Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW210004S
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:08 Hello, and just a great big welcome. 01:10 We're glad you joined us 3ABN Family Worship. 01:13 This is a time to get the family, 01:15 get everybody, 01:17 you know, get around you say your family altar, 01:18 get your Bible, pencil and paper 01:20 and be able to take some notes 01:22 and be able to study the Word of God together. 01:24 This is quite a delight. 01:25 It's quite a joy, 01:26 to be able to come into your home. 01:29 We love to do you, you are friends, you are, 01:32 you are our neighbors, you're part of family of God. 01:35 And so we're so glad that you decided to take this time 01:37 to study with us today. 01:39 We're going to be doing, 01:40 this is actually a third part of it. 01:42 I'm going to call it a series, 01:43 is that okay to call it a series 01:44 that we've been doing? 01:46 We actually meant for it to be one part. 01:47 But, boy, I tell you, 01:49 the Holy Spirit was giving information 01:50 to those who were here. 01:51 And it was just a real blessing. 01:53 We're going to be talking about primitive godliness. 01:55 Now remember, just those words, don't let them frighten you, 01:58 primitive godliness. 01:59 What does it mean? 02:01 We're going to give just a little backdrop 02:02 in just a few moments here 02:04 after we introduce everyone that's here, 02:05 and that will bring you up-to-date. 02:07 We're going to be starting on question number three. 02:10 And so I'm going to just introduce our guest, 02:12 and then we're going to have prayer 02:14 and then we're going to get 02:15 right into the study of God's Word. 02:16 And I know you will be blessed if you've been coming. 02:19 You've been seeking, you shall be blessed. 02:21 To my right, sweetie, 02:22 it's always good to have you with, always. 02:25 It's good to be here. 02:26 I don't know if you told them who you were. 02:28 Somebody might not know, 02:29 they may be tuning in for the first time. 02:31 Yeah. Pastor Kenny Shelton. 02:33 Thank you, honey, that's right. 02:35 And I'm Chris Shelton. Yes, thank you, honey. 02:37 All right, very good. 02:39 Anyway, we're glad you're here. 02:40 And you're always a help and a blessing. 02:42 And it's good to be able to, 02:44 be able to study the Word of God together. 02:46 It is always. Yes. 02:47 And to my right is Brother Don Owen. 02:50 Don Owen works up in pastoral, I believe. 02:53 I know, sometimes I see you on the floor out here. 02:55 So, yeah. 02:56 Yeah, I'm kind of have to pass different positions. 02:58 Wherever you're needed, I'm sure. 02:59 But I know that you, 03:01 as you mentioned about someone else 03:02 a little while ago, you're a man of the Word. 03:04 You love the Word of God 03:06 and you write it in your heart and your mind, 03:07 and it's always good to have you on the program. 03:09 I'm very blessed, you know, 03:11 how God can use such simple instruments 03:12 to reach people, 03:14 and I'm very thankful to God. 03:16 To my right is general manager of 3ABN Latino. 03:18 We have Pastor John Dinzey, it's good to have you on here. 03:22 And I guess you were on last series, 03:23 weren't your last time? 03:25 Yes, it's a blessing to be here. 03:27 I remember the last part we were together. 03:28 Yes. 03:30 It's been a blessing. 03:31 It really is how the Lord leads 03:32 as we look at the different points 03:36 that are outlined. 03:38 Yes. 03:39 And revival of primitive godliness 03:40 is desperately needed. 03:42 Amen. Yes, I agree too. 03:45 We always open with prayer. 03:46 I mean, how can we understand the Word of God 03:48 unless we invite the Holy Spirit to be with us? 03:50 So, Pastor John, how about you? 03:51 Would you open with prayer please? 03:53 Sure. 03:54 Our loving Heavenly Father, we want to thank You, Lord. 03:58 We thank You because we have the honor, 04:00 the privilege to call You Father. 04:03 And we come before Your throne of grace 04:05 in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 04:08 We pray that You will be with us 04:10 as we study together. 04:12 We pray that You will guide this study 04:14 in such a way 04:15 that our hearts will burn within us. 04:18 And also, with all those, Lord, 04:22 that join us in the different means 04:23 that they can join us through the internet, 04:26 and television channels, cable companies, 04:29 satellite dishes, 04:30 we pray that You will reach the world 04:33 with this message that is needed 04:35 of primitive godliness. 04:37 We ask for your blessing upon all 04:38 and we ask for these things 04:40 in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 04:43 Amen. Amen. 04:44 Praise the Lord. 04:46 You know, we've invited the Holy Spirit to come in, 04:48 to take control of our hearts and our minds and our thoughts, 04:51 you know, so that we can, you know, 04:53 bring these beautiful truths back to God's people, 04:57 because I think as we discussed this, 04:58 we're going to find out that 04:59 lot of the beautiful truths that God has given, 05:01 we've kind of laid them aside. 05:03 And God's wanting us to get back to the way 05:05 that He set it up. 05:06 So if you don't mind, we'll just go over. 05:07 Some of you be the first time 05:09 that you've joined us on this study, 05:10 and we'll take just minute and a half just to go over 05:13 and just kind of set the stage for the program for today. 05:17 And then we'll get right into question number three. 05:19 Primitive godliness, 05:20 that's a word that maybe not too many people, 05:22 I've heard of churches, 05:25 you know, primitive this or that. 05:28 And they're talking about going back to maybe again, 05:30 a beginning relating to or denoting or notice this, 05:34 preserving the character, 05:35 notice, of an early stage 05:37 in the historical development of something. 05:40 So that's what we're doing going back, 05:42 it's looking at its relating to or denoting what, 05:45 you know, something that we're doing it from, 05:48 you know, the beginning, 05:49 we're going to go back the way that God has set it up. 05:52 And sometime we get away, 05:53 we've been getting away from that. 05:55 So we go back to Scripture, 05:56 we see how God set up the church, 05:58 a New Testament Church. 05:59 We've done that on questions, I think one and two. 06:02 And, in fact, in New Testament, 06:05 it was the purest form in the church. 06:08 And so I don't think that any of us can go wrong 06:10 if we go back to the way that God set it up, 06:12 and see how it was pure and right and clean. 06:15 But you know, I read something 06:16 the other day was very interesting. 06:18 It was just in the, you know, 06:19 you talked about the first century 06:20 that was the church was set up, everything's cool. 06:22 But in the first century, before it was over, 06:25 apostasy had already come in to the church. 06:28 The enemy wasted no time... 06:29 Wow, yes. 06:30 To cover up these beautiful truths 06:32 that had transformed the world. 06:35 Lives were changed, people were being baptized, 06:37 the Holy Ghost was being poured out. 06:39 The devil just said, "Uh-ah," 06:41 today we're seeing the same thing. 06:43 He's saying, 06:44 "Uh-ah, don't want this gospel. 06:45 I don't want this message to go to all the world." 06:47 So I read at one time 06:49 in 1 Selected Messages 121, it said, 06:52 "A revival of primitive godliness 06:54 is our greatest need." 06:56 Yes. So what? 06:57 A revival of primitive godliness 06:59 is our greatest need. 07:00 That tells me that maybe I'm not trying to be judgmental 07:03 or condemned. 07:05 But maybe we've lost it just a little bit. 07:07 To me, a revival means we have to go back, 07:10 that means maybe we've lost something. 07:11 And so that's going to be in our study. 07:14 What are the fruits of godliness? 07:17 You think about that? Wrote it down. 07:18 What are the fruits of godliness? 07:20 Or how can we know that we have fruit? 07:23 That was a part of our questions 07:24 that we went on. 07:25 1 Testimonies 405 says, 07:27 notice this, right, very simple, 07:29 "Right actions 07:30 are no unmistakable fruits of godliness." 07:34 Think about it. 07:35 There's going to be more than talk here. 07:37 There's more than I am or profession, 07:40 there's going to be, you know, 07:43 people ask this question all the time, how do I know? 07:45 How to know if the Holy Spirit lives in me? 07:47 Right actions, right choices. 07:49 Now, to every, everything has a place we know 07:51 and the enemy, 07:53 he comes in, he said his places, 07:54 I'm going to stop this. 07:56 I'm going to try to destroy, 07:57 you know, naturally of getting the gospel 08:00 preached into all the world. 08:01 No, he said, 08:03 "I'm not going to have it. 08:04 I'm going to cause a little bit of a problem." 08:05 What was his plan? 08:07 We're going to look at the plan and go to question three. 08:08 The enemy has a plan. 08:10 So we need to unmask it as we continue on. 08:12 Great Controversy 4:64, in introducing a counterfeit. 08:17 Was it devil's plan always, introducing a counterfeit? 08:20 And the way I've looked at it, and over the years, 08:23 the counterfeit comes before what? 08:25 A genuine or true, doesn't it? 08:27 Because it fools people then, notice it, 08:30 he will appear, notice it, 08:31 God's special blessings are poured out 08:33 under religious guys. 08:35 Satan will seek, notice, 08:36 to extend him in his influence over the Christian world. 08:42 So he's doing what he's always done. 08:45 He's in a disguise. 08:47 He's going to try to influence the world as it were, 08:49 he's going to introduce a counterfeit. 08:51 Many, we're talking of Christians today. 08:53 And this is kind of hard subject 08:55 to discuss and to go through 08:56 because, you know, everybody said, 08:58 "We're right. We've got the truth, 08:59 we've got the message, 09:01 you know, so we feel no need of a change." 09:04 But we know that he's introduced a counterfeit. 09:08 Many people are looking at the counterfeit and saying, 09:10 "This is the real." 09:11 So we have to discuss I believe here today 09:14 of how do we know if it's real or not? 09:16 What is the real, what is the counterfeit 09:19 since he says 09:20 he's going to throw the counterfeit out at us. 09:21 And so the influence, notice this, 09:24 it says he influences the whole world. 09:27 Man, that's heavy duty as far as I'm concerned. 09:29 Let's go to question three, 09:30 so that gives us a little background 09:32 of what we want to discuss and cover today. 09:33 Honey, you have the question number three, 09:35 read it to us and then we'll, we'll begin to discuss it. 09:38 Question number three, it says, 09:40 "The last great delusion is soon to open before us. 09:44 Antichrist is to perform 09:45 his marvelous works in our sight. 09:48 So closely with the counterfeit resemble the true, 09:52 by what means 09:54 may we not be fooled by the devil's deception 09:57 of marvelous supernatural miracle." 10:00 I think, you know, we need to kind of set up 10:03 what some of the delusion is 10:05 what this marvelous works of miracles 10:08 and the Antichrist 10:10 that is going to be so close to the true 10:12 will happen before Christ 10:14 can come in also talk about how can we not be fooled? 10:17 Yes. 10:19 You know, the Revelation talks about he uses sorcery, 10:21 and it's deep. 10:23 It's very deep. 10:25 You know, all the ramifications that the enemy uses us 10:29 to keep us from understanding and accepting truth. 10:33 He keeps our minds numb, the numb as it were, you know. 10:37 I think another thing too, and you've touched on that 10:38 just made me think about 10:40 he really wants to rewrite our identity. 10:42 Yes. 10:43 He wants to destroy our identity. 10:45 Ultimately, I think that's his real goal. 10:47 So we don't realize that 10:48 we are sons and daughters of God. 10:49 So he tries to separate us from that. 10:52 And I think that his, 10:53 I see that he's like, a, an enemy of fear. 10:55 Like he just fears 10:57 because he knows his time is short, right? 10:59 He's trying to grab as many as he can to deceive them. 11:02 So, tell you what? 11:03 John 10:10 says, 11:05 "A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy." 11:06 And that's, that's why he's out to take our identity, 11:09 because if we're standing for our Heavenly Father, 11:13 he wants our worship, 11:15 he wants to sit on the side of the North, 11:17 which is kind of a play on words 11:19 when you're talking about prophecy there, 11:21 because it's going to appear as though he does, 11:23 you know, he's working both sides, 11:25 I believe the north and the south 11:27 when we're talking about Daniel, 11:28 but, but he wants our worship. 11:32 And all of this delusion, 11:34 delusion is to get us to worship 11:36 and to believe in him and to be lost for eternity. 11:40 Because he knows the end of the book 11:41 just the same as we do, if not better. 11:44 Oh, Mercy. If not better. 11:45 Yeah, yeah. 11:47 So it says so closely 11:48 will the counterfeit resemble the true, 11:49 Pastor John. 11:51 When we think about that, 11:52 it's not going to be just some little miracle here and there. 11:55 What? 11:57 Matthew 24:24, 11:58 if it's possible, what will happen? 11:59 Even the very elect would be deceived. 12:02 So this is something 12:03 we're going to have to deal with more and more, 12:05 isn't it right? 12:07 In the coming of Jesus. We know He's coming soon. 12:08 Enemy is going to be working, 12:10 and how we're going to know the difference here 12:12 because everybody says, we've got it. 12:13 We've got the truth, we got... 12:14 You know, that is very interesting. 12:16 I was thinking about that today. 12:18 And the time will come. 12:23 Like you said, 12:24 the devil is always trying to deceive people. 12:26 You mentioned this also. 12:28 But the time will come 12:29 when the deceptions will be so incredible that, 12:35 as you said in Matthew 24:24, 12:37 to deceive, if possible, the very elect. 12:40 Now, how can it be 12:42 that we can protect ourselves from being deceived? 12:46 And so the interesting thing is, 12:48 the thought that came to my mind is, 12:50 you know, we're going to have to make a decision 12:53 whether we're going to believe our eyes and our ears, 12:57 instead of what the Bible says. 12:58 Right. 13:00 See the Holy Scriptures 13:02 give us the light that will help us understand 13:04 what is truth and what is a lie. 13:06 But you're going to be seeing things 13:08 and hearing things 13:09 that you're going to say, 13:11 "Well, this must be of God, look at this." 13:13 But the scriptures are the guide 13:15 that we can trust. 13:17 This is a safe guideline for us, a safeguard. 13:19 You know, when we first put this together, 13:21 my mind went back to Matthew 4 to the temptation, 13:24 you know, in the wilderness with 13:26 where the enemy came as an angel of light 13:29 to deceive Jesus, if it were possible. 13:32 And he told Him, he said, 13:34 "You know, if thou will be the Son of God, 13:36 command these stones to be made bread." 13:38 And one thing that you, he mentioned, 13:40 Pastor Kenny mentioned in a sermon years ago, 13:42 he probably not only saw the Son, 13:44 it's possible, 13:45 he could even have smelled the fragrance, 13:47 you know, anything to get Him to weaken. 13:50 He hadn't eaten in 40 days, you know, so can you imagine, 13:54 especially if he produced that smell 13:56 to make him want to eat and to change that? 13:59 And how did Christ answered all three temptations? 14:03 All three times, It is written, 14:06 it is written and finally, get behind me. 14:09 Just reminded me, 14:10 my wife and I went to Mackinac Island years ago, 14:12 we got married. 14:13 And it's interesting because you go down the street, 14:15 and they got these nice little vents, 14:17 and they pump out taffy and fudge smells, 14:20 you're like, ooh, fudge, you know, oh, fudge. 14:23 The temptations are there. 14:25 But, you know, that's, like you talking about that bread, 14:26 you know, to ward off those temptations 14:29 and how powerful this is. 14:31 And I was thinking when we're talking about this idea, 14:32 how do we discern about, you know, Satan, 14:35 what he's up to, Isaiah 8:20 is something really powerful. 14:37 Tells us to the law and to the testimony 14:39 that he speaks not according to his words, 14:41 because there's no light in them. 14:42 So kind of gives us a little like a marker to say, 14:45 hey, there's something going on here. 14:46 So we got to really know this Word. 14:48 So we know what the Word says, we can be able to test it. 14:52 And I think this is really important 14:54 that we set up this foundation 14:56 to the law and to the testimony it is written, 14:58 because we find, 15:00 in fact, he was just speaking with someone last night. 15:02 A lot of people are out, they church shop. 15:07 Well, I like to eat such and such 15:09 so which church will go with this, 15:11 if I believe in that part, and they're looking, 15:14 rather than coming to the Word of God, 15:17 and taking the simplicity of it, 15:21 and accepting it, 15:22 and allowing it to mold and to change our characters. 15:25 In other words, 15:27 we are to line up with the Word of God, 15:28 not make the Word of God line up to us, 15:32 which is what we see happening in our world. 15:34 You know, many, many changes, many laws have been passed. 15:38 And we can see even more clearly 15:40 how those of us 15:41 who are holding up the standards of God 15:44 are going to be downtrodden, 15:46 we're going to be looked upon. 15:47 It's not for the common good of the people. 15:50 You know, it's actually 15:53 what is the word I'm looking for? 15:55 Hate speech. Hate speech. 15:57 A look at it in hate speech. 15:58 I think out in California, if I'm not mistaken, 16:01 I could be mistaken. I saw a news clip. 16:05 They were even trying to talk about 16:06 whether or not they should do away 16:08 with the Bible out there, 16:09 because they felt like it was hate speech, 16:12 you know, so... 16:13 Wow, I can see that. 16:15 Well, maybe you, I mean, 16:16 if we think that giving a Bible study right now 16:20 is kind of difficult, 16:21 it depends on who you're working with 16:22 and studying with. 16:24 Think about when there will be miracles performed 16:27 as it were in their favor. 16:31 It's even going to be more difficult. 16:32 So therefore, we need more Holy Spirit power, 16:35 do we not? 16:37 To our faith, 16:39 at least in my mind 16:40 is going to be challenged in such a way. 16:42 Pastor John was mentioning, to deceive the very elect, 16:46 and I'm not the elect, the very elect, 16:49 you know that one with knowledge, 16:50 that really knows the Scripture really. 16:52 But it's, it's that's the way it's going to come across. 16:56 And so everything that we present is 16:57 the last day message, 16:59 the counterfeit is going to be so strong against it, 17:01 you're going to look strange and odd. 17:04 Pastor John, what do you think about that 17:06 when we're looking at it, 17:07 you think is going to become even more difficult? 17:11 Absolutely, it will become more and more difficult 17:13 as time goes on, 17:14 because the devil becomes more and more desperate. 17:16 So he has to, 17:18 he has to heighten his deception. 17:19 He has to find ways to make his deception so believable, 17:23 that if you don't accept his deceptions, 17:25 you're going to look like either a fool 17:27 or like you don't believe in truth. 17:28 That's right. 17:30 And that is one of the sneaky wicked things 17:33 to make a lie in such a way 17:36 that if you don't believe in this lie, 17:38 you're not believing the truth. 17:39 And look at history, 17:42 how you can see history how some people, they... 17:45 Jesus said, 17:47 "The time will come 17:48 when those that kill you 17:51 will think they're doing God's service." 17:53 Yes, as Paul did. 17:54 So you're going to have a repeating of history. 17:59 It happened in the time of the disciples, 18:01 it's going to happen in the end. 18:03 The people that will come persecuting 18:05 the God's people, 18:06 they are thinking they're doing God's service, 18:08 because they believe something that is not biblical, 18:11 but they believe this is biblical. 18:14 So how do we know? 18:15 We have to study the Scriptures 18:17 but since, you know, 18:19 the wonderful thing about the Scripture says 18:21 that there's... 18:23 The doctrines are abundantly clear, 18:26 abundantly clear. 18:27 Yes. 18:29 Now, we have to admit 18:31 that there are some things 18:33 that appear to say something, 18:35 but when you compare it with the abundance of Scripture. 18:37 That's right. 18:40 It's clear, the message is clear. 18:41 And so, I'm tempted to, 18:44 you know, maybe that's not the right word. 18:47 I'm considering sharing something, 18:50 as an example, 18:51 but perhaps it's not the best idea, 18:53 because there are people that are joining us now 18:56 that are listening to this, and they're going to say, 18:58 "Oh, you're just picking on us," 18:59 and they're going to miss the message 19:00 that the devil is out to deceive. 19:03 I mean, I could talk about 19:05 the state of the dead for example. 19:06 Oh, absolutely. 19:08 People think, as soon as you die, 19:09 you go to heaven. 19:10 Or if you were bad, you go to hell. 19:12 But the Bible doesn't teach that 19:14 as soon as you die, you go to heaven. 19:15 And as soon as you die, 19:16 if you're wicked, you go to hell. 19:18 It does not teach that. 19:19 But a lot of people accept this because of, 19:24 for example, there's the parable of Lazarus. 19:28 Yes. 19:29 And the parable describes that Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom 19:33 and they'll be, 19:34 "Ah, he's in heaven, he is in heaven." 19:36 So, but you cannot grab a doctrine from a parable. 19:40 You see, there are abundant scriptures that say 19:44 that when you die, you are sleeping in the grave. 19:46 That's right. 19:47 That's why Jesus talks about 19:49 in John Chapter 5 that, and 6 19:53 that He will resurrect them at the last day 19:57 and there's going to be the resurrection 19:59 of the righteous 20:00 and the resurrection of the wicked. 20:01 So if there's going to be a resurrection 20:03 of the righteous and the wicked in the end, 20:05 how can it be that these people are, 20:07 the good ones are dying 20:09 and they go to heaven right away. 20:10 See, but you're giving least in my estimation, 20:14 what I'm thinking here, 20:16 abundant weight of evidence from Scripture. 20:18 You just get real quick, a lot of things right now 20:20 that you just can't throw out and say, 20:22 well, that's not what it means. 20:24 But most people, remember, you said, they throw it out. 20:27 I mean, I've sat down and study with people, 20:29 you give a weight of evidence, 20:31 line upon line, precept upon precept, 20:33 here a little there a little. 20:34 And they throw it out for one little obscure passage 20:37 somewhere that not even talking about the issue. 20:39 And so they won't accept it. 20:42 Now, how do we deal with that 20:43 because we're trying to return to primitive godliness. 20:46 The enemy has come in deceiving. 20:48 We're told that we have to give heed to seducing spirits 20:52 and doctrines of what? 20:54 Demons. Devils, demons. 20:56 You see, how do you really do that? 20:59 There's, there's... 21:00 I would like to mention concerning that, 21:01 we'll come back to it in a minute. 21:03 Some people accept some teachings 21:07 because they learned it from their father. 21:10 They learned it from their mother, 21:11 and their mother learned it from their mother 21:13 and so on and so on. 21:14 It has come down generations leading this particular thing. 21:19 And perhaps even their pastor said it 21:21 and brother so and so 21:23 that is so, so righteous, believe this. 21:26 But if it's not scripture, then you're in serious trouble. 21:31 You know, that there are a few groups out there 21:34 that for example, say, 21:36 "It's okay to have more than one wife." 21:38 But that's not biblical, you see. 21:41 So we have to look at the scriptures, 21:44 look at the weight of the evidence, 21:46 and then come to a conclusion that is safe, 21:49 because it's based on God's Word. 21:51 Amen. 21:52 So primitive godliness. 21:53 Oh, yes. 21:55 And why do we need primitive godliness 21:57 is because just like you said, time goes on. 22:00 And some people water down the truth 22:02 as time goes on. 22:03 And because of the social conditions, 22:10 the standard for righteousness and what is good is lowered. 22:15 Yeah, that's right. 22:17 It's lowered because of society. 22:19 And you've heard the phrase... 22:23 What is that phrase where they say, 22:25 politically correct? 22:28 And so to be politically correct, 22:30 some people cross some boundaries. 22:32 Absolutely. 22:34 And they get into their dark area 22:37 and away from the light. 22:39 Because the politically correct thing 22:41 is to accept this darkness, 22:43 this thing that is evil, 22:45 and instead of what the Bible says, 22:46 Yeah, I mean, we don't have to go too deep. 22:48 Maybe Don, you can do, kind of, you can do talk on this, 22:51 you don't really have to dig too deep 22:54 for some people, 22:55 because again, as they look at Scripture, 22:57 they're going to come up in their mind, they'll say, 22:59 this is what it says, 23:00 again, regardless of what the Bible has to say. 23:05 To me, it's very interesting, it either is the truth 23:08 or it's beyond. 23:10 It's a lie of the enemy. 23:13 And it's like most people going to church, 23:15 it doesn't really matter if it's a lie of the enemy. 23:17 You gave an illustration, 23:19 you talk about is, you know, a person, 23:22 maybe who was, 23:24 you know, raised a certain way in a different faith 23:26 and so on and so forth. 23:27 And they have great and this is okay, 23:29 they had great respect for their pastor then. 23:31 Later on in life, they find out truth, 23:35 that it was their attitude and their mind has changed 23:37 as they read the Word of God, 23:39 but they still go back and they'll say, 23:42 "This is most godly man that there was." 23:45 And then I would, I'd say to them, 23:47 "Well, what did he teach you?" 23:48 And all of a sudden, 23:50 what he was teaching was not Bible based at all. 23:53 So if he was... 23:55 That's just pretty heavy duty, 23:56 but if he wasn't teaching Bible based, 23:58 and in truth from God's Word, he was teaching, 24:01 he may not know it, 24:02 he may be all right in God's sight. 24:04 But quiet, he still taught a lie of the enemy. 24:07 So we're dealing with truth and a lie of the enemy. 24:11 So it seems like most of us and I still, 24:13 I'm interested in finding out what, what is truth. 24:17 You know, it's... 24:19 I've heard people say that. 24:21 I've heard people say, good people, wonderful people, 24:24 like you said, they wouldn't hurt anyone. 24:27 They're living their lives 24:29 according to what they understand. 24:32 And when they learn new truth, they said, 24:35 all this time I thought it was this way. 24:39 But now, finally, I learned that it's this way. 24:42 I've heard about this in Guatemala, for example, 24:45 on a trip. 24:46 Oh, did you know 24:48 there's this pastor of this large denomination 24:50 and huge, and he recently, 24:55 for example, I'm going to say 24:56 recently accepted the Sabbath, he says, 24:58 "I cannot believe I didn't see this 25:00 in all my years of studying the Bible." 25:03 Well, how did he miss it? 25:04 I don't know. 25:06 But for him, he said, 25:07 "This is marvelous. 25:09 I didn't understand this before." 25:10 So how does that happen? 25:12 We don't know. But it happens. 25:13 And what, the good news is that they are seeing the light. 25:17 The wonderful thing is that we have the promise 25:19 that the Holy Spirit will guide us in His truth. 25:21 One wonderful thing we can do is 25:23 ask for the Lord to bless us with the Holy Spirit. 25:26 Lord, bless us. Guide me into all truth. 25:28 That's a prayer we can all pray. 25:29 That's right. Lord, guide me into all truth. 25:31 That's a safe prayer. 25:33 Lord, please guide me into all truth. 25:35 If I... Please. 25:36 We have to mean it. Yes, absolutely. 25:38 But we have to mean it because like I say, 25:40 we've talked to so many different people 25:42 who say that nothing more I want in life 25:44 than make it to heaven, 25:45 but they will not they say right at that point in time, 25:48 follow what God has said. 25:50 He said, for instance, so simple, 25:51 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 25:53 And they'll say, "Well, you don't have to keep them." 25:55 But there's nothing more I want to do. 25:56 I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 25:58 I know, I'm going to make it to heaven. 26:00 But then the actions, 26:03 you know, again, 26:04 we're not trying to change or criticize that, 26:05 we're simply saying, the enemy is at work. 26:08 And remember, I found something here, 26:10 and then you, and somebody else can comment. 26:12 Review and Herald 8-25-1885, 26:14 Satan gives his power to those who are aiding him 26:17 in his deceptions. 26:19 Satan does what? Gives his power. 26:20 Gives his power to those who are aiding him 26:23 in his deceptions. 26:24 Those who claim to have a great power of God 26:28 can only be discerned by, notice this, 26:31 by the great detector of the law of Jehovah. 26:35 Just what you said to the law and the testimony, 26:37 somebody will say, this is what and you'll say, 26:39 to the law and to the testimony, 26:40 they just say, 26:42 "Well, no." And then they go on. 26:43 I mean, to me a searcher of truth. 26:45 And I'm not trying to be ugly, 26:47 but searcher of truth is going to say, 26:48 I've got to consider that. 26:49 I've got to consider that 26:51 and what do you think about it, honey? 26:53 Should we consider the law and the testimony 26:55 because that's what the Bible said, 26:57 to compare everything to so that we know? 27:00 Try the spirits with this? 27:02 Absolutely. Absolutely. 27:03 In fact, I looked up 27:05 if I don't know if I can find it real quick. 27:06 I have too many notes that I've put in here today, 27:09 I can't even find something that I'm looking for. 27:11 Because I know, 27:12 the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that 27:13 there will be a great return to primitive godliness 27:17 before Christ comes. 27:19 And so we look back into Acts, 27:21 we find out how we go back 27:22 and look how that first church was set up 27:25 and how the attributes of that first church was 27:27 when it was in its pure form. 27:29 You know, even in our time, we can see it. 27:32 Now, Don, you're a little younger. 27:33 I don't know how much younger, 27:34 but we can see great changes in the churches. 27:38 You know, back when I was in my teens, 27:41 I came down and started living with my grandparents. 27:44 They started taking me to church, 27:46 you know, but I was still coming, 27:47 my mom had left the church and she used to work in... 27:50 She had restaurants 27:52 and every restaurant was always that there was a door 27:53 in between that and a tavern. 27:55 And she would sing, she was a singer, 27:57 so she sang country music 27:59 and back they asked her to be on Hee Haw. 28:01 But that was right at her transition time. 28:03 We are, they wanted her to be on Hee Haw, 28:05 but she was just transitioning over to be a Christian, 28:08 so she turned that down. 28:10 However, I grew up in the taverns you know, 28:13 as a little girl, and I was dancing to this music 28:16 and all of that, da-da. 28:17 So I come and live with my grandparents. 28:19 And by the time I'm in high school, 28:20 you know, we had Teen Town, 28:22 you guys remember Teen Town probably? 28:24 Maybe not John. 28:25 You may not have been here. 28:26 So I didn't go a whole lot, but I did. 28:28 But they always had like this music 28:30 and I'd want to dance. 28:32 Well then, finally this pastor came 28:34 and he started trying to explain to me about dancing. 28:38 You know, and I just couldn't get it. 28:41 And dancing was fun. 28:43 You know, it wasn't ballroom dancing. 28:44 It wasn't a hokey pokey or anything like that. 28:47 But you know, to me at that time, 28:49 I wasn't thinking too much. 28:50 And it just, it seemed like fun. 28:52 What he did was he took some literature 28:55 from another church to give to me, 28:59 and I read it, and it made sense. 29:02 But you see, my point is, back in the day, 29:05 all of these Protestant churches, 29:07 there wasn't dancing, 29:09 there wasn't the alcohol, there, you know, 29:11 they would all separate from the worldly music, 29:14 the worldly this, the worldly that 29:16 and they were, you know, on the outside looking in, 29:20 it appeared more godly 29:21 as we would gather from reading the Scripture. 29:24 But now, most of the time you can no matter where you go, 29:28 you can't tell who's a Christian 29:29 and who's not a Christian. 29:31 You know, the dress doesn't tell it. 29:33 You know, that... 29:35 What they take into their bodies 29:37 doesn't show it. 29:38 They believe it's okay to go to the bar. 29:41 It's okay to drink. It's okay to party. 29:43 It's okay to go out dancing as long as you go on Sunday. 29:46 You know, may be some Sabbath people too, 29:49 I don't know. 29:50 But you see what I'm saying? 29:52 It has changed. 29:53 And so God is calling us back. 29:55 He's calling us back, He said. 29:57 In fact, when we look at a lot of these calamities 30:00 that are taking place in our world. 30:01 Why does Jesus say it's happening? 30:04 Because we are not living up to the law and the testimony. 30:07 We have transgressed His law, we have stepped all over it, 30:10 we have just thought it didn't matter 30:12 anything to anybody. 30:14 Right. 30:15 And so, He's giving us what we're asking for. 30:18 But as a child of God, 30:20 we need to come back in line with the Word of God. 30:23 And if that means primitive godliness, 30:25 then praise God, 30:27 allow Him to come into your heart, in your mind, 30:30 and to change each and every one of us 30:32 as we study that Word, 30:34 and we're to line up with that Word. 30:36 You know, we're not, 30:38 we're not dealing with someone that doesn't know 30:42 what a heavenly atmosphere is like. 30:45 You go back to Ezekiel, isn't it? 30:48 Ezekiel, there's 28:12, it says, you know, 30:54 full of wisdom and perfect and beauty. 30:56 Fourteen, 30:57 "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth." 31:00 What was he covering? 31:02 What was he covering? 31:04 The law. 31:05 The Ten Commandment law. 31:07 He was covering the law of God. 31:10 "I have set thee so: 31:12 thou wast upon the holy mountain of God, 31:14 thou hast walked up and down 31:16 in the midst of the stones of fire. 31:18 Thou was perfect in all thy ways," 31:21 this is verse 15, 31:22 "that thou was created, 31:25 till iniquity was found in thee." 31:27 Verse 17, 31:28 "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, 31:32 thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of brightness: 31:36 I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, 31:39 that they may behold thee." 31:41 Now the reason I read that is because he knows how, 31:46 you know, when he couldn't kill the Christians, 31:48 he joined the movement. 31:50 He came into the churches, 31:52 and he knows how to present a holy atmosphere. 31:56 He knows how to make you feel a certain way, 32:00 you know, as long as you're not living up 32:02 to all the light that you know, 32:05 he's happy. 32:06 Now I'm thinking when you're saying that 32:08 you're painting a picture of me of a... 32:09 I don't want to be weird, 32:10 but a mom kind of doing this with their baby 32:12 rocking it to sleep. 32:14 You know, Satan wants to rock us to sleep. 32:16 Yes. That's what he wants to do. 32:18 He wants to put us to sleep. 32:19 And I think that's interesting, when you're talking about 32:21 his ideas, complacency is set in. 32:24 And when we look at this culture 32:25 really plays a dynamic in this complacency 32:28 to where we get so disassociated, 32:30 like you talk about Israel, 32:32 you know, in a day they were slaves under Egypt, 32:34 you know, they got so heavily oppressed, 32:36 that they lost the sight of God. 32:38 And then so God had to literally 32:39 get them out of Egypt. 32:41 And still in them was Egypt, 32:44 you know, it was still planted in there 32:45 where they made a golden calf in the wilderness there. 32:48 They made a golden calf, 32:49 so there something was embedded, 32:51 it's this culture it just kind of seeps in us. 32:53 And we get kind of like intoxicated by this culture. 32:56 And so we got to really learn the Word of God. 32:58 I had a young lady 32:59 that I spoke to on our prayer line 33:01 a few days ago, 33:02 and she was telling me that 33:04 she had went down this path of getting into Reiki 33:06 and into a New Age, 33:07 and she actually traveled in demonic like realms, 33:11 and she's seeing things that she shouldn't have saw 33:13 and she, she asked me the question, she says, 33:16 "Don, I think I'm the Antichrist. 33:18 Interesting. 33:19 I, you know, and this is how easy 33:21 the enemy can really trip us up and fool us, 33:24 you know, we get down that path so far. 33:25 She said, 33:27 "I don't, I never really had relationship with Jesus." 33:28 And so I told her, I said, 33:30 "You know, and the Bible tells us 33:31 that this Antichrist is a number of a man." 33:34 I said, "666 it's a number of man." 33:36 So that automatically disqualifies you 33:37 because you're a woman. 33:39 And I said, you know, actually, if you study this out, 33:41 which I did a little study with her quickly, 33:42 but and, you know, 33:43 in Revelation we talked about in 13, 33:46 you know, the beast and stuff. 33:47 And in there, it's actually it's a religious 33:50 or it's a religious political system. 33:52 So and that's what it is. 33:54 And she thought, "Oh, I thought I was the Antichrist" 33:55 I said, "No, you're not the Antichrist. 33:57 You're okay." 33:58 And so we went through a little Bible study 34:00 and you know, these people don't realize these truths, 34:02 and they're like, 34:03 why are they so suppressed 34:04 is because the enemy is fearful that, 34:07 you know, when these people learn this truth, 34:09 he's lost people, he's lost them. 34:11 Had another gentleman just not too long ago, 34:13 he wanted to commit suicide on the phone with me 34:16 and literally said to me 34:17 after calling him another day, later, 34:18 he had a knife to his throat was getting to kill himself. 34:21 He was so heavily oppressed 34:22 by everything that's happening around him. 34:24 He's watching the news and the media 34:25 and I'm like, well, first of all, 34:26 you got to cut the media. 34:28 If you're not mentally stable, 34:29 you're really, I mean, 34:31 that music is going to twist you so bad. 34:32 You got to be careful that 34:33 so you know and then praying with him 34:35 and just something actually shift him 34:37 and just changed his life. 34:38 God's word cut right through all, 34:40 I mean, he's literally crying and sobbing and yelling 34:43 and not cursing 34:44 but you know, might as well then, 34:46 and it cut through and he said 34:47 at the end of the last time I talked to him, he said, 34:49 "Donald, I have hope. 34:51 Now, you restored my hope, I have peace. 34:53 And I know God is on my side." 34:56 And I talked him the next day 34:57 or a couple days later, he said, 34:58 "You know what, you don't realize this, Don, 35:00 but I have a thick knife to my neck. 35:01 I was literally going to kill myself." 35:03 And this is where Satan will push you to. 35:06 This counterfeit, you know, 35:07 and it looks so good and so tempting. 35:08 It's so pleasant, but he wants to destroy. 35:12 Well, in our question it says, 35:14 the Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works 35:17 in our sight so closely, 35:20 will the counterfeit resemble the true? 35:22 Now my mind goes to the great deception 35:25 right before Christ comes. 35:28 Do you know what I'm talking about? 35:29 Yeah. What? 35:30 The enemy appears as Christ. 35:32 The enemy is going to appear. 35:34 He can transfer... 35:36 The Bible tells us 35:37 he can transfer into an angel of light. 35:39 He did I believe 35:40 when he met Christ in the wilderness. 35:42 And that is going to be an overwhelming. 35:47 In fact, Great Controversy, page 624 reads this. 35:52 "As the crowning act 35:54 in the great drama of deception, 35:56 Satan himself will personate Christ. 35:59 The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent 36:03 as the consummation of her hopes. 36:06 Now the great deceiver will make it appear 36:10 that Christ has come." 36:11 Can you imagine with people being so confused 36:15 about religion, about what the Bible teaches. 36:19 This is going to be something 36:20 that's either going to turn them away, 36:23 or it's going to sit them even deeper, 36:25 where it's harder to reach them. 36:27 "In different parts of the earth, 36:29 " listen to this because we know at the coming, 36:32 the Bible says all eye shall see Him, right? 36:34 She says, 36:36 "In different parts of the earth, 36:37 Satan will manifest himself among men, 36:40 as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, 36:43 resembling the description of the Son of God 36:46 given by John the Revelator in Revelation 1:13-15. 36:51 The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything 36:56 that mortal minds have yet beheld. 36:59 The shout of triumph rings in the air: 37:02 'Christ has come! Christ has come!' 37:04 The people prostrate themselves in adoration before Him, 37:07 while He lifts up His hands 37:09 and pronounces a blessing upon them, 37:11 as Christ blessed the disciples when He was upon the earth. 37:14 His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody." 37:19 He knows what Christ sounds like. 37:22 He knows what Christ sounded like before the fall. 37:24 He was in heaven before the fall. 37:27 In gentle, compassionate tones, 37:30 he presents some of the great same gracious, 37:33 heavenly truths, which the Savior uttered, 37:36 he heals the diseases of people. 37:38 This is a strong, 37:40 almost overmastering delusion. 37:45 So it's ramping up. 37:48 It's not going to get easier. 37:51 It's ramping up. We don't give him credit. 37:53 He knows things we don't know. Yes, he does. 37:55 Like said he was in the presence 37:57 she brought out here. 37:58 He was in the presence of God Almighty. 38:01 He knows Jesus, He knows how He talks and how He deals 38:05 and he's going to do his very best to, 38:07 you know, be an imposter 38:08 but he's going to bring these things to us, 38:10 but to me it's going to be just, you know, 38:11 if we don't know that's, I think that's the bottom line. 38:14 They don't know scripture. 38:16 Well it says, yeah, none 38:17 but those who fortify their minds, right? 38:19 With the truths of the Bible 38:21 will stand through the last great conflict. 38:24 None but those who what? 38:26 Have fortified their mind with the truth of Scripture. 38:29 But today truth just doesn't seem, 38:31 it's on emotion. 38:33 It's on, I feel. 38:35 And as you mentioned while ago some of that emotion 38:37 and all the stuff 38:38 it lead sometime people to have a high 38:40 and then the next thing you know they has some lows. 38:42 Right. 38:43 And then it brings them to the point of, 38:45 well, the world would be better off without me, 38:46 so I'm just going to get rid of myself, 38:47 I'm going to kill myself. 38:49 We're living, you know, 38:50 by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, 38:52 not pick and choose 38:54 or try to find you mentioned a church that's going to fit. 38:57 What I want, you know, to take place. 38:59 If you look around long enough, you'll find some church 39:01 somewhere that kind of goes along 39:02 with what you think is right. 39:03 You know, it's interesting 39:05 because I was just watching this, 39:06 I don't remember I saw this but I probably heard that 39:09 the people the Kardashians. 39:11 Anyways, this individual made a hologram of their dad. 39:16 It looked so realistic 39:17 even had his voice and everything 39:18 it sounds like him, and even said that, 39:20 you know, I'm so happy that you reach a certain age 39:22 and you're such a beautiful daughter 39:24 and you are, you know, this, you're wonderful spirit. 39:27 And they started crying. 39:28 They said, "Show us it again. Show us it again." 39:30 They wanted to see this hologram 39:32 and I'm thinking man, 39:33 technology is to that point, 39:35 and you're talking about the voice, 39:36 I'm just thinking they have the technology 39:37 even manipulate voice. 39:40 Why wouldn't he? 39:41 And I'm thinking about this now how can we discern 39:42 if Christ is really truly coming. 39:44 I'm thinking of Acts 1 comes to my mind you know, 39:47 and these disciples are standing there 39:49 and they're talking to Jesus. 39:51 Jesus talking to them, He's going to give them 39:52 the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit power. 39:54 And then also this happens in verse 9, it says, 39:56 "And when he had spoken these things, 39:57 while they beheld, 39:59 he was taken up, 40:00 and a cloud received him out of their sight. 40:02 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven 40:05 as he went up, behold, 40:06 two men stood by them in white apparel, " 40:07 of course we know those are angels, 40:09 "which also said, Ye men of Galilee, 40:10 why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 40:12 This same Jesus, 40:14 which is taken up from you into heaven, 40:15 shall so come in like manner down 40:18 as you have seen him go into heaven." 40:20 So this imposter, this false Christ is, 40:24 it's just literally going to be walking on the earth, 40:25 but he's not literally coming down. 40:28 But Christ warned us, did He not? 40:29 He warned us. 40:31 He said, "You hear he's in the desert, don't go." 40:33 Right. That's right. 40:34 I want to say, you hear He's on channel 12, 40:35 don't watch it. 40:37 You know what I'm saying. 40:38 You hear, He's on the radio, don't listen, 40:40 on YouTube, don't watch it. 40:42 Because it's it, we want to see Jesus, 40:48 we want to hear Him. 40:49 Right. 40:51 And he's such a great deceiver. He's a... 40:53 He is probably the first transformer. 40:56 He can transform into Christ. 40:59 And it will bring us 41:02 to the point that we may be confused. 41:04 So what did Jesus said? 41:05 And he already has, isn't right? 41:06 The message that he gives 41:08 will be what the world wants to hear. 41:10 And it's going to be totally against those 41:12 who keep the commandments of God 41:14 and testimony of Jesus. 41:15 Completely against it. 41:17 So when the world looks at by the millions, 41:19 and said, Look, he's here right now. 41:20 And he has said these things, 41:22 no longer have to worry about the Sabbath 41:23 that way and Sunday is fine, blah, blah, blah. 41:25 Let's just be honest about it, and lay it right out there. 41:28 It is going to just, 41:29 going to cause a lot of division, 41:31 a lot of separation, but it's going to come a time 41:33 when people will make decisions. 41:35 They're going to have to make a decision, 41:37 you know, for or against Christ. 41:39 I mean, what do you think about it? 41:41 Is that that kind of deceptions that we're looking at right now 41:43 the kind of decisions is going to be made, 41:45 have to be made? 41:47 It's a serious, serious situation. 41:49 You know, I'm going to point out some individuals 41:53 that quote scriptures, but they were deceivers. 41:56 Go on. There is Jim Jones. 41:59 He quoted scriptures, but he was a deceiver. 42:02 You may remember David Koresh? Yes. 42:04 He quote scriptures, but he was a deceiver. 42:08 You may remember some individual 42:09 that he claimed he couldn't die. 42:11 He was interviewed on several television networks. 42:15 He claimed to be his name is Jose Luis Miranda, 42:18 and he claimed he could not die. 42:20 He died about three years ago. 42:22 Now the reason I want to point this out, 42:24 the fact that there they are quoting scriptures 42:27 does not mean they're quoting scriptures correctly, 42:30 or putting the scriptures together 42:32 to form the doctrines of the Bible. 42:34 We have to like the Bereans do. Okay. 42:38 The Bible says talk about 42:39 the Bereans in the Book of Acts, 42:41 they heard the words gladly, 42:43 but they went home and searched the scriptures 42:46 to see if these things are true. 42:48 So when we are seeing these things, 42:50 even now, there are many people on television, 42:52 we're on television, we want people to go to the Bibles, 42:56 check these things out. 42:57 So that you can understand for yourself 43:00 asking the Holy Spirit to guide you 43:01 because the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. 43:04 And so these deceptions, 43:06 you know, we talk about 43:07 the devil himself will try to personate, 43:11 that's the word personate, not impersonate, 43:13 personate Christ in such a way that he will try, 43:17 he will say the words of Christ, 43:19 blessed are the poor in spirit, 43:21 you know, the words of the Bible. 43:23 And all of a sudden people are saying, 43:25 "It's Jesus, He's here." 43:26 This will be a great deception. 43:28 Well, why is the devil doing this? 43:29 To deceive people. 43:30 But I'm glad you know, you mentioned some scripture. 43:33 I'd like to read one as well 43:35 about the second coming of Christ, 43:37 because he cannot duplicate... 43:40 Praise God for that. 43:41 Christ in fullness, because he really can't. 43:44 Number one is he really can't. Yeah. 43:46 And number two is, is that 43:48 he says come in great power and glory. 43:51 So 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4. Amen. 43:54 Great point. 43:55 Yeah, we have here, beginning in verse 12. 43:59 It says, am I in the right place? 44:00 I do not want to be doing this or doing that. 44:01 Yeah, you're right. 44:03 Okay, verse 14, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 44:05 "For, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 44:07 even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." 44:11 Amen. 44:13 Wait a minute, wait. 44:14 Those that are sleeping, He says they're in the grave, 44:16 and He's going to resurrect them. 44:17 Notice the description of the resurrection. 44:20 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, 44:24 that we who are alive 44:26 and remain until the coming of the Lord 44:29 will by no means precede," 44:31 that means go before, "those who are asleep." 44:33 That means, those that are in the grave. 44:35 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 44:37 with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 44:40 with the trump of God 44:42 and the dead in Christ will rise first." 44:46 Wait a minute, why would they rise 44:47 since they're already in heaven. 44:49 Because that's where they are. 44:50 They're in the grave waiting for the first resurrection. 44:53 "And so those and the dead in Christ will rise first, 44:57 then we who are alive and remain 45:00 shall be caught up together with them 45:02 in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." 45:05 So if they tell you, He's in the desert, 45:07 don't have to go to the desert because Jesus is not there. 45:09 That's right. 45:11 When He comes, He's going to be in the air, 45:12 we're going to meet Him in the air. 45:14 Good. 45:15 So, yeah, we'll meet the Lord in the air 45:16 and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 45:18 So the scriptures are very clear. 45:20 Yes. 45:21 So when the devil makes this counterfeit Christ, 45:25 a false Christ 45:27 and is walking around on channel 12, 45:29 whatever channel there is out there, 45:31 He's going to be all over the media. 45:33 Every program going to be texting 45:34 and telling, yeah, Jesus has come, 45:36 and they're going to meet, 45:37 whatever these video things are saying Jesus is here, 45:41 but He's not here 45:42 'cause His coming has not yet arrived. 45:45 When He comes, 45:46 there will be power and great glory. 45:48 The heavens will be ablaze with glory 45:51 and the trump of God every eye shall see Him. 45:54 Yeah. Yes. 45:56 Pastor, you know, you brought to my mind is 45:57 I'm just thinking, you know, 45:58 obviously Satan does not have the power to resurrect. 46:01 Does not have the power to lift up the dead. 46:03 But, of course, in Revelation 16 we realize 46:05 that he can use spirits, demons to pose real people, 46:08 but he can't, he can't match what Christ is going to do. 46:11 And I thought about your touching something 46:13 about the idea of emotions and feelings. 46:16 And I thought about in the world we're in today, 46:18 right now the society we're being pushed, 46:20 like we're talking about this gentleman 46:22 that called in to where we were going to choose something 46:24 because we're pushed to it to a degree of 46:26 just like feeling overwhelmed. 46:27 We're going to, yeah, I'll go ahead and I'll conform to this 46:30 or I'll go to that, you know, 46:31 it's like I see the enemy 46:33 just working that so much that we're just, 46:34 we have to make a drastic decision quickly 46:37 because we're just so overwhelmed. 46:39 Like, I've got to choose that 46:40 because that sounds like the better option 46:42 to go to that's all I've got. 46:43 So I'm just, I'm seeing it. 46:45 And you made an important point. 46:46 He can't actually raise the dead, 46:47 but he can imitate or mimic 46:51 he can sound and look 46:52 you know people have met their little girls, 46:55 you know, they think 46:56 that was girls, but it was actually demons 46:58 or, you know, 46:59 these ghost stories that we hear 47:00 and it's actually demons you know, 47:02 Samuel and the witch of Endor it was actually a demon. 47:06 You know, so we have to be careful 47:09 because he can confuse us, 47:11 that's why we have to keep going back to the Word of God, 47:13 and light it in our hearts and our minds 47:16 that we might not sin against Him. 47:18 We got a lady we would go and visit 47:20 when we lived back in India. 47:21 My wife and I and... 47:23 Horrific I don't want to go great detail. 47:24 Her husband was an alcoholic and he passed away 47:27 because of alcoholism, 47:28 but died because of alcoholism, but he... 47:31 She was calling us one night she goes, 47:34 "You got to come over, you got to come over." 47:35 I'm like, "What's going?" 47:37 "My husband's coming through the wall." 47:38 I'm like, "Oh, what are we going to enter into?" 47:40 I'm like, Lord, I do not know what to expect. 47:42 So I know what that is. I know it's not You. 47:44 And so we went over there. 47:46 We gotten in the kitchen and we knelt down 47:47 with her all three of us and prayed. 47:49 And we're like, what's going to happen? 47:50 You know, like, what's going on? 47:52 But we told her look, that is not your husband. 47:54 That's a demon. 47:55 We showed her in a scripture, obviously, you know, 47:57 in Ecclesiastes 9, I think it is in 6 and 7, 47:59 that the dead know nothing their awards, 48:01 and are deceased, 48:02 they don't, have no more remembrance of them. 48:05 So you know, tried to show her that and she 48:07 kind of got a little bit but you know, 48:09 just how the enemy will even fully 48:10 like you said your loved ones. 48:12 And he came back, was haunting her over top of her and just... 48:16 I go back to what I said before, 48:18 are you going to believe your eyes and your ears 48:20 or you going to believe the scriptures? 48:22 That's right. That's it. It's fake. 48:24 The scriptures are the safeguard 48:26 by which we know what is truth. 48:28 And so I want to, I want to mention another deception. 48:32 And you have mentioned that 48:34 just kind of highlight what you said. 48:36 And that is that feelings 48:39 the devil can work on your feelings 48:41 to deceive you. 48:42 That's where I was going while ago. 48:46 It's going to be difficult. It's going to be difficult. 48:48 I mean, we're talking about xlet's say that your son takes 48:50 the side of the wicked and he... 48:55 And the mother says, 48:57 "But I want to be with my son. 48:58 Oh, no, I don't want him to be." 48:59 It's going to be a difficult situation. 49:02 Husbands and wives may be divided. 49:04 Maybe the husband wants to go over to, you know, 49:07 to join the ones that are persecuting Christians, 49:09 and the wife says, 49:11 "No, I want to remain faithful to the, to God to the Word. 49:15 So there's going to be divisions, 49:17 but we must be faithful to the Lord. 49:19 He who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. 49:23 We have to surrender our hearts to the Lord. 49:25 The safest place is to humble ourselves before the Lord. 49:28 And to ask Him to come into our lives Jesus. 49:31 Jesus, we have the promise 49:33 that Jesus is going to complete that work. 49:34 Amen. 49:36 Philippians 1:6, 49:37 "Being confident of this very thing, 49:39 that He who has begun good work in you 49:42 will complete it unto the day of Jesus Christ." 49:44 Amen. Praise the Lord, yes. 49:45 But we have to have a commitment to Jesus Christ. 49:49 It's not based and I want to be nice about it. 49:51 It's not based upon the husband, or the wife, 49:54 or the children. 49:56 It has to be based on our relationship with Jesus Christ 49:58 only because again, 50:00 there's going to be situations 50:01 there's going to kind of cause division, separation. 50:03 But sometimes I found this out. 50:05 And I think most of you have here. 50:06 When somebody gets a little bit dissatisfied 50:09 with the church that they're going to 50:11 maybe just that individual, 50:12 to say the husband, he's not satisfied, 50:14 so he wants to leave. 50:16 But you'll notice that the wife, 50:17 a lot of times will leave, 50:19 and the children will all leave too, 50:20 may not be their thought. 50:22 So their relationship with Christ 50:24 is based upon their husband, 50:26 rather than on the Word of God, or vice versa. 50:28 It's not, doesn't always work that way. 50:29 And there's, you know, 50:31 terrible situations that happen in division of family, 50:33 because there are those who love Christ enough 50:35 that they're willing to take their stand 50:37 for what is truth. 50:39 And we realized to get back to, 50:40 we talked about primitive godliness 50:42 into here is, 50:44 maybe we should ask ourselves a question. 50:46 Do we really feel like as part of the family of God, 50:49 that we're getting back 50:51 to the way God set up the church? 50:53 And to me, that would be more than we're talking about here? 50:56 Would it not be in what we eat? 50:58 Would it not be in how we dress, 51:01 how we speak, 51:03 how we conduct ourselves? 51:04 What we see in the workplace? 51:07 Are we listening to the dirty jokes? 51:10 You know, what I'm saying. 51:11 Are we setting an example of Christ, 51:12 we go about our Father's business. 51:15 There's a lot of changes 51:16 that seem that we've gotten away from 51:17 because the world has, we have invited, not everybody, 51:22 we've invited the world to come in. 51:24 And the church has become more like the world, 51:27 you see, rather than be more Christ centered. 51:30 And I want to read a statement here quickly, 51:32 just I think it's, yeah, 51:34 see Acts of the Apostles, page 11. 51:36 Because we realize the church is so important. 51:39 But we had to figure out 51:40 who and what the church is or what, 51:42 because sometimes we have mindsets that's not correct. 51:45 I have to go to the Word of God, 51:47 I have to go to, you know, 51:48 Spirit of Prophecy and read what it says, 51:51 "The church is God's fortress." 51:52 Praise God. 51:54 Isn't that fortress something that does protect us 51:56 if we stay there and follow what the Word says? 51:59 His city of refuge, 52:01 which He holds as a revolted world. 52:03 Any betrayal, notice, 52:05 of his treachery is to him 52:07 who has bought mankind with His blood 52:09 and His only begotten Son. 52:11 Now, here's the key we have to listen to, 52:13 from the beginning, you know exactly where it is. 52:16 Page 11, from the beginning, 52:17 faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. 52:22 So a lot of time we're criticizing, 52:24 condemning, backbiting. 52:25 Faithful souls constitute God's Church. 52:30 That's a simple statement 52:31 that will be thrown out by many. 52:33 They don't want to hear that, 52:34 that either is truth or it's not. 52:37 If you're faithful to the calling of God. 52:39 Somebody told me one time, well, you know, blah-blah. 52:41 I said, "Look, somebody got off the platform, 52:43 and it wasn't me." 52:46 That's pretty heavy duty. 52:47 God has given us a platform of truth. 52:49 If you get off of that platform of truth, 52:52 and get down and start checking the pillars 52:54 is trying to hold it up, or criticizing or condemning. 52:58 Now, there's a time that we have to stand for 52:59 what is truth and what is right. 53:01 When we hear errors ping, we hear it in the church, 53:04 our job is watchmen on the walls 53:06 is to come back and say, 53:07 here's what the Word of God says. 53:09 That's right. Right. 53:10 I mean, that's not a tasteful thing. 53:12 So it's distasteful, we'll have to do it sometime. 53:14 But God says to do it, 53:15 or we're going to be unfaithful to Him. 53:18 So I want to be from beginning faithful souls. 53:21 And the way God's set up, I think Desire of Ages said, 53:24 the way God set up the New Testament Church 53:26 is that's what he means 53:27 to generations until He comes again. 53:29 So we've got to get back to that. 53:31 And that encompasses the whole man and whole woman. 53:34 It does. 53:35 In relation of Hebrews, 53:36 when you're talking about Hebrews 12, 53:38 you know, we're convinced by those faithful, 53:39 you see the faithful ones, 53:41 it says that we're supposed to lay aside every weight 53:43 and a sin that so easily besets us 53:44 and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 53:47 But then it says in verse 2, 53:48 looking unto Jesus, 53:49 the author and finisher of faith, 53:51 yeah, who for the joy, 53:53 you know, endured the cross, 53:54 despising the shame and sit down 53:56 and reign on throne of God, 53:57 so we're to be looking to Him, 53:58 and we're to watch His example 54:00 through reading the Word, you know, 54:02 we can't just pick and choose, and we think feels right to us. 54:05 And well, I think Jesus would have done is 54:07 what would Jesus do? 54:09 I think, we have to be careful 54:10 because the word I mean plainly tells you, 54:13 you know, or tell them always, 54:14 things you can be deceived with, 54:15 you know, like the state of the dead, 54:17 you know, the Sabbath issue. 54:18 But if we're not reading it for ourselves and asking, 54:20 like you said, the Holy Spirit to guide us 54:22 and giving ourselves teachers who have teaching ears. 54:27 We're kind of going wrong path. 54:29 Yes, absolutely. 54:30 You know, I can see 54:32 where people when they read the Word of God 54:33 and they be, it begins to cut, 54:35 you know, the Bible's a two-edged sword, 54:37 it begins to cut and separate 54:38 all those things that the dross, 54:40 the sin that we've accumulated over the years, 54:42 people are saying, I can never be right. 54:44 I can never do this. 54:46 The good news is, 54:47 they don't ever have to do it alone. 54:50 God is a God of restoration. He's a God of recreation. 54:54 He is going to give you the strength and the power. 54:56 He will uplift you 54:58 with the right hand of His righteousness. 54:59 He's promised to help us. 55:01 He's going to work in and through us. 55:03 He is our strength. He is our protector. 55:07 He is everything. He's every breath that we take. 55:10 So we do none of this alone. 55:12 Our choice, turn off the world, turn on Jesus. 55:17 Turn off the world, get in the Word. 55:19 Amen. 55:21 We have a couple minutes left, and I think it'd be good. 55:23 Pastor John, start with you. 55:25 If you have like a closing thought 55:26 and then, you know, go to the Don, 55:28 if you want to around him and we'll close it off. 55:29 I think I'm going to go with what Don said. 55:32 You can say again if you want to. 55:34 We really have to face life looking unto Jesus, 55:38 the author and finisher of our faith. 55:39 Let us spend time in God's Word with Jesus 55:42 and He will light our path. 55:44 Amen. 55:45 Yes, you know, I kind of second, 55:47 I think that you know, so many of us in this world, 55:48 we get our eyes off 55:49 what really is peace is the Prince of Peace. 55:51 We got to look to the Prince of Peace, 55:53 who can bring us that peace. 55:54 And if you want peace in your life, 55:56 as Isaiah 26:3 says, 55:58 you know, those who keep their mind on you 56:00 will have that perfect peace so... 56:01 Amen. Good. 56:02 There is no peace without Christ. 56:04 No real peace. 56:06 You know, a lot of times we want to get out, 56:08 we have fun but true happiness, true peace comes from Him. 56:12 And that's what we can have. 56:13 This is a work, 56:15 this primitive godliness part three, 56:17 I'm sure there's going to be a part four 56:19 because we didn't even touch those questions. 56:21 So I hope you'll come back to part four, 56:24 and possibly part five, because it's all good. 56:27 It's something that we need, 56:30 you know, as we drink in the Word 56:31 and allow it to change our hearts and our minds 56:34 so that we will not sin against our Lord. 56:36 And He recreates in us His image. 56:38 Amen. 56:40 Even our thoughts begin to change. 56:41 Isn't that wonderful? 56:43 Aren't we glad that we have the Word of God 56:44 that we can go through? 56:46 Now we know everybody says that. 56:47 But we go and we do, I think it was John 5:39. 56:50 It was mentioned already, search the scriptures, right? 56:52 Or in them you think what? 56:54 That you have eternal life and what is, 56:57 they are they which testify of Me. 56:59 Amen. 57:01 If we say today that were a child of God, 57:03 then certainly He says, 57:04 "My sheep, hear My voice." 57:07 And then what do they do? 57:08 They hear and then they follow. You're safe today. 57:12 You're safe to follow Jesus Christ. 57:14 You are safe to follow the teachings of His Word. 57:17 Wherever His feet went, you can trot on those, 57:19 it's going to be good because He's showing you the way. 57:21 Praise God for that. 57:22 We're so glad that you've joined us today. 57:24 We've had a wonderful time studying the Word of God. 57:27 And we're going to look forward to seeing you at another time. 57:29 Be sure by the grace of God, 57:30 continue to pray for 3ABN Family Worship. 57:33 We love you. We'll see you next time. 57:35 Amen. |
Revised 2021-03-12