing the truth, if we think about it, 15:21 if somebody is going in the wrong direction 15:23 would you stand back and say, "I don't want to offend them. 15:27 Let them get lost, and when they figure out they're lost 15:29 I'll tell them how to get to the right place." 15:30 No! 15:32 If we really care about somebody, we will tell them 15:34 the truth of God's Word lovingly. 15:37 But don't leave them in darkness. 15:39 Some people go to the cemetery and talk to the grave. 15:41 Some say that they died and floated above 15:44 their bodies before returning. 15:45 All these ways Satan is deceiving the world. 15:48 Others say they died and went to heaven 15:50 and returned with a message from God. 15:53 And often the devil uses little children, 15:55 innocent little children, 15:57 and he says, "I brought a message back from God." 16:00 And then he says, "Everybody dies and goes to heaven." 16:03 So we look at this nine year old little kid and we say, 16:06 "He wouldn't lie." 16:08 But let me tell you something. 16:11 Eve was deceived. 16:13 And she was perfect. 16:16 If the devil can deceive somebody who was perfect, 16:20 what chance does an inexperienced little child have 16:23 whose mind is not yet protected by what the Bible says? 16:29 Others say they died and went to heaven 16:31 and came back with a message. 16:32 Some claim to have the ability to conjure up 16:34 the spirits of the dead. 16:36 And some say they embrace their children after they have died. 16:39 Tonight we're going to find out how amazing it is 16:44 that a lie told 6,000 years ago is still alive today. 16:48 What is that lie? 16:49 Genesis tells us. Genesis 3:4 16:55 Here's the lie. What is it? 17:02 In other words, "You're going to die, but not surely." 17:06 Now think about it. 17:07 That's why people... 17:08 You know the safest place, by the way, the safest place 17:10 in Phoenix is the cemetery. 17:13 Did you know that? 17:14 How many of you would go and spend a night in the cemetery? 17:17 Raise your hand. 17:18 You know why? Because you don't really believe 17:20 that the dead are dead. 17:23 Take your wallet to the cemetery and put it on a 17:25 gravestone you choose, your car keys and everything, 17:29 and you'll go back tomorrow and I guarantee you 17:31 chances are greater that it will be still there 17:34 than if you left it at McDonald's. 17:37 You know why? 17:39 'Cause ain't no dead people going anywhere. 17:42 And when I see cemeteries with gates, I wonder 17:44 why they put up fences. 17:45 Nobody's leaving. 17:50 The point of the matter is, this lie told 6,000 years ago 17:54 is still believed today. 17:55 What we need to do is walk through God's Word together 17:57 and find out how the Lord created us. 18:01 When we look at creation, then we can look at creation 18:03 in reverse, which is death. 18:05 Let's begin with the Word of God. 18:07 Genesis 2:7 18:21 I want to emphasize this more than once because 18:23 sometimes saying it once doesn't penetrate. 18:26 when you've believed a certain way for so long. 18:28 Man became a living soul. 18:30 The Lord did not give him a living soul. 18:34 Look at the combination. Look at the combination. 18:37 The dust that God formed, then He breathed into 18:40 man's nostril the spirit, or the breath of life, 18:43 and that equals a living soul. 18:45 So dust plus the breath of God equals a living soul. 18:52 One without the other, there is no life. 18:55 Said another way... 18:57 Elements of earth plus breath from God equals a living being. 19:04 Man does not have a living soul. 19:07 Man is a living soul. 19:11 Man does not have a living soul. 19:13 Together. Man is a living soul. 19:16 Until the two are combined together, 19:19 we are just simply a pile of dust. 19:21 And when the breath of life that keeps us alive 19:24 which only can come from God, 19:27 in Him was life, and that life is unborrowed and underived. 19:32 We can't breathe into somebody's nostrils and give them life. 19:37 But we can keep the life going as we continue. 19:39 But in our breath is not the combination of the 19:43 life-giving power that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ. 19:47 So when we think about that, the living soul is a 19:50 combination of two things. 19:53 Until God puts His breath in us, there is absolutely no life. 19:57 Now, the dust plus the breath equals a living soul. 20:04 The dust minus the breath equals a what? 20:08 A dead soul. 20:10 Watch this. 20:12 Let's look at life in reverse. 20:14 Ecclesiastes 12:7 20:17 Speaking of death... 20:27 Many people read that text and say, "There we go. 20:30 The spirit is on its way to heaven." 20:32 According to this passage, that's correct. 20:35 But here is where the problem comes in. 20:38 When you don't understand what the word, spirit, there means. 20:41 That's where the challenge comes in. 20:43 Remember now, the dust returns to the earth as it was. 20:48 So man eventually decays, whether by cremation 20:51 or eventually, slowly, and gradually. 20:55 We all decay back to dust. 20:57 But the life-giving force goes back to where it came from. 21:01 Let's look at that for example. 21:02 The question is, what is the spirit that returns to God? 21:06 The Bible is clear on that also. 21:08 Notice what the Scriptures teach us. 21:11 Job 27:3 21:21 How did the spirit of God get into man's nostrils? 21:26 The Lord put it there. 21:27 He breathed into man's nostrils, Genesis 2:7, 21:31 the breath of life. 21:33 And Job is saying, "All the while that my breath is in me, 21:36 the spirit of God is in my nostrils." 21:39 The life-giving power that comes only from God. 21:42 Let's think about it this way. 21:43 Here's a light bulb. 21:45 All around our church we have light bulbs that are lit. 21:49 We're not in dark. 21:50 Now when the bulb dies, where does the light go? 21:54 Does that light go into another bulb and start glowing there? 21:57 No. When that bulb ceases to function, 22:00 you don't put that bulb in another lamp and then it works. 22:04 When a car battery dies, you don't put that car battery 22:06 in another car and then it works. 22:08 When a cat dies, you don't give it to the neighbor 22:11 and it comes back to life. 22:13 Dead means dead. 22:16 It doesn't mean life some place else. 22:19 Now let's look at Genesis 2:7 in the New King James Version. 22:23 Because the confusion has been, in the King James Version 22:27 people somehow... 22:28 And by the way, this came from Neoplatonism. 22:31 Look that up when you get a chance; Neoplatonism. 22:36 The belief that the body, soul, and spirit are separate entities 22:40 and each one of them can exist independent of the other. 22:43 This is the reason why, and I'll talk about it in just a moment, 22:45 this is the reason why Jesus stayed away for four days 22:49 before He came to resurrect Lazarus. 22:50 We'll get to that in just a moment. 22:52 The belief was, three days the soul tried 22:55 to get back into the body. 22:57 Plato, Neoplatonism. 23:00 So Jesus stayed away four days. 23:02 He wasn't late, but He was setting it up 23:04 so that He could destroy a theory that was not based 23:06 on the truth of His on word. 23:09 Let's look at Genesis 2:7 in another text. 23:12 The Bible makes it clear. 23:13 This woman is at the grave site. 23:15 She's not talking to anybody. 23:16 But the Word of God is clear. 23:17 Death is creation in reverse. 23:19 Let's look at that. 23:21 New King James Version. 23:32 When you go to the cemetery, when you go to the cemetery... 23:36 As is the case in, you know, I think it's Memorial Day 23:40 when people go. 23:41 Many people go to remember their loved ones. 23:43 But don't spend the time, you know, talking, 23:46 because nobody is listening. 23:47 It may be something that soothes you, 23:50 but you're not going to get an answer. 23:52 Because the dead don't know anything. 23:54 They are silent. 23:56 And the Bible makes this abundantly clear. 23:58 Let's continue looking at what the Bible says about souls. 24:01 Let's look at the example of what the Lord said to Adam 24:04 after Adam sinned. 24:05 Where was Adam going to go after he died? 24:17 That's where Adam was going. To the ground. 24:19 Adam was not going back to heaven 24:21 because Adam did not come from heaven. 24:24 When the word, returned, like when we're done, 24:28 we're going to return to Illinois 24:30 because that's where we came from. 24:31 When the Bible says, return, the spirit returns to God. 24:35 If you believe that a person died and went to heaven, 24:38 you also have to connect to that with the word, return, 24:41 you would have to believe that the people came from heaven, 24:44 then came to earth and lived, 24:45 then died and went back to heaven. 24:47 But that's not the case. 24:48 Man was created from the dust of the ground. 24:51 Man's origin is not in heaven. 24:53 One day we will be there. 24:55 But that's not where we came from. 24:56 Amen, somebody. 24:57 The Bible makes it very clear. Psalm 146:4 25:11 And I'm glad for that. 25:13 Because I was listening to a... 25:15 I was watching a court trial play itself out. 25:18 This was many years ago. 25:20 And I'll never forget the news captured a particular 25:22 portion of this court, you know the trial. 25:25 It was a lady that killed a man's wife. 25:28 And just before the trial is over, you know they convicted 25:30 the woman that committed the murder, 25:32 and the man had an opportunity to say, you know, 25:34 the family can say something before the sentencing. 25:38 So he said to the convicted lady who had taken his wife's life, 25:43 he said, "I can't wait till you die and go to heaven 25:47 so my wife can settle the score." 25:54 His belief made him think that when this woman, who was 25:58 set up for death row, was executed, that somehow 26:01 she's going to get to heaven and his wife is waiting there 26:04 and saying, "I can't wait until she comes to heaven. 26:05 Where is she?" 26:07 I mean, think about it. 26:09 We smile about that, but that's the foolishness 26:14 that has permeated the minds of so many. 26:16 So the moment somebody dies... 26:19 And then the other sad thing about it is when babies 26:21 unfortunately die, either in birth or some unusual way 26:24 in their home, people say, "God needed another angel." 26:29 They make God like some assassin. 26:32 Or when our loved one dies, "Well God needed another angel." 26:36 I remember one of my family members said, 26:37 "Well, God needed another person on His baseball team in heaven." 26:40 And I thought, "What!" 26:42 Where is this coming from? 26:45 Not from God's Word. 26:46 We've got to make sure everything 26:48 comes from God's Word. 26:49 Am I right? 26:50 The Bible makes it clear. 26:52 In the days of Noah, look what happened in the days of Noah. 26:54 Genesis 7:15 27:03 And also seven by seven. That's another story. 27:06 We'll talk about that tomorrow night. 27:08 What happened in Noah's day? 27:10 Those who were not in the ark, notice what the Bible says. 27:28 Now what happened? 27:29 The Bible makes it clear. 27:32 Luke 17:27 27:44 Now get this. 27:46 If people survive death, then those people that were destroyed 27:49 in the flood would still be alive. 27:54 But that's not what the Bible says. 27:56 The flood came and did what? Destroyed them all. 28:00 They ate, they drank, they married, 28:02 they were given in marriage. 28:03 But Jeremiah makes it clear about what happened. 28:06 That's actually Joshua. 28:07 Notice this, Joshua 11:11. 28:15 Speaking of a battle that Joshua referred to. 28:35 Now the reason this passage is vitally important 28:37 is because the word, soul, is here. 28:39 And a soul, if a soul died, if a soul was eternal 28:43 it couldn't die. 28:44 Am I right? 28:46 The word, immortal, means you cannot die. 28:50 But for the fact that the Bible says the souls were destroyed, 28:54 it means souls are not naturally immortal. 28:57 We don't have natural immortality. 29:00 Nobody has natural immortality. 29:02 That's why the Bible makes it very, very clear 29:04 in Ezekiel 18:4. 29:17 If a soul was immortal by nature, 29:21 then Adam would not have died. 29:23 But the Bible says Adam lived 930 years, and he died. 29:28 He died. 29:30 And you know, it's so vitally important. 29:31 I remember when my dad, the man who raised me, 29:35 really important, I was having a particular challenge 29:38 when I was a young man, and I wanted to buy a car. 29:43 You know, I was young, and when they first came out 29:46 I saw a Honda Accord, and I wanted this car really badly, 29:49 and I tried to convince my dad that I needed a brand new Honda. 29:52 That's what teenagers do. 29:54 "Dad, I need a brand new Honda." 29:56 He said, "You don't need a Honda. 29:58 I don't like Japanese cars." 29:59 So I said, "Dad, I need a brand new Buick." 30:02 I wanted to get a car out of that. 30:04 And he said, "No. No. Absolutely not." 30:11 One day he surprised me and gave me a $1000. 30:15 And I went out and got me a used Toyota Corona. 30:19 The car had cancer on both fenders. 30:21 All the salt on the streets had rotted it off. 30:25 And then I went away to school. 30:27 Eventually away to Oakwood college. 30:29 And when I was at school I needed some money for school. 30:33 And I called home and he said, "I'm not giving it to you." 30:36 But his wife that he had married, she said, 30:38 "I'll give you the $1000." 30:42 "Thank you very much." 30:43 I came home from school, got a job. 30:46 A few years later she met an unfortunate death. 30:49 And my dad said to me, "When are you going to 30:51 pay me back the $1000?" 30:54 I said, "Dad, she gave me the money. 30:57 And when people die, all debts are canceled." 31:02 Amen? He laughed. 31:04 I said, "Did you give it to me or did your wife?" 31:05 He said, "Well, she did." 31:07 I said, "Well, she's not asking for it. 31:09 All debts are canceled." 31:10 Amen for that. 31:13 Fingerhut one day called me when I was living in California. 31:16 My mom, after she passed away, Fingerhut called me and said, 31:18 "Is Rosario Maria Lomacang there?" 31:21 I said, "No." 31:22 They said, "Can we speak to her?" 31:23 I said, "No." They said, "Why not?" 31:25 I said, "She's in the cemetery in the Virgin Islands." 31:28 They said, "Do you have any way of contacting her?" 31:33 I'm not even kidding. 31:35 I said, "Did you just hear what I said?" 31:37 I said, "Do you think I'm going to fake my mother's death 31:40 just to avoid a bill?" 31:42 I said, "Let me tell you something. 31:43 She's in the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas in the cemetery. 31:47 You contact her. 31:49 But please do not call back here asking me any questions 31:52 about a bill for my mom. 31:53 I would not use my mother's death to avoid a bill." 31:55 Amen? 31:57 "Do have any way of contacting her? 31:59 In the resurrection we'll be talking then. 32:01 But until then, absolutely not. 32:04 The Bible makes it clear. 32:05 Notice how the Bible is clear. 32:07 And the reason why this passage is vitally important 32:09 is because the devil is about to fool the entire world, 32:14 the devil is about to pull off the greatest hoax 32:17 in human history, making people believe 32:19 that their dead loved ones are coming back with a message 32:23 that is in conflict with the Word of God. 32:27 When you see somebody that you recognize, 32:29 and you know the truth of God's Word, 32:31 you can say, "Get thee behind me, Satan." 32:33 And I guarantee you that apparition will be gone. 32:39 The Bible makes it clear. Ecclesiastes 9:10 33:01 That's why when I hear about these home going services, 33:04 the devil comes up with one lie after the other. 33:07 And he uses songs, "When I die, hallelujah, 33:10 by and by, I'll fly away." 33:12 And then songs like, "Going up yonder." 33:16 Going up yonder? 33:17 And they have these home going services. 33:19 They don't call them funeral services anymore. 33:21 They call them, home going. 33:23 The only home they're going to is in the cemetery locally. 33:27 Not going to heaven. 33:29 And you'll find out in just a moment why 33:30 people cannot go to heaven until Jesus comes. 33:34 When a person that claims to believe in the Bible... 33:36 And this is something else. 33:38 When a person that claims to believe in the Bible... 33:40 I'm going to slow this down. 33:41 When a person that claims to believe in the Bible 33:45 believes the same thing that a witch does, 33:47 a warlock does, a medium does, and a soothsayer does, 33:52 there's something wrong. 33:55 Because a soothsayer says, "I'll contact your loved one." 33:57 What's the difference between a Christian who says, 33:59 "My loved one communicates with me," 34:01 and a witch who says, "I can contact them for you." 34:06 Something seriously wrong. 34:08 But the problem today is people are being taught 34:11 from the pulpits of America and the pulpits around the world. 34:14 But the Bible says very clearly, 34:17 they appear to be ministers of righteousness. 34:21 But Satan himself also transforms himself 34:24 into an angel of light. 34:25 Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also 34:29 appear as ministers of righteousness 34:31 whose end will be according to their works. 34:34 If the devil knew that all it takes is to put a person 34:37 in a suit or a robe and put him in a pulpit 34:39 to deceive you, that's exactly what he'll do. 34:42 And we think that because somebody is up here, 34:44 it's completely legitimate. 34:45 We say, "Well, he's an honest man." 34:47 Let me tell you something. 34:48 The only way that you can tell whether somebody is honest 34:50 is check out what they say by God's Word. 34:54 Quick story. I was in Oakland, California. 34:56 My wife and I, when we lived in California we were in Oakland. 34:59 Did not know where the bus station was, but somebody was 35:01 coming in to meet them. 35:02 We went to meet them at the bus station in Oakland. 35:04 And not knowing where it was, I flagged down a police officer 35:09 who was walking along the pavement. 35:10 I said, "Officer, where is the bus station?" 35:13 He said, "Now if you go down..." And he gave me directions. 35:16 Soon as he walked away, a transient just walking 35:20 on the streets kind of tattered up, he said, 35:22 "They ain't right directions." 35:25 He said, "Them directions ain't right." 35:28 I said, "They're not." 35:29 He said, "Naw, he don't know where it is. 35:31 I know where it is." 35:32 He said, "Now it ain't that way, it's that way." 35:35 I said, "How do you know?" 35:37 He said, "I go there every night." 35:40 Sometimes we think because they look legitimate, 35:42 they are legitimate. 35:45 The police officer looked completely legitimate. 35:48 That's why you've got to examine what a person says 35:50 by God's Word. 35:52 Don't take anything on face value. 35:56 Because Satan will appear as an angel of light. 36:00 And if that's all it takes to deceive you, 36:02 he'll do whatever he can. 36:04 And remember, the Bible says he has come down having great wrath 36:07 because he knows he has a short time. 36:09 And funerals; the two greatest lies ever told 36:12 that are repeated from pulpits of America... 36:14 And I've been on programs where we'd say what the Bible says 36:17 and pastors would get upset when these two topics come up. 36:21 When the Sabbath and the state of the dead come up. 36:24 Those are the two biggest lies ever told in Christianity 36:29 over and over and over again. 36:33 And they'll use little fragmented text in the Bible. 36:35 What I'm showing you, they won't ever repeat any of these text. 36:38 They'll use something like, "To be absent from the body 36:40 is to be present with the Lord." 36:42 The Bible doesn't say that. 36:43 The Bible says, "I would rather be absent from the body 36:46 and be present with the Lord." 36:48 The same Paul that talked about, he talked about the agony 36:51 of this life, the difficulty of this life. 36:54 And he says, "One day this temple, this body, 36:57 death will be swallowed up in victory." 37:01 Yes, one day we will be free from all the agony of this life. 37:04 Amen. 37:06 But not at the moment that you die you're not going to heaven. 37:09 You'll be laid to rest. 37:11 That's why they say, "Rest in peace." 37:13 Because that's what it is. All the trials of life are over. 37:16 David the psalmist makes this clear. 37:18 Notice what he says. 37:19 Psalm 115:17 37:22 Powerful. 37:30 When I go to funerals sometimes in different churches, 37:32 and you know, I go out of respect, 37:35 I sit there and I'm thinking, 37:37 "I am so glad I know what God's Word says." 37:39 Because you will leave out of there like, "Huh?" 37:44 One pastor said... 37:46 You know the song, "I Can Only Imagine"? 37:48 I can only imagine... 37:50 He said, "Dear sister don't have to imagine now. 37:53 She's in heaven in the presence of the Lord." 37:55 And then at the end he said, "We cannot wait till Jesus 37:58 comes and calls her forth from the grave." 38:00 And I'm thinking, "Which one is it?" 38:03 And you know the sad reality is, there are sincere Christians 38:05 who love the Lord, there are beautiful Christians 38:08 who love the Lord who don't check it out. 38:11 And what I found out is, in many of these churches 38:14 the reason why they don't check it out is because 38:16 it's become a mantra, a repetitious thing, 38:19 that somehow builds a groove, 38:21 and somehow because you believe it 38:22 they think it's true. 38:24 But because you believe it doesn't make it true. 38:25 You've got to check it out based on the Word of God. 38:27 Another point I must say is, 38:29 people often talk about their thoughts. 38:31 The Bible says they don't know anything. 38:33 They go down into silence. 38:35 If a person is on an operating table 38:38 and they're being sustained by a machine, 38:42 and they're not yet declared brain dead, 38:45 the brain is still functioning but the body is just 38:47 in a comatose state, unfortunate, 38:52 they don't know what's going on. 38:53 They have no concept of what's happening around them. 38:56 Now when they finally pass away, and the brain is now declared... 39:05 ...dead, no other way to say that, 39:08 do you think that they're conscious 39:09 about their surroundings? 39:12 Absolutely not. 39:13 Just like I woke up this morning. 39:15 Actually I went to bed this morning. 39:18 But when I go to bed every night, I have no idea 39:20 what happens during the night. 39:23 Because we are in a state of sleep 39:27 until we wake up, and then we say, "Hey, what happened?" 39:31 The Bible makes it very clear. The Bible makes it very clear. 39:36 "For the living know that they will die..." 39:38 The living have a functioning conscious mind 39:41 of what's going to happen next. 40:04 That's why when we think about the Bible story about Lazarus... 40:09 I told you, I laid the foundation a moment ago. 40:10 When Jesus finally showed up to Mary and Martha's house, 40:13 He said, "Take me where Lazarus is." 40:15 This story really opens many doors to help us to understand 40:18 what actually happened that day. 40:20 Once again revisiting the point I made earlier. 40:23 The Lord waited for four days because He wanted to 40:25 put to death the idea that the soul naturally is the reason 40:30 why men come back to life after three days. 40:34 Jesus showed up after four days. 40:37 And a couple of points I'll make right after this story, 40:39 but let's look at the account in the Bible. 40:41 John 11:11-14 40:43 Speaking about Lazarus, He was going to visit him. 41:00 Because that's what happens when people are sick. 41:02 They need rest. 41:18 Now why does the Bible say, sleep? 41:21 We'll find out in just a moment in Revelation. 41:23 For the saint that has gone to sleep in Christ, 41:29 they have not experienced the second death. 41:32 They're just resting, waiting for the voice of the Life-giver 41:36 to come and call them forth. 41:38 Martha understood very clearly when He talked to her 41:41 about her brother Lazarus. 41:42 In verse 23-24... 41:48 And notice how Martha understood when. 41:57 For the life of me, why do churches not teach 42:01 about the resurrection? 42:04 It's like the resurrection has been deleted, 42:07 or left out, or rejected. 42:10 Between death and the second coming of Jesus 42:14 there is a resurrection. 42:17 Everybody is coming out in the resurrection, 42:20 except those the Bible talks about. 42:21 Like Enoch walked with God, and was not. 42:24 Elijah was taken away in a chariot of fire. 42:26 And Moses died and was resurrected. 42:28 Outside of that, the Bible gives allusion to the 24 elders, 42:32 those who came forth when Jesus was crucified. 42:34 And they became the first fruits of those who had slept. 42:37 But people don't die and go to heaven right away. 42:39 Because there would be no reason for Jesus to come back. 42:42 He didn't say, and I'll re-iterate this later on, 42:45 He didn't say, "I'll see you when you get there." 42:48 He says, "I will come again to receive you." 42:52 And He said in John 13, when they asked, 42:55 "Lord, where are You going?" He said, "Where I'm going 42:59 you know, but you cannot come." 43:05 Look at the Scriptures. 43:06 John 5:28-29 43:08 And my prayer is, as I communicate this tonight, 43:10 my prayer is that your mind is open 43:13 to what the Word of God says. 43:14 Can somebody say amen? 43:16 Because you know, we can be recalcitrant 43:18 and set ourselves up for terrible deception 43:21 if our preference is, "Well, I don't care what the pastor says. 43:25 I know my mother is in heaven." 43:27 You could be passionate as you want, if you have no support 43:30 from God's Word your feelings do not create a truth 43:34 that does not exist and has no support in God's Word. 43:38 If you haven't understood it, say humbly, 43:41 "Lord, thank You for Your Word that makes sense." 43:44 But let us not set ourselves up for deception 43:47 just because we've believed that for a long time. 43:49 A lie will travel around the world while truth is 43:51 just putting its laces on. 43:54 Here's what the Bible says. John 5:28-29 44:24 Two resurrections. 44:26 Resurrection of life, Resurrection of condemnation. 44:30 And before that, we're going to talk the topic, 44:32 there's a judgment. 44:34 The reason why you don't die and go to heaven, 44:36 you'll hear this when we come to the topic of the judgment, 44:39 Jesus said in Revelation 22:12, "Behold, I come quickly 44:43 and my reward is with Me to give to everyone 44:47 according as his work." 44:48 We don't get the reward at death. 44:50 We all get the reward together when He comes again. 44:54 And let me re-iterate. 44:56 I'm not saying your loved one is not going to go to heaven. 44:58 I'm saying we're going to all go together. 45:00 Amen. 45:02 That's what the Bible is teaching. 45:03 It makes it even clearer. 45:05 Notice Revelation 20:6. That's why this word is there. 45:08 Revelation 20:6. 45:09 Remember, Jesus makes this very clear. 45:12 We're going to go back to the story in just a moment 45:14 about what He said to Martha. 45:15 But notice this. 45:22 The first resurrection is the resurrection of life. 45:37 And just a point, it comes in right here, 45:40 the reign of Christ is not going to be on earth. 45:43 It is going to be in heaven. 45:46 The first time Jesus came He walked the earth. 45:51 The second time He's coming, 45:53 He's coming to take us off the earth. 45:55 As Pastor C.D. Brooks said when he was preaching, 45:57 he said, "Our message is an evacuation message." 46:02 God bless him as he's resting in Christ. 46:04 Our message is an evacuation message. 46:06 Let's go and see why. 46:08 Look at this. A beautiful passage. 46:21 You got to remember that. 46:22 Now let's revisit the story of Martha and Jesus. 46:28 When Jesus went to the tomb... 46:42 - Though he may what? ~ Die. 46:43 Though he may what? Die. 46:45 So that means he may die. 46:48 "...he shall live." 46:56 Now let me make it clear. 46:58 First of all, it may seem to be contradictory 47:01 because He said, "Those who believe in Me, 47:02 though he may die," and in the King James, "yet shall he live." 47:07 That means we will die. 47:08 But we will live again. 47:10 But what does He mean, "Those who live and believe in Me 47:12 shall never die." 47:14 He's talking about the second death. 47:17 Here's the point. 47:19 Those who are born once will die twice. 47:24 But those who are born twice, that's born again, 47:28 may die once. 47:31 There's a death that everybody, as in Adam, 47:34 how many of us die? 47:36 All die. 1 Corinthians 15:22. 47:39 Everybody suffers a physical death 47:41 unless you are alive when Jesus comes. 47:43 Everybody ever born... 47:45 By the way, the mortality rate is 100%. 47:51 Let's go on and see what the Bible says. 47:53 That's why Job says this in Job 14:14. 48:06 What change is he talking about? 48:08 Let the Bible speak, the Word of God speak. 48:12 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 48:32 We'll be change at the what? The last trumpet. 48:34 Not when you die. 48:53 Meaning, we have the promise, but we have not 48:55 yet put on immortality. 48:58 We've got the promise, but we haven't put it on yet. 49:22 One day, the good news is, death will die. 49:29 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 49:32 But what about this immortality that people think we have? 49:34 The only one that has immortality right now is Jesus. 49:39 The Father, the Holy Spirit; the Godhead is immortal. 49:44 No human has natural immortality. 49:47 And the apostle Paul told that to his protégé Timothy. 49:50 Speaking of Jesus... 50:08 And what does he say? Amen. 50:10 Now let me make the point very clear here. 50:13 When people say they died and went toward the light, 50:18 it's not God. 50:19 Because the Bible says, "He dwells in the light 50:21 which no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen 50:25 nor can see." 50:27 Now the question is, why? 50:30 Can mortal man exist in the presence of an immortal God? 50:33 No. 50:35 Remember when Moses said, "Show me Your glory." 50:37 The Lord said, "You need to hide in a rock. 50:41 Because My glory will consume you. 50:43 When I pass by, just peek." 50:46 And just that one experience alone so ignited 50:50 the face of Moses that when he came down 50:55 they had to put a curtain over his face because 50:57 the glory of God, from just peeking, 50:59 ignited his life. 51:02 And truly, he let his light shine. 51:04 Amen? 51:05 You cannot exist, mortal man cannot exist 51:08 in the presence of an immortal God. 51:09 But let go on before our time runs out. 51:11 Job 14:10-13 51:20 A very legitimate question. 51:22 That's what we want to know. 51:52 Job was the most righteous man on earth. 52:07 The very same thing the thief on the cross said, 52:10 "Remember me when You come in Your kingdom." 52:14 "Remember me when You come." 52:16 Not, "I want to go to heaven with You today." 52:18 "Remember me when You come." 52:20 Job says, "Hide me until Your wrath is over, till it's past. 52:24 Hide me in the grave, put me there, until the wrath is over. 52:28 And when the time comes, remember me." 52:31 And Job, the Bible says there was no one on earth 52:34 more righteous than he. 52:37 But let's look at the patriarch David. 52:39 The patriarch David. 52:42 Acts 2:29-34 52:45 And my wife and I just finished reading about David 52:47 in 2 Chronicles and in 1 Kings now. 52:51 David was laid to rest. 52:52 And you know the rest of the story. 52:53 Solomon took his place. He mounted the throne. 52:57 He became the next king. 53:00 And we saw his tomb. That's right, honey. 53:02 We saw David's tomb. 53:13 We saw it. 53:15 And verse 34. 53:22 David did not ascend into the heavens. 53:26 I was preaching a sermon not too long ago. 53:31 And as I said to you, "too long ago," could mean 53:32 a year ago or five years ago for me, 53:34 because it all runs together so quickly. 53:37 And I was preaching a sermon at our 3ABN worship center. 53:41 And my mind was so focused on the coming of Jesus. 53:44 You know, there are some of you tonight 53:46 that have lost a loved one. 53:48 I met some people today at the door, we talked about 53:50 the topic we discussed, and some people said, 53:52 "I look forward, my husband is laying to rest, 53:55 my husband has been laid to rest." 53:56 And the lady with tears, she said, "I'm looking forward 53:59 to the day when we can be reunited." 54:02 She said, "I have not been remarried because 54:04 I only want one man. 54:06 And I'm looking forward to when Jesus comes 54:09 to reunite us together." 54:12 I was one of those fortunate children with 54:14 two fathers and two mothers. 54:17 A mother who gave me life, 54:19 who later I was able to lead to Jesus. 54:22 And a mother who led me to Jesus. 54:24 And they are both now resting in Jesus. 54:27 And the Bible says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord 54:30 is the death of His saints." 54:32 So I'm looking forward for Jesus to come. 54:35 I'm going to invite Stephanie and Dan to come. 54:37 I'm looking forward for the coming of Jesus. 54:41 I'm looking forward to the day when we can meet Him in peace. 54:44 I'm looking forward to the day where there will be no more 54:48 sorrow, no more death, no more crying, no more pain. 54:51 No more funeral parlors. Amen, somebody. 54:54 No more wakes, no more tears, no more sadness, 54:57 no more goodbyes, no more broken hearts, 55:00 no more children without their parents. 55:02 What a glorious day that's going to be. 55:03 That's why this is the promise of Jesus. 55:06 He said, in John 14:3, let's read this together... 55:20 Amen, somebody. 55:22 Dan and Stephanie, bless us tonight. 55:30 There's a land that is fairer than day, 55:37 and by faith we can see it afar; 55:43 for the Father waits over the way 55:51 to prepare us a dwelling place there. 55:58 In the sweet by and by, 56:04 we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 56:12 In the sweet by and by, 56:20 we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 56:27 Isn't that a wonderful message, friends? 56:31 A few years ago my wife lost her mother. 56:35 A little less than two years. 56:37 We're looking forward to that beautiful shore. 56:40 I've got friends that are resting in Jesus. 56:42 We're looking forward to that beautiful shore. 56:44 I'm looking forward to seeing Pastor C.D. Brooks 56:47 in the sweet by and by. 56:48 And all the saints that have gone ahead of me, 56:52 evangelists and pastors and teachers, 56:53 they all have gone ahead and they're resting 56:56 in their graves somewhere. 56:57 Elder E. E. Cleveland, a giant of a gospel preacher. 57:02 When his wife passed away, 57:03 he would visit her every day in the cemetery. 57:05 He said, "I'm looking forward to seeing my wife 57:07 in the resurrection." 57:09 And he's finally laid to rest. 57:10 In that land that is fairer than day. 57:13 One day we will meet in that sweet by and by. 57:18 My prayer for you tonight, as well as those of you 57:19 who are watching, that we will trust God's Word, 57:22 we will stand firmly on God's Word, 57:25 so that when Jesus comes we will be ready to meet Him 57:29 in that sweet by and by. 57:31 Is that your desire tonight. |
Revised 2018-10-01