This is the first time I've ever
clamed to the top of a Minaret.
00:00:11.17\00:00:15.06
The view is
absolutely spectacular!
00:00:15.09\00:00:17.61
But the climb is very steep.
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This is where the Muezzin
called the faithful to prayer
00:00:20.13\00:00:23.56
five times a day. Let's
just listen to him for a moment.
00:00:23.59\00:00:27.43
He's saying, Allah
Akbar, God is Great.
00:00:27.46\00:00:34.99
We are on the top of Mount
Tabor, and looking down here,
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you can see beyond the line
of trees, the plain of Jezreel.
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And in the background,
the mountains of Gilboa.
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Now this was the scene
for a very remarkable battle,
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which was fought between
King Saul and the Israelites,
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on one side, there on
the mountains of Gilboa,
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and the Philistines, who
were over in this direction.
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Saul was naturally anxious about
the outcome of this battle,
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and so he made some inquiries
from God, hoping to get some
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direction, or some
answer, some assurance.
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And so we are told here
that he asked of the Lord in
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in 1 Samuel 28 and verse
6, Saul inquired of the Lord.
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The Lord did not answer him. Now
that's a bit strange, isn't it?
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Because most people
think, All you got to do is pray
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and God will give you an answer.
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But it says, The Lord did
not answer him, either by dream
00:02:33.61\00:02:36.77
or by Urim or by the prophets.
So, you might think, Well,
00:02:36.80\00:02:41.41
That's being tough when a man
prays and God doesn't answer.
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But there was a good reason for
this, you see. We're told here
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Then Saul said to his servants,
Find me a woman who is a Medium,
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that I may go to
her and inquire of her,
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and his servants said to him,
In fact there is a woman who is
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a Medium at Endor. Now Endor
is down at the foot of this
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mountain. And you see the reason
that God hadn't answered him
00:03:02.93\00:03:06.71
was because he was
living in disobedience to God.
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And you can't expect God
to answer you or do anything
00:03:09.54\00:03:12.46
for you if you are
living in direct violation of
00:03:12.49\00:03:14.92
His known will. And so now,
Saul decides that he'll go to
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this Medium at Endor. Now
this is the first recorded
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Spiritualistic Séance in history
and so here is Saul going off to
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this Spiritualistic
Medium. And so away he goes.
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So Saul disguised himself, put
on other clothes, and he went
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and two men with him, and they
came to the woman by night and
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he said, Please conduct a séance
for me, and bring up to me one
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I shall name to you. So
this is a real Séance, you see,
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Spiritualistic
Medium and everything.
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Then the woman said to him,
Look, you know what Saul has
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done, how he has cut off
the Mediums and the Spiritists
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from the land. Now you
see, God had given specific
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instructions that Mediums were
not to function. They were to be
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put away. And here was
Saul, going to the very person
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who was condemned by
God. However Saul swore to her
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by the Lord, saying that as the
Lord lives, no punishment shall
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come upon you for this
thing. Then the woman said,
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Whom shall I bring up for you?
You'll notice it wasn't bringing
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down but bringing up. And that's
not a good place to come from,
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is it? And he said,
Bring up Samuel for me.
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Now Samuel was the prophet;
but we're distinctly told
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in verse 3, Now Samuel had
died and all Israel had lamented
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for him, and buried him
in Ramah. So Samuel was dead
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and buried. We've already
noticed in a previous program
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that the dead know not anything.
And yet here was Saul wanting
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to speak to Samuel who was
dead and could not communicate
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with him. Well, did
anything happen? Yes, it did.
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Because it says, He said
to her, What is this form?
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You see, something came up,
seemed to come up out of the
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ground. And he said, What
is this form? And she said,
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An old man is coming up and
he is covered with a mantle, and
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Saul perceived that it
was Samuel. And then it says,
00:05:02.94\00:05:06.88
Samuel said to Saul, and goes
on to say what the conversation
00:05:06.91\00:05:09.57
was. Now, here was an apparent
conversation between Saul
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and the dead Samuel. And how
are you going to explain that?
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If the bible says that
Saul had inquired of Samuel,
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and that Samuel was dead, you
can take it. But Samuel was dead
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It was not Samuel. Who was it
then? The bible teaches that the
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devil is a very real person.
and he has a lot of ability.
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He has the ability
to impersonate the dead.
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He has the ability to take
on the same sort of voice and
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mannerisms so that when Saul
saw this figure or heard this
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voice, he thought, That's
Samuel for sure. But it wasn't.
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I'll tell you. It was the
devil impersonating Samuel.
00:05:52.97\00:05:57.23
So the devil is a very real
person, and when Jesus Christ
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was tempted of the devil in the
wilderness of Judea, it was a
00:06:02.60\00:06:08.35
very real and personal
devil that appeared to him.
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>From the wilderness of
Judea the devil whisked Jesus up
00:06:11.19\00:06:16.27
to Jerusalem to the temple. You
never want to underestimate what
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the devil can do. Its incredible
when God allows, just what power
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the devil has and what he can
do. And so he brought Jesus up
00:06:24.41\00:06:28.12
here to the pinnacle
of the temple and he said,
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If you are the son of God,
cast yourself down from here.
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Because it is written, He
shall give his Angels charge
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over thee and in their
hands they shall bear thee up.
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You know, its incredible, even
the devil knows how to quote
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scripture when it suits
him. But Jesus came back with
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another scripture. He said,
It is also written, You shall
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not test or tempt the Lord
your God. That's the best way to
00:06:53.53\00:06:57.36
beat the devil, you
know, just to use the bible.
00:06:57.39\00:06:59.68
For the third temptation,
the bible says, Again the devil
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took him up on an exceedingly
high mountain and showed him
00:07:08.38\00:07:12.03
all the kingdoms of
the world, and their glory.
00:07:12.06\00:07:14.53
Now we don't know just
exactly which mountain this was.
00:07:14.56\00:07:17.24
But, in front of you
there, is the traditional mount
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of temptation. And on the
side clinging to the side of the
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mountain, you can
see is a great monastery.
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And that's where
we're going to go now.
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>From up here, I have a
magnificent view, looking out
00:07:50.63\00:07:56.76
over the Jordan valley and
Jericho. And this conflict was
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a very real
thing. Matthew 4: 9 says,
00:08:02.52\00:08:06.72
The devil said to him, All
these things I will give you
00:08:06.75\00:08:10.34
if you will fall
down and worship me.
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Now this wasn't a make believe.
It really happened. There was
00:08:12.54\00:08:16.82
Jesus Christ confronted
by the devil in person.
00:08:16.85\00:08:20.24
Well now, you might say, Well
where did this fellow come from?
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And why didn't God blot
him out if He is giving so much
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trouble. We need to understand
the issues behind this conflict.
00:08:27.55\00:08:31.45
You see, God has a big universe.
In Revelation, chapter 5, and in
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verse 11, it says, Then I looked
and I heard the voice of many
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angels around the throne. And
the number of them was 10,000
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times 10,000, and thousands of
thousands. Well, you've got to
00:08:47.72\00:08:52.94
a little pocket calculator there
that you can figure that out?
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Work it out. You'll find that
we're talking about a hundred
00:08:55.93\00:08:59.67
million angels and thousands
of thousands besides that.
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A lot of angels, and the
bible says that one third of the
00:09:03.70\00:09:08.59
angels rebelled against
God. Now if there's a hundred
00:09:08.62\00:09:12.29
thousand left, that means that
there must have originally been
00:09:12.32\00:09:15.59
at least a hundred and fifty
thousand millions and so you've
00:09:15.62\00:09:20.77
got to figure here of some
fifty million devils at least
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that have rebelled against God.
Now these were pure and holy
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angels who decided to
rebel against the Creator.
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Well, how did it all
begin? How did it get started?
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We're told in Isaiah,
chapter 14 where it says,
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How you are fallen from heaven
O Lucifer, son of the morning.
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For you have said in your heart,
I will ascend into heaven,
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I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will ascend
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above the heights of the clouds
I will be like the Most High.
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Now apparently Lucifer was
the head angel. And he rebelled
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against God. There's no reason.
You say, Well why did he do it.
00:10:02.76\00:10:05.86
Wasn't he contented? He should
have been. There's no reason
00:10:05.89\00:10:08.78
you can give. Otherwise you
can justify him in doing it.
00:10:08.81\00:10:11.14
But for some reason that we
do not understand, he just said,
00:10:11.17\00:10:15.39
Well, I'm not satisfied with
what I've got. And so he said,
00:10:15.42\00:10:19.02
I want to be like the Most High.
And so he rebelled against God.
00:10:19.05\00:10:23.26
Now he was a very beautiful
angel. In the book of Ezekiel,
00:10:23.29\00:10:27.54
it says here, Son of man
take up a lamentation for the
00:10:27.57\00:10:31.65
king of Tyre. Now this is
apparently symbolic of this
00:10:31.68\00:10:35.86
rebellion because it says,
You were the seal of perfection,
00:10:35.89\00:10:40.15
full of wisdom and perfect
in beauty. You were in Eden,
00:10:40.18\00:10:43.47
the garden of God. You see,
the king of Tyre wasn't in the
00:10:43.50\00:10:46.57
garden of God, in the garden
of Eden. So it must be referring
00:10:46.60\00:10:49.39
to this head angel, Lucifer.
You were the anointed cherub who
00:10:49.42\00:10:54.31
covers. You were perfect
in your ways from the day you
00:10:54.34\00:10:57.55
were created till iniquity was
found in you. So also you see
00:10:57.58\00:11:01.90
he was created. He wasn't a
born creature. He was created
00:11:01.93\00:11:05.87
and so this beautiful angel
apparently became filled with
00:11:05.90\00:11:10.29
pride and decided
to rebel against God.
00:11:10.32\00:11:12.92
Well, apparently he was very
subtle and succeeded in getting
00:11:12.95\00:11:18.08
a lot of the angels
to sympathize with him.
00:11:18.11\00:11:20.21
And what was the result?
Well there's only one conclusion
00:11:20.24\00:11:23.86
that could happen and that's
brought to light in Revelation,
00:11:23.89\00:11:26.55
twelve, and in verse 7 where
it says, And war broke out in
00:11:26.58\00:11:30.92
heaven. Michael and his
angels fought against the dragon
00:11:30.95\00:11:34.12
and the dragon and his angels
fought. So the great dragon was
00:11:34.15\00:11:37.70
cast out, that serpent of
old called the devil and Satan
00:11:37.73\00:11:41.37
who deceives the whole
world. He was cast to the earth,
00:11:41.40\00:11:44.56
and his angels were cast
out with him. Well, why didn't
00:11:44.59\00:11:48.90
the Lord destroy him? You see
he was apparently very subtle
00:11:48.93\00:11:53.16
and if God had wiped him out,
there and then, there may have
00:11:53.19\00:11:55.99
been some lingering questions
in the minds of the loyal angels
00:11:56.02\00:11:59.66
and so God had to let this
controversy develop just to see
00:11:59.69\00:12:03.54
where it was really leading
to. I think we can see it now.
00:12:03.57\00:12:06.20
Well, what was the result of
all this? What was the result of
00:12:06.23\00:12:09.94
these angels being cast
out? Do you see that cave in the
00:12:09.97\00:12:14.75
hillside up there? I want to
tell you an interesting story.
00:12:14.78\00:12:17.94
We're actually standing here at
a place called Kurisee and it is
00:12:17.97\00:12:24.35
thought that that was the
ancient Gariso. Now in the bible
00:12:24.38\00:12:28.97
we read a story about two men
who came from Gariso or actually
00:12:29.00\00:12:33.58
the biblical record in some
manuscripts says the Gadarenes.
00:12:33.61\00:12:36.83
Well, this is what happened.
Over there is the lake of
00:12:36.86\00:12:40.08
Galilee and one morning Jesus
came, arrived here in his boat
00:12:40.11\00:12:43.91
with the disciples, and
no sooner had they landed,
00:12:43.94\00:12:47.26
than two demon possessed
men came running down from these
00:12:47.29\00:12:51.59
caves, and approached
Jesus and the disciples.
00:12:51.62\00:12:54.73
And the disciples apparently
were scared to death. They fled.
00:12:54.76\00:12:56.95
But not Jesus. He stood
his ground. And so when they
00:12:56.98\00:13:01.03
approached him all fierce
and threatening, Jesus simply
00:13:01.06\00:13:05.50
commanded the devils to go out
of them. And the devil put up
00:13:05.53\00:13:10.22
some resistance. These were
demon possessed men, you see.
00:13:10.25\00:13:12.78
And is says in Luke, chapter
8, Jesus asked him, saying what
00:13:12.81\00:13:18.69
is your name? And he said,
Legion, because many demons
00:13:18.72\00:13:24.36
had entered into him.
Now we need to realize,
00:13:24.39\00:13:27.51
There's an awful lot of devils
around in this world. There are
00:13:27.54\00:13:30.87
millions of them. In fact
you probably got one in personal
00:13:30.90\00:13:34.80
attendance on yourself. So
you need to be on your guard.
00:13:34.83\00:13:38.35
And so these people said
they were legion or many devils.
00:13:38.38\00:13:42.75
And so Jesus cast out
these demons. And these men were
00:13:42.78\00:13:48.77
so grateful. They just
flung themselves at Jesus' feet.
00:13:48.80\00:13:51.89
The next thing we have a record
of they were sitting at Jesus
00:13:51.92\00:13:55.48
feet, clothed and in their
right mind. That's what Jesus
00:13:55.51\00:13:58.55
can do for demon possessed
people. And demon possession
00:13:58.58\00:14:02.20
is a very real thing. It really
happens. And don't make any
00:14:02.23\00:14:05.95
mistake. These
demons have some real power.
00:14:05.98\00:14:08.85
For instance in Revelation
chapter 16, and in verse 14,
00:14:08.88\00:14:13.44
it says, For they are spirits
of demons performing signs
00:14:13.47\00:14:18.48
or miracles, which go out to the
kings of the earth and of the
00:14:18.51\00:14:22.05
whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of
00:14:22.08\00:14:24.81
God Almighty. You see, the devil
can work miracles, and all his
00:14:24.84\00:14:28.28
evil angels can work miracles.
So just because you see a
00:14:28.31\00:14:31.83
miracle, don't jump to the
conclusion that it must be of
00:14:31.86\00:14:34.38
God. The devil and his
evil angels are out to deceive
00:14:34.41\00:14:38.37
people and they have the
power to perform miracles.
00:14:38.40\00:14:42.50
And even people who preach
in their name have the power to
00:14:42.53\00:14:46.81
work miracles. Even in the
name of Christ. So while they're
00:14:46.84\00:14:50.46
actually serving the
devil, Listen, Matthew chapter 7
00:14:50.49\00:14:52.73
and verse 21, Not every
one who says to me, Lord, Lord,
00:14:52.76\00:14:57.85
shall enter the kingdom of
heaven. But he who does the will
00:14:57.88\00:15:01.39
of my father in heaven. Now
here people who actually call
00:15:01.42\00:15:05.44
Christ, Lord. And yet it says,
Many will say to me in that day,
00:15:05.47\00:15:09.76
Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in your name,
00:15:09.79\00:15:13.03
cast out demons in your name
and done many wonders in your
00:15:13.06\00:15:17.40
name? And then I will declare
to them, I never knew you.
00:15:17.43\00:15:21.44
Depart from me, you
who practice lawlessness.
00:15:21.47\00:15:25.00
So its not a case of whether
you work miracles or not.
00:15:25.03\00:15:27.28
Its a case of whether
you do the will of God.
00:15:27.31\00:15:30.50
Now I want to take it a step
further. You realize that there
00:15:34.46\00:15:38.87
are spiritualist churches in the
world today? That is churches
00:15:38.90\00:15:45.05
that claim to believe in the
bible, claim to believe in Jesus
00:15:45.08\00:15:48.64
Christ and yet they have
Séances? They have Mediums,
00:15:48.67\00:15:52.24
they have spirits appearing
out of the darkness and all the
00:15:52.27\00:15:55.93
rest of it. And these spirits
profess to have faith in Christ.
00:15:55.96\00:16:00.12
they profess to be the
spirits of people who have died.
00:16:00.15\00:16:05.46
And yet they have faith
in Christ. Listen, this just
00:16:05.49\00:16:08.05
does not work. Its absolutely
contrary to the bible.
00:16:08.08\00:16:11.69
It just can't be. And it
just must be that its the devil
00:16:11.72\00:16:15.86
impersonating those who
are departed and who are trying
00:16:15.89\00:16:19.70
to make out that they're still
alive. Its a false sense of
00:16:19.73\00:16:22.60
security. And there are just
millions of people being swept
00:16:22.63\00:16:26.26
into this. I don't know whether
you noticed this a few years ago
00:16:26.29\00:16:29.62
in the Time magazine.
You see what it says here?
00:16:29.65\00:16:32.97
Occult revival. Down to
the bottom here, Satan returns.
00:16:33.00\00:16:38.51
You know, even the Time magazine
gets it right sometimes.
00:16:38.54\00:16:41.87
And, it's right on there. And
so there is great revival of the
00:16:41.90\00:16:47.98
occult, Satanism. And these
spirits appearing to people.
00:16:48.01\00:16:54.83
And so, if you haven't had any
confrontation with this sort of
00:16:54.86\00:16:58.13
thing yet, well, just know
what its all about; because you
00:16:58.16\00:17:01.72
might be called upon to
face up to something like this.
00:17:01.75\00:17:04.65
The bible makes it very plain
that we ought to keep right
00:17:04.68\00:17:09.05
away from this sort of
thing. Listen, I'm reading from
00:17:09.08\00:17:11.77
Isaiah chapter 8, and in verse
19. And when they say to you,
00:17:11.80\00:17:16.72
Seek those who are mediums and
wizards, who whisper and mutter,
00:17:16.75\00:17:22.83
should not a people seek their
God? Should they seek the dead
00:17:22.86\00:17:27.98
on behalf of the living? Isn't
that just what they're doing?
00:17:28.01\00:17:30.52
Seeking the supposedly
dead on behalf of the living.
00:17:30.55\00:17:34.32
They're not talking to the dead
at all, they're in communication
00:17:34.35\00:17:38.17
with evil spirits.
Now this is what it says,
00:17:38.20\00:17:41.23
To the law and to the testimony,
If they do not speak according
00:17:41.26\00:17:46.52
to this word, it is because
there is no light in them.
00:17:46.55\00:17:50.34
Now some people think, Well,
there is a little light here.
00:17:50.37\00:17:52.25
Listen, if its darkness,
there is no light in them.
00:17:52.28\00:17:57.00
And its dangerous. And if
you are involved in this sort of
00:17:57.03\00:18:01.20
thing in any way, I want to
advise you to get right out of
00:18:01.23\00:18:04.54
it. Its dangerous. Keep
away from it altogether.
00:18:04.57\00:18:07.41
Well, some people might
be disappointed in this.
00:18:07.44\00:18:10.43
Actually, I guess I should
tell you that my mother and my
00:18:10.46\00:18:14.44
grandmother was a spiritualist.
She had a weekly séance,
00:18:14.47\00:18:16.98
went along and talked to
her so called dead husband
00:18:17.01\00:18:20.12
once a week. So I know a little
bit of what I'm talking about.
00:18:20.15\00:18:23.23
And I want to tell you, It's
dangerous and keep away from it.
00:18:23.26\00:18:25.93
There is a marvelous alternative
Listen. Jesus said in John 10
00:18:25.96\00:18:31.00
and in verse 10. I have come
that they may have life, and
00:18:31.03\00:18:37.27
that they may have
it more abundantly.
00:18:37.30\00:18:39.90
Look, if you want life, there's
a place to get it, from Jesus
00:18:39.93\00:18:44.86
Christ. Don't go looking for it
in dead people. Jesus Christ is
00:18:44.89\00:18:49.82
the one who is able to give you
life, real, good, wonderful life
00:18:49.85\00:18:54.10
in this world and eternal
life in the world to come.
00:18:54.13\00:18:57.92
Standing here in the ruins
of Garesa where those demons
00:19:00.45\00:19:04.45
possessed men might have come
from, gives one quite an eerie
00:19:04.48\00:19:08.13
feeling. Have you ever wondered
why God gave such specific
00:19:08.16\00:19:12.80
instructions regarding
the building of the sanctuary,
00:19:12.83\00:19:15.87
and why He required so
many animals sacrifices?
00:19:15.91\00:19:19.63
Why would a God of
love need to be plactated
00:19:19.66\00:19:22.57
by the death of so many animals?
We'll explain and answer these
00:19:22.60\00:19:27.87
puzzling questions in our next
program, when we visit Shiloh
00:19:27.90\00:19:31.46
where the Israelites
first erected the sanctuary
00:19:31.49\00:19:34.91
when they arrived
in the promised land.
00:19:34.94\00:19:37.38