Participants: Graham Weir
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000029A
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00:25 Hello, everyone, I'm Graham Weir.
00:27 Welcome to part four of the Reformation Revisited. 00:32 This is the sixth part dynamic series 00:35 examining the great Protestant Reformation 00:38 and its vital implications 00:39 for the survival of Christianity today. 00:43 In this presentation, we are going to take a look 00:46 at the crisis that God's people can expect to encounter 00:50 during the end times of earth's history. 00:52 And we'll also reveal how God's Word 00:56 provides a discernment and spiritual defenses 00:59 that are needed to withstand the attacks of the enemy 01:03 and maintain a genuine spirit of the reformation. 01:07 Let's begin with a prayer. 01:13 Loving Father in heaven, we pray Thee and thank Thee 01:16 for an opportunity to come together 01:19 and share the wonderful truth from Thy word. 01:22 We're conscious that You're showing us 01:25 the great heritage of the reformation 01:27 and its implication for today. 01:29 We're conscious that many are saying 01:32 that the Protestant Reformation is over. 01:35 It is finished. 01:36 But we do not believe that, 01:38 and Lord we want you to bless us 01:41 with your presence this morning, this afternoon, 01:45 and show us Lord that there is much work to be done, 01:48 and that this time is running out. 01:51 Your people need to wake up through Your lens 01:54 and be prepared for Your coming. 01:55 Help us Lord to do this. 01:57 Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, 02:00 and incline our hearts to want to do Your work 02:03 because we ask these things in Jesus' precious name. 02:07 Amen. 02:14 Now Bible says 02:17 in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8. 02:21 We're going to have a look at that. 02:23 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8. 02:29 And it says this, 02:32 "For the "Mystery of Iniquity" doth already work: 02:36 only he who now letteth," 02:38 and that word means obstruct or hinder. 02:42 "Will continue to let until he be taken out of the way... 02:45 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, 02:48 whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth 02:51 and shall destroy 02:53 with the brightness of his coming..." 02:55 So you must ask the question, 02:57 what is this mystery of iniquity spoken about here? 03:03 Well, we can get a clue 03:04 from that amazing Bible commentary 03:06 called The Great Controversy 03:08 which uses some very interesting libels 03:11 to describe this mystery of iniquity. 03:14 Let's take a look, and I'm quoting, 03:18 it says, "Little by little, 03:20 at first in stealth and silence, 03:22 and then more openly as it increased in strength 03:25 and gained control of the minds of men, 03:28 "the mystery of iniquity" carried forward 03:30 its deceptive and blasphemous work. 03:34 Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism 03:38 found their way into the Christian church." 03:42 Well, this statement gives us a clue 03:44 that the mystery of iniquity 03:46 has something to do with the customs of heathenism. 03:50 Now let's go a little further. 03:53 She says, "The spirit of compromise and conformity 03:56 was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions 04:00 which the church endured under paganism." 04:02 So here we get another libel. 04:04 The spirit of compromise and conformity. 04:08 We'll keep reading. 04:10 "But as persecution ceased, 04:12 and Christianity entered 04:13 the courts and palaces of kings, 04:15 she laid aside 04:17 the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles 04:19 for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers, 04:24 and in place of the requirements of God, 04:26 she substituted human theories and traditions." 04:30 Another libel, human theories and traditions. 04:35 We continue, "The nominal conversion of Constantine, 04:38 in the early part of the fourth century 04:41 caused great rejoicing, 04:43 and the world cloaked with a form of righteousness, 04:46 walked into the church." 04:48 Under a cloaked pretended Christianity, 04:51 Satan was insinuating himself into the church 04:54 to corrupt their faith 04:56 and turn their mind from the word of truth. 04:59 Most of the Christians 05:01 at last consented to lower their standard, 05:04 and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism. 05:07 Now here is another clue. 05:09 They consented to lower their standard. 05:14 Although the worship is vital professed to be converted 05:16 and united with the church, 05:19 they still clung to their idolatry, 05:21 only changing the objects 05:23 that they worship to images of Jesus, 05:25 and even of Mary in the sense. 05:27 They simply changed the libels on pagan idols. 05:31 The foul living of idolatry, 05:33 thus brought into the church continued its diabolical work. 05:36 Unsound doctrines, superstitious rites, 05:39 and idolatrous ceremonies 05:40 were incorporated into her faith and worship. 05:44 And as the followers of Christ united with idolaters, 05:47 the Christian religion became corrupted, 05:50 and the church lost her purity and power. 05:54 So you see another clue 05:56 that causes corruption and a loss of power, 06:00 a loss of purity and power. 06:03 Now if we put all these libels together, 06:05 we get a very clear picture of the mystery of iniquity. 06:09 We see that it involves at least six of these factors. 06:14 Number one, the customs of heathenism. 06:17 Number two, compromise and conformity. 06:21 Number three, human theories and traditions. 06:24 Number four, it lowers standards. 06:27 Number five, it causes corruption. 06:30 And number six, it causes a loss of purity and power. 06:36 So we can see here in Paul's second letter 06:38 to the believers in Thessalonica 06:40 that he was showing them exactly how the enemy of Christ 06:44 would deceitfully work to gradually undermine 06:47 and overthrow their faith. 06:50 Now let's read verses 8 and 9 in 2 Thessalonians 2. 06:55 It says, "And then shall that wicked be revealed, 06:58 whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, 07:01 and shall destroy 07:03 with the brightness of His coming. 07:05 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan 07:08 with all power and signs and lying wonders." 07:14 So Paul is saying that in the falling away, 07:16 a power would arise as an agent of Satan, 07:19 and this power would use a combination 07:23 of customs of heathenism, 07:25 compromise and conformity, 07:27 human theories and traditions, to lower Christian standards, 07:31 and cause corruption of their faith, 07:34 and a loss of purity and power to the followers of Christ. 07:38 And furthermore, he would drive this destructive process 07:42 by means of overpowering lies and deceitful delusions. 07:49 And Paul reveals even more details 07:52 when he says, 07:53 "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness 07:56 in them that perish, 07:58 because they received not the love of the truth, 08:00 that they might be saved. 08:02 And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, 08:09 that they should believe a lie." 08:12 And verse 12 says, "That they all might be damned 08:14 who believed not the truth, 08:16 but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 08:19 So in these verses, 08:21 Paul hold out both a promise and a warning. 08:25 The promise is that the only one shall be deceived 08:28 will be those who receive not the love of the truth 08:32 that they might be saved. 08:33 And note here, Paul's key word, the love of the truth. 08:37 He wasn't just talking about 08:38 those who said that they do hear it, 08:41 they did believe it, 08:44 and they professed to receive it. 08:46 But even in spite of their outward profession, 08:48 they don't love it enough 08:49 to make their guide and rule of life. 08:54 They just seemed to be satisfied 08:56 with some kind of intellectual assent 08:58 without seeing any kind of need to reform their way of life. 09:02 So they professed to receive the truth 09:05 but they didn't love it enough 09:06 to make it their guide and way of life. 09:08 That's what he's talking about here, 09:09 not just those who received the truth. 09:12 And the Bible itself warns about this kind of attitude 09:15 in James 1:22 to 25. 09:19 And we're going to have a look at that text. 09:21 James 1:22 to 25. 09:25 And it says this, "But be ye doers of the word, 09:32 and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 09:36 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, 09:39 he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. 09:43 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, 09:47 and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 09:51 But who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, 09:54 and continueth therein, 09:56 he being not a forgetful hearer, 09:58 but a doer of the word, 10:00 this man shall be blessed in his deed. 10:04 Now let's go back to 2 Thessalonians 2. 10:08 Paul's warning in verse 11 and 12 makes it very clear 10:11 that if a person professes to be a believer in God, 10:15 but chooses to be carelessly ignorant of His word, 10:19 and I'm not talking about those who don't have 10:21 access to the Bible or can't read it, 10:23 I'm talking about those who do have the Bible 10:26 but choose to ignore or neglect it. 10:29 Or worse, misinterpret it to fit their own opinions. 10:33 When people do that, then the result will be 10:36 that God will not protect them from believing lies. 10:40 Lies that lead to strong delusions. 10:43 Delusions so bad that damnation 10:46 and loss of eternal life would be the end result. 10:49 You don't want to be deluded like that, do you? 10:52 No way. 10:54 Paul makes it very plain that his warnings 10:57 are an incredibly serious matter. 10:59 Not only for the believers in Thessalonica, 11:02 but I believe God intended it also for all believers today. 11:07 What do you say? 11:08 It's important. 11:10 Therefore it's vitally important 11:11 that God's people understand 11:13 exactly how to identify such potentially deadly delusions 11:18 to avoid becoming ensnared by them. 11:21 And thankfully, God's living word in the Bible 11:24 makes the evidence so clear even a child can understand it. 11:29 Let's explore the evidence God has given us 11:31 in biblical history. 11:33 I'm not going to quote all the texts. 11:35 I'm not going to read all the text 11:36 to you from the Bible. 11:38 We're just down to summarizing, 11:39 because there is a lot of material in here, 11:41 and we have limited time. 11:42 So I'll be summarizing some of them. 11:45 Isaiah 14:12 to 14, 11:47 records a nature of the very first conflict 11:50 in the controversy between good and evil. 11:53 We will look up this one. 11:55 It says in Isaiah 14:12 to 14. 12:01 We'll have a look at that. 12:03 We will read this one. 12:05 And it's Isaiah 14:12 to 14, and it says this. 12:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, 12:13 O Lucifer, son of the morning! 12:15 How art thou cut down to the ground, 12:17 which didst weaken the nations! 12:20 For thou hast said in thine heart, 12:21 I will ascend into heaven, 12:23 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. 12:26 I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, 12:29 in the sides of the north. 12:32 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; 12:36 I will be like the Most High." 12:39 So what's the problem? 12:41 What was Lucifer striving for in his conflict? 12:45 The Bible tells us, he wanted to be like the Most High. 12:50 So clearly, he wanted to be worshiped like God. 12:56 So we see that the first conflict 12:57 in the great controversy was over what? 13:01 Worship. Worship. 13:02 That was the key. 13:05 Now, if we look at the first conflict in human history 13:07 as recorded in Genesis 4:3 to 8. 13:12 We won't read this one, 13:13 but we see again that worship is a focus of the conflict. 13:17 Not who to worship this time but how to worship. 13:21 Worship was the issue again. 13:25 And if we consider the conflict between Elijah, Ahab, 13:28 and the priest of Baal on Mount Carmel, 13:31 you can look it up if you want to after the program. 13:33 It's in 1 kings 18:17 to 39. 13:37 Once again, we see that the conflict in this story 13:40 was clearly a conflict over who? 13:43 To worship. 13:46 And notice also that all the people in this story 13:49 were of the same nation. 13:50 But most of them had become ensnared by other pairing lies 13:54 and deceitful delusion 13:56 that involved the same six identifiers 13:59 we just spoke about earlier. 14:00 Let's look at them again. 14:03 The customs of heathenism, compromise and conformity, 14:08 human theory and traditions, the lower standards, 14:12 it cause corruption, and a loss of purity and power. 14:16 That's what they're involved in. 14:19 And there are other examples. 14:21 In Daniel 3, Daniel's three friends 14:24 who are thrown into the fiery furnace 14:27 because they refused to bow down 14:28 before King Nebuchadnezzar's image 14:30 on the plain of Dura, 14:31 were involved in a conflict about what? 14:35 Worship. 14:36 Who will they worship? 14:40 And take a look at the experience 14:41 of Christ Himself 14:42 during His temptation by Satan after 40 days of fasting. 14:46 We will read this one in Matthew 4:8 to 10. 14:52 This is very interesting. 14:53 Matthew 4:8 to 10. 14:57 And verse 8 says, 14:59 "Again, the devil taketh him up 15:01 into an exceeding high mountain, 15:03 and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, 15:05 and the glory of them. 15:07 And saith unto him, 15:10 'All these things will I give thee, 15:12 if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' 15:17 Then saith Jesus unto him, 'Get thee hence, Satan. 15:20 For it is written, Thou shalt worship,'" who? 15:23 "'The Lord thy God, 15:26 and him only shalt thou serve.'" 15:30 So we see here again 15:31 that Bible illustrates a conflict over who to worship. 15:37 And all through the history of The Dark Ages, 15:40 more than 100 million martyrs were tortured and murdered 15:44 because they refused to participate 15:46 in false worship. 15:50 So for the student of God's word, 15:51 it should be no surprise 15:53 that the final conflict in human history, 15:56 and therefore the basis of all delusions 15:59 can be expected to center around three issues. 16:05 Number one, who we worship. 16:08 Number two, how we worship. 16:12 And number three, when we worship. 16:17 Now when God wrote the Ten Commandments 16:19 with His finger on stone, 16:20 He even gave us a hint 16:22 that the issue of how we worship would arise 16:26 right there in the Ten Commandments 16:28 in Exodus 20:3. 16:31 Let's have a look at this one. 16:33 Exodus 20:3. 16:39 Exodus 20:3. 16:43 And it says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." 16:48 So you see here in the first commandment 16:50 that it opposes the worship of false god. 16:53 Is that right? 16:54 It opposes the worship of false god. 16:57 Now let's look at the second commandment 16:59 in verses 4 and 5. 17:03 Verse 4 says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee 17:05 any graven image, 17:07 or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, 17:10 or that is in the earth beneath, 17:12 or that is in the water under the earth." 17:14 So that's the reinforcement of the first one, isn't it? 17:17 Now look at some more. 17:18 "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, 17:21 nor serve them, 17:22 for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, 17:25 visiting the iniquity 17:27 of the fathers upon the children 17:28 unto the third and fourth generation 17:32 of them that hate me." 17:34 So we see that the second commandment 17:36 reinforces the first one. 17:38 But it also implies something else, 17:41 and I wonder if you can see it. 17:44 It says, "Don't worship the true God in a false way." 17:49 Did I make it clear? 17:51 Now plenty of people out there who worship idols. 17:53 They don't worship the idols. 17:54 I say, they don't worship the idols, 17:56 that the idol is just a symbol of the God they worship. 17:59 But the Lord says in the Bible, 18:01 "Don't worship the true God in a false way." 18:06 Because God put that there, 18:07 because in you that men would be inclined 18:09 to invent their own ideas of how to worship. 18:12 And that was exactly what Cain did, 18:15 and Jeroboam, and many others. 18:17 They thought their own opinion was more important 18:20 than what God says. 18:22 You know, sometimes people say, "Oh, yeah. 18:24 God may say, but I think..." 18:27 What's the God? 18:29 "I think." 18:30 They don't worship the God of heaven, 18:32 they worship the God called "I think", 18:35 a god of their own opinions. 18:37 So it is a conflict between Christ and His followers, 18:40 and Satan and his followers. 18:44 And the Sabbath versus Sunday issue in the last days 18:46 will be a conflict about when we worship. 18:48 Isn't that so? 18:50 When we worship. 18:51 And this is the conflict between 18:52 Christ and His followers, 18:54 and Satan and his followers. 18:56 And the weapons of each party are entirely different. 19:00 Christ always appeals to the record 19:02 with unfailing love and personal sacrifice 19:06 as we read early in the Bible. 19:08 But his adversary Satan resort 19:10 to every means of false and deception. 19:14 Christ impacts their emotions by appealing to reason. 19:18 He says in Isaiah 1:18, 19:20 "Come now, let us reason together." 19:24 But in contrast, Satan appeals to our emotions 19:28 in order to twist our reason. 19:31 He says, "Come now and let us experience together. 19:35 Experience the alluring attractions of sin. 19:37 If it feels good, do it. 19:40 Experience the wealth of ill-gotten game. 19:43 Feel the emotion of serving self. 19:45 Feel the freedom, so called, of accepting that God's law 19:49 was done away with at the cross, 19:51 not necessary anymore." 19:54 But, friend, Paul's combination of warning and promise 19:57 to the Thessalonians also informs us today 20:00 that as the spirit of compromise, 20:02 conformity, and disobedience 20:05 would continue to drive the world 20:07 and God's precious people 20:08 away from the light of truth back into the dark ages. 20:13 So God's Holy Spirit of, what's it say? 20:17 Obedience would continue to send the reformation call 20:22 out of darkness into light. 20:26 Now let's take a look at Revelation 14:6 and 7. 20:30 And it says this. 20:33 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 20:36 having the everlasting gospel 20:38 to preach to those who dwell on the earth, 20:40 to every nation, tribe, tongue and people. 20:44 Saying with a loud voice, 20:45 'Fear God, and give glory to Him, 20:49 for the hour of His judgment is come, 20:51 and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, 20:55 and the sea, and the fountains of waters.'" 20:58 So we see here that God's last warning message 21:00 to the world is a final call, how to worship Him, 21:07 the true way by obedience. 21:09 Is that clear? 21:12 Also we see that the angel's messages 21:14 appealed with a loud voice to fear God. 21:18 Well, what does it mean to fear God? 21:21 It simply means to reverence or obey God. 21:25 And it also calls us to give glory to Him. 21:28 What does that mean? 21:30 It simply means that out of profound gratitude 21:32 for what He's done to save us through His son, 21:35 we want to demonstrate our love for Him 21:38 by honoring Him in all that we do. 21:40 What do you say, folk? 21:43 In speaking, in eating, in dressing, in our behavior, 21:48 everything we do in private or in public 21:50 is being observed by unfallen beings on other world. 21:54 Do you believe that? 21:56 We are actors on the theater of the universe. 22:00 All right, what's the conflict between 22:01 good and evil on this planet? 22:03 With the most intense interest, you might say why. 22:07 Why would they be so interested 22:08 on what happens on this horrible place? 22:11 Simply because they want to be reassured 22:14 that those whom God intends to save 22:16 and bring back to them to live with Him for eternity 22:20 can safely be trusted 22:21 never to entertain disobedience. 22:24 Like those who are cast out to the earth with Lucifer. 22:28 Makes sense? It's simple. 22:31 The true remnant church 22:33 will be ready for Jesus to come. 22:34 Will call men and women to be obedient in who they worship, 22:40 how they worship, and when they worship. 22:44 It will encourage obedience to worship Him on the day 22:48 that is clearly specified, the true Sabbath day, 22:52 the seventh day of the week. 22:55 And it will teach that God's holy word has more authority 22:58 than man-made opinions and traditions. 23:00 What do you say? Amen. 23:04 On the other hand, Christ enemy 23:06 will now outwardly professing belief in the truths 23:10 whereby its false worship practices 23:13 speaks people to be 23:15 the opposite of obedience, disobedient. 23:19 By worshiping according to man-made ideas and traditions 23:22 instead of the Word of God. 23:24 And on a day that God did not command, Sunday, 23:28 the first day of the week. 23:31 It would certainly teach people to regard the Ten Commandments 23:34 as done away with at the cross. 23:37 And that we can safely ignore doctrine 23:39 for the sake of universal unity. 23:42 Have you heard that before? 23:44 Don't worry about doctrine, just come together for unity. 23:49 When we look back at the emergence 23:50 of the spirit of compromise, conformity, 23:53 and disobedience during The Dark Ages, 23:55 we discover that one of the major step that took 23:59 was to change the law of God in such a way 24:02 that it would deceive the people into thinking 24:05 it hadn't been changed at all. 24:07 Take a look at these two versions 24:09 of the commandments. 24:11 On the left, you see them just as they appear in the Bible 24:14 in Exodus 20:3 to 11. 24:17 And on the right, you see them 24:18 as they commonly appear in Roman Catholic catechism. 24:23 And you can see, there is a profound difference. 24:26 The second one about images has been removed entirely, 24:30 and the third one put in its place. 24:34 The fourth one has had over 90% of it removed, 24:38 particularly the part that identifies 24:41 which day is the Sabbath. 24:44 And to make up for the removal of number two, 24:46 the tenth has been divided into two commandments 24:49 to make up the number ten. 24:51 So if a reader was not familiar 24:53 with the original in God's word, 24:55 they will be not aware that any significant change 24:58 had been made 25:00 that's subtle, that deceptive, it sure is, isn't it? 25:06 To summarize, the two rival powers 25:07 in the end time crisis 25:09 will call every inhabitant of the world 25:11 to worship God according to their commands. 25:16 One power will lovingly knock on the door of our heart 25:20 and invite us to worship God the true way 25:24 according to His word in the Bible. 25:28 The rival power will at first, deceitfully coerce, 25:31 then ruthlessly demand that we worship God 25:34 the false way according to man's word, tradition. 25:40 On the side of the antichrist power, 25:42 we can expect to see a unity of church and state 25:47 to develop an international system of government 25:51 which initially will appear to have very noble goals 25:55 of saving the planet, 25:56 stopping all wars, and ending poverty. 25:59 But behind the scenes, we can expect, 26:04 it will quickly become highly repressive and brutal 26:07 against anyone who refuses to participate 26:11 in its system of social reorganization, 26:14 and eventually, particularly those 26:17 who refuse to be involved 26:20 in its legislative false worship practices. 26:26 And we can see this system developing 26:27 in the speeches of the previous pope, 26:30 Benedict XVI in 2009. 26:33 Listen to these words. 26:37 He said, "There is urgent need 26:39 of a true world political authority, 26:43 as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII 26:45 indicated some years ago. 26:47 Such an authority would need to be regulated by law..." 26:52 Notice the language. 26:54 "To observe consistently 26:56 the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity." 26:58 You know what that means? 27:00 Subsidiarity simply means that your goods can be 27:03 shared with those who don't have them. 27:05 You don't have any right to own anything. 27:07 Your house can be used to house other people. 27:11 If they don't have a home, 27:12 they are told to come and live in your house, 27:13 and you can't do anything about it. 27:15 Your car can be shared with others. 27:17 It all becomes common property. 27:19 That's what subsidiarity means. 27:20 And solidarity means everybody together, 27:23 they work for the common good. 27:26 To seek to establish, as he says, 27:27 "The common good, and to make a commitment 27:30 to securing authentic integral human development 27:34 inspired by the values of charity in truth." 27:36 Sounds flowery, doesn't it? Sounds good. 27:40 "Furthermore such an authority 27:42 would need to be universally recognized 27:44 and be invested with the effective power 27:48 to ensure security for all, 27:50 regard for justice and respect for rights." 27:54 Except, of course, your individual rights. 27:58 And also in the words of the current pope Francis, 28:01 in 2015, encyclical Care of Our Common Home, 28:06 in which he was promoting the common good. 28:08 He said this. 28:11 "International climate negotiations 28:13 cannot make significant progress 28:15 due to positions taken by countries 28:17 which place their national interests 28:19 above the global common good. 28:23 Climate change," he says, 28:24 "is a global problem whose solution 28:26 will depend on our stepping beyond national affiliations 28:30 and coming together for the common good. 28:32 The establishment of a legal framework..." 28:35 There is that language again. 28:37 "Which can set clear boundaries and ensure the protection of 28:40 ecosystems has become indispensable." 28:45 No wonder people listen to this. 28:47 No wonder people follow it. It seems so good. 28:49 He's gonna save your planet. 28:52 But some Christian commentators can see the hidden agenda 28:56 behind such outwardly commendable language. 28:59 Now one of them Pastor Steven Bohr 29:01 from California, he had this to say. 29:03 Interesting to note his words. 29:06 He said, "The Pope's encyclical," 29:08 which was released June 18, 2015, 29:12 "published about two months after the 'Climate Change 29:14 and the Common Good' declaration, 29:16 suggested that the elimination of carbon gases, 29:19 car pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, 29:24 restricting the use of air conditioning, 29:27 recycling, and boycotting certain products 29:30 as well as giving the planet a..." 29:34 What he says? 29:35 "Sunday rest will help solve the problem." 29:41 And Pastor Bohr says, 29:43 "Of course, one of the Pope's provisions 29:44 of the 'save the planet' 29:45 crusade is making Sunday a day for the environment to rest, 29:50 for families to strengthen their ties 29:51 by attending Mass, 29:53 and to give the poor a break from what he perceives 29:56 as the endless 29:57 and dehumanizing cycle of Capitalist life." 30:02 He said, "The not too subtle insertion of Sunday 30:05 at the end of the encyclical 30:07 appears innocuous or innocent at first, 30:10 but as Adventists, 30:11 we know 30:13 what the papacy's ultimate purpose is 30:15 in bringing global climate change 30:18 to the forefront." 30:19 Can you see that, folk? 30:21 It's a lever. 30:22 It's a lever to bring about a system 30:25 of one world government that anybody would unite 30:27 on this platform of saving the planet. 30:30 But there is an evil purpose behind it. 30:34 What many failed to understand Pastor Bohr says, 30:37 "Is that the word papacy 30:39 does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church 30:42 as a religious entity." 30:45 He says, "It is rather a code word 30:47 for a system 30:48 that unites church and state and whose leader, 30:52 in union with the Council of Bishops, 30:54 claims to have the divine right to global jurisdiction, 30:59 in both religious and secular matters. 31:02 He says, little does the world realize 31:04 what the ultimate aspirations of the papacy really are, 31:08 "Global dominion with an iron fist." 31:14 And note, I didn't make that up. 31:16 I'm simply quoting historians. 31:20 And believe it or not, 31:22 this isn't some startling horrific news. 31:25 A hundred and fifty years ago, 31:28 Ellen White predicted in her Christian commentary, 31:31 Last Day Events, 31:33 that worship would be the centerpiece 31:35 of the final conflict. 31:36 Listen to these words. 31:39 She says, "When our nation, United States, 31:43 in its legislative councils, 31:44 shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men 31:48 in regard to their religious privileges, 31:51 enforcing Sunday observance, 31:54 and bringing oppressive power to bear 31:56 against those who keep the Seventh-day Sabbath..." 32:00 What's the target of these laws? 32:03 "The people who keep the Seventh-day Sabbath..." 32:05 Very interesting. 32:07 "The law of God will, to all intents and purposes, 32:11 be made void in our land, 32:12 and national apostasy will be followed," by what? 32:16 "National ruin." 32:18 Little did these people know who are framing these laws, 32:20 what they are shaping the country up for, 32:23 national ruin. 32:25 If I could see ahead, if I could see this quote, 32:28 they'd be horrified and think twice about it. 32:31 My friend, you must ask the question 32:33 just how real is this? 32:35 Can we really believe 32:36 that the United States is close to making 32:38 such drastic changes to their laws, 32:41 changes so drastic as to alter their constitution 32:44 to get rid of that great principle 32:46 of separation of church and state, 32:49 that great principle that is the foundation 32:51 of their national prosperity and freedom? 32:53 Is that really possible? 32:56 I'm sure, most Americans, and most Australians, 32:58 and many people around the world 32:59 would ask these question. 33:01 Come on. 33:02 I would say, "This is impossible. 33:03 This nation was founded on religious freedom." 33:06 Well, I want you to watch 33:08 this amazing video from Amazing Discoveries. 33:13 These are the issues of the day. 33:16 The Christian post says, 33:18 "Megachurch Pastor Jack Graham ready to champion Donald Trump 33:24 after meeting with 900 evangelicals." 33:28 Now he is also one of those that went to the pope. 33:30 "Former Southern Baptist Convention president 33:33 and megachurch Pastor Jack Graham says 33:36 that he is ready to champion Donald Trump 33:39 after attending the meeting 33:40 between the presumptive Republican nominee 33:42 and over 900 evangelical pastors 33:44 and activists in New York City on Tuesday." 33:49 These people are, 33:51 on the one hand now 33:52 the advisers to the president, and to bring about this change, 33:59 this making America great again. 34:02 And on the other hand, 34:03 they are the ones 34:05 who are negotiating with the papacy 34:08 for reunification. 34:13 In fact, that is exactly what Donald Trump vowed to do. 34:17 "Donald Trump vowed to close 34:19 the gap between church and state 34:21 according to Time. 34:23 And it states 34:25 that the GOP presidential nominee 34:27 has tripled down 34:28 with one base of political support 34:31 that has steadfastly remained with him 34:34 white, evangelical voters - 34:36 by promising to dismantle the laws 34:38 that separate church and state in America." 34:43 Now, it's fascinating what he said on the issue. 34:47 "And if you look what's happened to religion, 34:49 if you look at what's happening to Christianity, 34:52 and you look at the number of people 34:54 going to the churches 34:55 and the evangelicals know this also, 34:58 it's not on this kind of climb, 35:00 it's on this kind of a climb of slow and steady 35:04 in the wrong direction,' Trump said. 35:07 'A lot of it has to do with the fact 35:09 that you've been silenced, 35:11 you've been silenced like a child 35:13 has been silenced. 35:14 You have a chance to do something 35:16 that will be earthshaking,' 35:18 he said, 'I literally mean it earthshaking. 35:22 You got to get your people out to vote.'" 35:26 This is what Donald Trump promised. 35:28 But then he is promising precisely 35:31 what the Bible said would happen. 35:34 "An earthshaking event 35:36 that will induce God to intervene in human affairs." 35:41 It's interesting that both Donald Trump 35:44 and Pence said that they cherished the Sunday 35:50 because that was part of their heritage, 35:53 and that is what they remember of their childhood. 35:56 Now the Lord's Day Alliance 35:57 in the Boston Globe said the following. 36:00 "The Lord's Day Alliance founded 36:02 by six major Protestant denominations in 1888." 36:07 I find these dates so fascinating. 36:11 "Spent a century fighting to force industrialists 36:15 to give workers time to attend religious services 36:18 and later to protect the Blue Laws." 36:21 Those are the ones 36:22 that bring in Sunday legislation. 36:25 "But little by little drinking, sporting, shopping 36:30 became permissible on Sundays. 36:32 In the last 20 or so years, 36:34 the group has shifted to advocating 36:36 to an internal recognition of the Sabbath. 36:40 The point is where can a stressed out society 36:43 find regeneration and renewal? 36:46 Said Reverend Rodney Peterson, 36:48 executive director of the group who drew dozens of people 36:52 to an interfaith conference on Sabbath of sermons, 36:55 last week at the old South church 36:58 in Copley Square." 36:59 So this was reported in the Boston Globe 37:01 on November the 2nd, 2016. 37:05 This is an evangelical agenda 37:08 to bring Sunday back into the mainstream again. 37:13 And here we have candidates, 37:15 I believe that are in a position 37:19 and have the power base to do it 37:23 because for the first time 37:25 Republicans control both houses. 37:28 This is one of the most powerful presidents 37:31 that the United States has ever had. 37:34 And if ever there was an opportunity 37:37 to bring about 37:38 the prophetic scenario, it is now. 37:41 I'm not saying, it will happen, 37:43 I'm saying, 37:44 it is possible for it to happen. 37:48 Revelation 13:15 says, 37:51 "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 37:56 and that the image of the beast should both speak, 37:59 and cause that many as would not worship 38:02 the image of the beast should be killed." 38:08 Is this the time 38:10 in which this prophecy will be fulfilled? 38:14 Only time will tell. 38:18 Friends, the warning from the pens of history 38:21 and prophecy are beginning to risen out 38:24 with approaching thunder, 38:26 and I believe the time for Christians everywhere, 38:29 and especially all American to remember this great counsel, 38:33 written 150 years ago 38:36 in that famous Bible commentary, 38:38 the Great Controversy. 38:39 It says this. 38:41 "To protect liberty of conscience 38:43 is the duty of the state, 38:45 and this is the limit of its authority 38:48 in matters of religion. 38:50 Every secular government that attempts to regulate 38:53 or enforce religious observance 38:56 by civil authority 38:57 is sacrificing the very principle 39:00 for which evangelical Christians 39:02 so nobly struggled." 39:03 That's good counsel, isn't it? 39:05 Well, you need to remember it. 39:07 And remember more than one hundred million people died 39:11 in defense of this religious freedom 39:14 we enjoy today. 39:15 Freedom from state control of their consciences. 39:18 Will they who received death now be conveniently forgotten? 39:23 The final crisis in the last days 39:25 will be about the same issue is when it began. 39:29 Worship will be the centerpiece issue 39:31 that determined the eternal destiny of million. 39:34 The final crisis will focus on the first four commandment 39:40 because these, they are with worship issue. 39:43 Who we should worship? 39:45 When we should worship? 39:46 And how we should worship? 39:48 All encased in the first four commandment. 39:51 So in the light of this history, 39:53 every person who sincerely wants to know God 39:55 must ask the question, 39:57 how can I identify 39:59 delusive false worship practices? 40:03 Well, based on the enemy strategies, 40:05 the customs of heathenism, compromising, conformity, 40:09 human theories and traditions, with lower standards, 40:14 it causes corruption and a loss of purity and power. 40:18 I've made up a little list of identifiers 40:20 that might help you. 40:21 The first one 40:23 is where it's talking about creeping compromise. 40:25 You can expect to see deliberate emphasis 40:27 of distinctive doctrines 40:29 in an attempt to make worship more relevant 40:33 or attractive to unbelievers. 40:36 This will pull standard down 40:38 rather than according to God' standard. 40:39 I'm not just talking about our church, 40:41 I'm talking about Christianity in general. 40:44 Any teaching that does this, 40:46 we can see 40:47 that is the false worship system. 40:50 The second one would be diluted truth. 40:53 It would teach a social psychology gospel 40:57 with little or no call to repentance, 40:59 revival and reformation. 41:01 Just love one another. 41:03 And the third one, 41:05 truth versus present truth. 41:09 They will preach the generic truth, 41:11 no different from the preachings 41:13 of any other denomination. 41:15 They will ignore the distinctive end time 41:19 three angels' messages in Daniel and Revelation. 41:23 And these present truths are vital. 41:26 Now do you believe that? 41:27 The three angels' messages in Revelation 14 41:31 are vital information for the world at this time. 41:35 And it's very unlikely you are heathen outside 41:38 the Seventh-day Adventist church. 41:40 This is the place to be. What do you say? 41:44 Feeble and defective that ought might be, 41:46 it is still the apple of God's eye 41:48 and this is the only place 41:49 you'll find all these doctrines too. 41:52 And the fourth one, 41:54 it will ignore the importance of the sanctuary message 41:57 of Christ's final atonement ministry 42:00 in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. 42:05 It will neglect the call to repentance, revival 42:07 and sanctification 42:09 and obedience as a response 42:12 to the grace of Christ. 42:16 Not in order to be saved 42:18 but as a response to the grace of Christ. 42:20 That's why we keep the commandments, isn't it? 42:22 We don't get saved by it. We are not legalist. 42:25 And the fifth will be teachings 42:27 that tend to corrupt basic doctrines 42:29 and cause a loss of purity and power 42:31 in the Christian's life. 42:32 For example, the doctrines of faith without work. 42:37 Or the opposite here, of works without faith. 42:42 True faith will be exhibited in good works. 42:45 For faith without work is what? 42:48 Dead. 42:49 All who have an honest heart receive the gospel message 42:53 will long proclaim it, won't they? 42:55 The heaven born love of Christ must find expression. 42:58 Do you agree? Yes. 43:00 You got to talk about it. 43:04 Faith and works go hand in hand. 43:08 They act harmoniously in the work of overcoming. 43:12 Works without faith are dead, 43:14 and faith without works are dead too. 43:18 Isn't that so? 43:21 Work will never save us. 43:23 It is the mode of Christ that will abide in our behalf. 43:26 Through faith in Him, 43:27 Christ will empower and enable us 43:30 to overcome sin 43:31 and to demonstrate His love for us in our life. 43:35 Isn't that true? 43:36 You might have heard the claim 43:38 that it's impossible to keep the commandments 43:39 or stop sinning till Jesus comes. 43:41 Have you heard that? 43:44 Well, if there is anything more dangerous 43:47 than out right here is truth mixed with error. 43:51 If you put a drop of poison in a glass of water, 43:54 it might still taste like ordinary water 43:55 but it will still kill you, won't it? 43:59 The partial truth is, and, of course, 44:01 we can't stop sinning by our own power. 44:05 But the rest of the truth is, 44:07 that we deny the power thereof 44:10 when we refuse to believe 44:11 that Christ has the supernatural power 44:14 to enable us to overcome sin and keep the commandments. 44:18 What do you say? 44:20 That's simple, isn't it? Why do people fight over this? 44:24 To neglect this point is to leave people uninformed 44:27 of the reality 44:29 that the Savior took upon Himself 44:31 the infirmities of humanity 44:33 and lived the sinless life in order to demonstrate 44:37 that men might have no fear, 44:39 that because of the weakness of human nature 44:41 they could not overcome. 44:43 To teach that it is impossible to overcome sin 44:47 is to corrupt the water of life with poison. 44:49 What do you say? 44:52 The inevitable result will be a loss of purity and power 44:56 in the Christian's life. 45:01 2 Peter 1:4 gives us this assurance, 45:05 and you can see this text on the screen. 45:08 It says, "Exceeding great and precious promises are ours, 45:12 that by these we might be..." 45:14 What it says? 45:16 "Partakers of the divine nature, 45:19 having escaped the corruption 45:20 that is in the world through lust." 45:23 And Ellen White often described counsel. 45:26 She says, "The Savior took upon Himself 45:28 the infirmities of humanity and lived a sinless life, 45:31 that men might have no fear 45:34 that because of the weakness of human nature 45:36 they could not overcome." 45:38 Isn't that good news? 45:41 And there's just one more identifier 45:42 of delusive worship practices 45:45 that I want to mention in this presentation. 45:48 And this practice is one that can potentially 45:50 cause enormous loss of purity and genuine Godly power 45:56 in the Christian's life. 45:58 And it is this. 46:00 Disharmonic music. 46:04 Disharmonic music. 46:07 Ellen White had a terrible experience 46:09 with disharmonic music over 150 years ago. 46:12 And she warned would appear again 46:14 towards the end of time. 46:16 Listen to her report. 46:18 She said, "A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts 46:21 that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. 46:25 The powers of satanic agencies blend 46:27 with the din and noise to have a carnival, 46:30 and this is termed the Holy Spirit's working." 46:34 She says, "Those things 46:35 which have been in the past will be in the future. 46:39 Satan will make music a snare by the way 46:43 in which it is conducted." 46:47 She says, "Let us give no place to strange exercisings, 46:51 which really take the mind away 46:53 from the deep movings of the Holy Spirit. 46:55 God's work is ever characterized 46:57 by calmness and dignity." 47:00 By calmness and dignity. 47:03 You ever listen to rock music? 47:05 Anybody? 47:06 Ever listen to rock music? 47:09 Did it leave you feeling calm and dignified? 47:13 Hardly. 47:16 Do you ever listen to Christian rock music? 47:18 We listen to Christian rock music. 47:22 Did that leave you feeling calm and dignified? 47:25 It didn't. 47:28 Well, the words might have been Christianized 47:29 but that didn't change your feeling, did it? 47:32 That is an important question. 47:35 It is the common belief today that the church's music 47:37 is really a matter of personal taste, 47:40 maybe culture. 47:42 It is really thought of in terms of its signs. 47:46 Its physiological effects on the human organism. 47:50 And what a fascinating study that would be. 47:53 You know, when we talk about food and diet, 47:56 we don't talk about 47:58 to determine the difference between 48:00 healthy and unhealthy food. 48:02 We don't talk about taste and culture, do we? 48:05 We analyze the food, 48:07 then you have dietician analyze food 48:08 and they can tell you 48:10 the effects of certain elements of food, 48:12 certain types of food on human organism. 48:14 That's how he tells the difference between 48:16 healthy and unhealthy food. 48:18 How fantastic it would be if we had some Adventists 48:21 or some scientists 48:23 who could investigate 48:24 the physiological elements of music, 48:26 the various aspects of music. 48:29 And examine the effects on the human organism. 48:32 Wouldn't that be a fascinating study? 48:34 I wonder what the conclusions will reveal. 48:38 The general attitude, it seems to be 48:40 that if the words are Christian and it feels good, 48:41 well, it must be okay. 48:43 And anyway, you might have heard 48:45 the statement that music is morally neutral. 48:48 But is it really morally neutral? 48:51 Does it make no difference to our behavior 48:53 what kind of music we listen to? 48:57 When we understand that before his fall, 48:59 Satan was the leader of heavenly music. 49:02 Shouldn't that fact make us be careful, 49:04 what kind of music we listen to? 49:06 What do you say? 49:09 To make a decision about music based on personal preferences, 49:12 or culture, or age 49:14 is a very unscientific approach. 49:18 So you must ask the question, 49:20 well, is all music disharmonic and dangerous? 49:24 Well, of course not. 49:26 So how can a Christian make his decision? 49:29 Well, perhaps, we can take a note 49:31 of the advice of our current world president, 49:33 Dr. Ted Wilson. 49:37 Right back at his inaugural sermon 49:38 back in 2010, 49:40 he made some very interesting statements, 49:41 and he said this. 49:44 "Go forward, not backward! 49:46 Use Christ - centered, 49:48 Bible-based worship 49:49 and music practices in church services. 49:52 While we understand 49:53 that worship services and cultures 49:55 vary throughout the world, 49:57 don't go backwards into confusing pagan settings 50:01 where music and worship become so focused 50:03 on emotion and experience 50:06 that you lose the central focus 50:08 on the Word of God. 50:11 All worship, however simple or complex should do one thing 50:15 and one thing only, 50:17 lift up Christ and put down self." 50:19 Isn't that good advice? 50:22 "Worship methods that lift up performance 50:24 and self should be replaced 50:26 with a simple and sweet reflection 50:29 of a Christ-centered, biblical approach. 50:32 To define it too closely is impossible, 50:34 but when you read in Scripture 50:36 of the holiness of God's presence, 50:38 the Holy Spirit will help you to know 50:40 what is right and wrong." 50:42 Friends, our personal decisions about who we worship, 50:44 how we worship, 50:46 and when we worship 50:47 are far greater consequence than just cultural 50:50 or age group preferences. 50:51 Our worship choices will automatically determine 50:54 our eternal destiny. 50:57 And God's true followers will be distinguished as those 51:00 who keep the commandments. 51:01 Uphold sound doctrine. 51:03 Chose worship practices in harmony with the Bible. 51:07 Chose health supporting lifestyle 51:09 and dietary practices. 51:10 And the Bible assures us that in the last day, 51:13 God's remnant people 51:15 will be a people of obedience 51:20 that will honor God in everything that they do. 51:23 And the Bible confirms 51:24 this doctrine in Revelation 14:2, 51:26 it says, "Here is the patience of the saints: 51:29 Here are they that keep the commandments of God, 51:31 and the faith of the Jesus. 51:33 God's true remnant will automatically triumph 51:35 in the great conflict over worship. 51:38 Thus proving 51:40 to the entire watching universe that, indeed, 51:42 holiness is possible even in this sinful world." 51:46 What do you say? Amen. 51:47 That's our task. 51:48 Think about these wonderful promises 51:51 as you watch this moving story by Pastor John Bradshaw, 51:54 and the hidden faith of our fathers. 51:59 Now, this makes it real. 52:03 The church of the cave, 52:05 ancient temple of the faith 52:09 revives the heroic spirit of the fathers 52:12 who praying, 52:15 suffered and died 52:18 for liberty of conscience. 52:22 Here in the Waldensian Valleys in Northern Italy, 52:25 people really suffered for their faith. 52:30 They were committed to God, to live way back up here, 52:35 the winters were just so harsh, life was difficult. 52:40 But here they lived so that they could cling 52:43 to the faith once delivered to the saints. 52:47 And being here and thinking that people way up here 52:51 suffered persecution, 52:52 speaks to the ferocious zeal of the persecutors. 52:58 It's not easy to get up here. 53:00 And if you're gonna pursue somebody 53:03 for the purpose of persecuting them, 53:07 you've got to be as committed to persecuting 53:11 as the believers were to following Jesus in faith. 53:18 Behind me is one of the very caves 53:21 in which Waldensian believers worshiped, 53:25 and prayed, and hid, and were persecuted. 53:30 They worshiped in caves 53:32 because worshipping in their homes 53:34 or in churches was not an option. 53:37 Again, no crimes were committed by these people, 53:41 other than they felt that in their heart 53:44 they had to cling to the Bible 53:47 and follow what they believed was a pure faith 53:50 rather than the tradition laden works 53:54 based faith that was forced upon them 53:58 by the ruling church. 54:01 Today, we have freedom to worship, 54:04 freedom of religion. 54:05 Today, we can be thankful to those faithful saints 54:10 who paid so great a price 54:13 that we could follow the faith of our fathers. 54:19 Faith of our fathers, living still 54:25 In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword 54:32 Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy 54:38 Whene'er we hear that glorious Word! 54:44 Faith of our fathers, holy faith! 54:50 We will be true 54:53 To thee till death 54:59 Our fathers, chained in prisons dark 55:05 Were still in heart and conscience free 55:11 How sweet would be their children's fate 55:17 If they, like them, could die for thee! 55:23 Faith of our fathers, holy faith! 55:29 We will be true 55:32 To thee till death 55:37 Faith of our fathers, we will love 55:43 Both friend and foe in all our strife 55:49 And preach thee, too, 55:52 as love knows how 55:56 By kindly words and virtuous life 56:02 Faith of our fathers, holy faith! 56:08 We will be true 56:11 We will be true 56:15 We will be true 56:19 To thee 56:22 Till death 56:29 Let us pray. 56:34 Loving Father in heaven, 56:36 we pray Thee and thank Thee so much 56:38 for the faith of our fathers, 56:41 the incredible price that was paid 56:42 for freedom of religion, 56:45 freedom to worship. 56:47 Lord, keep us conscious of these things 56:50 as we consider the events about to explode upon the work 56:54 rather overwhelming surprise for many. 56:57 Help us Lord to remain steadfast 56:59 and immovable, 57:01 and give us eyes to see, ears to hear, 57:04 and hearts inclined to do Your will 57:06 as we move forward in faith and practice 57:09 because, Lord, we long for You to come. 57:11 Please come, Lord Jesus, 57:13 and we thank You in Your precious name, amen. |
Revised 2017-12-31