Hello, friends.
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Grab your Bible and
a friend and sit back
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as we explore
God's word together
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on this edition of House Calls.
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Welcome to House Calls,
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it's good to have
you here with us today.
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We're so glad
to be in the studio
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and in your living room
as we explore God's word.
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Opening up and allow Him
to lead us during this hour.
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With me in the studio
is Pastor C. A. Murray.
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Pastor, great to
have you with us again.
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Good to be with you,
don't often get to share
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these chairs with you.
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But I always enjoy it
when we have a time to do.
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Yeah, we got a topic
here we're gonna cover today
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and some other
things and questions
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which we really
appreciate come from you.
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From email either or snail mail,
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we're still
accepting snail mail,
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so if you wanna give a
handwritten letter out,
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to write to us your
question please do so.
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If you're sending
email, you can send it to us on
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housecalls@3abn.org.
That's housecalls@3abn.org.
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We'll get your email question
and hopefully cover that
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and one of the
programs coming up here.
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So, we look forward to
you sending and participating
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in the program's going forward.
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C.A., you know, we always
want to start with prayer,
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so why don't I
just ask you to go ahead
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and lead us in a word of prayer.
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Be glad to do so, shall we pray.
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Father God, we do praise
you and thank you for this
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another opportunity to
talk about the things of God.
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To talk about the work
that you have give to us,
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to talk about how we
can better serve you,
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how we can learn
your will for your lives.
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And then do that will so that
we may be truly your children
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and have the
blessings of your power
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and your spirit in our lives.
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Bless this
particular program, Lord,
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as we lift up the name of Jesus
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and discuss some
of these subjects
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that pertain to Christian
living and we thank you
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for your presence and
power, in Jesus name, amen.
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Amen, amen.
Well we've questions,
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now I know several
good ones that have come in.
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And C.A., I think
you've got a couple of them
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I've got a couple lets go ahead
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and dive right in
and see what our viewers,
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our listeners are asking today.
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Already I've got a question,
we always see the Holy Spirit
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as a force, we
never read the Holy Spirit
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as having a body or
making decisions or ruling,
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or doing all the
things Jesus and God do
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in their sovereignty.
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We read that the Holy
Spirit executes the demands
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that is put it by
God, thus how can we say
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the Holy Spirit is
really a person and not a force,
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sounds like a force to me.
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And we've had this
question from time to time.
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And when we think about
that the book that comes
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to my mind first of all is John.
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And a couple of
things I want to run
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to in the book of
John, First John 16:13.
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Sixteen, yeah
we'll start at verse 13,
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John's gospel
Chapter 16 verse 13,
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lets look at the
language that is used.
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Because this
person's assertion is that
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the Holy Spirit is a force
and when I think of a force,
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John, I'm thinking of an
impersonal thing that doesn't
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have personality, doesn't have
will, doesn't have volition,
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but more a force like wind.
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Sort of an
inanimate kind of a thing
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that just pushes us along.
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But lets look at Christ's
words here in John 16:13,
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however when, here is the word.
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He, the Spirit
of truth has come,
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He will guide
you into all truth;
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for He will not speak
of on His own authority,
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but whatever He
hears He will speak;
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and He will tell
you things to come.
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Verse 14, John
16:14, He will glorify Me,
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for He will tell you what
is Mine and declare it to you.
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So, we see here first of
all, that the spirit is always
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referred to as
He. Not it, but He
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and then secondly
we see that His office,
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his job here is to
declare and to glory Christ.
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So, the God head
is working together.
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It is the spirit's
job to give unction,
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to give
impression, to give validity,
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to give certainty
to the words of Christ,
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to recall the things of Christ,
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to impress the things of
Christ on the mind and heart.
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So he is working with
Christ in the salvation
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of men and women.
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Now there's something else I
just noticed in this question,
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the person is
having a little trouble
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with the spirit being
God, the whole Trinitarian idea
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has been banded around as
you well know, since forever.
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So, lets go to
John 14 and verse 16,
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again if you have
a red letter Bible,
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your Bible is a wash in
red through here because
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these are words
of Christ, 14:16,
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And I will pray the Father,
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and He will send
you another Helper,
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that He may
abide with you forever.
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And of course
being a student of it,
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you know that the other
helper is an allos helper
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as opposed to a hetoros helper.
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Allos being
another of the same kind.
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So Christ is saying
I'm not gonna be here,
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I'm not gonna be
able to comfort you,
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but I'm not gonna
leave you orphans,
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he says a little bit later.
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I'm going to send you
someone of the same kind as me,
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who is going to able to
be with you and give you
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the kind of comfort and
support that I've give you.
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So, Christ is certainly
alluding to the fact that this
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new comforter is the same as he.
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Same in propose, same in office,
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certainly same in
goal and function as he.
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So we see this
throughout the Bible,
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in the beginning was the
word, the word's with God
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and the word was God. So
this theme run throughout
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the book of John that
there are three equal persons,
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they function together.
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John 10:30, I and
My Father are one,
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here again we get this
idea of the spirit of God
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fulfilling a role
after the departure of Jesus
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to affirm those
things that Jesus
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has said and brought to us.
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Yeah, if you look at
Chapter four, same gospel.
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You will notice here
and see verses 23 and 24
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speaking of God and
spirit, the issue here.
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And it's the
same kind of language.
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But the hour is coming,
and now is when the true
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worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth;
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for this Father is
seeking such to worship Him.
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Yes. God is what? Spirit.
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So are we to say
just because God is spoken
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of his being a spirit
that Jesus isn't a person
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or God the
Father isn't a person,
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but they're all
just spirits or forces.
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See so, just arguing
that because the Holy Spirit
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isn't identified as having
a separate identity or name,
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doesn't mean that it
isn't a person of the Godhead,
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doesn't work. Yes.
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Because the whole
Godhead is spirit.
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Yes, yes, very true.
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I think some of
these things, you know,
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they are some
aspects of this idea
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of three co-equal persons,
three in one, one in three,
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that the human
mind really cannot
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totally wrap its mind around.
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I suspect that will be
one of the studies that
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we will sort of
entertain throughout eternity.
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How does that function,
how does that actually work.
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Some of these
things we accept by faith,
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that there is a
spirit that knows all
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and his job is not
to speak of himself,
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not to edify
himself, not to glory himself.
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His work is to glorify
Jesus, to speak about Jesus.
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Which says a lot
about those religions
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and then those who try
to make the spirit the end,
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I got to give the spirit.
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Well the Spirit's
job really is to make you
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a more effective
witness, to make you walk
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and do the things of the Lord.
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To bring to your mind
those things that Christ spoke
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about when he was here,
and then to enable you to do
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those things so that you
can be an successful Christian.
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You know, there is an
also a back door argument here,
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there is a counter
argument, if you look at
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Revelation Chapter 16
and this just comes to mind.
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I'll throw this out here,
you know, whenever you think
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about what God does, his
purposes in this universe,
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his purposes with
this world are creation
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and everything he does with
his truth and aspects of it.
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When he moves in a certain way,
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the devil always
seems to try to counterfeit.
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Yes. What he does.
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So where there is a move by God,
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there is a
counterfeit to Satan's action.
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And we find
here in Revelation 16
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in regard to spiritual warfare,
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in verse 13 it says, I
saw three unclean spirits
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like frogs coming out
of the mouth of the dragon,
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out of the mouth of the beast,
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and out of the mouth
of the false prophet.
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For they are spirits of demons,
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now notice here, all
three are spirits of what?
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Demons. Demons,
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their spiritual warfare,
it's a spiritualism approach
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that Satan is using, but
he has two cohorts with him.
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He is mimicking the trinity,
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he is developing a
false trinity. Yes.
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So in fact he by his counterfeit
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can also give
credence to the fact that God
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himself is three in one
and God is spirit in all three,
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just as He uses these three
together to work spiritualism.
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See so, in a way even
Satan is kind of affirming here
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by his counterfeit that he
is attacking three not two.
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Yeah, the sincerest form
of flattery is imitation.
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And so he is imitating God
and that's a very point, John,
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and sort of a modern
day manifestation of an age,
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old problem. An age old warfare
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that we see played
out in these last days,
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really, really good.
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So we're talking about
an entity that has volition,
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that is real, that
thinks, that moves,
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that is God and
not just a force,
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we don't want to
reduce the Holy Spirit
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to just a force like a
wind pushing your hand,
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pushing you in your
back, it leads from within,
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it comes in,
inhabits, possesses and controls
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and constrains
you from within, yeah.
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Very good. I
have a question here,
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it's coming from Mezilla and
she is asking, lets see here.
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Dear pastors,
greetings in Jesus name.
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For some time now, this
issue has been bothering me.
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In our church
there is a very genuine,
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and generous and
well liked member,
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who saw a statue of a
lion and a lamb in its arms.
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And she brought it into the
church and put in the foyer.
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And sometimes there is a seminar
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and it's brought
back of into sanctuary,
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to kind to show
the lion and the lamb.
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Of course that picture we
find in the scriptures as well.
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Most of the members don't
see anything wrong with this,
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but I just want to see is
there a problem with this,
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with regard to images
that shouldn't be worshiped.
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And so anyway, that's
the essence of the question.
00:11:09.35\00:11:12.71
First of all, I like to read
00:11:12.72\00:11:14.26
Exodus chapter 20
verses 3 through 6,
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because that is
the command per say,
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the second
commandment that talks about
00:11:20.85\00:11:24.24
not making graven images.
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It says here in verse 4,
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You shall not make for
yourself a carved image,
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and I'm reading from
the New King James Version.
00:11:33.37\00:11:35.56
Any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above,
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or that is in the earth beneath,
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or that is in the
water under the earth;
00:11:40.88\00:11:43.01
you shall not bow down
to them nor serve them.
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For I, the Lord your
God am a jealous God,
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visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children
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to the third and
fourth generations of those
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who hate Me, but showing mercy
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to thousands to
those who love Me
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and keep My commandments.
00:11:57.44\00:11:59.62
So you have here
within the second commandment,
00:11:59.63\00:12:03.65
this command by God says,
don't make any graven image,
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don't bow down to it.
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Because I'm a jealous God,
00:12:09.05\00:12:10.77
I don't want you
worshiping other Gods,
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I'm the only God
that should be worshiped.
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Yes. Okay, now there
are two aspects to this,
00:12:13.83\00:12:16.64
it's not just the
creating of the graven image
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or the creating of the image,
it's the bowing down to it.
00:12:19.26\00:12:22.19
God isn't as
concerned I think...
00:12:22.20\00:12:25.59
or may be the point
of the concern is that,
00:12:25.60\00:12:28.12
that we not
worship these images. Yes.
00:12:28.13\00:12:30.70
Not that they're not
be a likeness or something
00:12:30.71\00:12:32.82
that looks like Jesus.
00:12:32.83\00:12:35.23
We see in studios
and pictures, Christ,
00:12:35.24\00:12:38.66
you know, holding out his hands
00:12:38.67\00:12:39.88
or touching a life
or something there,
00:12:39.89\00:12:41.85
and we don't
consider that a graven image
00:12:41.86\00:12:44.97
or something that
shouldn't, that is apposed
00:12:44.98\00:12:47.56
to the second
commandment, because people
00:12:47.57\00:12:48.72
aren't bowing
down to worship it.
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.76
And I think probably
one of the examples of this,
00:12:50.77\00:12:52.89
it's always good to provide
an example from scripture.
00:12:52.90\00:12:54.84
But one example is, the
serpent that God asked Moses
00:12:54.85\00:12:58.20
to put in the
wilderness, to put upon a stake,
00:12:58.21\00:13:02.17
that when anyone
looked at it, they would live.
00:13:02.18\00:13:04.43
They were being
bitten by serpents,
00:13:04.44\00:13:05.79
they were dying in droves.
00:13:05.80\00:13:07.67
Any he said, if you
look upon the serpent
00:13:07.68\00:13:09.89
on this stake,
yeah, then you will live.
00:13:09.90\00:13:13.81
And we find that God
himself instructed to make
00:13:13.82\00:13:16.78
this bronze serpent.
00:13:16.79\00:13:18.92
So the image wasn't a
problem for God, yeah,
00:13:18.93\00:13:21.96
the question was
what were the people
00:13:21.97\00:13:23.61
doing with that image.
00:13:23.62\00:13:25.79
Now turn with me to
Second Kings 18 verse 4,
00:13:25.80\00:13:30.86
this is kind of interesting,
Second Kings 18 verse 4,
00:13:30.87\00:13:37.48
years later after
the bronze serpent
00:13:37.49\00:13:41.41
experience in the wilderness.
00:13:41.42\00:13:44.81
We find this statement
here and it's during Hezekiah,
00:13:44.82\00:13:47.26
King Hezekiah's days, it says
in verse 4 of Second Kings 18,
00:13:47.27\00:13:51.82
that He removed the high places
00:13:51.83\00:13:53.70
and broke the sacred pillars,
cut down the wooden image
00:13:53.71\00:13:57.18
and broke in pieces the bronze
serpent that Moses had made;
00:13:57.19\00:14:01.41
for until those days
the children of Israel
00:14:01.42\00:14:03.76
burned incense to it
and called it Nehushtan.
00:14:03.77\00:14:07.28
So what they had
begun to do with the serpent
00:14:07.29\00:14:09.69
was instead of looking
and living because of what God
00:14:09.70\00:14:13.18
was going to do
for them, of course,
00:14:13.19\00:14:15.35
they point it to
Jesus on the cross right,
00:14:15.36\00:14:17.39
instead of understanding
that, they started to worship it
00:14:17.40\00:14:20.01
as a some special
power that it had.
00:14:20.02\00:14:22.74
Right, some sort of talisman.
00:14:22.75\00:14:24.08
And so he had to then
take it and break it down,
00:14:24.09\00:14:27.00
because it became a
image that was worshiped.
00:14:27.01\00:14:29.72
And I think this is kind
of the central key here too,
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.92
is that, you
know, what are we doing
00:14:31.93\00:14:33.61
with an image that comes in.
00:14:33.62\00:14:35.44
Which is a danger, John,
00:14:35.45\00:14:36.51
of always that we
have with iconography.
00:14:36.52\00:14:40.54
You know, the
idea that something
00:14:40.55\00:14:42.48
that is a
representation of heaven becomes
00:14:42.49\00:14:44.75
the symbol of heaven, and
you begin to pray to that,
00:14:44.76\00:14:47.08
as opposed to letting
that be a representation
00:14:47.09\00:14:49.42
of something you cannot see.
00:14:49.43\00:14:50.62
And that's always
a danger you have,
00:14:50.63\00:14:52.81
when you have images and I
think you make a good point,
00:14:52.82\00:14:56.53
it's not the image per say,
it's what it's being used for.
00:14:56.54\00:15:01.12
And you have this
throughout the Bible.
00:15:01.13\00:15:03.08
You have something
that is prohibited,
00:15:03.09\00:15:06.77
but you got to look at why,
why is it being brought here,
00:15:06.78\00:15:09.33
because of our predilection,
our nature that wants to turn
00:15:09.34\00:15:14.00
something that
should be just a symbol
00:15:14.01\00:15:16.08
into the actual thing itself.
00:15:16.09\00:15:17.65
And we have that
throughout the, the word of God.
00:15:17.66\00:15:19.79
Yeah, and there is
everything that we trust
00:15:19.80\00:15:22.95
that we hold on to, it
is should be as Christians,
00:15:22.96\00:15:27.02
should be ascribed to God.
00:15:27.03\00:15:28.17
God directly
working in us, through us.
00:15:28.18\00:15:31.34
And whenever we
ascribe to an image
00:15:31.35\00:15:33.34
as having some power that's
supposed to come from God,
00:15:33.35\00:15:36.69
yes, yes. Then there becomes
00:15:36.70\00:15:38.30
a problem and it
becomes a God in and of itself.
00:15:38.31\00:15:41.18
And this is the
essence of idol worship, yes.
00:15:41.19\00:15:44.21
And that is making
something or allowing something
00:15:44.22\00:15:47.35
to have the
adoration or have our love
00:15:47.36\00:15:51.09
and consideration that
rises to the level of being
00:15:51.10\00:15:54.40
either with God
or even above God.
00:15:54.41\00:15:57.13
And in that
respect to, you know,
00:15:57.14\00:15:58.45
just talking about images,
and I know this isn't exactly
00:15:58.46\00:16:02.23
what this writer is saying.
00:16:02.24\00:16:03.33
But when we get so
caught up in our houses,
00:16:03.34\00:16:06.47
in our cars and
other things like that.
00:16:06.48\00:16:08.22
Those can become
idols, because our affections,
00:16:08.23\00:16:11.42
yes for those
things become higher
00:16:11.43\00:16:14.74
than our affection for God,
and it draws our heart away,
00:16:14.75\00:16:17.43
yes. And so, that of course,
00:16:17.44\00:16:20.08
I mention that
because that's where
00:16:20.09\00:16:21.49
secularism has gone today.
00:16:21.50\00:16:22.79
That's what our
society is like today,
00:16:22.80\00:16:24.32
at least in America, yes.
00:16:24.33\00:16:26.23
But that's not the intent I
believe to have the command,
00:16:26.24\00:16:31.00
the second command
governing issues such as this,
00:16:31.01\00:16:34.05
you know, a lion and the lamb.
00:16:34.06\00:16:35.03
Now I would really be
concerned if they were writing
00:16:35.04\00:16:37.38
and saying, people
were coming and touching it,
00:16:37.39\00:16:40.01
or scribing some
kind of power to it.
00:16:40.02\00:16:42.16
Then I'd say,
problem, but I don't know that
00:16:42.17\00:16:46.09
and I don't
think that's probably
00:16:46.10\00:16:48.00
what is being said here.
00:16:48.01\00:16:48.98
So I don't really have a problem
00:16:48.99\00:16:50.37
with what you are
sharing here with me
00:16:50.38\00:16:53.04
with this never coming in.
00:16:53.05\00:16:54.63
Also remember, we've
got to be very careful
00:16:54.64\00:16:56.42
about not judging
someone's intentions.
00:16:56.43\00:16:59.20
Yes, you know, their motives.
00:16:59.21\00:17:00.50
So talk with
him, let him know that
00:17:00.51\00:17:02.10
maybe this could
be a concern to some.
00:17:02.11\00:17:03.90
But, you know, if
there is still a real desire
00:17:03.91\00:17:06.09
to have that and you
don't see any problem with that,
00:17:06.10\00:17:08.04
I really don't have anything
to say really against it, so.
00:17:08.05\00:17:12.17
All right, you have
another question there for us?
00:17:12.18\00:17:13.66
How can you tell,
this is from Kathryn,
00:17:15.70\00:17:18.08
how can you tell when
something or someone is God
00:17:18.09\00:17:21.96
sent or just seems right.
00:17:21.97\00:17:27.21
And they want us to email back.
00:17:27.22\00:17:30.42
A couple of things
that pop up in my mind.
00:17:30.43\00:17:32.65
First of all, I think, John,
00:17:35.91\00:17:38.01
we ought to pray
about everything.
00:17:38.02\00:17:40.83
When, we have a
course of action in our mind.
00:17:40.84\00:17:45.32
For of all we need to ask God,
Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10
00:17:45.33\00:17:49.84
comes to mind, that
says, we are created,
00:17:49.85\00:17:52.39
we're his workmanship
created for good works.
00:17:52.40\00:17:55.83
I think one of
things we ought to look at,
00:17:55.84\00:17:57.79
but if it's a course of action,
00:17:57.80\00:17:59.97
is the goal selfish?
00:17:59.98\00:18:03.07
Does it make me a better person?
00:18:04.27\00:18:06.57
Will it make me a
better tool in the hand of God?
00:18:06.58\00:18:09.62
Can I dedicate it to the Lord,
00:18:09.63\00:18:12.23
can I pray about this activity,
00:18:12.24\00:18:14.74
if Christ were with me
could I engage in this activity.
00:18:14.75\00:18:18.99
Romans, oh goodness 14:23 that
which is not a faith is sin.
00:18:19.00\00:18:25.34
So all of our actions
ought to be faith based,
00:18:25.35\00:18:29.11
prayer based. Even
you know who you date?
00:18:29.12\00:18:34.73
Who you marry? What
kind of car you buy?
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.25
What you do with your money?
What you do with leisure time?
00:18:37.26\00:18:40.70
Where do you go
for entertainment?
00:18:40.71\00:18:41.93
That kinds of
things you involve yourself
00:18:41.94\00:18:43.53
in for entertainment.
00:18:43.54\00:18:45.57
Those ought to be
filtered through the lens,
00:18:45.58\00:18:48.90
using mixed metaphors here.
00:18:48.91\00:18:51.43
Filter through the
lens of the Holy Spirit.
00:18:51.44\00:18:54.76
Ask God, can you bless this,
can you bless this activity?
00:18:54.77\00:18:59.83
Will it make me a better person,
00:18:59.84\00:19:01.31
will engaging in this
activity take me away from God.
00:19:01.32\00:19:04.00
You could do some
good things to excess.
00:19:04.01\00:19:07.77
You can spend too much
time on your computer now.
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.72
We got a computer sitting here.
00:19:09.73\00:19:11.32
This is not a bad thing, right.
00:19:11.33\00:19:12.72
But, if you spent all day
on this thing doing video games
00:19:12.73\00:19:15.28
and listening to
music or downloading things,
00:19:15.29\00:19:17.64
it could become a determent
to your spiritual growth.
00:19:17.65\00:19:20.39
So what other
things you need to ask
00:19:20.40\00:19:22.11
is will this make
me a better Christian?
00:19:22.12\00:19:24.18
Will this make me a
sharper tool in the hand of God,
00:19:24.19\00:19:26.78
will this fulfill the statement
00:19:26.79\00:19:29.06
of God in Ephesians
that I'm a workman for God,
00:19:29.07\00:19:33.71
but I'm also the
workmanship of God.
00:19:33.72\00:19:36.46
And my life ought
to give glory to God
00:19:36.47\00:19:39.05
and if you can answer those
questions in the affirmative,
00:19:39.06\00:19:41.80
then you can get
a pretty good idea
00:19:41.81\00:19:43.60
that this thing
is from the Lord,
00:19:43.61\00:19:44.93
but if anything
takes you away from God,
00:19:44.94\00:19:46.92
pulls you from God,
makes you secretive,
00:19:46.93\00:19:49.59
if you don't feel
Christ can be with you
00:19:49.60\00:19:51.36
then you really
ought to take a look it,
00:19:51.37\00:19:53.15
because it's probably something
00:19:53.16\00:19:54.37
that you ought not
involve yourself in.
00:19:54.38\00:19:56.38
Yeah, and I think probably
an association with prayer,
00:19:56.39\00:20:00.06
you probably add
to that Bible study.
00:20:00.07\00:20:02.16
Oh yes, very much so.
Because anything you feel
00:20:02.17\00:20:04.28
impressed by from the
Lord should be gauged at least
00:20:04.29\00:20:08.20
or wade in light of scripture.
00:20:08.21\00:20:10.40
You know, is what I feel
I'm in being impressed with,
00:20:10.41\00:20:13.08
does it
harmonize with God's word.
00:20:13.09\00:20:15.68
You know, would God,
does God's word support
00:20:15.69\00:20:18.38
what I'm receiving,
'cause I, you know... Pastor,
00:20:18.39\00:20:21.39
you and I've been,
you've been pastoring
00:20:21.40\00:20:24.37
a lot longer than
I have, but I'm sure
00:20:24.38\00:20:25.84
you've heard numerous
times as you engage in
00:20:25.85\00:20:27.79
Bible study with people.
00:20:27.80\00:20:29.05
And, for the first
time they're hearing
00:20:29.06\00:20:31.43
some new things,
some who resist might
00:20:31.44\00:20:34.21
give you the answer.
00:20:34.22\00:20:37.39
Well I just don't feel
it, I don't feel like God
00:20:37.40\00:20:41.43
is convicting me
of that at this point.
00:20:41.44\00:20:44.30
And of course
you're reading scripture,
00:20:44.31\00:20:45.86
you're going through the
text, you're showing them
00:20:45.87\00:20:47.53
what God's word says and yet
the feeling just isn't there,
00:20:47.54\00:20:50.83
I don't feel that
burning that this is the truth.
00:20:50.84\00:20:53.57
And so sometimes
in many respects,
00:20:53.58\00:20:57.27
it's not just what are
we being impressed with,
00:20:57.28\00:20:59.55
but sometimes are we resisting
what God's impressing us with.
00:20:59.56\00:21:03.56
And so sometimes when we
go to scripture all the time,
00:21:03.57\00:21:06.42
I would ask, we go to scripture
00:21:06.43\00:21:07.94
and find out and what
I, am I hearing something
00:21:07.95\00:21:11.42
from God that I'm
resisting initially,
00:21:11.43\00:21:14.32
that I think
didn't belong to Him,
00:21:14.33\00:21:16.07
does it belong Him.
00:21:16.08\00:21:17.28
Then also, there is this always
00:21:17.29\00:21:19.48
should be a communication
between us and the Lord
00:21:19.49\00:21:22.07
with the word open.
00:21:22.08\00:21:24.06
And I think too many
Christians today are listening
00:21:24.07\00:21:27.08
to their pastors or teachers or,
00:21:27.09\00:21:30.53
you know, school
instructors or whenever it be,
00:21:30.54\00:21:33.05
and they're just
kind of going with it.
00:21:33.06\00:21:34.75
Yeah. Because it fits
their lifestyle, it feels okay,
00:21:34.76\00:21:38.28
but feeling got to
be careful with feeling.
00:21:38.29\00:21:40.06
Feeling doesn't mean it's
necessarily right or wrong,
00:21:40.07\00:21:42.86
feelings are
neutral in many respects.
00:21:42.87\00:21:44.79
It's what does the word
say, with regard to truth.
00:21:44.80\00:21:47.24
Yeah, once you
filter it through the word,
00:21:47.25\00:21:51.38
you can be, if
you're honest with yourself,
00:21:51.39\00:21:53.46
take it to the word of
God and if the word of God
00:21:53.47\00:21:56.11
crosses your path of it.
00:21:56.12\00:21:57.97
If it cuts across
where you want to go
00:21:57.98\00:22:00.00
then you've got
follow the word, you know.
00:22:00.01\00:22:02.01
Quickly a text
that we use very often,
00:22:03.35\00:22:05.04
in Romans chapter
12, verse 1 and 2.
00:22:05.05\00:22:07.06
I beseech you
therefore brethren,
00:22:07.07\00:22:08.26
by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies
00:22:08.27\00:22:09.93
a living sacrifice,
holy acceptable to God,
00:22:09.94\00:22:12.21
which is your
reasonable service.
00:22:12.22\00:22:14.16
And do not be
conformed to this world,
00:22:14.17\00:22:16.38
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
00:22:16.39\00:22:18.75
and that you may do that which
is the perfect will of God.
00:22:18.76\00:22:21.94
One of the things
you have to ask yourself
00:22:21.95\00:22:23.35
is does this activity,
does what I'm proposing to do,
00:22:23.36\00:22:29.28
will it transform me,
will it bring me closer to God
00:22:29.29\00:22:32.75
or does it
conform me to the word.
00:22:32.76\00:22:36.60
You follow what I'm
going through. Yeah.
00:22:36.61\00:22:38.04
Does it make me
a better Christian,
00:22:38.05\00:22:39.62
a better servant, a
better person to serve the Lord,
00:22:39.63\00:22:43.37
or does it sort of push me back
00:22:43.38\00:22:45.09
into the mold of the world.
00:22:45.10\00:22:46.49
And you've got to
really be honest with yourself,
00:22:46.50\00:22:48.79
be very, very
honest with yourself
00:22:48.80\00:22:51.09
and if the word cuts
across what you want to do,
00:22:51.10\00:22:54.52
then you've got to
stick with the word,
00:22:54.53\00:22:55.77
because your safety is in
following the word of God.
00:22:55.78\00:22:57.99
That's right, I've
said a couple times,
00:22:58.00\00:23:00.97
on judgment day, yes,
you stand before Christ.
00:23:00.98\00:23:05.30
You know, and this isn't
all theologically correct,
00:23:05.31\00:23:07.10
I'm giving you
kind of a parable here,
00:23:07.11\00:23:08.27
but on judgment day
we're gonna stand before Christ
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.91
and if we're on the wrong side,
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.45
we're among the
devils, will the answer,
00:23:13.46\00:23:17.07
well my pastor said,
yes, or well I thought,
00:23:17.08\00:23:21.06
but it didn't feel.
00:23:21.07\00:23:22.26
I mean, will that
suffice or let's say suppose you
00:23:22.27\00:23:26.57
are on the wrong
side, what better argument
00:23:26.58\00:23:28.51
would there be,
but I read your word
00:23:28.52\00:23:32.03
and I followed
it the best I could.
00:23:32.04\00:23:34.68
Now we know that
one side is chosen,
00:23:34.69\00:23:36.10
obviously there's
no switching at sides,
00:23:36.11\00:23:37.31
but I want to be
able to give the answer,
00:23:37.32\00:23:38.90
regardless that
I read your word,
00:23:38.91\00:23:41.10
and I followed what it
said, even though I maybe wrong
00:23:41.11\00:23:44.01
in some aspects. I'm committed,
00:23:44.02\00:23:46.12
I'm a follower of Christ,
I'm a follower of your word
00:23:46.13\00:23:48.50
and that is the answer
we are in our lives need
00:23:48.51\00:23:51.19
to be giving
everything we believe.
00:23:51.20\00:23:52.94
Yeah, yeah, I read
it, I saw it in the word
00:23:52.95\00:23:55.11
and I try to line myself
up with the word as it says,
00:23:55.12\00:23:58.01
well my grandmother did that,
and my grandfather did that,
00:23:58.02\00:24:01.22
I figured it was okay,
right, I never checked the word.
00:24:01.23\00:24:03.38
But if you check the word,
00:24:03.39\00:24:04.74
then at least, you
know, you're on safe ground.
00:24:04.75\00:24:06.62
I've, recently two persons said,
00:24:06.63\00:24:09.04
oh, you know, I see these trues,
00:24:10.82\00:24:13.68
but you know what,
I've been a Lutheran
00:24:13.69\00:24:16.32
or Pentecostal
or Presbyterian or,
00:24:16.33\00:24:18.83
you know,
Baptist, whatever you may.
00:24:18.84\00:24:20.34
All my life, my
family's always been that,
00:24:20.35\00:24:22.20
I will always be that, yeah,
and I'm thinking, you know,
00:24:22.21\00:24:25.97
I'm a
Seventh-day Adventist pastor,
00:24:25.98\00:24:28.05
but I will not say
that I've always been a
00:24:28.06\00:24:31.17
Seventh-day
Adventist so then I will be
00:24:31.18\00:24:33.30
a Seventh-day
Adventist. I cant say that,
00:24:33.31\00:24:35.13
even in my own faith,
I've got say I'm gonna follow
00:24:35.14\00:24:37.12
the word. God's word led me to
00:24:37.13\00:24:39.76
affirm my faith in the
Seventh-day Adventist church,
00:24:39.77\00:24:42.59
that God is leading
this church and its truth.
00:24:42.60\00:24:45.61
But, I still
must follow the word,
00:24:45.62\00:24:47.71
I can't just
because of the name,
00:24:47.72\00:24:49.23
because of what I was
raised, follow this or that.
00:24:49.24\00:24:52.40
You know, this
specific faith or doctrine,
00:24:52.41\00:24:55.28
I've got to follow the word.
00:24:55.29\00:24:56.37
So, I just wanted to
throw that out there,
00:24:56.38\00:24:57.77
because so many times today
we're finding out there and,
00:24:57.78\00:25:00.30
you maybe seeing
this among your friends
00:25:00.31\00:25:02.38
or those that you study
with or when you open the word.
00:25:02.39\00:25:05.63
That there is this affinity
to what they already know,
00:25:05.64\00:25:08.53
what they're
already comfortable with.
00:25:08.54\00:25:09.99
Where we need to
be elevating the word
00:25:10.00\00:25:12.53
and following word of God
and that's our own safeguard
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.01
for these last days, I believe
it's very, very important.
00:25:15.02\00:25:17.47
You know, John, if I
can to put something in
00:25:17.48\00:25:18.74
because I was talking
with someone just yesterday,
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.80
she is a mother, her grown son
00:25:20.81\00:25:23.52
is now not following the
Lord, he is out of the church.
00:25:23.53\00:25:26.74
He evidently
committed an act many years ago
00:25:26.75\00:25:30.58
and she handled it, her
response was unchristian.
00:25:30.59\00:25:33.93
She may have just
blown it out of proportion,
00:25:33.94\00:25:36.70
it was a particular affront
to her and she handled it badly.
00:25:36.71\00:25:39.91
He chose that as reason and
rational to leave the church.
00:25:39.92\00:25:43.41
And now many years later
00:25:43.42\00:25:45.06
she has
apologized to him profusely,
00:25:45.07\00:25:47.17
she said, I'm really,
really sorry and he is saying,
00:25:47.18\00:25:50.45
well, I can't get
over, I can't get by it.
00:25:50.46\00:25:53.27
It's just tough for you
and she is trying to say,
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.99
no it's tough for you,
because you've left Jesus
00:25:56.00\00:25:58.81
and you've let this one
act turn you against the Lord.
00:25:58.82\00:26:04.55
And I was saying
to her yesterday,
00:26:04.56\00:26:05.88
see come judgment day,
using that same scenario,
00:26:05.89\00:26:08.38
he cannot say
well back 30 years ago,
00:26:08.39\00:26:11.12
my mom did this, and so I
turned my back on you Jesus,
00:26:11.13\00:26:14.70
because of something she did.
00:26:14.71\00:26:16.62
You know, so we got to
follow the Lord for our self
00:26:16.63\00:26:19.43
and we can't let
and we can't put anyone
00:26:19.44\00:26:21.60
in the place of God.
00:26:21.61\00:26:23.60
I shouldn't turn
my back on Jesus,
00:26:23.61\00:26:25.72
because John Stanton
said something mean to me.
00:26:25.73\00:26:28.98
You know, that's not
gonna fly when Christ comes.
00:26:28.99\00:26:32.78
Well, John
says, I'm mean to you,
00:26:32.79\00:26:33.98
so I give up on you Christ,
because of John Stanton, yeah.
00:26:33.99\00:26:36.41
Or I give up on
you Christ because
00:26:36.42\00:26:37.79
my mom did
something 40 years ago.
00:26:37.80\00:26:39.86
We've got to check our
lives everyday by the word
00:26:39.87\00:26:44.00
and make sure that we're
traveling in the right path.
00:26:44.01\00:26:45.97
Yeah. Yeah and so many people
are hurt today in the church,
00:26:45.98\00:26:48.64
we recognize that, we know maybe
00:26:48.65\00:26:50.63
some of you have been
hurt by members of the church,
00:26:50.64\00:26:52.60
but know that God doesn't
want you to turn your back
00:26:52.61\00:26:54.99
on Him because of
what someone else does.
00:26:55.00\00:26:56.87
Precisely. He wants
you to maintain that,
00:26:56.88\00:26:58.84
you know, to turn to Him,
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.77
come back to his
church, find your church family
00:27:00.78\00:27:04.02
who will love and
support you in the right way,
00:27:04.03\00:27:05.85
even though maybe
someone else has hurt you.
00:27:05.86\00:27:08.15
That's God's will for your life.
00:27:08.16\00:27:10.13
Just a quick question here,
00:27:10.14\00:27:11.52
I think it's
gonna be fairly quick.
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.13
In the Bible
Solomon is a wise man,
00:27:14.62\00:27:16.79
but in this age my
wisdom is greater than his own,
00:27:16.80\00:27:19.53
do you think that's possible?
00:27:19.54\00:27:22.21
Now I know what they're saying,
00:27:22.22\00:27:23.31
is that, you know, in
essence, for Solomon's day,
00:27:23.32\00:27:29.42
wisdom, you know,
had a context of time.
00:27:29.43\00:27:32.56
You know, I mean, they
didn't have jets that they flew,
00:27:32.57\00:27:34.96
you know, they didn't have
all the things we have today
00:27:34.97\00:27:37.41
in the information, in the
industrial, in this age, yeah.
00:27:37.42\00:27:42.79
And I think in many respects
what this person is talking
00:27:42.80\00:27:46.49
about is
knowledge. Thank you, yeah.
00:27:46.50\00:27:48.49
Not wisdom. Precisely, yeah.
00:27:48.50\00:27:50.52
So, you know, when you look,
00:27:50.53\00:27:52.80
in fact if you
look at scripture,
00:27:52.81\00:27:54.76
there is a verse
in Daniel 12 verse 4
00:27:54.77\00:27:58.73
that talks about knowledge
will increase in the last days
00:27:58.74\00:28:03.27
and so it shouldn't surprise
us as we talk about this being
00:28:03.28\00:28:06.31
the last days that
knowledge is increasing today.
00:28:06.32\00:28:09.34
Knowledge about
just about everything.
00:28:09.35\00:28:11.90
The things we see,
the things we have today,
00:28:11.91\00:28:13.88
the inventions we
possess that make our lives
00:28:13.89\00:28:15.72
more comfortable
that's the result C.A,
00:28:15.73\00:28:18.09
of knowledge increasing.
00:28:18.10\00:28:20.25
But it doesn't
mean that we are wiser.
00:28:20.26\00:28:23.25
In fact knowledge can be
an exact opposite of wisdom,
00:28:23.26\00:28:26.43
you could actually put
them at polar opposites
00:28:26.44\00:28:28.55
in some respect. Because today,
00:28:28.56\00:28:31.26
science is moving away from God.
00:28:31.27\00:28:34.52
And the Bible says
that wisdom comes from God.
00:28:34.53\00:28:38.21
So if you put, if
you had a triangle
00:28:38.22\00:28:39.72
and you started
off that was reverse,
00:28:39.73\00:28:41.15
the triangle was upside
down and you were at the bottom
00:28:41.16\00:28:44.60
and the knowledge on one side
and wisdom at the other side.
00:28:44.61\00:28:47.32
You can say that in
many respects when you go up,
00:28:47.33\00:28:49.33
these are getting further apart.
00:28:49.34\00:28:50.69
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:28:50.70\00:28:52.59
And, you know, was it James 1:5,
00:28:52.60\00:28:56.72
If anyone lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God,
00:28:56.73\00:28:59.04
who gives liberally
to anybody who asks.
00:28:59.05\00:29:00.91
And so from God comes
wisdom, but if we exclude God
00:29:00.92\00:29:07.10
from that equation,
we don't become wiser,
00:29:07.11\00:29:09.66
we become more
foolish. Precisely.
00:29:09.67\00:29:11.21
But we can be
knowledgeable, yes,
00:29:11.22\00:29:13.15
because of the
blessings we have of this day.
00:29:13.16\00:29:15.53
The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.
00:29:16.57\00:29:19.92
And the fool that
said in his heart,
00:29:19.93\00:29:21.44
there is no God.
00:29:21.45\00:29:22.79
And if you just oppose the two,
00:29:22.80\00:29:25.01
we have more knowledge,
but you have more people
00:29:25.02\00:29:27.19
who don't believe
in God than ever today,
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.49
so how wise are we?
00:29:29.50\00:29:32.92
The evidences of
the Lord are all around
00:29:32.93\00:29:35.39
and yet there are those
who choose to the negate
00:29:35.40\00:29:38.33
those evidences and
say, God does not exist.
00:29:38.34\00:29:41.12
So, we have more
knowledge than ever before,
00:29:41.13\00:29:43.41
but I don't know if we're
wiser than we've ever been.
00:29:43.42\00:29:45.45
No, the word wisdom
comes up in Daniel 12, yeah.
00:29:45.46\00:29:49.44
You know, that
knowledge shall increase,
00:29:49.45\00:29:51.56
we find that in
verse 4 of Daniel 12,
00:29:51.57\00:29:54.98
but look at verse
10, verse 10 says,
00:29:54.99\00:29:58.27
Many shall be purified,
made white, and refined,
00:29:58.28\00:30:02.39
but the wicked
shall do wickedly;
00:30:02.40\00:30:05.43
and none of the
wicked shall do what?
00:30:05.44\00:30:07.56
Understand, Understand,
00:30:07.57\00:30:08.74
yeah, but the
wise shall understand.
00:30:08.75\00:30:10.94
Shall understand, yeah.
00:30:10.95\00:30:11.92
So, the wicked who claim
knowledge and inspiration
00:30:11.93\00:30:15.72
and incredible things through
science that they come to know
00:30:15.73\00:30:19.23
still aren't wise because they
don't put their trust in God
00:30:19.24\00:30:23.34
who is the source of wisdom.
00:30:23.35\00:30:25.52
So, anyway I would say
that it is very possible
00:30:25.53\00:30:29.37
that you have more
knowledge in certain aspects
00:30:29.38\00:30:31.48
then Solomon. But
Solomon got his wisdom
00:30:31.49\00:30:33.75
from God and if you
ask of God for wisdom
00:30:33.76\00:30:36.08
then you will
receive some of what
00:30:36.09\00:30:37.46
Solomon also received, so.
00:30:37.47\00:30:39.05
You can have this
mass John of knowledge,
00:30:39.06\00:30:42.05
but I think of wisdom asv
00:30:42.06\00:30:43.33
the correct application
of knowledge. Application.
00:30:43.34\00:30:46.76
You have this a mass of facts,
but when and where to apply
00:30:46.77\00:30:51.13
a particular fact
to a particular case,
00:30:51.14\00:30:53.29
that's true wisdom.
00:30:53.30\00:30:54.65
And they are a lot
of very wise people
00:30:54.66\00:30:56.45
who never went to
college, don't have Ph.D.
00:30:56.46\00:30:58.42
They are very, very, very wise
00:30:58.43\00:31:01.00
and we see that even in our day.
00:31:01.01\00:31:02.92
Amen, well that's
our questions for today
00:31:02.93\00:31:05.34
and we appreciate
you sending those in.
00:31:05.35\00:31:07.16
Again if you like
to email questions,
00:31:07.17\00:31:08.94
you can email them
to housecalls@3abn.org
00:31:08.95\00:31:12.47
that's housecalls@3abn.org.
00:31:12.48\00:31:16.58
And we thank you for
sending those in once again.
00:31:16.59\00:31:19.20
Our topic today, is
just a one program topic
00:31:19.21\00:31:24.51
and we're gonna move through
these things fairly quickly.
00:31:24.52\00:31:26.34
But the study today is the
Biblical test of a prophet.
00:31:26.35\00:31:31.16
You know, C.A., as we
look around this world
00:31:31.17\00:31:34.17
and we've been seeing
over, you know, many decades
00:31:34.18\00:31:36.62
and of course
Jesus predicted this,
00:31:36.63\00:31:38.21
Matthew 24, that many
false prophets or false Christs,
00:31:38.22\00:31:42.90
he also uses here,
will arise to deceive many.
00:31:42.91\00:31:46.42
Many who claim to
be inspired by God,
00:31:46.43\00:31:49.05
or calm to be
prophets in their own right
00:31:49.06\00:31:51.85
are leading people away.
00:31:51.86\00:31:54.43
And the question then
goes well with all these people
00:31:54.44\00:31:57.45
who are professing to
have knowledge and wisdom,
00:31:57.46\00:31:59.48
we just talked about that.
00:31:59.49\00:32:00.93
How do we know if they
truly are called by God
00:32:00.94\00:32:03.78
to be his spokesperson,
yes, you know, how are they,
00:32:03.79\00:32:07.70
are they a true
prophet or prophetess
00:32:07.71\00:32:10.03
or are they a false
prophet or prophetess.
00:32:10.04\00:32:12.46
And so, I believe the Bible
does give us a specific tests
00:32:12.47\00:32:18.61
or at least a test of
what a true prophet is.
00:32:18.62\00:32:22.54
And I've just
noted 12 of them here
00:32:22.55\00:32:25.49
and we're gonna try
and move through this
00:32:25.50\00:32:26.99
and just see if we
can pick out a few things
00:32:27.00\00:32:28.78
to give to our
listeners, our viewers,
00:32:28.79\00:32:32.15
how to confirm whether
or not someone who professes
00:32:32.16\00:32:35.38
to be a prophet is truly of God.
00:32:35.39\00:32:37.94
Number one, a true
prophet does not lie.
00:32:37.95\00:32:42.15
What he or she
predicts is always fulfilled,
00:32:42.16\00:32:44.42
unless the
prophecy is conditional.
00:32:44.43\00:32:48.21
And there are many
conditional prophecies here.
00:32:48.22\00:32:50.84
So we have to make sure that
we put that caveat in there.
00:32:50.85\00:32:53.66
But what is predicted
unless it's conditional
00:32:53.67\00:32:57.14
will come to pass. And if
the condition has been met,
00:32:57.68\00:33:01.02
then it will come to
pass, if it hasn't been met then
00:33:01.03\00:33:03.89
it won't come to pass.
00:33:03.90\00:33:05.25
So let's take a
look at a few texts here,
00:33:05.26\00:33:06.73
do you have one there
for me, the first one.
00:33:06.74\00:33:08.60
Jeremiah 28:9, a great text
00:33:08.61\00:33:11.96
as for the prophet
who prophesies peace,
00:33:11.97\00:33:14.86
when the word of the
prophet come to pass,
00:33:14.87\00:33:17.11
the prophet will be known as
00:33:17.12\00:33:18.58
one who the Lord has truly sent.
00:33:18.59\00:33:21.96
Very plain, if he
says it's gonna happen,
00:33:21.97\00:33:25.09
it's got to happen.
00:33:25.10\00:33:26.34
And it's got to happen
in the way that he says
00:33:26.35\00:33:28.88
is going to happen
because he is speaking for God.
00:33:28.89\00:33:31.46
And if he is speaking for
God, who knows all and sees all,
00:33:31.47\00:33:34.95
and understands all, then
he knows what's going to happen
00:33:34.96\00:33:37.36
and it should
happen precisely that way.
00:33:37.37\00:33:39.78
Conversely if
it does not happen,
00:33:39.79\00:33:42.39
then well we got a problem.
00:33:42.40\00:33:44.28
We got a problem.
Yeah, we got an issue here.
00:33:44.29\00:33:45.39
And especially,
and we're talking about
00:33:46.55\00:33:48.23
one that is not
conditional, yes,
00:33:48.24\00:33:50.07
evidently this is not a
conditional prophecy here,
00:33:50.08\00:33:52.03
the Lord said, it
is going to be this,
00:33:52.04\00:33:54.31
the prophet says it
and it happens. Precisely.
00:33:54.32\00:33:56.62
But, when there is a condition,
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.92
then it's a little
different scenario.
00:33:58.93\00:34:00.40
Because sometimes God will say,
00:34:00.41\00:34:01.89
if you do not
repent, I will do this.
00:34:01.90\00:34:05.54
And if his people
repent it doesn't happen,
00:34:05.55\00:34:08.21
but just because the
prophet prophesied of that,
00:34:08.22\00:34:10.20
we can think of a most
famous prophet of this,
00:34:10.21\00:34:12.11
which is Jonah in
Nineveh, he said that this city
00:34:12.12\00:34:15.53
would be destroyed, right.
00:34:15.54\00:34:16.51
But, it didn't happen, did
that make him a false prophet?
00:34:16.52\00:34:18.70
No, there was a condition
attached to that prophecy,
00:34:18.71\00:34:21.48
that this one
here is not conditional
00:34:21.49\00:34:24.29
and it's not speaking
about additional prophecies...
00:34:24.30\00:34:26.59
If clauses that it
got to happen and John,
00:34:27.54\00:34:29.79
as you will know,
100 percent accuracy,
00:34:29.80\00:34:32.90
there's no batting average
when you live with a prophet.
00:34:32.91\00:34:35.69
It's got to be
accurate all the time,
00:34:35.70\00:34:37.86
100 percent of the
time, not 50 not 75,
00:34:37.87\00:34:40.76
not he or she is
batting about 390,
00:34:40.77\00:34:42.87
no, gotta be
100 percent of time.
00:34:42.88\00:34:44.38
Talking about that for a minute,
00:34:44.39\00:34:45.36
I mean, don't we
see that as a test today
00:34:45.37\00:34:47.87
as to someone's wisdom.
00:34:47.88\00:34:49.44
I mean, you see on, you see
like in the History Channel,
00:34:49.45\00:34:52.39
I watch that once in a while,
00:34:52.40\00:34:53.51
it's enjoyable channel
with some of the programs.
00:34:53.52\00:34:55.86
But some will come on
there saying, you know,
00:34:55.87\00:34:57.58
success rates on prophecies
from these individuals.
00:34:59.42\00:35:02.17
Well, one that
appears most successful is...
00:35:02.18\00:35:04.66
and they're batting
around 30, 40, 50 percent.
00:35:04.67\00:35:07.32
You wondering what
makes that so good.
00:35:07.33\00:35:09.51
The biblical
standard is 100 percent.
00:35:09.52\00:35:11.75
One hundred percent, yeah,
00:35:11.76\00:35:12.89
yeah if a guy is
batting 50 percent,
00:35:12.90\00:35:16.79
he is wrong half the time.
You can forget about that guy.
00:35:16.80\00:35:21.46
He is wrong half the time,
00:35:22.87\00:35:24.23
you don't wanna base your life,
00:35:24.24\00:35:26.03
your future, your
hopes, your eternity on a guy
00:35:26.04\00:35:28.41
who is only batting 50 percent.
00:35:28.42\00:35:30.44
You might as well
walk up to black or red
00:35:30.45\00:35:32.41
and throw down
your life savings on it.
00:35:32.42\00:35:33.68
Precisely, yeah. I mean,
it doesn't work that way.
00:35:33.69\00:35:35.67
It just, it makes no sense.
00:35:35.68\00:35:37.51
So we're talking about a person
00:35:37.52\00:35:38.82
who is speaking for God,
00:35:38.83\00:35:39.88
and have got to be right
100 percent all the time.
00:35:39.89\00:35:42.93
And that's very, very important.
00:35:42.94\00:35:43.92
Yeah, it really is,
look at the next verse here
00:35:43.93\00:35:46.22
from Deuteronomy
18 verse 21 and 22.
00:35:46.23\00:35:50.22
And if you say in your heart,
'How shall we know the word
00:35:50.23\00:35:53.81
which the Lord has not spoken?"
00:35:53.82\00:35:56.01
When the prophet speaks
in the name of the Lord,
00:35:56.02\00:35:58.36
if the thing does not
happen or come to pass,
00:35:58.37\00:36:01.93
that is the thing which
the Lord has not spoken,
00:36:01.94\00:36:05.07
the prophet has
spoken it presumptuously,
00:36:05.08\00:36:07.55
you shall not be afraid of him.
00:36:07.56\00:36:09.26
Yes, yes, that's the
other side of the coin.
00:36:09.27\00:36:11.75
Yes. So, if he is
hurling out in activities
00:36:11.76\00:36:14.54
and you're gonna wither
away and it doesn't happen,
00:36:14.55\00:36:16.88
well it didn't come
from God. Yeah, that's right.
00:36:16.89\00:36:18.83
That's his own, he is,
maybe got a little upset,
00:36:18.84\00:36:20.88
had a bad day. So
he is spotting off
00:36:20.89\00:36:22.52
some stuff, but it
didn't come from the Lord.
00:36:22.53\00:36:24.35
That's right, that's
right. Another one there.
00:36:24.36\00:36:28.27
First Samuel 9:6,
And he said to him,
00:36:28.28\00:36:31.21
"Look now, there is in
this city a man of God,
00:36:31.22\00:36:35.09
"and he is an honorable man,
00:36:35.10\00:36:38.54
"all that he says
surely comes to pass.
00:36:38.55\00:36:41.37
"So let us go there,
perhaps he can show us
00:36:41.38\00:36:43.94
the way that we should go."
00:36:43.95\00:36:46.13
All right so all that he
says surely comes to pass.
00:36:46.14\00:36:50.01
But it's not half of
what he says comes to pass,
00:36:50.02\00:36:52.70
lets go try them out,
00:36:52.71\00:36:53.79
it's everything he
says comes to pass.
00:36:53.80\00:36:56.29
These, these, these,
we're begging the point here
00:36:56.30\00:37:00.68
of 100 percent accuracy.
00:37:00.69\00:37:02.46
And it's an important point
to sort of lay on a little bit.
00:37:02.47\00:37:05.31
Because there are many people
who gives predictions today
00:37:05.32\00:37:08.09
and they've got
a batting average
00:37:08.10\00:37:10.17
and once you begin
to talk about averages,
00:37:10.18\00:37:11.63
you're not talking about God.
00:37:11.64\00:37:12.97
So, if you're
listening to someone,
00:37:12.98\00:37:15.62
if you're gonna
put your, you know,
00:37:15.63\00:37:17.13
someone made a
prediction sometime ago
00:37:17.14\00:37:19.32
and there was a
fellow in New York,
00:37:19.33\00:37:20.81
who's sort of banked
his whole fortune on that.
00:37:20.82\00:37:25.03
And lost all of his
money, and he said well,
00:37:25.04\00:37:27.54
what do I do now. You know,
00:37:27.55\00:37:29.52
I sort of gave all my
money away to this cause
00:37:29.53\00:37:32.53
because I believed this person.
00:37:32.54\00:37:34.63
And now I don't have anything,
00:37:34.64\00:37:36.08
and what he said
didn't come true,
00:37:36.09\00:37:37.38
what do I do now?
00:37:37.39\00:37:38.62
And no one had answer for him
because you went with a person
00:37:38.63\00:37:42.34
who had a track
record, it missed sometimes on,
00:37:42.35\00:37:45.73
sometimes off,
this time he was way off
00:37:45.74\00:37:48.07
and you banked on that
and now you have nothing.
00:37:48.08\00:37:50.32
So, 100 percent accuracy
if it's coming from the Lord.
00:37:50.33\00:37:53.94
That's right, now the
other thing to remember in this,
00:37:53.95\00:37:56.32
I don't want to
blabber that point too much.
00:37:56.33\00:37:58.16
But, we're not
talking about the life
00:37:58.17\00:38:00.66
of the individual
necessary, God works
00:38:00.67\00:38:02.62
through frail
human beings, he does.
00:38:02.63\00:38:05.78
So, it doesn't mean
100 percent perfection
00:38:05.79\00:38:07.98
in the life of the prophet.
00:38:07.99\00:38:09.30
Because sometimes people look
at the prophet and they say,
00:38:09.31\00:38:10.98
well, you know, he made
a mistake here and there.
00:38:10.99\00:38:14.18
Not in the predictions,
but I'm talking about,
00:38:14.19\00:38:15.81
he made a mistake
in his life, you know,
00:38:15.82\00:38:17.91
or something he
didn't choose to do,
00:38:17.92\00:38:19.81
it wasn't exactly right.
00:38:19.82\00:38:20.92
It doesn't mean
that a prophet goes
00:38:20.93\00:38:23.23
throughout his or her
day, hearing from God,
00:38:23.24\00:38:26.55
turn the doorknob, yeah.
00:38:26.56\00:38:28.41
Now walk through
this hallway. Yeah.
00:38:28.42\00:38:30.00
Now go step over
to here and talk to...
00:38:30.01\00:38:31.80
That's not, that's
not what a prophet does.
00:38:31.81\00:38:35.06
So we can't say,
well because their life
00:38:35.07\00:38:37.41
isn't an 100 percent
perfect that they're not of God,
00:38:37.42\00:38:40.51
and if you think
of someone like Jonah,
00:38:40.52\00:38:42.48
who was literally
running away from God
00:38:42.49\00:38:44.62
right, and God still used him
00:38:44.63\00:38:46.25
and brought him
back to speak for him.
00:38:46.26\00:38:48.85
Then we know that
the requirement isn't
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.98
the 100 percent
sinless life of the prophet,
00:38:50.99\00:38:53.65
but the 100 percent
accuracy of the message.
00:38:53.66\00:38:55.46
Of the message, very true,
very true, and a good point.
00:38:55.47\00:38:58.14
All right, look
at number two here,
00:38:58.15\00:38:59.34
the second test, a
true prophets speaks
00:38:59.35\00:39:02.30
in behalf of God,
00:39:02.31\00:39:06.11
and it shall be that
whoever will not hear my words,
00:39:06.12\00:39:10.26
which he speaks in my
name, I will require it of Him.
00:39:10.27\00:39:14.85
So, notice here,
those who do not hear,
00:39:14.86\00:39:17.49
God says my words. Yes.
00:39:17.50\00:39:20.49
So when the prophets speaks,
00:39:20.50\00:39:21.80
he is speaking the words of God.
00:39:21.81\00:39:24.02
Yeah, and we're gonna
touch on this in a little bit
00:39:24.03\00:39:25.97
I think, but he is not
coming out of his own bag,
00:39:25.98\00:39:29.53
dare I say. He
is speaking for God,
00:39:29.54\00:39:32.02
so then his
words carry the import,
00:39:32.03\00:39:34.09
the weight of
divinity, because he is but
00:39:34.10\00:39:36.33
the mouthpiece for a
message that comes from God.
00:39:36.34\00:39:39.84
Right, and the next text,
00:39:39.85\00:39:41.08
why don't you go ahead
and read that one, Amos.
00:39:41.09\00:39:42.58
Amos chapter 3 verse 7,
remember this text from school
00:39:42.59\00:39:44.96
Surely the Lord
God does nothing,
00:39:44.97\00:39:47.40
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants, the prophets.
00:39:47.41\00:39:50.34
Of course then nothing
means those kinds of things
00:39:50.35\00:39:52.61
that affect
mankind's eternal well being.
00:39:52.62\00:39:55.30
If God's going
to do something big
00:39:56.61\00:39:58.30
for to with
through planet earth,
00:39:58.31\00:40:00.65
he is gonna warn you about it.
00:40:00.66\00:40:01.66
God's not trying to
sneak anything in on us, right.
00:40:01.67\00:40:04.09
He is gonna warn us
about it and give us,
00:40:04.10\00:40:05.88
dare we say in modern
language the heads up, yeah.
00:40:05.89\00:40:08.49
So that we know what is coming,
00:40:08.50\00:40:11.34
so that we can be prepared.
00:40:11.35\00:40:12.39
You know, Jesus himself said,
00:40:12.40\00:40:14.09
I tell you these things
that you may know be forehand.
00:40:14.10\00:40:17.01
Precisely, yeah, yeah.
00:40:17.02\00:40:18.00
So, he wants us
to know in advance,
00:40:18.01\00:40:19.61
he does that through prophets.
00:40:19.62\00:40:22.80
We find here also
in Revelation 10:7
00:40:22.81\00:40:24.90
an illusion to, or
working out of that.
00:40:24.91\00:40:27.19
It says, but in the
days of the sounding
00:40:27.20\00:40:28.83
of the seventh angel,
when he is about to sound,
00:40:28.84\00:40:30.54
the mystery of
God would be finished,
00:40:30.55\00:40:32.39
as He declared to His
servants, the prophets.
00:40:32.40\00:40:35.10
So he reveals his
secrets to the prophets
00:40:35.11\00:40:37.54
and in the last days and
the context of the message
00:40:37.55\00:40:39.79
going to the world,
he is going to send that
00:40:39.80\00:40:43.10
through his
prophets who prophesy again
00:40:43.11\00:40:46.09
the mystery of God,
00:40:46.10\00:40:47.75
in fact so much so
that it will finish it.
00:40:47.76\00:40:50.40
Yes, yes. And so we
will see that happen
00:40:50.41\00:40:52.61
even in these last days
as God uses his servants
00:40:52.62\00:40:56.43
the prophets. All
right, number three,
00:40:56.44\00:40:59.31
a true prophet's
words will be in harmony
00:40:59.32\00:41:02.06
with those spoken by
prophets before him or her.
00:41:02.07\00:41:04.99
Oh yes, yes, Isaiah 8:20,
00:41:05.00\00:41:07.59
To the law and to the testimony!
00:41:07.60\00:41:09.49
If they speak not
according to his word,
00:41:09.50\00:41:11.56
to this word, is because
there is no light in them.
00:41:11.57\00:41:14.39
John, we've got two
words law and to the testimony
00:41:14.40\00:41:16.46
walk us through
what that is if you will.
00:41:16.47\00:41:18.42
Well, the law
often referred to in
00:41:18.43\00:41:21.03
the Bible points back to the
writings of Moses. Precisely.
00:41:21.04\00:41:23.94
Okay, the five
first books of the Bible.
00:41:23.95\00:41:25.96
The testimony
points to the prophets,
00:41:25.97\00:41:28.49
both major and
minor prophets so.
00:41:28.50\00:41:29.98
This is
comprising scripture, yes,
00:41:29.99\00:41:34.05
so when it says to the
law and to the testimony
00:41:34.06\00:41:35.47
it's saying others what
they have written before,
00:41:35.48\00:41:38.17
if they don't
speak according to that,
00:41:38.18\00:41:39.79
that they're not
in harmony with that,
00:41:39.80\00:41:40.98
yeah they're not a true prophet.
00:41:40.99\00:41:42.37
Thy comes along and
he is pooh-poohing or
00:41:42.38\00:41:44.94
discounting the word of
God, then he is to be rejected.
00:41:44.95\00:41:48.48
Yeah. Because,
one of the test says
00:41:48.49\00:41:50.02
he is got to agree with
the manner of scripture.
00:41:50.03\00:41:52.68
Right. The law
and the testimony.
00:41:52.69\00:41:54.46
That's right, this
is an important point,
00:41:54.47\00:41:56.01
because a lot of
people think that,
00:41:56.02\00:41:57.34
and they will
come to you and say,
00:41:57.35\00:41:58.32
you know, I have further light.
00:41:58.33\00:42:01.08
I mean, dare we say that
there's a whole book written,
00:42:01.09\00:42:04.26
that is elevated to
the standard of scripture
00:42:04.27\00:42:06.86
that claims to have
light beyond scripture,
00:42:06.87\00:42:09.76
that doesn't harmonize
with scripture. Scripture right.
00:42:09.77\00:42:11.75
We've got be very careful when
someone comes to us and says,
00:42:11.76\00:42:14.26
here I've something that
gives you additional light,
00:42:14.27\00:42:16.29
that goes beyond God's word
00:42:16.30\00:42:18.22
and yet that what
they are giving you
00:42:18.23\00:42:19.97
doesn't even harmonize with it.
00:42:19.98\00:42:21.52
And God is not
schizophrenic, you know,
00:42:21.53\00:42:23.51
why would he bring after
so many years of this word
00:42:23.52\00:42:28.25
and the power of this
word, then someone comes along
00:42:28.26\00:42:30.70
and says I've
got a whole new word,
00:42:30.71\00:42:31.99
just forget about this,
this is a whole new deal,
00:42:32.00\00:42:33.75
and it's from God.
That would make God
00:42:33.76\00:42:35.20
a little
psychotic and, you know,
00:42:35.21\00:42:37.32
it doesn't really add up.
00:42:37.33\00:42:38.85
They've got to line
up with the word of God
00:42:38.86\00:42:41.04
that has carried us
through for so many.
00:42:41.05\00:42:42.68
And even to say, well
that old word that was given,
00:42:42.69\00:42:45.16
well man
corrupted it so much that
00:42:45.17\00:42:47.99
I had to given a new word, yeah.
00:42:48.00\00:42:49.52
It's almost like God is
incapable of supporting,
00:42:49.53\00:42:52.64
sustaining, and
caring for his word.
00:42:52.65\00:42:55.37
I trust that the Lord,
the Lord has gotten this Bible
00:42:56.68\00:42:59.61
all the way through time.
00:42:59.62\00:43:01.97
To me in exactly
how he intended to get
00:43:01.98\00:43:04.53
to me when it got me, yeah.
00:43:04.54\00:43:06.29
In other words, I can read
it with confidence with trust,
00:43:06.30\00:43:08.77
that it hasn't been tainted
or so corrupted and destroyed
00:43:08.78\00:43:12.11
by mankind that
it can't save me.
00:43:12.12\00:43:15.38
I've got to be
able to say I read,
00:43:15.39\00:43:17.46
I understand and I
follow not to think,
00:43:17.47\00:43:20.98
oh I don't know, I
can't trust it, really.
00:43:20.99\00:43:24.97
There is this
always underlying current
00:43:24.98\00:43:27.15
of some of these
movements, that you cant trust
00:43:27.16\00:43:29.56
the word as it's written.
00:43:29.57\00:43:31.59
You got to
listen to this new word.
00:43:31.60\00:43:33.50
Yeah it's interesting and God
providing such empirical proof
00:43:33.51\00:43:36.39
that back in 1947 when
they found the dead sea scrolls
00:43:36.40\00:43:38.81
and they found kin going
through them that they were
00:43:38.82\00:43:41.13
I think the accuracy is like
98 point something, something,
00:43:41.14\00:43:43.95
something, you know, we
care up to decimals of accurate
00:43:43.96\00:43:46.83
to the word as we have it today.
00:43:46.84\00:43:49.26
So God has preserved his word
down through all this scribes
00:43:49.27\00:43:52.95
and all the copying and all
the changes and even appointing
00:43:52.96\00:43:56.38
and adding in the
verses and chapters,
00:43:56.39\00:43:58.94
he is preserved his word,
that is God's legacy to us
00:43:58.95\00:44:03.02
to give us a pure
word that we can trust
00:44:03.03\00:44:04.77
and we can relay on.
00:44:04.78\00:44:06.42
The point you make
is so important because,
00:44:06.43\00:44:09.08
people really
harp on that issue,
00:44:09.09\00:44:10.91
you know, how did we know
that the word of God is true,
00:44:10.92\00:44:12.76
Dead Sea scrolls
established that,
00:44:12.77\00:44:14.54
and the other interesting
thing about the two percent
00:44:14.55\00:44:16.75
of whatever it is that is
not exactly perfect, yeah.
00:44:16.76\00:44:19.93
Is non
substantive. Precisely, yeah.
00:44:19.94\00:44:22.33
It doesn't even matter,
the part that isn't accurate.
00:44:22.34\00:44:25.30
Yeah. So it's not like
oh that's the big part,
00:44:25.31\00:44:27.92
it's missing a big
section it's not true at all,
00:44:27.93\00:44:30.75
it's minor differences in
transcribing from one maybe
00:44:30.76\00:44:35.98
to the next down through time,
00:44:35.99\00:44:37.44
these differences
are not substantive.
00:44:37.45\00:44:39.09
They don't have
anything to do with you,
00:44:39.10\00:44:40.45
your salvation what
you need to be saved.
00:44:40.46\00:44:42.82
Yeah, yeah someone said
well John is a good guy,
00:44:42.83\00:44:46.61
and someone wrote
John is a great guy.
00:44:46.62\00:44:48.21
Well, it's still the same thing.
00:44:48.22\00:44:50.59
Well, he
slipped out of his house
00:44:50.60\00:44:51.73
the other day and he fell.
00:44:51.74\00:44:52.92
I saw him go straight
down, well he's a clumsy guy.
00:44:54.26\00:44:56.89
So doctrinally,
theologically it's pure,
00:44:58.25\00:45:01.31
its as God wants us to have it.
00:45:01.32\00:45:03.38
And very important, I
wanna encourage you here,
00:45:03.39\00:45:05.61
because so many want to say that
00:45:05.62\00:45:07.09
this word isn't
exactly as God intended it,
00:45:07.10\00:45:09.71
but it is in every
aspect. Okay, number four,
00:45:09.72\00:45:14.16
A true prophet will not give
his or her own interpretation.
00:45:14.17\00:45:19.30
And our scripture
there is Second Peter 1:20,
00:45:19.31\00:45:21.40
knowing this first that
no prophecy of scripture
00:45:21.41\00:45:24.13
is of any private
interpretation, right.
00:45:24.14\00:45:27.07
In other words, the
interpretation of a scripture
00:45:27.08\00:45:29.86
cannot be given
privately by opinion.
00:45:29.87\00:45:32.17
Well I think, or
boy looks like it's
00:45:32.18\00:45:34.84
going to or, you know,
we see that a lot today.
00:45:34.85\00:45:37.70
I'm really concerned pastor
that today we have people out
00:45:37.71\00:45:42.26
there that are just kind
of watching the newspaper,
00:45:42.27\00:45:44.88
to see how maybe
some of the prophets
00:45:44.89\00:45:47.26
of the Bible might fit
into what's happening, yeah.
00:45:47.27\00:45:50.24
And we've done this now
for the last hundred years,
00:45:50.25\00:45:53.81
the Bible does say that
prophecies opened up again,
00:45:53.82\00:45:57.22
it will open up in the
last days it was sealed it
00:45:57.23\00:45:59.56
is now become
unsealed. So it's understandable
00:45:59.57\00:46:01.98
so there is a heightened
awareness or desire for people
00:46:01.99\00:46:04.38
to understand prophecy.
00:46:04.39\00:46:05.67
But, with it also comes a
lot of private interpretation.
00:46:05.68\00:46:08.50
Yes, yes, yes. You know,
00:46:08.51\00:46:09.62
will this I think is
this and people develop
00:46:09.63\00:46:12.72
entire ministries
to teach their brand
00:46:12.73\00:46:16.28
of interpretation of prophecy,
but the Bible is clear,
00:46:16.29\00:46:20.44
it's not a
private interpretation.
00:46:20.45\00:46:21.86
No, no, the Bible
it's own best expositor
00:46:21.87\00:46:25.75
and when we have a
question with the word,
00:46:25.76\00:46:28.80
the best place to
go to get understanding
00:46:28.81\00:46:31.57
is back to that same word.
00:46:31.58\00:46:33.20
And to dig into the
word until the answer comes.
00:46:33.21\00:46:36.20
As opposed to developing
some sort of fan thought
00:46:36.21\00:46:39.24
interpretation that
seems to titillate the senses,
00:46:39.25\00:46:41.66
but it's not biblically based.
00:46:41.67\00:46:42.85
Yeah, yeah, very
important to remember.
00:46:42.86\00:46:44.92
I guess also I'll add
to that what it means is
00:46:44.93\00:46:46.95
if there is symbol in prophecy,
00:46:46.96\00:46:49.28
a specific
thing mentioned there,
00:46:49.29\00:46:50.75
the Bible will explain
what that symbol means.
00:46:50.76\00:46:53.73
So, it doesn't become any longer
00:46:53.74\00:46:55.24
or private
interpretation it becomes
00:46:55.25\00:46:56.73
an interpretation
by the Bible itself.
00:46:56.74\00:46:59.21
The Bible defines and explains
the symbols within prophecy,
00:46:59.22\00:47:02.14
very true. If you know that
00:47:02.15\00:47:03.25
you're on safe
ground. All right number five,
00:47:03.26\00:47:06.03
A true prophet speaks
only under the prompting
00:47:06.04\00:47:08.63
of the Holy Spirit
according to the will of God.
00:47:08.64\00:47:12.57
By the very next
verse in Second Peter,
00:47:12.58\00:47:14.02
you wanna read that one?
00:47:14.03\00:47:15.00
For prophecy never
came by the will of man,
00:47:15.01\00:47:18.20
but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by
00:47:18.21\00:47:21.96
the Holy Spirit.
So, they're not speaking
00:47:21.97\00:47:23.83
of themselves or
for themselves, John,
00:47:23.84\00:47:26.09
they're speaking under the
impress of the Spirit of God.
00:47:26.10\00:47:30.83
Okay, good 2
chronicles 20:14 and 15,
00:47:30.84\00:47:33.83
then the Spirit of the
Lord came upon Jahaziel,
00:47:33.84\00:47:36.51
the son of
Zechariah, the son of Benaiah,
00:47:36.52\00:47:38.58
the son of Jeiel,
the son of Mattaniah,
00:47:38.59\00:47:41.01
I should go on all those.
00:47:41.02\00:47:42.00
But he said
"Listen, all you of Judah
00:47:42.01\00:47:45.79
and you
inhabitants of Jerusalem,
00:47:45.80\00:47:47.22
and you, King Jehoshaphat!
00:47:47.23\00:47:49.03
Thus says the Lord to
you, 'Do not be afraid nor be
00:47:49.04\00:47:51.38
dismayed because of
this great multitude,
00:47:51.39\00:47:53.55
for the battle is
not yours, but God's.
00:47:53.56\00:47:57.78
So, anything prophesied,
00:47:57.79\00:47:59.64
anything that's going to happen,
00:47:59.65\00:48:00.65
God steps in and he
speaks through the prophet
00:48:00.66\00:48:02.74
but he is the one
that makes it happen,
00:48:02.75\00:48:04.59
it's his will that drives it.
00:48:04.60\00:48:06.24
All right, number six,
a true path can point out
00:48:06.25\00:48:10.09
the sins of God's people.
00:48:10.10\00:48:13.05
He calls them back to obedience,
00:48:13.06\00:48:15.90
now that doesn't mean we're
in the...the pew next to us.
00:48:15.91\00:48:19.10
And people that are saying,
oh so and so is not right,
00:48:19.11\00:48:21.82
if they are
prophet, that's not we were
00:48:21.83\00:48:23.39
talking about here.
But sometimes prophets
00:48:23.40\00:48:25.82
are sent to God's
people to help get them back
00:48:25.83\00:48:28.59
on the right
track. You know, Isaiah 58
00:48:28.60\00:48:31.97
when Cry aloud, spare not,
00:48:31.98\00:48:32.98
Lift up your
voice like a trumpet,
00:48:32.99\00:48:33.99
Tell My people
their transgression,
00:48:34.00\00:48:36.03
And the house of
Jacob, their sins.
00:48:36.04\00:48:37.78
When we think of
prophet and this comes back
00:48:37.79\00:48:40.78
again and again we
think so much of prophesying
00:48:40.79\00:48:43.22
the future,
prophesying the future
00:48:43.23\00:48:44.41
but a lot of the work
of a prophet was messages
00:48:44.42\00:48:47.58
given by God to his
people for their current living,
00:48:47.59\00:48:53.34
for that particular time.
00:48:53.35\00:48:54.85
So there was a
lot of forth telling
00:48:54.86\00:48:57.32
as in addition to foretelling.
00:48:57.33\00:49:00.89
Sort of
straightening out problems
00:49:00.90\00:49:02.86
or dealing with
issues or giving God's word
00:49:02.87\00:49:05.08
or God's answer
or God's direction
00:49:05.09\00:49:06.45
for their lives at that time.
00:49:06.46\00:49:09.10
Yeah, really
important to remember.
00:49:09.11\00:49:10.84
Because God doesn't want to
see anybody get so off track
00:49:10.85\00:49:14.01
that, you know, it
becomes difficult or challenging
00:49:14.02\00:49:17.69
to get them back and
we can guide them along
00:49:17.70\00:49:20.05
early on to understand
the error of their way,
00:49:20.06\00:49:23.03
where they're
heading, the Lord often can use
00:49:23.04\00:49:25.55
a prophet to do that, yes.
00:49:25.56\00:49:26.91
And the Bible clearly
tells us that from Isaiah 58:1,
00:49:26.92\00:49:30.02
Daniel 9:10 says,
We have not obeyed
00:49:30.03\00:49:33.23
the voice of the Lord
our God, to walk in His laws,
00:49:33.24\00:49:35.77
which He set before us by
His servants, the prophets.
00:49:35.78\00:49:39.45
So, a lot of what the prophets
speak are to help guide us
00:49:39.46\00:49:43.04
and to keep us on the
narrow path, from straying.
00:49:43.05\00:49:46.50
And so that's also an
aspect of keeping us on that
00:49:46.51\00:49:50.88
straight path and
keeping away from sin
00:49:50.89\00:49:53.08
that the devil is always
looking to ensnare us with.
00:49:53.09\00:49:55.62
Very true. Number seven,
00:49:55.63\00:49:57.34
a true prophet
edifies the church.
00:49:57.35\00:50:01.48
First Corinthians 14:3 and
4, But he who prophesies speaks
00:50:01.49\00:50:05.06
edification and
exhortation and comfort to men.
00:50:05.07\00:50:08.75
He who speaks in a
tongue edifies himself,
00:50:08.76\00:50:12.11
but he who
prophesies edifies the church.
00:50:12.12\00:50:15.22
Which is one of the
reasons Paul elevated prophecy
00:50:15.23\00:50:19.26
to a very high level.
And all of his lists of gifts
00:50:19.27\00:50:25.56
given by the
spirit to the church,
00:50:25.57\00:50:27.07
prophecy appears in
all four of those list,
00:50:27.08\00:50:30.20
and not only that
but his desire is that
00:50:30.21\00:50:32.44
they would all prophesied.
00:50:32.45\00:50:33.79
And because he desired
that because it would keep
00:50:33.80\00:50:36.55
the church on track,
it would keep it focused
00:50:36.56\00:50:39.07
and headed the right direction,
00:50:39.08\00:50:40.62
and that is truly the message
or the reason for the prophet.
00:50:40.63\00:50:45.00
Number eight, a
true prophet provides
00:50:46.87\00:50:48.23
evidence of spiritual conversion
00:50:48.24\00:50:49.81
in their life and works.
00:50:49.82\00:50:52.31
You will know them by
their fruits it says in
00:50:52.32\00:50:54.59
Matthew 7 verse 16 I
won't read the rest of that,
00:50:54.60\00:50:57.92
but the fruit of the
light, it bears witness that
00:50:57.93\00:51:01.25
they're a follower of
Jesus, they obey him now
00:51:01.26\00:51:03.92
they may not be
perfect in every way,
00:51:03.93\00:51:05.76
but the trend of there
life is upward and following.
00:51:05.77\00:51:09.33
That's a great statement,
the trend of their life,
00:51:09.34\00:51:12.68
because they're not
superhuman they are human
00:51:12.69\00:51:14.73
and sometimes
humans make mistake.
00:51:14.74\00:51:17.04
Maybe they got a little upset
00:51:17.05\00:51:18.19
when they should have been calm,
00:51:18.20\00:51:19.32
or you know, those
kinds of things like that.
00:51:19.33\00:51:21.88
It doesn't mean that they're
not speaking for the Lord,
00:51:21.89\00:51:25.47
it means that
sometimes they're human,
00:51:25.48\00:51:27.29
humanity comes through.
00:51:27.30\00:51:29.42
Ellen White, the
great prophetic voice of
00:51:29.43\00:51:31.74
Seventh-day Adventist
church said many times,
00:51:31.75\00:51:33.58
don't pattern
your life after me.
00:51:33.59\00:51:37.21
Keep your eyes
focused on God, right.
00:51:37.22\00:51:39.44
And I'm doing the same thing,
00:51:39.45\00:51:41.43
I'm keeping my
eyes focused on God.
00:51:41.44\00:51:43.16
So as you focus
on God, and not me,
00:51:43.17\00:51:45.04
your eyes are in
the correct place.
00:51:45.05\00:51:46.71
Yes, as soon as we
start looking at what
00:51:46.72\00:51:47.75
the prophet does,
yes, we get in trouble,
00:51:47.76\00:51:50.62
because she is or he is
not the standard, right.
00:51:50.63\00:51:53.31
All right. Number nine,
00:51:53.32\00:51:54.96
a true prophet hears from
God in visions and dreams.
00:51:54.97\00:51:57.50
Numbers 12:6, Then He said,
00:51:57.51\00:52:00.25
"Hear now My words: If
there is a prophet among you,
00:52:00.26\00:52:02.85
"I the Lord, make Myself
known to him in a vision,
00:52:02.86\00:52:05.72
I speak to him in a dream."
00:52:05.73\00:52:08.19
So in supernatural ways,
God speaks to his prophets.
00:52:08.20\00:52:11.90
Numbers 10, a true
prophet will manifest
00:52:11.91\00:52:15.14
physical evidence
that is supernatural,
00:52:15.15\00:52:17.82
Numbers 24:4,
The utterance of him
00:52:17.83\00:52:20.29
who hears the words of God,
00:52:20.30\00:52:22.52
who sees the
vision of the Almighty,
00:52:22.53\00:52:24.20
who falls down
with eyes wide open.
00:52:24.21\00:52:27.27
And so we talk about
that for just a minute,
00:52:27.28\00:52:29.59
because we often
know think that there is a
00:52:29.60\00:52:31.58
supernatural element to prophecy
00:52:31.59\00:52:33.99
or to a prophet receiving
a vision or dream from God.
00:52:34.00\00:52:36.57
Yes, who falls down
with eyes wide open,
00:52:36.58\00:52:40.86
there are some
supernatural things going on
00:52:40.87\00:52:44.53
while a prophet is in vision.
00:52:44.54\00:52:46.45
Of course, we've had
this in modern times,
00:52:46.46\00:52:50.79
modern times also, but
God sustains them during
00:52:50.80\00:52:54.79
these times when they are
in direct contact with him,
00:52:54.80\00:52:58.15
receiving messages from
Lord to be given to His people.
00:52:58.16\00:53:00.31
Yeah, and the times
that we often see this
00:53:00.32\00:53:02.40
in some of the
charismatic movements of day.
00:53:02.41\00:53:05.33
It's not really supernatural,
we're seeing a little bit of
00:53:05.34\00:53:09.08
stuff going on
that's appears to be,
00:53:09.09\00:53:11.53
but when we're
talking about supernatural,
00:53:11.54\00:53:13.57
we're talking
about God who provides,
00:53:13.58\00:53:15.28
he almost becomes the life
preserver of that individual
00:53:15.29\00:53:18.07
while they are in vision, yes.
00:53:18.08\00:53:19.49
In other words, you
can't, breathing stops,
00:53:19.50\00:53:21.99
you know, other things
it is fails to function,
00:53:22.00\00:53:24.40
but God is sustaining
that individual supernaturally.
00:53:24.41\00:53:27.57
And that's what
its speaking of here.
00:53:27.58\00:53:29.38
And John, I think
we need to mention
00:53:29.39\00:53:30.92
when we're trying
to access if a person
00:53:30.93\00:53:33.91
is a prophetic voice of God,
00:53:33.92\00:53:36.58
we need put all of these
things into the pot. Right.
00:53:36.59\00:53:39.82
Not every one or
two, because they may pass
00:53:39.83\00:53:42.06
one or two
tests, but you need to,
00:53:42.07\00:53:44.48
it's the stew dare I
say of all of these things,
00:53:44.49\00:53:48.68
when cook together,
then we can say that
00:53:48.69\00:53:51.50
this person has a
prophetic message from the Lord.
00:53:51.51\00:53:54.94
And that's why we actually
say this is an a biblical tests,
00:53:54.95\00:53:58.79
they're a biblical
test. All of them together.
00:53:58.80\00:54:01.54
Precisely. Comprised this.
00:54:01.55\00:54:02.80
Lets give you a
couple others ones,
00:54:02.81\00:54:04.51
we're getting close to
the end of the program here.
00:54:04.52\00:54:06.70
Number 11, a true prophet
recognizes the incarnation
00:54:06.71\00:54:09.32
of Jesus Christ and
the nature of his mission.
00:54:09.33\00:54:11.65
We find that in First John
4 verses one through three.
00:54:11.66\00:54:16.07
Beloved do not
believe every spirit,
00:54:16.08\00:54:18.09
but test the spirits,
whether they are of God.
00:54:18.10\00:54:20.29
Because many false prophet
have gone out into the world,
00:54:20.30\00:54:22.91
but this you
know of Spirit of God,
00:54:22.92\00:54:25.17
Every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ
00:54:25.18\00:54:27.56
has come in the flesh is of God,
00:54:27.57\00:54:29.59
and every spirit that does
not confess that Jesus Christ
00:54:29.60\00:54:32.08
has come in the
flesh is not of God.
00:54:32.09\00:54:34.18
And this is a
spirit of the Anti-Christ,
00:54:34.19\00:54:36.00
which we've heard
from, heard was coming,
00:54:36.01\00:54:38.08
and it's already in the world.
00:54:38.09\00:54:39.55
They are many
false prophet out there,
00:54:39.56\00:54:40.93
there are those who
claim to know things.
00:54:40.94\00:54:42.26
Yes, they don't
profess Christ at all.
00:54:42.27\00:54:44.70
Yeah, yeah that a key,
that's a big red letter,
00:54:44.71\00:54:48.89
red flag, red
check say, red underline,
00:54:48.90\00:54:51.91
however you want to
do it, but they've got
00:54:51.92\00:54:53.09
to profess Christ.
They've got to believe
00:54:53.10\00:54:56.46
in Christ, they've
got to follow Christ.
00:54:56.47\00:54:58.30
Amen, yeah and
then the last one here,
00:54:58.31\00:55:00.33
number 12, a true prophet warns
00:55:00.34\00:55:02.10
the world of God's judgment.
00:55:02.11\00:55:03.78
And that's one
of the reasons why
00:55:03.79\00:55:06.44
the Seventh-day Adventist church
00:55:06.45\00:55:07.46
in fact today calls or
refers to itself sometimes
00:55:07.47\00:55:09.72
as a prophetic movement.
00:55:09.73\00:55:11.16
In that we are proclaiming
the Three Angels Messages
00:55:11.17\00:55:15.10
as depicted in
Revelation chapter 14.
00:55:15.11\00:55:17.80
And that message is a message
that begins with judgment.
00:55:17.81\00:55:21.24
Judgment is coming,
not only is it here,
00:55:21.25\00:55:23.80
but it's also coming.
00:55:23.81\00:55:24.78
We're living in the
last days where we are in
00:55:24.79\00:55:26.97
what's known as a
pre-advent judgment,
00:55:26.98\00:55:28.93
where Christ is investigating
and inspecting the lives
00:55:28.94\00:55:33.37
of those who
profess to follow him,
00:55:33.38\00:55:35.16
and of times when
judgments are beginning
00:55:35.17\00:55:39.40
to fall on the earth.
Culminating or climaxing
00:55:39.41\00:55:42.90
with a very last day judgment,
00:55:42.91\00:55:45.09
a time of trouble that
brings end to the world.
00:55:45.10\00:55:48.72
This harkens back to
Amos chapter 3 verse 7,
00:55:48.73\00:55:51.76
surely the Lord will do nothing,
00:55:51.77\00:55:53.64
but then reveal it to a service,
00:55:53.65\00:55:54.94
the prophets, well God
is about to end this world.
00:55:54.95\00:55:57.19
He is about to judge this world.
00:55:57.20\00:55:58.83
He is about to
change this dispensation.
00:55:58.84\00:56:01.03
This age is about to come to
its end followed by a new age.
00:56:01.04\00:56:05.59
That's a big
thing. Do you think,
00:56:05.60\00:56:06.92
God would not want to warn
his people to get them ready
00:56:06.93\00:56:09.82
for that time.
Of course he would,
00:56:09.83\00:56:11.31
and of course that message with
00:56:11.32\00:56:12.29
come through a prophetic voice.
00:56:12.30\00:56:14.16
You know, it really is a key,
00:56:14.17\00:56:15.73
because if you look at the
way Revelation is structured.
00:56:15.74\00:56:18.56
You kind of get to a
climatic point at chapter 12,
00:56:18.57\00:56:21.65
you know, this controversy
between good and evil.
00:56:21.66\00:56:23.90
Yes, and then from
there you can a springboard
00:56:23.91\00:56:26.04
into the response
to that controversy,
00:56:26.05\00:56:28.10
which is Satan's attempt to
destroy the church on earth.
00:56:28.11\00:56:31.22
Yes. That is God beloved,
00:56:31.23\00:56:33.27
but then God's people
rising to the level to meet
00:56:33.28\00:56:36.24
that in fourteen
with the 144,000 described
00:56:36.25\00:56:39.89
as being without no fault,
they're without any guile,
00:56:39.90\00:56:43.31
they're pure,
their message is pure
00:56:43.32\00:56:45.06
and then they have
the Three Angels messages
00:56:45.07\00:56:46.76
that go to the world.
00:56:46.77\00:56:47.75
Precisely, yeah.
00:56:47.76\00:56:48.78
So, yeah, an
amazing part of Revelation
00:56:48.79\00:56:53.29
to take a look at when
you talk about the prophets.
00:56:53.30\00:56:56.27
And as you look and study.
00:56:56.28\00:56:58.19
In fact when you
hear ever of someone that
00:56:58.20\00:57:00.09
claims to be a
prophet the best place to go,
00:57:00.10\00:57:01.94
as we've always said, is
to the word, to the word.
00:57:01.95\00:57:04.53
And we hope that today
we shared with you a test,
00:57:04.54\00:57:08.61
not test, but a
test of what it means
00:57:08.62\00:57:12.23
to be a true prophet of God.
00:57:12.24\00:57:15.23
And that those things in number,
00:57:15.24\00:57:17.54
1 to 12 that will give
you, will help you to understand
00:57:17.55\00:57:20.15
as you apply
them to any individual
00:57:20.16\00:57:21.96
that claims to be one,
whether or not they truly
00:57:21.97\00:57:24.63
are of God or not.
00:57:24.64\00:57:25.81
I pray that God
will speak to your life,
00:57:25.82\00:57:27.28
each and everyday and I
hope he has through this program
00:57:27.29\00:57:29.59
and those in the future.
00:57:29.60\00:57:30.81
May God bless you and keep you.
00:57:30.82\00:57:32.66