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 the dueling swords.
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I always think of new
words, the dueling swords.
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He's got a sword, I have a sword
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and because it's God's sword,
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it's sharper than
any two-edged sword.
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Welcome to the
sharpest Bible program
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I believe on the planet.
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If I didn't believe
that, we wouldn't be here.
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Good to have you here, John.
It's good to be here, John.
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I tell you whenever we take
out the sword of the spirit,
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I said to
somebody the other day,
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it is not the cue
tip of the spirit,
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whenever the sword of
the word of the Lord is used,
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it's gonna cut
something or somebody.
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That's right.
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And so we are also the most
non politically correct program
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that you'll
probably ever tune into,
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because we want to tell
you what the word of God says.
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So take the time with
your family and your friends,
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get your Bible and your
pens and spend this time with us
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as we walk through
the word of God together.
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As you know, we have
questions and comments
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that come from you that
we like to often address...
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Good ones.
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And, but we always have
prayer before we do anything.
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So bow your heads with us
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so John can lead us
before the throne of grace
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through prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven,
again we sit before you
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here with our Bibles
open, with questions in hand
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with some notes
about the program
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but, Lord, we want
you to take it over.
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We want this to be about You
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and so we invite Your
Spirit to lead our thoughts,
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and our minds, and our
hearts to depend upon You
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to allow You to guide
us through the scriptures,
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but also to touch the
hearts of those listening
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and viewing this program.
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We pray in Jesus
name, amen. Amen.
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Friends, if you
have any comments
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that you like to send to us
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or questions you
like to send to us,
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you can send those to
the following email address.
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This is our House Calls address,
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housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org.
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And then we will take
the time to print them out
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and respond to you according
to the word of the Lord.
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John, lead us to our
first question today.
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What do you have for me?
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It's a straightforward
question from Judy,
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she says where
are the evil angels
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during the thousand years?
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Okay. Okay.
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So she is
speaking of the millennium,
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the thousand-year
period that is soon to come.
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If we go to
scripture in Revelation 11,
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not all of it, as you know John,
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it's in chronological order.
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But when you get toward the end,
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you'll find
little more chronology
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than maybe toward the beginning.
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And what you
have in Revelation 18
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is the judgment of Babylon,
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and we find this is a judgment
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against a
longstanding foe of evil
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that exists on this earth.
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You have in chapter 19,
you have Jesus second coming.
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You have in chapter
then 20, chapter 20 you have,
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what happens right
after Jesus' second coming,
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and so what we find
here is the millennium.
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So, you know, we've
all heard, you know,
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premillennial or postmillennial,
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you know, pre-trib, post-trib,
all these kind of terminology.
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But if you just
follow scripture,
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you'll find that Jesus
comes chapter 19, chapter 20,
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the millennium, and then
at the end of chapter 20,
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we have Jesus coming again
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at the end of the thousand years
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for the final judgment.
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But the question here,
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where are the evil angels
during the thousand years,
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we can answer by reading
the beginning of chapter 20.
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All right.
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So I am gonna read
from Revelation 20:1
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beginning with verse 1, it says,
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"I saw an angel
coming down from heaven,
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having the key to
the bottomless pit
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and a great chain in his hand.
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He laid hold of the
dragon, that serpent of old
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who is the devil and Satan
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and bound him
for thousand years.
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And he cast him
into the bottomless pit,
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and shut him up,
and set a seal on him
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so that he should
deceive the nations no more
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till the thousand
years were finished.
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And after these things
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he will be
released for little while."
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So during the thousand years,
we have this seal set on Him,
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shutting him up
from the deception
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that he has been
engaging in against the nation,
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against people on this
earth for thousands of years,
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and he is cast
into the bottomless pit.
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So the question really
is, at least here with Satan,
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and we know as well
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that if the final
destruction of all,
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does it come to the end
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that his evil
angels are with him, okay.
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So Satan and his
angels are within cast
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to the bottomless pit.
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What is this bottomless pit?
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Well, the word there behind it
this Abuso so it is the abyss,
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like some translations
translate this as the abyss.
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You cast him into the abyss
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and this word abyss is
found several times as well
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in the Old Testament.
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Number one, it's
found in Genesis 1:2,
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where it says that the
earth was without form and void,
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and that word void
is, you know, the abyss,
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it's this emptiness.
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There it is
described as a bottomless pit,
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I don't know why, the
King James translators
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used bottomless
pit specifically.
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Sometimes we don't always
know how the old language works
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but clearly, it is the
same thing being described here.
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But in context of the last days
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and the second coming
we have this the same term,
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this term void or bottomless pit
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used in the Book of Jeremiah.
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And so I'm turning to Jeremiah 4
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and we're gonna
read there in verse 23,
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so Jeremiah 4, were you
gonna say something here, John?
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No, actually
that's a good verse.
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Okay.
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All right Jeremiah
4:23, "I beheld the earth,
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and indeed it was
without form, and void,
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I beheld the mountains,
and indeed they trembled,
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And all the hills
moved back and forth.
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I beheld, and
indeed there was no man,
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all the birds of
the heavens had fled.
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I beheld, and indeed
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the fruitful
land was wilderness,
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And all its
cities were broken down
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at the presence of the
Lord, by His fierce anger."
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And that goes on to
describe this desolate land
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and apparently bottomless
had that kind of context,
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that meaning of
desolate, void, without form.
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So what's being
pictured here is Jesus comes,
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He comes together with
saints 1 Thessalonians 4,
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He brings them up
to meet him in the air,
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he raises those that
are, that sleep in Him
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and He takes them back to heaven
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where He has
prepared to place for them.
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At that coming though
the wicked that are alive,
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they perish at the
brightness of His coming.
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And they are essentially
strewn across the land,
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no one's there to bury them,
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no one has anything
to do with burying them,
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and they wait through
that thousand year period
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just in this desolate earth,
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waiting the judgment
when Jesus comes back
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with the saints
after the thousand years
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to pronounce that final judgment
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before the lake of
fire comes out of heaven.
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Now during that period,
what Revelation 20 is saying
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is that Satan and his angels
are here roaming the earth
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with no one to tempt.
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That's right and, John,
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you know the point I
think you well is well made,
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only thing I would add
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are just a couple of
scriptures to support.
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You know, when Jesus had,
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when the demons had
an encounter with Jesus
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and He cast the demons
out of the man to the swine,
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they were terrified
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that they were in
the presence of the Lord.
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I've often said that they are
no atheists among the demons.
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Even demons believe, you know,
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James says the demons
believed and trembled.
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And so you find in Luke 8:31,
the demons and the Bible says,
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and they begged Him,
that is they beg Jesus
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that He would not command
them to go out into the abyss.
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And that is this
place of containment,
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and let me just
use the word here
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and a place of restriction,
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another good way to bring
that out is in 2 Peter 2:4.
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Let me just add some
surrounding thoughts to this.
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If the devil had
easy access to us
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in the sense to do
whatever he wanted,
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then none of us would be alive.
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This word abyss, this
place of spirit world,
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a fourth dimension as it were,
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has an additional element to it,
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talks about that, he says,
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"For if God did not
spared the angels who sinned
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but cast them down
to hell to deliver them
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into chains of darkness
to be reserved for judgment."
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The word there hell
is from the word tartarus
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or tartarus, the Greek
word meaning a spirit world,
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a place where their
activity is limited.
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They are on restriction.
They are on restriction.
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They can't do anything
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and the
emphasis of that is when,
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when there was a conversation
between God and Satan,
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and the Lord said,
you could touch him,
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but you can't kill him.
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You could lay your hand on him,
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you could take
all his possessions
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but you cannot kill him.
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God has
restrictions on the devil,
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and I praise the Lord for that.
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He cannot just do
what he wants to do.
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But during the thousand
years, there is an anticipation,
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a mental
anticipation of the angels,
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they know as Bible
says in Revelation 12,
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the devil knows
he has a short time,
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but when the Lord comes,
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they know that the
next time he returns
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at the end of
the thousand years,
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it's time for their judgment.
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All right. They're
gonna face the music.
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Another one here Matthew 8:29,
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speaking of the
demons, they cried out.
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What have we to
do with you Jesus,
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You son of God,
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even the demons confess
than Jesus is the Son of God.
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You know, what's amazing
me about that demons confess
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that Jesus is a Son of God,
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men have a hard
time confessing that.
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They said, have you come here
to torment us before the time.
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So they know that there
is this judgment coming,
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and right now they are
in a restrictive setting
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where they can see
us and have access to us
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only on limited basis,
00:10:56.79\00:10:58.49
which means they could tempt us,
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they could speak to us.
00:11:00.29\00:11:04.33
One of my favorite writers
Ellen White talked about,
00:11:04.36\00:11:06.49
she says, and
I'm paraphrasing this
00:11:06.53\00:11:08.96
to give context to the statement
00:11:09.00\00:11:10.57
I'm about to make.
00:11:10.60\00:11:11.93
But have you ever
had a thought John,
00:11:11.97\00:11:14.10
where you say,
where did that come from.
00:11:14.14\00:11:15.94
Yeah, we're in a
mess world. Yeah.
00:11:15.97\00:11:17.34
And what was
amazing to me, she says,
00:11:17.37\00:11:18.97
the evil angels
will speak in our ear,
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will whisper into our ear,
00:11:23.51\00:11:25.91
thoughts in our own voice
00:11:25.95\00:11:30.02
making us think
that is coming from us,
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you say, I wasn't even...
00:11:31.72\00:11:33.25
where did that come from?
00:11:33.29\00:11:34.62
But our response to
that, that determines
00:11:34.66\00:11:36.93
whether or not it
becomes just the temptation
00:11:36.96\00:11:39.29
or becomes the transgression.
00:11:39.33\00:11:41.26
Or sometimes you're praying
00:11:41.30\00:11:43.10
and these thoughts are
entering into your mind,
00:11:43.13\00:11:44.47
and you say, what, I
wasn't even thinking about that.
00:11:44.50\00:11:47.90
And so they have access
to the sense of tempting us,
00:11:47.94\00:11:51.21
and trying to speak to us
00:11:51.24\00:11:54.11
and trying to
create around us a sleepy,
00:11:54.14\00:11:56.88
uncomfortable or
comfortable atmosphere
00:11:56.91\00:11:59.41
where I've seen this
happened during sermons
00:11:59.45\00:12:02.38
to see how the evil angels work.
00:12:02.42\00:12:04.82
People would be awake
for the songs service,
00:12:04.85\00:12:07.92
and their offering
and the children story,
00:12:07.96\00:12:09.89
but as soon as
the sermon begins,
00:12:09.92\00:12:14.50
and Ellen White
explain that, she says,
00:12:14.53\00:12:16.60
these evil angels come
00:12:16.63\00:12:18.07
and they whap
their wings around us
00:12:18.10\00:12:19.70
to create a
comfort and it returns,
00:12:19.73\00:12:22.80
and it results in a stupor,
00:12:22.84\00:12:25.27
that's the word
that she uses a stupor,
00:12:25.31\00:12:27.14
so that they will
miss the very thing
00:12:27.18\00:12:29.14
that God
intended for them to hear.
00:12:29.18\00:12:31.91
That's why, that's
why I intentionally say,
00:12:31.95\00:12:34.88
don't sleep on me, if you see
somebody sleeping wake him up,
00:12:34.92\00:12:38.19
because there is something
00:12:38.22\00:12:39.55
that there is this
controversy going on
00:12:39.59\00:12:41.22
and a lot of
people get pulled into it
00:12:41.26\00:12:42.86
by not understanding
how evil angels work.
00:12:42.89\00:12:45.46
I had to experience
the same thing directly.
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.00
I mean, there are
times where I'm tired
00:12:47.03\00:12:49.90
but I can't see
I'm worn out or sleepy,
00:12:49.93\00:12:52.67
but those services
going along just fine,
00:12:52.70\00:12:55.50
if I'm in the
congregation for that service,
00:12:55.54\00:12:57.44
Pastor gets up to preaching
about five, ten minutes
00:12:57.47\00:12:59.64
in a way, I get tired.
00:12:59.67\00:13:02.78
And the devil is pushing hard
to get me to shut down my mind,
00:13:02.81\00:13:05.85
so I don't hear the sermon.
00:13:05.88\00:13:07.32
Now knowing what you just
said in regard to the battle
00:13:07.35\00:13:10.49
I realize, I see
enemy trying to do this.
00:13:10.52\00:13:13.39
So you just, you
got to shove it off,
00:13:13.42\00:13:14.76
you got to push it
forward and you got to listen it
00:13:14.79\00:13:17.23
even more intently to
make sure it doesn't happen.
00:13:17.26\00:13:19.39
And the evidence of
that is in Matthew 13,
00:13:19.43\00:13:21.20
it's just the Lord,
00:13:21.23\00:13:22.56
just impressed me to
show you the evidence.
00:13:22.60\00:13:23.93
Go to Matthew 13.
00:13:23.97\00:13:25.30
Okay here I am Matthew 13. Okay.
00:13:28.27\00:13:34.94
All right, Matthew 13
and I'm gonna go ahead
00:13:34.98\00:13:41.75
and read starting with verse 19.
00:13:41.78\00:13:46.52
Here is Matthew 13:18,
00:13:46.55\00:13:52.43
therefore hear the
parable of the sower,
00:13:52.46\00:13:56.46
verse 19.
00:13:56.50\00:13:57.83
When anyone hears
the word of the kingdom
00:13:57.87\00:14:00.94
and does not understand
it, then notice what happened.
00:14:00.97\00:14:05.61
The wicked one
comes and snatches away,
00:14:05.64\00:14:09.64
what was sown in his heart.
00:14:09.68\00:14:12.21
So are they
grappling to understand this?
00:14:12.25\00:14:15.48
What happens?
00:14:15.52\00:14:16.85
Satan is at hand, his
evil angels are at hand
00:14:16.89\00:14:19.65
to snatch away what is
being sown in their hearts.
00:14:19.69\00:14:22.96
And what happens?
00:14:22.99\00:14:25.46
They become unfruitful,
00:14:25.49\00:14:27.43
they become it
just takes no route.
00:14:27.46\00:14:30.17
Just there's no
production in their lives
00:14:30.20\00:14:32.93
referencing what the Lord
is trying to share with them.
00:14:32.97\00:14:36.50
So there's a great
controversy going on
00:14:36.54\00:14:39.54
when the word of
God is being proclaimed.
00:14:39.57\00:14:42.24
Unsettle elements but
during the thousand years
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.91
and direct
answer to the question,
00:14:44.95\00:14:46.41
these evil angels will be
just waiting for the judgment
00:14:46.45\00:14:48.68
that will come at the
end of the thousand years.
00:14:48.72\00:14:50.72
That's what the Bible
says in Revelation 13,
00:14:50.75\00:14:52.85
where the dragon and the beast
and the false prophets are.
00:14:52.89\00:14:55.12
You know, Satan will be cast
into this lake of burning fire
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.79
with the dragon and the beast
and the false prophets are.
00:14:57.83\00:15:00.23
He knows his
time is a short time.
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.43
So yeah, thank
you for that, John.
00:15:02.46\00:15:03.83
Yeah.
00:15:03.87\00:15:05.63
Quick question here,
00:15:05.67\00:15:07.00
and I think this requires
just a very short answer.
00:15:07.04\00:15:10.41
Lenox, Lenox this
person is a graphic designer.
00:15:10.44\00:15:16.71
Evidently he says I
don't know it's a man or woman
00:15:16.75\00:15:19.55
but Lenox sounds
like a man's name.
00:15:19.58\00:15:21.88
He says I wear my hair
as twists most of the time,
00:15:21.92\00:15:27.12
what is wrong with that
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.62
that I should be judged by that?
00:15:29.66\00:15:31.69
Within the church, what
does that prevent me from doing?
00:15:31.73\00:15:34.53
For instance will that
stop me from being baptized?
00:15:34.56\00:15:38.43
Does that stop me
from serving the Lord?
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.84
Does that stop
me from being saved?
00:15:40.87\00:15:43.10
In short, no.
Just in a nutshell, no.
00:15:43.14\00:15:47.04
Now, let me go ahead
00:15:47.08\00:15:48.54
and add some
qualification to my answer.
00:15:48.58\00:15:54.55
When the Bible talks about this,
00:15:54.58\00:15:55.92
and I'm gonna read
this verse in 1 Timothy 29,
00:15:55.95\00:15:59.49
I don't know, if
this is man or not
00:15:59.52\00:16:01.06
but most of the time
Lenox is a man's name.
00:16:01.09\00:16:06.09
When the Bible
talks about 1 Timothy 29,
00:16:06.13\00:16:08.96
it says "In like manner also
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.80
that the woman adorn
themselves in modest apparel
00:16:11.83\00:16:15.07
with priority in moderation,
00:16:15.10\00:16:17.37
not with braided hair or
gold or pearls or costly array."
00:16:17.41\00:16:21.08
The text here when
it says braided hair,
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.18
there was a practice
00:16:23.21\00:16:24.55
that was prevalent in
the New Testament church
00:16:24.58\00:16:26.48
and in some pagan societies,
it was not just the braiding...
00:16:26.51\00:16:29.85
it was not the braiding
of hair that was the issue
00:16:29.88\00:16:32.59
but the
intermingling into the hair,
00:16:32.62\00:16:34.89
strands of gold and
elements that causes the hair
00:16:34.92\00:16:38.86
to look ostentatious and gaudy.
00:16:38.89\00:16:41.06
It was not hair that
was just basically braided.
00:16:41.10\00:16:44.33
You speaking about twisted hair,
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.33
one of the things that
I encourage people to do
00:16:46.37\00:16:48.70
that are involved in
ministry is that often times
00:16:48.74\00:16:52.24
if we follow so closely
00:16:52.27\00:16:57.58
and I'm gonna use
this not being aware
00:16:57.61\00:16:59.41
of what the reason is
for the style of your hair,
00:16:59.45\00:17:03.08
but we have to
sometimes present the Lord
00:17:03.12\00:17:06.96
that doesn't harmonize
with the fashions and styles
00:17:06.99\00:17:10.13
and patterns of the world.
00:17:10.16\00:17:12.03
Let me give you an example.
00:17:12.06\00:17:14.50
A modest apparel,
that was the text,
00:17:14.53\00:17:17.70
the context of this
text with modest apparel.
00:17:17.73\00:17:20.10
So whenever we are
presenting the Lord,
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.70
or working for the Lord,
we try to avoid gaudiness,
00:17:22.74\00:17:26.98
we try to avoid a display
00:17:27.01\00:17:28.58
that matches us to
closely to the world
00:17:28.61\00:17:31.08
or that will prevent
us from communicating
00:17:31.11\00:17:34.48
with the people
that may think what,
00:17:34.52\00:17:36.72
kind of it's really weird.
00:17:36.75\00:17:38.09
And I don't know
what it looks like,
00:17:38.12\00:17:39.45
I'm just not judging
this individual for the idea
00:17:39.49\00:17:42.19
that they wear
their hair with twist
00:17:42.22\00:17:44.09
but I have seen that.
00:17:44.13\00:17:45.46
I've seen people
that have worn their hair
00:17:45.49\00:17:47.10
with little twist, sometimes,
00:17:47.13\00:17:48.63
and sometimes it could
look like a whole corn field,
00:17:48.66\00:17:51.23
I mean really.
00:17:51.27\00:17:52.60
Sometimes it
could be distracting
00:17:52.63\00:17:54.10
depending on the
size of the twist.
00:17:54.14\00:17:55.47
Sometimes, you know,
00:17:55.50\00:17:56.84
years ago I saw
the Little Rascals,
00:17:56.87\00:17:58.24
you may remember those days.
00:17:58.27\00:17:59.97
I'm trying to be kind on here
00:18:00.01\00:18:01.44
but just a thought
of the Little Rascals
00:18:01.48\00:18:03.38
made me smile.
00:18:03.41\00:18:04.78
But we want to try to
present the Lord as decently
00:18:04.81\00:18:07.48
and in order as we possibly can.
00:18:07.52\00:18:09.72
So sometimes people may
consider in their field,
00:18:09.75\00:18:12.35
in their context,
in their community
00:18:12.39\00:18:14.79
that could be a
distraction for people
00:18:14.82\00:18:17.76
taking one seriously.
00:18:17.79\00:18:19.49
And on the other side too,
it can't be an entering wedge
00:18:19.53\00:18:23.03
for communicating to a
different people group,
00:18:23.06\00:18:24.93
so I really is what
I think he was saying
00:18:24.97\00:18:26.74
is kind of
recognize your surroundings.
00:18:26.77\00:18:29.57
And you got to recognize
who you're trying to reach.
00:18:29.60\00:18:30.94
Who you're trying to reach,
00:18:30.97\00:18:32.31
that's what Paul did,
right, I mean he says...
00:18:32.34\00:18:33.68
He became all things to all men,
00:18:33.71\00:18:35.04
so you have, so
the value of ministry
00:18:35.08\00:18:36.71
is not removed at all.
00:18:36.75\00:18:38.15
What I want to point out
is recognize your community
00:18:38.18\00:18:40.72
and as I've said before
00:18:40.75\00:18:43.99
know what bait you need to use
to catch the fish you aim for.
00:18:44.02\00:18:48.09
In a contemporary setting, a
college campus, a university,
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.16
yuppie town or
metropolis and urban setting,
00:18:52.19\00:18:55.56
man, you could probably
reach them better than people
00:18:55.60\00:18:57.53
they come in all clean
shave and in all tucked in.
00:18:57.57\00:19:01.00
You got to know your audience.
00:19:01.04\00:19:02.67
And so one of the
things that we tend to,
00:19:02.70\00:19:05.17
try to remind
ourselves of this context
00:19:05.21\00:19:08.04
who to whom are we ministering.
00:19:08.08\00:19:10.41
That determines how
we present ourselves.
00:19:10.45\00:19:13.15
But generally the question like,
00:19:13.18\00:19:15.12
does it stop me from
being baptized or being saved.
00:19:15.15\00:19:17.29
The answer is absolutely not.
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.62
A man look at
the outer appearance,
00:19:19.65\00:19:21.62
God look at the heart.
00:19:21.66\00:19:23.43
We are not talking about jewelry
00:19:23.46\00:19:24.79
and earrings and all that,
00:19:24.83\00:19:26.59
that's a different category
and different topic altogether,
00:19:26.63\00:19:29.13
but when it comes
to your braided hair,
00:19:29.16\00:19:32.07
we should just seek to
present ourselves in a way
00:19:32.10\00:19:34.87
that we can reach a
larger group of individuals
00:19:34.90\00:19:37.77
or the group of people
that we're ministering too,
00:19:37.81\00:19:41.38
and you have to even take
that with the greater assault.
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.95
Because sometimes you
don't want to become like them
00:19:43.98\00:19:45.98
to reach them.
00:19:46.01\00:19:47.35
Jesus didn't
become like the people
00:19:47.38\00:19:49.05
He tried to
reach, but the Pharisees,
00:19:49.08\00:19:51.52
that's why the
Pharisees were so concerned.
00:19:51.55\00:19:53.76
If He really is a Son of God,
00:19:53.79\00:19:55.56
why is He hanging around
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.63
with publicans and harlots
and tax collectors and sinners?
00:19:57.66\00:20:00.46
The group didn't seem
to match who Jesus is?
00:20:00.50\00:20:04.60
So be mindful of
that and use discretion.
00:20:04.63\00:20:07.14
Who am I trying to
reach? What is my message?
00:20:07.17\00:20:09.57
Is my message, this
is just I'm gonna look
00:20:09.60\00:20:11.47
and you got to deal with
it, that's an issue of pride.
00:20:11.51\00:20:14.64
But if it's a matter of, well,
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.91
this is all I
can do with my hair,
00:20:16.95\00:20:18.45
I know someone and I
won't mention this name
00:20:18.48\00:20:19.91
but he said he went
through all these changes once,
00:20:19.95\00:20:23.15
ones that's on with
braids and he had a big afro,
00:20:23.18\00:20:25.89
then he shaved it all
off and then he said to me,
00:20:25.92\00:20:28.56
pastor, I'm gonna
get some dreadlocks.
00:20:28.59\00:20:31.03
I said, you need to
figure out who you are,
00:20:31.06\00:20:33.19
because you're going
through all these changes
00:20:33.23\00:20:35.13
to try to establish
an identify when in fact
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.83
who the Lord wants us
to be is more important
00:20:37.87\00:20:40.04
than who the
world wants us to be,
00:20:40.07\00:20:42.47
and those changes
are truly impressions
00:20:42.50\00:20:44.97
that are coming from the world.
00:20:45.01\00:20:46.34
Yeah, so true. Yeah.
00:20:46.37\00:20:48.84
This question may
not take very long either
00:20:48.88\00:20:51.35
so I think we can fit
a third question in here.
00:20:51.38\00:20:53.38
It comes from
Cameroon. Oh, Cameroon Brooklyn?
00:20:53.42\00:20:57.39
Yeah, well, no,
but some Terrence,
00:20:57.42\00:21:01.02
and he says I want to ask you
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.56
to shed some light
00:21:03.59\00:21:05.36
on the
interpretation of the Mark 666
00:21:05.39\00:21:09.80
and that is revealed
00:21:09.83\00:21:11.57
in chapter 13 of Revelation.
00:21:11.60\00:21:16.97
Also I wish to know if
those who are saved will spend
00:21:17.01\00:21:20.21
an eternity in
heaven or on the new earth
00:21:20.24\00:21:23.28
as mentioned in Revelation 21:1.
00:21:23.31\00:21:26.11
Okay, so kind of
two, a dual parter here.
00:21:26.15\00:21:29.08
Maybe some fairly
quick answers to this.
00:21:29.12\00:21:31.52
Number one, it's a little bit
of a misnomer that people hear
00:21:31.55\00:21:35.99
when they put the
word mark and 666 together.
00:21:36.02\00:21:39.19
Okay, the mark and
666 is not the same thing.
00:21:39.23\00:21:43.53
Okay, the mark of the beast is
not the number of the man 666.
00:21:43.57\00:21:49.14
Okay, those are
two different things,
00:21:49.17\00:21:50.51
so read that
passage very carefully
00:21:50.54\00:21:52.77
and you'll find in
Revelation 13 toward the end
00:21:52.81\00:21:56.81
that the mark of the
beast is the one that's imposed
00:21:56.85\00:22:02.68
or placed upon the
forehead and the hands
00:22:02.72\00:22:04.69
of those that are wicked
and rebelling against God,
00:22:04.72\00:22:08.42
yet the number of the man
00:22:08.46\00:22:10.39
that's the head
of this peace power
00:22:10.43\00:22:12.59
has the number 666, okay.
00:22:12.63\00:22:15.46
So those are...
00:22:15.50\00:22:16.83
that's the first
thing that I would clarify
00:22:16.87\00:22:18.20
about the question itself.
00:22:18.23\00:22:20.24
But there are
several interpretations
00:22:20.27\00:22:21.60
that people have thrown
out there in regard to 666.
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.77
Some have even tried to
use the Roman numeral system
00:22:24.81\00:22:28.81
to calculate the number
00:22:28.84\00:22:30.28
and they take the
title of this individual
00:22:30.31\00:22:33.05
or that individual.
00:22:33.08\00:22:35.25
You know, we believe
that the antichrist power,
00:22:35.28\00:22:37.82
the system of the
antichrist is the Roman papacy,
00:22:37.85\00:22:41.62
but so they look at the
head of the Roman papacy,
00:22:41.66\00:22:43.76
they say, okay the
pope, let's look at his title,
00:22:43.79\00:22:46.76
Vicarius Filii
Dei, they take his,
00:22:46.80\00:22:49.00
the title that
was part of his mantra
00:22:49.03\00:22:51.53
that was there for
a while and they say,
00:22:51.57\00:22:52.90
okay, look at we calculate them,
00:22:52.93\00:22:54.44
the lettering out
there, you get to 666.
00:22:54.47\00:22:57.47
Others have brought up the fact
well, there's lots of actually,
00:22:57.51\00:22:59.94
there's lots of
titles in this world
00:22:59.97\00:23:01.48
that you can
calculate out to equal 666.
00:23:01.51\00:23:05.51
I choose to acknowledge
that is, that's interesting,
00:23:05.55\00:23:09.72
you know, set that aside
00:23:09.75\00:23:11.09
but probably the
best interpretation I find
00:23:11.12\00:23:13.52
is that 666 is short
of the perfect triune God,
00:23:13.56\00:23:18.33
in his perfection
of number which is 777.
00:23:18.36\00:23:22.16
And so all those 777
that appear in scriptures,
00:23:22.20\00:23:25.57
we know that 7 is a
perfect number of God.
00:23:25.60\00:23:27.64
And if God is three in one,
00:23:27.67\00:23:29.00
you can see where
666 fall short of that,
00:23:29.04\00:23:32.01
that could be Satan's way
00:23:32.04\00:23:33.81
of trying to
counterfeit the trinity of God
00:23:33.84\00:23:37.65
and he does that throughout.
00:23:37.68\00:23:39.01
You'll find several
threes in scriptures.
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.45
You'll find
references to the dragon,
00:23:41.48\00:23:43.62
the beast and the false prophet,
00:23:43.65\00:23:45.52
that's one, okay.
00:23:45.55\00:23:46.96
Here is another reference.
00:23:46.99\00:23:48.32
You'll find the beast
that ascends out of the sea,
00:23:48.36\00:23:53.09
the beast that ascends out
of the earth the wilderness,
00:23:53.13\00:23:56.80
and both of those
are in Revelation 13.
00:23:56.83\00:23:58.30
And the beast that
ascends from the bottomless pit,
00:23:58.33\00:24:01.20
Revelation 17.
00:24:01.24\00:24:02.60
Three beast ascending,
00:24:02.64\00:24:04.44
they are also part
of the false trinity.
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.17
So you see this
throughout scripture
00:24:06.21\00:24:08.74
and I believe that probably 666
00:24:08.78\00:24:11.01
is best interpreted by saying
00:24:11.05\00:24:13.35
that its Satan's
counterfeit of who God really is
00:24:13.38\00:24:16.89
because not only is
he trying to counterfeit
00:24:16.92\00:24:19.15
everything God
does but his character,
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.66
everything about
him, it would make sense
00:24:21.69\00:24:23.39
that he tries
to counterfeit his,
00:24:23.43\00:24:27.10
the Godhead self,
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.56
and so that's what I see in 666.
00:24:28.60\00:24:31.10
In 666, undeniably historically
when you look at the papacy
00:24:31.13\00:24:34.94
and you alluded to
that, his title surely does
00:24:34.97\00:24:38.71
in the Latin
numerals add up to 666,
00:24:38.74\00:24:42.08
Vicarius Filii Dei or Dei
00:24:42.11\00:24:44.78
depending on how
people pronounce that.
00:24:44.81\00:24:47.15
But you'll also go
to the Phoenician gods
00:24:47.18\00:24:50.15
to the Babylonian gods
to the gods of other nations
00:24:50.19\00:24:55.79
and other
powers of past history,
00:24:55.82\00:24:58.76
and you'll discover any system
that has an substitute for God,
00:24:58.79\00:25:05.63
their name tends to in
their culture add up to 666.
00:25:05.67\00:25:11.61
The context of Revelation
13 are our final movements
00:25:11.64\00:25:14.68
Revelation 13
presents the papacy
00:25:14.71\00:25:18.51
and the United States.
00:25:18.55\00:25:20.32
And so you see here,
00:25:20.35\00:25:21.92
they said the
one who is involved
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.05
in this coalition
is a substitute for God
00:25:24.09\00:25:27.69
'cause 777 is his name,
00:25:27.72\00:25:29.99
but it's a very
interesting fact, John,
00:25:30.03\00:25:31.36
I learned this trivia.
00:25:31.39\00:25:32.76
I you add up 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
00:25:32.79\00:25:39.10
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27,
00:25:39.13\00:25:44.54
28, 29, 30, 31,
32, 33, 34, 35, 36,
00:25:44.57\00:25:49.21
if you add all
these numbers together,
00:25:49.24\00:25:51.51
they come up to
666, from 1 to 36,
00:25:51.55\00:25:55.35
add them all up
and it comes to 666.
00:25:55.38\00:25:58.85
In geometry 36 is
a triangular number,
00:25:58.89\00:26:03.93
three sixes and that shows you
00:26:03.96\00:26:06.96
why there is a
triune substitution
00:26:07.00\00:26:10.37
for the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit
00:26:10.40\00:26:12.40
is the dragon, the
beast and the false prophet.
00:26:12.43\00:26:14.67
So that system would
be a system of antichrist,
00:26:14.70\00:26:17.87
so it's not just the papacy.
00:26:17.91\00:26:20.74
If you make up the papacy alone
00:26:20.78\00:26:22.64
and say that's the
system of the antichrist,
00:26:22.68\00:26:24.91
then you'll leave out
apostate Protestantism
00:26:24.95\00:26:27.88
and you leave out spiritualism.
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.98
But in the full coalition
what is being pulled together
00:26:30.02\00:26:33.89
in Revelation 13 and
in Revelation 17 and 18
00:26:33.92\00:26:37.13
about Babylon, the
whole system of Babylon
00:26:37.16\00:26:40.03
is a coalition of
three false powers.
00:26:40.06\00:26:42.40
And at the head of it
00:26:42.43\00:26:43.77
is the ultimate
antichrist Satan himself.
00:26:43.80\00:26:46.03
But throughout the
history long before Rome
00:26:46.07\00:26:48.00
even came into the
picture, there was system of,
00:26:48.04\00:26:50.11
say systems of antichrist
way back to Babylon, Egypt.
00:26:50.14\00:26:54.18
All these systems of antichrist
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.44
always have been
there were anti God systems.
00:26:56.48\00:26:59.85
We say antichrist
because that's the terminology
00:26:59.88\00:27:02.38
used in the New Testament.
00:27:02.42\00:27:04.49
But all these
substitutionary systems of God
00:27:04.52\00:27:06.69
have always been in
place since the fall of man.
00:27:06.72\00:27:10.83
And antichrist,
some people think,
00:27:10.86\00:27:12.86
well, antichrist
is against Christ
00:27:12.89\00:27:14.46
but that's not the
only meaning of anti.
00:27:14.50\00:27:16.60
Antis can be against
but it also was in place of.
00:27:16.63\00:27:19.73
In place of, that's right,
the substitutionary system.
00:27:19.77\00:27:22.87
So when you look at
the substitutionary work
00:27:22.90\00:27:24.54
of Satan, he's always looking.
00:27:24.57\00:27:26.17
He said in Isaiah 14, I
will be like the Most High.
00:27:26.21\00:27:30.25
That's a 666
statement. That's right.
00:27:30.28\00:27:33.31
Who is the Most High?
00:27:33.35\00:27:34.68
The Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
00:27:34.72\00:27:36.08
I will be like the Most High.
00:27:36.12\00:27:37.79
And so when you
think about that 666,
00:27:37.82\00:27:41.12
try that in a trivial sense.
00:27:41.16\00:27:42.89
Add up the number 1 to 36
00:27:42.92\00:27:45.39
and you'll come
to the number 666
00:27:45.43\00:27:47.96
and 36 is in
geometry a triangular number.
00:27:48.00\00:27:51.37
See the triangle, that's
why in all these occult worlds
00:27:51.40\00:27:54.27
you find the
triangle there, 666.
00:27:54.30\00:27:57.97
The sum total of
the numbers 1 to 36,
00:27:58.01\00:28:01.34
I thought that was
fairly interesting.
00:28:01.38\00:28:03.81
And lastly, you find
also that in religion
00:28:03.85\00:28:09.95
it's called the Textus Receptus.
00:28:09.98\00:28:12.89
In the Textus
Receptus manuscript
00:28:12.92\00:28:14.62
in the New Testament,
the Book of Revelation 13
00:28:14.66\00:28:16.96
cryptically asserts 666
as to be the man's number.
00:28:16.99\00:28:22.26
When you think about
that the number of a man.
00:28:22.30\00:28:25.23
Now on what day when
you think of the Bible,
00:28:25.27\00:28:29.97
six days the
world was created in
00:28:30.01\00:28:33.11
but the seventh
day was the Sabbath.
00:28:33.14\00:28:35.24
So if you just
go to the sixth day,
00:28:35.28\00:28:37.28
you have the number of
man, six is the number of man.
00:28:37.31\00:28:40.25
So what, but also
the final meaning of 666
00:28:40.28\00:28:42.92
is falling short of God's glory.
00:28:42.95\00:28:46.96
So the antichrist,
00:28:46.99\00:28:48.76
the substitutionary system
of Christ of the devil sorry,
00:28:48.79\00:28:52.63
always falls short
of the glory of God.
00:28:52.66\00:28:56.10
That's why right
after Revelation 13
00:28:56.13\00:28:57.97
what's the next
message in Revelation 14,
00:28:58.00\00:29:00.07
"Fear God and
give glory to Him."
00:29:00.10\00:29:02.40
Because this
substitutionary system
00:29:02.44\00:29:04.27
always fall short
of giving glory to God.
00:29:04.31\00:29:07.34
That's right.
00:29:07.38\00:29:08.71
You know, you
also find throughout
00:29:08.74\00:29:10.15
all the Old Testament as well,
00:29:10.18\00:29:11.58
this false system,
even in Ezekiel 28,
00:29:11.61\00:29:14.98
you have the introduction,
the lamentation is taking up
00:29:15.02\00:29:17.79
for the prince of Tyre
00:29:17.82\00:29:19.65
and then later
on the king of Tyre.
00:29:19.69\00:29:21.79
Well, the king of Tyre...
00:29:21.82\00:29:23.99
Theologians have for
a long time recognize
00:29:24.03\00:29:26.80
that as Satan himself.
00:29:26.83\00:29:28.66
But the prince of Tyre
is set up as his system.
00:29:28.70\00:29:31.93
It's what he uses on
earth to deceive the nations.
00:29:31.97\00:29:35.24
And so you'll find that
this is a prophecy in Ezekiel 28
00:29:35.27\00:29:38.41
of what will
happen at the end of time.
00:29:38.44\00:29:40.41
So you know, he
recognizes the Father
00:29:40.44\00:29:42.84
and the relationship
with the Son and he says,
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.51
okay, I want to be the Most High
00:29:44.55\00:29:46.82
and I want to
have a son and a system
00:29:46.85\00:29:49.48
with which I can
work up at church
00:29:49.52\00:29:51.49
and so he is doing that
here and throughout scripture,
00:29:51.52\00:29:57.59
this system is against
00:29:57.63\00:30:00.33
and also in place
of substitutionary
00:30:00.36\00:30:02.20
as you said, it's there.
00:30:02.23\00:30:04.43
It's clear.
00:30:04.47\00:30:06.03
And let me just point out what
I mean by triangular numbers.
00:30:06.07\00:30:09.64
Triangular numbers are numbers
00:30:09.67\00:30:11.47
that when the same
number is used three times,
00:30:11.51\00:30:14.18
it comes to the
total of that number.
00:30:14.21\00:30:15.88
Let me give you an
example, 36 is three times 12,
00:30:15.91\00:30:18.95
15 is three times
5, 21 is three times 7.
00:30:18.98\00:30:23.89
Triangular numbers
are very interesting
00:30:23.92\00:30:26.19
in the sense of
coming to the number of 666.
00:30:26.22\00:30:29.42
Let's go back to what I
said about a moment ago.
00:30:29.46\00:30:31.53
If you add numbers 1 to
36, the total will be 666,
00:30:31.56\00:30:35.60
but you take 36 by
itself, that's 12 times 3,
00:30:35.63\00:30:39.20
these triangular numbers.
00:30:39.23\00:30:41.34
Fifteen now,
this is interesting.
00:30:41.37\00:30:43.44
Fifteen is a triangular
number also, five, five, five.
00:30:43.47\00:30:46.37
Twenty one is a
triangular number also,
00:30:46.41\00:30:48.08
seven, seven, seven.
00:30:48.11\00:30:49.74
See, but now if
you do 15 square,
00:30:49.78\00:30:54.02
it comes up to 225.
00:30:54.05\00:30:56.69
If you do 21
square it comes up to 441
00:30:56.72\00:31:01.29
and you add those two
together, it comes to 666.
00:31:01.32\00:31:04.43
So you find in the numerology
and the reason I mentioned this
00:31:04.46\00:31:08.20
is because in the occult world,
00:31:08.23\00:31:10.43
numerology is the way
they hide their messages.
00:31:10.47\00:31:14.60
And so when you
think of the antichrist,
00:31:14.64\00:31:17.04
let's not only think of Rome.
00:31:17.07\00:31:18.87
I want to end by
saying this thought,
00:31:18.91\00:31:20.98
not only think of Rome
but think of spiritualism
00:31:21.01\00:31:24.91
and apostate Protestantism,
00:31:24.95\00:31:27.12
always looking for a substitute
for that which is divine.
00:31:27.15\00:31:31.12
But thank you for the question.
00:31:31.15\00:31:32.49
See how many
doors that opened up.
00:31:32.52\00:31:33.86
Yeah, that was
neat, good questions.
00:31:33.89\00:31:35.29
I always try to
learn something new
00:31:35.32\00:31:37.03
and we try to
convey something new.
00:31:37.06\00:31:38.56
You know, he did ask at
the end of the question,
00:31:38.59\00:31:41.63
where we would spend eternity,
the saints spend eternity,
00:31:41.66\00:31:44.53
but we're kind of
needed a transition
00:31:44.57\00:31:47.24
to our subject here
00:31:47.27\00:31:48.60
but just the quick
answer is Revelation 20 and 21
00:31:48.64\00:31:52.97
reveal that during
the thousand years,
00:31:53.01\00:31:54.54
the saints are in
heaven reigning with Christ,
00:31:54.58\00:31:57.18
then the new
Jerusalem comes down,
00:31:57.21\00:31:58.55
sits on earth and
they spend eternity
00:31:58.58\00:32:00.82
on the new earth created anew
00:32:00.85\00:32:03.12
after the fire from heaven
does its devouring of the earth
00:32:03.15\00:32:06.49
and its
elements, including sin so.
00:32:06.52\00:32:09.42
I actually answered
that question yesterday,
00:32:09.46\00:32:12.66
and I said remember
00:32:12.69\00:32:14.40
what's the purpose
of the thousand years.
00:32:14.43\00:32:16.56
We are there
participating in the preparation
00:32:16.60\00:32:19.27
for the executive
phase of the judgment.
00:32:19.30\00:32:22.30
And that is the
destruction of sin and sinners.
00:32:22.34\00:32:26.01
So we are not there
to hang out for ever
00:32:26.04\00:32:28.21
at the end of
the thousand years.
00:32:28.24\00:32:29.78
So praise the Lord for that.
00:32:29.81\00:32:32.75
All right, John, lead
us into our topic today,
00:32:32.78\00:32:35.55
very interesting one that
we've come up with the idea.
00:32:35.58\00:32:37.65
Yeah, it can sound
very vague initially
00:32:37.69\00:32:39.49
when we talk about
what we are gonna share
00:32:39.52\00:32:41.12
here for the next program or two
00:32:41.16\00:32:42.59
but it's in regard to knowledge.
00:32:42.62\00:32:45.69
Knowledge is kind
of king, it's power.
00:32:45.73\00:32:48.20
We've heard
knowledge is for a long time
00:32:48.23\00:32:51.30
and it clearly has
all those elements to it.
00:32:51.33\00:32:55.20
But the Bible says
00:32:55.24\00:32:58.27
that in the last days,
00:32:58.31\00:33:00.21
it says in the time of the
end many shall run to and fro
00:33:00.24\00:33:03.24
and knowledge shall increase.
00:33:03.28\00:33:05.81
So it was the Bible's
even very predictive of
00:33:05.85\00:33:08.58
in the last days there is a,
00:33:08.62\00:33:11.49
almost a recognition, a respect,
00:33:11.52\00:33:16.66
a high level of
seeking knowledge that happens.
00:33:16.69\00:33:20.63
And we see that
in our industries
00:33:20.66\00:33:22.13
that have grown
overtime, the industrial age,
00:33:22.16\00:33:24.57
now the technology age.
00:33:24.60\00:33:27.77
I know some statistics
00:33:27.80\00:33:29.14
we talked about
this a long time ago,
00:33:29.17\00:33:31.07
I don't remember
all the details, John,
00:33:31.11\00:33:32.67
but how things have,
00:33:32.71\00:33:34.64
how quickly they're
accelerating in knowledge,
00:33:34.68\00:33:36.88
it's not just like
every year or two it doubles.
00:33:36.91\00:33:40.82
It's what do you call it,
00:33:40.85\00:33:45.05
it's accelerating exponentially,
00:33:45.09\00:33:46.96
that's the word I'm looking for,
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.32
and knowledge
is growing in time.
00:33:48.36\00:33:50.46
And so you know,
it's one thing to say
00:33:50.49\00:33:53.86
that I'm growing in knowledge
00:33:53.90\00:33:55.23
or that I'm getting
to know more things.
00:33:55.26\00:33:56.73
It's another thing to say
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.10
that I truly have understanding.
00:33:58.13\00:34:00.14
In other words, I
have true knowledge
00:34:00.17\00:34:02.07
and that understanding
is something that is Godly,
00:34:02.10\00:34:05.81
that is driven by God
00:34:05.84\00:34:07.31
and that is driven
also by the word of God.
00:34:07.34\00:34:10.85
And so I want to,
00:34:10.88\00:34:12.21
I think we had to
spend time in this program
00:34:12.25\00:34:15.18
and probably the next,
00:34:15.22\00:34:16.55
talk about what the Bible
says in regard to knowledge,
00:34:16.58\00:34:19.15
and also maybe
in a practical way
00:34:19.19\00:34:21.19
talk about how
some of that knowledge
00:34:21.22\00:34:22.86
is seen in the world
that is seen in the world
00:34:22.89\00:34:26.56
is more
foolishness than knowledge.
00:34:26.59\00:34:28.73
It's not really true
understanding in other things
00:34:28.76\00:34:31.07
'cause I think
people need to discern
00:34:31.10\00:34:32.70
that just because you
hear it or read it on TV
00:34:32.73\00:34:36.10
it doesn't mean that it's true.
00:34:36.14\00:34:38.34
Just because your
pastor is saying this or that,
00:34:38.37\00:34:40.04
it doesn't mean it's accurate.
00:34:40.08\00:34:41.41
Just because you quote a
text or two from scripture,
00:34:41.44\00:34:43.24
it doesn't mean that is a truth.
00:34:43.28\00:34:45.25
You know we can skew
anything to what we want,
00:34:45.28\00:34:47.72
even the media we
know inherently this,
00:34:47.75\00:34:50.59
that the media is
biased to the presenters
00:34:50.62\00:34:53.89
or the anchor or the one that
is putting together the notes.
00:34:53.92\00:34:56.49
It's biased to the opinion
00:34:56.52\00:34:57.86
in the world view
of that individual.
00:34:57.89\00:35:00.13
Okay, it's just the way it is.
00:35:00.16\00:35:03.47
But we forget that when we
read and we hear this stuff,
00:35:03.50\00:35:06.74
and so we need to
have the filters on
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.74
and I think part
of that filtering
00:35:08.77\00:35:10.31
is a true knowledge that
comes from the word of God
00:35:10.34\00:35:13.64
and a true biblical world view
is to what is around us today
00:35:13.68\00:35:16.95
and what's happening.
00:35:16.98\00:35:18.31
Well, let me
start with the text.
00:35:18.35\00:35:19.68
Go ahead.
00:35:19.71\00:35:21.05
In John 17, I want to
start with a text that really
00:35:21.08\00:35:25.79
if you were to
distill this down,
00:35:25.82\00:35:29.69
this text to me would be,
you know, first last and best
00:35:29.72\00:35:35.43
because, and
I'm gonna share this
00:35:35.46\00:35:38.40
in the context of another one
which comes up in 2 Timothy 3,
00:35:38.43\00:35:43.57
"Ever learning,
and never able to come
00:35:43.61\00:35:46.07
to the knowledge of the truth."
00:35:46.11\00:35:50.85
John 17:3 listen to
what the Bible says.
00:35:50.88\00:35:53.48
"And this is eternal
life, or life eternal,
00:35:53.52\00:35:55.68
that they may know
You, the only true God,
00:35:55.72\00:35:59.62
and Jesus Christ
whom You have sent."
00:35:59.65\00:36:02.32
So when you really boil it down,
00:36:02.36\00:36:05.23
one of the first
pitfalls that men fell into
00:36:05.26\00:36:08.63
is they wanted
intellectual development
00:36:08.66\00:36:15.40
rather than
spiritual development.
00:36:15.44\00:36:18.11
Intellectual
development has its benefits
00:36:18.14\00:36:21.24
but an educated
person without Jesus
00:36:21.28\00:36:23.98
is a dangerous person,
00:36:24.01\00:36:26.35
but remember if
the downfall of man
00:36:26.38\00:36:31.75
came on the
heels of the suggestion
00:36:31.79\00:36:35.06
that Satan made to
Eve in the beginning,
00:36:35.09\00:36:39.09
I would suggest
that the downfall of men
00:36:39.13\00:36:41.43
in the end will be
on the same premise.
00:36:41.46\00:36:44.03
And it's a good
place to start, John,
00:36:44.07\00:36:45.40
because the tree that
this deception took place at
00:36:45.43\00:36:48.54
was the tree of the knowledge,
the knowledge of good and evil.
00:36:48.57\00:36:53.48
There is knowledge that is good
00:36:53.51\00:36:55.21
and there is
knowledge that is evil.
00:36:55.24\00:36:56.88
Right, and you
can gain knowledge,
00:36:56.91\00:36:58.45
you could be pursuing knowledge
but it's not as I said here
00:36:58.48\00:37:02.38
the knowledge about who is Jesus
00:37:02.42\00:37:04.89
or knowing Him.
00:37:04.92\00:37:06.25
And remember,
Jesus even made it clear
00:37:06.29\00:37:08.82
that the basis
on which He rejects
00:37:08.86\00:37:10.69
those who come
without the Holy Spirit,
00:37:10.73\00:37:13.76
He said I never knew you.
00:37:13.80\00:37:16.70
The knowledge of Him
leads to His knowledge of us.
00:37:16.73\00:37:21.37
Now, let me just
put that correctly,
00:37:21.40\00:37:22.94
it's not like oh, now I
know who John Lomacang is.
00:37:22.97\00:37:26.44
No, we desire to know him
00:37:26.47\00:37:28.94
this knowledge
that relationship,
00:37:28.98\00:37:30.81
that knowledge
where there is contextual
00:37:30.85\00:37:33.68
to the phrase Adam
knew Eve and she conceived.
00:37:33.72\00:37:37.19
It's a spiritually
intimate relationship.
00:37:37.22\00:37:39.49
I know you, you know me, okay.
00:37:39.52\00:37:42.12
We have a
knowledge of each other.
00:37:42.16\00:37:43.86
That is more important
00:37:43.89\00:37:45.23
than the knowledge
that Satan suggested to Eve.
00:37:45.26\00:37:49.76
Let's meet on this
basis of knowledge.
00:37:49.80\00:37:51.77
Right. And so...
00:37:51.80\00:37:53.17
It's the difference
really between knowing God
00:37:53.20\00:37:57.47
and knowing about God.
00:37:57.51\00:37:58.84
Right, knowing him. Okay.
00:37:58.87\00:38:01.21
Knowing God is
an intimate thing,
00:38:01.24\00:38:03.55
it's a relational
thing but knowing about God
00:38:03.58\00:38:09.92
is just this intellectual
reading of the scriptures
00:38:09.95\00:38:12.45
and just kind of
finding different truths
00:38:12.49\00:38:14.86
that we put
together about who God is
00:38:14.89\00:38:17.36
and that doesn't
save, that doesn't,
00:38:17.39\00:38:19.06
that's not
relational, that is dry.
00:38:19.09\00:38:21.56
In fact it can be very cold.
00:38:21.60\00:38:23.57
And we often find
even in church situations
00:38:23.60\00:38:26.90
where people have a
great knowledge of the Bible
00:38:26.94\00:38:29.60
and then quote many scriptures,
but they don't have a knowledge
00:38:29.64\00:38:31.77
or intimate
knowledge of God Himself.
00:38:31.81\00:38:34.04
In fact, John, I would suggest
00:38:34.08\00:38:37.25
that intimacy of
knowledge is the big difference
00:38:37.28\00:38:43.25
between old
covenant relationship
00:38:43.28\00:38:45.29
and new covenant relationship.
00:38:45.32\00:38:49.06
And here is why I say that.
00:38:49.09\00:38:50.89
If you look at,
Revelation, excuse me Hebrews 8,
00:38:50.93\00:38:55.76
it says here,
00:38:59.63\00:39:02.27
it gives the
parameters of the new covenant
00:39:02.30\00:39:05.91
which it says behold I will,
00:39:05.94\00:39:09.38
the days are coming where
I will make a new covenant
00:39:09.41\00:39:11.41
with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah,
00:39:11.45\00:39:12.78
not according to the covenant
00:39:12.81\00:39:14.15
that I made with
their fathers in the day
00:39:14.18\00:39:15.82
when I took them by the hand
00:39:15.85\00:39:17.39
to lead them out
of the land of Egypt."
00:39:17.42\00:39:19.35
And it goes down here, and
it talks about putting my laws
00:39:19.39\00:39:22.22
in their minds and
writing them on their hearts
00:39:22.26\00:39:24.36
and all of a sudden a text
00:39:24.39\00:39:25.73
as it appears
almost out of place,
00:39:25.76\00:39:28.13
but it doesn't, it's
perfectly placed is verse 11,
00:39:28.16\00:39:31.93
"None of them
shall teach his neighbor,
00:39:31.97\00:39:34.00
and none his brother,
saying, Know the Lord,
00:39:34.04\00:39:38.04
for they all shall know me,
00:39:38.07\00:39:41.34
from the least of them
to the greatest of them."
00:39:41.38\00:39:43.58
In other words you won't
have to teach your neighbors
00:39:43.61\00:39:45.91
and your brothers
and those about God
00:39:45.95\00:39:48.35
because they will
know God intimately
00:39:48.38\00:39:50.75
through the new covenant
00:39:50.79\00:39:52.55
relational experiential maturity
00:39:52.59\00:39:57.63
that grows between them and God
00:39:57.66\00:39:59.86
as they enter into that new
covenant relationship with him.
00:39:59.89\00:40:02.83
John, that point is well taken.
00:40:02.86\00:40:04.70
As a matter of fact, I
think it's one of the barriers
00:40:04.73\00:40:08.30
to knowing God was accepting
the true knowledge of God.
00:40:08.34\00:40:13.11
And Paul when he outlined
00:40:13.14\00:40:15.91
what caused the antediluvian
world to disintegrate
00:40:15.94\00:40:20.28
was not that the
knowledge of God wasn't there,
00:40:20.32\00:40:22.32
was that they didn't
want the knowledge of God.
00:40:22.35\00:40:24.52
Matter of fact, let's
look at this Romans 1,
00:40:24.55\00:40:26.55
starting with verse,
let's start with verse 18,
00:40:26.59\00:40:29.79
because it walks down
00:40:29.82\00:40:32.33
this tree of the knowledge
of good and evil context
00:40:32.36\00:40:34.73
is really developed here.
00:40:34.76\00:40:37.67
There was knowledge,
there was knowledge of God,
00:40:37.70\00:40:40.20
but what did they do with it.
00:40:40.24\00:40:41.57
Look at this verse 18,
00:40:41.60\00:40:43.71
"For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven
00:40:43.74\00:40:45.94
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men
00:40:45.97\00:40:49.94
who suppress the
truth in unrighteousness,
00:40:49.98\00:40:54.08
because what may be known of God
00:40:54.12\00:40:56.99
is manifest in them for
God had shown it to them."
00:40:57.02\00:40:59.69
Stop right here for a moment.
00:40:59.72\00:41:01.76
God has made His
knowledge clear to them.
00:41:01.79\00:41:03.93
This isn't the
knowledge about God,
00:41:03.96\00:41:06.90
not the intimate
knowledge of God,
00:41:06.93\00:41:08.76
which we are
talking about, yeah.
00:41:08.80\00:41:10.53
When people say, well,
you know, I believe in a God,
00:41:10.57\00:41:14.77
or I believe in.
00:41:14.80\00:41:16.14
People often are suppressing
00:41:16.17\00:41:18.44
what God had
already revealed to them.
00:41:18.47\00:41:21.01
It's not an ignorance,
00:41:21.04\00:41:22.61
it's a willing ignorances
I don't want this knowledge,
00:41:22.64\00:41:25.91
and look at what it
goes on further to say,
00:41:25.95\00:41:27.68
it says for since the
creation of the world,
00:41:27.72\00:41:29.75
this is all the way
back to the beginning,
00:41:29.78\00:41:31.59
his invisible
attributes are clearly seen
00:41:31.62\00:41:35.32
being understood by
the things that are made
00:41:35.36\00:41:37.59
even his eternal
power and Godhead
00:41:37.63\00:41:39.39
so that they are without excuse
00:41:39.43\00:41:41.26
how could be they without excuse
00:41:41.30\00:41:43.00
except the knowledge is there.
00:41:43.03\00:41:45.33
So the question is,
00:41:45.37\00:41:46.70
how did all this get
here and this what amazes me.
00:41:46.74\00:41:49.30
Somebody comes
along named Darwin,
00:41:49.34\00:41:51.14
Charles Darwin in the 1800s
00:41:51.17\00:41:55.08
almost 6000 years after creation
00:41:55.11\00:41:57.68
comes up with this theory
00:41:57.71\00:41:59.05
that he himself rejects before
his death and people say wow,
00:41:59.08\00:42:02.38
he's got to be smarter than God.
00:42:02.42\00:42:04.65
Let me show you
what they did, verse 21,
00:42:04.69\00:42:09.02
because although they knew God,
00:42:09.06\00:42:10.63
they did not glorify Him as God,
00:42:10.66\00:42:12.99
that's why you see in this age
00:42:13.03\00:42:15.36
where knowledge is the focal
point of many institutions,
00:42:15.40\00:42:19.10
in this age where the
false knowledge of God
00:42:19.13\00:42:21.20
is being
proliferated and spread about,
00:42:21.24\00:42:26.98
I'm looking for
another intellectual word,
00:42:27.01\00:42:29.31
it's being disseminated.
00:42:29.34\00:42:30.98
This is the age where
knowledge is such a focus,
00:42:31.01\00:42:33.65
that men are now glorifying God
with the knowledge they have,
00:42:33.68\00:42:36.55
that's why the message of
Revelation 14 is important,
00:42:36.58\00:42:39.15
"Fear God and
give glory to him."
00:42:39.19\00:42:41.49
So knowledge is not
what we should glory in,
00:42:41.52\00:42:43.46
we should glory in knowing God.
00:42:43.49\00:42:45.63
And here is what it goes
on further to say, verse 22,
00:42:45.66\00:42:49.33
"Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools."
00:42:49.36\00:42:52.87
How did they become fools,
00:42:52.90\00:42:54.24
read verse 28, how
did they become fools.
00:42:54.27\00:42:56.74
Are you Romans 1:28?
00:42:56.77\00:42:58.11
Yeah, "And even as they did
not like to retain knowledge,
00:42:58.14\00:43:01.21
retain God in their knowledge,
00:43:01.24\00:43:03.24
God gave them
over to a debased mind
00:43:03.28\00:43:05.11
to do those things
which are not fitting."
00:43:05.15\00:43:07.42
Okay, now get this.
00:43:07.45\00:43:08.78
You could see this today,
00:43:08.82\00:43:11.22
in this same sex
marriage arena, it is not that
00:43:11.25\00:43:15.56
the knowledge of what
God required is not there,
00:43:15.59\00:43:18.46
it's just I don't
want it, I don't want it,
00:43:18.49\00:43:21.16
so now when you look at that,
00:43:21.20\00:43:22.90
when they did not
retain God in their knowledge,
00:43:22.93\00:43:25.43
the very result of that
was, look at all these things,
00:43:25.47\00:43:29.14
sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness,
00:43:29.17\00:43:31.37
maliciousness, full of envy,
the murders, strife, deceit,
00:43:31.41\00:43:34.71
evil mindedness, whisperers,
backbiters, haters of God,
00:43:34.74\00:43:38.11
violent, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things,
00:43:38.15\00:43:41.58
disobedient to parents,
undiscerning, untrustworthy,
00:43:41.62\00:43:45.32
unloving,
unforgiven, unmerciful.
00:43:45.35\00:43:49.19
All that happens
00:43:49.22\00:43:50.79
when you choose not to
retain God in your knowledge.
00:43:50.83\00:43:54.00
You can't prevent any of
that from being an outgrowth.
00:43:54.03\00:43:56.77
Well, this is why
I think in Proverbs
00:43:56.80\00:43:58.63
couple of verses here,
Proverbs 22:17, it says,
00:43:58.67\00:44:02.04
"Incline your ear, and
hear the words of the wise,
00:44:02.07\00:44:05.17
and apply your
heart to my knowledge."
00:44:05.21\00:44:07.61
Right.
00:44:07.64\00:44:08.98
In other words you can
get all this other knowledge,
00:44:09.01\00:44:11.21
but if you don't
apply to my knowledge,
00:44:11.25\00:44:13.38
you are not gonna be wise.
00:44:13.42\00:44:16.45
And then Proverbs 2:6,
00:44:16.48\00:44:17.82
for the Lord gives wisdom
from the mouth come knowledge
00:44:17.85\00:44:20.76
and
understanding from his mouth,
00:44:20.79\00:44:23.02
comes knowledge
and understanding.
00:44:23.06\00:44:24.63
So, you know, I
think there is this desire,
00:44:24.66\00:44:27.86
God put within us a
desire, John, to have knowledge,
00:44:27.90\00:44:30.47
to pursue
knowledge, to know things,
00:44:30.50\00:44:33.27
but like the
knowledge of good and evil,
00:44:33.30\00:44:35.00
that's an evil
knowledge at its core.
00:44:35.04\00:44:37.37
I'm not saying evil in that,
00:44:37.41\00:44:38.77
the things they
think about are all evil,
00:44:38.81\00:44:40.91
it's just that
train of knowledge,
00:44:40.94\00:44:42.78
that pursuit of knowledge
is not one that glorifies God,
00:44:42.81\00:44:45.68
therefore it glorifies man.
00:44:45.71\00:44:48.35
It's a self-based knowledge,
00:44:48.38\00:44:50.75
whereas God says
pursue my knowledge,
00:44:50.79\00:44:53.09
pursue me and
when they, you lose,
00:44:53.12\00:44:55.86
as it says in verse 20,
00:44:55.89\00:44:57.39
when you don't retain
God in your knowledge,
00:44:57.43\00:45:00.73
then where you
go is a dark place,
00:45:00.76\00:45:04.37
to the point where it
says, I think it was verse 21,
00:45:04.40\00:45:09.40
it says that he give
them up to a debased mind,
00:45:09.44\00:45:13.14
they became
futile in their thoughts.
00:45:13.17\00:45:16.54
What is futility mean?
00:45:16.58\00:45:18.68
Futility means it
unproductive, right?
00:45:18.71\00:45:20.62
Unproductive, you
can't never attain it.
00:45:20.65\00:45:22.62
So how unproductive has
this information from Darwin
00:45:22.65\00:45:29.02
that is propagated now into
the evolutionary theory, how?
00:45:29.06\00:45:34.60
How
unproductive has that become,
00:45:34.63\00:45:36.16
how futile has been
that, has that been.
00:45:36.20\00:45:38.50
It's just a waste of
time. It's a merry-go-round.
00:45:38.53\00:45:42.57
You end up the
same place every time.
00:45:42.60\00:45:44.11
And it's all a theory.
00:45:44.14\00:45:45.77
It's bad theory but
it's a waste of time theory.
00:45:45.81\00:45:48.68
You end up nowhere every time.
00:45:48.71\00:45:51.11
How could you
make, how could nothing,
00:45:51.15\00:45:55.48
plus nothing equal everything.
00:45:55.52\00:45:59.39
But anyway, Darwin,
00:45:59.42\00:46:00.76
we know that's a
futile knowledge knowing God,
00:46:00.79\00:46:03.53
choosing not to retain
God in their knowledge.
00:46:03.56\00:46:05.79
But now, the knowledge of
the true God is available.
00:46:05.83\00:46:08.90
But what is the Achilles'
heel today of the world?
00:46:08.93\00:46:14.44
That Jesus said, and
this is the condemnation
00:46:14.47\00:46:18.67
that light has
come into the world
00:46:18.71\00:46:20.84
and man love
darkness rather than light
00:46:20.88\00:46:23.41
because their deeds are evil.
00:46:23.45\00:46:25.05
So what actually
have they done, Hosea 4:6,
00:46:25.08\00:46:28.48
I'm gonna read this here.
00:46:28.52\00:46:29.85
What have they done?
00:46:29.88\00:46:31.22
It's not that the knowledge
of God is not available.
00:46:31.25\00:46:33.36
I mean, think about it,
00:46:33.39\00:46:34.72
we have more Bible translations,
00:46:34.76\00:46:36.09
more electronic
00:46:36.12\00:46:37.46
and non-electronic
ways of communicating
00:46:37.49\00:46:39.19
and studying the Bible.
00:46:39.23\00:46:40.66
We could find out
through one stroke of the key,
00:46:40.70\00:46:43.13
I was blessed to
get the Logos software,
00:46:43.16\00:46:45.83
Bible software.
00:46:45.87\00:46:47.24
Through one stroke of the key,
00:46:47.27\00:46:49.14
we can accomplish
40 hours of study,
00:46:49.17\00:46:53.74
all that knowledge,
00:46:53.78\00:46:55.24
but why would all
that knowledge is this
00:46:55.28\00:46:56.88
and why would
all that knowledge...
00:46:56.91\00:46:58.41
Well, let me rephrase that.
00:46:58.45\00:46:59.91
If that
knowledge does not lead us
00:46:59.95\00:47:01.58
to acknowledging the truth,
00:47:01.62\00:47:04.05
then it's of no
value, it's ever learning,
00:47:04.09\00:47:06.59
never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
00:47:06.62\00:47:09.16
Hosea 4:6, you have
yet, do you want to go there.
00:47:09.19\00:47:11.53
Well, go ahead and turn there.
I mean, I'm already there.
00:47:11.56\00:47:15.00
Go ahead and
read it. Here it is.
00:47:15.03\00:47:17.20
And Jesus is talking
about His own people,
00:47:17.23\00:47:19.17
He is not talking
about the world in the sense,
00:47:19.20\00:47:20.74
because the
world rejects Christ,
00:47:20.77\00:47:23.07
so we are not expecting them
00:47:23.10\00:47:24.44
to respond to the
knowledge of Christ,
00:47:24.47\00:47:26.34
but what is the
deficit among the people
00:47:26.37\00:47:28.41
that are claiming to know Jesus.
00:47:28.44\00:47:30.58
Hosea 4:6,
00:47:30.61\00:47:31.95
"My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge,
00:47:31.98\00:47:37.62
because you have
rejected knowledge."
00:47:37.65\00:47:41.06
See, so what it is
00:47:41.09\00:47:42.49
and this is something
that's so widely important.
00:47:42.52\00:47:44.86
We are accountable
not just for what we know,
00:47:44.89\00:47:48.20
but we are also accountable
for what we could have known.
00:47:48.23\00:47:52.30
We are not accountable
only for what we know
00:47:52.33\00:47:54.97
but we are accountable
what we could have known.
00:47:55.00\00:47:57.67
When I get to studying
with people about the Sabbath,
00:47:57.71\00:48:00.41
the truth about what
happens when a person dies,
00:48:00.44\00:48:03.31
all these widely
important topics.
00:48:03.35\00:48:05.18
Some of them say,
00:48:05.21\00:48:06.55
I don't want to hear
it, I don't want to hear it
00:48:06.58\00:48:07.92
'cause I don't want to
be responsible for that.
00:48:07.95\00:48:10.25
And I'm thinking, okay,
00:48:10.29\00:48:11.92
what I actually
wanted to tell you
00:48:11.95\00:48:13.29
was that fence is 50,000 volts,
00:48:13.32\00:48:16.42
so let's take
all the signs down,
00:48:16.46\00:48:17.89
and you just go
ahead and climb that fence
00:48:17.93\00:48:19.36
and see what happens.
00:48:19.39\00:48:21.16
They are walking on the
path of self destruction
00:48:21.20\00:48:23.33
because they reject
knowledge, they reject knowledge
00:48:23.37\00:48:28.50
and that's what's
happening today in the world,
00:48:28.54\00:48:29.87
people reject knowledge
and they say my denomination,
00:48:29.90\00:48:32.77
my position, my Sabbath,
00:48:32.81\00:48:36.24
my understanding what
happens when a person dies,
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.75
my belief in the rapture,
it's all important to me.
00:48:38.78\00:48:41.58
And you this knowledge
of things that don't exist
00:48:41.62\00:48:44.82
and it's not so
according to God's word
00:48:44.85\00:48:46.96
but because they reject
knowledge of the true God
00:48:46.99\00:48:50.56
and His true word
and true doctrines,
00:48:50.59\00:48:52.49
they end up in darkness.
00:48:52.53\00:48:56.43
So let's look at
couple of these aspects here.
00:48:56.46\00:48:59.13
What's gonna
happen in the end time?
00:48:59.17\00:49:00.74
Daniel 12:4,
00:49:00.77\00:49:02.60
what's gonna happen in
the time of the end, John?
00:49:02.64\00:49:04.07
The odds will increase. Okay.
00:49:04.11\00:49:07.28
And we are seeing that.
00:49:07.31\00:49:09.38
Definitely a focus on knowledge,
00:49:09.41\00:49:10.78
and I know, we kind of
began this whole segment
00:49:10.81\00:49:12.75
with that piece of it.
00:49:12.78\00:49:14.75
We've been talking about
the various parts of knowledge,
00:49:14.78\00:49:17.02
but the true knowledge we want
00:49:17.05\00:49:18.39
and I like this is
what John 17:17, it says,
00:49:18.42\00:49:22.39
very clearly
there unequivocally,
00:49:22.42\00:49:24.23
your word is truth.
00:49:24.26\00:49:26.70
The word of God is our
foundation for knowledge.
00:49:26.73\00:49:29.83
That's right.
00:49:29.86\00:49:31.20
Now, we have an
experiential knowledge
00:49:31.23\00:49:34.57
in that we receive
through spending time with God
00:49:34.60\00:49:37.91
in prayer and in Bible study,
00:49:37.94\00:49:40.04
that we spoke of
this relational aspect
00:49:40.08\00:49:45.05
and within that context,
00:49:45.08\00:49:47.58
the relationship
we have with Jesus
00:49:47.62\00:49:49.08
specifically as our savior,
00:49:49.12\00:49:50.75
we need to then plug
in all the other knowledge
00:49:50.79\00:49:53.19
we can get from here.
00:49:53.22\00:49:54.99
Because without, you
know, some people say, well,
00:49:55.02\00:49:57.69
you know what, you
know, the people out there,
00:49:57.73\00:50:00.80
the heathen, you
know, they reject God,
00:50:00.83\00:50:02.50
you know their knowledge
00:50:02.53\00:50:03.87
is just definitely
won't do him any good,
00:50:03.90\00:50:05.23
but I'll tell you
there is an element
00:50:05.27\00:50:06.67
that within the church we
can have a lot of knowledge
00:50:06.70\00:50:09.67
and information
that we have from here,
00:50:09.70\00:50:11.27
but if it's not
connected to Jesus,
00:50:11.31\00:50:15.11
we are in just as a bad a shape.
00:50:15.14\00:50:17.31
In fact, some would
even say worse shape,
00:50:17.35\00:50:19.88
because we have an
opportunity to know God,
00:50:19.91\00:50:21.95
but we didn't know God.
00:50:21.98\00:50:23.32
You know, what's more
important than knowledge?
00:50:23.35\00:50:26.09
Wisdom.
00:50:26.12\00:50:28.09
When Solomon prayed,
00:50:28.12\00:50:30.26
he asked the Lord
to give him wisdom,
00:50:30.29\00:50:33.46
the disciples did not
have a whole lot of knowledge
00:50:33.50\00:50:36.56
but they had an experiential
relationship with Jesus
00:50:36.60\00:50:39.37
which made them wiser
00:50:39.40\00:50:41.04
than the one's who were
very, very well informed,
00:50:41.07\00:50:44.57
very filled with knowledge.
00:50:44.61\00:50:46.24
Matter of fact here is
the, here is the statement,
00:50:46.27\00:50:48.78
I like this is the
way that Bible says
00:50:48.81\00:50:51.01
here in Luke 11:52,
00:50:51.05\00:50:54.68
"Woe to you lawyers,
00:50:54.72\00:50:57.82
for you have taken
away the key of knowledge.
00:50:57.85\00:51:01.66
You did not enter in yourselves
00:51:01.69\00:51:04.26
and those who are
entering in, you hindered."
00:51:04.29\00:51:09.23
The lawyers who
continually tested Jesus.
00:51:09.26\00:51:14.37
You know, the lawyers said,
00:51:14.40\00:51:15.74
okay which is the
greatest commandment in the law?
00:51:15.77\00:51:17.44
What you gonna impart to
me and he blown them away
00:51:17.47\00:51:19.71
by not even mentioning
00:51:19.74\00:51:21.08
one of the
single Ten Commandments.
00:51:21.11\00:51:22.84
Love your neighbor...
00:51:22.88\00:51:24.55
Which one is that?
Well, that's the first.
00:51:24.58\00:51:27.22
No, the first is,
that's not the first.
00:51:27.25\00:51:30.12
It's thou shalt have
no other gods before.
00:51:30.15\00:51:32.19
That's not the first,
that's not in there at all.
00:51:32.22\00:51:34.39
Love your neighbor as yourself.
00:51:34.42\00:51:35.89
Love the Lord, your
God with all your heart.
00:51:35.92\00:51:37.76
So these lawyers and
today there are many people
00:51:37.79\00:51:41.20
that are highly intellectually
stimulated and equipped
00:51:41.23\00:51:46.00
but when the truth
of God's word comes
00:51:46.03\00:51:49.24
they don't want it,
00:51:49.27\00:51:50.71
and they prevent
you from obtaining it.
00:51:50.74\00:51:52.37
I've heard this time and
time again on the radio, John,
00:51:52.41\00:51:54.44
of people that are
fighting against the Sabbath,
00:51:54.48\00:51:58.11
they are telling
people don't accept it.
00:51:58.15\00:52:00.42
God is saying remember
it, they say forget it.
00:52:00.45\00:52:03.72
They are saying
you don't need it,
00:52:03.75\00:52:06.65
it's been done away with.
00:52:06.69\00:52:08.12
They are continually fighting
against the knowledge of God.
00:52:08.16\00:52:10.96
And for them, and for them
00:52:10.99\00:52:12.79
Romans 10:2 is
the actual condition.
00:52:12.83\00:52:15.56
I was just reading
that. Go ahead, read it.
00:52:15.60\00:52:17.43
"For I bear them witness
that they have a zeal for God,
00:52:17.47\00:52:20.60
but not according to knowledge."
00:52:20.64\00:52:22.34
Okay.
00:52:22.37\00:52:23.97
See this multimillion
dollar Christian empires
00:52:24.01\00:52:27.54
that are raking in
money at an alarming rate,
00:52:27.58\00:52:31.31
living it up fat.
00:52:31.35\00:52:33.25
They are very zealous.
00:52:33.28\00:52:34.88
They got all these things
that are acutely put together
00:52:34.92\00:52:38.09
to as one person said,
00:52:38.12\00:52:41.39
they've turned
religion into an enterprise.
00:52:41.42\00:52:44.09
Well, here you
go, Colossians 2:23,
00:52:44.13\00:52:46.16
"These things indeed
have an appearance of wisdom
00:52:46.19\00:52:48.73
in self-imposed
religion, false humility,
00:52:48.76\00:52:53.74
and neglect of the
body but are of no value
00:52:53.77\00:52:56.47
against the
indulgence of the flesh."
00:52:56.50\00:52:58.24
In other words, they
are not trying to teach you.
00:52:58.27\00:53:00.18
They are not helping you
with practical Christianity.
00:53:00.21\00:53:02.64
Right.
00:53:02.68\00:53:04.25
And so you know
when I think, you know,
00:53:04.28\00:53:06.05
we hear the stories in the Bible
00:53:06.08\00:53:07.68
where this people,
00:53:07.72\00:53:09.05
who was that guy that
was following Paul around,
00:53:09.08\00:53:10.79
they wanted his power
but he didn't wanted...
00:53:10.82\00:53:12.82
He says, give us of your spirit.
00:53:12.85\00:53:14.19
Yeah.
00:53:14.22\00:53:15.69
He tried to get it, but
he got the wrong spirit,
00:53:15.72\00:53:18.36
and the spirits, the spirits,
evil spirits whacked him,
00:53:18.39\00:53:22.36
stripped his clothes off
00:53:22.40\00:53:23.73
and sent him into the
street naked and screaming.
00:53:23.77\00:53:25.87
So the knowledge
is not what we need,
00:53:25.90\00:53:27.84
first of all we need, we need,
00:53:27.87\00:53:29.94
first of all the
indwelling Christ.
00:53:29.97\00:53:32.17
When Jesus comes in
00:53:32.21\00:53:33.74
the knowledge is
made available to us.
00:53:33.78\00:53:37.11
Not for self exaltation
but for self abnegation.
00:53:37.15\00:53:41.45
In other words,
putting yourself down
00:53:41.48\00:53:42.98
and exalting Jesus.
00:53:43.02\00:53:45.12
You know, what do we do
with those that are like that.
00:53:45.15\00:53:47.66
You know, do we enter debate,
do we find a way to argue
00:53:47.69\00:53:51.43
and content for the
faith with some dude,
00:53:51.46\00:53:53.56
we stand up and be
that street preacher,
00:53:53.60\00:53:55.66
trying to get into the kind
of the face of secular society.
00:53:55.70\00:53:59.17
What's interesting
that Paul encouraged Timothy
00:53:59.20\00:54:02.44
who, he was mentoring
as a leader in the church.
00:54:02.47\00:54:07.01
And it says in 1 Timothy
6:20, Oh, Timothy he says,
00:54:07.04\00:54:11.58
exclamation point.
00:54:11.61\00:54:12.95
In other words, this
is an important point.
00:54:12.98\00:54:14.42
"Guard what was
committed to your trust,
00:54:14.45\00:54:16.69
avoiding the
profane and idle babblings
00:54:16.72\00:54:19.92
and contradictions of what
is falsely called knowledge."
00:54:19.95\00:54:23.93
Right.
00:54:23.96\00:54:26.03
People that present
themselves as knowledgeable
00:54:26.06\00:54:29.66
that is false knowledge,
avoid those confrontations,
00:54:29.70\00:54:33.84
avoid those idle babblings,
avoid those things that...
00:54:33.87\00:54:38.14
You know if we
chased every rabbit...
00:54:38.17\00:54:41.81
What if somebody,
somebody gave us their opinion,
00:54:41.84\00:54:45.38
I just that's all we do
as pastors, we can't do that.
00:54:45.41\00:54:49.58
Now, there are certain things
00:54:49.62\00:54:50.95
that I think we need to
stand up and defend the faith
00:54:50.99\00:54:52.39
because it is very deceptive
00:54:52.42\00:54:53.76
and I don't want the
saints to be deceived.
00:54:53.79\00:54:55.49
But all these little
things, sometimes these issues,
00:54:55.52\00:54:57.43
we shouldn't be
chasing those down all the time
00:54:57.46\00:54:59.36
because I think one of
the best counsels I received
00:54:59.39\00:55:01.66
is the best way to counteract
error is to preach truth.
00:55:01.70\00:55:06.27
Right, not to try to disprove,
00:55:06.30\00:55:08.84
not to try to
get into the debate.
00:55:08.87\00:55:11.57
What do we do when somebody
brings false knowledge to us?
00:55:11.61\00:55:14.18
2 Timothy 2:23,
00:55:14.21\00:55:16.11
"But foolish and
unlearned questions avoid,
00:55:16.14\00:55:19.41
knowing that they
do gender strifes."
00:55:19.45\00:55:22.82
People...
00:55:22.85\00:55:24.19
I get emails, I get letters,
00:55:24.22\00:55:25.55
people are trying to
pull me out of the woodwork,
00:55:25.59\00:55:27.22
they are trying to
smoke me out sort of speak to.
00:55:27.26\00:55:29.82
What's your opinion?
Could you write me this letter?
00:55:29.86\00:55:32.09
I say, I'm not
writing anything down,
00:55:32.13\00:55:34.53
sending to anybody whose
sole purpose is to dissect
00:55:34.56\00:55:38.70
and to disarm and
to condemn the church.
00:55:38.73\00:55:42.10
People want your own words
and they pull portions of it
00:55:42.14\00:55:45.74
and John Lomacang said,
00:55:45.77\00:55:47.68
don't ever get pulled into that,
00:55:47.71\00:55:49.14
don't chase the
devils as we just said.
00:55:49.18\00:55:51.81
I like this, I had
pulled something together
00:55:51.85\00:55:53.65
is little devotional
00:55:53.68\00:55:55.02
and this one was on a
part in regard to knowledge
00:55:55.05\00:55:57.65
and it goes as such.
00:55:57.69\00:55:59.82
It says there is a tendency
today to confuse opinions
00:55:59.85\00:56:02.49
with learning and
awareness with knowledge.
00:56:02.52\00:56:06.83
And opinion is not
the same as knowledge.
00:56:06.86\00:56:09.76
Oh, it isn't.
00:56:09.80\00:56:11.13
Thinking is the process of
generating an original idea
00:56:11.17\00:56:13.44
or distinction, it
requires energy and attention
00:56:13.47\00:56:16.17
while having an
opinion requires neither.
00:56:16.20\00:56:19.47
The attainment of
awareness and true knowledge
00:56:19.51\00:56:23.58
and the development of
competence in those areas
00:56:23.61\00:56:25.58
are two entirely
different processes.
00:56:25.61\00:56:27.62
Okay.
00:56:27.65\00:56:30.25
I think one of the
things that we find here today
00:56:30.29\00:56:32.35
with the internet
00:56:32.39\00:56:33.72
and the access to information
in internet these days
00:56:33.76\00:56:35.72
is that, you know, we
confuse this surface browsing
00:56:35.76\00:56:38.79
and getting some of
these awareness of things
00:56:38.83\00:56:41.33
and then we try to push on
00:56:41.36\00:56:43.13
and present our
opinion on the topic
00:56:43.16\00:56:45.03
and we have no knowledge
00:56:45.07\00:56:46.40
of the depth of
what all is involved
00:56:46.43\00:56:48.60
in some of these topics
and some of these things.
00:56:48.64\00:56:50.84
And I think people do that
in the area of church stuff do
00:56:50.87\00:56:53.51
and in the doctrine.
00:56:53.54\00:56:54.88
They got this
huge thing they've got,
00:56:54.91\00:56:56.24
they make it the big issue
00:56:56.28\00:56:57.68
and they really
don't have knowledge,
00:56:57.71\00:56:59.05
they're just
expressing an opinion.
00:56:59.08\00:57:00.42
That's why I like Hosea
6 to cap off the program,
00:57:00.45\00:57:02.68
Hosea 6:3.
00:57:02.72\00:57:04.15
"Let us know, let us pursue
the knowledge of the Lord.
00:57:04.19\00:57:09.59
His going forth is
established as the morning,
00:57:09.62\00:57:12.53
and He will come
to us like the rain."
00:57:12.56\00:57:15.16
See, "Like the latter and
former rain to the earth."
00:57:15.20\00:57:18.93
If you pursue the
knowledge of the Lord,
00:57:18.97\00:57:21.24
you won't have to meander
in the maze and mediocrity.
00:57:21.27\00:57:23.91
You'll be able to
have a knowledge of Christ
00:57:23.94\00:57:25.57
which in fact is
the key to salvation.
00:57:25.61\00:57:28.68
Get to know Him today.
00:57:28.71\00:57:30.05
God bless you
until we see you again.
00:57:30.08\00:57:32.61