- Today we're gonna be
asking a really curious question
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is there a sense in
which old medieval thinking
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still plagues the
world of religion today?
00:00:06.84\00:00:09.44
And is there a chance that
you and I have fallen victim
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to a way of
thinking that has more to do
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with secret occult societies,
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than it does with
the words of the Bible.
00:00:16.95\00:00:19.41
Today on "Authentic",
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we're gonna talk
about magical thinking.
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[upbeat music]
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One of the more
interesting characters
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to emerge from European history
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is a guy by the
name of Abraham Abulafia,
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somebody who practiced
what you and I might call
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the dark arts back
in 13th century, Spain.
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Some people might refer
to this guy as a philosopher
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but what he practiced
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was something outside the
usual realm of philosophy.
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It was more of a magical art,
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the kind of thing a
wizard might practice.
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But I wanna be careful
that we don't apply some kind
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of shallow stereotype and think
of them as a devil worshiper
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because, well in medieval
Europe, the practice of magic
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was, it was more
sophisticated than that.
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It's easy from our
21st century vantage point
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to think of people from the
past as superstitious or simple.
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But if we had a time machine,
I think we might be surprised
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at the level of
sophistication we would find
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if we could go back and
pay these people a visit.
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These were not
superstitious dummies.
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A lot of them had
collected what some might refer
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to as the wisdom of the ages.
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This system of pagan learning
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that dates back as far
as recorded history goes.
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These were some really
bright and creative people
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and the stuff they taught
is still in circulation today,
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even though a lot
of people don't know
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where these ideas
come from anymore.
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So, let me see if I can
describe Mr. Abulafia's work
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in just a couple of minutes.
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He was what we
might call a Kabbalist
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which is a form
of Jewish mysticism
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that largely
allegorizes the Old Testament
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and uses the Old Testament
to describe esoteric concepts
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that really belong to
other ancient cultures.
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It was a way of blending
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some rather
different schools of thought.
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And the Kabbalists
who came before Abulafia
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took the Bible statement
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that God created the world
by speaking it into existence,
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and they developed it
into some very creative ideas
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that on the surface
look very interesting
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but represent a departure
from the intention of the people
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who actually wrote this book.
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The idea goes
something like this.
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There are 22 letters
in the Hebrew alphabet,
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and each of them has been
assigned a numerical value
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sort of like the Roman you
studied when you were a kid
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except that this
goes a whole lot deeper.
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Kabbalists would
carefully analyze words
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and combinations of words,
define their numerical values,
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and then they attached mystical
importance to those words
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based on the
mathematical totals.
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So when they
talked about creation,
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they said that God had combined
these letters into patterns
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and using those patterns,
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He spoke the
physical universe into being.
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Now what Abraham
Abulafia did with that,
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was to suggest that by
using those same letters
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and speaking them out loud,
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you could participate
in God's creative process.
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And this was all established
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on top of one,
really, really important idea.
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The idea that mind
existed before matter.
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What do I mean by that?
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Well, you and I
approached the universe
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with a very
materialistic point of view
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where the world is exactly
as it appears to your senses.
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We have this
objective point of view.
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So in our science
classes growing up
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we said the physical
universe existed first,
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it came out of the big bang
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and it's the
product of physical laws.
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But then somehow the
phenomenon of consciousness
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emerged out of that.
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Somehow you and I emerged
out of a completely impersonal
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material, physical universe,
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as the sentient
self-aware beings
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who have the ability
to think about ourselves.
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Now, honestly,
science is at a complete loss
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to explain how
that could happen.
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How do self-aware
thinking creatures
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just emerge by accident?
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I've read, I don't
know how many books now
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written by
psychologists and scientists
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who bend over backwards
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trying to explain how
thinking, self-aware minds
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came out of non-thinking matter.
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And I've got to tell you so far,
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I haven't come across anything
even remotely compelling.
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It all looks like
desperate guesswork.
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So, what the ancient
pagans actually taught
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was the opposite.
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They said mind
came before matter,
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that somebody or something
was self-aware and thinking
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before creation ever took place.
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Now, of course, the
Bible would agree with that
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because it opens with
that famous statement,
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"In the beginning was God."
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And it teaches
that He was in existence
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before the universe was made.
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To the pagans, God wasn't a
personal, single being however,
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He was more of a cosmic mind
that filled the whole universe.
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And in the
beginning the pagan said,
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the universe was non-material
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and mostly just this
cloud of cosmic thoughts.
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Then eventually, it congealed
into the physical universe
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we exist in right now.
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And that the pagans taught
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was a very
unfortunate development.
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We were never they said,
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supposed to be
trapped in physical bodies.
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So, this is the reason a lot
of ancient Greek philosophers
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actually bemoaned
their physical existence.
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They thought that
a perfect existence
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would be
spiritual and non-material.
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This is why great
philosophers like Socrates
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actually looked forward to death
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because Socrates
thought he'd be liberated
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from this
imperfect physical existence
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and ascend to
something far more satisfying
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out there in the
cloud of the spirit world.
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What he would do in other words,
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is go and rejoin
the great cosmic mind.
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Now, you've probably noticed
that's a really common thread
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in a lot of the
world's religions.
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It's a way of thinking
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about the universe
that is pretty widespread.
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And again, it's all based
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on the idea that mind
existed before matter did.
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Now, the Bible kind of says
the same thing up to a point
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but then it
diverges in one important way
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in the creation account in here,
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God creates a very
physical world and He says,
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"This is very good."
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Now to the ancient
pagans, this is not very good.
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A physical existence
was never the best design
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but in the Bible,
that's how God planned it.
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So let's go back
now to Abraham Abulafia
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because he also departed
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from the biblical
description of the universe.
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What he said, is that
if mind comes before matter
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and God spoke the
universe into existence
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then you and I should
be able to use our minds
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to control the
physical creation.
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And this is where you get
the concept of magic spells.
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It's an attempt to
manipulate the universe
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with the human mind.
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Now, of course,
Abraham Abulafia,
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didn't come up with
the idea of magical spells
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because those had been
around for a very long time,
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but he did refine the concept
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and he really focused on
how you and I should pronounce
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what he would call
the secret name of God.
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He believed that if
you dressed in white robes
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and went to a quiet place,
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and meditated on
the secret name of God,
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you could ascend to
higher forms of consciousness.
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You could escape
your physical body
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even just for a few minutes.
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And you could
achieve secret powers
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that would only be available
to an elite group of initiates,
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people who knew
about his secret.
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He also taught that wise
King Solomon actually knew
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the secret name of
God, something we call the
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Tetragrammaton
because it has four letters.
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And the story goes
that you could only speak
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that name out loud
one day of the year,
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and only if you
were the high priest
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who went into the most holy
place on the day of atonement.
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This spoken name of God
was so powerful, Abulafia said,
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that just the act
of speaking it out loud
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could make angels feel fear.
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So he started working
on special combinations
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of words and letters,
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especially the letters
that make up God's name.
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And he wrote them down in
something called a grimoire,
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which is really just
another word for grammar
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but this is a
special, magical grammar.
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He said that if you
only had the right words,
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and the right rituals
to go with those words
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then you could
start working miracles.
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And maybe, just maybe,
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you could put some of
those words on a magical ring
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and use that as
a source of power.
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So in the 14th century we
suddenly had a lot of books
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that taught people how
to create a thunderstorm
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using your words,
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or walk on water
using your words,
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or make somebody fall in
love with you using your words,
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or maybe even raise the dead
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if you just had the right words.
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And I know today, I'm giving
credit to Abraham Abulafia,
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but he was just one of hundreds
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maybe thousands of people
who had been thinking that way
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over thousands of years.
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Now today, we
kinda treat that thinking
00:10:00.33\00:10:02.16
as a silly fairy tale,
00:10:02.16\00:10:03.43
and we've made
it into a caricature
00:10:03.43\00:10:05.80
with fairy godmother,
singing Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
00:10:05.80\00:10:08.77
and Disney version
of the Cinderella story.
00:10:08.77\00:10:11.47
Now, before anybody freaks out
00:10:11.47\00:10:13.38
that watching a cartoon
00:10:13.38\00:10:14.84
is somehow able to make you
demon possessed, relax it's not.
00:10:14.84\00:10:17.55
Somebody made
that word up in 1948.
00:10:17.55\00:10:20.68
And from a biblical perspective,
00:10:20.68\00:10:22.25
the sounds of words just
don't have any power over you,
00:10:22.25\00:10:25.95
but you might be
surprised to find out,
00:10:27.06\00:10:30.06
that the thought
process that captivated Abulafia
00:10:30.06\00:10:33.19
back in the 13th century
00:10:33.19\00:10:35.20
is still around in a
lot of circles today,
00:10:35.20\00:10:38.10
including some
Christian circles.
00:10:39.27\00:10:41.87
I'll be right back after this
00:10:41.87\00:10:43.41
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:10:45.41\00:10:49.31
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:10:49.31\00:10:54.25
If you've ever
read Daniel a revelation
00:10:54.25\00:10:56.45
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:10:56.45\00:10:59.52
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:10:59.52\00:11:01.86
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:11:01.86\00:11:04.63
and deepen your understanding
00:11:04.63\00:11:06.96
of God's plan for
you and our world.
00:11:06.96\00:11:08.70
Study online, or
request them by mail
00:11:08.70\00:11:11.10
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:11:11.10\00:11:14.04
- I was visiting this
church a few years back
00:11:15.50\00:11:17.37
and this man
quietly approached me
00:11:17.37\00:11:19.37
and asked if I knew
the secret name of God.
00:11:19.37\00:11:23.24
"Well, I've seen
quite a few names
00:11:23.24\00:11:25.11
for God in the Bible," I said.
00:11:25.11\00:11:26.38
But that made
him visibly agitated.
00:11:26.38\00:11:28.22
"No," he said,
"there's only one name for God
00:11:28.22\00:11:30.75
"and if you're saved, you
would know how to pronounce it."
00:11:30.75\00:11:34.02
Now, here's the problem
with that kind of thinking.
00:11:34.02\00:11:37.16
We find a number of names for
God in the pages of this book
00:11:37.16\00:11:40.00
including Adonai, Yahweh,
El-Roy, the God who sees,
00:11:40.00\00:11:44.97
Elohim, and a whole bunch more.
00:11:45.73\00:11:47.24
Now, usually
when someone insists
00:11:47.24\00:11:48.87
there's only one name for God
00:11:48.87\00:11:50.37
they're referring
to the name Yahweh
00:11:50.37\00:11:52.34
or the Tetragrammaton
because it has four letters.
00:11:52.34\00:11:56.08
Our English
transliteration has six letters,
00:11:56.08\00:11:58.31
but that's because the
Hebrew language had no vowels
00:11:58.31\00:12:01.08
and we added them to
help us pronounce it.
00:12:01.08\00:12:03.79
The original name is
just four letters though
00:12:03.79\00:12:06.09
and in English we would
call those letters Y-H-W-H.
00:12:06.09\00:12:09.96
So you'll notice in
the early translations
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.89
of the Bible into English,
there's a name for God Jehovah.
00:12:11.89\00:12:16.23
That's an attempt to
translate why Y-H-W-H
00:12:16.23\00:12:19.43
and it's certainly not how
it was originally pronounced.
00:12:19.43\00:12:22.07
At least I'm
pretty sure it wasn't.
00:12:22.07\00:12:24.37
The problem we have
00:12:24.37\00:12:26.04
is that we don't know
how it was pronounced.
00:12:26.04\00:12:27.71
So even Yahweh or
Yah in abbreviation
00:12:27.71\00:12:30.95
those are just reasonable
facsimiles, educated guesswork.
00:12:30.95\00:12:35.08
So from time to
time, you will meet people
00:12:36.25\00:12:38.29
who insist that you've
got to know God's secret name
00:12:38.29\00:12:40.59
if you're gonna get into heaven,
00:12:40.59\00:12:42.56
but honestly they don't
know how to pronounce it.
00:12:42.56\00:12:45.89
Somebody has been
feeding these people a story.
00:12:45.89\00:12:49.20
So maybe one of these days
00:12:49.20\00:12:50.77
we should just do a
whole show on the names of God,
00:12:50.77\00:12:52.23
because that is a
fascinating study.
00:12:52.23\00:12:54.27
But for right
now, I wanna steer you
00:12:54.27\00:12:56.04
to just one
really important passage
00:12:56.04\00:12:58.17
over in Exodus, chapter 33
00:12:58.17\00:13:00.81
where Moses asks God,
if he can see God's glory.
00:13:00.81\00:13:03.98
And I know I've probably
read this text a hundred times
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.51
on this show
before I'll read it again
00:13:06.51\00:13:08.18
it's just that foundational.
00:13:08.18\00:13:10.29
Exodus 33, "Then He God said,
00:13:10.29\00:13:14.16
'I will make all my
goodness pass before you,
00:13:14.16\00:13:16.76
and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord before you.
00:13:16.76\00:13:20.53
I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious,
00:13:20.53\00:13:23.00
and I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion.'"
00:13:23.00\00:13:27.40
So here's what I
want you to notice,
00:13:28.54\00:13:30.21
when God declares
His name to Moses,
00:13:30.21\00:13:32.54
He doesn't give him
a secret pronunciation.
00:13:32.54\00:13:34.98
What He does is
describe His own character.
00:13:34.98\00:13:38.11
And this
continues in chapter 34.
00:13:38.11\00:13:40.28
Listen to this.
00:13:40.28\00:13:41.75
"Now the Lord
descended in the cloud
00:13:41.75\00:13:44.09
and stood with him there,
00:13:44.09\00:13:45.22
and proclaimed..."
00:13:45.22\00:13:46.42
Here it is again,
the name of the Lord.
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.69
"And the Lord passed
before him and proclaimed
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.06
'The Lord, the Lord
God, merciful and gracious,
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.10
long suffering and abounding
in goodness and truth...'"
00:13:54.10\00:13:58.43
Now the name of
God is in that passage
00:13:58.43\00:14:01.10
because when you see the
word Lord in all capitals,
00:14:01.10\00:14:04.17
the translators are telling you
00:14:04.17\00:14:05.47
that the
original Hebrew is Yahweh
00:14:05.47\00:14:07.31
or the Jehovah of old English.
00:14:07.31\00:14:09.84
But still you'll notice
00:14:09.84\00:14:10.88
that when God reveals His name,
00:14:10.88\00:14:12.28
He does it by
revealing His character.
00:14:12.28\00:14:15.58
That's why you have
so many different names
00:14:15.58\00:14:17.39
for God in the Bible,
00:14:17.39\00:14:18.62
because each of
those names is pointing us
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.66
to some aspect of who God is.
00:14:20.66\00:14:23.36
You see in the Bible,
00:14:23.36\00:14:24.86
your name is thought to
represent your character.
00:14:24.86\00:14:27.50
This is why in Revelation 14,
00:14:27.50\00:14:29.90
you see God's name written
on the foreheads of His people.
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.67
It means they are in harmony
with the character of God,
00:14:32.67\00:14:36.37
they love who He is
00:14:36.37\00:14:38.04
and they're aligning
themselves with His will.
00:14:38.04\00:14:41.48
So now let's get
back to this idea
00:14:42.71\00:14:44.28
that there's a
mystical secret way
00:14:44.28\00:14:45.98
to pronounce the name of God
00:14:45.98\00:14:47.52
and the idea that your salvation
might rely on knowing that.
00:14:47.52\00:14:51.25
Here's what I
want you to notice,
00:14:51.25\00:14:53.52
that way of thinking
is very closely related
00:14:53.52\00:14:56.69
to the magical
thinking of medieval mystics.
00:14:56.69\00:14:59.23
And they got that idea
00:14:59.23\00:15:00.56
from the ancient
pagan mystery schools.
00:15:00.56\00:15:03.40
And what it
suggests is that words
00:15:03.40\00:15:06.17
and letters have
power in and of themselves.
00:15:06.17\00:15:09.77
And that comes from the idea
00:15:09.77\00:15:11.04
that you and I
are spiritual beings,
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.68
who are just sparks that
came out of the divine fire
00:15:13.68\00:15:16.48
of the cosmic mind.
00:15:16.48\00:15:18.68
And if God can
create things with his voice
00:15:18.68\00:15:20.62
then you and I
should be able to too.
00:15:20.62\00:15:23.08
Now as appealing
as that might be,
00:15:23.08\00:15:25.05
it runs completely afoul of
what the Bible actually says
00:15:25.05\00:15:28.52
because this book
draws a very definitive line
00:15:28.52\00:15:31.69
between God and His creation.
00:15:31.69\00:15:34.00
It teaches that God is
outside of His creation
00:15:34.00\00:15:37.43
and He's above it.
00:15:37.43\00:15:39.60
You can see evidence
for God and creation,
00:15:39.60\00:15:41.84
the same way you can detect
the work of a master painter
00:15:41.84\00:15:44.61
by identifying his style.
00:15:44.61\00:15:47.08
But God is not
identical with His creation.
00:15:47.08\00:15:49.81
That would be
something we'd call pantheism.
00:15:49.81\00:15:52.48
This idea that God is everything
and everything is God.
00:15:52.48\00:15:55.92
You and I are not God,
00:15:55.92\00:15:57.72
we are part of creation,
part of the physical world
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.76
and we are made
in the image of God
00:16:00.76\00:16:02.66
and we are most
definitely not God.
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.53
So let me assure you,
the Bible does not teach
00:16:05.53\00:16:08.06
that you can control the
physical universe with your mind
00:16:08.06\00:16:10.57
or with your words.
00:16:10.57\00:16:12.03
It does not teach that you
are somehow exactly like God.
00:16:12.03\00:16:16.34
Now we do know that we
can interact with the world
00:16:16.34\00:16:19.07
and we're
learning that the very act
00:16:19.07\00:16:20.98
of observing quantum particles
can change their behavior
00:16:20.98\00:16:23.81
but that would be a
topic for another day.
00:16:23.81\00:16:25.95
And it's not
really the same thing
00:16:25.95\00:16:27.78
as books of magical
world-bending phrases.
00:16:27.78\00:16:31.09
So what does this
have to do with you and me
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.19
living in the 21st century?
00:16:34.19\00:16:36.46
Well, here's what I
want you to think about.
00:16:36.46\00:16:38.56
There are still forms of
magical thinking around today.
00:16:38.56\00:16:41.80
And I want to preface this
by saying that I don't think
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.83
that people who do some of
the things I'm about to describe
00:16:44.83\00:16:47.27
are actually
practicing the dark arts
00:16:47.27\00:16:49.14
because it's another
form of magical thinking
00:16:49.14\00:16:52.24
to assume that just because
old habits are still around
00:16:52.24\00:16:54.68
and some of the things we do
00:16:54.68\00:16:56.81
are similar to
what Abulafia did,
00:16:56.81\00:16:58.41
that means that we can
accidentally conjure up the
00:16:58.41\00:17:01.65
devil. That is not rational.
00:17:01.65\00:17:04.45
But let me give you an example
00:17:04.45\00:17:06.05
of the remnants
of magical thinking.
00:17:06.05\00:17:08.86
Quite a few years ago now,
00:17:08.86\00:17:10.13
a lady approached
me quite visibly upset,
00:17:10.13\00:17:12.26
"Pastor," she said,
00:17:12.26\00:17:13.29
"There's a group in the church
00:17:13.29\00:17:14.73
"that wants to put their chairs
in a circle for Bible study
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.80
"and I don't like it."
00:17:16.80\00:17:18.53
I said, "I guess you
don't have to participate
00:17:18.53\00:17:20.70
"if that makes
you uncomfortable.
00:17:20.70\00:17:23.10
"But a lot of people find
sitting in a circle allows
00:17:23.10\00:17:25.14
"for better discussions."
00:17:25.14\00:17:26.44
"No," she said
"We can't allow it."
00:17:26.44\00:17:28.31
"Why not?" I asked.
00:17:28.31\00:17:29.34
She said,
00:17:29.34\00:17:30.75
"Well, because witches celebrate
the rituals in circles."
00:17:30.75\00:17:34.65
Now I know that
might seem silly to you,
00:17:34.65\00:17:36.92
but what I want you to notice
is how that kind of thinking
00:17:36.92\00:17:39.92
is related to the idea that
human beings can use rituals
00:17:39.92\00:17:43.26
or words to bend the
universe in a certain direction.
00:17:43.26\00:17:46.83
This lady was suggesting
that if you stand in a circle
00:17:46.83\00:17:49.73
you might accidentally
perform a magical ceremony
00:17:49.73\00:17:52.67
that will bind you to
the prince of darkness.
00:17:52.67\00:17:55.40
So you've got to ask yourself,
is that how God operates?
00:17:56.81\00:18:00.61
Can I accidentally
become demon possessed
00:18:00.61\00:18:02.94
because of an accidental ritual?
00:18:02.94\00:18:05.38
Will God really toss me aside
00:18:05.38\00:18:07.02
because I unintentionally
invoked an ancient spell
00:18:07.02\00:18:10.72
and now He's got no choice
but to just get rid of me?
00:18:10.72\00:18:14.12
Or is a relationship
00:18:14.12\00:18:15.49
with God built on
something better than that?
00:18:15.49\00:18:18.06
I've got to take
another quick break.
00:18:18.06\00:18:19.33
But when I come
back, I'm gonna show you
00:18:19.33\00:18:20.86
some more examples of
modern, magical thinking.
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.97
- [Narrator] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.40
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:18:27.40\00:18:29.94
for the whole family.
00:18:29.94\00:18:31.41
Like our audio adventure
series "Discovery Mountain".
00:18:31.41\00:18:34.51
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:18:34.51\00:18:37.08
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:18:37.08\00:18:39.41
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:18:39.41\00:18:42.18
from this small
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00:18:42.18\00:18:45.02
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year,
00:18:45.02\00:18:47.56
and fresh content every week,
00:18:47.56\00:18:49.69
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:18:49.69\00:18:52.89
- Lemme give you another example
00:18:56.50\00:18:57.93
of some modern,
magical thinking.
00:18:57.93\00:18:59.67
This one might
strike a little closer
00:18:59.67\00:19:01.77
to home for some folks.
00:19:01.77\00:19:03.94
And I know there's a chance
00:19:03.94\00:19:05.27
I'm gonna step
on somebody's toes
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.74
because there's more
of this one happening
00:19:06.74\00:19:08.64
than some people realize.
00:19:08.64\00:19:10.48
I want you to analyze a common
Christian phenomenon with me,
00:19:10.48\00:19:14.15
in recent decades
there's been a movement
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.28
among some Christians
that some people make fun of
00:19:16.28\00:19:18.62
by calling it the name
it and claim it movement.
00:19:18.62\00:19:21.59
The idea kinda goes like this.
00:19:21.59\00:19:23.93
If you invoke the name of
Christ and essentially ask
00:19:23.93\00:19:26.46
for whatever you want,
say a big fat bank account
00:19:26.46\00:19:28.80
or a great big house,
00:19:28.80\00:19:30.37
then God has to do it for you
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.10
because you
created it with your words.
00:19:32.10\00:19:35.40
Now, some people call
it the word faith movement
00:19:35.40\00:19:38.14
and I can't help
but notice how closely
00:19:38.14\00:19:40.18
it resembles
this kabbalistic idea
00:19:40.18\00:19:42.61
that words carry spiritual
power in and of themselves.
00:19:42.61\00:19:46.78
In a lot of ways,
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.22
this is almost exactly
like a magical incantation.
00:19:48.22\00:19:50.79
You say the right words
00:19:50.79\00:19:52.15
may be in an altered
state of consciousness,
00:19:52.15\00:19:54.66
and suddenly the universe
bends in your direction.
00:19:54.66\00:19:58.06
It's not much different than
the teachings of "The Secret",
00:19:59.49\00:20:02.06
of popular book that made
the rounds a few years ago
00:20:02.06\00:20:04.53
that teaches the same
ancient, magical principles.
00:20:04.53\00:20:07.57
If you make demands
of the universe it says,
00:20:07.57\00:20:09.50
it will bend your
direction, mind over matter.
00:20:09.50\00:20:14.48
And it's based on the idea
00:20:14.48\00:20:15.78
that the universe
exists to serve you.
00:20:15.78\00:20:18.35
You are part of the cosmic mind
00:20:18.35\00:20:20.25
and that gives you
power over reality.
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.58
But it doesn't resonate
00:20:23.59\00:20:25.02
with the way that Jesus
taught His disciples to pray.
00:20:25.02\00:20:28.09
Some of you might remember
this from when you were kids,
00:20:28.09\00:20:30.56
"In this manner, therefore pray:
00:20:30.56\00:20:32.83
Our Father in heaven,
00:20:32.83\00:20:33.96
Hallowed be Your name,
00:20:33.96\00:20:36.30
Your Kingdom come,
00:20:36.30\00:20:37.90
Your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven."
00:20:37.90\00:20:42.44
And then as you know,
00:20:42.44\00:20:43.27
it goes on to say,
00:20:43.27\00:20:44.81
"Give us this
day, our daily bread."
00:20:44.81\00:20:46.74
But is not the same thing
00:20:46.74\00:20:48.31
as bending the
universe in your direction
00:20:48.31\00:20:50.05
with the power of your mind.
00:20:50.05\00:20:52.35
You're just asking
God for what you need.
00:20:52.35\00:20:56.25
So what the Bible teaches
00:20:56.25\00:20:57.99
is that my will is not
the point of the universe.
00:20:57.99\00:21:01.06
God's will, is the
point of the universe.
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.99
The universe is not a
reflection of my glory, but His.
00:21:03.99\00:21:08.60
Now, let me give you you
have very specific example
00:21:10.03\00:21:13.07
of this kind of thinking,
00:21:13.07\00:21:14.90
and I'm gonna protect
the identity of this preacher
00:21:14.90\00:21:16.87
because who knows
maybe someday he'll change.
00:21:16.87\00:21:19.04
But let me assure you,
00:21:19.04\00:21:20.51
it's a very popular TV
preacher here in America.
00:21:20.51\00:21:23.11
And he's just one
example of something
00:21:23.11\00:21:25.35
that is far too prevalent
in religious programming.
00:21:25.35\00:21:28.62
And I want you to ask yourself
00:21:28.62\00:21:30.29
whether this
sounds more like the Bible
00:21:30.29\00:21:32.79
or the teachings of
an ancient occultist.
00:21:32.79\00:21:35.62
Here's what he said,
00:21:35.62\00:21:36.96
"Am I God?
00:21:36.96\00:21:38.19
"Man was created
in the God class.
00:21:38.19\00:21:39.96
"He was not created
in the animal class.
00:21:39.96\00:21:41.86
"He was created
in the God class.
00:21:41.86\00:21:43.93
"He has a uniqueness about him
00:21:43.93\00:21:45.50
that even angels do not have."
00:21:45.50\00:21:47.84
Now that's at
least partially true
00:21:47.84\00:21:49.60
but he's already steering
you in a misguided direction
00:21:49.60\00:21:52.24
by implying that you are somehow
on the same footing as God.
00:21:52.24\00:21:55.98
And that is the God-given right
00:21:55.98\00:21:58.08
to choose his own
words and speak them,
00:21:58.08\00:22:00.05
thereby setting his own divine
destiny, his own destination.
00:22:00.05\00:22:04.52
On another
occasion the same guy said,
00:22:04.52\00:22:06.55
"When we use the spiritual laws
00:22:06.55\00:22:08.06
"that God has set up,
00:22:08.06\00:22:08.99
"God must obey what request"
00:22:08.99\00:22:12.59
now think about that.
00:22:12.59\00:22:14.03
He's teaching that you
have the same creative power
00:22:14.03\00:22:15.76
in your voice that God does.
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.57
God's spoke and
world was created.
00:22:18.57\00:22:21.17
Jesus spoke and the
dead came back to life.
00:22:21.17\00:22:24.27
And what this movement teaches
00:22:24.27\00:22:26.14
is that you can
do the same thing
00:22:26.14\00:22:28.58
with just the
power of your words.
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.68
And it's a
completely wrong-headed concept
00:22:31.68\00:22:35.58
that you can find in
the medieval grimoires,
00:22:35.58\00:22:38.65
the books of magic spells,
00:22:38.65\00:22:40.19
but you can't
find it in this book.
00:22:40.19\00:22:43.93
Look, there's no question
that prayer is powerful.
00:22:43.93\00:22:47.20
Those of you who
practice prayer know that it is,
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.07
it can change things.
00:22:50.07\00:22:52.07
But you and I are not creators
00:22:52.07\00:22:54.44
with the ability to make
the universe bend to our will.
00:22:54.44\00:22:58.71
So now let me get even
a little closer to home,
00:22:59.91\00:23:01.88
and I'm gonna be
careful how I talk about this.
00:23:01.88\00:23:04.91
In modern Christianity,
00:23:04.91\00:23:06.11
we have something
called the sinner's prayer.
00:23:06.11\00:23:07.98
And on the one hand,
it's a really good thing.
00:23:07.98\00:23:10.52
The sinner's prayer teaches you
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.02
about the first steps in
your relationship with God
00:23:12.02\00:23:14.16
you confess your
sins and God forgives you.
00:23:14.16\00:23:17.39
And that prayer has
done an awful lot of good
00:23:17.39\00:23:19.56
for a lot of people.
00:23:19.56\00:23:20.86
The basic contents
completely biblical.
00:23:20.86\00:23:24.57
And it teaches us to believe
that God really does forgive
00:23:24.57\00:23:27.37
just like it says in 1 John 1:9
00:23:27.37\00:23:30.01
"If we confess our sins,
00:23:30.01\00:23:31.37
He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:23:31.37\00:23:33.94
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:23:33.94\00:23:37.68
So the sinner's
prayer is a good thing
00:23:37.68\00:23:40.15
and I've used it
with a lot of people,
00:23:40.15\00:23:42.78
but there's one aspect of it
00:23:42.78\00:23:44.82
that potentially lead to
trouble if you're not careful,
00:23:44.82\00:23:48.69
and I'm gonna take a break
00:23:48.69\00:23:50.19
and then I'll come back
and tell you what that is.
00:23:50.19\00:23:52.56
- [Narrator] Are you
searching for answers
00:23:55.50\00:23:56.70
to life's toughest questions
00:23:56.70\00:23:58.33
like where is
God when we suffer?
00:23:58.33\00:24:00.60
Can I find real happiness?
00:24:00.60\00:24:02.37
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:24:02.37\00:24:05.54
The Discover Bible guides
00:24:05.54\00:24:06.98
will help you find the
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00:24:06.98\00:24:09.34
Visit us at BibleStudies.com
00:24:09.34\00:24:11.91
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00:24:11.91\00:24:16.12
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Really Matter to God?".
00:24:32.53\00:24:34.90
And "A Second Chance at Life".
00:24:34.90\00:24:36.97
You'll find answers to the
things that matter most to you
00:24:36.97\00:24:39.34
in each of the 26
Discover Bible guides.
00:24:39.34\00:24:41.98
visit BibleStudies.com
and begin your journey today
00:24:41.98\00:24:46.11
to discover answers to
life's deepest questions.
00:24:46.11\00:24:49.95
- You know I've met some people
over the course of my life
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who live these absolutely
selfish, horrible, godless
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lives. I mean, they
live as absolute heathens
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as if God doesn't even exist.
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And then when they find
out that I'm a preacher,
00:25:05.63\00:25:08.70
they backpedal a little bit
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and then they tell
me something like this,
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"Oh, but you got to understand.
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"I prayed the sinner's
prayer way back when I was a kid
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"and so I'm gonna be fine.
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"I'm gonna get into heaven."
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Think they kinda
treat that prayer
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like it's a magical incantation.
00:25:21.65\00:25:24.49
As if reciting specific
words in a specific order,
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somehow obliges God to take
you into the kingdom of heaven
00:25:28.62\00:25:32.36
no matter what you
think or what you've done
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or whether or not you
even want God in your life.
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Let me assure you that is not
even close to how this works.
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In fact, the Bible
has a lot of stories
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about people who just went
through the motions of religion.
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They participated, for example,
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in the rites and the
rituals of the temple,
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they brought their
sacrifice to the temple
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but then you find out
God eventually rejected these
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people. Why?
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It's because
they didn't mean it.
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It was just a ritual.
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I guess you could say
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they weren't actually allowing
God to write His character,
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His name in their hearts.
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They weren't
becoming more like God
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or wanting to be close to Him.
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Look, I think it's better
to think of the sinner's prayer
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kind of like your wedding vows.
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Because if you think about it,
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wedding vows are not
magical incantations either.
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Just because you
stand in front of the church
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and in front of a minister
and speak those vows out loud,
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that doesn't magically bind
your heart to some other person.
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Those vows are just promises
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that mark the
beginning of a lifetime
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of building and
working on a relationship.
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And that first prayer
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you send in God's direction
asking for forgiveness,
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it's like a wedding vow.
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It's not a magical spell
that forces God to take you,
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it's the beginning of
a lifelong relationship.
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And I know, some people cling
to the idea of magical words
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that guarantee
you a spot in heaven
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but I'll promise you this,
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it's not your words that
guarantee your spot in heaven,
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it's God's word that does that.
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Look, you can have
it absolute confidence.
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I wanna be clear on what
I'm saying and not saying.
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You can have absolute confidence
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about God's
intentions towards you
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because this book
shows you that He loves you,
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and you can trust Him,
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and He's trying to get
you into the kingdom of heaven
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not keep you out.
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"For I am
persuaded...", the Bible teaches
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"that nothing shall
be able to separate us
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from the love of God,
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which is in
Christ Jesus, our Lord."
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You see it's not magical words
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that make God
love you or want you,
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it's the loving heart
of God that does that.
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So maybe you and I
should leave the universe
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bending to God and
follow what He says
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and let them start writing
His character in our hearts.
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I'm Shawn
Boonstra, thanks for joining,
00:28:04.18\00:28:06.38
this has been another
episode of "Authentic".
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[upbeat music]
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