Hello friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's words together
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on this edition of House Calls.
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Welcome to another
edition of House Calls.
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We know that you are
taking the time to tune in.
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We hope you take the
time to spiritually tune in.
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Get your Bibles,
your friend, your pens,
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hit the record button
and join John and John
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for another edition of
a very exciting program of
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House Calls. I
said that I am all,
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all in one
bread, is that amazing?
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Good to have you here
John. It's good to be here.
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And I tell you we have a
very exciting topic today.
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We're gonna continue on
why so many denominations,
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why so many
churches, why do people believe
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so many different things
when there is only one Bible.
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You may have that question.
Stay tune for that topic.
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We're gonna dive into it today.
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After we handle and answer
some of your Bible questions
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which you're so
faithful, you take the time
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to send to us but
before we do anything
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we're gonna go to
the Lord in prayer.
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John, have prayer for us today.
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Okay. Father in Heaven,
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we again ask for
your spirit to be here
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to guide and direct our words,
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our thoughts as we go
through the pages of scripture
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we pray that you
would make things very clear
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as to what we should believe.
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You promised us Jesus that
the truth would make us free
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and that's what we seek today.
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We seek to be free and
to be truly serving you
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and worshipping you
in spirit and in truth.
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In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
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As you know we
always have Bible questions
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and you are a part of
that part of our program.
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If you have any Bible questions
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you'll like us to respond
to, send those Bible questions
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to housecalls@3abn.org,
that housecalls@3abn.org
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and for the most part
John's gonna download those,
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I open up the snail
mail, we have snail mail
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not that as bad but it's
just takes longer to get here.
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If you want to be a part
of the split second generation
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send them on the internet
but however you send them
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we thank you for those
and then we respond to them
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and we'll get back to
you as we possibly can.
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So thank you for
your faithfulness.
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What do we have John for
our first question today?
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First question is, I didn't
see actually who it's from,
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I will share that with
you but the writing is saying
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that a friend who
recently he was dialoging
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about a certain subject
with, subjects with asked,
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if the rapture has to happen
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during one of
the Jewish holidays,
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he acknowledged
here that, you know,
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the Adventist, some of
the Adventist's view of the,
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of the rapture in the
Bible is the second coming
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and return of
Christ and Him bringing us
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up as he brings the
resurrected saints up
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to meet him in the air,
that is the rapturing. Right.
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Today people talk
about the secret rapture.
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So I wanna
distinguish between those two.
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We don't see any
evidence of a secret rapture
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in the scriptures. But,
you know the question is,
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does it have to happen during
one of the Jewish holidays.
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No, there is no
scripture at least that tells us
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that it does or that it doesn't.
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So it's really one of
those things John where,
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the question
really can't be answered
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that I can at least
see from scripture itself.
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Now that being said,
it wouldn't surprise me
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that we learn
down the road later on
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throughout the
annals of eternity.
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That there is some connection
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as to the timing of
God's second coming,
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of Christ's
second coming to meet us.
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But connecting this specifically
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to the Jewish
holidays in the scripture
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I don't find any
evidence to that.
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Very good point
because sometimes
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people try to
nail things down to,
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well this is when the
feast of harvest happen,
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well, this is the one
the way the sheep occurred,
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this is the day of Pentecost,
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this is the Feast
of unleavened bread,
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and this is the
Feast of Tabernacles.
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Well if we lock those
down to the Jewish calendar
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we can figure it out.
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Well, Jesus said, no man
knows the day nor the hour no,
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not even the angels of
heaven but my Father only,
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so therefore he hasn't
told us what the date is.
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You know, in effect
the circumstantial evidence
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actually points to
the fact that it doesn't,
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because we read
in scripture that
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there is a period of time
that seems to be a tarrying.
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A tarrying,
exactly. A tarrying time
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right before Christ appearance,
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to, to call his resurrected
saints and those who are alive
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and remain to meet him
and to take them to heaven.
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There's also
reference to in scripture,
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talking about the
hastening of the Lord's return
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and so us being
diligently being faithful
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about our mission as a
church to get the word out
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so that the world
might come to a knowledge of
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Jesus Christ as their Savior,
doing that and being affected
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with that and
being faithful to that
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can hasten Christ's
return, also tells you that,
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that date is
not fixed in history
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or ain't fixed in the future.
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So evidence suggest that
no it isn't gonna be tied to
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the feast but there's
nothing in hard and fast
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that actually
confirms or denies that.
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That's right exactly!
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Well we have, have
other questions here.
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This one John, I
tell you it was so long
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that I have tried to
pick something out of it.
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Let me, let me
summarize this question
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and I'm gonna add
statements that are my opinion
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and I'm gonna give
you some Bible verses.
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The gist of this
question John was each church
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does something that is
not supported by the Bible,
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including the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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Well the things that
this person pointed out
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as earmarks of
apostasy or nothing more than,
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nothing more than actions
or things done traditionally,
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for example, let me
just go ahead and read
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what the person has said so
I won't be adding my own words.
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Pastor Lomacang, I
am seeing where you are
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looking for Satan
this season and this year
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and in another
words Satan's deceptions.
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But you need also
look at the prayer circle
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that we partake and
also the prayer warriors.
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The Bible does
not talk about this
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but there are roots in paganism.
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I believe the churches
are in apostasy as was also
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the Israelites right
before they run over the Canaan.
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There's also a person
that also talks about praying,
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also the Bible does not
talk about holding hands
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when praying, it
talks about kneeling,
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standing, and
falling on the face.
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So, the question I
wanna ask right now
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at the very beginning,
is there anything wrong
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with the prayer circle?
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Is there anything wrong
with being a prayer worrier?
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Now the one term I've
always added to this expression,
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what I've always
added to this explanation
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after the phrase prayer warrior,
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I've made it very
clear that anybody
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could be a prayer
warrior because you don't have
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to be warrior, in other words
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you don't have to be
a soldier so to speak
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in the military sense to
be able to come before God.
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Let me broaden
that, people that go to
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the army are soldiers.
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You don't have to
be a military person
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in the spiritual
sense, have qualifications
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to be able to go
before God and prayer.
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So what is a prayer warrior?
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A prayer warrior is anyone
who gets on his or her knees
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and pray before the Lord
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and agonize
before Christ in prayer.
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That is the art of
war through prayer.
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So, people tell
they are prayer warriors
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and we are praying warriors
and that that simply means
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there are people that
are wanting to go before God
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and antecede in prayer for
you which you can sometimes
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do for yourself but there
are persons sometimes who feel
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that they are not
strong enough to pray
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and they want someone to
go before God and intercede
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through prayer
for them, that's okay.
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That's not
something that's paganistic,
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that is not something
that causes people to be
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in apostasy because I am
a team of prayer warriors,
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that's not at
all, in any stretch of
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the imagination a
paganistic practice.
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The other one is
circle of prayer.
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That's, this simply
means when two or three
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are gathered
what are they doing?
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There was a circle of prayer
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in the upper room, they prayed.
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Circle doesn't
mean round circle,
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it just means
people gathering together
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to pray, it's not pagan.
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When the
disciples gathered together,
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when the apostles
gathered together on the day
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Pentecost the
whole place was shaken,
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what were they
doing? They were praying.
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That's the phrase that's often
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associated with
circle of prayer.
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Not a round circle, in
the sense of a paganistic
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where all is
praying around a campfire
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or praying around a hexagram,
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that's not the
term we are using.
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You know, when people
hold hands together to pray?
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That's in the same
way we hold hands together
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to walk or we hold
hands together to make sure
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that the person
behind us doesn't break
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the cadence of the line.
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That's once again not
a paganistic practice.
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So by holding my hand or
holding somebody else's hand
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that's simply we are unified
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and what we were
praying for here.
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Those are just
simple mannerisms and acts.
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So when you use
those as an indication
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that people are in
apostasy you may also fall
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into the category of
people that say its apostasy
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to raise your
hands when you pray
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but the Bible continually
says lifting up holy hands.
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See, so when you
began to get into the point
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where you have a
certain qualification for prayer
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or certain or
certain posture for prayer
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then you can't do
as Paul suggest to pray
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without ceasing
because ideally to pray
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while you're driving if
you feel that the only time
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you can do this by kneeling
or by falling on your face
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before God or by
standing, you can't do standing,
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kneeling or falling
on your face in your car.
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But you can't be in a
constant attitude of prayer
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that really makes a difference.
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What do you say about this?
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You know, a couple of
things jump out of me there,
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the term apostatize
is used way too loosely.
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Yeah. There's a
difference between
00:10:16.63\00:10:17.88
apostatizing or apostatizing
and with backsliding.
00:10:17.89\00:10:23.96
Just because
someone is not living
00:10:23.97\00:10:25.44
according to what
they -- what the truth is,
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doesn't mean they apostatized.
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Apostatize. So --
00:10:31.21\00:10:34.23
It's a tongue
twister. It's a tongue twister.
00:10:34.24\00:10:37.73
So, we can't just
say with everybody
00:10:37.74\00:10:39.76
that is not
following those directions
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and say they are
in apostasy. Right.
00:10:41.85\00:10:43.57
You know, there are some that
00:10:43.58\00:10:44.96
backslide and don't do what
God has directed them to do.
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Apostasy in the
Bible is very clear,
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which you find is
apostasy is something
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that has rejected Christ.
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They have rejected
the system of truth.
00:10:56.26\00:10:59.27
They've sought not to
follow in the ways of God
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and they have made a
conscious decision to do that --
00:11:02.63\00:11:05.59
It's true, yeah, yeah.
00:11:05.60\00:11:06.69
-- in most cases of the
world it is a entire church
00:11:06.70\00:11:09.92
or group of people
that have done that,
00:11:09.93\00:11:11.51
it's the leaders
of those individuals.
00:11:11.52\00:11:14.78
Couple of references
would be Jesus' own statement
00:11:14.79\00:11:17.67
in Matthew Chapter 23 where
He looks upon his own people
00:11:17.68\00:11:21.28
who are about to kill him,
who are about to crucify im
00:11:21.29\00:11:24.72
and He says "your house
is left unto you desolate",
00:11:24.73\00:11:27.21
why is that because
they have gone into apostasy,
00:11:27.22\00:11:30.04
they've rejected the
Messiah and that is the course
00:11:30.05\00:11:34.20
that they'd chosen so
they are now operating
00:11:34.21\00:11:36.57
in that specific
separation from Christ
00:11:36.58\00:11:41.84
and the truth as it is in Jesus.
00:11:41.85\00:11:44.11
And so, we, I think there
is a little too loose of a term
00:11:44.12\00:11:49.60
of that phrase being
used here and so I just,
00:11:49.61\00:11:52.21
I will caution on that.
00:11:52.22\00:11:53.56
The other thing too
is that sure we recognize
00:11:53.57\00:11:55.72
that there are
paganism practices out there,
00:11:55.73\00:11:58.31
let me give you a,
share an issue here with you.
00:11:58.32\00:12:03.92
The devil has counterfeits
for what God has as truth.
00:12:03.93\00:12:08.77
Just because we see
paganism doing things,
00:12:08.78\00:12:12.91
does it under the
same that the church
00:12:12.92\00:12:15.23
or individual's might do
does not mean necessarily
00:12:15.24\00:12:17.62
that they are
practicing paganism things.
00:12:17.63\00:12:20.60
The question is, on
some of these issues,
00:12:20.61\00:12:25.29
is the devil mimicking
what Christ has asked us
00:12:25.30\00:12:30.02
or has given us
permissive things
00:12:30.03\00:12:31.84
that God has given us to do,
such as being prayer warriors
00:12:31.85\00:12:35.18
or being in a circle
of gathering at prayer
00:12:35.19\00:12:37.81
and just because paganism
practices the circle around,
00:12:37.82\00:12:42.18
you know, the star and things
00:12:42.19\00:12:43.62
that we shouldn't be gathering
together around in prayer.
00:12:43.63\00:12:46.56
You know, you know,
don't let the devil win
00:12:46.57\00:12:48.29
on these things.
John, you know very well,
00:12:48.30\00:12:51.32
we hear about this year
after year Christmas debate.
00:12:51.33\00:12:55.73
We shouldn't be doing anything
to acknowledge Christmas
00:12:55.74\00:12:58.55
at all and it's like
we let the devil win.
00:12:58.56\00:13:01.78
Every Christmas season,
at least some of us do by,
00:13:01.79\00:13:04.83
by just failing to
even recognize that Jesus
00:13:04.84\00:13:07.99
came as a babe to this world
00:13:08.00\00:13:11.53
and there's a message
behind that. That's right.
00:13:11.54\00:13:13.70
We, some of the Adventist
have a powerful message
00:13:13.71\00:13:15.85
behind Christ, the
child who is our savior
00:13:15.86\00:13:20.21
and what better time is
there that during Christmas
00:13:20.22\00:13:22.41
to share that story.
00:13:22.42\00:13:23.52
Well, people that are
open and only receptive
00:13:23.53\00:13:25.51
during that time of the year.
00:13:25.52\00:13:26.57
Absolutely! We
even have inspiration
00:13:26.58\00:13:29.21
that tells us
that we should engage
00:13:29.22\00:13:30.94
in these kinds of
discussions -- Right!
00:13:30.95\00:13:32.55
-- And then we should even,
it's permissible to even have
00:13:32.56\00:13:34.65
a tree in the
church during that time.
00:13:34.66\00:13:37.36
Yet, oh! You know its paganism.
00:13:37.37\00:13:39.31
You know, I, I am so
tired of this constant
00:13:39.32\00:13:42.19
looking for the
negativity in things. Yeah.
00:13:42.20\00:13:44.95
I think we should be concerned
and be careful on guard
00:13:44.96\00:13:48.33
to not allow
things that the enemy
00:13:48.34\00:13:50.68
is doing to
come into the church.
00:13:50.69\00:13:53.07
But some of these
things, we go way overboard on
00:13:53.08\00:13:55.86
and we're missing the
entire principle of the thing
00:13:55.87\00:13:58.12
and I think to a
degree what we have is
00:13:58.13\00:13:59.70
that in this question, John.
00:13:59.71\00:14:01.35
That's just my feeling about it.
00:14:01.36\00:14:03.09
I, I agree with
you and what happens is
00:14:03.10\00:14:05.34
there are things and
I wanna just give you
00:14:05.35\00:14:07.05
some point of, some
point of support in this sense.
00:14:07.06\00:14:10.41
We do have to be very careful
00:14:10.42\00:14:12.22
with what we allow
to be a part of our
00:14:12.23\00:14:14.63
Christian experience so,
this is, this question is
00:14:14.64\00:14:17.67
not all bad but
what I wanna do is
00:14:17.68\00:14:19.86
use the context of it
to, to give support to you
00:14:19.87\00:14:23.88
in this particular area.
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.65
If you find that there
are things that are seeping
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.69
into your life or
pouring into your life
00:14:27.70\00:14:30.85
that are causing your, a
Christian walk with Christ
00:14:30.86\00:14:34.06
to a road then, yeah, I
would say avoid those things.
00:14:34.07\00:14:38.25
If you become
focused more on the things
00:14:38.26\00:14:40.42
that are happening
rather than the reason
00:14:40.43\00:14:42.74
why they are happening that is,
00:14:42.75\00:14:44.86
prayer warrior, prayer circle,
00:14:44.87\00:14:48.09
the lifting of hands whatever,
00:14:48.10\00:14:49.83
if you begin to
look at all these things
00:14:49.84\00:14:51.26
as all indicators of
apostasy then what happens is
00:14:51.27\00:14:54.34
you become a, a
Christian police,
00:14:54.35\00:14:57.13
policing and
looking for all the error
00:14:57.14\00:14:59.66
and not looking to Christ.
00:14:59.67\00:15:01.32
One of the examples
you find in the Bible
00:15:01.33\00:15:04.90
is that Paul addressed
traditions in the Bible.
00:15:04.91\00:15:08.38
Now, traditions and
conflict with a direct command
00:15:08.39\00:15:11.92
are to be avoided.
00:15:11.93\00:15:13.66
For example, we're gonna
talk about some of those today.
00:15:13.67\00:15:15.94
Traditions that
exist in Christianity that,
00:15:15.95\00:15:17.97
that conflict with a
direct command of God
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.11
are to be avoided
because Jesus says,
00:15:20.12\00:15:22.34
matter of fact here, Matthew,
00:15:22.35\00:15:23.85
"why do your
disciples transgress
00:15:23.86\00:15:25.96
the traditions of the elders?
00:15:25.97\00:15:28.10
For they wash not
their hands while they,
00:15:28.11\00:15:30.18
when they eat bread."
00:15:30.19\00:15:31.18
That's what one of
the Pharisees said,
00:15:31.19\00:15:32.58
why are they transgressing
the traditions of the elders?
00:15:32.59\00:15:37.25
But Jesus said,
"Why do you transgress
00:15:37.26\00:15:38.94
the commandment of
God by your tradition?"
00:15:38.95\00:15:40.80
See, so we have
to sometimes choose
00:15:40.81\00:15:42.32
between the
tradition of the elders
00:15:42.33\00:15:44.47
and the commandments of God.
00:15:44.48\00:15:46.26
That's when it
becomes an issue of salvation.
00:15:46.27\00:15:48.74
But if, mom, if
mother turn the turkey
00:15:48.75\00:15:52.91
at a 45 degree angle
and the daughter didn't
00:15:52.92\00:15:55.19
and grandmother didn't that's
not an issue of salvation.
00:15:55.20\00:15:59.02
If, if everybody stood in
church when the Pastor read
00:15:59.03\00:16:03.20
the Bible or
people raise their hands
00:16:03.21\00:16:05.37
when they sing or sang
those are not traditions
00:16:05.38\00:16:07.66
that are gonna
cause a person to be lost.
00:16:07.67\00:16:09.38
We've to be very, very
careful when your salvation
00:16:09.39\00:16:12.33
is based on something a
person does or cannot do
00:16:12.34\00:16:15.91
then it ceases to be
based on salvation by grace
00:16:15.92\00:16:19.92
through faith in Christ
alone, to be very, very careful.
00:16:19.93\00:16:23.35
If a person around me
raises his hand or kneels down
00:16:23.36\00:16:26.28
or has a prayer
circle or is a prayer warrior
00:16:26.29\00:16:28.78
and they walked through
the neighborhood in prayers,
00:16:28.79\00:16:30.21
they walk past people's homes
00:16:30.22\00:16:31.91
those are not bad things to do.
00:16:31.92\00:16:33.91
Jesus prayed in the
garden of Gethsemane.
00:16:33.92\00:16:35.62
He took his disciples
and he says couldn't you pray
00:16:35.63\00:16:37.82
with me one hour?
00:16:37.83\00:16:39.11
Or do they have a prayer circle
00:16:39.12\00:16:40.22
in the garden of Gethsemane. No.
00:16:40.23\00:16:43.05
If I was, and if I was,
00:16:43.06\00:16:44.84
you know, really
reaching I'd say you know what,
00:16:44.85\00:16:47.57
paganism, they
practice going into the woods,
00:16:47.58\00:16:49.87
out into the open,
into nature and to do those,
00:16:49.88\00:16:53.18
the ceremonies and
the practices they do,
00:16:53.19\00:16:54.88
who I don't know,
Jesus and his disciples
00:16:54.89\00:16:56.37
did that, doesn't look good.
00:16:56.38\00:16:58.00
And you know what -- I could,
00:16:58.01\00:16:59.10
you can find stuff like that.
00:16:59.11\00:17:00.53
I can make stuff up
and people would follow it
00:17:00.54\00:17:03.05
and that's what
we have found today.
00:17:03.06\00:17:04.38
You had to be very careful
because in the Old Testament,
00:17:04.39\00:17:06.94
when the Bible says spiritual,
wickedness and high places,
00:17:06.95\00:17:10.20
the altars of God were
built in the mountains.
00:17:10.21\00:17:13.91
That's why when
a woman met Jesus
00:17:13.92\00:17:15.70
at the well she said,
she talked about my father
00:17:15.71\00:17:18.11
worshipping on that
mountain and Jesus said that,
00:17:18.12\00:17:20.43
"hour is coming." Well, really
00:17:20.44\00:17:21.71
it wouldn't matter what
mountain you worshiped on,
00:17:21.72\00:17:24.33
it really wouldn't matter
and so what the paganist did,
00:17:24.34\00:17:26.69
what those who did
not know Christ was,
00:17:26.70\00:17:28.63
is they set up
altars in the same mountains
00:17:28.64\00:17:32.08
right next to the
altar of God. Altars, yeah.
00:17:32.09\00:17:34.51
And so that's why the Lord says,
00:17:34.52\00:17:35.82
we have to breakdown spiritual
wickedness and high places,
00:17:35.83\00:17:38.90
the high places were in
the mountains and the groves.
00:17:38.91\00:17:41.41
So, John yeah, your
point is very well taken,
00:17:41.42\00:17:43.98
we could say worshiping
in nature is doing the same
00:17:43.99\00:17:46.34
thing that
pagans do but it's not.
00:17:46.35\00:17:48.50
What I would say is
pagans have corrupted things
00:17:48.51\00:17:52.47
that were done by
Christians for the right reason
00:17:52.48\00:17:55.65
and have now given
at the wrong labels,
00:17:55.66\00:17:57.45
in many senses
that's exactly what happens.
00:17:57.46\00:17:59.83
So, once again prayer
walking, prayer circles,
00:17:59.84\00:18:05.29
the holding of hands
that's not any indication
00:18:05.30\00:18:09.70
of a person
being lost to do that.
00:18:09.71\00:18:11.42
If that was their
method of salvation
00:18:11.43\00:18:13.00
you can say them
but it doesn't negate
00:18:13.01\00:18:16.47
or cancel their salvation --
00:18:16.48\00:18:19.24
It's right. -- by enemies.
00:18:19.25\00:18:20.96
John, I have a question
in regard to the Sabbath and,
00:18:20.97\00:18:23.83
and you know we get a lot
of questions about the Sabbath
00:18:23.84\00:18:25.66
and we try not
to answer them all,
00:18:25.67\00:18:27.75
try and group them a little bit,
00:18:27.76\00:18:30.05
and so I just, I
wanted to share this one
00:18:30.06\00:18:32.31
because it really haunts in one,
00:18:32.32\00:18:34.70
specific passage in the
Bible that is often referred
00:18:34.71\00:18:37.01
to as a Sabbath passage
00:18:37.02\00:18:38.72
that has nothing to do
with the Sabbath. Okay.
00:18:38.73\00:18:40.64
And so I'll just share this,
00:18:40.65\00:18:41.82
it's gonna be a brief question.
00:18:41.83\00:18:44.29
If you hand only the
verses below to judge
00:18:44.30\00:18:46.72
concerning the Sabbath,
would you still be convinced
00:18:46.73\00:18:49.80
that the Sabbath day
could only be on Saturday?
00:18:49.81\00:18:53.16
I'm searching for
truth and so anyway,
00:18:53.17\00:18:56.50
the text then that is
provided is Romans 14: 5-6.
00:18:56.51\00:19:01.68
Okay. Alright,
and then the comment
00:19:01.69\00:19:04.62
is made here, the
entire sections of
00:19:04.63\00:19:06.96
Romans 14: 1-12 is
worth careful study.
00:19:06.97\00:19:11.91
Nevertheless, he instructions
here are that individuals
00:19:11.92\00:19:14.53
must be convinced in
their own minds about
00:19:14.54\00:19:17.45
which day they
observe for the Lord.
00:19:17.46\00:19:20.24
If the Seventh-day
Sabbath were a requirement
00:19:20.25\00:19:22.34
then the choice would
be not man's but God's.
00:19:22.35\00:19:25.43
I will think here, I
will it is God's decision.
00:19:25.44\00:19:28.33
It is God's
choice, it's His probity,
00:19:28.34\00:19:30.14
that's why we worship on
the seventh-day is the Sabbath.
00:19:30.15\00:19:33.78
You know, that's one of
the interesting things too
00:19:33.79\00:19:35.57
is that the
commandments is very clear,
00:19:35.58\00:19:37.78
the seventh-day is the Sabbath.
00:19:37.79\00:19:39.86
Right. There...
00:19:39.87\00:19:41.24
Analytical, I've no argument.
00:19:41.25\00:19:42.91
And the seventh-day
cycle is never changed
00:19:42.92\00:19:44.71
from the very beginning.
00:19:44.72\00:19:45.86
In fact, the only reason
we have seven days in a week
00:19:45.87\00:19:48.28
is because God established
it that way at the creation.
00:19:48.29\00:19:51.28
There's no
lunar, there's no solar,
00:19:51.29\00:19:53.99
there's no cycle in
space, in heavens that tell us
00:19:54.00\00:19:57.60
there is a week with seven days.
00:19:57.61\00:19:59.96
Is that God created
this world on six days
00:19:59.97\00:20:02.92
and then the last one
He rested and established,
00:20:02.93\00:20:06.46
blessed, sanctified, made
holy the seventh-day Sabbath.
00:20:06.47\00:20:09.91
That's right. And so any way,
00:20:09.92\00:20:11.66
here's the thing
that I wanted to do
00:20:11.67\00:20:13.55
with this
question John. Turn to --
00:20:13.56\00:20:16.26
Romans. Romans 14.
00:20:16.27\00:20:17.41
I am there. And,
does this passage
00:20:17.42\00:20:21.53
as is suggested
here, be an easing,
00:20:21.54\00:20:26.06
easy convincing statement
that we really shouldn't judge
00:20:26.07\00:20:30.12
between Saturday or
Sunday, seventh-day of the day,
00:20:30.13\00:20:33.75
first day of the week when
it comes to Sabbath keeping.
00:20:33.76\00:20:36.03
Okay, so the first,
let me answer the --
00:20:36.04\00:20:38.19
Go ahead, you go ahead no.
00:20:38.20\00:20:39.48
Okay, one of the, one of
the first questions that this,
00:20:39.49\00:20:41.47
one of the issue of
this, of this passage is the
00:20:41.48\00:20:45.54
Christian liberty,
the freedom to make
00:20:45.55\00:20:49.24
one's mind up but to also
know that when you make up
00:20:49.25\00:20:52.88
your mind to do one
thing or the other God
00:20:52.89\00:20:55.04
is gonna be the
one to judge you.
00:20:55.05\00:20:56.78
Now, having said that
it doesn't say because
00:20:56.79\00:21:00.08
I've made up my mind,
what I've made up my mind
00:21:00.09\00:21:03.38
to do is right, in my mind
and what he has made up his mind
00:21:03.39\00:21:06.98
to do is right in his mind.
00:21:06.99\00:21:08.68
No, it may be right in our minds
00:21:08.69\00:21:10.77
but is it right in God's word.
00:21:10.78\00:21:13.38
And so what we do
here, this passage,
00:21:13.39\00:21:15.64
the whole
context of this passage,
00:21:15.65\00:21:18.41
if you look up, if
you look at verse 12,
00:21:18.42\00:21:20.29
it pulls the whole context
of this whole book together,
00:21:20.30\00:21:22.97
this whole single chapter
was summarized in this word,
00:21:22.98\00:21:26.75
so let, so then
each of us shall give
00:21:26.76\00:21:29.97
account of themselves to God.
00:21:29.98\00:21:32.70
You have to give an
account. That's right.
00:21:32.71\00:21:34.66
Do you can give your --
so you're not accountable
00:21:34.67\00:21:36.86
to John or me or church
00:21:36.87\00:21:40.02
or a pastor or a
team of leadership.
00:21:40.03\00:21:43.22
You are accountable
to God, so therefore
00:21:43.23\00:21:45.02
on that very note,
instead of saying well you know,
00:21:45.03\00:21:48.36
I wanna honor this
day above that day,
00:21:48.37\00:21:51.03
Paul was talking about primary,
00:21:51.04\00:21:53.87
and we know this from
the study of this passage
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.78
that Paul was talking about
many of the traditional days
00:21:56.79\00:22:00.86
that were observed by
the Jews and the Romans
00:22:00.87\00:22:05.45
so to stay aloof
from that and this
00:22:05.46\00:22:07.46
became a controversial issue.
00:22:07.47\00:22:09.27
Also the things
that the Jewish would eat
00:22:09.28\00:22:11.09
and would not eat
became issues of division
00:22:11.10\00:22:13.80
rather than
unity for the church,
00:22:13.81\00:22:15.49
for the Christians in
Rome and so Paul says,
00:22:15.50\00:22:17.91
okay, you may, you
may say I can eat an--
00:22:17.92\00:22:23.78
I can eat animal that
was scarified to idols
00:22:23.79\00:22:27.18
but the animal itself is clean
naturally like you could say
00:22:27.19\00:22:29.38
I can eat a lamb
but somebody may say,
00:22:29.39\00:22:31.42
well that lamb was
sacrificed to idols
00:22:31.43\00:22:33.85
and so Paul was saying, okay,
so is it wrong to eat a lamb
00:22:33.86\00:22:36.30
because it was
sacrificed to idols
00:22:36.31\00:22:38.14
then the Jewish guy may
say, yes because all the sins
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.19
are transferred to it and
I'm eating simple flesh now.
00:22:40.20\00:22:42.95
So the Roman comes along
and says I didn't know that
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.95
that was sacrificed to
the idols so I'm gonna eat it
00:22:44.96\00:22:47.49
not ask any questions.
00:22:47.50\00:22:49.12
And so now does the Jewish say,
00:22:49.13\00:22:50.50
well he could its sinful lamb
and I'm eating sinless lamb,
00:22:50.51\00:22:54.59
this the, these are the
issues that were addressed
00:22:54.60\00:22:56.27
in this passage
and so you look at this
00:22:56.28\00:22:58.89
I can't judge
him, he can't judge me
00:22:58.90\00:23:00.59
but God can judge us both.
00:23:00.60\00:23:04.15
And what's amazing
to be John is nowhere
00:23:04.16\00:23:06.73
in this passage does the
Sabbath even have a mention.
00:23:06.74\00:23:11.55
That's right. It's not
even mentioned anywhere.
00:23:11.56\00:23:13.35
Let's talk about those
who are weak to these things,
00:23:13.36\00:23:16.08
those who are
stronger do these things,
00:23:16.09\00:23:18.65
if that's what the other
person says they could do
00:23:18.66\00:23:20.67
and that's all they can
do. Let them to do that.
00:23:20.68\00:23:23.40
You know, and let God
be the one that judges.
00:23:23.41\00:23:25.16
And, and if you go back
you have to connect this
00:23:25.17\00:23:27.96
to all the scripture.
00:23:27.97\00:23:28.94
If you go back the
Old Testament you'll find
00:23:28.95\00:23:32.14
that in the Jewish system
they had laws for a dietary
00:23:32.15\00:23:36.42
laws not only for
what kind of food you eat
00:23:36.43\00:23:39.64
but even what days
you observe your fasting,
00:23:39.65\00:23:42.41
what days you do certain things.
00:23:42.42\00:23:44.34
And there were
holy days other than the
00:23:44.35\00:23:46.59
Seventh-day Sabbath day as well.
00:23:46.60\00:23:48.87
And so when you
look at this passage,
00:23:48.88\00:23:51.31
first of all, the question is,
00:23:51.32\00:23:52.98
is it about the Sabbath, well,
00:23:52.99\00:23:54.20
the Sabbath doesn't
even appear here. Right.
00:23:54.21\00:23:56.34
Everything that appears here
00:23:56.37\00:23:57.60
about eating is evidence,
this is about dietary laws,
00:23:57.61\00:24:01.40
its regard to observing
feast or fasting days or,
00:24:01.41\00:24:06.56
or the practice of not
eating foods offered to idols.
00:24:06.57\00:24:10.92
Which they are very strict
00:24:10.93\00:24:11.90
about as Jews in
the Old Testament.
00:24:11.91\00:24:14.19
And so, the other evidence here
00:24:14.20\00:24:16.82
you find is that Paul addresses
00:24:16.83\00:24:19.00
the same kind of
issue over and over again
00:24:19.01\00:24:21.16
in many epistles to the church.
00:24:21.17\00:24:23.48
So go elsewhere
in these letters,
00:24:23.49\00:24:25.12
you'll find the Jews and
the Gentiles are fighting over
00:24:25.13\00:24:29.85
the practices of
the Jewish system versus
00:24:29.86\00:24:32.53
the practices
that Christ established
00:24:32.54\00:24:34.33
under the new covenant.
00:24:34.34\00:24:35.96
And its not just
about dietary stuff
00:24:35.97\00:24:37.99
they are fighting
about all kinds of issues,
00:24:38.00\00:24:39.84
whether you keep feast
days, whether you, you know,
00:24:39.85\00:24:42.15
you sacrifice lambs
still just as offerings
00:24:42.16\00:24:44.71
and all these stuff Paul
was saying it doesn't matter,
00:24:44.72\00:24:49.34
these aren't issues,
these are doubtful disputes
00:24:49.35\00:24:53.02
that you guys are just
kind of spending a lot of time
00:24:53.03\00:24:55.04
on when the key issue is Jesus
and what he has established.
00:24:55.05\00:24:58.62
Yeah and, this, this is a,
00:24:58.63\00:25:00.41
this is a great
passage so when a person says
00:25:00.42\00:25:02.82
I think that if you
carefully study Romans 14,
00:25:02.83\00:25:05.74
will the Sabbath
still be an issue.
00:25:05.75\00:25:07.67
Yes, because this passage
is not about the Sabbath.
00:25:07.68\00:25:11.00
This is about
disputes between brothers
00:25:11.01\00:25:13.26
and brothers and the church.
00:25:13.27\00:25:15.53
So, here, let me, let me
go and point out a few things.
00:25:15.54\00:25:18.37
Let me give you an example.
00:25:18.38\00:25:19.88
If I decided, okay
I'm just gonna eat this
00:25:19.89\00:25:23.91
because it makes you happy
but as far as I am concerned
00:25:23.92\00:25:27.89
that lamb was used in
the sacrifice and if I eat it
00:25:27.90\00:25:31.58
I'm gonna feel terrible, I
feel condemned in eating it.
00:25:31.59\00:25:35.00
Well, the Lord says,
okay if you doubt that
00:25:35.01\00:25:37.63
what you're about to do is
right then you are condemned
00:25:37.64\00:25:41.24
if you go on and still do
it to please somebody else.
00:25:41.25\00:25:46.62
If you are doubting
whether or not you should do
00:25:46.63\00:25:48.77
something and you feel
condemned in practicing that,
00:25:48.78\00:25:53.21
but you go ahead and practice it
00:25:53.22\00:25:54.55
just to make the other person
happy you are still condemned
00:25:54.56\00:25:57.57
because you've judged yourself,
00:25:57.58\00:25:58.97
you've condemned
yourself on the very practice
00:25:58.98\00:26:00.78
so it says don't do
it because your mind
00:26:00.79\00:26:03.19
is against it and
as the saying goes
00:26:03.20\00:26:05.66
a man convinced against his will
00:26:05.67\00:26:07.40
is of the same opinion still.
00:26:07.41\00:26:09.25
That's what happened,
this whole passage is about
00:26:09.26\00:26:11.45
whether or not you understand,
00:26:11.46\00:26:13.56
don't offend somebody
and this is one and remember
00:26:13.57\00:26:16.17
at Fairfield I won't
mention the person's name,
00:26:16.18\00:26:18.33
but we had a brother,
we had a person at church,
00:26:18.34\00:26:21.38
let me just be very vague.
00:26:21.39\00:26:22.95
That when people
brought food to fellowship lunch
00:26:22.96\00:26:26.14
sometimes that person
will go and say is there
00:26:26.15\00:26:27.74
cheese or no cheese
in that? Remember that?
00:26:27.75\00:26:30.35
And I said, I
heard that person say
00:26:30.36\00:26:32.54
that one day and I
had to pull him aside,
00:26:32.55\00:26:34.77
we use a phrase Jenkem.
00:26:34.78\00:26:36.38
I had to pull him
aside and say, you know what,
00:26:36.39\00:26:39.09
that person doesn't even
know half of what you know,
00:26:39.10\00:26:42.49
how dare you put a stumbling
block before that person
00:26:42.50\00:26:45.30
asking them whether or
not there's cheese in there.
00:26:45.31\00:26:47.85
That person has brought
the best they could and I said,
00:26:47.86\00:26:50.77
you are, you are gonna chase,
00:26:50.78\00:26:52.33
folk away when you
do things like that
00:26:52.34\00:26:54.65
and Paul made that very
steep and notice what he said,
00:26:54.66\00:26:57.89
he says, verse 20 of Romans 14,
00:26:57.90\00:27:00.22
"Do not destroy the work
of God for the sake of food."
00:27:00.23\00:27:04.88
Do not destroy,
and then the other one,
00:27:04.89\00:27:07.53
Verse 15, "Do not
destroy with your food
00:27:07.54\00:27:11.46
the one for whom Christ died."
00:27:11.47\00:27:13.78
This is all about
food first of all.
00:27:13.79\00:27:14.94
Right. He is saying --
00:27:14.95\00:27:16.04
And then destroying
others with the, the rules.
00:27:16.05\00:27:18.03
Right, he's
saying, you are saying
00:27:18.04\00:27:19.40
cheese or no
cheese? Vegan or no vegan?
00:27:19.41\00:27:21.53
I mean, come on
guys, follow the principles
00:27:21.54\00:27:23.96
of the Bible and
live within the compounds
00:27:23.97\00:27:25.70
of that but do not allow
the things that are restraining
00:27:25.71\00:27:28.13
you to become the
measure of somebody
00:27:28.14\00:27:30.86
who is not even yet there.
00:27:30.87\00:27:32.56
That's what this
whole passage is about.
00:27:32.57\00:27:34.75
He says so -- bottom line,
you have to give an account
00:27:34.76\00:27:37.03
to God for the things
which you're convinced of
00:27:37.04\00:27:38.96
but let the
convictions from the word of God
00:27:38.97\00:27:41.35
not from the, the
traditions of men.
00:27:41.36\00:27:44.26
You know and, and
the same one that wrote
00:27:44.27\00:27:46.94
Romans 14, also it
says in Acts Chapter 18,
00:27:46.95\00:27:52.16
as he taught the Jews and
the Gentiles on the Sabbath day,
00:27:52.17\00:27:58.21
I'm gonna read
the text, Acts 18:4,
00:27:58.22\00:28:01.14
he reasoned in the
synagogue every Sabbath,
00:28:01.15\00:28:03.98
not just one, every Sabbath
00:28:03.99\00:28:05.78
and persuaded
both Jews and Greeks,
00:28:05.79\00:28:07.86
what they were they
both meeting on John.
00:28:07.87\00:28:10.49
They were both
meeting on the Sabbath.
00:28:10.50\00:28:12.52
They were in unity,
they were in harmony
00:28:12.53\00:28:14.53
with which day was the Sabbath.
00:28:14.54\00:28:16.28
When -- There's no issue
00:28:16.29\00:28:17.33
of the first day of the
week in the entire book of Acts.
00:28:17.34\00:28:21.25
In fact, here's
the amazing thing,
00:28:21.26\00:28:23.36
it's like we had
blinders on John because
00:28:23.37\00:28:25.67
in the book of Acts,
the Sabbath is called
00:28:25.68\00:28:27.82
Sabbath, Sunday is called
the first day of the week.
00:28:27.83\00:28:30.84
People wanna argue that
the first day of the week
00:28:30.85\00:28:32.91
is the new Sabbath but
it's never called the Sabbath.
00:28:32.92\00:28:35.44
The Sabbath is different
than the first day of the week.
00:28:35.45\00:28:37.73
Just a mere fact that they
00:28:37.74\00:28:39.04
are listening to
different things --
00:28:39.05\00:28:40.93
Right. -- Different days
00:28:40.94\00:28:41.91
tell us the Sabbath
wasn't change by the time
00:28:41.92\00:28:43.95
of the early church, but
if you'll look in history
00:28:43.96\00:28:46.53
you'll find that the
Sabbath change didn't come
00:28:46.54\00:28:48.29
about until the 4th century.
00:28:48.30\00:28:52.72
This issue, you know,
00:28:52.73\00:28:53.70
these books were
written in the 1st century.
00:28:53.71\00:28:56.49
Right, there were, there
were side by side practices
00:28:56.50\00:28:59.70
of traditions etc
that were established like
00:28:59.71\00:29:02.44
168 A.D. when the, the
farmers had to keep their flocks
00:29:02.45\00:29:06.69
and keep their
herds and feed them,
00:29:06.70\00:29:08.69
so they said okay, okay,
okay, okay you could do that
00:29:08.70\00:29:11.51
but on the first day of the
week but now we're gonna have
00:29:11.52\00:29:13.98
two days, the traditional day
00:29:13.99\00:29:15.30
was called the family
day and then the Sabbath
00:29:15.31\00:29:17.08
and Rome sought ways
00:29:17.09\00:29:18.90
of separating
the Jewish tradition.
00:29:18.91\00:29:20.47
And that was
long after the, the --
00:29:20.48\00:29:21.54
Long after. These
-- These scriptures.
00:29:21.55\00:29:22.80
These were not
scriptural commands
00:29:22.81\00:29:25.69
and what amazes me about
this one particular issue
00:29:25.70\00:29:27.08
and I did, I did a series
on this as a matter of fact
00:29:27.09\00:29:29.21
on the last day
event, you may wanna contact
00:29:29.22\00:29:31.05
3ABN and get a copy
of that series called
00:29:31.06\00:29:35.52
"The Last Days".
00:29:35.53\00:29:36.55
I did a five part
series on last day events
00:29:36.56\00:29:38.52
will open your eyes
to a lot of these issues
00:29:38.53\00:29:40.10
and help you see
where the Sunday,
00:29:40.11\00:29:42.27
where the
observance of Sunday came from.
00:29:42.28\00:29:44.35
Those who help establish
it don't even have any qualms
00:29:44.36\00:29:47.07
about making it very
clear but many Christians
00:29:47.08\00:29:50.35
who are honest in their
approach to the observances
00:29:50.36\00:29:52.74
that they embrace
wanna find scriptural support
00:29:52.75\00:29:55.32
for it when there are
no scriptural support,
00:29:55.33\00:29:56.97
when there is no
scriptural support for it
00:29:56.98\00:29:58.76
that's for our topic
that we're gonna cover
00:29:58.77\00:30:01.93
as we finish the
questions here but here's the,
00:30:01.94\00:30:03.66
here is the issue.
00:30:03.67\00:30:06.14
The person also added in
the question after you study
00:30:06.15\00:30:08.26
this passage will you
still conclude that the Sabbath
00:30:08.27\00:30:11.90
is gonna be an
issue in the end times.
00:30:11.91\00:30:14.20
Yes it is, you know why?
00:30:14.21\00:30:15.99
Because that is the issue
that divides the majority of
00:30:16.00\00:30:18.76
the Christian world.
00:30:18.77\00:30:20.13
That is the thing
that the world is doing,
00:30:20.14\00:30:22.31
they are setting
up more and more to,
00:30:22.32\00:30:25.89
to violate God's
clear command to keep
00:30:25.90\00:30:29.14
the Sabbath holy and
they are substituting through
00:30:29.15\00:30:31.95
the traditions of men
what God has never ordained,
00:30:31.96\00:30:35.43
God has never sanctified,
God has still doesn't
00:30:35.44\00:30:37.82
approve of, and they
are saying time has made it
00:30:37.83\00:30:41.65
acceptable to God, it doesn't.
00:30:41.66\00:30:43.67
And I feel
prompted to say this too,
00:30:43.68\00:30:45.11
it's never been men's day.
00:30:45.12\00:30:47.82
It's never been a day that
I can decide which one I keep
00:30:47.83\00:30:50.94
I think the
reference here is that,
00:30:50.95\00:30:54.48
you have to be
convinced in your own mind.
00:30:54.49\00:30:56.74
You can't say,
read the scripture.
00:30:56.75\00:30:59.33
I mean you can't say,
well, you know, my day
00:30:59.34\00:31:02.81
is Sunday and someone else's
day is the Sabbath as long as
00:31:02.82\00:31:06.06
we just kind of
convince in our mind
00:31:06.07\00:31:07.54
that we can
worship God on our day.
00:31:07.55\00:31:09.53
God has already
established the day,
00:31:09.54\00:31:11.26
he did that at creation
even before the Ten Commandments
00:31:11.27\00:31:13.32
were ever given to
children of Israel.
00:31:13.33\00:31:16.59
And so now, we've
come down through time
00:31:16.60\00:31:18.82
and the enemy's
attack, this institution,
00:31:18.83\00:31:21.57
this sacred
institution of the Sabbath,
00:31:21.58\00:31:23.46
just like he has, he has
done with many other teachings
00:31:23.47\00:31:26.47
in our study of denominations,
00:31:28.17\00:31:30.41
he has done that here
and the very deciding factor
00:31:30.42\00:31:33.51
back in the Book of Exodus
that says that they will know
00:31:33.52\00:31:36.38
that you are my people by
your observance of the Sabbath.
00:31:36.39\00:31:39.38
Right. It is the sign
of your loyalty to meet
00:31:39.39\00:31:42.63
the creator God
has now been torn down.
00:31:42.64\00:31:47.84
Right. New tradition set up.
00:31:47.85\00:31:49.26
Get rid of the sign.
00:31:49.27\00:31:50.24
And it's gotten rid
of the sign, you know,
00:31:50.25\00:31:52.05
exactly what I want,
it's gotten rid of the sign
00:31:52.06\00:31:53.64
of God's people and
God and their relationship.
00:31:53.65\00:31:56.35
Yes, it's like getting off
to an exit that has no sign
00:31:56.36\00:31:58.87
and you'll pick the exit.
00:31:58.88\00:32:00.15
You'll find John's house,
00:32:00.16\00:32:01.51
pick whatever exit
you'll find his house.
00:32:01.52\00:32:03.40
You know, guess me John
on this particular issue
00:32:03.41\00:32:05.24
people saying
make up your own mind,
00:32:05.25\00:32:06.59
decide for yourself but
can you decide for yourself
00:32:06.60\00:32:10.17
what is
stealing, what is adultery,
00:32:10.18\00:32:12.93
what is called righteousness,
what is worshipping
00:32:12.94\00:32:15.64
other gods, no, God
hasn't given us room
00:32:15.65\00:32:18.19
to decide any
of that, he is God,
00:32:18.20\00:32:21.00
you don't tell the general
of an army what you want to do,
00:32:21.01\00:32:24.01
the general of the army
tells you what you should do.
00:32:24.02\00:32:27.35
That's just how we
do it in the military.
00:32:27.36\00:32:28.97
You don't tell the
coach what you wanna do,
00:32:28.98\00:32:30.78
the coach tells you what to do.
00:32:30.79\00:32:33.77
That's how we have coaches in,
00:32:33.78\00:32:34.75
in leaders of basketball
teams and football teams
00:32:34.76\00:32:36.32
and we have military generals,
00:32:36.33\00:32:37.67
we have Commander
in Chief, they command!
00:32:37.68\00:32:40.79
That's what
discipleship is about anyway.
00:32:40.80\00:32:42.01
Discipleship we follow
the Lord and Jesus says,
00:32:42.02\00:32:44.95
"Why call me Lord, Lord,
00:32:44.96\00:32:47.71
and do not do the
things which I say?"
00:32:47.72\00:32:49.94
That's the biggest crux
of Christianity and nowadays
00:32:49.95\00:32:52.57
and we wrapped into
all those other stuffs.
00:32:52.58\00:32:55.01
Great community
programs, great outreach,
00:32:55.02\00:32:57.38
feed the hungry,
clothe the naked,
00:32:57.39\00:33:00.11
be missionaries
all over the world,
00:33:00.12\00:33:01.43
we wrapped
disobedience in good garments,
00:33:01.44\00:33:04.52
garments of doing things.
These are all good things.
00:33:04.53\00:33:06.59
Another one, there's some say,
00:33:06.60\00:33:07.78
we wrapped disobedience
to something else in garments
00:33:07.79\00:33:10.87
of doing good things
almost thinking that I could
00:33:10.88\00:33:13.39
still transgress and
do good things and God
00:33:13.40\00:33:16.17
will forget the things
I should do and replace
00:33:16.18\00:33:18.42
with the things that I am
00:33:18.43\00:33:20.22
not required to do,
it's really amazing!
00:33:20.23\00:33:22.24
You know, and John segue that,
00:33:22.25\00:33:23.65
because we're
going into a topic here.
00:33:23.66\00:33:25.88
We got to segue.
00:33:25.89\00:33:27.51
About why so many
denominations today? Yeah.
00:33:27.52\00:33:30.56
Why are we all
teaching different things
00:33:30.57\00:33:33.13
yet there is one word,
one gospel, we've to follow.
00:33:33.14\00:33:37.97
And, by the way as
we segue out of this,
00:33:37.98\00:33:40.15
do you have any other
questions you'd like to
00:33:40.16\00:33:41.19
send to us here at
House Calls you can send them,
00:33:41.20\00:33:43.93
send those to
housecalls@3abn.org,
00:33:43.94\00:33:46.79
that's housecalls@3abn.org
and we're excited about
00:33:46.80\00:33:49.76
the questions you send.
00:33:49.77\00:33:51.30
These are the things
that we wanna hear about,
00:33:51.31\00:33:53.37
stimulate our
thoughts, challenge us and we do
00:33:53.38\00:33:55.73
appreciate so much all
you do for the support of
00:33:55.74\00:33:58.04
3ABN and this
program. Thank you very much.
00:33:58.05\00:34:01.79
The topic John we began,
00:34:01.80\00:34:04.09
"Why are there so
many denominations?"
00:34:04.10\00:34:06.94
One of the reasons is,
why these denominations
00:34:06.95\00:34:10.17
continue to flourish
is because of one thing
00:34:10.18\00:34:12.89
that I've described
scriptural ignorance.
00:34:12.90\00:34:16.73
You know, if you
decided to run a race,
00:34:16.74\00:34:19.91
say the Boston Marathon,
if you are in Australia
00:34:19.92\00:34:22.61
we have a place in
the northeast called
00:34:22.62\00:34:24.07
Boston one of our states.
00:34:24.08\00:34:26.61
The Boston Marathon,
the route or the route
00:34:26.62\00:34:30.34
how we wanna say
it is predefined,
00:34:30.35\00:34:33.70
the hill, the
turns, the whole thing,
00:34:33.71\00:34:35.09
just like a racing
course it's predefined,
00:34:35.10\00:34:38.31
you're not gonna just drive
fast in any direction and win.
00:34:38.32\00:34:40.81
In the very same way,
this race that we run as
00:34:40.82\00:34:43.31
Christians has been predefined
00:34:43.32\00:34:45.80
and all the rules of
the race are right here.
00:34:45.81\00:34:50.51
But the reason why there
are so many different races
00:34:50.52\00:34:52.66
and people are
running in, you know,
00:34:52.67\00:34:53.64
so many different directions,
more specifically there are
00:34:53.65\00:34:55.65
so many
different denominations is
00:34:55.66\00:34:57.10
because people have
gotten rid of the rule book.
00:34:57.11\00:35:00.06
Some people say I'm just
New Testament Christians,
00:35:00.07\00:35:02.36
like this much,
this is all I wanna keep,
00:35:02.37\00:35:04.63
that's it, that's all I want,
00:35:04.64\00:35:05.86
keep all the rest for
yourself and they make it appear
00:35:05.87\00:35:08.05
as though this is all
done away with melted across
00:35:08.06\00:35:11.50
and we have this
thing, nowadays that was
00:35:11.51\00:35:14.14
prophesized in Revelations,
I'd like to begin with
00:35:14.15\00:35:16.27
by going back to
Babylon, the Lord prophesized
00:35:16.28\00:35:19.01
that there would be
confusion in the last days
00:35:19.02\00:35:22.39
and the reason for
this confusion is people
00:35:22.40\00:35:24.77
just don't want to hear
the truth, it's really amazing.
00:35:24.78\00:35:30.46
Christians are
the greatest offenders
00:35:30.47\00:35:32.99
when it comes to
hearing the truth.
00:35:33.00\00:35:34.20
You walk up to a person
that knows nothing about Jesus
00:35:34.21\00:35:37.11
that wanna find out
and they'll say just,
00:35:37.12\00:35:39.37
I just wanna do
what God's words said.
00:35:39.38\00:35:41.80
Christians nowadays had
been traditional Christians
00:35:41.81\00:35:43.72
for generation, generation,
generation I don't wanna hear,
00:35:43.73\00:35:46.78
it was good
enough for my mother,
00:35:46.79\00:35:48.63
my grandfather, my pastors
says it that's all I want.
00:35:48.64\00:35:51.89
That's the first
step to self-annihilation.
00:35:51.90\00:35:55.86
Don't wanna hear it
anyway I'm preaching.
00:35:55.87\00:35:57.93
Well, that's you're preaching.
00:35:57.94\00:35:59.46
And so let's go to the
book of, lets go back to
00:35:59.47\00:36:03.85
one of the passages
here in, in the book of...
00:36:03.86\00:36:08.96
You said
something about Revelations.
00:36:08.97\00:36:10.17
Revelation, yeah.
00:36:10.18\00:36:11.22
Springboarding off of
what we saw in the last,
00:36:11.23\00:36:16.12
last program, we
were talking about Babylon
00:36:16.13\00:36:19.26
and how Babylon has
harlots as their children
00:36:19.27\00:36:25.01
and these harlots of
course we know they are women
00:36:25.02\00:36:27.96
and they are all involved in
what is the apostasy going on
00:36:27.97\00:36:33.91
within the Christian era,
00:36:33.92\00:36:35.37
the Christian
faith down through time.
00:36:35.38\00:36:38.29
Now, John may be what we got
to do is just cover a little,
00:36:38.30\00:36:41.42
just brief
history. A very, very, may,
00:36:41.43\00:36:45.22
you know, big overview.
00:36:45.23\00:36:47.27
What we have is the early
church that was established
00:36:47.28\00:36:51.33
here and Paul and
the other apostles
00:36:51.34\00:36:54.78
writing their letters to keep
the church on the right path.
00:36:54.79\00:36:58.28
And it was important to
keep them on the right path
00:36:58.29\00:37:00.26
because as Jude says in Verse 3,
00:37:00.27\00:37:04.08
I think it is, I, "I
command you to earnestly --
00:37:04.09\00:37:08.54
"Contend for the faith".
"Contend for the faith --
00:37:08.55\00:37:10.95
That was once -- Which was once
00:37:10.96\00:37:11.93
and for all
delivered to the saints. Right.
00:37:11.94\00:37:14.39
So contend for it,
fight for hold onto it
00:37:14.40\00:37:17.60
because as we
also read last time,
00:37:17.61\00:37:20.68
men have crept in
unnoticed, unaware to anybody
00:37:20.69\00:37:23.94
and they've actually
turned the grace of our God
00:37:23.95\00:37:26.48
into a license for immorality.
00:37:26.49\00:37:29.27
So the practices
and the things going on
00:37:29.28\00:37:30.90
in the church
were already coming in,
00:37:30.91\00:37:34.12
they got heated.
Now, it's like bring
00:37:34.13\00:37:36.06
something up to
mind here real quick.
00:37:36.07\00:37:38.06
Now I am
preaching if you don't mind.
00:37:38.07\00:37:39.22
Go for it. If you look
at Revelation Chapter 2.
00:37:39.23\00:37:45.51
Okay, Revelation
Chapter 2, I'm on my way.
00:37:45.52\00:37:48.53
Look at Verse 15 and 16. Okay.
00:37:48.54\00:37:52.14
This speaks on what
you're just talking about here.
00:37:52.15\00:37:54.00
You know, it is, as long as
I believe in Jesus I'm okay,
00:37:54.01\00:37:56.04
its good enough for my parents,
00:37:56.05\00:37:57.32
I don't have to know all
the things about the Bible.
00:37:57.33\00:38:00.26
Look at this,
verse 15 of Revelation 2,
00:38:00.27\00:38:03.19
"thus you have also
thou who hold the doctrine
00:38:03.20\00:38:07.80
"of the Nicolaitanes,
which thing I hate.
00:38:07.81\00:38:13.01
"Repent, or else I
will come to you quickly,
00:38:13.02\00:38:15.70
and will fight against them
with the sword of my mouth."
00:38:15.71\00:38:19.02
Okay. Interesting, Jesus comes
00:38:19.03\00:38:20.54
in the Second
Coming in Revelation 19
00:38:20.55\00:38:22.11
it says that out of
his mouth comes a sharp --
00:38:22.12\00:38:24.26
Sword. Sharp sword.
00:38:24.27\00:38:25.69
So Jesus is saying here
there are some things I hate
00:38:25.70\00:38:28.94
that you're
practicing, you better repent
00:38:28.95\00:38:31.43
or I'll come
upon you as a sword.
00:38:31.44\00:38:33.33
Right. So don't sit
there thinking a real doctrine,
00:38:33.34\00:38:35.75
teachings of Christ,
those things don't matter,
00:38:35.76\00:38:38.05
Jesus in his own words is
telling the truth be careful,
00:38:38.06\00:38:41.20
because there's stuff
that's coming into this church
00:38:41.21\00:38:42.70
that should not be there,
repent and get back on course.
00:38:42.71\00:38:46.61
And, you know,
that's amazing, that,
00:38:46.62\00:38:48.34
that we say so clearly or
specifically that the Bible
00:38:48.35\00:38:51.23
says it so clearly
because this is where doctrine
00:38:51.24\00:38:53.84
has been given a bad wrap.
00:38:53.85\00:38:55.70
Sure you had. So you
had churches nowadays
00:38:55.71\00:38:57.42
that are non-denominational.
00:38:57.43\00:39:00.59
We don't teach doctrines here
00:39:00.60\00:39:02.04
we just teach about the Bible.
00:39:02.05\00:39:04.83
As I go into a bank and
say I'd like to have some money
00:39:04.84\00:39:07.06
and they say well,
in what denomination.
00:39:07.07\00:39:09.56
I don't want ones,
I don't want fives,
00:39:09.57\00:39:10.86
I don't tens, I don't want 20s,
00:39:10.87\00:39:12.06
I don't want 100s, give
me something other than that.
00:39:12.07\00:39:16.64
Will they empty all the
chains and put in your pocket.
00:39:16.65\00:39:19.31
Take your $4,000
paycheck home and change.
00:39:19.32\00:39:21.89
And what would you
protest it's too heavy.
00:39:21.90\00:39:24.13
The point of the matter
is there is no such thing
00:39:24.14\00:39:26.37
as a non-denominational
church. That's right.
00:39:26.38\00:39:29.45
They, they woo you in
with all these flamboyant
00:39:29.46\00:39:35.58
wonderfully picked
words. As Paul says,
00:39:35.59\00:39:38.53
"with much fair speech
they deceived the simple."
00:39:38.54\00:39:43.74
So you get this
Christian Disney World
00:39:43.75\00:39:46.95
and it feels good
and you get excited
00:39:46.96\00:39:49.38
and we all have
a prayer session,
00:39:49.39\00:39:50.98
we just praise the
Lord and the Lord says,
00:39:50.99\00:39:54.14
"I know they draw
near me with their mouth,
00:39:54.15\00:39:56.87
honor me with their lips but
their hearts are far from me."
00:39:56.88\00:39:59.78
And you're talking
about here the church,
00:39:59.79\00:40:02.06
a system -- and this is
where I wanna keep the focus on,
00:40:02.07\00:40:04.70
we've said it last
week we've probably repeated
00:40:04.71\00:40:06.21
in every single of
our, every single one of our
00:40:06.22\00:40:08.46
programs on this
topic but what, what has,
00:40:08.47\00:40:12.36
has separated from
Christ is not the people,
00:40:12.37\00:40:17.24
it's the system, it's
the, it's the organization
00:40:17.25\00:40:20.44
of the church
itself and so, you know,
00:40:20.45\00:40:23.01
we were talking
about the early church
00:40:23.02\00:40:24.57
and keeping it on track,
well then what happened was
00:40:24.58\00:40:27.63
there was a, there was
getting to be falling away.
00:40:27.64\00:40:30.77
And we had where the
devil came in to set up
00:40:30.78\00:40:34.14
his own church and
you find that paganism
00:40:34.15\00:40:36.98
which he used to persecute
the church in the early age
00:40:36.99\00:40:40.82
that persecution did
not work the church grew
00:40:40.83\00:40:42.95
so what he said was, "I
can't be them I'm going to --
00:40:42.96\00:40:46.03
Join them. -- join them."
00:40:46.04\00:40:47.30
And so he took paganism,
00:40:47.31\00:40:50.43
put a Christian garb on
it and called it his church.
00:40:50.44\00:40:54.76
Right. And interesting,
00:40:54.77\00:40:56.86
the church is referred
to as the mother church.
00:40:56.87\00:41:01.48
And we find in Revelation 17
00:41:01.49\00:41:03.18
that she is the
mother of harlots.
00:41:03.19\00:41:05.71
And by the way, you know
that she has on purple and red
00:41:05.72\00:41:10.91
which means what
color is missing rather
00:41:10.92\00:41:13.27
than just what color is there.
00:41:13.28\00:41:14.79
The color that
is missing is blue.
00:41:14.80\00:41:17.51
Blue were in the garments of
the leaders the tassels blue,
00:41:17.52\00:41:23.47
representing the
presence of God's law.
00:41:23.48\00:41:26.14
This woman kicked that out.
00:41:26.15\00:41:28.77
God's commandments are kicked
out that's what you find in
00:41:28.78\00:41:30.99
Revelation 12:17,
"the dragon is angry with
00:41:31.00\00:41:34.67
the woman who want,
and want to make war
00:41:34.68\00:41:36.88
with the remnant
of a seed which keeps
00:41:36.89\00:41:38.64
the commandments of God."
00:41:38.65\00:41:40.25
So when you bring
to narrow it down,
00:41:40.26\00:41:42.51
and I could go back, if the
system that you are part of,
00:41:42.52\00:41:44.79
we are using that broad
phrase nowadays not to use
00:41:44.80\00:41:47.38
any denominational
titles, but if the church
00:41:47.39\00:41:50.02
or the system that you
are a part of teaches that
00:41:50.03\00:41:55.10
the commandments of
God are done away with,
00:41:55.11\00:41:58.27
nailed to the
cross then the devil
00:41:58.28\00:42:00.43
has nothing to
fight against you for.
00:42:00.44\00:42:03.41
He is not angry with you.
00:42:03.42\00:42:04.94
He is not even
gonna try to stop you.
00:42:04.95\00:42:06.66
He is gonna let you go
ahead and vainly worship
00:42:06.67\00:42:09.71
that is ignorantly
believing as you're taught that
00:42:09.72\00:42:12.78
the commandments of
God don't really matter.
00:42:12.79\00:42:14.91
Well, if the last book of
the Bible says it does then
00:42:14.92\00:42:17.43
it really does not just the
commands in the general sense
00:42:17.44\00:42:20.59
like some
transition try to make it
00:42:20.60\00:42:22.64
but the word they are clearly
00:42:22.65\00:42:24.64
is in reference to
God's Ten Commandments.
00:42:24.65\00:42:26.90
Yeah, the other thing two
of that in Chapter 14 verse 12
00:42:26.91\00:42:31.15
it combines that the
patience of the saints,
00:42:31.16\00:42:33.54
those who are faithful
to God throughout the end
00:42:33.55\00:42:36.46
time struggles and
troubles or those who keep the
00:42:36.47\00:42:39.80
commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus
00:42:39.81\00:42:43.38
and so you cannot
say that keeping the
00:42:43.39\00:42:45.06
commandments of
God or legalism. No.
00:42:45.07\00:42:47.22
Because you have people
keeping the commandments
00:42:47.23\00:42:49.17
and having the faith
of Jesus at the same time.
00:42:49.18\00:42:51.52
That's right. Faith
then works together.
00:42:51.53\00:42:53.56
Faith then
works together through
00:42:53.57\00:42:54.94
the whole book of James
is establishing that proof
00:42:54.95\00:42:57.55
too so, here you've got,
this system is false system
00:42:57.56\00:43:01.60
that is setup under
the garb of Christianity,
00:43:01.61\00:43:05.76
paganism with the
garb of Christianity
00:43:05.77\00:43:08.60
and then out of that
system over years of time
00:43:08.61\00:43:11.75
and years of
persecution 1260 years
00:43:11.76\00:43:14.99
you have a time where that
system is beginning to wane,
00:43:15.00\00:43:18.78
it's beginning to struggle
and God establishes reformers
00:43:18.79\00:43:23.44
that come up and
there you have the protest
00:43:23.45\00:43:26.37
with
reformation. And it's called
00:43:26.38\00:43:28.21
protest of reformation
because these reformers
00:43:28.22\00:43:30.59
are protesting against Rome,
they are protesting against
00:43:30.60\00:43:35.20
the established mother church.
00:43:35.21\00:43:38.64
The thing is, is that as
you continue down through time
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.57
as the reformation occurs
and out of that reformation
00:43:41.58\00:43:43.91
we will talk about this
a little bit more you have
00:43:43.92\00:43:45.78
these various
denominations that come out.
00:43:45.79\00:43:47.75
Right. In the
1600s you have Baptist,
00:43:47.76\00:43:50.48
of course Martin
Lutheran reformer has the
00:43:50.49\00:43:52.46
Lutheran Church that
stands on his principles.
00:43:52.47\00:43:54.38
Which he didn't start.
00:43:54.39\00:43:55.49
Yes, yes he
didn't start that church
00:43:55.50\00:43:56.95
but a church was developed
from Martin Luther's teachings
00:43:56.96\00:44:00.62
and you have other
denomination that come
00:44:00.63\00:44:02.07
about over the, the
centuries beyond that.
00:44:02.08\00:44:07.42
But what does
the mother church do,
00:44:07.43\00:44:09.24
what is the Babylon the harlot,
00:44:09.25\00:44:10.94
the mother church do
with, why is it saying that
00:44:10.95\00:44:13.63
there are still harlots,
they still are not fully
00:44:13.64\00:44:16.13
following her or
following Christ's teachings,
00:44:16.14\00:44:19.15
they are still
living in harlotry. Well...
00:44:19.16\00:44:21.85
Here is one, Isaiah. Go ahead.
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.59
Okay. Go ahead.
00:44:23.60\00:44:24.58
Turn yours,
Isaiah Chapter 4 verse 1,
00:44:24.59\00:44:28.37
the Lord outlines
conditions and by the way
00:44:28.38\00:44:30.60
there is a motive that is
throughout the book of Isaiah
00:44:30.61\00:44:34.70
practically mentions a
number of times early in the,
00:44:34.71\00:44:38.30
in the chapters of Isaiah
its, it's a phrase if you look
00:44:38.31\00:44:41.52
at this phrase in
that day, in that day,
00:44:41.53\00:44:44.06
in that day the Lord continue,
00:44:44.07\00:44:46.49
it talks about the conditions
that were prevail in that day
00:44:46.50\00:44:49.52
that is the day of the Lord.
00:44:49.53\00:44:51.39
What he says in Isaiah 4:1
speaking about that continued
00:44:51.40\00:44:56.75
motive, he says "And
in that day, seven women,"
00:44:56.76\00:45:02.13
the Bible talks
about seven churches.
00:45:02.14\00:45:04.78
"In that day seven women
shall take hold of one man,"
00:45:04.79\00:45:10.13
who is the man,
the man Christ Jesus
00:45:10.14\00:45:12.74
"saying," here is the
reason for the confusion.
00:45:12.75\00:45:15.98
"We will eat our own
bread," bread is synonymous
00:45:15.99\00:45:19.03
with the word of God,
we have our own teachings,
00:45:19.04\00:45:21.50
"and wear our own
apparel" meaning our own measure
00:45:21.51\00:45:24.68
of righteousness
or right and wrong,
00:45:24.69\00:45:27.63
"only let us be
called by your name,"
00:45:27.64\00:45:29.96
Christian, "to
take away our reproach."
00:45:29.97\00:45:32.86
In other words I have the
label so people don't believe
00:45:32.87\00:45:34.81
that there is any reproach here.
00:45:34.82\00:45:36.72
See Satan is a
master at deception,
00:45:36.73\00:45:39.39
I talked about
that in the series.
00:45:39.40\00:45:41.64
The seven systems,
the final coalition,
00:45:41.65\00:45:44.83
there are systems
that Satan has established
00:45:44.84\00:45:46.77
to deceit people, he
does it in the world,
00:45:46.78\00:45:49.12
and he does it very effectively,
00:45:49.13\00:45:50.47
in Christianity he does it
effectively and lot of other
00:45:50.48\00:45:52.68
movements around
the world but they said,
00:45:52.69\00:45:55.66
okay, okay, okay we
know what your bread is,
00:45:55.67\00:45:58.80
that's exactly what
happen in the wilderness.
00:45:58.81\00:46:01.70
Jesus tried to feed
Israel with manna everyday
00:46:01.71\00:46:05.40
but they wanted their own bread.
00:46:05.41\00:46:07.83
Their own food, yeah.
00:46:07.84\00:46:08.81
They wanted their own
food, give us our own doctrines,
00:46:08.82\00:46:11.70
give us our own righteousness,
00:46:11.71\00:46:13.87
all we want from you
is the name Christians.
00:46:13.88\00:46:16.33
And so nowadays because
it has the label Christian
00:46:16.34\00:46:18.61
people assume it's right
but I could see so many churches
00:46:18.62\00:46:20.98
teaching so many
different things,
00:46:20.99\00:46:22.86
going in so many different
directions all be right,
00:46:22.87\00:46:25.26
they can't be right.
00:46:25.27\00:46:27.26
It's right. Unless
you believe that there
00:46:27.27\00:46:29.67
is no absolute truth which
Christians in general believe
00:46:29.68\00:46:33.03
but that's not right.
There isn't absolute truth.
00:46:33.04\00:46:35.78
That's why they are
such digging the hill.
00:46:35.79\00:46:37.33
So look at the next
verse though, okay, Isaiah 4:2.
00:46:37.34\00:46:41.13
"In that day as well
the branch of the Lord shall
00:46:41.14\00:46:44.64
be beautiful and glorious,"
so this isn't the branch
00:46:44.65\00:46:47.90
that is from
another. This is the branch
00:46:47.91\00:46:51.28
that comes from where,
the Lord. From the Lord.
00:46:51.29\00:46:54.40
"And the fruit of the
earth shall be excellent
00:46:54.41\00:46:56.16
and appealing for those
of Israel who have escaped."
00:46:56.17\00:46:59.97
So Israel who is the
faithful and who doesn't don't
00:46:59.98\00:47:05.78
want just Christ in name
they want everything about
00:47:05.79\00:47:08.39
Christ and
everything that he is,
00:47:08.40\00:47:10.17
those who have
escaped hold fast to him
00:47:10.18\00:47:12.67
and thats why you have
the patience of the saints
00:47:12.68\00:47:14.38
who keep the commandments of God
00:47:14.39\00:47:15.51
and the faith of
Jesus in Revelation 14:12.
00:47:15.52\00:47:18.93
But then you have this
mother of harlots doing
00:47:18.94\00:47:21.34
their own thing they
look like the church.
00:47:21.35\00:47:24.07
They are women but they do
stuff that is much different
00:47:24.08\00:47:27.73
than Christ church would do.
00:47:27.74\00:47:29.67
Now it is impure and
unholy that the doctrines
00:47:29.68\00:47:32.75
and its teachings are
misleading and deceptive
00:47:32.76\00:47:35.37
and those are some of
the things that I think
00:47:35.38\00:47:36.73
we wanna get into,
that was the heart of
00:47:36.74\00:47:39.43
the battle and the reformation.
00:47:39.44\00:47:41.90
Mark Lutheran another
reformer standing up against
00:47:41.91\00:47:43.85
the Church of Rome and
the Rome then coming against
00:47:43.86\00:47:46.77
them like a wheel, when
you find a few years later
00:47:46.78\00:47:48.64
you had what is called the
Counter Reformation seeking
00:47:48.65\00:47:51.48
to undo what God had established
00:47:51.49\00:47:55.38
during the reformation period.
00:47:55.39\00:47:57.40
And now today you still
have a Counter Reformation
00:47:57.41\00:47:59.96
going on where
Protestant churches today
00:47:59.97\00:48:02.65
only want the name of
Protestant but they do know
00:48:02.66\00:48:05.28
what they no longer protest
against the teachings of Rome.
00:48:05.29\00:48:09.41
You know John I did
and I keep coming back
00:48:09.42\00:48:11.73
to the series John,
you need to get a copy
00:48:11.74\00:48:13.70
of that Last
Days series from 3ABN.
00:48:13.71\00:48:16.82
I talked about that how
there is no more protesting,
00:48:16.83\00:48:21.89
it's almost like
many Christians have
00:48:21.90\00:48:24.48
surrendered to, to darkness,
to things that are easier,
00:48:24.49\00:48:31.09
to things that
are more favorable,
00:48:31.10\00:48:32.62
to things that fit
best into their schedule,
00:48:32.63\00:48:35.28
to, to
traditions in their family,
00:48:35.29\00:48:38.72
to things that they
like, stain glass, nice choirs,
00:48:38.73\00:48:42.66
wonderful
programs for my children,
00:48:42.67\00:48:44.92
entertainment for my
children, Christian Disneyland
00:48:44.93\00:48:48.18
like many years ago I
praise the Lord that Jim Baker
00:48:48.19\00:48:50.36
has turned around,
you know, you know,
00:48:50.37\00:48:53.00
his, Michael Jackson's
Never Neverland was just like
00:48:53.01\00:48:56.43
this big whole Disney
World that the Baker's had many,
00:48:56.44\00:48:58.82
many years ago. So
that's what, that's what,
00:48:58.83\00:49:02.29
that's what coming into
the Christian church nowadays.
00:49:02.30\00:49:04.90
Sin has poured all
those candy coating into
00:49:04.91\00:49:07.41
the Christian church
and people are sweetened
00:49:07.42\00:49:09.12
by it and we
forget that there is a way
00:49:09.13\00:49:11.14
but I wanna continue in
Isaiah 10 here real quickly,
00:49:11.15\00:49:13.68
Isaiah 4 where we
just were a moment ago,
00:49:13.69\00:49:16.42
I wanted you to see
something because John
00:49:16.43\00:49:18.51
used the word here
in verse 2 of Isaiah 2,
00:49:18.52\00:49:23.42
"for those of
Israel who have escaped"
00:49:23.43\00:49:25.78
that's very
important because the question
00:49:25.79\00:49:27.76
is who is going to
escape those things
00:49:27.77\00:49:30.44
that are coming on the world.
00:49:30.45\00:49:32.90
There's a way to do
it and this passage hits
00:49:32.91\00:49:35.55
it on the head Isaiah 10
and verse 20 look at this.
00:49:35.56\00:49:39.13
Once again, "In that day,"
00:49:39.14\00:49:40.25
motive that is the
day of the Lord and
00:49:40.26\00:49:42.89
"it shall come
to pass in that day
00:49:42.90\00:49:45.67
"that the remnant of
Israel, and such as have escaped
00:49:45.68\00:49:50.39
"of the house of Judah
will never again depend on him
00:49:50.40\00:49:54.86
"who defeated them but
will depend on the Lord,
00:49:54.87\00:49:58.61
the holy one of Israel."
00:49:58.62\00:50:00.19
How they gonna depend
on him John? In truth.
00:50:00.20\00:50:02.65
Okay, truth is
important in the Old Testament,
00:50:02.66\00:50:05.61
truth is important
in the New Testament,
00:50:05.62\00:50:07.46
truth is never
not been important,
00:50:07.47\00:50:09.45
its just only been downplayed
and water down in churches
00:50:09.46\00:50:12.18
around the
world, this mega-church
00:50:12.19\00:50:13.92
and giga-churches
that have seven stepsv
00:50:13.93\00:50:14.92
of the successful Christian.
00:50:16.19\00:50:17.99
In all these
programs, women that are loose,
00:50:18.00\00:50:20.98
they are loosened folk
with, but they are binding them
00:50:20.99\00:50:23.48
on the other
side, you are loose,
00:50:23.49\00:50:25.06
but you are bound in era.
00:50:25.07\00:50:27.08
So really how does it
matter, it does matter.
00:50:27.09\00:50:29.72
So we're, we've decided
to tackle the topic that,
00:50:29.73\00:50:34.58
we're going to
generate some e-mails,
00:50:34.59\00:50:37.08
but that's what, we
don't want the e-mails
00:50:37.09\00:50:38.76
as much as we want to
stimulate your thoughts.
00:50:38.77\00:50:41.04
We want to get all that
dust of dormant Christianity
00:50:41.05\00:50:45.20
stirred up and say,
get back to your Bible
00:50:45.21\00:50:46.80
and stop becoming a
conveyable Christian,
00:50:46.81\00:50:49.58
that just does
over the church teaches
00:50:49.59\00:50:51.60
and goes down the
path of everybody else,
00:50:51.61\00:50:53.80
the path of least resistance.
00:50:53.81\00:50:55.66
By the way, I'm gonna
turn back to you here John,
00:50:55.67\00:50:57.86
but the path of least
resistance is the reason
00:50:57.87\00:51:00.29
why rivers are crooked,
the water flows to the path
00:51:00.30\00:51:04.72
of least resistance. God
is saying we can't afford
00:51:04.73\00:51:07.65
to be that way,
because we've to take
00:51:07.66\00:51:10.86
straight path for our feet.
00:51:10.87\00:51:12.53
But many churches
are intentionally leading
00:51:12.54\00:51:15.14
their people to crooked paths.
00:51:15.15\00:51:17.34
All the guys of
convenience and tradition
00:51:17.35\00:51:20.43
and with phrases
like, it doesn't matter,
00:51:20.44\00:51:23.04
all was nailed to the cross.
00:51:23.05\00:51:25.71
That's not what
the Bible teaches.
00:51:25.72\00:51:28.28
So we're gonna be talking
about some denominations.
00:51:28.29\00:51:31.54
That's right. And
we'll be talking about,
00:51:31.55\00:51:34.31
in fact we'll just
spend a couple of minutes here
00:51:34.32\00:51:36.19
on our own denomination, the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:51:36.20\00:51:39.52
because even within the
denomination that we love
00:51:39.53\00:51:43.35
and care for, that
John and I are preachers
00:51:43.36\00:51:46.87
and are teachers,
we're pastors, we're shep,
00:51:46.88\00:51:50.27
under shepherds.
We love this church,
00:51:50.28\00:51:53.50
that there are things in
this church that the devil
00:51:53.51\00:51:56.48
is still trying to do.
00:51:56.49\00:51:57.51
He is not content to
allow the truth go forward
00:51:57.52\00:52:02.72
without at least trying
to attack the church itself
00:52:02.73\00:52:05.88
that is
disseminating that truth. Right.
00:52:05.89\00:52:08.35
And so within this
church even you have divisions
00:52:08.36\00:52:11.10
that have gone off and we
say we share this with you,
00:52:11.11\00:52:14.41
because we don't
want anybody to go astray.
00:52:14.42\00:52:17.70
That's right. So
there are churches
00:52:17.71\00:52:19.15
out there that are in
the branch of the apostasy
00:52:19.16\00:52:24.40
and then there
is the true church,
00:52:24.41\00:52:25.66
but it also is
suffering some problems.
00:52:25.67\00:52:29.07
And within this
church, you have groups
00:52:29.08\00:52:30.78
that have broken
off from this that are,
00:52:30.79\00:52:33.78
help in lifting
them. Subversive,
00:52:33.79\00:52:35.20
let me give you an
example a few years ago,
00:52:35.21\00:52:37.43
not few years ago, but
more than ten years ago,
00:52:37.44\00:52:39.88
the sad reality in
Waco, Texas, David Koresh.
00:52:39.89\00:52:43.41
David Koresh was a
young man that attended
00:52:43.42\00:52:45.14
one of our
churches in California,
00:52:45.15\00:52:46.91
had Bible studies in afternoon,
00:52:46.92\00:52:48.58
but then he took a left
turn and establish himself
00:52:48.59\00:52:53.20
as an authority and
as a law unto himself
00:52:53.21\00:52:56.02
and if you are in America,
you know, what the end result
00:52:56.03\00:52:58.34
of that was. Lot of
people lost their lives
00:52:58.35\00:53:00.97
needlessly under the
context of Branch Davidians.
00:53:00.98\00:53:07.12
So they started
moving Branch Davidians
00:53:07.13\00:53:09.04
and they
deceived people by saying
00:53:09.05\00:53:11.24
but we're
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:53:11.25\00:53:15.22
We're the remnant.
We're part of the remnant.
00:53:15.23\00:53:17.20
While they may
have held the doctrines
00:53:17.21\00:53:19.06
in common in many
areas, but there were some
00:53:19.07\00:53:20.97
they went off on,
because you cannot be
00:53:20.98\00:53:22.94
leading a group and
having all these extra fears
00:53:22.95\00:53:24.92
inside as a leader
and think that's supported
00:53:24.93\00:53:27.22
by the church,
that is not supported by
00:53:27.23\00:53:28.72
the church, that's not
supported by the Bible.
00:53:28.73\00:53:30.93
So they establish this
convenient doctrines or
00:53:30.94\00:53:35.44
portions of leaving
out the important things,
00:53:35.45\00:53:38.06
but held on to
the title only let us
00:53:38.07\00:53:40.63
be called by your name. Right.
00:53:40.64\00:53:42.79
And that's what happened,
you have the Branch Davidians,
00:53:42.80\00:53:45.03
you have this others
that calls the Brinsmead,
00:53:45.04\00:53:48.29
then you have Shepherd's Rod,
then you all the divisions of
00:53:48.30\00:53:51.95
the Shepherd's Rod, and
all these people are going.
00:53:51.96\00:53:53.93
They reform, entire reform.
00:53:53.94\00:53:55.61
We format in its movement,
those who just feel that
00:53:55.62\00:53:58.66
you have to be so
strict if you smile
00:53:58.67\00:54:00.56
you are on a fast
track to destruction.
00:54:00.57\00:54:03.34
There is so much that has
crept in and is drawing away
00:54:03.35\00:54:07.60
disciples after
themselves, but if you follow
00:54:07.61\00:54:10.27
the teachings of the
Bible, you understand
00:54:10.28\00:54:12.45
the 28 fundamentals of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:54:12.46\00:54:15.27
as it is, the
full world wide body,
00:54:15.28\00:54:17.48
that's why John,
we're even particular about
00:54:17.49\00:54:19.40
who uses our name,
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:54:19.41\00:54:22.23
There are
churches that are not under
00:54:22.24\00:54:24.20
the system of
churches, that they use the name
00:54:24.21\00:54:27.91
and people think
oh, that's a church.
00:54:27.92\00:54:29.78
And you go in
there and you think,
00:54:29.79\00:54:30.96
what are these folk
doing? If that's what the
00:54:30.97\00:54:32.40
Adventist Church is
about, I'll have none of it.
00:54:32.41\00:54:35.67
So we're saying that
in Christendom itself,
00:54:35.68\00:54:38.87
there are those who
have a mainline church
00:54:38.88\00:54:42.24
that represents itself which
is a mainline Baptist, then.
00:54:42.25\00:54:44.94
You have a forum, you
have the Southern Baptist,
00:54:44.95\00:54:47.18
Southern Baptist Convention,
you have a Freewill Baptist.
00:54:47.19\00:54:49.69
You have all these that
are in and among themselves,
00:54:49.70\00:54:52.67
there are controversies.
00:54:52.68\00:54:53.85
So when we deal
with these topics,
00:54:53.86\00:54:55.10
we're not going to topic about,
00:54:55.11\00:54:56.08
just we're not going
to talk about all isms
00:54:56.09\00:54:59.17
and all the branches.
We're going to deal with
00:54:59.18\00:55:01.04
the mainlines of each of
these particular movements
00:55:01.05\00:55:03.50
and find out
what's based on the Bible,
00:55:03.51\00:55:05.71
and what's not
based on the Bible.
00:55:05.72\00:55:07.26
Yeah, you know,
one of the battles
00:55:07.27\00:55:11.55
that we've seen in
the church that at least
00:55:11.56\00:55:13.37
that I've met or at
least have been up against,
00:55:13.38\00:55:17.35
I know it's down
here, its really every where
00:55:17.36\00:55:18.79
around the country
are from these groups,
00:55:18.80\00:55:21.44
because what they
do is they try to,
00:55:21.45\00:55:23.49
they disperse out
into the mainline church
00:55:23.50\00:55:28.23
and then they try
and pull people from
00:55:28.24\00:55:29.74
the mainline church
into their movement. Right.
00:55:29.75\00:55:32.13
They are not going and
evangelizing out there. No.
00:55:32.14\00:55:34.73
They are trying to
pull Seventh-day Adventists
00:55:34.74\00:55:37.04
from in their churches
into what they believe.
00:55:37.05\00:55:39.84
And there are even some
groups I think there are
00:55:39.85\00:55:42.16
some parts that, you know,
00:55:42.17\00:55:45.20
may be I won't
use the word deadly,
00:55:45.21\00:55:46.42
but I think there
are some teachings there
00:55:46.43\00:55:48.95
that are little skewed
among historic Adventism.
00:55:48.96\00:55:53.26
Those that believe
that you've got to be
00:55:53.27\00:55:55.17
strict and rigid of only,
about only what the pioneers
00:55:55.18\00:55:59.01
of the Adventist Church believed
00:55:59.02\00:56:00.28
in the early
parts of this movement.
00:56:00.29\00:56:02.12
In developmental stages.
And then from that you have
00:56:02.13\00:56:04.97
folks that believe well
the trinity isn't totally false
00:56:04.98\00:56:07.58
they aren't there in one
there is only two in one.
00:56:07.59\00:56:10.54
I think you have the airiness
that comes in that Christ
00:56:10.55\00:56:12.96
is not really divine, you know,
00:56:12.97\00:56:14.82
this stuff is
within still, means you are
00:56:14.83\00:56:18.07
on a very small
scale, I'm saying, right,
00:56:18.08\00:56:19.49
but misleads and the
devil is at work inside as well.
00:56:19.50\00:56:23.73
So just because we say as a
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:56:23.74\00:56:26.77
we've the truth,
it doesn't mean that
00:56:26.78\00:56:28.23
we don't have our
challenges. Right.
00:56:28.24\00:56:30.23
We got our
challenges and we want to
00:56:30.24\00:56:31.66
acknowledge that to you.
00:56:31.67\00:56:33.48
But we're in a
line or a branch where
00:56:33.49\00:56:36.29
God is blessing
with truth his movement,
00:56:36.30\00:56:40.13
His church, His
remnant and we're then in turn
00:56:40.14\00:56:43.67
evangelizing the world
that call people out of Babylon,
00:56:43.68\00:56:46.69
the other line
that isn't apostasy.
00:56:46.70\00:56:49.60
And we'll talk
about these churches
00:56:49.61\00:56:51.62
and why in fact we believe
they are in apostasy. Right.
00:56:51.63\00:56:54.76
And some of the things
that are misleading teachings
00:56:54.77\00:56:58.08
and so forth that are coming out
00:56:58.09\00:56:59.48
of those that you
should be aware of.
00:56:59.49\00:57:01.56
You know John, that is so right.
00:57:01.57\00:57:02.78
That why here are House Calls,
00:57:02.79\00:57:03.88
we're so convicted
that God has something
00:57:03.89\00:57:06.34
for us to follow,
that's not cunningly devised
00:57:06.35\00:57:08.93
but is based on the Bible.
00:57:08.94\00:57:10.60
And so Jesus
said, the sheep I have
00:57:10.61\00:57:12.44
that are not of this
fold, them also I must bring
00:57:12.45\00:57:15.25
and they will hear My
voice and there will be on fold
00:57:15.26\00:57:18.15
and one
shepherd. Friends, the Lord
00:57:18.16\00:57:19.86
has a fold for you to
follow, not one that's necessary
00:57:19.87\00:57:22.90
convenient for you,
but one that will take you
00:57:22.91\00:57:24.70
from where you
are to eternal life.
00:57:24.71\00:57:27.36
So until we see you again,
00:57:27.37\00:57:28.74
may the Lord
continue blessing you.
00:57:28.75\00:57:30.77
Have a great day in Christ.
00:57:30.78\00:57:31.77