I am gonna remind you
what we have been studying
00:00:34.26\00:00:37.17
from the very
beginning, this all is a part,
00:00:37.20\00:00:39.59
every truth fits into this
master template of the Bible.
00:00:39.62\00:00:45.26
And remember, you
haven't forgot, have you?
00:00:45.29\00:00:47.35
It all began with
this perfect world
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that God created
at the very beginning.
00:00:49.04\00:00:51.63
You know, God really wanted
us to live in an environment
00:00:51.66\00:00:55.97
in which everything was
going to work out just great.
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Everything was gonna be good.
00:01:00.19\00:01:01.99
Everything was gonna be good.
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But you know the other
peace as we look at the template
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was the peace that
was happening in heaven.
00:01:06.63\00:01:08.90
There was this rebellion
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of the second place
in the presence of God.
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Both God and the
angels of God in heaven
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and Lucifer and
the third of the angels
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ended up being defeated
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and they were
cast down to the earth
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and you know, I think if
I gave you the microphone
00:01:21.72\00:01:23.96
you could take a point, my
point from this point forward.
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And you will remember,
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they only had access to
the planet only at one place
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and that was the
tree of the knowledge
00:01:33.65\00:01:35.48
of good and evil, okay.
00:01:35.51\00:01:38.04
Until, they get into the tempter
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and then it spread
all through this planet.
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And my friend,
again we are living
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with the results
of what sin has done.
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This knowledge of evil and it
has so corrupted the human race.
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God--God just
could not let us go,
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God had to step in,
He had to take action
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and He did at
the cross of cavalry.
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And you remember, I
talked about the two trees,
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there was the tree
in the Garden of Eden,
00:02:01.68\00:02:05.22
that's where the
faithful decision was made
00:02:05.25\00:02:07.39
but 2,000 years ago
God erected another tree
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and it was there at
the cross of cavalry
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that Jesus paid the
price of our redemption.
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And it is there that we have
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another decision
that we must make
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and it must be an individual
decision for each one of us.
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A decision for Jesus,
right, and for life eternal.
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And as we've
studied furthermore,
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another piece that we
added just a week or so ago,
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we discovered that when
Jesus having been crucified,
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having died on
the cross of cavalry
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was resurrected and
He ascended into heaven
00:02:39.78\00:02:43.23
where He functions
as our high priest.
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He is interceding before
God the Father on our behalf.
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And again, that's again
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another vital part
of what we've studied.
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And then of course the
piece that we put together,
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it's been weeks ago now,
the glorious truth of the fact
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that Jesus is
coming back in power
00:03:01.68\00:03:04.64
and coming back in glory
00:03:04.67\00:03:07.16
to bring an end
to the reign of sin
00:03:07.19\00:03:10.00
and death upon this planet
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and to take His
people to Himself, right.
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That's all good news.
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And then He's going to
make a new heaven and new earth.
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The first heaven and
first earth passes away,
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it says in Revelation 21:1,
"The curse of sin is removed
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and paradise is
going to be restored."
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And we have this
again wonderful future
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that God has prepared for us.
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But I am taking
you back to an issue
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that again relates to the
tree of the knowledge and evil.
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For God said in
Genesis 2:16, 17,
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"If you eat of the
tree you will surely die."
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You will surely die.
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Now the serpent
has something else
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to say about that, didn't he?
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But as we talk about
that, certainly in recent years
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we have been hearing
reports of individuals
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who have supposedly died
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and has some kind of
near death experience
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and then following by
being some out revived.
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And one of the questions
we want to examine tonight,
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what is actually happening
in these near death experiences?
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Is there really
life after death?
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Is death simply the means
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of being transformed
into another reality?
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And the most important
is what does the Bible teach
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about this matter of death?
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You know some of us are going
to be surprised this evening
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at what the Bible actually
teaches on this subject.
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Indeed we're going to discover
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that many
popular ideas about death
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are in many respects contrary
to the Bible's teaching.
00:04:47.42\00:04:52.33
Now I am preparing you
for something to follow.
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It's gonna be
biblical and remember,
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as I've said a
number of times before,
00:04:56.83\00:04:59.38
use the analogy, we're
setting up a fence line
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and we're gonna be putting these
texts down, they are the posts.
00:05:03.11\00:05:06.85
And once we get this
text down and this text down
00:05:06.88\00:05:09.70
and this text down then we
began to see the line of truth.
00:05:09.73\00:05:13.39
And so you know, allow
me to do that tonight again
00:05:13.42\00:05:16.04
as you have allowed me
to do it on previous nights
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because it is a
truth that is sensible.
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And you want to
follow this right on down
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to the very
conclusion of the presentation
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because there's good news.
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There is a way out of
this whole thing of death.
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But we must go back
to the very beginning
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when God created us.
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We must take note of how it is
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that He made us
in the beginning.
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And we find that in
Genesis 2:7 where it says,
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"And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground,
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and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life
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and man became a living soul."
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Now notice this, it
says God took the dust,
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God took really basic
elements from the earth
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when He in a very powerful,
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the creative way
created the human body.
00:06:02.53\00:06:05.89
I mean, 75% of the
body is made up of water.
00:06:05.92\00:06:09.21
And if you look at
the other elements,
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my friend, they are
pretty basic elements.
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It was a powerful
creative thing that God did
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when He created
the human body, right?
00:06:16.55\00:06:19.91
And having
created a perfect body
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it was only until God breathe
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into his nostrils
the breath of life.
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We'll find this is the
word that is translated
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as spirit in other
passages of scripture,
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the spirit of
life, the breath of life.
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It was only then
that having been animated
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by the breath of life,
that man become a living soul.
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Notice, we've
got a formula here.
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We have the dust
representing the body
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plus the breath of
life constitutes a living.
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What's the word
here? A living soul.
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We do not usually
think of in popular teaching
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of the soul as
having physical properties
00:07:03.08\00:07:06.79
but look at the formula,
00:07:06.82\00:07:09.66
it's the body
inhabited by the breath of life
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that constitutes a living soul
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according to the creation
record as we have in Genesis.
00:07:15.62\00:07:19.81
Now, I know that
raises some questions
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but again, let me
just put this together.
00:07:21.84\00:07:23.86
Just try to follow
each piece as I go,
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it will make a lot of sense.
00:07:26.36\00:07:27.77
In Job 4:17, I
would add this thought
00:07:27.80\00:07:31.61
the question, the question is,
00:07:31.64\00:07:33.42
"Shall mortal man be
more just thank God?"
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what does it mean, mortal man?
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What is it mean to be mortal?
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Did God create us to be mortal
at the beginning before sin?
00:07:40.69\00:07:45.85
Now God intended that we will
be immortal but we are mortal.
00:07:45.88\00:07:50.04
Why are we
mortal? Because of sin.
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Sin has made us
mortal, so we have mortality.
00:07:54.25\00:07:59.01
It means in effect that we
are subject to death, right.
00:07:59.04\00:08:02.43
And have you
noticed even Christians die
00:08:02.46\00:08:05.52
except for those who would
be alive at the coming of Jesus.
00:08:05.55\00:08:10.38
That will be an exception.
00:08:10.41\00:08:11.45
Look at Romans 5, the
New Testament page 122.
00:08:11.48\00:08:15.81
122, Romans 5:12.
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Romans, oh, we
spend a lot of time
00:08:21.80\00:08:23.80
in Romans last
weekend, didn't we?
00:08:23.83\00:08:26.37
Its' a wonderful
letter that Paul wrote
00:08:26.40\00:08:28.55
and again as we
come to the fifth chapter
00:08:28.58\00:08:31.75
we find this
written by Paul in verse 12,
00:08:31.78\00:08:34.56
"Therefore just
as through one man
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sin entered into the
world, and death through sin,
00:08:36.70\00:08:40.01
and so death spread to
all men because all sinned."
00:08:40.04\00:08:43.82
Now notice the
mechanism by which
00:08:43.85\00:08:45.86
death entered into the
world and that mechanism is sin.
00:08:45.89\00:08:50.26
Notice the direct
cause effect relationship
00:08:50.29\00:08:55.17
between sin and death.
00:08:55.20\00:08:58.49
In fact in Romans 6:23 it says,
00:08:58.52\00:09:01.72
"For the wages of sin is
death." A direct correlation.
00:09:01.75\00:09:09.40
And let me tell you
there is nothing good to say
00:09:09.43\00:09:11.92
about this
matter of sin and death
00:09:11.95\00:09:15.53
except as I get to the good news
00:09:15.56\00:09:17.47
there was a way
out of it, out of both.
00:09:17.50\00:09:22.21
The way out of it is
as a solution to both.
00:09:22.24\00:09:25.70
Years ago I was in
Kennewick, Washington
00:09:25.73\00:09:28.24
and that was in
the days when my family
00:09:28.27\00:09:30.17
was on the road
fulltime with me.
00:09:30.20\00:09:32.13
We had a 47 foot,
fifth wheel trailer.
00:09:32.16\00:09:34.24
Two bedroom
model, full dishwasher
00:09:34.27\00:09:37.79
and a stack of
wash and dryer, I just--
00:09:37.82\00:09:40.60
was intend to
making this as comfortable
00:09:40.63\00:09:42.56
for particularly my wife,
00:09:42.59\00:09:44.37
you know, living on the road
is never and easy thing to do.
00:09:44.40\00:09:48.45
And which meant that our
mail was being forwarded to us
00:09:48.48\00:09:51.64
and Donna got the mail
that have been forwarded to us.
00:09:51.67\00:09:55.25
I know this is a letter from
Pat Pangborn and she read it.
00:09:55.28\00:10:00.32
And that night after the meeting
00:10:00.35\00:10:02.48
she didn't give
me that piece of mail
00:10:02.51\00:10:04.73
because she knew it
was gonna trouble me.
00:10:04.76\00:10:06.34
She waited until the
next morning after breakfast
00:10:06.37\00:10:08.96
and then she came
to me and she said,
00:10:08.99\00:10:10.75
you know we got
this letter from Pat.
00:10:10.78\00:10:13.40
And so I went
back to my little study
00:10:13.43\00:10:15.71
that was in the back bedroom
00:10:15.74\00:10:17.86
and I opened it up
and I read this letter
00:10:17.89\00:10:20.51
and I just began to weep,
I have to tell you honestly.
00:10:20.54\00:10:23.59
There's a story behind this.
00:10:23.62\00:10:24.95
I've got acquainted with
Tom and Pat back in seminary
00:10:24.98\00:10:29.29
and in fact Tom
was in my singing group
00:10:29.32\00:10:32.51
that had back in seminary
called the Voices of Praise.
00:10:32.54\00:10:35.69
He was one of my second tenors.
00:10:35.72\00:10:38.14
And so we had got
acquainted with each other,
00:10:38.17\00:10:41.26
and when I went
down to Loma Linda
00:10:41.29\00:10:42.52
to work on my
masters in public health,
00:10:42.55\00:10:44.70
they were pastoring in
the area up in Big Bear
00:10:44.73\00:10:47.51
in San Bernardino Mountains
00:10:47.54\00:10:49.68
and so we got reacquainted there
00:10:49.71\00:10:52.10
and eventually I
found myself pastoring
00:10:52.13\00:10:55.04
in the Portland, Oregon area
00:10:55.07\00:10:56.64
down there in Canby, Molalla,
00:10:56.67\00:10:58.09
had two churches
in those two towns.
00:10:58.12\00:11:00.90
And Tom and Pat
moved into the area
00:11:00.93\00:11:04.14
just above the Colombia River
00:11:04.17\00:11:06.31
into the State of
Washington and we reconnected.
00:11:06.34\00:11:08.96
We had a great time together.
00:11:08.99\00:11:10.94
We often spend
Saturday nights together
00:11:10.97\00:11:13.63
and Tom and I will
go to Mount Hood Skiing.
00:11:13.66\00:11:17.22
And we were really
pretty close friends
00:11:17.25\00:11:20.52
but something
happened in Tom's experience
00:11:20.55\00:11:23.86
and he ended up
leaving the ministry.
00:11:23.89\00:11:27.12
And that I did not
really understand at that time
00:11:27.15\00:11:29.86
and that's what hit me so hard
00:11:29.89\00:11:31.60
because he left the ministry
and he ended up in Michigan
00:11:31.63\00:11:34.93
and he combined two of
their interest in a business.
00:11:34.96\00:11:37.55
They both were pilots
00:11:37.58\00:11:39.40
and they both were
interested in photography
00:11:39.43\00:11:41.31
so they combined the two
00:11:41.34\00:11:42.55
and what Pat was
explaining to us in the letter
00:11:42.58\00:11:45.44
that Tom had
flown his photographer
00:11:45.47\00:11:47.82
out of the Lake Michigan,
00:11:47.85\00:11:49.32
there was a Regatta
that was taking place
00:11:49.35\00:11:51.35
and so they were flying low
00:11:51.38\00:11:52.69
and pretty slow
and Tom was flying
00:11:52.72\00:11:56.39
and the
photographer was taking pictures
00:11:56.42\00:11:58.04
of these beautiful
sailboats that were racing
00:11:58.07\00:12:00.97
and something happened.
00:12:01.00\00:12:03.22
Low altitude, going slow,
the plane ended up in the water
00:12:03.25\00:12:08.10
and the photographer got
out but Tom didn't make it.
00:12:08.13\00:12:13.06
And it just bolt me
up, just bolt me up inside.
00:12:13.09\00:12:16.84
I was haunted by it.
00:12:16.87\00:12:19.20
And I was haunted because
00:12:19.23\00:12:20.90
I didn't know
where he was spiritually,
00:12:20.93\00:12:23.44
I know that's what grab me
00:12:23.47\00:12:25.00
then in fact the next night
00:12:25.03\00:12:26.44
I was dreaming
about this of all things,
00:12:26.47\00:12:28.47
we were flying in an old
World War II B-17 bomber,
00:12:28.50\00:12:32.47
we were flying
over a vast forest,
00:12:32.50\00:12:34.89
just over the
tips of those trees
00:12:34.92\00:12:37.25
and were looking for Tom
and we couldn't find him.
00:12:37.28\00:12:42.29
And I tell you, I
woke up from that dream,
00:12:42.32\00:12:44.02
I just had that
awful empty sense of loss,
00:12:44.05\00:12:47.46
we couldn't find him.
00:12:47.49\00:12:48.83
You know, dreams sometimes
00:12:48.86\00:12:50.03
affect your
motions the next day.
00:12:50.06\00:12:51.97
And in fact my in motions
00:12:52.00\00:12:53.13
the whole next day
that sense of loss.
00:12:53.16\00:12:55.83
You see nothing
affects us like death
00:12:55.86\00:12:58.17
bringing us face to face with
the reality of the curse of sin.
00:12:58.20\00:13:01.91
And my friend, it is a
curse, absolutely it's a curse.
00:13:01.94\00:13:07.12
There's been a couple that's
been attending our meetings
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.67
and I thought maybe
they are gonna come tonight
00:13:09.70\00:13:11.97
but Daniel was telling me that
his aunt has one week to live,
00:13:12.00\00:13:16.68
they are gonna visit her
because she's leaving tonight,
00:13:16.71\00:13:20.03
heading to Mexico to see some
of her family before she dies.
00:13:20.06\00:13:24.20
It's a horrible thing.
Death is absolutely horrible.
00:13:24.23\00:13:30.08
I hate it, how about you?
00:13:30.11\00:13:33.31
And God never intended
for us to live in a world
00:13:33.34\00:13:35.62
that we had to live
with this kind of pain
00:13:35.65\00:13:38.25
and losing people and
dying and all of these stuff.
00:13:38.28\00:13:41.55
And let me tell you, the Bible,
00:13:41.58\00:13:43.10
the Bible again clearly presents
death as a result of sin.
00:13:43.13\00:13:48.54
Death is the enemy, my
friend, it's the enemy.
00:13:48.57\00:13:52.17
Death is not, listen
to me, death is not a door
00:13:52.20\00:13:55.20
to which we pass to
another form of existence.
00:13:55.23\00:13:58.11
You cannot find
that in the Bible.
00:13:58.14\00:13:59.98
Death in deed is
something to be conquered
00:14:00.01\00:14:02.71
and that's' where
the God news comes in
00:14:02.74\00:14:04.55
because there
is a way out of it.
00:14:04.58\00:14:06.94
But let's continue our study.
00:14:06.97\00:14:08.27
Psalm 104, I know I am
now in the Old Testament,
00:14:08.30\00:14:10.56
we'll be in the New
Testament you know that.
00:14:10.59\00:14:12.88
Let's put them both together,
Old and New Testament on this.
00:14:12.91\00:14:15.63
Psalm 104, the Old
Testament, page 438.
00:14:15.66\00:14:20.51
438, Psalm 104:29,
00:14:20.54\00:14:24.68
again we're studying what
the Bible teaches about death.
00:14:24.71\00:14:29.54
It's the enemy we
have to understand,
00:14:29.57\00:14:31.80
something of the
nature of the enemy,
00:14:31.83\00:14:33.68
it came above because of
sin as we've already noted.
00:14:33.71\00:14:36.95
And here in
Psalm 104:29 it says,
00:14:36.98\00:14:39.87
"You hide your
face, they are dismayed,
00:14:39.90\00:14:43.50
you take away their
spirit, they expire,"
00:14:43.53\00:14:47.45
that means they die,
and where do they go?
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.96
I am just about to say
here, "And return to the dust."
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.91
God created the body of dust
and the body returns to dust.
00:14:53.94\00:14:58.39
That's literally true, isn't it?
00:14:58.42\00:15:01.04
But notice there's a footnote
there by the word spirit.
00:15:01.07\00:15:05.01
I think its footnote
number eight in your Bible.
00:15:05.04\00:15:07.03
Look down at the bottom,
00:15:07.06\00:15:08.18
what does that
word actually mean,
00:15:08.21\00:15:09.67
the word spirit there?
00:15:09.70\00:15:12.14
It means breath, it's
the word Ruach in Hebrew.
00:15:12.17\00:15:16.91
That is in some text
translated spirit as here
00:15:16.94\00:15:21.39
but in other text it is
translated as in Genesis 2:7,
00:15:21.42\00:15:27.01
the same word is
translated breath.
00:15:27.04\00:15:29.46
The word spirit means breath.
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.65
It is that element
of life that God breathe
00:15:32.68\00:15:35.19
into the
nostrils of the human race
00:15:35.22\00:15:37.50
at the very
beginning of the time
00:15:37.53\00:15:39.42
that animated the human body.
00:15:39.45\00:15:42.81
It's the spirit of life,
it is the breath of life.
00:15:42.84\00:15:46.50
Now we're gonna discover that
there are some popular ideas
00:15:46.53\00:15:49.76
about this matter of the spirit
00:15:49.79\00:15:52.57
that really do not
hold up biblically.
00:15:52.60\00:15:57.36
How many of you
think that when it comes
00:15:57.39\00:15:58.96
to Christian
teachings and thought
00:15:58.99\00:16:00.96
we really ought
to clearly you know,
00:16:00.99\00:16:03.47
this ought to be
clearly indicated in the Bible.
00:16:03.50\00:16:07.21
Let me see your hands.
00:16:07.24\00:16:08.84
It ought to be in the
Bible, right, if it is truth.
00:16:08.87\00:16:13.18
Well, I saw most
of your hands go up
00:16:13.21\00:16:15.12
so we're on solid ground
00:16:15.15\00:16:17.51
as we began our study
on this matter of death.
00:16:17.54\00:16:22.67
So remember what we've
looked at in Genesis 2:7,
00:16:22.70\00:16:25.50
the formula, dust plus breath
constitutes a living soul.
00:16:25.53\00:16:31.67
And as we're
looking in Psalm 104
00:16:31.70\00:16:34.22
it talks about the spirit,
00:16:34.25\00:16:37.34
what does it says
here specifically?
00:16:37.37\00:16:39.82
You take away their spirit,
that's talking about death
00:16:39.85\00:16:44.11
and, what do we end up with?
00:16:44.14\00:16:46.52
Well, let's put it in the terms
of the formula in Genesis 2:7,
00:16:46.55\00:16:50.76
if dust plus breath
constitutes a living soul,
00:16:50.79\00:16:53.77
what does that body represented
00:16:53.80\00:16:56.18
by the dust minus
the breath of life,
00:16:56.21\00:16:59.81
the spirit of
life leave us with?
00:16:59.84\00:17:02.40
A dead soul.
00:17:02.43\00:17:04.93
And let me show you
tonight how consistent this is
00:17:04.96\00:17:08.36
with what the Bible
teaches and where this idea
00:17:08.39\00:17:11.65
of the immortal
soul came from anyway
00:17:11.68\00:17:14.27
if indeed it is not biblical.
00:17:14.30\00:17:17.69
In fact as we talk
about how this word spirit
00:17:17.72\00:17:20.89
and breath are
used interchangeably,
00:17:20.92\00:17:23.27
let me share with you this
text in Job 27:3 where it says,
00:17:23.30\00:17:27.15
"All the while
my breath is in me,
00:17:27.18\00:17:29.76
and the spirit
of God is," where?
00:17:29.79\00:17:31.95
"The spirit is in my nostrils."
00:17:31.98\00:17:35.39
So that according to Bible
teaching is where the spirit is?
00:17:35.42\00:17:39.58
It's right there in your
nose, your noggin, noggin.
00:17:39.61\00:17:47.08
Where does that come from?
00:17:47.11\00:17:48.75
You said, German or
something? So it's in your nose.
00:17:48.78\00:17:53.69
But when you understand that
the word means actually breath
00:17:53.72\00:17:56.74
and the nose is there impart
for the purpose of respiration
00:17:56.77\00:18:03.02
then it becomes a
little bit more understandable.
00:18:03.05\00:18:06.72
But notice the correlation
00:18:06.75\00:18:08.07
between the
breath and the spirit
00:18:08.10\00:18:10.87
that we find in Job 27:3.
00:18:10.90\00:18:13.19
And then take a
look at Ezekiel 18,
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.25
the Old Testament, page 600,
00:18:15.28\00:18:17.48
page 600, Ezekiel 18:4.
00:18:17.51\00:18:20.89
Ezekiel 18:4, and
notice what the Bible teaches
00:18:25.32\00:18:29.27
about this matter of the
soul as we go further into it.
00:18:29.30\00:18:32.78
God is speaking when He says,
"Behold, all souls are mine,
00:18:32.81\00:18:36.55
the soul of the father as well
as the soul of the son is mine.
00:18:36.58\00:18:40.58
The soul who sins
will," what's the next word?
00:18:40.61\00:18:44.61
"Will die."
00:18:44.64\00:18:47.76
And how many souls have sin?
00:18:47.79\00:18:49.42
What does the Bible
teach? All have sin.
00:18:49.45\00:18:53.45
We saw that in Romans
5:12 just a few moments ago.
00:18:53.48\00:18:57.01
You know as we are
putting down this fence line,
00:18:57.04\00:18:59.65
we are getting kind of
sense, an initial sense
00:18:59.68\00:19:03.23
of the drift where the
Bible is leading us in this
00:19:03.26\00:19:06.60
but we don't have all the
pieces in there yet, do we?
00:19:06.63\00:19:10.03
We don't.
00:19:10.06\00:19:11.65
But the soul who sins will die
00:19:11.68\00:19:14.89
which means that
the soul is mortal
00:19:14.92\00:19:17.55
and the soul is
mortal because of sin.
00:19:17.58\00:19:23.60
But not though as intention
that the soul to be mortal,
00:19:23.63\00:19:28.65
its intention was
so we would immortal.
00:19:28.68\00:19:32.15
But the soul itself is
mortal but just a minute,
00:19:32.18\00:19:37.41
I know this what many
of us have been thought
00:19:37.44\00:19:41.43
but the soul is immortal.
00:19:41.46\00:19:44.31
My friend, take your concurrence
out and look up the word soul.
00:19:44.34\00:19:49.26
Now it may take
you an hour or more
00:19:49.29\00:19:52.05
to take a pencil and
paper and to look up each text,
00:19:52.08\00:19:55.04
look up what it
says about the soul
00:19:55.07\00:19:58.06
and find out if you
find anywhere in the Bible,
00:19:58.09\00:20:00.98
Old or New
Testament where it teaches
00:20:01.01\00:20:02.97
that the soul is immortal
00:20:03.00\00:20:04.71
and my friend, you
will not find it there.
00:20:04.74\00:20:08.39
Which again, is kind of puzzling
because this is almost so basic
00:20:08.42\00:20:14.07
to our concept of life and death
00:20:14.10\00:20:17.23
and what does death really mean
and what's involved with it.
00:20:17.26\00:20:22.06
And yet here is an
idea, when you test it out,
00:20:22.09\00:20:26.71
when you check it out
biblically just is not there.
00:20:26.74\00:20:32.00
And let me tell you in preaching
this for a lot of years,
00:20:32.03\00:20:35.55
nobody has ever come to
me with that text to say,
00:20:35.58\00:20:38.81
oh, over here, did you happened
to notice, Mr. Reinking,
00:20:38.84\00:20:43.84
back here in this
text where it indicates
00:20:43.87\00:20:46.77
that the soul will never die.
00:20:46.80\00:20:50.64
Nobody has done that.
00:20:50.67\00:20:52.89
And I wouldn't say it so boldly
00:20:52.92\00:20:56.16
if I didn't know that
indeed it was not there.
00:20:56.19\00:21:00.16
So here's an ideas that
is not supported by the Bible
00:21:00.19\00:21:05.50
but it seems so basic,
it's what we've always known,
00:21:05.53\00:21:09.53
it's how we understood we
even taught this in the church.
00:21:09.56\00:21:13.65
If it's not in the Bible then
where did this idea come from
00:21:13.68\00:21:17.07
which is something we want to
spend a little time looking at
00:21:17.10\00:21:20.27
with this idea of
immortality of the soul.
00:21:20.30\00:21:22.85
It really comes out of
the mysticism out of the east
00:21:22.88\00:21:28.46
and comes into the
church by means of the Greeks.
00:21:28.49\00:21:34.37
Particularly Plato and Socrates
there was and Aristotle.
00:21:34.40\00:21:39.41
They were the three main ones
00:21:39.44\00:21:41.42
that really were into this idea
of the immortality of the soul.
00:21:41.45\00:21:46.95
Let me share this with you
00:21:46.98\00:21:48.01
from the book
Immortality of the Soul,
00:21:48.04\00:21:49.54
pages 53 and 54, where
the observation is made,
00:21:49.57\00:21:53.29
"We have failed to find
any trace of this doctrine"
00:21:53.32\00:21:56.09
the immortality of the
soul they are talking about.
00:21:56.12\00:21:58.22
"In the Bible, it
is altogether alien,
00:21:58.25\00:22:01.18
both in phrases and thought
00:22:01.21\00:22:04.85
to the teaching of
Christ and His apostles."
00:22:04.88\00:22:08.96
And then in an approach
to Christology, page 314,
00:22:08.99\00:22:12.46
"It has the natural
immortality of the spirit
00:22:12.49\00:22:15.64
is a Greek rather
than a Christian concept."
00:22:15.67\00:22:20.93
And then from the
Book Eternal Hope,
00:22:20.96\00:22:22.14
page 100, I would add,
00:22:22.17\00:22:24.02
"For the history of western
thought the platonic teaching"
00:22:24.05\00:22:27.76
and that's talking
about the teachings of Plato
00:22:27.79\00:22:30.28
"the platonic teaching of
the immortality of the soul
00:22:30.31\00:22:33.27
became of special significance.
00:22:33.30\00:22:35.27
It penetrated do deeply
into the thoughts of western man
00:22:35.30\00:22:38.68
because although with
certain modifications,
00:22:38.71\00:22:41.18
it was assimilated"
this Greek teaching of Plato
00:22:41.21\00:22:46.07
"was assimilated
by Christian theology
00:22:46.10\00:22:50.48
and church
teaching was even declared
00:22:50.51\00:22:53.69
by the Lateran
Council of 1512 (1513),"
00:22:53.72\00:22:56.60
they met both
years "to be a dogma"
00:22:56.63\00:22:59.47
that is an official
teaching of the church
00:22:59.50\00:23:02.05
"to contradict was a heresy."
00:23:02.08\00:23:05.83
And so it was the
established church that in 1512
00:23:05.86\00:23:10.73
declared this an
official teaching
00:23:10.76\00:23:13.31
and has been transmitted down
00:23:13.34\00:23:14.72
through the various
churches to our own day
00:23:14.75\00:23:17.36
but it came straight
out of the mystic teachings
00:23:17.39\00:23:20.81
of many the Greek philosophers.
00:23:20.84\00:23:23.47
And I have a paper on
this posted in the website.
00:23:23.50\00:23:28.13
If you want to get into
this a little bit deeper
00:23:28.16\00:23:29.92
then I am gonna have
time to get into it tonight.
00:23:29.95\00:23:32.36
It's going to
give you more chapter
00:23:32.39\00:23:33.68
and verse historically
how this came to be.
00:23:33.71\00:23:37.49
And it's the certain
it's really going back
00:23:37.52\00:23:38.87
to that fourth, fifth and sixth
century that period of time.
00:23:38.90\00:23:42.40
Remember, we were studying
about the apostasy of the church
00:23:42.43\00:23:45.30
that was predicted
in 2 Thessalonians 2,
00:23:45.33\00:23:48.48
and out of the apostasy
will develop the antichrist.
00:23:48.51\00:23:52.97
It was in that
state, the apostate state
00:23:53.00\00:23:57.82
that the church
embraces many teachings
00:23:57.85\00:24:01.23
and ideas and practices
that were not truly biblical.
00:24:01.26\00:24:05.74
In the fourth,
fifth and sixth centuries,
00:24:05.77\00:24:07.17
if you study what the church
fathers were writing about
00:24:07.20\00:24:10.58
and what they were reading,
00:24:10.61\00:24:12.04
my friend, they were not really
00:24:12.07\00:24:14.07
all that much into
what the Bible was teaching.
00:24:14.10\00:24:17.22
They were enamored,
their world was enamored
00:24:17.25\00:24:21.31
with Greek philosophy
and they sought to find a way
00:24:21.34\00:24:25.97
to bring Greek philosophy
00:24:26.00\00:24:28.05
and teaching into
Christian theology.
00:24:28.08\00:24:32.65
There was an
assimilation of Greek teaching
00:24:32.68\00:24:36.28
as it relates to
immortality of the soul.
00:24:36.31\00:24:40.17
And that's how it
got transmitted down
00:24:40.20\00:24:43.17
to the various
churches down to our own day.
00:24:43.20\00:24:46.25
Though a reasonably
careful study of scripture
00:24:46.28\00:24:50.26
will bare-out
it is not biblical.
00:24:50.29\00:24:54.70
And we always pay a price
00:24:54.73\00:24:55.93
when we stray from
what the Bible teaches.
00:24:55.96\00:24:57.78
You know that?
00:24:57.81\00:24:59.59
We come up with ideas and
some of us again are raised
00:24:59.62\00:25:02.23
with some of
these ideas but anyway,
00:25:02.26\00:25:04.63
let me take you
on to Psalm 146:3-4,
00:25:04.66\00:25:08.81
it goes on to say,
00:25:08.84\00:25:09.97
"Do not trust in
princes, in mortal man,
00:25:10.00\00:25:13.34
in whom there is no salvation.
00:25:13.37\00:25:15.28
His spirit departs,"
his breath or spirit departs
00:25:15.31\00:25:19.52
"he returns to the earth,"
00:25:19.55\00:25:22.01
that's where one
goes when they die.
00:25:22.04\00:25:25.22
You all following this?
00:25:25.25\00:25:26.28
I know its Old Testament,
00:25:26.31\00:25:28.26
let's see New
Testaments consistent here.
00:25:28.29\00:25:31.10
"He returns to the earth in that
very day his thoughts," what?
00:25:31.13\00:25:37.64
"His thoughts perish"
is what the Bible says.
00:25:37.67\00:25:40.67
Just a minute, I
know, take a deep breath.
00:25:40.70\00:25:45.72
I know that's taking a
significant step further
00:25:45.75\00:25:48.75
than what we've
done up to this point
00:25:48.78\00:25:52.12
because somehow we have
gotten hold to this idea
00:25:52.15\00:25:56.26
that relates to the
spirit or maybe the soul
00:25:56.29\00:25:59.48
and actually sometimes
there's confusion about this
00:25:59.51\00:26:02.27
whether its a spirit or
soul that we are talking about
00:26:02.30\00:26:04.52
but never less the
idea that the essence
00:26:04.55\00:26:07.62
of the individual
survives at death,
00:26:07.65\00:26:12.28
the essence in the form
of the spirit or the soul.
00:26:12.31\00:26:15.82
Again, they are
used interchangeably
00:26:15.85\00:26:17.78
as if they were synonymous
00:26:17.81\00:26:19.29
and they are not actually as
you look at it from the Bible.
00:26:19.32\00:26:23.63
And so this idea
that-- what did it say?
00:26:23.66\00:26:29.03
"In the very day
his thoughts perish,"
00:26:29.06\00:26:31.26
that when an individual dies
00:26:31.29\00:26:33.90
they enter a
state of unconsciousness
00:26:33.93\00:26:38.19
is something that does for
some of us take our breath away
00:26:38.22\00:26:42.09
but let' have another
text too, Ecclesiastes 9,
00:26:42.12\00:26:44.93
the Old Testament, page 482.
00:26:44.96\00:26:47.77
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6
and who wrote Ecclesiastes?
00:26:47.80\00:26:53.22
Well, you say,
Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes.
00:26:53.25\00:26:57.26
And the Bible says of Solomon
00:26:57.29\00:26:58.38
he's the wisest man
that ever lived, right.
00:26:58.41\00:27:01.94
And here's what the
wisest man that ever lived
00:27:01.97\00:27:03.88
under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
00:27:03.91\00:27:05.80
this is what he said
about this matter of death.
00:27:05.83\00:27:09.25
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, he says,
00:27:09.28\00:27:14.93
"For the living
know that they will die,
00:27:14.96\00:27:17.06
but the dead do
not know anything,
00:27:17.09\00:27:19.45
nor have they
any longer a reward
00:27:19.48\00:27:21.33
for their memory is forgotten.
00:27:21.36\00:27:23.31
Indeed their love, their hate
00:27:23.34\00:27:26.02
and their zeal
have already perished
00:27:26.05\00:27:28.78
and they will no
longer have a share
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.49
in all that is
done under the sun."
00:27:30.52\00:27:32.51
That is in this life.
00:27:32.54\00:27:35.42
Living know they will die
but the dead know how much?
00:27:35.45\00:27:38.93
Nothing.
00:27:38.96\00:27:40.69
Man shall not live by
bread along, Jesus said
00:27:40.72\00:27:42.97
but by every word that preceded
out of the mouth of God.
00:27:43.00\00:27:47.37
Paul in writing to Timothy said,
00:27:47.40\00:27:48.96
all scripture is
given by inspiration of God
00:27:48.99\00:27:52.11
and it's profitable for
doctrine that's for teaching,
00:27:52.14\00:27:55.13
and goes on to talk
about for correction
00:27:55.16\00:27:57.79
and for reprove and instruction,
00:27:57.82\00:27:59.76
righteousness, all scripture.
00:27:59.79\00:28:02.65
And you noticed
that in the seminar
00:28:02.68\00:28:04.34
we take all scripture
and we found them to be--
00:28:04.37\00:28:08.40
these scriptures are
harmonious, aren't they?
00:28:08.43\00:28:10.78
Isn't that what we found
whether we're talking about
00:28:10.81\00:28:12.13
the coming of
Jesus of the millennium
00:28:12.16\00:28:14.26
or whether we're
talking about the commandments
00:28:14.29\00:28:16.33
or the Sabbath or
the plan of salvation?
00:28:16.36\00:28:20.43
My friend, there's a consistency
00:28:20.46\00:28:22.20
between the Old
and New Testament.
00:28:22.23\00:28:24.63
We've seen that
with our own eyes.
00:28:24.66\00:28:27.56
Actually, I love that, don't
you to take the whole Bible,
00:28:27.59\00:28:32.58
the whole Bible
and you understand
00:28:32.61\00:28:35.17
how unique the New
Testament really is
00:28:35.20\00:28:37.27
and how
important and vital it is
00:28:37.30\00:28:39.31
because all that was
predicted in the Old Testament,
00:28:39.34\00:28:41.35
it was fulfilled in the place
of Jesus in the New Testament.
00:28:41.38\00:28:44.42
Think about when a person dies,
00:28:44.45\00:28:47.18
where does the
thought process take place?
00:28:47.21\00:28:50.91
Where does
consciousness takes place?
00:28:50.94\00:28:53.56
That's a human brain, you know,
00:28:53.59\00:28:57.25
that's where it all happens.
00:28:57.28\00:28:59.55
But what happens
when a person dies
00:28:59.58\00:29:01.64
and with the
death of the individual
00:29:01.67\00:29:03.72
the brain ceases to function.
00:29:03.75\00:29:07.67
Can consciousness,
can the thought processes
00:29:07.70\00:29:11.49
exist without the brain?
00:29:11.52\00:29:16.09
See, scientifically
as you think about it,
00:29:16.12\00:29:20.61
the science bares-out
with the Bible is teaching.
00:29:20.64\00:29:24.92
No, the mind ceases the function
00:29:24.95\00:29:27.97
with the death of
body is what we find.
00:29:28.00\00:29:31.67
So how about the New Testament?
00:29:31.70\00:29:32.97
How about the teaching of Jesus?
00:29:33.10\00:29:35.24
Well, take a look
at John 11, turn there,
00:29:35.27\00:29:37.70
New Testament, page 82.
00:29:37.73\00:29:39.47
Page 82, the John 11.
00:29:39.50\00:29:41.26
We'll began with
Verse 11 in just a moment
00:29:41.29\00:29:43.25
but let me give you
another illustration
00:29:43.28\00:29:45.23
before we read what
Jesus thought about this.
00:29:45.26\00:29:47.92
Take a light bulb as we've
illustrated here on the screen.
00:29:47.95\00:29:51.42
The light, you know,
00:29:51.45\00:29:53.34
what a marvelous
invention this really was.
00:29:53.37\00:29:56.32
And as long as
the current is flowing
00:29:56.35\00:29:58.56
through the filaments
of that bulb there's light.
00:29:58.59\00:30:01.82
But break the current,
what happens to the light?
00:30:01.85\00:30:07.73
It goes out
because without the current
00:30:07.76\00:30:11.99
flowing through the
filaments there is no light.
00:30:12.02\00:30:14.83
And my friend,
without the spirit of life
00:30:14.86\00:30:17.67
flowing through our being,
00:30:17.70\00:30:20.06
through our
bodies there is not life.
00:30:20.09\00:30:23.94
Are you with me?
00:30:23.97\00:30:25.79
And we don't say,
where did the light go?
00:30:25.82\00:30:27.62
Oh, it went to a
higher plane, the light,
00:30:27.65\00:30:31.60
you know, it's so mystical,
the light is so mystical.
00:30:31.63\00:30:36.34
No, no, no.
00:30:36.37\00:30:37.74
No, we don't get into
the mysticism about light,
00:30:37.77\00:30:40.37
it's just gone.
00:30:40.40\00:30:42.63
But we've got very mystical
00:30:42.66\00:30:44.14
about this matter
of life and death.
00:30:44.17\00:30:47.72
And my friend, that mysticism
that's associated with it
00:30:47.75\00:30:51.52
is not primarily Christian,
00:30:51.55\00:30:54.45
it was simulated by the
church as we already noted.
00:30:54.48\00:30:57.74
It comes from
Greek mystic teachers.
00:30:57.77\00:31:00.75
So what did Jesus said
about this matter of death?
00:31:00.78\00:31:03.34
Let's take a look at John
11, beginning with verse 11,
00:31:03.37\00:31:05.80
the story of Lazarus.
00:31:05.83\00:31:08.55
Oh, yes, we remember the story
of Lazarus, he was really ill.
00:31:08.58\00:31:12.24
Word is sent to
Jesus but He lingers.
00:31:12.27\00:31:15.25
And then finally verse 11
here he says, this he says,
00:31:15.28\00:31:18.33
"And after that He said
to them" to his disciples
00:31:18.36\00:31:20.86
"Our friend Lazarus
has fallen asleep but I go,
00:31:20.89\00:31:24.76
so that I may
awaken him out of sleep."
00:31:24.79\00:31:27.86
The disciples then said to Him,
00:31:27.89\00:31:29.05
"Lord, if he has fallen
asleep, he will recover."
00:31:29.08\00:31:32.15
They thought, man,
what a-- that's good news.
00:31:32.18\00:31:35.17
He's sleeping,
he's going to recover.
00:31:35.20\00:31:38.35
Verse 13, "Now Jesus
had spoken of his" what?
00:31:38.38\00:31:41.69
"Of his death."
00:31:41.72\00:31:43.45
So what did Jesus uses as an
analogy in reference to death?
00:31:43.48\00:31:49.62
What was the analogy?
00:31:49.65\00:31:51.52
Sleep, natural sleep, okay.
00:31:51.55\00:31:54.86
So Jesus spoken of his death
00:31:54.89\00:31:57.10
but they thought that He
was speaking of little sleep.
00:31:57.13\00:31:59.76
"So Jesus said to them
plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.''
00:31:59.79\00:32:06.40
So death, it's like
in the Bible, to sleep.
00:32:06.43\00:32:12.75
Sixty six times in 17
different books of the Bible
00:32:12.78\00:32:16.99
death is like in to sleep.
00:32:17.02\00:32:20.63
And I have these very
fond memories of my sons
00:32:20.66\00:32:24.58
when they were in grade school.
00:32:24.61\00:32:27.26
And they were going
to a Christian school
00:32:27.29\00:32:29.01
which made my wife or I
00:32:29.04\00:32:30.32
or both of us
would pick them up.
00:32:30.35\00:32:32.26
And I remember,
particularly, Kevin.
00:32:32.29\00:32:34.80
We would bring him home
00:32:34.83\00:32:35.91
and Kevin was this
great Lego builder.
00:32:35.94\00:32:40.20
Several years ago
we discovered that he--
00:32:40.23\00:32:43.18
in a pinch needed
a little bit money,
00:32:43.21\00:32:45.02
sold his vast Lego collection.
00:32:45.05\00:32:47.95
He thought it was his
but you know who paid for it.
00:32:47.98\00:32:53.19
He sold his Lego
collection to a friend of his
00:32:53.22\00:32:56.15
who had children
and his mother and I
00:32:56.18\00:32:59.83
because there are some emotional
attachment to those Lego's,
00:32:59.86\00:33:02.64
besides, who knows we may
have grandchildren some day.
00:33:02.67\00:33:06.40
Would that be a great
thing to have around yet?
00:33:06.43\00:33:08.78
And so we bought them
back, and we got them back.
00:33:08.81\00:33:13.38
And I have these memories
00:33:13.41\00:33:14.77
of Kevin coming
home from the school.
00:33:14.80\00:33:17.15
I love to be around my kids.
00:33:17.18\00:33:18.89
And I remember it was then
often I would lay on the couch,
00:33:18.92\00:33:22.73
I have these pleasant memories
00:33:22.76\00:33:24.69
of Kevin down in the family room
00:33:24.72\00:33:27.25
with his Legos and
how creative he was.
00:33:27.28\00:33:30.77
And I would drift to sleep.
00:33:30.80\00:33:32.35
I'll be so relax just
to be in there with my son.
00:33:32.38\00:33:36.35
And let me tell you,
as long as I was asleep
00:33:36.38\00:33:39.45
I was totally
unaware of anything
00:33:39.48\00:33:42.07
that was going on around me.
00:33:42.10\00:33:45.10
Now because it
was a little sleep
00:33:45.13\00:33:46.57
I could be awaken to
a state of consciousness
00:33:46.60\00:33:49.31
but would you not agree
as long as one is asleep
00:33:49.34\00:33:52.41
one is unaware,
unconscious, right?
00:33:52.44\00:33:56.47
That's what Jesus was picking up
00:33:56.50\00:33:58.73
and that's what He was meaning
00:33:58.76\00:34:00.61
when He talked about
death being like sleep,
00:34:00.64\00:34:03.38
it is an unconscious state.
00:34:03.41\00:34:07.41
Raymond Moody,
let's get to these life--
00:34:07.44\00:34:09.26
these near-death experiences.
00:34:09.29\00:34:11.35
Raymond Moody in his book,
Life after Life readily admits
00:34:11.38\00:34:16.25
that none of his
subjects were actually dead
00:34:16.28\00:34:18.76
by brain wave
definition of death.
00:34:18.79\00:34:24.40
You know, we
know that in actuality
00:34:24.43\00:34:27.47
it's only when the
brain wave goes flat
00:34:27.50\00:34:31.35
that death actually takes place.
00:34:31.38\00:34:33.73
And you know, even
that is not as you know,
00:34:33.76\00:34:36.91
as we have answer of science.
00:34:36.94\00:34:39.22
So you know, we had to redefine,
00:34:39.25\00:34:41.26
you know, when
death really take place.
00:34:41.29\00:34:44.88
But he admits
that none of subjects
00:34:44.91\00:34:46.72
he studied were actually dead
00:34:46.75\00:34:49.27
because when the
central nervous system dies,
00:34:49.30\00:34:52.34
it is impossible to
resuscitate an individual.
00:34:52.37\00:34:56.17
That's pure silence.
00:34:56.20\00:34:58.96
I had the word of that
from my anesthesiology friend.
00:34:58.99\00:35:03.49
So what's going on?
00:35:03.52\00:35:06.04
You see, again with our science
00:35:06.07\00:35:08.08
we've been exploring
the frontiers of death,
00:35:08.11\00:35:12.56
the edges of death.
00:35:12.59\00:35:15.22
And Raymond Moody
makes this statement about--
00:35:15.25\00:35:19.23
as he observes this experience
00:35:19.26\00:35:20.93
of these near-death experiences.
00:35:20.96\00:35:22.22
He says, "Life after death
00:35:22.25\00:35:23.83
cannot be
proven scientifically."
00:35:23.86\00:35:27.07
This what he says.
00:35:27.10\00:35:28.81
There's probably
not a better expert
00:35:28.84\00:35:30.34
on this whole subject than he.
00:35:30.37\00:35:33.06
"I think that life
after death is still something
00:35:33.09\00:35:35.77
that has to be accepted
pretty much on a kind of faith,
00:35:35.80\00:35:38.67
and that the
near-death experiences
00:35:38.70\00:35:40.51
as impressive as they are,
00:35:40.54\00:35:42.51
don't really give
us scientific evidence
00:35:42.54\00:35:45.04
that we live after we die."
00:35:45.07\00:35:47.06
And yet that's been
used as exhibit number one,
00:35:47.09\00:35:50.52
these near-death experiences.
00:35:50.55\00:35:52.24
Going towards a bright light,
00:35:52.27\00:35:53.67
being in presence
of tremendous love,
00:35:53.70\00:35:55.85
you know that's--you
know this is being represented
00:35:55.88\00:35:59.91
as what happens
when one dies, right?
00:35:59.94\00:36:04.83
That's what's being represented.
00:36:04.86\00:36:07.56
But my friend, experience
must always been in subjection
00:36:07.59\00:36:12.89
to the clear
teachings of scripture.
00:36:12.92\00:36:16.26
We interpreted other experiences
00:36:16.29\00:36:18.95
that one goes through
by means of the truth--
00:36:18.98\00:36:22.35
that we find in scripture.
00:36:22.38\00:36:25.27
And my friend,
this is not born out
00:36:25.30\00:36:27.25
by what the Bible teaches.
00:36:27.28\00:36:28.46
Furthermore, these
near-death experiences
00:36:28.49\00:36:31.35
lend themselves to universalism,
00:36:31.38\00:36:34.60
the idea that all
are going to be saved
00:36:34.63\00:36:36.96
because this is been reported
not only be Christian believers
00:36:36.99\00:36:40.66
but by distinctly non-believers.
00:36:40.69\00:36:46.45
So we need to be very careful
00:36:46.48\00:36:47.99
how we use these
near-death experiences.
00:36:48.02\00:36:50.82
And by the way, oh my friend,
00:36:50.85\00:36:52.88
take a good look at the
term itself, near-death.
00:36:52.91\00:36:59.59
We're near-- well,
where are we near to?
00:36:59.62\00:37:02.70
We are near to the
coast, the Oregon Coast.
00:37:02.73\00:37:06.20
To be near the Oregon Coast
00:37:06.23\00:37:08.07
is not the same as
being at the Oregon Coast.
00:37:08.10\00:37:12.40
How many of you would agree?
00:37:12.43\00:37:15.26
All right, I've got five of us.
00:37:15.29\00:37:17.19
I got little work
to do tonight, don't I?
00:37:17.22\00:37:20.30
So it is with near
death, to be near death
00:37:20.33\00:37:25.34
is not the same as being dead.
00:37:25.37\00:37:28.77
And if it is not
the same as being dead
00:37:28.80\00:37:30.59
therefore they are not
an exhibit of what happens
00:37:30.62\00:37:35.46
when one dies
because they haven't died.
00:37:35.49\00:37:40.09
Near-death,
think about it, okay.
00:37:40.12\00:37:46.87
It's interesting that some of
the experiences out of the 60s.
00:37:46.90\00:37:51.65
I am referring now, I
am taking you back in time.
00:37:51.68\00:37:54.07
For some of you, you
remember Timothy O'Leary.
00:37:54.10\00:37:57.56
Oh, Timothy O'Leary
who in the name of science
00:37:57.59\00:38:00.15
there at
Berkeley was investigating
00:38:00.18\00:38:02.41
the mind expanding properties
of LSD and other drugs.
00:38:02.44\00:38:07.98
Remember that, the 60s.
00:38:08.01\00:38:09.78
And he heard about
these mushrooms down in Mexico
00:38:09.81\00:38:13.52
and he had to go out--
he had to go down there
00:38:13.55\00:38:15.48
on a field exhibition,
expedition, there's the word,
00:38:15.51\00:38:19.82
expedition to do an
official investigation.
00:38:19.85\00:38:24.90
And so he ingested
some of these mushrooms.
00:38:24.93\00:38:27.78
This is what the report says
from the Saturday Evening Post.
00:38:27.81\00:38:31.78
He said, "I
realized that I had died,
00:38:31.81\00:38:34.10
that I, Timothy Leary,
00:38:34.13\00:38:35.45
the Timothy Leary game was gone.
00:38:35.48\00:38:37.64
I could look back and
see my body on the bed."
00:38:37.67\00:38:40.21
He had the outer-body
experience on Mexican mushrooms,
00:38:40.24\00:38:45.48
don't you forget it.
00:38:45.51\00:38:47.65
Okay, furthermore it
said, "I relived my life
00:38:47.68\00:38:50.08
and re-experienced many
events I had forgotten."
00:38:50.11\00:38:52.72
His life flashed before
him on Mexican mushrooms.
00:38:52.75\00:38:58.79
Now, look out for
those Mexican mushrooms
00:38:58.82\00:39:00.82
L.J. Meduna reports that all
the effects of the hallucinogens
00:39:00.85\00:39:05.62
can be reproduces
by carbon dioxide.
00:39:05.65\00:39:10.37
And what's happening as
one nears the point of death?
00:39:10.40\00:39:13.34
The breath becomes
typically more and more shallow,
00:39:13.37\00:39:17.62
which means less and less oxygen
00:39:17.65\00:39:19.05
is being picked
up by the hemoglobin
00:39:19.08\00:39:20.75
and the red blood cells and
be delivered to the body tissues
00:39:20.78\00:39:25.27
which automatically means as
the oxygen levels are going down
00:39:25.30\00:39:29.92
the carbon dioxide levels
physiologically are going up.
00:39:29.95\00:39:34.19
It's zapping all to the
body and in the brain as well.
00:39:34.22\00:39:38.23
There are cycle chemical
reactions that are taking place
00:39:38.26\00:39:40.58
in the brain as one is
nearing the point of death.
00:39:40.61\00:39:46.82
Let me share this with you,
00:39:46.85\00:39:48.39
I picked it up from Readers
press agency in the paper.
00:39:48.42\00:39:51.83
It said, "An
undertaker nearly dropped dead
00:39:51.86\00:39:54.03
when he heard snores
coming from the coffin
00:39:54.06\00:39:56.15
containing
85-year-old Rose Hanover
00:39:56.18\00:39:58.78
that was getting
ready for burial."
00:39:58.81\00:40:01.38
She had collapsed and
apparently had died at home
00:40:01.41\00:40:05.82
and had been declared
by her doctor to be dead
00:40:05.85\00:40:09.30
by normal breath and--
00:40:09.33\00:40:10.95
there's no breath
and there was no pulse,
00:40:10.98\00:40:12.72
he said she's dead,
take her off to the morgue.
00:40:12.75\00:40:15.49
But two hours after
arriving at the funeral parlor
00:40:15.52\00:40:17.89
she began to snore.
00:40:17.92\00:40:20.59
And to me that's just kind
of comical to imagine, you know.
00:40:20.62\00:40:24.73
I've been in funeral parlors,
I haven't been really down there
00:40:24.76\00:40:27.81
or back there where they
prepare the bodies for burial
00:40:27.85\00:40:31.36
but I can imagine what
this guy was going through
00:40:31.39\00:40:33.75
as he was anticipating
preparing for burial
00:40:33.78\00:40:36.80
and she starts to snore.
00:40:36.83\00:40:39.98
And they discovered
she really wasn't dead.
00:40:40.01\00:40:42.69
I was at Sioux
Falls, South Dakota,
00:40:42.72\00:40:44.49
I had somebody in my meeting
00:40:44.52\00:40:46.17
that picked up
some of these ideas
00:40:46.20\00:40:47.74
and had gone to his friends
and to his family and said,
00:40:47.77\00:40:50.73
don't you let them
bury me until you know
00:40:50.76\00:40:53.19
without a question I am dead.
00:40:53.22\00:40:56.40
He just had this horrific
idea that somehow they bury him
00:40:56.43\00:41:00.33
and he wasn't
really-- and he would you know,
00:41:00.36\00:41:02.78
awake in his
coffin six feet under.
00:41:02.81\00:41:05.88
And that is
pretty horrific thought.
00:41:05.91\00:41:09.84
I wonder if that has
actually ever happened
00:41:09.87\00:41:12.39
and probably it has.
00:41:12.42\00:41:14.81
But since we do
embalm we do embalm
00:41:14.84\00:41:19.20
now that probably takes
care of at least in our culture
00:41:19.23\00:41:22.51
the probability
of that happening.
00:41:22.54\00:41:26.16
Let's go back to the tree of
the knowledge, good and evil.
00:41:26.19\00:41:29.02
You know what God
said about this tree,
00:41:29.05\00:41:30.77
if you sin you will surely die.
00:41:30.80\00:41:33.13
In Genesis 3:4, "And the
Serpent said to the woman,"
00:41:33.16\00:41:36.05
it's the first
lie, the first lie
00:41:36.08\00:41:38.84
is over this matter of
what happens when you die.
00:41:38.87\00:41:41.23
"The serpent said to the woman,
00:41:41.26\00:41:42.54
'you surely shall not die.'"
00:41:42.57\00:41:45.15
It was a direct contradiction
to what God had said
00:41:45.18\00:41:47.77
about the consequence of sin.
00:41:47.80\00:41:50.31
But the devil said,
no, no, no, just a minute.
00:41:50.34\00:41:52.39
No, you are not going
to really, really die.
00:41:52.42\00:41:55.25
No, you are not.
00:41:55.28\00:41:56.83
Adam and Eve were
face with the choice,
00:41:56.86\00:41:58.54
where they going to
take God at His word
00:41:58.57\00:42:01.75
or were they going to
take the word of the serpent.
00:42:01.78\00:42:04.38
And my friend, we have
much as same choice to make.
00:42:04.41\00:42:06.89
Are we going to
take God at His word
00:42:06.92\00:42:09.51
that we're discovering
in the study of His word
00:42:09.54\00:42:12.92
or are we just going to
because it's so familiar
00:42:12.95\00:42:15.30
and we've heard this for so long
00:42:15.33\00:42:16.94
and we've heard
this in the church
00:42:16.97\00:42:18.91
actually being taught.
00:42:18.94\00:42:20.30
Are we going to
hold on to this idea?
00:42:20.33\00:42:23.39
But this whole idea
that the essence of a person
00:42:23.42\00:42:25.62
survives at death on
the basis of channeling,
00:42:25.65\00:42:28.75
are spirit mediums and the like.
00:42:28.78\00:42:32.70
And we have warnings
about this is in Isaiah 8:19,
00:42:32.73\00:42:36.79
the Lord says, "And
when they say to you,
00:42:36.82\00:42:38.53
'Consult the mediums,'"
the future of human being.
00:42:38.56\00:42:42.88
Human being there's a medium
00:42:42.91\00:42:44.51
through which the spirits
can communicate with the living.
00:42:44.54\00:42:48.94
We call that
spiritism, channeling,
00:42:48.97\00:42:51.43
what other term you
want to use is the same.
00:42:51.46\00:42:54.87
So it's talking
about the medium.
00:42:54.90\00:42:57.55
"Consult the
mediums and the spiritists,
00:42:57.58\00:42:59.77
who whisper and mutter,'
00:42:59.80\00:43:01.62
should not a
people consult their God?
00:43:01.65\00:43:04.30
Should they consult the
dead on behalf of the living?"
00:43:04.33\00:43:08.39
My friend, we have very clear
warnings about this whole matter
00:43:08.42\00:43:11.31
and there's some
interesting programming
00:43:11.34\00:43:12.98
that's being produced today
00:43:13.01\00:43:14.96
on this whole
thing of spirit mediums.
00:43:14.99\00:43:18.18
Have you noticed
this in the media?
00:43:18.21\00:43:21.47
I haven't seen this program,
00:43:21.50\00:43:22.89
actually I wouldn't
choose to watch this program
00:43:22.92\00:43:25.41
but "The Dead Want
to Speak With You,"
00:43:25.44\00:43:28.98
it was a special back
on October 12 of last year.
00:43:29.01\00:43:33.94
It's a continuing
program on Lifetime.
00:43:33.97\00:43:36.77
The Dead want to Speak
with You, did you know that,
00:43:36.80\00:43:38.78
the dead want to speak with you?
00:43:38.81\00:43:40.90
So what's going
on? What's behind this?
00:43:44.38\00:43:47.47
Look at 1 John 4, the
New Testament page 186.
00:43:47.50\00:43:50.96
1 John 4:1, I am going
to move you on tonight,
00:43:50.99\00:43:56.05
as we do with spiritism
00:43:59.11\00:44:01.06
in the context of
our study tonight.
00:44:01.09\00:44:03.39
1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do
not believe every spirit,
00:44:03.42\00:44:07.01
but test the spirits to
see whether they are from God."
00:44:07.04\00:44:11.04
How will we test them?
According to this book, right?
00:44:11.07\00:44:16.99
"To see whether
they are from God,
00:44:17.02\00:44:18.75
because many false prophets
have gone out into the world."
00:44:18.78\00:44:23.87
And my friend, it's not
the spirits of departed dead.
00:44:23.90\00:44:26.97
Who is behind this?
Who really is at work?
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.21
And my friend, the answer is,
it was the forces of wickedness,
00:44:30.24\00:44:33.33
it's the forces of darkness as
indicated here in Ephesians 6:12
00:44:33.36\00:44:37.43
where it says, "For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood,
00:44:37.46\00:44:40.22
but against the
rulers, against the powers,
00:44:40.25\00:44:42.77
against the world
forces of this darkness,
00:44:42.80\00:44:44.91
against the spiritual
forces of wickedness."
00:44:44.94\00:44:48.14
My friend, that is
what's on the other side.
00:44:48.17\00:44:53.04
That's' who's
whispering and muttering
00:44:53.07\00:44:55.37
and
communication and all of this.
00:44:55.40\00:44:57.59
It is a deadly deception.
00:44:57.62\00:45:00.75
2 Corinthians 11:13, New
Testament, page 145, 145,
00:45:00.78\00:45:06.51
2 Thessalonians Chapter 11,
that's what I said, isn't it?
00:45:06.54\00:45:11.23
And we want to look at Verse 13.
00:45:11.26\00:45:13.46
Notice what Paul says in writing
to the Corinthians church.
00:45:13.49\00:45:17.06
He says, "For such men are false
apostles, deceitful workers,
00:45:17.09\00:45:20.65
disguising themselves
as apostles of Christ.
00:45:20.68\00:45:23.35
No wonder, for even Satan
00:45:23.38\00:45:25.02
disguises himself
as an angel of light.
00:45:25.05\00:45:27.98
Therefore it is not
surprising if his servants
00:45:28.01\00:45:30.31
also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness,
00:45:30.34\00:45:33.17
whose end will be
according to their deeds."
00:45:33.20\00:45:36.66
And so it says Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light.
00:45:36.69\00:45:41.89
Does he have that kind of power?
00:45:41.92\00:45:44.23
Of course he does because
he once was an angel of light,
00:45:44.26\00:45:47.54
now an angel of darkness.
00:45:47.57\00:45:51.65
And so I take you back to
1991, I was in Magadan, Russia,
00:45:51.68\00:45:55.50
the Far East and I was preaching
this series of meeting.
00:45:55.53\00:46:00.56
So second night as I
was doing this series
00:46:00.59\00:46:02.39
I came to this
great battle in heaven,
00:46:02.42\00:46:04.98
that broke up between
the forces of good and evil.
00:46:05.01\00:46:08.00
And after it I had this
Russian man in his mid 30s
00:46:08.03\00:46:10.45
approach me
through my translator
00:46:10.48\00:46:11.99
asking me questions
about the organization,
00:46:12.02\00:46:14.20
the hierarchy and so I was
giving him biblical answers.
00:46:14.23\00:46:17.75
I though he was
you know, he just was
00:46:17.78\00:46:19.61
a little bit
fascinated with all subject.
00:46:19.64\00:46:21.90
A few days later he sought
me out where I was staying
00:46:21.93\00:46:25.52
and again I had to
have my translator Ortum,
00:46:25.55\00:46:29.41
one of my best
translators I ever had overseas.
00:46:29.44\00:46:32.48
And he began to
tell me about angels.
00:46:32.51\00:46:35.35
He said, there's
actually 12 archangels.
00:46:35.38\00:46:38.06
Bible says not a word of
12 but he was convinced of it
00:46:38.09\00:46:41.57
and he said that he was the
son of Gabriel, the archangel.
00:46:41.60\00:46:45.79
And at that point I
just wondered you know,
00:46:45.82\00:46:48.30
if everything was
right there as it should be
00:46:48.33\00:46:50.61
but he was quite
serious and was explaining to me
00:46:50.64\00:46:53.54
how his whole
group through his sister
00:46:53.57\00:46:57.89
was in
communication with these angels.
00:46:57.92\00:47:01.18
They would take
control of his sister's hand
00:47:01.21\00:47:04.87
and she would
write and these messages
00:47:04.90\00:47:07.53
would flow out from her hand.
00:47:07.56\00:47:09.25
Boy, that sounded
like a medium to me
00:47:09.28\00:47:11.79
and I told him I thought so.
00:47:11.82\00:47:14.21
But let me tell
you it was so close,
00:47:14.24\00:47:18.33
so close to what
the Bible talked.
00:47:18.36\00:47:21.09
And but my friends, it
was deadly, it was deceptive.
00:47:21.12\00:47:27.64
And it's not the angels of
God communicating with them
00:47:27.67\00:47:31.13
because when I
asked him the question,
00:47:31.16\00:47:33.05
do they tell you whether you
can communicate with the dead?
00:47:33.08\00:47:36.05
And when he said, yes, they said
we can communicate with the dead
00:47:36.08\00:47:39.94
I thought to myself, I
got you because that's a lie.
00:47:39.97\00:47:44.92
The Bible does not teach that
we can communicate to the dead.
00:47:44.95\00:47:47.81
It forbids it.
00:47:47.84\00:47:49.65
In Job 7:9, 10, it
says, "When a cloud vanishes,
00:47:49.68\00:47:52.66
it is gone, so he who goes down
to Sheol," that is to the grave,
00:47:52.69\00:47:56.39
"does not come up.
00:47:56.42\00:47:57.60
He will not return
again to his house,
00:47:57.63\00:47:59.61
nor will his
place know him anymore."
00:47:59.64\00:48:03.01
My friend, they do
not return to their house.
00:48:03.04\00:48:05.94
There is no such
thing as haunted houses.
00:48:05.97\00:48:12.24
Now there maybe
some other forces
00:48:12.27\00:48:14.21
who are haunting those
houses, the forces of evil.
00:48:14.24\00:48:19.71
I was doing a series
at Claxton, Washington
00:48:19.74\00:48:21.56
and I had a young
woman that was attending
00:48:21.59\00:48:24.46
and she told me the story,
00:48:24.49\00:48:26.57
she knew what the
Bible taught about this.
00:48:26.60\00:48:28.45
She said, me
and two of my friend
00:48:28.48\00:48:31.92
entered into a suicide pact
00:48:31.95\00:48:33.83
and one of us carried it out
00:48:33.86\00:48:35.75
and she's been
appearing to me at night
00:48:35.78\00:48:37.32
in my bedroom even touched me.
00:48:37.35\00:48:40.00
Now she knew what
the Bible taught on this,
00:48:40.03\00:48:41.44
she knew it was not her friend.
00:48:41.47\00:48:44.20
It looks like it, like her
and I tell you there's this,
00:48:44.23\00:48:49.29
some cultures really
have a lot of this going on.
00:48:49.32\00:48:52.84
Over in Africa, let me tell you,
00:48:52.87\00:48:54.17
there's a lot of this
kind of phenomena going on.
00:48:54.20\00:48:56.79
Down to Caribbean,
there's lot of this going on.
00:48:56.82\00:48:59.90
Even in I founded
in Hispanic cultures
00:48:59.93\00:49:02.78
there's a fair amount of this.
00:49:02.81\00:49:03.92
In native Indian cultures
there's actually a fair amount
00:49:03.95\00:49:06.78
of this kind of
phenomena that's going on.
00:49:06.81\00:49:09.00
And when I saw this young woman
00:49:11.27\00:49:12.63
after baptism
several months later,
00:49:12.66\00:49:14.74
she said, you know,
I haven't been bothered
00:49:14.77\00:49:16.52
with that apparition
from that point forward.
00:49:16.55\00:49:19.84
That tells you
something, doesn't it?
00:49:19.87\00:49:22.61
It wasn't a God at all.
00:49:22.64\00:49:24.16
So let's get down to
the good news of that.
00:49:24.19\00:49:26.28
What's the answer?
00:49:26.31\00:49:27.72
My friend, the answers
will be found in Jesus,
00:49:27.75\00:49:30.09
in His death for us
at the cross of Calvary
00:49:30.12\00:49:32.22
and in the precious
promise of His coming,
00:49:32.25\00:49:35.35
"For it declares
for the Lord himself
00:49:35.38\00:49:37.73
will descend from
heaven with the shout,
00:49:37.76\00:49:39.96
with the voice of the archangel,
00:49:39.99\00:49:41.15
and with the trumpet of God,
00:49:41.18\00:49:42.56
and the dead in
Christ shall rise first.
00:49:42.59\00:49:46.68
Then we who are alive and remain
00:49:46.71\00:49:48.79
shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds
00:49:48.82\00:49:50.87
to meet the Lord in the air
00:49:50.90\00:49:52.53
and thus we shall
always be with the Lord.
00:49:52.56\00:49:54.88
Therefore comfort one
another with these words."
00:49:54.91\00:49:57.89
My friend, why is Jesus coming?
00:49:57.92\00:50:01.74
He's coming for
His people, right?
00:50:01.77\00:50:06.33
And many of His people lay
in the graves, they are dead.
00:50:06.36\00:50:10.61
And what does He
do at His coming?
00:50:10.64\00:50:12.75
He calls them
forth, He resurrects them.
00:50:12.78\00:50:16.96
And those who are alive are
caught up together with them
00:50:16.99\00:50:19.10
to meet the Lord in the air.
00:50:19.13\00:50:20.36
Where do we, when do
we raise to meet the Lord?
00:50:20.39\00:50:26.43
At His coming.
00:50:26.46\00:50:28.15
Oh, keep that thought
because John 14 bares this
00:50:28.18\00:50:31.58
of the New Testament,
page 85, John 14:2, 3.
00:50:31.61\00:50:37.20
John 14:2, Jesus said,
00:50:37.23\00:50:38.85
"In my Father's house
are many dwelling places.
00:50:38.88\00:50:42.10
If it were not so,
I would have told you
00:50:42.13\00:50:44.66
that I go to
prepare a place for you?"
00:50:44.69\00:50:46.83
Who was Jesus speaking
to? Look at the context.
00:50:46.86\00:50:50.78
He's talking to his disciples.
00:50:50.81\00:50:52.96
In chapter 13,
He's explaining to them,
00:50:52.99\00:50:55.09
I am gonna be leaving you
and Peter can hardly stand this.
00:50:55.12\00:50:58.63
Lord, where are you going?
00:50:58.66\00:50:59.99
Lord, why I
can't follow you now?
00:51:00.02\00:51:03.10
I lay down my life for you.
00:51:03.13\00:51:04.38
Read a lot of part of
chapter 13, that's a context.
00:51:04.41\00:51:07.20
And that's why Jesus says,
don't let your heart be trouble,
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.83
He's trying to
comfort His disciples.
00:51:09.86\00:51:11.76
He's telling
them why He's leaving.
00:51:11.79\00:51:13.32
I am going there to having
to prepare a place for you.
00:51:13.35\00:51:15.99
And then what else
does he said there?
00:51:16.02\00:51:17.71
Well let's see, verse 3,
00:51:17.74\00:51:19.22
"If I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:51:19.25\00:51:21.08
I will come again and
receive you to myself,
00:51:21.11\00:51:25.75
that where I am
there you may be also."
00:51:25.78\00:51:27.55
Think about this,
here's the question,
00:51:27.58\00:51:31.16
are the apostles
there in heaven now?
00:51:31.19\00:51:34.07
It doesn't make sense.
00:51:38.67\00:51:41.40
Think about
this, when Jesus said
00:51:41.43\00:51:43.77
I go to prepare a place for you,
00:51:43.80\00:51:45.66
if I go to prepare place
for you I will come again,
00:51:45.69\00:51:50.81
that's the coming
of Jesus, to do what?
00:51:50.84\00:51:53.05
To receive you to myself,
00:51:53.08\00:51:56.49
so that where I
am, you may be also.
00:51:56.52\00:52:00.62
My friend, if they--
00:52:00.65\00:52:04.05
when they died,
they went to heaven,
00:52:04.08\00:52:06.61
they are already there.
00:52:06.64\00:52:08.63
They don't need
Jesus to come back
00:52:08.66\00:52:11.39
to get them to take them there.
00:52:11.42\00:52:16.74
And my friend, let me tell
you this whole thing on death
00:52:16.77\00:52:19.20
has undermined the
significance in Christian church
00:52:19.23\00:52:21.91
of the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:52:21.94\00:52:24.67
That's been the effect of it.
00:52:24.70\00:52:27.52
And my friend, we don't
go to heaven when we die.
00:52:27.55\00:52:30.13
We all go the heaven together
in the resurrection morning,
00:52:30.16\00:52:34.29
Jesus leading the way,
00:52:34.32\00:52:35.65
the angels with
the songs of glory
00:52:35.68\00:52:38.49
and triumph
attending us on the way.
00:52:38.52\00:52:40.92
But how about-- how
about the thief on the cross?
00:52:40.95\00:52:45.61
Lets look at that in Luke 23:43.
00:52:45.64\00:52:48.42
"Remember Lord, remember
me when you coming to kingdom,
00:52:48.45\00:52:51.05
Jesus said, "Truly I say to you,
00:52:51.08\00:52:52.96
today you shall be
with Me in Paradise."
00:52:52.99\00:52:55.92
In the regional language in
Greek there's no punctuation.
00:52:55.95\00:52:58.85
So that comma was
placed by the interpreters,
00:52:58.88\00:53:01.64
the translators, no punctuation.
00:53:01.67\00:53:06.37
But notice what happens
00:53:06.40\00:53:07.56
when you put the
comma after the word today.
00:53:07.59\00:53:12.50
"Truly I say to you today,
00:53:12.53\00:53:14.25
you shall be
with me in paradise."
00:53:14.28\00:53:16.30
How can we know where
the comma ought to go?
00:53:16.33\00:53:18.87
Well if you follow
scripture with scripture,
00:53:18.90\00:53:22.12
it becomes clear.
00:53:22.15\00:53:23.28
Remember, it was
early in the morning,
00:53:23.31\00:53:25.71
Sunday morning
that the disciples,
00:53:25.74\00:53:27.50
many of the women came
00:53:27.53\00:53:28.99
to the burial site
of Jesus including Mary
00:53:29.02\00:53:32.61
and the tomb was empty.
00:53:32.64\00:53:34.62
She was grief stricken,
00:53:34.65\00:53:35.72
what is happening
to the body of Jesus.
00:53:35.75\00:53:38.98
And then the tears, I
mean, Jesus came and stood there
00:53:39.01\00:53:42.00
but she didn't recognize Him.
00:53:42.03\00:53:43.35
And she said, tell me
where you've taken Him.
00:53:43.38\00:53:46.15
She thought it was the gardener
and I will take His body away.
00:53:46.18\00:53:49.91
And notice what we
find here in John 20:16,
00:53:49.94\00:53:54.45
"Jesus said to her, 'Mary,'"
00:53:54.48\00:53:57.12
and in that moment,
that powerful moment,
00:53:57.15\00:53:59.37
the recognition of
the voice of Jesus.
00:53:59.40\00:54:01.74
What a thrill must have
crossed through her heart
00:54:01.77\00:54:05.40
when she
recognized the voice of Jesus.
00:54:05.43\00:54:07.47
It goes on to say,
00:54:07.50\00:54:08.53
"She turned and said to
Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!'
00:54:08.56\00:54:13.51
And Jesus said to
her, 'Stop clinging to Me,
00:54:13.54\00:54:16.82
for I have not yet
ascended to the Father.'"
00:54:16.85\00:54:23.87
Now it was on Friday,
Good Friday the Jesus said,
00:54:23.90\00:54:27.56
"I say to you today you
shall be with Me in Paradise."
00:54:27.59\00:54:31.35
But Jesus go to
paradise on Good Friday?
00:54:31.38\00:54:35.33
No. How do we know?
00:54:35.36\00:54:37.48
Because on the
third day in John 20 here
00:54:37.51\00:54:40.67
Jesus says, stop clinging to me
00:54:40.70\00:54:42.70
because I have not yet
ascended to the Father.
00:54:42.73\00:54:46.76
I am not gone there yet.
00:54:46.79\00:54:48.40
So it's clear.
00:54:51.44\00:54:53.03
Now follow something
else, Jesus sets a pattern,
00:54:53.06\00:54:56.78
Jesus did not ascend to heaven
until after His resurrection.
00:54:56.81\00:55:01.49
So it is with God's people,
00:55:01.52\00:55:03.00
it is not until
after the resurrection
00:55:03.03\00:55:05.14
that we too will
ascend to heaven.
00:55:05.17\00:55:07.74
Are you with me?
00:55:07.77\00:55:09.70
He's the first
fruit since what it says
00:55:09.73\00:55:11.50
in 1 Corinthians 15 in
regards to the resurrection.
00:55:11.53\00:55:15.85
And my friend, He's
the resurrection, the life.
00:55:15.88\00:55:18.34
Revelation 1:18,
"I am he who lives,
00:55:18.37\00:55:20.48
and was dead, and behold,
00:55:20.51\00:55:21.94
I am alive forever more. Amen.
00:55:21.97\00:55:23.77
And have the keys of Hades"
00:55:23.80\00:55:25.74
that is of the
grave "and of death."
00:55:25.77\00:55:28.07
And my friend,
the coming of Jesus,
00:55:28.10\00:55:29.58
He's gonna take those keys
00:55:29.61\00:55:31.07
and He's going to
set the prisoners free.
00:55:31.10\00:55:34.70
And so is there life
after death? Absolutely.
00:55:34.73\00:55:39.75
But what people commonly mean
when they say life after death,
00:55:39.78\00:55:42.72
they mean
actually life in death.
00:55:42.75\00:55:45.95
Is that what they mean?
00:55:45.98\00:55:47.45
But the Bible actually
teaches life after death.
00:55:47.48\00:55:49.83
It is after the period of death
that the dead shall live again
00:55:49.86\00:55:56.68
is what the Bible teaches.
00:55:56.71\00:56:00.22