Participants: Pr. Lyle Albrecht
Series Code: RIN
Program Code: RIN000018
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01:00 Good evening.
01:01 Welcome. 01:03 This evening, we're going to take one of 01:04 my favorite journeys. 01:07 It may even well be one of yours. 01:09 We're going to go to the city of Rome, 01:12 but more particularly, inside the Vatican. 01:15 So fasten your seatbelts, now, as we begin. 01:18 The Vatican is unique in the world. 01:20 It is 111 acres inside the city of Rome. 01:24 It's a city within a city, but really more than that, 01:27 it's a nation within a nation, a state within a state, 01:31 these 111 acres. 01:35 There are some here tonight for the very first time. 01:38 And for your sakes, and I may repeat this 01:41 at the beginning of the lecture, I must say again, 01:45 God has His children in all the churches and here we 01:48 never sit in judgment upon anyone's relationship 01:51 with Jesus whether they're Catholic or Protestant or 01:54 something other than that. 01:56 At the same time, we do look at teachings and practices 01:59 and the prophecies of the Bible and then compare 02:02 them with history. 02:03 We're required by God to do that especially in the last days. 02:08 So, I've been praying today that nothing said tonight 02:12 during the travel log or the lecture would be offensive. 02:14 It's certainly not intended to be that. 02:17 Now let's talk then about the Vatican. 02:20 From an aerial view, we're looking down into 02:22 St. Peter's Square. 02:23 And some of you folks will remember when several years ago 02:26 Pope John Paul II was shot in his open jeepney. 02:30 You remember that? 02:31 He was shot by an angry Arab. 02:33 Well, that happened right over in that area 02:36 down toward the bottom right hand side of the screen. 02:39 And from that point ever after, the popes, when they're outside 02:44 and out in parade, have been inside that little 02:47 bullet proof bubble. 02:49 Now this, ladies and gentlemen, is the largest cathedral 02:52 in all of the world. 02:54 The foundation of the church alone covers almost 6 acres. 02:58 The original church was built here in the middle part 03:02 of the 4th century. 03:04 But by the 16th century, it was decrepit, 03:06 it was not safe even to go inside. 03:08 And so it was torn down and this one was built in its place. 03:13 The corner stone for this cathedral was placed 03:15 about 1505, and about 120 years later they had the dedication. 03:22 120 years to build, but when you think of the size 03:25 and remember the crude tools with which they worked 03:29 you're caused to wonder how they could complete it 03:32 so quickly after all. 03:35 I'd like to point out to you the dome, particularly. 03:39 The dome that sits atop the cathedral was designed by 03:44 Michelangelo Buonarroti. 03:45 He wasn't here to build it but he designed the dome. 03:49 Now way up atop the dome, I want you to take your attention, 03:53 there is a cross and beneath that cross, there is a 03:57 big golden orb. 03:59 And history says, that golden orb symbolizes the sun. 04:04 And again we see the cross with the sun, proof; definite proof, 04:11 geological proof, archaeological proof, historical proof, 04:15 of the blending together of some elements of paganism 04:18 with Christianity, particularly during the Dark Ages. 04:23 Down in the very center of St. Peter's Square, 04:26 you see an Egyptian obelisk. 04:28 That came of Heliopolis which was the center of sun worship 04:31 on the north of the African continent. 04:36 Now I want to tell you a little bit about the raising of the 04:38 funds for this cathedral. 04:41 Even back then it was going to cost, by our comparison, 04:45 millions and millions and millions of dollars. 04:49 And the church was just coming out of the Dark Ages 04:52 and there were not a lot of wealthy folks. 04:54 And so some leaders talked together and decided 04:59 that they would begin to raise money by selling the 05:03 forgiveness of sin. 05:05 And those, of course, historically are known 05:07 as indulgences. 05:09 And the church then commissioned salesmen to go throughout 05:14 the western part of Europe, and through some of the Middle East 05:17 as well, selling the forgiveness of sin. 05:20 Forgiveness of sins past, forgiveness of sins present, 05:24 and if your contribution was large enough, 05:27 forgiveness of sins of the future. 05:30 There was a man by the name of Tetzel who went from here 05:34 over into Germany and began to sell these indulgences 05:39 in the diocese of a man who was a theology professor. 05:44 His name was Dr. Martin Luther. 05:48 And when Martin Luther heard what was going on, he confronted 05:52 Tetzel and he said, "Not in my area, over my dead body. " 05:56 And really, the raising of... 05:58 My point is this, ladies and gentlemen, again not to be 06:01 critical, but for your information sake. 06:03 The raising of money for this lovely, lovely cathedral 06:06 had a large part in lighting the fire that would soon become 06:11 the reformation blaze. 06:13 Luther and Calvin and Huss and a number of others 06:17 beside all of that. 06:19 Well, we want to go down for some close-up, you and I, 06:23 and so we're going to enter by the main street, 06:26 also known as the street of reconciliation. 06:30 And I'll tell you why it is so named. 06:33 In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte sent his general, Berthier, here 06:37 and they took the pope captive and took him back over to Paris 06:41 and held him there for a while, and then out to the 06:42 Palace of Fontainebleau, where we visited on another evening. 06:45 And Napoleon said there shall never be another pope. 06:48 And for three years, there was no pope in Rome. 06:51 He stripped the church of Rome of its earthly power, 06:55 its political power, its powers of state. 06:58 Not religious power, but the powers of state. 07:03 In 1928, a man by the name of Mussolini gave 07:07 back those powers. 07:09 And at that time this street, then, was renamed 07:13 the street of reconciliation. 07:15 We come up to the facade of the church and we're going to 07:19 notice several things. 07:20 Now at the very top of the screen, you can see that 07:22 golden ball a little closer up. 07:25 I'll tell you this about it. 07:26 You cannot get inside, but if you could, 07:29 if it was possible, we could put 18 of these chairs side by side, 07:34 we could seat 18 people side by side inside that golden ball. 07:39 That gives you just a little bit of a feeling for 07:41 how large it is. 07:42 It's up there 500 feet high. 07:46 It's massive. 07:48 There are five major doors of entry to this cathedral. 07:52 And four of those doors are open, pretty much, year round 07:56 and always, but one is opened only on special occasions 08:00 and we shall talk about that later. 08:02 Now there you can see the golden ball even better. 08:04 And right at the roof line of the facade, right across here, 08:09 you see Jesus Christ. 08:11 Right above the main door of entry, there is Jesus Christ 08:15 and He has His cross with Him. 08:17 And then we see the six disciples on His right hand side 08:21 and six on His left there, the twelve disciples. 08:25 And they are massive. 08:26 It doesn't look like it from here. 08:28 They're proportional, certainly, but when you stand beside them 08:32 you have to lean way back like this to see the heads of them. 08:36 They are massive. 08:37 And it causes you to wonder, how did they get them up there 08:40 long before these huge sky cranes and all of 08:43 that sort of thing. 08:44 It's quite remarkable. 08:46 Well, the uniform... 08:49 And by the way, these are the guards of the Vatican. 08:51 They are Swiss and have been practically since the beginning 08:54 of the Vatican. 08:56 The uniforms that they wear for dress parade is designed by 08:59 Michelangelo Buonarroti. 09:01 And there you see it. 09:02 The pope speaks to those that are gathered down in 09:06 St. Peter's Square on special occasions. 09:08 One such will be Easter, and that will be the next one. 09:11 And in St. Peter's Square where we're standing with a 09:14 telephoto lens to make this shot, there will be 09:17 200,000 to 450,000 people waiting and listening 09:22 over the loud speakers. 09:24 Now this, ladies and gentlemen, is the special door. 09:27 We said that there are five doors and four are 09:29 almost always open. 09:31 This one is called Porta Sancta, the "Holy Door," 09:35 and it opened only once every 25 years. 09:38 And when it is opened, it's left open for one year. 09:42 And it's during this year, often called the Year of Jubilee 09:46 or the Holy Year, that the faithful Catholic Christians 09:50 make the pilgrimage here to walk through that door 09:54 because above the door it says that those who enter or exit 09:58 are granted plenary indulgence, total forgiveness for sin. 10:03 And the last time it was opened was the year 2000. 10:07 And I remember the closing of it on New Year's Eve 2001. 10:11 And it is scheduled to be opened again, unless something 10:14 very special happens, and that may happen. 10:17 It has on other occasions in the past. 10:20 But unless something very special and unique happens, 10:23 the next time that door shall be opened is on the 10:26 New Years Eve of 2025. 10:30 And so we'll just wait and see, I suppose. 10:32 Porta Sancta, the Holy Door. 10:34 Now we have stepped into the nave, ladies and gentlemen, 10:36 of the largest cathedral in all of the world 10:39 and I want to tell you two or three things about it. 10:41 Firstly, it is one of the most beautiful places 10:45 I have ever seen. 10:46 I've been in palaces all around the world, 10:49 I have seen beautiful, beautiful things, 10:51 but nothing, I think was more awe inspiring than the interior 10:58 of St. Peter's Basilica. 10:59 Much of the marble that makes beautiful this cathedral 11:03 once beautified the temples in the old part of Rome. 11:07 You remember about our 4th night together 11:09 we walked the streets of ancient Rome and talked about 11:12 some of the things in the old palaces down there? 11:14 Well, much of that marble was brought here to beautify 11:18 this beautiful sanctuary. 11:21 And then next, I want to tell you about its size. 11:28 A true cathedral is made, as we've said before, 11:30 of three sections. 11:31 The nave, that's what we're looking down. 11:33 That's where the people sit to worship. 11:35 And then at the high altar, there is a wing that 11:37 goes out like this and this, the transept, to symbolize 11:40 the arms of the cross. 11:42 And then behind that, an alcove called the apse to symbolize 11:45 the head of the cross. 11:47 And we shall see all three tonight. 11:51 But this nave is so big, it is so large that you could put 11:56 two football fields end to end and have 100 feet left over. 12:00 It is 700 feet long from the entry door to the transept. 12:08 The arms of the transept are 425 feet wide. 12:12 And from the floor to the interior of the dome 12:16 of the cupola, it is 450 feet high. 12:20 It was so easy for me to appreciate the awe, 12:24 the reverence, of my Catholic Christian friends 12:28 when I came here. 12:29 We're now looking at the high altar. 12:31 And above the high altar, there again you see the golden ball 12:34 and the cross. 12:35 And by the way, that high altar was designed by a sculptor 12:39 and an artist, name of Bernini. 12:41 Now we're standing right beside one of those serpentine pillars 12:45 looking up into the interior of the dome way up there 12:48 450 feet high. 12:49 And by the way, that interior was hand painted by men who 12:54 climbed way up on a rickety old scaffold. 12:57 I'm glad they didn't ask me to get up there. 12:59 It just wouldn't have worked. 13:01 But it is beautiful, you must admit that. 13:03 Now, we've walked inside the church at the point where the 13:08 dome sits on the walls and we're looking down on the 13:11 high altar and we're looking into the little alcove 13:13 called the apse, back behind. 13:15 And we're going to have some close-up, but first 13:17 I want you to notice at the very bottom of the screen 13:20 there is a darkened area. 13:22 That is a stairway down to the burial vault 13:24 right beneath the high altar. 13:28 And looking again right back into the alcove called the apse. 13:31 And there you see an alabaster window, there with the dove 13:34 to symbolize the Holy Spirit. 13:36 And we'll see more of that in close-up, but first 13:38 we walk down that staircase to the burial chamber beneath 13:42 and we notice over on the left, the back of a 13:46 marble carved figure. 13:48 That is the pope, a figure of the pope who was taken into 13:51 captivity by Napoleon Bonaparte. 13:53 And he's considered by the church to be a martyr because 13:56 he died in that captivity. 13:59 And so he's given the second most honored place of burial. 14:02 The pope's, for hundreds and hundreds of years back, 14:05 are buried in burial vaults beneath the floor in what we 14:09 would call the basement area with a couple of exceptions. 14:12 They say firstly, Peter is buried inside. 14:15 Well, I think that's doubtful. 14:18 We talked on another evening about how over at another 14:21 cathedral, the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains, 14:24 they said Peter was buried there. 14:26 And even over at St. John Lateran, 14:29 there is some suggestion that he might have been buried there. 14:31 But we do, with good historical background, believe that 14:37 this pope is buried right through those ornate doors 14:41 and right beneath the high altar. 14:42 And there's a side view of that marble carving 14:47 of the pope of the captivity. 14:48 Now we look up into the interior of the dome 14:50 and we see that it is hand carved of hardwood and marble 14:53 and then covered over with gold leaf. 14:55 And we see the insignia of the pope who was reigning at the 14:59 time of the dedication. 15:01 And that happens to be Pius XII, Pontifex Maximus. 15:08 Now we're looking down the nave when worshippers are here. 15:11 They can easily, without adding for any overflow, 15:15 they can easily seat 25,000 people in the main nave. 15:20 It's just so massive. 15:22 Now we've moved behind the high altar into the little 15:25 alcove called the apse, and we have come here to see something 15:29 that I find interesting and you may as well. 15:32 The word "cathedral" is from the Latin word "cathedra" 15:36 which mean, "the throne, the seat of authority. " 15:39 The cathedral, then, was the depository of the throne 15:44 of the church or the seat of authority. 15:48 And back in here, we see some artwork, done again by that man 15:52 by the name of Bernini, a great huge chair, 15:55 the legs of which are held up by bishops with the high hats, 15:59 as you see them. 16:00 Each of the four legs held up by a bishop. 16:03 And when I saw this chair and studied the background of it all 16:09 and knew about cathedrals, then a verse from Revelation 16:12 chapter 13, which we're going to read after a bit 16:15 during our lecture, came into my mind. 16:17 And again without prejudice, I'll just remind 16:20 your minds of it. 16:21 It says about this power that every reformer believed to be 16:25 the fulfillment of the prophecy of Revelation 13, 16:28 "The dragon gave him his seat, throne, his power 16:34 and his great authority throughout the world. " 16:39 And for 1260 years, the church of Rome was, without question, 16:45 the greatest power in the western world and through 16:49 the Middle East as well. 16:50 And we've talked about those things also on other evenings. 16:55 Now we're going to come toward a conclusion for this evening. 16:58 And this is the statue, as you are looking from the high altar 17:01 back toward the door of entry, this is over on our left. 17:03 This is the statue of Peter and this is the one that folks have 17:08 come by to touch and to kiss because over the edge of 17:13 the mantle, and down at the bottom of the screen 17:15 you'll notice it, there is a foot that extends over the 17:20 edge of the mantle. 17:23 And the toes of that foot have been almost completely worn away 17:27 by the folks who've come to kiss it. 17:31 And when I got back from my first trip here, I was asked, 17:34 "Did you kiss the toe of Peter?" 17:36 And I said, "No. " 17:38 And it was not because of any superiority, certainly, but 17:41 to put it in a phrase, I guess, it was my American sense of 17:44 sanity that wouldn't allow me to line up behind 300 folks 17:48 and kiss the toe. 17:50 But I did touch it. 17:51 And I understand that since there's so many diseases now 17:55 that are so easily passed on that not all that many folks 17:59 are kissing it these days. 18:01 But even when they dress Peter up, they leave that toe 18:05 overhanging the mantle, as they've done here. 18:07 They put the triple crown upon him and the fisherman's ring 18:10 upon his finger, but the toe of that one foot 18:13 is left out there so the folks can come by and touch 18:17 or whatever else they might like. 18:19 Thank you for traveling with me. 18:23 And now, ladies and gentlemen, would you please open 18:24 your Bibles with me to Revelation chapter 13. 18:29 The last book in the Bible for those who live in the last days 18:31 just before Jesus returns. 18:34 And while we're opening to Revelation chapter 13, 18:38 I'll give you just a little bit of introduction. 18:44 As we've studied together, largely from the book 18:46 of Revelation, we have found so many wonderful things. 18:49 Chief among them, of course, is that Jesus Christ 18:53 is Lord and Savior. 18:54 And that salvation is only by trusting in what 18:57 He's done for us. 19:00 No other name under heaven whereby we may be saved 19:02 except the name of Jesus. 19:06 We've also learned that Jesus' coming is imminent. 19:09 That means the next great event to happen on planet earth 19:12 is not nuclear winter, but when Jesus comes. 19:15 This time, not a lamb to the slaughter, but King of kings 19:18 and Lord of lords. 19:19 He comes riding down the skies on a rescue mission. 19:21 We've learned that from Revelation. 19:23 Further, we have learned that those that are alive and ready 19:26 to meet Jesus are going to be because of their love 19:28 for keeping all of His commandments. 19:30 Three places in the Revelation; chapter 12 verse 17, 19:33 chapter 14 verse 12, chapter 22 verse 14, 19:37 describe the generation alive and ready to meet Jesus 19:41 as keeping all of the commandments. 19:43 "Here are they that keep the commandments and have the 19:45 testimony of Jesus. " 19:47 And we read that again and again and again. 19:49 I think most all who've come quite regularly 19:52 are now pretty well convinced that in the Bible, 19:54 both Old and New Testaments, the Lord's Day is Saturday. 19:57 But at the same time, I'm also convinced that 20:00 there are some still who wonder about its importance. 20:04 Maybe there are those who think that, as Shakespeare said, 20:08 "We're making much ado of nothing. " 20:10 Or the "tempest in the teapot," sort of a syndrome. 20:14 Our message tonight is designed by God 20:16 to set aside those questions. 20:19 And I think none will leave tonight without clearly 20:21 seeing the final issues. 20:23 Let me, then, again say as the cameras are rolling, 20:28 Lyle has never, never sat in judgment upon anyone's 20:33 relationship with Jesus. 20:34 Lyle believes that God has His children in all the churches 20:38 proportionally as many in the Catholic as in the Baptist 20:41 or the Adventist or Nazarene or any other. 20:46 At the same time, we here, must look at teachings 20:51 and at prophecy, and at the mirror reflection of prophecy 20:55 which is history. 20:57 And so having said that, let us then begin to read 21:02 from chapter 13 at the 15th verse. 21:07 Revelation chapter 13 beginning with the 15 verse. 21:11 John is in vision and this is what he sees. 21:16 A certain power, a certain authority; 21:19 "He had power to give life to the image of the beast that 21:23 this image of the beast should both speak and cause as many 21:25 as would not worship the image that they should be killed. 21:28 And he causes all, small and great, rich and poor, 21:31 free and bond, to receive a mark either in their right hand 21:34 or in their forehead, and that no man could buy or sell 21:39 unless he have the mark or the name of the beast 21:42 or the number of his name. " 21:43 And then the final verse of that chapter 13. 21:46 "Here is wisdom. 21:47 Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, 21:51 for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666." 22:05 We need to remind ourselves again that this is symbolism. 22:08 We don't want to take this literally, this is symbolic. 22:13 And in the symbolism here, we read about a power 22:16 that in the end time, comes and brings with it force. 22:21 The Bible, by the way, is abundantly clear that it is 22:24 the devil who forces. 22:25 It is the devil that tries to push people into his mold. 22:29 Jesus never operated in that way, did he. 22:31 Christianity was never meant to operate in that way. 22:34 Jesus said, "Whomsoever will, let him come. " 22:39 "You choose," said the old prophet. 22:41 "Choose you this day. " 22:42 But this power comes, and it comes with great force. 22:46 And it says, if you don't go along with us 22:49 then there's going to be economic sanction, 22:51 you can't buy or sell. 22:52 And if that doesn't bring quickly the desired result, 22:55 then there is a death penalty. 22:57 It finds, then, everyone in trouble. 23:02 Now we're going to turn from here to the following chapter, 23:05 chapter 14 and we're gong to read just 23:09 a couple of verses, 9 and 10. 23:11 Revelation chapter 14 verses 9 and 10. 23:14 Here's the other side of the coin, if you'll allow me. 23:16 It says, "The third angel followed the other two 23:18 and he said with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast 23:21 or his image, or receives the mark either in the forehead 23:23 or the hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the 23:25 wrath of God poured out without mixture or dilution 23:28 into the cup of His indignation. 23:30 He'll be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence 23:32 of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ' 23:35 And the smoke of that torment ascends forever and ever. 23:38 They have no rest, day or night, those who have worshipped 23:41 the beast or his image, or whosoever has received 23:45 the mark of his name. " 23:46 So at this juncture, then, we're easily able to make a 23:51 summarization that goes like this. 23:53 The terminal generation is found in trouble, 23:56 everyone is in trouble. 23:58 Either on the one hand, you have refused the beast and its mark 24:03 and you're in trouble with men and with the authority 24:06 in the world, or on the other hand, you have accepted 24:09 the beast and its mark and now you're in trouble with God. 24:12 But everyone is in trouble. 24:14 Now I don't know about you folk, but a good while back 24:16 I decided I'd rather be in trouble with men than with God. 24:20 And I think that's only just common sense, isn't it. 24:23 Now, I can almost hear you asking, "Lyle, who and what 24:28 is this beast power? 24:30 Come on, get on with it. 24:31 What is it's mark, rather, more particularly? 24:34 What is the mark of the best then?" 24:36 But before we can understand and appreciate, I think fully, 24:39 the mark of the beast, we have to have a basic understanding. 24:44 For most, this will be just a review but there's some here 24:46 tonight for the very first time. 24:48 We have to look back at the first verses of chapter 13 24:52 to have some information about the beast power itself, 24:55 the power that inflicts this requirement upon 25:01 the terminal generation. 25:03 Chapter 13, the first verse. 25:05 John in vision says, "I stood upon the sands of the sea 25:08 and I saw a beast come up out of the sea. 25:11 And this beast had seven heads and ten horns, 25:13 and upon his horns there were crowns, and upon his heads 25:16 the name of blasphemy. 25:18 This beast that I saw was like a leopard, 25:20 but he had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. 25:24 The dragon had given him his power and his seat or throne 25:28 and his great authority. 25:30 And then I saw one of the heads as if it were wounded unto death 25:33 but the deadly wound was healed. 25:35 And the whole world followed after the beast. 25:37 And they worshipped also the dragon that had given 25:38 power to the beast. 25:40 And they worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like unto him 25:43 and who is able to war against him?' 25:45 And there was given unto him, a mouth that spoke 25:47 great things and blasphemies. 25:49 And power was given unto him to continue this way 25:51 for forty and two months. " 25:54 And in the day for a year principle, ladies and gentlemen, 25:56 I remind you, that figures out to 1260 literal years. 26:00 And on many prior occasions, we have said that in 538 26:04 the church destroyed its last earthly enemy, the last holdout 26:08 against its teachings and reigned supreme until 1798 when 26:14 Napoleon took the pope captive. 26:17 1260 years; called time, times, and dividing of time 26:21 in both Daniel and Revelation. 26:22 Called the 3.5 years in Revelation. 26:25 And also referred to as the 42 months, as we find it here. 26:29 And it says about this power that it had a great mouth 26:32 that spoke blasphemies. 26:33 And I want to dovetail a thought here for you for just a moment. 26:38 You remember, our Lord Jesus was accused of being a blasphemer. 26:41 And Jesus asked the folks who wanted to take His life 26:44 with stones, "On what basis do you accuse Me of 26:47 being a blasphemer?" 26:48 And they said, "Because You, being only just a man, 26:52 claim to be... " 26:53 Whom, now? 26:55 "You being a man claim to be God. " 26:57 So, there is a New Testament definition of blasphemy; 27:00 a man claiming to be God. 27:02 I studied Roman Catholic theology at 27:04 Notre Dame University. 27:06 I audited a course there. 27:08 And I could read to you tonight, if time allowed, 27:10 page after page after page, document after document 27:13 after document, that says that the pope of Rome 27:16 takes the place of God on earth. 27:18 He is the vicar of the Son of God, he sits in the place 27:21 of God on earth. 27:22 And when he speaks ex cathedra, when he speaks with the 27:25 authority of the throne, that is God speaking on earth. 27:29 And it's in light of that, that the church of Rome says, 27:32 "We have the power and the authority to transfer the 27:35 solemnity of the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. " 27:38 And this is not new to those of you who have been 27:40 coming here quite regularly. 27:42 And so, it says about this power that he had a mouth 27:44 that spoke blasphemies and he continued for 1260 years. 27:49 And then he went out and made war against the saints. 27:53 We mentioned, about our second night together, 27:55 when we talked about the problems out in Iran and Iraq 27:58 and about their hatred toward many in the western world, 28:01 about the church wars and about the crusades against 28:06 Muhammad and his people by the church. 28:08 And we've talked also, when we visited the Waldensian Valley, 28:11 about how church leadership went after the people of God, 28:15 the Christian people who didn't want to go along with the 28:18 traditions of men and drove them way up into the mountaintop 28:21 and into the rocky fissures of the caves. 28:23 And so it all begins to plug in. 28:26 Now, 28:30 it is not Lyle's idea, nor has it been some Adventist notion 28:36 that the church of Rome is the beast power spoken of 28:40 in Revelation chapter 13. 28:43 This was the initial position of every single reformer 28:47 without any exception. 28:48 While Luther and Calvin were miles apart in their 28:51 understanding of the Lord's supper and the Lord's table, 28:54 when it came to who and what the beast power was 28:56 they were together as close as a hand inside a glove. 29:00 And I want to read you very quickly just one statement from 29:04 a man by the name of Dr. Grattan Guinness 29:06 whom most scholars believe to be the finest mind, 29:08 the best authority on the reformation era. 29:11 This is from his book, "Rome and the Reformation" 29:13 pages 153 and 154. 29:16 I'm quoting, "Martin Luther never felt free and strong 29:19 to war against papal apostasy until finally he recognized 29:22 the papacy was the anti-christ. 29:24 It was then that he burned the papal bull. 29:26 John Knox, a Presbyterian, preached his first sermon, 29:28 the one that launched him on the road to becoming a reformer, 29:31 on the prophecies concerning the papacy. 29:33 And all the reformers were unanimous in this matter. " 29:36 And that's true, they were. 29:38 Without exception, they were. 29:39 We must never fall to the mistaken notion, 29:41 ladies and gentlemen, that the reformation was a simple 29:44 quibble over semantics. 29:46 Now we've heard a lot of that idea coming out of churches 29:50 and denominations of late because there has been this 29:53 healing of the deadly wound and this reuniting that we're 29:56 going to talk more about in just a little bit. 29:58 "Well, the reformation was simply a question of semantics, 30:01 just a misunderstanding of words. " 30:03 It was not that, ladies and gentlemen. 30:06 The thing that brought on the reformation was the preaching 30:09 of the books of Daniel and Revelation exactly as you've 30:11 been hearing them here. 30:13 And if what I have been sharing with you sounds strange, 30:15 if what I've put out to you from the Bible and from 30:19 Bible prophecy sounds weird and it's the first time you've 30:22 ever heard anything like it, it's only further proof 30:24 that the teachings of the reformers are no longer heard 30:27 in the churches that claim to carry on the reformation. 30:30 To the large degree, the reformation is dead. 30:33 But it lives on here. 30:34 I take for my preaching, the notes of Luther and Calvin 30:37 and Knox and Huss, and the Wesley brothers as well. 30:40 Particularly in these areas of end time Bible prophecies. 30:44 Now, we want to transition. 30:47 And as we do this, I want to make abundantly clear 30:50 that the beast power mentioned here is not mentioned in such 30:55 terms to be naughty, denigrative, or disrespectful. 31:02 "A beast, oh that terribly, horribly... " 31:03 No, God never intended that idea nor that connotation. 31:09 He only uses "beast", and He does it in Daniel as well as in 31:12 the Revelation, to symbolize nations and powers; 31:17 political powers, religious powers, 31:20 or a combination thereof. 31:22 Now we continue to do the very same thing still today. 31:26 If, politically speaking, I mention the bear power, 31:30 what power is that? 31:31 Of whom am I speaking? 31:32 Russia, of course. 31:34 If I mention the lion, of whom am I speaking? 31:37 Of whom? Great Britain. 31:38 How about the rooster? Anybody remember? 31:41 France, of course. Give that lady a gold star. 31:44 The rooster of France. 31:45 Here in the United States, we've had two such symbols. 31:48 We've had the great American bald eagle. 31:50 And by the way, he's not really bald. 31:51 He just has white hair like some old people that I know. 31:57 And because he's indigenous to our country, we've also 32:00 used as out symbol the bison, or the buffalo. 32:02 So we continue to do the same thing today 32:04 and we mean no disrespect whatsoever, nor does God. 32:08 Now, we're going to search for this beast power this evening 32:13 in Bible prophecy, and we're going to use several clues. 32:17 Clue number 1, for you "A" students, is the 32:19 clue of location. 32:20 And I'm going to refer back now to Revelation 13 32:23 and the second verse. 32:25 Revelation 13 verse 2, as we use our first clue, 32:29 our clue of discovery of who and what this beast power is. 32:32 This is the clue of location. 32:34 Chapter 13 verse 2. 32:36 "The beast that I saw was like a leopard, but he had the feet 32:39 of a bear and the mouth of a lion. 32:41 And the dragon gave him his power and his throne seat 32:45 and his great authority. " 32:49 Now who is the dragon? 32:50 Now that's easy, you say. That's the devil. 32:53 And that's right. That's basically correct. 32:56 But the devil works through institutions, doesn't he now. 32:59 He works through organizations. 33:00 He still does that till this very day. 33:05 We have said on more than one one occasion that the 33:09 book of Revelation, chapters 12 through 18, 33:14 go together as a unit. 33:19 We studied from chapter 12 about the great red dragon and the 33:22 origin of sin and about the war that was in heaven. 33:25 And it says the dragon was kicked out. 33:27 And he went to work through organizations 33:30 and through systems. 33:31 It says in chapter 12, just the prior chapter to this 13th, 33:35 that he was there to destroy the child as soon as it was born. 33:41 Alright, who sent soldiers, who dispatched soldiers 33:44 over to Bethlehem to kill the babies? 33:46 Under who's command? 33:48 Herod, Herod the Great. 33:49 Whom did he represent, whom did he work for? 33:52 Ancient pagan Rome. 33:54 Who drove the nails in the hands and feet of Jesus? 33:56 Who put him on a cross? 33:58 Roman soldiers did that. 34:00 Now watch, ladies and gentlemen. 34:01 Obviously, the devil was largely working through the pagan 34:05 Roman power at the time that John has his vision of 34:10 Revelation chapters 12 through 18. 34:12 The pagan Roman power, the devil, the dragon power. 34:16 Now watch. 34:18 It says that this power that the devil was using 34:21 would give to this beast of Revelation 13, the first verses, 34:25 his seat and his authority. 34:29 In the 4th century, the empirical seat of the Caesars 34:33 was moved from the city of Rome out to Constantinople. 34:37 Today known as Istanbul, Turkey. 34:39 And before the emperor left, he called in the pastor 34:43 of the local church. 34:44 He said, "You're now in charge of the affairs 34:46 of the western world. " 34:48 And over the years, the pope of Rome became the 34:52 most powerful man. 34:53 There was first the holy Roman empire, 34:55 and then the papal Roman empire. 34:58 A progression. 34:59 It becomes quite obvious, when we use the clue of location, 35:03 that the pagan Roman power gives to this new power 35:07 his seat and his great authority throughout the world. 35:11 And by 1798, it would be the power that dictated to kings 35:16 and queens and everybody involved in the western world, 35:19 and throughout the Middle East as we have also said. 35:21 So the clue of location certainly seems to fit, 35:24 for, ladies and gentlemen, there has only been one power that 35:27 has continuously sat upon the seat of the dragon power 35:30 before it since the fall of the Roman empire in the 5th century. 35:34 And that is the power of the church of Rome. 35:38 Now, "Lyle, if this is a symbol, then what does it mean 35:45 to be marked in the mind? 35:47 For I read a book the other day, I saw the movie where they put a 35:51 laser chip, some kind of a computer chip, rather, 35:55 in the mind or maybe a laser beam tattoo in the hand. " 36:01 I'm not suggesting, ladies and gentlemen, that these kinds 36:04 of things may not happen. 36:06 It would not surprise me if the devil tried to bring about 36:10 some of these things to try to throw folks off the trail, 36:13 sort of a red herring as they use to say politically. 36:16 To kind of guide the dogs off in the wrong direction. 36:19 It wouldn't surprise me if the devil used some of these. 36:21 But this is not God's original intention. 36:24 For as we said at the outset, this is symbolic, 36:27 this is not literal. 36:29 Now the theologian has a tool case with which he works 36:33 assuredly as the carpenter or the plumber. 36:35 And one of the tools in the theologians tool case 36:38 is called Biblical hermeneutic. 36:40 That is a big name with a very simple meaning. 36:43 What it means is that we must be, as we study our Bibles, 36:46 consistent, particularly when we're looking at symbols. 36:51 Now it's quite obvious then that in Revelation chapter 13, 36:55 it is speaking symbolically. 36:57 A beast that was like a leopard, but he had the feet of a bear 36:59 and the mouth of a lion. 37:00 Was there ever an animal like that? 37:01 Of course not, that is a symbol. 37:04 Now we can't say, "Well alright, the beast, that's a symbol. 37:08 I agree with that, but the mark, that's literal. 37:11 That's a laser beam tattoo. " 37:12 No, the beast is a symbol, and of necessity, also the mark 37:16 must be a symbol. 37:18 The next question then is, if it is a symbol, 37:21 what does it mean to be marked in the mind? 37:23 I want you to leave a bookmark at Revelation chapter 13 37:26 and go back with me, if you will please, 37:28 to the Hebrews chapter 10. 37:31 Hebrews chapter 10. 37:34 And we're going to notice at verse 16. 37:37 We could find the very same verse, by the way, 37:39 the very same words in chapter 8 verse 10. 37:42 But we shall notice at chapter 10 and verse 16. 37:46 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. 37:50 I'm going to give you a moment to be there because I want 37:52 you to see this, it's so very important. 37:54 I don't want anyone to go home and say, "I heard Lyle say. " 37:57 I want you to be able to go home and say, 37:58 "I saw in my own Bible. " 38:00 Alright. 38:01 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. 38:04 "This is the covenant that I will... " 38:06 Oh by the way, I have folks say, "Well look, 38:10 we're under the new covenant and there's no law, no Sabbath. 38:12 We're under the new covenant. " 38:13 No, that's a ridiculous idea. 38:16 The word covenant is synonymous with contract, 38:19 as we've said on other occasions here. 38:21 And you cannot have any binding kind of a situation, 38:26 you can't have a binding contract without law. 38:29 That's the way to say it, isn't it. 38:31 You can't have a covenant without a law to enforce it 38:34 and to back it up. 38:35 And so, sometimes when folks say, "Well we're 38:36 under the new covenant. " 38:37 I'll ask them, "Well, could you open and read that to me?" 38:40 "Well, it's here or it's... Well... " 38:42 Well, we found it tonight. Here it is, alright. 38:45 Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 16. 38:47 "'This is the covenant that I will make with them 38:50 after those days,' saith the Lord. 38:51 'I will put My laws in their hearts and in their... '" 38:56 "... foreheads" say some translations. 38:58 "In their minds I will write them. " 39:00 God says, "I'll put My 10 commandments in your hearts 39:04 where you'll love them. " 39:05 Jesus said, "If you love Me," John 14:15, 39:08 "then keep My commandments. " 39:10 "I'll put them in your hearts and I will write them 39:13 also in your minds. " 39:17 So God's children also have something in their foreheads. 39:21 They're marked. 39:23 Now we're ready to take a step even further. 39:27 What is the purpose of a mark? 39:31 It shows identity, doesn't it. 39:33 It shows loyalty. 39:34 It shows to whom we look for authority. 39:38 Peggy's daddy, as I may have mentioned before, 39:41 was a logging contractor. 39:42 He logged only so he could afford to run 39:45 a cattle operation. 39:46 His great love was a rancher and wearing his Stetson hat. 39:50 But he had to, often, subsidize the ranch operation by logging. 39:56 And it reminds me a little bit, I may have mentioned it to you 39:58 on another evening, the man who back, I believe in Iowa, 40:01 won the lottery several million dollars. 40:03 And the television reporters went to him and asked him, 40:05 "What are you going to do with all that money?" 40:06 And the farmer said, "I guess I'll just keep farming 40:08 until it's all gone. " 40:14 Alright. 40:16 My point was that the farmers and the ranchers and all 40:19 who raise cattle bring them in to a pen, 40:23 generally in the spring of the year. 40:24 And with a red hot iron, they put a brand on their hip 40:28 to show identity. 40:29 For out here in the west, particularly, so many ranchers 40:32 got their start with a fast horse and a long rope. 40:35 And over in places of the world, they will put little 40:40 tattoos on the forehead. 40:41 You've seen them. 40:42 Yea, little markings on the skin to show identity. 40:45 I remember asking one group one time, 40:48 "Why do you," and we had become friends and I 40:50 could ask personal questions, "what does that mean?" 40:52 And they said, "It shows the family or the tribe 40:55 that we belong to. 40:56 If ever some are kidnapped or we get separated, 40:58 when once we're together again we'll know one another. " 41:01 And so the mark shows to whom we give our loyalties 41:05 and it identifies to whom we, in a spiritual way, belong. 41:10 Now, that brings me then to this sentence that I've used before. 41:15 Check everybody out, ladies and gentlemen. 41:18 It does matter what's in your forehead, it does matter 41:21 what you believe. 41:22 It can be a matter of life and death. 41:24 And so, you check every preacher out, including 41:27 of course, this one. 41:29 Check them out by the Bible. 41:31 And if it's not according to God's word, then forget it. 41:33 Let it run off your back like water off the duck's back. 41:36 If, on the other hand, it is taught in God's word, 41:39 you better do something about it. 41:41 We've got to do something about it if it's there. 41:44 Now, we're ready to take a further step. 41:51 Clue number one, as we search for this beast power, 41:54 was the clue of location. 41:55 He sits on the seat of the dragon power that was there 41:57 before him, which was the pagan Roman government. 42:00 And you follow it down historically and theologically, 42:02 it'd be none other than the church of Rome. 42:04 Clue number two is that this power brings about a 42:09 counterfeit of God's law. 42:11 A counterfeit that the majority in the world 42:14 believe and practice. 42:17 It's a counterfeit of God's law. 42:20 And clue number three, then, is that whatever this law is, 42:27 it controls buying and selling. 42:30 That no man could buy or sell unless he goes 42:34 along with the system. 42:36 Now, we could, at this point, ask some rhetorical questions. 42:41 That means, questions with answers so simple 42:45 we really don't even have to ask the question. 42:48 What could this be? 42:51 It comes out of the seat of the dragon power before it, 42:53 this mark of the beast. 42:56 It is a counterfeit of God's law and it controls 42:58 buying and selling, in the last days particularly. 43:02 Is it Mariolatry? 43:04 It doesn't fit. No it's doesn't fit. 43:06 Is it the doctrine of purgatory? 43:08 No, it doesn't fit. 43:10 Invocation of saints? 43:11 No, it doesn't fit. 43:12 There's only one such law and teaching that has come 43:16 out of Rome, out of the seat of the dragon power, 43:18 that fulfills all of the demands of Revelation 13. 43:21 And that is the idea and the law and the teaching 43:24 of Sunday observance and Sunday closing 43:28 and Sunday going to church. 43:30 I read you, on prior evenings, several quotations from the 43:34 church of Rome where they state very plainly and succinctly, 43:38 "Yes, we changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. 43:42 And we have the authority to do it, given by God to Peter, 43:46 the first of the popes. " 43:47 You remember, we've gone over those things 43:49 on several prior evenings. 43:52 Now we say, "Well look, you'd expect Sunday closing here 43:55 in the United States because we are a Christian nation. 43:58 And if we're going to close on any day of the week, 44:00 it's going to be on Sunday. " 44:01 We've said on many prior occasions as well 44:04 that the Bible isn't only just for Americans. 44:06 It's for everybody who lives all around the circle of the globe. 44:10 And so I have a suggestion tonight. 44:12 My suggestion is that we take a mental journey. 44:18 We're going to stop in two or three other places in the world 44:22 that are not Christian. 44:24 And so we get in our jet over here in Seattle 44:27 and we fly across the polar ice caps and we go east 44:32 and north, and we go to Istanbul, Turkey 44:35 for our first stop. 44:37 And out in Istanbul, we discover that almost 100% of the people 44:42 are followers of Islam. 44:45 Which day is the holy day in Islam? 44:47 Which day? 44:48 Friday. 44:50 But we can go to the shops and the boutiques 44:53 on Friday and with, perhaps, the exception of a couple of hours 44:56 mid afternoon, we'll find those shops open. 44:58 But, you go to the same shops on Sunday and you find often 45:03 and that the majority of them are closed. 45:06 And we say, how strange in this non-Christian environment. 45:10 And we re-board our jet and we fly next to India. 45:14 And out in Bombay, we stop to discover that the folks here 45:20 are, with very few exceptions, not Christian. 45:23 They're Hindu or something else, or a combination. 45:27 And we go shopping on Monday and we buy, 45:30 and on Wednesday we may buy. 45:32 And then we discover that on Sunday, most things 45:37 are locked up. 45:39 Now I know some of this is changing, the world is changing. 45:41 But for hundreds of years, it has been just the way 45:45 that I'm telling it to you tonight. 45:47 We re-board our jet and we fly on around the world 45:50 and our final stop is out in Tokyo in Japan. 45:54 And we go down to the Ginza. 45:56 And for years and years and years, during the war years, 45:59 and up until just very recently, everything on Sunday was 46:03 locked up out in Tokyo. 46:05 And we say, how strange because the folks out here are not 46:08 Christian, with a few exceptions. 46:10 They're Buddhist or Shintoist, or a combination thereof. 46:13 And by the way, even as recent as last week 46:16 the government offices out in Japan are locked up on Sunday. 46:23 How strange. 46:24 And so we see this law that came out of Rome, 46:26 out of the seat of the dragon power before it, 46:28 is controlling the buying and the selling of 46:30 the world right now. 46:32 And if we don't go along with the worship of Sunday, 46:35 before Jesus comes back there is going to be a requirement 46:40 that you can't buy or sell on any day of the week 46:43 unless you accept the authority of the power that is described. 46:48 It becomes abundantly clear then that the 4th commandment 46:52 of God is the one that separates the terminal generation. 46:56 It controls the buying and the selling. 46:58 There is no other command, no other law that has 47:01 anything at all to do with buying and selling 47:04 except the 4th commandment where God says, 47:08 "Don't do it on My Sabbath day. " 47:12 Now, 47:15 a clear quotation from the church of Rome. 47:18 I'm quoting, "Of course the Catholic claims that the change 47:21 from Sabbath to Sunday was her doing. 47:22 It couldn't have been otherwise, as none in those days would have 47:25 dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual, ecclesiastic, 47:28 or religious without her. 47:29 And this act is a mark of ecclesiastical power and 47:33 authority in religious matters. " 47:34 And that is from Cardinal Gibbons of whom I think 47:38 we've quoted before. 47:40 Daniel chapter 7 verse 25, speaking again under different 47:44 symbolism of the same power said that it would change 47:48 time and law. 47:51 And there's only one of God's laws that has to do with time, 47:54 and that is command number 4 that says, 47:56 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. " 48:03 I'm hoping, ladies and gentlemen, that we're beginning 48:06 to see that this is not a nitpicking side issue, 48:10 this Saturday Sunday business. 48:12 It's not a tempest in an teapot or much ado over nothing. 48:15 But it boils down to the question of authorities 48:19 for the terminal generation. 48:21 To whom will we look for authority? 48:23 Will we look to the church or to the head of a church? 48:27 Or will we look to Jesus Christ, the originator of the church? 48:30 Who's word are we going to take for final authority? 48:33 That is the bottom line. That is the question. 48:36 Now, Martin Luther took a position initially 48:42 that he would go by the Bible and the Bible only. 48:46 He stood before the largest of church counsels, 48:48 to that time nearly. 48:49 And he said, "My conscience is captive to the word of God. 48:52 Unless you can convince me by scripture and clear reason, 48:55 on God's word alone I stand. 48:57 I can do no other, may He help me. " 48:59 And he nailed the theses to the door. 49:02 Shortly thereafter, he was challenged by the church. 49:05 They said, "You claim that you go by the Bible 49:07 and the Bible only. 49:08 Why then do you continue to go to church and encourage others 49:12 to go to church on Sunday? 49:14 If you go by the Bible only, why do you go to church on Sunday?" 49:17 And Martin Luther admitted his embarrassment. 49:19 And I'll read to you exactly what he said. 49:22 "They, the Catholics, alleged to have changed the Sabbath 49:26 into Sunday, the Lord's Day they call it, 49:28 contrary to the ten commandments. 49:30 Nor is there any example more boasted of than the 49:33 change of the Sabbath day. 49:34 Great, they say, is the power and the authority of the 49:36 church of Rome since it has dispensed with one of 49:39 God's ten commandments. " 49:41 Now the contrast here is that God derives His 49:44 authority from creation. 49:46 He said, "I made the place. 49:48 In 6 days, I created heaven and earth. 49:50 And then on the Sabbath day, or the Saturday, 49:52 I rested and I made those hours holy. 49:55 I set them aside for holy use, for families to come together 49:59 to My house and worship Me with one voice. " 50:03 The church, on the other hand, the Sunday rather, of the church 50:08 stands totally and completely and only upon the authority 50:11 of the church of Rome, and there alone. 50:14 Now, I want to talk to you about Sunday and the desire 50:20 for Sunday enforcement. 50:22 Sometimes folks will say, "Well Lyle, if I see this coming 50:25 together, if I see folks trying to force Sunday observance 50:28 and laws and that sort of thing being made, 50:30 why then I'll do something about it. " 50:33 I use to say at this juncture, I'm going to tell you what's 50:37 going to happen in the near future. 50:39 But now I say, this is a prophecy also 50:42 that has been fulfilled. 50:43 This is history. 50:45 Here are just a few examples. 50:47 "Evangelicals and Catholics Proclaim a Corporate Church" 50:52 And it goes on to talk about how Protestants... 50:55 And I going to put on my reading glasses. 50:56 Will you forgive me if I find my glasses here? 50:59 Because the print here is so very small. 51:01 I don't really need glasses unless I want 51:03 to read, folks, or see. 51:07 But I want to get this right for you. 51:09 And so I'm going to just put on these glasses so I can do that. 51:13 "The resulting document," and this is by the way, 51:16 'Evangelicals and Catholics Proclaim a Corporate Church,'" 51:19 "The resulting document is called, 51:21 'Evangelicals and Catholics Together, 51:23 The Christian Mission for the Third Millennium'" 51:26 And that means, when we transition from, you know, 51:29 1999 to the year 2000. 51:32 You've got that, now haven't you. 51:34 Alright. 51:35 The third century. 51:37 The third millennium, I'm sorry, I should have better said. 51:40 "Forty signatories of this document, 51:43 Evangelicals and Catholics Together, 51:45 have celebrated a union. 51:46 They are referred to now as 'the corporate church' 51:49 and they now accept the responsibility for ordering 51:53 the civility of society. 51:55 The principle figures behind the preparation of this publication 51:59 of Evangelicals and Catholics Together 52:01 are these among them; Richard John Neuhaus, Lutheran Clergyman 52:06 turned a Roman Catholic priest and advocate, 52:08 religion in the public square. 52:10 Furthermore, Charles Colson, political trick master 52:12 of the Watergate era who had found conversion while in 52:17 federal confinement. 52:18 And still another, Pat Robertson of the 700 club, along with 52:22 New York's archbishop, John Cardinal O'Conner. 52:26 Promoting that Catholics and Protestants get together, 52:29 recognizing the papacy as the overall head of the church. 52:34 Here's still another. 52:35 "Anglicans Eye a Partnership Headed by the Pope. " 52:37 And that has to do with some 60 plus million 52:40 Lutherans and Episcopalians. 52:43 Here's still a third. 52:44 Lutherans and Catholics getting together in agreement 52:47 upon the pope as the overall head of the church. 52:49 Here's one. 52:50 "Southern Baptist Convention" 52:52 I'm quoting now, "Southern Baptist Convention 52:55 speaking to the exhilarated secularization of Sunday, 52:58 particularly in the United States, Southern Baptists 53:01 have voted to keep Sunday as the day of rest and worship, 53:04 spiritual renewal and family life. 53:07 Moreover, we have decided to urge all governments 53:10 to take a primary responsibility in preserving the unique 53:16 character of Sunday observance as a day rest, worship, 53:20 and human welfare. " 53:21 What is says is, we're going to vote into office, folks who will 53:25 enforce Sunday observance. 53:27 Here's one that's very much like it. 53:29 It says, pretty much, the very same thing about 53:32 the Southern Baptist. 53:33 And now here's one from the Papacy. 53:35 And this is more recent, by the way. 53:37 "The pope has endorsed Sunday laws. " 53:39 And this is from a magazine published down in the south. 53:42 A religious publication from down in the south. 53:45 And then from Billy Graham's magazine, "Christianity Today. " 53:51 An editorial regarding this very subject that 53:54 we're sharing tonight. 53:55 And I want to read to you what the editor says. 53:59 "The only way Sunday observance will ever be accomplished is 54:01 by force of legislative fiat through the duly elected 54:04 officials of the people. 54:10 The proper use of the Lord's Day, or Sunday, 54:12 will never be known in another way. " 54:14 And again, what he's saying is, we must vote into office 54:18 senators, congressmen, judges who'll enforce 54:23 Sunday observance. 54:25 We begin to see, ladies and gentlemen, finally 54:28 that it is not a question of days. 54:30 It is a question of authorities. 54:32 And as we've said on prior occasions, in the garden 54:35 there were all kinds of trees and lots of fruit. 54:38 And Eve might well have said, "Well, so what. 54:40 What difference does it make? 54:42 And apple, an orange. So what. 54:44 Fruit is fruit, trees are trees. " 54:45 God says, "There is a difference. 54:46 The one that I've separated by its location is a 54:48 test of My authority. 54:50 Don't go to that one, don't eat from it. " 54:52 To me, one day may look like any other. 54:54 So what. 54:55 I can get as much rest on Wednesday as I can on Saturday. 54:58 God says, "There's a difference. 55:00 The day that I separated by its location, 55:02 the 7th day of the week, is a test of My authority. " 55:12 Someone says, "Well Lyle, you've mentioned being marked 55:15 in the mind where you believe, and all of the rest. 55:18 But what about the hand? 55:20 How does that fit in?" 55:23 How many folks I've had say to me, 55:25 "Well Lyle, I've never believed that Sunday was the day. 55:28 I mean, grandfather told us years and years ago 55:30 that the Lord's Day was Saturday, but... " 55:33 "But, I have to work on Saturday. 55:36 I have a job. I have kids in college. 55:38 I have a big mortgage that I have to keep. 55:41 I have... So I go along with it. 55:43 You've got to work along with society. " 55:44 I've heard that a thousand times. 55:48 "I'll lose my home. " 55:50 And I know that fear. 55:51 I recognize it when I made my own decision. 55:53 I'm going to tell you my story in a couple of evenings. 55:56 But that ought not to be our fear because, my dears, 55:59 that is not our problem. 56:01 Our job is to do exactly what God says. 56:04 He's waiting for us to put our feet on His soil 56:06 so He can give us His blessing. 56:09 The Red Sea did not part until the children put their toe 56:13 in the water and then the waves separated. 56:15 And God is waiting for us to do what He says so He can 56:19 open the windows of heaven and pour out the blessings 56:21 so we'll not have room enough to take it all in. 56:25 If God wants you to have the job you have, 56:27 all the powers of earth and hell can't take it from you. 56:29 And if He doesn't want you to have that job, 56:31 you ought not to want it because somewhere He has a far better 56:34 one waiting for you. 56:35 Why don't you do what God says? 56:37 Put Him to the test. 56:40 Folks, we can't think for a minute that we're going to 56:45 wait until these laws are enforced and the teeth are 56:48 put in them and then we're going to do what's right. 56:50 For spiritual strength is gained in the same way as is physical. 56:54 A man doesn't lay down on the bench and the first day press 56:57 300 pounds, but he begins with 25 and then 50 and works up. 57:02 You better start practicing the truth you understand right now 57:06 if you're going to practice it and follow it when 57:08 the final tests come. 57:10 Do it now. 57:13 We look finally, as we always much, at the cross of Jesus. 57:16 He hangs there with nails in His hands and thorns upon His head. 57:20 He didn't have to go there. 57:22 His holy love would not allow Him to do any less. 57:28 It's not Lyle, then, who calls. 57:31 But Jesus, the same Jesus who had the nails in His hands 57:35 and the thorns on His head. 57:36 It is that Jesus who says, "If you love Me, 57:40 please keep My commandments. " 57:42 Let's pray. 57:43 Thank You, Lord, for Your example. 57:48 Thank You for Your authority from creation. 57:50 You made the Sabbath day. 57:53 You kept is when You were here as our example. 57:55 We're going to keep it the earth made new. 57:56 Help us to practice Your truths now 58:02 so we'll be able to do it when the difficult days arrive. 58:05 In Jesus' name we ask our favors and return our thanks, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17