Hello, friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's word together
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on this edition
of "House Calls."
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Welcome to another edition
of the "House Calls" program
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that you've
tuned in last time too.
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And hopefully if you're not new,
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you are enjoying this program.
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Well, my name is John
Lomacang and I have to my right,
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the "Son of Thunder," James.
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Good to have you here,
James. Good to be here, John.
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You know, if you haven't caught
that there's James and John,
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the two Sons of Thunder.
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And the only thunder
we're gonna bring to you
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is a thunder of
the word of God today.
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We're not gonna
rain on your parade.
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But get your
Bibles, get your pens,
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get your family members
and sit down for the next hour
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and walk through
the Bible with us.
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This is a program
that we absolutely love.
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I mean how many times do
people get a chance to sit down
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in soft comfortable chairs
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and share the Bible
for an hour, really?
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That's a blessing, isn't it?
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It's a perfect
situation for all of us
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because we love the word of God.
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We love to
study the word of God.
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We are motivated by our
viewers, the audience, you,
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with the questions you
bring in here to "House Calls,"
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to open our Bibles
and search for answers
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and understand what God's word
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is speaking to us and
to you, to your hearts.
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And it's our privilege.
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It's a blessing to be
here. It's a blessing to be--
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and then again we have the
comfortable chairs so that's--
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That's right. It
makes a big difference.
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But now that we have
all the aesthetics in place,
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we need the spirit of
God to guide our hearts.
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So, James, have a
prayer for us? Amen.
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Father, again, we open Your word
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and we do it with thanksgiving,
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with praise, and with reverence,
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we recognize that Your word
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is the sole
answer to our questions,
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the questions of
the viewing audience.
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And that You have promised
Your spirit to give insight,
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understanding, to instruct
us and show us things to come.
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We praise You for this.
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We ask for the
presence of Your spirit.
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We ask for Your
cleansing, for Your anointing.
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And we thank you for this gift
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that is freely bestowed upon us
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because of the
goodness and righteousness
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and the merit of Jesus Christ.
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We pray in His name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Praise the Lord for that.
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You know, friends, we always
like this part of the program.
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We always begin with your
questions and your comments.
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Sometimes you do
send wonderful comments.
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Sometimes the comments are hard
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to figure out
where you're headed.
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So try to make those
questions and comments
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as clear as you possibly can.
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But if there's something
going through your mind,
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that we may have just
brought to the surface,
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you can send those
questions or comments
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to housecalls@3abn.org
That's housecalls@3abn.org
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O-r-g, I guess
stands for organization.
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And we do believe
in organization here.
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I guess that's
what it means, right?
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That's what it means, yeah.
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And com is
commercial, e-d-u is education.
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Anyway, just remember o-r-g.
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And we'd appreciate
whatever you send to us.
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Now we do have some questions.
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Do you have one or
two questions today?
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I have one question today.
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Well, I'll start with one
and so we can go back and forth.
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A very wonderful question.
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I think the time is right
that this question get answered
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because we're
living in a day and age
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where certain things that
are true and good in the Bible
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are being misused and
put in a improper context.
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Let me lead
into it with a story.
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Many years ago,
there was the little,
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I don't know, nursery rhyme
or whatever you call it the,
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"Little red riding
hood?" Remember that? Mm-hmm.
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She's supposed
to-- is this the one
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where she was supposed to
go to grandma's house? Mm-hmm.
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And when she got there,
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what does she find
again, you remember?
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A wolf dressed up
in grandma's garb.
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Oh, I tell you.
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So she found the right house.
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She found the right garb,
but it wasn't her grandma.
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Wrong person. Wrong person.
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So with that story,
now all clear in your mind,
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here's the question,
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"If a pastor who
calls himself a prophet
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says he has a message for
me, should I believe him?"
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Let's start
with that part first.
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That's good.
That's a good question.
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Well, you know, the reason
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why this is a very
important question is today,
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there is a--
there is an explosion.
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I was gonna use the word dearth,
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but that's not the right word.
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There is an explosion of
people calling themselves
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prophets and prophetesses.
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And these terms are being used
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more and more in
religious circles.
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There are television programs
where people are saying,
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"I could send you-- I
could sell you this course
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and you could learn how to
be a prophet or prophetess."
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And I was--one
evening, I was--my wife and I,
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we were just
thumbing through the channels
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and we saw the word
prophet and we turned back.
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And there were these
three individuals sitting down
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and one guy, he
was Master Prophet.
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And he had two women with him
that were Master Prophetesses.
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And they wanted to
sell them the program.
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How you can learn how to be
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a master prophet
or master prophetess?
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And I discovered that
they didn't want us to be a--
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they were not
talking about p-r-o-p-h-e-t.
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They were talking
about p-r-o-f-i-t. Oh!
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Profit. Okay.
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These prophets were
concerned about profits. Yes.
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And so, many of the self
appointed prophets nowadays--
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When the Bible uses the word
"prophet" in the New Testament,
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it doesn't use a word
prophet very, very much.
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But it uses the word preacher.
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You know, when
you pray for gift--
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pray for the gift of prophecy,
but prophets and preachers
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were synonymous in
the New Testament a lot.
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But prophets in
the Old Testaments
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were not always same as
prophets in the New Testament.
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And what I mean by that
is Daniel wasn't a preacher,
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but he was a prophet.
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God had given him prophecies
that which will unfold
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under whatever domain he was in,
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whether Babylon or the reign
of the Medes and the Persians.
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But he wasn't a preacher
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like Peter, like
James, like Paul.
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He wasn't an itinerant preacher
traveling from place to place.
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But the answer to the question,
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be careful that a person
who calls himself a prophet
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or a woman who calls
herself a prophetess,
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measure what they
say by the word of God.
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The word of God is the standard.
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And do you know, James--
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I wanna read a
few passages here.
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But there are some individuals
nowadays that will say,
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"God just gave me
a prophecy for you."
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Have you heard of some of those?
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Yeah, and I think it's really
important for us to recognize--
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Some of the points
you made here, John,
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for example, the idea of profit,
f-i-t versus prophet, h-e-t.
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There was a man by
the name of Simon Magnus
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who wanted the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
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And the reason he wanted
the gift the Holy Spirit was
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because it was powerful.
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He wanted the
power of the Holy Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit is the
one that designates prophets.
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The one that designates
teachers, and preachers,
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and pastors, and evangelists.
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According to
Ephesians Chapter 4,
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it is the gift
of the Holy Spirit
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in our hearts that
designates our calling.
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And so Simon
Magus wanted this gift
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and he wanted to pay for it.
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So right there when
you're listening to--
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when you're taking in the idea
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that if you pay a certain amount
of money, I can give you this.
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Paul rebuked him.
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He was rebuked
for wanting to pay
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for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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We can't do that.
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God anoints, God gifts.
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The very word
itself implies freely.
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And so a gift is given,
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bestowed not
because we want to great,
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not because we
want to make money.
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In fact, in the
context of the Bible,
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one of the greatest
prophets, Jesus said,
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"The greatest
prophet that ever lived,
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was a very poor man, his
name was John the Baptist."
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And John the
Baptist, the Bible says,
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was dressed in a camel's garment
and he ate locust and honey.
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Locust bean--the locust bean
of the area of the middle-east,
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even today the locust
bean could be made into bread,
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it's called St. John's Bread.
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And if you had to
eat locust which was--
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normally the
locust bean was something
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that was fed to animals.
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And it was said that if
you had to eat the locust bean,
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you really needed to repent
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because God was
not blessing you.
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And so John was a poor man.
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He was a humble man.
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And yet he was the
greatest of the prophets.
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So just that that indication
right there of making prophet,
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well, we know
that Jesus even said,
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"I have no place to lay my head"
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tells us, should tell us
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what is the
purpose of the pastor?
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What is his message for
you in relation to the Bible?
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How does it relate to the Bible?
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How does it
correlate to the word of God?
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And that's important.
The measuring rod is the key.
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You know, when you want to say,
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"Well, how wide
should this wall be?"
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You don't stand
back and estimate it
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when you're
building somebody's house.
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I mean really there may
be somebody on this planet
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that has that skill. I
haven't met him or her yet.
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But the Bible says, "Beware."
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Let's look at a
couple of passages.
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First of all Matthew 7:15.
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The Bible says,
"Beware of false prophets,
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who come to you
in sheep's clothing."
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Now this is really important
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because sheep's
clothing is in fact--
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if you put--I saw a picture
of somebody, they drew a wolf.
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Everything about the
wolf looked like a sheep
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except--this part
of the face. The snout.
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The snout and the eyes.
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You know, the
eyes that the wolf has.
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But if it was
walking away from me,
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you'd think as a sheep
except the ears and right here.
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And it says,
"Beware of false prophets
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who come to you
in sheep's clothing,
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but inwardly they are
ravenous or raving wolves."
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And so when you
think about a raving wolf,
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not just a wolf,
but a raving wolf.
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Peter talks about how
there will be those wolves
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that will come in among
you, not sparing the flock.
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And there are lots of people
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that have been led
astray by false prophets.
00:10:00.18\00:10:02.37
But they are-- in
many cases as Matthew says,
00:10:02.40\00:10:05.31
"False prophets and
false Christs will rise
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and will deceive
many," Matthew 24:24.
00:10:07.18\00:10:09.84
So you have
people that are prophets
00:10:09.87\00:10:11.38
in their own appointment.
But they are not prophets
00:10:11.41\00:10:14.60
when it comes to
God's appointment. Amen.
00:10:14.63\00:10:16.91
And ravening
wolves, I like that because
00:10:16.94\00:10:19.69
ravening wolves are
seeking, looking for victims.
00:10:19.72\00:10:23.08
And many times, they
prey upon the weakest.
00:10:23.11\00:10:25.17
Right. They don't prey
upon those who are strong.
00:10:25.20\00:10:27.18
So, friends, if you
want to guard yourself
00:10:27.21\00:10:30.06
from false prophets,
00:10:30.09\00:10:31.51
become strong
in the word of God.
00:10:31.54\00:10:33.24
Allow the word of
God to be the foundation
00:10:33.27\00:10:35.44
of everything you believe
and everything you follow.
00:10:35.47\00:10:37.61
And God will not allow
00:10:37.64\00:10:39.31
those of us to be led
astray by false prophets.
00:10:39.34\00:10:41.73
Now in Matthew 24, Jesus
warns us of false prophets
00:10:41.76\00:10:44.82
three times and He
says, "It's possible that even
00:10:44.85\00:10:47.39
the very elect
could be deceived."
00:10:47.42\00:10:49.57
But God will not allow us
00:10:49.60\00:10:51.04
to be deceived
by false prophets.
00:10:51.07\00:10:52.44
If we will ground
ourselves in the word of God,
00:10:52.47\00:10:54.86
become familiar
with the word of God,
00:10:54.89\00:10:56.33
make Jesus our best
friend and our sure counselor.
00:10:56.36\00:10:59.31
That doesn't mean we
shouldn't listen to a message
00:10:59.34\00:11:01.32
but we need to
test it. That's right.
00:11:01.35\00:11:02.76
We're going to hear all
kinds of different messages.
00:11:02.79\00:11:04.56
And the Bereans were so faithful
00:11:04.59\00:11:06.39
that they even tested the
words of Paul. That's right.
00:11:06.42\00:11:08.70
When Paul preached to
them, they said, "Hmm,
00:11:08.73\00:11:10.23
this sounds, eh--this
sounds pretty reasonable.
00:11:10.26\00:11:12.66
This sounds pretty--"
"Let's go check it out."
00:11:12.69\00:11:14.06
"Let's go back and check
it out and see if it's true."
00:11:14.09\00:11:16.79
And today, James,
there are so many people,
00:11:16.82\00:11:18.88
they just don't
check out the word of God.
00:11:18.91\00:11:20.37
One of the things I'm
perturbed by is the fact
00:11:20.40\00:11:22.42
that people will
say, "My pastor said,"
00:11:22.45\00:11:25.97
rather than the
word of God says.
00:11:26.00\00:11:28.12
Or "My church teaches,"
rather than the Bible teaches.
00:11:28.15\00:11:31.10
And so what we have nowadays
is we have the cereal aisle.
00:11:31.13\00:11:35.33
Churches have become nothing
more than a cereal aisle.
00:11:35.36\00:11:37.58
In a grocery store?
In a grocery store. Okay.
00:11:37.61\00:11:39.37
You go down that
aisle, you know, you want
00:11:39.40\00:11:41.61
some post super sugar
crisp, somebody else want,
00:11:41.64\00:11:44.30
you know, corn flakes,
00:11:44.33\00:11:45.73
somebody else
wants Captain Crunch,
00:11:45.76\00:11:47.68
somebody wants hot
cereals, somebody wants--
00:11:47.71\00:11:49.60
Fruit loops. Fruit loops.
00:11:49.63\00:11:51.00
Okay, there are some profits
out of eating fruit loops.
00:11:51.03\00:11:55.28
Okay, I got that
picture in my mind now.
00:11:55.31\00:11:57.66
But truly
they're-- it's sugar coated.
00:11:57.69\00:12:00.04
But there is no nutrition there.
00:12:00.07\00:12:02.12
And so to take the fruit
loops to its ultimate extreme.
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.27
There are messages
that make you feel good,
00:12:05.30\00:12:07.62
but there is no
scriptural nourishment at all.
00:12:07.65\00:12:11.69
And so I remember,
00:12:11.72\00:12:13.22
I was giving a
prophecy seminar--
00:12:13.25\00:12:14.95
and I'll go back to
some Bible verses here.
00:12:14.98\00:12:17.54
I was giving a prophecy seminar
00:12:17.57\00:12:18.94
and when I started
this Revelation seminar
00:12:18.97\00:12:20.60
just about a
week later in the time
00:12:20.63\00:12:22.80
that I was giving
a series of meetings,
00:12:22.83\00:12:24.75
five other
churches started a meeting.
00:12:24.78\00:12:26.55
And the largest church in
town said they were having
00:12:26.58\00:12:29.17
a prophet come to town.
00:12:29.20\00:12:30.69
Well, on one of our
nights off, I went to hear
00:12:30.72\00:12:32.92
what this prophet had to say.
00:12:32.95\00:12:35.10
It had nothing to
do with word of God.
00:12:35.13\00:12:37.85
It had to do with just calling
people out of the audience
00:12:37.88\00:12:40.22
and saying, "Is
there a James Rafferty
00:12:40.25\00:12:43.39
in the audience
today? James Rafferty?
00:12:43.42\00:12:45.41
God told me that He is
gonna anoint you with power
00:12:45.44\00:12:49.86
from on high and you're
gonna be a powerful instrument
00:12:49.89\00:12:53.48
in the hand of God."
00:12:53.51\00:12:55.39
Oh, wow, you
needed to have traveled
00:12:55.42\00:12:57.03
180 miles just to tell me that.
00:12:57.06\00:12:59.72
You know, now,
sounds good... Yeah.
00:12:59.75\00:13:03.57
But what happens is
they consider that a prophecy
00:13:03.60\00:13:07.63
when in fact--
00:13:07.66\00:13:09.03
It's a
flattery. It's a flattery.
00:13:09.06\00:13:10.79
And people say, "Oh."
00:13:10.82\00:13:12.19
Then there's somebody else--
and I went to another church--
00:13:12.22\00:13:14.69
Benny Hinn, you
remember Benny Hinn?
00:13:14.72\00:13:16.19
He is very popular.
When he was in Florida,
00:13:16.22\00:13:17.91
my mother-in-law lived about
a mile away from his church.
00:13:17.94\00:13:20.92
On the way back from
a store, my wife and I--
00:13:20.95\00:13:23.65
my wife and her cousin and
I, we just--all these cars,
00:13:23.68\00:13:26.30
so we pulled in,
let's just go peek.
00:13:26.33\00:13:28.30
You know, we didn't go--
we are not by the way going
00:13:28.33\00:13:30.13
to Benny Hinn services
to see what's going on.
00:13:30.16\00:13:32.22
Whew! And you get me worried
there for a second, John.
00:13:32.25\00:13:35.16
I was starting
to worry about you.
00:13:35.19\00:13:36.56
So let's go peek to
see what's going on here.
00:13:36.59\00:13:38.09
So we went in.
00:13:38.12\00:13:39.49
In the back of the
church, it was just--it was just
00:13:39.52\00:13:41.98
replete with wheelchairs
and people on respirators,
00:13:42.01\00:13:46.10
you know, people
that couldn't move
00:13:46.13\00:13:47.50
and they would--
just all contorted.
00:13:47.53\00:13:49.67
And this was a
healing miracle service.
00:13:49.70\00:13:52.55
The people that were
being healed or people--
00:13:52.58\00:13:55.36
"Come up and I'm gonna touch
your ear and from this day on,
00:13:55.39\00:13:57.90
you're gonna able to
hear God as He speaks to you.
00:13:57.93\00:14:00.11
I'm gonna touch your
voice, so you can sing
00:14:00.14\00:14:01.75
more songs to the glory of God."
00:14:01.78\00:14:03.15
And I'm thinking,
what ever happened
00:14:03.18\00:14:04.55
to these people
in the back here?
00:14:04.58\00:14:06.20
That really need healing.
00:14:06.23\00:14:07.60
Not one of them
were invited forward.
00:14:07.63\00:14:09.96
Not one of them.
00:14:09.99\00:14:11.36
They were all sent back home
00:14:11.39\00:14:12.76
in their
wheelchairs as they came.
00:14:12.79\00:14:14.16
False prophets.
00:14:14.19\00:14:15.56
But now let's go to
the other side of that,
00:14:15.59\00:14:17.49
because sometimes false
healings will take place.
00:14:17.52\00:14:20.98
Yes. Look at Matthew
24:24. Read that for us.
00:14:21.01\00:14:25.19
Matthew 24. Yeah, Matthew 24:24.
00:14:25.22\00:14:28.79
Verse 24. Yeah.
00:14:28.82\00:14:32.37
It says here, "For there
shall arise false Christs,
00:14:32.40\00:14:34.83
and false prophets, and shall
show great signs and wonders,
00:14:34.86\00:14:38.60
insomuch that,
if it were possible,
00:14:38.63\00:14:40.87
they shall
deceive the very elect."
00:14:40.90\00:14:42.38
Great signs and wonders,
just like Revelation 13.
00:14:42.41\00:14:46.08
They perform
miracles, signs, and wonders,
00:14:46.11\00:14:48.85
and people think,
"Well, aren't signs and wonders
00:14:48.88\00:14:50.65
an indication
that God is with them?"
00:14:50.68\00:14:52.79
Deuteronomy 13:1-5, I
want to read that with you.
00:14:52.82\00:14:56.54
And this is a powerful passage.
00:14:56.57\00:14:59.98
Deuteronomy
13:1-5, I'm gonna go ahead
00:15:00.01\00:15:03.78
and bring this up in
the King James Version here
00:15:03.81\00:15:09.46
so that we could
read that together.
00:15:09.49\00:15:11.60
I want to be able to stay
on the same page with you.
00:15:11.63\00:15:13.30
Here we are.
00:15:13.33\00:15:14.98
Deuteronomy 13
beginning with the verse 1,
00:15:15.01\00:15:18.35
"If there arises
among you a prophet,
00:15:18.38\00:15:23.53
or a dreamer of dreams, and--
giveth thee a sign or a wonder."
00:15:23.56\00:15:29.12
Usually that's all people want.
00:15:29.15\00:15:30.98
Even the Jewish had
to show us a sign. Right.
00:15:31.01\00:15:33.25
"And the sign or
the wonder come to pass,
00:15:33.28\00:15:37.79
wherefore he
spake unto thee, saying,
00:15:37.82\00:15:40.90
Let us go after other
gods, which thou hast not known,
00:15:40.93\00:15:44.06
and let us
serve them." Get this.
00:15:44.09\00:15:47.16
"Thou shall not hearken
unto the words of that prophet,
00:15:47.19\00:15:50.04
or that dreamer of dreams,
00:15:50.07\00:15:51.79
for the Lord
your God proveth you."
00:15:51.82\00:15:54.16
Or is testing you.
00:15:54.19\00:15:55.73
"To know whether you
love the Lord your God
00:15:55.76\00:15:58.17
with all your heart
and with all your soul.
00:15:58.20\00:16:00.70
Ye shall walk
after the Lord your God,
00:16:00.73\00:16:02.87
and fear him, and
keep his commandments,
00:16:02.90\00:16:04.59
and obey his voice,
and ye shall serve him,
00:16:04.62\00:16:07.82
and cleave unto him."
Read verse 5 down to--
00:16:07.85\00:16:11.27
"And that prophet, or
that dreamer of dreams,
00:16:11.30\00:16:13.85
shall be put to
death, because he has spoken
00:16:13.88\00:16:16.55
to turn you away
from the Lord your God,
00:16:16.58\00:16:18.87
which brought you
out of the land of Egypt,
00:16:18.90\00:16:20.73
and has redeemed you
out of the house of bondage,
00:16:20.76\00:16:22.96
to thrust thee out of
the way which the Lord
00:16:22.99\00:16:26.56
thy God
commanded thee to walk in.
00:16:26.59\00:16:28.90
So shalt thou put the evil
away from the midst of thee."
00:16:28.93\00:16:35.92
Isn't that just amazing?
00:16:35.95\00:16:37.72
So what's happening
here is a lot of times
00:16:37.75\00:16:39.43
when people come up
with these prophecies,
00:16:39.46\00:16:41.74
here is a big text.
00:16:41.77\00:16:43.49
This is a powerful
text, 1 John 2:3 and 4,
00:16:43.52\00:16:47.51
"And hereby we do
know that we know him,
00:16:47.54\00:16:50.61
if we keep his commandments.
00:16:50.64\00:16:52.32
He that saith, I know him,
00:16:52.35\00:16:53.91
and keepeth not his
commandments, is a liar,
00:16:53.94\00:16:56.12
and the truth is not in him."
00:16:56.15\00:16:57.95
Prophet, are you a
commandment keeper?
00:16:57.98\00:17:00.40
No. Then you're not a prophet.
00:17:00.43\00:17:02.83
Wow, that's pretty cut and dry.
00:17:02.86\00:17:05.65
Isaiah 8:20, "To the
law and to the testimony,
00:17:05.68\00:17:09.33
if they speak not
according to this word,
00:17:09.36\00:17:11.16
it's because there
is how much light?" No.
00:17:11.19\00:17:13.61
"No light in them." Zippo.
00:17:13.64\00:17:16.90
So what happens nowadays,
people calling themselves
00:17:16.93\00:17:19.04
prophets are
not in fact prophets
00:17:19.07\00:17:23.02
as God's word measures them.
00:17:23.05\00:17:25.65
One more thought, John. Sure.
00:17:25.68\00:17:27.56
And this just came to my
mind as you were talking.
00:17:27.59\00:17:30.69
Would it be fair to say
that most of the prophets
00:17:30.72\00:17:34.91
of the Bible
brought a message of rebuke
00:17:34.94\00:17:38.15
rather than a
message of flattery?
00:17:38.18\00:17:40.46
Would it be fair to say
that? Wonderful, wonderful.
00:17:40.49\00:17:42.39
God raised up
prophets for a specific person.
00:17:42.42\00:17:44.54
God raised up prophets to
bring a message to His people
00:17:44.57\00:17:47.87
because they were
going in a wrong direction.
00:17:47.90\00:17:49.85
They needed
guidance. They needed help.
00:17:49.88\00:17:51.52
They needed to be awakened.
00:17:51.55\00:17:52.92
This is John the Baptist,
of course. That's right.
00:17:52.95\00:17:54.32
Jesus was also not just
the son of God, a Messiah,
00:17:54.35\00:17:56.69
but he was a great prophet.
00:17:56.72\00:17:58.24
And so when you look
at the Old Testament,
00:17:58.27\00:17:59.72
you see Elijah, you see
Jeremiah, you see Ezekiel,
00:17:59.75\00:18:01.87
you see Isaiah, you
see Amos, you see Hosea,
00:18:01.90\00:18:04.71
you see Moses, you see
all of these great prophets.
00:18:04.74\00:18:07.66
And what was the basis of their
emphasis in their ministry?
00:18:07.69\00:18:11.14
It was to correct,
to rebuke, to exhort
00:18:11.17\00:18:13.78
with all
longsuffering and doctrine,
00:18:13.81\00:18:15.83
and which is what we were
told in the New Testament,
00:18:15.86\00:18:17.37
"Preach the word."
00:18:17.40\00:18:18.93
And so the
characteristics of a prophet,
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.72
biblically
speaking, is a man, a woman
00:18:22.75\00:18:25.21
who is going to be directing
to the law into the testimony.
00:18:25.24\00:18:27.77
A man and a
woman who is going to--
00:18:27.80\00:18:29.20
is raised up to
correct and rebuke and admonish
00:18:29.23\00:18:33.57
God's people and help
them, to not to flatter them.
00:18:33.60\00:18:36.98
Very rarely if ever--
I'm just trying to think,
00:18:37.01\00:18:39.63
I'm trying to
think, I'm trying to think.
00:18:39.66\00:18:41.26
Where is a prophet in
the Bible that is flattering?
00:18:41.29\00:18:43.45
I know that the false prophets--
all through the Old Testament,
00:18:43.48\00:18:46.89
the false prophets
consistently flattered. Right.
00:18:46.92\00:18:49.76
Consistently
say, "Oh, yes, King,
00:18:49.79\00:18:51.37
you're the greatest and all.
00:18:51.40\00:18:52.91
Yes, you do that.
God is gonna bless you
00:18:52.94\00:18:54.95
and He's gonna
give you victory."
00:18:54.98\00:18:56.90
These were the false prophets.
00:18:56.93\00:18:58.38
But the true prophets of God,
many times lost their lives,
00:18:58.41\00:19:01.55
had to flee for their
lives because their message
00:19:01.58\00:19:03.81
was so direct and so strong
and rebuking and chastening,
00:19:03.84\00:19:10.05
the leaders or those
people they were speaking to.
00:19:10.08\00:19:13.14
That's right. And so you
have to be very, very careful
00:19:13.17\00:19:15.32
that the message
you're getting is one
00:19:15.35\00:19:16.87
that of a
butterfly sugar-coated,
00:19:16.90\00:19:19.97
"Oh, huh, I feel really good."
00:19:20.00\00:19:21.93
And running in the opposite
direction if a prophet says,
00:19:21.96\00:19:24.92
"God has sent me
with a message to make you
00:19:24.95\00:19:27.04
wealthy and rich and famous
if, in fact, you buy my program
00:19:27.07\00:19:31.71
for five easy payments of $150."
00:19:31.74\00:19:35.23
You know, that's where
it really comes down to.
00:19:35.26\00:19:38.04
And they rake people.
00:19:38.07\00:19:39.90
I don't want to
start mentioning names.
00:19:39.93\00:19:41.30
There are those who go
to-- and I think you've made
00:19:41.33\00:19:43.05
a very important
point I want to revisit.
00:19:43.08\00:19:45.37
Many people that are
not scripturally sound,
00:19:45.40\00:19:49.18
many people that have not
become familiar with their Bible
00:19:49.21\00:19:51.73
become easy prey-- Yes.
00:19:51.76\00:19:53.66
For these people.
With much fair speech,
00:19:53.69\00:19:56.45
the Bible says
they deceive the simple.
00:19:56.48\00:19:58.84
And that's what
happens. So a guy comes
00:19:58.87\00:20:00.33
and throws a single verse
00:20:00.36\00:20:01.73
and then he just for
the rest of the night
00:20:01.76\00:20:03.28
makes a person's
foot, like, re-grew
00:20:03.31\00:20:05.92
or they throw away
canes and all these.
00:20:05.95\00:20:07.91
So be very careful. And
lastly, there is a story.
00:20:07.94\00:20:11.24
It's in the Book of 1 King.
00:20:11.27\00:20:12.64
It's just simply under the
category of the Man of God.
00:20:12.67\00:20:16.35
God sent one of His prophets,
00:20:16.38\00:20:19.34
The Man of God, He sent Him with
a message to go on an errand.
00:20:19.37\00:20:22.52
He said "When you go on
the errand and you deliver
00:20:22.55\00:20:24.14
this message,
when you come back,
00:20:24.17\00:20:26.58
don't stop at anybody's house.
00:20:26.61\00:20:29.09
Don't eat with
them. Don't talk to them.
00:20:29.12\00:20:33.15
Don't entertain them.
00:20:33.18\00:20:36.08
It's not gonna be
good if you do that."
00:20:36.11\00:20:37.48
Just go straight home.
00:20:37.51\00:20:38.88
Go straight home.
Just go straight home.
00:20:38.91\00:20:40.28
I remember that
story. That's a good story.
00:20:40.31\00:20:41.85
And so I preach
the sermon entitled,
00:20:41.88\00:20:43.96
"I am prophet also".
00:20:43.99\00:20:45.82
In this story, He
met a man along the way
00:20:45.85\00:20:48.50
and the Man of God said to him,
00:20:48.53\00:20:50.24
"But the Lord told me
not to go home with you,
00:20:50.27\00:20:52.98
not to eat bread with
you, not to talk with you,
00:20:53.01\00:20:56.12
not even-- not
to go to your place.
00:20:56.15\00:21:00.33
That's what God told me to
do." And here were the words
00:21:00.36\00:21:02.82
that were used to
deceive this prophet.
00:21:02.85\00:21:05.88
He says in verse 18 of 1 Kings.
00:21:05.91\00:21:08.43
1 Kings 13:18, he said unto him,
00:21:08.46\00:21:13.78
"I am a prophet
also, as you have said.
00:21:13.81\00:21:17.77
I am a prophet
just like you are.
00:21:17.80\00:21:20.22
And an angel," now the reason
00:21:20.25\00:21:22.13
I brought this up is
because people often say,
00:21:22.16\00:21:25.46
"I got a divine prophecy.
An angel gave me a prophecy."
00:21:25.49\00:21:30.72
Well, Paul dealt with
that. What did he say?
00:21:30.75\00:21:32.61
If a gospel comes--
00:21:32.64\00:21:34.01
Yeah, "With an another angel,
00:21:34.04\00:21:35.41
another spirit
preaching another Jesus."
00:21:35.44\00:21:37.12
Right. "Don't believe it.
00:21:37.15\00:21:38.58
I'm afraid that you will,
but don't. Don't accept it."
00:21:38.61\00:21:41.32
So when they start
citing a divine origin
00:21:41.35\00:21:44.86
that
contradicts the word of God,
00:21:44.89\00:21:47.73
don't believe it.
00:21:47.76\00:21:49.13
This prophet said,
"An angle spoke to me
00:21:49.16\00:21:51.69
by the word of the Lord."
00:21:51.72\00:21:54.67
It wouldn't sound
like I'm preaching.
00:21:54.70\00:21:56.07
Yes, but that you are
and we need to because
00:21:56.10\00:21:58.93
again Jesus
warned us three times
00:21:58.96\00:22:00.66
in the Book of
Matthew, Signs of the Times,
00:22:00.69\00:22:02.35
End Time Events, false prophets,
false prophets, false prophets.
00:22:02.38\00:22:05.74
And one of the words
there is religious teachers
00:22:05.77\00:22:08.34
those who feel like they
are anointed in the Lord.
00:22:08.37\00:22:10.25
And I like the
process here in 1 Kings
00:22:10.28\00:22:12.35
because his first reply was no.
00:22:12.38\00:22:15.17
"I may not go back
with you", verse 8.
00:22:15.20\00:22:17.40
And then in verse 16,
he softens a little bit.
00:22:17.43\00:22:20.40
In other words,
friends, sometimes these people,
00:22:20.43\00:22:23.26
these false teachers,
these false religious leaders,
00:22:23.29\00:22:25.34
they're gonna be
working on you, working on you.
00:22:25.37\00:22:27.05
And if you keep going, I
mean I'm glad that, John,
00:22:27.08\00:22:29.28
you only went to
that meeting once.
00:22:29.31\00:22:31.15
Because you keep
going and keep going
00:22:31.18\00:22:32.70
and you could be
taken in by all of the power
00:22:32.73\00:22:34.91
and the influence and the crowd.
00:22:34.94\00:22:36.82
That's why I like Jesus' voice,
00:22:36.85\00:22:38.22
because it's like
the voice of a multitude.
00:22:38.25\00:22:39.62
That's right.
It's like the voice
00:22:39.65\00:22:41.02
of many waters,
symbolic of people.
00:22:41.05\00:22:42.98
Jesus' voice is strong
enough to help us to resist
00:22:43.01\00:22:45.66
the multitude and the crowd
that come against us many times.
00:22:45.69\00:22:48.17
That's right. And
so then he weakens,
00:22:48.20\00:22:50.23
verse 16 in 1 Kings 13.
He said, "I may not return."
00:22:50.26\00:22:55.96
First, "I will not,"
then, "I may not return."
00:22:55.99\00:22:58.71
And then in verse
18, you know, He says,
00:22:58.74\00:23:01.67
"Well, I am a prophet also."
00:23:01.70\00:23:03.07
So there is the new
light, you know, the new--"oh,
00:23:03.10\00:23:05.07
I didn't
realize-- you're a prophet?
00:23:05.10\00:23:06.47
Oh, there are
some more-- oh, okay.
00:23:06.50\00:23:08.74
"And then as He moves on--
00:23:08.77\00:23:10.56
End--look at
the end of verse 18.
00:23:10.59\00:23:11.96
What does it say at
the end of verse 18,
00:23:11.99\00:23:13.36
the last five words? "But
He lied unto Him." Mm-hmm.
00:23:13.39\00:23:15.35
"But He lied unto Him."
00:23:15.38\00:23:16.79
And then of course
verse 19, "He went back."
00:23:16.82\00:23:18.99
"He went back." That is a sad,
00:23:19.02\00:23:21.01
sad story right there because
that tells me that this prophet
00:23:21.04\00:23:25.23
was not willing
to live by the truth
00:23:25.26\00:23:27.92
that God had
given him. He went back.
00:23:27.95\00:23:29.64
He backslid on the strong
statement that he had made,
00:23:29.67\00:23:34.12
"I will not go."
00:23:34.15\00:23:35.86
And God wants us
to hold to His word
00:23:35.89\00:23:38.89
and not allow
anything to come in, test,
00:23:38.92\00:23:41.40
but not allow anything to
come in that would cause us
00:23:41.43\00:23:43.40
to turn back from the
word that He's given us.
00:23:43.43\00:23:46.05
That's right. And so
be very, very careful.
00:23:46.08\00:23:47.58
So--in a nutshell,
you asked the question,
00:23:47.61\00:23:49.79
we gave you this
tremendously long answer,
00:23:49.82\00:23:51.55
but very
important, very imperative.
00:23:51.58\00:23:55.38
Should I listen to a
person who says he is a prophet
00:23:55.41\00:23:57.58
and he has a message from God?
00:23:57.61\00:24:00.34
Measure what that
person says by the word of God
00:24:00.37\00:24:02.99
and not the single scripture
00:24:03.02\00:24:04.39
but many places
put it all together.
00:24:04.42\00:24:08.49
Amen. And then
measure with somebody else
00:24:08.52\00:24:11.07
because that's what
the word of God is for,
00:24:11.10\00:24:12.64
it's for to some--
00:24:12.67\00:24:14.04
it's for proof, for
reproof, for correction,
00:24:14.07\00:24:18.08
for instruction,
and righteousness.
00:24:18.11\00:24:19.62
For doctrine, for
reproof, for correction,
00:24:19.65\00:24:21.37
for instruction,
and righteousness.
00:24:21.40\00:24:22.99
Measure by the word of
God. If at all it conflicts,
00:24:23.02\00:24:27.10
that man is not
a prophet of God.
00:24:27.13\00:24:29.05
And must--and then secondly
he must be a commandment keeper.
00:24:29.08\00:24:33.31
All right. What
you have for us, James?
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.10
Well, this
question is coming to us
00:24:35.13\00:24:38.12
from a listener
in South Africa. Wow.
00:24:38.15\00:24:42.19
He says, "I've
hit a proverbial wall
00:24:42.22\00:24:44.97
and look to you to
help me breakthrough.
00:24:45.00\00:24:46.48
I've read the
verses of Revelation 19-21
00:24:46.51\00:24:51.15
over and over again
and there is something
00:24:51.18\00:24:54.33
for the love of
me that I am missing.
00:24:54.36\00:24:56.65
The verses read as
follows, 'And I saw the beast
00:24:56.68\00:24:59.72
and the kings of the
earth and their armies
00:24:59.75\00:25:01.47
gathering together
to make war against him
00:25:01.50\00:25:03.85
who sat on the white
horse and against his army.
00:25:03.88\00:25:06.75
Then the beast was captured,
and with him the false prophet
00:25:06.78\00:25:09.13
who worked signs in his presence
by which he deceived those.'
00:25:09.16\00:25:12.52
Keyword right there,
'Deceived those who received
00:25:12.55\00:25:15.71
the mark of the beast and
those who worshiped its image.
00:25:15.74\00:25:18.04
These two, the beast
and the false prophet,
00:25:18.07\00:25:20.66
were cast alive into the
lake burning with brimstone.
00:25:20.69\00:25:25.20
The rest were killed
with the sword which proceeded
00:25:25.23\00:25:27.31
from the mouth of him
who sat on the white horse,
00:25:27.34\00:25:29.43
and all the birds were
filled with their flesh.'
00:25:29.46\00:25:31.89
Then he goes on.
00:25:31.92\00:25:33.29
"My dilemma is, 'These
two which were thrown alive
00:25:33.32\00:25:36.70
into the burning lake.'
00:25:36.73\00:25:38.35
They are there that
is in that burning lake
00:25:38.38\00:25:41.93
before Satan is thrown into
the lake as my Bible reads."
00:25:41.96\00:25:45.82
"The devil who deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire
00:25:45.85\00:25:49.24
brimstone with the beast
and the false prophet are."
00:25:49.27\00:25:51.67
Keyword again, "The
devil that deceived them."
00:25:51.70\00:25:53.82
That's Revelation 20:10. Right.
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.99
"So as you can see there's
something that I'm not seeing.
00:25:56.02\00:25:58.35
I've written
before on this subject,
00:25:58.38\00:26:00.14
haven't received your reply.
00:26:00.17\00:26:01.82
And I was looking forward
to hearing your answer to this.
00:26:01.85\00:26:04.61
Kind regards, David from
Gordon's Bay, South Africa.
00:26:04.64\00:26:07.34
Okay. Very good question.
00:26:07.37\00:26:09.90
And I would like to
just give a summary answer
00:26:09.93\00:26:13.61
and then look at a
few Bible texts. Right.
00:26:13.64\00:26:15.77
The summary answer is
this that the false prophet
00:26:15.80\00:26:19.34
and the beast are thrown into
the lake of fire before Satan
00:26:19.37\00:26:24.68
is because their deceptive
power is broken before Satan's
00:26:24.71\00:26:29.30
deceptive power is
broken. That's right.
00:26:29.33\00:26:31.28
Fire in the Bible-- the
lake of fire in the Bible,
00:26:31.31\00:26:33.71
while it's
literal, it's also symbolic.
00:26:33.74\00:26:35.76
And what we're seeing
here is that when Jesus comes,
00:26:35.79\00:26:38.84
the deceptive power
of the false prophet
00:26:38.87\00:26:41.13
and the beast are broken.
00:26:41.16\00:26:42.72
The world sees that
they have been deceived.
00:26:42.75\00:26:44.84
However, it is not
until after the 1,000 years
00:26:44.87\00:26:48.18
that the deceptive
power of Satan is broken
00:26:48.21\00:26:50.66
because we are told
that after the 1,000 years,
00:26:50.69\00:26:52.84
he goes out to deceive
the nations even again.
00:26:52.87\00:26:55.52
That's right. And so it's
not till after that 1,000 years
00:26:55.55\00:26:59.28
that the deceptive
power of Satan is broken.
00:26:59.31\00:27:01.26
And therefore, Satan is
thrown into this lake of fire,
00:27:01.29\00:27:03.86
this lake of judgment.
00:27:03.89\00:27:05.26
It's a full revelation
of the judgment of God.
00:27:05.29\00:27:08.06
Now the first
verse that I'd like us
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.46
to look at is in Romans.
00:27:09.49\00:27:12.52
John, if you want to read these,
00:27:12.55\00:27:14.26
these verses, Romans Chapter 12.
00:27:14.29\00:27:16.84
Romans 12:19-21, I
think will be good.
00:27:16.87\00:27:22.37
Okay. It says, "'Beloved,
do not avenge yourself,
00:27:22.40\00:27:26.55
but rather give place to wrath.
00:27:26.58\00:27:29.07
For it is
written, vengeance is mine,
00:27:29.10\00:27:31.31
I will repay,' says the Lord.
00:27:31.34\00:27:34.20
'Therefore if your
enemy is hunger, feed him,
00:27:34.23\00:27:36.64
if he thirst, give him drink.
00:27:36.67\00:27:38.70
For in so doing you will
heap coals of fire on his head.
00:27:38.73\00:27:43.32
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.'"
00:27:43.35\00:27:48.34
Okay. This verse is
pointing out that fire
00:27:48.37\00:27:53.06
is not always
literal in the Bible. Okay.
00:27:53.09\00:27:56.79
The heaps of coal.
I think I got that.
00:27:56.82\00:27:58.64
Now this verse also tells us
00:27:58.67\00:28:00.83
that this is a
verse of judgment,
00:28:00.86\00:28:03.52
of vengeance, of wrath.
00:28:03.55\00:28:05.76
There is a judgment
and vengeance and a wrath
00:28:05.79\00:28:07.62
that is going to come upon
the beast and the false prophet.
00:28:07.65\00:28:10.05
The lake of fire,
they are going to be cast
00:28:10.08\00:28:11.95
into that lake of fire.
00:28:11.98\00:28:13.35
They are going to
experience this judgment,
00:28:13.38\00:28:15.19
this burning at the
second coming of Jesus Christ.
00:28:15.22\00:28:18.50
They experience
that before the devil.
00:28:18.53\00:28:21.13
The devil is still left
off the hook so to speak.
00:28:21.16\00:28:24.06
It's not that they're
in a literal lake of fire
00:28:24.09\00:28:26.04
burning for 1,000
years. That's true.
00:28:26.07\00:28:27.81
And then at the
end of the 1,000 years,
00:28:27.84\00:28:29.21
the devil joins them.
00:28:29.24\00:28:30.61
It's that their
deceptive power is broken.
00:28:30.64\00:28:32.02
They are judged by God.
00:28:32.05\00:28:34.30
They experience His
vengeance and His wrath
00:28:34.33\00:28:36.04
and they do this,
notices Revelation Chapter 20--
00:28:36.07\00:28:40.97
no, Revelation Chapter 17.
00:28:41.00\00:28:43.32
Revelation Chapter 17 and
verse--begin with verse 17.
00:28:43.35\00:28:48.65
Let's read Revelation 17.
00:28:48.68\00:28:50.77
Actually begin with verse 16.
00:28:50.80\00:28:52.54
Revelation 16 and 17.
00:28:52.57\00:28:57.09
John, would you like
to read those verses?
00:28:57.12\00:28:58.49
Okay. "And the ten horns
which you saw on the beast,
00:28:58.52\00:29:02.49
these will hate the harlot,
make her desolate and naked,
00:29:02.52\00:29:08.44
eat her flesh, and
burn her with fire.
00:29:08.47\00:29:12.41
For God has put it into their
hearts to fulfill His purpose
00:29:12.44\00:29:16.89
to be of one mind, and to
give their kingdom to the beast,
00:29:16.92\00:29:20.28
until the words of
God are fulfilled."
00:29:20.31\00:29:23.58
Okay. So here
we see very clearly
00:29:23.61\00:29:26.19
that those who
support the beast,
00:29:26.22\00:29:28.40
those who support
the false prophet,
00:29:28.43\00:29:30.63
are gonna burn her with fire.
00:29:30.66\00:29:32.03
That's right.
They're gonna eat her flesh.
00:29:32.06\00:29:33.43
Now that's not literal.
00:29:33.46\00:29:34.83
That's not talking
literally, of course.
00:29:34.86\00:29:36.23
What we're seeing
here in conjunction
00:29:36.26\00:29:37.83
with Romans
chapter 12 is a judgment.
00:29:37.86\00:29:40.14
According to verse 17,
God is putting his will
00:29:40.17\00:29:42.90
in their hearts
to fulfill His will.
00:29:42.93\00:29:44.99
So as judgment is taking place
and what Revelation Chapter 20
00:29:45.02\00:29:49.20
is telling us is
that judgment comes first
00:29:49.23\00:29:51.80
to the beast and
the false prophet.
00:29:51.83\00:29:53.60
They are unmasked.
00:29:53.63\00:29:55.38
Their deceptions were seen.
00:29:55.41\00:29:56.78
The kings of the earth
see and they turn against her.
00:29:56.81\00:29:59.27
They bring judgment against her.
00:29:59.30\00:30:01.22
In fact, in
Revelation Chapter 18,
00:30:01.25\00:30:03.66
it talks about Babylon's fall.
00:30:03.69\00:30:05.73
And it talks about
how that she is rewarded,
00:30:05.76\00:30:07.91
verse 6, double. In
other words, not only
00:30:07.94\00:30:10.80
is she going to receive this
judgment at the second coming
00:30:10.83\00:30:13.21
but she's also going
to be in the lake of fire
00:30:13.24\00:30:15.28
and receive a full judgment
after 1,000 years is finished.
00:30:15.31\00:30:19.34
So we have this
judgment, verse 8,
00:30:19.37\00:30:21.82
"Then her plagues
shall come in one day,
00:30:21.85\00:30:24.32
death, and mourning, and famine
00:30:24.35\00:30:25.72
and she shall be
utterly burned with fire
00:30:25.75\00:30:28.46
for strong is the
Lord God who judges her."
00:30:28.49\00:30:30.09
What verse are you in?
00:30:30.12\00:30:31.49
That's Revelation
Chapter 18:6 and 8. Okay.
00:30:31.52\00:30:36.16
Revelation Chapter 18: 6 and 8.
00:30:36.19\00:30:38.16
So, you have this
representation of judgment
00:30:38.19\00:30:41.30
in the context of
fire, the lake of fire.
00:30:41.33\00:30:43.73
It's not the literal lake,
00:30:43.76\00:30:45.13
you know, let's take
our boat out to the lake
00:30:45.16\00:30:46.53
and let's go to lake. Right.
00:30:46.56\00:30:47.93
This is symbolic in a sense.
00:30:47.96\00:30:49.55
There is going
to be literal fire
00:30:49.58\00:30:50.95
but the fire also
symbolizes God's judgment
00:30:50.98\00:30:53.96
that will come to the
beast and the false prophet
00:30:53.99\00:30:56.02
before it comes to the devil.
00:30:56.05\00:30:58.04
It will come to the
beast and the false prophet
00:30:58.07\00:30:59.84
at the second coming of
Christ prior to the 1,000 years.
00:30:59.87\00:31:03.38
Just at the
beginning of the 1,000 years
00:31:03.41\00:31:04.91
and then after the 1,000
years, they're resurrected.
00:31:04.94\00:31:07.70
The beast and the
false prophet are resurrected
00:31:07.73\00:31:09.52
but it's the devil that goes
forth to deceive the nations.
00:31:09.55\00:31:12.53
They've been
neutered if you will.
00:31:12.56\00:31:14.53
They've lost their
ability to deceive the nations.
00:31:14.56\00:31:17.85
The nations have
burnt them with fire.
00:31:17.88\00:31:20.36
The judgment has come to them
00:31:20.39\00:31:21.76
but the devil
still has that power.
00:31:21.79\00:31:23.16
All right, they've
meet the arch deceiver,
00:31:23.19\00:31:25.09
the one that used them
will now his final deception.
00:31:25.12\00:31:29.58
You know, that's an
amazing but a sad thing
00:31:29.61\00:31:32.19
because when you realize
that you've just been unmasked
00:31:32.22\00:31:36.09
and your power has been broken
00:31:36.12\00:31:39.45
yet the power over you
hasn't yet been broken.
00:31:39.48\00:31:42.99
That's a really amazing thing.
00:31:43.02\00:31:44.39
A person will get
delivered from something
00:31:44.42\00:31:46.23
they have to recognize
that the power that they're--
00:31:46.26\00:31:48.75
the power that has
been taken from them
00:31:48.78\00:31:51.10
has not always been
taken from those around them.
00:31:51.13\00:31:55.27
That's why some people that
go to they get incarcerated,
00:31:55.30\00:31:58.93
they serve time
for selling whatever,
00:31:58.96\00:32:02.53
some illegal substance.
00:32:02.56\00:32:04.17
And they come out and they
may have been rehabilitated
00:32:04.20\00:32:08.04
but they put themselves
in the same environment.
00:32:08.07\00:32:11.11
For around people that
have not lost that power,
00:32:11.14\00:32:13.72
that have not lost that
00:32:13.75\00:32:15.29
tenacious desire
to still deceive.
00:32:15.32\00:32:18.27
And before you know it
they're back on same boat again.
00:32:18.30\00:32:20.77
So those who
are-- the false prophet,
00:32:20.80\00:32:22.87
their power has been broken
00:32:22.90\00:32:24.61
but there's got
to be one last unity,
00:32:24.64\00:32:28.50
the branch and the wines.
00:32:28.53\00:32:32.27
You know, the root and
the branch to be very clear.
00:32:32.30\00:32:35.94
Satan, the root and
the branch is all those,
00:32:35.97\00:32:38.87
they connect in
this final hurrah.
00:32:38.90\00:32:42.27
So, in fact, be
very, very careful
00:32:42.30\00:32:44.68
because the
judgments of God are very true.
00:32:44.71\00:32:47.06
That was such a
good illustration, John.
00:32:47.09\00:32:49.28
That prison incarceration
illustration of coming out.
00:32:49.31\00:32:53.98
You know, the people
after the 1,000 years,
00:32:54.01\00:32:56.67
they've come
out of the deception
00:32:56.70\00:32:58.23
of the false
prophet and the beast,
00:32:58.26\00:32:59.73
and now they're coming
to the influence of the one
00:32:59.76\00:33:02.40
who used them to deceive. Right.
00:33:02.43\00:33:04.22
And again, because they
are in that same environment
00:33:04.25\00:33:06.63
they refuse to remove themselves
00:33:06.66\00:33:08.61
in the
environment of these powers
00:33:08.64\00:33:10.31
and accept Jesus
Christ as their savior.
00:33:10.34\00:33:12.04
They again go forth
under the deception of Satan
00:33:12.07\00:33:14.56
one final time
against the city of God.
00:33:14.59\00:33:16.79
We don't want anyone of you
00:33:16.82\00:33:18.19
to be a part of
that group of people,
00:33:18.22\00:33:20.24
we want each one
that's listening right now
00:33:20.27\00:33:22.45
to accept Jesus Christ
as their personal savior
00:33:22.48\00:33:25.02
and to be free from the bondage
00:33:25.05\00:33:26.78
and the influence that takes us
in that direction of deception.
00:33:26.81\00:33:30.89
Entangled once again.
00:33:30.92\00:33:32.83
And the ladder end
shall be worse for them
00:33:32.86\00:33:34.99
then in the
beginning. So be very careful.
00:33:35.02\00:33:37.79
I think we'll
probably stop there.
00:33:37.82\00:33:39.59
I had one about what
happens to souls after death.
00:33:39.62\00:33:42.04
But I think we'll get a chance
to cover that in our topic.
00:33:42.07\00:33:43.93
Okay. We're
gonna talk about that
00:33:43.96\00:33:45.71
but thank you for your
questions and comments.
00:33:45.74\00:33:47.32
We do appreciate that and as you
can see we spent some time today
00:33:47.35\00:33:50.30
on two very important questions.
00:33:50.33\00:33:51.85
Both of them significant
in context to eternity
00:33:51.88\00:33:55.62
as well as what's happening
in a very deceptive world today.
00:33:55.65\00:33:58.59
If you've anymore questions
you'd like to send to us,
00:33:58.62\00:34:00.68
send those questions
to housecalls@3abn.org
00:34:00.71\00:34:04.75
housecalls@3abn.org and
we do appreciate all you do
00:34:04.78\00:34:09.76
for this ministry to
continue going forward.
00:34:09.79\00:34:12.13
And even if we've said something
00:34:12.16\00:34:13.93
that you want
further clarification on,
00:34:13.96\00:34:16.08
say, "Remember when
you said such and such,
00:34:16.11\00:34:18.19
could you make
that even clear for me?"
00:34:18.22\00:34:20.41
We do appreciate that
very, very much. Amen.
00:34:20.44\00:34:22.67
Well, James, take
us into our topic.
00:34:22.70\00:34:24.07
We've been talking
about hell and its context,
00:34:24.10\00:34:31.70
and whether or not the
devil is in charge of it
00:34:31.73\00:34:34.40
and what's going
to happen to people.
00:34:34.43\00:34:36.43
Are there gonna be souls
withering in the fires of hell.
00:34:36.46\00:34:39.06
Just kind of
catapult us into that.
00:34:39.09\00:34:40.46
I think one of the key verses
00:34:40.49\00:34:41.86
that is
misunderstood in this subject
00:34:41.89\00:34:43.69
is in Revelation
Chapter 14. Okay.
00:34:43.72\00:34:46.09
It's in the context of
the Three Angels messages.
00:34:46.12\00:34:48.54
Revelation Chapter 14 brings
us the everlasting gospel.
00:34:48.57\00:34:52.76
I call it God's last
message for the world.
00:34:52.79\00:34:55.52
It has a message that
comes through Three Angels.
00:34:55.55\00:34:58.91
And these Three
Angels connect together.
00:34:58.94\00:35:01.47
We're on Three
Angels broadcasting network
00:35:01.50\00:35:03.23
and so we find a
very close connection
00:35:03.26\00:35:06.33
with the messages of
Revelation Chapter 14.
00:35:06.36\00:35:09.44
But there's a little bit
of difficulty with one of them
00:35:09.47\00:35:12.01
that people have
because of the wording,
00:35:12.04\00:35:14.19
the verbiage of the message.
00:35:14.22\00:35:17.33
It's Revelation Chapter 14
00:35:17.36\00:35:19.27
and we're going to
begin here in verse 9.
00:35:19.30\00:35:22.19
And I am going to read this
00:35:22.22\00:35:23.59
and I want you to
listen very carefully
00:35:23.62\00:35:24.99
to what these verses are saying
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.68
because I think you'll
catch the context of it.
00:35:26.71\00:35:29.76
I think you'll catch the message
if you listen very carefully
00:35:29.79\00:35:32.86
and then as we explain
this throughout the Bible.
00:35:32.89\00:35:36.10
Revelation Chapter 14:9,
00:35:36.13\00:35:37.74
"And the third
angel followed them,
00:35:37.77\00:35:39.14
saying with a loud voice,
00:35:39.17\00:35:40.75
'If any man worship
the beast and his image,
00:35:40.78\00:35:44.71
and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand.
00:35:44.74\00:35:47.21
The same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
00:35:47.24\00:35:49.59
which is poured
out without mixture
00:35:49.62\00:35:51.83
into the cup of his indignation,
00:35:51.86\00:35:53.44
and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone
00:35:53.47\00:35:57.20
in the presence
of the holy angels,
00:35:57.23\00:36:00.51
and in the
presence of the Lamb."
00:36:00.54\00:36:03.76
Verse 11, "And the smoke
of their torment ascendeth up
00:36:03.79\00:36:08.11
for ever and ever, and
they have no rest day nor night,
00:36:08.14\00:36:13.99
who worship the
beast and his image,
00:36:14.02\00:36:16.22
and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name.'
00:36:16.25\00:36:21.17
That's right. Now these
are difficult texts, John.
00:36:21.20\00:36:23.14
I mean when you read
them right out you think,
00:36:23.17\00:36:25.09
"hmm, they're gonna be
tormented for ever and ever."
00:36:25.12\00:36:27.61
If you just read the
text and just take a simple
00:36:27.64\00:36:29.82
plain view of the text,
you can conclude that hell,
00:36:29.85\00:36:34.53
the place where
people are burned,
00:36:34.56\00:36:35.95
you know, the place
that Satan is in charge of,
00:36:35.98\00:36:38.25
where he's stoking the
fire, hell is gonna continue
00:36:38.28\00:36:40.83
for ever and ever and
ever and ever and ever. Right.
00:36:40.86\00:36:43.59
Is that really what the
Bible is teaching here? No.
00:36:43.62\00:36:46.01
And the concept of the
stoking of the fires of hell
00:36:46.04\00:36:48.56
by Satan is even
a misunderstanding
00:36:48.59\00:36:50.98
or misapplication because Satan
himself is gonna be affected
00:36:51.01\00:36:55.51
by the fires of hell rather than
00:36:55.54\00:36:57.58
in charge of the
fires of hell. Yes.
00:36:57.61\00:36:59.62
Thank God he's not in
charge of anything. Amen.
00:36:59.65\00:37:03.12
I like it when Jesus called him
00:37:03.15\00:37:04.75
the prince of
the power of the air.
00:37:04.78\00:37:08.17
He was in fact-- he did
display much of his power
00:37:08.20\00:37:11.09
though when he
poured out his wrath
00:37:11.12\00:37:12.93
upon the household of Job. Yes.
00:37:12.96\00:37:15.23
The tornados, the
hurricanes, the fire that fell,
00:37:15.26\00:37:18.38
and many times--and the
reason I cite that briefly is,
00:37:18.41\00:37:21.79
lot of times, even the
insurance companies call
00:37:21.82\00:37:23.95
those the "Act of God."
00:37:23.98\00:37:25.69
Well, in fact, God is not a God
00:37:25.72\00:37:27.55
who sends destruction,
not in that context.
00:37:27.58\00:37:30.68
Now, one day the
destruction will come,
00:37:30.71\00:37:32.77
the strange act of God
to destroy sinners and sin,
00:37:32.80\00:37:36.62
and repopulate earth and restore
to its original condition.
00:37:36.65\00:37:41.43
And you know something,
John, there's a difference
00:37:41.46\00:37:43.10
between the way that God works
00:37:43.13\00:37:44.69
and the way that
Satan works. That's right.
00:37:44.72\00:37:46.28
Anytime God sends a
judgment, He warns first.
00:37:46.31\00:37:49.25
Always, warns
first. And it's redemptive.
00:37:49.28\00:37:51.31
Noah and the flood, the
angels to Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:37:51.34\00:37:53.76
It's redemptive.
00:37:53.79\00:37:55.16
And even now He's
warning of the plagues.
00:37:55.19\00:37:57.45
These are the last
plagues in the wrath of God.
00:37:57.48\00:37:59.16
But Satan in Job--
00:37:59.19\00:38:00.78
Satan does it
without warning. Destructive.
00:38:00.81\00:38:03.06
Just comes and destroys
without any warning whatsoever.
00:38:03.09\00:38:06.27
God, it's redemptive.
00:38:06.30\00:38:07.78
In fact, there are
times when God warns
00:38:07.81\00:38:09.67
and if we will
respond, Jonah and Nineveh,
00:38:09.70\00:38:12.75
He forgoes, He pulls back.
00:38:12.78\00:38:14.91
Satan would never do that.
00:38:14.94\00:38:16.46
So there's a
clear difference here
00:38:16.49\00:38:18.14
between God and Satan.
00:38:18.17\00:38:19.54
Like a new-- like
any loving parent.
00:38:19.57\00:38:21.10
You know, you have
children, don't you?
00:38:21.13\00:38:22.95
There are times when you say,
00:38:22.98\00:38:24.35
"Okay, don't do that or else..."
00:38:24.38\00:38:27.07
they don't do it,
then the "or else..."
00:38:27.10\00:38:28.74
And I don't like the "or else."
00:38:28.77\00:38:30.14
Exactly. They
don't like the "or else"
00:38:30.17\00:38:31.54
but I don't like
the "or else" either.
00:38:31.57\00:38:32.94
I saw something the other day.
00:38:32.97\00:38:34.34
I forgot what it was,
where two little girls
00:38:34.37\00:38:36.99
were just really at
each other, at each other,
00:38:37.02\00:38:38.78
at each other, at each
other and they were too young
00:38:38.81\00:38:40.38
to understand what the parent--
so the parent put together
00:38:40.41\00:38:42.90
some very artistic way
of keeping them disciplined.
00:38:42.93\00:38:45.47
They said, "If you
can't get along as cousins...
00:38:45.50\00:38:48.58
okay, that's it, I am
calling the cousin police
00:38:48.61\00:38:51.52
and they're gonna
arrest you for disobedience."
00:38:51.55\00:38:53.78
And these girls are too young,
00:38:53.81\00:38:55.60
"No, we don't want to
go to jail. No, please."
00:38:55.63\00:38:59.00
"Then are you
gonna love each other?"
00:38:59.03\00:39:00.40
"We're gonna love each other."
00:39:00.43\00:39:01.80
They ran to each other and
hug each other and just say,
00:39:01.83\00:39:03.20
"I love you,
cousin. I love you, cousin."
00:39:03.23\00:39:05.79
So, "Cousin police, I
don't think we need you now.
00:39:05.82\00:39:09.57
I think they..."
They were too young.
00:39:09.60\00:39:11.57
It was, so to
speak, their Santa Claus.
00:39:11.60\00:39:13.53
But the parents use
that in a redemptive way.
00:39:13.56\00:39:15.27
Yes, in a redemptive way.
00:39:15.30\00:39:16.67
They say, "You
ought to love each other."
00:39:16.70\00:39:18.07
And they made up their own way,
00:39:18.10\00:39:19.47
you know, we'll hold
the switch up as parent or
00:39:19.50\00:39:21.09
belt or say, timeout.
00:39:21.12\00:39:22.84
But they used
the "cousin police."
00:39:22.87\00:39:24.61
And I can relate to that.
00:39:24.64\00:39:26.30
Especially the timeout one
because my kids were different.
00:39:26.33\00:39:29.36
And what worked for one
did not work for the other
00:39:29.39\00:39:31.49
and for one very
social, very outgoing,
00:39:31.52\00:39:34.48
timeouts were huge
punishment, you know?
00:39:34.51\00:39:36.84
Physical, no. Spanking, no.
00:39:36.87\00:39:38.56
No, just got
firm-- but a timeout,
00:39:38.59\00:39:41.55
"Oh, no, no." So, yes.
00:39:41.58\00:39:43.33
I remember that. Yes.
00:39:43.36\00:39:44.73
Because timeouts are not--
00:39:44.76\00:39:46.55
"Well, you've
got 40 more minutes."
00:39:46.58\00:39:49.49
"Mom, Dad, please."
"Nope, that was your decision."
00:39:49.52\00:39:53.54
And so when you
think of the fires
00:39:53.57\00:39:54.94
that are talked
about here in Revelation,
00:39:54.97\00:39:57.55
the process is so
vitally important for us
00:39:57.58\00:39:59.79
to continue to
think in this context.
00:39:59.82\00:40:02.52
The process of the judgments
that will be poured out,
00:40:02.55\00:40:05.64
the wrath of God, the fires
that will consume the wicked,
00:40:05.67\00:40:09.06
the process is not
eternal. The results--
00:40:09.09\00:40:13.50
Are eternal. Are eternal.
00:40:13.53\00:40:14.97
I would cite the Book of Jude,
00:40:15.00\00:40:17.48
some may be
familiar with this passage,
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.52
but in the Book of
Jude, only having one book,
00:40:19.55\00:40:23.22
it speaks about
the eternal nature
00:40:23.25\00:40:25.76
of the judgments
of God. Jude 1:7.
00:40:25.79\00:40:29.90
Just before Revelation.
Right before Revelation.
00:40:29.93\00:40:32.83
"As Sodom and Gomorrah
and the cities around them
00:40:32.86\00:40:36.31
in similar manner to
these, having given themselves
00:40:36.34\00:40:39.80
over to sexual immorality
and gone after strange flesh,
00:40:39.83\00:40:44.87
or set forth as an example,
00:40:44.90\00:40:47.64
suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire."
00:40:47.67\00:40:51.94
Now you'll find
in some translations
00:40:51.97\00:40:53.92
as eternal punishment.
00:40:53.95\00:40:55.61
That's exactly what it is.
00:40:55.64\00:40:57.12
It's not eternal punishing,
it's eternal punishment.
00:40:57.15\00:41:00.90
Because we know today
that Sodom and Gomorrah
00:41:00.93\00:41:03.24
are not burning any longer. Yes.
00:41:03.27\00:41:05.58
So the process is
not what's eternal,
00:41:05.61\00:41:08.18
the results are eternal.
00:41:08.21\00:41:09.58
And I like this too because
the context of Revelation 14
00:41:09.61\00:41:12.99
tells us that hell
does not take place
00:41:13.02\00:41:16.43
under the supervision of Satan.
00:41:16.46\00:41:18.45
Hell takes place in
the very presence of God
00:41:18.48\00:41:21.10
and the angels. That's right.
00:41:21.13\00:41:22.72
So this
destruction is not something
00:41:22.75\00:41:24.35
that Satan is in charge of.
00:41:24.38\00:41:26.18
This
destruction, this punishment,
00:41:26.21\00:41:28.52
this judgment is something
that God is in charge of.
00:41:28.55\00:41:31.10
It is in the
presence of the Holy Angels
00:41:31.13\00:41:33.09
and in the presence of the Lamb.
00:41:33.12\00:41:36.09
And this is really significant
because we are going to be
00:41:36.12\00:41:39.72
in the presence
of the Holy Angels
00:41:39.75\00:41:41.49
and in the presence of
the Lamb for all eternity.
00:41:41.52\00:41:44.18
So this verse
cannot be telling us
00:41:44.21\00:41:46.06
that hell is an
eternally burning place
00:41:46.09\00:41:49.04
because that would
mean that those who are lost
00:41:49.07\00:41:51.66
are going to be
in the same place
00:41:51.69\00:41:53.12
that the saved
off for all eternity.
00:41:53.15\00:41:55.88
The fires of hell,
the experience of hell,
00:41:55.91\00:41:59.57
the judgment of hell is
something that takes place
00:41:59.60\00:42:02.12
in God's presence
because it is His presence
00:42:02.15\00:42:04.91
that to sin is a consuming fire.
00:42:04.94\00:42:07.27
To sin whatever found,
God is a consuming fire.
00:42:07.30\00:42:09.37
In fact, we're told that in
the Book of Hebrews chapter 13.
00:42:09.40\00:42:13.11
So I like this, this
idea of the place of hell
00:42:13.14\00:42:16.86
and also the idea
of the-- the extent,
00:42:16.89\00:42:20.96
in other words
how long hell lasts,
00:42:20.99\00:42:23.94
for ever and ever and ever.
00:42:23.97\00:42:25.36
You know, I like this phrase
because why we misunderstand it
00:42:25.39\00:42:29.80
sometimes that
Bible clearly defines it,
00:42:29.83\00:42:32.34
I think about, for example,
00:42:32.37\00:42:34.22
the Book of Jonah. Oh, yeah.
00:42:34.25\00:42:36.22
Jonah and the whale.
00:42:36.25\00:42:37.86
Jonah and the
fish and-- I say whale
00:42:37.89\00:42:39.95
because the whale
is the biggest animal
00:42:39.98\00:42:41.35
that we think could
have swallows Jonah.
00:42:41.38\00:42:42.75
We just--the Bible just
says simply it was a fish.
00:42:42.78\00:42:45.56
But if you look at
the prophecy of Jonah
00:42:45.59\00:42:47.66
and that book is
found in the Minor Prophets
00:42:47.69\00:42:51.34
which are just before Matthew.
00:42:51.37\00:42:52.95
So if you get to Matthew
00:42:52.98\00:42:54.49
and you start looking
for the Book of Jonah.
00:42:54.52\00:42:57.41
Going backwards,
you're gonna go to Malachi,
00:42:57.44\00:42:59.11
and you gonna go to
Zachariah, and Haggai,
00:42:59.14\00:43:01.10
and Habakkuk, and
Nehemiah, and Micah
00:43:01.13\00:43:04.95
and you're gonna
find the Book of Jonah.
00:43:04.98\00:43:06.35
It's right there, going to
left of the Book of Matthew.
00:43:06.38\00:43:09.46
And Jonah is
swallowed by this fish.
00:43:09.49\00:43:11.23
He is down in the
belly of this fish
00:43:11.26\00:43:12.82
for three days and three nights.
00:43:12.85\00:43:15.29
But that's not the
way he describes it.
00:43:15.32\00:43:17.00
He doesn't describe himself
being in the belly of this fish
00:43:17.03\00:43:20.74
for three days and three nights.
00:43:20.77\00:43:22.14
You know, what he says?
00:43:22.17\00:43:23.54
He says here in
verse 6 of Jonah Chapter 2.
00:43:23.57\00:43:27.18
He says, "I went down to
the bottoms of the mountains,
00:43:27.21\00:43:31.14
the earth with her
bars was about me forever."
00:43:31.17\00:43:35.43
Now what's interesting
about this is verse 2.
00:43:35.46\00:43:39.77
Jonah is praying to
the Lord in this context.
00:43:39.80\00:43:42.72
And he said, "I
cried by reason of mine
00:43:42.75\00:43:44.51
affliction unto
the Lord, He heard me,
00:43:44.54\00:43:46.73
out of the
belly of hell cried I,
00:43:46.76\00:43:49.59
and You heard my voice."
00:43:49.62\00:43:51.23
So Jonah is using the word
hell in connection with forever.
00:43:51.26\00:43:56.08
And the New Testament
00:43:56.11\00:43:57.48
specifically the
Book of Revelation
00:43:57.51\00:43:59.11
which is heavily
saturated with Old Testament
00:43:59.14\00:44:02.93
symbolism and
analogy is borrowing
00:44:02.96\00:44:06.81
from this experience of Jonah
00:44:06.84\00:44:08.90
and showing us
what hell is like.
00:44:08.93\00:44:11.10
Hell is like an
experience that is so bad,
00:44:11.13\00:44:14.34
that if you have to go
through it for three days,
00:44:14.37\00:44:16.13
it's gonna feel like forever.
00:44:16.16\00:44:17.69
Right. Very good analogy.
00:44:17.72\00:44:20.47
We often go through
experiences, John, don't we?
00:44:20.50\00:44:22.86
Where, because of the
discomfort of the situation,
00:44:22.89\00:44:26.56
because of the environment
that's surrounding us,
00:44:26.59\00:44:30.89
we feel like--
The intensity of it.
00:44:30.92\00:44:32.29
The intensity,
"This is taking forever."
00:44:32.32\00:44:34.57
Might only take a
few minutes. Right.
00:44:34.60\00:44:36.28
"This is taking forever."
00:44:36.31\00:44:37.68
Have you ever
been in the situation
00:44:37.71\00:44:39.36
where you, for example--
00:44:39.39\00:44:40.76
Like an MRI. An MRI.
00:44:40.79\00:44:42.99
Or you're sitting in line
00:44:43.02\00:44:44.50
at the airport and
it's taking forever.
00:44:44.53\00:44:46.83
You know, your
plane's gonna leave
00:44:46.86\00:44:48.23
and you're anxious about
it and this is taking forever.
00:44:48.26\00:44:50.54
Well it's not
literally taking forever.
00:44:50.57\00:44:52.38
Right, and it's --
00:44:52.41\00:44:53.78
It--so many
stories come to my mind
00:44:53.81\00:44:55.99
when you talk
about taking forever.
00:44:56.02\00:44:57.82
It always seems like
you're taking forever like--
00:44:57.85\00:45:01.09
they said there are three
categories of impatient people.
00:45:01.12\00:45:04.24
Those wanting to get on a plane,
00:45:04.27\00:45:07.22
those wanting
to get off a plane.
00:45:07.25\00:45:09.10
Those are the two categories
00:45:09.13\00:45:10.55
and those wanting
to leave a restaurant
00:45:10.58\00:45:12.32
after they finish eating.
00:45:12.35\00:45:14.25
There are some people
they just want to go out here
00:45:14.28\00:45:15.65
and all of a sudden
the waiter that has come by
00:45:15.68\00:45:17.37
a number of times away just,
00:45:17.40\00:45:19.05
"How is your
meal? How is your meal?"
00:45:19.08\00:45:20.45
It seems like when it's time
for the check, they disappear.
00:45:20.48\00:45:22.57
Have you noticed
it? I have noticed.
00:45:22.60\00:45:23.97
"I got to get back to
work, I'm gonna be late."
00:45:24.00\00:45:26.15
And all of a
sudden, "Is there's a person
00:45:26.18\00:45:28.78
by the name of
Jenny that works here?"
00:45:28.81\00:45:30.69
"I think she left."
00:45:30.72\00:45:32.09
"Well, I need my check,
I need to get out of here."
00:45:32.12\00:45:33.58
And so this impatience
00:45:33.61\00:45:35.27
and then to just take
this to the next level,
00:45:35.30\00:45:37.53
sometimes while people are
going through the suffering,
00:45:37.56\00:45:39.60
they are going
through the difficulty,
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.00
the pain, the heartache,
the tragedy of the moment,
00:45:41.03\00:45:44.64
they say, "It was like
going through hell." Yes.
00:45:44.67\00:45:47.43
And C.D. Brooks, one
of my favorite preachers,
00:45:47.46\00:45:50.08
he says that word
hell is such a word
00:45:50.11\00:45:52.25
that has been given
so many definitions.
00:45:52.28\00:45:54.63
For those who live in Alaska
and it's a terribly cold winter.
00:45:54.66\00:45:57.53
They'll say, "It
was cold as hell."
00:45:57.56\00:46:00.31
That's what he said.
00:46:00.34\00:46:01.71
Then he said for
those who live in Brazil
00:46:01.74\00:46:03.24
and they have an
usually hot summer,
00:46:03.27\00:46:04.66
"It's hot as hell."
00:46:04.69\00:46:07.06
And so you use that
term so loosely--Loosely.
00:46:07.09\00:46:10.28
That people have
lost the understanding
00:46:10.31\00:46:12.80
of what hell
really is all about.
00:46:12.83\00:46:14.97
Hell is not something that
we create in our own environment
00:46:15.00\00:46:18.51
but hell has specifically
been designed by God
00:46:18.54\00:46:22.15
for the devil and his
angels. Yes. I love that.
00:46:22.18\00:46:25.64
So when you think about hell,
00:46:25.67\00:46:27.56
it's no reason for us
to even-- I always say,
00:46:27.59\00:46:29.80
there's no reason for us to
break into their destruction.
00:46:29.83\00:46:33.16
I won't even say celebration.
00:46:33.19\00:46:34.70
There is no-- God
has not ordained hell
00:46:34.73\00:46:36.84
for any of his children.
00:46:36.87\00:46:38.70
And that's where
that-- isn't that, John,
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.37
how we connect
the devil to hell.
00:46:40.40\00:46:42.53
The devil is connected to hell
00:46:42.56\00:46:43.93
because hell is a place
that's been reserved for him.
00:46:43.96\00:46:46.37
The hell has been a place
00:46:46.40\00:46:47.77
that's been
reserved for the angels.
00:46:47.80\00:46:49.21
And it's the devil that's
sending out the invitations.
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.27
It's the devil that
wants us to join him in hell.
00:46:51.30\00:46:53.32
God never intended
that any human being
00:46:53.35\00:46:56.10
would ever experience that.
00:46:56.13\00:46:57.50
And I like that the
fact that we can relate to it
00:46:57.53\00:47:01.12
in our
experiences on this earth.
00:47:01.15\00:47:03.24
Because when I
look in Revelation,
00:47:03.27\00:47:04.72
for example, chapter 21.
00:47:04.75\00:47:06.97
It talks about the new
heaven and the new earth.
00:47:07.00\00:47:10.42
And this is a beautiful picture
that God has given to us.
00:47:10.45\00:47:13.47
In Revelation
Chapter 21:1, it says,
00:47:13.50\00:47:16.46
"And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth,
00:47:16.49\00:47:18.22
for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away,
00:47:18.25\00:47:20.34
and there was no
more sea." That's right.
00:47:20.37\00:47:22.13
"And I, John, saw the
Holy city New Jerusalem
00:47:22.16\00:47:23.89
coming down from
God as a bride adorned
00:47:23.92\00:47:26.48
for her husband, out of heaven."
00:47:26.51\00:47:28.17
And then it goes on to say that
God is going to dwell with us
00:47:28.20\00:47:31.03
and be with us--and
then in verse 4 it says this,
00:47:31.06\00:47:33.70
"And God shall
wipe away all tears
00:47:33.73\00:47:36.15
from their eyes." That's right.
00:47:36.18\00:47:37.59
"And there shall
be no more pain--
00:47:37.62\00:47:39.31
excuse me no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying,
00:47:39.34\00:47:42.47
neither shall
there be any more pain,"
00:47:42.50\00:47:43.87
I knew that was there,
00:47:43.90\00:47:45.27
"for the former things are
passed away." That's right.
00:47:45.30\00:47:48.23
There is a lot of
pain in this world
00:47:48.26\00:47:49.77
that reminds us of hell.
00:47:49.80\00:47:52.30
That reminds us
the experience of hell.
00:47:52.33\00:47:55.32
In other words, the discomfort,
00:47:55.35\00:47:57.29
the intensity
what Jonah went through
00:47:57.32\00:47:59.98
reminded him felt like hell,
00:48:00.01\00:48:02.08
felt like that
experience of hell.
00:48:02.11\00:48:03.69
But ultimately when we think
about the experience of hell,
00:48:03.72\00:48:08.47
we need to look to
the cross of Calvary.
00:48:08.50\00:48:10.40
We need to look to
what Jesus Christ experience
00:48:10.43\00:48:13.03
on the cross because
He experienced for us,
00:48:13.06\00:48:16.56
the death that we deserved.
00:48:16.59\00:48:18.65
In Revelation, it's
called the second death. Right.
00:48:18.68\00:48:20.94
And the lake of fire is
called the second death.
00:48:20.97\00:48:23.64
And ultimately that symbolism
00:48:23.67\00:48:25.68
while we know it's
literally in the sense,
00:48:25.71\00:48:27.93
2 Peter Chapter 3 tells us
00:48:27.96\00:48:29.52
that this world
is gonna be consumed
00:48:29.55\00:48:31.22
with this fire and made new.
00:48:31.25\00:48:32.96
We also need to
recognize that that represents
00:48:32.99\00:48:35.82
the anguish, the
torment of separation from God.
00:48:35.85\00:48:39.86
When Jesus was on the
cross, friends, He said,
00:48:39.89\00:48:41.66
"My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?"
00:48:41.69\00:48:44.85
He had a full
realization of God's love,
00:48:44.88\00:48:46.76
God's acceptance
through His entire life,
00:48:46.79\00:48:48.99
His entire existence, we
can't even comprehend that.
00:48:49.02\00:48:51.81
And now He is
separated from the Father,
00:48:51.84\00:48:53.87
from the one
person who knows Him,
00:48:53.90\00:48:55.88
who understands Him,
who sympathizes with Him,
00:48:55.91\00:48:57.81
who has been with
Him, who has helped Him.
00:48:57.84\00:48:59.65
Now He is separated from
the presence of the Father.
00:48:59.68\00:49:02.21
He doesn't feel as
though God is with him.
00:49:02.24\00:49:04.76
And in that agony, He
tastes, He experiences hell.
00:49:04.79\00:49:08.69
He experiences the second death.
00:49:08.72\00:49:10.55
The second death
is a terrible thing.
00:49:10.58\00:49:12.07
You know, when we think about--
I mentioned a moment ago,
00:49:12.10\00:49:15.09
how hell is not
designed for God's people.
00:49:15.12\00:49:17.94
There is also this concept
that the soul will survive hell.
00:49:17.97\00:49:25.70
There's only one way
that people can come up
00:49:25.73\00:49:27.18
with the idea
that you'll be burning
00:49:27.21\00:49:28.58
for ever and
ever and ever and ever
00:49:28.61\00:49:31.65
is that they believe that
the soul somehow is eternal.
00:49:31.68\00:49:35.51
There is a passage, James,
00:49:35.54\00:49:36.91
it's often used to try
to buttress that point.
00:49:36.94\00:49:40.05
But if you read the
verse, in its entirety--
00:49:40.08\00:49:43.21
you know, a lot of times
the first part of the verse
00:49:43.24\00:49:44.96
could say one thing
00:49:44.99\00:49:46.36
but when you
read the whole verse
00:49:46.39\00:49:47.90
the story is
actually the opposite. Yes.
00:49:47.93\00:49:50.59
Matthew 10:28, I want us
to look at that very briefly.
00:49:50.62\00:49:53.98
Turn to Matthew 10:28
or even write that one down
00:49:54.01\00:49:56.22
because this is a passage
that people often read and say,
00:49:56.25\00:50:00.08
"See, I told you that
there are gonna be souls in hell
00:50:00.11\00:50:03.01
that will not be destroyed."
00:50:03.04\00:50:04.57
And I said, "No,
read the whole verse."
00:50:04.60\00:50:08.96
Here is the part
that is often read
00:50:08.99\00:50:10.79
and somebody read this to me
00:50:10.82\00:50:12.19
once over the phone and said,
00:50:12.22\00:50:13.59
"well, now do you--,"
00:50:13.62\00:50:14.99
don't forget this
is the second part.
00:50:15.02\00:50:16.81
"And do not fear of
those who kill the body
00:50:16.84\00:50:19.39
but cannot kill the soul."
00:50:19.42\00:50:21.52
They say, "see
there. Soul will never die."
00:50:21.55\00:50:24.71
But now read the rest.
00:50:24.74\00:50:26.58
"But rather fear him
which is able to destroy
00:50:26.61\00:50:29.61
both the soul and
body in hell." Okay, okay.
00:50:29.64\00:50:34.14
Is the soul eternal? No.
00:50:34.17\00:50:36.35
Ezekiel 18:4, "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die."
00:50:36.38\00:50:42.86
So this whole
idea that-- go ahead.
00:50:42.89\00:50:44.52
Oh, I was gonna
say in Genesis 2:17,
00:50:44.55\00:50:48.86
"In the day that you eat
of it you will surely die."
00:50:48.89\00:50:50.85
Surely die. So
there is no eternal soul.
00:50:50.88\00:50:54.94
There is nothing
about us that's eternal.
00:50:54.97\00:50:57.55
As a matter of fact,
the one of the passages
00:50:57.58\00:50:59.09
that's often left out
when it comes to things
00:50:59.12\00:51:00.75
that are eternal, my
favorite one, Romans 6:23.
00:51:00.78\00:51:05.56
Romans 6:23 is kind of
like another John 3:16.
00:51:05.59\00:51:09.70
Romans 6:23, it says,
"The wages of sin is death.
00:51:09.73\00:51:16.91
But the gift of
God is eternal life
00:51:16.94\00:51:20.58
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:51:20.61\00:51:22.67
Now get it, the
wages of sin is death,
00:51:22.70\00:51:25.46
not the
continuance of life in hell.
00:51:25.49\00:51:28.06
The gift of God is eternal life.
00:51:28.09\00:51:30.26
Point, how can you burn forever
if you can't live for ever.
00:51:30.29\00:51:35.69
Good point. I love this.
00:51:35.72\00:51:37.25
I love this and from
Genesis to Revelation
00:51:37.28\00:51:39.03
we get the picture.
00:51:39.06\00:51:40.43
Genesis, tree of life,
00:51:40.46\00:51:42.89
parting of the tree of
life gives you eternal life.
00:51:42.92\00:51:45.41
Only God is in
Himself immortal. Only God.
00:51:45.44\00:51:49.36
So eating of the tree of
life gives us eternal life.
00:51:49.39\00:51:52.45
So Adam and Eve
sinned, what happened?
00:51:52.48\00:51:54.55
We were taken out of the garden.
00:51:54.58\00:51:56.16
The way was barred by
angels with swords, why?
00:51:56.19\00:51:59.40
So we could not
partake of the tree of life
00:51:59.43\00:52:01.29
because in partaking of
the tree of life as sinners,
00:52:01.32\00:52:03.74
we would immortalize sin. Right.
00:52:03.77\00:52:05.72
So then you go through
the whole redemption story,
00:52:05.75\00:52:07.88
you get to the
Book of Revelation,
00:52:07.91\00:52:09.28
the very last chapter,
Revelation Chapter 22:1.
00:52:09.31\00:52:12.94
"And he shewed me a
pure river of water of life,
00:52:12.97\00:52:15.81
clear as crystal, proceeding
00:52:15.84\00:52:17.21
out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb.
00:52:17.24\00:52:19.40
In the midst of
the street of it,
00:52:19.43\00:52:20.80
and on either side of the river,
00:52:20.83\00:52:22.20
there was a tree of life,
00:52:22.23\00:52:23.60
which bare
twelve manner of fruits,
00:52:23.63\00:52:25.07
and yielded her
fruit every month,
00:52:25.10\00:52:27.58
and the leaves of the tree
00:52:27.61\00:52:29.19
were for the
healing of the nations."
00:52:29.22\00:52:30.77
Friends, the tree of life
00:52:30.80\00:52:32.24
is going to be
restored. That's right.
00:52:32.27\00:52:33.84
And the
immortality, the immortal life
00:52:33.87\00:52:36.91
that we're given in God
is connected to this tree,
00:52:36.94\00:52:39.89
to the fruit of the tree
of life that we partake of
00:52:39.92\00:52:43.12
and therefore we are
restored to the eternity
00:52:43.15\00:52:46.23
that God intended for us to
experience when He created us.
00:52:46.26\00:52:50.27
For some
reason-- and I have seen
00:52:50.30\00:52:52.12
this resistance more
in the Christian world
00:52:52.15\00:52:54.01
than in an non-Christian world
00:52:54.04\00:52:55.41
because people that are
living an unrighteous life,
00:52:55.44\00:52:59.02
they don't want to be talking
about the eternal fires of hell.
00:52:59.05\00:53:02.02
That's not their
favorite topic. No doubt.
00:53:02.05\00:53:03.99
But for some reason,
some Christians seem unhappy
00:53:04.02\00:53:08.47
that we would say,
00:53:08.50\00:53:10.14
"Well, sinners are not
going to burn forever."
00:53:10.17\00:53:13.23
So let me pose the question.
00:53:13.26\00:53:14.63
Why do we sense that
in many denominations
00:53:17.43\00:53:21.56
there is this persistent
refusal to accept the fact
00:53:21.59\00:53:26.11
that the fires will go out?
00:53:26.14\00:53:29.81
Why is it that God
seems to be the one
00:53:29.84\00:53:31.84
that is being
maligned rather than
00:53:31.87\00:53:36.05
being exalted as a God of love
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.54
who doesn't want
sinners to be destroyed?
00:53:38.57\00:53:40.99
You read Ezekiel 18, Ezekiel 33,
00:53:41.02\00:53:43.09
you'll find-- He says,
00:53:43.12\00:53:44.49
"I have no
pleasure--" No pleasure.
00:53:44.52\00:53:46.80
"In the death of
anyone who dies,"
00:53:46.83\00:53:49.16
says the Lord,
therefore turn and live
00:53:49.19\00:53:52.27
but if they're burning
forever and ever, it's opposite.
00:53:52.30\00:53:55.07
He does have pleasure.
00:53:55.10\00:53:56.47
I think part of it,
John, part of the reason
00:53:56.50\00:53:57.87
for that the question
you're asking is because
00:53:57.90\00:54:00.57
Christians for
some reason are afraid
00:54:00.60\00:54:03.18
that if we don't teach
eternally burning fire,
00:54:03.21\00:54:06.02
we're going to lose
motivation for salvation
00:54:06.05\00:54:10.66
and for being in heaven
00:54:10.69\00:54:12.67
and for getting people to
accept Christ as their savior.
00:54:12.70\00:54:16.70
That this is part of
the motivation factor
00:54:16.73\00:54:19.21
that is used in witnessing
and evangelizing people
00:54:19.24\00:54:23.84
that we tell them,
00:54:23.87\00:54:25.24
"Hey, you're gonna
burn for ever and ever."
00:54:25.27\00:54:26.64
You don't want to burn
for ever, do you? Right.
00:54:26.67\00:54:28.04
I remember-- and
he's not a Christian.
00:54:28.07\00:54:30.18
He is actually a Muslim.
00:54:30.21\00:54:32.39
But I remember
Muhammad Ali, in Readers Digest,
00:54:32.42\00:54:35.80
he had an article
00:54:35.83\00:54:37.20
and he gave an illustration.
00:54:37.23\00:54:38.60
He had a match and he lit it.
00:54:38.63\00:54:40.71
And he put to his finger.
00:54:40.74\00:54:42.53
And he said, "Ouch! That burns."
00:54:42.56\00:54:44.12
He says, "I don't
want to burn like that
00:54:44.15\00:54:46.37
forever and ever and ever."
00:54:46.40\00:54:48.13
And so here's this motivation
but here's what the Bible says,
00:54:48.16\00:54:52.03
in contrast, 2
Corinthians Chapter 5:14.
00:54:52.06\00:54:56.26
It says, "The
love of God constraints
00:54:56.29\00:55:00.02
or motivates us." That's right.
00:55:00.05\00:55:01.73
So a transition
has to take place.
00:55:01.76\00:55:03.34
At some point every
single person in this world,
00:55:03.37\00:55:06.07
Muslim, Christian,
Hindu, Buddhist, atheist,
00:55:06.10\00:55:09.89
at some point every
single person in this world
00:55:09.92\00:55:11.85
has to transition
from being afraid of God
00:55:11.88\00:55:15.38
to
understanding the love of God.
00:55:15.41\00:55:17.49
Not a God who wants to
burn people forever and ever
00:55:17.52\00:55:19.58
if you don't
follow him and obey him,
00:55:19.61\00:55:21.17
but a God who himself received
00:55:21.20\00:55:23.96
and experienced the
torment of separation,
00:55:23.99\00:55:26.58
the hell of being
separated forever from life
00:55:26.61\00:55:29.30
and from the God who loves us
00:55:29.33\00:55:30.98
and was willing to pass out
of an existence in our place,
00:55:31.01\00:55:35.14
a God who motivates our
hearts because He loves us
00:55:35.17\00:55:39.71
and draws us to Him
because of His great love
00:55:39.74\00:55:41.79
rather than a God who warns us
00:55:41.82\00:55:44.11
and causes us to fear
him and therefore by fear
00:55:44.14\00:55:47.94
and trepidation move us
into the kingdom of God.
00:55:47.97\00:55:49.96
You know what's
amazing about that?
00:55:49.99\00:55:51.36
God is not setting up
this fire escape religion,
00:55:51.39\00:55:54.89
this concept
that there is gonna be
00:55:54.92\00:55:57.93
this eternally burning hell
00:55:57.96\00:55:59.33
and there is nothing you
can do it to get out of that,
00:55:59.36\00:56:01.42
He has come to give us life
00:56:01.45\00:56:03.19
and to give it to
us more abundantly.
00:56:03.22\00:56:05.45
As a matter of fact,
00:56:05.48\00:56:06.85
you know, the passage in
the Bible that really moves
00:56:06.88\00:56:09.66
on my heart so much
is not just John 3:16,
00:56:09.69\00:56:13.26
but John 3:17, "For God
sent not His son into the world
00:56:13.29\00:56:17.37
to condemn the
world but that the world
00:56:17.40\00:56:19.66
through him
might be saved." Amen.
00:56:19.69\00:56:22.16
And so often people
are brought into this idea
00:56:22.19\00:56:25.01
that God wants to condemn us,
00:56:25.04\00:56:26.54
God wants to destroy us.
00:56:26.57\00:56:28.46
But He wants to give us life
00:56:28.49\00:56:29.86
and give it to us so
much more abundantly.
00:56:29.89\00:56:31.62
Yeah. I like this again
Roman-- Revelation, excuse me,
00:56:31.65\00:56:34.38
chapter 15 describes
the redeemed understanding
00:56:34.41\00:56:38.34
on a sea of glass
mingled with fire. Okay.
00:56:38.37\00:56:42.55
A sea of glass
mingled with fire.
00:56:42.58\00:56:44.28
The fire escape idea
is that we're escaping
00:56:44.31\00:56:47.65
from this fire that is
different or separate from God.
00:56:47.68\00:56:50.74
Now God himself is a
consuming fire to sin
00:56:50.77\00:56:52.92
and we're gonna
dwell in his very presence.
00:56:52.95\00:56:54.51
But only those who
have accepted the Christ,
00:56:54.54\00:56:56.67
put their trust in him can dwell
in the very presence of God
00:56:56.70\00:56:59.31
in the fire of God's presence
in the fire of His love.
00:56:59.34\00:57:03.79
I never thought
about that but satan,
00:57:03.82\00:57:05.55
before he fell, Lucifer,
before he fell he walk back
00:57:05.58\00:57:09.42
and forth in midst
of the fire of God.
00:57:09.45\00:57:11.67
Now when we are perfect
we will be able to exist
00:57:11.70\00:57:14.96
in the midst of a God
who is a consuming fire
00:57:14.99\00:57:17.76
but he is only
consuming our sinfulness
00:57:17.79\00:57:20.21
so that we could have
His righteousness eternally.
00:57:20.24\00:57:22.98
What a wonderful
topic to talk about,
00:57:23.01\00:57:24.93
the glory and the
righteousness of Christ
00:57:24.96\00:57:27.39
and, friends, when Jesus
comes to make a house call
00:57:27.42\00:57:29.97
we pray that you will be found
in His righteousness eternally.
00:57:30.00\00:57:34.32
May God bless you.
00:57:34.35\00:57:35.72