Please stay with us 00:00:01.98\00:00:08.23 3ABN Presents 00:00:08.26\00:00:16.62 this closed captioned program 00:00:16.65\00:00:22.68 Welcome to Faith Chapel. I'm Christian Berdahl, 00:00:31.16\00:00:34.13 director of Shepherd's Call ministry. 00:00:34.16\00:00:36.25 Before we pray together I'd like to ask you a question. 00:00:36.28\00:00:39.23 it's a deep question though. 00:00:39.26\00:00:40.98 Are you in Babylon? 00:00:41.01\00:00:43.70 Or would you consider yourself 00:00:43.73\00:00:45.68 to be a Babylonian? 00:00:45.71\00:00:47.46 And of course most Christians 00:00:47.49\00:00:48.75 will say, "Of course not!" 00:00:48.78\00:00:50.08 In fact I hope you answer that way. 00:00:50.11\00:00:52.86 But friends, I'm just wondering 00:00:52.89\00:00:56.14 if in the Bible, when it refers to Babylon 00:00:56.17\00:01:00.18 if it's more than what we think it is. 00:01:00.21\00:01:02.66 Let's pray together and ask God to show us. 00:01:02.69\00:01:05.26 Father in Heaven, I pray that You would be with us today, 00:01:05.29\00:01:08.56 during our study. 00:01:08.59\00:01:09.80 And I pray that You will send the Holy Spirit 00:01:09.83\00:01:11.37 to guide our minds into all truth. 00:01:11.40\00:01:13.68 I pray that your Word will be very clear to us. 00:01:13.71\00:01:16.62 I thank You and ask this in Jesus Name! Amen. 00:01:16.65\00:01:20.73 I'd like to have our opening verse start in Revelation 18:2 00:01:20.76\00:01:26.30 So, I'll ask you again friends, Are you in Babylon? 00:01:55.55\00:01:59.79 Now what do we all know Babylon to be? 00:01:59.82\00:02:02.26 In general what is Babylon? 00:02:02.29\00:02:03.96 And most will answer, "confusion" 00:02:03.99\00:02:05.87 or a false system of worship. 00:02:05.90\00:02:07.76 And friends you would be right answering those. 00:02:07.79\00:02:10.41 But we've been taught that Babylon 00:02:10.44\00:02:15.05 is a false system of worship and confusing doctrines. 00:02:15.08\00:02:20.18 But I'm just wondering if there are Christians out there 00:02:20.21\00:02:24.44 that think that Babylon is not an issue in their life, 00:02:24.47\00:02:28.88 that Babylon is something that's out there, 00:02:28.91\00:02:31.90 and they've come out of her 00:02:31.93\00:02:33.48 and so it's not a personal issue in their life or is it? 00:02:33.51\00:02:37.39 Could it be that we as Christians 00:02:37.42\00:02:41.37 are living our lives for six days a week as Babylonians 00:02:41.40\00:02:47.76 and only worshipping God for one? 00:02:47.79\00:02:50.46 That's a pretty heavy question isn't it? 00:02:50.49\00:02:53.72 Could it be that we say, we love Jesus 00:02:53.75\00:02:57.43 with our mouth, but the way we live our lives 00:02:57.46\00:03:01.56 says we love Babylon, we love the world? 00:03:01.59\00:03:04.67 Because friends, this is a day and age where we need 00:03:04.70\00:03:08.45 to get ready for the soon coming of Jesus Christ. 00:03:08.48\00:03:11.20 And I see the Spirit of Babylon in God's people. 00:03:11.23\00:03:15.71 And I'm not here to call the church Babylon, friends. 00:03:15.74\00:03:18.09 That's not what this is about. 00:03:18.12\00:03:19.31 That wouldn't be consistent with inspired writings. 00:03:19.34\00:03:22.29 The church is not Babylon. 00:03:22.32\00:03:24.16 But friends are there Babylonian roots in your own heart 00:03:24.19\00:03:28.01 or in your home? 00:03:28.04\00:03:29.74 Could it be the devil is using what we know which is 00:03:29.77\00:03:30.82 true, about spiritual Babylon, that it's a false system of 00:03:30.85\00:03:42.21 worship, it's something other religions are engaged in. 00:03:42.24\00:03:44.96 Could he be using this as a means by which we're 00:03:44.99\00:03:49.47 being lulled to sleep in carnal security, thinking that Babylon 00:03:49.50\00:03:53.96 is just not an issue for me? 00:03:53.99\00:03:55.11 Babylon is something out there. 00:03:55.14\00:03:57.00 As I've traveled around this country, America, 00:03:57.03\00:04:01.85 and as I've traveled around the world, 00:04:01.88\00:04:03.74 I've seen the spirit of Babylon in God's people 00:04:03.77\00:04:07.55 and it breaks my heart. 00:04:07.58\00:04:09.24 I see the spiritual life and the spiritual growth 00:04:09.27\00:04:12.15 has been blunted by the Babylonian world around them 00:04:12.18\00:04:16.42 and in them. 00:04:16.45\00:04:18.62 They have partaken of her sins. 00:04:18.65\00:04:22.66 I believe that our opening verses, friends, 00:04:22.69\00:04:26.42 can be applied to us on a deeper spiritual level. 00:04:26.45\00:04:29.54 That I believe, Babylon is more than 00:04:29.57\00:04:33.84 just a false system of worship. 00:04:33.87\00:04:36.28 Now it is that, but I believe it's more than that. 00:04:36.31\00:04:39.60 I think God wants us to go deeper 00:04:39.63\00:04:41.56 into the Scriptures today. 00:04:41.59\00:04:42.97 I believe frankly, it's a way of life 00:04:43.00\00:04:46.33 that God is calling us out of. 00:04:46.36\00:04:48.61 The Babylonian says, "I'll do whatever I want to, 00:04:48.64\00:04:54.38 I'll do whatever I want to, whenever I want to, 00:04:54.41\00:04:57.72 with whomever I want to," 00:04:57.75\00:04:59.00 no matter what God says. 00:04:59.03\00:05:01.90 That's the Babylonian attitude. 00:05:01.93\00:05:03.75 "Oh it's just too fanatical to just live your life 00:05:03.78\00:05:07.31 like those goodie-two-shoes. " 00:05:07.34\00:05:08.60 "I'm going to be doing whatever I want to, whenever I want to. " 00:05:08.63\00:05:12.44 Could it be that we as professed Christians, God's followers, 00:05:12.47\00:05:21.36 are living like Babylonians for six days a week 00:05:21.39\00:05:24.85 but only worshipping God for one? 00:05:24.89\00:05:27.94 Is it a possibility? 00:05:27.97\00:05:32.38 We don't have the everlasting gospel. 00:05:33.54\00:05:38.91 We might know the everlasting gospel 00:05:38.94\00:05:42.09 but we don't possess it. 00:05:42.12\00:05:43.72 We don't live it. 00:05:43.75\00:05:45.44 And 1 Peter 2:9 says 00:05:45.47\00:05:49.75 God has called us out of darkness, friends. 00:06:04.26\00:06:06.14 Do you need to come out of the darkness of the world? 00:06:06.17\00:06:08.62 Amen! He says, "I'm calling you out of darkness," 00:06:08.65\00:06:11.65 out of the world, out of Babylon 00:06:11.68\00:06:13.40 and into His marvelous light." Amen! 00:06:13.43\00:06:16.64 When God calls us, there's to be a new life that's hid in Jesus. 00:06:16.67\00:06:24.88 New motives will emerge 00:06:24.91\00:06:26.88 and new ambitions, new thoughts, new words, new 00:06:26.91\00:06:29.56 desires, even a new character, will begin to develop. 00:06:29.59\00:06:35.94 And the old will fall away. 00:06:35.97\00:06:38.00 That's the Christian's hope. 00:06:38.03\00:06:40.42 I want my once carnal man 00:06:40.45\00:06:44.07 to fall away. 00:06:44.10\00:06:45.88 I want to be that spiritual Israelite if you will. 00:06:45.91\00:06:49.13 And this can only happen through a vital connection with Jesus 00:06:49.16\00:06:53.72 which can only happen by beholding Jesus. 00:06:53.75\00:06:56.77 When we spend time with Him in His Word, 00:06:56.80\00:06:59.89 and spend time with Him in prayer, 00:06:59.92\00:07:02.16 when we fellowship with His people, 00:07:02.19\00:07:04.76 and when we witness to others. 00:07:04.79\00:07:07.33 But friends, when we take His name in vain, 00:07:07.36\00:07:11.11 when we take His name in vain, by living 00:07:11.14\00:07:14.21 a life that's no different than the world's, 00:07:14.24\00:07:16.19 no different than Babylon's, 00:07:16.22\00:07:18.90 then we are like the luke warm water that the Bible refers to 00:07:18.93\00:07:23.38 in Revelation 3:15 and 16, quote 00:07:23.41\00:07:26.33 God would rather you and I 00:07:46.96\00:07:49.01 to be real Christians, 00:07:49.04\00:07:51.47 or real Babylonians, that's what the Scripture just said. 00:07:51.50\00:07:55.04 It says, "I'd rather you be hot or cold. " 00:07:55.07\00:07:57.97 But because you've combined some Babylonian things, 00:07:58.00\00:08:02.34 and some Christian things and you've put them together, 00:08:02.37\00:08:05.54 in kind of a Babylonian Christianity... 00:08:05.57\00:08:08.69 or a term that I've coined... "you've become a Babylistian" 00:08:08.72\00:08:13.71 I mean, I know that's kind of a silly term, but think 00:08:13.74\00:08:17.20 about that, is that how we are living our lives? 00:08:17.23\00:08:18.69 Are you and I being Babylistians? 00:08:18.72\00:08:21.33 We've got, you know, nine toes 00:08:21.36\00:08:23.77 out in the world and just a pinky toe in the Church. 00:08:23.80\00:08:28.43 Friends, this is a serious problem, 00:08:28.46\00:08:33.02 because our youth are not finding the leaders, 00:08:33.05\00:08:38.46 and the role models that they need in the Church. 00:08:38.49\00:08:40.80 You know as well as I do, friends, that 00:08:40.83\00:08:44.03 there are countless traps out in the world. 00:08:44.06\00:08:46.78 The devil has set them far and wide. 00:08:46.81\00:08:48.90 And they range from TV, to movies, to video games, 00:08:48.93\00:08:53.95 to the bad stuff on the internet, 00:08:53.98\00:08:56.16 to soul stealing music. 00:08:56.19\00:08:57.63 Traps that keep us from having that close walk with God, 00:08:57.66\00:09:01.08 to love the world more than we love God. 00:09:01.11\00:09:03.44 In fact, our young people are not seeing 00:09:03.47\00:09:08.11 any difference between us and the world. 00:09:08.14\00:09:11.43 And so they run off to the world. 00:09:11.46\00:09:13.04 Were you aware that there was a poll done 00:09:13.07\00:09:17.91 of 1500 pastors, in America, 00:09:17.94\00:09:21.49 'Christianity Today' conducted the poll. 00:09:21.52\00:09:23.51 And it said that 54% of pastors revealed 00:09:23.54\00:09:29.19 that they had looked at internet pornography 00:09:29.22\00:09:31.55 within the year of the poll. 00:09:31.58\00:09:33.04 What! 00:09:33.07\00:09:34.94 The men of the cloth? 00:09:34.97\00:09:37.66 God's pastors, over half of them, said they 00:09:37.69\00:09:40.98 had looked at internet pornography! 00:09:41.01\00:09:42.48 We have a problem friends. 00:09:42.51\00:09:44.82 By beholding the world we become changed into the world. 00:09:44.85\00:09:52.25 And then 30% of them said, 00:09:52.28\00:09:55.65 that they had looked at internet pornography, 00:09:55.68\00:09:57.93 within the last month. 00:09:57.96\00:10:00.53 Friends, if those are the statistics for the "Men of God", 00:10:00.56\00:10:05.72 the "Pastors and Preachers" throughout America, 00:10:05.75\00:10:08.02 what are the statistics for you and I, just the laity? 00:10:08.05\00:10:12.29 That's a sobering thought, Amen? 00:10:12.32\00:10:14.90 So let me ask the question, 00:10:14.93\00:10:17.11 Are you in Babylon? 00:10:17.14\00:10:19.63 Are you living your life like a Babylonian? 00:10:19.66\00:10:22.33 I hope not. Oh God, I hope not. 00:10:22.36\00:10:24.54 Frankly friends, the way that we are representing Christianity, 00:10:24.57\00:10:32.47 in fact, when I was a young person, 00:10:32.50\00:10:34.54 I looked at Christians and I thought 00:10:34.57\00:10:36.53 they were a bunch of hypocrites, 00:10:36.56\00:10:38.83 because they lived their lives no differently 00:10:38.87\00:10:41.29 than I was living, and I wasn't even a professing Christian. 00:10:41.32\00:10:44.04 They just went to church a few hours one day, 00:10:44.07\00:10:46.51 and said a prayer, and they're going to get to go to heaven. 00:10:46.54\00:10:48.90 Doesn't that seem silly? 00:10:48.93\00:10:50.40 There must be a difference between us 00:10:50.43\00:10:54.13 and the world, friends. Amen? AMEN! 00:10:54.16\00:10:58.16 There must be a difference. 00:10:58.19\00:10:59.37 Another study revealed that 41% 00:10:59.40\00:11:04.05 that's a big number- 00:11:04.08\00:11:06.50 41% of Christian youth surveyed 00:11:06.53\00:11:10.32 said that there was no one in the church, 00:11:10.35\00:11:12.35 that they respected enough to consider a role model. 00:11:12.38\00:11:15.85 That breaks my heart. 00:11:15.88\00:11:18.34 Well, why isn't it? In fact, 67% of youth 00:11:18.37\00:11:23.57 see adults as hypocrites. 00:11:23.60\00:11:26.17 Church members as hypocrites! 00:11:26.20\00:11:29.27 So, why do you suppose our young people see us, 00:11:29.30\00:11:32.96 leaders and older people, 00:11:32.99\00:11:35.23 as hypocrites in the church? 00:11:35.26\00:11:37.14 And there's no role model, 00:11:37.17\00:11:38.65 because they know what the pastor 00:11:38.68\00:11:40.68 is watching and doing at home. 00:11:40.71\00:11:42.49 They know what mom and dad are doing at home. 00:11:42.52\00:11:44.96 Right? Right. 00:11:44.99\00:11:48.19 Friends, we have got to get 00:11:48.22\00:11:51.15 our fingers, and our eyeballs, 00:11:51.18\00:11:53.68 and our ears, out of the world. 00:11:53.71\00:11:55.59 Can you say, "Amen! "? 00:11:55.62\00:11:57.08 This is not a time to play with sin, friends. 00:11:57.11\00:12:00.62 It's time to overcome and be the people 00:12:00.65\00:12:04.58 that God has designed us to be. 00:12:04.61\00:12:06.71 If mom and dad aren't going to live, 00:12:06.74\00:12:11.60 any life that's different than the neighbors, 00:12:11.63\00:12:17.37 the children see it. 00:12:17.40\00:12:19.45 How many times, I've talked to lots of young people 00:12:19.48\00:12:22.90 not just in America but in other parts of the world too, 00:12:22.93\00:12:25.45 and you know what they tell me? 00:12:25.48\00:12:27.49 "Mom and Dad are nicer to me when other people are around. " 00:12:27.52\00:12:30.82 Now, that's not okay! 00:12:30.85\00:12:32.66 That's not okay is it? 00:12:32.69\00:12:34.46 Absolutely not. 00:12:34.49\00:12:36.95 And I've talked to others 00:12:36.98\00:12:39.18 who have said, "You know, my mom and dad, they just do 00:12:39.21\00:12:43.72 everything else that all their friends do, 00:12:43.75\00:12:45.76 and yet, when the pastor comes around 00:12:45.79\00:12:49.49 or when the other church people come around 00:12:49.52\00:12:51.46 they act like it's not okay anymore. " 00:12:51.49\00:12:53.97 They're living a dual life, they're being hypocrites. 00:12:54.00\00:12:56.35 No wonder the children are running out of the church. 00:12:56.38\00:13:00.42 They're not seeing mom and dad 00:13:00.45\00:13:03.89 have victory in their lives, friends, 00:13:03.92\00:13:06.46 and if mom and dad aren't having victory, 00:13:06.49\00:13:09.88 then they must assume, that neither is anyone else in the 00:13:09.91\00:13:12.98 church, because after all, they can't find role models. 00:13:13.01\00:13:17.04 What are we going to do? 00:13:17.08\00:13:18.16 We've gotta make changes. 00:13:18.19\00:13:20.31 We have got to get to the place 00:13:20.34\00:13:22.16 where we stop playing with our Christianity, 00:13:22.19\00:13:24.64 and we become the true Christians, 00:13:24.67\00:13:27.43 the real Christians. 00:13:27.46\00:13:29.79 You know people ask me, 00:13:29.82\00:13:30.79 "How do you make your ministry relevant to the young people? " 00:13:30.82\00:13:33.70 You know what I do? I preach TRUTH! 00:13:33.73\00:13:35.80 I talk to them about a real Christain life style. 00:13:35.83\00:13:38.86 In fact, I recently just had a wonderful time 00:13:38.89\00:13:40.60 with a bunch of young people at a campmeeting, 00:13:40.63\00:13:43.71 and I pulled them aside and I said, 00:13:43.74\00:13:44.80 "You know what, young people, 00:13:44.83\00:13:45.80 I'm not going to preach to you, 00:13:45.81\00:13:46.99 I want you to teach me. " 00:13:47.02\00:13:48.73 "What have your parents done right? " 00:13:48.76\00:13:50.32 They thought about it and told me some things. 00:13:50.35\00:13:52.74 I said, "What have your parents not done right? 00:13:52.77\00:13:54.52 Because I want to be an awesome daddy to my children. " 00:13:54.55\00:13:56.98 Then I asked them, "What would you change in your home? " 00:13:57.01\00:14:01.85 And do you know what they started to say? 00:14:01.89\00:14:03.68 They said, "You know what? I'd get rid of that dumb TV, 00:14:03.71\00:14:06.23 get it out of here. " 00:14:06.26\00:14:07.23 "I'd love to just go for a walk, with my mother or my father, 00:14:07.24\00:14:11.14 I'd love for them to just throw a ball with me. " 00:14:11.17\00:14:13.28 And then I asked them another question, 00:14:13.31\00:14:15.97 "When was the last time you received 00:14:16.00\00:14:20.23 a hug from your mom and dad, 00:14:20.26\00:14:21.87 and it was a real hug? " 00:14:21.90\00:14:23.93 I had one young lady say, "Just this week." 00:14:23.96\00:14:27.01 I said, "Praise the Lord!" 00:14:27.04\00:14:28.16 And I had one girl break down and said, 00:14:28.19\00:14:31.11 "Five years ago... " 00:14:31.14\00:14:32.98 Friends, what are we doing? 00:14:33.01\00:14:37.39 We're more interested in what's going on in movie stars lives 00:14:37.42\00:14:42.50 than we are in our own children! 00:14:42.53\00:14:44.41 They're crying out, wanting to spend time with us, 00:14:44.44\00:14:47.14 and what are we doing? 00:14:47.17\00:14:48.14 We're off like little Babylonians 00:14:48.15\00:14:52.10 watching things we shouldn't. 00:14:52.13\00:14:55.72 And we fight and we scream, all the way through Sabbath morning, 00:14:55.75\00:14:59.09 getting ready to go to church, we get in the car 00:14:59.12\00:15:01.16 "Come on everybody, where's my Bible? 00:15:01.19\00:15:02.61 Oh, it's still here where it was last week" 00:15:02.64\00:15:04.29 Didn't read it all week. 00:15:04.32\00:15:05.29 "Come on, everybody's in the car. " 00:15:05.32\00:15:07.21 And we're rushing, and fighting and bickering, all the way 00:15:07.24\00:15:09.94 to church and then something miraculous happens, 00:15:09.97\00:15:12.27 as we get out of the car, 00:15:12.30\00:15:14.78 we become holy people. 00:15:14.81\00:15:16.98 Oooo, we become holy all of a sudden 00:15:17.01\00:15:19.79 and the kids go, "Give me a break." 00:15:19.82\00:15:21.58 Right? 00:15:21.61\00:15:24.64 It's true, friends. 00:15:24.67\00:15:26.45 Why do you think the children are leaving the churches? 00:15:26.48\00:15:30.36 Because mom and dad aren't having 00:15:30.39\00:15:33.22 real victory in their lives, 00:15:33.25\00:15:34.51 and it's breaking my heart. 00:15:34.54\00:15:36.83 It's gotta stop. 00:15:36.86\00:15:38.67 I wish I could bring young people into my home 00:15:38.70\00:15:41.81 and just, "Come on, come live with me. " 00:15:41.84\00:15:43.65 I'm not perfect but I'll tell you what 00:15:43.68\00:15:47.11 I'm forgiven and I want to walk 00:15:47.14\00:15:49.05 a life like Jesus wants me to walk. 00:15:49.08\00:15:51.14 Amen? 00:15:51.17\00:15:52.48 Praise the Lord! 00:15:52.51\00:15:53.48 Jeremiah 17:9 says 00:15:57.68\00:16:01.32 You see friends, we need a heart transplant. 00:16:09.63\00:16:11.28 We need to have Jesus, and allow Him to come into our 00:16:11.31\00:16:14.56 hearts, to change our motives, 00:16:14.59\00:16:16.57 to help us, and to let the world die away from us, you see. 00:16:16.60\00:16:21.84 Ezekiel 36:26 says 00:16:21.87\00:16:25.97 Praise GOD! 00:16:40.71\00:16:41.68 I want that! I want my stony heart to be cast away 00:16:41.69\00:16:45.20 and I want my new heart that Jesus wants to give me. 00:16:45.23\00:16:48.70 Jesus says, "Look, I'll take away 00:16:48.73\00:16:50.70 that stony Babylonian heart you have 00:16:50.73\00:16:53.34 and I'll help the desires to change in your life." 00:16:53.37\00:16:57.92 Praise the Lord. 00:16:57.96\00:16:59.53 "A new heart, a new mind will I give you, 00:16:59.56\00:17:04.16 a new conscience, a new moral character, 00:17:04.19\00:17:07.30 new emotions, new passions, new courage, 00:17:07.33\00:17:10.14 to take on your Christian life." 00:17:10.17\00:17:11.93 I'll take away that stony heart, 00:17:11.96\00:17:14.45 that Babylonian heart, 00:17:14.48\00:17:16.03 and I will give you a heart like Jesus. 00:17:16.06\00:17:18.08 Do you want total victory in your life friends? 00:17:18.11\00:17:21.63 Do you want total victory? 00:17:21.66\00:17:24.18 Well here's a very powerful Biblical formula, 00:17:24.21\00:17:27.61 very simple, but very powerful. 00:17:27.64\00:17:30.22 Let's read James 4:7 00:17:30.25\00:17:32.90 Now notice that there are 3 stages to this Scripture. 00:17:40.51\00:17:43.01 Submit, resist and then the victory. 00:17:43.04\00:17:47.44 Are we clear there? 00:17:47.47\00:17:48.44 It starts with submission. 00:17:48.45\00:17:50.14 Well of course, what is submission? 00:17:50.17\00:17:51.97 It's simply praying to God, 00:17:52.00\00:17:53.98 asking Him to give you that new heart that he has promised, 00:17:54.01\00:17:57.19 new discernment to see ourselves for who we really are, 00:17:57.22\00:18:00.57 asking Him to heal our backslidings, 00:18:00.60\00:18:03.67 to forgive us for engaging in all the stuff 00:18:03.70\00:18:07.11 we've been engaging in. 00:18:07.14\00:18:08.14 Forgive us for all the junk we've been allowing in the home. 00:18:08.17\00:18:10.93 And then we must accept what God reveals to us, 00:18:10.96\00:18:15.46 in regard to changes necessary 00:18:15.49\00:18:18.01 for victory in our lives. 00:18:18.04\00:18:19.33 That's submission. 00:18:19.36\00:18:20.99 And with this power, with Jesus Christ's power 00:18:21.02\00:18:24.93 not just your own will power, but no, 00:18:24.96\00:18:27.81 being connected to the Source of all power in Jesus Christ. 00:18:27.84\00:18:31.25 When we're connected, then we can resist the devil, you see. 00:18:31.28\00:18:36.84 There's two parts. 00:18:36.87\00:18:38.92 There's me and God, 00:18:38.95\00:18:42.44 there's two very powerful factors here. 00:18:42.47\00:18:45.88 God and me. 00:18:45.91\00:18:46.88 When we are drawn together 00:18:46.91\00:18:49.32 When I say, "Lord I need Your help." 00:18:49.35\00:18:52.38 Do realize what I've done? 00:18:52.41\00:18:53.89 I've opened up the storehouse of heaven 00:18:53.92\00:18:56.36 to help me overcome whatever I need to. 00:18:56.39\00:19:00.61 That's awesome to me! Praise GOD! 00:19:00.64\00:19:02.77 But until we see the sinfulness 00:19:02.80\00:19:07.66 of our natures, and have a new revelation of Jesus Christ, 00:19:07.69\00:19:12.06 a new revival in our hearts, 00:19:12.09\00:19:14.64 then we will just continue to be Babylistians. 00:19:14.67\00:19:17.43 And friends, I'm not going to be a Babylistian. 00:19:17.46\00:19:22.45 Do you know what revival means? 00:19:22.48\00:19:26.16 It's a beautiful word. 00:19:26.19\00:19:28.21 The root word is "revive", 00:19:28.24\00:19:30.20 to return to life, to restore from a state of neglect. 00:19:30.23\00:19:36.41 Have we been neglecting our privileges 00:19:36.44\00:19:39.68 and responsibilities as children of God? 00:19:39.71\00:19:42.48 Then the Reviver, Jesus Christ, 00:19:42.51\00:19:46.57 wants to come in and work reformation 00:19:46.60\00:19:49.59 in our hearts. 00:19:49.62\00:19:53.53 You see, Jesus knows we need to have that change happen in us, 00:19:53.56\00:20:01.76 and He's more than willing to help us do that, 00:20:01.79\00:20:04.26 He wants to revive us 00:20:04.29\00:20:06.40 to a return, or a recall to activity, 00:20:06.43\00:20:09.61 from a state of languor, 00:20:09.64\00:20:11.06 and languor means dullness of the intellectual faculties. 00:20:11.09\00:20:14.46 Very interesting. 00:20:14.49\00:20:15.89 Or listlessness, where we just don't care anymore 00:20:15.92\00:20:18.67 about the sin in our lives, 00:20:18.70\00:20:20.07 and this is just what the wine of Babylon does, friends. 00:20:20.10\00:20:25.67 It dulls our connection with Jesus Christ. 00:20:25.70\00:20:29.17 He wants to show us where we are dead in our trespasses, 00:20:29.20\00:20:32.50 and where sin has become less sinful in our lives. 00:20:32.53\00:20:36.37 But when we are so distracted by the world, 00:20:36.40\00:20:41.05 we can't hear that still, small voice anymore. 00:20:41.08\00:20:44.71 And that's a scary time in our lives. 00:20:44.74\00:20:47.43 When that revelation, that waking up happens, 00:20:47.46\00:20:54.44 then we will see the need of change in our lives. 00:20:54.47\00:20:58.53 You know, it's amazing, many have written into our ministry, 00:20:58.56\00:21:01.88 they've emailed us, they've called us and said, 00:21:01.91\00:21:03.88 "Christian," because we do send out messages... 00:21:03.91\00:21:06.21 and they say, "Christian, conviction from God came. " 00:21:06.24\00:21:10.87 And do you realize many of them 00:21:10.90\00:21:12.61 took their TV's out. 00:21:12.64\00:21:13.92 I've actually had some say, "You know what, 00:21:13.95\00:21:15.73 We've resisted all the worldly programming, 00:21:15.76\00:21:17.73 but we're not getting rid of 3ABN." 00:21:17.76\00:21:19.14 And I said, "Well, Praise the Lord!" 00:21:19.17\00:21:20.22 I didn't say to do that. 00:21:20.25\00:21:22.12 And so they got rid of the junk out of their house. 00:21:22.15\00:21:26.73 The first thing they did was they surrendered, 00:21:26.76\00:21:28.66 they submitted to God, 00:21:28.69\00:21:30.05 and said, "Lord what would you have us to do? " 00:21:30.08\00:21:32.26 Not, "What would Christian have us to do? " 00:21:32.29\00:21:34.16 or anyone else, even your church leaders. 00:21:34.19\00:21:36.32 What would God have you to do? 00:21:36.35\00:21:38.35 They prayed this prayer of submission, and 00:21:38.38\00:21:39.84 then with the power and revelation Jesus gave them, 00:21:39.87\00:21:42.48 they got rid of some stuff out of their homes. 00:21:42.51\00:21:44.72 One man even emailed me and said, 00:21:44.75\00:21:46.24 "I moved the computer from my office, out 00:21:46.27\00:21:48.91 into the family room where there'd be less temptation," 00:21:48.94\00:21:51.67 because he was having a problem. 00:21:51.70\00:21:53.02 And men you know what I'm talking about. 00:21:53.05\00:21:55.07 You know what that's called? 00:21:55.10\00:21:58.07 Resisting! Praise GOD! 00:21:58.10\00:22:01.86 Yes, submission, resisting and then the devil fleeing. 00:22:01.89\00:22:07.46 That's the formula of James 4:7 00:22:07.49\00:22:09.92 Submit, resist and then the devil flees. 00:22:09.95\00:22:13.44 Praise the Lord! 00:22:13.47\00:22:14.50 And when we have that revelation, when 00:22:16.53\00:22:18.67 we have Jesus Christ coming into our hearts, 00:22:18.70\00:22:21.11 then we will see the need of change. 00:22:21.14\00:22:24.25 In fact, we'll make some changes, we'll reform. 00:22:24.28\00:22:28.41 Now do you know what the word "reform" means? 00:22:28.44\00:22:30.92 That's a word, my friends, that's very misunderstood 00:22:30.95\00:22:34.44 in Christendom today, 00:22:34.47\00:22:35.86 and I think that stems from 00:22:35.89\00:22:37.81 some people on the name 00:22:37.84\00:22:38.90 of reformation have 00:22:38.93\00:22:39.90 kind of beaten others 00:22:39.91\00:22:40.88 over the head. 00:22:40.89\00:22:41.86 But 'reform' is not a bad word 00:22:41.87\00:22:44.04 to the Christian, 00:22:44.07\00:22:45.56 'reform' is a beautiful word. 00:22:45.60\00:22:48.16 You know what reform means? 00:22:48.19\00:22:49.19 It means to change from worse to better, 00:22:49.22\00:22:51.92 to restore to a former good state, 00:22:51.95\00:22:55.19 to remove that which is bad or corrupt, 00:22:55.22\00:22:57.95 to form again. 00:22:57.98\00:22:59.75 Jesus the Reformer wants to 'reform' us. 00:22:59.78\00:23:05.46 Let me ask you a question, 00:23:05.49\00:23:07.51 how were we first created? 00:23:07.54\00:23:09.89 How was man created? 00:23:09.92\00:23:12.13 Well Genesis 2:7 tells us. 00:23:12.16\00:23:23.43 How careful and how tender Jesus, 00:23:23.46\00:23:27.49 reached down into the dust, and got His hands dirty, 00:23:27.52\00:23:30.59 and He formed us and shaped us, 00:23:30.62\00:23:32.29 everything else he spoke into existence, 00:23:32.32\00:23:34.57 but us, He touched us, 00:23:34.60\00:23:36.45 he formed us into His likeness and His image. 00:23:36.48\00:23:40.16 Have we come away from God's image? 00:23:40.19\00:23:42.94 Ohh yes friends. 00:23:42.97\00:23:44.64 Do we need to be reformed into His image? 00:23:44.67\00:23:48.60 I need reformation in my life, 00:23:48.63\00:23:50.62 reformation is not a bad thing, 00:23:50.65\00:23:52.84 and when you and I submit, 00:23:52.87\00:23:54.88 when we're walking closer with God, 00:23:54.91\00:23:57.08 and we're walking closer to the real Christain ideal, 00:23:57.11\00:24:00.47 then we will have that reformation begin in our lives. 00:24:00.50\00:24:06.96 Praise Jesus! 00:24:06.99\00:24:08.20 I don't know about you, 00:24:08.23\00:24:09.57 but I need more reformation, more changes in my life. 00:24:09.60\00:24:13.47 You see, I was a heathen before, 00:24:13.50\00:24:15.76 I made fun of Christians. 00:24:15.79\00:24:17.48 Was I in need of reform? Ohh yes. 00:24:17.51\00:24:19.63 I was a sick person, I had terrible health. 00:24:19.66\00:24:22.59 Was I in need of being reformed? 00:24:22.62\00:24:25.45 Ohh yes I was, 00:24:25.48\00:24:26.90 and now I've gotten all the big stuff out of my life, 00:24:26.93\00:24:30.12 all the big junk out of my life, 00:24:30.15\00:24:31.76 the TV and the movies, the bad music, 00:24:31.79\00:24:33.99 got all of that stuff out of my life. 00:24:34.02\00:24:35.35 And guess what happens now? 00:24:35.38\00:24:36.95 God says, "Good, now we can really get to some 00:24:36.98\00:24:39.64 character development in you, Christain." 00:24:39.67\00:24:41.40 There's more? 00:24:41.43\00:24:43.43 Yes, praise the Lord, there's more, 00:24:43.46\00:24:45.51 you see now, self is being truly exposed for what it is. 00:24:45.54\00:24:52.99 When we have all these Babylonian distractions 00:24:53.02\00:24:56.37 in our life, do you realize what the devil is doing? 00:24:56.40\00:24:58.40 He's keeping us in a cycle of escape, 00:24:58.43\00:25:00.57 where we are escaping the reality of who we really are, 00:25:00.60\00:25:04.57 and friends, the best thing we can do is look in the mirror, 00:25:04.60\00:25:09.08 God's Word and say, "Who am I really?" 00:25:09.11\00:25:12.58 What change do I really need to make? 00:25:12.61\00:25:15.01 And when you and I make these kinds of changes in our lives, 00:25:15.04\00:25:18.02 do you realize we are going to set the world on fire, 00:25:18.05\00:25:21.93 because we have set the Church on fire. 00:25:21.96\00:25:24.13 And the young people will say, "Amen! Let's go 00:25:24.16\00:25:27.06 we want to finish the work. " 00:25:27.09\00:25:28.45 Amen, Amen. 00:25:28.48\00:25:33.10 James 4:7 says 00:25:33.13\00:25:37.22 Praise GOD! 00:25:44.27\00:25:46.41 Submit to God, resist the devil with His power, 00:25:46.44\00:25:51.43 and he WILL flee from you. 00:25:51.46\00:25:54.84 Friends, are you having problems with Babylon in your life, 00:25:54.87\00:25:57.44 with Babylonian distractions? 00:25:57.47\00:25:59.26 God says, "I will free you completely. " 00:25:59.29\00:26:02.43 Amen, Amen. 00:26:02.46\00:26:04.33 Friends, when my wife and I finally got 00:26:04.45\00:26:08.01 all the Babylonian distractions 00:26:08.04\00:26:10.94 out of our lives, 00:26:10.98\00:26:12.38 it almost seemed like, I could hear God 00:26:12.56\00:26:15.72 for the first time in my life, because my 00:26:15.76\00:26:17.87 sensitive, communication center in my mind, 00:26:18.74\00:26:25.81 wasn't being numbed 00:26:25.84\00:26:28.46 by all the Babylonian distractions. 00:26:28.49\00:26:31.28 Do you remember what Revelation 18:2 says? 00:26:31.31\00:26:36.15 "And he cried mightily with a strong voice 00:26:36.18\00:26:39.03 Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen", 00:26:39.06\00:26:42.55 finally out of my heart! 00:26:42.58\00:26:44.36 Amen, friends! 00:26:44.39\00:26:46.67 When God has a people, that have this testimony, 00:26:46.70\00:26:53.24 that Babylon has fallen out of their hearts, 00:26:53.27\00:26:56.41 then He's going to come again and He's going to take us Home! 00:26:56.44\00:26:59.56 Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 00:26:59.59\00:27:03.32 Let's pray. 00:27:03.79\00:27:05.92 Father in Heaven, I pray that you would bless us, 00:27:05.95\00:27:10.07 help us to see what we need to change in our lives, 00:27:10.10\00:27:13.11 help us to know how Babylon has infected us, 00:27:13.14\00:27:18.01 and I pray that you would give us the power to overcome, 00:27:18.04\00:27:21.08 we pray this in Jesus name. 00:27:21.11\00:27:23.34 Amen. 00:27:23.37\00:27:25.00 And friends, I want to encourage you, 00:27:25.03\00:27:26.71 I want to encourage you, 00:27:26.74\00:27:29.22 to let the world die from your heart, 00:27:29.25\00:27:32.13 to worship God, 00:27:32.16\00:27:37.14 to not spend time with Babylon for six days a week, 00:27:37.18\00:27:41.67 but I want you to spend time with God for six days a week, 00:27:41.70\00:27:46.06 and worship Him on the seventh. Amen! 00:27:46.09\00:27:49.03 Don't just spend time with the world, 00:27:49.06\00:27:51.98 spend all the time you can with your Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:27:52.01\00:27:56.85