Welcome to "Battles of Faith"
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We're your hosts,
Ivor and Atonte Myers.
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We're continuing
our series today on the
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entertainment industry,
but today we're specifically
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talking about video games.
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Listen to this:
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"Plain violent video
games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D
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or Mortal Kombat can increase
a person's aggressive thoughts,
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feelings and behavior,
both in laboratory settings
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and in actual life, according
to two studies appearing
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at the April issue of
the American Psychological
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Association's Journal of
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Personality and
Social Psychology.
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Furthermore, violent
video games may be more harmful
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than violent
television and movies because
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they are interactive,
very engrossing and require
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the player to
identify with the aggressor",
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say the researchers.
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That is deep to me.
Because, to say that it could
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actually be more
dangerous than violent movies,
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or violent television programs.
I never thought of it as they're
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actually doing the violence,
the person playing the game
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so it only makes sense
that it could actually be worse
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than watching
someone else doing it.
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They're doing it!
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- That's right! A couple of
the words you mentioned there
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are striking
because it mentions that the
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video game industry in itself
can have an effect upon the
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thoughts and the
feelings or the emotions is what
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I believe you said. And we've
seen in other programs that
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those two things combined;
the thoughts and the feelings
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combine, make up
the moral character.
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So, here you have a
secular source. What was it?
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- It was the American
Psychological Association
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- Okay, the American
Psychological Association saying
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that video games can
actually have an effect upon
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our characters basically.
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So, this is an issue that is
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really taking
the world by stone.
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Video games have
exploded upon the scene and
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young people all over
this planet are becoming
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more and more
engrossed in these video games,
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even so more, now
than movies and music,
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which is amazing.
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- It's true. It's taking
up so much of their time.
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In other shows we
mentioned that young people
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are playing at least 7
hours of video games and
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probably even more now, in
a week, in a one week period.
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But I want to say, in
this program about video games
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that there are so many
adult men who are very addicted
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to this program. I was
talking to someone the other day
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who said: "That's all my
husband does once he comes home
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from work. "
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It used to be: okay, all
they want to do is watch sports
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or sit on the couch and
watch the news or whatever,
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but that's all she said he does.
And then, he even made a comment
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that: "This is the only
thing that makes me happy. "
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And she was so taken
aback by that. She was like:
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"What are me and the
children doing here?"
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The point is, it's so
addictive. And it's not just for
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young people.
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- Let's look at one of
our definitions on this
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program today, because
you mentioned that one of the
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reasons they said this is
so dangerous is because it's
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inter-active!
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So, let's look at
that word, "interactive".
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The word means
this: [text on the screen]
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Now that's amazing Atonte,
because what "interactive" means
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in the context of
the video games is this,
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it not only means that
we have the ability to act
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upon the game, but the
game also has the ability
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to act upon me. See,
to act upon my character,
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my thoughts and my feelings.
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And so, that's why we
call this program today
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"The Game of Death".
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So, while we are playing
this game, we don't realize
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that the enemy of souls is
playing a game with our souls
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and we're calling
it the game of death.
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And again, people look
at it and say: "You know,
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it's just a game", but
the fact is that it is capable
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of acting upon the
thoughts and the feelings,
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thus forming our character.
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- That's right. And I
know that we'll be talking more
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about this later on
un this program, but
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I don't understand why
parents allow their children
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to play these games where
the children actually have
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to do the killing and
have to do the aggressive
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fighting, in the video
game where the Bible is clear,
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especially about
killing: "Thou shall not kill",
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so why should we
practice on video games?
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- Right. Well, I think
we'll find the answer in
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Genesis 3. We invite you
to open your Bibles with us.
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We're going to take a
look on Genesis chapter 3 and
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we're going to hear
quite a lot, because there is
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so much packed in Genesis
3, especially about the subject
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that we're dealing with.
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I want to share something
with you, in particular
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in Genesis chapter 3. We
read here this story again,
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of Adam or rather of Eve and
her dialogue with the serpent
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and God tells her:
"Don't eat from this tree" and
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the serpent comes
and says: "It's alright,
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you can eat from the tree. "
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One of the interesting
things about this is that
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the serpent was talking.
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Why was the serpent talking?
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God did not create
the serpent to talk,
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so this is one of the
things that attracted Eve.
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How is it that
this serpent is talking?
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Well, it's assumed that
this serpent is hanging around
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the tree of what?...
Knowledge of good and evil!
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And he's saying: "Eve,
listen, eat from this tree.
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Nothing's going
to happen to you. "
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I think it's safe to
assume that the serpent himself
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had already taken
from the tree or pretended
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that he took from the
tree and said: "Hey look,
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nothing's wrong with me!"
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- That's what I imagine
when I think of that scene.
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- So, watch this now. There
was a demonstration of evil.
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Now, I want to focus in
on that theme for a moment,
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I want to put the
word up "demonstration"
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and what does the word mean?
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"Demonstration"
means: [text on the screen]
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So, this is what Satan
did. He presented, he knew that
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Eve would not have gone out
and tempt her own to do evil
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so he had to first
give her a demonstration.
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Now, what did
the demonstration do?
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- It made her think that:
"Oh, look at him! He's fine,
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nothing happened to him!"
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- That's right. The
demonstration rendered evil
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harmless. You see! So,
once Eve decided in her mind
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"well, God told me not
to eat from this tree", but
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according to the
demonstration that I have seen
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there's really no evil here.
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The serpent isn't harmed.
The tree looks good for food.
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And so, what that demonstration
of evil did, is that
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it broke down Eve's resistance,
it broke down her barrier
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to evil and, in this
way, she was deceived,
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this way she was lost.
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And I want to suggest
today that the same thing
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is happening through
these so called video games.
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They are demonstrations
of evil and because
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they are only "demonstrations",
parents and people
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see no problem in it because
it's not the, quote on quote,
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real thing. It's
only a demonstration.
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But we need to understand that
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what the demonstration
does is it says in the mind
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of a young person:
"Oh, what I am doing here,
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on this video game, is
not evil because the killing
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is only happening in
demonstration mode. "
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- And I think all the
parents of those children
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who actually
committed the crime and did
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school shootings never
would have thought that
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the video games they purchased
and allowed their children
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to play and participate in,
could have actually trained them
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to be killers.
They didn't think!
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They just thought: "Hey,
this is what young people
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are doing. It's innocent,
it's fun, it keeps them
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at home. But, and I'm not
saying this is the only thing
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that contributed to
these children school-shooters,
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high school-shooters
to kill these people,
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but it definitely, in every
case, the research shows that
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they were all participating
in these violent video games.
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- That's right. Well,
think about this, Atonte.
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A lot of times we've traveled.
And sometimes I go to churches
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and I see young
people, in the church,
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with the video games,
with the little game-boys.
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And I'm looking and I'm
like: "Wow! Here we are,
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in church and their
minds are consumed!"
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I've had parents call
me or e- mail me and say:
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"My child is
locked away in his room,
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he will not come out,
he will not take breaks,
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he is totally, totally
addicted to video games.
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What can I do?"
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And again I know for a fact that
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these things
started out innocently.
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At first 20
minutes, then half an hour,
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then an hour and it
keeps going and going
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and the addictive factor
is here just as we've seen
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in all our other
studies dealing with sorcery:
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anything that
medicated the mind so that
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it will not follow the
will or the law of God.
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And we see the same
it's true in the video games.
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- That's right. And we
even had older parents call us
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for their adult
children who are married,
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with children,
and call us and say:
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" Can you please
pray for our son!
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He's 30 years old and
he's addicted to these
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video games and it's
taking him away from his
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wife and his
children and he can't seem
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to break away with it. "
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But I want to say
this: that I know that it
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actually does take a
certain level of skill
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to be very good
at these video games.
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And so Satan is
training a part of the mind
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that God would want to use.
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You know, if we can
use that part of the mind
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in studying the
Word and using it to
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teach others and show people
how to be drawn closer to God,
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I mean, what a
blessing that would be!
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- That's right.
One of the things that
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makes a video game
so attractive is that
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it provides a fantasy
realm. That's one of the reasons
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why people think
this is harmless,
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because it's
just a fantasy realm!
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And... I think gamers
call it the "virtual realm".
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And this is,
supposedly, that virtual world
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where you can go in
and do all these things,
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play all these
games, do all this killing
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and all this
violence and really not count.
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But I want to throw up
some more words on the screen
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you know, I enjoy
looking at words because
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when you study the origin
of words you find out that
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there was more
behind the scene than
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what we understand.
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So let's look at the
word "fantasy" for a moment.
00:11:04.44\00:11:06.17
And we'll put it
up on the screen.
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You'll see there the word
'fantasy' which we spell as
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f- a-n-t-a-s-y
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was originally spelled as
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p- h-a-n-t-a-s-y. fantasy!
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And the reason why the
word 'fantasy'... we'll put the
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word on the screen...
this is what 'phantasy' means:
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[text on the screen]
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Well, that doesn't sound so bad.
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But let's take that
word a little further
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and if the word
'phantasy' looks familiar to you
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is because it also
comes from the word 'phantom'.
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What is a phantom? I don't have
to read the definition to you
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but you'll understand.
We're going to put the word
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up on the screen.
The word phantom is this:
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[text on the screen]
00:11:57.33\00:12:05.99
Let's put these things together.
00:12:06.03\00:12:08.64
When we talk about a
phantom or a fantasy world,
00:12:08.67\00:12:13.14
we're talking, in
reality, about a spirit world.
00:12:13.18\00:12:17.94
We're talking
about a world where
00:12:17.98\00:12:20.21
we are dealing with
not flesh and blood,
00:12:20.25\00:12:24.25
but against spiritual
wickedness in high place.
00:12:24.28\00:12:28.18
And I say: "Oh, come
on! You're telling me that
00:12:28.21\00:12:30.74
what I do in my
fantasy life, actually counts?"
00:12:30.78\00:12:34.34
Remember, Jesus was
having a discussion,
00:12:34.38\00:12:38.44
I believe was the
sermon on the mountain.
00:12:38.48\00:12:41.51
And He said something
that was absolutely astounding.
00:12:41.55\00:12:45.17
Here's what he said. He
said: "You've heard it said that
00:12:45.20\00:12:48.78
you shall not commit adultery,
but I say onto you that
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if you look after a woman
to lust after her... where?
00:12:53.88\00:12:58.05
- You committed
adultery in your mind.
00:12:58.49\00:13:00.70
- In your mind, you
know! Or we might say,
00:13:00.73\00:13:03.23
in your fantasy
life, you are still guilty.
00:13:03.27\00:13:07.34
In other words, the law
of God penetrates even into
00:13:07.37\00:13:09.75
the fantasy realm,
the spiritual world,
00:13:09.79\00:13:11.89
even into that place
where we have our own
00:13:11.92\00:13:14.09
private thoughts and feelings,
so that if you do the act
00:13:14.12\00:13:17.78
even in the fantasy
realm, Christ said it's still
00:13:17.82\00:13:21.20
as good as sin.
00:13:21.24\00:13:23.10
- So, when we're playing
these video games and we have to
00:13:23.13\00:13:25.79
kill this person and that
person to get to the next stage
00:13:25.82\00:13:29.21
or the next step, that
is still sin in God's eyes?
00:13:29.24\00:13:33.35
- You know, think
about it like this, Atonte.
00:13:33.38\00:13:35.24
There are many people,
many men out there that
00:13:35.27\00:13:37.73
struggle with pornography.
00:13:37.76\00:13:39.17
Now, they may not be
in an act of physically
00:13:40.13\00:13:44.15
committing
adultery. But they are looking
00:13:44.19\00:13:46.50
through these magazines.
00:13:46.53\00:13:47.75
Now, Christ deals with
that very issue. And He says:
00:13:47.78\00:13:52.43
"If you're looking, if
you're imagining this thing,
00:13:52.46\00:13:55.01
you may no even be
looking at a magazine,
00:13:55.04\00:13:56.72
you may just be
in your fantasy life,
00:13:56.76\00:13:58.86
imagining these
things and Christ says that
00:13:58.90\00:14:01.78
even there, the law
of God penetrates so that
00:14:01.81\00:14:05.69
it is written in the
books of heaven as sin, as evil.
00:14:05.72\00:14:09.73
The devil says: "Hey,
it's just a demonstration!
00:14:09.76\00:14:13.65
It's just fantasy!"
00:14:13.69\00:14:15.19
But Christ says: "No,
not so. " In fact, Atonte,
00:14:15.23\00:14:18.56
you realize that one
of the reasons... in fact,
00:14:18.60\00:14:22.32
let's go at Genesis 6.
00:14:22.35\00:14:25.57
Some of you may
actually already know this
00:14:26.14\00:14:29.41
and some of you may
not, but there was one reason
00:14:29.44\00:14:32.36
why the people in
Noah's time were destroyed.
00:14:32.39\00:14:36.61
The Bible gives us that
reason. You'll be surprised.
00:14:36.64\00:14:39.55
Look at what it
says in Genesis 6:5.
00:14:39.59\00:14:42.24
The Bible says
there: [text on the screen]
00:14:42.27\00:14:59.42
Now, surely they didn't have
video games back in Noah's days,
00:14:59.45\00:15:02.21
maybe they did,
I don't know, but
00:15:02.24\00:15:03.28
the Devil understood
this principle of providing a
00:15:03.31\00:15:08.33
fantasy, an imagination
realm in which men felt
00:15:08.36\00:15:11.70
that they were comfortable.
Men were deceived into
00:15:11.73\00:15:14.31
feeling that they
were comfortable enough,
00:15:14.35\00:15:16.09
to feeling that: "Hey, if
I stay in my mind, if I think
00:15:16.13\00:15:19.31
even in my mind and it's
not actually done in reality,
00:15:19.35\00:15:23.24
it doesn't count. "
00:15:23.28\00:15:24.50
Now, what happens is that
once it is committed in the
00:15:24.53\00:15:27.66
heart, it will eventually
and naturally play itself out
00:15:27.69\00:15:31.63
in action. Remember, this whole
00:15:31.66\00:15:34.02
battle of faith is
about keeping our eyes focused
00:15:34.05\00:15:37.39
on Christ. It's about getting
our characters to reflect
00:15:37.43\00:15:41.32
the character of Christ.
It's about getting our image,
00:15:41.35\00:15:44.53
turning our image
from the image of ourselves
00:15:44.56\00:15:47.72
to the image of Christ.
00:15:47.76\00:15:49.47
And the enemy
does not want that.
00:15:49.50\00:15:51.76
He wants to divert the
mind so that the heel itself
00:15:51.80\00:15:55.31
will be diverted.
Remember? We said that
00:15:55.35\00:15:57.19
God's mission for the
church is to bruise the head
00:15:57.23\00:16:01.94
of the serpent,
according to Romans 16:20.
00:16:01.97\00:16:04.55
Satan knows that. And
what controls the heel?
00:16:04.59\00:16:07.06
It's the mind. And so he says:
00:16:07.09\00:16:09.57
"If I can get into
their minds, I can divert them
00:16:09.61\00:16:12.17
or amuse them"- as we
saw the word 'amuse' means
00:16:12.21\00:16:14.69
'to divert'- "I can
amuse them and distract them
00:16:14.73\00:16:19.14
so that they will not
fulfill their commission. "
00:16:19.17\00:16:22.29
And again, this is
one of the ways in which
00:16:22.32\00:16:24.45
the Devil seeks to do that.
This is one of the ways in which
00:16:24.49\00:16:27.48
he controls our
characters, he creates this
00:16:27.52\00:16:30.90
illusionary world and
says: "It's alright for you
00:16:30.93\00:16:33.35
to sin here. The law
of God doesn't reach here.
00:16:33.38\00:16:35.84
It's alright for you
to kill in this realm.
00:16:35.87\00:16:37.96
It's alright for you to
commit adultery in this realm. "
00:16:38.00\00:16:40.66
I was reading the
other day that there are
00:16:40.69\00:16:42.47
pornographic comic books.
00:16:42.50\00:16:45.57
I'm sure that no parent out
there would allow their children
00:16:46.28\00:16:49.62
to read a
pornographic comic book.
00:16:49.66\00:16:51.71
And they wouldn't say:
"It's just a comic book;
00:16:51.74\00:16:56.57
it's not real! It's
just drawings on a paper,
00:16:56.61\00:16:59.66
it's just fantasy. "
They would never say that
00:16:59.70\00:17:01.76
because pornography is taboo.
But not when it comes to killing
00:17:01.79\00:17:05.47
which is part of breaking
God's law just as adultery,
00:17:05.50\00:17:09.72
or any other thing like
that. Then, all of a sudden
00:17:09.76\00:17:12.85
it becomes okay.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.24
- The amazing thing
to me, again, is that
00:17:14.27\00:17:16.71
video games did not start
here. They didn't start like
00:17:16.75\00:17:19.51
Mortal Kombat. When we
were children, Atari came out.
00:17:19.54\00:17:24.03
And there was Packman, and
you just ate the little dots
00:17:24.07\00:17:27.84
on the screen and you
needed to get to the little
00:17:27.88\00:17:29.86
energy thing so that
you could, like I said,
00:17:29.89\00:17:32.34
kill the little
monster that was after you,
00:17:32.37\00:17:34.61
but it didn't start
as bad as it is now.
00:17:34.64\00:17:38.37
And so, Satan, again has
just started something off,
00:17:38.41\00:17:42.12
really innocent,
he's allowed it to take
00:17:42.15\00:17:44.22
20 years or so and
now it is to a point where
00:17:44.25\00:17:48.00
it is very bad.
As a matter of fact,
00:17:48.03\00:17:49.37
there are even video games
that don't just have killings,
00:17:49.40\00:17:52.58
but there are women
that appear on the screen
00:17:52.61\00:17:55.27
and they are half naked women.
00:17:55.30\00:17:56.67
The purpose of them...
I don't really understand.
00:17:56.70\00:17:59.91
I don't know. I guess that
if you win, the woman appears
00:17:59.95\00:18:01.74
or whatever...
00:18:01.78\00:18:02.86
- Pornographic video games.
00:18:02.89\00:18:04.13
I have a friend in Australia
who mailed me some information
00:18:04.16\00:18:10.20
on video games. He's in a lot
of research Steward Masaferry.
00:18:10.24\00:18:14.54
We've been in contact
and some if the things that
00:18:14.57\00:18:18.25
he's been sharing
with me about where
00:18:18.28\00:18:20.16
the video gaming industry
has gone is just absolutely
00:18:20.19\00:18:23.67
mind blowing. And the sad
thing is that so many parents
00:18:23.70\00:18:26.17
don't see it, and
again it is infiltrating,
00:18:26.20\00:18:28.75
like I said, young
people in the church.
00:18:28.78\00:18:31.79
Satan is sending out this flood
and, we've been saying this
00:18:31.82\00:18:36.83
in a couple of programs,
it seems like we're like,
00:18:36.87\00:18:39.18
you know: "Is this picking
out a straw, video games?"
00:18:39.22\00:18:42.29
This is not a
straw, this is a flood.
00:18:42.33\00:18:44.75
An we see it in the churches,
we see it in the world,
00:18:44.78\00:18:50.05
the enemy is flooding
the minds of young people
00:18:50.08\00:18:54.65
with so many things that
it is impossible for them
00:18:54.69\00:18:58.88
to keep their
minds focused on God.
00:18:58.91\00:19:01.13
- And it's only for
one purpose and that is
00:19:01.17\00:19:03.62
that it will not
follow the will of God or
00:19:03.66\00:19:06.27
won't even think about
following the will of God.
00:19:06.30\00:19:09.58
- That's right. We've
been talking about imagination
00:19:09.61\00:19:12.28
and, you know,
I'll tell you something.
00:19:12.32\00:19:13.83
If you read Isaiah 26:3, we
mentioned this text quite often,
00:19:13.87\00:19:18.70
"Thou will keep him in perfect
00:19:18.74\00:19:19.94
peace whose mind
is stayed on Thee"
00:19:19.98\00:19:22.52
You note the word
there for 'mind', if you look
00:19:22.56\00:19:25.39
on the margin in your KJV
Bible, you will see the word
00:19:25.42\00:19:28.33
'imagination'.
00:19:28.36\00:19:29.99
"Thou will keep him
in perfect peace whose
00:19:30.03\00:19:33.00
'imagination' is
stayed on Thee. "
00:19:33.03\00:19:36.51
And you'll notice
the similarities between
00:19:36.55\00:19:38.36
the word
'imagination' and 'image'.
00:19:38.40\00:19:41.29
'Imagination' and 'image'.
00:19:41.33\00:19:43.97
Through these images in
the video games and through
00:19:44.01\00:19:46.62
these images through the media,
00:19:46.66\00:19:48.66
what the Devil is attempting
to do is he is appealing
00:19:48.69\00:19:52.45
to the imagination.
00:19:52.49\00:19:54.08
Because he knows that it
is through the imagination,
00:19:54.12\00:19:57.67
whoever has the
imagination, has the heart.
00:19:57.71\00:19:59.86
So, if the Devil provides
this atmosphere where he says:
00:19:59.90\00:20:04.36
"Hey, let your imagination
run free, unrestricted. "
00:20:04.40\00:20:07.35
But really unrestricted means
00:20:07.39\00:20:09.12
unrestricted to the
law of God. You see...
00:20:09.15\00:20:11.75
Then he knows that he can have
the imagination, and just as
00:20:11.79\00:20:16.28
those in the
antediluvian age, in Noah's time
00:20:16.32\00:20:19.15
were destroyed
because Satan got a hold
00:20:19.19\00:20:21.46
of their imaginations,
it's the same thing
00:20:21.50\00:20:23.76
he's doing now. Jesus said:
00:20:23.80\00:20:24.77
"As was it in the days of
Noah, so shall it be in the days
00:20:24.78\00:20:28.00
of the Son of Man. "
00:20:28.04\00:20:29.26
And we are seeing
that the imaginations of
00:20:29.30\00:20:31.89
man's hearts are
only evil continually.
00:20:31.92\00:20:33.80
Atonte, I remember
reading a story of how
00:20:33.83\00:20:37.67
'Harry Potter'
came into existence.
00:20:37.71\00:20:41.85
Mrs. Rowling was on a
train riding one day, and she
00:20:41.89\00:20:45.91
says Harry Potter just
walked into her imagination
00:20:45.94\00:20:53.87
while she was on that train.
It was a spiritual experience.
00:20:53.90\00:20:59.52
You know, an
invigorating experience.
00:20:59.55\00:21:02.06
She just got this idea that
just popped into her head...
00:21:02.10\00:21:04.19
Harry Potter.
00:21:04.22\00:21:05.27
Now, I would ask, where
did that thought come from?
00:21:05.31\00:21:08.10
You know, I think it was a
thought bomb from the enemy.
00:21:08.14\00:21:11.20
And so, from this
woman's imagination
00:21:11.23\00:21:15.15
she begins to put this
stuff down on paper and then,
00:21:15.18\00:21:19.01
through her imagination,
I mean, these books that
00:21:19.05\00:21:24.04
she has written have
gone all over the world,
00:21:24.08\00:21:26.56
and through one
woman's imagination,
00:21:26.59\00:21:28.82
literally millions, in fact
the next 'Harry Potter' book
00:21:28.85\00:21:32.34
is coming out and they are
printing 10.8 million copies
00:21:32.38\00:21:37.40
for the first printing.
The most ever in this country!
00:21:37.43\00:21:40.87
You see. And so, the
Devil is after the imagination
00:21:41.87\00:21:44.87
and just through the imagination
of one person look at what
00:21:44.90\00:21:49.24
damage he can do.
00:21:49.28\00:21:50.30
Think about this, Atonte.
He's got the imagination of
00:21:50.34\00:21:52.65
the entire Hollywood
elite at his fingers.
00:21:52.68\00:21:57.37
So, all he has to
do is inspire and say:
00:21:57.40\00:22:00.05
"Okay, here's
what I want you to do.
00:22:00.08\00:22:01.58
Alright, I want you
to make this video game,
00:22:01.61\00:22:03.08
okay, I want you to do
this" and... it just goes out...
00:22:03.12\00:22:06.79
mass-media!
00:22:06.83\00:22:08.73
Think about this Atonte
and you listening out there,
00:22:09.44\00:22:13.61
think about the warfare
that is going on between
00:22:13.65\00:22:16.52
media and meditation...
00:22:16.56\00:22:19.39
Those words
sound alike. - They do.
00:22:19.42\00:22:21.56
- 'Media' and 'meditation'...
Both have to do with
00:22:21.59\00:22:25.54
what's going on right here.
00:22:25.57\00:22:27.36
We are no longer
wanting to meditate on God
00:22:27.40\00:22:32.45
and His Word, because
the media is taking control
00:22:32.49\00:22:38.73
of our lives.
00:22:38.76\00:22:40.32
The media is flooding
our minds through all these
00:22:40.35\00:22:43.30
different things
and because of it,
00:22:43.34\00:22:45.39
when we close our eyes to pray,
we don't see any video games
00:22:45.42\00:22:51.22
illustrations, we
don't see any explosions,
00:22:51.26\00:22:54.55
we see only darkness.
00:22:54.58\00:22:56.83
The mind is not used to
that, it does not want to be
00:22:56.87\00:23:00.70
in darkness and that's why
we don't want to sit and pray.
00:23:00.74\00:23:04.16
- It almost seems impossible
for that mind to do that
00:23:04.66\00:23:08.30
because, to meditate
is to sit and to be calm
00:23:08.34\00:23:12.44
and to speak to God
and hear His voice speaking
00:23:12.48\00:23:14.99
to you, where,
if we're gamers or
00:23:15.03\00:23:18.10
training our minds
to play video games,
00:23:18.13\00:23:20.43
it's just not what
the mind is used to doing.
00:23:20.46\00:23:22.51
It's constantly like
moving and thinking...
00:23:22.54\00:23:24.61
I read an article that
was actually supporting
00:23:24.64\00:23:27.23
the video game industry saying
that it's actually helping
00:23:27.27\00:23:31.48
children to be able to
be good problem solvers
00:23:31.51\00:23:34.79
later on in life. And
at the end of the article
00:23:34.83\00:23:38.01
it was talking about all
of the millions of dollars
00:23:38.05\00:23:40.66
that that industry is making.
00:23:40.69\00:23:42.88
So, again, the love of
money is the root of all evil.
00:23:42.92\00:23:46.69
They have these big, not
conferences, but they pack
00:23:46.73\00:23:51.47
these big arenas to display
all the newest video games
00:23:51.51\00:23:54.98
and have people come and
try them out because there's
00:23:55.01\00:23:57.73
so much money there to be made.
00:23:57.76\00:24:00.14
- That's right. You know, I
can imagine someone listening
00:24:00.18\00:24:03.49
and saying: "But, you
know, it's just a game!"
00:24:03.53\00:24:08.78
You've got to remember
that the Devil is playing
00:24:08.81\00:24:13.54
the game of death for
our souls and he will do it
00:24:13.57\00:24:18.68
in any way that he can.
00:24:18.72\00:24:20.27
Once we have the battle
plans and we see the depth
00:24:20.31\00:24:23.46
to which the enemy is going,
we throw our hands up and say:
00:24:23.49\00:24:26.10
"Lord, if you don't come in
and do something supernaturally
00:24:26.14\00:24:29.63
in my life, if I don't
have a supernatural connection
00:24:29.67\00:24:32.19
with you there is absolutely
no way that I can escape
00:24:32.22\00:24:35.74
this assault that is upon
me, and that's really upon
00:24:35.78\00:24:39.56
the whole world. "
We've got to get connected
00:24:39.59\00:24:41.89
with Christ in a
supernatural way.
00:24:41.92\00:24:43.84
- And again, a
supernatural connection with God
00:24:43.87\00:24:47.49
can only happen
through prayer and,
00:24:47.53\00:24:49.63
when we train our minds
to constantly be moving and
00:24:49.67\00:24:53.64
jumping and whatever
it's doing when you're playing
00:24:53.67\00:24:55.90
video games, it's so hard
to concentrate during prayer.
00:24:55.93\00:24:59.86
People can sit down and play
video games for hours and hours
00:24:59.90\00:25:04.16
and cannot pray for a
minute, or five minutes.
00:25:04.20\00:25:08.87
There is a problem,
there is a problem there...
00:25:08.90\00:25:11.16
- Is it just a game? I
mean, you know, my purpose
00:25:11.20\00:25:14.82
is not to try to prove that
video games have evil in them.
00:25:14.86\00:25:18.71
I think everybody knows that.
00:25:18.75\00:25:19.92
It would be like: "Look
at that evil!" We know that!
00:25:19.95\00:25:25.42
The real issue
is, does it count?
00:25:25.46\00:25:27.52
Does sin in the
fantasy realm count?
00:25:27.55\00:25:33.65
And Christ clearly
answers the question. That ends
00:25:33.68\00:25:36.11
the argument for me.
00:25:36.14\00:25:37.23
Because the Word of
God says that if we sin
00:25:37.27\00:25:39.59
in our imagination, if we
imagine evil... you know...
00:25:39.63\00:25:43.17
And again: Thou will
keep him in perfect peace,
00:25:43.20\00:25:45.28
whose creative
imagination is stayed on Thee.
00:25:45.31\00:25:48.14
Atonte, I think of Isaiah 30:21,
something you've just said
00:25:48.18\00:25:51.60
earlier. In Isaiah
30:21 the Bible says here:
00:25:51.63\00:25:55.28
[text on the screen]
00:25:55.32\00:26:00.37
Christ says "I am
going to direct you, in this
00:26:06.46\00:26:10.21
battle of faith, I'm going
to direct you, I'm going to
00:26:10.25\00:26:13.38
speak to you. You're
going to hear my voice and
00:26:13.41\00:26:15.77
I'm going to be
able to direct you. "
00:26:15.80\00:26:17.11
Remember, we've got to see
by faith and we've got to hear
00:26:17.14\00:26:20.52
by faith.
00:26:20.55\00:26:21.93
You remember that we've
said in other programs that
00:26:22.30\00:26:24.34
the definition of witchcraft
was "to whisper a spell".
00:26:24.37\00:26:26.90
Well, you know, the enemy
is bombarding our minds with
00:26:26.94\00:26:30.37
all these voices from the
video games and from the music
00:26:30.40\00:26:33.86
and from the media
for one purpose only,
00:26:33.89\00:26:36.09
so that we will not here
the voice of God directing us,
00:26:36.13\00:26:41.06
saying: "This is
the way. Walk ye in it"
00:26:41.10\00:26:45.52
- Right. We have to many
bombs and explosions going on
00:26:45.55\00:26:48.16
in our minds, that we
cannot concentrate and focus
00:26:48.19\00:26:51.23
on hearing the voice of God.
00:26:51.26\00:26:52.99
- That's right. - And
Satan thinks that he's
00:26:53.02\00:26:54.85
so clever.
00:26:54.88\00:26:55.85
That's why I feel that
this program that we are doing
00:26:55.86\00:26:59.93
is so important, this
whole series is so vital
00:26:59.97\00:27:02.80
and very important to understand
00:27:02.83\00:27:04.85
because hearing the voice of
God is life to the Christian,
00:27:04.89\00:27:09.66
it gives spiritual life.
00:27:09.69\00:27:10.85
- That's right. And God
tells us, in the book of Isaiah,
00:27:10.89\00:27:13.50
He says that it is quietness
and rest that we shall be saved.
00:27:13.53\00:27:17.67
You see. And so, the devil says:
00:27:17.71\00:27:19.57
"I can't give these
guys any time to be quiet.
00:27:19.61\00:27:21.80
I've got to bombard
their minds and just
00:27:21.83\00:27:25.12
come at them and
flash the Hollywood lights
00:27:25.15\00:27:27.29
and all these
different things so that
00:27:27.33\00:27:29.02
their attention will decrease,
they will not be able to hear
00:27:29.06\00:27:32.43
God's voice because too
many voices are going on
00:27:32.47\00:27:34.82
in their minds and enduring
this, they will not be able
00:27:34.86\00:27:38.31
to keep their
imagination stayed on Him,
00:27:38.34\00:27:40.56
neither will they be
able to hear His voice,
00:27:40.60\00:27:43.90
the Holy Spirit
speaking to our hearts and
00:27:43.93\00:27:46.51
right now, I think
that some of our listeners
00:27:46.55\00:27:49.67
are hearing the voice
of God saying to them:
00:27:49.70\00:27:52.10
"You need to come closer to Me.
You need to move these things
00:27:52.13\00:27:56.27
out of your life and allow
Me to enter into your heart. "
00:27:56.30\00:27:59.73
And this is where
the Lord wants us to go.
00:27:59.76\00:28:01.73
I hope you respond to His call.
00:28:01.76\00:28:03.05
- That's right.
00:28:03.08\00:28:04.05
Well, we're all out of
time. We do thank you for
00:28:04.06\00:28:07.43
joining us. Please
don't miss the next program.
00:28:07.46\00:28:10.78
Until then, God bless!
00:28:10.81\00:28:12.50