Participants: John Dinzey
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000135A
|
00:19 Hello, and welcome to A Sharper Focus,
00:22 once again coming to you 00:24 from the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:26 on this Wednesday evening. 00:28 And we hope that you are prepared 00:30 to study the Word of God. 00:32 We have a message from the Word of God 00:34 to share with you. 00:35 And it's actually a continuation 00:37 from another study that was done, 00:40 this is part two, basically, on the state of the dead, 00:42 what happens when you die. 00:44 And Pastor Lomacang is not able to be with you, 00:46 and I have the privilege to be with you during this hour. 00:49 And we encourage you to grab your Bible 00:52 and you may want to grab something to write with 00:55 because you may want to continue this study. 00:58 And if you have an interest in continuing this study, 01:01 you need some handouts, some material, contact 3ABN. 01:04 And we'll be glad to find something 01:08 to help you further in your study. 01:11 So before we continue, 01:13 we'd like to invite you to remember to pray for 3ABN. 01:18 This ministry that is reaching the world 01:20 with the everlasting gospel, 01:22 the three angels' messages as mentioned in Revelation 14:6 01:28 and onward, verses 6-12. 01:30 And right now, 01:31 we want to encourage you to join us in prayer as well. 01:34 We are going to pray and ask for the Lord to bless us. 01:37 And so let us pray together. 01:40 Our loving Heavenly Father, 01:42 we thank You so much for the Holy Scriptures 01:47 that are able to make us wise unto salvation. 01:50 And we thank You, Lord, 01:52 that You have promised to guide us 01:54 into all truth through the Holy Spirit. 01:58 We pray, Lord, that You will indeed guide us 02:00 during this study, help us, teach us, 02:03 and make clear in our understanding 02:06 this important message. 02:08 We pray for a blessing upon everyone that is here, 02:11 and everyone that is joining us locally, 02:15 and around the world. 02:16 We thank You Lord for the opportunities 02:18 to study Your Holy Word together 02:20 with the freedom to reach the world 02:22 with the message of Jesus Christ. 02:24 And we thank You 02:26 for all that You have done for us 02:27 during this day. 02:29 We ask You for these things in Jesus' holy 02:31 and blessed name, amen. 02:33 Amen. 02:34 Well, we are going to do a brief, brief refresher 02:39 on what we talked about last time to catch up. 02:42 As a matter of fact it will be helpful 02:44 especially that there were perhaps several million 02:48 that were not with us last time 02:49 and they may have joined us this time. 02:51 So we want to ask you to join us in John 11. 02:55 John 11, Jesus says something 02:59 that has opened the eyes of many throughout history. 03:04 And this is in John 11, 03:05 we're going to look at verses 11-14. 03:09 John 11:11-14. 03:13 And this is what is written. 03:16 "These things said he: 03:18 and after that he said unto them, 03:21 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, 03:24 but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. 03:28 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 03:32 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death: 03:37 but they thought that he had spoken 03:39 of taking a rest in sleep. 03:43 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, 03:46 Lazarus is dead." 03:50 So what we have here 03:51 is Jesus helping us to understand 03:54 what really happens when you die the first time. 03:57 And I say die the first time 03:58 because the Bible records a second death 04:01 that is registered in Revelation 20. 04:04 The first death is a result of many reasons, 04:08 could be some illness, 04:09 it could be some unfortunate accident, 04:12 or that someone does something to kill you. 04:17 But the Bible calls this a sleep. 04:20 As a matter of fact over 50 times 04:23 there is reference to death being a sleep. 04:26 And if you are sleeping, that means 04:29 you are not participating in anything 04:31 that is happening with those that are alive. 04:34 And so there are many scriptures 04:36 that help us to understand this. 04:37 We are just going to look at a few 04:39 because we have covered this, 04:41 I believe very clearly last time. 04:44 One of them that we're going to look at 04:46 is found in Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 04:49 and we're going to look at verses 5 and 6. 04:52 Ecclesiastes 9:5 and 6. 04:57 Let us read what the Bible says. 04:59 Ready? 05:01 "For the living know that they shall die: 05:05 but the dead know not anything, 05:09 neither have they any more a reward, 05:12 for the memory of them is forgotten. 05:15 And their love, and their hatred, 05:18 and their envy, is now perished, 05:21 neither have they any more a portion forever 05:25 in anything that is done under the sun." 05:29 So what does the Bible tell us about those that die, 05:32 that they know what? 05:34 Not anything. 05:36 So this right away helps us to understand 05:39 that all those games that are out there 05:43 that like Ouija, however you say it, 05:46 and there are others 05:48 that supposedly you must contact someone 05:52 that is dead to get information. 05:55 And many people do this to try to find out 05:58 what's going to happen in the future. 05:59 but the Bible clearly says that the dead know not anything. 06:04 And so if you have ever consulted 06:07 one of those games, played one of those games, 06:09 and receive some information, 06:11 please understand this is not reliable, 06:14 and it is Satan trying to mislead you, 06:17 trying to lead you down the wrong path 06:21 to make horrible decisions 06:23 that will surely bring bad results. 06:27 So the dead know not anything. 06:29 As a matter of fact, 06:30 there are people that supposedly 06:33 speak to the dead. 06:35 There are different things people do to speak to the dead. 06:38 And so, as well we read that their hatred, and their love, 06:43 and their envy is all gone 06:45 because they do not exist anymore, 06:48 nothing is operational, the body, the mind, 06:53 everything ceases to exist. 06:55 Along with this comes some other beliefs 06:58 that we will discuss a little further on. 07:00 Remember the dead know not anything. 07:03 So stay away from anything that 07:06 or anyone that tries to communicate with the dead. 07:09 And I understand that some psychics 07:12 and others supposedly call some people from the dead 07:14 to try to do this. 07:16 So it is a dangerous thing 07:18 because this is something that Satan uses 07:21 to try to confuse people. 07:22 As a matter of fact, this has been going on 07:24 since the Garden of Eden. 07:26 What did Satan tell Lucifer? 07:28 I mean tell Eve? 07:30 "You will not surely die." 07:33 And somehow different nations, the Egyptians, the Greeks, 07:39 and others have brought on the idea 07:42 that the dead continue, and they do not, 07:45 they cease to exist until the Bible calls 07:50 what is called the resurrection. 07:52 And which happens 07:53 when Jesus Christ comes for who? 07:57 For the righteous. 07:59 And when Jesus comes the third time 08:02 for the unrighteous or the wicked. 08:04 There is a resurrection of the righteous 08:07 and there is a resurrection of the wicked, 08:09 two separate resurrections. 08:11 And this is clearly mentioned in the Bible, 08:15 and we will continue the study, 08:17 and you will understand this clearly, 08:19 it is our prayer. 08:21 So what about the countless stories 08:24 about people seeing dead people that are walking around, 08:29 or ghosts, or appearances of people that have, 08:33 I told a few stories last time, appearances of people 08:36 that have died. 08:38 I was told a story when I was younger, 08:40 very intriguing. 08:42 There's supposedly down certain road, 08:44 I forget I think it was Texas, 08:46 that you would be driving a car, 08:48 and suddenly a runner will start running beside you 08:52 while you are driving, 08:54 and you see somebody keeping up with you 08:57 while you're driving 65 miles an hour. 08:59 And of course this brings fear upon people 09:02 so they start driving faster, 09:03 supposedly this runner 09:04 continues to run at the same speed as the car, 09:07 and eventually runs off into the woods. 09:10 Is this a real person? 09:11 No, it's not. 09:13 We know that nobody can run that fast 09:16 for any extended period of time. 09:18 And so Satan tries in different ways 09:20 to mislead people. 09:21 Do not be fooled 09:23 because the dead will not know anything. 09:24 So then brings the question, 09:27 if it's not our dead loved ones, 09:30 who is it that appears? 09:33 Who is it that around us? 09:34 As a matter of fact, I heard there was a magazine, 09:38 some people were researching the idea of ghosts 09:40 because so many stories were coming out. 09:42 And they offered $5,000 to anyone 09:45 that can produce a ghost to anyone 09:46 that can provide information 09:50 that can be verified that ghosts exist, 09:53 And unfortunately 09:55 nobody has been able to claim the prize. 09:58 I think it went up to $10,000 at one point 10:00 because they do not exist. 10:03 So what is it that people are saying? 10:04 Please understand that Satan is a deceiver, 10:09 and he is a liar. 10:11 And since he is a deceiver and a liar, 10:13 he will take advantage of any misunderstanding 10:16 you may have to lead you down the wrong path. 10:18 So I would like to point you to a scripture 10:21 that helps us understand what Satan can do. 10:24 2 Corinthians 11:14. 10:29 2 Corinthians 11:14. 10:35 Let us read. 10:37 It is written in verse 14. 10:39 "And no marvel, for Satan himself 10:43 is transformed 10:46 into an angel of light." 10:50 So there you have it, 10:52 Satan was once a beautiful angel. 10:56 And he was in heaven, 10:59 he knows what angels looked like 11:01 because he was one. 11:03 Now he is an evil, wicked, 11:07 and he tries to take advantage of what he knows 11:12 to try to appear to people. 11:14 I've even heard stories that actually I think 11:17 it was Roger Morneau that wrote several stories 11:21 about appearances of demons 11:24 in masquerading as angels. 11:27 And since Satan is able to do this, 11:30 he can also 11:32 take on the appearances of people. 11:34 If he can transform himself into an angel of light, 11:38 he can take on the appearance of a person 11:40 and duplicate the voices and phrases 11:45 things they used to say that to you will say, 11:47 "That's right, my uncle used to say that. 11:49 My mother used to say those things." 11:52 And it will sound in the same way. 11:54 And be not surprised, I'm sure you have heard, 11:57 when I was younger, 11:58 we used to see some television program, 12:01 there was one comedian 12:02 there was able to imitate several presidents 12:05 and sounded just like them, and several movie stars. 12:08 So if people can do this, 12:10 as a matter of fact some animals 12:14 that are trained to speak, some birds... 12:17 What kind of birds are those? Anybody remember? 12:19 Parrots. 12:20 They usually sound like the voice 12:23 that has trained them. 12:25 And so if these simple animals can do this, 12:28 imagine what Satan can do? 12:29 Disguising his voice as your loved one 12:32 to tell you something and to mislead you. 12:35 The Bible says that the dead do not know anything, 12:39 keep away from anything that may deceive you 12:43 in that direction. 12:44 So let us now go to John 5 12:48 because we need to understand 12:51 what happens 12:52 when is it that the righteous 12:58 are going to be resurrected. 13:00 Because some people believe that when you die, 13:05 if you are righteous, 13:06 you go straight to heaven immediately. 13:09 And some people believe that when you die, 13:13 if you are wicked, you go immediately to hell 13:15 to burn, and you are burning, and burning 13:18 throughout eternity. 13:19 This is a misunderstanding and we will go more into this 13:23 in another study. 13:25 But we're just going to briefly mention this. 13:27 Imagine the misunderstanding that there is about this 13:32 that has caused many people a lot of harm. 13:36 As a matter of fact, John 5:28 and 29 13:40 is what we are going to read. 13:42 If you're ready say, amen. 13:44 Amen. 13:45 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming..." 13:50 If it's coming, that means it's not arrived, 13:52 "in which all that are in the graves 13:55 shall hear his voice." 13:56 All that are in the grave shall hear his voice. 13:58 "And shall come forth, they that have done good, 14:02 unto the resurrection of life," that is eternal life, 14:06 "and they that have done evil, 14:07 unto the resurrection of damnation." 14:12 So the Bible tells us 14:14 what is going to happen to the righteous 14:17 and what is going to happen to the wicked. 14:19 Everyone knows this scripture, 14:21 we're not going to put it on the screen 14:22 because even as I start quoting it, 14:24 many people will recognize it, "For God so loved the world, 14:28 that He gave His only begotten Son, 14:30 that whosoever believeth in Him, 14:32 should not," what? 14:34 "Perish." 14:35 What does it mean to perish? 14:37 That means to die. 14:39 So those that believe in Him will not perish, 14:42 but what happen to those that do not believe in Him, 14:45 they will perish. 14:48 Once again, "For God so loved the world 14:49 that He gave His only begotten Son, 14:51 that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, 14:53 but have everlasting life." 14:55 Who gets everlasting life? 14:56 Those that believe in Him. 14:59 Praise the Lord for that. 15:00 How many people are looking forward to that? 15:02 Say amen. Amen. 15:03 Amen. Amen. 15:06 Well, at this point, 15:10 we would like to talk to you about what the scripture states 15:15 concerning speaking to the dead. 15:18 The Bible mentions this as something 15:20 that is expressively forbidden by God. 15:25 We are going to go to Deuteronomy Chapter 18. 15:28 And in Deuteronomy Chapter 18, 15:30 I like it when the Bible opens up right to the chapter 15:33 practically instantly. 15:35 Deuteronomy 18, 15:36 we're going to go through verses 10-12. 15:38 Deuteronomy 18:10-12. 15:41 This is what we have in the Bible. 15:44 "There shall not be found among you anyone 15:48 that make it his son or his daughter 15:52 to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, 15:56 or an observer of times, or an enchanter, 16:00 or a witch, or a charmer, 16:03 or a consulter with familiar spirits, 16:06 or a wizard, or a necromancer. 16:09 For all that do these things 16:11 are an abomination unto the Lord: 16:14 and because of these abominations 16:16 the Lord thy God drive them out from before thee." 16:22 So this is a declaration from the Lord 16:24 that the people of Israel 16:27 were going to occupy the land of other people 16:30 because they were doing wickedness, 16:32 such as trying to contact the dead, 16:34 they were doing things which is necromancers. 16:39 And we're going to tell you a few things, 16:40 some people here necromancer what in the world is that? 16:43 Literally it is a person, a consulter with the dead. 16:49 And there's very little difference 16:50 between a necromancer, 16:51 somebody that consults that end, 16:53 and a consulter with familiar spirits 16:56 which is practically the same thing. 16:58 Why does God forbid this? 17:02 Why does He forbid this? 17:04 Because He knows that Satan 17:06 is going to take advantage of the people 17:08 that do these things. 17:11 People for some reason have this great interest, 17:14 fascination to know 17:15 what is going to happen next week. 17:17 Or if I could only see the future, 17:19 what's going to be happen to my son, my daughter? 17:22 Or am I going to marry that person or that person? 17:24 And they want to know these things. 17:26 And unfortunately, 17:27 they make serious mistakes and even get themselves 17:29 into a lot of financial problems, 17:32 consulting people that do these type of things. 17:37 It says a charmer, 17:40 back in those days it was a person 17:41 that used to tie knots, and wearing of magic cords, 17:46 and trying to make spells. 17:48 I've been shocked to see what is going on in this world. 17:51 You can go to some popular bookstores, 17:53 I'm not going to mention them by name, 17:55 you've probably already guessed some of them. 17:58 Going through the bookstore, looking at different books, 18:00 and I was by the children's section. 18:03 And there by the children's section, 18:04 there were two or three books that surprised me. 18:08 And they were books 18:10 on how to make spells on people. 18:14 And they had spells to try to cast a spell 18:18 upon somebody to fall in love with you. 18:21 And there were spells for good luck, 18:23 and it was in the children's section. 18:24 And I said, "What a horrible thing 18:27 is going on in this world?" 18:29 It's going from bad to worse. 18:32 And we need to be aware of the danger of these things. 18:36 So having told you these things, 18:39 we now go into one of the stories 18:41 that people use 18:43 to try to justify the idea 18:49 that the dead that are righteous 18:51 go to heaven 18:53 or the dead that are evil go to hell. 18:55 One of them is the story of Saul 18:58 that consulted a witch, 19:01 and the Witch of Endor. 19:02 Saul chosen by God to be the first king of Israel, 19:07 after the people kept saying, "Lord, give us a king, 19:10 give us a king. 19:11 We want a king like the other nations." 19:14 And Samuel the prophet was very sad 19:17 that they were asking for a king 19:19 because they wanted to be like the other nations 19:21 when God was their king. 19:23 No, we want to be like the other nations. 19:26 As a matter of fact, the Lord told Saul, 19:29 tell them that the king is going to take your children, 19:33 so they can join his army, 19:35 they're going to take your children 19:36 so they can serve at his table, 19:37 they're going to take your horses, 19:39 they're going to take your cattle, 19:40 and the king is just going to misuse his authority. 19:44 And they say, 19:46 "Nay, but we will have a king over us." 19:49 And so the Lord said, 19:54 "You want a king. You'll have a king." 19:57 We have to be careful with what we asked the Lord. 19:59 It is better to commit our ways to the Lord 20:03 and He will direct our path, 20:05 instead of us demanding asking for things. 20:07 And this is why 20:09 we have to be careful with these things 20:11 because bad consequences come when we insist upon something 20:15 that is not good for us. 20:16 The Lord told Samuel, "Do not be sad, 20:20 they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting me." 20:24 And so the process went on to pick the king, 20:27 and the Lord selected Saul, 20:30 and Saul was a good person. 20:34 Unfortunately, he went astray. 20:37 And when he went astray, 20:39 he went from bad to worse, 20:43 to worse, and to worse in so much 20:46 that the Lord stopped talking to him. 20:50 So let us go to 1 Samuel Chapter 28 20:53 to pick up on this story. 20:56 1 Samuel 28, 20:58 you will notice in the Bible 20:59 that when the people of Israel 21:00 had a war with another nation 21:02 or another nation was attacking them. 21:04 It was the custom of the Lord, custom of the king, 21:07 custom of the people to ask the Lord, 21:09 "Lord, do we go and fight against them? 21:11 Will You be with us? 21:12 Will You fight our battle?" 21:15 And the Philistines were coming, 21:18 the Philistines were getting closer and closer, 21:21 and Saul was afraid, the people were afraid, 21:24 so they wanted to know, "Will the Lord be with us? 21:26 Will He help us 21:28 defeat the Philistines?" 21:30 And the Lord would not answer Saul. 21:34 So Saul did something that he knew was forbidden. 21:39 As a matter of fact, 21:40 he had made a declaration and passed a law, 21:42 "Anyone found consulting the dead, 21:45 consulting a medium, 21:48 will be," what, 21:50 "killed, cast out." 21:52 Be thrown out of the city. 21:55 Anyway and put to death. 21:58 1 Samuel 20, 21:59 we're going to start in verse 6. 22:01 We're going to go and first read verse 6 and 7. 22:02 1 Samuel 28:6 and 7. 22:05 "And when Saul enquired of the Lord, 22:08 the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, 22:11 nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 22:15 Then said Saul unto his servants, 22:17 Seek me a woman that have a familiar spirit, 22:20 that I may go to her, and enquire of her. 22:22 And his servant said to him, Behold, 22:25 there is a woman 22:26 that hath a familiar spirit at Endor." 22:30 And so right away they found somebody 22:35 for Saul to talk to concerning his request. 22:39 And notice that the Bible mentions 22:41 the different ways that 22:43 in the past God was talking to Saul. 22:47 And that is by dreams, by the Urim, or by the prophet. 22:52 And prophets were consulted 22:53 to know what the Lord was asking for His people 22:57 or what the Lord wanted to do. 23:00 And so the Urim, you may remember 23:02 there was the Urim and Thummim 23:05 in the High Priest garment, 23:07 and if the Lord enter yes, 23:11 that was one of the jewels lit up, 23:13 if He answered no, the other one would light up. 23:16 And Urim positively would be a positive answer. 23:22 And so let's go now to verse 8 to find out what happened. 23:25 1 Samuel 28:8, 23:27 "And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, 23:32 and he went, and two men with him." 23:35 He didn't want to be discovered, 23:36 "and they came to the woman by night: and he said, 23:39 I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, 23:43 and bring him up, whom I showed a name unto thee. 23:47 And the woman said unto him, 23:48 behold thou knowest what Saul hath done, 23:51 how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, 23:54 and the wizards, out of the land: 23:57 wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, 24:01 to cause me to die?" 24:05 Saul knew it was wrong. 24:07 So he disguised himself 24:08 so that people would not know it is him. 24:10 And he knew he was doing something 24:12 that he even said not to be done. 24:15 And so he goes to this woman 24:19 to try to get an answer. 24:22 Now, let us go to verse 10. 24:25 1 Samuel 28:10-12. 24:28 We will read now. 24:29 "And Saul sware to her by the Lord, 24:32 saying, As the Lord liveth, 24:35 there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 24:39 He declared by the Lord. 24:41 Then said the woman, 24:42 Whom shall I bring up unto thee? 24:44 And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 24:47 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, 24:50 and the woman spake to Saul, saying, 24:52 Why hast thou deceived me? 24:56 for thou art Saul." 24:59 The woman discovered who the man in disguise was. 25:03 And she was afraid for her life. 25:05 But Saul had made an oath, 25:10 swearing in the name of the Lord. 25:12 So this is a wicked thing to do 25:15 even from the standpoint of he knew 25:18 he was not supposed to be consulting, 25:21 this woman was trying to contact the dead 25:24 which know not anything, 25:26 it was a communication with the devil 25:29 that he was really seeking for. 25:33 And so the woman was in great danger. 25:36 Imagine people how wicked it is 25:39 that when they want to make you believe something, 25:42 they swear in the name of the Lord of things 25:44 and that adds on to their guilt and the danger that they are. 25:53 And so let us now go to the next verses 25:58 that lead us in this study. 26:04 We will now move to verse 13. 26:06 1 Samuel 28:13 and 14. 26:11 "And the king said unto her, 26:13 Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? 26:16 And the woman said unto Saul, 26:18 I saw gods ascending out of the earth. 26:23 And he said unto her, What form is he of? 26:26 And she said, An old man cometh up, 26:29 and he is covered with a mantle. 26:31 And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, 26:34 and he stooped with his face to the ground, 26:37 and bowed himself." 26:40 Notice the different things that took place. 26:42 It says that Paul, Saul, perceived that it was Samuel. 26:48 That was his conclusion. 26:51 The woman simply said I saw an old man with a mantle. 26:54 And he is, "Oh, he must be Samuel," 26:56 he thought. 26:58 And then, of course, 27:01 Satan takes advantage of these things, 27:03 he tries to use familiar things 27:06 that the people that you're trying to call 27:07 from the dead to mislead you on the wrong path. 27:09 Remember that Samuel is mentioned 27:14 in the list of heroes in Hebrews 11. 27:18 So where should according to the popular belief 27:22 that when the righteous die, where is Samuel supposed to be? 27:25 In heaven. 27:26 According to the popular belief which the Bible does not say 27:29 that when you die, you go to heaven. 27:31 The Bible simply says, "You're asleep, 27:33 you're in the grave waiting for the resurrection." 27:36 So if that idea is true, 27:38 why is this man that supposedly 27:42 is coming from the dead ascending from the ground? 27:46 Ascending up, 27:48 instead of coming down from heaven. 27:50 So right away 27:52 even though people use this passage 27:54 to say that you can talk to the dead 27:57 or that they're still alive somehow. 28:03 It right away does away with what they're thinking is 28:06 because Samuel is said to be ascending from the earth. 28:12 And now one of the things I would like to point out 28:14 about this story is, what does Saul do 28:19 when he thinks it's Samuel? 28:21 It says, he bows himself 28:23 to the ground thinking he's Samuel. 28:27 But who is it? 28:29 Remember Satan masquerades 28:32 as an angel of light to deceive. 28:36 So Satan is taking advantage of the opportunity, 28:38 when he's really bowing down he's bowing down to the devil. 28:43 And that is horrendous. 28:46 But Saul thinks he's talking to Samuel. 28:48 And the story continues, 28:50 let's go into verse 15 and 16 28:53 to see what takes place. 28:56 "And Samuel said to Saul, Why has thou disquieted me, 29:02 to bring me up? 29:04 And Saul answered, I am sore distressed, 29:07 for the Philistines make war against me, 29:10 and God is departed from me, and answered me no more, 29:14 neither by prophets, nor by dreams: 29:16 therefore I have called thee, 29:18 that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 29:23 Then said Samuel, 29:24 Wherefore then does thou ask of me, 29:27 seeing the Lord is departed from thee, 29:29 and is become thine enemy?" 29:32 Wow. 29:34 This is something amazing that has taken place here. 29:36 This demon and that's what it is 29:40 talking to Saul is letting him know 29:44 that what he has done, 29:48 what Saul has done 29:50 caused the Lord to depart from him. 29:53 For this reason, 29:54 I would like to point out 29:55 that when we seek the Lord, 29:58 and we are living according to His ways, 30:02 we can trust that the Lord hears our prayer. 30:04 We should wait and trust in the Lord 30:07 to answer our prayer according to His will. 30:10 But when people seek the Lord, when they are practicing evil, 30:14 they should not expect that the Lord will answer. 30:17 Let's go to Psalm 66 for a moment 30:20 and see what the Bible says 30:23 concerning those that are living a wicked life 30:28 and expecting the Lord to bless them 30:33 even though they are living in wickedness. 30:36 In Psalm 66:18. 30:41 Pages are stuck together. 30:44 Psalm 66:18, the Bible says, 30:47 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, 30:51 the Lord will not hear me." 30:55 If I regard iniquity in my heart, 30:58 the Lord will not hear me. 30:59 So Paul is practicing evil. 31:02 Did I say Paul? 31:03 I mean Saul was practicing evil. 31:06 But now he's expecting the Lord to answer him, 31:09 when he's not giving up his evil ways. 31:12 Compare for a moment Saul to David, 31:15 when it was revealed to David 31:18 that he had committed a great evil. 31:20 What did David do? 31:22 In Psalm 51, 31:23 you have a psalm of repentance, 31:26 where David is saying, my iniquities before you, 31:32 cleanse me, forgive me, 31:34 don't take your Holy Spirit from me. 31:36 And he's asking the Lord to purge him 31:38 and cleanse him from his evil, 31:41 the evil thing that he has done. 31:43 He repented. 31:44 Saul was not doing any such thing. 31:46 There is no record of him after Samuel says to him, 31:49 "You're doing wrong, you shouldn't be doing this," 31:51 that he repents, he continues to do evil. 31:54 And therefore the Lord departed from him. 31:56 There is another scripture 31:58 that I would like to point out to you. 31:59 Let's go quickly to Acts 5:32. 32:03 Acts 5:32. 32:08 This is another scripture that reveals to us 32:10 what happened to Saul and what could happen to anyone 32:16 that does not walk according to God's ways, 32:18 that person is in danger. 32:20 In Acts 5:32, the Bible says, 32:24 "And we are his witnesses of these things, 32:27 and so also is the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, 32:30 whom God hath given to them that obey him." 32:34 Who does God give the Holy Spirit to? 32:37 To those that obey Him. 32:40 Saul was not obeying the Lord, 32:42 therefore he could not receive the Holy Spirit, 32:45 and that's why 32:48 he was not receiving the answers 32:50 he was looking for. 32:51 Instead of repenting, and going to the Lord, 32:54 and asking the Lord for forgiveness, 32:56 he continued in his rebellion, 32:58 and went to seek for a woman 33:03 to try to talk to the dead. 33:05 And so let's go back to our scripture, 33:09 back in Samuel. 33:11 1 Samuel 28. 33:13 1 Samuel 28 33:16 and go to now verses 17-19. 33:19 1 Samuel 28:17-19. 33:23 All right, here we go. 33:25 "And the Lord hath done to him," 33:28 the voice continues to talk to Saul, 33:31 "and the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: 33:34 for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, 33:39 and given it thy neighbor, even to David: 33:45 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, 33:50 nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, 33:53 therefore hath Lord done this thing 33:55 unto thee this day. 33:57 Moreover the Lord 33:59 will also deliver Israel with thee 34:00 into the hands of the Philistines: 34:03 and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: 34:07 the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel 34:09 into the hand of the Philistines." 34:13 So what do we have? 34:14 Even the devil knew 34:17 why the Lord was not answering Saul. 34:18 So he tells him because you did not obey his voice, 34:21 and because you did not do as the Lord told you 34:23 with the people of Amalek, and that's why 34:26 you're not receiving these answers 34:28 that you're seeking for from the Lord. 34:30 And because of this, because of his disobedience, 34:33 because of him rejecting the Lord, and not repenting, 34:36 the kingdom was given to David. 34:40 So when we see in the story that the Bible 34:44 talks about Samuel saying this, and Samuel saying that, 34:46 remember that the devil can transform himself 34:50 into an angel of light. 34:51 Saul is hearing 34:54 what the demon is saying to him 34:57 and of course he becomes afraid. 35:00 Now, notice that verse 19 says, 35:05 "Tomorrow shall thou 35:06 and thy sons be with me." 35:11 Interesting development where the Samuel, 35:16 the voice tells Samuel, Saul, 35:20 that him and his son were going to be with him. 35:24 Now, if the popular belief is correct, 35:28 which is not that when the righteous die, 35:30 they go to heaven. 35:33 Saul that was wicked and his sons that were wicked 35:36 were not supposed to be with Samuel 35:38 according to the popular belief, 35:39 they're supposed to go where? 35:41 To hell. 35:43 So what is this voice telling Samuel or Saul? 35:47 You're going to be together. 35:49 So these very passages, 35:52 story that people used to try to justify that the righteous, 35:58 you can still communicate with them 36:00 does not really help the case 36:03 because in this story they're saying 36:06 you and your sons are going to be with me tomorrow. 36:09 So I say to you once again 36:11 that there is a resurrection of the righteous 36:14 and a resurrection of the wicked. 36:16 What is happening 36:17 until the resurrection of the righteous 36:19 and the resurrection of the wicked? 36:20 They are all in the grave, 36:23 sleeping as Jesus said about Lazarus, 36:26 they're sleeping until the resurrection. 36:29 So therefore, we cannot use this story 36:32 to justify the idea that when you die, 36:37 you go to heaven if you're righteous, 36:38 or when you're wicked you go to hell, 36:40 when you're evil. 36:41 So in some ways we are saying that we have good news 36:44 for those mothers and fathers that saw their children 36:48 that were wicked, 36:50 die a death in their wickedness, 36:52 and they may be tormented by the idea, 36:55 they're in hell burning right now. 36:57 They're not in hell burning right now, they're sleeping, 37:00 waiting to be judged, waiting for the resurrection. 37:04 And if they were wicked, 37:05 unfortunately the time will come, 37:07 when it will be revealed their punishment. 37:11 And the Bible says, Romans 6:23, 37:14 "For the wages of sin is death, 37:18 it is not burning forever and ever. 37:19 The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death. 37:22 We'll talk about that more in another program. 37:25 So I would like to point to you 37:26 once again Ecclesiastes Chapter 9. 37:30 Ecclesiastes Chapter 9, 37:32 there may be somebody 37:33 that has just joined us in the program, 37:34 didn't catch the beginning, 37:36 and we want to point out 37:37 that Saul was not talking to Samuel. 37:41 Ecclesiastics 9:5 and 6 again, 37:45 "For the living know that they shall die: 37:48 but the dead know not anything, 37:50 neither have they any more a reward, 37:53 for the memory of them is forgotten. 37:54 And their love, and their hatred, 37:56 and their envy, is now perished, 37:57 neither have they any more a portion 37:59 for ever in anything that is done under the sun." 38:04 So who was Saul talking to? 38:07 He was not talking to Samuel. 38:09 He was talking to the devil. 38:12 I would like to point to you once again as I mentioned, 38:14 Hebrews 11:32. 38:17 Hebrews 11:32. 38:20 We mentioned that, in Hebrews 11, 38:22 you find a list of Bible heroes. 38:26 And people that exhibited faith and trust in the Lord. 38:30 And I would like to mention that Samuel, 38:32 I mean Samuel, confusing those two names. 38:36 Samuel is mentioned among those that have faith in the Lord. 38:40 Hebrews 11:32, 38:42 "And what more, and what shall I more say? 38:45 for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, 38:49 and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae, 38:53 and of David, and Samuel, 38:56 and of the prophets." 39:00 So we have once again 39:02 Samuel, the prophet, a righteous man, a holy man, 39:08 when it is all said and done, 39:10 it's not going to be in the same place as Saul. 39:14 Unfortunately, Saul lived the wicked life, 39:16 and he will have his portion with the wicked. 39:19 Samuel will have his portion with the righteous. 39:22 Until then, 39:23 the wicked and the righteous are waiting 39:26 for the resurrection in the judgment. 39:27 The Bible clearly says, 39:29 "It has appointed for men once to die 39:32 and then the judgment." 39:34 It doesn't say, "Is appointed for men to die, 39:36 and then go to heaven or to hell, and then..." 39:38 No, is appointed for man once to die, 39:40 and then the judgment, 39:41 and then you will receive the reward. 39:45 And remember that Satan can transform himself 39:49 into an angel of light. 39:50 Therefore, stay away from anything 39:53 that has to do with talking to the dead. 39:56 Now another scripture that people appeal to 40:01 is the rich man and Lazarus. 40:03 The rich man and Lazarus is a very interesting parable. 40:07 And it is a parable. 40:09 And the rich man and Lazarus perhaps has some details 40:12 that confuses people into thinking, 40:14 "Oh, look this good man went to heaven. 40:16 And look this wicked man went to hell. 40:20 Aha, there it is." 40:22 But unfortunately, 40:26 you would have to look at this passage 40:28 and compared to the multitude of other passages 40:31 that talk about 40:32 that when you die, you're sleeping. 40:35 Remember I said over 50 times the Bible says 40:38 that when you're dead, you're sleeping. 40:40 And even the very words of Jesus 40:42 that we're going to look in the moment 40:44 he says, is the resurrection is at the last day. 40:48 So therefore, when we look at the parable 40:50 of the rich man and Lazarus, 40:52 we have to keep some things in mind. 40:53 First of all, you cannot develop a doctrine 40:58 or support a doctrine with the details of a parable. 41:02 It is not done a parable, the intention of a parable 41:06 is to bring out a moral teaching, 41:11 not a doctrine, a moral teaching. 41:14 And so let's look at the parable 41:16 and compare it to what the Bible says. 41:21 First of all, remember that this parable, 41:27 in this parable, 41:30 it's like the fifth, there is about six parables, 41:34 or the fifth parables that are, 41:35 have been told in a series of parables in John 11. 41:40 Before we go to the rich man and Lazarus, 41:43 I would like to 41:48 point out the words of Jesus in John Chapter 6. 41:51 Before we go to John, 41:53 let's go to John Chapter 6 first, 41:55 to have that as a basis for what happens when you die. 42:00 John Chapter 6, we mentioned this 42:01 in the previous program 42:03 that we talked about the state of the dead. 42:05 If you are ready, we're going to read John 6:39 42:10 and 40, first. 42:13 "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, 42:16 that of all which he hath given me, 42:18 I should lose nothing," 42:20 for He's the Lord, 42:21 "but should raise it up again at the last day." 42:25 When? "At the last day." Notice the next verse. 42:28 "And this is the will of him that sent me, 42:30 that everyone which seeth the Son, 42:33 and believeth on him, 42:34 may have everlasting life: 42:36 and I will raise him up at the last day." 42:40 So once again two times 42:42 Jesus tells us in John Chapter 6 42:44 that he's going to raise the righteous up 42:46 at the last day. 42:48 But not only two times, it's actually four times. 42:50 So let's go to verse 44, John 6:44. 42:55 "No man can come to me, 42:57 except the Father which hath sent me draw him: 43:01 and I will raise him up at the last day." 43:05 Amen. Who's going to raise him up? 43:08 Jesus Christ. 43:09 Praise the Lord. 43:12 So that's the third time Jesus tells us in one chapter. 43:14 Let's go to verse 54. 43:16 John 6:54, Jesus says, 43:19 "Who so eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, 43:23 hath eternal life, 43:26 and I will raise him up at the last day." 43:30 Praise the Lord. 43:31 So when we as using this as a basis 43:34 there are many other scriptures that we can turn to. 43:37 But using this as a basis, you must understand 43:39 that when you read the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, 43:42 it cannot be that Lazarus went to heaven 43:45 because when is that supposed to happen? 43:47 At the last day. 43:49 So what is this parable trying to teach us? 43:51 Usually you find the teaching at the end of the parable. 43:54 So let's look at the parable in a moment, 43:58 I would like to point out one more parable 44:00 before we go there. 44:01 And this is a very interesting parable. 44:03 Again, the reason we're looking into this, 44:05 we're going to look at this quickly in Judges Chapter 9. 44:09 Judges Chapter 9, I'm trying to point out 44:11 that you cannot use the details of a parable 44:13 to form a doctrine. 44:15 Otherwise you will have to accept 44:19 by the words of the parable 44:21 that we're about to read, that trees can talk. 44:25 Now I know there are people that try to talk to trees, 44:27 but they're not talking to trees, 44:29 the trees are not answering back. 44:30 But in Judges Chapter 9, 44:32 you find an interesting parable, 44:35 a story, a parable that is told. 44:38 Judges Chapter 9, 44:39 we're going to go through verses 7-11. 44:42 Judges 9:7-11. 44:44 Are you ready? 44:46 Let's do it. 44:47 "And when they told it to Jotham, 44:49 he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim or Gerizim, 44:53 and I lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, 44:57 Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, 45:01 that God may hearken unto you. 45:03 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, 45:09 and they said unto the olive tree, 45:11 Reign thou over us. 45:14 But the olive tree said unto them, 45:16 Should I leave my fatness, 45:18 wherewith by me they honor God and man, 45:21 and go to be promoted over the trees?" 45:24 So the olive tree didn't want to be king. 45:26 So let's go to verse 10. 45:27 "And the trees said to the fig tree, 45:30 Come thou and reign over us. 45:33 But the fig tree said unto them, 45:35 Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, 45:38 and go to be promoted over the trees." 45:42 We will stop there, but there are more talking 45:46 the trees do, 45:47 and the parable eventually ends in Judges Chapter 9. 45:50 I encourage you to read it. 45:51 So you see here there are trees talking. 45:53 Can trees talk? 45:54 No, they cannot. 45:56 But it is a story, 45:57 a parable to bring out a teaching. 45:59 So when we look at the rich man and Lazarus, 46:01 you have to understand that the details of a parable 46:03 you cannot use to form a doctrine. 46:05 Otherwise we would have to have as a doctrine 46:07 that trees can talk and select kings over them. 46:11 So, let's go to Luke Chapter 16, 46:17 where we find the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 46:22 Luke Chapter 16, 46:25 we are going to first read verses 19-21. 46:27 Ready? 46:30 "There was a certain rich man, 46:32 which was clothed in purple and fine linen, 46:35 and fared sumptuously every day: 46:38 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 46:41 which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 46:44 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs 46:47 which fell from the rich man's table: 46:49 moreover the dogs came and licked his sores." 46:53 I love the Bible how it is in short words 46:55 describes this horrendous scene. 46:58 And apparently, as you see the rich man 47:00 every day dress really good, and feasted, 47:03 and there is this poor man, 47:05 just hoping for crumbs, and he would not feed him. 47:10 And was very sick apparently because he had sores. 47:16 So we have here a powerful thing 47:21 that we see how the rich man lived 47:24 and how the poor man lived. 47:27 Let's go to verses 22 and 23. 47:32 "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, 47:35 and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: 47:39 the rich man also died, and was buried, 47:41 And he and in hell it says he lifted up his eyes, 47:44 being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off, 47:48 and Lazarus in his bosom. 47:52 So we'll stop right there for now. 47:54 And so we look at what we just read. 47:57 It says that the angels carried the poor man, 48:01 the beggar apparently to heaven, 48:05 and it says to Abraham's bosom. 48:09 And so if we take the details of this, 48:12 it seems to imply that when you die, 48:15 the righteous die, they go, 48:18 they are carried by angels. 48:20 And apparently, they go to Abraham's bosom. 48:24 And many righteous good people die. 48:26 It will get crowded pretty soon, 48:29 the idea of all these righteous people 48:32 that just died today, they all go 48:33 and they are over there in Abraham's bosom. 48:36 It just does not fit to believe that the details of a parable 48:41 you can form a doctrine by them. 48:44 Let's go now to verses 24. 48:46 Luke 16:24. 48:50 And the rich man is talking. 48:53 "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, 48:56 have mercy on me, 48:58 and send Lazarus, 49:00 that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, 49:03 and cool my tongue 49:05 for I am tormented in this flame." 49:12 So this scripture as you see here in Luke Chapter 16, 49:17 it says who died first according to what we read. 49:22 Who? 49:24 The beggar died first. 49:27 And then who dies? 49:29 The rich man. 49:30 Question: How does the rich man that is supposed to be in hell 49:34 know that the beggar is in heaven? 49:38 How? 49:39 How does he know that the beggar is in heaven? 49:42 It apparently paints a picture as if he can see there, 49:46 "Hey, I see Lazarus over there. 49:48 That guy that was outside of my gates 49:50 and he's over there. 49:52 I know him." 49:53 And so he cries asking for mercy 49:57 and then Lazarus may dip the tip of his finger in water 50:03 and cool his tongue because he's tormented. 50:06 Wouldn't that be further torment to ask somebody, 50:09 "I'm tormented in these flames? 50:11 Dip your finger in water in one little drop." 50:14 How much can you really get on a finger, 50:16 it's just maybe one or two drops. 50:18 So really this brief relief that he was seeking for 50:23 would be by torment still. 50:26 And so perhaps you may say, well, 50:29 perhaps he's trying to help us understand 50:31 how hot it is and how horrible it is 50:34 that even the blessing of a drop of water 50:37 would be something helpful. 50:39 Unfortunately, 50:42 notice that the rich man is asking for mercy. 50:49 This paints a horrible picture. 50:53 And really, apparently it shows a picture 50:58 that there's a discussion going on, 51:00 a conversation from hell to heaven, 51:03 that's taking place, are they really, 51:06 would they really be that close, 51:07 would there be communication back and forth, 51:10 are you able to see? 51:11 Oh look, there are some righteous people over there, 51:14 look how they're enjoying themselves. 51:16 And the righteous can look over there and say, 51:18 "Look at all those wicked people, 51:20 how they're suffering. 51:21 I'm glad I'm over here." 51:23 Would you as a father, as a mother, 51:27 or a brother, or sister 51:29 enjoy heaven when you could go 51:31 and see the wicked tormented in flames, 51:34 burning forever and ever? 51:36 How can you really enjoy heaven? 51:39 You can't. 51:40 So there's really no such thing. 51:41 And this is a parable 51:43 trying to bring out a moral teaching 51:46 at the end, not a doctrine. 51:48 Therefore, we have to put these details aside 51:51 and see what is Jesus trying to tell us. 51:54 What is Jesus trying to tell us? 51:57 And so we understand as I said before Romans 6:23, 52:03 "The wages of sin is death, 52:05 but the gift of God is eternal life." 52:08 So eventually the wicked will die 52:11 those that will eventually go to hell. 52:15 And right now we have the good news 52:16 that nobody is burning in hell right now. 52:18 Praise the Lord. 52:20 So let us now move on to verse 25 and 26 52:25 and before you read them according to the idea 52:29 that you go to heaven if you're righteous, 52:32 the idea that is mentioned, 52:34 that is taught is that 52:36 it's your soul that goes to heaven, 52:37 or your spirit that goes to heaven, 52:39 the body remains in the ground. 52:41 And if that is soul, 52:42 why does the soul or the spirit that goes to heaven 52:46 have eyes, and tongues, and fingers, there are... 52:50 See the details of a parable 52:51 cannot be used to form a doctrine. 52:54 And so remember that on the last study 52:56 we said that God breathed 52:59 into man's nostrils the breath of life 53:03 and man became a living soul. 53:05 You are a soul. 53:08 You don't have a soul, you are a soul. 53:10 And so what goes back to God 53:14 is the breath of life that was put in man. 53:16 We're going to look at that on another study coming up. 53:22 So let's go to Luke 16:25 and 26. 53:26 I will have to drink 53:27 a little bit of water over here. 53:33 Luke 16:25. 53:38 Where are we? 53:40 Verse 25. Okay. 53:42 Thank you very much. 53:44 So verse 25 and 26. 53:46 "But Abraham said, Son, 53:48 remember that thou in thy lifetime 53:50 receivedst thy good things, 53:52 and likewise Lazarus evil things: 53:54 but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 53:58 And beside all this, between us and you 54:01 there is a great gulf fixed: 54:03 so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, 54:09 neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." 54:15 Wow. 54:17 Do you understand? 54:18 Can you see this, 54:19 is even further torment for the righteous, 54:22 it will be torment to say, "Look, there is your mother, 54:25 there is your father burning in hell. 54:27 But you can't go there." 54:30 It does not fit. 54:32 It is not helpful to believe in this idea. 54:39 There is a great gulf 54:41 fixed according to what we see here. 54:43 So they cannot pass one to another. 54:44 So what he was requesting could not happen 54:48 according to the parable. 54:49 Now let us see what Jesus is trying to teach us. 54:52 We go to the last verses, Luke 16:27-29. 54:56 Let's move quickly over there. 55:00 Oh, boy, let's see, hopefully we have enough time here. 55:03 "Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, 55:06 that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 55:09 For I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, 55:12 lest they also come into this place of torment. 55:15 Abraham saith unto him, 55:16 They have Moses and the prophets, 55:19 let them hear them." 55:22 So there you have it. 55:24 Right now you are beginning to see the teachings, 55:26 the moral thing that Jesus is trying to teach them, 55:32 they have what? 55:33 Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. 55:36 In other words, they have enough information 55:38 in the scriptures, 55:40 let them hear them. 55:42 Notice how this ends. 55:44 Luke 16:30 and onward. 55:47 Let us read quickly. 55:50 "And he said, Nay, father Abraham: 55:52 but if one went unto them from the dead, 55:55 they will repent. 55:57 And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses 56:02 and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, 56:05 though one rose from the dead." 56:10 What do we have here? 56:11 This is the teaching that Jesus was trying to tell them. 56:14 They did not believe in Jesus. 56:17 They kept asking Jesus for a sign. 56:19 Show us a sign if You are the Messiah. 56:21 What can You do? 56:22 Do some great miracle so that we can believe in You. 56:25 And Jesus is trying to tell them, 56:27 you have Moses and the prophets 56:28 that should be enough for you to believe. 56:31 And Jesus said, "Believe Me for the very works' sake." 56:34 He would tell the leadership this, 56:36 and they kept rejecting Jesus. 56:39 So what is Jesus trying to tell us? 56:41 This is not the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. 56:44 He's not trying to tell us what happens when you die. 56:47 He's trying to let us know 56:49 that the scriptures tell us enough information 56:55 so that we know. 56:57 And we have enough information to make our decision 56:59 for eternal life or eternal death. 57:04 And very soon afterwards, 57:07 Jesus was going to do a great miracle 57:10 and resurrect the real Lazarus, His friend. 57:14 And even though He did this great miracle 57:17 of resurrecting the real Lazarus, 57:20 did the people believe? 57:21 They did not believe? 57:23 They were making plans to kill Lazarus again. 57:28 And wouldn't it be torment 57:33 to raise Lazarus from the dead 57:35 if he was really in heaven. 57:38 It will be torment for us, "Oh, I have to go back, 57:40 I'm enjoying heaven now." 57:42 So, friends, understand that 57:44 when you die, 57:46 you are sleeping, awaiting the resurrection. 57:49 And if you believe in Jesus, you can trust what he said, 57:52 that if you believe in Him you will not perish, 57:54 but have everlasting life. 57:56 And that begins right now and forever when Jesus comes. |
Revised 2018-12-17