Participants: Ron Halvorsen
Series Code: 13RVT
Program Code: 13RVT000019
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00:05 In today's troubled world,
00:08 people are wondering where we are headed? 00:13 Revelation Today presents the answers. 00:17 Bible prophecy reveals what the future holds in store. 00:23 Revelation Today. 00:37 Some years ago, my wife and I had the good fortune 00:40 to do a lot of traveling 00:43 backwards and forwards across the United States 00:45 and we visited big cities and we visited small, 00:48 out of the way hamlets. 00:50 And one thing we noticed was that 00:51 many of the churches or at least some of the churches 00:54 had very interesting names. 00:56 They weren't just first 00:58 whatever their denomination was, 00:59 it was-- 01:01 Well, they were interesting. 01:02 Many of them very creative. 01:04 We realized, wow, there's a lot of churches around, 01:08 different churches and not just churches 01:10 but a lot of different Christian denominations. 01:13 Not just a lot of different Christian denominations 01:15 but lot of different religions. 01:17 So, why? Why is that the case? 01:19 Jesus said, upon this rock, speaking of Himself 01:22 I will build my church. 01:24 It doesn't seem as though Jesus imagined 01:26 there will be hundreds of different denominations. 01:30 Tonight's subject is titled, "Why so Many Churches?" 01:35 And the presenter for Revelation Today 01:36 tonight is Ron Halvorsen. 01:43 Why so many Churches? Revelation Today. 01:45 The year was 1990, 01:48 the month was February to be exact. 01:52 It was the end of a movement 01:53 that locked Christianity out of Russia 01:56 and much of the world for seven years. 01:59 Lenin and his satanic religion had fallen. 02:04 Christianity is alive again in the motherland. 02:07 Headlines said about Lenin, the God that failed. 02:11 Governments around the world once pinned their hopes 02:13 on this idealistic dream, this communist dream, 02:17 an economic theory, born out of failure 02:19 the 19th century 02:21 are overthrowing these communist ideologies. 02:24 Those communist Gods, as the New York Times put it, 02:28 "'Renouncing the Revolution's Holy Writ." 02:32 Yes, multitudes are now turning back 02:35 to the God of their fathers, to the God of their mothers, 02:39 to the God of the Bible. 02:41 In fact, there is resurgence of Christianity 02:43 in the eastern block countries that are now free. 02:46 Tens of thousands around those nations 02:50 that are coming back to God. 02:52 Coming back to the Bible and now being free, 02:55 free in conscience. 02:56 Thousands in Russia, Romania, Hungary, 02:59 Czechoslovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, 03:02 I mean, Bulgaria are turning back to Christ. 03:05 The Revolution is on. 03:07 The wall that fell gave millions hope. 03:10 Communism failed to recognize 03:12 what Pascal called the God shaped vacuum 03:16 in the human soul. 03:17 There is something within the human soul 03:19 that cries out, you cannot stifle it. 03:22 There is something within the human mind 03:24 and the human heart that calls out to a God, 03:27 to something superior, to the supernatural. 03:30 There is something in the natural man 03:32 that cries for the supernatural. 03:35 One scientist once said, 03:37 well, this is a kind of fictitious story 03:39 but you can follow, it's a preacher's story. 03:41 He was so smart, he decided he would create a man. 03:47 And so, he got the best materials 03:49 and formed this man. 03:51 The skin was almost real. 03:54 He put the brain in the right place. 03:57 The heart shape in the right place. 03:59 Everything was perfect, this man. 04:02 And the scientist was molding and making 04:05 and feeling so superior and so good 04:08 and all of a sudden this man-monster sat up. 04:14 Now, this scientist jumped back. 04:18 It's alive! 04:21 And the first words out of this monster-man, 04:25 created by the mind of science, 04:27 cries out, "You've given me a brain, 04:31 you've given me a body, give me a soul." 04:37 The scientist didn't know what to do. 04:40 So, he turned and ran out of his laboratory, afraid. 04:43 And the monster-man followed him yelling, 04:45 "Give me a soul, give me a soul." 04:48 You see, man cannot give man a soul. 04:51 Only God can do that. 04:53 Amen. 04:54 Only God can do that. 04:57 And so around the world there's a cry for God. 05:00 Around the world, demonstrations go on. 05:03 And there is a new protestant or protesting message. 05:07 And by the way, that's what it meant, 05:08 Protestant, protesting, they were protesting. 05:12 And a belief system was crumbling around them. 05:16 Faith in the Bible was slowly taken from them. 05:19 The Bible was taken from them. 05:21 They chained the Bible to monastery walls. 05:25 They took the Bible and hid them in catacombs. 05:28 The people could not open a Bible. 05:30 The Bible wasn't available to common man. 05:33 And so came the reformation. 05:35 The reformation came not because they were angry. 05:38 The reformation came because they thirsted 05:41 for the Word of God. 05:42 They needed to have the Word of God. 05:44 That's how it began. 05:46 It began in that way. 05:51 Began in that way. 05:54 But with this reformation 05:55 there comes a counter-reformation. 05:58 It deals with the social conditions 06:00 without addressing the root cause of spiritual condition. 06:03 A lack of true godliness, 06:05 filling a highly marketed religion. 06:07 All the glitz of Hollywood productions now 06:10 that's what we see. 06:11 The vacuum of many causes, youth revolutionaries 06:15 are now armed with bricks and stones and sticks, 06:19 run wildly through the streets of Egypt, 06:22 and wildly through the streets of Syrian riot, 06:24 wildly through the streets of America. 06:26 I mean, picture the world scene, 06:28 young people's faces covered 06:30 standing up against soldiers and guns. 06:33 College students, 06:34 I mean, the placards and glib quotations. 06:37 Remember, Tiananmen Square? 06:39 One of the most dramatic pictures 06:40 that came out of Tiananmen Square 06:42 was there that young boy 06:44 standing in the street facing a tank. 06:49 No gun, no placards, 06:52 just standing in front of a tank, 06:55 standing for freedom, crying out for freedom, 06:59 willing to sacrifice 07:01 in Tiananmen Square for freedom. 07:03 What are we willing to sacrifice for God? 07:07 What are we willing to sacrifice for truth? 07:10 You see, history has showed us 07:13 that this symbol, the price of freedom, 07:16 others around the world are marching for cause, 07:18 one cause after another. 07:21 I mean, you see it everywhere. 07:23 In New York, when I was there, 07:25 there was marches for poor housing 07:27 and the so-called American imperialism 07:31 and then there were the marches for women lib 07:34 and abortion and women's rights, 07:36 and neighborhood watch groups, 07:38 and goes on and on and on and on. 07:41 Just recently, few weeks, some months ago, 07:44 was a march on Washington. 07:46 It reminded me of the Civil Rights Movement 07:48 and the words of the great leader Martin Luther King. 07:51 That it's not the color of the skin 07:55 but the content of character. 07:58 We have people in the inter-cities trying 08:01 to march up against the crack houses, 08:03 and the drug pushers 08:05 and pushing them out of the neighborhood 08:07 and trying to clean up their neighborhood, 08:09 good causes have come to the mind of men and women. 08:12 Good causes have come to the mind of those 08:14 because they have protested. 08:17 It's time for the church of Jesus Christ to protest. 08:22 It's time for the church of Jesus Christ to stand up 08:25 and to be accounted for, not to be politically correct 08:29 but to be spiritually correct. 08:32 It's time. 08:34 All around us we have all these environmental groups 08:37 and anti-capital punishment groups 08:40 and tree huggers and holding frail creatures 08:45 and animal rights, fine, that's good. 08:48 But what about the rights of religion? 08:50 What about the rights of freedom to worship? 08:52 What about the rights of Christians? 08:55 By the way, good causes have come, 08:57 have come to the mind of John Doe citizen. 09:00 We've been aroused by this new Protestant movement 09:02 or this new protesting era attacking with even emotions, 09:07 the so called established society. 09:09 I mean, I was there, 09:10 I was there back in the '60s and '70s in New York, 09:13 ministering for the street people, 09:15 the hippies and the yuppies and the wang-gumps 09:17 and the freebie gypsies. 09:19 What a wonderful time it was, I fit right in. 09:26 I had a coffee house down there 09:27 just in Greenwich Village for the street people, 09:30 to get them in and they read poetry to me. 09:33 And then we sung hymns and we prayed 09:36 and I taught them prayer. 09:37 And it was a wonderful time, a lot of experience. 09:39 They were always protesting something. 09:41 It was interesting being down in the village. 09:44 They always had some cause to protest against. 09:47 This is the new Protestant era, the new protesting era. 09:50 And I think the church of Jesus Christ 09:52 must become proactive 09:54 when it comes to protesting against the evil 09:57 that's capturing our imagination in our world. 10:01 You see, we have to stand up to the truth of God. 10:07 I mean, the religious world 10:08 to this very foundation uncovers the lie. 10:11 They attack tradition with the Word of God, 10:13 a time in history when the minority 10:15 of Christians fought error and for the truth. 10:18 I mean, they stood up even at the peril to their lives 10:21 and they stood up against the church 10:22 because the church was church and government. 10:25 The church was the spiritual power 10:27 and the political power, they were one and the same. 10:30 What the church said was both the political thing 10:34 and the religious thing 10:35 and so they stood up against it. 10:38 They stood up against the idea 10:40 that you could absolve yourself of sin 10:41 by just giving a little offering. 10:45 They protested against absolution, 10:50 they protested against the papacy, 10:54 they protest against-- 10:57 it was a spiritual protest. 10:59 I mean, it was a protest against religious intolerance 11:01 and heresy, it was a war against 11:03 the holy Word of God and the traditions of men 11:05 and they said, no, the church is not the leader, 11:08 Christ is the leader of the church 11:09 not the church the leader of Christ. 11:12 And they were persecuted for it. 11:14 The protest against papal tyranny, 11:18 against religious bigotry. 11:21 Was a voice raised in Wittenberg 11:22 it was that great man of Wittenberg. 11:25 It took place in Germany in the month October 1517. 11:29 And that voice of that fearless monk, 11:31 Martin Luther. 11:33 And Luther was beating himself trying to get good 11:35 and trying through works to get holy 11:38 and yet he felt so far from God 11:40 and one day he is walking through the monastery 11:42 and he sees a Bible chained to a wall 11:46 and he sits by that Bible chained to the wall 11:49 and he begins to read. 11:52 And there was a text that kindled his heart. 11:55 "The just, the just, shall live by faith." 11:59 That was the rallying cry for this man, Luther, 12:02 there on the church in Rome crawling up the stairs, 12:06 trying to get right with God. 12:07 All of a sudden it burned in his soul 12:10 "The just shall live by faith," he sprung up, ran out 12:14 and there came the reformation. 12:17 One man under the power of the Holy Spirit. 12:20 One man standing for what he knew to be right. 12:23 One man and look what he did? 12:25 One person here can change the direction of the world. 12:29 One person full of the Holy Ghost, 12:31 one person determined to stand for the truth 12:33 if the heavens fall. 12:36 Like Luther of old, we need men with conscience, 12:41 we need women with conscience. 12:44 You see, actually demand to the reformation, 12:46 long centuries before Luther. 12:48 I mean, God had predicted the protest would come 12:50 and it would be a wedding of paganism and Christianity 12:53 and they would stand up against it. 12:55 "Let no man deceives you by any means 12:57 for that day shall not come, 12:58 except there come a falling away 13:00 that the man of sin be revealed, 13:02 the son of perdition, and who is he who opposeth 13:05 and exalteth himself above all that is called God, 13:08 or that is worshiped so that he as God sitteth 13:10 in the temple of God, 13:12 shewing himself that he is God." 13:14 What heresy he speaks of? 13:16 "Remember ye not, that, when I was with you, 13:19 I told you these things? 13:20 And now you know what withholdeth 13:22 that he might be revealed in his time." 13:25 And then he goes on, "For the mystery of iniquity 13:27 doth already work, 13:29 only he who will letteth will let, 13:30 until he be taken out of the way." 13:32 And what, "And then shall that wicked be revealed." 13:37 And what happens? 13:38 "The Lord will consume with the spirit of His mouth 13:40 and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." 13:45 Wow, "whose coming is the working of Satan 13:47 with all power and signs and wonders, 13:51 and deceivableness of unrighteousness 13:52 in them that perish," Why? 13:54 "Because they received not the love of the truth, 13:57 that they might be saved." 14:00 So John, the revelator he writes from Patmos. 14:04 And listen to what he says. 14:06 Revelation Chapter 18, 14:08 "And after these things." What things? 14:09 All the things that are happening 14:10 in the world we're seeing now. 14:12 "After these things" he said, 14:14 "I saw another angel come down from heaven, 14:16 having great power, the earth was lightened 14:18 with his glory. 14:19 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, 14:22 "notice, he says, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 14:26 and is become the habitation of devils, 14:28 and the hold of every foul spirit, 14:30 and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 14:34 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath 14:36 of her fornication, and the kings of the earth 14:39 have committed fornication with her," and notice, 14:42 "and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich 14:44 through the abundance of her delicacies. 14:46 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 14:49 come out of her, my people, 14:51 that ye shall not be partakers of her sins, 14:54 that ye receive not of her plagues." 14:57 The call to God in the last days 14:59 in the last reformation will be a call out of Babylon. 15:03 The call would be from those who have adhered 15:05 to the Word of God, 15:06 those who have been faithful to the Word of God. 15:08 "Come out of her, my people, 15:10 that you be not partakers of her sin." 15:12 And what was her sin? 15:14 Her sin was putting tradition above the Word of God. 15:16 What was her sin? 15:17 Her sin was trying to exalt the throne above 15:19 the throne of God. 15:21 What was her sin? 15:22 To deceive through counterfeit tradition, 15:25 to deceive men and women and bring them away from God. 15:29 And he warns us there. 15:31 Babylon means, what? 15:33 Babylon means confusion, it means, confusion. 15:36 And truly it is confusing, isn't it? 15:39 I mean, we're seeing the fulfillment of prophecy 15:41 before our very eyes. 15:42 It's like one little girl said, 15:44 when invited to go to Sunday school 15:45 with another little girl, she says, 15:47 "I can't because my parents 15:48 belong to a different abomination." 15:52 And that's what the problem is. 15:55 Why is it, we have one Bible, 15:58 we have one Lord and we have one Savior, 16:03 and we have so many denominations. 16:05 I mean, the Bible says, 16:06 men aren't willing to follow the simple teachings of Jesus. 16:10 They're not willing to follow the truth. 16:13 They listen to the voice of men. 16:15 They listen to the voice of the church. 16:17 They listen to the voice of the leader, 16:19 instead of listening to the voice of God. 16:21 You have a Bible. You are intelligent people. 16:24 You can open the Word of God and read the truth. 16:27 You don't need someone interpreting it for you. 16:29 You don't need the church to interpret it for you. 16:32 I tell you, you have His word. 16:34 You can see it interpret itself for you. 16:38 My momma said-- what does momma have to do? 16:40 What did the Father say? 16:45 What did the Father say? 16:49 And so there we are one Lord, one faith, one Bible. 16:54 Now there is enough light in the Bible 16:56 for us to be guided into the kingdom, 16:58 don't you think? 17:00 I mean, there is enough light in the Bible 17:03 that we do not need tradition or philosophy. 17:06 Truth is progressive, 17:07 more and more unto the perfect day. 17:10 Someone says, oh, I wish I never met you, 17:11 Ron Halvorsen, Why? 17:13 Because we shared truth. 17:14 Well, truth is more and more unto the perfect day. 17:17 Thank God, He's given you truth. 17:19 Amen. 17:20 Thank God. 17:23 It's not a pain pill you're taking. 17:27 Thank God, 17:29 of all the people here, He chose you. 17:33 Of all the people here, He shared with you. 17:38 And so there is enough light for us to follow. 17:42 And the Bible says, God will guide us 17:43 more and more unto the perfect day. 17:47 The New Testament has enough light, isn't there? 17:49 Come on. 17:50 And you're not really confused. 17:52 It's just the hardness of breaking away from the past 17:54 and going into a new present future. 17:57 That's what the problem is, 18:00 it's not, "Brother Ron, I don't see that." 18:02 It's, "Brother Ron, I see it 18:03 but I don't want to believe it." 18:05 Amen. 18:06 And that's what happened during this reformation. 18:09 Tens of thousands of people heard the gospel 18:12 being preached justification by faith. 18:15 In another words, 18:16 you are just as if you never sinned. 18:18 When you come to give your heart to Jesus Christ 18:20 and believe in Him just as if you never sinned. 18:25 And by the way, when a person makes that decision 18:27 whether he's old or young, parents, teachers, 18:30 no one should stand between it 18:31 because they are no better than the papacy 18:35 to decide for someone else who's gonna get saved and when. 18:38 When God saves a person let him be saved, 18:42 let him be saved. 18:45 I hear it all the time. 18:47 This is not a Bar Mitzvah, this is a baptism. 18:51 And Jesus said, what hinders you? 18:54 The apostle says, what hinders you? 18:55 Nothing, there is deep water, I'm in. 18:59 That's the apostles. Peter, follow me. 19:02 No, no, Uncle John won't be here 19:04 until next February. 19:05 What is that about? 19:08 That moment he left and he followed his master. 19:11 No, he said no, Lord, I don't know quite enough. 19:15 No, in fact, if he knew too much 19:20 he never would have made that decision. 19:22 I have found people that are always putting it off, 19:24 putting it off to know more, never make the decision, 19:29 never make the decision, because they waited too long. 19:34 You see, it's not knowing, it's being. 19:39 It comes from the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit. 19:44 And so we hear that light more and more. 19:46 And that's called the three angels' message 19:48 flying in the midst of heaven. 19:50 They have a protesting message, its mighty truth of God. 19:53 It's a threefold message against Babylon. 19:56 Revelation 14 says the message will protest 19:58 against the false Gospel. 20:00 It will protest against the false Sabbath, 20:02 it will protest against the false religious power. 20:05 That's what the three angels do. 20:07 The three angels don't fly over people's heads 20:09 and beat them to death as holy as they are. 20:12 That's not the three angels, that's three devils 20:15 acting like they're followers of three angels. 20:19 I can preach when I want to. 20:23 And I want the church to hear it. 20:27 Self righteous, that's the false gospel, 20:32 the false Sabbath. 20:34 Happy Sabbath doesn't mean you are a Sabbath keeper. 20:40 False religious power. 20:41 I mean, it'd be the last voice raised, 20:43 we know that, the three angels-- 20:45 I mean, the last voice calling men back to the book, 20:48 back to the Bible. 20:49 Let's get cantered in the Bible. 20:51 Some of you people don't know what you are reading, 20:52 the Bible or some other book. 20:54 You don't know which it is, read the Bible. 20:58 A man was on the telephone some time ago to me said, 21:01 if you're saved you can go to any church. 21:03 I said, well, what church you go to? 21:05 He told me one church. I said, that's nice. 21:07 What does your church teach about the second coming? 21:11 I don't know. 21:13 What does your church teach about heaven? 21:16 Well, we're gonna go there, yeah. 21:18 What does your church teach about the judgment? 21:21 What does your church teach about the Sabbath? 21:22 What does your church teach about the Bible? 21:24 What does your church-- Vague. 21:26 No answer. 21:27 Finally, I said, well, how come you go? 21:29 Well, my momma went there 21:30 and it's the closest church to my house. 21:33 Thank God it's not the church of Satan 21:35 closest to his house. 21:39 I mean, if Satan knows why you don't belong 21:43 you should know why you belong. 21:44 Come on now, amen. 21:46 That's what the reformation is about, 21:48 that's what the reformation is about. 21:50 You see, 50 percent of people were asked 21:53 why you go to a certain church. 21:54 They said, because of the doctrine, the belief. 21:56 Asked what about the belief, they were very vague. 21:58 Listen, 40 percent said because my parents belong. 22:02 Then what does the Bible tell us? 22:04 Another man told me, 22:05 well, we're all going in different directions, 22:07 we'll get there. 22:09 What a dumb philosophy that is. 22:11 If I'm going to Chicago from here, 22:14 I'm not gonna go east. 22:18 There is a big pond between there and Chicago. 22:23 Fifty percent of beliefs, 40 because their parents belong 22:26 10 percent because it was close, wow. 22:29 Peter says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts 22:31 and be ready always to give an answer 22:33 to every man that asketh you a reason 22:35 of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 22:38 You better study this book 22:40 because they're gonna take it from you. 22:42 And you better ponder it in your heart now, 22:45 don't think you can be a tourist, 22:47 you need to be a pilgrim. 22:49 You need to be a pilgrim. 22:51 They've chained a Bible to the wall 22:53 and this monk, a monk, a Catholic monk, 22:57 never forget it, they were godly men, 23:00 Roman catholic monks and priests who love God 23:03 and wanted to know what the Bible said. 23:05 Amen. 23:07 And when they did, they changed. 23:09 You can't read this Bible and remain the same. 23:13 I can't read this Bible and remain the same. 23:17 It'll happen soon. 23:20 Why was this change? 23:21 There came a falling away. 23:23 It was soon after the last disciple died, after John 23:26 and the early church fathers 23:27 and soon they began to compromise 23:29 and a little compromise here and a little compromise there 23:32 and you see that's how sin 23:33 really gets rooted in your heart, isn't it? 23:35 A little compromise, a little, 23:36 you know, that's not so bad 23:37 and before you know it, you're captured by it. 23:41 Before you know it you're controlled by it, 23:42 you are chained. 23:45 The Bible was chained. The church chained the Bible. 23:49 And doctrines of the Bible were twisted 23:50 and corrupted over the centuries. 23:53 And little changes that occurred, 23:54 slowly made the Bible of non-effect, 23:57 salvation by works as if you could work 23:59 your way to heaven. 24:02 That's not only the dilemma of the Roman Catholic Church, 24:05 that's the dilemma of some of our Protestant churches 24:07 and that's the dilemma of some times 24:09 of those even within the truth, the true church of God. 24:14 You can't earn your way to heaven. 24:16 You never will earn your way to heaven. 24:18 Your good works do not bring you to heaven, 24:21 your good works show you 24:22 that you're living in the state of heaven. 24:26 I'm living already in the state of heaven. 24:29 I mean, then came infant baptism. 24:31 That was simple 24:32 and let your parents make your decision. 24:35 Let your parents make your decision? 24:39 Where do you read that in the Bible? 24:42 Sale of indulgences. 24:44 Then came purgatory. 24:46 And then the church kept committing spiritual-- 24:49 Sunday for the true worship. 24:51 And then the Sabbath was changed 24:53 and on and on into darkness, darkness, darkness, 24:56 and then they started to fight against those 24:58 who were fighting against the church, 24:59 who stood up against the church, said, 25:01 no, you can't go there. 25:03 And so they took them and burned them at the stake 25:05 and they sawed them in sunder and the lions. 25:09 But hey, don't you get too comfortable 25:10 because later on when they built denominations 25:13 soon the denominations, 25:14 the Protestants were persecuting 25:15 the poor Catholics and killing them. 25:21 You're not absolved from it. 25:23 Not absolved. 25:26 There was the burning of the heretics. 25:28 Then in Germany, Saint Augustine monk 25:30 Martin Luther decided it's time to resist it. 25:33 Ninety five theses nailed 25:35 to the church door at Wittenberg. 25:37 It led to the great Protestant era. 25:39 But Luther wasn't alone. 25:40 Wycliffe before him was called the Morning Star. 25:42 He was called the Morning Star of this wonderful reformation. 25:46 That was Wycliffe. 25:47 Hus and Jerome, 25:49 a hundred years before Luther were burned 25:51 at the stake for their faith. 25:52 You see what they were doing? 25:54 They were coming out step by step by step by step. 25:58 They were learning from each other. 26:01 They did not say, "Oh, you're Hussites. 26:03 I don't want to learn anything from the Hussites." 26:07 They accepted the Biblical belief of the Hussites. 26:11 And they believed what the others were teaching 26:13 that was with the Word of God. 26:16 And it was this that kept going brighter 26:19 and brighter and brighter and brighter. 26:21 And the reformation moved forward 26:23 out of the darkness back into the light. 26:25 God was trying to bring us back to the Bible, 26:27 He was trying to bring us back to the early truths 26:29 of the early Christian Church. 26:31 He was trying to get the church moved 26:32 out of darkness into the light again. 26:36 Have you ever been in a cave? 26:37 The dark recesses of a cave? 26:39 The closer you came towards the opening, what happened? 26:42 The opening seemed to get bigger and bigger and bigger. 26:44 You notice, when you're way back in the cave 26:45 just a tiny little pinpoint of light. 26:47 Say, I can't fit through there. 26:49 But the closer you come, 26:51 you see, that's what was happening with the-- 26:53 what was happening with reformation. 26:56 Reformers were trying to go more and more 26:58 unto that perfect day. 27:01 They were trying to learn more and more 27:03 so that they might be faithful to God in all ways. 27:08 You see they used the light to guide them. 27:15 At first, just a pinpoint of light, right? 27:18 And then more and more and more. 27:20 Someone came up to me recently right here, 27:22 and said, you know, I have learned more in a month 27:24 here than I learned in my 35 years in my church. 27:30 Because it's more and more unto that perfect day. 27:33 The light is more and more, 27:36 more and more just as the Book of Proverbs said, 27:39 slowly out of darkness. 27:40 Unfortunately, now listen carefully, 27:43 men became the followers of the reformers. 27:47 Do you hear me? 27:50 They did not use the truth as the stepping stone. 27:53 They began to build churches and denominations 27:55 and name them after the reformers. 27:57 So there came about a counter reformation 27:59 and name Jesuit priesthood 28:01 was formed to extinguish that truth and Luther 28:04 and that's where we got the rapture from. 28:06 I taught you that the other day if you were here. 28:08 Remember, the rapture, it didn't come from the Bible, 28:11 it came from Roman Catholic Church. 28:13 It said the antichrist would come down at the end of time 28:16 because the reformers said the antichrist was the papacy. 28:19 And so the papacy didn't like that, 28:21 you could imagine. 28:22 And so the Jesuits were formed, 28:23 that order, theological, brilliant men 28:27 and they were to counter the reformation. 28:29 And the counter of the reformation 28:30 was to try to teach that 28:31 antichrist was at the end of time called futurism 28:35 and they bought into it. 28:39 And they bought into it. 28:42 You see, church was trying to get back 28:47 and those who were leading the church 28:48 was trying to lead them deeper in darkness. 28:51 I mean, and so the protest came 28:54 not against the good Catholicism. 28:57 Against the good catholic people of who there are many, 29:01 many and many and many. 29:04 I've had the privilege of being in India 29:07 and I visited the house of dying sister Teresa, 29:11 I met with them. 29:13 Hey, listen to me, Godly people, 29:18 and they're working with the down tribe 29:20 you haven't any idea. 29:23 Little teenage girls, all they have is a saree 29:26 and sandals to their feet and we kids in our church 29:29 some times they read Vogue magazine 29:31 but they say happy Sabbath 29:32 you think they're going to heaven. 29:34 Listen to me, wake up and smell the roses, 29:37 good news that comes from the heart 29:38 comes only from God. 29:42 The Protestants began to persecute the Catholics 29:44 and Catholics will fight 29:46 instead they're trying to get together in the Word of God 29:48 and find the truth 29:49 so there would be a true ecumenical. 29:52 There would be a true movement for our one faith. 29:56 But no, they rejected the Bible 29:59 or they only accepted the truth 30:01 they wanted to accept and that's worst. 30:04 Because of intolerance and persecution 30:07 and they were prisoned but later on 30:09 many of those poor people had to flea. 30:10 They had to come. 30:11 The pilgrims came here why? 30:13 Because of the intolerance. 30:15 Groups of Roman Catholics came here 30:17 because you're persecuted in Europe they came here. 30:19 And Protestants came here 30:21 and they wanted freedom to worship 30:22 and God was trying to lead them back, 30:25 trying to get them back for the Bible. 30:27 There was the Wesley Brothers 30:28 I mean, they brought light to the-- 30:30 I mean wonderful truth experiment religion, 30:33 what we've learned and you see the movement 30:34 the last movement, the three angels' movement 30:37 it's not a denomination it's a movement 30:39 that accepts what Wesley taught 30:41 when it was taught from the Word of God 30:43 they accepts what Hus taught and what Jerome taught 30:46 and Hussites and the Wycliffe's 30:48 and I mean, taking those wonderful truths 30:51 and incorporating into the one truth with a movement, 30:57 not some denomination, with a movement 31:00 because we'd accepted 31:01 what has been true of all churches. 31:05 Down through the centuries and came William Miller. 31:07 William Miller was studying the Bible 31:09 and he studied the judgment 31:10 he said in 1844, Jesus would come 31:12 they were called the Millerites. 31:14 And by the way many-- 31:16 thousands followed the Millerites, 31:18 Roman Catholics and Protestants 31:19 and people of all faith they became Millerites, 31:22 they became believers in the return of Christ. 31:24 They thought He was going to come at exact time 31:26 but no man knows the day or hour but-- 31:29 that was William Miller, he was a farmer. 31:31 He was a wonderful Christian man, 31:32 a brilliant man but he misinterpret it. 31:35 He tried to push it too far. 31:37 Don't push scripture. 31:38 Let's scripture lead, don't push it. 31:42 Some times that happens and I went to the spot 31:46 where they stood on that great rock, 31:49 those early believers in New England 31:52 and they looked to go home 31:54 and there came the great disappointment. 31:57 By the way, man's disappointment 31:58 God's appointment. 32:01 Amen, come on. 32:03 Man's disappointment becomes God's appointment 32:06 because God brought to those Millerites, 32:08 God brought after the Millerite movement 32:11 that God raised up the church, 32:14 the church that follows the commands of God 32:16 and the testimony of Jesus. 32:18 But you follow me please, carefully, follow me, 32:21 the Lutherans were found 1524. 32:24 They came to justification by faith, 32:26 faith in Christ alone. 32:28 But then they build walls and soon they became Lutherans 32:31 and then the Episcopal came along 32:33 and they had some truth to share. 32:34 1534, the Congregational, listen, 32:37 and the Presbyterians and the Baptist, 32:40 they were trying to bring us 32:41 back to the much of the Word of God 32:43 and they were bring us back. 32:46 But what happened is, they stopped. 32:51 And they thought, that's good enough for me. 32:54 And so when God showed them the truth 32:56 the second coming of Christ, they stopped. 33:00 They didn't take the next step and the next step, 33:03 and the next step. 33:06 And so we find the Quakers, 1647. 33:12 I learned something from the Quakers. 33:14 I learned about meditations from the Quakers. 33:17 Little Quaker woman taught me that. 33:19 I was praying with her and when I finished prayer 33:20 and I had to make so many visits 33:22 so I was getting up, she says, oh, wait, 33:23 we got to listen to God now. 33:27 I learned now about listening to God. 33:31 I learned from the Methodist. 33:34 I learned about experimental religion. 33:36 I learned about-- and by the way we learned 33:38 about our Sabbath school from the Sunday school. 33:41 Listen, that's the Methodist Church 33:42 and we learned from the Baptist Church 33:44 baptism by immersion and we didn't reject it 33:47 because it was Baptist or Methodist or-- 33:49 we accepted it because it was truth. 33:51 Amen. 33:55 We are in a church, 33:56 of denomination, we are movement. 34:00 And when God sheds light on us we take the step. 34:06 Disciples of Christ and later day saints 34:08 and Seventh-day Adventist, 1843. 34:11 Well, let me tell you, someone was asking, 34:12 when did Seventh-day Adventist church start? 34:14 Well, I was tempted to say 1843. 34:16 But no, you see, 34:18 Enoch was the first Seventh-day Adventist. 34:20 Amen. 34:21 He believed in return of Christ the second time 34:24 the Messiah and he kept the Sabbath. 34:26 Come on now. 34:27 Amen. 34:30 Anyway, lets go on. 34:32 You see, how God let us out of darkness? 34:34 Righteousness by Faith. 34:36 Baptism by Immersion. 34:38 Experimental Religion. 34:40 Tomorrow night I am gonna tell you why 34:41 I became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 34:43 I wasn't brought upon one but I'm gonna tell you why, 34:45 one of the pillars of faith and I am gonna let you hear it. 34:48 Now I have testified you, you be sure to be here 34:52 because you want to know 34:53 why this man ticks the way he ticks. 34:56 You want to know why I act the way I act, 34:59 that's tomorrow night. 35:01 All right, that's some commercial. 35:05 And so there it was experimental religion, 35:07 religious freedom and liberty and high standard of morality. 35:11 You can't tell the church from the world. 35:14 Horatius Bonar said, "I looked for the church 35:16 and I found it in the world. 35:17 And I look for the world and I found it in a church." 35:22 There was a time you could tell. 35:24 A Christian walking down the street, 35:26 you could tell. Now you can't tell. 35:29 If it's a call girl walking down the street. 35:32 And then, come on now. 35:35 Well, Halverson, you're getting too hard. 35:36 Well, maybe I am backup a little. 35:39 Not far but I'll backup a little. 35:42 You see, step by step God was leading His people 35:45 just like God is leading His people today. 35:49 Listen to me, you're not giving up anything. 35:54 You're getting everything. 35:56 You're not giving up anything. 35:59 You see, step by step God was leading people 36:01 out of papal tyranny, satanic philosophy 36:03 corrupt counsels in theology. 36:06 Then there came a young Methodist girl. 36:11 An old Baptist sea captain. 36:13 That's right, you see we have the truth of the Sabbath 36:16 from a Methodist girl and a Baptist sea captain. 36:21 That's right, because they said, 36:23 one day, Joseph Bates-- 36:26 I mean, I get it right, sea captain. 36:28 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 36:29 All right, was crossing over the bridge 36:31 and someone stopped them and said, 36:32 what do you-- what's new? 36:33 He said, the seventh day 36:34 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. 36:35 That's a Baptist preaching. 36:37 And you see when he found that 36:38 he didn't say, whoa, I am a Baptist. 36:46 Everybody tells me you're church 36:48 can't get you in the heaven but they are, I am a Baptist. 36:50 What does that mean? 36:52 That Baptist sea captain said, 36:53 the Sabbath is the seventh day. 36:58 We got it from a Baptist sea captain and a Methodist girl. 37:00 And that Methodist girl was a beautiful Christian girl. 37:03 And by the way, she was of the-- 37:05 she was of the charismatic part of the Methodist church. 37:08 When they came to church they played the tambourine. 37:11 I know that's frightens some of you people. 37:14 Amen. 37:16 You want to know, I know something about it. 37:21 But they didn't stop. They went on. 37:26 They put, they put their arms around the truth. 37:29 They served God in a truth. 37:32 They were willing to say hey, 37:34 any where Jesus leads me I can safely go. 37:37 Amen. 37:40 There came the remnant out of all these churches. 37:46 You want to know what to believe tomorrow night 37:47 I will show you 13 pillars of faith. 37:49 So you have to know. I can't. 37:51 No, well you got a Ph.D in the stuff. 37:54 You don't have to know you have to be here 37:59 till that you know. 38:01 Commandment keeping faith living people, 38:05 an organized church, an organized movement 38:07 that will go out at the end of the earth. 38:09 I am gonna show you something startling tomorrow 38:10 about this movement. 38:14 Progressive light, more and more 38:16 into the righteousness by faith. 38:17 More and more on to the perfect day. 38:19 Baptism by immersion more and more into the perfect day. 38:21 Experimental religion in other words 38:23 religion should change your life. 38:24 And we learned it from religious freedom 38:26 and liberty and we followed that. 38:28 We wanted to be the high standard of morality. 38:30 We wanted to be moral people. 38:35 The judgment hour, before judgment revelation, 38:39 second coming of Christ, Seventh-day Sabbath. 38:43 Not denying the things we have already learned. 38:45 Not turning from that but incorporating that 38:50 and then taking the next step. 38:52 Hey, walk that way. 38:54 Walk in that spirit. 38:56 And they were those, those early Minarites 38:59 and they were studying now the second coming of Jesus 39:02 and this disappointment that they discovered the Sabbath 39:05 and others the few Sabbath believers in New England 39:08 and they are believing all these things they learned 39:10 before through these great wonderful churches. 39:14 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 39:17 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them." 39:19 That's the good news of salvation. 39:21 "To every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." 39:24 It's not just one small movement, 39:25 one small super church out in Los Angeles. 39:28 This is the movement that reaches around the world. 39:32 "And saying with a loud voice, Fear God, 39:34 give glory to Him for the hour 39:35 of His judgment is come 39:36 and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, 39:38 and the sea, and the fountains of waters." 39:41 And listen he goes on say. 39:42 "And there followed another angel, saying, 39:44 Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, 39:46 because she made all nations drink 39:48 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." 39:50 And notice what it says. 39:52 "And the third angel followed them, 39:53 saying with a loud voice, if any man," What? 39:56 "If any man worship the beast and his image, 39:58 and receive a mark in his forehead, 40:00 or in his hand." 40:02 What will happen? 40:03 "The same shall drink 40:04 of the wine of the wrath of God, 40:05 which is poured without mixture 40:06 into the cup of his indignation." 40:08 And it says. 40:09 "And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 40:12 in the presence of the holy angels." 40:13 And he goes on. 40:14 "And in the presence of the Lamb, 40:16 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever 40:19 and they have no rest day nor night, 40:20 who worship the beast and his image 40:22 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 40:26 Here is the patience of the saints. 40:28 Here are they that keep the commandments of God, 40:30 and the faith of Jesus." 40:32 Come out of Babylon. That's what it means. 40:35 That's what you people are doing. 40:36 You're coming out of Babylon. 40:39 You're coming out for Jesus Christ. 40:41 That's what that means. 40:43 "And after these things I saw 40:45 another angel come down from heaven, 40:47 having great power and the earth 40:49 was lightened with his glory. 40:50 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying," 40:53 notice "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 40:57 become the habitation of devils, 40:58 and the hold of every foul spirit, 41:01 the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." 41:04 What a description? 41:05 And he says "All nations have drunk 41:07 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, 41:09 the kings of the earth 41:10 have committed fornication with her." 41:12 And again he repeats it. 41:14 "And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich 41:15 through the abundance of her delicacies. 41:17 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 41:19 Come out of her, my people." 41:21 Not a people but my people. 41:23 "That ye be not partakers of her sins, 41:25 and that ye receive not of her plagues." 41:28 You see, all the world followed the beast. 41:33 Well, not all because there are many 41:36 who come out of Babylon. 41:38 Amen. Amen. 41:39 Who come out of Babylon. All the world. 41:44 There will be a religious 41:45 political coalition in last day. 41:49 My friend, it's gonna be uniting of all the religions 41:52 because they already agree on some things. 41:55 And they're going to united 41:56 against the people of God that's truth. 41:59 And all good causes 42:01 many family values, that's good. 42:04 Outlaw I mean, that's good, 42:06 restore worship I mean, this is all good. 42:08 One faith, one religion it sounds good. 42:12 "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth 42:14 and he had two horns like a lamb, 42:15 and he spoke as a dragon. 42:17 And he exercises the power of the first beast before him." 42:20 Now you remember I talked 42:22 on the United States and Bible prophecy. 42:24 Here is that prophecy again. 42:26 He says, the United States is gonna give this power. 42:29 A religion political power 42:31 to unite the nations, this is it. 42:33 "And causeth the earth and them 42:35 which dwell therein to worship the first beast, 42:37 whose deadly wound was healed. 42:38 And causeth all, both small and great, 42:40 rich and poor, free and bond." 42:41 What? 42:42 "To receive a mark in his right hand, in his foreheads. 42:45 That no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, 42:49 and the name of the beast, and the number of his name." 42:55 So the call is God. Call of God. 42:58 "Protestants and Catholics" listen to this 43:00 "would 'join hands' 43:01 uniting together to exalt Sunday." 43:05 Its coming, watch its coming. 43:08 Beautiful book Great Controversy. 43:11 McCord, J.C. McCord, historian said 43:14 "The End of the Protestant Era." 43:15 There is nothing to protest any longer. 43:17 If they're all agreeing on tradition 43:18 and its nothing to protest 43:20 but only as there some people in the world 43:21 who believe the Bible 43:22 and Bible only, we will protest. 43:25 We'll stand up and proclaim the Word of God 43:27 no matter how hard it is 43:28 because it's the truth and it's the way, 43:30 the truth and its the light. 43:33 "Since Protestantism has lost its moorings, 43:35 has nothing to protest, 43:37 it has no other alternative than to" What? 43:39 "Then to unite." 43:40 There is gonna be uniting 43:42 of these religious powers and forces. 43:45 "Protestants of the United States 43:47 will reach over the abyss 43:48 to clasp hands with the Roman power." 43:50 That's prophetic. 43:51 That's exactly what's happening. 43:53 "Come out of her, my people." That's the call of God. 43:56 The call of God is for you is to come out. 43:58 Jesus Christ is calling you out that's the fact. 44:02 He wants to call you out. 44:03 "The dragon was angry with woman." 44:04 That's the church. 44:05 "And he went to make the war 44:06 with the remnant of the church." 44:08 By the way God has His people in many churches. 44:10 You never forget that. 44:11 But God is calling them out 44:12 so they might be the proclaimed 44:14 of the true message of Jesus Christ in the Bible 44:16 that's all He is calling them out. 44:18 Just like He called them out in the past. 44:20 This is the final reformation. 44:24 And He says "the remnant of her seed, 44:26 which keep the commandment of God, 44:28 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 44:31 The testimony. 44:32 Someone well how do we know which is the true. 44:35 Well, if you have the right address 44:36 you'll find the true place. 44:38 All right, I remember I took my first trip to Florida. 44:43 And I always want to go there 44:44 because you know it sounded nice 44:47 and my wife and I 44:48 we're gonna go from where are living 44:50 and we put the kids in the backseat. 44:51 And we packed up. My wife packs everything. 44:53 You know when she goes winter cloths even in Florida 44:56 and you know finally you got to trunk shut 44:59 and we're driving down the road. 45:00 You know two minutes out of town, how much further? 45:04 You know, come on. And so we got there. 45:07 And I said, honey, what's the address? 45:09 She said, 1110, Palma Avenue, That's 1110, Palmer Avenue. 45:15 So I pulled in there a gas station 45:16 and I don't trust anything but that 45:18 I said where is Palmer Avenue? 45:19 So that its just easy that's just three blocks up. 45:21 Turn left and two blocks down. I was getting late. 45:24 I was tired. 45:25 The kid's peanut butter and jelly sandwich 45:27 stuck all over my head. 45:28 And you know, and I want to go to bed 45:30 and drive three blocks and turn two 45:33 and there it is, Palmer Avenue. 45:35 So, I turned on it and I looked it is a beautiful mansion 45:37 I said your grandparents 45:38 don't live here something is wrong. 45:41 You know, like I sure happen to be a good evangelists 45:43 and I called anybody home? 45:44 I rang the bell, I knocked on the door, 45:46 and ran around the house. 45:47 I said something is wrong. 45:49 I had to look through the phonebook. 45:52 Have you ever tried to look 45:53 through an Orlando phonebook for address? 45:56 And I found I said, honey, you know get that. 46:00 She took it out and the letter her 46:01 she says 1110, 1110 Palmer street. 46:07 I said what? What? 46:11 Three hours ago I get out of the car 46:14 walked around three times, got back in. 46:18 I said, honey, three hours ago you said Palmer Avenue. 46:21 She, you know, does it make a difference? 46:24 Does it make a difference? 46:28 I found Palmer Street 1110, found her grandparents 46:32 and continued that wonderful vacation. 46:36 Let me tell you, you can find the address. 46:39 Want to know the address I'll share it with you. 46:41 I have been trying to share 46:42 the address with you for four weeks now. 46:44 Amen, come on now. Amen. 46:46 I have been trying to share the address 46:47 with you for four weeks. 46:49 And God is calling His people. 46:51 And God wants you to stand for the truth. 46:55 You'll find the true mode of baptism in the truth. 46:58 Sabbath, sanctification, conversion, 47:00 judgment, health message, the gift of prophecy 47:03 I am gonna teach on that on Saturday morning here. 47:06 I am gonna, on that special seminar class 47:08 and we're gonna have a big rally here in this place. 47:10 You want to come for that, you don't want to miss that. 47:13 That will be the highlight. And you can be a part of it. 47:16 Those people that are watching night after night 47:19 you have heard the message. 47:20 You can make the decision 47:21 in fact you can even contact someone. 47:23 Just email contact@revelationtoday.com 47:31 that's contact@revelationtoday.com 47:35 and I want to speak to you here. 47:37 Every one of you. 47:39 That God had called Ron Halvorsen 47:42 that God had called many of you. 47:44 It is God calling to you and He says this. 47:48 He says, "come out of Babylon 47:52 that ye be not partakers of the sin 47:55 and receiver of the judgment." 47:58 I mean that's His last call may you respond. 48:25 Perhaps our program today has impressed you 48:27 with a personal need for deeper Bible study. 48:29 If you desire to listen to God and follow where He leads 48:32 we got a wonderful resource 48:34 that can help you to do that in a systematic way. 48:37 The Discover Bible guides. 48:40 These Bible guides are easy to use 48:41 and can be yours absolutely free. 48:44 If you live in North America 48:46 we'll send you these full color guides 48:48 or you can find them on our website itiswritten.com. 48:51 Request the Discover Bible guides 48:54 by calling our toll free number 1800-253-3000. 48:59 You may also request today's offer by writing to, 49:01 It Is Written, Box O, 49:03 Thousand Oaks, California, 91359. 49:06 Thank you for your letters and for your continued support. 49:09 That toll free number is 1800-253-3000 49:13 and our web address itiswritten.com. 49:33 Another Bible question to look at and it is this one. 49:36 "I don't understand what Babylon is. 49:39 I thought it was destroyed a long time ago 49:40 and its ruins are some where in Iraq. 49:42 Can you explain Babylon 49:44 and why we need to get out of Babylon?" 49:47 Let me do that for you. 49:51 Revelation Chapter 17, Revelation Chapter 17 49:57 we'll turn there together. 50:00 Revelation 17 what is this Babylon? 50:06 I'm going to read several verses here 50:07 I hope you'll follow with me. 50:11 Chapter 17, verse 1 in the Book of Revelation. 50:15 "And there came one of the seven angels 50:16 which had the seven vials, and talked with me, 50:18 saying unto me, Come hither, 50:21 I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore 50:24 that sitteth upon many waters, 50:26 with whom the kings of the earth 50:28 have committed fornication, and the inhabitants 50:31 of the earth have been made drunk 50:33 with the wine of her fornication. 50:35 So he carried me away 50:37 in the spirit into the wilderness 50:38 and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, 50:42 full of names of blasphemy, 50:44 having seven heads and ten horns. 50:47 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, 50:50 and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, 50:52 having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations 50:56 and filthiness of her fornication." 50:59 Verse 5, "And upon her forehead was a name written, 51:03 Mystery, Babylon The Great, 51:05 The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth." 51:11 So there is Babylon and what you see 51:14 is that there is an impure woman 51:19 and it's fascinating that she is 51:22 the mother of impure women. 51:26 Now in Bible prophecy a woman is a symbol 51:31 that represents a church. 51:34 So we can be confident what God is showing us. 51:38 Here's a symbol of an impure church. 51:41 It's fascinating here that she is portrayed 51:46 as sitting upon a beast. 51:50 In Bible prophecy a beast represents a nation. 51:55 So here there is a church that has amalgamated 52:00 or united with the power of the state 52:05 an impure church state we could say. 52:10 Now what's interesting is the Bible says 52:13 that this woman, this church has made 52:15 the world drunk, confused 52:20 and how the church has confused people. 52:22 Well, they shouldn't confuse anybody 52:24 but what we have in the world is the situation 52:26 where false teaching down the end of time 52:30 has confused the world. 52:33 You know the Bible is pretty simple. 52:36 I'm not talking about Zechariah's challenging visions 52:39 and some of the interesting things Ezekiel wrote. 52:41 They can text your grey matter. 52:43 But love God and love your neighbor. 52:46 You know, yield for Jesus, follow the Bible, 52:50 be kind, forsake sin, confess sin, pretty simple. 52:58 In the end of time God still wants 53:00 those who are new covenant Christians to live 53:04 according to the terms of the new covenant. 53:06 God writes His law in our hearts, 53:08 puts it in our mind and He is our God 53:11 and we are His people, pretty easy. 53:14 So if you don't want to be part of Babylon 53:16 you follow Christ, He is your Lord and Savior 53:20 and you live according to the Word of God. 53:22 Now, the Babylon of the Bible in the Book of Revelation 53:26 isn't the Babylon in the Middle East. 53:29 Its not Iraq, it's not Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. 53:32 In the Book of Revelation especially God will take 53:37 a geographical location and refer to it 53:40 but whereas in the Old Testament 53:42 it was literal and local. 53:43 Literal Babylon in a locality. 53:46 In the Book of Revelation it is spiritual and worldwide. 53:50 Spiritual Babylon all over the world. 53:52 This is something that takes your salvation. 53:54 Its very important to remember that. 53:56 So when it comes to being part of Babylon 53:59 you don't want to be in it 54:00 because the Bible says this in chapter 18 of Revelation, 54:05 "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 54:10 and is become the habitation of devils, 54:12 and the hold of every foul spirit, 54:14 and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." 54:16 In verse 4 God says, "Come out of her, my people, 54:22 that ye be not partakers of her sins, 54:24 and that ye receive not of her plagues." 54:26 It might not seem like a terrible thing today 54:28 to believe wrong and associate yourself in certain areas 54:32 and let a few things go spiritually speaking 54:35 but God wants your whole heart. 54:37 People who go to heaven are people who love God 54:40 with their whole heart. 54:41 The people who live forever 54:42 in the presence of God are people who love now 54:45 to live in the presence of God and let Jesus have their will. 54:49 Ultimately Babylon will be destroyed, 54:51 followers of Jesus will be saved. 54:55 You be sure that you are a follower of Jesus, 54:57 everything is gonna be okay. 55:05 It Is Written is dedicated to sharing 55:07 the gospel around the world. 55:09 To discover more about It Is Written, 55:11 I invite you to visit our website itiswritten.com 55:14 and browse the dozens of pages that describe 55:17 what we do and how we do it. 55:18 Let's get to know each other better. 55:20 Visit our website itiswritten.com today. 55:26 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says, 55:29 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 55:32 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' 55:36 " Every Word is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 55:39 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 55:41 and designed especially for busy people like you. 55:44 Look for Every Word on selected networks 55:47 or watch it online every day 55:48 on our web site, itiswritten.com. 55:51 Receive a daily spiritual boost, 55:54 watch Every Word. You'll be glad you did. 56:07 Eyes for India, is giving sight to the blind 56:11 and you can be a part of this amazing work 56:13 that God is doing. 56:14 Fifteen million blind people live in India, 56:17 more than any other country in the world. 56:19 And many of the blind in India could see again 56:22 if only they could have simple cataract surgery. 56:25 It Is Written, is making that happen. 56:28 Would you support Eyes for India? 56:31 For just $75 you'll be giving the gift of sight 56:35 to someone who desperately wants to see. 56:38 Here's all you need to do. 56:39 Call 1-800-253-3000 that's 1-800-253-3000 56:46 to donate and support Eyes for India 56:50 or you can write to It Is Written, Box O, 56:53 Thousand Oaks, California, 91359. 56:57 You'll also find Eyes for India online at itiswritten.com. 57:02 Every $75 you give gives someone 57:05 the precious gift of sight. 57:07 Eyes for India, doing the work of Jesus 57:10 in opening the eyes of the blind 57:12 and opening hearts to the love of God. |
Revised 2015-01-22